What can be more natural than for man, as he looks forth upon a world where evil is everywhere present, and the marks of disorder and decay everywhere visible, to inquire whether or not this state of things shall always continue? And what inquiry can be of more interest and importance to the race than that which has respect to the age of the world in which we live? It would therefore be reasonable to conclude that God would give to man a revelation informing him in respect to subjects of such absorbing interest. And the declaration of the scripture is in strict accordance with enlightened reason, when it says, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the prophets.” Amos iii, 7.

The object of prophecy is to forewarn the world of things to come, in time for the requisite preparation, and to inspire the people of God with fresh courage as they see the time for the full fruition of their hopes drawing nigh. No judgment has ever come upon the world unheralded; and none have ever fallen therein unwarned. And if, from the uniform dealings of God with our world in the past, we may judge of the future, then may we conclude that of the events yet to transpire, and above all, the great event in which earth’s drama shall close—the ushering in of the great day of the Lord, and the coming of the Son of man—something will be known, and the world be faithfully warned thereof, ere they shall take place.

In calling attention to these things, William Miller and his associates were accused of prying into the secrets of the Almighty. From this charge, however, they needed no better vindication than the language of Moses, in Deut. xxix, 29: “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” Prophecy belongs to that portion of the Bible which may properly be denominated a revelation. It is designed to reveal to us things of which we could not in any other way gain information.

Again, they were met with the plea that the prophecies could not be understood. But says the Saviour, referring directly to the prophecy of Daniel, “Whoso readeth let him understand.” Matt. xxiv, 15. That many of the prophecies, such as those portions of Daniel which reach to the close of earthly governments, have not been understood, is very true. But to assert that they cannot at any time be understood, is a virtual denial that they are a portion of God’s revelation to man.

The prophecy of Daniel, reaching far into the future, could not be understood by the prophet himself. Neither could it be understood by any until the time of the end, when much of it should be fulfilled. Hence the answer of the angel to the anxious inquiry of the prophet: “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Chap. xii, 8-10. Again says the angel to the prophet: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Verse 4.

From the very nature of the prophecy of Daniel, it was closed up and sealed till the time of the end, when, most of its prophetic history being past, it was to be unsealed, understood, and many were to run to and fro with the knowledge of the great subject upon which it treats. The result of the increase and spread of knowledge in relation to the approaching Judgment, which is the great theme of the prophecy, is also given. The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. But the wise shall understand. With these remarks the attention of the reader is called to