Chapter II: Part 2

In this fearful work will be engaged the notorious deceiver, the trained agents of Satan, the worldly philosopher, worldly preachers, popular ministers, critics of the Bible, and many whose eyes do not discern the signs of the times. The Mormons call the people to the desert; Spiritualism invites us to the secret chamber, where Satanic signs and wonders are wrought to captivate the mind and divert it from the truth. Of these “false prophets” Paul speaks in 1 Tim. 4:1:—

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils.”

In another scripture the apostle places the coming of Christ in connection with—

“The working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusions, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thess. 2:9‐11.

These are some of the deceptions of which Christ is speaking in the text. It is undoubtedly the work of modern Spiritualism. This work, in its present form, originated in the year 1848, and constitutes and is to constitute one of the most prominent signs of the end.

Let no one be deceived by any means. For these are but subterfuges. They are not the coming of Christ. He has said, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” John 14:3.

The angels said at his ascension,—

“_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
1:11.

Paul tells us,—

“The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trump of God.” 1 Thess. 4:16.

And here our Saviour says:—

“As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth, unto the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

He will come literally, personally, the same Jesus who was here upon the earth. Not in lowly form as an offering for sin, to be set at naught, abused, and crucified, but in “all his glory” attended with “all the holy angels.” Matt. 25:31. We shall know when he comes for “every eye shall see him.” Rev. 1:7.

None of these evasions of the truth will ever be able to counterfeit the real event. The Roman army did not come to Jerusalem in this way. Death does not come in this way. The deceptive wonders of Spiritualism cannot imitate the glory of Christ’s second coming. He will come in power and great glory (verse 30); he will come in the glory of his Father (chapter 16:27); and in the glory of the holy angels (Luke 9:26); all the holy angels shall come with him. Matt. 25:31. His coming will be as glorious and resplendent as the lightning. When Jesus revealed himself to Saul of Tarsus, there was a light above the brightness of the sun (Acts 26:13); of the angel who appeared at the tomb after the resurrection of Jesus it is said, “His countenance was like lightning” (Matt. 28:3); and Ezekiel says of the messengers of the Most High, they “ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” Eze. 1:14.

When Jesus comes in the glory of his Father, with so glorious a train attendant, his coming will indeed be as the lightning coming out of the east and shining to the west, and no one will have any more occasion or opportunity to say to his fellow, “See here,” than one would have to call another to behold a gleam of lightning flashing through the heavens. The vivid lightning flashing out of the distant east, and shining even to the west, lights up the whole heavens. What, then, when the Lord comes in flaming glory, and all the holy angels with him? The presence of only one holy angel at the sepulcher where Christ lay dead, caused the Roman guard to shake, and become as dead men. The light and glory of one angel completely overpowered those strong sentinels. The Son of man is coming in his own kingly glory, and in the glory of his Father, attended by all the holy angels. Then the whole heavens will blaze with glory, and the whole earth will tremble before him.

The Signs Of Christ’s Coming.

VERSES 29‐31: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son
of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other.”

We have before seen that our Lord speaks in this chapter of the long period of tribulation that was to come upon his followers, and we have also seen how those days of tribulation were shortened for the elect’s sake. Christ says that the sun should be darkened immediately after the tribulation of those days. Mark in his gospel, gives it as follows:—

“In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light.” Mark 13:24.

This makes the time in which the sun was to be darkened more distinct and definite. The days of tribulation were the 1260 years of papal supremacy, beginning in 538 A. D. and ending with the capture of Rome and the pope by the French in 1798. But we have already seen that the “tribulation” or persecution of those days was “shortened” for the elect’s sake. That is, the active persecution of the church by papal power ceased in 1773. Then, according to Mark’s statement, the sun should be darkened between that date and 1798. It was fulfilled. May 19, 1780, has passed into history as “the dark day.”

This is a fact of so general knowledge that we need not consume space in elucidating it. A few references to undoubted authorities will suffice.

Noah Webster’s dictionary, in the edition for 1869, under the head of Explanatory and Pronouncing Vocabulary of Noted Names, says:—

“_The dark day_, May 19, 1780—so called on account of a remarkable
darkness on that day extending over all New England. In some
places, persons could not see to read common print in the open air
for several hours together. Birds sang their evening songs,
disappeared, and became silent; fowls went to roost; cattle sought
the barn‐yard; and candles were lighted in the houses. The
obscuration began about ten o’clock in the morning, and continued
till the middle of the next night, but with differences of degree
and duration in different places. For several days previous, the
wind had been variable, but chiefly from the south‐west and the
north‐east. The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not
known.”

From another good authority we quote:—

“A solemn gloom of unusual darkness before ten o’clock,—a still
darker cloud rolling under the sable curtain from the north and
west before eleven o’clock,—excluded the light so that none could
see to read or write in the House, even at either window, or
distinguish persons at a small distance, or perceive any
distinction of dress in the circle of attendants; wherefore, at
eleven o’clock adjourned the House till two in the
afternoon.”—_Journal of the Connecticut House of Representatives,
Friday, May 19, 1780._

Herschel, the great astronomer, says:—

“The dark day in Northern America was one of those wonderful
phenomena of nature which will always be read with interest, but
which philosophy is at a loss to explain.”

A contemporary paper contained the following:—

“During the whole time a sickly, melancholy gloom overcast the
face of nature. Nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon
and terrifying than that of the day, for notwithstanding there was
almost a full moon, no object was discernible but by the help of
some artificial light, which seen from the neighboring houses and
other places at a distance appeared through a kind of Egyptian
darkness which seemed almost impervious to its rays. This unusual
phenomenon excited the fears and apprehensions of many
people.”—_Mass. Spy, Correspondence, 1780._

From another good authority we take the following:—

“Almost, if not altogether alone as the most mysterious and as yet
unexplained phenomenon of its kind in nature’s diversified range
of events during the last century, stands the dark day of May 19,
1780, a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens
and atmosphere in New England, which brought intense alarm and
distress to multitudes of minds, as well as dismay to the brute
creation, the fowls fleeing, bewildered, to their roosts, and the
birds to their nests, and the cattle returning to their stalls.
Indeed thousands of the good people of that day became fully
convinced that the end of all things terrestrial had come; many
gave up, for the time, their secular pursuits, and betook
themselves to religious devotions.”—“_Our First Century._”

An extract from a sermon preached at that time will be of interest:—

“But especially I mention that _wonderful darkness_ on the 19th of
May inst. [1780]. Then, as in our text, the sun was darkened; such
a darkness as probably was never known before since the
crucifixion of our Lord. People left their work in the house and
in the field. Travelers stopped; schools broke up at eleven
o’clock; people lighted candles at noonday; and the fire shone as
at night. Some people, I have been told, were in dismay, and
thought whether the day of Judgment was not drawing on. A great
part of the following night also was singularly dark. The _moon,
though in the full, gave no light_, as in our text.”—_From a
manuscript sermon by Rev. Elam Potter, delivered May 28, 1780._

By the remarkable obscuration of the moon on the following night, the next sign, “And the moon shall not give her light,” was fulfilled. Concerning this it is only necessary to insert a few words:—

“The night succeeding that day (May 19, 1780) was of such pitchy
darkness that, in some instances, horses could not be compelled to
leave the stable when wanted for service. About midnight, the
clouds were dispersed, and the moon and stars appeared with
unimpaired brilliancy.”—“_Stone’s History of Beverly._”

Mr. Tenny, of Exeter, N. H., quoted by Mr. Gage, to the Historical Society, speaking of the dark day and dark night of May 19, 1780, says:—

“The darkness of the following evening was probably as gross as
has ever been observed since the Almighty first gave birth to
light. I could not help conceiving at the time, that if every
luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable
darkness, or struck out of existence, the darkness could not have
been more complete. A sheet of white paper held within a few
inches of the eye was equally invisible with the blackest velvet.”

Concerning a similar phenomenon in the Old World a reliable work says:—

“Three years later, and Europe with its teeming millions went
under as mysterious a cloud, which, though not so dense, yet
continued longer and awoke a wonder and fear that was widely felt.
A haze, for which no known cause was then assigned (though in
subsequent years it has been supposed by some to have been
volcanic dust), spread through the entire breadth of the
atmosphere over all the continent far into Asia. It appeared in
Denmark, May 29, reached France, June 14; Italy, June 16; Norway,
June 22; Austria and Switzerland, June 23; Sweden, June 24; and
Russia, June 25. By the close of the month it had overspread like
a pall all Syria, and on July 18, had penetrated the heart of Asia
to the Altai Mountains. The obscurity prevailed a greater portion
of the summer, imparting to the sun an unnatural color of a dull,
rusty red, and causing both the days and nights to wear a weird
and gloomy aspect. The atmosphere was highly electric, and nature
was greatly convulsed.

“Dr. N. Webster in his valuable ‘History of Pestilences,’ vol. ii.
p. 274, testifies to the general fear. As it was in America on the
occurrence of the ‘dark day,’ so the churches in Europe were
crowded with alarmed multitudes supplicating mercy of Heaven.
Professor Lalande, the astronomer of France, attempted to quiet
the popular fear by ascribing the darkened heavens to exhalations
arising out of the earth; but both Webster and Humboldt (Cosmos
IV., p. 75) rejected this solution of the mysterious obscurity.
Protestant England shared in the alarm it occasioned; and the poet
Cowper sang that all the elements ‘preached the general doom.’ It
was to this unaccountable obscuration of light that he refers in
his ‘Task:’—

“ ‘Nature seems with dim and sickly eye
To wait the close of all.’ ”

—“_Great Consummation._”

“And The Stars Shall Fall.”

How this sign can be fulfilled is a query with some people, who, perhaps captiously, remark that it would be impossible, since the earth itself is but a small body compared with many of the vast worlds of space. But all such queries are out of date now since the sign itself has already been witnessed. On the night of November 13, 1833, the grandest display of celestial fireworks ever beheld took place. From works of accepted authority we take the following descriptions of this remarkable event:—

“But the most sublime phenomenon of shooting stars, of which the
world has furnished any record, was witnessed throughout the
United States on the morning of the 13th of November, 1833. The
entire extent of this astonishing exhibition has not been
precisely ascertained; but it covered no inconsiderable portion of
the earth’s surface.... The first appearance was that of fireworks
of the most imposing grandeur, covering the entire vault of heaven
with myriads of fire‐balls, resembling sky‐rockets. Their
coruscations were bright, gleaming, and incessant, and they fell
thick as the flakes in the early snows of December. To the
splendors of this celestial exhibition the most brilliant sky‐
rockets and fire‐works of art bear less relation than the
twinkling of the most tiny star to the broad glare of the sun. The
whole heavens seemed in motion, and suggested to some the awful
grandeur of the image employed in the Apocalypse, upon the opening
of the sixth seal, when ‘the stars of heaven fell unto the earth,
even as a fig‐tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken
of a mighty wind.’ ”—_Burritt’s __“__Geography of the
Heavens,__”__ p. 163, ed. 1854._

The Falling Stars.

A celebrated astronomer and meteorologist, says:—

“Those who were so fortunate as to witness the exhibition of
shooting stars on the morning of Nov. 13, 1833, probably saw the
greatest display of celestial fire‐works that has ever been since
the creation of the world, or at least within the annals covered
by the pages of history.

“In nearly all places the meteors began to attract notice by their
unusual frequency as early as eleven o’clock, and increased in
numbers and splendor until about four o’clock, from which time
they gradually declined, but were visible until lost in the light
of day. The meteors did not fly at random over all parts of the
sky, but appeared to emanate from a point in the constellation
Leo, near a star called Gamma Leonis, in the bend of the
Sickle....

“The extent of the shower of 1833 was such as to cover no
inconsiderable part of the earth’s surface, from the middle of the
Atlantic on the east to the Pacific on the west; and from the
northern coast of South America to undefined regions among the
British possessions on the north, the exhibition was visible, and
everywhere presented nearly the same appearance. This is no longer
to be regarded as a terrestrial but a celestial phenomenon, and
shooting stars are now to be no more viewed as casual productions
of the upper regions of the atmosphere, but as _visitants from
other worlds_, or from the planetary voids.”—_Prof. Olmstead, of
Yale College._

“No philosopher or scholar has told or recorded an event, I
suppose, like that of yesterday morning. A prophet 1800 years ago
foretold it exactly, if we will be at the trouble of understanding
stars falling to mean falling stars; or ‘_hoi asteres tou ouranou
epesan eis teen geen_,’ in the only sense in which it is possible
to be literally true.”—_Henry Dana Ward, in Journal of Commerce,
Nov. 14, 1833._

Not only here in Matthew 24 is attention directed to these signs as premonitory of the coming of Christ. The Lord through the prophet Joel says:—

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.”

Under the sixth seal, as given in Rev. 6:12‐17, we have the following language:—

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there
was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of
hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell
unto the earth even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when
she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a
scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island
were moved out of their places.”

That the fourth and fifth seals apply to the papal persecution there can be no reasonable doubt. If so, then the great earthquake with which the sixth seal opens would be that of Lisbon, in 1755, which agitated the greater part of the earth and destroyed many thousands of lives, 60,000 in Lisbon alone.

The darkening of the sun and moon follows in 1780, and the falling of the stars in 1833. Consequently the next event which we are to expect under this seal is the departing of the heavens as a scroll. This being future, we may say that we are living between the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of Revelation 6.

In the gospel as written by Luke, however, we have at this point some additional specifications given, which are of such interest at the present juncture. And they rightfully belong to this exposition, since both Matthew and Luke are giving versions of the same discourse. The passage from Luke to which reference is made is the following:—

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;
the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear,
and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:
for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25‐27.

Modern Cyclone.

The signs in the sun, moon, and stars are here spoken of less specifically than by Matthew, while other features of the times, which Matthew does not notice, are introduced between those signs and the shaking of the powers of heaven. These are of peculiar interest to us because we are living in the very days when the things that Luke speaks of are coming to pass. The signs here predicted consist of violent commotions upon earth which cause anxiety, perplexity, and distress among nations and in the hearts of men. We may refer the expression, “the sea and the waves roaring,” to unusual disturbances of the natural elements, and we have the most abundant evidences of its fulfillment in the storms and convulsions of nature that are occurring by sea and land, filling the heart with dread at the sight of every dark cloud that arises. The tidal waves and volcanic upheavals at sea have, in the last two or three decades, been marked with extraordinary violence. On land, cyclones and earthquakes have carried on a fearful work of destruction. Many instances might be cited to substantiate this statement, but the events are too familiar to require it. Hardly a week passes but some great calamity of this kind is recorded.

But the expression referred to is probably susceptible of another application in which it will be found to be as forcible and pertinent to the present state of affairs as in the one just noticed. This would be to give the term “sea and waves” its symbolic meaning. The prophet of old said: “And behold the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea.” Dan. 7:2. We are told that the sea represents “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Rev. 17:15. Taking the words in this sense, the meaning and fulfillment are still as apparent as before; and the expression joins its force to that of the remainder of the passage—“upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” In this sense the expression in question would indicate commotion and violent disturbance in the social and political world. In this meaning all will at once see the vivid force of the text as applied to our times.

Assassination of Carnot.

The times we live in are anomalous to any that have ever preceded us. For some years there have been universal and active preparations for war, and almost universal peace. To secure the greatest efficiency of armed forces for defensive and offensive purposes, has been the prime consideration of government, especially so, as far as the Old World nations are concerned. Europe echoes to the tread of vast hosts of war while the nations are driven to their wits’ end to provide for their support. It is well known that these costly preparations are not for show; and the hearts of men quail in view of the culmination which, though delayed, must soon be reached.

But while the temple of Janus is closed as far as international strife is concerned, and angel hands are holding the winds of war (see Rev. 7:1‐3), internal strife and dissension are rending the vitals of the great nations of earth. Within the confines of its own border, each of these nations is cherishing elements of the deadliest nature. Trouble is brewing that has for the people far more terror than foreign complications. For some time the ominous mutterings of an oncoming storm have been heard in every land, and it requires no remarkable acumen to discern the rapid approach of the crisis.

The apostle James strikes directly at the matter in a prophetic glance and exhortation in the following language:—

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that
shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments
are moth‐eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of
them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as
it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields,
which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them
which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton;
ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have
condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” James
5:1‐6.

The apostle locates the circumstances he here refers to in the last days. He denounces the rich men who have heaped together treasures, the rust and canker of which will be a witness against them. They live in pleasure and wantonness while the cries of those whose wages they have kept back enter into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

There is a universal cry of hard times in all the world. It is hard to obtain money; and yet, there never was so much money as at present. But it is being collected—gathered in heaps—by the powerful few, while the limited means of the masses are dwindling lower and lower. The poorer classes witness the absorption of wealth by the money‐kings, with feelings that are being aroused to the point of desperation by the sense of their inability to secure what seems to them a more equitable distribution of the things of this world. The laborers cry, and God hears their cry.

That these things are taking place to‐day as the most prominent feature of our social life no one will for a moment deny. Such colossal fortunes the world has heretofore at most but dreamed of. There are men living to‐day who have risen in wealth from obscure stations to become lords of untold millions. Their wealth passes the bounds of just computation, for it includes the power of oppression by which it may be indefinitely increased. The lavish expenditure of these means for selfish pleasure often amounts to wantonness.

Well then, what is to be done? It is a difficult and delicate matter to frame and secure legislation by which this or any other class of men shall be deprived of the management of their own business as long as that business is legitimate and is legitimately conducted. Shall anarchy and violence be resorted to? Shall the laborer seize the torch and the weapons of death? Shall the country be devastated by strikes, strife, and civil war? Shall our communities be rent with murder, arson, treason, and intense personal hatred and enmity? No one possessing the natural instincts of humanity could contemplate such a condition of affairs except with horror. There are ghouls of society who gloat in blood; but such are not true citizens, they are not neighbors, they certainly are not Christians.

But what shall we do as citizens, neighbors, and Christians? This is a question of great importance just now. Inspiration long ago foresaw our situation. The pitying Saviour long since anticipated the sufferings that are to come upon this generation; and having, through his servant, outlined the present condition of affairs so closely, he certainly would not leave his followers uninformed as to the course he would have them pursue. We have to read only two verses farther in James’s letter to find the counsel we need.

“_Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord._
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the
earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early
and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; _for
the coming of the Lord draweth nigh_.” James 5:7, 8.

Chicago Riot.

Oppression and revolt, combination and intrigue, strife and bloodshed, never will cease until the supreme selfishness, which in the absence of divine grace controls all men, gives place to true philanthropy, and a brotherhood that is not outlined by class or sectional interests. This happy time is coming. When Jesus comes, he will take to himself his power and reign in righteousness. Then will the hills be brought low, the valleys exalted, the crooked be made straight, and the rough places smooth.

Those who are weary of strife, those who through misfortune or oppression have been made to feel their need of relief will find rest to their souls in looking for the coming of the Lord. It is vain to match evil with evil or to try to cure wrong with wrong. The gospel of Christ is the only remedy for these ills. And all that we can really do to counteract the annoyances of this life must be done through the gospel of peace. In this time of perplexity, distress, and fear, let every Christian hold up Christ. Let his patient suffering be exemplified in whatever circumstances may come. Just a little beyond, there is relief.

Strikes, boycotts, lock‐outs, trusts, unions, or any other human device or demonstration only augments the trouble, as the experience of the past few years shows. For there never was so much of these things as now, and never was capital so insecure, business so uncertain, and labor in such distress as at present. The employment of arbitrary force provokes greater efforts on the opposite side, and thus the breach is widened and the strife becomes more bitter. We do not argue the merits or demerits of the case. That there is deep wrong involved, the fruits plainly show. It is our task only to point out the one remedy available alike to either and all. That remedy is the gospel of Christ, which is soon to close in a glorious triumph for those who have patiently and faithfully wrought his will.

“The Powers Of Heaven Shall Be Shaken.”

We do not apprehend that this circumstance will occur as a sign of Christ’s coming, but rather that it will constitute one of the events of his coming, the same as the features mentioned in the next verse. An evident distinction may be drawn between the _signs_ of the advent and the circumstances of it. With the falling of the stars, the former cease; and with the next event the latter commence. This event, the shaking of the powers of heaven, we must regard as being future. It holds the same place in the events of this chapter, that the departing of the heavens as a scroll does in the events of the sixth seal of Revelation 6. Both follow the falling stars. The Scriptures plainly teach that, prior to the resurrection of the just by the voice of the Son of God, the voice of God the Father will shake the heavens and the earth, when will be fulfilled the shaking of the powers of the heaven. This is not the voice of the Son of God as he descends to raise the dead. It comes from the throne of God in the temple of heaven.

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from
Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord
will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children
of Israel.” Joel 3:16.

“Therefore will I shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove
out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the
day of his fierce anger.” Isa. 13:13.

Paul quotes from the words of the Lord by Haggai and comments as follows:—

“Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And
this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things
that are shaken.” Heb. 12:26, 27.

“Sign Of The Son Of Man.”

Neither is this one of the signs showing that the coming of the Son of man is near, but “the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” It is that which indicates his position. When Christ ascended from the mount of Olivet, “a cloud received him” from the sight of his disciples. They still gazed at the cloud as it rolled upward, bearing the Saviour toward the Father’s throne but they could not see his person. When he comes “in like manner” as he was taken up to heaven, the cloud will appear, small in the distance, but as it draws near, it will signify to those who are looking for his return, that he is there, and soon his presence will fill the earth with matchless glory. In Rev. 14:14, the holy seer records his view of the coming Saviour in the following words: “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man.”

This is not a mass of vapor but a cloud of resplendent glory. He comes “with power and great glory.” He will “come in the glory of his Father” (Matt. 16:27); in his own glory, “and all the holy angels with him.” Matt. 25:31. The glory of the Father, of the Son, and of all the holy angels—this glory will comprise the cloud which attends him on the way. Of its intensity we can form no just conception. In the presence of one angel the Roman guard “did quake and became as dead men.” There are ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of them in this throng. Above the brightness of their glory is that of the Father and the Son.

At first the cloud is only perceptible, but as it approaches, it attracts attention, and at length every eye is fastened intently upon the wonderful spectacle. The trumpet resounds, the voice of the Archangel awakens the dead, and they come forth to share in the glorious revelation of their Redeemer. All nature is convulsed with her coming dissolution. Each moment the glory draws nearer, and soon the wicked can no longer endure the sight.

“And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory.” Verse 30.

Again attention is directed to the parallel language of Rev. 6:15‐47:—

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men,
and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man,
and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of
the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us,
and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is
come; and who shall be able to stand?”

The prophet Isaiah describes the same thrilling event from the other standpoint—that of the waiting people of God:—

“He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God will wipe
away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall
he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have
waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have
waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Isa. 25:8, 9.

The apostle Paul gives a vivid description of the event with its attendant circumstances as follows:—

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever
be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:13‐17.

The once slighted, insulted, and crucified Saviour, now King of kings and Lord of lords, is coming near the earth! His glory blazes everywhere! The saints hope and rejoice with trembling. But what an hour for the wicked! The tribes of the earth mourn. Amid the ruins of shivered creation they hold one general prayer‐meeting. Kings and great men, rich men, chief captains and mighty men, free and bond, all, yes, all unite in the general wail. As the Son of man in the glory of his Father, attended by all the holy angels, draws still nearer, consternation fills every breast. They hide in dens and in the rocks of the mountains. Their only hope is to be concealed from the glory of that scene. They know it is too late to pray for mercy, that probation for the human family has ended forever.

But rocks cannot shelter them from the burning glory manifested by the King of kings, attended by the whole heavenly host. When “the Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father,” “and all the holy angels with him,” no sinner can endure the scene and live. The exceeding brightness of that vast multitude of angels, brighter than a thousand suns at noonday, will pierce the sinner’s lowest hiding place, and will “make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zeph. 1:18. The Son of man will be seen “coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” But before his coming a great work will be done for his people. Should he suddenly burst upon them now, they could not endure “the power and great glory” of the scene. This subject is well illustrated by the following words of the prophet:—

“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going
forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the
rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3.

The morning is a beautiful figure of the opening glory of the day of God. The day‐star first appears, then the dawn of day. And as the light of day increases, the eyes are enabled to endure it, and view the sun shining in his strength. But should the light of the sun burst upon the world suddenly at midnight, no human eye could endure it.

So will the people of God be prepared to meet their coming King. They must first break away from the love and cares of this world, and consecrate all to the Lord. Then will they, in due time, share the outpouring of the Holy Spirit “as the rain, as the latter and former rain upon the earth.” The day‐star will arise in their hearts. 2 Peter 1:19. Those who have taken heed to the sure word of prophecy through the dark, watching night, then raise their heads in triumph. They are filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit. Glory is poured upon them till they can gaze on Christ and angels. The trumpet sounds. The angels are dispatched to the graves of the righteous. The voice of the Son of God awakes the sleeping saints of all ages. They come forth in immortal perfection and, as they leave the earth, the living saints are changed. The “elect from one end of heaven to the other,” each with an angel bright and strong to lead the way, are caught up to meet the Lord, who waits in mid‐heaven to receive the purchase of his blood. As language would fail to describe what follows, we leave the reader to contemplate it, praying that we may be prepared to participate in the meeting scene.

Parable Of The Fig‐Tree.

VERSES 32, 33: “Now learn a parable of the fig‐tree; when his
branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer
is nigh. So likewise ye when ye shall see all these things, know
that it [‘he,’ R. V.] is near, even at the doors.”

This parable is probably the most forcible figure that could be used with which to illustrate this subject. When the trees of the field begin to put forth their leaves, and the tender grass springs up, and the ground is being covered with its green velvet carpet, we know that summer is nigh. It is a certainty with us that summer is coming when we see these signs in nature. We know that summer is nigh “_So, likewise_,” or, with the same certainty, we may _know_ that Christ’s coming is near when the signs in the sun, moon, and stars are fulfilled. How near?—Even at the doors. How near may that be?

VERSE 34: “Verily I say unto you. This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled.”

It is sometimes claimed that the generation spoken of was the one then living. If so, it could have been to no greater extent than referring to the answer of the question relating to the destruction of Jerusalem. But it would be wholly illogical to limit the application of the statement to that generation or to place its principal significance there. “All these things” must include the signs and circumstances of which Christ has been speaking. In the preceding verses he gives the parable of the fig‐tree, and addresses those who are to be living at that time directly. “So likewise _ye_, when _ye_ shall see all these things, _know_ that it is near.” And then, “_This_ generation shall not pass.” What generation? Evidently the one which he was addressing, and which saw “these things come to pass.” Not only does such an interpretation do no violence to the Saviour’s meaning, but it is obviously the only one that can be reasonably entertained in regard to it.

Paul speaks in the first person of those who will be living when Jesus comes, for he says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. Or, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17. The things here mentioned by the apostle did not take place in his day. They have not yet taken place. Notwithstanding, he speaks of them as though they would take place in his day, and as if he were to have a part in them.

The proclamation of the coming and kingdom of Christ is given to the last generation. God sent Noah to preach to the last generation before the flood, not to any preceding one. The very generation which was destroyed by the waters of the flood saw Noah build the ark, and heard his warning voice. So God has raised up men to give the solemn warning to the world at the right time to give force to the warning. And the very generation of men that live after the three great signs are fulfilled, and who hear and reject the warning message of Heaven, will drink the cup of the unmingled wrath of God. And those of this very generation who receive the message, suffer disappointments, and endure the trials of the waiting position, will witness the coming of Christ, and exclaim, “Lo, this is our God; we have _waited_ for him, and he will save us.” Isa. 25:9.

With what emphasis our Lord gave utterance to this sentiment! It is a rebuke upon our unbelief. As we read it, God help us to believe it: “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” And as though this were not enough to lead us to unwavering faith, he adds these forcible words: “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away.”

The word and promises of men may fail; but Christ has given assurance that his word, and his word in reference to this solemn truth, will stand though heaven and earth fail.

“The Day And Hour.”

VERSES 36, 37: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe
were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

This has become a very familiar passage of scripture because of the frequent use that is made of it to prove that nothing can be known of the proximity of the second coming of Christ. But if we pause a moment and lay beside this verse those we have just studied, we shall be able to discover the exact truth at once. “When ye shall see these things, know that it is near even at the doors;” and, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled;” “But of that day and hour knoweth no man.” The line of knowledge, then, lies between the former expressions and the latter—between “even at the doors” and the definite day and hour. The former we may know, and every Christian is commanded to know. The latter no man knoweth. One may consistently say that he knows an event is near, and yet say that he does not know the hour nor the day when it will take place. That this is the scriptural teaching upon this point may be readily proved by a reference to 1 Thess. 5:1‐4:—

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that
I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall
say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them,
as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But
ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief.”

An evident distinction is here drawn between two classes. Upon one class the day of the Lord will come as a thief. Those of the other are not in darkness that that day should come as a thief upon them. The children of God are children of light. Their heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning, and he has promised to reveal his secret to his people through his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7.

The apostle Peter also bears testimony to the same truth.

“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,
until the day dawn and the day‐star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter
1:19.

The dark place here spoken of is the future. The past is lighted up by history, the present is brought to our knowledge by press and telegraph; but the future no human art or wisdom can penetrate. Prophecy throws its gleam into those dark regions, yet unexplored, and marks out the path of human history centuries and ages before it has echoed to the footsteps of mankind. When at last we pass along the pathway, we may, if we will, recognize the waymarks set up here and there, every one of which is a monument to the wisdom and knowledge of God, and the faithfulness of his word. Those who have no eyes to discern these things, no ears to hear, nor hearts to understand their significance, will pass on, and the final event will come upon them unawares. Not so with those who take heed to the things God has spoken.

We would not detract an iota from the force of the verse under consideration. It means all it says. No man knows the definite time of Christ’s coming. The day and hour, and even the year of the second advent are purposely hidden. Some of the prophetic periods reach to the time of the end, while others extend still farther down, very near to the end itself; yet none of them reach to the coming of the Son of man. The prophecies clearly point to the period of the second advent, but do not give the definite time of that event.

But with this passage before us we may claim that it would be transcending its meaning to claim upon its authority that nothing should or could be known of the approach of Christ’s coming. More than that, it is not inconsistent with the text nor improbable that prior to that event the Lord will in his own way reveal that which has hitherto been withheld. Those who claim that the text proves that nothing may be known of the period of the second advent, make it prove too much for their own unbelief. As recorded by Mark, the declaration reads: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” If the text proves that men will know nothing of the period of the second advent, it also proves that angels will know nothing of it, and also that the Son will know nothing of it, till the event takes place! This position proves too much, therefore proves nothing to the point. Christ will know of the period of his second advent to this world. The holy angels who wait around the throne of heaven to receive messages relative to the part they act in the salvation of men, will know of the time of this closing event of salvation. And so will the waiting, watching people of God understand. An old English version of the passage reads, “But that day and hour no man maketh known, neither the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” This is the correct reading, according to several of the ablest critics of the age. The word _know_ is used in the same sense here that it is by Paul in 1 Cor. 2:2: “For I determined not to know [make known] anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Men will not make known the day and hour, angels will not make it known, neither will the Son; but the Father will make it known. Says Campbell:—

“Macknight argues that the term _known_ is here used as a
causative, in the Hebrew sense of the conjugation _hiphil_, that
is, _to make known_.... His [Christ’s] answer is just equivalent
to saying, The Father will make it known when it pleases him; but
he has not authorized man, angel, or the Son to make it known.
Just in this sense, Paul uses the term _know_, 1 Cor. 2:2: ‘I came
to you _making known_ the testimony of God; for I determined to
_make known_ nothing among you but a crucified Christ.’ ”

Albert Barnes, in his “Notes on the Gospels,” says:—

“Others have said that the verb rendered _knoweth_ means sometimes
to _make_ known, or to reveal, and that the passage means, ‘that
day and hour none maketh known, neither the angels, nor the Son,
but the Father.’ It is true the word has sometimes that meaning,
as 1 Cor. 2:2.”

When the patriarch’s work of warning and building was finished, God said to him, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” “For yet seven days and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” So when the waiting, watching, weeping, toiling time shall be finished, and the saints shall all be sealed, and shut in with God, then, we conclude, will the voice of the Father from heaven make known the definite time. See Rev. 16:17; Joel 3:16; Jer. 25:30.

The present is emphatically the waiting, watching time. It is the especial period of the patience of the saints. The Lord appeals to us thus:—

“Watch ye, therefore; for ye know not when the Master of the house
cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the
morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say
unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13:35‐37.

One of the fatal consequences of not watching is distinctly stated in Rev. 3:3:—

“If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a
thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”

In consequence of not watching, the people will remain in ignorance of the approach of that hour. And the unavoidable inference is that by watching they will be aware of and prepared for its coming. In answer to the agonizing prayer of the Son of God, “Father, glorify thy name,” there came a voice from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The disciples understood these words from heaven, while the people that stood by said it thundered. John 12:27‐29. So will the waiting disciples of Christ understand the voice of God when he shall speak from on high. But the unbelieving world will not understand it. In comparing Noah’s days and ours, the Lord continues:—

Noah’s Time And Ours.

VERSES 38, 39: “For as in the days that were before the flood,
they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until
the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming
of the Son of man be.”

A picture of the present condition of the mass of mankind is here drawn. The people of the last generation will be like those before the flood, while the ark was preparing. While Noah preached, and warned them of the coming flood, they mocked. He built the ark; and they scoffed and jeered. He was a preacher of righteousness. His works were calculated to give edge to, and send home to the heart, what he preached. Every righteous sermon, and every blow struck in building the ark, condemned a careless, scoffing world. As the time drew nearer, the people grew more careless, more hardened, more bold and impudent, and their condemnation surer. Noah and his family stood alone. And could one family know more than all the world? The ark was a matter of ridicule, and Noah was regarded as a willful bigot.