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God Always Sends His Messenger

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 14, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 62.

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God Always Sends His Messenger

By J. W. Siler

The Lord always sends his messenger to give warning to the faithful ones before he brings destruction on a nation or people. He gave Noah, Jonah, and John the Baptist a message that they might prepare the way of the Lord. In Mark 1:2 we read, “It is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”
But what are the messengers to do? In Jer. 16:16 the Lord says, “I will send for many fishers, . . . and they shall fish them, and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.”
Why is it necessary for the Lord to send his messengers to fish and hunt them from all quarters of the earth? In answer, Luke 1:77 says, “To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.”
Therefore it is the duty of every Seventh-day Adventist to enlist in active service to help carry the knowledge of salvation to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
But how are they to work? We find an answer in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VII, page 140: “In a large degree through our publishing houses is to be accomplished the work of that other angel who comes down from heaven with great power, and who lightens the earth with his glory.”
Some say that the Bible does not speak of the publishing work, and therefore they are not altogether in harmony with it. Let us see just what the Bible does say regarding the publishing work. In Isa. 52:7 we read, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”
A man is called to the colporteur work just as truly as the minister is called to the ministry, and when we dissuade him from taking up that line of work, we are striving against the Holy Spirit. “One of the very best ways in which young men can obtain a fitness for the ministry is by entering the canvassing field.”
Today God is sending his messengers forth to prepare the way for Christ’s second coming, making known unto hispeople the plan of salvation; and now the question is, Who will enlist in the great company of messengers to carry the last message that will ever go to this, a dying world? God forbid that any should refuse. J. W. SILER.