,,our ,,day ,in the ,light of ,prophecy ,illustration3 ,,jesus ,,weeping ,,over ,,jerusalem ,if thou hadst known1 even thou1 at least in this thy day1 the things which belong unto thy peace6 ,luke #ai3db4 ,,our ,,day ,in the ,light of ,prophecy ,by ,w4,a4 ,,spicer ,whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning1 that we through patience and comfort of the ,scriptures might have hope4 ,rom4 #ae3d4 ,,southern ,,publishing ,,association ,,nashville1 ,,tennessee ,,fort ,,worth1 ,,texas ,,atlanta1 ,,georgia ,copyrighted1 #aiag1 by ,,review ,,and ,,herald ,,publishing ,,association ,copyrighted in ,london1 ,england ,all ,rights ,reserved ,,contents ,,the ,,book ,,that ,,speaks ,,to ,,our ,,day #ac ,,the ,,witness ,,of ,,the ,,centuries #be ,,prophetic ,,outline ,,of ,,the ,,world',s ,,history #ci ,,the ,,second ,,coming ,,of ,,christ #ea ,,signs ,,of ,,the ,,approaching ,,end #fe ,,the ,,lisbon ,,earthquake ,,of #agee #gi ,,the ,,dark ,,day ,,of #aghj #he ,,the ,,falling ,,stars ,,of #ahcc #ic ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,present-,,day ,,conditions #aje ,,the ,,historic ,,prophecy ,,of ,,daniel #g #aag ,,the #abfj ,,years ,,of ,,daniel',s ,,prophecy #aca ,,dawn ,,of ,a ,,new ,,era #aci ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,little ,,horn ,,power #ade ,,the ,,bible ,,sabbath #aei ,,glimpses ,,of ,,sabbath ,,keeping ,,after ,,new ,,testament ,,times #agc ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,god #ahc ,,justification ,,by ,,faith #aia ,,baptism #aii ,,the ,,prophecy ,,of ,,daniel #h #bje ,,the ,,cleansing ,,of ,,the ,,sanctuary ,,in ,,type ,,and ,,antitype #bac ,a ,,great ,,prophetic ,,period #bai ,,the ,,prophecy ,,fulfilled #bbi ,a ,,world-,,wide ,,movement #bci ,,the ,,judgment-,,hour ,,message #bdg ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,evil #beg ,,spiritualism3 ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern #bfe ,,life ,,only ,,in ,,christ #bge ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,wicked #bhg ,,angels3 ,,their ,,ministry #bie ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,the ,,end #cjc ,,the ,,eastern ,,question #cba ,,armageddon #ccg ,,the ,,millennium #cea ,,the ,,home ,,of ,,the ,,saved #cfa ,,full-,,page ,,illustrations ,,jesus ,,weeping ,,over ,,jerusalem ,frontispiece ,,the ,,good ,,shepherd #ab ,,healing ,,the ,,centurion',s ,,servant #af ,,christ',s ,,weapon ,,of ,,defense--,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god #ai ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,emmaus #bd ,,the ,,great ,,image #ch ,,babylon ,,in ,,her ,,glory #dj ,,the ,,handwriting ,,on ,,the ,,wall #db ,,the ,,ascension ,,of ,,christ #ej ,,christ ,,coming ,,in ,,glory #eh ,,christ ,,answering ,,his ,,disciples' ,,questions #fd ,,the ,,siege ,,of ,,jerusalem ,,by ,,the ,,romans ,,under ,,titus1 ,a4,d4 #gj #fh ,,the ,,catacombs ,,near ,,rome #gb ,,lisbon ,,from ,,across ,,the ,,bay #gh ,,midday ,,at ,,sea1 ,,may #ai1 #aghj #hd ,,the ,,great ,,meteoric ,,shower1 ,,nov4 #ac1 #ahcc #ib ,,the ,,sign ,,of ,,fire #ih ,,satan ,,offers ,,gold1 ,,and ,,the ,,world ,,stampedes ,,to ,,its ,,destruction #ajd ,a ,,faithful ,,and ,,wise ,,servant #ajh ,,the ,,sunset ,,hour #aad ,,philip ,,and ,,the ,,eunuch #aaf ,,rome ,,on ,,the ,,tiber #abd ,,the ,,invasion ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,empire ,,by ,,the ,,huns #abh ,,raising ,,the ,,siege ,,of ,,rome1 ,a4,d4 #ech #acj ,,storming ,,of ,,the ,,bastille ,,prison ,,in ,,paris #ach ,,the ,,triple ,,crown #add ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,power--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,love #adf ,,christians ,,in ,,prison ,,beneath ,,the ,,colosseum ,,awaiting ,,martyrdom #adh ,,the ,,shame ,,of ,,religious ,,wars #aeb ,,christ ,,and ,,the ,,scribes #aeh ,,the ,,sabbath ,,from ,,eden ,,to ,,eden #afh ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,disciples ,,in ,,the ,,corn-,,fields #agb ,,waldenses ,,hunted ,,by ,,the ,,armies ,,of ,,rome #agf ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,god #aij ,,the ,,baptism ,,of ,,christ #aih ,,symbols ,,of ,,medo-,,persia ,,and ,,grecia #bjd ,,the ,,camp ,,of ,,israel ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness #baj ,,our ,,great ,,high ,,priest #bab ,,artaxerxes ,,sending ,,the ,,jews ,,to ,,rebuild ,,jerusalem1 ,b4,c4 #deg #bah ,,rebuilding ,,jerusalem #bbd ,,the ,,anointing ,,of ,,jesus ,,at ,,his ,,baptism #bbh ,,the ,,crucifixion ,,of ,,christ #bcb ,,the ,,third ,,angel',s ,,message #bch ,a ,,christian ,,mother ,,exhorting ,,her ,,daughter ,,to ,,martyrdom #bdf ,,lucifer ,,plotting ,,against ,,the ,,government ,,of ,,god #bef ,,the ,,redemption ,,price #bfj ,,saul ,,and ,,the ,,witch ,,of ,,endor #bfd ,,the ,,salem ,,witchcraft #bgj ,,he ,,is ,,risen #bgd ,,lot ,,fleeing ,,from ,,sodom #bhf ,,peter ,,delivered ,,from ,,prison #bid ,,jacob',s ,,dream ,,in ,,bethel #bih ,,modern ,,inventions ,,fulfilling ,,prophecy #cjb ,,the ,,hoe ,,double ,,octuple ,,press #caf ,,fortifications ,,on ,,the ,,bosporus #cbj ,,modern ,,jerusalem #cbi ,,the ,,great ,,battle ,,of ,,armageddon #ccf ,,united ,,states ,,battleship ,,nevada #cdj ,,moses ,,viewing ,,the ,,promised ,,land #cfj ,,the ,,saints' ,,eternal ,,home #cff ,,the ,,master ,,at ,,the ,,door #cfi ,illustration3 ,,founded ,,upon ,a ,,rock ,thy ,word is a lamp unto my feet1 and a light unto my path4 ,ps4 #aai3aje4 ,,foreword ,these are eventful times4 ,with history-making changes passing rapidly before men's eyes1 the questions press upon thoughtful minds in all lands1 ,what do these things mean8 ,what next in the program of world-shaping events8 ,like a great searchlight shining across the centuries1 the sure ,word of ,prophecy focuses its bright beams upon ,our ,day4 ,in this light we see clearly the trend of events1 and may understand what comes next in the program of history fulfilling prophecy4 ,in the ,volume of the ,book the living ,god speaks to ,our ,day of events of the past that have a lesson for the present1 and of things to come4 ,divine prophecy fulfilled before men's eyes is ,god's challenge to unbelief4 ,the ,word of ,holy ,writ has been the guiding light through all the ages4 ,it is the lamp to our feet today4 ,steadfast1 serene1 unmovable1 the same1 ,year after year1444 ,burns on forevermore that quenchless flame2 ,shines on that inextinguishable light4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,good ,,shepherd ,the ,word was made flesh1 and dwelt among us4 ,john #a3ad4 ,illustration3 ,,peace ,,be ,,to ,,this ,,house ,if any man hear ,my voice1 and open the door1 ,i will come in to him1 and will sup with him1 and he with ,me4 ,rev4 #c3bj4 ,,the ,,book ,,that ,,speaks ,,to ,,our ,,day ,man may write a true book1 but only ,god1 the source of life1 can write a living book4 ,the word of ,god 444 liveth and abideth forever4 #a ,peter #a3bc4 ,the ,bible is the living word of ,god4 ,we look at the volume2 we hold it in our hands4 ,it is like other books in form and printer's art4 ,but the voice of ,god speaks from these pages1 and the word spoken is alive4 ,it is able to do in the heart that receives it what can be done only by divine power4 ,the ,book ,that ,talks ,far in the heart of ,africa a missionary read to the people in their own language from the translated ,word of ,god4 ,see6 they cried2 see6 the book talks6 ,the white man has a book that talks6 ,with that simplicity of speech so common to children of nature1 they had exactly described it4 ,this is a book that talks4 ,what the wise man says of its counsels through parents to children1 is true of all the book3 ,when thou goest1 it shall lead thee2 when thou sleepest1 it shall keep thee2 and when thou awakest1 it shall talk with thee4 ,prov4 #f3bb4 ,here is companionship1 faithful and true1 a blessed guide and guardian and friend4 ,holy ,bible6 book divine6 ,precious treasure1 thou art mine6 ,god ,its ,author ,the sixty-six books of ,holy ,scripture were written by many penmen1 over a space of fifteen centuries2 yet it is one book1 and one voice speaks through all its pages4 ,spurgeon once said of his experience with this book3 ,when ,i see it1 ,i seem to hear a voice springing up from it1 saying1 ',i am the book of ,god2 man1 read me4 ,i am ,god's writing2 open my leaf1 for ,i was penned by ,god2 read it1 for ,he is my author4' ,this book declares of itself3 ,all scripture is given by inspiration of ,god4 #b ,tim4 #c3af4 ,the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man3 but holy men of ,god spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 #b ,peter #a3ba4 ,as the rugged verse of the old hymn puts it3 ,let all the heathen writers join ,to form one perfect book3 ,great ,god1 if once compared with ,thine1 ,how mean their writings look6 ,not the most perfect rules they gave ,could show one sin forgiven1 ,nor lead a step beyond the grave2 ,but ,thine conducts to heaven4 ,it is the voice of the ,almighty4 ,very different it is from the sacred books of the non-,christian religions4 ,in those writings it is man speaking about ,god2 in the ,holy ,scriptures it is ,god speaking to man4 ,the difference is as great as heaven is higher than earth4 ,here it is not man groping in the darkness after ,god4 ,in this book of ,god's revelation we see the divine arm reaching down to save the lost1 and hear the voice of the loving ,father calling to ,his children1 every one and everywhere4 ,incline your ear1 ,he calls2 hear1 and your soul shall live4 ,isa4 #ee3c4 ,the ,word ,that ,creates ,we must have something more than instruction2 we must have a word of power that is able to tell of sins forgiven1 and to conduct us beyond the grave to heaven4 ,one of the greatest of ,china's sages1 ,mencius1 said1 ,instruction can impart information1 but not the power to execute4 ,that touches the crucial point4 ,we must have instruction that can come with power divine to execute4 ,we have it only in ,god's words4 ,christ said3 ,it is the spirit that quickeneth2 the flesh profiteth nothing3 the words that ,i speak unto you1 they are spirit1 and they are life4 ,john #f3fc4 ,the words of ,god are living words4 ,when ,god spoke in the beginning1 ,let there be light1 lo1 the light sprang out of the darkness4 ,there was power in the word spoken to bring forth4 ,let the earth bring forth grass1 was the word of the ,lord3 and the earth was carpeted with its first rich greensward4 ,so through all the work of creation1 the creative power was in the word spoken4 ,by the word of the ,lord were the heavens made2 and all the host of them by the breath of ,his mouth4 ,he spake1 and it was done2 ,he commanded1 and it stood fast4 ,ps4 #cc3f1 #i4 ,even so1 when this word speaks instruction to man1 there is creative power in the word1 if received1 to work mightily in the soul that is dead in trespasses and sins4 ,man must be born again1 be re-created4 ,that we know2 for ,christ says1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,except a man be born again from above1 margin1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,john #c3c4 ,and the word of ,god--the ,bible from heaven--received by faith1 is the agency by which this new birth from above is wrought4 ,this is the declaration of our text3 ,being born again1 not of corruptible seed1 but of incorruptible1 by the word of ,god1 which liveth and abideth forever4 #a ,peter #a3bc4 ,illustration3 ,,healing ,,the ,,centurion',s ,,servant ,speak the word only1 and my servant shall be healed4 ,matt4 #h3h4 ,the ,word ,that ,works ,within ,not only does the word of ,god give the new birth1 making the believer a new man1--the past forgiven and a new heart within1--but the word that re-creates abides in the believing heart that studies it and clings to it1 to work in the life with actual power that is not of the man himself4 ,to the ,thessalonians1 who had turned to ,god from idols to serve the living and true ,god1 the apostle wrote3 ,for this cause also thank we ,god without ceasing1 because1 when ye received the word of ,god which ye heard of us1 ye received it not as the word of men1 but as it is in truth1 the word of ,god1 which effectually worketh also in you that believe4 #a ,thess4 #b3ac4 ,the word itself works within1 and works effectually4 ,there is nothing mechanical about it4 ,the mere letter profits nothing4 ,the ,bible on the center table1 unstudied and unloved1 has no magic power4 ,but ,god promises to abide by ,his ,spirit of power in the heart that listens to ,his voice and trembles at ,his word4 ,jesus ,himself tells us the secret of this power of the word to work in the believing heart3 ,if a man love ,me1 he will keep ,my words3 and ,my ,father will love him1 and we will come unto him1 and make our abode with him4 ,john #ad3bc4 ,no wonder1 then1 that believing and receiving the word brings divine power into the life1 making it possible for transformations of character to be wrought1 for victories to be won and obedience rendered to every command of ,god4 ,simply believing ,god's word touches the current of everlasting power1 even as the trolley arm of the electric car reaches up and touches the current of power flowing through the wire overhead4 ,the faith that takes the living word brings the power divine into the heart to move all the spiritual mechanism of life's service4 ,the ,word ,our ,safety and ,defense ,when ,christ came to live as our example in the flesh1 and to give ,his life a sacrifice for sin1 ,he1 the divine ,son of ,god1 made ,himself like unto ,his brethren4 ,i can of ,mine own self do nothing1 ,he said4 ,john #e3cj4 ,tempted and tried1 ,he found ,his defense in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,when ,satan came to tempt ,him to sin1 the ,saviour said1 ,it is written4 ,he clung to the sure defense4 ,again the tempter came4 ,he was met with the word1 ,it is written again4 ,the third time it was the same weapon of defense1 ,it is written4 ,matt4 #d3a-aa4 ,christ found safety only in the ,scriptures of truth4 ,so the ,bible is the ,christian's shield against the enemy's attacks4 ,as ,jesus studied the ,scriptures and kept the words ever in ,his heart for a defense against temptation1 so must every ,christian study and meditate upon ,god's ,holy ,word if its counsels and precepts are to be his defense in the moment of sudden temptation to sin4 ,thy word have ,i hid in mine heart1 said the psalmist1 that ,i might not sin against ,thee4 ,ps4 #aai3aa4 ,it was the only way for ,christ1 our ,pattern2 it is the only way for us4 ,the ,bread of ,life ,the word of ,god is the daily food for the soul4 ,it is written1 ,man shall not live by bread alone1 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god4 ,matt4 #d3d4 ,who has not1 in hurried times1 missed a meal1 working on through the day1 never thinking of the prolonged fast8 ,but after a time there came a sense of weakening force1 a lack of physical power4 ,what was the trouble8 ,at once the reason was evident--one had not taken food1 and the system was calling for a renewal of its forces4 ,just so the spiritual life must needs be fed by the word of ,god4 ,illustration3 ,,christ',s ,,weapon ,,of ,,defense--,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god ,get thee hence1 ,satan3 for it is written1 ,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve4 ,matt4 #d3aj4 ,do we at times feel a sense of weakening of the spiritual power1 a letting down of the vital forces of the soul8 ,ah1 in the hurry of life we have neglected to feed upon the living bread4 ,we can no more sustain spiritual vigor and health without feeding daily upon ,god's ,holy ,word than we can maintain physical power without eating our daily bread4 ,eat of the life-giving word4 ,the taste for it grows with the partaking4 ,there is life in every word4 ,the psalmist found the ,lord's testimonies sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb1 or1 as the marginal reading has it1 than the dropping of honeycombs4 ,ps4 #ai3aj4 ,we get the picture of the honeycomb inverted1 the cell caps broken open1 the sweetness dripping down4 ,just so every word of the ,lord is a cell full of sweetness and life for the soul that feasts upon the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,the ,source of ,all ,doctrine ,the ,bible is the complete and perfect rule of faith and doctrine4 ,here every doctrine of salvation is found4 ,inspiration has declared it in the words of the apostle ,paul to ,timothy3 ,from a child thou hast known the ,holy ,scriptures1 which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness3 that the man of ,god may be perfect1 thoroughly furnished unto all good works4 #b ,tim4 #c3ae-ag4 ,the divine command is1 ,study4 ,for every generation there has been a message borne by this living word1 making call to reformation of life1 or giving warning and comfort4 ,the ,bible is not a collection of truths formulated in propositions1 said ,dr4 ,samuel ,harris1 of ,yale1 but ,god's majestic march through history1 redeeming men from sin4 ,in every age ,god has been ruling and overruling1 witnessing by ,his ,spirit through the living word4 ,the experiences recorded of past ages have their special lesson for the present time3 ,whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning1 that we through patience and comfort of the ,scriptures might have hope4 ,rom4 #ae3d4 ,let vs therfore all with feruent desyre1 as the ,old ,english of #aedi spelled the exhortation of ,erasmus1 thyrste after these spirituall sprynges4444 ,let vs kisse these swete wordes of ,christ with a pure affeccion4 ,let vs be newe transformed into them1 for soche are oure maners as oure studies be4 ,the ,book for ,all ,mankind ,it speaks in every tongue to the human heart4 ,its power to transform has been shown through all the centuries in every clime and among every race4 ,one of the ,gospels was put into the ,chiluba tongue of ,central ,africa4 ,after a time a ,garenganze chief came to ,dan ,crawford1 the missionary1 changed from the spirit of a fierce1 wicked barbarian to that of a teachable child4 ,explaining his conversion1 the chief said3 ,i was startled to find that ,christ could speak ,chiluba4 ,i heard him speak to me out of the printed page1 and what he said was1 ',follow me6' ,of the ,bible's universal speech to all mankind1 ,dr4 ,henry van ,dyke has said3 ,born in the ,east1 and clothed in ,oriental form and imagery1 the ,bible walks the ways of all the world with familiar feet1 and enters land after land to find its own everywhere4 ,it has learned to speak in hundreds of languages to the heart of man4 ,it comes into the palace to tell the monarch that he is the servant of the ,most ,high1 and into the cottage to assure the peasant that he is the son of ,god4 ,children listen to its stories with wonder and delight1 and wise men ponder them as parables of life4 ,it has a word of peace for the time of peril1 a word of comfort for the day of calamity1 a word of light for the hour of darkness4 ,its oracles are repeated in the assembly of the people1 and its counsels whispered in the ear of the lonely4 ,the wise and the proud tremble at its warnings1 but to the wounded and penitent it has a mother's voice4444 ,its great words grow richer1 as pearls do when they are worn near the heart4 ,no man is poor or desolate who has this treasure for his own4 ,when the landscape darkens and the trembling pilgrim comes to the valley named the ,shadow1 he is not afraid to enter2 he takes the rod and staff of ,scripture in his hand2 he says to friend and comrade1 ',good-by1 we shall meet again1' and comforted by that support1 he goes toward the lonely pass as one who climbs through darkness into light4--,the ,century ,magazine4 ,illustration3 ,,raising ,,jarius',s ,,daughter ,in ,him was life2 and the life was the light of men4 ,john #a3d4 ,in the days of ,his life on earth1 ,jesus was a welcome guest in humble homes in ,judea and ,galilee4 ,the common people heard ,him gladly4 ,his presence brought peace and comfort to the home4 ,he is no longer with us in bodily presence2 but ,he is the same ,saviour still--,jesus ,christ the same yesterday1 and today1 and forever4 ,heb4 #ac3h4 ,by ,his ,spirit1 through the living word of ,holy ,scripture1 ,he enters the home where faith receives ,him1 and speaks again the gracious salutation1 ,peace be to this house4 ,christ the ,central ,theme ,all the ,bible bears witness of ,christ as the ,saviour of the world4 ,he ,himself said of the ,scriptures1 ,they are they which testify of ,me4 ,john #e3ci4 ,to ,him give all the prophets witness4 ,acts #aj3dc4 ,we see ,him as the coming ,messiah in promise and prophecy1 in type and shadow4 ,his is the divine1 living personality standing out in every book that makes up the ,sacred ,volume4 ,as we read with loving heart1 the ,author seems near in every page4 ,reading1 methinks ,i bend ,before the cross ,where died my ,king1 my ,friend4 ,the whole world's loss ,for love of ,him is gain4 ,and having beheld ,him giving ,his life as the divine sacrifice1 and rising in triumph over death to be our great ,high ,priest in the heavenly temple1 as we read these ,sacred ,scriptures yet again1 in every book1 from ,genesis to ,revelation1 we see ,him as the coming ,king of kings1 coming to take ,his children to the eternal home of the saved4 ,the whole book is a bright window through which we gaze on coming glory4 ,and yet again ,i stand ,where the seer stood1 ,gazing across the strand1 ,beyond the flood3 ,the gates of pearl afar1 ,the streets of gold1 ,the bright and morning ,star ,mine eyes behold4 ,the ,word of ,god 444 liveth and abideth forever4 #a ,peter #a3bc4 ,heaven and earth shall pass away1 but ,my words shall not pass away4 ,matt4 #bd3ce4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,emmaus ,beginning at ,moses and all the prophets1 ,he expounded unto them in all the ,scriptures the things concerning ,himself4 ,luke #bd3bg4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,star ,,of ,,bethlehem ,i am ,god1444 declaring 444 from ancient times the things that are not yet done4 ,isa4 #df3i1 #aj4 ,,the ,,witness ,,of ,,the ,,centuries ,the ,sure ,word of ,prophecy ,we have also a more sure word of prophecy2 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed4 #b ,peter #a3ai4 ,the prophetic scriptures afford infallible evidence that the voice of the living ,god speaks in ,holy ,writ4 ,one of the distinguishing marks of divinity is the power that foretells and records the course of history long ages before the events come to pass4 ,god's ,challenge ,god's challenge to false religious systems in olden time was this3 ,declare us things for to come4 ,show the things that are to come hereafter1 that we may know that ye are gods4 ,isa4 #da3bb1 #bc4 ,and all the gods of the nations were silent2 for they are no gods4 ,the ,lord alone1 the one who speaks by the ,holy ,scriptures1 is able to tell the end from the beginning4 ,i am ,god1 and there is none like ,me1 declaring the end from the beginning1 and from ancient times the things that are not yet done1 saying1 ,my counsel shall stand4 ,isa4 #df3i1 #aj4 ,by this means ,god has borne witness of ,himself through the ages1 that it might be known that the ,most ,high rules above all the kingdoms of men1 and that men might recognize ,his purpose to put an end to sin and bring eternal salvation to ,his people4 ,i have spoken it1 ,he declares1 ,i will also bring it to pass2 ,i have purposed it1 ,i will also do it4 ,the fulfilment of the word of prophecy in history is a fascinating story4 ,to the ,lord1 the future is an open book1 even as the present4 ,the word is spoken1 telling of the event to come2 it is written on the parchment scroll by the prophet's pen4 ,time passes2 centuries come and go4 ,then1 when the hour of the prophecy arrives1 lo1 there appears the fulfilment4 ,and it is seen in matters pertaining to individuals1 as well as in the affairs of cities and empires4 ,the ,word ,fulfilled after ,long ,waiting ,in the dream divinely given to the lad ,joseph1 it was plainly foretold that his brothers would one day come as suppliants before him4 ,his father rebuked him for telling the dream1 saying1 ,shall ,i and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth8 ,gen4 #cg3aj4 ,the brothers sold the lad into slavery1 to be well rid of him4 ,yet twenty years later1 all unconscious of his identity1 these same brethren presented themselves before the prime minister of ,egypt1 and fell before him on the ground4 ,gen4 #dd3ad4 ,again3 the wicked stronghold of ,jericho had been utterly destroyed4 ,joshua declared3 ,cursed be the man 444 that riseth up and buildeth this city ,jericho3 he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born1 and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it4 ,joshua #f3bf4 ,the hands of angels had thrown down its walls1 and its ruin was to stand as a memorial4 ,more than five hundred years later1 when the apostate ,ahab was ruling1 and ,israel and ,judah had departed from the ,lord1 ,hiel the ,bethelite set out to rebuild ,jericho4 ,he laid the foundation thereof in ,abiram his first-born4 ,but accident and death may come at any time4 ,the work on the walls went on1 no one thinking of the neglected ,scriptures with their warning of long ago4 ,so the full account runs3 ,he laid the foundation thereof in ,abiram his first-born1 and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son ,segub1 according to the word of the ,lord1 which ,he spake by ,joshua the son of ,nun4 #a ,kings #af3cd4 ,the fate of some of the mightiest cities the world ever saw has borne testimony through the centuries to the fulfilment of the prophetic word4 ,the ,witness of ,nineveh ,nineveh was founded by ,nimrod4 ,he built not only his capital here by the ,tigris1 but other towns round about1 conceiving first of all the idea of grouping the capital and its suburbs into one great city1 the ,greater ,nineveh1 as we would say in these days of ,greater ,london and ,greater ,new ,york4 ,at the dawn of history ,nineveh was a great city4 ,gen4 #aj3aa1 #ab4 ,in ,jonah's day it was an exceeding great city4,a ,sennacherib1 of the ,bible story1 was its beautifier4 ,rawlinson says3 ,the great palace which he raised at ,nineveh surpassed in size and splendor all earlier edifices4--,second ,monarchy1 chap4 #i4 ,a description is preserved on the clay cylinder in the king's own words3 ,for the wonderment of multitudes of men ,i raised its head--'the palace which has no rival' ,i called its name4--,taylor ,cylinder1 ,records of the ,past4 ,vol4 ,,xii1 part #a4 ,at the preaching of ,jonah the city had repented2 but in later years pride of conquest and luxury and wealth were filling it with blood4 ,the prophet ,nahum warned it of certain doom1 appealing to those who had any fear of ,god to turn to ,him4 ,the message was3 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,site ,,of ,,nineveh ,how is she become a desolation6 ,zeph4 #b3ae4 ,the ,lord is good1 a stronghold in the day of trouble2 and ,he knoweth them that trust in ,him4 ,nahum #a3g4 ,some1 no doubt1 heeded the warning and turned to ,god for refuge4 ,but the city's life of sin ran on4 ,then the prophet ,zephaniah spoke the word1 just as the stroke was to fall3 ,woe to her that is filthy and polluted1 to the oppressing city6 ,she obeyed not the voice2 she received not correction2 she trusted not in the ,lord2 she drew not near to her ,god4 ,zeph4 #c3a1 #b4 ,prophecies uttered against the mighty city had declared3 ,he will make an utter end of the place thereof4 ,the palace shall be dissolved molten1 margin4 ,she is empty1 and void1 and waste4 ,nahum #a3h2 #b3f1 #aj4 ,how is she become a desolation1 a place for beasts to lie down in6 ,zeph4 #b3ae4 ,the ,medes and the ,babylonians overthrew ,nineveh4 ,the king immolated himself in his burning 7molten7 palace4 ,nineveh became a desolation4 ,describing a battle that took place there in the seventh century of our era1 between the ,romans and the ,persians1 the historian ,gibbon bears testimony to the fact that it has indeed become empty1 and void1 and waste3 ,eastward of the ,tigris1 at the end of the bridge of ,mosul1 the great ,nineveh had formerly been erected3 the city1 and even the ruins of the city1 had long since disappeared2 the vacant place afforded a spacious field for the operations of the two armies4--,the ,history of the ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire1 chap4 #df1 par4 #bd4 ,and to this day1 the site of ,nineveh is pointed out across the river from ,mosul1 only mounds of ruins1 these almost obliterated by the drifting sands of centuries4 ,the word spoken is fulfilled1 though at the time it was spoken it little seemed to proud and prosperous ,nineveh that such a fate could ever be hers4 ,before me rise the walls ,of the ,titanic city1--brazen gates1 ,towers1 temples1 palaces enormous piled1-- ,imperial ,nineveh1 the earthly queen6 ,in all her golden pomp ,i see her now1 ,her swarming streets1 her splendid festivals4 99 99 99 99 99 ,again ,i look1--and lo6444 ,her walls are gone1 her palaces are dust1-- ,the desert is around her1 and within ,like shadows have the mighty passed away4 ,from ,nineveh's mounds we seem to hear a voice that says3 ,all flesh is as grass1 and all the glory of man as the flower of grass4 ,the grass withereth1 and the flower thereof falleth away3 but the word of the ,lord endureth forever4 #a ,peter #a3bd1 #be4 ,the ,burden of ,tyre ,illustration3 ,,tyre ,,by ,,the ,,sea ,they shall destroy the walls of ,tyrus1 and break down her towers4 ,eze4 #bf3d4 ,tyre was the greatest maritime city of antiquity4 ,its inhabitants1 the ,phoenicians1 traded in the ports of all the known world4 ,ezekiel describes the heart of the seas as its borders4 ,thy builders have perfected thy beauty1 he says4 ,he tells how all countries traded in its marts and contributed to its wealth4 ,and then1 obeying the word of the ,lord1 the prophet bears a message of rebuke and warning1--the burden of ,tyre1--and pronounces the coming judgment3 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 ,o ,tyrus1 and will cause many nations to come up against thee4444 ,and they shall destroy the walls of ,tyrus1 and break down her towers3 ,i will also scrape her dust from her1 and make her like the top of a rock4 ,it shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea3 for ,i have spoken it1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,eze4 #bf3c-e4 ,the accounts of travelers bear witness that the prophecy has been fulfilled4 ,as to the site of the island city of ,ezekiel's day1 ,bruce1 nearly a century ago1 said that he found it a rock whereon fishers dry their nets4 7,see ,keith on the ,prophecies1 p4 #cbi47 ,in more recent times1 ,dr4 ,w4,m4 ,thomson found the whole region of ,tyre suggestive only of departed glory3 ,there is nothing here1 certainly1 of that which led ,joshua to call it 'the strong city' more than three thousand years ago 7,joshua #ai3bi71--nothing of that mighty metropolis which baffled the proud ,nebuchadnezzar and all his power for thirteen years1 until 'every head' in his army 'was made bald1 and every shoulder was peeled1' in the hard service against ,tyrus 7,eze4 #bi3ah71--nothing in this wretched roadstead and empty harbor to remind one of the times when merry mariners did sing in her markets--no visible trace of those towering ramparts which so long resisted the utmost efforts of the great ,alexander4 ,all have vanished utterly like a troubled dream1 and ,tyre has sunk under the burden of prophecy4444 ,as she is now1 and has long been1 ,tyre is ,god's witness2 but great1 powerful1 and populous1 she would be the infidel's boast4 ,this1 however1 she cannot be4 ,tyre will never rise from her dust to falsify the voice of prophecy4 ,dim is her glory1 gone her fame1 ,her boasted wealth has fled2 ,on her proud rock1 alas6 her shame1 ,the fisher's net is spread4 ,the ,tyrian harp has slumbered long1 ,and ,tyria's mirth is low2 ,the timbrel1 dulcimer1 and song ,are hushed1 or wake to woe4 --,the ,land and the ,book1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #fbf1 #fbg4 ,the ,desolation of ,babylon ,yet another city of ancient times there was1 the mightiest of them all1 whose fate was a subject of prophecy1 and whose history bears special testimony for us today2 for1 more than any other1 the ,lord used that city as a symbol of the pride of life and the exaltation of the selfish heart against ,god4 ,let us study briefly the desolations pronounced upon ,babylon of old4 ,illustration3 ,,babylon ,,in ,,the ,,dust ,babylon shall become heaps1444 without an inhabitant4 ,jer4 #ea3cg4 ,while ,babylon was still the mightiest city of the world1 with the period of greatest glory yet before it1 the ,lord revealed its ignoble end4 ,by the prophet ,isaiah ,he declared3 ,babylon1 the glory of kingdoms1 the beauty of the ,chaldees' excellency1 shall be as when ,god overthrew ,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,it shall never be inhabited1 neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation3 neither shall the ,arabian pitch tent there2 neither shall the shepherds make their fold there4 ,but wild beasts of the desert shall lie there2 and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures2 and owls shall dwell there1 and satyrs shall dance there4 ,and the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses1 and dragons in their pleasant palaces3 and her time is near to come1 and her days shall not be prolonged4 ,isa4 #ac3ai-bb4 ,never could a more doleful future have been pictured for a city full of splendor1 the metropolis of the world4 ,about one hundred and seventy-five years after this word was written on the parchment scroll1 the ,medes and ,persians were at the gates of ,babylon4 ,her time had come1 and ,chaldea's rule was ended4 ,fallen is the golden city6 in the dust1 ,spoiled of her crown1 dismantled of her state4 ,she that hath made the ,strength of ,towers her trust1 ,weeps by her dead1 supremely desolate6 ,she that beheld the nations at her gate ,thronging in homage1 shall be called no more ',lady of ,kingdoms6'--,who shall mourn her fate8 ,her guilt is full1 her march of triumph o'er4 ,but still1 under ,medo-,persia1 and later under the ,greeks1 the city itself was populous and prosperous and beautiful4 ,the skeptic of the time may have pointed to it as evidence that here1 at least1 the ,hebrew prophet had missed the mark4 ,apollonius1 the sage of ,tyana1 who lived in the days of ,nero and the apostles1 has left an account of ,babylon as he saw it1 as late as the first century of our era4 ,still the ,euphrates swept beneath its walls1 dividing the city into halves1 with great palaces on either side4 ,he says3 ,the palaces are roofed with bronze1 and a glitter goes off from them2 but the chambers of the women and of the men and the porticoes are adorned partly with silver1 and partly with golden tapestries or curtains1 and partly with solid gold in the form of pictures4 ,and of the king's judgment hall he reported3 ,the roof had been carried up in the form of a dome1 to resemble in a manner the heavens1 and that it was roofed with sapphire1 a stone that is very blue and like heaven to the eye2 and there were images of the gods1 which they worship1 fixed aloft1 and looking like golden figures shining out of the ether4--,philostratus1 ,life of ,apollonius1 book #a1 chap4 #be4 ,evidently ,babylon was still the land of graven images1 and the desolation foretold by the prophet had not yet befallen its palaces4 ,but that prophetic word1 written eight hundred years before1 was still upon the scroll of the ,book1 the sure ,word of ,god1 who sees the end from the beginning4 ,illustration3 ,,egypt',s ,,glory ,,departed ,the idols of ,egypt shall be moved4 ,isa4 #ai3a4 ,the view given us by ,apollonius is perhaps the last glimpse we have of ,babylon's passing glory4 ,even then for centuries the walls had been a quarry from which stones were drawn for ,babylon's rival1 ,seleucia1 on the ,tigris4 ,and ,strabo1 the ,greek geographer1 who also wrote in the first century1 had described ,babylon as in great part deserted1 adding1 ,no one would hesitate to apply to it what one of the comic writers said of ,megalopolitae1 in ,arcadia1 ',the great city is a great desert4'--,geography1 book #af1 chap4 #a4 ,already pagan writers had begun to describe its condition in the terms of the prophecy uttered so long before4 ,and now what is its state8 ,the doom foretold has fallen heavy upon the city1 upon its palaces1 and upon the graven images of ,babylon4 ,for a century and more1 travelers' accounts have frequently borne witness to the exact fulfilment of the prophecy in the remarkable desolations of that city1 once mistress of the world4 ,babylon shall become heaps1 said the prophecy1 and owls shall dwell there4 ,this is what ,mr4 ,layard1 the ,english archeologist1 found on his visit in #ahde3 ,shapeless heaps of rubbish cover for many an acre the face of the land4444 ,on all sides1 fragments of glass1 marble1 pottery1 and inscribed brick are mingled with that peculiar nitrous and blanched soil1 which1 bred from the remains of ancient habitations1 checks or destroys vegetation1 and renders the site of ,babylon a naked and a hideous waste4 ,owls which are of a large gray kind1 and often found in flocks of nearly a hundred start from the scanty thickets1 and the foul jackal skulks through the furrows4--,discoveries ,among the ,ruins of ,nineveh and ,babylon1 chap4 #ba1 p4 #dac4 ,the prophecy said1 ,neither shall the ,arabian pitch tent there4 ,the words might be construed to mean that the famous site would never become the place of a ,bedouin village4 ,but it is literally true1 say travelers1 that the ,arabs avoid the place even for the temporary pitching of their tents4 ,they consider the spot under a curse4 ,they call the ruins ,mudjelibe1 the ,overturned4 7,see ,encyclopedia of ,islam1 art4 ,babil47 ,as late as #aiac1 ,missionary ,w4,c4 ,ising visited the site where ,professor ,koldeway was excavating the ruins of ,nebuchadnezzar's palace4 ,he wrote3 ,involuntarily one is reminded of the prophecy in the thirteenth of ,isaiah and many other places1 which1 in course of time1 have been fulfilled to the letter4 ,no one is living on the site of ancient ,babylon1 and whatever ,arabs are employed by the excavators have built their mud huts in the bed of the ancient river1 which at the present time is shifted half a mile farther west4--,european ,division ,quarterly1 ,fourth ,quarter1 #aiac4 ,egypt and ,edom ,the massive ruins by the ,nile bear witness to prophecy fulfilled4 ,when ,egypt rivaled ,babylon1 the word was spoken3 ,it shall be the basest of the kingdoms2 neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations4 ,eze4 #bi3ae4 ,it was not utterly to pass1 as ,babylon1 but to continue in inferior state4 ,thus it came to pass4 ,once populous ,edom1 famed for wisdom and counsel1 now lies desolate1 according to the word3 ,edom shall be a desolation3 every one that goeth by it shall be astonished4 ,jer4 #di3ag4 ,the ,testimony of ,history ,illustration3 ,,ruins ,,of ,,edom ,edom shall be a desolate wilderness4 ,joel #c3ai4 ,thus the centuries bear testimony to the fulfilment of the prophetic word4 ,the panorama of all human history moves before us in these writings of the prophets4 ,flinging their colossal shadows across the pages of ,holy ,writ1 as ,farrar says1 we see-- ,the giant forms of empires on their way ,to ruin4 ,it is no human book that thus from primitive times forecasts the march of history through the ages4 ,the ,lord not only spoke the word in warning and entreaty for those to whom it first came1 but it is written in the ,scriptures of truth as a testimony to all time1 that the ,bible is the word of ,god1 and that all ,his purposes revealed therein and all the promises of the blessed ,book are certain and sure4 ,the prophets who bore messages from ,god to ,nineveh1 and ,babylon1 and ,tyre1 spoke messages also for our day4 ,fulfilled prophecy is the testimony of the centuries to the living ,god4 ,the evidence of prophecy and its fulfilment is ,god's challenge and appeal to men to acknowledge ,him as the true ,god and the ,holy ,scriptures as ,his word from heaven4 ,i have declared the former things from the beginning2 and they went forth out of ,my mouth1 and ,i showed them2 ,i did them suddenly1 and they came to pass4 ,because ,i knew that thou art obstinate1 and thy neck is an iron sinew1 and thy brow brass2 ,i have even from the beginning declared it to thee2 before it came to pass ,i showed it thee4444 ,thou hast heard1 see all this2 and will not ye declare it8 ,isa4 #dh3c-f4 ,surely no one can look at the evidence in history of the fulfilment of prophecy without seeing that of a truth the ,one who spoke these words knew the end from the beginning2 and finding the living ,god in the sure word of prophecy1 one must be prepared to listen to ,his voice in all the ,scriptures1 when it speaks of sin and the way of salvation through ,jesus ,christ4 ,further1 the prophetic word also has much to say of events yet future1 of the course of history in modern times4 ,it behooves us to give heed to what that word speaks concerning our own times and the events that are to take place upon the earth before the end4 ,the apostle ,peter exhorts us to the study in these words3 ,we have also a more sure word of prophecy2 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed1 as unto a light that shineth in a dark place1 until the day dawn1 and the day-star arise in your hearts4 #b ,peter #a3ai4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,image ,he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass4 ,dan4 #b3bi4 ,illustration3 ,,daniel ,,interpreting ,,nebuchadnezzar',s ,,dream ,thou1 ,o king1 sawest1 and behold a great ,image4 ,dan4 #b3ca4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,in the book of ,jonah1 says ,records of the ,past1 ,nineveh is stated to have been an exceeding great city of three days' journey2 and that being the case1 the explanation that ,calah on the south and ,khorsabad on the north were included seems very probable4 ,the distance between these two extreme points is about thirty miles1 which1 at ten miles a day1 would take the time required4--,vol4 ,,xii1 part #a1 ,january and ,february1 #aiac4 ,,prophetic ,,outline ,,of ,,the ,,world',s ,,history ,,the ,,prophecy ,,of ,,daniel #b ,there is a ,god in heaven that revealeth secrets1 and maketh known to the king ,nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days4 ,in a dream by night the ,lord gave to ,nebuchadnezzar1 king of ,babylon1 a clear historical outline of the course of world empire to the end of time and the coming of the eternal kingdom4 ,the king was a thoughtful monarch2 and having reached the height of his power1 he was one night meditating upon what should come to pass hereafter4 ,not for his sake alone1 but for the enlightenment and instruction of men in all time1 the ,lord answered the wondering question of the king's meditation by giving him the dream4 ,he that revealeth secrets1 said ,daniel the prophet1 maketh known to thee what shall come to pass4 ,illustration3 ,,babylon ,,in ,,her ,,glory ,babylon1 the glory of kingdoms1 the beauty of the ,chaldees' excellency4 ,isa4 #ac3ai4 ,and that we may know at the beginning that there is nothing fanciful and uncertain about this great historic outline reaching to the end of the world1 we note first the assurance with which the prophet closed his interpretation3 ,the dream is certain1 and the interpretation thereof sure4 ,the details of the dream had been taken from the king's mind1 while conviction as to the wondrous import of it remained4 ,this was in ,god's providence1 to show the folly of the worldly-wise men of ,babylon1 and to bring before the king the prophet of the ,lord with a divine message4 ,the prophet ,daniel1 under the inspiration of ,god1 brought his dream again to the king's mind3 ,thou1 ,o king1 sawest1 and behold a great image4 ,this great image1 whose brightness was excellent1 stood before thee2 and the form thereof was terrible4 ,this image's head was of fine gold1 his breast and his arms of silver1 his belly and his thighs of brass1 his legs of iron1 his feet part of iron and part of clay4 ,thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands1 which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay1 and brake them to pieces4 ,then was the iron1 the clay1 the brass1 the silver1 and the gold1 broken to pieces together1 and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors2 and the wind carried them away1 that no place was found for them3 and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain1 and filled the whole earth4 ,the prophet next declared the interpretation4 ,and now follows the history of the world in miniature4 ,babylon ,thou1 ,o king1 art a king of kings3 for the ,god of heaven hath given thee a kingdom1 power1 and strength1 and glory4 ,and wheresoever the children of men dwell1 the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath ,he given into thine hand1 and hath made thee ruler over them all4 ,thou art this head of gold4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,handwriting ,,on ,,the ,,wall ,thy kingdom is divided1 and given to the ,medes and ,persians4 ,dan4 #e3bh4 ,the parts of the image1 then1 of various metals1 from head to feet1 represented successive empires1 beginning with ,babylon2 and the kingdom of ,babylon1 represented by ,nebuchadnezzar1 was the head of gold4 ,history shows how fitly the golden head symbolizes the ,babylonian kingdom4 ,long before1 the prophet ,isaiah had described it as the glory of kingdoms1 the beauty of the ,chaldees' excellency4 ,isa4 #ac3ai4 ,and now1 in ,nebuchadnezzar's day1 it was the golden age of the ,babylonian kingdom4 ,no such gorgeous city as its capital ever before stood on earth4 ,and ,nebuchadnezzar was the great leader of its conquests1 and the beautifier and builder of its walls and palaces4 ,for the astonishment of men ,i have built this house1 one tablet reads2 and hundreds repeat the story4 ,those portals for the astonishment of multitudes of people with beauty ,i adorned4 ,in order that the battle storm to ,imgur-,bel the wall of ,babylon might not reach2 what no king before me had done4--,east ,india ,house ,inscription4 ,thus ,nebuchadnezzar's records of stone today repeat the proud boast faithfully reported in the ,scripture1 ,is not this great ,babylon1 that ,i have built8 ,dan4 #d3cj4 ,to the king it seemed that such a city could never fall4 ,one inscription reads3 ,thus ,i completely made strong the defenses of ,babylon4 ,may it last forever4--,rawlinson1 ,fourth ,monarchy1 ,appendix ,a4 ,medo-,persia ,but the prophet ,daniel1 proceeding with the divine interpretation1 interrupted all such proud thoughts with the declaration1 ,after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee4 ,now the look was forward into the future4 ,and the word came to pass4 ,babylon's decline was swift after ,nebuchadnezzar's death4 ,daniel the prophet himself lived to interpret the handwriting on the wall at ,belshazzar's feast3 ,god hath numbered thy kingdom1 and finished it4444 ,thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting4444 ,thy kingdom is divided1 and given to the ,medes and ,persians4 ,dan4 #e3bf-bh4 ,the breast and arms of silver1 in the great image1 represented the ,medo-,persian kingdom1 which followed the ,babylonian1 inferior to it in brilliancy and grandeur1 as silver is inferior to gold4 ,medo-,persia1 however1 enlarged the borders of the world empire2 and the names of ,cyrus and ,darius are written among the mightiest conquerors of history4 ,but the prophet does not stop to dwell upon the grandeur of fleeting earthly kingdoms4 ,the interpretation hastens on to reach the setting up of a kingdom that shall not pass away4 ,following ,medo-,persia1 a third power was to rise1 ,grecia ,and another third kingdom of brass1 which shall bear rule over all the earth4 ,the third kingdom after ,babylon was ,grecia1 which overthrew the empire of the ,medes and ,persians4 ,and ,grecia's dominion fulfilled the specifications of the prophecy1 which indicated a yet wider expansion of empire4 ,its sway was to be over all the earth1 said ,daniel the prophet1 foretelling its history4 ,arrian1 the ,greek historian1 writing afterward1 said that ,alexander of ,greece seemed truly lord of all the earth2 and he adds3 ,i am persuaded there was no nation1 city1 nor people then in being whither his name did not reach2 for which reason1 whatever origin he might boast of1 or claim to himself1 there seems to me to have been some divine hand presiding both over his birth and actions4--,history of the ,expedition of ,alexander the ,great1 book #g1 chap4 #cj4 ,the sides of brass in the great image represented ,grecia1 the brazen metal itself being a fitting symbol of those brazen-mailed ,greeks1 celebrated in ancient poetry and song1 ,among the foremost1 armed in glittering brass4 ,a ,power ,rising in the ,west ,while ,grecia's supremacy under ,alexander was disputed by none1 there was a power rising in the ,west that was soon to enter the lists for the prize of world dominion4 ,some of the ancient writers say that at the time of his death ,alexander had in mind to push westward to strike down the growing power of the city of ,rome1 of which he had heard4 ,plutarch says that this man ,alexander1 who shot like a star1 with incredible swiftness1 from the rising to the setting sun1 was meditating to bring the luster of his arms into ,italy4444 ,he had heard of the ,roman power in ,italy4--,morals1 chap4 on ,fortune of the ,romans1 par4 #ac4 ,lucan1 the ancient ,roman poet1 repeats the thought3 ,driven headlong on by ,fate's resistless force1 ,through ,asia's realms he took his dreadful course3 ,his ruthless sword laid human nature waste1 ,and desolation followed where he passed4444 ,ev'n to the utmost west he would have gone1 ,where ,tethys' lap receives the setting sun4 --,pharsalia4 ,but in the prime of his years1 ,alexander was cut down1 and ,rome had yet more time in which to develop its strength preparatory to the deciding contest for the mastery of all the world4 ,sure it is that after ,grecia1 there followed the ,roman ,empire1 the strongest and mightiest and most crushing of them all4 ,this fourth universal empire the prophet proceeded to describe1 as represented by the legs of iron in ,nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image4 ,rome ,the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron3 forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things3 and as iron that breaketh all these1 shall it break in pieces and bruise4 ,how appropriately the iron of the image fits the character of the fourth great empire6 ,gibbon1 the historian1 calls it the iron monarchy of ,rome4 ,it broke in pieces the kingdoms1 subduing all1 just as prophecy had declared so long before4 ,as iron is strongest of the common metals1 so according to the prophecy--as iron that breaketh all these--this fourth kingdom was to be more powerful than any before it4 ,strabo1 the geographer1 who lived in the days of ,tiberius ,caesar1 said1 ,the ,romans have surpassed 7in power7 all former rulers of whom we have any record4--,geography1 book #ag1 chap4 #c4 ,hippolytus1 bishop and martyr1 who lived in ,rome in the third century1--under the iron monarchy1--wrote thus of this prophecy3 ,already the iron rules2 already it subdues and breaks all in pieces2 already it brings all the unwilling into subjection2 already we see these things ourselves4--,treatise on ,christ and ,antichrist1 sec4 #cc4 ,hippolytus also saw clearly from the prophecy that the empire of his day would be divided1 and he wrote of the kingdoms that were yet to rise out of it4 ,for ,daniel's interpretation explained clearly the meaning of the mingling of clay with the iron in the feet and toes of the great image4 ,the ,kingdoms of ,modern ,europe ,whereas thou sawest the feet and toes1 part of potters' clay1 and part of iron1 the kingdom shall be divided2 but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron1 forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay4 ,and as the toes of the feet were part of iron1 and part of clay1 so the kingdom shall be partly strong1 and partly broken4 ,and whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay1 they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men3 but they shall not cleave one to another1 even as iron is not mixed with clay4 ,the kingdom shall be divided4 ,so declared the prophet of ,god4 ,in the height of its power1 ,rome scouted the thought that so mighty a fabric could ever be broken up4 ,horace sang in his ,odes1 ,how1 added to a conquered world1 ,euphrates 'bates his tide1 ,and ,huns1 beyond our frontiers hurled1 ,o'er straitened deserts ride4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,goths beyond the sea may plot1 ,the warlike ,basques may plan2 ,friend1 never heed them6 vex thee not2 ,for this our mortal span ,of little wants4 --,book #b1 ,marris's ,translation4 ,but the words were written on the ancient parchment in the days of ,babylon1 ,the kingdom shall be divided2 and true to the word of the prophet1 the ,roman ,empire fell apart with the mixture of nations and peoples that swept into it4 ,the elements did not hold together1 even as the mixture of iron and clay in the image did not cleave together4 ,broken up by the invasions of fresh nations from the north1 the ,western ,empire was divided into lesser kingdoms1 out of which have grown the modern nations of western ,europe4 ,not one word in the outline of the prophecy thus far has failed of fulfilment4 ,these modern kingdoms growing out of divided ,rome have never been reunited4 ,they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men1 said the prophecy4 ,nearly all the reigning houses of ,europe today are related by intermarriage2 the prophecy said it would be so2 but they shall not cleave one to another1 even as iron is not mixed with clay4 ,so we see it4 ,no statesman1 no master of legions1 has been able to join these nations together again in one great empire4 ,charles ,v had the thought in mind1 some think4 ,napoleon dreamed of doing it4 ,but it was not to be4 ,nevermore was there to be one universal monarchy4 ,we may know that as surely as the course of world empire has followed the exact outline of the prophecy put on the inspired record in the days of ,babylon of old1 just so surely the specifications of the closing portion of the outline will be fulfilled4 ,the fourth great kingdom was to be divided4 ,rome was the fourth empire3 it was divided4 ,the kingdoms of the divided empire are acting their part before our eyes today4 ,the ,next ,great ,event ,and what next8 ,that is the question for us4 ,now the prophetic outline that began with ancient ,babylon touches the things of our own day4 ,the word spoken before ,nebuchadnezzar so long ago is now spoken especially to us3 ,in the days of these kings shall the ,god of heaven set up a kingdom1 which shall never be destroyed3 and the kingdom shall not be left to other people1 but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms1 and it shall stand forever4 ,forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands1 and that it brake in pieces the iron1 the brass1 the clay1 the silver1 and the gold2 the great ,god hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter3 and the dream is certain1 and the interpretation thereof sure4 ,in the days of these kings1--these kingdoms of our own time1--the next great world-changing event is to be the coming of ,christ to begin the setting up of his everlasting kingdom4 ,that is the grand climax toward which all the course of history has been tending4 ,at last the end is to come4 ,down in the feet of iron and of clay1 ,weak and divided1 soon to pass away2 ,what will the next great1 glorious drama be8-- ,christ and ,his coming1 and eternity4 ,as the stone1 cut out of the mountain without hands1 smote the image1 so that all its parts1 representative of earthly dominion1 were ground to dust and blown away1 so ,christ's coming kingdom1 set up without hands1 by no human power1 but by the power of the eternal ,god1 will end all earthly dominion and bring the utter destruction of sin and sinners out of the earth4 ,the dream is certain1 and the interpretation thereof sure4 ,then may all eyes well be turned toward the next great step foretold in the prophetic outline--the coming of ,christ's glorious everlasting kingdom1 which shall not pass away4 ,look for the waymarks as you journey on1 ,look for the waymarks1 passing one by one1 ,down through the ages1 past the kingdoms four1-- ,where are we standing8 ,look the waymarks o'er4 ,illustration3 ,,photograph ,,by ,,missionary ,w4,c4 ,,ising ,ruins of the ,palace of ,nebuchadnezzar1 in which was the hall of ,belshazzar's ,feast4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ascension ,,of ,,christ ,this same ,jesus 444 shall so come in like manner4 ,acts #a3aa4 ,,copyright ,,standard ,,pub4 ,,co4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,triumphal ,,entry ,,into ,,jerusalem ,behold1 thy ,king cometh1444 lowly1 and riding upon an ass4 ,zech4 #i3i4 ,,the ,,second ,,coming ,,of ,,christ ,unto them that look for ,him shall ,he appear the second time without sin unto salvation4 ,heb4 #i3bh4 ,too often the second coming of ,christ is looked upon simply as a doctrine4 ,it is1 however1 more than a doctrine merely to be believed2 it is an impending event1 something that is to take place on earth1 and the most stupendous1 all-transcendent event for the world since ,christ came the first time to die on ,calvary for the sins of men4 ,this second coming of ,christ1 like ,his first coming1 has been the theme of divine prophecy from the beginning4 ,this was emphasized by the apostle ,peter in his second recorded sermon4 ,he pressed upon the people of ,jerusalem the fact that the things which ,god before had showed by the mouth of all ,his prophets1 that ,christ should suffer 7,acts #c3ah71 had been fulfilled to the letter before their eyes4 ,not a word had failed4 ,just so1 he said1 all that the prophets had spoken of ,his second coming would be fulfilled3 ,he shall send ,jesus ,christ1 which before was preached unto you3 whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things1 which ,god hath spoken by the mouth of all ,his holy prophets since the world began4 ,acts #c3bj1 #ba4 ,the ,promise of ,his ,coming ,as iniquity began to abound1 ,god sent a message to the antediluvian world1 declaring that ,christ's coming in glory would end the reign of sin3 ,enoch also1 the seventh from ,adam1 prophesied of these1 saying1 ,behold1 the ,lord cometh with ten thousands of ,his saints1 to execute judgment upon all4 ,jude #ad1 #ae4 ,the promise of ,christ's coming was the blessed hope in the patriarchal age4 ,in ,job's dark hour of trial his heart clung to the promise1 and he was kept from despair3 ,i know that my ,redeemer liveth1 and that ,he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth3 444 whom ,i shall see for myself1 and mine eyes shall behold1 and not another4 ,job #ai3be-bg4 ,the psalmist sang of it3 ,our ,god shall come1 and shall not keep silence3 a fire shall devour before ,him1 and it shall be very tempestuous round about ,him4 ,ps4 #ej3c4 ,and the prophets of later times were unceasingly moved upon to talk of the glory of that coming1 of events preceding it1 and of the preparation for it4 ,i have set watchmen upon thy walls1 ,o ,jerusalem1 which shall never hold their peace day nor night3 ye that make mention of the ,lord1 keep not silence4 ,behold1 the ,lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world1 ,say ye to the daughter of ,zion1 ,behold1 thy salvation cometh2 behold1 ,his reward is with ,him1 and ,his work before ,him4 ,isa4 #fb3f1 #aa4 ,the message of ,his coming is to be heralded to the ends of the earth2 for it is good tidings of great joy to every one who will receive it4 ,on that last night with ,his disciples before the crucifixion1 when ,his heart was sorrowful even unto death1 as the burden of all our iniquities was about to be laid upon ,him1 ,christ's love for ,his own made precious to ,him the thought of ,his second coming to gather them home at last1 safe from all sin and trouble2 and ,he said3 ,let not your heart be troubled3 ye believe in ,god1 believe also in ,me4 ,in ,my ,father's house are many mansions3 if it were not so1 ,i would have told you4 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i will come again1 and receive you unto ,myself2 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also4 ,john #ad3a-c4 ,in that assurance the heart finds rest4 ,o the preciousness of the promise1 ,i will come again6 ,i am coming for you1 is the cheering message4 ,yes1 ,lord1 we reply1 we will wait1 and watch1 and be ready1 by ,thy grace4 ,the ,manner of ,his ,coming ,christ's second coming is to be visible to all the world4 ,there is to be nothing secret or mystical about it4 ,the revelator says3 ,behold1 ,he cometh with clouds2 and every eye shall see ,him4 ,rev4 #a3g4 ,christ ,himself described the scene to ,his disciples as it will appear to the eyes of all3 ,as the lightning cometh out of the east1 and shineth even unto the west2 so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be4 ,matt4 #bd3bg4 ,then shall they see the ,son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory4 ,mark #ac3bf4 ,the day of the ,lord--the close of probation1 the initial outpouring of the judgments of ,god--will come as a thief in the night1 but ,christ's personal appearing will be visible to all4 ,the heavens will open1 the earth quake1 the trump of ,god resound1 and such glory as mortal eye has never seen will burst upon the world when ,he comes as ,king of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,he comes not an infant in ,bethlehem born1 ,he comes not to lie in a manger2 ,he comes not again to be treated with scorn1 ,he comes not a shelterless stranger2 ,he comes not to ,gethsemane1 ,to weep and sweat blood in the garden2 ,he comes not to die on the tree1 ,to purchase for rebels a pardon4 ,oh1 no2 glory1 bright glory1 ,environs ,him now4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,transfiguration ,a ,,type ,,of ,,his ,,coming ,behold1 there appeared unto them ,moses and ,elias talking with ,him4 ,matt4 #ag3c4 ,this ,same ,jesus ,the ,lord would have ,his children understand that this ,one who comes in power and glory is the same ,saviour of men who once walked by blue ,galilee4 ,as the disciples were watching their ,saviour1 and ours1 ascending bodily into heaven from ,olivet1 until a cloud received ,him out of their sight1 suddenly two angels stood by them1 who said3 ,ye men of ,galilee1 why stand ye gazing up into heaven8 this same ,jesus1 which is taken up from you into heaven1 shall so come in like manner as ye have seen ,him go into heaven4 ,acts #a3i1 #aa4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,set ,,at ,,naught ,,by ,,the ,,romans ,behold your ,king6 ,john #ai3ad4 ,this same ,jesus6 ,it was the loving ,friend and ,elder ,brother1 ,son of man as well as ,son of ,god1 who was passing from their sight4 ,he will come back the same ,jesus1 though in glory indescribable1 having all the holy angels with ,him4 ,the prophet ,habakkuk thus described ,christ's glorious appearing1 as it was represented to him in vision3 ,his glory covered the heavens1 ,and the earth was full of ,his praise4 ,and ,his brightness was as the light2 ,he had rays coming forth from ,his hand2 ,and there was the hiding of ,his power4 ,hab4 #c3c1 #d1 ,a4,r4,v4 ,surely it is the same ,jesus1 and the mark of the cruel nails is the shining badge of ,his power to save4 ,i shall know ,him ,by the print of the nails in ,his hands4 ,as the redeemed see ,him who was crucified for them coming in glory1 they will cry1 ,lo1 this is our ,god2 we have waited for ,him1 and ,he will save us3 this is the ,lord2 we have waited for ,him1 we will be glad and rejoice in ,his salvation4 ,isa4 #be3i4 ,but that day will be a day of darkness as well as of light4 ,the unready1 the unrepentant1 will realize too late that in rejecting ,christ's pardon and love and sacrifice1 they have rejected the only means by which they might have been prepared to meet the coming ,king1 before whose face no sin can endure4 ,every eye shall see ,him1 the apostle says1 and he describes the terror of that day to the unprepared3 ,the kings of the earth1 and the great men1 and the rich men1 and the chief captains1 and the mighty men1 and every bondman1 and every free man1 hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains2 and said to the mountains and rocks1 ,fall on us1 and hide us from the face of ,him that sitteth on the throne1 and from the wrath of the ,lamb3 for the great day of ,his wrath is come2 and who shall be able to stand8 ,rev4 #f3ae-ag4 ,the scenes of that great day are so beyond human comprehension that it is difficult to realize that such a time is actually before us4 ,then1 ,o my ,lord1 prepare ,my soul for that great day4 ,the ,purpose of ,his ,coming ,the ,scriptures make very clear the purpose of ,christ's second coming and the events of that great day4 ,it has been the hope of the children of ,god through all the ages4 ,the apostle ,paul calls it the blessed hope4 ,the grace of ,god that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men1 teaching us that1 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly1 in this present world2 looking for that blessed hope1 and the glorious appearing of the great ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,titus #b3aa-ac4 ,the saints of ,god have fallen asleep in death with their faith reaching forward to ,christ's glorious appearing4 ,so the veteran apostle fell1 with eyes upon that day4 ,i am now ready to be offered1 and the time of my departure is at hand4 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith3 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 shall give me at that day3 and not to me only1 but unto all them also that love ,his appearing4 #b ,tim4 #d3f-h4 ,christ's second coming is the grand climax of the plan of salvation4 ,not till then are the children of ,god ushered into the eternal kingdom4 ,then the crowns of life are bestowed1 and the saved all go together through the gates into the city--patriarch and prophet1 apostle and reformer1 and the child of ,god of this last generation4 ,of the ancient worthies it is written3 ,these all1 having obtained a good report through faith1 received not the promise3 ,god having provided some better thing for us1 that they without us should not be made perfect4 ,heb4 #aa3ci1 #dj4 ,what a glorious day it will be when the ransomed of all the ages1 march in together through the gates into the city6 ,it is to take ,his children to their eternal home that ,christ comes the second time4 ,this was ,his promise to the disciples3 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i will come again1 and receive you unto ,myself2 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also4 ,john #ad3b1 #c4 ,not in detail1 but in their general order1 let us follow the events of that great day4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,coming ,,in ,,glory ,the ,son of man shall come in ,his glory1 and all the holy angels with ,him4 ,matt4 #be3ca4 ,the ,prelude to ,his ,coming as the revelator saw it and heard it in a vision of the last day3 ,there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven1 from the throne1 saying1 ,it is done4 ,and there were voices1 and thunders1 and lightnings2 and there was a great earthquake1 such as was not since men were upon the earth1444 and the cities of the nations fell3 and great ,babylon came in remembrance before ,god4 ,rev4 #af3ag-ai4 ,the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together2 and every mountain and island were moved out of their places4 ,rev4 #f3ad4 ,his ,glorious ,appearing ,then bursts upon the world the glory of our ,saviour's coming3 ,then shall appear the sign of the ,son of man in heaven3 and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn1 and they shall see the ,son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory4 ,and ,he shall send ,his angels with a great sound of a trumpet4 ,matt4 #bd3cj1 #ca4 ,i looked1 and behold a white cloud1 and upon the cloud one sat like unto the ,son of man1 having on ,his head a golden crown1 and in ,his hand a sharp sickle4 ,and another angel came out of the temple1 crying with a loud voice to ,him that sat on the cloud1 ,thrust in ,thy sickle1 and reap3 for the time is come for ,thee to reap2 for the harvest of the earth is ripe4 ,rev4 #ad3ad1 #ae4 ,the ,resurrection of the ,just1 and the ,translation of the ,living ,righteous ,the time to reap has come1 and the wheat is gathered at last into the garner of the ,lord3 ,we shall not all sleep1 but we shall all be changed1 in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 at the last trump3 for the trumpet shall sound1 and the dead shall be raised incorruptible1 and we shall be changed4 #a ,cor4 #ae3ea1 #eb4 ,he shall send ,his angels with a great sound of a trumpet1 and they shall gather together ,his elect from the four winds1 from one end of heaven to the other4 ,matt4 #bd3ca4 ,this we say unto you by the word of the ,lord1 that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the ,lord shall not prevent them which are asleep4 ,for the ,lord ,himself shall descend from heaven with a shout1 with the voice of the ,archangel1 and with the trump of ,god3 and the dead in ,christ shall rise first3 then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air3 and so shall we ever be with the ,lord4 ,wherefore comfort one another with these words4 #a ,thess4 #d3ae-ah4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,empty ,,tomb ,christ the first fruits2 afterward they that are ,christ's at ,his coming4 #a ,cor4 #ae3bc4 ,the righteous dead are raised to life as the trump of ,god sounds and the voice of the ,archangel calls to ,his sleeping saints1 and the living righteous are transformed from mortality to immortality4 ,then all together1 with the escort of the angels1 they follow the ,saviour to the heavenly mansions that ,he has prepared in the city of ,god4 ,the ,destruction of the ,wicked ,before the glorious majesty of the coming ,king no sin can endure2 for true it is that our ,god is a consuming fire--now1 in the day of ,his mercy1 consuming sin out of the heart that by faith approaches the throne of grace1 but in that day consuming the unrepentant sinner with his sin4 ,where will the sinner hide in that day1 in that day8 ,where will the sinner hide in that day8 ,it will be in vain to call1 ',ye mountains on us fall6' ,for ,his hand will find out all in that day4 ,it is the great day long foretold by seer and prophet4 ,again let us read the description of what it will mean to the unsaved to see ,christ coming in glory2 for the terror of that day must warn us now to keep within the refuge of the ,saviour's loving grace3 ,the kings of the earth1 and the great men1 and the rich men1 and the chief captains1 and the mighty men1 and every bondman1 and every free man1 hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains2 and said to the mountains and rocks1 ,fall on us1 and hide us from the face of ,him that sitteth on the throne1 and from the wrath of the ,lamb3 for the great day of ,his wrath is come2 and who shall be able to stand8 ,rev4 #f3ae-ag4 ,the same glory that transforms the righteous is a consuming fire to those who have rejected ,christ's salvation3 ,then shall that ,wicked be revealed1 whom the ,lord shall consume with the spirit of ,his mouth1 and shall destroy with the brightness of ,his coming4 #b ,thess4 #b3h4 ,when the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven with ,his mighty angels1 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not ,god1 and that obey not the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the ,lord1 and from the glory of ,his power4 #b ,thess4 #a3g-i4 ,the ,climax of ,human ,history ,thus the second coming of ,christ brings the resurrection and translation of the righteous1 the death of the wicked1 and the end of the world4 ,the resurrection of the wicked does not then take place1 but only that of the just2 save for some of the wicked dead who had a special part in warring against ,christ1--they also which pierced ,him 7,rev4 #a3g74 ,these are raised to see ,his coming1 necessarily to fall again before the consuming glory of ,his presence4 ,the righteous are taken to reign with ,christ in the heavenly city for a thousand years1 and during the same period the earth lies in desolation and chaos1 uninhabited by man1 a dark abyss1 the dreary prison house of ,satan4 ,of the two resurrections1 first of the just and then of the unjust1 we are told3 ,they the righteous lived and reigned with ,christ a thousand years4 ,but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished4 ,this is the first resurrection4 ,blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection3 on such the second death hath no power4 ,rev4 #bj3d-f4 ,it is at the end of the thousand years that the resurrection of the wicked takes place4 ,then the city of ,god descends1 the holy city1 ,new ,jerusalem1 coming down from ,god out of heaven1 and the wicked come forth to condemnation and the second death1 from which there is no waking4 ,now is the ,accepted ,time ,now is the day of salvation1 when by ,christ's grace we may prepare for that great day4 ,to be found among ,his redeemed ones in that day will be of infinitely greater worth than anything this world can give1 of pleasure1 or possessions1 or honor4 ,nothing will count then but the blessed hope4 ,selina1 ,countess of ,huntingdon1 found the personal ,saviour in the days of the ,methodist revival in ,england4 ,all her wealth and all her social influence were devoted to ,christ1 even though titled friends took umbrage at her close association with the poor and the humble who gave heed to the message of the hour1 and pressed into the kingdom4 ,she wrote of her joy in being numbered with the children of ,god3 ,i love to meet among them now1 ,before ,thy gracious throne to bow1 ,though weakest of them all2 ,nor can ,i bear the piercing thought1 ,to have my worthless name left out1 ,when ,thou for them shalt call4 ,prevent1 prevent it by ,thy grace4 ,be ,thou1 dear ,lord1 my hiding place ,in that expected day4 ,thy pardoning voice1 ,o let me hear1 ,to still each unbelieving fear1 ,nor let me fall1 ,i pray4 ,one night1 at a royal ball1 the ,prince of ,wales asked a titled lady where the ,countess of ,huntingdon was4 ,oh1 ,i suppose she is praying with some of her beggars somewhere6 was the flippant answer4 ,ah1 said the crown prince1 in the last day ,i think ,i should be glad to hold the hem of ,lady ,huntingdon's mantle4 ,true it is that the greatest gift of grace now1 as it will be then1 is to be numbered among the obedient children of ,god4 ,let me among ,thy saints be found1 ,whene'er the ,archangel's trump shall sound1 ,to see ,thy smiling face2 ,then joyfully ,thy praise ,i'll sing1 ,while heaven's resounding mansions ring ,with shouts of endless grace4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,answering ,,his ,,disciples' ,,questions ,when shall these things be8 and what shall be the sign of ,thy coming1 and of the end of the world8 ,matt4 #bd3c4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,destruction ,,of ,,the ,,temple ,,foretold ,there shall not be left here one stone upon another1 that shall not be thrown down4 ,matt4 #bd3b4 ,,signs ,,of ,,the ,,approaching ,,end ,,our ,,saviour',s ,,great ,,prophecy ,part ,i ,christ had spoken of the coming desolation of the sacred temple at ,jerusalem4 ,the disciples were astonished4 ,master1 see1 said one1 what manner of stones and what buildings are here6 ,the ,saviour replied3 ,seest thou these great buildings8 there shall not be left one stone upon another1 that shall not be thrown down ,mark #ac3b4 ,what ,shall be the ,sign8 ,as soon as they were alone on the ,mount of ,olives overlooking the city1 the disciples came to ,jesus1 saying3 ,tell us1 when shall these things be8 and what shall be the sign of ,thy coming1 and of the end of the world8 ,matt4 #bd3c4 ,replying to this question1 the ,saviour spoke first of the fall of ,jerusalem2 ,he foretold in a sentence the experiences of ,his church through dark ages to follow2 then ,he described the events of the latter days1 the signs showing ,his second advent near at hand2 and1 finally1 ,he pictured the scenes of ,his own glorious appearing in the clouds of heaven4 ,the fullest record of the discourse is found in the twenty-fourth chapter of ,matthew4 ,a ,striking ,parallel ,the first portion of the prophetic discourse 7verses #d-ad7 deals with general conditions that were to prevail both in the last days of the ,jewish state1 and on a yet larger scale in the course of history leading to the last days of the world4 ,there was so close a parallel between these times that ,christ1 in one description1 answered both questions asked1 ,when shall these things come upon ,jerusalem8 and1 ,what shall be the signs of the end of the world8 ,the prophetic word foretold the rise of false ,christs1 the coming of wars1 famines1 and earthquakes in divers places4 ,the believers saw these things fulfilled in that generation before ,jerusalem fell2 but as we read the prophecy1 we see the wider application and yet larger fulfilment through the course of history since that day1 these calamities increasing in the earth as the end draws near4 ,before the end of the ,jewish state1 the believers carried the gospel to all the known world of their day4 7,see ,col4 #a3bc47 ,in these latter days we are seeing the yet wider proclamation of the gospel1 as foretold in the fourteenth verse1 ,this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations2 and then shall the end come4 ,the ,last ,days of ,jerusalem ,we may note briefly some of the events of ,jerusalem's last days4 ,christ had forewarned the believers3 ,take heed that no man deceive you4 ,for many shall come in ,my name1 saying1 ,i am ,christ2 and shall deceive many4 ,having rejected the true ,christ1 the nation was open to deception by the false4 ,we catch just a glimpse of the fulfilment in the book of ,acts2 in secular history the full story is told4 ,ridpath says3 ,never was a people so turbulent1 so excited with expectation of a deliverer who should restore the ancient kingdom1 so fired with bigotry and fanaticism1 as were the wretched ,jews of this period4 ,one ,christ came after another4 ,revolt was succeeded by revolt1 instigated by some pseudo-prophet or pretended king4--,history of the ,world1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #hdi 7,part ,,iii1 chap4 #ai74 ,during the ,saviour's life and ministry a divine hand had to a great extent held the elements of violence in check1 but as the light was rejected more and more1 the spirit of evil came to hold sway unrestrained4 ,dr4 ,mears well describes the changed conditions in these words3 ,the narrative of the evangelists presents a tranquil scene1 a succession of attractive pictures1 in striking contrast to the bloody and tumultuous events which crowd each other in the pages of ,josephus4--,from ,exile to ,overthrow1 pp4 #bef1 #beg4 ,thus the events led rapidly on toward the day of ,jerusalem's fall1 so long foretold by the prophets4 ,the ,sign to the ,believers ,the disciples had asked for a sign1 and ,christ gave them a token by which they might know when the time to flee from ,jerusalem had come4 ,here ,luke's ,gospel gives the fullest record3 ,when ye shall see ,jerusalem compassed with armies1 then know that the desolation thereof is nigh4 ,then let them which are in ,judea flee to the mountains2 and let them which are in the midst of it depart out2 and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto4 ,for these be the days of vengeance1 that all things which are written may be fulfilled4 ,luke #ba3bj-bb4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,siege ,,of ,,jerusalem ,,by ,,the ,,romans ,,under ,,titus1 ,a4,d4 #gj ,when ye shall see ,jerusalem compassed with armies1 then know that the desolation thereof is nigh4 ,luke #ba3bj4 ,the unbelieving in ,jerusalem and ,judea could not conceive that their city1 so long protected and favored of ,god1 could be destroyed4 ,not even the appearance of the ,roman armies could shake their blind self-confidence4 ,but at the first sight of the encircling armies1 the ,christians knew that the time for flight was at hand4 ,but how to flee was the question1 with the compassing lines drawn close about the city4 ,moreover1 the ,zealots1 the furious war party in power1 would be little likely to allow any number to pass out to the ,roman forces4 ,just here ,god's providence made a way of escape4 ,cestius1 the ,roman commander1 after having partially undermined one of the temple walls1 suddenly decided to defer pushing the attack4 ,he retired from the city1 says ,josephus1 without any reason in the world4 7,see ,wars1 book #b1 chap4 #ai47 ,and the ,zealots flew out after the retiring ,romans1 furiously attacking the rear guards4 ,then those watching ,christians knew that the time for quick flight had come1 according to ,christ's prophecy uttered many years before4 ,they fled out of the city and out of the country round about4 ,through all the years1 ,christ's prophecy had exhorted them1 ,pray ye that your flight be not in the winter1 neither on the ,sabbath day4 ,matt4 #bd3bj4 ,the prayer was answered1 for it was in the autumn and on a week day that the flight was made4,b ,watching for the sign1 and instantly obeying1 they were delivered4 ,thus it was that when the ,romans returned later to the siege1 never to give up till the city fell1 none of the ,christians were overwhelmed in its destruction4 ,even so are we to watch the signs of our own times1 that we may escape those things that are coming upon the earth1 and be ready to stand before the ,son of man4 ,the ,prophetic ,word ,fulfilled ,christ had declared that the temple1 the pride of the nation1 would be utterly destroyed4 ,in the last siege1 the ,roman commander tried to spare the magnificent pile4 ,when the ,jews made it their chief fortress1 because of its massive strength1 ,titus remonstrated with them1 saying3 ,if you will but change the place whereon you fight1 no ,roman shall either come near your sanctuary1 or offer any affront to it2 nay1 ,i will endeavor to preserve you your holy house1 whether you will or not4--,josephus1 ,wars of the ,jews1 book #f1 chap4 #b4 ,but the prophecy was fulfilled to the letter4 ,the people seemed possessed with fury4 ,the hardened ,roman pagans were astonished at their suicidal rashness4 ,titus's efforts to save the temple failed1 and it went down in ruin1 as ,christ had foretold4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,panel ,,from ,,the ,,arch ,,of ,,titus ,showing the golden candlestick and other sacred vessels of the temple being carried in triumph through the streets of ,rome4 ,the disciples of ,christ had called ,his attention to the immense blocks of stone that composed the temple walls4 ,see1 what manner of stones1 one said4 ,when ,titus examined these same stones1 after the fall of the city1 he is said to have declared3 ,we have certainly had ,god for our assistant in this war1 and it was no other than ,god who ejected the ,jews out of these fortifications4,c--,id41 book #f1 chap4 #i4 ,rather1 we would say1 in the light of ,scripture teaching1 the destruction that came upon the city was but the fruit of its own way4 ,god's guardian care had long protected the city of ,david4 ,when ,his protection was finally thrust aside and the people put themselves in the power of the great destroyer1 divine justice could no longer save the city from the judgments that were bound to fall upon persistent transgression against light4 ,the lesson is one of those written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come4 ,jerusalem1 in that generation of great light and high privilege1 fell because it knew not the time of its visitation4 ,still ,christ's sad lament bears its warning to the ears of men3 ,if thou hadst known1 even thou1 at least in this thy day1 the things which belong unto thy peace6 ,luke #ai3db4 ,part ,,ii ,having foretold the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and given to the believers signs by which they might find deliverance in the day of its overthrow1 ,christ yet more fully answered the second part of the disciples' question1 ,what shall be the sign of ,thy coming1 and of the end of the world8 ,matt4 #bd3c4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,catacombs ,,near ,,rome ,in these underground passages persecuted ,christians found a hiding place1 held their services1 and buried their dead4 ,the ,period of ,tribulation ,quickly ,he passed to the events of the latter days4 ,but first ,he sketched1 in a few words1 the tribulations through which ,his church was to pass during the intervening centuries4 ,daniel the prophet had written of this experience1 foretelling the long period during which the papal power was to wear out the saints of the ,most ,high4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,of these times1 ,christ said in ,his prophetic discourse3 ,then shall be great tribulation1 such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time1 no1 nor ever shall be4 ,and except those days should be shortened1 there should no flesh be saved3 but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened4 ,matt4 #bd3ba1 #bb4 ,it is evident that ,christ referred to the time of tribulation foretold by ,daniel1 not to the trials attending the flight of the ,christians from ,jerusalem1 for their flight was a deliverance of the elect from trial4 ,however much the weak may have suffered temporarily in fleeing from their homes1 the great suffering of that time came upon the unbelieving1 who had no shelter4 ,this prophecy given by our ,saviour presents the picture of a long-continued persecution of ,his own elect1 and foretells the shortening of the allotted time4 ,god was to intervene in some special way to save ,his people4 ,and it was even so4 ,the elect did suffer all through the centuries of intolerance1 until the rise of the ,reformation and the spreading abroad of ,god's ,word broke the power of ecclesiasticism1 thus shortening the days of bitter tribulation4 ,the ,end ,drawing ,near ,according to ,daniel's further prophecy1 the period of trial and persecution was to reach even to the time of the end4 ,dan4 #aa3ce4 ,naturally1 then1 we should look for the signs of the latter days to begin to appear following these days of tribulation4 ,and so we find the next words of ,christ's discourse introducing the topic of ,his second coming4 ,from now on the prophetic outline deals with events leading down to the end of the age4 ,first the ,saviour utters a warning against false ideas concerning ,his second coming4 ,that no theories of a secret coming or of a mystic coming might deceive the unwary1 ,he says in plain words3 ,if any man shall say unto you1 ,lo1 here is ,christ1 or there2 believe it not4 ,for there shall arise false ,christs1 and false prophets1 and shall show great signs and wonders2 insomuch that1 if it were possible1 they shall deceive the very elect4 ,behold1 ,i have told you before4 ,wherefore if they shall say unto you1 ,behold1 ,he is in the desert2 go not forth3 behold1 ,he is in the secret chambers2 believe it not4 ,for as the lightning cometh out of the east1 and shineth even unto the west2 so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be4 ,matt4 #bd3bc-bg4 ,today we see the need of this warning4 ,some of the most subtle deceptions are found in the teaching that ,christ has already come1 secretly1 or that ,he comes in the chamber of death1 or in the spiritualistic seance4 ,against all these errors we are forewarned1 as well as against any agencies that may come showing marvelous signs and wonders4 ,the close of human probation1 the coming of the day of ,god1 will be as a thief in the night2 and ,christ's coming itself will overtake the unwatchful all unprepared4 ,nevertheless1 when ,he comes1 every eye shall see ,him1 and all the glory of heaven will burst upon a quaking world4 ,signs in the ,heavens and the ,earth ,now the ,saviour's outline of prophecy presents the signs which were to show when the coming of the ,lord was near4 ,referring again to the days of tribulation foretold by the prophet ,daniel1 ,christ says3 ,immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened1 and the moon shall not give her light1 and the stars shall fall from heaven1 and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken3 and then shall appear the sign of the ,son of man in heaven4 ,matt4 #bd3bi1 #cj4 ,in ,luke's record of the same prophetic discourse1 additional signs are given1 describing conditions in the earth as ,christ's coming draws near4 ,his account reads3 ,there shall be signs in the sun1 and in the moon1 and in the stars2 and upon the earth distress of nations1 with perplexity2 the sea and the waves roaring2 men's hearts failing them for fear1 and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth3 for the powers of heaven shall be shaken4 ,and then shall they see the ,son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory4 ,and when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4 ,luke #ba3be-bh4 ,yet again1 the prophet ,john1 in the ,revelation1 foretells these signs in the sun and moon and stars1 as they were presented to him in a vision of the last days4 ,but his record shows that this series of signs was to be preceded by a great earthquake4 ,he describes the order of events as follows3 ,i beheld when ,he had opened the sixth seal1 and1 lo1 there was a great earthquake2 and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair1 and the moon became as blood2 and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth1 even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs1 when she is shaken of a mighty wind4 ,rev4 #f3ab1 #ac4 ,in these scriptures four great signs of ,christ's approaching advent are listed for our study1 as follows3 #a4 ,the great earthquake4 #b4 ,the darkening of the sun and moon4 #c4 ,the falling of the stars4 #d4 ,distress of nations1 and other signs4 ,the ,time ,when the ,signs ,begin ,christ's prophecy points out approximately the time when the first of the signs that ,he gave1 the darkening of the sun1 should appear1--immediately after the tribulation of those days4 ,and the great earthquake of ,john's vision was to precede this sign in the heavens4 ,the ,reformation of the sixteenth century began to cut short the days of tribulation2 but some countries shut out the liberalizing influences of the ,word of ,god1 and there the persecution continued4 ,even as late as near the end of the seventeenth century1 in #afhe1 ,france revoked the ,edict of ,nantes1 that had granted toleration1 and persecution raged as of old4 ,the church was driven again to the desert4 ,speaking of the early decades of the eighteenth century1 ,kurtz says3 ,in ,france the persecution of the ,huguenots continued4444 ,the 'pastors of the desert' performed their duties at the risk of their lives4--,church ,history1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #hh4 ,there was severe persecution of the ,moravians in ,austria1 in these times1 many of the persecuted finding refuge in ,saxony4 ,it was in #agbb that ,christian ,david led the first band of ,moravian refugees to settle on the estates of ,count ,zinzendorf1 who organized through them the great pioneer movement of modern missions4 ,but by the middle of the century1 the era of enlightenment and the force of world opinion1 in the good providence of ,god1 had so permeated the ,catholic states of ,europe that general violent persecution had ceased4 ,one incident will suffice as evidence of this4 ,the scene was in ,france1 where alone1 of all the ,catholic states1 there were any great numbers of ,protestants4 ,in #agfb a ,huguenot of ,toulouse1 unjustly charged with crime1 was put to torture and to death1 under the pressure of the old persecuting spirit4 ,many ,huguenots thought the persecutions of former times were reviving1 and prepared to flee to ,switzerland4 ,but ,voltaire took up the matter1 and so wrought upon public opinion that the ,paris parliament reviewed the case1 and the king paid the man's family a large indemnity4 ,this shows that by the middle of that century the days of any general persecution had ceased4 ,in the nature of the case1 we may not point to the exact year and say1 ,here the days of tribulation ended4 ,from these times1 then1 we are to scan the record of history to learn if the appointed signs began to appear4 ,as we look1 we find the events recorded1 following on in the order predicted3 #a4 ,the ,lisbon earthquake1 cf #agee4 #b4 ,the dark day1 cf #aghj4 #c4 ,the falling stars1 cf #ahcc4 #d4 ,general conditions and movements betokening the end4 ,there shall be signs1 the ,saviour said4 ,we are to study the record of events1 watching to catch the signs of the approaching end as earnestly as the mariner watches the beacon lights when he nears the longed-for haven on a dark and stormy night4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,ancient ,,flour ,,mill ,two women shall be grinding at the mill2 the one shall be taken1 and the other left4 ,matt4 #bd3da4 ,,footnotes3 ,b ,it was in the autumn that the army of ,cestius closed in upon ,jerusalem4 ,according to the careful record of ,graetz1 the ,jewish historian1 it was evidently on a ,wednesday that the ,roman army retired1 pursued by all the forces of the city4 ,this was the instant for the flight of the ,christians4 ,next day the ,zealots1 shouting exultant war songs1 returned to ,jerusalem 7#hth ,october74--,history of the ,jews1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #bfh4 ,the day before was the time for unhindered flight4 ,c ,apollonius1 the friend and counselor of ,titus1 left a similar testimony to the latter's conviction that there was something supernatural about the forces of destruction let loose upon ,jerusalem3 ,after ,titus had taken ,jerusalem1 and when the country all round was filled with corpses1 the neighboring races offered him a crown3 but he disclaimed any such honor to himself1 saying that it was not he himself that had accomplished this exploit1 but that he had merely lent his arms to ,god1 who had so manifested ,his wrath4--,philostratus1 ,life of ,apollonius1 book #f1 chap4 #bi4 ,illustration3 ,,lisbon ,,from ,,across ,,the ,,bay ,the scene of the great earthquake and tidal wave1 ,nov4 #a1 #agee1 when in six minutes sixty thousand people perished4 ,,the ,,lisbon ,,earthquake ,,of #agee ,lo1 ,there ,was a ,great ,earthquake ,the first of a series of signs of the approaching end is thus described by the revelator3 ,i beheld when ,he had opened the sixth seal1 and1 lo1 there was a great earthquake4 ,rev4 #f3ab4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,lisbon ,,earthquake ,there shall be famines1 and pestilences1 and earthquakes1 in divers places4 ,matt4 #bd3g4 ,the verses immediately preceding this scripture plainly describe the days of persecution of the saints of ,god1 and the era of protest and reform that cut short that time of tribulation4 ,then this first sign appears4 ,this is in harmony with ,christ's statement that the signs of ,his second coming should begin to appear following the tribulation of those days4 ,just about the close of the days of tribulation occurred the ,lisbon earthquake1 as it is called1 though its effects reached far beyond ,portugal4 ,prof4 ,w4,h4 ,hobbs1 geologist1 says of it3 ,among the earth movements which in historic times have affected the kingdom of ,portugal1 that of ,nov4 #a1 #agee1 takes first rank1 as it does1 also1 in some respects1 among all recorded earthquakes4444 ,in six minutes sixty thousand people perished4--,earthquakes1 pp4 #adb1 #adc4 ,lo1 there was a great earthquake1 the revelator said4 ,it was indeed a great earthquake1 and great was its influence4 ,in all the world1 men's hearts were mightily stirred4 ,james ,parton1 an ,english author1 says of it3 ,the ,lisbon earthquake of ,nov4 #a1 #agee1 appears to have put both the theologians and philosophers on the defensive4444 ,at twenty minutes to ten that morning1 ,lisbon was firm and magnificent1 on one of the most picturesque and commanding sites in the world1--a city of superb approach1 placed precisely where every circumstance had concurred to say to the founders1 ,build here6 ,in six minutes the city was in ruins4444 ,half the world felt the convulsion4444 ,for many weeks1 as we see in the letters and memoirs of that time1 people in distant parts of ,europe went to bed in alarm1 relieved in the morning to find that they had escaped the fate of ,lisbon one night more4--,life of ,voltaire1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #bjh1 #bji4 ,the ,world ,set to ,thinking ,this earthquake set men to thinking of the great day of ,god4 ,voltaire1 the ,french philosopher1 was profoundly moved by it1 we are told4 ,it was the last judgment for that region1 he wrote2 nothing was wanting to it except the trumpet4 ,more than a month afterward1 while still the perturbations of the earth were continuing1 this skeptic wrote a poem upon the problem presented1 voicing the sentiment3 ,my heart oppress'd demands ,aid of the ,god who formed me with his hands4 ,sons of the ,god supreme to suffer all ,fated alike1 we on our ,father call4444 ,sad is the present if no future state1 ,no blissful retribution mortals wait1 ,if fate's decrees the thinking being doom ,to lose existence in the silent tomb4 ,all may be well2 that hope can man sustain4 ,all now is well2 'tis an illusion vain4 ,the sages held me forth delusive light1 ,divine instructions only can be right4 ,humbly ,i sigh1 submissive suffer pain1 ,nor more the ways of ,providence arraign4 --,poem on the ,destruction of ,lisbon1 ,smollet's translation2 ,works1 ,vol4 ,,xxxiii1 ed4 #agfa4 ,just at the time1 plans were under way for the opening of a theater at ,lausanne for the special performance of some of ,voltaire's rationalistic dramas4 ,but the enterprise was deferred4 ,one writer says3 ,the earthquake had made all men thoughtful4 ,they mistrusted their love of the drama1 and filled the churches instead4--,tallentyre1 ,life of ,voltaire1 p4 #cai4 ,so1 in an age of rationalism and unbelief1 men's thoughts were turned toward ,god1 and human helplessness and earth's instability were recognized4 ,extent of the ,lisbon ,earthquake ,as to the extent of the earthquake1 a writer of the period shows that it was felt in ,sweden and in ,africa and in the ,west ,indies1 adding3 ,the effects were distributed over very nearly four millions of square ,english miles of the earth's surface1 and greatly surpassed anything of the kind ever recorded in history4--,history and ,philosophy of ,earthquakes 7,london1 #ageg71 p4 #ccc4 ,the commander of an ,english ship1 lying off ,lisbon at the time1 thus described the scene in a letter to the ship's owners3 ,almost all the palaces and large churches were rent down1 or part fallen1 and scarce one house of this vast city is left habitable4 ,everybody that was not crushed to death ran out into the large places1 and those near the river ran down to save themselves by boats1 or any other floating convenience1 running1 crying1 and calling to the ships for assistance2 but whilst the multitude were gathered near the riverside1 the water rose to such a height that it overflowed the lower part of the city1 which so terrified the miserable and already dismayed inhabitants1 who ran to and fro with dreadful cries1 which we heard plainly on board1 that it made them believe the dissolution of the world was at hand2 every one falling on his knees and entreating the ,almighty for ,his assistance4444 ,by two o'clock the ships' boats began to ply1 and took multitudes on board4444 ,the fear1 the sorrow1 the cries and lamentations of the poor inhabitants are unexpressible2 every one begging pardon1 and embracing each other1 crying1 ,forgive me1 friend1 brother1 sister6 ,oh6 what will become of us6 neither water nor land will protect us1 and the third element1 fire1 seems now to threaten our total destruction6 as in effect it happened4 ,the conflagration lasted a whole week4--,thomas ,hunter1 ,historical ,account of ,earthquakes 7,liverpool1 #agef71 pp4 #gb-gd4 ,recognized as a ,sign ,looking down through the ages1 the prophet of the ,revelation saw the coming of the latter days1 when signs of the approaching end were to begin to appear4 ,just there he beheld a great earthquake4 ,the terrible event was noted by inspiration as a sign of the coming of the final judgment4 ,earthquakes there had been before1 and increasing earthquakes were to follow after1--earthquakes in divers places1--as ,christ foretold1 speaking of the signs of ,his second coming4 ,but as befitted this first of the series of signs of the approaching end1 a conviction from ,god seemed to come into the hearts of men in that generation1 that this was indeed a token to remind the world of a coming day of doom4 ,in the year of the disaster1 an ,english poet1 ,john ,biddolf1 published a book of verse1 pointing some of the lessons of the hour1 from which we quote a few descriptive stanzas3 ,calm was the sky2 the sun serenely bright ,shot o'er the sea long dazzling streams of light4 ,through orange groves soft breathing breezes play'd ,and gathered sweets like bees where'er they stray'd4 ,in fair relievo stood the lofty town1 ,set off by radiant lights and shadows brown4 ,ill-fated city6 there were revels kept2 ,devoid of fear1 they ate1 they drank1 they slept4 ,no friendly voice like that of ancient ,rome ,was sent to give them warning of their doom3 ,no airy warriors to each other clung1 ,such as 'tis said o'er destin'd ,sion hung1 ,but like a nightly thief their dreadful fate ,unlooked for came and undermined their state4444 ,lo1 what a sudden change6 ,on ruin's brink ,the proud turn humble1 and the thoughtless think4 ,dark1 gloomy sadness overclouds the gay1 ,and hypocrites for once sincerely pray4444 ,but let it not be thought their horrid deeds ,had pulled this dreadful judgment on their heads1 ,or that for crimes too horrible to tell1 ,like guilty ,sodom1 thunderstruck they fell4444 ,who can with curious eyes this globe survey1 ,and not behold it tottering with decay8 ,all things created1 ,god's designs fulfil1 ,and natural causes work ,his destined will4 ,and that eternal ,word1 which cannot lie1 ,to mortals hath revealed in prophecy ,that in these latter days such signs should come1 ,preludes and prologues to the general doom4 ,but not the ,son of man can tell that day2 ,then1 lest it find you sleeping1 watch and pray4 ,thus this first of the predicted latter-day signs bore its message to men4 ,its immediate scene was set in the ,old ,world1 but its warning was world-wide4 ,the next sign foretold was to appear in the ,new ,world1 but like the ,lisbon earthquake1 its message of warning was for all men4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,flood ,so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be4 ,matt4 #bd3ci4 ,illustration3 ,,midday ,,at ,,sea ,,may #ai1 #aghj ,between one and two he was obliged to light a large candle to steer by4 ,see p4 #hi4 ,illustration3 ,,signs ,,in ,,the ,,heavens ,can ye not discern the signs of the times8 ,matt4 #af3c4 ,,the ,,dark ,,day ,,of #aghj ,the ,sun ,shall be ,darkened ,we recall that in the vision of latter-day signs given to the prophet ,john1 he saw the great earthquake followed by a sign in the heavens3 ,the sun became black as sackcloth of hair1 and the moon became as blood4 ,rev4 #f3ab4 ,of this event our ,saviour spoke1 in giving the signs of ,his second coming which were to begin to appear following the cutting short of the days of persecution4 ,we repeat ,his words3 ,immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened1 and the moon shall not give her light4 ,matt4 #bd3bi4 ,the ,prophecy ,fulfilled ,true to the order of the prophecy1 following the great earthquake of #agee in ,europe1 there came1 in ,america1 the second sign of the approaching end1 the wonderful darkening of the sun1 known in history as ,the ,dark ,day4 ,this sign appeared at the time indicated in the prophecy1 immediately after the tribulation of those days2 or as ,mark has it1 in those days1 after that tribulation4 ,on ,may #ai1 #aghj1 the sun was darkened1 and the following night the moon did not give her light4 ,whatever explanation men may have to offer as to the cause of the phenomenon1 the fact remains that when the time of the prophecy came1 the sign appeared4 ,the first volume of the ,memoirs of the ,american ,academy of ,arts and ,sciences1 published in ,boston in #aghe1 contains a paper entitled1 ,an ,account of a ,very ,uncommon ,darkness in the ,states of ,new ,england1 ,may #ai1 #aghj4 ,by ,samuel ,williams1 ,a4,m41 ,hollis ,professor of ,mathematics and ,philosophy in the ,university at ,cambridge ,massachusetts4 ,of the extent1 duration1 and degree of darkness on that occasion1 this scientific observer said3 ,the extent of this darkness was very remarkable4444 ,from the accounts that have been received1 it seems to have extended all over the ,new ,england ,states4 ,it was observed as far east as ,falmouth ,portland1 ,maine4 ,to the westward1 we hear of its reaching to the furthest parts of ,connecticut1 and ,albany4 ,to the southward1 it was observed all along the seacoasts4 ,and to the north as far as our settlements extend4444 ,with regard to its duration1 it continued in this place at least fourteen hours3 but it is probable this was not exactly the same in different parts of the country4 ,the appearance and effects were such as tended to make the prospect extremely dull and gloomy4 ,candles were lighted up in the houses2 the birds having sung their evening songs1 disappeared1 and became silent2 the fowls retired to roost2 the cocks were crowing all around as at break of day2 objects could not be distinguished but at a very little distance2 and everything bore the appearance and gloom of night4 7,see pages #bcd-bdf47 ,whittier has commemorated it in the poem1 ,abraham ,davenport3 ',twas on a ,may day of the far old year ,seventeen hundred eighty1 that there fell ,over the bloom and sweet life of the spring1 ,over the fresh earth and the heaven of noon1 ,a horror of great darkness4444 ,birds ceased to sing1 and all the barnyard fowls ,roosted2 the cattle at the pasture bars ,lowed1 and looked homeward2 bats on leathern wings ,flitted abroad2 the sounds of labor died2 ,men prayed1 and women wept2 all ears grew sharp ,to hear the doom blast of the trumpet shatter ,the black sky4 ,the words of the poet are substantiated by the plain prose of the dictionary maker4 ,in the department explanatory of ,noted ,names1 ,webster's ,unabridged ,dictionary 7edition #ahhc7 says3 ,the ,dark ,day1 ,may #ai1 #aghj--so called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day extending over all ,new ,england4444 ,the obscuration began about ten o'clock in the morning1 and continued till the middle of the next night1 but with difference of degree and duration in different places4444 ,the true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known4 ,cause ,unknown ,at the time1 some explained the darkness as being due to smoke from forest fires1 others to the exceptional rise of vapors and atmospheric dust in the warm spring following the melting of unusually heavy winter snows4 ,but forest fires were not of extraordinary occurrence in these regions1 and many a springtime since has seen the melting of heavy winter snows and the rise of vapors2 yet ,may #ai1 #aghj1 still stands unique in the annals of modern times as the dark day4 ,however observers and writers disagreed as to the nature of the mantle of darkness that was drawn over ,new ,england that day1 they were one in recognizing the extraordinary character of the event4 ,the facts are fully covered by the statement in the dictionary1 ,the true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known4 ,what we do know is that the ,saviour's prophecy declared1 ,immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened1 and the moon shall not give her light4 ,and when the time for it came1 the sign appeared4 ,contemporary ,records ,though the comparatively small-sized newspapers of the day were crowded with news of the progress of the ,revolutionary ,war1 then raging1 no little space was given to reports and discussions of this remarkable darkening of the sun4 ,a correspondent of the ,boston ,gazette and ,country ,journal 7of ,may #bi1 #aghj7 reported observations made at ,ipswich ,hamlet1 ,mass41 by several gentlemen of liberal education3 ,about eleven o'clock the darkness was such as to demand our attention1 and put us upon making observations4 ,at half past eleven1 in a room with three windows1 twenty-four panes each1 all open toward the southeast and south1 large print could not be read by persons of good eyes4 ,about twelve o'clock1 the windows being still open1 a candle cast a shade so well defined on the wall1 as that profiles were taken with as much ease as they could have been in the night4 ,about one o'clock a glint of light which had continued to this time in the east1 shut in1 and the darkness was greater than it had been for any time before4444 ,we dined about two1 the windows all open1 and two candles burning on the table4 ,in the time of the greatest darkness some of the 444 fowls went to their roost4 ,cocks crowed in answer to one another as they commonly do in the night4 ,woodcocks1 which are night birds1 whistled as they do only in the dark4 ,frogs peeped4 ,in short1 there was the appearance of midnight at noonday4 ,about three o'clock the light in the west increased1 the motion of the clouds became more quick1 their color higher and more brassy than at any time before4 ,there appeared to be quick flashes or coruscations1 not unlike the aurora borealis4444 ,about half past four our company1 which had passed an unexpected night very cheerfully together1 broke up4 ,of the night following1 this gentleman 7then at ,salem7 wrote3 ,perhaps it never was darker since the children of ,israel left the house of bondage4 ,this gross darkness held till about one o'clock1 although the moon had fulled but the day before4 ,the ,boston ,independent ,chronicle of ,june #h quoted from ,thomas's ,massachusetts ,spy3 ,during the whole time a sickly1 melancholy gloom overcast the face of nature4 ,nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day2 notwithstanding there was almost a full moon1 no object was discernible1 but by the help of some artificial light1 which when seen from the neighboring houses and other places at a distance1 appeared through a kind of ,egyptian darkness1 which seemed almost impervious to the rays4 ,this unusual phenomenon excited the fears and apprehensions of many people4 ,some considered it as a portentous omen of the wrath of ,heaven in vengeance denounced against the land1 others as the immediate harbinger of the last day1 when 'the sun shall be darkened1 and the moon shall not give her light4' ,not only over the land1 but out at sea also1 the unnatural darkness of the day and night of ,may #ai1 #aghj1 was observed4 ,in the ,independent ,chronicle of ,june #ae1 #aghj1 a correspondent1 telling of interviews with various observers1 said3 ,i have also seen a very sensible captain of a vessel1 who was that morning about forty leagues southeast of ,boston4 ,he says the cloud which appeared at the west was the blackest he ever saw4 ,about eleven o'clock there was a little rain1 and it grew dark4 ,between one and two he was obliged to light a large candle to steer by4444 ,between nine and ten at night1 he ordered his men to take in some of the sails1 but it was so dark that they could not find the way from one mast to the other4 ,thoughts ,turned to the ,judgment ,this writer commented as follows concerning the feelings awakened by the event3 ,various have been the sentiments of people concerning the designs of ,providence in spreading the unusual darkness over us4 ,some suppose it portentous of the last scene4 ,i wish it may have some good effect on the minds of the wicked1 and that they may be excited to prepare for that solemn day4 ,the ,independent ,chronicle of ,june #bb1 #aghj1 printed a letter from ,dr4 ,samuel ,stearns1 who had been appealed to because of his knowledge in philosophy and astronomy4 ,first1 he disposed of one suggestion that had been made3 ,that the darkness was not caused by an eclipse is manifest by the various positions of the planets of our system at that time2 for the moon was more than one hundred and fifty degrees from the sun all that day4 ,then1 in the rather heavy language of the science of that period1 this writer told how the action of the sun's heat was continually projecting into the atmosphere particles of earthy matter2 and in his opinion it was some vast collection of such particles that caused the late uncommon darkness4 ,but as to the real accounting for the phenomenon he wrote3 ,the primary cause must be imputed to ,him that walketh through the circuit of heaven1 who stretcheth out the heaven like a curtain1 who maketh the clouds ,his chariot1 who walketh upon the wings of the wind4 ,it was ,he1 at whose voice the stormy winds are obedient1 that commanded these exhalations to be collected and condensed together1 that with them ,he might darken both the day and the night2 which darkness was1 perhaps1 not only a token of ,his indignation against the crying iniquities and abominations of the people1 but an omen of some future destruction4 ,thus men's minds were exercised by this sign in the sun1 and in the moon4 ,the early records of ,new ,york ,city tell of the interest excited there1 though evidently the darkness was not so marked as it was farther north4 ,in the ,connecticut ,legislature ,president ,timothy ,dwight1 of ,yale ,college1 a contemporary1 left the following account of one of the historic incidents of the day3 ,the legislature of ,connecticut was then in session at ,hartford4 ,a very general opinion prevailed that the day of judgment was at hand4 ,the house of representatives1 being unable to transact their business1 adjourned4 ,a proposal to adjourn the council a second legislative body called the ,governor's ,council was under consideration4 ,when the opinion of ,colonel ,davenport was asked1 he answered1 ',i am against an adjournment4 ,the day of judgment is either approaching or it is not4 ,if it is not1 there is no cause for an adjournment2 if it is1 ,i choose to be found doing my duty4 ,i wish therefore that candles may be brought4'--,barber1 ,connecticut ,historical ,collections1 p4 #djc4 ,it was this striking incident that ,whittier described with the poet's pen3 ,meanwhile in the old ,statehouse1 dim as ghosts1 ,sat the lawgivers of ,connecticut1 ,trembling beneath their legislative robes4 ',it is the ,lord's great day6 ,let us adjourn1' ,some said2 and then1 as with one accord1 ,all eyes were turned to ,abraham ,davenport4 ,he rose1 slow cleaving with his steady voice ,the intolerable hush4 ',this well may be ,the day of judgment which the world awaits2 ,but be it so or not1 ,i only know ,my present duty1 and my ,lord's command ,to occupy till ,he come4 ,so at the post ,where ,he hath set me in ,his providence ,i choose1 for one1 to meet ,him face to face1-- ,no faithless servant1 frightened from my task1 ,but ready when the ,lord of the harvest calls2 ,and therefore1 with all reverence1 ,i would say1 ,let ,god do ,his work1 we will see to ours4 ,bring in the candles4' ,thus1 in a manner that arrested the attention of men and put awe and solemnity into their hearts1 with thoughts of the coming of the great day of ,god1 the first of the predicted signs in the heavens was revealed4 ,at a later time1 when students of the ,bible seemed moved upon simultaneously1 in both ,europe and ,america1 to give attention to the doctrine of ,christ's second coming1 it was more generally understood that these signs had come in fulfilment of prophecy4 ,as we look to the past1 we see how truly the tokens of the coming ,king began to appear as the church of ,christ emerged fully from the long1 dark period of tribulation4 ,a new era was dawning1 in which the ,lord was to fill the earth with light before ,his second appearing1 according to ,his word to ,daniel the prophet3 ,thou1 ,o ,daniel1 shut up the words1 and seal the book1 even to the time of the end3 many shall run to and fro1 and knowledge shall be increased4 ,dan4 #ab3d4 ,at last the time of the end was at hand1 and the signs of the latter days had begun to appear in the earth and in the heavens4 ,the ,lord was preparing to send to all the world the closing gospel message of ,christ's soon coming in glory4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,meteoric ,,shower ,,november #ac1 #ahcc ,the stars of heaven fell unto the earth1 even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs1 when she is shaken of a mighty wind4 ,rev4 #f3ac4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,star ,,heralds ,,his ,,first ,,advent ,we have seen ,his star in the east1 and are come to worship ,him4 ,matt4 #b3b4 ,,the ,,falling ,,stars ,,of #ahcc ,the ,stars ,shall ,fall from ,heaven ,a great impetus was given to the study of divine prophecy by the events of the closing years of the eighteenth century4 ,observers had seen the papal power receive a deadly wound in the events and effects of the ,french ,revolution2 and it was understood that the world was entering a new era of enlightenment and liberty4 ,bible students began to see more clearly the lesson of the great outlines of historic prophecy1 and hearts were stirred with the evidences that the coming of the ,lord was drawing near4 ,in ,europe and ,america1 in the early decades of the nineteenth century1 there was the beginning of a revival of the study and preaching of the advent idea4 ,another ,sign in the ,heavens ,just here appeared another great sign in the heavens1 foretold by the word of prophecy4 ,of the sign that was to follow the darkening of the sun and moon1 ,christ's prophecy says3 ,the stars shall fall from heaven4 ,matt4 #bd3bi4 ,the prophet ,john beheld the spectacle in a vision of the last days1 and described it in these words3 ,the stars of heaven fell unto the earth1 even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs1 when she is shaken of a mighty wind4 ,rev4 #f3ac4 ,on ,nov4 #ac1 #ahcc1 came the wondrous celestial exhibition of falling stars1 which is listed as one of the most remarkable phenomena of the astronomical story4 ,meteoric displays1 swarms of shooting stars1 have been observed at various times all through the ages2 but this phenomenon1 coming in the order given by the prophecy1 that is1 following the darkening of the sun1 constituted the sublime display answering to the pen-picture of the ,apocalypse1--as if all the stars of heaven were falling to the earth4 ,the essential thing about a sign is that it shall be seen1 that the circumstances of its appearance shall fasten attention4 ,not in ,america alone1 but equally in all the civilized world1 as a topic of study1 this sign in the heavens commanded the attention of men4 ,an ,english scientist1 ,rev4 ,thomas ,milner1 ,f4,r4,g4,s41 wrote3 ,the attention of astronomers in ,europe1 and all over the world1 was1 as may be imagined1 strongly roused by intelligence of this celestial display on the ,western continent4--,the ,gallery of ,nature 7,london1 #aheb71 p4 #ada4 ,this writer called it by far the most splendid display on record4--,id41 p4 #aci4 ,another ,english astronomical writer of more recent date says3 ,once for all1 then1 as the result of the star fall of #ahcc1 the study of luminous meteors became an integral part of astronomy4--,clerke1 ,history of ,astronomy in the ,nineteenth ,century1 p4 #cbi4 ,this same work describes the extent of the display as follows3 ,on the night of ,nov4 #ab-ac1 #ahcc1 a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth4 ,north ,america bore the brunt of its pelting4 ,from the ,gulf of ,mexico to ,halifax1 until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display1 the sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs4--,page #cbh4 ,the ,spectacle ,described ,the closest scientific observations were made by ,prof4 ,denison ,olmsted1 professor of astronomy at ,yale1 who wrote in the ,american ,journal of ,science3 ,the morning of ,nov4 #ac1 #ahcc1 was rendered memorable by an exhibition of the phenomenon called shooting stars1 which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any similar one hitherto recorded4444 ,probably no celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country1 since its first settlement1 which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one class of spectators1 or with so much astonishment and fear by another class4 ,for some time after the occurrence1 the 'meteoric phenomenon' was the principal topic of conversation in every circle4--,volume ,,xxv 7#ahcd71 pp4 #cfc1 #cfd4 ,prof4 ,simon ,newcomb1 the astronomer1 declares this phenomenal exhibition of falling stars the most remarkable one ever observed4 7,see ,astronomy for ,everybody1 p4 #bhj47 ,this was not merely a display of an unusual number of falling stars1 such as ,humboldt observed in ,south ,america in #agii1 or such as we find recorded of other times before and since4 ,it was a shower of falling stars1 just such a spectacle as one must picture from the words of the prophecy1 ,and the stars of heaven fell4 ,the ,french astronomer ,flammarion says of the density of the shower3 ,the ,boston observer1 ,olmsted1 compared them1 at the moment of maximum1 to half the number of flakes which we perceive in the air during an ordinary shower of snow4--,popular ,astronomy1 p4 #ecf4 ,this affords us a better idea of the scene than the estimate of #cd1fdj stars an hour1 which was made by ,professor ,olmsted after the rain of the stars had greatly abated1 so that he was able to make an attempt at counting4 ,dr4 ,humphreys1 president of ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,annapolis1 said of the appearance at the ,maryland capital3 ,in the words of most1 they fell like flakes of snow4--,american ,journal of ,science1 ,vol4 ,,xxv 7#ahcd71 p4 #cgb4 ,nothing less than this could have presented the counterpart of the prophetic picture4 ,thoughtful hearts were solemnized by the unwonted spectacle4 ,prof4 ,alexander ,twining1 civil engineer1 late tutor in ,yale ,college1 giving his views as to the nature of the flaming visitants from space1 wrote3 ,had they held on their course unabated for three seconds longer1 half a continent must1 to all appearance1 have been involved in unheard-of calamity4 ,but that almighty ,being who made the world1 and knew its dangers1 gave it also its armature--endowing the atmospheric medium around it with protecting1 no less than with life-sustaining1 properties4444 ,considered as one of the rare and wonderful displays of the ,creator's preserving care1 as well as the terrible magnitude and power of ,his agencies1 it is not meet that such occurrences as those of ,november #ac should leave no more solid and permanent effect upon the human mind than the impression of a splendid scene4--,american ,journal of ,science1 ,vol4 ,,xxvi 7#ahcd71 p4 #cea4 ,multitudes felt that the great ,creator had spoken to men in this notable wonder of ,his heavens4 ,again and again in the records and reminiscences of that time1 testimony is borne to the fact that observers were impressed with the likeness of the scene to that described in the divine prophecy as one of the signs of the end of the world4 ,the ,prophetic ,picture ,reproduced ,the ,new ,york ,journal of ,commerce emphasized the exactness of detail with which the prophecy described the scene as it appeared in #ahcc4 ,this is the apocalyptic picture1 as the ancient prophet saw it in vision3 ,the stars of heaven fell unto the earth1 even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs1 when she is shaken of a mighty wind4 ,rev4 #f3ac4 ,a correspondent of the ,journal of ,commerce draws the picture as it was seen nearly eighteen centuries later1 the likeness to the prophetic description being emphasized in every line3 ,no philosopher or scholar has told or recorded an event like that of yesterday morning4 ,a prophet eighteen hundred years ago foretold it exactly1 if we will be at the trouble of understanding stars falling to mean falling stars4--,new ,york ,journal of ,commerce1 ,nov4 #ad1 #ahcc4 ,in this connection was noted by the same writer the special appropriateness of the prophet's figure of the fig tree casting the green figs in a mighty wind3 ,here is the exactness of the prophet4 ,the falling stars did not come as if from several trees shaken1 but from one4 ,those which appeared in the east fell toward the east3 those which appeared in the north fell toward the north2 those which appeared in the west fell toward the west2 and those which appeared in the south 7for ,i went out of my residence into the park7 fell toward the south2 and they fell not as ripe fruit falls2 far from it2 but they flew1 they were cast1 like the unripe fig1 which at first refuses to leave the branch2 and when it does break its hold1 flies swiftly1 straight off1 descending2 and in the multitude falling1 some cross the track of others1 as they are thrown with more or less force4 ,professor ,olmsted's long and carefully elaborated account in the ,american ,journal of ,science1 gave a report from a correspondent in ,bowling ,green1 ,mo41 as follows3 ,though there was no moon1 when we first observed them2 their brilliancy was so great that we could1 at times1 read common-sized print without much difficulty1 and the light which they afforded was much whiter than that of the moon1 in the clearest and coldest night1 when the ground is covered with snow4 ,the air itself1 the face of the earth as far as we could behold it1 all the surrounding objects1 and the very countenances of men1 wore the aspect and hue of death1 occasioned by the continued1 pallid glare of these countless meteors1 which in all their grandeur flamed 'lawless through the sky4' ,there was a grand and indescribable gloom on all around1 an awe-inspiring sublimity on all above2 while-- ',the sanguine flood ,rolled a broad slaughter o'er the plains of heaven1 ,and nature's self did seem to totter on the brink of time6' 444 ,there was scarcely a space in the firmament which was not filled at every instant with these falling stars1 nor on it could you in general perceive any particular difference in appearance2 still at times they seemed to shower down in groups--calling to mind the fig tree1 casting her untimely figs when shaken by a mighty wind4--,volume ,,xxv 7#ahcd71 p4 #chb4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sign ,,of ,,fire ,as this sign of fire in the watchtower was a signal to ,god's people anciently to flee from the coming danger 7see ,jer4 #f3a71 so the signs appearing now in the heavens and in the earth are ,god's signals of warning to the people of our day4 ,a ,sign to ,all the ,world ,it was not in ,north ,america alone1 but in all the civilized world1 that the attention of men was called to the prophetic word by the discussions of this event4 ,thus the ,english scientific writer1 ,thomas ,milner1 writing for the ,british public1 spoke as follows of the profound impression made3 ,in many districts1 the mass of the population were terror-struck1 and the more enlightened were awed at contemplating so vivid a picture of the apocalyptic image--that of the stars of heaven falling to the earth1 even as a fig tree casting her untimely figs1 when she is shaken of a mighty wind4--,the ,gallery of ,nature 7,london1 #aheb71 p4 #adj4 ,so the sign in the heavens made its solemn appeal to all the world4 ,it brought to the multitudes who saw it1 thoughts of ,god and the last great day4 ,an observer living at the time in ,georgia1 wrote1 ,everybody felt that it was the judgment1 and that the end of the world had come4 ,another1 in ,kentucky1 wrote1 ,in every direction ,i could hear men1 women1 and children screaming1 ',the judgment day is come6' ,rather1 it was a signal that the hour of ,god's judgment was drawing near4 ,the signs so long foretold were appearing1 one by one1 to register their enduring mark on the record of fulfilling prophecy4 ,immediately following these times1 there began an awakening concerning the vital ,bible doctrine of the second coming of ,christ1 which has grown into the definite advent movement that is carrying the gospel message of preparation for the coming of the ,lord to every nation and tongue and people4 ,the ,sign of #ahcc ,emphasized by ,other ,displays ,we have mentioned the fact that ,humboldt had observed an extraordinary fall of meteorites in ,south ,america1 thirty-three years1 before1 in #agii4 ,and he reported at the time that the oldest inhabitants there had a recollection of a similar display in #agff4 ,from these reports1 scientists deduced the theory that these showers were to be expected every thirty-three years4 ,hence in #ahff they were watching for a repetition of the #ahcc display4 ,that there was a measure of truth in the deduction was made evident by an unusual fall of meteorites ,nov4 #ad1 #ahff4 ,this time ,europe was the scene of the display4 ,but the event was not to be compared with that of #ahcc4 ,this appears plain from the account of observations made by ,sir ,robert ,ball and ,lord ,rosse1 the ,british astronomers4 ,sir ,robert ,ball says that when the meteorites began to fall1 he and ,lord ,rosse went out upon the wall of the observatory housing ,lord ,rosse's great reflecting telescope3 ,there1 for the next two or three hours1 we witnessed a spectacle which can never fade from my memory4 ,the shooting stars gradually increased in number until sometimes several were seen at once4--,story of the ,heavens1 p4 #chj4 ,grand as the spectacle was1 it was but a reminder1 apparently1 of the star shower of #ahcc1 when not several meteorites fell at a time1 nor many1 merely1 but1 as it appeared1 the stars of heaven fell unto the earth4 ,however1 the spectacle of #ahff1 which was observed over a great part of the ,old ,world1,d served to direct renewed attention to the incomparable event of #ahcc1 as well as to the prophetic descriptions of the wonders in the heavens 7,joel #b3cj7 which were to appear as the end drew near4 ,illustration3 ,,christ',s ,,promise ,,to ,,return ,i will come again1 and receive you unto ,myself4 ,john #ad3c4 ,textbooks and astronomical works thereupon began to count it as fully established that every thirty-three years the displays would be repeated4 ,it was confidently predicted that #ahii would witness a repetition1 possibly on the scale of #ahcc4 ,professor ,langley's ,new ,astronomy 7published in #ahhh7 said3 ,the great ,november shower1 which is coming once more in this century1 and which every reader may hope to see toward #ahii1 is of particular interest to us as the first whose movements were subject to analysis4 ,chambers's ,astronomy1 published in #ahhi1 said3 ,the meteors of ,november #ac may be expected to reappear with great brilliancy in #ahii4---,volume ,i1 p4 #fce4 ,but the ,november date passed in #ahii1 and the years have passed2 and the wondrous scene of #ahcc has not been repeated4 ,clerke's ,history of ,astronomy in the ,nineteenth ,century says3 ,we can no longer count upon the ,leonids as the meteorites of #ahcc were called1 because they seemed to fall from a point in the constellation of ,leo4 ,their glory1 for scenic purposes1 is departed4--,page #cch4 ,the ,lord's ,signal to ,watch ,thus the wisest astronomical predictions made shortly before #ahii1 based upon the apparently recurrent regularity of the phenomenon1 failed2 but the predictions of the sure word of prophecy1 set down on the sacred record eighteen centuries before1 were fulfilled to the letter4 ,at the close of the days of the predicted tribulation of the church1 the signs began to appear--the sun was darkened1 the moon withheld its light1 and the stars of heaven fell4 ,the series began at the time specified1 the signs came in the order given in ,christ's prophecy4 ,the record of history bears witness that the prophecy was fulfilled4 ,it may be that on a yet more awful and universal scale these phenomena will be seen again in that last shaking of the powers of heaven which is to attend the rolling back of the heavens as a scroll1 the immediate prelude to ,christ's glorious appearing4 ,but ,christ's prophecy1 at this point1 was not giving a description of events at the very end of the world1 but signs by which it might be known when the end was drawing near4 ,as the signs should be recognized1 the ,saviour intended that those who loved ,his appearing should be quickened with hope1 and inspired to hasten to the world with the gospel message preparing the way of the ,lord4 ,the ,lord's word for ,his children was1 ,when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4 ,luke #ba3bh4 ,long ago these signs began to come to pass4 ,now may the ,lord's believing children well look up and rejoice1 knowing that the day of eternal redemption is indeed nigh at hand4 ,he ,will ,come for ,his ,own ,in the glad time of the harvest1 ,in the grand millennial year1 ,when the ,king shall take ,his scepter1 ,and to judge the world appear1 ,earth and sea shall yield their treasure1 ,all shall stand before the throne2 ,just awards will then be given1 ,when the ,king shall claim ,his own4 ,o the rapture of ,his people6 ,long they've dwelt on earth's low sod1 ,with their hearts e'er turning homeward1 ,rich in faith and love to ,god4 ,they will share the life immortal1 ,they will know as they are known1 ,they will pass the pearly portal1 ,when the ,king shall claim ,his own4 ,long they've toiled within the harvest1 ,sown the precious seed with tears2 ,soon they'll drop their heavy burdens ,in the glad millennial years2 ,they will share the bliss of heaven1 ,nevermore to sigh or moan2 ,starry crowns will then be given1 ,when the ,king shall claim ,his own4 ,we shall greet the loved and loving1 ,who have left us lonely here2 ,every heartache will be banished ,when the ,saviour shall appear2 ,never grieved with sin or sorrow1 ,never weary or alone2 ,o1 we long for that glad morrow ,when the ,king shall claim ,his own6 --,l4,d4 ,santee4 ,illustration3 ,,satan ,,offers ,,gold1 ,,and ,,the ,,world ,,stampedes ,,to ,,its ,,destruction ,go to now1 ye rich men1 weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you4 ,james #e3a4 ,,footnotes3 ,d ,the display was most brilliant1 apparently1 in ,western ,asia4 ,the veteran missionary1 ,dr4 ,h4,h4 ,jessup1 of the ,presbyterian ,missionary ,college1 of ,beirut1 describes the scene in his ,fifty-,three ,years in ,syria3 ,on the morning of the fourteenth ,november1 at three o'clock1 ,i was roused from a deep sleep by the voice of one of the young men calling1 ',the stars are all coming down4' 444 ,the meteors poured down like a rain of fire4 ,many of them were large and varicolored1 and left behind them a long train of fire4 ,one immense green meteor came down over ,lebanon1 seeming as large as the moon1 and exploded with a large noise1 leaving a green pillar of light in its train4 ,it was vain to attempt to count them1 and the display continued until dawn1 when their light was obscured by the king of day4444 ,the ,mohammedans gave the call to prayer from the minarets1 and the common people were in terror4--,volume ,i1 pp4 #caf1 #cag4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,miser ,ye have heaped treasure together for the last days4 ,james #e3c4 ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,present-,,day ,,conditions ,,there ,,shall ,,be ,,signs 444 ,,upon ,,the ,,earth ,from the specific signs in the heavens1 which were to herald the coming of the latter days and awaken the church to look for its coming ,lord1 our ,saviour's prophecy passed on to designate certain general conditions in the world which were to continue until the great day of ,god comes3 ,there shall be signs in the sun1 and in the moon1 and in the stars2 and upon the earth distress of nations1 with perplexity2 the sea and the waves roaring2 men's hearts failing them for fear1 and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth3 for the powers of heaven shall be shaken4 ,and then shall they see the ,son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory4 ,luke #ba3be-bg4 ,among the developments here foretold1 and which contribute to the distress of nations1 with perplexity1 we may list the following3 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,arming ,,of ,,the ,,nations ,prepare war1444 beat your plowshares into swords1 and your pruning hooks into spears4 ,joel #c3 #i1 #aj4 #a4 ,political ,unrest--the ,arming of the ,nations ,following on closely with the signs in the heavens1 there appears also the awakening to national aspirations and rivalries in ,europe1 out of which has grown the arming of the nations4 ,the beginning of the modern race of armaments may be dated from those stirring and eventful years of #ahcj to #ahdh4 ,we have seen the resources of the soil and the inventive genius of man devoted to preparations for war on a scale never before thought of4 ,the prophet ,joel foretold these conditions in the last days3 ,proclaim ye this among the ,gentiles the nations1 ,r4,v43 ,prepare war1 wake up the mighty men1 let all the men of war draw near2 let them come up3 beat your plowshares into swords1 and your pruning hooks into spears3 let the weak say1 ,i am strong4444 ,let the heathen be wakened4444 ,multitudes1 multitudes in the valley of decision or cutting off3 for the day of the ,lord is near in the valley of decision4 ,joel #c3 #i-ad4 ,illustration3 ,,ready ,,for ,,the ,,conflict ,for the day of the ,lord is near4 ,joel #c3 #ad4 ,,photo ,,from ,,underwood ,,underwood1 ,n4,y4 ,another prophecy forewarns of the peace and safety cry that is to be heard as the end draws near4 ,we are told that many people in the last days will be saying that swords are to be beaten into plowshares1 and that the nations will cease from war 7,isa4 #b3c1 #d72 but the actual conditions are repeatedly described in prophecy as warlike and perilous4 ,thus the revelator saw the closing days3 ,the nations were angry1 and ,thy wrath is come1 and the time of the dead1 that they should be judged1 and that ,thou shouldst give reward unto ,thy servants the prophets1 and to the saints1 and them that fear ,thy name1 small and great2 and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth4 ,rev4 #aa3 #ah4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,faithful ,,and ,,wise ,,servant ,watch therefore3 for ye know not what hour your ,lord doth come4 ,matt4 #bd3 #db4 ,what we see then among the nations proclaims the approaching end4 #b4 ,signs in the ,social ,world ,a ,new ,testament prophecy of the latter days says3 ,in the last days perilous times shall come4 ,for men shall be lovers of their own selves1 covetous1 boasters1 proud1 blasphemers1 disobedient to parents1 unthankful1 unholy1 without natural affection1 trucebreakers1 false accusers1 incontinent1 fierce1 despisers of those that are good1 traitors1 heady1 high-minded1 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of ,god4 #b ,tim4 #c3 #a-d4 ,the perilous times have come1 when1 as never before1 the world is pleasure mad4 ,unrestrained passion for pleasure1 said ,m4 ,comte1 editor of the ,french ,relevement ,social1 writing just before the ,european war1 is bringing a terrible train of evils into modern society4 ,along with it he put the hunt for money without regard for means1 adding3 ,this is the theme which manufacturers1 business men1 men in the public administration1 continually harp on with ever the same conviction and ever the same wealth of proof4 ,the note is ever the same1 and the conclusion identical3 ,nous sommes perdus6 ,we are lost6--,quoted in ,record of ,christian ,work1 ,july1 #aiad4 ,many agencies for social and temperance reform are rendering the greatest human service2 but for lost humanity the only hope is ,christ1 the divine ,saviour4 ,with an urgency born of the last call1 ,his gospel is sounding to a world on the verge of eternity4 ,yet with divine love longing to save1 the world sweeps on1 less and less mindful of eternal interests4 ,christ's prophecy foretold it as it is3 ,as the days of ,noe were1 so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be4 ,for as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking1 marrying and giving in marriage1 until the day that ,noe entered into the ark1 and knew not until the flood came1 and took them all away2 so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be4 ,matt4 #bd3 #cg-ci4 ,who can look out upon mankind today without the conviction that this scripture is being fulfilled8 ,the drift is strong toward the world and away from ,god2 but we are bidden to watch and pray1 lest the coming day find us unprepared4 #c4 ,signs in the ,industrial ,world ,industrial conditions today add their contribution to the distress of nations1 with perplexity4 ,through the word of prophecy the ,lord long ago foretold these conditions1 with a warning to the careless rich1 and a warning to the laborer and the poor1 not to be drawn into contention over the things of this world1 for the ,judge is at the door4 ,the prophecy1 it will be seen1 refers specifically to latter-day conditions4 ,illustration3 ,,am ,i ,,my ,,brother',s ,,keeper8 ,a night scene on the ,thames embankment1 ,london4 ,go to now1 ye rich men1 weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you4 ,your riches are corrupted1 and your garments are moth-eaten4 ,your gold and silver is cankered2 and the rust of them shall be a witness against you1 and shall eat your flesh as it were fire4 ,ye have heaped treasure together for the last days4 ,behold1 the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields1 which is of you kept back by fraud1 crieth3 and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the ,lord of sabaoth4 ,ye have lived in pleasure on the earth1 and been wanton2 ye have nourished your hearts1 as in a day of slaughter4 ,ye have condemned and killed the just2 and he doth not resist you4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,rich ,,young ,,man ,sell that thou hast1 and give to the poor1 and thou shalt have treasure in heaven4 ,matt4 #ai3 #ba4 ,be patient therefore1 brethren1 unto the coming of the ,lord4 ,behold1 the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth1 and hath long patience for it1 until he receive the early and latter rain4 ,be ye also patient2 stablish your hearts3 for the coming of the ,lord draweth nigh4 ,grudge not one against another1 brethren1 lest ye be condemned3 behold1 the ,judge standeth before the door4 ,james #e3 #a-i4 ,there is no need to argue that the issues with which the prophecy deals are pressing upon the world with ever-increasing perplexity4 ,we quote but two statements1 by men not engaged in agitation1 but calmly and thoughtfully setting down the signs of the times4 ,the late ,lord ,avebury 7,sir ,john ,lubbock7 wrote a few years ago in the ,review of ,internationalism3 ,the religion of ,europe is not ,christianity1 but the worship of the god of war4444 ,unless something is done1 the condition of the poor in ,europe will grow worse and worse4 ,it is no use shutting our eyes4 ,revolution may not come soon1 not probably in our time1 but come it will1 and as sure as fate there will be an explosion such as the world has never seen4 ,of the rapid growth of discontent and its propaganda1 ,mr4 ,frederick ,townsend ,martin1 of ,new ,york1 wrote3 ,fifty years ago there was scarcely a voice of protest2 indeed1 there was hardly anything to protest against4 ,twenty-five years ago the protest was clear and distinct1 and we understood it4 ,ten years ago the protest found expression in a dozen weekly publications1 but today the protest is circulated not by hundreds or thousands of printed copies of books1 pamphlets1 magazines1 and newspapers1 but actually by the million4 ,this propaganda of protest has its daily papers that are distinctive and published for that purpose1 and that purpose only4 ,it has its magazines and tens of thousands of weekly papers4 ,only a fool sneers at such a volume of publicity as that4444 ,the warnings that hundreds of us are uttering may be ignored4 ,the squandering may go on1 the vulgar bacchanalia may be prolonged1 the poor may have to writhe under the iron heel of the iron lord--the dance of death may go on until society's ,e string snaps1 and then the ,vesuvius of the underworld will belch forth its lava of death and destruction4--,hearst's ,magazine1 ,september1 #aiac4 ,thus hearts grow faint for looking after those things which are coming on the earth4 ,but while the increasing distress of nations1 with perplexity1 abounds1 the ,lord sends the steadying1 assuring message that soon ,christ will come to end the reign of sin and strife4 ,he would have ,his children keep the gospel light glowing1 and wait patiently for ,him4 #d4 ,the ,great ,missionary ,movement ,the ,saviour's prophecy of the signs of ,his second coming places the work of world evangelization as the culminating sign4 ,this in itself is a joyful token of the approaching end1 a bright signal of hope in a suffering world4 ,he said3 ,this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations2 and then shall the end come4 ,matt4 #bd3 #ad4 ,before the end1 the light of the gospel was to shine into every dark corner of the earth4 ,true to the sure word of prophecy1 when the latter days began1--the time of the end1--there sprang up the great movement of modern missions which has been one of the leading characteristics of the last century4 ,here are a few facts showing the missionary developments of a single century3 ,in #ahjj the foreign missionary societies numbered seven4 ,in #aijj they numbered over #ejj4 ,in #ahjj the income of seven societies amounted to about #ej1jjj4 ,in #aijj the income was over #ae1jjj1jjj4 ,in #ahjj the number of native communicants enrolled in ,protestant mission churches was #g1jjj4 ,in #aijj there were #a1ejj1jjj native communicants4 ,in #ahjj the adherents of ,protestant churches in heathen lands were estimated at #ae1jjj4 ,in #aijj they numbered #c1ejj1jjj4 ,in #ahjj only one fifth of the human family had the ,bible in languages they could read4 ,in #aijj nine tenths of the people of the world had the ,word of ,god in languages and dialects known to them4 ,since #aijj the missionary movement has remarkably increased in extent and activity4 ,it is estimated that now there are about #bb1jjj foreign missionaries in the fields1 with many thousands of trained native evangelists and helpers4 ,the prophecy is fulfilling before our eyes4 ,it is not the conversion of the world that ,christ's words foretold1 but the evangelization of the world2 and when all the world has heard the gospel of the kingdom1 then shall the end come4 ,another prophecy--that of ,rev4 #ad3 #f-ad--shows that the closing phase of this world-wide missionary movement is to be the proclamation of the special gospel message of preparation for the coming of the ,lord1 calling all men to worship ,god and keep ,his commandments1 and warning them against following the traditions of men that make void the ,word of ,god4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sunset ,,hour ,the work that centuries might have done ,must crowd the hour of setting sun4 ,with the coming of this generation there has come just such a message1 in the rise and progress of the advent movement1 the burden of the message being expressed in the very language of the prophecy--,fear ,god1 and give glory to ,him2 for the hour of ,his judgment is come4 ,rev4 #ad3 #g4 ,and the movement is spreading rapidly to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people4 ,thus in vision the prophet on ,patmes heard the message given2 and when its warning cry had reached all nations1 he saw ,christ coming in the clouds of heaven to reap the harvest of the earth4 ,even at the ,doors ,of the beginning of the special signs of the last days1 ,christ said3 ,when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4 ,luke #ba3 #bh4 ,but of the time when these signs should all be seen fulfilled or in process of fulfilment1 the ,saviour said3 ,now learn a parable of the fig tree3 ,when his branch is yet tender1 and putteth forth leaves1 ye know that summer is nigh3 so likewise ye1 when ye shall see all these things1 know that it is near1 even at the doors4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,this generation shall not pass1 till all these things be fulfilled4 ,heaven and earth shall pass away1 but ,my words shall not pass away4 ,matt4 #bd3 #cb-ce4 ,in this generation we see these things4 ,all about us the signs have appeared4 ,we know1 then1 by the word that shall not pass away1 that the generation has at last appeared that is to see the ,saviour coming in power and great glory4 ,of that day and hour knoweth no man1 but we may know that it is near1 even at the doors--the day for which the saints of ,god have hoped through all the ages4 ,illustration3 ,,philip ,,and ,,the ,,eunuch ,understandest thou what thou readest8 ,acts #h3cj4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,royal ,,palace ,,of ,,babylon ,the ,god of heaven hath given thee a kingdom1 power1 and strength1 and glory4 ,dan4 #b3cg ,,the ,,historic ,,prophecy ,,of ,,daniel #g ,,four ,,great ,,universal ,,empires ,part ,i ,so important is it that we understand the events leading on to the end1 that repeatedly the sure word of prophecy outlines the course of this world's history1 and sets up waymarks along the highway to the everlasting kingdom4 ,in the light of prophecy we see the hand of ,god guiding and overruling through all history1 shaping events for the carrying out of ,his purpose to end the reign of sin and to bring in the reign of eternal righteousness4 ,his prophetic word foretells events of history1 that we may know that ,he is the living ,god over all1 and that we may understand that the divine purpose will surely be fulfilled4 ,above a wicked world there is a ,god in heaven1 waiting only the appointed time for the accomplishment of ,his purposes4 ,i am ,god1 and there is none like ,me1 declaring the end from the beginning1 and from ancient times the things that are not yet done1 saying1 ,my counsel shall stand1 and ,i will do all ,my pleasure4444 ,i have spoken it1 ,i also will bring it to pass2 ,i have purposed it1 ,i will also do it4444 ,my salvation shall not tarry3 and ,i will place salvation in ,zion4 ,isa4 #df3i-ac4 ,in the dream of ,nebuchadnezzar1 recorded in the second chapter of ,daniel1 the ,lord revealed in brief but graphic outline the course of history from the days of ,babylon to the end of the world4 ,the four great universal monarchies1--,babylon1 ,medo-,persia1 ,greece1 and ,rome--were represented by the various parts of the metallic image4 ,that prophecy described particularly the division of the ,roman ,empire into the kingdoms of western ,europe4 ,in the days of these kings1 declared the word of the ,lord1 the ,god of heaven was to set up ,his kingdom1 bringing an end to all earthly powers4 ,in the seventh chapter we are taken over the same course of history1 in ,daniel's vision of the four beasts4 ,here also chief attention is devoted to the fourth great kingdom2 and especially to its divided state2 for the events taking place at this time are of the deepest eternal interest to all men4 ,in this vision ,daniel saw four universal empires represented by great beasts4 ,one after another the symbolic beasts arose1 did their work1 and gave place to the next scenes in the history4 ,the angel clearly explained to ,daniel the meaning of the vision3 ,these great beasts1 which are four1 are four kings1 which shall arise out of the earth4 ,but the saints of the ,most ,high shall take the kingdom1 and possess the kingdom forever1 even forever and ever4 ,of necessity1 then1 it is a repetition of the story of the four universal monarchies dealt with in the second chapter1 and ending with the setting up of the everlasting kingdom4 ,let us place the view given the prophet in vision alongside the record of history4 ,first1 however1 a word as to the manner in which the great beasts appeared to the prophet3 ,i saw in my vision by night1 and1 behold1 the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea4 ,and four great beasts came up from the sea1 diverse one from another4 ,again and again1 in the figurative language of ,scripture1 winds are used as the symbol for wars2 and the sea1 or waters1 for nations or peoples4 7,see ,jer4 #be3ca-cc2 ,rev4 #ag3ae47 ,the prophet saw the clashing of the nations in war1 and out of these conflicts arose the kingdoms described in the prophecy4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,first ,,beast ,the first was like a lion1 and had eagle's wings4 ,dan4 #g3d4 ,babylon ,note the prophetic picture of the prophecy and the corresponding representation in history4 ,prophecy4--,the first was like a lion1 and had eagle's wings3 ,i beheld till the wings thereof were plucked1 and it was lifted up from the earth1 and made stand upon the feet as a man1 and a man's heart was given to it4 ,history4--,as the lion is king of beasts1 it was a fitting symbol of ,babylon1 the glory of kingdoms4 ,isa4 #ac3ai4 ,the eagle's wings suggest rapidity of movement and far-reaching conquest4 ,the prophet ,habakkuk said of it1 ,their horsemen shall come from far2 they shall fly as the eagle4 ,this was the characteristic of ,babylon under the earlier kings1 but especially under ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,berosus1 the ancient ,chaldean historian1 wrote of him3 ,this ,babylonian king conquered ,egypt1 and ,syria1 and ,phenicia1 and ,arabia2 and exceeded in his exploits all that had reigned before him in ,babylon4 7,see ,flavius ,josephus ,against ,apion1 book #a1 par4 #ai47 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,second ,,beast ,and behold another beast1 a second1 like to a bear4 ,dan4 #g3e4 ,but now1 at the time of ,daniel's vision1 degeneracy had come2 the empire was tottering4 ,the lion heart was gone1 the eagle's wings were plucked1 and within three years from the time the vision was given1 ,babylon was overthrown4 ,medo-,persia ,as the dominion passed from ,babylon to the next great power1 the prophet says3 ,prophecy4--,behold another beast1 a second1 like to a bear1 and it raised up itself on one side1 and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it3 and they said thus unto it1 ,arise1 devour much flesh4 ,history4--,the ,medes and ,persians overthrew ,babylon4 ,medo-,persia was a dual kingdom1 lifting itself up on one side1 first the ,median branch the stronger1 then the ,persian1 under ,cyrus and his successors1 rising higher4 ,this two-sided characteristic1 noted as a distinguishing mark in the prophecy1 was emphasized by the ancient writers also4 ,a,eschylus1 the ,greek poet1 who lived in the time of ,persia1 wrote3 ,asia's brave host1 ,a ,mede first led4 ,the virtues of his son ,fixed firm the empire4444 444 ,cyrus third1 by fortune graced1 ,adorned the throne4 --,persoe4 ,the word spoken in the vision1 ,arise1 devour much flesh1 describes the history from the time when the ,persian side rose uppermost4 ,rawlinson says1 ,cyrus proceeded with scarcely a pause on a long career of conquest4 ,an alliance against ,persia was formed by ,lydia1 ,egypt1 and ,babylon 7,herodotus #a3gg72 and as these three great provinces were subdued1 they may well be represented by the three ribs in the mouth of the ,medo-,persian bear4 ,grecia ,yet another kingdom was to follow1 and strikingly the symbol pictures the characteristics of the ,greek conquest4 ,prophecy4--,after this ,i beheld1 and lo another1 like a leopard1 which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl2 and the beast had also four heads2 and dominion was given to it4 ,history4--,the third kingdom was ,grecia4 ,under ,alexander the ,great1 the ,greeks swept into ,asia with the quickness of the leopard's spring4 ,and the four wings on the leopard must represent astonishing fleetness4 ,plutarch speaks of the incredible swiftness of ,alexander's conquests4 ,appian wrote3 ,the empire of ,alexander was splendid in its magnitude1 in its armies1 in the success and rapidity of its conquests1 and it wanted little of being boundless and unexampled1 yet in its shortness of duration it was like a brilliant flash of lightning4 ,although broken into several satrapies1 even the parts were splendid4--,history of ,rome1 preface1 par4 #aj4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,third ,,beast ,after this ,i beheld1 and lo another1 like a leopard4 ,dan4 #g3f4 ,thus the ancient ,roman writer pictured the career of ,grecia just as represented by the prophetic symbol--the fleetness1 the great dominion given it1 the division of the empire into satrapies1 as suggested by the four heads of the leopard4 ,out of the conflicts following ,alexander's death1 there came the fourfold headship of the empire4 ,rawlinson says1 ,a quadripartite division of ,alexander's domain was recognized4 7,see ,sixth ,monarchy1 chap4 #c47 ,the real situation is best represented1 as ,dr4 ,albert ,barnes says1 by one animal with four heads1 just as the prophetic symbol described it centuries before4 ,thus the course of empire followed the outline of the sure word of prophecy from age to age4 ,armies were ranged in battle's dread array3 ,they fought--their glory withered in its bud2 ,they perished--with them ceased their tyrants' sway2 ,new wars1 new heroes came--their story passed away4 ,there was to be no abiding kingdom till the time came for ,god's glorious kingdom to be set up4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,fourth ,,beast ,after this ,i saw in the night visions1 and behold a fourth beast1 dreadful and terrible1 and strong exceedingly4 ,dan4 #g3g4 ,rome ,as the prophet watched the moving panorama of history1 foretold in symbols1 he said3 ,prophecy4--,after this ,i saw in the night visions1 and behold a fourth beast1 dreadful and terrible1 and strong exceedingly2 and it had great iron teeth3 it devoured and brake in pieces1 and stamped the residue with the feet of it3 and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it2 and it had ten horns4 ,i considered the horns1 and1 behold1 there came up among them another little horn1 before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots3 and1 behold1 in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man1 and a mouth speaking great things4 ,illustration3 ,,rome ,,on ,,the ,,tiber ,the palace of the ,caesars appears high on the hill at the left4 ,history4--,as the iron of the image of ,nebuchadnezzar's dream fitly represented the iron monarchy of ,rome1 so here the dreadful beast1 with its iron teeth1 can be none other than ,rome1 which followed ,grecia in world dominion4 ,it was the most powerful1 the most dominating1 of all the beasts in the prophetic series4 ,a ,roman ,catholic writer1 ,cardinal ,manning1 compresses into a paragraph the correspondence of history to the likeness of the prophecy3 ,illustration3 ,,battle ,,of ,,zama1 ,b4,c4 #bjb ,by which ,rome broke the power of ,carthage1 its rival1 and began the conquest of the world4 ,the legions of ,rome occupied the circumference of the world4 ,the military roads which sprang from ,rome traversed all the earth2 the whole world was1 as it were1 held in peace and in tranquillity by the universal presence of this mighty heathen empire4 ,it was 'exceedingly terrible1' according to the prophecies of ,daniel2 it was as it were of iron1 beating down and subduing the nations4--,the ,temporal ,power of the ,pope 7,london1 #ahfb71 p4 #abb4 ,thus far every symbol of the prophet's vision finds its exact and clear counterpart in history4 ,a writer living in the third century1 in the days of imperial ,rome1 rejoiced to see how exactly the prophecy was being fulfilled4 ,hippolytus 7counted a saint by the ,catholic ,church7 wrote3 ,rejoice1 blessed ,daniel6 thou hast not been in error6 ,all these things have come to pass4 ,after this again thou hast told us of the beast1 dreadful and terrible4 ,it has iron teeth and claws of brass2 it devoured and brake in pieces1 and stamped the residue with the feet of it4 ,already the iron rules2 already it subdues and breaks all in pieces2 already it brings all the unwilling into subjection2 already we see these things ourselves4 ,now we glorify ,god1 being instructed by thee4--,treatise on ,christ and ,antichrist1 sec4 #cc4 ,now the prophetic outline comes to the time of the division of the ,roman ,empire1 introducing events of deepest personal interest to us today4 ,part ,,ii ,the ,fourth ,kingdom and the ,little ,horn ,it was the fourth great monarchy1 ,imperial ,rome1 and the events to follow it1 that engaged the anxious inquiry of the prophet4 ,he says3 ,then ,i would know the truth of the fourth beast1 which was diverse from all the others1 exceeding dreadful1 whose teeth were of iron1 and his nails of brass2 which devoured1 brake in pieces1 and stamped the residue with his feet2 and of the ten horns that were in his head1 and of the other which came up1 and before whom three fell2 even of that horn that had eyes1 and a mouth that spake very great things1 whose look was more stout than his fellows4 ,i beheld1 and the same horn made war with the saints1 and prevailed against them2 until the ,ancient of days came1 and judgment was given to the saints of the ,most ,high2 and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom4 ,the prophet wanted to know the truth about it2 and the angel told him the truth4 ,first1 the angel said3 ,the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth1 which shall be diverse from all kingdoms1 and shall devour the whole earth1 and shall tread it down1 and break it in pieces4 ,the fourth kingdom1 as we have seen1 was ,rome4 ,as ,cardinal ,manning said of the empire1 ,it was 'exceeding terrible1' according to the prophecies of ,daniel2 it was as it were of iron1 breaking down and subduing the nations4 ,of the ten horns that arose out of this fourth great empire1 the angel said3 ,the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise3 and another shall rise after them2 and he shall be diverse from the first1 and he shall subdue three kings4 ,we look to the history of the ,roman ,empire1 and what do we see8--,just the picture of the prophecy4 ,we see the original ,roman ,empire of the ,west divided into lesser kingdoms4 ,we see the barbarian peoples of the ,north sweeping down upon the empire1 breaking it up1 and establishing within its boundaries the various kingdoms that are to this day represented by the kingdoms of western ,europe4 ,and as we watch the history at this point1 we surely see another little horn1 another land of power1 rising among the horns representing the kingdoms of divided ,rome--a kingdom1 yet a kingdom diverse from the others4 ,the work of this power riveted the attention of the prophet2 and it is of the greatest importance that we also should watch closely to catch the lesson of the divine prophecy4 ,prophetic and ,historic ,pictures of the ,little ,horn ,this is plainly the picture presented by the prophet1 as we look again1 observing details more closely4 ,the prophet beheld the division of the ,roman ,empire into lesser kingdoms4 ,then1 springing up among these kingdoms1 he saw the little-horn power subduing three of the ten kingdoms1 speaking great words1 and making war with the saints of ,god4 ,it was to be a religious power1 then1 ruling among the kings of the earth1 and asserting religious dominion over the faith and consciences of men4 ,the same horn made war with the saints1 and prevailed against them4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,invasion ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,empire ,,by ,,the ,,huns ,we see the barbarian peoples of the ,north sweeping down upon the empire1 breaking it up1 and establishing within its boundaries the various kingdoms that are to this day represented by the kingdoms of ,western ,europe4--,page #abg4 ,we look to history1 and this is what plainly appears3 ,we see1 as described in the prophecy1 a time when ten contemporaneous kingdoms filled the territory of the original ,western ,empire4 ,just there we see an ecclesiastical kingly power rise to religious supremacy--the ,roman ,papacy4 ,we see1 through its influence1 three of the ten kingdoms overthrown1 plucked up by the roots--three ,arian or heretical kingdoms4 ,and as we watch the history1 we find this power making war with the saints and prevailing against them through long ages4 ,a ,roman ,catholic writer describes it in a paragraph3 ,long ages ago1 when ,rome through the neglect of the ,western emperors was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes1 the ,romans turned to one figure for aid and protection1 and asked him to rule them2 and thus1 in this simple manner1 the best title of all to kingly right1 commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes4 ,and meekly stepping to the throne of ,caesar1 the vicar of ,christ took up the scepter to which the emperors and kings of ,europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages4--,rev4 ,james ,p4 ,conroy1 in ,american ,catholic ,quarterly ,review1 ,april1 #aiaa4 ,yet again we look at the picture presented in prophecy4 ,then we turn to history2 and precisely where and when the prophet saw the little horn coming up1 we see the ,roman ,papacy rising to supremacy4 ,we see this ecclesiastical power wielding a kingly scepter among the kingdoms of divided ,rome1 exalting itself above them1 with a look more stout than his fellows4 ,we hear it speaking great words1 and we see it carrying on warfare against the saints4 ,clearly1 there was no other power in history1 rising at that time and in that place1 which suggests the slightest correspondence to the prophecy4 ,in every detail the ,roman ,papacy does correspond to it4 ,the prophetic outline has brought us to the rise of the great apostasy1 so fully dealt with in the ,new ,testament prophecy2 but there are further specifications in this prophecy of the seventh of ,daniel which demand brief study4 ,illustration3 ,,raising ,,the ,,siege ,,of ,,rome1 ,a4,d4 #ech ,the crushing defeat of the ,goths by the armies of ,justinian1 who placed ,vigilius in the papal chair under the military protection of his famous general1 ,belisarius4 ,illustration3 ,,st4 ,,peter',s ,,and ,,the ,,vatican ,the magnificent headquarters of the papal system4 ,,the #abfj ,,years ,,of ,,daniel',s ,,prophecy ,compressed into forty-four words1 the age-long story of the workings of the ,roman ,papacy is thus told by the angel who interpreted ,daniel's vision of the little horn3 ,he shall speak great words against the ,most ,high1 and shall wear out the saints of the ,most ,high1 and think to change times and laws3 and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,the spirit of this apostasy was abroad in apostolic days4 ,the mystery of iniquity doth already work1 said the apostle ,paul4 #b ,thess4 #b3g4 ,and this power is to continue to work until the end1 when it will be destroyed by the brightness of ,christ's coming4 ,verse #h4 ,a ,prophetic ,period ,but according to the word of the angel to ,daniel1 there was to be a period during which1 in a special sense1 the ,papacy was to hold supremacy over the saints and the times and the laws of the ,most ,high4 ,they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time4 ,in the ,scriptures the word time1 used in this manner1 means a year3 at the end of times1 even years4 ,dan4 #aa3ac1 margin4 ,therefore a time 7one year7 and times 7two years7 and the dividing of time 7half a year7 means three years and a half4 ,the same period is mentioned twice in the twelfth chapter of ,revelation1 once 7verse #ad7 as a time1 and times1 and half a time1 and again 7verse #f7 as a thousand two hundred and threescore days4 ,illustration ,but in the symbolic representations of time in prophecy1 a day stands for a year 7see ,eze4 #d3e1 #f1 and other scriptures74 ,thus the prophecy foretold a long period of #abfj years during which papal supremacy would continue4 ,now we may ask1 ,when was this supremacy to begin8 what would mark the rise of the ,papacy to acknowledged supremacy8 and what events mark the ending of the #abfj years8 ,a ,pivotal ,point in ,history ,the answer of history to the voice of prophecy is clear4 ,the sixth century was a pivotal period in the history of the world4 ,the bishops of ,rome had been asserting the claims of that seat 7or see7 above all others4 ,justinian was emperor of the ,east4 ,of ,justinian and his time ,bury says3 ,he may be likened to a colossal ,janus bestriding the way of passage between the ancient and medieval worlds4444 ,his military achievements decided the course of the history of ,italy1 and affected the development of ,western ,europe2444 and his ecclesiastical authority influenced the distant future of ,christendom4--,history of the ,later ,roman ,empire1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cea-cec4 ,of this turning point in the world's history1 ,finlay says3 ,the changes of centuries passed in rapid succession before the eyes of one generation4--,greece under the ,romans1 p4 #bca4 ,just here we find the ,papacy lifted definitely into acknowledged supremacy4 ,imperial ,rome had already left its ancient seat to the ,papacy1 the imperial throne being no longer maintained at ,rome4 ,the ,bishop of ,rome was left the chief figure in the ancient seat of the ,caesars4 ,the prophecy of ,rev4 #ac3b had said of the relation of the old imperial power to the ,papacy1 ,the dragon gave him his power1 and his seat1 and great authority4 ,the seat was given1 and now imperial ,rome was to give to papal ,rome the definite recognition of its supreme power and great authority4 ,papal ,supremacy ,officially ,recognized ,in ,a4,d4 #ecc the emperor ,justinian promulgated a letter1 having the force of an imperial decree1 recognizing the absolute headship of the ,bishop of ,rome over the churches4 ,it declared3 ,we have been sedulous to subject and unite all the priests of the ,orient throughout its whole extent to the see of ,your ,holiness4444 ,for we do not suffer that anything which is mooted1 however clear and unquestionable1 pertaining to the state of the churches1 should fail to be made known to ,your ,holiness1 as being the head of all the churches4 ,for1 as we have said before1 we are zealous for the increase of the honor and authority of your see in all respects4--,cod4 ,justin41 lib4 #a1 title #a1 ,baronii ,annales ,ecclesiastici1 ,tom4 ,,vii1 an4 #ecc1 sec4 #ab 7,translation as given in ,the ,petrine ,claims1 by ,r4,f4 ,littledale1 p4 #bic74 ,from this decree 7for such it really was7 the ,roman authorities date the official recognition of the supremacy of the ,papacy4 ,some have taken a later decree by ,emperor ,phocas 7,a4,d4 #fjf7 as a starting point4 ,but ,dr4 ,croly says3 ,the highest authorities among the civilians and annalists of ,rome spurn the idea that ,phocas was the founder of the supremacy of ,rome2 they ascend to ,justinian as the only legitimate source1 and rightly date the title from the memorable year #ecc4--,the ,apocalypse of ,st4 ,john1 pp4 #agb1 #agc4 ,the ,sword of ,empire ,cleaves the ,way ,the great authority had been recognized4 ,but at this time heretical ,arian powers compassed the papal seat about4 ,the ,arian ,vandals were persecuting ,catholics in ,africa1 ,corsica1 and ,sardinia1 and an ,arian ,gothic king ruled ,italy from ,ravenna1 his capital4 ,the imperial arms1 however1 were at the service of orthodoxy4 ,in #ecc-ecd ,justinian's famous general1 ,belisarius1 uprooted the ,vandals4 ,the war for the faith and the empire was carried into ,italy also1 against the ,arian ,goths4 ,in #ecf ,belisarius1 unopposed1 entered ,rome at the invitation of the ,pope4 ,but the next year the ,goths rallied all their forces to retake the city4 ,it was a crisis in the struggle for ,italy4 ,if a single post had given way1 says ,gibbon1 the ,romans1 and ,rome itself1 were irrecoverably lost4 ,the ,goths withdrew1 defeated1 in #ech2 and this defeat1 says ,hodgkin1 dug the grave of the ,gothic monarchy in ,italy4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,pope ,,entering ,,st4 ,,peter',s ,,from ,,the ,,vatican ,the famous statue of ,st4 ,peter may be seen on the right4 ,though the conflict went on for years before the ,goths were rooted up1 this defeat of #ech was a crucial hour in their history4 ,finlay says3 ,with the conquest of ,rome by ,belisarius1 the history of the ancient city may be considered as terminating2 and with his defense against ,witiges #ech commences the history of the ,middle ,ages4--,greece under the ,romans1 p #bie4 ,roughly speaking1 the ,middle ,ages and the age of papal supremacy and power were the same4 ,a ,new ,order of ,popes ,illustration3 ,,the ,,vatican ,a bird's-eye view from the dome of ,st4 ,peter's4 ,,copyright ,,by ,,underwood ,,underwood1 ,n4,y4 ,not only was there this telling stroke by the imperial sword in #ech1 helping to clear the way before the ,papacy1 but at this same time the first of a new order of popes was placed upon the papal throne by the imperial arms4 ,pope ,silverius1 accused of sympathy with the ,goths1 was deposed by ,belisarius in #ecg4 ,the emperor intervened1 and the question of the validity of his deposition was held up by the emperor until #ech4 ,in that year1 as ,schaff says3 ,vigilius1 a pliant creature of ,theodora1 ascended the papal chair under the military protection of ,belisarius 7#ech-eed74--;,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #cbg4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,famous ,,sacred ,,stairway ,,in ,,rome ,here ,luther1 climbing the stairway on his knees1 heard the message1 ,the just shall live by faith4 ,with him begins a new order4 ,though personally he was humiliated by the emperor's demands1 and the ,papacy itself was brought into a state of subjection that it had not known even under heretical ,gothic kings1 yet this very arbitrary use of the papal prerogative by ,justinian1 strengthened the idea that the ,pope of ,rome was the supreme authority in religion1 to speak for the universal church4 ,in ,bemont and ,monod's textbook on ,medieval ,europe1 page #abj1 we read3 ,down to the sixth century all popes are declared saints in the martyrologies4 ,vigilius 7#ecg;,e-#eee7 is the first of a series of popes who no longer bear this title1 which is henceforth sparingly conferred4 ,from this time on the popes1 more and more involved in worldly events1 no longer belong solely to the church2 they are men of the state1 and then rulers of the state4 ,a ,persecuting ,power ,following ,vigilius came ,pelagius ,i 7#eef-efj71 who ascended the throne by the military aid of ,narses1 then the imperial general in ,italy4 ,and ,pelagius1 who had been set in the papal see by imperial power1 began to demand that the sword of the empire should be used against bishops or members in the church who did not give way to the authority of the ,pope4 ,his letters on this subject are an unqualified defense of the principles of persecution4 7,see ,dictionary of ,christian ,biography1 by ,smith and ,wace1 art4 ,pope ,pelagius47 ,the prophecy declared that the ,papacy would be given special supremacy during a period of #abfj years4 ,in ,a4,d4 #ecc came the memorable imperial declaration recognizing that supremacy1 and in ,a4,d4 #ech came the stroke with the sword of ,rome1 cleaving the way2 and there began the new order of popes--men of the state1 and then rulers of the state4 ,thus decisive events clearly mark the beginning of the prophetic period of the #abfj years4 ,and just #abfj years from the decree of #ecc1 in recognition of the papal supremacy1 came a decree1 in #agic1 aimed against that supremacy2 and just #abfj years from that stroke with the sword at ,rome in behalf of the ,papacy1 came a stroke with the sword at ,rome against the ,papacy4 ,illustration3 ,,storming ,,of ,,the ,,bastille ,,prison ,,in ,,paris ,an event in the ,french ,revolution which marked the ending of the old autocratic order4 ,,footnotes3 ,e ,the exact date should be #ech1 as given in the quotation from ,schaff's history4 ,from the death of ,silverius ,june1 #ech the ,roman ,catholic writers date the episcopacy of ,vigilius4--,bower1 ,history of the ,popes1 under year #ech4 ,illustration3 ,,taking ,,the ,,pope ,,prisoner ,this was accomplished by ,berthier1 the ,french general1 in #agih4 ,,the ,,dawn ,,of ,a ,,new ,,era ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the #abfj ,,years ,as the generation in which the papal power rose to supremacy was a turning-point in the history of the world1 so1 too1 was the generation in which the #abfj years of its supremacy came to an end4 ,this measuring line of prophecy does more than run from date to date4 ,it connects two great crises in human history1 the events of the first tending to establish the papal rule over men1 the events of the second signalizing a breaking of those bands4 ,a ,crisis in ,history ,papal supremacy came at that time of which ,finlay says1 ,the changes of centuries passed in rapid succession before the eyes of one generation4 ,the measuring line of #abfj years runs on through the centuries till1 lo1 its end touches another time of crisis1--,europe in the convulsions of the ,french ,revolution1 when again changes1 ordinarily requiring centuries1 were wrought out before the eyes of men within the space of a few years4 ,lamartine wrote of that time3 ,these five years are five centuries for ,france4--,history of the ,girondists1 book #fa1 sec4 #af 7,vol4 ,,iii71 p4 #edd4 ,and the events of these times proclaimed the prophetic period of papal supremacy ended at last4 ,thus1 in ,a4,d4 #ecc came the notable decree of the ,papacy's powerful supporter1 recognizing its supremacy2 and then the decisive stroke by the sword at ,rome in ,a4,d4 #ech1 cleaving the way for the new order of popes--the rulers of state4 ,exactly #abfj years later1 in #agic1 came the notable decree of the ,papacy's once powerful supporter1 ,france1--the eldest son of the church1--aiming to abolish church and religion1 followed by a decisive stroke with the sword at ,rome against the ,papacy1 in #agih4 ,significant ,events of the ,french ,revolution ,of the decree of #agic1 ,w4,h4 ,hutton says3-- ,on ,nov4 #bf1 #agic1 the ,convention1 of which seventeen bishops and some clergy were members1 decreed the abolition of all religion4--,age of ,revolution1 p4 #aef4 ,the frenzy of the days of the ,terror presented the spectacle of outraged humanity1 goaded to desperation by centuries of oppression in the name of religion and divine right1 rising up and madly breaking every restraint4 ,because in the minds of the people the ,papacy stood for religion1 they blindly struck at religion itself1 and at ,god1 in whose name the papal church had done its cruel work through the centuries4 ,in the prophecy of ,rev4 #aa3c-ac these events of the wild days of the ,french ,revolution are specifically referred to as coming at the close of the prophetic period of the #abfj years4 ,the prophetic picture was so clear that over a hundred years before the time1 ,jurieu1 an eminent ,french student of prophecy1 wrote that he could not doubt that 'tis ,france1 the chief supporter of the ,papacy1 that would give the shock as of an earthquake to the great spiritual ,babylonian city4 ,he wrote of ,france1 one of the ten parts of divided ,rome3 ,this tenth part of the city shall fall1 with respect to the ,papacy2 it shall break with ,rome1 and the ,roman religion4--,the ,accomplishment of the ,prophecies 7,london1 #afhg71 part #b1 p4 #bfe4 ,and so it came to pass4 ,far beyond ,france the movement reached4 ,canon ,trevor says of the wave of revolt against absolutism that passed over ,europe3 ,it is worthy of observation that only those nations which eschewed popery were able to resist the tide4 ,every throne and every church1 without exception1 that owned the supremacy of ,rome1 was prostrated in the dust4--,rome and ,its ,papal ,rulers1 p4 #dcf4 ,the decree of the ,french ,convention in #agic was followed by the stroke with the sword at ,rome in #agih4 ,the full history is told in fewest words by a ,roman ,catholic writer1 ,rev4 ,joseph ,rickaby1 of the ,jesuit ,society3 ,when1 in #agig1 ,pope ,pius ,,vi fell grievously ill1 ,napoleon gave orders that in the event of his death no successor should be elected to his office1 and that the ,papacy should be discontinued4 ,but the ,pope recovered4 ,the peace was soon broken2 ,berthier entered ,rome on the tenth of ,february1 #agih1 and proclaimed a republic4 ,the aged pontiff refused to violate his oath by recognizing it1 and was hurried from prison to prison in ,france4 ,broken with fatigue and sorrows1 he died on the nineteenth of ,august1 #agii1 in the ,french fortress of ,valence1 aged eighty-two years4 ,no wonder that half ,europe thought ,napoleon's veto would be obeyed1 and that with the ,pope the ,papacy was dead4--,the ,modern ,papacy1 p4 #a 7,catholic ,truth ,society1 ,london74 ,these events of the ,french ,revolution marked the ending of the prophetic period of papal supremacy4 ,a deadly wound had been given the ,papacy4 ,and the blow with the sword at ,rome was struck in #agih1 just #abfj years from the year #ech1 when the sword of empire struck that decisive blow against the ,goths at ,rome1 and prepared the way for the new order of popes1 the kingly rulers of church and state4 ,of the condition of the ,papacy at this time ,canon ,trevor says3 ,the ,papacy was extinct3 not a vestige of its existence remained2 and among all the ,roman ,catholic powers not a finger was stirred in its defense4 ,the ,eternal ,city had no longer prince or pontiff2 its bishop was a dying captive in foreign lands2 and the decree was already announced that no successor would be allowed in his place4--,rome and ,its ,papal ,rulers1 p4 #ddj4 ,no wonder that half ,europe1 the ,jesuit writer says1 thought ,napoleon's veto would be obeyed1 and that with the ,pope the ,papacy was dead4 ,but he adds that since then the ,papacy has been lifted to a pinnacle of spiritual power unreached before4 ,the stroke dealt the ,papacy by the ,french ,revolution was not to be the ending of it1 by any means1 according to the prophecy4 ,these events proclaimed the ending of the prophetic period of special supremacy4 ,another prophecy distinctly indicates that following the deadly blow there would come a revival of the ,papacy's influence1 just as the ,catholic writer describes it4 ,the prophet ,john1 speaking of this same power1 says3 ,i saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death2 and his deadly wound was healed3 and all the world wondered after the beast4444 ,and they worshiped the beast1 saying1 ,who is like unto the beast8 who is able to make war with him8 ,rev4 #ac3c1 #d4 ,we see the healing process still going on1 with evidences multiplying that the world is more and more wondering after the papal power4 ,a ,new ,era of ,liberty and ,enlightenment ,with the ending of the #abfj years of papal supremacy1 a new order was ushered in4 ,the ,papacy had stood for absolutism in state as well as church4 ,now the power of absolutism was broken4 ,absolute monarchy1 ,edmund ,burke said at the time1 breathed its last without a struggle4 ,there came the dawn of an era of greater religious liberty and enlightenment1 that has spread blessings over all lands4 ,the prophecy had said of the ,papacy1 that the saints and the times and laws of the ,most ,high were to be given into his hand for #abfj years4 ,as foretold in ,christ's prophecy 7,matt4 #bd3bb71 these days of the tribulation of ,god's saints were shortened4 ,the power of the ,reformation weakened the oppressing hand1 even before the prophetic period ran out4 ,and when the full #abfj years closed1 the world saw the grip of that papal hand yet further loosened1 and ,god's providence at work preparing the way for a world-wide proclamation of ,his gospel1 bearing witness against the perversions of the papal apostasy1 and restoring to men the ,word and laws of the ,most ,high4 ,the record of history witnesses that this time prophecy of the #abfj years of papal supremacy was exactly fulfilled4 ,the ,lord speaks in prophecy that men may know that ,he is the living ,god4 ,in these time prophecies of ,his ,word1 ,he gives assurance not only that this troubled world has not escaped from the hand of its ,maker1 but that its times are in ,his hand also2 and that when the time of ,his divine purpose fully comes1 ,he will surely cut ,his work short in righteousness1 and end the reign of sin on earth4 ,as the prophetic period of ,dan4 #g3be meets its fulfilment in the history of the ,papacy1 even so1 we shall see1 the work of the ,roman ,church answers to the further specifications regarding the doings of this little horn of ,daniel's prophecy4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,triple ,,crown ,the ,pope's ,tiara1 from a photograph taken in the ,vatican at ,rome4 ,illustration3 ,,huguenots ,,in ,,prison ,,for ,,their ,,faith ,others had trial 444 of bonds and imprisonment4 ,heb4 #aa3cf4 ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,little ,,horn ,,power ,the prophetic picture of the rise and work of the little horn finds its exact counterpart in the history of the ,roman ,papacy3 ,the ,place4--,the little horn was seen by the prophet rising in the field of the ,roman ,empire4 ,that was the very place where the great kingdom of the ,papacy appeared1 taking the name of ,roman4 ,the ,time4--,the rise of the ecclesiastical kingdom of the little-horn power in the prophecy followed the breaking up of the ,roman ,empire into the ten kingdoms4 ,just so the ecclesiastical kingdom of the ,roman ,papacy rises to view in history immediately following the division of the empire4 ,the ,period of ,supremacy4--,the prophecy allotted #abfj years to the full supremacy of this power4 ,history responds that from the beginning of the papal supremacy1 in the days of ,justinian1 a period of #abfj years brings us into the stirring events of the last decade of the eighteenth century1 that gave to the ,papacy a deadly wound4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,power ,he shall speak great words against the ,most ,high4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,love ,one further set of specifications remains for study3 ,the ,work4--,of the nature and work of the power represented by the little horn1 the prophecy declares3 ,he shall speak great words against the ,most ,high1 and shall wear out the saints of the ,most ,high1 and think to change times and laws3 and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,do we find in the record that the ,church of ,rome has fulfilled these specifications also8 ,the ,scripture prophecy is absolutely a word-photograph of the workings of the papal church4 ,look at the main features3 #a4 ,speaking great words against the ,most ,high4 #b4 ,wearing out the saints of the ,most ,high4 #c4 ,thinking to change the times and the laws of the ,most ,high4 ,every count in the indictment may be clearly proved1 and that by testimony from ,roman ,catholic sources ,he ,shall ,speak ,great ,words ,against the ,most ,high ,as ,daniel observed the little-horn power1 he heard it speaking very great things4 ,the angel declared that these great swelling words were really against the ,most ,high4 ,and what could be more against the honor of the ,most ,high than that to mortal man should be ascribed the titles and attributes of divinity8 ,here are some of the great words3 ,all the names which are attributed to ,christ in ,scripture1 implying ,his supremacy over the church1 are also attributed to the ,pope4--,bellarmine1 ,on the ,authority of ,councils1 book #b1 chap4 #ag4 ,this ruling has been actually applied through the ages4 ,says ,elliott3 ,look at the ,sicilian ambassadors prostrated before him ,pope ,martin ,,iv with the cry1 ',lamb of ,god6 that takest away the sins of the world6'--,horae ,apocalypticae1 part #d1 chap4 #e1 sec4 #b4 ,illustration3 ,,christians ,,in ,,prison ,,beneath ,,the ,,colosseum ,,awaiting ,,martyrdom ,and shall wear out the saints of the ,most ,high4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,the ,pope is of so great dignity and excellence1 that he is not merely man1 but as if ,god1 and the vicar of ,god 7non sit simplex homo1 sed quasi ,deus1 et ,dei vicarius74 ,the ,pope alone is called most holy1444 divine monarch1 and supreme emperor1 and king of kings4444 ,the ,pope is of so great dignity and power that he constitutes one and the same tribunal with ,christ 7faciat unum et idem tribunal cum ,christo71 so that whatsoever the ,pope does seems to proceed from the mouth of ,god 7abore ,dei74--,prompta ,bibliotheca 7,ferraris71 art4 ,papa2 ,ferraris's ,ecclesiastical ,dictionary 7,roman ,catholic71 art4 ,the ,pope4 ,quoted in ,guinness's ,romanism and the ,reformation1 p4 #af4 ,these are no merely extravagant adulations of the ,dark ,ages1 to be repudiated by the moderns2 these terms express the unchanging doctrinal claims of the ,roman ,church1 that put man in the place of ,god4 ,the modern ,pope ,leo ,,xiii1 in an encyclical letter dated ,june #bj1 #ahid1 repeated the claim3 ,we hold upon this earth the place of ,god ,almighty4--,the ,great ,encyclical ,letters of ,leo ,,xiii 7,new ,york1 ,benziger ,brothers71 p4 #cjd4 ,thus does the ,papacy speak great words against the ,most ,high4 ,and ,shall ,wear ,out the ,saints of the ,most ,high ,all through the ,dark ,ages we catch glimpses of the ruthless hand of ,rome laid upon simple believers in ,god's ,holy ,word2 but plans for wholesale wearing out of the saints of ,god were devised as the ,waldenses and others rose to a widespread work of witnessing1 heralds of the dawn of the coming ,reformation1-- ,these who gave earliest notice1 ,as the lark ,springs from the ground the morn to gratulate2 ,who1 rather1 rose the day to antedate1 ,by striking out a solitary spark1 ,when all the world with midnight gloom was dark-- ,the harbingers of good whom bitter hate ,in vain endeavored to exterminate4 --,wordsworth4 ,pope ,innocent ,,iii gave orders concerning them as follows3 ,therefore by this present apostolical writing1 we give you a strict command that1 by whatever means you can1 you destroy all these heresies and expel from your diocese all who are polluted with them4 ,you shall exercise the rigor of ecclesiastical power against them and all those who have made themselves suspected by associating with them4 ,they may not appeal from your judgments1 and1 if necessary1 you may cause the princes and people to suppress them with the sword4--,quoted from ,migne1 #bad1 col4 #ga1 in ,thatcher and ,mc,neal's ,source ,book for ,medieval ,history1 p4 #baj4 ,as the truth spread1 so also the papal church redoubled its efforts by sword and flame4 ,the historian ,lecky says3 ,that the ,church of ,rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind1 will be questioned by no ,protestant who has a competent knowledge of history4 ,the memorials1 indeed1 of many of her persecutions are now so scanty that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitude of her victims1 and it is quite certain that no powers of imagination can adequately realize their sufferings4--,history of the ,rise and ,influence of the ,spirit of ,rationalism in ,europe1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #cb4 ,motley1 in his ,rise of the ,dutch ,republic 7part #c1 chap4 #b71 tells how ,philip ,,ii of ,spain--who declared that he would never consent to be the sovereign of heretics--sent the ,duke of ,alva to take over the ,netherlands3 ,early in the year the most sublime sentence of death was promulgated which has ever been pronounced since the creation of the world4 ,the ,roman tyrant ,nero wished that his enemies' heads were all upon a single neck1 that he might strike them off at a blow2 the ,inquisition assisted ,philip to place the heads of all his ,netherlands subjects upon a single neck for the same fell purpose4 ,upon ,february #af1 #aefh1 a sentence of the ,holy ,office condemned all the inhabitants of the ,netherlands to death as heretics4 ,from this universal doom only a few persons1 especially named1 were excepted4 ,a proclamation of the king1 dated ten days later1 confirmed this decree of the ,inquisition1 and ordered it to be carried into instant execution1 without regard to age1 sex1 or condition4 ,this is probably the most concise death warrant that was ever framed4 ,three millions of people1 men1 women1 and children1 were sentenced to the scaffold in three lines4 ,roman ,catholic writers admit that the papal church has sought to exterminate what it calls heresy1 by the power of the sword4 ,the ,western ,watchman 7,st4 ,louis71 ,dec4 #bd1 #aijh1 says3 ,the church has persecuted4444 ,protestants were persecuted in ,france and ,spain with the full approval of the church authorities4 ,we have always defended the persecution of the ,huguenots1 and the ,spanish ,inquisition4 ,wherever and whenever there is honest ,catholicity1 there will be a clear distinction drawn between truth and error1 and ,catholicity and all forms of error4 ,when she thinks it good to use physical force1 she will use it4 ,prof4 ,alfred ,baudrillart1 rector of the ,catholic ,institute of ,paris1 says3 ,the ,catholic ,church is a respecter of conscience and of liberty4444 ,she has1 and she loudly proclaims that she has1 a 'horror of blood4' ,nevertheless1 when confronted by heresy1 she does not content herself with persuasion2 arguments of an intellectual and moral order appear to her insufficient1 and she has recourse to force1 to corporal punishment1 to torture4 ,she creates tribunals like those of the ,inquisition1 she calls the laws of the state to her aid1 if necessary she encourages a crusade1 or a religious war1 and all her 'horror of blood' practically culminates into urging the secular power to shed it1 which proceeding is almost more odious--for it is less frank--than shedding it herself4 ,especially did she act thus in the sixteenth century with regard to ,protestants4 ,not content to reform morally1 to preach by example1 to convert people by eloquent and holy missionaries1 she lit in ,italy1 in the ,low ,countries1 and above all in ,spain1 the funeral piles of the ,inquisition4 ,in ,france under ,francis ,i and ,henry ,,ii1 in ,england under ,mary ,tudor1 she tortured the heretics1 whilst both in ,france and ,germany during the second half of the sixteenth and the first half of the seventeenth century if she did not actually begin1 at any rate she encouraged and actively aided1 the religious wars4--,the ,catholic ,church1 the ,renaissance and ,protestantism 7,london1 ,kegan ,paul1 ,trench1 ,truebner ,co41 ,ltd41 #aijh71 pp4 #ahb1 #ahc4 ,she has done it--the ,church of ,rome has worn out the saints of the ,most ,high4 ,the prophet in vision saw an ecclesiastical kingly power rise among the kingdoms of the divided ,roman ,empire4 ,its look was more stout than its fellows1 and the prophet heard it speaking very great things1 and saw it wearing out the saints of the ,most ,high through the long centuries4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,shame ,,of ,,religious ,,wars ,christ viewing the battle fields of history1 where millions of ,his followers have been slain in ,his name4 ,guilty6 is the clear verdict of history1 against the ,church of ,rome on these two counts of the prophetic indictment4 ,and ,think to ,change ,times and ,laws ,the power that was to speak great words against the ,most ,high1 and to wear out the saints of the ,most ,high1 was further--in its self-exalting opposition to ,god--to assume to lay hands upon times and laws1 evidently the times and the laws of the ,most ,high2 for to say that such a power would lay hands on the laws of men1 changing or setting aside human legislation1 would signify less than the preceding counts4 ,this third specification states a climax in the indictment--the self-exalting1 persecuting power was to lay hands upon the very law of the ,most ,high4 ,it is clearly the same power that the apostle ,paul said would rise to dominion after his time3 ,then shall be revealed the lawless one4 #b ,thess4 #b3h1 ,a4,r4,v4 ,god's ,law ,unchangeable ,just as the laws of a government express its character1 so the law of ,god is a reflection of the divine character4 ,the law of the ,lord is perfect4 ,ps4 #ai3g4 ,wherefore the law is holy1 said the apostle1 and the commandment holy1 and just1 and good4 ,rom4 #g3ab4 ,jesus declared1 ,i delight to do ,thy will1 ,o ,my ,god3 yea1 ,thy law is within ,my heart4 ,ps4 #dj3h4 ,and ,he maintained the unchangeable1 enduring integrity of that law3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,till heaven and earth pass1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law1 till all be fulfilled4 ,matt4 #e3ah4 ,but in ,daniel's prophecy is foretold the rise of this power that was to think to change the times and the laws of the ,most ,high4 ,here1 again1 the evidence points straight to the ,church of ,rome2 for it is a fact that the ,papacy has laid violent hands on the law of ,god--upon the precept1 too1 that deals with sacred time--and has thought to change it4 ,in a volume to be seen in the ,british ,museum1 dated #aede1 the following comment on ,dan4 #g3be is attributed to ,philipp ,melanchthon1 the ,reformer1 associate of ,luther 7reproduced with the old ,english spelling73 ,he changeth the tymes and lawes that any of the sixe worke dayes commanded of ,god will make them unholy and idle dayes when he lyste1 or of their owne holy dayes abolished make worke dayes agen1 or when they changed ye ,saterday into ,sondaye4444 ,they have changed ,god's lawes and turned them into their owne tradicions to be kept above ,god's precepts4--,exposition of ,daniel the ,prophete1 ,gathered out of ,philipp ,melanchthon1 ,johan ,ecolampadius1 etc41 by ,george ,joye1 #aede1 p4 #aai4 ,this is exactly what the power represented by the little horn was to assume to do4 ,the commandment of ,god is plain3 ,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy4 ,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work3 but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work4444 ,for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day3 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it4 ,ex4 #bj3h-aa4 ,a ,change in ,practice ,but in general practice there has been a change--the first day is commonly observed instead of the seventh day1 which the ,lord declares he blessed and made holy4 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church points exultingly to the fact that this change1 so universally allowed today1 has come about solely through church tradition without ,scriptural authority4 ,for instance1 one ,catholic writer says3 ,you will tell me that ,saturday was the ,jewish ,sabbath1 but that the ,christian ,sabbath has been changed to ,sunday4 ,changed6 but by whom8 ,who has authority to change an express commandment of ,almighty ,god8 ,when ,god has spoken and said1 ,thou shalt keep holy the seventh day1 who shall dare to say1 ,nay1 thou mayest work and do all manner of worldly business on the seventh day2 but thou shalt keep holy the first day in its stead8 ,this is a most important question1 which ,i know not how you can answer4 ,you are a ,protestant1 and you profess to go by the ,bible and the ,bible only2 and yet in so important a matter as the observance of one day in seven as a holy day1 you go against the plain letter of the ,bible1 and put another day in the place of that day which the ,bible has commanded4 ,the command to keep holy the seventh day is one of the ten commandments2 you believe that the other nine are still binding2 who gave you authority to tamper with the fourth8 ,if you are consistent with your own principles1 if you really follow the ,bible and the ,bible only1 you ought to be able to produce some portion of the ,new ,testament in which this fourth commandment is expressly altered4--,library of ,christian ,doctrine3 ,why ,don't ,you ,keep the ,holy ,sabbath ,day8 7,burns and ,oates ,london71 p4 #c4 ,every one who studies the question must recognize the fact that there is no change authorized in ,scripture4 ,as ,canon ,eyton1 of the ,church of ,england1 says3 ,there is no word1 no hint1 in the ,new ,testament about abstaining from work on ,sunday4444 ,into the rest of ,sunday no divine law enters4--,the ,ten ,commandments 7,truebner ,co471 ,london4 ,dr4 ,heylyn1 of the ,church of ,england1 wrote3 ,take which you will1 either the ,fathers or the moderns1 and we shall find no ,lord's day instituted by any apostolical mandate2 no ,sabbath set on foot by them upon the first day of the week4--,history of the ,sabbath1 part #b1 chap4 #a4 ,authorities1 both ,protestant and ,catholic1 freely acknowledge that there is no divine authority for ,sunday keeping4 ,there has been a change in practice and teaching1 but with no ,scriptural authority4 ,what the ,papacy ,claims ,the prophecy of ,daniel #g forewarned all that the ecclesiastical power that was to rise upon the division of the ,roman ,empire would think to change the times and the laws of the ,most ,high4 ,the ,papacy steps forward and claims boldly that the church has power to set aside ,scripture1 to institute holy times1 and even to change the day made holy and commanded by the ,almighty as the day of rest for ,his people4 ,in a ,catholic work1 ,an ,abridgment of the ,christian ,doctrine1 by ,dr4 ,henry ,turberville1 page #fa1 we read3 ,question4--,by whom was the change of the ,sabbath made8 ,answer4--,by the rulers of the church1 the apostles who kept the ,lord's day4444 ,ques4--,how do you prove that the church hath power to establish feasts and holy days8 ,ans4--,by the very fact of changing the ,sabbath to ,sunday2 this change ,protestants allow2 and therefore they contradict themselves by keeping ,sunday strictly and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church4 ,ques4--,how prove you that8 ,ans4--,because by keeping ,sunday they acknowledge the church's power to ordain feasts and to command them under sin2 and by not keeping the rest commanded by her1 they deny that she has power4 ,it is the doctrine taught in the standard catechisms of the ,roman ,church3 ,question4--,have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept8 ,answer4--,had she not such power1 she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her1--she could not have substituted the observance of ,sunday the first day of the week1 for the observance of ,saturday the seventh day1 a change for which there is no ,scriptural authority4--,keenan's ,doctrinal ,catechism1 p4 #agd4 ,thus the ,papacy proclaims itself the power that has thought to change the precepts of the ,most ,high4 ,on every count1 the ,roman ,church is the counterpart of the little horn of ,daniel #g4 ,before our eyes--in the common practice of ,christendom--the commandment of ,god regarding sacred time is made void by the traditions of men4 ,the prophecy indicated that there would come a call for a reformation in this matter4 ,speaking of the warfare against the saints and the times and laws of the ,most ,high1 to be waged by the little-horn power1 the angel said3 ,they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,in other words1 when the #abfj years should expire1 we should expect1 according to the prophecy1 to see a breaking of the ,papacy's persecuting power over believers1 a spreading abroad of the ,holy ,scriptures1 and a work of reformation that would lift up the truths of ,god's ,word1 and call believers to keep once again the holy time and the holy law of the ,most ,high4 ,the prophecy of ,daniel #g is one of ,god's special messages for all men in these last days1 picturing the rise and history of the ,papacy1 and warning all against accepting its perversions of ,god's truth or recognizing its attempted change in the law of the ,most ,high4 ,thank ,god for the sure word of prophecy2 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed1 as unto a light that shineth in a dark place4 ,we are to follow the ,lord and obey him1 not this power that has risen up in opposition to him4 ,the angel's interpretation in this chapter does not leave the apostasy triumphant3 ,the judgment shall sit1 and they shall take away his dominion1 to consume and to destroy it unto the end4 ,then the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of the ,most ,high1 and all dominions shall serve and obey ,him4 ,o1 how shall we stand that moment of searching1 ,when all our sins those books reveal8 ,when from that court1 each case decided1 ,shall be granted no appeal8 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,and ,,the ,,scribes ,in vain they do worship ,me1 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men4 ,matt4 #ae3i4 ,illustration3 ,,creation ,in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1444 and rested the seventh day4 ,ex4 #bj3aa4 ,,the ,,bible ,,sabbath ,he answered and said1 ,every plant1 which ,my heavenly ,father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up4 ,matt4 #ae3ac4 ,the scribes had come to ,jesus with the complaint1 ,why do ,thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders8 ,jesus answered them with another question1 ,why do ye also transgress the commandment of ,god by your tradition8 ,they had thought that ,christ was introducing novelties1 preaching new things1 contrary to established church custom and practice4 ,he showed them that ,he really stood for the old and established things of ,god's ,word1 and that their own religious customs1 however old1 were really the novelties1 without divine authority4 ,he said1 ,in vain do they worship ,me1 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men4 ,and finally ,he added the words quoted above1 ,every plant1 which ,my heavenly ,father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up4 ,let the principles be applied to the question of ,sabbath observance4 ,sometimes in our day those who preach the word of ,god regarding the abiding holiness of the seventh-day ,sabbath are accused of preaching new doctrines1 contrary to the traditions and customs of the church4 ,but really1 the observance of ,sunday1 the first day1 is the innovation2 the seventh-day ,sabbath is of ancient foundation4 ,is the ,seventh-day ,sabbath a ,plant of ,our ,heavenly ,father's ,planting8 ,which of these two institutions has our heavenly ,father planted8 ,it is possible to ascertain to a surety2 for every plant of ,his planting1 every doctrine of ,his truth1 will be found rooted in the ,holy ,scriptures4 #b ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag4 ,the ,old ,testament ,record ,from the ,beginning4--,when the ,creator made the earth and man upon it1 ,he made the seventh day of the weekly cycle ,his holy ,sabbath4 ,thus the heavens and the earth were finished1 and all the host of them4444 ,and ,god blessed the seventh day1 and sanctified it3 because that in it ,he had rested from all ,his work which ,god created and made4 ,gen4 #b3a-c4 ,to sanctify is to set apart1 and so the day made holy and blessed by ,god was set apart for man4 ,then it was1 as ,jesus said1 that the ,sabbath was made for man4 ,mark #b3bg4 ,here the ,sabbath institution was planted at the beginning of the world4 ,at the ,exodus4--,the people of ,israel1 in their bondage in ,egypt1 had fallen away from the knowledge of ,god and become corrupted by the idolatrous worship of ,egypt1 ,hence1 as the ,lord called them out to be ,his people1 ,he tested their loyalty to ,his law by observing how they regarded ,his holy ,sabbath3 ,then said the ,lord unto ,moses1 ,behold1 ,i will rain bread from heaven for you2 and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day1 that ,i may prove them1 whether they will walk in ,my law1 or no4 ,ex4 #af3d4 ,so through the forty years the ,lord sent the manna for them to gather on the six working days1 withholding it on the ,sabbath4 7,this scripture shows also that the ,sabbath was a part of ,god's law before ,he spoke it from ,sinai47 ,illustration3 ,,horeb1 ,,the ,,sacred ,,mount ,a modern view of the summit of ,mt4 ,sinai4 ,at ,sinai4--,when the time came that the ,lord would speak ,his holy law from heaven1 the eternal foundation of ,his moral government1 the ,sabbath precept was enshrined in the heart of it3 ,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy4 ,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work3 but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work1 thou1 nor thy son1 nor thy daughter1 thy manservant1 nor thy maidservant1 nor thy cattle1 nor thy stranger that is within thy gates3 for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day3 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it4 ,ex4 #bj3h-aa4 ,through ,israel's ,history4--,sabbath keeping was the great mark of loyalty to ,god4 ,when ,israel fell into idolatry1 they observed times 7see #b ,kings #ba3f71--;doubtless such heathen festivals to the sun god and other deities as were common among the idolatrous nations4 ,these observances of other days meant ,sabbath breaking4 ,neither shall ye 444 observe times4444 ,ye shall keep ,my ,sabbaths4 ,lev4 #ai3bf-cj4 ,the ,lord had promised concerning ,jerusalem3 ,if ye diligently hearken unto ,me1 saith the ,lord1 to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the ,sabbath day1 but hallow the ,sabbath day1 to do no work therein2 then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of ,david1444 and this city shall remain forever4 ,jer4 #ag3bd1 #be4 ,the divine pleading was slighted1 and ,jerusalem's fall and the ,babylonian captivity came as the result of the ,israelites' disregard of ,god's holy day4 ,thus throughout the inspired record of the ,old ,testament the seventh-day ,sabbath appears as a plant of the heavenly ,father's own planting4 ,the ,new ,testament ,record ,the ,example and ,teaching of ,jesus4--,it was ,christ's custom to worship on the seventh day4 ,luke #d3af4 ,jesus1 who ,himself made the ,sabbath at creation 7,john #a3c71 taught that it was made for man1--for the human race1--and declared1 ,the ,son of man is ,lord also of the ,sabbath4 ,mark #b3bg1 #bh4 ,it is1 therefore1 the ,lord's day4 ,rev4 #a3aj4 ,he did on the ,sabbath only that which was lawful1 or according to the law of ,god's holy day4 ,matt4 #ab3ab4 ,he kept ,his ,father's commandments throughout ,his earthly life4 ,john #ae3aj4 ,and giving instruction regarding events to take place many years after ,his ascension1 ,he showed that ,he recognized the continued existence of the ,sabbath in the command1 ,pray ye that your flight be not in the winter1 neither on the ,sabbath day4 ,matt4 #bd3bj4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,healing ,,the ,,man ,,with ,a ,,withered ,,hand ,it is lawful to do well on the ,sabbath days4 ,matt4 #ab3ab4 ,among ,new ,testament ,disciples4--,the women1 after the crucifixion1 rested the ,sabbath day according to the commandment4 ,luke #bc3ef4 ,inspiration says that the apostle ,paul's custom was to preach the gospel publicly ,sabbath after ,sabbath4 ,acts #ac3ad2 #af3ac2 #ag3a1 #b2 #ah3d4 ,when the ,gentiles of ,antioch heard the gospel preached by the apostle one ,sabbath1 they besought that these words might be preached to them the next ,sabbath4 ,acts #ac3db4 ,throughout the ,new ,testament1 written years after ,christ's ascension1 the ,holy ,spirit1 speaking of the seventh day1 calls it the ,sabbath upwards of fifty times4 ,sabbath means rest2 therefore when the ,holy ,spirit1 in the ,christian age1 calls the seventh day the rest day1 it must infallibly be the day of rest for ,christians1 the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,in the ,levitical or sacrificial ordinances of the sanctuary services there were annual sabbaths and feasts1 associated with meats and drinks and ceremonial observances4 ,but in appointing these the ,lord specifically distinguished between them and the one and only weekly ,sabbath1 which was from the beginning4 ,these are the feasts of the ,lord1 ,he said1 beside the ,sabbaths of the ,lord4 ,lev4 #bc3cg1 #ch4 ,the annual festivals and sabbaths1 like all the ordinances of the ,levitical service1 were shadows of things to come1 and found their fulfilment in the great sacrifice of ,calvary4 ,col4 #b3af1 #ag4 ,but the ,sabbath of the ,lord was made blessed and holy by ,god at the creation1 before sin had entered the world1 before any sacrificial or shadowy service was instituted to point to a coming ,redeemer4 ,it is a fundamental and primary institution1 a part of the moral order of ,god's government for man1 the same as the obligations set forth in each of the other commandments4 ,and ,inspiration declares the eternal perpetuity of the blessed ,sabbath day in the future home of the saved1 when the prophet describes the felicity of the redeemed1 as from month to month1 and from one ,sabbath to another1 all flesh shall come to worship before the ,lord4 ,isa4 #ff3bc4 ,thus we find the seventh-day ,sabbath a plant of the heavenly ,father's planting1 rooted deep in all ,holy ,scripture1 and abiding eternally in the world to come4 ,is the ,first-day ,rest an ,institution of ,god's ,planting8 ,in the beginning1 the first day was employed by ,god in the work of creation4 ,gen4 #a3a-e4 ,throughout all the ,old ,testament history it was one of the six working days4 ,eze4 #df3a4 ,it was the day of ,christ's resurrection2 but ,inspiration says specifically that the ,sabbath was past when that first day of the week came4 ,mark #af3a1 #b4 ,inspiration called this first day merely by the ordinary secular name in common business use1 with never a suggestion of attaching any sacredness to the day4 ,for some of the disciples it was a day of journeying1 in which the risen ,christ joined them4 ,luke #bd3ac-bi4 ,later ,he appeared to the other disciples in ,jerusalem1 gathered not in meeting1 but at supper in their common dwelling house4 ,mark #af3ad4 ,the only religious meeting recorded as occurring on the first day of the week was that held at ,troas4 7,see ,acts #bj3f-ac47 ,the context shows that it was an evening meeting1 after the ,sabbath1--,saturday night1 as we would call it1 for the ,bible reckoning is from evening to evening4 ,it was the last time the believers were ever to see the apostle's face1 and as they lingered after the close of the ,sabbath1 he held an all-night farewell meeting1 breaking bread with the believers1 and leaving at daybreak ,sunday morning for the eighteen- or twenty-mile journey afoot1 across country to ,assos4 ,and while he spent the first day traveling afoot1 his companions were journeying by boat4 ,conybeare and ,howson 7of the ,church of ,england71 in that standard work1 ,life and ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul1 tell the plain fact of the inspired record1 save that manifestly they should not have applied the title ,jewish to ,god's ,sabbath2 for it was not the ,sabbath of the ,jews1 but the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 ,it was the evening which succeeded the ,jewish ,sabbath4 ,on the ,sunday morning the vessel was about to sail4--,chapter #bj1 p4 #ebj4 ,describing the road between ,troas and ,assos1 they add3 ,strength and peace were surely sought and obtained by the apostle from the ,redeemer as he pursued his lonely road that ,sunday afternoon in spring among the oak woods and the streams of ,ida4--,id41 p4 #ebb4 ,once again the first day of the week is mentioned1 in #a ,cor4 #af3b4 ,but that scripture says no word of any sacredness of the day or of any religious observance of it4 ,the apostle was gathering a fund for the poor at ,jerusalem1 and asked every believer to lay by something every first day of the week1 so that the money would be ready when he came4 ,as ,dean ,stanley 7,church of ,england7 comments3 ,there is nothing to prove public assemblies1 inasmuch as the phrase ,greek3 par heauto 7'by himself1 at his own house'7 implies that the collection was to be made individually and in private4 ,and ,neander's ,church ,history says3 ,all mentioned here is easily explained1 if one simply thinks of the ordinary beginning of the week in secular life4--,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cci 7,german ed474 ,to meet the emergency of need in ,judea1 these believers were asked to look over their business affairs at the beginning of each week1 until ,paul should come1 laying aside a gift as ,god had prospered them4 ,no ,sunday ,sacredness in the ,new ,testament ,this is the record--not one suggestion in all the ,new ,testament of ,sunday sacredness1 to say nothing of precept or commandment of the ,lord4 ,the late ,r4,w4 ,dale1 ,d4,d41 a leading ,congregationalist of ,england1 wrote3 ,it is quite clear that1 however rigidly or devotedly we may spend ,sunday1 we are not keeping the ,sabbath4444 ,the ,sabbath was founded on a specific1 divine command4 ,we can plead no such command for the observance of ,sunday4444 ,there is not a single line in the ,new ,testament to suggest that we incur any penalty by violating the supposed sanctity of ,sunday4--,the ,ten ,commandments1 pp4 #ajf1 #ajg4 ,that religious classic1 ,smith and ,cheetham's ,dictionary of ,christian ,antiquities1 says that the notion of a formal substitution of the first day for the seventh1 and the transference to it1 perhaps in a spiritualized form1 of the ,sabbatical obligation established by the promulgation of the fourth commandment1 has no basis whatever1 either in ,holy ,scripture or in ,christian antiquity4--,article ,sabbath4 ,dr4 ,e4,f4 ,hiscox1 author of ,the ,baptist ,manual1 says3 ,there was and is a commandment to 'keep holy the ,sabbath day1' but that ,sabbath was not ,sunday4 ,it will1 however1 be readily said1 and with some show of triumph1 that the ,sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week4444 ,where can the record of such a transaction be found8 ,not in the ,new ,testament--absolutely not4--,the ,new ,york ,examiner1 ,nov4 #af1 #ahic4 ,such declarations by well-known scholars might be multiplied1 but it is not necessary4 ,the record is open--any one may see it4 ,there is not a word in the ,holy ,scripture of any first-day sacredness4 ,the ,sunday institution is not a plant of our heavenly ,father's planting4 ,how the ,change ,came ,about ,there has been no change of the ,sabbath by divine authority4 ,men may choose to rest on any other day1 but that cannot make such a day ,god's rest day1 ,his holy ,sabbath4 ,one cannot change one's birthday by celebrating another day as such4 ,it is a fact of history that on a certain day of the month one was born4 ,that fact cannot be changed by choosing to celebrate another day as the birthday4 ,just so it is a fact of divine history that ,god rested on a given day of the week1 and on no other4 ,that made the seventh day ,his rest day4 ,it is different from other days in character also1 for ,he blessed it and made it holy4 ,to deny the difference between common days and the holy day is to say that when the great ,creator blesses and makes holy1 it is a vain performance4 ,that cannot be4 ,it would take away all hope of holiness or salvation for men4 ,the blessing is upon the day1 as every soul finds who keeps it by faith4 ,when men choose to set apart another day than that blessed and sanctified of ,god1 it is plainly a setting up of the humanly appointed time against the divinely appointed time4 ,it is exalting man's sabbath against ,god's ,sabbath4 ,it is man exalting himself above all that is called ,god4 #b ,thess4 #b3d4 ,this was what made the ,roman ,papacy4 ,the apostle ,paul wrote that in his day the spirit of lawlessness was already working4 ,he said it would lead to a falling away from the truth of ,god1 and the full exaltation of the man of sin4 #b ,thessalonians #b4 ,the falling away came4 ,as ,dr4 ,killen 7,presbyterian71 of ,ireland1 says in the preface to his ,ancient ,church3 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sabbath ,,from ,,eden ,,to ,,eden ,blessed and sanctified in ,eden4 ,gen4 #b3c4 ,christ the ,lord of the ,sabbath4 ,mark #b3bh4 ,written by ,god in ,his law4 ,ex4 #bj3h-aa4 ,to be observed in the new earth4 ,isa4 #ff3bc4 ,in the interval between the days of the apostles and the conversion of ,constantine1 the ,christian commonwealth changed its aspect4444 ,rites and ceremonies1 of which neither ,paul nor ,peter ever heard1 crept into use1 and then claimed the rank of divine institutions4 ,in his ,essay on the ,development of ,christian ,doctrine1 ,cardinal ,newman 7,roman ,catholic7 tells how rites and ceremonies were borrowed from paganism3 ,confiding then in the power of ,christianity to resist the infection of evil1 and to transmute the very instruments and appendages of demon worship to an evangelical use1444 the rulers of the church from early times were prepared1 should the occasion arise1 to adopt1 or imitate1 or sanction the existing rites and customs of the populace1 as well as the philosophy of the educated class4--,pages #cga1 #cgb4 ,thus along with other adaptations came the venerable day of the sun 7,sunday74 ,it was by gradual process that it supplanted the ,sabbath4 ,sir ,william ,domville wrote3 ,centuries of the ,christian era passed away before ,sunday was observed by the ,christian church as a ,sabbath4 ,history does not furnish us with a single proof or indication that it was at any time so observed previous to the ,sabbatical edict of ,constantine in ,a4,d4 #cba4--;,examination of ,six ,texts1 p4 #bia4 ,this law of ,constantine's was as follows3 ,on the venerable day of the sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest1 and let all workshops be closed4 ,in the country1 however1 persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits2 because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain sowing or for vine planting2 lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations1 the bounty of heaven should be lost4 7,given the #gth day of ,march1 ,crispus and ,constantine being consuls each of them for the second time47--,schaff1 ,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 chap4 #e1 sec4 #ge4 ,commenting on this law1 ,prof4 ,hutton ,webster1 of the ,university of ,nebraska1 says3 ,this legislation by ,constantine probably bore no relation to ,christianity2 it appears1 on the contrary1 that the emperor1 in his capacity of ,pontifex ,maximus1 was only adding the day of the sun1 the worship of which was then firmly established in the ,roman ,empire1 to the other ferial days of the sacred calendar4 ,what began1 however1 as a pagan ordinance1 ended as a ,christian regulation2 and a long series of imperial decrees1 during the fourth1 fifth1 and sixth centuries1 enjoined with increasing stringency abstinence from labor on ,sunday4--,rest ,days1 pp4 #abb1 #bgj4 ,dean ,stanley 7,church of ,england7 writes3 ,the retention of the old pagan name ,dies ,solis1 or ,sunday1 for the weekly ,christian festival1 is1 in a great measure1 owing to the union of pagan and ,christian sentiment with which the first day of the week was recommended by ,constantine to his subjects1 pagan and ,christian alike1 as the 'venerable day of the sun4'--,history of the ,eastern ,church1 lecture #f1 par4 #ae4 ,thus the ,sunday institution comes in1 marked by its pagan origin1 and adapted to ecclesiastical purposes by the church of the falling away that grew into the ,roman ,papacy4 ,to quote again from the ,baptist author1 ,dr4 ,hiscox3 ,of course1 ,i quite well know that ,sunday did come into use in early ,christian history as a religious day1 as we learn from the ,christian ,fathers and other sources4 ,but what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism1 and christened with the name of the sun god1 when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy1 and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to ,protestantism4--,new ,york ,examiner1 ,nov4 #af1 #ahic4 ,no wonder that with the coming of the latter days1 and the proclamation of the message of preparation for ,christ's second coming1 there should come a call to ,christians to follow ,christ and ,holy ,scripture in keeping ,god's holy ,sabbath4 ,again the voice of ,jesus is heard in protest against traditions that make void the commandment of ,god4 ,every plant1 ,he says1 which ,my heavenly ,father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up4 ,matt4 #ae3ac4 ,made for ,man ,the ,god that made the earth1 ,and all the worlds on high1 ,who gave all creatures birth1 ,in earth1 and sea1 and sky1 ,after six days in work employed1 ,upon the seventh a rest enjoyed4 ,the ,sabbath day was blessed1 ,hallowed1 and sanctified2 ,it was ,jehovah's rest1 ,and so it must abide2 ',twas set apart before the fall1 ',twas made for man1 'twas made for all4 ,and when from ,sinai's mount1 ,amidst the fire and smoke1 ,jehovah did recount1 ,and all ,his precepts spoke1 ,he claimed the rest day as ,his own1 ,and wrote it with ,his law on stone4 ,the ,son of ,god appeared ,with tidings of great joy2 ,god's precepts ,he revered1 ,he came not to destroy2 ,none of the law was set aside1 ,but every tittle ratified4 ,our ,saviour did not die ,to render null and void ,the law of the ,most ,high1 ,which cannot be destroyed2 ,but1 bruised for us1 our stripes ,he bore1-- ,we'll go in peace and sin no more4 --,r4,f4 ,cottrell4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,disciples ,,in ,,the ,,corn-,,fields ,the ,son of man is ,lord even of the ,sabbath day4 ,matt4 #ab3h4 ,illustration3 ,,returning ,,from ,,the ,,saviour',s ,,tomb ,they returned1444 and rested the ,sabbath day according to the commandment4 ,luke #bc3ef4 ,,glimpses ,,of ,,sabbath ,,keeping ,,after ,,new ,,testament ,,times ,not at once did the innovation of ,sunday observance set aside the ,sabbath of the ,lord in the practice of even the general church4 ,and through history1 when the general church had fallen away1 we catch glimpses here and there of faithful witnesses to ,god's holy ,sabbath truth4 ,first ,centuries ,an old ,english writer1 ,professor ,brerewood1 of ,gresham ,college1 ,london1 put in shortest phrase what many writers say3 ,they know little who do not know that the ancient ,sabbath did remain and was observed by the ,eastern churches three hundred years after our ,saviour's passion4--,treatise on the ,sabbath1 p4 #gg4 ,fourth ,century ,canon #bi1 of the ,council of ,laodicea 7,a4,d4 #cfd71 shows that the ecclesiastical system was laboring to put an end to ,sabbath keeping3 ,christians shall not ,judaize and be idle on ,saturday the ,sabbath1 but shall work on that day2 but the ,lord's day as they called ,sunday they shall especially honor1 and1 as being ,christians1 shall1 if possible1 do no work on that day4 ,if1 however1 they be found ,judaizing1 they shall be shut out from ,christ4--,hefele1 ,history of the ,councils of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 book #f1 sec4 #ic1 canon #bi4 ,fifth ,century ,sozomen's ,ecclesiastical ,history shows ,rome evidently leading in the effort to abolish any recognition whatever of the ,sabbath3 ,the people of ,constantinople1 and of several other cities1 assemble together on the ,sabbath1 as well as on the next day2 which custom is never observed at ,rome1 or at ,alexandria4--,book #g1 chap4 #ai4 ,seventh ,century ,there were true ,sabbath keepers in ,rome itself1 teaching the truth of ,god among the people1 and bringing upon themselves the denunciation of ,pope ,gregory the ,great1 who wrote to his most beloved sons the ,roman citizens3 ,it has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith1 so as to forbid any work being done on the ,sabbath day4 ,what else can ,i call these but preachers of ,antichrist8--,history of the ,councils 7,labbe and ,cossart71 ,vol4 ,v1 col4 #aeaa2 see also ,nicene and ,post-,nicene ,fathers1 ,vol4 ,,xiii1 book #ac1 epistle #a4 ,eleventh ,century ,the ,pope's legates at ,constantinople 7,a4,d4 #ajed7 were called to discuss with ,nicetas1 one of the most learned men at that time in the ,east1 says ,bower1 whose position was that the ,sabbath ought to be kept holy1 and that priests should be allowed to marry4--,history of the ,popes1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #ceh4 ,the people of north ,scotland1 the ancient ,culdee church founded by ,columba and his followers1 far removed from direct papal influence1 was still keeping the seventh-day ,sabbath in the eleventh century4 ,of this church ,andrew ,lang says in his ,history of ,scotland3 ,they worked on ,sunday1 but kept ,saturday in a ,sabbatical manner4--,volume ,i1 p4 #if4 ,skene1 in his classic work1 ,celtic ,scotland1 says of these ,sabbath keepers3 ,they seemed to have followed a custom of which we find traces in the early monastic church of ,ireland1 by which they held ,saturday to be the ,sabbath1 on which they rested from all their labors4--,book #b1 chap4 #h4 ,margaret1 of ,england1 married ,malcolm the ,great1 the ,scottish king1 in #ajfi4 ,an ardent ,catholic1 ,queen ,margaret at once set about ,romanizing the ,celtic church4 ,she called in the church leaders1 and held long discussions with them4 ,at last1 with the help and authority of her royal husband1 and quoting the instructions of the blessed ,pope ,gregory1 she succeeded in turning the ancient ,culdee church in ,scotland away from the ,sabbath4 7,see ,life of ,st4 ,margaret1 by ,turgot1 her confessor47 ,twelfth to ,fourteenth ,century ,among the numerous sects of southern ,europe and the ,alpine valleys1 that were pursued and persecuted by ,rome1 were at least some who saw and obeyed the ,sabbath truth4 ,thus1 of one of these bodies1 the historian ,goldastus says3 ,they were called ,insabbatati1 not because they were circumcised1 but because they kept the ,sabbath according to the ,jewish law4--,deutsche ,biographie1 ,vol4 ,,ix1 art4 ,goldast41 p4 #cbg4 ,fifteenth ,century ,sabbath keepers in ,norway drew the condemnation of a church council held in #adce3 ,the archbishop and the clergy assembled in this provincial council at ,bergen do decide that the keeping of ,saturday must never be permitted to exist1 except as granted in the church law4--,keyser's ,norske ,kirkes ,historie1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #dhh4 ,sixteenth ,century ,with the setting free of the ,word of ,god by the ,reformation1 and the protest against the doctrine of papal tradition1 multitudes saw that the ,sunday institution was not of divine origin2 while not a few went farther1 recognizing the claims of ,god's ,sabbath4 ,moravia was a refuge1 in those early ,reformation days1 for many believers in the ,reformed doctrines1 and among these were ,sabbath-keeping ,christians3 ,illustration3 ,,waldenses ,,hunted ,,by ,,the ,,armies ,,of ,,rome ,destitute1 afflicted1 tormented2444 they wandered in deserts1 and in mountains1 and in dens and caves of the earth4 ,heb4 #aa3cg1 #ch4 ,even most prominent men1 as the princes of ,lichtenstein1 held to the observance of the true ,sabbath4 ,when persecution finally scattered them1 the seeds of truth must have been sown by them in the different portions of the ,continent which they visited4444 ,we have found them ,sabbath keepers in ,bohemia4 ,they were also known in ,silesia and ,poland4 ,likewise they were in ,holland and northern ,germany4444 ,there were at this time ,sabbath keepers in ,france1444 'among whom were ,m4 de la ,roque1 who wrote in defense of the ,sabbath against ,bossuet1 ,catholic bishop of ,meaux4' ,that ,sabbatarians again appeared in ,england by the time of the ,reformation1 during the reign of ,queen ,elizabeth 7,a4,d4 #aecc-afjc71 ,dr4 ,chambers testifies in his ,cyclopedia art4 ',sabbath'4--,andrews and ,conradi1 ,history of the ,sabbath1 pp4 #fdi1 #fej4 ,in this century also1 ,sabbath keepers appeared in ,norway1 ,sweden1 and ,finland4 ,in #aeed ,king ,gustavus ,vasa1 of ,sweden1 addressed a letter of remonstrance to the common people in ,finland1 because so many were turning to keep the seventh day4 ,seventeenth ,century ,there was much discussion in ,england over the authority for ,sunday observance4 ,when other church festivals were ignored1 as ,easter1 ,king ,charles ,i wanted to know why ,sunday should be kept4 ,he wrote3 ,it will not be found in ,scripture where ,saturday is discharged to be kept1 or turned into the ,sunday2 wherefore it must be the church's authority that changed the one and instituted the other2 therefore my opinion is that those who will not keep this feast ,easter may as well return to the observation of ,saturday1 and refuse the weekly ,sunday4--,cox1 ,sabbath ,laws1 p4 #ccc4 ,it was during this time that the idea first obtained of enforcing ,sunday obligation by the fourth commandment and calling it the ,sabbath4 ,it was argued that any one day in seven was what the commandment meant4 ,of this argument1 ,john ,milton1 the statesman-poet1 wrote3 ,it is impossible to extort such a sense from the words of the commandment2 seeing that the reason for which the command itself was originally given1 namely1 as a memorial of ,god's having rested from the creation of the world1 cannot be transferred from the seventh day to the first2 nor can any new motive be substituted in its place1 whether the resurrection of our ,lord or any other1 without the sanction of a divine commandment4--,prose ,works 7,bohn71 pp4 #gj1 #ga4 ,again ,milton wrote1 in a manuscript which his publishers at the time feared to print3 ,if we under the gospel are to regulate the time of our public worship by the prescriptions of the decalogue1 it will surely be far safer to observe the seventh day1 according to the express commandment of ,god1 than on the authority of mere human conjecture to adopt the first4--,cox1 ,sabbath ,literature1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #ed4 ,while kings and poets and ecclesiastics discussed1 here and there believers began to follow the plain ,word of ,god and ,christ's example in ,sabbath keeping4 ,loved ,not ,their ,lives unto the ,death ,in #afah ,john ,traske and his wife1 of ,london1 were condemned for keeping the ,sabbath of the ,lord1 the man being whipped from ,westminster to the old ,fleet ,prison1 near ,ludgate ,circus4 ,both were imprisoned4 ,mr4 ,traske recanted under the pressure1 after a year1 but ,mrs4 ,traske1 a gifted school-teacher1 was given grace to hold out for sixteen years1--for a time in ,maiden ,lane prison1 and then in the ,gate ,house1 by ,westminster1--dying in prison for the word of the ,lord4 ,an estimable woman she was1 says one old chronicler1 save for this whimsy of hers1 that she would keep the seventh day4 ,all that she asked of men1 on her prison deathbed1 was that she might be buried in the fields4 ,by #affa ,sabbath keepers in ,london had further increased4 ,in that year ,john ,james was minister to a considerable congregation1 meeting in ,east ,london1 off the ,whitechapel ,road4 ,as part of the stern proceedings against dissenting sects after the restoration of the monarchy1 he was arrested and condemned to death on ,tyburn ,tree4 ,his wife knelt at the feet of ,king ,charles ,,ii as he came out of ,st4 ,james's ,palace one day1 and pleaded for her husband's life2 but the king scornfully rejected her plea1 and said that the man should hang4 ,bogue says3 ,for once the king remembered his promise1 and ,mr4 ,james was sent to join the noble army of martyrs4--,history of ,dissenters1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aee4 ,nothing daunted1 the number of ,sabbath keepers increased4 ,in a letter by ,edward ,stennet 7between #affh and #afgj71 it is stated4 ,here in ,england are about nine or ten churches that keep the ,sabbath1 besides many scattered disciples1 who have been eminently preserved in this tottering day1 when many once eminent churches have been shattered in pieces4--,cox1 ,sabbath ,literature1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bfh4 ,francis ,bampfield was formerly an influential minister of the ,church of ,england1 and prebendary of ,exeter ,cathedral1 but later pastor of a ,sabbath-keeping congregation meeting in the ,pinners ,hall1 off ,broad ,street1 near the ,bank of ,england4 ,calamy said of him3 ,he was one of the most celebrated preachers in the west of ,england1 and extremely admired by his hearers1 till he fell into the ,sabbatarian notion1 of which he was a zealous asserter4--,non-,conformist ,memorial1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #aeb4 ,he was arrested while in the pulpit preaching1 and in #afhc died of hardships in ,newgate prison1 for the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,an old writer says that his body was followed to burial by a very great company of factious and schismatical people2 in other words1 dissenters from the state church4 ,thomas ,bampfield1 his brother1 ,speaker of the ,house of ,parliament at one time1 under ,cromwell1 published a book in defense of the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,in fact1 many published the truth in this manner1 and doctors of divinity and even bishops wrote replies4 ,sabbatarian ,baptists1 these ,english witnesses to ,god's ,sabbath were first called in those times1 and then ,seventh ,day ,baptists4 ,in #affd ,stephen ,mumford1 from one of these ,london congregations1 was sent over to ,new ,england4 ,he settled in ,rhode ,island1 where the ,baptist pioneer of religious liberty1 ,roger ,williams1 had founded his colony4 ,in #afga the first ,sabbatarian church in ,america was formed in ,rhode ,island4 ,evidently this movement created a stir2 for the report went over to ,england that the ,rhode ,island colony did not keep the ,sabbath--meaning ,sunday4 ,roger ,williams wrote to his friends in ,england denying the report1 but calling attention to the fact that there was no ,scripture for abolishing the seventh day1 and adding3 ,you know yourselves do not keep the ,sabbath1 that is the seventh day4--,letters of ,roger ,williams1 ,vol4 ,,vi1 p4 #cdf 7,narragansett ,club ,publications74 ,through the following century numbers of ,seventh ,day ,baptist churches were founded in ,america4,f ,sabbath keepers were springing up also on the continent of ,europe1 in ,bohemia1 ,moravia1 ,transylvania1 and ,russia1 where here and there ,bible believers saw that tradition had made void one of the commandments of ,god4 ,then1 as the events at the end of the long period of papal supremacy had moved ,bible students to the earnest study of the prophecies1 and as the predicted signs of the near approach of ,christ's coming began to appear1 there arose the great advent awakening in the earlier decades of the nineteenth century4 ,the prophecies regarding the work of the ,papacy in seeking to change the law of ,god began to be understood1 and it was seen that the last message of the everlasting gospel was a call to turn from human traditions to the ,new ,testament standard--the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,rev4 #ad3ab4 ,then began the great movement for ,sabbath reform and the proclamation of ,christ's second coming1 which has given rise to the ,seventh-day ,adventist people1 with a work spreading through all lands1 leading thousands every year to keep the ,lord's blessed ,sabbath day4 ,soon ,christ is to be revealed in righteousness and judgment4 ,one burden of ,god's message for the last days is3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,keep ye judgment1 and do justice3 for ,my salvation is near to come1 and ,my righteousness to be revealed4 ,blessed is the man that doeth this1 and the son of man that layeth hold on it2 that keepeth the ,sabbath from polluting it1 and keepeth his hand from doing any evil4 ,isa4 #ef3a1 #b4 ,through all the dark centuries1 the ,lord had somewhere a little remnant keeping the light of the ,sabbath truth glowing4 ,they1 too1 overcame by the blood of the ,lamb and the word of their testimony1 loving not their lives unto the death4 ,now1 with the clear light shining from the open ,book1 it is for ,christians everywhere to turn from tradition to the way of ,god's commandments and the example of ,jesus ,christ4 ,illustration3 ,closing ,sabbath6 ,ah1 how soon ,have thy sacred moments passed6 ,,footnotes3 ,f ,in connection with this topic of ,sabbath observance in colonial ,america1 it is of interest to note that ,count ,zinzendorf1 the leader of the ,moravian missionary movement1 was a believer in the sanctity of the ,sabbath of ,god's appointment4 ,in his life1 by ,bishop ,spangenberg1 it is stated that the ,sabbath question was discussed by ,zinzendorf with the ,moravians1 on his visit to ,pennsylvania in #agda4 ,the record states3-- ,as a special circumstance it is to be remarked that he determined1 with the church in ,bethlehem1 to celebrate the seventh day as a rest day4 ,the matter was previously fully gone over in the church council1 with consideration of all the reasons for and against it1 when the unanimous agreement was reached to observe the day ,sabbatically4444 ,the ,count had already long held the seventh day of the week in special honor4--,zinzendorfs ,leben1 band #e1 pp4 #adba1 #adbb4 ,the ,bethlehem congregation evidently did not follow the practice long4 ,but as for himself1 says ,spangenberg1 with his house1 he adhered firmly to this aforementioned practice until his end4--,id41 p4 #adcg4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,god ,i ,thou shalt have no other gods before me4 ,,ii ,thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image1 or any likeness of anything3 that is in heaven above1 or that is in the earth beneath1 or that is in the water under the earth3 thou shalt not bow down thyself to them1 nor serve them3 for ,i the ,lord thy ,god am a jealous ,god1 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me2 and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me1 and keep my commandments4 ,,iii ,thou shalt not take the name of the ,lord thy ,god in vain2 for the ,lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain4 ,,iv ,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy4 ,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work3 but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work1 thou1 nor thy son1 nor thy daughter1 thy manservant1 nor thy maidservant1 nor thy cattle1 nor thy stranger that is within thy gates3 for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day3 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it4 ,v ,honor thy father and thy mother3 that thy days may be long upon the land which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee4 ,,vi ,thou shalt not kill4 ,,vii ,thou shalt not commit adultery4 ,,viii ,thou shalt not steal4 ,,ix ,thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor4 ,x ,thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house1 thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife1 nor his manservant1 nor his maidservant1 nor his ox1 nor his ass1 nor anything that is thy neighbor's4 ,illustration3 ,,christ',s ,,sermon ,,on ,,the ,,mount ,whosoever shall do and teach them 444 shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven4 ,matt4 #e3ai4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,god ,it is a common saying1 ,the majesty of the law4 ,it means that the character and genius of a government are embodied and expressed in its laws4 ,the words of ,inspiration declare to us the majesty of the law of the ,most ,high4 ,the ,character of ,god's ,law ,the infinite perfection of the divine character is reflected in it4 ,the law of the ,lord is perfect1 converting the soul4 ,ps4 #ai3g4 ,as ,god is holiness and justice and goodness1 so also is ,his law4 ,wherefore the law is holy1 and the commandment holy1 and just1 and good4 ,rom4 #g3ab4 ,its ,office ,the law of ,god gives knowledge of the righteousness of its great ,author4 ,hearken unto ,me1 ye that know righteousness1 the people in whose heart is ,my law4 ,isa4 #ea3g4 ,it marks every departure from righteousness as sin4 ,whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law3 for sin is the transgression of the law4 #a ,john #c3d4 ,it is not a code merely for the regulation of outward conduct4 ,it is the moral law--the primal standard of righteousness established by the ,creator for ,his creatures4 ,there is not an impulse of the inmost soul that is not reached by it4 ,it is the word which1 living and powerful1 is sharper than any two-edged sword1 piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit1 and of the joints and marrow1 and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,heb4 #d3ab4 ,face to face with this holy law1 we hear in it the voice of ,god saying1 ,be ye holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,every soul must confess its guilt before the searching power of ,god's law4 ,all things are naked and open to the eyes of ,him with whom we have to do4 ,guilty6 we confess4 ,left alone with our guilt1 there could be no ray of hope4 ,the threatenings of the broken law ,impress the soul with dread2 ,if ,god ,his sword of vengeance draw1 ,it strikes the spirit dead4 ,thank ,god1 we are not left alone2 help is laid upon ,one mighty to save4 ,but ,thine illustrious sacrifice ,hath answered these demands1 ,and peace and pardon from the skies ,are offered by ,thy hands4 ,god's ,law from the ,beginning ,the law of ,god existed from the beginning4 ,when ,adam sinned1 he transgressed this holy law2 for sin is the transgression of the law4 ,god's law was not committed to writing until the days of ,moses1 when the ,lord began to make ,his written revelations to the children of men4 ,but from ,adam to ,moses the precepts of the law of ,god were teaching righteousness and convicting of sin4 ,wherefore1 as by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin2 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned3 7for until the law the giving of it at ,sinai sin was in the world3 but sin is not imputed when there is no law4 ,nevertheless death reigned from ,adam to ,moses47 ,rom4 #e3ab-ad4 ,the declaration of this scripture is3 ,without the law there can be no sin4 ,but sin and death were from ,adam to ,moses1 in whose day the law was spoken on ,sinai2 therefore the law of ,god was in force from the beginning4 ,its precepts were witnessed to by every preacher of righteousness raised up by ,god in the days before the deluge and in the patriarchal age following4 ,of ,abraham the ,lord says1 ,abraham obeyed ,my voice1 and kept ,my charge1 ,my commandments1 ,my statutes1 and ,my laws4 ,gen4 #bf3e4 ,the ,lord called ,his people out of ,egypt1 that they might keep his law4 ,his message to ,pharaoh was1 ,let my people go1 that they may serve ,me4 ,ex4 #i3a4 ,he delivered them from bondage by ,his mighty arm1 and cleft the ,red ,sea to lead them forth to obedience1 as the psalmist said1 ,he brought forth ,his people with joy1 and ,his chosen with gladness3444 that they might observe ,his statutes1 and keep ,his laws4 ,ps4 #aje3dc-de4 ,in ,egyptian bondage the children of ,abraham must have lost much of the purity of ,god's truth2 yet the ,lord held them under obligation to know ,his law--the ,sabbath precept particularly--before they came to ,sinai1 or ever ,he had proclaimed the law in their hearing4 ,he tested them in the matter by the giving of the manna1 as ,he said1 ,that ,i may prove them1 whether they will walk in ,my law1 or no4 ,ex4 #af3d4 ,from the beginning1 ,god's holy law demanded the loyal obedience of every human being4 ,proclaimed ,anew at ,sinai ,the ,lord had delivered the people of ,israel from ,egyptian bondage that they might serve ,him and make ,his ways known to the nations4 ,this was according to the promise made to ,abraham4 ,to them was committed the written revelation of ,god1 and through them was to come in the fulness of time the promised ,messiah4 ,illustration3 ,,moses ,,breaking ,,the ,,tables ,,of ,,the ,,law ,he wrote them upon two tables of stone4 ,deut4 #d3ac4 ,while the ,lord at this time made known ,his ways unto ,moses1 and there was begun the written revelation which grew into the volume of the book1 the ,holy ,scriptures1 one portion of revelation was not left for the prophet of ,god to speak or for the inspired pen to write4 ,the ,lord proclaimed ,his holy law with ,his own voice1 and gave to men a copy written with the finger of ,god4 ,moses said of this3 ,the ,lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire3 ye heard the voice of the words1 but saw no similitude2 only ye heard a voice4 ,and ,he declared unto you ,his covenant1 which ,he commanded you to perform1 even ten commandments2 and ,he wrote them upon two tables of stone4 ,deut4 #d3ab1 #ac4 ,this display of majesty and glory indescribable was designed to teach how sacred and holy is the law1 and to cause men to fear to transgress its precepts4 ,ex4 #bj3bj4 ,it was not for themselves alone that the law was committed to ,israel4 ,they were to teach the truth to others4 ,as the ,new ,testament says1 it was greatly to their advantage that unto them were committed the oracles of ,god4 ,rom4 #c3b4 ,but they received the lively oracles to give unto us4 ,through obedience to the divine law1 they were to be a light to the nations4 ,keep therefore and do them2 for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations1 which shall hear all these statutes1 and say1 ,surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people4 ,for what nation is there so great1 who hath ,god so nigh unto them8 ,deut4 #d3f1 #g4 ,an interesting comment upon these words is supplied by a speech of ,phalerius1 librarian to ,ptolemy ,philadelphus1 king of ,egypt4 ,urging the king by all means to secure copies of the sacred books of the ,jews for his great library in ,alexandria1 ,phalerius said3 ,now it is necessary that thou shouldst have accurate copies of them4 ,and indeed this legislation is full of hidden wisdom1 and entirely blameless1 as being the legislation of ,god2 for which cause it is1 as ,hecateus of ,abdera says1 that the poets and historians make no mention of it1 nor of those men who lead their lives according to it1 since it is a holy law1 and ought not to be published by profane mouths4--,josephus1 ,antiquities1 book #ab1 chap4 #b1 sec4 #d4 ,unfaithful as the ,jewish people oftentimes were1 yet through their testimony and the dealings of ,god with them1 the fame of the living oracles was spread abroad among the ancient nations4 ,one ,god--,one ,moral ,standard ,there is one ,lawgiver4 ,james #d3ab4 ,he is ever the same1 and ,his law is the standard of righteousness for all mankind4 ,there was not one moral standard before ,christ and another after4 ,christ's death upon the cross because man had broken the law1 is the divine testimony to all the universe that ,god's law can never be set aside nor its force suspended4 ,jesus opened ,his public teaching with the declaration3 ,think not that ,i am come to destroy the law1 or the prophets3 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfil4 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 ,till heaven and earth pass1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law1 till all be fulfilled4 ,whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments1 and shall teach men so1 he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven3 but whosoever shall do and teach them1 the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven4 ,matt4 #e3ag-ai4 ,the moral law of ten commandments is one code1 every precept equally sacred and equally binding3 ,whosoever shall keep the whole law1 and yet offend in one point1 he is guilty of all4 ,for ,he that said1 ,do not commit adultery1 said also1 ,do not kill4 ,now if thou commit no adultery1 yet if thou kill1 thou art become a transgressor of the law4 ,so speak ye1 and so do1 as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty4 ,james #b3aj-ab4 ,the law of ,god still speaks with all the force of that voice from ,sinai1 and it speaks to every soul on earth3 ,now we know that what things soever the law saith1 it saith to them who are under the law3 that every mouth may be stopped1 and all the world may become guilty before ,god4 ,rom4 #c3ai4 ,thus the law of ,god convicts all men of sin1 and would drive every one to ,christ for pardon and for the divine gift of the grace and power of obedience4 ,the ceremonial law--the precepts and ordinances commanded for the sacrificial system--ceased with the sacrifice of ,calvary1 as all these ceremonial observances pointed forward to the cross4 ,there can be no confounding of the moral law and the ceremonial law4 ,the ceremonial law of types and shadows showed in itself that a primary or higher law--the moral law--had been violated1 making necessary a divine sacrifice if transgressors were to be saved from death and restored to obedience4 ,the ,standard in the ,judgment ,the law of ,god's moral government1 which is the rule of life for every creature1 must necessarily be the standard in the great judgment day4 ,the ,scripture states the sum of all human obligation and responsibility in the words3 ,let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter3 ,fear ,god1 and keep ,his commandments3 for this is the whole duty of man4 ,for ,god shall bring every work into judgment1 with every secret thing1 whether it be good1 or whether it be evil4 ,eccl4 #ab3ac1 #ad4 ,every son and daughter of ,adam's lost race is judgment bound1 to answer before the bar of ,god the demands of the perfect law4 ,divine justice cannot abate one jot or tittle of the requirements of the holy law1 nor by any means clear the guilty4 ,but divine mercy has provided the way by which ,god can be just1 and the justifier of him which believeth in ,jesus4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,god ,god so loved the world1 that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son4 ,john #c3af4 ,illustration3 ,,childlike ,,faith ,except ye be converted1 and become as little children1 ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven4 ,matt4 #ah3c4 ,,justification ,,by ,,faith ,how should man be just righteous with ,god8 asked the patriarch ,job4 ,it has been the vital question ever since ,adam sinned1 and lost his righteousness and forfeited his life4 ,the answer of ,scripture is3-- ,therefore being justified by faith1 we have peace with ,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,rom #e3a ,by grace are ye saved through faith2 and that not of yourselves3 it is the gift of ,god3 not of works1 lest any man should boast4 ,eph4 #b3h1 #i4 ,in the beginning1 life and righteousness were the gift of ,god to man4 ,only the ,creator could bestow the gift at the first2 when lost1 only creative power can restore it4 ,man ,cannot ,justify ,himself ,the law of ,god declares all men sinners4 ,not only did ,adam's posterity inherit of necessity a sinful nature1 but every soul of man has wrought sin as the fruit of that nature4 ,as by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin2 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned4 ,rom4 #e3ab4 ,there is no difference1 ,jew or ,gentile1 bond or free1 they are in the same lost condition2 for all have sinned1 and come short of the glory of ,god4 ,rom4 #aj3ab2 #c3bc4 ,the sinner finds himself a transgressor1 condemned to death by a holy law4 ,he turns to it with the thought1 ,i will do what it says1 and become righteous and win life4 ,but he cannot undo the fact that he has sinned4 ,a holy law can only cry1 ,guilty6 guilty6 to one who has transgressed it4 ,the law declares righteousness2 it cannot give it4 ,as the ,scripture says3 ,we know that what things soever the law saith1 it saith to them who are under the law3 that every mouth may be stopped1 and all the world may become guilty before ,god4 ,therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in ,his sight3 for by the law is the knowledge of sin4 ,rom4 #c3ai1 #bj4 ,the guilt exists4 ,no deeds that man can do can undo it or cover it from a righteous law4 ,not only that1 but as soon as the law declares what righteousness is1 the sinner finds that its demands are altogether beyond the power of his flesh to meet4 ,it calls for a kind of work that fallen human nature cannot so much as approach4 ,paul cried out1 when struggling under conviction1 ,we know that the law is spiritual3 but ,i am carnal1 sold under sin4 ,rom4 #g3ad4 ,the carnal cannot bring forth the spiritual4 ,but the law demands a spiritual work of righteousness4 ,it is impossible for the carnal mind to undertake it4 ,the ,scripture says3 ,the carnal mind is enmity against ,god3 for it is not subject to the law of ,god1 neither indeed can be4 ,so then they that are in the flesh cannot please ,god4 ,rom4 #h3g1 #h4 ,but the awakened sinner is yet in the flesh4 ,he finds the law thundering his guilt and condemning him to death4 ,he cannot wash away the past1 nor hide it2 he cannot obey ,god's law with a carnal mind1 and that is all the mind he has4 ,he is lost1 and helpless of himself1 but longs for a way of escape4 ,paul's cry in the same position is the cry of the despairing heart that has not found the ,saviour1 ,o wretched man that ,i am6 who shall deliver me from the body of this death8 ,rom4 #g3bd4 ,thank ,god1 there is an answer to that cry1 for every sinner4 ,plunged in a gulf of dark despair1 ,we wretched sinners lay1 ,without one cheering beam of hope1 ,or spark of glimmering day4 ,with pitying eyes the ,prince of grace ,beheld our helpless grief3 ,he saw1 and1 ,o amazing love6 ,he came to our relief4 ,the ,free ,gift of ,christ ,following that despairing cry of human helplessness1 ,who shall deliver me8 there came the believer's shout of praise1 ,i thank ,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,he is the deliverer2 for ,he gave ,himself for our sins1 that ,he might deliver us4 ,rom4 #g3be2 ,gal4 #a3d4 ,the way of escape and salvation is the gift of ,god's love4 ,god so loved the world1 that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,john #c3af4 ,no sinner has need to plead that ,god may be willing to forgive him2 the ,lord's infinite love that gave ,his ,son to die1 is pleading with the sinner to believe and accept salvation4 ,in order to be the sinner's ,saviour1 the divine ,son of ,god must take man's place before the broken law4 ,he came in human flesh1 with all its weakness4 ,i can of ,mine own self1 ,he said1 do nothing4 ,he trusted the ,father1 and lived a life of perfect righteousness in human flesh4 ,he who knew no sin1 bore man's sin in ,his body on the cross4 ,the ,lord hath laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,for man's sin ,he died1 that ,he by the grace of ,god should taste death for every man4 ,in ,him was met the penalty of the law4 ,but it was a sinless sacrifice4 ,he through the eternal ,spirit offered ,himself without spot to ,god4 ,heb4 #i3ad4 ,therefore death could not hold ,him4 ,he rose in the power of an endless life to be man's advocate and priest and savior1 ministering ,his grace and righteousness and life to every one who will receive them4 ,the righteousness that ,he wrought out for man in human flesh ,he longs to put into every human heart4 ,as in ,his own flesh in ,judea ,he walked and lived the life of righteousness1 so now1 by the ,holy ,spirit1 ,he walks in human lives today4 ,that means forgiveness1 and deliverance from the power of the flesh1 and a new life of power1 and righteousness and justification wrought within by the divine indwelling ,saviour4 ,how may we receive ,him with all this great salvation8--,by faith2 by believing ,his promises2 that ,christ may dwell in your hearts by faith4 ,eph4 #c3ag4 ,christ in all ,his fulness abiding within1--this is the wonder and mystery of the gospel1 which is ,christ in you1 the hope of glory4 ,it means an ever-present1 ever-living ,saviour1 able to save to the uttermost4 ,what abundance of grace is received with ,his indwelling presence6 ,forgiveness4--,if we confess our sins1 ,he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness4 #a ,john #a3i4 ,deliverance from the ,flesh4--,the cleansing by ,christ's indwelling power means that the old life of self is subdued4 ,our old man is crucified with ,him4 ,rom4 #f3f4 ,ye are not in the flesh1 but in the ,spirit1 if so be that the ,spirit of ,god dwell in you4444 ,and if ,christ be in you1 the body is dead because of sin2 but the ,spirit is life because of righteousness4 ,rom4 #h3i1 #aj4 ,a ,new ,heart4--,a new heart also will ,i give you1 and a new spirit will ,i put within you4 ,eze4 #cf3bf4 ,a ,new ,life4--,be renewed in the spirit of your mind2 and that ye put on the new man1 which after ,god is created in righteousness and true holiness4 ,eph4 #d3bc1 #bd4 ,it is in blessed fact ,christ ,jesus living the life in the believer by faith1 as the apostle ,paul says3 ,i am crucified with ,christ3 nevertheless ,i live2 yet not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in me3 and the life which ,i now live in the flesh ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god1 who loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,gal4 #b3bj4 ,righteousness and ,justification4--,this is ,his name whereby ,he shall be called1 ,,the ,,lord ,,our ,,righteousness4 ,jer4 #bc3f4 ,well does the ,king ,james ,version print the blessed name in capital letters4 ,it is the great name of salvation to every believer4 ,by faith we receive ,him1 and by faith ,his righteousness is imputed unto us4 ,his life of obedience covers all the believer's surrendered life1 past and continuous1 and in ,god's sight the life of the believer in ,jesus is justified from all sin4 ,it is the triumph of ,him who was not only delivered for our offenses1 but was also raised again for our justification3 ,therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation2 even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life4 ,for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners1 so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous4 ,rom4 #e3ah1 #ai4 ,christ died and rose again to bring this experience to sinners who have struggled helplessly under condemnation4 ,as ,christ ,jesus with all ,his righteousness is received by faith1 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in ,christ ,jesus1 who walk not after the flesh1 but after the ,spirit4 ,rom4 #h3a4 ,praise the ,lord6 ,it is all of ,christ1 and not of any works that we have done4 ,therefore it is as sure as the oath and promise of ,god4 ,we can lose the experience only as we let ,christ go out of the life by unbelief4 ,god forbid that we should do this2 and help us to be quick to repent and again lay hold of ,him by faith if ever we find we have let ,him go and have lost the covering of ,his righteousness4 ,jesus1 ,thy blood and righteousness ,my beauty are1 my glorious dress2 ',mid hosts of sin1 in these arrayed1 ,my soul shall never be afraid4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,last ,,prayer ,that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,john #c3af4 ,christ's righteousness is1 of necessity1 the righteousness demanded by the law of ,god4 ,he lives that law in the believer4 ,this is what justification is4 ,not the hearers of the law are just before ,god1 but the doers of the law shall be justified4 ,rom4 #b3ac4 ,justification by faith makes the man a doer of the law by faith1 ,christ living every one of its sacred precepts in the believer's life4 ,this is what ,he died to accomplish1 to bring the righteousness of the law to the sinner who could never attain to it himself4 ,what the law could not do1 in that it was weak through the flesh1 ,god sending ,his own ,son in the likeness of sinful flesh1 and for sin1 condemned sin in the flesh3 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us1 who walk not after the flesh1 but after the ,spirit4 ,rom4 #h3c1 #d4 ,christ writes ,god's law in the new heart3 ,i will put ,my laws into their mind1 and write them in their hearts4 ,heb4 #h3aj4 ,it is the rule of ,his own righteousness4 ,for before ,he came into the world to work out perfect righteousness for us in human flesh1 ,he said1 through the psalmist1 ,i delight to do ,thy will1 ,o ,my ,god3 yea1 ,thy law is within ,my heart4 ,ps4 #dj3h4 ,it is a perfect righteousness and a full salvation that ,christ brings into every believer's heart4 ,in ,him all fulness dwells1 and ye are complete in ,him4 ,the wondrous plan of salvation is so deep that only in the ages to come will ,god be able to show the exceeding riches of ,his grace in ,his kindness toward us through ,christ ,jesus4 ,eph4 #b3g4 ,but thank ,god1 even here below sinners saved by grace may know the love of ,christ1 which passeth knowledge4 ,the wonders of redeeming love ,our highest thoughts exceed2 ,the ,son of ,god comes from above1 ,for sinful man to bleed4 ,he knows the frailties of our frame1 ,for ,he has borne our grief2 ,our great ,high ,priest once felt the same1 ,and ,he can send relief4 ,his love will not be satisfied ,till ,he in glory see ,the faithful ones for whom ,he died ,from sin forever free4 --,r4,f4 ,cottrell4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,baptism ,,of ,,christ ,thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness4 ,matt4 #c3ae4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ford ,,of ,,jordan ,john also was baptizing in ,a,enon near to ,salim1 because there was much water there4 ,john #c3bc4 ,,baptism ,,the ,,memorial ,,of ,,the ,,resurrection ,baptism is the divinely appointed memorial of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,the great fact of the gospel is that ,christ died for our sins according to the ,scriptures2 and that ,he was buried1 and that ,he rose again the third day according to the ,scriptures 7#a ,cor4 #ae3c1 #d71 to be our great ,high ,priest and ,saviour4 ,baptism is a profession of faith in the ,saviour1 who went into the grave for us1 and rose again to life4 ,it is the great object-lesson to teach the truth that the sinner must die to sin and the world1 and have a resurrection by the power of divine grace to a new life of obedience4 ,the ordinance is the sign of an actual experience1 the means by which the believer confesses the work of grace in the soul4 ,the ,scriptures teach the essential conditions necessary to baptism3 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the gospel to every creature4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,mark #af3ae1 #af4 ,what doth hinder me to be baptized8 ,and ,philip said1 ,if thou believest with all thine heart1 thou mayest4 ,acts #h3cf1 #cg4 ,then ,peter said unto them1 ,repent1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins4 ,acts #b3ch4 ,thus it is seen that instruction in the gospel1 belief in ,christ1 and repentance are conditions to precede baptism4 ,baptism for ,believers ,the experience of which baptism is the sign is thus stated3 ,we are buried with ,him by baptism into death3 that like as ,christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 even so we also should walk in newness of life4 ,rom4 #f3d4 ,as many of you as have been baptized into ,christ have put on ,christ4 ,gal4 #c3bg4 ,buried with ,him in baptism1 wherein also ye are risen with ,him through the faith of the operation of ,god1 who hath raised ,him from the dead4 ,col4 #b3ab4 ,in this ordinance1 commanded of ,god1 the believer is following the example of ,christ1 who1 when baptized by ,john in ,jordan1 said1 ,thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness4 ,thus through the emblematic grave ,the glorious suffering ,saviour trod2 ,thou art our ,pattern1 through the wave ,we follow ,thee1 blest ,son of ,god4 ,the ,form of ,baptism ,the ,scriptural form of baptism is shown in these texts3 ,jesus1 when ,he was baptized1 went up straightway out of the water4 ,matt4 #c3af4 ,they went down both into the water1 both ,philip and the eunuch2 and he baptized him4 ,acts #h3ch4 ,buried with ,him by baptism4444 ,for if we have been planted together in the likeness of ,his death1 we shall be also in the likeness of ,his resurrection4 ,rom4 #f3d1 #e4 ,while the outward form of a religious service1 without the spirit and the experience which the form professes1 must ever be unacceptable to ,god1 yet when the ,lord prescribes a form1 it is imperative that ,his instruction should be followed4 ,the form of the ordinance as commanded by ,god emphasizes the divine meaning of the service4 ,scriptural baptism is a burial in the likeness of ,christ's burial1 as the lifting up of the believer from the watery grave is a likeness of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,of the meaning of the word baptism1 ,luther wrote3 ,baptism is a ,greek word2 in ,latin it can be translated immersion1 as when we plunge something into water that it may be completely covered with water4--,opera ,lutheri1 ,de ,sac4 ,bap4 #a1 p4 #cai 7,baptist ,encyclopedia1 art4 ,baptism74 ,calvin1 after arguing that the form is an indifferent matter1 says3 ,the very word 'baptize1' however1 signifies to immerse2 and it is certain that immersion was observed by the ancient church4--,institutes1 lib4 #d1 cap4 #ae 7,baptist ,encyclopedia1 art4 ,baptism74 ,of the practice in primitive times1 ,neander1 the church historian1 says3 ,in respect to the manner of baptizing1 in conformity with the original institution and the original import of the symbol1 it was generally administered by immersion4--,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,torrey's translation 7,london edition71 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #dbi4 ,the perversion of the ordinance into sprinkling1 and that in infancy1 takes away the divinely ordained object-lesson2 and in the case of the infant must of necessity substitute mere ceremonialism for experience1 for the child of unaccountable years can have had no experience of believing and repenting1 which are the necessary conditions to fulfil the meaning of baptism4 ,the change in the ordinance1 like most of the changes that came about in the days of the falling away from the primitive faith and practice1 was by gradual process4 ,dean ,stanley1 in his ,christian ,institutions1 page #bd1 says that it is not till the third century that we find one case of the baptism of infants4 ,of the change from immersion to sprinkling1 he says3 ,what is the justification of this almost universal departure from the primitive usage8 ,there may have been many reasons1 some bad1 some good4 ,one1 no doubt1 was the superstitious feeling already mentioned which regarded baptism as a charm1 indispensable to salvation1 and which insisted on imparting it to every human being who could be touched with water1 however unconscious4 ,the common practice as late as the twelfth century is thus described by a ,roman ,catholic cardinal of that time1 named ,pullus3 ,whilst the candidate for baptism in water is immersed1 the death of ,christ is suggested2 whilst immersed and covered with water1 the burial of ,christ is shown forth2 whilst he is raised from the waters1 the resurrection of ,christ is proclaimed4--,patrol4 ,lat41 ,vol4 ,,cxxx1 p4 #cae 7,baptist ,encyclopedia1 art4 ,baptism74 ,dean ,stanley1 of ,westminster1 one of the first scholars of the ,church of ,england1 wrote3 ,for the first thirteen centuries the almost universal practice of baptism was that of which we read in the ,new ,testament1 and which is the very meaning of the word 'baptize1'--that those who were baptized were plunged1 submerged1 immersed into the water4 ,that practice is still1 as we have seen1 continued in ,eastern churches4 ,in the ,western church it still lingers among ,roman ,catholics in the solitary instance of the ,cathedral of ,milan2 among ,protestants in the numerous sects of the ,baptists4 ,it lasted long into the ,middle ,ages4444 ,but since the beginning of the seventeenth century1 the practice has become exceedingly rare4 ,with the few exceptions just mentioned1 the whole of the ,western churches have now substituted for the ancient bath the ceremony of letting fall a few drops of water on the face4 ,the reason of the change is obvious4 ,the practice of immersion1 though peculiarly suitable to the ,southern and ,eastern countries for which it was designed1 was not found seasonable in the countries of the ,north and ,west4 ,not by any decree of council or parliament1 but by the general sentiment of ,christian liberty1 this remarkable change was effected4 ,beginning in the thirteenth century1 it has gradually driven the ancient catholic usage out of the whole of ,europe4--,christian ,institutions1 pp4 #ba1 #bb4 ,the facts are undeniable1 and emphasize the importance of reformation and return in practice to the plain instructions of the ,word of ,god4 ,as the record shows1 it was not the spirit of the ,new ,testament church that made this change in the divine ordinance2 rather it is the spirit of the church of the falling away1 against which the ,lord warns all believers1 because they have transgressed the laws1 changed the ordinance1 broken the everlasting covenant4 ,the ,path ,he ,trod ,our ,saviour bowed beneath the wave1 ,and meekly sought a watery grave2 ,come1 see the sacred path ,he trod-- ,a path well pleasing to our ,god4 ,his voice we hear1 ,his footsteps trace4 ,and hither come to seek ,his face1 ,to do ,his will1 to feel ,his love1 ,and join our songs with those above4 --,adoniram ,judson4 ,illustration3 ,,symbols ,,of ,,medo-,,persia ,,and ,,grecia ,the ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of ,media and ,persia4 ,and the rough goat is the king of ,grecia4 ,dan4 #h3bj1 #ba4 ,illustration3 ,,coins ,,of ,,the ,,medo-,,persian ,,and ,,grecian ,,empires ,the ram1 symbol of ,persia2 and the goat1 symbol of ,grecia4 ,,the ,,prophecy ,,of ,,daniel #h ,a ,,historic ,,outline ,,and ,a ,,vital ,,question ,another view of the history of empires and kingdoms was brought before the prophet ,daniel in the vision of the eighth chapter4 ,in this vision a great prophetic period is given1 the end of which reaches to the latter days1 touching events of our own times that are of direct interest and importance to every one today4 ,the vision was given in the third year of ,belshazzar1 the last king of ,babylon4 ,again1 as in moving panorama1 there passed before the prophet's vision the scenes of history4 ,earthly kingdoms were represented under the symbols of beasts4 ,we shall find the prophecy and the history corresponding in every detail1 revealing the overruling hand of ,god1 who knows the end from the beginning1 and whose living ,word of truth bears its witness through all the ages4 ,truth never dies4 ,the ages come and go2 ,the mountains wear away2 the seas retire2 ,destruction lays earth's mighty cities low1 ,and empires1 states1 and dynasties expire2 ,but caught and handed onward by the wise1 ,truth never dies4 ,the opening scene of this vision1 given by the river ,ulai1 in ,persia1 is thus described3 ,prophecy4--,then ,i lifted up mine eyes1 and saw1 and1 behold1 there stood before the river a ram which had two horns3 and the two horns were high2 but one was higher than the other1 and the higher came up last4 ,i saw the ram pushing westward1 and northward1 and southward2 so that no beast might stand before him1 neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand2 but he did according to his will1 and became great4 ,verses #c1 #d4 ,in the angel's interpretation of the vision ,daniel was told3 ,the ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of ,media and ,persia4 ,verse #bj4 ,the higher came up last4 ,the two horns represented the dual character of the empire3 first the ,medes in ascendancy1 then the ,persians rising to yet greater power4 ,so that no beast might stand before him1 says the prophecy4 ,history4--,xenophon says of ,cyrus the ,persian3 ,he was able to extend the fear of himself over so great a part of the world that he astonished all1 and no one attempted anything against him4--,the ,cyropaedia1 book #a1 chap4 #a4 ,the line of ,medo-,persian conquest was westward1 and northward1 and southward1 just as the prophet saw the ram pushing its way4 ,as one pen wrote in the days of ,persia's supremacy3 ,he ,darius showed the world arms glory-crowned4 ,towns untold before him fell4 ,burgs over sea 444 heard from his lips their fate4 --,the ,persians1 by ,a,eschylus4 ,but the ram pushing westward stirred up an antagonist that was eventually to overcome him4 ,the prophet continues3 ,prophecy4--,as ,i was considering1 behold1 a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth1 and touched not the ground3 and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes4 ,and he came to the ram that had two horns1444 and ran unto him in the fury of his power4444 ,and there was no power in the ram to stand before him1 but he cast him down to the ground1 and stamped upon him3 and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand4 ,verses #e-g4 ,the angel's interpretation continued3 ,the rough goat is the king of ,grecia3 and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king4 ,verse #ba4 ,history4--,this first king of united ,grecia was ,alexander the ,great4 ,with ,alexander the ,new ,greece begins4--,harrison1 ,story of ,greece1 p4 #dii4 ,and it happened1 after that ,alexander 444 had smitten ,darius king of the ,persians and ,medes1 that he reigned in his stead1 the first over ,greece4 #a ,maccabees #a3a4 ,under ,alexander1 the ,grecian goat ran upon the ,persian ram in the fury of his power4 ,at ,arbela1 wrote ,arrian1 the ,macedonians charged with great fury4 ,none was able to deliver the ,persian ram4 ,wherever you fly1 wrote ,alexander to the retreating ,darius1 thither ,i will surely pursue you4 7,see ,anabasis of ,alexander the ,great1 by ,arrian1 book #b1 chap4 #ad47 ,medo-,persia fell before ,grecia1 as this sure word of prophecy had foretold two hundred years before ,alexander's day4 ,grecia's expansion and its later history were next unfolded before the prophet's vision3 ,prophecy4--,therefore the he goat waxed very great3 and when he was strong1 the great horn was broken2 and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven4 ,verse #h4 ,of the ram 7,persia7 it was said it became great2 of the goat 7,grecia72 that it became very great4 ,history4--,justin1 the ,roman1 wrote of ,alexander3 ,so much was the whole world awed by the terror of his name1 that all nations came to pay their obedience to him4--,history of the ,world1 book #ab1 chap4 #ac4 ,vain in his hopes1 the youth had grasped at all1 ,and his vast thought took in the vanquished ball4 --,lucan's ,pharsalia 7,nicholas ,rowe's translation71 book #c4 ,but the unerring prophecy had said that when he was strong1 the great horn was broken4 ,suddenly the youthful conqueror was cut down by death1 just as he was preparing to celebrate at ,babylon a convention of the whole universe1 being thus taken off in the flower of his age1 and in the height of his victories4--,justin1 ,history of the ,world1 book #ac1 chap4 #a4 ,the ancient pagan writers1 in telling the story1 make use of language very similar to that used by divine prophecy in foretelling it4 ,following ,alexander's death the empire was divided toward the four winds of heaven4 ,myers says3 ,four well-defined and important monarchies arose out of the ruins4444 ,the great horn was broken2 and instead of it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven4--,history of ,greece 7edition #aijb71 p4 #deg4 ,as the prophet watched these four kingdoms of divided ,greece1 he beheld another power coming into the field of his vision through one of the four kingdoms1 and extending its authority more than any before it3 ,prophecy4--,out of one of them one of the four kingdoms came forth a little horn1 which waxed exceeding great1 toward the south1 and toward the east1 and toward the pleasant land4 ,verse #i4 ,history4--,medo-,persia was great1 ,grecia was very great1 but this power was to be exceeding great4 ,rome followed ,grecia4 ,polybius1 the ,roman1 says3 ,almost the whole inhabited world was conquered1 and brought under the dominion of the single city of ,rome4--,histories of ,polybius 7,evelyn ,shuckburgh's translation71 book #a1 chap4 #a4 ,one of the odes of ,horace tells how the name of ,rome grew to might3 ,till her superb dominion spread ,east1 where the sun comes forth in light1 ,and west to where he lays his head4 --,ode #ae1 ,to ,augustus1 book #d4 ,lucan's lines measured its exceeding greatness from the other points of the compass3 ,though from the frozen pole our empire run1 ,far as the journeys of the southern sun4 --,pharsalia1 book #aj4 ,the empire of the ,romans filled the world1 says ,gibbon4 ,it was exceeding great1 according to the prophecy4 ,in the vision the little horn that grew so great came into the prophet's view as proceeding out of one of the four horns that he had been watching4 ,rome rose to unquestioned supremacy out of its conquest of ,macedonia1 one of the four notable kingdoms into which ,grecia was divided4 ,it spread forth toward the south1 and toward the east1 and toward the pleasant land1 ,palestine becoming a province of the empire in the century before ,christ4 ,and it was a ,roman force that destroyed ,jerusalem and devastated the pleasant land4 ,thus the sure word of prophecy1 with exactness in detail1 carries the history through the centuries to the last great universal monarchy1 ,rome4 ,but this prophecy does not deal so much with the earlier history of ,rome as with the developments of later times4 ,it was the same in the prophetic outline of ,daniel #g4 ,after briefly identifying ,rome as the last universal monarchy1 the vision of the seventh chapter dealt with the rise of papal ,rome1 described its exaltation of itself against ,god1 and its warfare against the truth and the saints of ,god4 ,and here again1 in the eighth chapter1 the same persecuting power is seen developing1 exalting itself1 and persecuting the saints of ,god4 ,the prophecy says that it cast down the truth to the ground2 and it practiced1 and prospered4 ,dan4 #h3ab4 ,the papal history1 as given in the study on ,daniel #g1 need not be repeated here4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,camp ,,of ,,israel ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness ,unto two thousand and three hundred days2 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed4 ,dan4 #h3ad4 ,as the prophet watched the work of this lawless power1 his heart must have cried out to know how long it was to be allowed to prosper in its evil way2 for next he heard the voice of a holy one asking the question for him1 ,how long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice1 and the transgression of desolation1 to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot8 ,dan4 #h3ac4 ,the answer was1 ,unto two thousand and three hundred days2 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed4 ,verse #ad4 ,in symbolic prophecy a day stands for a year4 ,eze4 #d3f4 ,this is a long period1 therefore1 of #bcjj years4 ,it reaches to the latter days2 for the angel said of it1 ,at the time of the end shall be the vision4 ,dan4 #h3ag4 ,the question was1 ,how long8 or literally1 ,until when8 and the answer was1 ,until two thousand and three hundred days4 ,then what was to come to deal with the great apostasy8--,then shall the sanctuary be cleansed4 ,the cleansing of the sanctuary1 therefore1 must have something to do with meeting the great apostasy1 lifting up ,god's truth that has been trampled underfoot1 and cutting short the reign of evil4 ,the cleansing of the sanctuary1 with all that is involved in it1 must be ,god's answer to this lawless power4 ,error may prosper for a time2 but the just balances of the sanctuary will at last pronounce righteous judgment1 and the prosperity of evil will be cut short4 ,i was envious 444 when ,i saw the prosperity of the wicked1 said the psalmist1 until ,i went into the sanctuary of ,god2 then understood ,i their end4 ,ps4 #gc3c1 #ag4 ,what1 then1 is involved in the cleansing of the sanctuary1 the time of which is marked by the long prophetic period8 ,it is for us to understand2 for it is a work pertaining to the latter days4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,great ,,high ,,priest ,we have such a high priest1 who is set on the right hand of the throne of the ,majesty in the heavens4 ,heb4 #h3a4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,interior ,,of ,,the ,,sanctuary ,a figure for time then present1 in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices4 ,heb4 #i3i4 ,,the ,,cleansing ,,of ,,the ,,sanctuary ,,in ,,type ,,and ,,antitype ,the ,bible teaching concerning the sanctuary of the ,levitical service shows clearly that the cleansing of the sanctuary is ,god's answer to error and apostasy4 ,the priestly service of the earthly sanctuary1 or temple1 in the days of ,israel1 was typical of the work of ,christ1 our ,high ,priest1 in the heavenly temple4 ,the earthly priests served after the example and shadow of heavenly things4 ,heb4 #h3e4 ,and of ,christ's ministry in the heavenly temple we are told3 ,now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum3 ,we have such a high priest1 who is set on the right hand of the throne of the ,majesty in the heavens2 a minister of the sanctuary1 and of the true tabernacle1 which the ,lord pitched1 and not man4 ,heb4 #h3a1 #b4 ,in the earthly service1 the cleansing of the sanctuary was the closing work of the high priest1 marking the end of the yearly round of mediatory ministry4 ,the cleansing of the sanctuary in the time of the end must1 therefore1 according to the sure teaching of the type1 be the closing ministry of our great ,high ,priest in the heavenly temple1 before ,he lays aside ,his priestly work to come in glory4 ,the ,service of the ,earthly ,tabernacle ,there were two distinct phases in the priestly ministry of the tabernacle in ,israel4 ,the sanctuary was built with two apartments1 the holy place and the most holy4 ,in the holy place were the candlestick with its seven lights1 the table with its ever-renewed bread of the presence1 and the altar of incense1 on which sweet incense1 symbol of ,christ's continual intercession1 was burned morning and night4 ,within the inner veil was the most holy place1 where was the ark containing the tables of the law1 written with the finger of ,god4 ,the cover of the ark was the golden mercy-seat1 above which1 at either end1 stood two cherubim of gold1 their wings meeting on high1 their faces looking ever toward the mercy-seat4 ,it was a type of the throne of ,god--the angels about the throne1 the law the foundation of ,his government1 the mercy-seat typifying the interposition of mercy and pardon for the sinner2 and above it the visible glory of the ,lord1 the ,shekinah4 ,there ,i will meet with thee1 and ,i will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat1 from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony4 ,ex4 #be3bb4 ,of the service in the first apartment it is stated3 ,when these things were thus ordained1 the priests went always into the first tabernacle1 accomplishing the service of ,god4 ,heb4 #i3f4 ,day by day the sacrificial victims were slain at the altar before the outer veil1 and the blood was 'brought into the sanctuary' by the priest4 ,this was an acknowledgment of transgression of ,god's law1 meriting death1 and a confession of faith in the ,lamb of ,god who was to suffer death in the sinner's stead1 and whose atoning blood would plead for him before the righteous law4 ,thus day by day1 either by the sprinkling of the blood before the ,lord or by eating a portion of the flesh of the burnt offering in the holy place1 the ministry of the priests transferred the sin in type to the sanctuary1 and the sinner was pardoned4 ,for a full year1 lacking one day1 the ministry was in the first apartment1 or holy place only4 ,but on that last day of the yearly round of service--the tenth day of the seventh month--the high priest entered the second apartment1 or most holy place4 ,into the second went the high priest alone once every year1 not without blood1 which he offered for himself1 and for the errors of the people4 ,heb4 #i3g4 ,in this service the high priest sprinkled the blood upon the mercy-seat and in the holy place1 because of the uncleanness of the children of ,israel4 ,the sanctuary was to be reconciled or cleansed from all the sins registered there in type through the blood of the offerings brought day by day during the year4 ,as the high priest came out1 bearing the sins1 he transferred them all to the head of the scapegoat1 which was sent away into the wilderness2 and thus all their iniquities were borne away from the camp into the wilderness1 and the sanctuary was cleansed4 ,see ,leviticus #af4 ,this was a solemn time of judgment in ,israel4 ,every man's life came in review that day4 ,was every sin confessed8 ,whosoever was not found right with ,god1 when that service was performed1 was cut off from having a part with ,god's people4 ,it is a day of atonement1 to make an atonement for you before the ,lord your ,god4 ,for whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day1 he shall be cut off from among his people4 ,lev4 #bc3bh1 #bi4 ,it was indeed an annual day of judgment in ,israel4 ,and all this was an example and shadow of heavenly things4 ,heb4 #h3e4 ,christ's ,closing ,work in ,heaven ,therefore the last phase of ,christ's ministry as our high priest in the sanctuary of ,god above1 must be a work of judgment1 a review of the heavenly record1 corresponding to the final ministry in the second apartment of the earthly tabernacle1 when that sanctuary was cleansed4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,memorial ,,of ,,his ,,sacrifice ,as often as ye eat this bread1 and drink this cup1 ye do show the ,lord's death till ,he come4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bf4 ,daniel the prophet was shown in vision this change in the ministry of our ,high ,priest1 namely1 from the first to the second apartment of the heavenly temple4 ,he describes the wondrous scene1 as ,god's living throne1 with its wheels flaming with glory1 moved into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary1 for the closing work of ,christ's ministry3 ,i beheld till the thrones were cast down placed1 ,r4,v41 and the ,ancient of days did sit1 whose garment was white as snow1 and the hair of ,his head like the pure wool3 ,his throne was like the fiery flame1 and ,his wheels as burning fire4 ,a fiery stream issued and came forth from before ,him3 thousand thousands ministered unto ,him1 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before ,him3 the judgment was set1 and the books were opened4 ,dan4 #g3i1 #aj4 ,this scene1 as the next verse shows1 opens while still on earth the apostasy is exalting itself4 ,but during this same time a solemn judgment work is going forward in heaven above1 the finishing of which will give ,god's answer to the apostasy1 and bring the second coming of ,christ in glory to end the reign of sin4 ,it is the cleansing of the sanctuary1--the time when in reality and not in type every case registered in the sanctuary comes in final review before ,god4 ,when that work closes1 according to the type1 whosoever is not found right with ,god will be cut off from having any part with ,his redeemed people4 ,then the priestly ministry of ,christ will close1 and the destiny of every soul will be fixed for all eternity4 ,to that time must apply the words spoken by ,jesus3 ,he that is unjust1 let him be unjust still3 444 and he that is righteous1 let him be righteous still3 and he that is holy1 let him be holy still4 ,and1 behold1 ,i come quickly4 ,rev4 #bb3aa1 #ab4 ,but now the ,saviour1 from ,his place of ministry on high1 speaks to all the encouraging exhortation and assurance3 ,he that overcometh1 the same shall be clothed in white raiment2 and ,i will not blot out his name out of the book of life1 but ,i will confess his name before ,my ,father1 and before ,his angels4 ,rev4 #c3e4 ,to let men on earth know when this judgment work1 the cleansing of the sanctuary1 began in heaven1 the prophetic period of #bcjj years was given4 ,it is of most solemn importance that we know when that period begins and ends4 ,illustration3 ,,artaxerxes ,,sending ,,the ,,jews ,,to ,,rebuild ,,jerusalem1 ,b4,c4 #deg ,from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build ,jerusalem unto the ,messiah the ,prince shall be seven weeks1 and threescore and two weeks4 ,dan4 #i3be4 ,illustration3 ,,nehemiah1 ,,the ,,king',s ,,cupbearer ,send me unto ,judah1 unto the city of my fathers' sepulchers1 that ,i may build it4 ,neh4 #b3e4 ,a ,,great ,,prophetic ,,period ,,the #bcjj ,,years ,,of ,,daniel #h3ad ,the commission to the angel ,gabriel was1 ,make this man to understand the vision 7,dan4 #h3af72 therefore in the angel's explanation of the vision of ,daniel #h1 we must assuredly find the interpretation of the prophetic period of #bcjj years1 the close of which marks the opening of the judgment work in heaven1 or the cleansing of the sanctuary4 ,the eighth chapter closes1 however1 with no reference to the beginning of this period of time1 a most important measuring line of prophecy4 ,the angel had explained the symbols representing ,medo-,persia1 ,grecia1 and ,rome1 and had dwelt upon the antichristian work of the apostasy that was to develop2 but he left the time of the prophetic period unexplained1 save to say that it was true1 and that it would be for many days--far in the future4 ,here the angel stopped1 for ,daniel fainted4 ,in spirit the prophet had been gazing upon the warfare of the great apostasy against ,god's truth through the ages1 and evidently it took all strength from him4 ,daniel closes the account of this vision with the words1 ,i was astonished at the vision1 but none understood it4 ,verse #bg4 ,illustration3 ,,the #bcjj ,,days ,the heavy line represents the full #bcjj year-day period1 the longest prophetic period in the ,bible4 ,beginning in ,b4,c4 #deg when the decree was given to restore and build ,jerusalem 7,ezra #g3aa-bf2 ,dan4 #i3be71 seven weeks 7#di years7 are measured off to indicate the time occupied in this work of restoration4 ,these1 however1 are a part of the sixty-nine weeks 7#dhc years7 that were to reach to ,messiah1 the ,anointed ,one4 ,christ was anointed in #bg ,a4,d41 at ,his baptism4 ,matt4 #c3ac-ag2 ,acts #aj3ch4 ,in the midst of the seventieth week 7#ca ,a4,d471 ,christ was crucified or cut off1 which marked the time when the sacrifices and oblations of the earthly sanctuary were to cease4 ,dan4 #i3be1 #bg4 ,the remaining three and one-half years of this week reach to #cd ,a4,d41 or to the stoning of ,stephen1 and the great persecution of the church at ,jerusalem which followed4 ,acts #g3ei2 #h3a4 ,this marked the close of the seventy weeks1 or #dij years1 allotted to the ,jewish people4 ,but the seventy weeks are a part of the #bcjj days2 and as they 7the seventy weeks7 reach to #cd ,a4,d41 the remaining #ahaj years of the #bcjj-;day period must reach to #ahdd1 when the work of judgment1 or cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary1 was to begin4 ,rev4 #ad3f1 #g4 ,then special light began to shine upon the whole sanctuary subject1 and ,christ's mediatorial or priestly work in it4 ,four great events1 therefore1 are located by this great prophetic period1--the first advent1 the crucifixion1 the rejection of the ,jewish people as a nation1 and the beginning of the work of final judgment4 ,but the angel had been commanded1 ,make this man to understand the vision2 and soon after1 as recorded in the next chapter1--possibly within a year1,g--,gabriel appeared to the prophet with the words3 ,o ,daniel1 ,i am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding4444 ,therefore understand the matter1 and consider the vision4 ,dan4 #i3bb1 #bc4 ,thereupon the angel began to deal with the matter of time in the prophecy1 the very feature of the vision of the eighth chapter that he had not yet made ,daniel understand4 ,therefore the vision of the #bcjj years must be the topic4 ,the ,starting-,point ,first of all1 the angel said that a short period was to be cut off from the long period1 and allotted to the ,jewish people2 this short period was to reach to the coming of the promised ,messiah and the filling up of the measure of ,jerusalem's transgressions4 ,the angel's own words are3 ,seventy weeks #dij days1 prophetic time1 or #dij literal years are determined cut off1 as the word means upon thy people and upon thy holy city1 to finish the transgression1 and to make an end of sins1 and to make reconciliation for iniquity1 and to bring in everlasting righteousness1 and to seal up the vision and prophecy1 and to anoint the ,most ,holy4 ,verse #bd4 ,this #dij-year period cut off was to cover the history of the people of ,jerusalem until that city had filled out the measure of its transgression4 ,the only prophetic period from which this #dij years can properly be said to be cut off is1 assuredly1 the longer period of #bcjj years1 which stretches far onward to the time of the end4 ,the #dij years and the #bcjj years1 then1 must begin at the same time4 ,it was the time period that the angel ,gabriel was yet to explain2 and he begins the explanation by showing that the first #dij years of it would reach to the days of the ,messiah4 ,then he gives the event that marks the beginning of the #dij years1 which event must necessarily mark the beginning of the #bcjj years as well4 ,this is what he was commissioned to make ,daniel understand when first the vision of the #bcjj years was given4 ,now he tells him to understand it3 ,know therefore and understand1 that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build ,jerusalem unto the ,messiah the ,prince shall be seven weeks1 and threescore and two weeks3 the street shall be built again1 and the wall1 even in troublous times4 ,and after threescore and two weeks shall ,messiah be cut off1 but not for ,himself3 and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary2 and the end thereof shall be with a flood1 and unto the end of the war desolations are determined4 ,dan4 #i3be1 #bf4 ,the date of the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild ,jerusalem is the date1 therefore1 from which the great prophetic measuring line runs2 the first #dij years of it to reach to the time and work of the ,messiah1 at the first advent1 the full #bcjj years running on to mark the time when the judgment hour in heaven opens4 ,once the starting-point is fixed1 all the events of the long period must follow exactly as scheduled in the time-table of divine prophecy4 ,date of the ,commencement to ,restore ,jerusalem ,there were several commands issued concerning the restoration of ,jerusalem after the ,babylonish captivity4 ,cyrus1 and ,darius1 and ,artaxerxes ,longimanus each issued such a decree4 ,which one answers to the language of the prophecy as the commandment to restore and to build ,jerusalem8 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,jews ,,mourning ,,over ,,the ,,ruins ,,of ,,jerusalem ,i went out by night1444 and viewed the walls of ,jerusalem1 which were broken down4 ,neh4 #b3ac4 ,the decree of ,artaxerxes was most comprehensive 7,ezra #g71 authorizing the full restoration of the civil and religious administration of ,jerusalem and ,judea4 ,and ,inspiration specifically sums up all the decrees as completed only in that of ,artaxerxes1 which thus constituted the commandment3 ,they builded1 and finished it1 according to the commandment of the ,god of ,israel1 and according to the commandment of ,cyrus1 and ,darius1 and ,artaxerxes king of ,persia4 ,ezra #f3ad4 ,illustration3 ,,rebuilding ,,jerusalem ,they builded1 and finished it1 according to the commandment of the ,god of ,israel1 and according to the commandment of ,cyrus1 and ,darius1 and ,artaxerxes king of ,persia4 ,ezra #f3ad4 ,according to this scripture1 the full going forth of the commandment to restore and to build1 dates from this decree of ,artaxerxes4 ,and this decree went forth in the seventh year of ,artaxerxes the king4 ,ezra #g3g4 ,what year was this seventh year of ,artaxerxes--a date so important to fix to a certainty8 ,the great chronological standard for the kings of the ancient empires is the canon1 or historical rule1 of ,ptolemy4 ,ptolemy was a ,greek historian1 geographer1 and astronomer1 who lived in the temple of ,serapis1 near ,alexandria1 ,egypt4 ,from ancient records he prepared a chronological table of the kings of ,babylon1 ,persia1 ,greece1 and ,rome 7carrying the ,roman list to his own time1 which was the second century after ,christ74 ,along with his list of kings and the years of their succession1 ,ptolemy compiled a record of ancient observations of eclipses4 ,in such and such a year of a king1 for instance1 on a given day of the month1 an eclipse of the sun or moon would be recorded4 ,astronomers have worked out these observations1 and verified them4 ,the learned ,dr4 ,william ,hales said3 ,to the authenticity of these copies of ,ptolemy's canon1 the strongest testimony is given by their exact agreement throughout1 with above twenty dates and computations of eclipses in ,ptolemy's ,almagest4--,chronology1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aff4 ,thus1 says ,james ,b4 ,lindsay1 an ,english chronologist1 a foundation is laid for chronology sure as the stars4 ,so the sun and the stars1 the divinely appointed timekeepers1 bear their witness to the accuracy of the historical record4 ,we thank ,god for this1 as we desire to know if we may depend upon ,ptolemy's canon to help us fix to a certainty the seventh year of ,artaxerxes4 ,according to ,ptolemy1 ,artaxerxes succeeded to the throne in the two hundred and eighty-fourth year of the canon4 ,in modern reckoning1 this two hundred and eighty-fourth year runs from ,dec4 #ag1 #dfe ,b4,c41 to ,dec4 #ag1 #dfd ,b4,c4 ,the canon does not tell at what part of the year a king succeeded to the throne2 it only deals with whole years4 ,the question is1 to be exact1 ,did ,artaxerxes come to the throne in ,december1 #dfe ,b4,c41 or at some time in the year #dfd ,b4,c48 ,at what season of the year did the king take the throne8 ,some historians1 dealing with the matter roughly1 date the succession from the year #dfe4 ,but in dealing with divine prophecy1 we require certainty upon which to base the reckoning of the seventh year of ,artaxerxes1 from which date the prophetic period runs4 ,and in ,god's providence we do have certainty4 ,of all the kings of ,assyria1 ,babylon1 and ,medo-,persia1 in ,ptolemy's long list1 there is but one concerning whose succession the ,scriptures give us the very time of the year--and that one is ,artaxerxes4 ,the one case in which we need to know to a certainty the season of the year1 in order to fix an important date in prophecy1 is the one case in which ,inspiration gives exactly the particulars4 ,who cannot see the hand of ,god in this8 ,the combined record of ,neh4 #a3a2 #b3a and ,ezra #g3g-i1;,h shows that ,artaxerxes came to the throne between the fifth month of the ,jewish year and the ninth month1--roughly1 between ,august and ,december1--or in the autumn4 ,the ,bible gives one part of the record1 and ,ptolemy's canon gives another part2 and by the combined record we know that ,artaxerxes came to the throne late in the year #dfd ,b4,c41 and thus the seventh year of his reign would be #deg ,b4,c4 ,this is the date fixed by other sources of reliable chronology also1 ,sir ,isaac ,newton having worked out several lines of evidence from ancient authorities1 in each case reaching the year #dfd ,b4,c4 as the first of ,artaxerxes1 which makes the seventh to be #deg ,b4,c4 ,in the seventh year of ,artaxerxes the commandment went forth to restore and to build ,jerusalem1 and this event fixes the beginning of the #bcjj years1 as also of the #dij years cut off from it upon the ,jewish people4 ,that year1 #deg ,b4,c41 therefore1 is a date of profound importance4 ,it stands like the golden milestone in the ancient ,forum at ,rome1 from which ran out all the measurements of distance to the ends of the empire4 ,from this date1 #deg ,b4,c41 run out the golden threads of time prophecy that touch events in the earthly life and the heavenly ministry of ,jesus that are of deepest eternal interest to all mankind today4 ,the ,ransom ,paid ,lord1 ,i believe ,thy precious blood1 ,which1 at the mercy-seat of ,god1 ,forever doth for sinners plead1 ,can cleanse my guilty soul indeed4 ,lord1 ,i believe were sinners more ,than sands upon the ocean shore1 ,thou hast for all a ransom paid1 ,for all a full provision made4 --,nikolaus ,zinzendorf4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,anointing ,,of ,,jesus ,,at ,,his ,,baptism ,god anointed ,jesus of ,nazareth with the ,holy ,ghost and with power4 ,acts #aj3ch4 7,see ,matt4 #c3af47 ,,footnotes3 ,g ,the dates placed in the margin of the ,king ,james ,version indicate a period of fifteen years between the eighth and ninth chapters of ,daniel4 ,this was because in former days it was thought that ,belshazzar was the ,bible name of ,nabonidus1 the last king of ,babylon1 who reigned seventeen years4 ,in that case1 from the third year of his reign1 when the prophecy of ,daniel #h was given1 to the first year of ,darius1 who succeeded him1 when the angel appeared again to ,daniel1 would be fifteen years4 ,but the unearthing of the buried records of ,babylonia during the last half century1 reveals the fact that ,belshazzar was the son of ,nabonidus1 associated with him on the throne as king for a few years before the fall of ,babylon4 ,the third year of his reign may very likely have been the last year2 and ,darius immediately followed ,belshazzar4 ,the explanation of the ninth chapter might have been within a few weeks or months following the vision of chapter #h1 and probably was4 ,h ,these texts show that the king came to the throne in the autumn1 so that the actual years of his reign would run from autumn to autumn4 ,neh4 #a3a begins the record3 ,in the month ,chisleu1 in the twentieth year4 ,neh4 #b3a continues3 ,it came to pass in the month ,nisan1 in the twentieth year of ,artaxerxes4 ,thus it is plain that in the monthly calendar of the king's actual reign the month ,chisleu came first in order1 and then ,nisan4 ,chisleu was the ninth month of the ,jewish sacred year1 roughly1 ,december4 ,nisan is the first month1 ,april4 ,and these months1 ,december1 ,april1--in that order1--came in the first year of the king1 of course1 the same as in his twentieth year4 ,and in the same year also came the fifth month1 ,august2 for ,ezra #g3g-i shows that the first and fifth months--in that order--also fell in the same year of his reign4 ,then we know of a certainty that his reign began somewhere between ,august and ,december1 that is1 in the autumn4 ,the first year of ,artaxerxes was from the latter part of #dfd ,b4,c4 to the latter part of #dfc1 and the seventh year1 as readily counted off1 would be from near the end of #deh to near the end of #deg4 ,under the commission to ,ezra1 the people began to go up to ,jerusalem in the spring of that year1 #deg ,b4,c4 7in the first month1 or ,april71 and they came to ,jerusalem in the fifth month 7,august74 ,ezra #g3h1 #i4 ,ezra and his associates soon thereafter delivered the kings commissions unto the king's lieutenants1 and to the governors on this side the river3 and they furthered the people1 and the house of ,god4 ,ezra #h3cf4 ,with this delivery of the commissions to the king's officers1 the commandment to restore and to build had1 most certainly1 fully gone forth4 ,and from this date1 #deg ,b4,c41 extends the great prophetic period4 ,illustration3 ,,daniel',s ,,prayer ,,answered ,i am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding4 ,dan4 #i3bb4 ,,the ,,prophecy ,,fulfilled ,,events ,,of ,,the ,,seventy ,,weeks ,,and ,,end ,,of ,,the #bcjj ,,years ,the angel explained to ,daniel the events of the seventy weeks allotted to ,jerusalem and its people to finish the transgression4 ,seven weeks and threescore and two weeks 7#fi weeks7 of the seventy were to reach to the ,messiah4 ,the angel's words were3 ,seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city1 to finish the transgression4444 ,know therefore and understand1 that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build ,jerusalem unto the ,messiah the ,prince shall be seven weeks1 and threescore and two weeks #fi weeks1 or #dhc days4 ,dan4 #i3bd1 #be4 ,the sixty-nine weeks1 symbolic time1 are #dhc years1 which were to reach from the commandment to restore and build ,jerusalem to ,messiah the ,prince4 ,the ,time of the ,messiah's ,coming ,the commandment of ,artaxerxes to restore and build ,jerusalem1 as we have seen1 went forth in #deg ,b4,c4 ,reckoning from that date1 #dhc full years bring us to ,a4,d4 #bg1 when1 according to the prophecy1 the ,messiah should appear4 ,messiah means anointed4 ,the anointing of ,jesus1 and ,his manifestation as the ,anointed ,one1 was at ,his baptism3 ,jesus1 when ,he was baptized1 went up straightway out of the water3 and1 lo1 the heavens were opened unto ,him1 and ,he saw the ,spirit of ,god descending like a dove1 and lighting upon ,him3 and lo a voice from heaven1 saying1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,matt4 #c3af1 #ag4 ,thus ,jesus was anointed as the ,messiah 7see ,acts #aj3ch71 and ,john proclaimed3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world4 ,john #a3bi4 ,when did this baptism and anointing take place8 ,the ,gospel of ,luke supplies the historical facts for fixing the year3 ,in the fifteenth year of the reign of ,tiberius ,caesar1 ,pontius ,pilate being governor of ,judea1 etc4 ,luke #c3a-c4 ,tiberius followed ,augustus1 who died in ,a4,d4 #ad4 ,but before the latter's death1 ,tiberius was associated with him on the throne4 ,some modern historians date this appointment of ,tiberius as ,caesar from ,a4,d4 #ac2 but the ,history of ,rome1 by ,dion ,cassius1 a ,roman senator1 born in the second century1 shows1 under events of ,a4,d4 #ab1 that ,augustus recognized ,tiberius as holding the imperial dignity at that time4 7,book #ef1 chap4 #bf47 ,again1 ,dr4 ,philip ,schaff says3 ,there are coins from ,antioch in ,syria of the date ,a4,u4 #gfe ,a4,d4 #ab1 with the head of ,tiberius and the inscription1 ,kaisar1 ,sebastos 7,augustus74--,history of the ,christian ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #abj1 footnote4 ,these coins from ,syria bear certain witness that the first year of ,tiberius should be counted from ,a4,d4 #ab4 ,therefore the fifteenth year of the reign of ,tiberius ,caesar would be ,a4,d4 #bg1 just #dhc years from the going forth of the commandment to restore ,jerusalem4 ,the prophecy of the sixty-nine weeks was fulfilled--the ,messiah had come4 ,confirming the ,covenant ,but one week of the seventy remained--seven years4 ,of the ,messiah's work during this time the angel said3 ,he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week3 and in the midst of the week ,he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease4 ,dan4 #i3bg4 ,christ's death upon the cross made the sacrifice and the oblation to cease1 so far as their appointed force was concerned4 ,after three years and a half of ministry1 in the midst of this seven-year period1 the prophetic week1 the ,messiah was lifted up on ,calvary4 ,for centuries the sure word of prophecy had pointed to this supreme hour in the working out of the plan of salvation4 ,when the time was fulfilled1 the promise of ,god was fulfilled also1 and the divine ,sacrifice was offered4 ,paschal ,lamb1 by ,god appointed1 ,all our sins on ,thee were laid2 ,by ,almighty ,love anointed1 ,thou redemption's price hast paid4 ,all ,thy people are forgiven ,through the virtue of ,thy blood2 ,opened is the gate of heaven1 ,peace is made 'twixt man and ,god4 ,with the offering of the great ,sacrifice1 all the typical offerings ceased to have significance4 ,the veil of the temple was rent when the ,lamb of ,god expired upon the cross1--sign to all that ,he had caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,crucifixion ,,of ,,christ ,in the midst of the week ,he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease4 ,dan4 #i3bg4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,rent ,,veil ,the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom4 ,mark #ae3ch4 ,the ,messiah was to confirm the covenant with many for one week1 filling out the seventy weeks allotted in ,god's merciful patience especially to the people of the ,jews4 ,three and a half years of ,christ's personal ministry on earth had been devoted to the chosen people4 ,now1 after ,his ascension1 ,he was still1 in the persons of ,his disciples1 to press the gospel of the new covenant especially upon the ,jewish people--to the ,jew first1 and beginning at ,jerusalem4 ,illustration3 ,,peter ,,preaching ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,cornelius ,they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word4 ,acts #h3d4 ,this last seven-year period1 beginning in ,a4,d4 #bg1 ended in ,a4,d4 #cd4 ,by that time the opposition of the ,jews was becoming exceedingly bitter4 ,as a people they were rejecting again the divine invitation extended by the risen ,christ through ,his witnesses4 ,about ,a4,d4 #cd ,stephen was martyred4 ,the same council that1 against all evidence1 had rejected the ,messiah1 again rejected the appeal of the ,holy ,ghost shining visibly on ,stephen's countenance4 ,the believers in ,jerusalem were driven out by persecution2 and they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word4 ,acts #h3d4 ,the ,gentiles gave heed in ,samaria1 and the ,ethiopian received the gospel on the road to ,gaza4 ,the gospel message had fairly passed the boundaries of ,jerusalem and was on its way to the uttermost parts of the earth4 ,though the seventy weeks cut off upon the ,jewish people and upon the holy city had ended1 to the world's end the gospel of ,christ's salvation is for that people as well as for all other nations4 ,the ,ending of the #bcjj ,years ,it must not be forgotten that the angel was explaining to ,daniel the vision and prophecy of the long prophetic period that was to reach to the cleansing of the sanctuary at the time of the end4 ,these events of the first seventy weeks of that period were to seal up the vision and prophecy4 ,dan4 #i3bd4 ,the shedding of the blood of the divine ,sacrifice to make reconciliation for iniquity1 and to bring in everlasting righteousness1 set ,heaven's seal to the vision4 ,as surely as the great ,offering had been made1 so surely the cleansing of the sanctuary would be accomplished by the ministry of our ,high ,priest in heaven4 ,and the exact fulfilment of the time schedule for this first portion of the prophetic period1 set seal to the declaration that when the full #bcjj years should run out1 the closing ministry of ,christ would surely begin in the heavenly sanctuary4 ,from #deg ,b4,c41 when the commandment of ,artaxerxes to restore ,jerusalem went forth1 the measuring line of the #bcjj years reaches to the year ,a4,d4 #ahdd4 ,in that year the time of the prophecy came4 ,then the cleansing of the sanctuary was to begin4 ,the prophet ,john1 in the ,revelation1 beheld the opening of this last phase of the ministry of ,christ in the most holy place of the temple of ,god4 ,the temple of ,god was opened in heaven1 he says1 and there was seen in ,his temple the ark of ,his testament4 ,rev4 #aa3ai4 ,the prophet heard voices saying1 ,the nations were angry1 and ,thy wrath is come1 and the time of the dead1 that they should be judged4 ,verse #ah4 ,again we must quote ,daniel's description of the opening of this ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly temple4 ,he saw thrones of judgment set up4 ,he saw the moving throne of the ,almighty1 with its wheels of naming glory1 take its position for the final work of our ,high ,priest in the holy of holies above3 ,i beheld till the thrones were cast down placed1 and the ,ancient of days did sit1 whose garment was white as snow1 and the hair of ,his head like the pure wool3 ,his throne was like the fiery flame1 and ,his wheels as burning fire4 ,a fiery stream issued and came forth from before ,him3 thousand thousands ministered unto ,him1 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before ,him3 the judgment was set1 and the books were opened4 ,dan4 #g3i1 #aj4 ,this was the scene enacted in the heavenly temple when the year #ahdd brought the judgment hour4 ,then began in heaven the work of the investigative judgment1 or the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary1 during which the case of every individual will come in review before ,god4 ,when that work of investigation is finished1 the ministry of ,christ for sin will end1 human probation will close1 and our ,lord will quickly come as ,king of kings and ,lord of lords1 to gather ,his redeemed1 while all sinners will be destroyed by the brightness of ,his coming4 #b ,thess4 #b3h4 ,in the vision of ,daniel #h1 as the great apostasy was seen warring against ,god's truth1 the question was asked1 ,how long shall be the vision1444 to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot8 ,the answer was1 in effect1 ,in #ahdd the cleansing of the sanctuary will begin in heaven1--the hour of ,god's judgment1 that will give ,god's answer to sin and apostasy4 ,we are living in the great antitypical day of atonement1 for which all heaven has been waiting4 ,the end is at hand4 ,and while that work is proceeding in heaven above1 the ,lord proclaims a special message on earth1 lifting up again truths long trodden underfoot1 and calling men to prepare for the coming of the ,lord4 ,how ,shall ,we ,stand8 ,for the hour of ,his judgment is come4 ,the judgment is set1 the books have been opened2 ,how shall we stand in that great day ,when every thought1 and word1 and action1 ,god1 the righteous ,judge1 shall weigh8 ,the work is begun with those who are sleeping1 ,soon will the living here be tried1 ,out of the books of ,god's remembrance1 ,his decision to abide4 ,o1 how shall we stand that moment of searching1 ,when all our sins those books reveal8 ,when from that court1 each case decided1 ,shall be granted no appeal8 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,third ,,angel',s ,,message ,here is the patience of the saints3 here are they that keep the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,rev4 #ad3ab4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,gospel ,,commission ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the gospel to every creature4 ,mark #af3ae4 ,a ,,world-,,wide ,,movement ,,foretold ,,in ,,the ,,prophecy ,,of ,,revelation #ad ,while the work of the judgment hour1 or period1--the cleansing of the sanctuary1--is proceeding in the heavenly temple above1 the ,lord sends to the world a special message of preparation for the coming of the ,lord4 ,it would not be the divine way to let this solemn judgment in heaven come unheralded to men4 ,daniel's prophecy had fixed the time of its beginning2 and the question asked in the prophet's hearing1 ,how long shall be the vision 444 to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot8 suggested that when the time came1 the truths of ,god that had been trodden underfoot through the ages would be lifted up and proclaimed anew to all the world4 ,with the coming of the judgment hour1 in the year #ahdd1 there arose just such a work1 a definite gospel movement1 that has ever since been carrying the message for the hour to the ends of the earth4 ,the ,way ,prepared for the ,rise of the ,movement ,but there was a preliminary work to be done1 to prepare the way for the definite advent movement and message4 ,in the days of ,israel of old1 as the time for the cleansing of the sanctuary drew near1 the people were forewarned of the approach of the solemn hour4 ,the day of atonement--the tenth day of the seventh month--was a typical hour of judgment4 ,all the people were to prepare their hearts for that great day4 ,to this end1 the ,lord appointed the first day of the seventh month a day of sounding of the trumpets4 ,lev4 #bc3bd4 ,the silver trumpets1 pealing forth on that day1 proclaimed to all that the day of atonement was near at hand1 when every case would be brought in review before the mercy-seat by the ministry of the high priest in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary4 ,true to the type1 as the year #ahdd drew near1 when the great antitypical day of atonement was to open and the closing work of ,christ to begin in the most holy place of the heavenly temple1 the trumpet call of the approaching judgment hour was set pealing through all ,christendom4 ,events of the closing years of the eighteenth century and the early decades of the nineteenth1 had stirred up ,bible students to give greater attention to the study of the prophetic scriptures4 ,it was seen that signs of the latter days were appearing1 and that every line of historic prophecy pointed to the near approach of ,christ's second coming4 ,here and there students of the ,word saw that the #bcjj-year period of ,dan4 #h3ad1 as explained in the ninth chapter1 would end soon2 and some arrived at the correct date1 and looked to the year #ahdd as the time when the judgment hour would come4 ,witnesses were raised up in ,europe--in ,holland1 ,germany1 ,russia1 and the ,scandinavian countries4 ,joseph ,wolff1 the missionary to the ,levant1 preached in ,greece1 ,palestine1 ,turkey1 ,afghanistan1 and other regions the coming of the judgment hour4 ,william ,miller and many associates preached the message throughout ,america4 ,writing in the days just before #ahdd1 ,mourant ,brock1 a clergyman of the ,church of ,england1 said3 ,it is not merely in ,great ,britain that the expectation of the near return of the ,redeemer is entertained1 and the voice of warning raised1 but also in ,america1 ,india1 and on the continent of ,europe4 ,in ,america1 about three hundred ministers of the word are thus preaching 'this gospel of the kingdom2' whilst in this country1 about seven hundred of the ,church of ,england are raising the same cry4--,advent ,tracts1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #ace 7#ahdd74 ,not all who joined in the awakening cry at this time explained the prophecies alike1 or emphasized the definite year #ahdd as the beginning of the hour of ,god's judgment2 though in ,america1 ,europe1 and ,asia the clear message of the ending of the prophetic time in #ahdd was proclaimed with power by many voices4 ,and as the time came1 the world was ringing with the call to prepare to meet the judgment hour1 even as the hosts of ,israel were called by trumpet peals to prepare for the typical day of atonement4 ,the nature of the event to come at the end of the #bcjj years was not understood by these early heralds of the advent hope4 ,the general expectation was that the judgment hour meant the end of the world and the coming of the ,lord4 ,though the word of prophecy indicated clearly that there was a special work to be done on earth while the judgment hour was proceeding in heaven1 this was not clear to ,bible students at the time4 ,so when the prophetic period ended and the ,lord did not come1 believers in the prophetic truths were disappointed and unbelievers scoffed4 ,but the call to prepare for the judgment hour was the message due to the world at that time1 and the awakening cry was raised on every continent4 ,in the days of the ,saviour's first advent1 the disciples and the populace had proclaimed the triumphal entry of ,christ into ,jerusalem4 ,they were at once disappointed2 instead of enthroning ,him as king1 they witnessed ,his crucifixion4 ,but in proclaiming the coming of ,zion's ,king to ,jerusalem1 they were fulfilling the prophecy that had been uttered1 and were giving the message for that day1 notwithstanding their mistaken view as to the events that would follow4 ,just so the trumpet call of the coming judgment hour was the message for the days of #ahdd2 and the message was given1 attended by the power of ,god4 ,when the hour was at hand1 the providence of ,god raised up faithful witnesses to proclaim it4 ,all this was preparatory to the rise of the definite advent movement of the prophecy1 when the hour of ,god's judgment should begin4 ,the ,closing ,work ,in vision1 on the ,isle of ,patmos1 the prophet ,john was given a view of the closing work of the gospel on earth1 while the closing ministry of ,christ was proceeding in heaven above4 ,the prophet wrote3 ,i saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth1 and to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 saying with a loud voice1 ,fear ,god1 and give glory to ,him2 for the hour of ,his judgment is come3 and worship ,him that made heaven1 and earth1 and the sea1 and the fountains of waters4 ,rev4 #ad3f1 #g4 ,the message further warned against following the ways of the great apostasy2 and in the vision the prophet was shown people in all lands taking their stand at the call of the message4 ,the angel described them in these words3 ,here is the patience of the saints3 here are they that keep the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,verse #ab4 ,much as pictures appear to us when thrown in succession upon a screen1 these scenes must have passed before the vision of the prophet4 ,he saw the coming of the hour1 the rise of the movement1 and its extension into all lands2 he heard the message sounding1 and saw the kind of people doing the work--a people keeping the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,illustration3 ,,paul ,,writing ,,to ,,timothy ,,from ,,rome ,there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord 444 shall give me at that day3 and 444 unto all them also that love ,his appearing4 #b ,tim4 #d3h4 ,centuries had passed1 after this word was written in the ,book1 when the flight of time at last brought the hour of the prophecy--the year #ahdd4 ,that very year witnessed the rise of the definite advent movement which is still proclaiming the very message of the prophecy to the world4 ,it was in the year #ahdd1 in ,new ,england1 that a little group of believers in the blessed hope of ,christ's soon coming1 saw clearly1 from their study of the ,bible1 that the ,new ,testament platform of the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus1 emphasized in this prophecy of the judgment hour1 meant the keeping of the fourth commandment as well as the other nine4 ,thereupon they began to keep and to teach the ,sabbath of the ,lord1 the seventh day of the week1 made holy and blessed and commanded by ,god4 ,one member of this group of commandment-keeping ,adventists was ,frederick ,wheeler1 from whose dictation the following statement was prepared1 fixing exactly the facts as to the time3 ,as a ,methodist minister he was convinced of the advent truth by reading ,william ,miller's works in #ahdb1 and joined in preaching the first message that of the judgment hour4 ,in ,march1 #ahdd1 he began to keep the true ,sabbath1 in ,washington1 ,n4,h4--,review and ,herald 7,washington1 ,d4,c471 ,oct4 #d1 #aijf4 ,they were but a little band1 those believers in ,new ,hampshire1 but the time of the prophecy had come1 and with the coming of the hour there was the nucleus of the movement forming1 believers in the near coming of the ,lord1 preaching the message of the prophecy1 ,the hour of ,his judgment is come1 and keeping the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,from that small beginning has grown the movement that ,seventh-day ,adventists stand for1 spreading through all the world today4 ,it was in the year following #ahdd that ,joseph ,bates1 of ,massachusetts1 a retired sea captain1 and a preacher of the advent hope1 began to keep the ,sabbath4 ,captain ,bates wrote and published1 and soon others1 following his example1 embraced the ,bible ,sabbath4 ,as the ,scripture teaching concerning the sanctuary was studied1 light came flooding in4 ,it was seen that the great prophetic period of ,daniel #h1 which ended in #ahdd1 marked the opening of ,christ's ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary1 the work of the judgment hour in heaven2 and there1 plainly revealed in ,revelation #ad1 was a special gospel message to be carried to all the world while the judgment hour still continued4 ,the little company that began to keep the commandments of ,god as ,adventist believers in #ahdd1 did not understand that they were beginning the definite movement foretold by the prophecy4 ,they only determined to turn from traditions that had made void ,god's law1 and to obey the law of the ,most ,high1 whose servants they were4 ,but in the light of the ,scripture prophecy and of events1 we can see clearly the hand of ,god leading that little baud into the right pathway when the year of #ahdd came2 and the work there begun has grown into the world-wide movement of today4 ,nearly two thousand years before1 it had been written in the sure word of prophecy that when the hour of ,god's judgment came1 a people keeping ,god's commandments would arise and spread forth into all the world with the last gospel message4 ,the long prophetic period of ,daniel #h had fixed the year #ahdd as the time when the judgment hour would begin and when the people of the prophecy must appear4 ,when the year came1 that people appeared1 keeping the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,when the hour struck1 the work began4 ,this advent movement was born of ,god in fulfilment of prophecy4 ,and the mission of the movement is to lift up again the standard of truths obscured by tradition and trodden underfoot1 and to call all men to the ,new ,testament platform of the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus1 where every believing soul may find safe refuge in these closing moments of the judgment hour in the courts above4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,christian ,,mother ,,exhorting ,,her ,,daughter ,,to ,,martyrdom ,choose you this day whom ye will serve2444 as for me and my house1 we will serve the ,lord4 ,joshua #bd3ae4 ,,the ,,judgment-,,hour ,,message ,,the ,,gospel ,,for ,,our ,,day ,the gospel message for this time of the judgment hour is set forth in the vision of ,revelation #ad3 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,two ,,beasts ,,of ,,revelation #ac ,fear ,god1 and give glory to ,him2 for the hour of ,his judgment is come4 ,rev4 #ad3g4 ,i saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth1 and to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 saying with a loud voice1 ,fear ,god1 and give glory to ,him2 for the hour of ,his judgment is come3 and worship ,him that made heaven1 and earth1 and the sea1 and the fountains of waters4 ,and there followed another angel1 saying1 ,babylon is fallen1 is fallen1 that great city1 because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication4 ,and the third angel followed them1 saying with a loud voice1 ,if any man worship the beast and his image1 and receive his mark in his forehead1 or in his hand1 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of ,god1 which is poured out without mixture into the cup of ,his indignation2 and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels1 and in the presence of the ,lamb3 and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever3 and they have no rest day nor night1 who worship the beast and his image1 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name4 ,here is the patience of the saints3 here are they that keep the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,rev4 #ad3f-ab4 ,when this message has been heralded to all nations1 according to prophecy the end will come1 for the next scene brought before the prophet's vision was the coming of ,christ to reap the harvest of the earth3 ,i looked1 and behold a white cloud1 and upon the cloud one sat like unto the ,son of man1 having on ,his head a golden crown1 and in ,his hand a sharp sickle4 ,verse #ad4 ,the outline of the message given here reveals certain main features3 #a4 ,a ,gospel ,message ,it is not a new or another gospel4 ,there is but one gospel4 ,this message is the everlasting gospel in terms that meet the situation in the time of the judgment hour4 ,the advent movement carries the blessed message of full salvation from sin by faith in ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,a ,solemn ,warning ,the message is ,god's final answer to the age-long perversions of ,his truth4 ,even the warnings uttered vibrate with the saving grace and winning power of ,god's love in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,in the vision of ,daniel #h1 the prophet was shown the working of apostasy in the latter times1 as it cast down the truth to the ground and practiced and prospered4 ,but in answer to the question1 ,how long8 the great prophetic period of the #bcjj years was given1 at the end of which 7in #ahdd7 the judgment work in heaven was to begin4 ,when that work is finished1 ,christ's glorious appearing will end the reign of sin and error4 ,and while the closing judgment work is proceeding in heaven1 this message of the judgment hour lifts up on earth the standard of truths trodden underfoot1 and the ,lord utters ,his last warning against sin and apostasy4 ,it is a terrible word that ,he speaks4 ,bengelius described it as-- that threatening pronounced which is the greatest in all the ,scriptures1 and which shall resound powerfully from the mouth of the third angel4--,introduction to ,apocalypse1 ,preface xxix 7,london1 #ageg74 ,the ,lord is in earnest with men in this hour when the judgment1 now passing on the dead1 must also soon seal the eternal destiny of all the living4 ,hence the message challenges every soul to a decision4 ,looking forward to the time when this message should be due1 ,john ,wesley wrote3-- ,happy are they who make the right use of these divine messages4--,notes on ,new ,testament1 on ,revelation #ad4 ,these warnings are part of the everlasting gospel4 ,whosoever1 therefore1 preaches the full gospel of ,christ in these last days must sound this solemn call4 #c4 ,a ,call to ,loyalty to ,god ,fear ,god1 is the call1 ,worship ,him4 ,in the preceding vision of the thirteenth chapter1 the ,lord had shown the prophet the work of an ecclesiastical power1 symbolized by a leopardlike beast1 that was to speak great things1 and that was to persecute believers through long centuries1 warring against ,god's truth and ,his sanctuary4 ,all the world wondered after the beast4 ,the prophet said1 ,all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him1 whose names are not written in the book of life of the ,lamb4 ,rev4 #ac3h4 ,while worldly influence and the voice of popular religion exalt this ecclesiastical power and give glory to it1 the gospel message calls all men to worship ,god4 ,fear ,god1 and give glory to ,him2 for the hour of ,his judgment is come3 and worship ,him4444 ,if any man worship the beast and his image1 and receive his mark1,i 444 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of ,god4 ,the issue1 it is clear1 involves the question of authority4 ,shall ,god be recognized as supreme8 or shall this ecclesiastical power1 whose rise and work were foretold in the prophecy1 be recognized as the great authority8 ,the ,work of the ,papal ,power ,any comparison between this leopard beast of ,revelation #ac and the little horn of the fourth beast of ,daniel #g1 shows plainly that the same power is represented in each4 ,the same voice is heard speaking great things1 the same persecuting spirit is shown1 the same warfare against ,god's truth4 ,it is the ,roman ,papacy1 in its exaltation of human authority above the divine1 that lawless one of ,paul's prophecy1 setting itself forth as ,god in the temple of ,god1 treading underfoot the word and the law of the ,most ,high1 as foretold by ,daniel3 ,he shall speak great words against the ,most ,high1 and shall wear out the saints of the ,most ,high1 and think to change times and laws4 ,dan4 #g3be4 ,against the recognition of the assumed authority of this power1 the gospel message of ,revelation #ad sounds its solemn warning3 ,if any man worship the beast and his image1 and receive his mark4 ,the ,image to the ,papacy ,what is this image8 ,plainly an image to the ,papacy must be some religious authority or federation not organically of the ,papacy itself1 but adopting papal principles and seeking to enforce these principles by civil power1 just as the ,papacy has ever done1 where possible4 ,this development in likeness of the ,papacy was shown the prophet in the latter part of the vision of ,revelation #ac4 ,he saw the image formed1 and in vision witnessed its determined efforts to enforce upon men the mark1 or sign1 of the ,papacy3 ,he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him1 and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast1 whose deadly wound was healed4444 ,and he causeth all1 both small and great1 rich and poor1 free and bond1 to receive a mark in their right hand1 or in their foreheads3 and that no man might buy or sell1 save he that had the mark1 or the name of the beast4 ,rev4 #ac3ab-ag4 ,the ,mark1 or ,sign1 of ,papal ,authority ,the ,roman ,papacy sets forth the ,sunday institution as the mark of the authority of the church to substitute ecclesiastical tradition and custom for the ,word of ,god4 ,thus1 ,monsignor ,segur1 in ,plain ,talks about the ,protestantism of ,today1 says3 ,the observance of ,sunday by ,protestants is an homage they pay1 in spite of themselves1 to the authority of the church4--,page #bac4 ,it was to this change in the ,sabbath by tradition1 contrary to the plain command of ,god to keep holy the seventh day1 that the famous ,council of ,trent appealed when it gave ,rome's answer to the ,reformation cry of ,the ,bible and the ,bible only4 ,the council had long debated the ground of its answer4 ,the historian says3 ,finally1 at the last opening on the eighteenth of ,january1 #aefb1 their last scruple was set aside2 the archbishop of ,rheggio made a speech in which he openly declared that tradition stood above ,scripture4 ,the authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the ,scriptures1 because the church had changed ,sabbath into ,sunday1 not by the command of ,christ1 but by its own authority4 ,with this1 to be sure1 the last illusion was destroyed1 and it was declared that tradition does not signify antiquity1 but continual inspiration4--,dr4 ,j4,h4 ,holtzman1 ,canon and ,tradition1 p4 #bfc4 ,ever since this memorable council1 the ,sunday institution has been held forth as the mark of the power of the church to command religious observances4 ,thus1 again1 ,keenan's ,doctrinal ,catechism says3 ,question4--,have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept8 ,answer4--,had she not such power1 she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her1--she could not have substituted the observance of ,sunday1 the first day of the week1 for the observance of ,saturday1 the seventh day1 a change for which there is no ,scriptural authority4--,page #agd4 ,the prophecy of ,daniel declared that this power would think to change the times and laws of the ,most ,high2 and the change of the ,sabbath commandment is set forth as the mark of the church's authority above the written law of the ,most ,high4 ,most remarkable of all1 ,protestant organizations are defending the unscriptural observance of the humanly established first-day sabbath in contradiction to the law of ,god1 which declares that the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god4 ,and these organizations1 in denial of the ,protestant principle of religious liberty1 are seeking power to enforce ,sunday observance by civil law4 ,but this is to make a very image to the ,roman ,papacy--a church using the power of the state to enforce religious observance4 ,it was all foretold in the prophetic word4 ,the prophet was shown 7,rev4 #ac3aa-ag7 this likeness or image to the ,papacy--ecclesiastical organizations not of the ,papacy itself1 but following papal principles in this matter--seeking to compel men to receive the mark of the papal apostasy4 ,against the workings of both the ,papacy and this image to the ,papacy1 the last message of the everlasting gospel lifts its warning cry3 ,if any man worship the beast and his image1 and receive his mark in his forehead1 or in his hand1 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of ,god4 ,it is the time of the judgment hour1 when ,god was to lift up the standard of truths long trodden underfoot4 ,in the heavenly sanctuary ,christ's closing judgment work is going forward1 preparatory to ,his coming in consuming glory to end the reign of sin4 ,on earth the ,lord is sending the last gospel message to men1 warning against sin and error1 and calling all men to worship ,god1 and to keep the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus4 ,the ,sign of ,jehovah's ,authority ,god also has ,his sign1 or mark1 of authority4 ,he bases ,his claims to supreme authority upon the fact of ,his creative power4 ,as ,creator1 ,his is the authority and the power4 ,the ,lord is the true ,god4444 ,he hath made the earth by ,his power4 ,jer4 #aj3aj-ab4 ,and the divinely established memorial of this creative power is the holy ,sabbath4 ,the ,sabbath is the mark1 or sign1 of the true ,god3 ,hallow ,my ,sabbaths2 and they shall be a sign between ,me and you1 that ye may know that ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,eze4 #bj3bj4 ,on one side is the mark1 or sign1 of apostasy from ,god2 on the other the mark1 or sign1 of loyalty to ,god4 ,which mark will men receive1 as the issue is pressed upon every soul for decision8 ,on which side shall we stand8 ,under whose banner shall we be found when the judgment hour closes8 ,illustration3 ,,pilate',s ,,fatal ,,decision ,,in ,,the ,,hour ,,of ,,trial ,pilate saith unto them1 ,what shall ,i do then with ,jesus which is called ,christ8 ,matt4 #bg3bb4 ,the test that came to ,pilate comes anew to men as ,christ's message presses for acceptance4 ,what shall ,i do then with ,jesus8 asked the ,roman governor--and yielded to popular clamor4 ,his fatal decision in the time of testing warns us to decide for ,christ and for the word of his salvation now1 in this hour of ,god's judgment4 ,the message of ,rev4 #ad3f-ad is going to all the world now4 ,every year thousands of new voices join in telling it4 ,printing presses are printing it in many languages4 ,schools and colleges in every continent are educating thousands of ,seventh-day ,adventist youth1 keeping before them1 as the highest aim of life1 the hastening of the advent message to the world4 ,sanitariums in many lands1 while training medical missionary evangelists1 are at the same time ministering to the sick1 and teaching the principles of ,bible health and temperance4 ,the movement necessarily emphasizes every principle of the everlasting gospel1 while pressing upon all the solemn issue that loyalty to ,christ now means to turn from unscriptural tradition and custom to the commandments of ,god and the faith of ,jesus4 ,however ancient the custom of observing ,sunday1 it is but an innovation1 setting aside the ,word of ,god and the example of ,jesus ,christ4 ,as ,st4 ,cyprian said3 ,usage without truth is only an antiquated error4 ,the clear light of ,holy ,scripture now calls the believer away from the path of error to the way of light4 ,the older error is1 it is the worse1 ,continuation may provoke a curse2 ,if the ,dark ,age obscured our fathers' sight1 ,must their sons shut their eyes against the light8 --,bishop ,ken4 ,in times past ,christian believers have been unwittingly following the lead of the ,papacy in this matter4 ,the ,lord holds no man accountable for light that he did not have4 ,reformation is a progressive work4 ,of the past we may say with ,paul3 ,the times of this ignorance ,god winked at2 but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent3 because ,he hath appointed a day1 in the which ,he will judge the world in righteousness4 ,acts #ag3cj1 #ca4 ,now1 with this hour of ,god's judgment already come1 the entire covering of papal tradition is to be torn aside1 and when ,jesus comes in glory1 in every land will be found believers having the faith and keeping the commandments of ,god4 ,all this was shown to ,john on the ,isle of ,patmos1--the coming of the judgment hour1 the rise of the advent movement1 and the heralding of the last message to the nations4 ,what ,john saw in vision nearly two thousand years ago1 we see fulfilling before our eyes today4 ,but it is not enough to see it2 we must have a part in it1 be a part of it4 ,illustration3 ,,lucifer ,,plotting ,,against ,,the ,,government ,,of ,,god ,i will exalt my throne above the stars of ,god2444 ,i will be like the ,most ,high4 ,isa4 #ad3ac1 #ad ,,footnotes3 ,i ,the use of a mark1 or sign1 to designate the divinity worshiped1 is common in non-,christian religions4 ,one may see the ,hindu returning from the temple with the mark of ,vishnu or other deity freshly painted upon the forehead4 ,of the ancient usage1 from which this ,bible symbol of the mark is taken1 ,dr4 ,john ,potter says1 in his ,antiquities of ,greece3 ,slaves were not only branded with stigmata for a punishment of their offenses1 but 7which was the common end of these marks7 to distinguish them1 in case they should desert their masters2 for which purpose it was common to brand their soldiers2 only with this difference1 that whereas slaves were commonly stigmatized in their forehead1 and with the name or some peculiar character belonging to their masters1 soldiers were branded in the hand1 and with the name or character of their general4 ,after the same manner1 it was likewise customary to stigmatize the worshipers and votaries of some of the gods3 whence ,lucian1 speaking of the votaries of the ,syrian goddess1 affirms1 ',they were all branded with certain marks1 some in the palms of their hands1 and others in their necks3 whence it became customary for all the ,assyrians thus to stigmatize themselves4' ,and ,theodoret is of opinion that the ,jews were forbidden to brand themselves with stigmata ,lev4 #ai3bh1 because the idolaters by that ceremony used to consecrate themselves to their false deities4 ,the marks used on these occasions were various4 ,sometimes they contained the name of the god1 sometimes his particular ensign2 such were the thunderbolt of ,jupiter1 the trident of ,neptune1 the ivy of ,bacchus3 whence ,ptolemy ,philopater was by some nicknamed ,gallus1 because his body was marked with the figures of ivy leaves4 ,or1 lastly1 they marked themselves with some mystical number1 whereby the god's name was described4 ,thus the sun1 which was signified by the number ,,dcviii1 is said to have been represented by these two numeral letters ,,xh 7,conf4 ,martianus ,capello74 ,these three ways of stigmatizing are all expressed by ,st4 ,john in the book of ,revelation3 ',and he causeth all1 both small and great1 rich and poor1 free and bond1 to receive a mark in their right hand1 or in their foreheads3 and that no man might buy or sell1 save he that had the mark1 or the name of the beast1 or the number of his name4'--,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #fe1 #ff 7,london1 #agbh74 ,illustration3 ,,satan ,,enters ,,the ,,garden ,,of ,,eden ,the wages of sin is death4 ,rom4 #f3bc4 ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,evil ,the ,beginning of the ,great ,controversy ,between ,christ and ,satan ,the great controversy between good and evil1 that has been waged on earth ever since man's fall1 had its origin in heaven4 ,certain angels rebelled against ,god and ,his government4 ,there was war in heaven3 ,michael and ,his angels fought against the dragon2 and the dragon fought and his angels1 and prevailed not2 neither was their place found any more in heaven4 ,and the great dragon was cast out1 that old serpent1 called the ,devil1 and ,satan1 which deceiveth the whole world3 he was cast out into the earth1 and his angels were cast out with him4 ,rev4 #ab3g-i4 ,thus came the forces of evil into this world1 which have been working through all the ages to draw men from allegiance to ,god1 and to infuse into human hearts the same spirit of disobedience which wrought the ruin of ,satan and his angels4 ,the ,cause of the ,downfall ,christ stated the principle3 ,if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness1 how great is that darkness6 ,matt4 #f3bc4 ,the principle finds its utmost application in the great reversal1 by which ,lucifer1 the light bearer in heaven1 became ,satan1 the adversary1 the prince of darkness4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,and ,,nicodemus ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,john #c3c4 ,in the pride and self-exaltation of ,tyre1 of old1 the ,lord saw manifested the spirit of the god of this world2 so1 in declaring ,his message of rebuke to the prince of ,tyre1 the ,lord describes the cause and history of ,satan's fall3 ,thou hast been in ,eden the garden of ,god4444 ,thou art the anointed cherub that covereth2 and ,i have set thee so3 thou wast upon the holy mountain of ,god2 thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire4 ,thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created1 till iniquity was found in thee4444 ,thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty1 thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness4 ,eze4 #bh3ac-ag4 ,likewise1 in the swelling pride of ,babylon the ,lord recognized the spirit of the leader of the rebellious angels4 ,in one of the messages to ,babylon is this reference to the vaulting ambition of ,lucifer in heaven3 ,how art thou fallen from heaven1 ,o ,lucifer day-star1 margin1 son of the morning6 how art thou cut down to the ground1 which didst weaken the nations6 ,for thou hast said in thine heart1 ,i will ascend into heaven1 ,i will exalt my throne above the stars of ,god3 ,i will sit also upon the mount of the congregation1 in the sides of the north3 ,i will ascend above the heights of the clouds2 ,i will be like the ,most ,high4 ,isa4 #ad3ab-ad4 ,lucifer1 his powers now perverted to evil1 deceived many of the angels1 persuading them to join him in rebellion against the government of ,god2 with the result that ,satan and all his host were cast out4 ,christ said1 ,i beheld ,satan as lightning fall from heaven4 ,luke #aj3ah4 ,him the ,almighty ,power ,hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky4 ,the ,earth as the ,battle ,ground ,then the great controversy which began in heaven was transferred to this earth1 and now centers around man4 ,for that old serpent1 the leader of the fallen angels1 deceived man1 and persuaded him to distrust ,god and to choose his own way in preference to ,god's way4 ,thus came sin and death into the world4 ,and ,satan1 who had overcome man at the forbidden tree1 became by his own usurpation and by man's perfidy1 the prince of this world4 ,but ,christ gave himself to save man1 to deliver him from the bondage of sin1 and to restore him to the glorious liberty of the sons of ,god4 ,the same mighty power that overcame ,satan and his angels in heaven is able to overcome his power in human hearts and lives4 ,the controversy is still between ,christ and ,satan1 and man's salvation or destruction is the aim of the contending forces4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,redemption ,,price ,that through death ,he might destroy him that had the power of death1 that is1 the devil4 ,heb4 #b3ad4 ,there is no neutral ground4 ,every soul must choose as to which side he will yield allegiance4 ,in this choice lies his eternal destiny4 ,know ye not1 that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey1 his servants ye are to whom ye obey2 whether of sin unto death1 or of obedience unto righteousness8 ,rom4 #f3af4 ,therefore the ,lord pleads with men1 ,choose life4 ,every soul that chooses life has the promise of it1 for ,christ is able 444 to save them to the uttermost that come unto ,god by ,him4 ,heb4 #g3be4 ,the ,judgment upon ,satan ,from the time of ,satan's rebellion it was assured1 by the very omnipotence of ,god1 that there would come a last judgment when evil would be destroyed from the universe4 ,this execution of judgment upon the fallen angels is thus referred to by ,jude3 ,the angels which kept not their first estate1 but left their own habitation1 he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day4 ,verse #f4 ,the evil spirits themselves know that this day is coming4 ,when ,christ was about to cast certain of them out of one who was possessed1 they cried out1 ,art ,thou come hither to torment us before the time8 ,matt4 #h3bi4 ,though the judgment of that last day was originally set for ,satan and his angels1 unrepentant men will have a part in it1 because they have joined ,satan in his lawless rebellion4 ,to the wicked it will be said3 ,depart from ,me1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire1 prepared for the devil and his angels4 ,matt4 #be3da4 ,satan sees that the day is hastening2 and the shorter the time in which to work1 the greater his fury in seeking to draw souls to perdition4 ,the warning comes to us in these last days3 ,woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea6 for the devil is come down unto you1 having great wrath1 because he knoweth that he hath but a short time4 ,rev4 #ab3ab4 ,christ's second coming ends the reign of ,satan in this world4 ,the wicked are slain by the consuming glory of ,christ's coming 7#b ,thess4 #b3h72 and the righteous are taken to heaven1 beyond the reach of ,satan's arts 7#a ,thess4 #d3af1 #ag74 ,the archenemy and his angels are thus left upon an earth devoid of human beings4 ,here he is chained for a thousand years1 in this pit of desolation 7,rev4 #bj3b1 #e71 his only companions the angels who fell with him1 his only occupation the contemplation of the ruin he has wrought and the destruction that still awaits him4 ,by the second resurrection--that of the wicked dead1 after the thousand years--,satan is again set free to ply his arts upon his subjects4 ,as the holy city comes down out of heaven from ,god1 with all the saints1 ,satan gathers his angels and all the forces of the lost of all the ages1 to make an assault upon the city4 ,the result was shown to the prophet in vision3 ,they went up on the breadth of the earth1 and compassed the camp of the saints about1 and the beloved city3 and fire came down from ,god out of heaven1 and devoured them4 ,and the devil that deceiveth them was cast into the lake of fire4 ,rev4 #bj3i1 #aj4 ,that is the fate awaiting the author of sin4 ,in the account of ,satan's pride and self-exaltation1 uttered by the prophet in the message to ,tyre1 there occurs also this prophecy of the utter destruction that awaits him1 when he shall bring his forces against the city of ,god in that last conflict3 ,i will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee4 ,all they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee3 thou shalt be a terror1 and never shalt thou be any more4 ,eze4 #bh3ah1 #ai4 ,this is the final victory of ,christ over evil1 in the great controversy that began in heaven4 ,satan exalted himself--and lost4 ,christ humbled ,himself1 even unto the death--and won the eternal triumph4 ,forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood1 ,he also ,himself likewise took part of the same2 that through death ,he might destroy him that had the power of death1 that is1 the devil4 ,heb4 #b3ad4 ,illustration3 ,,jesus ,,by ,,the ,,sea ,o ,galilee1 sweet ,galilee1 ,what mem'ries rise at thought of thee6 ,illustration3 ,,saul ,,and ,,the ,,witch ,,of ,,endor ,when they shall say unto you1 ,seek unto them that have familiar spirits1444 should not a people seek unto their ,god8 ,isa4 #h3ai4 ,illustration3 ,,satan',s ,,first ,,lie ,ye shall not surely die4 ,gen4 #c3d4 ,,spiritualism3 ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern ,the essential claim of ,spiritualism is its assertion of power to hold communication with the spirits of the dead2 or rather1 it claims to have demonstrated that really there is no death4 ,there is no death2 ,what seems so is transition4 ,the late ,prof4 ,alfred ,russel ,wallace1 the ,english scientist1 said of ,spiritualism3-- ,it demonstrates1 as completely as the fact can be demonstrated1 that the so-called dead are still alive4--,on ,miracles and ,modern ,spiritualism 7,london1 #ahge71 p4 #bab4 ,first ,declaration of the ,doctrine ,in the very first book of the ,bible is a similar claim3 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,gen4 #c3d4 ,but this declaration1 while recorded in the ,scriptures1 is not the word of ,god4 ,the ,lord had declared to man that disobedience would bring death4 ,but ,satan1 as the tempter in ,eden1 caused the woman to doubt the word of ,god3 ,the serpent said unto the woman1 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,and the woman believed the tempter rather than ,god1 and so sinned against the ,creator4 ,having tempted man to disobedience1 so bringing death into the world1 what more natural1 in the course of deception1 than to endeavor to persuade the human family that1 after all1 there is no death2 that what appears so is only an introduction to fuller life and activity8 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,illustration3 ,,pharaoh',s ,,sorcerers ,,counterfeiting ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,god ,now the magicians of ,egypt1 they also did in like manner with their enchantments4 ,ex4 #g3aa4 ,as mankind departed from right and lost the knowledge of ,god1 dead heroes were deified as gods1 and much of the pagan worship consisted in sacrifices to the spirits of the dead1 supposed to be living still and concerned with affairs in the land of the living4 ,when ,israel fell away from ,god and joined the ,moabites in the worship of ,baal-peor1 the record says of the nature of the service3 ,they joined themselves also unto ,baal-peor1 and ate the sacrifices of the dead4 ,yea1 they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils4 ,ps4 #ajf3bh1 #cg4 ,instead of dealing with the spirits of the dead1 the idolatrous worshipers were really putting themselves in direct touch with the agencies of ,satan1 the fallen angels4 ,divine ,warnings ,this explains the severity of the divine warnings against the ancient practice of necromancy1 or mediumship4 ,the ,lord said3 ,regard not them that have familiar spirits1 neither seek after wizards1 to be defiled by them3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,lev4 #ai3ca4 ,illustration3 ,,demonism ,,in ,,the ,,days ,,of ,,christ ,he said unto him1 ,come out of the man1 thou unclean spirit4 ,mark #e3h4 ,when thou art come into the land which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee1 thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations4 ,there shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire1 or that useth divination1 or an observer of times1 or an enchanter1 or a witch1 or a charmer1 or a consulter with familiar spirits1 or a wizard1 or a necromancer4 ,for all that do these things are an abomination unto the ,lord4 ,deut4 #ah3i-ab4 ,the ancient seance1 where the living sought unto the dead for knowledge1 was denounced by the prophet ,isaiah3 ,when they shall say unto you1 ,seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards1 that chirp and that mutter3 should not a people seek unto their ,god8 on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead8 ,isa4 #h3ai1 ,a4,r4,v4 ,to the law and to the testimony6 the prophet cries4 ,to seek unto the dead for knowledge is to turn from the law and the testimony1 and to take the counsel of the direct agencies of ,satan1 the great deceiver4 ,modern ,spiritualism ,what ,spiritualism is may best be understood by the prophetic warnings concerning the revival of this great deception in the last days4 ,the apostle spoke of these days as a time when seducing spirits would lead many away from the faith3 ,now the ,spirit speaketh expressly1 that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith1 giving heed to seducing spirits1 and doctrines of devils4 #a ,tim4 #d3a4 ,this deceptive working is an indication of the nearness of ,christ's second coming3 ,whose coming is according to the working of ,satan with all power and signs and lying wonders4 #b ,thess4 #b3i1 ,a4,r4,v4 ,true to the sure word1 now that the last days have come1 there has arisen the movement of modern ,spiritualism1 with its signs and wonders1 purporting to be wrought by the spirits of the dead4 ,professor ,wallace says3 ,modern ,spiritualism dates from ,march1 #ahdh2 it being then that1 for the first time1 intelligent communications were held with the unknown cause of the mysterious knockings and other sounds similar to those which had disturbed the ,mompesson and ,wesley families in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4--,on ,miracles and ,modern ,spiritualism 7,london1 #ahge71 p4 #adf4 ,it was in ,hydeville1 ,n4,y41 in the family of ,mr4 ,fox1 that the modern cult originated1 it being found that by mysterious but clear sounds of knocking1 unseen intelligences were able to communicate answers to questions asked4 ,the rapidity of the spread of the great deception was remarkable4 ,one of the ,fox sisters1 ,mrs4 ,a4 ,leah ,underhill1 wrote3 ,since that day1 starting from a small country village of western ,new ,york1 ,spiritualism has made its way--against tremendous obstacles and resistance1 but under an impulse and a guidance from higher spheres--round the civilized globe4 ,starting from three sisters1 two of them children1 and the eldest a little beyond that age1444 its ranks of believers1 privately or publicly avowed1 have grown within thirty-six years to millions4--,the ,missing ,link in ,modern ,spiritualism1 ,introduction4 ,many at the time thought1 as have many since1 that the rappings with which the manifestations began were caused by some trickery on the part of the ,fox sisters1 but men of unimpeachable standing and intelligence certified to the contrary4 ,horace ,greeley1 famous editor of the ,new ,york ,tribune1 wrote in his paper that the sisters had visited him in his home and courted the fullest investigation as to the alleged manifestations from the spirit world4 ,as the result of his observations1 he wrote3 ,whatever may be the origin or the cause of the 'rappings1' the ladies in whose presence they occur do not make them4 ,we tested this thoroughly and to our entire satisfaction4--,id41 pp4 #afj1 #afa4 ,it was no mere sleight of hand that launched this cult upon the world as the last days came4 ,beyond all the physical manifestations1 the religious idea in ,spiritualism has leavened the religious thought of millions4 ,no one can deny that the basic idea is the one that the serpent promulgated in ,eden1 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,mrs4 ,emma ,hardinge ,britten1 another of the ,fox sisters1 says of the discovery of #ahdh3 ,on the night of the thirty-first of ,march1 #ahdh1 we found beyond a shadow of a doubt or peradventure1 that death had no power over the spirit4444 ,in a word1 we found our so-called dead were all living4--,nineteenth ,century ,miracles 7,manchester1 ,england71 p4 #eed4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,salem ,,witchcraft ,one of the historical settings of ,spiritualism4 ,a poor woman accused by her neighbors of practicing witchcraft4 ,now the ,scriptures teach plainly what these agencies in ,spiritualism are not1 and what they are4 ,what ,they ,are ,not ,they are not the spirits of the dead communicating messages to the living4 ,in one of the earliest written portions of ,holy ,scripture1 the ,lord declared plainly that the dead have no knowledge of the living3 ,he passeth3 ,thou changest his countenance1 and sendest him away4 ,his sons come to honor1 and he knoweth it not2 and they are brought low1 but he perceiveth it not of them4 ,job #ad3bj1 #ba4 ,the dead have no part in any communications with the living on earth3 ,neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun4 ,eccl4 #i3f ,what ,they ,are ,already we have told what they are in quoting the warnings of prophecy concerning the special deceptions of ,satan in the last days4 ,the working of ,satan with all power and signs and lying wonders4 #b ,thess4 #b3i4 ,seducing spirits4 #a ,tim4 #d3a4 ,and as they were shown to the prophet ,john in a vision of the very end1 he declared3 ,they are the spirits of devils1 working miracles4 ,rev4 #af3ad4 ,these are the agencies through which come the supernatural manifestations of ,spiritualism4 ,it is a terrible deception that leads men and women to seek to satanic agencies1 supposing that they are communicating with the spirits of their dead friends4 ,satan and his angels can readily simulate the personality of the dead1 and so deceive those who disobey ,god in seeking to the dead for knowledge4 ,the ,climax of ,deception ,that the marvels of ,spiritualism would increase as the end nears1 was plainly taught by our ,saviour in describing the workings of ,satan just before the second advent4 ,he left us the warning3 ,then if any man shall say unto you1 ,lo1 here is ,christ1 or there2 believe it not4 ,for there shall arise false ,christs1 and false prophets1 and shall show great signs and wonders2 insomuch that1 if it were possible1 they shall deceive the very elect4 ,matt4 #bd3bc1 #bd4 ,evidently1 then1 by the miracle-working power that he possesses1 ,satan will work mighty deceptions through both human and supernatural agencies4 ,and the crowning deception will be his own manifestation as the ,promised ,one1 simulating ,christ's second coming4 ,but the power and glory that will fill all earth and the heavens at ,christ's coming1 cannot be copied by ,satan1 with all his miracle-working skill4 ,that is why it is so important that we understand the ,bible teaching as to the nature and manner of ,christ's second advent4 ,the doctrine of the silent1 secret1 mystical coming is all abroad in the world1 the teaching exactly calculated to prepare the way for ,satan's purposes of deception4 ,therefore ,christ forewarns us3 ,behold1 ,i have told you before4 ,wherefore if they shall say unto you1 ,behold1 ,he is in the desert2 go not forth3 behold1 ,he is in the secret chambers2 believe it not4 ,for as the lightning cometh out of the east1 and shineth even unto the west2 so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be4 ,matt4 #bd3be-bg4 ,the teachings of ancient theosophy and spiritualism--the mysticism of the ,east--have been permeating ,christendom in recent years4 ,mme4 ,jean ,delaire1 writing in a ,london review1 said some years ago3 ,india has apparently still a mission to fulfil1 for her thought is slowly beginning to mold the thought of ,europe and of ,america2 our keenest minds are today studying her philosophy2 our ,new ,theology is founded upon the old1 old ,vedanta4--,national ,review1 ,september1 #aijh1 p4 #aca4 ,this flood of ancient spiritualism from the ,east has come about according to ,isaiah's prophecy of things that were to come to pass in the latter days3 ,thou hast forsaken ,thy people the house of ,jacob1 because they are filled with customs from the ,east1 and are soothsayers like the ,philistines4 ,isa4 #b3f1 ,a4,r4,v4 ,in #aiji one of the leading representatives of theosophical thought1 ,mrs4 ,annie ,besant1 of ,india1 toured ,america with the message of a coming messiah4 ,she announced3 ,my message is very simple3 ',prepare for the coming ,christ4' ,we stand at the cradle of a new subrace1 and each race or subrace has its own messiah4 ,hermes is followed by ,zoroaster2 ,zoroaster by ,orpheus2 ,orpheus by ,buddha2 ,buddha by ,christ4 ,we now await with confidence a manifestation of the ,supreme ,teacher of the world1 who was last manifested in ,palestine4 ,everywhere in the ,west1 not less than in the ,east1 the heart of man is throbbing with the glad expectation of the new avatar4 ,the leaven of the spiritualistic philosophy has been working its way through ,christendom during this generation4 ,we see clearly that the evil one is preparing the way for his final work of deception4 ,illustration3 ,,home ,,of ,,the ,,fox ,,family1 ,,hydesville1 ,n4,y4 ,spiritualism originated in this house ,march #ca1 #ahdh4 ,illustration3 ,,he ,,is ,,risen ,because ,i live1 ye shall live also4 ,john #ad3ai4 ,,copyright1 ,,standard ,,pub4 ,,co4 ,illustration3 ,,mary ,,meets ,,her ,,risen ,,lord ,he that believeth in ,me1 though he were dead1 yet shall he live4 ,john #aa3be4 ,,life ,,only ,,in ,,christ ,,man',s ,,nature ,,and ,,state ,,in ,,death ,a wide-open door for ,spiritualism is afforded by the teaching that man has life in himself--immortality by nature2 and that death is not really death1 but another form of life4 ,the ,scriptures close this door of false hope1 teaching us that man is mortal1 that death is really death1 and that immortality is the gift of ,god through ,christ by the resurrection from the dead4 ,clearly and definitely the ,bible teaches that ,god only has immortality1 styling ,him the blessed and only ,potentate1 the ,king of kings1 and ,lord of lords2 who only hath immortality4 #a ,tim4 #f3ae1 #af4 ,this scripture disposes of every idea that man is immortal by nature1 and opens the way for a consideration of the ,scripture teaching concerning man's nature1 his state in death1 and the promise of life and immortality in ,christ4 ,man by ,nature ,mortal ,the word mortal1 as used in that ancient question by ,eliphaz1 describes man's nature3 ,shall mortal man be more just than ,god8 ,job #d3ag4 ,in the creation1 life was conditional upon the creature's relation to ,christ the ,creator1 in whom all things consist3 ,all things were made by ,him2 and without ,him was not anything made that was made4 ,in ,him was life4 ,john #a3c1d4 ,he was1 and is1 as the psalmist says1 the fountain of life4 ,cut off from vital connection with ,him1 there could be no continuance of life4 ,the ,lord warned ,adam that his life was conditional upon obedience4 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof1 ,he said of the forbidden tree1 thou shalt surely die4 ,gen4 #b3ag4 ,it was a declaration that man was not immortal1 but was dependent upon ,god for life4 ,when by unbelief and sin man rejected ,god1 the sentence--death eternal--must have been executed had not the plan of salvation intervened4 ,but as the stroke of divine justice was falling upon the sinner1 the ,son of ,god interposed ,himself and received the blow4 ,he was bruised for our iniquities4 ,in the divine plan1 the great sacrifice for man was as sure then as when1 later1 it was actually made on ,calvary4 ,christ was the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world4 ,and there ,adam1 the sinner1 now with a fallen human nature1 which would be perpetuated in his descendants in all subsequent time1 was granted an extension of life1 every moment of which1 whether for him or for his posterity1 was the purchase of ,christ by ,his own death1 in order that in this time of probation man might find forgiveness of sin and assurance of life to come4 ,adam was not created immortal1 but was placed on probation1 and had he continued faithful1 the gift of immortality must have been given him at some later time1 after he had passed the test4 ,as the original plan is carried out through ,christ1 the second ,adam1 the gift of immortality is bestowed finally upon all who pass the test of the judgment and are found in ,christ1 in whom alone is life4 ,having fallen1 ,adam1 now possessed of a sinful nature1 must die4 ,the wages of sin is death4 ,rom4 #f3bc4 ,it was impossible that sin or sinners should be immortalized in ,god's universe4 ,so1 inasmuch as the tree of life in ,eden had been made the channel of continuance of life to man1 the ,lord said3 ,now1 lest he put forth his hand1 and take also of the tree of life1 and eat1 and live forever3 therefore the ,lord ,god sent him forth from the garden of ,eden4 ,gen4 #c3bb1 #bc4 ,this negatives the idea that there could ever be an immortal sinner1 who should mar ,god's creation forever4 ,sin works out nothing but death4 ,sin1 when it is finished1 bringeth forth death4 ,james #a3ae4 ,fallen himself1 ,adam could bequeath to his posterity only a fallen1 mortal nature4 ,so began the sad history summed up in the text3 ,wherefore1 as by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin2 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned4 ,rom4 #e3ab4 ,mortality ,universal ,mortality is written upon all creation4 ,ages ago the wise man wrote1 ,there is one event unto all3 444 they go to the dead4 ,eccl4 #i3c4 ,human hearts everywhere and in all time have cried out against the remorselessness of the great enemy4 ,do people die with you8 was the question met by ,livingstone in the untraveled wilds of ,africa4 ,have you no charm against death8 ,the ,greek as well as the barbarian confessed to the helplessness of man before the great enemy4 ,centuries before ,christ1 ,sophocles the ,athenian wrote3 ,wonders are many6 and none is there greater than man1 who ,steers his ship over the sea1 driven on by the south wind1 ,cleaving the threatening swell of the waters around him4 ,he captures the gay-hearted birds2 he entangles adroitly ,creatures that live on the land and the brood of the ocean1 ,spreading his well-woven nets4 ,man full of devices6 ,speech and swift thought free as wind1 the building of cities2 ,shelters to ward off the arrows of rain1 and to temper ,sharp-biting frost--all these hath he taught himself4 ,surely ,stratagem hath he for all that comes6 ,never the future ,finds him resourceless6 ,deftly he combats grievous diseases1 ,oft from their grip doth he free himself4 ,death alone vainly-- ,vainly he seeks to escape2 'gainst death he is helpless4 --,chorus from ,antigone4 ,what unspeakable pathos in the cry of humanity's helplessness before death1 the great enemy6 ,but when ,adam went out of ,eden1 it was with the assurance of life from the dead through the promised ,seed1 if faithful4 ,it is the message of the one gospel for all time--everlasting life in ,christ4 ,illustration3 ,,jesus ,,raising ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,the ,,widow ,,of ,,nain ,the gift of ,god is eternal life through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,rom4 #f3bc4 ,god so loved the world1 that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,john #c3af4 ,as there is none other name under heaven by which men can be saved1 so there is no other way of everlasting life or immortality1 save in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,when ,immortality is ,bestowed ,christ said1 ,i am the resurrection1 and the life3 he that believeth in ,me1 though he were dead1 yet shall he live4 ,john #aa3be4 ,he has turned death1 that would have been eternal1 into a little time of sleep1 from which he will awaken the believer4 ,in the resurrection of the last day immortality is bestowed1 in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 at the last trump3 for the trumpet shall sound1 and the dead shall be raised incorruptible1 and we shall be changed4 ,for this corruptible must put on incorruption1 and this mortal must put on immortality4 ,so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption1 and this mortal shall have put on immortality1 then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written1 ,death is swallowed up in victory4 #a ,cor4 #ae3eb-ed4 ,there is a blessed hope1 ,more precious and more bright ,than all the joyless mockery ,the world esteems delight4 ,there is a lovely star ,that lights the darkest gloom1 ,and sheds a peaceful radiance o'er ,the prospects of the tomb4 ,not until the resurrection1 at the last trump1 is immortality conferred upon the redeemed4 ,note that it is not something immortal putting on immortality2 but this mortal puts on immortality4 ,mark this3 there is no life after death1 save by the resurrection4 ,if there be no resurrection of the dead1444 then they also which are fallen asleep in ,christ are perished4 #a ,cor4 #ae3ac-ah4 ,this resurrection1 as stated by the apostle ,paul1 is not at death1 but in the last day1 when ,christ shall come1 and all ,his children that are in their graves shall hear ,his voice4 ,jesus says3 ,this is the will of ,him that sent ,me1 that every one which seeth the ,son1 and believeth on ,him1 may have everlasting life3 and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,john #f3dj4 ,that is why the coming of ,christ has been the blessed hope of all the ages4 ,man's ,state in ,death ,between death and the resurrection1 the dead sleep4 ,jesus declares that death is a sleep4 ,lazarus was dead1 but ,jesus said1 ,our friend ,lazarus sleepeth4 ,john #aa3aa4 ,it is the language of ,inspiration throughout4 ,the patriarch ,job said3 ,man dieth1 and wasteth away3 yea1 man giveth up the ghost1 and where is he8 ,as the waters fail from the sea1 and the flood decayeth and drieth up3 so man lieth down1 and riseth not3 till the heavens be no more the heavens will be rolled back as a scroll at ,christ's coming1 they shall not awake1 nor be raised out of their sleep4 ,job #ad3aj-ab4 ,this hope of the resurrection at the last day was no indistinct hope to the believer in ,god's promises4 ,the patriarch continued3 ,if a man die1 shall he live again8 all the days of my appointed time will ,i wait1 till my change come4 ,thou shalt call1 and ,i will answer thee3 ,thou wilt have a desire to the work of ,thine hands4 ,verses #ad1 #ae4 ,job tells us of the place of his waiting for the ,life-giver's call3 ,if ,i wait1 the grave is mine house4 ,job #ag3ac4 ,it is thence that ,christ will call ,his own when ,he comes4 ,the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth4 ,john #e3bh1 #bi4 ,death is an unconscious sleep4 ,it must of necessity be so2 for death is the opposite of life4 ,therefore there is no consciousness of the passing of time to those who sleep in the grave4 ,it is as if the eyes closed in death one instant1 and the next instant1 to the believer's consciousness1 he awakens to hear the animating voice of ,jesus calling him to glad immortality1 and to see the angels catching up his loved ones to meet ,jesus in the air4 ,these scriptures1 out of many1 will suffice to show that man is not conscious in death3 ,his breath goeth forth1 he returneth to his earth2 in that very day his thoughts perish4 ,ps4 #adf3d4 ,the living know that they shall die3 but the dead know not anything4444 ,also their love1 and their hatred1 and their envy1 is now perished2 neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun4 ,eccl4 #i3e1 #f4 ,death is a sleep1 which will continue until the resurrection4 ,then the ,lord will bring forth from the dust the same person who was laid away in death4 ,some have said that this ,bible doctrine of the sleep of the dead until the resurrection is a gloomy one4 ,popular tradition thinks of the blessed dead as going at once to heaven1 which1 say some1 is a beautiful thought4 ,but they forget that the same teaching consigns their unbelieving friends to immediate torment--and that1 too1 while awaiting the judgment of the last day4 ,no2 the ,bible teaching is the cheering doctrine1 the blessed hope4 ,all the faithful of all the ages are going into the kingdom together4 ,this blessed truth appeals to the spirit that loves to wait and share joys and good things with loved ones4 ,of the faithful of past ages the apostle says3 ,these all1 having obtained a good report through faith1 received not the promise3 ,god having provided some better thing for us1 that they without us should not be made perfect4 ,heb4 #aa3ci1 #dj4 ,they are waiting1 that all together the saved may enter in4 ,and the time of waiting is but an instant to those who sleep in ,jesus4 ,david was a man of ,god1 but the apostle ,peter1 speaking by the ,spirit on the day of ,pentecost1 declared to the people of the city of ,david3 ,he is both dead and buried1 and his sepulcher is with us unto this day4444 ,for ,david is not ascended into the heavens4 ,acts #b3bi-cd4 ,they without us have not been made perfect4 ,they are all awaiting that glad day toward which the apostle ,paul turned the last look of his mortal vision3 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith3 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 shall give me at that day3 and not to me only1 but unto all them also that love his appearing4 #b ,tim4 #d3g1 #h4 ,what joy in that day to march in through the gates into the eternal city1 with ,adam1 and ,abel1 and ,noah1 and ,abraham1 and ,paul1 and all the faithful1 and the loved ones of our own home circles1 and dear comrades in service1 every one clothed with immortality1 the gift of ,god in ,christ ,jesus our ,redeemer6 ,horatius ,bonar's hymn sings the joyful hope as the loved are laid away to sleep in ,jesus3 ,softly within that peaceful resting place ,we lay their wearied limbs1 and bid the clay ,press lightly on them till the night be past1 ,and the far east give note of coming day4 ,the shout is heard1 the ,archangel's voice goes forth2 ,the trumpet sounds1 the dead awake and sing2 ,the living put on glory2 one glad band1 ,they hasten up to meet their coming ,king4 ,in a word1 the ,scripture teaches that ,god alone has immortality1 that man is mortal1 that death is a sleep1 that life after death comes only by the resurrection of the last day1 that the righteous are then given immortality4 ,further1 the ,scripture teaches that later there will be a resurrection of the unjust1 not unto life1 but unto death1 the second death1 from which there is no release4 ,every doctrine of ,scripture and of the gospel is in accord with this ,bible teaching as to man's nature and his state in death4 ,but the traditional view of the natural immortality of the soul and of life in death1 nullifies the ,bible doctrines of life only in ,christ1 and the resurrection1 and the judgment1 and the giving of rewards at ,christ's coming1 and the final judgment upon the wicked and its execution4 ,a ,few ,questions ,briefly ,considered #a4 ,the ,living ,soul ,says one1 ,did not the ,lord put into man an immortal soul8 ,no2 the ,scripture says3 ,the ,lord ,god formed man of the dust of the ground1 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life2 and man became a living soul4 ,gen4 #b3g4 ,the soul was not put into the man1 but when the life-giving breath was breathed into his nostrils1 the man himself became a living soul1 a living being4 ,the ordinary version 7,king ,james7 gives a living soul in the margin of ,gen4 #a3cj1 showing that the same expression is used of all the animal creation in the ,hebrew text4 ,the famous ,methodist commentator1 ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke1 says on this phrase1 living soul3 ,a general term to express all creatures endued with animal life1 in any of its infinitely varied gradations4 #b4 ,are ,soul and ,spirit ,deathless8 ,are not the soul and spirit said to be deathless8 questions another4 ,no4 ,one writer says of the ,scriptural use of the words soul and spirit3 ,the ,hebrew and ,greek words from which they are translated1 occur in the ,bible1 as we have seen1 seventeen hundred times4 ,surely1 once at least in that long list we shall be told that the soul is immortal1 if this is its high prerogative4 ,seventeen hundred times we inquire if the soul is once said to be immortal1 or the spirit deathless4 ,and the invariable and overwhelming response we meet is1 ,not once6--,here and ,hereafter by ,u4 ,smith1 p4 #fe4 ,on the contrary1 the ,lord declares1 ,the soul that sinneth1 it shall die4 ,eze4 #ah3bj4 ,it means that the person who sins shall die2 for the words soul1 mind1 heart1 and spirit are used to express life or the seat of the affections or of the intellect4 ,one may commend his soul to ,god1 or his spirit to ,god 7really his life into the keeping of ,god71 until the great day of the resurrection4 ,the word soul is used of all animal life in ,new ,testament usage1 as well as in the ,old2 as1 ,every living soul died in the sea4 ,rev4 #af3c4 #c4 ,the ,thief on the ,cross ,did not ,christ promise the thief on the cross that he would be with ,him that day in ,paradise8 ,no2 for ,paradise is where ,god's throne is1 and the tree of life1 and the city of ,god1 the capital of ,christ's kingdom2 and three days later ,christ had not yet ascended to the ,father4 ,touch ,me not1 ,he said to ,mary after ,his resurrection2 for ,i am not yet ascended to ,my ,father4 ,john #bj3ag4 ,the dying thief1 therefore1 was not with ,him in ,paradise three days before4 ,nor did the thief's question suggest such a thought4 ,his faith grasped ,christ's resurrection1 the resurrection of ,his children1 and the coming kingdom2 and that day on the cross1 in the moment of the deepest humiliation of the ,son of ,god1 the repentant sinner cried1 ,lord1 remember me when ,thou comest into ,thy kingdom4 ,and the ,saviour replied1 ,verily ,i say unto thee today--this day1 when the world scoffs and the darkness presses upon ,me1 this day ,i say it--shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise4 ,luke #bc3db1 #dc4 ,the punctuation that makes it read1 ,today shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise1 is not a part of the sacred text1 and puts the ,saviour's promise in contradiction with the facts of the whole narrative and the teaching of ,scripture4 #d4 ,the ,rich ,man and ,lazarus ,then there is the parable of the rich man and ,lazarus1 one says1 where ,lazarus and ,dives are talking1 though dead--,lazarus in ,abraham's bosom and the rich man in torment4 ,but that is a parable2 and no one can set the figures of a parable against the facts of positive ,scripture4 ,in parables1 lessons are often taught by figurative language and imaginary scenes which could never be real1 though the lesson is emphasized the more forcefully4 ,in the parable of ,judges #i1 the trees are represented as holding a council and talking with one another4 ,no one mistakes the lesson of the parable1 or supposes that the trees actually talked4 ,so in the parable of the rich man and ,lazarus1 the lesson is taught that uprightness in this life1 even though under deepest poverty1 will be rewarded in the future life2 while uncharitable selfishness will surely bring one to ruin and destruction4 ,in the face of the ,bible teaching1 no one can turn this parable into actual narrative1 representing that the saved in glory are now looking over the battlements of heaven and talking with the lost writhing before their eyes in agony amid the flames of unending torment4 ,this is not the picture that the ,scriptures give us of heaven1 nor of the state of the dead1 nor of the time and circumstances of the final rewards or punishments4 ,illustration3 ,from an inscription on an ,egyptian monument1 representing the weighing of a soul after death4 ,illustration3 ,,lot ,,fleeing ,,from ,,sodom ,even as ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and the cities about them 444 are set forth for an example1 suffering the vengeance of eternal fire4 ,jude #g4 ,illustration3 ,,satan',s ,,final ,,assault ,,upon ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,god ,they went up on the breadth of the earth1 and compassed the camp of the saints about4 ,rev4 #bj3i ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,wicked ,so soon as ever ,lucifer introduced sin into heaven1 it was certain1 in the righteousness and omnipotence of ,god1 that the day would come when sin would be blotted out of the perfect creation4 ,inspiration tells us that a time of final reckoning with sin was assured when ,satan and a host of the angels with him lifted up the standard of mysterious rebellion against the law and harmony of heaven3 ,the angels which kept not their first estate1 but left their own habitation1 ,he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day4 ,jude #f4 ,punishment for sin is assured4 ,by listening to ,satan's temptation1 man became involved in sin4 ,then a divine ,saviour was provided1 through whom every soul might escape from the kingdom of darkness1 and find salvation and life4 ,but it is inevitable that those who refuse the way of life and reject the salvation of ,god1 must finally be involved with ,satan and sin in the day when sin is visited4 ,by ,adam's sin1 all his posterity inherited a sinful1 dying nature4 ,in ,adam all die1 the ,scripture says4 ,but not a soul in the last day can plead ,adam's sin and the inheritance of a fallen nature as an excuse for his own transgressions4 ,by ,christ's gift of ,his life for us1 the sinner1 with all his weaknesses1 may become a partaker of the divine nature1 and escape the power of the fleshly nature4 ,by virtue of ,christ's death for all1 all recover from the death they die in ,adam--the first death4 ,all have a resurrection1 the unjust as well as the just2 and then every one gives account of himself to ,god1 according to his own life and the use he has made of the light given him of ,god4 ,the ,two ,resurrections ,the ,scriptures emphasize the fact that there are to be two resurrections4 ,paul1 before ,felix1 declared his belief the same as that of all the prophets1--that there shall be a resurrection of the dead1 both of the just and unjust4 ,acts #bd3ae4 ,jesus declared it in these words3 ,the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation4 ,john #e3bh1 #bi4 ,the first resurrection is that of the just1 at ,christ's second coming4 ,it is written of this3 ,blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection3 on such the second death hath no power1 but they shall be priests of ,god and of ,christ1 and shall reign with ,him a thousand years4 ,rev4 #bj3f4 ,after this1 the righteous return with ,christ to heaven1 and remain there during the thousand years4 ,the wicked living at the time of ,his coming are slain by the consuming glory of ,his presence2 and they1 with all the unjust of all the ages1 await in the grave the second resurrection1 at the end of the thousand years4 ,the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished4 ,rev4 #bj3e4 ,at the end of the thousand years the city of ,god1 with the saved1 comes down out of heaven and settles upon the earth4 ,then the wicked are raised--the second resurrection4 ,under ,satan's leadership they march up to attack the city of ,god4 ,how naturally1 we infer1 may ,satan persuade the lost that1 after all1 he was right when he declared to ,adam1 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,here are all his servants of all the ages--living4 ,why may they not be immortal1 beyond the power of ,god to destroy8 ,the old battle that began in heaven is on again4 ,satan1 the archrebel1 marshals his hosts of fallen angels and the myriads of fallen men1 his legions stretching wide over the earth4 ,they went up on the breadth of the earth1 and compassed the camp of the saints about1 and the beloved city3 and fire came down from ,god out of heaven1 and devoured them4 ,rev4 #bj3i4 ,this is the second death1 the ,scripture says4 ,verse #ad4 ,the great day has come when the sinner receives his wages--death--and sin is destroyed4 ,the ,punishment ,everlasting ,the wages of sin is death4 ,and the second death is everlasting4 ,there is no resurrection from this death4 ,the ,scriptures describe it in terms that affirm utter destruction1 resulting in nonexistence4 ,who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the ,lord1 and from the glory of his power4 #b ,thess4 #a3i4 ,behold1 the day cometh1 that shall burn as an oven2 and all the proud1 yea1 and all that do wickedly1 shall be stubble3 and the day that cometh shall burn them up1 saith the ,lord of hosts1 that it shall leave them neither root nor branch4 ,mal4 #d3a4 ,they shall be ashes1 the third verse of this chapter says4 ,every expression possible to language is employed to denote utter destruction1 everlasting death4 ,that means nonexistence4 ,sin and sinners are blotted out4 ,the prophet ,obadiah1 speaking of the visitation upon the heathen--the unbelieving--in the day of the ,lord1 says3 ,they shall drink1 and they shall swallow down1 and they shall be as though they had not been4 ,verse #af4 ,this is the utter end of sin and all sinners1 and of the author of sin4 ,root and branch they are gone1 as though they had not been4 ,all this is in the description of the last judgment1 so fully set forth in the twentieth chapter of ,revelation4 ,death and hell hades1 the grave were cast into the lake of fire4 ,this is the second death4 ,rev4 #bj3ad4 ,death and the prison house of death are gone forever4 ,sin is wiped out of a perfect universe1 and not even a trace will remain of the place of the fiery judgment4 ,yet a little while1 and the wicked shall not be3 yea1 thou shalt diligently consider his place1 and it shall not be4 ,ps4 #cg3aj4 ,the fires of the last day purify the earth1 which comes forth in ,eden-like beauty4 ,in the whole creation of ,god there is no sin1 no sinner1 but all is harmonious again1 as before sin entered the universe4 ,the prophet was given a view of this glorious consummation1 and the triumph of the ,son of ,god over sin4 ,every creature which is in heaven1 and on the earth1 and under the earth1 and such as are in the sea1 and all that are in them1 heard ,i saying1 ,blessing1 and honor1 and glory1 and power1 be unto him that sitteth upon the throne1 and unto the ,lamb forever and ever4 ,rev4 #e3ac4 ,some ,opinions ,briefly ,considered ,the doctrine of the immortality1 the indestructibility1 of the soul is responsible for the traditional view that the wicked are kept alive in unending misery through all eternity4 ,how different this picture from that which ,holy ,scripture gives of the second death6 ,terrible and awful it is1 but it results in the utter destruction of sin and sinners1 leaving a clean universe4 ,the doctrine of the immortality of the soul came in from pagan philosophy4 ,herodotus1 the father of history1 said3 ,the ,egyptians 444 were also the first to broach the opinion1 that the soul of man is immortal4--,book #b1 par4 #abc4 ,evidently1 they passed the doctrine on to the ,greeks4 ,its origin was in the words of ,satan in ,eden1 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,the pagans had their nether world of spirits1 or their transmigration of souls with its ceaseless round from body to body1 and the ,roman ,catholics their purgatory with its purifying fires4 ,from these sources and not from the ,word of ,god1 the traditional view has come into modern ,christendom1 representing the ,lord as unable or unwilling to end sin1 but keeping the sinner alive throughout eternity1 to suffer torture that can bring no remedy4 ,the ,scripture teaching is far otherwise4 ,however1 there are certain ,scripture phrases that emphasize the severity of the punishment of sin1 which are often taken as supporting the doctrine of never-ending conscious torment4 #a4 ,forever and ,ever4--,in ,rev4 #bj3aj it is said that the devil and his chief agencies shall be tormented day and night forever and ever4 ,the phrase emphasizes the surety of their utter destruction4 ,forever means age-lasting1 or life-lasting--so long as a thing exists by its nature4 ,thus in ,ex4 #ba3f the servant who loved his master and did not wish to leave his service was to have his ear pierced1 and he shall serve him forever1 that is1 without release as long as he lives4 ,so the fiery judgment of that last day holds the wicked until life ends2 there is no release until life is consumed4 #b4 ,everlasting ,punishment4--,these shall go away into everlasting punishment4 ,matt4 #be3df4 ,it is everlasting punishment1 not everlasting punishing4 ,the punishment is everlasting death--who shall be punished with everlasting destruction4 #b ,thess4 #a3i4 ,the truth of the utter destruction of sinners is awful enough1 but it commends itself to every thought of justice and mercy2 for sin must be cleansed from a perfect universe4 ,but the unscriptural view of everlasting conscious torment that never reaches the point of full punishment1 is unthinkable4 ,yet it is urged as a doctrine1 and contended for as vital to ,christianity4 ,the following description is taken from a book written for children1 entitled ,the ,sight of ,hell4 ,it is printed in ,dublin--for children4 ,little child1 if you go to hell1 there will be a devil at your side to strike you4 ,he will go on striking you every day1 forever and ever1 without ever stopping4 ,the first stroke will make your body as bad as ,job's1 covered from head to foot with sores and ulcers4 ,the second stroke will make your body twice as bad as the body of ,job4444 ,how then will your body be after the devil has been striking it every moment for a hundred million years without stopping8--,quoted in the ,london ,present ,truth1 ,april #cj1 #aiad4 ,what a relief to turn from this to the ,bible doctrine of the everlasting destruction of the second death1 terrible though it be6 #c4 ,everlasting ,fire1 ,eternal ,fire1 ,unquenchable ,fire4--,all these expressions are used in describing the fiery judgment upon sin and sinners4 ,the effect of the fire is everlasting and eternal1 and by a common usage in language the adjective that describes the effect is applied to the agent by which the effect is wrought4 ,a specific example of everlasting fire in the punishment of evil is given in ,scripture4 ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 those wicked cities of the plain1 were destroyed by a rain of fire from heaven4 ,these cities1 ,inspiration says1 are set forth for an example1 suffering the vengeance of eternal fire4 ,jude #g4 ,the fire was everlasting1 eternal1 in its effects4 ,the cities of the plain were everlastingly consumed4 ,but the fire went out when the destruction was complete4 ,unquenchable fire is fire that cannot be quenched4 ,it consumes utterly1 until nothing is left2 then it goes out of its own accord4 #d4 ,where ,their ,worm ,dieth ,not4--,jesus warned of the certain destruction of sin and sinners in the fire of ,gehenna2 for this is the word translated hell in ,mark #i3dc4 ,hades1 which is often translated hell1 is the grave1 not the place of punishment4 ,gehenna1 here used of the place of punishment1 was the name of the valley where the refuse of ,jerusalem was cast for burning4 ,the map of ,jerusalem1 in any ordinary ,bible with maps1 shows just outside the southern wall a gorge marked ,valley of ,hinnom 7,gehenna74 ,it was here that the people1 in the olden times1 had sacrificed their children to ,moloch4 ,in order to put an end to these abominations1 ,josiah polluted it with human bones and other corruptions4 #b ,kings #bc3aj1 #ac1 #ad4--;,hastings's ,dictionary of the ,bible4 ,here the fires consumed the refuse1 and the fire and worms utterly destroyed the carcasses of beasts flung into the place of destruction4 ,it was regarded as a place accursed1 and the smoldering fires became symbolical of the fires of the judgment4 ,the use of this illustration1 instead of arguing that the wicked are never destroyed but always live1 conveys the opposite idea4 ,what went into the fires of ,gehenna was utterly consumed1 nothing being left4 ,this was used by ,christ as a figure illustrative of the utter destruction of the unrepentant sinner in the day of visitation4 ,this must suffice4 ,the positive teaching of ,holy ,scripture is that sin and sinners will be blotted out of existence4 ,there will be a clean universe again when the great controversy between ,christ and ,satan is ended4 ,illustration3 ,,peter ,,delivered ,,from ,,prison ,the angel of the ,lord encampeth round about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them4 ,ps4 #cd3g4 ,illustration3 ,,daniel ,,in ,,the ,,den ,,of ,,lions ,my ,god hath sent ,his angel1 and hath shut the lions' mouths1 that they have not hurt me4 ,dan4 #f3bb4 ,,angels3 ,,their ,,ministry ,the one verse of ,scripture which1 perhaps1 most comprehensively sums up the ministry of the angels of ,god1 is this3 ,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,heb4 #a3ad4 ,this scripture shows us how truly all heaven is engaged in working for the salvation of this poor world1 which has wandered from the fold of ,god4 ,it will surely be a time of rejoicing among all the angelic host when ,christ1 the ,good ,shepherd1 brings back this lost world1 cleansed from sin1 once more to the fold of ,god's perfect creation4 ,the angels rejoiced when this world was created4 ,the ,lord said to ,job3 ,where wast thou when ,i laid the foundations of the earth8444 when the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy8 ,job #ch3d-g4 ,before ever this world was created1 or man upon it1 the angels had been created by the eternal ,son1 in whom all things consist4 ,for angels are not redeemed men1 neither will the redeemed in the world to come ever become angels4 ,angels are a different order of beings from men1 a higher order in creation4 ,we read3 ,what is man1 that ,thou art mindful of him8 or the son of man1 that ,thou visitest him8 ,thou madest him a little lower than the angels2 ,thou crownedst him with glory and honor4 ,heb4 #b3f1 #g4 ,in the life to come1 by the wondrous power of ,christ's transforming grace1 redeemed men are to be made equal to the angels1 as ,christ stated3 ,neither can they die any more3 for they are equal unto the angels2 and are the children of ,god1 being the children of the resurrection4 ,luke #bj3cf4 ,this lifting of sinful man to an equality with the angels1 at least in the possession of life and immortality1 is an illustration of the gospel principle1 ,where sin abounded1 grace did much more abound4 ,rom4 #e3bj4 ,but the declaration of equality with angels is a denial of identity with angels4 ,angels existed before man1 and redeemed man will still be man1 distinct from the angelic order1 though the associate of angels in the service of ,god4 ,attendants at the ,throne of ,god ,when the prophet ,isaiah was given a view of the heavenly temple1 he saw different orders of angels attending the throne of ,god3 ,i saw also the ,lord sitting upon a throne1 high and lifted up1 and ,his train filled the temple4 ,above it stood the seraphim3 each one had six wings2 with twain he covered his face1 and with twain he covered his feet1 and with twain he did fly4 ,and one cried unto another1 and said1 ,holy1 holy1 holy1 is the ,lord of hosts4 ,isa4 #f3a-c4 ,ezekiel beheld them in glory1 attending the moving throne of the ,almighty4 ,the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning4 ,eze4 #a3ad4 ,daniel beheld the angelic host gathered in the most holy place of the temple above1 as the time came for the opening of the work of the investigative judgment1 the cleansing of the sanctuary4 ,seeing the throne of ,god set for this final work of ,christ's ministry1 the prophet says3 ,thousand thousands ministered unto ,him1 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before ,him3 the judgment was set1 and the books were opened4 ,dan4 #g3aj4 ,god's ,messengers ,the word angel means messenger4 ,to and fro these angelic messengers have gone in the service of their ,creator4 ,a view of their ever-watchful service is given in the words of the psalmist3 ,bless the ,lord1 ye ,his angels1 that excel in strength1 that do ,his commandments1 hearkening unto the voice of ,his word4 ,ps4 #ajc3bj4 ,bearers of ,tidings ,they visited ,abraham's tent with warning of ,sodom's overthrow4 ,genesis #ah4 ,they visited ,lot in the city1 and urged him to get his family out4 ,genesis #ai4 ,as ,jacob1 in fear but repentance1 was about to meet ,esau1 whom he had deceived1 the angels of ,god met him4 ,genesis #cb4 ,this is ,god's host1 he said1 and he knew that the ,god of ,abraham and ,isaac1 and his ,god1 also1 had not forsaken him4 ,at a discouraging time in the history of ,israel1 an angel appeared to ,gideon1 bringing the message1 ,the ,lord is with thee1 and calling him to the work of delivering his people4 ,judges #f4 ,illustration3 ,,jacob',s ,,dream ,,in ,,bethel ,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,heb4 #a3ad4 ,as ,daniel's prayer reached heaven1 even while he still prayed1 the angel ,gabriel being caused to fly swiftly1 touched him1 and said3 ,o ,daniel1 ,i am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding4 ,at the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth1 and ,i am come to show thee4 ,dan4 #i3ba-bc4 ,so close is the communication between heaven and earth4 ,the gladdest tidings ever brought from heaven to earth since the promise of the ,deliverer to ,adam in ,eden1 were brought by angels to the shepherds of ,bethlehem4 ,first1 one angel appeared1 saying3 ,i bring you good tidings of great joy4444 ,for unto you is born this day in the city of ,david a ,saviour1 which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,such tidings to earth could never be the mission of one lone angel1 when all heaven longed to cry the news to a lost world4 ,and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising ,god1 and saying1 ,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on earth peace1 good will toward men4 ,luke #b3ac1 #ad4 ,unseen in ,halls of ,government ,one incident related in the book of ,daniel draws aside the curtain1 and shows how angels doubtless often have worked unseen in kingly courts or halls of legislation4 ,daniel had prayed for three weeks for light in certain matters that the angel ,gabriel had begun to unfold to him4 ,when at last the angel came1 overpowering the prophet with the glory of his presence1 it was with a statement1 first1 of the reason for the delay in responding to his prayer4 ,the angel said3 ,from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand1 and to chasten thyself before thy ,god1 thy words were heard1 and ,i am come for thy words4 ,but the prince of the kingdom of ,persia withstood me one and twenty days3 but1 lo1 ,michael1 one of the chief princes1 came to help me2 and ,i remained there with the kings of ,persia4 ,now ,i am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days4 ,dan4 #aj3ab-ad4 ,messengers of ,deliverance ,the story of deliverance wrought by angels is too long to tell4 ,one need only think of the angels' taking slow-moving ,lot by the arms and setting him out of ,sodom 7,genesis #ai72 of the angel finding ,elijah under a bush in the desert1 and first baking a cake for the hungry man before speaking the word to his discouraged heart 7#a ,kings #ai72 of ,elisha praying that the young man's eyes might be opened to see that there were more angels with them round about than all the ,syrians encamped against them3 ,the ,lord opened the eyes of the young man2 and he saw3 and1 behold1 the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about ,elisha4 #b ,kings #f3ag4 ,an angel shut the mouths of the lions when ,daniel was cast into their den4 ,daniel #f4 ,an angel smote off ,peter's irons in the prison at ,jerusalem1 opened the doors1 and led him forth4 ,acts #ab4 ,amid the angry waves sweeping over the foundering ship in the ,adriatic1 ,paul the apostle bade the despairing crew be of good courage1 for there stood by me this night the angel of ,god1 whose ,i am1 and whom ,i serve1 saying1 ,fear not4 ,acts #bg3bc1 #bd4 ,all through the ages1 the angels of ,god have been standing by4 ,daniel1 and ,peter1 and ,paul are dead2 but the angels still live4 ,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,heb4 #a3ad4 ,guardian ,angels ,that means that every child of ,god is under the guardianship of the angels4 ,the angel of the ,lord encampeth round about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them4 ,ps4 #cd3g4 ,thank ,god1 we are never left alone4 ,every child of ,god has a guardian angel commissioned by the loving ,father to watch over him4 ,christ said3 ,take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones2 for ,i say unto you1 ,that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,matt4 #ah3aj4 ,this does not mean that trials never will come1 or troubles4 ,in the midst of the trial1 the angel of the ,lord will stand by to strengthen and to bring help from the ,god of all comfort4 ,it was in the midst of the fiery furnace that the form of the ,fourth appeared1 walking with the three ,hebrew children--,jesus ,himself treading the fiery way with them4 ,and when ,jesus1 in the days of ,his flesh1 was sinking under the crushing burden in ,gethsemane1 there appeared an angel unto ,him from heaven1 strengthening ,him4 ,luke #bb3dc4 ,our ,saviour1 who knows the comforting power of angel ministry1 is the ,captain of the heavenly host1 and has commissioned them all as ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation4 ,when ,he comes in glory for ,his people1 ,christ will have all the holy angels with ,him4 ,as the voice of ,jesus awakens ,his sleeping saints and they rise immortal from the opened graves1 ,he shall send ,his angels1 444 and they shall gather together ,his elect from the four winds1 from one end of heaven to the other4 ,matt4 #bd3ca4 ,the angels who have watched over the heirs of salvation through all the ages1 know where they are1 and they know how to gather them1 with their loved ones1 to meet the ,lord4 ,the angels who rejoiced when the ,lord laid the foundations of the earth1 who mourned when man fell1 who have all along been working with ,christ1 their leader1 to rescue the lost1 will yet rejoice when the ,lord brings home ,his own4 ,what a day will that be in heaven6 ,illustration3 ,,modern ,,inventions ,,fulfilling ,,prophecy ,many shall run to and fro1 and knowledge shall be increased4 ,dan4 #ab3d4 ,illustration3 ,,carey ,,in ,,india ,,translating ,,the ,,bible ,so mightily grew the word of ,god and prevailed4 ,acts #ai3bj4 ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,the ,,end ,thou1 ,o ,daniel1 shut up the words1 and seal the book1 even to the time of the end3 many shall run to and fro1 and knowledge shall be increased4 ,dan4 #ab3d4 ,thus the words of the angel1 spoken nearly twenty-five hundred years ago1 announced the opening of a new era of enlightenment when the latter days should come4 ,the ,time ,at the end of the long period of predicted tribulation of the church--the twelve hundred and sixty years of ,daniel's prophecy--the world entered upon this era of the time of the end4 ,they shall fall by the sword1 and by flame1 by captivity1 and by spoil1 many days4444 ,and some of them of understanding shall fall1 to try them1 and to purge1 and to make them white1 even to the time of the end3 because it is yet for a time appointed4 ,dan4 #aa3cc-ce4 ,in practically every outline of prophecy touching this time1 the events of the last days are represented as following the end of the prophetic period of tribulation4 ,christ's prophecy of ,matthew #bd so declares4 ,our ,saviour showed that this period of tribulation1 would be shortened1 for the elect's sake1 and that immediately after the tribulation of those days the signs of the end would begin to appear4 ,thus1 while the full period of the twelve hundred and sixty years ended amid the scenes of the ,french ,revolution1 which gave the papal power a deadly wound in the last decade of the eighteenth century1 the shortening of the days of tribulation had begun even earlier to spread increasing knowledge and enlightenment over the earth4 ,the ,prophecy ,unsealed ,the angel's words to ,daniel were1 ,shut up the words1 and seal the book1 even to the time of the end3 many shall run to and fro1 and knowledge shall be increased4 ,dan4 #ab3d4 ,the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end4 ,verse #i4 ,this means that as the time of the end came1 men would be impelled to search diligently for light in the prophetic word4 ,events taking place in fulfilment of the prophecy would be recognized1 and with the coming of the time there would come the opening up1 or unsealing1 of the prophetic scriptures1 with their message for men in the last days4 ,as the time drew near1 ,bible students were led more and more to search the word of prophecy4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 called the greatest of philosophers1 wrote of prophetic study3 ,the giving ear to the prophets is a fundamental character of the true church4 ,for ,god has so ordered the prophecies1 that in the latter days 'the wise may understand1 but the wicked shall do wickedly1 and none of the wicked shall understand4' ,dan4 #ab3i1 #aj4--,observations on the ,prophecies of ,daniel 7,london1 #agcc71 part #a1 chap4 #a4 ,again1 this man who had delved so deeply into the laws of nature1 but who bowed his heart in childlike faith to listen to the voice of ,inspiration1 declared his hope that the time of the end was near at hand in his day 7he died in #agbg74 ,of this prophecy of the unsealing of the book he wrote3 ',tis therefore a part of this prophecy1 that it should not be understood before the last age of the world2 and therefore it makes for the credit of the prophecy that it is not yet understood4 ,but if the last age1 the age of opening these things1 be now approaching1 as by the great successes of late interpreters it seems to be1 we have more encouragement than ever to look into these things4 ,if the general preaching of the gospel be approaching1 it is to us and to our posterity that those words mainly belong3 ,in the time of the end the wise shall understand1 but none of the wicked shall understand4444 ',blessed is he that readeth1 and they that hear the words of this prophecy1 and keep those things which are written therein4'--,observations on the ,apocalypse 7,london1 #agcc71 chap4 #a4 ,true to the word of the angel1 the events of the ending of the twelve hundred and sixty years of papal supremacy1 amid the scenes of the ,french ,revolution1 drew the attention of ,bible students everywhere4 ,it was seen that prophecy was being fulfilled before men's eyes4 ,it gave great impetus to the study of the prophetic scriptures4 ,the great historic prophecies began to be opened up--unsealed--to the understanding4 ,an ,english historian of that period1 ,john ,adolphus1 though writing a secular history1 remarks upon this awakening interest in prophetic study3 ,the downfall of the papal government in #agih1 by whatever means effected1 excited perhaps less sympathy than that of any other in ,europe3 the errors1 the oppressions1 the tyranny of ,rome over the whole ,christian world1 were remembered with bitterness2 many rejoiced1 through religious antipathy1 in the overthrow of a church which they considered as idolatrous1 though attended with the immediate triumph of infidelity2 and many saw in these events the accomplishment of prophecies1 and the exhibition of signs promised in the most mystical parts of the ,holy ,scriptures4--,history of ,france from #agij to #ahjb 7,london1 #ahjc71 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #cgi4 ,from those tunes of fulfilling prophecy1 there arose a distinct movement1 reviving the teaching of the doctrine of ,christ's second coming1 and directly preparing the way for the advent movement that was to come with the days of #ahdd1 when yet fuller light was to break forth from the unsealed prophecies of the book of ,daniel4 ,of the angel that symbolizes the special gospel work for these last days1 it is written1 ,he had in his hand a little book open4 ,rev4 #aj3b4 ,the time of the end came1 and with it has come the opening of the sealed book4 ,the sure word of prophecy speaks its message full and clear to the ears of all mankind today4 ,increase of ,knowledge ,many shall run to and fro1 the prophecy said1 and knowledge shall be increased4 ,it is knowledge of the prophecy and of the things of ,god that is primarily the topic2 but the era that we are discussing has been one of general enlightenment and extension of knowledge4,j ,the entrance of ,thy words giveth light1 says the psalmist3 and when the ,reformation of the sixteenth century broke the bands of age-long superstition and error1 and set free the ,word of ,god1 the way was preparing for the coming of this wonderful era of the diffusion of general knowledge4 ,the era of reform movement was an era of world exploration and discovery4 ,diaz had founded the south ,african cape1 and ,columbus had given to future generations the ,new ,world4 ,the result was voyage after voyage of discovery1 and then awakening1 colonization1 and expansion4 ,the famous and learned ,francis ,bacon1 who died in #afbf1 felt in his day that the time spoken of by ,daniel's prophecy was drawing near4 ,he wrote3 ,nor should the prophecy of ,daniel be forgotten1 touching the last ages of the world3 ',many shall go to and fro1 and knowledge shall be increased2' clearly intimating that the thorough passage of the world 7which now by so many distant voyages seems to be accomplished1 or in course of accomplishment71 and the advancement of the sciences1 are destined by fate1 that is1 by divine ,providence1 to meet in the same age4--,novum ,organum1 book #a1 xciii4 7,bacon's ,works1 ,spedding and ,ellis1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 p4 #ib47 ,when the time indicated in the prophecy fully came1 with the last decade of the eighteenth century1 there was witnessed the upspringing of movements that have wrought mightily for the enlightenment and evangelization of the world4 ,as the events of the ,french ,revolution announced the closing of the long era of papal supremacy1 so also another series of events at the same time announced the opening of the era of increasing knowledge4 ,speaking of these developments1 ,lorimer1 a ,scottish writer1 said3 ,at the very time when ,satan is hoping for1 and the timid are fearing1 an utter overturn of true religion1 there is a revival1 and the gospel expands its wings and prepares for a new flight4 ,it is worthy of remembrance that the year #agib1 the very year of the ,french ,revolution1 was also the year when the ,baptist ,missionary ,society was formed1 a society which was followed during the succeeding1 and they the worst1 years of the ,revolution1 with new societies of unwonted energy and union1 all aiming1 and aiming successfully1 at the propagation of the gospel of ,christ1 both at home and abroad4 ,what withering contempt did the great ,head of the church thus pour upon the schemes of infidels6 ,and how did ,he arouse the careless and instruct ,his own people1 by alarming providences1 at a season when they greatly needed such a stimulus4--,historical ,sketches of the ,protestant ,church in ,france1 p4 #ebb4 ,another writer1 ,dr4 ,d4,l4 ,leonard1 historian of the century of missions1 says3 ,the closing years of the eighteenth century constitute in the history of ,protestant missions an epoch indeed1 since they witnessed nothing less than a revolution1 a renaissance1 an effectual and manifold ending of the old1 a substantial inauguration of the new4 ,it was then that for the first time since the apostolic period1 occurred an outburst of general missionary zeal and activity4 ,beginning in ,great ,britain1 it soon spread to the ,continent and across the ,atlantic4 ,it was no mere push of fervor1 but a mighty tide set in1 which from that day to this has been steadily rising and spreading4--,a ,hundred ,years of ,missions1 p4 #fi4 ,the time of the prophecy had come1 and the hand of providence was bringing into being agencies that have spread light and knowledge over all lands4 ,look where the missionary's feet have trod-- ,flowers in the desert bloom2 and fields1 for ,god1 ,are white to harvest4 ,skeptics may ignore2 ,yet on the conquering ,word1 from shore to shore1 ,like flaming chariot1 rolls4 ,ask ocean isles1 ,and plains of ,ind1 where ceaseless summer smiles2 ,speak to far frozen wastes1 where winter's blight ,remains2--they tell the love1 attest the might ,of ,him whose messengers across the wave ,to them salvation bore1 hope1 freedom gave4 --,horace ,d4 ,woolley4 ,the organization of foreign missionary enterprise was quickly accompanied by the establishment of ,bible societies for a systematic work of translating and world-wide distribution of the ,scriptures4 ,in #ahjd the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society was organized4 ,students of the prophetic word felt at the time that these agencies were coming in fulfilment of the prophecy4 ,one writer of those times said3 ,the stupendous endeavors of one gigantic community to convey the ,scriptures in every language to every part of the globe may well deserve to be considered as an eminent sign even of these eventful times4 ,unless ,i be much mistaken1 such endeavors are preparatory to the final grand diffusion of ,christianity1 which is the theme of so many inspired prophets1 and which cannot be very far distant in the present day4--,g4,s4 ,faber1 ,d4,d41 ,dissertation on the ,prophecies1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #djf 7#ahdd74 ,now the ,word of ,god1 in whole or in part1 is speaking in more than five hundred languages1 and it is estimated that these tongues1 at least in their spoken form1 can make the divine message comprehensible to ninety-five per cent of the inhabitants of the earth4 ,the work of modern missions1 that had its birth as the time of the end came1 is one of the great world factors today4 ,nearly thirty million dollars a year are given for ,protestant missions1 and a force of more than twenty thousand foreign missionaries is in the field1 not counting the many thousands of native missionaries and helpers4 ,truly the time of the end is proving to be an era of increasing light and knowledge4 ,the ,opening of ,all ,lands ,as the time came for knowledge to be increased1 it was necessary that all lands should be open to receive the enlightening agencies4 ,thus1 as the time of the end came1 we see distinctly the hand of ,providence swinging open the doors into all countries4 ,it has been an era of world survey and development4 ,particularly is this true of the last sixty or seventy years4 ,it was in #ahdd that the time referred to in the prophecy came for the special advent movement1 bearing the judgment-hour message to the world4 ,the range of the movement is thus described in the prophecy3 ,i saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth1 and to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people4 ,rev4 #ad3f4 ,this was a declaration that as the time came for the closing gospel work to be done1 the doors of access to every nation and tongue and people would be thrown open4 ,in #ahdd1 or but a few years before1 much of the world was closed to missionary endeavor2 but as the prophecy indicates1 the years following have witnessed the swift and systematic opening of all lands to the gospel message4 ,it was in #ahdb that five treaty ports in ,china were opened to commerce and to missions1--advance steps in the opening of all ,china to the gospel4 ,in #ahdd ,turkey was prevailed upon to recognize the right of ,moslems to become ,christians1 reversing all ,moslem tradition4 ,in #ahdd ,allen ,gardiner established the ,south ,american ,mission4 ,in #ahde ,livingstone's determination was formed to open up the ,african interior4 ,dr4 ,a4,t4 ,pierson1 speaking of the wonderful way in which ,providence opened the doors of access in those times1 wrote as follows3 ,most countries shut out ,christian missions by organized opposition1 so that to attempt to bear the good tidings was simply to dare death for ,christ's sake2 the only welcome awaiting ,god's messengers was that of cannibal ovens1 merciless prisons1 or martyr graves4 ,but1 as the little band advanced1 on every hand the walls of ,jericho fell1 and the iron gates opened of their own accord4 ,india1 ,siam1 ,burma1 ,china1 ,japan1 ,turkey1 ,africa1 ,mexico1 ,south ,america1 the ,papal ,states1 and ,korea were successively and successfully entered4 ,within five years1 from #ahec to #aheh1 new facilities were given to the entrance and occupation of seven different countries1 together embracing half the world's population4--,modern ,mission ,century1 p4 #be4 ,illustration3 ,,into ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,,africa ,the ,victoria ,falls railroad bridge over the ,zambezi4 ,god's providence has laid under tribute every force and every resource for the opening of all lands--missionary endeavor1 love of adventure1 commercial enterprise1 and scientific interest4 ,railways have been built through regions that were undiscovered seventy years ago1 and among the passengers traveling now over the iron trail are men and women of tribes unknown fifty years ago4 ,but the gospel message was to go to every tribe and tongue before the end2 and wonderfully ,providence has been opening the doors throughout all this time of the end1 and particularly in our generation4 ,material ,agencies for the ,work ,the prophecy represents not only a world-wide work1 but a quick work in proclaiming the gospel message in the last days4 ,the movement is symbolized in the ,revelation by an angel flying in the midst of heaven1 from land to land4 ,and as to the closing work1 when the end is near at hand1 the ,scripture says3 ,he will finish the work1 and cut it short in righteousness3 because a short work will the ,lord make upon the earth4 ,rom4 #i3bh4 ,not by might1 nor by power1 but by ,my ,spirit1 saith the ,lord of hosts4 ,this is the hope for a quickly finished work in all the earth in our time4 ,yet the ,lord lays hold of material things for service2 and wonderfully the hand of ,providence has wrought in bringing into existence material agencies for a quick work in carrying the gospel to the world--such agencies as no generation before ours ever had4 ,consider the marvelous facilities for world-travel4 ,they are the product of this time of the end4 ,many shall run to and fro1 said the prophecy4 ,some interpreters have restricted the ,hebrew phrase to a searching to and fro for knowledge4 ,even this would include a literal running to and fro2 for the light of increasing knowledge was to be diffused over all the earth4 ,but the best authority on the ,hebrew declares for the plain meaning of our ,english translation3 ,many shall run to and fro4 ,in two recent works1 ,dr4 ,c4,h4,h4 ,wright1 the ,english scholar1 says of this text3 ,the natural meaning must be upheld1 i4e41 wandering to and fro4--,critical ,commentary on ,daniel1 p4 #bji4 ,why should not that expression be used in the sense in which it is employed in ,jeremiah #e3a1 namely1 of rapid movement hither and thither8--,daniel and ,his ,prophecies1 p4 #cba4 ,at the time when the first foreign missionary movement was being launched in ,america1 ,robert ,fulton's steamship1 the ,clermont1 was making its first trip on the ,hudson4 ,illustration3 ,,hieroglyphics ,the ,ox ,song of the ,egyptian threshing-floor4 ,in #ahch the first ships to cross the ,atlantic under steam power alone--the ,sirius and the ,great ,western--came into ,new ,york from ,liverpool1 a few hours apart1 forerunners of the fleets that furrow all the seas today1 making quick pathways for the gospel messengers to all lands4 ,verily1 they are a gift of ,god's providence to this generation1 when all the world is to hear the gospel message4 ,illustration3 ,,cuneiform ,,writing ,an account of the capture of ,babylon1 ,b4,c4 #ech4 ,from the cylinder of ,cyrus4 ,he hath made the deep as dry1 ,he hath smote for us a pathway to the ends of all the earth4 ,in #ahbe ,stephenson built his first railway passenger locomotive1 which may still be seen in the ,darlington railway station1 in ,england4 ,it was the beginning of the great revolution in land travel4 ,the late ,prof4 ,alfred ,russel ,wallace1 scientist1 wrote3 ,from the earliest historic and even prehistoric times till the construction of our great railways in the second quarter of the present century the nineteenth1 there had been absolutely no change in the methods of human locomotion4--,the ,wonderful ,century1 p4 #g4 ,illustration3 ,,manuscript ,,writing ,the process by which the books of the great library of ,alexandria1 ,egypt1 were made4 ,for nearly six thousand years men had traveled in the old way4 ,why should these revolutionary changes in travel by sea and land come abruptly just at this time8--,because the time foretold in the prophecy was at hand1 when the last gospel message was to be carried quickly to all the world--to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people4 ,we see the hand of the living ,god opening the doors into all lands1 and ,his wonderful providence laying at the feet of this generation agencies for quickly covering the whole earth4 ,illustration3 ,,gutenberg',s ,,first ,,types ,reproduced from the first edition of the famous forty-two-line ,latin ,bible1 printed by ,gutenberg4 ,later came the electric telegraph1 for the quick transmission of news4 ,it was in #ahcg that ,cooke and ,wheatstone in ,england1 and ,morse in the ,united ,states1 made their application for patents on the electric telegraph4 ,it was in #ahdd that the first long-distance system was successfully demonstrated--when the historic message was sent from ,baltimore to ,washington1 ,what hath ,god wrought6 ,now news of events fulfilling prophecy1 and news of progress and conditions in all lands1 are daily spread before the world by this agency of our wonderful time4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,gutenberg ,,printing ,,press ,on which was produced the first printed ,bible1 in #adef ,a4,d4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,franklin ,,press ,operated by two men1 it has a maximum speed of #bej impressions per hour4 ,as the closing events take place1 the ,lord has in ,his providence so ordered it that no one need be ignorant of the signs of the times fulfilling before the eyes of men4 ,speak the word and think the thought1 ,quick 'tis as with lightning caught-- ,over1 under1 lands or seas ,to the far antipodes4 ,here is an incident illustrating the way in which the electric telegraph may multiply and spread abroad the witness borne to the truth of ,god in some obscure corner of the earth3 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,hoe ,,double ,,octuple ,,press ,the largest printing press in the world4 ,length1 #dh feet2 height1 #ai-a_/b feet2 weight1 #age tons2 number of parts1 #fe1jjj2 revolutions1 #cjj per minute2 paper used per hour1 #ah tons1 or #baf miles of paper three feet wide2 production per hour1 #cjj1jjj eight-page folded newspapers4 ,the ,mighty ,press ,when old ,gutenberg1 inventor ,of the printing press1 and mentor ,of the clumsy-fingered typos ,in a sleepy ,german town1 ,used to spread the sheets of vellum ,on the form1 and plainly tell them ,that the art was then perfected1 ,as he pressed the platen down1 ,he had not the faintest notion ,of the rhythmical commotion1 ,of the brabble and the clamor ,and the unremitting roar ,of the mighty triple decker1 ,while the steel rods flicker1 ,and the papers1 ready folded1 ,fall in thousands to the floor4 ,some years ago a young man in ,europe--a ,seventh-day ,adventist--was giving answer for his faith4 ,his conscience would not allow him to do ordinary labor on ,god's holy ,sabbath4 ,he had declared to the court that the oath of loyalty which had been required of him forbade his breaking the ,sabbath4 ,how is that8 asked the judge4 ,the young man replied3 ,i was sworn in with a ,christian oath1 and therefore cannot be under an obligation to violate the commandments of ,god and work on the ,sabbath4 ,one must regard ,god as the highest authority1 and obey ,him in the first place4 ,this witness was borne in a little courtroom1 before a small group of men2 but the press dispatches took it up1 and the description of the scene and report of the words spoken were carried by electric telegraph to the press of at least four continents1 and millions read the testimony of the young man to the faith that was in him4 ,in the days to come1 with great events taking place and solemn issues calling upon men to make decision for ,god and ,his truth1 how quickly1 in some great crisis1 all the world may be warned1 and the last individual decisions be made for eternity6 ,modern ,printing ,the invention of the printer's art had come just in time to give wings to ,reformation truth4 ,luther said of it3 ,printing is the latest and greatest gift by which ,god enables us to advance the things of the gospel4 ,it is the last bright flame1 manifesting itself just previous to the extinction of the world4 ,thanks be to ,god1 it came before the last day came4--,michelet's ,life of ,luther1 p4 #bia4 ,while improvements in the art were made through the centuries1 it was a slow process1 even up to the opening of our generation4 ,during our day1 however1 inventions have revolutionized the printing process4 ,in this1 as in other things1 the methods have been speeded up to meet the necessities of this time of rapid accomplishment4 ,the printing press is one of the chief of the marvelous enlightening agencies of this time of the end4 ,by it the printed pages of truth are set falling over the earth like the leaves of autumn4 ,time fails us to speak of all the wonderful material developments of our day1 when knowledge has been increased1 and when men are not only searching to and fro1 but literally running to and fro4 ,the whole earth is brought within the range of human knowledge1 and the light of saving truth is streaming out toward every dark place where the children of men dwell4 ,nearly twenty-five hundred years ago it was written upon the prophetic page1 ,shut up the words1 and seal the book1 even to the time of the end3 many shall run to and fro1 and knowledge shall be increased4 ,there the word stood on the scroll of prophecy through more than two millenniums4 ,then1 as the time of the end came1 lo1 the book of prophecy was unsealed1 and the new era of increasing knowledge began to spread in wondrous blessing over the earth4 ,so surely1 also1 the prophecies of the last events will be accomplished4 ,in the occurrences taking place before our eyes1 we see that ,god is indeed finishing ,his work in the earth1 and cutting it short in righteousness4 ,illustration3 ,,fortifications ,,on ,,the ,,bosporus ,the strategic waterway involved in the ,eastern ,question4 ,,footnotes3 ,j ,it is not designed to give the reader the idea that this running to and fro refers wholly to turning to and fro through the pages of a book4 ,the times in which we live have been characterized by a great increase in ,bible study1 and consequently in knowledge of the ,scriptures2 but it is equally true that this has been due in large measure to the fact that there are no longer any hermit kingdoms4 ,travel1 a real physical running to and fro through the earth1 has contributed mightily to the modern increase of knowledge1 and in no other field of investigation has this been more true than in the study of the ,bible4 ,by increased facilities for travel1 all nations have been brought close together physically4 ,different races and nationalities have become acquainted1 missionary zeal has been quickened1 and peoples formerly beyond the reach of missionary operations have become easily accessible4 ,in this sense1 as well as by private searching of the ,scriptures1 knowledge has increased4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,mosque ,,of ,,st4 ,,sophia ,,in ,,constantinople ,the most famous of all ,mohammedan temples4 ,,copyright ,,by ,,underwood ,,underwood1 ,n4,y4 ,,the ,,eastern ,,question ,,modern ,,history ,,in ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,ancient ,,prophecy ,not alone of the history of ancient nations does the sure word of prophecy bear witness4 ,political events of our own and coming days are described4 ,the nations of the latter day are pictured as preparing war1 gathering their forces for the great ,armageddon1 the battle of the day of ,god4 ,as a signal of the last great struggle1 the fall1 or drying up1 of the power ruling the territory watered by the river ,euphrates is foretold4 ,rev4 #af3ab4 ,the ,euphrates in all modern history has been suggestive of the dominions of the ,turkish or ,ottoman ,empire4 ,and ,armageddon1 designated as the meeting place of armies in the last clash of nations1 is in ,palestine1 which1 through all modern times1 has been in possession of the ,turkish power4 ,the index finger of prophecy points1 therefore1 to this region of the eastern ,mediterranean as the pivotal point in the closing history of nations2 and with ,turkey's fate is wrapped up the fate of all the nations of the world4 ,all this adds deepest and most solemn import to the study of what is known as the ,eastern ,question1 a question that has been to the fore in international politics much of the time throughout this generation4 ,wars have been fought over it1 cabinets have wrestled with it1 and still it holds its place in the first rank of living issues of today4 ,as every one knows1 the ,eastern ,question involves the dominion or supremacy in the ,near ,east4 ,this region was a pivotal point in the struggles of the nations in ancient times--the meeting place of ,east and ,west4 ,maspero1 historian of ancient empires1 says of it3 ,some countries seem destined from their origin to become the battle fields of the contending nations4444 ,the nations around are eager for the possession of a country thus situated4444 ,from remote antiquity ,syria was in the condition just described4 ,by its position it formed a kind of meeting place1 where most of the military nations of the ancient world were bound sooner or later to come violently into collision4--,struggle of the ,nations1 chap4 #a4 ,it is not strange1 therefore1 that one of the great outlines of historic prophecy should deal with events centering around this pivotal region4 ,the prophecy of ,daniel #aa does so1 outlining the course of history from ancient times to the final solution of the ,eastern ,question amid the scenes of the end4 ,rise and ,fall of ,ancient ,empires ,the prophetic outline of ,daniel #aa begins with ,persia1 in the third year of ,cyrus1 the conqueror of ,babylon4 7,see ,dan4 #aj3a47 ,the angel of ,god appeared to ,daniel1 and in the longest and most detailed single prophecy in all the ,bible1 told the story of events connected with this region of the ,near ,east for the centuries to come1 until the end4 ,putting the word of prophecy and the record of history side by side1 we see how exactly history has fulfilled prophecy2 and we may know certainly that the brief portion of the prophecy yet unfulfilled will surely come to pass4 ,persia ,prophecy4--,now will ,i show thee the truth4 ,behold1 there shall stand up yet three kings in ,persia2 and the fourth shall be far richer than they all3 and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of ,grecia4 ,dan4 #aa3b ,history4--,the three kings following ,cyrus were 7#a7 ,cambyses1 7#b7 ,smerdis1 7#c7 ,darius2 the fourth1 ,xerxes1 was far richer than they all4 ,he had the treasures of his father1 ,darius1 who was called the merchant or hoarder by his own people1 and ,xerxes gathered stores of wealth in addition4 ,when ,xerxes was on his way to invade ,grecia1 a ,lydian named ,pythius entertained the whole ,persian army with feasts1 and offered to aid in bearing the expense of the campaign4 ,xerxes asked who this man of such wealth was4 ,he was answered3 ,this is the man1 ,o king6 who gave thy father ,darius the golden plane tree1 and likewise the golden vine2 and he is still the wealthiest man we know of in all the world1 excepting thee4--,herodotus1 book #g1 par4 #bg4 ,richer than they all1 ,xerxes1 through his riches1 was able1 as the prophecy had foretold1 to stir up all against the realm of ,grecia4 ,forty-nine nations marched under his banners to the attack4 ,the ,greek poet1 ,a,eschylus1 who himself fought against the ,persians1 wrote of ,xerxes' mighty host1 ,and myriad-peopled ,asia's king1 a battle-eager lord1 ,from utmost east to utmost west sped on his countless horde1 ,in unnumbered squadrons marching1 in fleets of keels untold1 ,knowing none dared disobey1 ,for stern overseers were they ,of the godlike king begotten of the ancient race of ,gold4 --,persae1 ,way's translation4 ,xerxes boasted that he was leading the whole race of mankind to the destruction of ,greece4 ,but his invasion ended in the total rout of his forces by land and by sea4 ,it was an advertisement to the world that ,persia's might was broken4 ,the prophecy treats it so1 and deals no further with ,persian history4 ,a,eschylus at the time celebrated the passing of ,persia's prestige in the lines1-- ,with sacred awe ,the ,persian law ,no more shall ,asia's realms revere2 ,to their lord's hand ,at his command1 ,no more the exacted tribute bear4 99 99 99 99 99 ,before the ,ionian squadrons ,persia flies1 ,or sinks engulfed beneath the main2 ,fallen6 fallen6 is her imperial power1 ,and conquest on her banners waits no more4 --,persae1 ,potter's translation4 ,the next great world change was to be the rise of ,grecia to dominion4 ,so1 although a number of kings followed ,xerxes in ,persia1 the prophecy passes from his disastrous invasion directly to the coming of ,grecia under its mighty king1 ,alexander the ,great4 ,grecia ,prophecy4--,a mighty king shall stand up1 that shall rule with great dominion1 and do according to his will4 ,and when he shall stand up1 his kingdom shall be broken1 and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven2 and not to his posterity4 ,dan4 #aa3c1 #d4 ,history4--,alexander the ,great stood up and ruled with great dominion1 over a kingdom stretching from ,india to ,grecia1 with kings yet farther west sending embassies to ,babylon to make submission4 ,but in the height of his power1 as the prophecy suggests1 he was suddenly cut down by death4 ,all his posterity perished1 and out of the struggles of his generals for supremacy came 7#cja ,b4,c47 the division of the empire toward the four winds1 as the prophecy had declared so long before4 ,rawlinson1 the historian1 says3 ,a quadripartite division of ,alexander's dominion was recognized3 ,macedonia west1 ,egypt south1 ,asia ,minor north1 and ,syria stretching eastward beyond the ,euphrates4--,sixth ,monarchy1 chap4 #c4 ,the ,kings of the ,north and ,south ,next1 a rearrangement of these powers is noted2 and it is this that gives us the key to the study of the closing portion of the long prophetic outline dealing with events of our own day4 ,the narrative continues3 ,prophecy4--,the king of the south shall be strong1 and one of his princes 444 shall be strong above him2444 his dominion shall be a great dominion4 ,verse #e4 ,history4--,the history testifies that the king of the south 7,egypt1 under ,ptolemy7 was strong2 but one of the four princes was strong above him4 ,seleucus1 of ,syria and the east1 pushed his dominion northward1 subduing most of ,asia ,minor1 and extending his boundary into ,thrace1 on the ,european side1 beyond the ,dardanelles4 ,henceforward1 as ,mahaffy says1 there were three great kingdoms--,macedonia1 ,egypt1 ,syria--which lasted1 each under its own dynasty1 till ,rome swallowed them up4--,alexander's ,empire1 p4 #hi4 ,thus ,seleucus took the territory of the north1 and the ,syrian power became king of the north1 its empire extending from ,thrace1 in ,europe1 through ,asia ,minor to ,syria and the ,euphrates4 ,the seat of empire was removed from the east1 and ,antioch1 in northern ,syria1 once the third city of the world1 became the famous capital4 ,the prophecy next foretold in remarkable detail the contests between these two strong powers1 the king of the north 7,syria and ,asia ,minor7 and the king of the south 7,egypt74 ,the conflict raged back and forth till the coming of the ,romans4 ,the ,holy ,land was the frequent meeting place of the contending armies4 ,the ,encyclopedia ,britannica describes it3 ,palestine was as of old the battle field for the king of the north and the king of the south4444 ,the history of these times is lost in its details4--,ninth edition1 ,vol4 ,,xv1 art4 ,macedonian ,empire1 p4 #add4 ,we shall not follow the details of this contest as foretold in the prophecy1 nor yet the outline of events after the coming of the ,roman power ended the rivalry between ,syria and ,egypt4 ,it is necessary only that we fix the events and geographic terms of this early portion of the prophecy4 ,then we shall have the key to the closing portion1 dealing with events of the last days1 when the king of the north again appears4 ,the ,modern ,king of the ,north ,in the last verses of the chapter we find the king of the north a chief actor in this same region1 at the time of the end4 ,verse #dj4 ,and we are told that when this power comes to its end1 it is the signal that the great day of ,god is at hand4 7,see ,dan4 #ab3a47 ,it becomes a vital question1 therefore1 what power in these last days is the king of the north1 whose end is the signal of the swift ending of the world4 ,inspiration gives the basis for the answer4 ,the king of the north in the early portion of the prophecy was the power that ruled in ,syria and ,asia ,minor1 from the ,euphrates to the shores of the ,dardanelles4 ,the king of the north1 then1 of the later portion of the prophecy1 must be the power that has been ruling in this same region during the time of the end4 ,what power has held dominion over this territory in modern times8--,the ,turkish or ,ottoman ,empire4 ,at this time ,turkey holds almost the identical dominion of the ancient king of the north--from the ,euphrates to the sea1 and northward over ,asia ,minor and the shores of the ,dardanelles4 ,then today ,turkey is certainly the king of the north1 according to the prophecy of ,daniel #aa4 ,of the later history of the king of the north and his end and the events following it1 the prophecy says3 ,tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him3 therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy1 and utterly to make away many4 ,and he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain2 yet he shall come to his end1 and none shall help him4 ,and at that time shall ,michael stand up1 the great ,prince which standeth for the children of thy people3 and there shall be a time of trouble1 such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time3 and at that time thy people shall be delivered1 every one that shall be found written in the book4 ,dan4 #aa3dd1 #de2 #ab3a4 ,illustration3 ,,city ,,of ,,constantinople ,the capital of the ,turkish government4 ,,copyright ,,by ,,underwood ,,underwood1 ,n1 ,y4 ,the opening verse of this scripture describes exactly the history of ,turkey in modern times4 ,turkey's disquietude has come because of tidings out of the east and out of the north4 ,in both these directions there has been a pushing back of the ,turkish frontier1 particularly in the north4 ,again and again1 during this time of the end1 ,turkey has gone forth with fury to resist these encroachments and prevent the loss of territory4 ,the prophecy indicates that in some of these struggles the king of the north will yet transfer his capital3 ,he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain4 ,removal to ,jerusalem ,this prophecy can mean nothing else than that the king of the north will eventually set up his headquarters in ,jerusalem2 for ,jerusalem is the holy mountain of the ,scriptures4 ,zech4 #h3c4 ,it is a wise counsel that says1 ,tread lightly in the details of unfulfilled prophecy4 ,just how events are to turn1 by what route or processes the steps are to be taken1 it is useless to conjecture4 ,but there the prophecy stands4 ,every word of the early portion of the prophetic outline has been fulfilled to the letter in the history of the ancient empires battling century after century over this region4 ,every word spoken of the final scenes will as certainly be fulfilled4 ,in view of this prophecy1--that ,jerusalem is yet to be made the headquarters of the king of the north1--it becomes highly significant that the ,mohammedans regard ,jerusalem as a sacred city4 ,according to ,mohammedan tradition1 ,jerusalem is to play a leading part in the closing history of that people4 ,hughes1 in his ,dictionary of ,islam1 article ,jerusalem1 summarizes the teaching3 ,in the last days there will be a general flight to ,jerusalem4 ,speaking of ,jerusalem1 an old ,arab commentator on the ,koran1 ,mukaddasi 7,a4,d4 #ihe71 said3 ,as to the excellence of the city4 ,why1 is not this to be the place of marshaling on the day of judgment1 where the gathering together and the appointment will take place8 ,verily ,makkah ,mecca and ,al ,madina have their superiority by reason of the ,ka'abah and the prophet1--the blessing of ,allah be upon him and his family6--but1 in truth1 on the day of judgment both cities will come to ,jerusalem1 and the excellencies of them all will then be united4--,le ,strange1 ,palestine under the ,moslems1 p4 #he4 ,illustration3 ,,modern ,,jerusalem ,he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain4 ,dan4 #aa3de4 ,thus ,moslem doctrinal teaching and tradition both point out ,jerusalem as the rallying place of ,moslems before the end4 ,again and again in recent years1 as the pressure has threatened the ,turkish hold on ,constantinople1 the thoughts of ,moslems have turned toward ,jerusalem as a possible capital4 ,a few years ago a ,seventh-day ,adventist missionary in ,constantinople wrote to his home board3 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,mosque ,,of ,,omar ,situated in ,jerusalem1 on ,mt4 ,moriah1 the site of ,solomon's ,temple4 ,within the past few months quite a company of people from the ,transcaucasus district have come to ,ismid1--old ,nicodemia1--bringing all they possess with them4 ,some of them possess considerable wealth4 ,when asked if they were going to settle in ,ismid1 they replied that they would settle nowhere permanently at present4 ,they stated that they had come to be prepared to go with their leader when he left ,constantinople to go to ,jerusalem4 ,wherever the capital may first be set up following the forsaking of ,constantinople1--and ,turkish authorities1 we are told1 have discussed a number of possible locations in ,asia ,minor1--there stands the ancient prophecy as to the eventual seat of the king of the north1 ,he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain4 ,following that1 what comes8 ,the prophecy declares1 ,yet he shall come to his end1 and none shall help him4 ,what ,comes ,when ,turkey ,falls ,the fury of his goings forth utterly to make away many1 the moving of his capital from one place to another1 avail nothing in the end4 ,he shall come to his end1 and none shall help him4 ,the suggestion of the prophecy is that this power has hitherto been helped to stand4 ,here again every suggestion of the prophetic language finds its response in history4 ,through these later years of the time of the end the ,ottoman ,empire has been helped to stand1 by either one power or another1 or by some combination of powers4 ,the late ,lord ,salisbury1 while premier of ,britain1 thus stated the reasons for this policy of helping ,turkey3 ,turkey is in that remarkable condition in which it has now stood for half a century1 mainly because the great powers of the world have resolved that for the peace of ,christendom it is necessary that the ,ottoman ,empire should stand4 ,they came to that conclusion nearly half a century ago4 ,i do not think they have altered it now4 ,the danger1 if the ,ottoman ,empire should fall1 would not merely be the danger that would threaten the territories of which that empire consists2 it would be the danger that the fire there lit should spread to other nations1 and should involve all that is most powerful and civilized in ,europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest4 ,that was the danger that was present to the minds of our fathers when they resolved to make the integrity and independence of the ,ottoman ,empire a matter of ,european treaty1 and that is a danger which has not passed away4--,mansion ,house speech1 ,nov4 #i1 #ahie4 ,the veteran premier stated the fear of modern statesmen that ,turkey's fall would involve all civilization in a calamitous conflict4 ,the prophecy pictures just such a catastrophe1 in these words3 ,he shall come to his end1 and none shall help him4 ,and at that time shall ,michael stand up1 the great ,prince which standeth for the children of thy people3 and there shall be a time of trouble1 such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time4 ,what modern statesmen have seen impending and have sought to ward off1 the ancient prophecy says will surely come to pass when the king of the north comes to his end1--a time of trouble for the nations such as never was4 ,in the ,new ,testament ,in the prophecy of ,revelation #af1 the last great clash of the nations is represented as following the fall of the power that rules the territory drained by the ,euphrates4 ,describing the last events in human history1 under the pouring out of the vials of judgment upon the world1 the prophet says3 ,the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river ,euphrates2 and the water thereof was dried up1 that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared4 ,rev4 #af3ab4 ,the water of the ,euphrates represents the people or power ruling by it4 ,when anciently the ,assyrians dwelt by that river and were about to invade ,israel1 the prophet said1 ,the ,lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river1 strong and many1 even the king of ,assyria4 ,isa4 #h3g4 ,the waters of the ,euphrates meant the ,assyrian power4 ,just so in this prophecy1 the river stands for the people4 ,as the ,nile stood for ,egypt1 and the ,tiber for ,rome1 so in all modern times the ,euphrates has stood for ,turkey4 ,the drying up of the ,euphrates must mean the ending of the ,turkish power4 ,and in the verses immediately following1 ,revelation pictures the gathering of the nations of the whole world to ,armageddon--the battle of that great day of ,god ,almighty4 ,following ,turkey's end comes the final clash of nations4 ,the earth quakes1 the cities of the nations fall1 and the last judgments of ,god come upon a warring world4 ,here1 as in ,daniel #ab1 is pictured a time of trouble for the nations such as never was1 and the end of the world1 when the power ruling in ,syria1 by the ,euphrates1 comes to its end4 ,the ,approaching ,end ,for years statesmen and observers have discussed the approaching dissolution of the ,ottoman ,empire4 ,travelers in ,turkey have reported that thoughtful ,turkish people held the conviction that the crisis of their nation was near at hand4 ,years ago ,mr4 ,charles ,mac,farlane wrote3 ,the ,turks themselves seem generally to be convinced that their final hour is approaching4 ',we are no longer ,mussulmans1--the ,mussulman saber is broken1--the ,osmanlis will be driven out of ,europe by the gaiours1 and driven through ,asia to the regions from which they first sprang4 ,it is ,kismet6 ,we cannot resist destiny6' ,i heard words to this effect from many ,turks1 as well in ,asia as in ,europe4--,kismet2 or the ,doom of ,turkey 7,london1 #ahec71 p4 #dji4 ,a later ,turkish traveler1 ,mr4 ,wilfred ,scawen ,blunt1 says3 ,ancient prophecy and modern superstition alike point to the return of the ,crescent into ,asia as an event at hand1 and to the doom of the ,turks4444 ,a well-known prediction to this effect1 which has for ages exercised its influence on the vulgar and even on the learned ,mohammedan mind1444 places the scene of the last struggle in northern ,syria1 at ,homs1 on the ,orontes4 ,islam is then finally to retire from the north1 and the ,turkish rule to cease4 ,such prophecies often work their own fulfilment4--,future of ,islam1 p4 #ie4 ,thus native tradition and human forebodings have contemplated the break-up of the ,turkish power1 as the course of the years has witnessed the shrinkage of its territory and the ever-increasing difficulty of its position4 ,now and then there has been a renewal of ,turkey's vigor and prestige2 then again its situation has been rendered yet more precarious4 ,it has been a buffer between the clashing interests of the great powers4 ,speaking of ,turkey's difficult position in this respect1 the ,london ,fortnightly ,review1 ,may1 #aiae1 expressed a common view thus3 ,when once the nations of ,europe set foot in ,asia ,minor1 the pace of ,turkey's further downfall will be set not so much by ,turkey's strength or weakness as by the mutual jealousies of the occupying powers4 ,the storm clouds hang ever low over the ,near ,east2 while above all the din of wars and rumors of wars1 the voice of divine prophecy declares that when this power comes to its end1 the closing events in human history will quickly follow4 ,illustration3 ,,constantinople ,,the ,,key ,,city ,,of ,,the ,,world ,the cross on which the peace of the world has been crucified4 ,the solemn truth rings in our ears like a trumpet peal2 the age-long ,eastern ,question is hastening on to its final solution1 and its solution brings the end of the world4 ,in the light of the sure word of prophecy the developments of our day in the ,east become more than matters of grave political concern to statesmen and observers of affairs generally2 they are matters of deepest personal1 eternal interest to every soul4 ,in watching the trend of international affairs1 we are watching the doing of the last things among the nations4 ,as these things are seen coming to pass exactly as the prophecy foretold1 we recognize them as ,god's call to men in the last generation to turn to ,him and prepare their hearts to meet the coming ,lord4 ,let no one think to wait until he sees ,turkey come to its end before making his peace with ,god4 ,the end of this power1 as described in ,revelation #af1 comes during the falling of the seven last plagues4 ,and the last verse of the preceding chapter shows that ,christ's ministry for sinners in the heavenly temple has ended before the plagues begin to fall4 ,human probation will already have closed4 ,the solemn decree will then have been issued in heaven3 ,he that is unjust1 let him be unjust still3 and he which is filthy1 let him be filthy still3 and he that is righteous1 let him be righteous still3 and he that is holy1 let him be holy still4 ,and1 behold1 ,i come quickly4 ,rev4 #bb3aa1 #ab4 ,now is the accepted time1 calls the ,spirit2 now is the day of salvation4 #b ,cor4 #f3b4 ,we have not to make ourselves ready4 ,if we confess our sins1 ,he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness4 #a ,john #a3i4 ,our part is to believe and confess2 ,his part is to forgive and cleanse and make us ready for the coming kingdom4 ,the ,sinner's ,plea ,with broken heart and contrite sigh1 ,a trembling sinner1 ,lord1 ,i cry2 ,thy pardoning grace is rich and free3 ,o ,god1 be merciful to me6 ,nor alms1 nor deeds that ,i have done1 ,can for a single sin atone2 ,to ,calvary alone ,i flee3 ,o ,god1 be merciful to me6 ,and when1 redeemed from sin and hell1 ,with all the ransomed throng ,i dwell1 ,my raptured song shall ever be1 ,god has been merciful to me6 --,cornelius ,elven4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,battle ,,of ,,armageddon ,the whole world involved in the last great clash of nations4 ,the nations were angry1 and ,thy wrath is come4 ,rev4 #aa3ah4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,plain ,,of ,,esdraelon ,,and ,,mt4 ,,megiddo ,he gathered them together into a place called 444 ,armageddon4 ,rev4 #af3af4 ,,armageddon ,,the ,,final ,,clash ,,of ,,earthly ,,empires ,we are living1 we are dwelling1 ,in a grand and awful time1 ,in an age on ages telling1 ,to be living is sublime4 ,hark6 the waking up of nations1 ,gog and ,magog to the fray2 ,hark6 what soundeth8 ,is creation ,groaning for her latter day8 ,the sure word of prophecy that foretold the rise and fall of ancient empires1 and outlined the general course of world history through the ages1 describes also the last great struggle of the nations4 ,the proverb says1 ,peace is the dream of the wise1 but war is the history of man4 ,and divine prophecy assures us that the history of this present world will end amid scenes of conflict4 ,many in our time have come to think that civilization must reach a better way of composing the rivalries of the nations4 ,the prophecy forewarns us otherwise4 ,in fact1 the prophetic word points to the talk of peace and safety amid preparations for war1 as a distinct sign of the latter days4 ,in the last days1 ,isaiah says1 many people shall go and say3 ,they shall beat their swords into plowshares1 and their spears into pruning hooks3 nation shall not lift up sword against nation1 neither shall they learn war any more4 ,isa4 #b3b-d4 ,this is what many people were to be saying4 ,but the real conditions in the last days are described as exactly the opposite4 ,the prophet ,joel describes the real spirit of the world in these times3 ,proclaim ye this among the ,gentiles the nations3 ,prepare war1 wake up the mighty men1 let all the men of war draw near2 let them come up3 beat your plowshares into swords1 and your pruning hooks into spears3 let the weak say1 ,i am strong4 ,joel #c3i1 #aj4 ,the context shows that the prophet is speaking of the last times1 when the day of the ,lord is near4 ,verse #ad4 ,the ,prophecy ,fulfilling ,this is what we have seen in our time1 as never before in the history of man1--the product of the plowshare and the pruning hook being turned into instruments of war4 ,about twenty-five years ago the late ,marquis of ,salisbury1 speaking as a man grown gray in the service of the state1 asked a ,london audience the question1 ,what is the great change that marks this time as different from the times when most of us were young men8 ,the aged statesman answered his own question1 saying that it was the arming of the nations1 the swift race upon which the powers had then recently entered1 to increase their naval and military armaments4 ,it is a sign of our times1 answering to the prophetic forecast4 ,throughout the present generation the thoughtful have watched with grave forebodings the preparations of the nations for war4 ,queen ,alexandra1 of ,britain1 once said of it3 ,i was educated in the school of a king who was1 before all things1 just2 and ,i have tried1 like him1 always to preach love and charity1 ,i have always mistrusted warlike preparations1 of which nations seem never to tire4 ,some day this accumulated material of soldiers and guns will burst into flames in a frightful war that will throw humanity into mourning on earth and grieve our universal ,father in heaven4 ,as the race of armaments went forward on a scale never before thought of1 statesmen and writers began to make use of the word ,armageddon to describe the conflict that they saw was inevitable4 ,years ago the ,london ,contemporary ,review said3 ,odd things are happening everywhere4444 ,russia1 ,germany1 ,england--these are great names2 they palpitate with great ideas2 they have vast destinies before them1 and millions of armed men in their pay1 all awaiting ,armageddon4 ,in ,june1 #aiji1 ,lord ,rosebery1 in a speech before a press convention in ,london1 commented gravely upon the significance of the feverish haste with which the nations were arming themselves1 as if for some great ,armageddon1 and that in a time of the profoundest peace4 ,to quote from a popular ,american magazine1 of the same year3 ,today all ,europe is divided into two armed camps1 waiting breathlessly for the morrow with its ,armageddon4--,everybody's ,magazine1 ,november1 #aiji4 ,thus1 everywhere1 observers saw that the rivalry of interests among the nations was leading to a conflict so overwhelmingly vast that only the ,scriptural word ,armageddon1 with its appeal to the imagination1 seemed adequately suggestive of its proportions4 ,every passing year added to the intensity of feeling and the antagonism of interests4 ,in #aiaa the ,london ,nineteenth ,century and ,after said3 ,illustration3 ,,united ,,states ,,battleship ,,nevada ,photograph taken from the ,manhattan ,bridge4 ,new ,york4 ,,copyright ,,by ,,underwood ,,underwood4 ,n4,y4 ,never was national and racial feeling stronger upon earth than it is now4 ,never was preparation for war so tremendous and so sustained4 ,never was striking power so swift and so terribly formidable4444 ,the shadow of conflict and of displacement greater than any which mankind has known since ,attila and his ,huns were stayed at ,chalons1 is visibly impending over the world4 ,almost can the ear of imagination hear the gathering of the legions for the fiery trial of peoples1 a sound vast as the trumpet of the ,lord of hosts4--,quoted in the ,literary ,digest1 ,may #f1 #aiaa4 ,illustration3 ,,comrades ,,after ,,the ,,battle ,soldiers bringing in two wounded captives4 ,,photo ,,by ,,central ,,photo ,,service4 ,n4,y4 ,what the ancient prophecy foretold--the preparing of war in the last days1 the waking up and arming of the nations--we have seen fulfilling before our eyes in this generation4 ,satanic ,agencies at ,work ,in prophecies of the gathering of the nations for the last great struggle1 ,inspiration draws aside the veil1 and allows us to see the agencies that have been stirring up the world for the war4 ,as the prophet ,john was shown in vision the scenes of the last days1 he saw the invisible powers of ,satan1 the spirits of devils1 going forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world1 to gather them to the battle of that great day of ,god ,almighty4 ,rev4 #af3ad4 ,earnest-minded statesmen have lamented their helplessness to combat the forces and influences pressing the world on toward conflict4 ,in one of his last speeches as premier of ,great ,britain1 the late ,marquis of ,salisbury was defending yet further calls for army and navy appropriations4 ,he said3 ,for years public opinion was in favor of a pacific policy1 but now that state of opinion has passed away4 ,the tide has turned1 and who am ,i1 and who are we1 that we should attempt to stem the tide8 ,if the tide has turned1 we shall have to go with it4 ,we are in the presence of forces far larger than we can wield4 ,what those forces were1 the aged statesman did not recognize1 but the prophecy tells us4 ,the prophet was shown the evil spirits from ,satan going forth everywhere as the end nears1 to stir up the whole world to the last great conflict4 ,sir ,edward ,grey1 ,british foreign secretary1 described these agencies very accurately4 ,speaking in the ,house of ,commons1 ,nov4 #bg1 #aiaa1 he said3 ,it is really as if in the atmosphere of the world there were some mischievous influence at work1 which troubles and excites every part of it4 ,it is all coming to pass exactly as the sure word of prophecy foretold4 ,the conviction that great and decisive events are at hand has taken possession of many hearts in all the world4 ,when the ,european war broke out in #aiad1 on a scale unprecedented in human history1 it was no wonder that the question sprang to many lips1 ,is it ,armageddon8 ,the question was not lightly asked4 ,the committee of the ,church ,missionary ,society 7,church of ,england71 one of the greatest missionary organizations in the world1 sent a message to its missionaries in all lands at the outbreak of the war4 ,in this message was a call to prepare for the coming of the ,lord3 ,it may be that these events will quickly usher in the return of ,christ to gather ,his saints together from the four quarters of the earth4444 ,many see in the events preceding and accompanying this terrible cataclysm of war the signs of our ,lord's near return4 ,if so1 blessed will that servant be whom his ,lord when ,he cometh shall find giving 'their food in due season' to those fellow servants who have been put in his charge4--,church ,missionary ,review1 ,november1 #aiad4 ,timely as this call was1 it was evident1 from the prophetic scriptures1 that the conflict then opening could not be the ,armageddon of the ,apocalypse1 for the prelude to that final clash of nations is an event yet in the future--the downfall of a nation whose part in the closing scenes is clearly described in the prophecy of the coming ,armageddon4 ,the end of the power which rules over the territory through which the river ,euphrates flows1 is the prelude to ,armageddon4 ,the prophecy says3 ,the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river ,euphrates2 and the water thereof was dried up1 that the way of the kings of the ,east might be prepared4 ,rev4 #af3ab4 ,next follows the gathering of the whole world to the battle of that great day of ,god ,almighty4 ,verse #ad4 ,through all modern times ,turkey has been identified with the ,euphrates4 ,the region of ,syria and ,asia ,minor1 long held by ,turkey1 has been the historic meeting place of the ,east and the ,west4 ,in the ,london ,fortnightly ,review1 ,may1 #aiae1 ,mr4 ,j4,b4 ,firth wrote3 ,when1 with the fall of ,ottoman sovereignty at ,constantinople1 the ,turk is driven out of ,europe1 there will arise once more the eternal question of the possession of ,asia ,minor4 ,that land is the corridor between ,europe and ,asia1 along which have passed most of the ,european conquerors--the ,russians alone excepted--who have invaded ,asia1 and most of the ,asiatic conquerors who have invaded ,europe4 ,the fall of the ,turkish power in this ,euphrates region will1 in some manner1 prepare the way for the kings of the ,east to come up to the final conflict4 ,the ,awakening of the ,east ,the same spirit that has been stirring up the ,west in preparation for the contest has been working in the ,east also4 ,year after year observers have pointed out the great changes taking place in ,asia4 ,september1 #aiji1 the ,london ,contemporary ,review said3 ,the whole of ,asia is in the throes of rebirth4 ,at last we may see these three--the yellow race1 the ,indian race1 and the ,arab-,persian ,mohammedan race4 ,and all that is making for the ,armageddon4 ,a writer in the ,may1 #aiac1 issue of the ,london ,nineteenth ,century and ,after1 reviewing the situation at the close of the ,balkan ,war1 said3 ,a new spirit is abroad in the ,east4 ,it arose on the shores of the ,pacific when ,japan proved that the great powers of ,europe are not invulnerable4 ,north and south and west it has spread1 rousing ,china out of centuries of slumber1 stirring ,india into ominous questioning1 reviving memories of past glory in ,persia1 breeding discontent in ,egypt1 and luring ,turkey onto the rocks4 ,with all the nations stirred up by the spirit agencies of the god of this world1 the prophet next saw the armies of earth gathering to the last great battle4 ,the prophecy continues3 ,and he gathered them together into a place called in the ,hebrew tongue ,armageddon4 ,rev4 #af3af4 ,armageddon means the hill1 or mount1 of ,megiddo1 which overlooks the plain of ,esdraelon1 the historic battle ground of northern ,palestine4 ,carmack says of it3 ,megiddo was the military key of ,syria2 it commanded at once the highway northward to ,phoenicia and ,coele-,syria and the road across ,galilee to ,damascus and the valley of the ,euphrates4 ,it was moreover the chief town in a district of great fertility1 the contested possession of many races4 ,the vale of ,kishon and the region of ,megiddo were inevitable battle fields4 ,through all history they retained that qualification2 there many of the great contests of southwestern ,asia have been decided4 ,in the history of ,israel it was the scene of frequent battles4 ,from such association the district achieved a dark nobility2 it was regarded as a pre-destined place of blood and strife2 the poet of the ,apocalypse has clothed it with awe as the ground of the final conflict between the powers of light and darkness4--,pre-,biblical ,syria and ,palestine1 p4 #hb4 ,thus ,armageddon1 as the military key of ,syria1 marks ,palestine and the ,near ,east as the great international storm center in the final conflict4 ,the ,political ,storm ,center ,in vision1 nearly two thousand years ago1 the prophet saw the forces of the last days gathering around this pivotal region4 ,today observers recognize the eastern ,mediterranean as indeed the pivotal point around which international interests involving ,east and ,west naturally revolve4 ,some years ago1 in discussing railway development in ,asia and ,africa1 and the great highways of sea transportation1 the ,london ,fortnightly ,review said3 ,palestine is the great center1 the meeting of the roads4 ,whoever holds ,palestine1 commands the great lines of communication1 not only by land1 but also by sea4 ,again1 the ,manchester ,guardian1 emphasizing the importance attaching to this strategic center1 said during the great war3 ,egypt1 as things are1--and the fact cannot be too often emphasized1--is the weak spot in our system of imperial defense by sea power4 ,not until ,palestine is in our possession can ,egypt be regarded as safe4--,quoted in ,literary ,digest1 ,feb4 #ab1 #aiaf1 p4 #cfi4 ,other nations have recognized the strategic value of a territory so situated4 ,thus political considerations make this region pointed out by the prophecy a center of conflicting interests4 ,hogarth1 in his book1 ,the ,near ,east1 calls it the time-honored storm center of the eastern ,mediterranean4 ,the ,religious ,storm ,center ,to the conflict of political interests is added the rivalry of religious sentiment4 ,commenting on the religious associations of ,palestine in relation to the international political situation1 the ,london ,spectator some years ago stated the matter thus3 ,people often ask how it is that the future of ,palestine presents such difficulties4 ,the reason is simply that ,jerusalem--you cannot separate ,jerusalem from ,palestine--is the sacred city of so many creeds and warring faiths4 ,not only is it the holy place of all the ,christian churches1--and two of them quarrel bitterly over it1 the ,greeks and the ,latins1--but it is also one of the most sacred places in the ,mohammedan world4 ,mecca and ,medina are hardly more sacred than the ,mosque of ,omar4 ,that is a fact which is often ignored by ,europeans1 who forget that to turn the ,mohammedans out of the temple inclosure would disturb the whole ,moslem world1 from the ,straits ,settlements to ,albania4 ,we must never forget that ,mohammedan pilgrims from ,india visit ,jerusalem1 just as ,christian pilgrims visit it from ,europe4 ,lastly1 ,jerusalem is profoundly sacred to the ,jews1 and the ,jews are beginning to be locally numerous and important4 ,most certainly there are no elements of difficulty wanting in the problem of the future of ,palestine4 ,history records the fact that rivalry over the care of the traditional holy places helped to precipitate one ,european war--that of the ,crimea4 ,in the study of the ,eastern ,question1 we have seen that the prophecy of ,daniel #aa marks ,jerusalem as still a storm center in the closing scenes4 ,a ,british consul in ,jerusalem1 in the days following the ,crimean ,war1 set forth suggestively his view of one of the factors in the ,eastern ,question4 ,he wrote3 ,the very heart and kernel of the ,eastern ,question can only be reached in the ,holy ,city1 ,jerusalem1 where the ,eastern and ,western churches are still wrestling as of old for the mastery4444 ,now as heretofore1 disguise the object as they may1 they are striving for a prize which has not been destined by divine ,providence for either2 and this prize is no less than a virtual dominion over the ,christian world1 from a throne of government within the sanctuaries of the ,holy ,city2 and the possession of that throne would involve possession of the key to universal dominion4--,stirring ,times3 ,records from ,jerusalem ,consulate ,chronicles1 by ,james ,finn1 introductory note by editor1 p4 xxiii4 ,foretold in ,prophecy ,by every consideration--political1 racial1 and religious--the ,near ,east supplies all the elements for involving the whole world when once the sweeping displacements begin which the prophecy foretold1 and for which statesmen in our day have sought to prepare4 ,long ages ago the prophet of ,god1 in vision on the ,isle of ,patmos1 was shown the clash of interests and the gathering of the nations around this historic center4 ,before our eyes today we see events tending to give to this region the very character assigned to it by the prophecy4 ,it was written in the sure word of prophecy in order that1 as the events foretold are seen approaching1 men may believe and turn to ,god1 and find salvation from the things coming upon the earth4 ,into the prophecy of this sixteenth chapter of ,revelation1 describing the gathering of forces to ,armageddon1 our ,saviour interjects the warning and the appeal3 ,behold1 ,i come as a thief4 ,blessed is he that watcheth1 and keepeth his garments1 lest he walk naked1 and they see his shame4 ,verse #ae4 ,the last earthly events that the prophecy is dealing with--the pouring out of the seven last plagues1 and the clash of ,armageddon--come after probation closes4 ,the close of probation1 the passing of the ministry of ,christ in the heavenly temple1 will come as a thief1 unannounced4 ,our only safety is in yielding heart and life to him now for cleansing1 and accepting from his hand the garments of his own righteousness1 freely offered to every one4 ,what ,comes with ,armageddon ,whatever ambitions or aims may be the impelling motives when the gathering to the great conflict comes1 one thing is certain3 ,armageddon is to bring triumph and world dominion to no earthly power4 ,as the nations gather1 the ,lord intervenes from heaven1 and the history of the kingdoms of this world is closed at last4 ,the prophet tells the sequel to ,armageddon3 ,he gathered them together into a place called in the ,hebrew tongue ,armageddon4 ,and the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air2 and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven1 from the throne1 saying1 ,it is done4 ,and there were voices1 and thunders1 and lightnings2 and there was a great earthquake1 such as was not since men were upon the earth1 so mighty an earthquake1 and so great4 ,and the great city was divided into three parts1 and the cities of the nations fell3 and great ,babylon came in remembrance before ,god1 to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of ,his wrath4 ,and every island fled away1 and the mountains were not found4 ,and there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven1 every stone about the weight of a talent3 and men blasphemed ,god because of the plague of the hail2 for the plague thereof was exceeding great4 ,rev4 #af3af-ba4 ,the fall of the ,turkish power is the prelude to the gathering of the nations to the battle of ,armageddon4 ,and ,armageddon is the prelude to the end of the world and ,christ's glorious coming as ,king of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,the armies gathered to battle for supremacy find themselves suddenly arrayed against the armies of heaven4 ,another prophecy describes the scene when ,christ is revealed3 ,the kings of the earth1 and the great men1 and the rich men1 and the chief captains1 and the mighty men1 and every bondman1 and every free man1 hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains2 and said to the mountains and rocks1 ,fall on us1 and hide us from the face of ,him that sitteth on the throne1 and from the wrath of the ,lamb3 for the great day of ,his wrath is come2 and who shall be able to stand8 ,rev4 #f3ae-ag4 ,again1 as the great searchlight of divine prophecy lights up the way before us1 we see by the course of present-day events that the end is drawing very near4 ,by what sudden turn of affairs the last things to be done in history may be set in motion1 none can foresee4 ,the ,saviour admonishes every soul1 ,therefore be ye also ready3 for in such an hour as ye think not the ,son of man cometh4 ,matt4 #bd3dd4 ,it is for this time of waiting1 especially1 that ,christ spoke the parable of the ten virgins who waited for the bridegroom4 ,all sincerely wanted to meet him2 all expected to be ready4 ,but when the cry was raised1 ,behold1 the bridegroom cometh2 go ye out to meet him6 only five were ready4 ,the others lacked the oil that was to give them light4 ,we know what the oil represents--the genuine heart experience of the grace and love of ,christ4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ten ,,virgins ,they that were ready went in with him to the marriage3 and the door was shut4 ,matt4 #be3aj4 ,those overtaken unready1 hastened away to get oil4 ,and while they went to buy1 the bridegroom came2 and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage3 and the door was shut4 ,matt4 #be3aj4 ,those that were ready went in2 those that were getting ready were too late4 ,how came some to be ready8--,they were ready all the time2 they kept ready4 ,this lesson is for us now4 ,our only safety is in being ready every day1 keeping sins forgiven1 the life surrendered to ,god4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,millennium ,the millennium is the closing period of ,god's great week of time--a great sabbath of rest to the earth and to the people of ,god4 ,it follows the close of the gospel age1 and precedes the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of ,god on earth4 ,it comprehends what in the ,scriptures is frequently spoken of as the day of the ,lord4 ,it is bounded at each end by a resurrection4 ,its beginning is marked by the pouring out of the seven last plagues1 the second coming of ,christ1 the resurrection of the righteous dead1 the binding of ,satan1 and the translation of the saints to heaven2 and its close1 by the descent of the ,new ,jerusalem1 with ,christ and the saints1 from heaven1 the resurrection of the wicked dead1 the loosing of ,satan1 and the final destruction of the wicked4 ,during the one thousand years the earth lies desolate2 ,satan and his angels are confined here2 and the saints1 with ,christ1 sit in judgment on the wicked1 preparatory to their final punishment4 ,the wicked dead are then raised2 ,satan is loosed for a little season1 and he and the host of the wicked encompass the camp of the saints and the holy city1 when fire comes down from ,god out of heaven and devours them4 ,the earth is cleansed by the same fire that destroys the wicked1 and1 renewed1 becomes the eternal abode of the saints4 ,the millennium is one of the ages to come4 ,its close will mark the beginning of the new earth state4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,coming ,,for ,,his ,,own ,they lived and reigned with ,christ a thousand years1 ,rev4 #bj3d4 ,,the ,,millennium ,the word millennium means a thousand years4 ,this definite period is referred to specifically in but one chapter of the ,bible1 the twentieth of ,revelation2 and in that chapter it is spoken of repeatedly4 ,we find it to be3 ,the period during which the saints reign with ,christ in judgment4 ,the period during which ,satan is bound4 ,the measure of time between the two resurrections1 that of the just and that of the unjust4 ,an examination of the scriptures bearing upon the millennium will show3 #a4 ,the events that mark its beginning4 #b4 ,the events that occur during the thousand years4 #c4 ,the events that come at the end of the period4 ,we shall find it clearly taught in these scriptures3 ,that the millennium begins at the second coming of ,christ4 ,that the reign of the saints with ,him in judgment is not on this earth1 but in heaven4 ,that this earth1 void of human inhabitants1 is ,satan's prison house during the thousand years4 ,that at the end of the thousand years the judgment determined is executed upon ,satan and all the wicked4 ,that this earth1 purified by the fires of the last judgment1 and renewed1 becomes the eternal home of the saved4 #a4 ,events at the ,beginning of the ,thousand ,years ,the key to the time is furnished by the declaration that the millennium begins with-- ,the ,resurrection of the ,just ,speaking of the risen saints1 the ,scripture says3 ,they lived and reigned with ,christ a thousand years4 ,but the rest of the dead the wicked lived not again until the thousand years were finished4 ,this is the first resurrection4 ,blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection4 ,rev4 #bj3d-f4 ,there are to be two resurrections4 ,the apostle ,paul said that this was the teaching of all ,scripture3 ,there shall be a resurrection of the dead1 both of the just and unjust4 ,acts #bd3ae4 ,the first resurrection1 that of the just1 marks the beginning of the thousand years4 ,christ's ,second ,coming ,when is this first resurrection1 in the order of events in this day of the ,lord8 ,it is at the second advent of ,christ4 ,one scripture1 out of many1 will suffice to state it3 ,the ,lord ,himself shall descend from heaven with a shout1 with the voice of the ,archangel1 and with the trump of ,god3 and the dead in ,christ shall rise first4 #a ,thess4 #d3af4 ,as the ,saviour comes in glory1 with all the holy angels1 the graves are opened1 and ,his voice awakens ,his children who sleep in the dust4 ,he shall send ,his angels with a great sound of a trumpet1 and they shall gather together ,his elect from the four winds1 from one end of heaven to the other4 ,matt4 #bd3ca4 ,the time of ,christ's second coming1 therefore1 is the beginning of the millennium4 ,the ,righteous ,taken to ,heaven ,the living righteous are translated1 and1 together with the risen saints1 are taken to heaven1 as the apostle says3 ,then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air3 and so shall we ever be with the ,lord4 #a ,thess4 #d3ag4 ,this was the ,saviour's promise3 ,in ,my ,father's house are many mansions4444 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i will come again1 and receive you unto ,myself2 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also4 ,john #ad3b1 #c4 ,the ,destruction of the ,wicked ,at ,christ's second coming the wicked are slain4 ,the unbelieving left without shelter in that day1 cannot endure the presence of such glory as will burst upon the world3 ,the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven with ,his mighty angels1 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not ,god1 and that obey not the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #b ,thess4 #a3g1 #h4 ,the ,binding of ,satan ,with the saints in heaven1 beyond the reach of ,satan's wiles1 and with the wicked dead1 not to live again till the thousand years are finished1 ,satan is bound--confined by divine power to this earth1 which becomes his prison house1 there being neither saint nor sinner upon whom to ply his arts of deception4 ,no prisoner was ever more effectually chained4 ,the symbolical language of the prophet pictures the scene3 ,i saw an angel come down from heaven1 having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand4 ,and he laid hold on the dragon1 that old serpent1 which is the ,devil1 and ,satan1 and bound him a thousand years1 and cast him into the bottomless pit1 and shut him up1 and set a seal upon him1 that he should deceive the nations no more1 till the thousand years should be fulfilled3 and after that he must be loosed a little season4 ,rev4 #bj3a-c4 ,these are the events that mark the beginning of the thousand years3 ,christ's second coming1 the resurrection of the just1 the ascent of all the redeemed to the city of ,god1 the death of the wicked1 and1 in consequence1 the binding of ,satan4 #b4 ,events ,during the ,thousand ,years ,in ,heaven ,scene after scene of glory is spread before us in the visions the prophets were given of the redeemed in the city of ,god4 ,the prophet ,john says3 ,after this ,i beheld1 and1 lo1 a great multitude1 which no man could number1 of all nations1 and kindreds1 and people1 and tongues1 stood before the throne1 and before the ,lamb1 clothed with white robes1 and palms in their hands4444 ,therefore are they before the throne of ,god1 and serve ,him day and night in ,his temple4 ,rev4 #g3i-ae4 ,they serve in the temple of the ,lord1 the prophet says2 while the poet sings3 ,whence came the armies of the sky1 ,john saw in vision bright8 ,whence came their crowns1 their robes1 their palms1 ,too pure for mortal sight8 ,from desert waste1 and cities full1 ,from dungeons dark1 they've come1 ,and now they claim their mansion fair1 ,they've found their long-sought home4 ,one service in which the saved have part during the thousand years is the work of judgment that still remains1 preparatory to the final visitation of sin and the destruction of ,satan and all his works4 ,the prophet saw this work going forward in the heavenly courts1 the redeemed associated with ,christ in the service3 ,i saw thrones1 and they sat upon them1 and judgment was given unto them3 and ,i saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of ,jesus1 and for the word of ,god1 and which had not worshiped the beast1 neither his image1 neither had received his mark upon their foreheads1 or in their hands2 and they lived and reigned with ,christ a thousand years4 ,rev4 #bj3d4 ,it was to this work of judging the wicked and the evil angels1 that the apostle ,paul referred in the counsel to the ,corinthians3 ,do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world8444 ,know ye not that we shall judge angels8 #a ,cor4 #f3b1 #c4 ,on ,earth ,while in heaven above the saved are with ,christ and the holy angels before the throne1 and follow the ,lamb whithersoever ,he goeth1 it is to be remembered that on earth all is desolation and emptiness4 ,the wicked have been slain by the glory of ,christ's coming4 ,by the quaking of the earth the cities of the nations have fallen in ruin1 islands have been removed1 and mountains cast into the depths of the sea4 ,the condition of the earth during this time of desolation is thus described by the prophet3 ,i beheld the earth1 and1 lo1 it was without form1 and void2 and the heavens1 and they had no light4 ,i beheld the mountains1 and1 lo1 they trembled1 and all the hills moved lightly4 ,i beheld1 and1 lo1 there was no man1 and all the birds of the heavens were fled4 ,i beheld1 and1 lo1 the fruitful place was a wilderness1 and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the ,lord1 and by ,his fierce anger4 ,jer4 #d3bc-bf4 ,without form1 and void1 said the prophet4 ,this is the same phrase that is used in the opening verses of ,genesis to describe the chaotic state of the earth in the beginning4 ,at the beginning of creation week the earth was in a state of emptiness and chaos--an abyss1 as it is called in the ,greek translation of ,genesis4 ,again1 during this thousand-year period1 the earth is an abyss1 or a desolate waste4 ,abyss is the meaning of the word translated bottomless pit in the text telling of the binding of ,satan by the mighty angel of ,god3 ,he laid hold on the dragon1 that old serpent1 which is the ,devil1 and ,satan1 and bound him a thousand years1 and cast him into the bottomless pit4 ,rev4 #bj3b1 #c4 ,the ,revised ,version says1 ,and cast him into the abyss4 ,confined to this pit or abyss of desolation1 as a prisoner in a prison house1 with none to tempt1 the author of sin has a thousand years in which to view the ruin that sin has wrought in the earth that once left its ,maker's hand beautiful and perfect1 unmarred by any curse4 #c4 ,events at the ,end of the ,thousand ,years ,at the end of the millennium1 this earth becomes the scene of events that close the great controversy between ,christ and ,satan4 ,the ,descent of the ,holy ,city ,the judgment work in heaven having been accomplished1 the hour has come for the execution of the judgment upon sin and sinners4 ,the holy city comes down out of heaven4 ,the prophet saw its descent in vision3 ,i ,john saw the holy city1 ,new ,jerusalem1 coming down from ,god out of heaven4 ,rev4 #ba3b4 ,the ,loosing of ,satan ,when the thousand years are expired1 ,satan shall be loosed out of his prison1 and shall go out to deceive the nations4 ,rev4 #bj3g1 #h4 ,with all the wicked destroyed by the glory of ,christ's second coming1 ,satan had been effectually bound2 but now1 as the city descends1 the voice of ,christ calls forth the wicked dead1 and ,satan is thus loosed1 and assumes control again of those who have chosen him as their master4 ,it is the time of which the ,scripture speaks3 ,the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished4 ,verse #e4 ,the prophet saw the hosts of the lost called forth4 ,the sea gave up the dead which were in it2 and death and hell the grave1 margin delivered up the dead which were in them4 ,verse #ac4 ,thus ,satan's subjects come forth to the last judgment4 ,the resurrection of the wicked of all the ages is the loosing of ,satan4 ,here again is his kingdom1 and again he plies his deceptions and takes up anew his fight against ,god4 ,how very natural that ,satan should persuade the wicked that he has raised them to life1 that his word in the beginning was true1 ,ye shall not surely die6 ,if they are immortal1 why may they not yet prevail against ,god8 ,satan rallies his angels and the hosts of the wicked1 in numbers as the sand of the sea1 to make an attack upon the city of ,god4 ,how vast the concourse6 not in number more ,the waves that break on the resounding shore1 ,the leaves that tremble in the shady grove1 ,the lamps that gild the spangled vaults above2 ,those overwhelming armies1 whose command ,said to one empire1 ,fall2 another1 ,stand2 ,whose rear lay wrap't in night1 while breaking dawn ,rous'd the broad front1 and called the battle on2 ,great ,xerxes' world in arms1 proud ,cannae's field1 ,where ,carthage taught victorious ,rome to yield1 ,immortal ,blenheim1 fam'd ,ramillia's host2-- ,they all are here1 and here they all are lost2 ,their millions swell1 to be discerned in vain1 ,lost as a billow in th' unbounded main4 --,edward ,young's ,last ,day4 ,they went up on the breadth of the earth1 and compassed the camp of the saints about1 and the beloved city4 ,verse #i4 ,the ,wicked ,before the ,bar of ,god ,but as the hosts of evil compass the city1 they are halted by the glory and majesty of the ,redeemer's presence1 enthroned as eternal victor over sin4 ,just here must apply the prophet's words3 ,i saw a great white throne1 and ,him that sat on it1 from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away2 and there was found no place for them4 ,and ,i saw the dead1 small and great1 stand before ,god2 and the books were opened3 and another book was opened1 which is the book of life3 and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books1 according to their works4 ,rev4 #bj3aa1 #ab4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,holy ,,city ,,descends ,behold1 the tabernacle of ,god is with men4 ,rev #ba3c4 ,during the thousand years the records in heaven have been reviewed1 and the degrees of guilt established4 ,now the judgment is to be pronounced and executed4 ,but first the record of the books and the eternal righteousness of ,god's holy law are flashed by divine power upon the consciences of all the lost--their conscience also bearing witness 7,rom4 #b3ae7 that they are without excuse4 ,the ,destruction of ,sin ,sin is now to be blotted from the universe of ,god2 and those who have chosen to be identified with sin perish with it4 ,all that ,infinite ,love can do has been done in the gift of ,christ to save men from the transgression of the holy law of ,god4 ,that salvation rejected1 there is nothing remaining that heaven can offer4 ,there is no further sacrifice that can be made4 ,there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins4 ,heb4 #aj3bf4 ,then follows the last scene in the conflict with evil3 ,they went up on the breadth of the earth1 and compassed the camp of the saints about1 and the beloved city3 and fire came down from ,god out of heaven1 and devoured them4 ,and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire4444 ,and death and hell the grave were cast into the lake of fire4 ,this is the second death4 ,rev4 #bj3i-ad4 ,the second death ends sin and the author of sin1 and death itself4 ,the controversy is ended4 ,christ's death has purged sin from the universe of ,god4 ,the ,earth ,purified and ,made ,new ,the fires that consume the wicked melt the earth and purify it from all trace of the curse4 ,it is the day of which ,peter wrote3 ,wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat4 ,but after this cleansing of every element of this sin-cursed earth1 the promise of ,god will be fulfilled in the earth made new1 as the eternal home of the saved4 ,as ,peter says1 after telling of the day of burning1 ,nevertheless we1 according to ,his promise1 look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 #b ,peter #c3ab1 #ac4 ,o sweet and blessed country1 ,the home of ,god's elect6 ,o sweet and blessed country1 ,that eager hearts expect6 ,jesus1 in mercy bring us ,to that dear land of rest2 ,who art1 with ,god the ,father1 ,and ,spirit1 ever blest4 ,illustration3 ,,moses ,,viewing ,,the ,,promised ,,land ,blessed are the meek3 for they shall inherit the earth4 ,matt4 #e3e4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,spies' ,,return ,the land1 which we passed through to search it1 is an exceeding good land4 ,num4 #ad3g4 ,,the ,,home ,,of ,,the ,,saved ,the ,land of ,peace ,the ,bible opens with a new heaven and a new earth1 perfect from the ,creator's hand2 with man sinless and having access to the tree of life in the midst of the ,eden paradise1 out of which flowed a river that spread its life-giving waters through the earth4 ,the ,bible closes with a new heaven and a new earth2 with man upright and sinless1 having right to the tree of life growing in the midst of ,eden2 with the river of life flowing out from the garden of ,god1 clear as crystal4 ,between the two scenes spreads out the panorama of six thousand years of conflict with sin4 ,it is a story of the fall of man1 of the loss of his ,eden home1 of the curse that marred the earth1 of sin and sorrow and death overspreading all4 ,the ,restorer ,but from the hour when the shadow of sin fell upon the earth1 there has been a light shining in the darkness4 ,amid the ruin that sin had wrought1 there appeared the great ,restorer4 ,the inspired record gives a word-picture of ,jesus taking man's place to win back the lost dominion3 ,unto the angels hath ,he not put in subjection the world to come1 whereof we speak4 ,but one in a certain place testified1 saying1 ,what is man1 that ,thou art mindful of him8 or the son of man1 that ,thou visitest him8 ,thou madest him a little lower than the angels2 ,thou crownedst him with glory and honor1 and didst set him over the works of ,thy hands3 ,thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet4 ,for in that ,he put all in subjection under ,him1 ,he left nothing that is not put under ,him4 ,but now we see not yet all things put under him4 ,but we see ,jesus4 ,heb4 #b3e-i4 ,just where ,adam fell and lost his dominion over the earth1 we see ,jesus1 the second ,adam1 taking man's place and winning back the lost inheritance4 ,that is why the picture of the new earth and man's sinless state depicted in the first two chapters of the ,bible is repeated in the last two chapters with even greater fulness of glory4 ,god's original plan and purpose will be carried out1 and this earth1 renewed1 will be the eternal home of sinless men and women1 redeemed by grace4 ,sin will be found not to have frustrated1 but only to have delayed1 the purpose of ,god4 ,and what is six thousand years in working out the divine plan8 ,in our brief span we may divide human history into ancient1 medieval1 and modern2 but in heaven's life a thousand years are but as a watch in the night2 and these six watches are to heaven but as one night of grief and of loving ministry in rescuing the lost4 ,it has cost all that heaven had to give4 ,but the infinite ,gift was made1 and all heaven has wrought at the work4 ,of the angels it is written1 ,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,heb4 #a3ad4 ,bringing ,back the ,lost ,dominion ,of all the worlds that shine in the heavens1 declaring the glory of ,god1 this earth is the one that was lost4 ,its light went out in darkness4 ,it wandered from the fold of ,god's perfect creation4 ,then the divine ,shepherd came to find it and bring it back4 ,and the angels that rejoiced when they saw this earth created1--when the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy1--will again rejoice as the ,lord brings back ,his own1--this earth1 redeemed from the curse1 shining in the bright universe again with the perfection of the glory of ,god4 ,christ not only redeems lost men1 but ,he is to redeem this lost earth4 ,the ,son of man1 ,he said1 is come to seek and to save that which was lost4 ,luke #ai3aj4 ,by sinning1 man lost not only his righteousness and his life1 but his dominion as well4 ,originally man had dominion over all the earth4 ,gen4 #a3bf4 ,as the psalmist says1 ,thou madest him to have dominion over the works of ,thy hands4 ,ps4 #h3f4 ,he was prince and ruler of the earth4 ,but when he yielded to ,satan's temptation1 he yielded up that dominion to the enemy1 thus placing himself in the power of his foe4 ,satan thus became the prince of this world1 exercising the dominion wrested from man4 ,but through ,christ1 this dominion is to be restored4 ,the prophet of old said3 ,thou1 ,o tower of the flock1 the stronghold of the daughter of ,zion1 unto thee shall it come1 even the first dominion2 the kingdom shall come to the daughter of ,jerusalem4 ,micah #d3h4 ,the ,hope of the ,promise ,the promise of the gospel of salvation is the promise not only of life eternal through faith1 but of an eternal inheritance in the earth made new1 the fulfilment of the ,creator's plan when ,he made this world to be the home of man4 ,this was the star of hope that shone before ,adam and ,eve as they stepped forth from ,eden into a dying world4 ,it was the promise to ,abraham1 the promise1 that he should be the heir of the world4 ,rom4 #d3ac4 ,it was not the promise of the world in its present state4 ,for the ,lord gave ,abraham none inheritance in it1 no1 not so much as to set his foot on4 ,acts #g3e4 ,abraham himself did not look for the promise to be fulfilled in this sinful earth1 but in the earth made new1 redeemed from sin4 ,the ,scripture says of his hope3 ,by faith he sojourned in the land of promise1 as in a strange country3 444 for he looked for a city which hath foundations1 whose builder and maker is ,god4 ,heb4 #aa3i1 #aj4 ,it was in the new earth and the ,new ,jerusalem that ,abraham1 the father of the faithful1 expected to receive the eternal inheritance promised to him and to his seed4 ,and there all the faithful will find their inheritance4 ,if ye be ,christ's1 then are ye ,abraham's seed1 and heirs according to the promise4 ,gal4 #c3bi4 ,the psalmist said1 ,the meek shall inherit the earth4 ,ps4 #cg3aa4 ,christ repeated it3 ,blessed are the meek3 for they shall inherit the earth4 ,matt4 #e3e4 ,the ,new ,earth and the ,new ,jerusalem ,through the prophet ,isaiah the ,lord described the re-creation of this earth to be the home of the saved3 ,behold1 ,i create a new heavens and a new earth3 and the former shall not be remembered1 nor come into mind4 ,but be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which ,i create3 for1 behold1 ,i create ,jerusalem a rejoicing1 and her people a joy4 ,and ,i will rejoice in ,jerusalem1 and joy in ,my people3 and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her1 nor the voice of crying4 ,isa4 #fe3ag-ai4 ,it is not of old ,jerusalem that the prophet is speaking1 but of the ,new ,jerusalem1 which ,john saw coming down1 with the saints1 from ,god out of heaven4 ,he saw it descending upon the earth at the end of the thousand years1 and saw the wicked come forth from their graves to judgment4 ,then he saw the fires of the last day falling upon the lost1 consuming sin and sinners1 and purifying the earth itself from every trace of the curse4 ,it is the day of which ,peter wrote1 ,wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat4 ,but he adds1 ,nevertheless we1 according to ,his promise1 look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 #b ,peter #c3ab1 #ac4 ,out from the dissolved elements of the earth and the atmospheric heavens the ,creator's power again calls forth new heavens and a new earth1 the old creation cleansed and renewed in the perfection of the original ,eden paradise4 ,it is coming2 for ,john saw it in vision4 ,i saw1 he says1 a new heaven and a new earth3 for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away4 ,rev4 #ba3a4 ,he saw the city which had come down from heaven--those mansions that ,christ is now gone to prepare--the ,new ,jerusalem1 the holy capital of the eternal kingdom of the saints1 where ,christ's own throne is set4 ,i heard a great voice out of heaven saying1 ,behold1 the tabernacle of ,god is with men1 and ,he will dwell with them1 and they shall be ,his people1 and ,god ,himself shall be with them1 and be their ,god4 ,and ,god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes2 and there shall be no more death1 neither sorrow1 nor crying1 neither shall there be any more pain3 for the former things are passed away4 ,and ,he that sat upon the throne said1 ,behold1 ,i make all things new4 ,and ,he said unto me1 ,write3 for these words are true and faithful4 ,rev4 #ba3c-e4 ,it passes comprehension2 but it is true4 ,and the life of the saved in their eternal inheritance will be just as real as is life upon this present earth4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,saints' ,,eternal ,,home ,i saw a new heaven and a new earth3 for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away4 ,rev4 #ba3a4 ,they shall build houses1 and inhabit them2 and they shall plant vineyards1 and eat the fruit of them4 ,the wolf and the lamb shall feed together1 and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock3 and dust shall be the serpent's meat4 ,they shall not hurt nor destroy in all ,my holy mountain1 saith the ,lord4 ,isa4 #fe3ba1 #be4 ,the whole earth will be as the ,eden paradise planted by ,god in the beginning4 ,and from week to week and from month to month the saved will gather to worship before the glorious throne in the holy city4 ,as the new heavens and the new earth1 which ,i will make1 shall remain before ,me1 saith the ,lord1 so shall your seed and your name remain4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that from one new moon to another1 and from one ,sabbath to another1 shall all flesh come to worship before ,me1 saith the ,lord4 ,isa4 #ff3bb1 #bc4 ,the ,glories of the ,saints' ,eternal ,home ,as the first two chapters of the ,bible tell of earth's original perfection1 so the last two chapters constitute one psalm of ecstasy over the indescribable glories of the earth made new1 with its city of light1 the walls of jasper1 the gates of pearl1 the river of life flowing from the throne of the ,lamb1 clear as crystal1 with the widespreading tree of life on either side of the river4 ,and supreme above all1 ,jesus ,himself1 the ,king in ,his beauty1 without whom there would be no glory even in that city foursquare2 for the glory of ,god did lighten it1 and the ,lamb is the light thereof4 ,oh1 heaven without my ,saviour ,would be no heaven to me2 ,dim were the walls of jasper1 ,rayless the crystal sea6 ,he gilds earth's darkest valleys ,with light and joy and peace2 ,then what must be the radiance ,where sin and death shall cease8 ,next to the loveliness and grace of ,christ our ,saviour1 the glories of this world to come have inspired the sweetest hymns of hope for longing hearts4 ,how often has the spirit been lifted above earth's trials as we have sung1 ,o that home of the soul6 in my visions and dreams ,its bright1 jasper walls ,i can see ,till ,i fancy but thinly the veil intervenes ,between the fair city and me4 ,that unchangeable home is for you and for me1 ,where ,jesus of ,nazareth stands2 ,the ,king of all kingdoms forever is ,he1 ,and ,he holdeth our crowns in ,his hands4 ,o how sweet it will be in that beautiful land1 ,so free from all sorrow and pain1 ,with songs on our lips and with harps in our hands1 ,to meet one another again6 ,but as it is written1 ,eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 neither have entered into the heart of man1 the things which ,god hath prepared for them that love ,him4 ,through the ages1 the children of the promise have been journeying toward the city which hath foundations1 whose builder and maker is ,god1 and they have confessed themselves pilgrims and strangers in this present world4 ,as they have followed the way of righteousness1--oftentimes a thorny path1--it has been with the shining city ever before their vision4 ,as they have fallen in death1 it has been with closing eyes fixed upon that day when ,christ shall come to take ,his people to the ,new ,jerusalem preparing above ,the ,lamb there in ,his beauty ,without a veil is seen4 ,it were a well-spent journey ,though seven deaths lay between4 ,now earth's course is nearly run4 ,it is but a little way to the holy city1 where the water of life flows clear as crystal from the midst of the throne4 ,the water of life is really there2 for the ,lord showed it to the prophet ,john in vision1 that he might tell us that he saw it4 ,i ,john saw the holy city1 he says1 and he showed me a pure river of water of life1 clear as crystal4 ,rev4 #ba3b2 #bb3a4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,master ,,at ,,the ,,door ,behold1 ,i stand at the door1 and knock3 if any man hear ,my voice1 and open the door1 ,i will come in to him1 and will sup with him1 and he with ,me4 ,rev #c3bj4 ,christ invites every one to share the eternal inheritance1 giving assurance of ,his power to save to the uttermost all that come unto ,god by ,him4 ,he is knocking at the door of every heart1 asking admittance1 in order that ,he may take away all sin1 and prepare the soul for the heavenly home4 ,and the glories of the holy city invite us to come3 ,the ,spirit and the bride say1 ,come4 ,and let him that heareth say1 ,come4 ,and let him that is athirst come4 ,and whosoever will1 let him take the water of life freely4 ,rev4 #bb3ag4 ,he which testifieth these things saith1 ,surely ,i come quickly4 ,amen4 ,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus4 ,illustration3 ,,eventide ,home to the fold4 ,,index ,,of ,,subjects ,,and ,,authorities ,abraham1 parable of rich man and ,lazarus1 #bhd ,abridgment of ,christian ,doctrine1 on change of ,sabbath1 #aef ,adolphus1 on study of prophecy1 #cje ,advent message1 ,bates as advocate of1 #bdd ,advent movement1 extent of1 ,brock on1 #bda ,advent movement of #ahdd1 #bdj ,a,eschylus1 on ,medo-,persia1 #aba ,a,eschylus1 on ,xerxes' host1 #cbc ,alexander1 conquests of1 ,plutarch on1 #aba1 #abb ,alexander1 dominion of1 ,rawlinson on1 #cbd1 #cbe ,alexander1 empire of1 ,appian on1 #abb ,alexander1 first king of ,greece1 #bjg ,alexander1 greatness of1 ,arrian on1 #dd ,alexander1 ,justin on1 #bjg ,alexander1 ,lucan on1 #de ,alexandra1 ,queen1 on preparations for war1 #cci ,alexandria1 library at1 sacred books of ,jews in1 #ahg ,angels attending throne of ,god1 #bif ,angels1 ,god's messengers1 #big ,angels1 guardian1 #cjj ,angels in kingly courts1 #bii ,angels1 messengers of deliverance1 #cjj ,angels1 their ministry1 #bie-cja ,antitypical day of atonement1 #bcg1 #bdj1 #bda ,apollonius1 description of ,babylon by1 #cc ,apostasy in last days1 ,daniel #h1 #bdh ,appearing of ,christ1 #ei ,appian1 on ,alexander's empire1 #abb ,arian kingdoms plucked up1 #abi ,arian powers uprooted by ,belisarius1 #acd ,armageddon1 ,contemporary ,review on1 #cci ,armageddon1 ,everybody's ,magazine on1 #cci ,armageddon1 final clash of empires1 #ccg-cdi ,armageddon1 foretold in prophecy1 #cdf1 #cdg ,armageddon1 ,lord ,rosebery on1 #cci ,armageddon1 or ,mt4 ,megiddo1 ,carmack1 on #cdd ,armageddon1 prelude to1 #cdc ,armageddon1 sequel of1 #cdg1 #cdh ,arming of the nations1 #ajf1 #ajg ,arrian1 on ,alexander's greatness1 #dd ,artaxerxes1 date of decree to rebuild ,jerusalem1 #bbc ,artaxerxes1 date of reign of1 #bbe-bbg ,astronomy1 ,chambers1 on falling stars1 #aja ,atonement1 antitypical day of1 #bcg1 #bdj1 #bda ,avebury1 ,lord1 on war1 #aab ,babylon1 description of1 by ,apollonius1 #cc1 #cd ,babylon1 desolation of1 #ca-ce ,babylon1 desolation of1 ,layard on1 #ce ,babylon1 ,encyclopedia of ,islam on1 #ce ,babylon in prophecy and history1 #aai1 #abj ,babylon1 prophecy concerning1 #ci-da ,babylon1 prophecy of1 confirmed by history1 #da-dc ,babylon1 ,strabo on1 #cd ,bacon1 ,francis1 on increase of knowledge1 #cjf1 #cjg ,ball1 ,sir ,robert1 on falling stars1 #ajj ,bampfield1 died in prison for ,sabbath keeping1 #agi ,baptism1 conditions necessary to1 #aii1 #bjj ,baptism for believers1 #bjj ,baptism1 form of1 #bjj-bjc ,baptism1 manner of1 ,dean ,stanley on1 #bjb ,baptism1 manner of1 ,neander on1 #bja ,baptism1 manner of1 ,pullus on1 #bjb ,baptism1 meaning of word1 ,calvin on1 #bja ,baptism1 meaning of word1 ,luther on1 #bja ,baptism1 memorial of resurrection1 #aii-bjc ,baptism of infants1 ,dean ,stanley on1 #bjb ,baptism of ,jesus1 time of1 #bcj1 #bca ,baptists1 ,sabbatarian1 #agi ,baptists1 ,seventh ,day1 in ,america1 #agi1 #ahj ,barnes1 ,dr4 ,albert1 on division of ,grecia1 #abb ,bates1 as a ,sabbath keeper1 #bdd ,baudrillart1 on papal persecution1 #aea ,beast1 the fourth1 of ,daniel #g1 #abf-abi ,beasts1 empires represented by1 #aah ,belisarius1 ,arian powers uprooted by1 #acd ,bellarmine1 on great words of little horn1 #adg ,bemont and ,monod1 ,medieval ,europe1 #acg ,bengelius1 on judgment-hour warning1 #bdi ,berosus1 on exploits of ,nebuchadnezzar1 #abj ,berthier enters ,rome1 ,rickaby on1 #ada ,besant1 ,mrs4 ,annie1 on spiritualism of the ,east1 #bgc ,bible1 agency in the new birth1 #ae1 #ag ,bible and tradition1 #bea1 #beb ,bible1 ,christ the central theme of1 #bc ,bible1 ,dr4 ,harris on1 #bj1 #ba ,bible1 ,erasmus on1 #ba ,bible for all mankind1 #ba ,bible1 given to the world1 ,faber on1 #cjh ,bible1 ,god its author1 #ad ,bible1 language of1 ,van ,dyke on1 #ba1 #bb ,bible1 our safety and defense1 #ah ,bible societies1 organization of1 #cjh ,bible1 source of all doctrine1 #bj ,bible1 speaks to our day1 #ac ,bible1 ,spurgeon on authorship of1 #ad ,bible1 ,spurgeon's experience with1 #ad ,bible1 the book that talks1 #ac ,bible1 the bread of life1 #ah ,bible1 the ,christian's shield1 #ah ,bible1 the living word1 #ae ,bible1 the word that creates1 #ae ,bible1 the word that works within1 #ag ,biddolf1 on lessons from ,lisbon earthquake1 #hb ,bishop of ,rome as head of church1 ,justinian on1 #acc ,blunt1 on doom of ,turks1 #ccc ,bogue1 on persecution for ,sabbath keeping1 #agh1 #agi ,bonar's hymn1 on state of dead1 #bhb ,bower1 on ,sabbath observance1 #agd ,bread of life1 ,bible as the1 #ah ,brerewood1 on ,sabbath in first centuries1 #agc ,britten1 ,mrs4 ,emma1 on ,spiritualism1 #bfi ,brock1 on extent of the advent movement1 #bda ,bruce1 on desolation of ,tyre1 #ca ,bury1 on achievements of ,justinian1 #acb ,calamy1 on ,bampfield as a ,sabbatarian1 #agi ,calvin1 on meaning of word baptism1 #bja ,canon1 ,ptolemy's1 ,lindsay on1 #bbe ,carmack1 on ,armageddon1 or ,mt4 ,megiddo1 #cdd ,chambers1 ,dr41 on ,sabbath in ,england1 #agg ,chambers1 on falling stars1 #aja ,change of ,sabbath1 #aec-afg ,charles ,i1 on ,sabbath observance1 #agg ,china open to the gospel1 #cji ,christ and ,satan1 controversy between1 #beg-bfc ,christ1 central theme of ,bible1 #bc ,christ1 closing work of1 in heaven1 #baf ,christ1 death of1 #bca ,christ1 glorious appearing of1 #ei ,christ1 lost dominion redeemed by1 #cfc ,christ1 second coming of1 #ea-fc1 #ceb ,christ1 the restorer1 #cfb ,christian work of ,countess of ,huntingdon1 #fc ,christs1 false1 #gd ,church ,missionary ,review1 on war a sign of end1 #cdc ,clarke1 ,dr4 ,adam1 on living soul1 #bhc ,cleansing of the sanctuary1 #baa1 #bac-bag ,clerke1 on glory of falling stars1 #aja1 #ajb ,clerke1 on star shower of #ahcc1 #id1 #ie ,coming of ,christ at the door1 #aae ,coming of ,christ1 beginning of signs of1 #ge-gg ,coming of ,christ1 love of pleasure a sign of1 #aji ,coming of ,christ1 manner of1 #ec-ee ,coming of ,christ1 political unrest a sign of1 #ajf ,coming of ,christ1 prelude to1 #ei ,coming of ,christ1 promise of1 #eb ,coming of ,christ1 purpose of1 #ef1 #eg ,coming of ,christ1 signs of1 #gd1 #ge ,coming of 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