ARE WE NEAR THE END? by G. V. Kilgore

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 20, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 48, No. 4.

ARE WE NEAR THE END?

By G. V. Kilgore

Is the Judgment day, that day that will decide our cases for eternity, near? Several lines of “the sure word of prophecy” say, Yes, that day is even now near to come. Daniel, who so accurately pointed out the rise, fall, and divisions of the kingdoms of earth, places the time of the end in the present century. In chapter 7 he fully describes the papacy, saying it would persecute, and wear out the saints of God for a long time. In chapter 11:31–35, he speaks of the same power, and there declares that the people that do know their God shall fall by the sword, by flame, and by captivity, many days. He then notices the Reformation: “They shall be holpen with a little help.” Yet he says, “Some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end.”

Then, as soon as those persecutions were all over, the time of the end was reached. The persecutions continued until a few years prior to 1780, so that this year was certainly in what Daniel calls “the time of the end.” What a fitting time for Christ’s great sign in the sun to occur!

Christ recognized Daniel as a true prophet (Matt. 24:15), and just at the time Daniel’s time of the end was reached the sun was darkened to show that the prophet was correct, and also to fulfill the words: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened.” This tribulation is the same that Daniel speaks of, at the conclusion of which the time of the end would commence; for Christ said it was to be shortened for the sake of his people. Matt. 24:22. He also said it would be the greatest that the people of God ever would experience, and greater than any of them had suffered before. Such was the character of the persecutions which Daniel predicted to come under the reign of Papal Rome.

The history of the papal power shows plainly that both Christ and Daniel speak of the same tribulation. It was verily shortened, as Christ foretold; for papal supremacy began in A. D. 538, as Catholics themselves declare, and continued till 1798, when it was lost. But did they persecute up to 1798? No; the Reformation shortened the work of persecution, and caused it to cease about A. D. 1776. Then immediately—just as Jesus said—the sun was darkened (May 19, 1780) in such a manner that all the astronomers in the world could not account for the phenomenon! (See Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, p. 1556, edition of 1869.) And now since those persecutions have all ended, and since the signs of which Christ spoke begun to come to pass immediately after they ceased, it is very evident that we are in the time of the end, and that the last great day is near at hand.

Again, Paul forbade anybody’s looking for the second coming of Christ till the man of sin, the papacy, should be revealed, the son of perdition, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,” etc. How, then, say some that Christ’s coming is at the death of a saint? Did not saints die before the man of sin was revealed? Yes, Paul himself died before that time, but Christ’s coming did not then take place.

A great many think that the saints all gather together unto Christ as fast as they die. But Paul says that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him will not take place until the man of sin has done his blasphemous work. 2 Thess. 2:1–8. At his death this saint knew he had to wait till Christ’s appearing for his reward. 2 Tim. 4:6–8. What he meant by “our gathering together unto him” is shown in 1 Thess. 4:16, 17: “For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

It is a mistake to say that death is the coming of Christ; “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.” He is coming to wake his saints out of their sleep, not to close their eyes in death. Therefore, dear reader, do not look down to the hour of death for Christ’s appearing. Look up. The time of the end has come. The signs in the heavens have been given, and our redemption draweth nigh. We may now look for the day of Christ.

Speed on, glad day! But oh! where will the sinner hide? How will half-hearted professors feel? Oh! that all men would take warning in time, and escape the wrath of the Lamb. G. V. KILGORE.