Chapter 3—“When Shall These Things Be?”
The Disciples Ask Christ About His Return
Christ’s words [
Matthew 24:2
] had been spoken in the hearing of
a large number of people, but when He was alone, Peter, John, James,
and Andrew came to Him as He sat upon the Mount of Olives. “Tell
us,” they said, “when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign
of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Jesus did not answer His disciples by taking up separately the
destruction of Jerusalem and the great day of His coming. He mingled
the description of these two events. Had He opened to His disciples
future events as He beheld them, they would have been unable to
endure the sight. In mercy to them He blended the description of the
two great crises, leaving the disciples to study out the meaning for
themselves.—
The Desire of Ages, 628
(1898).
Time of Christ’s Return Not Known
Many who have called themselves Adventists have been time-
setters. Time after time has been set for Christ to come, but repeated
[33]
failures have been the result. The definite time of our Lord’s coming
is declared to be beyond the ken of mortals. Even the angels, who
minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation, know not the day
nor the hour. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels of heaven, but My Father only.”—
Testimonies for the Church
4:307
(1879).
We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.... Why has not God given
us this knowledge?—Because we would not make a right use of it if
He did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among
our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a
people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to live
upon time excitement....
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