"And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man" (Luke xvii., 26); and as Noah knew when the flood was to come, and prepared himself therefor, so the comparison would not be complete unless some knew of the second coming of the Savior.
"But," says one, "of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matt. xxiv., 36); and the same might have been said appropriately of the birth of our Lord two thousand years prior thereto. But as the first coming was heralded by angels who came to the shepherds upon the plains of Bethlehem, and lighted the earth with their glory, singing the glad songs of "Peace on earth, good will toward men," so His second coming was ushered in by visits to the earth of great and mighty angels.
John the Baptist came to confer the Priesthood of Aaron.
Peter, James and John the Revelator came to confer the Melchisedec Priesthood.
Elijah came (Mal. iv., 5) to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. (I. Peter iii., 18, 19, 20; iv., 6; I. Cor. xv., 19-29).
Moses came to confer the keys of the gathering of the house of Israel to their promised land—the carrying of the Jews back to Jerusalem, of the ten tribes from the north country (Jer. xxxi., 8, 9; Ezek. xx., 34, 35), and of the descendants of Joseph (The American Indians) to their possessions.
Michael, or Adam, came to give the authority that links the generation of men together, from the days of Father Adam down to to-day.
In short, all the authority necessary has been received to enable men to become co-workers with Jehovah, angels and the spirits of just men made perfect, in building up an everlasting kingdom, instead of the man-made governments of today. A kingdom is to be established to which the Great King shall speedily come, "in the clouds of glory," surrounded by His angels; and the Saints of other days, who are singing the songs of heaven, will speedily have fulfilled the words of John, "He has made us kings and priests unto the Lord our God, and we shall reign on earth."
The promise of Jesus that the "meek shall inherit the earth" is coming to pass, as also the words of Job: "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another" (Job xix., 25-27).
All these and many more grand and glorious promises are about to be fulfilled. The decree has gone forth, God hath declared by His own mouth, and the mouths of all the holy prophets, that His power and authority over the earth will be asserted; and who is man, to contend with God?