The World is Drifting far from its Moorings

The earth itself is unsettled and threatened with a terrific upheaval. Science now recognizes the fact that the earth is in a state of constant quaking, moving slightly to and fro in its interior masses. This constant moving and quaking will no doubt culminate in some sudden great movement or quake, resulting in the wrecking of cities, changing the face of the earth, and the destruction of thousands of lives. It is quite evident from seismic study that this process is accelerating, and it cannot be otherwise; it will result in some not distant day in a world-wide terrific shock to all the earth.

Our Saviour said in His great Olivet prophetic discourse that there should "be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places," among other things, in describing the course of the present age (Matt. 24:7). Earthquakes have been common occurrences down through the centuries, but they have been greatly multiplied both in their number and their intensity within recent years. The earth itself seems to have grown sick, so that now and again it trembles and quakes with violent force. But the end is not yet. In the apocalyptic visions there is reference to a dreadful and a terrific earthquake."And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings:and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath" (Rev. 16:18,19). The earthquake here spoken about shall be so great and terrible that it will surpass all that ever occurred in the history of mankind. To the careful student of the Scriptures it will be quite evident that whatever has been and is characteristic of the age in general will be intensified in the end of the age, as wickedness comes to the full and the judgments of God impend. This great end-time earthquake will be one of the culminating shocks which the earth will experience. We may readily believe, then, that the movements of the internal masses of the earth with the frequent shocks that are felt, are but the foreshadowing and portents of the terrific quakes that are predicted to occur in the end of the age.

Not only is the earth sick and moving in its internal masses, threatening a terrible upheaval and shock, but the moral world is sick as well. There is a constant moving of the internal masses of society and the movement is rapidly increasing. Society itself is unnerved and sick. There is a constant and a rapid drift. First of all, men are drifting far from their former recognition of God. Multitudes no longer believe that there is a God, and multitudes more, if they still believe in His existence and being, think of Him in such vague and indefinite terms that their belief practically means nothing. The masses no longer recognize God as the Ruler of the universe, who, because He is absolutely holy, must judge and punish sin. And so in popular thinking God is not really recognized, and hence the influence of His authority is no longer felt, and His Word is despised with arrogance and impudence. In popular thinking the Almighty has departed from men, or else He never did exist.

The masses have drifted into the attitude of denial. All the great spiritual verities are being boldly denied these days. There is no God, no moral law, no hell, and no hereafter. With the denial of the supernatural there follows the sweeping away of all sense of recognition of accountability on the part of multiplied thousands. Thus, multitudes are drifting farther and farther into darkness and sin. With God gone, hell removed, the moral law dispensed with, and accountability eliminated, men are sinking deeper and deeper into sin. There is, therefore, the wholesale indulgence of passion and every form of lawlessness. Sacred institutions are being prostituted and the law is being scoffed at. Society is reeking with moral filth and corruption, and multitudes are reveling in utter wantonness. The evil passions of men are let loose, being set on fire of satanic forces, so that sin stalks about in the open, with such impudence and arrogance that the authorities of the law are unable to deal with its victims. The whole world is drifting onward in moral evil and unrighteousness, unhindered and unrestrained, preparing for a shock so dreadful and terrific that it will surpass any other ever experienced in any former age. The world has drifted far away from its moorings.

The World is on the Verge of a Terrific Judgment from God

A great and a dense darkness is spreading over the face of the earth. It is the darkness of a coming judgment. Civilization is on the verge of an utter collapse. The sins of mankind are fast filling up the cup of the iniquity of human society, and the world is rapidly ripening for judgment. "Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together" (Matt. 24:28). The '"carcase" represents corruption and sin. The "eagles" represent the judgments of God. Wheresoever corruption is, there will the judgments of God be gathered. The corruption of sin is rapidly spreading over the whole earth and the judgments of God are impending. The judgments that will fall upon the earth are those of war, famine, pestilence, earthquakes and other indescribable horrors.

The honest and unprejudiced observer of the times and of European affairs must be convinced of an impending war. The situation surely is far from pleasing. The multiplying inventions of men in the conquest of the earth, the sea and the air, are no doubt rapidly hastening the impending crisis. Satan, who is the prince of this world, politically, seizes upon them, and manipulates them to his own deadly purposes, and deceives men into glorying over their achievements to the ignoring of God. It is said that the nations of Europe are at present far better prepared for war than in 1914, the year of the beginning of the late great world war.

The present unemployment enters vitally into the situation. The number of the unemployed in the world is enormous. It is reported that the unemployed in England, Germany and America now number well over twelve millions – England, 2,600,000; Germany nearly 5,000,000, America between 4,500,000 and 7,000,000; with a world-total i which was estimated even a year ago at not less than 30,000,000, and which must now be much greater. These figures are staggering. And this unemployment is preparing the minds of millions for the poisonous teachings of Communism. The gravest peril of the hour is Russia with the deadly and poisonous propaganda of this fatal teaching. She is spending millions to broadcast her foul propaganda over all the earth, and millions are embracing it and becoming carried away by it. This deadly teaching is gradually and effectively saturating the minds and lives of great multitudes, so that the sacred institutions of human society are being threatened. There is much bitterness of spirit, a great deal of lawlessness and the spirit of revolution, and much dissatisfaction in evidence everywhere.

Over against this we see the restlessness of Italy, with its ambition for empire, the fear of France in respect to war, and the constant growth of political unrest in Germany, with millions of its citizens cherishing revenge in their minds. The Old World is setting the stage for so great and fearful a conflict as was never waged in the history of the world. All Europe may be likened to a boiling volcano. Just how soon the millions will move on to the conflict God alone knows. But the crisis is impending and the foreshadows are manifest and ominous. And their risings, when they do move, will mean that Jehovah has risen to accomplish the judgments upon the nations so long foretold in the Scriptures.

There never was a time like the present time. These are crisis days, days fraught with momentous import and a great deal of peril. They are also days filled with spiritual opportunity and responsibility. The close of the age is at hand. The Lord Jesus Christ may come at any moment to receive the redeemed unto Himself. This great event will usher in their day of eternal glory and the world's night of the antichrist rule and the great tribulation. In the meanwhile exiled Israel longs for home and rest. Her destiny will be settled on the field of Armageddon, after she has endured the horrors of the Great Tribulation. Her rejected Messiah and King will return and deliver her in His mercy and faithfulness from all her enemies and plant her in the Holy Land. And our glorious Christ with His triumphant Church will take over the dominion of all the earth. W. S. Hottel