p. 343 | Fear Ye Not Their Fear by J.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 10, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 22.

Fear Ye Not Their Fear.

By J.

AMONG the things which would particularly mark the nearness of the end of the world, the Saviour named “distress of nations, with perplexity,” and “men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth.” This distress of nations is not merely distress which is common to all nations in all ages, but it is distress with perplexity. To be perplexed is to know not what to do; is to know not which way to turn. A nation may be distressed, but may know perfectly what to do to relieve itself. A nation may be troubled, yet see clearly its way out of the trouble. But when distress with perplexity comes upon a nation, it is troubled indeed. It knows not what to do, and in attempting a remedy it may increase the trouble, or at the best, may be able to relieve the distress only for a time.

That there is now among the great nations of the world a state of uneasiness which is not too strongly expressed by the words of Christ, is undeniable. The trouble is not between nation and nation as such, although there are deepening jealousies, which only add to the general tendency; but the distress of each nation is from within itself. In each nation there seems to be a condition of society which might be termed a chronic discontent. This spirit of discontent is growing and deepening everywhere. The following from the San Francisco Chronicle is, we believe, a fair estimate of the question as it stands to-day:—

“The feelings of the world at the beginning of the century have been compared to those of one awakening after a night of horrible orgies. There are not wanting signs that another wave of hopelessness is soon to sweep over the world, not, perhaps, attended with such a social upheaval, or followed by such desolating wars, but still terrible in its action and its consequence. The passions of men remain the same. National hatreds were never more bitter. We live here in this corner of the world in comparative quiet, while all Europe sleeps upon its arms. Want and misery increase with augmenting populations. All the avenues of life are full. All streams of discontent are swelled to the brim and ready to overflow.”

Thinking men see these things; statesmen have to deal with them; the lower classes feel them and are the principal part of them; and all men fear them. Men’s hearts are failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth. True, there are some who are determined to have the millennium ushered in at once, who profess to see nothing but that all things are growing better, and that “to-morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant.” But it is simply fatuous to cry peace in the very presence of the most gigantic preparations for war that the world has ever seen,—to cry safety when destruction, hundred-handed, stands before the cabin as well as before the palace. Wickedness is surely as great now as any would wish to see, but it is just as certain that every one who lives will see greater wickedness, as it is that he lives at all. The world is in its last days, and the record of Him who made the world, and who knoweth what is in man, is, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” As bad as evil men are now, there is yet to be worse, yea, even worse and worse. As great as is deception now, men will yet see greater. It is easy enough for all to see it, and all do see it—except the professed watchmen.

In this general uneasiness and discontent, in this fear which causes men’s hearts to fail, whether they realize the cause or not, it is only to be expected that there will be efforts made on all hands for protection. But the efforts made for protection will not protect. All the trade unions and labor leagues that can be formed, and all the boycotts that can be laid, will not better the condition of the laboring man one whit. With all the unions and leagues and organizations of whatever kind there may be that have ever been formed for the purpose of promoting the welfare of the laboring man, his condition is no better than it was before there was ever any such union formed. As a matter of fact the troubles and difficulties of the laboring man are increased with the increase of the leagues. It is impossible that it should be otherwise, when in becoming a member of a union, he has to literally sell himself to an irresponsible despotism. But it is because of the uncertainty, the uneasiness, the fear that pervades all, that all these confederacies are formed. But relief will never be found in any of these things, nor by any of these methods, but rather in the opposite of all these.

“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, nor be afraid.” A league is a confederacy. All these leagues, unions, etc., that are now so abundant, are confederacies. They are formed, even as the prophet says, because of a fear which pervades the people, leading them to say, “A confederacy, a league must be formed, and that will relieve us.” But it will do nothing of the kind. The evil is inherent; it lies in the very nature of things. It is growing, and will grow “worse and worse,” and the only safety is to separate from it all, and from all the confederacies that are formed because of it. The Lord instructs us that we should not walk in the way of this people. The Lord says to us, “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy.” The Lord says, “Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” But “sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary.” Isa. 8:13, 14.

There is the way and the only way of relief. God is over all and above all. If he be made the dwelling place, if his truth be made the shield and buckler, we shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. That these words of the prophet were written for this time is plain; for in the same connection, he says: “I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.” These things therefore will come to pass when the time is to wait and look for the Lord. And this is exactly in accordance with the word of Christ, when, in giving these things as signs of his coming, he said: “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” For the next thing that follows the “distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth,” is “the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:25-28.

The heaven will depart as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island will be moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, will flee to the rocks and the mountains; and “they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Rev. 6:14, 15; Isa. 2:19.

“When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done”—“two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof”—“they shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.” Isa. 24:13, 14; 17:6. They shall say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa. 25:9.

“Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” And then, though the untied winds shall hurt the earth, the sea, and the trees (Rev. 7:1-3),

—“Though the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodged, and trees blown down; Though castles topple on their warders’ heads; Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure Of nature’s germins tumble altogether, Even till destruction sicken;”

“He shall be for a sanctuary;” “the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” “Blessed are all they that wait for him.” J.