FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS.
Our Lord, in mapping out the course of the Church from the time He was on earth to the end, especially noting the main features of the days just before His coming, says: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:24–27. In reference to the coming of the Son of man this deception and falsehood occurs. As this is set forth as one of the prominent signs of the times, our eyes should be open to it, and watching every development in this direction. The Lord tells us what not to believe, and what not to do. “Believe it not;” and “go not forth.” Why?—Because there is one infallible sign by which the true view of the coming of the Lord may be tested: As the lightnings flash across the heavens from the east to the west, so apparent and visible will the coming of the Son of man be. Verse 27. There can be no mistake about it. All the tribes of the earth, sunk in last-day delusions, will wail because of Him (Matt. 24:30); the scene of Rev. 6:14–17 will occur, and from the greatest men of the earth a universal prayer will go up to the rocks and mountains, beseeching them, with their supposed opaque and impenetrable masses, to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? In view of such testimony (which is a “Thus saith the Lord”), it is astonishing that men will suffer themselves to be led away by any view which cuts squarely across this testimony, and be sidetracked by any of the self-evident delusions springing up on this subject. There will be preternatural power connected with this work. It is described as “great signs and wonders,” by which, if possible, the very elect would be deceived. Paul describes it as the “working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” In the sight of heaven, the greatest miracle is the conversion of a soul. So the exercise of the power of evil to turn away a soul from the truth, is a sign and wonder. Thus says the Lord concerning the prophet that gives a sign or a wonder, and the “sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut. 13:1–3. Here, though the words of the pseudo-prophet come to pass, and his predictions are fulfilled, we are to pay no heed to them if the tendency of the teaching is to lead away from the truth, and deceive the people. And this will be one of the special perils of these last days. This means will be largely employed, and by means of this it doubtless is that the very elect will be deceived, or would be, if possible. The world for many years has been full of these impostors. We have had “Elijahs,” and “flying rolls,” and “winnowers” to separate the chaff from the wheat, and “shepherds” to separate the sheep from the goats, etc., etc. The most prominent character of this kind now before the public is the famous John Alexander Dowie, who boldly proclaims himself to be Elijah the prophet. Then there is another person in Allegheny, Pa.; another in New York City; another in Shiloh, Me., etc. Now another appears in Oklahoma Territory who claims to be the “steward” that is to give the household meat in due season in the last days. The basis of his position is that at the close of fifty years from the end of the twenty-three hundred days in 1844,—namely, in the autumn of 1894,—Christ’s work in the sanctuary closed, and probation ended; and the household of faith are now sealed, and shut in the ark of safety, as Noah was shut in a short period before the flood actually came. This contradicts Rev. 10:7, or the accepted view of that passage, which is that at the conclusion of the twenty-three hundred days, in 1844, there would be no more prophetic time,—“there should be time no longer,”—not that there would be no more time to be regarded in a prophetic sense; for the opening words of verse 7 are to be so regarded; but that there would be after that no other definite prophetic period, as there would be if we are to reckon a definite period of fifty years from 1844. We do not know of any reason, beyond a mere fanciful idea, for reckoning a period of fifty years from 1844, or any other date. It is a dangerous doctrine, so widely nowadays entertained, that probation remains, and hope of salvation may be entertained by the wicked after the second coming of Christ. It is equally dangerous to set apart a period before Christ comes, while we are in danger of falling, and shield ourselves under the conclusion that our cases are decided for heaven, and we are destined under any condition to be saved. But this brother is very confident in regard to his position. He says: “You will not have to wait long till you will know who the steward is. If there is any one that holds a higher commission than I do, I am ready to resign the stewardship.” And he hopes all will be done on time, “as it was in the days of Noah,” when the ark was made ready in time for the flood. And just now comes in another special attempt, called the “Loud Cry.” This seems to be the object and aim of all these movements: people get an idea that some special movement is pointed out in prophecy, and under a spirit of self-inflation and presumption, think they can jump right in and have notoriety and the glory of being the agent in the fulfillment of the same. Beware of all such people. The result is deception to all who receive them.