e
found in the secret chambers of monastic seclusion; and some of them
showing forth through the power of Satan, such signs and wonders as "to
seduce, if it were possible, even the elect"; but of all such scheming
of the prince of evil, the Lord admonished His own: "Believe it not";
and added, "take ye heed; behold I have foretold you all things."[1155]

In the day of the Lord's advent in glory and vengeance, no man shall be
in doubt; there shall be no chance of conflicting claims by contending
sects, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."[1156] The
gathering of Israel in the last days was pictured as the flocking of
eagles to the place where the body of the Church would be
established.[1157]

The chronological order of the predicted occurrences so far considered
in this wonderful discourse on things to come, is clear; first there was
to be a period of virulent persecution of the apostles and the Church of
which they would be in charge; then the destruction of Jerusalem, with
all the horrors of merciless warfare was to follow; and this in turn was
to be succeeded by a long period of priestcraft and apostasy with bitter
sectarian dissension and cruel persecution of the righteous. The brief
reference to the non-localized, universal phenomena, by which His advent
is to be signalized, is a parenthetical demonstration of the false
claims as to where Christ would be found; later the Lord passed to
distinctive and unquestionable reference to the circumstances of His
then and yet future advent. Following the age of man-made creeds, and
unauthorized ministry characteristic of the great apostasy, marvelous
occurrences are to be manifested through the forces of nature, and the
sign of the Son of Man shall ultimately appear, one accompanying feature
of which shall be the completion of the gathering of the elect from all
parts of the earth to the places appointed.

The duty that Jesus enjoined upon the apostles as of first importance
throughout all the coming scenes of sorrow, suffering and turmoil, was
that of vigilance. They were to pray, watch, and work, diligently and
with unwavering faith. The lesson was illustrated by a masterly analogy,
which, under the broadest classification, may be called a parable.
Directing their attention to the fig tree and other trees which
flourished on the sunny slopes of Olivet, the Master said: "Behold the
fi