The Swallows...Are Gone!
by C.S.
The Swallows...Are Gone!
“Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the
turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their
coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord. How do ye
say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly
in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men
are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the
word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” [Jeremiah 8:7-9]
The end of the year is near. The swallows are gone; but not one
swallow is left behind. We saw them gathered together and they were
seen to fly higher, as the time to depart drew nearer. No one saw
them go. But they are gone to sunny lands of the south. The frost
and the snow, the sleet and piercing winds of winter never reach
them there. Very remarkable is this instinct of the birds.
“Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the
turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their
coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.”
Is there not a lesson for us in this instinct of the birds? It was
pleasing to watch the swallows as the winter drew near, gathering in
companies, seeming to wait for the wanderers. Then they would fly
high, as wanting to be gone. We thought, Is not the Holy Spirit now
gathering Christians together in little companies to Christ? Now
here, now there, a wanderer is coming in. Should we not fly higher?
We, like the swallows, are about to leave this scene below. Already
signs of this world’s judgment begin to flit across its autumn sky.
And now every swallow soared ready to depart, moved by one common
instinct. Oh, that every Christian were seen manifestly ready to
depart, moved by the Spirit of God.
But will it be with the whole Church of God as with the swallows?
Yes, the Holy Ghost is already gathering them in little companies to
Christ. He has revealed to them afresh, after many centuries, the
heavenly Bridegroom, and the heavenly calling of the Church. He is
leading their thoughts and hearts, higher and higher yet. And soon,
very soon, though the world will not see them go, yet everyone shall
be gone, not one left behind.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet them in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” [Thessalonians 4:16,
17]
Are not these sober words of inspired reality? Yes, brethren, we
shall all be gone; not one left behind; forever with the Lord. If
the swallows are gone to more sunny shores, oh, what will it be to
be caught up away from the scenes of this world’s wintry woes, and
judgments, and in peaceful rest enter the glory of our Lord!
And if God never fails to take by instinct at the appointed time,
the stork, the crane, the swallow, can he possibly fail at the
appointed time to take the saints to meet their Lord? Is it not sad
and humbling that the Lord should have to say, that though the
swallows should know their appointed time, “My people know not the
judgment of the LORD.” Is not this true now of Christendom, as it
was of Israel then? What profound ignorance there is on this
important subject. “My people know not.” Men go on dreaming of
continual summer, yes, of increasing sunshine, peace, temperance,
prosperity- just at the very time when the saints are about to be
gone like the swallows of autumn, and the storms of this world’s
wintry blasts are about to take them all by surprise. [1
Thessalonians 5:1-9]
It is incredible how utterly unaware the learned of this world are
of the wintry judgments about to be poured out on the nations of
this earth. “How do ye say we are wise, and the law of the LORD is
with us?”
Never was there a day of more boasting, “We are wise.”
It is quite
true the word of God is in men’s hands; but WHO BELIEVES IT? The
catching away of the Church before the day of the Lord is clearly
revealed. God has said it. He has made it perfectly clear, both the
departure of his saints to meet the Lord in the air, and the
terrible judgments that shall follow. Has He made it clear? Yes,
but, “Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in
vain.” Yes, in vain has god spoken in His word; men will not believe
him. “Making the word of god of none effect through your tradition”-
[Mark 7:13a]
Let us now pass on to the December of this world, before the new era
of the millennial kingdom begins. “The wise men are ashamed, they
are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD;
and what wisdom is in them?” vs. 9
Let us now anticipate what these learned men, these rejecters of the
word of God will say. “How strange is this; those Christians we
despised are all gone, like the swallows of autumn. Not one of them
can be found on earth. How we laughed and hated their gatherings
together! What fools we thought them because they would fly higher:
as they said, their Lord was coming to take them. They spoke of
their heavenly calling, and would have nothing to do with our
earthly societies and politics. We scorned them because they would
not join our various schemes for the improvement of man. We hated
the thought that we were not to glory save in the cross of Christ.
They gathered together- poor little despised companies- and told of
the coming Saviour to the wanderers all around. No one saw them, but
they are gone. And now the world’s wild, fierce, wintry blasts are
blowing. Where is all our boasted wisdom? Peace is taken from the
earth. All that we hear on every side is that men are killing one
another. Famine and pestilence, sword, hunger and death are all
around. Woe, woe to us, the winter of this world is come.”
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men,
and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bondman, and
every free man, hid themselves in dens and in the rocks of the
mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide
us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb.” – [Revelation 6:15, 16]
“We rejected the word of the Lord, but now the Christians are gone,
and the great day of his wrath is come. Storm after storm has come;
we seek death and do not find it [Revelation 9:6]. Where is now our
boasted wisdom? We are worshipping devils, and idols of gold, and
silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood [Revelation 9:20]. And
what is the end of al our politics? What strange events since the
winter set in, and the Church is gone! It is not forty-two months
yet, since the new last head of the Roman Empire appeared. But oh,
what months! The dragon has given him his power. Ten kingdoms have
sprung up and given their power to this Satanic head. When he opens
his mouth it is in blasphemy. And all that dwell on earth worship
him. And all that refuse are boycotted and put to death. It is true
all this was distinctly foretold in Scripture, but WE WERE FAR TOO
WISE THEN TO BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAID to his servants in Revelation 6,
9, 13, 17. Certainly there never was such a winter as this since
the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be. Jesus said it
would be so, but we did not believe him.” [Matthew 24:21]
Yes, “The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo,
they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in
them?”
And now, beloved reader, where are you, and what is the condition of
your soul? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb, and ready to be
gone like the swallows in autumn? Are you following the wise men of
this world, who will so soon be ashamed and confounded? Is Christ
the center of attraction? Are you separated to Him, and waiting for
Him from heaven? Great is the last effort to draw Christians from
Christ to join the confederacies of men. Oh, let us seek to get
higher and higher. The word of God is utterly disregarded. On no
account will men allow it to be Christ alone. They would have Christ
and circumcision, Christ and the worlds various confederacies, or
even Christ and profanity. All these things hide the coming of the
Lord to take his saints. Every doctrine of human improvement denies
the utter ruin of man through sin, and the fast approaching winter
of divine judgment on the rejecters and despisers of the word of
God. It is solemnly true of the great men and the wise of the world,
“They have rejected the word of the LORD.����� The mark of a Christian
is, “Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
[Revelation 3:8] Which is true of you, beloved reader? Whatever name
you bear, if you have not kept his word you are not a Christian, and
will surely be left behind when the Christians depart like the
swallows that are gone.
Can you for a moment admit that the instinct of a bird is more sure
than the words of the Saviour? As this world’s winter approaches,
let us them dwell on the words of Jesus. He cannot fail to fulfill
his promise. We may not know where the swallows go; but Jesus says
to us,
“In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”- [John 14:2, 3]
Do we hear you saying, “Yes, Jesus says so, but our learned and wise
teachers do not say so.”? Remember the word, “They have rejected the
word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?”
It is a solemn fact that God by his Spirit has sent forth the
midnight cry, “Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him;”
[Matthew 25:6]
May the saints of God be now gathered together like the swallows in
autumn. May we love to dwell on His sweet words of promise. Has he
not gone to prepare the place? Oh, those scenes of radiant glory,
far away from earth’s cold wintry blasts! And will He not come to
take us to Himself? With Himself! How soon, like Moses and Elias,
shall we be talking with him! Glorious reality! Soon we shall be
gone; not one left behind; and poor deceived apostate Christendom
will be left.
“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”- Ephesians 5:14 -C.S.
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