God’s Care for His Work
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wars.” “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers
places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” While these prophecies
received a partial fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem, they have
a more direct application to the last days.
We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events.
Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The Lord is at the door. There is soon
to open before us a period of overwhelming interest to all living. The
controversies of the past are to be revived; new controversies will arise.
The scenes to be enacted in our world are not yet even dreamed of.
Satan is at work through human agencies. Those who are making an
effort to change the Constitution and secure a law enforcing Sunday
observance little realize what will be the result. A crisis is just upon
us.
But God’s servants are not to trust to themselves in this great
emergency. In the visions given to Isaiah, to Ezekiel, and to John we
see how closely heaven is connected with the events taking place upon
the earth and how great is the care of God for those who are loyal to
Him. The world is not without a ruler. The program of coming events
is in the hands of the Lord. The Majesty of heaven has the destiny of
nations, as well as the concerns of His church, in His own charge.
We permit ourselves to feel altogether too much care, trouble, and
perplexity in the Lord’s work. Finite men are not left to carry the
burden of responsibility. We need to trust in God, believe in Him, and
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go forward. The tireless vigilance of the heavenly messengers, and
their unceasing employment in their ministry in connection with the
beings of earth, show us how God’s hand is guiding the wheel within
a wheel. The divine Instructor is saying to every actor in His work, as
He said to Cyrus of old: “I girded thee, though thou hast not known
Me.”
In Ezekiel’s vision God had His hand beneath the wings of the
cherubim. This is to teach His servants that it is divine power that
gives them success. He will work with them if they will put away
iniquity and become pure in heart and life.
The bright light going among the living creatures with the swiftness
of lightning represents the speed with which this work will finally go
forward to completion. He who slumbers not, who is continually at
work for the accomplishment of His designs, can carry forward His