Let us read
Dan. 11:35 — “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge them, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”
Here you note that God’s people were to fall, be persecuted, martyred and tried even to the time of the end. They were to go through that ordeal in order to be purged, tried, and made white.
Bear in mind that the purging was to continue up “to the time of the end,” and that the king of the south was to push against the king of the north “at the time of the end.” (Dan 11:40).
Now mark that the preposition “to” terminates at the preposition “at,” that where the purging ends, the king’s pushing begins. These points were brought to light in our study of the king of the north and the king of the south.
So far as we are able to find, history teaches that the martyrdom ceased in 1700 A.D. and that the Turkish empire began to shrink in 1699.
The time of the end, therefore, began at the closing of the seventeenth century, the time martyrdom ceased, and the time the Turkish empire began to disintegrate.
Moreover, speaking of the tribulation in which millions were martyred, Jesus said:
Matt. 24:29 —“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened…”
The dark day came in 1780 A.D. And while the Turkish empire kept on shrinking, the British kept on expanding. Here is seen that prophecy perfectly corroborates history. Now learn —
“How To Turn Wasted Time Into Good Use”
You are aware of the fact that we are given a great work and that the time in which to do it is very short; that we should therefore, learn how to turn wasted time into good use.
Someone has said that on the average, more than half of mens’ life and energy are wasted on useless talking and in policing others. One of our greatest needs therefore, is that we learn to control our tongues and to keep our noses out of other people’s business in order to conserve time and energy, peace and integrity.
It is well to remember too, that our tongues are given to us for the purpose of speaking God’s Truth and His praise, and our energies to proclaim His Truth and to bless His people. Let us be talking of and working for these heaven born principles.
If you accidently happen to see or to hear that someone is doing something that according to your best judgment is not proper for a Christian to do, and if you think you can help him, then do not make of yourself a tale-bearer by telling it to anyone but rather plead with the guilty one.
Do not make yourself a criterion for any either, and do not force your ideas on anyone but on yourselves. It is no one’s duty to police another. Understand that no one is in debt to bring his life to anyone’s standards and maximums. Hear what Inspiration says:
Rom. 14:4 —“Who are thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand”
… but since you are not able to, then why try!
Do not make enemies by your tongues. Make friends. And do not have your feelings on your finger tips. If you do, you yourself will feel the loss of friends, of social joy, and of the opportunity and privilege to win souls to Christ.
Do not end the day with no credit to be recorded on your page of Heaven’s ledger. Do not misinterpret other peoples’ motives either. Try to see and interpret everything in the right way, give everyone a chance. See the good in everyone and close your eyes to all evil.
Let your conversation be on the subject of promoting God’s Truth for the day. It will keep you busy talking of something profitable and commendable. Think and study, and when you talk religion, by all means do not become a bore. Go on with your talk only as far as your listeners follow you —
Matt. 7:6 — “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
Tongues are hard to control, and ears always anxious to hear. It will therefore be better if you do less visiting. Much visiting is only a waste of time and a temptation to discuss the motes in the eyes of others and to overlook the beam that is in your own eye.
Whenever you are by yourself you can get something done. You can then either work or study. But when you get together with others, the chances are that you get nothing done but harm to yourself and to others.
Now is the time to study and to learn the Truth for this time, to find out how to give a study and how to answer questions in a simple way, without having to go into a lot of history or biography.
And if you are determined to walk with God daily and to study His will concerning your own duties, not the duties of others, you will find plenty to keep you busy and out of mischief.
Remember, too, that you are candidates for the first fruits, to be either one with, or one of the 144,000, that you are to be without guile in your mouths (Rev. 14:5).
10. The First Fruits — The 144,000 - Now sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and prepare to stand with the Lamb on Mt. Zion! The mystery concerning the sealing of the 144,000 is probably peer to any vexed Bible subject. Theory has crowded theory, only the more to mystify and confuse the truth of it. No… Measure your words by the golden rule. If you will do to others what you would have them to do to you, you will have less trouble, greater joy in life, many friends all around you, and fair sheaves for the Heavenly Garner.
