The " time of trouble , such as never was ," is soon to open upon us ; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent to obtain . It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality ; but this is not true of the crisis before us . The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal . In that time of trial , every soul must stand for himself before God . " Though Noah , Daniel , and Job " were in the land , " as I live , saith the Lord God , they shall deliver neither son nor daughter ; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness ." Ezekiel 14:20 .
Now , while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us , we should seek to become perfect in Christ . Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation . Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold ; some sinful desire is cherished , by means of which his temptations assert their power . But Christ declared of Himself : " The prince of this world cometh , and hath nothing in Me ." John 14:30 . Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory . He had kept His Father ' s commandments , and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage . This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble .
It is in this life that we are to separate sin from us , through faith in the atoning blood of Christ . Our precious Saviour invites us to join ourselves to Him , to unite our weakness to His strength , our ignorance to His wisdom , our unworthiness to His merits . God ' s providence is the school in which we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus . The Lord is ever setting before us , not the way we would choose , which seems easier and pleasanter to us , but the true aims of life . It rests with us to co-operate with the agencies which Heaven employs in the work of conforming our characters to the divine model . None can neglect or defer this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls .
The apostle John in vision heard a loud voice in heaven exclaiming : " Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea ! for the devil is come down unto you , having great wrath , because he knoweth that he hath but a short time ." Revelation 12:12 . Fearful are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from the heavenly voice . The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short , and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination in the time of trouble .
Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens , in token of the power of miracle-working demons . The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world , to fasten them in deception , and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven . By these agencies , rulers and subjects will be alike deceived . Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself , and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world ' s Redeemer . They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures .
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