The Signs and the Seasons of His Coming
By W. A. S.
THE index finger of prophecy points to the time in which we live as the last days, when the next great event in the development of the plan of salvation is the climax of all—the second coming of Christ. The great historic lines of prophecy in Daniel show it. The history of the world was outlined in the second chapter,—the fall of Babylon, and the succession of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, the division of the Roman Empire into the kingdoms of western Europe; and in the days of these kings, the God of heaven was to set up a kingdom. We are living “in the days of these kings.” In the seventh chapter, the same outline of history was shown under different symbols; and in addition, the rise and work of the papacy was predicted. For a long period of 1,260 years, it was to rule with a strong hand; and with the close of this period, the prophet saw events shaping for the end of time. Just so Jesus, in answering the questions of His disciples, represented the events of the last days as following immediately upon the ending of the long period of papal supremacy. The disciples had heard His prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem, and they came to Him with two questions. “Tell us, when shall these things be?” they said, “and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24: 3. In answering the latter question, Jesus pictured the scattering of the Jewish people among the nations (Luke 21: 24), and then foretold the persecutions to come upon Christian believers during a long period of tribulation, manifestly the time of papal supremacy and persecution of which Daniel the prophet had written. And following this, the signs of the near coming of the Lord were to begin to appear. He said: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.” Matt. 24: 29.
In the days when students of prophecy were beginning to see that the predicted period of papal supremacy was drawing to its close, with hope for the spread of increasing light and the drawing near of Christ’s glorious reign, there came the famous “dark day” of 1780, when the sun was turned to darkness over the whole of the New England States and regions adjoining. And on the night following, the moon refused to give its natural light. Unbelief easily scoffs at such signs, but at the time of their occurrence these unexplainable phenomena filled hearts with awe and solemn wondering. Again, as time passed, there came the famous shooting-star or meteoric shower of 1833, which reminded observers of the words of Holy Writ, “And the stars shall fall from heaven.” This appeared over the New World, while another similar display came to Europe and western Asia in 1860. These two displays led astronomers to predict the periodical reappearance of such star showers; but these predictions failed. Following the description of signs in the heavens, Christ foretold conditions in the earth—“upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity.” Luke 21: 25. Other prophecies tell of reasons for the distress and perplexity. The last days were to witness the arming of the nations, and the turning of plowshares into swords (Joel 3: 10) before the coming of “the day of the Lord.” We see it before our eyes. And the prophet James describes the social unrest, and the strife between labor and capital, that were to mark “the last days.” James 5: 1-7. We see developing rapidly about us exactly the conditions described. Thus signs in the heavens and in the earth too numerous even to list here, proclaim that “the last days” have indeed come. No one can tell the day or the hour of Christ’s coming. No prophecy whatsoever fixes the year. Christ’s declaration forever forbids setting the time: “Of that day and hour knoweth no man.” Matt. 24: 36. But He tells us what we may know. Referring to the signs of the last days, He says: “Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matt. 24: 32-34.
And surest or closest sign of all is the rise and progress of the great advent movement of the prophecy of Revelation 14, which is to carry the last message of preparation for the Judgment-hour to “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” just before Christ comes to reap the harvest of the earth. That movement of the prophecy has arisen, and it is declaring the message, in the very terms of Rev. 14: 6-12, on every continent. The day is at hand, and the final work of witnessing is being done. To watchful believers to-day apply the words of the apostle: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thess. 5: 1-6.