The special significance of what? you will ask. Why, of such occurrences of our times as droughts, terrific, destructive floods, conflagrations, tidal waves, earthquakes, and cyclones, the recent going down of the temperature fifteen to twenty degrees below zero in portions of the United States where it seldom freezes, causing the destruction of millions of dollars’ worth of oranges, orange groves, etc., and then the rising of the temperature in the northern states and in the southern part of British America, early in the month of May of this year, to nearly one hundred degrees in the shade, followed by a fearful snowstorm and cold, freezing weather, leading many to ask, almost involuntarily, Are we in May or in December? marring nature’s lovely dress and foliage, and blasting the hopes of millions with regard to an abundant harvest of all kinds of fruit, the prospects of which had been indeed most flattering.
What do all these things mean? What is the special significance of the ravages of the phylloxera in France, Switzerland, and other countries of Europe, etc., as seen in the ruin of vineyards valued at millions of dollars? So of the ravages of various kinds of insects on grains, vegetables, fruit trees, etc., in America. Do these strange manifestations spring from the dust? Should they be considered simply as the freaks of nature and as the result of natural causes? Are they so trivial as not to demand our serious study and closest attention, and not to draw out and bring into requisition our reasoning powers?
Why does not the earth produce as it used to in former years, even though brought under and subjected to the most studied and scientific methods of cultivation? What are we to conclude from the increase of swindling, robbery, crime, and deviltry, the recital of which occupies so large a space in most of the papers of the day? What signifies the general state of uncertainty, uneasiness, and fear, of fearful apprehensions of some failure, some great evil coming, among the poor, the wealthy, and business men, and among nations, leading to the formation of different unions either to brace up religious dogmas, or to hold selfish, unjust elements in check, and avert threatening dangers? Why this tremor, this almost universal fear among men and nations, as if society and the governments of earth in general were conscious that they were on a shaking, moving, sandy foundation, which was liable to fail them at any moment? What is the meaning of the present armament of the nations of Europe, etc., on a scale hitherto unknown to themselves and to the world? May we not find a clue to the special significance of all these manifestations in the Book of God, in the “sure word of prophecy,” that was to serve those who should “take heed” to it “as . . . a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise”? 2 Peter 1:19. May not these manifestations, these striking signs of the times, be sure indications that the great Restorer, the Lord of heaven and of earth, is soon to make his glorious appearing in his own wonderful glory and majesty and in the glory of his Father, accompanied by all the shining hosts of heaven, to raise the righteous dead and change the righteous living, and put an end to hatred, injustice, crime, war, and all that is unpleasant and frightful in our world, cursed by sin and Satan, and bring in his peaceful reign of righteousness? See 2 Peter 1:19; Rev. 19:11–16; Mark 9:38; Isa. 11:1–4; Jer. 23:6.
But methinks I hear some say, Bosh! such things have always been. The Lord is not so near as you think he is. You are an alarmist. But hold; consider further before you pass such a judgment upon so many astounding signs of our times. The Lord himself has told us that when his second coming should be near, some, calling him Lord, would say, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” and would oppose those who should call the attention of the people to this glorious forthcoming event; and he has also told us that he would appoint the portion of such with hypocrites. Matt. 24:48–51. Surely you would not want to belong to that class. Nor would you want to be classed with those of whom the apostle Peter speaks when he says, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts [or desires], and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3, 4. What if we should prove to be “in the last days”? What if the coming of our Lord was really near? Let us be cautious and see that we are on the Lord’s side, and not with those here described.
What if it should be true that, to a certain extent, the wonderful manifestations we refer to had appeared in past ages? Would it not even then be proper to have them repeated, better to teach us the certainty of coming events by a comparison between now and times when fearful judgments were to be sent to peoples and nations because of their sins and their forgetfulness of God? But there are things we refer to that never happened on a scale on which they are now happening. Were there ever eleven millions of soldiers8prepared for war in Europe, as at the present time? Were ever such large armies kept up, at such a ruinous expense, and apparently held in check for God to do a special work, as now? What does this mean?—It means that general war is coming, when the slain will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other, without being lamented, gathered, or buried; and this will be after the sun has been supernaturally darkened and the moon has refused to give her light (the wonderful darkening of the sun and moon the 19th of May, 1780), and after an extraordinary fall of stars, or meteors (that of Nov. 13, 1833), and while God is preparing a people for what is coming on the earth and for the appearing of his Son. See Rev. 6:12–17; 7:1–3; Jer. 25:27–33, and works entitled “His Glorious Appearing,” “Is the End Near?” “What Do These Things Mean?” etc.
And our Saviour teaches that after these striking signs should appear “in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars,” showing his coming to be very near, there was to be “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; 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; Matt. 24:28–33. This means financial troubles, war, and just such disturbances in nature as we have lately seen in tidal waves and in an increase of earthquakes. According to history, there have been more earthquakes during the present century, yes, during the fifty years just past, than in all the previous ages of our world put together. See “Facts for the Times,” pp. 64–81, etc., etc.
Surely we are living in a period when “fire, and hail; snow, and vapors” and “stormy winds” are “fulfilling his [God’s] word” (Ps. 148:8); when from time to time rain is withheld by the Lord for wise purposes; and when such passages as the following are especially applicable and shed light on points already introduced:—
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments, . . . the Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust.” Deut. 28:15–24.
“And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. . . . I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” Amos 4:7–11.
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste. . . . The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth. . . . The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry hearted do sigh.” Isa. 24:1–7.
“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.
“And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity can not enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey; and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.” Isa. 59:14, 15.
“An end is come, the end is come. . . . Behold the day, behold, it is come; the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness.” Eze. 7:6–11.
“Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? . . . Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil?” Hab. 2:6–9. See also Hab. 2:1–3; Heb. 10:37.
“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. 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.” James 5:1–4.
“Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear [the fear that great calamities will come if religious political combinations are not effected to brace up and enforce religion, or to favor religious institutions by law, or if business unions and national alliances are not formed to hold selfish, grasping, unruly elements in check], nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. . . . And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I WILL LOOK FOR HIM.” Isa. 8:9–17, etc.
“That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. . . . The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted; the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vine-dressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered; because joy is withered away from the sons of men. . . . Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. . . . How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. O Lord, to thee will I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee; for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” Joel 1:4–20; 2:1.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:12, 13.
The end in question is that connected with Christ’s second coming. Verse 3.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 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.” 2 Tim. 3:1–5.
“Proclaim ye this among the gentiles [or nations, Hebrew, etc.]: Prepare war, wake 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. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen [nations], and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen [nations] round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision [or ‘threshing,’ margin]; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision [threshing]. The sun and the moon shall be [or have been, as some translate] darkened, and the stars shall withdraw [or have withdrawn, Ib.] their shining.” Joel 3:9–15.
“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. Behold, I come as a thief.” Rev. 16:14, 15.
To unbelievers in his day our Saviour, referring to events fulfilling numerous prophecies relating to himself and to his work at his first coming, said, “But can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt. 16:3. This question can be as pertinently asked respecting the wonderful events or signs of our times occurring in fulfillment of many more scriptural predictions than were fulfilled in the days of our Lord, and showing that Christ’s second coming is imminent. Matt. 24:33. Even Satan, his evil angels, and wicked men, though opposed to Christ and his coming, do, nevertheless, help furnish unmistakable evidences of the nearness of the Saviour’s second advent. Be it far from us to impute to God all the calamities that come to men through conflagrations, cyclones, war, etc., or to say that God is the direct cause or instigator of the recent fires and cyclones, and inspires men to hate and kill each other. Many fearful, disastrous conflagrations have been started through the criminal carelessness or evil desires of men influenced by the enemy of God and humanity; yet such calamities are often attributed to God, and are appealed to to build up error and unscriptural doctrines. And we may expect more of such imposition and such false applications of events as we draw near the end.
“The prince of this world” (John 12:31), “the prince of the power of the air,” the spirit that works through fallen angels, through “the children of disobedience,” and through the elements (Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:7; 2 Peter 2:4; Matt. 25:41, etc.), “is come down,” “having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:12); and he is more active now in wielding the elements to the destruction of property and human beings than he has been in past ages. See Job 1:2, etc. As men harden their hearts by turning away from God’s truth and sinning presumptuously against their Maker, as they persist in their defiant, audacious, sinful course, and transcend the limits of divine mercy and divine forbearance, God withdraws his Spirit from them, and permits those who have chosen and faithfully served the arch rebel and grieved away the Holy Spirit, to reap from the master of their choice and from their own wicked course, wages in terrible judgments coming from his Satanic majesty.9
Now, as in former ages, the Lord at times permits these and other calamities to affect measurably his children, that his grace and their virtues, secured by grace divine, may shine forth in all their luster in affliction, for the good of those for whom there is still hope, and that God’s pilgrims on earth may be more thoroughly weaned from the transitory things of time and sense, and be ready for their transfer to “a better country, that is, a heavenly.” Heb. 11:16.
God in mercy has waited long, and is still waiting, for men humbly to fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and be broken, and restored to moral rectitude and divine favor. He would win men to repentance through his “goodness,” “long-suffering,” and amazing and matchless love. Rom. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9, etc. He invites all wisely to improve upon the very brief period of probation now remaining, in repenting of their sins, embracing Christ as their Saviour, and shining as lights amid the dense moral darkness of this age of unsurpassed wickedness, and as trophies of Christ’s power to save, that they may enjoy the smiles and the rich blessings of his Spirit, escape his just and retributive judgments soon to be inflicted on the finally impenitent through the seven last plagues at the close of human probation. Rev. 16; 15:1; 14:9–14; 22:10–12, etc.
Sinner, repent, believe, honor God by walking in his ways, and live. Saints, press on in the narrow, self-denying path of progressive sanctification, whose measure is God’s truth, which is progressive in its manifestation to those who, with hearts fully resigned to the divine will expressed in Holy Writ, search for it in the Book of God as for hid treasures. Prov. 2:1–7; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 6:1, 2; 2 Cor. 6:17; 7:1.