CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V.

SIGNS OF THE END.

No one can truly speak of signs of the coming of Jesus for His Bride. The Bible nowhere mentions a sign of that event. We have already shown you that the coming of Jesus for His Bride is ever imminent; and so we are not to wait for a sign to arouse us to preparation.

It is recorded in the 24th chapter of Matthew that the disciples came to Jesus, and asked: “When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?” He did not tell them just when “these things” (the throwing down of the temple) should be. He taught them clearly that there would be no sign of His coming for His own. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” They . . . . knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Some may think that Nahum 2: 3 teaches that there are to be signs prior to the catching away of the Bride; but “the day of His preparation” could apply to days after the Bride are gone. He taught them that there would be signs of the destruction of Jerusalem; and that the Jerusalem tribulation was a type of The Great Tribulation; and the signs going before the former will be repeated in case of the latter. We shall find occasion to refer to these things in future chapters.

Many of the things that the Bible mentions as the signs of the end are in the sky today; whereby we may know that we are nearing the close of this age. Remembering that Jesus must come to get His Bride before The Great Tribulation, that The Tribulation must pass before “the end,” and seeing the signs of the end today, we know that surely the coming of Jesus for His Bride is nigh. Let us notice some of the signs.

In the revised text of James 5: 3, we read, “Ye have laid

SIGNS OF THE END.

up your treasure in the last days.” We are here told that in the last days men will lay their treasure up together. Such a thing was never done until within the last century. Now men are heaping their moneys together, forming trusts, combines, etc. We read in the same connection, “Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth.” Today in many places the hire of the laborers is kept back for two weeks. The interest on the wages thus kept back amounts to millions of dollars every week, and this amount falls into the coffers of the rich. This was never done before these days. James tells us that these things are to take place in the last days; therefore, we may conclude that we are now in the last days.

“The chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets, and they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.”—Nahum 2: 3, 4. In this prophecy it is stated that there shall be a time when the chariots shall be with flaming torches, and they shall seem like torches. Who can doubt but that such is the case now? Our trains have flaming torches before and behind. The chariots shall run like the lightnings. This may refer to the speed of the locomotives, street cars, and automobiles. We know also that many chariots are run today by lightning. As the chariots pass us on the streets, lightning gleams from above and from beneath.

Are not many of our streets called broadways? Do not the trains jostle one against another in the broadways? Every day that passes there are wrecks in the railroads. It is here stated that the chariots shall rage in the streets. The word “rage” here means that the chariots shall be driven with furious haste. This is a striking picture of the automobiles in our towns today. All through the streets of our cities these chariots are raging. It is further stated that the trees shall be terribly shaken. To-

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS.

day as the heavy loaded cars pass at such great speed, the trees are made to shake. The word “terrible” indicates a violent shaking of the trees. Perhaps this will yet be fulfilled in a greater measure than it is being fulfilled now. However, it is easy to see that this prophecy of Nahum is fulfilled almost to the letter before our own eyes. So it must be that we are now living in the day of His preparation.

Daniel, in closing his prophecy, asked God for an explanation of what he had written. God said unto him, “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”—Dan. 12: 9.

Through the ages the prophecies of Daniel have been hidden. In the last few years God is unfolding them. Since they were closed up and sealed till the time of the end, we must be nearing the end today.

“Many shall run to and fro.”—Dan. 12: 4. Of course, many have been running in the ordinary sense of the term through all the ages; but this must refer to some special method of travel. The word “run” indicates speed; and thus it connects with Nahum’s prophecy. “Man” indicates numbers. One hundred years ago a railroad had never been built; but now America, as well as other parts of the world, is covered with a net‑work of them. Trains are running at all hours, and their cars are packed with passengers the most of the way. Every one is in a “run.” Up to a few years ago, a person traveling was not in a hurry as he is now. If he had a few hundred miles to go he did not mind stopping over a few hours or days at any point along his way. Now a person traveling is in a “run.” If his train is a few minutes late, he is pacing the floor with his watch in his hand, asking about his train every few minutes. Thus this prophecy of Daniel is fulfilled every day before our eyes.

“Knowledge shall be increased.”—Dan. 12: 4. There never was a time when knowledge, both good and bad, was increasing so rapidly as it is now. The printing press of the last few

SIGNS OF THE END.

centuries is a great factor towards the increase of knowledge. It is indicated that such shall be the case in the time of the end, hence, that time must be here now.

“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships.”—Dan. 11: 40. This Scripture will be fulfilled to the letter during the reign of the Antichrist, which will occupy the last days of The Great Tribulation. The point to which I call special attention here is the last phrase quoted, “with many ships.” Most all the battles of the ages have been fought on the land; but in these last days many battles are fought on the sea. Much of the present European war is being enacted on the sea. The nations of the earth are now preparing battleships as never before. Naval preparations figure largely in the present proposed “Preparedness program” in the United States. Every civilized nation seems to be preparing for war, and that war to be fought largely on the sea. What does it mean? The above quotation indicates that at the time of the end the wars will be waged on the sea; therefore, we must be in the time of the end.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”—I Tim. 4: 1‑3. Surely all these things are in the world today. Many have already departed from the faith, and are fulfilling the above Scripture to the letter. Such ones are giving heed to doctrines of devils, forbidding to marry, and teaching that those who eat meat are unclean. “For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first.”—2 Thess. 2: 3.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS.

come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce‑breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high‑minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Tim. 3: 1‑7. There is not a phrase of the above Scripture but is being fulfilled now. All these things confront us on every hand. We are living in perilous times. Hence, we conclude that we are in the last days.

“As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”—Matt. 24: 37‑39.

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”—Luke 17: 28‑30.

You may be expecting some announcement in gilt letters upon the face of the sky stating that Jesus is coming for His Bride; but such you will never see. God does mention certain signs in His Word, telling us that certain things shall be in the last days. These signs are now appearing, whereby we may know that we are nearing the end. Since we know that Jesus is coming for His Bride before the end, and since we see that the end is near, then how much nearer is His coming for His Bride?