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THE COMING KING

Ten Great Signs Of Christ’s Return

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ARTHUR S. MAXWELL

EDITOR, “SIGNS OF THE TIMES”

AUTHOR OF
“THIS MIGHTY HOUR,” “GREAT PROPHECIES FOR OUR TIMES,”
“THESE TREMENDOUS TIMES,” “SO LITTLE TIME,” “TIME’S LAST HOUR,”
ETC.

PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA

Copyright, 1953.

We wish to thank the following publishers for their co-operation in giving permission to quote from books
bearing their imprint.

Blanshard, Paul, American Freedom and Catholic Power, Copyright, 1949, by Paul Blanshard. Published
by The Beacon Press, Boston.
Garbett, Cyril, In an Age of Revolution, Hodder and Stoughton, Ltd., London.
Stoddard, Lothrop, Clashing Tides of Color, Chas. Scribner’s Sons, New York.
Van der Vlugt, Ebed, Asia Aflame, Devin-Adair Company, New York.

CONTENTS
Preface
Hope of the Ages
1. The Mad, Swift Pace of Modern Life
2. Confusion and Fear Among the Nations
3. Asia and Africa Awake
4. “Fearful Sights ... From Heaven”
5. Corruption and Decay of Civilization
6. The Rising Wrath of the Dragon
7. America Turning Rome
8. The Spread of Spiritualism
9. World-Wide Proclamation of the Gospel
10. All Men in Expectation
When Christ Comes

Preface
MOST people are becoming more and more concerned about the future. Shaken by the major
convulsions of recent years, the fearful discoveries of science, and the threat of a third world war, they are
asking, What lies ahead? Where are we going? Is our civilization doomed to pass away like that of Babylon
or Rome?
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Frustrated by problems they cannot solve, weighed down with burdens they cannot bear,
frightened by fears they cannot name, they yearn desperately for some satisfying hope, some solid rock on
which to anchor their faith. Anxious about themselves, their homes, their children, they long for some
reassuring word, some promise on which they can rely concerning the days to come.
What is the answer to these questionings? Where may true hope be found? In the United Nations?
In some form of World Federation? In a general “peace offensive”? Or in something far more durable?
Many are saying today that the unusual happenings of these turbulent times are signs that the end
of the world is at hand: that all the shocking tragedies and disillusionment of our day are fulfillment of
ancient Biblical prophecies concerning the days preceding the second coming of Christ.
Is this presumption correct? Is time running out? Are we about to witness a divine intervention in
human affairs? Is Christ’s second advent in power and glory “even at the doors”?
The answer is Yes, and the evidence is presented in the pages that follow. Here will be found ten
great signs of our times, which we believe to be indubitable fulfillment of prophecy and unmistakable
indications that the greatest, happiest, most wonderful event of history is about to happen.
It is our prayer that this presentation may not only throw light upon the future, but bring courage
where there is fear, confidence where there is doubt, certainty where there is uncertainty, and hope where
hope has fled. Here, we believe, is the message the world is waiting for, the secret of spiritual revival, the
source of a glowing faith, the wellspring of eternal satisfaction: Jesus is coming again!

A. S. MAXWELL

COVER PICTURE
Painted especially for The Coming King by Clyde Provonsha, this picture envisions the day when
the parting curtains of the future shall reveal the Man of Galilee, once despised and rejected of men,
coming back to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, “having on His head a golden crown, and in
His hand a sharp sickle.” Then shall the kingdoms of this world “become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of
His Christ,” and all man-made crowns and coronets shall be cast at His feet.

Hope of the Ages

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Titus 2:13.

WHEN the Allied Armies landed on the coast of France in 1945 a wave of optimism spread
throughout Europe. Hope of deliverance was kindled anew among the millions suffering under the iron heel
of tyranny. But not until the strength of the enemy had been broken and final victory achieved, was their
joy complete.
So when God invaded the world two millenniums ago via a stable in Bethlehem, a great hope
sprang up in men’s hearts that the powers of evil would one day be vanquished, and righteousness and
peace prevail upon the earth. But not until Jesus returns in glory will this total victory be brought about.
All down the centuries since He lived as a man amongst men, Christians have been looking and
longing for His second advent. Year after year and decade after decade the Church has repeated in its creed,
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ His only Son our
Lord, Who ... ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He
shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”
This has been the blessed hope of the Church from the ascension till today. To the sincere
Christian it is inconceivable that the Son of God would die to save the world, only to leave it forever in the
hands of His enemies. That would be to admit failure and defeat, which with God is impossible. The cross
must be followed, someday, by the crown. Christ must “take to Himself power” and reign, or the whole
Christian gospel becomes meaningless-a story with a beginning but no end.

Promises and Prophecies

Christ’s promises to return must come true. They cannot fall. “Let not your heart be troubled,” He

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told His disciples. “You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.
Someday, He assured them, “all the tribes of the earth” “shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30.
To the high priest on the day of His trial He said, “Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting
on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64.
If Christ is the Son of God, possessing all power in heaven and in earth, He cannot forever remain
away from this world. He must return.
Supporting His promises are the great prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments relating to
His second advent.
Someday, wrote the prophet Daniel, all earthly nations will pass away, and “the God of heaven
[shall] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” Daniel 2:44. “One like the Son of man” shall be
given “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him.”
Daniel 7:13, 14.
Someday, wrote John the Revelator, Christ will appear in the clouds, and “every eye shall see
Him.” Revelation 1:7. Then “the kingdoms of this world” shall “become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of
His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.

The Hope of Patriarch and Prophet

The hope of Christ’s return dates back to the earliest recorded utterances of man. Jude tells us that
“Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten
thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14, 15.
In the book of Job, believed to be the most ancient of the books of the Bible, the sorely tried
patriarch affirms, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19:25, 26.
With equal conviction the prophet Isaiah declared that the day will dawn when the Lord 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.” Isaiah 25:8, 9.
The apostle Paul sought to comfort the believers of his day with the assurance that “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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The apostle Peter had this to say to his fellow believers of the first century AD: “The day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned Up.” 2
Peter 3:10.
The Bible is crowded with similar allusions to Christ’s return. Indeed, a large proportion of the
New Testament has reference to this great event. No wonder, then, that the hope of His coming has been
kept alive for so many hundreds of years. Christians today cannot, dare not, repudiate this doctrine without
denying their Lord and rejecting the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. But when will He come? How can
we know? Is there any reason to believe He might come in our day?

The Hope Lives On

Again and again down the years individuals have set dates for His coming, only to be
disappointed. In the year 1000 AD there was much agitation over the possibility that He might return in that
year. A similar prediction, with the same unhappy outcome, was made in 1260 AD. During the sixteenth
century many expressed belief that the setting up of Christ’s kingdom was at hand. Martin Luther himself
said he doubted if he would finish his translation of the Bible before the Lord would come.
In the early part of the nineteenth century, another advent movement began, spreading rapidly
throughout the entire world. For a time there were hundreds of ministers-Episcopalians, Methodists,
Baptists, Presbyterians, and others eagerly preaching the return of Christ in 1844.
But still He did not come. Once more the truth of Christ’s words was emphasized, “Of that day
and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:36.

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Strange as it may seem, repeated disappointments have not extinguished the advent hope.
Amazingly it has lived on from one generation to another. Through all the vicissitudes of history people
have continued to say, I still believe Christ will return. Time setters may have been mistaken, but some day,
surely, the Lord will come.”
So the blessed hope has been preserved even to our own time. And it is a remarkable fact that
today, nineteen centuries after Christ’s ascension, there are more people looking for His return than ever
before in history. Both within and without the church there is more discussion today about the coming of
Christ and the end of the world than there has been in a hundred years.
In November, 1945, not long after the first atomic explosion, Dr. Cyril Forster Garbett,
Archbishop of York, wrote in a diocesan letter: “The Biblical declaration that the end of the world will
come suddenly is driven home to us with fresh meaning. . . . The writing on the wall of threatened doom
and destruction can now be read clearly by all thoughtful men.” More recently he has expressed himself
again on the nearness of the end in his widely read volume, In an Age of Revolution, in which he says:
“Of all the qualities most necessary for the Church of this generation probably vigilance and
urgency are the chief. Not long ago the Church with the rest of the civilized world assumed that
millenniums would pass before the end of man’s existence on earth. There seemed to be plenty of time
during which man would rise to higher levels and in which the Church could evangelize the world. The old
cries for vigilance and the warnings of impending catastrophe so often heard both in the Old and New
Testaments seemed to be strangely out of date. Now with terrific suddenness they have again become real.
Atomic and even more deadly weapons may bring within a few years terrible destruction on our civilization
and possibly leave the world desolate of all life. The work the Church has to do must therefore be done at
once. If it delays in doing it, it may soon be too late.” - Page 311.

Premonitions of the End

Similar warnings of approaching world Catastrophe are to be found in the works of many modern
writers in the secular field. In recent years there have appeared such titles as The End of European History,
by Professor Weber; Minutes to Midnight, by the Social Science Staff of one of the leading universities of
America; No Place to Hide, by David Bradley. The Edge of the Abyss, by Alfred Noyes; and many others.
Everywhere today there exists a strong premonition that something tremendous is about to happen.
Some speak of it as the end of the age, others as the end of civilization, still others as the end of the world.
It reminds us of a story that appeared in the Reader’s Digest some time ago. It was told by A. H.
Crowther who said that, while he was visiting a farmer in the Middle West, a call came over the rural
telephone warning that a flood was sweeping down the Des Moines River and was now only fifteen miles
away. Immediately he and the farmer hurried to the bottom lands near the river, rounding up the cattle and
driving them uphill. Then it was that they noticed a mother possum with her young on her back, ascending
toward higher ground. In a few moments they came across a woodchuck, also going toward the highlands.
A little farther on a mother skunk was getting her family away from the river. “Next it was a rabbit, not
streaking away as when disturbed by hunters, but just methodically going up the hill. And in a minute or
two a fat raccoon came lumbering toward the uplands.”
“The farmer said that in all his years on the place he had never before seen so much wild life-and
all of it going in the same direction, away from the river. Somehow the animals had obviously had a
warning of what was coming. They could sense the disaster that was threatening.”
Perhaps it was a faint trembling of the ground that they felt, or infinitesimal vibrations in the air;
but whatever it was, the animals understood. With one accord they sought a place of safety from
approaching destruction.
So it is in the affairs of men today. A mysterious warning is affecting people in all parts of the
globe. It is leaping from land to land and from nation to nation, so that all men everywhere have the same
apprehension and are thinking and talking in similar terms.
Are they mistaken? Are churchmen and scientists wrong when they talk of the approach of the end
of the world? They are not. They may be confused as to the exact nature of what is about to happen, but
they are correct in their surmise concerning the magnitude and global effect of the coming cataclysm.
The fact is that today we are living in the closing years of human history. All the great lines of
Bible prophecy focus on this hour as “the time of the end.” All about us today we can see the fulfillment of
these predictions on a worldwide scale.
Christians who take the word of God as their guide are convinced that what lies shrouded in the
immediate future is nothing less than the consummation of the divine plan of redemption-the long-

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promised, long-predicted return in glory and power of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Can this be true? If it is, then nothing else matters. The return of Christ to this earth, clothed in
divine majesty, is bound to bring such radical, epochal changes to the world, affecting all its inhabitants,
that the very suggestion of its possibility becomes a question of highest importance.
Is Christ really coming soon? Is the hope of the ages about to be fulfilled?
What is the evidence? Surely if this sublime, climactic “consummation of all things” is indeed
nigh at hand, the promised indications of its approach should be appearing now. Are they? Let us see.

1. The Mad, Swift Pace of Modern Life

“Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and
knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4.

NEVER in all history has there been such an increase of knowledge, such a running to and fro of
the peoples of the earth, as in our day. From the standpoint of science, invention, and discovery, we live in
earth’s golden age. The sleep of centuries has ended in a mighty awakening. Applied science has
revolutionized every process of life. Suddenly the floodgates of knowledge have been opened and a tide of
new ideas’ plans, and ambitions has poured into the mind of man.
After tolerating ancient modes of travel and work for generations, the human race has been seized
with a spirit of restlessness. It has become desperately dissatisfied and impatient. It wants to “go places,”
fast. From the leisurely meanderings of the past it seems to have stepped suddenly upon some fast moving
stairway that is hurrying it onward with bewildering speed.
During the first world war, Mr. Lloyd George, then prime minister of Great Britain, declared: “We
are rushing on at a giddy pace, covering the track of centuries in a year.” What would he say today, in the
presence of all the marvelous developments which have taken place in the past ten years?
Suddenly the crude simplicities of bygone ages have given place to amazing modern inventions.
We live in the atomic age. People speak glibly of atomic bombs, atomic submarines, atomic airplanes. We
hear of men traveling faster than the revolution of the earth, piercing the sound barrier, even planning
excursions to the moon.
The stream of life, after long wending its way in calm serenity through level, tranquil plains, has
reached the rapids at last and the roar of the falls is in our ears.
“The last half-century,” writes Dr. Garbett, Archbishop of York, “has witnessed changes
unprecedented both in their nature and their extent; it is possible that within this brief period of time greater
changes have taken place than in all the centuries between the coming of Christ and the middle of the last
century. In the past change was slow and gradual; for hundreds of years social and political movement was
at glacial rate, but with the Industrial Revolution the pace quickened, until within the lifetime of an
individual changes took place which would have required a thousand years in the past. . . . Nor is there as
yet any slackening in the rate of change: everywhere there is anxiety and disquiet as to what the future may
bring forth.”-In an Age of Revolution, pages 13, 14.

At the Wave of a Wand

We are reminded of Lothrop Stoddard’s description of this amazing transformation:
“Within a few decades Western man broke the immemorial tempo of material progress and leaped
clear over into Jet planes, giant liners, Diesel engines, a new self-made world. Hitherto man’s material
progress had been a gradual-a very gradual-evolution. His tools, though more numerous, were mainly
elaborations of those invented by his remote ancestors. A few instruments like the printing press and the
mariner’s compass were about the only notable inventions. Man’s control over natural resources had
likewise not greatly expanded. With the exception of gunpowder, he had tapped no new sources of material
energy since very ancient times. His chief source of power remained muscle-animal or human. For the rest,
he filled his sails with the breeze and turned clumsy water wheels by using brooks and streams. But the
ancients had done all these things. As for methods of communication, they had, if anything, deteriorated. In
the year 1800 there was no system of highways which equaled the Roman roads, no posting service as
quick as Caesar’s, no method of signaling which could compare with the semaphore telegraphy of the
Persians, and probably no ship which could not have been overhauled by a Phoenician galley in a moderate

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sea.
“Suddenly, astoundingly, all was changed. The hidden forces of nature yielded themselves
wholesale, as though at the wave of a magician’s wand. Steam, electricity, petrol, and a whole series of
mysterious ‘rays’ and ‘waves’ gave man powers of which he had never dreamed. These powers were
promptly harnessed to innumerable machines which soon revolutionized every phase of human existence.
Production and transportation were alike stepped up to amazing speeds, distance was well-nigh abolished,
and the very planet shrunk to the measure of human hands.”-Lothrop Stoddard, Clashing Tides of Color,
pages 171-173.
What we are witnessing today is something new in history; something tremendously significant.
Faster and faster moves the pace of life; speed and still more speed is the demand of the hour.
The phantasy of the Magic Carpet of The Arabian Nights has become a reality. Radio and
television now bring the world to our door in a moment of time, while jet-propelled sky masters flash to the
remotest parts of the globe in a matter of hours.
On August 15, 1951, test pilot Bill Bridgeman attained a speed of 1238 miles an hour in a U. S.
Navy Skyrocket, the same plane which a week earlier had broken the altitude record Of 79,494 feet-nearly
sixteen miles.
American Aviation magazine stated recently that, according to latest reports, Russia is flying
experimental rocket fighter planes at speeds up to 1700 miles an hour and altitudes upward of 100,000 feet.
Recently Princess Margaret and her mother left England at 12:25 P.M. in a BOAC Comet jet
Airliner, flew 1850 miles over the Swiss Alps, Italy, and Southern France, at a height of eight miles, and
arrived back in England at 4:20 p.m. the same afternoon. Imagine her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria,
taking such a trip!
One morning in August, 1952, three British airmen left Ireland in a Canberra jet bomber, after
breakfast, flew to Newfoundland, and back to Ireland in time for supper. Regarding the event the San
Francisco Chronicle said, “The Canberra crossed over the world’s angriest ocean, breasting the shrieking,
hundred-mile-an-hour headwinds of the mid-50 latitudes, in 4 hours 38 minutes on the east-west leg. With
the same winds at her tall, the bomber crossed west-to east in 3 hours 26 minutes, or 2o6 minutes on the
homeward trip. The distance each way: 2072 miles. The speed on the homeward leg, an easily remembered
10 miles per minute, or just over 600 miles per hour.”
On November 21, 1952, a U. S. Air Force Boeing B-47B four-engine Jet bomber flew the 2400
miles from Travis Air Base to Honolulu in 4 hours 2 Minutes.
In January, 1953, a British jet plane flew from England to Australia, a distance of over 8,000
miles, in twenty-two hours.

Our Shrunken World

In a truly remarkable way the world has shrunk to a fraction of its former size. Far distant places
have been drawn close together as though compressed by mysterious, omnipotent hands. All nations have
become neighbors in reality, if not in spirit. Boundaries have been made ridiculous by the triumphs of
radar, supersonic flight, and other discoveries in the realm of electrodynamics and aerodynamics.
Moving pictures made in California are seen around the world. Broadcasts originating in Moscow
are heard simultaneously in London, Washington, and Calcutta. Atomic blasts in Siberia are registered
immediately in a dozen listening posts thousands of miles away.
By means of the latest radio microphones one man can now speak to fifty million. By means of the
latest printing presses he can speak to millions more. By means of television he may soon be both seen and
heard around the world.
The great revolution in human thinking, the amazing increase in the tempo of human living, has
affected almost every phase of life. It is observable in industry, particularly in the mass production of every
conceivable mechanical device, from high-powered autos to giant liners like the S.S. “United States,”
which can cross the Atlantic in little more than three days. It can be seen in the advances in. medical
science, especially in the improvement of surgery technique and the discovery of antibiotics and other
powerful aids in the battle with disease. It can be seen if the realm of education where, thanks to new
methods of communication, literacy is being brought to vast numbers of people who until recent years lived
in almost total mental and spiritual darkness.

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A Pageant of Inventions
Life magazine of January 5, 1953, described the transformation in the following graphic
paragraphs:
“The new industrial revolution which we have been witnessing can be summed up in one word:
machines. We have been using vastly more machines, devising better ones and inventing altogether
unprecedented ones.
“Look about you at the machines which are changing our everyday life-automobiles, tractors,
truck-trailers, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, motor lawnmowers, electric milking
machines, television sets and a host of others. In 1940 there were 32 million automobiles, buses and trucks
in the U.S.; by i95o the figure had shot up to about 49 mil lion. The number of tractors on American farms
increased nearly two and a half times in the decade between 1940 and 1950. A generation ago only a small
proportion of American farms were electrified; now 78 per cent of them are....
“Not only has the new industrial revolution brought machinery into the home, the farm and the
factory as never before; it has also seen an incredible succession of innovations, inventions and discoveries.
“There has been the arrival of penicillin, aureomycin, streptomycin and the other disease-killing antibiotics.
There has been the creation of synthetic rubber; the multiplication of electronic devices, some of them
virtually miraculous; the coming of the jet plane; the practical development of the helicopter; and the
success of the chemists in making all manner of improbable products out of oil. There has been the great
advance in the making of synthetic or partly synthetic textiles; the discovery of the mysteriously merciful
properties of cortisone and ACTH. The invention of the transistor, a tiny rival of the vacuum tube; and the
production, within the past year, of Krillum and the other soil conditioners.
“And, of course, there has been the most spectacular discovery of them all, that of atomic power-if
only, at first, for destructive purposes. And still the flood of new things continues. Those which I have
listed may be only the harbingers of a still more inventive future.”
Some may question whether it is right to claim these evidences of increasing knowledge to be
signs of the approach of Christ’s second advent, on the ground that still more startling inventions will make
them obsolete. We answer: The scientific advances of tomorrow will not nullify the meaning of those we
see today, but only amplify their significance. Furthermore, these developments, in God’s providence,
comprise important preparations that He is making for the end. With wonderful timing, and on a global
scale, He has brought them to pass in order to make possible the speedy proclamation of His gospel to all
mankind. More inventions may come, and will come, but who shall say that more are necessary for the
performance of the task to which He has set His hand?
Some may point critically to the writings of certain pioneers of the second advent movement of
our day, saying, Look at the primitive inventions they thought were signs of Christ’s coming! Surely they
were mistaken!
True it is that seventy, eighty, a hundred years ago, when students of prophecy became convinced
that time was running out, they called attention to advances in knowledge which we would never notice
today.
One Adventist writer, for instance, back in 1853, Pointed to the performance of a new “lightning
train” on the Rochester-New York run which covered “four hundred miles in eleven hours.” “Malls move
rapidly by the power of steam,” he said, “so that publications may be sent thousands of miles in a few days.
The way, then, is prepared, and the prophecy is being fulfilled.” - James White, in Review and Herald,
Aug. 11, 1853.

The Bud and the Flower

In the same article this writer mentioned “the Magnetic Telegraph . . . by which news is
communicated hundreds of miles in a few seconds,” and he spoke of it as another sign of the times.
In the Signs of the Times dated June 25, 1874, reference was made to the transmission of the
President’s annual message to Congress from Washington to New York, “a distance Of 290miles, over a
single wire, in 22 V2 minutes.” “This,” said the author, “is but one item out of thousands showing the
wonderful increase of knowledge in this fast age.”
Were these early Adventists mistaken? They were not. What they beheld were the first phases of
an unfolding revelation; the first streaks of light before the dawn; the first muted notes before the grand
orchestral music; the first scent of hay before the full, rich odor of the harvest field.
They saw the bud, and we the flower. They heard the faint cry of far-off warning voices, and we

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the raucous shout of multitudes close at hand. They saw the gleam of distant beacons, and we the dazzling
brightness at the harbor mouth.
An engineer crossing the western plains of North America sees but an occasional signal turning
from red to green as he rolls along the vast, empty landscape. But as he draws near Chicago the lights
increase. And the very multiplicity of warning signals, if nothing else, tells him that his long journey is
almost over.
So it is with the multiplying signs of Christ’s second advent. Years ago godly men and women
saw evidences meager enough, at times-that convinced them that the prophecies heralding the return of
Jesus were being fulfilled. Like the engineer they felt sure they were on the right track, and moving in the
right direction. But today, as new signs thicken about us, more numerous, more brilliant, more startling
than any seen before, we are driven to the conclusion that the journey is almost over and home is but a little
way ahead.
Could the pioneers of the great second advent movement of our day rise from their dusty beds at
this moment and see what we see-the global, earth-shaking developments that have grown out of the small,
embryonic events they thought were signs of Christ’s coming years ago, undoubtedly they would cry out in
astonishment and alarm, This is it! This is what we dreamed of! This is what we expected! This is indeed
the time of the end!
Located 3,500 feet from ground zero, this house at Yucca Flat burst into flames (top), then
disintegrated, as an atomic bomb exploded.

2. Confusion and Fear Among the Nations

“The nations will be in dismay with bewilderment ... men swooning with panic and foreboding of what is to
befall the universe . . . and then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory.” Luke 21:25-27, Moffatt.

“THROUGH all recorded history nations have experienced periods of fear, distress, and
perplexity, but never before have these words of Jesus so fitted world conditions as they do today. Never
before were all nations so filled with “dismay and bewilderment” as now.
Fifty years ago people were still thinking in terms of local wars-conflicts limited to a single
continent, or a single country-such as the Napoleonic War, the Peninsular War, the Crimean War, or the
Boer War. But the past half century has witnessed conflicts so much more costly and destructive that they
dwarf all previous wars since man first lived upon the earth. Today the peril of a third world war is the
chief concern of statesmen, who recognize that it may bring total bankruptcy and ruin to all mankind.
This generation has seen more cities and towns reduced to rubble than any other. It has seen
famous empires humbled, powerful armies crushed, and thousands of ships whole navies-sent to the bottom
of the sea. It has seen multitudes brought to destitution through the collapse of their currency, and
multitudes more reduced to slavery by tyrannous conquerors-a story of sorrow and tragedy so immense that
it has no counterpart in history.
Now, as if this were not enough, science has uncovered the secret of the atom, with all the dread
possibilities of nuclear fission. Already we have progressed from the atomic bomb to the hydrogen bomb.
And no one needs to have been present at Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Bikini, or Frenchman’s Flat to know that
man now has the power not only to destroy his civilization, but to wipe himself off this planet.
The race for armaments, which once was a race for better bows and arrows, or better rifles, or
longer-ranged naval guns, or bigger dreadnoughts, has now become a race for atomic weapons, with the
nations stockpiling them at feverish speed.
As Mr. Truman said in almost his last address as President of the United States, “The progress of
scientific experiment has outrun our expectations. Atomic science is in the full tide of development; the
unfolding of the innermost secrets of matter is uninterrupted and irresistible. Since Alamogordo, we have
developed atomic weapons with many times the explosive force of the early models, and we have produced
them in substantial quantities. And recently, in the thermonuclear tests at Eniwetok, we have entered
another stage in a world-shaking development of atomic energy. From now on, man moves into a new era
of destructive power, capable of creating explosions of a new order of magnitude, dwarfing the mushroom
clouds of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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CONFUSION AND FEAR AMONG THE NATIONS 31

‘Ve have no reason to think that the stage we have now reached in the release of atomic energy
will be the last. Indeed, the speed of our sclent’fic and technical progress over the last seven years shows no
signs of abating. We are being hurried forward, in our mastery of the atom, from one discovery to another,
toward yet unforeseeable peaks of destructive power. The war of the future would be one in which man
could extinguish millions of lives at one blow, demolish the great cities ofthe world, wipe out the cultural
achievements of the past-and destroy the very structure of a civilization that has been slowly and painfully
built up through hundreds of generations.”
No wonder there is dire foreboding in millions of hearts today! Everybody senses that we are all
being “hurried forward” not only “from one atomic discovery to another,” but to the ultimate nemesis this
knowledge makes inevitable.

Minutes to Midnight

When the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was first pub lished in 1945, a clock appeared on its
cover with the minute hand set at eight minutes to midnight. In 1948, when it was learned that Russia
possessed the atomic bomb, the minute hand was moved up to three minutes to midnight. Not long ago we
wrote the editor of this journal asking if, in his opinion, there had been any improvement in the general
situation since then. He replied in the negative. “On the clock of time,” he said in substance, “it is still three
minutes to midnight.”
Soon after the first atomic explosion in 1945, many world leaders began to express their
conviction that time must be running out. Then it was that Dr. Robert M. Hutchins, at
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THE COMING KING

that time chancellor of the University of Chicago, predicted that it’ would be “not more than five years”
before other countries had atomic bombs. He appealed for “social and cultural advances” to correspond to
the advances. in “the technology of destruction” in order to ensure the survival of mankind. Two years later
this famous educator said, “There is very little time remaining. . . . We must establish a world government
within the next five years. That’s about all the time we have left.”
In June, 1947, Dr. Robert Gordon Sproul, president of the University of California, told the world
assembly of International Rotary in San Francisco, “With the atom bomb now loose we have found a way
to die together, perhaps to the last man. But no scientist has yet devised a formula to show us how to live
together. To this problem we had better quickly turn our thoughts the world over. . . . There isn’t much
more time.” Bishop Oxnam, Raymond B. Fosdick, and others, uttered the same warning note. “Time is
short,” they said; “time is running out.”
During recent months the writer has been in correspondence with some of these men, seeking to
find out whether the happenings of the past few years have caused them to change their opinion in any way.
Their replies have been impressive.
On April 23, 1952, Dr. Robert Gordon Sproul wrote to say, “I still believe there isn’t much more
time. In fact, there is four years and ten months’ less time now than when I spoke to Rotary in 1947.”
Dr. Robert M. Hutchins, now Associate Director of the Ford Foundation, in a letter dated April 21,
1952, said, I believe the world can explode at any minute and that the more powerful the governments of
the world become the more likely the explosion is. Anything can happen anywhere at any time.”
One of the best-known and most reliable of news commentators, now working for the Voice of
America, wrote to say, “You still have only a short time to create a supranational organization to enforce
total disarmament, if we are to avoid atomic war. And any war on a world scale will be atomic. And any
atomic war will be lost by both sides.”
On March 31, 1948, Henry Wallace said, “Time has run out; that is all there is to it.” Asked
recently if he still believed as he did then, he replied by quoting an address he gave in Boston on April 27,
1952, in which he said, “The whole world is undergoing the most violent birth pangs as it strains, in this
time of very great need, to bring forth the era of the General Welfare which was conceived by the prophets
and religious leaders of old. It has been a long period of gestation but finally ‘time and space devouring’

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science heralds the approach of the appointed time. If this child of the future is stillborn we may expect
rivers of blood running through mountains of misery as this century moves to its tragic close.”
Writing in The Christian Century of May 14, 1952, the editor of that journal said, “Toynbee calls
this a time of troubles. It is also a time of horror. And the depth of the horror is revealed by the fact that we
are not horrified by what we are doing. . . . We are learning to live complacently with our own savagery;
that is the damnation that is overtaking us.”
Thus one voice after another is sounding a solemn warning concerning the lateness of the hour.
These men have become convinced that some tremendous catastrophe is approaching, and cannot be long
delayed. Like multitudes in humbler walks of life, they are deeply concerned by what has appeared on the
horizon of these turbulent times. They may not as yet be “swooning with panic” but they are certainly
“filled with foreboding of what is to befall the universe.”

Edge of the Abyss

We are reminded of an article by Alfred Noyes which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in
1919, setting forth what he then considered to be signs of approaching disaster to our civilization. “A few
years ago,” he wrote, “this article would have seemed fantastic to the majority of levelheaded men and
women. Today it is the expression of a constant thought that troubles all of us. It is the most levelheaded
members of the community who are most anxious. Only the irresponsible and thoughtless are unconscious
of a vast peril to that slow growth of the ages which we call our civilization. Practical men, with their feet
planted solidly on the earth, are staring into the future as into an immeasurable darkness; and they are not
sure whether there is solid ground in front of them or whether the next few steps may bring them to the
brink of a precipice.”
“Since that was written,” says Mr. Noyes in his book The Edge of the Abyss, “the brink has been
reached and, by general acknowledgment, it is the edge of sheer abyss. . . . The war, with all its horror, the
programs of the totalitarian despotisms, with all their wickedness, are hardly more than symptomatic
eruptions, evidence of something so profoundly wrong with modern civilization that, unless the war brings
the world to its senses, and quickly, the human race may as well abandon itself to the final catastrophe.” -
Pages 15, 16. In like vein Dr. Wilbur M. Smith has written, “The convulsions of the first half of the
twentieth century, involving the overthrow of governments, revolutionary changes in science. . . . two
world wars (and the threat of a third), the sudden appearance of instruments of fearful destructiveness,
Asia’s millions coming out of their deep slumber of centuries -all these have united to cast over the world a
spell of fear such as has not been known since the barbarian invasion of Italy. Because of the disintegration
of so much of what men thought was lasting, and the surprising release of titanic forces little dreamed of,
with the resulting apparent insecurity of the future, men have been driven to re-examine the whole meaning
of the historical process, and to seek, if possible, some indication of what is yet to come.” - A Preliminary
Bibliography for the Study of Biblical Prophecy, page 1.

No Way Out
It is of no small interest to note that the Greek word aporia used in Luke 21:25, which is translated
“perplexity” in the King James Version and “bewilderment” by Dr. Moffatt, has the suggestion of total
frustration, as though the Lord said, “There shall be distress of nations, with no way out.” “Without a
passage out” is the rendering in Young’s Analytical Concordance. No solution to problems. No relief for
fears. No end to worries. Significantly, this is the only place in the New Testament where this particular
word is to be found, and it is used by our Lord to depict the state of world affairs just before His return.
Do we see such conditions today? We have but to think of the failure of the League of Nations,
and the similar fate hanging over the United Nations. Men are striving their utmost to find some way to
prevent oncoming disaster, and finding none. They are “at the end of their tether,” as H. G. Wells put it in
the last book he wrote before he died. They are struggling to avoid the fate that is rushing upon them, but
are unable to do so.
In a report dated January 1, 1953, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches stated
that this organization, which is striving so hard for religious unity, finds itself “involved in universal
deadlock.” It is the perfect phrase to describe the whole world situation. Universal deadlock!
How true it is that today, in all the world, there is distress of nations, with no way out!
What need is there for further witnesses? Surely all these developments are clear indications of the
approaching end of our age and the coming of Jesus in glory. One and all they cry out through the darkness

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of this midnight hour, “Behold, thy King comes!”

They demonstrate, beyond shadow of doubt, that the world’s paramount and most urgent need is a
divine Deliverer. Man’s total incompetence to direct and govern himself needs no further proof. Jesus must
come soon or all is lost. He is our one great hope.

3. Asia and Africa Awake

“Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: ... Multitudes, multitudes in the
valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” 10el 3:12-14.

NO ONE watching the passing parade of events can fall to be impressed by the mighty stirring
among the peoples of Asia and Africa. Remembering how long has been their slumber, the swiftness and
intensity of their awakening take on added significance.
Beyond question something tremendous is on foot, the like of which the world has never seen.
Multitudes are on the march. Vast masses of humanity, hitherto ignored, despised, and despoiled, have
suddenly become conscious that they, too, have a destiny and must play their part as equals among the
nations. Conscious at last of the potential strength afforded by their almost unlimited numbers, they are
throwing off the chains that have bound them, the yokes of their long-time bondage, and are striding
forward with seven-league boots toward the fulfillment of national dreams they never hoped to realize.
Just as the old Roman Empire was surrounded by barbarian tribes waiting their opportunity to
pounce upon the fair domains of the Caesars, so along the borders of Western civilization today are
millions of primitive peoples hostile to its culture, jealous of its possessions, and rebellious against its
domination. And even as eager, impatient eyes watched Rome’s moral deterioration sap her material
strength and vitality, so other eyes now behold with equal satisfaction the gradual corruption,
impoverishment, and self-destruction of the white race.

New Religious Fervor

Awakening from the sleep of centuries, the people of Asia and Africa are a throb with new life and
activity. Revolt is in the air. They have been seized as with a new religious fervor. Just when many leaders
of Christendom are slackening their missionary efforts and calling in question the fundamentals of their
faith, the followers of Mohammed are rekindling the fires of their first love. Not for generations has there
been such a stirring in their midst. From printing presses in Cairo and elsewhere a flood of Mohammedan
literature is pouring forth, reviving the old, aggressive spirit of the prophet’s adherents. Pressing down into
the heart of Africa the emissaries of this faith are challenging Christian missions in a way reminiscent of its
early history.
The new situation in India was clearly emphasized by K. A. Munshi, former food minister in the
central government, in an address to committee members of the World Council of Churches gathered in
Lucknow, December, 1952.
“You will realize,” said this Indian administrator, “that in Asia new ambitious nations have arisen;
that their religions and cultures may be modernized by contact with Christianity but cannot be replaced by
it. In India, particularly, there is an ancient culture which has stood the test of time; and its spiritual values
and technique have given it a universal power capable of securing the highest self-fulfillment. Christianity
has, however, tremendous scope as an educational and humanitarian movement, as a force which leads to
love, which is Jesus Christ; but its role as a confessing, proselytizing religion seeking to save heathen is out
of date and only evokes resistance.” [Quoted in The Christian Century, January 28, 1953.]

Nationalism on the Rampage

To a large extent the Western nations have themselves to thank for what is taking place. In their
desperate search for manpower during the first world war they freely taught the “uncivilized” how to fight
with “civilized” weapons. France imported tens of thousands of North Africans to face German machine
guns on the Western front. Colored men came from all parts of the world to fight and die to save the British
Empire. Arabs were encouraged to arm themselves against the Turks.
And when it was all over, these men, or the remnants of them, returned to their native lands to
brood over what they had seen, to discuss the strange weapons they had used, and to debate in their national

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assemblies the apparent decay of their overlords. The halo they had cast about the white man began to
dissolve, until at last disillusionment was complete.
Unrest and discontent began to spread, fanned to a flame by the idealism of President Wilson.
When he spoke the magic word “self-determination,” dissatisfied people in the remotest provinces and
protectorates of the great colonial empires believed that it applied specifically to them. It was discussed
alike in the mosques of Egypt, the bazaars of India, and in the remotest villages of China. A new day
seemed to be dawning for the colored races. New hope began to burn in a thousand million hearts. The
white man had renounced his dominion. Wilson had said so, and it must be true.
Everywhere could be heard the long forbidden cries, India for the Indlaps! China for the Chinese!
Egypt for the Egyptians! Africa for the Africans! Nationalism was on the rampage. And woe to those who
tried to hold back the flood.

Asia Aflame
In his recent challenging book Asia Aflame, Ebed Van der Vlugt, barrister at the court of justice,
Amsterdam, Holland, states that the change in Asia is so tremendous, so all-embracing, that “an entire order
of life seems to be passing away. No phase of Oriental existence is immune. Ancient political forms,
ancestral economic and social patterns, venerable cultures, age-old religions are alike involved. All is in
profound ferment.”
Tracing the causes of this sudden, gigantic upheaval, this author says: “Asia was unquestionably
the birthplace of civilization and of the great religious movements. From time immemorial, streams of
culture and ideas flowed out of the Orient toward the then backward West. And the East sent forth human
streams as well. The steady drying-up of Central Asia caused vast migrations, many of which flooded
westward, deluging Europe with conquering hordes. In all this, Asia was the positive, aggressive factor.
Asia was the hammer and Europe the anvil on which our West was forged.
“Now and then, to be sure, the roles changed and Europe took the lead. This happened in the
palmy days of Greece and Rome, and medieval Europe followed suit during the Crusades. Seen in
historical perspective, however, such happenings were little more than episodes. . . .
“A stupendous shift in the relations of East and West began with the voyages of Columbus and Da
Gama four and a half centuries ago. Those voyages of discovery transformed Europe from a dead-end
peninsula of Asia into the potential overlord of the planet. Yet this momentous change was not at first
apparent. . . .
“For three full centuries the inevitable outcome of the new trend in world affairs remained
unrevealed. During this time the West grew rapidly in power and efficiency while the East stagnated or
declined. Europe nibbled at the outskirts of Asia, founding colonial empires and developing profitable lines
of trade. But the sharply contrasted civilizations of East and West had not yet come decisively to grips. The
two worlds were still essentially their separate selves.
“The full impact of the West upon the East is surprisingly recent. The big push of our civilization
into the Orient began only about a century ago, while the decisive breakthrough did not occur until very
recent times. . . .
“The upshot is that, . . . ‘The unchanging East has been changed at last, changed to its very depths.
The Orient today is in full transition, flux, ferment, more sudden and profound than any hitherto known.
Peoples contentedly stereotyped for ages are astir, on the march. Throughout its huge length and breadth
Asia writhes in utter revolution.” Pages 38-46.

Africa Afire
All that has been said about the crisis in Asia could be equally well said of the deep stirrings
among the millions of Africa. The impact of Western civilization is having identically the same results here
as in India and China.
In the North, Egypt is seeking complete independence of Great Britain, including control of the
Sudan and the Suez Canal. In the West, Nigeria and the Gold Coast have already been given virtual self-
government. In the center, plans are on foot for the federation of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia,
and Nyasaland to meet the growing threat from the South, where an intransigent and fearful white minority,
trying desperately to retain its position of power and privilege, appears to be driving the once docile native
population to open rebellion.
Africa, like Asia, is “in full transition, flux, ferment, more sudden and profound than any hitherto

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known.” The Dark Continent is alight with the fires of new knowledge, new ambitions, new purposes. Its
struggling millions, long shackled by both physical and spiritual bondage, are loose at last. They, too, are
astir and on the march.
Surely no one can view such stupendous upheavals in these two great continents, where live more
than one half the inhabitants of the globe, without instantly calling to mind the prediction of the prophet
Joel: “Let the heathen be wakened.” For that is exactly what is taking place. We are witnessing today the
most widespread, epochal awakening in all recorded history.
And the timing is so right. According to Joel’s prediction this bestirring of the long-sleeping
nations is to take place in the very last days, when the harvest of the earth is “ripe.” Verse 13. “Multitudes,
multitudes” are to be affected by this mighty upheaval, and it is to happen when “the day of the Lord is
near.” Verse 14.
How wonderfully this all synchronizes with the prophecy in Daniel 12:4, where we are told that
knowledge shall be increased and men shall run to and fro in the time of the end! How perfectly does it
mesh with Christ’s prediction that the nations will be filled with “distress and perplexity” in the days
immediately preceding His return! Surely this sublime climax of history must be much nearer than we
think.

4. Fearful Sights From Heaven

“And fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” Luke 21:11.

INDICATIVE of the tension of the times and the growing fear that something terrible is about to
happen, are the many reports in the newspapers concerning supposed supernatural phenomena in the
heavens.
Fresh in all our memories are the stories of the “flying saucers,” particularly those said to contain
miniature men from Mars. Despite the many explanations offered for these occurrences, most people are
confident that they have not as yet been satisfactorily explained.
Equally intriguing are the reports of “great green balls of fire” flashing through the sky over New
Mexico. Even Time Magazine (November 19, 1951) gave a column to this strange phenomenon, remarking
that “a fall of nine bright meteorites in a year over a comparable area would be considered exceptional,”
whereas these bright objects streaked by in thirteen days, “behaving like nothing ever seen by earthlings
before.” Dr. Lincoln La Paz, of the University of New Mexico, was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle
as describing these “meteoritic displays” as “the most remarkable concentration reported in historic times.”
Coming close upon this report was perhaps the most astounding claim of all-that Pope Plus XII
himself had seen the sun “gyrating” in the sky in the same way it is said to have done at the so-called
“miracle of Fatima” in 1917. To give some sort of credence to this story, Life Magazine published an old
picture (taken by an amateur Portuguese photographer on October 13 of that year) showing a dark sun near
the horizon at 12:30 p.m.” The sun’s blackness, it said, quoting L’Osservatore, official Vatican newspaper,
was caused “by its very rapid motion” as it “danced in the sky” when the vision of the Virgin Mary
appeared!

The Sum Turns Blue

Still another extraordinary account of a celestial phenomenon came from Switzerland in 1952,
telling how the normally staid citizens of Basel rushed into the streets of their ancient city, shouting, “The
end of the world is coming!” as they saw the sun turn sapphire blue and shine “like a neon light.”
Shortly after this, a similar report came from Stockholm, Sweden, where “the sun stopped traffic
as people paused to study its unusual blue coloring.” About the same time an English newspaper, the
reputable Sheffield Telegraph, reported that “an electric blue sun shone through a haze for about half an
hour at Blackpool and other places in the British Isles. It added: “Fears that the end of the world had come
were voiced by anxious telephone callers who harassed weather experts, observatories, and newspaper
offices with inquiries.”
The following night it was reported “from London, Manchester, and Bridlington that the moon had
turned a similar blue.” Shortly afterward “blue rain” fell at Gracediew near Coalville, Leicestershire, which
left windowpanes glistening with inky spots, and made stains on the ground,” the colored shower being

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“about 100 feet wide.”

Such reports remind one of the words which Shakespeare put into the mouth of Calpurnia the
night before Julius Caesar’s murder:

There is one within ... Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. Fierce fiery warriors fight
upon the clouds, In ranks, and squadrons, and right form of war, Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol:
The noise of battle hurtled in the air, Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan; And ghosts did shriek and
squeal about the streets. O Caesar! these things are beyond all use, And I do fear them. Julius Caesar, Act
11, sc. ii.

It is nothing new, therefore, for people to become alarmed by strange and inexplicable phenomena
in the sky. All down the centuries, as history abundantly testifies, unusual occurrences in the heavens have
always struck terror to the hearts of men. Even the sight of a comet, blazing its silent trail through infinite
space, has been known to send multitudes into panic, believing the day of judgment to be near.

True Signs in Heaven

Despite all the enlightenment resulting from scientific research, man’s fear of the unknown, and
particularly his fear of things that might possibly have a supernatural origin, is as real and deep as ever. The
amazing result of Orson Welles’s “Men From Mars” broadcast a few years ago is evidence enough that all
the scientific knowledge of the twentieth century is not sufficient to prevent modern men and women from
panicking at the slightest suggestion of some spectacular occurrence in the heavens.
What, then, did Christ mean when He predicted that there would be “fearful sights and great signs
. . . from heaven” as harbingers of His second advent? Did He have in mind such things as “flying saucers”
and “great green balls of fire,” or some other celestial phenomena of far greater significance?
It is important to consider the setting of the prophecy. Christ was answering a question put to Him
by His disciples: “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matthew 24:3. In
doing so He outlined a succession of events to occur during the centuries that should elapse before His
return. First He uttered a warning against individuals who would seek to impersonate Himself and declare,
“The time draws near.” Luke 21:8. The time was not near, but a great way off, and many things were to
happen first.
“Nation shall rise again nation,” He said, “and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes
shall be in divers places; . . . and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all
these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into
prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.” Verses 11-12.
Following this persecution of the early church, Jerusalem would fall into the hands of its enemies,
who would carry its inhabitants into captivity. Then would come a long period of terrible trial and suffering
for His followers a “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor
ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21. Next, 1mmediately after the tribulation of those days,” said Jesus, “shall the
sun be darkened, and the moon 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.” Verses 29, 30.
Here are set forth certain specific “fearful sights and great signs . . . from heaven,” which were to
appear in sequence. First the darkening of the sun, then the obscuration of the moon, next the falling of the
stars, and lastly the shaking of the powers of heaven. There is no reference to flying saucers, or balls of fire,
or anything of the sort. The “fearful sights and great signs . . . from heaven” were to occur in precise order
and so give heart to His followers in the latter days by letting them know His coming was approaching.
Have these celestial phenomena occurred? They have all but the last. All except the shaking of the
powers of heaven are on record-fully attested by history.

The Dark Day

The sun was darkened on May 19, 1780. The moon was obscured and appeared as blood the same
night. The stars fell the night of November 12-13, 1833. And all happened precisely as indicated in Christ’s
prediction.
In Mark’s report of Christ’s words on this occasion, to avoid all misunderstanding, the timing of

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the first celestial signs is even more specifically indicated. The passage reads, “In those days, after that
tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” Mark 13:24. By “those days”
Christ undoubtedly referred to the prophetic “days,” or literal years, of the supremacy of the great religious
tyranny mentioned in Daniel 7:25, which lasted from AD 538 to 1798. Persecution was not of the same
intensity throughout this period. It reached its peak between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries. Then,
with the spread of democratic ideas, the increasing tendency toward toleration, and the opening up of the
New World, it declined until, by the latter half of the eighteenth century, it had practically ceased over most
of Europe. At this time, on July 21, 1773) the Society of Jesus-which had so ardently supported the
Inquisition, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and other repressive measures against Protestantism-was
dissolved by order of Pope Clement XIV. Thus the “days” were “shortened” (Matthew 24:22), and at that
very moment the true church, well-nigh exhausted by its age long sufferings, saw the first of the great
celestial signs indicating that the return of its Lord would not be much longer delayed. In those days, but
after the tribulation, the sun was darkened.

The persecuting power mentioned in Daniel 7:25 was to exercise its authority for “a time and
times and the dividing of time.” In Scripture a “time” and a year are synonymous, as in Daniel 11:13
(margin) “at the end of times, even years.” “Times” are two years and “the dividing of time” is a half
year. Adding these together we have a total of three and a half years. Reckoning 360 days to a year,
according to prophetic usage, we find that three and a half years contain 1260 days.
In symbolic prophecy a day stands for a year, for we read in Ezekiel 4:6, “I have appointed thee
each day for a year.” (See also Numbers 14:34.) Thus the period of “a time and times and the dividing of
time” is 1260 literal years.
Taking AD 538 as the starting point of papal supremacy, the 1260 years ended in 1798, when
the French army entered Rome and took the pope prisoner.

Suddenly and mysteriously, over a large area of the earth’s surface, the light of day faded into the
blackness of midnight. Noah Webster described the startling occurrence in his dictionary. Under the
heading “Dark Day,” he wrote: “So called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day extending over
all New England. . . . Birds sang their evening songs, disappeared, and became silent; fowls went to roost;
cattle sought the barnyard; and candles were lighted in the houses. . . . The true cause of this remarkable
phenomenon is not known. “-Edition 1869.
John Greenleaf Whittler, the New England Quaker poet, described the consternation in the
Connecticut statehouse on that day as follows:

It was on a May day of the far old year

Seventeen hundred eighty, that there fell
Over the bloom and sweet life of the spring,
Over the fresh earth and the heaven of noon,
A horror of great darkness....

Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp

To hear the doom blast of the trumpet shatter
The black sky, that the dreadful face of Christ
Might look from the rent clouds, not as He looked
A loving guest at Bethany, but stern
As Justice and inexorable Law.

Boston’s Independent Chronicle, dated June 8, 1780, carried the following graphic description,
copied from the Massachusetts Spy: “During the whole time a sickly, melancholy gloom overcast the face
of nature. Nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day;
notwithstanding there was almost a full moon, no object was discernible, but by the help of some artificial
light, which when seen from the neighboring houses and other places at a distance, appeared through a kind
of Egyptian darkness, which seemed almost impervious to the rays. This unusual phenomenon excited the
fears and apprehensions of many people. Some considered it as a portentous omen of the wrath of Heaven
in vengeance denounced against the land, others as the immediate harbinger of the last day when ‘the sun
shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.’ ”

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“The mysterious and unexplained darkness came in the midst of the [American] Revolution,”
wrote Vincent H. Gaddis in Coronet (May, 1946).
“By one o’clock in the afternoon the outer limits of the ebon area had been reached, although these
limits were not stable and varied during the following hours. Roughly, the area included what is now
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Eastern New York was
included, as well as the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania. . . .
“To many thousands of frightened people this deepest of nights in midday could mean only one
thing: the day of judgment. Churches were opened. In hundreds of communities, through the murky gloom
came processions of torches to the places of worship. In lonely farmhouses there was family prayer. Many
confessed their sins and begged forgiveness. . . .
“The cause of the phenomenon remains unknown.”
But what of the falling of the stars in November, 1833? Was that on a scale worthy to be
considered a fulfillment of Christ’s prediction? Again let history speak:
“On the night of November 12-13, 1833, a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth. North
America bore the brunt of its pelting. From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some
difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and
illuminated with majestic fireballs.”-Agnes M. Clerke, History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century,
page 328.
“Though there was no moon,” wrote one observer, “when we first beheld them, their brilliancy
was so great that we could, at times, read common-sized print without much difficulty, and the light which
they afforded was much whiter than that of the moon, in the clearest and coldest night, when the ground is
covered with snow. The air itself, the face of the earth, as far as we could behold it-all the surrounding
objects, and the very countenances of men, wore the aspect and hue of death, occasioned by the continued,
pallid glare of these countless meteors, which in all their grandeur flamed ‘lawless through the sky.’ There
was a grand, peculiar, and indescribable gloom on all around, an awe-inspiring sublimity on all above.
“There was scarcely a space in the firmament which was not filled at every instant with these
falling stars, nor on it, could you in general perceive any particular difference in appearance. Still at times
they would shower down in groups -calling to mind the ‘fig tree casting her untimely figs when shaken by a
mighty wind.”’-From a letter published in the American Journal of Science and Arts, Volume 25 (1934),
Page 382.
Thus the world has already beheld the “fearful sights and great signs” forecast by the Savior as
harbingers of His return-all, that is, save the last. Today we stand between the falling of the stars and the
shaking of “the powers of heaven.” So near are we to His coming.

5. Corruption and Decay of Civilization

“As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank,
they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the Flood
came, and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:26, 27.

THE days of Noah were evil days. “The earth was filled with violence.” Genesis 6:11. It was filled
with cruelty and lust. “They took them wives of all which they chose.” Verse 2. Indeed, so wicked did man
become that at last “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Verse 5.
Have we arrived at a similar period in world history? Are conditions today comparable to those
existing before the Flood? Let the facts speak for themselves.
Consider the violence of our time, as revealed in two world wars and the threatened terrors of
World War Ill. Recall the barbarities perpetrated, not only upon the battlefield, but behind the lines, upon
countless millions of civilians. Remember the massacres of Katyn and Lidice, the pogroms of Warsaw,
Rowrio, Dubno, and many others. Remember the revolting cruelties of Belsen and Buchenwald and the
other concentration camps which dotted Europe for years and to no small extent defile it today.
It is a sad fact that more people are living in slavery in 1953 than at any other time in history.
More people are cowering under the terror inspired by secret police than ever before. Mass deportations
and executions are still going on. Surely the earth is “filled with violence” again.
Consider the mounting crime statistics-not in uncivilized lands, but in countries where Christianity

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has been known and taught for centuries. According to the FBI annual crime report published on April 21,
1952, there were 1,882,160 serious crimes in the United States in 1951, an increase Of 92,130 over 1950.
An average day saw 5,157 major crimes, 34 felonious homicides, 1115 burglaries, 143 robberies, 3664
larcenies, 46 rapes, 540 auto thefts, and 215 aggravated assaults.
Worst feature of this report was the revelation of increasing lawlessness among youth. More
persons aged 23 were arrested than any other group. Persons under 21 made up 14 per cent of all arrests.

Undetected Crime
These figures would be alarming enough if they gave a complete picture of present-day crime.
Unfortunately they do no such thing. They only tell of crime as it appears on the police records. They say
nothing of the crime that is never detected-of the criminals who are never caught.
In The Atlantic Monthly for February, 1953, Virgil W. Peterson, Operating Director of the
Chicago Crime Commission, revealed that of all burglaries only 31.3 per cent-less than one third-are
cleared by arrest: of all robberies, only 36.2 per cent. Most murders are never solved. 1n Chicago alone,”
wrote Mr. Peterson, “there have been approximately 700 gang murders during the past twenty-five years,
and the number of persons convicted in connection with these slayings could be counted on one’s fingers.”
During the five year period from 1947 through 1951 over a million burglaries were reported to the
police in about 2,200 cities of America. No one knows who committed over 800,000 of them. During the
same period, in the identical cities, Out Of 184,388 known robberies, 10,8413 were not solved through any
arrest.”
In many of our large municipalities vicious criminals have become welded into underworld
organizations which have engaged uninterruptedly in unlawful enterprises over a period of decades. They
have reaped illicit profits amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. They have engaged in widespread
violence and extortion and have been responsible for countless murders. At times the leaders of these
powerful underworld groups have become influential in guiding the political destinies of cities, counties,
and states. Not infrequently they have had a strong voice in naming key law enforcement personnel, in
dictating law enforcement policies and controlling law enforcement agencies. These men are the real prime
ministers of crime. And it is seldom indeed that either they or their henchmen appear in crime statistics or
studies.
“The murders they commit or order committed are almost always unsolved. The people from
whom they extort virtually never report the offenses to the authorities. The glowing reports of high
percentage rates of convictions seldom have any reference whatever to these professional criminals. And
although they amass fortunes throughout long careers of crime accompanied by violence, terrorism, and
murder, they nevertheless remain untouched by judicial pronouncements, the attention of psychiatrists, or
the supervision of parole or probation officers.”
This revelation of unpunished underworld crime is akin to the reports of lawlessness among high
government officials which shocked the whole United States in 1951 and 1952. Day after day the public
learned of new cases of graft, bribery, and corruption among responsible men who should have been
models of integrity. So many scandals were brought to light during this period that people began to wonder
what had become of the moral standards which were once the pride of the nation.
Scarcely had the country recovered from the shock of the Kefauver crime committee revelations
than it learned of the infamous basketball “fixing” and the cheating among the cadets at West Point.
Meanwhile the papers were filled with sordid details of spying, lying, and bribery involving a long list of
individuals of supposedly incorruptible character.

Twisted Thinking
Worse than the actual lawlessness itself, however, is the change of viewpoint concerning it.
Instead of frowning upon sin, too many people make light of it. By some inexplicable lapse of judgment the
darkest crimes are often excused and condoned. Criminals are lauded as heroes, while the zealous citizens
who bring them to Justice are treated as heels and outcasts.
The Saturday Evening Post of August 11, 1952, carried a remarkable article illustrating this
amazing trend. A Post reporter visited a certain small town where, as a result of stupendous efforts on the
part of a few high-minded inhabitants, gambling joints had been closed and corrupt officials fined or
imprisoned. What did he discover? A grateful community rejoicing in freedom from vicious gangsters, with
the upright citizens in places of honor? No, indeed. Instead, he learned that those who had carried most of

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the burden of exposing the criminals were now cold-shouldered by the other townspeople and their
business boycotted, while a strong movement was already on foot to put the discredited officials back in
office at the next election!
Unbelievable? No. One has but to recall what happened in Boston not long ago when the mayor
was tried, found guilty, imprisoned-and returned to his office with acclaim.
In regard to the West Point case, no sooner had the sad news broken than efforts were made to
shift the blame from the cadets to the circumstances in which they found themselves. That they had lied and
cheated was admitted, but they had done so only because they were members of the football team, or
associated with it. They couldn’t play good football and get their grades honestly. So they got them
dishonestly. As this was done in the interest of football, however, it was said to be excusable. But was it?
Can there be any excuse for deliberate fraud?
Speaking to the Senate about that time, Senator Fulbright made reference to this strange new
attitude toward moral lapses. “Scandals . . . are not a new phenomenon,” he said. “What seems to be new . .
. is the moral blindness or callousness which allows those in responsible positions to accept the practices
which the facts reveal. It is bad enough for us to have corruption in our midst, but it is worse if it is to be
condoned and accepted as inevitable.”
Laying bare the main cause of the trouble, he added, “Too many people ... do not believe anything
with conviction. They question the precepts of God or of man, indiscriminately. The values of life which
were clear to the Pilgrims and the Founding Fathers have become dim and fuzzy in outline.”
How true! Standards are sagging because so few are seeking to maintain them. Most people no
longer feel any obligation to obey the Ten Commandments. They couldn’t even repeat them. They may
have Bibles, but never open them. They may go to church sometimes, but never think they should do what
the preacher says. They despise inhibitions of all sorts and mock the prophets who warn them of the doom
their godless course must bring.

Juvenile Delinquency
This reckless disregard for all law and order is becoming more and more pronounced among the
rising generation, evidenced by the shocking acts of sadism and vandalism committed by boys and girls of
tender years. Setting fires, derailing trains, even deliberate murders, have been traced to them times without
number.
Not long ago, in New Jersey, four boys, aged six to nine, broke into a schoolhouse and proceeded
to smash the grand piano, pushing it off the platform into the orchestra pit below. Then they threw paint on
the walls, broke phonograph records, cut up motion picture films, and flooded the gymnasium.
Shortly after, two brothers, nine and ten, broke into a public school near San Jose, California. They
smashed windows, ripped open desks, and destroyed furniture. The total damage amounted to $500. Next
they entered private homes, overturning furniture, tearing down curtains, wrecking rugs, and stealing
jewelry. The damage was $2,500. Then they set fire to a home and watched it burn to the ground, a loss of
$15,000. Their last act of vandalism was to wreck a new home built by the owner over a period of three
years. Loss: $4,000, a total Of $22,000 worth of malicious destruction in four days!
It has been estimated that the money spent in New York City during two recent summers to repair
damage done by youthful hoodlums would pay for the erection of an 800 pupil school. In a recent issue of
Cosmopolitan, Inez Robb wrote:
“Teen-age girls run in gangs through the asphalt canyons of New York, terrorizing whole
neighborhoods with pitched battles in the streets, stalking each other, disrupting the public schools, and
acting as mistresses and junior gun molls for the vicious gangs of boys who have spread murder and
mayhem through Brooklyn and the Bronx.”
Much of this evil is due to the increasing use of narcotic drugs by youth and even children. Drug
addiction, says Henry J. Anslinger, U. S. Commissioner of Narcotics, is today sweeping “like a plague”
through the large, congested cities of America, luring “thousands of victims to destruction.”

The Curse of Alcohol

And what shall be said of the appalling increase of alcoholism, and the spread of the drinking habit
among men, women, and youth? In 1951, the people of the United States spent $9,150,000,000 on
intoxicating liquors, or $60.49 per capita. There are now 67,000,000 drinkers in the country, 4,000,000 Of
whom are alcoholics, 1,000,000 chronic alcoholics (in the last stages of alcoholism), 3,000,000 excessive

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drinkers, and 3,000,000 problem drinkers, - regular users of beverage alcohol who occasionally drink
excessively.
No wonder there is so much crime! No wonder the prisons are crowded to capacity! As William
M. Gemmill, Judge of Chicago Municipal Court, has said: “Booze is the mother of crime. It gives life and
sustenance to slums, dives, gambling dens, and payoff joints. It moves to his deed the homicide, the stick-
up man, the burglar, the thief, the thug. It fires the brain of the prostitute and panhandler. I have tried an
army Of 50,000 human derelicts most of whom were booze soaked.”
Even this is not all the story. For in addition there is the growing laxity concerning divorce. To
have a sequence of wives, described by some as consecutive polygamy, has become such routine procedure
as to be commonplace. Notices of marriage now regularly include the number of previous experiences in
matrimony both bride and bridegroom have had. How like is this to the course of those ungodly
antediluvians who “took them wives of all which they chose”!
Consider also the most serious trend of all-the universal dissemination of ideas that lead to
lawlessness. Incessantly, by the most potent avenues of education ever devised, there is being poured into
the minds of youth and children a floodtide of evil thoughts. By radio, television, comic magazines, and
smutty books and papers, there is being created a tolerance not only for liquor and tobacco, which would be
bad enough, but for cruelty, lust, murder, and crime of every sort and description. With reckless unconcern
the dispensers of all this wickedness are making certain that in the not-far distant future every imagination
of the thoughts of men’s hearts shall be “only evil continually.”
Surely history is repeating itself. The days of Noah have returned. Widespread decay and
corruption demand the swift and final judgments of God.
With amazing prescience, undoubtedly inspired, the apostle Paul described this situation nineteen
centuries ago when, writing to Timothy, he said, “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, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despising 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.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Lest any might suggest that this tragic condition will gradually improve, he added, “But evil men
and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Verse 13.

Only One Remedy

Can nothing then be done to remedy the present situation? Nothing-except as men and women,
individually, permit God to come into their hearts and remove their bent to evil. In fact, only God can help
in a crisis of this sort. God speaking through His word. God moving upon individual lives by His Holy
Spirit. God opening the eyes of men and women to their folly and sinfulness and bringing them back to
Him-to sanity, righteousness, and the true way of life.
Sensing the need of divine aid to stem “the rampage of crime across the nation,” J. Edgar Hoover
in a recent speech appealed to all parents to re-establish family worship in the home. “The picture of the
family circle,” he said, “the father, mother, and children, sitting together, reading the Bible, is a scene of
inspiring beauty. There the word of God is at work-moulding character, lighting the path of good, inspiring
deeds of service. Religion has a vital meaning, touching every aspect of life. God is there in the home,
working through purposeful lives to create His kingdom.”
In this hour of rampant lawlessness God sends this message to the multitudes caught in the modern
maelstrom of wickedness: “Fear God, and give glory to Him. For the hour of His judgment is come: and
worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters!” Revelation 14:7.
Those who heed this message and return to God with all their hearts will have their minds clarified
and their good judgment restored by His Holy Spirit. Their standards will automatically rise to God’s level.
With cleared vision they will be able to discern between right and wrong. The path of duty will become
plain to them, illumined by the radiance of the love of God, and they will gladly walk in it. By their own
choice and desire they will “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Verse 12.
Thus our Lord is our one great hope of victory over the power of sin today and of deliverance from
all the consequences of sin in the glad tomorrow of His glorious return.

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6. The Rising Wrath of the Dragon

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which
keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:,17.

ONE of the most startling trends of our times is the increasing antipathy to Christianity in many
parts of the world. The very century which many once hoped would be the “Christian” century is
witnessing the spread of a form of paganism more aggressively atheistic and anti-religious than any that
history records. The age-long war between the “dragon” and the “woman,” the devil and the church, is
clearly moving into its final phase.
This war dates back to the beginning of the controversy between good and evil in the Garden of
Eden. After Eve had committed her first act of disobedience, God said to the serpent (called “the devil, and
Satan,” Revelation 20:2), I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15.
This brief utterance was both a declaration of war and a prophetic preview of the course it would
take and its ultimate outcome. The Seed of the woman (Christ) would finally prevail, but not without much
suffering and loss at the hands of Satan.
All down the centuries the struggle between the followers of Christ and the dupes of Satan has
proceeded without cessation. Never have those who sought to do the will of God been free from attack by
the hosts of evil. Times without number they have been subject to the bitterest persecution,
Satan’s fiercest onslaught, however, was made upon Christ Himself when He appeared on earth as
the Revealer of God, the Champion of righteousness, and the Savior of men. Through Herod he sought to
kill the holy Child with the babes of Bethlehem. In Nazareth he urged a hostile crowd to throw Him over a
cliff. With Pilate’s aid he nailed Him to a cross and placed the seal of Rome upon His tomb.
Foiled by Christ’s glorious resurrection, Satan took vengeance upon His followers. First he sought
to stamp them out by the cruel opposition of Roman emperors, then by even more diabolical persecution
from false religious leaders. Finally, goaded to fury by repeated failures, he will bring upon them, in the
days immediately preceding Christ’s return, “a time of trouble such as never was.” Daniel 12:1.

Age long Conflict

This fierce, age long conflict is portrayed in the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation, where
the church is pictured as a woman who brings forth “a Man-child”-Christ and Satan is represented as “a
great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” Revelation 12:1-5.
This does not mean that Satan is red, or a dragon, or that he actually has seven heads and ten
horns. It is a symbol of all his wickedness, revealed in a variety of ways, through many and diverse
agencies, down the ages. As some Bible expositors have aptly pointed out, there have been seven heads, or
powers, chiefly concerned in this struggle-Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome pagan
and papal. Through all of these Satan has revealed his dragon spirit. Out of Rome came ten “horns,” or
kingdoms, and through all of these also, at one time or another, he showed the same militant hatred toward
the true children of God.
Describing the sufferings of the martyrs of old, the apostle Paul told how they “had trial of cruel
mocking and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in
mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:36-38.
All this was the work of the dragon: and similar words could be used concerning the sufferings of
Christ’s true followers from that day to this. By one means or another, Satan has contrived to bring endless
hardships upon them. Moreover, as the “father of lies” (John 8:44) he has spread vicious calumnies
concerning them, forever trying to raise up barriers to halt, delay, and circumscribe their work.
Concerning the dreadful fate of millions of innocent Christians during the period from 537-1798,
Dr. H. Grattan Guinness wrote: “I have stood in that valley of Lucerna where dwelt the faithful Waldenses,
those ancient Protestants who held to the pure gospel all through the Dark Ages, that lovely valley with its
pine clad slopes which Rome converted into a slaughterhouse. . . . Oh, horrible massacres of tender women
and helpless children! Yes; you hated them, you hunted them, you trapped them, you tortured them, you
stabbed them, you stuck them on spits, you impaled them, you hanged them, you roasted them, you flayed

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them, you cut them in pieces, you violated them, you violated the women, you violated the children, you
forced flints into them, and stakes, and stuffed them with gunpowder, and blew them up, and tore them
asunder limb from limb, and tossed them over precipices, and dashed them against the rocks. You cut them
up alive, you dismembered them; you racked, mutilated, burned, tortured, mangled, massacred holy men,
sainted women, mothers, daughters, tender children, harmless babes, hundreds, thousands, thousands upon
thousands. You sacrificed them in heaps, in hecatombs, turning all Spain, Italy, France, Europe, Christian
Europe, into a slaughterhouse, a charnel house, an Akeldama. Oh, horrible; too horrible to think of! The
sight dims, the heart sickens, the soul is stunned in the presence of the awful spectacle.”-H. Grattan
Guinness, D.D., F.R.A.S., Romanism and the Reformation, pages 107, 108. London: J. Nisbet & Co., 1891.
Behind all this fearful cruelty was the master-mind of the devil himself. For it matters not to him
whether he works through godless pagans or through men who make a pretense of being religious. His one
concern is to bring suffering and grief to Christ through the torment of His children.
With the dawn of the nineteenth century hopes were raised that perhaps the worst was over. There
was a break in the clouds. A spirit of tolerance began to prevail. Violent persecution ceased. The ugly
forces of paganism and papalism seemed to be in retreat. True Christians took heart and advanced into what
they believed to be a new and brighter day, with the gospel torch held high in their hands.

False Hopes
By the end of the nineteenth century the tide of optimism was running deep and strong. Preachers
began to predict that the world would soon be conquered for Christ. There was talk of world brotherhood,
world peace, world federation, a world court, a league of nations. Many were sure that the evil spirits of
war, intolerance, persecution, and the like had been completely exorcised, once and for all. There would
never be anything like the Inquisition again, they said, nor any mass executions, banishment, or slavery. All
such horrible nightmares were gone forever. The dragon had disappeared from the earth.
But they spoke too soon. Even while the words “peace and safety” were in their mouths, sudden
destruction descended in the form of the first world war. The dragon came roaring back, cruel and
bloodthirsty as ever. Old hatreds revived. Evil spirits returned with sevenfold viciousness.
Twenty years later came the second global conflict, bringing with it a revelation of the abysmal
depths of wickedness and inhumanity to which the human mind can descend. Devilish new weapons were
devised. Torture was reintroduced. Frightful cruelties were perpetrated on a scale hitherto unimagined.
Christian teachings, Christian standards, Christian graces, were scorned as impractical dreams.
With the cessation of hostilities came no assurance of better days ahead, nor any hope that some
sort of man made Utopia was just around the corner. The awful truth was now apparent to all that, largely
as the result of two world wars, a new and even more terrible monster had been created to haunt man’s
dreams and fill his heart with fear.
In appearance this frightening creature strangely resembles the old red dragon of Scripture. And no
wonder, for it is but paganism in a new guise, only more ruthless and menacing than ever. Embodying all
the evil of the ages, it threatens every good thing Christianity has brought to the world in two thousand
years.
As Whittaker Chambers says in his notable book, The Witness, this astonishing phenomenon,
which claims to be anti religious, is in fact nothing but a very old religion in a new form, driven forward by
a vision of man without God. The very deification of materialism, it poses “the most revolutionary question
in history: God or man?”
Spreading like the Black Death, this anti-God, anti-Christian movement has already seized upon
and ensnared more than one third of the earth’s inhabitants. By calculated misrepresentation and the
constant repetition of falsehoods, it has stirred up a tidal wave of hatred with which it would engulf the
entire human race if it could. Using the most modern methods of propaganda, it seeks to undermine, and
cause the disintegration of, every government which has not yet yielded to its open and secret pressures.
And woe to those who, still within its power, fail to obey its behests! For it knows no mercy.
Wherever this power becomes established, the light of truth and freedom is stamped out. Its
triumph means the death of Christian missions, Christian schools, Christian hospitals. All such enterprises
come under the absolute control of the state. And in many parts of its dominion true followers of Christ
must either denounce their Christian friends or suffer martyrdom.
Half a century ago such a development would have seemed impossible. Even the most pessimistic
would have refused to admit that such a totalitarian tyranny could ever again blacken the pages of history.
Yet here it is before our eyes! And if this is not plain evidence of the rising wrath of the dragon, foretold to

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be seen and felt in the latter days, what else is it?

Madmen in the Streets

A few fortunate souls have escaped from the clutches of this power and lived to tell the story of
their sufferings from torture, beatings, starvation, and long months in jail. One such is Robert T. Bryan, Jr.
who reported his experience in The Saturday Evening Post early in 1953. In his concluding article he
expressed the opinion that the only explanation of the strange phenomenon he had personally witnessed is
that his persecutors are the victims of a strange inexplicable madness. In my cell,” he wrote, I listened to
the insane plans of my captors to conquer the world. Like all insane men, they believed precisely what they
said. . . . The insane asylum has broken open and madmen are in the streets.”
Perhaps he is correct. For when men turn their backs on God and deliberately cultivate hatred of
Christ and Christian teachings, they become fair prey for evil spirits. Their powers of judgment are
perverted. Wrong seems to them right, and right wrong, and what is this but madness?
One is reminded of another prophecy of these latter days. Wrote John the Revelator: “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.
From this it is clear that the dragon is to be a mighty factor in the closing scenes of history. With
his associates in rebellion against God he will pour forth a flood of false propaganda, stirring up hatreds,
making men blind with anger, turning their minds furiously to oppose all goodness and truth, and so
preparing the whole world for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” when Jesus shall return in His
glory.
The rising wrath of the dragon, directed in general against all Christian teachings, and against
every by-product of Christianity, such as democracy and individual liberty, and in particular against the
“remnant” who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” is one of the
most impressive signs that the end is near, even at the doors. The very fury of the dragon’s anger
emphasizes the shortness of the time that remains.

7. America Turning To Rome

“I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. . . . And he exercises all the power of the first beast
before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly
wound was healed.” Revelation 13:11, 12.

A SPEAKER at the recent Congress on Prophecy in New York City uttered an important word of
caution. “Let us not become so engrossed with the dragon,” he said, “that we cannot see the beast.” He was
concerned lest students of prophecy should lay so much emphasis upon the great pagan power which has
become so prominent in these latter days, that they forget the equally important role to be played by the
papacy.
The caution was most timely. For one of the greatest signs of the approaching end is the increasing
influence of Rome upon the United States.
The prophecy quoted above does not refer to either of these powers by name, but the identity of
the symbols is beyond question.
Two “beasts,” or powers, are mentioned. “The first beast” receives a deadly wound, which is
healed; the second “exercises all the power of the first beast” and uses its power to persuade the world to
“worship the first beast.”
For the interpretation one needs but to turn to the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. In the opening
verses “the first beast” is described as having “seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns,
and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” It is also said to be “like unto a leopard” with feet “as the feet
of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great
authority.” Verses 1, 2.
The last clause affords an important clue to the correct understanding of the symbols. The dragon
gave the beast his “seat.” In this instance the dragon is the same as that mentioned in Revelation 12:4, the

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power which sought to destroy the Man-child when He was born; in other words, pagan Rome. To which
power did pagan Rome give its seat? There is only one answer. When the Roman Empire disintegrated
before the advancing barbarian hordes, its place was taken by the Roman church, or papacy, which ruled
over almost the same territory for the next twelve centuries.
The correctness of this identification is made even clearer as one considers the following
additional specifications: “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;
and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy
against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given
unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations.” Revelation 133-7.
The similarity between this description and that of the 1ittle horn” power of Daniel 7:25 is so exact
as to be unmistakable. If that power, as most commentators agree, refers to papal Rome, so must this. And
anyone who is familiar with the history of the Dark Ages will readily admit that every feature of the
symbolism fits perfectly the remarkable career of this great religion-political autocracy. Even the long
period of its dominance over the nations-”forty and two months”-is identical with the 1260 days of Daniel
7:25.

The “Deadly Wound” Healed

Perhaps the most important mark of identification is to be found in the words: “I saw one of his
heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the
beast.” Revelation 13:3.
Wounded to death but rising again-how exactly does this depict the history of the papacy from
1798 to the present day! When in August, 1799, Pope Plus V1 passed away, a captive of France, “half
Europe thought . . . that with the Pope the Papacy was dead.”-Joseph Rickaby, S.J., The Modern Papacy,
page 1. But today, as the Bishop of Omaha once said, “The place of the Papacy in world affairs seems to
stand out in bolder relief than at almost any other epoch.”
Despite all the setbacks this church has received in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary,
Russia, and Mexico, its power is still very great. More nations than ever keep official representatives at the
Vatican, and more than 300,000,000 people profess allegiance to the Roman Pontiff. With the “Roman
question” settled and the pope a king again, the deadly wound is surely healed, and this ancient but very
active organization is now ready to play its predicted role in the closing scenes of history. And that role
intimately concerns the United States.
Turning again to the prophecy of Revelation 13, we read in verse 11: “And I beheld another beast
coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.”
This new power is further described as follows: “And he exercises all the power of the first beast
before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly
wound was healed. And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth
in the sight of men, and deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had
power to do in the sight of the beast. Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an
image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the
image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Revelation 13:12-15.
What world power is pictured here? Of all the nations of history, which can be said to have begun
with the most innocent, peaceful alms and appearances, only to turn later into a strong supporter of the very
religious despotism it once hated, and which persecuted the saints of God for 1260 years?
Note well the specifications of this most important prophecy. First, the second “beast,” or power,
or nation, appears on the stage of history as the first beast goes into captivity. Verse 10.
Second, unlike the first beast, and in fact unlike all the symbolic beasts mentioned in the seventh
chapter of the book of Daniel, this one comes up not out of the sea, but out of the earth. And if the sea, in
prophecy, stands for “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:3), then by
contrast “the earth” would imply a more or less uninhabited region.
Third, this beast has two horns “like a lamb,” suggesting the peacefulness of its principles and
conduct in the early stages of its development.
Fourth, and presumably after the lapse of time, it speaks as a dragon,” indicating that it would one
day occupy a commanding position among the nations, as did imperial pagan Rome in the heyday of its
power.

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New Power on History’s Stage

One naturally asks, What nation was quietly rising out of a comparatively uninhabited region
about the close of the eighteenth century, at the very time that the papacy, wounded to death, was going
into captivity? What nation, rising at such a time, and in such a place, based its constitution upon the lamb
like principles of civil and religious liberty? What nation rose swiftly from humble origin to world
supremacy, to wield far greater sway than imperial Rome?
Only one nation fits all these specifications-the United States of America.
There is no need to rehearse here the amazing story of this country’s entrance into the family of
nations, from the voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers to the final unification of the nation from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, nor the steps it followed to acquire world power in later years. The facts are familiar to all. What
matters most in this connection is whether or not indications are yet visible that the dramatic change of
policy, foreshadowed in the prophecy, is taking place. If there are such signs, then the times are solemn
indeed.
Thanks to the wisdom of the men who made freedom supreme in the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights, multitudes flocked to this country from every nation under heaven as to a land of new hope and
opportunity, far from the hated tyrannies of the old world. They came to live, work, and worship as they
pleased, unshackled by the conventions and restrictions that once bound them in the land of their birth.
Constantly increasing in population and possessions, the United States rapidly grew in prestige
and power. Even two global wars, which impoverished most other nations, brought to it only greater riches
and influence. And still, thank God, it retains its lamb like qualities, proclaiming tolerance for all people of
all races and religions.
According to the prophecy, however, a change is to take place. This lamb like nation is not only to
speak with the forthrightness and authority of a dragon: it is to use its power to support the cause of “the
first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:13.
Now “the first beast,” as we have seen, is none other than the papacy. And if we have correctly
interpreted this prophecy we should expect to see the United States leaning more and more heavily towards
Rome in its domestic and foreign policies. We should expect to see the policies of the papacy finding
increasing favor in government circles, with Protestantism gradually losing its “protest” and becoming
more and more tolerant of beliefs it once taught were error.
Are there indications that such lamentable developments are not only possible but already taking
place?
There surely are. Although only one fifth of the population of the United States is Catholic, the
pressure groups of this minority are among the most powerful in the land, making effective use of the
boycott to enforce their demands. Editors of newspapers, movie magnates, and owners of radio stations live
in constant fear of them. So much so that it is claimed that the Roman hierarchy is already in virtual control
of all the leading avenues of information in the country, making it almost impossible for any adverse
comment on its activities to reach the public.

Dangerous Trends
If anyone doubts the power of Catholicism in America, let him read Paul Blanshard’s American
Freedom and Catholic Power.
“There is no doubt,” says this author, “that the American Catholic hierarchy has entered the
political arena, and that it is becoming more and more aggressive in extending the frontiers of Catholic
authority into the fields of medicine, education, and foreign policy. . . . It tells Catholic doctors, nurses,
judges, teachers, and legislators what they can and cannot do in many of the controversial phases of their
professional conduct. . . . It uses the political power of some twenty-six million official American Catholics
to bring American foreign policy into line with Vatican temporal interests.” - Page 4.
All are acquainted with the efforts of the hierarchy to persuade the President of the United States
to appoint an official ambassador to the Vatican. If this should ever hap pen, and if such an appointment
should ever be approved by the Senate, it would be one of the most disastrous events in American history.
It would mean that this country, for the first time, would have a preferred church in its midst, with access to
the President, the State Department, and Government secrets denied to all other religious bodies. It would
mean that a papal nuncio would be the dean of all ambassadors in Washington, working incessantly to
bring United States politics, education, finance, and religion into line with the policies of the Vatican. The

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very possibility that such a thing might happen presents the greatest threat to religious liberty ever to appear
on the horizon of this freedom-loving land, and affords strong indication of the trend of events toward the
complete fulfillment of this dramatic prophecy in the immediate future.

The Peril of Unity

One other phase of this matter must be mentioned. No one who has followed religious
developments in this country for the past few years can have failed to notice the increasing demand on the
part of many church leaders for a closer union, not only of the various Protestant bodies, but also of
Protestants and Catholics.
Many Christians who deplore the divided state of Christendom feel an imperative urge to achieve
unity at all costs. But let them beware of what may ensue. They may well discover that, having achieved a
superficial unity, and having clothed it with some measure of power and authority to make it “work,” they
have succeeded only in creating an organization so like the original papacy that people will say that it is the
very “image” of it.
This grave peril is indicated in that part of this prophecy of Revelation 13 which tells us that, when
the present schemes and plots and policies have come to full fruition, an “image to the beast” will at last be
established in the United States.
All who are not prepared to surrender their religious convictions, or yield the fundamentals of their
faith, will do well to watch these developments with great care. Present trends could so easily lead us into a
period of grievous intolerance and persecution. The prophecy actually warns us that ultimately the lamb
like beast will cause “that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he
causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in
their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or
the number of his name.” Verses 15-17.
This is not a happy prospect for those who are determined to stand fast for Christ and His truth at
all costs. Yet none need fear the outcome. This darkest hour of human history will immediately precede the
dawn of eternal day.
The prediction in the latter part of Revelation 13 refers to some of the very last events to happen
before Christ returns in glory. And the fact that we can now see these things beginning to come to pass is
but another sure sign that His coming is at hand-that soon “the kingdoms of this world” shall become “the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.

8. The Spread of Spiritualism

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Timothy 4:1.

THE revival of ancient spiritualism is one of the most remarkable developments of our eventful
times, providing still further evidence that the closing scenes of history are upon us.
Little was known of this cult a hundred years ago, and for decades after the “Rochester rappings”
of 1844 it was generally viewed with suspicion, skepticism, and disdain Gradually, however, as
distinguished men of science became intrigued by the seeming miracles of the seance, more and more
people began to investigate its claims.
But it was the awful death toll of World War I which brought about its first great leap into
prominence. Hundreds of thousands of bereaved turned eagerly to spirit mediums in hope of contacting
their loved ones lost on the battlefield. Many of these reported that contact was actually made with their
dear, departed dead-and spiritualism’s boom was on.
The second world war, when millions more sought the solace that spiritualism offers, added
further to the prestige of this new-but ancient-faith, and served to project it into a position of respectability
among the better known religions of the day. Referred to more commonly as “spiritualism” or “Christian
spiritualism,” it now numbers its adherents by millions, not only in the United States but in all parts of the
British Commonwealth and other lands around the globe. One of its leading exponents has affirmed that
private seances are held in 10,000 homes every week in England alone.
Religious leaders of many of the old “conservative” churches have felt that spiritualism provides

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valuable evidence of survival after death, confirming their own belief in the immortality of the soul.
Consequently they have felt led to give it substantial moral support. Some of them have even formed
“Psychic Evidence Guilds” and other similar organizations to encourage study of its claims and teachings.
Men and women in every walk of life have been drawn to investigate this new religion. Many of
the world’s celebrities have accepted its teachings as true. Scientists of high repute and authors of
international fame have become its ardent advocates. Discussion of psychic research has even been
permitted at the annual meetings of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Early in 1952 the long kept secret of Mackenzie King’s association with spiritualism found its way
into the press. While it has been denied that this famous Prime Minister of Canada ever consulted the spirits
on matters of state, it is true that many of his friends, holding responsible positions in the United States and
England, were also practicing spiritualists.
This widespread interest in spiritualism is easily understood. Its claim to bring the living in touch
with the dead is sufficient of itself to command attention. That is something the bereaved have desired from
the day death entered the human family. And when this claim is supported by facts of a truly startling order,
it is but natural that the sad and the curious should desire to know more concerning it. Those who have lost
their loved ones, and yearn for their companionship, are bound to ask whether spiritualism can indeed help
them to break through the barrier of death. And all who are thrilled at the sight of magic and miracle are
likewise drawn to witness for themselves the phenomena which spiritualists mediums are able to produce.

Miracles of the Seance

These phenomena take various forms. Sometimes they consist merely of raps on the wall, or the
clanking of chains. Small articles are flung about the seance chamber, while sometimes heavy furniture is
moved, even being carried out of the window and back again, without human aid. Musical instruments are
played by ghostly hands. Spirit photographs appear on exposed plates. Strange voices speak through the
presiding medium, purporting to come from departed relatives of persons present at the seance. Frequently
they speak nothing but gibberish; but occasionally they mention events and dates with uncanny accuracy.
At times materialization takes place, a strange substance called astral matter oozing from the body of the
medium and taking the form of some deceased person known to one or other of the onlookers.
Phenomena of this kind are sufficient to convince the majority of inquirers as to the genuineness
of the teachings of those through whom they are performed. The evidence presented to their senses seems
overwhelming. Such exhibitions of supernatural power, they say, cannot but be of divine origin and must
surely hold the explanation of the age-old problem of life beyond the grave. Surely, too, they affirm, such
eminent scientists as Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir James Barrett, Sir Alfred Wallace, and Sir William Crookes
could not all have been mistaken.
Nevertheless one of the most disconcerting facts which the inquirer into spiritualism has to face
sooner or later is the prevalence of the most unblushing fraud among mediums.
Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle admitted that he himself had been hoodwinked on many occasions.
“The same circle may assemble,” he wrote, “with the same medium in the same room under the same
physical conditions to meet with utter failure upon the Monday and complete success upon the Tuesday.
Still more embarrassing is the fact that the same medium may upon one day deliver a message which
proves to be absolutely true, and on the next day, or even in some cases at the same sitting, will deliver
another which is a detailed fabrication.”
However, despite the perpetration of so much deception in connection with spiritualism, there is
little doubt but that genuine supernatural phenomena occur. So exhaustive have been the tests applied by
scientists of the highest repute to certain of the strange and eerie happenings of the seance chamber that the
question has become not so much, Are they genuine? but, What power produces them?
Some seek an explanation in psychology or telepathy; but that is quite insufficient. Others affirm
that the spirits of the dead are responsible and that, therefore, the seance provides a trysting place where
living and dead may meet.
If this were true, it would be the most amazing discovery of this age of wonders. If it is false, then
many thousands are being deceived by some mysterious power and for some nefarious purpose.

Opposed to the Gospel

Those who feel drawn toward spiritualism for any reason should reflect that its fundamental claim
concerning intercourse with the dead, notwithstanding the very lofty moral pronouncements made through

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some of its mediums, is contradictory to one of the basic teachings of Christianity. However eagerly
spiritualism may seek to appropriate the name “Christian” this assertion of power to make contact with the
dead stamps it as something utterly foreign to the gospel. That gospel, according to New Testament writers,
calls for a resurrection of the dead at the second coming of Christ. So important is this doctrine in the eyes
of the apostle Paul that he declares: 1f there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if
Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. You are yet in your sins.” 1
Corinthians 15:13-17.
The gospel of Christ, indeed the whole plan of salvation, is based upon the promise of a literal,
bodily resurrection of the dead at His appearing. Christ Himself affirmed it, and it was reiterated many
times by His disciples. It follows therefore that, if this is indeed His plan, if He is waiting to give the
righteous dead immortal bodies at His coming, they cannot in the interim be subject to disturbance at the
whim or call of any medium. Nor is it reasonable to suppose that Christ would permit them to visit seances
in order to move furniture about, play musical instruments, or write foolish messages on slates.
But spiritualism not only runs counter to the doctrine of the resurrection, it is also diametrically
opposed to Biblical teaching concerning the state of the dead. In this, sad to say, it is aided and abetted by
many Christian preachers who, by teaching that the body has within it a separate and detachable “soul,”
which at death speeds off to heaven, hell, or purgatory, prepare the way for spiritualism’s advance. For
some reason these misguided ministers overlook the fact that there is no reference to an “Immortal soul” in
all the Scriptures, that it is there plainly stated that God “only hath immortality” (1 Timothy 6:16), and that
man will not receive this precious possession until the resurrection. See 1 Corinthians 15:51-55.
There is indeed no such thing as a “disembodied spirit.” The dead are not now “immortal souls”
flitting about the universe taking postgraduate courses on distant spheres and visiting their old homesteads
from time to time. Such ideas are entirely unscriptural. Moreover they are a by-product of Satan’s first
falsehood in the Garden of Eden, when, contradicting God, he declared to Eve: “Thou shall not surely die.”
Genesis 3:4.

Complete Unconsciousness in Death

The fact is that the dead are resting In unconscious sleep, awaiting the resurrection. Some, Christ
affirmed, will be raised at “the resurrection of life,” others at “the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28,
29. Until then there Is no life after death for anyone. Until then “the dead know not anything.” Ecclesiastes
9:5, 6.
This teaching appears consistently throughout the Bible. In the book of Job we find this
declaration: “Man dies, . . . and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised
out of their sleep.” Job 14:10-12. In the Psalms occur many similar statements: “In death there is no
remembrance of Thee.” Psalm 6:5. “His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:4.
In Isaiah we are told: “They that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.” Isaiah 38:18.
And our Lord Himself, speaking of a dear friend who had passed away, said: “Lazarus sleeps. . . .
Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14.
The Lord who made man in the beginning, who breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, can
surely be trusted to give us an accurate description of the state of those who have passed away. And He
tells us they know nothing, feel nothing, do nothing. In silence, and completely unconscious of the passing
of time, they sleep on “until the day break, and the shadows flee away.”
Clearly, then, the seemingly supernatural phenomena of spiritualism are not produced by the
“spirits” of the dead.
To what, then, can they be attributed? If the possibility of activity on the part of the dead is
completely ruled out, what other cause can there be?

Existence of Invisible Forces

Turning to the Bible again, we find it frequently asserting that certain intelligent but invisible
forces exist in the universe. It refers to them as “angels” or “spirits,” pointing out that many have definitely
evil Intentions toward the human race. The Apostle Paul represents the Christian life as primarily a warfare
against such unseen evil powers. To the Ephesians he wrote:
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places. Wherefore take unto you the

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whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having overcome all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:12, 13, margin.
That there are “good angels” and “bad angels” in the universe is not a fairy story. It is a fact taught
throughout the Scriptures. The apostle John, in the twelfth chapter of Revelation, records his vision of a
primeval rebellion when one-third of the created beings of heaven were cast out. Genesis opens with the
battleground transferred to earth, our first parents ensnared by the arch rebel himself, and driven from the
precincts of the tree of life by the cherubim with the flaming sword.
Through all the Bible story we find incidents of contact between angels and men. Good angels on
several occasions appear to succor the children of God, even ministering to our Lord Himself in
Gethsemane. While on the other hand evil angels are depicted as working for the downfall and corruption
of the race, as for example in the case of King Saul and in the many instances of demon possession
mentioned in the Gospels and the Acts.
Instances of actual materialization are recorded, revealing that the angels, in certain circumstances,
have the power to take on human form. Thus two angels appeared as men to Abraham before the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the witch of Endor caused the materialization of “Samuel” in the
presence of Saul. As to the nature of this power of spirit beings to appear in the guise of humanity, we have
no knowledge, but the fact that its occurrence is described in records that are millenniums old is of
inestimable value in locating the true origin of the specters that haunt the modern seance.
So called communion with the dead, far from being a modern outgrowth of Christianity, as some
would have us believe, is a very ancient practice, carried on through witches and wizards, and definitely
condemned by God as demonology and necromancy.

Divine Warnings
Bible prophets employed the strongest terms in denouncing this cult, which is held in the utmost
abhorrence by God Thus we find in ancient Hebrew law, quoting Dr. Moffatt’s translation:
“There must be none among you who ... practices divination or soothsaying, no augur, no sorcerer,
no one who weaves spells, no medium or magician, no necromancer. Anyone given to these practices is
abominable to the Eternal; indeed, it is on account of such practices that the Eternal dispossesses these
nations before you. Before the Eternal your God you must be blameless; for while these nations, which you
are dispossessing, listen to mediums and magicians, the Eternal your God has not allowed you to do that.”
Deuteronomy 18:10-14.
Again, in Leviticus, we read this forthright counsel: “Never go to a medium or a wizard, never
defile yourselves by consulting them: “I am the Eternal your God.” Leviticus 19:31, Moffatt.
In the days of Isaiah this warning was given to the people of Jerusalem: “When they tell you to
consult mediums and ghosts that cheep and gibber in low murmurs, ask them if a nation should not rather
consult its God. Say, “Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult the message and the counsel
of God!” Isaiah 8:19, 20, Moffatt.
There is certainly no mistaking God’s attitude on this subject. He could not have spoken more
plainly or revealed His disapproval in stronger terms.
Among all the prophetic descriptions of the developments of these latter days, few are more
startling than those which reveal the machinations of evil spirits. When the seer of Patmos set forth in
symbolic language the tragic situation that will prevail just before Christ’s return in glory, he wrote:
“Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul
spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:2.
Describing in further detail the final events of history, he declared: “I saw . . . the spirits of devils .
. . 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.
“Spirits of devils” in all the world! What a picture of our time and of spiritualism’s sweeping
successes! How near must we be to the end!
Was there ever a time of such fearful solemnity since man was upon the earth? We face not only
the wrath of the dragon but the rage of demons. Surely we should be seeking God as never before. Only He
can preserve us from the perils that lurk in the darkness of this midnight hour.

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9. World-Wide Proclamation of the Gospel

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall
the end come.” Matthew 24:14.

OF ALL the promised signs of the imminent return of Jesus Christ, none is having a more
spectacular fulfillment than this. Never in all history have there been such abundant facilities for quickly
proclaiming the gospel to all nations, and never was the name of Christ so widely known throughout the
world.
A century and a half ago the very idea that one man might preach a sermon that could be heard
simultaneously in every country at once would have seemed preposterous. And if anyone had dared to
suggest that the day would dawn when millions of families-in their own homes would be able both to see
and hear the same gospel preacher, at the same time, his sanity would have been questioned.
In those days-not very long ago-men traveled on horseback and sailing ships. The swiftest means
of communication was the pony express. Steamships, railroads, automobiles, and airplanes were unknown.
Nobody had heard of telephones, radio, television, and other marvelous inventions so common today. A
voyage to India or China consumed many months and entailed serious hardships. Anyone venturing upon
such an undertaking was virtually cut off from his homeland. He could not call for supplies, relief, or
assistance, for there were no cables, no telegraph system, and no postal organization such as we have now.
If he fell he had no penicillin or sulfa drugs to help him combat tropical diseases, and if he died no one at
home knew about it for months afterward, if ever.
At the dawn of the nineteenth century much of the world was still enveloped in heathen darkness.
Most of Asia, South America, Africa, and the South Sea Islands were totally devoid of the gospel. True
Christianity was practically unknown through all these lands. Native inhabitants had never heard of the
Bible, much less seen a copy of it. Illiteracy was almost total. Idolatry, superstition, and spirit worship
reigned unchallenged. Slavery was common. Cannibalism was still practiced in certain places. There were
no missionary societies, no Bible societies, no Christian hospitals, no welfare organizations.

A Great Gong Sounds

But the time came, in the providence of God, when the whole world must be prepared for the
second coming in glory of His Son. The hour struck for “the time of the end” to begin. Suddenly, at the
close of the great time period of Daniel 7:25-the 1260 years of papal supremacy-it seemed as though a great
gong sounded through the universe, calling the entire human race to awake from the slumber of centuries
and prepare for history’s closing scenes.
Then it was that the era of modern invention began. The pace of life began to quicken, as men
devised new ways to travel to and fro. Christians caught the vision of a world task and began to dedicate
themselves to carrying the gospel to earth’s remotest bounds. The year 1804 saw the organization of the
British and Foreign Bible Society. Twelve years later the American Bible Society was founded. One after
another missionary societies were established and the first gallant pioneers of the modern missionary
movement sallied forth on their noble enterprise for Christ.
As if to assist their efforts came the first steamboat in 1807, the first steam printing press in 1811,
and the first railroad train in 1825.
But there was need for still greater speed, for now, of all times, the King’s business required haste.
So in 1837 came the invention of the electric telegraph, followed in 1851 by the laying of the first
submarine cable. The typewriter was added in 1868 and the telephone in 1876. The electric train appeared
in 1879, the linotype in 1885, the steam turbine in 1888, radio in 1895, the automobile in 1896, the airplane
in 1903, and television in 1926.

Broadcasting the Message

By means of all these inventions, and thousands of others, too numerous to mention, the gospel of
Christ has been carried into all the world. The printing press has made it possible for hundreds of millions
of copies of the Bible to be produced in more than eleven hundred languages. It has multiplied the word of
God through tracts, periodicals, and books beyond all reckoning. Much of the world has been covered with
Christian literature as by the leaves of autumn. It has been said that some portion of the Bible is available in
languages that 95 per cent of the world’s population can read. Wesley’s prayer, “O for a thousand tongues

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to sing my great Redeemer’s praise!” has now, in one sense at least, been answered.
Radio has enabled men of God to speak the message of salvation to vast, innumerable audiences.
As the power of broadcasting stations increases, the gospel is being carried ever farther and farther afield
into the last hidden hinterlands of humanity. As a concrete illustration, one might mention the letters
received by the Voice of Prophecy in response to its broadcast from the 50,000-watt station in Colombo,
Ceylon. Listeners have written from as far away as Central Africa on the west, Slam on the east, and the
Himalayas on the north-clear evidence that hosts of people are today hearing the gospel simultaneously,
over vast areas, and in the most inaccessible places.
Television-the latest and most wonderful handmaid of the church-is making it possible for the
preacher to step, as it were, into the very homes of the people, personally pleading the cause of the Master
and telling of His soon return. As this amazing new channel of communication becomes more and more
popular, and is developed in more and more countries, the day may dawn when on a single night, in
countless millions of homes the world around, the final warning will be given, “Behold, the Bridegroom
comes!” Certainly it presents the church of Christ with a most potent means of quickly finishing its
appointed task.
Viewing the remarkable developments of the past hundred and fifty years, one cannot but feel that
they have all come about in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Prepare you the way of the Lord, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill
shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah
40:3-5.
As great highways and railroads have belted the globe in these latter days, they have literally
exalted the valleys and made low the mountains, making easy and swift the movements of the messengers
of God. With the coming of the airplane, radio, and television, both valleys and mountains have been
virtually eliminated. Distance has been annihilated and the world has shrunk to a fraction of its former size.
The “ends of the earth” have come together. Even international boundaries are a barrier no longer. Borne
by invisible electrical impulses at the speed of light, God’s message penetrates every human barricade in
this day of His preparation. For everyone, everywhere, must hear the cry: “Behold, the Lord God will come
with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before
Him.” Verse 10.
When the apostle John was given a vision of this closing work for the salvation of a lost world, he
wrote: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6, 7.
That this is a picture of the final preaching of the gospel in the last days is clear from verses 14, 15
of the same chapter, where the apostle says: “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud
One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And
another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy
sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
Some people question whether it is possible, even with all available modern facilities, for the
entire human race to hear the gospel in our day. They point to the large, unentered, or only partially
entered, mission fields. They refer to the high birth rate in many non-Christian lands and the unceasing
march of oncoming generations.
But are not these facts known to God? Was not Christ aware, when He uttered His great prophecy,
that such conditions would prevail in the last days? Surely He has not been taken by surprise! And must it
not be true that He has a thousand ways of making known His truth of which we have no knowledge?

The Task Will Be Finished

It is a mistake to assume that a long time must elapse before Christ can come because there is so
much yet to be accomplished. God can move fast-and is doing so. Moreover, the world is not to be
converted to Christianity before Christ will return. No such suggestion is made in this prophecy, nor
anywhere else in the Scriptures. Nor is it necessary to assume that the universal promulgation of the gospel
calls for the establishment of churches in every city and village around the globe. All that is required to
fulfill the prophecy is the preaching of the gospel as a witness unto all nations. The name of Jesus must be
made known to all people. His offer of salvation must be proclaimed everywhere. And then shall the end

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come.
Let there be no doubt whether the task will be accomplished. It will be-and soon. Says prophecy:
1n the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be
finished.” Revelation 10:7. The preaching of the gospel-the ever-blessed mystery of God’s love for lost
mankind-will not fade out in failure. Like the sounding of a trumpet it will become louder and louder, more
and more definite and insistent, until God’s purpose is achieved. It will be proclaimed with “great power”
till the earth is lightened with its glory. Revelation 18:1. Then it will be finished. Every living soul will
have had the opportunity to make his decision for or against Christ. And the harvest of the earth will be
ripe-ripe for the reaping.
That the end is much nearer than many think is evidenced by the closing doors in many a former
mission field. For years these doors stood wide open, as needy men, like those of Macedonia, cried eagerly
and gladly, “Come over and help us!” As missionaries went forward to answer these calls they were
welcomed as friends and brothers. But today, in all too many places, what a change has taken place! Doors
that long were wide open have been slammed in the faces of those who bear the gospel tidings-or behind
the backs of faithful workers driven from their fields of labor. Gone is the warm welcome, chilled by bitter
hatreds. Vanished is the happy friendliness, poisoned by venomous falsehoods.
Indicative of this changed attitude was the announcement made by India’s Home Minister, Kailash
Nath Katju, in the Upper House of Parliament on April 15, 1953, that no more foreign missionaries are
desired in his country. 1f they come here for evangelical work,” he said, “the sooner they stop it the better.”
Some contend that all this will change; that the good old days will return, that the closing doors
will open again. They may; but they may not. Fading light betokens not dawn but coming darkness and
midnight. Not with weakening purpose does Satan attack the cause of Christ today, but as a roaring lion he
leaps forth with fiendish fury to destroy it.
The slamming of the doors of opportunity upon the messengers of Christ, far from betokening the
coming of better times, or easier conditions, is stamping finish upon the glorious task of the church. The
days of the voice of the seventh angel are almost over. The work of God on earth is almost completed. The
coming of Jesus is at hand.

10. All Men in Expectation

“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.” Isaiah 25:9.

ONE of the signs of Christ’s first advent was the general expectancy of His coming. Many earnest
souls who had studied the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah were looking for Him. They
were sure that the time of His advent was at hand. Luke tells us that “the people were in expectation, and all
men debated in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not.” Luke 3:15, margin. Simeon, and
many others like him, were “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” Luke 2:25.
Today one of the most remarkable signs of Christ’s second advent is the widespread interest in His
return. Whether this has come about as a result of the global tragedies and crushing disappointments of the
past few decades, or because of a revival of Bible study, or both, the fact remains that more people than
ever before are deeply concerned about the soon return of the Lord.
On foot at this moment is an advent movement far greater and more world-wide than any that has
appeared since Christ’s ascension to heaven nineteen centuries ago. Millions of people, all around the
globe, have become convinced that His personal, glorious return is at hand.
Like a tidal wave the advent message is sweeping on to 44 every nation, kindred, tongue, and
people.” It is an actual fact that Adventists can be found today in almost every country on the face of the
earth;-not only in the United States and the British Commonwealth of Nations, but in the Burmese jungles,
on the slopes of the Himalayas, in the interior of China, behind the long-closed frontiers of Tibet, along the
banks of the Amazon, atop the high Andes, and in the heart of Africa. They are within the Arctic circle, in
the land of the midnight sun, and in Punta Arenas, the most southerly city of South America. They can be
found in Hammerfest, Norway, and in Cape Town, South Africa, and every few miles in between. They are
scattered from Siberia to Slam and from Japan to the English Channel.
One could fly around the world today in almost any direction and stay every night in an Adventist

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home. Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Athens, Cairo, Bombay, Calcutta,
Rangoon, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Johannesburg-all the chief cities of the world-have their Adventist
churches, where people who are looking for the coming of the Lord gather to pray for His soon appearance.

World Council Studies Advent

This wave of advent truth is even lapping at the doors of the World Council of Churches, which
has chosen as the theme of its next General Assembly, to be held at Evanston, Illinois, in 1954, “Jesus
Christ our Lord, the only Hope of the Church and the World.”
When a commission of twenty-two theologians was appointed by the World Council to give
preliminary study to this theme it reported, in July, 1951:
“Christ . . . summoned His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him. With the same note of
necessity, He spoke also of the tribulation of the world, of war and tumult, and even of the dissolution of
the creation itself, which must come before final victory. He told His disciples that when such things came
upon them they should take fresh heart and fresh confidence in His coming. . . .
“As the Lord of the future who will come again as judge and Savior, He gives us the assurance
that our work is not in vain, and at the same time lays upon us the necessity to work while it is day. . . .
“Having this hope we are to be as men who watch for their Lord, with loins girt and lamps lit,
active in the Master’s service and constant in prayer, knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. . . .
“There is no hope except in the crucified, risen, and coming Lord.”
Naturally this report, with its apocalyptic emphasis, aroused a storm of protest from the modernist
elements in the World Council. The editors of The Christian Century even went so far as to term it a
“counsel of despair” and “waves of poison gas.” As a result, it was referred back to the commission which,
after weeks of further deliberation, published a second report in the autumn of 1952.
Though bearing unmistakable evidence of the effect of “liberal” pressure, the second document
still contained strong traces of faith in Christ’s personal, literal, imminent return. One such statement is as
follows:
“If the Church is to find complete fulfillment, and earthly existence-individual and corporate-is to
be saved from meaninglessness, we must look not only to the course of earthly history itself, but beyond it.
Our hope must be an eschatological hope, anchored in God who comes to us in Jesus Christ, and looking at
once to what He has done, what He is doing now, and what He will do for His people and His world, in
completion of His saving work.”
Again, “Those who preach apocalyptic views are right in pointing out that the New Testament is
full of references to a salvation yet to be revealed, a Kingdom yet to come. The response which they evoke
among many who are poor, wretched, and despised or disillusioned . . . is a reminder to us that many hearts
long for some mighty change in things as they are, some deliverance from their lot.”
A personal letter from one of the secretaries of the World Council of Churches, dated December
11, 1952, tells that no subject ever discussed by the Council has aroused such widespread interest, or
brought such quantities of mall, as this. And no matter how the debate may go between the modernist and
conservative elements in the Council, it is of very great significance that it is taking place at all. Nothing
indeed could have happened better calculated to stir up world wide concern about the coming of the Lord
than this controversy over what is the true hope of the Christian church. Inevitably the members of all the
churches associated with the World Council of Churches will be compelled to think anew of the second
advent and make up their own minds about it. And this, we are convinced, is in the providence of God, that
all the world may know that Jesus is soon to return.
Recently it was our privilege to attend a “Congress on Prophecy” in the Calvary Baptist Church,
New York City. Delegates were present from sixteen denominations. Sponsoring the gathering was the
American Association for the Evangelization of the Jews. Throughout the Congress the chief subject of
discussion was none other than the imminent, personal, glorious return of Jesus. For ten days Baptists,
Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and others declared with great forcefulness their conviction that His coming
is near, “even at the doors.” To hear them sing, “Glory, glory, Jesus will come some day!” was an
unforgettable experience.

Congress on Prophecy
Among the sermon titles were the following: “Waiting for Christ’s Return;” “The Return of Christ
the Hope of the World;” “Bible Prayers for Our Lord’s Return;” “Signs of the Times.” “The Message of the

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Prophet Daniel for Today;” “The Final Battle Between Christ and Satan;” “Rewards of the Faithful at
Christ’s Return.”
While on certain matters of detail the speakers did not agree with one another, it was heartening to
note that on the central theme of Christ’s imminent, literal, visible, audible return in power and glory there
was complete unanimity.
In the bookstore next to the Calvary Baptist Church there was a unique display of books dealing
with the second advent. Written by ministers of various denominations during the past two or three years,
they covered almost every phase of the subject. Some had more dynamic titles than others, some were
better written than others, but all had one feature in common: they stressed the soon coming of the Lord.
One volume in particular arrested our attention. Entitled Behold. Thy King Comes! It was
compiled by a certain “Brother Edward” belonging to one of the monastic orders fostered by the Church of
England. Among the contributors are the following:
The Dean of King’s College, London, one of the chaplains to the late King George VI of England.
A member of the Community of the Resurrection-one of the “Mirfield Monks.”
A member of the Orthodox Church in Syria.
The head of the Order of the Franciscan Brothers at Cerne Abbas, Dorsetshire, England.
The Hebrew Lecturer at King’s College, London.
The Vicar of Fenny Stratford, specially mentioned as being a member of the committee of “The
Guild of Prayer for, the Return of Our Lord.”

Advent Trumpeted by Events

In the opening chapter the compiler freely admits that his contributors differ on matters of detail.
“Each writer has been left free to express his own convictions in his own way,” he says. “There has been no
attempt to secure agreement upon matters which may have importance but are secondary. But,” he adds
significantly, “the one central and essential truth which we hold in common and desire to present to our
readers is the statement in the Nicene Creed, ‘From thence He shall come again to Judge both the quick and
the dead, whose Kingdom shall have no end.”
In the preface to this remarkable book occurs this challenging statement: “The Second Advent of
our Lord is being trumpeted by the great argument of events. History has taken over the proclamation of the
New Testament hope of the Lord, s return, thereby rebuking the Church and her theologians for their too
long neglect of this great theme.”
Again, “The outstanding result of New Testament criticism in the last twenty-five or thirty years is
to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the hope of Christ’s Second Coming derives from the direct
teaching of our Lord Himself. This is a gain of incalculable significance. If belief in, and proclamation of,
the Second Advent of our Lord is the mark of a ‘crank,’ then our Lord was Himself the greatest ‘crank’ of
all.”
On page thirteen there appears yet another striking statement which, coming from one closely
associated with the “Anglo-Catholic,” or “High Church,” section of the Church of England, may well have
a deeper meaning than the author supposed. “I am told,” he says, “that the Pope has lately instructed
Cardinal Spellman to bid his people study the ‘Signs of the Times.’ If this is indeed correct, then it still
further emphasizes how widespread today is discussion concerning the meaning of current events and the
possibility that they may be consummated by Christ’s return in glory.
Examples of this ever-growing interest in the Second Advent could be quoted at length. One more
must suffice.
The Salvation Army, deeply engrossed in its diverse works of mercy, has not in years past given
much emphasis to the doctrine of the 1ast things,” but on November 10, 1951, General Albert Osborn wrote
an article for the War Cry which was nothing less than a clarion call to every member of his great
organization to prepare for the imminent second advent. Writing under the title, “The Midnight Cry,” he
said: “It is my conviction that the world’s clock is nearly at midnight. The night is real, the midnight dark
and menacing, but the morning comes. We believe profoundly and look with earnest expectation to the
coming of the Lord, and to the reign of peace and righteousness. We must sound an alarm in God’s holy
mountain, Awake, awake, the King is at hand!”
Thus today, as once before, nineteen centuries ago, the Great Expectation is spreading-from heart
to heart, from church to church, from nation to nation. Every day new voices join the chorus, “Jesus Is
Coming Again.” Every day more and more people begin to pray, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
There was never anything like it. Never were so many men and women looking for “that blessed

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hope.” Never were so many longing for their Lord’s return. Never were so many eager to look up into His
glorious face and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.” Isaiah 25:9.

Thy King Comes!

Centuries before Christ’s first advent the prophet Zechariah wrote: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King comes unto thee: He is just, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. . . . And He shall speak peace unto the
heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.”
Zechariah 9:9, 10.
This prediction was partly fulfilled when, near the climax of His earthly sojourn, Jesus rode into
Jerusalem on “a colt the foal of an ass.” As Luke tells the story, the people, overjoyed that their beloved
Master seemed about to set up His kingdom, “spread their clothes in the way. And when He was come
nigh, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice
and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen. Saying, Blessed be the King
that comes in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.” Luke 119:36-38.
But this did not complete the fulfillment of the prophecy. Christ’s entry into Jerusalem amid the
acclaim of those whom He had served and blessed was but a foretaste of His final triumph at the close of
redemption’s story when all the multitude of the saints will sing His praise.
Today this glorious event is almost here. In a little while He will come again in majesty and power
to set up His kingdom of righteousness and peace which shall be “from sea even to sea, and from the river
even to the ends of the earth.” Once more, the cry is heard as in the days of old, “Rejoice!
“Shout. . . . Behold thy King comes!” Unceasingly, by night and day, it echoes on and on around
the whole wide world. And it will rise and swell in one sublime crescendo until He comes again.
Looking from heaven upon His waiting, praying, yearning people, how can our Lord much longer
delay His glorious appearing? Surely soon the universe must ring with the glad, triumphant tidings,
heralded by “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” The King is on His way!

When Christ Comes

“And, behold, I come quickly; and MY reward is with Me, to give every man according as hi’s work shall
be.” Revelation 22:12.

A FEW months ago, in Palo Alto, California, a little boy was dying of a strange disease. Though
three years old, he couldn’t stand. His arms were so feeble he couldn’t lift a spoon to his mouth. His eyes
never moved. He could hardly swallow. His parents had spent $30,000 trying to find a cure.
Then one day a visiting doctor from abroad happened to visit the hospital where the boy was lying.
Instantly he recognized the symptoms and suggested a different drug.
Eagerly the mother watched as the injection was given. Suddenly she cried, “Look! His eyes are
beginning to change!”
“Impossible,” said the doctor. “Too soon.”
Ten minutes later the mother cried again, “Something is happening! He’s moving his muscles!”
“Just imagination, I fear,” said the doctor.
“No!” cried the mother. “Look! He’s coming to life!”
She was right. The doctor snapped his fingers beside the little boy’s ear. The child turned his eyes
to see what was happening. Then he slid off his mother’s lap and stood up. Overjoyed, she carried him
home. Today he is a normal, happy child. All because somebody knew what to do.
Jesus knows what to do for every trouble, and when He comes again there will be many a
transformation far more wonderful than this. And it won’t take long. Not ten minutes, or even five. “In the
twinkling of an eye” shall “this corruptible . . . put on incorruption, and this mortal . . . immortality.” 1
Corinthians 15:52,53.
“This perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on
immortality,” is the rendering of the Revised Standard Version. It is a wonderful promise. The human body
is good for fifty, sixty, maybe seventy years of active existence, but by that time it is pretty well worn out.
Slowly but surely it perishes a little every day. The hair gets whiter-and thinner. The bones get more brittle,

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the arteries harder, the muscles less supple, and the vision less clear. But when Jesus returns the process of
decay and deterioration will cease, suddenly and forever. The “perishable” will become “imperishable” and
the mortal, immortal.

Health for the Sick

Do you realize what this may mean to you?
If you are a child of God, then at the first glimpse of the Lord Jesus riding down the skies,
followed by the shining hosts of heaven, new life from above will surge through your body, rejuvenating
every faculty and eliminating every weakness. At that moment, as Isaiah predicted long ago, “the eyes of
the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an
hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” Isaiah 35:5, 6.
Perhaps you have weak eyes and wear glasses. Suddenly, miraculously, your vision will be
restored. You will see with a clarity you haven’t known since childhood. You will throw your glasses away.
You will never need them again. Perhaps you have had trouble with your teeth and spent a fortune with
your dentist in a lifelong battle with toothache. Suddenly you will feel a change in your mouth. A new set
will appear. As for those expensive plates, you will throw them away, too.
Perhaps you have had polio and one leg is shorter than the other. You have had to wear a brace
and can only hobble around. Suddenly that withered limb will be restored like the other, just as you have
hoped and prayed so often that it would be. The brace you will throw away with the glasses and the false
teeth.
Perhaps you have arthritis and your joints are all crippled. It is terribly painful for you to move.
You have spent thousands of dollars on doctors’ fees and Cortisone. Suddenly the pain will cease, those
ugly bumps will disappear, and your skin will become smooth again. You will find you can run and jump
as you did when you were a child. As for the Cortisone, you will just forget you bought it.
Perhaps you have heart trouble and have already felt the first frightening signs that the faithful old
pump is wearing out. You have been ordered to rest and have been given special medicine to take.
Suddenly the irregular beating will stop. Strength will return. You will leap to your feet like a young man in
a ball game. Your heart will never trouble you again. It will beat on with perfect rhythm through all
eternity. And you will never need that medicine any more.
Perhaps you have cancer. Maybe the doctor has just broken the dread news, like a judge giving
sentence of death. He has prescribed drugs to relieve the unendurable pain. Suddenly the ordeal will be
over. The pain will be gone.
Like a cleansing, healing torrent, the life of God will rush into your mortal frame, removing every
trace of the disease. You will be perfectly well, never to know sickness again. And the drugs you will leave
behind.
Oh, wonderful day! Surely it cannot come too soon! No wonder the aged apostle prayed, “Even so,
come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20.

Life for the Dead

But suppose you should die before He comes, what then? This presents no problem to the Author
of life. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump ... the dead shall be raised incorruptible.”
1 Corinthians 15:52. Even if you have been buried in some marble tomb, or drowned in the deep Atlantic,
or blown to pieces on some distant battlefield, the great Creator knows how to recreate you-your very self-
and bring you forth a living, thinking being, radiant with strength, vigor, beauty, and eternal life.
Can this be true? It is true. The coming King Himself has declared it. Long ago He said to His
disciples, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His
voice, and shall come forth.” John 5:28, 29. To Martha He said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25.
Again, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise
him up at the last day.” John 6:44.
This is what the patriarch Job believed, back in the dawn of history. 1f a man die, shall he live
again?” he asked-and answered, “All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou
shall call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Your hands.” Job 14:14, 15.
You may have this same faith. For God will not forget His own. All who are the work of His
hands, all who have permitted Him to mold their characters and cleanse their lives of sin, are very precious

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in His sight, the objects of His supreme desire. He will not let them sleep in the grave forever. In the
glorious resurrection day He will call and they will answer.

The Glad Reunion

The apostle Paul had no doubt about the resurrection of the dead at Christ’s glorious return.
Writing to the church at Thessalonica, he said: “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that you 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 [from the gravel.
“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 [go before] 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 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
Caught up together! Not scattered far and wide. But together. How thoughtful of God, and how
kind! In that day of Jesus’ triumph, when all heaven rings with His praise, He will not forget the dearest
longings of His faithful children. Not only will he heal all their diseases, remove all their aches and pains,
and raise them, if need be from the dead, but He will also bring them together. Husband and wife, mother
and child, brother and sister, sweethearts, old friends, all will see each other again.
As William Cullen Bryant says so beautifully in his “Flood of Years”:

Beyond That belt of darkness, still the years roll on More gently, but with not less mighty sweep.
They gather up again and softly bear All the sweet lives that late were overwhelmed And lost to sight, all
that in them, was good, Noble, and truly great, and worthy of love. . . . As its smooth eddies curl along
their way They bring old friends together; hands are clasped In joy unspeakable; the mother’s arms
Again are folded round the child she loved And lost. Old sorrows are forgotten now, Or but remembered
to make sweet the hour That overpays them; wounded hearts that bled Or broke are healed forever. In
the room Of this grief-shadowed present, there shall be A Present in whose reign no grief shall gnaw
The heart, and never shall a tender tie Be broken.

Then shall that dear promise be fulfilled: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4.
No more partings, no more tears, no more saying good-by! It seems too good to be true. But it is
true. Life will be just like this when Jesus comes again.
That is why we say that the day of His return will be the most wonderful day in all the history of
this old world. It will be the most glorious day, the most thrilling day, the happiest day. It will mark the end
of so many harsh, cruel, and ugly things-things that strike fear to the heart and weigh it down with anxiety
and sorrow. War between nations, conflict between capital and labor, strife between members of families--
all w ill cease suddenly and forever. So, too, will all oppression of the poor, all tyranny over the weak, all
exploitation of the innocent and helpless. Lethal weapons will be destroyed and never again will the atomic
bomb, the hydrogen bomb, or any other kind of bomb, be a threat to humanity.
Then there will be peace at last. Real peace. Universal peace. There will be nothing to fight about,
nothing to quarrel about. Contentment will pervade every heart. “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, g6odness, faith, meekness, temperance” will mark every action of the redeemed, as their lives
bear in rich profusion the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Greed, envy, jealousy will never be seen again, or any unholy ambition. There will never be
anything to be sorry about, no unkind words to recall, no wounds to heal. Never -from that day on-will the
golden rule be forgotten, while love eternally will reign supreme in every heart. Everybody will be as
happy as when the children and their mothers crowded around the Master in the long ago. Joy inexpressible
and unending will fill their hearts as “they shall see His face” and listen as He tells anew redemption’s
story.
What a day that will be! What a dawning of the morning! The night of sin will be over at last. The
powers of darkness will be vanquished, with the Lord of light triumphant over all. All sickness, pain, and
death will be forever past, while perfect health, happiness, and peace will be the lot of God’s children
through all time to come. No wonder the second coming of Jesus is called the blessed hope!
“Then comes the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;

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when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He bath put all
enemies under His feet.” 1 Corinthians 15:24, 25.
He must reign. His victory is inevitable. It is certain as the dawn. “The gates of hell” cannot keep
the Man of Calvary from returning to this earth in glory to establish His kingdom of righteousness. He must
reign and He shall reign. Indeed, “He shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.

Who May Share the Glory?

But will His coming bring happiness to everybody? No. Not to everybody. It could. But it won’t.
Strange as it may seem, some people do not want Jesus to come again. Engrossed in the pleasures of the
world, they think they are happy enough anyway. Others regard all talk of His return as so much nonsense;
while still others are afraid of His coming, knowing full well it must bring judgment upon their evil deeds.
Jesus foretold this sad situation long ago when He said that many will “mourn” when they “see the
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30. Mourning on
earth’s happiest day! What a tragedy!
Yet thus it will be. The apostle John was shown the dreadful scene: “And the heaven departed as a
scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the
kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and
every bondman, and every freeman, 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 sits 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?” Revelation
6:14-17.
That question is one for us all to ponder. Who shall be able to stand? Who shall be found ready to
meet Jesus face to face when He returns in His glory? Will you? Will I?
One thing is sure: Jesus wants us to be ready. He doesn’t want anybody to be left out of heaven.
He takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. “Therefore be you also ready,” He urges, “for in such
an hour as you think not the Son of man comes.” Matthew 24:44. And He is willing to help us to be ready.
He is prepared at any moment to forgive us our sins, if we will only ask Him.
Only too well He knows that “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”
(John 3:3); and that all who harbor evil thoughts, and deliberately disobey His commandments, will be left
outside (Revelation 22:14, 15). And so to one and all He sends this loving, tender appeal, “Come now, and
let us reason together, said the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the
land.” Isaiah 1: 18, 19. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. . . . And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.
It is the yearning of infinite Love. He wants everybody to share the glories of His kingdom. He
wants everybody to be ready to meet Him in peace at His appearing. But He won’t force us. He just invites
and pleads, hoping against hope that we will accept. Friend, what will be your response?
Will you not accept His invitation now? Will you not bow your head at this moment and say,
“Jesus, my Lord, I come; forgive my sins, my follies, my failures; gladly I give myself to Thee for time and
eternity”?
The coming King is on His way. There can be no doubt about that. The signs of His return are as
plain as if they were written in flaming letters on the sky. Soon the glorious pageantry of His advent will
burst upon our mortal sight. Streaming past the glowing constellations of the watching universe, the most
sublime procession of the ages will move toward this planet for the final scenes of its tragic history. At its
head will be Jesus, crowned with many crowns, as King of the Ages, King of Creation, King of the World,
and King of Kings.
What will you do then? Will you flee in fear and shame from His presence, or look up into His
face with gladness, saying, “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”? Isaiah 25:9.
God grant you may crown Him King in that great day -King of your heart, forever!

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