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Signs of the Times

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Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jan 2, 1879

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 5, No. 1.

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Signs of the Times.

By R. F. Cottrell

TEXT:—“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt. 16:3.
CONTEXT:—“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day; for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Verses 1–3.
“And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” Luke 12:54–56.
THE signs of the times are discerned by watching the fulfllment of prophecy. As the present appearance of the clouds and winds indicate what kind of weather is at hand, so the present fulfllment of God’s promises contained in the prophecies declare with greater certainty the events which are to follow. This is most emphatically the case, when certain things are predicted as signs to those who witness their fulfllment, that some great event is at hand.
In the great plan of human redemption and salvation there are two great events, namely, the first and second advents of the Son of God; the first, to shed his blood for the remission of the sins of those who should believe and obey him; the second, to receive his redeemed people to himself. Consequently there are two points in the divine programme, as advertised in prophecy, of especial expectation to the church of God.
The rejection of the great mass of the Jewish church at the first advent was the consequence of their rejection of the promised Messiah; and their rejection of him was the consequence of their not discerning the signs of the times. And let me ask right here if there is not danger that the mass of the Christian church will be rejected at the second advent for the same reason; especially since the idea prevails so extensively that it is not necessary to understand the prophecies, and thus to discern the signs of the times, in order to a preparation for that stupendous event. We hear it said everywhere, “It is no matter to us whether the coming of Christ is near or not, if we are only prepared;” as if it were possible to be prepared for that transcendently thrilling event, without faith in his prophetic words and promised signs, and consequently without discerning the signs of the times—the very thing that proved the Jews to be unbelievers in the prophets whom they professed to believe, and led to their rejection of God. They professed faith in the prophets, but did not possess it; therefore the pointed rebuke, “Ye hypocrites,” which they justly merited. Will not the same course pursued by Christians lead to the same results?
In proof that the Jews were rejected as a consequence of not discerning the signs of the times as predicted in prophecy, we quote, in addition to our text, Luke 19:41–44: “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; . . . because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Acts 13:27: “For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulflled them in condemning him.”
These testimonies make it clear that had they known and heeded the voices of the prophets, they might have known the time of their visitation, accepted of Christ, the heavenly visitant, and escaped the condemnation of fulflling the prophets in condemning him. See Isa. 53:3. And are not Christians who heed not the prophets—who do not care to inquire into the signs of the times—in a similar error and liable to a like condemnation? Do they not need to heed the caution of the apostle, “Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets: Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work in which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you?” Acts 13:40, 41. This shows that when God works in the fulfllment of prophecy, we are in danger of being rejected of God, if we do not believe it.
Some of the signs of the times connected with the first advent of Christ were the fulfllment of the predictions of prophecy. 1. That he should be born of a virgin. Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18–23. 2. Of the lineage of David. Ps. 89:3, 4; 132:11; Luke 1:32. 3. In Bethlehem. Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2; 1–6. 4. He was to be called out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:14. 5. There was to be great mourning in Ramah for deceased children. Jer. 31:15; Matt. 2:16–18. He was to be despised, rejected, and slain. Isa. 53:1–8; Dan. 9:26. He was to be put to death by crucifixion. Ps. 22:16. Scorned and taunted in his distress. Ps. 22:7, 8; Matt. 27:39, 43. Mark 15:29–32; Luke 23:35. The words of agony on the cross were foretold. Ps. 22:1; Matt. 27:46. His garments were to be divided among the executioners. Ps. 22:18; John 19:23, 24. He was to be numbered with the transgressors, and buried in a rich man’s sepulcher. Isa. 53:9, 12; Mark 15:27, 28. But he was to rise from the dead, and ascend to the right hand of God. Ps. 16:9–11; Acts 2:25–33.
Now consider the manner in which these prophecies were fulflled. They had no mystic fulfllment; but their fulfllment was most literal—precisely what the words of prophecy said. Jesus has promised to come again. How shall we interpret the prediction of his second coming? Shall we give them a mystical interpretation? Says an apostle, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” He has appeared once literally and was literally offered a sacrifice for sin. Will his second appearing be in some hidden, mystical manner? Said Jesus, “Whither I go ye cannot come.” John 13:33. “I go unto the Father.” Chap. 14:28. “In my Father’s house are many mansions, . . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” Verses 2, 3. “And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:30. “While they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9–11. Says Paul, when speaking of the coming of the Lord, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise.” 1 Thess. 4:16.
Now is this second coming to be understood mystically, spiritually, or figuratively? Does this coming mean the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army? Does it mean death? Does the second coming take place every time a person dies; I leave it with the candid to answer.
Jesus promised to come again; and the testimonies concerning it are too express and emphatic to be gainsayed. He also gave signs, the fulfllment of which should give the assurance that his coming is near, even at the doors. These constitute a portion of the signs of the times, when his coming is near. How shall we expect the fulfllment of these signs? If his coming is mystical, the signs will be mystical; and as a consequence no one will know anything about either. But his word requires those who see the signs to “know” that it is near. But if his coming is to be literal, as we have proved, if words can prove anything, the signs of his coming will be literally fulflled. Another evidence that the signs were to have a literal fulfllment, is the fact that they have been literally fulflled. The earthquake, and signs in sun, moon, and stars, of the sixth seal of Rev. 6:12, 13, though they have been regarded as symbolic, have been literally fulflled.
In answer to the question, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” our Saviour said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:29, 30. “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s heart’s failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:25–27.
In this last testimony is evidence that the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, are not to be understood figuratively but, are to be fulflled here upon the earth; for he speaks of these signs in heaven, and then of what shall follow on the earth and in the sea.
It is sufficient to say that these signs, in heaven, earth, and sea, have appeared. The next event in the order is the shaking of the powers of the heavens. This will be fulflled after the close of probation, and just before the appearing of the Saviour. It will follow the voice of God from heaven, saying, “It is done.” Rev. 16:17. See also Joel 3:16; Jer. 25:30. Therefore the last merciful warnings of the approach of that tremendous day have come. Said Jesus, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”
In conclusion, we ask, Is it any less a sin for a Christian to close his eyes against discerning the signs of the times, than for the Jews in their day? Will not his language to those now living who do not care to see and recognize the hand of God in the fulfllment of promised signs, be equally severe and equally true? “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Heaven help us to believe, and thus avert so terrible a condemnation, when it shall be too late to find pardon.
R. F. COTTRELL.