The movement of the morning

7. The Movement of the Morning

In the early morn, while the Egyptians were thunderstruck at the mournful spectacle which appeared like a battle-field throughout the land, the command was given the children of Israel to march out of the country. It was to them the most wonderful morning. Their depressive state was broken up—they were free from bondage. Inspired with the hope that they would become an independent nation under the special blessing of Jehovah, the twelve tribes, including old and young and all their animals, formed a long train which slowly moved forward, depending on the Almighty to reach their destination. It was the most memorable morning in the history of the Hebrews.

In the dual plan of God, that morning with its wonderful development, constitutes the fundamental basis of the great movement which will take place within Christendom at the time the remaining portion of the week of the new covenant is fulfilled. We now will compare the two events in the light of the prophecies.

The Evening and the Morning

The answer that was given to the question, "How long shall be the vision concerning the continuance and the falling away, so that the Desolator can trample under foot both the sanctuary and the host?" was worded thus:

"Unto evening and morning—two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be sanctified."

The "evening and the morning"

have a significant meaning in the prophecies. Like the evening and the morning of the natural day they divide the day into two parts—the evening begins the day according to the regulation of the Creator. (See Gen. 1: 5, 8, 13, etc.) The night enters between the evening and the morning.

When the revealing angel appeared to Daniel again, to explain the same vision, he said to him:

"Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the Indignation (at the closing up of the prophetic time when the indignation shall be poured on the desolator), for at the appointed time the end shall be."

The angel refers to certain political powers which shall prepare the way for the indignation, and adds,

"And the vision of the evening and the morning, which was told, is true; but shut thou up the vision because it is many days to it."

"The Day of the Lord."

All the prophets, the Lord himself and the apostles, speak of the great Day of the Lord and point out what wonderful things shall happen then. By comparing Joel 2: 28-32 with Acts 2: 16-21, it is seen that "the Day of the Lord" began at the first coming of Christ. And if we add to this his own testimony concerning what he expected would come upon the earth, we get a Scriptural understanding of what is meant by the Day of the Lord. He says:

"I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9: 4.)'

The great Day of the Lord began at the first advent of Christ, but like the natural day it introduced its evening first. That evening covered the entire time of Christ. As the Lamb of God he was slaughtered in the evening of that day, and then began the long, long night, called "the time of the Gentiles." The unfoldings of the evening of the great Day corresponded with the acts in the camp of Israel in Egypt. There the evening-work ended with the blood-sign on the door posts; so even here at the cross, which arose as a blood-sign between two different kingdoms. The house of Jacob is still waiting for the command to go forth that finally will start the great train. The night is long and dreary, but the glorious morning, with its bugle-sounds of everlasting freedom, will inspire the struggling family with a new hope, before which all the nations will tremble like Egypt once did. Yea, it will go them worse than the first movement which Jacob caused the Egyptians to realize. The nations will be subdued, crushed and will rise no more.

In placing before Jacob his new King and the service of the God who created him, the Lord speaks encouragingly to him and says:

"But they shall serve the Lord, their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord: neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations wither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." (Jer. 30:.9-11.)

As the great train moves out in the promises of God, the King of Jacob will be raised up; the Son of man will unite his kingly power with that train, and although Jacob will find the way very narrow and dangerous, he still will gain his object. But the nations which he has served, that oppose him, will be rooted out. "Though I make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, yet, will I not make a full end of thee."