“The House of Israel”
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as King of kings and Lord of lords. Soon every man is to be judged
for the deeds done in the body. The hour of God’s judgment has come,
and upon the members of His church on earth rests the solemn re-
sponsibility of giving warning to those who are standing as it were
on the very brink of eternal ruin. To every human being in the wide
world who will give heed must be made plain the principles at stake
in the great controversy being waged, principles upon which hang the
destinies of all mankind.
In these final hours of probation for the sons of men, when the fate
of every soul is so soon to be decided forever, the Lord of heaven and
earth expects His church to arouse to action as never before. Those
who have been made free in Christ through a knowledge of precious
truth, are regarded by the Lord Jesus as His chosen ones, favored above
all other people on the face of the earth; and He is counting on them
to show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness
into marvelous light. The blessings which are so liberally bestowed
are to be communicated to others. The good news of salvation is to go
to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
In the visions of the prophets of old the Lord of glory was rep-
resented as bestowing special light upon His church in the days of
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darkness and unbelief preceding His second coming. As the Sun of
Righteousness, He was to arise upon His church, “with healing in His
wings.”
Malachi 4:2
. And from every true disciple was to be diffused
an influence for life, courage, helpfulness, and true healing.
The coming of Christ will take place in the darkest period of this
earth’s history. The days of Noah and of Lot picture the condition of
the world just before the coming of the Son of man. The Scriptures,
pointing forward to this time, declare that Satan will work with all
power and “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.”
2 Thessaloni-
ans 2:9, 10
. His working is plainly revealed by the rapidly increasing
darkness, the multitudinous errors, heresies, and delusions of these
last days. Not only is Satan leading the world captive, but his decep-
tions are leavening the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The great apostasy will develop into darkness deep as midnight. To
God’s people it will be a night of trial, a night of weeping, a night
of persecution for the truth’s sake. But out of that night of darkness
God’s light will shine.