Signs of His Coming—Peace and Safety
By H.
1. What proclamation did the prophet Joel foretell for the “latter days”? “Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:9, 10. 2. At the same time, what will the people be saying? “It shall come to pass in the latter days . . . many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, . . . and He will decide between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Isa. 2:3-4. 3. How is this latter prophecy being fulfilled? By the establishment of The Hague Peace Congress, and by local peace congresses in many different countries. For many years Chili and Argentina were at war over their boundary line. It was considered a great victory for peace when the two nations were induced to erect a colossal statue of Christ on the disputed line, which had been fixed by arbitration instead of by war. On the very summit of the Andes it stands as it was erected March 13, 1904. 4. What has been the result? For a time peace reigned in the two countries. The new battle-ships were sold, and the proceeds were turned to peaceful uses. Regiments of soldiers were mustered out, arsenals were turned into schools, and taxes were reduced. But now the war spirit is breaking out. Argentina is building battle-ships; in fact, all the South American governments are almost constantly in a turmoil of war and intrigue. 5. How are the great nations of earth showing that universal peace is not imminent? Of the billion dollars appropriated by the last Congress in our own country, one half was for war purposes. England and Germany constantly strive to outdo each other in the matter of war preparations. By 1912 Germany will have seventeen battle-ships of the Dreadnaught class, and England will have twenty-two or more. Other nations are proportionately active. 6. Speaking of the time of the end, what did the prophet Isaiah say? “Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand!” Isa. 8:9, 10. 7. How were conditions of this same time described by Jeremiah? “Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then Jehovah said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in My name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them; they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their own heart.” Jer. 14:13, 14. 8. When these conditions of federating and counseling and banding together for peace are manifest, for what may we look? “When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape.” 1 Thess. 5:3. “Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that prophesy in My name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in the land: by sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.” Jer. 14:15. 9. What event will bring this “sudden destruction”? “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night,” “when they are saying, Peace and safety.” 1 Thess. 5:2, 3. “Look not on earth for strife to cease,
Look not below for joy and peace,
Until the Saviour comes again
To banish death and sin.”
H.