IN one of our familiar hymns we read the encouraging assurance that—
“God is wisdom, God is love.”
Now this wisdom and this love combine in His judgment concerning what is best for us to know. In the beginning He knew that it was best for man not to know evil, and forbade his eating fruit that would engender a knowledge of mingled good and evil; for good mixed with evil tends only toward evil, when the evil is a deliberate choice. So the knowledge that Adam gained by eating the forbidden fruit was the result of disobedience, and could lead only to evil.
God wants His people to get wisdom, but the getting of knowledge is not always the getting of wisdom; for wisdom consists in the knowledge of good things and in the proper use of that knowledge. So the wisdom of God often withholds the knowledge of good from His people when He knows they would not make a wise use of it. Of itself, “knowledge puffeth up,” or engendereth pride. Again, the people “are destroyed for lack of knowledge” because they do not seek the right kind of knowledge, or do not seek it in the right way, or from the right source. Hosea 4:6–8; Isa. 8:19, 20. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.” Col. 3:16.
God has a way of giving such knowledge of coming events to His people as His wisdom and love deem best. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. He has also a time when, in His judgment, it is best to make revelations known. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Eccl. 3:1. And Jerusalem was destroyed because the Jewish people knew not the time of their visitation. Luke 19:41–44. They didn’t know the time because they did not heed God’s manner of revealing His will. They had rejected the Spirit of prophecy, and had made of none effect the commandments of God by their own traditions.
Because of Noah’s faithful life, God made known to him the year when the Flood would come; and, because of His faithful proclamation of the Gospel in his day, demonstrating his faith by building the ark, he was informed of the exact day when the Flood would come. Gen. 7:1–5. Because Abraham was faithful in his service of God, he was informed concerning the destruction of Sodom. Gen. 18:17–19. Because Daniel studied the prophecy of Jeremiah, he knew the time when the captivity in Babylon should end. Dan. 9:2. Because Simeon believed the prophecies, he was waiting for the consolation of Israel at the very time that Christ was born, and recognized in the infant Jesus the long-expected Messiah. Luke 2:25–32.
Many people are anxious to know about the second coming of Christ—of the time, the manner, the purpose, and the effect. They find many and variant answers to all these questions; and there is much confusion on these subjects because men seek elsewhere for information than from the one true source—the Word of God, the Spirit of prophecy. Christ warns us that “there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Then He adds, “Behold, I have told you beforehand.” Matt. 24:24, 25. This prophetic warning leaves any one without excuse for being deceived; for the same Spirit of prophecy gives plain instruction on all the points involved.
As to the time, the Lord gives certain signs in this same chapter by which His people may know that “He is nigh, even at the doors.” See verses 29–33. He does not give the year nor the day. As yet He did not know the day nor the hour. Verse 36. But it does not follow that the day and hour would not be revealed to Him before the time. Noah was not told the day when the Flood would come until he had completed his work, and the unbelievers did not know it at all until it came upon them. Nor would Noah have known the day had he not labored on, believing the Spirit of prophecy that was in him. So the people of God who are faithful in the preparation for the second advent of Christ, and in the proclamation of the advent message, may have the day and hour revealed to them before the time has fully come.
The manner is plainly set forth in the Scriptures. There will be no secrecy about it; for “He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him.” Rev. 1:7. He will “come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him.” Matt 25:31. It will be “as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west.” Ch. 24:27. He will come in like manner as He went up from Mount Olivet. Acts 1:11.
The effect will include not only the redemption of the righteous, but the utter undoing of the wicked (2 Thess. 2:7, 8; Rev. 1:7; 6:12–17), and a time of chaos on the earth (Revelation 20).
Such is, in brief, the testimony of the Spirit of prophecy concerning the coming of our Lord. By holding fast to this doctrine, and letting the light of truth shine out in obedience to “the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” He will reveal to us, through that same Spirit, whatever else is best for us to know. But if we would be “wise unto salvation,” we must “despise not prophesyings.” This was what brought disaster to the race in the beginning, and it is that which has caused all the trouble in the world ever since. The essential thing, however, is to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent; for this is eternal life. John 17:3.