The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

XI. Gunner-Marshals Evidence of Last Times

One oFFREDERTCK GUNNER’S ⁴¹ presentations will exemplify the prophetic positions taught. Gunner wrote Twelve Essays on the Personal Reign of Christ, presenting his exposition. He was a stalwart premillennialist-believing the millennium would be attended by the literal resurrection of the righteous at its beginning, with that of the wicked—or “rest of the dead”—at its close.” ⁴² The execution of the judgment upon sinners and the consuming of the earth, as with Sodom and Gomorrah, will take place. Then the meek will inherit the earth, and the reign of Christ extend from sea to sea forever. Gunner followed through the great prophetic outline of Daniel 2—the four world empires, with the Roman fourth divided into the customarily listed ten kingdoms. These tremendous events are simply described as historical facts in the prophesied career of old earth. The “stone” is the coming kingdom of Christ. PFF4 716.2

The same grand outline is repeated in Daniel 7—the same four powers and the same division of Rome under the symbol of the ten horns, with the papal Little Horn following, and the hour approaching when these shall all be consumed by the burning flame foretold by Paul. The 70 weeks reach from the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, in the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, to the death of the Messiah. And the 2300 years begin at the same starting point. So the future is “big with hope.*’ The 1260 year-days of the woman in the wilderness are when she is persecuted by the Papacy. Now the persecutor’s days are numbered. Her special period of dominance is identical with that of the Two Witnesses in sackcloth, and the three and one-half times of Daniel 7—from Justinian to the French Revolution, or from 538 to 1798. PFF4 717.1

The signs of the last days thicken about us. The days of Noah are repeated, and the earmarks of the end, enumerated by Paul, are seen. The last-day scoffers predicted by Peter are about us. The peace cry is on every hand. The increase of Biblical and prophetic knowledge-with the construction of “prophetic grammars” to elucidate Biblical knowledge in general and prophetic truth in particular-is plainly visible. The deciphering of ancient hieroglyphics and the findings of archeology bear their witness. The gospel is going to the world. And the material means needed to spread the gospel—science, photography, the telegraph, the steam printing press, and the like—are available. Verily the present age of progress declares loudly that “the time of the end” has been entered. The Son of man is coming soon. PFF4 717.2

The Papacy, with her perversions, has altered the face of society. The sun was darkened according to prediction on May 19; 1780, the impression prevailing that the day of judgment was approaching; and the moon, “Queen of the night,” keeping company with the “Lord of the day” in refusing to shine, was a sign of the times. The falling stars, on November 13, 1833, was likewise a “sure forerunner” of the second advent. These all warn of the speedy return of Christ. “We stand,” says Gunner in impressive phrases, “upon a lofty and perilous eminence, around which rolls the ocean of time.” There is at present a lull, but the peak of the storm will soon break. The omens are growing more ominous. Warning after warning is given by Jehovah. Day after day His counsel and His judgments are disregarded,, unread and unheeded by the world. ⁴³ Repent! PFF4 718.1

That was Gunner’s sobering message in Britain-virtually identical with the American emphasis. The same was paralleled in part in Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and even India. ⁴⁴ PFF4 718.2