In the prophecies and the history of the Bible we find a large amount of most interesting and instructive information regarding a great movement in the world which is called “the work of the Lord.” That movement, we learn, is the development, the working out, of God’s “eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph. 3:11. It began in Eden with the announcement of the conflict between the seed and the serpent, giving assurance of the triumph of the seed, in that it should crush the serpent’s head. Gen. 3:15.
The work of the Lord originated wholly with the Lord himself, and it is in his own hands, under his supreme control. He began it, and he maintains it. He gives it life, and power, and victory. No combination of the forces of evil can turn it aside or bring it to naught, for God “doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” Dan. 4:35.
The Lord makes use of such agencies and facilities as he sees fit for carrying forward his work. He has made his angels ministers of salvation. He has sent his Holy Spirit to be his representative in this great movement. He has called his church to his work. And at any and all times when it pleases him he presses into his service men of authority, learning, power, and wealth. He lays hold of nations, with all their facilities and achievements, for the accomplishment of his purpose.
The deliverance of Israel from Egypt and their establishment in the land of promise forms a great chapter in the Lord’s work in the earth. Through Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and his people the Lord wrought wonders. Of these the psalmist says: “We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by7their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them.” Ps. 44: 1-3.
The overthrow of Jerusalem and the seventy years’ captivity of Israel in Babylon, the return of the people to their own land, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the house of God, are plainly stated to be the work of the Lord.
When the Son of God was here among men, preaching the gospel to sinners, healing the sick, and training his disciples for the work he was to leave with them to carry on, he said: “I must work the works of him that sent me.” John 9: 4. “The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” John 5: 36. “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John 4: 34. And at the close of his ministry, in his last prayer before his betrayal, he said to his Father: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” John 17: 4.
WORKERS AT A GENERAL MEETING, SOONAN, KOREA
After the Saviour’s ascension his disciples reconsecrated their lives to the work he left for them to do. As they bore witness to the truth regarding their crucified and risen Lord, the people who heard them, said: “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2: 11.
From these statements of the Scriptures it is plain that the Lord has a living, triumphant movement going on here among men which is most appropriately called “the work of the Lord.” He conceived it, decreed it, and launched it. He has controlled and he has directed it, “after the counsel of his own will.”
From the beginning of this work, the Lord has called those who have accepted his proffered blessings to become laborers together with him. Among those who took part in it at the beginning were Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Then came Samuel, David, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Later were John the Baptist and the apostles and their coworkers. Still later the Lord raised up Wyclif, Luther, Knox, Wesley, and Miller. And his work is still going on, accomplishing his purpose. Today he has a loyal people who are longing, praying, giving, and working for its consummation.
Finishing the Work
But this work which the Lord has, in mercy, compassion, and forbearance, carried on so long, cannot continue forever. The Lord tells us that he will finish the work; that there will be a harvest, a day of final reckoning and of reward.
The time for the finishing of this work and the way it will be done are clearly revealed in the Word of God. The tenth chapter of Revelation presents one of the most impressive representations to be found in the Bible. Said John:—
“I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and . . . lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever and ever . . . that there should be time no longer. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” Rev. 10: 1-7.
To finish the mystery of God must be to bring to an end the work of proclaiming the gospel to the world. This is to be done “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.” This “seventh angel” is the last one of those seven trumpet angels of Revelation 8. “I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. . . . And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” Rev. 8: 2-6.
When the first four angels had sounded, John “beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Verse 13.
In view of this statement the last three trumpets are called woe trumpets. The fifth and sixth trumpets, or first and second woe trumpets, are fully explained in the ninth chapter. According to the explanation given, we understand that the sixth angel, or second woe trumpet, finished sounding in 1840 when Turkey surrendered her independence as a world power to the four powers of Europe.
The ninth chapter closes with the sixth trumpet explained. And here, before the seventh trumpet is taken up, this great scene of the tenth chapter is brought in and the solemn announcement is made that during the sounding of the next, or seventh, angel the gospel work would be brought to a close. This surely places the finishing of the gospel in a most important place among the events to take place under the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The apostle then proceeds to unfold these events. He says:—
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” Rev. 11: 15.
This trumpet brings us to the end. During the sounding of the seventh angel the affairs of this world are brought to a close. Earthly kingdoms perish, and Christ becomes King of kings and Lord of lords. Before taking his kingdom he closes his ministry as our great High Priest in heaven, and this closes his work on earth. Thus the mystery of God is to be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.
The seventh angel was quickly to follow the sixth angel, who ceased to sound in 1840. One of the events to take place under the sounding of the seventh trumpet marks the exact time when it was to begin to sound. It is this: “The time of the dead, that they should be judged.” Rev. 11: 18. The time to judge the dead began in 1844 at the close of the 2,300 years of Dan. 8: 14. This was but four years after the sixth trumpet ceased sounding. Then Christ was to begin the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the final work of atonement. This, we know, marked the time for the judgment-hour to begin, and that is when the seventh angel should begin to sound.
Beginning, therefore, in 1844, the seventh angel is to continue to sound until Christ makes this world his kingdom, and rewards every man according to his works. That extends to the opening of eternity.
But it is when the seventh angel “shall begin to sound,” during the first part of its period of sounding, that the gospel work is to be finished. And in full harmony with every detail of these prophecies there began in 1844 a world-wide proclamation in these words: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14: 7.
This announcement is a part of that great threefold world-wide message of Rev. 14: 6-16. That message was due in 1844, at the close of the 2,300 years of Dan. 8: 14, when the sanctuary was to be cleansed, and the seventh trumpet was to begin to sound. The message came when it was due.
Thus we have the time for finishing the work of the gospel, and the way of doing it, brought together in perfect harmony. The time is from 1844 onward, and the way is the proclamation of the threefold message to all the nations of the world.
The time for finishing the work is limited. It is confined to a single generation. That generation has now nearly passed away. The end cannot be far off. While great progress has been made in the finishing of the work, much still remains to be done. The supreme question of every believer in the message should be: What can I do to hasten the finishing of the work and bring the end? O that every believer might take this seriously to heart!
Brethren and sisters, are you anxious to have the work close? Do you long to see the end of the reign of sin, and sorrow, and suffering? Do your hearts yearn for the full consummation of that glorious purpose the Lord has so long been working out? Thank God, we are almost there. After six thousand years the last generation has come; the time for finishing the work is here, and the message to do it is being proclaimed in all the world. The generation has nearly passed. The unfinished part of the work is all that stands between us here in this world of sin and that crystal sea around the throne of God.
Jesus said: “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Mark 4: 29. That is precisely what the Saviour is to do just as soon as the third angel’s message has done its appointed work. That message is to bring forth the fruit. The fruit is that company who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14: 12. The message is now gathering that fruit in every land. But the work must be hastened. What can we do by personal consecration, prayer, toil, or sacrifice to quickly bring forth the fruit?
Here is an answer to this burning question, given by the spirit of prophecy:—
“As you receive the Spirit of Christ,—the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others,—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely. . . .
“When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of himself in his church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people, then he will come to claim them as his own.
“It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess his name bearing fruit to his glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”—“Christ’s Object Lessons,” pages 68, 69.
As surely as the Lord has spoken to his people, this is the way we must proceed to hasten this work of God to its close. Mark this instruction:—
“It is the privilege of every Christian . . . to hasten the coming of the Saviour.”
“When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people, then he will come to claim them as his own.”
“Were all who profess his name bearing fruit to his glory, . . . how quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”
“As you receive the Spirit of Christ, . . . you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made more perfect.”
Here are four important statements. The last specification quoted is the foundation for all the rest: “Receive the Spirit of Christ.” This will reproduce his character in our lives. Then we shall bring forth fruit. And then, yes, then, Christ will come to reap the harvest.
O, let us pray, then, for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And as we pray, let us open our hearts for the full measure of his indwelling presence. Let us cry to the Lord to cast out every idol, that he through his Spirit may have the whole heart.
Brethren, this counsel through the spirit of prophecy is the way, and there is no other. If we refuse that way, or even fail to press into it, what can we do to hasten the work to its close? That way is a delightful, heart-comforting way. Who will place himself now and forevermore in this consecrated way?
