Earth’s Last Generation - Has It Been Reached? by John N. Quinn

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 11, 1916

Earth’s Last Generation — Has It Been Reached?

By John N. Quinn

Tokens by Which to Identify It

JOHN N. QUINN

The last generation of earth will be reached sometime, for the Christ who ascended into heaven will return to gather to himself his own. He so promised, and his word cannot be broken. The destiny of the race will be eternally decided at the second advent of Christ, and it is incredible that an event so tremendous in its consequences should occur and no one have any previous knowledge of it.

Christ’s friends are to know what their Lord does (John 15:15); being children of the day and not of the night, of light and not of darkness (1 Thess. 5:1-8), they are to know when the day of sin’s doom and of deliverance to God’s children is “near, even at the doors” (Matt. 24:33, 34).

The Last Generation in Comparison

Noah’s times are to be duplicated in the last generation. Matt. 24:36-41. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days immediately preceding the second advent.

The last generation before the flood began when there came to Noah a revelation of God’s purpose to bring “a flood of waters upon the earth.” Heb. 11:7; Gen. 6:5-8, 17. That generation heard the message of invitation and warning. It rejected the message, and came to its end in the deluge. One generation covered the message and work of Noah. Thus shall it be with earth’s last generation. Evidence of this is abundant.

There has been given the servants of God a revelation of his purpose, and the message of invitation and warning has rung out in the power of the Holy Spirit. The message of Christ’s second advent is rapidly encircling the globe. The voice of that message is constantly increasing in volume and in power, and this will continue until the appearing of our Lord in power and great glory.

Noah’s message covered but one generation; the second advent message will cover but one generation. Both generations begin with a message, and both terminate in deliverance to the believer and wrath to the rejecter of God’s mercy.

The Last Generation in Test

The message and the experience of Elijah the prophet are to be repeated in the last generation. Mal. 4:5. In Elijah’s time the worship of Baal had eclipsed the worship of Jehovah. 2 Kings 1:16; 1 Kings 18:18; 21:25, 26. Faithfully was the message of warning, with its call for reform, proclaimed by the prophet of God, but his message fell on ears that were stopped. Because of this refusal to reform, the heavens were closed, and famine laid the land waste. Elijah’s word broke the famine; Elijah’s word discomfited and defeated the priests of Baal, and overthrew the worship of the false god.

That woman Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, led in the apostasy of Israel and in the opposition to God’s work of reform. She was Elijah’s bitter enemy, having determined that he should die. 1 Kings 19:2. Jezebel perished (2 Kings 9:30-37), but Elijah, the messenger of God, was translated to heaven without seeing death. 2 Kings 2:11.

This experience will be duplicated in the last generation. Even now the stage is set and the drama is being enacted. That woman Jezebel, ever an apostate, is here. Rev. 2:20. With the kings of the earth she has committed fornication (Rev. 18:9); she is drunken with the blood of the saints (Rev. 17:6); and the nations have drunk of her wine until they are stupefied (Rev. 18:3). The heavens are closed; there is a famine in all lands, not a famine of bread, but of hearing the word of God in its purity, free from the traditions and doctrines of men. 2 Tim. 4:1-4.

Elijah’s message is also here, the message that opens heaven (James 5:7; Hosea 6:3; Zech. 10:1; Hosea 14:5-9), bringing showers of God’s grace to refresh thirsty hearts. This message eclipses tradition, so magnifying Jesus Christ, as prophet, priest, and king, that in all things he is the Man of righteousness, and not the man of sin, that has the preeminence. This message will bring the world to a test. Rev. 14:6-20. Jezebel will be destroyed because of her attempt to destroy God’s messengers (Rev. 18:9; 13:15); God’s name will be magnified (Rev. 14:1), and his people translated to the sea of glass in heaven (Rev. 15:1-3), just as Elijah was taken to heaven after his victory over Jezebel and Baal.

Elijah’s work covered a generation; the last message of reform likewise will cover but one generation.

The Last Generation in Type

John the Baptist is a type of those who will live at the time when the Lord appears. Matt. 11:11-15; 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13; Luke 1:16, 17; Mal. 4:5. “In preparing the way for Christ’s first advent, he [John] was a representative of those who are to prepare a people for our Lord’s second coming.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 101.

The voice of John, which sounded the fact that God’s Messiah was about to be revealed, continued until in triumph John cried, “Behold the Lamb of God.” The word was verified in that generation. The message announcing the imminence of Christ’s second coming, and calling upon men to prepare to meet God, will continue until, with confidence born of the Spirit of God, it will cry out in divine exultation at the revelation of Jesus in the clouds of heaven, “This is our God; . . . he will save us.” Isa. 25:9.

John’s generation had three opportunities, all three of which it rejected:—

1. John’s message, which stirred the nation.

2. Christ’s message and his mighty works, which caused a second and deeper stirring of Israel.

3. Pentecost, when the Spirit was poured out. A Spirit-filled church again caused the nation to be aroused, and this church, in less than forty years, carried the gospel to every creature. Col. 1:23.

A threefold opportunity will be given to the last generation, which, when rejected, will bring the day of wrath. Revelation 14.

Those who heard John’s message saw it fulfilled, and lived until Jerusalem was destroyed and the nation dispersed. One generation covered this experience and work. The generation which hears the voice proclaiming Christ’s second advent will continue until the message is fulfilled, and to those who look for him Christ will appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Heb. 9:28; Rev. 14:14.

One generation covered the work of Christ’s earthly ministry at his first advent; one generation likewise will cover the work of the message of the second advent.

Both Noah’s generation and the first advent generation began with a message from God. Heb. 11:7; Luke 1:20. A message rang out through both generations, the message marking the beginning of each. A message will be proclaimed to earth’s last generation. This message will end in God’s wrath being poured out on a world lying in wickedness; a generation which had shut its ears to God’s truth, but opened them to fables. Revelation 14, 16. That generation is the one in which we are now living.

Deliverance from Babylon in the Last Generation

God’s people in the last generation are to come out of Babylon. Rev. 18:4. Israel after the flesh went into Babylon because of Sabbath breaking. 2 Chron. 36:17-21; Jer. 17:27. Seventy years covered the time of their bondage in Babylon, and God’s word of prophecy and God’s prophet were prominent in Israel’s deliverance. Daniel 9. The conquest, the bondage, the deliverance, covered but one generation. These things are written for our learning, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11. Obedience to the Sabbath of God in the last generation brings God’s children out of Babylon (Rev. 14:12; Isa. 58:13), and those who leave Babylon will live in the generation that witnesses Babylon’s doom at the second advent of Christ. Rev. 14:12-20; 18.

Characteristics of the Last Generation

Formalism in religion. 2 Tim. 3:1-5. Seducing spirits causing men to accept as truth doctrines of devils. 1 Tim. 4:1-4.

Signs and wonders deceiving men, so that lies are believed to be truth. 2 Thess. 2:8-12.

Tradition supplanting truth. 2 Tim. 4:3, 4.

False teachers leading men captive at their will. Matt. 24:23-28.

God’s law trampled underfoot. Isa. 58:13, 14.

Jezebel exalted to world-wide queenship just before her destruction. Rev. 2:20; 18:4-24.

God’s obedient children persecuted. 2 Tim. 3:12; Rev. 12:17; 14:12.

Marked increase of knowledge. Dan. 12:4.

World-wide evangelization. Matt. 24:14.

Closing scenes of great lines of prophecy being enacted. Daniel 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.

Centralization of wealth and oppression of the working classes. James 5:1-8.

The world filled with violence—lawlessness. Gen. 6:13; Matt. 24:37, 48.

War spirit rampant in all lands. Rev. 16:13-15.

Angry nations destroying the earth. Rev. 11:18.

Nations and their rulers distressed and perplexed. Luke 21:25.

Fearful forebodings as to the future. Verse 26.

Lust prevailing over virtue. 2 Tim. 3:2, 3.

Pleasure preferred to God. Verse 4. The church Christless. Rev. 3:20.

Every sign that was to precede Christ’s second coming fulfilled. Matthew 24.

The earth, old with age, tottering (by increase of earthquakes) to its doom. Heb. 12:26-29; Isa. 24:1-12, 19-23.

Turkish power driven from Europe to Jerusalem, where the kings of the whole world will be gathered to be destroyed by the armies of heaven at Christ’s second coming. Rev. 16:12; Dan. 11:45; 12:1.

Evidence multiplied a thousandfold could be produced, proving that in this generation these characteristics are dominant, these signs fulfilled. In the religious world, Spiritism, devil worship, Zionism, Russellism, Eddyism, Mormonism, Romanism, pseudo-holinessism, and multitudes of other cults and “isms” are leading thousands away from the truth into captivity to the wicked one.

Romanism is leaving no stone unturned to reestablish herself as mistress of the world. Formalism in Protestantism is causing the standard of truth to be lowered, so that heart conversions are the exception in present-day evangelism. A clasp of a man’s hand, a word nominally confessing Christ, and, lo! this is conversion—no burden of sin, no travail of soul, no deliverance from the bondage of sin’s domination into the liberty of God’s children; “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

Solemn yet glorious is the thought that earth’s last generation has been reached. God’s message of invitation and warning is sounding, and will continue to make itself heard above a babel of voices crying, “Lo, here; lo, there!” until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he reigns in righteousness forever and ever. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Takoma Park, D. C.