Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 88

Great tidal waves and storms at sea, with cyclones and tornadoes on land, have become fearfully frequent of late years, making men apprehensive of still greater calamities to come.

14. What, according to the prophecy of Daniel, was to characterize the time of the end?

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: _many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased_." Dan. 12:4.

NOTES.-The time of the end began in 1798. See Dan. 7:25; 11:35; 12:4, 9, and the reading "The Kingdom and Work of Antichrist,"

page 218, under questions 5-8. Since 1798 there has been a most wonderful increase of all kinds of knowledge, both scientific and religious. Men have been "running to and fro" through both the world and the Word of G.o.d. The prophecies of Daniel are now themselves understood. Since 1798 five great Bible and tract societies have been organized; namely, the London Religious Tract Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the American Bible Society, the American Tract Society, and the International Tract Society, besides many smaller societies of the same kind. From these have gone forth to the world hundreds of millions of copies of the Bible, and countless pages of tracts and pamphlets, disseminating knowledge upon the truths of salvation. Besides these, millions of copies of religious papers are being circulated annually in the various countries of the world. Missions have been established in all parts of the world. All this has been accomplished since 1798.

Concerning the increase of knowledge in the material, scientific, and intellectual worlds, see the next reading.

15. What is predicted of the moral condition of the world in the last days?

"This know also, that in _the last days perilous times shall come_. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, ... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of G.o.d; having a form of G.o.dliness, but denying the power thereof." 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

16. How did the apostle Peter say the message of the Lord's coming would be treated by some?

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days _scoffers_, walking after their own l.u.s.ts, and _saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation_." 2 Peter 3:3, 4.

17. What will G.o.d's faithful servants be doing at this time?

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to _give them meat in due season_?" Matt. 24:45.

NOTE.-The "meat in due season" here spoken of evidently refers to the proclamation of the message based upon the signs which indicate the near approach of the Lord. The preaching of this message is what causes scoffers mockingly to ask, "Where is the _promise of His coming_?"

18. What are all admonished to do when these signs have appeared?

"Therefore _be ye also ready_: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Verse 44.

19. How will Christ's coming overtake those evil servants who say in their hearts, "My Lord delayeth His coming"?

"The lord of that servant shall come in a day _when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of_, and shall _cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites_: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Verses 50, 51.

We know not the hour of the Master's appearing, Yet signs all foretell that the moment is nearing When He shall return,-'tis a promise most cheering,- But we know not the hour.

There's light for the wise who are seeking salvation, There's truth in the Book of the Lord's revelation, Each prophecy points to the great consummation,- But we know not the hour.

We'll watch and we'll pray, with our lamps trimmed and burning, We'll work and we'll wait till the Master's returning, We'll sing and rejoice, every omen discerning,- But we know not the hour.

F. E. BELDEN.

Increase Of Knowledge

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

Modern Inventions. "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4.

1. According to the words of the angel to Daniel, when might the world look for an increase of knowledge?

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, _even to the time of the end_: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4.

NOTE.-The prophecies of Daniel were not to be shut up till the _end_, for then there would be no time either to develop knowledge or to use the knowledge thus acquired, but until "the _time of the end_," which refers to a short period just preceding the end.

During this time there was to be a wonderful increase of knowledge. Especially were the prophecies of the book of Daniel to be unsealed, studied, and understood at this time.

2. Until what time were the saints to be persecuted under the Roman power?

"And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, _even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed_." Dan. 11:35.

NOTE.-The time of the end, as shown by this text, was even then, in the days of Daniel, an appointed time, in the mind of G.o.d. This is not strange, when we learn that in the Scriptures both the judgment and the end itself are said to be appointed times. Acts 17:31; Dan. 8:19. The close of the period allotted for this persecution (1798) was to mark the beginning of "the time of the end." See page 223.

3. According to the prophecy, how long was the power represented by the little horn, or papal Rome, to persecute the saints?

"And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, ... and they shall be given into his hand _until a time and times and the dividing of time_." Dan. 7:25.

NOTES.-As shown in the reading on "The Kingdom and Work of Antichrist," page 218, this expression, "a time and times and the dividing of time," represents 1260 years, which extend from the period 533-538 A.D., the time of the decree of Emperor Justinian recognizing the Pope as head of all the churches and the successful campaign against Arianism, to the period 1793-98, when, as a result of the French Revolution, the papal power received its deadly wound and the Pope was carried into captivity. This, then, locates the beginning of "the time of the end" in 1798. Up to that point the book of Daniel, as a whole, was to be closed up; in other words, not understood by the people. But when the power that had placed this embargo on the Word of G.o.d, and had tried to shut it away from the people, was broken, then light of all kinds, Biblical, scientific, inventive, and industrial, began to shine and penetrate in every direction.

It is a singular and striking fact that immediately following the overthrow of the papal power in 1798, Bible societies, tract societies, and Sunday-schools sprang up in large numbers. The London Religious Tract Society was organized in 1799, the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, the American Bible Society in 1816, and the American Tract Society in 1825. The Bible has now been translated into about four hundred and fifty languages and dialects, and sent to every part of the globe. Before that time access to the Bible was confined to comparatively few. Now the humblest person may possess it, and is as free to read and study it as is the most exalted in the land. A little more than one hundred years ago there was not a Sunday-school in the world, the first one being organized by Robert Raikes, at Gloucester, England, in 1784. Now there are more than 285,000 such schools, with over 28,000,000 officers, teachers, and pupils.

4. What may be said of the developments in the line of scientific inventions since 1798?

These have been remarkable, phenomenal, and without parallel in the history of the world. The people of a century and a quarter ago knew nothing of steamships, steam and electric railways, telegraphs, telephones, photographs, phonographs, sewing-machines, anesthetics, submarine cables, linotypes, monotypes, motion pictures, X-rays, aeroplanes, or wireless telegraphy. Were they to be raised from the dead, they would be as much astonished at all these things as would the people of four thousand years ago.

NOTES.-"Of a verity, this is the age of invention."-_Scientific American._

"The great facts of the nineteenth century stand out so conspicuously above the achievements of any preceding century that it would be affectation of humility not to recognize and speak of them."-_Union Hand-*book, 1870._

"The most striking characteristic of our times is the rapid strides which the world is making in science, general intelligence, and inventions."-_Chicago Republican, March 14, 1872._

"Never was there such activity of invention within the history of mankind as at the present day."-_Phrenological Journal, April, 1871._

"More has been done, richer and more prolific discoveries have been made, grander achievements have been realized, in the course of the fifty years of our lifetime than in all the previous lifetime of the race."-_London Spectator._