Peace and Safety by John Norton Loughborough

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 23, 1865

Peace and Safety.

By John Norton Loughborough

ThE Jews in Jerusalem in the days of Christ's first Advent supposed that their city stood safe, and that as God had given it to them, no earthly power could take it from them, not thinking that their sins had separated them from God and they could no longer be his peculiar people. On the other hand, the Christians had heard the doom our Saviour had pronounced upon that city: "The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another." The anxious disciples inquire, "When shall these things be?" The Saviour answers, "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them that be in Judea flee into the mountains."

As the Jews had rejected Christ as their teacher, they would not of course, receive his testimony concerning the destruction of their city. By rejecting him, they hid all light concerning the overthrow of that city from their eyes. But the disciples of Christ who believe his word, are commanded to flee, and had full information given them as to when it would be safe and proper for them to flee.

We view them as the time of destruction is approaching, and rumor of invasion by the Romans reaches them. They doubtless tell the Jews that their city is doomed, and entreat them to believe in Christ, heed his words, and with them flee from the destruction that awaits that city. But the Jew as confidently asserts that their city cannot be taken from them.

But what are these Christians to do? It will not answer to flee too soon, for the Jews may compel them to remain and help defend the city. Or the Romans might take them for a fleeing band of Jews. The all-seeing eye of the Lord has viewed their perplexed condition, and he gave them the exact time for flight:

"When ye see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, then flee." But human reason would say, that is a poor time to flee, when an army with its trenching tools and all preparations for taking a city, have surrounded that city on every side. Unbelief would say to them, You have waited too long. Now you cannot get out. But this is the minuteness of Christ's instruction, and in following it their faith is brought to the keenest test. The Jews would probably say to them, I thought your Master had given you instruction when to leave, so that you would not be ruined with this city. Now what will you do?

The Christians have waited to see the sign Christ gave of their deliverance, but that very sign seems to preclude all hope of their escape. Suddenly and unexpectedly to the Jews, the army of the Romans marches away from the city. Now, say the Christian, we must be going. The sign is fulfilled and the way is open for us to escape. But no, the Jews would say, there is no cause to flee now; for the armies have left. It's all peace and safety now, and this proves our saying true, that the city could not be overthrown.

"The Christians heeded the admonition of the Saviour, and all escaped the terrors of the siege by a timely flight to a small village called Pella," while the Jews, not knowing "the time of their visitation," infatuated with their peace-and-safety cry, remained and were involved in horrid ruin.

Similar is this to what we view before us, here in the last days. The way that opened there for God's people to escape, the Jews would interpret as peace and safety to them. The present hushing up of the war in our land to give a chance for the preparation of a people to meet the last struggle of the nations, the world construe as a token of universal and lasting peace. Yea, they even think it the commencement of the millennium of which they have so long heard. But ah! how suddenly and unexpectedly will the destruction come upon those who "would none of God's counsels" which he is giving through the message of warning to his people:

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.