with His disciples upon Olivet after He had for the last time departed from the temple . The disciples had asked the question : " What shall be the sign of Thy coming , and of the end of the world ?" Jesus gave them signs , and said : " When ye shall see all these things , know that it is near , even at the doors ." Verses 3 , 33 .
One saying of the Saviour must not be made to destroy another . Though no man knoweth the day nor the hour of His coming , we are instructed and required to know when it is near . We are further taught that to disregard His warning , and refuse or neglect to know when His advent is near , will be as fatal for us as it was for those who lived in the days of Noah not to know when the flood was coming . And the parable in the same chapter , contrasting the faithful and the unfaithful servant , and giving the doom of him who said in his heart , " My Lord delayeth His coming ," shows in what light Christ will regard and reward those whom He finds watching , and teaching His coming , and those denying it . " Watch therefore ," He says . " Blessed is that servant , whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing ." Verses 42 , 46 . " If therefore thou shalt not watch , I will come on thee as a thief , and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee ." Revelation 3:3 .
Paul speaks of a class to whom the Lord ' s appearing will come unawares . " The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night . For when they shall say , Peace and safety ; then sudden destruction cometh upon them , . . . and they shall not escape ." But he adds , to those who have given heed to the Saviour ' s warning : " Ye , brethren , are not in darkness , that that day should overtake you as a thief . Ye are all the children of light , and the children of the day : we are not of the night , nor of darkness ." 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5 .
Thus it was shown that Scripture gives no warrant for men to remain in ignorance concerning the nearness of Christ ' s coming . But those who desired only an excuse to reject the truth closed their ears to this explanation , and the words " No man knoweth the day nor the hour " continued to be echoed by the bold scoffer and even by the professed minister of Christ . As the people were roused , and began to inquire the way of salvation , religious teachers stepped in between them and the truth , seeking to quiet their fears by falsely interpreting the word of God . Unfaithful watchmen united in the work of the great deceiver , crying , Peace , peace , when God had not spoken peace . Like the Pharisees in Christ ' s day , many refused to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves , and those who were entering in they hindered . The blood of these souls will be required at their hand .
The most humble and devoted in the churches were usually the first to receive the message . Those who studied the Bible for themselves could not but see the unscriptural character of the popular views of prophecy ; and wherever the people were not controlled by the influence of the clergy , wherever they would search the word of God for themselves , the advent doctrine needed only to be compared with the Scriptures to establish its divine authority . Many were persecuted by their unbelieving brethren . In order to retain their position in the church , some consented to be silent
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