Bible Prophecies Fulfilled

BIBLE PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

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III.—Future Events.

(1) Gathering of Israel. By studying the life of Abraham we find that the land of Palestine was given to him and to his seed for ever: “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him. Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thon art northward and southward and eastward and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever” (Genesis 13:14-15). And yet to-day Jerusalem is inhabited by an alien people, while the real owners of the land are scattered over the face of the earth.

A careful study of the scriptures reveals the fact that Israel— the seed of Abraham—lost their inheritance by wrong living. In the days of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, dissension arose and the tribes separated. Those remaining faithful to the house of David had Jerusalem for their headquarters and are known as the Jews, while many of the rest—by far the greater number—were taken captive and carried to Assyria and finally went on a journey of a year and a half into the North country, from which time they have been lost to sight. But in Jer. 3:18 we read: “In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.”

Deut. 28:37 says of the Jews: "Thou shalt become a proverb and a byword.” As a scattering of Israel is now an historical fact, and the gathering a matter of prophecy, as they are still in a scattered condition, an event that is yet future must be the gathering of Israel to the land of their inheritance.

(2) A Time of Trouble. Of the wars and rumors of wars, mention has been made; but Daniel (12:1) tells us, “There shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time.” This bids us to expect future calamities.

(3) Second Coming of Christ. In Acts 1:11. we read: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from yon into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

This is the great event toward which all eyes turn, but ere it can come to pass this war now raging must run its awful course; and then—will we have peace? Continued peace? Search the Scrip­tures.

(4) Siege of Jerusalem. After this war—how long time after we may not know—we shall see the gathering of Israel. The Jews will return to Palestine, and rebuild their sacred city—and then? Gentile nations will cast jealous eyes upon it, and there will be a siege lasting three and a half years, if I understand correctly the following prophecies:—Zech. 13 and 14, Rev. 11, Ezek. 38:39.

(5) All land united. In Isaiah 62:4. we read: “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hepzi-bah and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” The earth is to be made as beautiful as in the days when God pronounced it “very good,” and this work will be done during the glorious Millennium, for let it not be supposed that during the thousand years of peace we shall be doing nothing. The earth has to be redeemed, and man has to redeem it. He caused the thorns and thistles to grow and the waste places to flourish, and he has the task before him of undoing all his mischief and making this earth as beautiful and perfect as when God gave it into his hands. When he has done this, Christ will accept it from him, and then he will present it and its children spotless to the Father.

(6) Descent of New Jerusalem. Revelation 20:4, tells us: “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their fore­heads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Revelation 21:2, reads, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God.”

From this we gather that when Christ comes, all who have lived righteous lives will be resurrected and come with Him to reign with Him on the earth. Body and spirit will be re-united and a reign of peace and progression entered upon.

(7) Satan to be bound. In Revelation 20:1, 2, we read: “An angel * * * laid hold on the dragon * * * which is the Devil * * * and bound him a thousand years.”

This is the thousand years during which Christ will reign on the earth as King, when peace and prosperity will be the order of the day, and men will be engaged in beautifying the earth instead of destroying it with fire and sword. Satan will have no power over the hearts of men during this glorious, period.

(8) Final War. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea” (Rev. 20:7, 8). This plainly show's that at the end of the thousand years Satan will be loosed for a little time and a great war will take place between him and the saints of God. In this final war the devil and his angels will use all the subtlety and craft of which they are past-masters to tempt the souls of men. All who stand faithful will be eligible for a higher glory.

(9) The Judgment. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev. 20:12).

This is the great day of judgment, when, as Jude tells us. “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints to execute judgment.” How long that “day” will last we do not know, but certain it is that we must face it and render up our account.

Every opportunity will have been afforded us ere that day arrives—here in this life, away back in the spirit world, through the thousand years of peace. Every chance is given to us to live the life God requires at our hands. The Lord is long-suffering, full of mercy and compassion, but justice must be done, and our Lord will judge us according to our own actions.

The books shall be opened. What books? Speaking to the unrepentant Pharisees, our Lord said, “Think not that I will accuse you before the Father; there is one that accuseth you. even Moses in whom ye trust; for had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”

How would Moses accuse them, except by his words? So it would appear that the words of the prophets, the teachings found in holy writ will confront us at the last great day, and by them we shall be judged. How necessary, then, it becomes for us to obey the teachings of Christ and to “search the Scriptures.”

(10) The Celestial Kingdom. “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast * * * stand on the sea of glass” (Rev. 15:2).

This is a picture of the final state of the earth. After it has been scourged and purified and made fit for the coming of the Lord, after His presence has sanctified it one thousand years, it will undergo another change and become celestialized; i.e., it will be made able to abide the presence of God the eternal Father, who is enveloped in flaming fire that consumeth not. like the burning bush seen by Moses.

When the earth is thus celestialized it will be given for an abiding place to those who have fitted themselves for this great glory, and the devil and his angels will no more be able to enter its precincts. Such is the teaching of the Bible we profess to believe in. It requires modern revelation and the testimony of the “Mormon” elders—the fishers and hunters foreseen by Jeremiah (16:16)—to make the teachings of the Bible quite clear, but just as surely as the Bible is in our hands just so surely will the words written therein be fulfilled, and he who would not languish in the prison-house of doubt and uncertainty during the thousand years when Christ will reign on earth, had better heed the teachings of the despised “Mormon" elders and repent and be baptized by them, lest when the cry comes, “Behold the Bride­groom cometh" he may find himself wholly unprepared.

Ogden. Utah.          Mollie Higginson.