WHAT TIME IS IT? by E. E. A.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 7, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 48.

WHAT TIME IS IT?

By E. E. A.

The Day Is Approaching—It Will Be a Glorious Time—Every Heart Should Thrill with the Prospect

“AND that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13:11, 12.

A SHIPWRECK EXPERIENCE

The reader will recall the experience of the great apostle Paul on his journey to Rome, and the story of his shipwreck. For thirteen long, weary days and nights, neither sun nor stars appeared. The boat was tossed with the tempest, the sea being lashed into fury by the gale. About midnight on the fourteenth night, the shipmen “deemed that they drew near to some country.” They “sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.” Then, fearing lest they should be driven upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the ship’s stern, and “wished for the day.”

LONGING FOR REENFORCEMENTS

Think what an anxious night that must have been. Oh, how ardently did the two hundred and seventy-six souls aboard that great Alexandrian corn ship long for the morning! It seemed to them long ere the breaking of the day, and their anxious souls inquired: “When will the morning dawn? What time is it?”

You have read of the battle of Waterloo, and will recall the fact that the duke of Wellington fought the battle on the understanding that the Prussians would come up on his left and help him against the French. But the way was long, and the road was rough. The day was far spent ere the recruits appeared in sight. Hour after hour the battle raged, while one gallant man after another was slain or carried away wounded. How often, that afternoon, did the loyal soldiers of Great Britain look across the way to the left to see if help was coming! How often the sun and the shadows must have been observed! How often the general’s eye must have turned longingly to the left! How often must he have consulted his watch, while the anxious inquiry was made, “What time is it?”

LOOKING FOR THE DOCTOR

Some of you have passed through the sad experience of watching by the bedside of a loved one stricken with disease. You have seen him hovering between life and death, and have passed weeks of painful suspense. With a heart breaking with sorrow, you have watched the ebbing of the life current. You have sat by and watched the struggle with the cruel disease, and have felt the miserable helplessness of not being able to do anything but look on. You have longed for some power to arrest the approach of death, to dispel the last enemy, to save the sick; and you asked, “When will the physician come again?” The clocks and the watches seemed to stand still, and the sun appeared to have forgotten to rise. Again and again you asked: “Will the morning never come? What time is it?”

ETERNAL DESTINIES SOON SEALED

Nearly sixty centuries have passed since the dark shades of the night of sin and suffering and woe settled down upon this old world. Reader, you and I are in a world that is rapidly rolling on toward the hour when the decisions of the great day of God will determine the destiny of all men; when the judgment written will be executed; when, before the King, seated upon the throne of His glory, “shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt. 25:31-34, 41.

An issue far greater than of shipwreck, battle, or disease is before us. Surely we have occasion to think seriously of that day. Is it possible that it is near at hand, and that we may live to see it? Are we ready for it? Is it near, or is it far off? What time is it?

NIGHT NEARLY GONE

Consider once more the words of inspiration: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13:12. This is certainly a very definite message, summoning us to immediate preparedness for the great day of God.

There are in this scripture four points that appeal to me as being worthy of special consideration.

We have the present condition of the world. It is night.
We have the condition yet to come. It will be day.
We have the particular time in which we live. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
We have the duty of all believers who know the time. They ought to cast off the works of darkness, and to put on the armor of light.

First let us briefly consider the present condition of the world. It will not be a difficult matter now to convince the thoughtful that this is night. Ever since sin entered the garden of the Lord, and its dark shadows settled down over the earth, this world has been passing through its night. The prophetic Word is “a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn.” 2 Peter 1:19. The work of the Saviour was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” Matt. 4:16.

THE DAYSPRING HAS VISITED US

While God’s goodness and mercy and love toward the children of men is everywhere apparent; while there is much that is beautiful, and for which we should be profoundly thankful,—we are never to forget that all these blessings which we now enjoy are given by a loving Father, to help “to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:77-79. God “left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17. God’s goodness is manifested in the night as well as in the day. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” Ps. 19:1, 2. How thankful we should be that the darkness cannot hide God’s goodness!

THESE DARK SHADOWS MUST PASS

Think of the deep shadows that are now cast over nearly all the world by the terrible war which has been in progress more than a year. Think of the millions of newly made widows, of fathers and mothers whose sons have been slaughtered, of the great army of children whose fathers and elder brothers will gladden their home no more. Think of Belgium, of Poland, of Galicia, of Servia, of Armenia, and then say if this is not night.

“For twelve months now,” says the August, 1915, number of Current Opinion, “the most civilized nations of the earth have been devoting their greatest energies to the destruction of each other’s lives and property. There are no very clear signs that the war is nearer an end to-day than it was two months after it began. On the contrary, it is being waged with greater resources and on a larger scale than ever, and the sodden misery that it spreads is deeper than ever, though it is becoming a little less articulate as it becomes more despairing. The deadlock in France remains unbroken, and the results in Poland and Galicia do not point to any finality. Probably eight million casualties have been incurred, and fifteen billion of dollars worth of property destroyed.”

Truly this is nighttime. Sin, for the time being, prevails on every side. “In the world,” said Jesus, “ye shall have tribulation.” The world is in rebellion against its rightful King.

“Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend of grace, To help me on to God?”

THE MEN WHO CAN SEE IT

“The time present is night,” said Bishop Ryle. “An unconverted man may not perceive it. A graceless man may not comprehend it. The blind eye sees no difference between noon and midnight. The deaf ear makes no distinction between discord and sweet music. The mortified limb has no feeling either of heat or cold.” But to the true believer, sin is grievous. He longs for the shades of night to pass away, for the morning to dawn; and he inquires: “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” The response from the faithful watchman may be heard clear and distinct: “THE MORNING COMETH.”

WHAT WILL THE DAY BE?

If this is nighttime, what will the day be? If it were not for sin, this would be day. Because of sin, we have sickness, sorrow, pain, and death. A mighty change awaits the world, a change so great that it will be like turning night into day. The darkness of this present evil world is not always to continue. Some day the Sun of Righteousness shall arise upon it, with healing in His wings, the dark shadows will pass away, and the eternal day will break. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth, even as He has promised, in power and great glory. The voice of the Archangel and the trump of God shall awake the sleeping saints, and with glorified bodies they shall come forth, refreshed and strengthened, and far more beautiful than when they lay down; the living righteous shall be changed from mortality to immortality; and all shall be caught up to meet their Lord. Their toils and hardships, their persecutions and sufferings, their sickness, sorrow, and death, will be at an end. Matt. 24:29-31; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17; 1 Cor. 15:42-57. Surely that will be day.

A VISION OF THE NEW CREATION

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.”

Then follows a beautiful description of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, with its walls of jasper, garnished with all manner of precious stones, its gates of pearl, and its streets of gold. “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever.”

“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev. 21:1-7; 22:1-5, 14.

Oh, this will be day, ineffably, transcendently, eternally glorious! And fervently we pray, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” and bring the long-looked-for day. E. E. A.