Articles
Now is the Acceptable Time
When talking with individuals regarding the condition of the nation, and/or the world, there is a sense of a loss for words. Some look at the situation as a prequel to the end of the world, “as recorded in the book of Revelation,” says they.
When individuals take such a stand, they proclaim a belief that the book of Revelation is from God, and in so doing validate their belief that other writers, who speak of the same, are also speaking by inspiration.
What is of note, and interesting is that they believe such to be the case, but have no inclination to change their lives, so as to be prepared for such a great and terrible day, which they suppose will be a day when “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh” (Joel 2:31), and such like: Acts 2:20; Matt. 24:29; Isa. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7 (this is not the venue for discussing such fallacies).
For some reason, only known to the professors of such a belief, they stand firm on their predictions, but fail to realize the impact of their words. They are as those unto whom Isaiah said, “Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; That say, ‘Let him make speed and hasten His work, That we may know it.’ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!” (Isa. 5:18-23), or as those who said unto Jehovah, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!” (Jer. 17:15).
In essence, though some will utter such great swelling words, affirming a belief in the Lord’s return, they are as David said, the wicked that “saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise and to do good. He deviseth iniquity upon his bed; He setteth himself in a way that is not good; He adhorreth not evil” (Psa. 36:1-4).
There have always been mockers, who say, “Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Pet. 3:4). But of those who profess to believe in the Lord’s return, and that “the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Pet. 3:7), only to reject the Lord’s longsuffering, i.e., “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9), “He…turneth away his ear from hearing the law” (Prov. 28:9). To such, the Lord reveals, “Even his prayer is an abomination” (Ibid.). Ross
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