<< Back |
Chosen no: R-3389 b, from: 1904 Year. |
Change lang
| |
Universal Anarchy--Just Before Or After October, 1914 A.D.
WHAT seems at first glance the veriest trifle and wholly unrelated to
the matter, has changed our conviction respecting the time when universal
anarchy may be expected in accord with the prophetic numbers. We now expect
that the anarchistic culmination of the great time of trouble which will
precede the Millennial blessings will be after October, 1914 A.D.--very speedily
thereafter, in our opinion --"in one hour," "suddenly."
Our readers familiar with the presentation of the subject given in
MILLENNIAL DAWN, will recall that the date, October, 1914 A.D., is very sharply
defined by two lines of evidence: (1) The Times of the Gentiles--2,520
years from the overthrow of the government of Zedekiah, the last typical king
of the Jews, in 606 B.C.; and (2) the Parallels, both the length and
various features of the Jewish and Gospel ages. We have found no flaw in either
of these prophetic testimonies, nor do we believe that fault can be found with
them along Scriptural lines by anybody. The matter that has just come to our
attention is that in counting the forty years' harvest of the Jewish age, from
October, A.D. 29, to October, A.D. 69, where the year 70 in Jewish reckoning began,
we spoke of that harvest time as ending A.D. 70. This is a correct enough
statement, because the full end of 69
A.D. is up to the beginning of 70 A.D. We pointed out that
the parallels of time in the harvest of this Gospel age began October, 1874,
and will end October, 1914-- at the beginning of 1915, Jewish time.
All these matters stand just as they were--we have nothing to fault or
to alter. But in a recent examination of the closing of the Jewish harvest,
with a view to closer scrutiny as to what might be expected in the end of the
present harvest of Christendom, we noticed that the actual fall of the Jewish
polity was not at the beginning of A.D. 70, but towards its close, and at once
we perceived that the forty-year harvest ending 69 A.D. closed before the
destruction in its fullest sense came upon the typical people. Instantly we
thought of the parallel here and perceived, as above stated, that our forty
years' harvest, ending October, 1914
A.D., should not be expected to include the awful period
of anarchy which the Scriptures point out to be the fate of Christendom. The
matter seems so plain and simple now that we wonder that we or our many
critical readers did not notice it long ago. The only plausible explanation is
that in the divine will our eyes were holden for the time respecting this
matter--possibly [R3389 : page 198] with a
view to our expectations that the harvesting opportunities would sooner close,
causing our consequent greater zeal in the service.
Looking back to the prophetic testimony respecting the Times of the
Gentiles, we perceive that, although the Lord did not give to worldly
governments a definite lease of power until 1914, nevertheless our Lord's
words, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of
the Gentiles be filled full," gives the intimation broadly enough that the
determined times or years in which the empire of earth would be in the hands of
Gentile governments was a fixed one from the divine standpoint. And if, as we
believe the Scriptures to teach, Gentile domination was provided for up to
October, 1914, it would seem but a reasonable interpretation that divine power
for the overthrow of the kingdoms of this world would not be exercised to their
dethronement until after the time allotted for their reign had ended--October,
1914.
True, it was to be in the times of these kings that the God of heaven
would take from the mountain, without hands [not by human power], the little
stone which should eventually smite the image in its feet. True, also, it was
to be in the days of these last kings--represented in the toes of the image--
that the God of heaven should set up his Kingdom, which should break in pieces
and consume all; but the setting up of that Kingdom we understand has been in
progress throughout this harvest time, especially since 1878, since which time
we believe that all the overcomers of the Church who die faithful are changed
"in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," and are immediately
constituted members of the set-up Kingdom on the other side the veil. Quite
probably this setting up will consume nearly or quite all of the forty years of
harvest time apportioned to it; but in any event, the time for the smiting of
the image in its feet will not come until October, 1914 A.D., however much
trouble and distress of nations may result from the prior awakening of their
peoples under the enlightening influences of the dawning of the Millennial
morning. Already such distress or perplexity is felt in quarters national,
financial and religious.
Our previous expectation was that the anarchistic period would last some
three or four years, and in our mental calculations of the opportunities for
harvest work, we naturally cut off those years, and the time thus appeared shorter
to us. Now, however, we see clearly that for some of the Church there probably
remain fully ten years of experience, opportunities, testings, victories, joys
and sorrows. Each year, however, we may expect that the signs of the times will
more and more demonstrate the accuracy of our expectations both for the Church
and for the world. As already pointed out, the harvest dates shown us in the
Scriptures are October, 1874, as the beginning of the harvest; April, 1878, as
the parallel to our Lord's death; October, 1881, as the parallel to the
termination of the special favor to natural Israelites in the sending of the
Gospel to the Gentiles, Cornelius being the first; and October, 1914 A.D., as the end of the
forty years' harvest. Any other dates than these are purely speculative. We
have never set forth any other dates as being presented by the Scriptures. We
did indeed call attention to the date suggested by one of the measurements
through the upper step of the Great Pyramid's "Grand Gallery," but in
conjunction with the suggestion we particularly intimated that it was merely
speculative. [R3390 : page 198]
Our estimate of what may be reasonably looked for as the order of events
in the next ten years is, of course, based upon what the Scriptures indicate to
be coming, and is the result of our endeavor to put together these coming
events in their seemingly logical order or sequence. We have already pointed
out that the "symbolical image of the beast" began 1846.* We are now
anxiously looking for the vitalizing of that image as foretold in Rev. 13:15. Our expectation is that this causing
of the image to have life, speech and power will have its fulfilment in some
pact or union or agreement amongst so-called Protestant denominations, with a
sympathetic alliance and cooperation with the Church of Rome. Our expectation
is that the spark of life to the organic union begun in the Evangelical
Alliance will come from the Episcopal Church, which claims divine authority
through apostolic succession--a claim which other Protestant denominations
would be glad to be able to make. The Episcopal Church is quite ready to confer
the spark of authority and vitality, and we opine that three or four more years
will so greatly increase the tendency toward union and toward power amongst
Protestants that they will be willing in some form to accept the so-called
apostolic ordination and authority. If this be not accomplished by 1910, or
evidently be very near to accomplishment at that time, we shall feel a measure
of disappointment.
Meantime Socialism (which, although not so intended by its best and
ablest leaders, is incipient anarchy, because even its best propositions would
prove unworkable under present selfish conditions) will be making strong
headway throughout Christendom, and will be causing more and more perplexity to
the great, the rich, the mighty, the wise, the influential, according to the
course of this world. The quickened "image" will be closely related
to the chief captains
----------
*See Millennial Dawn, Vol. III., p. 119. [R3390
: page 199] of industry, finance and politics, and the dread of
Socialism and irreligion and anarchy will draw them more and more closely
together and make each the more energetic in support of the other.
As a result of these conditions we may expect an increasing disregard of
the rights and constitutional prerogatives of all who are not directly active
supporters of the powers that be, political, financial and religious. The
freedom of speech and freedom to circulate literature will be greatly abridged,
under the plea that such abridgment is necessary for the public welfare, which
in some respects will be the truth. Anything not fully in line with the rulers
of that time will be reckoned as in opposition; and notwithstanding our
disposition for peace, and our good will toward all men of all classes and
stations, the WATCH TOWER publications will probably come under the ban with
those of Socialism--though their teachings be as opposite as the poles. The
period following will seemingly be the time when the door will be closing --and
opportunities for service will be increasingly diminished, though opportunities
for suffering for the Truth's sake may increase.
The lesson to us each and all seems to be that during the next five or
six years we should labor with intensified zeal, because we know that the night
is coming wherein no man can labor. How glad we are that in divine providence
our lot has fallen in the present time! How glad we are that our eyes have seen
and our ears heard the precious messages peculiar to this time! How glad we are
that we are permitted even at this "eleventh hour" to engage in the
harvest work! How glad we are for the prospect of continued opportunities for
service--a little longer than we had previously supposed! How glad we are that,
no matter how infinitesimal our talents and opportunities may be, the great
Reaper deigns to use us still as his co-laborers, and has provided various
instruments by which even the smallest, the weakest, the humblest, may through
tracts or books or otherwise engage in the wonderful opportunities of the
harvest of this age.
In answer to many inquiries respecting the progress of the work, we take
this opportunity of assuring the dear co-laborers that it is progressing
greatly. The Volunteers are very energetic and we are continually noting
favorable results: some of the Lord's truth-hungry sheep are being found and
revived; the Colporteurs are finding more and more a readiness to hear as the
people awaken to the fact that their theological professors and ministers and
many of the membership of the various denominations are drifting farther and
farther from faith in God and in his Book. As the chasm between faith and
unbelief widens and deepens, as the higher critics become more and more bold,
and the evolutionists more and more assertive, the true sheep are getting to
listen more and more attentively for the Shepherd's voice, and to realize that
they have been following to some extent false guides and have been too careless
of the voice of the Shepherd. Now is the time for reaching these hungry sheep,
who if not speedily nourished with the Truth will fall into the evolution
theories and the higher critical pit of infidelity.
W.T. R-3389b : page 197 - 1904r.