Last-Day Conditions

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 8, 1908

Last-Day Conditions

EVEN those who hold what we regard as unscriptural views concerning the nature of the second advent are able to discern clearly the fulfilment of those statements in prophecy which mark the coming of the Lord as near. Thus in the current issue of a magazine which teaches what is known as “the rapture” doctrine, and the return of the Jews, we find a forcible application of those passages which describe religious conditions just previous to the second advent. We quote the following:—

From the beginning of this age the mystery of iniquity has already worked. Error and evil have developed from the very start; but as the age nears its close, all becomes more pronounced, more intense. Let us see first what these predictions are. We find them mostly in epistles which were written after the year sixty. About that time evil showed itself very strongly in the church; false doctrines came up, and ate like a canker. Then the Holy Spirit gave a solemn warning against the encroaching evils, and predicted that the evil begun would develop throughout the age till the last times are reached. He predicted then what should be in the days immediately before the coming of our Lord.

The predictions speak of denial. The spirit that produces the latter-day conditions is the spirit that negates, the spirit of disobedience. We can group these predictions around six things:—

1. Denial of the faith.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons.” 1 Tim. 4: 1. The epistle which unfolds the conditions in the last days more than any other, the epistle of Jude, exhorts to contend earnestly for the faith, because the faith will be denied. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude, verse 3.

2. Denial of sound doctrine.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Tim. 4: 3.

3. Denial of the power of godliness, and therefore unholy living.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such turn away.” 2 Tim. 3: 1-5.

4. Denial that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.

“Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” 1 John 4: 3.

5. Denial of the Lord himself.

“But there are false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2: 1.

6. Denial of authority.

This is given in the epistle of Jude. There the way of apostasy is described. It begins with the way of Cain, continues with the error of Balaam, and ends with rebellion like that of Core. And it is written:—

“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignitaries.” Jude 8.

From these predictions we learn that all that which God has revealed will be denied. Everything in the faith is included. The denial of the Bible as the Word of God, the denial of the person of Christ, his deity, his virgin birth, the denial of his miracles, his sinlessness, the denial of his atoning work on the cross, his resurrection, his presence with the Father in glory, and his coming again. Then we have the denial of sound doctrine, such as the absolute necessity of the new birth, the corruption of human nature, the denial of the work of the Holy Spirit, the denial of the eternal punishment of the wicked, and the denial of every other sound doctrine. Then, as a result, an increase of worldliness, unholy-living, loving money and pleasures more than God, ending in rebellion and the fullest opposition against God. All this is predicted for the last times, the closing days of the church on earth.

It is only necessary to take note of some of the so-called religious teaching of the present day in order to find evidence that this description of last-day conditions is now fully met. Since the rejection of the second advent doctrine, which began to be presented to the churches three fourths of a century ago, the course of apostasy has been rapid. What passes for Christian doctrine today would rightly have been labeled infidelity in the days of William Miller and his associates.

The denials of true doctrine constitute in themselves a call for the teaching of “the everlasting gospel” in its purity, that by this means there may be a gathering out of a remnant who shall be ready to meet the Lord when he returns.