"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and, tempting, desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"-Matt. 16:1-3.
There were many clear predictions in prophecy which related to the coming of the Messiah. Jacob upon his death. bed uttered the following: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."-Gen. 49:10. The coming of Shiloh refers to the coming of Christ-the rest-giver. In this prophecy is predicted a continuous line of rulers in the seed of Judah, which was fulfilled from David to Christ. This prophecy was given as a sign unto the chosen nation, that when they should see a foreign ruler seize the scepter they should know assuredly that the time had arrived for the Messiah to make his appearance. History proves that Herod was the first foreign prince that swayed the scepter in Judah, and it was in his reign that our Savior was born. Again, Daniel was shown the very year that the Messiah would come, as recorded in Dan. 9:25. The prophet Micah gave the name of the very place of Christ's birth. Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:3-6. The prophet Isaiah foretold that he should be born of a virgin. Isa. 7:14. Malachi described his forerunner, John. Isaiah also foretold the things that should accompany his ministry. Isa. 35 :4-6. Zechariah told of the exact manner of his entry into Jerusalem.
Many more prophecies could be given which clearly related to Messiah's coming, and all of which were fulfilled to the letter when he came. Had the Pharisees and Sadducees, with the Jewish nation generally, been spiritual, they would have understood these things, and accepted Christ. But for some time prior to Christ's advent almost the whole Jewish nation had drifted into idolatry. Being spiritually blind, they placed wrong constructions upon the predictions of Christ's coming, and, as a result, he did not meet their anticipations; hence they rejected and stumbled at him. They expected that he would come with pomp and great display, set up an earthly kingdom, and make them a flourishing empire in the earth. But instead, he came in a humble manner, preached to the poor, associated with the despised and rejected, and taught that his kingdom was not of this world.
Thus blinded to the true mission of Christ the Jews understood not that he was the Messiah promised. However, there were a few spiritual-minded men in Israel who understood the predictions of prophecy, and accepted him to the salvation of their souls. The Pharisees and Saducees desired a special sign from heaven to know that he was the Messiah. These whited sepulchers, although versed with worldly wisdom, and well read in the books of prophecy, able also to discern the face of the sky, were spiritually blinded and could not discern the signs of the times.
Beloved reader, the same is true of the masses today. The language of Jesus is very applicable at the present time. "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" The wisdom of this world is searching out the deep things of science, botany, astronomy, etc. Great and mighty inventions are being studied out, and in fact on almost all lines, the world is being enlightened; and knowledge is increasing. But in respect to spiritual things and the signs of the times the world in general is ignorant and blind. We hear the pulpit orators of today telling the people that the world is growing better. Many of them are looking for a glorious reign of righteousness and peace and blessedness, universally, prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. They refer to what science and education have done, and point to the many accessions to the nominal church Because sin in our day is not assuming the barbarous forms which characterize the dark ages or heathen nations, people are led to believe that righteousness is rapidly spreading over the world, and soon a triumphant, universal reign of peace and- blessedness will-be realized throughout the length and breadth of the earth; a time when righteousness will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Under such a false hope and belief the millions of earth are being lulled to sleep in carnal security while standing on the very brink of destruction and ruin, and while the awful judgments of God are hovering over this doomed world, ready to burst in upon its sleeping myriads. Oh! may God in pity awaken men to discern the signs of the times. We have come down the stream of time until today we stand upon the very verge of eternity. Just a small step before us is the end of all things; viz., the end of probation and salvation, the consummation of all time allotted to this earth.
While it is true that the word of God teaches a mighty, glorious triumph of Christ's kingdom and church upon earth in the evening of this dispensation, yet it also teaches that the world in general at the same time will be in a state of wickedness right up to the coming of Christ. As we look around in the light of truth we see that wickedness is abounding on every hand today. Sin is not confined to heathen nations alone; for in this enlightened America, which embraces much of the light, knowledge, and improvement of the age, and is largely the missionary force of the world, we see in this so-called Christian nation wickedness and deception abound. Take up the daily newspaper and scan its pages and you will there see a record of facts that verifies the truth of this statement: brutal murders, highway robberies, suicides, strikes, Iynchings, etc., by the hundreds; all these are increasing daily. The printing- press, which God designed for the spread of the glorious gospel to the ends of the earth and whose numberless sheets might be like "leaves from the tree of life for the healing of the nations," is largely used by false teachers to propagate soul-destroying doctrines of devils. From this country thousands upon thousands of books, tracts, papers, etc., filled with false doctrines are sent to all nations, scattering broadcast the death-warrants of the millions. The religion of this country is divided into hundreds of opposing theories; and hundreds of opposing sects are crying, "Lo, here is Christ," and, "Lo, there is Christ." The worst of deception is being practiced on the people everywhere.
In the third chapter of Joel and 13th verse, the prophet evidently speaks of the time just prior to the end, and says, "Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: I come, get you down; for the press is full: the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great." Light rates the sinfulness of a crime, and as the light is rapidly increasing, sin is becoming exceedingly sinful. Never has there been a time when people were more wholly given up to festivities and revelries than at the present. Neither is this confined to the non-professing classes, but it is most prevalent among those who profess the religion of Jesus Christ. The socials, festivals, ice-cream suppers, fishing pond and cake-walk lotteries, kissing-bees, and such like performances are today in sectism, taking the place of the Holy Ghost prayer and testimony meetings of former years. We will here insert the lamentation of Bishop R. S. Foster concerning his own sect, the Methodist Episcopal. "The ball, the theater, nude and lewd art, social luxuries, with all their loose moralities, are making inroads into the sacred enclosure of the church; and as a satisfaction for all this worldliness, Christians are making a great deal of Lent and Easter and Good Friday, and church ornamentations. It is the old trick of Satan. The Jewish church struck on that rock; the Romish church was wrecked on the same; and the Protestant church is fast reaching the same doom.
"Our great dangers as we see them, are assimilation to the world, neglect of the poor, substitution of the form for the fact of godliness, abandonment of discipline, a hireling ministry, an impure gospel, which summed up is a fashionable church. That Methodists should be liable to such an outcome, and that there should be signs of it in a hundred years from the "sail-loft," seems almost the miracle of history; but who that looks about him today can fail to see the fact?
"Do not Methodists, in violation of God's word and their own discipline, dress as extravagantly and as fashionably as any other class? Do not the ladies, and often the wives and daughters of the ministry, put on 'gold and pearls and costly array'? Would not the plain dress insisted upon by John Wesley and Bishop Asbury, and worn by Hester Ann Rogers, Lady Huntingdon, and many others equally distinguished, be now regarded in Methodist circles as fanaticism? Can any one going into the Methodist church in any of our chief cities distinguish the attire of the communicants from that of the theater and ball goers? Is not worldliness seen in the music? Elaborately dressed and ornamented choirs, who in many cases make no profession of religion and are often sneering skeptics, go through a cold artistic or operatic performance, which is as much in harmony with spiritual worship as an opera or theater. Under such worldly performance spirituality is frozen to death.
"Formerly every Methodist attended class and gave testimony of experimental religion. Now the class-meeting is attended by very few, and in many churches abandoned. Seldom the stewards, trustees, and leaders of the church attend class. Formerly nearly every Methodist prayed, testified, or exhorted in prayer-meetings. Now but very few are heard. Formerly shouts and praises were heard; now such demonstrations of holy enthusiasm and joy are regarded as fanaticism.
"Worldly socials, and fairs, festivals, concerts, and such like have taken the place of the religious gatherings, revival meetings, class and prayer meetings of earlier days.
"How true that the Methodist discipline is a dead letter. Its rules forbid the wearing of gold or pearls or costly array: yet no one ever thinks of disciplining its members for violating them. They forbid the reading of such books and the taking of such diversions as do not minister to godliness, yet the church itself goes to shows and frolics and festivals and fairs, which destroy the spiritual life of the young, as well as the old. The extent to which this is now carried on is appalling. The spiritual death it carries in its train will only be known when the millions it has swept into hell shall stand before the judgment.
"The early Methodist ministers went forth to sacrifice and to suffer for Christ. They sought not places of ease and affluence, but of privation and suffering.
They gloried not in their big salaries, fine parsonages, and refined congregations, but in the souls that had been won for Jesus. Oh, how changed! A hireling ministry will be a feeble, a timid, a buckling, a time-serving ministry, without faith, endurance, and holy power. Methodism formerly dealt in the great central truth. Now the pulpits deal largely in generalities and in popular lectures. The glorious doctrine of entire sanctification is rarely heard and seldom witnessed in the pulpits."
R. S. Foster is the oldest bishop in the M. E. sect. In the foregoing we can truly see the sad condition of Protestantism as a whole. In the light of these facts how dare men say that the world is growing better? "And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold."-Matt. 24:12. While no doubt this has reference to the great apostasy of the past, yet how awfully true is its fulfillment today! Many who once were powers in the hands of God are today lifeless. Beloved reader, how is it with you? Is that your condition? Was there a time in your life when you enjoyed more of the love of God than you do now? a time when you loved secret prayer, when you were more devoted? O dear ones, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. The warm, fiery testimonies and prayers once given and offered by many are today dry, cold, and lifeless. The multitudes of professors today are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. You can get more professors to take an active part in a social or festival, and they will enjoy it better than a good old-fashioned prayer and testimony meeting. In fact, the sectarian world, as a whole, has but a form of godliness; a mere outward form, without life and power in the soul-the hull without the kernel. The old-time fire, shouts of joy, and spiritual meetings of former days are replaced by cold, dead worship. This is the fallen condition of sect Babylon everywhere. Clear, radical conversions are seldom witnessed in their meetings. The sermons are dry and stale. The ministers, instead of going forth under a divine call and commission, baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, enter the work as a profession, the same as a doctor or lawyer-simply for the money that is in it. They care not for the souls of men, but seek their applause and the fat pocketbooks of their members. Well hath the prophet said, "Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, . . . but ye feed not the flock."-Ezek. 34:3. These blind, sleepy, greedy watchmen can never have enough, but all look to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter. Isa. 56:11. They teach for hire, and divine for money: "yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us?"- Micah 3:11. They teach smooth things and prophesy deceit. Isa. 30:10. They tell the people that they can not live free from sin, that sanctification is not attainable in this life, etc. Thus the hearts of the people are turned away from the truth and turned unto false fables. 2 Tim. 4:1-4. These false doctrines are so instilled into them that when the sound doctrine of truth is presented they will not endure it. Who dare deny that these are present facts?
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."-2 Tim. 3:1-5. What a picture of the present state of things! No doubt all such characters lived in Paul's day. But the peril he predicts is the fact that these characters were to have a "form of godliness." Such has been the case ever since the rise of sectism. "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."-2 Tim. 3:13. The prophet Daniel in describing the latter-day glory of the church, says, "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried." But he would have us to know that at the very same time "the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."-Dan. 12:10.
Another proof that the world in general will not be in a state of righteousness when Christ comes is the fact that the scriptures so frequently state that his coming will be unexpected 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." "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." -Luke 17:26- 30. This text clearly proves that as the destruction of the antediluvian world and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was to them unexpected, so will it be when the Son of man is revealed. If the world were in a general state of righteousness up to the coming of the Lord, it would not be unexpected and as a thief in the night; for the truly ready are "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God." "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." From this scripture we learn that to the righteous Christ's coming will not be as a thief, while to the masses of the world his coming will be as a thief.
While the word of God does not teach that this world will be in the same state of wickedness that Sodom was just prior to the end, yet we are forced to the conclusion that it is in a Sodom state today. It might be well to take a brief look at the sins of Sodom as recorded in Ezek. 16 :49, 50 "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore, I took them away as I saw good." The sins of Sodom are the sins of today: and as the people have greater light today than had the people of Sodom, their wickedness is far more sinful. In the language of Jesus, "It shall be more tolerable for Sodom in that day than for you."
The first sin of Sodom placed on the list is pride. In the fear of God we declare that it is the greatest evil of today. Pride is sending more souls to hell than liquor. Because of pride spirituality is frozen to death. Where will you go to see the latest styles and fashions? The largest display of jewelry? Enter a large meeting-house in our towns and cities and look upon the persons of those around what is called the Lord's table, and you will find the answer. The slaves who are ruled by the goddess Fashion can be numbered by the millions in sectism today. The sectarian world is flooded with a proud hireling ministry who dare not cry out against this prevalent evil. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."-1 John 2:15, 16. Some cry that we had better be out of the world than out of fashion. True, and if men obtain full salvation they will be saved out of the world. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."-John 15:19. Amen. Those who possess pure and undefiled religion keep themselves unspotted from the world. Jas. 1:27.
Next among the sins of Sodom was fullness of bread- neither did they strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. An abundance of idleness was in her. This is also one of the great evils of today.
The present trend of affairs is to grind down the poor and lift up the rich. While wealth and plenty abound, thousands of homeless men, women, and children in our cities are starving for bread. As we look around we see the laboring classes dissatisfied. There is a lack of confidence in each other. Strikes by the hundreds, followed by riots, and bloodshed, are yearly occurrences. Two mighty forces are today gathering in bitter opposition. The money-masters on the one side, and the crushed, dissatisfied hosts of laborers on the other.
"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth."-Luke 21:34, 35. While this text is a solemn charge and warning to the church, not to give themselves over to surfeiting and drunkenness, it clearly implies that such will be the condition of the world in general right up to the closing day of time. Look at the masses today. Are they not given to surfeiting? Do they not make a god of their belly? And drunkenness-look at the figures! Four billion five hundred million gallons of beer alone is said to be consumed yearly... This, as one writer states, would make a row of beer barrels touching each other fifty thousand miles long, or twice around the world. America's annual drink-bill is said to be over nine hundred million dollars. Think of it! Look at the mighty stream of damnation and misery and crime that follows this stream of liquid damnation... This old world is now resting under a heavy weight of crime and misery and sin that is being practiced on every hand. Surely the foregoing is sufficient to convince any reasonable mind that wickedness will be prevalent in the earth right up to the coming of the Lord, and that no Millennium of universal righteousness will precede his coming.
We will now come directly to some of the signs of the times. In the second chapter of 2 Thess. we have a description of the great apostasy and general reign of deception that has existed during a greater part of this Christian era; but in the eighth verse it is said that this apostasy shall be consumed with the spirit of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his coming. The reader will observe that the consuming immediately precedes the destruction. In the fear of God we affirm that that work is now rapidly going on. The great pile of sectarian rubbish which for centuries has hid from view the true church of God, is today being consumed by the flaming truth of God, and, thousands of honest souls who have been bound by the straps and bands of men are being freed and gathered into the one fold of Christ. This same consumption is prophesied of in Isa. 10:16-25. It is said to burn and consume the thorns and briers in one day. The thorns and briers signify human rubbish of men; i. e., sectarian institutions. The term "in one day" signifies that it shall be a short work. "For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction."-Ver. 25. Here we see that it is but "a very little while" from the time the consumption begins until the destruction, which takes place at Christ's coming. 2 Thess. 2:8. We are now living in that "little while."
Another sign of the speedy coming of the Lord is the gathering together in confederation of all the false religions of the earth, which is fully treated in a previous chapter. By reading Rev. 16:13-15 it will be seen that immediately after the gathering together of the dragon, beast, and false prophet to the battle of the great day of God Almighty the announcement is made, "Behold, I come as a thief." And again in Rev. 20:8, 9 the reader will observe that as soon as the Gog and Magog forces of false religions were gathered together and compassed about the camp of the saints (pure church) fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them; viz., the Lord descended from heaven "in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God."-2 Thess. 1:7-10. As this gathering together is now taking place, we clearly see that the coming of Christ is near at hand. This is an unmistakable sign of the near approach of the end. In close connection with this, we will consider another point.
In Matt. 24 :27, 28 we read: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together." While the 28th verse may have had a fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem, it evidently was to reach its true fulfillment just prior to the end, as it is used in such close connection with the coming of the Son of man. The word "eagles" is more correctly rendered 'vultures" in the new version. The basis of the language is a dead, putrefying body, the scent of which attracts the vultures and other birds and beasts of prey. The application of this figure is spiritual. While the Lord is mustering his host on the high plains of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16) in this beautiful evening light, the spirits of devils are gathering together the hosts of Babylon in confederation and opposition to the burning truth of God, and the true saints of God who stand by it. This is the last great spiritual conflict. The Gog and Magog army of false religions, being slain and cut off by the word of God, I compose this great carcass. The vultures signify evil spirits which possess and prey upon these dead formalists. These now swarm and throng the great babel of sectism. "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. ... And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people."-Rev. 18:2-5. Thousands who in the past were bright lights, when they hear that voice, close their ears to the truth, and go into darkness. These are cut off and slain. Oh, what a slaughter is now going on!
"For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: . . . the sword of the Lord is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs, and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls: and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion."-Isa. 34 :5-8. "For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he . . . hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses."-Verses 2, 3. "And they shall be habitations of monsters, and a court for ostriches. And devils shall meet with satyrs, . . . having found for themselves a place of rest."-Vs. 13. 14. Septuagint Version. "And the carcasses of this The Kingdom of God people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven."-Jer. 7:33. What an awful picture, but how true. The sword of the Lord which smites the nations, and is filled with blood is the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'-Eph. 6:17. "Cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."-Jer. 48:10. This great slaughter is also called a "sacrifice," because many of them possessed noble attributes, and were even mighty through God, but when the whole truth was presented they would not get saved from the last spot of sin and sectism; therefore, God had to sacrifice them to evil spirits in order to get a pure church. The rams, lambs, bullocks, etc., show that the parties were in the main offerings to God on the altar of his grace.
"And their stink shall come up out of their carcasses." The condition of fallen sectism, as described by Foster in another part of this chapter, is surely a stench in the nostrils of God. It is offensive to every sanctified soul. It is further said that these spiritual carcasses shall be inhabited by "monsters," "fowls," etc. In them "devils have found for themselves a place of rest." This perfectly harmonizes with the description given in Rev. 18:2. Different kinds of birds, and foul spirits being grouped together in these texts carries our minds back to the ruins of ancient Babylon, which was a hold of all manner of birds and beasts, and which clearly typified the swarm of unclean and deceptive spirits which throng sectism today. This great sacrifice is also clearly described in the following texts. Ezek. 39:4, 17-20, 11-13; Jer. 12:9-12; Isa. 18:3-6.
Beloved reader, the foregoing is present truth, now strikingly fulfilled. As before observed, it being used in such close connection with the coming of the Son of man proves that we are near the end. This accords with the Revelator's description of the triumph of Christ's kingdom and church in these last days, as given in Rev. 19:11-16. "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [viz., the pure word again preached, which pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and discerns the thoughts and intents of men's hearts], that with it he should smite the nations." -Ver. 15. The nations, thus smitten, compose the armies of the beast, which are "gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse [Jesus Christ], and against his army" (the host of saints gathered out of sectism which stands on the sea of glass with victory over the beast, etc., and who follow Christ the "Captain of our salvation").-Ver. 19. At this time an angel is seen "standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God."-Ver. 17. All this relates to the same slaughter, and sacrifice of souls to evil spirits, taught in the texts to which we have already referred. But mark the fact that this sacrifice is called "supper," which proves that it was to take place in the evening of the dispensation day. Immediately following this the beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Ver. 20. This will take place when Christ comes. As the great sacrifice or supper is here, it gives us data to calculate our whereabouts on the stream of time. Surely the evening l shadows are gathering, and eternity is near.
We will yet consider one more sign of the times, and in fact, the special sign of Christ's coming-