General Articles by J. G. Matteson

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 17, 1878

General Articles.

By J. G. Matteson

THE PEOPLE OF GOD

DURING THE CLOSING TRIBULATION.

THE prophet Isaiah has presented many remarkable things relating to the people of God in the last days. He paints their tribulation, warfare, and victory, in living colors. In Isa. 33:9–24, we find a very interesting picture of the last trials of the people of God, and some stirring exhortations to be faithful unto the end.

"The earth mourneth and fadeth away." Isa. 24:4. The curse devours the earth on account of the transgression of its inhabitants. Verses 5, 6. "Sharon is like a wilderness." Then the Lord arises to judgment. The imagined wisdom of man is likened unto conceiving chaff and bringing forth stubble. And the people shall be burned in the fire as thorns cut up. Chapter 33:10–12. But the warning voice of God shall be heard in the earth:—

"Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Verses 13, 14.

Sinners and hypocrites in Zion are those who profess to be disciples of Christ, but at the same time do not walk in uprightness and honesty before God. They have retained their place in the church, but they are under the control of sin. They have deceived their fellow-men, but they cannot deceive God. The devouring fire has come. The everlasting burnings rage around about them. The noisome pestilence walks through the terrible darkness, and death is mowing down men with his scythe, until "a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand." Ps. 91:6, 7.

Up to this time, sinners have slept calmly in Zion. They were not disturbed by the warning voice of the watchman. He cried aloud of the great day that was near, but hypocrites smiled and would not be disturbed. They thought, There is no danger. These warnings have sounded a great many years. Yet all things continue as they were from the beginning.

But now the flames of hell have surrounded them. They neglected prayer. They forgot to watch. The inward man was not renewed or nourished. The gold was not purified in the fiery trials. They never made room in their souls for Jesus, the hope of glory. Now they do not know whither they shall flee from the devouring fire. Their painful cries sound terrifying through the air: "Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"

They did not turn at the reproof of the Lord, when he would have poured out his Spirit upon them, and would have made known his word unto them. Therefore, the word of the Lord is now addressed to them: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." Prov. 1:24–29. Oh! how these words will pierce like pointed arrows through the hearts of thousands, when dark despair enshrouds them like a pall on the great day of the Lord.

It seems as though none could be preserved in that terrible hour, yet the Lord will preserve and save his children. The pestilence shall not come nigh to them. "Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked." Ps. 91:7, 8. There is a people who can dwell with the devouring fire, whom the Lord will hide for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. Isa. 26:20. Who, then, shall be numbered with this people?

"He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil. He shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks; bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Isa. 33:15, 16.

The religion that leads in this way is the religion of Christ. The grace that produces such fruits is the saving grace of God. Blessed is the man who thus receives Christ, and follows his footsteps, for this is to walk righteously; who bridles his tongue, and governs his temper; who would rather be poor than get gain by oppressing and deceiving his fellow-men; who would not change his judgment for money; who shuts his ears and eyes from the many evil things that are in this world. The angels of God will encamp round about him in the evil day. He shall find a habitation in the midst of the wilderness—a shelter with the Most High.

Ancient Israel waded through plagues and tribulations before they were delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and entered the promised land. So likewise must the Israel of God through much tribulation enter the heavenly Canaan. This will be the case in a special manner when the seven last plagues are poured out upon the earth. The sun scorches with great heat, until the seed is rotten under the clods; the pastures are desolate; the herds of cattle and flocks of sheep perish; while the food is cut off from the eyes of men. Joel 1:15–20; Rev. 16:8, 9. The sea, rivers, and fountains of waters turn to blood. The thirsty people cannot find one drop of water to cool their parched tongues, and the air is filled with poisonous substances from the multitude of decaying fish; for life has departed from every soul in the sea.

Then this promise of God will be very precious to his suffering people: "Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Once more the Lord will open the heavens with manna for his waiting Israel. Once more their thirst shall be slaked with water from the flinty rock, called forth by the word of the Lord.

As the Lord appears unto his people to be tarrying, he comforts them in much mercy: "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you; for the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for him." Isa. 30:18.

The Lord points his waiting people to Jerusalem, where they soon shall dwell: "For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee." Verse 19.

Their thirst shall be satisfied in affliction and their hunger supplied in the great distress. "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction [Danish version: And the Lord will give you bread in adversity, and water in affliction], yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left [Danish: When ye would have turned to the right hand or to the left]." Verses 20, 21.

There were but few teachers among the people of God. They had to travel continually from place to place. The parting scene was often painful. But now (during the time of the plagues) there are no more warnings to be given to sinners. The time of grace is past. Preachers and hearers are together waiting for the solemn hour of deliverance.

The office of Jesus as high priest has then ceased. The ministration in the heavenly temple is finished when the seven last plagues begin. Rev. 15:8. Then the people of God must be free from sin, not only in deed, but also in word and thought.

This seems to them impossible; for they are still mortal creatures, and with the best intentions they can easily make mistakes. But the angels of God are round about them. They keep them in all their ways. When they would turn to the right or left, because their judgment is not sufficient for the emergencies, the good angels lead them gently in the straight and narrow way.

Dear reader, consider how gracious the Lord is, and how wisely he has arranged everything for our salvation. When the towers fall in the day of the great slaughter, there will be distress and anguish among the children of men. "And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones." Verse 30. Then the fire of Tophet shall burn, as the prophet declares, like a pile of much wood, like a stream of brimstone. Verse 33. But the Lord will save his people with a glorious salvation. "The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." Verse 26.

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28. In the midst of their affliction, the Lord bids his people look up. "Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off." Isa. 33:17.

Jesus was a blessed child to look upon, even in his human weakness and poverty. It was a happy moment for old Simeon when he, after a long and weary time of waiting, could say: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Luke 2:29, 30. Yet it must be far more glorious to behold Jesus as a king when he comes in all his heavenly glory. What a blessed sight to those eyes which often were wet and tired from tears and sorrow! Then the tears of waiting and longing shall no more roll down the furrowed cheeks, when

the Lion of the tribe of Judah shall come from the paradise of God with the sweet morning glory of eternal bliss.

When Christ left this world, he "went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." Luke 19:12. Now he is coming to take you home to this "far country"—the heavenly Canaan, the blessed paradise of God.

Human plans and offices perish. Your heart is terrified by unexpected events. The enemies of God speak scoffing words. Isa. 33:18, 19. But they shall soon perish. Then the King will give unto those who have kept the Father's commandments access to the tree of life, and they shall enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. 22:14. Rejoice, O daughter of Zion. Thy King cometh with the clouds of heaven. He comes with gentle words and heavenly comfort. Lift up your weary eyes from the valley of tears, from the great tribulation of the last days. "Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation." Isa. 33:20.

O weary soul, let not your courage fail. Look upon the city where God's people shall assemble. Here we often found but little room. Many doors were locked against us and against the truth of God. Often we were but few, and sometimes lonesome. Our fellow-men in the world counted us with fools and heretics. Yet God did show us the path of life, and he will give us fullness of joy in his presence, and happy mansions at his right hand forever (Danish translation). Ps. 16. There are many mansions in the Father's house. John 14. And the Master has prepared them very gloriously. You will be much astonished when Jesus leads you into your heavenly home; for the beautiful things he has prepared for you will excel all the glory you ever could imagine.

Zion is the city of our solemnities. All the children of God bring their honor and glory into the city of the great King. The glory of God shines in it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Then mistakes and misunderstandings are past forever. Every soul that is washed in the blood of the Lamb shall shine like the sun in the eternal kingdom. All party spirit is gone. Every heart beats in heavenly harmony. Every tongue praises God and the Lamb. O blessed hour, draw nigh! Let mine eyes see Jerusalem. Let my soul rest in thy quiet habitations. There is rest for the weary.

The heavenly habitation is a strong tabernacle. Here the stakes are often pulled out when we pitch our tents, and the ropes are broken. Sometimes the storm tears down our tents; and when that is not the case, we have to pull the stakes ourselves and move; for we have no abiding city here. But there we shall never feel the power of the shifting winds. The howling storm is changed to a heavenly calm; the moving tents into a city that hath foundations, a kingdom that cannot be moved. There the Lord will be glorious unto us. He is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King. He will save us. "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isa. 33:24.

Dear reader, have you obtained the forgiveness of your iniquities? Have you found healing in the wounds of Jesus? Are you a sinner in Zion, who soon with trembling will endeavor in vain to flee from the devouring fire. Or have you turned from your idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven?

Are you making advancement in the way of life? or does lukewarmness hinder your spiritual growth? Do you learn from our Saviour, who was meek and lowly of heart? or do the world and the flesh still rule in your mind? Search yourself in the sight of God, who is acquainted with all your secret thoughts. Be not discouraged, neither presumptuous. Prepare to meet your God. Then you shall soon see the King in his beauty, and find an eternal home in Zion, the city of our solemnities. J. G. MATTESON.