Our Day Part 12

Thus men's minds were exercised by this sign "in the sun, and in the moon."

The early records of New York City tell of the interest excited there, though evidently the darkness was not so marked as it was farther north.

In the Connecticut Legislature

President Timothy Dwight, of Yale College, a contemporary, left the following account of one of the historic incidents of the day:

"The legislature of Connecticut was then in session at Hartford. A very general opinion prevailed that the day of judgment was at hand. The house of representatives, being unable to transact their business, adjourned. A proposal to adjourn the council [a second legislative body called the Governor's Council] was under consideration. When the opinion of Colonel Davenport was asked, he answered, 'I am against an adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.'"--_Barber, "Connecticut Historical Collections," p. 403._

It was this striking incident that Whittier described with the poet's pen:

"Meanwhile in the old Statehouse, dim as ghosts, Sat the lawgivers of Connecticut, Trembling beneath their legislative robes.

'It is the Lord's great day! Let us adjourn,'

Some said; and then, as with one accord, All eyes were turned to Abraham Davenport.

He rose, slow cleaving with his steady voice The intolerable hush. 'This well may be The day of judgment which the world awaits; But be it so or not, I only know My present duty, and my Lord's command To occupy till He come. So at the post Where He hath set me in His providence I choose, for one, to meet Him face to face,-- No faithless servant, frightened from my task, But ready when the Lord of the harvest calls; And therefore, with all reverence, I would say, Let G.o.d do His work, we will see to ours.

Bring in the candles.'"

Thus, in a manner that arrested the attention of men and put awe and solemnity into their hearts, with thoughts of the coming of the great day of G.o.d, the first of the predicted signs in the heavens was revealed.

At a later time, when students of the Bible seemed moved upon simultaneously, in both Europe and America, to give attention to the doctrine of Christ's second coming, it was more generally understood that these signs had come in fulfilment of prophecy.

As we look to the past, we see how truly the tokens of the coming King began to appear as the church of Christ emerged fully from the long, dark period of tribulation. A new era was dawning, in which the Lord was to fill the earth with light before His second appearing, according to His word to Daniel the prophet:

"Thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4.

At last the time of the end was at hand, and the signs of the latter days had begun to appear in the earth and in the heavens. The Lord was preparing to send to all the world the closing gospel message of Christ's soon coming in glory.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GREAT METEORIC SHOWER NOVEMBER 13, 1833

"The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." Rev. 6:13.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A STAR HERALDS HIS FIRST ADVENT

"We have seen His star in the east, and are come to wors.h.i.+p Him." Matt.

2:2.]

THE FALLING STARS OF 1833

"The Stars Shall Fall from Heaven"

A great impetus was given to the study of divine prophecy by the events of the closing years of the eighteenth century. Observers had seen the papal power receive a "deadly wound" in the events and effects of the French Revolution; and it was understood that the world was entering a new era of enlightenment and liberty.

Bible students began to see more clearly the lesson of the great outlines of historic prophecy, and hearts were stirred with the evidences that the coming of the Lord was drawing near. In Europe and America, in the early decades of the nineteenth century, there was the beginning of a revival of the study and preaching of the advent idea.

Another Sign in the Heavens

Just here appeared another great sign in the heavens, foretold by the word of prophecy. Of the sign that was to follow the darkening of the sun and moon, Christ's prophecy says:

"The stars shall fall from heaven." Matt. 24:29.

The prophet John beheld the spectacle in a vision of the last days, and described it in these words:

"The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." Rev. 6:13.

On Nov. 13, 1833, came the wondrous celestial exhibition of falling stars, which is listed as one of the most remarkable phenomena of the astronomical story.

Meteoric displays, swarms of shooting stars, have been observed at various times all through the ages; but this phenomenon, coming in the order given by the prophecy, that is, following the darkening of the sun, const.i.tuted the sublime display answering to the pen-picture of the Apocalypse,--as if all the stars of heaven were falling to the earth.

The essential thing about a sign is that it shall be seen, that the circ.u.mstances of its appearance shall fasten attention. Not in America alone, but equally in all the civilized world, as a topic of study, this sign in the heavens commanded the attention of men.

An English scientist, Rev. Thomas Milner, F.R.G.S., wrote:

"The attention of astronomers in Europe, and all over the world, was, as may be imagined, strongly roused by intelligence of this celestial display on the Western continent."--_"The Gallery of Nature" (London, 1852), p. 141._

This writer called it "by far the most splendid display on record."--_Id., p. 139._

Another English astronomical writer of more recent date says:

"Once for all, then, as the result of the star fall of 1833, the study of luminous meteors became an integral part of astronomy."--_Clerke, "History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century," p. 329._

This same work describes the extent of the display as follows:

"On the night of Nov. 12-13, 1833, a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth. North America bore the brunt of its pelting. From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with s.h.i.+ning tracks and illuminated with majestic fireb.a.l.l.s."--_Page 328._

The Spectacle Described

The closest scientific observations were made by Prof. Denison Olmsted, professor of astronomy at Yale, who wrote in the _American Journal of Science_:

"The morning of Nov. 13, 1833, was rendered memorable by an exhibition of the phenomenon called shooting stars, which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any similar one hitherto recorded.... Probably no celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one cla.s.s of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another cla.s.s. For some time after the occurrence, the 'meteoric phenomenon' was the princ.i.p.al topic of conversation in every circle."--_Volume XXV (1834), pp. 363, 364._

Prof. Simon Newcomb, the astronomer, declares this phenomenal exhibition of falling stars "the most remarkable one ever observed." (See "Astronomy for Everybody," p. 280.)

This was not merely a display of an unusual number of falling stars, such as Humboldt observed in South America in 1799, or such as we find recorded of other times before and since. It was a "shower" of falling stars, just such a spectacle as one must picture from the words of the prophecy, "And the stars of heaven fell."

The French astronomer Flammarion says of the density of the shower:

"The Boston observer, Olmsted, compared them, at the moment of maximum, to half the number of flakes which we perceive in the air during an ordinary shower of snow."--_"Popular Astronomy,"

p. 536._

This affords us a better idea of the scene than the estimate of 34,640 stars an hour, which was made by Professor Olmsted after the rain of the stars had greatly abated, so that he was able to make an attempt at counting.

Dr. Humphreys, president of St. John's College, Annapolis, said of the appearance at the Maryland capital: