“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men,
and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man,
and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of
the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us,
and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is
come; and who shall be able to stand?”
The prophet Isaiah describes the same thrilling event from the other
standpoint—that of the waiting people of God:—
“He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God will wipe
away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall
he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that day, 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.”
Isa. 25:8, 9.
The apostle Paul gives a vivid description of the event with its attendant
circumstances as follows:—
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever
be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:13‐17.
The once slighted, insulted, and crucified Saviour, now King of kings and
Lord of lords, is coming near the earth! His glory blazes everywhere! The
saints hope and rejoice with trembling. But what an hour for the wicked!
The tribes of the earth mourn. Amid the ruins of shivered creation they
hold one general prayer‐meeting. Kings and great men, rich men, chief
captains and mighty men, free and bond, all, yes, all unite in the general
wail. As the Son of man in the glory of his Father, attended by all the
holy angels, draws still nearer, consternation fills every breast. They
hide in dens and in the rocks of the mountains. Their only hope is to be
concealed from the glory of that scene. They know it is too late to pray
for mercy, that probation for the human family has ended forever.
But rocks cannot shelter them from the burning glory manifested by the
King of kings, attended by the whole heavenly host. When “the Son of man
shall come in the glory of the Father,” “and all the holy angels with
him,” no sinner can endure the scene and live. The exceeding brightness of
that vast multitude of angels, brighter than a thousand suns at noonday,
will pierce the sinner’s lowest hiding place, and will “make even a speedy
riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zeph. 1:18. The Son of man
will be seen “coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
But before his coming a great work will be done for his people. Should he
suddenly burst upon them now, they could not endure “the power and great
glory” of the scene. This subject is well illustrated by the following
words of the prophet:—
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going
forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the
rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3.
The morning is a beautiful figure of the opening glory of the day of God.
The day‐star first appears, then the dawn of day. And as the light of day
increases, the eyes are enabled to endure it, and view the sun shining in
his strength. But should the light of the sun burst upon the world
suddenly at midnight, no human eye could endure it.
So will the people of God be prepared to meet their coming King. They must
first break away from the love and cares of this world, and consecrate all
to the Lord. Then will they, in due time, share the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit “as the rain, as the latter and former rain upon the earth.” The
day‐star will arise in their hearts. 2 Peter 1:19. Those who have taken
heed to the sure word of prophecy through the dark, watching night, then
raise their heads in triumph. They are filled with faith and with the Holy
Spirit. Glory is poured upon them till they can gaze on Christ and angels.
The trumpet sounds. The angels are dispatched to the graves of the
righteous. The voice of the Son of God awakes the sleeping saints of all
ages. They come forth in immortal perfection and, as they leave the earth,
the living saints are changed. The “elect from one end of heaven to the
other,” each with an angel bright and strong to lead the way, are caught
up to meet the Lord, who waits in mid‐heaven to receive the purchase of
his blood. As language would fail to describe what follows, we leave the
reader to contemplate it, praying that we may be prepared to participate
in the meeting scene.
Parable Of The Fig‐Tree.
VERSES 32, 33: “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 it [‘he,’ R. V.] is near, even at the doors.”
This parable is probably the most forcible figure that could be used with
which to illustrate this subject. When the trees of the field begin to put
forth their leaves, and the tender grass springs up, and the ground is
being covered with its green velvet carpet, we know that summer is nigh.
It is a certainty with us that summer is coming when we see these signs in
nature. We know that summer is nigh “_So, likewise_,” or, with the same
certainty, we may _know_ that Christ’s coming is near when the signs in
the sun, moon, and stars are fulfilled. How near?—Even at the doors. How
near may that be?
VERSE 34: “Verily I say unto you. This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled.”
It is sometimes claimed that the generation spoken of was the one then
living. If so, it could have been to no greater extent than referring to
the answer of the question relating to the destruction of Jerusalem. But
it would be wholly illogical to limit the application of the statement to
that generation or to place its principal significance there. “All these
things” must include the signs and circumstances of which Christ has been
speaking. In the preceding verses he gives the parable of the fig‐tree,
and addresses those who are to be living at that time directly. “So
likewise _ye_, when _ye_ shall see all these things, _know_ that it is
near.” And then, “_This_ generation shall not pass.” What generation?
Evidently the one which he was addressing, and which saw “these things
come to pass.” Not only does such an interpretation do no violence to the
Saviour’s meaning, but it is obviously the only one that can be reasonably
entertained in regard to it.
Paul speaks in the first person of those who will be living when Jesus
comes, for he says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” 1 Cor. 15:51,
52. Or, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17. The
things here mentioned by the apostle did not take place in his day. They
have not yet taken place. Notwithstanding, he speaks of them as though
they would take place in his day, and as if he were to have a part in
them.
The proclamation of the coming and kingdom of Christ is given to the last
generation. God sent Noah to preach to the last generation before the
flood, not to any preceding one. The very generation which was destroyed
by the waters of the flood saw Noah build the ark, and heard his warning
voice. So God has raised up men to give the solemn warning to the world at
the right time to give force to the warning. And the very generation of
men that live after the three great signs are fulfilled, and who hear and
reject the warning message of Heaven, will drink the cup of the unmingled
wrath of God. And those of this very generation who receive the message,
suffer disappointments, and endure the trials of the waiting position,
will witness the coming of Christ, and exclaim, “Lo, this is our God; we
have _waited_ for him, and he will save us.” Isa. 25:9.
With what emphasis our Lord gave utterance to this sentiment! It is a
rebuke upon our unbelief. As we read it, God help us to believe it:
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these
things be fulfilled.” And as though this were not enough to lead us to
unwavering faith, he adds these forcible words: “Heaven and earth shall
pass away but my words shall not pass away.”
The word and promises of men may fail; but Christ has given assurance that
his word, and his word in reference to this solemn truth, will stand
though heaven and earth fail.
“The Day And Hour.”
VERSES 36, 37: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe
were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
This has become a very familiar passage of scripture because of the
frequent use that is made of it to prove that nothing can be known of the
proximity of the second coming of Christ. But if we pause a moment and lay
beside this verse those we have just studied, we shall be able to discover
the exact truth at once. “When ye shall see these things, know that it is
near even at the doors;” and, “This generation shall not pass, till all
these things be fulfilled;” “But of that day and hour knoweth no man.” The
line of knowledge, then, lies between the former expressions and the
latter—between “even at the doors” and the definite day and hour. The
former we may know, and every Christian is commanded to know. The latter
no man knoweth. One may consistently say that he knows an event is near,
and yet say that he does not know the hour nor the day when it will take
place. That this is the scriptural teaching upon this point may be readily
proved by a reference to 1 Thess. 5:1‐4:—
“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.”
An evident distinction is here drawn between two classes. Upon one class
the day of the Lord will come as a thief. Those of the other are not in
darkness that that day should come as a thief upon them. The children of
God are children of light. Their heavenly Father knows the end from the
beginning, and he has promised to reveal his secret to his people through
his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7.
The apostle Peter also bears testimony to the same truth.
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn and the day‐star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter
1:19.
The dark place here spoken of is the future. The past is lighted up by
history, the present is brought to our knowledge by press and telegraph;
but the future no human art or wisdom can penetrate. Prophecy throws its
gleam into those dark regions, yet unexplored, and marks out the path of
human history centuries and ages before it has echoed to the footsteps of
mankind. When at last we pass along the pathway, we may, if we will,
recognize the waymarks set up here and there, every one of which is a
monument to the wisdom and knowledge of God, and the faithfulness of his
word. Those who have no eyes to discern these things, no ears to hear, nor
hearts to understand their significance, will pass on, and the final event
will come upon them unawares. Not so with those who take heed to the
things God has spoken.
We would not detract an iota from the force of the verse under
consideration. It means all it says. No man knows the definite time of
Christ’s coming. The day and hour, and even the year of the second advent
are purposely hidden. Some of the prophetic periods reach to the time of
the end, while others extend still farther down, very near to the end
itself; yet none of them reach to the coming of the Son of man. The
prophecies clearly point to the period of the second advent, but do not
give the definite time of that event.
But with this passage before us we may claim that it would be transcending
its meaning to claim upon its authority that nothing should or could be
known of the approach of Christ’s coming. More than that, it is not
inconsistent with the text nor improbable that prior to that event the
Lord will in his own way reveal that which has hitherto been withheld.
Those who claim that the text proves that nothing may be known of the
period of the second advent, make it prove too much for their own
unbelief. As recorded by Mark, the declaration reads: “But of that day and
that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither
the Son, but the Father.” If the text proves that men will know nothing of
the period of the second advent, it also proves that angels will know
nothing of it, and also that the Son will know nothing of it, till the
event takes place! This position proves too much, therefore proves nothing
to the point. Christ will know of the period of his second advent to this
world. The holy angels who wait around the throne of heaven to receive
messages relative to the part they act in the salvation of men, will know
of the time of this closing event of salvation. And so will the waiting,
watching people of God understand. An old English version of the passage
reads, “But that day and hour no man maketh known, neither the angels
which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” This is the correct
reading, according to several of the ablest critics of the age. The word
_know_ is used in the same sense here that it is by Paul in 1 Cor. 2:2:
“For I determined not to know [make known] anything among you, save Jesus
Christ and him crucified.” Men will not make known the day and hour,
angels will not make it known, neither will the Son; but the Father will
make it known. Says Campbell:—
“Macknight argues that the term _known_ is here used as a
causative, in the Hebrew sense of the conjugation _hiphil_, that
is, _to make known_.... His [Christ’s] answer is just equivalent
to saying, The Father will make it known when it pleases him; but
he has not authorized man, angel, or the Son to make it known.
Just in this sense, Paul uses the term _know_, 1 Cor. 2:2: ‘I came
to you _making known_ the testimony of God; for I determined to
_make known_ nothing among you but a crucified Christ.’ ”