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The following is the second of a series of writings that examines the teachings
of the Church of God with regard to the seventh seal, or sometimes
noted as "7th seal". It is our position
that much of what is presently being taught has been passed down by
well meaning men, but has not been properly interpreted. Time, and
the passing of years, has
clearly shown that many of the interpretations and prophecies have
been in err and that is it time to take a fresh look at
prophetic teachings
surrounding the Book of Revelation and ask God to show us what He
has intended to reveal to His servants.
Better
known for his set of initials, “W. S.”,
Walter Sanford Goodnight was born in Lincoln
County, North Carolina on February 20, 1878. He worked as a weaver
in a cotton mill and later took up the trade of making and selling
shoes, ultimately owning his own shoe business.
He was
converted in 1911 at the age of 33.
As a
minister, he traveled primarily through the South and Southwest,
lecturing in some 25 States and proclaiming the message of the
opening of the 7th seal church age. He usually conducted a two hour
seminar on the importance to the Church. By 1928, he was the first
Church of God minister to use a large oil painted chart diagram,
thirty-five feet in length, that covered some 5000 years of time. It
was said that he had a gifting to make the Revelation message “plain
and simple”. During his ministry, he authored many tracts and
publications on the Book of Revelation.
W S
Goodnight died on November 29, 1953 in Morganton, North Carolina.
He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Hickory, NC. He retired from
his ministry the year before his death because of his poor health.
He and his wife, Nora, had no children.
In the
year 1930, F G Smith was voted out as Editor of the Church of God
(Anderson) magazine, The Gospel Trumpet, and the more moderate C E
Brown was voted in as the new Editor. This was seen as a major
breakthrough for the more moderate element of the church. In
addition, many of the books began to be published with a new emblem,
namely “Warner Press”.
It was
in this same year that W. S. Goodnight, “wrote a small pamphlet on
the revelation containing a chart outline of the seals, trumpets,
and vials, mailing a copy to a number of the ministers of the Church
of God in the United States for their consideration. A good number
gave the pamphlet some study, while others cast it aside without
considering it.” Shortly after, W S Goodnight began presenting his
thoughts to various ministers, beginning at State Campmeetings in
North Carolina and Virginia, and then to “a number of States”.
In 1933,
W S Goodnight published a book titled “Chart Explanation of the
Revelation: With the Opening of the Last Seal” This book was printed
for the author by The Warner Press, Anderson, Indiana, although it
is very doubtful that the book's contents were endorsed by the
Church of God leadership.
Highlights of the book:
W S
Goodnight strongly believed that the Church of God (Anderson)
movement was fallen and had apostatized. He called for another
reformation, primarily from within the church. He stated that the
seventh trumpet was beginning to loudly sound and the opening of the
seventh seal had taken place in 1930, the year he wrote his small
pamphlet on the Revelation. Through a mathematical calculation, he
claimed that the 7th seal church age would come to an end in 1980,
and that no one in the world would be saved after Dec 31, 1980. He
further claimed that communism (Atheism) would come against Babylon
(all false churches) and kill them, as well as many of the saints of
the Church of God. He firmly believed that by 1980, all the saved
and sanctified people would be gathered into one organized and
visible church, i.e. the Camp of the Saints. He believed that Jesus
would return in around June of 1983, three years and six months
after the closing of the seventh seal church age (symbolism – 3 1/2
prophetic days). Further, he stated in his book that only people who
had been both “saved and sanctified”, i.e., having experienced two
works of grace, would go to heaven at Jesus’ return. He stated that
people who had only been “saved”, i.e., had only experienced the
first work of grace, but were not yet sanctified at Jesus’ second
coming, were included with the “ungodly” and would be thrown into
hell with other unbelievers.
Goodnight stayed true to his convictions and beliefs until the very
end. He died living out what he believed. We have the advantage of
looking back and seeing things more clearly. It is much more
difficult to look forward and see things clearly.
Paul
said "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
No one can deny that W S Goodnight was sincere in his pursuit for
truth. He loved the church and was zealous for the cause he undertook.
He had a passion for prophesy. But he got some of it wrong. Very
wrong. It seems that he had forgotten that Jesus Himself said "But
of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only."
This
doesn't make him a bad person or a false prophet, but neither do his
writings and beliefs make for solid foundation material.
Deuteronomy 18:22 says, "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the
LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it
presumptuously."
Was he
sincere? Yes, but he was
sincerely wrong.
Next, we
will look at some of the other early 7th seal advocates and the prophesy
revisions that began to take place.
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