The Carte Blanche of Prophecy “Then Shall”
By Uriah Smith
When one would do another person an unconditional and an unlimited favor, he sometimes gives him what is called a “carte blanche,” a paper containing his signature, and sometimes sealed with his seal, to make it authoritative, leaving the receiver to fill out the obligation as may please him, and superscribe it with any conditions he may desire to fill out. And the giver considers himself bound by them all. Prophecy does to us, virtually, the same thing; that is, it spreads out before us the whole field of the prophecy, with all its promises, and often opens its formulas in regard to them thus, “Then shall,” leaving us to gather up any of the promises we may desire, and complete the declaration with that. Thus we have placed in our hands a carte blanche with reference to any of the promises, to be filled out by any which we please. Is not this a blessed privilege? Two instances come to mind: one is from the prophecy of Daniel: “And at that time shall Michael stand up;” or, “Then shall Michael stand up,” “and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.” Dan. 12: 1, 2. The other passage is a part of the discourse of our Lord in his great prophecy of the kingdom: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end4come.” Matt. 24: 14. We stand to-day with these two assurances in our hands. In the one case we attach the words, “shall Michael stand up,” and in the other, we fill out the declaration, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached,” with the words “shall the end come.” The inquiry, Are we nearing the end of this age? was never more deeply agitating the minds of the people than at the present time; and the prophecy quoted from Matt. 24: 14 is the basis of it. And the Saviour’s words, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations,” must indicate the publishing abroad to all nations of the coming of Christ, as the sign and the precursor of that event. Never were the evidences that the words of Christ were in a further stage of advanced fulfillment clearer than now. This we have statistics to show. Never was there such a world-wide work of evangelism in progress as now. Over three hundred missionary societies, more than ten thousand missionaries, and fifty thousand native helpers have spread their network over the earth. The Bible has been translated into between three hundred and four hundred languages and dialects, and publishes by its printed pages the gospel message which living tongues proclaim. A few countries like Tibet remain to be entered; but even their iron doors seem about to open; and thus the time may be very near when the work of evangelization can be finished, and to every nation the witness may have been presented of the near advent of the coming King. And even those peoples among whom no missionaries are yet located, are said to have come in contact with other missionaries and the testimony of the Scriptures, till they perceive the distinctive features of the gospel and the leading features of Christianity. Looking the broad field over, we see a portion of the church wherein apostasy and “a falling away” was to be witnessed; and we see it fulfilled. But outside the professedly Christian world, in the domestic and commercial world, and especially in the political world, where the jealousies, bickerings, and antagonisms of men come into play, it is very plain that men are not led by the Prince of peace nor by the spirit of the gospel. Through the spirit of selfishness, which everywhere prevails, men are more and more throwing off the restraints of law, and anarchy is more and more controlling the world, as it was in the days of Noah before the flood. As we look out over the earth, in a broad survey, we inquire, What feature of any sign given to point out the coming of the day of God, is lacking from the picture? These things do not reveal the day nor the hour of the coming of the Lord; but they loudly call upon all men to awake and be watchful; for great and important changes are now hanging over the world. “Ye, brethren,” Paul says, “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day. . . . Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thess. 5: 4–6.