A Special Mission by R. C. Porter

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 27, 1914

A Special Mission

By R. C. Porter

In giving the messages of Revelation 14, a special mission is outlined for adherents to the messages.

“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Rev. 14:6.

The commission under the last message is to preach “the everlasting gospel” in every nation. God has ever had but one gospel by which to save men. That which made the gospel message special in the days of Christ was the fact that there had come in an apostasy from the everlasting gospel. A drift away from the same gospel in the last days, makes the proclamation of “the everlasting gospel” a special last-day message.

The Message Is Affirmative

The preaching of the gospel has always been affirmative. The object of the gospel is the salvation of sinners. Sinners are to be won, not condemned or coerced. “He that winneth souls is wise.” When Christ, the example for all true gospel teachers, entered upon his ministry, his commission was to proclaim an affirmative gospel for the sole purpose of saving men. It reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17.

A more clear and well-defined declaration of a commission was never made. Its foundation is the love of God for the lost. Its mission was not to condemn, but to save. Had Christ gone to the world with a gospel of condemnation, he would have failed in the fulfillment of his commission. The scribes and Pharisees sought to turn him from his purpose to save, by endeavoring to sidetrack him into teaching the gospel in a condemnatory spirit. When they brought to him the woman taken in adultery, Christ said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:3-7. His answer and his writing upon the ground were effectual in defeating those who sought to turn him aside from the true purpose of his mission, and one by one they went out from his presence.

“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:10, 11.

His mission to sinners is here plainly revealed. He would not condemn them, but he would lift them to a sinless life. Only when by their pharisaical traditions they were setting aside the commandments of God, neither entering the pathway to the kingdom of God themselves nor allowing others to enter, does he turn from his affirmative gospel work for a few brief moments to lift the veil of hypocrisy behind which those Jewish Pharisees were masquerading, that the people might be undeceived as to their true character. His purpose was not to condemn, but to save. While he unveiled their hypocrisy, drove them from the temple, overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves, yet “he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Luke 19:41. “How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” Then returning to his direct theme of an affirmative gospel of the kingdom, he passed from place to place on his mission of “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” and seeking to save the lost.

The Apostolic Commission

It is a matter of no little interest that after Christ had set the example of preaching “the kingdom of God” in the village of his nativity and at Capernaum, “he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom

of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.” Luke 4:43. “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1, 2. “And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury the dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:59. “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with him.” Luke 8:1.

The kingdom of God was the one absorbing topic of his teaching. All else was secondary. It was paramount to all earthly considerations. He knew no ease. He sought no earthly honor. He hoarded no earthly treasure. His eye was ever fixed on the kingdom of God. When he called the seventy, he sent them forth to preach, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” Luke 10:11. At the Last Supper his theme was “the kingdom of God,” and at the time of his ascension it was still “the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3.

In the great gospel commission he commanded his disciples to preach this same gospel to every creature until the end of the world.

The Last-Day Proclamation

Christ’s last-day announcement is, “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. It is still “this gospel of the kingdom.” This is its last invitation. When it is preached this time in all the world, “then shall the end come.” He makes no provision for failure. He announces it as an assured success. He counts on a loyal body of believers in every nation organized into one mighty reform movement who will, in his spirit and power, accomplish this stupendous work in this generation. Unbelief cries, Impossible. Faith, grasping the Master’s words, “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out,” proclaims in trumpet tones: “The end of all things is at hand;” “look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” “This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”

As in the days of Joshua, there will be attempts to sidetrack the proclamation of this definite message by forming a league with unbelievers. The mistake of that time is our warning. A political movement will raise a false cry of establishing the kingdom of God by coercion. Federation movements will unite in this great world endeavor. Their theme will also be the kingdom of Christ. As in the days of Christ, our mission is not to condemn, but

to save. With the trumpet giving a certain sound, the message of the soon-coming kingdom of Christ, based upon the prophetic declarations and signs given from nineteen to twenty-five centuries ago, will resound throughout the world as a witness to all nations. The world will not be converted, but warned. As Christ’s first advent came in the fullness of the appointed time, so when God’s great clock of eternity marks the time for the second advent of Christ, the message will have finished its mission; and “it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

R. C. PORTER.