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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S '
The Unity of the Scripture Testimony) Concerning Things to Come By Arno Clemens Gaebelein, D. D. Editor of “Our H ope,” New York City (Continued from th e September Number) W h at Precedes th e Day of th e Lord? H LL Christendom believes in a day of consummation, except th e Destructive Critics, whose work and testimony is so m inutely foretold by Peter. “Know ing th is first, th a t th ere shall come in th e la st days scoffers, walking afte r th e ir own lusts, and saying, Where is th e prom ise of His coming? F o r since th e fath e rs fell asleep, all things continue as they wère from th e begin
The nations are responsible in p a rt for th a t tim e of g reat trouble. They a te seen in prophecy as th e enemies of Israel. Daniel’s g rea t prophecy revealed th e different world-empires. (Chap. 2 and 7.) The Roman World Empire is yet to be revived and who does not see in th e E uropean chaos of today the beginning of th a t predicted revival? When its revival comes a g reat leader will appear, th e little horn of Daniel’s prophecy. (Dan. 70.) This leader will be S atan ’s man. He is seen th ro u g h o u t th e prophetic Word. The Psalm s call him the Wicked One. Zeehariah reveals him as th e idol shepherd. He is also called th e head over many countries (P salm 110). Daniel fu rth erm o re heard of him as “ th e P rince th a t shall come.” He makes a covenant w ith many of th e Jews, b u t in th e middle of th e 70th week he breaks th a t covenant and in stitu te s th e g reat tribu lation . Besides th is political leader th e re will be ano th er one who works in harmony w ith th is one. Daniel describes him in chapter 11:36-39. To say th a t th is prophecy was fulfilled in King Herod is an exegetical vagary. The Book of Revela tion confirms all these old prophecies and enlarges upon them . Joel and Ezekiel; as well as Zeehariah, predict a coming invasion of Isra el’s land. There will be another siege of Jerusalem (Zech. 14) and Gentile hordes, a combi nation of nations, will come up again st Jerusalem . Then comes “ th a t Day” and th e b attle of Armageddon Will bring th e complete overthrow of these forces. From all th is we learn th a t th e Day of the Lord is preceded by a trem endous political upheaval, predicted in th e opening verses of the se'cond Psalm . W hat th e re tu rn in g Lord will m eet on earth is also seen in Rev. 19:19. “And I saw th e beast, and th e kings of th e earth , and th e ir arm ies, gathered to gether to m ake w ar against; Him th a t sa t on th e horse and ag ain st His arm ies.” The New Testam ent tells us more of w hat will happen be fore th a t day in connection w ith Christendom . Our Lord predicted th a t th ere should be false Christs, wolves in sheep clothing, deceivers w ith strong delusions; He also predicted, “ as it was in th e days of Noah so shall it be when th e Son of Man com eth.” He asked th e question: “Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall He find th e faith on the e a rth ? ” The Holy Spirit th rough th e epistolar testim ony enlarges upon all this. In 2 Thess. 2 we read th a t th e day of th e Lord does not come till th e re come first th e falling away and the man of sin be revealed, th e son of perdition. He is th e same person whom th e Old T estam ent prophets pre dicted. He will be th e false Christ, th e final Anti-Christ) who brings th e strong delusions, th e lying signs and m ir acles. He, is th e same as revealed in th e second half of Rev, 13. Every New Testam ent w riter b ears w itness to th e coming apostasy in Christendom . We quote th e passages which may be consulted: 2 Thess. 2, 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 3, 4:1-5; Jam es 5:2, P eter 2, 1 John 2:18, 4:1-4, th e Epistle of Jude. ■ These are th e predicted events which go before “th a t Day.” I t would be an in teresting study if we could follow th e testimony of all th e Scriptures concerning th e day itself and th e glory which will th en become visible.
ning.” (2 P ete r 3:3-4.) But w hat precedes th e Day of th e Lord, th e Day of H is visible m anifestation? The g reater p a rt of Christendom believes something which is nowhere ta u g h t in Scripture. I t is believed th a t before th e Day of th e Lord comes, th a t th e world must be converted, th a t all th e n ation s of th e earth m ust be brought into the kingdom, th a t w ar m ust be abolished, all forms of crim e’ be m astered and universal righteousness be established. But where does Scripture teach such a program ? There is not a single line to be found anywhere in the Bible. The world w ill be converted;, all nations w ill know th e salvation of God and w ill be brought into th e Kingdom ; nations w ill tu rn swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks; righteousness will reign— bu t th e question is when and how will th is be accomplished? Certainly n o t before b u t a fte r th e Day of th e Lord has come. According to th e un ited testim ony of both Testam ents th e Day of th e Lord is preceded by days of evil and trib u la tion. Before th e Day breaks, before th e morning w ithout clouds comes, when the shadows flee away, th e re will be th e d ark est night. We can give b u t a very little of th e teach ings of th e prophetic Word on these m atters. Before th e day of th e Lord comes th e re will be for th e Jew ish people, for Jerusalem and Isra el’s land a tim e of g reat tribulation. I t is called by Jerem iah th e tim e of Jacob’s trouble. (Jer. 30:4.) Daniel speaks of it in his last prophecy: “There shall be a tim e of trouble, such as never was since th e re was a nation .” (Dan. 12 :1 .) Many of the Psalm s speak of it prophetically, especially th e imprecatory Psalms. H abakkuk saw in sp irit th a t time, of coming trouble. (Hab. 3:16.) The P roph et Micah also describes th a t evil day in chapter 7:1-7. Then th e re are o th er passages like Isaiah 25:4-5; 59:19, 20, etc. When our Lord in H is g rea t Olivet discourse speaks of th e g reat trib u latio n (Matt. 2 4 :2 1 .)! He confirms th è testim ony of all th e prophets con cerning th a t tribu lation . And He tells us in th is chapter th a t when th a t g reat tribu lation is spent He w ill come again in visible power and glory. This g reat tribu lation necessitates a p artial resto ration of th e Jews to th e ir land in unbelief. We w itness today such a restoration. But as long as God’s purpose in th is age, th e gath ering ou t of th e church, is not accomplished, th a t pre dicted end cannot come. When th e tru e church is taken up into glory to meet th e Lord in th e air (1 Thess. 4:13-18) th en the end will come. This end covers th e la st seven years of th e Times of th e Gentiles. It is th e la st unfulfilled portion of the g reat prophecy in Daniel, chapter 9, th e 70th week. •
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