the desire of ages-第134部分

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Christ　gave　His　disciples　a　sign　of　the　ruin　to　come　on　Jerusalem；　and　He　told　them　how　to　escape：　〃When　ye　shall　see　Jerusalem　compassed　with　armies；　then　know　that　the　desolation　thereof　is　nigh。　Then　let　them　which　are　in　Judea　flee　to　the　mountains；　and　let　them　which　are　in　the　midst　of　it　depart　out；　and　let　not　them　that　are　in　the　countries　enter　thereinto。　For　these　be　the　days　of　vengeance；　that　all　things　which　are　written　may　be　fulfilled。〃　This　warning　was　given　to　be　heeded　forty　years　after；　at　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem。　The　Christians　obeyed　the　warning；　and　not　a　Christian　perished　in　the　fall　of　the　city。

〃Pray　ye　that　your　flight　be　not　in　the　winter；　neither　on　the　Sabbath　day；〃　Christ　said。　He　who　made　the　Sabbath　did　not　abolish　it；　nailing　it　to　His　cross。　The　Sabbath　was　not　rendered　null　and　void　by　His　death。　Forty　years　after　His　crucifixion　it　was　still　to　be　held　sacred。　For　forty　years　the　disciples　were　to　pray　that　their　flight　might　not　be　on　the　Sabbath　day。

From　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem；　Christ　passed　on　rapidly　to　the　greater　event；　the　last　link　in　the　chain　of　this　earth's　history；the　coming　of　the　Son　of　God　in　majesty　and　glory。　Between　these　two　events；　there　lay　open　to　Christ's　view　long　centuries　of　darkness；　centuries　for　His

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church　marked　with　blood　and　tears　and　agony。　Upon　these　scenes　His　disciples　could　not　then　endure　to　look；　and　Jesus　passed　them　by　with　a　brief　mention。　〃Then　shall　be　great　tribulation；〃　He　said；　〃such　as　was　not　since　the　beginning　of　the　world　to　this　time；　no；　nor　ever　shall　be。　And　except　those　days　should　be　shortened；　there　should　no　flesh　be　saved：　but　for　the　elect's　sake　those　days　shall　be　shortened。〃　For　more　than　a　thousand　years　such　persecution　as　the　world　had　never　before　known　was　to　come　upon　Christ's　followers。　Millions　upon　millions　of　His　faithful　witnesses　were　to　be　slain。　Had　not　God's　hand　been　stretched　out　to　preserve　His　people；　all　would　have　perished。　〃But　for　the　elect's　sake；〃　He　said；　〃those　days　shall　be　shortened。〃

Now；　in　unmistakable　language；　our　Lord　speaks　of　His　second　coming；　and　He　gives　warning　of　dangers　to　precede　His　advent　to　the　world。　〃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。〃　As　one　of　the　signs　of　Jerusalem's　destruction；　Christ　had　said；　〃Many　false　prophets　shall　rise；　and　shall　deceive　many。〃　False　prophets　did　rise；　deceiving　the　people；　and　leading　great　numbers　into　the　desert。　Magicians　and　sorcerers；　claiming　miraculous　power；　drew　the　people　after　them　into　the　mountain　solitudes。　But　this　prophecy　was　spoken　also　for　the　last　days。　This　sign　is　given　as　a　sign　of　the　second　advent。　Even　now　false　christs　and　false　prophets　are　showing　signs　and　wonders　to　seduce　His　disciples。　Do　we　not　hear　the　cry；　〃Behold；　He　is　in　the　desert〃？　Have　not　thousands　gone　forth　into　the　desert；　hoping　to　find　Christ？　And　from　thousands　of　gatherings　where　men　profess　to　hold　communion　with　departed　spirits　is　not　the　call　now　heard；　〃Behold；　He　is　in　the　secret　chambers〃？　This　is　the　very　claim　that　spiritism　puts　forth。　But　what　says　Christ？　〃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。〃

The　Saviour　gives　signs　of　His　coming；　and　more　than　this；　He　fixes　the　time　when　the　first　of　these　signs　shall　appear：　〃Immediately　after　the　tribulation　of　those　days　shall　the　sun　be　darkened；　and　the　moon

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shall　not　give　her　light；　and　the　stars　shall　fall　from　heaven；　and　the　powers　of　the　heavens　shall　be　shaken：　and　then　shall　appear　the　sign　of　the　Son　of　man　in　heaven：　and　then　shall　all　the　tribes　of　the　earth　mourn；　and　they　shall　see　the　Son　of　man　coming　in　the　clouds　of　heaven　with　power　and　great　glory。　And　He　shall　send　His　angels　with　a　great　sound　of　a　trumpet；　and　they　shall　gather　together　His　elect　from　the　four　winds；　from　one　end　of　heaven　to　the　other。〃

At　the　close　of　the　great　papal　persecution；　Christ　declared；　the　sun　should　be　darkened；　and　the　moon　should　not　give　her　light。　Next；　the　stars　should　fall　from　heaven。　And　He　says；　〃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　is　near；　even　at　the　doors。〃　Matt。　24：32；　33；　margin。

Christ　has　given　signs　of　His　coming。　He　declares　that　we　may　know　when　He　is　near；　even　at　the　doors。　He　says　of　those　who　see　these　signs；　〃This　generation　shall　not　pass；　till　all　these　things　be　fulfilled。〃　These　signs　have　appeared。　Now　we　know　of　a　surety　that　the　Lord's　coming　is　at　hand。　〃Heaven　and　earth　shall　pass　away；〃　He　says；　〃but　My　words　shall　not　pass　away。〃

Christ　is　coming　with　clouds　and　with　great　glory。　A　multitude　of　shining　angels　will　attend　Him。　He　will　come　to　raise　the　dead；　and　to　change　the　living　saints　from　glory　to　glory。　He　will　come　to　honor　those　who　have　loved　Him；　and　kept　His　commandments；　and　to　take　them　to　Himself。　He　has　not　forgotten　them　nor　His　promise。　There　will　be　a　relinking　of　the　family　chain。　When　we　look　upon　our　dead；　we　may　think　of　the　morning　when　the　trump　of　God　shall　sound；　when　〃the　dead　shall　be　raised　incorruptible；　and　we　shall　be　changed。〃　1　Cor。　15：52。　A　little　longer；　and　we　shall　see　the　King　in　His　beauty。　A　little　longer；　and　He　will　wipe　all　tears　from　our　eyes。　A　little　longer；　and　He　will　present　us　〃faultless　before　the　presence　of　His　glory　with　exceeding　joy。〃　Jude　24。　Wherefore；　when　He　gave　the　signs　of　His　coming　He　said；　〃When　these　things　begin　to　come　to　pass；　then　look　up；　and　lift　up　your　heads；　for　your　redemption　draweth　nigh。〃

But　the　day　and　the　hour　of　His　coming　Christ　has　not　revealed。　He　stated　plainly　to　His　disciples　that　He　Himself　could　not　make　known　the　day　or　the　hour　of　His　second　appearing。　Had　He　been　at　liberty　to　reveal　this；　why　need　He　have　exhorted　them　to　maintain　an　attitude　of　constant　expectancy？　There　are　those　who　claim　to　know　the　very　day　and　hour　of　our　Lord's　appearing。　Very　earnest　are　they　in　mapping　out

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the　future。　But　the　Lord　has　warned　them　off　the　ground　they　occupy。　The　exact　time　of　the　second　coming　of　the　Son　of　man　is　God's　mystery。

Christ　continues；　pointing　out　the　condition　of　the　world　at　His　coming：　〃As　the　days　of　Noah　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　Noah　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。〃　Christ　does　not　here　bring　to　view　a　temporal　millennium；　a　thousand　years　in　which　all　are　to　prepare　for　eternity。　He　tells　us　that　as　it　was　in　Noah's　day；　so　will　it　be　when　the　Son　of　man　comes　again。

How　was　it　in　Noah's　day？　〃God　saw　that　the　wickedness　of　man　was　great　in　the　earth；　and　that　every　imagination　of　the　thoughts　of　his　heart　was　only　evil　continually。〃　Gen。　6：5。　The　inhabitants　of　the　antediluvian　world　turned　from　Jehovah；　refusing　to　do　His　holy　will。　They　followed　their　own　unholy　imagination　and　perverted　ideas。　It　was　because　of　their　wickedness　that　they　were　destroyed；　and　today　the　world　is　following　the　same　way。　It　presents　no　flattering　signs　of　millennial　glory。　The　transgressors　of　God's　law　are　filling　the　earth　with　wickedness。　Their　betting；　their　horse　racing；　their　gambling；　their　dissipation；　their　lustful　practices；　their　untamable　passions；　are　fast　filling　the　world　with　violence。

In　the　prophecy　of　Jerusalem's　destruction　Christ　said；　〃Because　iniquity　shall　abound；　the　love　of　many　shall　wax　cold。　But　he　that　shall　endure　unto　the　end；　the　same　shall　be　saved。　And　this　gospel　of　the　kingdom　shall　be　preached　in　all　the　world　for　a　witness　unto　all　nations；　and　then　shall　the　end　come。〃　This　prophecy　will　again　be　fulfilled。　The　abounding　iniquity　of　that　day　finds　its　counterpart　in　this　generation。　So　with　the　prediction　in　regard　to　the　preaching　of　the　gospel。　Before　the　fall　of　Jerusalem；　Paul；　writing　by　the　Holy　Spirit；　declared　that　the　gospel　was　preached　to　〃every　creature　which　is　under　heaven。〃　Col。　1：23。　So　now；　before　the　coming　of　the　Son　of　man；　the　everlasting　gospel　is　to　be　preached　〃to　every　nation；　and　kindred；　and　tongue；　and　people。〃　Rev。　14：6；　14。　God　〃hath　appointed　a　day；　in　the　which　He　will　judge　the　world。〃　Acts　17：31。　Christ　tells　us　when　that　day　shall　be　ushered　in。　He　does　not　say　that　all　the　world　will　be　converted；　but　that　〃this　g