A CONDITION FORETOLD

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 11, 1905

A CONDITION FORETOLD.

Many things have been foretold in the Scriptures for the purpose of enabling men to identify the last days of this world. When the disciples asked Christ for a sign which would identify the last days, He gave them many, and among them was this one: “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt. 24 : 12. Some have limited this to Christian love in the church, and love for God and His worship. It means more than that. It includes natural affection, which Paul declares (2 Tim. 3 : 3) shall be lacking in the last days, and whose lack would be one of the signs of the last days.

The rapid increase in the number of divorces is an unmistakable evidence that this scripture is fulfilling before our eyes. One of our New York exchanges contains the following which is very pertinent in this connection: “All records were broken in the divorce division of the Supreme Court, this city, one day last week, when one hundred and nineteen undefended cases confronted the presiding judge. The highest number on the calendar previously was eighty-six. A decline of religion indicated by the disintegration of one hundred and nineteen families means something, if we but think of it.”

The fact that these were undefended cases shows that the desire for separation was, to a greater or less extent, mutual with the parties to the divorce proceeding. If guilt was charged as a reason for the separation and the defendant did not choose to defend the case, the inference is that the defendant was guilty. In most of the other cases each of the other parties must have been desirous of having the marriage tie sundered. But these facts are simply an indication of the condition of the world to-day. It is the condition that makes the facts possible; and this is the condition which the Saviour declared to His disciples would be one of the signs of the last days and of His soon coming. How literally are the words of the Saviour being fulfilled! Love, natural affection, is waxing colder and colder; the ties which have bound families together are becoming more and more slender; the other signs which the Saviour gave have either been fulfilled or are fulfilling; everything is focusing to the climax of the world’s history. At the same time it is the purpose of the enemy to blind the eyes of the whole world, lest they should see what is coming and flee from the destruction which is hastening on. It is possible, however, to escape the deception; for the Saviour says, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24 : 13.