Sound an Alarm by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 2, 1902

Sound an Alarm

By Editor

Editorial

Sound an Alarm

THROUGH the prophet Joel the Lord sends the instruction, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain.” This is not a message of warning to the world in wickedness. It is “in Zion” that the trumpet is to be blown. It is “in my holy mountain” that the alarm is to be sounded. It is a call to the people of God themselves. The meaning of the form of expression used is made clear by considering what it meant in the camp of Israel to blow an alarm. Here is the instruction which the Lord gave to Moses: “When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.” The sounding of the alarm call on the trumpet was a summons to the people for a movement forward. It meant to break camp and to advance. And the Lord himself gave the signal for every advance through the pillar of cloud. “Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.” Thus the Captain of the Lord’s host clearly indicated the time for the advance, and the blowing of the alarm was the means of announcing the call to go forward. And every advance was made in this way. These things are recorded for our instruction. The Lord has clearly indicated to us his desire for an advance move. “Our General, who never makes a mistake, says to us, ‘Advance. Enter new territory. Lift up the standard in every land.’ . . . Our watchword is to be, Onward, ever onward. The angels of God will go before us to prepare the way. Our burden for the ‘regions beyond’ can never be laid down until the whole earth shall be lightened with the glory of the Lord.” These are the marching orders, and the servants of the Lord should now “blow an alarm,” that the people may move forward as a solid body in orderly array. Let every one heed the summons to break camp and move on.

Sufficient Grace

THERE is neither exception nor limitation to the promise, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Both the fullness of the supply and the greatness of the power of God’s grace constitute the guarantee of this promise. It may be fully depended upon without any fear of failure. It may help us to appreciate this if we call to mind some of the expressions used in the Scripture in speaking of the grace of God. Here are three or four: “the abundant grace;” “the exceeding grace of God;” “the exceeding riches of his grace;” “the manifold grace of God;” “the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant.” And not only are we thus assured of the abundance of the supply, but we also have the blessed assurance, “The Lord will give grace.” Those who have passed through severe trials and have proved these promises have gained a vantage ground upon which they can stand in further conflicts. When every earthly dependence has failed, and a distressed servant of the Lord has sought for needed grace “with strong crying and tears,” and has found that “he giveth more grace,” what confidence in God it begets in his soul! He finds that his strength comes from a sense of his own utter weakness and helplessness as he listens to the comforting declaration of the Lord, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Through what seems to be a bitter experience he learns to distrust self more completely and to trust in God more fully. He puts into his character building material which has been tried in the fire. He learns more of “the power of his resurrection” by partaking to a larger degree in “the fellowship of his sufferings.” This is a time when we all need to learn these very lessons. We are certainly in the shaking time, and the experience of each one will be tested as a preparation for the closing scenes before the coming of the Lord. Only “the exceeding grace of God” can sustain us and give us the victory in this hour. Without this we shall fall by the way. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Our God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

“In want my plentiful supply, In weakness my almighty power, In bonds my perfect liberty, My light in Satan’s darkest hour; No trouble can my soul appall: Thou art my life, my heaven, my all.”

The Promised Return

THERE is nothing more certain than that the Saviour will come again for his people whom he has redeemed. In his last prayer just previous to his passion, he said: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” There is now “a great multitude, which no man could number,” who are quietly sleeping. They fought the good fight, they finished the course, they died in hope. He who was their hope in life has not forgotten them. They will come again from the land of the enemy. “Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of light [the dawn], and the earth shall cast forth the dead.” The return of Christ marks the time of the resurrection of the righteous. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” This was his promise to the disciples: “I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” And so at the second coming of our Lord both those who have fallen asleep in Jesus and those who are translated will together enter upon the enjoyment of the answer to that last prayer of the Saviour that his own might be with him. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with

the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Is it any wonder that the promise of the return of the Saviour brings joy to the heart of the true believer? Ah, then we shall be with him.

“And I shall see him face to face, And tell the story, saved by grace.”

We are now in the time of the promise. The “signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars,” which have been fulfilled, show that “he is near, even at the doors.” We may now apply the words of the Saviour, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” What a blessed hope! Let the good news of the speedy return of our Lord be sounded out among the nations. Let all that we have and all that we are be consecrated to the one work of hastening the coming of the blessed Master. So shall all our hopes be consummated.