Destruction of the Cities PredictedYou
cannot take with you there [to heaven] the smallest portion of your
earthly treasure. Acquire what you may, preserve it with all the
jealous care you are capable of exercising, and yet the mandate may go
forth from the Lord, and in a few hours a fire which no skill can quench,
may destroy the accumulations of your entire life, and lay them a mass
of smoldering ruins. Review, June 23, 1885;
Counsels on Stewardship, 212-213. Now
that the great destruction of September 11 has occurred, it would be well
for our people to have before them in concise format the many Spirit of
Prophecy predictions about the destruction of the cities, including New
York City. You will find here a number of remarkable statements, some of
which include catastrophes on the lines of travel. The
destruction of large buildings, and even entire cities, has been
predicted. Oh,
that the people might know the time of their visitation! There are many
who have not yet heard the testing truth for this time. There are many
with whom the Spirit of God is striving. The time of Gods
destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have had no
opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon
them. His heart of mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to
save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. The
mercy of God is shown in His long forbearance. He is holding back His
judgments, waiting for the message of warning to be sounded to all.
Oh, if our people would feel as they should the responsibility resting
upon them to give the last message of mercy to the world, what a wonderful
work would be done! 9 Testimonies, 97. He
[Satan] looked with pleased exultation upon the result of his temptations
and the increase of sin in the continued transgression of Gods law for
more than four thousand years. He had worked the ruin of our first
parents, and brought sin and death into the world, and had led to ruin
multitudes of all ages, countries, and classes. He had, by his power,
controlled cities and nations until their sin provoked the wrath of God to
destroy them by fire, water, earthquakes, sword, famine, and pestilence.
By his subtlety and untiring efforts he had controlled the appetite and
excited and strengthened the passions to so fearful a degree, that he had
defaced, and almost obliterated the image of God in man. 1
Selected Messages, 269-270. The judgments of God are in our land. The Lord is soon to come. In fire and flood and earthquake, He is warning the inhabitants of this earth of His soon approach. O that the people may know the time of their visitation! We have no time to lose. We must make more determined efforts to lead the people of the world to see that the day of judgment is at hand. Life Sketches, 412 (June 20, 1903). Gods encouraging message of mercy should be proclaimed in the cities of America. Men and women living in these cities are rapidly becoming more and still more entangled in their business relations. They are acting wildly in the erection of buildings whose towers reach high into the heavens. Their minds are filled with schemes and ambitious devisings. 8 Testimonies, 31; Evangelism, 27 (Manuscript 154, 1902). O that Gods people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of cities, now almost given to idolatry. Review and Herald, Sept. 10, 1903; Evangelism, 29. You are dazzled and blinded by the god of this world. Oh, what a terrible insanity is upon you! You may gather together earthly treasure, but it will be destroyed in the great conflagration. If you now return unto the Lord, use your talents of means and influence for His glory, and send your treasure before you to heaven, you will not meet with a total loss. The
great conflagrations and the disasters by sea and land that have
visited our country were the special providences of God, a warning of what
is about to come upon the world. God would show man that He can kindle
upon his idols a fire that water cannot quench. The great general
conflagration is but just ahead, when all this wasted labor of life will
be swept away in a night and day. The treasure laid up in heaven will be
safe. No thief can approach nor moth corrupt it. 4 Testimonies,
49. I have said, as I looked at the great buildings going up there, story after story: What terrible scenes will take place when the Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth! Then the words of Rev. 18:1-3 will be fulfilled. The whole of the eighteenth chapter of Revelation is a warning of what is coming on the earth. But I have no light in particular in regard to what is coming on New York, only I know that one day the great buildings there will be thrown down by the turning and overturning of Gods power. From the light given me, I know that destruction is in the world. One word from the Lord, one touch of His mighty power, and these massive structures will fall. Scenes will take place the fearfulness of which we cannot imagine. Life Sketches, 411-412. I am bidden to declare the message that cities full of transgression, and sinful in the extreme, will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood. All the world will be warned that there is a God who will display His authority as God. His unseen agencies will cause destruction, devastation, and death. All the accumulated riches will be as nothingness . . Calamities
will come—calamities most awful, most unexpected; and these destructions
will follow one after another. If there will be a heeding of the
warnings that God has given, and if churches will repent, returning to
their allegiance, then other cities may be spared for a time. But if men
who have been deceived continue in the same way in which they have been
walking, disregarding the law of God and presenting falsehoods before the
people, God allows them to suffer calamity, that their senses may be
awakened . . The
Lord will not suddenly cast off all transgressors or destroy entire
nations; but He will punish cities and places where men have given
themselves up to the possession of satanic agencies. Strictly will the
cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited
in the extreme of Gods indignation, because some souls will yet break
away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted,
while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. Manuscript
35; Evangelism, 27 (1906). Well equipped tent meetings should be held in the large cities, such as San Francisco; for not long hence these cities will suffer under the judgments of God. San Francisco and Oakland are becoming as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Lord will visit them in wrath. Life Sketches, 412 (September 1, 1902). The tempest is coming, and we must get ready for its fury by having repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We shall see troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths of the sea. Navies will go down, and human lives will be sacrificed by millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury of the flames. Disasters
by rail will become more and more frequent; confusion, collision, and
death without a moments warning will occur on the great lines of
travel. The end is near, probation is closing. Oh, let us seek God
while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near! The prophet says:
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 Lords anger. Messages to Young People, 89-90
(Signs, April 21, 1890). Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable. After a time I awoke and found myself at home. Evangelism, 29 (Letter 278, 1906). The time is nearing when the great crisis in the history of the world will have come, when every movement in the government of God will be watched with intense interest and inexpressible apprehension. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another, fire and flood and earthquakes, with war and bloodshed. Something great and decisive will soon of necessity take place. Life Sketches, 412 (November 12, 1902). Out of the cities is my message. Our physicians ought to have been wide awake on this point long ago [and not erected any medical institutions in them]. I hope and pray and believe that they will now arouse to the importance of getting out into the country. The
time is near when the large cities will be visited by the judgments of
God. In a little while these cities will be terribly shaken. No matter how
large or how strong their buildings, no matter how many safeguards against
fire may have been provided, let God touch these buildings, and in a few
minutes or a few hours they are in ruins. The
ungodly cities of our world are to be swept away by the besom of
destruction. In the calamities that are now befalling immense buildings
and large portions of cities God is showing us what will come upon the
whole earth. 7 Testimonies, 83. When I was last in New York, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify the owners. Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and in them the most costly material was used . . As
these lofty buildings went up, the owners rejoiced with ambitious pride
that they had money to use in glorifying self . . Much of the money that
they thus invested had been obtained through exaction, through grinding
the faces of the poor. In the books of heaven, an account of every
business transaction is kept. There every unjust deal, every fraudulent
act, is recorded. The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence men
will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass, and they
will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah . . I
am instructed that when the Lords time comes, should no change have
taken place in the hearts of proud, ambitious human beings, men will find
that the hand that has been strong to save will be strong to destroy. No
earthly power can stay the hand of God. No material can be used in the
erection of buildings that will preserve them from destruction when
Gods appointed time comes to send retribution on men for their
insolence and their disregard of His law. Life Sketches,
413-414 (February 15, 1904; Review, April 26, 1906). As I consider
the conditions in the cities that are so manifestly under the power of
Satan, I ask myself the question, What will be the end of these things?
The wickedness in many cities is increasing. Crime and iniquity are at
work on every hand. New species of idolatry are continually being
introduced into society. In every nation the minds of men are turning
to the invention of some new thing. Rashness of deed and confusion of mind
are everywhere increasing. Surely the cities of the earth are becoming
like Sodom and Gomorrah. As
a people we need to hasten the work in the cities, which has been hindered
for lack of workers and means and a spirit of consecration. At this time,
the people of God need to turn their hearts fully to Him; for the end of
all things is at hand. They need to humble their minds, and to be
attentive to the will of the Lord, working with earnest desire to do that
which God has shown must be done to warn
the cities of their impending doom. Review and
Herald, January 25, 1912; Evangelism, 29-30. Men will
continue to erect expensive buildings, costing millions of money;
special attention will be called to their architectural beauty, and the
firmness and solidity with which they are constructed; but the Lord has
instructed me that despite the unusual firmness and expensive display,
these buildings will share the fate of the temple in Jerusalem. That
magnificent structure fell. Angels of God were sent to do the work of
destruction, so that one stone was not left one upon another that was
not thrown down. 5 Bible Commentary, 1098-1099 (Manuscript 35,
1906).
Before the Son of man appears in the clouds of heaven,
everything in nature will be convulsed. Lightning from heaven uniting
with the fire in the earth, will cause the mountains to burn like a
furnace, and pour out their floods of lava over villages and cities.
Molten masses of rock, thrown into the water by the upheaval of things
hidden in the earth, will cause the water to boil and send forth rocks and
earth. There will be mighty earthquakes and great destruction of human
life. But as in the days of the great Deluge Noah was preserved in the
ark that God had prepared for him, so in these days of destruction and
calamity, God will be the refuge of His believing ones. 7 Bible
Commentary, 946 (Letter 258, 1907). The hand of
Omnipotence is at no loss for ways and means to accomplish His purposes.
He could reach into the bowels of the earth and call forth His weapons,
waters there concealed, to aid in the destruction of the corrupt
inhabitants of the old world. 7 Bible Commentary, 946. Everywhere
there are men who should be out in active ministry, giving the last
message of warning to a fallen world. The work that should long ago have
been in active operation to win souls to Christ has not been done. The
inhabitants of the ungodly cities so soon to be visited by calamities have
been cruelly neglected. The time is near when
large cities will be swept away,
and all should be warned of these coming judgments. But who is
giving to the accomplishment of this work the wholehearted service that
God requires? . . At
the present time there is not a thousandth part being done in working the
cities, that should be done, and that would be done if men and women would
do their whole duty. Evangelism, 29 (Manuscript 53, 1910). While
at Loma Linda, California, April 16, 1906, there passed before me a most
wonderful representation. During a vision of the night, I
stood on an eminence, from which I could see houses shaken like a reed in
the wind. Buildings, great and small, were falling to the ground. Pleasure
resorts, theaters, hotels, and the homes of the wealthy were shaken and
shattered. Many lives were blotted out of existence, and the air was
filled with the shrieks of the injured and the terrified. The
destroying angels of God were at work. One touch, and buildings so
thoroughly constructed that men regarded them as secure against every
danger, quickly became heaps of rubbish. There was no assurance of safety
in any place. I did not feel in any special peril, but the awfulness
of the scenes that passed before me I cannot find words to describe. It
seemed that the forbearance of God was exhausted, and that the judgment
day had come. The
angel that stood by my side then instructed me that but few have any
conception of the wickedness existing in our world today, and especially
the wickedness in the large cities. He declared that the Lord has
appointed a time when He will visit transgressors in wrath for persistent
disregard of His law. Terrible
as was the representation that passed before me, that which impressed
itself most vividly upon my mind was the instruction given in connection
with it. The angel that stood by my side declared that Gods supreme
rulership, and the sacredness of His law, must be revealed to those who
persistently refuse to render obedience to the King of kings. Those who
choose to remain disloyal must be visited in mercy with judgments, in
order that, if possible, they may be aroused to a realization of the
sinfulness of their course. 9 Testimonies, 92-93 (1909). Throughout the
following day I pondered the scenes that had passed before me and the
instruction that had been given. [See preceding quotation.] During the
afternoon we journeyed to Glendale, near Los Angeles; and the following
night I was again instructed regarding the holiness and binding claims of
the Ten Commandments and the supremacy of God above all earthly rulers.
I
seemed to be in an assembly, setting before the people the requirements of
Gods law. I read the Scriptures regarding the institution of the
Sabbath in Eden at the close of the creation week, and regarding the
giving of the law at Sinai; and then declared that the Sabbath is to be
observed for a perpetual covenant as a sign between God and His
people forever, that they may know that they are sanctified by the Lord,
their Creator. Then
I further dwelt upon the supreme rulership of God above all earthly
rulers. His law is to be the standard of action. Men are forbidden to
pervert their senses by intemperance or by yielding their minds to satanic
influences, for this makes impossible the keeping of Gods law. While
the divine Ruler bears long with perversity, He is not deceived and will
not always keep silence. His supremacy, His authority as Ruler of the
universe, must finally be acknowledged and the just claims of His law
vindicated. Much
more instruction regarding the long-sufferance of God and the necessity of
arousing transgressors to a realization of their perilous position in His
sight was repeated to the people, as received from my instructor. On
April 18, two days after the scene of falling buildings had passed before
me, I went to fill an appointment in the Carr Street Church, Los
Angeles. As we neared the church we heard the newsboys crying: San
Francisco destroyed by an earthquake! With a heavy heart I read
the first hastily printed news of the terrible disaster.
Two
weeks later, on our homeward journey, we passed through San Francisco
and, hiring a carriage, spent an hour and a half in viewing the
destruction wrought in that great city. Buildings that were thought to be
proof against disaster were lying in ruins. In some instances buildings
were partially sunken in the ground. The city presented a most
dreadful picture of the inefficiency of human ingenuity to frame fireproof
and earthquake-proof structures. Through
His prophet Zephaniah the Lord specifies the judgments that He will bring
upon evildoers: [Zephaniah 1:2, 3, 8-18, quoted] . . God
cannot forbear much longer. Already His judgments are beginning to fall on
some places, and soon His signal displeasure will be felt in other places. There
will be a series of events revealing that God is master of the situation.
The truth will be proclaimed in clear, unmistakable language. As a people
we must prepare the way of the Lord under the overruling guidance of the
Holy Spirit. The gospel is to be given in its purity. The stream of living
water is to deepen and widen in its course. In all fields, nigh and afar
off, men will be called from the plow and from the more common commercial
business vocations that largely occupy the mind, and will be educated in
connection with men of experience. As they learn to labor effectively they
will proclaim the truth with power. Through most wonderful workings of
divine providence, mountains of difficulty will be removed and cast into
the sea. The message that means so much to the dwellers upon the earth
will be heard and understood. Men will know what is truth. Onward and
still onward the work will advance until the whole earth shall have been
warned, and then shall the end come. 9 Testimonies, 93-96. Men
may erect the most carefully constructed, fireproof
buildings, but one touch of Gods hand, one spark from heaven, will
sweep away every refuge. 8 Testimonies, 99. The sun was
risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. The bright rays of
the morning seemed to speak only prosperity and peace to the cities of the
plain. The stir of active life began in the streets; men were going
their various ways, intent on the business or the pleasures of the
day. The sons-in-law of Lot were making merry at the fears and warnings of
the weak-minded old man. Suddenly and unexpectedly as would be a thunder
peal from an unclouded sky, the tempest broke. The Lord rained
brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities and the fruitful plain;
its palaces and temples, costly dwellings, gardens and vineyards, and the
gay, pleasure-seeking throngs that only the night before had insulted the
messengers of heaven—all were consumed. The smoke of the
conflagration went up like the smoke of a great furnace. And the fair vale
of Siddim became a desolation, a place never to be built up or
inhabited—a witness to all generations of the certainty of Gods
judgments upon transgression. The
flames that consumed the cities of the plain shed their warning light down
even to our time. We are taught the fearful and solemn lesson that while
Gods mercy bears long with the transgressor, there is a limit beyond
which men may not go on in sin. When that limit is reached, then the
offers of mercy are withdrawn, and the ministration of judgment begins. The
Redeemer of the world declares that there are greater sins than that
for which Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Those who hear the gospel
invitation calling sinners to repentance, and heed it not, are more guilty
before God than were the dwellers in the vale of Siddim. And still
greater sin is theirs who profess to know God and to keep His
commandments, yet who deny Christ in their character and their daily life.
In the light of the Saviour's warning, the fate of Sodom is a solemn
admonition, not merely to those who are guilty of out-breaking sin, but to
all who are trifling with Heaven-sent light and privileges. Patriarchs
and Prophets, 162-165. In the bowels of
the earth God has in reserve the weapons that He will use to destroy the
sinful race. Since the Flood, God has used, to destroy wicked cities,
both the water and the fire that are concealed in the earth. In the final
conflagration God will in His wrath send lightning from heaven that will
unite with the fire in the earth. The mountains will burn like a
furnace, and pour forth streams of lava [Nahum 1:5, 6; Ps. 144:5, 6,
quoted].7 Bible Commentary, 946-947 (Manuscript 21, 1902). The depths of
the earth are the Lords arsenal, whence were drawn weapons to be
employed in the destruction of the old world. Waters gushing from the
earth united with the waters from heaven to accomplish the work of
desolation. Since the Flood, fire as well as water has been Gods agent
to destroy very wicked cities. These judgments are sent that those who
lightly regard Gods law and trample upon His authority may be led to
tremble before His power and to confess His just sovereignty. As men
have beheld burning mountains pouring forth fire and flames and torrents
of melted ore, drying up rivers, overwhelming populous cities, and
everywhere spreading ruin and desolation, the stoutest heart has been
filled with terror and infidels and blasphemers have been constrained to
acknowledge the infinite power of God. Said
the prophets of old, referring to scenes like these: [Isaiah 64:1-3; Nahum
1:3-4, quoted] . . More
terrible manifestations than the world has ever yet beheld, will be
witnessed at the second advent of Christ. The mountains quake at
Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the
world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation?
and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? Nahum 1:5, 6. Bow
Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall
smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out Thine arrows, and
destroy them. Psalm 144:5, 6.Patriarchs and Prophets, 109. We are living in
the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that
the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn
and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being
withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon
the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the
unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They
forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. The
agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are
strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take
place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones. The
condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon
us. The daily papers are full of indications of a terrible conflict in the
near future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are
common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of
demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have
become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails. The
enemy has succeeded in perverting justice and in filling men's hearts
with the desire for selfish gain.
Justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and
equity cannot enter. Isaiah 59:14. In the great cities there are
multitudes living in poverty and wretchedness, well-nigh destitute of
food, shelter, and clothing; while in the same cities are those who have
more than heart could wish, who live luxuriously, spending their money
on richly furnished houses, on personal adornment, or worse still, upon
the gratification of sensual appetites, upon liquor, tobacco, and other
things that destroy the powers of the brain, unbalance the mind, and
debase the soul. The cries of starving humanity are coming up before
God, while by every species of oppression and extortion men are piling up
colossal fortunes. On
one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon
to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These
buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify
the owners and builders. Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and
in them the most costly material was used. Those to whom these
buildings belonged were not asking themselves: How can we best glorify
God? The Lord was not in their thoughts. I
thought: Oh, that those who are thus investing their means could see
their course as God sees it! They are piling up magnificent buildings,
but how foolish in the sight of the Ruler of the universe is their
planning and devising. They are not studying with all the powers of
heart and mind how they may glorify God. They have lost sight of this, the
first duty of man. As
these lofty buildings went up, the owners rejoiced with ambitious pride
that they had money to use in gratifying self and provoking the envy of
their neighbors. Much of the money that they thus invested had been
obtained through exaction, through grinding down the poor. They forgot
that in heaven an account of every business transaction is kept; every
unjust deal, every fraudulent act, is there recorded. The time is coming
when in their fraud and insolence men will reach a point that the Lord
will not permit them to pass, and they will learn that there is a limit to
the forbearance of Jehovah. The
scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at the
lofty and supposedly fire-proof buildings and said: They are perfectly
safe. But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire
engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable
to operate the engines. I
am instructed that when the Lords time comes, should no change have
taken place in the hearts of proud, ambitious human beings, men will find
that the hand that had been strong to save will be strong to destroy. No
earthly power can stay the hand of God. No material can be used in the
erection of buildings that will preserve them from destruction when
Gods appointed time comes to send retribution on men for their
disregard of His law and for their selfish ambition. There
are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the
causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the
reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption,
poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain
to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give
more heed to the teaching of Gods Word, they would find a solution of
the problems that perplex them. The
Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ's
second coming. Of the men who by robbery and extortion are amassing
great riches, it is written: [James 5:3-6, quoted] . . But
who reads the warnings given by the fast-fulfilling signs of the times?
What impression is made upon worldlings? What change is seen in their
attitude? No more than was seen in the attitude of the inhabitants of the
Noachian world. Absorbed in worldly business and pleasure, the
antediluvians knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away.
Matthew 24:39. They had heaven-sent warnings, but they refused to
listen. And today the world, utterly regardless of the warning voice of
God, is hurrying on to eternal ruin. The
world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh
chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the
scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place [Isaiah
24:1-8; Joel 1:15-18, 12; Jeremiah 4:19-20, quoted] . .
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the
heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they
trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no
man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the
fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken
down. Jeremiah 4:23-26.
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the
time of Jacobs trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah
30:7. Not
all in this world have taken sides with the enemy against God. Not all
have become disloyal. There are a faithful few who are true to God; for
John writes: Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the
faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12. Soon the battle will be waged
fiercely between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. Soon
everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things that
cannot be shaken may remain. Satan
is a diligent Bible student. He knows that his time is short, and he seeks
at every point to counterwork the work of the Lord upon this earth. It
is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who
shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the
persecutions of the past are blended. They will walk in the light
proceeding from the throne of God. By means of the angels there will be
constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan, surrounded by
evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to
deceive, if possible, the very elect. Gods people will not find
their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles
that will be wrought. Gods tried and tested people will find their
power in the sign spoken of in Exodus 31:12-18. They are to take their
stand on the living Word: It is written. This is the only foundation
upon which they can stand securely. Those who have broken their covenant
with God will in that day be without God and without hope. The
worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the
fourth commandment, since this is the sign of Gods creative power and
the witness to His claim upon mans reverence and homage. The wicked
will be distinguished by their efforts to tear down the Creators
memorial and to exalt the institution of Rome. In the issue of the
conflict all Christendom will be divided into two great classes,
those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those
who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark. Although church
and state will unite their power to compel all, both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark of the beast, yet the
people of God will not receive it. Revelation 13:16. The prophet of Patmos
beholds them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his
image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the
sea of glass, having the harps of God, and singing the song of Moses
and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2. Fearful
tests and trials await the people of God. The spirit of war is stirring
the nations from one end of the earth to the other. But in the midst of
the time of trouble that is coming, a time of trouble such as has not
been since there was a nation, Gods chosen people will stand unmoved.
Satan and his host cannot destroy them, for angels that excel in strength
will protect them.9 Testimonies, 11-17. There was a
mighty earthquake. Buildings were shaken down, and fell on every side.
I then heard a triumphant shout of victory, loud, musical, and clear. I
looked upon this company, who, a short time before, were in such distress
and bondage. Their captivity was turned. A glorious light shone upon them.
How beautiful they then looked! All weariness and marks of care were gone;
health and beauty were seen in every countenance. Their enemies, the
heathen around them, fell like dead men. They could not endure the light
that shone upon the delivered, holy ones. This light and glory remained
upon them until Jesus was seen in the clouds of heaven, and the faithful,
tried company were changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from
glory to glory. The graves were opened and the saints came forth, clothed
with immortality, crying: Victory over death and the grave! and
together with the living saints they were caught up to meet their Lord in
the air, while rich, musical shouts of glory and victory proceeded from
every immortal tongue.1 Testimonies, 184. At the present time, when the end of all things earthly is rapidly approaching, Satan is putting forth desperate efforts to ensnare the world. He is devising many plans to occupy minds, and to divert attention from the truths essential to salvation. In every city his agencies are busily organizing into parties those who are opposed to the law of God. The archdeceiver is at work to introduce elements of confusion and rebellion, and men are being fired with a zeal that is not according to knowledge. Acts of the Apostles, 219. We are standing
upon the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecies are
fulfilling. Strange, eventful history is being recorded in the books of
heaven. Everything in our world is in agitation. There are wars, and
rumors of wars. The nations are angry, and the time of the dead has
come, that they should be judged. Events are changing to bring about the
day of God which hasteth greatly. Only a moment of time, as it were, yet
remains. But while already nation is rising against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom, there is not now a general engagement. As yet the four
winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their
foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last
great battle. 6 Testimonies, 14. The crisis is
stealing gradually upon us. The sun shines in the heavens, passing
over its usual round, and the heavens still declare the glory of God. Men
are still eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving
in marriage. Merchants are still buying and selling. Men are jostling one
against another, contending for the highest place. Pleasure lovers are
still crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest
excitement prevails, yet probations hour is fast closing, and every
case is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that his time is short.
He has set all his agencies at work that men may be deceived, deluded,
occupied, and entranced until the day of probation shall be ended, and
the door of mercy forever shut. Christian Service, 51 (Southern
Watchman, Oct. 3, 1905). Transgression
has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great
terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who
know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the
world as an overwhelming surprise. 8 Testimonies, 28. In this time of prevailing iniquity we may know that the last great crisis is at hand. When the defiance of Gods law is almost universal, when His people are oppressed and afflicted by their fellow men, the Lord will interpose. Christ's Object Lessons, 178. |