Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 85

9. Who did He say would be saved?

"But _he that shall endure unto the end_, the same shall be saved." Verse 13.

10. When did Christ say the end would come?

"And _this gospel of the kingdom_ shall be _preached in all the world_ for a _witness_ unto _all nations_; and _then shall the end come_." Verse 14.

NOTES.-In 60 A.D. Paul carried the gospel to Rome, which was then the capital of the world. In A.D. 64 he wrote of the saints of "Caesar's household" (Phil. 4:22); and the same year he says that the gospel had been "preached to every creature which is under heaven." Col. 1:23. Very soon after this (October, 66 A.D.) the Romans began their attacks against Jerusalem; and three and one-half years later the overthrow of the city and of the Jewish nation followed in the notable five months' siege under t.i.tus, in the spring and summer of 70 A.D.

Thus it was respecting the end of the Jewish nation; and thus it will be in the end of the world as a whole. When the gospel, or good news, of Christ's coming kingdom has been preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, the end of the world-of all nations-will come. As the end of the Jewish nation came with overwhelming destruction, so will come the end of the world.

Armageddon, the battle of the nations, will be fought, and the world will be swept with the besom of destruction under the seven last plagues. See readings on pages 296, 301.

11. What sign did Christ mention by which His disciples might know when the destruction of Jerusalem was near?

"And _when ye shall see Jerusalem compa.s.sed with armies_, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." Luke 21:20.

12. When this sign appeared, what were the disciples to do?

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea _flee into the mountains_."

Matt. 24:15, 16.

NOTE.-In October, 66 A.D., when Cestius came against the city, but for some unaccountable reason suddenly withdrew his army from it, the Christians discerned in this the sign foretold by Christ, and fled. After the departure of Cestius, Josephus, in his "Wars of the Jews," chapter 20, says that "many of the most eminent of the Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it is going to sink." It is a remarkable fact that in the terrible siege which occurred under t.i.tus three and one-half years later, not a single Christian is known to have lost his life, while 1,100,000 Jews are said to have perished in it. Here is a most striking lesson on the value and importance of studying and believing the prophecies, and giving heed to the signs of the times. Those who believed what Christ had said, and watched for the sign which He had foretold, were saved, while the unbelieving perished. So it will be in the end of the world. The watchful and believing will be delivered, while the careless and unbelieving will be snared and taken. See Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thess. 5:1-6.

13. When the sign appeared, how suddenly were they to flee?

"Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes." Verses 17, 18.

14. Besides telling His disciples when to flee, how did Christ further show His solicitude and tender care for them?

"But pray ye that your flight be not in _the winter_, neither on _the Sabbath day_." Verse 20.

NOTES.-The winter would be an unfavorable time in which to flee, entailing discomfort and hardship; and an attempt to flee on the Sabbath day would doubtless have been met with difficulty, so false and pharisaical were the notions of the Jews respecting the true character and object of the Sabbath. See Matt. 12:1-14; Luke 13:14-17; Mark 1:32; 2:23-28; John 5:10-18.

The prayers of Christ's followers were heard. Events were so over-*ruled that neither Jews nor Romans hindered the flight of the Christians. Upon the retreat of Cestius, the Jews pursued after his army, and the Christians thus had an opportunity to leave the city. The country also had been cleared of enemies who might have endeavored to intercept them. At the time of this siege, the Jews were a.s.sembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the Christians of Judea were able to escape unmolested, and in the autumn, a most favorable time for flight.

15. What trying experience did Christ then foretell?

"For _then shall be great tribulation_, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Verse 21.

NOTES.-In paragraph 4 of his preface to his "Wars of the Jews,"

Josephus, referring to the destruction of Jerusalem, says: "The misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of the world, if they be compared to these of the Jews, are not so considerable." In this terrible calamity, the prophecy of Moses recorded in Deut.

28:47-53, was literally fulfilled. He said, "Thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, ... in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee." For an account of the fulfilment of this, see Josephus's "Wars of the Jews," book 6, chap. 3, par. 4.

Following the destruction of Jerusalem came the persecution of the early Christians under the pagan emperors during the first three centuries of the Christian era, that begun under Diocletian in 303 A.D., and continuing for ten years (Rev. 2:10), being the most bitter and extensive persecution of G.o.d's people the world had yet witnessed. Following this came the still greater and more terrible persecution of the saints during the long centuries of papal supremacy, foretold in Dan. 7:25 and Rev. 12:6. All these tribulations occurred under either pagan or papal Rome.

16. For whose sake did Christ say the period of papal persecution would be shortened?

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but _for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened_." Verse 22.

NOTE.-Through the influence of the Reformation of the sixteenth century, and the movements which grew out of it, the power of the Papacy to enforce its decrees against those it p.r.o.nounced heretics was gradually lessened, until persecution ceased almost wholly about the middle of the eighteenth century-the beginning of an epoch of freedom.

17. Against what deceptions did Christ then warn us?

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Verses 23, 24.

18. Answering the question as to what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the world, what did Christ say?

"_There shall be signs_ in the _sun_, and in the _moon_, and in the _stars_; and upon the earth _distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth_: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Luke 21:25, 26.

19. When were the first of these signs to appear, and what were they to be?

"_Immediately after the tribulation of those days_ shall _the sun be darkened_, and _the moon shall not give her light_, and _the stars shall fall from heaven_." Matt. 24:29.

20. How is this expressed by Mark?

"But _in those days, after that tribulation_, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken." Mark 13:24, 25.

NOTE.-As already noted, papal persecution almost wholly ceased about the middle of the eighteenth century. Then, true to Christ's words, the signs of His coming at once began to appear.

21. When was there a wonderful darkening of the sun?

On May 19, 1780.

NOTE.-May 19, 1780, is known in history as "the dark day." On this day over a large portion of the New World, upon which at this time the eyes of all the world were centered, there occurred, at midday, a remarkable darkness. "Candles were lighted in many houses. The birds were silent, and disappeared. The fowls retired to roost." In harmony with the impression G.o.d evidently designed should be made by the sign, many thought the day of judgment was at hand. See next reading.

22. When did the moon refuse to give her light?

The night following the darkening of the sun, May 19, 1780.

NOTE.-Although the moon had fulled only the night before, the darkness of this night was so intense that for a time no luminous body whatever appeared in the heavens, and a sheet of white paper could not be seen when held within a few inches of the eyes. See next reading.

23. What sign was to follow the darkening of the sun and the moon?