NOTE THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

"22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

22:7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

22:8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And HE WAS SPEECHLESS."

(Matthew 22:2-12; Capital Emphasis Added)My dear Brother or Sister in Christ, we are nearing the end of the world. The decisions of eternity are upon us. Jesus stands at the door (Revelation 3:20). The second coming of Christ is no longer in the dim and distant future. It is, to every one of us who studies carefully the pages of HISTORY and PROPHECY, a clear reality which even now is throwing the beams of its approaching glory and the light of its consuming fires upon a SLEEPING WORLD. The second coming of Christ has many signs to warn us of its approach; yet it will come SUDDENLY and UNEXPECTEDLY to many people living at this end of the world (Luke 21:35). How surprised will multitudes of people awake in their unprepared condition, as the terrible reality of the second coming of Christ bursts open upon them. It will be so different from what they expected! It will be so contrary to all their plans! It will be so different from all that they had hoped for or believed! What astonishment, what amazement, what terror, will seize them! At once they will find themselves in the unrelaxing grasp of eternity. Its irrevocable decisions would be upon them, and they would find themselves AMONG THE LOST! Many people, in the agony of their hopelessness, will ask themselves the question, "Why have I been caught in this UNPREPARED CONDITION?"

My dear Brother or Sister in Christ, should Christ ask YOU on that day why you have not made preparation for His second coming, what answer would you give? What excuse would you render?

If you should tell Christ on that day that, "Lord, this day of all days, this day which forever ends all human history, this decisive day for all the human race, SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEARLY REVEALED IN THE SCRIPTURES" Christ will answer you that it was thus clearly revealed in the Scriptures. Christ will tell you that From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures were full of it and that that solemn moment which should close probation and bring its terrible punishment to the ungodly, and its glorious reward to the righteous, was everywhere kept in view, with warnings and exhortations to everyone to PREPARE for its solemn scenes. Bibles were in your hands, and WHY DID YOU NOT READ THEM FOR YOURSELF? Would you not thus stand speechless and condemned?

If you should say to Christ on that day that SIGNS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN to warn you of so terrible an event, some strange natural occurrences should have occurred to mark the approach of the end of the world, Christ would answer you that such signs were given. Christ would tell you that the sun was darkened, the moon withdrew her brightness, the stars fell from heaven (Matthew 24:29), and strange sights appeared above, and strange convulsions were felt below and that before probation closed, you could have escaped the coming wrath, the whole world was full of Bibles containing these predictions, and full of histories recording their fulfillment. DID YOU TAKE THE TROUBLE TO COMPARE THE TWO? Again would you not stand speechless and condemned?

If you should tell Christ on that day that THE MORAL AND THE POLITICAL CONDITION OF THE WORLD, which was to indicate that we are in the last days, should have been clearly described in the Scriptures, Christ would answer you that it was so described. Christ would answer you that it was declared in the Word of God that iniquity would abound (Mathew 24:12), that evil men and seducers would wax worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13), that the nations would be angry (Revelation 11:18), that there would be wars and rumours of wars (Matthew 24:6), and that there would be distress of nations, with perplexity (Luke 21:25). Christ would say to you that even during the days that you lived, every newspaper was filled with a record of these things, and all the countries were startled at the fearful spectacle which the world presented. DID YOU NOT SEE IT? Why did you not clearly understand its meaning? Again, would you not stand speechless and condemned?

If you should tell Christ on that day that THE HISTORY AND COURSE OF NATIONS, in consecutive order, down to the end of the world, SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN, so that the world might know when the last nations were on the stage of action, at the end of whose history the kingdom of God should be set up, Christ would tell you that such information was given in the prophetic word. Christ would tell you that right from the time of ancient Babylon, the kingdoms of this world were delineated in an orderly manner until the time that Michael was to stand up for the deliverance of His people (Daniel 2:1-49; Daniel 12:1). Christ will tell you that you saw the last kingdoms of the world in a condition such that even human foresight scarcely failed to recognize the very day of their dissolution (Daniel 2:24-45). DID YOU TAKE THE TROUBLE TO ASK ABOUT WHAT WAS TO FOLLOW? Again, would you not stand without an answer and without an excuse?

If you should tell Christ on that day that MESSENGERS, DIVINELY SENT, SHOULD HAVE GIVEN WARNING of the approach of that great and dreadful day, that the proclamation should have been made in every country about the nearness of the end of the world, Christ would answer you that such a proclamation was made (Mathew 24:14). Christ would tell you that the world heard. The honest, humble seekers after truth believed. But SCOFFERS everywhere raised the enquiry, Where is the promise of his coming? (2 Peter 3:4).

My dear Brother or Sister in Christ, thus your last excuse shall fail you. What other excuse would you give on that day that Christ shall come? SPEECHLESS and condemned you shall stand throughout!