Our Lord’s Prediction by J. S. Kilgore

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 29, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 29.

Our Lord’s Prediction

By J. S. Kilgore

By J. S. Kilgore

(Read Matthew 24)

His disciples ask the threefold question: “When shall these things be [that is, concerning Jerusalem]? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

In answering this question, our Lord employs the entire chapter except verses 15 to 21, in which He answers their question regarding “these things,” or the destruction of the temple. However, the events predicted in the twenty-first verse also extend into the long reign of papal domination, and connect with the remainder of the chapter.

After giving a clear outline of events to occur between His time and the end of the world, He makes announcement of three great signs to be displayed in the heavens, which when fulfilled will mark the generation that will witness His second visible return to the earth. In the 29th and 30th verses He says:

“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, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Then after trying to impress the solemnity of the event upon the generation which should be living to know of these signs, He marks such generation as the generation which should also witness the shaking of the powers of the heavens and His oncoming sign in the heavenly clouds: “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

Now we know that He does not refer to the generation to whom He was talking, from what He said in verses six to eight. For He there said that there would be wars and rumors of wars, and that nation would rise against nation, and many other things would develop which would require centuries to fulfil. Then He continues, “These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Therefore the only conclusion we can arrive at is that when He said “this generation” He referred to the generation which should be living to witness the fulfilment of the last one of His signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and that would see them all as signs in the light of fulfilled prophecy.

As to these great signs, they are already subjects of history. The supernatural darkening of the sun occurred May 19, 1780. Astronomers speak of it, but they are not able to furnish any satisfactory explanation, which should make it to us all the more suggestive. The night of May 19, 1780, was equally as unnatural as the day had been, for the moon was at its full.

Mr. Tenney, quoted in the “Historical Society,” says of it: “The darkness of the following evening was probably as gross as has ever been observed since the Almighty fiat gave birth to light. . . . A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes, was equally as invisible as the blackest velvet.”

Dr. Adams says, “The darkness was as uncommon in the night as it was in the day, as the moon had fulled the day before.” This statement, respecting the phase of the moon, proves the impossibility of an eclipse of the sun at the time.

The Falling Stars

As to the last sign, the falling stars, you will observe that this could not have occurred in connection with the darkening of the moon; for then would the sky have been lighted up by the shooting stars. No; the great star shower occurred November 13, 1833. Many have also written concerning this. The following account of it may be found in a work entitled “Our First Century,” page 329:

“Extensive and magnificent showers of shooting stars have been known to occur at various places in modern times; but the most universal and wonderful which has ever been recorded, is that of the 13th of November, 1833, the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion. No celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country since its first settlement, which was viewed with such intense admiration by one class in the community, or with so much dread and alarm by another. During the three hours of its continuance the day of judgment was believed to be only waiting for sunrise.”

This wonderful prophecy was proclaimed 1800 years in advance of the “time” set for its fulfilment. And when is that time? In the twenty-ninth verse He said that these signs would immediately follow the great tribulation. Students of history know that the great tribulation, commencing after Christ’s sayings, extended through the Dark Ages, and that it was checked by the Reformation a short time prior to the overthrow of papal supremacy in 1798.

Luther commenced his work in the sixteenth century, and by 1776 the persecutions had almost ceased. In 1798 the papal supremacy was superseded. In that year the French armies under Berthier entered Rome and took Pope Pius VI prisoner, and kept him a prisoner until his death on August 29, 1799. Therefore, the days of papal supremacy ended in 1798, but the tribulation ceased earlier; hence Christ, in marking the time for these signs to begin, said they would appear immediately after the tribulation of those days. Mark’s record of Christ’s words makes this plain. He says (13:24), “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.”

In view of these plain, definite, and unmistakable evidences, together with many other prophecies of like character, the wonder is how the world can be asleep concerning the imminence of the second coming of Christ. The only reason that I can assign for this condition, is that the great majority of Christendom is relying on knowledge obtained from men, instead of knowledge obtained from God; and instead of seeking God and His word for light, they seek to men and men’s word.

But this very condition, too, is a sign of the end. Of those who would turn men from the dangers against which God’s word warns them, and predict a time of peace and progress, it is said: “When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, . . . and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5: 3.