Christ's Return.

 127 years ago- that's how long it's been since the Excerpt I've been studying was written. In the excerpt the author talks about the imminence of Christ's return and our preparation for it, and he fully believed He'd see Christ return in his time even though he states we can't know the time. 

127 years ago. How different life was back then, but not so different that they didn't believe the world met a lot of the criteria for Christ's return.

41 years ago a sign that hadn't been given as enlightenment 86 years prior to then, came to pass. Up until 41 years ago, Jerusalem was under the control of the Gentiles. Jesus gave this sign- 

Luk 21:24  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The times of the Gentiles was fulfilled 41 years ago in 1980.  Now you ask, what does it mean that the times of the Gentiles was fulfilled?  We'll discuss that further tomorrow by the grace of God.

CONTINUED- 

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 1

We stand now at the point where that nation stood when Pilate surrendered and took jurisdiction of the case when he knew he had no jurisdiction. And when they stood at that point, the doom of the nation was sealed. As that which they did at that time fixed unalterably the doom of that nation for destruction, as the destruction certainly followed, so the destruction of this nation will follow as the consequence of that which has been done, us certainly as the destruction of that nation followed that which they did back there that night.

When that was done that night, and the doom of the nation was fixed, that doom did not fall at once. No; Jesus told his disciples that they should bear witness of him in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and then in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. In Jerusalem and in Judea first, because ruin hung there; then to all the world afterward. But to Jerusalem and Judea first, in order to save by this gospel such as would be saved from the ruin that was

certain to fall. And this nation stands now where that one did then. Ruin is determined; that is fixed; it is only a question of time as to when it comes.

But behold, Jesus has a people to-day who are maintaining his Sabbath, and God's idea of the Sabbath as he reveals it to the world. To this people he says by the voice of the angel:-

"Go ye into all the world, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people." Mark, 16:15; Rev. 14:6, 7.

This thing concerns every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, because the influence of this nation is world-wide, and that which this nation has done in this land, will lead all the other nations in the same evil way, and the ruin that falls on this, takes in all the others.

Well then, the message now is, "Go forth," as certain as it was then, "to all the world," because it is doomed. Go, bearing the everlasting gospel to save such as will be saved from the ruin that is fixed by this which has been done. But before those disciples could go, Jesus said unto them:- 

"Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high;" "but ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Luke 24:49: Acts 1:8.

They did not go until Pentecost had endued them with the power. We are in the presence of the second Pentecost. We must be endued with the power. Will you seek for that power? 

You cannot be faithful to the Sabbath of the Lord as Jesus Christ was, without his living presence which that Holy Ghost brings. "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." 

Will you? Now the call is: Go to all the earth and preach this gospel to every creature, that there may be saved out of the world such as will escape the ruin that is so certain to fall, and that speedily, too. We and this nation are now standing where they were that night when they rejected Jesus Christ, and when the doom of that nation was fixed. We stand now where they stood then, and it is only a question of time as to when that ruin will certainly fall.

As the Sabbath of the Lord-the seventh day-is the Lord's own sign of the salvation of Jesus Christ, as it is the sign of what Christ is to men, so in rejecting the Sabbath of the Lord they are rejecting Christ. As the Pharisees back yonder in rejecting Christ rejected the Sabbath of the Lord, so these down here in rejecting the Sabbath of the Lord are rejecting Christ. For the Sabbath of the Lord means Jesus Christ, and Christ means the Sabbath of the Lord. To those back yonder he said, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Matt. 22:42; Acts 4:11. 

And to these down here he says the same thing. As their salvation was wrapped up in that

which they rejected back there, so the salvation of these now is wrapped up in this which they have rejected down here. True, the princes of this world back there did not know what they were doing, for if they had known it "they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." But they did it. Neither did these know what they were doing. But they, too, did it.

They, back there, did not know what they were doing, when they condemned and rejected Jesus on account of the Sabbath. These who have done this great evil in our day do not know what they have done, or what they are doing-they do not know that in condemning and rejecting the Sabbath they are also condemning and rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. These do not know that in this which they have done they have doomed this nation. They did not

know it back yonder, either. But didn't they do it back there? Assuredly.

(To be Continued)