The Missionary by George Ide Butler

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 11, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 10.

The Missionary.

By George Ide Butler

No Time for Indifference.

GOD is never pleased with indifference to his cause; to the contrary, when his cause is at stake, he always demands the utmost zeal of which human power is capable; and any neglect or unwillingness to venture in its behalf brings the frown of God. This is shown by the blessing pronounced upon Caleb and Joshua, the only two who were permitted to enter the promised land, in distinction from the great mass of the people who turned back, and were not willing to venture when the times demanded it. Their carcasses all fell in the wilderness; but these two men, who were willing to enter the conflict valiantly, were greatly blessed. The destruction of the rest showed God's displeasure at indifference and unbelief.

This lesson is a very important one for us to remember at the present time. We have now reached the greatest crisis experienced by any movement in the history of this world, unless we are all deceived in our application of the prophecies of God's word. The signs showing that Christ's coming is near have been fulfilled. The prophetic chains have reached their last link. The fulfillment of some thirteen lines of prophecy demonstrates our close proximity to the end. The powers of earth that were to arise in the long-connected chains of prophecy presented in the books of Daniel and the Revelation, have already appeared and passed off the stage as foretold, except the last one; and that has performed its principal work, and the close of the drama is just before us. The last nation that is mentioned in the prophecy is our own, which has grown up from youth into vigor, until it stands among the mightiest nations of the earth; and the predictions concerning it are now in rapid progress of fulfillment. And now the great day of God's wrath is just before us, and the plagues are about to fall, probation is about to close, and to our hands are committed the mighty truths of this great message of warning which is to be given to our fellow-men. It would be impossible to conceive of a greater contest than the one we are now entering. Indeed, it is not too much to say that it is the greatest which has been, or will be, seen in all the universe of God in the days of eternity.

The rebellion of Satan commenced in Heaven ages ago, manifesting its wickedness in connection with the history of this globe; we must suppose this rebellion is the only one of its kind God will ever tolerate in his universe. He has permitted this one instance, doubtless for a wise purpose, to show what sin and rebellion will do when left to develop, and when time is given to work out their bitter results. And what a scene has followed,—blood, and carnage, and misery, disrespect for God, hatred, persecution of the faithful servants of the Lord, who have been crucified, and tortured upon the rack, and put to death by millions. Wrong has seemed to triumph over almost the whole globe. Sickness, death, funerals, and grave-yards are seen everywhere as the consequence of sin. Even Christ himself, the blessed Son of God,

was put to death by the malice of Satan; and God himself would have been torn from the throne he occupies, had this great rebel had the power to do it. In view of all these things, there can be no question but that the time has about come when the great drama is to come to a close. Christ is finishing up his mediatorial work. The long period of twenty-three hundred prophetic days, spoken of by the prophet, has terminated. The message of warning to all, of the unmingled wrath of God that will be poured out upon those who reject the light, is going forth, and soon Christ will rise up and bring this rebellion to an end. The most fearful scenes of human history are just before us. But to us as a people are committed the great truths of this message.

“We are living, we are dwelling in a grand and awful time; In an age on ages telling, to be living is sublime.”

Can we suppose that at such a time as this, indifference and neutrality will be any more acceptable than it was in a local conflict in ancient Canaan? Will not the curse of God fall upon those that are indifferent now as much as it did then? We ask the reader to judge.

It is possible that some of us may question whether, indeed, we are approaching this great crisis. None can deny that such a time will come; and no one who has investigated the evidences contained in the Bible, can doubt that its statements clearly prove our proximity to the end. There is not a prophecy in the Bible relative to the time of the end, but that has been either wholly fulfilled or nearly so. Only a very few specifications linger unfulfilled, and these are shaping themselves in such a manner that we cannot question the certainty of the result.

G. I. BUTLER.