AUTHOR’S
PREFACE
In presenting this book with its great message of certainty
for the Christian and challenge to those who know not Christ, I would like to
acknowledge with gratitude the tremendous influence of my parents and especially
my father, whose poems I quote frequently herein. It was they who taught me the way of
salvation and encouraged me to study Bible prophecy, and since my early teens
this subject has enthralled me.
I would also express my appreciation to The Zondervan Corporation, The Bethany Fellowship, The Sword of
the Lord Publishers, and various other copyright holders for permitting me to
quote some of their material.
* * *
CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S PREFACE – Page 5
INTRODUCTION – Page 7
CHAPTER 1 THE JEWISH
SIGN - Page9
CHAPTER 2 THE INTERNATIONAL SIGN – Page 18
CHAPTER 3 THE RUSSIAN SIGN – Page 25
CHAPTER 4 THE EUROPEAN SIGN – Page 32
CHAPTER 5 THE ECUMENICAL SIGN - Page 40
CHAPTER 6 THE NUCLEAR SIGN - Page 48
CHAPTER 7 THE SATANIC SIGN – Page 54
CHAPTER 8 THE ECONOMIC SIGN – Page 61
CHAPTER 9 THE BEAST SIGN – Page 67
CHAPTER 10 THE SPACE
SIGN – Page 74
CHAPTER 11 THE TECHNOLOGICAL
SIGN – Page 78
CHAPTER 12 THE MILLENNIAL SIGN – Page 82
CHAPTER 13 A SOLEMN WARNING – Page 89
* *
*
INTRODUCTION
[Page 7]
Signs of the near return of the Lord Jesus Christ abound today
on every hand. We live in times that are
difficult, yet they are times which are thrilling and exciting! For the true Christian, the realisation that
our Saviour’s return or His Own is at hand makes the prospect glorious and on
the other hand, the outlook for those who have not been redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ is gloomy and foreboding. They face the Great Tribulation and finally a
lost eternity.
The signs of the times are apparent. We live in the last days - if not the last
moments - of the Age of Grace. This
period of time has lasted for nearly two thousand years. It has been the dispensation during which the
Church has been formed and built up. It
will finish when the trumpet sounds and all born-again believers are caught up
to meet the Lord in the air.* Oh that people would repent of their
sins and accept Christ as their Saviour NOW - while they have the opportunity!
[* See ‘Selected Quotations,’ - Numbers, 3, 9,
11, 286, 331, 434 and 609.]
The signs of the Saviour’s return constantly multiply. In the pages that follow we shall consider
certain signs which deal with certain aspects of the Lord’s return. There are many other signs which space
prevents us from considering.
* *
*
CHAPTER
1
THE JEWISH SIGN [Pages 9-17]
One of the greatest signs that the
Saviour’s return is near is the Jew!
A. THE SCATTERING OF
After the Jewish nation’s dispersal in A.D.70 when Titus the
Roman commander captured
Today, the Jew is a sign!
Dr. M. R. DeHaan says: “First and foremost among the signs of the
Lord’s return is the miraculous restoration of the Israelite nation in the
ancient
The Scattering of Israel is Biblical. It was foretold in Scripture in chapters such
as Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy
28, 29 and 30. But, the restoration of
Years ago, Rev. E. L.
Langston wrote: “God in His Word has predicted
that in the last days certain things must happen to
B.
THE SALVATION OF
Today many in
It is manifest today that the Lord is on the side of the Jews. In each conflict with the Arabs since 1948
they have been victorious - despite being heavily outnumbered by armies with
vast amounts of modern equipment. In 1967 there was the Six-Day War and
The so-called “problem”
regarding the Arab-Israeli dispute will continue until the Antichrist makes his
treaty with
God’s dealings with His earthly people resume, in proper, AFTER the Rapture of the Church.* Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost has stated: “God today is calling out from among both Jew and Gentile a
people for His name (Acts 15: 14). God will not move
toward the fulfilment of these prophecies for
[* See ‘Selected Quotations,’ - Number 67.]
Yes, indeed, the Jewish sign is an important one! Christ
is coming to reign for a thousand years on the throne of David at Jerusalem.*
But, first, He must come for His Bride - the Church,** which consists of every born-again soul since the
Day of Pentecost when the Church was born.
The Bible says “The night is far spent, the
day is at hand” (Romans 13: 12).
It also says “The coming of the Lord
draweth nigh” (James 5: 8).
[* For the Millennium, see ‘Selective
Quotations,’ Number 397, 452. ** For the ‘Church,’- Number 75.]
Dr. Charles G. Trumbull, writing of the Jewish sign, says: “Christ is the theme of the Bible. Prophecy, centering about Christ, is the
dominant note of the Bible. The Second
Coming of Christ - being His personal, visible, bodily return to establish His
Kingdom on earth and to reign over Israel and the world for a thousand years,
after which will come ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (Revelation 21: 1) - is the goal, climax and consummation of
Bible prophecy. As we study God’s greatest
sign, the Jew, let us remember that
Dr. John F. Walvoord, who is not only a great scholar but is also an authority on
prophecy, states: “The deliverance of ‘all
Yes,
C.
THE SYMBOLS OF
Three different plants are used in Scripture as Symbols of
Israel. These are the Vine, the Fig Tree and the Olive Tree.
It is interesting to note that the Vine is
symbolic of
The Fig Tree is a symbol
of
Again quoting Dr.
Trumbull, he says: “The return of the Lord and
King is the great hope both of the Church and of
In 1917 when General Allenby captured
The other symbol is that of the Olive Tree. This
is one of the most fruitful and useful of all trees. Olive oil was used in Bible times for
lighting the home and for the healing of wounds. It was used for the anointing of kings and
prophets. It has refreshing as well as
healing properties. [Page 15] The wood of the Olive Tree was used
for making furniture for the
“The Fig Tree
now is budding,
And
Acclaimed now as a nation,
Not just a scattered race.
The ‘Gentile Times’ are
ending,
Full many signs this say;
The shout - the archangel’s
summons
Perhaps may sound today!”
J. Danson Smith.
D.
THE SOVEREIGN OF
The Sovereign of Israel will be none other than her rejected
King of long ago - the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Bible makes it clear that this ancient people who once cried “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” will crown Him King. He will be their Sovereign!
The Scriptures are being read and studied today in the
Dr. Oswald J. Smith of
Hearts are being prepared for the
coming of Christ as King.
The Bible tells us that the Throne of David shall never be
destroyed (Luke 1: 31-33). The Lord Jesus Christ is to reign as
[* Keep in mind: The Bride is
taken out from amongst the family of the redeemed, (Gen. Ch. 24.).
See ‘Selected Quotations,’ - Number 461.]
George D. Beckwith, in his book God’s Prophetic Plan
writes: “In the Kingdom Age the Jews will possess
their land. They will build the temple,
and sacrifices will be offered again.
The government will be set up. The ‘Sheep nations’ of the earth will be blessed through
[* See ‘Selected Quotations’, -
Numbers 457 and 580.]
As Sovereign of Israel Christ will be
supreme. He will not only
make the Jewish people a blessing, but He will bring peace to a warring world, and
He will restore order out of chaos. Dr. S. Franklin Logsdon has said: “He must come back to the scene where the world at large
thinks He was abjectly defeated. He must come back to the place where He was
rejected in order to be acclaimed. He [page 17] must come back to the realm which is now dominated by Satan
in order to bind the ‘strong man’ who has deceived the nations. He must come back to the scene where man has
so miserably failed in governmental policies and procedures in order to reign
supreme! And when He comes, it will be
in power and great glory.”
The Sovereign of Israel is indeed coming. But, before then, He will come for His
Church. This presents the Christian with
a challenge to live in a manner that is worthy.
Those outside of Christ are still in the Day of Grace, and can repent of
their sin and be saved.
The Day is at hand of most wonderful
glory;
The night of Earth’s darkness is now
almost past;
The Saviour is coming! Oh, rapturous
story!
Soon now shall have dawned the glad
day that shall last.
The signs are abundant: the Scriptures
foretold them -
Grave, perilous times have assuredly
come:
And weapons most awesome (great
nations now hold them)
Strike terror in hearts o’er their
possible doom.
But Christians - we look for the
Saviour from Heaven!
How blessed the hope grows as midnight
draws near!
We cannot be blind to the growth of the leaven
But - looking for Him - will protect
us from fear.”
J. Danson Smith.
The Jew is indeed a tremendous sign!
* *
*
CHAPTER 2 [Pages 18-24]
THE INTERNATIONAL SIGN
In the Bible we are told in Matthew chapter 24, in Mark
chapter 13 and in Luke chapter 21
that “nation
shall rise against nation”. This is a sign of the last
days. We are also told by the Lord Jesus
Christ: “Behold
the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of
your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand” (Luke 21: 29, 30). This reference to “all the trees” is surely pointing to the “budding” and “shooting forth” of a vast
number of new nations. This very
thing has happened in recent times.
Since the close of World War Two the former
So, there is an International Sign
which is quite significant.
A.
POLITICAL TURMOIL
In Luke chapter 21 verse 25
we read that “There
shall be ... upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea
and the waves roaring”. And, while this verse refers to events just
prior to the return of the Lord in glory, we can see that this situation exists
already. The national leaders are filled
with fear and perplexity. They do not know which way to turn! There is trouble on [page
19] almost every hand. The
“sea and the
waves” are indeed
roaring!
Dr. Oswald J. Smith writes in his book Prophecy
- What Lies Ahead: “Men know not which
way to turn. Nations are perplexed.
Uncertainty characterizes the attitude of every statesman. The future is concealed in obscurity. That a terrible catastrophe lies just ahead
is the conviction of all. But what, and
from which direction will it come? National selfishness seems to have gripped
the entire race. The worst that is in
man is now manifesting itself. A spirit of greed and lust dominates human
hearts. One wonders if the abyss has
not already opened to release its myriads of demons for the ruin of man, both
nationally and individually. Be that as
it may, thousands, anxious and perplexed, are asking the question, ‘What next?’”
One thing is clear! The Saviour’s return is at hand!
Dr. W. Graham Scroggie once said: “The inter-relation of
the nations is such that the action of one directly or indirectly affects all”. That statement is true, for most of the world
is in one alliance or another, and political turmoil
increases daily. Most nations consult
their friends and associates. The Prime
Minister of Great Britain is in constant touch with the President of the
B. PEACE
TALKS
Another matter concerning the International Sign is the Peace
Talks that constantly go on. After World War One the
Dr. M. R. DeHaan in his book Signs of the Times says: “A passage
like that needs little comment in these days of peace and conferences and other
organizations which have been set up for the express purpose of bringing world
peace. Never before has there been more
talk of peace. Yet, never before has
there been more fear and threat of war.
There are more men under arms throughout the world today than in any
other period of so-called peace time in all of the world’s history. All we hear is peace, fighting to maintain
peace and police protection to preserve peace.
At the same time we hear of war and threatenings of war, bickering among
the nations, manoeuvring for power, clever manipulations of power politics and
a race for spheres of influence throughout the world. The international deliberations of today are
following the pattern laid down in the Scriptures for these last days, ‘when they shall say, Peace
and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them’. The Bible clearly states that there can be no lasting world peace until
the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, returns.”
The peace talks will continue, but the Bible makes it plain that wickedness and strife will increase. There
can be no peace until the Saviour returns to reign. Unfortunately, this “peace-talk”
attitude is affecting our civilisation in other ways, too. There
has been a very marked softening in the moral fibre of our society. Criminals are no longer punished suitably,
for that would be inhuman!
Industrial strikes by trade unions are more frequent and “peace talks” with their leaders are constantly
held. Truly, there is no peace!
[Page 21] Dr. John F. Walvoord and his son in their helpful book Armageddon,
Oil and the
Yes, indeed the peace talks are part of the international
sign.
POWER BLOCS
As we look further we notice distinct Power Blocs have emerged
in recent times. These are foretold in
the Bible, and, while the present Power Blocs may not be exactly the final
ones, nevertheless they are on the lines indicated by Scripture. Rev. Ian MacPherson
says regarding these Blocs: “The map of Biblical
prophecy may be said to be divided into four main sections, corresponding to
the four points of the compass, with Israel as centre, thus: (i) The Western Confederacy; (2) the Northern Dictatorship;
(3) The Southern Alliance; and (4) the Federation of the Far East. Dogmatically and precisely to identify these
power Blocs of Biblical prophecy with the great political aggregations of today
would be unwarranted and unwise; and yet students of the prophetic Scriptures
cannot but be impressed with the correspondence between them. The Western Confederacy would seem to be
foreshadowed by the European Community; the [page 22] Northern Dictatorship (the
self-styled ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’) by
The revival of the
The Russian Power Bloc is obvious. “The king of the North” without question is
The third Power Bloc is that of the Arab world.
The whole continent of
The fourth Power Bloc is that of China and the Far East. This,
also, is a sign of our Saviour’s soon coming! The Bible speaks of “the kings of the East”, and in Revelation
chapter 9 verse 16 we are told that an army of two hundred million men
will advance on
Again quoting Dr. Walvoord and his son, they write: “Hundreds of millions of men will be involved in a gigantic
world power struggle centred in the
The four Power Blocs are obvious and are all in keeping with
Bible prophecy! The basic alignments are
there today. Surely, these point to the fact
that the coming of the Lord for His Own is at hand! Are we
ready for the Rapture?
*
* *
CHAPTER
3 [Pages 25-31]
THE RUSSIAN SIGN
“When it is evening ye say, fair
weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning,
foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can
ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:
2, 3). John Ritchie many years ago said: “There is a weather-beaten old tag of our childhood days
which says:-
‘A red sky at night is the shepherd’s delight,
A red sky in the morning is the shepherd’s warning.’
That old saying seems to be
well-founded and would appear to have support both from Scripture and science.
Few people were more adept at discerning the face of the sky than the Jews, and
to them the RED DAWN was an
acknowledged sign, as it is with us today, of foul weather ahead. ... The ‘red dawn’ is an expression used in a political sense in our
day, as being the ultimate goal of the communist and others - the avowed
enemies of the present state of society - of the time when the restraint of
ordered government will no longer thwart their purposes.”
The above passage aptly describes the present world situation and
the growing menace of Russian Communism.
The Red Flag is the Communist’s song.
Red is their colour. We speak
today of Communists as “the Reds”, and so we
are justified in speaking of “the Red Dawn” as a sign of the Saviour’s return.
A.
The rapid growth of Communism, and its parent Socialism, has
been amazing. Today, more than a third
of the world is in the fiendish control of Communism.
Russian Communism has a world spy network with agents in every
land. Today, in the West, our nations
are constantly disrupted by strikes.
Many of these are “engineered” by
Russian agents. This desire for world
power will never be fulfilled, for the Bible tells of
Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost comforts us by saying: “Russian Communism is absolutely under the authority and control
of God and can not go one step beyond that which God purposes. No matter how dark this world situation
looks, it has not gotten out from under God’s sovereign authority, but God is
letting all things progress according to His will. While men think they are developing their
plans and purposes, it is all according to God’s plans, so that He may
demonstrate that He is God without an equal.”
B.
In a not too distant day the forces of
Richard W. DeHaan affirms: “First, the invasion of
The Russian fleet is already busy beyond words in the
Mediterranean and other
Again to quote Salem Kirban - he says: “We find
that the Russian forces move into
C.
It is interesting to note in Ezekiel
chapter 38 what happens. God will
use an earthquake (v. 19) - so tremendous
that the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, and [page 31] men and animals on dry land will
acknowledge God’s hand in judgment. In verse 21 we find that the Russians will fight each
other – “every
man’s sword shall be against his brother”. Sickness, torrential
rain, fantastic hailstones and fire will follow - and the Russian armies will
be devastated! It will take seven months
for the Israelites to bury the dead.
People the world over will see that it is the Lord’s doing.
In closing this chapter I quote some challenging words from
the pen of Dr. Lchman
Strauss: “The rise of
[* See ‘Select Quotations” –
Numbers, 673, 662, 661 and many more!]
* *
*
CHAPTER
4 [Pages 32-39]
THE EUROPEAN SIGN
Age-end federations are a sign of the Saviour’s return. We have already mentioned various power
blocs. The most important of these is certainly
the European power bloc which is foretold in Scripture. This is often referred to as the Revived
Roman Empire. Dr. S. Franklin Logsdon, writing about Europe, says: “The present statehood of
The European Common Market certainly
foreshadows the final world empire revealed in the books of Daniel and
Revelation. The exact plan of the
European Common Market is not economic, but POLITICAL union. This has been stated openly by French, German and
Belgian politicians.
An unidentified European leader is quoted as saying, “The
final aim is political union, and when this end is realized, a genius must be
found to head it up”.
[Page 33] A. ITS DEVELOPMENT
In Daniel chapters 2 and 7, as well as in Revelation
chapter 13, the European Sign is revealed. References are made to this great kingdom
which will have a tremendous influence world-wide.
Dr. Pentecost has stated: “This
whole development is attributed to satanic power - Revelation 13: 4. As the
The ten toes in Daniel chapter 2
and the ten horns in Daniel chapter 7 and in
Revelation chapter 13 would clearly indicate
that this final world power will be a ten-kingdom federation of nations. The European Common Market today has nine
member countries with
Guy Duty in his book Christ’s Coming and the World Church writes: “The Common Market is fast emerging as an economic and
monetary world power, and it is the world’s most important trading unit. Europe is moving with greater unity in the
Market, and this time with
B. ITS DEFINITION
In the Book of Daniel chapter 2,
Nebuchadnezzar, we are told, was given a vision, and
in this vision the figure [page 34] of a man was revealed. From his description
God made plain His plan for various world empires, commencing with his own
Babylonian empire - the “head of fine gold”. Then
followed the “breast and arms of
silver” - the empire of Medo-Persia. After this came the “belly and thighs of brass” - representing
the Greek empire under Alexander the Great.
Finally, the
God is very clear in His infallible Word. He makes no mistakes. We can therefore be sure that His definition
of the Revived Roman Empire is accurate and precise! Ten kingdoms - in a European Federation - these
are forecast for the time just after the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His
Own. Before our eyes today we see the
stage being set. Jesus is coming - any
moment! How we need to be ready!
C. ITS
DFSTINY
The destiny of this Revived Roman Empire is to be the final
form of world power before the Saviour returns to set up His throne at
The European Sign is with us today. Can we doubt the fact that the Saviour’s
return for His Own is at hand?
Many people in
The European Common Market came into being as a result of the
Treaty of Rome. This we believe is
significant. Why was it not the Treaty
of London, or
The destiny, then, of the European Federation is to rule the
world for a very short period. Her
strength politically and economically will be great. However, it is the leader or dictator who will
really matter.
D. ITS DICTATOR
In Daniel
Chapter 7 verse 8 we read “I considered the (ten) horns, and, behold, there
came up among them [page 37] another little horn”. Daniel goes on to
say this horn or man has “a mouth speaking great things”. In Revelation chapter 13
verses 1-8 the apostle John describes the same person and he also says
in verse 5: “There was given unto him a mouth speaking
great things”. These passages describe the dictator or ruler
of the Revived Roman Empire. As we shall
deal with him in detail in a later chapter we need not say too much at this
point, except that he will be a mighty individual, a dynamic personality, and
the dictator of most of
It may well be that the Saviour’s
return for His Own and His sudden removal of them will provide funds from the
money and property they will leave behind them to clear up international debts
and help the world’s economy. This man,
however, will be dictator and leader for a period during what is known as the
coming Tribulation [page 38] which will last about seven years.
The second half of this seven-year period is known as the Great
Tribulation.
Rev. C. W. Wesley Heming once said: “It is all
too evident from events now unfolding that democracy has had its day. It is DICTATORSHIP
that is the evil looming upon the world’s horizon.
Today,
E.
ITS DESTRUCTION
In Daniel chapter 7 verses 21-27
we read that the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire will prosper for a period
until it pleases the Lord to intervene when He returns in power and glory to
set up His Own kingdom, and reign with His saints for a thousand years.* Then, the
Antichrist and his European kingdom will be destroyed. Verses 26
and 27 say: “But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take
away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, Whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”
[* See
‘Selected Quotations’ Page 396.]
The Bible teaches that the armies of the East and West, the
North and South, will eventually march on
* *
*
CHAPTER
5
THE ECUMENICAL SIGN [Pages 40-47]
The rapid growth in recent years of the Ecumenical Movement is a further indication that the coming of the
Lord is near. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 that when we saw things
beginning to come to pass His return was at hand. His coming back as King of kings is not far
away, but His return for His bride may be at any moment! The Bible foretells, in no uncertain way, this
end-time sign, the sign of the Ecumenical Movement.
A.
ITS PROGRESS
There has been, this century, an amazing trend towards a common world church. This is known as “the
Ecumenical Movement”. In 1910 the
first move toward this took place in the Edinburgh Missionary Conference. From this beginning there was developed in
1948 what we call the World Council of Churches. The purpose of this movement or organization is the uniting of all
churches, and the establishment of a world religious system. Wim Malgo, in Shadows
of Armageddon, states:- “The official church,
represented by the Ecumenical Movement, is turning away from the Gospel, away
from Jesus Christ the Crucified, towards the political world. ... Simultaneously,
the World Council of Churches strives to become united with the Communists.”
From small beginnings, the World Council of Churches has grown quickly. Its stated purposes are “common action, co-operation, and ecumenical consciousness”. Today,
we see many denominations, which stood apart on various grounds of doctrine or
belief, coming together. Their old
principles are being abandoned.
[Page 41] Dr. Lehman Strauss made this statement: “The most prominent leaders of the Ecumenical Movement have
repeatedly and emphatically stated that their one goal is a united church. They deplore the wild tempest in the churches
which has resulted in a disintegration into many small
sects which quarrel with one another and condemn each other. They maintain that church unity was broken by
selfish and sinful men. And so they
appeal for an ecumenical church on the ground of our Lord’s statement in His
high-priestly prayer, ‘that they may be one, even
as we are one’ (John
17: 22). As a matter of fact, those were the words
quoted in Latin by the late Pope John when he set in motion the ecumenical
wheels of the Roman Church. … But is
the unity which the Ecumenical Movement seeks the unity which Scripture
teaches? The answer to this question
is an emphatic No! This modern Ecumenical
Movement seeks a union which is organizational, visible and hierarchical, and
which ultimately will bring all religions under the authority of
The World Council of Churches continues to make progress
steadily. The principles for which our
forefathers
fought and died are being forgotten. Freedom
of worship, as well as Reformation principles are left aside in the mad rush
for a world church system. People
are brain-washed into believing that Roman Catholicism with its paganism and
idolatry is not so bad after all, and unity with
B. ITS
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Ecumenical Movement
is the establishment of a world church.
This will take place. It is
probable, however, that the complete union of the [page 42] churches will not happen until AFTER the coming again of the Lord
Jesus Christ for His Own.* The Bible calls this united world church “Babylon”.
In Revelation chapter 17 we have a
whole chapter describing the Ecumenical Movement and what is going to happen to
it. “
[* See Luke 20:
34-36; Rev. 3: 10. ** In 1
Tim. 4: 16, we are told the importance of biblical doctrine, and the
effect which false interpretations and teachings can have upon others. See (2 Tim. 2: 18). We must separate ourselves from these
also. Note our Lord’s conditional
promise – a promise which can only take effect upon those who fulfil the
specified conditions. Note also
the future
salvation – ‘to be revealed in the last time,’
‘the salvation of the soul’ (1 Pet. 1: 5, 9).
This future salvation is attained only by God’s redeemed people who live
to please Him by acting responsibly. See
also ‘Freemasonry’ in ‘Perils of the Age’. See also 2 Thess. 3: 6, 14.]
The purpose is unity - a united world church, with
The apostle Paul
warned Timothy in his Second letter chapter 4 verse 3 that “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine”.
Peter, also, in his Second
Epistle chapter 3 verses 3 and 4 said: “There shall
come in the last days scoffers, walking after their
own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?”
Dr. John F. Walvoord has also said: “The
Bible has something very dramatic to tell us about what will happen to this
professing church once the rapture of the [worthy members of His] Church takes
place. While, no doubt, there are many
sincere and earnest Christians who are supporting the Ecumenical Movement, it
is obvious that when the rapture takes place [page 43] and every [enlightened and ‘able to escape’ (Luke 21: 36)] true
Christian is caught out of the world, those who are merely professed [and ignorant] believers will be left behind. The church structure remaining will be
without a single [obedient and Spirit indwelt (Acts 5: 32) and] born-again
Christian. Its clergymen will never have
known Jesus Christ; its liberal theology will deny the Word of God. It is obvious that such a church is headed
for divine judgment.”
The purpose of the
C. ITS
POSITION
As
we look now at its position in prophecy we find the Ecumenical Sign quite
apparent. We have already mentioned Revelation chapter 17 which describes the
This false church will be firmly
established after the Rapture. It is to be headed by the Church of Rome. It is interesting to look into the position
of
The position in prophecy of the Ecumenical Movement is “in the last days” - so we see it as an end-time sign present with us. The true Church consists of every soul who
has repented* of their sins, trusted Christ as
Saviour and been washed in His precious atoning blood. Not one member of this body will be part of
the
[* See Acts 8:
14-23.]
Dr. John Wesley White describes the dramatic situation in
these words: “This super church will become the haven
of hundreds of millions of others who will seek spiritual security in it. With the Holy Spirit no longer restraining
the mystery of iniquity, this ecumenical ecclesiastical amalgam will bear few resemblances
to today’s church. ... Being in
alliance with the political powers of the
D.
ITS POWER
We can see from the Bible that the history of Christianity
begins with one church, founded on the Day of Pentecost, shortly after the
Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
Bible also reveals that it ends with two churches. There is the
Rev. Ian MacPherson, in News of the World
to Come, has written: “Men a
The
E.
ITS POISON
In Revelation chapter 17 verse 4
we read of the “golden cup in her hand full of abominations”. This cup -
the cup of poison - is being used today in preparation for the day when the
F. ITS
PORTION
Briefly, let us look at one more detail concerning the Ecumenical
Movement. Its portion is disaster! The Rome-controlled world religious system is
bound for destruction. The Word of God
says it - therefore it will happen!
To quote again from Rev.
Ian MacPherson, he says: “The great
The next prophetic event in God's program, as revealed in His
infallible Word, is the Rapture‑or snatching away of the
“He is coming! He is coming! Yes, the certainty grows bright!
His voice shall sound love’s summons ‑ at morn, or noon, or night!
How blest if we are ready, through sovereign
grace, to go,
And, unashamed, shall meet
Him, and His wondrous welcome know.”
J. Danson Smith.
* *
*
CHAPTER 6 [Pages 48-53]
THE NUCLEAR SIGN
Yet another sign of the soon coming of the Lord Jesus is that
of the nuclear age. In the course of the
last generation or two a whole new system of weaponry has been devised. For centuries the nations depended for safety
on military man-power - hoping by such strength to out-number and defeat the
enemy. Then came some
exciting advances in technology.
Rifles were replaced with machine-guns.
Tanks, armoured vehicles and other land weapons came along, while in the
air fighters and bombers became vital.
Towards the end of World War Two scientists invented “flying bombs”, and then giant rockets with
destructive warheads. Finally, the
Atomic Bomb was produced and its delivery upon
Guy Duty has said: “Satan
is bringing the nations to the brink of destruction. Military experts tell about the horrible
possibility of nuclear World War Three during the next few years, and they give
frightful descriptions of hundreds of millions dying in the first attack. This is favourable to Satan’s peace plan as
he skilfully weaves his net around the world.
What nation would reject a peace plan that would save the world from
nuclear destruction?”
“Peace at any price” may be a
tempting slogan in view of the ghastly consequences which would come with a
nuclear war, but peace cannot and must not be accomplished this way. The Communists would like to break down the
West with fear - fear of bombing, fear of destruction, fear of the holocaust of
a nuclear war. The nuclear age is surely
another sign that the Saviour’s return is near.
The nuclear weapons today have ranges
covering the [page 49] whole world. No longer do they require men to deliver the
bombs by plane. By the pressing of a
button rockets are launched carrying nuclear warheads which would unleash death
and destruction in untold measure.
The born-again person need not fear a nuclear war for the
return of the Lord Jesus Christ must take place soon. The destruction caused by atomic, hydrogen or
neutron bombs, or other nuclear devices, would be so colossal that Scripture
would almost certainly mention it, and the only devastating happenings recorded
in Scripture as still in the future refer to the Great Tribulation when God’s
judgments will be poured out on a Christ-rejecting earth.
Evangelist Gavin
Hamilton, in his book The Rapture and
the Great Tribulation says: “It is interesting to
note that General Douglas MacArthur said, ‘We
have had our last chance. The battle of Armageddon
is next’. What zero hour holds for the world of
mankind is vividly described by Professor
Harrison Brown. He says, ‘If the hydrogen bomb works, technically speaking, it is easy
to visualize a series of hydrogen bomb explosions carried along a North-South
line at about the longitude of
Many different nuclear weapons are being manufactured
today. Many different nations are
involved.
When one speaks of “nuclear war”
the thought of the atomic bomb springs to mind.
This word “atomic” occurs once in the
New Testament although our English translations have not used it. Professor
John C. Banks has said: “The word ‘atomic’ is an
adjective, and it means ‘That which cannot be cut’ - that is, something
indivisible, something so very small that it cannot be cut or divided into smaller parts. ... In 1 Corinthians 15: 52 we have the showing or the declaration of a mystery. We are informed that we shall all be changed
(that is the members of the Body of Christ) ... ‘In a moment’ ...
and there you have the Greek word ‘atomic’! That is to say, in a fraction of time so small that it cannot be split, in one dazzling
moment, we shall be changed! We
shall put on immortality, incorruption, and [for those who ‘able to escape’ the Great Tribulation (Luke
21: 36),] the age of grace as we know
it will be over!* There will be no advance advertisement as the world is
accustomed to have it. There will be no
advance agent, as the world knows such, to prepare town after town, city after
city, county, state or country. There
will be no preliminary ‘come-in’ advertisements to get people ready. It will be all over ‘in a moment’, in a fraction of time so
small that it cannot be divided any farther.”
[* Note. This must be at the time of the first
rapture of watchful saints before the Great Tribulation commences; the second
or last rapture is at its end, and will be for those “who
are still
alive” and “left till the coming of
the Lord” (1 Thess.
4: 17). – Ed. ]
Today is the day of salvation.
The Bible makes it clear that men and women, boys and girls must repent
of their sins now and trust the Saviour while they may. Soon, the
Day of Grace will be through. The
message [page 51] is simply and clearly stated in these
lines of my father,
“Only today is the day of salvation,
Only
today is God’s offer to you.
Only
today is the great invitation
Will
you take Christ - today?”
J. Danson
Smith.
Oh, that people would heed this call!
In 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 10 the great apostle speaks of “the day of the Lord”, and he says “the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth
also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”.
This would seem to be a perfect description of a nuclear explosion
causing total world-wide destruction and devastation. This passage, and other similar ones in the
Old Testament, until recent times must have sounded fantastic to many, although
the Bible-believing Christian knows that what God states in His infallible Word
will take place! The earth was once cleansed
by water at the Flood. It is yet to be
cleansed fire AFTER the Millennium. Years ago, it seemed possible for a world
with so many oceans and so much water to go on fire - yet, today,
we know it is a possibility - thanks to nuclear fission!
Dr. M. R. DeHaan, writing of the atom, says: “Scientists have warned us that man now is in possession of
knowledge concerning atomic and cosmic energy which may well result in the
destruction of this entire world. This age will go down in history as the
atomic age, the age in which man, by God’s permission, has solved the secret of
the universe, and now has in his hands a power by which, if God would permit
it, completely to destroy himself and the world. ... According to Peter’s words in the
Scripture we read man will not learn his lesson. According to the Word of God, this world will
not continue in its present form for ever, for God plainly says that there is a
coming when ‘the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the [page 52] earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up’ (2 Peter 3:10). The word for ‘earth’ in
this verse is ‘ge’, the word used not for
the world of men but for the material earth, consisting of the soil and the
physical elements. This, says God, is
going to be burned up with everything in it.”
For those outside of Christ the future is indeed dark and
gloomy. The final destruction of the
world by fire is yet a long way off - but in the near future there will be
terrible destruction - in the Great Tribulation period. Oh, how wonderful it is
that a loving God sent His only-begotten Son to make a way of escape for
sinners!
The nuclear weapons today are causing frequent peace
conferences. The talk is of “peace, peace, when there is no peace” (Jeremiah
6: 14). Such talks will continue‑as
men know what nuclear war will mean. Professor Walvoord
in The Church in Prophecy has
stated: “Millions of intelligent people today believe
that the only hope of averting atomic suicide is to accept some form of
international control in which individual nations will surrender some of their
sovereignty in favour of international control. ... In a world brought close
together by rapid means of travel and weapons of destruction which can reach
any portion of the globe, the significant fact is that for the first time in
history the concept of a world government has seized the minds of large masses
of people. The world situation with
its scientific improvements has developed to the point where such a world
government becomes a necessity if future world conflicts should be avoided.”
We see today a willingness for world
control - yet another sign of the times!
It is interesting to note that the Bible mentions “wars and rumours of wars” (Matthew 24: 6) as
an end-time sign! This fear of war is going to remain - until finally the Prince of Peace
sets up His
So, wars and especially the danger of nuclear war will remain
- until the
“Momentous
days are on us! Our eyes may soon behold
A mighty
clash of nations which prophets have foretold;
A clashing and a cleaving
of unmatched magnitude,
Wrought
by some super-being with evil power endued.
Momentous! Yes, momentous! But shall we be afraid?
The mighty conflict cometh, yet may our hearts be stayed!
The Lord from Glory cometh
- His Coming draweth nigh;
Earth’s most colossal conflict we’ll see yet from on high.
The nations
all are arming! The worst is yet to be!
For Armageddon cometh, not
far from
But brothers, Christian
brothers, fear not of being there;
Before that awful carnage,
Christ cometh to the air.
The days of tribulation are
truly near at hand;
‘Perplexity of nations’ e’en
now invades each land;
Yet not for woes and terrors,
and earth’s onrushing night
Look we for,
but the Morning of cloudless glory bright.”
J, Danson Smith.
* *
*
CHAPTER 7 [Pages 54-60]
THE SATANIC SIGN
In recent times there has been a remarkable growth of interest
in the occult. Along with this there has
also been greatly increased Satanic activity.* This, we believe, is because the devil and his angels know
that their time is short and that the Saviour’s return for His Own is
near. The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 7: “The mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only He Who now letteth (restraineth)
will let (restrain),
until He be taken out of the way.”
This passage of Scripture teaches plainly that the activity of Satan is
at present somewhat restricted by the presence of the
Holy Spirit. He is the “Hinderer” or “Restrainer”, and He is here on earth to woo and to win a bride for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One Who indwells the hearts of all
who [obey and]
put their trust in Christ as Saviour, and when the trumpet sounds and the Bride of Christ is “caught up to meet the Lord
in the air” the Holy Spirit will go too in order to
present the Bridegroom with His blood-washed Bride.* Until
that moment, Satan’s agents will work harder than ever to hinder God’s work.
[* Keep in mind: The ‘Bride’ is not
the ‘Church,’ but is taken out from amongst the
members of His ‘body’ (the Church, i.e., regenerate believers) to rule and
reign during the Millennium with Him.
See Rev. 19: 7 – “… His bride has (by ‘righteous
acts’) MADE
HERSELF READY…”– there is therefore much for
her to be doing now! See Matt. 5: 20, 44; 6: 3, 20, 33; 7: 21b, 24, etc. -
Ed.]
Peter J. Pell has said: “Sinister
forces of evil are at work in the world.
They were active in Paul’s day. These
activities are increased an hundredfold today. They will be strengthened in time to come and
speedily reach the fearful climax. Satan
has his programme, he has set his goal. ...
Dark as the shadows are, the night will be darker. Awful
apostasy marks the end of this age.”
Some people seem to doubt the existence of Satan, but all who
are involved in the Lord's work are aware of his reality, and his deadly
opposition to the Gospel.
[Page 55] John Ritchie
helpfully says: “When we turn to the Word of God we
find, not perhaps all we should like to know, but all we are intended to know
of this strange and mysterious personage whose history is so closely interwoven
with that of the human race. His
existence, his personality, his power, his purpose, and his future are so
plainly written on the sacred page that I have no hesitation in avowing there
is as much convincing evidence for the existence of Satan as there is for the
existence of God Himself.”
The Bible tells us that Satan was a
created being - Ezekiel chapter 28:I5 - and
that he was created perfect. He was,
however, a free moral agent and through pride he fell - Isaiah chapter 14 verses 12-15.
He and the angels that rebelled with him were cast out of heaven and
await their eternal doom in the lake of fire - Matthew
chapter 25 verse 41.
The increase in Satan’s activity today is quite
noticeable. He knows he is defeated, for
the Cross of Christ smashed his plans.
Christ paid in full the penalty for sin and rose from the dead as proof
that His death was sufficient. The Bible
says in 1 Corinthians chapter 1: 5 verses 20-22:
“But now is
Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also
the resurrection of the dead. For as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
The Cross was no defeat for the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a mighty victory! When He hung there in suffering and shame,
before He gave up His life – for He did it voluntarily, for He could not be
killed - He shouted “Tetelestai” which in English is the word “finished”. The
Lord Jesus was not finished, but His work of redemption was! All Satan can do now is to hinder [regenerate believers from winning the
‘prize’ (1 Cor. 9: 24; 10: 11)] and lead men astray.
The authors of the
book Armageddon, Oil and the
The Bible says in 1 Timothy
chapter 4 verse 1 “that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils (demons)”.
This growth of spiritism is unquestionably a sign of the last days - a
sign that the Saviour’s return is very near.
On every hand today we see the rapid growth of evil, immorality, sex-perversion, drug-taking and open sin. In
Dr. John Wesley Mite, writing about Satan, says: “The devil wants much more than recognition of his existence
and powers in contemporary society. He
wants [God’s] people to be
his. Some ask: ‘Does the devil believe in conversion?’ Indeed he
does. He wants people to give themselves over completely to his charge.
Those who do, he strives to make over into ideal representatives of his. As the New
York Times points out, ‘hundreds of
thousands of witches’ confess to having made ‘compacts with Lucifer’,
having ‘traded their immortal souls to Satan’. Millions, in all
walks of life, are doing just this today, some
of them being in the top echelons of society.
Satan prefers his disciples to appear successful.”
In Ephesians
chapter 6 verse 12 the Christian
is warned [page 57] of the
presence of satanic beings. Paul says-
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places (the heavenlies)”.
Thank God, the believer in Christ can be armed*
for this warfare.
The weapons and armour are described in Ephesians
chapter 6 verses 13-18: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand. Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
The precious blood of Christ is the Christian’s protective covering.**
[* ‘Can be armed’ is not the same
as ‘being armed’: we must put on the armour if we are to be
victorious over the foe!
** See ‘Atoning Blood’ and what the blood does NOT do, by
G. H. Lang. See also ‘War on the Saints’ in ‘Perils
of the Age’ section. – Ed.]
The Satanic influence is not always apparent. In Paul’s day the Galatian
church was influenced by him, for the Apostle wrote in his letter to them: “0 foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should
not obey the truth” (Galatians 3: 1).
Guy Duty explains: “This ‘bewitched’ is a strong word and it signifies ‘fascination’,
or to be brought under the spell of evil.
The serpent had charmed them with false teachers who drew them away from the truth
about Christ crucified. ... The apostle John told us about ‘the spirit of error’, and there is a spirit that goes with false teaching. Eve was deceived with it. The Corinthians were
in danger of becoming beguiled with it, and the Galatians had been bewitched with it. And ‘the doctrine of Balaam’ which led to covetousness and fornication
had corrupted the Pergamos church.* This leaven was also working through
the prophetess Jezebel in the Thyatira church to ‘teach and seduce’ the people to commit
spiritual fornication - see Revelation 2: 14-23.”
[* See also, - 1 Cor.
5: 1, 11, 12; 6: 8-10; Gal. 5: 13, 19-21; Eph. 5: 3-6; Col. 3: 25; 1 Thess. 4: 3-8; 2 Thess. 2:
13b-15; 2 Tim. 4: 3, 4; Heb. 10: 26-30, etc.]
As we survey the [Church and] world situation today we are aware of the Satanic sign
- this [disobedience of many amongst the
regenerate] and the rapidly growing interest in Satan and the occult. This, certainly, is a sign of the times, and
we recall the words of the Saviour Himself in Matthew
chapter 16 verse 3: “Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
The apostle Paul warned us that “in the last
days perilous times shall come” (2 Timothy 3: 1). Our
newspapers constantly reveal atrocities and cruel happenings, and back of all
these is Satan - the master of lies, the
arch-deceiver, and permanent enemy of God and His people. In many cities, it is unsafe to walk the
streets alone in the evenings. The
courts of our land have become lenient with sadistic monsters who attack, injure and sometimes kill innocent people. We are indeed in “perilous times”!
Hal Lindsey, in Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth, asks the question: “Are we in a new age of Satan? Many people would be revolted by the so-called churches
which openly worship Satan. ... Satanic cults are expanding in every major
city in the
In closing this chapter, one must make
mention of the [page 59] apostle Paul’s warning to the Church at Corinth in his
second Epistle chapter 2 verses 3 and 4: “I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent (Satan) beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ. For if he
that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye
might well bear with him.”
Rev. John Douglas, in The Charismatic Movement explains: “Three
times over in this verse we have the word ‘another’. Mark each
occurrence carefully because this is what Paul fears. There is a threefold manifestation of the
devil’s deception possible: another
Jesus, another spirit, another gospel.* The modern ecumenical movement, which is being helped on by the charismatic tongues
speaking experience, presents all three features of this devilish
deception. Theirs is not the Christ of
the Bible, nor the Gospel of the Bible.
But the devil’s purpose is not only to counterfeit Christ and the
gospel, he also counterfeits the Spirit
and His work and gifts. A look at verse 14 shows us the way
in which he does this: ‘And no marvel: for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light’. As
an angel, he has power to communicate.
As an angel of light, he has power to communicate spiritual
sensations. He communicates spiritual
sensations by counterfeiting the Holy Ghost.
The ecumenical Charismatic
movement is just such a counterfeit.”
[* That is, a ‘gospel’
without
responsibility truths and conditional promises (Revelation
chapters 2 & 3); without divine chastisement for the
disobedience of family members;
without
any mention of a resurrection of reward, (Luke 14:
14), a Millennium (Rev. 20: 4), or of
being “considered worthy of taking part in that age”
(Luke 20: 35a, N.I.V.); without any mention of
the intermediate state and place of the dead in ‘Hades’
- the underworld, (Luke 16: 22-31; 23: 43; Matt.
12: 40; 16: 18; Rev. 6: 9-11), or of ‘a just
recompense of reward’; without a divine punishment for disobedient and
unrepentant believers in this life (Rev. 2: 22, 23;
Jude 5), or after death (1 John 5: 16)
- when others will be enjoying an
inheritance in the ‘kingdom of Christ and of God’
(Eph. 5: 5, 6)! – Ed.]
Yes, indeed, Satan will counterfeit
the things of God, discredit the Word of God, and attack the child of God! But,
we praise God that the Cross of Jesus saw him defeated. The words of P. P. Bliss in his hymn rejoice our hearts when we sing them:
“Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our help is near;
Onward comes our great Commander,
Cheer, my comrades, cheer!
‘Hold the fort, for I
am coming!’
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to
heaven,
‘By Thy grace we will!’”
* * *
CHAPTER
8 [Pages 61-66]
THE ECONOMIC SIGN
A.
FOOD
In the beginning, when God made the earth, everything was
beautiful. There were no deserts and
there was no bad ground and no waste land.
There were no weeds, no pests, no vermin and no disease. These
things came into being because of Adam’s sin. Genesis
chapter 3 verses 17 and 18 says:
“Cursed is the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt
thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it
bring forth to thee”.
Several thousand years have passed, and man still fights these products of
sin. In fact, today the struggle is
greater than ever, for the world’s population has become enormous! With growing numbers of people more food is
required. Specialists are employed by
many governments in their efforts to increase the world’s food supply, and yet
weeds and disease, and vermin and pests are on the increase. The
world today faces a major economic problem, and that problem will be solved
only when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to reign. The Bible says in Romans chapter 8 verses 19 to 22: “For the earnest expectation of the creature [‘creation’] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject
to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in
hope. Because the creature [‘creation’] itself
also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth
in pain together until now.” Before then,
the Saviour will come for His Own. After
He comes back to reign the world conditions will change. Nature will “be
delivered” and will return to its former estate.
[Page 62] Today, however, we have this great Economic Sign pointing to
the fact that Christ must come soon! Otherwise - only disaster and death face
mankind. Guy Duty, in his book Escape
from the Coming Tribulation, points out that: “Industrial
nations, anxious to protect their foreign markets, have been weakened by
competitive nations who seek to strengthen their trading positions. The result has been a world chain reaction of
competitive reprisals. The world-trade
sign is taking shape. International
trade is important to world prosperity because it is related to the economic
and monetary problems of the nations.
Even the
B. OIL
Another Economic pointer is that of Oil. This is a commodity vitally needed by every
modern nation. It has been in increasing
demand ever since the last war, but in recent times it was discovered that only
limited reserves were left. Dr. Walvoord
and his son in their book on oil state: “The rapid
increase in consumption of energy throughout the world has been noted by
experts for years, but warnings of an impending crisis fell largely on deaf
ears. In industry oil had proved to be
cheaper and easier to use than coal.
Much of the electrical generating capacity of the
Much travel today depends upon oil. Cars, buses and planes all use this valuable
commodity. It is understandable, therefore, that there is a measure of alarm
and concern at this economic problem. Shortage
of fuel would create a vast number of other problems. The Arab nations, which for centuries were
largely sleepy and lazy, have suddenly awakened and they have “cashed in” on this oil crisis and now hold a gigantic
share of the world’s wealth. Other
nations are urgently hunting for new oil supplies, for without oil they could
quickly become bankrupt and powerless.
C.
PLEASURE
In describing the “last days” the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew chapter 24 verse 7
that “there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers
places”. Today we read in the press of
these things taking place. The Saviour,
however, did not say that such conditions would be world-wide. He said that they would occur in different
places. In other parts, today, away from the famine areas, there is a
tremendous emphasis on pleasure. The
keen Christian derives his pleasure from God’s Word, and from keeping company
with the people of God - those who are
separate from the world and its ways, and who seek to live holy lives. The unsaved - all who have never trusted the
Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour - find their pleasure in
sin. The world today is pleasure mad and exceedingly sinful. Many people have one chief interest - eating,
drinking and taking no thought for the future.
This was mentioned by the Saviour as a sign of His return in Matthew chapter 24 verses 37 to 40.
Drunkenness is fast on the increase.
The love of money, [page 64] too, is most apparent. Trade union
leaders are constantly nagging for more and more money - despite the fact that [some of] the so-called “working classes” are today’s rich!
Dr. John Wesley White has said in relation to the subject
before us: “Before Christ returns, whole cultures will
be caught up in a combination of an obsession with wealth, pleasure madness,
and intemperance that will involve gluttony and drunkenness. ... It will be
a time when there will be plenty of people with plenty of money - for a while -
but with the apocalyptic events happening all around and the impending collapse
of society nagging at them, they will worry about their insecurities and this
will drive them to drink. ... Alcoholism (which plagues ten million Americans) is a chief
contributing factor to seventy-five per cent of the divorces, sixty per cent of
the fatal automobile accidents, fifty per cent of the homicides, and one third
of the suicides. The National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reckons that alcoholism currently costs Americans
forty billion dollars per year, enough money to feed all the people around the
world who are starving to death. What is
perhaps most tragic is that the very young are drinking as they never have
before.”
D.
GAMBLING
One of the trends in recent decades has been the growth of
gambling. This is caused by the desire
of man to obtain wealth without working for it.
The command of God to Adam has been forgotten, but Genesis chapter 3 verse 19 still stands: “In the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread”! Man must work! Unfortunately governments sometimes encourage
gambling. Rev. Ian MacPherson asks the question: “Is there anything in the New Testament to warrant the
conclusion that wealth without work will be a sign of the times of the Second
Coming of the Lord? Well, quite
obviously, we must not expect to find in the pages of Holy Writ a detailed
foreshadowing of the complex system of present-day gambling. But James [page 65] does speak of those who ‘heap up treasure for the
last days’ (chapter 5:3).”
E.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Many countries around the world have vast numbers of
unemployed people. Thousands of young
people, leaving school, find it difficult to obtain work. This is partly because governments and trade
unions have insisted on “juniors” being paid
high wages. Any serious employer,
therefore, naturally prefers to employ someone with experience for a fraction
more. Unemployment is on the increase,
and it will continue to grow as machines take over jobs formerly done by
people.
Again, Mr. MacPherson asks: “Is mass
unemployment itself perhaps a social sign of Christ’s Second Coming? There are
those who believe it is, and the Biblical passage on which they base that
assumption is Zechariah’s description of things at the close of this age: ‘For before these days there
was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast’ (ch. 8 v. 10).”
F. THE FUTURE
Controls - national and international - are on the way. Many countries already have them and suffer
from them. A world economic solution is planned. Hal
Lindsey was up-to-date when he wrote: “Economic
manipulations can be used to centralise control in the hands of a few; industry
.aken from the free market economy and placed under
State control; destruction of individual initiative through excessive taxation;
regulatory laws which strangle private enterprise; government intervention into
every aspect of private affairs. A
future world ruler will have his stage set if a one-world economic system is
within his grasp.”
Although many nations today are on the brink of disaster, in
the very near future their economic problems will be solved - temporarily! The Antichrist is coming power soon, and he
will solve in a short-term way the economic ills of the present day.
[Page 66] Dr. John Wesley White, speaking of the future, says: “In spite of the sicknesses and disparities in the economics
of the world, or perhaps because of them, there has been a definite trend
toward looking more and more toward unification and a central authoritarianism
in economics. The International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank have been playing an even larger and more widening role
in the precarious battle of balancing the international monetary movements, which
at times have looked like a zigzag cardiogram after a human heart attack. Of course, the most dramatic post - World War
II development in international frontiersmanship in the economic realm ... is the European Common Market. Out of ten such nations the Antichrist will arise
and from this base will launch toward world conquest, until, in-so-far as the
economic realm is concerned, he will seize a universal mandate of dictatorship
that will galvanize all commerce into a centrally computerized control.”
Revelation chapter 13 describes the Antichrist and in verse 8 we read: “All that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him”. This person is at
hand - but the Bible says he will not be revealed until after the Saviour has
come for His Own blood-washed people.
See 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 7
and 8.
The Bible predicts that things will “wax worse and worse”. That is the immediate prospect - except for
all who are saved and looking for their Saviour from heaven!
“Deeper still
will grow earth’s darkness
Still more awesome grows
its night,
But for Christ our eyes are
looking,
Quick may come the Rapture
bright!”
* *
*
CHAAPTER 9 [Pages 67-73]
THE BEAST SIGN
In concluding the last chapter we mentioned that the coming of
the Antichrist was at hand. He is “the beast” referred to in Revelation chapter 13 verses 1-10 as well as in
various chapters of Daniel. Chapters 7 and 8
of Daniel refer to him as a “little horn” ...
speaking great
things”. This “little horn” is an end-time sign. In
Daniel chapter 7 the various world empires
through history are mentioned -
As we saw in chapter 4 the European Sign is already here in
the shape of the European Common Market. This foreshadows man’s final world empire. Politicians are already talking of “political union”, and many are looking for a super-man
to lead and control. Some years ago Pastor James F. Hardman wrote: “With the international relationships in a state of tension
and chaos, it is suggested by some that the need of the hour is a superman who
can steer the world into a haven of peace. Upon this point, the words of P. H. Spaak,
former Premier of Belgium, in an article upon world conditions in ‘Le Soir’ are interesting. He wrote, ‘The
truth is that the method of international committees has failed. What we need is a person, someone of the
highest order, of great experience, of great authority, of wide influence. Let him come, and let him come quickly ... one who will cut out
all the red tape, shove out of the way all the committees, wake up the peoples,
and galvanise all governments into action. Let him come quickly, this man we need and for
whom we wait.’”
The true
Christian, of course, knows that there will only [page 68] be One Person Who can fully control things - the Lord Jesus
Christ - when He comes to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Isaiah chapter 9
verses 6 and 7 remind us of this: “Of His government there shall
be no end”. However, the Bible also states in 1John chapter 2 verse 18: “Antichrist shall come ... it is the last time”.
Let us think first of all about the Beast Sign - in relation
to a Person.
A.
THE PERSON
The Person of Antichrist is not yet known. The Bible gives him various titles as we have
already noted. He will, we are told, be
a remarkable person. The dragon (Satan)
is to endue him with power and with great authority. He will fascinate the world in a remarkable
way. John says in Revelation chapter 13 verse 3:
“All the world
wondered after the beast”.
The world will go madly after him and
will worship him. See Revelation chapter 13 verses 3 to 8.
Rev. Ian MacPherson, in News of the World
to Come, makes the following comparisons between Christ and Antichrist: “For weal or woe, the world today waits to welcome the best
of men and the worst of men. Christ is
coming! Antichrist is coming! And it is immensely significant that in the
original the New Testament uses the same term for both advents. It speaks of the Parousia of Christ and of the
Parousia of Antichrist. Here is its
reference to the former: ‘The coming of the Lord draweth nigh’ (James 5: 8); and here is its allusion
to the latter: ‘Then shall that Wicked be revealed whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders’ (2 Thessalonians 2: 8, 9). ‘The devil,’ says Martin
Luther, ‘is God’s ape.’ Satan is the master-copyist
of the cosmos. His age-long policy is to
counterfeit and caricature the divine. He
is a specialist in the spurious, an expert in fraud, fake, forgery.
Of everything the Almighty is and does
he is the impious imitator. It is an
astounding exercise to examine the [page 69] points of parallel between Christ and Antichrist. Christ is ‘the Son of Man’ - (John 12: 34 etc.). Antichrist
is ‘the man of
the earth’ (Revelation 13: 11). Christ is ‘the Good Shepherd’ (John 10: 14). Antichrist is ‘the idol shepherd’ (Zechariah 11: 17). The duration of Christ’s
public ministry was three and a half years: the period during which Antichrist
will be at his pernicious prime will be three and a half years. As to the nature of their respective
activities, of Christ Acts 2: 22 reports that it consisted of ‘miracles and wonders and signs’; of the activities of
Antichrist the N.T. uses much the same terms: ‘power and signs and lying wonders’ (2 Thessalonians 2: 9). Christ was ‘wounded for our transgressions’ (Isaiah 53: 5): of Antichrist Revelation 13: 12 speaks as ‘the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed’. And,
before Christ reigns in
Who is this Person? Some
have said that the Pope was the Antichrist. Others have said that Napoleon, Hitler,
Stalin, Mussolini and others were possibly the Antichrist. But, none of these are. He is Satan’s special agent - the second
person of the trinity of evil. The other
two are Satan himself who counterfeits God the Father, and the False Prophet
who counterfeits God the Holy Spirit. This
evil Person is the counterfeit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will not be
revealed until after the Rapture of [those ‘able to eascpe’
(Luke 21: 36) of]* the Church.
[* Note. Some disciples of Christ will ‘escape,’ while others (as judged not ‘able to escape’) must endure:
‘He who endures unto the end, shall be saved’ (Matt. 10: 22; 24: 13; Mark 13: 13): and the
salvation mentioned by the Lord here, for those ‘left
till the coming of the Lord’ (1 Thess. 4: 15), has nothing to do with their initial
salvation by grace through faith in Christ as one’s personal Saviour –
they already had that! This salvation is
still future – at the ‘end’
of the Great Tribulation: and those who lose their life for their testimony
of Christ down through the ages, and in that future time, will find it again in
Messiah’s Millennial Age to come – i.e., after ‘the
First Resurrection’. For rapture, see in ‘Selective Quotations,’ –
Numbers 220, 240, 221, 286 and 228.] ]
B.
THE PEOPLE
This war-weary world of ours is looking for a world leader - a man who will give them peace and
prosperity, and when the Beast is revealed they will worship him, and adore
him, and say: “Who is like unto the beast?” (Revelation 13: 4). The Bible says he will eventually sit in the
C.
THE POWER
Daniel chapter 8 verse 24 says “His power shall be mighty, but not by his own
power”. His power will come from Satan, but it will
not last. Verse
25 of the same chapter says “He shall also stand up against the Prince
of princes; but he shall be broken without hand”. 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2 verse 8 says the Lord shall destroy him “with the brightness of His
coming” when He comes back in power and glory to
reign.
His power, as supreme world ruler, will only last three and a
half years, but his rise to power will be during the previous three and a half
years. His power will be so [page 71] great that all people will be
required to receive his mark - “the mark of the Beast” - and without
this mark there will be no buying or selling. There will be death for all* who refuse it. Revelation chapter
13 verses 17 to 18 makes
this plain. Today the world is being conditioned
for this. Most people already have a
Social Security or National Insurance number. Without this, as a rule, there is no work, and
certainly there is no Sick Benefit or Old Age Pension. Then, too, the demands of trade unions have
made it that there is often no job unless one has a union card or number. People today are being prepared to accept the
Beast and his mark. Dr. John Wesley White in his book Re-entry tells us: “There is now a process
whereby a number can be imprinted invisibly and irremovably on your hand or
forehead by an electronic device and with an instrument can be read at a
glance. Increasingly, numbers are replacing
names in our world.”
[* The word ‘all’ here, cannot be interpreted
in its strictest sense to mean every disciple. See note above.]
The apostle Paul says in 2
Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9 that the Beast with his great power will
be “after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders”. The world will be deceived. The Bible says in verse
12 of the same chapter that all who reject the Gospel now - in the Day
of Grace – will “be damned” [i.e., “destroyed”] - that is, lost eternally.* Today, all
may repent of their sin and put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as
Saviour. He is coming soon!
[* Note the very same phrase described
as: (‘The present middle participle of Appollumi, to
destroy’), and used in 2 Cor. 4: 3; and
note also, in the following verse which informs us of the reason why
they are destroyed, why they perish: - “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the
unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the GLORY OF CHRIST” – (not the
gospel [good news] of the grace of God) – “who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them,” (2 Cor. 4: 4, R.V.).
These people will perish because they will refuse to believe the good
news about Christ’s coming glory.
Therefore, they cannot be ‘lost eternally’. A-millennialists
and apostates take note of this warning. See, Rev. 3:
17-19; Heb. 12: 14-17; Jas. 1: 12.]
D. THE
PROGRAM
The Beast, along with his colleague the False Prophet, will
deceive the world. They will establish a
form of world government. They will
create a world religion. They will
appear to succeed even although during the last three and a half years of the
Tribulation Period God’s Judgments will be poured out on the earth. But - they are doomed! The Bible says that they will end in the
[* Note exactly - after the millennial age has ended - who are then resurrected and ‘cast alive into the lake of fire’ – “If anyone’s name was not written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev.
20: 15). These words suggest that
not all resurrected at this time and who appear before God at that Great White
Throne Judgment, will spend eternity in “the lake of
fire.” This is why Paul placed so
much emphasis upon “sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain
(i.e., ‘to gain by effort’) to the resurrection [out] from the dead” (Phil. 3:
10, N.I.V. cf. Heb. 11: 35b; Luke 20: 35):
and our Lord likewise, in His teachings stressed the same danger of not being
judged an overcomer, and hence losing the ‘Crown of life’
(Rev. 2: 10; 3: 11.
cf. Rev.
3: 21).]
Before this, the Beast will have destroyed the
[* How pitiful the Jews, who are blinded to a suffering Messiah but
wide awake to a ruling Messiah: he will have to endure the persecutions of
Anti-Christ; but the unbelieving Christian in a ruling
Messiah (upon this earth), must escape the dreaded end time
persecutions! This false teaching is so
prevalent amongst those who teach and believe a holy and righteous God will
overlook wilful sin and disobedience in His redeemed people today!! All the divine threats against
disobedience must be transferred to the Jews; but the all Christians, irrespective
of their lifestyle after conversion, must escape!! Is this what we find being taught by Christ
and His apostles? NO. It is not!]
The coming of the King of kings will put an end to the
trouble, and at last there will be peace. The program of the Beast is organized! It will take place soon! Dr. DeHaan, however, reminds us that: “There is One Who now
hinders and withholds the revelation of the Man of Sin. That One is the Spirit of God, and at the
Rapture, when He is taken out of the
way* and with the Church, upon whom He came at
Pentecost, rises to meet the Lord in the air - then and then only will the Antichrist
be free to put his age-old schemes of the devil into operation. [Page 73] The spirit of the Antichrist is held in check now, while the Spirit is gathering out the bride.** The moment
the bride is complete and Christ has gathered out of the Gentiles a people for
His Name, then the hindrance will be removed, the personal Antichrist will be
revealed and the Day of the Lord will be ushered in.”
[* If this theory is correct - (for there are other theories as to who the ‘Restrainer’ might be) - and it is the Holy Spirit Who is ‘taken out of the way,’ then only those who are living
in OBEDIENCE to Christ will
be included in this rapture of living saints.
“We are witnesses of these things,” said
Peter, “and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has GIVEN TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM”
(Acts 5: 32, N.I.V.).] See also John 15:
2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 14. ** For ‘Bride’ see ‘Selective Quotations’
Numbers, - 261, 269.]
The Beast Sign is here with us today! The world wants this man! He is probably alive today - awaiting the
signal to step forward. This surely is a
reminder that Jesus is coming soon!
“Woes are coming - tragic, awesome,
When
the Church from earth has gone;
When
the One Who now restraineth
No
more holds hell’s flood‑gates down.
When
from out the ‘sea’ of nations
The
arch-monster shall appear –
Oh,
rejoice ye ransomed pilgrims
That ye will not then be here.
Watch the signs - they
quick are showing;
All things say the end is
near;
Even now, without our
knowing,
Antichrist may now be here.
For earth’s week of
crushing travail
Quick the stage is being
set,
When, unleashed, hell’s
awesome forces
Make their greatest
onslaught yet.
But, beloved, be not
shaken,
Christ the Conqueror first
must come;
They who are His blood-bought
children
He must safely have at
Home:
Part they are - oh wondrous
prospect –
Of His spotless, holy
Bride;
Ere shall burst earth’s
week of travail
She must be at His blest
side.”
J. Danson Smith.
* *
*
CHAPTER 10 [Pages 74-77]
THE SPACE SIGN
In Matthew chapter 16 verse 3 the Lord Jesus Christ said to the religious
leaders of His day: “Can ye not discern the signs of the times?” This same
question can be asked today, but this time in a more exciting situation. In recent times, man has learned the
techniques of space travel. He is no
longer bounded by planet earth. Astronauts
have circled the moon and actually walked upon it. Men can stay in orbit now for months on end. “Can ye not discern the signs
of the times?” We are obviously living in the last days
before Christ comes back to take control of earth’s affairs, and before that
happens He will come for His Own blood‑washed, redeemed people. Yes, we believe that Space travel is a sure
sign of the Saviour’s return!
Hal Lindsey, in The Late Great Planet Earth, links the subject of space travel with
the coming again of the Lord Jesus: “The world caught
its breath. Science fiction had prepared
man for the incredible feats of the astronauts, but when the reality of the
moon landing really hit, it was awesome. ... Astounding as man’s trip to the moon
is, there is another trip which many men, women, and children will take some
day which will leave the rest of the world gasping. Those who remain on earth at that time will use
every invention of the human mind to explain the sudden disappearance of
millions of people. Reporters who wrote
the historic story of Apollo II told how the astronauts collected rocks which
may reveal the oldest secrets of the solar system. Those who are alive to tell
the story of ‘Project Disappearance’ will try in vain to describe the happening which will verify
the oldest secrets of God’s words. ...
It will happen! Some day, a day [page 75] that only God knows, Jesus
Christ is coming* to take away all those who
believe in Him. He is coming to meet all
true believers in the air. Without
benefit of science, space suits, or interplanetary rockets, there will be those
who will be transported into a glorious place more beautiful, more awesome,
than we can possibly comprehend. Earth
and all its thrills, excitement, and pleasures will be nothing in contrast to
this great event.”
[* Did our Lord come to the air or to the earth when Enoch and Elijah were
translated? No. Where do we read in Scripture that He ‘is coming’ to
remove His saints? I cannot find it! There is only one coming to
this earth of Messiah Jesus in the near future:
and that coming is at the END of the
Great Tribulation - (not at the end of the Millennium) - to resurrect the DEAD - (not all the dead as multitudes imply) - but
only those ‘disciples’ - (judged on the
standard of their personal “righteousness”)
–
who will ‘enter’ and reign with Him in “the kingdom of the heavens” (Matt. 5: 20; 7: 14, 21;). “At that
time” (Matt. 24: 30, N.I.V.),
and not before that time, will He come to translate those who “are Left’ ALIVE,
(1 Thess. 4: 14: 16).
The development of interest in Space has largely come about
since the conclusion of World War Two. This
war, with its Flying Bombs, Rockets, and finally the Atom Bomb, was beginning
to show what could be done in earth’s atmosphere. Man has probed farther and farther, until
today various countries have their Space programs. Rev.
Ian MacPherson says: “Take
the sign of the manned space-capsule. A. S. Wood has significantly pointed
out that the Russians succeeded in putting a man into outer space at Ascensiontide. It
would seem that, as the date of the Rapture draws near, humanity is becoming,
for the first time in its history, exceedingly space-conscious. Ours is an ‘air-minded
generation’. ... The manned space-capsule is a sign of the times. It will not need nuclear power to elevate the
saints. They will rise by a heavenly
gravitation to meet their returning Lord.”
Space scientists have many ideas and plans which eventually
they propose to put into operation. At present,
however, with the ever-present possibility of war between the West and the
East, it is important to have space scientists concentrating on Spy Satellites
and Space Craft which can observe and report back on the situation in
unfriendly countries. Recently, the “Jewish Chronicle” reported that the United States
Space Centre has a team of experts working on a project to place giant
aluminium mirrors on the moon. These
would be used for lighting at night, and vast savings of electricity and power
would be effected. Other great developments are taking place. Dr.
John Wesley White, writing on scientific developments, said: “One of the most fascinating advances in [page 76] technology, highlighted in
the Apollo moon landings, is the planting of the laser beam reflector on the
moon surface to get an exact measurement of its distance from the earth. ...
The laser beam of light is revolutionizing many areas of science. It concentrates tremendous energy into a
pinpoint of light and generates intense heat. Metals can be welded by it, machine guns and
rockets fired by it. In medicine, laser
beams are sent through glass fibres to treat growths in inaccessible parts of
the body, and detached retinas are rejoined to the eye by their use. In space communication, laser beams are being
used to bring television pictures from outer space in seconds, and in industry
they have vaporised coal into gas, making hitherto uneconomical coal seams
workable.”
Man now is talking seriously of the
possibility of building large platforms in space with regular transport between
earth and the “space village”. Things are advancing so rapidly today that
Christ must come soon. Man will not be
allowed by God to go too far in his explorations and inventions. Space, however, is the realm of the future and
whatever happens there, that is not a top secret item, is generally reported
with great excitement. Dr. White goes on to say: “Man has always longed to fly and eventually to ascend into
space. In this last third of the
twentieth century, man is not only flying billions of man-miles per year, he is
ascending, not fictionally, but factually to the skies - into skylabs, on to the moon, and soon, he speculates, to Mars. ... In the space program, scientists
have learned how to hurl man in his craft aloft from the earth and into orbit,
at a speed of 19,000 miles per hour, sending him into outer space a quarter of
a million miles straight away from the world to the moon. In the airlift of the ages, all the saints of
all generations and nations will rise to meet Christ and with Him ascend into
heaven. What an event!”
Much more could be written concerning things that are
happening in outer space today. Sunspots,
increased magnetic activity on the sun, Unidentified Flying Objects [page 77] and many other things all point to
the fact that we live in the last days of the Age of Grace. The time is short for sinners to repent and
receive the Saviour! The time is short
for the Christian to work!
“Today perhaps! Perhaps today!
Yes, He may come! Then watch and pray!
This ‘Blessed Hope’ keep
much in view;
Nor deem it dead tho’ taught by few.
And be as urgent as you may
In winning souls while ’tis ‘Today’.”
J. Danson Smith.
* *
*
CHAPTER 11 [Pages78-81]
THE TECHNOLOGICAL SIGN
Technology, as shown in the last chapter, has been making very
rapid strides forward. The Twentieth
Century has seen the most fantastic developments take place. From the slow, jogging pace of life in the
previous centuries man has invented and developed a vast number of wonderful
things. The prophet Daniel long ago said
“Knowledge
shall be increased” (Daniel 12: 4). This was a very definite reference to the “end times”, and we are seeing the increase of
knowledge today.
Dr. Walvoord and his son mention some of the
recent developments: “By every standard of
measurement, the twentieth century will go down in history as the incredible
century. The century began with limited
use of electricity, without radio, television, planes, missiles, electronic
computers, modern weapons, and atomic bombs. Technology has moved man into a modern era
which now witnesses more rapid change in the course of a year than formerly
took place in a century. The phenomenal
scientific developments of our age have exploded in parallel cultural changes. Gigantic manufacturing complexes have arisen;
millions of people have moved from rural areas to the city; modern travel has
shrunk the world so that everyone is everyone else’s neighbour; luxuries,
comforts, and pleasures, unknown in previous generations, have become
commonplace.”
We live in a constantly changing society, and the speed of
change is almost frightening. Automatic
machinery and computers now do tasks which formerly required many people to
handle. As a result people have much
more leisure time. Some use it to advantage, while others waste it. Then, again, machines sometimes make [page 79] workers redundant. In farming, in construction, in mining, and in
much of industry technology has made great advances.
Again to repeat the words of Daniel
in chapter 12 verse 4 he said: “Knowledge shall be increased”. Man may think he is clever but it is God Who
has given man this increase in knowledge. He is at the back of the technological
advancement. He is speeding things up as
this old earth draws towards the end of its period of wickedness before the
King of kings takes control.
Dr. M. R. Deffian, in Signs of the Times, says: “Only a few years ago travel was limited. Transportation was mostly by horse and buggy,
ox-teams and on foot. When I began
practising medicine I made my calls with horse and buggy,
or with a cutter in the winter. There
was not a mile of paved highway in the entire county. Automobiles were still a
novelty. Airplanes were unknown. Few people travelled more than a few miles
from their own homes. Then began the
travel age, and many began to run to and fro. Today,
people travel almost anywhere at will. Trains
travel at almost a hundred miles per hour, autos even faster. Fast ships cross the Atlantic in a few days,
planes make the trip to
[Page 80] It is remarkable to read in the Bible the words of James. In
his Epistle chapter 5 verses 1 to 3 he says: “Go to now, ye rich men,
weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments
are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust
of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were
fire. Ye have heaped treasure together
for the last days.” Many people think that they must use
technology to heap up riches. They find
a measure of security in wealth, but they
forget that the One Who gave the increase in knowledge
also has the power to take away their possessions, and without the Lord
Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour they will soon go to a lost eternity.
Again quoting Dr. John
Wesley White, he says: “The West and the
It is quite apparent to the thinking person that all these
recent developments and discoveries are not “by chance”.
They are indeed God-given - although one
has to acknowledge the fact that the nations today are putting much emphasis on
learning and education. Rev. Ian MacPherson
mentions that: “Not long ago a radio commentator
declared that in our day there has been what she called ‘a knowledge explosion’, and
that ninety per cent of all discoveries and inventions date from the beginning
of this century, the remaining ten per cent covering all the rest of human
history. ... Man’s achievements in
the fields of science and technology have been positively breath-taking. The race has leapt from the penny-farthing to
the space-module in a single human lifetime.”
In the remaining time before the Lord
Jesus comes back [page 81] for His Own technology will develop even faster. Exciting things are
happening, but for the child of God none will compare with that moment when the
trumpet sounds and he is “caught up to meet the Lord in the air”! Then, he shall see the One Who loved us and
gave Himself for us.
“We look for
the Saviour we look for His coming,
When living and sleeping
shall meet in the skies;
When from every nation,
with great jubilation,
The blood-bought unite at
the wondrous assize.”
J. Danson Smith.
* *
*
CHAPTER
12 [Pages 82-88]
THE MILLENNIAL SIGN
Men have spoken for centuries of the Golden Age that is to
come. By their labours and inventions,
as well as by God-given increase of knowledge, men have greatly reduced their “working week”, and also by the use of machinery they
have lessened the need for heavy manual labour. However, these things, along with large
increases in money and goods, have not brought to pass the Golden Age! Man is still sinful and wicked, and crime is much
on the increase. Is the Golden Age,
therefore, a hopeless dream?
The Word of God, which
is our only authority, clearly and emphatically speaks of
Earth’s Golden Age. It is to last for one thousand years, and
it will be under the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. This kingdom age is mentioned in Revelation chapter 20 verses 4 to 6. It is
known as the Millennium.*
[* For entrance see ‘Selective Quotations’, Numbers, - 127, 129, 136, 156, 169, 173, 211.]
Today, leaders of the
Jewish nation, which is back in the
Many great passages in the Bible speak of the Millennium. Take, for example, Isaiah
chapter 2 verses 1 to 4, also Psalm 72. Then,
Zechariah, in his prophecy in chapter 14 verse 9, says “The Lord shall be King over
all the earth”. He also describes how the nations will have to
attend at
Man today longs for peace, but there will not be and can not
be real [lasting] peace until the Prince of Peace comes to reign. [Page 83] The Millennium will never come by negotiated peace treaties. It will
never come through the work of church leaders. It cannot come until the Lord
Jesus Christ returns in power and glory to the earth.
Satan and his demons will be bound for a thousand years. Their influence will not be felt. There
will be a perfect political government under Christ. The
world’s economy will be perfect. Truth
and righteousness will prevail.
Professor J. Dwight
Pentecost, in his
tremendous work Things to Come,
states: “A
larger body of prophetic Scripture is devoted to the subject of the millennium,
developing its character and conditions, than any other one subject. This millennial age,
in which the purposes of God are fully realised on the earth, demands
considerable attention. ... It is evident that
there can and will be no earthly theocratic kingdom apart from the personal
manifested presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. This
whole age depends upon His return to the earth as promised. All that exists in the millennium has its origin in the King Who is revealed. ... The millennium will be the period of the full manifestation of the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. There
will be the manifestation of glory associated with the humanity of Christ. There will be the glory of a glorious
dominion, in which Christ, by virtue of
His obedience unto death, is given universal dominion to replace that dominion
which Adam lost. There will be the
glory of a glorious government, in which Christ, as David’s son, is given absolute power to govern (Isaiah 9: 6; Psalm 45: 4; Isaiah 11: 4; Psalm 72: 4;
Psalm 2: 9). There will be the glory of a glorious inheritance, in which the land and the seed
promised to Abraham are realized through Christ (Genesis 17: 8; 15: 7; Daniel 11: 16; Daniel 11: 41;
Daniel 8: 9). There will be the glory of a glorious
judiciary, in which Christ, as the spokesman for God, announces God’s will and
law throughout the age (Deuteronomy 18: 18,
19; Isaiah 33: 21, 22; Acts 3: 22; Isaiah 2: 3, 4; 42: 4). There will be the glory of a glorious house
and throne, in which [page 84] Christ, as
David’s son, shall fulfil that promised to David (2 Samuel 7: 12-16) in His reign (Isaiah 9: 6, 7; Luke 1: 31-33;
Matthew 25: 21). There will be the glory of a
glorious kingdom over which Christ reigns (Psalm 72; Isaiah 11: 10; Jeremiah 23: 6;
Zechariah 3: 10; Isaiah 9: 7).”
Before all this the Great Tribulation will take place. The Man of Sin - the Antichrist - will have
his period of world domination. The
judgments of God will descend upon a Christ-rejecting world. Prior to all these things the Saviour will
have come to the air and taken His Own out from the world. This coming will be secret. His return as King will be glorious and
triumphant. Matthew
24 verse 27 says: “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be”. Revelation chapter 1 verse 7 says “Behold, He
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him”. Matthew chapter 24 verse 30
says the whole world “shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory”.
Dr. Oswald J. Smith describes the Lord’s return to the
earth in this manner: “As He went, He returns. Amid the clouds of heaven He descends. Openly He left, openly He comes back. And all the power is His, while the glory no
tongue can describe. ... Surely the hour is at hand. The Great Tribulation must be almost upon us,
the fearful reign of the Antichrist about to commence. And then the battle of
Armageddon, and then - the glorious revelation of our blessed Lord. And then, ah, then, at last, the Golden Age,
the Millennium. Hasten, glad day! Hasten, judgment and tribulation! Hasten, oh hasten, Thou Christ of God, Thou
mighty Prince of Peace!”
A.
THE KING AND THE KINGDOM
It is interesting to note in studying the Bible how Matthew reveals
the Lord Jesus Christ as “King”. His Gospel frequently refers to the King and
the kingdom. The world knows that
Dr. Lehman Strauss helpfully explains that: “Some err greatly*
in confusing the kingdom with the Church. Well-meaning Christians often fail to
distinguish between the two. I have been in
churches where pastors, or church officers, have prayed for the advancement of the kingdom. God’s purpose for this age is the building of
His Church. The kingdom cannot be established until the King returns, and this He
will not do until He has finished building His Church. ... The Church Age will end at the Rapture, when Jesus comes in the
air to catch away the redeemed; the Kingdom Age will not commence until the
King returns the second time* with His Own redeemed ones and all the holy
angels with Him.”
[* See in ‘Selective Quotations” - Numbers, - 147,
129, 28, 60, 78, 109.]
The day is approaching fast when Christ’s kingdom will be
here. Nearly three hundred years ago Isaac Watts reminded us that:
“Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Doth his successive journeys run;
His kingdom
stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons
shall wax and wane no more.”
His kingdom will be world-wide. Everyone will come under its control. The Bible says that Christ will “rule with a rod of iron” (Revelation
19: 15). In Philippians chapter 2 verses 10 and 11 we read “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.
B.
THE KINGDOM’S INFLUENCE
The Millennium will see vast changes on earth. Animal
life, for instance, will return to Edenic conditions.
It was because of man’s sin that the
animal realm suffered. Isaiah chapter 11 describes the coming Kingdom and
in verses 6 to 8
we read: “The wolf
also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
and the [page 86] calf and the young lion and
the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their
young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole
of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.”
Dr. John R. Rice describes the Kingdom’s influence in
these words: “What a great change in animal nature!
The wolf, leopard and young lion will no longer be beasts of prey and will do
no harm to the lamb, the kid and the fat calf. A child can play, in that day, with the beasts
of the field, as might today with a puppy. There will be no more carnivorous beasts, but ‘the lion shall eat straw
like the ox’! ... We may be
sure that that change will reach even to insects and disease germs. If the lion will eat straw like the ox, and
wolves, leopards, and poisonous snakes will be safe playmates for the babies,
we may be sure that people in that happy time will be safe from the sting of
insects, from infection and bacteria or from harm by any of God’s creatures.”
Then, also, the Millennium will see the curse on the ground lifted. Weeds, thorns and thistles will cease to grow.
Isaiah
chapter 35, speaking of the Millennium, says “the desert shall rejoice,
and blossom as the rose”.
Amos chapter
9 verse 13, speaking of the influence of the Kingdom, says that “the plowman
shall overtake the reaper”. Crops will be most abundant. Human
life, too, will be greatly prolonged in the Millennial Age, and life will be
vastly different under the rule of the King. Dr.
John Wesley White indicates some of the changes that are coming: “Under His universal reign, humanity will rise to heights of
happiness never before realised, or even dreamed of, in the history of man on
this planet. It is my belief that with
science and technology yielding such unprecedented progress today, unhampered
by crime, war and hate, as they will be under the benevolent reign of Jesus,
every invention will be utilised for man’s freedom and fulfilment here on the
earth - for a thousand years.” [Page 87]
C. THE BRIDE OF THE KING
The
[* See in ‘Selective Quotations” Number 3 for the ‘Bride’. ** Numbers 34, 80 and 117 for rapture.]
As Dr. Pentecost says: “When Jesus Christ
comes to this earth to reign, He is not going to leave His beloved Bride
behind. He is not going to
separate Himself from the Church of which He is the living Head. He is going to bring this body of redeemed
ones with Him, so that He might be glorified in the saints and that they might
share His glory. As the bride of a king
shares in the glory, the privileges, the honours of her husband’s throne, so we
through the age of the King’s reign will share His glory, and His honour. Thus will be fulfilled His promise, ‘And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also’ (John
14: 3). As He reigns as King of kings and Lord of
lords for ever and ever, we shall share His glory.”
The Millennial reign of Christ is near. Soon, He will be seen by the world’s population
leading the armies of heaven - descending to the
“Oh, the glory of that coming,
When
He comes as King of kings;
When
ten thousand times ten thousand
Ransomed
souls with Him He brings;
When, with them, we stand before
Him,
Clothed, but in immortal
dress,
Finite mind must fail to
picture
Such exceeding gloriousness.”
* *
*
CHAPTER 13[Pages 89-92]
A SOLEMN WARNING*
[* See ‘Selective
Quotations’ Numbers – 286, 309, 318, 321, 322, 327, 341, 370, 372, 393, 452 and many more.]
In the foregoing chapters we have considered rather briefly some
of the Signs of the Saviour’s Return. Without
any doubt we live in momentous times. Down
through the ages, some of the signs of Christ’s return were apparent, but today
[almost] ALL the signs are present together! The Saviour Himself gave this solemn warning
in Matthew chapter 24 verse 44 “Therefore be ye also ready for
in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”.
The true child of God who reads His Word and believes it in
its entirety is waiting and looking for the Saviour to come at any moment. His
life, therefore, should be lived in the light of the Saviour’s return. This will affect his thinking, his working,
his witnessing and his planning.
Dr. John R. Rice makes this challenge: “Those who know they are saved should so live that they will not be ashamed before Christ at His
coming. This duty of all Christians
to be ready for Jesus is expressed in 1 John
2: 28 which says: ‘And now, little children,
abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before Him at His coming’. I know I am saved,
and therefore when Jesus comes, I will go with Him. But a child of God who is not on duty, not
winning souls, not living right will be ashamed before Christ when He comes. We will go with Christ to the wedding supper,
but we should also remember that we go to the judgment seat of Christ. We must give an account of our stewardship and
receive our reward.”
Many today who are members of churches - religious, baptized
people - are not “ready”. There is but one way to be “ready”, and that is by asking the Saviour into one’s
own heart. “He is able to save” - so the Bible says! He is waiting to save you as you read this - if only
you will acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner. His precious blood was shed on
[* The above paragraph would suggest the author is appealing to the unregenerate;
but what is to become of us who are regenerate, if we are not
“ready”?
What “reward” will we receive from Jesus
- our Righteous Judge - who will reward His redeemed people
according to their works?]
Years ago, W. E.
Blackstone said in his book Jesus is Coming: “Dear friend, we point you to the crucified Saviour as the
only hope of salvation. We beg of you to
‘kiss the Son, lest ye perish from the way.
... Blessed
are all they that put their trust in Him’ (Psalm 2: 12). What
shall it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul?* (Matthew 16: 26, 27). He is coming, and we know neither the day, nor
the hour when He may come, (Matthew 25: 13). What if He should come now? Would you be found of Him in peace (2 Peter 3: 14), or would you be
left behind to endure the terrible things which shall come upon the world (Luke 21: 25, 26), while the Church is with Christ in the
air (Luke 21: 36 and 1 Thessalonians 4: 17), and be made at
His appearing (2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10) to mourn (Matthew 24: 30) and pray to the
mountains and rocks to hide you from His face (Revelation
6: 16)? ‘Prepare to meet thy God’ was the solemn injunction
to
[* For ‘salvation of the soul,’ see God’s Pilgrims, chapter 16. ]
The signs of the Saviour’s return as King of kings and Lord of
lords abound. The Lord Jesus Christ said
in Luke [page 91] chapter 21 verse 28: “When these things begin to come to pass, then look
up ... for your redemption draweth
nigh”. No one can deny this. For the true Christian this is a “blessed hope”. For those not saved, His coming to the air
will herald in the Great Tribulation and afterwards a lost eternity in hell.
Dr. John R. Rice, the great evangelist, warns: “If you are left here when the Christian people are taken
away, you are likely to commit the unpardonable sin. Multitudes will, for every one whose name is
not written in the book of life will take the mark of the beast, the Man of
Sin; and when one does, he will be forever lost, with no chance to escape. When mother and sister and wife are taken
away, when every true church is closed, and when every saved person is gone,
what will you do? The most likely thing
is that you will lose your soul. It is wicked to delay. The Scriptures say: ‘Today if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts’. Now is God’s time. You can be saved right now if you will in your
heart put your trust in Jesus.”
I wish to close with the words of my father – J. Danson Smith
- as he gives you, dear reader, a final invitation to “be
ready”, and you can respond - even now!
“God has not promised to save you tomorrow,
But He has promised to hear you today;
Why risk salvation When you cannot borrow
One single moment, much less a new day?
God has not promised to
save you tomorrow,
But He is waiting to save
you today;
Why should you linger in
sadness and sorrow,
Why do you tarry, oh, why
still delay?
Yes, God has promised
eternal redemption
For every soul who will
trust Him today;
Freedom from guilt, and
from sin full exemption,
But His great promise is
just for today.
Only today is the day of salvation,
Only today is God’s offer to you;
Only today is the great invitation,
Will you take Christ – today?”
THE END