Letter Number 6

The Differences Between 1884 and 1888 Great 
Controversy 
 

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word

that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” Matthew 4:4.

I will not bring out every single change made by the SDA leadership after Br. White’s death,

but I would like to call attention to those I feel are most important.

In Revelation 14, we have three angel’s messages and in Revelation 18 is the final message.

To whom does it apply? To whom did the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:6, 7 apply

and why? What work did the believers accomplish when they accepted the second’s message

in 1844 (Revelation 14:8)? We know that the angel of Revelation 18 repeats the message of

the second angel. “In this Scripture the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the

second angel, is repeated, with the addition of the corruptions which have been entering the

churches since 1844,” (Great Controversy 1884, p.421).

“When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord

rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, "Babylon is fallen, is

fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her

fornication." [REV. 14:8] This message was understood by Adventists to be an

announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first
message. The proclamation, "Babylon is fallen," was given in the summer of 1844, and as the

result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches.

…But the message announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to some religious body that

was once pure, and has become corrupt. It cannot be the Romish Church which is here meant;

for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries” (Great Controversy 1884,

p.232).

“The second angel's message of Revelation 14, was first preached in the summer of 1844, and

it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning

of the Judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the

declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did

not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in

consequence of their refusal of the light of the Advent message; but that fall was not

complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time, they have fallen

lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that "Babylon is fallen, . . . because she

made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." She has not yet made all

nations do this. … The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Rev.

14:8 is yet future,” (Great Controversy 1888, p.389; 390 – under the tittle Warning

Rejected).

“Were it not that the world is hopelessly intoxicated with the wine of Babylon, multitudes

would be convicted and converted by the plain, cutting truths of the word of God. The sin of

the world's impenitence lies at the door of the church” (Great Controversy 1884, p.235-6).
“In like manner was prophecy fulfilled in the first and second angel’s messages. They

were given at the right time, and accomplished the work which God designed to

accomplish by them …” (Great Controversy 1884, p.254).

“Prophecy was fulfilled in the first and second angel’s messages. They were given at the

right time and accomplished the work which God designed to accomplish by them,”

Early Writings, p.245.

Now the question arises, did Babylon fall in 1844 or not? Did the second angel of Revelation

14:8 finished his work or not? Either the 1844 Great Controversy is correct, that the message

of the second angel accomplished its work, or the 1888 Great Controversy, which sates that

Babylon has not yet fallen completely, is true. This later version states that Babylon has not

yet made all nations drink of its poison wine. The 1884 version says that it did and that God

rejected the Protestant churches then. Did God made a mistake in rejecting them. Did those

50,000 who left their churches make a mistake in leaving? Which edition of the Great

Controversy did all three organised churches accept, the 1884, 1888, or 1911 one? Let us see

how the leadership is teaching their members and which edition they are using.

In the Sabbath School Lesson of June 19, 1999, of the Reform Church, in the lesson of ‘the

daughter of Babylon’, in the 8th question we read, ‘why will the Protestant churches come to

a complete fall? 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.’

Here the Reform Movement used the 1888 Great Controversy, ‘the complete fulfilment of

Revelation 14:8 is still in the future.’

In question 9 we read, ‘What condemnation will be fully applicable to these churches when

they completely reach their fall? Revelation 18:2, 5 (Translated from Yugoslav lessons).

All three SDA organised churches teach the same in this regard. With the 1888 and 1911

Great Controversies, they have left open the door of the Protestant churches so that as soon as

God sends the messenger from Revelation 18, He’ll have to go to the Protestant churches to

finish the work of the second angel. But we well know that Christ closed the door of the Holy

Place and no one can open it. We know that the Protestant churches still knock at the first

door that he closed in 1844.

In its lesson of July 8, 1950, the reform Movement wrote a note, ‘At the General Conference

of 1888, in Minneapolis, Missouri, the mighty angel of Revelation 18 come down to do his

work, and was ridiculed, criticized and rejected; and, when it comes again and swells to a

Loud Cry it will be again be ridiculed, criticized and rejected by the majority’ (Taking up a

Reproach – E.G. White).

“The time of the test is just upon us, for the Loud Cry of the third angel has already begun in

the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the

beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.” (Review and

Herald November 22, 1892 and Bible Commentary vol. 7, p.984).

What is justification by faith? “It is God’s work of laying the glory of man in the dust, and

doing for man what he is unable to do for himself. When men see their nothingness, they are

prepared to be clothed with Christ righteousness. When they begin to praise and glorify God

all day, they become changed into Christ’s image. What is regeneration? It is revealing to

man his personal nature so that he becomes worthless to himself” (Ellen G. White, Copied

November 22, 1896).

If the Midnight Cry of 1844 was designed to awaken the ten virgins to go out and meet the

Bridegroom, to whom does the Loud Cry apply now? Isn’t it again supposed to awaken the

ten virgins (SDA’s) to prepare to go out and meet Him?

We can see that all 3 SDA churches apply to themselves Revelation 18:1, but throw

Revelation 18:2-5 out to the Protestants. Yet there is no later message whereby God will lay

the glory of main in the dust.

Why didn’t Jones and Waggoner go to the Protestant churches in 1888 with the Revelation

18:2-5? Instead, they came to the General Conference (God’s church). Why did Sr. White

write in 1892 that the Loud Cry was a test for SDA’s?

“Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from Heaven, lightening the

earth with his glory, and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon.

In connection with his message the call is heard, "Come out of her, my people." As these
warnings join the third angel's message, it swells to a loud cry” (Great Controversy 1884,

p.422).

In the SDA Reform Church, there are 4 lessons for the year 1999 that have quotes from the

‘Spirit of Prophecy’. This Spirit of Prophecy book, volume 4, is the 1884 Great Controversy.

So we see that the Reform Church uses the 1884 Great Controversy from time to time.

Could the Loud Cry have begun without the message of the fall of Babylon and without the

other voice from heaven, ‘come out of her my people’? Did Jones and Waggoner bring the

message of Revelation 18:1-4 or did they bring the message of justification by faith, or both?

If God rejected the Protestant churches when they rejected the first angel’s message, is it

possible that God has already rejected all 3 organized SDA churches now when they rejected

Revelation 18:1-5? Is God the same yesterday, today and tomorrow?

L. G.