Signs of the Approaching End by W. A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 24, 1914

Signs of the Approaching End

By W. A. Spicer

Seated with his disciples on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem, Christ gave an outline of events reaching to his glorious appearing in the clouds of heaven. Looking down upon the city of Jerusalem, all careless of its time of visitation, Christ had foretold the destruction of the sacred temple. The disciples, astonished, said, “Tell us, when shall these things be?” and, evidently associating the end of the earthly temple with the end of the world, they added, “and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24:1-3.

The Saviour’s answer is equally for us who live in these latter days. Briefly he sketched the scenes of confusion and tumult that were to quickly follow in their own time, as the doom predicted by the prophets of old should fall upon Jerusalem. The signs that he gave meant deliverance and escape to the Christian believers in the day of Jerusalem’s fall. “When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh,” he said. “Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them which are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-22.

The unbelieving of Jerusalem and Judea could not conceive such a thing as the destruction of the favored city, but at the first compassing of Jerusalem by the Roman armies the Christians recognized the sign and knew that the fateful day was at hand; and when for a time the siege was suddenly lifted and the armies retired, the believers heeded the warning and fled to safety. Watching the signs of the times and being ready, they were delivered when the day of desolation came a few years later. Even so are we to watch the signs of our own times that we may escape the things coming upon the earth, and “stand before the Son of man.”

Having foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolations that would attend it, Christ’s prophetic discourse answered the second part of the disciples’ question, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” The prophet Daniel had foretold a time of great tribulation that was to come upon the church, with persecution of the saints of God through long, dark centuries until the time of the end. The Saviour’s prophetic vision reviewed this long period. “Then shall be great tribulation,” he said, “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” But for the elect’s sake, he said, for the sake of the Lord’s people and the cause of truth on earth, those days were to be shortened. Even so the rise of the reform movement of the sixteenth century, and the setting free of the Word of God, cut short the days of tribulation, and brought the dawn of the era of light and knowledge that was to come with the time of the end. Dan. 12:4.

Next the Saviour’s prophecy begins to deal with the signs by which believers may know when the end is drawing near. That no false theories of a secret coming of the Lord or of a quiet breaking of a millennium on earth might deceive those who are awakened to watch, the Saviour first of all describes the manner of his coming and warns against teachings that were to arise in the last days advocating a mystical, secret second advent:—

The Warning—Christ’s Coming Visible to All

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders: Insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:23-27.

Hastily, in few words, let us review the prophetic outline, watching to catch the true signals as earnestly as the mariner strains the eye to read surely the shore beacon on a dark night. The signs cannot fail us, for Christ said:—

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon,

and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:25-28.

He that hath eyes to see, let him see these signs of his coming Lord:—

1. Signs in the heavens.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days [the prophetic time of tribulation reaching through the Dark Age] shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.” Matt. 24:29.

These signs begin to appear at the appointed time, “immediately after the tribulation of those days.”

“The Sun Shall Be Darkened”

On May 19, 1780, came the wonderful darkening of the sun, known in the list of unexplained phenomena as “the dark day” of 1780. Thoughtful hearts were impressed that the mysterious darkening of the sun was a sign from heaven. In a sermon preached by the Rev. Elam Potter, on May 28 of that same year, reference was made to the occurrence as follows:—

Then, as in our text, the sun was darkened; such a darkness as was probably never known before since the crucifixion of our Lord. People left their work in the house and in the field; travelers stopped; schools broke up at eleven o’clock; people lighted candles at noon-day; and the fire shone as at night.—“The Coming King,” page 114.

The note of solemnity is caught in the following from the proceedings of the Connecticut House of Representatives, which adjourned when the great darkness came on. A Mr. Davenport rose in his place, urging that the session continue:—

Mr. Speaker, it is either the day of judgment, or it is not. If it is not, there is no need of adjourning. If it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I move that candles be brought, and that we proceed to business.

“And the Moon Shall Not Give Her Light”

That old-time sermon by Dr. Potter says of the night following the dark day: “The moon, though in the full, gave no light, as in our text.” R. M. Devins, in the work Our First Century, says:—

The darkness of the following evening was probably as deep and dense as ever had been observed since the Almighty first gave birth to light; it wanted only palpability to render it as extraordinary as that which overspread the land of Egypt in the days of Moses.

“And the Stars Shall Fall From Heaven”

Years passed, and men’s hearts were stirred as they studied the Word and saw that the great historic prophecies taught that the coming of the Lord was drawing near. In Europe and in America there was a revival of the preaching of the advent idea. Thousands of ministers of all denominations saw that the doctrine of Christ’s second coming was to be emphasized. Just here came another great sign to cause men to give heed to the significance of passing events. On Nov. 13, 1833, came the thrilling display of falling stars, which is listed as one of the remarkable phenomena of the astronomical story. Professor Olmsted, of the astronomical department of Yale College, wrote:—

Those who were so fortunate as to witness the exhibition of shooting stars on the morning of Nov. 13, 1833, probably saw the greatest display of celestial fireworks that has ever been seen since the creation of the world, or at least within the annals covered by the pages of history. . . . The extent of the shower of light was such as to cover no inconsiderable part of the earth’s surface. From the middle of the Atlantic on the east to the Pacific on the west, and from the northern coast of South America to undefined regions among the British possessions on the north, the exhibition was visible, and everywhere presented nearly the same appearance.

It was indeed such a picture as that described among latter-day events by John in the Revelation:—

“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Rev. 6:13.

Over the whole Atlantic coast, from New England to the South, men witnessed what one writer describes as the greatest spectacle “ever beheld by man;” and an observer living at the time in Georgia wrote: “Everybody felt that it was the judgment, and that the end of the world had come.” Rather was it a signal that the hour of God’s judgment was drawing near at hand; for very clearly the Scriptures tell us that the time of the last generation is to be the judgment hour in heaven. Every case comes in review as the records of heaven are opened both of the living and of the dead; for when Christ comes the judgment has already determined to all eternity who are the righteous and who are the wicked. These signs, therefore, were to warn men to prepare for the judgment hour, and to arouse the church of Christ to do the work that must be done in proclaiming the gospel message just before the end.

2. Signs in the social and industrial world.

“And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; . . . men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Luke 21:25, 26.

The prophet James describes latter-day conditions with a warning to the careless rich, and a warning also to the laborer and the poor not to be drawn into strife and contention for this world’s possessions while the judgment hour is passing in heaven above and the righteous Judge is at the door:—

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in the day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned; behold, the Judge standeth before the door.” James 5:1-9.

It is well known that some of the nations of Europe have felt that only a plunge into war could for the moment hold the dissensions due to social discontent and industrial strife. Yet war can but intensify the conditions, and impoverish the survivors. But a few years ago Lord Avebury, better known as Sir John Lubbock, discussing the unpreparedness of the European countries by preparation for war, said in the “Review of Internationalism:”—

The religion of Europe is not Christianity, but the worship of the god of war. . . . Unless something is done, the condition of the poor in Europe will grow worse and worse. It is no use shutting our eyes. Revolution may not come soon, but probably in our time; but come it will, and as sure as fate there will be an explosion such as the world has never seen.

Mr. Frederick Townsend Martin, of New York, wrote an earnest warning concerning these conditions, in Hearst’s Magazine for September, 1913. Addressing his words to the “idle rich,” he said:—

The Romans were overconfident, and they were swept from the earth. The French overdid the thing, and rivers of blood flowed. The English again and again have forced the workers into open rebellion. All countries, including ours, seem ripe for revolution.

Fifty years ago there was scarcely a voice of protest; indeed, there was hardly anything to protest against. Twenty-five years ago the protest was clear and distinct, and we understood it. Ten years ago the protest found expression in a dozen weekly publications; but today the protest is circulated not by hundreds or thousands of printed copies of books, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers, but actually by the million.

This propaganda of protest has its daily papers that are distinctive and published for that purpose, and that purpose only. It has its magazines and tens of thousands of weekly papers. Only a fool sneers at such a volume of publicity as that.

The warnings that hundreds of us are uttering may be ignored. The squandering may go on, the vulgar bacchanalia may be prolonged, the poor may have to writhe under the iron heel of the iron lord—the dance of death may go on until society’s “E” string snaps, and then the Vesuvius of the underworld will belch forth its lava of death and destruction. Anarchy may reign for a period, values may be cast aside, reason may be flung to the winds, and history may repeat one of its red dramas; then out of the chaos and disorder will come as there always has come a new society.

But this time, we know by the sure word of prophecy, there will come, not a new order of things on earth, but the utter end of this wicked, warring world, with the destruction of sin and sinners.

3. Signs in the political world,—the arming of the nations.

As the hour of God’s judgment came in heaven, according to the view of the prophet, he saw the nations rousing to the strife, and heard voices in heaven crying:—

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” Rev. 11:18.

The prophet Daniel describes this judgment scene in heaven that closes Christ’s ministry before his second coming. (See Dan. 7:9, 10.) This investigative judgment begins with the dead, reviewing every case as recorded in the books above, and closing with the cases of the living. While this solemn work is proceeding in the heavenly temple, on earth the nations are angry, preparing war, as the prophet Joel long ago said: waking up the mighty men, even the weak saying, “I am strong;” beating plowshares, or the products of the field, into swords. This is the picture that prophecy gives of the last days. And the prophecy says also that while the nations are fulfilling this word, multitudes of the thoughtless and the unprepared will be crying, “Peace and safety,” and talking about beating swords into plowshares and learning war no more. All through this generation we have seen these prophecies fulfilling before our eyes, and now the earth fairly shakes with the shock of titanic combat. Events are hastening on to the end.

4. The most joyful sign,—the gospel message to the world.

Surest and brightest and gladdest sign of all of the coming of the Lord is the world-wide missionary movement, sending the light shining into every dark corner of the earth. Christ’s own word declared:—

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14.

What does it mean? It means that the time of the prophecy has come; and while the nations are preparing for the final conflict, the message of the gospel of peace must reach the yet unevangelized peoples in all the dark portions of the earth. About 22,000 missionaries are in the field, and many thousands of trained native converts are spreading the Word of God. This remarkable development has come in our time, and is a fulfillment of prophecy.

The last century has been a century of missionary activity, culminating in a truly world-wide work in our own time. Century after century passed after these prophecies were uttered, and the world saw no such movement. But with the coming of the latter days we have seen just such a world-wide gospel movement as the prophecy demands for the time of the last generation.

The last phase of this gospel work, according to the vision given John in the Revelation, was to be the rise of a movement proclaiming the soon coming of the Lord, declaring the hour of God’s judgment come, and calling all men—in Christendom as well as in heathendom—to take their stand upon the New Testament platform of the “commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

Read the plain and graphic description of the movement in Rev. 14:6-14, ending with the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven.

When the time of this generation came, this special gospel movement of the prophecy arose; and the special reform message of the prophecy is being carried swiftly to all the world today. We thank God for what all the great missionary societies are doing to spread the gospel of Christ’s kingdom. But the “sure word” demands that in the last times there shall be this special closing proclamation of the “everlasting gospel;” for when this gospel of the kingdom has reached all peoples with its call to prepare to meet the Lord, the day of human probation closes; then quickly must come the loosing of the four winds, the great battle of the day of God Almighty, the quaking of the earth, the coming of the Lord, the destruction of sin, and the eternal salvation of all who have put their trust in God and have put away their sins through faith in Jesus Christ.