SIGNS OF THE END by G. B. Thompson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 6, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 40.

SIGNS OF THE END.

By G. B. Thompson

The Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the earth.

“This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14.

Knowledge of all kinds will increase.

“Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Dan. 12:4.

There will be means of rapid locomotion from place to place.

“The chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of His preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways; they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightning.” See Nahum 2:3–6.

The sun shall be darkened.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” Matt. 24:29.

The moon turned to blood.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” Acts 2:20.

The stars shall fall.

“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Rev. 6:13.

The nations will be perplexed.

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity.” Luke 21:25.

The nations will be angry.

“And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” Rev. 11:18.

Violence will fill the earth.

“Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs; neither shall there be wailing for them.” “The land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.” Eze. 7:11, 23.

“The voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Wo is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.” Jer. 4:31.

Justice will not be done.

“And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity can not enter.” Isa. 59:14.

Perilous times will come.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” 2 Tim. 3:1.

Sin will be manifest among those with whom a form of godliness prevails.

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” Verses 2–5.

Some of the watchmen will cease to watch.

“His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they can not bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that can not understand; they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, a day great beyond measure.” Isa. 56:10–12, R.V.

And they will teach for hire.

“The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.” Micah 3:11.

They will cry, “Peace and safety.”

“When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them.” 1 Thess. 5:3.

When there is no peace.

“They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” Jer. 6:14.

They will proclaim the law abolished.

“Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these.” “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that can not profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?” Jer. 7:4, 8–10.

When it never will be abolished.

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished.” Isa. 51:6.

“Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is the truth.” Ps. 119:142.

The sea and the waves will roar, and men will fear.

“The sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Luke 21:25, 26.

Stormy winds will fulfil His Word.

“Fire, and hail; snow, and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling His word.” Ps. 148:8.

Men will give heed to seducing spirits.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Tim. 4:1.

They will go to the dead for knowledge.

“They shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” Isa. 8:19.

The spirits of devils will work miracles.

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Rev. 16:14.

For the purpose of deceiving.

“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.” Rev. 13:14.

And resisting the truth.

“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” 2 Tim. 3:8.

Earthquakes, pestilences, and famines will be prevalent.

“There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” Matt. 24:7.

Satan will work with “all deceivableness of unrighteousness.”

“After the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thess. 2:9, 10.

Men will pile up treasure in the last days.

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” James 5:1–3.

And live in pleasure.

“Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.” Verse 5.

The poor will be defrauded.

“Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” Verse 4.

Men will riot in pleasure.

“Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” Verse 6.

The righteous will be patient, and not go on a strike.

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Verses 7, 8.

The judgment will begin.

“The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” 1 Peter 4:17.

And will be announced by a special message.

“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” Rev. 14:6, 7.

The message will be rejected, and Babylon will fall.

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Verse 8.

Another message, warning against the worship of the beast and his image, will follow.

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Verses 9–11.

And a people keeping all God’s commandments will be developed.

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Verse 12.

Persecution will be waged by the beast and his image against them.

“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” “Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rev. 13:12, 14–17.

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17.

Then Jesus will come.

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” Rev. 14:14.

Dear reader, study the above scriptures, and tell us which one has not been fulfilled, or is not being fulfilled at the present time. Everything proclaims the end near. We are commanded to watch, and discern the signs of the times. Matt. 24:42; 16:1–3. “When ye shall see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors.” Matt. 24:33, margin.

G. B. THOMPSON.

Newburg; W. Va.