LAST-DAY SCOFFERS by C. P. B.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 23, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 49.

LAST-DAY SCOFFERS.

By C. P. B.

THE apostle Peter evidently did not agree very well with some opinions which are quite popular nowadays. For instance, he did not take kindly to the idea that nothing can be known about the second coming of Christ, and that nothing should be said about it. In one of his epistles he says: "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance; that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour."

From this we learn that the apostle thought it worth his while, or rather the Spirit of God inspired him, to write an epistle to stir up the minds of the "beloved," that they might "be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles." But what had the prophets spoken, to which the Holy Spirit desired to call special attention? This question is answered by the verses immediately following the scripture already quoted. We read:—

"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."

And is not that just what people do say? Do we not hear it almost every day of our lives? and is it not preached from thousands of pulpits, and published in hundreds of papers throughout the land? It is not necessary that in order to be scoffers people should be what the world calls wicked. No, indeed; God calls those scoffers who disbelieve his truth and make light of his word. And so Peter says that they scoff who ask, "Where is the promise of his coming?"

But the fact that the Spirit said that this question would be asked shows that some would be saying that the Lord is coming; for if no one said anything about his coming, how could others scoff, and say, We see no sign of anything unusual, "for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation?" But that is just what they do say; and it is just what tens of thousands of people all over the land are saying to-day. They argue that the Lord cannot come for hundreds of years yet; that the world is not all settled yet; that there is still a large supply of coal and oil in the earth; that the gospel has not yet done its work, and that there is not the least sign of the end to be seen anywhere. You point them to the fulfillment of prophecy, and it don't mean anything to them; you tell them of the signs which have appeared from time to time in the sun, moon, and stars, and they say, "Oh, that don't mean anything!"

But why do not all these things have any meaning? Says the apostle: "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

That is where the trouble is; they do not see any signs of the coming of the Lord because—there are none?—Oh, no! because they do not want to see them; they are willingly ignorant. But that makes no difference with the fulfillment of God's word. The people in Noah's time did not believe that the flood was coming, and they no doubt reasoned just as people do now; but that did not change the purpose of God; and "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." And we know that it will be just that way in the last days, only "the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire."

People were wicked in Noah's time, and they had not the least faith in the flood; they did not believe a word that Noah said on that subject; and so they kept right on enjoying themselves, "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away;" and, says the Saviour, "So shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

But the matter of the surprise is not the only point of resemblance; for says the apostle, of those who shall live in the last days, "They willingly are ignorant," and that is just the way it was with those to whom Noah preached; they did not know the flood was coming. No indeed; if they had there would have been need of a whole fleet of arks. But why did they not know?—Simply because they were willingly ignorant. And that is the way Peter says it will be in the last days. You just speak of the coming of the Lord, and see how incredulously most people will look at you; even many professed Christians will almost pity you because you are so foolish! They do not believe it, and they are surprised that anyone else should. But willing ignorance is sin, and so in the last days people will be wicked; and that too is just as it was in the days of Noah, for we read of the days just before the flood, that "the wickedness of man was great;" and everybody knows that the same is true of the world to-day. No, everybody does not know this fact, for some are willingly ignorant even of the condition of their own hearts, and they imagine that the world is growing better, when they are simply growing more like the world. They close their eyes to present facts, and their ears to the truths of God's word, and whereas the Bible says that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived," and that "as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be," they say that the world is growing better; that erelong everybody will be converted, and the world enjoy a thousand years of peace and safety before the coming of the Lord! But in this they are willingly ignorant, and their ignorance only furnishes another evidence that "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." C. P. B.