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SIGNS OF HIS COMING

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 14, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 28.

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SIGNS OF HIS COMING.

By Matthew Larsen

BY ELDER MATTHEW LARSEN.
HAVING called attention to the fact that we are to know when the coming of Christ is near at hand, we shall now proceed to notice how, or by what means, we are to know this. Whenever any event of importance to the world is about to take place, God will never leave his people to remain in ignorance, or without some means of knowing something concerning it. He invariably gives them ample signs or forewarnings so that they may know and be prepared for it.
"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3: 6, 7.
This settles that question. In response to the question asked of him by the disciples, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?" (Matt. 24:3) Jesus directly informed them that
"there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and 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; for 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: 25-27.
Not only has the Lord told us that there shall be signs, but he has likewise told just what these signs would be; nor is this all, but he has even told us when they shall be.
"And it shall come to pass in the last days [the term "the last days" embraces the very last day], saith God, . . . I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come." Acts 2: 17-20; Joel 2: 30, 31.
Not only this, but the Saviour even locates the exact period of time in which the sun and moon should be darkened, namely, in the period of papal persecution, or supremacy,—the 1260 years spoken of by the prophets (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 12:6-14; Matt. 24:15, 21, 22), in the latter part of that period, "immediately after the tribulation of those days." Matt. 24:29. The 1260 years of papal supremacy began in A.D. 538 and ended in 1798. But those days were to be shortened, says Christ, for the elect's sake. This was accomplished by bringing the persecutions to a close. The suppression of the order of the Jesuits by the pope of Rome, the influence of the Reformers, together with the edicts of toleration passed by Austria and Spain about the years 1774 to 1778, virtually brought the persecutions to a close. But the 1260 years did not expire until 1798. So the tribulations, or persecutions, of those days ceased a few years before the "days" ended.
EDICT OF TOLERATION OF THE EMPEROR JOSEPH.—By this edict he granted to all members of the Protestant and Greek churches . . . the free exercise of their religion. He declared all Christians of every denomination equally citizens, and capable of holding charges and offices in every department of State. Cox' House of Austria, vol. 3.
And Maria Theresa, of Austria, "in 1776 abolished the torture in the hereditary States." —White's History, p. 458.
Mark says, "In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light." Mark 13: 24. Hence, we must look for the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy—the darkening of the sun and moon—somewhere between 1776 and 1778. Any other darkening will not answer the prophecy. Nor would we be justified in looking for its fulfillment in some natural phenomenon. It must be of a supernatural or unaccountable character. There is but one, and only one, such event on record to which we may turn for its fulfillment. It occurred May 19, 1780, just at the proper time called for in the prophecy.
Dark Day, the, May 19, 1780, so called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day, extending over all New England. In some places persons could not see to read common print in the open air for several hours together. . . . The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known.—Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, art. Dark Day.
It was "unnatural" and "unaccountable," of an "uncommon" nature.
In the month of May, 1780, there was a terrific dark day, . . . unnatural darkness.—Life of Edward Lee, by the American Tract Society.
The uncommon darkness . . . on the 19th of May, 1780, was a phenomenon which several gentlemen of considerable literary abilities have endeavored to solve, yet . . . no satisfactory solution has yet appeared.—Dr. Tenny.
Almost if not altogether alone as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind in nature's diversified range of events during the last century, stands the dark day of May 19, 1780, a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England, which brought intense alarm and distress to multitudes of minds.—Our First Century, p. 88.
Herschal, the great astronomer, gives the following testimony concerning the unaccountableness of the darkness:—
The dark day in Northern America was one of those wonderful phenomena of nature which will always be read with interest, but which philosophy is at a loss to explain.
"And the moon became as blood." Rev. 6: 12.
My father and mother, who were pious, thought the day of judgment was near. They sat up that night, during the latter part of which they said the darkness disappeared, and then the sky seemed as usual, but the moon, which was at its full, had the appearance of blood.—Milo Bostwick.
The darkness . . . was probably as gross as has ever been since the Almighty first gave birth to light. . . . The darkness could not have been more complete. A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet.—Mr. Tenny.
Thus accurately have we described the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy. The next great sign which should take place, mentioned by the Saviour, was the falling stars. Mark 13: 25.
"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 stars here referred to, it is understood, do not mean the fixed stars, but the meteors, or what we call the "shooting stars." There shall be an unnatural or an uncommon display of falling stars. This was literally fulfilled November 13, 1833. There have been other displays of shooting stars both before and since, but none such as is described in the prophecy. A few quotations upon the fulfillment of this prophecy will suffice. There are still a great many living eyewitnesses of this remarkable sign.
The most sublime phenomenon of shooting stars of which the world has ever furnished any record was witnessed throughout the United States on the morning of the 13th of November, 1833. The entire extent of this astonishing exhibition has not been precisely ascertained; but it covered no inconsiderable portion of the earth's surface. . . . The first appearance was that of fireworks of the most imposing grandeur, covering the entire vault of heaven with myriads of fire balls, resembling skyrockets. Their coruscations were bright, gleaming, and incessant, and they fell thick as the flakes in the early snows of December. To the splendors of this celestial exhibition the most brilliant skyrockets and fireworks of art bear less relation than the twinkling of the most tiny star to the broad glare of the sun.—Burritt's Geography of the Heavens, p. 163, ed. 1854.
Those who were so fortunate as to witness the exhibition of shooting stars on the morning of November 13, 1833, probably saw the greatest display of celestial fireworks that has ever been since the foundation of the world, or at least within the annals covered by the pages of history.—Professor Olmstead, of Yale College.
A more correct picture of a fig tree casting its leaves when blown by a mighty wind is not possible to behold.—Connecticut Observer of November 25, 1833.
"The sea and the waves roaring,"—the mighty tidal waves, which are coming to be of such frequent and alarming occurrence in recent years, and which rise up like a mountainous wall, and with fearful roar sweep over whole islands and coast lands, carrying devastation and striking terror to all hearts,—"the stormy winds fulfilling his word" (Ps. 148: 8; Isa. 29: 5, 6),—the tornadoes and cyclones, increasing in numbers and destructiveness every year, sweeping over both land and sea, and leaving in their wake destruction and desolation,—the fear and perplexity, the lack of confidence prevailing in the hearts of men everywhere—all attest to the fact that we are bordering upon the eternal world. The day of God is just upon us. All nature joins to swell the proclamation of that soon-coming day.
"This generation [the generation that should witness these signs fulfilled] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled," i. e., till they see the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven, and the consummation of all things. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." Matt. 24: 34, 35. But since the generation that witnessed the fulfillment of the Saviour's last great sign,—the falling stars,—is fast passing from the stage of action, it follows, then, that that day cannot be very far off. And are we prepared for its solemn issue? If not, dear reader, we entreat of you, "Prepare to meet thy God."