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VII.
Coming Events and Signs of
the Times
»
Chapter 70
:
Increase of Knowledge
1.
ACCORDING to the words of the angel to Daniel, when
might the world look for an increase of knowledge?
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the
book, even to the time of the end: many shall run
to
and fro, and
knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4.
NOTE.-The prophecies of Daniel were not to be shut
up till the end, for then there would be no
time either to develop knowledge or to use the
knowledge thus acquired, but until "the time of
the end," which refers to a short period just
preceding the end. During this time there was to be
a wonderful increase of knowledge. Especially were
the prophecies of the Book of Daniel to be unsealed,
studied, and understood at this time.
2.
Until what time were the saints to he persecuted under
the Roman power?
"And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try
them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to
the time of the end: because it is yet for a time
appointed." Dan. 11:35.
NOTE.-The time of the end, as shown by this text,
was even then, in the days of Daniel, an appointed
time, in the mind of God. This is not strange, when
we learn that in the Scriptures both the judgment
and the end itself are said to be appointed times.
Acts 17:31; Dan. 8:19. The close of the period
allotted for this persecution (1798) was to mark the
beginning of "the time of the end." See reading in
Chapter 51. of this book.
3.
According to the prophecy, how long was the power
represented by the little horn, or papal Rome, to
persecute the saints?
"And he shall speak great words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High. . . .
and they shall be given into his hand until a time
and times and the dividing of time." Dan. 7:25.
NOTES.-As shown in the reading on "The Kingdom and
Work of Antichrist," chapter 51, this expression, "a
time and times and the dividing of time," represents
1260 years, extending from the year 533-538 A.D.,
the time of the decree of Emperor Justinian
recognizing the Pope as head of all the churches and
the successful campaign against Arianism, to the
period 1973-98, when as a result of the French
Revolution, the papal power received its deadly
wound and the Pope was carried into captivity. This,
then, locates the beginning of "the time of the end"
in 1798. Up to that point the Book of Daniel, as a
whole, was to be closed up; in other words, not
understood by the people. But when the power that
had placed this embargo on the Word of God, and had
tried to shut it away from the people, was broken,
then light of all kinds, Biblical, scientific,
inventive, and industrial, began to shine and
penetrate in every direction.
It is a singular and striking fact that immediately
following the overthrow of the papal power in 1798,
Bible societies, tract societies, and Sunday schools
sprang up in large numbers. The London Religious
Tract Society was organized in 1799, the British and
Foreign Bible Society in 1804, the American Bible
Society in 1816, and the American Tract Society in
1825. The Bible has now been translated into more
than four hundred and fifty languages and dialects,
and sent to every part of the globe. Before that
time access to the Bible was confined to
comparatively few. Now the humblest person may
possess it, and is as free to read and study it as
is the most exalted in the land. A little more than
one hundred years ago there was not a Sunday school
in the world, the first one being organized by
Robert Raikes, at Gloucester, England, in 1784. Now
there are more than 285,000 such schools, with over
28,000,000 officers, teachers, and pupils.
4.
What may be said of the developments in the line of
scientific inventions since 1798?
These have been remarkable, phenomenal, and without
parallel in the history of the world. The people of a
century and a quarter ago knew nothing of steamships,
steam and electric railways, telegraphs, telephones,
photographs, phonographs, sewing-machines, anesthetics,
submarine cables, linotypes, monotypes, motion pictures,
X-rays, aeroplanes, wireless telegraphy. Were they to be
raised from the dead, they would be as much astonished
at all these things as would the people of four thousand
years ago.
NOTES.-"Of a verity, this is the age of invention."-Scientific
American.
"The great facts of the nineteenth century stand
out so conspicuously above the achievements of any
preceding century that it would be affectation of
humility not to recognize and speak of them."-Union
Handbook, 1870.
"The most striking characteristic of our times
is the rapid strides which the world is making in
science, general intelligence, and inventions."-Chicago
Republican, March 14, 1872.
"Never was there such activity of invention within
the history of mankind as at the present day."-Phrenological
Journal, April, 1871.
"More has been done, richer and more prolific
discoveries have been made, grander achievements
have been realized, in the course of the fifty years
of our lifetime than in all the previous lifetime of
the race."- London Spectator.
Some of the principal inventions and discoveries of
modern times are the following:-
Balloon in 1798.
Gas for lighting purposes in 1798.
Cast-iron plough in 1800.
Steel pen in 1803.
Steamboat in 1807.
Steam printing-press in 1811.
Revolver 1825
Railway-cars in 1825.
Lucifer-match 1829.
Mower and reaper in 1833.
Electric telegraph in 1837.
Electrotyping in 1837.
Photography in 1839.
Sewing-machine in 1846.
Anesthesia in 1846.
Submarine cable in 1851.
Machine-gun in 1861.
Monitor war-ship in 1862.
Automatic air-brake in 872.
Telephone in 1876.
Phonograph in 1877.
Electric railway in 1879.
Modern seismograph in 1880.
Linotype in 1885.
Steam-turbine in 1888.
Roentgen or X-ray in 1895.
Wireless telegraphy in 1895.
Motion pictures in 1895.
Monotype in 1896.
Radium in 1902.
Aeroplane, first successful flying, Dec. 17, 1903.
It will be noticed that none of these inventions
antedate 1798. Go back a little over a century and
we find the world about where it was in the days of
the patriarchs. For thousands of years there seemed
to be scarcely any advancement or improvement in
knowledge. But suddenly with the opening of the
nineteenth century, the world awoke from its long
sleep, and a new era dawned,-the time of the end,
when knowledge was to be increased.
5.
What did the Savior say should precede the end?
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all nations; and
then shall the end come!' Matt. 24:14.
NOTE.-Luther, the Wesleys, and others could not, in
their day, proclaim the Lord's coming to be at hand,
as the signs heralding this event had not taken
place. But now, the sun and moon have been darkened,
and the stars have fallen, as predicted by the
Savior; knowledge has most wonderfully increased, as
stated by the angel to Daniel; and the gospel has
gone to nearly every kindred, tribe, and people in
the world. Therefore we may know that the end is
near.
6.
When we see all these things, what are we to know?
"When you shall see all these things, know that it is
near, even at the doors." Verse 33.
Lift up the trumpet, and loud let it ring;
Jesus is coming again!
Cheer up, you pilgrims, be joyful and sing;
Jesus is coming again!
Echo it, hilltops, proclaim it, you plains;
Jesus is coming again!
Coming in glory, the Lamb that was slain;
Jesus is coming again!
JESSIE E. STROUT.
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