The Time of the End

THE position taken in previous articles on the subject of the time of the end, is that the prophetic word relative to the end was sealed till that period should arrive called the time of the end, and that in this brief, indefinite period, prophecy is unsealed, in order that the warnings symbolized by the three angels of Rev. 14:6-12 should go forth in the form of special messages of divine truth applicable to the closing work of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was not the design of God that the soon second advent of Jesus Christ should be proclaimed by the apostles, by the martyrs, or by the reformers. The specific work of giving this message to the world, is reserved to the very generation that will witness the coming of the day of God and the revelation of his Son from Heaven.

The prophetic words of the apostle to the church at Thessalonica fully sustain the position taken:—

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

"Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." 2 Thess. 2:1-8.

1. The subject introduced is the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the gathering of his people to him at the time of the resurrection of the dead.

2. The apostle warns the Christian church all along the centuries against looking for the Second Advent until the close of the period of papal rule, the time, times and a half of Dan. 7:25; 12:7, which is the 1260 days (years) of Rev. 12:6, 14.

3. The mystery of iniquity worked in the days of the apostle and hindered the development of the papacy until it was removed about the year A. D. 508.

4. In his time, the papacy was revealed as a blasphemous, persecuting power, covering the time from A. D. 538 to A. D. 1798.

5. The papacy has exalted itself above God in that it has offered pardon for sins before they were committed, a thing which God has never done, and in exalting the rival Sabbath of the Roman church above the Sabbath of the Lord our God.

6. It is worthy of especial notice that the warning of the apostle against looking for the day of God too soon, closes with the close of the 1260 years of papal supremacy, just where the time of the end commences.

Eighteen years prior to the commencement of the time of the end, the fulfillment of the special signs of the second coming of Christ, in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars, commenced. Christ speaks of the signs of his second coming as follows:—

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:25-28. Again our Lord says:—

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then 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.

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matt. 24:29-35.

Our Lord states, as recorded by Luke, that when these special signs of his coming should begin to come to pass, his people should look up, and lift up their heads in faith and hope; for their redemption draws nigh. The first signs, those in the sun and moon, occurred a century ago the 19th of last May.

And again he says, as recorded by Matthew, that when his waiting people should see all these things, they should know that his coming was near, even at the doors.