EGW
“As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” ST April 12, 1905, par. 1
To us has been given the message of Christ's second coming. At the ascension of our Lord, angels stood beside the disciples, and with them watched the Saviour as He passed into the heavens. Then they turned to the disciples with the words, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” This message was given to the disciples to give to us, and God designs that it shall sound till the end of time. We are to wait and watch for Christ to come in His own appointed time, without sin unto salvation. ST April 12, 1905, par. 2
The vast majority of human beings fail to realize that the judgments of God are about to fall upon the earth. Their minds are filled with thoughts of eating and drinking and getting gain. They have allowed these subjects to take their whole attention, and as a result violence fills the world. Sin is on the increase. Iniquity prevails. ST April 12, 1905, par. 3
How is the message of warning received?—Just as it was in Noah's day. “All things continue as they were from the beginning,” men say. ST April 12, 1905, par. 4
But Christ declares, “If that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.” ST April 12, 1905, par. 5
Man was created to glorify his Maker. But iniquity has so increased that at the present time men and women have very little appreciation of the goodness and power of God. They do not believe His Word. Self is the god they worship. ST April 12, 1905, par. 6
Ever since his fall Satan has been working at cross purposes with God, seeking to obliterate all trace of the divine likeness in man. He has led human beings to indulge an appetite for liquor and tobacco. He knows that those who give themselves up to indulgence of appetite can not stand in their God-given manhood. They are slaves. Their reason is beclouded, their intellect dulled. ST April 12, 1905, par. 7
All over the world, pride, vanity, and self-indulgence are crippling men and women, so that they dishonor their Creator. The wrath of Jehovah is soon to fall upon the ungodly; but human beings are so controlled by the enemy that they do not see what is coming. So deeply engrossed are they in the things of this world that they have no time to study God's Word, no time to think seriously of their spiritual welfare. Their one thought is to gain wealth, to make a display; and tho they make mistakes, they have no time to remedy them, but hurry on, scarcely thinking that soon they must give an account of their life-work. ST April 12, 1905, par. 8
Satan comes to men and women with specious temptations. Offering them riches and power, he says, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” And thousands upon thousands listen to his words, and worship him by becoming wholly engrossed in a search for wealth, or in following the fashions of this degenerate age. ST April 12, 1905, par. 9
Thus the world is being led captive. The beings that God created in His own image are entirely neglecting to prepare for the judgment. ST April 12, 1905, par. 10
As the waters of the Flood cleansed the earth in the days of Noah, so will the fire of God purify the earth in the last great day. Then, the water from the heavens united with the water in the bowels of the earth; and in the destruction that is coming, fire from heaven will unite with fire that is stored up in the earth. ST April 12, 1905, par. 11
Are we preparing for what is coming? Have we thought seriously of these things? You who are giving yourselves up to pride and vanity, have you thought of the day when you must give an account of the time and money that you have wasted? ST April 12, 1905, par. 12
Christ said to His disciples, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me.” They tell us that Christ is soon coming to take to Himself those who have loved Him and have waited for His appearing; and that to those who have devoted their time to money-getting and pleasure-seeking, He will say, “I know you not; ... depart from Me.” ST April 12, 1905, par. 13
Now is our time to prepare to meet Christ. God has given us this time, and if we use it in self-gratification instead of in helping others and honoring God, we shall come up to the judgment unprepared. In that day many will plead as an excuse that they did not know that Christ's coming was near. But the excuse will not be accepted. They did not know simply because they did not want to know. God gave them abundant opportunity for knowing, but they closed their eyes, that they might not see, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. ST April 12, 1905, par. 14
Their one thought was to enjoy the things of this world. Like the people of Noah's day, they have spent their lives in self-gratification. ST April 12, 1905, par. 15
The cases of all are pending in the heavenly sanctuary. Day by day angels of God are watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. In the judgment the question will not be, What profession did you make? but, What have you done for Me? What fruit have you borne to My glory? Now is the time to prepare for the coming of the King. ST April 12, 1905, par. 16
“The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty men shall cry there bitterly.... Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath. But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” The God who rules in the heavens is our God. We have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. “Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, ... Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.” ST April 12, 1905, par. 17
Shall we not strive to be among that number who will welcome Christ with the words, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” ST April 12, 1905, par. 18