Matthew 16:3, commentary and pictures

Christ rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees as hypocrites because they could read the face of the sky to foretell the weather yet failed to recognize the plain signs that pointed to His mission and the coming kingdom of God. Their failure came not from lack of evidence but from pride, formalism, neglect of prophecy, and refusal of heavenly light, while those who studied Scripture and longed for the Redeemer were ready to know the day of visitation. The same discernment is required now, for the signs of the times can be known just as surely as weather signs, but only by sanctified perception through the Word, wakefulness, and spiritual alertness, and to know the truth without discerning its demands for the moment is hypocrisy. Present troubles among the nations, disasters by land and sea, increasing lawlessness and wickedness like the days of Noah and Lot, and great movements in the religious world testify that the last days have come and Christ's coming is near. Therefore God's people are called to awake, watch and pray, recognize what the hour requires, and work in unison with heaven to carry present truth to dark places, lest indifference and lukewarmness leave them unprepared for the visitation.

Christ's Rebuke at First Advent

The Pharisees and Sadducees could read the face of the sky and foretell fair or foul weather, yet they failed to recognize the signs of the times that pointed plainly to Christ's mission and the coming kingdom of God. They were skilled at judging outward evidence from ordinary signs in nature, but they would not discern the spiritual significance of His works and teaching in their own age. For this He called them hypocrites, because ability to predict the weather without willingness to discern the time exposed ignorance joined to indifference.

What was given for their salvation was not another external sign but Christ's words empowered by the Holy Spirit, convicting of sin, with heavenly witnesses testifying to His mission. Their need was spiritual renewal, which outward evidence alone could not supply. Demanded miracles do not persuade those hardened in unbelief or seeking proof from pride. The true sign of His divine mission is seen instead in lives freed from sin's control, changed to love God and keep His commandments, and transformed by the Spirit through the word.

Those entrusted with Scripture were responsible to know from prophecy that the Messiah's coming was near and to tell the people. Their failure came from sinful neglect and not from lack of evidence. Pride, formalism, and refusal of heavenly light closed the eyes of the church to the signs of Christ's coming.

At Bethlehem unbelief, pride, self-sufficiency, and criminal indifference kept priests, Pharisees, and great men from recognizing the Messiah's coming and knowing the day of their visitation. Shepherds who contemplated prophecy and longed for the Redeemer were ready, while the leaders were unprepared. The same warning applies now, lest by like indifference there be failure to discern the signs of the times and therefore to know the visitation. Christ will appear the second time without sin unto salvation only to those who look for Him.

Spiritual Discernment Required

The signs of the times can be discerned just as surely as weather is discerned from the face of the sky, and present troubles and lawlessness are signs that the day of the Lord and Christ's coming are near. This discerning requires keen, sanctified perception and spiritual discernment, not merely the ability to read ordinary circumstances or interpret the sky. It is gained through the Word of the Lord, with spiritual wakefulness and eyesight to recognize the times and resist deception. Those who know the truth are accountable to discern the moment and its demands, and failure to do so leaves the work of preparing a people for the last days years behind.

Knowing the truth is not enough without that alert recognition of what the time requires. To recognize ordinary signs in the sky while failing to recognize the signs of the times is hypocrisy, and inability to read the signs and understand the truth for this time is weakness among God's people. Those who know the truth are therefore to be spiritually alert, waiting, watching, and working, and to draw near to God with increased faith and general awakening in the converting, reviving power of the truth. God gives grace and power and imparts spiritual life to all who come to Him repenting of lukewarmness.

Failure to discern comes from ignorance and indifference even when the signs point clearly to Christ's mission and the coming kingdom. Stupor in the time of watching for Christ's soon coming seals the senses, and waning faith makes God's people heedless when surrounding iniquity calls for diligence and a living testimony against sin. It comes when understanding is blinded, and when worldly hopes and ambitions fill the heart so that love for God and faith in His word grow cold, so that the advent truth when presented only arouses prejudice and unbelief. Lukewarmness itself leaves God's people unable to read the signs.

Those whose senses are not blinded recognize the spiritual significance of the time and are alarmed by disobedience to God's word. New vital force is put into the work of going forth to proclaim the truth, to establish it in many places and carry forward work now left undone. Faithful messengers give the trumpet a certain sound, and the truth, though criticized and scorned and derided, shines brighter the closer it is examined and tested. The signs of the times are warnings of God about what is taking place, calling for earnest repentance, attention, and faithful action rather than halfhearted neglect of solemn duties.

Signs of the Last Days

The unsettled state of the nations is itself a discernible sign of the times, just as surely as the face of the sky is read for weather. Honest souls in other nations witness this unsettled condition and are troubled in heart and conscience, asking what will be the end of all these things and what will come of them. God and angels are moving upon their hearts and consciences to impress them through these events. Recognizing this calls for wakefulness and earnest work in unison with the heavenly messengers, with unreserved consecration in presenting the truth to those in darkness for the salvation of fellow men instead of sleeping while God is at work.

The troubles and lawlessness of the present age testify that the day of the Lord and Christ's coming are near. Increasing unrest, riots, and preparations for a great event show that the last days have come. Casualties, disasters at sea and on land, floods, storms, fires, earthquakes, and unsettled world affairs together testify that the day of God is near. The cities are growing increasingly wicked and serious trouble lies ahead, so that establishing large business interests in them risks blinding people to what the signs reveal. Even the serious attention people give to a disaster such as an earthquake shows the need to use literature explaining the meaning of such signs to help them consider the truth.

The moral state of society proves the coming of the Son of man is near. Present society is like the days of Noah and the days of Lot, with people absorbed in eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building until the flood destroyed them and until fire and brimstone destroyed Sodom. So it will be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Widespread crime, corruption, and disregard for God's law mark the same condition and point to the coming revelation of the Son of man.

The Protestant churches are in great darkness in failing to discern the far-reaching plans and modes of operation by which the Roman Church is extending her influence and increasing her power. That plan is to prepare for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done. The tokens are Catholicism gaining ground on every side, the increasing number of her churches and chapels in Protestant countries, the popularity of her colleges and seminaries in America among Protestants, the growth of ritualism in England and frequent defections to the Catholics, and Protestant tampering with, patronage of, compromise with, and concession to popery. These developments should awaken the anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel and arouse the people to resist Rome's advances as a most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty.

Other signs are lawmaking powers trying to exalt Sunday. Satan is rapidly uniting his forces against truth in a desperate confederacy, and God's enemies are working to gain control of the world faster than imagined, warning believers not to become selfish, worldly, or narrowly concerned with their own interests but to act earnestly for the salvation of souls. At a critical point in the church's history the wavering of nations between infidelity and idolatry calls for heeding God's warnings, appeals, and commands in His Word with renewed and more thorough consecration to His work. The appearance among professed believers of those who reject the Lord's counsel fulfills the apostles' warnings and is itself evidence that the last days have come.

The signs of Christ's coming are plain and testify that the end is nearer than when first believed and that the time of visitation is at hand. Ministers are watchmen unto the house of Israel who should be first to discern the tokens of Jesus' coming, learning the truth both from the testimony of the prophets and from the signs of the times. Failure comes when worldly hopes and ambitions fill the heart and love for God and faith in His word grow cold, so that the advent doctrine only arouses prejudice and unbelief. Therefore Christ's followers must stay awake to those signs, live as preachers, warn others of His coming, and proclaim the truth with earnestness while there is still opportunity, rather than accepting assurances of peace or living as though the day of the Lord were far off.

Call to Watch and Work

The verse calls for recognizing the signs of the times as readily as signs in the sky are read, and because the signs of Christ's coming are plain it summons those who profess the truth to awake, live as preachers, and proclaim the truth with earnestness as earth's history nears its close. It requires sanctified, keen perception that guards spiritual welfare and recognizes dangers that may ensnare, rather than being turned to criticizing and condemning one another. Those who know the truth are to be spiritually alert, waiting, watching and working, staying awake to the signs and warning others of His coming instead of accepting assurances of peace or living as though the day of the Lord were far off.

Christ's warning is directed to the present age, for His foretold signs are meant to instruct believers and help them prepare for the great conflict. Those who know the truth should discern the issues of the last days that will come and require a people prepared to stand, yet failure to discern has left that highest work of preparation years behind. Recognizing what the moment requires means watching and praying against temptation, using every gift and faculty in the present period of waiting and work, and setting things in order.

Such recognition calls for wide-awake action in unison with heavenly messengers, with unreserved consecration in presenting the truth to those in darkness for the salvation of fellow men, since God and angels are moving on hearts and consciences through the unsettled state of the nations that troubles honest souls in other nations who ask what will be the end of these things. It means not sleeping while God and angels work to impress hearts, but availing of every opening to press in the truth, establishing it in many places and carrying forward work now left undone. Those whose understanding is not blinded are alarmed by disobedience to God's word, receive new vital force to go forth, and give the trumpet a certain sound as faithful messengers, even while the truth is criticized, scorned and derided yet shines brighter the closer it is examined and tested. The call is to reach a higher standard with the true missionary spirit after Christ's manner in the thoroughfares of travel, carrying the light of present truth to dark places instead of remaining gathered to hear the gospel repeated, and circulating books containing present light such as Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, Great Controversy, Patriarchs and Prophets, and Desire of Ages, so that careless hearts are convicted and search the Word.

Discernment demands keeping the heart with all diligence so that faith is not made shipwreck. The signs of the times are warnings of God about what is taking place, calling for earnest repentance, attention and faithful action rather than halfhearted neglect of solemn duties. New theories that unsettle the work and lead astray are to be avoided, and the Lord's word is to be given with a clear message. Bible truth calling attention to the signs of the times is to be made a specialty by the safe educator and given the highest place in the mind, which requires the heavenly anointing and conversion, without which a person wanders further from the principles of truth and practice is not characterized by safe, holy principles.

Failure to discern in a wicked and adulterous generation leaves people among those in danger of perishing under the plagues poured from the vials of God's wrath. Many do not discern what their time calls for, and this failure leaves them vulnerable to losing the Holy Spirit's conviction and unprepared to follow unfolding light. Recognizing the time calls for faithful service with the abilities and resources entrusted by God, and for responding to the light given in order to be prepared for further light. Such recognition should awaken from lethargy and stir to responsibility, curing weakness and lukewarmness among God's people by drawing near to God with increased faith and general awakening in the converting, reviving power of the truth.