Who wrote the first exposition on Revelation 13 and the USA, identified the Sabbath start time, and was a leading early Adventist?

Who wrote the first exposition on Revelation 13 and the USA, identified the Sabbath start time, and was a leading early Adventist?

• A. J. N. Andrews
• B. Uriah Smith
• C. John Loughborough
• D. James White

Answer: (A)

In early Adventist thought, prophecy and current events were read together to shape church identity, especially how Revelation 13 was interpreted in relation to nations today. The idea that the United States would play a central role in Revelation 13 and the Sabbath practice would later be tied to the identity of the church in prophecy, and identifying when the Sabbath begins—traditionally sunset on Friday—became a defining practice for Sabbatarian Adventists. Josiah L. Andrews stands out in this historical strand as the one who produced the first sustained exposition linking Revelation 13 to the United States and who actively promoted the seventh-day Sabbath, helping to establish both the interpretive approach and the practical observance that marked early Adventism. His leadership and writings helped shape how the movement read prophecy and organized its beliefs around Sabbath keeping. While other early Adventist leaders, such as Uriah Smith and James White, were also pivotal in prophecy and church development, the combination described—first exposition on Revelation 13 and the USA, plus identifying the Sabbath start time—fits Andrews’ early contributions and influence in a distinctive way.

In early Adventist thought, prophecy and current events were read together to shape church identity, especially how Revelation 13 was interpreted in relation to nations today. The idea that the United States would play a central role in Revelation 13 and the Sabbath practice would later be tied to the identity of the church in prophecy, and identifying when the Sabbath begins—traditionally sunset on Friday—became a defining practice for Sabbatarian Adventists.

Josiah L. Andrews stands out in this historical strand as the one who produced the first sustained exposition linking Revelation 13 to the United States and who actively promoted the seventh-day Sabbath, helping to establish both the interpretive approach and the practical observance that marked early Adventism. His leadership and writings helped shape how the movement read prophecy and organized its beliefs around Sabbath keeping.

While other early Adventist leaders, such as Uriah Smith and James White, were also pivotal in prophecy and church development, the combination described—first exposition on Revelation 13 and the USA, plus identifying the Sabbath start time—fits Andrews’ early contributions and influence in a distinctive way.