OUR PRESENT POSITION: or the Waiting, Watching Time.
By James White
Text : “Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13: 33. The present is a period of interest, especially to the close student of prophecy. History is being made rapidly. Those who attentively note the signs of the times, as manifested in the political world, and in the religious world, can hardly fail to see that we are hastening to the final consummation. The great lines of prophecy of the book of Daniel, which so very distinctly represent the entire line of earthly governments, from the time of the prophet down to the destruction of all earthly powers, have been fulfilled, excepting the final stroke of their utter destruction. The several chains of prophecy of the book of Revelation, relating to the fourth of the four great empires noticed in the book of Daniel, have also been fulfilled, link by link, excepting that portion which belongs to the period of the last message, relative to the “commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,” and the action of the two-horned beast, of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of that book. The length of time necessary to fulfill these, we may not be able to determine. But no one can prove that the time will be long. We repeat: History is making rapidly. And while those who feel that they have a personal interest in these matters of vast importance, discard the theory of definite time, they must regard it the safer and the wiser course to view the accomplishment of those remaining unfulfilled specifications of prophecy as near at hand, rather than at a distance. While it may not be possible to show how soon the remaining specifications of prophecy will be fulfilled, no one can prove that their fulfillment may not be very soon. The present is the waiting, watching time. The great prophetic times of Daniel and John have served their purpose in bringing us to this position at this time. All Scripture, given by inspiration of God, being profitable, the periods of Daniel and John have their place, and accomplish their work in God’s great plan. But they have terminated. And we have been brought by them to the waiting time, which demands patience, attention, watchfulness, and much prayer. This is clearly and briefly expressed in these words of our Lord: “Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13: 33. The signs of the end, in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, have appeared, and the prophetic descriptions of the last days are finding distinct fulfillments at the present time, in the political, scientific, and religious world. And in accordance with God’s dealing with men and nations in past ages, in ever warning them of coming judgments, before they were executed, he has sent forth the great three-fold warning relative to the last Judgment, prophetically described in the fourteenth chapter of the Revelation. The three parts of this last warning are each represented by an angel, flying in the midst of heaven, each delivering a solemn and earnest message to the inhabitants of this world. The first pertains not only to the last Judgment, but to the period of that Judgment. The second relates to the moral fall of the great city of confusion, the Babylon of all corrupted Christianity. And how natural and forcible the application. The third is a terrific warning, threatening the unmingled vengeance of Jehovah, upon all who accept a worship and a mark opposed to that of the living God. And not stopping here to explain what that worship and that mark may be, we are happy to learn that those who accept the warning, and flee from the threatened wrath, find a refuge, safe and complete, in the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ. And among the numerous signs of the times, showing the day of wrath nigh at hand, the present movement relative to the observance of the entire moral code, leading to the Sabbath reform, as existing with Seventh-day Adventists, is one of no small importance. And what gives this subject point, and great force, is the fact that the very next event following this terrific warning, and this movement relative to the commandments of God, is the gathering of the final harvest, symbolized by the Son of man, having exchanged his priestly robes and mitre for his kingly crown and royal robes, and having cast the golden censer into the earth, now holds the sharp sickle in his hand, ready to reap, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth into the wine-press of the wrath of God. Thank God, the time has not yet come for that fearful petition, symbolized by the cry of the angel to Him that shall ere long be seated on the white cloud, “Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time has come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Thank God that it is not yet too late for wrongs to be made right. Jesus is still clad in priestly garments, and offers his blood for sinners in and out of the churches. And the sweet voice of mercy is heard in the last message. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is a thirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” But the present message of fearful warning is the last. This message ripens the harvest of the earth. It is, therefore, a testing message. This is also evident from the terrific language employed: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” And while this message contains a warning to flee the rival worship of Satan, it bears upon its very front the law of the great God. It is the test for the people. And, certainly, if any revealed truth can constitute a test, or if anything can exist of the nature of a test, by which the destiny of man may be decided, it is the holy law of God. This law in every respect is a proper test. It is brief and comprehensive. It contains all that is necessary as a moral code, and is not cumbered with a single word that can be dispensed with. It is elevated in style, and grand in thought, so as to commend itself to the greatest and the best minds. And, at the same time, it is so simple, plain, and explicit, as to be understood by all who will be held accountable at the bar of God. Who will be loyal and true to the God of Heaven? is the grand question for our time. And, Who will shake off the traditions of men, and refuse the rival mark and worship of the beast? is one that will agitate and will shake the religious world, from center to circumference. It never has been the Lord’s plan to send literal angels from Heaven to preach to men. He never will warn the world by such agencies. He has chosen men to preach his gospel to their fellow-men. A vast work remains to be done, and the time is short for its accomplishment. And who will be the honored instruments in the Lord’s hand to do this work? Ministers who doubt, and who oppose, this work, will not engage in it. And men who have no love for this cause, will not use their means to spread the light by means of the living preacher, and by our publications. This will be a work of sacrifice, on the part of men who preach the truth of God, and on the part of those who have means to sustain the work, from this time on to the close of the work. Those who profess the faith are the very men, and the very women, upon whom the responsibilities of this work rests. God demands our efforts, and our sacrifices. If we are willing, and faithful, and true, ours will be a great reward. But if we refuse to do the work Providence has appointed to us, we shall be removed from the work, and others will be raised up to do it faithfully and willingly, and they will receive the reward we might have received, while we shall sustain an eternal loss. Our greatest danger, whether we be ministers or people, is the benumbing influence of this world. The minister of God’s truth, and of the people, of this time, should go forth in the dense moral darkness of our time, like a flaming fire, burning his way through, and shedding light all around him. In order for this, he must not entangle himself in the things of this life. The very hour he lets the love of money into his heart, and seeks to increase his property beyond a humble competency, that very hour he is a fallen man. One such minister, with his influence of traffic, of covetousness, of stinginess toward the poor, and of laying up treasures on the earth, will do more harm in this last work, which calls for sacrifices all along the way to its close, than two consecrated ministers can counteract. The true minister of the last message will hate covetousness, and will set an example of sacrifice. He will deal justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with his God. It has ever been God’s plan, whether in the Jewish age, or in the Christian age, that his cause should be sustained by the free-will offerings of his people. This was true in all the leading enterprises of the Jewish church, such as the building of the sanctuary, Ex. 25: 1-9; 35: 21-29, and for the temple, 1 Chron. 29: 6-9, as well as for the support of their regular services. They made especial free-will offerings for the accomplishment of enterprises, which in the providence of God were necessary, and called for special liberalities. And besides these and the regular tithing system for the support of the cause of God, which called for a tithe, or tenth, of all their increase, they made thank-offerings, trespass-offerings, peace-offerings, and others of the like. God instituted all these offerings and tithes because they were necessary for the support of his cause, and to test the sincerity and love of his people. Such were the means necessary to sustain the cause of God in the Jewish church. They were ordained by him for that purpose, when his cause was comparatively local, and to test the sincerity and love of his people. And we may safely conclude that the sacrifices of the Christian church, upon whom rests the duty to support a preached gospel, “in all the world,” with all the enterprises necessary to promote the good of society, and the cause of God generally, are by no means less than those demanded of the Jewish church. But when we come down to our times, when a world is to be warned of swiftly approaching destruction, when a vast work is to be accomplished in a very short period, the circumstances of our time demand sacrifices such as have not been required of the people of God at any former period. The day of wrath is before us with all its wasting and desolation. And we have our choice, to use what is in our hands above a humble competency in the glorious cause of saving souls, and thereby lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven, or covetously withhold it, to be destroyed before our eyes, and we perish with it. God is wonderfully prospering the means now employed for the advancement of his cause. This should encourage all the true friends of the cause, and should lead them to activity, and a spirit of sacrifice. Our publishing interests, which are the right arm of our strength, are prospering far beyond our expectations. The writers of our books, pamphlets, and tracts, have not aimed at the popular style. Our works are not wordy, wishy-washy productions. But, thank God, they have been written in plain, simple style; and for clearness, and richness of thought, to say nothing of correctness in Bible doctrine, they are not second to the publications issued from any religious press in our country. These must be judiciously circulated everywhere. And drawing largely from what has been written and published in English, numerous works must be prepared, and90printed in several other languages, for the people of other tongues in our own land, and in other lands. The whitening fields are before us. Good God, give the reapers, whether they be ministers, or those stewards with whom thou hast intrusted means to forward this last work of gathering in precious souls, a spirit of sacrifice, and a heart to work. “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord [margin] negligently.” Jer. 48: 10. And doubly cursed is he who will dare do it stingily, and covetously. The time has come to lay our plans of operation on a broader scale. God is giving us the ears and the hearts of the people. Our camp-meetings, and tent-meetings, and public lectures generally, are commanding the respect and attention of the people far beyond our expectations. And the people want to read our books. The Spirit of God is moving upon the people. And will the people of God arise, and act the part, and cheerfully bear the responsibilities, which the Lord has laid upon them? Will we keep pace with the opening providence of God, and share his presence, and see his prospering hand at work with us? God help, that we may.