General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

OUR TIME, AND ITS MEANING

H. E. OSBORNE

Reading for Sabbath, December 21.

Jesus, our glorious King, is coming. He is coming soon. He is coming in this generation. To all who are living he says, “Behold I come quickly.” Thank God for this blessed assurance! It cheers the hearts of true believers, and inspires them with divine courage and zeal. It leads them to put away sin, that they may be prepared to meet him who is of “purer eyes than to behold evil, and [who] canst not look on iniquity.” GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.1

The second coming of Christ will be the greatest event of all time. It will bring the grand climax of the everlasting gospel. It will bring the glorious consummation of the hope of the church in all ages. It will bring to an end the cruel reign of sin. It will make to cease forever all the afflictions of this groaning creation. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.2

The second coming of Christ will be an event of supreme interest to the entire universe. In that event are centered the interests of every human being. In it is involved the existence of Satan and his angels; and by it will be affected the well-being of the angels of heaven and the inhabitants of unfallen worlds! GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.3

Surely an event of such inexpressible meaning to the universe ought to arrest the attention of men. It should certainly receive the heartiest and most enthusiastic devotion Christ’s believers could possibly give it. Every heart should rejoice in the blessed prospect of soon meeting him who is the “chiefest among ten thousand.” The whole life of every believer should clearly and earnestly proclaim to the world that Jesus is coming, and that he is coming soon. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.4

But in order for Christ’s followers to proclaim such a blessed truth to the world they must know it and believe it themselves. It must be to them a certainty, a divine reality. They must be as sure of it as of their own existence. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.5

But is such certainty, such assurance, possible? It surely is; for Jesus, when giving the signs that were to be to his followers an evidence that he was about to return, said, “When ye shall see all these things, know that he [margin] is near, even at the doors.” And in the epistle of Peter, the Lord teaches us that the “word of prophecy” by which the second advent is so fully set forth, is “more sure,” more to be relied upon, than even our sight and hearing. 2 Peter 1:16-20. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.6

Now according to the sure word of prophecy we have come to the last days of human history. We have reached the link in every line of gospel prophecy that connects time with eternity. That is to say, that every event, save the very last one, in every line of prophecy is in the past, or is being fulfilled, and we are now witnessing the last acts of this world’s terrible history. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.7

In the prophecy of Daniel two, the setting up of Christ’s kingdom follows the division of the Roman empire. That division was completed fourteen centuries ago. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.8

In the prophecy of chapter seven, the giving of the kingdom under the whole heaven to the saints of the Most High is the next event to occur after the fall of papal supremacy. The papacy lost its supremacy in 1798. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.9

The last act of the prophecy of chapters eight and nine is the cleansing of the sanctuary. This act connects with the end. When this work closes, Christ will come. This work began in 1844. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.10

By the long line of prophecy of chapter eleven we are brought to the fall of the Turkish empire in Europe, and the removal that its capital from Constantinople to Jerusalem. That event has not taken place, but for years it has been looked for almost daily by the great nations of the world. This is a living issue with which the whole civilized world is very familiar, yet they do not know its meaning. But all might know it, for the Scripture says:— GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.11

“And at that time shall Michael [Christ] stand up [begin his reign], the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.12

Passing to the prophetic lines in the book of Revelation, we find the last events in each to take place before Jesus comes, in process of fulfillment. And to prepare the world for the end, the last message of warning, as presented in chapter fourteen, is now being given. When this is finished, Jesus will come to reap the harvest of the earth. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.13

In addition to the evidences furnished by the long lines of prophecy showing where we are living, Jesus pointed to certain events which he said would be signs of his coming. These began to appear one hundred and fifty years ago: the great earthquake occurred in 1755, the darkening of the sun and moon occurred in 1780, and the falling of the stars took place in 1833. Then began that condition upon the earth described by our Lord as “distress of nations, with perplexity,” “men’s hearts failing them for fear.” And now, to-day, men behold everywhere in our world the very conditions the Lord tells us will exist prior to, and up to, the day of his coming. GCB October 1, 1901, page 562.14

In 1798 there began, by the termination of the twelve hundred and sixty years which marked the close of papal supremacy, that wonderful and most eventful period of all history, “the time of the end.” The time of the end is a specific period marked off by prophecy, which is to lead up to, and usher in, the end itself. It is the day of God’s preparation. Nahum 3:3. It is the time during which the angel having the seventh trumpet is to begin to sound. That trumpet began to sound in 1844. In the tenth chapter and seventh verse of Revelation, it is declared that when this trumpet begins to sound, the mystery of God, which is the gospel, shall be finished. That trumpet is to continue its sounding until after the second resurrection. That will cover more than a thousand years. Therefore, although it has been sounding fifty-seven years, we are still in the first days of its sounding. GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.1

Thus we are brought plainly and definitely to the time when the Lord “will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Romans 9:28. GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.2

For a hundred years the Lord by his providences has been shaping everything for this mighty change. He has been using men in all parts of the world to prepare and provide the facilities which he will use to give the “last call” to the whole world in this generation. Other men have labored, and God’s people to-day are to enter into their labors. John 4:38. Explorers have pushed their work with brave hearts to all parts of the world, thus bringing every nation, kindred, tongue, and people to light. Inventors have toiled without ceasing to provide facilities for the rapid and universal transit of man and his thoughts to all places where explorers have led the way. Christian missionaries have followed hard after explorers and inventors, devoting their lives to the great task of giving the Scriptures to all the peoples of the world, that all may read in their own tongue the blessed story of redemption. GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.3

God’s providences all declare that “all things are now ready” for the gospel of the kingdom to be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and thus bring the end. Ah, yes, this might have been done years ago, and the people of God might have been in heaven now. The Lord willed it so, and made everything ready on his part for its accomplishment; but his own people have stood in the way, and have thus delayed his coming. A recent Testimony says:— GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.4

“Had the purpose of God been carried out by his people in giving the message of mercy to the world, Christ would have come to the earth, and the saints of God would ere this have received their welcome in the city of God.” GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.5

This is the evil thing that Jesus points out by his reference to that evil servant that says in his heart, “My Lord delayeth his coming.” While it is true that the coming of the Lord is delayed, it is also true that it is the course God’s people have taken that has caused the delay. GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.6

The situation as it stands to-day is graphically set forth in Ezekiel 12:22-28:— GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.7

“Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? ...Thus saith the Lord God, I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.... I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged [delayed]: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.... Behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off.... Thus saith the Lord God; there shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.” GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.8

The tenth chapter of Revelation presents some stirring features of the first angel’s message. The angel to whom is given the charge of that message swears by the Lord God of heaven that there shall be “delay no longer” (R. V.); for “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound,” the mystery of God (the gospel) shall be finished. GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.9

Thank God for these cheering promises. They renew our hearts with hope and courage. We rejoice that God has set his hand to deliver his people Israel. This blessed work will be done; for who can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.10

Oh, brethren, knowing the time, do we not know that now it is surely high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed? Yes, the night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Let us then arise, and give to all the world the glorious light which God has so graciously given to us. A. G. DANIELLS. GCB October 1, 1901, page 563.11