A SPECIAL REFORMATION WILL PRECEDE HIS COMING.
By Matthew Larsen
A WARNING message implies a work of reformation. If there was no need of a reformation, there could be no need of a warning message. Sin is that which has made the warning a necessity, and, hence, is that which calls for a reformation. And the very fact that God has declared that such a message shall go to the world in the last days, sufficiently demonstrates the need of such a work of reformation. "Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." Isa. 62: 10, 11. Here, then, we have a prediction of a proclamation to be given in the last days. This is evident from the fact that it relates to the time when Christ shall come to give the reward to his people, which will be at the time of his second advent. Rev. 22: 12. It cannot apply to his first advent, for at that time he did not bring his reward with him to anyone, but he came to suffer and die for our sins. Here, then, we must conclude, is brought to view a work of reformation, belonging to the last days. For the Lord says to his servants at this time to "prepare the way of the people," "cast up the highway," "gather out the stones," and "lift up a standard [a rule of life, the law of God, to measure their characters by] for the people." A reformation consists of a turning away from sin unto righteousness. It becomes, therefore, a matter of importance and interest to us to know what sin is. The Bible definition is short and to the point. John says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3: 4. And Paul says: "Where no law is, there is no transgression" (Rom 4: 15); "Sin is not imputed when there is no law" (5: 13); "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (3: 20). He then tells us of what sin is the transgression, namely, the ten-commandment law:— "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. [This was the law of the ten commandments that said this; hence, that is the law Paul was speaking of.] . . . For without the law sin was dead. [Without this law there would be no sin.]" Rom. 7: 7, 8. The prophet says, "Raise up a standard." But what is the "standard" of righteousness? —The law of God, of course. "The law of the Lord is perfect," said the Psalmist. Ps. 19: 7. "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments." Ps. 119: 35. "For all thy commandments are righteousness." Verse 172. He then explains to us what law, or commandment, namely, "The law of thy mouth [i. e., the law of the commandments, since that is the only law God ever spake to mankind with his own voice, or mouth—Deut. 5: 22; 4: 12, 13] is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Ps. 119: 72. It is the "way" (Ps. 119: 1, 32), the standard of "righteousness" (verses 138, 142, 144). Hence, the command to "prepare the way," "lift up the standard for the people," would be to hold up the law by calling attention to it. This message, then, must of necessity call our attention to the keeping and to the claims of the law of God, and develop a class of people who will obey them. And this is just exactly what prophecy plainly declares will be done. John, the revelator, in speaking of the class of people whom he saw called out by the last great warning message, says, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14: 12.