A Gathering and a Supper
By H. A. St. John
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Zeph. 2:1-3. THE above prophetic exhortation is the Old Testament version of both the Laodicean message (Rev. 3: 14-21) and the great threefold message (Rev. 14: 6-12). The wrath of God is filled up in the seven last plagues. These are hanging over a guilty world now, only waiting for the remnant church to gather themselves together by seeking the Lord, seeking righteousness, seeking meekness, opening the door of the heart and letting Jesus in to sup with them and they with Him. Then when the gathering call has done its work, when the remnant church, as overcomers, are hid with Christ, in the secret of His pavilion, supping with Him, then will the decree go forth, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. 22: 11. Then will the fierce anger of the Lord come upon all who are not hid, and they will cry bitterly for rocks, mountains, anything, to fall on them and hide them from deserved wrath. Before the decree went forth was the time to find the only shelter. Not less than four times the prophet uses the word "before," thus making it very emphatic that now, in the gathering time, is the only time when we may obtain the "gold tried in the fire," the "white raiment," the "eye-salve," the righteousness and meekness that will be our shield and covering in the day of wrath. And O, who can describe the preciousness and sweetness of that communion with Christ represented by supping with Him, and He with us! Reader, be not deceived. Seek the Lord, seek righteousness, seek meekness, and rest not till you have found the Lord, and received Him as your constant guest and guide.