p. 29 | The Scoffer's Fate by I. D. Van Horn

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 18, 1870

The Scoffer's Fate.

By I. D. Van Horn

“KNOWING this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; but the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Pet. 3:3-7.

There are a few facts in the above scripture that are worthy of notice. Wherever the last days are mentioned by any of the Bible writers, as in this case, they speak of them as a time of great apostasy and wickedness. There have been scoffers in every age, but the last days are to be especially marked by these characters.

It may be readily inferred from this testimony of the apostle, that the people of God, at this time, will be believing in and proclaiming the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, which is made a subject of ridicule by these scoffers; for they say, “Where is the promise of his coming.” To them, all things continue as they were from the creation. They do not see evidence sufficient in the signs that have been given, or in the fulfillment of prophecy, to have faith in the Lord's coming, and they turn it into ridicule.

But there is one thing in the apostle's statement that should cause serious reflections in their minds. He refers them to the time of the flood. There were scoffers in Noah's day. They, no doubt, looked upon him as a great fanatic, yet they could not condemn his character or his life. He faithfully warned them of their danger, yet they went on in their evil work, growing worse and worse, till they were stopped by the overflowing waters of the flood. The scoffers of the last days, are willingly ignorant of this. The Saviour once said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” Luke 17:26. They ought to learn a lesson from God's dealings with this class of people at the flood, and take warning from it. But they are careless. Like their predecessors, they walk after their own lusts, till “every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil continually.” Gen. 6:5.

But a more terrible doom awaits them, than those in Noah's day. The same “word of God” that commanded the waters to overflow the world and destroy the wicked then, has said, “The heavens and the earth, which are now, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Heb. 10:31. When Jesus ceases to plead before the Father for guilty man, there will be nothing then to cover the poor sinner from the wrath of God. The devouring fire is reserved to consume those who feel to ridicule and scoff at the work of God in the last days. Oh, dreadful doom! May all who read this flee to the shelter of the cross and shun the scoffer's fate.

I. D. VAN HORN.