Characteristics of the Last Days.
By W. Cadman, M. A.
As the period spoken of as the last days must be viewed in its beginning as connected with the first advent of our blessed Lord, so it must be viewed in its termination as connected with his second advent; and the expression, “the last days,” is specially characteristic of the time immediately preceding the termination of the period mentioned as the last times. There has been a spirit of evil and ungodliness during the whole of this time, but it will be specially manifested and fully developed, at the close of the period thus indicated, and immediately preceding the advent of the Lord. Of the time immediately preceding his advent Peter says (2 Pet. 3:3, 4), “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” I pass on, then, to describe what the apostle gives as the characteristic feature of this period. It is plainly stated that it will be distinguished by the existence of scoffers. Such persons have existed from the time when righteous Abel was persecuted by his brother. As Ishmael mocked at Isaac, so, during the whole continuance of God’s forbearance with ungodly men, the seed of the woman has been persecuted by those that are born after the flesh. And as it was then, even so it is now; all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But you will observe, that the apostle Peter speaks of a peculiar kind of “scoffers, walking after their own lusts;” namely, those who direct their scoffing especially at the doctrine of the Lord’s second advent; not merely showing a general dislike to the truths of Revelation, and endeavouring to turn them into ridicule, but especially manifesting that dislike against those truths which speak of the Lord’s coming again. They are represented as laughing to scorn the promise of that coming, “saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” Now we learn from this, that in the last days, just before the Lord’s advent, the doctrine of his second coming will excite attention, for even scoffers know of it. How? They are not the persons generally inclined to study the Bible for themselves. That is an insipid and neglected book to them. It would therefore appear that at the period spoken of, the expectation of the Lord’s speedy coming has begun to be more vividly entertained by his waiting people, and to be more earnestly proclaimed. They have come to speak more of it, so that it is made a subject of special attention. No sooner is this the case than the scoffers come forward to ridicule it, and to laugh at it. The apostle’s language shows also that the expectation of Christ’s waiting people has been long unfulfilled. If as soon as they declared that they were waiting for the Lord’s coming, and looking upon the announcement of it as a sure portion of revealed truth, the Lord had immediately appeared, there would have been no room for the scoffers, and there would have been nothing to give occasion to their ridicule. That which gives point to their scoffs is, that the believing people of Christ have been long stating that they were expecting Christ’s speedy coming in the clouds of heaven, whilst yet he had not come. Yea, some of them, in the warmth of those feelings of desire, which have been kindled within them by looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, have allowed their wishes to go beyond what God’s Word authorized, and have antedated the period of Christ’s coming. They have expected it at a certain definite period, and that period has come, and passed away, and there has been no coming of Christ, such as they looked for. We can account for this. But ungodly men understand not these things. Hence the occasion of their bitter and sarcastic taunts and revilings at the disappointment of the waiting church, and the seeming delay of the Lord’s coming. The longer his coming is delayed, and the more earnestly his people state their expectations of it, the louder are the revilings and the taunts of those who say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” Again, the apostle’s words seem to show, that, amongst many persons living in the last days, the coming of the Lord will be a subject of special dislike. “There shall arise scoffers, walking after their own lusts.” The love of sin is the secret of many a man’s infidelity; and the love of sin is the secret of the scoffing of the last scoffers. Satan, who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, hates the doctrine concerning the Lord’s advent; because when Jesus, who has the kingdoms of this world by right, shall appear, the usurper shall be dethroned, and cast into the bottomless pit, and be allowed, except during one brief interval, to deceive the nations no more. It is not surprising, therefore, that he stirs up in the hearts of the ungodly, hatred to that truth which he himself specially dislikes. Now, when we consider that the ungodly themselves are at enmity with Christ, that they are unprepared to meet him, and yet that they must personally confront him as their present God, can we be surprised that they try to banish from their thoughts that which does but torment them before the time, and that they strive to believe that that will never be, which, if it come, is sure to prove their everlasting ruin? Further, we learn from the apostle’s remark, that the scoffing of the last days will continue, in spite of the warnings of God’s ministers and of God’s Word. It will continue until the day of the Lord comes. For, mark: long delayed as the coming has been, long expected as it has been by his waiting people, long scoffed at as it has been by the ungodly, the day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the night. Paul says, When men shall say, “Peace and safety,” when they shall have quieted their consciences on this subject, and quite satisfied themselves that there is no danger, “then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5:1–3. This, then, is the great distinctive feature of the last days,—the existence of those who not only disbelieve the doctrine of the Lord’s appearing, but who will not hear of it, who scoff at it, and ridicule it. And it would seem as if God had cast our lot in the very midst of the last days. Were we to examine other passages of scripture, it would be easy to point out various signs and tokens of the nearness of Christ’s coming, which meet and combine in our own day in a way that they have never met or combined before. What then, is the lesson which we should derive from this? Is it not, for ourselves, that we should flee from the wrath to come, and secure an interest in the great salvation of Christ? and for others, that we should, in all sincerity and earnestness, exhort and entreat all with whom we have to do, to “seek the Lord while he may be found,” and to “call upon him while he is near”? Especially should we be admonished to beware of entertaining a scoffing spirit on subjects connected with the Lord’s second advent. Scoffers will abound in the last days. Truths connected with the Lord’s advent, appearing and kingdom, are too serious to be spoken of lightly, or to be rejected thoughtlessly. I therefore beseech you, reader, even though you do not receive all that the Christian ministers may think it their duty to state concerning the premillennial advent of our Lord Jesus,—though you may not be able to agree with all these statements,—yet, do not scoff at them, do not ridicule them; examine them, rather; bring them to the test of God’s word; pray for the teaching of the Holy Ghost; seek to weigh them in the balances of the sanctuary; and let the result of your reading and hearing of such truths or statements be at least, to lead you to prepare for the coming of the day of God, be it near, or be it distant. You cannot be wrong in thus preparing for the coming of Christ; and you cannot be right if you sit down in the chair of the scoffer, and swell the torrent of obloquy and reproach cast upon such statements as these.—W. Cadman, M. A.