It has been often said in various ways that time does not appear to be of any concern whatsoever to God. Peter informs us that “1000 years is one day” to God in all of eternity.
Looking back through history it seems very clear that, in His great mercy, time has been used consistently to assess individuals, families, churches, nations, the entire world and ultimately the whole universe.
In our case we have the history of a diminishing lifespan, caused by sin, to ascertain what choice will be made by each person -
Enoch 5404 and still alive…
Methuselah 969
Abraham 185
Moses 120
David/Solomon 70
Then this lifespan was locked in for humanity -
For a thousand years in thy sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
and as a watch in the night.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep:
in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;
in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
For we are consumed by thine anger,
and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee,
our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.
For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath:
we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labour and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
History is replete with continual examples of what humanity and even Christ's denominated people will DO during the delay of a tarrying time, instead of having their characters perfected, being prepared, ready, watching and patiently waiting on Him to unfold events in His time.
He has warned us and it has all been seen before,
There is no new thing under the sun
Remember -
the Bride will not be asleep!
They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.
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. 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. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
We have seen that they have to be doing something and have become involved in diversions and all manner of worldly -
Activities
Inventions
Sins
Abominations
Time setting
Anything but what the LORD requires of them.
But, the LORD keeps an account with each person, church, nation and this world, and when they have reached their allotted time, it will be seen if they have used this time correctly or if they have abused His mercy, and lived for self.
The sure result of this choice is often referred to as a surprise in words like sudden, unexpected, etc, -
Suddenly and unexpectedly as would be a thunder peal from an unclouded sky, the tempest broke. The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities and the fruitful plain; its palaces and temples, costly dwellings, gardens and vineyards, and the gay, pleasure-seeking throngs that only the night before had insulted the messengers of heaven—all were consumed. The smoke of the conflagration went up like the smoke of a great furnace. And the fair vale of Siddim became a desolation, a place never to be built up or inhabited—a witness to all generations of the certainty of God's judgments upon transgression. PP 162
The professed people of God have always been waiting for something in particular that God or the prophets had said will happen before a particular event, then when that happens they will all of a sudden get ready for the expected event, but, the LORD Himself kept warning us when on this earth and in so many and varied ways that it is now; it is time that is our test -
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
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. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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.
Here is the patience (endurance, constancy) of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Now is our test - it is today.
There have only ever been the faithful in each era, though perilously few at times, who have actually believed what the LORD has said and have lived their life accordingly. They, along with those who refused to heed the counsel of God, were given as ensamples for us in these closing scenes of this world’s history.
What if the mentality we have been given as church members that when we see the signs that we have been waiting to see occur first, before we begin to get ready, is actually a lie and if we continue to live with this mentality then we have lost all hope of being saved forever! What if what was indicated to us was the satanic trap, which Christ repeatedly warned us about? What if our test is now!
It may well seem at times that nothing much is happening and really nothing much has changed; but, be assured the steady march of time toward the decisive hour of the close of our probation is coming to its end and the condition of things in our world are continually creeping toward their ultimate, full exposure of evil. We can all see the impossibility of all of a sudden snapping out of the way of the world to be ready to be with the LORD forever. We can and need to have had Him abiding in our hearts every moment, every day, now.
This is our time and like Enoch, in his era of pure evil, each passing day brought him closer and closer to His LORD, until he was taken up to continue that “walk with God” for eternity. So it will be with those of us who see things clearly, with the gift of the eyesalve, and in the light of history and the Inspired Writings.
We can see that today, each moment is our test!
