When Will He Come? by F. M. Burg

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 12, 1906

When Will He Come?

By F. M. Burg

F. M. BURG

THERE is not another question that is of more interest to the waiting Christian at this time than the above. Brother, sister, how long have you been waiting and looking for the coming of the Lord and the day when the weary pilgrim will enter into rest? Do I hear you say that you have waited much longer than you at first thought you would have to wait for his return?

Are you weary with the many years of watching and longing for that day? I trust that you have no less confidence now, than when you first believed, in the hope of the Saviour's coming. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward; . . . for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Heb. 10:35, 37. It seems as if the Lord foresaw that some would be in danger of losing their confidence in the truth of God and his work for this time; hence he is now, as suggested by this text, sending to his people a reassuring message,—“yet a little while,” it will not be long, and “he that shall come,” who has promised to come again, “will come, and will not tarry.” “There shall be delay no longer.” Then let the child of God take courage and look up, “for our redemption draweth nigh.”

But are you bewildered as you think of the great work which remains to be done for the world before that day? “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. From this we see that there is but one answer to the question, “When will he come?” He will come when all nations have heard the good tidings of the coming King. And yet we are not to say from this that that looked-for day will be indefinitely delayed. There are limitations fixed by the Saviour himself: “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matt. 24:34. That generation is very far advanced now,—we are in its gray hairs; but “heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Verse 35. Hence we are abundantly assured that the tarrying time is short. And knowing this, what about the great work which must be done for the world in so short a time? Confronted as we are with a situation like this, it must appear to every one that if our work for the world is accomplished in the time that remains, it calls for a thorough consecration by us to this cause. The exhortation of the prophet is timely now: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left.” Isa. 54:2, 3. We must plan for a work of world-wide proportions. We must lift up our eyes and look on the fields beyond our own local conferences. The planning which we do in our home fields must be with definite reference to the world-wide work. There are teeming millions of men and women in the countries beyond the seas where only the faintest efforts have as yet been put forth in the spread of this great message. These people must be warned, and we who have the truth are to give it to them. How shall we do the work? We can not go, perhaps, to speak in person to them the words of life. But we can do something; we can have a part in the work.

Means must be supplied for the support of those who are called of God to these distant fields. Are we paying a faithful tithe? I give a quotation from the spirit of prophecy in regard to tithe paying: “There is lack of ministers because ministers have not been encouraged. Some ministers who have been sent to foreign lands, to enter fields never worked before, have been given the instruction, ‘You must sustain yourselves. We have not the means with which to support you.’ This ought not to be, and it would not be if the tithe, with gifts and offerings, was brought into the treasury.” This instruction is very plain, and should be heeded. Note, too, that gifts and offerings are mentioned as well as the tithe. In this may be involved the plan which has been

adopted and placed before our churches everywhere, of systematically giving to the cause of missions an amount equal to ten cents a week per member. If this system of giving for the work of God were adopted by our people everywhere, what a handsome sum of money would be at the command of those who are planning for the work in the far-away fields! How many of those who read this article will begin at once, if they have not as yet adopted the plan, to give in this way for the needy fields which are waiting for this message?

Will it be said of us, when the work is finished, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things”? May it be so.