Its Inception and Delay
Though Sister White penned the following remarkable statement in 1892:
“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, par. 7
Which, at first glance, this seems to indicate that the Loud Cry was already underway in her day — yet subsequent writings reveal a more nuanced reality.
The church’s rejection of the 1888 message of “Righteousness by Faith” led to a muffling of the Loud Cry. Instead of becoming a beacon of light to the world, the church itself entered a period of spiritual darkness.
The following references make it clear that the Loud Cry remains yet future, contingent upon the church’s wholehearted consecration and cooperation with God. The description of the church in the time of the Loud Cry, and also during the time preceding it is plainly given, and no one need be confused. Says the Spirit of Prophecy:
“In the manifestation of the power that lightens the earth with its glory, they will see only something which in blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. Why, they say, should we not know the Spirit of God; when we have been in the work so many years?” — “Bible Training School,” 1907. (Reprinted in “Review & Herald,” Nov. 7, 1918.)
This paragraph puts the Loud Cry in the future of 1918.
“The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with His glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God.” — “Review and Herald,” July 21, 1896.
“The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.” — “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 6, p. 401.
The above references do not only plainly show that the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message is yet future, but they also show that, before it begins, there is to be a reformation among God’s people, and that, at that time,
“Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. ‘Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,’ she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.” — “Prophets and Kings,” p. 725.
Whereas, the church at this time is polluted in her sins, and asleep, just as she is described in the message to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, of Revelation 3:14–18, and further in the following passage from the Spirit of Prophecy:
The Church’s Undone Condition
“What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right, when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct.” — “Testimonies for the church,” Vol. 3, p. 253.
Moreover, it was in 1892 when the statement was made that “This is the beginning of the Loud Cry,” and just one year later, in 1893, the Spirit of Prophecy describes, in as plain a language as can possibly be stated, the church’s condition, and no more condemnatory words could be used by any writer. We read:
“Who can truthfully say, ‘Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world’? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He said to me: ‘Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? “How is the faithful city become an harlot?” My Father’s house is made a house of merchandise, an place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking.’
“Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own back-sliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself.” — “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 8, p. 250.
In the face of these plain statements, it is most preposterous for any one to conclude that the church is now in her Loud Cry state.
Those who still think that the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message, which began in 1892, has continued ever since, prove to us that they are in great darkness, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” because of the fact that they can not tell the difference between that great light that lightens the earth, and the darkness that preceded it, which even a half awake Christian ought to be able to recognize.
The light with which the earth is to be lightened is, or course, understood to be a spiritual light — the Word of God. Moreover it is also understood that the church is to diffuse this great light to the ends of the earth, for in no other way will God reveal the truth to sinful men, and the Gentiles see her righteousness, and all kings her glory. (Isa. 62:2.) Consequently, the church from 1844 to the close of probation is divided into two sections — before the Loud Cry, and in the time of the Loud Cry — the latter of which will, by comparison, be far superior to the former in spirituality. In fact, there is no comparison between the two. Hence, those who cannot tell in which one of these stages the church now is, must be in great darkness!
What Makes It “Loud”?
There must be a marked difference between the voice of the message before the Loud Cry, and the voice of the message in the Loud Cry; otherwise it would not be called “loud.”
Let us now read from Early Writings, in the chapter entitled “The Loud Cry.”
“This message [that is the message that makes the Loud Cry] seemed to be an addition to the third message, joining it as the midnight cry joined the second angel’s message in 1844.” — Early Writings, pg. 277.
And on page 118 we read: —
“I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.’”
The author of these statements makes clear that the Loud Cry is not made by a lot of noise, but by an additional message, and that the third angel’s message in the end of the world, not the end itself, selects the wheat from the tares.
7. The Harvest - No matter how great and how effective a revival and reformation even God Himself may launch in His church, the Scriptures make it plain that both the sinners and the saints will be in the church until the harvest. No one need brag that the members of his church are… To repeat: the message swells to a Loud Cry by virtue of an “addition” which gives it “power and force.” (Early Writings, p. 277.)
Since the church has never accepted an additional message, and since there has never come one other than that in The Elijah Message that would give “power and force” to the old message, the Loud Cry could not have begun at any time previous to this.
Moreover, the “abominations” in the church have not only kept back the Loud Cry but have also even silenced the fainter cry which precedes it. Indeed, “the angel of the church of the Laodiceans,” being unfit even to finish the proclamation of the message in its fainter cry, must be altogether unfit to proclaim it in the Loud Cry.
Obviously, if he does not now quickly repent and accept the additional message which is to begin the Loud Cry, then not only will he not help proclaim it but he will even be “spued out.”
“…only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One,” warns the Spirit of Prophecy, “will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it [the Third Angel’s Message] when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.” — The Review and Herald, №19, 1908.
So while the fainter cry is proclaimed by those who have, as well as by those who have not, overcome temptation, the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have.
5. The Purification Of The Church - But the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true. In the mighty sifting soon to take place, we shall be better able to measure the strength of Israel. The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord… Thus again we see that though the Loud Cry was to have begun by 1892, it was muffled when the church rejected the message of Righteousness by Faith in 1888. Thus, the scroll which contained the “additional” message that was to give “power and force” to the Third Angel’s Message, for the time then being ceased unrolling. And consequently, instead of becoming the light of the world, the church herself went into darkness. Seeing this, the Spirit of Truth made a fearful pronouncement of doom upon unrepentant Laodiceans, while giving joyous promise of future glory to all who will arise and walk in the light that proceeds from the throne.
“How will any of our brethren know when this light shall come to the people of God?” was the sweeping question then asked by Inspiration. And the inspired answer was: “As yet we have certainly not seen the light that answers to this description. God has light for His people, and all who accept it will see the sinfulness of remaining in a lukewarm condition.” — The Review and Herald, Oct. 7, 1890.
1. Is There Need For Extra Oil? - I am told that somewhere in her writings, Sister White has said: "We have all the light which we need till Jesus comes." Can you give us the reference? 
