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Darkness Before Dawn
Hopes Destroyed when Christ Died
Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that
He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb, and angels
were present to impress His words on minds and hearts. But the
disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke,
and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes
centered should suffer an ignominious death. The words which they
needed to remember were banished from their minds; and when the
time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as
fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them. So in the
prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened
[37]
to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the
close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble,
are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding
of these important truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan
watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise
unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.
When God sends to men warnings so important that they are rep-
resented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven,
He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the
message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the
beast and his image (
Revelation 14:9-11
), should lead all to a diligent
study of the prophecies to learn what the mark of the beast is, and
how they are to avoid receiving it. But the masses of the people turn
away their ears from hearing the truth and are turned unto fables. The
apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: “The time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine.”
2 Timothy 4:3
. That
time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it
interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan
supplies the deceptions which they love.
The Standard of Doctrine
But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible,
and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of
all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science,
[38]
the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and