[393]From this statement of the Master it is clearly shown that at the end of the age or world there must be a harvest; that Jesus Christ must be present as the Master of that harvest, and that the harvest will consist of gathering together the true followers of Christ in one body and of binding together the counterfeit or tare class for destruction.  Stated in other phrase, there will be a gathering of the true vine class, true Christians, and the harvesting of the vine of the earth; namely, the nominal Babylonish systems of the world.  Since the Master himself stated that he would come at this time to receive his own, the truly consecrated Christians, to himself, and that he, as the Master of the harvest, would direct what should be done, it follows that he must be present before the beginning of the harvest and during the time of the harvest.  It would also follow that he would be present before the end of the world or age.

[394]Jehovah caused the prophet Daniel to write the salient features of events that would come to pass during the rule of the world powers that would be in existence from the time of the empire of Persia until “the time of the end”.  That which Daniel wrote was prophecy; that is to say, guided by the divine power, he recorded long in advance the happenings of certain events, which of itself shows that this prophecy could not be understood until the events had transpired.  Daniel wrote concerning these events, but did not understand them.  They are set forth in his prophetic utterances recorded in the book of Daniel, chapters 7 to 12, inclusive.  Daniel himself said:  “I heard, but I understood not:  then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?  And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.  Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly:  and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:8-10) The Lord had caused Daniel to record specifically what would happen when the time of the end should begin.  The “time of the end” means a specific period at the end of gentile dominion.  “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.  He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown.”—­Daniel 11:40,41.

[395]The fulfillment of this prophecy fixes the beginning of the “time of the end”, because the prophecy definitely so states.  The campaign of the great warrior Napoleon Bonaparte is clearly a fulfillment of this prophecy, as reference to the historical facts concerning his campaign plainly show.  The “king of the south” mentioned in the prophecy refers to Egypt; the “king of the north” means Great Britain, which was then an integral part of