Duties and Dangers of the Present Hour by Stephen N. Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 21, 1907

Duties and Dangers of the Present Hour

By Stephen N. Haskell

S. N. HASKELL

(Reading for Monday, December 16)

We have fallen upon perilous times. Satan has come down having great wrath, for his time is short. Ever since Christ died upon the cross, Satan well knows that his destiny is eternally sealed.

The lake of fire is his portion, and in it he will be brought to ashes upon the earth. This is his portion, and of all them who unite with him in his diabolical work. Eze. 28:14-17; Rev. 20:7-9; Mal. 4:2, 3.

Even among our own people many will be deceived. It is no marvel if we yet see our own ranks greatly thinned. There are many who are of Israel, that are not Israel. When Israel came out of Egypt, there came with them a mixed multitude, who had seen the evidences that God was with Israel, and for motives which were not a real love for the truth, united with the people of God. These were the original murmurers, who caused the Israelites to sin, and thus many were overthrown in the wilderness. None of these individuals entered the promised land. But there were two men who came out of Egypt who followed the Lord fully, and they entered the land of Canaan. So it will be now; but we trust there are many more than two, or even seven thousand, as in the days of Elijah—for there will be one hundred forty-four thousand; yet the numbers of the remnant will be greatly lessened, till those who are true will be developed. When the prophet saw the man who followed the sealing work with the destroying weapon, he cried out, “Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?” Eze. 9:4-8.

God has given his people great light. Every ray of light that has been shining for six thousand years has sent forth its ray of light upon the last generation. The temple of God has been opened in heaven, and there has been seen in the temple the ark of his testament. Its rays have extended to the uttermost parts of the earth. This has filled the hearts of the loyal with courage and hope. But it has enraged Satan so he has come down with great power, knowing that his time is short. His warfare is one of spite; yet nothing can be done against the truth, but for the truth. He who saw the end from the beginning not only saw every trick of the devil, every deception he will and does practise to destroy souls, but he saw a thousand other things he might do, and made provision for them all. The prophet in describing the time just before Christ’s coming, said: “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thess. 2:8-12. Such is the nature of the warfare in which we are engaged.

Every old controversy will be revived, for there is nothing new under the sun. “Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.” “That which is to be hath already been;

and God requireth that which is past.” Eccl. 1:9, 10; 3:15. Would you understand the nature of the apostasies that will take place just prior to the second coming of Christ? If so, study the apostasies recorded in the Bible. Every old apostasy from the fall of man will be acted over in the last generation. Would you know the nature of these apostasies, that you may fully know how to escape them?—The history of the people of God under similar circumstances in the past will inform us. “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor. 10:5-15.

While Satan will bring upon the field against the remnant every sign and wonder he ever wrought to destroy souls, every deception he ever practised on the human mind and body to lead men away from God, Christ will also bring upon the field, to meet this foe of heaven, every means of grace he has ever used to meet these schemes of Satan, and triumph will be upon the banner of the cross of Christ. Victory will come to every soul who unites himself with our Commander, and puts on his strength, and resists the wily foe. God’s promises to his people are abundant in this time. “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” Isa. 27:1-6.

The more fierce the struggle, the more deceptive the plans of the arch-deceiver, the greater the victory and the more glorious the triumph. God has led out a people not to perish, but to give them the victory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There is no defeat with the Lord. “For six thousand years that master mind that once was highest among the angels of God, has been wholly bent to the work of deception and ruin. And all the depths of satanic skill and subtlety acquired, all the cruelty developed during these struggles of the ages, will be brought to bear against God’s people in this final conflict.”

“In the great final conflict, Satan will employ the same policy, manifest the same spirit, and work for the same end, as in all preceding ages. That which has been will be, except that the coming struggle will be marked with a terrible intensity such as the world has never witnessed. Satan’s deception will be more subtle, his assaults more determined.” But in the midst of all this, the followers of Christ will bear to the world the warning of the second advent of our Lord. Those who leave the ranks will have their places quickly filled by others, for God will have his number made up of those who love the truth. May the Lord help every reader of these lines to be found like the small army of Gideon that “stood every man in his place round about the camp,” and crying, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” Judges 7:19-22.

It is no time now in the final conflict to sit idly by, and be neither cold nor hot. All the lukewarm will be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord. God calls for the rank and file to enter the work. Every talent is to be put out to usury. He who withholds even one talent by burying it in the earth, will be an unprofitable servant. Cities are to be entered. Books, papers, and tracts containing the truth are to fall like the leaves of autumn. The hunters and fishers will go forth weighted down with the importance of scattering rays of light in every darkened corner of the earth. “They shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.” Jer. 16:14-16; Rev. 18:1.

Angels of God will accompany every worker. Now is the time not to quench the smoking flax or break the bruised reed of any worker, but to breathe the breath of life into every soul who vindicates the truth and gives its influence to scatter the precious rays of light. It was in view of this time, David penned the following:—

“O, God, in thy going forth before thy people, in thy stepping through the wilderness, the earth hath shaken, Yea, the heavens have dropped before God. Selah. This Sinai—before God, the God of Israel. A shower of free-will gifts thou shakest out, O God. Thine inheritance, when it hath been weary, thou hast established it. Thy company have dwelt in it, Thou preparest in thy goodness for the poor, O God. The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers are a numerous host. Kings of hosts flee utterly away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportioneth spoil.”—Young’s Translation of Ps. 68:7-14.

As in the symbol of the white horse of Revelation 6, the truth goes forth conquering and to conquer. It is a battle and a march. Whoever enters this warfare must arm himself for the fight, putting on the “whole armor of God, that ye may be able to . . . withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” and for all the laborers that they may speak the truth boldly, and open doors may be set before them. Eph. 6:10-19.

Duties and Dangers of the Present Hour*

Duties and Dangers of the Present Hour