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T h e February 1932 TRAGEDIES AND TRIUMPHS OF THE LAST DAYS . . . By GEORGE W. DAVIS, * Pasadena, California K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
When H. G. Wells made the statement, “ We have come to the crossroads, and no one knows the way out,” he was not posing as a prophet, nor did he base his opinion upon the statements of prophets. His observation is very true, in part, as world chaos abundantly shows. He erred in saying, “ No one knows the way out.” God knows; and for this humanly hopeless task, He has chosen His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and has not withheld from His servants just what He intends to do. Had this noted writer believed the words o f Christ and the prophets, he would not have written an ultimatum
h o u g h t f u l m e n see perils on the world horizon. A sublime optimism concerning the church and state has prevailed throughout this, generation. Since the war of nations, opinion is changing—a gradual yielding to a despairing pessimism is evident. The assumption that mankind was slowly approximat ing an idealistic goal of self-evolved perfection of charac ter and, as a consequence, neafing the age of golden dreams is being disavowed. Students of God’s Word who have given earnest heed
so hopeless as he did in these words: “ De struction is not threatening civilization: The ship of civilization is not going to sink in five years or in fifty years. It is sinking now.” At least we might have been assured that, out of the coming crash, our Lord, through infi nite grace and by almighty power, will sal vage a sufficiency of redeemed humanity from the earth to establish a new kingdom of righteousness and peace to supersede the “ iron and clay,” man’s improvised amalga mation of world government in his last ex tremity. T he L ast D ays seasons.” Ages or God has “ times” and dispensations have been arranged by divine providence. Jesus Christ is the Framer of ages (Heb. 1:3). God deals with man in each successive age under different trial con ditions. Five of these dispensations have passed. We live in the sixth— “ the day of salvation,” or “ the age of grace.” Before us, in prophetic perspective, lies the seventh, “ the dispensation of the fulness of times” (Eph. 1:10).
to “ the more sure word of* prophecy” do not need to be disillusioned.; The prophetic forecast has been clearly discerned and can be briefly comprehended as epitomized in the “ watchman’s cry” : “ The morning com- eth, and also the night.” A L ight T hat S hineth The true nature and purpose of inspired prophecy is defined by Peter as “ a light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Pet. l :19). Predictions of the future, in order to be true, must include both lights and shadows, yet the ultimate objective is to foretell the triumph of good over evil. Tragedies are inev itable, but triumphs are far more exceeding. Our Lord, in describing “ the last days” that fill up the prophetic times of the Gen tiles, said, “ There shall be . . . upon earth distress of nations, with perplexity; . . . men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are com ing on the earth” (Lk, 2 1 :25, 26). . This is an ominous prediction, but the darkness is dispelled for those who possess the hope inspired by His added promise: “ When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Lk. 2 1 :28).
Beyond the smiling and the weeping, 1 shall be soon; Beyond the waking and the sleeping, Beyond the sowing and the reaping, I shall be soon. Love, rest, and home! Sweet, sweet home! Lord, tarry not, but come! —H oratius B onar .
Accordingly, “ last days,” or “ the last times,” point out a dispensational ending, not the end of the world as is frequently inti mated, especially in the secular press. (The Greek word rendered world, aionos, means “ age.” ) The day and hour of Christ’s coming to usher in the new era is unknown, as is also His earlier coming for His own. Both the parousia and epiphany are beyond present time calculation as to exact dates. After the rapture of the “ saints,” chronology will be applicable, and the “wise shall understand” (wise among the devout of Israel). We may now “ discern signs of the times,” detect the character of the days, and determine the “ season,” and live and serve God, “with . . . loins girded about, and . . . lights burning; . . . like unto men who wait for their Lord” (Lk. 12:35, 36). “ The last days” may be summarized as to character istics, as a time of consummations for the church, Israel, and the nations, marked b y : (1 ) Cumulative and climacteric sorrows (Matt. 24: 21 ).
Prophecy pronounces judgment, but always it promises the triumph of grace—beyond all tragedy there must be ultimate triumph. D arkness W ithout L ight A great cloud of witnesses could be summoned from the ranks of keen observers and deep thinkers, who see in the present crisis, from the angle of human vision, only the breaking down of civilization. Failing to take advantage of the prophetic lens, they miss God’s vision of the last days; for them, there is no “ light in a dark place.” Referring to world conditions, Sir Philip Gibbs is accredited with this startling declaration: “ All of us will be engulfed. The stage is set for the greatest melodrama entitled ‘The Downfall of Europe.’ Two forces are being marshalled, on one side and on the other. The master of ceremonies—who used to be called the devil, in the old days— is arranging everything.”
*Pastor, Alliance Tabernacle, Pasadena, Calif.
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