End of all Things by Editor

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · May 9, 1854

End of all Things.

By Editor

"Coming event casts their shadows before." We live in the midst of portentous times. The indications of an appalling and mighty crisis in the affairs of this world are thickening on every hand, and becoming more and more apparent. We have no desire to create unnecessary alarm, or to be considered in the light of a croaker, or to prophesy evil concerning this generation; but we do think that every man of candor and good sense, who is not too proud to learn, or too wise to seek instruction, will take the trouble to investigate and search, that he may be satisfied, touching a subject in which the entire human family are deeply interested. We allude to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven, with all his holy angels, "in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day."

We wish to call the attention of the people to the investigation of these things. No one but a madman would refuse even to look at a subject fraught with such deep and momentous interest to himself, and that of his fellow-men. A spirit of honest inquiry, and a candid examination of prophecy will lead to results far more conclusive and satisfactory, than a hasty and inconsiderate condemnation of every one who professes to believe that the end of all things is near at hand.

In Luke xxi, our Saviour talking with the disciples on the Mount of Olives, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and after specifying the various signs by which that important event should be characterized, proceeds to speak also of the signs which shall immediately precede the destruction of the earth as follows:

"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 hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.—And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

Let any man who is not wilfully blind, or wickedly disposed to ridicule every thing serious, ask himself if there is not at this moment distress among the nations and perplexity? Do not men's hearts fail them for fear? Is there not a general fearfulness and want of confidence among all portions of the business community in our own country? Do we not witness the daily arrival of hordes of famishing men and women from the shores of Europe?

Again does not Paul describe the men of this generation, and delineate their character as truly as though he were now present among us, together with an exact and striking portraiture of the very times in which we live? Examine, and see what Paul says of the perilous times of the last days. Does not Peter, also, speak of scoffers and mockers who shall come in the last days? And are there no scoffers among us? Will no one scoff at this article after reading it? And why should they? Is not our private opinion on this subject as much our property, as upon any other subject? We ask no one to believe upon our testimony, but we merely say, that if they will take the pains to look into the prophecy of the Scriptures, and then look at the world as it is, if they do not find a wonderful coincidence between the two, as well as many striking fulfillments of the predictions there contained, going on around us every day, their organs of perception must be obtuse indeed.