Resources For SDAs Only Is it Really Time to Leave the Cities?
Is it Really Time to Leave the Cities?
David Westbrook
As interest and discussion has
increased on the subject of getting out of the cities, many are asking, “Is it
really time to leave now”? We hear conflicting voices. Some assure
us that there’s no need to be alarmed, yet in the evening news we hear of
entire cities being “Swept away” and somewhere in the back recesses of our
“Adventist” minds that rings a bell (see 7T 82-83 & Ev. 29). Some say
the “Sign” to leave the cities has already come, others confidently state that
there’s no need to worry just now, for the sign will yet be in the future when
the “Sunday law” is passed.
How can we know the answer to
this question? There’s only one way - “We have also a more sure word of
prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth
in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your
hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19
Is It Really
Time Now?
God sent us these warnings
approximately one hundred years ago:
The Protestant world have set
up an idol sabbath in the place where God's Sabbath should be, and they are
treading in the footsteps of the Papacy. For this reason I see the necessity of
the people of God moving out of the cities into retired country [places,] where
they may cultivate the land and raise their own produce. Letter 90,
1897. {CL 21.1}
"As God's commandment-keeping
people, we must leave the cities. As did Enoch, we must work in the cities but
not dwell in them."-- Evangelism, pp. 78, 79. (1899) {CL 30.4}
"Said the messenger of God, 'Shall not the cities be warned? Yes, not by God’s people living in them,
but by their visiting them, to warn them of what is coming upon the earth.'”
Manuscript Release, Vol. 1, p. 253 (1902)
"Leave the cities, and like
Enoch come from your retirement to warn the people of the cities." {1MR
250.2} (1902)
"Again and again the Lord has
instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities,
into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; for in the future
the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one. We should now
begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again: Get out of the
cities into rural districts, where the houses are not crowded closely together,
and where you will be free from the interference of enemies"--Letter 5,
1904. {CL 9-10}
"Let
children no longer be exposed to the temptations of the cities that are ripe
for destruction. The Lord has sent us warning and counsel to get out of the
cities. Then let us make no more investments
in the cities. Fathers and mothers, how do you regard the souls of your
children? Are you preparing the members of your families for translation into
the heavenly courts? Are you preparing them to become members of the royal
family? children of the heavenly King? "What shall it profit a man, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" How will ease,
comfort, convenience, compare with the value of the souls of your
children?-"Manuscript 76, 1905. {CL 12}
"Out
of the cities; out of the cities!"--this is the message the Lord has been
giving me. The earthquakes will come; the floods will come; and we are not to
establish ourselves in the wicked cities, where the enemy is served in every
way, and where God is so often forgotten. {RH,
"Out of the cities, is my message at this time.
Be assured that the call is for our people
to locate miles away from the large cities. One look at
"The Lord calls for His people to locate away from the cities, for in such an
hour as ye think not, fire and brimstone will be rained from heaven upon these
cities. Proportionate to their sins will be their visitation. When one city is
destroyed, let not our people regard this matter as a light affair, and think
that they may, if favorable opportunity offers, build themselves homes in that
same destroyed city. . . ." {LDE 95.3}
"Let all who would understand the meaning of these things read the eleventh
chapter of Revelation. Read every verse, and learn the things that are yet to
take place in the cities. Read also the scenes portrayed in the eighteenth
chapter of the same book."--MR 1518 (
"The
instruction is still being given, Move out of the cities." Letter 26,
1907. {CL 28.4}
"Who will be
warned? We say again, Out of the cities." Manuscript 85, 1908 {CL
14}
Based on the
above statements, it should be quite obvious that it has been time to leave the
cities for more than one hundred years.
But Doesn’t the Sunday Law Have to Come First?
Notice the
following statement which explains the sign for God’s people to leave the
cities:
"The time is
not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a
refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman
armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of
power on the part of our nation in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will
be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory
to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the
mountains." 5T 464-465
Some declare
that on the basis of this statement, it will not be time to leave the cities
until the Sunday law is actually passed. The only problem with this view
is that if it isn’t really time yet, then Mrs. White was wrong when she made
all of those statements quoted above, many with an obvious sense of urgency,
regarding the need for God’s people to leave the cities. Could Mrs. White
have given such contradictory counsel? Is there another way of looking at
this that would be consistent with all of her other counsel?
It has always
been the practice of Seventh-day Adventists to compare scripture with scripture
and build our positions by harmonizing all of the Word of the Lord. We do
not build our theology on a single statement – especially at the expense of a
great weight of scriptural evidence. We must follow this same principle
if we would understand the signal to leave the cities.
Following are
four lines of evidence, showing us that indeed, the sign to leave the cities
has already come.
Evidence #1
First, note
that this signal to leave the cities in the last days was drawn from a parallel
in history, namely the siege by
There is
evidence in the Spirit of Prophecy that indeed the sign, or the “First siege”
has already come. Let’s look again at the description of that first siege
under Cestius found in Great Controversy, noticing the language used: “When
the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up
in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, then
the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight.” (GC 26) Now,
carefully consider the following quotation:“The protestant world have set
up an idol Sabbath in the place where God’s Sabbath
should be, and they are treading in the footsteps of the Papacy. For this
reason I see the necessity of the people of God moving out of the cities into
retired country places.” Letter 90, 1897 Notice the almost
identical language between these two statements. This is compelling
evidence that indeed the modern day parallel – the first siege – has
come! But what could it be?
In 1888, there
was a remarkable development with reference to a nation wide Sunday law in the
United States. In that year, Senator H.W. Blair of
Some will
respond, “But the Sunday law wasn’t passed!” That’s right – just like the
first siege did not desolate the city, truly a remarkable parallel. But
could this really be an “Assumption of power” if the law was not passed?
Let’s allow Mrs. White to define the term “Assumption of power”. She uses
the phrase again in Signs of the Times,
It is also
important to notice that while the siege around Jerusalem was the signal for
fleeing to the mountains, the modern day parallel, according to Mrs. White
would be a bit different. Rather than the signal for sudden flight -
dropping all work in the cities, the modern day “Sign” would show God’s people
when it would be time to begin making wise movements out of the metropolitan
centers to smaller cities, prior to moving to isolated homes in the
mountains. Just as the scope of the modern day application of the
Abomination of Desolation is much broader (world wide, as opposed to just the
city of
In the book
Patriarchs and Prophets we find yet more startling evidence that indeed the
modern day “Sign” has appeared. In the chapter entitled, “Destruction of
Sodom”, Mrs. White draws a parallel between the Abomination of Desolation and
the warning to
"Before the destruction of
There was a coming out, a decided separation from the
wicked, an escape for life. So it was in the days of Noah; so with
Does this warning message pertain specifically to the "Out of the
cities" message? Notice the following
statement:
"I could not sleep past
How can we
draw any other conclusion than this: That the warning message given in Mrs.
White's day was to be understood as a parallel to the warning message to
Evidence #2
Secondly,
notice what we were commanded to do when the sign should come: “It will then
be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for
retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.” Here we see a
step progression – first leaving the large cities and moving to the smaller
ones. Finally, there would be a move from the smaller cities to more
secluded rural homes. We’ve already seen that Mrs. White gave a clear
call to come out of the cities in her day. But in later years, she began
giving specific instructions to leave the “Large” cities. Notice this
statement, for example: “Get out of the large cities as fast as
possible.” 6T, 195 That should grab our attention, because the
first step we were instructed to take when the sign came was to leave the large
cities. The only obvious conclusion would be that if we are to take that
first step, then the sign must have come.
Evidence #3
The case for
the sign to leave the cities becomes even more compelling when we consider the
following statement published in the Review and Herald shortly after the
hearings on the Blair Bill. Keep in mind that the National Reform
Association was a major backer of the Blair Bill.
“We must
show to the world that we recognize, in the events that are now taking place in
connection with the National Reform movement, the fulfillment of prophecy. That
which we have, for the last thirty or forty years, proclaimed would come, is
now here; and the trumpet of every watchman upon the walls of
Evidence #4
Only several
years after the Blair Bill, on
It is no
wonder that Mrs. White declared: “The protestant world have set up
an idol Sabbath in the place where God’s Sabbath should
be….” Letter 90, 189
By the way, we
now hear the rumble of the return of the Roman armies. But this will be
the Second Siege! The unabridged Catechism of the Catholic
Church (1994 edition) calls for Sunday legislation. The Lord’s Day
Why Did Mrs. White Sometimes Use Language such as “As fast as
possible” and “Whenever possible”.
Some point to
Mrs. White’s use of qualifying phrases such as “As fast as possible” and
“Whenever possible” to suggest that everyone does not need to heed the counsel
to get out of the cities. A careful and thorough consideration of these
statements actually reveals a view that is in harmony with the mountain of
counsel that all of God’s people need to move out of the cities. Notice
the statements below:
"Get out of
the large cities as fast as possible." 6T, 195 {CL 12} (1900)
"Whenever
possible, it is the duty of parents
to make homes in the country for their children. The children and youth should
be carefully guarded. They should be kept away from the hotbeds of iniquity
that are to be found in our cities. " Letter 268, 1906. {CL 12.2}
Now consider
these statements in light of the following quotation:
"The time
has come, when, as God opens the way, families should move out of the
cities.” Manuscript 50, 1903
Notice, that
this constitutes a warning against rash moves. We must move wisely and
carefully in the providence of God, relying implicitly upon His guidance.
Consider also the following statement which sheds yet more light on all of
this:
"For years
we have been instructed that our brethren and sisters, and especially families
with children, should plan to leave the cities as the way opens before them
to do so. Many will have to labor earnestly to help open the way."
RH,
Here we see
that God must open the way, and yet the only way that we will know if it “Is
possible” is if we are actually exerting efforts along those lines. In
fact, how can we expect to know we are moving “As fast as possible” unless we
are earnestly seeking to find the way out of the city. These statements
deal with how we are to move forward, not whether or not we all need to heed
God’s warnings.
But Aren’t Families Counseled to Move to Cities?
Finally, some
quote a couple of statements in which Mrs. White encourages families to move to
cities to engage in missionary work. Once again, they seek to use these
quotes to disregard the many other statements making clear our duty to get out
of the cities. But upon careful examination and taking all of the counsel
of the Spirit of Prophecy into account, we find once again that there is
perfect harmony.
"We see the
great need of missionary work to carry the truth not only to foreign countries,
but to those who are near us. Close around us are cities and towns in which no
efforts are made to save souls. Why should not families who know the present
truth settle in these cities and villages, to set up there the standard of
Christ, working in humility, not in their own way, but in God's way, to bring
the light before those who have no knowledge of it? " {ChS 180.1}
"It is not the purpose of God that His people
should colonize or settle together in large communities. The disciples of
Christ are His representatives upon the earth, and God designs that they shall
be scattered all over the country, in the towns, cities, and villages, as
lights amidst the darkness of the world. They are to be missionaries for God,
by their faith and works testifying to the near approach of the coming
Saviour." {8T 244-245}
First, keep in
mind that God’s people were explicitly instructed to leave the large cities
first, moving to smaller ones. (5T, 464-465) This was confirmed in
1900 when Mrs. White wrote, “Get out of the large cities as
fast as possible.” 6T, 195 It would then be in accordance with
her counsel to live in smaller cities at that time. The view that would
harmonize all the counsel on the subject would be that she must have been
referring to the smaller cities. To suggest another interpretation, would
be to suggest a glaring contradiction. Notice that the language in both
of these quotes places these cities in the context of towns and villages: “Cities
and towns”, “Cities and villages” and “Towns, cities, and villages”.
But What About City Evangelism?
There is no
question that Mrs. White was passionate about reaching the lost in the cities
with the Three Angels Messages.
“God's
people are not doing the work He would have them do for the cities. I have
borne this testimony again and again until it seemed as if God's people were
not going to do the work; but the cities must be entered. We must not let the
people perish that do not know the binding force of God's law. We are
responsible. The Lord wants us to awake. We must go forward, or the judgments
of God will certainly come upon us. During the past few months the good work
has begun among the great cities of the land. As soon as the cities began to be
entered, the pain in my heart was relieved." {PUR,
While she did
not advise simply dropping altogether the work in the cities in order to move
to the country, she was, nevertheless clear to declare that God would have us
work from without the cities to reach the lost masses in the great metropolitan
centers of our nation. Her counsel was thus that while we continue to
exert our efforts to reach the lost in the cities, we nevertheless work to
relocate so that we could follow God’s plan in our evangelistic outreach:
“ Let men of sound judgment be appointed,
not to publish abroad their intentions, but to search for such properties in
the rural districts, in easy access to the cities, suitable for small training
schools for workers, and where facilities may also be provided for treating the
sick and weary souls who know not the truth. Look for such places just out from
the large cities, where suitable buildings may be secured, either as a gift
from the owners, or purchased at a reasonable price by the gifts of our people.
Do not erect buildings in the noisy cities”.--Medical Ministry, pp.
308, 309. (1909) {CL 30.3}
"Said the messenger of God, 'Shall not the cities be warned? Yes, not by God’s people living in them,
but by their visiting them, to warn them of what is coming upon the
earth.” Manuscript Release, Vol. 1, p. 253 (1902)
As God's commandment-keeping
people, we must leave the cities. As did Enoch, we must work in the cities but
not dwell in them.-- Evangelism, pp. 78, 79. (1899) {CL 30.4}
Anybody Losing Sleep Over This?
The urgency of
God’s people moving out of the cities weighed so heavily upon Mrs. White that
she lost sleep over it. It would seem that such concern is sadly lacking
today.
"I could not
sleep past
The angels of mercy hurried
May God have
mercy on us.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by farayi mupenda, February 13, 2010
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written by Joseph Mhizha, December 14, 2009
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written by Paul Jones, November 24, 2009
yet by car its a 1 hour drive to the city [Cardiff South Wales UK] I grow my own food,
fish and hunt. I also keep 1 years food "Just in case" Im very much into survival
and the country is the only place for me.
Plus I have a wood burner giving me free heating and hot water, try doing that in the city.
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written by Natalie K, March 13, 2009
It is nice to see people, like you and your husband, who are unattached to world and who are willing to follow the light that inspiration has manifested. Obviously, Ellen White did not expect people to just squat on public property... She encouraged people to work towards obtaining a land in the country instead of obtaining larger houses in the city, as most people do.
If you can not afford to buy a house in the country now, and if you want to, pray about it and I am sure that the Lord lead you as to what you should do, and that He will allow doors to open and close in relation to this issue.
God bless you!
In His love and service,
WLC Team
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written by Kathy Evans, March 10, 2009
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written by Simon White, December 08, 2008
Also since dedicating myself to Jesus Christ & Sabbath observance properly,I have started to feel uncomfortable living so close to sin & feel called out to live in isolation away from people? Perhaps if I was Spiritually stronger,I would not seek to avoid contamination by proximity? Is it divine inspiration or am I mad? I would be interested in more opinions.
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written by yolanda teymoori, November 22, 2008
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