In the prophecies and the history of the Bible we find a large amount of most interesting and instructive information regarding a great movement in the world which is called “the work of the Lord.” That movement, we learn, is the development, the working out, of God’s “eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph. 3:11. It began in Eden with the announcement of the conflict between the seed and the serpent, giving assurance of the triumph of the seed, in that it should crush the serpent’s head. Gen. 3:15.
The work of the Lord originated wholly with the Lord himself, and it is in his own hands, under his supreme control. He began it, and he maintains it. He gives it life, and power, and victory. No combination of the forces of evil can turn it aside or bring it to naught, for God “doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” Dan. 4:35.
The Lord makes use of such agencies and facilities as he sees fit for carrying forward his work. He has made his angels ministers of salvation. He has sent his Holy Spirit to be his representative in this great movement. He has called his church to his work. And at any and all times when it pleases him he presses into his service men of authority, learning, power, and wealth. He lays hold of nations, with all their facilities and achievements, for the accomplishment of his purpose.
The deliverance of Israel from Egypt and their establishment in the land of promise forms a great chapter in the Lord’s work in the earth. Through Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and his people the Lord wrought wonders. Of these the psalmist says: “We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by7their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them.” Ps. 44: 1-3.
The overthrow of Jerusalem and the seventy years’ captivity of Israel in Babylon, the return of the people to their own land, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the house of God, are plainly stated to be the work of the Lord.
When the Son of God was here among men, preaching the gospel to sinners, healing the sick, and training his disciples for the work he was to leave with them to carry on, he said: “I must work the works of him that sent me.” John 9: 4. “The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” John 5: 36. “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John 4: 34. And at the close of his ministry, in his last prayer before his betrayal, he said to his Father: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” John 17: 4.
WORKERS AT A GENERAL MEETING, SOONAN, KOREA
After the Saviour’s ascension his disciples reconsecrated their lives to the work he left for them to do. As they bore witness to the truth regarding their crucified and risen Lord, the people who heard them, said: “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2: 11.
From these statements of the Scriptures it is plain that the Lord has a living, triumphant movement going on here among men which is most appropriately called “the work of the Lord.” He conceived it, decreed it, and launched it. He has controlled and he has directed it, “after the counsel of his own will.”
From the beginning of this work, the Lord has called those who have accepted his proffered blessings to become laborers together with him. Among those who took part in it at the beginning were Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Then came Samuel, David, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Later were John the Baptist and the apostles and their coworkers. Still later the Lord raised up Wyclif, Luther, Knox, Wesley, and Miller. And his work is still going on, accomplishing his purpose. Today he has a loyal people who are longing, praying, giving, and working for its consummation.
Finishing the Work
But this work which the Lord has, in mercy, compassion, and forbearance, carried on so long, cannot continue forever. The Lord tells us that he will finish the work; that there will be a harvest, a day of final reckoning and of reward.
The time for the finishing of this work and the way it will be done are clearly revealed in the Word of God. The tenth chapter of Revelation presents one of the most impressive representations to be found in the Bible. Said John:—
“I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and . . . lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever and ever . . . that there should be time no longer. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” Rev. 10: 1-7.
To finish the mystery of God must be to bring to an end the work of proclaiming the gospel to the world. This is to be done “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.” This “seventh angel” is the last one of those seven trumpet angels of Revelation 8. “I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. . . . And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” Rev. 8: 2-6.
When the first four angels had sounded, John “beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Verse 13.
In view of this statement the last three trumpets are called woe trumpets. The fifth and sixth trumpets, or first and second woe trumpets, are fully explained in the ninth chapter. According to the explanation given, we understand that the sixth angel, or second woe trumpet, finished sounding in 1840 when Turkey surrendered her independence as a world power to the four powers of Europe.
The ninth chapter closes with the sixth trumpet explained. And here, before the seventh trumpet is taken up, this great scene of the tenth chapter is brought in and the solemn announcement is made that during the sounding of the next, or seventh, angel the gospel work would be brought to a close. This surely places the finishing of the gospel in a most important place among the events to take place under the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The apostle then proceeds to unfold these events. He says:—
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” Rev. 11: 15.
This trumpet brings us to the end. During the sounding of the seventh angel the affairs of this world are brought to a close. Earthly kingdoms perish, and Christ becomes King of kings and Lord of lords. Before taking his kingdom he closes his ministry as our great High Priest in heaven, and this closes his work on earth. Thus the mystery of God is to be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.
The seventh angel was quickly to follow the sixth angel, who ceased to sound in 1840. One of the events to take place under the sounding of the seventh trumpet marks the exact time when it was to begin to sound. It is this: “The time of the dead, that they should be judged.” Rev. 11: 18. The time to judge the dead began in 1844 at the close of the 2,300 years of Dan. 8: 14. This was but four years after the sixth trumpet ceased sounding. Then Christ was to begin the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the final work of atonement. This, we know, marked the time for the judgment-hour to begin, and that is when the seventh angel should begin to sound.
Beginning, therefore, in 1844, the seventh angel is to continue to sound until Christ makes this world his kingdom, and rewards every man according to his works. That extends to the opening of eternity.
But it is when the seventh angel “shall begin to sound,” during the first part of its period of sounding, that the gospel work is to be finished. And in full harmony with every detail of these prophecies there began in 1844 a world-wide proclamation in these words: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14: 7.
This announcement is a part of that great threefold world-wide message of Rev. 14: 6-16. That message was due in 1844, at the close of the 2,300 years of Dan. 8: 14, when the sanctuary was to be cleansed, and the seventh trumpet was to begin to sound. The message came when it was due.
Thus we have the time for finishing the work of the gospel, and the way of doing it, brought together in perfect harmony. The time is from 1844 onward, and the way is the proclamation of the threefold message to all the nations of the world.
The time for finishing the work is limited. It is confined to a single generation. That generation has now nearly passed away. The end cannot be far off. While great progress has been made in the finishing of the work, much still remains to be done. The supreme question of every believer in the message should be: What can I do to hasten the finishing of the work and bring the end? O that every believer might take this seriously to heart!
Brethren and sisters, are you anxious to have the work close? Do you long to see the end of the reign of sin, and sorrow, and suffering? Do your hearts yearn for the full consummation of that glorious purpose the Lord has so long been working out? Thank God, we are almost there. After six thousand years the last generation has come; the time for finishing the work is here, and the message to do it is being proclaimed in all the world. The generation has nearly passed. The unfinished part of the work is all that stands between us here in this world of sin and that crystal sea around the throne of God.
Jesus said: “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Mark 4: 29. That is precisely what the Saviour is to do just as soon as the third angel’s message has done its appointed work. That message is to bring forth the fruit. The fruit is that company who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14: 12. The message is now gathering that fruit in every land. But the work must be hastened. What can we do by personal consecration, prayer, toil, or sacrifice to quickly bring forth the fruit?
Here is an answer to this burning question, given by the spirit of prophecy:—
“As you receive the Spirit of Christ,—the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others,—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely. . . .
“When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of himself in his church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people, then he will come to claim them as his own.
“It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess his name bearing fruit to his glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”—“Christ’s Object Lessons,” pages 68, 69.
As surely as the Lord has spoken to his people, this is the way we must proceed to hasten this work of God to its close. Mark this instruction:—
“It is the privilege of every Christian . . . to hasten the coming of the Saviour.”
“When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people, then he will come to claim them as his own.”
“Were all who profess his name bearing fruit to his glory, . . . how quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”
“As you receive the Spirit of Christ, . . . you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made more perfect.”
Here are four important statements. The last specification quoted is the foundation for all the rest: “Receive the Spirit of Christ.” This will reproduce his character in our lives. Then we shall bring forth fruit. And then, yes, then, Christ will come to reap the harvest.
O, let us pray, then, for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And as we pray, let us open our hearts for the full measure of his indwelling presence. Let us cry to the Lord to cast out every idol, that he through his Spirit may have the whole heart.
Brethren, this counsel through the spirit of prophecy is the way, and there is no other. If we refuse that way, or even fail to press into it, what can we do to hasten the work to its close? That way is a delightful, heart-comforting way. Who will place himself now and forevermore in this consecrated way?
Reading for Sunday, December 14
By I. H. Evans
The Day of God's Preparation
I. H. EVANS
We are living in the time of the end. The prophet Daniel uses this phrase, “the time of the end,” several times, and always in connection with the last days. From a study of prophecy, we understand that the time of the end began at the termination of the 1260 years of papal supremacy, or in 1798. This being true, the people of earth have been living in the time of the end 115 years. This certainly brings us close to the period when our Lord will come.
Not only Seventh-day Adventists, but many of the best thinkers of the day, are looking for a time of trouble to come upon all the world. Frequently they make mention of the great battle of Armageddon, the great world struggle which we understand will mark the close of human history. Others look forward to the millennium, hoping for a time when there will be a thousand years of peace on the earth, and a condition of security and happiness will prevail. Everywhere in the world today are men who, under one form of belief or another, are looking for the present state of things to change, and the kingdom of God to be established in this world.
In addition to the specific signs in the heavens regarding the nearness of the coming of the Lord,—the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars,—which appeared long ago, there are many prophecies that point to the time of the end. Our Saviour said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness9unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Notice that he does not say that the whole world will be converted, nor even that every one who hears the gospel will accept it, but that the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then the end shall come.
As we look over the map of the earth, and study the nations one by one, we are brought face to face with the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ is now being preached to every nation under heaven. If we go farther, and say that the preaching of this gospel must include the preaching of the third angel’s message, we are confronted with the fact that the third angel’s message is already being preached to nearly every nation under heaven. Scarcely a country of any size, scarcely a people of any international importance, but that has one or more living witnesses of the third angel’s message within its borders, and knows something of the truths which we as a people teach.
The apostle Paul was chosen by the Lord Jesus himself to do a specific work,—to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. In fulfilment of this divine commission, Paul preached the gospel in Asia Minor, and gave the truth for his time to the people to the extent that he tells us, “All they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” Yet it is clearly understood that Paul and his fellow disciples visited only a few of the greater cities in Asia, passing over of necessity the smaller villages and towns.
To what extent the third angel’s message is to be preached in heathen lands, how many churches are to be organized in these various countries, and how many will receive Christ, we know not; but every indication, as far as the preaching of the third angel’s message is concerned, is that this work could be speedily closed.
Distress of Nations
Our Saviour gave us as one of the signs of the end, that upon the earth there would be “distress of nations, with perplexity.” As we consider this prophecy, and its relation to the subject under consideration, what do we see? Was there ever a time when there was greater perplexity among the nations of the world than during the last decade? We have only to recall the Spanish-American war, the Boer war in Africa, the Russo-Japanese war, the Turko-Italian war, the Balkan situation of the last two years, the revolutions that have taken place in South America, Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, Portugal, Turkey, Russia, Persia, Tibet, Mongolia, and China, to get a view of the international perplexities that confront the world today. So ominous are all the signs of war, deadly, hellish war, with all its miseries and woe, that the Paris Matin of Oct. 7, 1911, said: “Immediate destruction in the name of humanity of the half-completed Peace Palace in The Hague is demanded by the Matin today for the following reasons: When its construction was decided upon, the Anglo-Boer war broke out, and plans were laid for the Russo-Japanese war; when the first stone was laid, the kaiser made his first voyage to Tangier, which event was the beginning of the Morocco-European complications; when the first floor was finished, Austria seized Bosnia and Herzegovina; when the second floor was finished, the Franco-German controversy arose; when the roof was put on, the Turko-Italian war began. Only think! the painters, glaziers, and decorators have not yet begun their tasks. We have also heard rumors of statues symbolizing peace. Beware! Each time one is unveiled, it will rain shrapnel somewhere. When the temple is completed, look out for a grand scrimmage.”
Lord Roseberry in 1909 said: “There never was in the history of the world so threatening and so overpowering a preparation for war. . . . Without any tangible reasons, we see the nations preparing new armaments. They cannot arm any more men on land, so they have to seek new armaments upon the sea, piling up these enormous preparations as if for some great Armageddon.”
In the Literary Digest of April 23, 1910, Admiral Fournier is quoted as saying: “All the European powers will eventually become involved in what will practically prove to be the Armageddon of the Apocalypse.”
For the year 1912-13, the eight leading nations of the world have voted to expend in war preparations nearly $800,000,000, which is to be assessed upon the peoples of the various nations. Each power seeks to rival the other in its preparation of life-destroying weapons on land and sea and in the air.
Lord Salisbury, in speaking of the threatened war, says: “These wars come upon us absolutely unannounced and with terrible rapidity. A war-cloud arises on the horizon that overthrows all calculations, and, it may be a month or two months after the first warning you receive, you find you are engaged in, or in prospect of, a war upon which your very existence is staked.”
Gen. Nelson A. Miles said: “I have seen all the great armies of Europe except the Spanish army. What I have seen does not indicate that the millennium is at hand, when swords shall be beaten into plowshares.”
The late Bishop Newton gave his view of the situation in these words: “This is the most unsettled condition of the world since the crucifixion of Christ. The stability of government is no longer a fact.”
A writer in the China Press of recent date says: “We are living in times that try men’s souls. We are living in days in which history is being made very rapidly. We are face to face with conditions upon which the real progress of nations, and of mankind in general, depends. We are in the midst of a turmoil, out of which may come peace or war. Wherever we look today, we see struggle, combat, obstacles, oppression, attempts at retrogression. In the world of political life, we are surrounded by conditions that make or break a nation. In places [even among the so-called religious circles] where should be found justice, we behold iniquity; and where equity should be, behold iniquity. In short, everywhere we behold the forces of might trampling the forces of right. Here are enough conditions to try men’s souls, and to make us stop and think.”
Another writer, speaking of present-day conditions, says: “Now we see the boiling rapids of a torrent plunging toward what abyss no one knows. War has followed war with swift succession. . . . What the next stroke will be, who shall say?”
Nor is war the only question with which the nations of today have to grapple. Social conditions have developed during the last two decades such as have never confronted the nations before. The strife between capital and labor has reached such a condition that few dare to predict what a single year may bring forth. Destructive strikes, which have tied up the commerce of nations, have paralyzed manufactures, and have placed the lives of multitudes in jeopardy, have taken place in America. Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and many other places. Sober-minded men look with grave fear upon the outcome of the social conditions of the world, and but few predict a bright future.
The Accumulation of Wealth
The teachings of the apostle James indicate that preceding the coming of the Lord there will be a great accumulation of riches. In addressing the rich, he says: “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.”
Surely we could hardly conceive a greater accumulation of wealth than has taken place in the last generation. The names of the princes of finance are more familiar than those of kings and emperors. The name of no ruler in the world is so frequently in the mouths of the people as the names of Rockefeller, Morgan, Rothschild, Astor, Gould, and men allied with them in the great realm of finance. Some of these men have amassed fortunes which are truly fabulous.
Gladstone, in speaking of the accumulation of money in his day, said: “There are gentlemen before me who have witnessed a greater accumulation of wealth within the period of their lives than has been seen in all preceding times since the days of Julius Cæsar.”
Rev. H. W. Bowman said: “Such colossal fortunes, such hoarding of treasures, such combinations of wealth, with such rapid increase in profits, were never witnessed before. Our age alone fits the prophetic mold.”
Not only is there a remarkable increase in the accumulation of wealth, but1098perhaps the world has never seen such extravagance, such wasteful display, as in the last generation. A series of striking statistics made public through the American Federation of Hygiene, of which Dr. Charles W. Eliot is president, throws light from a new angle upon the methods employed by the American people in getting rid of their surplus capital. Read the following, and note the amount spent every year, not for food nor for education nor for clothing, but upon the gratification of appetites and physical desires:—
White slavery ............ $3,000,000,000
Intoxicating liquors ...... 2,000,000,000
Tobacco ................... 1,000,000,000
Jewelry ................... 800,000,000
Automobiles ............... 500,000,000
Confectionery ............. 200,000,000
Soft drinks ............... 120,000,000
Tea and coffee ............ 100,000,000
Millinery ................. 90,000,000
Patent medicines .......... 80,000,000
Chewing-gum ............... 13,000,000
As compared with these enormous sums spent in “luxuries,” which might be listed as shameful, wicked, and extravagant, these two items from the same list are given:—
Church work (at home) .. $250,000,000
Foreign missions ........ 12,000,000
The Eastern Question
For many years, Seventh-day Adventists have been looking at the situation in the East as one of the signs of the end. The prophet Daniel foretold events that were to take place leading down to the time of the standing up of Michael. In the latter part of the eleventh chapter and in the first part of the twelfth chapter of the book of Daniel we find these words: “And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Seventh-day Adventists have held that this king represents the Turkish power, that this power would be compelled to leave Europe, and would establish its capital in Palestine; and that to dispossess the Turks of this country, and especially of the holy city, Jerusalem, the nations of the earth would gather their armies together, which ultimately would result in a world-wide conflict—the Armageddon of the Apocalypse.
Let us for a moment look at the East, and study the present condition. The last few years have been tragic for the Turkish power. Scarcely had Abdul-Hamid been dethroned, and supplanted by one who was pledged to a constitutional government, when war with Italy over the Turkish provinces threatened the bombardment of Constantinople itself. The world looked on with amazement when Italy waged war with the Turks to drive them from their possessions in Africa. Many thought that England would say, “Hands off;” others believed that Germany would come to the help of the Turk. But England had already gained possession of Egypt; France had taken Morocco; Russia was endeavoring to secure Mongolia from China. An understanding had been entered into between Russia and Japan concerning Manchuria, looking toward its dismemberment from China. Of all the nations, what one was in a position to lend a helping hand to Turkey? While the controversy over Tripoli was still raging, the Balkan States again broke into war. While the war was going on it seemed as if the end of the Turkish power in Europe had come, judging from the success of the allied troops against Turkey. Everything seemed favorable to the plan of the Balkan States to expel Turkey from Europe. At the present time the Turkish power is confined to the vicinity of Constantinople, and no one can tell what day conditions may develop that will drive it from European soil.
Many leading writers gave utterance to expressions that indicated their belief that the end of the Turkish power had come. The London Daily Telegraph said: “Over the whole of the Balkan imbroglio are written in letters of fire, ‘Too late!’” And the London Telegraph, speaking of the concert of certain European and Asiatic powers to preserve peace in the Mediterranean and Pacific countries, said: “The concert is cemented by selfish fear rather than by any lofty purpose. The powers are holding each other’s hands lest they should tear each other in pieces. They dread a greater tragedy than the Balkan war. They dread Armageddon.”
No one can foretell the events of the future beyond what is revealed in the Word of God. The time when Turkey shall finally leave Europe is in the hand of God; but judging from the statements of men who speak from a wide range of experience, it would seem as if this event might take place at almost any time.
The Image to the Beast
The prophecies of Revelation 13 and 14 concerning the United States making an image to the beast, and enforcing the reception of the mark of the beast by the people, is a question that is now watched with great interest by Seventh-day Adventists. When our people took their stand upon this prophecy many years ago, there was not the slightest indication, judging from current events, that this country would ever reach its present condition in religious legislation. But as the years have passed, increasing interest has been taken by the professed Christian peoples of the land encouraging the enactment of laws regarding Sunday observance. Only a few years ago our people were greatly stirred by the introduction in Congress of a bill regarding the observance of the first day of the week, but at the present time there are so many bills in Congress and in the various State legislatures concerning this very thing that we almost lose sight of their significance.
Could we have looked at the present situation twenty or thirty years ago as we see it today, could we have had the same evidence at that time that we see at the present, the end would have seemed very near. We are certainly rushing with tremendous rapidity to the climax of the fulfilment of Revelation 13, 14. The progress made toward church federation in America, the uniting on the leading doctrinal points of the great denominations of the day, with one intent and purpose,—to bring about religious legislation in this country,—is so manifest that students of prophecy cannot doubt that this is the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning the establishment of the image to the beast, and will result in the enforcement of the reception of the mark of the beast.
Conclusion
Everything in nature, in heaven above and on the earth beneath, points to the end of human probation. The judgment work has now been going on in the heavenly sanctuary more than sixty-nine years, and, judging from all we know of the Word of God, this work cannot continue many years, but soon must close. The third angel’s message has encircled the world. There is scarcely a nation on earth that has not heard of this great truth, and in which there are not believers.
Judging from the signs which have been given us concerning the end, and applying current events to prophecy, everything indicates that we are near the end. What God’s people need at the present time is a heart preparation for the coming of the Son of man. We are living in the last days. We have now passed the century mark in the time of the end. We are almost threescore years and ten, the allotted lifetime of man, in the investigative judgment work, and surely these things must show that we are living in the time when our Lord is about to return. The great question is, Should God’s work speedily close, are we ready for Christ’s coming? Are our hearts right with God? Are we prepared for the end? Is our personal work for God completed? As far as we are individually concerned, can God close up human history and we each say definitely, “I have finished my work”? This is what God would have us settle and settle now. This is the “time of the end.”
A Friend Is Coming
Lesson for the Children—No. 1
A Friend Is Coming
MEMORY TEXT: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Rev. 1:7.
Behold means to look. Somebody is coming. Describe the joy felt when a friend long absent returns. Children run to meet him. Everybody is glad.
Our best Friend is coming. Who?—Jesus. He has been gone a long, long time. We have been looking for him, praying and wishing that he would come back. We pray daily, “Thy kingdom come.” We want to go home to heaven.
(Let the children read promises of his return, such as John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Heb. 9:28. Have those who will read ready as soon as called upon, so there will be no delay.)
But what should we do when friends visit us? “Get ready,” you say. Yes; we scrub, wash, and iron, and see that everything is in order. We dress in clean clothes. Would you care to meet a visitor with your face dirty, your clothes torn and untidy?—No; if you were not ready, you would want to hide so he could not see you.
Now is the time for us to clean up before Jesus comes. But it is not our houses nor our clothes we should make ready, but our hearts, our actions. Sin is like dirt. It soils. Jesus provides a dress “clean and white,” which all must wear. He has sent word that those counted worthy to go with him to heaven must not have “spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27); and in another place he tells what that means, by saying, “They are without fault before the throne of God.” Rev. 14:5.
Do we have faults now? Are we all ready if Jesus should be seen coming today? Some will be glad when he comes. Isa. 25:9. They are those who are ready and waiting.
(Show that we cannot wait for anything until we are ready. We are not waiting for the car till we are ready to step on it.)
Some will be sorry when they see Jesus coming. Matt. 24:30. Why mourn?—O, they are not ready! They have not been waiting. Jer. 8:20.
Speak briefly of this week of prayer as being a special time to get ready to see Jesus. We can get ready right now. It will not take even a week, but tonight as we lay our heads on our pillows we may know that all would be right between us and God if Jesus should come before morning.
Let us pray earnestly before our next meeting. We may go by ourselves alone, and ask Jesus to forgive all our sins, and to help us to do right, and then believe that he does, for he has promised he would.
A Hurry-Up Call
Lesson for the Children—No. 2
A Hurry-Up Call
MEMORY TEXT: “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.” Zeph. 1:14.
To haste means to hurry. When we wish to reach a place quickly, if we can11we “go across lots,” that is, take the nearest way. (Illustrate by a large square drawn on blackboard or paper, with diagonal line drawn through.)
When we are very near the end, the Lord will work fast; he will take a little time to do a great work, so Jesus can soon come. Rom. 9:28. “He will finish the work,” and when he works none can hinder. He will cut the work short, that is, he will not take a long time to finish it. He will “come quickly.”
Describe a storm as it seems to come slowly at first over the sky; but when it is very near, the clouds seem to tumble over one another in their haste as they are driven by the wind. So the last events to take place before Jesus comes will be “rapid ones.”
There has been a “tarrying time” while we have waited for Jesus, but now “there shall be delay no longer.” There is just a little time left in which to get ready. Notice the words the Lord uses to tell us how short the time is:—
HasteQuicklyA Short WorkNo Delay } HURRY
They all mean to hurry, and that he will soon be here.
Illustrate by the parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 25. The girls were all invited to a wedding. But they had to wait quite a while. They got sleepy and tired. They took their lamps along so they could see in the night. Some thought they had better take some oil, for they might be delayed, and they kept their lamps and oil-cans close by; even when they got tired they went to sleep.
Suddenly at midnight they were all awakened by somebody shouting, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” They arose quickly, and trimmed their lamps before they started; and those who had brought no oil said to the others, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out.” “No,” the others said, “there isn’t enough for both us and you; but go and buy some.” While they were gone, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in, and the door was shut. When the other girls came back, they could not get in, and were left outside crying. How much they wished they had taken along some oil for their lamps, so they would not have been late; but that did not unlock the door for them.
“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”Matt. 25:13.
Did a thief ever visit your house in the night? Did he send word that he would be there at three o’clock in the morning?—No; he came when you were not looking for him. Jesus says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth...and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Rev. 16:15.
We know he will come “quickly,” but he has not told us what day or year he will appear. He bids us, “Take ye heed [be careful], watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” It is to those who are not ready that the Lord will come as a thief; “but ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
Let us pray as we go from this meeting, and let us keep watch every day till Jesus comes, that we may be ready.
(Sing to close No. 885, “Christ in Song:” “Waiting and Watching.”)
