救赎主归来的迹象

救赎主归来

救赎主归来的迹象

第 6 章

“一有这些事，你们就当挺身昂首，因为你们得赎的日子近了。”

路加福音 21:28

正如我们在上一章中所表明的那样，使徒们和他们的皈依者期待基督在他们有生之年归来。他们没有肯定祂会回来，但他们相信祂可能会回来。但从那时起已经过去了十八个世纪，祂却还没有来。因此，问题来了，有什么证据表明我们的主的第二次降临现在已近在眼前——也就是说，甚至按照人类的时间测量来判断，已经近在眼前了？难道在公义的太阳带着医治的光芒升起之前，难道还必须再经历十八个世纪的疲惫历程吗？我们有什么方法可以确定我们的主可能出现的大致时间吗？我们有什么充分的理由相信在救世主再次归来之前不会再经过很长的一段时间吗？

上帝在人类事务中引发的其他重大事件，都已发出警告，宣布它们的临近。洪水审判、以色列子民在埃及的长期逗留和解救，以及我们的主第一次降临的时间，都可以作为例证。因此，在上帝过去每一次显著干预之前，都明确暗示了它们的临近。那么，所有事件中最重要的事件的时间——大致时间——是否被隐藏在如此神秘的氛围中，以至于我们不可能在它到来之前知道任何事情？当然不是。圣经中受启发的语言宣称——“弟兄们，论到时候、日期，不用写信给你们。因为你们自己明明晓得，主的日子来到，好像夜间的贼一样。人正说平安稳妥的时候，灾祸忽然临到他们，如同产难临到怀胎的妇人一样，他们绝不能逃脱。弟兄们，你们却不在黑暗里，叫那日子临到你们像贼一样。你们都是光明之子，都是白昼之子；我们不是属黑夜的，也不是属幽暗的。所以我们不要睡觉，像别人一样，总要警醒谨守。”（帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:1-6）这些话再清楚不过了。

上帝不希望他的子民对他的儿子何时归来一无所知。正如古时，他谈到即将毁灭的所多玛时说：“我所要做的事，岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢？”上帝也仁慈地将教会纳入他的劝告中，并至少向我们揭示了“他的一部分行事方式”。我们不知道救赎主归来的日子和时间，我们无法确定救赎主归来的确切年份，但我们知道他的归来已经近在眼前。我们从上帝活生生的神谕中知道这一点。他没有让我们处于黑暗之中，而是将更可靠的预言之言放在我们手中，“我们留意这预言，如同灯照在暗处，直等到天发亮，晨星在我们心里出现的时候，才是好的。”旧约时代的先知们受到赞扬，因为他们“考察在他们心里基督的灵，预先证明基督受苦难，后来得荣耀，是指着怎样的时候” (彼得前书 1:11)；那么，同样的“考察”在我们身上也是值得赞扬的。

当我们研究旧约圣经时，我们发现有许多迹象预示着基督的第一次降临。有一些条件需要实现，一些事件将会发生，当这些条件得到满足，这些事件发生时，那些“在耶路撒冷寻求救赎”的人（路加福音 2:38）从这些事情中看到了弥赛亚降临和公开显现的临近的许多暗示。以色列的圣经揭示了救赎主将出生在犹大的伯利恒（弥迦书 5:2）；他们预言他将是大卫的直系后裔，因此是犹大支派的后裔（诗篇 132:11）；他们宣布，先驱者将走在他前面，为他铺平道路（以赛亚书 40:13）；他们甚至列出了他出现的大致日期，即在王杖离开犹大之前（创世记 49:10），当时圣殿仍然站立（玛拉基书 3:1），在但以理的第六十九周结束之前的某个时间（但以理书 9:24-27）。同样，新约圣经也记录了与我们的主第二次降临地球有关的某些“迹象”，我们说“降临地球”，因为要清楚地理解，圣经在现在的时刻和基督为他的圣徒降临之间没有设置任何中间环节，那时他降到空中，把他们接到自己身边。圣经中记录的所有“迹象”都与他重返地球有关。但由于基督第二次降临的两个阶段之间只有相对较短的间隔，因此宣告一个阶段的迹象预示着另一个阶段。如果某些受启发的预言的实现表明基督重返地球已近在眼前，那么他降临到空中的时间就更近了。如果我们知道时代本身的终结现在已近在眼前，那么圣徒的被提随时可能发生，这是更加肯定的。然而，我们重申，我们将提请读者注意的各种迹象都与我们的主重返人间有关。我们重复这一点是为了警告，因为正如另一个人所说，基督徒的工作不是寻找迹象，而是倾听呼喊（霍尔德曼）。然而，虽然我们不应该寻找迹象，但我们可以看看它们（W. 斯科特）。

正如我们所说，《旧约圣经》预言了主出现时的某些事情：预告的迹象是灾难来临的标志。但犹太人未能辨别这些迹象，救世主因此责备他们。他说：“到了晚上，天发红，你们就说：‘天色要晴’；早晨，天色又红又暗，你们就说：‘天色要阴’。假冒为善的人哪，你们能分辨天上的气色，却不能分辨这时候的神迹吗？”（马太福音 16：2，3）。法利赛人和撒都该人之所以对当时发生在他们眼前的事情的意义视而不见，是因为他们不知道记载这些迹象的那本书的内容。这从我们主多次说过的话中可以清楚看出——“你们错了，因为不明白圣经”（马太福音 22:29）。他们之所以不知道圣经的内容和真正含义，是因为他们用自己的“传统”取代了上帝的话语（马可福音 7:13）。历史重演了！我们生活在这样一个时代，绝大多数人都无法“辨别时代的迹象”，我们的宗教领袖“错了，因为不明白圣经”，因为他们遵循自己的“传统”而不是上帝的话语。主耶稣斥责法利赛人和撒都该人，因为他们可以“辨别天上的气色”，但却不愿意付出必要的努力去“辨别时代的迹象”。那么，让我们小心，以免我们陷入同样的​​不信的境地。让我们虔诚地、虔诚地阅读圣经，寻求发现我们在预言日历上的位置，从而为现在如此近在眼前的庄严而又神圣的事件做好准备。

虽然在我们主第一次降临的时代，绝大多数犹太人确实未能辨别时代的迹象，因此没有从他们的先知的宣告中获益，但还是有少数人“等候以色列的安慰者”（路加福音 2:25），现在也是如此，靠着上帝的恩典，今天有一群残余的人在预言之光中解读时代的迹象。我们现在将看看其中的一些迹象。1

. 神圣希望本身的恢复和复兴。

在但以理书 12:4、9、10 中我们读到——“但以理啊，你要隐藏这话，封闭这书，直到末时。必有多人来往奔跑，知识就必增长。”虽然这个预言主要是指但以理的族人犹太人，就他们而言，将在大灾难时期的“虔诚余民”中得到实现，但像所有预言一样，这个预言也有双重实现，因此对今天的上帝教会有次要的应用。“他说，但以理啊，你去吧！因为这话已经隐藏封闭，直到末时。必有多人被洁净，被洁净，并被试验；但恶人必行恶，一切恶人都不明白。”正如我们仍将试图表明的那样，这个预言是一个综合的预言，它的实现在许多不同的方面得到体现。我们现在要关注的是这一预言是如何在圣经中实现的，特别是与现代人对预言的兴趣和广泛研究有关。

众所周知，但以理书主要由预言组成，这些预言经常提到外邦人的时代末日。现在摆在我们面前的圣经表明了七个事实，即——第一，但以理预言的内容将被“封闭”和“封住”；第二，但以理书不应永远是一本“封闭”的书；第三，在“末日”它应该被解封，因为它只会被“封闭”到“末日”和“直到”末日；第四，在末日应该“来回奔波”，换句话说，应该重新对预言产生兴趣，认真探究和寻求光明；第五，随着对预言的兴趣和研究的复兴，“知识将会增长”；第六，随着知识的增长，许多人将“被净化、洁白、被考验”；第七，尽管如此，恶人仍会“作恶”，他们中没有一个人会“理解”，因此，在最后一项中，我们被告知，对上帝之言的理解是一个精神辨别的问题，而不是一个智力敏锐的问题：如果是后者，那么恶人可能会像义人一样容易理解（比较马太福音 18:10-15）。让我们简要地考虑一下这七点，并注意它们在当今条件下得到了多么显著的验证。

但以理被告知，他所看到的东西和听到的信息目前都不能派上用场。一切都将像一本封住的书一样，直到遥远的将来，事实上，直到世界末日，它都将“被封闭”。我们预言的这一部分是如何准确和真实地实现的，可以通过回顾上个世纪之前的神学家和评论家的著作来最好地看出。直到最近，但以理的大部分预言都被完全忽视了，当人们试图揭开它的内容时，他们纵容了最疯狂的理论，采用了最荒谬的解释。没有精神上的理解。这本书被“封闭了！”但但以理书不会被永远封闭起来。上帝向他的先知透露这些是出于某种明智的目的。他有充分的理由让但以理知道各个世界帝国的趋势和末日。

在末日，但以理书的内容将被打开和揭开，因为许多人将“来来回回”，知识将“增加”。在过去的一个世纪里，这一末日的标志是多么明显地显现出来！虽然群众仍然像躲避一本封住的书一样避开预言，但它在许多热切的头脑中引起了多大的轰动和研究！“许多人”转向了预言的话语（见证了现在关于这个主题的大量书籍），并尽其所能地理解其内容。尤其是但以理书本身。大量上帝的子民被感动去询问其中记录的事情，不遗余力地或不惜一切代价去获得对它们的了解，在上帝的祝福和圣灵的引导下，这本书上的光芒稳步增加，随着预言的实现越来越近，它的神秘象形文字变得越来越清晰和明白。这本重要著作的阐释者在细节上可能有所不同，但总体上他们是一致的，其主要结论也是相同的。

这种对预言的认真和广泛研究的结果是，上帝子民的虔诚度和奉献度不断提高——“许多人将被净化并变得洁白”。随着对预言的了解越来越多，人们对迷失者的责任感也越来越深。一个引人注目的事实是，上个世纪外国传教团的显著增长与广泛转向先知之言同步。直到十九世纪初，异教徒除了极少数例外，完全被忽视，但以理书也是如此。另一方面，严格按照但以理的预言，伴随着预言之光的增加及其对上帝子民的净化作用，我们发现“恶人行恶”，他们中没有一个人“明白”——也就是说，恶人完全不知道即将到来的可怕时代（但以理书中提到）。

对预言这一主题的广泛探究和启迪所产生的最显著和最有福的结果之一就是恢复和复兴了有福的希望。我们相信，但以理的预言（在当今的应用中）中所说的“但智慧人必明白”就是指这个。“智慧人”是那些受上帝圣言支配的人，他们的思想是由圣经的教导形成的，因为“你的言语一解开，就发出亮光”（诗篇 110:180）。“智慧人”明白什么？他们“明白”他们所处日子的意义。他们“明白”时代的末日即将来临。他们“明白”我们现在已经到了“末日”。他们“明白”“主的降临近了”。

与但以理的预言平行的是基督在“新郎和童女”的寓言中的教导。这个寓言阐述了主的子民在这个时代不同时期对救赎主归来的期望的几种态度，并回答了门徒的问题（记录在上一章的开头）“你的到来和时代的终结有什么预兆？”在基督教时代开始时，他的所有追随者都在等待主的出现。然后出现了一种混合状态——一部分是聪明的，一部分是愚蠢的。然后，当新郎迟延时，“他们都打盹睡着了”。失去了神圣的希望，教会陷入了精神冷漠的状态。但这种沉睡将被打破。圣经预言，半夜时分必有呼声：“看哪，新郎来了，你们出来迎接他。”（马太福音 25:6）这是一个预言性的宣告，就在我们主回来之前，一个响亮而清晰的关于他回来的见证将响彻基督教世界的沉闷耳朵。这呼声现在正在发出。上帝的仆人们到处都在宣告主已经临近的消息。全世界都在呼喊：“看哪，新郎来了，你们出来迎接他。”自从使徒时代以来，从来没有像现在这样，人们对基督的第二次降临有如此多的渴望和期盼、传道和教导、警醒和祈祷。

新郎和童女的比喻与但以理书第十二章的预言非常吻合。午夜的呼喊——恢复有福的希望——与预言的解封和“知识”的“增加”相吻合。童女的出现与“来回奔跑”相吻合。她们“修剪”灯——为主的出现做准备——与男人被“净化”相吻合。这两个阶级——聪明和愚拙的童女——与但以理提到的两个阶级——“聪明”和“恶人”完全吻合，因为正如经上所说“没有一个恶人会明白”，所以愚拙的童女会宣布“我们的灯灭了”——她们将处于黑暗之中！

另一处经文也证实了我们所说的预示基督再来的迹象之一是半夜的呼喊，这处经文可以在彼得后书 3:3、4 中找到——“第一要紧的，该知道在末世必有好讥诮的人，随从自己的私欲出来讥诮说：‘主要降临的应许在哪里呢？’因为自从列祖睡了以后，万物与起初创造的时候仍是一样。“请注意，正是在（这个时代的）“最后的日子”，会出现一类人嘲笑基督再来的承诺，这进一步暗示在末日的时候，将会有对幸福希望的新的和特殊的见证。

回到但以理的预言。“但以理啊，你要隐藏这话，封闭这书，直到末时。必有许多人来来往往，知识就必增长。”（但以理书 12:4）这些话不应局限于预言之光的增加，而应从最广泛的意义上来理解。我们相信它们与旅行和知识的近期惊人增长有关。“来来往往”这个词似乎指向现代的交通方式。众所周知，这一末日标志今天是如何体现的。“铁路覆盖地球，轮船像巨大的蜘蛛网一样在海上行驶”（布莱克斯通）。汽车比马更普遍，而且有迹象表明，最多几年内，飞机将成为一种常规的交通工具。请注意，我们的经文说：“必有许多人来来往往。”不安现在似乎是人类的本性。新一代人沉迷于这种来来往往的精神。移民人数的迅猛增长就是明证。研究铁路统计数据，注意旅客人数的快速增长，现在每年有数亿人。“许多人将来来往往”这句话多么准确地描述了当今的情况！一切都处于混乱之中。每个人都在奔波，因此休息日已成为过去。

“知识将会增加。”教育领域取得了多大的进步！以前只有特权阶层才能使用的设施现在向工匠和普通劳动者的孩子开放。文盲很快就会成为过去。随着学校、学院和大学的增多，“知识”得到了惊人的增长。另一个增加知识的机构是新闻界。 “公共媒体源源不断地播送新闻和信息，其发行量不断增长，就像知识之树上落下的树叶，覆盖了整个地球。而书籍的出版量却是无穷无尽的”（布莱克斯通）。

科学知识的显著增长就是明证。对比一下我们今天对天文学、考古学、动物学、生理学、心理学的了解，以及一百年前我们对这些领域的了解。人类多么神奇地利用了自然的力量！我们的祖辈从未梦想过的事情现在都变成了现实，其中许多只是老生常谈。人们发现了什么！发明了什么！在陆地和海洋、空中和水下取得了怎样的成就！电的发现和利用如何彻底改变了我们生活的方方面面！确实，科学知识得到了增长。

但也许我们经文的预言更具体指的是灵性知识的增长。在上个世纪，我们的圣经公会已经发行了数亿本圣经和新约。上帝的话语现在已经被翻译成四百多种语言，并传遍了世界各地。通过成千上万在国外辛勤工作的传教士，灵性知识得到了惊人的增长。在国内也是如此。圣经培训学校、圣经会议和圣经课程每年都在增加。无论我们在哪里，无论我们去哪里，我们都会发现知识在增加。我们提到的所有事情都是在上个世纪出现的！我们确实已经到了末日。

我们主关于种子生长的比喻与但以理的预言惊人地一致，即在末日知识将会增加——“耶稣又说，神的国如同人把种撒在地里，黑夜睡觉，白日起来，种就发芽生长，人却不晓得怎样这样。地生出五谷，自然而然，先发苗，后长穗，后结成饱满的子粒。结出果子的时候，他就用镰刀割，因为收割的时候到了。”（马可福音 4:26-29）像我们主所有的话语一样，这些话的含义比乍一看的要多。在这个比喻中，我们有五件事。第一，播种。第二，播种后的一段睡眠期。第三，种子的生长。第四，描述的生长顺序——先发苗，后长穗，后结成饱满的子粒。第五，收割。

上述寓言与马太福音 13 章中的前三个寓言非常相似。与它们一样，它的范围也具有预言性。时代应用简单而又引人注目。这里的播种与马太福音 13 章中的播种相同，与主和他的使徒在这一时代开始时的仁慈使命有关。种子是上帝的话语（路加福音 8:11）。“沉睡”时期（比较马太福音 13:25；25:5）是第三和第四世纪的精神昏睡，它融入了“黑暗时代”，与自然秩序相呼应。播种到地里的自然种子会腐烂、死亡或几乎死亡；神圣的种子也是如此。新约书信提供了证据，表明圣言的纯洁性如何迅速而悲惨地被最严重的错误和掺假所破坏。但它却活了下来。而且，它“成长”了。比喻中描述生长顺序的语言与预言的实现完全吻合。首先是“叶片”，它在自然界中长期处于微弱的生命状态。神圣的“种子”在整个“黑暗时代”也是如此。“然后是穗子”；这难道不是预言性地指向宗教改革时期，当时圣经的副本增加了一百倍，并再次以他们自己的语言提供给大众。“然后是穗子上结满的谷粒。”多么了不起！随着收获的临近，原始种子现在重新出现，尽管数量大大增加。这正是我们今天所见证的。许多长期失传的真理，被埋藏在人类传统土壤之下的真理，已经归还给上帝的子民。至于数量的增加，现在流通的数百万本圣经与印刷术尚不为人所知的第一世纪使用的有限数量形成鲜明对比。是的，种子已经“成长”，尽管人类“不知道如何成长”。但请注意下一句话：“但结出果实后，他立刻用镰刀收割，因为收割的时候到了。”多么庄严啊！“穗子结出饱满的谷粒”之后是什么？我们被告知，“他立刻用镰刀收割，因为收割的时候到了。”与此比较马太福音 13:39 — “收割的时候就是世界的末了。”并进一步比较启示录 14:15 — “伸出你的镰刀来收割吧！因为收割的时候到了；地上的庄稼已经熟了！”因此，通过将我们主在上述比喻中的教导与但以理的预言放在一起，我们发现“穗子结出饱满的谷粒”与“知识的增长”相对应，“他立刻用镰刀收割，因为收割的时候到了”（“收割的时候就是世界的末了”马太福音 13:39）与“末日”相一致。“

回顾和总结：从但以理书第 12 章我们得知，在末日，知识将会增加；从马太福音第 25 章我们得知，将恢复有福的希望，并宣布新郎即将归来；从彼得后书第 3 章我们还得知，在“末日”，将有关于基督第二次降临的新的和特殊的见证；在马可福音第 4 章我们得知，神的种子（道）将生长，直到结出“穗中饱满的谷粒”，而这种果实的增加“立即”发生在收获之前。圣经的和谐是多么奇妙和完美啊！这些事情现在就呈现在我们眼前，这向所有有耳朵听的人大声而清楚地宣告，末日已经到来，新郎已经到来，“末日”已经到来，收获——神圣审判的象征——即将到来，而且“马上”就会到来。2

. 为反基督者铺平道路的叛教。人们

经常提出这个问题，并且仍然在激烈争论，即世界是变得更好还是更坏。总体而言，情况是更加有利还是更加不公平？从一个角度看，情况正在改善，从另一个角度看，情况正在恶化。善与恶现在都迅速达到顶峰。这正是我们的主在稗子的比喻中所预言的——“让两者一起生长，直到收割”（马太福音 13:30）。小麦和稗子都在生长。因此，当今的情况如此矛盾。虔诚与不法、善与恶并存，不断向前发展，它们之间的冲突日益严重。因此，随着灵性之光和预言知识的增加，我们现在也目睹了对真理的广泛背离。随着光明的增加，阴影也加深了，正如经上所写，“义人的路，越照越明，直到日午”（箴言 4:18）；但是，经上又写道，“作恶的人和迷惑人的，必越来越坏”（提摩太后书 3:13）。

从前，人们问：“守望者，夜里如何？”而高塔上那位孤独的守望者的回答是：“早晨将到，黑夜也来”（以赛亚书 21:11, 12）。在这里，我们再次遇到了看似矛盾的证言。然而，以赛亚时代的条件与我们今天的条件完全相同。“早晨将到”，完美日子的早晨。正如我们上面所表明的，即将到来的黎明的预兆是毫无疑问的。上帝赐予他的圣言的光明越来越大，以及有福希望的恢复，预示着晨星的到来，这将在几年后，公义的太阳升起，他的翅膀上有医治的能力。“还有黑夜。”黑夜将拉下“人的白天”的帷幕。世界审判之夜，那时“黑暗要遮盖大地，幽暗要遮盖万民”（以赛亚书 60:2）。大灾难之夜，“日头要变为黑暗，月亮也不放光”（马太福音 24:29）。在那个夜晚，黑暗的力量将暂时完全掌权，因为人们喜爱黑暗胜过光明。那个夜晚将很快降临基督教世界，因为它背弃了上帝的圣言，而上帝的圣言是我们脚前的灯，路上的光。而即将到来的夜晚的预兆与即将到来的日子的预兆一样明显和清晰。考虑其中之一。

“不要让人用任何方法欺骗你们；因为那日子以前，必有离道反教的事，并有那大罪人，就是沉沦之子，显露出来”（帖撒罗尼迦后书 2:3）。这里提到的“日子”是主的日子（见以赛亚书 2），紧随人类的今天。主日接续救赎之日，而救赎之日已近在咫尺，其特征和进程在《圣经》的最后一本书中已详细描述。本文中提到的“罪人、灭亡之子”将在后面的章节中出现，现在只需说，他在教会被提之后的某个时间出现，并继续公然蔑视上帝，直到主耶稣以大能重返人间，届时他将以降临之光毁灭这个邪恶者。“背道”（希腊语为叛教）是主日的先兆之一，为敌基督的出现铺平了道路。事实上，“背道”已经开始，是的，甚至已经发展到可怕的程度，这证明罪人的出现已近在眼前，因此，这个时代的“末日”已经来临。

帖撒罗尼迦后书 2:3 预言的“离道反教”是指背离上帝的圣言，背离交付圣徒的信仰。具体来说，它指的是那些自称是真理之友的人拒绝真理。这个庄严预言的应验已经持续了半个多世纪，可悲的是，它应验的范围越来越广。四十多年前，已故的司布真忠实而无畏地抗议当时的“降级运动”，由于该运动许多主要精神的教义松散和神学不健全，他退出了英国浸信会联盟。从那时起，“降级”就一直在迅速发展。我们的传教士接受神学培训的大多数神学院都是理性主义、怀疑主义和不忠的温床。信仰最致命的敌人现在出现在信奉教会的内部，而不是像以前那样出现在外部。达尔文和赫胥黎等不可知论者的“空洞哲学”和否定圣经的异端邪说现在被我们许多主要讲坛公开支持和热情宣扬。

“背离”在“高等批判”运动中有一个可怕的例子，这一运动起源于无神论者，但在信奉教会内部运作。“高等批判”是否认圣经中超自然元素的人，他们破坏圣经的权威并贬低圣经的价值。他们是理性主义者，他们的思想被这个世界的神蒙蔽了，他们是这个世界的神，他们为这个世界服务。对他们的任何谴责都不过分。受圣灵启示的使徒提到他们时说：“从前在百姓中有假先知起来，将来在你们中间也必有假师傅，私自引进陷害人的异端，连买他们的主他们也不承认，自取速速的灭亡。”（彼得后书 2:1）这可怕的控告之后的话语揭示了这些叛教者所造成的悲惨灾难，并告诉我们等待他们的厄运——“必有许多人随从他们邪僻的道，因他们的缘故，真道被毁谤。他们因有贪心，用捏造的言语，在你们身上取利。他们的刑罚自古以来必不迟延，他们的灭亡也必速速来到。”（第 2、3 节）

“背道而驰”的现象随处可见。不仅我们的许多神学院都成了精神腐败的粪坑，不仅数百个讲台上现在都坐满了背叛他们自称支持的事业的人，不仅信仰的每一条基本教义都遭到那些本该捍卫这些教义的人的攻击和否认，而且我们的宗教领袖们的这种教导的邪恶影响已经影响了他们所照顾的无数灵魂。教堂长凳上的男子跟随他的老师的脚步，不再相信圣经是神的启示，因此不再服从它的权威。因此，真正的皈依者数量出现了如此“背道而驰”的现象——我们之所以说是“真正的”皈依者，是因为有许多人走上前来与一些受欢迎的传教士握手，有许多人签了卡，有许多人“拉了手”等等。因此，从过去的家庭崇拜中出现了如此令人悲伤和如此广泛的“背道而驰”现象。因此，我们现在目睹了如此可悲的“背离”周中祈祷会。因此，人们如此可怕地“背离”了对圣安息日的遵守。因此，人们如此可怕地“背离”了过去的道德标准。因此，现在全国各地都出现了越来越多“背离”主日学的现象。是的，“背离”已经开始，而且已经发展到很严重了。

在最近发展的许多错误体系中也可以看到“背离”。我们可以举例说明，由 RJ Campbell 制定和推广的“新神学”；“基督教科学”（所谓的）否定罪恶和基督的替代牺牲；“罗素主义”，它对我们的主进行了可怕的亵渎，并提出了错误的、毁灭灵魂的“第二次机会”异端邪说； “唯灵论”与假扮死者的恶魔交往。以前，这些反基督教体系的四分之三的信徒表面上信奉真理，因为他们是福音派教派的成员。从新教的迅速衰落和罗马天主教的悄无声息但稳步发展可以看出“石头的脱落”。

使徒曾提到我们这个时代的“离道反教”，他说：“因为时候要到，人必厌烦纯正的道理，耳朵发痒，就随从自己的情欲，增添好些师傅，并且掩耳不听真道，偏向荒唐的言语。”（提摩太后书 4:8, 4）那个时候已经到了！今天的教会信徒不会再厌烦“纯正的道理”。那些宣扬人类完全堕落、坚持新生的必要性、宣扬上帝不可动摇的公义和圣洁、警告拒绝基督的人将遭受永恒而有意识的折磨的人，几乎不可能获得听众。这样的传道人被视为清教徒式的悲观主义者，不受欢迎。在这个堕落的时代，群众要求那些能抚慰他们罪恶并在他们走上宽阔道路时取乐的东西。群众受到“耳朵发痒”的影响，渴望新奇和轰动的事物。他们的耳朵希望被“挠痒痒”，渴望聆听专业和未得救的独唱家和合唱团的歌曲，他们对我们的现代福音传教士的粗俗俚语很满意。与这种“离经叛道”同时，我们可以看到，

3. 基督教世界的“老底嘉状态”。

在启示录第二和第三章中，我们看到了写给亚细亚七个教会的七封书信。这些书信——与它们所在书卷的性质一致——具有预言性。它们记录了神圣审判者的判决，他出现在这些教会中间（见 1:13-20），检查并做出决定。它们包含了教会历史的全景。它们为我们提供了这个时代基督教信仰的整个过程的完整轮廓。这个过程是失败、衰落、每况愈下的过程，直到最后达到一种状态，迫使主完全拒绝以他的名字命名的东西。我们现在只能匆匆追溯一下思想的顺序，并指出这七幅预言性图画中的主要特征。 （这些写给亚细亚七个教会的书信（启示录 1:11）是写给约翰写启示录时已经存在的教会的，因此它们在当地适用于这些历史性的集会。但是，从几个方面来看，这些书信具有更广泛的预言性应用和意义是显而易见的。首先，这里提到的教会数量——七个——是有意义的。除了这些教会之外，亚洲还有其他教会，但这里忽略了它们。基督向七个教会讲话，不多也不少，这一事实似乎表明，与这个数字的统一意义相一致，这里提出了一些完整的轮廓。其次，这七封书信有一些“奥秘”，这从我们主在启示录 1:20 中的话中可以清楚地看出。这进一步证实了每封书信中发出的呼吁——“凡有耳的，就应当听圣灵向众教会所说的话”——暗示它们包含一个特殊的信息，只有那些有耳的人才能听到。与“微小的声音”相协调。第三，这些书信的顺序（就其内容而言）与信奉该教派的教会的历史完全吻合，这种一致不可能是巧合，而一定是出于神的旨意。

这些书信中的第一封是写给以弗所教会的，记载在启示录 2:1-7 中。在其中，我们看到了从使徒时代开始衰落的根源。“你离弃了起初的爱心”（第 4 节）——教会对基督的爱心冷却是所有随后发生的邪恶的根源。表面上很热情，但内心却不正确，爱心衰退的地方很快就会出现邪恶的行为。早在这七封书信中的第一封就已如此，因为我们知道在以弗所存在着“假使徒”（第 2 节）和“尼哥拉一党人”，他们的行为对基督和以弗所人而言都是“可憎的”（第 6 节）。“所以应当回想你是从哪里坠落的，并要悔改”（第 7 节）。5) 显示下降路径的开始。

在启示录 2:8-11 中记载的第二封致士每拿教会的书信中，我们看到了一幅预言性的画面，描述了从约翰时代到公元四世纪初的状况——一个迫害和殉道的时期。在这里，我们看到犹太化的基督教在教会中传播，并提到了“撒旦的会堂”（第 9 节）。

在给第三个教会——别迦摩教会的书信中（启示录 2:12-17），我们发现邪恶的进展更加明显。这封书信的预言性应用将我们带到君士坦丁时代，当时教会和世界携手并进。这个邪恶的联盟是由教会的名字预示的，因为别迦摩教会表示“婚姻”。在这里我们读到“撒旦的座位”（第 13 节——希腊语“撒旦的宝座”）。这里也再次提到了尼哥拉一党人，但在以弗所提到的是“尼哥拉一党人的行为”（第 6 节），而这里提到的是“尼哥拉一党人的教义”（第 15 节）——错误的做法现在已成为信条。请注意，起初教会“憎恨他们的行为”（第 6 节），在这里，他们的邪恶信仰受到容忍和珍视。

在第四封书信——给推雅推喇（启示录 2:18-29）中，我们揭露了教会腐败的更恶劣状况，并延续到罗马天主教的兴起，这里被称为“耶洗别”——“然而，有几件事我要责备你，因为你容让那自称是先知的妇人耶洗别教导我的仆人，引诱他们行淫乱，吃祭偶像之物。我曾给她悔改的机会，她却不肯悔改她的淫行。”（20-21节）这“机会”从宗教改革时期开始，一直延续到现在，但罗马教廷依然没有改变。

在第五封写给撒狄教会的书信（3:1-6）中，我们回到了马丁·路德和他的同时代人的时代，当时许多上帝的子民都从罗马教廷中被拯救出来。请注意这里“你有名”（第 1 节）。这个名字就是“新教”，它定义了他们的主张和证词。但请进一步注意，“你有名是活的，其实是死的。”事实证明如此：今天也是如此。新教现在只不过是一个“名字”，它的活力早已消失。这封书信的措辞如何预示了这种后期的情况，可以从第 2 和 3 节的语言中看出——“你们要警醒，坚固那剩下将要衰微的，因为我见你的行为在神面前，没有完全的。所以要回想你是怎样领受，怎样听见，又要遵守，也要悔改。”可悲的是，这个劝告被忽视了。有人可能会问：“但是，现在新教圈子里的人都灵性死亡了吗？”不，请注意这封书信的预言准确性——“在撒狄，你还有几名是未曾污秽自己衣服的”（第 4 节）！

在第六封写给费城教会的书信（3:7-13）中，我们回到了上个世纪。这里要注意三件事。首先，费城象征着“兄弟之爱”，正是在上个世纪，这种基督教的恩典才得到承认和展示。直到十九世纪，教会合一的真理才得以恢复，信徒的共同兄弟情谊才得以实际拥有。其次，主在这个教会面前开了一扇“敞开的门”（第 8 节），这是他亲自打开的门。这是通往外国传教区的“门”，直到上个世纪，上帝才如此神奇地消除了长期存在的障碍，使世界范围的福音传播变得切实容易。第三，“你稍微有点力量”（第 8 节）准确地描述了过去一百年教会的状况。

现在我们来更详细地考虑一下第七封书信，这封书信是写给老底嘉教会的（启示录 3:14-22）。这封书信描绘了地球上自称教会的最后状态，这种状态的特点是自命不凡和自给自足，但基督对此非常反感，他宣称“我知道你的行为，你也不冷也不热。我巴不得你或冷或热。你既如温水，我就从我口中把你吐出去”（第 15、16 节）。

老底嘉这个词的意思是“俗人或人民的统治”。这是人民的教会，不是基督的教会，因为请注意，祂在外面（第 20 节），站着敲门，要求进入。它的状况被描述为“不冷不热”：既不是这样也不是那样，部分热，部分冷。这多么准确地描述了当今自称教会的状况！一种混合的状态——与世界混在一起，自称是天上的，却执着于一切尘世的东西；以基督的名义，却歪曲祂，公开羞辱祂。宗教很多，但生活很少。活动很多，但活力很少。做了很多，但成就很少。炫耀很多，权力很少。既不热也不冷：既不完全为上帝，也不完全为魔鬼。“不冷不热”，好像热水和冷水被倒进同一个容器里。这正是我们今天在教堂里看到的——强烈的世俗和邪恶被人道主义和宗教的幌子所掩盖。

老底嘉的另一个特点是自夸的精神——“你说，我是富足的，已经发了财，一样都不缺”（第 17 节）。自称是教会的人夸耀自己，其实他们是多么肤浅！他们炫耀自己的财富，但这只是一种空洞的自夸。他们自负，炫耀自己的成就，炫耀自己的建筑，炫耀自己的知识，炫耀自己的人数，但基督却被排除在外！在这个教会（见使徒书信）与之前的所有教会不同，这里没有任何基督所称赞的东西——这是对它真实状况的悲哀评论！但这仅仅是负面的：这里有很多他所谴责的东西——“却不知道你是那困苦、可怜、贫穷、瞎眼、赤身的”（第 17 节）。这个教会完全不知道它实际的和可悲的状况。教会的领袖们高呼“平安稳妥”，而“毁灭突然降临” (帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:3)。这是无可言喻的悲哀。只要我们认识到自己的处境和需要，就有希望，因为认识和承认弱点是力量的秘诀 (哥林多后书 12:9)。但自满是致命的。自以为是是无可救药的。尽管自给自足、自以为是，但自称是教会的人很快就会被它所命名的那位“吐出来”。

现在请特别注意，这封“老底嘉”书信是这一系列的最后一封。它向我们展示了地球上信奉教会的最后状态。与此相符的是这里的时间标记。主谈到“晚餐”（第 20 节）。现在是晚上。这是一天的最后一顿饭！末日即将来临。教堂在里面盛宴，救世主站在外面。这是十八个世纪前的预言，也是我们今天在基督教世界所见证的。基督现在在信奉教会之外，不受欢迎、无人听闻、无人知晓。我们再说一遍，这封书信是这一系列的最后一封，后面没有第八封。老底嘉的情况是叛教基督教世界的最后阶段。除了喷涌而出，什么也没有留下。在《启示录》中，我们在《老底嘉书信》之后读到的下一件事是——“此后，我观看，见天上有门开了。我初次听见好像吹号的声音，与我说话，说，上到这里来”等等（4:1），这显然象征着圣徒被提。但现在我们来考虑

——4. 危险时期的预言。

这个预言出现在《提摩太后书》第 3 章，是对末日自称教会的另一种描述。特别要注意的是，我们即将考虑的经文不是描述人类，而是描述基督教世界。请注意，这幅图中有几行，不需要长篇大论。

“你该知道，末世必有危险的日子来到。因为那时人要专顾自己、贪爱钱财、自夸、狂傲、谤讟、违背父母、忘恩负义、心不圣洁。”“那时人要专顾自己”——这里指的是两个紧密相连的东西：自私和自我主义。自私自利！自称是基督徒的人，难道从来没有这么自私自利、自娱自乐，却很少自我牺牲吗？“贪爱钱财”——贪财。那些自称不是自己所有的，而是用重价买来的人，如今积累了多少财富啊！我们教会的普通成员和世俗之人一样贪婪、贪婪。“自夸者”——自吹自擂——声称拥有我们祖先所不知道的智慧和学识；教会自夸，表现为宗派骄傲；最令人厌恶的是精神上的吹嘘——自称虔诚，宣扬“胜利的生活”、“圣灵的洗礼”、“无罪的完美”等等。 “骄傲”——为自己的文化、自由和开阔的胸怀而骄傲。这与那位说“我心里柔和谦卑，你们当负我的轭，学我的样式”的人有多么不同。 “亵渎神明的人”——基督教科学家（？）、罗素派、高级批评家等。 “不听父母的话”。这种可悲的不服从迹象何时像今天这样盛行？现在不是父母统治孩子，而是孩子统治父母，当然，父母应该受到指责。这种未能行使父母权威的行为，这种年轻人无法容忍任何约束的叛逆，是国家衰落的必然先兆，因为它助长了无法无天的精神。 “不知感恩”——把世俗的祝福当作一种事当然，他们没有承认赐予他们的人。上帝的仁慈无人感激。吃饭时感谢几乎完全成为过去的事情。“不圣洁”指的是与世界完全分离：拿细耳人精神的消失。

请看危险时期的更多特征——“无亲情、不解怨、好说谗言、不能自约、性情凶暴、不爱良善、卖主卖友、任意妄为、自高自大、爱宴乐不爱神”（提摩太后书 3:4）。没有必要详述每一个单独的项目，但请注意这里列举的第一个和最后一个。“无亲情”。今天，离婚率大幅上升，非亲生母亲遗弃婴儿，忽视穷人、病人和老人，这些都多么可怕地体现了这一点！“爱宴乐不爱神”。看看我们教会的信徒在主日宁愿坐汽车兜风，也不愿与神的子民聚会。请注意他们在电影院的祷告会之夜，而不是在施恩的宝座前。再看看我们教堂里举办的音乐节目、娱乐活动、冰淇淋晚餐等等。

“但是，”有人可能会问，“这些事情对一般人来说不是一直都是这样的吗？”也许或多或少是这样，但从来没有像现在这样严重。但这些经文并不是在描述“普遍情况”，而是在描绘“末日”中的基督教世界。这从下一节经文中可以清楚地看出——“有敬虔的外貌，却背了敬虔的实意，这等人你们要躲开”（第 5 节）。有音乐，但它是警报器般的音乐，而不是歌唱，不是在我们心中向主发出旋律。有口才，但它是人的话语所教导的智慧，而不是为上帝说话并赢得灵魂的智慧。有热情，但它是新奇和耸人听闻所产生的肉欲兴奋的热量，而不是从上面下来的。有热情，但它没有知识。那里有对公义的要求，但那是公民和社会的公义，而不是上帝的公义。那里有爱，但那是病态的情感，而不是法律的实现。那里有福音传道，但那是“另一种福音”，而不是上帝恩典的福音。那里有很多宗教，但生活中却缺乏宗教。那里有臭名昭著的福音运动，但这些运动缺乏灵性。那里有很多仪式化的表现，但那只是一种虔诚的形式，却没有力量。

“因为那些偷进人家，掳掠无知妇女的，正是这一类人。这些妇女被罪恶所累，被各种私欲所引诱”（第 6 节）。我们相信这里指的是摩门教，但这一原则的应用范围更为广泛。我们竟然在这份受人启发的“末日”特征清单中读到“无知妇女”一词，这是多么令人震惊啊！这在现代女权主义中得到了多么惊人的实现！请注意“被各种私欲所引诱”这句话，它可以自由地翻译为“野心勃勃的欲望”。这种对宣传的渴望、这种可悲的男子气概、这种对男人领导权的否定、这种对权威的篡夺，是这个时代最引人注目的标志之一。我们不仅指的是现代妇女参政运动，它让每一位有自尊心的妇女都为姐妹们的无耻而羞愧，而且还指的是教会中如此多“无知妇女”的态度和立场。看到上帝明确的命令——“妇女在会中要闭口不言，因为不准说话”（哥林多前书 14:84）——现在被如此普遍地忽视，真是令人悲伤。今天，有不少人毫不掩饰地谴责这位受神启发的使徒是“一个思想狭隘的老单身汉”（艾恩赛德）。

现在请注意，我们上面所考虑的只是一幅神所描绘的图画的一部分，描述了“末日”的危险时期。危险时期现在显然已经来临，这对上帝子民的灵魂来说是“危险的”，对福音的传播来说是“危险的”，对整个基督教世界来说都是“危险的”。对于那些有眼光的人来说，我们已经进入了“末日”，这是显而易见的。而世界眼前的前景是多么黑暗！

请注意这个惊人预言中的另一件事——“恶人和迷惑人的必越发恶毒，他们欺哄人，也被人欺哄”（提摩太后书 3:13）。道德状况肯定不会比现在更糟糕。不道德行为像洪水一样不断涌来，不断扩大其范围。“不洁行为猖獗。仅在芝加哥就有超过三万名涂脂抹粉的妓女。这种不洁之罪是这个时代最大的罪恶，它确实正在破坏和滋生国家，直到它们摇摇欲坠。”（RV Miller）美国海军部长丹尼尔斯最近的一次讲话表明了这一说法是多么正确。在北美临床外科医师大会上发表演讲时，他说：“没有一支军队在战场上不因不道德的疾病而降低战斗力。海军也同样遭受着同样的痛苦，因为性病摧毁了工人和战士的男子气概，海军的生意也因此停滞。在上一个统计年度，美国海军士兵因一小群因罪孽而感染的绝对可预防的疾病而损失了 141,387 天的病假。这意味着全年每天都有 456 名士兵因这种可耻的疾病而致残。1915 年，海军中每 1,000 人中有 112 人因性病接受治疗，陆军中每 1,000 人中有 84 人。在平民生活中，患病人数与军队中相当。据印刷品显示，维也纳的赫克特 (Hecht) 表示，有一次，相当于三个奥地利师的 60,000 人正在接受性病治疗性病，而驻扎在比利时的德国军队只占德国军队的一小部分，据报道，在占领后的前五个月内，就有 35,000 名此类患者。加拿大和澳大利亚军官对这种疾病的肆虐深表遗憾。英国军队的最新数据显示，病例数为 78,000 例，其他国家也受到了削弱。”毫无疑问，如此著名的权威机构提供的这些令人震惊的数字清楚地表明，“末日”的“危险时期”已经来临！有人问，结果会怎样？我们回答，和以前一样。上帝仍然活着并统治着，正如他因类似的邪恶而摧毁所多玛和蛾摩拉一样，他肯定会将他的愤慨和愤怒倾泻到当代作恶者身上。是的，他已经开始这样做了，这让我们考虑——5

. 随处可见的颠覆。

“我必倾覆、倾覆、倾覆，以致不再有，直到那位公义者来到。”（以西结书 21:27）与以西结的预言相吻合的是哈该书 2:6, 7 中记载的话——“万军之耶和华如此说：过一会儿，我必再一次震动天地、海洋和陆地。我必震动一切的训诫，万国所羡慕的必临到。”请仔细注意这两件事的联系——万国所羡慕的（主耶稣）的到来，以及万国的震动。这​​肯定就是我们今天亲眼所见的！确实，上帝现在正在“震动”和“颠覆”地球上的一切。在过去十年中，我们耳边响起的口号和流行语是什么？改革！改革！改革！政府必须改革。教会必须改革。信条必须改革。圣经必须改革，并符合“现代思想”。学校必须改革。一切都必须改革。婚姻法和离婚法必须改革和扭曲。所有这些表明什么？没有什么是再正确的了。

这种改革的要求不仅仅是地方性的，它并不局限于一些狂热分子。它是世界性的。它正在笼罩着地球。它席卷了欧洲和整个大陆，现在已经到达了昏昏欲睡的东方。在土耳其和埃及，在日本和中国，在美索不达米亚和印度，在亚洲和非洲，几个世纪以来一直停滞不前的人民现在被唤醒了，呼声正在高喊——打倒旧政权；打倒旧制度。打倒一切无法克制的东西。从来没有过如此相互冲突的力量在起作用。从来没有过如此严重的社会基础受到威胁。“我要震动万国”——现在肯定是指定的时候了。“我要推翻、推翻、推翻”——这确实正是上帝今天正在做的事情。革命正在酝酿，但那些能够读懂时代迹象的人可以看到，革命正在迅速走向解体，走向旧秩序的解体。与推翻旧制度密切相关的是

——6. 国家当前的困境。

“日月星宿要显出异兆，地上的列国就急难，无所适从。海中波浪必在震怒，人想起将要发生的事，就都吓得魂不守舍。天势都要震动。”（路加福音 21:25, 26）正如我们不止一次指出的，预言至少有双重应验，因此我们相信刚才引用的预言也是如此。它直接指的是主重返地球之前大灾难期间将要发生的情况，但有很多理由支持将这一预言应用于当今。它与现在的情况完全一致。请注意这里列举的五个特点：—

第一，“列国急难”。这些话多么贴切地描述了人类几乎普遍的呻吟和痛苦！ “苦难”现在不再局限于某个民族，而是国际性的、全球性的。当生活成本过高，甚至连基本的生活必需品都越来越难以获得时，就会产生“苦难”和痛苦。“苦难”是由税收增加和国家债务累积引起的，这些债务必定会成为子孙后代无法承受的负担。“苦难”是由燃料和粮食短缺引起的，世界上有一半的人靠短缺的口粮生活。“苦难”是丧亲之痛，现在数百万家庭都在哀悼在战争中牺牲的亲人。

第二，“困惑”。政治家们无法找到摆脱当前困境的任何方法。所罗门式的精明人士已经束手无策，害怕他们所看到的即将发生的事情，却无力阻止和防止它。资本和劳动力之间的问题变得更加尖锐和难以解决。尽管我们自诩开明、进步，但即便是我们最聪明的政治家也无法成功应对这种情况。由于政治腐败、经济动荡和革命动乱而导致的“困惑”。

第三，“大海和咆哮的波浪”。在圣经中，大海被用来比喻地球上的人民，他们远离上帝，永无休止。就像大海一样，今天的群众也处于沸腾的骚乱之中。到处都是发酵和不满。人类政体什么时候像现在这样混乱、矛盾、危险？法律什么时候完全无力抑制人类的暴力激情？每天都有新的不安和动乱迹象。地球上的每个政府都在动摇其根基。注意世界大国几乎每周都会发生的政治变化。无精打采的冷漠时代已经一去不复返了。我们再也不能静静地袖手旁观、逍遥自在了。各国之间弥漫着一种不安、不服从、无政府主义的精神；人类的激情是要推翻一切根深蒂固、过于激烈、过于普遍、难以抵挡的既定制度，这不仅仅是一时的骚乱或一时的狂热。它每天都在积聚力量，不久就会突破立法所能设计的所有界限。人类激情的浪潮越来越高，威胁着要淹没古人的地标并占领整个地球。

第四，“人们因恐惧而心力交瘁，并期待着那些即将降临地球的事情。”我们生活在一个前所未有的动荡和空前苦难的时代。地球上的情况现在已经到了这样的地步，以至于没有任何人类的技能可以避开正在迅速将所有国家卷入其可怕旋风中的强大漩涡。人类社会正变得惊慌失措。身体和道德上的心力衰竭正在夺走成千上万的受害者。难怪自杀率正在以如此惊人的速度增长。人们的心脏正在“失去控制”。他们很可能如此。人与人之间的信任已经消失。友谊变成了毫无意义的形式，只不过是自私的便利。人类的同情心已不复存在。良知已死，人们在绝望中放弃了希望，因为他们看到当今状况预示着更糟糕的邪恶。狂热的目光来回扫视，恐惧地期待着文明即将全面崩溃。

第五，“天势必震动”。在《圣经》中，自然界的力量经常被用作象征。“山”代表“王国”（但以理书 2:35；耶利米书 51:25）；“水”代表“人民”（启示录 17:11）；太阳、月亮和星星代表人类政府（启示录 12:1）。在大灾难中，天上的物质力量将确实“震动”，但我们认为，我们经文的当今应用应被视为象征性的，指的是人类政府。政治天堂何时像今天这样“震动”？请注意土耳其“青年土耳其党”的发展。请注意革命社会主义日益流行。见证葡萄牙的革命，以及墨西哥、中国和俄罗斯最近的革命。古老的王朝被推翻；王位摇摇欲坠；王国被瓦解。人类社会焊接在一起的水泥被腐蚀，以至于文明现在就像没有砂浆的墙壁一样——随时都会倒塌。

这些普遍的状况传达了什么信息？他们对上帝的孩子说了什么？这些问题的答案可以在描述这些事情的同一段落中找到——“当这些事情开始发生时，你们要挺身昂首，因为你们的救赎近了”（路加福音21:28）。我们接下来考虑

——7.资本与劳动的冲突。

“你们这些富人哪，要为将要临到你们的苦难哭泣号啕。你们的财物坏了，你们的衣服也被虫子咬了。你们的金银都长满了锈，锈要证明你们的不是，又要吃你们的肉，如同火烧一样。你们为末后的日子积攒财宝。看哪，收割你们田地的工人，你们用诡诈克扣他们的工钱，这工钱在哀号，并且那收割之人的冤声已经入了万军之主的耳中。你们在地上享乐，放荡，你们娇养自己的心，好像在宰杀的日子一样。你们定义人有罪，杀害人，他也不阻挡你们。所以弟兄们，你们要忍耐，直到主来。看哪，农夫等候地里宝贵的出产，忍耐多时，直到得了秋雨春雨。你们也要忍耐；坚固你们的心，因为主来的日子近了。弟兄们，你们不可彼此埋怨，恐怕被定罪。看哪，审判的主站在门前了。”（雅各书 5:1-9）

请注意，上面的经文明确提到了“末日”（第 3 节）。经文告诉我们，在这“末日”将有一类“富人”（第 1 节）。经文说他们“积攒财宝”（第 3 节）。经文宣称他们的财富是通过“欺诈”获得的（第 4 节）。经文提到他们“定义并杀害义人”（第 6 节）。经文暗示他们的贪婪和不诚实将引起并激起受害者的大声“呼喊”（第 4 节）。经文谴责他们“在地上享乐，放荡”（第 5 节）。经文描绘了劳动阶级的悲伤和痛苦，他们的呼喊已经传到了万军之主的耳中（第 4 节）。它宣告了上天将因他们的罪行而降临到他们头上的可怕审判，并预言他们将“为即将降临到他们头上的苦难而哭泣号啕”（第 1 节）。

人类的智慧能如此忠实地描述资本与劳动力之间的当前冲突！凡人的头脑能提前近两千年预言出令人震惊和心碎的灾难。

google translate from: https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=25573

Chapter Six

The Signs of the Redeemer’s Return

As we have shown in the last chapter, the apostles and their converts looked for Christ to return in their own lifetime. They did not affirm that He would but they believed that He might. But eighteen centuries have passed since then and yet He has not come. The question therefore arises, What evidence is there that the second advent of our Lord is now nigh at hand—that is, nigh as judged even by human measurement of time? May there not be another eighteen centuries which must yet run their weary course before the Sun of righteousness arises with healing in His wings? Have we any means for ascertaining the approximate period when our Lord may be expected to appear? Have we any good ground for believing that another long interval will not yet elapse before the Saviour comes back again?

In connection with other great events which God has brought about in human affairs, fair warning has been given to announce their approach. The Flood-judgment, the length of sojourn and the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, and the time of our Lord’s first advent, may be cited as illustrations. Thus, before each of the marked interpositions of God in the past, plain intimation of their approach was given. Has then the time—the approximate time—of the great consummating event of all events been left shrouded in such secrecy that it is impossible for us to know anything about it until it arrives? Nay verily. The inspired language of Holy Writ declares—“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:1–6). Words could scarcely be plainer.

God does not desire His people to remain in ignorance concerning the period when His Son shall return. Just as of old, He said concerning the impending destruction of Sodom “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” so has God graciously taken the Church into His counsels and revealed to us a “part of His ways” at least. We do not know the day or the hour, we are unable to determine the precise year when the Redeemer shall return, but we do know that His coming is now near at hand. We know it from the testimony of God’s living oracles. He has not left us in darkness, but has placed in our hands the more sure Word of Prophecy “whereunto we do well that we take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in our hearts.” The prophets of Old Testament times are commended because that they “searched what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow”(1 Pet. 1:11); surely, then, a similar “searching” is commendable in us.

As we study the Old Testament Scriptures we discover that a number of “Signs” were given to herald the first advent of Christ. There were conditions to be realized and certain events which would come to pass, and as these conditions were met and as these events occurred those who “looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38) saw in these things so many intimations of the approach of Messiah’s advent and His public manifestation. The Scriptures of Israel revealed the fact that the Redeemer would be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2); they foretold that He should be a lineal descendant of David and therefore of the Tribe of Judah (Ps. 132:11); they announced that a forerunner should go before Him make straight His way (Isaiah 40:3); they went so far as to set forth the approximate date of His appearing, namely, before the scepter had departed from Judah (Gen. 49:10), while the Temple was yet standing (Mal. 3:1), and sometime before the sixty-ninth week of Daniel had run its course (Dan. 9:24–27). In like manner, the New Testament Scriptures also record certain “Signs” in connection with our Lord’s second coming to the earth. We say “to the earth,” for let it be distinctly understood that Scripture interposes nothing whatever between the present hour and the coming of Christ for His saints, when He descends into the air and catches them up to Himself. All the “Signs” recorded in the Word of God have to do with His return to the earth. But as there will be only a comparatively short interval between the two stages in the second coming of Christ, the Signs which proclaim the one announce the other. If the fulfillment of certain inspired predictions declare that the return of Christ to the earth is near at hand, then His descent to the air is so much nearer still. If we know that the end of the Age itself is now almost reached, then it is doubly certain that the rapture of the saints may occur at any hour. Yet, we repeat, the various Signs to which we shall call our readers’ attention have to do with our Lord’s return to the earth. We repeat this for the sake of warning, for as another has said, the business of the Christian is not to be looking for signs but listening for a Shout (Haldeman). Yet, while we ought not to be looking for signs we may look at them (W. Scott).

As we have said, the Old testament Scriptures foretold certain things concerning the Lord when He should appear: fore-announced Signs were to characterize the times of His advent. But the Jews failed to discern these Signs and the Saviour reproached them for their failure. Said He, “When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the Signs of the Times?” (Matt. 16:2, 3). The reason why the Pharisees and Sadducees were blind to the significance of the things which were then transpiring before their eyes, was that they were ignorant of the contents of that Book in which these Signs were recorded. This is clear from the words of our Lord on many occasions—“Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures”(Matt. 22:29). The reason why they were ignorant of the contents and real meaning of the Scriptures was because they had substituted their own “tradition” for the Word of God (Mark 7:13). And history has repeated itself! We are living in a day when the vast majority of people are unable to “discern the Signs of the Times,” when our religious leaders “err, not knowing the Scriptures” because they are following their own “tradition” rather than the Word of God. The Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees because they could “discern the face of the sky” but would not take the necessary pains to “discern the Signs of the Times.” Then let us beware lest we fall through the same example of unbelief. Let us approach the Scriptures reverently and prayerfully, seeking to discover our position on the calendar of prophecy and thus be prepared for the solemn yet blessed events now so near at hand.

While it is true that the great majority of the Jews who lived during the days of our Lord’s first advent failed to discern the Signs of the Times and in consequence did not profit by the announcements of their prophets, nevertheless, there were a few who were “waiting for the Consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25), And so it is now. By the grace of God, there is a remnant today who are reading the Signs of the Times in the light cast by the prophetic Word. At some of these Signs we shall now look. And

1. The Recovery and Revival of the Blessed Hope itself.

In Daniel 12:4, 9, 10 we read—“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. ** And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the Time of the End. Many shall be purified, and made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” 9 As we shall yet seek to show this prophecy is a composite one and its fulfillment is being manifested in many different directions. That to which we would now direct attention is the manner in which this prediction has been accomplished in connection with the Scriptures and particularly in regard to the modern interest and wide-spread study of Prophecy.

As is well known, the book of Daniel is largely composed of prophecies, prophecies which refer frequently to the closing days of the Times of the Gentiles. The Scripture now before us makes known seven fats, namely—first, that the contents of Daniel’s prophecies were to be “shut up” and “sealed;” second, that the book of Daniel should not remain a “sealed” book for ever; third, that at “the Time of the End” it should be unsealed, for it was to be “shut up” only “to” and “till” the Time of the End; fourth, that at the Time of the End there should be a “running to and fro,” in other words, there should be a revival of interest in the prophetic word, an earnest inquiry and seeking for light; fifth, that as the result of this revival of interest in and study of the prophetic word “knowledge shall be increased;” sixth, as the consequence of this “increase of knowledge” many would be “purified, and made white, and tried;” seventh, that notwithstanding this, the wicked would “do wickedly” and none of them would “understand,” thus are we told in this last item that the understanding of the Word of God is a matter of spiritual discernment and not a question of intellectual acumen: if it were the latter then the wicked might understand as readily as the righteous (compare Matt. 13:10–15). Let us briefly consider these seven points and note how remarkably they are verified in present-day conditions.

Daniel was informed that the things he had seen and the communications which he had heard were not to be turned to use for the present. All was to be as a sealed book until a distant day, in fact would be “shut up” until the Time of the End. How accurately and literally this part of our prediction has been fulfilled may best be seen by reviewing the writings of theologians and commentators who lived prior to the last century. For the most part the prophecies of Daniel have been utterly neglected until recently, and where attempts were made to open up its contents the wildest theories were indulged and the most absurd interpretations were adopted. There was no spiritual understanding. The book was “shut up!” But the book of Daniel was not to be shut up for ever. God had some wise purpose in making these disclosures to His prophet, He had some good reason in making known to Daniel the trend and end of the various world empires.

At the Time of the End the contents of the book of Daniel were to be opened and unsealed, for many would “run to and fro” and knowledge would be “increased.” How plainly has this mark of the end been manifesting itself during the past century! Though, the masses still turn from prophecy as from a sealed book, yet what a stir and study has it awakened in many earnest minds! “Many” have turned to the word of prophecy (witness the great number of books now written on the subject) and given their most sedulous attention to the understanding of its contents. Particularly has this been the case with the book of Daniel itself. Large numbers of God’s people have been moved to inquire concerning the things recorded therein and have spared no pains or cost to obtain a knowledge of them, and under the blessing of God and the guidance of His Spirit light upon this book is steadily increasing and its mysterious hieroglyphics are becoming clearer and plainer as the fulfillment of its predictions draws nearer. Expositors of this important book may differ in details but in the main they are agreed and their leading conclusions are the same.

The result of this earnest and widespread study of prophecy is seen in the increased devotion and consecration of God’s people—“many shall be purified and made white.” Side by side with increasing light on prophecy has come a deepened sense of responsibility toward the lost. It is a striking fact that the remarkable growth in Foreign Missions of last century synchronized with the widespread turning to the prophetic Word. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century the heathen were, with rare exceptions, utterly neglected, so also was it with the book of Daniel. On the other hand, it strict accord with Daniel’s prophecy, side by side with the increase of prophetic light and its purifying effects on the people of God, we find the “wicked doing wickedly” and that none of them “understand”—i.e., that the wicked are in utter ignorance of the terrible times (referred to in Daniel) which lie just ahead of them.

One of the most marked and blessed results of the widespread inquiry and enlightenment upon the subject of prophecy has been the recovery and revival of the Blessed Hope. We believe it is to this that Daniel’s prophecy (in its present-day application) refers when it says “but the wise shall understand.” The “wise” are those who are governed by God’s Word and whose thoughts are formed by the teaching of Holy Writ, for “The entrance of Thy words giveth light” (Ps. 119–130). What is it that the “wise” understand? They “understand” the meaning of the days in which they are living. They “understand” that the last days of the age are upon us. They “understand” that we have now reached “the Time of the End.” They “understand” that “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

Parallel with the prophecy of Daniel is the teaching of Christ in the parable of the Bridegroom and the virgins. This parable sets forth the several attitudes of the Lord’s people, in different periods of this Dispensation, with reference to their expectation of the Redeemer’s Return and was uttered in response to the disciples questions (recorded at the beginning of the previous chapter) “What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the age?” At the beginning of the Christian era all His followers were waiting for the Lord’s appearing. Then followed a mixed condition—part were wise and part were foolish. Then, while the Bridegroom tarried, “they all slumbered and slept.” The Blessed Hope was lost and the church lapsed into a condition of spiritual apathy. But this sleep was to be broken. It was foretold that at the midnight hour a cry should be made—“Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him” (Matt. 25:6). This was a prophetic announcement that just before our Lord returned, a loud and distinct testimony concerning His coming would be sounded upon the dull ear of Christendom. This Cry is now going forth. Everywhere the servants of God are proclaiming the news that the Lord is at hand. All over the world the cry is being raised, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.” Never since the days of the apostles has there been so much yearning and longing, preaching and teaching, watching and praying, upon the subject of Christ’s second coming as there is now.

The parable of the Bridegroom and the virgins corresponds very closely with the prophecy of Daniel 12. The midnight Cry—the recovery of the Blessed Hope—matches the unsealing of the prophetic word and the “increase” of “knowledge.” The arising of the virgins agrees with the “running to and fro.” The “trimming” of their lamps—preparation for the Lord’s appearing—tallies with the many being “purified.” The two classes—the wise and the foolish virgins—corresponds exactly with the two classes mentioned by Daniel—the “wise” and the “wicked,” for just as it is said that “none of the wicked shall understand,” so the foolish virgins shall declare “our lamps are gone out”—they will be in the dark!

One other Scripture which confirms us in saying that one of the Signs which heralds the Return of Christ is the midnight Cry, is to be found in 2 Pet. 3:3, 4—“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days 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 the creation.” Observe that it is in the “last days” (of this Age) that there should arise a class who shall scoff at the promise of Christ’s return, which is further intimation that at the Time of the End there would be a renewed and special testimony to the Blessed Hope.

To return to Daniel’s prophecy. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”(Dan. 12:4). These words must not be limited to an application which confines it to the increase of light on the prophetic word, but should be taken in their widest signification. We believe they have reference to the recent and phenomenal increase both in Travel and Knowledge. The words “run to and fro” would seem to point to modern methods of transportation. How this mark of the end time is being manifested today is well known to all. “Railways cover the earth, and steamers track the sea like a mighty spider’s web” (Blackstone). Automobiles have become commoner than horses, and appearances indicate that within a few years at most aeroplanes will be used as a regular means of travel. Observe that our text says, “Many shall run to and fro.” Restlessness now seems to be common to human nature. The rising generation is obsessed with this spirit of running to and fro. Witness the enormous growth of immigration. Study railroad statistics and mark the rapid increase in the number of passengers carried, now numbering hundreds of millions annually. How accurately these words “many shall run to and fro” describe present-day conditions! Everything is in a turmoil. Everybody is on the run, and hence it is that the Day of Rest has become a thing of the past.

“And knowledge shall be increased.” What advances have been made in the educational realm! Facilities which hitherto were available to only a privileged class are now open to the children of the artisan and common laborer. Illiteracy will soon be a thing of the past. By the multiplication of schools, colleges and universities “knowledge” has been marvelously increased. Another agency for increasing knowledge is the press. “The public press, with its ceaseless streams of news and information, covers the earth with its ever increasing circulation, like falling leaves from some mighty tree of knowledge. And of the making of many books, there is truly no end” (Blackstone).

Witness the remarkable increase of scientific knowledge. Contrast our present-day knowledge of astronomy, archeology, zoology, physiology, psychology, with what was known about them even one hundred years ago. How wonderfully man has harnessed to his service the forces of Nature! Things never dreamed of by our grandparents are now actualities, and many of them mere common places. What discoveries have been made! What inventions have been perfected! What triumphs have been achieved on land and sea, in the air and under the waters! How the discovery and utilization of electricity has revolutionized every department of our life! Truly, scientific knowledge has been increased.

The above parable corresponds very closely with the first three found in Matthew 13. Like them it is prophetic in its scope. Its dispensational application is simple yet remarkable. The sowing of the seed here is the same as the sowing of the seed in Matthew 13 and relates to the gracious mission of the Lord and His apostles at the beginning of this dispensation. The seed was the Word of God (Luke 8:11). The period of “sleep” (Compare Matt. 13:25; 25:5) was the spiritual lethargy of the third and fourth centuries which merged into the “Dark Ages,” and corresponded with the order of nature. The natural seed sown into the ground becomes corrupt and dies, or almost dies; and so it was with the Divine seed. The epistles of the New Testament furnish evidence of how quickly and how sadly the purity of the Word became corrupted with the grossest errors and adulterations. But yet it lived. And more, it “grew.” The language used in the parable describing the order of growth corresponds exactly with its prophetic fulfillment. There was first the “blade,” which in nature continues in a feeble state of vitality for a long time. So it was with the Divine “seed” all through the “Dark Ages.” “Then the ear:” does not this point prophetically, to the Reformation period when copies of the Scriptures were multiplied a hundredfold and given once more to the masses in their own tongue. “After that the full corn in the ear.” How remarkable! as the harvest approaches, the original seed now re-appears, though greatly multiplied in quantity. And this is exactly what we are witnessing today. Many long lost truths, truths which have been buried beneath the soil of human tradition, have been given back to the people of God. And, as to multiplication in quantity, contrast the millions of copies of the Scriptures now in circulation with the limited number in use in the first century when printing was unknown. Yes, the Seed has “grown” though man “knoweth not how.” But note the next words: “But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come.” How unspeakably solemn! What follows the “full corn in the ear?” “Immediately,” we are told, “he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come.” Compare with this Matt. 13:39—“the harvest is the end of the age.” And compare further Rev. 14:15—“Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” Thus by putting side by side our Lord’s teaching in the above parable with the prophecy of Daniel we find that the “full corn in the ear” corresponds with “increase of knowledge” and “immediately he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come” (“the harvest is the end of the age”Matt. 13:39) agrees with the “Time of the End.”

To review and sum up: From Daniel 12 we learn that at the Time of the End knowledge shall be increased; from Matthew 25 we learn there would be a recovery of the Blessed Hope and a proclamation concerning the imminent Return of the Bridegroom; from 2 Peter 3 we also learn that in the “last days” there is to be a renewed and special testimony borne respecting the second coming of Christ; and in Mark 4 we learn that the Divine seed (the Word) was to grow until it brought forth the “full corn in the ear” and that this increase of fruitage occurred “immediately” before the harvest. How wonderful and how perfect is the harmony of Scripture! The fact that these things are now spread before our eyes declares in language loud and clear to all who have ears to hear that the Time of the End has been reached, that the Bridegroom is now at hand, that the “last days” are already entered upon, and that the Harvest—symbol of Divine judgment—is impending and to be expected “immediately.”

2. The Apostasy which prepares the way for the Antichrist.

The question has often been raised and is still hotly disputed as to whether the world is getting better or worse. Are conditions in general more propitious or more iniquitous? From one viewpoint conditions are improving, from another they are deteriorating. Good and evil are now both of them rapidly coming to a head. This is exactly what our Lord foretold in the parable of the Tares—“Let both grow together until the harvest” (Matt. 13:30). Both the wheat and the tares are growing. Hence it is that present-day conditions are so conflicting. Godliness and lawlessness, good and evil are, side by side, each advancing, the conflict between them ever increasing in severity. And hence it is that side by side with the increase of spiritual light and prophetic knowledge, we are now witnessing also a wide-spread departure from the Truth. As the light increases the shadows deepen. It is written, “The path of the just shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18); but, it is written again, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse”(2 Tim. 3:13).

Of old, the question was asked, “Watchman what of the night!” and the answer from the lonely watcher upon his lofty tower was “The morning cometh, and also the night” (Is. 21:11, 12). Here again we meet with a seemingly conflicting testimony. Yet, the conditions which prevailed in Isaiah’s day are precisely the same which characterize ours. “The morning cometh,” the morning of the Perfect Day. As we have shown above, the intimations of the approaching Morn are unmistakable. The increasing light vouchsafed by God upon His Word together with the recovery of the Blessed Hope, herald the approach of the Morning Star, which shall precede by a few years the arising of the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings.

“And also the night.” The Night which shall draw down the curtain upon “man’s day.” The Night of the world’s judgment, when “the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Is. 60:2). The Night of the Great Tribulation when “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light” (Matt. 24:29). The Night when the Power of Darkness shall be given full sway for a little season because men loved darkness rather than light. That Night which shall so soon come upon Christendom because it has turned away from God’s Word which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And the intimations of the approaching Night are as marked and as plain as are the heralds of the coming Day. Consider one of them.

“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.” (2 Thess. 2:3). The “day” mentioned here is the Day of the Lord (see Is. 2) which follows the present day of man. The Day of the lord succeeds the Day of Salvation, now so nearly ended, and its character and course is fully described in the last book of the Bible. The “man of sin, the son of perdition” referred to in our text will come before us for consideration in a later chapter, sufficient now to say that he makes his appearance some time after the Rapture of the Church and that he continues in his terrible course of open defiance of God until the Lord Jesus returns in power to the earth when He shall destroy this Wicked One by the brightness of His coming. The “falling away” (apostasy—Greek) is one of the things which shall be the harbinger of the Day of the Lord and prepare the way for the revelation of the Antichrist. The fact that the “falling away” has already commenced, yea, has even now advanced a terrible distance, is proof that the appearing of the Man of Sin is nigh at hand, and therefore that the “last days” of this dispensation are upon us.

The “falling away” which 2 Thess. 2:3 predicts has reference to departure from the Word of God, and apostasy from the faith once delivered unto the saints. Specifically, it refers to repudiation of the Truth by those who are its professed friends. The fulfillment of this solemn prophecy has now been going on for upwards of half a century, and sad to say, the circle in which it is receiving its accomplishment is ever growing wider and wider. More than forty years ago the late C. H. Spurgeon protested faithfully and fearlessly against the “Downgrade movement” of his day, and owing to the doctrinal looseness and theological unsoundness of many of its leading spirits withdrew from the English Baptist Union. The “Downgrade” has gone on apace since then. The majority of our Seminaries in which our preachers receive their theological training, are hot-beds of rationalism, skepticism, and infidelity. The deadliest foes of the Faith are now to be found inside of the professing Church and not outside as hitherto. The “vain philosophies” and Scripture-denying heresies of such agnostics as Darwin and Huxley are now openly espoused and enthusiastically proclaimed from many of our leading pulpits.

The “falling away” has had an awful exemplification in the “Higher Criticism” movement, a movement which originated with atheists but has operated within the professing Church. The “Higher Critics” are men who deny the supernatural element in the Scriptures, who undermine their authority and belittle their value. They are rationalists whose minds are blinded by the god of this world, whose they are and whom they serve. No censure of them can possibly be too severe. The inspired apostle referred to them when he said, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1). The words that follow this terrific indictment, reveal the sad havoc wrought by these apostates, and tells us of the doom which awaits them—“And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (vs. 2, 3).

The “falling away” is evidenced on every hand. Not only are many of our Seminaries cesspools of spiritual corruption, not only are hundreds of our pulpits now filled by traitors to the cause they profess to champion, not only is every cardinal doctrine of the faith attacked and denied by the very ones paid to defend them, but the evil effects of such teaching from our religious leaders has influenced multitudes of souls committed to their care. The man in the pew, following the lead of his teachers, has lost faith in the Bible as a Divine revelation, and in consequence, no longer submits to its authority. Hence it is that there is such a “falling away” in the number of genuine conversions—we say “genuine” conversions because there are multitudes of those who come forward to shake some popular preacher by the hand, multitudes of card-signers, “trail-hitters” etc., etc. Hence it is that there has been such a sad and such a wide-spread “falling away” from the old time family worship. Hence it is that we now witness such a lamentable “falling away” from the mid-week prayer-meeting. Hence it is that there is such an awful “falling away” from the observance of the Holy Sabbath. Hence it is that there is such a fearful “falling away” from the moral standards of former days. Hence it is that there is now such an ever-growing “falling away” from Sunday School attendance all over the land. Yes, the “falling away” has commenced and is already far advanced.

The “falling away” is also to be seen in the many false systems of recent development. We may cite as illustrations the “New Theology” formulated and popularized by R. J. Campbell; “Christian Science” (so called) with its repudiation of sin and the vicarious Sacrifice of Christ; “Russellism” with its horrible blasphemies upon the person of our Lord and its erroneous and soul-destroying heresy of the “second chance;” “Spiritualism” with its intercourse with demons who impersonate the dead. Formerly, three-fourths of the votaries of these anti-Christian systems were outwardly attached to the Truth, inasmuch as they were members of evangelical denominations. The same “falling away” may be seen in the rapid decay of Protestantism and the silent but sure growth of Roman Catholicism.

The “falling away” which characterizes our day was referred to by the apostle when he said, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3, 4). That time has arrived! Church-goers today will not endure “sound doctrine.” Those who preach the total depravity of man, who insist upon the imperative necessity of the new birth, who set forth the inflexible righteousness and holiness of God, and who warn against the Eternal and conscious torment awaiting every rejector of Christ, find it almost impossible to obtain a hearing. Such preachers are regarded as puritanical pessimists, and are not wanted. In these degenerate times, the masses demand that which will soothe them in their sins and amuse them while they journey down the Broad Road. The multitude is affected with “itching ears” which crave novelty and that which is sensational. They have ears which wish to be “tickled,” ears which eagerly drink in the songs of professional and unsaved soloists and choristers, ears which are well pleased with the vulgar slang of our modern evangelists. Concurrent with this “Falling away” we may note,

3. The Laodicean state of Christendom.

In Revelation two and three we have seven Epistles addressed to the seven churches in Asia. These Epistles—in keeping with the nature of the book in which they are found—are prophetic in their scope. They record the sentences of the Divine Judge who appears in the midst of these churches (see 1:13–20) inspecting and passing decisions. They contain a panorama of the Church’s history. They give us a complete outline of the entire course of the Christian profession, of going from bad to worse, until at the end a condition is reached which compels the Lord to utterly repudiate that which bears His name. We cannot now do more than hurriedly trace the order of thought and point out the leading features in these seven prophetic pictures. 10

The first of these Epistles is addressed to the church at Ephesus and is recorded in Revelation 2:1–7. In it we have viewed the originating cause of the declination which began in the apostolic age. “Thou hast left thy first love” (vs. 4)—the cooling of the church’s affection for Christ was the source of all the evil that followed. There was much outward zeal, but the heart was not right, and where love declines evil practices soon follow. Even so was it at the early date contemplated by the first of these seven Epistles, for at Ephesus we learn there were “false apostles” (vs. 2) and “Nicolaitanes” whose deeds were “hateful” to Christ and the Ephesians themselves (vs. 6). “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent” (vs. 5) shows the beginning of the downward path.

In the second Epistle addressed to the church in Smyrna and recorded in Revelation 2:8–11, we have a prophetic picture which describes the conditions that prevailed from John’s time till the beginning of the fourth century A.D.—a period of persecution and martyrdom. Here we are shown a Judaizing Christianity spreading within the church, and mention is made of the “synagogue of Satan” (vs. 9).

In the Epistle to the third church—Pergamos (Rev. 2:12–17)—we find the progress in evil is still more marked. The prophetic application of this Epistle carries us on to the days of Constantine when the church and the world joined hands. This unholy alliance was foreshadowed by the name of the church addressed, for Pergamos signifies a “marriage.” Here we read of “Satan’s throne”). Here, too, mention is again made of the Nicolaitanes, but whereas in Ephesus it was the “deeds of the Nicolaitanes” (vs. 6) that were mentioned, here it is the “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes” (vs. 15)—false practices had now become articles of faith. Observe that at first the church “hated” their deeds (vs. 6), here their evil beliefs were tolerated and cherished.

In the fourth Epistle—to Thyatira (Rev. 2:18–29) we have disclosed a yet fouler condition of ecclesiastical corruption and are carried forward to the rise of Roman Catholicism, which is here termed “Jezebel”—“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not” (vss. 20, 21). That “space” began at the Reformation period and has lasted till now, but the Papacy is still unchanged.

In the fifth Epistle addressed to the church in Sardis (3:1–6) we are brought down to the days of Martin Luther and his contemporaries, when many of God’s people were delivered from Popery. Observe here “Thou hast a name” (vs. 1). That name was “Protestantism” which defined both their claim and testimony. But note further, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Thus it has proven; so it is today. Protestantism is now nothing more than a “name,” its vitality has long since departed. How this latter-day condition was anticipated by the very terms of this Epistle may be seen by the language of verses 2 and 3—“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast, and repent.” Alas! that this admonition passed unheeded. “But, are all within the circle of Protestantism now spiritually dead?” it may be asked. No; and mark the prophetic accuracy of this Epistle—“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments” (vs. 4)!

In the sixth Epistle addressed to the church in Philadelphia (3:7–13) we are brought down to the last century. Three things are to be noted here. First, Philadelphia signifies “brotherly love” and it was during the last century particularly that this Christian grace was acknowledged and displayed. Not until the nineteenth century was the truth of the Unity of the Church recovered and the common brotherhood of believers practically owned. Second, the Lord sets before this church an “open door” (vs. 8), a door which He had opened Himself. This was the “door” which led to the Foreign Mission field, and it was not until last century that age-long barriers were so wonderfully removed by God and world-wide evangelism made practically easy. Third, “Thou hast a little strength”(vs. 8) accurately describes the condition of the church during the last hundred years.

We turn now to consider at a little more length the seventh Epistle, addressed to the church of the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14–22). This Epistle portrays the last state of the professing church on earth, a state characterized by high pretensions and self-sufficiency, but so utterly nauseous to Christ that He declares “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm I will sue thee out of My mouth”(vss. 15, 16).

The word Laodicea means “the rule of the laity or people.” It is the people’s church, not Christ’s for notice He is outside (vs. 20), standing and knocking for admission. Its condition is described as “lukewarm:” it is neither one thing nor the other, partly hot and partly cold. How accurately this describes the present day condition of the professing church! A condition of mixture—mixed up with the world, claiming to be heavenly and yet clinging to everything that is earthly; bearing the name of Christ, and yet misrepresenting Him and putting Him to an open shame. Much religion but little life. Much activity but little vitality. Much doing but little accomplished. Much display but little power. Neither hot nor cold: neither out and out for God, nor out and out for the Devil. “Luke warm,” as though hot and cold water had been poured into the same vessel. This is exactly what we have in the churches today—intense worldliness and wickedness veneered over with humanitarian and religious pretenses.

Another characteristic of Laodicea is the spirit of boosting—“Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (vs. 17). Loud and lofty are the pretensions of the professing church, but how shallow they really are! There is much ostentatious parading of resources, but it is an empty profession. There is self-conceit, showy attainments, architectural display, intellectual acquirements, influential numbers, but Christ is excluded! In this church (see the Epistle), unlike all the previous ones, there is nothing whatever in it that Christ commends—sad commentary upon its true condition! But this is merely negative: there is much in it that He condemns—“and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (vs. 17). The church is utterly ignorant of its actual and deplorable state. Its leaders are crying “Peace and safety” when “sudden destruction” is upon them (1 Thess. 5:3). Unspeakably sad is this. Whenever there is recognition of our condition and our need, there is hope, for recognition and acknowledgement of weakness is the secret of strength (2 Cor. 12:9). But self-complacency is fatal. For self-righteousness there is no remedy. Though self-sufficient and self-righteous the professing church will shortly be “spued out” by the One whose name it bears.

Now observe particularly that this “Laodicean” Epistle is the final one of the series. It sets before us the last state of the professing church on earth. In keeping with this note the time-mark here. The Lord speaks of “supping” (vs. 20). It is eventime. It is the closing meal of the day! The end is at hand. The church is feasting inside and the Saviour is standing outside. Such was what was predicted eighteen centuries ago, and such is what we now witness in Christendom today. Christ is now outside the professing church undesired, unheard, unknown. And, we repeat, this Epistle is the final one of the series: there is no eighth which follows it. The Laodicean condition is the last phase of apostate Christendom. Nought remains but its spueing out. The very next thing we read of in Revelation after the Laodicean Epistle is—“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither” etc. (4:1) which clearly symbolizes the catching up of the saints. But we turn now to consider—

4. The Prophecy of the Perilous Times.

This prophecy is found in 2 Tim. 3 and is another delineation of the professing church in the last days. It is particularly to be noted that the verses we are about to consider, describe not mankind in general but Christendom in particular. Note now the several lines in this picture. Lengthy comment is needless.

“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.” “Men shall be lovers of their own selves”—two things, closely connected, are referred to: selfishness and egotism. Self-lovers! Was there ever a time when there was so much self-seeking and self-pleasing, and so little self-sacrifice by professing Christians? “Covetous”—money-lovers. What fortunes are now amassed by those who claim to be not their own but bought with a price! Our average church-member is as greedy and grasping as the worldling. “Boasters”—intellectual boasting—laying claim to the possession of a wisdom and scholarship unknown to our forefathers; ecclesiastical boasting, evidenced in denominational pride; and what is most obnoxious of all, spiritual boasting—the profession of superior piety, the advertising of a “victorious life,” “baptism of the Spirit,” “sinless perfection,” etc. “Proud”—proud of their culture, liberality and broadmindedness. How different from the One who said, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me: for I am meek and lowly in heart.”“Blasphemers”—Christian Scientists (?), Russellites, Higher Critics, etc. “Disobedient to parents.” When was this deplorable sign of insubordination so rife as it is today? Instead of parents ruling their children, children now rule their parents, and, of course, the parents are to blame. This failure to exercise parental authority, this rebellion in the young which will brook no restraint, is the certain forerunner of the downfall of the State, fostering, as it does, the spirit of lawlessness. “Unthankful”—temporal blessings received as a matter of course without any recognition of their Giver. God’s providential mercies unappreciated. Returning of thanks at mealtime, almost entirely a thing of the past. “Unholy” which has reference to the utter absence of separation from the world: the disappearance of the Nazarite spirit.

Behold further characteristics of the Perilous Times—“without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4). It is needless to enlarge upon each separate item, but mark the first and the last of those enumerated here. “Without natural affection.” How terribly this is exemplified today in the enormous increase of divorces, in the abandonment of their infant offspring by unnatural mothers, and in the neglect of the poor, the sick, the aged! “Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” See our church-members on the Lord’s day, preferring a ride in their automobiles to the assembling of themselves together with the people of God. Mark them on prayer-meeting nights at the picture-shows instead of at the throne of grace. And witness the musical programmes, the entertainments, the ice-cream suppers etc., held in our church-houses.

“But, it may be asked, “have not these things always been true of men in general?” Perhaps so, more or less, though never to the same extent as now. But these verses do not describe “general conditions,” they depict Christendom as it exists in the “last days.” This is clear from the next verse—“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (vs. 5). There is music but it is of the siren kind, not the singing, and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. There is eloquence but it is the wisdom which man’s words teacheth, and not that which speaks for God and wins souls. There is fervour but it is the heat of carnal excitement born of novelty and sensationalism, and not that which cometh down from above. There is zeal, but it is without knowledge. There is a demand for righteousness, but it is civic and social righteousness and not the righteousness of God. There is love but it is a sickly sentimentality and not that which is the fulfilling of the law. There is gospel-preaching, but it is “another gospel” and not the gospel of the grace of God. There is much religion, but it is lacking in life. There are notorious evangelistic campaigns, but they are devoid of spirituality. There is much ritualistic performance but it is a form of godliness without its power.

“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts” (vs. 6). We believe the reference is to Mormonism, yet the principle is of still wider application. How striking it is that we should read of “silly women” in this inspired list of “last days” characteristics! Observe the way this is fulfilled in modern Feminism! Observe the words “led away with divers lusts,” which might be freely rendered “ambitious desires.” This craving for publicity, this deplorable masculinity, this denial of man’s headship, this unsurping of authority, is one of the most striking Signs of the Times. We refer, not only to the modern Suffragette movement which makes every self-respecting woman blush for shame at the immodesty of her sisters, but also to the attitude and position taken by so many “silly women” in the churches. How sad it is to see the plain command of God—“Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak” (1 Cor. 14:34)—now so generally disregarded. Today there are not a few who unblushingly denounce the inspired apostle as “an old bachelor with narrow ideas” (Ironside).

Now mark that what we have been considering above is a part of a Divinely drawn picture describing the Perilous Times of the “last days.” How clear it is that the Perilous Times are now upon us, Times that are “perilous” to the souls of God’s people, “perilous” to the spread of the Gospel, “perilous” to the whole of Christendom. How evident it is to those who have eyes to see that we have already entered into the “last days.” And how dark are the immediate prospects for the world!

Take note of one other item in this striking prophecy—“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). Surely moral conditions cannot get much worse than they are now. Immorality has come in like a flood which is ever swelling and widening in its course. “Uncleanness is rampant. There is an army of over thirty thousand painted prostitutes in Chicago alone. This sin of impurity, the greatest of the age, is literally undermining and honeycombing the nations till they are now tottering to their fall.” (R.V. Miller). How true this statement is appears from a recent speech made by Secretary Daniels of the U.S. Navy. In the course of an address which he delivered before the Clinical Congress of Surgeons of North America he said:—“There is not an army in the field whose effectiveness is not reduced by reason of immoral diseases. The navy suffers likewise and business halts because venereal diseases destroy the manhood of workmen and fighters. During the last statistical year men of the American navy lost 141,387 days’ sickness from a small group of absolutely preventable diseases contracted by sin. This means that every day throughout the year there are 456 men disabled by this disgraceful malady. In the navy of 1915 there were admitted for treatment for venereal diseases 112 persons in every 1,000, and in the army 84 for every 1,000. In civil life the number afflicted is quite as large proportionately as in the military service. It has been printed that Hecht of Vienna, stated that at one time the equivalent of three entire Austrian divisions of 60,000 men was under treatment for venereal diseases, while the German army in Belgium, representing only a small part of the total German forces, is reported during the first five months of its occupation to have furnished 35,000 such patients. Canadian and Australian officers have deplored the ravages of this disease. The late figures from the British army gave 78,000 cases, and all other countries have also been weakened.” Surely such appalling figures as these, furnished by so eminent an authority, declare plainly that the “Perilous Times” of the “last days” are upon us! Does some one ask, What will be the outcome? We answer, the same as of old. God still lives and reigns, and just as surely as He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for similar wickedness, so surely shall He pour out His indignation and wrath upon the present generation of evil-doers. Yea, He has already begun to do so, and this leads us to consider—

5. The Overturning which is visible on every hand.

“I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is” (Ezek. 21:27). In close accord with this prophecy through Ezekiel is the word recorded in Haggai 2:6, 7—“For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come.” Note carefully the coupling of these two things together—the coming of the Desire of all nations (the Lord Jesus), and the shaking of all nations. Surely this is just what we see going on before our eyes today! Verily, God is now “shaking” and “overturning” everything that is on the earth. What has been the watchword and catchword that has rung in our ears during the last decade? Reform! Reform! Reform! Governments must be reformed. Churches must be reformed. Creeds must be reformed. The Bible must be reformed, and conformed to “modern thought.” Schools must be reformed. Everything must be reformed. The marriage-laws and divorce-laws must be reformed and deformed. What does all this indicate? Nothing is any longer right.

This demand for reform is not merely local, it is not confined to some cotery of enthusiasts. It is worldwide. It is enveloping the earth. It has swept over Europe and across this continent, and has now reached the lethargic East. In Turkey and Egypt, in Japan and China, in Mesopotamia and India, in Asia and Africa, peoples who have been stagnant for centuries are now aroused, and the cry is going forth—Down with the old regime; Down with ancient institutions. Down with everything which brooks restraint. Never before were such conflicting forces at work. Never before were the foundations of society so seriously threatened. “I will shake all nations”—surely the appointed time for this is now here. “I will overturn, overturn, overturn”—truly this is exactly what God is doing today. Revolution is in the air, but those who are able to read the Signs of the Times can see that revolution is moving rapidly toward dissolution, the dissolution of the old order. Closely connected with the overturning of ancient institutions we may consider—

6. The present Distress of Nations.

“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 with fear, and for looking after those things which are coming to pass on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:25, 26). As we have already remarked more than once, prophecy invariably has a double fulfillment at least, and so we believe it is with the one just quoted. Directly, it has reference to conditions that will prevail during the Great Tribulation which immediately precedes the return of the Lord to the earth itself, but there is much to be said in favor of giving this prediction a present-day application. It agrees exactly with the conditions which now exist. Mark five of the characteristics here enumerated:—

First, “Distress of nations.” How well these words describe the well-nigh universal groaning and anguish of mankind! “Distress” is now no longer confined to any one people but is international and earth-wide in its reach. The “distress” and suffering caused by the exorbitant cost of living when it is becoming more and more difficult to secure even the bare necessaries of life. The “distress” occasioned by increasing taxation and the accumulation of national debts which must prove intolerable burdens for future generations to bear. The “distress” caused by shortage of fuel and food-stuffs so that one half of the world is living upon short rations. The “distress” of bereavement which is now in millions of homes which mourn the loss of loved ones slain in battle.

Second, “with perplexity.” Statesmen unable to discover any way out of present difficulties. Men of Solomonic astuteness at their wits’ end, fearful of what they see approaching and powerless to hinder and prevent it. Problems between capital and labor becoming more acute and insoluble. Situations arising which the wisest of our statesmen, despite all our boasted enlightenment and progress, are unable to cope with successfully. “Perplexity” by reason of political corruption, economic agitations, and revolutionary troubles.

Third, “the sea and the waves roaring.” In Scripture, the sea is used to figure the peoples of the earth which, away from God, know no rest. Like the sea, the masses today are in a seething turmoil. Everywhere there is fermentation and dissatisfaction. When were human politics so confused, so contradictory, so threatening as they are now? When was law so utterly impotent to restrain the violent passions of men? Every day brings new indications of disquietude and convulsion. Every government on earth is being shaken to its very foundations. Mark the political changes which almost weekly take place in the great world powers. The time for listless indifference is gone. No longer may we quietly fold our hands and take our ease. There is among the nations a spirit of restlessness, insubordination, anarchy; a consuming desire to overthrow every established system which has made for law and order; a spirit and desire which is too deeply rooted, too furious, too general, to be long withstood. It is something more than a passing tumult or the frenzy of an hour. Every day it is gathering strength and ere long it will burst every bound that legislation can devise. The waves of human passion are rising higher, and higher and threaten to swamp the landmarks of the ancients and take possession of the whole earth.

Fourth, “Men’s hearts failing them with fear, and for looking for those things which are coming on the earth.” We live in a day of unprecedented agitation and unparalleled tribulation. Conditions on earth have now reached such a pass that no human skill an steer clear of the mighty maelstrom which is rapidly drawing all nations within its awful whirl. Human society is becoming panic-stricken. Heart failure both physically and morally is seizing thousands of victims. Little wonder that suicides are increasing at such an alarming rate. Men’s hearts are “failing them.” And well they may. Confidence between man and man has disappeared. Friendships have become barren formalities, little more than selfish conveniences. Human compassion is no more. Conscience is dead, and men are giving up in hopeless despair as they discern still worse evils presaged by present-day conditions. Feverish eyes are moving to and fro in dread expectation of the approaching total collapse of civilization.

Fifth, “the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” In Scripture the powers of nature are frequently used symbolically. “Mountains” figure “Kingdoms” (Dan. 2:35; Jer. 51:25); “waters” represent “peoples” (Rev 17:11); and the sun, moon, and stars, typify human governments (Rev. 12:1). In the Great Tribulation the physical “powers of heaven will be literally“shaken,” but we take it that the present-day application of our text is to be regarded symbolically, having reference to human governments. And when were the political heavens so “shaken” as they are today? Note the development of the “Young Turk” Party in Turkey. Mark the growing popularity of a revolutionary Socialism. Witness the revolution in Portugal, and the yet more recent revolutions in Mexico, China and Russia. Ancient dynasties are being overthrown; thrones are tottering; kingdoms are being broken up. The very cement by which human society has been welded together is corroded so that Civilization is now like walls without mortar—ready to fall to pieces.

What is the message voiced by these universal conditions? What do they say to the children of God? The answer to these questions is found in the same passage where these things are described—“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh”(Luke 21:28). Let us next consider—

7. The conflict between Capital and Labor.

“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 moth eaten. 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. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabbath. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and He doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the Judge standeth before the door” (James 5:1–9).

Observe that the above passage makes express reference to “the last days” (vs. 3). It tells us that in these “last days” there shall be a class of “rich men” (vs. 1). It speaks of them having “heaped treasure together” (vs. 3). It declares that their riches have been acquired by “fraud” (vs. 4). It makes mention of them having “condemned and killed the just” (vs. 6). It intimates that their rapacity and dishonesty will evoke and provoke a loud “cry” (vs. 4) from their victims. It denounces them for having “lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton” (vs. 5). It pictures the sorrows and anguish brought upon the laboring classes whose cries have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts (vs. 4). It announces the terrible judgments of heaven which shall yet descend upon them for their crimes, and predicts that they shall “weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon them” (vs. 1).

What human wisdom could have delineated so faithfully the present conflict between capital and labor! What mortal mind could have foretold, almost two thousand years beforehand, the amazing and heart-rending situation that is now before our eyes. Who but men “moved by the Holy Spirit” could have foreseen the recent rise of multi-millionaires, the accumulation and concentration of three fourths of the wealth of the world in the hands of scarcely one hundred men, the hoarded riches of the capitalist and monopolist, the extravagant and voluptuous living of the wealthy, the suffering which should be brought upon the laborer by the rapacity of his merciless employer! How remarkable is this prophecy in view of our twentieth century trusts and syndicates which corner the markets, hoard up raw materials, and rob the masses by fixing extortionate prices! And what is the significance of these things? They are another proof that the end of the age is reached. They are further intimation that the “last days” are upon us. The cries of the distressed poor have reached heaven, and the Divine Judge is just about to come to the deliverance of His people and deal in vengeance with those who have robbed them. The Lord’s people are not to resist and fight: the command is “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.” Believers are here urged to stablish their hearts and be patient, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” We turn now to consider.

8. The Rejuvenation and Restoration of Israel.

The Jew has been termed the mystery and miracle of history. Terrible have been the privations and persecutions which he has suffered and yet has he survived them all. For two thousand years Israel has been a homeless wanderer among the nations and yet has he preserved his individuality. Sore have been the Divine judgments inflicted upon him and yet God has not made a full end of Jacob’s children.

In other chapters we have called attention to some of the numerous prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments which announce the revival of Israel, their return to Palestine, and their restoration to God’s favor, and ere pointing out the manner in which some of these predictions are beginning to receive their fulfillment, we would quote just one other. In Matt. 24:32, 33 we have a part of our Lord’s answer to the disciples’ questions—“What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the age?” Here our Lord says, “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 He (margin) is near, even at the doors.” The fig-tree symbolizes the nation of Israel—compare Matt. 21:19 etc. The putting forth of its leaves after the long winter of dispersion among and subjugation to the Gentiles, points to the reinvigoration of this ancient people. The taking on of new life by Israel is a sure sign that the return of the Redeemer is near at hand.

That the Fig-tree has begun to put forth leaves is evident to all who are acquainted with the leading events of the day. God is once more placing the Jew before the eyes of the men as those by whom He has blessed the world in the past and through whom He has purposed to bless it in the future. In a most noticeable manner the Jew is today commanding the attention of both the church and the world. Until the last fifty years the Jew had no place on our missionary program, but now we behold “Missions to the Jews” springing up in many lands. Others besides Christians are interested: the future of Palestine is being carefully pondered by all the leading diplomats. In every realm the Jew is pushing to the front. More and more his rights and claims are being recognized, and as he is allowed to enjoy common privileges he is making his mark in all the leading professions and arts: many of our most influential positions are now filled by the descendants of Abraham, and it is well known that they control the fiances of the world.

Perhaps the most significant and portentous episode in Israel’s history since their dispersion was the formation of the “Zionist Society.” The Zionist movement has for its aim the return of the Jews to Palestine, and for its ultimate object the purchase of the Holy Land. During the past twenty years this movement has spread with startling rapidity. “All over the earth societies have been formed, bodies have been legally incorporated, and vast sums of money subscribed. Children are being taught that the day of Israel is at hand, and are speeding the ancient word “Zion” from lip to lip” (Haldeman). At the time the War began, there were upwards of 100,000 Jews who had returned to the land of their fathers. Colonies had been established everywhere and soil which had lain idle for centuries was once more tilled and sown by the offspring of David. “The land, as foretold by Jeremiah, is being bought and sold at the very gates of Jerusalem. The Jew is already the preeminent factor in the once holy city. He controls its business and is the present guaranty of its prosperity. His synagogues are rising within the shadow of the Mohammedan mosques. His lamentations for the city of the ancient splendors, and his prayer for the restoration of the former glory, and the swift descent of an avenging Messiah, resound every Friday beneath the moss covered stones of Solomon’s walls, where thousands turn their faces and weep as they contemplate the past, reciting the penitential Psalms, and whose same tear-wet faces shine as they sing of the day when Zion shall be as a garden planted of the Lord, and when the holy hill of the great solemnities shall be the place for the soles of the feet of Him who is their promised King” (Haldeman). If all this became possible under the Turkish government who shall say what shall come to pass if, as now appears most probable, Palestine should become a British or American protectorate! Yes, the rejuvenation of the Jews and their return to Palestine is one of the most striking Signs of the Times. It tells us that the Times of the Gentiles are rapidly drawing to a close. The budding of the Fig-tree evidences that Israel’s summer is nigh at hand and that their Messiah is even at the doors. Let us next consider—

9. The limitations of Earth’s great Week.

We are well aware that in broaching this point we shall probably evoke the criticism of honored brethren and be charged with “setting a date” for the Return of our Lord. Nevertheless, we feel constrained to set down our honest convictions, only asking our readers to examine in the light of Holy Writ what we now advance tentatively and not dogmatically.

In ancient times it was commonly held by Jewish rabbis before our Lord’s first advent, and by many of the most eminent of the church fathers afterwards, that the Creation week of Genesis one defined the limits of earth’s history. Before we proceed with our argument we shall first quote from three who lived in the second and third centuries, not that we appeal to them as authorities, but simply to show that the view was commonly held in the century which immediately followed the apostles and before the Blessed Hope was lost.

In the thirteenth chapter of the apocryphal Epistle of Barnabas, written about 150 A.D., we read—“God made in six days the works of His hands, and He finished them the seventh day, and He rested the seventh day and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what this signifies: He finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this: that in six thousand years the Lord will bring all things to an end. For with Him one day is a thousand years, as Himself testifieth. Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years—Shall all things be accomplished. And what is that He saith, And He rested the seventh day? He meaneth this: that when His Son shall come, and abolish the season of the wicked one, and judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun, moon and stars, then He shall gloriously rest in that seventh day. ** Behold, He will then truly sanctify it with blessed rest, when we (having received the righteous promise, when iniquity shall be no more, all things being renewed by the Lord) shall be able to sanctify it, being ourselves first made holy.”

Next we quote from the writings of the distinguished Irenaeus who was a disciple of Polycarp, who, in turn, was a disciple of John the apostle. It has been said that “for learning, steadfastness and zeal, he was amongst the most renowned of the early fathers.” Consider then his testimony—“In whatever number of days the world was created, in the same number of thousands of years it will come to its consummation. God, on the sixth day, finished the works which He made; and God rested on the seventh day from all His works. This is a history of the past and a prophecy of the future; for a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.” Similarly, Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who was martyred in the year 258, wrote—“In the Divine arrangement of the world, seven days were at first employed, and in them seven thousand years were included.”

It may be objected to the above quotations that they are merely the opinions and speculations of fallible men, and that their views find no warrant in the Word of God. It is true that they were the beliefs of eminent saints, beliefs which were shared by many of God’s people in ancient times, and it is also true that this appeal to antiquity is no proof of the authenticity of the view we now advocate; but to say that it is has no warrant in God’s Word is more than we are prepared to admit, yea, as we shall seek to show there is not a little in the Scriptures which seems to countenance and confirm it.

First, we would appeal to the Septenary system of the sacred calendar of Israel. Here we cannot do better than quote from the late Dr. Johnson—“Through the whole Scripture, both of the Old and New Testaments, there is a striking typical representation of some great and important Sabbath, as a great septenary that has not yet taken place, and which evidently appears to be the Millenarian Septenary, as the great Sabbath of the whole earth. God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it. In the Decalogue this peculiar distinguishment of the seventh day, or weekly sabbath, was most solemnly renewed. Every seventh year was appointed a sabbatical year. And the commencement of the year of jubilee which was every fiftieth year, was to be fixed by the running of a septenary of sabbatical years. “Thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years, and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years” (Lev. 25:8). The number seven, because used in Scripture to complete all the sacred divisions of times, was regarded by the Jews as the symbol of perfection, and is used in this sense in Scripture. The question then arises, Is it to be supposed that all these events, which are interwoven with the Mosaic dispensation, which was itself symbolical or typical, and which are introduced into the New Testament, and abound so much in the Book of Revelation, have no antetype to correspond to them?—no great sabbatical septenary to which they all point and in which they all shall be accomplished? Is it not highly probable that they are all typical of the seventh millenary of the earth, which is the great Sabbath?” To which we answer, we certainly believe so.

Second; God is a God of order. In Scripture, in creation and in history, we find innumerable evidences that God works according to a mathematical plan. Numerical design is stamped upon all His handiwork. This fact is so freely recognized that we need not pause to illustrate. What we would now ask is, Is it likely that in His great dispensational plan He has departed from His general rule? We cannot believe it. But we are not left to bare conjecture. That part of God’s age plan which is already before us gives plain intimation that He who knows the end from the beginning and has “framed the ages” (Heb. 1:2-Greek) has appointed symmetrical lines to the main divisions and the limits of the world’s history. From Adam to Abraham there were two thousand years. From Abraham to the Divine incarnation there was another two thousand years. May there not be another two thousands years then between the first and the second advents? We firmly believe there will be. God’s ways in the past foreshadow His dealings in the future, for He changeth not. That the proportions of the present dispensation will correspond with the preceding two great divisions of the world’s time we shall seek to demonstrate in our next argument.

Third; we would here call attention to a statement made in connection with the resurrection of Lazarus. In John 11:6, 7 we learn that “When He had heard therefore that he (Lazarus) was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was. Then after that saith He to His disciples, Let us go into Judea again.” Why are we told the exact length of time our Lord remained away from Judea after that He received word of Lazarus’ sickness? There must be some good reason for the record of this fact. There is nothing superfluous or meaningless in God’s Word. We believe that there is a deeper meaning to this than appears on the surface. Before we suggest what this meaning is, let us note another important word in this connection. In John 11:17 we read “Then when Jesus came, He found that he (Lazarus) had lain in the grave four days already.” Again, we ask, Why this information concerning the precise number of days that Lazarus had lain in the grave? Is the answer far to seek? Did not Lazarus typify the condition of man at that time?—the time of the first advent, the time “when Jesus came.” In what condition did the Son of God find the one who had been made in His own image? He found him dead—dead in trespasses and sins. And how long had man been in this state? According to God’s estimate of time—a thousand years as a day—exactly four days, for there can be little doubt that from Adam to Christ was just that length of time. Here then is the key to the “two days” of verse 6. Lazarus not only represented the natural man in his spiritually dead condition, but as the one whom “Jesus loved” he typified the nation of Israel, and just as Christ, after abiding for two days outside the land, said “Let us go into Judea again” and there, and then, raised Lazarus, so after two thousand years absence from the earth, our Lord shall return to Judea and restore Israel to life. “A fanciful supposition” says someone. Not at all, is our reply. Our conclusion is in perfect harmony with the express testimony of Scripture. Listen, “After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight” (Hosea 6:2)!

If further proof be required to show that our Lord will be absent from the earth “two days” (two thousand years) we have another typical hint in John 4:43, 45—“Now after two days He departed thence, and went into Galilee. ** Then when He was come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him,” and then follows the record of the healing of the nobleman’s son. Who can fail to see in this dispensational picture which will be realized in the millennium! As John 11 presents our Lord’s return to Judea after an interval of “two days” which is followed, typically, by the restoration of Israel, so here, in John 4, after “two days” our Lord comes into Galilee “of the Gentiles” which is followed, typically, by their “healing”! The same time-mark is found in John 2:1. It was on ‘the third day” - after “two days” that “there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee,” where the wine (symbol of joy, see Ps. 104:15) is provided by Christ—the “best” kept till “the last” and where He “manifested forth His glory” (vs. 11)—how perfect the type!—which clearly pictures another millennial scene, and this also is on “the third day”—the “third” after two days absence from the earth! Still other illustrations might be adduced but these are sufficient. “Four days” from Adam to the first advent, “two days” of absence, making a total of six (6,000 years) and then the Lord returns to usher in the “seventh day,” the Millennium, when the sick will be healed, the dead raised, the wine provided, and the glory of Christ fully manifested.

Fourth; in 2 Pet. 3:8 we read, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Two things here are to be particularly noted. First, the immediate context of these words directly connects them with the second advent of Christ! In verses 3 and 4 the apostle tells us that in the last days “scoffers” should ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” to which they add, “for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” The force of this is obvious: men will point to the world around and declare that everything is stable and prosperous, refusing to see any indications of the approaching doom of Christendom. In reply the apostle declares, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens which 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.” Having silenced the objection of the “scoffers,” the apostle now addresses himself to the saints, saying, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Thus we see that these words are directly connected with the subject of our Lord’s return. In the second place, observe the words, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing.” The “be not ignorant” is in apposition to the “this they (the “scoffers”) willingly are ignorant of” (vs. 5). The “this one thing” calls attention to the importance of what he was about to say. God forbid that His people today should be “willingly ignorant of” what He has been pleased to make known to us. If, then, Scripture distinctly tells us that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,” are we not fully justified in concluding that the six days’ work of Genesis one foreshadowed six thousand years of human toil and labor, and that the seventh day, the Sabbath, which God “blessed” and “sanctified” and on which He “rested from all His work” typified that dispensation of blessing which shall follow the six thousand years of human effort, a dispensation over which the Prince of Peace shall preside, and a dispensation which will last exactly “a thousand years”!

Fifth; as we have pointed out in an earlier chapter, the Transfiguration upon the holy mount was a seventh day scene. Matthew says, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them” (Matt. 17:1, 2). Luke says, “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings. He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His rainment was white and glistering” (Luke 9:28, 29). Why these time-marks? The “transfiguration” was a spectacular setting forth of the leading features and characteristics of the millennial kingdom, and the fact that the Gospels present this as a seventh day scene certainly seems to add weight to the conclusion that the Millennium will follow six thousand years (six days) of human toil and labor, and thus be the antitypical fulfillment of the seventh day of Gen. 2:3.

Sixth; the Millennium is distinctly termed “a Sabbath-keeping”—Heb. 4:9.

Seventh, whatever may be thought of what we have advanced above, personally, we know of nothing whatever in Scripture which contradicts it. It is true that Acts 1:7 is often appealed to but it is clear from 1 Thess. 5:1–7 that it will not bear the construction that is frequently placed upon it. We may be considered “fanciful,” but if so, we are fanciful in company with a goodly and godly number—“Luther entertained it. Melancthon wrote it on the fly-leaf of his Bible, as a matter not to be disputed. Thousands of divines since his time have received it as part of their faith. And when we come, to place together certain statements of the Scriptures, there seems to me to be a weight of testimony in its favor sufficient to warrant us in regarding it as sacred truth. Look at these sentences:—

“In six days the Lord made heaven and earth.”

“On the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”

“One day is with the Lord as a thousand years.”

“There remaineth therefore a keeping of Sabbath to the people of God.” (Quoted from “The Last Times” by J. A. Seiss).

What then is the practical value of this computation? This, that it furnishes us with another proof that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. No doubt there is Divine design about the present confusion in human chronology. It is impossible for us to ascertain with certainty the precise year of grace in which we are now living. But it is almost certain, as certain as any human calculation can be, that the year 5900 A.M. was passed considerably more than a decade ago, and therefore less than a century is now required to complete the sixth millennium. The end of the sixth day is nigh at hand, and as we know that the Tribulation period which follows the Rapture will last at least seven years and probably much longer, then the descent of Christ into the air to catch up His saints to Himself is that much nearer still. Let it be distinctly understood that the period of “two days” when our Lord is absent, has to do with His absence from the earth and that His coming back to the earth at the close of the 6000 years to usher in the Millennium follows some years after the first stage of His second advent, so that in no sense are we “fixing a date” for the coming of Christ for His saints—the date of that event is absolutely “hidden in God.” Yet, as we say, we know that the approximate time this must be very near, because at the close of the present century (and how far this century has progressed we cannot say for certain) the Millennium itself will begin, and before that arrives there is the Tribulation period which may last forty or even seventy years. Consider now—

10. The analogy between the two Advents of Christ.

That there will be a close analogy between the first and second Advents of our Lord is intimated by two Scriptures which contain a similar expression. In Gal. 4:4 we read, “When the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” This, of course, has reference to the first advent. In Eph. 1:10 we are told “that in the dispensation of the fullness of times H might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him.” This has reference to that which shall immediately follow the second advent. The Millennium will be “the Dispensation of the fullness of times” inasmuch as it will be the final one of earth’s Ages. The “gathering together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth” points to the uniting of heaven’s and earth’s interests under His blessed reign. Then will be fulfilled that word of John 1:51—“Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man,” for then will perfect communication be established between heaven and earth, or rather, earth and heaven. In order to understand the force of this expression “fullness of times” let us ponder the words “fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4) in the light of the conditions which prevailed at the Divine incarnation.

The coming of Christ to this earth was not some sudden, isolated, unexpected event. The advent of our blessed Lord, and with it the dawn of Christianity, marked a climax and a consummation. The world was prepared through long processes for the coming of the one and the preaching of the other. From Paradise to Bethlehem the centuries were preparing for the appearing of Emmanuel. As the processes of creation prepared the earth for man, so all history prepared the way for the birth of the Saviour. The Holy Scriptures focus the preparation in one race, but all peoples shared in the process. Outside of the elect, God was at work, and all streams converged to one center.

If we look closely at the character of the age when Christ was born, we may, in some measure at least, understand the “fullness” of which Gal. 4:4 makes mention. It consisted chiefly in two things - preparation and need. There was a wonderful combination of circumstances tending to prepare the world for the Gospel, and a terrible climax in the world’s need of redemption. The break up of old heathen faiths and the passing away of the prejudices of antiquity disposed men for a new revelation which was spiritual, humane and universal. The utter failure of Pagan religion from its immorality, and of pagan philosophy from its impotency to cure that immorality and the misery which accompanied it, called loudly for some fresh faith which should be both pure and powerful.

The century immediately preceding our Lord’s advent was probably the most remarkable in all history. Everything was in a state of transition. Old things were passing away and there seemed little prospect that they would give birth to a better and brighter future. The fruit of the ancient order was rotting upon the tree without yielding the seeds of a new order. And yet there were strange rumors of coming relief afloat, and singular hopes stirred the hearts of men that some Great One was to appear and renovate the world. But to particularize—

The world had reached its climacteric of sin.

History has given a faithful record of the terrible moral conditions which obtained among men in the century which immediately preceded our Lord’s appearing. At Rome, which was then the metropolis of the world, the Court of Caesar was steeped in luxury and licentiousness. To provide amusement for his senators, six hundred gladiators fought a hand to hand conflict in the public theater. Not to be outdone, Pompey turned five hundred lions into the arena to engage an equal number of his braves, and delicate ladies (?) sat applauding and gloating over the flow of blood that followed. At this period children were the property of the State, to be disposed of as was deemed best for the public interests. Weak and sickly infants were looked upon as a useless encumbrance and generally suffered an early and cruel death. The aged and infirm were often banished to an island of the Tiber, there to starve out their few remaining days. Marriage, if such this holy institution could then be called, was wholly a matter of sensual caprice. Divorces were so common and frequent that it became the custom for women to count them by the number of rings worn on their fingers. Almost two-thirds of the population of the entire civilized (?) world were computed to have been slaves. Those who were in this unhappy situation were treated with the utmost cruelty. Their masters had absolute power over them and were permitted to scourge or put them to death at pleasure. This right was exercised in the most merciless manner. When punished capitally slaves were generally crucified. So wretched was the lot of mankind that the sanest of the philosophers of that time calmly advocated suicide as the best way of escape from the miseries of life.

Conditions in Greece were even worse. Sensual indulgence and every species of cruelty were carried to the highest pitch. Eating, or we should say, gluttony, became the chief occupation, everything being ransacked to gratify the appetite. Fornication was indulged without restraint. Parents were at liberty to expose their children to perish with cold and hunger or to be eaten up by wild beasts. Such exposure was frequently practiced and passed without punishment or censure. Wars were carried on with the utmost ferocity. If any of the vanquished escaped death slavery of the most abject kind was the only prospect before them and in consequence death was considered preferable to capture. The nature of their conflicts then can well be imagined. The Greeks commonly sacrificed their captives at the tombs of their heroes. With what truth then did the Scriptures declare that, “the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty”!

We say then, the world had reached its climacteric of sin. Often-times a disease cannot be treated until it ‘comes to a head.’ In view of the above conditions surely the world was ready for the appearing of the Great Physician, and surely we can now discover a deeper meaning in the words, “When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son.”

The world had reached its consummation of Want.

It had been predicted of old that the Messiah should be “the Desire of all nations,” and to this end there must be a complete exposure of the failure of all human plans of deliverance. This time had fully come when Christ was born. Never before had the abject misery and need of men been so apparent and so extensive. Philosophy had lost its power to satisfy men, and the old religions were dead.

The Greeks and Romans, stood at the head of the nations at the time our Lord appeared on the earth, and the religious state of these people in that age is too well known to require any lengthy description from us. Without exception all were idolaters. The fundamental truth of the Unity of God was held by the Jews alone. Among the heathen, Polytheism and Pantheism were the popular concepts. Innumerable deities were worshipped and to these deities were attributed the most abominable characteristics. Pagan worshipers represented their gods as guilty of drunkenness, thefts, quarrels and incest. Mercury was a thief; Bacchus a drunkard; Venus was a harlot; and Saturn murdered his own children. The worship of their devotees entirely correspond with the characters their gods bore. Human sacrifices were frequently offered upon their altars.

Among the Romans, infidelity and atheism were rampant. The altars were forsaken and the temples were deserted. The general skepticism of his countrymen seems to have been voiced by the bitter words of Pilate—“What is truth?”

Judaism was also fully ripe for the accomplishment of ancient prophecy. Sadduceeism had leavened the ruling classes and afflicted the whole nation with rationalism. Phariseeism, which represented the ideas and ideals of the popular party, was too often only formal and hypocritical, and at best was cold and hard “binding heavy burdens” and laying on men’s shoulders a load which they refused to touch with their fingers (Matt. 23:4). The Jewish people were under the government of Rome and were thoroughly dejected. Was there then no eye to pity, no arm to save? Was God unmindful of the tragic conditions of mankind? No; blessed be His name. The “fullness of time” had now come. Earth’s fields were “white unto harvest.” A platform was erected on which the glories of God’s grace might be exhibited. His own blessed Son now appeared among men and the glorious Gospel was proclaimed far and wide. The “fullness of time,” then, spoke of ripeness of opportunity and consummation of need.

History repeats itself. As it was in connection with the first advent so it is concerning the second. Just as there was a definite and unmistakable movement in all history preparing the way for the Dispensation of Grace, so is there a similar one going on now making ready the world for the Millennium. Just as the world’s urgent need was fully demonstrated before the Saviour appeared among men, so shall it also be ere He comes back as the Prince of Peace to take the government upon His shoulder. And to those who have “understanding of the times,” to those whose eyes are not blinded by the glare of a false and foolish optimism, it is evident that the “fullness of times” is rapidly drawing nigh, yea, that it is already almost upon us.

History is repeating itself. Conditions in the world today more closely resemble those which obtained just before the first coming of Christ, than have those of any other generation since then. Today the same luxury and licentiousness; the same skepticism and credulity; the same coldness and formality among those who profess to be God’s people; the same lack of natural affection toward children and disrespect for the aged; the same military spirit and lust for blood, followed now by the enslaving of the conquered—deportation of the Belgians. The need of the world for a competent and righteous Ruler was never so apparent as now. The “Dispensation of the fullness of times” must be at hand. As all History prepared the world for our Lord’s first advent, so it is now “making straight His way” for His second coming, when He shall be seen not in a manger but on a throne of Glory; not as the victim, but as the Victor.

But we must restrain our pen and conclude in few words. We have examined many Scriptures, we have listened to the evidence of numerous witnesses, we have compared sundry and independent lines of prophecy, and we have found that they harmonize in their testimony, that they are mutually corroborative, that each sustains the truthfulness of the others, that singly and unitedly they affirm with voice loud and clear “the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh!” Never before did the Church of God gaze upon such a constellation of Signs attesting the near approach of the Redeemer, as it does today. Never before was there such unmistakable demonstration that this Gospel age is rapidly drawing to a close. Never before was there such reason for the sinner to heed that word “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; Call ye upon Him while He is near.” And never before was there such urgent need for believers to obey that admonition—“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning: and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord”(Luke 12:36, 37). The Bridegroom cometh! Then trim your lamps and go forth to meet Him.

link: https://ccel.org/ccel/pink/return/return.ch6.html

9   While this prophecy has primary reference to Daniel’s people, the Jews, and so far as they are concerned will receive its accomplishment in the “godly remnant” of the Tribulation period, yet like all prophecy, this also has a double fulfillment and therefore has a secondary application to the Church of God today.

10   These Epistles to the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 1:11) were addressed to churches which were in existence when John wrote the Apocalypse and therefore their local application was to these historic assemblies. But that these Epistles have a wider, a prophetic application and signification is clear from several considerations. In the first place the number of the churches here addressed-seven-is significant. There were other churches in Asia besides those addressed, but they are here ignored. The fact that Christ addressed Himself to seven, neither more nor less, seems to argue that, in harmony with the uniform significance of this numeral, a complete outline of something is here presented. In the second place, there is some “mystery” connected with these seven Epistles as is clear from our Lord’s words in Rev. 1:20. This is further borne out by the call which is sounded in each Epistle-”He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”-imitating that they contain a special message heard only by those who are attent to the “still small” voice.” In the third place, the order of these Epistles (in their contents) corresponds exactly with the history of the professing church and this agreement cannot be a mere coincidence, but must be due to Divine design.

link: https://ccel.org/ccel/pink/return/return.ch6.html

(。。。第7章最后一段）

人类智慧能够如此忠实地描述当前资本与劳动之间的冲突！凡人的头脑能够提前近两千年预言现在摆在我们眼前的令人​​震惊和心碎的局面吗？除了“受圣灵感动”的人，谁能预见到最近出现的千万富翁、世界四分之三的财富积累和集中在不到一百人手中、资本家和垄断者的囤积财富、富人的奢侈和放荡生活、无情雇主的贪婪给劳动者带来的苦难！考虑到我们二十世纪的托拉斯和辛迪加垄断市场、囤积原材料并通过确定敲诈勒索的价格来抢劫大众，这个预言是多么引人注目！这些事情的意义何在？它们是时代终结的另一个证据。它们进一步暗示“末日”即将来临。穷苦人的哀号已传到天上，神圣的审判者即将来拯救他的子民，并对那些抢劫他们的人进行报复。主的子民不得抵抗和战斗：命令是“弟兄们，你们不可彼此埋怨，免得你们被定罪。”这里敦促信徒们要坚定他们的心，要有耐心，因为主的来临已经临近了。”现在我们来思考一下。

8. 以色列的复兴与恢复。

犹太人被称为历史上的神秘和奇迹。他们遭受了可怕的苦难和迫害，但他们却幸存了下来。两千年来，以色列一直在列国之间无家可归，但他们却保留了自己的个性。上帝对他们的惩罚非常严厉，但上帝并没有彻底消灭雅各的子孙。

在其他章节中，我们提请人们注意新旧约中的许多预言，这些预言宣告以色列的复兴、他们返回巴勒斯坦以及他们重新得到上帝的恩宠，在指出这些预言中的一些开始得到实现的方式之前，我们只想引用另外一条。在马太福音 24:32, 33 中，我们有主对门徒的问题的部分回答——“你降临和世界的末了，有什么预兆呢？”在这里，我们的主说：“你们应当学个无花果树的比方。当枝子发嫩长叶的时候，你们就知道夏天近了。这样，你们看见这一切的事，也该知道人子近了，正在门口了。”无花果树象征以色列国——比较马太福音。 21:19 等等。经过漫长的冬天，以色列人分散在异教徒中间，并被异教徒征服，以色列人长出了新叶子，这表明这个古老民族正在重新焕发活力。以色列人获得新生，这是救赎主即将归来的确切信号。

无花果树已经开始长出叶子，这一点对于所有熟悉当今主要事件的人来说都是显而易见的。上帝再次将犹太人放在人们的眼前，他们是上帝过去赐福世界的人，也是上帝打算在未来赐福世界的人。犹太人今天以最引人注目的方式吸引了教会和世界的注意力。直到最近五十年，犹太人还没有出现在我们的传教计划中，但现在我们看到“犹太人传教”在许多国家如雨后春笋般涌现。除了基督徒之外，其他人也对此感兴趣：巴勒斯坦的未来正在被所有主要外交官仔细考虑。在每个领域，犹太人都在向前推进。他们的权利和主张越来越多地得到承认，随着他们被允许享受共同的特权，他们在所有领先的职业和艺术领域都留下了自己的印记：我们许多最有影响力的职位现在都由亚伯拉罕的后裔担任，众所周知，他们控制着世界的财务状况。

自从以色列人流散以来，以色列历史上最重大、最不祥的事件或许就是“犹太复国主义协会”的成立。犹太复国主义运动的目标是让犹太人重返巴勒斯坦，最终目标是购买圣地。在过去的二十年里，这一运动以惊人的速度传播开来。“世界各地都成立了协会，合法成立了团体，并募集了巨额资金。孩子们被告知以色列的末日即将来临，并迅速将古老的“锡安”一词广为传播”（霍尔德曼）。战争开始时，有十多万犹太人回到了他们祖先的土地。各地都建立了殖民地，荒废了几个世纪的土地再次被大卫的后代耕种和播种。“正如耶利米所预言的那样，这片土地正在耶路撒冷的门口买卖。犹太人已经成为这座曾经的圣城的主导因素。他控制着这座城市的商业，是其繁荣的保证。他的犹太教堂在伊斯兰教清真寺的阴影下拔地而起。他为这座古老辉煌的城市哀叹，为恢复昔日的辉煌祈祷，为复仇的弥赛亚迅速降临祈祷，这些声音在每个星期五都回荡在所罗门城墙青苔覆盖的石头下，成千上万的人在那里回首流泪，回顾过去，背诵忏悔的诗篇，他们泪流满面的脸上闪着光芒，歌唱着锡安成为上帝种植的花园的那一天，当盛大庄严的圣山成为他们应许之王的脚底之地时”（霍尔德曼）。如果这一切都是在土耳其政府统治下实现的，谁能预测如果巴勒斯坦成为英国或美国的保护国（现在看来最有可能），会发生什么！是的，犹太人的复兴和他们返回巴勒斯坦是时代最引人注目的迹象之一。它告诉我们，外邦人的时代正在迅速走向终结。无花果树的发芽证明以色列的夏天即将来临，他们的弥赛亚就在门口。接下来让我们考虑一下——

9. 地球伟大一周的局限性。

我们很清楚，提出这一点可能会招致尊敬的弟兄们的批评，并被指控“设定主的回归日期”。尽管如此，我们还是感到必须说出我们诚实的信念，只要求我们的读者根据圣经来审视我们现在暂时而不是教条地提出的观点。

在古代，我们的主第一次降临之前的犹太拉比以及后来许多最杰出的教父都普遍认为，创世纪第一章的创造周定义了地球历史的界限。在继续我们的论证之前，我们首先要引用三位生活在第二和第三世纪的人的话，并不是说我们要把他们当作权威，而只是为了表明这种观点在使徒时代之后、在神圣希望消失之前的那个世纪里是普遍持有的。

在约公元 150 年写成的巴拿巴伪书第十三章中，我们读到——“神在六日内造了祂手所造的工，第七日祂完成了它们，并在第七日安息，并将这一日分别为圣。我的孩子们，想想这意味着什么：祂在六天内完成了它们。它的意义是：在六千年内，主要结束所有的事。因为在他看来，一日就是一千年，正如他自己作证的那样。所以，孩子们，在六日内，也就是在六千年内——所有的事情都要完成。他说“第七日安息了”是什么意思呢？祂的意思是：当他的儿子来临时，废除恶人的季节，审判不敬虔的人，并改变太阳、月亮和星星时，他将在第七日荣耀地安息。 ** 看哪，当我们（已经得到了公义的承诺，罪恶不再存在，一切都被主更新）能够圣化它，我们自己首先被圣化时，他将真正地用幸福的安息使它圣化。”

接下来我们引用著名学者爱任纽的著作，他是波利卡普的弟子，波利卡普又是使徒约翰的弟子。据说“由于学识渊博、坚定不移和热情，他是早期教父中最著名的一位。”那么请考虑一下他的证言——“世界在多少天里被创造，在多少千年里它就会达到圆满。上帝在第六天完成了他所创造的一切；上帝在第七天停止了他所有的工作。这是过去的历史，也是对未来的预言；因为在主看来，一日如千年。”同样，公元 258 年殉道的迦太基主教居普良写道——“在上帝对世界的安排中，最初使用了七天，其中包括了七千年。”

有人可能会反对上述引文，认为它们只是易犯错误的人的意见和推测，他们的观点在《圣经》中没有依据。诚然，它们是杰出圣徒的信仰，是古代许多上帝子民所共有的信仰，而且这种对古代的诉诸并不能证明我们现在所提倡的观点的真实性，但说它在《圣经》中没有依据，我们不愿意承认，是的，因为我们将努力证明《圣经》中有不少内容似乎支持和证实了这一点。

首先，我们要引用以色列神圣历法的七日制。在这里，我们最好引用已故约翰逊博士的话——“在整本圣经中，无论是旧约还是新约，都对一些重要而伟大的安息日有着惊人的典型描述，即一个尚未发生的七日大安息日，显然是千禧年的七日大安息日，是整个地球的伟大安息日。上帝赐福第七日，并将其神圣化。在十诫中，第七日或每周安息日的这一特殊区别被最庄严地重申。每七年被指定为安息年。而每五十年一次的禧年的开始，要通过七日安息年的运行来确定。 “你要计算七个安息年，就是七七年，共计四十九年。”（利未记 25:8）七这个数字在圣经中用来完成所有神圣的时间划分，犹太人认为它是完美的象征，圣经中也用这个意思来表示。那么问题来了，所有这些事件都与摩西律法交织在一起，摩西律法本身就是象征性的或典型的，它们被引入新约，在启示录中大量出现，难道它们没有与之对应的原型吗？——没有它们都指向的、它们都将实现的伟大的安息七年？它们是否很可能都是地球第七个千年的典型，也就是伟大的安息日？对此，我们的回答是，我们当然相信是这样。

第二，上帝是有秩序的上帝。在圣经、创造和历史中，我们发现无数证据表明上帝按照数学计划行事。数字设计印刻在祂的所有作品上。这一事实是如此显而易见，我们无需停下来说明。我们现在要问的是，祂伟大的时代计划是否可能偏离了祂的一般规则？我们无法相信。但我们也不必猜测。上帝时代计划中已经摆在我们面前的那一部分明确地暗示，祂从一开始就知道末后，并“制定了时代”（希伯来书 1:2-希腊文），祂已经为世界历史的主要划分和界限指定了对称的线条。从亚当到亚伯拉罕有两千年。从亚伯拉罕到神圣的化身又有两千年。那么，第一次和第二次降临之间难道不会再有两千年吗？我们坚信会有。上帝过去的行为预示着他未来的作为，因为他是不会改变的。我们将在下一个论证中试图证明，当前时代的比例将与世界时间的前两个重大时期相对应。

第三，我们在此要提请大家注意与拉撒路复活有关的一段话。在约翰福音 11:6-7 中，我们得知“耶稣听见拉撒路病了，就还在原处住了两天，然后对门徒说，我们再往犹太去吧。”为什么在主得知拉撒路病了的消息后，告诉我们离开犹太的确切时间？记录这一事实必定有充分的理由。上帝的话语中没有多余或毫无意义的东西。我们相信，这其中有比表面上更深层的含义。在我们提出这个含义之前，让我们先注意与此相关的另一个重要词。在约翰福音 11:17 中我们读到“耶稣到了，见拉撒路在坟墓里已经四天了。”我们再次要问，为什么要提供关于拉撒路在坟墓里躺了多少天的确切信息？答案很难找吗？拉撒路不正是当时人类的状况的典型吗？——第一次降临之时，“耶稣降临”之时。上帝之子发现那个按照自己的形象被造的人处于什么状态？他发现他死了——死在过犯和罪恶之中。人类处于这种状态多久了？根据上帝对时间的估计——一千年为一天——正好是四天，因为毫无疑问，从亚当到基督就是这么长的时间。这就是第 6 节中“两天”的关键。拉撒路不仅代表了精神死亡状态的自然人，而且作为“耶稣所爱”的人，他代表了以色列国，正如基督在异乡停留两天后说“让我们再去犹大”，然后就在那里复活了拉撒路，同样，在离开地球两千年之后，我们的主将回到犹大，恢复以色列的生机。有人说：“这只是一个异想天开的假设。”我们的回答是，一点也不。我们的结论与圣经的明确见证完全一致。听着，“两天之后，他必使我们苏醒；第三天，他必使我们兴起，我们就在他面前得以存活。”（何西阿书 6:2）！

如果需要进一步的证据来表明我们的主将离开地球“两天”（两千年），我们在约翰福音 4:43、45 中还有另一个典型的暗示——“过了两天，耶稣从那里出来，往加利利去。** 到了加利利，加利利人接待他”，然后是医治大臣儿子的记录。谁能看不到这个时代图景将在千禧年实现！正如约翰福音 11 章介绍我们的主在“两天”之后返回犹大，随后是典型的以色列复兴，同样，在约翰福音 4 章中，我们的主在“两天”之后来到“外邦人”的加利利，随后是典型的“医治”！同样的时间标记也出现在约翰福音 2:1 中。正是在“第三天”——“两天”之后，“在加利利的迦拿有筵席”，基督在那里预备了酒（欢乐的象征，见诗篇 104:15）——将“最好的”酒留到“最后”，在那里“显出他的荣耀”（第 11 节）——多么完美的预表！——清楚地描绘了另一个千禧年的场景，这也是在“第三天”——离开地球两天后的“第三天”！还可以举出其他例子，但这些已经足够了。从亚当到第一次降临有“四天”，离开“两天”，总共六天（6,000 年），然后主回来迎接“第七天”，即千禧年，那时病人将得到医治，死人将复活，预备酒，基督的荣耀将完全显现。

第四，我们在彼得后书 3:8 中读到：“亲爱的弟兄啊，有一件事你们不可忘记，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。”这里有两件事要特别注意。首先，这些话的上下文直接与基督的第二次降临有关！在第 3 和第 4 节中，使徒告诉我们，在末世，“好讥诮的人”会问：“主降临的应许在哪里呢？”他们补充说：“因为自从列祖睡了以后，万物与起初创造的时候仍是一样。”这句话的力量是显而易见的：人们会指着周围的世界，宣称一切都是稳定和繁荣的，拒绝看到基督教世界即将灭亡的任何迹象。使徒回答说：“他们故意忘记，从古凭神的命造了天，并从水而成的地。那时的世界被水淹没就消灭了。但现在的天地还是凭着那命存留，直留到不敬虔之人受审判遭沉沦的日子，用火焚烧。”使徒平息了“嘲笑者”的反对意见后，现在对圣徒说：“亲爱的，有一件事你们不可忘记，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。主所应许的尚未成就，有人以为他是耽延，其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。”因此，我们看到这些话与我们主的再来这个主题直接相关。其次，请注意这句话：“亲爱的，有一件事你们不可不知道。”“不可不知道”与“他们（嘲笑者）故意不知道”是同义的（第 5 节）。“这件事”提醒我们注意他即将要说的话的重要性。上帝禁止他的子民今天“故意不知道”他乐意让我们知道的事情。那么，如果圣经清楚地告诉我们“耶和华看一日如千年，千年如一日”，我们是否完全有理由得出结论：创世记第一章中的六天工作预示了人类六千年的辛劳和劳动，而上帝“赐福”和“圣化”的第七日，即安息日，以及他“歇了他一切的工”的日子，预示着在人类六千年的努力之后将会出现的一个祝福时代，一个将由和平之君主宰的时代，一个将持续整整“一千年”的时代！

第五，正如我们在前面一章中指出的，圣山上的登山变像是一个第七日的场景。马太福音说：“过了六天，耶稣带着彼得、雅各和雅各的兄弟约翰，暗暗地上了高山，在他们面前变了形像。”（太 17:1, 2）路加福音说：“说了这话以后，约有八天，耶稣带着彼得、约翰、雅各上山去祷告。祷告的时候，他的面貌就改变了，降下的雨白又亮又白。”（路 9:28, 29）为什么要有这些时间标记呢？ “变形”壮观地展现了千禧年王国的主要特征和特点，福音书将其描述为第七天的场景，这一事实似乎无疑更加有力地证明了千禧年将遵循人类六千年（六天）的辛劳和劳动，从而成为创世纪 2:3 中第七天的典型实现。

第六，千禧年明确地被称为“守安息日”——希伯来书 4:9。

第七，无论我们上面所提出的观点如何，就我个人而言，我们不知道圣经中有任何与之相矛盾的地方。确实，使徒行传 1:7 经常被引用，但从帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:1-7 可以清楚地看出，它不会承受人们经常对它所作的解释。我们可能会被认为是“异想天开的”，但如果是这样，我们与一群善良虔诚的人一起异想天开——“路德对此表示赞同。梅兰希顿把它写在圣经的扉页上，作为一个不容争辩的事情。自他那个时代以来，成千上万的神学家都把它作为他们信仰的一部分。当我们把圣经中的某些陈述放在一起时，在我看来，它有充分的证据支持它，足以让我们把它视为神圣的真理。看看这些句子：——

“六天内，上帝创造了天地。”

“第七日，他便安息了，并且舒畅。”

“主看一日如千年。”

“因此，对上帝的子民来说，安息日的遵守仍旧存在。”（引自 JA Seiss 的“最后的时刻”）。

那么，这种计算的实际价值是什么呢？它为我们提供了另一个证据，证明主的到来已经临近。毫无疑问，目前人类纪年混乱是上帝的旨意。我们不可能确切地确定我们现在所处的恩典之年。但几乎可以肯定，就像任何人类计算一样确定，公元 5900 年已经过去了十多年，因此现在只需不到一个世纪就能完成第六个千年。第六天的结束即将到来，我们知道，被提之后的大灾难时期将持续至少七年，甚至可能更长，因此基督降到空中接他的圣徒的日子就更近了。我们要清楚地认识到，我们的主离开的“两天”时期与他离开地球有关，而他在 6000 年结束时重返地球，迎来千禧年，是在他第二次降临的第一阶段几年后，因此我们绝不是在为基督为他的圣徒降临“确定一个日期”——那个事件的日期绝对是“隐藏在上帝里面的”。然而，正如我们所说，我们知道这个大致的时间一定非常接近，因为在本世纪末（我们无法确定这个世纪已经走了多远），千禧年本身将开始，在那之前会有大灾难时期，可能持续四十年甚至七十年。现在考虑一下——

10. 基督两次降临之间的类比。

两段含有类似表达的经文暗示了我们主的第一次和第二次降临之间将有密切的相似之处。在加拉太书 4:4 中我们读到：“及至日期满足，神就差遣他的儿子，为女子所生。”这当然是指第一次降临。在以弗所书 1:10 中我们被告知“要照日期满足的经纶，使天上、地上一切所有的，都在基督里面同归于一。”这是指紧随第二次降临之后的事情。千禧年将是“日期满足的经纶”，因为它将是地球时代的最后一个时代。“使天上、地上一切所有的，都在基督里面同归于一”指的是在祂神圣的统治下，天上和地上的利益将统一起来。那时，约翰福音 1:51 中的话就应验了——“你们要看见天开了，神的使者上去下来在人子身上”，因为那时天地之间，或者更确切地说，天地之间，将建立完美的交流。为了理解“日期满足”这一表达的力量，让我们根据神化身时的条件来思考“日期满足”这个词（加拉太书 4:4）。

基督降临人世并非突然、孤立、意想不到的事件。我们神圣的主的降临，以及随之而来的基督教的曙光，标志着高潮和圆满。世界经过漫长的过程为基督的降临和基督教的宣讲做好了准备。从天堂到伯利恒，几个世纪以来，人们都在为以马内利的出现做准备。正如创造过程为人类准备了地球一样，整个历史也为救世主的诞生做好了准备。圣经将准备工作集中在一个种族身上，但所有民族都参与了这一过程。除了选民之外，上帝也在工作，所有的潮流都汇聚到一个中心。

如果我们仔细观察基督诞生时的时代特征，我们至少可以在某种程度上理解加拉太书 4:4 中提到的“丰盛”。它主要包括两件事——准备和需要。当时的情况奇妙地结合在一起，为世界做好了迎接福音的准备，而世界对救赎的需要也达到了可怕的高潮。旧异教信仰的瓦解和古代偏见的消亡使人们开始寻求一种精神的、人道的和普遍的新启示。异教宗教因其不道德而彻底失败，异教哲学因其无力治愈这种不道德及其伴随的苦难而彻底失败，这强烈呼吁人们寻求一种既纯洁又强大的新信仰。

主降临之前的那个世纪可能是历史上最不寻常的一个世纪。一切都处于过渡状态。旧事物正在消亡，似乎没有什么希望会催生出一个更美好、更光明的未来。古老秩序的果实在树上腐烂，没有产生新秩序的种子。然而，有奇怪的谣言说即将到来的救济，奇异的希望激起了人们的心，希望某个伟大的人会出现并改造这个世界。但具体来说——

世界已到达罪恶的顶峰。

历史忠实地记录了我们的主显现前一个世纪人们的道德状况。在当时世界大都会罗马，凯撒的宫廷里充满了奢侈和放荡。为了让他的元老们娱乐，六百名角斗士在公共剧院里进行了一场肉搏战。庞培不甘示弱，把五百头狮子带到竞技场与同样数量的勇士们搏斗，而娇柔的女士们（？）坐在那里鼓掌，对随后的血流成河而幸灾乐祸。在这个时期，儿童是国家的财产，可以按照最符合公众利益的方式处理。体弱多病的婴儿被视为无用的累赘，通常会早早死去。年老体弱的人经常被流放到台伯河的一个岛上，在那里饿死他们剩下的几天。婚姻，如果这个神圣的制度可以这样称呼的话，完全是感官任性的问题。离婚如此普遍和频繁，以至于妇女们习惯用手指上戴的戒指数量来计算离婚率。据估计，整个文明世界几乎有三分之二的人口都是奴隶。处于这种不幸境地的人受到极其残忍的对待。他们的主人对他们拥有绝对的权力，可以随意鞭打或处死他们。这种权利以最无情的方式行使。当奴隶被判处死刑时，他们通常会被钉在十字架上。人类的命运如此悲惨，以至于当时最理智的哲学家也冷静地提倡自杀是摆脱生活苦难的最佳方式。

希腊的情况更糟。纵欲和各种残忍行为达到了顶峰。吃喝，或者说暴食，成为人们的主要消遣，一切都被洗劫一空以满足食欲。淫乱肆无忌惮。父母可以随意将孩子暴露在寒冷和饥饿中，或让野兽吃掉。这种暴露行为经常发生，而且没有受到惩罚或谴责。战争进行得极其残酷。如果任何战败者逃脱了死亡，他们唯一的前景就是最卑鄙的奴役，因此死亡被认为比被俘更可取。他们冲突的性质可以想象。希腊人通常在英雄的坟墓前献祭俘虏。那么圣经中所说的“地上的黑暗之处充满了残忍的住处”是多么真实啊！

我们说，世界已经到达了罪恶的顶峰。很多时候，疾病只有在“到了顶峰”时才能得到治疗。鉴于上述情况，世界肯定已经准备好迎接伟大医生的出现，现在我们肯定可以从“日期满足，神就差遣他的儿子”这句话中发现更深层的含义。

这个世界已经达到了匮乏的顶峰。

古人曾预言弥赛亚将成为“万国所盼望的”，为此，必须彻底揭露人类所有拯救计划的失败。基督诞生时，这个时刻已经完全到来。人类的悲惨境遇和需要从未如此明显和广泛。哲学已失去满足人类的能力，旧宗教已消亡。

希腊人和罗马人，是主降临人世时，处于民族之首的，而当时这些人的宗教状况众所周知，我们无需过多描述。他们无一例外都是偶像崇拜者。只有犹太人才相信上帝独一的根本真理。在异教徒中，多神教和泛神教是流行的观念。他们崇拜无数神祇，而这些神祇被赋予了最可憎的特征。异教徒认为他们的神祇有酗酒、偷盗、争吵和乱伦的罪。墨丘利是个小偷；巴克斯是个酒鬼；维纳斯是个妓女；而萨图恩则谋杀了自己的孩子。信徒们的崇拜完全符合他们所崇拜的神祇的性格。他们经常在祭坛上献上活人祭品。

在罗马人中，不信神和无神论盛行。祭坛被废弃，寺庙被废弃。彼拉多的尖刻言辞似乎表达了同胞普遍的怀疑态度——“真理是什么？”

犹太教也已完全成熟，可以实现古代的预言。撒都该主义已经渗透到统治阶级，使整个国家都染上了理性主义的恶习。法利赛主义代表了民众党的思想和理想，它往往只是形式主义和虚伪主义，充其量也只是冷酷无情地“捆绑重担”，把重担放在人们的肩上，而人们却不愿用手指去碰它（马太福音 23:4）。犹太人民在罗马的统治下，彻底沮丧了。难道他们就没有怜悯的眼光，没有拯救的手臂吗？上帝是否对人类的悲惨处境毫不在意？不，愿他的名受赞美。现在“时候满足”已经到来。地上的田地“已经发白，可以收割了”。一个平台已经搭建起来，可以展示上帝恩典的荣耀。他自己受祝福的儿子现在出现在人们中间，荣耀的福音被广泛传播。那么，“时机成熟”就是指机遇成熟和需求满足。

历史总是重演。第一次降临时如此，第二次降临也是如此。正如历史上有一场明确无误的运动为恩典时代做准备一样，现在也有类似的运动在为千禧年做准备。正如救世主在人间出现之前，世界的迫切需要已经充分显现，同样，在他作为和平之王回来将政权扛在肩上之前，情况也将如此。对于那些“了解时代”的人，对于那些眼睛没有被虚假和愚蠢的乐观主义蒙蔽的人，显然，“时代的充实”正在迅速临近，是的，它已经快到了。

历史正在重演。当今世界的情况比基督第一次降临之前的任何一代人都更接近于基督第一次降临之前的情况。今天，同样的奢侈和放荡；同样的怀疑和轻信；自称是上帝子民的人同样冷漠和拘谨；同样对儿童缺乏自然的关爱，不尊重老人；同样的军事精神和嗜血欲望，现在紧接着是奴役被征服者——驱逐比利时人。世界对一位称职和正义的统治者的需要从未像现在这样明显。“时代圆满的分配”必须近在眼前。正如整个历史为我们的主的第一次降临做好了准备一样，现在它正在为他的第二次降临“铺平道路”，那时他将不是在马槽里，而是在荣耀的宝座上；不是作为受害者，而是作为胜利者。

但我们必须克制笔尖，用几句话来总结。我们查考了许多经文，听取了众多证人的证言，比较了各种独立的预言，发现它们的证言是一致的，相互印证，相互支持，它们都以响亮而清晰的声音一致地肯定“主的降临近了！”上帝的教会从来没有像今天这样凝视着如此众多的迹象，证明救赎主的临近。从来没有如此明确地表明这个福音时代正在迅速结束。从来没有如此有理由让罪人留意这句话“当趁耶和华可寻找的时候寻找他，相近的时候求告他。”信徒们从未如此迫切地需要遵守这一劝告——“你们腰里要束上带，灯也要点着，如同等候主的人”（路加福音 12：36，37）。新郎来了！然后整理好你的灯，出去迎接他。

（第一章下面：澄清）

9 虽然这个预言主要指的是但以理的子民犹太人，而且就他们而言，他们将在大灾难时期的“敬虔余民”中获得预言的成就，但像所有预言一样，这个预言也有双重应验，因此具有双重应验性。对今天上帝的教会的次要应用。

（第三章下面：澄清）

10 这些写给亚洲七个教会的书信（启示录 1:11）是写给约翰写《启示录》时存在的教会的，因此它们在当地的应用是针对这些历史性的集会。但从几个方面的考虑来看，这些书信具有更广泛的、预言性的应用和意义。首先，这里提到的教堂数量——七个——是很重要的。除了上述提到的教会之外，亚洲还有其他教会，但这里忽略了它们。基督将自己称为“七”，不多不少，这一事实似乎表明，与这个数字的统一意义相一致，这里呈现了某种事物的完整轮廓。其次，这七封书信有一些“奥秘”，从我们的主在启示录 1:20 中的话可以清楚地看出。每封书信中所发出的呼召进一步证实了这一点——“圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听”——模仿这些书信中包含的特殊信息，只有那些关注教会的人才能听到。 “声音还是很小”。第三，这些书信的顺序（就其内容而言）与自称教会的历史完全一致，这种一致不可能仅仅是巧合，而一定是出于神圣的设计。