From: The Incredible Cover-up, pps. 151-157
By Dave MacPherson
APPENDIX A: MARGARET MACDONALD'S ACCOUNT
This is Margaret Macdonald's handwritten account of her 1830 Pre-Trib revelation, as included in Robert Nortons' Memoirs of James & George Macdonald of Port-Glasgow (1840), pps. 171-176. The italicized portions represent her account as it appears in shorter form in Nortons' "The Restoration of Apostles and Prophets; In the Catholic Apostolic Church" (1861), pp 15-18.
"It was first the awful state of the land that was pressed upon me.[1] I saw the blindness and infatuation of the people to be very great. I felt the cry of Liberty just to be the hiss of the serpent, to drown them in perdition. It was just `no God.'
I repeated the words, Now there is distress of nations, with perplexity, the seas and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear - now look out for the sign of the Son of man. Here I was made to stop and cry out, O it is not known what the sign of the Son of man is; the people of God think they are waiting, but they know not what it is.
I felt this needed to be revealed, and that there was great darkness and error about it; but suddenly what it was burst upon me with a glorious light I saw it was just the Lord himself descending from Heaven with a shout, just the glorified man. even Jesus; but that all must, as Stephen was, be filled with the Holy Ghost, that they might look up, and see the brightness of the Father's glory.
I saw the error to be, that men think that it will be something seen by the natural eye; but 'tis spiritual discernment that is needed, the eye of God in his people.
Many passages were revealed, in a light in which I had not before seen them. I repeated, `Now is the kingdom of Heaven like unto ten virgins, who went forth to meet the Bridegroom, five wise and five foolish;
'But be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is; and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.' This was the oil the wise virgins took in their vessels - this is the light to be kept burning - the light of God - that we may discern that which cometh not with observation to the natural eye.
Only those who have the light of God within them will see the sign of his appearance. No need to follow them who say, see here, or see there, for his day shall be as the lightning to those in whom the living Christ is.
I saw that we must be in the Spirit, that we might see spiritual things. John was in the Spirit, when he saw a throne set in Heaven. - But that the glory of the ministration of the Spirit had not been known. I repeated frequently, but the spiritual temple must and shall be reared, and the fullness of Christ be poured into his body, and then shall we be caught up to meet him. Oh none will be counted worthy of this calling but his body,which is the church, and which must be a candlestick all of gold.
I often said, Oh the glorious inbreaking of God which is now about to burst on this earth; Oh the glorious temple which is now about to be reared, the bride adorned for her husband; and Oh what a holy, holy bride she must be, to be prepared for such a glorious bridegroom.
I said,
I feIt as Elijah surrounded with chariots of fire. I saw as it were, the spiritual temple reared, and the Head Stone brought forth with shoutings of grace, grace, unto it. It was a glorious light above the brightness of the sun, that shone round about me. I felt that those who were filled with the spirit could see spiritual things, and feel walking in the midst of them, while those who had not the Spirit could see nothing - so that two shall be in one bed, the one taken and the other left, because the one has the light of God within while the other cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.
I saw the people of God in an awfully dangerous situation, surrounded by nets and entanglements, about to be tried, and many about to be deceived and fall. Now will THE WICKED be revealed, with all power and signs and lying wonders, so that if it were possible the very elect will be deceived. - This is the fiery trial which is to try us. - It will be for the purging and purifying of the real members of the body of Jesus; but Oh it will be a fiery trial. Every soul will be shaken to the very centre. The enemy will try to shake in every thing we have believed - But the trial of real faith will be found to honour and praise and glory. Nothing but what is of God will stand. The stony-ground hearers will be made manifest - the love of many will wax cold.
I
The trial of the Church is from Antichrist.[3] It is by being filled with the Spirit that we shall be kept.
I frequently said, Oh be filled with the Spirit - have the light of God in you, that you may detect Satan - be full of eyes within - be clay in the hands of the potter - submit to be filled, filled with God This will build the temple. It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord. This will fit us to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb.
I saw It to be the will of God that all should be filled. But what hindered the real life of God from being received by his people, was their turning from Jesus.
When I say, they are looking from the cross, I feel that there is much in it - they turn from the blood of the Lamb, by which we overcome, and in which our robes are washed and made white. There are low views of God's holiness, and ceasing to condemn sin in the flesh, and a looking from him who humbled himself, and made himself of no reputation. Oh! it is needed, much needed at present, a leading back to the cross.
I saw that night, and often since, that there will be an outpouring of the Spirit
This is what we are at present made to pray much for, that speedily we may all be made ready to meet our Lord in the air - and it will be. Jesus wants his bride. His desire is toward us. He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.
Amen and Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus."
FOOTNOTES
[1
"I think I ought not to omit stating that in the course of the memorable evening of which the above paper is a very incomplete outline, one individual was expressly mentioned by name as the future desolator of this land, who at the time (nine years ago) was not at all pre-eminent as the leader of infidelity, but who has so notoriously and awfully become so - Mr. Owen."
The Owen referred to was Robert Owen (1771-1858), described by Friedrich Engels in his Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (1880) as one of the leading socialists of the early nineteenth century. A lengthy article on Tracing the History of Communes says Owen established a number of communities that were Communistic in nature. He set up communes in Ireland and Britain; his best-known commune, however, was his American community at New Harmony, Indiana.
Margaret MacDonald had received the "charismatic gift of prophetess" in Port Glasgow, Scotland. She was 15 years old in 1830 when she had this "vision".
On the same evening she gave her "pre-trib revelation", she specifically mentioned Robert Owen by name as the future desolator: "The Antichrist". Norton, who passionately believed the 15 year-old female preacher a "prophetess" also agreed with her prophecy, which later proved unfulfilled despite Nortons' valiant attempts to say otherwise.
Margaret saw that her "prophecy" was well-circulated. She herself penned several hand-written letters to Christian leaders and publications soon after her "vision". The first was published in The Morning Watch an influential British religious publication of the time.
[2
On the contrary, Yeshua said, "every eye shall see Him...", and that His Coming will be "as the lightning shining from the east even unto the west." The "pre-trib revelation" and "secret catching away" introduced here were unheard of before the 19th Century.
[3
"You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the L-rd?' If what a prophet proclaims in the Name of the L-rd does not take place or come true, that is a message the L-rd has not spoken." Deuteronomy 18:21-22
John Nelson Darby apparently "borrowed" Margarets' "vision" and used it; renaming it his "rapture".
The counter-argument is that Margaret had her "vision" in 1830, while Darby later claimed his "revelation" occurred in 1827. Margarets' "prophecy", however, was well-publicized in 1830 without an objection from Darby.
The facts are these: It was known that Darby himself journeyed to Port Glasgow, Scotland in 1830 to personally investigate Margarets' prophetic ministry. There is no record that Darby said his "revelation" came before Margarets' "vision" while he was there. None of the ministers or publications to which Margarets' "vision" was submitted ever said they had heard of it at any earlier time.
It was not until 1831, a year after his visit to Port Glasgow, Scotland, that Darby began preaching his "rapture" at the Powerscourt Conferences. Darby never gave Margaret any credit however. If he did have his "revelation" in 1827 as he claimed, there is no record that he ever wrote or told anyone; which, given the importance of such a "revelation" seems unusual.
Did Darby ever say that any Robert Owen was "The Antichrist" as Margaret had prophesied?
The "Plymouth Brethren" of which Darby was a chief leader, still holds its annual conferences in Indiana; coincidentally the very state where Robert Owen (Margarets' "Antichrist") once had his well-known American commune, and Darby preached.
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