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WILLINGLY IGNORANT

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 16, 1881

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 7, No. 23.

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WILLINGLY IGNORANT.

By Editor

THE apostle Peter, speaking of those who, in the last days, will try to deny or to evade the truth in regard to the Lord’s coming, says they will be “willingly ignorant” of certain things. The revised version uses a singular expression—they will “willfully forget.” The idea is just. Willing ignorance is only willfulness. In this important matter, fortunately, ignorance is not necessary, for abundant evidence is given in the word of God to afford assurance to the humble seeker for truth.
A lady in one of the Eastern States having advocated the doctrine of the Lord’s near coming, the editor of the village paper replied as follows:—
“Since ‘the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night,’ and no man is to know ‘the day or the hour when the Son of man cometh;’ and since, as Jesus himself has said, ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man: no, not even the angels of Heaven, but my Father only,’ is it not sheer presumption in any person to talk of ‘signs’ indicating its approach? We are positively assured by Jesus himself that no man, not even the angels, can possibly know anything concerning his second coming, and yet here is an intelligent, estimable, and sincere lady raising a warning cry, and insisting that that end is just around the corner, as it were, all the astronomers to the contrary, notwithstanding. Indeed, she as good as intimates that the astronomers themselves are gradually coming round to her way of thinking.”
Now we could readily excuse the ignorance betrayed in the above paragraph, were it not for the self-assurance manifested by the writer, which gives so strong a coloring of willfulness to his language. And yet we are not surprised at the position taken by this editor, for we have known the same ideas to be put forth from the pulpits of orthodox churches. We pity the secular editor where we would blame the minister. The former may not be expected to examine Biblical questions closely; but the latter has taken upon himself the most solemn obligation to do so,—to search the Scriptures and to give the mind of the Spirit of God to the people, as it is revealed in his word. Let us briefly examine these points put forth with so much confidence, and see to what they amount.
1. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. True, but to whom? The Saviour says his coming will be as unexpected to the world as was the coming of the flood to that generation. But it did not come unexpectedly to those who were saved. And “so will it be when the Son of man is revealed.” Paul, speaking of that day, says, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that should overtake you as a thief.” Did the opposers ever read and consider this text? It will come as a thief on the careless, the indifferent, the worldly, the faithless.
2. Of that day and hour knoweth no man. True again. All Adventists fully accept this statement, and he who quotes it against them does it to no purpose. While we accept this, why is it that the opposers will not accept the words of the Saviour in immediate connection with this? He says that when they see certain things come to pass, then they may know he is near even at the doors—“just around the corner,” if you like the expression better. More than this, it is in the imperative form in the original—it is a precept, “know ye that he is near.” It is both the privilege and the duty of Christians to know that it is near. And he who refuses to know it; who speaks against it, is, in the same chapter, called an evil servant.
3. “We are positively assured by Jesus himself that no man, not even the angels, can possibly know anything concerning his coming.” What a statement is this! We are astonished that any man has the presumption to pen it. When the Saviour himself gives the signs; commands us to know; gives an illustration from nature which is almost unequaled for certainty; and says so surely we must know when it is near; how is it that a man has the ability to read the texts, dares to say that we “cannot possibly know anything concerning it.” Jesus said nothing to that import, but decidedly to the contrary. The day and hour he did not reveal; the signs of its nearness he did not reveal. And he who denies or covers up this truth incurs the fearful penalty for taking from the words of Scripture.
4. “The astronomers to the contrary, notwithstanding.” This is enough to cause any one to smile, who has any just idea of the subject. The truths of astronomy have no bearing whatever on the doctrine of the second advent, more than they had on the first advent. He who intimates that astronomy knows anything of facts of this nature shows only his own folly. Inspiration points to this very kind of opposition to this truth.
There shall come “in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” But we do not learn concerning “the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” from the works of creation, or the changes in nature, but from the “sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.”
When men shut their eyes against this light, when they would rather than not be ignorant of its teachings, because they do not co-incide with their feelings, we cannot wonder that they run to great lengths in error. We pity them; and much more we pity those who are blindly led by them to reject the truth of God in matters which pertain to our salvation.
We have already said enough to prove that it is the Lord’s will and intention that we shall know when his coming is near. We will add but a little to this evidence.
By the prophet Joel the Lord commands that an alarm shall be sounded when the day of the Lord is near. “The day of the Lord” is a period of time which is to immediately succeed “the day of salvation.”
As to the nature of that day, see Isa. 13:6-13; Joel 2:1, 2; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-4; 2 Peter 3:3-10. These texts not only show what is the nature of that day, but also connect its coming with the second advent of our Lord, who will then take “vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” But who shall sound the alarm, and warn the world of its near approaching, if we “cannot possibly know anything concerning it”? This prophecy of Joel can no more fail than any other word of the holy Scriptures. The alarm must and will be sounded, “whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.” The world will be warned, notwithstanding evil servants may say, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” and scoffers may deridingly ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?”
Paul to the Hebrews, says that to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Following this he counsels them to faithfulness, “and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” If they may heed the Saviour’s answer to the question, “what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?” they cannot fail to see the day approaching; they will be able intelligently to sound an alarm. Instead of saying, “You cannot possibly know anything concerning it,” the Lord said that as surely as we know that summer is nigh when the trees put forth their leaves, so surely may we know, when we see these signs, when he is near, even at the doors. This is quite plain enough to satisfy faith. The evil servant, and to the scoffer, nothing would be satisfactory. Rejecting the words of prophecy, they would not believe though one rose from the dead.
Why will people set themselves against the doctrine of the second advent! What is there in it to displease them? It is the time when the saints shall appear in glory, Col. 3:4; when they shall inherit the kingdom, Matt. 25:31-34; when they shall receive a crown of glory, 1 Peter 5:4; when they shall receive the reward of all their labors, Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; when we shall be restored to the sweet companionship of our friends who sleep in Jesus, 1 Thess. 4:13; when the righteous shall triumph over death and the grave, 1 Cor. 15:51-55. It is the blessed hope. Titus 2:11-14.
What more need we say to incite every lover of Jesus to love his appearing? Who can read these Scriptures and not heartily say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”? May the Lord by his Spirit and his truth prepare us for that day—day of joy and of glory to every faithful soul—day of terror and alarm only to the worldly, the unfaithful. Rev. 6:15-17; 2 Thess. 1:6-10.