Why Did Not All See His Star?—Unexplained Darkening of Moon—The Great "Star Shower" and Its Significance—Parallel to the Days of Noah
By EUGENE W. FARNSWORTH
LAST week Mr. Farnsworth's article told of the unexplainable darkening of the sun foretold by Christ. He therefore passes that matter over without reference this week, and proceeds to call attention to the signs in moon and stars, and some of the conditions on earth that have fulfilled and are fulfilling the Master's word.
EDITOR.
THERE is an interesting prophecy in the book of Numbers: "I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth." Num. 24: 17.
When we come down fourteen and a half centuries this side of the time when those words were spoken, I see some men coming to Jerusalem,—strangers in that city and to the people. Listen to their inquiry: "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."
THE LUMINOUS SIGN IN THE HEAVENS
Now notice that the prophet said that when Messiah should come, a sign would appear that would remind the people of His coming. In Persia a few men among the Magi one night saw a luminous body in the heavens. They had been reading the books of Moses, and they found this prophecy stating that a star would appear as an omen of the first advent.
Immediately they said, Let us go and find this King. They took gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the offering made to royalty, and then began their travels, which lasted several weeks. All the time, they followed that star, until they came to Bethlehem, and there their journey ended at the place where the young Child lay.
WHY COULD NOT OTHERS SEE IT?
Why did not others see that star? How did it happen that just those few men in the East saw that sign?—It was because they had eyes to see, hearts to believe. They were searching for light, and God led them, by a light hung in the sky, to the great Source of all light. There were millions of men on earth at that time, but they saw no sign that Christ had come. All they could see in the Messiah when they beheld Him was an ordinary man. How was it that others saw in Him the Saviour of the race?—It was because they believed the word of God.
THE MOON SHOULD BE DARKENED
We shall now consider the second sign of Christ's second advent. That sign was the darkening of the moon. On the night following the remarkable dark day of May 19, 1780, the moon was perfectly dark, though at its full. This is an unquestioned fact. The sign was fulfilled as the Saviour said it would be, and you will notice that the second sign shows how extensively the sun was darkened. Some say the sun was dark only in the United States. Now when the moon is full, and its light fails, does that not show that the light of the sun on the other side of the earth has also failed? From this you will see that the sun was darkened during a large share of the earth's revolution.
"THE STARS SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN"
The next sign the Saviour gave was that the stars should fall from heaven. He did not refer to the great suns a thousand times larger than our earth, but used the term as we commonly use it. When we see a meteor, we say, "See that star falling!" An eminent writer thus describes the scene:
"But the most sublime phenomenon of shooting stars of which the world has furnished any record, was witnessed throughout the United States on the morning of the thirteenth of November, 1833. The entire extent of this astonishing exhibition has not been precisely ascertained; but it covered no inconsiderable portion of the earth's surface. . . . The first appearance was that of fireworks of the most imposing grandeur, covering the entire vault of heaven with millions of fire balls resembling sky-rockets. Their coruscations were bright, gleaming, and incessant, and they fell thick as the flakes in the early snows of December. To the splendors of this celestial exhibition the most brilliant sky-rockets and fireworks of art bear less relation than the twinkling of the most tiny star to the broad glare of the sun. The whole heavens seemed in motion, and suggested to some the awful grandeur of the image employed in the Apocalypse, upon the opening of the sixth seal, when 'the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind.'"—"Burritt's Geography of the Heavens."
One more testimony may be given:
"We pronounce the raining of fire which we saw on Wednesday morning last, an awful type, a sure forerunner, a merciful sign of that great and dreadful day which the inhabitants of the world will witness when the sixth seal shall be opened. The time is just at hand, described not only in the New Testament, but in the Old. A more correct picture of a fig-tree casting its leaves when blown by a mighty wind, it is not possible to behold."—Connecticut Observer.
It was such signs as these that the Saviour said would be seen before He comes the second time. And now He continues: "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. . . . Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matt. 24: 30, 34.
As Christ looked down through the years, and saw the sun darkened, the moon not giving its light, and the stars falling, He said, The people who behold these signs and see these prophecies fulfilled shall not pass away till all things are fulfilled. That statement brings the coming of the Lord very near.
The Saviour says further of that time: "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 shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21: 26-28. We can not tell just when the Lord will come; and from other scriptures, we are led to believe that there will be a time of tarrying while the earth is warned of impending events.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24: 35-37. In these words we are warned against setting any time, the year or the day, for Christ to come. Such calculations are not based on the word of God.
PARALLEL CONDITIONS
The history of Noah's day is cited to represent conditions to be found prior to the second advent. What were the people doing when the Flood came?—They were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. And it is not wrong to do any of those things in a proper way; but in the days of Noah, the people were thinking more of what they should eat and drink and what they should wear, than they thought of the things pertaining to eternal life. Is it not so to-day? And in what is taking place about us do we not have the most convincing sign of all that the end is very near?
DRUNKENNESS INCREASING ALARMINGLY
The alarming rate at which drunkenness increases in spite of all the efforts made to combat the evil, is appalling. When Greed stands on one side the counter, and Appetite on the other, the power of God is required to keep them apart. The efforts put forth to stop the liquor traffic should be sustained by every one who has the good of his fellows at heart, and may God's blessing rest upon every movement that has for its object the suppression of this curse.
But we can not close our eyes to facts as they exist. The world is surely as it was in the days of Noah. The earth is filled with violence. "Blood toucheth blood." People are eating, drinking, joy-riding, buying, and selling, wholly occupied with the things of the moment, while the day of wrath steals upon them as a thief with muffled tread. And God says this state of things will continue until the trumpet sounds, and they will167be found totally unprepared, asleep to their eternal interests.
WHY WILL THEY SLEEP?
Why will they be sleeping?—Because the great majority do not believe the words of Christ. Did the world know the Flood was coming?—No. Why did not the people know? Noah had been preaching, telling the inhabitants of the world about the Flood, for a hundred and twenty years. Noah and his family knew what was coming.
The difference between Noah and the unbelieving world was that Noah believed God, the others did not. "As it was in the days of Noah," some will be ready and waiting for the Lord; but the great majority of men will be unprepared, because they will not believe the message God has sent.
