A WARNING NOW | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 28, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 29.

A WARNING NOW.

We inquire, then, Will there be a warning given to the world of Christ's second advent? or are we to be left in ignorance, unwarned and unprepared for this great event? Is it reasonable to believe that God will change his conduct toward his people, or that there will be an exception to the rule in respect to this event? "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. God changes not. "As it was in the days of Noe, . . . likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; . . . even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17: 26-30. There will therefore be a warning message, the same as in those days. In speaking of the time of his second advent, Christ said:—

"Who then [at that time] is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." Matt. 24: 45, 46.

The term "meat in due season" is quite expressive of the thought we have under consideration. It quite plainly indicates that there is to be a special message of truth, peculiarly adapted to this particular time or "season,"—the "present truth." 2 Peter 1: 12. The nature of this will appear more plainly as we proceed.

There are to be two classes of people on the earth when Christ comes again,—the righteous and the wicked. The one class will be looking and waiting, and ready for his coming, while upon the other class that day will come as a thief in the night. 1 Thess. 5: 1-4; Isa. 25: 9. But the righteous are not in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief. They will be looking for and expecting it. The other class will be scoffing at his coming. Says the apostle:—

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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.

But why should these scoffers be scoffing at the idea of his coming, or allude to the promise of his coming, unless someone were calling attention to that promise by agitating that question? Or why affirm that all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation unless someone were engaged in declaring the contrary by calling attention to the unnatural phenomena,—the signs of the times,—in those days? There will, then, be somebody engaged in preaching just such a message. "Yes," says the objector, "but that has always been true, even back in the days of the apostles." This, however, is not true. It is contrary to the Scriptures. For Christ taught his disciples that they were not to look for him until after certain signs should first take place. Matthew 24. Certain ones seemed to have gotten the idea in the days of the apostles that he would come in their time. But Paul immediately wrote them a letter, and forever put the question at rest. He positively declared that that day should not come "except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." "Let no man deceive you by any means." "Now we beseech you, brethren, . . . that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." See 2 Thess. 2: 1-8.

That day—the day of Christ's coming—could not come until after the apostasy, and that huge system of error, destined to develop the Papacy—"the man of sin"—which Daniel had said was to continue 1260 years, might be fulfilled. But when that time is passed, and the proper time for the message to be given has been reached,—"the day of the Lord" near at hand,—God will see that the message is given. Here is one expression of it:—

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour [or time] of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Rev. 14: 6, 7. See also verse 14.

From this it will appear, then, that an announcement of that event is to be given, and that, too, to every nation, tongue, and people, just before Christ comes. The hour of judgment here mentioned is a short period of time just before probation closes; and "angel," when used as a symbol, represents God's servants, as they are the ones to whom the preaching of the gospel has been committed. Again, God says to his servants, by the prophet Joel, that when the day of the Lord is near at hand, they should—

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm [give a message of warning] 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 2: 1.

The "day of the Lord" refers to the coming of the Lord and the judgment. See 2 Peter 3: 7-10. This is sufficient. It proves conclusively that there is to be just such a message given to the world; and we have already shown that the time for that message to go has already been reached, the signs having been already fulfilled:—

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing." Matt. 24: 45, 46.

May we, then, give heed to the message, and rejoice in the day of his coming.