The Return of the Latter Rain

Revival and Reformation the Result of Accepting the Most Precious Message

Following the December Week of Prayer meetings held in Battle Creek, Ellen White, A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner took the precious message to the churches around the country throughout the coming year. Three Ministerial Institutes were held during the following spring and summer. Jones and Waggoner as the main presenters spoke at several campmeetings during the remainder of the summer along with Ellen White. It was not without a struggle, however, that meetings of one kind or another were held in the local conferences, yet God still sought to pour out the Holy Spirit on His languishing church. The results of all these meetings were published in the Review and must be read to be fully appreciated. The General Conference session, held in late October, climaxed the years’ activities.

As we take a closer look at these Institutes and campmeetings, we will also need to pay particular attention to the messages given by Jones and Waggoner. Some modern historians have suggested that Jones’ and Waggoner’s 1888 message began to dramatically change immediately after they left Minneapolis from what they claim is the Reformation gospel—as is understood today by many Evangelicals—to a Roman Catholic view of righteousness by faith.

South Lancaster, Massachusetts

There are many who seem to feel that they have a great work to do themselves before they can come to Christ for his salvation. They seem to think that Jesus will come in at the very last of their struggle, and give them help by putting the finishing touch to their lifework. It seems difficult for them to understand that Christ is a complete Saviour, and able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.

As the message of present truth was presented, however, hearts were melted: “We felt the necessity of presenting Christ as a Saviour who was not afar off, but nigh at hand. … There were many, even among the ministers, who saw the truth as it is in Jesus in a light in which they had never before viewed it. They saw the Saviour as a sin-pardoning Saviour, and the truth as the sanctifier of the soul.” As a result many were “convicted in the light of the law as transgressors.” They realized that they “had been trusting in their own righteousness,” which they now saw “as filthy rags in comparison with the righteousness of Christ.” Ellen White described the joy in heaven over such an event:

All through the meetings, as the people sought to draw nearer to God, they brought forth works meet for repentance, by confessing one to another where they had wronged each other by word or act. …

The very message the Lord has sent to the people of this time was presented in the discourses. …

Both students and teachers have shared largely in the blessing of God. The deep movings of the Spirit of God have been felt upon almost every heart. The general testimony was borne by those who attended the meeting that they had obtained an experience beyond anything they had known before. …

I have never seen a revival work go forward with such thoroughness, and yet remain so free from all undue excitement. There was no urging or inviting. The people were not called forward, but there was a solemn realization that Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. … We seemed to breathe in the very atmosphere of heaven. Angels were indeed hovering around. … The Lord had visited his people. And there was joy in heaven among the angels over the repentant sinners that had come back to the Father.

The last Sabbath the meetings were held, A. T. Jones spoke with “great power” during the morning meeting, and Ellen White spoke with “great freedom” in the afternoon. It was a “most precious Sabbath” to their souls:

We felt we were breathing in the heavenly atmosphere, and Christ was indeed found of all those who sought for Him. This is indeed a wonderful outpouring of the Spirit of God, testifying to us what the Lord is willing to do for His people who will believe in Jesus for themselves.

A year later, Ellen White reminded the brethren during a Ministerial Institute what had taken place at South Lancaster. Again she compared it with the power that attended the message in 1844:

Those who were at South Lancaster last winter know that the church and the school were moved upon by the Spirit of God. Nearly every student was swept in by the heavenly current, and living testimonies were given that were not surpassed even by the testimonies of 1844 before the disappointment. Many learned at South Lancaster what it meant to surrender their hearts to God— what it meant to be converted.

Such were the results of the “outpouring of the Spirit of God” upon His people— results that would have taken place to a much greater extent among the leaders at Minneapolis if rebellion had not occured. Looking back a short time later on the experience at South Lancaster and other meetings held during the year, Ellen White recalled the privilege of working with Jones and Waggoner. Unlike the modern characterizations that have been attributed to them during this time of their labors, she described how God’s hand was at work:

I have traveled from place to place, attending meetings where the message of the righteousness of Christ was preached. I considered it a privilege to stand by the side of my brethren [Jones and Waggoner], and give my testimony with the message for the time; and I saw that the power of God attended the message wherever it was spoken. You could not make the people believe in South Lancaster that it was not a message of light that came to them. The people confessed their sins, and appropriated the righteousness of Christ. God has set His hand to do this work.

Chicago, Illinois

Elder A. T. Jones has labored faithfully to instruct those assembled, and in breaking to their souls the Bread of Life. We have felt sorry that not only every Seventh-day Adventist church but every church, whatever their faith and doctrines, could not have the precious light of truth as it has been so clearly presented. I know it would have been a rich feast to very many souls not of our faith to see the plan of salvation so clearly and simply defined. …

We have been earnestly and steadily at work to encourage faith in our brethren. This seemed to be as difficult as to teach a child to take its first steps alone. … The Holy Spirit has been convicting the hearts of men and women.

We feel deeply grateful for the blessing of God that has come into the meeting here … oh, how hard it was to educate the people to look away from themselves to Jesus and to His righteousness. …

My heart rejoiced as I heard the people acknowledge that they were obtaining an education in faith which they had never had before. … Their souls were free, their sins forgiven, the love of Jesus was in their heart … [making] evident the work of the Holy Spirit and grace of Christ in the soul. The Sabbath came to us as a joy, a blessing. We hailed the Sabbath with grateful hearts as the best Sabbath we had ever enjoyed. …

Now that the enlightenment of the Spirit of God has come, all seem to be learning fast. … More real good could now be accomplished in one day than in one full week before. … All regret that they have been so long ignorant of what constituted true religion … that it was true religion to depend entirely upon Christ’s righteousness, and not upon works of merit.

There were no “outbursts of fanaticism, but rather the peace and joy that [were] born of heaven.” Among those who made confessions of sin were some that had stood opposed to the message at Minneapolis. Having now seen the results of the “deep movings of the Spirit of God” on the hearts of new converts, they began to realize some of what they had lost at the General Conference. Even Brother Kilgore saw “the mistakes he made at Minneapolis,” weeping and rejoicing over his new experience. Writing about his experience in the Review he expressed gratitude for the meetings: “The labors of Sister White and Elder Jones were highly appreciated by our brethren. The clear and forcible elucidation of the truth of justification by faith, as set forth by Brother Jones, was truly meat in due season.” Even with the confessions made, however, Ellen White knew that “a far greater number” should have been at the meetings where “Brother Jones [had] patiently instructed the people.”

As the meetings in Chicago came to a close in early April, it was obvious to Ellen White that this message needed to be presented at the large campmeetings during the summer. She had been invited to go to Kansas in May, in order to attend three weeks of workers’ meetings followed by a one-week campmeeting. Following the Kansas meetings, she was to attend a campmeeting in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In a letter to her son, W. C. White, she expressed her concern that those members in Iowa were going to miss out on the blessing if she was tied up so long in one place, and yet she had received no invitation from Iowa leaders. Why? Brothers Morrison and Nicola had “run the [Iowa] conference” until there was “but little life and soul in it”:

Willie, I am in distress for the poor sheep in Iowa. What have they done that they must be left unvisited? The sin of the shepherd should not be visited upon the sheep. I am pained at heart to think of those who are laboring for the churches in Iowa. Could not the camp meetings be arranged so that Brother A. T. Jones could go with me to Iowa? We could go without the waiting for these blind shepherds to signify their wishes to have us come. You know I told you that the people gave an invitation by a rising vote for me to attend the Iowa camp meeting. I will go if it can be arranged so that Brother Jones can accompany me. …

I think that Elder A. T. Jones should attend our large camp meetings, and give to our people and to outsiders as well the precious subject of faith and the righteousness of Christ. There is a flood of light in this subject, and if he goes to the canvassers’meetings only, how can the light come before the largest number? You cannot expect that any of the canvassers can present this matter in the light in which he presents it. I think that it is robbing the churches of the light and the message for the present time for him not to attend the camp meetings.

Let the outsiders understand that we preach the gospel as well as the law, and they will feast upon these truths, and many will take their stand for the truth.

Ottawa, Kansas

The “atmosphere was oppressive” and Ellen White’s “heart was in so weak a condition that it was difficult for [her] to speak to the people.” Her “continual prayer to God” was that He would give her strength mentally, physically and spiritually so she could be a blessing to the people. The “powerful agencies continually at work to oppose those who are sent with messages of warning, reproof, or encouragement” were present there, and the people who “should grow strong by accepting light” would “become weak by refusing it.”

The next day, Wednesday, May 8, Ellen White attended the early morning meeting and “bore a decided testimony and entreated all present not to act over Minneapolis, and not to be like those Paul describes in Hebrews 4:2.” She “entreated them to humble their hearts before God and put away their sins by repentance and confession, and receive the messages God sends them through His delegated servants.” The following morning, she felt she needed to speak to the matter again and be “more explicit.” This time she cut straight to the heart:

I was led out to speak more freely in regard to the conference held in Minneapolis, and the spirit that our brethren brought to that Conference. I felt that it was not enough to longer deal in general terms uttering truths which might be assented to, but that would not cut deep in the fleshy tables of the heart. The work to be done demanded something more than smooth words, for God would put His rebuke upon anything and everything savoring of the same kind of spirit and influence that was brought into Minneapolis—doubts, cavilings, playing upon words, turning aside from the close reproofs of the Spirit of God, and regarding them as idle fables and ridiculing and misrepresenting and quibbling upon words.

Ellen White described what had taken place at Minneapolis, how the men had come “under a delusion, with false impressions upon their minds.” She told them that “Jones and Waggoner had presented precious light to the people, but prejudice and unbelief” had barred the hearts “that nothing from this source should find entrance.” She related how she was about to leave the Conference when a “messenger” had come and told her to stand by her post. He had taken her to the rooms and shown her what was being said against her, and Jones and Waggoner. She related how “like a flash of lightning” all this had been shown her and how it compared to the treatment of God’s people throughout the history of the great controversy. She told how Phariseeism had come into the church, how her work at the Conference had been “disregarded by nearly all,” that “rebellion was popular,” and that their “course was an insult to the Spirit of God.”

Ellen White’s straight talk was not without effect. Brother Hall, the President of the Kansas conference, stood to his feet and publicly stated that what Ellen White had said was correct. His “‘confidence in the testimonies’” was confirmed for he was in “‘one of the very rooms she mentioned.’” He had made the mistake of putting “‘implicit confidence’” in the “‘ministering brethren,’” looking up to them and trusting what they said. Brother McReynolds also “bore testimony that the description given by Sister White was true to the letter.” He had confessed to Ellen White personally, and now he did so publicly. Unfortunately, the meeting had to close before it “could go any farther.”

Ellen White was exhausted. At times she “was greatly depressed in spirit” and would “struggle with weakness” until she stood before the people and was given strength to speak. That Thursday afternoon she spoke again, and those who had come for a blessing were blessed, but those “who were watching to find somebody to pick flaws in, whose hearts were barricaded with unbelief, thought Sister White did not talk with much spirit.” Rumors had been afloat since Minneapolis that “‘Sister White confessed that in some of her remarks at that meeting she had been in error and had manifested a wrong spirit.’” Her strong statements that morning had shaken some people’s confidence in her as well, including J. S. Washburn.

J. S. Washburn

Washburn was associated with J. H. Morrison, who was not only outspoken against Waggoner at Minneapolis, but also “in his belittling the Spirit of Prophecy.” When both he and Morrison had approached Ellen White at Minneapolis, “she would give no counsel, [and] said, ‘Brethren, my counsel has no weight in Iowa!’” Later, Washburn “decided to go to her alone” and her “simple answer” to his question seemed to relieve his mind somewhat. J. H. Morrison, however, decided to leave the Minneapolis Conference early, telling Washburn privately: “‘they are going to try and force me to acknowledge that I am wrong. So I am leaving.’”

During the winter of 1889 Washburn struggled with doubt and discouragement: “‘We don’t have a prophet! She can’t be one [if] those two men [Jones and Waggoner] influence her like that,’ he reasoned to himself.” Even his evangelistic meetings fell flat. He “lost his crowd” and baptized only four or five from his meetings. Thus his “doubts returned strongly.” One night he knelt outside and “prayed desperately.” He “reasoned out that if this people keep the commandments of God, they must also have the Spirit of Prophecy. But they couldn’t have the latter if the prophet was swayed by two young men to go their way. … ‘If there be a God, let me believe,’ he prayed.” This was the depth to which Washburn fell after Minneapolis.

Washburn happened to ride on the same train with A. T. Jones on their way to the Kansas meetings. Even though Washburn had “doubts about ATJ being ‘straight’” and felt he was “wrong along with EJW[aggoner],” he was much impressed by Jones’ recent “victory at Washington” regarding the Blair Sunday Bill. Having an interest in law and politics himself, Washburn “introduced himself to ATJ somewhat fearfully, [but] found the latter very friendly and kind.” Washburn “learned to like him, went up with him to [the Kansas] meeting, spent a week-end with him, [and] went up and down the river with him, talking a great deal.”

All seemed to be going well for Washburn at the Kansas meetings until Ellen White arrived and presented at the early morning meetings stating: “‘We don’t want any of that Minneapolis spirit to come down here. If J. H. M[orrison] and Henry Nicola don’t repent and are converted, they’ll never be saved!’” Washburn was “shocked to hear her talk so bluntly of their Iowa leaders. ‘She’s wrong!’” he thought. Washburn was “upset again, and the old doubts returned” with the “Minneapolis spirit.” He determined to have a visit with Ellen White and settle the matter once and for all.

Ellen White responded kindly and invited him for a visit. Washburn poured out his concern to Ellen White. He told her that “he had always believed that she was a prophet, but was disturbed about the Minneapolis episode.” He thought that Uriah Smith and Morrison “were right.” To this Ellen White responded: “‘Do you know why J. H. M[orrison] left the Conference early?’” Then she told Washburn “just what J. H. M. had told [him] and the revelation of her apparently superhuman knowledge of that private confidential conversation” between Morrison and himself frightened him. He realized that here was one who had secrets revealed to her:

EGW told him of her guide in Europe, who had strethced [sic] his hands out, and said “There are mistakes being made on both sides in this controversy.” Then EGW added that the “law in Galatians” is not the real issue of the conference. The real issue was Righteousness by faith! … “EJW can teach righteousness by faith more clearly than I can,” said EGW. “Why, Sister White,” [Washburn] said, “do you mean to say that E. J. Waggoner can teach it better than you can, with all your experience?” EGW replied, “Yes, the Lord has given him special light on that question. I have been wanting to bring it out (more clearly), but I could not have brought it out as clearly as he did. But when he did bring it out at Minneapolis, I recognized it.”

Washburn then asked Ellen White whether she was infallible. Her answer: “‘of course not … I am just a weak erring human being.’” This led Washburn to ask how he could trust what she wrote or said was “from the Lord.” To this Ellen White made “no immediate reply” for what seemed about “five full minutes.” Washburn was embarrassed, but when her answer came it “settled him forever as to the Spirit of Prophecy”:

“I haven’t had a vision in several years. (Her open visions ceased after the early years, but later had night visions). But I never dare to speak or to write as a testimony unless I know that the Holy Spirit controls my mind.”

Washburn went away from his interview with Ellen White “a different man, settled in his confidence in this movement and in its divine guidance through the Spirit of Prophecy.”

A Breakthrough Finally Comes

On Sabbath morning A. T. Jones presented the sermon, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Although he had already presented twenty times during the course of the campmeeting, he had dwelt largely on the issue of religious liberty. Now, on Sabbath morning, he started a series on the “subject of justification by faith and many received it as light and truth.” Jones presented to the hundreds gathered that it was the righteousness of God that they needed, “nothing else will avail”:

We must know, however, where to seek for it and how, because we often seek for it in the wrong places; for instance, as many do, in the law of God, and through keeping it. … The righteousness of God is in His law, but it is not revealed to men by the law, Rom. 1:16-17, the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel to men, and not in the law. …

Galatians 2:21; if “righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain,” our own righteousness is all, then, we can get out of the law, and that the righteousness of God can come only by Jesus Christ. What is our righteousness? Isaiah 64:6. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. What is sin? When Israel came out of Egypt, they knew not God. … To make them understand their condition and what sin was … He took a word meaning “missed the mark.” … Then the more righteousness of the law a man has the worse he is off—the more ragged is he. …

It is Christ’s obedience that avails and not ours that brings righteousness to us. Well then let us stop trying to do the will of God in our own strength. Stop it all. Put it away from you forever. Let Christ’s obedience do it all for you and gain the strength to pull the bow so that you can hit the mark. …

Although Jones spoke to the fact that the righteousness man needed had to come from Christ and not the law, he in no way belittled the law or the keeping of the commandments. He made it clear that the reason Christ came to earth as an “infant instead of a man” was that he might meet “all the temptations a child meets and never” sin. So it is that “any child can stand in His place and resist in His strength”:

Now if righteousness is the gift of God, and comes by the gospel, then what is the use of the law? … In the fact that the law demands perfection lies the hope of all mankind, because if it could overlook a sin to a single degree, no one could ever be free from sin, as the law would never make that sin known, and it could never be forgiven, by which alone man can be saved. The day is coming when the law will have revealed the last sin and we will stand perfect before Him and be saved with an eternal salvation. The perfection of the law of God is that it will show us all our sins, and then a perfect Saviour stands ready to take them all away. When God makes known all our sins it is not to condemn us, but to save us, so it is a token of His love for us.

Ellen White recorded in the Review her joy at hearing Jones’ sermon presented to the people who were not used to hearing such good news:

At the Kansas meeting my prayer to God was, that the power of the enemy might be broken, and that the people who had been in darkness might open their hearts and minds to the message that God should send them. … Our good and gracious Lord has been presented before the people clothed in the attributes of Satan. … Many have been living in an atmosphere of doubt, and it seems almost impossible for them to lay hold on the hope set before them in the gospel of Christ. …

On Sabbath, truths were presented that were new to the majority of the congregation. Things new and old were brought forth from the treasure-house of God’s word. Truths were revealed which the people were scarcely able to comprehend and appropriate. Light flashed from the oracles of God in relation to the law and the gospel, in relation to the fact that Christ is our righteousness, which seemed to souls who were hungry for truth, as light too precious to be received. … The Lord presented the truth … in clear lines, revealing the fact that Christ alone is the source of all hope and salvation. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. …”

We thank the Lord with all the heart that we have precious light to present before the people, and we rejoice that we have a message for this time which is present truth.

Not all went well, however: “There were many testimonies borne, testifying that they appreciated the light and truth presented to them. But it seemed difficult for those who had been dwelling in an atmosphere of doubt, to take the position of learners. They would quibble at little points that were of no consequence. The leaven that has wrought in Iowa Conference, was in our midst.” Sunday morning, Ellen White bore a “clear, sharp testimony,” speaking “in regard to the Christless wicked surmisings and misrepresentations that had been made in Minneapolis.” She spoke against the “sin of our doubts and unbelief; that in every congregation Satan had his agents right among us through whom he could work.”

The enemy is at work with those who have placed themselves in doubt and unbelief; and they are not satisfied only to be there themselves, but all the time they are strengthening others in the same line. … From the light God has given me, there never was any new light that came from heaven but that Satan could find something in it to pick at. And so it is with some of the people of today—they will pick at little things. They want light, but there comes along the enemy just as he did to the men of Nazareth, and although the Spirit of God told them that Jesus was the anointed one … they remained in doubt and unbelief. …

Now, there has not been any improvement made in human nature since that time. Human nature is human nature still. …

Now brethren I want to tell you, when the Spirit of God comes into our midst, it will strike the minds that are ready to receive it. But if their minds are not open to receive it, they are all ready to pass judgment upon the messenger and the words spoken. … This is the way it was at Minneapolis.

It is because I know the very same spirit is here, and that we should not give place to it for a moment. … I want to ask you if you are satisfied with your coldness, your unbelief, your backslidings. Have you not had enough of it? If not the devil will give you all you desire. …

We see that we are in no better condition than the Jewish people. …

Christ, when talking to the people of His time, told them that they had blinded their eyes and closed their ears. … Light had been given them, but they would not receive it. Darkness was upon them, and they would come and pick the little flaws, and draw the minds of the people away from the solemn truth that was for them. Now, how will it be with us? … We want to know whether we will have the rich blessing of the Lord resting upon us, and we realize that He sheds His rich light and glory upon us. This is my prayer.

Following the morning meeting, and with her mind still stirred with the events of the past months, Ellen White started a letter to her children. Reflecting on Minneapolis, where “rebellion was popular” and “an insult to the Spirit of God,” she told of those who had come to the Kansas meetings “with the very same spirit that was so prominent at Minneapolis.” She wrote of the Sabbath sermon presented by A. T. Jones that was “light and truth” to many, but to those “dwelling in an atmosphere of doubt” it was only something to “quibble at.” Then, as if writing directly to the doubting brethren, Ellen White questioned: “Think ye not that the heavenly Watcher sees your unbelief and opposition? Think ye not your ridiculing, scoffing words are never to appear before you again? Even the outpouring of the Spirit of God you have treated with contempt, and have passed your unsanctified judgment upon; and when the messages have come to you that you must be converted to God, how you have misunderstood and perverted the meaning of these words.”

Thankfully, there was some good news to share as well. At the close of Ellen White’s Sunday morning talk, there “was a break in the meeting.” Brother Porter, a minister from Iowa, arose to his feet to speak. He had not attended the Minneapolis Conference but had come to the Kansas meeting “‘in complete darkness’” and with a “‘combative spirit.’” Now he could joyfully say: “‘I am converted. I see the light.’” Every point which had been clouded with darkness “‘was clear as Eld. A. T. Jones has presented it.’”

After Porter spoke “young Washburn arose and talked quite lengthily. He said when at Minneapolis he was one who thought Sister White’s testimony could not be truth when she stated she had had in California no conversation with A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner.” Washburn boldly told all those gathered there before him: “‘I confess this to my shame. I have confessed it to Sister White and I confess it to God. I repent of this everlastingly.’” Others also arose and gave their testimonies:

The labors of the Sabbath were not in vain. On Sunday morning there was decided evidence that the Spirit of God was working great changes in the moral and spiritual condition of those assembled. … precious testimonies were borne by those who had long been in darkness. One brother spoke of the struggle that he had experienced before he could receive the good news that Christ is our righteousness. …

One of our young ministering brethren said that he had enjoyed more of the blessing and love of God during that meeting than in all his life before. Another stated that the trials, perplexities, and conflicts which he had endured in his mind had been of such a character that he had been tempted to give up everything … and with tears confessed what relief and blessing had come to his soul. At every social meeting, many testimonies were borne as to the peace, comfort, and joy the people had found in receiving light.

Thus it was with great struggle, as meetings of one kind or another were held across the country, that God sought to pour out the Holy Spirit on His languishing church. Many received great blessings from the meetings, while others continued their persistent rebellion. We will continue our survey of these meetings in the next chapter.