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THE WATCHING TIME

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 2, 1869

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 33, No. 6.

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THE WATCHING TIME.

By James White

BY ELD. JAMES WHITE.
TEXT.—“Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark xiii, 33–37.
The literal night with its four watches is here used as a figure of the waiting, watching time. The night is the period of the greatest danger, hence the necessity of watchmen. These times are perilous, hence the frequent admonitions to watch.
The leading circumstances of this waiting, watching time, are illustrated by the man taking a far journey, giving authority to his servants, to every one his work, and commanding the porter to watch for his return. This man represents Christ. The time of his return was a matter of uncertainty. So is the time of the return of our Lord. It is purposely hidden from the church. We have no future definite time. The prophetic times served the grand design of the Author of Revelation in the first angel’s message, and terminated with the midnight cry in 1844. Since that point, we have been in the waiting, watching time.
This watching time is while Christ is in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. It began at the close of the 2300 days of Dan. viii, when Christ entered the most holy to cleanse the sanctuary. It will close when Christ lays aside his priestly garments and puts on his royal robes, when it will be said, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
The watching time did not commence at the ascension of Christ. It will not reach to his return to the earth to raise the just. It is the comparatively short period from the close of the prophetic periods to the close of Christ’s work for sinners. The man going into a far country represents the change of our great High Priest from the holy to the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. His return represents Christ’s return from the most holy to the holy place.
This view of the subject may be objected to on the ground that in the illustration it is said that the man took a far journey. But the first definition of the Greek word, apodemos, is “one who has gone from his own home.” The Emphatic Diaglott, which gives under each Greek word the literal rendering of it in English, reads thus: “As a man going abroad.” The idea of a far country is evidently introduced by the translators, who supposed that the man taking a far journey represents the ascension and his return—the second advent—to raise the dead. This view makes the waiting, watching time more than eighteen centuries long, extending from the ascension to the resurrection of the just.
All the parts of a theory should harmonize. If the waiting, watching time commenced at the close of the 2300 days, when Christ changed his work from the holy place to the most holy, then it will close when he returns from the most holy to the holy place. But if it commenced at the ascension, it will not close till Christ returns to the earth to raise the just. I object to this last view, as it supposes that when Christ shall appear the second time to raise the dead, he will find some sleeping. This will not be. When Christ appears to raise the dead, he will not find any asleep in the sense of the text. All will be awake. The nature of the events that stretch along between this time and the resurrection of the just forbids the idea of moral slumber holding any in its embrace at that time. Let us briefly notice them.
Our adorable Redeemer is, as we believe this morning, in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. He is now clad in priestly garments. When his work there is done, he lays aside his priestly attire, and is clothed in royal robes. He receives his crown, and upon his vesture and thigh a name is written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Immediately following this change of our great High Priest to kingly power and authority, the seven last plagues are to be poured out, as literal as, and far more terrible than, those that were poured out upon the Egyptians. However much the professed church of Christ may sleep between this and the time of the pouring out of the plagues, it is very evident that none will be sleeping then.
The voice of God is heard in connection with the last of the seven plagues. It shakes the heavens. It shakes the earth. Mountains are thrown down. The hills disappear. The earth’s surface is broken up, and the ocean boils as a pot. Are there any drowsy ones at that time? Certainly, this mighty earthquake, produced by the voice of God, will thoroughly awaken them, should any be sleeping then. All the ungodly, who are not destroyed by the plagues, are frightened. They rush to rocks and mountains. They enter the caves of the earth. They cry to the ragged rocks and mountains, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?”
All are engaged in this general prayer-meeting, “The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond-man, and every free-man,” all, are engaged in this general prayer-meeting. There are no sleepy ones then. And then immediately follows the advent of the Son of God to raise the dead and change the living.
These events, dear friends, that stretch along the way between this and the resurrection of the just, will fully arouse the inhabitants of the earth, so that when Christ shall come in his glory to raise the dead, there will be no sleeping ones. Therefore the sleeping time, which is the watching, waiting time, does not extend from the ascension to the second advent. It must terminate with the work of our great high priest in the most holy place. And if it terminates with that work, it must commence with that work.
Why the frequent and especial injunctions to the people of God, who are waiting for the return of the Lord, to watch? The watchman watches in the night. They that sleep, sleep in the night. The literal night was divided into four watches. The first was the evening watch; the second, the midnight; the third, the cockcrowing; and the fourth, in the morning. The period of watching for our Lord is represented by the night. It is a sleepy time. Moral drowsiness readily comes over the soul. Hence the many exhortations of our Lord to watch. “What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.” This watching period, and the duty of those who are to watch, are represented by the words of our Lord concerning the man going into another country, and giving authority to his servants, and giving the porter charge to watch. Watch for ye know not when your lord will return; whether at evening, midnight, cockcrowing, or in the morning. But watch, watch, watch, throughout this entire night. It is the drowsy hour. It is the dangerous time.
And why is it thus drowsy and dangerous? It is because of the power of Satan that is brought to bear upon the people. The three great foes of the Christian are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Satan holds up the world before us as he held it up before our Lord Jesus Christ. He took him upon the pinnacle of the temple, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and made him very flattering promises. So Satan holds up this world with its glitter before us. And the temptation takes wonderfully. Satan inflames the fleshly desires, the lust of the eye, the pride of life. Satan is in all this to lead us astray from God. And then there is his direct power brought to bear upon us. I wish to call your attention to a few thoughts upon the direct power of the Devil and his angels.
We see men and women yielding to temptation, and we marvel. We read of singular instances of men and women yielding to the temptations of the Devil, and are astonished. Now I regard these things which seem so astonishing, as the direct power of the Devil brought to bear upon the mind. His influence upon minds we have not viewed perhaps in all its magnitude. The psychologist will get persons under his influence, and by exciting different organs, set them to laughing, then to praying. Next he will have them in a fighting spirit and attitude, and in a moment they show the meekness and loveliness of the lamb, or dove. If man can do this to his fellow-men, what can not the Devil and his angels do to those who yield to their power?
We are astonished sometimes as we read of those men rashly committing crime, in whom the public have had perfect confidence. Their life may have been spotless; but a very favorable opportunity presents itself to steal. The safe perhaps is left open, or means are placed within their reach, which they can take, as they suppose, without danger of detection. There are persons who, under such circumstances, would rashly seize that treasure which did not belong to them, and in a few moments be overwhelmed with the fact that they were miserable thieves. They confess their guilt, and declare that a power moved them to that degree that they could not help themselves. I believe it. Such persons are objects of my pity. How they need the grace of God. There are persons who have sustained good moral characters, who have had the reputation of being godly men, devoted men, elevated in their views and feelings, who, when a favorable opportunity for Satan to rush them into sin has presented itself, have found themselves stained with crime. Pardon me, my dear friends, when I mention the fact that the violation of the seventh commandment has become a most frightful and common crime. If the psychologist can excite mirthfulness, reverence, anger, &c., I ask why cannot the Devil excite any and all of the organs of the mind? I believe he does do it. A power gets hold of minds which they cannot resist, without the protection of holy angels. Here lies the danger of unsanctified minds.
I have been speaking of the men who would detest the idea of stealing, the man who, in his usual frame of mind, would sooner die than violate the sixth, seventh, or eighth commandments. These are sometimes overcome. And if this is so, what will those do who are naturally loose in regard to these things?
God pity the man who has grown up all the way from childhood disposed to theft, or addicted to telling lies, fostering impure thoughts. Children, may God save you. Don’t allow these sins to grow with your growth, and strengthen with your strength. If the man who grows up detesting the violation of the commandments of God may be pushed into crime by the Devil, how easy a prey will you be to his temptations who grow up cherishing from your childhood these very sins.
The sin of lying—that terrible sin—takes root very early in the mind. It is a dreadful age for deception; lying tongues are increasing. These things are abounding in this especial hour of the power of the Devil.
This period of especial peril is included between the time when Christ went into the most holy place, and the time when he leaves it.
And why should Satan be so very vigilant during this period? Answer. It is the last chance for souls to be saved, and his last opportunity to wrench them, if possible, out of the hands of Jesus Christ. He who has ever delighted in the destruction of the human family has an object in this. It is our last chance. Can he poison the youth, that they may grow up liars, thieves, insubordinate, disobedient to parents? He knows if he can thus lead them along, that they may grow up thus, it will be very doubtful as to their ever yielding to the claims of the truth of God. If he can lead parents to love the world, or to indulge in pride, fashion, and folly, and keep us from giving our hearts to the Lord, while Jesus is in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, and keep us from perfecting a good religious character, a moral fitness for the kingdom of God, he will gain a decided victory.
Do any of you start back at the idea of this being a special time of the power of Satan? Let me ask you, What means all this rapping, and writing, and all these wonders of modern Spiritualism? No one ever dreamed of this letting loose of ten thousand infernal spirits from the region of darkness, till since 1844. It is emphatically true that Satan has come down with great wrath and power because he knows that his time is short. Why did not Spiritualism come up in the eighteenth century? Why not in the boyhood and girlhood of those in this assembly who, with me, have reached, or have passed the noon of life? That was not the time. The sleeping time had not then come. The watching time had not arrived. The dangerous time had not then come. The time that is especially to try men’s souls, we had not reached. In the providence of God, and to fulfill the prophecy, to carry out God’s great plan, this letting loose of the powers of darkness, and the advent of ten thousand demons in the manifestation of Spiritualism, was reserved for our time. And it helps to constitute this the dangerous and fearful time.
While Christ is in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, we are to watch because of that unnatural slumber that comes upon the human mind.
The moral drowsiness of this time is well illustrated by that unnatural sleep which came upon the disciples in the hour of Christ’s agony. He went away and prayed, and when he returned he found his disciples sleeping. “What,” said he, “could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” He went away again and prayed in agony, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.” “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” How cruel to sleep then. Christ in agony! His divine soul wrung almost to death, with anguish, bearing the sin of sinners, and they so readily yield to the power of sleep!
I presume, however, that had those disciples, on ordinary occasions, watched three successive days and three successive nights, they would not have been as sleepy as they were at that time. It was an unusual sleep. The powers of darkness were about to triumph over the person of the Son of God. And when he prayed in agony in the garden, it was the hour of the powers of darkness upon the disciples, bringing upon them unusual drowsiness. Satan was determined to conquer. He knew that if Christ should bear the sins of men; if he should endure the sufferings through which he must pass, go into the grave, and rise again to life, that would seal his doom forever. And now the struggle on the part of Satan commences. The hour was drawing near. Christ was in agony. He began to feel the sins of the world. A death-like sorrow is upon his divine soul. He was soon to be nailed to the cross. Satan now musters his angels. He puts the disciples to sleep with unusual slumber, even when the Son of God is in agony sufficient to press the sweat, like drops of blood from the pores of his body. “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” Will not the disciples keep awake and pray and sympathise with him? He returns and finds them sleeping. “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”
And do I hear my Lord saying to us here this morning, What! can ye not watch with me one hour? Can ye not keep awake? The porter had his charge to watch. Watch, porter, you do not know what hour I will return, whether in the evening, at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning. Just so with us. Prophetic time has done its work. The periods have closed. Hence we know not when the time is. There is no time within our reach. That is purposely hid. Watch. The angel swore that time should be no longer. Prophetic time is ended. It brought us to the sleeping, dangerous, watching time. “What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.”
The watching time does not extend to the second coming of Jesus Christ. The necessity of watching is created by the fact that this is the special hour of the power of darkness. Error in every form—Spiritualism, with all its flattering influence, its baseness, and corrupting power, is flooding the world. Demons are permitted to have free access to the minds of those who will yield to their power. This is the hour of darkness, and the triumph of the powers of hell.
But when Christ shall have finished his work in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, Satan will have no further inducement to deceive, and lead astray, the people of God. The time of their spiritual warfare will then be ended. While Christ is our advocate, and offers his blood for the pardon of our sins, Satan has a special object to lead us astray. When that work shall be done, when the saints are sealed, when they have overcome, when they have gotten the victory, then it will be said, “He that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” There will be no backsliding after that point. We cannot for a moment believe that God’s people, after they are sealed, and Christ leaves the most holy place, are to be in danger of falling. They will be beyond that danger.
Now is the watching time, now is the waiting time, now is the praying time, now is the time to keep the word of Christ’s patience. “Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” It is here, during the period that Christ is in the most holy place. The watching time, the waiting time, which is the sleeping time, the period of Satan’s special effort, is the hour of our danger. When that closes, our dangers cease.
But is there no danger, inquires some one, of our losing our fitness for Heaven during the period of the pouring out of the seven last plagues? I think not. But is there not an exhortation in connection with the sixth plague, “Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame”? I admit it. But, to my mind, this is no proof that during the pouring out of the plagues any one will lose his garment. I think this passage is not to be chronologically understood. John is viewing the seven last plagues. He describes them in order, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth; and as he enters upon a description of the sixth terrible plague, he is overwhelmed with the importance of our being prepared to escape them, and exclaims, “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments.” Watch when? Then? No; watch now, during the watching time, and keep your garment ready for that trying hour. That will be a time when men and women shall have overcome, have received the broad seal of the living God, and their cases will then be safe. None will be in danger of falling then. None will have an inclination to sin then.
The Scriptures are plain upon this point. In the 91st Psalm we have a description of the condition of the saints at this time: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.” How is this? “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Thus the saints will be kept during the terrible scenes of the pouring out of the seven last plagues. They are safe because they are kept by the angels. One angel that came down at the resurrection of the Lord, had sufficient power to strike the Roman guards as dead men to the ground. Angels that excel in strength, angels that are mighty, will have their charge. Now we are, in a certain sense, to keep ourselves. Watch, keep your garments. This is our work now; but then you will be kept by the angels. That is the difference. Now it is dangerous to get off your guard, to be off your watch, to become careless. Watch and pray, and keep your garments. If you do this, if you get the victory, if you overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil, you will have the broad seal of God placed upon you. Then you will fall under the protection of the mighty angels. How does it look, my hearers? Are you going to be able to stand the battle? You have something to do here.
It is an awful hour. Why ten thousand demons let loose from the regions of darkness to flood our world in the form of Spiritualism, if this be not the hour of the special power of the Devil? In the providence ofGod to constitute this a trying hour, in which to fit a people for translation, he has let loose the powers of hell upon the world. It is an awful hour. Men are plunged into crime, impelled to break almost any of the commandments, rushed in a moment to the violation of all law, when they get off their watch. But there is help for us in God. I have reserved one text to apply to our case at this trying time, which is just a fit. As George Storrs used to say, when he stood in the counsel of God, “I have reserved one text which I regard as a binder.” It is this:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.” If we keep the word of Christ’s patience in this waiting, watching, trying time, he will keep us in the time of trouble. Blessed promise this. God help us to fulfill the conditions, and share the blessing promised.
But oh! the importance of this hour! How few realize it! What power the world has over professed believers in the present truth! They may have but little of this world’s goods, yet Satan will hold it up before them in the most attractive light. Their means of gain may be small, yet Satan holds it up before them in all its glitter. They sacrifice much for a little gain. They peril much for a little increase. They run great risks that they may add another hundred to their possessions.
They engross themselves in business, and when they are called upon to spend a few days to attend the means of grace, they plead, business. My business will suffer. My plans are laid, and they must be executed. There are terrible risks that the waiting ones frequently run for the sake of a little gain. Satan gets us up on some pinnacle. He shows us, as he showed our Lord, worldly prospects. He gets the mind engrossed. He gets us to lay our plans. He urges us to execute them. He presses us to the point. We have but little time to attend on the means of grace. Our closets are neglected. The prayer-meeting is not attended. We do not give ourselves seasons for consecration and devotion. Our minds are upon the world, all engrossed in our business. We lose sight of the divine. We lose sight of these great truths, and the importance of this hour. What shall be done for us? My friends, this is a terrible hour. The world with its glitter is held up before us. The lusts of the flesh, in almost every form, are inspired by the Devil. And then, here is his direct power upon us. God pity and save us. It is a terrible hour. Oh! that living faith would spring up in the church of Christ! Oh! that a thorough and perfect consecration to God and his cause was ours! Oh! that a lively sense of our position might constantly rest upon us! That we might love God! love Christ! love the angels! love the kingdom of Heaven! and love the influence of the Spirit of God! Oh! that we were heavenly minded! But this terrible sleep comes upon us. Take heed. Watch and pray; for you know not when the time is.
But do you inquire how long it may be before the present state of things closes? how long we shall have to battle with the foe? how long the conflict will continue? I know nothing definite upon this point. You know nothing definite respecting it. Time has done its work. Definite time is beyond our reach. Because of this, some will reason thus: We have been disappointed. We have been waiting long. Time has continued longer than we expected, and it may continue a great while longer. I will turn my attention now to the things of this world. Let me say, dear friends, this temptation is the Devil’s masterpiece. Christ tells us to watch, for we know not when the master of the house cometh, whether at evening, or at cockcrowing, or midnight, or in the morning. You do not know when this conflict will end, when this watching time will be over. Therefore, watch! watch! Yes, watch through all these hours of darkness. Keep awake through all this period of waiting. Enoch walked with God three hundred years. And cannot you walk with him a few years? Must you go to sleep here? Will you yield up all now? Here is the turning point with God’s people. Go to sleep if you dare. Risk it if you dare. Go into the world if you think such a course will be safe. Our duty is pointed out very plainly.
Watch, for you know not when the time is. The Lord would have us watch all the way through this waiting time.
But there are strong reasons for believing that the hour of our conflict will soon close. There are strong reasons for believing that soon it will be heard in Heaven and resounded upon earth, He that is holy, let him be holy still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. We have reason to believe that soon those who have waited and watched will be thrown directly under the protection of the holy angels, and will be kept by the power of God.
True, there are important prophecies to be fulfilled during the waiting time. And, according to the common course of events, it might take half a century for their accomplishment; but we are looking for a short work to be done on the earth. We believe that God will cut short these things in righteousness. We know not how soon they will be rapidly fulfilling before our eyes. We think it best to be on the safe side. I do not know why all this might not be fulfilled in eighteen months.
Go back with me eight years, to the election of Abraham Lincoln. Who then thought that we would so soon be involved in a terrible civil war. Even the editor of the New York Tribune, whose sagacious eye was ever taking a survey of the whole field, said, when it was suggested by one that we might be thrown into a civil war, “Now I advise that old woman to take a cup of catnip tea and go to bed.” He said this to ridicule the idea of coming war. But in a few months the nation was wading in blood. A century’s history was there written in a few months. When Providence gets hold of the crank, things move very rapidly. It is impossible for you to show that these things cannot take place in eighteen months. I appeal to this congregation. Where is the proof that all these things may not be fulfilled in eighteen months?
While, then, it is not possible for us to prove that it will not take two, or even five, years, it is not possible for any one to prove that they may not be fulfilled in a much shorter time than this. Said Christ, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye see all these things come to pass, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.”
Our Lord does not design to designate any number of years by the term generation. He simply means that the very men and women who live after the fulfillment of the signs, who shall hear the proclamation that should be based partly upon these signs; the very persons who shall hear the faithful warnings illustrated by the three messages of Rev. xiv, they shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled. Here let us settle. God help us to settle here. The truth is plain. These points are important. They are like an anchor to hold us. Keep them before you. Farmer, keep them before you. Mechanic, keep them before you. Merchant, let them be your guide. Wherever you are, whatever may be your business in life, do not lose sight of them. If there is any thing in the great truth that has called us here this day to worship God, instead of to-morrow, then here is the great anchor. The great threefold warning, illustrated by these messages, has been, and is being, given to this generation, and this generation will not pass till all be fulfilled. As God raised up Noah at the right time, and as Noah preached to the last generation before the flood, and as those who rejected Noah drank the waters of the flood, just as surely those that hear this threefold warning, and obey it, will be kept in that awful hour; and those who reject these messages will receive the seven last plagues.
Farmer, I say, let this position be your guide. Mechanic and merchant, or whatever may be your position in life, or your occupation, let this be your guide. Watch, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh. This is our only hope as a people. Anchor here. Let it be a living reality that this is our position. And let all your plans and enterprises bend to it. God requires this of us. With this we may have his blessing. Without it we shall wane away, and become a body of backsliders.
That theory of truth, and that movement, which has brought us here this day to worship, as Seventh-day Adventists, is not simply a farce. They are living realities, sustained by the divine word and Spirit. Christ is coming in our day. Noah warned the last generation before the flood. The threefold warning is given to the last generation before the coming of the Son of Man. May God pity the sinner. May he bless his waiting ones. And may it be their joy to exclaim, as they see the Son of Man coming in his glory, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us.” Amen.