"The harvest is _the end of the world_." Verse 39.
NOTES.-Thus it is plain that the wicked (the tares) live with the righteous (the wheat) till the end of the world. There is, then, no time before Christ"s coming for a sinless state, in which all men will be converted and turn to G.o.d.
Harper"s "Book of Facts," edition 1906, article "Religion,"
cla.s.sifies the population of the globe religiously as follows:-
Non-Christian Christian Buddhists 400,000,000 Roman 175,000,000 Catholics Brahmans 250,000,000 Protestants 110,000,000 Mohammedans 180,000,000 Greek Church 90,000,000 Fetish-worshipers 150,000,000 Various 25,000,000 Jews 8,000,000 Various 62,000,000 1,050,000,000 400,000,000
From this it will be seen that only about one fourth of the world"s population are even nominal Christians.
8. For what purpose did Christ say the gospel was to be preached in all the world?
"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." Matt. 24:14.
NOTES.-He did not say that all would _receive_ the gospel, but that the gospel was to be _preached_ in all the world _for a witness_ unto all nations, and that _then_ the end would come.
Commenting on Rev. 20:2, Dr. Adam Clarke says: "Probably no such time shall ever appear, in which evil shall be wholly banished from the earth, till after the day of judgment, when, the earth having been burned up, a new heaven and a new earth shall be produced out of the ruins of the old, by the mighty power of G.o.d; righteousness alone shall dwell in them."-_Clarke"s Commentary, edition 1860._
9. When is the "man of sin," or "mystery of iniquity," called also "that Wicked," to come to an end?
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2 Thess. 2:8.
10. How long was the little horn of Dan. 7:25 to make war with the saints?
"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; _until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom_." Dan. 7:21, 22.
11. How will the day of the Lord come upon the world?
"For yourselves know perfectly that _the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night_. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, ... and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:2-4.
NOTE.-There will be but two cla.s.ses in the world then: those in darkness, who are looking for a time of peace and safety, and those not in darkness, who are looking for the day of the Lord,-a day of waste and destruction,-the coming of Christ and the end of the world. See Jer. 7:1-19; Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:1-11; Zephaniah 1.
12. What will some who are in darkness say when they hear about the Lord"s coming?
"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.
13. What will be popularly taught in the last days?
"But in the last days ... _many nations shall come, and say_, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the G.o.d of Jacob; ... and He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; _and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more_." Micah 4:1-3. See also Isa. 2:2-5.
NOTE.-Notice, this is not what the _Lord_ says, but what the Lord says _many nations_ shall say in the last days. And this is the very message now heard in every land,-a great world"s peace movement; a call for all nations to disarm, to go to war no more, and to profess religion.
14. What message indicates the true condition of things?
"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; _Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong_." Joel 3:9, 10.
NOTE.-On this question of preparing for war, note the following:-
Armies of the World
Regular National Army Standing Army Including (1909) Reserves Austria-Hungary 409,000 5,840,000 Belgium 45,000 125,000 British Empire 250,000 1,050,000 China 60,000 1,000,000 Denmark 14,000 68,000 France 630,000 4,350,000 Germany 617,000 3,000,000 Greece 28,000 178,000 Italy 264,000 3,200,000 j.a.pan 225,000 600,000 Netherlands 40,000 500,000 Norway 30,000 95,000 Persia 24,500 105,000 Portugal 30,000 175,000 Russia 1,100,000 5,200,000 Servia 35,000 353,000 Spain 100,000 1,000,000 Sweden 62,000 500,000 Switzerland 140,000 275,000 Turkey 350,000 1,500,000 United States 89,128 208,054 Total 4,542,628 29,322,054
Naval Expenditures of the Great Powers for Ten Years-1902-11.
Expenditure New Construction Great Britain $1,761,500,000 $589,875,000 Germany 737,695,000 351,010,000 France 660,695,000 236,430,000 Russia 556,730,000 164,280,000 Italy 301,145,000 82,750,000 Austria 154,070,000 74,165,000 United States 1,150,680,000 367,050,000 j.a.pan 288,505,000 76,155,000 Total $5,611,320,000 $1,941,715,000
Thus in only ten years these eight great powers spent over seven and one-half billion dollars on their navies.
"The immense armies maintained by European countries have come to be a terrific drain upon their respective nations."-_Nelson"s Encyclopedia, article __"__Army.__"_
15. While making these war preparations, what are men saying?
"They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, _saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace_." Jer. 6:14.
NOTE.-Every one conversant with existing conditions in the world today knows this is true. While the message of peace is being proclaimed, the nations are arming as never before; wars are in progress almost continually; international complications are constantly arising; and a world war is feared as imminent, and constantly looming in sight. The world today is a vast armed camp.
16. But does not the Bible say that the heathen are to be given to the Lord for an inheritance?
"Ask of Me, and _I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance_, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession." Ps. 2:8.
17. What will the Lord do with them?
"Thou shalt _break them with a rod of iron_; Thou shalt _dash them in pieces_ like a potter"s vessel." Verse 9. "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should _smite the nations_: and He shall _rule them with a rod of iron_: and _He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty G.o.d_." Rev. 19:15.
NOTE.-How suddenly surprised those who have been preaching peace and safety will be when the end comes is indicated in the text already quoted: "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then _sudden destruction cometh upon them_." 1 Thess. 5:2, 3. All heedless of the signs of the times, and indifferent to the future, the world will come up to the day of the Lord unprepared. As a thief in the night, coming with stealthy, m.u.f.fled tread, this day will take all unawares who are not looking, watching, and waiting for their Lord"s return.
Instead of looking for the world"s conversion, we should be looking for Christ"s coming.
The coming King is at the door, Who once the cross for sinners bore, But now the righteous ones alone He comes to gather home.
The signs that show His coming near Are fast fulfilling year by year, And soon we"ll hail the glorious dawn Of heaven"s eternal morn.