p. 7 | A STRIKING PARALLEL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 1, 1899

A STRIKING PARALLEL.

WHEN Christ was about to make His first advent, the whole Jewish nation was strongly cherishing a fatal error. There was, perhaps, not a single individual but what believed that the Messiah was to come as a temporal prince. The prophecies foretold how Christ was to come, but prejudices and a lack of spiritual discernment through a failure to study those prophecies kept the Jews of nineteen hundred years ago from a knowledge of the great truth that God had for them.

The Messiah Himself finally came, as foretold by the prophets. His birth, His life, His teaching, and all His mighty works were a direct fulfilment of prophecy. Yet the Jewish nation as such rejected and crucified Him. And the Jews are still looking for the Messiah, notwithstanding the fact that the God of their fathers sent Him to them nearly two millenniums ago. And, furthermore, when He was here upon earth in person He came in fulfilment of the very prophecies that the Jewish doctors had in their hands and were expounding every day. Their explanations were wrong, it is true, but they need not have been if they had followed the Word of the Lord that was in their hands, in the place of holding to popular error and tradition instead.

The first advent of Christ was a most important event in the history of the world. And the whole Jewish nation is a standing monument of the fatal spiritual death that came to those who shut themselves away from the truth that God's Word contained for that time.

Another supremely important event is now confronting the world. Jesus has said, "I will come again" (John 14:3), and "unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28). Every prophecy and every sign of our time points to the fact that this promised second coming of the Messiah is right at hand. But a fatal error has overspread the world in this time that is equally as misleading as that which so completely blinded the eyes of the Jews at the first advent.

The Word of God plainly says that "in the last days perilous times shall come," and "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3:1, 13. The Master says: "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matt. 24:11-13. And again He says, "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8.

The foregoing scriptures are perfectly plain. They are explicit in saying that the last days shall be "perilous," that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse," that because of "false prophets" and "iniquity" those who are saved will have to "endure unto the end;" and finally the question is asked if there shall be any faith when the Son of man cometh.

The facts in the world to-day are in perfect accord with the Scriptures of truth. The murders, the robberies, the vices, the embezzlements, the briberies, and all of the rest of the appalling array of evils in this our day show that "perilous times" have come, and that "evil men and seducers" are indeed waxing "worse and worse." It is perfectly plain that the world is confronted with evils to-day the like of which have never appeared in such malignant and all-pervading proportions. Men's faces grow pale at the thought of what is coming on the earth.

But, despite the testimony of Scripture and the existing facts which so strikingly harmonize with the Word of God, we hear men saying that the world is growing better all the time, and that soon we will have a millennium, in the which there will be nothing but peace and righteousness. It is a strange anomaly that men can stand within the dark shadows of desolating evils, and, while their faces are blanched because of the terrors that the prevailing situation inspires, yet they will fulfil prophecy by saying, "Peace, peace, when there is no peace."

And it is not true that men can not or do not see these things. God's Word is plain, and God's Spirit through His Word brings conviction to every heart. You may speak out and say, "That is not so." But time is too precious for you to stop to argue the matter with finite man. Ask your own conscience when alone with God: "What convictions have I been stifling? What manifest truth have I been resisting? What error has the heavenly Father plainly unmasked before me, and yet I am clinging to it because of my prejudices and pride?" And when you have honestly answered these questions, not to man, but to God, yield to your convictions of truth as you love your life.

The delusion of a temporal kingdom at the Messiah's first advent, led all, excepting a few, of the whole Jewish nation astray. Yet there were some then who saw the truth and yielded to its convincing testimony. The delusion of a temporal millennium now, just before the second advent of Christ, is leading nearly the whole world into the fatal error. Do you see the striking parallel? Study the Scripture and ask your heavenly Father to guide you to the right side.