Sixteen Short Answers to Sixteen Common Objections
By Wm. C. Gage
PERHAPS the most common form of argument is objection; or, more properly speaking, objections are commonly presented in place of argument. When a scripture subject is urged upon the consideration of the people by means of sound arguments and fair reasoning, the majority are willing to base their faith upon a single objection, rather than upon the mass of testimony. Especially is this the case with regard to an unpopular truth; one which strikes against preconceived opinion, or involves a cross or change of former life. That this is the tendency at the present time, all who have had any experience in Bible truth will admit; and it is a matter much to be regretted, as such a disposition shuts out the truth of God's word from many minds that otherwise might be benefited by it. No person whose mind is filled with objections or prejudices, can fairly and candidly weigh an argument, nor can he come to a right decision until those prejudices are removed. This is illustrated in the fact that in civil tribunals important decisions cannot be entrusted to men who are already prejudiced, or who have objections against the laws involved in the case; as no man is allowed to serve on a jury under such circumstances. If it is important that the mind be prepared for candid investigation in matters pertaining to our temporal welfare, how much more important in matters concerning our eternal welfare. When the subject of Christ's second coming near, is presented to the people, its advocates are assailed with objections, real or fancied, almost without number. How far this difficulty may be remedied it would be impossible to determine, yet we know that many who have entertained the most violent prejudices have eventually become converts to the truth; so we may conclude that it is our duty to remove if possible, all objections against the doctrine, or at least to make an earnest effort in that direction. Our success in this effort will depend very much upon the causes of the objections; for although we might fairly argue them away, if the causes remain we have "convinced the man against his will," and he "is of the same opinion still." Perhaps it would be safe to say that three-fourths of the objections against the belief in the near coming of Christ are caused by an unwillingness to believe. In illustration of the popular adage, "the wish is father to the thought," there are many who, in view of their being unprepared to meet him, wish he may not come and hence think he will not. To obviate this difficulty we can do nothing except to pray that God would incline the hearts of such to love Jesus and thus to "love his appearing," for to such the crown of life will be given in "that day." 2 Tim. iv, 8. But while the above is true of the masses, even of professed Christians, there are some who would be rejoiced to know that their Redeemer, the dearest friend they ever knew, is soon to take his weary people home, and put an end to war, tumult and every description of wickedness, and bring in his reign of everlasting righteousness and peace. If we are addressing any such, we ask your candid and prayerful attention to the arguments following, hoping they may be instrumental in leading you to examine the evidences of the nearness of the coming kingdom that you may find an entrance thereto, and be saved in the day when he shall make up his jewels. We propose first to answer in as brief a manner as possible the most common objections, such as are met almost daily, and then present a few of the signs which denote the coming of Christ as near "even at the doors." OBJECTION FIRST. Nobody knows anything about it. This proposition may be true upon one of two conditions: first, the Scriptures give us no evidence by which we may know anything about it; or secondly, the Scriptures give us the evidence but no one has taken heed to it. Of course the proper way to decide this point is by the Scriptures themselves. And we will first examine the texts upon which this objection is generally based: Matt. xxiv, 36. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only." If this text proves that we are not to know anything in regard to the time of the advent, it proves also that the angels of Heaven, yea, even Christ himself, will know nothing about it. Now we cannot for a moment believe that the Son of God will remain in ignorance of the time until he is right upon us, nor will the angels, who are to escort him through the heavens in majesty and glory. What then is the meaning of the text? In 1 Cor. ii, 2, we find Paul using an expression which may throw some light on this text. He declares to the Corinthians that he determined not to know anything among them save Jesus Christ and him crucified. It must be apparent that he here signified his determination not to make known anything else, rather than that he possessed no knowledge of anything else. This we believe is the sense of the text under consideration. No man is to make known the day nor hour; nor do we ask you to believe in definite times; for we acknowledge our inability to make it known. That this is the true meaning of this text we are further constrained to believe when we find our Saviour telling us in the same chapter that when we see the signs fulfilled we are to know he is near, even at the doors. We learn also in Heb. ix, 28, that Christ will appear unto salvation to them that look for him. Now in order to comply with this condition we must know something about the time of his coming. In view of these evidences we must decide that, while it may be proper to assert of ourselves that we do not know anything in regard to certain facts, it is charging God foolishly to say we cannot know about those things in regard to which he has placed before us all the requisite information. OBJECTION SECOND. The day of the Lord will come as a thief. Yes; but upon whom will it thus come? In 1 Thess. v, 4, we read: "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief," and in the preceding verse we learn that it comes with sudden destruction upon those who are saying, "Peace and safety." The apostle Peter also admonishes us (2 Pet. iii, 10–12) that in view of the fact that that day is coming as a thief, we ought to be looking for, and hasting unto (earnestly desiring) the coming of the day of God. Again in Rev. iii, 3, Christ declares that if we do not watch and pray he will come upon us as a thief. So we are compelled to admit that there is no evidence to prove that the watching ones will have no knowledge of their whereabouts in the world's history, although the day of the Lord will come as a thief upon those who are in darkness and do not watch. May the Lord help us to search for the light, that we may be among those who are watching and waiting. OBJECTION THIRD. The prophecies are not to be understood. The Bible says nothing of the kind; so this statement is merely the opinion of men. On the contrary the word teaches us plainly that "all scripture is profitable," which it certainly could not be unless understood. Hear the words of Peter: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place." 2 Pet. i, 19. The language of the majority of people at the present day is that we had better let prophecy alone; but the inspired apostle tells us we do well in taking heed to it. In order to do this we must understand it, and as if to make the matter sure, the apostle adds, "No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." OBJECTION FOURTH. It is prying into the secrets of God. This is a grave charge, surely; but, like the preceding one, it rests entirely upon the statements of men. Now let us hear the word of the Lord. In Deut. xxix, 29, we find these words: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." This teaches us that revelation is not a part of the secrets of God, and we claim that the Bible as a whole is a revelation from him, especially the prophetic portions of it.58A great proportion of the prophecies which tell us we are very near the end of time, are found in the book of Revelation, and we may easily learn that this is not a secret or sealed book by reading the very first verse. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servant things which must shortly come to pass;" and then in the third verse: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein." The Lord never promises blessings upon his people for doing anything which they cannot do, and the very thing required in order to secure this blessing is a knowledge of the prophecy, which at once and forever does away with the idea of its being sealed. OBJECTION FIFTH. Those who preach it have been disappointed. This objection is quite frequently accompanied with a sneer at the go-up doctrine in allusion to the disappointment of those who so confidently expected to be translated into the kingdom of God, in 1844. If such an objection holds good against the doctrine of the second advent, it also invalidates the testimony in regard to the first advent; for of all the disappointments of which we find any record, those which were the lot of the first-advent believers were the most bitter and grievous. In proof of this we refer to the circumstances attending Christ's entry into Jerusalem. His followers expected and sincerely believed that he was then and there about to set up his kingdom, and they were soon to see their abused and despised, but beloved master reigning over Judah and Jerusalem, with all the people bowing in submission to his will. What joy, what pleasurable anticipation must have filled their hearts as they contemplated the glories which must attend such an event. But alas! how soon were their hopes blasted and their joy turned to bitter disappointment as they beheld him stretched between the heavens and the earth, suffering an ignominious death at the hands of those whom they expected were to become his willing subjects. Can you imagine that such a disappointment was any less bitter than that of his humble followers who were hopefully looking for his second advent? Yet the Scriptures plainly show us that the former was a portion of God's plan, while it can also be demonstrated that the latter was a fulfillment of prophecy. Hence we are compelled to admit that notwithstanding the disappointment the doctrine may be true. OBJECTION SIXTH. It is unpopular. So has God's truth ever been. Never was there a doctrine promulgated which might be emphatically considered present truth without meeting opposition from the popular majority. By present truth we understand that which has its peculiar force and application at the time then being. Thus, eighteen centuries ago that which was unpopular and involved a cross was to acknowledge that Christ was the Son of God; the very thing necessary for his people in that time; but now almost everybody is willing to acknowledge that, for it is no longer unpopular. We may therefore expect that those doctrines of God's word which have their peculiar application at the present time will be unpopular and be rejected by the masses. And what can be more properly denominated present truth than those portions of Scripture which tell us of our awful proximity to the stupendous events connected with the coming of the Son of man. Oh that the slumbering world might awake to the importance of the subject, and be led to prepare for the coming kingdom. OBJECTION SEVENTH. The world must first be converted. Perhaps no objection has more effectually hindered the progress of the truth than this doctrine of the world's conversion, and yet, probably not one has less foundation in scripture. If we carefully trace back the history of this belief we shall find that the early church did not believe it, nor in fact has the church in any age endorsed it, prior to about the year 1720, when it was introduced and defended by one Daniel Whitby, since which time it has gained ground to such an extent that it is now almost universally endorsed by professed Christians. We propose to give very briefly a few of the evidences which entirely disprove the doctrine, and show that we have no reason to look for the conversion of the world before Christ's coming. In Matt. xiii, 24–30, our Saviour presents a parable, in which the kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man who sows good seed and his enemy comes and sows tares, &c. Read the parable, and then listen to the Master's own explanation of it. "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." No language can more plainly refute the doctrine of the world's conversion than this. The wicked are to exist with the righteous until the end of the world; and at Christ's coming they are to be gathered out from among them to be cast into a furnace of fire, &c. If all were converted there would be no wicked ones left, and thus the parable would have no force. We read also in Paul's epistles to Timothy that in the latter times there will be a departure from the faith instead of conversion to it, and that in the last days perilous times shall come, and not times of prosperity and universal righteousness. He then gives a catalogue of the sins which will be a characteristic of the last days, winding up with the declaration that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. If such language as this describes the conversion of the world it had better remain unconverted. Peter states that in the last days scoffers will come, walking after their own lusts, and saying "where is the promise of his coming?" 2 Pet. iii, 3, 4. This text shows us the character of those who oppose the doctrine of Christ's coming—walking after their own lusts—and also gives conclusive evidence that in the last days somebody will be agitating the subject of his coming, else the scoffers would not be developed. In harmony with the foregoing testimony we find also the words of our Saviour: "When the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?" implying anything but the idea that he would find the earth overflowing with faith, as the temporal millennium doctrine would have it. Thus we might multiply evidence on this point, but we think enough has been presented to satisfy any candid mind that the Scriptures teach the destruction of the wicked world at the coming of Christ instead of its entire conversion prior to that event. OBJECTION EIGHTH. Christ comes at death. In examining the previous objections, we have considered them as virtually admitting that Christ's coming will be literal, although their aim is to prove that it is not at hand. There is another class of objections of which this is one, by means of which an effort is made to prove that the coming of Christ is not personal and visible, but spiritual. Before answering these we propose to completely blockade them with scripture testimony showing that this event is not spiritual or mythical or imaginary, but real and personal and visible. "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven." Acts i, 11. How did he go into Heaven? Bodily and in a visible manner. He was caught up and a cloud received him out of their sight; and in like manner he is to come again. Can anything be more literal? Again, "For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." &c. 1 Thess. iv, 16. Nothing spiritual or mythical here, surely. In 1 John iii, 2, we find these words: "We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is." See also Rev. i, 7. "Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." The above evidence is overwhelming and conclusive, and yet, notwithstanding all this, we find that some are ready to assert that Christ's coming is at death. In view of the foregoing testimony the objection is scarcely worth answering, but we will notice it briefly in the light of scripture. And first what is death as viewed from a Bible stand-point? An implacable enemy; a curse; the wages of sin, &c. Who has the power of death? "That through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death; that is the Devil." Heb. ii, 14. Now set this down on one side and see how it will harmonize with the fact that the Bible considers the coming of Christ as the hope of the church, a blessing to his waiting people and in fact the only event that can possibly occur to bring in perfect and permanent peace and righteousness. Who can fail to see that these two events are as widely different in their nature as the heavens are higher than the earth? The absurdity of this position is still further manifest when we consider that it is estimated that something like twenty-five millions of deaths occur every year. If Christ comes at death which one of these is his second coming? And if death is his second coming, what was his first? OBJECTION NINTH. Christ comes at conversion. This position like some of the preceding, entirely lacks a scripture basis and thus is proved to be a man-made theory. If we apply it to his second coming, this statement is not true; for it should be borne in mind that there is a distinct event yet to transpire, recognized as the second coming of Christ, which nothing can fulfill except the personal, visible descent of the Son of man from Heaven. As positive proof that conversion and the coming of Christ are two distinct events, we call attention to the fact that the apostle exhorted the Thessalonian brethren, who of course were already converted, to continue blameless unto the coming of the Lord. OBJECTION TENTH. It makes no difference what we believe if we are only prepared to die. This is usually the last resort of those who are hard pushed for argument, and is brought forward in a manner which would seem to say that all controversy on this point is now at rest. As this objection is quite generally met with, we will try to examine it candidly and fairly, and show whether or not it rests on a scripture foundation. Let us first notice the expression, "prepared to die." One would suppose from its frequent use that it was at least a Bible injunction; but on the contrary it is simply a theological technicality; for the Scriptures nowhere exhort us to prepare for death, but solemnly enjoin upon the church a state of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Novel as this position may appear to some, it is nevertheless a fact that this is the key-note to which all the gospel exhortations are set, and this event is recognized as the central point around which all the hopes of the Christian cluster, and for the simple reason that they cannot be consummated at any other time. In proof of this point your attention is invited to a few texts of scripture containing striking illustrations of this truth, and showing that the great apostle had this event in his mind as the one most to be desired by the true church of Christ. 1 Cor. i, 7, 8. "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless (at death? No.) in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. iii, 13. "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Thus we see that we ought to be unblamable in holiness, not simply to be prepared for death, but to appear before God, even our Father, which will be at the coming of Christ. Also in chapter v, 23, "And I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless (until you are called to give up this life? No.) unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Doubtless we are all interested in obtaining the crown of life, and hence desire to know when it will be given. Paul tells us in 2 Tim. iv, 8, when he expects to receive his, and what class are to be entitled to it. "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing." Dear reader, can you say in sincerity that you love the appearing of Jesus? If not, let me entreat of you to make it your earnest desire to become filled with that love which alone will give you a title to the crown of life. In harmony with the above, we find the statement in Heb. ix, 28, "Unto them that look for him shall he appear without sin unto salvation." See also 1 Tim. vi, 14; Titus ii, 13; James v, 7; 1 Pet. i, 7; 2 Pet. iii, 12; 1 John ii, 28. 59But to come directly to the objection under consideration. If the last great day of fearful reckoning is at hand, does it make any difference whether we believe it or not? To answer this question in the negative is to impeach the wisdom of God. We are not to suppose that he performs any of his work without an important object in view, nor that he gives us warnings and threatenings that are utterly meaningless. It has ever been his plan, in sending fearful judgments, to give also a timely warning. Now it is true that he has given us the requisite information by which we may know when that day is near; he has also enjoined upon us to prepare for it; to look for it; to be comforted because it draws nigh, &c. In view of this, can we say it makes no difference whether we heed the injunction or not? Can we believe that the Holy Spirit would solemnly endeavor to impress upon our minds those matters which are not of the least consequence? Oh let us be willing to believe that God means what he says, and endeavor to give ear to his important and impressive declarations, endeavoring to profit thereby. Let us also remember that the first house of Israel were rejected of God and their city destroyed because they knew not the time of their visitation. This very fact caused our blessed Saviour to weep over Jerusalem, exclaiming, "If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes." Luke xix, 42. Oh that he might not have occasion to weep over the second house of Israel for their unwillingness to know the things which belong unto their peace in this their day. Having now endeavored to fairly meet and answer all reasonable objections against the doctrine in the abstract, the way is now prepared for a candid investigation of the subject, for it will be noticed that the preceding remarks have been devoted not to proving that the doctrine is true, but that it might possibly be true. Now the question comes home to us, Is it true that the end of all things is at hand? Our limits forbid that we should go into an extended examination of the evidences which are so abundant in the Scriptures of truth, but as the object for which we write is to remove objections, we propose to give a few of the leading testimonies in favor of this belief, and answer the objections arising against them. We have already endeavored to show that the subject is a most important one, and we hope it will thus be considered as we proceed in the investigation. And it may be asked first, what are the evidences upon which this belief is founded? In answer we would say they may properly be divided into three classes: civil, religious and natural; that is, first, the evidences which may be adduced from marked events in the civil world or governments of earth; secondly, those which arise from a consideration of changes in the religious or ecclesiastical world, and thirdly, those equally striking and demonstrative proofs which are based upon facts and phenomena in nature. We shall endeavor, as we proceed, to make the points as plain as our brief space will admit. But right here it may be in place to consider an objection which may present itself to some minds, and which numerically we may call OBJECTION ELEVENTH. If these evidences are so plain why have so few seen them? There is prevalent in the world at the present time very much of the same disposition which induced the Jews to reject Christ at his first advent; and for this reason multitudes are rejecting the signs of his second advent. Many people expect some great and startling event to happen so that all may know that Christ is coming; but it is not God's plan to compel men to believe. The evidences are placed before us and we may receive or reject them as we please. A great majority of those who entertain this objection are ready to condemn the unbelieving Jews for refusing to acknowledge Christ as the true Messiah in the face of so many prophecies and signs, and yet they are unwilling to believe in his second coming, with vastly more evidence than ever was given for his first. The principal reason why the majority do not receive these evidences is because they are in voluntary darkness, and upon such that day will come "as a thief in the night;" but to the "children of the light" that day will not thus come; for such will "watch and be sober." 1 Thess. v. In further considering the subject of the signs of the second advent we desire to establish as a premise, that those signs must be based upon prophecy. The reason why the Jews ought to have received Jesus as the Messiah was because of the many prophecies on record, which upon being fulfilled constituted "the signs of the times." Hence our Saviour's withering rebuke: "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" It must therefore be evident that the signs of the present times will be those prophecies which now have a special application, or having been already fulfilled stand in history as waymarks on the journey of time. As we have before remarked, the prophecies which constitute the evidences in the subject under consideration may be divided into three classes; and we now invite your attention to the first of these, namely the civil, or those which relate to earthly governments. Inspiration in leaving on record the prophetic history of the people of God, has seen fit to interweave with it that of those earthly governments which are intimately connected with their career, so that we might have no doubt as to the time in which the prophecy applies. These governments are presented to us by symbols of the most unmistakable character, and to a few of these we call attention. The prophecy of Daniel discloses to us the career of four great and powerful governments which were to rise one after the other and bear rule over all the earth. They are first introduced to us in Dan. ii, under the symbol of a great image. "This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." That this image in its various parts represents these four great governments is evident from Daniel's own interpretation immediately following, and if we examine the historic record we shall find that the prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter by the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The last of these is represented in its divided state by the feet, which were part of iron and part of clay, and verse 41 states that "the kingdom shall be divided," so in order to fulfill this prophecy there must be a division in the kingdom of Rome. Has this been accomplished? It has. Between the years A. D. 356 and 483 Western Rome was divided into ten kingdoms, symbolized by the feet and toes of the image, part of iron and part of clay, and so truthfully described by the prophet as "partly strong and partly broken." Efforts have been made to re-unite these divisions into one kingdom, but it never has been accomplished, nor will it ever be, as the prophecy itself gives us reason to believe. "And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men (representing the intermarriage of the royal families), but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." Verse 43. Now the question arises, where are we in this chain of prophecy? Answer, in the divided state of the fourth kingdom. The once powerful monarchy of Rome is now broken up and has been thus divided since A. D. 483. Now carefully observe what follows: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Therefore the next great event in this chain of prophecy will be the destruction of earthly governments and the establishment of the kingdom which the God of Heaven shall set up, which shall never be destroyed. May the Lord help us to become subjects of this kingdom. The foregoing exposition is endorsed by nearly all Protestant expositors, with the exception of our view of the fifth kingdom, which brings us to notice OBJECTION TWELFTH. The fifth kingdom is God's kingdom of grace. This position is very generally adopted by those who wish to evade the force of the testimony which shows us that we are fearfully near the great day of God's wrath; and while it may serve to quiet the apprehensions of some whose attention may be awakened to the subject, it is easily shown to be a great fallacy. The difficulties in the way of this position are in the time and manner of the establishment of the kingdom. Grace signifies favor, and when considered as an attribute of God we may understand it as favor bestowed where the recipient was deserving of only wrath instead. Now where did God establish his plan of grace or favor? From the moment man fell and needed favor; for we read that God is ever gracious, and his servants of old "found grace in the sight of the Lord." It is evident, therefore, that the plan of grace did not wait for its development until after these four kingdoms should rise and successively prevail over the earth. But says the objector, "this kingdom was established by Christ at the commencement of the gospel dispensation." Let us see if the prophecy warrants such a conclusion. "In the days of these kings (the divided state of Rome) shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom." It is apparent from this that the event could not take place until after the division of the Roman kingdom, and hence must be after A. D. 483, or certainly not before A. D. 356, up to which time Rome was universal and undivided, and the gospel dispensation had then been in existence over three hundred years. Notice also that in the vision the symbolic "stone" was seen to smite the image, not on its head, breast, sides or legs, but on its feet which were not in existence until the fifth century.