God’s
Message to the Rich
What are some sins of
this last-day industrial age?
‘People will be lovers
of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy.” 2 Timothy 3:2.
When according to
prophecy, were men to amass wealth?
“Now listen, you
rich people, weep and wail because of the
misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth
has rotted, and moths have eaten your
clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded.
Their corrosion will testify against you and
eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded
wealth in the last days.” James
5:1-3.
Note – Billionaires
and millionaires who in their greed have
amassed so much wealth contrasted with misery
and poverty mark this present age in the 21st
century. The greed of Main Street is beyond
measure and America is amassed in so much
debt because of greed, that total bankruptcy
is coming faster then what most people
realize. Our present age most fully fits the
prophecy concerning the end of time.
Why did Christ, in
the parable, reprove the man who hid his
talent and failed to put it to good use?
“His master
replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So
you knew that harvest where I have not sown
and gather where I have not scattered seed?
Well then, you should put my money on deposit
with the bankers, so that when I returned I
would have received it back with interest.”
Matthew 25:26,27.
What did Christ tell
the rich young man to do?
Jesus answered, “If
you want to be perfect, go, sell
your possessions and give it to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven. Then come,
follow me.” Matthew 19:21.
What, in the parable,
what did God say to the rich man who thought
to build larger barns in which to store his
goods?
“But God said to
him. ‘You fool! This very
night your life will be demanded from
you. Then who will get
what you have prepared for yourself?’”
Luke 12:20.
Who gives men the
power to get wealth?
“But remember
the Lord your God, for it is he who give you
the ability to produce wealth, and so
confirms his covenant.” Deuteronomy
8:18.
How does James
condemn greed among the rich?
“You have lived
on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.
You have fattened yourselves in the day of
slaughter. You have condemned and murdered
innocent men, who were not opposing you.”
James 5: 5,6.
Note – This
indicates that they have lived in luxury and
for pleasure, heedless of the responsibility
to God or to their fellow men. Heartless
greed disregards the rights, the welfare, and
even the lives of those affected by its
merciless schemes and intrigues. The
righteous, or just, however, do not make
forcible resistance to this unjust treatment.
How have the rich
defrauded the laborers?
‘The wages you
failed to pay the workmen who mowed your
fields are crying out against you.
The cries of the harvesters have reached the
ears of the Lord Almighty.” Verse 4.
Seeking a fair
remuneration, what do many laborers do?
Form labor unions,
engage in strikes, boycotts, et cetera.
Note – These
means may improve conditions temporarily, but
they cannot eradicate the deep-seated evil,
it lies in the heart; and nothing but
conversion – a change of the heart
– a failure to love one’s neighbor
as oneself. The struggle between capital and
labor is inevitable as long as sin and
selfishness are in the world. And now that we
are at the end of time, it becomes more
intense, because sin has come to its full
measure and the Lord God Almighty will step
into the affairs of mankind with His
righteous judgments. Currently the present
time is: 01-27-2010 and time is already
nearing the midnight hour before the Great
Tribulation.
God’s Message to the
Laborer
What are God’s people
told to do at this time?
“Be patient,
then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.
See how the farmer waits for the land to
yield its valuable crop and how patient he is
for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be
patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s
coming is near.” James 5: 7, 8.
Note – Many Bible writers thought
that Christ’s soon coming was
very near. Most of the prophets of the past
and many of Christ’s apostles also
thought Jesus soon coming very near.
Because God has foreknowledge and can see
down through the ages of man, Jesus knew that
the last generation of man living upon Earth
would be able to understand the prophecies of
Daniel and Revelation. The Lord Jesus knew
just how much of Earth’s population
there would be at the end of time and how
many people would listen to the truth about
the gospel preached by His 144,000 servant
prophets. Now, the time is right in Earth’s
history, the word soon becomes more
applicable. The last generation living upon
the Earth will soon see the Judgments of
Jesus and the close of the sin problem.
