The Signs of the Times, vol. 26

November 7, 1900

“Lessons from Matthew 24. ‘Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready!’” The Signs of the Times 26, 45, p. 4.

THE world is now in the time when “all these things” which Jesus mentioned as signs of His coming and of the end of the world, can be seen, and when all may “know that it is near, even at the doors.” Accordingly it should be expected that all would be most interestedly observing all these things, and getting ready to meet Him “in peace without spot and blameless,” and with the joyful greeting, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited fro Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.1

It is in order that all may be thus ready and waiting to meet Him and greet Him, that the Lord has given all this instruction about His coming. He would not have a single soul taken unawares. The more forcibly to impress this upon all, he spake a parable, saying, “Behold, the fig tree and all the trees; when her branch is now become tender, and putting forth its leaves, ye see it, and know of your own selves that the summer is now nigh. Even so ye also, when ye see all these things coming to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these things shall be accomplished. Heaven and earth shall pass away; but My words shall not pass away.” As certainly and as easily as the people of the world know that summer is nigh when the trees put forth leaves, so certainly and so easily may the people of this world know that the coming of the Lord and the end of the world is now nigh, and that this generation shall not pass away till these joint events shall be accomplished, and the kingdom of God be come in all its glory. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.2

Accordingly Jesus urges upon all people in this time, “Watch therefore; for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.” “Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh.” “Take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life and that day come on you suddenly as a snare.” “But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.3

“Take ye heed, WATCH and pray; for ye know not when the time is. It is as when a man, sojourning in another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, to each one his work, commanded also the porter to watch. WATCH THEREFORE; for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.4

And yet for all this instruction, all this warning, and all this exhortation, to know, to be ready, and to watch, only a few will do so. The great mass of the world’s people will refuse the instruction, despise the warning, and resist the exhortation, and will follow the way of the world, even to ruin. So fully is this true that only the days of Noah and the days of Lot can supply a fitting parallel. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.5

And thus the Lord says: “As were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.6

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.7

Both in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot, all the people could have known as really as Noah and Lot knew what was coming, and so could all have escaped instead of all being destroyed. They did not know, simply because they would not know. They were instructed, they were warned, they were exhorted concerning the coming flood, and also concerning the impending destruction of Sodom; but they would not believe the word. They could have known all, simply by believing the word; but they would not believe, and therefore did not and could not know. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.8

Even so it is now. The word is ample; the message is distinct; the instruction if definite; the warning is faithful; the exhortation is sufficient; but the great mass of the people will not believe, and therefore can not know. Every soul can know all, and so can be delivered from the coming destruction, and saved with the Lord’s full salvation, if he will only simply believe the Word. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.9

But they will not believe. Instead, they actually turn “scoffers, walking after their own lusts; and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:3-7. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.10

Indeed, these scoffers are found even among the professed servants of the true Master. But they are evil servants; as saith the Master Himself. “If that evil servant shall say in his heart. My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of; and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.11

From this it is evident that in these times there will be found among the professed servants of the Lord, unfaithfulness to Christian truth, and only pretensions to piety. Even so it is written: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. So much is this so that Jesus was forced to exclaim, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.12

Nevertheless, there are some who will believe, who, like Noah, in spite of the evil tide drawing away from God, will set themselves to walk with God. These also, as Noah, will cease not to proclaim the truth of God for the time, and will warn the world that the Lord is coming that the end is near, that destruction hastens and that men must escape for their lives. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.13

Therefore, and of these, the Lord says: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath set over His household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that He will set him over all that He hath.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.14

All these will gladly see the Lord come. And they will see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. For soon “the powers of the heavens shall be shaken and there shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and SO shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.15

“In the resurrection morning we shall see the Saviour coming. And the sons of God a-shouting in the kingdom of the Lord. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.16

CHORUS.

“We shall rise, we shall rise, When the mighty trumpet rends the azure skies We shall rise, we shall rise, In the resurrection morning we shall rise. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.17

“We feel the advent glory; while the vision seems to tarry. We will comfort one another with the words of Holy Writ. SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.18

“The faith ... discover that ... warfare ... be over, “We will tell the pleasing story, when we meet our friends in glory, And we’ll keep ourselves all ready for to hail the heavenly King.” SITI November 7, 1900, page 4.19

ALONZO T. JONES.