A
CASKET FULL OF JEWELS
William Millers Dream Mention
is made in Early Writings, page 48, about a man with a dirt
brush. A footnote leads us to pages 81-83, where we are referred to a
dream, which William Miller had. The
dream itself is familiar to each of the faithful. But what does it mean? In
the dream, Miller saw a beautiful little box, which he called a casket,
containing a great many jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and
silver coin. There is a wonderful lesson in this dream. Just
now, read the story again. It is reprinted BELOW.
Then return here and continue reading. Continuing- In
reading the story of the dream, as presented in Early Writings,
pages 81-83, we are happy that God sidesteps the foolishness of men and
somehow restores the precious jewels. But
less often do we carefully consider the meaning of the dream. It is full
of significance. It
has been suggested that the dream refers to the new discoveries in the
Bible which William Miller found and proclaimed from 1831 onward to the
autumn of 1844. I
here suggest that (1) the dream does, indeed, have a meaning; (2) it is an
exceedingly important one; (3) the faith of the remnant will be
strengthened by understanding that meaning; and (4) the explanation is so
reasonable and comprehensive that the faithful—those who love Gods
Word, all of it—will recognize its validity. The
dream is far-reaching in its extent, and does not refer merely to the
mid-19th century advent awakening and the midnight cry. By
the sin of Adam, earth was separated from heaven; and Satan hoped that God
would abandon it to his devilish rule. But the plan of redemption was
entered into by the Father and the Son. They were fully aware of the
immense personal sacrifice it would cost them. Jesus would die for mankind
and provide redemption. However,
it was not enough to provide a successful way out of this world or the
grace by which it could be traversed. Humanity must also be shown the
principles of the heavenly Kingdom so that, by overcoming grace, they
could obey themand their lives be transformed and prepared for the
heavenly mansions. Just
as a tree slowly grows into magnificence, God gradually gave mankind these
principles over a period of time in the Hebrew Old Testament. This
magnificent collection of spiritual insight was then followed by the
teachings of Jesus, as recorded in the four Gospels, along with the rest
of the New Testament writings. But trouble lay ahead. As predicted in Revelation 12:12, thoroughly aroused when he failed to overcome Christ, Satan set to work in the centuries to blot the truths given in the Bible from the minds of the people. Satan
instructed his agents on a five-fold plan:
All reading of the Scriptures was forbidden on pain of death.
Copies of the Bible were searched for and burned.
A few remaining copies were chained in monasteries in an unknown language
and generally ignored.
Translation of the Bible into the languages of the people was strictly
prohibited. As
if a four-pronged onslaught was not enough, Satan added a fifth dimension
to the attack on Gods Holy Word. Through his agents, he built a massive
edifice of error to take the place of the precious truths found in the
Inspired Writings. One room was labeled prayers for the dead; another, the
sign of the cross. Other rooms had images of dead people, Sunday
sacredness, baptism of infants, and the exaltation of Mary as Queen of
Heaven and our only intercessor. Still others had ministerial celibacy,
papal infallibility, and the authority of church pronouncements above that
of Scripture. Two of the worst were the fiendish doctrines of immortality
of the soul and eternal damnation in hellfire. God had provided a most beautiful casket of jewels; and Satan had worked with his agents, to scatter them everywhere! Most were covered by dirt while others appeared lost forever. William
Miller, in his day one of Gods stalwart champions, was given a view of
this. Upon seeing it, he sat down and wept. Deeply
concerned that the casket be restored and—especially—that the jewels
might somehow be recovered, Miller pled with God for help. Then a very significant event occurred. In
the dream, a man with a dirt brush immediately walked into the room and
set to work. Within a remarkably short period of time, the jewels were
restored to the casket, which was now much larger. Indeed, there were
more jewels in it than ever before! And they all shone with a far greater
brilliance! What
had happened? Let us consider this carefully:
Entering the room, the man with the dirt brush quickly set to work.
Within a remarkably short time, he had recovered all the jewels.
Having restored the jewels, not one was found to be missing.
Upon walking over to the casket and examining it closely, William Miller
made more discoveries:
The casket itself was now decidedly larger.
It contained more jewels than before.
For some reason, all the jewels now shone with a far greater luster. What
had happened? Although not understanding the meaning of the dream, Miller
rejoiced that the jewels had all been recovered, were
in their proper setting in an even larger casket, and that there
were even more jewels than before. Decidedly
not. His faithful efforts provided an excellent beginning, and we are
thankful for what he did. Yet he neither taught nor even accepted the
Sabbath truth. In spite of the fact that a number of his own children did,
Miller never accepted the truth about the state of the dead.
All the jewels were recovered.
More were added to them.
A new, more magnificent and larger casket had been provided, which now
contained this larger collection.
Many of the new jewels were larger than those in the former casket.
All the jewels shone with a far greater luster than ever before.
The jewels were all perfectly arranged. Although some were large and
others small, they all perfectly matched into a marvelous whole.
There was now a perfect, complete number of jewels; not one was missing. Consider,
for a moment, how many truths were lost during the Dark Ages. A terrific
loss had occurred. Martin
Luther, Ulric Zwingli, John Calvin, William Farel, John Wesley, Count
Zinzindorf, and others tried to recover the lost gems of truth; yet there
was so much dirt covering them! The traditions of men had obscured the
truths which mankind needed. But when the man with the dirt brush set to work, he did His work with remarkable speed. Consider how long it took to prepare the Bible. Forty writers, over a span of 1,500 years, were guided in its formation. In
contrast, the restoration of all those truthsplus many more facets of
truthoccurred in one persons lifetime! We
do not know the date of William Millers dream; yet it is likely that it
occurred during his preaching ministry or prior to his death, when he felt
so disappointed. Although he laid a good foundation, an important one, he
brought to light relatively few, new truths. In
the providence of God, it was the weakest of the weak, little Ellen,
through whom came the restoration of the casket in its entirety. If you
have not, you will want to read the whole story in my book, Prophet of
the End; in the early spring of 1845 that seventeen-year-old girl
traveled to her first speaking appointment while lying down under a
blanket in the back of a wagon. The girl did not have the strength to sit
up, and had to be helped into the home where she was to speak. (Throughout
her lecture, she spoke with clarity and strength; but as soon as she was
done, the former exhaustion returned.) How
can anything come from such a frail source? Yet, over the following
seventy years, God worked through this dedicated instrument to restore all
the gems! First,
through this agency, the dirt of human error covering the precious Bible
truths were fully brushed away. Second,
those who daily read and accept the precious truths in the Spirit of
Prophecy will agree when I say that, through Ellen White, God gave us more
light in the pages of the Spirit of Prophecy than we had before! I
here refer to the detailed clarification. As she herself said, the basic
principles are all in the Bible. However, through her, God gave us an
immense amount of light on Bible prophecy, last day events, health reform,
true education, personal ministry, public evangelism, medical practice,
interpersonal relationships, courtship and marriage, and a complete
inspired commentary on the entire Bible! Thousands of articles, dozens of
books were provided—more written information than by any other woman
in history, and more than nearly any man in history has ever penned. Consider
just one topic: the guidance and raising of children. How much information
will you find on this in the Old and New Testament? Yes, we agree that the
underlying principles are there; but hundreds upon hundreds of detailed
principles are given in the Spirit of Prophecy. If you question this, read
Child Guidance and count how many divinely given principles you
come across. How
much information on last-day events is in the Bible? How much is given in
the Spirit of Prophecy? William Millers dream has been fulfilled to the letter.
The jewels were rapidly restored 21 times faster, in fact (1,500 years
divided by 70).
All the jewels were restored, plus so many more—that a much larger case
had to be provided to hold them all.
Some of the new jewels were much bigger than the earlier ones.
As a result of the restoration, all the jewels—old and new—shine with
a far greater luster.
The jewels were perfectly coordinated and arranged. Gods principles
never disagree with one another.
Not one jewel was missing; they are all in the new, larger casket! Those
who love Gods Word—all of it—will recognize that the Spirit of
Prophecy is the fulfillment of William Millers dream. Thank God for
what He has given us! Value it! Read it carefully every day! Share it with
others! Doing both will reveal how much you value it. And
doing so will change you! Your own countenance will glow as you gaze down
upon the radiant light streaming from the jewels in the case. Now for four definitions:
What is the casket?
It is the precious manuscripts and books of prophets and apostles,
containing the divinely given Word of God. With the lid closed, it is the
Bible and Spirit of Prophecy on your shelf, before you open the covers.
Remember that, unopened, the casket does you little good.
What are the jewels? They are the truths of Gods Word. The Bible
and Spirit of Prophecy are equally inspired, and Heavens gift to you.
Value them enough to read them both every day! Put them into practice in
your own life, and share their sweet messages with others. Hand out the
books which contain these truths.
What is the dirt? It is the sayings of men, intended by Satan to
warp the truths or eliminate them altogether. And herein is a warning to
us today, since traditions are the clever sayings of churchmen and
ecclesiastical councils, as well as the customs and superstitions of the
people. Beware lest, having bought the truth, you sell it in a cheap
market of approval by some man; perhaps some itinerant preacher who passes
through your area. Stay with Gods Word! Refuse to accept smooth-tongued
theories which appear so beguiling.
And who is the man with the dirt brush? He would be the angel who,
especially, guided Ellen White in the preparation of her writings. The man with the dirt brush cleared away the errors of the Dark Ages. When did this man start His work? When does it end? Are
the efforts of Huss, Luther, Wesley, and others included in the
restoration of truth? Yes; but note that, in the dream, the man with the
dirt brush did His work rapidly. I suggest that this primarily refers to
the foundation laid by Miller, but especially to the framework of truth
erected through Ellen White. But
could it not be that the man with the dirt brush completed His work before
Ellen came on the stage of action? We have a direct statement which
clarifies that point: I saw that some of the people of God are stupid and dormant and but half awake; they do not realize the time we are now living in, and that the man with the dirt brush has entered, and that some are in danger of being swept away. I begged of Jesus to save them, to spare them a little longer, and let them see their awful danger, that they might get ready before it be forever too late.Early Writings, 48. The
dirt brush was moving during Ellen Whites ministry; that is what the
above passage says! Those
not willing to let the truths of Gods Word clean the dirt off their
lives—will perish in their sins. That is another fact mentioned in the
above quotation. It was with the publication and distribution of the
Spirit of Prophecy writings that the dirt brush could properly clean
Gods people. Think
not that the man with the dirt brush, mentioned on page 48, has some
other application than William Millers dream. The footnote at the
bottom of the page provides a clear connection. The dirt today is not on the jewels; it is on us! Our minds are clouded by worldliness. All about are those who are bound by the cords of family relationships and false religious systems (see Early Writings, pages 240-242). Only an acceptance of the truth can free them. Early Writings, pages 74-76, speaks about the scattering time and the present gathering time. Page 74 explains the two terms. Gods people were scattered and now are being gathered. Yet,
to a lesser degree, there could be a secondary application to Millers
dream. For long centuries, Gods Word was scattered. Through the Spirit
of Prophecy, it has been gathered again. Let us now feast upon it. The
promise is given that, in the larger casket, all the jewels are
present—all of the new light is in the Bible and Spirit of
Prophecy! None will be found apart from them! Let us now conclude this brief study: William
Miller began a good work, which Ellen White finished. I say finished
advisedly; for though the truths are all now in the Spirit of Prophecy,
they are not entirely in our minds and experience. We are told in the
Spirit of Prophecy to keep searching for the new light; yet we are
repeatedly told the new light will only be found in Gods Inspired
Writings, and will be clearly stated. Apart from Gods Word, there is no
light. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105. Open
the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy—and read in them every day! Please:
Do it more than once every day! Gaze upon the diamonds, the saphires, the
precious stones, the emeralds, the onyx stones. Examine the precious gold
and silver coins. Let
the glorious vision transform you! For, indeed, it will—if you will
submit your life anew to God with every viewing. You
are beholding the character of God; and, through the working of the Holy
Spirit and your own diligent efforts, the view can remold you into His
image. The God of heaven gave us a precious
gift. Do not let it be offered for you in vain.
Vance Ferrell
I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought
casket about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls
curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately
took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I
found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious
stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully
arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged they
reflected a light and glory equaled only to the sun.
I thought it was not my duty to enjoy this wonderful sight alone,
although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty, and value of
its contents. I therefore placed it on a center table in my room and gave
out word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious
and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life.
The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing
to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and
shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, everyone would begin to
trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on
the table.
I began to think that the owner would require the casket and the
jewels again at my hand; and if I suffered them to be scattered, I could
never place them in their places in the casket again as before; and felt I
should never be able to meet the accountability, for it would be immense.
I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor to take them
out of the casket; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and
now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor and on
every piece of furniture in the room.
I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had
scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious jewels and counterfeit coin.
I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved
and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they
scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine.
I then became vexed in my physical soul and began to use physical
force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three
more would enter and bring in dirt and shavings and sand and all manner of
rubbish, until they covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds, and
coins, which were all excluded from sight. They also tore in pieces my
casket and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought no man regarded my
sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat
down and wept.
While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and
accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send
me help.
Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, when the
people all left it; and He, having a dirt brush in His hand, opened the
windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room.
I cried to Him to forbear, for there were some precious jewels
scattered among the rubbish.
He told me to fear not, for He would take care of them.
Then, while He brushed the dirt and rubbish, false jewels and
counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud, and
the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment;
when I opened them, the rubbish was all gone. The precious jewels, the
diamonds, the gold and silver coins, lay scattered in profusion all over
the room.
He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more
beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the
coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was
left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a
pin.
He then called upon me to come and see.
I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. They shone with ten times their former glory. I thought they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket, every one in its place, without any visible pains of the man who cast them in. I shouted with very joy, and that shout awoke me. Early Writings, 81-83
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