For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
The day will come suddenly and unexpectedly upon everyone living on earth, catching the unprepared unawares like a hidden trap seizing an animal that did not see it. It is the day of Christ's second appearing in the clouds with power and great glory, the day of the Lord and of God, the day of judgment and of the Son of man at His revelation. That time is now short and near, shown by rapidly fulfilling signs and perilous calamities, yet its day and hour are unknown, and its delay remains as probation in which to repent before destiny is forever fixed. It therefore calls every soul to take heed to self and to watch and pray always, for only the sober, obedient children of light who keep ever ready will escape what is coming and stand before the Son of man without spot and blameless. Hearts left unready are weighed down with surfeiting, drunkenness and the cares of this life, with love of gain, business, pleasure and costly display becoming idols between the soul and Christ, until solemn realities are dimly seen. Escape from the coming judgments is possible only by being clothed with Christ's righteousness, opening the door to receive Him as personal Saviour and obtaining now a character purified by obeying truth, while living as pilgrims whose hope and treasure are in heaven.
Meaning of the Snare
The day will come suddenly and unexpectedly, like a snare, upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. It will overtake earth's inhabitants and catch the unprepared unawares if they are not ready for the events of Christ's coming. The warning is given in Christ's plain words and sounds down to the present time, calling people to guard against surfeiting and overindulgence, drunkenness and the cares of this life, and to watch and pray always so they may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man while probation still remains for repentance and forsaking sin.
The snare is a hidden trap, like an animal caught unexpectedly in a hunter's concealed snare. The Lord's delay in coming to give more time to repent does not prevent the unexpected event, though sinners falsely conclude from it that He will never come. The decline by which the trap works begins with neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer and then of other religious duties, opening the way for carelessness of eternal interests, accepting worldly maxims and customs, selfishness and worldly pride and ambition, disparaging brethren and smiting fellow servants, alienation from God's people and union with the ungodly until lulled into carnal security and overcome by forgetfulness, indifference and sloth, assailed by worldly allurements, the carnal nature and Satan with no safety apart from daily control by the Spirit.
Its approach is muffled and does not wake the world from deathlike slumber, while false watchmen cry All is well and Peace and safety. It overtakes the pleasure-lover and the sinful man as a thief in the night, like a prowling midnight thief seizing prey when all seems secure and men have retired to contented rest, only to discover too late that a door or window was left open or unsecured for the enemy to enter. To the unready it comes with stealthy tread like a prowling thief breaking into a house by night, surprising false teachers who say peace and safety and that all things continue as from the beginning with sudden destruction, just as the flood destroyed Noah's contemporaries who mocked warning while engrossed in business and amusement and as destruction came on Sodom and on Jerusalem when truth was rejected, so that habitual watching and ever-readiness are the only safety lest the day overtake as a thief.
The warning is universal rather than limited to a particular people or place, applying to everyone living on earth throughout the world, including those in the churches, so that no one is secure from being caught unready. Apparent peace and safety, or confidence in an interpretation of prophecy, must not dull the conviction drawn from fulfilled prophecy and events that Christ's coming is near, though its day and hour are unknown and destiny will soon be forever fixed. It is addressed to every soul, to the world and to the churches also, including pleasure-lovers and sinners and church members settling to rest as if secure under popular churches, who must keep watch and leave no entrance for the enemy and remain ready.
Day It Describes
The day is the day of Christ's coming and second appearing in the clouds with power and great glory, the day of the Lord, the day of God, the day of judgment and of the Son of man at His revelation. It is the coming day of judgment that will overtake the inhabitants of the whole earth unexpectedly, like a snare. It is a fearful, approaching time when probation closes, so readiness must come before that point.
It belongs to Christ's warning about events connected first with Jerusalem's destruction and then with the world's history and final crisis and punishment for iniquity just before the Son of man comes. Its chapter should be studied in view of the last days of earth's history and the condition of the world before His coming.
The day is near, time is now short upon the very borders of the eternal world. Its nearness is shown by rapidly fulfilling signs, fulfilled prophecy, perilous times and calamities, and by tracing fast-fulfilling prophecy in faith and holy hope. Yet its day and hour are unknown and it comes swiftly and silently, suddenly and unexpectedly upon people who feel secure.
The prophecy includes earthquake destruction such as the shaking down of both ends of the Pacific Press building at Mountain View, the demolition of the newly completed store and post office, and the suffering at San Jose, and this fulfillment means very much. The Lord delays His coming to give more time to repent, so probation and opportunity to repent, turn from sin and receive forgiveness still remain. When probation closes destiny will soon be forever fixed, and the delay does not prevent the unexpected event nor excuse spiritual slothfulness, for there is no time when spiritual slothfulness is excusable.
Call to Watch and Pray
The call is to every soul to take heed to self, to guard the heart against excess and the cares of life, and to watch and pray always so as not to be caught unprepared. The aim is to be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man in peace, without spot and blameless. While probation still remains, repentance and forsaking of sin prepare for that escape, rather than letting indulgence, drunkenness, or life's cares leave the heart overcharged. It is Christ's solemn warning to His disciples to take heed to His words rather than seek the secret time of His coming, to prepare by performing faithfully individual duty and by giving His warnings to others.
The warning is given in Christ's plain words and sounds down the line to the present time as a solemn danger-signal message for this time. It belongs to His warning about events connected first with Jerusalem and then with the world's history just before the Son of man comes, given so that fearful destruction soon to come upon the inhabitants of the world may not find them unprepared. It applies with special force to those who know the testing truths of the time yet are not preparing for Christ's coming and are failing to heed it through spiritual slothfulness. It is to be given now with power, with clear efforts to bring the truth to city dwellers and to the world, so that those who hear it are without excuse in failing to pass it on.
Those who are brethren, children of light and of the day, obedient to the word, watching and sober rather than sleeping in darkness, will not be overtaken by that day as by a thief. To the unready it comes like a prowling thief breaking into a house by night, seizing prey when all seems secure. Habitual watching and ever-readiness are the only safety, so that the day does not overtake as a thief.
The warning is for every soul, to the world and to the churches also, and no one is secure from being caught unready, including those settling to rest as if secure under popular churches. Its approach is muffled and does not wake the world from deathlike slumber, while false watchmen cry All is well and Peace and safety. It overtakes the pleasure-lover and the sinful man as a thief in the night, as a prowling midnight thief seizing his prey when all seems secure and men have retired to contented rest, only to discover too late that a door or window was left open for the enemy to enter. Apparent peace and safety, confidence in an interpretation of prophecy, or putting far off the close of time must not dull the conviction drawn from events that Christ's coming is near. The nearness is shown by fulfilled prophecy, though no one can know its day or hour, and it is to be kept before both the world and the churches, for destiny will soon be forever fixed.
Dangers That Leave Unready
The snare falls because hearts grow overcharged and weighed down with surfeiting and overindulgence, with drunkenness, and with the cares of this life, leaving no watchfulness to escape what is coming and to stand before the Son of man. Guarding the heart against excess and keeping continual watchfulness and prayer are the appointed safeguard, for the day of judgment will overtake the inhabitants of the whole earth unexpectedly, first foreshadowed in Jerusalem and then in the world's final history just before the Son of man comes. Those who dwell only on commonplace matters narrow their faculties, shut Jesus out of the mind and the soul temple, and lie in wickedness, deception, delusion and spiritual slumber in the very shadow of death, especially when they know testing truth yet do not prepare and lack the robe of Christ's righteousness.
Interests centered on worldly things make this world home and leave a person unready when the day arrives suddenly like a snare upon people throughout the world. Earthly-mindedness and love of gain contradict any claim to heavenly citizenship, for God judges works and not profession. Ambition for riches and honor, ordinary business and pleasure, buying and selling, securing earthly treasures, erecting costly dwellings and furnishing them with every good thing, with pleasure in dress and indulgence of appetite, become idols interposing between the soul and Christ so that solemn realities are but dimly seen and faintly realized. Those absorbed in worldly pleasure and secure in the belief that life will continue as usual fix home and attention on earthly wealth, honor, comfort and appetite, and like those who ignored warning before the Flood and Sodom they disregard warning until overtaken.
Its approach overtakes pleasure-lovers and the sinful as a thief in the night, its tread muffled so it does not wake the world from deathlike slumber, seizing prey like a prowling midnight thief when all seems secure and men have retired to contented rest only to discover too late that a door or window was left open for the enemy. All who are careless and indifferent, who give themselves to the world body, soul and spirit, will find themselves whatever their position unready for His appearing, with fitness of character for associating with sinless angels and the redeemed family examined during probationary time. Even professed commandment-keeping people waiting for Christ are caught when through assimilation to the world, putting far off the close of time, selfishness, self-indulgence, carelessness and indifference they treat lengthened probation as time for ease as dwellers on earth instead of overcoming every defect of character, purifying the soul by obeying truth, tracing fast-fulfilling prophecy in faith and holy hope, helping others see holiness, and securing the wedding garment.
False watchmen cry All is well and Peace and safety while the day hastens on to fix every destiny forever, and no one, in the world or in the churches, is secure from surprise nor should let any interpretation of prophecy remove conviction of nearness. False teachers mistake the signs of the times for evidence of earthly prosperity and say all things continue as from the beginning, while people absorbed in the belief that life will continue as usual feel secure and settle to rest under popular churches with a place left open for the enemy to enter. The day of God will trap all who dwell on the face of the whole earth and bring sudden destruction on the unready like a prowling thief breaking into a house by night, coming swiftly and silently as a thief in the night while signs rapidly fulfill in perilous times, so that unless all professed children of God watch and wait they will be taken as in a snare and only habitual watching and ever-readiness are safety.
The evil servant who professes to wait while saying in the heart that the coming is delayed shows how the hidden trap works upon everyone living on earth. Decline begins with neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer, then neglect of other religious duties, opening the way for all sins that follow, with carelessness of eternal interests, accepting worldly maxims and conforming to customs and practices, ruled by selfishness and worldly pride and ambition, disparaging brethren and smiting fellow servants from fear they may stand higher. Alienated from the people of God and uniting with the ungodly by eating and drinking with the drunken and partaking of their spirit, such are lulled into carnal security and overcome by forgetfulness, indifference and sloth, and every Christian so assailed by worldly allurements, clamors of the carnal nature and direct temptations of Satan has no safety in any experience or high station apart from continual watching, prayer and daily control by the Spirit.
The prevalence of drunkenness and crime belongs to the conditions that will exist just before the second coming when the day overtakes the whole earth like a snare. As with the Flood, Sodom, and Jerusalem, those wholly engrossed in business and pleasure, at ease, full of amusement, absorbed in buying and selling, with farmers, merchants, lawyers and tradesmen so occupied, mock warning and reject truth until sudden destruction catches them unprepared with stealthy tread. So Noah's contemporaries were destroyed when they mocked warning, and destruction came on Sodom when Lot's family counted him a raving enthusiast, and on Jerusalem when its people rejected truth, and those engrossed in ordinary business now will likewise be overtaken suddenly and unexpectedly.
How to Be Found Ready
Escape from the judgments coming upon the earth is possible only by being clothed with Christ's righteousness, His robe. That escape is for those who watch and pray always so as to be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man, refusing to let indulgence, surfeiting, drunkenness, or the cares of life make them unready. The warning presses especially upon those who know the testing truths for this time yet are not preparing, for there is no time when spiritual slothfulness is excusable.
To escape requires opening the door to let Jesus in as honored guest and personal Saviour and letting in the sunshine of His righteousness. It requires hungering for the bread and water of life through the manifested presence and help of the Holy Spirit, humbling the soul before God at once, confessing sins and transgressions, and exercising faith for pardon. The oil of character needed when the signal announcing the bridegroom's coming is given must be obtained now, for it is not transferable. This is urgent because the crisis finds a world lying in wickedness and deception and delusion in the very shadow of death, asleep in spiritual slumber, with many dwelling on commonplace matters until their faculties are narrowed and Jesus is shut out of the chambers of the mind and the soul temple.
Those whose hope is in heaven live as pilgrims and strangers, treating earthly things as temporary and giving priority to God's kingdom and the lasting inheritance reserved for the faithful. Keeping Christ's soon coming in view means setting the heart on heavenly things rather than earthly ones and taking heed to self during probation by guarding against excess, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. Earthly-mindedness and love of gain leave a person unprepared, a claim to heavenly citizenship is contradicted when works show attachment to the world, and God judges works, not profession. The day is a fearful, approaching time when probation closes, so preparation must come before that point.
Lengthened probation is not to be used for ease as dwellers on the earth but to overcome every defect of character, purify the soul by obeying the truth, trace fast-fulfilling prophecy in faith and holy hope, help others see the beauty of holiness, and not be found without the wedding garment when Christ shall appear. Readiness includes performing individual duty faithfully and giving His warnings to others rather than seeking the secret time of His coming. It means taking heed to self and watching, working, and praying always, living ever in the spirit of prayer, which is the true life of faith. It calls for personal piety and every precaution against spiritual decline, with faithful work, watchfulness, waiting, and prayer in drawing near to God.
The world needs to be aroused to the evils of this age in order to be ready, and the best preparation for His coming and for receiving the other truths essential to prepare a people for His coming is to stir people to see those evils and to reform from self-indulgent and unhealthful habits through health reform. Those who believe the message and apply its truths are to be purified and show purity, modesty, humility, and contrition. Faith not matched by works becomes a hindrance to others, for God sifts people by their purposes and motives, and some are sifted until nothing of value remains.
Before the coming overflowing scourge falls as a snare on all who dwell on the face of the earth, those who are Israelites indeed are called to serve Him. Fathers and mothers must gather their children into their own houses away from classes that voice the words of Satan and disobey the commandments of God. They are to give them a Christian education and train them to become workers together with God and fit for endless life, so that a whole army of missionaries is raised up to work for God. Joined to this warning to be ready for His coming is the subject of Christ's sacrifice and His taking humanity to endure the test Adam failed in Eden.
The day will come suddenly and unexpectedly upon everyone living on earth, catching the unprepared unawares like a hidden trap seizing an animal that did not see it.
It is the day of Christ's second appearing in the clouds with power and great glory, the day of the Lord and of God, the day of judgment and of the Son of man at His revelation.
That time is now short and near, shown by rapidly fulfilling signs and perilous calamities, yet its day and hour are unknown, and its delay remains as probation in which to repent before destiny is forever fixed.
It therefore calls every soul to take heed to self and to watch and pray always, for only the sober, obedient children of light who keep ever ready will escape what is coming and stand before the Son of man without spot and blameless.
Hearts left unready are weighed down with surfeiting, drunkenness and the cares of this life, with love of gain, business, pleasure and costly display becoming idols between the soul and Christ, until solemn realities are dimly seen.
Escape from the coming judgments is possible only by being clothed with Christ's righteousness, opening the door to receive Him as personal Saviour and obtaining now a character purified by obeying truth, while living as pilgrims whose hope and treasure are in heaven.
Meaning of the Snare
The day will come suddenly and unexpectedly, like a snare, upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. It will overtake earth's inhabitants and catch the unprepared unawares if they are not ready for the events of Christ's coming. The warning is given in Christ's plain words and sounds down to the present time, calling people to guard against surfeiting and overindulgence, drunkenness and the cares of this life, and to watch and pray always so they may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man while probation still remains for repentance and forsaking sin.
The snare is a hidden trap, like an animal caught unexpectedly in a hunter's concealed snare. The Lord's delay in coming to give more time to repent does not prevent the unexpected event, though sinners falsely conclude from it that He will never come. The decline by which the trap works begins with neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer and then of other religious duties, opening the way for carelessness of eternal interests, accepting worldly maxims and customs, selfishness and worldly pride and ambition, disparaging brethren and smiting fellow servants, alienation from God's people and union with the ungodly until lulled into carnal security and overcome by forgetfulness, indifference and sloth, assailed by worldly allurements, the carnal nature and Satan with no safety apart from daily control by the Spirit.
Its approach is muffled and does not wake the world from deathlike slumber, while false watchmen cry All is well and Peace and safety. It overtakes the pleasure-lover and the sinful man as a thief in the night, like a prowling midnight thief seizing prey when all seems secure and men have retired to contented rest, only to discover too late that a door or window was left open or unsecured for the enemy to enter. To the unready it comes with stealthy tread like a prowling thief breaking into a house by night, surprising false teachers who say peace and safety and that all things continue as from the beginning with sudden destruction, just as the flood destroyed Noah's contemporaries who mocked warning while engrossed in business and amusement and as destruction came on Sodom and on Jerusalem when truth was rejected, so that habitual watching and ever-readiness are the only safety lest the day overtake as a thief.
The warning is universal rather than limited to a particular people or place, applying to everyone living on earth throughout the world, including those in the churches, so that no one is secure from being caught unready. Apparent peace and safety, or confidence in an interpretation of prophecy, must not dull the conviction drawn from fulfilled prophecy and events that Christ's coming is near, though its day and hour are unknown and destiny will soon be forever fixed. It is addressed to every soul, to the world and to the churches also, including pleasure-lovers and sinners and church members settling to rest as if secure under popular churches, who must keep watch and leave no entrance for the enemy and remain ready.
Day It Describes
The day is the day of Christ's coming and second appearing in the clouds with power and great glory, the day of the Lord, the day of God, the day of judgment and of the Son of man at His revelation. It is the coming day of judgment that will overtake the inhabitants of the whole earth unexpectedly, like a snare. It is a fearful, approaching time when probation closes, so readiness must come before that point.
It belongs to Christ's warning about events connected first with Jerusalem's destruction and then with the world's history and final crisis and punishment for iniquity just before the Son of man comes. Its chapter should be studied in view of the last days of earth's history and the condition of the world before His coming.
The day is near, time is now short upon the very borders of the eternal world. Its nearness is shown by rapidly fulfilling signs, fulfilled prophecy, perilous times and calamities, and by tracing fast-fulfilling prophecy in faith and holy hope. Yet its day and hour are unknown and it comes swiftly and silently, suddenly and unexpectedly upon people who feel secure.
The prophecy includes earthquake destruction such as the shaking down of both ends of the Pacific Press building at Mountain View, the demolition of the newly completed store and post office, and the suffering at San Jose, and this fulfillment means very much. The Lord delays His coming to give more time to repent, so probation and opportunity to repent, turn from sin and receive forgiveness still remain. When probation closes destiny will soon be forever fixed, and the delay does not prevent the unexpected event nor excuse spiritual slothfulness, for there is no time when spiritual slothfulness is excusable.
Call to Watch and Pray
The call is to every soul to take heed to self, to guard the heart against excess and the cares of life, and to watch and pray always so as not to be caught unprepared. The aim is to be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man in peace, without spot and blameless. While probation still remains, repentance and forsaking of sin prepare for that escape, rather than letting indulgence, drunkenness, or life's cares leave the heart overcharged. It is Christ's solemn warning to His disciples to take heed to His words rather than seek the secret time of His coming, to prepare by performing faithfully individual duty and by giving His warnings to others.
The warning is given in Christ's plain words and sounds down the line to the present time as a solemn danger-signal message for this time. It belongs to His warning about events connected first with Jerusalem and then with the world's history just before the Son of man comes, given so that fearful destruction soon to come upon the inhabitants of the world may not find them unprepared. It applies with special force to those who know the testing truths of the time yet are not preparing for Christ's coming and are failing to heed it through spiritual slothfulness. It is to be given now with power, with clear efforts to bring the truth to city dwellers and to the world, so that those who hear it are without excuse in failing to pass it on.
Those who are brethren, children of light and of the day, obedient to the word, watching and sober rather than sleeping in darkness, will not be overtaken by that day as by a thief. To the unready it comes like a prowling thief breaking into a house by night, seizing prey when all seems secure. Habitual watching and ever-readiness are the only safety, so that the day does not overtake as a thief.
The warning is for every soul, to the world and to the churches also, and no one is secure from being caught unready, including those settling to rest as if secure under popular churches. Its approach is muffled and does not wake the world from deathlike slumber, while false watchmen cry All is well and Peace and safety. It overtakes the pleasure-lover and the sinful man as a thief in the night, as a prowling midnight thief seizing his prey when all seems secure and men have retired to contented rest, only to discover too late that a door or window was left open for the enemy to enter. Apparent peace and safety, confidence in an interpretation of prophecy, or putting far off the close of time must not dull the conviction drawn from events that Christ's coming is near. The nearness is shown by fulfilled prophecy, though no one can know its day or hour, and it is to be kept before both the world and the churches, for destiny will soon be forever fixed.
Dangers That Leave Unready
The snare falls because hearts grow overcharged and weighed down with surfeiting and overindulgence, with drunkenness, and with the cares of this life, leaving no watchfulness to escape what is coming and to stand before the Son of man. Guarding the heart against excess and keeping continual watchfulness and prayer are the appointed safeguard, for the day of judgment will overtake the inhabitants of the whole earth unexpectedly, first foreshadowed in Jerusalem and then in the world's final history just before the Son of man comes. Those who dwell only on commonplace matters narrow their faculties, shut Jesus out of the mind and the soul temple, and lie in wickedness, deception, delusion and spiritual slumber in the very shadow of death, especially when they know testing truth yet do not prepare and lack the robe of Christ's righteousness.
Interests centered on worldly things make this world home and leave a person unready when the day arrives suddenly like a snare upon people throughout the world. Earthly-mindedness and love of gain contradict any claim to heavenly citizenship, for God judges works and not profession. Ambition for riches and honor, ordinary business and pleasure, buying and selling, securing earthly treasures, erecting costly dwellings and furnishing them with every good thing, with pleasure in dress and indulgence of appetite, become idols interposing between the soul and Christ so that solemn realities are but dimly seen and faintly realized. Those absorbed in worldly pleasure and secure in the belief that life will continue as usual fix home and attention on earthly wealth, honor, comfort and appetite, and like those who ignored warning before the Flood and Sodom they disregard warning until overtaken.
Its approach overtakes pleasure-lovers and the sinful as a thief in the night, its tread muffled so it does not wake the world from deathlike slumber, seizing prey like a prowling midnight thief when all seems secure and men have retired to contented rest only to discover too late that a door or window was left open for the enemy. All who are careless and indifferent, who give themselves to the world body, soul and spirit, will find themselves whatever their position unready for His appearing, with fitness of character for associating with sinless angels and the redeemed family examined during probationary time. Even professed commandment-keeping people waiting for Christ are caught when through assimilation to the world, putting far off the close of time, selfishness, self-indulgence, carelessness and indifference they treat lengthened probation as time for ease as dwellers on earth instead of overcoming every defect of character, purifying the soul by obeying truth, tracing fast-fulfilling prophecy in faith and holy hope, helping others see holiness, and securing the wedding garment.
False watchmen cry All is well and Peace and safety while the day hastens on to fix every destiny forever, and no one, in the world or in the churches, is secure from surprise nor should let any interpretation of prophecy remove conviction of nearness. False teachers mistake the signs of the times for evidence of earthly prosperity and say all things continue as from the beginning, while people absorbed in the belief that life will continue as usual feel secure and settle to rest under popular churches with a place left open for the enemy to enter. The day of God will trap all who dwell on the face of the whole earth and bring sudden destruction on the unready like a prowling thief breaking into a house by night, coming swiftly and silently as a thief in the night while signs rapidly fulfill in perilous times, so that unless all professed children of God watch and wait they will be taken as in a snare and only habitual watching and ever-readiness are safety.
The evil servant who professes to wait while saying in the heart that the coming is delayed shows how the hidden trap works upon everyone living on earth. Decline begins with neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer, then neglect of other religious duties, opening the way for all sins that follow, with carelessness of eternal interests, accepting worldly maxims and conforming to customs and practices, ruled by selfishness and worldly pride and ambition, disparaging brethren and smiting fellow servants from fear they may stand higher. Alienated from the people of God and uniting with the ungodly by eating and drinking with the drunken and partaking of their spirit, such are lulled into carnal security and overcome by forgetfulness, indifference and sloth, and every Christian so assailed by worldly allurements, clamors of the carnal nature and direct temptations of Satan has no safety in any experience or high station apart from continual watching, prayer and daily control by the Spirit.
The prevalence of drunkenness and crime belongs to the conditions that will exist just before the second coming when the day overtakes the whole earth like a snare. As with the Flood, Sodom, and Jerusalem, those wholly engrossed in business and pleasure, at ease, full of amusement, absorbed in buying and selling, with farmers, merchants, lawyers and tradesmen so occupied, mock warning and reject truth until sudden destruction catches them unprepared with stealthy tread. So Noah's contemporaries were destroyed when they mocked warning, and destruction came on Sodom when Lot's family counted him a raving enthusiast, and on Jerusalem when its people rejected truth, and those engrossed in ordinary business now will likewise be overtaken suddenly and unexpectedly.
How to Be Found Ready
Escape from the judgments coming upon the earth is possible only by being clothed with Christ's righteousness, His robe. That escape is for those who watch and pray always so as to be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man, refusing to let indulgence, surfeiting, drunkenness, or the cares of life make them unready. The warning presses especially upon those who know the testing truths for this time yet are not preparing, for there is no time when spiritual slothfulness is excusable.
To escape requires opening the door to let Jesus in as honored guest and personal Saviour and letting in the sunshine of His righteousness. It requires hungering for the bread and water of life through the manifested presence and help of the Holy Spirit, humbling the soul before God at once, confessing sins and transgressions, and exercising faith for pardon. The oil of character needed when the signal announcing the bridegroom's coming is given must be obtained now, for it is not transferable. This is urgent because the crisis finds a world lying in wickedness and deception and delusion in the very shadow of death, asleep in spiritual slumber, with many dwelling on commonplace matters until their faculties are narrowed and Jesus is shut out of the chambers of the mind and the soul temple.
Those whose hope is in heaven live as pilgrims and strangers, treating earthly things as temporary and giving priority to God's kingdom and the lasting inheritance reserved for the faithful. Keeping Christ's soon coming in view means setting the heart on heavenly things rather than earthly ones and taking heed to self during probation by guarding against excess, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. Earthly-mindedness and love of gain leave a person unprepared, a claim to heavenly citizenship is contradicted when works show attachment to the world, and God judges works, not profession. The day is a fearful, approaching time when probation closes, so preparation must come before that point.
Lengthened probation is not to be used for ease as dwellers on the earth but to overcome every defect of character, purify the soul by obeying the truth, trace fast-fulfilling prophecy in faith and holy hope, help others see the beauty of holiness, and not be found without the wedding garment when Christ shall appear. Readiness includes performing individual duty faithfully and giving His warnings to others rather than seeking the secret time of His coming. It means taking heed to self and watching, working, and praying always, living ever in the spirit of prayer, which is the true life of faith. It calls for personal piety and every precaution against spiritual decline, with faithful work, watchfulness, waiting, and prayer in drawing near to God.
The world needs to be aroused to the evils of this age in order to be ready, and the best preparation for His coming and for receiving the other truths essential to prepare a people for His coming is to stir people to see those evils and to reform from self-indulgent and unhealthful habits through health reform. Those who believe the message and apply its truths are to be purified and show purity, modesty, humility, and contrition. Faith not matched by works becomes a hindrance to others, for God sifts people by their purposes and motives, and some are sifted until nothing of value remains.
Before the coming overflowing scourge falls as a snare on all who dwell on the face of the earth, those who are Israelites indeed are called to serve Him. Fathers and mothers must gather their children into their own houses away from classes that voice the words of Satan and disobey the commandments of God. They are to give them a Christian education and train them to become workers together with God and fit for endless life, so that a whole army of missionaries is raised up to work for God. Joined to this warning to be ready for His coming is the subject of Christ's sacrifice and His taking humanity to endure the test Adam failed in Eden.