Prophecies Fulfilled
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she exclaimed with weeping, “They have taken away my Lord, and I
know not where they have laid him.” [
John 20:13
.]
A feeling of awe, a fear that the message might be true, had for
a time served as a restraint upon the unbelieving world. After the
passing of the time, this did not at once disappear; at first they dared
not triumph over the disappointed ones; but as no tokens of God’s
wrath were seen, they recovered from their fears, and resumed their
reproach and ridicule. A large class who had professed to believe in
the Lord’s soon coming, renounced their faith. Some who had been
very confident were so deeply wounded in their pride that they felt
like fleeing from the world. Like Jonah, they complained of God, and
chose death rather than life. Those who had based their faith upon the
opinions of others, and not upon the Word of God, were now as ready
again to change their views. The scoffers won the weak and cowardly
to their ranks, and all these united in declaring that there could be no
more fears or expectations now. The time had passed, the Lord had not
[404]
come, and the world might remain the same for thousands of years.
The earnest, sincere believers had given up all for Christ, and had
shared his presence as never before. They had, as they believed, given
their last warning to the world, and, expecting soon to be received into
the society of their divine Master and the heavenly angels, they had, to
a great extent, withdrawn from the society of those who did not receive
the message. With intense desire they had prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus,
and come quickly.” But he had not come. And now to take up again
the heavy burden of life’s cares and perplexities, and to endure the
taunts and sneers of a scoffing world, was a terrible trial of faith and
patience.
Yet this disappointment was not so great as was that experienced
by the disciples at the time of Christ’s first advent. When Jesus rode
triumphantly into Jerusalem, his followers believed that he was about
to ascend the throne of David, and deliver Israel from her oppressors.
With high hopes and joyful anticipations they vied with one another in
showing honor to their King. Many spread their outer garments as a
carpet in his path, or strewed before him the leafy branches of the palm.
In their enthusiastic joy they united in the glad acclaim, “Hosanna to
the Son of David!” When the Pharisees, disturbed and angered by this
outburst of rejoicing, wished Jesus to rebuke his disciples, he replied,
“If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry