VOL. V. August 1, 1922 No. 15 ARE WE APPROACHING THE MILLENNIUM? BEREAN STUDIES IN THE REVELATION QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE VISIONS OF REVELATION IX VOL. V. August, 1922 No. 16 THE TWO ADVENTS OF THE WORLD'S REDEEMER - PART I. THE PAROUSIA OR PRESENCE OF OUR LORD ANCIENT GENTILE RECORDS IN RELATION TO BIBLE CHRONOLOGY ANTI-CHRIST FIRST, THEN CHRIST NEHEMIAH REBUILDS THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM BEREAN STUDIES IN THE REVELATION VOL. V. August 1, 1922 No. 15 ARE WE APPROACHING THE MILLENNIUM?[The following discourse, made up principally of Brother Russell's sermons, was delivered during the Springfield Convention by Radio from the large Westinghouse Station in that city. We publish it as a matter of interest from the standpoint that it is the first opportunity any of our brethren have had of delivering the Message after this manner.--Ed. Com.] WE direct the attention to some words found in the last book of the Bible: "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new."--Rev. 21:4, 5. Accustomed as we are to sights of wretchedness and woe, experiences of sorrow, pain, and death, the promise of our text seems to many a vain one, and those who believe it, trust it implicitly, are esteemed visionary, illogical, credulous. Some of the wise men of the world have told us that what has been and is, shall be, and that while we might hope for some prolongation of human life and some assuagement of human miseries, yet to expect that death and pain and sorrow will be abolished is absurd and indicates an illogical mind. Other leaders there are, however, who we believe are more wise, have not accepted that reasoning. In fact, the literature of the world shows that intelligent men have refused to believe that the Divine purpose in the creation of our earth has yet been attained. Continually we find references to the Morning of the New Day, to the Golden Age, etc. Not to the longings of men's hearts, however, but to the promises of our God do we look for real instruction on this subject. The Bible most emphatically declares that the entire period of human history thus far has been a night-time. The Prophet David explains, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psa. 30:5.) Thus, prophetically, we are assured that there will be a morning, whose glory, brightness and blessing will fully compensate for all the dark shadows of the night-time past. THY KINGDOM COMEThe promise of a new Age of blessing for humanity is in full accord with the prayer which our Lord taught us as His followers--"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." Surely none will dispute that God's will done in heaven means the perfect, happiness of all of His faithful. Surely none will doubt that there is no death in heaven, no cemeteries, no funerals. Surely none will doubt that there is no sickness there, no tears, or suffering of any kind. Surely none will doubt that there is no sorrow in heaven nor cause for any. Why, then, should it seem to us incredible that the same Heavenly Father, who thus arranges for the sons on the spirit plane, should similarly arrange for His human sons? Why should we doubt that the love that has prevailed for the eternal happiness of the angelic hosts would be equally willing to provide for the eternal happiness of humanity? Why, then, should we hesitate for a moment to accept the explicit declaration of the Scriptures that a great change of dispensation is coming, when, instead of the world being subject to the prince of this world who now worketh in the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2), it shall instead be under the domain, the rulership of the Prince of Glory, who redeemed Adam and his race from the curse of death by the sacrifice of Himself. Instead of doubting the plain statement of our text, we should have been inclined to surmise it, even without a statement, had it not been that out minds had been poisoned by the great Adversary's substitution of darkness for light, misrepresenting the love of God and His glorious Plan of salvation, substituting therefore what the Apostle designates "doctrines of devils," devilish doctrines. It is by these false doctrines that the Adversary has, as the Apostle declares, blinded the minds of them that believe not, so that the glorious light of God's goodness does not shine into their hearts. (2 Cor. 4:4.) It is time that we should awaken from the horrible night-mare which has afflicted us during the night-time of the "dark ages." It is time that we should recognize the great Scriptural truth that God is love, that He created us with a glorious purpose in view, and that our affliction as a race through Adam's disobedience has not changed the Divine character nor the Divine sentiment toward us. It is time that we should learn afresh that our loving Creator changes not; that all of His glorious purposes shall be accomplished, and that the word that has gone forth out of His mouth shall not return unto Him void, but shall prosper in the thing whereunto He sent it. It is time for us to learn that His permission of sin and sorrow, pain, and dying has been but temporary, with a view to our instruction as respects the exceeding sinfulness of sin and with a view to the ultimate blessing of all those who will be taught of God and ultimately learn the lessons He will give through His representative, our Redeemer, who shortly will be the great Prophet, Priest, and King of the world of mankind for their instruction and uplifting out of sin and death conditions back to perfection. How glorious it will be when He shall have accomplished His work, for as the Apostle declares, "He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet--the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15:25, 26.) We may well long for His Second Coming in power and great glory, to bind Satan and to accomplish these glorious results. It should not be wonderful to us that the Apostle, who saw clearly and explained definitely respecting these things to be accomplished in the new dispensation held out that the glorious Messiah is the hope of the world. "A DAY WITH THE LORD--A THOUSAND YEARS"As we look back through the vista of six thousand years and hearken to the sounds of sorrow, the indication of pain, and note the reign of sin and death, our hearts are appalled. The period seems so long we are inclined to wonder whether or not the great Creator has forgotten His creatures in their sin, that He has as yet accomplished so little for their deliverance, that as yet His favor toward us is mainly that of promise and our confidence mainly that of hope. It is only when we understand the declaration of the Bible, "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years," that we can appreciate the fact that this period of the reign of sin and death is not nearly so long from the Divine standpoint as from ours. We may be certain Divine wisdom, justice, and love assure us that the period in which sin is permitted to have control of our race is none too long for the outworking of the glorious features of the Divine Plan. We can see that it has been crowded full of experiences to our race, that the birth and life and death of the twenty thousand millions of Adam's posterity is a gigantic work crowded into a comparatively brief space. And what will this six thousand years amount to anyway in comparison to the eternity of blessing which under God's provision may be the portion of those immense hosts! Furthermore, we are to remember that no individual member of our race suffered for six thousand years, that the cup of sorrow, pain, and death as it has reached individual lips to be drained has been comparatively a small one. On the contrary, the thousand years of Christ's Millennial reign, in which the earth shall blossom as a rose and the world of mankind be recovered from the tomb and the light of Divine favor scatter every shadow this experience for each member of the race will of itself quite outbalance the shorter period of their contact with sin and death conditions. Thus, if the Divine Plan had nothing for our race beyond the Millennium, there would be to each individual during the Millennium an abundant offset for his trials, pains, and sorrows of the present brief experiences. But the Millennium itself, the Scriptures show, is but the vestibule, but a schooling to prepare all who will accept it for an eternity of perfect bliss beyond, when there shall be no more sighing, no more crying, no more dying--when present things of sin and death shall have been utterly banished. "THE GROANING CREATION WAITING"Most beautifully does the Apostle picture the present condition of the world with its longing for something better which it does not clearly appreciate, but which we who are guided by the Word of God do understand. He says, "The whole creation groans and travails in pain together," and again he tells us that they are "waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God." (Rom. 8:22, 19.) The groaning, the travailing, the pain, the death, are literal enough, sure enough, manifest enough. The waiting part can only be appreciated by those who know what God has promised in our text and in various co-related Scriptures which give us assurance of the Millennial Kingdom and its glorious work of blessing for the world of mankind. God's revelation of His plans, His purposes, is only for His saints--"To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven," but to outsiders these things are spoken in parables and dark sayings. (Mark 4:1.1.) "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear [reverence] Him; and He will show them His convenant." (Psa. 25:14.) When the Apostle declares that the groaning creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, he furnishes the key by which those in the proper attitude of heart to be taught of the Lord may enter into some of His secrets. The difficulty with the majority who attempt to study the Bible is that they fail to get the proper standpoint of view; they think of the Bible as addressed to the world; they think of God as dealing with the world; whereas the Scriptures clearly teach that the time for Divine dealing with the world is not yet come; that in the interim God is merely dealing with special classes; as, for instance, in the past He dealt with the patriarchs and not with the world in general; from Sinai to Calvary He dealt with the Jewish nation only, but not with the world; and since Calvary to the Second Advent of our Lord and the completion of the Church He deals not with the world, but with the special class whom He calls out of the world--the household of faith from amongst whom He selects the "very elect" to be the Bride and joint-heir with their Redeemer and to be associated with Him in His Millennial Kingdom glory. The Apostle declares this to be the Mystery, the secret of the Divine Plan which obscures the same from the minds of men in general. Our Lord Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, the King of Israel, of whom it had been written that He should bless all the families of the earth through His glorious Kingdom reign. But, instead of beginning that reign, that Kingdom, that blessing of the world, that scattering of darkness and binding of Satan as soon as He had secured the ransom price, He instead began another feature of the Divine Plan, namely, the selection of the Kingdom class and company of joint-heirs, a "Little Flock" to be the Bride of Christ, otherwise styled "members of His Body." This has been the work of the entire Gospel Age, anything else being merely incidental thereto, and as soon as this selection of the Church and the polishing and preparation of the individuals thereof is completed, the next work will be in order--the pouring out of a blessing through these upon humanity in general. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2.) The Lord's faithful, consecrated ones are His sons even now, though hampered with unfavorable surroundings and imperfect conditions. They are waiting for their "change," which shall be accomplished in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and which will constitute their resurrection from human to spirit conditions. Then in glory, the promise is that they shall "shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father." (Matt. 13:43.) In this poetic expression the Lord pictures the glorious effulgence of Truth and grace which shall shine forth from Himself and His glorified Church, in that due time when the present Age shall have ended and a new Age, the Millennium, shall have begun. It is to those sons of God in glory that the Apostle points and assures us that the whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain together, waiting for their manifestation, their shining forth as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His beams.--Mal. 4:2. THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGSThis is the same epoch, this is the same glorious refreshment coming to the world at our Lord's Second Advent and the glorification of the Church which the Apostle Peter so graphically portrays, saying. "Times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must retain until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."--Acts 3:19-21. The restitution of mankind to the perfection lost through the fall is another way of expressing the same thing that is mentioned in our text, namely, that God will make all things new. When He created, them at the first they were very good, man being in his Creator's image and likeness. It was the fall and the resulting reign of sin and death that brought down our race from its noble condition, and what it needs is just what God proposes to do--make it new again, restore it again. And so our Master said that He came to seek and to recover that which was lost. (Luke 19:10.) Man was lost, his life-rights were lost, and these our Lord proposes to bring back to him, to put within his grasp and to assist him to put a value on them during the Millennial Kingdom. Thus, says the Apostle, "Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures." "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." No wonder the doctrine of Atonement is given so much prominence in the Bible and is set forth as the foundation of all hope, both for the Church in this Age, and humanity in the coming Age. But even yet, notwithstanding the death of Christ the Creator does not propose to infract His law nor to permit a sinner to have eternal life. Hence, instead of granting eternal life to sinners, He has turned them over to their Redeemer to be instructed and assisted and chastened, uplifted and rewarded during the Millennial, Age--so many as will--to the intent that by the close of that Age all the willing and obedient shall have reached full perfection and be fully able thereafter to thoroughly obey every Divine requirement; because no longer sinners, no longer weak, no longer degraded or impaired, they shall be absolutely perfect through the uplifting influences of their Redeemer. All who will not avail themselves of this privilege will still abide under Divine wrath and be destroyed in the Second Death, from which there will be no recovery; but all the willing and obedient will be granted the gift of God--eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Every reference that the Scriptures make to that coming Age of the world's promised uplift and opportunity, pictures it as a time of marvelous blessings--blessings that will be for all the living and the dead , in the sense that our Lord Jesus said, referring to that time: "The hour cometh in which all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth." They will come forth from the tomb in order that they may receive the benefits of His atoning sacrifice and be given a trial for everlasting life. ALL SHALL KNOW THE LORDOne of the most wonderful things the Bible tells us of respecting that New Day is the great intelligence and enlightenment which it will bring to every creature. "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the face of the great deep." (Isa. 11:9.) "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord." (Jer. 31:34.) Ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, to the glory of God. What an enthusing prospect the Bible holds out before the Church and so many of the world as can exercise a measure of faith to believe! The world indeed sees to some extent that great blessings are coming; but just what these are and how they are to come, mankind knows not; for, "the world by wisdom knows not God." The worldly wise have rejected the Bible, and do not trust it as a Revelation from God. Thus the wise are caught in their own craftiness. Their boasted wisdom ensnares them and blinds them to the Divine Revelation. Nevertheless some of our great thinkers, Mr. Edison and others, are rapidly seeing that the world is just on the verge of the most wonderful inventions and knowledge, which will transform the face of the earth and the people thereof. They are corroborating the Bible unwittingly; for they believe it not and know not of its messages. But, now, let us take note of the fact that the dawning of the New Age is already here. Earnest students of the Scriptures are recognizing more and more clearly that the special blessings which humanity have been enjoying for the past fifty years, in the way of the vast increase of knowledge, modern inventions and conveniences, are but foregleams of the new dispensation. Some have been calling attention to the fact that we are closely approaching unto the Millennial Dawn; indeed, Bible chronology quite clearly teaches that six thousand years from creation have already ended--six great days of a thousand years each, mentioned by St. Peter: "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years." Thus the seventh great day, also a thousand years long, has commenced. We have been enjoying its dawning. It is to be a grand day; what wonder if the dawning be remarkable! SIGNS OF THE APPROACHING MORNINGIt may surprise some to be told that the past fifty years mean more to the world in the increase of education, increase of wealth, increase of all manner of labor-saving inventions and conveniences, increase of safe-guards and protection for human life, than did all the six thousand years which preceded them--many times over. The world has probably created a thousand times as much wealth during the past fifty years as during those entire six thousand years preceding. Yet these changes came so gradually that few have noticed them. Fifty years ago man labored from sun to sun; today we are rapidly reaching an eight-hour day. Fifty years ago nearly all the labor of the world was done with sweat of face; today it is nearly all accomplished by machinery. Fifty years ago the sewing machine was just reaching perfection; today it is everywhere indispensable. So with the thousand household conveniences! So with nearly all of our sanitary and plumbing arrangements! So with the farm implements, reapers and binders, mowers, automobiles and gas engines, etc., etc., all belong to these fifty years. In our cities our modern conveniences are wonderful! Solomon in all his glory never dreamed of such things as the poorest human being in America may enjoy! Prophecies respecting streams in the desert and the wilderness blossoming as the rose are having fulfilment--not miraculously, but in harmony with the Divine order of an increased intelligence amongst men. Artesian wells are being drilled, irrigating canals constructed, not only in the western part of the United States and Canada, but also in far-off Mesopotamia. The results are marvelous. Land previously not worth fencing is valued today at $500 per acre. The increase of knowledge has been supplemented by governmental arrangements for the distribution of that knowledge amongst the people. The soils of various localities are being analyzed at public expense, and the tillers of the soil are given knowledge as respects what kind of fertilizers are required to bring satisfactory results. Under these conditions it does not surprise us to know that as many as 156 bushels of corn have been raised to a single acre, and that 600 bushels of potatoes and over is not an uncommon record. Is not the Bible being fulfilled? Who can dispute these facts? What do they signify? We answer that they exactly corroborate the Divine declaration which describes our day: "Many shall run to and fro; knowledge shall be increased; the wise [of God's people] shall understand, and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation."--Dan. 12:4, 10, 1. "THE MORNING COMETH AND A NIGHT ALSO"We are in the Morning of the Age mentioned in our text. Ah, what a glorious Morning! How changed the human conditions from those of our grandfathers! How thankful the whole world should be. Paeans of praise should be rising from all people of the favored lands of civilization, and helping hands should be outstretched to carry the same blessings to heathen lands. But is it so? Are the people happy and rejoicing and appreciative of the New Day--the gift of Divine providence? No! in proportion as the blessings of God have come, the discontent of humanity has increased; and unbelief, not only in respect to the Bible as the Divine Revelation, but in many instances in respect to the very existence of an intelligent Creator. Notwithstanding the great increase in the world's wealth, and the fact that there are some noble souls who are using their share of the wealth in a praiseworthy manner, nevertheless the general operation of the law of selfishness prevails; and all the legislation which has been enacted, or which can be enacted, fails to restrain the great giant institutions--corporations--of our day, fails to hinder them from the exploiting of the masses in the interests of comparativly few. Did God know all these things? What will He do about them? Will He bring in the Millennial blessings, and risk that men shall take for granted that they have won the secrets of nature by their own wisdom and perseverance, and forget God entirely? Will they become more discontented? Would a Millennium of discontent be advantageous? What will God do about it? According to the Bible, God foreknew the conditions of our day as we are now reviewing them; and in the text mentioned in Isaiah (Isa. 21:11, 12) He gives a key to the solution--elsewhere in the Scriptures made very plain. Through the Prophet God tells us of the dark night coming--after the Morning Dawn has well ushered in--a dark storm-cloud just at sunrise. This dark hour is described in Daniel's prophecy and also in Jesus' prophecy, to be "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation." Students of prophecy recognize in the great distress of nations in recent years ominous signs pointing to the conclusion of this Age, at which time the Scriptures clearly show that Messiah, the great King, will take His great power and exercise it, with the result that the raging waves of the sea of human passion will all be quieted; the fires of anarchy will all be extinguished, and the Reign of Righteousness and Peace will begin. Cannot we see the wisdom of the great Creator's Program--that He will allow mankind to convince themselves of their impotency, of their need of a God, and of the fact that there is a God and that His glorious purposes for humanity are revealed in His Word? Ah, no wonder the Bible speaks of that revelation of the Lord as "the still small voice of God," speaking to mankind through Messiah's Kingdom! No wonder the Lord declares that "then He will turn to the people a pure Message, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent!"--Zeph. 3:9. We rejoice that such glorious things are coming even if it is necessary that the world reach them through the tribulation of the Time of Trouble. Happy are those whose eyes and ears of understanding are open now, and who are in such heart relationship with the Lord, that He can make known to them in advance something of the riches of His grace and loving kindness and tender mercies, and can show them how all the troubles that are coming are intended to work out blessings for the human family. Surely as we come to the knowledge of the Divine character and Plan, our perfect love for God casts out all fear; and we are able to rejoice in all of His prophecies and promises. BEREAN STUDIES IN THE REVELATIONSTUDY CXXXVII--AUGUST 13 MAKING READY FOR GOD'S KINGDOM--Rev. 20:1(736) What do the Scriptures portray concerning the present evil world and the present order of things, as being necessary to take place before Christ's Kingdom can be established upon the earth and our Lord's prayer be fulfilled? How will the people of the earth in general be affected by such events? H '21-6. (737) Are there any events in history from which we may draw lessons or form any conception as to the final troubles of this Age? If so, cite such events. H '21-6. (738) What results have generally followed great social upheavals and disorganizations of governments in the past, and what relationship has Satan's dominion to the trend of human events? In what light do we view present human efforts to bolster up the present social order? H '21-6. (739) What is the reasonable conclusion then with regard to Satan and his dominion as we look forward to the new order of things and the establishing of the Kingdom of God? H '21-6. (740) Give a general review of the explanation presented in the Scriptures of Satan and his demon host, and the part they have played in human affairs. H '21-6. QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE VISIONS OF REVELATION IXSOME queries are before us bearing upon the visions recorded in the 9th chapter of the Book of Revelation, which have to do with the fifth and sixth "woe" Trumpets. It is claimed that the expositions in the HERALD treating this chapter appear to apply some portions symbolically and others literally, and we are asked if we can consistently do this; as, for instance, in referring to verse 4 of chapter 9, "it was said to them that they should not injure the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but the men who have not the seal of God on their foreheads." Replying to the above, we are not surprised to find that the friends encounter more or less difficulty in adjusting every detail entirely satisfactory to their minds. We realize, as we review what has been presented, that in some instances the thought might have been expressed in clearer form. It is of course well known that we have never claimed special inspiration in connection with the preparation of the expositions we have published. What has been done merely represents an earnest endeavor on the part of the brethren to approximate the truth contained in the visions; at the same time conscious that time and events will be sure to make clearer some of the details that may still be more or less hazy in our minds. The Revelation promises a blessing to him that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and we believe that all who have humbly, and in the spirit of reverence, read and studied these visions have derived a blessing, even though they have not clearly understood all. The blessing is still for us, even though we may not grasp yet as fully as we should like every point. Coming now to the subject matter of Revelation 9, it is observed that the sounding of the fifth and sixth Trumpets is here considered. It is recalled that in our published exposition* it was pointed out that the fifth, sixth and seventh Trumpets were properly designated "woe" Trumpets, in view of the proclamation that follows the sounding of the fourth Trumpet: "And I saw, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice 'Woe! Woe! Woe! to those who dwell on the earth, from the remaining blasts of the trumpet of those three angels who are about to sound.'" (Rev. 8:13.) This language appears to have no other meaning than that the three last Trumpets were to be in the nature of special retribution and to be of the character to bring severe trouble and distress upon certain bodies of people and institutions, the seventh, the final one, being intended to result in the destruction or overthrow of the whole present order of things and the ushering in of the new. Our exposition endeavored to show that the events symbolized by the fifth and sixth Trumpets have to do more or less with those peoples living in the Eastern Roman Empire, and, of course, the fulfilment of the vision of the eagle flying in mid-heaven, etc., is to be looked for as preceding the events symbolized in connection with the sounding of the last three Trumpets. We have seen in the expositions which preceded that which deals with the 9th chapter, that the events symbolized in the first four Trumpets bring us up to approximately the sixth century, and we found that the first four Trumpets had all either been fulfilled or begun their fulfilment by the time the sixth century had about one-third passed away. The third Trumpet symbol describes, we believe, the rise of the Papacy and its embittering or poisoning the waters of the truth; the fourth describes its darkening of the blessed hope of the Church by distorting and misapplying the prophecies concerning the same; and it is our thought that the facts of the events of the third and fourth Trumpets have continued on throughout the Gospel Age. *See H '19-228. SYMBOLS PORTRAY RISE OF A FALSE RELIGIONOur exposition dealing with the 9th chapter pointed out that the symbols used portrayed the rise of a false religion, and as the Papacy's rise had already been described in the symbols of the third and fourth Trumpets, this false religion is evidently an entirely new one. This is seen in that it originates from a star that appeared to St. John as though having fallen from heaven to earth--thus representing a false teacher. We applied this vision to Mohammed and the armies of the Saracens, believing that all the facts concerning them justified such an applica-tion, in that Mohammed and the conquests of the Saracens would be what is known as the great Saracenic Empire that existed for a period of nearly two centuries. Coming to verse 4--"And it was said to them that they should not injure the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but the men who have not the seal of God on their foreheads:" While we remarked that there appeared to be a literal fulfilment of this command in the conduct of the Arabian hordes, yet it was not our thought that there was no further fulfilment. Our understanding is that the trees, grass, etc., were to be treated as symbols, the same as the locusts; and it was our thought that these were symbolical and would seem, as we have interpreted in Rev. 8:7, to represent peoples and their leaders.* In this vision, however, the facts, we believe, point to the religious peoples, as referred to by the grass, and the trees would represent the leaders of this class. Thus, as we have previously expressed the matter, the command not to destroy the grass, or any tree, etc., "is designed to set forth the pretended policy of the leaders of those armies. History records the fact that their conquests were made, professedly, not like those of ordinary warriors, as a desire for power, wealth, or gratification of passion, but rather for the extermination of false worships, especially idolatry. They carried on all their wars under the pretense of propagating the worship of the one true God." Thus history records that the avowed object of the Saracenic hosts was to exterminate what they considered all the corrupt and idolatrous forms of Christianity; and these alone they were familiar with, for idolatry prevailed in all the countries which were invaded and which succumbed before the onslaughts of these fanatical religious armies. The historian has recorded that in the first ten years of the conquests of the Eastern Roman Empire, 36,000 cities and capitals were captured and 4,000 churches were destroyed. *See H '19-137,138. SARACENIC HOSTS FULFILLED PICTURE OF LOCUST ARMYLet it be clearly seen, therefore, that the command not to destroy the grass, trees, etc., but only those not having the seal of God, etc., does not mean that none of the Lord's truly consecrated ones suffered from those incursions, for of course they did share the distress and suffering with others; but the thought rather is that these leaders and their armies claimed or professed that it was not their intention to destroy those whom they judged to be in harmony with God and who, therefore, were not deserving of punishment. Thus was fulfilled the conditions of this symbolical description. Mohammedanism actually "exterminated the idolatrous form of Christianity in Northern Africa. All except a feeble remnant of the Coptic Church in Egypt, and millions more of professed Christians have groaned under its cruel operation and destructive exactions. It extinguished altogether the idolatrous forms of the Gospel in the lands where true Christianity had its birth. The Saracenic power and the Turkish power (professing the same false religion) that succeeded it, have trodden down Jerusalem for long centuries. The Saracenic hosts everywhere gave men the choice of three things: the Koran (their religious creed), tribute, or the sword; and in those days usually the former was chosen." In examining the picture of the locust army, we saw of course that these were intended to be a symbolical picture. The words, "the forms of the locusts were like horses prepared for war," seem designed to express similarity in their appearance; that is, St. John could think of nothing else in human affairs with which to compare them. In a general way, their crowns, their faces, their long hair, their teeth, their breastplates, the sound of their wings, were symbolic of their dispositions, and characteristic of their agency in their conquests, and pictured the traits of character by which the Saracens were most conspicuously marked, such as a pretention to right, cunningness, effeminateness, voracity, and insensibility to the miseries of those whom they warred against. The ravages of these Saracenic hosts as tortures covered, as has been observed, the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire principally. We applied the picture in verse 7, "On their heads were as it were crowns of gold," as possibly having reference to the head-pieces, the turbans or mitres that were worn, which would give the effect of a crown. This application was made in that the turban was significant to these Saracen warriors of authority, power, as though it were a crown of gold. But outside of applying the picture of the crowns of gold to the head-pieces worn by the Saracens, we find the picture very well fulfilled in the fact that numerous crowns and kingdoms and dominions were conquered by them in their conquests. THE FOUR ANGELS LOOSEDA further inquiry before us relates to verses 16 and 17 of chapter 9, under the sounding of the sixth Trumpet. The question is asked if it was our purpose in the exposition to apply this picture to merely literal horsemen and horses, and if so, would not this be a mixing of the literal with the symbolic? Is there not a larger view to be seen in this connection? In replying to the above we again remark, as pointed out in the exposition treating this vision,* that it is our thought that the troubles or woes indicated in the events of the sixth Trumpet, like those of the fifth, have to do more especially with apostate Christian communities than with other of earth's peoples. In other words, it is the second judgment (the fifth Trumpet describing the first judgment upon what is called in later visions of Revelation, "Babylon"). This symbolical picture requires the release of four divisions or invading armies (vs. 14, 16), and as we have pointed out, these conditions, we believe, were met in the Mohammedan Tartar tribes of Asia, who ravished the Eastern Roman Empire from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries, and one of the divisions (Ottoman Turks) has continued up to the present time, as is well known. These four divisions which were released, came from outside the Roman Empire, as the symbol requires, "bound at the great river Euphrates"--(that is, those countries or peoples outside the localities where the judgments were to fall). Then, in due time, when the command came, the hindrances were removed and the four angels or agencies were one after another permitted to go forth and inflict certain judgments. They constituted an innumerable host of warriors. Their manner of warfare was of the most dreadful and destructive character. HORSEMEN PICTURED MILITARY POWER OF THE TURKSIt was not our thought, however, that the language of verses 16 and 17 is fulfilled, merely in the literal horsemen and horses there described; rather, it seems to us that in this vision we have a general picture of that particular phase of the Ottoman or Turkish Empire. While St. John called these strange appearing, weird creatures, horses and horsemen, it needs to be kept in mind in applying the symbols that they were not really so. St. John seems to give them this name because he could think of nothing in the natural world of which they so nearly reminded him. If they were real horses and horsemen, as we understand these terms, they could not symbolize literal horses and horsemen. This would conflict with the law of symbols. Designating them as such, however, enables us to discover the correct application of them to great cavalry armies. It seems to us, in thinking of the horses and horsemen of this vision, it would be a reasonable deduction to say that they represented the agencies and instrumentalities of the Ottoman power in executing its purposes and policies. Men and horses applied symbolically thus seem to represent, as we have said, the various forces, agencies, embodied in the military powers, the vast hordes and armies of the Turks. While in our exposition treating this matter we spoke of the literal breastplates and armor of the Turks, we desired the thought to be more comprehensive and to include the symbolical also; namely, that their breastplates would stand for or represent that these armies, forces, etc., of the Turks were well armed, fortified, and thoroughly equipped to carry on their conquest, and these various pieces of their armor referred to, it seems are intended to give emphasis to this thought that they were on the offensive and presented a most formidable front as they marched forward in the execution of their deadly mission. The horses having lion-like heads speaks to us of the appearances of these vast armies of cavalry men that they were lion-like in character, ferocious and terrible. Thus in the fulfilment of this picture, we are looking, not to the literal men and horses, except as symbols of the terrific and dreadful power and force, striking terror like a lion in their onslaughts. Consequently our thought is that the whole picture is highly symbolical; that these various symbols used in the 17th verse, the breastplates, the lion-like heads, fire, smoke, brimstone, etc., are all intended to be pictorial of the general character and appearance that these Turkish forces presented in carrying out their projects. That the armies were lion-like indeed in their fierceness and their boldness in dealing out terror and death to their enemies, seems to be symbolized by the latter part of verse 17, in the language, "Out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone." With regard to the language of verse 19, "for their tails were like unto serpents," etc.: In keeping with the explanation presented foregoing, while there were literal men and horses involved in the fulfilment of the picture, yet we discover, as above stated, a symbolical character--that the Turkish powers as represented in these hordes of cruel warriors, would be the fulfilment of the symbol. We think that no particular army of men was referred to, but that the warring forces in general and their characteristics are represented. The thought is, then, that as these allied warriors carried on their work of devastation and death, they prepared the way for other hordes to follow and implant their heathenish and ungodly religion. Thus the tails would seem to represent those whom the warring armies drew after them, or for whom they prepared the way. These hordes thus following the armies seem to fulfill the picture of the "tails of the horses"; and they left the sting of their false religion. Thus it was said that these Turkish warring powers hurt, not only by their conquests as warriors, but also by the spread of their false religion; for it was true that wherever they established their rule, there also they established their false religion. It therefore seems to us, when we carefully analyze the whole situation in the light of history, and take a broad, general view of all the facts and circumstances, the Ottoman power and its military conquests seems to be a quite complete and satisfactory fulfilment of this portion of St. John's vision. ESTHER SAVES HER PEOPLE--AUGUST 13-ESTHER 4:10--5:3--Golden Text.--"The righteous cried, and Jehovah heard, and delivered them out of all their troubles."--Psa. 34:17 WHILE the more faithful of the Jews had gone back to Palestine to repair its wastes and, as seen in our last lesson, were rebuilding the Temple, the Lord was not negligent of the remainder of the people who had not been sufficiently zealous to return to "the land of promise" under the decree of Cyrus granting them the privilege. Hundreds of thousands of Jews resided in all parts of the Persian empire, which then included Babylonia and Persia and nearly all Asia, including India. While special lessons and peculiar trials were given to those rebuilding the Temple, the Lord's favor was upon the remainder of the chosen people to the extent that He permitted to come upon them a great trial, severe testing, which undoubtedly taught them a valuable lesson in their far-off homes. A record of this great testing is furnished us in the Book of Esther. The king of Persia at this time, about forty years after the completion of the Temple, was Ahasuerus, otherwise known as Xerxes, who chose for his queen the beautiful and accomplished Esther, a Jewess--apparently without particular thought or knowledge respecting her nationality, and without knowing that Mordecai, one of his faithful attendants, a keeper of the palace gate, was her uncle. The story of Esther is a most remarkable one, and confirms the proverb that "Truth is stranger than fiction." Haman, one of the nobles of the land and a favorite with the king, became incensed against Mordecai because the latter would not show him as much respect as others of the people showed him. His pride excited his animosity to such an extent that he secured the king's decree against all Jews everywhere throughout the civilized world under the control of the Persian government. The edict was sweepingly broad, and directed the people in every quarter of the Persian empire to destroy, to kill, to cause to perish, all Jews both young and old, both little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. This commandment of the king was written out in various languages of the various peoples of the realm, signed with the king's seal and sent out by special messengers, a year being allowed to give ample time for the information to reach even the most distant quarters of the realm; and as an incitement to the doing of the work thoroughly, those who killed the Jews were given the privilege of taking all their possessions. Haman felt that he now had accomplished a great revenge against the Jew who stood at the gate. Mordecai and all the Jews, on learning of the edict, were of course greatly troubled. They had but a year to live. We may safely assume that such an experience as this would do more to draw the hearts of the Jews to the Lord in reverence and supplication than anything else that could have occurred to them. They fasted and prayed, in sackcloth and ashes. Our lesson touches upon the matter at this point. The proclamation and edict had been in force for more than a month. Queen Esther had heard of her uncle's mourning in sackcloth, and its cause, and felt a special interest in him, as she had been an orphan and had been his special protege. Mordecai assured her that it was not only for him she should mourn, but that this edict included herself as well as all Jews, and that she should bestir herself to bring the matter before the king, and if possible, to have another edict issued which would counteract this in some measure. But there lay the difficulty: the laws of the Medes and Persians altered not, could not be changed, must stand as though they were unalterable. Nevertheless, something must be done, and the queen was the only one in position to make any approach to the king. For others to have done so would have cost their own lives. NOTING OPPORTUNITIES AS DIVINE PROVIDENCEMordecai, evidently trusting in the Lord that the decree could never be accomplished, called the queen's attention to the fact that quite possibly she had come into her present position of honor and privilege for the very purpose of staying this evil against her people. His suggestion was that quite likely God's providence had brought her to that place to be the Divine agency for preserving the Jews from the evil malignity of their enemies in power. But he added that if she failed to respond to these opportunities, to manifest loyalty to the Lord's people, failed to risk something on their behalf, it would mean her own loss anyway shortly; and that he believed that God would provide some means for the deliverance of the people in general. It was her opportunity, it was her duty to act, and the responsibility he cast upon her. There is a beautiful lesson of faith here that should appeal to all of the spiritual Israelites. Whatever we have, whatever positions we occupy of influence or power or wealth or confidence in the esteem of others, is so much of a stewardship granted to us by the Lord and respecting which we should expect to give an account; and if the account would be rendered with joy, we must be faithful even to the risking of our lives in the interests of the Lord's people, the Lord's cause. Let us lay this feature of Esther's experience to heart, that we may draw valuable lessons therefrom, helpful to us in the spiritual way. The suggestion that she had not come to a place of honor and privilege by accident, but that the Lord had overruled in the matter, is one that should appeal to all Israelites indeed. Whatever we have is of the Lord's providence; let us use it faithfully and as wisely as possible for Him and His; thus our own blessings and joys will be increased as well as our favor with the Lord. The queen's answer was that Mordecai, as well as all the people, knew that if she or anyone else should attempt to go into the king's presence uninvited it would mean their death, unless the king chanced to feel favorable to them and extended his golden sceptre. She remarked, also, that evidently the king was not feeling very gracious toward her, because he had not called her into his presence for more than a month. That her fears were not groundless is evident to those acquainted with the history of those times. For instance, it is recorded of this very king that when en route for a war he rested at Olaenae of Phrygia, where he was the guest of Pythias, who entertained him magnificently; but when the latter begged as a favor that of his five sons in the king's army the eldest might be left with him in his old age, the brutal Xerxes in a rage caused that son to be slain in the presence of his father, the body divided into two parts, the one part placed on one side of the road and the other on the other side, and the whole army marched between them. Of another Persian king it is related that to show his skill in archery he shot an arrow into the heart of his young cup-bearer, the son of his greatest favorite, Prexaspes. It is related of this same Xerxes that he allowed one of his previous queens to mutilate one of her rivals most horribly. "Her breasts, nose, lips, cars, were cut off and thrown to the dogs, her tongue was torn out by the roots, and thus disfigured she was sent back to her home." SEEKING DIVINE GUIDANCEPersuaded that no other course was open than to risk her life in approaching the king, Esther sent word to her uncle and through him to all the Jews of the palace city that they should fast with her for three days, and this, of course, implied prayer. We cannot suppose that they abstained absolutely from food and drink for three days, but that they went on short allowance, avoiding anything that would be specially pleasurable and all luxuries. This prayer and fasting convinces us that not all the Jews who had faith in the Lord had returned to Palestine, that some of this kind were still scattered throughout all Asia. No doubt the exceptional trial of this time thus proved a great blessing, and strengthening to the faith of Esther and her uncle and all the Jews. At the close of the three days the queen, attired in her best royal robes to appear as attractive as possible, approached the king. Thus she used wisdom and sought to cooperate with her prayers for Divine guidance and blessing. The king was very gracious to her and extended the golden sceptre, which she touched, and then perceiving that only some urgent matter of request had thus brought her into his presence he inquired what be could do for her, assuring her that it should be done even to the extent of half of his kingdom--the latter expression, however, being doubtless a mere formality indicating great interest. The queen's plans were evidently all well thought out, although at this time she was only about fifteen years of age. Doubtless the Lord granted the wisdom necessary for the occasion. She did not communicate her request, but rather led on the king's expectancy by inviting him first to come to a banquet which she had arranged in his honor, and to which also his most trusted officer, Haman, was invited. The appointment was kept, and at that banquet the queen again parried the inquiry as to her real desires by asking that the same two should honor her by attending a banquet on the day following also, and this was agreed to. Some of the Lord's dear people of the spiritual Israel are a little inclined to go to extremes and, trusting in the Lord, do nothing to forward the cause they wish to serve. We believe that Esther's course is a good example of propriety. We should both watch and pray, labor and wait, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We should do all in our power while trusting to the Lord for the results, assured that He is able to make up all of our deficiencies, but at the same time leaving as little deficiency as possible. Meantime the Lord worked upon the king from another standpoint, we know not how Divine providence has a thousand ways for its operation. The king passed a sleepless night, and seems to have inferred in some manner that he had been derelict to some obligation--that some one who had done him a favor had not been suitably rewarded. He called for the reading of the court records as to various incidents, and amongst these he noted an occasion on which two of his trusted palace servants had conspired to take his life and had been frustrated by the exposure of their plot by Mordecai. No doubt the king was guided to this matter in some way by the Lord's providence. He inquired what recompense had been made to Mordecai, what had been done for him, how he had been rewarded for this faithfulness to the king. Finding that no special reward had been given he called for Haman to offer suggestions. The latter had been grieving over what he considered Mordecai's insult to him in not bowing to him, and feeling very confident of his influence with the king he had already erected a gallows in the court of his own house, purposing to have Mordecai hanged thereon by the king's decree before another day. He had come to the palace for the very purpose of requesting Mordecai's life when he was inquired for by the king, and asked to suggest what would be suitable honor to be done to a man whom the king desired to honor. Thinking that he was the person to be honored he suggested the king's horse, the king's robe, the king's crown, and one of the king's chief men to lead the horse throughout the city proclaiming in a loud voice that the king was thus honoring the one who rode. To his surprise the king directed him, to carry out this program with Mordecai as the honored man, and himself the king's representative leading the horse and proclaiming the king's favor. The king's word could not be disputed or even questioned, and the matter was carried out in every detail, but Haman, covered with shame and mortification, returned to his own house for consolation from his friends for his wounded pride. In the afternoon the messenger arrived to escort him to the banquet with the king and the queen. Thither the unhappy man went, little surmising what more there was in store for him. In the midst of the banquet the king again pressed to the queen to know the important thing she had to request. Her time had come, and she besought the king for her own life and the life of her people, telling him that their enemies had inveighed against them for their utter destruction. The king, evidently failing to comprehend, asked who was the wicked person who had thus plotted to kill his queen and all her family connections, and she replied, This wicked Haman, who is with us at the banquet board. The king was perturbed in mind and walked from the banquet room into the garden to meditate what course he should pursue. THE WICKED CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN TRAPMeantime Haman perceived that everything was going wrong with him, that his life was in jeopardy, and that only the queen's word could spare his life; so when the king left the apartment, Haman made every appeal to the queen for her forgiveness and intercession on his behalf. In his frenzy of fear he forgot the circumstances and surroundings, and was partly stretched upon the couch upon which the queen was reclining at the banquet, when the king re-entered, and noting the situation his wrath knew no bounds. Ascertaining about the gallows, he commanded that Haman should be hanged at once upon the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Haman's estates were conferred upon the queen by the royal decree, and then the queen, explaining that Mordecai, who had once saved the king's life, was her uncle, requested the royal interposition to counteract the effects of the previous edict for the extermination of the Jews. It was well understood that no decree or edict of the Medes and Persians could be altered, amended, withdrawn--once issued it must stand; but the king gave permission to Mordecai to arrange the matter with the wise men of the palace, so that another decree should be issued which would be equally binding, and which would, in some measure, if not fully, offset the first decree. This was done by formulating a decree permitting the Jews throughout the entire realm to defend themselves, and to do to all their enemies all that their enemies were permitted by the first decree to do to them. This last decree was similarly sent by messengers, under the king's seal, to all parts of the empire, and as a result, when the fateful day came which was to have meant the extermination of all the Jews, the Jews privileged by the second decree to defend themselves were prepared, armed, and had favor with the magistrates of all the lands, because the second decree was understood to be a measurable offset to the first, and it was known that Mordecai, a Jew, was now the king's chief counsellor, or, as we would say today, Secretary of State. The result was the slaying of thousands throughout the realm, not chiefly the Jews but their opponents, their enemies, some eight hundred in the palace city being destroyed. "DO GOOD TO THEM THAT HATE YOU"We are not to look back to this record of the slaying of enemies as an illustration of what spiritual Israelites are to do. We as Israelites indeed, begotten of the Holy Spirit, are to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us and despitefully use us and persecute us. We are to bless and injure not. We are to remember that at this time the Lord had not even revealed His own love. He had revealed His justice and His power but not His love, for the Scriptures declare, "Herein was manifested the love of God, in that He gave His only begotten Son," etc. (1 John 4:9)--it was never manifested before. It is this great love which God has manifested, and which He has inculcated upon those who appreciate His love and who have been benefited by it, that appeals to us. We love Him because He first loved us, and we love others because, having learned first to love the Lord, we have experienced an enlargement of heart and a broadening of sympathies. And this breadth of sympathy and love, which is a continual growth in the Christian in its relationship to the others, is proportionate to its exercise toward God. He that loveth God loveth also his brother and his neighbor. The heart of this lesson is respecting Divine providence, Divine care over the Lord's people. True, God's providence has not been manifested in favor of the Jews for more than 1800 years, because they have been cast off for a time, rejected from the Lord's favor, their house left desolate because of their rejection of Messiah. We are glad, however, that the Lord through the Apostle has made clear to us that this blindness on their part and rejection of them are not to last forever--that in due time their blindness is to be turned away and the good promises of the Lord are still theirs and shall be fulfilled to them. The Apostle assures us that their casting off is merely until the fulness of the Gentiles shall have been brought in to Divine favor, until the full number of the elect Church to be selected from the Gentiles shall have been gathered. With the completion of the elect spiritual Israel, the Apostle assures us that Divine favor will again return to natural Israel, who are still beloved for the Father's sake--these now shall obtain mercy through your (the Church's) mercy--through the mercy of the glorified Christ.--Rom. 11:25-32. When we note the Divine, providential care over God's typical people, it increases our faith and trust as His spiritual children, for with the Apostle we reason that, if God so loved us while we were yet sinners as to give His Son for us, much more does He love us now that we are no more sinners, aliens, strangers, foreigners, but consecrated to Him and seeking to walk in the footsteps of our Redeemer. Likewise, we reason that if God exercised His providential care in the interests of the typical people, He is both able and willing to do as much and more for His spiritual Israel--Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile--those who have entered into covenant relationship with Him and who are seeking to walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. "The Lord preserveth all them that love Him." True, He has a sympathetic love for the world which has led Him to provide a redemption for all in due time--all the redeemed ones will have a manifestation of Divine love and care over their interests--but now, during the Gospel Age, Divine blessings are conferred upon those who will constitute the Church, the Body of Christ, who love Him more than they love houses or lands, parents or children or self. All who can thus affirm to their own hearts their loyalty to the Lord, their faith and trust in Him, may be assured that all things are supervised for their good and working out for their welfare, in matters temporal and eternal of some who had declined to participate in the first return under Zerubbabel or were too young to go or to exercise their own volitions at that time. It was nearly seventy-five years after the return of the first company of about 50,000 under the decree of Cyrus that Ezra, a young man filled with religious zeal, became the leader of a company of the Jews still residing in Babylon, and went up with them to inspire and revive those who had first returned and their children and grandchildren meantime born in Palestine. Our lesson relates to the return of this second company. THE KING'S ASSISTANCEXerxes, the Persian king who took Esther to be his queen, and who exalted Mordecai, her uncle, to be chief minister of state in the Persian empire, had been murdered by a palace conspiracy, and his son Artaxerxes was the reigning monarch at the time Ezra undertook the expedition in question. Three things were necessary for the success of the project: First, the king's promise or decree; second, money not only for the expenses of the expedition but also to properly forward the work at Jerusalem and encourage those who had become discouraged there; and third, the interest of the Jews required to be aroused so that a sufficient number of volunteers might be found. The king furnished the money and gave the necessary authority. This might seem remarkable did we not remember that in the Lord's providence his acquaintance at his father's court as a boy would more or less associate him with Mordecai and other Jews prominent in the empire and inspire him also with a respect for the God of the Jews. Ezra belonged to the priestly family and evidently was very sincere, not only inspiring the king with confidence in the project but also enlisting the sympathy and cooperation of many of his fellow-countrymen to the number of about 1,700--probably including the families of some of them. These were volunteers-no one had a right to insist upon their going. Some may have gone with more or less of a spirit of adventure, but doubtless having knowledge of, conditions at Jerusalem the majority were thoroughly enthused with a religious ardor for God and for His law. Knowing what we do through the records of Ezra's thorough-going character, teaching, practices, we may be sure that no other class would be attracted to the standard raised by him in this expedition. An illustration of his spirit is furnished in verse 21 of chapter 8. A certain point for the assembling of those who would return with him had been established at the river Ahava. The first condition enjoined on the assembly was a day of fasting, and we may be sure also a day of prayer to the Lord for His blessing upon the expedition--"That we might humble ourselves before our God and seek of Him a straight way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance." It was a great undertaking in those days to set out upon a journey of over eight hundred miles and one requiring slow travel, made necessary by the presence of women and children in the company and the absence of vehicles. The journey required about four months' time. True, there was a shorter road through the desert, but that would have been much more unfavorable in every way, and extra hazardous on account of the Bedouin tribes of the desert, who would have sought to take from them the treasures of gold and silver which they took along and which are estimated at between two and three million dollars in our money, but really equivalent to much more than this when measured by the standard of the value of labor now as compared with then. SPIRITUAL ISRAEL'S TESTINGSSeeking to apply this lesson to spiritual Israel, we see during this Gospel Age somewhat similar siftings and tests of the Lord's people. We find today that some of the children of the most devout reformers have lapsed into measurable indifference respecting the holy things of the Lord and His law, and are disposed, like the Israelites of the first return, to not only fellowship the world but to amalgamate with it in customs, in habits, in social functions. The spirit of separateness and consecration which enthused their forefathers is dying out, leading to a mixed or Churchianity condition not at all pleasing to the Lord, and one calling for reformation. On the other hand we have seen spiritual Israelites coming forward from Babylon with great zeal for the Lord and His cause, and if perhaps we wonder, we find a solution of the matter to be that some of these inherited a blessing from their parents, and we remember the word of the Lord that He would show mercy and favor to many generations of them that love and reverence Him. Ezra seems to have been led to the announcement of the fast by a realization of his own weakness and of the dangers which would beset the Israelites on the journey. Relying upon the Lord's promises given to natural Israel, that they would be blessed in temporal things while obedient to the Divine precepts, he had almost boasted of this matter to the king Artaxerxes, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all them that seek Him for good, but His power and His wrath are against all them that forsake Him." It had been on the strength of this faith and this testimony that the royal decree had gone forth and the moneys had been subscribed, and Ezra felt that now to ask the king for a troop of soldiers for the protection of himself and his associates would have implied at least their doubt of the favor of God toward them or of His ability to protect them. Realizing the perils of the situation and the danger from enemies, and that he was responsible in great measure for the lives of those who would be under his direction, and that under the circumstances be could not ask for soldiers, Ezra felt all the more the necessity for going before the Lord in prayer and with fasting, and hence the fast was enjoined upon all the people. We cannot doubt this did them good, tending to direct their hearts to the Lord as the great Captain of their salvation, awakening in them the thought that the whole expedition was based upon faith in the Lord and in His promises as respects the future and the present life. "Like the Israelites after the defeat at Gibeah in their retributive war with Benjamin (Judges 20:26); like the penitent people at Mizpah, in the days of Samuel, when they put away their idols (1 Sam. 7:6) ; like Jehoshaphat and his subjects when rumors of a threatened invasion filled them with apprehension (2 Chron. 20:3), Ezra and his followers fasted and humbled themselves before God in view of their hazardous undertaking." It was the wisest preparation for their journey they could have made and is an example for us to follow when we embark on any new project. "That we might humble ourselves before our God." Humility is the only foundation for prevailing prayer. "Absolute, unceasing, universal humility must be the root-disposition of every prayer and every approach to God as well as of every dealing with man; and we might as well attempt to see without eyes, or live without breath, as believe or draw nigh to God, or dwell in His love without an all-pervading humility and lowliness of heart." "We should begin every new journey, every new undertaking, every new piece of work, by asking God to show us the way. The Bible very significantly begins with the words, 'In the beginning, God.' At the beginning of everything God should be recognized and honored. The things we cannot ask God's blessing upon we would better not do. The place into which we cannot ask God to guide us we never should enter." FASTINGS OF SPIRITUAL ISRAELITESThat there is an advantage in fasting and prayer to the spiritual Israelite is beyond question. Our case is not exactly that of the Israelites under Ezra, and yet there is some similarity. We are not guaranteed earthly blessings or earthly protection against earthly adversaries. As spiritual Israelites, however, we have a still higher guarantee, for in our estimation our spiritual interests as new creatures are higher and grander than all of our earthly interests, beyond comparison. We have the guarantee that, whatever shall befall us, the Lord is able and willing to overrule it for good if we trust in Him. It is in proportion as this gracious promise of the Lord fails to be appreciated by us that we look to the world for protection. The very experience of realizing danger and feeling timidity may prove indeed a superior blessing to us if it will but lead us nearer to the Lord--through fasting and prayer. Fasting, as we have seen heretofore, signifies self-denial. The thought is not the weakening of the body by absolute abstention from food, but rather a disciplining of the body by abstaining from delicacies, relishes, etc. No doubt such fastings are profitable to us in other ways than one. They not only relieve the physical system of over pressure, but with many tend to clarify the mind and make it more acute, more spiritually inclined. We all recognize this as a fact whether we can explain the philosophy of it or not. To all believers, especially to all starting upon a course of consecration, of self-devotion to the Lord and to His cause, we commend fasting in reasonable and proper ways, the denying to one's self the gratification of natural passions, and in general the living moderately, abstemiously, using this world and its comforts and blessings as not abusing them--the using of them in so far and in such a manner as will be to the highest advantage as New Creatures in Christ. With the consecrated Christian this is not only the incident of a day but the course of a life. His every day is a fast day, a day of self-denial as respects any and everything sinful, and as respects any and everything that would not inure to the spiritual advantage of himself or others. CONTINUOUS BAPTISM AND FASTINGOur fasting is like our baptism--it has a definite point of
beginning and a definite point of ending. It begins with our baptism even unto death and
it ends in death. These self-deniers, these fasters, are the self-sacrificers, the
overcomers of the world, to whom the Lord has promised His special blessing of spiritual
favors, peace, joy and all the fruits and graces of the Spirit in the present time, and by
and by the everlasting blessedness of fellowship with Himself in all the joys and
perfections and completeness of the Kingdom condition--glory, honor and immortality. Ezra says, "So we fasted and besought our God for this: and He was entreated of us." This verse could be applied in full measure to the spiritual Israelites who, under the lead of the great High Priest of our profession, are traveling to the New Jerusalem. Their fasting and prayers to the Lord for protection and help along the Narrow Way and for success to the journey's end are heard, and the Lord assures us in advance that all such petitions are granted. It is our Father's good pleasure to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, and to make all things work together for their good, and to bring them under the leading of the great Chief Shepherd and ultimately to the Kingdom. In other words, "He is faithful who has called us, who also will do it," (1Thess. 5:24)--He will do all He has promised to do, exceedingly more abundantly than we could have asked of Him or expected. The whole matter is with us: if our consecration is based upon faith in the redemptive work of our Lord, if it is a full and complete consecration, and if we live it out day by day, the results will be all and more than we ever expected. "LET EVERYTHING BE DONE DECENTLY AND IN ORDER"Our lesson shows that Ezra divided the wealth contributed by the Jews throughout Babylonia and Persia and by the king, amongst twelve prominent men of the Levitical tribe, strict count being kept of what each received and he being held responsible for the delivery of that amount to the properly constituted representatives of the Jews at Jerusalem. Thus our Lord, who is the Captain of our journey and who is bringing us to the Heavenly Kingdom, gives to every one of His followers pounds and talents for which they must ultimately give account. In verse 28 Ezra said to these twelve men, "Ye are holy unto the Lord and the vessels are holy, and the gold and silver are a free-will offering unto God, the God of your fathers. Watch ye and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites and the princes of the fathers' houses of Israel at Jerusalem in the chambers of the house of the Lord." The chambers of the Temple were the little rooms of the court, separate from the Temple yet connected therewith. In these the officiating priests lived, and in them were stored the treasures belonging to the Temple and its service; they were, therefore, the safety deposit vaults of that time for the Lord's treasury. We can see the responsibility that rested upon those men, yet still greater responsibility rests upon us who have received of the Lord's spiritual gifts and treasures, His great Truth. If it was required of those men handling earthly treasures that they should be faithful and watchful, diligent, much more may this be reasonably required of us--"A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify." All of these lessons should come, to us as fresh reminders of our responsibility, not for our discouragement, but reversely, to make us more watchful, more careful, more zealous, more appreciative of the riches of God's grace committed to us. Those of old time were to hide their treasure but we are commanded to show ours on every occasion--"Let your light so shine before men, that they seeing your good works may glorify your Father who is in heaven." The more we let our light shine, the brighter it will shine; the more we use and display the riches of God's grace entrusted to us, the more valuable will be our treasure and the safer we will be, for it is a treasure which our enemies will not really covet, and our faithfulness in acknowledging the Lord in all our ways will assure us of His protection and care. AT THE JOURNEY'S ENDEzra and his company, after a four months journey, arrived safely at Jerusalem, the Lord having indeed kept them and delivered them from the marauding bands of enemies on the journey. Then it was that Ezra's real work began. He found matters at Jerusalem and throughout Judea in a much worse condition than he had anticipated, and he was used of the Lord in instituting a very radical national reformation which proved a great blessing to the people, though it sifted out some of their number. Ezra magnified the Law, showing the people how the calamities that had befallen them as a nation were all foretold in the Law and were all the result of a failure to keep that Law; and the proper course now was not only to rebuild the Temple, as they had done, but to go back to the Law and seek to keep it inviolate to the best of their ability. He pointed to the fact that they had made unlawful unions with the tribes and nationalities surrounding them, and that the only course remaining was to separate themselves from all heathen people. This involved special trouble and trial in cases where Jews had married heathen wives, and Ezra's course would be roundly denounced by the entire civilized world today; but evidently he did the proper thing at the proper time in God's estimation, and was the Divine instrument in sharply separating between the Jews and other peoples. This spirit has persisted amongst the Jews ever since, and the effect has been what the Lord desired, the keeping of that nation and people comparatively separate and distinct from all others. A lesson for spiritual Israelites may be found herein, though not according to the exact letter of Ezra's teaching. The spiritual Israelites are directed by the Captain of our Salvation, through the Apostle Paul as His mouthpiece, to be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers in marriage, and to have as little as possible to do with the world in general. Nevertheless, the spiritual Israelite is enjoined that if the unbelieving husband or wife remain and it be possible to live together in unity even under trying circumstances, they should do it; but if the unbelieving one depart, let him depart, consider it to be of the Lord's providence that the Israelite should be free from a vexatious alliance, though he would not be free to remarry. NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER--AUGUST 27-NEHEMIAH 1:1-11--
Golden Text.--"The effectual, fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much."--Jas. 5:16 NEHEMIAH was a young Jew of one of the prominent families of the Babylonian captivity. He occupied a confidential position with Artaxerxes, the Persian king, somewhat similar to the office held by Mordecai under King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), the father of Artaxerxes. His official title, "cupbearer," does not give the proper con-ception of the dignity of his position. In those days kings needed to be continually guarded against poisons, which could be easily mingled without detection with their liquid refreshments. Consequently the cupbearer was one whose loyalty was esteemed irreproachable, and his duties afforded him privileges and opportunities for intimate intercourse with the king more than others. They became confidants of royalty and court advisers, really occupying the position of Minister of State. Though possessed of wealth and enjoying the king's favor, and in every way advantaged so far as this world's affairs were concerned, Nehemiah's heart was not surfeited with his earthly blessings and privileges, comforts and advantages. His brother had been amongst those who went up to Jerusalem with Ezra, as narrated in our last lesson. That expedition had been partially successful and partly a failure. Ezra had heroically drawn the line of demarcation between Jews and others. The walls of the city had been repaired in a fashion, but their enemies had been angered by what they no doubt considered the arrogancy of the Jews in considering themselves separate and distinct from other peoples, refusing to intermarry with them. The sending back to their homes of all foreign wives under Ezra's direction capped the climax of what they considered to be injury done to them. These enemies had spitefully attacked the city, broken its walls and burned its gates, and the people of Jerusalem, comparatively few in number, weary and exhausted, had not the energy to rebuild and repair. Moreover, they feared to do so lest their enemies would deal harshly with them. It was through his brother, who returned, that Nehemiah gained information respecting the deplorable condition of affairs at Jerusalem. The news made him heartsick, for he not only had the usual patriotism, but, as a Jew and as a believer in the Divine threatenings and promises, he had an intensity of love for the land of promise, a burning desire to lend his assistance in every manner for the recovery of the Lord's people and their re-establishment in power as the Lord had promised. IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYEROur lesson relates chiefly to Nehemiah's prayer to the Lord after he had heard of the conditions in Judea--his prayer for the Lord's blessing and assistance, to the intent that the good promises of the Lord respecting His holy city and land might be fulfilled. Nehemiah does not give us the words of all his prayers, for we learn from other parts of the narrative that he prayed after this manner for four months before he began to have an answer. What we read, therefore, is supposed to be a general outline of the sentiments which he expressed in various forms at different times, praying without ceasing during those four months. Of course during all this time he attended to his duties, but this prayer was always in his heart, the sentiment of his mind, and more or less associated with all his thoughts and plans and arrangements. So it should be with all of the Lord's people of spiritual Israel. The things which we have only a slight desire for we may mention once or twice at the throne of grace, but those things which lie very close to our hearts become our continual prayer, associated in our minds with all of life's duties and interests, the heart gravitating continually toward the thing we have desired of the Lord, and on suitable opportunities repeating to Him the request--making sure that the thing we request is in accord with His promises. This is the kind of praying which the Lord commended, saying, "Men ought always to pray and not to faint"--that the Lord's people ought to continue asking for the right things with some degree of persistency, and should not grow weary, hopeless, faithless, faint in their hearts. ANSWERS LONG DELAYEDDoutless there are many reasons why the Lord does not promptly grant such of our requests as are in accordance with His will, in harmony with His Word. We may not know all of these reasons, but some of them are apparent. Undoubtedly one reason for the Lord's delay in answering us often is to test the strength and depths of our desires for the good things that we request of Him. For instance, He informs us that He is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to us who ask than are earthly parents to give good things to their children; yet the giving of His Holy Spirit is a gradual process, and we are enabled to receive it only in proportion as we are emptied of the worldly or selfish spirit. It requires time to thus become emptied of self and prepared for the mind of Christ--in some it requires longer for this than in others, but all need emptying in order to receive the refilling. He that seeketh findeth, but the more he seeketh the more he findeth; to him that knocketh it shall be opened, but his continual knocking and his increasing interest in the knocking means his increasing desire to enter, so that as the door of privilege, of opportunity, swings slowly open before him his courage and strength increase as he seeks to avail himself of the opening, and thus everyway the blessing is greater than if the Lord were to answer the petitions more hastily. Whenever we think of prayer and answers thereto we should remember our Lord's words, "If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye may ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7.) Ah, there are conditions in this statement. Those who abide in Christ must have gotten into Him by faith, repentance and consecration, and to abide in Him means that the faith will abide, the repentance for sin and opposition to it will abide, and the consecration to the Lord and His service will abide and be manifest. The other condition also is a weighty one: "If My word abide in you." Ah, how evident it is that the Lord meant to associate Himself and His Word, the Scriptures, in the minds, in the hearts, in the lives, in the prayers of all who are truly His. We must search the Scriptures to know the will of the Lord, to know what He has promised and what He has not promised, to know what we may ask and what we may not ask for, and ascertaining these, the fully consecrated one will not want to be, to have, or to do anything except that which will be pleasing to the Lord in respect to him--"Thy will, not mine be done, O Lord," is his prayer. And when this position has been reached we can readily see that what ever would be asked by one thus well informed respecting the Divine promises and fully submissive to the Divine will, would be things which God would be well pleased to grant in answer to his requests. We are to think of our Heavenly Father as rich and benevolent, kind and generous, yet wise as well as loving. We are to suppose that He will have pleasure in giving us the desires of our hearts if those desires are in harmony with His Plan, which Plan He has already framed on such lines as to include our very highest and best interests and the highest and best interests of all His creatures. So, then, "Faith can firmly trust Him, Come what may." And His well-informed children can have all the desires of their hearts because their hearts are in full accord with the Lord, and they desire nothing of the Lord except the good things of His purpose and promise. NEHEMIAH'S FASTING AND PRAYERThe substance of the prayers of Nehemiah is stated: "I beseech Thee, O Jehovah, God of heaven, the great and terrible God that keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments." Thus praying, he had before his mind the testimonies of God's Word respecting His dealings with Moses and the Prophets and the kings of the past. He did not reproach the Lord as having failed with His part of the covenant, but, quite to the contrary, acknowledged that the Lord's ways and dealings with Israel had been just and true, and that the difficulties in which they were involved as a nation were the just penalties due them for their violations of the covenant made at Sinai. He expressed confidence also that the Lord would keep His covenant and have mercy upon the people, or upon those at least who would seek to walk in His paths. He entreated, "Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that Thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant which I pray before Thee now day and night for the children of Israel, Thy servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, Thy servants, which we have sinned against Thee; both I and my father's house have sinned." No proper prayer can be offered to the great Creator that does not acknowledge in some manner the weaknesses, deficiency, imperfection, sin of those who approach the Throne of Grace. As the Apostle declares, even we who are New Creatures in Christ approach the Throne of Heavenly Grace to find mercy and grace to help in every time of need. But our boldness, our courage, is not that of self-confidence, but of confidence in Him who loved us and who bought us with His precious blood in Him who died for our sins, and under whose covering robe we have peace, forgiveness, harmony with God. O, how much this means to us! More than it could have meant to Nehemiah or others living before the great atonement sacrifice had been made. It is our privilege to see how God can be just and yet be the justifier of him who believes in Jesus. We see that by the grace of God, Jesus Christ has tasted death for every man, and that ultimately the merit of His sacrifice will be made applicable to every man through the Lord's own channels and agents. Nehemiah was very open in his confession, and we believe that such an attitude is the proper one for all who would approach the Lord. Sins and weaknesses should be confessed to the Lord, however they may be reasonably screened from the eyes of others while we are seeking to do our best in walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit. He says, "We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which Thou commandest Thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou commandedst Thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress I will scatter you abroad among the nations: but if you turn unto Me and keep My commandments and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set My name there. Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand." "BELOVED FOR THE FATHERS' SAKES"This prayer, mentioning the Lord's threatenings and acknowledging the justice of them, and acknowledging also the transgressions and the infliction of the penalties, and this turning to the Lord's promises for forgiveness and mercy and reconciliation, exhibit the very proprieties of prayer which all should imitate--Jew or Gentile. The "Israelite indeed" who transgresses the Divine precepts and is chastened of the Lord can plead the Lord's promise to be very merciful to those who are of a contrite heart, and ask forgiveness based upon the great redemption sacrifice, and may by faith accept the Divine promise immediately and enter into rest of soul as soon as he shall have done all in his power to rectify the wrong bemoaned. The Lord did respond to Nehemiah's prayer by granting him the opportunity of being associated in the rebuilding of the city and the placing of it upon a more satisfactory and permanent foundation, but it was not God's time for fulfilling all the gracious promises that He had made to that nation. It was not for Nehemiah to know the mysteries of the Divine Plan as they entwined, in all the affairs of the Jewish nation and held them together as a separate people for several hundred years, until Messiah was sent unto them to gather to Himself the Israelites indeed in whom there was no guile, and to reject, to blind, to give over to be scattered amongst the nations the remainder of the Jewish people. Because it was not time to reveal the Divine Plan in all its details, therefore the Lord in hearing Nehemiah's prayer merely granted him the privileges and blessings and opportunities possible for Him at the time; leaving the larger fulfilments of that prayer and all the prayers for Israel to the glorious consummation when the glorified Christ, the antitype of Moses, shall stand forth to gather into one all nations under His own headship. The Apostle Paul in his explanation tells of the still greater scattering of Israel amongst all nations of the world, accomplished at the beginning of this Gospel Age by the utter destruction of Jerusalem, from which it has not yet recovered. To the Apostle it was given to understand and appreciate the matter, and to explain to us who are of the spiritual Israel that He who scattered Israel was the Lord, who also would regather that people in His own due time. 'The Apostle points out to us most explicitly that all the history of this nation was known to the Lord, including, the scattering in fulfilment of our Lord's Word, "Your house is left unto you desolate." It was in view of this greater scattering that the Apostle, full of faith in the promises of the Lord's Word, speaking under inspiration, assures us that "the gifts and callings of God are not matters of repentance"--that God never gave nor promised things ill-advisedly, that He knew the end from the beginning and that ultimately every promise would be graciously fulfilled. He explains to us that the casting off of natural Israel was the appropriate thing during the period that God was gathering spiritual Israel to be the Bride, the Lamb's wife, joint-heirs with Christ. He assures us that as soon as the Church has all been selected, tested, proved, glorified, then Divine favor will return to natural Israel, and he says, "They shall obtain mercy through your mercy"--fleshly Israel shall obtain mercy through the glorified spiritual Israel. THE RECONCILING OF THE WORLDWhat a wonderful Plan! All for which Nehemiah prayed will be much more than fulfilled, not because the Heavenly Father has changed His Plan to suit the prayer, but because in His prayer Nehemiah asked in accordance with the Lord's Plan, yet did not ask as much as God has purposed to accomplish. The finite mind cannot grasp the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of the Divine provision. Consequently the Lord is about to do for natural Israel exceedingly and abundantly more than we or Nehemiah could have asked or could have thought. He is about to gather them out of every nation, people, kindred and tongue, and to re-establish their judges and law-givers as at first, only that these judges and law-givers of the future will be perfect, and, more than this, under the direct instruction and guidance of the then glorified Christ-Head and Body. Doubtless it was because it would have been beyond the comprehension of the Jews that the Lord did not make very plain in all His prophecies that the blessings proposed for fleshly Israel were the same blessings which later would be bestowed upon all nations, peoples, kindreds and tongues. As He veiled the fact that there would be a spiritual Israel as well as a natural Israel, so He veiled in the promises the fact that in the future all the nations, peoples and tongues will have an opportunity of becoming Israelites indeed, children of Abraham. These gracious promises are indeed clear when we attain a proper viewpoint in respect to the Divine Word, though hidden from any other standpoint. For instance, we now see the meaning of the Lord's words, "I have constituted thee a father of many nations" (Gen. 17:4); and again the promise, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen, 12:3); and again the Apostle's assurance that as the rejection of natural Israel meant the acceptance of spiritual Israel to the higher and chief elements of the promise, so the regathering of spiritual Israel would mean life from the dead to all humanity.--Rom. 11. PRAYING TO THE POINTNehemiah's prayers were to a point, namely, that he might have a special blessing from the Lord upon himself and upon the mission which he believed the Lord would be willing to put into his hand through the authority and cooperation of the king Artaxerxes. His prayer was, "O Lord, I beseech Thee let now Thine ear be attentive to Thy servant and to the prayer of Thy servants [all true Israelites], who delight to fear Thy name: And prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." As we have already seen, the monarchs of those days were absolute in authority, and their ill-will might very easily be aroused by any plans and arrangements or suggestions which might strike them as inimical to their own hopes, aims, ambitions and prospects; Nehemiah might well doubt that the king would take favorably to the suggestion that he be permitted to go to Jerusalem to endeavor to establish law and order there and to help along his own kindred. The king might very properly view this as disloyalty. If he were a loyal servant and appreciated his position in the king's confidence and his home in the capital city, why should he wish to leave these and go elsewhere to reestablish a nation and capital which had once been competitors in the race for world power. The king in his anger might order his execution, or cast a javelin at him. Nehemiah's prayer to the Lord that He might grant him mercy in the sight of Artaxerxes shows that he had faith in the Divine power. We have often wondered if a deficiency of faith along such lines is not a part of much of the trouble of the Lord's truly consecrated people today--of spiritual Israel. We know that sometimes they have severe trials from those who hate them, from those who perhaps despise them and deal unjustly with them, and we wonder to what extent they remember, as Nehemiah did, that God has full power to open ways and means before us whereby we may engage in His service, if He be willing to accept of our services, if we find favor in His sight, if our prayers of lips and of heart go up before Him as a memorial, acceptable through Christ. We must remember that a part of our lesson as the Lord's followers is that we must learn to walk in the footsteps of Jesus trustfully--by faith and not by sight; that we must learn patient endurance, and thus develop more and more all the fruits and graces of the spirit of love. He will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but with the temptation will also provide a way of escape. He does indeed permit us to be tried as gold in the furnace, yet as gold is not permitted to be consumed in the furnace, so the Lord will not permit us to receive injury under any conditions so long as we are trusting in Him. All things must work together for good to them that love God, to the called ones according to His purpose. As Nehemiah's prayer was delayed of an answer four months, and no door of opportunity seemed to offer for him to bring the matter to the king's attention, so with us--patient endurance and faith may be amongst the lessons which the Lord wishes us to learn by the delay in the answers to our petitions. Likewise, doubtless, that four months of delay was used by the Lord in more or less a preparation of the king for cooperating with the request of Nehemiah. And so with us it may be that, while we are praying, the Lord is not only preparing us for the blessing and opportunity and privilege we desire, but also preparing the circumstances and conditions which will bring us these opportunities and privileges in the best form. Let us then lay to heart and utilize the lessons of our Master's words, "Men ought always to pray and not to faint."--Luke "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," says our Golden Text. The prayers of the unrighteous, we understand, will avail nothing; and in this connection we are to remember that "there is none righteous, no, not one," and that all the righteousness which we have or which permits us to present ourselves before the Father, or which guarantees us that we shall be heard of Him, is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us--the merit of His sacrifice covers all our blemishes. Let us remember, too, that it is the fervent prayer that is the effectual one--the prayer that is earnest, from the heart and not merely from the lips. It is for this reason that self-denial, fasting and praying should be associated in the minds, and in fact we should be so earnest, so fervently desire the things that we request, and be so confident that they are the Lord's will, as guaranteed by the promises of His Word, that we would hold on and wait for the mercies the Lord thus prepares us to receive. It would be rather unsafe, we think, for any of the "New Creation" to make request for temporal blessings. "After all those things do the Gentiles seek." (Matt. 6:32.) They seek those things because they know not of and appreciate not the higher and better, the spiritual things. Spiritual Israelites are exhorted by the Lord to appreciate the spiritual clothing, the spiritual food, the heavenly riches, which moth and rust cannot corrupt, and to seek for these. The Master tells us what we may freely ask, what we may be assured that the Heavenly Father will be very willing to grant to us, though He bear long with us, though He give it gradually to us, and not perhaps as rapidly and as fully as we request it. His words are: "If ye, then, know how to give good gifts [earthly gifts] unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." (Luke 11:13.) The Holy Spirit is the spirit of love to God and to man. It cannot be given to us under present conditions except gradually, as the old selfish, wrong spirit is deposed from our hearts. This, therefore, must be continually our prayer to the end of life's journey, that we might be filled with the Spirit of the Lord; and thus praying means that we will be thus laboring day by day, and that the Lord will continually bless us, giving us the fruits of His Spirit in our hearts and in our lives more and more--its joys and peace and blessing.
VOL. V. August, 1922 No. 16 THE TWO ADVENTS OF THE WORLD'S REDEEMER - PART I."But when the fulness of the time was come, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under
the Law, that he might receive the adoption of sons."--Gal. 4:4, 5. "And He shall send Jesus Christ, which, before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."--Acts 3:20, 21 GOD'S Eternal Purpose of the Ages has had its Divinely appointed times and seasons. The two great important events are those of the First and Second Advents of our Lord and Savior. These two events were predetermined, and nothing could possibly occur to change the definite time of each. In regard to the first we read: "When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law."--Gal. 4:4. The First Advent of our Lord had its special work: He came to give Himself "a ransom for all;" He came to be "the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." He did this by "tasting death for every man." We see then that the great central object of the First Advent was to ransom the human family from their hopeless condition, thus opening a way for all, if they would, to gain everlasting life.--1 Tim. 2:6; 1 John 2:2; Heb. 2:9; Rom. 5:18. The Second Advent has also its special work and its appointed times and seasons. We have found that the principal features of the great work to be accomplished during Christ's Second Presence are comprehended in the two Scriptures: Acts 17:31 and Acts 3:20-21. The first reads, "He [God] hath appointed a day [time], in the which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man [Christ] whom He hath ordained;" the second, "And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." In unfolding these Scriptures we see, in brief, that the principal object of the Second Advent is to accomplish the resurrection of the dead--to give to the world of mankind an individual trial for everlasting life, and to restore to perfection all the willing and obedient of the children of Adam. This trial period is called "the times of restitution" and will cover a thousand years. This trial will be given under circumstances where full light will be granted, and under the gracious influences of a knowledge of God's love, as seen in Christ's ransom for all on the cross, and His gracious mediation at God's right hand. Those who under these influences, after a sufficient time of trial, fail to make progress towards that life will be cut off forever in the Second Death. It has also been seen that the period between the failure of Adam in Eden and the First Advent had its Divinely appointed work, which was the gathering out of an elect class. (Heb. 11:39, 40.) Likewise has there been a special election going on in the period between the First and Second Advents. Both of these chosen classes--one earthly, the other heavenly--enter upon their respective destinies at the Second Advent, and in their glorified condition will be the Divinely appointed assistants in the trial and blessing of the world of mankind during the times of restitution. This is, in brief, the general outline features of the Divine Purpose and the objects to be accomplished by the two Advents of our Lord. Clear and correct views of the Second Advent of our Lord can never be had until we come to see clearly the important object to be accomplished by it. If we hold to the prevailing error which teaches that all that is to be accomplished is the salvation and glorification of the elect, and the destruction, or as some hold, the assignment of all others to an endless state of conscious punishment, then an intelligent understanding of those Scriptures which refer to the Second Advent is impossible. On the other hand, when we once see clearly the general outline features of God's Plan as stated above, the Second Advent of our Lord is not only big with hope and blessing to the Old and New Testament saints, but it becomes the great hope of the whole human family as well, and the Gospel is seen to be for the "'blessing of all the families of the earth," as stated by God to Abraham (Gen. 18:18; Gal. 3:8), and "good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people," as announced by the angel to the shepherds.--Luke 2:10. THE SECOND ADVENT"This Jesus who is taken up from you into the heavens, shall so come in the manner in which you saw Him go into the heavens."--Acts 1:11. (Diaglott.) No fact concerning the mission and person of Christ is more plainly taught in the Scriptures, than that the same Jesus who was with the Father before the world was, who was made flesh, and who died upon the earth and afterward arose and ascended to heaven, is to be revealed again from heaven to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. Those who teach that our Lord comes at the death of believers, teach not only that which is unscriptural, but also that which is utterly impossible. Believers are dying every part of the day all over the earth, some times several at the same moment, and it would be out of the question for Him to be at the side of each one of these at the same time, even though moving with all the rapidity possible for a spirit body. And again, those who teach that He comes in the person of the Holy Spirit, have a very hazy comprehension of the person of Christ as a glorified being. God is present everywhere by His Spirit, but the Spirit of God and the person of Christ are in no sense whatever the same. God's omnipresence and Christ's Presence are two entirely distinct things. Still again, those who claim that He comes in providential enactments, making these providential events His coming, are also far from the truth, and out of harmony with the Scriptures. While it is true that when He is present in person, certain definite events will occur, these events themselves, while a sign of His Presence, must never be confounded with the glorified personal Christ Himself. Nothing can be plainer than the Scriptural teaching that just as really as was the human Christ present on earth during the Harvest period of the Jewish Age, just so really will the glorified and immortal and Divine Christ be present in the earth during the closing Harvest period of this Age, taking oversight of the work of separating the wheat from the tares, and personally superintending those agencies which are used for the utter removal of evil, preparatory to the work of restitution and trial of the whole world of mankind. THE GLORIFIED CHRIST"And, last of all, He was seen by me also, as if by the one prematurely born."--1 Cor. 15:8. (Diaglott.) "And it occurred, as I was traveling and drawing near to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me; and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?' . . And as I could not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.--"Acts 22:6, 7, 11. (Diaglott.) There are several things, however, which are essential to an understanding of the manner of the Second Advent of our Lord--things which are not taken into consideration by many, even of those who most fully believe in its literality. The first, and perhaps the most important of these, is the great change that has taken place in the nature, person, and appearance of Christ since His resurrection. Those who
fail to note those Scriptures, that imply this remarkable change, will of necessity think
of Him as coming in that form in which He appeared to the disciples after His
resurrection. There are several Scriptures, which prove to the contrary of this thought.
For example, we have it distinctly declared that when we (sons of God) shall look upon
Him, it will be to see Him as He is and not as
He was. If any should say that the reference here is to our Lord before His death, and not to Him as He was manifested to the disciples after His resurrection, we need only refer such to the Apostle John's words from which we learn the fact stated above. St. John, who was one of those who beheld Him after His resurrection, during the forty days while on earth, did not expect that when he would be made like Him he would see Him as He was then. Note his words: "It has not yet been seen what we shall be." (1 John 3:2, Diaglott.) St. John was fully aware that he and all other of the sons of God, when changed and glorified, are to have heavenly bodies like the Lord. If he had believed that these bodies were to be like the body Jesus appeared in as seen by him and others, during the forty days after His resurrection, then the Apostle would never have made such a statement. Instead of this, he distinctly declares that we know not (now) what we shall be, and that it will be only when He shall appear, that we shall be made like Him, and see Him as He is. Hear his words: "We know, however, that if He should appear [be manifested] we shall be like Him, because [then only] we shall see Him as He is"--not as He was.--1 John 3:2. It was essential that St. Paul, to become an Apostle, should receive his apostolic commission from the Lord in person. We learn that for one single instant St. Paul got a glimpse simply of the supernatural light which came from the person of the glorified Redeemer, and he was instantly stricken down with blindness When afterwards he speaks of this brief interview he mentions it as premature; that is, it was as though he (St. Paul) was born (changed and glorified) before the due time. Compare Acts 9:3-9 with 1 Cor. 15:8. What must we, of necessity conclude from all this? Nothing less than the fact that no mortal human being will ever be able to look upon the unveiled glory of Christ and live. This is in harmony with what we learn concerning heavenly beings in other Scriptures. When it has been necessary in the Divine Plan that such should appear to mortal men, it has always been in an earthly, human form, and with garments the same as earthly beings; or, as in a few instances, so veiled and hidden as not to startle, or to cause death. The saints, the overcomers of this Gospel Age, who are destined to bear the image of the heavenly, when they put off their mortal bodies, and assume their heavenly bodies and heavenly state, will then, and not until then, be able to see Him as He is. Keeping these things in mind, and remembering also the fact that heavenly beings, and of course our glorified Lord, have the power to be present (not omnipresent) in the earth, and yet to be invisible to the physical eye, will prepare us to understand and appreciate some Scriptures which refer to the Second Advent that are not generally understood. THE PAROUSIA OR
PRESENCE
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