p. 100 | PROPHETIC COMMANDS by R. F. Cottrell

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 30, 1857

PROPHETIC COMMANDS.

By R. F. Cottrell

THERE is one class of prophecies which I call prophetic commands. These commands are always obeyed. There is no possibility of a failure in their fulfillment. The moral precepts of Jehovah men may trample under their feet; but when the time arrives for the fulfillment of a prophetic command, the agency of man is overruled and its fulfillment is positively necessary and unavoidable.

This is well illustrated by a prophetic command recorded in Zech. ix. 9, and its fulfillment, by the shouting multitude at the time when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Said the prophecy, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."

Now it was so absolutely necessary that the people of God and the inhabitants of Jerusalem should shout praises to their king, when Jesus entered the city in the manner described, that Jesus declared, "If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Luke xix. 40. And why? Because this prophetic command must be fulfilled. God, by the prophet, had said Shout, and they must shout, whether Pharisees were pleased or displeased. They shouted—and were disappointed. They thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear, [Luke xix, 11] and when a few days after this, their king was crucified, their hopes were gone and they were sad, said they, "We trusted that it had been he that should have redeemed Israel." Luke xxiv, 21. They were as grievously disappointed as were Advent believers at the passing of definite time in 1844. But they fulfilled prophecy; and so did these. The former in shouting hosanna to their king, the latter in proclaiming to the inhabitants of earth, "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come." Rev. xiv. 7. The former recovered from the shock, and found themselves still upon the track of prophecy, being begotten again, to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The latter too are still upon the track, and find, by the entering of the Third Message, that the pathway of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Another example of prophetic command is found in Joel ii, 1. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. This can only be fulfilled when the day of the Lord is nigh at hand; and

at that period it cannot fail of its accomplishment. The proclaimers of peace and safety, like the Pharisees anciently, may attempt to stop the cry, and quiet the nerves and strengthen the hands of sinners, by asserting that nobody will know the approach of that day, and, consequently, no alarm will be given. But the work cannot be arrested. God has prophetically commanded, "Sound an alarm," and it must and will be obeyed. It must be fulfilled at the appointed time, and the day of the Lord can never come without it.

Other examples of prophetic commands might be quoted, but one more must suffice for the present. Isa. viii, 16. "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." The time when this must be fulfilled is clearly marked in the context. 1. It will be done when the Lord's people are looking for his coming. Verse 17. And I will wait upon [for, Bernard's translation] the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 2. It will be fulfilled when spirit manifestations shall abound. Verse 20. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? These spirits will speak contrary to the law and testimony, and stand opposed to the work of binding up and sealing, because there is no light in them.

I understand the terms, law and testimony, to refer to the same thing; viz., the ten commandments, which were written upon the tables of the testimony, and deposited in the ark of the testimony, and called expressly The Testimony. Ex. xxv, 16.

The terms, bind up, and seal, are varied expressions to signify the same work. Bind up, in scripture language, means to heal; as a broken limb is bound up in order to heal it. The little horn that was to think to change times and laws, [Dan. vii. 25.] has performed his work of breaking and mutilating God's testimony; therefore it must be healed. He has, with sacrilegious hand, torn the seal from God's law, which seal is the sign of his authority as the Maker of all things. This sign or seal is found, in connection with the law, only in the fourth commandment. The other nine do not reveal the Law-giver. No one could tell by reading them whose laws they were. But the Sabbath is the sign or seal of the living God. Ex. xxxi. 13, 17; Eze. xx, 12, 20. This seal must be restored to the law.

Reader, where are we? Are Christians looking for the coming of the Lord? They are. Is the world flooded with familiar spirits? It is. Is a warning now going forth against the worship of the beast—the changer of God's law? and is every jot and tittle of the law of God being vindicated? Exactly so. Know then God's word cannot fail. You cannot stop the work, if you are so disposed. God has prophetically commanded his children, at this very time, saying, Bind up the testimony—seal the law among my disciples; and it must and will be done. If these should hold their peace, the stones would cry out. Come, then, have a share in the work. Hasten! for it will soon be completed, with or without your aid.