p. 6 | IS IT SO? | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 20, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 47.

IS IT SO?

Does Belief in Christ's Soon Coming Take Away Hope or Cause Zeal to Flag?

An editorial writer in a much-esteemed contemporary, the Sabbath Recorder, deprecates the setting of time for Christ to come, and we agree with him, because the Word forbids it. But we see no reasons for his conclusions, stated in the following paragraph:—

Two almost wholly opposite views are taken by good Christian people respecting the future outlook of the world. To one, the view is enshrouded in darkness; the world is growing in wickedness; crimes are more frequent; the Christian church is becoming more and more worldly; the heart of man is waxing worse and worse, and there is no hope of victory for the truth under the present Gospel dispensation. This is pessimism. The other view is more hopeful. While admitting the existence of wickedness, the worldliness and errors of the Christian church, the alarming increase of many evils, the selfishness and corruption of the human heart, as seen in many business transactions, enormous monopolies, and combinations of men for purposes of wealth and power; still, there is unwavering faith in the ultimate success of the Gospel of Christ; the world is really growing better rather than worse. This is optimism, and is the result of believing that God is more powerful than His enemies; that everything in nature is His work, and being under His direction, will eventually work out the greatest good. This faith rests upon the declarations of God's Word, and upon the guarantees of many unfulfilled prophecies. My word shall “not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isa. 55:11. “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” Dan. 2:44. That kingdom was undoubtedly set up more than nineteen hundred years ago, and is now extending its benign influences and its power more rapidly than at any previous time in the world's history. The pessimist has little or no courage for work; and to him the battle is well-nigh lost. The optimist labors on hopefully and effectively; to him the victory is certain.

1. To the consecrated Christian, who is looking for his Lord to come, there is light, abundant light. He experiences the truth of the apostle's words: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief; for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” I Thess. 5:4, 5. Those who are looking to Christ single-eyed, single-hearted, will be filled with light. Those who look to the world will find darkness; for “darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.”

2. Those in darkness are those who do not heed the Word of light. They hope for something good; that out of the turmoil, the strife, the abounding lawlessness, man will grow better, and the world will be converted. But such are deceived by their own desires; and the apostle tells us emphatically, just what God has repeatedly declared in divers words and by divers prophets: “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.” I Thess. 5:3. This very cry of so-called “optimism,” in itself is evidence of the prevailing obscurity.

3. Now, Jesus said that when the end was about to come, “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt. 24:12. Paul says, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:13. In the same chapter he mentions not less than eighteen different sins characterizing the last days, among those that have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. Verses 1–5. These sins will be found, therefore, in the professed church. In Paul's day they were characteristic of the heathen world. It is interesting to compare those mentioned in the scripture above referred to with those in Rom. 1:28–31. The wheat and tares, Jesus says, will grow together “until the harvest,” “the end of the world.” Matt. 13:30, 39. We are told in Daniel and Revelation that the beast-power will be a persecutor to the end. We are shown Babylon, the corrupt church, spreading her influence over all the nations of earth, making them drunken with the wine of her fornication, even to their destruction. Is it pessimism to believe just what the Lord has said in His Word respecting these very days?

4. The use of Daniel 2:44 is not a happy one. The most casual reading of the context will note, (1) that the everlasting kingdom is not set up till after the iron kingdom—Rome—is long divided. This division did not begin till the fourth century of the Christian era. (2) The kingdom of Christ, the Stone kingdom, does not convert the kingdoms of earth,—of iron and clay,—but breaks in pieces as fine dust, and utterly consumes them. Surely these predictions are not fulfilled.

5. Truly God's Word will not return unto Him void. He who receives it will be re-created, a new man in Christ Jesus. He who rejects it rejects life forevermore. John 3:36. Says an apostle: “For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are being saved, and in them that are perishing; to the one a savor of death unto death; and to the other a savor of life unto life.” 2 Cor. 2:15, 16. But in both cases God's word does not fail. It did not fail with Sodom or Pharaoh or Belshazzar or unbelieving Israel of old, any more than it failed with Abraham, Joseph, Moses, or Elijah. It did not return void when Christ hung upon the cross, any more than it did when He was transfigured on the mount. God's Word can not fail; and it is because of this very thing that we know that Jesus Christ is coming again. He who believes that Word, who sees in the seeings of God, will see the darkness of earth, will see the increasing evil, will see the many shipwrecks of faith; but above all is shining the light of Christ, is revealed the righteousness by faith, is revealed the life-boat to pick up every shipwrecked soul who longs to be saved.

The above quoted paragraph does not rightly represent those who are looking for the Lord to come. So far as we know, they all believe in “the ultimate success of the Gospel of Christ,” and “that God is more powerful than His enemies.” But does that mean that Satan will be converted? Does that mean that God will save men against their will? Rather, does it not mean that God will do just what He purposed to do when He created this world, namely, people it with an elect number of an elect character, who will glorify Him to all eternity; and will do this despite all the power of evil. He will work out the greatest good for all the universe, and for all in this little earth who are in harmony with Him. And “this faith rests upon the declarations of God's Word, and upon the guarantees of many [fulfilled and] unfulfilled prophecies.”

6. Now, how has this belief in the pre-millennial coming of the Lord affected those who have believed it? Most of the earnest missionaries to foreign lands are said to believe it. Moody, the greatest evangelist of later years, believed it with all his heart. Mr. A. B. Simpson, whose conclusions we can not accept in all things, believes it. Do not all these labor in hope? Are they not in earnest? Do they not, or have they not, manifested as much zeal as those who believe in a converted world?

The simple truth in all this will be found in answer to the question, “What does the Bible say?” If we will receive what it says, we shall have abundance of light, and in that light will see fulfilment of prophecy on every hand, showing that Christ's coming is nigh at hand. We shall see, even in the darkness, the increasing unbelief and wickedness, omens of the coming day, and we will labor on with more earnest zeal to rescue from earth's wickedness and destruction every soul possible.