IN spite of the rapid increase of crime and violence on every hand; in spite of the most gigantic preparations for war that the world has ever seen; in spite of the increasing worldliness of the church,—the pulpit and the religious press continue to talk of peace and safety, of a millennium in which there shall be no war, and in which the world will be converted. In the midst of violence and crime, it seems a strange proceeding to talk of peace and safety. In the presence of the greatest possible preparations for war, it seems rather incongruous to announce the speedy approach of a time when there shall be no war. In the face of the increasing worldliness of the church, and the loss of her power of godliness, the prospect does not appear very flattering for the conversion of the world to Christ. Yet under these very circumstances, in these very times, these very things are preached.BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.1

There are certain scriptures quoted to prove that these things are so. Let us read them.BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.2

Psalm 2:7, 8: “I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” There, does not that say that the world shall be converted? Well does it?—Plainly it does not. It says that the heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth shall be given to the Son of God. But it does not say that this shall be by conversion nor for conversion. Before the conversion of the heathen or the uttermost parts of the earth can be found in that scripture it has to be put into it by the one who wants to find it there. And that is not the best way to interpret Scripture. It is not the best way to read into Scripture what we want there, rather than to read the Scripture to find what really is there. But it may be asked, Is not conversion the necessary conclusion from the text?—It is not, because the next verse shows the contrary: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” That is certainly anything else then their conversion. This is shown further by the remaining verses: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.”BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.3

Another scripture quoted in proof of the conversion of the world is Revelation 11:15: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.” But this text is much the same as the other. It does not say that these kingdoms become his by conversion nor for conversion. It is evident that this text bears the same meaning as that in the second psalm. Read the two together: “I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.” “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ.” These two texts certainly speak of the same time and the same event, and we have seen that these heathen are given Him to be dashed in pieces. And that this is the same with “the kingdoms of the world,” is evident from the context. The whole verse reads: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.4

Now as the seventh trumpet is accompanied by the third woe, and as it is under the seventh trumpet that the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, it is certain therefore that it is in the midst of a time of woe that the kingdoms of this world do become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.5

This is further shown by verse 18: “And the nations were angry [precisely the attitude of the nations at this moment], and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which corrupt [margin] the earth.” The time of reward of the saints, etc., is at the coming of the Lord, for he says, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12. Then it is that his wrath is kindled, and the angry nations are given him, and in the midst of a time of woe they are dashed in pieces and destroyed because they corrupt the earth.BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.6

This is confirmed by the prophecy in Daniel 2:31-45. There was a great image seen, with head of gold, breast and arms of silver, sides of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. Then a stone was seen to smite the image upon his feet, “and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them.” And in explanation of this the Word says: “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.7

It is evident that in none of these texts is the conversion of the world, nor a millennium of peace, spoken of at all nor even suggested. Instead of the nations being at peace, they are “angry;” instead of there being safety on the earth there is “woe;” instead of the conversion of the world there is to be destruction that shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. And yet in the face of these plain declarations of the Word of God, and of the events that mark their fulfillment, men will preach directly the opposite. But even this is shown by the Word of God as that which will be at this time. In the last verse of 1 Thessalonians 4, the coming of the Lord is spoken of. Then in the first verses of the fifth chapter it is said: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.8

This shows that at the time when destruction is impending there will be men saying, “Peace and safety,” and then sudden destruction comes upon them. Therefore, if there is any one thing that men should disbelieve, it is the preaching of peace and safety, the preaching of a millennium of peace and the conversion of the world. The very preaching of it is evidence of its falsity, because the word of God says that then “destruction cometh.”BEST August 15, 1890, page 242.9