110 The Fundamentals Of the day and hour when the flaming heavens shall reveal the “appearing and kingdom” of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 4 :1 ) , no man knoweth; but we are bidden to wait and be ready, lest we be surprised by the great and notable day of the Lord. To this end the Scriptures are also written, that the loving student of them may live in advance of history, and be overtaken by no untoward event. I f His prophetic Word dwell richly in our hearts and minds, there will be no great surprise for us as time goes on. We shall discern through the prophetic telescope, dimly, it may be, the ap proaches of those things out of which history is made. Should it be our blessed lot to be “alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord” (1 Thess. 4 :15) we shall see the sign of Him in the heavens (Matt. 24:30) before the startled and amazed world, lying in sin and mocking unbelief (2 Pet. 3 :3 ; Luke 18:8), are overwhelmed in that “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9). We know that there is a growing disposition on the part of many excellent Christians to make light (they know not what they do) of all prophetic study; but our risen Lord, in His last revelation to John concerning things to come, caused him to write at the very outset: “Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy; and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand;” and at the close of the book to add: “These sayings are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings o f the prophecy of this book” (Rev. 22:6, 7). May the Spirit of God give us a mind to study His Word reverently and believingly with a prepared heart, as did Ezra (7 :10 ), in the light and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then will He “show us things to come” (John 16:13).
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