Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-30

doubtless equitable enough in their day,
Dut which do not meet all the new condi-
tons of the wonderful period In which we
are living, which In the Scriptures is called
the time Of the end and the day of
Gods notwithstanding ready for the
millennium Dan. 12:4.9: Nahum 2:3.) We
see selfShness In business. tariff wars which
bid fair to lead to bloody wars In various
directions. We see the real and nominal
Christians. wheat and tares. more or less
involved on both sides Of this question of
selfshness and strife: we see that all these
things rapidly tending toward the great
time of trouble with which this age and this
present evil dispensation shall end-the
close of the night of weeping preparatory to
the millennial morning Of joy.
I'VE note through all the prophecies omi-
nous words respecting the great time Of
trouble this will be-when the Lord shall
call for judgment. for justice to be melted
out, when the hour of His Judgment shall
come. and when the various forces already
we'll prepared shall clash in selfish fury.
The prophet Daniel describes this time and
marks its date at the standing up Of the
great prince. He declares that 1t shall be q
time Of trouble such as was not since there
was a nation The trouble with which the
Jewish age closed was an awful trouble a
foreshadowing Of the coming trouble, but
not SO great. neither so widely extended
The trouble of the reign of terror in the
French revolution was an awful one. but
not SO great as this time Of trouble that is
coming. respecting which one of the proph-
cts declares there shall be no peace to him
that goeth out nor to him that cometh in.
to him that buyeth nor to him that selleth,
because every mans hand is against his
neighbours Geek. >S1O) The strife Of ma
tons and of parties. Of unions and of COM
binations. will extend to the individuals of
the world and produce an individual con-
flict and strife. Our Lord Jesus. the great
prophet, quoted approvingly Daniels
prophecy about this great time of trouble.
such as was not-since there was nation,
a.,I 0~1 n11 6A lfr,cy vrynr dC
Nor ever shall be- Matt. A:21) We are
glad that this time Of trouble will practi
cally end the trouble Of this world, that
there never will be such again. that on the
ashes OF present institutions the Lord Him
self will rear kingdom of righteousness
which shall establish Justice throughout the
world on basis not Of selfshness but of
love and justice.
Great Time of Trouble.
"The great time of trouble with which
this present evil dispensation closes is the
plowshare of trouble which God will use
In breaking up the fallow ground of the
whole world, to prepare 1t for the great
planting of the restitution times, when the
whole world Of mankind shall have the care
of the great superintendent. who. we are
assured, will yet see Of the fruits of the
travail of his soul and be abundantly salts
fed. This thought, that the coming trou-
BILE will bring righteousness to the world,
Is abundantly borne out by the statement
OF the Scripture that when the judy
ments of the Lord are abroad the inhabi-
tants of the world will learn righteous
ness.'-ISaiah 26:9.
Now, dear friends, if such a harvest
ing as we have noted is progressing how
does 1t find you and meT Does 1T find us
thoroughly loyal to the Lord and to the
principles Of Righteousness which repre-
sent His government, or does 1t find US
living in cold or lukewarm condition.
striving to walk with the Lord and with
the world at the same timer Striving to
serve God and to serve Mammon at the
same time? We are NOT to expect that
the gathering of the wheat Will mean
that at. the present time the Lord will
take hold forcibly upon those who are
Hts and compel them to enter the garner;
rather, we are to expect here q proceed
ure somewhat similar 60 that which took
place at the frst advent. We are to ex-