The Desire of Ages--23--The Kingdom of God is at Hand

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

There are definite parallels.

"As the message of Christ's first advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory. And the second message, like the first, is based on the prophecies. The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the time of the end. At that time, 'many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' 'The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.' Daniel 12:4, 10. The Saviour Himself has given signs of His coming, and He says, 'When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.' 'And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.' 'Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.' Luke 21:31, 34, 36." {The Desire of Ages, page 234, paragraph 4}

Let us live in readiness for Jesus' second coming! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in the life of one who fully surrenders to Christ in living faith and abides in His saving grace! Affectionately obedient to all of the light that God has revealed, God gives more light to those who walk in what they already have! "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18). Will you live in true readiness for Jesus' glorious second coming? He is coming VERY SOON!!

[Dorine]

"The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and His apostles,—the precious last years of grace to the chosen people,—they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord’s messengers. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men’s thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the swift-coming kingdom of God.
“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” While we are not to know the hour of our Lord’s return, we may know when it is near. “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

I praise God everyday for the wonderful privilege God has given me to be a member of His family. My prayer is that I will not take it lightly and will let my light so shine that others may see and believe. Christ comes as a thief only to those who are living for self.

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brother and sister!! Jesus is even at the doors!

We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time of the end is come, the visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their solemn warnings point us to our Lord’s coming in glory as near at hand. The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and His apostles,—the precious last years of grace to the chosen people,—they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord’s messengers. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men’s thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the swift-coming kingdom of God. “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” While we are not to know the hour of our Lord’s return, we may know when it is near. “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6.

How do we know we are at the end? The world is falling apart just as it was in the days of Noah. Jesus tells us when He is coming.

The Saviour Himself has given signs of His coming, and He says, “When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:31, 34, 36.

He tells us just what He told His disciples on that fateful night when they forsook Him: "Watch and pray!"

[Beacon]

"The burden of Christ's preaching was, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.'

"Thus the gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the prophecies."

"The 'time' which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel."

'Seventy weeks,' said the angel, 'are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.' Daniel 9:24"

"A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6".

"The seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety days, represent four hundred and ninety years.

" A starting point for this period is given: 'Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,' sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. Daniel 9:25."

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9, margin), went into effect in the autumn of B. C. 457.

From this time four hundred and eighty-three years extend to the autumn of A. D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One.


In A. D. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry.

" Then the message was proclaimed." 'The time is fulfilled.'"

This amazing fulfillment of Bible Prophecy declares to us that we can believe with full confidence the Bible as we have it today. Are "YOU" willing to take your stand with Jesus as revealed in His Holy Word??