Many of those who read something about the events surrounding the General Conference of Seventh day Adventists in Minneapolis in 1888 have wondered, `What exactly was this message?' `Why is it so hard to present it in a sequence of 1, 2 3 ..., so we all can come to grips with it?'

This article will present just that "most precious message" so we finally all can know what it was. The reason that it has not been seen clearly before is that it takes quite a bit of reading and study to gather it all in a concise format, like in 1, 2, 3...

With that said and done, let us present the message of 1888 as compiled this way:

Foreword

Ellen White made many statements regarding the message sent through A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner. The following excerpts are samples, mostly from The Ellen G. White Materials, given in chronological order. The repetitious variations serve to reinforce the divine character and importance of this "most precious" message. [Based on Ellen White and the Loud Cry, Publ. by `4th Angel', 2005, 866-546-6469]

A) It was a message of:

1. justification by faith (p. 211, 447)[100]

2. the righteousness of Christ in relation to the law (p.211); 1Jh. 5:17.

3. the tidings that Christ is our righteousness (p. 387)

4. the unmerited blessings that God has bestowed, His grace, His privileges, His opportunities (p. 387)

5. God's dealing with His people as a loving, forgiving father deals with an ungrateful, wayward son (p. 387)

6. the light shining from the word of God has been clear and distinct - justification by faith, Christ our righteousness (p. 447)

7. these great and glorious truths, the righteousness of Christ and the entire sacrifice made in behalf of man (p. 217)

8. the religion of Jesus Christ clearly defined, made so clear that a child may understand that it is an immediate, voluntary, trustful surrender of the heart to God - a coming into union with Christ in confidence, affectionate obedience to do all His commandments through the merits of Jesus Christ; it is a decisive act of the individual, committing to the Lord the keeping of the soul; it is the climbing up by Christ, clinging to Christ, accepting the righteousness of Christ as a free gift; the will is to be surrendered to Christ; through faith in the righteousness of Christ is salvation (p. 281)

9. faith in Jesus Christ's righteousness in the behalf of every individual soul (p. 281)

10. the gospel of Christ (p. 281)

11. the precious subject the righteousness of Christ and of faith (p. 291)

12. the gospel as well as the law (p. 291)

13. the matchless charms of Christ (p. 348)

14. the grand, and the overpowering ideas of His Excellency (p. 447)

15. the glory, the majesty, the righteousness of Christ, full of goodness and truth; the fullness of the Godhead in Jesus Christ, set forth with beauty and loveliness, to charm all whose hearts were not closed with prejudice (p. 447) - CIAS comment: Like it can often happen in any listening audience, some are there to compare the message delivered to what their professors taught them in schools instead of just going by the plain words of the Bible.

16. much precious light (p. 828)

17. divine love (p. 913)

18. the rich gifts of Jesus unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent (p. 1336)

19. justification by faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ (p. 1455)

20. Christ crucified, a risen Saviour ascended into the heavens to be our advocate (p. 1455)

21. the wisdom and power of God in the conversion of souls (p. 1455)

22. these themes, - Christ crucified for our sins, Christ risen from the dead, Christ our intercessor before God; the office-work of the Holy Spirit, the representative of Christ, sent-forth with divine power and gifts for men (p. 1455)

23. the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them, that efficiency in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost (p. 1455)

24. taking the burden of sin to Jesus for His forgiveness (p. 1689)

B) It was a message about:

1. a people John saw. He says, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12). This people John beholds just before he sees the Son of man "having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle" (Rev. 14:14). (p. 211)

2. the law in Galatians (p. 228)

3. the faith of Jesus and the righteousness of Christ (p. 228)

4. looking unto Jesus who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Christ the great pattern; his character must be our character; all excellence is in him; turning from man and every other model with open face we behold Jesus in all his glory (p. 447)

5. the value of the price that has been paid for our salvation (p. 546)

6. the law of God exalted, placed before the people in the framework of the gospel of Jesus Christ (p. 828)

7. the righteousness of Christ as our only hope of gaining access to the Father (p. 1057)

8. their strength being proportionate to the strength of their dependence (p. 1690)

C) It was a message that:

1. presented justification through faith in the Surety (p. 1336)

2. invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God (p. 1336)

3. directed the eyes of those who had lost sight of Jesus to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family (p. 1336)

4. the plan of redemption shall come to his people as the latter rain (p. 1690)

D) It was a message to:

1. wake up the mighty men to prepare for battle, for the day of God's preparation (p. 210)

2. strengthen His people (p. 267)

3. educate the people to look away from themselves to Jesus and to His righteousness (p. 286)

4. revive His people and give them light in clear distinct rays that would lead to the magnifying of Christ. The Lord's command to His people through His messengers was, "Go forward." (p. 308)

5. arouse a lukewarm, slumbering church (p. 414)

6. go to every church that claims to believe the truth, and bring our people up to a higher stand-point (p. 545)

7. carry the people forward and upward to a higher, holier state of spirituality (p. 1140)

8. be seen by these glorious truths glowing in our hearts, trembling upon our lips and pervading our whole being (p. 1692)

9. The faith of Jesus, Jesus' divine person, merits, and changeless love

10. bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (p. 1336)

11. the world to prepare a people to stand in the day of God (p. 1814; cf. p. 1525 regarding the preparation being prolonged)

E) It was a message whose results were:

1. good fruits: a vigor and a vital energy was brought into the church; hope and courage and faith beam in the countenances of all those who open their eyes to see, their understanding to perceive and their hearts to receive the great treasure of truth (p. 228)

2. a better knowledge of what constitutes faith (p. 267)

3. highly satisfactory (p. 267)

4. an experience beyond anything they had known before (p. 268)

5. a solemn realization that Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance (p. 268)

6. we seemed to breathe in the very atmosphere of heaven; angels were indeed hovering around; the Lord had visited his people (p. 268)

7. many were convicted in the light of the law as transgressors; they had been trusting in their own righteousness; now they saw it as filthy rags, in comparison with the righteousness of Christ, which is alone acceptable to God; while they had not been open transgressors, they saw themselves depraved and degraded in heart (p. 268)

8. the plan of salvation, the simplicity of faith has been mad so clear that a child may understand (p. 281)

9. the tame, lukewarm tone of the people's testimonies was gone; they were characterized by deep, earnest feeling; men and women confessed how destitute of the love of Christ in the soul and of love for their brethren their religious experience had been; they humbly and thankfully expressed their gratitude for the light received; they had been clinging closely to their own righteousness; now by faith they trust in Christ's might and His power and His righteousness; they can do literally nothing without divine help; their prayers now are filled with earnest, simple faith that takes God at His word; all now seem to have warm hearts; the love of Christ is assurance to them of their acceptance, and they long to speak and acknowledge the great goodness of God in providing them as righteousness which is pure, spotless, efficacious (p. 283)

10. our brethren and sisters have begun to see and to understand what Jesus is to them; the Lord is in our midst (p. 284)

11. without excitement or extravagance; the leaven of Christ's righteousness has been introduced into the experience and has energized the soul (p. 284)

12. many bore precious testimonies that they never loved Jesus, never viewed Him in the character of such a Friend and so gracious as they now did (p. 284)

13. their hearts were melted and subdued with the love of Jesus; one brother's heart was broken and he was so impressed with the love of Jesus that he wept aloud; ministers were happy, newly converted, and they now bear a testimony that is free and joyful (p. 284)

14. relief to many, many souls (p. 387)

15. the past year has been the best of their life; the light shining forth from the word of God has been clear and distinct - justification by faith, Christ our righteousness. The experiences have been very interesting (p. 447)

16. great interest is manifested (p. 447)

17. a growth in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (p. 447)

18. light, and relief, and the blessing of God (p. 447)

19. minds are filled with the grand and overpowering ideas of his excellency (p. 447)

20. every other object sinks into insignificance. and every part of moral discipline is lost which does not promote their likeness to his image (p. 447)

21. their experience was of a more spiritual character than they have had before since embracing the truth (p. 461)

22. the fruit is peace, courage, joy, and harmony (p. 461)

23. its influence upon human hearts of all who have received it is good and the fruits are good (p. 499)

24. no relish for sin; hate the sin that caused the sufferings of the Son of God (p. 545)

25. the power of God attended the message wherever it was spoken (p. 545)

26. healing and life and comfort to many weary and oppressed souls (p. 673)

27. souls turn from sin to righteousness; faith revived in the hearts of the contrite ones (p. 673)

28. impressions left on many minds which will be deepened and will be as lasting as eternity; many testimonies in all parts of the field: "I found light, precious light." "My Bible is a new Book." "Never did we feel as at this meeting the necessity of being under the constant control of the Spirit of God, constantly uplifting the heart of God, to be Christians in heart, Christians in principles, possessing not merely a theory of the truth but revealing the principles of truth in a Christlike spirit." (P. 828)

29. those who do not allow prejudice to bar the heart against the heaven sent message cannot but feel the spirit and force of the truth (p. 1122)

30. light and freedom and the outpouring of the Spirit of God (p. 1122)

31. the conversion of souls, bringing them back to their loyalty to Christ (p. 1455)

32. they would understand what it means to be justified by faith, and their testimony would be heard in the congregation, "The Saviour has cleansed us from all sin. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (p. 1698)

33. truths have been made known that have been of great value to the world and to the people of God. The way has been made so plain that honest hearts cannot but receive the truth. But there are still treasures to be searched for. Let the shaft which has begun to work the mine of truth sink deep, and it will yield rich and precious treasures (p. 1689)
    [see p. 1690 for more statements like the following regarding more truth: "We are to know more than we do at the present time. . . . greater lengths and breadths and heights of that knowledge which God alone can give."]

34. thousands have set the Lord before them, and by beholding [have] been changed into the same image. Their spirit burns within them as they speak of his character, telling what Jesus is to them and what they are to Jesus (p. 1692)

35. many moved and humbled, drink of the waters of life (p. 1814)

F) A message that was:

1. God's message for this time; but would not perhaps have been present truth twenty years ago (p. 133)

2. a solemn message (p. 210)

3. no new light, but it was old light placed where it should be in the third angel's message (p. 211)

4. precious truth (p. 217)

5. the message for this time (p. 217. Paulson Collection, p. 151)

6. present truth for this time (p. 228, 296, 387, 1710);
   truth for this time (p. 406, 420, 447, 545, 1025, 1057, 1160, 1620);
   the precious sanctifying truth for this time (p. 723, 1077)

7. the great treasure of truth (p. 228)

8. the light which the Lord has given (3Bio p. 421)

9. soul-nourishing food (p. 267)

10. the very message the Lord has sent to the people of this time (p. 267, 1395)

11. a flood of light in this subject of faith and the righteousness of Christ (p. 291)

12. the light and the message for the present time (p. 291)

13. the rich blessing of God (p. 308)

14. precious light to present before the people (p. 387)

15. a special work He is doing at this time (p. 414)

16. the words of Jesus, appealing to His people in warnings, in reproofs, in counsels (p. 417)

17. meat in due season to the starving flock of God (p. 437, 1122; cf. 276)

18. large morsels from the Lord's table (p. 447)

19. light and truth, just the truth for this time (p. 447)

20. a feats of fat things (p. 447)

21. bearing the divine credentials (p. 447)

22. from above; the message the Lord sends (p. 499)

23. the matter now brought to us, - Justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ (p. 499)

24. this urgent call for the will to be yielded (p. 499)

25. His work for this time (p. 673)

26. the heaven sent message, heaven sent light (p. 673, 831, 1122, 1335, 1656, cf. 545)

27. a special message (p. 1043, 1245)

28. the message of God to the Laodicean Church (p. 1052)

29. most precious (p. 1336)

30. immense in its importance, reaching into heaven and compassing eternity (PH002:26; Letter 22, 1892 to O.A. Olsen)

31. the message that God commanded to be given to the world (p. 1336)

32. the third angel's message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in large measure (p. 1336)

33. the invitation, "Come, for all things are now ready. Come to the supper prepared for you." (p. 1455)

34. light, heaven's light (p. 1455)

35. the Lord's message (p. 1575)

36. the light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory (p. 1575)

37. a restoring, healing message to men, calling upon them to look away from man and earthly things, and place their trust in God (p. 1688)

38. the light which would place them under the guardianship of the Holy Spirit, to be molded after the divine similitude (p. 1689, 1690)

39. additional proclamation of the principles of purity, lowliness, faith, and the righteousness of Christ, the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (p. 1814)

G) It was a message of which Ellen White said she:

1. could respond to with all my heart (p. 217)

2. felt inexpressibly grateful to God (p. 217)

3. had presented the subject in the testimonies again and again (p. 217)

4. was convinced if it is not present truth for this time, I know not how we can determine what is truth (p. 286)

5. had been presenting it to you for the last 45 years; what I have been trying to present before your minds; when Brother Waggoner brought out these ideas in Minneapolis, it was the first clear teaching on this subject from any human lips I had heard, excepting the conversations between myself and my husband; I said to myself, It is because God has presented it to me in vision that I see it so clearly, and they cannot see it because they have never had it presented to them as I have; when another presented it, every fiber of my heart said, Amen (p. 348)

6. could see height and depths that we may reach accepting every ray of light and going forward to a greater light (p. 447)

7. knew, if God had ever spoken by me, that it is the truth (p. 537)

8. gave my message with the messengers of God, right in harmony with the very message they were bearing (p. 542)

9. tried to present it to the people, that they may see the evidence that I saw (p. 543)

10. considered it a privilege to stand by the side of my brethren, and give my testimony with the message for this time (p. 545)

11. tried to present the message to the people as I understand (p. 545)

12. knew that the Lord is in this work, and no one can silence the messenger whom God sends, or repress the message. (p. 1141)

Conclusion

It has been ca. a century since these inspired observations were written. Recall the opening statement in this little collection, "The loud cry will soon be heard and the earth will be lightened with the glory of God." {20MR 357.2} June 27, 1884, Has there been a delay, and if so, why?

The answer to both questions is unequivocal. June 9, 1893 Ellen White had to confess, "The Lord designed that the messages of warning and instruction given through the Spirit to His people should go everywhere. But the influence that grew out of the resistance of light and truth at Minneapolis tended to make of no effect the light God had given to His people through the Testimonies. . . . The work of opponents to the truth has been steadily advancing while we have been compelled to devote our energies in a great degree to counteracting the work of the enemy through those who were in our own ranks. The dullness of some and the opposition of others have confined our strength and means largely among those who knew the truth but did not practice its principles. If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere this have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. What account will be rendered to God for thus retarding the work?" {1888 1129.3} If there had been a delay in 1893, the answer for 2005/ 2008 should be obvious.

[100] It appears that the teaching about justifcation and righteousness by faith and similar phrases are frequently used but infrequently explained in a form easily understandable. The reason for that may be, because at least one of the Greek words involved (logidzomai) is translated many different ways. The word itself appears some 40 times in the New Testament and has been translated as follows:

Translated with words of the `think' family:

7 x as think
1 x as thinkest
1 x as thinketh
1 x as thought

Translated with words of the `impute' family:

1 x as impute
5 x as imputed
1 x as imputeth
1 x as imputing

Translated with words of the `reckon' family:

2 x as reckon
4 x as reckoned

Translated with words of the `account' family:

1 x as account
2 x as accounted
1 x as accounting