PERILOUS TIMES

We have now noted the distinct signs in the heavens, which our Saviour named in his discourse, to show that his coming is very near. But there are other signs among men, which the close student of prophecy will recognize as showing that the end approaches. Going back to the warning which our Saviour threw in parenthetically when he was locating the signs in the heavens, we read:—PROLI 128.2

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:23-27.PROLI 128.3

In these words our Saviour briefly describes the work of modern Spiritualism, and tells us how we may avoid being deceived by its attempts to pass its wonders off as the manifestations of the glory of Christ’s coming in his kingdom. Of the various manifestations of modern Spiritualism we cannot here speak in detail. Suffice it to say that the wonders of slate-writing and materialization that have already been actually produced by it, aside from the many frauds that have been perpetrated in the name of Spiritualism, are but a sample of what will erelong be exhibited in tenfold greater quantity and degree. The work of Spiritualism, and the agency by which its phenomena are produced, are thus described by the seer of Patmos:—PROLI 128.4

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:13, 14.PROLI 129.1

And then the prophet immediately adds the words of Christ, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame,” which shows that this working of Satan is an immediate precursor of the coming of the Lord.PROLI 129.2

Many people suppose that Spiritualist manifestations are nothing but sleight-of-hand tricks. This is a mistake. To be sure, a great deal that passes for Spiritualist phenomena is not Spiritualism at all; but there is also a great deal that is absolutely beyond the power of unaided human beings to accomplish. For instance: In the city of San Francisco, in a brilliantly-lighted hall that was crowded with people, two perfectly clean slates that were provided and inspected by the audience, were fastened together, and hung upon a lighted gas jet in full view of the congregation. The medium kept at a distance from the slates, and no other person was near, and yet the scratch of a pencil was heard between the slates, and in a few minutes the slates were taken down and found to be filled with intelligible messages. Surely this was done by a power beyond the human.PROLI 129.3

Again: An educated gentleman, a practicing physician, wished advice upon a certain subject. At the advice of a Spiritualist medium, he wrote his question upon a sheet of paper, leaving room below for a reply, and placed it in an envelope, and sealed the envelope. The sealed envelope was placed where nobody but he could have access to it, and when, soon after, he broke the seal, he found in the space below his question an answer, telling him to carry out his proposed plan. Whether the advice was bad or good is not to the point at present. The point is that such things show that there is more than human power behind the manifestations of Spiritualism. Without taking time to show why these manifestations cannot be what is claimed for them — the work of the spirits of the departed — we rest on the Scripture statement that they are the work of “the spirits of devils.”PROLI 129.4

Now is there any evidence that Spiritualism will attempt to counterfeit the coming of the Lord. There is. In the World’s Advance-Thought (published at Salem, Oregon), April 5, 1885, the following statements were made in an editorial on “A Coming Messiah:” —PROLI 130.1

“In a recent Harmony Hall lecture on ‘The Messianic Idea,’ the necessity for a new Messiah, and the certainty of his early advent, were philosophically considered, as well as prophetically proclaimed.PROLI 130.2

“The Messianic idea is involved in the theory that all the phenomena of spiritual manifestations, however diverse and widely separated, may be referred to a single mediumistic source of distribution.... The time has already come for logically arranging the authenticated facts which shall demonstrate it.PROLI 130.3

“There are regular cycles of spiritual progress, of truth unfoldments; and we are now passing from one into another. Another ‘Sun of Righteousness’ is called for on earth, and the messenger cannot be far off, whose life mission it shall be to practically illustrate the new truths that will be vouchsafed.”PROLI 130.4

In the same paper Judge H. A. Maguire is reported as having used the following language in a lecture delivered in that city:—PROLI 130.5

“I say, ‘as one having authority,’ Spiritualists, and all, may see a hope, that shall be a realization to this very generation, of the higher spiritual forces getting control over and governing all the institutions of the earth. Silently and invisibly to the worldly-wise, these forces have been and are being, under the direction of a divine intelligence, extended into every department and station of human life, and the culmination is near at hand — the ushering in of a new Messiah, and a new spiritual dispensation.”PROLI 130.6

More than this, it has been claimed by Spiritualists that they are the only real Adventists — the only ones who are really preparing to welcome the Lord. Now since “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), and since he came as such to Jesus at his first advent, and tried to counterfeit and hinder his work in every way possible, what wonder that he should do his best to counterfeit the second coming of Christ, and thus turn the minds of the people away from the real event, so that they will be unprepared for it when it comes. Surely this would be a reasonable supposition, and the Scripture plainly declares that such will actually be the case, and that he will deceive all but the very elect. The Scriptures tell us that in pursuance of his deceptive work, and in order to make good his claim to be the Christ, he will cause fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13.PROLI 130.7

This work is a sign of the near approach of the day of God. It is Satan’s masterpiece of deception. Let people watch the marvelous growth of Spiritualism, and know that it shows the end to be near. The apostle Paul, speaking of the coming of the Lord to destroy the wicked, says that his coming “is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them [allow to come upon them] strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. It is through Spiritualism that those who reject the truth of God fill up the measure of their iniquity, and thus ripen up for the harvest of the earth.PROLI 130.8

That this is so, is proved by the following scripture:—PROLI 131.1

“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, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sin, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:1-8.PROLI 131.2

Jannes and Jambres, Pharaoh’s magicians, withstood Moses by performing miracles to offset those which he performed. Deriving their power from the devil, they sought to make Pharaoh and the people believe that their miracles were from the same source as were those of Moses. So modern Spiritualists claim that they are doing the very same things that Jesus did when he was here on earth, and by the same power, and thus they seek to undermine true Christianity. But as Pharaoh’s magicians were exposed, so will these be to all who love the truth.PROLI 131.3

But how will Spiritualism cause those who accept it to fill up the measure of their iniquity, so that God’s wrath cannot longer be withheld from them? Just this way: One of the cardinal principles of Spiritualism is that man is a part of God; that every man is his own lawgiver, and his own saviour. They utterly reject Christ and the atonement, and claim that evil is only undeveloped good; that each one must follow the dictates of his own nature. Now when we remember that man has a fallen nature; that “out of the heart of men,” that is, out of the nature of men, “proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21, 22), and that man has no power in himself to better his own condition, we can see at once that when men give themselves up to follow the impulses of their own nature, they must inevitably descend rapidly to the lowest depths of degradation. Let the reader compare the sins enumerated in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 with the works of the flesh as enumerated in Galatians 5:19-21, and he will see that under Spiritualism men simply do the things which unrestrained human nature must necessarily do. Now read what the Saviour says of the state of morals that will exist when he comes:—PROLI 131.4

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37-39.PROLI 132.1

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Luke 17:28-30.PROLI 132.2

In the days before the flood, the wickedness of man was great, so much so that “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually;” and “all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” Genesis 6:5, 12. This was because the people chose to follow their own impulses, and resisted the strivings of God’s Holy Spirit. But human nature is the same in all ages; and when men resist the Spirit of God, and cast off all restraint, as Spiritualism leads them to do, the wickedness of the antediluvians and the Sodomites will be repeated in every detail. In view of this, how appropriate are the words uttered concerning this time, “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments.”PROLI 132.3

The chapter which contains this discourse concerning the time of Christ’s coming, very fittingly closes with encouragement and warning. Said Jesus:—PROLI 132.4

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” Matthew 24:45-47.PROLI 132.5

The Christian’s duty in this time of “patient waiting for Christ” is to work. The Lord has given talents “to every man according to his several ability,” and it is their business to occupy, i.e., improve them for the Master’s profit, until he comes. He has given “to every man his work.” And in order that men’s faithfulness may be fully tested, he has kept secret the exact time of his return. “Of that day and hour knoweth no man.” Therefore we are exhorted, “Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33. Of one thing we can be sure, and that is that the coming of the Lord is near, “even at the doors.” This is all that we need to know.PROLI 132.6

“But and 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; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:48-51.PROLI 133.1

The man who thinks that because it has been a long time since the signs in the heaven were fulfilled, therefore it may be as much longer before the Lord comes, is as foolish as the man a hundred years old would be if he should say that because he has lived thirty years past the age set down as the limit of man’s life, therefore he will no doubt live thirty years longer. Reason would say that since he has lived so long past the allotted age, he cannot hope to live much longer. So we say that “this generation” must be well-nigh past. It matters not that there is a great work yet to be done before all the world shall have heard “this gospel of the kingdom.” The apostle Paul says that God “will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Romans 9:28. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years; he has infinite resources at his command, and, if he chooses, he can cause as much to be done in one day as has been done in the last thousand years. Besides, we do not know how widely the warning message may have been already spread. Elijah thought that he was the only one in all Israel who worshiped Jehovah; but the Lord said to him, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” The same thing may be the case now. Without doubt the work will close, and the Lord will come, when the servants of God are still planning for increased work, and the unfaithful are pursuing their own way, thinking that there is plenty of time.PROLI 133.2

Only the evil servant says, “My Lord delayeth his coming.” In his case the wish is father to the thought. He says so because he wishes it to be so. He may not say so openly, but his actions will reveal the thoughts of his heart. He ceases to work, and as soon as he ceases to work, he begins to smite his fellow-servants. In view of such a possibility at this time, the apostle James says: “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned; behold, the Judge standeth before the door.” James 5:9. What a picture! We are all here expecting the Judge soon to come to decide our eternal destiny. The position we occupy when he comes will determine our fate. If we are humbly working, he will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” If we are striving with one another, instead of against sin, he will say, “Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Even now he is at the door; his foot is upon the threshold, and his hand is upon the latch. Who, realizing this, can harbor resentment in his heart? Suppose the Judge should open the door, and find us in the act of smiting our fellow-servants! Surely this thought is enough to cause us to “live soberly, righteously, and godly.”PROLI 133.3

Time now is closing, yet “the whole world lieth in wickedness.” The mass of mankind in all ages have rejected the mercy of God, and so it will be now. But “though the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” Some out of every kindred and people and nation will wash their robes, and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. For such, mansions are preparing, into which “an abundant entrance” will be ministered when the King comes to claim his own. Of such he will not be ashamed; and in the midst of the great congregation he will call them brethren. Poor and despised they may be now, but then they will be exalted to a place at God’s right hand. Glorious thought! “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly;” and as we contemplate the glorious rest and peace that he will bring, our longing hearts respond, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”PROLI 134.1