p. 1 | SIGNS OF THE TIMES by James White

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 24, 1857

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

By James White

BRIEF EXPOSITION OF MATT. XXIV.

THE twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, and the first thirteen verses of the twenty-fifth chapter, contain a prophetic discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which he speaks of the great events connected with the people of God, from his first advent down to his second coming. And this discourse was not delivered before a promiscuous crowd, but at a private interview with Christ and his disciples.

Verse 3. "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

The questions relate, first, to the destruction of Jerusalem, [see verse 2,] and, second, to Christ's second coming and the end of the world, or Christian age. Notice in particular the caution given by our Lord as he opens his mouth to answer these questions.

Verse 4. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."

The subject of this discourse is one of vast importance. And, probably, no subject has been treated more blindly; no portion of the Book of God handled more deceitfully, than the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. Hence the fitness of the warning, "Take heed that no man deceive you." While many apply the entire chapter to the destruction of Jerusalem, more spiritualize the stupendous event of Christ's second, personal coming in glory, which is the great theme of this chapter. Yes, death, conversion, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and even modern-spirit manifestations by not a few, are held forth from the pulpits of this day as the second advent of Christ. Men may deceive, but Christ will not. The mystical teachings of this apostate age tend to confusion, and the blindness of error; but when we adopt the plain and obvious meaning of the words of the Son of God in this chapter, we behold in them light, and a beautiful harmony.

We think it will appear evident, upon an investigation of this chapter, that from the fifth to the fourteenth verse our Lord passes rapidly over the important events of the Christian age; that he gives only a general description of the commotions in the natural and political world, the persecutions of the church, and false prophets which should arise to deceive the church and world, down to the END. And that from the fifteenth verse and onward he gives a more particular description of the great events of the Christian age, connected with the people of God, commencing at the destruction of Jerusalem. Our Lord, from the fifth to the fourteenth verse, first states what must take place before his coming, lest the event be looked for, and he proclaimed too soon. He also mentions signs in this chapter, by which the church of the generation in which they are fulfilled may know that his coming is near, even at the doors.

Verse 5. "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many." Buck, in his Theological Dictionary, gives a list of twenty-four false christs which have arisen in the Christian age, and have deceived multitudes.

Verses 6-8. "And ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

The caution to the church, not to expect Christ's coming too soon, is here apparent. There must be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet; for nation must rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places must first come. Here is a catalogue of them.

"By famine and sword 580,000 Jews were destroyed between A. D. 96 and A. D. 180. "In Antioch, from A. D. 96 to A. D. 180, earthquakes destroyed 13 cities, and over 100,000 lives. "In Rome, A. D. 169, pestilence destroyed 10,000 daily. "In Rome, A. D. 187, pestilence appeared and continued three years. "In London, A. D. 310, by famine 60,000 died. "In A. D. 446, Sept. 17th, an earthquake shook down the walls of Constantinople, and 57 towers fell. "In Rome, A. D. 539, in one district 50,000 died. "In Antioch, A. D. 588, an earthquake killed 60,000. "In A. D. 590, the plague killed 10,000 daily in Turkey. "In A. D. 679, a severe famine in England three years. "In A. D. 717, in Constantinople, 200,000 died of plague. "In A. D. 1005, earthquakes three months, followed by pestilence, by which it is said one third of the human race died. "In A. D. 1077, in Constantinople, so many died by plague and famine, the living could not bury them. "In A. D. 1124, in Italy, there was such famine that the dead lay in the streets not buried; and in England one third of the people died of plague. "In A. D. 1234, in England thousands died of famine. "In A. D. 1345, in London, 50,000 died of plague and famine, and were buried in one grave-yard; in Norwich, 50,000; in Venice, 100,000; in Florence, 100,000; in eastern nations, 20,000,000. It was called the black death. "In A. D. 1352, in China, 900,000 died of famine. "In A. D. 1456, in Milan, 60,000 died of famine. "In A. D. 1614, Constantinople, 200,000 died of plague. "In A. D. 1635, in London, 35,000 died of plague. "In A. D. 1636, in Lyons, 600,000 died of plague. "In A. D. 1665, in London, 68,000 died of plague. "In A. D. 1755, in the East, an earthquake destroyed the city of Lisbon, killing 50,000. In Mitelene and the Archipelago it shook down 2,000 houses. It shook all the Spanish coast. The plague followed, which destroyed 150,000 lives in Constantinople."

Verses 9, 10. "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."

Here is a brief description of the afflictions and martyrdom of the church. Hundreds of thousands of the faithful followers of Jesus were most cruelly put to death in the days of Pagan Rome, yet the prophecy doubtless applies more particularly to the long period of Papal persecutions, in which not less than fifty millions of the saints of the Most High were put to death in the most cruel manner wicked men and demons could invent. In these verses we are brought down over the long period of the martyrdom of the church of Jesus Christ to near the present generation.

FALSE PROPHETS.

Verse 11. "And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many."

The prophets of God foretell future events, being instructed by good angels, and the power of the Holy Spirit. False prophets also foretell future events, by the agency of wicked spirits, and the power of Satan. It is true that false prophets have existed in all past time, but we must regard the present period as abounding with them. Here arises a host of spirit mediums, which, as we shall show in another place, are false prophets.

False prophets may be known. They prophesy peace. "And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies; . . . because they have seduced my people, saying, peace, and there was no people." Eze. xiii, 9, 10. "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there was no peace." Jer. vi, 14. "Behold the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine. . . . Then the Lord said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name." Chap. xiv, 13, 14.

It is the duty of those whom the Lord calls to speak in his name, to cry aloud and spare not. "Shew my people their transgressions," saith the Lord. "Sound an alarm." "Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh." "Preach the word." "Reprove, rebuke, exhort." 2 Tim. iv, 1, 2; Joel ii, 1; Isa. lviii, 1.

Said Paul. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine," . . . and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." That time has come. The people love the deceptive teachings of false prophets, and "say to the seers, see not, and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits." Isa. xxx, 10. The ears of the people are filled with the pleasing fable of the world's conversion—a good time coming—just entering upon the golden age. The threatenings of God's word on the proud, the haughty, the vain, the rich, "the sinners in Zion," and those out of Zion, are kept back by the false teachers of

these times. Many of them even dare to teach that the Moral Code of Laws given by Jehovah, the Ten Commandments, is abrogated. And as the result of such teaching, what do we see? Ans. In the professed church of Jesus Christ.

INQUITY ABOUNDS.

Verse 12. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Do you say, reader, that iniquity, here mentioned, is not in the churches, but in the world, then we reply, that in that case its influence would be to lead the churches to more godliness. But in this case, the love of many wax cold, showing that this iniquity abounds in the very heart of the churches.

The Genesee Evangelist says, "Our Zion is in a state of mourning. The Holy Spirit has not visited us as in former years, and we have great cause for deep humiliation in view of the sins, the worldliness, and spiritual indifference of most of our churches."

Mr. O. Scott, Wesleyan Methodist, says, "The church is as deeply infected with a desire for worldly gain, as the world.

"The churches are making a god of this world.

"Most of the denominations of the present day might be called churches of the world, with more propriety than churches of Christ.

"The churches are so far gone from primitive Christianity that they need a fresh regeneration—a new kind of religion.

"They have gone over to the world and have opposed what the world opposed."

A writer in the New York Tribune, speaking of fashionable worship, says, "Now the worshipers one after another glide in, silks rattle, plumes wave, satins glisten, diamonds glitter, and scores of forty dollar handkerchiefs shake out their perfumed odors! What absurdity to preach the gospel of the lowly Nazarite to such a set! The clergyman knows better than to do so. He values his fat salary and handsome patronage too highly. So, with a velvety tread, he walks all around the ten commandments—places the downiest pillow under the dying profligate's head, and ushers him with seraphic hymning into an upper ten heaven."

Says the Golden Rule, "The Protestants are out-doing the Popes in splendid, extravagant folly in church building. Thousands on thousands are expended in gay and costly ornamentals to gratify pride, and a wicked ambition, that might and should go to redeem the perishing, nullified. Does the evil, the folly, and the madness of these proud, formal, fashionable worshipers stop here?

"These splendid monuments of popish pride, upon which millions are squandered in our cities, virtually exclude the poor, for which Christ died, and for whom he came especially to preach.

"No wonder God withholds his holy influences! No marvel the heavens are brass, and the earth iron!

"Go into one of these fashionable, costly, highly ornamented, popular church edifices, what do you see and hear? Christ! Sinners weeping between the porch and the altar! Do you? 'Wo to the crown of pride,' 'Wo unto the idle shepherds,' 'Wo to you ye blind guides,' 'Wo unto them that are at ease in Zion.' Wo, wo, wo."

Says Charles Beecher, "Oh, woful day! Oh, unhappy church of Christ! Fast rushing round and round the fatal circle of absorbing ruin."

Says Dr. Gifford, "The world! the world! the world! This is the object which engrosses every care; this is the supreme deity that is adored. Buy and sell, and get gain—out with the thoughts of death—away with the judgment and heaven—my farms, my merchandise; I will have them, though the earth trembles under my feet, and heaven weeps blood upon my head!"

Says the Christian Herald, "It is a fact that about in the same ratio that the cause of experimental religion declines, immorality and vice increases."

The Philadelphia Times says, "Honesty has fled from the world, and Sincerity has fallen asleep. Piety has hidden herself, and Justice cannot find the way. The helper is not at home, and Charity lies sick. Benevolence is under arrest, and Faith is nearly extinguished. The Virtues go a begging, and Truth has long since been buried. Credit is turned lazy, and Conscience is pinned to the wall."

The North American says, "From the terrible evidences of human depravity which develop themselves from day to day, we begin to think that our cities are rapidly descending to the level of Sodom and Gomorrah."

Says the Hornellsville Times, "The records of the past have never presented a more fearful and corrupt state of society than now exists."

The New York Chronicle says, "Never was crime more rampant than now. Garroting, burglary, stabbing, fraud, lewdness, forgery, embezzlement, and every imaginable form of wrong, cruelty, and murder meet us at every turn."

THE END.

Verse 14. "But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved." This does not mean death, but the end of the age, the end, associated in the New Testament with the second coming of Christ. The disciples did not ask their Lord in verse 3, when they should die; but "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Neither did our Lord teach them in verse 15 that when the gospel of the kingdom should be preached in all the world, then they would die. No, no. The end mentioned in this chapter is the end of the world.

The love of many has waxed cold. Moral darkness, like the pall of death, is spread over the world, and iniquity, in almost every form, abounds in the professed church of Jesus Christ. "But he that shall endure unto the end," shall press his way through the moral darkness of this apostate age; shall fight the fight of faith, and with the mighty armor of heaven vanquish all his foes; he will win the crown. "The same shall be saved." Blessed promise! Saved from all his foes! For ever saved in the kingdom of God. J. W. (To be Continued.)