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FEAR NOT, O ZION!

IN a recent issue we showed that the universal anarchy should not be expected before October, 1914 A.D. We have recently heard of two dear brethren who, not grasping the subject very clearly, got the impression that we in that article were declaring, “My Lord delayeth his coming.” Other new readers, not well informed, may possibly need a further word to show them that neither the time of the coming of our Lord, nor of the establishment of his Kingdom, are in any degree involved in the date of the final anarchy.

Our Lord’s presence, as shown in MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol. II., dates from October, 1874, where the forty years’ harvest began, of which he is the great Chief Reaper. The date for the final anarchy in no sense affects it. April, 1878, marks the date of the establishment of the Kingdom, as shown in the same volume. At that date was due the resurrection of the sleeping saints who died “overcomers.” Thus the establishment of the Kingdom commenced: it has since progressed as one after another of the same class have since died and been “changed” in the moment of death. The Kingdom will be fully established or “set up” by October, A.D. 1914, as already pointed out; for that date closes the forty years of “harvest” and accomplishes its design—the gathering of all the wheat into the garner of the heavenly condition.

The separating of the “tares” is now in progress while the “wheat” is being garnered, but the symbolical burning of the “tares” should not be expected until the wheat is all safe in the “garner.” Our Lord, addressing the wheat class, says,—”Watch ye that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things coming upon the world [including the “tares”] and to stand before the Son of Man.”—Luke 21:36.

But while the “wheat” class may thus expect to escape the world’s trouble, it will have its own trouble before; for “judgment must begin with the house of God.” (I Pet. 4:17.) And speaking of this, the Church’s judgment, the Apostle declares: “Every man’s work shall be tried so as by fire,” etc. (I Cor. 3:13.) From some of the presentations of Revelation we are inclined to the belief that when Church-federation shall have enabled it to considerably control politicians it may again be the privilege of some of the “members” to again suffer violent deaths for their loyalty to the Truth. But this will not be severe experience for those who, like the apostles, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name and cause of our Lord. “Rejoice and be exceeding glad,

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for so persecuted they the prophets before you,” are our Master’s words.

So then, dear friends, it is evident that the coming of universal anarchy after the “harvest,” after October 1914 A.D., has nothing whatever to do with either the presence of the Reaper or the setting up of his Kingdom. Indeed, the guidance and overruling of that anarchy will be under the control of the glorified Church—the Christ. Thus those days of anarchy will be shortened and not permitted to go on to their reasonable end—a general strife, “every man’s hand against his brother”—which would in the end mean “no flesh saved.” On the contrary, the glorified Christ will permit the trouble to go only so far as to teach the world a great lesson: that its rule of selfishness means in the end destruction—to be devoured one of another. It too will teach the foolishness of human boastings in re present wisdom, civilization, etc.

Just another word on this subject. We find that some have concluded that because anarchy destroyed the Jewish nation in the one year following their “harvest,” therefore we should expect that the one year, from October 1914 to October 1915, following the Gospel age “harvest,” would measure the period of universal anarchy coming. We cannot agree to this conclusion, because the type or parallel goes

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no further than the end of the forty years’ “harvest” in both cases—October 69, where the year A.D. 70 began, and October 1914, where the year 1915 A.D. will begin (Jewish reckoning). The anarchy period lies entirely outside of any dates or reckonings furnished us. It may be one year or more. The “elect” are not to be in it, and as for their interest in friends who may experience its sorrows we now know our Father’s character and plan so well that we dare trust our friends as well as ourselves to his loving care, assured that God’s provisions will be the wisest and best.

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— August 1, 1904 —