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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
police officers, and even judges daily join the ranks o f the lawless, overriding the constitutions o f the nations—and without apology. “ And this gospel o f the kingdom shall he preached in all the world fo r a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (v. 14). In spite o f the apostasy o f the age, one “ gospel,” by voice or by printed page, is going to the uttermost reaches o f the human race, and that gospel is “ the gospel o f the kingdom.” The vast multitude of publications on this sub ject, and their wide dissemination, is significant indeed. But now comes the matter o f great import: When con ditions such as these described shall have come to pass, then shall cbme upon Israel her greatest sorrow : , “ T ribulation , the G reat ” “ Then shall be great
that time, thy people,” O Daniel— “ thy people [the Jews]., shall be delivered” ! In the final revelation o f God to men, the seer o f Patmos beheld the same vision : ' “ And there was war in heaven : Michael and his angels foüght against the dragon ; and the dragon fought1and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which de- ceiveth the whole world. . . . “ And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the eap*th, he persecuted the woman [Israel] which brought forth,the man child. And to the woman was given two wings o f a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilder ness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and
times, and half a time, from the face o f the ser pent. And the serpent cast out o f his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away o f the flood. And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her m ou th , and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out o f his mouth” (Rev. 12 :7- 9, 13-16). Apparently the c om plete extermination o f the Jew is to be the overpow ering urge o f the god o f this world and all his dia bolical forces as the sands o f the present dispensation run out. But once more observe that “ the woman” [Israel] is to be miracu lously saved f r o m the dragon.' What a flood o f light we have, then, on the g r e a t prophecy o f the Master : “ W h e n ye therefore shall see the abomination
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning o f the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And ex cept those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (vs. 21, 22 ). The Master was mak ing no new revelation to His Jewish brethren. They were well acquainted with many clear prophecies o f a “ time o f trouble” unequal led in all their tumultuous history. What true son o f Abra
ham, surviving the ages- long enmity o f the serpent, does not feel his pulse quicken at the reading of these words from the pro phet Jeremiah? “ For, lo, the days .come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity o f my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave ‘to their fathers, and they shall possess it” (Jer. 30 :3 ). Jeremiah, however, informs Judah and Israel that they will return to the land to “ possess it” only following the greatest tribulation that the troubled sons o f Abraham have ever known, so great that “ none is like it” (Jer. 30 :7 ). It is an old, old story: “ W e must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom o f God” (Acts 14:22). “ H e [J acob ] 'S hall B e S aved O ut of I t ” Hear again “ the weeping prophet” : “ And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and con cerning Judah. For thus saith the L o rd ; We have heard a voice o f trembling, o f fear, and not o f peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child ? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman iii travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! fo r that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time o f Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out o f it” (Jer. 30:4-7). Now let the royal prophet, Daniel, speak: “ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children o f thy people: and there shall be a time o f trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time : and at that time thy people shall be delivered ” (Dan. 12:1). Observe: “ At Used by permission of the Sunday School Times.
o f desolation, spoken o f by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, ( whoso recideth, let him understand,) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: . . . For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning o f the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved : but fo r • the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:15, 16, 21, 22). Here, as elsewhere, we find Israel “ saved out o f it,” as it is written : “ He shall send his angels . . . and they shall gather together his elect [Israel]” (v. 31). “ T he G reat T ribulation ” V ersus “ T he I ndignation ” We believe it to be an error to think of “ the great tribu lation” as referring to Gentiles’ sorrow. “I t is even the time o f Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30 :7 ). But this is not to say that a day o f terrible distress does not await the Gentiles also. The day o f Gentile woe will be more terrible still, in that the Gentile nations will in no wise be. “ saved out of it,” but will be brought to a “ full end” (Jer. 30:11). That day is known in the Scriptures as the time o f “ the indignation.” Hear the prophet Isaiah : “ Gome, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out o f his place ter punish the inhabitants o f the earth for their in-
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