Prodigal Expenditures by T

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 6, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 18.

Prodigal Expenditures

By T

Photo by Paul Thompson
CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND GOVERNORS — Photo by Paul Thompson CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND GOVERNORS

Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.

In one of the big divorce cases that a millionaire of the country has on his hands, the gentleman demanded through the court to know how the wife with whom he was in litigation was spending the $100,000 a year alimony that he was paying her. She filed the following items:

Three trips to Europe . . . $23,000 Apartments at the St. Regis at $25 a day . . . 12,000 Motors and chauffeurs . . . 10,000 Clothing . . . 20,000 Entertainment and restaurant bills . . . 10,000 Physicians and masseurs . . . 2,300 Woman companion . . . 8,000 Dentist . . . 1,200 Miscellaneous, insurance on jewelry . . . 4,500

There is nothing particularly remarkable in regard to these items, for the reason that we have such cases of extravagance before us all the time. The prodigal expenditures of the very wealthy are given in instance after instance through the columns of the press. Almost every day gives some news of this character. And because these things are so common, they would be considered hardly worthy of remark were it not for the keen desire of the newspaper men to have the very latest “news and gossip” from “society.”

But while it may be considered that these cases are not worthy of very much notice, yet are they exceedingly significant. The prodigality of the very wealthy is one of the leading characteristics of this time. A few families have acquired a monopoly of the sources of wealth, and they are educating themselves to forms of luxury that are ominous. Habits of extravagance are hard to break, and they degenerate and degrade to the very limit, for the reason that drunkenness and every vice that appeals to the fleshly nature are fondly hugged to the bosom of the debauchee who needs never a care for the amounts he spends.

When Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Phenicia, Carthage, lost their power, and finally were overthrown, it was almost wholly due to the fact that the wealth of those nations was centered in the hands of a few powerful families, and these families gave themselves up to the vices of luxury, and so were easily broken to pieces. Not merely this country, but the leading nations of this world, are all traveling in the same course that caused the downfall of the great nations of ancient and medieval times. When those nations fell, they had become an easy prey to the “barbarian” forces that came upon them from other parts of the world. They had become all broken up and weakened by their internal dissensions and revolutions.

In all the time of the past, there have been outlying districts of the world where sturdy peoples were battling with the forces of nature for a livelihood, and amid their sturdy surroundings they developed a strong manhood. And while the luxurious nation was deriding them as “barbarian,” they were nevertheless more upright than their haughty despisers. Through this succession of nations, civilizations have been preserved, and justice has been to quite a degree maintained. But where is the strong nation growing up at this time that is to overthrow the debaucheries of luxury, and the injustice, and to put down the revolution that is smoldering like an angry volcano in each and every country of this entire globe? We look the earth over, and we do not see the place from which it can come, for all the world is alike afflicted with the disease of degeneration and decay. But such a nation is to come, and there can be no question about it. It was announced some two thousand and five hundred years ago in these assuring and unequivocal words:

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Dan. 2:44, 45.

Those who are familiar with the second chapter of Daniel’s prophecy, from which the foregoing text is taken, are well aware of the fact that he announced that there would be three other universal monarchies to follow the monarchy of Babylon. The last of these monarchies was to be broken into numerous parts, and the fragments thus produced are “these kings” that are to be standing when “the God of heaven” shall set up His kingdom that “shall stand forever.”

But this kingdom of God, as other scriptures abundantly show, is set up at the second coming of Christ, at which time the wicked shall be consumed “with the spirit of His mouth” and destroyed “with the brightness of His coming.” See 2 Thess. 2:8.

Within the limits of a single article, it would be impossible to present the prophetic evidence that Christ is about to come and that His kingdom is soon to supplant all the tottering and vice-laden kingdoms of this earth. But those who are acquainted with our splendid literature upon the subject, or who have studied the matter from the Bible, know that testimony is both abundant and conclusive. But perhaps it would not be amiss in this connection to give one of the New Testament warnings to the wealthy in this time. Because of its presentation of the subject in such modern forms of expression, we will quote from the “Twentieth Century” version:

“Listen to me, you rich men, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches have wasted away, and your clothes have become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are rusted; and the rust on them shall be evidence against you, and shall eat into your very flesh. You have heaped up wealth in these last days—you will find that you have heaped up a fire! I tell you, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have been fraudulently keeping back, are crying to heaven, and the protests of your reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts! You have lived on earth a life of extravagance and luxury; you have indulged your fancies in a time of bloodshed. You have condemned, you have murdered, the righteous one! Must he not be against you? Be patient, then, brothers, till the coming of the Lord. Even a farmer has to wait for the crop so precious to him, watching over it patiently, till it has had the spring and summer rains. And you must be patient also, and not be discouraged; for the Lord’s coming is near. Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, or judgment will be passed upon you. The judge is already standing at the door!” James 5:1-9.

James is describing times that immediately precede the coming of the Lord, for he exhorts to patience under the distressing circumstances, for the Lord’s coming is near. In this time he tells of the wealth that has been “heaped up,” and of the cries of the laborers that are not getting their reward. He says to the wealthy, “Weep and wail for the miseries that are coming upon you.” These wealthy ones in these last days “have lived on earth a life of extravagance and luxury.” They have “indulged” their “fancies” in a time of bloodshed. And because of these things, they bring on a revolution and suffering that will cause their weeping and howling.

This condition among the wealthy is not the lone and single sign that we are in the end of time; it is merely one of the chorus of voices that are proclaiming from the prophetic word that the race of this earth is nearly run, and that the everlasting kingdom of God will soon break in pieces every earthly dominion.

But if we did not have the light of prophecy, men ought to be able to see from the philosophy of history itself that the nations of this time can not stand much longer. The leading nations are one and all exhibiting the elements of luxury and the rumblings of revolution and violent strife that were the invariable harbingers of the downfall of the nations that have gone before. The one bright and glorious star of hope in this time is the unsilenceable voice of prophecy, which, in the harmonies of a mighty chorus, proclaims that the end of all things is at hand and the coming of Christ is even at the door.

Are you ready for the great day? Are you intelligently aware of what it means? If you are, your heart is bounding with joys that are immeasurable and indescribable. You are planning to join soon the happy throng of the good of all ages and climes, and under the exhilarating buoyancy of immortality, to enter upon the pleasures and occupations of eternity. T.