1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

central thought is the Ransom. It hasbeen in the past, and to the little flockwill continue to be the centre of lightand life, around which every other interestrevolves, and from which springsevery living hope, and which is theauthor and mainspring of every greenand precious promise. No discerningmind can fail to note the fact that in ourday this great central fact of the gospel,the Ransom, is being darkened.R712 : page 4So called "advanced thinkers," in alldenominations, are fast either ignoringthe Scriptures altogether, or else--farworse--mutilating them by wrestingfrom them the cross and the ransom,attempting to "climb up some otherway" and inviting others to do the same.As we have heretofore shown, thiserror will prove very successful, andcause many to fall. Many of the brighteststars, the most eloquent and mostesteemed in the present heavens, willfall. Alas! has not this begun?The shaking of the heavens, as theApostle indicates, "signifieth the removingof those things that are shaken,as of things" that are imperfect and ofhuman construction (Heb. 12:27). Sothe present nominal church system shallbe "shaken," says Jesus; be "removed,"explains the writer of Hebrews; "passaway with a great noise" [commotion],adds Peter; Babylon shall be "cast as agreat millstone into the sea," adds Johnthe Revelator (Rev. 18:21); and thusall agree."THEN shall appear the sign [evidence]of the Son of Man in heaven."Some have imagined that the eventsmentioned above [the literal darkeningof the sun, etc.] were the sign, but thelanguage is explicit; after these eventscomes the sign here referred to. But