Predicted Warnings—the Agency by which they Are Fulfilled.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
We have numerous examples in the prophecies of messages or warnings to be given to the people, at times many years after the prophecies are given. Some of them are given in the form of a command, as though the prophet called upon the people to fulfill them by giving the timely warning and announcing to the people their fulfillment. These may be called prophetic commandments; and they are always sure to be fulfilled in their seasons. We quote a few examples: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem.” Zech. 9: 9. “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” Isa. 8: 16. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain.” Joel 2: 1. These, though written by the prophets in the imperative mood are simply predictions that such things should be done at times far in the future from the time in which they were written. The first had its fulfillment when Christ rode into Jerusalem.—Matt. 21: 4–9; Mark 11: 1–10; Luke 19: 30–40; John 12: 12–16. The second has its fulfillment just before the second advent, while the nations are girding for war and preparing themselves to be broken in pieces, while the people of God are looking for the return of their Lord, and while the familiar spirits are leading unbelievers to seek to the dead, and preparing the way to gather the nations to the battle of the great day. Isa. 8: 9–19; Rev. 16: 14. The third has its fulfillment when the day of the Lord is “nigh at hand.” Joel 2: 1. When the events described in these prophecies become due, the fulfillment infallibly appears. If God proclaims to the nations, “Prepare war,” it is because he has foreseen that they would do so. Joel 3: 9. But on the other hand when a foretold message of truth is to be given by the people of God, the same Spirit which moved the ancient prophets to predict it, will inspire the chosen individual or people at the proper time to fulfill it. The same Spirit which called upon the people to rejoice greatly and shout, when Christ should enter Jerusalem in the manner described, put the shouting, the joyful hosannas, into the hearts and lips of people. It is possible that some shouted intelligently, while others shouted only because they felt as though they could not forbear. Even the chosen disciples did not fully comprehend what they were doing till the outpouring of the Holy Spirit when Jesus came to be glorified at the right hand of God in Heaven brought it to their remembrance. John 12: 16, and 13: 26; Acts 2: 33. Again, when a special work is to be done by the proclamation of a special message, before predicted in prophecy, to prepare the people for some great event, the same Spirit which moved the prophet to predict it inspires the chosen servants who are to fulfill it; the Spirit gives them to understand their mission, and they infallibly fulfill it by the spirit of prophecy. John the Baptist is an example. Isaiah had described his work by the Spirit of God, seven hundred years beforehand, as “the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” &c. The same Spirit gave John to understand his mission and guided him in the fulfillment. He had the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy. It was the same Spirit which guided the ancient prophets. Rev. 19: 10; 22: 9. Without this he could not have performed his work. And although he “did no miracle” (John 10: 41), and wrote no book of prophecies, as we have learned, yet Jesus declared that no greater prophet had risen than John the Baptist. Luke 7: 28. His message was from Heaven, and not of men. Those who heard and obeyed his teaching, “justified God” in so doing; but those who rejected his mission, “rejected the counsel of God against themselves.” His message being from Heaven, it was accompanied by the authority of Heaven. It was of no use to say to him, I am a child of Abraham; I have been a professor of religion a long time, and have had a great experience in the things of God. His reply to such was, “The ax is laid unto the root of the trees.” “Bring forth fruits” answerable to amendment of life. And how foolish it would have been for any one to come to him, saying, “I believe you are right in most things, at least nearer right than any religious sect, but I disagree with you in some things; for instance, I think you are wrong in your mode of baptism,” &c. To correct the message from Heaven would be to reject it. As there was a prophetic message, the fulfillment of which was to prepare a people for the first advent of Christ, so there is a last message, laid down in prophecy, the fulfillment of which is to prepare a people for the most thrilling events—the close of probation and the second advent. Rev. 14: 9–12. If the time has come for its fulfillment, as we most assuredly believe that it has, then the message is being proclaimed in the world; and not only so, it is a Heaven-sent message. And as it was necessary for John to be directed in his work by the same Spirit that inspired Isaiah and Malachi to predict his mission, reason would say that it would be equally necessary, if no more, that this most transcendently solemn and important message should be specially guided, in its fulfillment, by the same Spirit which showed it in vision to the beloved disciple eighteen hundred years ago. Moreover we have the express prediction concerning the remnant of the church—the people who, in the language of the message, “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,”—that they “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” which testimony is defined by inspiration to be “the spirit of prophecy.” Now if God has sent this message into the world, it comes by the authority of the Holy Spirit. Why embrace it in part? If it has not been sent by the Spirit of God, why not leave us alone as a set of deluded fanatics? There is but one reasonable course to pursue: To receive it as it is, or to reject it wholly. To receive it in part is virtually to reject it as a message from Heaven. And yet men think of receiving it, all but that part which puts the seal of Heaven upon it. If they could separate from it the work of the Spirit of God, they would receive it! When I received this message, I received it as from Heaven, and not of men. I had no other intention than to bow in submission to the authority of the Spirit by which it was sent. Twenty years have not weakened my confidence. I have witnessed several attempts to carry forward this message without the propelling power of the Spirit of God; and the experiment has proved disastrous to those who have tried it; they have made shipwreck of faith and gone into the ranks of the enemies. What then shall we do? Receive the message as it is, as a message from Heaven. Carry out in practice the teachings of that Spirit which accompanies the message. Engage in every work of reform which God has introduced among us, and heed the solemn admonitions to consecrate ourselves entirely to the will and work of God. Boldly embark by faith all on board. Do not stand with one foot on the shore, lest you find yourself neither on board nor on the shore, but in the water. It is time that all were heeding the teachings of the Spirit in all things, who would go through to the end. Many will fall; but those who fully heed the testimonies in all things will be kept in the fearful hour of temptation and delivered out of the time of trouble.