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PROPHECIES?
"I must confess myself to be, in the presence
of the writings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah, and
John of Patmos, as a little child wandering
through the museum, marveling at the Egyptian
hieroglyphs, and the Assyrian cuneiform characters,
but quite unable to spell them out; fancying,
sometimes, that I have the key of the mysteries,
and anon discovering some new form of divine
symbology which quite confuses me, and makes me
confess that I am but of yesterday, and know nothing."
From Spurgeon's "Things to Come" #875 1 Corinthians 3:22.
"Nothing shall induce me to attempt to interpret
the prophecies. By God's grace I will be content
to expound the gospel. I believe it to be one of
the most fatal devices of Satan to turn aside
useful gospel ministers from their proper work
into idle speculations upon the number of the
beast, and the meaning of the little horn.
The prophecies will interpret themselves by
their fulfillment, but no expositor has yet
arisen who has been able to do it.
For us to explain the mysterious visions of Daniel
and John before they are fulfilled will, I believe,
be worse than folly; it will be a guilty waste of
energy, which should all be spent in the winning
of souls."
From Spurgeon's "The Standard Uplifted in
the Face of the Foe" No. 718. Isaiah 59:19.
".... do not read modern prophetical works, for
that is a sheer waste of time and nothing better.
Hold off as you would from a serpent, from the
idea that the study or preaching of prophecy
is the gospel, for the belief that it is so, is
mischievous beyond conception. So long as
the world is reeking with sin, and millions are
going down to hell, let us leave others to
prophesy, let us go with anxious hearts
to seek after souls, and see if we cannot
by the Spirit's power win sinners from
going down into the pit."
From Spurgeon's, "The Great Mystery
of Godliness" No. 786. 1 Tim. 3:16.
I am no prophet. I do not understand the
visions of Daniel or Ezekiel. I find I have
enough to do to teach the simple word
such as I find in Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John, and the Epistles of Paul.
I do not find many souls have been converted
to God by exquisite dissertations about the
battle of Armageddon, and all those other fine
things. I have no doubt prophesying is very
profitable, but I rather question whether they
are so profitable to the hearers, as they may
be to the preachers and publishers.
People have a panting to know the future.
And certain preachers pander to this depraved
taste, by prophesying for them and letting
them know what is coming by and by.
I do not know the future and I shall not pretend
to know. But I do preach this, because I know it,
that Christ will come, for He says so in a hundred
passages. The Epistles of Paul are full of the
advent, and Peter's, too, and John's letters are
crowded with it.
The best of saints have always lived on the
hope of the advent. I will not divide the church
by discussing whether the advent will be
premillennial or postmillennial, or anything of
the kind. It is enough for me that He will come,
and, "in such an hour as you think not, the
Son of Man will come."
I think the Church would do well to be always
living as if Christ might come today. He may
come this moment. Let us always be living as
if He would come now, still acting in our Master's
sight, and watching unto prayer.
Never mind about the last vials; fill your own
vial with sweet odors and offer it before the Lord.
Think what you like about Armageddon. But
forget not to fight the good fight of faith.
Guess not at the precise time for the
destruction of Antichrist; go and destroy it
yourself, fighting against it every day.
Be looking forward and hastening unto
the coming of the Son of Man. And let
this be at once your comfort and excitement
to diligence: that the Savior will soon come
from Heaven.
From Spurgeon's "Citizenship in Heaven" #476
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