p. 660 | THE NEXT GREAT EVENT by A. S. Booth

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 26, 1915

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

BULGARIAN ARTILLERY DRILLING FOR CONTEST Boston Photo News Company

THE NEXT GREAT EVENT

By A. S. Booth

This Is the Generation to See It — The Day or the Hour Not Known; The Sleepy Mocker and the Wide-Awake Believer — Where Will We Be When the Morning Breaks?

By A. S. BOOTH

In last week’s article on the signs given by the Lord, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, of His soon coming, we noticed four great events that were to constitute signs of His coming: the destruction of Jerusalem; the Dark Ages; the darkening of the sun, which occurred May 19, 1780; and the falling stars of November 13, 1833.

We will now consider some of the remarkable conclusions and admonitions given to those living in the last generation.

HE IS AT THE DOOR

After enumerating these signs in the heavens, the Lord said: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.” Matt. 24: 32. Luke says, “all the trees.” When all the trees put forth their leaves, there is no question but that summer is near. Then the Master makes the application: “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors.” Verse 33, margin. Just as summer follows the putting forth of the leaves of the trees, so it is certain that the next great event after the falling of the stars in the year 1833 A. D. will be the second coming of the Lord.

THE DAY AND THE HOUR NOT TOLD

Now the Lord does not reveal the day or the hour of His coming, but He emphatically reveals the generation. To the same people, on the same occasion, and in the same address in which He said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man” (verse 36), He also said, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Verse 34. Included in that expression, “all these things be fulfilled,” is the coming of the Son of man with power and great glory. Therefore the least we can possibly say relative to the generation is, The generation that saw as a sign of the Master’s coming the last great sign in the heavens, will live till the Lord comes.

As though to rebuke the lack of faith on the part of His people, the Master continues, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Verse 35. One might as well think to blot the sun out of the heavens, or to lay hold of the foundation of the earth, and rend it from its fastenings, as to move one jot or tittle of the word of God. And God’s word points out the last generation that will live on the earth. We are of that generation.

It would be natural to think that, these signs having been so clearly set forth by the Master, and fulfilled, the whole world would be stirred by the message. However, the Lord tells us how the people at large would receive these things. He says: “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered the ark, and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Verses 37-39.

God in mercy sent to the people in the time of the Flood a message that meant their salvation both physically and spiritually. They mocked the message. But their mocking did not hinder the fulfillment of the word of God. The destruction came, and the mockers were on the wrong side. In rejecting God’s word, they had rejected Him.

MOCKING WILL NOT STOP IT

Men may mock at the words of Christ relative to the last generation; but as in the days of Noah, their mocking will not alter things. The end will come just the same, and all the mockers will be found on the wrong side.

The Lord compares the last generation to the last watch of the day. The night was divided into four watches,—evening, midnight, cockcrowing, and morning. The time from the first advent to the second is divided into four watches. The close of the evening watch is marked by the first great sign—the destruction of Jerusalem; the midnight watch, the Dark Ages, closed with the darkening of the sun; the cockcrowing watch extends to the falling of the stars; and the morning watch is the watch for the breaking of the day. All depends on knowing the watch, or the last generation.

Said the Lord: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” Verses 42, 43.

MAY BE SEVEN THOUSAND TIMES MORE THAN WE THINK

We are admonished to be ready. “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Verse 44. God is especially speaking to His people who would be living in the last generation. There is a tendency to think that a long time will be required for the message to reach the world. Elijah is the type of those who will be translated without tasting death. Just before he was taken to heaven, he thought he was the only one that was loyal to the truth and to God. However, God told him, “I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.” 1 Kings 19: 18. All we can see is the surface work. The message may have accomplished seven thousand times the work that we think.

“DELAYETH HIS COMING”

The Lord is very anxious that the people know concerning the truth of the last generation. He continues: “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 24: 45-51. This counsel has especially to do with the ministry who have charge over the flock of God. Two classes are brought to view. One class will be calling attention to the words of the Master, faithfully pointing out the last days, admonishing the people to prepare to meet their God, and are pronounced faithful and blessed. The other class will oppose the message, delaying the coming of the Lord, paying no attention to the words of the Master, and are pronounced hypocrites and accursed.

WE SHOULD BE AROUSED

The twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew opens with special instruction to the church, the flock. In the parable of the ten virgins, while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Possibly you have sometime had the unsatisfactory experience of trying to talk to a person who was sleepy. God has been talking to the people. May 19, 1780, He preached the first great sermon on the coming of His Son the second time, and hung out His chart in the heavens. In the year 1833, fifty-three years later, He preached the second great message. Eighty-two years have passed, and the church is going to sleep. In the frequent earthquakes, storms, and other calamities, the Lord is seeking to arouse the people. The old world is groaning under the curse. She is giving fair warning of the time when she will break forth in her fury, and all the cities of the world will fall. In that day, God will be the refuge of His people.

LOVED HER HUSBAND, BUT WISHED HIM AWAY

The crowns of righteousness are promised to those who love the coming of the Savior. 2 Tim. 4: 7, 8. It is high time for the church to be falling in love with the message of the soon-coming Lord. Suppose a wife whose husband had gone on a long journey, should say, “I love my husband, but I hope he will not return in my day.” How long would it take her to convince her friends that she had the least degree of love for her husband? Likewise people have little confidence in the Christian who says, “I love my Master, but I hope He will not return in my day.”

May the love of Christ so fill us that our whole lives shall be bound up in the message for the time. When the morning breaks, may we be of the number who will look up, and say, “This is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: . . . we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”