Brother Miller’s
Dream

“I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought casket, about ten inches long by six wide, made of ebony and pearls inlaid. On it 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 coins of every sort and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and inside and around them was a cross of light, reflecting a brilliance, and illuminating the whole casket.

I thought it my duty to enjoy the sight myself, and to show it to others. So I placed it on a table in the center of the room, and opened the door that all who wished might come and see.

People began to come in, at first few in number, but increased to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when they came to look closer, they began to handle the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.

I thought that the captain had authorized me to keep them safe, and if any were lost, I must answer for them; so I began to warn the people, and entreat them to be careful, and not scatter them; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered them. They scattered them all over the room, on the floor, and on the furniture.

I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coins, they had scattered a quantity of spurious coins and counterfeit jewels. I grew angry, and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing one out, three more would come in, bringing in bags of dirt and rubbish, and throwing it on the table, till the genuine jewels and coins were all covered up and buried out of sight. They also tore my casket in pieces and scattered the pieces among the rubbish.

I thought no man was ever so miserable as I was then. I sat down and wept bitterly. I mourned for my casket, and for the jewels, and answered for their loss.

While I was thus weeping and mourning, I remembered God, and prayed earnestly that He would send me help.

Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, when the people all left. He had a dirt-brush in his hand. He opened the windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish out of the room.

I cried out to him not to brush away the jewels; but he told me not to fear, for he would take care of them.

As he brushed the dirt and rubbish out of the room, the false jewels and counterfeit coins rose with the rubbish and flew out of the window like chaff, while the genuine jewels and coins fell back onto the table, not one of them being lost.

He then brought into the room a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered the jewels, diamonds, and coins together, and placed them in the casket, inside and around which was a cross of light, reflecting a brilliance, and illuminating the whole casket. They shone with ten times their former glory!

He then bade me come and look. I looked in, and to my surprise and joy, I saw that not one jewel was missing, but that many more had been added, and they were all arranged in their several places.

The man then placed the key in my hand, and bade me go on my way; and I awoke.”

1. The Casket: “The ‘casket’ represents the great truths of the Bible, relative to the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, which were given Bro. Miller to publish to the world.”

2. The Key Attached: “The ‘key attached’ represents his manner of interpreting the prophetic Word — comparing Scripture with Scripture — the Bible its own interpreter. It also represents William Miller's 14 rules of Bible interpretation.”

3. The Jewels & Precious Stones: “The ‘jewels, diamonds, &c.’ represent the children of God out of every church and nation — the living stones and foundation jewels of New Jerusalem, the bride adorned for her husband.”

4. The Cross of Light: “The ‘cross of light’ represents the gospel of Jesus Christ, Christ our Righteousness, illuminating and binding together all the foundational doctrines of the Advent platform.”

5. The Dirt, Rubbish & Counterfeits: “The ‘spurious coins and counterfeit jewels’ and the ‘bags of dirt and rubbish’ represent the false doctrines, spiritualistic theories, and corporate corruptions introduced by unfaithful men to bury the pioneer Advent truth.”

6. The Man with the Dirt-Brush: “The ‘man with a dirt-brush’ represents the Lord Jesus Christ Himself working through the Third Angel’s Message, brushing away every error and blowing away false professors like chaff!”

James White pointed out that when the man with the dirt-brush cleared away the rubbish, a casket much larger and more beautiful than the former was brought in, and all the genuine jewels were placed inside.

This larger casket represents the fully developed Sabbatarian Advent message — combining the First, Second, and Third Angels' Messages with the sanctuary in heaven, the seal of the living God, and the 144,000 company!

The jewels shine with ten times their former glory because truth restored is more glorious than truth when first discovered! Every honest soul who stepped out of Babylon into the sealing Sabbath becomes part of this glorious casket that forms the foundation of New Jerusalem.