TWO GREAT SHAKINGS by H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Nov 14, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 44.

TWO GREAT SHAKINGS.

By H. A. St. John

IN the Word of God and the spirit of prophecy, we have brought to light two great shakings, yet to come in the history of this world; and both are now in the near future. In fact, for several years we have been in the time of the first of these shakings. They will not both occur at the same time, for the first is to prepare the way for the second. The cause, character, and consequences of each are clearly revealed in the inspired Word.

First Great Shaking.

This great shaking comes under the Third Angel's Message, in the last generation. It is to be the shaking of the remnant church of Christ, called in the Bible the church of the Laodicians. The message from Heaven, from the faithful and true Witness, the Lord Jesus, the head of the church, will cause this shaking among God's people. Upon this solemn testimony the destiny of the church hangs. It has been feebly declared for years, and as feebly heeded. The testimony of Jesus which is to fully heal the church of Christ and send her to all the world, clothed in the light of God's eternal truth and glory, has never been half heeded, and by many entirely disregarded. Hence the shaking of the church up to this time has been very moderate, and at times has nearly ceased. But a mighty shaking of the church must come soon. There shall be delay no longer.

Souls with zealous repentance, with strong cries and tears, will believe and receive the straight testimony of the True Witness. They will cast off all the works of darkness, and put on the whole armor of light. By hungering and thirsting after righteousness they will be filled with faith, with joy, with love, and indeed they will be filled with all the fulness of God. Thus filled and thrilled, they will pour forth the straight testimony, the living testimony, with great power. This testimony will not be received by all, many will reject and oppose it, and this will cause a mighty shaking in the church. Those who are unwilling to zealously repent, and let Jesus into their hearts, will be shaken out, and others will fill up the ranks. The shaking will then extend to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, where the victorious remnant church will go with the Gospel of the kingdom under the Master's great commission. And Jesus will go with them to earth's remotest bounds, and He will work with them, confirming the word of truth by signs, wonders, miracles, and the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

Reader, will you be one of the struggling, faithful, and victorious ones? or will you continue lukewarm, and be spued out of the mouth of the Lord? This will be to be weighed in the balances and found wanting. It means to be blotted out of the Lamb's Book of Life—lost, lost, eternally lost.

Second Great Shaking.

This will be the shaking of all material things on the earth, and in the atmospheric heavens around the earth. The mighty shaking in the remnant church, which will extend to all people in the world, will bring the human race to the end of probation, the end of man's day, and the beginning of the day of the Lord. Then the time will have come for the great earthquake. It will be caused by the voice speaking from His throne in the heavens. The Lord will roar out of Zion; He will utter His voice from Jerusalem above. Then the voice of God will terribly shake the heavens and earth. Never has been so mighty an earthquake and so great. Every mountain and island will be moved. Cities of the nations will be shaken down. No pen can describe, no tongue can tell, no mortal mind can conceive, the terrors of that day.

But the Lord will be the hope of His people. It will be the time of the coming of the Lord right in the climax of that trouble. When Jesus comes, with all His holy angels, for His people, He will appear in flaming fire, and it will be very tempestuous round about Him. He calls to immortal life all His sleeping saints. The ransomed host will all be gathered up by the angels of God. By His power they will be "caught up to meet the Lord in the air," with Him to ascend to the beautiful home prepared for them.

Thus we see that the results of the first mighty shaking of the church is to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord, to ripen the great harvest of the earth, both the tares and the wheat, that each may receive the just recompense of their reward. The second mighty shaking will result in the execution of the judgment upon the house of God, the destruction of the wicked by the brightness of the coming of the Lord; the earth in desolation to rest till the end of the millennium, and then to be made new and glorious, the saints' eternal home.

H. A. ST. JOHN.