Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 83

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that _I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord_: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." Amos 8:11, 12. See Luke 13:25; Prov.

1:24-26; Heb. 12:15-17.

21. What announcement is made under the seventh plague?

"And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, _It is done_." Rev. 16:17.

NOTE.-G.o.d made man to bless him. Gen. 1:28. When His blessings are abused, He withholds them, to teach men their source and their proper use. Haggai 1:7-11. Judgments are sent that men may "learn righteousness." Isa. 25:9; 1 Kings 17:1. That men do not repent under the plagues is no evidence that G.o.d has ceased to be merciful and forgiving. They simply demonstrate that all have determined their destiny, and that even the severest judgments of G.o.d will not move the unG.o.dly and impenitent to repentance.

22. Just preceding Christ's second coming, what solemn decree will go forth showing that the cases of all have been decided?

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12.

23. What psalms seem to have been written especially for the comfort and encouragement of G.o.d's people during the time of the seven last plagues?

Psalms 91 and 46. See also Isa. 33:13-17.

The great decisive day is at hand!

The day when Christ will come, To call His children home And to seal the sinner's doom, Is at hand.

Where will the sinner hide in that day?

It will be in vain to call, "Ye mountains on us fall,"

For His hand will find out all In that day.

The Mystery Of G.o.d Finished

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

Watchman, What Of The Night? "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ." Rev. 11:15.

1. Following his description of the sixth trumpet, what did John see?

"And I saw _another mighty angel come down from heaven_, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun." Rev. 10:1.

2. What did he have in his hand?

"And he had in his hand _a little book open_." Verse 2.

NOTE.-The book of Daniel, which was to be "sealed," or closed, till the time of the end, is doubtless referred to here. See Dan.

12:4, 9.

3. What solemn announcement did this angel make?

"And the angel which I saw ... lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, ... _that there should be time no longer_." Rev. 10:5, 6.

NOTE.-Not literal nor probationary time, but prophetic time. The 2300-day period, which ended in 1844, must be alluded to here. See page 230. No prophetic period in the Bible reaches beyond this.

4. What did the angel say was to be finished when the seventh trumpet was about to sound?

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, _the mystery of G.o.d_ should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets." Verse 7.

NOTE.-The mystery of G.o.d is the gospel. Eph. 3:1-6; Gal. 1:11, 12.

The gospel, then, is to be finished as the seventh trumpet is about to sound.

5. What was John told to do with the little book?

"Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel ...

and _eat it up_." Verses 8, 9.

6. What was to be the result of the eating of this book?

"It shall _make thy belly bitter_, but it shall be _in thy mouth sweet as honey_." Verse 9, last part.

7. What does the apostle say of his experience in this matter?

"And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth _sweet as honey_: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was _bitter_." Verse 10.

NOTE.-In this is most strikingly foretold the experience of those who proclaimed the advent and judgment-hour message of 1843-44.

Joyous in the hope that Christ was coming then, like the early disciples regarding His first advent (Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6, 7), they were bitterly disappointed, and found that there was still a work on earth for them to do, as did the early disciples following the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.

8. What words of the angel to John show that both literal and probationary time were to continue yet for a time, and that G.o.d had a still further message for the world?

"And he said unto me, _Thou must prophesy again_ before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." Verse 11.

NOTE.-The message of Revelation 10 is the same as that of Rev.

14:6, 7; and the later messages of Rev. 14:8-12 answer to the instruction, "Thou must _prophesy again_," of Rev. 10:11. But all are last-day messages, and indicate that the end of all things is near at hand.