THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL. VII. April 1, 1924 No. 7
Table of Contents
THE PORTRAIT OF THE MATURE
CHRISTIAN
THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE TRUE
AND THE FALSE WORSHIP
JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION
THE CONSECRATION OF ELISHA
DANIEL THE BELOVED OF JEHOVAH
VOL. VII. April 15, 1924 No. 8
Table of Contents
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AT THE
VATICAN
MOHAMMEDANISM ON THE WANE
ANCIENT ISRAEL TAUGHT WAYS OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS
LETTERS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
THE CAPTIVITY OF EPHRAIM
DANIEL THE BELOVED OF JEHOVAH
"THE TONE OF VOICE"
VOL. VII. April 1, 1924 No. 7
"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In
every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prone all things; hold fast that which is
good. Abstain from all appearance of evil." -- 1 Thess. 5:16-22.
ONE
striking peculiarity of the Apostolic Epistles is that a large portion of them is devoted
to an unfolding of the future high, exalted station that God sets before the consecrated
ones of this Gospel Age; and the remainder of the epistles are given to description of the
effects that an acceptance of the call to run in the race for the great prize should
produce in the lives of such This we find to be true in this epistle of St. Paul to the
Christian believers at Thessalonica. It is a fact well known that great truths may be
taken into the head, may be intellectually discerned, and vet produce little or no effect
in the life. In such cases it is not the truths that are at fault, but it is those who
imperfectly receive them. It is therefore proper and, reasonable to conclude that these
wonderful truths do not produce the effects that the inspired Apostles describe; if they
do not effect a change in the every -day life of those professing to be the recipients of
the same, then such have not yielded, or are not yielding up their wills, all their
ransomed powers to the One who purchased them with the pouring out of His life. "Ye
are not your own. For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and
in your spirit, which are God's," are the solemn words of Christ's chosen Apostle,
St. Paul.
DESCRIPTION OF ONE
CLOSELY UNITED TO GOD
In
order to know whether we are truly consecrated or not, it is absolutely necessary to have
instruction not only concerning the high and heavenly calling itself, but also concerning
the effects that a Scriptural reception of these blessed truths have when received into
the heart and life.
This
Thessalonian epistle, like all the others, has much to say about the "high calling of
God in Christ Jesus," and the heavenly hope of the Christian. The words,
"Rejoice evermore," are the first of seven exhortations which close the epistle.
Examining closely these exhortations we discover that they describe those characterizing
features that make up the life of the consecrated. In other words these seven
characteristics may very appropriately be termed a portrait of the perfect or mature man
in Christ Jesus. These seven qualities mentioned by the Apostle may be compared to a
chain; if a single link be broken, the chain is rendered useless until it is repaired.
There is no age or generation, no condition or circumstance in life where Christ is known,
in which these Apostolic exhortations are not only practical but indispensible. In days of
sunshine and in days of gloom, in life's bright scenes or in life's dark scenes, in times
of peace and quiet and in times of tribulation and distress, when the heart is bounding
and when it is mourning, in times of prosperity or in times of adversity, it is always
possible for the mature Christian to rejoice, to be unceasing in prayer, to quench not the
Spirit, to abstain from every appearance of evil, and in every thing to give thanks. All
these features combined describe one who is closely united to God, and is thoroughly in
earnest in his efforts to please Him. These characteristics describe one who has a deep
sense of his own unworthiness and deficiencies; but more than all. this they describe a
whole -hearted appreciation of the Divine arrangement in Christ to make him acceptable,
and to cause him to have fellowship and communion with the infinite God as a loving and
kind Father.
REJOICE EVERMORE
It
will be the first striking feature of this Christian portrait that we will consider at
this time, namely "Rejoice evermore." In these remarkable words we are reminded
first of all that true Christianity is not a gloomy thing, not a depressed state of
existence. It is true that pure Christianity does have the effect not only to separate one
from the evils of the world, but to a certain extent also. to separate from what may be
termed ,legitimate, worldly pleasures, pursuits, and amusements. The thought of this,
however, is not that the giving up of these things is depriving him of pleasure, rather,
that he has come into the possession of higher enjoyments -- pleasures that are eternal
-enjoyments that have only their beginning in the present life, and continue in a fuller
and richer measure in the life beyond. In whatever the Christian gives up, he suffers no
loss of real pleasure that he is not more than compensated for even in this life in the
enjoyment and pleasures of a spiritual kind. The Christian is not exempt from the trials
and tribulations, the adversities and perplexities which flesh is heir to, but he has One
who is with him in all these circumstances and conditions, and the great ambition and
purpose of his heart ever is that he may evidence by his life that this One who is with
him lifts him above these trials and adversities, and enables him to bear them all with
patience and fortitude. He knows that these earthly experiences that seem from the natural
standpoint to work against him are being overruled for his development into the likeness
of his Master; he is enabled to see that these light afflictions which are but for a
moment, work out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while he looks
not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen; for the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. He is enabled
to see that these seemingly adverse things, are providential occasions for him to show
what faith in his Lord can do for him, and thus give a witness, a testimony to God's favor
and power in Christ. One has truly said, that even "the saddest aspects of a
Christian's daily life, are but the April showers of spring that usher in the bright and
beautiful summer -- the everlasting and the heavenly sunshine."
To
many, perhaps to the great majority of those who take the name of Christian, the Christian
life seems more like a penance than a life of fellowship with God. The Word of God does
not so describe it; but rather does it describe it as a blessed and exalted privilege. It
is true, that if it were not for the "blessed hope" that looks beyond this vale
of tears, the Christian would not be able to fulfil the exhortation of the text and
"rejoice evermore." The Christian life, therefore, cannot be separated from the
hope of the life beyond. The more firmly this hope is laid hold of, the more it becomes a
living reality, and the more the Christian is enabled to rejoice in all conditions. The
hope that expresses not only desire, but confident expectation that it will be realized in
"due time," has the effect of causing the Christian to rejoice in tribulation,
and even when experiencing bitter sorrow, to joy in God, knowing that all things are
working together for his eternal good. Hope is an element that to a greater or less extent
exists in all, although to the children of this world, because of not understanding God's
love as revealed in His purposes for them, it does not reach beyond this vale of tears. It
serves, however, to tide them over many of earth's sorrows and trials. The poet has
expressed this in the words
"Soft as the voice of an angel
Breathing a message unheard
Hope with a gentle persuasion,
Whispers the comforting word
Wait 'til the darkness is over,
Wait 'til the tempest is done.
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the showers are gone.
Whispering hope, O, how welcome Thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow, Rejoice."
THAT MY JOY MIGHT
REMAIN IN YOU
The
Christian life "is not a reluctant sacrifice wrung from us, but a joyous free-will
offering, gladly and gratefully rendered by us." The Christian's joy is not in the trials, difficulties, tribulations, and
sorrows that he encounters, but in spite of them all, and in the midst of them all, he has
a deep and abiding joy. His joy is in God -- in the thought that he is in union with God
through Christ; that he has been accepted by Him. His joy is enhanced as he remembers that
he is a branch in that heavenly vine that the Heavenly Father is pruning that it might be
fruitful. "These things [that is, that you are a branch in that vine] have I spoken
unto you," said the Savior, "that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy
might be full." "The Christian's secret of a happy life" is in knowing, and ever keeping in mind that he is a
child of God; that Christ is his Elder Brother; that his standing and acceptance are in
Him; that the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is his Father; and that it is not by
works of righteousness that he has done, but by His own mercy He saves him "by the
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit."
How
true, how encouraging, how thrilling are the words concerning this from one long since
departed, but who has left his footprints in the sands of time: "Unless our hearts
are filled with the joy that the Gospel imparts," he says, "our life must become
gloomier the longer it lasts. Unless a Christian feels the joy that this blessed Book
makes known, his life will grow sadder the nearer it draws to a close, and the most aged
man will necessarily be the saddest. I appeal to experience. Do we not feel that as we
grow older we become less susceptible of impressions from the joys that once shone so
brilliantly and struck us with such force before? You now look at the child playing with
his bubbles and wonder how the little child can be so pleased, perhaps forgetting that
kings are only playing ,with bubbles more splendid, but no less empty, as seen by angels
and the inhabitants of the higher spheres. Do not those who have reached the middle of
life, and look back on the march they have left behind, notice that the procession of
those who are no more with us grows longer every day; and scenes that made the heart bound
and set the feelings all on fire twenty years ago, now cease to produce the least effect
when repeated and even radiant with more than their former brilliancy. Do we not find
that, try as we like, we cannot recall the romance of childhood, or rekindle the dying
embers of departed youth, or restore to the canvas the bright colors that have faded, and
gone forever and ever.
HEAVENLY JOYS REPLACE
THE EARTHLY
"But
here lies the charm of Christianity -- here is the preciousness of the Gospel of Christ,
that as natural joys ebb away and are spent, heavenly ones rush into their forsaken
channels. As the past ceases to impress, the future and the heavenly begins to shower down
new and better pleasures. As the old heart dies to the excitements that thrilled it once,
the new heart begins to come under the influence of those brighter and better joys that
come from the future. As earth ceases to attract, heaven begins, if we are Christians,
more powerful to draw us. We cease to look backward to a world that cannot give us real
delight, and begin to look forward to a brighter and a better world, that, like a distant
star, grows lovelier the nearer we approach it. Old age without religion loses two worlds
at once; the world that is past is gone, and it has no future world to go to;* but old age
inspired by living religion, only exchanges the old world that is ready to perish, for the
new, the brighter and more glorious world that begins to burst upon it. Of all beings upon
earth, we pity an old man without living religion. We pity the young that have not that
which can sanctify their joy; but still more we pity the old whose hearts are dry and
empty channels of streams that have evaporated, and are not replenished with the living
waters that flow from the fountain of God and of the Lamb. Thus we see how precious
religion is, even if for no other reason than that it takes the place of those joys that
have withered, and cheers us as we go down the other side of the hill towards the valley
of the shadow of death; so that as the pleasures of memory fade, the pleasures of a sure
hope shall become brighter every day." -- John Cumming.
__________
* While the world has a future hope, it
knows not of it now.
___________
Why
is it the privilege of the Christian to "rejoice evermore"? --What is the
foundation for his rejoicing? -- What has he in which to "rejoice evermore"? We
answer -- So far as he personally is con-cerned, the Christian as such has much in which
to rejoice: he has nothing that need make him sad and dejected. God has forgiven all his
past sins; in Christ lie has redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace. We have a throne of grace to which we may approach
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. We are frail and weak,
and cumbered with infirmities; but we have a great High Priest who is "touched with
the feeling of our infirmities." We have received of God's own Spirit, which bears
witness with ours that we are His children, His sons. We have the blessed privilege of
knowing that the great God of all is dealing with us as His sons; and while He sees best
at times to chasten us, we know that these chastenings are necessary and for our good, in
order that we might become a partaker of His holiness. We are made aware of the fact that
there is a special providence over us -- that all things work together for our good
because we love God, and are the called according to His purpose. Jesus tells us that the
Father, loves us, and that He Himself will love us to the end.
FAITH LAYS HOLD UP
THE PROMISES
The
inspired Apostle tells us that He that hath begun a good work in us will complete it unto
the day of Jesus Christ. Another Apostle tells us that "all things that pertain unto
life and godliness," are freely given to us of God. If persecution conies to us
because of our identification. with Christ, or for His sake, He tells us to rejoice and be
exceeding glad for great is our reward in heaven. We not only have the Spirit witnessing
with ours that we are the children of God, but witnessing also that we are heirs of God
and joint-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with Him. We know that we are no
longer under condemnation, no longer subject to bondage, for we have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the spirit of adoption [sonship]
whereby we cry, Abba, Father. We have the witness that we have passed from death unto life
because we love the brethren. We are enabled as our faith lays hold of these exceeding
great and precious promises, to rejoice in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed,
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that is given unto
us.
As
for spiritual blessings, which are the greatest of all blessings, we are told that even
now by faith we are raised up and privileged to sit with Christ in heavenly places. We
have the blessed privilege of having made known to us of God the mystery of His will,
according to the good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; that it is His purpose
in the dispensation of the fullness of tines to ,gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.
We
have the promise of Christ that He will come again and receive us unto Himself that where
He is there we may be also; that when He who is our life shall appear, then shall we also
appear with Him in glory. Furthermore, we have had made known to us God's wonderful Plan
of the Ages -- that all mankind are objects of His love; that He gave His Son to be a
ransom for all to be testified in due time; that our loved ones, who in the present life
are not able to see His love, will in a due time appointed be privileged to learn of it,
and profit by it to the extent of being offered the privilege of attaining everlasting
life; in other words that there is not only set before the Church an opportunity to obtain eternal glory, but
there is a hope to be set before the world, that of obtaining restitution or earthly
glory. And we are told that nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
I KNOW IN WHOM I HAVE
BELIEVED
"What
more can He do for me?" says one, "He has given me His Word to guide me, His
Holy Spirit to teach and comfort me, and the bright promise of an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. And as if to make me sure of all,
He, has said, 'All things are yours Paul, or Apollas, or Cephas, the world, things
present, things to come; life or death -- all are yours, because ye are Christ's.' In what
sense are all yours? All the world's troubles and trials are mine, to keep me from
presumption --- all the world's joys and blessings are mine, to keep me from despair or
doubt -- all things that are in the world work for good to them that love God, and who are
the called according to His purpose. I see nothing in the law that can harm me -- nothing
in the Bible that can depress me-but much in every page, more in every providential
arrangement of heaven, to cheer me, and to make me respond with joyous utterance to the
prescription of the Apostle, 'Rejoice evermore.'
While
the Bible does not teach that the full assurance of faith is an absolute duty, it does
teach that it is a blessed possibility. There are unquestionably Christians that can say
with unfeigned lips, "I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded, that He is
able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day"; and there are
doubtless others who can say, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee ? and there is none
upon earth that I desire beside Thee; and when heart and flesh fail, Thou wilt be the
strength of my heart, and my portion forever." As one has said, "Faith believes
in Christ for salvation; assurance, which is a step higher, believes that in Christ- we
alrcady have salvation. Both are saving. The first is saving only, the second is saving
and comforting too. And an Apostle writing says, 'These things I write unto you' --
wishing them to have full assurance -- that your joy
may be full."'
The
Christian's joy may be increased even beyond that of full assurance of joy, on account of
his own acceptance and hope of the eternal inheritance in the future. A Christian has
something to give to others. If we wish to retain and keep this full assurance of joy, we
must give out liberally of that good we have received of God; we must remember and
practice the words of the Lord Jesus = "it is more blessed to give than to
receive." In all you give to the needy, in all you give to those in distress, in all
you lay on the altar of sacrifice, there is not the slightest ground for boasting, but
there is much in it that will increase your joy evermore. It is the great unchanging law
of God, that the more you give out of a heart that is moved by the spirit of the Great
Giver Himself, the richer the harvest of joy will be reaped now and evermore. The one who
gives most, enjoys the most.
THE BLESSEDNESS OF
GIVING
One
has most eloquently expressed this: "Every cup of cold water that you give to the
thirsty, every kind look that you reflect on the needy, every morsel of bread that you
impart to the hungry, every helping hand you hold out to the down-trodden, every text
truth you whisper in the ear of the dying, every page of the Bible you send forth to the
distant ignorant, comes back to yourself waves of swelling joy, and by a beautiful
reaction you reap whilst you sow, and taste the blessedness whilst you exercise
beneficence of giving to them that need your sympathy and assistance. It. is a grand and
blessed law in God's holy providence, that if you try to increase your own joy by
gratifying your desires and appetites, you find that you stimulate them by indulgence, and
the more you give them, the more they necessarily crave. But, the other hand, if you wish
to increase your joy by denying own desires and appetites, and giving as a ministry to the
wants and necessities of others, you will find that though your desires and appetites are
thus unstimulated, yet will your gratification increase, and the more you give the more
you will swell the current of happiness, and multiply the joys of your heart. To rejoice
always, therefore, give always. 'There is that that scattereth that increaseth It is
recorded of a man who had made an ample fortune and had retired to a country-seat to enjoy
it, that when he had nothing to he became absolutely wretched; so wretched that he formed
horrible idea of committing suicide. Going to drown himself he a poor woman who had not
tasted bread for four and twenty hours; cold -- ragged -- wretched -- starving. She
implored aid, he gave her shilling; and the grateful smile reflected from that starving
woman's face arrested his career, and he returned a wiser and a better saying to himself,
'If God makes me the instrument of giving happiness by the gift of a shilling, I think He
must have more work for me to do in the world.'"
How
different does the Bible describe the experiences of some of God's saints who lived in the
Law Age of lesser light and privilege, from the experiences of average Christians that we
see all around us. The tendency is to read the utterances of some of the old prophets and
saints as though they were simply beautiful ideals that can never be realized, instead of
real practical experiences -- expressions of faith and confidence in God. One of these old
saints of God when brought under circumstances in which everything of earthly comfort was
slipping from his grasp gives utterrance to the beautiful words, "Although the fig
tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall
fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and
there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the
God of my salvation." (Hab. 3:I7, t8.) The words describe a state of famine,
desolation, and abject poverty. Under such circumstances what would the average man say?
The stoic would say, I will render myself insensible to it; I will be like the granite
rock. The mere man of the world would say, I will destroy myself. The mere philosopher
would say, I will submit to it. But the mature Christian, who has come to know Him in whom
he has believed, will triumphantly say, "I will," notwithstanding all this,
"rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
WE SORROW NOT AS
OTHERS
But
perhaps you may have suffered a more severe trial than is described in these words. It may
be that the dearest object of your earthly affections has been taken away. There is no
condition or circumstance that can come to some which so tends to crush the human heart,
and open the flood gates of grief and sorrow, like that of the loss of a loved one-no
condition that is more calculated to make one feel forlorn and alone, and cause earth to
have no more attractions and charms. 'As we look down into the palid face of the one we
loved on earth better than all others, who was the companion of our life, the one above
all others that we felt we could not bear to part with, the one on whom perhaps we
depended and whom we could least of all spare, the one who seemed actually a part of
ourself; as we gaze into the face of our beloved dead, can we then rejoice, when our
hearts are crushed with sorrow and our, eyes are filled with tears; or when our grief is
so great, when our sorrow is so deep, that even tears, which would bring some measure of
relief, refuse to flow -- can we then rejoice? Yes, we reply, even then the Christian may
rejoice -- he may realize an undertone of peace and joy even in his bitterest sorrow; for
if the loved one was a Christian then there is no loss; he has only gone quietly to rest
in the tomb which is only the inn, the resting place for a night of the weary, traveler on
the way to the New Jerusalem, the City of God. When we part from our friends, our loved
ones here on earth but for a few months we say Good-bye, and may not be sure that we will
meet them again; but when Christian parts with Christian, they know that it is only for a
"little while," that they will meet again in the Morning which shall usher in
the bright day that shah never end. If the loved one be not a Christian, yet there is
hope. Such only sleep in Jesus, who purchased them with His own precious blood, and when
God's "due time" shall come they too shall awake in a better land, where they
shall be able to learn of God's great love; there they will be free from the distraction
and confused teaching that hindered them from learning it in the present life.
But
there is another hour that must come to us, to all . both young and old, the hour when we
ourselves must come face to face with the grim monster, the great enemy -- death. In this
dark hour Christians have rejoiced, and Christianity teaches us that we may rejoice. The
one having been faithful will realize as he approaches this hour inspired by God, that the
life and body that is being yielded up are but the worn out and broken temple in which
Divine service is now ended; and such an one can rest confidently in the hope that in
God's due time he shall gloriously triumph over death and be clothed with the immortal
body from heaven. Consequently, death, while an enemy, comes to the Christian clad in no
robes of terror, but with a bright and joyous welcome. And why should not a Christian
rejoice at death, for he simply goes to rest with others, waiting to join the
companionship of those with whom he took sweet counsel upon earth; and more than all else,
to meet his Father and his beloved Lord and Master. Then, if you are a Christian, rejoice.
It gives honor to the One who bought you, to rejoice. Indeed, you owe it to God, to show
to the world that your Savior enables you to rejoice. It is in this way that perchance you
'may draw some one to that spring from which you have received the life-giving medicine
that makes even the present life one of joy and rejoicing.
"No man can serve two masters. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon." Matt. 6 ;24; 1 Kings 18:20-24, 36-39.
EVER
since man's deflection and disobedience in the early dawn of his existence, the tendency
on the part of our race, as sacred and secular history clearly shows, has been to depart
from the true worship of Jehovah -- to forget the true and living God and to substitute
idol worship instead, bowing down to gods -- of wood and stone. The result has been to
increase human depravity and licentiousness, and to darken the mind, and still further to
efface the original God-likeness and image of God in which our race was originally
created.
Consequently,
when God selected a family of our race such as the Jewish people for a special purpose for
a time, He gave explicit directions respecting the true worship and a proper recognition
of Himself; and especially warned against worshiping any image or likeness of one god or
of many gods. Notwithstanding this fact the history of this race whom God chose, shows
that they were continually falling away into idolatry, forgetting the Divine warnings, and
repeatedly needing to be rebuked and re minded of their apostasy.
The
reign of Ahab and Jezebel marks one of these dark periods of Israel's history when the
nation was given over to idolatry and when God in a marvelous manner, specially expressed
His displeasure. Ahab who was the sixth king of the northern kingdom and the second king
of the house of Omri, was proficient as a warrior and was a capable administrator; but his
personal character was infamously weak and contemptible. His wife was one of the most
terrible personages of history, Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon --
evidently a marriage arranged to cement the unholy alliance between the two countries.
This woman was given over to the abominable idolatries of her land, and her husband
willingly adopted her corrupt religion not only for himself but for ha kingdom. Jeroboam,
who had setup golden calves as symbols of Jehovah, had evidently made the way easy for his
successors. His golden images soon came to be worshiped for themselves like any idol. The
fierce and intolerant Jezebel hunted down the Prophets of Jehovah, killed all she could
find, and by reign of terror, sought to abolish the true religion and set up idolatry in
its place. It has been truly said that "Jezebel was the Lady Macbeth and the Bloody
Mary of Israel's history, both in one."
THE STRANGE VISITOR
"Ahab
and Jezebel may have been sitting in their Jezreel palace of ivory, congratulating
themselves on the skill which they had shown in destroying the Prophets of Jehovah, when,
sudden and terrible as a clap of thunder from a cloudless sky, there swept in before them
a weird-looking man, with, long, flowing hair, a mantle of sheepskin round his shoulders,
and a rugged staff in his hand; and before they could ask him who he was, or why he had
come thither, he had flung the gage of defiance at their feet, and said, 'As Jehovah the
God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years but
according to my word.' Then, this message given, he vanished like an apparition."
Elijah
was this strange and remarkable visitor. "Elijah," is from the two principle
Hebrew names for the Deity, "My God is Jehovah." Of dreadful import was his
message, portending failure of the crops and harvests, and starving of the people with
their domestic .animals. The land of Israel may already have been experiencing a
six-months drouth when Elijah announced to the king that no rain was to be expected until
he, as God's servant, would announce it or bring it. In any event we have the assurance
that the entire period of drouth was three and a half years. -- Luke 4:25; James 5:7.
It
was the part of safety, of dignity, and impressiveness, that Elijah should disappear while
his prophesy was working itself out. First he repaired to a spot in his own Gilead, east
of the Jordan, along the Brook Cherith, some wild and solitary glen where the water still
flowed for his drink, and where he was supernaturally fed by ravens who brought him bread
and flesh regularly, morning and evening.
When
the time was fulfilled, God directed Elijah to present himself to King Ahab because the
time had come when God was willing to relieve the drouth -- when a sufficiency of
punishment had. come upon the Israelites for their iniquities -when at least some of them
had been called to their senses, reminded of their covenant with the Lord and His
engagement to give them blessings or adversities, according to their obedience. On
arriving at the palace Elijah called for the Royal Superintendent, or Prime Minister,
Obadiah. He was a godly man and, of course, distressed by the idolatrous course of the
King and the Queen. If he was not sufficiently courageous to protest openly, he was,
nevertheless, courageous, for, in a time when the servants of Jehovah were being
persecuted to death by, Queen Jezebel, Obadiah hid one hundred of them and supplied them
with the necessities of life-evidently at the risk of his all. When Obadiah met Elijah and
was told to tell the King that Elijah was there to see him, Obadiah feared to do so. He
declared that himself and others had searched the entire country over most carefully to
find Elijah and found him not. He realized that the Lord had hidden him. He protested that
if now he would declare that Elijah was ready to see the' King, the probabilities were
that, by the time the King would get there, the spirit or power of the Lord would somehow
carry Elijah away. Then the King, infuriated, would cause Obadiah's death; but Elijah
reassured him.
When
the King met Elijah his first word was, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel ?"
This is the worldly custom. The fearless minister who tells the Truth and relates the
Divine prophecy respecting the rewards of evil-doing is held accountable, as though he had
caused the trouble. But Elijah was .not intimidated. He promptly answered, I have not
troubled Israel, but thou and thy parents' house, in that ye have forsaken the
commandments of the Lord and followed Baal. Three years before, the King would probably
have ordered the execution of, Elijah; but the fulfillment of his word and the pangs of
hunger had humbled him. He was anxious that the blight should be removed, and responded to
the demands of Elijah that the eight hundred and fifty prophets of idolatrous Baalism
should meet at Mt. Carmel and that thither all the people of Israel, represented by their
chief men, should also assemble. The design, evidently, was a contest between Elijah, the
representative of God, and these murderous priests of Baal, proteges of Queen Jezebel.
"CHOOSE YE THIS
DAY"
This
gathering of the priests and of the prophets required time, but was finally accomplished.
When the meeting convened Elijah declared that it was time to have a testing and showing
as to who really was God, Jehovah or Baal. The test was to be that two altars were to be
built and two bullocks were to be sacrificed. The Baalites were to provide the bullocks
themselves and to make choice of the one for their altar. Whichever God would answer by
fire and accept the offering, would be acknowledged as the only true God. The proposition
was so fair, and reasonable that the prophets of Baal could not refuse it.
To
them came the first opportunity. They had the noontime opportunity, when the fierce heat
of the sun seemed almost warm enough to set fire to the fat of the bullock. They prayed;
they shrieked; they cut themselves with knives entreating that Baal would answer by fire
and prove himself the mighty god. Hour after hour this proceeded until evening, when they
were forced to give over and admit their inability. '
Then
came Elijah's turn. He commanded that water be brought and that the altar which he was to
use should be thoroughly flooded with water. No one must have room to say that there was a
secret smolder of fire beneath. And, since the sun had gone down, no one could claim a
spontaneous combustion. Then Elijah prayed calmly, earnestly, reverently and the Divine
answer came -- a fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice and licking up the water in the
trough of the altar.
Then
the people recognized the difference. They fell on their faces and said, Jehovah is The
God! A great lesson had been learned.
A
lesson for us is that many professing Christians are deceived today, as were the masses of
Israel then. And when, by and by, God shall open their eyes of understanding through the
agency of Messiah's Kingdom, every knee shall bow and every tongue con-fess. The knowledge
of the Lord will fill the whole earth.
Complying
with the Lord's direction through Elijah, the Israelites slew all the prophets of Baal. So
signal a victory of Truth over error, of God over Baal, doubtless greatly encouraged
Elijah, the Prophet. It was God's victory and Elijah rejoiced on that account, and because
he had, in so large a degree, been the Divine agent in the matter. But soon he learned
that Queen Jezebel was as implacable a foe as ever. She viewed the matter, not as a combat
between the Almighty and Baal, but as between her prophets and Elijah. When she learned
that her prophets had been slain, she was enraged and sent word to Elijah that his fate
must be the same. So unexpected a turn of affairs Elijah had not anticipated. He had the
courage to meet the King and to denounce the eight hundred and fifty priests of Baal, but
a mere message from a woman sapped his courage.
He fled into the wilderness -- there, strangely enough, to pray the Lord to take away the
life which he had run away to protect.
ELIJAH PICTURES THE GOSPEL CHURCH
Let
us not forget, however, that the course of Elijah was intended to be typical -- to
foreshadow the experiences of the lurch during this Gospel Age. Not only is Jezebel
referred to in Revelation as symbolizing a corrupt Church system, inculcating false
doctrines amongst the Lord's nominal people (Ahab, her husband, as representing the civil
power and Elijah typical of the saintly class of the Church), but let us also note that
the time of no rain was also typical, as mentioned an the Book of Revelation. Four times
is this same period of three and a half years referred to as the period in which the true
saints of God were hidden from the eyes of the world in general in a wilderness condition.
And during the same period there was a great drouth and famine, spiritual, amongst the
people. Those three and a half years, in Revelation, are styled three and a half times,
and again, twelve hundred and sixty days, and again, forty-two months.-Rev. 12 :6, 14;
11:3; 13:5.
In
Revelation, however, these various references to three and a half years are symbolical --
each day for a year -- hence signify twelve hundred and sixty years in the antitype. Many
believe that those years began to count in 539
A. D., and that they ended in 1799. Those who thus understand the matter recognize the
increased interest in the Bible which followed 1799 to signify the time of rain
(refreshment and blessing), which for the past century has brought great enlightenment to
the whole world. But however we may apply those three and a half years, symbolical years
(twelve hundred and sixty literal years), most evidently they cover the antitypical period
represented by Elijah's wilderness experiences.
If
this be a true application it implies a measure of fear and cowar-dice for a time on the
part of God's saintly people. As Elijah again went into hiding, it would imply that the
saintly ones became obscure. While they were in this wilderness condition a second time,
God directed their course and taught them some important lessons, represented in Elijah's
experiences related in this lesson. He was shown a strong wind, tearing the mountains and
breaking in pieces the rocks, but this was not the Lord's manifestation of Himself, but
merely an illustration of power. The next lesson was an earthquake, but neither was this
the Lord. Next came a fire, but not in this could Elijah fully discern the Lord. Finally
came the still, small voice and wonderful message of grace and Truth. In this Elijah
recognized God as he did not recognize Him in the other manifestations.
THE COMING CHANGE OR DISPENSATION PICTURED
The
antitypical Elijah, God's saintly people, are today learning to discriminate between
different manifestations of Divine power through different agencies. Windy strife of
words, which comes even as a hurricane, bringing devastation to the present order of
society, is not the voice of God, but the voice of humanity. The earthquake, representing
a great time of social unrest, disturbance, upheaval, is not God's message to Elijah,
nevertheless, it is a manifestation of another power which He has in the world, by which
ultimately the present order of things will give way before the Kingdom of His dear Son.
The fire, representing consumption, destruction, anarchy, is not the Lord, but merely
human passions which He will permit. The Elijah class are to understand God through the
still, small voice heard by the ears of their hearts -the voice of Truth, the voice of
God's Word, speaking to His people today most wonderfully, yet unheard by the antitypical
Ahab, Jezebel and others, intended only for the antitypical Elijah class.
Notwithstanding
this voice, Elijah felt disconsolate and desired to die, thinking of himself as being
alone consecrated to the Lord. But the Lord answered him, "I have left Me seven
thousand in Israel who have not bowed the knee unto Baal." Similarly today while the
true worship of God and full consecration to Him and fullness of faith seems to be very
scarce on the earth, yet there is evidence that the Lord has a faithful representation of
Himself and of the true Christian life still on the earth. And in the midst of surrounding
darkness and much discouragement the Lord would encourage these and have them .understand
that none of His purposes are failing, that He will succeed in finding a faithful people
who will compose the joint-heirs with Christ in His Kingdom.
THE LAST DAYS OF THE CHURCH
Having
located Elijah as the type of the "elect" class, we would be inclined to
consider Elisha as probably a typical character; also a representative of the larger
spiritual class; the antitypical Levites. It was toward the close of Elijah's experience
that Elisha became his servant and companion. The various instances in which Elijah
suggested to Elisha that he should tarry behind are supposed to represent the trials and
difficulties in the pathway of the Church here, which will suggest to the "great
company," the Elisha class, that they continue not to follow their more zealous
brethren of the Elijah class. These various stoppages and suggestions represent sifting or
separating work, and all who continue on may be understood to belong to the Elisha class.
Any falling away are not of either class.
If
these interpretations of Elijah as a type be correct, the lesson is that the close of the
Church's career in the flesh will come suddenly, abruptly. Let it be noted that these two
characters were not separated until by the whirlwind Elijah was taken up. The fiery
chariot may prove to be fiery trials or sharp persecutions, separating between the Elijah
and the Elisha classes. The whirlwind which carried up Elijah to heaven is a type or
figure, very uniformly used in the Scriptures to represent great confusion and strife -- a
cyclone.
The
denouement will not be entirely unexpected, either by the Elisha class or by the sons of
the prophets, who would represent here still another respectable class of Christians who
have not made a full consecration of their lives to the Lord, and who will not be eligible
to the heavenly condition as members either of the Elijah or the Elisha class.
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and
.become the firstfruits of them that slept:' -- 1 Cor. 15:20.
I
AM the resurrection," said Jesus, "and the life: he that believeth in Me, though
he were dead, yet shah he live: And whosoever liveth 1 and believeth in Me shall never
die." (John 11:25, 26.) Surely .the sweetest story ever told is contained in this
blessed message that came from Him who spake as never man spake. Glorious resur-rection
hope! Precious Bible! The one Book alone which teaches the resurrection of the dead and
that presents the truth that the dead are dead.
When
once we see that the "wages of sin is death,"
and not condem-nation to a great torture chamber, and that the sentence upon man is
the tomb and not a fiery furnace; that all mankind go to sheol, to hales,
the hidden state, the death state, just as our Savior did; then we begin to see that
what we all need is to be saved from sheol and hades as was the Savior. A resurrection --
salvation is thus the hope of the Church and the world.
David
in the Old Testament used the word sheol; St.
Peter in the New Testament used the word hades. There
is no dispute amongst those who have given the subject careful investigation as to what is
signified. The words sheol and hades are well known to refer not to a place of
suffering or torture or annihilation of any kind, but to the unconsciousness of the death
state.
As
Jesus descended into hades, so do all mankind. As the Father raised Him from the
dead on the third day, so it is promised that He will raise us, the Church, from the dead.
More than this, the unjust also, those who have not been approved of God in the present
life, shall all be awakened from the sleep of death. They will come forth informed
respecting sin, having lived under the reign of sin and death. They will come forth that
they may learn the ways of right-eousness, the reward of which is life everlasting.
BURST THE BARS OF DEATH
In
the poetic language of the hymn, Christ Jesus "burst the bars of death" in His
resurrection. It was not possible for Him to be holden of death, writes the Apostle. (Acts
2 :21. ) The Divine verdict went forth that He had been faithful and that to Him should
come the reward of life upon the highest plane -the Divine nature. -- Eph. 1:20, 21.
Our
fancies may legitimately picture that the holy angels marveled at the Redeemer's
experiences from the time that He left the heavenly glory and was made flesh and dwelt
amongst us until, by His resurrection change, He returned again from the earthly nature to
the heavenly plane, "far above angels." As they sang at His nativity a rapturous
song of glad tidings of great joy to all people, so they were filled with amazement,
surely, at how the Father permitted Him to be tempted and tried and poured for Him His cup
of suffering, which He drained to the dregs. They marveled when "He died, the just
for the unjust." They looked and wondered, as hour after hour He remained in the tomb
-- dead. Their loyalty to the Heavenly Father was tested during that period, but was
rewarded when they beheld that Divine power raised Him up even to a more excellent glory
than that which He had before.
With
what alacrity the angels must have acknowledged the risen One, in harmony with the
Father's declaration, "Let all the angels of God worship Him." "Worthy is
the Lamb to receive glory and honor, dominion, might and power." The point to be
specially noticed is the change of nature which our Redeemer experienced in His
resurrection. That change did not take place during the three days of Jesus' burial, but
during the three and a half years of His ministry, which ended with His resurrection. When
thirty years of age He gave Himself -- He surrendered His earthly privileges and rights
and hopes into the Father's hands, to be obedient to everything which Divine providence
might permit. At that moment His sacrifice of His flesh was accepted. The evidence of its
acceptance was the impartation of the Holy Spirit, which as a dove rested. upon Him and
exercised a quickening and illuminating influence upon His mind, enabling Him to
understand more than human things and to - per form more than human acts.
It
was Jesus, a New Creature, begotten of the Spirit at Jordan, that did the mighty works of
the Father. His flesh, His humanity, was gradually laid down sacrificially, in harmony
with the Divine providences. He drank "the cup" which the Father poured for Him.
DIVINE POWER "BROUGHT FROM THE DEAD
THE GREAT SHEPHERD"
What
is generally termed Easter Sunday celebrates the momentous event of our Lord's
resurrection from the dead. His resurrection is either a truth or a falsehood. St. Paul
assures us that if it is untrue, our faith, our hopes, our preaching and teachings are of
no avail-useless, if the resurrection of the dead is impossible, then the resurrection of
Jesus was impossible. If the resurrection of Jesus did not take place, then we have no
proof, and no ground for believing that Divine power could resurrect the Church. If Divine
Power "brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep," it is
Jehovah also who will bring us from the dead by Jesus, in God's due time.
Let
none avoid the question! Let all decide at once! Either we believe in a resurrection from
the dead, or we do not believe in it. If the resurrection be a myth, then, says the
Apostle, all those who fell asleep with faith in Christ are perished-they are not in
heaven, purgatory, nor eternal torment. If we believe in the resurrection of the dead,
both of the just and the unjust, then, logically, we must believe that they are dead,
except in the Divine promise, purpose, arrangement. The decision of this resurrection
question is a most momentous one, as it affects practically every doctrine of the
Christian Church.
CHRIST THE FIRST-FRUITS
"But
now is Christ risen from the. dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept."
(Ver. 20.) Ah, thank God, the Apostle did not mean to insinuate the possibility of our
Lord's not having risen. Merely, he would put the question that we might see how weighty
is the subject -- how much depends on the answer. He exultantly answers, "Christ is
risen!" We rejoice in this for several reasons. First, how sad it would be if He who
laid aside His glory and was made flesh and tasted death on our behalf should have lost by
His loyal endeavor to serve us and to do the Father's will! How glad we are that He is
risen and that He was not raised again in the flesh, with the loss of His heavenly glory,
but raised as the King of all, far above all others, and partaker of the Divine nature!
Secondly,
we are glad on our own account, and on account of all mankind, for if our Lord Jesus had
not been raised from the dead it would have proved one of two things -either that He had
not been faithful-up to the Divine standard, and therefore that His life could not be a
satisfaction for the human life lost in Adam, or else it would have proved that God, who
had promised to raise Him from the dead if He would be obedient unto death, had been
unable to do so; and, if unable to raise Him from the dead, we, likewise, would be without
hope, even if our sins were cancelled by virtue of His sacrifice.
The
Apostle proceeds to tell us that the dead will riot be resurrected together at once --
"but every man in his own order." (1 Cor. 15:23.) The first order or rank will
be the Church. Blessed and holy are they that have part in the First Resurrection; . . .
they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years. --
Rev. 20:6.
The
Apostle points out that before the saints can be associated in the reign with Christ they
must all be changed and made like Him, heavenly beings. He declares that as we now bear
the image of the earthly Adam, we shall by the glorious resurrection change, be given a
share in the nature and likencss of the Second Adam, our glorious Lord. We shall be like
Him and see Him as He is. Thus the First Resurrection relates to this special class, the
Elect, who will attain unto the exceeding great and precious promises; these shall sit
upon the throne with the Redeemer.
Then
will come the second Resurrection which will be the work of tire entire reign of Messiah,
as explained by St. Paul. Christ must reign until He shall have put all enemies under His
feet -- the last enemy will be death. As during the Mediatorial reign mankind shall rise
up out of their ignorance, weakness, sin, depravity, they will be coming out of death
conditions into life conditions; they will be in process of raising up-resurrection.
This
does not prove, however, that all of Adam's race will receive the gift of God; eternal
life, but it does prove that all will be blessed with the opportunity of attaining that
glorious reward. Whoever, after having the release from death put within his grasp, shall
decline eternal life on the Divine terms, will die again, but not because of Adam's sin
-it will not be the Adamic death. That Second Death will be complete destruction.
We mourn the dead, but they shall wake;
The lost, but they shall be restored!
O ! well our human hearts might break
Without that sacred word!
Dim eyes, look up! sad hearts, rejoice !
Seeing God's bow of promise through.
At sound of that prophetic voice
"I will make all things new."
"Be not
overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." --
Rom. 12:21; 2 Kings 2:9-25 ; 6:15-23.
IT
has been truly said that "Elisha was God's gift to Elijah in his dark hour. He had
scarcely uttered in magnificent despair, his burning words, 'I, even I only, am left,'
when God gave him the name of a young man already fit to be anointed as prophet in room.
(1 Kings 19:14, 16.) Elijah could recognize no kindred spirit, except in the sudden flame
of Carmel's fire; but God could discern the possible reformer in the young farmer at the
plough, as He had already discovered Gideon on the hidden threshing floor. What appears to
us, God's suddenness, is simply God's punctual wisdom. His men are ready in His
time."
That
Elisha was the son of a wealthy Israelite is evidenced by the fact that his father's
farming was done on a large scale. At the time that Elijah, under Divine direction, first
approached him and indicated his call to special service by symbolically laying his mantle
upon Elisha's shoulders, the latter was ploughing his father's fields with twelve separate
yoke of oxen under servants, he accompanying the twelfth: That he was of a religious
family not affected by the idolatry introduced by Jeroboam is evidenced by the name his
parents gave him, Elisha signifying "God is deliverer." His call through Elijah
was not to a place of honor and distinction but to become a servant of the Prophet, but he
entered upon the service joyfully, esteeming it as done unto the Lord. He was thus with
Elijah for more than ten years, until the latter was separated from him by the chariot of
fire and was taken up by the whirlwind. His relationship was really that of a serving son,
and between the two a deep affection had evidently sprung up, for he seemed not only to
reverence Elijah as the Prophet of the Lord but also to love him as a father.
THE WISE REQUEST
As
Elisha accompanied his great friend on the last tour of the schools of the prophets, he
knew well that it was the final journey. He had a last request to make of his master that
he might be endued with a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit -- not twice as
much as Elijah had, for that would be impossible, but the portion of the elder son and
successor, twice as much as any other son would receive. Elijah's answer showed deep
insight: "If thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee."
Elisha could succeed Elijah only as the young man could enter into the elder prophet's
loftiest spiritual experiences, and share in his moment of supreme spiritual triumph. He
did not suffer anything to separate him from Elijah, but clung closely to the Prophet,
allowing nothing to detain him or hinder his being with him to the very last.
When
Elijah was taken up in the chariot Elisha recognized the fact of their separation and
shouted, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen there=
of." This was his goody salutation, and indicated that he fully recognized that the
God of Israel had taken His servant by His own mighty power. As a prophet he probably
expressed more than he himself understood. Elijah's mantle, symbolical of his authority
and dignity, fell upon Elisha, as was prophetically implied ten years before when he was
invited to become Elijah's servant. Elisha took off his own outer garment or mantle and
tore it in two parts, an act in that day symbolical of grief, sorrow, mourning, and then
instead of his own he appropriated Elijah's mantle.
These
incidents took place "on the other side Jordan -- on the eastern side, presumably not
far from the river, possibly on Mount Pisgah, or in the neighborhood of the place where
Moses took his last view of the promised land. Elisha, calling upon the name of the Lord,
returned by the route which they had come, arriving at Jordan, and used Elijah's mantle as
a rod to smite the waters of Jordan, knowing that if the power of God was with him, as it
previously was with Elijah, then the same results would follow in his case and the waters
would divide at his command as they previously had done at Elijah's. His faith was
undoubtedly made stronger by the manifes-tation of the Divine favor in connection with the
separation of the waters, while he passed across to the western side of Jordan where the
"sons of the prophets" awaited him:
WAS THE LIFE OF
ELISHA TYPICAL?
Nothing
in the Scriptures positively assures us that Elisha was a type; but if his experiences
from the time Elijah was taken away were typical, it would appear that they were in some
sense double-that he represented two classes:
1.
He would seem in the first part of his experience, accompanying Elijah and serving him and
yet being separate from him, to represent what we designate as the second company, the
class that in Revelation 7:9-14 is described as a great multitude whose number no man
knoweth, who are -- not the Royal Priesthood but the antitypical Levites -- consecrated to
service but not going on to share in the Priesthood by sacrificing all the interests of
this present life. If Elisha be a type of this class, it would seem that there should be a
close affinity of heart, of spirit, between these and the sacrificing Royal Priesthood, so
that nothing will shake their devotion nor hinder them from fellowshiping with and serving
the Elijah class down to the time of their change. The spirit of devotion previously
manifested by the Little Flock would thereafter be manifested by those who had hesitated
and refrained from a consecration of themselves and all their interests in the fullest
degree. This would imply that the remainder of their lives would be of the same character.
as that of the Little Flock, although it would then be too late to gain a part and place
in the Elijah class, or a share in the glory, honor, and immortality which the Lord has
prepared for them. With this view, Elisha's recrossing Jordan might be under-stood as
representing their faithfulness, their testimony, and their passing over the Jordan of
death without being overwhelmed by the waters -a change from human to spirit conditions,
though not to the conditions to which the Elijah class will attain.
From
this standpoint it would appear that the remaining experiences of Elisha after he had
crossed Jordan typified still another class -a restitution class amongst men probably the
Ancient Worthies, who will then, as the earthly representatives of the Heavenly Kingdom,
begin to exercise a guiding and controlling influence in the affairs of mankind.
RESTITUTION PICTURED
As
soon as Elisha was recognized as beyond all question the successor of Elijah, his
work-totally different from anything Elijah had done-began. It was in many respects a
restitution work -- and a judgment work. An illustration of both these phases of his
ministry are furnished us.
Jericho
was quite a prosperous city and favorably located, except that it had a poor water supply.
The spring of water which supplied the city and from which apparently the surrounding
country was irrigated, was brackish -- contained some mineral property that had the effect
of causing the products of the land to drop off before they reached maturity, so that the
land brought no fruit to perfection. The word Jericho signifies "his moon" or
"month," and this in turn reminds us that the moon was a symbol of Israel, as
the sun in the Scriptures is the symbol of the Gospel Church. There is this bare hint that
the people of Jericho perhaps in this picture represented natural Israel, and the fact
that they will be the first to recognize the restitution class and to look for relief to
those Ancient Worthies who will then be in control under the guidance of the glorified
Church, the Heavenly Kingdom. From this standpoint we can see that natural Israel, for now
over eighteen hundred years, has been striving to bring forth fruitage, but has been
unable to do so. That people ,indeed have clung to the promise of God and have attempted
to bring forth the fruits of obedience, worship, reverence, etc., but they have brought no
fruit to perfection because by the deeds of the Law can no flesh be justified in God's
sight. The Law, represented in the symbolical picture by the brackish water, was in itself
just, perfect. good, yet it lacked something necessary to make it a blessing to that
people. That something was the work of Christ in fulfilling the Law and thus removing its
curse -- or condemnation from those who were dependent upon it.
From
this standpoint the appeal of the men of Jericho to the Restitution Elisha, would
represent the appeal of the Jews to the Ancient Worthies to know why the blight had been
upon them so long as a people, and what would be necessary to the correction of their
difficulty that they might have the full blessing of the Lord. As the request of the
people of Jericho was granted, so the request of Israel will be granted, for the Ancient
Worthies (the Restitution Elisha) will take a new earthen vessel with salt therein --
represent-ing the new institutions, the new conditions, the new views respecting Christ
and the glorified spiritual Israel ("Ye are the salt of the earth"). And this
construction placed upon Israel's Law, this application and instruction and showing of its
true import and fulfillment, etc., will mean to those who desire that knowledge and
blessing the healing of their stream, and henceforth to Israel the Law will have a new
meaning and bring forth in their hearts fruitage acceptable to the Lord, the righteousness
of the Law being reckoned to those who accept the Redeemer, who recognize Him in
connection with the Law and seek to obey His voice.
ELISHA INSULTED --THE
SWIFT JUDGMENT
It
was following this that Elisha on the way to Bethel was disdained and insulted by a mob of
young lads [Leeser] who shouted after him, "Go up, thou bald head," etc., It is
claimed by some that this expression, "bald head," was a particularly
opprobrious epithet at that time, and that the lads were from the city whose waters had
been healed; and if the matter be typical it would seem to indicate that amongst the
people of natural Israel will be some who would appreciate the new condition of things
while others would despise it. Elisha looked behind him and declared them "evil in
the name of Jehovah" [Young's translation], and forthwith two she bears attacked them
and more or less scratched or tore forty-two of them. So far as the literal incident was
concerned, it served to teach a lesson of respect for the Lord through His
representatives, not only to the boys but also to their parents, who had failed of their
duty either by misinstructing them or failing to instruct them. If viewed prophetically,
symbolically, it would typify the judgments of the future upon any who will disregard the
instructions of the earthly representatives of the Kingdom, or fail to render to them
proper appreciation of the dignity of their office as chosen agents of the Heavenly
Kingdom.
These
two incidents illustrate well the conditions which will prevail throughout the whole world
during the Millennial Age. Those desiring a blessing will be granted it, and those
despising the Lord's arrangements and violating proprieties will receive judgments or
punishments. Thus we read that when the judgments of the Lord are abroad in the earth the
inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
We
can readily see that when God shall thus interpose His power to reward every good deed and
to punish every transgression it would not take the world a great while to learn the
difference between right and wrong, and very speedily the majority surely would be
prompted to render obedience to the right and to abstain from the wrong. At first this
might only be an outward obedience and loyalty to the Lord and to the principles of
righteousness; but as years and centuries roll around and the benefits and blessings of
righteousness are manifested and the evils and punishments of unrighteousness are seen,
the lessons would touch the hearts of all such as the Lord purposes may have eternal life,
so that at the great harvesting at the end of the Millennial Age, all who love
righteousness and hates iniquity in their hearts would be able to stand all the testings
of that time, and thus would be accounted worthy of the eternal life and blessedness
beyond the Millennium throughout eternity; while the others, demonstrating that they had
refrained from evil merely because of the fear of punishment, would in the Lord's judgment
have had a sufficient experience with His mercies and would be cut off in the Second
Death-as unworthy of any further opportunity or blessing.
_____________
"All His are throe to serve: Christ's brethren here
Are needing aid, in them thou servest Him.
The least of all is still His member dear,
The weakest cost His life -- blood to redeem.
Yield to no 'party' what He rightly claims,
Who on His heart bears all His people's names."
THE TRANSFER OF
EARTH'S SOVEREIGNTY
SERIES XVIII
"1 beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the
Ancient of Days did sit, . . . the judgment was set, and the books were opened . . . . 1
saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds o f
heaven, and cache to the Ancient o f Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there
was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. -- "Dan. 7:9, I3,I4.
IF
we confine ourselves exclusively to the description of this awe inspiring throne vision,
the personages associated with it, and its judicial and executive proceedings, together
with the revealing angel's explanations of the same, we will find much of blessed, helpful
truth revealed therein. However, if there were nothing more to be revealed concerning it,
we would find ourselves in ignorance . of much, very much more that we would greatly
desire to know. The great central truth taught in the throne vision is that of the
transfer of the dominion of this world into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ by the
great God and Father of all. He is represented by the one called in the vision, the
Ancient of Days; the Lord Jesus Christ is represented by the one like the Son of Man.
The
particular things that are pictured as transpiring in connection with this transfer of
authority are of a judgment character; the judgment being an executive one. The things
specially mentioned upon which the judgments are to fall are the fourth-beast power in its
divided state, and its "little horn" -- Papacy. That the whole world is to be
affected by the judgment decision and transfer of authority is also seen in the fact that
all peoples, nations, and languages come under the sway of this much-to-be-desired
dominion. This great judgment assize, then, will result in the complete destruction of the
wild beast kingdoms of earth, as also the power that blasphemed God's name and persecuted
His saints -the little horn, or Papacy.
"THY KINGDOM
COME"
The
vision shows further that the saints of the Most High, the saints that suffered in various
ways at Papacy's hands throughout its long and eventful career, will then become
associated with Christ in His dominion over the world. This vision of the great throne and
its solemn proceedings, like the one of the four beasts, the fourth of which included the
description of the "little horn," presents only a general outline picture of
this transfer of earth's sovereignty, and the establishment and character of the Kingdom
of God. In harmony with the plan pursued in sacred prophecy, we find that Christ and His
Apostles in the New Testament, and especially in the Apocalypse, give fuller light, more
detailed unfoldings of these great and momentous events. Furthermore, the clear knowledge
of the Scriptures now given to those who have "ears to hear," concerning the
great plans and purposes of God for the human family, furnishes another remarkable aid in
determining the nature and character of this kingdom and dominion given to Christ and His
saints, and also the distinctive, detailed features connected with the setting up of this
kingdom. It is very evident that the Kingdom referred to in the vision is the one
mentioned by all the holy Prophets, as also Christ and the Apostles. It is the Kingdom
mentioned in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, "Thy Kingdom come," etc. It
is the Kingdom promised by the Savior to His followers in the words, "Fear not,
little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." It is the
one mentioned by the Apostle James, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich
in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him." St.
Peter also speaks of it in the words, "If ye do these things, ye shall never fall;
for so an. entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
THE DAWN OF HOPE FOR
HUMANITY
This
Kingdom will be established by the Son of Man at His Second Advent. All that is said of it
in this vision of Daniel is that all peoples, nations, and languages shall come under its
benign sway. The knowledge now due to those who have "ears to hear" concerning
God's great plan of redemption, shows that the great object of the Second Advent and the
establishment of this Kingdom of Christ and His saints, is to reconcile the world unto God
by a process of ruling and teaching and disciplining, called in the Scriptures by the
terms judging and blessing. This great work is designated in Acts 3:21 as restitution, and
the period during which it will be in progress is called "times of restitution which
God hath spoken [promised] by the mouth of all His holy Prophets since the world
began." This work of restitution, redemption, blessing, follows as a logical sequence
the work of redemption accomplished at the First Advent by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
for the sins of the whole world. The Advent of the Son of Man is, therefore, the dawn of
hope for the world, the time for the bestowment of the favors secured for the whole world
by the sacrificial death of the great Redeemer. The Gospel Age is merely an intervening
parenthesis, during which the Kingdom class is selected, to be associated with Christ in
the accomplishment of this great work of restitution.
The
Scriptures plainly teach that our Lord's resurrection was to the Divine plane of being;
that He is no longer a flesh being. His human nature ceased with His death. The voluntary'
laying down of His human life by the power of the eternal Spirit, was the price that
opened the way for God to deal with man for his blessing. The redemption price was not,
nor could it be taken back; it was the ransom price for the world. He is now the express
image of the Father, having a Divine body like the Father. The inspired Apostle says that
He )" is the blessed and only potentate the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who
[except the Father] only hath immortality, dwelling in the light that no man can approach
unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." The Second Advent of the Son of Man,
therefore, while personal, will not be visible to the dwellers of earth. It will not be
manifested, or made known to the world until His joint-heirs are changed to heavenly
glory, honor, and immortality; for, "when Christ, who is our life shall appear [be
manifested], then shall we also appear [be manifested] with Him in glory."
THE JUDGMENT OF THE
NATIONS PICTURED
With
these thoughts in 'mind concerning the great plan of redemption and restitution which are
not described in this vision of Daniel, a flood of light is thrown upon this marvelous
throne vision and its proceedings. It should be kept in mind, first of all, that this
throne scene is a vision. But while it is a vision, it is designed to picture a real and
wonderful transaction -- indeed the most remarkable the world has ever seen. Furthermore,
the fulfillment of this vision will not be seen by the dwellers of earth. It is very
manifest that it does not picture the great individual
judgment day of the world, as many expositors seem to think; rather it is designed to
picture the Son of Man's assumption of authority and sovereignty over the whole world. The
judgment of the world as individuals is specially featured in a vision of the Apocalypse
of Jesus Christ.-- Rev. 20:11-I5.
There
is, however, a judgment described in this vision of Daniel; it is a judgment of the wild
beast governments, and the "little horn" or Papal Kingdom. In the judgment
described in the symbolic vision of the Apocalypse it is said that "the dead, small
and great, stand before God." Not the slightest hint of such a transaction is seen in
this vision of Daniel. It is true, in both visions it is said that the "books were
opened," but in the Apocalyptic vision it is stated that the "dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books." In the Daniel vision nothing is
said at all about the dead being judged. In the Apocalypse vision it is said that
"another book was opened, which is the book of life," but in the vision of
Daniel, no mention is made of such a transaction. The two visions, therefore, are not
identical.
In
the vision of Daniel, that which is judged is very definitely mentioned in the words,
"And the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to
destroy it unto the end." (Ver. 26.) The dominion referred to as being taken away is
that of the "little horn" of Papacy, and also that of the beast, the last form
of the fourth beast kingdom. It is very apparent, however, that the judgment decision and
execution described in Daniel's vision is designed to clear or prepare the way for the
great judgment or probation day of the world. The judgment depicted in the Daniel vision
removes everything of an evil nature that stands in the way,' or hinders the knowledge of
God from filling the earth as the waters cover the great deep. This will be necessary in
order that the great trial or probation day may proceed to a satisfactory conclusion,
giving all mankind an opportunity to secure the everlasting life and blessings that the
sacrifice of the great Redeemer purchased.
I BEHELD TILL THE
THRONES WERE CAST DOWN
We
now consider more particularly the various features of this throne vision of Daniel. The
Prophet says, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did
sit, . . . the judgment was set, and the books were opened." One of the results of
this judgment is stated to be that "they shall take away his dominion, to consume and
to destroy it unto the end." As the fulfillment of this judgment vision is not to be
seen by those on earth, a most interesting and important question suggests itself to the
mind, namely, When this great throne vision is meeting its fulfillment, how will it be
known? A general answer will be; By the fulfillment of the prediction of the taking away
of the dominion of Papacy. This would be one of the first evidences that this great
judgment assize is in session. Casting our eyes back over the eventful history of .Papacy,
what do we see? We answer, Certain momentous events have been transpiring now for' over a
century which show that the decisions of this judgment throne have been meeting their
fulfillment. As we have shown in a previous article, events began to transpire in the
Reign of Terror of the French Revolution of 1793 which culminated in completing the
picture of Papacy's receiving a most deadly wound. In 1799 Napoleon dethroned the Pope,
and while he was reinstated again and again, and again deposed and reinstated, at
different times, yet in 1870, he lost every vestige of temporal dominion. Will he again
regain it? We think not. If he does not, then that feature of the prophecy which says, "they shall take away his dominion," is a
matter of complete fulfillment. Over half a century lies in the past since this event
occurred, and all that remains to be fulfilled is described in the words, " to
consume and to destroy it unto the end," and that other portion of the Prophet's
statement, "I saw until the beast [itself] was slain, and his body destroyed, and
given to the burning flame." We set no fixed dates for these fulfillments, except
that the years 1793, 1799 and 1870, mark special events in the whole process. This great
throne vision, then, has for some time past been meeting its fulfillment.
"TILL THE BEAST
WAS SLAIN"
Does
not this imply that this vision of Daniel, in which he saw the Ancient of Days sitting in
judgment, was not intended to picture any outward supernatural event that would be seen by
human beings either here on earth or in the heavens above. It is, therefore, seen only to
the eye of faith; and only by those who are taking heed to the more sure word of prophecy,
the light shining in a dark place. This was the thought of Pastor Russell, as we read:
"This
beast or Roman Empire in its horns or divisions still exists, and will be slain by the
rising of the masses of the people, and the overthrow of governments, in the 'Day of the
Lord,' preparatory to the recognition of the heavenly rulership. This is clearly shown
from other Scriptures. . . . However, the consuming of
the Papal horn comes first. Its power and influence began to consume when Napoleon took
the Pope prisoner to France. Then, when neither the curses of the Popes nor their prayers
delivered them from Bonaparte's power, it became evident to the nations that the Divine
authority and power claimed the Papacy were without foundation. After that, the temporal
power of the Papacy waned rapidly until, in September; 1870, it lost the last vestige of
its temporal power at the hands of Victor Immanuel.
"Nevertheless,
during all that time in which it was being 'consumed,' it kept uttering its great swelling
words of blasphemy, its last great utterance being in 1870, when, but a few months before
its overthrow, it made the declaration of the infallibility
of the Popes. All this is noted in the prophecy: 'I beheld then [that is, after the decree against this horn, after its consumption had begun] because of
the voice of the great words which the horn
spake. --Dan. 7:11.
"Thus
we are brought down in history to our own day, and made to see that the thing to be
expected, so far as the empires of the earth are concerned, is their utter destruction.
The next thing in order is described by the words, 'I beheld even till the beast was slain
and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame."'
The
Prophet says that he "beheld till the thrones were cast down." Mr. Barnes'
thought on this passage is that there was in the
vision, a setting up or a placing of thrones for the administering of judgment, etc.,
on the beast. Nothing is more common in the Scriptures, he says, than to represent others
as thus associated with God in pronouncing judgment on men. Other Scriptures, however,
show that this period in connection with the judgment on Papacy, will be marked by the
toppling of thrones, which means the dethronement of kings.. This is in a very special
sense a characteristic of this period, especially of the days in which we now live.
ONE LIKE THE SON OF
MAN CAME
Daniel
next speaks of another great event that he saw in the vision, "I saw," he says,
"in the night visions, and, behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there
was given Him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
The
one designated here as the Son of Man is understood by all to represent the Messiah, the
Christ. The name is one assumed by our Lord during His earthly ministry. He used this
designation as though it needed no explanation that it referred to the Messiah. This is
the interpretation given to the expression, Son of Man, by Jewish writers. Mr. Barnes
informs us that in the ancient Book of Zohar, it is said: "In the times of Messiah,
Israel shall be one people in the Lord, and He shall make them one nation in the earth,
and they shall rule above and below; as it is written, 'behold one like the Son of Man
care with the clouds of heaven,' set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed,"
etc. At this point another most interesting and important question arises, namely, Are we
to suppose that there will be a literal, visible appearance
of the Messiah, a visible coming of the Son of Man in literal clouds, into the presence of
the Ancient of Days, as is here represented in this vision? We think not. One has said,
"It is not to be taken literally; that is, we are not from this passage to expect a
literal appearance of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven, preparatory to the setting
up of the Kingdom of the saints. For if one portion is to be taken literally, there is no
reason why all should not be." If it is to be understood literally, then we would
expect not merely the appearing of the Son of Man in the clouds, but also, as a part of
the fulfillment of the vision the literal placing of a throne in the skies, a literal
streaming forth of flame from the throne, a literal appearance of the Ancient of Days with
,a garment of white and hair like wool, a literal coming of the one like a Son of Man
before the throne to receive a kingdom. Perhaps no one would be. willing to believe all
this.
The
writer above quoted has said concerning all the transactions of this remarkable scene:
"The proper interpretation is to regard this as it was seen by Daniel, as a vision -a
representation of things in the world as if what is here described would occur. That is,
great events were to take place of which this would be a proper symbolical
representation-or as if the Son of Man, the Messiah, would thus appear, would approach the
'Ancient of Days,' would receive a kingdom, and would make it over to the saints. Now,
there is no real difficulty in understanding what is here meant to be taught, and what we
are to expect; and these points of fact are the following, viz: I. That He who is here
called the 'Ancient of Days' is the source of power and dominion. 2. That there would be
some severe adjudication in the power here represented by the beast and the [little] horn. 3. That the kingdom or
dominion of the world is to be, in fact given to Him who is here called the 'Son of
Man'-the Messiah-a fact represented here by His approaching the 'Ancient of Days,' who is
the source of all power. 4. That there is to be some passing over of the kingdom or power
into the hands of the saints; or some setting up of a kingdom on the earth, of which He is
to be the Head, and in which the dominion over the world shall be in fact in the hands of
His people, and the laws of the Messiah every where prevail."
TWO ERRONEOUS VIEWS
-- THE TRUE CONCEPTION
There
have been two extreme views held concerning this reign of Christ. The one is that all this
will be literally fulfilled. In other words that the Son of God, the Messiah will
literally appear and live and reign on this earth. According to this view Christ will
appear in person and set up a visible and glorious kingdom, making the earthly Jerusalem
His capital, and from this city sway His sceptre over the world. All nations and people at
this time will be subject to Him; and all authority will be wielded by His people under
Him. This, with some non-essential modifications, is the view held by Adventists, and by
some PreMillennialists. The other view is the one taught by the Post-Millennialists.
According to this view there will be ushered in, after the destruction of Antichrist and
his evil influence over mankind, a conversion to the Messiah, to God of all peoples --
that at this time the principles of the Christian religion will everywhere prevail, and
the righteous in their earthly human state will have control of the laws, and the Redeemer
will be universally obeyed. This condition will last for a thousand years.
The
truth, to some extent, comprehends both the above views. There will be indeed a heavenly
state and an earthly state, or a heavenly, spiritual phase and an earthly phase of the
Kingdom ,of God. The spiritual phase will be unseen to the dwellers of earth. This phase
of the Kingdom will be made up of Christ and His saints in heavenly glory, and from them
will the Divine laws proceed. The earthly phase during the Millennial state will be
centered at Jerusalem, and will be made up of the resurrected saints of Old Testament
times. The Prophet thus refers to both, "The law shall go forth from Zion [the
heavenly phase] and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [the earthly phase]. Under this
supreme and all-powerful sovereignty, the human family will have their judgment or
probation; the goal set before them ,being everlasting life as human beings. This great
work will begin with the living, after the great judgment of the nations and false
religious systems has ceased. It will go on until all who have been in the sleep of death
will be awakened, and with the others will have their trial. This great opportunity has
been secured to them through the sacrifice of the great Redeemer.
THE ETERNAL KINGDOM
Mr.
Guinness presents some thoughts that are remarkably clear on this coming reign of Christ
"The
coming kingdom is to be divided chronologically into two parts; a first, or opening
section, which is to last a thousand years; and a second, or main portion, which is to
last forever. We speak of the first in consequence of its predicted duration, as the Millennium, and of the second, because of its
endlessness, as the Eternal Kingdom. These two
sections bear to each other the relation of a portico to a building, or of birth to life,
the one being merely a brief introduction to the other. The Millennial reign of Christ is
an introductory time of putting down all rule and authority and power, of bringing
everything into subjection to Divine authority, of giving man one last supreme season of
probation under the righteous government of Christ, Himself. It is the final stage in the
work of redemption prior to the introduction of its eternal results. It closes by the
destruction of the last enemy, death, together with the final expulsion and punishment of
its author [Satan] ; and the Eternal Kingdom dates from the close and completion of the
redeeming work of Christ.
"The
statements of Scripture leave no room whatever to question that the Millennial reign of
Christ is distinctively a part of the Mediatorial work, by which the human race is
redeemed and placed in a better position than that which Adam lost. The progress of that
redemption has already been divided into three well marked stages, and the Millennial
reign is a fourth. Each Age has been like a higher form in a school, an advance on the
previous one, both in the revelation which it has made of God -- His will, His character,
His purposes, and in the degree of saving blessing which it has brought to mankind. The
Patriarchal Age* revealed the power of God to create and (in the flood) to destroy; but
from Adam to Moses there was no law, no moral law, to make known the Divine holiness, no
ceremonial law to typify the great salvation itself. Thus the creative power, the perfect
holiness, and the wondrous grace of God our Savior have been all duly illustrated in
succession; but the governmental power, the righteousness and justice of God, blended with
infinite love, are yet to be fully manifested on earth, and the Millennial reign of Christ
is the Age in which this last manifestation is to take place. The Christian dispensation
has been one of forbearance with sin, and of grace to sinners, but one in which God's
power and justice have been almost as much concealed in His dealings with the world at
large -- as His glory. But the Millennial Age is fully to exhibit these attributes; it is
to be a reign of righteousness, a time of rewarding His saints and servants, a time of
destroying those that destroy the earth, of ruling all nations with a rod of iron, that
is, inflexible justice and resistless strength. 'He that overcometh, and keepeth My works
unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod
of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers; even as I received of
My Father.' 'Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in
judgment!' 'He shall judge Thy people with righteousness; and the poor with judgment.' 'He
shall break in pieces the oppressor!' 'In His days shall the righteous flourish.'
"The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."
It is the age of the manifestation of the power,
righteousness, and glory of God in Christ.
__________
* This writer made the Patriarchal Age to
begin with creation.
_____________
THAT GOD MAY BE ALL
IN ALL
"But
just as all the previous ages or dispensations of Providence, which have afforded so many
stages of probation to mankind, have ended in apostasy and judgment, so, according to the
teaching of Scripture, will even this Millennial Age, although so supremely blessed and
glorious during its course. It is not only introduced by an era of judgment (Rev.
19:19-23) but, like all previous dispen-sations, it closes with .a similar era. (Rev.
20:7-15.) The opening era witnesses the destruction of the Roman beast, with his false
prophet aid worshipers, the kings of the earth, and their armies, together with the
binding of Satan for a thousand years; while the closing era witnesses the final
destruction of Satan, and of the rebel hosts gathered through his deceptions, as well as
the destruction of the last enemy, death and hades
being cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:10-13.) Then, the work of redeeming the race of
the first Adam having been fully accomplished by the Second Adam, the woman's Seed having
crushed the serpent's head, the mediatorial Kingdom of Christ passes into His Eternal
Kingdom, as it is written: 'Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the
Kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and authority and
power.. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy
that shall be destroyed is death . . . . And when all things shall be subdued unto Him,
then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that
God may be all in all."'
Thus
these later revelations concerning the Kingdom, amplify or complete the brief, condensed,
early predictions contained in the wonderful visions of Daniel. The very latest
predictions concerning the Kingdom are found in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
gave to Him to show unto His servants. These should be allowed, not only to complete, to
fill up all the details concerning these future; glorious times, but the visions of the
same wonderful revelation should be permitted to shed more light on the rise, development,
as well as the successive order of events associated with the consumption and final
destruction of the beast empires of Daniel's vision. Indeed these great events of the past
and the future, constitute the subject matter of the visions of this last great prophecy
that Christ gave to His Church.
VOL. VII. April 15, 1924 No. 8
T
HE gaze of the civilized world is upon the recent act of the Roman Pontiff in appointing
two new American cardinals; and the Catholic element, especially in America, regards the
matter with more than usual interest: Needless to state, this act of the Pope is intended
to express decided recognition of America and to pave the way for the exercise of a larger
and more powerful influence on the part of Papacy in the affairs of the United States.
Indeed this is the obvious import of the following message from the Vatican
"Rome, March 22.
"Pope Pius XI replying, through Cardinal Gasparri, Papal. Secre-tary
of State, to a cablegram from the newspapers to William Randolph Hearst, stated that, in
conferring the red hat upon Arch-bishop Mundelein and Archbishop Hayes, he believed he was
gratifying a wish of the American people.
"The American people, the Pontiff continued, axe well
deserving of honors at the hands of the church because they have contributed so well
towards all reliefs of needy populations.
"The Pope said he trusted the American people will
continue to support the charitable movements he may initiate, these campaigns being aimed
only for the relief of human suffering and the pacification of the world."
As
is well known by the thoughtful, the "charitable movements" that the Pope
initiates from time to time, which are said to be for "the relief of human suffering
and the pacification of the world," really have primarily for their object the
promulgation of Roman Catholic doctrines and the advancement and establishment of the
Papal system over the nations of the earth. The history of the Roman Catholic Church well
supports this fact.
Various
observations are being made as to how this late move on the part of the Pope may have a
bearing upon the influence of Catholicism especially in America.. Thus we read in the New York American
"America
will exert a more powerful influence than ever in the papal affairs of state as a result
of the elevation of Archbishops Patrick J. Hayes, of New York, and George W. Mundelein, of
Chicago; to the cardinalate. Pope Plus's decision to appoint the two prelates to the
Sacred College is accepted throughout the Catholic world as far more than a recognition of
America's work for. world welfare in the war. There is about it a significance at once
more personal and more important.
"BOTH MILITANT
PRIESTS"
"Both
of them have faced crises in the administration of their dioceses and have triumphed in
the struggles. Both are essentially militant priests, distinguished by what they have done
more than by what they have said and they are regarded as men of the broadest vision and
most magnetic personality.
"The
American prelates are leaders in the fullest sense of the term and in their new positions
of power, they will be given the widest opportunity to lead.
"Pope
Pius has announced that several new sees will be created at the Consistory this week and
it is expected that the number of American bishops will he increased in consequence. The
Pope is known to be thoroughly aware, of the rapidity with which the Catholic Church in
the United States is increasing in spiritual and numerical strength. "The elevation
of Archbishops Hayes and Mundelein is looked on not merely as a recognition of this, but
as preparation for even greater progress and a granting of greater power to America in the
Vatican councils.
"With
Cardinals Dougherty, of Philadelphia and O'Connell, of Boston, sitting beside the new
Cardinals, this country will have four representatives in the Sacred College, more than
ever sat together in papal council. Further, there is reason for the belief that another
year may see one and perhaps two more American archbishops elevated to the same position.
"There
are only seventy members of the Sacred College, arid the number is fixed by tradition. As
the western hemisphere gains in representation, the. eastern must lose. Reports are
current that next year the Pope will call an ecumenical or general conference of the
church for the first time in fifty-five years.
"This
is the most extraordinary gathering of Catholic prelates possible. All Cardinals, Bishops
and heads of orders in the world convene to discuss religious problems in open debate and
to enact clerical legislation and lay down principles of faith and dogma. The ecumenical
gathering is the supreme and most thoroughly representative meeting of the church, and its
activity is so intense and far-reaching that half a, century is considered a brief
interval between meetings.
"The
last ecumenical council was held in 1869, and the previous convocation was 366 years ago.
At the last gathering the dogma of the Infallibility of the Pope was proclaimed, and then
the Franco-Prussian War brought, the conference to a sudden termination.
"World's Largest
Diocese"
"In
the next, ecumenical gathering, America with four Cardinals and a greatly increased
representation of bishops maybe able to exercise a balance of power on more than one great
religious issue and in any event the American members will have ample chance to make known
the views of the western world."
THE CATHOLIC
VIEWPOINT
As
would be expected, the. appointing of two Catholic prelates from America to the
"Sacred College" becomes an occasion for much exulting amongst Roman Catholics.
throughout the world, and affords special opportunity for 'their leaders to review the
achieve-ments and progress of that system in America, and to advance their claims that the
hope of humanity lies in the recognition of the Roman Pontiff and the acceptance of
Catholicism. The public press publishes the Catholic viewpoint, conservatively stated by a
Roman Catholic in Italy, Guglielmo Ferrero, said to be a famous historian. We quote in part:
"Elevation of
American Prelates to Higher Rank Assures
Union of Modern Force to Back up Purity"
"For
many years there 'has been no such lively -- one might well describe it as feverish --
expectation, and Europeans seem to feel it more than Americans. One might almost be led to
think that the Archbishops of New York and Chicago were the first prelates from across the
Atlantic to be received into the, Sacred College. Really it is a custom that dates back
far, that 'of conferring the cardinal's hat on a certain
number of Americans.
"World-Hopes; in
Pope and America".
"There
have been consistories in which two or even three American cardinals have been chosen. Why
then is there such keen interest now? It is
because a world in travail is looking -- for different reasons, indeed, but looking -- on
the one hand to America and on the other, to the
Pope.
"The
Pope is the one authority in all the
civilization of the West whose power comes not from arms. All other governments surround
themselves with bayonets, cannons, airplanes, explosives factories; this spiritual head of
400,000,000 of mankind has for his means of governing his flock just his blessing, that is
all. For people who see their governments clothe their authority in terror and a panoply
of --ever-threatening arms, this other, authority, weaponless and built of fatherly loving
kindness, means comfort, rest, hope in present
sorrow for better things to come.
"The art of government has become throughout
the whole civilization of the West a thing of show, sometimes approaching, the theatrical.The one desire of all
public powers -- kings, presidents of.republics, ministers, deputies -- is. to be
continually seen and heard by their peoples. But amid this unceasing show there is one
authority; the Pope, who is never or, at least, hardly ever seen:
"For
fifty years shut up in his palace he is seen from time to time and with some difficulty by
a few thousands: I myself, for instance, have lived long at Rome, if indeed not
permanently, and I am over fifty years Old, yet I have never seen a Pope. I too, shall see
him for the first time next Thursday. Think of the power, the prestige that this seclusion
gives amid a universal flood of democracy, when even princes of the blood spend their
nights in dancing halls and cabarets!
"Weaponless
Empire Ruled by Morals"
"Weaponless,
invisible, the Pope dominates an epoch crushed under the weight of the useless arms it has
created, thirsting for an authority that will
not impose fear but will earn respect.
"While,
then, the Pope, draws on himself the attention. of the world as representing All that is most ancient arid
venerable in the history, of the civilization of the West. America in her turn attracts it
as representing all that is new; amid the tottering states of Europe she appears as the
one support that has foundation, the one hope that has surety for the future. If the Pope
has the moral prestige America has the riches, which, too, is a power of which man has
need.
"The
whole world greets with glad welcome this elevation to, the Sacred College of the
Archbishops of, New York and Chicago and expresses the joy it feels at the conjunction of
the two poles -- the Pope and America -- which seem so far distant, seem to indicate the
old and the new, tradition and the future, the prestige of invisibility and the power of
reality. Acrd its joy at this conjunction comes from the hope that the new and the old
will make alliance, will give one another mutual aid to bring to it those blessed things
for which all hearts long -- order -- and peace.
'Europe is prey of the delirium of force; in
delirium it struggles, cries; its poor flesh and blood are torn and spent. The delirium,
however, can but suffocate for the moment; it cannot quench in the soul the deep-rooted de
sire for order and peace.'
"As
the greatest war in history and the millions of men still under arms have not brought to
it the, peace with itself which it needs, Europe turns to the weaponless authority. And;
again, as it fears that in itself it will never find the power to remake what war and
revolutions have unmade it turns to the New World with voiceless prayer for aid.
"Peace!
peace! When on Thursday, under the sublime cupola of Bramante, the august hand of the Pope
imposes on two American citizens the red hat, symbol of one of the highest dignities the
world knows, that act will signify for Europe -- or at least for all that is good in
Europe -- the union of the old world and the new, the past and the future, in a common
will for peace and concord, fruitful and wise endeavor.
"And
may it be no barren act! May America take it in the noble, generous spirit which alone can
give it fruit! And may Europe at last respond to the generosity of which, America has
given her so many proofs in these last ten years with something of the spirit of
sacrifice, something of sincerity, of gratitude, something of modesty. For the spirit of
sacrifice, gratitude, modesty, are Christian virtues of which, the world never. had
greater, need than it has now.
"Europe
can make to the Pope and to the new American
cardinals he is honoring, the offering of homage, of firm intention to restore these
virtues. Never was it so hard to do so, but never so necessary as it is today. That will
be the most precious offering that the sacred purple will bring the new cardinals."
WHY THE ROMAN PONTIFF
IS "WEAPONLESS"
While
not questioning the sincerity of the writer above, the informed and unbiased reader well
knows that the facts of history and of our observation do not sustain many of the
statements made. All the world should know by this time that the reason. why the Pope has
"just his blessing" to' give, is that the last vestige of his power and
influence along civil and political lines was taken from him more. than 'a century ago;
and he was shorn. of his temporal authority more than fifty years ago. Thus bereft of both
his civil and temporal power, his ,may well be termed the "weaponless empire."
Though not by choice; but by, virtue of the fact that the power of civil government and of
carnal weapons were forcibly taken from him.
We
need to go back but a little ways in history to discover the time when the so-called
"invisible" Roman pontiff was not the "weapon-less" and harmless ruler
that he is now seen to be -- to the time when the Papacy wielded the carnal weapon -- most
mercilessly and exerted all the power of its then. vast domain, along the lines too, of
what the above Italian writer calls "the delirium of. forces" in its endeavor to
stamp out. "heresy" (opposition to the Papacy) from the earth. One who has
summed up the historian's account of the matter has thus forcibly stated the facts
"It has been estimated that the Papacy has directly or indirectly slain fifty
millions of martyrs on account of their faith, the .vast majority of these being sincere
Christians, whose only crime was that they would not own allegiance to Antichrist. Let
charity discount the number -- by one-half, if it were possible, and let her suggest every
conceivable palliation for the murder of the rest, and we still have the, most ghastly
chapter which the volume of history contains. Would that
we might mingle our weeping with floods of repentant tears from the eyes of this cruel
mother,. if forsooth we could thereby mitigate the wrath treasured up against the day of
wrath- which her crimes have earned. But, alas! we find 'Te Deums' sung over Huguenot slaughters, but not
one papal Miserere can we discover.
Commem-orative medals are still extant signalizing the massacre of St. Bartholomew, but
not one monumentum lacrimarum over that event is
to be found in all the archives of the seven-hilled city. 'And when I saw her I wondered with great wonder,' writes the Seer; and
now that history has filled in every detail of the crimson outline of prophecy, we wonder
with even profounder amazement that such a demoniacal tragedy could ever have been enacted
it, the name of Christianity. But we remember that the woman who did these things was
'drunken.' And there is no intoxication- so profound as that induced by pagan superstition
tinctured with Christian blood."
THE POWER OF HIS
"BLESSING"
As
for the power of "his blessing," the facts here are also hidden from the masses
of Catholics. Looking beneath the surface it is discovered that his "blessing"
counts for naught of power whatever, It is the enormous superstition, tradition,
ignorance, and misbelief -- a mixture of Christianity and Paganism upon which Catholicism
is built, that constitutes the power of the Pope to control 400,000,000 of the population
of the earth. Let once the wail be lifted and the awful record of this system be clearly seen and the power of the Pope's blessing
would instantly vanish. Though the time is, very near at hand, the wail is not yet lifted;
to the contrary this vast empire of ignorance and superstition ,is in some respects do the
increase as observed by Mr. Brisbane in the New York
American:
"The
creation of two American Cardinals attracts as much attention in American newspapers as
would the inauguration of an American President; perhaps, more. The Catholic Church is
more powerful in, the United States today than any other organization, and wealthier by
far than any other non-commercial enterprise.
"The
Knights of Columbus, so recently organized, are probably the most, powerful single
organization in the United States, far more powerful, because more closely united in
action, than the Free Masons. "The Catholic Church looks ahead, follows the trend of
the times, selects its Popes, not like royalty, by the accident of birth, but by careful
selection based on ability. Such organizations do not die."
PROMINENT IN THE
WORLD'S SACRED FORECAST
The
standpoint of the consecrated student of prophecy is indeed the most intelligent and
interesting. Such as have this viewpoint recognize what- a prominent position the Papal
system occupies in the sacred , forecast of the world's history; .and in other issues of
this journal these prophecies have been dealt with extensively. We may truly see in the
recent act of the Vatican in the creation of two new American cardinals, one of the signs
of the times. It has been the boast of the Papacy that there is to be a restoration of its
former power and prestige as the divinely appointed ruler of the nations. One of the
successful methods employed by the Papacy is that of flattery; it is reported that in
elevating the two Americans to the "sacred purple," the pontiff said:
"In
the immense family which God has confided to us there are brothers more favored by Divine
providence, who through the Father of All come to the assistance of their less fortunate
brothers in their trials and disasters.
"Our
heart is touched and at the same time exalted toward God, thinking of and beholding their
magnificent acts of filial piety and fraternal charity. We find pleasure in expressing to
them from this exalted place in. this distinguished assembly a fervent declaration of our
gratitude -- that of a father who feels himself
much indebted on behalf of his suffering children.
"We
feel, however, that something would lie wanting this expression of gratitude if special
mention were not made of the position and part which the United States of America took and
maintained in this concourse of charity.
"From
the moment in which our voice was first raised in behaIf of poor starving children of
Russia the clergy, the clergy and people of the United States responded to our appeal with
a promptness and generosity which at once placed them in the first ranks in this crusade
of charity.
"Finding
it truly impossible to express in words what our heart felt regarding such a series of
historic calamities, and the not less historic and even epic charity, we. have resolved to
express it by an act which, touching the very summit of the sacred hierarchy would be
visible and clear to all in its mute eloquence, and proclaim it especially to the great
and noble people and country which gained so laudable a primacy in such a glorious
undertaking.
"We
have thus elevated to sacred honor two dignitaries who by their personal qualities, by the
importance of their respective sees, by the zeal and merit of their pastoral ministry,
already have shed luster upon the hierarchy of the United States of America.
"If
the act is extraordinary, the moment which inspired it is also extraordinary and
unexampled."
WOULD ADVANCE CATHOLICISM IN AMERICA.
None
will dispute that it is a. master-stroke 'of wise policy on the part of the Roman Pontiff
that, recognizing the important position which, they' United States occupies amongst the
nations and its present decided advantages over all others, he would use the power of his
office to advance the interests of Catholicism in this country. This recent move on the
part of the Vatican may reasonably be interpreted as an overture to America -- a holding
out of the hand soliciting co-operation and union, and as one of a series of acts in
modern times designed to accomplish there re-establishment of Papal authority. And is not
this the import of the remarks by the Italian writer above, as follows:
"The
whole world greets with glad welcome this elevation to the Sacred College of the
Archbishops of New York and Chicago and expresses the joy it feels at the conjunction of
the two poles -- the Pope and America -- which seem so far distant, seem to indicate the
old and the new, tradition and the future, the prestige of invisibility and the power of
reality. And its joy at this conjunction comes from the hope that the new and the old will
make alliance, will give one another mutual aid to bring to it those blessed things for
which all hearts long-order and peace."
THE REASONABLE
EXPECTATION
We
do not find in prophecy that there is to be a restoration of the Papacy's former power,
but we do find strong intimations that there will be a partial recovery, and that for a
brief space of time, in conjunction with federated Protestantism, it will regain a measure
of its former power and influence in the political and civil affairs of the world. The
unparalleled stress and demoralization under which the nations of the earth have been
laboring since and as a result of the World-war affords a most opportune occasion -- for
the Papacy to come to the front and ostensibly offer the hand of mercy; and for the Roman
Pontiff to pose as the great apostle of peace and good will, and as the only alternative
out of the present distress.
As
we have heretofore pointed out, the Scriptures seem to indicate that as the nations march
farther on into this day of the Lord and find
themselves increasingly confronted with the lawless and anarchistic elements, and realize
that the entire social fabric is threatened, they may thus accept as a, last remedy the
proffered co-operation of the ecclesiastical powers of Christendom, represented in the
Papacy and united Protestantism. The period of their ascendancy will be. a brief one,
followed by the great collapse of the present order of things, and the destruction of
those systems whose rule has been founded upon superstition, injustice, and selfishness.
Thus will be prepared "the way of the kings of the East" -- God's Kingdom, which
alone will prove to be the remedy for all human ills.
"KEMAL DEFIES
MOSLEM WRATH"
"Throws Caliph of the Faithful Out Bag and Baggage and
Not a Sign of 'Holy War' Results"
FOR
centuries. the Christian world has lived in fear of the 'Holy War.' England, France,
Germany, Russia, Italy, all have in turn shivered at the prospect of the Moslem millions
being unleashed and started. on the warpath by the Caliph of the Faithful. It was the one
great bogey of Europe. All diplomats knew that precept number one of their calling was
'avoid friction with the Moslem head and prevent the hordes being unloosed against the
Christians.'
"The
Moslem world was supposed to be willing to stand for any insult save. indignity to the
titular successor, of Allah.
"Therefore
it comes as a rude shock to find that -Kemal Pasha, the head of the new Turkish
government, has thrown the Caliph of all Islam unceremoniously out of Constantinople, and
tossed his religious authority, out after him. Henceforth Turkey will get along without
any religious head. The expulsion of the Caliph has not created a ripple in Turkey.
"ENGLAND
HOSPITABLY INCLINED"
"At
present the deposed successor of the Prophet is. in Switzerland, where there is some
agitation to ask him to move on, his harem not being welcome to the puritanical Swiss.
"However,
England or France would most enthusiastically offer him an asylum. England rules. millions
of Moslems and so does France. The French and English still retain a belief in the power
of the Caliph over his co-religionists, despite his repudiation in Constan-tinople.
England believes that by getting him on her side she will have an easier task in the
Moslem world. France, with all her troubles in Morocco, would welcome his aid.
"Kemal,
however, is not a bit alarmed over what might happen in Turkey as a result of his drastic
act. He expelled the Caliph because he felt, as did the Bolshevists in Russia, that
religious authority might tend to undermine his government. Just as the Soviets did all
they could to destroy religions, the Turkish leader follows the example.
"RIVALRY TO NAME
SUCCESSOR"
"In
case the Caliph remains in Switzerland and makes no attempt to exercise his office in
exile, there will probably be a contest for the position of leader of Islam. France would
like to seethe Sultan of Morocco, friendly to France, assume the office. England would
like to have either the Aga Khan, the English-educated head of India's Moslems, or King
Fuad of Egypt assume the post.
"Either
would be very helpful to Britain . in the Moslem world."
The
repudiation and expulsion of the Caliph (Mohammed's succes-sor) from the Turkish capital,
while of itself not fulfilling any specific symbolic picture, yet we regard it as
significant and corroborative of the testimony that has been presented in Volume I of the
Revelation exposition. There it was pointed out that the Mohammedan and Ottoman Empires,
and the cruel and relentless persecutions and wars carried on by these powers, constituted
the fulfillment of the first two woe trumpets (fifth and sixth) of Revelation g; the woes
being represented in the terrible suffering and distress inflicted by the Saracenic and
Ottoman forces against Apostate Christendom. It was also shown that the second of the woe
trumpets (that of the sixth) had substantially been fulfilled when in 1844 the Ottoman
Empire was virtually compelled by the so -called Christian nations of Europe "to
issue an edict of religious tolerance, abolishing forever its characteristic and
sanguinary practice of execution for apostasy, that is, for the adoption of the Christian
faith. As this was entirely against its will, because against the precepts of the Koran,
and contrary to the practice of all the ages during which Mohammedanism had been in
existence, it was a most potent proof that Ottoman independence was, gone, as a matter of
fact, though often mentioned still as a plausible fiction of diplomacy, and that
henceforth it had to shape its conduct in accordance with the views of its neighbors, the
Christian nations of Europe."
LIVING IN SOUNDING OF
SEVENTH TRUMPET
Since
that time Mohammedanism has continued to be on the wane; a severe blow was dealt to it
during the World war, so far as it as a religious, persecuting power was concerned, when
the Sultan of Turkey, Mohammed VI. was expelled from Constantinople. And now this later
event above noted, the renouncing and expulsion of the Caliph of all Islam from
Constantinople by the head of the Turkish government, would appear to be boardering
closely on a death blow to Mohammedanism; and that all that remains is its final and
complete collapse and. destruction in the impending trouble in which all other systems of
man's creation will come to naught. The point of importance to be noted is that there is a
third woe to follow the second. Hence the symbolic angel makes the startling announcement,
"The second woe is past; and behold .the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh
angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world
are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and
ever." -- Rev.11:14,15.
Seeing,
therefore, the second woe in the past, we can in consideration of all the present
developments be reasonably sure that we are already living in the time represented in the
sounding of the seventh trumpet„ Thus the faith of those who are giving heed to the
signs of the times is strengthened, as they trace the fulfillment of the symbolic pictures
of the Revelation to this day and realize with increasing assurance that the near future
has in store other developments. that will mark the fulfillment of other important
visions, which, shortly, we trust, shall mean the complete overthrow of all evil and
prepare the way for "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth as it is dome in
heaven."
"Hate the evil,
and love the good." --
Amos 5:15; 6:1-6 ; Hosea 6:1-6.
ST.
Paul in the New Testament truly states that Israel of old had many advantages every way
over the other nations, because to them were committed the oracles of God -- the Law and
the Prophets. Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, the
Lord imparted to them information that placed them in a position of advantage above all
other peoples of the earth; thus that the
Messiah at His First Advent would find a people ready to receive Him and, constitute the
nucleus of the. holy nation, or new creation, of the higher order of this Age.
Among those whose messages were of importance to
Israel of old were Amos and Hosea. Amos belongs to a period about a century after Elijah
and nearly a century before Isaiah, and about two centuries before Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
Daniel. Amos declared himself to have been of humble birth; his parents were not
illustrious, neither was he educated amongst the sons of the prophets. Like David he was a
sheep tender, a farmer, upon whom the Lord poured His spirit with mighty power, sending
him to proclaim the disasters sure to come upon Israel unless a change of course should.
turn aside the deserved punishment for their iniquities.
THE ARRAIGNMENT OF
ISRAEL
The
brunt of the Prophet's message fell against the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, but the
Divine method of presenting the matter is noteworthy. The Prophet's message began with the
adjoining nations,: (1) Damascus, the capital of Syria on' the north, is mentioned as
being in line with the Divine retributions; (2) the Philistines on the west; (3) the
nation of Tyre to the northwest; (4) the Edomites to the south; (5) the Ammonites nearly
on the east; (6) the Moabites to the south; (7) Judah to the south; lastly, the center of
the Prophet's message, Israel -- the ten-tribe Kingdom. We can fancy the attention which
would be given to his message by the people of Israel as they would hear fall from his
lips words descriptive of the troubles coming upon surrounding nations which were their
enemies; but as the circle grew narrower and narrower, and the weight of the Prophet's
testimony was found to 'be specially against themselves, we may be sure that there was
intense indignation. If they at first shouted, "A true prophet!" they probably
subsequently gnashed on him with their teeth. This denunciation of Israel occurs chiefly
in chapters 3-6 and in chapter 7:9-I7. When the Prophet had. gone so far as. to tell
openly of the fall of the reigning dynasty, Amaziah, the prince of Bethel, interfered,
bidding Amos return to his own country. But under the special power of the Holy Spirit,
using him to deliver a particular message, Amos refused to return home until he had
accomplished his errand, and added to the retribution of Israel some prophecies respecting
the prince's own household.
CHANGED CONDITIONS --
CHANGED METHODS
In
drawing a lesson from these experiences of Amos applicable to ourselves of today, we must
remember that the Lord no longer sends His messages after this manner. Conditions have
changed, circum-stances have changed, and prophecies of the kind inspired by the Lord in
early days are no longer His method. Respecting these prophecies, the Apostle Peter tells
us, "prophecy came not in olden times .by -the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. I :21), "unto whom it was
revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now
reported unto you by them 'that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit
sent down from heaven." -- 1 Pet. 1:12.
In
view of the changed conditions and difference of operation of the Divine power, it is for
us to preach the. Word to whomsoever hath an ear to hear, to call attention to the
application of the prophecies and testimonies of ancient times, and thus to make known the
Divine Plan as it becomes due to be understood by those for whom it is intended-the
Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile. For any one to undertake at the present time
to copy either Elijah or Amos or others of the ancient Prophets would indicate a total
misappre-hension on his part respecting the Divine will and message-it might even be
.surmised to indicate a .mental unbalance. As the Apostle declares, we the things that we
know, and testify to the thing's spoken aforetime for our admonition. There is a good
lesson for nevertheless, in the method which the Lord guided the Prophet .take in
delivering His message.
Our
Lord leaves to us of this Gospel ,dispensation considerable latitude in the choice of
means for serving His cause, exhorting us, however, to be wise as serpents and harmless as
doves, and promis-ing us rewards .in proportion as we exercise such carefulness in His
service as He can specially bless and use. Those who use wisely the talents and pounds
intrusted to them are to have proportionate rewards when the Kingdom shall be set up. Let
us then, in the exercise of our liberty and in accord with the Master's injunction to be
wise as serpents, notice how the Prophet's message respecting unpleasant and direful
things, true, began in such a manner as to rivet the attention of his hearers The Apostle Paul practiced this same
wisdom, and mentioned it subsequently to some whom he had brought to a knowledge of the
Lord; he said, "Being crafty, I took you by guile" -- that is, presented the
matter to you in the form .that would be most attractive to your hearts: He, presented
nothing untrue, however Truth can be stated in a more or less palatable or unpalatable
form
"NOT ALL THAT
SAY LORD, LORD"
Another
lesson in connection with Amos' message is that his oppo-nents rose up from amongst those
who were professedly religious --the priests; and so it was with our Lord and the
Apostles. The priests and religious teachers of their day were the chief opponents of the
Gospel in its truth and purity, and we must expect the same -- in our day. The Truth, .in
proportion as it has been declared in its purity, has always aroused opposition, and has
always found its chief opposers amongst those who have a "form of godliness" --
but generally amongst those who lack its power,
The
Prophet pleads with the Israelites that they return to harmony with God and avert the
calamities which must otherwise be expected. The history of the time shows us that it was
a very prosperous period, not only for Judah but also for the ten-tribe Kingdom. The
prosperity was of the earthly kind. Riches were accumulated, but these were in the hands
of the rich and the great, and the Prophet proceeds to warn the rich that the poor are
being unjustly dealt with, and he intimates that it would be from this source that the
trouble would ultimately .come-the only terms upon which they could hope to live as a
nation' would :be by seeking the Lord. It would be in vain for them to seek help at Bethel
or in Gilgal or in Beersheba, the centers of their religious; institutions, which were
corrupt. These religious institutions would all go down in , the trouble which. the
Prophet predicted. The Lord Him self must be sought with an honest heart else He would
cause destruction to break out like a fire to devour the house of Joseph. The ten-tribe
kingdom is here called the house of Joseph, because the tribes of Ephraim and Mannaseh
were of preponderating influence in the nation, and these two tribes sprung from Joseph;
hence the fire breaking out in the house of Joseph meant destruction which would come upon
the ten-tribe kingdom unless they repented.
The
lesson; and its connection; points out that certain ones in Israel were in. a very
ease-loving and self-satisfied condition; that many of them abounded in wealth, and drank
the wine of earthly pleasure arid extravagance inordinately, in bowlfuls. They neither
were solicitous for the Lord's praise and worship, on their own part, nor on the part of
others nor were they solicitous for the poor; they were intemperately selfish, and- hence
the judgments were coming upon them -- the evil days of their captivity and overthrow as a
nation. That their sin of intemperance did not consist solely of literal drunkenness, nor
perhaps specially of this, but rather that it consisted of a drunkenness of greed, by
which many of the influential amongst them were disposed to swallow up the poor and the
needy, is evident from the words of the Lord's reproof.
"Forasmuch,
therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat; ye
have builded your houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted
pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold
transgressions and your mighty sins. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they
turn aside the poor in the gate from their rights, and make it prudent for those, who see
the wrong to keep silence."
"Here
this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, saying;
When will the new moon be gone, that we- may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set
forth wheat,, making the ephah [measure] small, and the shekel [price] great, .and falsify
the balances by deceit? That we might buy the. poor for silver, and the needy for a pair
of shoes; yea, and sell [them] the refuse of the wheat?
"The
Lord bath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.
Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein?"-Amos
5:11-13; 8:4-8.
MANY AT EASE IN
NOMINAL ZION
While
this prophecy evidently applies specifically to natural Israel, and its captivity,
nevertheless, some of the statements respecting that evil day that came upon Israel remind
us of similar statements applied by the Prophets and Apostles and by our Lord to
antitypical Israel-Christendom; and hence; while noting the Lord's dealing with the
natural Israelites, and their day of doom or punishment, it properly brings to our
thoughts the judgments pronounced upon Christendom, "Babylon the Great," which
are to come in the end of this Age. And as we compare the conditions, now and then, the
thought that the words of Amos have to some extent a double application is strengthened.
We
find today a similar condition of things to that which the Prophet describes. Many are at
ease in nominal Zion many are boasting of their prosperity, and symbolically are resting
upon beds of ivory; taking their ease, and trusting that the Church is being carried
forward to the conquest of the world along a new pathway which the Master and the Apostles
knew not of, a pathway of roses without thorns, a pathway that is not narrow nor
difficult, nor steep, but that is broad, pleasurable, easy: The wealthy are very generally
members of nominal Zion, -- or at least liberal supporters of her arrangements, services,
etc., and she in turn is appreciative, and boasts of her wealth, just as She is pictured
prophetically by the Lord, in His description of the Laodicean period of the church.
Nominal today is saying, "I am rich and increased in goods, and have of
nothing," and knows not that she is poor and miserable blind and naked; and hence she
neglects to purchase the true and the only wedding garment. The announcement today nominal
spiritual Zion, of calamities coming upon her in the of vengeance just at hand, is as
unacceptable and disbelieved was the message of Amos to those who were prospering and ease
in nominal fleshly Zion, as recorded in our lesson. unacceptable to the priests of Israel
was the message of Amos, indicated by the record, which says:
"Then
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam, King Israel, saying, Amos hath .conspired
against thee, in the midst the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words
[he disturbing the peace of those who are at ease in Zion. . . Amaziah said unto Amos, O
thou seer, go flee thee away into land of. Judah, and there eat bread. and prophesy there;
prophesy not any more at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary; the king's court."
-- Amos 7:10-13.
"WATCH YE
THEREFORE"
But
as Amos was faithful in declaring the message of the Lord, and was not deterred into
silence from prudential reasons, so those who today are spoken to by the Lord through His Word and are instructed
respecting the things that are shortly to come to pass upon nominal spiritual Israel, are
not to hold their peace from prudential reasons -- for the fear of man bringeth a snare.
They are to speak the truth in love, and to seek to help as many as possible out of the
fire of tribulation, and to bring as yang as possible into the little flock of faithful
ones, whom the Lord exhorted, saying, "Watch ye; there-fore, that ye. may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things corning upon the world, and to stand before
the Son of Man."
The
close of Amos' prophecy tells of the recovery of Israel and the blessing of the Lord that
will be upon all mankind, including the Gentiles, at that time. It is this prophecy that
the Apostle James quoted in the Council at Jerusalem, saying; "After this I will.
return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will
build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up;, that the residue of men might seek
after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, with the Lord, who
doeth all these things." (Acts 15:16, 17.) We are living at the time when this
prophecy is about to be fulfilled. The recovery of natural Israel is about to take place
under the re -establishment of God's Kingdom in the world -- the one that was once
typically represented in King David, but which is to be actually established in the
greater David --the "Beloved One." Under that Kingdom, re-established under more
favorable conditions, a heavenly Kingdom; the residue of men will be given an opportunity
to seek the Lord, for the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth.
HOSEA ALSO TASTED OF
LIFE'S SORROWS
It
is said of Hosea that his prophecy stands first, because it is one of the oldest books and
is the longest of the Minor Prophets -- "so called to distinguish them from the Major
Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, not because these twelve preachers. of
righteousness were necessarily less influential than the four, but simply because their
writings were shorter. The Jews reckoned their messages as making but one book.
"Hosea
was a prophet of the Northern Kingdom whose message was essentially the same as that of
Amos while his manner and-method were in
'sharp contrast to those of the Prophet of Tekoa. His name, which means Salvation, was
Joshua's original name; and the name of the last king of Israel. We know nothing of his
father; Beeri, and of himself we know only his domestic tragedy and the fact that he
prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the
reign of Jeroboam II, king, of Israel. He was therefore, at least during part of his life,
contemporary with. Amos."
Hosea's
prophesying was at the time of Israel's depravity, just
preceding their captivity. Through the Prophet, the Lord appeals to Israel, pointing
out His loving tender, care for them from the very beginning of their history as a nation, pointing out their backsliding attitude,
their falseness to Him -- picturing them as a false wife and God Himself as a most merciful husband:
It
would appear that the Lord permitted Hosea to have a certain very trying experiences in
domestic troubles,. with a view to impressing upon his mind the Lord's view of Israel, His
spouse. The Prophet, in the. very opening of his book, declares that the word of the Lord
first came unto him in connection with his domestic trials. The Prophet had married,
seemingly by Divine providence, an attractive girl, named Gomer, whom he dearly loved, and
who at the time of their "marriage was quite probably true and worthy of his
affection --or it is possible to understand from
the account that the Prophet, loving her, failed to fully reclaim her -- but, infected
with the general immorality of the time, she proved unfaithful, so that only her first
child was recognized by the Prophet. The names given to the succeeding two show that the
Prophet did not acknowledge. them. . . . Dr: George Adam Smith remarks "Hosea does:
not claim the second child, and in the name of this little lass, Lo-ruhamah, 'She that never, knew a. father's
love;' orphan, not by death, but by her mother's sin, we find proof of the Prophet's
awakening to the tragedy of his home. Nor does he own the third child,; named Lo-ammi, 'Not my people.' That could also mean, 'No
kin of mine.' Once at least, but probably, oftener, Hosea had forgiven the woman, and
until .the sixth year she stayed in his house. Then either he put her from him, or she
went her own way. She sold herself for money, and finally drifted, like all of her class,
into slavery."
The
Prophet's sympathy went out to his wife to the
extent that he redeemed her from slavery, as recorded. (3:I-3:) These severe experiences
through which the Prophet passed seemed to be preparing him to voice the Lord's sentiments
of tender compassion to Israel, his espoused one, who so frequently and persistently went
after other gods. If. the prophecy of Hosea be read from this standpoint its tender
compassionate appeals will be appreciated as
from no other.
PROPHESIED OF DAY OF
CHRIST
Not
least of importance of Hosea's messages are those that are of a prophetic character. Like
all the other Prophets he had something to say concerning Israel's final recovery and
restoration from all captivities and trouble, as well as of the times of restitution of
all things. Thus his message looks down to- the time when the great change will come over
Israel and they will say, "Come, and let' us return unto the Lord: for He bath torn,
and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two -days will He
revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight."
--Hosea 6:1, 2.
Evidently the three days stand closely related to
those mentioned by Jesus in the words of John 2:19, "Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up" -"He spake of the temple of His body" -- the
Church, of which He is the Head.
The
three days we understand, to be the days of the larger week, one thousand, years to each
day. In this larger week the seventh day will be the seventh thousand-year period -- the
Millennium or Sabbath of rest from sin and Satan. Recognizing time from this standpoint
and applying to each thousand years the parallel day of the week, we find that, as over
four thousand years had passed and the fifth thousand had begun when our Lord made this
statement, it was therefore at a time corresponding to the fifth day of the. lesser week,
namely Thursday, the first day of the three. mentioned; Friday the second day, and
Saturday (the. seventh-day Sabbath) the third, in which the temple is to be "raised
up." It is to be early in the morning of this third day-the Millennium-that the Body
of Christ, the Temple of God, is to be brought together as a spiritual Temple and filled
with the glory of God, to the end that from it may flow the blessing of reconciliation to
all the families of the earth.
Another
statement, similar to this and interpretable, we. believe, in the same manner; was the
Lord's answer to Herod -- "I do cures today, and tomorrow, and the third day I shall
be perfected." (Luke. 13:32.) This last statement could riot be interpreted in any
other way than that above suggested. The cures and blessings of Divine grace have
prevailed during the fifth, the day in which our Lord and the Apostles lived, and also
during the sixth thousand-year day; and on the seventh, the grand Millennial Sabbath,
Christ and His Church will be perfected and the cures correspondingly increased.
Surely
these are the same three days that are mentioned by the Prophet Hosea when referring to
Israel's judgments arid their final repentance and reconciliation, and their complete
recovery from, all blindness and apostasy.
Look up, O Earth; no. storm can last
Beyond 'the limits God hath set;
When its appointed work is past,
In joy thou shalt thy grief forget.
Where sorrow's plowshare hath swept through,
Thy fairest flowers of life shall spring,
For God shall grant thee life anew,
And all thy wastes shall laugh and sing.
Hope thou in Him; His plan for thee
Shall end in triumph and release;
Fear not; for thou shalt surely see
His afterward of peace.
Dear
Brethren:
"Peace
be unto you!" For some time I have wanted to write you and tell you how much help and
comfort I find in the study of "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." Several times
when I have longed to have fellowship with the others here by attending the meeting, . . :
I have found strength and comfort to "stand" by the wonderful truths made plain
in the "Revelation." And how close our Lord is to us when His last message comes
to us as individuals, just when we need it. "Surely He shall deliver thee from the
snare of the fowler." (Psa. 91:3.) Why? "Because he bath set his love upon Me,
therefore will I deliver him."-- Psa. 91 :14.
After
meeting with others for years, and being the only one who saw the"snare," I have
greatly missed the fellowship, but now I find rich blessing from my Lord, which enables me
to stand. I feel the need of your prayers, and I know that "God will give you
peace" and will not "forget your work and labor of love which ye have shewed
towards His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." -- Heb.
6 :10.
With
Christian love,
Mrs. C. I W., N. Y.
Dear
Brethren
I
enclose herewith. four American Dollar Notes to cover subscrip-tion for two copies of the
"Herald" for twelve months, one copy to be sent to my address as hitherto, and
one copy to Brother R.
We
are glad to still find the spirit of gentleness, meekness, and humility pervading the
pages of the "Herald" which we earnestly hope and pray may be continued, so that
we may still receive food in due season, and light for the last days.
In
speaking to a friend not yet "in the truth" we noted his surprise that we should
be broadminded enough to use such books as Barnes' Commentaries, and a brother to whom we
mentioned this matter stated that he was glad you frequently mentioned the book and the
author from which quotations were made in the "Herald." While we still believe
that Brother Russell's writings contain the most complete and harmonious exposition of
God's plans as contained in the Scriptures, we remember that he possessed a large library,
and that he probably gleaned many gems of truth from most, if not all, of the books which
we now find helpful, and which are quoted in the "Herald" from time to time.
Surely
the Lord has deigned to reveal something of His truth to many, who, while not having such
clear light on many points as we have today, have spent their lives in studying His Word
and in meek and humble spirit have endeavored to expound what they learned therefrom. In
any case, the Lord is certainly capable of imparting to each of us a measure of
discernment and ability to divide truth from error if we have a teachable mind and are
willing to be led only by His Spirit.
Yours
by His grace,
C. H., Eng.
"1 will delight
myself in Thy statutes; 1 will not forget Thy Word." Psa. 119:16; 2 Kings 17:9-18.
HOSHEA,
King of Israel, the central personage of this study, is paid the rather doubtful
compliment of being less evil in the Lord's sight than some of his predecessors. Gradually
the Assyrian kingdom had extended its control to Israel, and Hoshea maintained his throne
by paying tribute. This continued for several years until the King of Israel thought
himself sufficiently in league with the Egyptians on the south to refuse further tribute
money. In consequence, the Assyrian army advanced and laid siege to the capital city,
Samaria. It seems astounding, indeed, to learn that the, city withstood the siege for
three years. The end came in the ninth year of Hoshea, and signified the end of the
ten-tribe kingdom; the people being transported by their captors several hundred miles to
another portion of the Assyrian Empire.
The
object of the conqueror evidently was to break the national spirit and reduce the various
peoples conquered to a kind of serfdom, the better to collect taxes or revenues for the
Assyrian treasury. Probably the people were not worse off as respected their material
welfare, for they were not treated as slaves but as emigrants and settlers.
THE ABANDONMENT OF
THE TEN-TRIBE KINGDOM
For
many centuries Ephraim, the ten-tribe kingdom, especially after Solomon's death, was
extremely perverse not more degraded, we may presume, than the surrounding nations, but
their perversion was more wicked, more reprehensible, because of greater privileges,
blessings, knowledge, and opportunities which the Lord had granted to them as the
posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the inheritors of the great Oath-bound
Covenant made to Abraham and confirmed to Isaac and Jacob. One is amazed, in reading of
the Lord's dealings with Ephraim and Judah, to note their general tendency toward
idolatry, and this in spite of the Divine chastisements, corrections, etc., which
evidently influenced only the few. In thinking of these matters we are to remember that
the surrounding nations were still more grossly steeped in idolatry and its lustful
orgies, practiced in the name of worship. These other nations were not specially chastised
for idolatry as was Israel, but were allowed to practically take the course they chose, as
the Apostle explains in Rom. 1:28: God gave them over to a reprobate mind and to doing
those things which were not proper because they had not wished to retain Him in their
minds.
The
captivity of Ephraim should be viewed from this same standpoint. It was God's abandonment
of the ten-tribe kingdom, His permission for them to have their way, and henceforth be
treated of Him as the heathen without special chastisement. It was in this sense and in
this sense only that those tribes were "lost." Located in various parts of
Assyria they gradually assimilated with the population surrounding them, and lost identity
as Israelites, inter-marrying with their neighbors.
It
was because of their failure to appreciate Him, because of hankering after false gods and
false worship and the more or less mingling of these false worships with the true worship,
that God withdrew His favor. It is pointed out that God did not cast them off without
reproving them, chastising them and sending them messages by Prophets and seers. To the
seers the Lord gave prophetic visions and messages built upon these, and by the Prophets
He sent them instructions and warnings; encouragements, and threatenings. Elijah and
Elisha had been amongst them, and later Jonah and Amos and Hosea. Through all these the
Lord had warned and cautioned. Through Hosea the Lord had made especially kind and loving
appeals to them as a father to children -- "How can I give thee 'up, Ephraim? How
shall I make thee as Admah?"-- a desolate room.
The
wrong course of the people is further declared in the statement that they not only
worshiped false gods but made their sons and daughters pass through the fire, and used
divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord. They
became the slaves of their passions and self-deceptions, and were so misled of the evil
spirits as to consider this burning of their own children as acceptable sacrifices to
false gods. It was well that all pretensions on, their part to be people of God, should
cease; it was well that they should be removed to new scenes; amongst strangers, where
under new conditions their minds would be otherwise engaged, even though it should be an
entire alienation from God.
VIEWED FROM THE
DIVINE STANDPOINT
There
is but one standpoint from which the history of Israel can be properly understood and
appreciated, namely Israel's inheritance in the Abrahamic Covenant. All of God's dealings
with the children of Jacob were with a view to a selection of. the two seeds of Abraham-a
natural seed and a spiritual one. To this end their national experiences conspired -- to
find in that nation certain noble, loyal, reverential souls, such as David, Jonathan, and
all the holy Prophets, and to prepare that people by disciplines, prunings, etc., to be
the people who would be used as a channel of blessing to all nations in the Divine times
and seasons.
The
separation of the ten tribes from the two tribes at the death of Solomon was an important
step in this selection. The Lord had .distinctly stated in advance that the Lawgiver whom
He had promised should. come out of Judah, and hence any Israelites indeed in the
ten-tribe kingdom must have looked with longing interest-toward Judah as the ultimate end
of their hopes -- the Messiah, and the fulfillment through Him of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Throughout the varying history of these two kingdoms the greater religious faith and zeal
was always to be found in Judah, and gradually many of the more religious in Ephraim
removed to Judah and identified themselves therewith, because of the greater religious
privileges and blessings there enjoyed. Thus Judah eventually represented the cream of the
nation, and the records show that not only Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was favorably
disposed toward his brethren of Ephraim and made them welcome to the religious assemblies,
but that other kings, his predecessors, had done similarly. Thus seen the captivity of
Ephraim was merely the rejection of the skim milk of the nation, and as we have already
seen was really not at all to their injury so far as temporal interests were concerned. It
was their cutting off from Divine favor in respect to the Abrahamic Covenant that was
especially regrettable.
When
a good while afterward the kingdom of Judah was overthrown and its people similarly taken
into captivity and similarly scattered amongst the nations composing the Babylonish empire
it was merely a carrying out of a further development. of the Divine Plan. By this last
stroke the Lord would put away all the more groveling, sensual, and worldly-minded of His
people The desolation of the land for seventy years permitted all who would, to forget the
original covenant of which they were heirs, permitted them to intermarry with the nations
around them if they would; permitted them to settle and prosper and be content in their
new homes; and then the Lord in His providence opened up a way for all who were not
satisfied with the good earthly portion they were enjoying to return to their own land a
desolated land.
WHAT OF THE "TEN
LOST" TRIBES?
We
can readily see that none of them would comeback under such conditions except those who
had strong faith in the Lord and in the original Oath-bound Covenant' made to Abraham and
confirmed to Isaac and Jacob and the nation. All without, faith and all of weak faith, all
lacking in zeal, would surely find it much to their advantage every way to, remain where,
they were. And so we find that only 55,000 out of all the millions of those two nations
cared to return to the land of promise -- for in the Lord's providence the proclamation of
King Cyrus permitted all Israelites of every tribe to return to their own land. The
faithful people who did, return. were the: very cream of, that nation, and their
successors; to whom our Lord Jesus presented Himself as King, represented, in many
respects, the noblest and best people in the world.. We should not be misunderstood, while
the majority of Ephraim and Judah, com-mingled with the heathen, others preserved their
identity as Israelites without return to Palestine, just as we see the Israelites today in
every part. of the world preserving .their religious, institutions and faith. But then
each preserved his tribal identity, whereas now all tribal lines are lost and obliterated.
It is of these that the Apostle sometimes spoke as" "our twelve tribes scattered
abroad" -- not lost but scattered; as today,. The only ones lost are those 'who have,
become Gentiles; by utter disregard of the peculiar characteristics of the nation, of
which by Divine arrangement circumcision was one.
Our
lesson viewed from this standpoint is profitable. It shows us that God is working out,:
His great and wonderful Plan. Those favored in that Plan are not coerced, though
graciously dealt with and appealed to; neither does their neglect or rejection of Divine
favor estop the development of the Divine Plan.
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform."
ANALOGIES IN
SPIRITUAL ISRAEL,
We
may reasonably expect analogies in, spiritual Israel, and we find them. The first epoch of
the Church's history in the days of the Apostles was ,quickly followed -at their death by
the great "falling away" from the faith and simplicity of the original
establishment; chastisements followed, persecutions, etc., and finally the great majority
went into captivity to the world -- to Babylon. To these the worship of images and shrines
and pictures and the offering of incense and burning of holy candles were associated with
a great false sacrifice-the "sacrifice of the mass" -- the "abomination
that maketh desolate."
Gradually
the Lord separated from that system of confusion and error the few who were spiritual
Israelites indeed. Protestantism thus gradually grew, and in some respects represented
more nearly than did the Greek and Roman Churches the true hopes and prospects of the
Christian; and yet in Protestantism much was found that was reprehensible in God's sight,
many who had only a form of godliness without the power, but some -- a proportionately
larger number than in Papacy -- were found at heart loyal to the Lord and desirous of
knowing His wilt and plan:
"These
dealings with nominal spiritual Israel for the past eighteen centuries are, gradually,
separating to the Lord an overcoming class and preparing a remnant for Him in His Second,
Presence. The Reformation movement gathered out of Papacy the majority of the loyal souls
indeed at that time: and now in the harvest time of this Age the ripe wheat is being
garnered from "all Israel," from Catholicism as well as Protestantism, though
because of previous siftings, etc., much the larger proportion, as, might be expected,
will be gathered from Protestantism -- Israelites indeed in. whom there is no guile.
"KEEP YOURSELVES
FROM IDOLS"
The
Apostle's words, "Keep yourselves .from idols," are not by any means meaningless
to spiritual: Israel. All. around us we see idolatry -- not on the same low plane
practiced in olden times, but idolatry nevertheless, Some worship the idol of wealth,
others at the shrine of fame; and in a general sense the spirit of worldliness is
swallowing up the time and talent and influence of the civilized world, which professedly
claims to be Christendom -- Christ's Kingdom -- spiritual Israel. As natural Israel had
its groves and totem-posts, some plain and some carved, so many spiritual: Israelites
today have for their totem-posts the various deeds of the various denominations set up in
the past. To these the masses boar with. reverent thoughtlessness, largely neglecting the
Almighty One and the Word of His testimony, which Word rebukes all such misrepresentations
of tie Divine character arid. Plan.
We
have not today in nominal Christendom! a literal Moloch of brass, heated red. "hot by
internal fires, with arms open to receive the children to his embrace, as ancient Israel
had, but we have instead a Moloch an a much larger scale -- a much worse
misrep-resentation of the only, true God, whose character is wisdom, justice, love and
power. We have today in the minds of people, reverenced by many, mental imaginations of a
god red hot with the flames of hell, or purgatory , and visions of millions agonizing in
his embrace. How terrible the thought! How God-dishonoring! How manifestly the work of the
Adversary and totally contrary to the gracious messages which the Lord has so repeatedly
sent, not only through the Prophets of old but also through His Son and through the
Apostles, "speaking peace through Jesus Christ," and assuring us of His love, as
manifested in the great redemptive sacrifice, and of His intention to bless the world
through the glorified Christ by appointing "times of restitution of all things spoken
by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began." -- Acts 3:21.
SERIES XIX
THE VISION OF THE RAM
AND THE HE GOAT
"Then. 1 lifted up mine eyes and saw, and; behold,
there stood before the river a ram, which, had two horns, and the two horns were high; but
one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. And as I was considering,
behold, an he goat came from the. west, on the, face of the whole earth, and touched not
the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes." -- Daniel 8:3, 5.
THIS
second vision of Daniel was seen by him in the third, year of the reign of Belshazzar,
king of Babylon, two years subsequent to the time he saw the vision described in chapter
seven. This would be about 553 B. C. The
statement by the Prophet that he was "at Shushan, in the palace, which is in the
province of Elam, by the river Ulai," is understood by many noted expositors, not as
denoting the place where he actually was in person, but rather the place to which he was
transported in spirit in the vision -- that is where it seemed to him he was when he
beheld the vision. If this be the correct thought, then it was the same with Daniel as it
was with St: John when he beheld the wondrous visions of the Apocalypse. St. John in the
spirit was sometimes on the earth and sometimes before the heavenly throne; at one time he
was carried away in the spirit into the wilderness and at another time to a great and high
mountain. In reality, however, St. John was on the Isle of Patmos all the time; and in the
case of Daniel it would seem that he was all the time in Babylon. The reason why the
vision was seen from Shushan seems to be that it was at this place that the seat of power
represented by the "ram" (Persia) was to be located; also that it was with the
power symbolized by the ram that the fulfillment of the vision was to begin.
THE KINGS OF MEDIA
AND PERSIA
The
Prophet says that as he lifted up his eyes be beheld standing before the river -- a ram
having two horns on its head. The two horns were high, but one was higher than the other,
and the higher came up last. The great exploits of the ram are next described. He says,
"I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts
might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he
did according to his will, arid became great."
We
are not left to conjecture what power the ram represents, for we are told by Daniel that
when he "sought for the meaning" of the vision, he heard a man's voice which
seemed to proceed from between the banks of the river, saying, "Gabriel make this man
to understand the vision." The Prophet tells that the one addressed came near where
he stood, and Daniel was so moved with fear that he fell on his face. He was then touched
by the angel and made to stand on his feet. The angel then said: "The ram which thou
sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia."
In
the dream of Nebuchadnezzar this same great power is pictured by the silver breast and
arms of the metallic image; and in the preceding vision, under the symbol of a hear. The
change of the symbol to that of a ram, a more domestic and less harmful animal, may be
because of the peculiar relation this power sustained to the Jewish people. The
Medo-Persian kingdom viewed from this standpoint was not a devouring wild beast, but that
of a somewhat friendly power. It vas this power that was instrumental in restoring the
Jews to their own land after their captivity in Babylon; and it was by this power, that
they were helped in many ways in rebuilding their temple, and in restoring their worship.
Bible history also shows that many Jews continued long after their restoration to dwell
among the Persians, and held positions of power and influence in the government. This is
seen from the book of Esther.
The
ram "pushing" violently with its head, has. reference to the military conquests
of this, great Persian power. Its butting, so that no beasts were able to stand before it,
signifies its conquests and supremacy over all other powers. In Dan. 6:I. it is recorded
that under Darius the vast territory of the empire embraced 120 provinces, and in Esther
1:1, only about seventeen years after, we learn that seven provinces had been added to
the120.
THE KING OF GRECIA
After
the ram's exploits, a he goat appears upon the scene. He is represented as coining from
the west, and moving with such speed that his feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground;
and he had a "notable horn" between his eyes. The angel's explanation of this
is: "And the rough goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn. that is between
his eyes is the first king." The same great power is represented in the preceding
vision (Dan. 7), as a four-winged and four-headed leopard; and in the dream of
Nebuchadnezzar, as the belly and sides of brass of the great image. Considered as a world
power in general, this Grecian kingdom possessed and used all the savage, ferocious
qualities of a leopard. In its relation to the Jews, however, it was a mild, fostering
power. To them it did not act as a beast of prey. This, as, in the case of the Persian
kingdom, seems to account for the change in the symbol. An instance illustrating this
relationship is related by Josephus. When Alexander was on his eastern expeditions, he
laid siege to Tyre. Being in need of provi-sions for his army he sent messengers to the
high priest, Jaddua, at Jerusalem to furnish him with the same: The high priest, however,
refused on the ground of his allegiance to the king of Persia. Alexander in great rage
vowed to have revenge on the Jews. As soon as he had captured Tyre and Gaza, Josephus
informs us that he came to Jerusalem with his army, intending to destroy it. The high
priest, when he learned of Alexander's approach called upon all the people to make
supplications to God. In answer to their supplica-tions, the high priest, in a vision of
the night, received directions what to do.
In
accordance with these Divine instructions, when Alexander came near to the city, the high
priest caused the gates to be thrown wide open, and arrayed in his priestly robes; with
the miter on his head, with the golden plate on which was engraved the name Jehovah,
followed by the under priests, arrayed also in their robes of office, and with them a
large number of the people clothed in white garments, went out to meet the great
conqueror. When Alexander saw this procession, he went to meet them, and approaching the
high priest, saluted, him, and then offered worship to Jehovah. All this was a great
surprise to Alexander's officers, particularly so to the Syrian kings, his allies; they
supposing that he was disordered in his mind. Parmenio, one of Alexander's officers,
inquired of him why it was that when all others adored him, he should adore the high
priest of the Jews. Alexander replied, as stated by Josephus, "I did not adore him,
but that God who honored him with his high priesthood. For I saw this person in a dream,
in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with
myself how I could obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly
to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the
dominion over the Persians. Whence it is that having seen no other in that habit, and now
seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in
my dream. I believe that I bring this army under the Divine conduct, and shall therewith
conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed
according to what is in my own mind." After Alexander had spoken these words to
Parmenio, he was conducted by the high priest into the city, and going into the temple he
offered sacrifice to God according to the high priest's direction, and magnificently
treated both the high priest and the priests. The Book of Daniel was then brought out and
the prediction that one of the Greeks would destroy the empire of Persia was shown to
Alexander, and he was caused to believe that he himself was the person referred to. The
next day he called the high priest and all the others to him and bade them ask what favors
they pleased of him. "Accordingly the high priest desired that they might enjoy the
laws of their forefathers, and might pay no tribute the seventh year. This was readily
granted. And when they intreated that the Jews in Media and Babylon be permitted to enjoy
their own laws also, he willingly promised to do hereafter what they desired. And when he
had said to the multitude that if any of them would enlist themselves in his army, on
condition that they should continue under the laws of their forefathers, and live
according to them, he was willing to take them with him, many were ready to accompany him
to his wars."
THE GREAT HORN WAS
BROKEN
The
Prophet in the vision beheld the goat coming from the west, for it was to the far west
from Persia, that the Grecian or Macedonian power originated. It struck the ram with
terrible force, broke both his horns and trod him under his feet. This describes the
overthrow of the Medo-Persian power by Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. It of course;
required more than one battle to accomplish this, but that it was accomplished very
quickly, all historians are agreed.
"Therefore,"
the Prophet records, "the he goat waxed very great, and when he was strong, the great
horn was broken." It was in the time of its greatest strength that Alexander suddenly
died. "On Alexander's death, B. C. 323, Philip Aridaeus, his half brother, was
proclaimed king at a meeting of the chief generals, and, in conjunction with him, as soon
as born, a son of Alexander, of whom Roxana was then pregnant, called afterwards Alexander
Aegus. And during their lives the generals forbore from assuming the royal title;
professing themselves simply governors under Alexander's son and brother:" However,
"in the space of about fifteen years, they were murdered, and then the first horn or
kingdom was entirely broken: The royal family being thus extinct, the governors of
provinces, who had usurped the power, assumed the title of kings: and by the defeat and
death of Antigonus, in the battle of Ipsus, they were reduced to four, Cassander,
Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus, who parted Alexander's dominion between them, and
divided and settled it into four kingdoms."* These four kingdoms constitute the four
notable horns, which took place of the one great horn, the Alexander dynasty; and they are
the same as is represented by the four heads of the leopard of the preceding vision. It is
said in the vision, "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his
power." This means that while they would be kingdoms of the Greeks, they would not be
ruled by Alexander's own family: It is said also that these four kingdoms should extend
"towards the four winds of heaven." History relates that Lysimichus had Thrace,
Bithynia, and the northern regions; Ptolemy possessed Egypt and the southern countries;
Seleucus obtained Syria, and the eastern provinces; and Cassander held Macedon, Greece and
the western parts.
__________
* Bishop Newton.
___________
The
foregoing is in perfect harmony with all expositors, without a dissenting voice. This
cannot be said, however, of the portion of the vision that follows, which portion no doubt
is by far the most important. Of this, as seen by the Prophet in the vision, he says:
"And out of one of them [one. of the four horns] came forth a little horn which waxed
exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And.
it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the
stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince
of the host, and by him, the daily sacrifice**
was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary cast down. And an host was given him
against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the
ground and it practiced and prospered."
___________
** The word sacrifice is not in the
original text.
_____________
FOUR INTERPRETATIONS
OF THE "LITTLE HORN"
Before
proceeding to consider the angel's explanation of this part of the vision it will be well
to, notice that expositors as far back as the second century B. C. up to the present time
have given a great deal of attention to the study of this vision, as may be seen from the
writings that have come down to us. However, while there has been a very general agreement
in applying the vision of the ram and the he goat and the latter's four horns to the
Medo-Persian and Grecian kingdoms, and the fourfold division of the last, as is given in
the foregoing, there does not exist such an agreement as to what power is represented by
the "little horn" of the vision. Looking over the interpretations of this long
line of expositors, we discover that with some few minor differences on some points, there
exist four interpretations. By briefly stating these interpretations we may, by a
comparison with the prophecy, be better able to judge as to which of these meets the
requirements.
The
first one we will mention is that which makes this "little horn" and its evil
actions apply to Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruler of the Syrian dynasty, or Seleucidae, as the
rulers of this dynasty are called from their founder, Seleucus, the one above mentioned.
Jewish as well as many Christian expositors have thus applied the prophecy. Antiochus
reigned from 175 to 164 B. C. and was a most terrible persecutor of the Jews, and a
desecrator of their temple and worship. Others say that this "little horn represents
the Roman kingdom, which it is claimed was a horn or power that came out of that division
of Alexander's empire which was founded by Cassander, one of Alexander's generals. The
claim is thus stated by one writer: "Rome is therefore introduced into prophecy just
as, from the conquered Macedonian horn of the goat [168 B. C.], it is going forth to new
conquests in other directions. It therefore appeared to the Prophet, or may be properly
spoken of in this prophecy, as coming forth from one of the horns of the goat." This
writer further says, "This little horn must be understood to symbolize Rome in its
entire history, including its two phases, pagan and papal." (Uriah Smith, Daniel and The Revelation.) Adventist and a few
other expositors have applied the prophecy in this way. There are others who apply this
"little horn," to a yet future Antichrist. A modern Futurist expositor has thus
expressed this view
"As
Antiochus Epiphanes and his doings and successes met the prophetic description for that
time, we may the better see and understand by his history how it will be in the last days.
People sometimes wonder who the final Antichrist is, and how he shall come. Christian
antiquity with one voice answers: 'He is Antiochus Epiphanes reproduced in.larger
proportions; and intensified energy, immediately before the great day of God Almighty.'
And by observing after what manner, and for what reasons the calamitous inflictions of
that Graeco-Syrian king fell upon the Jews of old, we may see and know how the final
Antichrist will come." -- Joseph Seiss, Voices
From Babylon.
The
fourth and last view held respecting the application of this "little horn" of
Daniel 8, is that it has met its fulfillment in the great Mohammedan apostasy, which
sprang up very near the time when the "little horn" of Papacy of Daniel 7,
appeared. These expositors distinguish between the two by designating them as the eastern
and western "little horns."
CONCERNING THE
APPLICATION 'To ANTIOCHUS
We
will consider first the interpretation that applies this "little horn" power,
which is distinctly stated in the vision to come out of one of the four divisions of the
Grecian or Macedonian Empire, to Antiochus Epiphanes. The late Mr. Guinness has thus made
reference to this application. He says it is clear "that it had a precursive fulfillment, on a smaller scale, in the
person and history of Antiochus Epiphanes. His career," he says, "accords so
closely with almost every feature of the prediction, as to leave little room for doubt
that it was intended by the Holy Spirit as one subject of the prophecy. For seventeen
centuries all expositors, Jewish and Christian, held that the prophecy referred to
Antiochus. The books of Maccabees record his
career with great detail, and trace in it, as does Josephus, the fulfillment of the
predictions of this 'little horn.' But," Mr. Guinness goes on to say, "Antiochus
never waxed 'exceeding great'; he never 'threw down the place of the sanctuary,' though he
took away the daily sacrifice; and he lived too near the time when the prophecy was given,
to be the full and proper, fulfillment of it, seeing it is said of the vision, 'it shall
be for many days,' 'at the last end of the indignation.' Besides this, the time of the
desolation effected by Antiochus -- just three years -- does not in any way, or on any
system, correspond.with 2300 days; so that we are driven to regard this as one of those
prophecies which has undoubtedly had a double fulfillment, like Hosea 11:1 ; or Psalm
72."
Mr.
Shimeali, another writer of note, has called attention to another most important feature
of the prophecy which fails utterly to meet a fulfillment in Antiochus Epiphanes. His
words are: "To those writers . . . who make the two little horns of Daniel 7 and 8
iden-tical, we reply, first, that it cannot apply to Antiochus Epiphanes, for the reason
that like all the other horns mentioned by Daniel, it must be the symbol of a continuous
sovereignty a realm, governed, extended, protected and preserved by him and his successors
. . . . Antiochus was only a single individual, who appeared upon the stage and passed
away," at his death.
Mr.
E. B. Elliott, author of Horae Apocalypticae, has thus noted this, point: "With
regard to Antiochus -- while it consists [is consistent] with the prophetic description
that he was a prince of the Syro-Macedonian line, and that he desolated the [Jewish]
sanctuary, the following insurmountable objections occur: (1) That he was but an
individual king of the dynasty, and therefore not a horn, in the sense in which the word
horn is used both in this and other prophecies of Daniel.
(2) That his kingdom instead of being 'exceeding great' on the scale of Alexander's, given
in the prophecy, was at the greatest, scarce a third of that of the first Syro-Macedonian
king, Seleucus, in fact it being little better than a Roman dependency. (3) That the
Jewish transgressors could not be said to have then 'come to the full,' there being at
that time many zealous for the law, some of whom constituted soon after, the noble army of
the Maccabees; and Christ Himself having fixed the epoch of maturity of Jewish
transgression much later. (4) That, whereas the fall of the little horn, the terminating
act of the vision, was (on the year-day system) to be 2300 years distant from that which
marked its beginning, probably the successful pushing of the Persian ram -- Antiochus'
death happened only between 300 and 400 years after it; and that, even on the day -- day
system, no satisfactory explanation is to be offered, by reference to his profanation of
the temple and its cleansing, of the period of the 2300 days."
CONCERNING THE
APPLICATION
TO PAGAN AND PAPAL ROME
We
ask, then, Does it not seem from the fact that the interpretation which applies this
little horn of Dan. 8 to Antiochus Epiphanes fails in so many points, that we must search
further to discover a power which meets all the requirements of the vision.
We
next consider that application that professes to discover its fulfillment in both Rome
Pagan and Papal. Mr. Smith, whom we have quoted above, fairly states this interpretation.
Sir, Isaac and Bishop Newton both apply it to Rome. Mr. Guinness' words concerning this
application are certainly worthy of careful consider-ation, and seem to well accord with
both the prophecy and the facts of history.
"Antiochus
Epiphanes, the Romans; and the Mohammedans, have all taken part in accomplishing these
predicted desolations of Jerusalem. The first two took away the daily sacrifice, the
second cast down the sanctuary, all three have defiled the place of the sanctuary, and
trodden it underfoot, and by the last two especially have the "mighty and, holy
people" been 'cast down,' and 'stamped upon,' and 'destroyed.' But as the Roman power
cannot be repre-sented as 'a little horn' arising out of one of the four: kingdoms into
which Alexander's empire was divided (Dan. 8:9); whereas both Antiochus and Mohammed can
-- we. conclude that they mainly are referred to in the prediction, and especially the
latter."
Mr.
Elliott on this matter calls attention to the fact known to. all students of history -- a
fact which contains an insurmountable obstacle to an application of this little horn of
Dan. 8 to Rome. He says on this point: "There meet us on the very face of the
question two objections most palpable, and which no ingenuity can ever overcome. The first
is that the old Roman power can never be considered as a little horn of the Greek he goat.
For the local origin of its horn was from Latium in Italy, not any spot in Greece or
Persia: and before it moved eastward, to intermeddle with the territories of the Greek he
goat, it was (on the scale of Daniel's vision) a great horn [power] not a little one;
Sicily and Spain and Carthaginian North Africa, besides all Italy, being comprehended in
its dominions. Moreover it never rooted itself in the Grecian soil, under a separate and
independent government, until, at the very soonest, the division of the empire by
Diocletian or, accurately speaking, not till the final division of the Roman Empire into
Eastern and Western under Theodorus' two sons, a century later: that is, above two or
rather three centuries after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation by its
armies under Vespasian. Second, even if the, symbol of the Macedonian he goat's little
horn might by any possibility be allowed to represent the old Roman Pagan power, the idea
of its representing also, . . . the extremely different power of Rome, Papal -- an idea forced on the expositors spoken of, by the
fact of the little horn's having an assigned duration to the end of 2300 years I say this
idea is one contrary both to the reason of the thing, and to the analogy of the three
other admitted and notable prefigurations of Roman Pagan and Papal in the
Apocalypse."
In
concluding our examination of this application of the vision, we ask, Does it not seem
clear that the application of this prophecy to Rome Pagan and Papal does. not meet the
requirements of the vision of the little horn of Daniel 8. It certainly seems so to us.
Papal Rome, as we have endeavored to show in our last, is symbolized by the "little
horn" of Daniel 7 that springs up among the "ten horns" on the fourth or
Roman beast. This did not occur until the opening years of the, sixth century A. D. At
whatever period in history the other "little horn" appears, it must be looked
for in the East and not in the West. In other words it must rise out of one of the four
kingdoms into which Alexander's empire was divided, whose territory is in the East and not
in the West.
The
Roman power, in the various forms and aspects it
takes on as the centuries come and go, is described in more prophecies of Scripture than
any other power,, except that of the Jews. It is, however, invariably represented as
having its origin in the West, as well as' the seat of its authority and government, in
the West. Shortly after Constantine removed his capital to Constantinople those provinces
gradually became known as the Eastern or Greek Empire, to distinguish them from the old
original Roman Empire with its never changing center at Rome, the eternal city. The
Scripture prophecy is always consistent in this. In our study of the prophecies about the
"fourth beast" or Roman Empire, we should always distinguish between the lands
it conquered, and the never changing seat of power. We shall find the Roman power referred
to in the next chapter of Daniel in connection with the wonderful prophecy of the seventy
weeks. It is there pictured in its relation to the Jews.
Concerning
the last application of this prophecy of Daniel 8, to a yet future Antichrist, a
short-lived man who will repeat on a 'larger scale the wickedness of Antiochus Epiphanes,
all that need be said, is that the same argument that applies in refuting the application
of the "little horn" of Daniel 7 and the Man of Sin of 2 Thess. 2, to a future
short -lived man, applies equally effective to this.
"It is not so much what you say
As the manner in which you say it;
It is not so much the language you use,
As the tones ,in which you convey it.
"'Come here!' I sharply said,
And baby cowered and wept;
'Come here,' I cooed, and he looked and smiled
And straight to my "lap he crept.
"The Words may be mild and fair,
And the tones may pierce like a dart;
The words may be soft as summer air,
And the tones may break the heart.
"Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,
Envy and anger are there.
"The, would you quarrels avoid,
And in peace and love rejoice,
Keep anger not only out of your words,
But keep it out of your voice."
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