THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL. X. October 1, 1927 No. 19
Table of Contents
REVIEWS
AND OBSERVATIONS
THE
PRESENT MISSION OF THE CHURCH
WHEN
DID THE LORD COME TO HIS TEMPLE?
"UNTO
HIM BELONGETH ALL"
IN
HIS STEPS
VOL. X. October 15, 1927 No. 20
Table of Contents
"BEHOLD
THE BRIDEGROOM"
"ASCEND
BELOVED"
RECENT
CONVENTIONS
THE
STILL SMALL VOICE
ENCOURAGING
LETTERS
VOL. X. October 1, 1927 No. 19
RESULTS OF THE LAUSANNE CONFERENCE
THE CONFERENCE at Lausanne on "Faith and Order" just
recently closed, has elicited general comment throughout the "Christian world."
In keeping with the stated purposes of the conference, the Chairman, Bishop Brent, told
the assembly that "The call to unity is from God to man; through unity alone can the
Kingdom of God be set up among men." He urged Christendom to set its house in order
"before it further infects the Eastern world with sectarianism that robs the Gospel
of its corporate power and gives the people a stone instead of bread. The hundred
missionary societies in China today are as suicidal for Christianity as civil divisions
are to her national peace and prosperity," the Bishop said. "We are living in a
world that has lost its way. Religion, as summed up in Jesus Christ, can alone hope to
rescue it"
Concerning the results of the conference "The Boston
Herald" remarks that "The very fact that such a meeting is held at all is
noteworthy. It signifies that church leaders are not willing to accept much longer
existing disunity as a necessary and unalterable thing. It means that the churches realize
that splits and rivalries and denominational dissensions dilute enormously the influence
of the Protestant faith in a world that is only casually aware of the importance of the
points at issue and that is indifferent to such controversies. It signifies also that,
distant as the consummation of the ideal of unity may be, church leaders everywhere
appreciate that they never will reach unity unless they begin to tread the path thereto.
"Now the news from Lausanne is surprisingly encouraging. There
has been long and vigorous debate. There have been simple and direct statements about
points of difference, as well as euphemisms. Many friendly observers in Europe had no idea
that anything of value would be accomplished, except that the meeting of such a body in
friendly intercourse and discussion in itself is a thing of worth. Platitudes were looked
for rather than actual grappling with problems. The delegates might recognize what were
the decisive questions that divide the churches, but it was not to be supposed that they
would be able to formulate a platform on which they could all stand after their centuries
of divergence over, some things of vast importance and many things of minor consequence.
The dispatches tell us, however, that a committee of thirteen has been named to draft a
report on faith and order in quest of unity as to the subjects which have been debated.
There are four Americans on this committee, five British delegates, a Swedish archbishop,
a Lutheran, a French Protestant, and a representative of the Eastern Orthodox church. It
will be instructive to watch the outcome of the work of this committee."
As was expected, amongst the leading issues more or less discussed at
the conference was that of ordination, church government, the authority of the church,
etc. This issue was recognized as obviously an important one, since in order to a united
Christendom such as this conference contemplated, there must be a general recognition of
some common center of authority and government of such a united church.
In keeping with the spirit of compromise on the part of Protestantism
in modern times toward Catholicism, a warm hand was held out to the Church of Rome by some
of the delegates at the conference. Thus Dr. Manning is reported to have said:
"'We all deeply regret that the Roman Catholic Church did not
feel able to accept the invitation to send representatives to the world conference.
Nevertheless, we want her to know that our feeling toward her is one of love and
fellowship.
"'While the Christian communions, Catholic and Protestant, which
are represented here can, and we pray that they may, make true progress toward reunion, we
recognize that Christian unity cannot be attained until it includes our brethren of the
Roman Catholic Church.
"'What we who are gathered here seek is not unity of Protestants
alone or of Catholics alone. This might only accentuate the differences and perpetuate the
divisions. We seek a unity which shall include all the Christian communions of the world,
both Catholic and Protestant.'"
Bishop Manning, just returned from the conference, is again reported
as making the following statement regarding results:
"Holds Much Was Accomplished"
"Some have expressed disappointment that more definite action
was not taken toward reunion. My own judgment is that more was accomplished than could
reasonably have been hoped for. It should be kept in mind that it was not the purpose of
the conference to formulate terms of reunion. Only the different churches themselves could
do this.
"Two outstanding things were accomplished at the conference.
"1. The differences of belief which now separate the churches
were frankly faced and considered not in the spirit of controversy but of conference. A
discussion of differences in this spirit would have been impossible twenty years ago and
itself marks a great advance on the way to unity.
"2. On some of the greatest and most difficult subjects relating
to reunion a surprising measure of agreement was reached, as will be seen from the
official reports soon to be published on 'The Gospel of the Church of Christ,' 'The Nature
of the Church,' 'The Common Confession of Faith,' 'The Ministry,' and 'The Sacraments.'
"Reports Commended to Churches"
"These reports, all of which were received without a dissenting
vote, are to be commended to the churches for their consideration.
"While some of these reports are far from registering full
agreement, they show encouraging advance toward it.
"I shall hope shortly to speak of the results of the conference
more fully and will only say now that if the conference had done no more than agree upon
the report on 'the common confession of faith' its work would have been justified.
"Few, I think, would have believed it possible that such a
gathering representing so many different views and traditions could agree that the common
confession of faith of the reunited church must be the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. And yet
after most earnest and full discussion this was the conclusion reached and assented to
without a dissenting vote.
"There is much yet to be done before reunion can be achieved,
but the World Conference at Lausanne has marked an important advance and will give new
impetus to the movement toward unity."
_________
"FORTUNES IN THE DEAD SEA"
An interesting article in a recent issue of "The Literary
Digest," makes the remarkable statement that "Twelve hundred million dollars is
the modest estimate of recoverable salts contained in the waters of the Dead Sea."
This statement is based on the investigations presented by Dr. Thomas H. Norton, technical
editor of "Chemicals" (New York). "In this he gives the story of the
efforts toward securing an operating concession for exploiting these riches and throwing
on the market vast quantities of valuable industrial and agricultural material at prices
far lower than those now obtaining. The bulk of the profits, we are told, will go to the
Government of Palestine and be employed for its rehabilitation. Writes Dr. Norton:
"'There are few opportunities for expansion in the field of
chemical industry which can rival that now being opened in Palestine. That historic land,
now a mandated territory under British rule, is entering upon a period of economic
development totally impossible under Ottoman domination. The most fascinating domain is
that within the province of the chemist.
"'There is nothing to prevent this land from becoming at an
early date a powerful factor in the production, on a large scale, of some of our most
important chemicals, and, from being the seat of one chemical world monopoly. The Dead
Sea, into which the River Jordan pours, is one of the most extensive and valuable
storehouses of mineral wealth on the surface of our globe. Here are accumulated enormous
quantities of a few staple chemicals, adequate in amount to meet the world's needs for
many centuries. They are in solution, in the form of a saturated brine. For their
separation, solar evaporation is the chief factor employed. No spot on our planet is so
favorably situated for the purpose. A combination of climatic and topographic conditions
renders it possible to recover, in a state of high commercial purity, these few salts, at
incredible cheapness, within a few miles of ocean transportation. These salts are
magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, common salt (unusually pure) and magnesium bromide
(serving for the production of bromine).
"'Palestine will not be alone in profiting from this sudden
entry of the Dead Sea among the chemical assets of the world. The farmers of Great Britain
and of the Dominions, as well as those of all other countries, will appreciate a cut in
the cost of potash, that indispensable plant food, to at least one-half of what they have
hitherto paid..
"'The question naturally arises: Why have these vast chemical
treasures remained for so long practically unknown to the industrial world, while eager
pioneers were. developing the gold placers of the Yukon or Siberia, amid arctic hardships;
or the tin of Bolivia, the copper of the Congo, and many other sources of mineral wealth,
protected by equally serious climatic handicaps and transportation difficulties?
"'The explanation is simple. The contents of the Dead Sea were
the private property of the Sultans of Turkey. Abdul Hamid, strongly opposed to the
entrance of foreign enterprise into the Ottoman Empire, except on a limited scale, refused
to grant any concessions affecting the Dead Sea.
"'Then came the war. In December, 1917, General Allenby captured
Jerusalem. A canny Scotchman, a. former officer in the Indian Army, alert to mineral
possibilities, urged the Government to immediately make a technical survey of the Dead
Sea. While the Turkish Army still occupied the northern half of Palestine, a competent
geologist was sent to study the deepest depression on the globe. The report revealed
wonderful possibilities.
"'A year after his tour of exploration, another chemist
perfected a very simple but exceedingly comprehensive project for the economic extraction
of the contents. of the Sea. Unaware of each other's work, both submitted applications for
concession rights. As the political status of the country was still uncertain, no action
could be taken.
"'In 1922, the League of Nations confided the Mandate for
Palestine to the British Government. The power to grant mineral concessions was entrusted
to the Colonial Office, acting with the Palestinian Administration. Careful preliminary
studies were carried on, the results were carefully compiled, and, the monograph was
published by the Crown Agents for the Colonies, in May, 1925. At the same time, the Agents
invited tenders for the recovery of the salts in the waters of the Dead Sea. The date for
presentation was the 31st of December, 1926.
"'Since then, the applications, reduced in number, have been
subjected to careful study, both in the Colonial Office, at London, and at Jerusalem,
where the final decision is lodged.
"'No one can blame the officials charged with the serious task
of granting so important a franchise, as being unduly slow. The responsibility of dealing
with the problems of creating a vast modern industry, in what is little more than a
pastoral country, must of necessity be entrusted to men competent to handle them.
"'Formal proposals include the transferal of the bulk of the
surplus profits to the Government of Palestine, or the obligatory reinvestment of a
portion in the Palestinian industrial, financial, commercial, transportation, and similar
organizations, thus retaining, in the land itself, the chief amount of the tribute paid by
the rest of the world, for the country's mineral treasure.'"
WHAT AND WHERE IS GOD'S ORGANIZATION?
"THE PRESENT
MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE FUTURE WORK OF SERVICE; TO
DEVELOP IN HERSELF EVERY GRACE; TO BE GOD'S WITNESS TO THE WORLD; AND TO PREPARE TO BE
KINGS AND PRIESTS IN THE NEXT AGE.
-- EPH. 4:12; MATT. 24:14; Rev. 1:6; 20:6."
THIS STATEMENT as to the present mission of the Church, taken from
the second page of this journal, has been published editorially and, otherwise for the
past thirty years and more. Its expressions are as true and abiding today as when first
published. It is important that we consider well what the Lord would have us do in these
latter days, as expressed in the above summary of the Church's mission, and then to
observe what has been accomplished by those who have attempted other lines of service than
that which the Scriptures outline.
Directing our attention to the mission of the Church at the present
time, we find it clearly stated in the Scriptures that first, it is the "perfecting
of the saints for the future work of service." This is the primary object of the
Christian era -- the development of Christlikeness in the Lord's people. This is the will
of God, "even your sanctification" ; and to sanctify means not only to set apart
to Divine service, a dedication of one's life to the Lord's service, but also to make
holy, to purify from sin and all the defilements of the flesh. The Lord's people are not
merely to attain to standards of morality and maintain these, but additionally are to be
developed as New Creatures, attaining to conditions of spirituality, and this can be
reached only through the sacrifice of all fleshly, earthly desires and ambitions -- the
transformation of the mind and heart from human considerations to those which are
heavenly, as expressed by the Apostle, "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. 12:2.) The knowledge of the gracious
arrangements of the Creator has an ennobling influence, and those who have received the
invitation to be joint-heirs with Christ, are sanctified and purified by the hope placed
before them in the Gospel -- "And every man that hath this hope in. him purifieth
himself even as He is pure." (1 John 3:3.) This purity of heart and mind signifies
the putting away of all. malice, envy, hatred, bitterness, and strife, and the gradual
development of the fruits of the Spirit-meekness, patience, humility, peace, kindness,
longsuffering and love. It is the operation of the Holy Spirit of the Lord through the
instruction of His Word which enables the consecrated followers of Christ in the daily
experiences of life, fighting the good fight of faith against the world, the flesh, and
the Adversary, to overcome, and to acquire the Christian virtues necessary to an entrance
into the Kingdom of Heaven. And not only is the soldier of the cross to engage in this
warfare continually in his own behalf, but further, as he has opportunity, he is to
encourage and assist others in overcoming, and is to do good unto all men, even to the
extent of blessing his enemies, those who might be in opposition to himself.
No Compromise With Worldly Methods
Notwithstanding the clear Scriptural statement of the Church's
mission foregoing, there are still those who ask if we have not now reached a time when
the Lord's people should undertake lines of service differing from those outlined by our
Lord and the Apostles -- in view of changed conditions among men, should we not now change
our methods of appealing to men? Is it not now due time that we compromise with the
worldly spirit and with worldly methods and in fact revise the message altogether, given
by Jesus and the Apostles? Furthermore, are not the hosts of those who are of the
"Present Truth" to consider themselves organized under a human leadership, a
visible headship here on earth, and to think of themselves as "God's
organization" or "Channel," already equipped and authorized to deal a
death-blow to Satan and his organization, and thus make way for the reign of the glorified
Kingdom beyond? In seeking the proper answer to these questions, let us see to it that our
hearts are truly humble and. consecrated before the Lord and that our desire is to know
and do only His will and not the will of any man or system of men; and let us seek an
understanding of the matter from the only reliable source of information, the infallible
Word of God.
Going back to Jesus and the Apostles as the only inspired guides and
instructors with regard to all these questions that concern the present status of the
Church and her mission, we find no word teaching us or instructing any one to attempt to
organize the Church in the present Age, in the sense of the formation of .a human system
or a humanly organized arrangement containing only the true Church and eliminating all the
tare or fictitious element. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles attempted to form any such
organization. They merely gave out the Divine message broadcast and allowed it to fall on
various kinds of ground, some favorable and some unfavorable, some producing much fruit
and some producing little or no fruit. It is recalled further that Jesus gave the parable
of the wheat and tares to illustrate the general conditions and circumstances in which the
Church would be existing throughout this Age. The lesson is thus emphasized of the true
and the false growing side by side throughout the Age. Jesus forbade any to separate the
wheat from the tares by attempting to organize the Church above what He and the Apostles
through the Holy Spirit had done. None were to erect denominational lines or fences by
creating certain formulas of belief and courses of service (either written or unwritten)
and to make these tests of membership in the Church.
But alas, the instructions of the great Teacher have been sadly
neglected. The sectarian party spirit soon gained control, and soon men began to organize
the Church, began to create barriers, and by their theories and creeds, sought to
determine who were of God's Zion or "God's organization," and who were not. The
story is a sad one from the beginning of these departures in the close of the Apostolic
period unto this day. It is the history of the apostasies, the history of human
organizations and systems, some greater and some smaller -- the history of man's attempt
to order and regulate, contrary to the Divine instruction; and all because the Church
became overrun with the unregenerate and unconsecrated. The voice of the Spirit of God has
found little or no place.
Where Is God's Zion?
Where has the true Church, God's Zion or organization, been all this
time? The answer is, it is impossible to locate the true Church in any one compact body,
in any human system or under any one denominational association. Since they are those
whose names are written in heaven, and since they are those only who are in heart
relationship with God by faith and consecration, they have been known to Him alone. As for
God's organization upon the earth, there is nothing in the Bible to show that the Church
in the flesh would ever be assembled in one concrete association or organization and
constitute exclusively God's specially chosen Church. Rather we find from prophecy,
including the Book of Revelation, that the true Church would be a scattered people all
through the Age; and no one was authorized to separate the wheat from the tares, or to try
to organize the Church into one compact body. In fact, we have no picture of the Church,
while here in the flesh, as a complete organization, where the wheat alone are assembled,
separated from the tares, until we look beyond the veil into the glorified state. It is
there and then that the Master's words apply, "Then shall the righteous shine form as
the sun in the Kingdom of their Father."
Even now in the end of the Age, when the light is shining more
brightly than ever before, none can assemble God's Zion or organization into any one
denominational or institutional arrangement through any test whatsoever; none can claim
with any degree of evidence or proof that such as might be thus assembled are alone the
Church, and that all outside of such human organization are excluded from the true Church.
All who proceed thus to organize the Church are doing so in violation of the example and
instruction of the great Teacher, who said that only one was the. Master and Teacher of
the Church, and all were brethren under Him.
Some of the Evils of Human Organizations
One of the outstanding and deplorable conditions in connection with
every attempt to organize God's Zion is that of the exaltation of human teachers as lords
over the heritage. It is always to be observed that such human organizations become
overrun by majorities of the unconsecrated.. Ambitious, scheming, and designing men get,
themselves placed in the lead and control of the flock, whom they term "God's
organization," and who make it their business to mislead the sheep into believing
that they are God's appointees, special and Divine agents, to direct and instruct the
sheep as to what they shall believe and as to what service they shall perform; immediately
the poor sheep are shorn of their liberty to think or decide on issues or problems for
themselves or to determine what is truth. Thus as God's exclusive, anointed channel, made
up of ambitious leaders, it exercises authority over those composing the organization, who
are given to understand that they must obey the behests of those in power, and failing to
do so, they are threatened with excommunication from the Church, "God's
organization," and turned in the direction of the Second Death. How long will God's
people not learn that all this procedure and condition are not the proofs of true
leadership in spiritual Israel, but are part and parcel of the spirit of apostasy, repeated in history time and again. Let
him that readeth understand!
The Beast of Great and Wonderful Works
Another important consideration is that those who have attempted to
organize God's Zion have ever displayed great outward activity; "increased in
goods," and "great and wonderful works" for the Lord, are the boast of all
those who have been set up as Divine agencies over the Church. Great ecclesiastical
activity and "works" is offered as the seal or proof that they are God's
organization; but such evidence is turned by the true Word of God into the occasion of
their condemnation. Thus Jesus foretells how some will ultimately come to Him "in
that day," claiming the right to entrance into the inheritance of the saints on the
basis of great activity, "Have we not done wonderful works?' etc., etc. And Jesus
declares that their wonderful works will receive no recognition. They will not be
rewarded. -- Matt. 7:21-23.
Every apostate church system throughout the Age has cited its
wonderful works as evidence of its Divine endorsement. Perhaps the greatest and most
formidable of these human systems is the Papacy, whose record goes far back in this
dispensation, the influences beginning in the Apostolic period (2 Thess. 2:7), that led to
its growth, development, and triumph in the fifth and sixth centuries. As "God's
organization" it has claimed the right to receive into the Church and excommunicate
-- it has :pronounced its anathemas upon all who have denied and rejected its claims. It
is well known that the boast of this system for centuries, has been in its great outward
show of works. Today its magnificent institutions of learning, schools, colleges,
seminaries, its charitable institutions, its great and marvelous hospital establishments
for the relief of suffering, are cited as proofs that they are God's organization. Nor can
any one successfully dispute the claim that from one standpoint there is much of good in
their works. There is much of education in their schools, and a great deal of charity
work, and much is accomplished to relieve the suffering; but all of these wonderful works
are contaminated. with the vilest of errors and misrepresentations of Jehovah, that at
once stamp them with Divine disapproval, and place them in the classification of
"works" that the Master will not recognize.
Announcing a Mixed Message
Similarly other attempts to organize God's Church have come along, of
more or less smaller caliber, but yet evincing the same spirit and citing their works as
proof of the Divine sanction. Each one in its turn has claimed to be God's Zion, God's
organization for the accomplishment of His purpose. Each one has erected the
denominational fence to keep out such as will not recognize its claim. Each has taught
its. adherents to keep their eyes fixed upon the
leaders of "God's Zion" as the visible head of the Church on earth, while
the real and only Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His teachings have been ignored and set
aside. Each one has made its threats and branded those who have become enlightened
sufficiently to get out of the organizational pen, as heretics and as "going out of
the Truth" into the Second Death. Each has had its network and system of good works
"great and wonderful works" but as in the case of the Papacy, so it has been
with all of these who have followed in Papacy's footsteps, and have at tempted to
organize God's Church! Their works have been sadly contaminated, their ministry has been
that of proclaiming and announcing a mixed message, a mixture of truth and error; wrongful
interpretations of one portion or another of the Word of God, and misapplication of the
Truth in such a way as to pervert its true meaning to a greater or less extent,
dishonoring the Lord, have characterized each of these human organizations, even unto this
day.
Why God's Children Should "Come Out of Her"
The true works of the individual life, the works of piety, godliness,
spirituality and love, have been sadly lacking in the various great and wonderful works of
these organizations, and this in fact is the reason for their condemnation. It is these
conditions named foregoing that have always followed in the wake of every attempt to
organize God's Zion. Briefly they are: the exaltation of self-styled leaders and channels
to take the place of Christ, the Head; the taking away of the liberty of the flock; the
introduction of error; the subsituting of human energy and works for the influence and
life of the Holy Spirit; the neglect of the real work of the Church, that of
character-building, resulting in general apostasy. It is these conditions that have made
it necessary for Christ's true followers, who have had their eyes fixed upon Him as the
Head, and not upon any fellow mortal, to draw apart, to "Come out of her, My people; that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." These come out
that they may exercise their liberty in Christ, that they may give Christ, who alone is
the Head of the Church, His proper place in their hearts, in their lives, and in their
service, and that they may grow spiritually. These come out that they may have liberty to
enjoy the fellowship of all such of like precious faith, not to form a new organization of
Zion after these various human models from which they have been driven forth, but to
voluntarily associate together under the influence of the Holy Spirit, having no bondage
to hold them together except, that bond which united and held in unison the early Church,
the bond that has united all consecrated believers, and bound them together as one in
Christ all through the Age -- the bond of Christian unity and love under the direction of
the Holy Spirit.
In harmony with the foregoing as to the present state and mission of
the Church, attention is called to the following Scriptural, forceful; and lucid statement
by Brother Russell which is commended to the careful consideration of all:
___________
"THE CHURCH'S DIVINELY APPOINTED MISSION"
"Seeing we have this ministry, as we have
received mercy,
we faint not."-- 2 Cor. 4:1.
"What is the mission of the Church? What ministry or service has
the Lord appointed to His consecrated people? This question is one that should be
prominent and clear before the mind of every consecrated child of God. It is of the utmost
importance that the servant know what is expected of him before proceeding far in
rendering service; otherwise he will be more than likely to waste his energies in wrong directions -- leaving undone those things which ought to be done, and
giving attention to matters which would better be attended to otherwise, according to the
Plan and arrangement of the Great Supervisor of the Plan of Salvation -- the Lord.
"Although our sympathies are with every good work, we are at the
same time to inquire of the Lord respecting how,
where, what, we may do in His service, if we would be co-laborers together with Him:
'Lord, what wouldst Thou have me to do?' Our query should not be addressed. to fellowmen,
nor should we accept the burdens and duties and obligations which their judgments and
consciences would lay upon us. Rather, we are to hearken to the voice of the Lord (the
Scriptures), and are to follow His directions, regardless of our own and other. people's
conjectures as to what would be most expedient.
"Nowhere in the Scriptures are God's people directed to spend
their time in efforts at morally reforming the world. Our Lord did not engage in this
work, neither did the Apostles, nor did they offer any suggestion to the effect that the
work of the Church should ever differ from the work which, they performed and directed us
to continue. On the contrary, they declare that we have the Apostles for ensamples of how
we ought to walk. They declare that our Lord's course was in full, perfect harmony with
the Divine will and Plan, and that the Apostles faithfully followed His ex ample: and we
are exhorted to simply become coworkers with God in His work, already instituted not to
alter or attempt to improve on it. There were moralists and moral reformers in our Lord's
day; some along the line of total abstinence, some along the line of asceticism,
inculcating rigid self-denials in food, clothing, etc., as essential to a moral uplift of
the people. There were also political reformers, who sought the establishment of
republican institutions, in His day; and social reformers, who sought to establish forms
of communism. There were also dress reformers at that time, who advocated certain peculiar
styles of clothing beneficial to health, morals, and religious sanctity. Do we find that
our Lord or His Apostles ever associated with any of these, or that they ever in any word
or act gave sanction or encouragement to any of these theories or reforms? No, not once.
No Authority For Any Change
'If, then, the teaching and example of our Lord and His Apostles are
our criterion of the will of the Lord, the Church's commission is not to morally reform
the world. But perhaps some one will say times are changed from what they were and the
Church's work should change accordingly. We answer that the Apostle Paul declares, in so
many words, 'I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.' (Acts 20:27.)
Whatsoever, therefore, is additional to that which was stated by the Apostle is not the
counsel of God. And any counsel from any other quarter is not to be received by
Christians, and is sure to be misleading. Again, the Apostle says to Timothy, respecting
the Word of God, 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.' (2 Tim. 3:16, 17.) If, therefore, it was God's design that the Church's
mission should change at some future time, we should be able to find in the Scriptures
some intimation of this kind, and some authority for the change. And if we find no
authority for a change in her mission, we should make no change.
"The question then arises', If the Church is not to rule the
world in this present Age, and if she is not to be the world's instructor, uplifter, by
moral reforms, what is her mission -what other mission can she have?
"(a) Her chief mission is toward herself: She is to lift up the
light in the world -- the True Light -- not with the expectation of enlightening the
world, not with the thought that her feeble lamp shall scatter earth's night of sin and
darkness of superstition, for that can be accomplished only by the coming of the Morning
-- the Millennial Morning -- when the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His
beams. She holds up the light of the Truth, the light of the Gospel, during this night, to
attract some -- a peculiar people -- not to attract and gather all, but 'even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' (Acts 2:39.) Her message respecting the
love of God and the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, as it rings out into the world, is
not expected to awaken the world and to lead
the world to the Lord. No; she is merely bearing 'witness' -- a witness which will have to
do also with a future knowledge and opportunity to be granted to the world during the Millennium.
Only the Few Blessed Now
"She is instructed by the Word of the Lord not to expect that
any but a comparatively small number will appreciate her light or her message: as the
Prophet foretold, so she has found it. 'Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the
arm of the Lord revealed?' (Isa. 53:1; John 12:38.) As the Scriptures declare, so she
finds it, that the vast majority of mankind are blind, so that they cannot see the light;
some are stone blind, so as to see nothing; while others are partially blind and can get a
little glimmer of it by which they can discern some things indistinctly. In hearing,
likewise, the world's ears are dull of hearing -- 'deaf,' say the Scriptures. Some hear
nothing, others hear very imperfectly, few hear the message of Divine love and mercy
clearly and distinctly. The Church is to realize that her mission is not to these, the
blind and deaf, but to him 'that hath an ear [to hear], let him hear!' -- Rev, 2:7; 3:6,
13, 22.
"'As our Lord did not expect many to respond to His preaching,
and particularly implied that only a small number would be able to do so, saying, 'No man
can come unto Me except the Father which sent Me draw him,' so His Church throughout this
Age is to realize that when she lifts up the light and lifts up her voice, no man will
come in response except as the Father draws him. And as the Father drew only a
comparatively small remnant of the Jewish nation to our Lord, so the Church should not be
surprised that He has drawn only a comparatively small proportion of Gentiles throughout
this Age.
Church Now Bearing Fruit of Spirit
(b) It is another part of the mission of the Church to care for those
who do see the light which she holds up, and who are attracted by that light, and who come
unto the Lord. She is to teach and instruct such; and to introduce them to the full
fellowship of the high calling by making clear to them, as the Lord's mouthpiece, 'what is
the hope of our calling,' present and future -- now to suffer with Christ for
righteousness' sake, to cultivate His Spirit, His disposition, to bear much fruit of the
Spirit in our own hearts and lives, and thus, under Divine supervision, to be fitted,
polished, and prepared for a place in the glorious Temple of the future, for a share in
the glorious work of the incoming Age -- the blessing of the world.-1 Cor. 1:26; Eph.
1:18; 2 Thess. 1:11.
"The Church is supplied by her glorious Head, Jesus Christ, with
certain gifts of the Spirit, amongst her members of the earth; and these co-working
together in their various offices are to strengthen, establish, upbuild, develop, one
another, growing in grace and in the knowledge and spirit of the Head, until the whole
Church shall eventually, by the close of this Age, be brought to the stature of the
fullness of perfection as the Body of Christ, under the Lord Jesus as the Head. (Eph.
4:13.) But she is not to expect that all, even of those who see her light, and who hear
her proclamation, and who draw near in harmony with her message, will eventually come into
full membership in this glorious Body of Christ. On the contrary, she is assured of the
Lord in advance that, while only a few, comparatively, will hear her message, the call, a
still smaller number will accept the call -- for many are called, proportionately, to the
few who are chosen -- who make their calling and election sure by faithfulness to the
conditions imposed. -- 2 Pet. 1:10.
Crucial Tests of Loyalty
"(c) The conditions imposed upon the Church are designed of the
Lord to be crucial tests of her loyalty to Him, and to the law of the Covenant under which
she was received by Him. Trials, difficulties, persecutions, are useful in proving whether
or not her covenant of consecration is from the heart: those who have merely made a lip
covenant will be sifted out, manifested, separated from the true ones whom the Lord
designates His jewels, and His sons; and whom He purposes to make joint-heirs in the
Kingdom with His well beloved Son, our Lord Jesus. It is for this reason that this call
and election, or selection, of the Church takes place during this present Age, while evil
is still permitted to reign in the world, and while the majority of mankind are under the
blinding influences of the great Adversary, not yet bound." -- Rev. 20 :l-3.
"One of the particular trials with many of the Lord's people is
that they are frequently upbraided by less consecrated, worldly-wise professors, with the
suggestion that they are selfish, and neglectful of the true work of the Church; because
they do not join with others in the various political, social, financial and moral reforms
of the world; or in 'revival' efforts to drive and scare the worldly, whom God has not
'called' by the truth along Scriptural lines. If we are obliged to endure something on
this score for Christ's sake, it is only a part of 'the sufferings of Christ,' in which we
should rejoice, realizing that the Lord knows our faithfulness to Him and to His Word. We
may realize, also, that in due time others shall see the Divine Plan actually fulfilling,
as we are now permitted to see it by the eye of faith; and they will then see that the
'wise virgins' were wise in that they hearkened to and obeyed the Lord's Word, and made
themselves ready for the future work of service for the world. -- Rev. 19:7; Eph. 4:12.
Sympathy With All Good Works
"We can sympathize with those who see nothing; we can sympathize
also with those who see a little, and who strive toward moral and other reforms, and in
various ways for the sectarian prosperity rather than for the upbuilding of the saints,
the Church of the living God, whose names are written in heaven. We should have patience,
particularly with those who give evidence that they are laboring in harmony with their
convictions. If they are engaging in good works of any kind, they deserve our sympathy,
and undoubtedly will obtain a blessing as a result. The true Church is laboring not merely
for a blessing, but for the blessing -- the prize of our high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. (Phil. 3:14.) Let all then who see the prize, and who see the light of God's glory
shining in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord, be faithful to the Father's terms,
conditions, calling, service. Let all such give attention to this ministry (service) which
we have received, and faint not; be not discouraged, whether men hear or, whether they
forbear; whether they think ill of us or whether they speak ill of us; let us remember
that our report at the end of the trial is to be rendered to the Lord Himself, when He is
making up His jewels. Let us remember that the first condition of acceptance with Him is
loyal obedience to His Word -- the evidence of love for Him and faith in Him. (2 Cor.
10:5, 6.) Let us remember, also, that the second qualification He will look for in us is
love for the brethren, readiness to be, to do, and to suffer, to die on behalf of those
who are really, truly, consecrated children of God, seeking to walk in His ways.
"All thus following in the ministry (the service) which we have
received of God, find themselves today walking in the footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles,
and find the various predictions made respecting the entire Church applicable to its
living members also, as, for instance, following our text, the Apostle declares of this
class who have this ministry
"'We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and
ourselves your servants [the Church's servants, not the world's servants] for Jesus' sake.
. . . We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, yet not in
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about
in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus [always representing Christ and His sacrifice as
dying members of His Body] that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
For we which live [as new creatures in Christ Jesus] are always delivered onto death for
Jesus' sake [our consecration at the beginning was a consecration to death; it changes
not; it will always so continue, until we have finished our course and have actually
died], that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.' -- Verses
5-11." -- Z. '99-6-11.
Satan Would Mislead the Church
As pointed out in the foregoing article, the Church's commission is a
unique one -- she has but one theme, one message to give out, and that is the Gospel
Message. This theme of all who properly represent the Lord, was well expressed by St.
Paul: "I determined to make known nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified." (1- Cor. 2:2, Diaglott.) As
bearing upon this particular point, we quote again
"Similar [to those of our Lord] are the temptations which Satan
presents to the consecrated followers of Jesus: Make
a great show before the world and the nominal church; attract their attention by any
means, and not simply by the preaching of the cross of Christ; use the spiritual powers
and blessings that you have received for doing some great and striking [smiting] work,
which will appeal to the natural man, and thus secure quick and great success; do this instead of doing the quiet and less
conspicuous work of presenting spiritual things to the spiritual class, which work the
vast majority can in no wise appreciate, but will only shun you, consider you peculiar,
and which not only will lose you the sympathy of the mass, but will bring you specially
the hatred of some of the principal professors of Christendom. .
"Satan, through his various mouthpieces, is continually saying
to the saints, Here is a more successful way of accomplishing your object than that which
you are pursuing, a more successful way than the Lord's way. Bend a little; make compromise with the worldly spirit; do not
hew too close to the line of the Word of God and the example of the Lord Jesus and the
Apostles; you must be more like the world, in order to, exert an influence -- mix a little
into politics, and a good deal into secret societies; keep in touch with the fads and
foibles of the day, and above all things keep any light of present truth under a bushel --
thus alone can you have influence and accomplish your good desires toward men. But our
dear Master assures us that we are to be faithful to the Lord and to His Plan, and let things work out as best they may along that
line; and that we may rest assured that in the end the Father's Plan not only is the
best, but really the only .plan for accomplishing His great designs, and that if we would
be associated therein with Him as co-laborers it must be by recognizing Him as our only
Master, and with an eye single to His approval.
"Our Lord's utter refusal of every other way of carrying out His
mission than the one which the Father had marked out, the way of self-sacrifice, the
Narrow Way, was indeed a great victory." -- Z. '00 -- 30, 32.'
The Real Ministry of the Saints
Again the essence of our mission is summed up:
"To follow the Lord's instruction the Royal Priesthood should
first, when discipling, inform those who have ears to hear that they are sinners through
the fall --imperfect in thought, word, and in act, and consequently unacceptable to God
and under sentence of death, extinction; but that God has made a provision for their
rescue, and, their return to harmony with Him and to life everlasting; that Christ Jesus,
in harmony with the, Father's Plan, paid the penalty of Adamic sin and condemnation, and
thus purchased the whole race of Adam, and proposes to set at liberty all who obey Him;
that now He is offering release by faith to as many as have the hearing ear -- even as
many as the Lord your God shall call; and that such as hear and accept the call may reckon
themselves as 'justified by faith,' as having their sins covered, and as being thus
reconciled to the Father through faith in Christ; and that now, if they become followers
or disciples of Christ they may become joint-sacrificers with Him and by and by be made.
joint-heirs in His Kingdom and its great work of blessing the world.
"Let us as the Lord's people, seeking for the old paths, note
well the Master's instruction in this connection; and let each one of us who seeks to
serve His cause labor exactly along the lines here marked out -- not thinking that his own
imperfect judgment or that of fellow- mortals is superior to the Lord, but to the
contrary, that the Lord, the Head of the Church, alone was competent to give the proper
commission which must be followed implicitly . . . . Let us remember, too, while using all
the wisdom we can in this service, that the Lord's object in giving us a share in His work
is not so much what we can accomplish as in the blessing that the labor will bring upon
us. This will be an encouraging thought to the dear ones who are engaged in the
'Volunteer' work; and if they find many discouragements and but small results, the
reflection that the Master knoweth them that are His, and that He appreciates every
sincere effort made to serve His cause and to lay down our lives on behalf of the
brethren, will give courage and strength to those who otherwise might faint by the
way." -- Z. '01-154, 155, 156.
The Great Work Beyond the Veil
In the light of the foregoing why cannot all see that pre-eminently
the members of the Church in the flesh are to be witnesses for the Truth, the Glad Tidings
of peace and comfort, heralding the coming Kingdom of Heaven, and that in so doing they
are thus acting as peacemakers, "pursuing peace with all, and. that holiness without
which no roan shall see the Lord." Hence we are riot to suppose that it is a part of
the mission of the Church to convert the world to the principles of Christianity under the
present conditions of evil. Nor are we to get the thought that it is the duty of the
Lord's people to reform or change in any way the present social, political, or
ecclesiastical systems: Nor is it our mission to undertake to smite them either physically
or symbolically. It is not our mission to intermeddle with the kingdoms or governments of
this world, for to do so would be busy-bodying in affairs of which the Lord never
authorized His people to be engaged. If the Church were to oppose and smite the present
institutions, social or ecclesiastical, then all persecutions or sufferings resulting
therefrom would be deserved, as they would have the inalienable right to defend themselves
and to oppose those who were seeking to injure or to destroy them. Those thus suffering
would do so not on account of righteousness, but because of mistaken zeal directed along
improper channels.
In this connection we are impressed to submit an interesting
statement by another on the subject of working for God:
"We are most thoroughly convinced that we are fit for God's work just so far as nature is brought
under the power of the cross, and the sharp razor of self-judgment. Self-will can never be
made available in the service of God; nay, it must be set aside, if we would know what
true service is. There is, alas! a large amount of that which passes for service, which,
if judged in the light of the Divine presence, would be seen to be but the fruit of a
restless will. This is most solemn, and demands our most earnest attention. We cannot
exercise too severe a censorship over ourselves, in this very thing. The heart is so
deceitful that we may be led to imagine that we are doing the Lord's work, when, in
reality, we are only pleasing ourselves. But, if we would tread the path of true service,
we must seek to be, more and more, apart from nature. The self-willed Levi must pass
through the typical process of washing and shaving, ere he can be employed in that
elevated service assigned him by the direct appointment of the God of Israel.
Who Is On the Lord's Side?
"But, ere proceeding to examine particularly the work and
service of the Levites, we must look for a moment at a scene in Exodus 32, in which they
act a very prominent and a very remarkable part. We allude, as the reader will at once
perceive, to the golden calf. During the absence of Moses, the people so completely lost
sight of God .and His claims as to set up a molten calf and bow down n thereto. This
terrible act called for a summary judgment. 'And when Moses saw that the people were
naked; (for Aaron had made them naked to their shame among their enemies) then Moses stood
in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And
all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus
saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and, go in and out from
gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother and every man his
companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the word
of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had
said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his
brother; that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day.' -- Exod. 32:25-29.
"This was a testing moment. It could not be otherwise, when this
great question was pressed home upon the heart and conscience, 'Who is on the Lord's
side?' Nothing could be more searching. The question was not, 'Who is willing to work?'
No; it was a far deeper and more searching question: It was not who will go here or there,
do this or that? There might be a vast amount of doing and going, and; all the while, it
might be but the impulse of an unbroken will which, acting upon religious nature, gave an
appearance of devotedness and piety eminently calculated to deceive oneself and others.
"But to be 'on the Lord's side' implies the surrender of one's
own will, yea, the surrender of oneself, and this is essential to the true servant, the
real workman. Saul of Tarsus was on this ground when he exclaimed, 'Lord, what wilt Thou
have me to do?' What words, from the self-willed, fierce, and cruel persecutor of the
Church of God!
"'Who is on the Lord's side?' Reader, art thou? Search and see.
Examine thyself closely. Remember, the question is not at all, 'What art thou doing?' No;
it is far deeper. If thou art on the Lord's side, thou art ready for any thing and every
thing. Thou art ready to stand still, or ready to go forward;. ready to go to the right or
to the left; ready to be active, and ready to be quiet; ready to stand on thy feet, and
ready to lie on thy back. The grand point is this, namely, the surrender of thyself to the
claims of another; and that other the Lord Christ.
"This is an immense point. Indeed we know nothing more
important, at the present moment than this searching question, 'Who is on the Lord's
side?' We live in days of immense self-will. Man exults in his liberty. And this comes
out, very prominently, in religious matters. Just as it was in the camp of Israel, in the
days of the thirty-second of Exodus, the days of the golden calf. Moses was out of sight,
and the human will was at work; the graven tool was called into operation. And what was
the result? The molten calf; and when Moses returned, he found the people in idolatry and
nakedness. Then came forth the solemn and testing question, 'Who is on the Lord's side?'
This. brought things to an issue, or rather it put people to the test. Nor it is otherwise
now. Man's will is rampant, and that, too, in matters of religion. Man boasts of his
rights, of the freedom of his will, the freedom of his judgment. There is the denial of
the Lordship of Christ; and therefore it behooves, us to look well to it, and see that we
really are taking sides with the Lord against ourselves; that we are in the attitude of
simple subjection to His authority. Then we shall not be occupied with the amount or
character of our service; it will be our one object to do the will of our Lord."
But some one may say, Does not the Apostle clearly indicate that the
Church is to engage in the work of demolishing the present systems of error, the religious
denominations promulgating false doctrines, when he says, "For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."
(2 Cor. 10:4.)
We answer, not so, but that the Apostle was referring to an
individual work in the mind of the consecrated believer. The overthrowing and destruction
of the strongly-entrenched errors, or firmly-established structures of systematic theology
contrary to the Truth, is the work represented in the expression, "pulling down of
strongholds."
It is very evident that this was the Apostle's thought when we
examine the context, for continuing, he says, "Casting down imaginations and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ "
Contending In Meekness
We may be assured that those who proceed, contrary to the Divine
commission, to engage in a work of injuring and smiting present institutions, are sure to
involve themselves in serious difficulties, and generate a condition of mind and heart in
which they ark easily misled and deceived by the great Adversary. It is but a slight step
from this stage of smiting to that of smiting the brethren in Christ and devouring one
another. The light of recent events, aside from that of the Scriptures, has demonstrated
the truthfulness of this statement.
When the Lord's people are exhorted to "earnestly contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3), it does not necessarily mean to fight and oppose
all who do not accept the Truth, but that they are to oppose the error in defense of the
faith, and in the spirit of meekness and love, for "the servant of the Lord must not
strive, but be gentle unto all . . . in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." --
2 Tim. 2 :24, 25.
Let all the saints of God then, labor on in the work the Lord has
assigned them -- the work of perfecting the saints for the future work of the ministry,
looking forward to the time when it shall be said of His glorious Bride: "Let us be
glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His
wife hath made herself ready." -- Rev. 19:7.
"And the Lord, whom ye
seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye
delight in: behold He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who nay abide the day of
His coming: and who shall stand when He appeareth?" -- Mal. 3:1, 2.
IN THE light of history unveiling prophecy, those who are now living
far down the stream of time beyond Malachi's day are permitted to take a broad view -- a
grand sweep of the centuries; the great vision of the ages is before them. Such are
enabled to recognize not only the import of the two Advents of Jesus, but are given a
grand, comprehensive view of all those blessed offices that center in Him as the great
Prophet, Priest, and King appointed of God to deliver the world from sin and death.
While Malachi the Prophet spoke for and represented Jehovah to the
returned Israelites, his prophecy was evidently intended to be of much more signal
importance in its application all the way down through the more than twenty centuries
since. Various of the Prophets had in one way or another referred to the coming of
Jehovah's special Messenger, the Messiah. The Jewish nation had been waiting for His
coming for more than fifteen centuries, and now Malachi, the last of the Prophets, gives
his testimony clear and strong in harmony with the rest, declaring that Messiah would
surely come. He would come to His temple and carry out the Divine program respecting it.
He would ultimately make it the meeting place between God and man, bringing untold
blessings to both Israel and all humanity.
The word "Lord" in this text is not in the Hebrew
"Jehovah," but signifies master, supervisor, teacher. Jehovah is represented
as the speaker, who evidently refers to the Lord Jesus, assuring those who have the ear to
hear and understand, that the Messiah, whom they seek, shall suddenly come to His temple.
The Messenger of the Covenant is primarily the Lord Jesus; He is indeed the great
Messenger through whom the Covenant will have its fulfillment, the great Abrahamic
Covenant, the Oath-abound Covenant. It is the hope of natural Israel and the hope of
spiritual Israel "which. hope we have as an anchor to our souls, . . . and which
entereth into that within the veil." The Messenger or Servant of that Covenant is the
one through whom its provisions will be accomplished, namely the Seed of Abraham,
"which seed is Christ." (Gal. 3:16.) The Messenger whom Jehovah would send is
the Christ, not alone the man Christ Jesus, who was pre-eminently the Divine Messenger,
but inclusively the whole Christ, the Church, the Body, the under-associates, with Jesus
the Head.
Suffering Now-Reigning Hereafter
As we have already seen in our study, this Messenger appears in the
two-fold capacity: First as the suffering One, the sacrificing One, and secondly as the
anointed, glorified One, the King, the Restorer. The work of suffering belongs to this
Gospel Age, the reign of glory belongs to the Millennial Age. The suffering began with the
consecration of our Lord and Master at the time of His baptism into death. The three and
one-half years of His ministry were so much of His delivering Himself into death or
baptism into death, and that personal sacrifice was finished at Calvary. During this
Gospel Age, in harmony with the Divine Plan, our Redeemer has accepted a little flock from
the world upon their renouncement of sin, their acceptance of Him as their justification,
and their consecration of their little all to His service, "to be dead with Him that
they might also live with Him, to suffer with Him that they might also reign with
Him."
"Throughout this Gospel Age, this overcoming Class, the Church,
has been faithfully laying clown, sacrificing, life and earthly prospects and interests
because of their love .for the Lord and for the principles of righteousness which He
represents. Thus this entire Gospel Age has been one of suffering. As stated by the
Apostle, the Prophets foretold the "sufferings of Christ and the glory that should
follow." (1 Pet. 1:11.) The glory of this great Christ, Head and Body, cannot be
ushered in until all of its sufferings are at an end. Hence, as the Apostle urges, it is
for us to appreciate the situation and understand our privilege to "suffer with
Him," or "to be dead with Him," to fill up that which is behind of the
afflictions of Christ, to "present our bodies living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to
God, our reasonable service." -- 2 Tim. 2:11, 12 ; Col. 1:24; Rom. 12:1.
Coming to His Temple
Understanding this portion of Malachi's prophecy then to be a
portrayal of the Lord's dealing with the temple class, we must make the application, not
specially in connection with some particular trial upon the Church now, nor at any one
particular date in connection with His Second Advent, but rather we must see the, prophecy
as having reference to the entire period of time covering the whole Gospel Age, during
which Messiah is calling and developing those who would be of His temple. The text then
having reference to the entire appearance of Messiah, beginning at Jordan, His appearance
culminates in His glorious revelation at His Second Advent. The Jews, at His First Advent,
had been expecting the greater Mediator than Moses, who was the mediator of the old Law
Covenant. Moses said to them, "A Prophet [a great Messiah] shall the Lord your God
raise up unto you from amongst your brethren; like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all
things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which
will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people." (Acts 3:22,
23.) So they were expecting this great Messiah, the greater Mediator of the New Covenant.
Jehovah had said, "I will send My Messenger, . . . even the Messenger of the
Covenant, whom ye delight in." You are expecting a greater than Moses; but it will
mean a severer trial and testing when the greater shall come.
Thus Jesus came to His temple nineteen centuries ago, in the sense
that He began dealing with the temple or Levite class. To His own He came, first, but as
we have seen, only a remnant of these accepted Jesus as the antitypical Mediator of the
New Covenant. The call went to the Gentiles and to them were proclaimed the hopes and
promises that had been first offered to the Jewish nation, that the Gentiles should be
made "fellow-heirs with the remnant of believing Jews. Addressing some of these, St.
Paul said, "Ye are the temple of the living God." (1 Cor 3:16.) All through this
Age the Messenger of the Covenant has appeared, that is, has been with His temple, has
been conducting the work of purifying and refining.
"Who Shall Stand When He Appeareth"
And so asks the Prophet, "Who may abide the day of His coming?
and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers'
soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons
of Levi." It is not literal silver and gold that is to be refined, but God's people.
They will be relieved of the dross that they may offer unto the Lord an acceptable
sacrifice in righteousness. These sons of Levi in the antitypical sense are the household
of faith in this Age, and they have proposed that they will offer themselves to the Lord
-- will "present their bodies living sacrifices." Such as do thus fully present
themselves will be the priests, and the great Messiah will be the High Priest. They will
offer unto the Lord an acceptable sacrifice in righteousness.
The question, "Who shall stand when He appeareth?" should
be understood to mean, who shall stand the tests during
the time of His appearing, when He is causing His prospective joint-heirs to pass through
the refiner's fire. At the First Advent, we recall that John the Baptist said with
reference to the Jews, "He will thoroughly purge His floor and gather His wheat into
His garner." (Matt. 3:12.) Similarly, throughout the Age since, there has been a
testing, a trying, and proving of the Lord's people. Who will stand the test to prove who
are the people of God? The Lord has been determining who are really the consecrated ones.
Ministers of the New Covenant
As elsewhere presented in the Scriptures, this Gospel Age is for the
purpose of finding the priests out of the Levitical class, to make them ready as ministers
of the New Covenant, which is to be for all the people through them. (2 Cor. 3:6.) While
the New Covenant has not yet been inaugurated, and has not been in operation toward any
(the Church class coming under the "faith Covenant" or "Covenant of
Sacrifice" along with Jesus as members of the "Seed" class), yet it is
proper to recognize that the New Covenant has been in process of inauguration all through
this Gospel Age in the sense that the Lord has been providing those who shall be the
agencies of its complete establishment in the future; meantime the New Covenant does not
benefit either Israel or the world until the Kingdom is established and the Covenant put
into operation early in the Millennial Age. As there was to be a Mediator to make
atonement and to establish a covenant between God and man, this Mediator began with the
Lord Jesus Christ, the High Priest. Then in God's arrangement, He was to add an under
priesthood, all these to be the antitypical Levites, ministers, and servants of the New
Covenant. All the lines of prophecy focusing upon the present time compel the belief that
the work of this Age is about accomplished; and because we are now in the end of the Age,
tests more crucial are being applied and will continue to be applied until the Lord shall
have completed the development of this spiritual house of Levi, the antitypical
Priesthood.
The Apostle, in addressing the Hebrews, clearly describes what is to
be expected to follow the completion of the Church, and their general assembling in the
First Resurrection. He portrays the ushering in of the new order of things, the
establishing of the Kingdom, and the introduction of the New Covenant, midst a great
shaking time of trouble, being the antitype of the inauguration of the Law Covenant by
Moses at Mount Sinai. -- Heb. 12:18-27.
Thus before the blessings can come, the day of wrath, the "fire
of God's jealousy" must pass upon the world. It is not to be a fire merely to
destroy, but especially to purify; and will not, therefore, be a literal fire, but a
symbolical fire, following which the Lord will turn. to the people a pure language, a pure
message, and, a clear declaration of the Divine will and plan of salvation.
Purging in the Daily Experiences
It maybe asked, What is the "offering in righteousness"
here mentioned? The offering now being made to God is the offering of the Church -- "Present your bodies a living
sacrifice." (Rom. 12:1.) The High Priest purifies these members of His Body by giving
them the necessary experiences day by day, that they may more and more learn the will of
God -- may more fully lay down earthly things and attain to the character-likeness of our
Lord Jesus. This purging does not come all at once and complete the offering; but, in our
daily experiences the chastisements of the Lord are to the end that His will may be
accomplished in us more perfectly. He is giving us these experiences day by day, so that,
as we receive them, we may learn what is His will, that we may complete the offering in,
righteousness which we have begun.
If it be asked how we could be members of the great Refiner and, at
the same time be of this Levite company whom He is refining, we answer that this is the
picture uniformly set before us in the Scriptures -- that Christ is the Head of the Body,
in the official sense; and we are counted in as members of His Body; even before we have
been fully and completely and finally accepted as such in the "First
Resurrection." The Head has passed into glory and we are to be with Him. From the
time of our acceptance and begetting of the Holy Spirit we are counted in as members of
His Body in a prospective manner, on the supposition that we shall make our calling and
election sure. Then, again, in another sense of the word, the Lord uses these very ones
whom He is refining as co-laborers with Him and gives to them a part of the ministry of
reconciliation, some of the refining work amongst them being some who are instructors of
the brethren -- until, as the Apostle says, they all come to the full stature of a man in
Christ. (Eph. 4:13.) So now the refining work, the increasing of the Body
of Christ, goes on the use of the different members of the Body proceeds, all by reason of
the fact that our Lord is the Head of the Body.
Our Redemption Draweth Nigh
Those who are following the lamp of the Lord's Word and who recognize
the meaning of the present times and circumstances and tests amongst God's people, should
not be expecting the trials to grow lighter and easier, but to the contrary, we should
look for greater and severer tests upon the true Israel of God. What God's people have
been passing through in these very recent years is in full harmony with just what we
should expect, and, instead of the brethren in their scattered, bewildered and
tempest-tossed condition being discouraged concerning their blessed hopes, they should
interpret all of these circumstances as the voice of the Lord declaring that their
redemption draweth nigh, and should accordingly lift up their heads, renewing their
confidence and their courage day by day, for the Lord will surely perfect that which
concerneth His people. He will gather to Himself in heavenly glory all the faithful of the
temple class, all the faithful of the
Levitical, priestly class who successfully endure the refining and purifying processes of
the present time, who thus "abide [remain loyal] the day of His coming," and
"who stand [the test] when He appeareth."
"Just why I suffer loss
I can not know;
I only know my Father Wills it so.
He leads in paths I cannot understand;
Put all the way I know is wisely planned.
"My life is only mine
That I may use The gifts He lendeth me
As He may choose:
And if in love some boon He doth recall,
I know that unto Him belongeth all.
"I am His child, and I
Can safely trust;
He loves me, and I know
That He is just;
Within His love I can securely rest,
Assured that what He does for me is best."
"For even hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that ye should follow His steps." -- 1 Pet. 2:21.
IN HIS steps," must be the motto of every consistent follower of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether we think of the figure of a race-course or of a difficult,
narrow, and winding pathway over dangerous roads leading to a happy goal, the thought and
lesson before us are the same. It is ever and always the Christ-life -- the manner of
thinking, speaking and acting according to the great and sublime example of Jesus, of whom
God said, "This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The basis for this
high commendation from above is to be found in the fact that Jesus did always those things
that pleased the Father, as He declared, "I delight to do Thy will." The will of
God was our Lord's theme always, which signified that He was ready always to observe and
obey the great principles of the Divine government.
The steps of Jesus were then steps of obedience, steps of loyalty to
God, steps of faithfulness to duty and to every requirement of the Divine Law. We are
assured in the Scriptures that it was through the course of His earthly pilgrimage, taking
these steps one after another day after day, that our Savior attained a state and richness
of character that qualified Him to be the Redeemer of mankind and the dispenser of all
those marvelous blessings that the human race is to receive in that blessed dispensation
of the fullness of times. (Heb. 2:10.) Those who are to share Christ's reward, who are to
see Him as He is and be like Him in heavenly glory, are instructed of the Spirit that His
example is before them and that they should follow in His steps.
"He Reviled Not Again"
It is the great Apostle Paul who likewise earnestly admonishes the
Christian to "Consider Him," ponder over, take note of, observe and think upon
Christ and His life. One of the evidences of the Master's greatness and strength was, as
the Apostle indicates, His enduring of such contradiction of sinners against Himself. We
well know that our Lord endured physical opposition; but our English word contradiction
properly translates the original, implying verbal contradiction of His words. We observe
as we consider our Lord's case that the people opposed Him, not so much physically, but in
His words, doctrines, and teaching. It was left for the High Priest and Sanhedrin and
soldiers to do Him physical violence and put Him to death; and He could have resisted them
if He had so chosen.
That the Apostle refers more to the contradiction of His words seems
to be implied by St. Peter's statement which says, "When He was reviled, He reviled
not again." During the ,period of our Lord's ministry we find that His doctrines were
disputed and that He was repeatedly slandered. It was said of Him that He was possessed of
a demon; that He performed His miracles by the prince of demons; that He was a blasphemer.
These contradictions and oppositions on their part might have called out from Him some
very just, truthful statements respecting them. He might have told them that Satan was
working with them, etc. His perfect command of language would have given Him ability to
abundantly cope with them. When they sought to entrap Him in His words, He entrapped them
in their own words. But He reviled not. He did not render evil for evil, nor railing for
railing. This the Apostle shows is the proper course.
Few Are Advanced in Discipleship
The great lesson in all of this course of Jesus should be obvious to
every earnest follower of the Master, who from time to time realizes himself the object of
evil words, unkind words, and general mistreatment from those who misunderstand or are
evilly minded. It is natural, especially for the fallen flesh, to think of something evil
to say in return. And such circumstances become tests upon the Christian. If we yield to
such a spirit of malice and retaliation, we are following the course of the enemy and not
of the Lord. The important consideration therefore is to have a large measure of the
Spirit of God, to be filled with the Spirit. If we are not thus well fortified we will
very probably become wearied and faint in our minds when attacked by the Adversary,
whoever may be his agents and whatever may be their missiles. He cannot do any real
injury, and it will only increase our reputation and worth in the Lord's sight if we
endure faithfully he can do no outward harm that God cannot overrule for the good of His
cause -- though that good may mean "sifting" of "chaff" and
"tares" from the "wheat." Evil speaking, backbiting and slandering are
strictly forbidden to God's people as wholly contrary to His spirit of love even if the
evil thing be true. Jesus gave as a preventive of anything in the nature of slander some
special instructions that mark out the only way of redress of grievances. (Matt.
18:15-17.) Many among even advanced Christians have seemed to be much in ignorance of this
Divine ruling, and professed Christians are often the most pronounced scandal-mongers. Yet
this is one of the few special specific commandments given by the Savior; and considered
with the statement, "Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command." the
constant violation of this, our Lord's command, proves that many are not far advanced in
sonship -- discipleship.
Again, we observe in the steps of Jesus, great simplicity and purity.
What inspiration we find to be pure ourselves and maintain a conscience void of offense
toward God and men! We must begin with the heart; we must not harbor thoughts or
contemplate that which would in any sense of the word be evil. To make sure of this, let
us have Christ Jesus as our pattern well and much before our minds. As soon as evil is
intruded upon us, either from without or from within, let us lift up our heart's in prayer
to Him for the grace promised in every time of need. Let us keep constantly before us the
prayer, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in
Thy sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer."
Sympathy With Divine Principles
As an aid to us in following the various specific commands of
Scripture it is important that we seek more and more to understand and to come in sympathy
with the principles which underlie the Divine Law and ruling. These wilt enable us to
judge of the right and the wrong of such of our words, thoughts and acts as may not be
particularly specified in the Lord's Word. Surely as we come to understand and sympathize
with the principles of the Divine Law to that extent we are getting the spirit of the
Divine Word. Note the testimony of the Psalmist on this point, "O how love I Thy law!
it is my meditation all the day. Thou, through Thy commandments, hast made me wiser than
mine enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep
Thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy Word. I
have not departed from Thy judgments, for Thou hast taught me. How sweet are Thy words
unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Thy precepts I get
understanding ; therefore I hate every false way. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a
light unto my path." -- Psa. 119:97-105.
Every child of God will want to shun a contentious and fault-finding
disposition as contrary to the spirit or disposition of Christ -- contrary to love. A
combative courage is necessary in overcoming the world, the flesh and the Devil and their
various snares. This fighting disposition may become a valuable aid to ourselves and to
the Master's cause if rightly and wisely directed against sin, first in ourselves and
secondly in others -- if used for the Lord and His people and against Satan and all his
powers of darkness and superstition. This, in the Scriptures, is called fighting the good
fight, and we all should be gallant soldiers in this battle for Right and Truth, lovingly
defending our Captain's honor and His people's liberties,
The Powers of Evil Would Make Combativeness a Chief
Virtue
But such a good, use of combativeness is not pleasing to the Prince
of this world, who will seek to pervert what he cannot directly use. Consequently, he
attempts with some to make combativeness a chief virtue. He encourages them to fight
everything and everybody; the brethren, more than the powers of darkness; nominal
churchmen, more than the errors of ignorance which blind them and make them such. Indeed,
his desire is to get us to "fight against God."
All should be on their guard on this point. Those who are walking in
His steps will first of all, judge themselves, lest they cast a stumbling- block before others; let us fight down
in our own hearts the wrong spirit which seeks to make mountains out of trifles and
disposes us to be captious and contentious over non-essentials. Let us be very tolerant,
recognizing that we are not yet judges of any. Greater is "he that ruleth his own
spirit than he that taketh a city." Let us guard ourselves that our defense of the
Truth be, not from motives of self-glorification, but from love for the Truth, love for
the Lord, for His people, the brethren. If love be the impelling spirit, or motive, it
will show itself accordingly in a loving, gentle, patient, humble course toward all the
fellow-servants. Let us be "gentle toward all." Let "the sword of the
Spirit, the Word of God," which is, quick and powerful;' do all the cutting.
Beware of all thoughts, feelings and conditions of heart directly or
remotely connected with malice, envy, hatred; strife: These should have no place in our
hearts, even for a moment; for they will surely do us great injury, aside from leading to
the injury of other's. Our hearts, our wills, our intentions and desires should be kept
full of love toward God and all His creatures -- the most fervent toward God, and
proportionately toward all who have His spirit and walk in the way of His direction.
Do Not Trust to Conscience Alone
If conscience were a sufficient guide we would have no need of the
Scriptures. The majority of people have as good as no conscience; for they are blind to
the principles and laws of God given to guide conscience; and still worse off than these
are those mentioned in 1 Tim. 4:2. Hence the imperative necessity for carefully heeding
the Lord's Word, and walking circumspectly according to its light.
We are not to faint in our minds nor become discouraged, feeling that
so much has been said against us that we must give up the race. On the contrary, we are to
feel assured, as did our Lord, that nothing can befall us except with the knowledge of the
Father, who is working all things for our good. It was thus our Lord was prepared for His
exaltation. So we, if we are rightly exercised by our various experiences, and if we
follow as closely as possible the commands laid down for our guidance as we seek to walk
in His steps, will find that even revilings, slanders, oppositions to righteousness, will
work out blessings for us, as they did for our Lord.
But how many become weary and are in danger of dosing the prize
because they fail to consider what the Lord faithfully endured of opposition! If such
would consider that the Lord, who was perfect, suffered in every sense unjustly for
righteousness' sake, and that their own conduct is imperfect, they would not be weary in
well doing, but would learn to fight and to "endure hardness as good soldiers of
Jesus Christ"; they would continue to "fight the good fight of faith."
"We have not an High Priest which cannot lie touched with a
feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like as we [the Church] are,
yet without sin."
VOL. X. October 15, 1927 No. 20
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold,
the bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him."-- Matt. 25:6.
AMONGST the parables of our Lord there is none that inspires more to
watchfulness and faithfulness than that of the ten virgins. Indeed we may well suppose
that the object of the parable is to impress more indelibly the lesson of sober and godly
vigilance and to warn yet more emphatically against the peril of lukewarmness, the drowsy
life, and the smoldering lamp. It is recalled that the parable of the virgins is given as
really a part of our Lord's answer to the question concerning the destruction of
Jerusalem: "When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy presence
and of the end of the Age?" Jesus, answering the question in His great prophecy of
Matthew 24, had explained these matters, indicating to them that His Second Coming would
be .in strenuous times, when, if it were possible, the "very elect" would be
deceived -- in which as it was in the days of Noah, so it would be in the days of the Son
of Man -- the multitudes of the world would be eating and drinking, planting and building,
marrying and giving in marriage, and would be unaware of the storm impending and of the
consummation of the Age preparatory to the beginning of the new Age, the beginning of His
Kingdom.
It was then to impress the matter upon the minds of His disciples
that Jesus gave the parable of the ten virgins-five wise and five foolish. The scene of
the parable is undoubtedly laid near to the close of the Gospel Age, as is indicated by
its opening statement, "Then [at the
time of these events that are associated with My Second Coming] shall the Kingdom of
Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom." The parable could not be applicable all along through the Age and long
in advance of the Master's return; but to our understanding is applicable now, because we
are living in the end of the Age, at the time when the signs mentioned by Jesus are in
evidence, the signs that mark the, presence of the Bridegroom-and therefore the time when
the wise virgins will go in, to the wedding and the foolish be excluded. There should then
be strong indications today that the parable is in process of fulfillment.
The Heavenly Bridegroom and Bride
Throughout the Scriptures the Church is represented as a Bride in
.preparation for her marriage. The Bridegroom uniformly is the Lord Jesus, to whom belongs
the entire inheritance, and the opportunity granted to the Lord's followers in the present
time is that of becoming His Bride and Joint-heir. They have no status or relationship, to
the King Eternal except as they obtain it by union with the King's Son. The type of this
in the Old Testament is a very beautiful one: Abraham typified the Heavenly Father, very
rich; Isaac typified our Lord Jesus, the seed of promise, the heir of all; Abraham's
servant, sent to call a wife for Isaac, beautifully typified the Holy Spirit, which,
during this Gospel Age, has been selecting the Church, of which, the Apostle says, I have
espoused you as a chaste virgin unto one husband; which is Christ. -- 2 Cor. 11:2.
Throughout the Gospel Age this Church, under the guidance and
protection of the Holy Spirit, has been approaching the Father's house of many mansions,
the heavenly Kingdom, the glorious conditions promised in joint-heirship with the
Bridegroom. If, we rightly understand the matter we are now at the end of the journey, and
the Bride class, typified by Rebecca, is putting on the veil and alighting from the camel
and being received by the heavenly Bridegroom. As the entire matter has occupied a long
period of nearly nineteen centuries, so the coming features are occupying several years
for their accomplishment. Soon the Bride will be with. the Bridegroom and in the Sarah
tent -- joint-heir with Him in the Abrahamic Covenant. It is in harmony with this that the
Apostle assures us that "if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise." --Gal. 3 :29.
Several, of the Lord's parables relate to this marriage of the King's
Son, and His last message to the Church tells us of how ultimately the Bride, the Lamb's
wife, shall shine forth resplendent in the Kingdom. She is also symbolized by the New
Jerusalem. The announcement is there made, too, of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb after
the Bride, the Lamb's wife, shall have made herself ready. (Rev. 19:7-9.) John the Baptist
as a prophet referred to this relationship between Christ and the Church, saying, "He
that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom when he heareth
his voice rejoiceth greatly. This my joy is fulfilled." John realized that he was
neither a member of the Bride class nor was he the Bridegroom. He recognized Jesus as the
Bridegroom, and was glad to be honored of God as the servant of the Bridegroom and Bride
to give the introduction. The high position John will occupy in the future, as one of the
faithful prophets of whom our Lord said there was none greater, is assured; but we have
the Lord's further significant statement that the least one, the humblest one in the Bride
class of this Gospel Age, the least one in this Kingdom, class, will be greater than John
the Baptist, because these are to be joint-heirs in the Kingdom, partakers of the glory,
honor, immortality, while John and the faithful of the past will be upon the earthly plane
as representatives and princes of the Kingdom amongst men. -- Matt. 11:11; Heb. 11:39, 40;
Psa. 45:16.
Two Classes of Virgins
Having the parable then located before our minds as belonging
somewhere about the present time, we note the fact that it refers only to virgins -- pure
ones. The parable therefore cannot refer to the world at all nor to even ordinary Church
people. Both the wise and foolish virgins represent Christians, the Kingdom of Heaven
class, consecrated believers, believers who have heard the Gospel of the Kingdom, who are
expecting a change at His Second Advent, who have lamps, and who get from their lamps
light, spiritual information and instruction, and inspiration to piety and, godly living.
These two classes of pure ones, separate from the world, informed
respecting the Bridegroom's coming and Kingdom and waiting for it, represent two general
classes of consecrated Christian's; the one measuring fully up to the Lord's requirements
in the matter of zeal, faithfulness, and fullness of consecration, will prove themselves
to be of the fully overcoming class and will occupy places with our Lord in His throne;
the other, a more numerous class, who in some important respects are a second grade class
of Christians, less faithful to the Lord, less fervent in spirit, and more or less
subjects of lukewarmness and indifference, consequently foolish virgins, will not be
admitted into the special blessings and rewards of the wise virgin class.
It would. seem reasonable to think that these are the same two
classes that are represented in the Tabernacle type by the two goats, one of which became
the Lord's goat for sacrifice and the other the scape-goat, only that in the Tabernacle
type the goats represented the two classes all the way down through the Gospel Age as well
as particularly at its close, while the two classes in the parable under consideration
represent the Church only in the present time in the end of this Age.
Necessity for Watching and Praying
Evidently the Lord's object in giving the parable was twofold: first,
to give a salutary lesson to the Apostles and the entire Church of this Gospel Age on the
necessity for alertness, watching and praying, anticipating and preparing for the coming
King and His Kingdom that they might be constantly ready for a share therein. Second, the
parable was specially intended for the saints living in this time, to let them see that it
would not be sufficient to be hoping and praying for the Kingdom and in a general way
expecting the Bridegroom, but that they must be so alert and. so full of enthusiasm for
the event that it would lead them to make the wisest possible preparation for it, that
they might not be disappointed at the final moment.
True to the picture in the parable, there has been within the past
century a general stir, a worldwide movement amongst the Lord's people of all
denominations which culminated in what is commonly known as the Second Advent Movement.
While it is true that throughout the Age the faithful watching class have kept before
their minds the great theme of their Master's return, and while at various intervals
through the centuries it was thought that the Lord's Second Presence was at hand, yet,
none of these occasions have had the earmarks of the fulfillment of the parable -- in fact
could not have been the fulfillment since it is quite distinctly implied that it is a
portrayal of certain events and circumstances in the time when the Age would actually end.
But within the past century the virgins, the pure ones, the spiritually minded of
Christians all over the world, have been aroused with the thought that the return of the
Bridegroom was near, with the result that there has been a general lamp trimming, a
general investigation; a general study and examination of the prophecies of the Bible,
especially on the subjects of the close of the Age, the
Second Presence of the Lord, and the establishment of His Kingdom.
Many Prophecies Pass into History
It is remembered in this connection that the great Reformation
movement and the developments which followed had much to do with preparing for this
awakening concerning the coming of the Bridegroom that took place in the nineteenth
century. In our study of the Revelation visions we have observed how this feature relative
to the previous developments was portrayed particularly in the tenth and eleventh chapters
of the Apocalypse. First, there was the vision of the mighty angel from heaven
"clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his, face was as it were
the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book; . . . and
cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth." Here, and in the context, as has
been noted do the Revelation exposition, there appears to be a clear forecast of what took
place in the sixteenth century, in the way of the exercise of the power of Christ in
defense of His people at a time of sore need; a portrayal of the deadly blow that was
dealt the great apostate system, etc. These events, as noted by many able expositors, were
of such magnitude and importance as to "affect in a most remarkable manner the
general conditions of mankind, and the Lord's consecrated in particular. Historians have
filled many large volumes in describing these occurrences. The effects of these great
transactions are seen today in not only the professed Christian world, but in the nations
and peoples of earth as well."
The little book in the hand of the mighty angel, and later given to
St. John to eat is significant of the special message of comfort and truth that was given
to the truth-hungry and famishing children of God following the Reformation. The giving of
the little book to the Lord's people has its fulfillment we believe in the life-work and
ministry of one after another of the Reformers", as under the direction of the Lord
they were enabled to remove the rubbish of error and uncover the precious truths that had
so long been perverted and hidden. This is further pictured in Chapter 11, verses 1 and 2,
Where St. John was told to measure the temple of God, suggestive of the examination, the
proving and setting in proper order of the truths of the Divine Plan relative to the
temple class, the Church, as well as the world. Further on in the same chapter (verses
3-12) there came the vision of the two witnesses, prophesying in sackcloth and ashes,
their death and then their resurrection and ascension to heaven, emphasizing still further
the foregoing point well known to the historian relative to the cruel persecuton unto
death of the true Church and the Truth itself for a time; the coming to life of these
subsequently as a result of the influences of providence in connection with and following
the Reformation; the still further liberating of the Truth set forth in the Scriptures and
its representatives, their lifting up and exaltation to favor with the civil powers, to a
place of dignity and influence never before known -- all of this we have witnessed as
substantially taking place up to the close of the eighteenth century, about 1799, when the
Papal powers to persecute were completely broken at the end of the 1260 prophetic years.
It must be conceded by all that with the opening of the nineteenth
century the true Church composed of consecrated believers occupied in some respects a
position of decided advantage over the Church of all previous periods of the Age. Many of
the Bible prophecies hitherto dark and obscure began to open up and to be understood. Many
of the Apocalyptic visions as well as much of the prophecy of Daniel could now be
comprehended inasmuch as they had largely passed into history. Hence the faithful
watchers, as they gave heed to the light of their lamps recognized that they were
approaching the end of the Age, and that the Second Coming of the Lord could not be far
away.
Going Forth to Meet the Bridegroom
As a result of all this arousing of the virgin class and the
investigation that followed, there was developed the Second Advent movement which took
definite shape during the first half of the last century. But still much confusion
prevailed on account of the incorrect views and impressions concerning both the object and
manner of the Lord's Second Advent. The general conception being that Christ was to come
again as a man in a body of flesh; that He would immediately gather, His saints to Himself
and literally destroy the earth with fire and all its unsaved inhabitants. In keeping with
these crude opinions, heroic efforts were made to determine the exact date of the Lord's
return. The first of these Second Advent movements of any moment was that headed by
William Miller. Brother Russell, reviewing this subject and writing concerning the part
played by this leader said:
'"Areligious movement culminated in 1844, the participants in
which were then., and since, generally known as 'Second Adventists' and 'Millerites,'
because they expected the Second Advent of the Lord to occur at that date, and because a
Mr. William Miller was the leader and prime mover. The movement, which began about 1829,
had before 1844 (when they expected the Lord's return) attracted the attention of all
classes of Christian people, especially in the Eastern and Middle States where it amounted to an excitement .
. . . A long while before this, Prof. Bengel, in Tubingen, Germany; began to call
attention to the prophecies and the coming Kingdom of Messiah, while the celebrated
missionary Wolff did the same in Asia. The center of the work, however, was America, Where
social, political, and religious conditions have favored, more than elsewhere,
independence in Bible study as well as in other matters; just as the First Advent movement
was confined to Judea, though all the devout Israelites, everywhere, heard more or less of
it. -- Acts 2:5..
"All know something of the failure of Brother Miller's
expectations. The Lord did not come in 1844, and the world was not burned up with fire, as
he had expected and taught others to expect; and this was a great disappointment to those
'holy people' who had so confidently looked for Christ ('Michael') then to appear and to
exalt them with Him in power and glory. But, notwithstanding the disappointment, the
movement had its designed effects -- of
awakening an interest in the subject of the Lord's coming, and of casting reproach upon
the subject by reason of mistaken expectations. . . . That 'Miller movement,' as it is
slightingly called, brought also an individual blessing to the 'holy people' who
participated in it; it led to a careful searching of the Scriptures, and to confidence in
God's Word above the traditions of men; and it warmed and fed and united the hearts of
God's children in unsectarian fellowship; those interested were of all denominations;
though principally Baptists. It is since that movement ended, that some of these have
organized and bound themselves as new sects, thus blinding themselves to some of the
blessings due in the 'harvest.'
"While, as the reader will have observed, we disagree with Mr.
Miller's interpretations and deductions, on almost every point -- viewing the object, as well as the manner and the time, of our Lord's coming, in a very different
light -- yet we recognize that movement, as being in God's order, and as doing a very
important work in separating, purifying, refining, and thus making ready, of a waiting
people prepared for the Lord. And not only did it do a purifying and testing work in its
own day, but, by casting reproach upon the study of prophecy and upon the doctrine of the
Lord's Second Advent, it has ever since served to test and prove the consecrated,
regardless of any association with Mr. Miller's views and expectations."
The Bridegroom Tarried
In addition to the disappointment of 1844, other dates have been set
for the Lord's return and other disappointments have followed, though perhaps none of
equal moment to that of the Miller Movement. Thus it appears that true to one of the
lessons in the parable of the virgins, the Bridegroom has tarried ; that is, He has seemed to tarry. Really, from the Lord's
standpoint, there has been no tarrying, for He needs not to delay anything when His time
comes. It has been only from the standpoint of the watchers that He has seemed to tarry.
His advent having been anticipated at certain set times,
the failure of those expectations has. meant humanly speaking, that the Bridegroom
Bridegroom tarried. Further, as the parable indicates, during the time when the Bridegroom
has seemed to delay His return, the virgin class all slumbered and slept. Figuratively
speaking, after the failure of various predictions and expectations as to the Bridegroom's
presence, as a class, the virgins became drowsy and fell asleep on the subject of, the
Lord's return, and the study of prophecy;. a wave of lethargy and indifference came over
them: for a time regarding these matters, The lamps were measurably neglected and a
general stupor fell upon them. Indeed, as another has said, "Many of the virgins not
only slept, but dreamed peculiar; fantastic, and unreasonable things." How much
diversified teaching, how many conflicting and
confusing theories and philosophies have been developed and propagated by those who have
professed to be interested in the fulfillment of prophecy and tile return of the Lord !
At Last the Announcement of His Presence
But finally, at last there has come the midnight announcement,
"Behold the, Bridegroom." This, as the parable goes on to show, represents a
movement, a proclamation of the Lord's presence, based upon sound conclusions. This time
it is no false alarm, for the announcement marks really the time for the Bridegroom's
presence. The same general class is referred to, though not necessarily the same
individuals, As the earlier awakenings of the virgins were the result of the light upon
prophecy, regarding the time for Messiah's Second Advent as the Bridegroom of the Church,
so with the final movement when His presence actually becomes a fact, as we believe it
has.* It has been revealed in what the Master Himself termed, "The sign of [the
presence of] the Son of Man in heaven," in the ecclesiastical heavens. This sign has
consisted of certain comparatively sudden world-wide developments .and changes, movements,
and activities taking place in the, affairs of men, indicating that a new force, a, new
power and influence not hitherto active, is in operation, looking in the direction of the
complete dissolution of this world order, and preparing for the establishment of the
Kingdom. All of this manifestation taken together with several chronological predictions,
as to the conclusion of this Age, has, during the past fifty years or so become the
foundation for the belief in and proclamation amongst the virgin class of the
announcement, "Behold the Bridegroom."**
__________
* See issues of this journal of Oct. 1
to Dec. 15, 1926, discussing the subject of our Lord's Second Presence.
** The oldest Greek MSS., the Sinaitic
and Vatican, omit cometh, and read: "Behold the Bridegroom."
___________
Let the point be clearly seen that the force of the announcement is
that the Bridegroom, is present, for it does not say, Behold the coming of the Bridegroom
is not far off, nor Behold, He is coming soon, but Behold Him, that He is present, etc.
The word "behold" signifies to see, look upon, etc.. The Bridegroom would
necessarily have to be present in order for any to look upon or behold Him.. It is His presence then that is
announced. Nor is it of first importance that we determine the exact day or even year when
the Bridegroom became present. Even the most faithful effort in this direction, we
believe, leaves us still in doubt as to the precise moment when His presence was a fact;
even as at our Lord's First Advent the exact date of our Lord's birth or the exact date of
the commencement of His ministry was of little importance as compared with the matter of
recognizing from the signs of the times and from what was then going on, the fact that
Messiah was really present in their midst. 'So now, that which is of primary interest to
the virgins are the signs and tokens' of the Bridegroom's presence, so that as members of this class we shall be able to
"behold," recognize the times in which we are living and the meaning of present
events in the earth.
"Go Ye Out to Meet Him"
The announcement continues, "Go ye out to meet Him."* The
announcement being made amongst the virgins, it would of course mean that in approaching
the Bridegroom, they would necessarily "go"
and not "come" out to meet Him. The invitation to go out and meet
Him is an appeal to make ready for glorification with Him. Inasmuch as the coming of the
Lord is to claim His Bride and to unite her with Himself, the admonition to "go out
to meet Him," would surely carry the idea that since He is present, the gathering of
the saints unto Him would soon take place; therefore, the urgent need for making haste, to
be ready to go in with Him to the nuptial feast.
___________
* The most trustworthy translations
render this passage "go" and not "come" ye out to meet Him.
__________
However, there is nothing about the announcement and nothing in any
part of the parable to indicate that the virgins would know in advance just when all of their number will have been united
with the Lord. There is merely the bare statement, "At midnight a cry was made"
; but this contains no chronological prediction. The time when the "cry" was
raised merely marks the point when the virgins discovered that the Bridegroom was present, and suggests no information whatever
as to when the last of the wise virgin class would pass beyond the veil. The term
"midnight" in the parable is merely another way of saying, late in the night, or
at a late hour. The Bridegroom was expected earlier as we have seen and as the parable
indicates, when the virgins took their lamps and went forth to meet Him. Then He tarried,
as it seemed to the virgins, till it grew to be a late hour -- midnight ("middle of
the night" word for word rendering in Diaglott), when the announcement of His
presence (not that of the completion of the Church's glorification) was made. In other
words, the statement that it was midnight merely denotes that the Bridegroom's coming was
á considerable time after He was expected.
All Had Lamps but Not All Had Oil
Let the fact be further seen that the virgins of the parable are
shown as all having lamps trimmed and giving them light. This was true from the first,
when they became concerned about the Bridegroom's coming, for they all took their lamps
and went forth to meet Him. These lamps represent, we believe, the Scriptures -- "Thy
Word is a lamp unto my feet." When the presence of the Bridegroom was announced after
the disappointment and period of sleeping, all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
The fulfillment of this has been observed by many during the past half century or more and
is represented in the general searching of the Scriptures by all classes of earnest
Christians, probably to an extent never before known. The oil, we believe, represents the
Spirit, the power, the inward blessing of the Truth. It was manifest in the lamps 'of all,
that is, in the Scriptures, but not all, had the "oil," the spirit and power of
the Truth, its, real meaning, in themselves --
in their "vessels." And herein is the
distinction between the two classes of virgins. The wise had the oil in their vessels, the
spirit, power and essence of the Truth in themselves; the foolish while having the lamps
did not have the oil, the power and spirit of the in themselves.
Let us not hastily conclude, therefore, that, all who profess to
believe that the Lord is now present may be said to have oil in their vessels; for it is
most evident that there are many who have a certain amount of intellectual appreciation of
the thought of the Lord's presence, but whose
general conduct and attitude give 'ample 'evidence that while they may have in their
possession the Scriptures, they have little or none of the oil, the power and blessing of
the Truth in their own hearts, by which alone they will be enabled to appreciate the
presence of the Lord in its proper light.
How evident it is that it is most essential to have the spirit of
consecration, the spirit of fervent love and devotion to the Lord in order to heed the
admonition, "Go ye out to meet Him"; that is, to fulfil the terms and
obligations of the great engagement or covenant with the Lord in such a way as to be ready
to go in with Him to the nuptial feast! It is the oil of the Holy Spirit that enables the
wise virgin class to pursue a safe and steady course of holy living, of separateness from
the world and from all. the things of self.
The All-Important Question of the Holy Spirit in the
Heart
To illustrate this Holy Spirit, this spirit of consecration, which
all the wise virgins must have in full measure in order to maintain their light and their
place in the Bridegroom's favor and to gain an entrance into the marriage, the Lord in the
parable represents the foolish virgins as asking the wise for some of their oil, and then
shows the impossibility of its 'being thus' obtaineu from one another. The fruits and
graces of the Holy Spirit can not be had for the
asking; they must be bought in the market of experience-they are of gradual growth and
cost painstaking care ofd words and thoughts and deeds. It is because these fruits of the
Spirit are so .difficult of attainment and cost such a price of self-sacrifice and
sacrifice of worldly interests that they are' valuable in the Lord's sight.
We are now dealing with the most serious feature of the parable. It
is the all-important question of the oil,' of the possession 'of the Holy Spirit in the
heart. Many dappear to have lost sight of this matter. Our lamps (the Scriptures) will
give us no light unless there is the power of the Spirit in our hearts, illuminating the
sacred pages and giving zeal and energy in the direction of the transformation of
character. For years past the announcement has been
going forth, "Behold the Bridegroom" -- the time is at hand for the official
presence of Christ to commence; many (all the virgins) are awakened and aroused, and go
forth with lamps to meet the Bridegroom. Many profess to believe in His presence; but
comparatively few give evidence that they have the oil in their vessels. Consequently they
have not the spiritual power and light in their
hearts to enable them to, "go out to meet" Him." They lack the power to
live the life of holiness and separation from all contamination -- to make the necessary
preparation of character for the final union with Christ in His Kingdom.
As evidence that the lights of many have gone out or are going out;
is the fact that they have lost and are losing"their' discernment, their appreciation
of the great principles and issues so vitally important to the Church. Many today have
lost their appreciation of the great truth that Christ only is the Head of the Church and
that He and the twelve Apostles are the only infallibly inspired guides in regard to all
matters of faith, doctrine, and proper living. Many have lost their appreciation of the
Master's words, "One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." Many
fail to see that God has not placed any lords over His heritage, the Church, and that no
brother or brethren have a right to the claim that they are the sole custodians of the
faith and keepers of the Church. A proper appreciation of these vital truths would enable
many to recognize that each disciple is individually related to the Lord and responsible
to Him alone, and has full liberty to study the Word and to decide for himself all matters
pertaining to the faith, ministry, and holy living.
It is furthermore evidenced that many are confused and bewildered at
the present time and have lost sight of the terms of discipleship, of the conditions on
which membership in the Kingdom may 'be secured. Many do not see that it is the
development of Christian character, of the graces and fruits of the Holy Spirit that
constitute the great essentials of preparation for the meeting of the Bridegroom. It is in
their confusion, bewilderment and perplexity including their conduct and actions that many
are practically acknowledging that their lamps have gone out, and so it is indicated in
the parable that it is as if they said, "Give us of your oil."
Elements That Constitute Spirituality
The great question of the hour now is, who has a sufficiency of oil,
of light, of the Holy Spirit, from which this illumination proceeds, to be able to stand
in the procession of the virgins who will enter in with the Bridegroom before the door
closes? It is an important question and one which appeals to every one who has his lamp
burning. How necessary that we see to it that we have a good supply of the spirit of the
Lord in our hearts -- the spirit of meekness, patience, gentleness, longsuffering,
brotherly kindness, love! We may be sure that unless we have a good supply of these
elements that constitute spirituality, our lamps will go out; the Scriptures will cease to
give us that spiritual light, that impetus and desire in sufficient measure to enable us
to successfully carry out our consecration vows and "go out to meet the
Bridegroom."
None can get too much of this Holy Spirit, none can secure an
oversupply for his own use, so that he can supply others from his abundance. Therefore,
the foolish virgins are told to go to the market and purchase the oil, which signifies
that the only way whereby. any can secure the power, influence, and graces of the Spirit,
is by earnest, diligent, and painstaking effort in the school of experience; in a word,
the proper fulfilling of the terms of discipleship and full consecration to God.
The Bridegroom has made abundant provision in advance that all those
who are invited to go in with Him to the marriage may be properly equipped, not only with
robes and lamps, but also with the oil; and if any are careless in the procurement of the
oil they thus indicate their unfitness to be of the class who are to enter with the
Bridegroom before the door is shut. This is the essence of the Lord's instruction by the
parable -- that those who hope to enter into the Kingdom and share His glory with Him must
expect to make preparation in advance. If they
wait until the moment for the door to close, however willing they may be, however anxious,
they will not be prepared -- the preparation requires time, patience, care.
Going to the Market for Oil
The foolish virgins we learn go and buy the precious oil and have
their lamps trimmed and burning, but too late for the marriage, too late to be of those
who will be the Bride, the Lamb's Wife. And thus in the parable it is represented: that
when they knock the Bridegroom will say, "I do not recognize you as being members of
the Bride class; you must not come in." Instead of entering into the joys of the Lord
with the others, they will be permitted for a time at least to have their portion in the
great distress and trouble which will then prevail throughout the world; this was referred
to by Jesus as the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Sorrow, disappointment,
chagrin will be the portion not only of the foolish virgins but in a general way of all
people of the earth in that time. Sweet indeed is the consolation in knowing that that
great day of fiery purification will prepare the world of mankind for the glorious
condition of the Millennial Kingdom, which will then shortly be ushered in! The Sun of
Righteousness will arise with healing in His beams and many people shall go and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord's house; He will teach us of His ways
and we will walk in His paths. For the law shall go forth from Mount Zion [the glorified
Kingdom, the heavenly Kingdom] and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem [from the earthly
representatives of the heavenly Kingdom]." -- Mal. 4:2; Isa. 2:3.
This parable does not give us any clue as to the destiny of the
foolish virgins, but we cannot fail to recognize the inconsistency of the thought that the
folly of these should not only exclude them from the Kingdom blessings, but that even
after they get the oil of the Holy Spirit later on they should be consigned to an eternity
of torture or lost! How unreasonable such a thought! On the contrary, how much in harmony
with the general Divine character and program is this parable as we have here pictured its
fulfillment. From other Scriptures we gather the thought that as the Great Company of
Revelation 7, the foolish virgins; having been permitted to wash their robes and make them
white in the blood of the Lamb, will be ushered into the presence of the Lord and the
Bride and become as represented in Psalm 45, the virgins, the Bride's companions and
co-laborers in the Kingdom work -- serving before the throne while they might have been, by
proper love and zeal and knowledge in the present time, members of the Bride class in the
throne.
Wise Virgins Entering In
We thank God therefore that the closing of the door does not mean the
closing of the door of hope and that all outside, the foolish virgins as well as the
world, will go down to hopeless despair in the Second Death. It does mean, however, the
close of the great and grand opportunity which will never open again-it signifies the
completion of the Kingdom class, the Bride class, the close of the Narrow Way to glory,
honor, immortality, and joint-heirship with Christ.
Our Lord concludes the parable with the words, "Watch,
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour." The Revised Version omits from
verse 13 the words, "Wherein the Son of Man cometh," because these are not found
in any of the old Greek MSS. The thought, however, is practically the same -- Watch,
because ye know neither the day nor the hour in which this parable will be fulfilled. The
watching no doubt has been beneficial to the Lord's people all through the Gospel Age and
is still more profitable to the wise virgin class of the present day because it explains
to these the present circumstances and conditions. All the wise virgin class should be in
the attitude commanded in the parable. They should have a knowledge of the fact that the
Bridegroom was to come; they should have lamps and a full supply of the oil in their
vessels, their hearts. Those living in this ready condition will not only not be alarmed,
but will welcome with fervent joy, the message that the time is at hand for the Bridegroom
to be present. Believing that we are living in the time of His presence, we should indeed
expect to see what seems to be in evidence today, namely that the wise virgins are already
falling into line, in the procession, and entering in to the marriage; apparently the full
number will soon be found and the door will be shut.
Again we observe that the parable does not indicate that the virgins
knew in advance, just the moment when all of them would "go in with Him to the
marriage"; the absolute silence in the parable on this point is most evident; the
uncertainty on the part of all the virgins as to just when they would meet the Bridegroom
is indicated by the fact that the "wise" told the "foolish" virgins to
go and buy oil, under the impression that they would have time to return and enter in. But
while they were gone all the wise, virgins entered in and the door was shut.
Present Work of the Saints
In view of the considerations which this parable and other Scriptures
present, it, is evident that our work in the present time is not only to proclaim the
various dispensational truths relating to the end of this Age and the introduction of the
new, but to assist those who do have the oil in their vessels to trim their lamps. If it
is not already too late to go to buy the oil, it soon may be, and hence special care
should be exercised with respect to those whose lights seem to be burning but dimly and
appear to be going out; those who appear to be growing careless and indifferent and are
inclined to be overcharged with the things of time and sense. These need to be aroused,
encouraged, assisted, to enter into the full privileges
of the wise virgin class as those who are marching on bravely, "going out to meet the
Bridegroom."
Let the spirit of praise and true devotion to God fill the hearts of
all the faithful virgin class for the blessings and mercies already theirs; and let such
go on, faithfully rejoicing in the light of their lamps and in the anticipation of the
glorious nuptial feast and the later glorious work with the Bridegroom of blessing all
humanity of the earth. Surely he that hath this knowledge will by it be separated more and
more from the world and its spirit and be gradually more and more transformed from glory
to glory, in the likeness of the Bridegroom. However much others may be neglectful of
their privileges and lacking in the precious oil, the Holy Spirit of humility and loving
devotion to the Lord, and overcharged with the things of this world, let all the wise
virgins go forward in their personal preparation and in their hastening to hold up their
lights in their salutation of the Bridegroom and. expressions of joy in connection with
His presence and the anticipated, entrance with Him to the marriage.
"Ascend,
beloved, to His joy;
Thy festal day has come;
Tonight the Lamb doth feast His own,
Tonight He with His Bride sits down,
Tonight puts on the spousal crown,
In the great upper .room.
"Long,
longg deferred now comes at last,
The Lamb's glad wedding day;
The guests are gathering at the feast,
The seats in heavenly order placed,
The royal throne above the rest
How bright the whole array!
"Ascend,
beloved, share His life
Our days of death are o'er;
Mortality has done its worst,
The fetters of the tomb are burst,
The last has now become the first,
Forever, evermore.
"Ascend,
beloved, to the feast,
Make haste, the day has come;
Thrice blest are they the Lamb doth call
To share the heavenly festival
In the new Salem's palace hall,
Our everlasting home."
AT SPRINGFIELD AND ULSTER PARK
IT IS truly a pleasure now to report the several conventions recently
announced in these columns. The assembly of the brethren at Springfield, Mass., September
3, 4, and 5, and Ulster Park, 16, 17, and 18 were both richly blessed of the Lord to the
upbuilding of a goodly number of the friends; and we believe those in attendance felt well
repaid for the efforts put forth and time spent in thus coming "apart to rest
awhile" and to "speak often one to another" of their glorious Master and of
their blessed joys and prospects. 'The love of Christ, love for the brethren, was the
prevailing theme at both of these gatherings.
Many are the assemblages -- conferences, conventions, councils
amongst, men for the purpose of exchanging thought and of facilitating their earthly
interests -- those that pertain merely to the present life, getting on through this world,
etc. But of all peoples of the earth the children of God have the most worthy cause to
assemble that they may take counsel and converse together. Having been called and having
entered the school of their Divine Master, they realize that they are charged with the
most solemn duties and responsibilities; many lessons are to be learned; there are many
difficulties and problems to face; there are sore trials and reverses to pass through.
Successfully enduring all of these experiences signifies for them the winning of a
heavenly crown -- the crown of life and joint-heirship with Jesus Christ their Lord in all
the glory of His Kingdom.
How laudable, how exalted are the purposes therefore of these! And
haw sublime and worthy the cause of these who assemble in their Master's name, that they
may take counsel together, that they may engage in holy converse, that they may exhort and
encourage one another in walking in the footsteps of their Lord and so help one another to
Secure the heavenly inheritance. Such we believe were the sentiments and purposes that
moved the friends to come together at Springfield and at Ulster Park, even as these
sentiments and purposes have so often brought the Lord's people together throughout the
centuries of the Church's experience. And the consolation remains of realizing: that a
Book of Remembrance is written for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His
name.
We have no desire to boast of numbers; nor is there any reason why we
should want to do so. The largest of the sessions at Springfield was probably about one
hundred; while the number at Ulster Park consisted of about sixty-five; both of these
conventions being made up largely of friend's coming from quite a wide range of territory.
Truly the Lord's people are still a scattered people and few in numbers. Yet this is in
accordance with the testimony of God's Word, especially with regard to the last days of
the Age in which we are now living. And indeed as was stated by John the Baptist,
concerning Jesus' leadership and that of his own, "He must increase but I must
decrease," so we may reasonably consider the present situation a similar one;
consequently as the Church is finishing her earthly course, we would logically expect the
numbers here to be fewer, with correspondingly severe trials and testings.
The kindness of the Springfield brethren in warmly receiving the
friends and in extending brotherly love was deeply appreciated by all. Likewise at Ulster
Park the same spirit of love was again much in evidence. In addition to the beautiful and
attractive surroundings at Ulster Park the kindness and loving hospitality of Brother and
Sister Greiner in caring for the temporal needs of the friends in the Golden Rule Inn
added much; to the season of encouragement and rich fellowship in the Lord.
AT BELLEVILLE, ONT.
One of the brethren present at the Convention at Belleville, Ont.,
Can., held September 3, 4, and 5, has written us concerning it as follows:
"The little gathering of brethren at Belleville, Ont., over
September 3, 4, and 5, proved to be another precious evidence of the Lord's presence with
His people, that He still waits to be gracious to all who call upon Him in sincerity and
truth, fulfilling to all such His promise to be one of their number us they fellowship
together in that oneness of spirit and purpose pleasing in His sight.
"The attendance, though small, represented Classes scattered
over quite an extensive area, bearing the solemn testimony that His people are not found
generally in large numbers even yet, but rather as a good brother of happy memory wrote
some years ago:
""Tis
not the numbers that He seeks,
But just one here and there;
He seeks not souls, but jewels fair,
For those who .will His suffering share,
And for His sake reproaches bear;
They're few -- one here, one there!"
"The spirit of the local Class displayed in their untiring
efforts to arrange for the comfort and profit of the visiting friends was in itself no
small feature of the convention blessings -- a three-days' sermon in moving, living
pictures of practical brotherly love, illustrative of the Master's test of our
consecration, the laying down of our lives in unselfish service for those who are His.
Perhaps this feature of the little gathering at the Master's feet will linger in the
memory longer than the spoken messages.
"The themes selected by the speakers for the occasion were along
the. lines uppermost in the minds of those whose chief desire is closeness of fellowship
with the Lord, and the completion of the good work He has begun in us. The full assurance
of faith enjoyed by those who can join with the Apostle John in his oft repeated 'we
know'; the downward steps resulting from disobedience as illustrated in Jonah, and the
upward progress of the obedient servant of God as revealed in the life of St. Paul; the
love of Jesus for His Church and her cleansing -- through the washing of water by the
Word; the temple of the living God, His delight and dwelling place -- were amongst the
subjects discussed -- affirmations of the old, yet
ever new, story, that has not lost any of its freshness and sweetness, nor its power to
energize, to those in spiritual union with its beneficent Author and Finisher. All present
realized by personal experience the fulfillment of the Spirit's inspired words,
"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity:
"
"And he said, I have been
very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy
covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and 1, even I
only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And He said, Go forth, and stand
upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong
wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was
not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a
still small voice." -- 1 Kings 19:10-12.
Contributed from
outside the Editorial Committee
THESE things are recorded of Elijah, the Tishbite, of the inhabitants
of Gilead, who was one of the grandest and most romantic characters produced by the nation
of Israel in all its history. Little is known of his family or personal life, but the few
facts spoken of him give us an idea of his character and peculiarities. He was strikingly
Bedouin, as indicated by his sudden appearances, first before the king to denounce his
wickedness and to predict punishment, or to demonstrate the power of God in some startling
manner -- probably a wanderer, familiar with the deserts and with the mountain passes,
which enabled him to elude his pursuers when they desired to take his life. He was simple
of habit in food and raiment, with long, thick, black hair hanging down his back, with a
skin for a garment around which he wore a leather belt, which he was in the habit of
tightening when about to make some movement of importance; occasionally wearing the
sheepskin mantle, which has givene us one of our most familiar figures of speech. It was
this which fell from his shoulders when separated from Elisha by the chariot of fire in
that last spectacular occurrence of his life, as given by the historian.
The Prophet of Fire
Elijah's function in the life. of Israel seems to have been of this
spectacular kind. His name as well as the events of his life, as given in the Book of
Kings, speaks of his high ideals and aims. Eli, the Israelitish form of God, or mighty
one, and Jah, the Hebrew word for Jehovah, indicate, My God is Jehovah or Jehovah my God.
We find- our Savior using the word when He cried upon the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani? My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Well may this man have been
chosen to represent the Christian Church of this Age. As he was buffeted, pursued, and
persecuted by his enemies in power, so has the true Church of Christ had the same
experiences as recorded in secular history and prophesied by these ancient Prophets of God
.of the Hebrew nation. and by "the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him
to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass."
Elijah, "the Prophet of fire," as he has been called, was
an emotional man, and like all such was at times highly elated, as evidenced by his-
experiences upon Mount Carmel, and equally depressed, as we find him in the sacred record
quoted above. Jealous for the Lord God of hosts, and knowing how Israel, gone after Baal,
had rejected God, he constantly expected by some wonderful manifestation that they would
again turn to the God who had led them out of Egypt, so miraculously provided for them during their
sojourn in the wilderness, given them wise judges for a period of four and a half
centuries, and permitted kings to rule over them up to this time.
Horeb the Place of God's Presence
Being greatly disappointed at their failure to repent after
witnessing God's power on the priest's of Baal, and threatened by Jezebel, he fled to
Horeb in despair, to the place where God had shown His power on those former occasions,
when He had called Moses up into the Mount, given him the Law, and before which he had
gathered the nation to receive this Law. It was here that Moses gathered the two millions
of his people to meet with God; and they stood
"at the nether part of the Mount." And Mount Sinai was, altogether on a smoke,
because the Lord descended upon it with fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke
of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. It was here too that Moses saw the
burning bush, and heard the voice of God as He called him to his mission of delivering his
people.
A fitting place this was for Elijah in his hour of discouragement,
for he also was to see the manifestation of God's power in the disturbance of the elements
of nature. "No other spot on earth was more closely associated with the manifested
presence of God," and by nature better fitted for this purpose. Majestic peaks,
surrounding a barren desert valley, made a vast natural amphitheatre upon which Elijah
might look -- a picture of desolation and loneliness in keeping with his own heart at this
time. Travelers tell us "it is one of the most silent places in the world and as
hidden as it is silent.". It is into the silent places we must go at times of commune
with God, to appreciate His greatness, to regain our assurance that God in His own, way
and in His due time will bring to pass the things He has determined concerning man. It was
this Lesson that Elijah was now to learn.
Out of Weakness
Made Strong
There is something about this experience of this man of God that
strikes a sympathetic cord in the heart of most of us. We, like him, have at times
suffered defeat. We have had perhaps our Carmel experience, when we have boldly stood for
the Truth against wrong, when we have beaten the enemy in the field of our own heart,
overcome some temptation, or done some other thing which we knew pleased God. As a result
we felt the joy of triumph, when we could truly say, God has been with us.
Peter's weakness and Paul's wretchedness indicate that they too held
this treasure in earthen vessels. And Elijah's discouragements, with his subsequent
triumphs, teach us that God can use us for His high purpose, but we must humble ourselves
under His hand and conform to His will -- consecrate ourselves, make a covenant by
sacrifice with Him. Had these and other men of God passed their lives without such
defeats, they would have been no inspiration to us; they would have seemed to have no
kinship with the sons of grief. Each seems to have emerged from his defeat stronger and
better fitted for the work which God had for him to do. Out of David's fall came the 51st
Psalm -- that beautiful prayer which has been the consolation of many of God's people. Out
of Peter's weakness and Paul's wretchedness came a mew and strong determination to serve
God more faithfully and zealously, which faith and zeal led them to a martyr's death.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and. renew a right spirit
within me. Restore. unto me the joy of Thy salvation." "A broken and a contrite
heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." These and similar pleas have restored to us
that peace of mind and strength of character which has evidenced our growth in grace: Only
in our weakness can we be strong-strong in the strength of Christ, strong only so far as
the mind of God; His Holy Spirit, rules our lives. We are too prone to exaggerate our own
importance in the portion of the work God permits us to do. And sometimes like Elijah we
look too much upon external's, too much upon the outer edge of things, too little upon the
center. We have lost our way. We have in fact lost God, and this is the condition in which
we now find the Prophet.
How God Spoke to Elijah
Now let us consider how God revealed Himself to Elijah, how He
brought him back to a true perspective, how He lifted him up from this slough of despond
and placed him again upon the solid foundation of faith in His ability to accomplish His
work in His own way and permit him a share in that work. The narrative tells us first what
God was not in -- "A great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces
the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an
earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but
the Lord was not in the fire."
Here were three powerful forces of nature operating before Elijah,
for the Lord had said unto him, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.
And, behold, the Lord passed by." But Elijah did not find him in any of the three. As
he stood, a fierce storm :broke over the mountain, a, tempestuous outburst rolled up from
the sea, "a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks
before the Lord." We can picture Elijah standing probably at the entrance to the cave
as this tropical, storm broke with all its horrors and fury, rending rocks into fragments
and casting them down into the plain below -- a scene of disorder which can be caused only
by one of these sudden furious outbreaks of the tropics coming often with little warning
and destroying everything in its pathway. As we
look, we can imagine that all this wild turbulence and confusion appealed to him. It was
kindred to his own rind, particularly at this time of discouragement. There are times when
such scenes As this appeal to us, when we may liken this manifestation of God to our own
wild thoughts and fancies, when we may see in them a kinship to ourselves. Possibly some
such thought came to the Prophet as he watched the progress of the winds in their
destruction. Was the spirit of God akin to his own? "But the Lord was not in the
wind." He was not speaking to Elijah in the winds. It was only a manifestation of His
power. -
Not in the Great Wind, Earthquake or the Fire
"And after the wind an earthquake." Again we can imagine
the mighty upheaval as it appeared to the Prophet -- mountains rent asunder; great chasms
and fissures where before there had been solid rock; the whole mountain rocking and
shaking with violence, for "Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of
Israel." As the Prophet looked, he asked: Will God show Himself in this mighty
convulsion of nature? Will He cast down the temples of Baal and destroy its priesthood?
Will He thus show to the people of Israel His displeasure at their conduct? Will He thus turn them again to Himself? This is what Elijah
would have done, but he finds again only a reflection of his own turbulent mind. For
"the Lord was not in the earthquake."
"And, after the earthquake a fire." We see those towering
granite peaks suddenly lit up by the lightning of the rapidly advancing storm. As they
reflected the light, so continuous was its play and so fierce that the heavens and the
earth seemed liter ally ablaze with the fire of God's fury, of His glory. Surely now God
was going to manifest Himself, to speak some approval of the Prophet's conduct. His
turbulent mind pictured some such agency as this -- a fitting one to destroy the enemies
of Israel, her seducers, the priesthood of Baal., "But the Lord was not in the
fire."
How strikingly God could have used His fire to rid His people of the
influence of Jezebel, and the wicked court of the weak and cowardly Ahab. God lids used
the spectacular to speak with men, and He might have spoken to Elijah as He spoke to job
out of the tempest, and as He spoke to Moses and the people of Israel on this very spot
some centuries before, when He displayed His presence, fire and smoke as of a furnace, and
when the whole mount quaked greatly. God evidently desired to show the Prophet and His
people of a later Age that the greatest revelations are to be received in the quiet and
peaceful atmosphere, by the more common and familiar way. It was the simple things about
Him which inspired all of our Master's parables and illustrations.
Our Feeling of Safety With God
We must take God with us under any circumstances, should we seek for
help or benefit from the manifestations of nature. David drew his strength from the hills
because in them he saw God. We must divest ourselves of all materialism, if we would be
helped by communion with nature. It makes a difference whether we take God with us when we
look upon the hills or the sea, into the stars of the heavens, or into the microscopic
world, etc. These without God are incomprehensible; with God we have a feeling of safety
and security another means of establishing our faith.
When we can look into the works of God and consider their might and
remember we are taught to call Him Father, remember we are heirs of God and joint-heirs
with Jesus Christ, then have we the unspeakable privilege of rejoicing in that
relationship. Then can we say with the Psalmist, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He
is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath
redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east,
and from the west, from the north, and from the south." -- Psa. 107:1-3.
The poet has recognized that nature without God is not satisfying:
"With kindlier mien, one
said, 'Go forth unto the fields,
For there, and in the woods, are balms that Nature freely yields:
Let Nature take thee to her heart! She hath a bounteous breast,
That yearns o'er all her sorrowing sons, and she will give thee rest'
"But nature on the
spirit-sick as on the spirit-free
Smiled, 'like a fair unloving face, too bright for sympathy;
Sweet, ever sweet, are whispering leaves, are waters in their flow,
But never on them (breathed a tone to comfort human woe!
"Small solace for the deer
that hath the arrow in its side,
And only seeks the- woods to die, that o'er his dappled hide
Spread purple blooms of bedded heath and ferny branchings tall,
A deadly hurt must have strong cure, or it hath none at all.
"And the old warfare from
within that had gone on so long,
The wasting of the inner strife, the sting of outward wrong,
Went with me o'er the breezy hill, went with me up the glade,
I found riot God among the trees, and yet I was afraid!
"I mused and fire that
smouldered long within my breast brake free;
I said, 'O God, Thy works are good, and yet they are not Thee;
Still greater to the sense is that which breathes through every part,
Still sweeter to the heart than all is He who made the heart!
"'I will seek Thee, not
Thine, O Lord! for (now I mind me) still
Thou sendest us for soothing not to fountain, nor to hill;
Yet is there comfort in the fields if we walk in them with Thee,
Who saidest, "Come, ye burdened ones, ye weary, unto Me."
"'Yet is there comfort, not
in pride that spends its strength in vain,
But in casting all our care on Thee, on Thee who wilt sustain;
Not in dull patience, saying, "This I bear, for it must be,"
But in knowing that howe'er grief comes, it comes to us from Thee!
"'Thou, Lord! who teachest
how to pray, oh, teach us how to grieve!
For Thou hast learned the task we find so hard, yet may not leave;
For Thou hast grown acquaint with grief -- Thou knowest
what we feel,
Thou smitest and Thou bindest up, we look to Thee to heal!"'
The Restlessness of Man and the Calmness of God
Elijah was born of Gilead and retained his Bedouin characteristics
throughout his life, as seen in his restlessness, his enjoyment of the turbulent and
fiery. We can imagine his enjoyment of the scene at Carmel and hear his ironic remarks to
the Priests of Baal, "Cry aloud: for he is a god, either he is talking, or he is,
Pursuing, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awakened."
Impetuous and headstrong, intense and earnest, he could confront the whole college of
idolatrous Priests of Baal, put them to rout, and enjoy it. Then in confident faith he
could turn with the same earnestness to the rebuilding of the altar of the Lord which had
been broken down, never doubting God's ability and desire to manifest Himself in a
miraculous way at this time. In the unusual and spectacular he was happy. He saw here a
counterpart of his own fiery nature. He could quickly see the working of God in a national
catastrophe, but he was slow to see God in the humbler, quieter things.
This seems to be the lesson the Prophet was to learn this day on
Sinai. His counterpart, John the Baptist, was much the same type of man from the recorded
events of his life. Languishing in prison, he thought the Savior slow to manifest Himself,
and he became impatient and even doubtful if it really were He who should redeem Israel.
So he sent his disciples to ask if he really were the Christ. These two Prophets well
typify the Church of this Age, constantly expecting God's Plan to develop more rapidly,
and willing to hasten the coming of the Kingdom by plans of their own. These men both
served their mission of warning their nation of the needed reforms.
Savonarola was of this type and preached that only through a storm of
vengeance would the Church and clergy of the fifteenth century be rescued from
licentiousness and abuse to a higher spirituality. When the Reformation came, it came in
God's way and without such demonstration. Luther's tempestuous nature needed the slower
and saner mind of a Melancthon. St. Peter's impetuousness was tempered by the quieter
nature of John. To all of these God's way seemed slow. So it has been within our own
midst. Some have not been content with the way of God. Not content With the assurance that
if it seem to tarry, it will not tarry, they rush about with doctrines, explanations and
the wild application of types which serve only to confuse many others who may not have
reached the stature of a man in Jesus Christ. Much ado is made about nothing, in many
cases forgetting that where the Spirit of Christ is, there is liberty and there alone.
In Silent Spiritual Fellowship
Let us remember then that God does not manifest Himself to us finally
and most fully in the forces of nature. Among the savages in ages gone we find the worship
of the forces of nature, and more recently we find the scientists falsely claiming that
the forces of nature are the ultimate source of all things.. Both are similarly wrong, for
the Lord is not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. These are merely the fringe of
His mantle, the shadow of His glory. God is a spirit and communes with His people only in
the spirit; in silent, spiritual fellowship, through the Holy Spirit only, do we find
strength.
Men look upon the wonders of nature, the hills, the sea, the falls,
the rapids, the heavens, and turn and forget God in the pursuit of some earthly bubble. It
is doubtful if any ever heard the call to God through the voice of nature. Else would we
find the most godly in proximity to His greatest wonders. Men live their lives and die in
such close ness to nature and never come to know Him, for He is not in, these things,
but is in the still small voice.
Earthly passions may be fanned by the wind of religious zeal, but the
results are not always satisfying. Some are inspired by a form of godliness without the
substance thereof, and no matter how close a tare may resemble a grain of wheat, it is
only a tare and as such must be destroyed. Trouble may sweep down upon the soul of man and
rend him as the rocks of Sinai were rent, but whether it speaks to him depends upon his
relationship with God before it came. As a rule man does not come to God through the voice
of the earthquake, though he may profit by it if he has already come into fellowship with
Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, not the fear of other things.
God was in the burning bush and in the tongues of fire at Pentecost,
but He was not in the fire that flashed around the Prophet at Horeb. The fire of religious
passion, when misdirected, has caused more heartaches, enmities, and even wars, than any
other one thing in all the world. The intolerance and prejudice existing in the religious
world, and especially in the so-called Christian world today, is doing much to perpetuate
the restlessness and confusion, the doubt and despair, the uncertainty, amid which men
live, and because of these the love of many grows cold, and men's hearts are failing them
because of fear for the things which are coming to pass. Surely the Lord is not in the
fire of prejudice.
Men Go Their Ways and Forget
In the modern religious movements men are too prone to be moved by
excitement and emotions, and without duly considering the will of the Lord rush into some
dramatic or spectacular movement which does not glorify Him or, meet with His approval.
Many think their standing depends upon their zeal for work, so we find them engaged in
building up organizations and thus surrendering their liberties and restricting their
opportunities for growth, but happy in the false idea that they are doing the Lord's
.work. Not that the Christian should not bear witness whenever and wherever possible --
instant in season and out of season, but development as new creatures should have first
place in our hearts.
Human organization in the Church during all the ages has fostered
prejudice, hatred, and intolerance. The much more at this period in the history of
Christianity should the Church see that these organizations have been rejected and cast
off by God, thus indicating the nearness of the close of the present Age and the ushering
in of the next -- the Millennial Age. Nominal Christianity is making a great stir, using
the winds, the earthquake; and the fire, abut deaf to the still small voice of God. The
presence of the great enemy is constantly with us, but men go their ways and forget. A
great catastrophe comes upon the nation, or the world, and many think in their worldly
wisdom, surely men will hear the voice of God in the wind or the earthquake or the fire.
But we find that the Lord is not in them. These, violent disturbances in nature or in the
souls of men may however soften the soil, harrow the ground, and prepare man for the
reception of the voice of God. We should not despise these agencies, for they, may open.
the way. The most, powerful sermon, the most sublime scenery the contemplation of the
power of God in the heavens or through the microscope can never regenerate a man, but it
may bring him to see his own insignificance and humble him that he may hear the still
small voice.
How God Has Spoken to Some In the Past
This was the case in Israel at the time of which the historian
writes. God had shown His mighty power in the consumption of the sacrifices placed upon
His altars under the most trying of tests, after the failure of the god Baal to vindicate
himself. This and other demonstrations might have softened the hearts of Israel and
prepared them to hear the voice of God and turn aside from their whoredoms and idolatries,
but the man of the hour had fled discouraged and utterly routed because the miraculous,
the stupendous, had failed to turn their minds. He had overlooked and failed to grasp the
great opportunity to go forth among the people in the might and power of the Lord and
persuade them through the still small voice.
It was thus that God dealt with the people of Israel in the early
days of their wandering in this very mountain to which Elijah had fled. He first aroused
their feelings of awe, as He manifested Himself in the elements of nature, and then He
gave them the Law. In this favorable frame of mind thus created, they promised that all
that He commanded them they would do. That they failed to keep the Law is another
question.
It was thus that God spoke of Job. Provoked by the advice of his
false comforters, he spoke with his lips and was ready to justify himself, when suddenly
amid the lightning and thundering of the tempest which came upon them, he heard Jehovah
speaking to him out of the whirlwind, reproving him, "Then job answered the Lord, and
said, behold, I am vile; What shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my
mouth." And he heard the still small voice and was comforted. So he dealt with
Isaiah; and so he dealt with Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus, when the glory of the
Lord shone around him and he heard the voice of the Lord, the still small voice, speaking
after he had been awed and humbled by the glory of the Lord.
Thus God had prepared the land of Israel -- the prophets of Baal had
been confounded and then destroyed, and the land had been grievously afflicted and then
delivered. Surely their minds were ready to hear the still small voice, but the' agent
.for the purpose had fled in a spirit of despair and defeat.
Times When We Need the Rebuke of the Winds
We experience these things in our own 'lives. There are times when we
need the rebuke .of the winds, the terror of the earthquake, the refining influence of the
fire; that our minds may be cleansed of the errors and delusions of the day. False'
doctrines may so easily 'gain 'a hold on our lives unless we are kept steadfastly in touch
with the Master, and through the Holy Spirit in harmony with God. There is much today
circulating in our midst, setting forth the doctrines and ideas of men, that we may be
more or less easily mislead -- strong delusions which would deceive if possible the very
elect. Our sheet-anchor is the Word of God and
the line is earnest communication with Him by prayer -- sincere, deep, honest prayer,
seeking His leading by the study of His Word and by developing the fruits of the Spirit.
"Blessed is the Christian who when the fury of the storm is
past, recognizes the voice of God in its wake and bares his head and bows his knee as
Elijah did." It seems necessary in the discipline of some of the Lord's people that
He show Himself in the desolation of the storm to recall to them that they are wandering a
little away. We all need the disciplining, the polishing, the .chiseling, the pruning. How
painful it sometimes seems, but how it does show the love of God for us, and in looking
back we can praise the way in which He has led us day by day.
How much more pleasing to Him we may be by so living that the
chastenings. may be few and of a less violent form. Again this can be done only by putting
aside the things of the flesh, and following after the things of the Spirit. Only are we
God's, if we are led by the Spirit of God. And only can we be led by His Spirit, if we live close to Him, striving by His
help to be filled with His mind. This requires 'determination and strength of character.
And thus we grow in stature, one victory with Him helping on to others.
"'Tis not
the whirlwind, o're our fair fields sweeping
That speaks God's present wrath,
This is but nature's course, for call men keeping
One indiscriminate path.
"Nor yet
the earthquake, firm foundations shaking
Of houses long since built;
This is but fortune's chance, its havoc making
Without affixing guilt.
"Nor yet
the fire, whate'er, is near confounding
In blind remorseless flame;
This is but man's fierce ire, which all surrounding
Treats! good or bad the same.
"It is
the. still small voice within which speaketh;
When guilt's fierce gust is done;
That tells the doom God's righteous anger wreaketh
Yet tells that he may shun.
"O gentle
Lord, who like a friend reprovest,
Tender, mot loss than true,
Thou our hard hearts by whispered warnings movest,
Their err erring ways to, rue.
"Thou whose pure eye like lightning might consume him
On man with pity lookest;
Thou who to fire, storm, earthquake well mightst doom
him
With still small voice rebukest"
Dear Brethren in Christ:
Love and greetings to you all in our dear Redeemer's name! Enclosed
you will find Money Order for $______; one year's subscription to the "Herald"
to be sent to _______ and also one year's subscription to ______. The above are brethren
who seem open-minded and anxious to hold fast to true liberty, so I thought the regular
supply of "Heralds" would prove helpful to them If you have already received
"Herald" subscriptions from the above, please use the money for other work.
There are other brethren in this, town whom you might hear from in the near future.
Please send to me a number Lord's Return and all about Hell,"
for distribution, also a copy of "The Divine Plan of the Ages," and also a few
more tracts. The last lot were splendid, so helpful to people who are interested. I should
be pleased if you can spare as many as last time. Please allow what balance in money there
may be to go into the funds.
I am mailing under separate cover the little paper, "Light After
Darkness," which proved of great help to quite a number of us to understand the truth
of things. It is indeed a very grievous thing to think that a movement started on such
humble, loving and unsectarian lines by our dear Brother Russell, should have in so short
a time since his death grown into what appears quite plainly to show many of the
characteristics of the Papacy. Still there it is, and it behooves us all as true followers
of the Master -- to touch not, and to keep quite clear from anything that savors of a
sectarian spirit of bondage. I feel that everything must be measured up by God's Word and
be in harmony with it before we can accept it as truth -- to prove all things and hold
fast that which is good as the Apostle says in 1 Thess. 5:21.
Well, dear brethren, since I last wrote to you I have had similar
experiences to many others of the Lord's people at this time. As you may know, I have in
the past attended regularly the I. B. S. A. Class in ______, but owing to the fact that I
have loaned Heralds, etc., to some of the Class members, and-have spoken in class as well
as outside on these matters, and of the sectarian spirit, etc., which we can see
manifested by the Society (I truly have acted toward all in love and without any spirit of
bitterness to my utmost), I was requested by the Elders to discontinue my fellowship with
them as a Class member unless I remained quiet on these matters. Seeing I could not do
that conscientiously and observing the wrong tests of fellowship that were made (faith in
the Society as the Channel instead of faith in Christ and, consecration only), I explained
to the brethren and left the Class. Quite a number of brethren did likewise, so we now
have a nice little Class, and Study together quite free from all bondage, relying on the
Lord, only. Our Father's leadings and judgment through His Son are quite safe to follow.
May we and all. likewise have. strength to continue in the right way . . . . '
I feel very thankful for all His gracious leadings, for I have since
felt a greater freedom, and deep down is that perfect peace. May the Lord continue to
guide you all, dear brethren, in the work of the ministry, for great will be the blessing.
I think it would be splendid to publish in book form the writings on Daniel, and we will
take two volumes or more. The Heralds continue to prove very helpful, especially at this.
tune. I like the spirit of the writings, so free from sect, so loving. and sound, so
strengthening to us all. I will close now with fond Christian lave to you all in Christ
cur. Lord . and Savior.
Yours in the Master's service,
A. C. T.-New Zealand.
Dear. Friends:
I would like to get a copy of the Revelation books, but don't know
what the cost is, so am enclosing $1.00 now and will remit balance as soon as I know how
much they are. Will you please send me copies. I would also like to speak for one of the
books on Daniel that you are expecting to publish.
I also wish to add a few words of brotherly love and encouragement to
help you in the splendid work you are doing in the "Herald." I came into the
Truth only about three years ago with the I. B. S. A. and thought how. wonderful it all
was at first, but after awhile I found I was not being satisfied. I finally broke away
from the I. B. S. A. about four months ago, together with a few friends. We discovered we
had been feeding; on husks instead of food. We have a small Class and all feel that the
Lord has very richly blessed us since we have become free.
The articles in the "Herald" have been a wonderful help, as
they have made many points clear. to me that were not before. I thank God for having led
me as He has during the past few months and I rejoice to think one of the means by which
He has done so has been the truth dispensed in the "Herald." How wonderfully
clear you have explained what "Service" really means; and I like the way you
emphasize the necessity for developing the fruits of the Spirit.
May the Lord richly bless you, and if it be His will, continue to use
you as a means of giving spiritual food to the hungry.
Your brother in Hope,
G. J. --
Cal.
Dear Brethren:
I enclose Post Office Money Order for $1.50 as subscription to the
"Herald" for the year August 1927 to July 1928.
I still continue to appreciate them as I find they contain much that
is edifying and comforting, more especially as I am much isolated in my views. It really
makes one hopeful and joyous as we watch the signs of the times, and note more and more
clearly the evidences that our dear Lord Jesus is gradually assuming His right as King of
this earth. How happy we feel in the knowledge that all of the oppression, injustices, and
wickedness of this present evil world will soon have to give place to Messiah's rule of
righteousness! How full of hove, forbearance, and humility, we should be as we reflect on
the work which the Heavenly Father desires we should engage in as joint-heirs with His
dear Son. I heartily endorse the article on character development in one of the recent
"Heralds."
As far as this colony is concerned we are in a trying condition.
Sugar prices have fallen so low that the majority of estates have been abandoned. Rice is
struggling to obtain a footing, but that does not give employment like sugar; so that
people have little money and trade is at a low ebb. Roman Catholicism is rather strong
here, as yhere are a fair number of Portuguese among us and many colored folk and East
Indians seem to be attracted to that form of warship. Lately the Pope sent an Encyclical
letter forbidding any discrimination between races. Of course this has caused a few
influential colored persons to go that way. Our population is chiefly colored:
May those who are responsible for the articles in the
"Herald" continue to hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the
end.
With Christian love to all the brethren in
the Lord,
Yours truly,
C. A.
M.-British Guiana.
1927 Index |