THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL. XXV AUGUST 1942 NO.
8
Table of Contents
Thirsting After the Living
God
Acquirements Necessary for
Christian Fellowship
Three Thoughts
The Seven Key Prophecies of
Daniel and the Revelation
The Letter to the
Colossians
The Ninety and Nine
Changeless
"The Secret
Place"
The Everlasting Arms
Bible Readings
God's Place of Blessing
Recently Deceased
HOW MARVELOUS
and how harmonious are the great creative works of God! He said, "Let there be light,
and there was light," and then He gave to man eyes of wonderful construction to
behold and, enjoy the light of sun, moon, and stars. In creating light, divine love was
but anticipating and preparing for one of humanity's greatest joys. When God spread a
universe over unbounded expansions in space, he endowed man with an inherent spirit of
exploration and adventure so that he might "trace creation's wonders o'er," and
bow in adoration before the endless display and grand designs of the great First Cause.
The Infinite mind conceived in all their unlimited operations Nature's wondrous laws, and
then imparted to finite minds the ceaseless longing to search out the deep-laid wisdom
that multitudinous creations make manifest. What fascinating power grips the mind of one
who turns his telescope toward the heavens, seeing a pageantry of revolving worlds
moving with precision and incredible speed through succeeding centuries, and then with
microscopic lens turns to the infinitesimal forms of life to see equally mysterious and
amazing, gripping, and fascinating traces of God's wonder working. How close, how
marvelous the affinity between the mind of the Creator, and His creature, the perfect man
made in His likeness, and endowed with powers of mind to seek after God and find Him; to
mount higher and higher in the knowledge of Him, which is life eternal.
In all realms
of His creative power, God's revelation of Himself should draw out man's adoring
worship; but it is in the sphere of His redeeming love we read His character in fairest
lines. His glory may indeed be seen in the heavens decked with myriad stars, and seen in
numberless ways in earthly creations, but it is with eyes of the heart He may be jseen in
more unclouded beauty. It is when God quickens a soul with a vision, unseen and unknowable
to the natural mind, that the soul yearns for Him, as the hart pants for the water brook.
In all ages of
human history hearts have cried out for a more perfect knowledge of God, and in many
instances this thirst of soul has been most pronounced in those who knew Him best. Hearken
to the testimony of the Psalmist, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts
of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." "As the hart
panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, 0 God." (Psa. 84:2;
42:1.) It was job, upright, "and none like him in all the earth," who cried,
"Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His seat."
(Job. 23:3.) It was he with whom God conversed "as a man speaketh unto his
friend" who pleaded, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory, inspired to ask for
this by the very boldness created by God's presence and word, "Thou hast found grace
in My sight, and I know thee by name." - Exod. 33:17, 18.
So it has ever
been through the long line of prophets, apostles, outstanding and obscure saints, even to
our own day. To these there has come the blessing promised in the beatitude of Jesus,
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be
filled." (Matt. 5:6.) For these spirits a disciple of early days spoke the fitting
word, "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Higher ideal or aspiration no
man can entertain, and blessed indeed is he who has been awakened to an unquenchable
longing after all possible knowledge of God, for, as one has truly said, "The soul
which has once seen God, yearns for fuller vision; for vision means knowledge, and
knowledge means bliss." This is the vision for which every Christian heart should
know a continuous growing thirst. Was it not for those already enlightened and seated in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus for whom Paul prayed, "That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what
is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according
to the working of His mighty power." (Eph. 1:17-19.) May the Spirit of God by which
this prayer was inspired, impart to us an over-powering yearning for its fullest possible
answer in our own experience.
The Pure in Heart See God
The lips
fitted to speak God's truth must know the touch of the live, burning coal from the
sanctifying altar fire, that in the mouth there may be found no guile. So too, the eyes
fitted to see God must be eyes washed in the tears of repentance, and sanctified by the
healing touch of the Great Physician. Of God it is written, "Thou art of purer eyes
than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." (Hab. 1:13.) If, therefore,
we would be guided by His eye, how needful it is that we too must turn our eyes away from
all iniquity, and have them ever directed toward the perfect holiness of God. He can
require no less from us than this high aim, yet here, where our undone condition is made
so painfully apparent to us, and our need revealed most fully, comes the opportunity
that meets extremity--where sin abounds through inherent weakness, grace does the more
abound in "the working of His mighty power," "according to the working
whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." - Eph. 1:19; Phil. 3:21.
High aims are
not from ourselves. Of this the Apostle gays, "For it is God who energizeth within
you, both the desiring and the energizing, in behalf of His good pleasure." (Phil.
2:13, Rotherham.) From Him comes the desire breathed out in the prayer, "Open Thou
mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things
out of Thy law" (Psa. 119: 18); then, that the prayer may have its fullest answer
He cleanses our sight from all that would hinder
us from seeing, as Paul declares we should see, "the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 4:6.) So He did with job, humbling
him to dust and ashes, then leading him out into a prosperity greater than before known.
In like manner He must deal with us now. If we would know the genuine thirst after God,
and eventually find ourselves led out into "a large place" according to promise,
our innate pride must be humbled, that there be no blinding veil to hide His, glory from
our eyes. Then indeed shall experience verify the inspired Word, "Then shall we know,
if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall
come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." - Hosea 6:3.
"That I
might know Him" -- this was the heart cry of Paul, he to whom revelations and visions
of a special and unique character had been so particularly given, he who knew by
experience a transport into realms so akin to the invisible spiritual world, that
"whether in the body or out of the body" while there, he could not determine.
Yet not in this experience, transcendent and sublime though it was, did he find the
ultimate vision and goal he sought:. Nay, it served only to create the greater objective
-- "That I might know Him and the power of
His resurrection." To know God and Jesus Christ whom He had sent, was in Paul's
conception of Christian experience, the very substance of eternal life, and for this
knowledge he never ceased to hunger. With every added revelation given him, and with
every added experience of Christ's presence and power granted to him, there came to Paul a
more intense yearning to follow on to know Him in a more perfect manner. It cannot be
otherwise in any heart where the reception of God's love and grace is true and
consistently responsive. Where "the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ" is permitted to shine as it should, there will be known the joyous experience
of the Master's promise fulfilled, "My Father will love him, and We will come unto
him, and make Our abode with him." - John 14:23.
In Thy Presence is Fullness of Joy
What must it
be to stand in the august presence of Him whose holy character is so vividly portrayed
in the prophetic question and answer: "Who may ascend the Eternal's hill? Who may
stand within His sacred shrine? He only who has clean hands and a heart unstained, who
never sets his mind on what is false, who never breaks his word: he gains a blessing from
the Eternal, a boon from God his Savior. Such are the men who are in quest of Him, who seek the presence of the
God of Jacob." - Psalm 24:3-6, Moffatt's translation.
Is this our
"quest of Him"? Beholding the perfections of His all-comprehensive attributes of
wisdom, justice, love, and power, are we consumed with an unquenchable thirst for a
likeness to Him in these excellencies of character? Is it in a transport of joy, a
buoyant, accelerated hope, we say, "1 shall be satisfied with Thy likeness"? As
these wonderful, co-ordinating, perfect attributes of the divine character of God are
contemplated by us, is there a responsive yearning within the deeper regions of our
being crying out for these as needful to complete our satisfaction, and our ultimate
happiness? As we add up the joys set before us as incentives to run with patience the race
appointed to us, letting our computations attempt a survey of what it will mean to see our
God and our Savior face to face, and what those "ages of glory to follow" may
bring to us of never-ending bliss, do we yet, for all of these, come back to a sense of
unspeakable joy to revel in the thought of possessing at last in a divine glory and
perfection those admirable attributes of God? Truly, "Such are the men who are in
quest of Him, who seek the presence of the God of Jacob."
Our thinking
about God, right or wrong, does not affect God, any more than our correct or incorrect
thinking concerning the sun would affect it. But true or false thoughts about God can
affect us tremendously. God is immeasurable, infinite, holy, perfect in the possession and
exercise of wisdom, justice, love, and power, and any conception of Him we may hold by
which any of these grandeurs of His character are distorted, must be deplored. Such
untrue thoughts harm us in proportion to the degree of misrepresentation they
contain-inevitably so, since they distort the ideal God's perfections should keep ever
before us, that beholding and admiring them, we may undergo the change of which the
Apostle writes, "We all with unveiled face receiving
and reflecting the glory of the Lord into the same image are being transformed from glory into glory --
even as from a spirit that is Lord." - 2 Cor. 3:18, Rotherham.
Here is the
secret, then, of spiritual growth into the likeness of God's dear Son. Against all human
tendencies to misrepresent God, let there be raised tip the true beauty of the Lord, and
let the eyes of the heart be fixed steadfastly on that perfect character from which
perfect wisdom, justice, love, and power radiate unceasingly. Then by the very law of
magnetic attraction, that same beauty becomes stamped upon the admiring, enchanted, and
hungry heart. Yea, and by the same rule the influence and operations of the Spirit
spread out into all the happy relationships embraced in the family of God. To take on
the character of God is to be filled with the love of
God, to partake of the wisdom that comes down
from God, pure, peaceable, gentle, and full of mercy. It means the possession of more
pronounced qualities of justice, a delight
in dealing justly with all with whom we have to do, and thus is the power of God displayed in the life. Out of the
hunger for God, and because enchanted and attracted by the beauties of His character,
there comes the soul-satisfying realization that the heart and mind so created and endowed
to receive Him, now possesses Him as a personal treasure, and He, the Master-workman, will
complete the work begun, for by His own Spirit the prayer is ever in our heart, "As
for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake with
Thy likeness." "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come
and appear before God?" "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon
earth that I desire beside Thee." - Psalm 17:15;
42:2; 73:25. - Contributed.
Strongly as
we feel the need and blessing of fellowship, we cannot disguise the fact that we are
often disappointed in our communion with Christians. The society and conversation of
Christians has at times proved insipid, and has failed to help and encourage us in our
inner life. We have spoken and listened, and though the words have been of divine things,
and probably scriptural and true, yet the soul has received no sustenance nor
refreshment. We do not find that we go to the throne of grace with intenser faith and
love, or to the performance of our duty with a steadier step and more courageous
heart.
Or we have
tried to influence, and failed. Our words made no impression; instead of stimulating a
languid believer, we have only offended him; we are active and laborious, and we produce
only discontent (and criticism). It may not be profitable to describe still further the
failings of Christian intercourse; it will be more useful to think of the causes of these
disappointments and their remedies.
Notice,
then, that we must be very near to God if we wish to get near our brother's heart.
Christian communion must be the result -of true, deep communings with God. The lamp is
not nourished by the flame; it is nourished by oil, which has constantly to be renewed;
and our intercourse will„ soon lose all power and blessing unless we dwell much in
the presence of the Lord.
Lastly, bear
in mind that love is the soul of communion; and love means self-sacrifice. Christian
fellowship without love is but a shadow without the substance, and there can be no true
happiness in it. It is in seasons of affliction, of persecution and suffering, Christian
fellowship prospers. And why? It is then that Christians, in their intercourse, are
enriched because prayer prospers. Their words are living, their thoughts varied, their
hearts enlarged. Then they build one another up in their most holy faith.
The
conversation of disciples brings no light and encouragement, unless Jesus draws near and
opens the Scriptures. It is only then that light cheers our fainting souls. And the
heart begins to burn in love and joyous hope. - Selected.
I met a
Thought serene and high,
His stature almost reached the sky;
He caught the golden light of day,
Reflecting it along life's way.
He glimpsed
a bright futurity,
Because a thought of Hope was he.
I met a Thought; he'd traveled long;
He bore himself composed and strong;.
He shook the
symbols of his might,
And gloom was chased away by light.
Fair fingers pointed up because
A thought of living Faith he was.
And then a
Thought of regal grace
Came up to me and took his place,
His mien was calm, his smile was true,
He seemed to warm me through and through;
He drew my
mind to things above,
Because he was a thought of Love.
- Walter Sargeant.
Meditation in two parts-Part I
"The testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy." - Rev. 19:10.
IN THE
opening chapter of "The Divine Plan of the Ages," after stating that among the
subjects he intended to consider therein was that of prophecy, the author goes on to say:
"No work is more noble and ennobling than the reverent study of the revealed purposes
of God -- 'which things the angels desire to look into.' (1 Pet. 1:12.) Nor should we
suppose that prophecy was given merely to satisfy curiosity concerning the future. Its
object evidently is to make the consecrated child of God acquainted with his Father's
plans, thus to enlist his interest and sympathy in the same plans, and to enable him to
regard both the present and the future from God's standpoint. When thus interested in the
Lord's work, he may serve with the spirit and with the understanding also; not as a
servant merely, but as a child and heir. Revealing to such what, shall be, counteracts the
influence of what now is. The effect of careful study cannot be otherwise than
strengthening to faith and stimulating to holiness."
Today most
people who are at all disposed to faith and godliness freely confess their belief that the
circumstances and events taking place throughout the world are in fulfillment of Bible
prophecy. But such beliefs are usually hazy. As a result they do not yield their
possessors the strong confidence and peace of mind which should be the consecrated
believer's portion in this stormy time.
Then, too,
we ourselves, unless we are frequently reminded of the things we have learned and have
been assured of, are not only apt to let them slip, but also are likely to get into a
condition of mind in which we are unable to distinguish foolish, speculative ideas from,
conclusions based on the sure word of God. To quote again from "The Divine
Plan": "We trust that a wide distinction will be recognized between the earnest,
sober, and reverent study of prophecy and other Scriptures in the light of accomplished
historic facts, to obtain conclusions which sanctified common sense can approve, and a too
common practice of general speculation, which, when applied to divine prophecy, is too apt
to give loose rein to wild theory and vague fancy. Those who fall into this dangerous
habit generally develop into prophets (?) instead of prophetic students."
In secular
education the elemental, basic, principles are reading, writing, and arithmetic. Nothing
that is properly taught in the centers of higher education later is ever found to be in
conflict with these "3-R's" taught in the kindergarten and grade schools.
So it is in
the school of Christ, the school of salvation. Here also 3-R's are first taught namely
Ransom, Reconciliation, and Restitution. Nothing that the most advanced student learns in
this school is ever found to be out of harmony with these basic, fundamental, saving
truths.
That this is
true in the realm of saving truth liar consecrated believer will question. Does the
analogy hold good in the realm of prophetic truth?
We answer: Yes, we think it does. When we turn to the study of prophecy, while we do not
find any "3-R's" in that branch of Bible study, we do, nevertheless, find
certain basic, elemental, prophecies, the meaning of which, being divinely given, cannot
he mistaken.
In all there
are seven of these prophecies, and together they might well be called the ABC of Bible
prophecy; and it is important to remember that none of the lessons we may learn as we
progress in our studies in the school of prophecy will
ever be found to conflict with these basic ones. Moreover, as from time to time various
interpretations of current events are suggested as fulfilling certain Bible prophecies, we
shall find it helpful if we ask ourselves: "Hew do these views fit in? -- how do they
harmonize with the key prophecies?-and their divinely given interpretations? Simple though
they are, when once their meaning has been revealed to us, these key prophecies, with
their divinely given interpretations, present such a comprehensive outline of God's great
Plan of Salvation for the human family as to beget and nourish a calm faith in God and in
the ultimate triumph of good over evil, even while we live in the midst of today's chaos.
Seven Prophecies-One Subject
In this
meditation we propose to briefly review all seven. Since they have been read and studied
by us many times before, we are not suggesting anything new. It may, however, be a new
thought to some of our readers, as it was to us when it was - first brought to our
attention, to consider them to gether as a group, as the group, the "key" prophecies, the
ABC group. If so, it may well prove that these old truths, cast in a somewhat new light,
together with new experiences which all of us are having, may be used to refresh and
encourage us again.
All seven of
these "key" prophecies are found in the Books of Daniel and the Revelation-five
in Daniel and two in the Revelation. While they are seven in number, they have to do with
one main subject. In his observations on the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, Sir
Isaac Newton, the man who is recognized as one of the world's great mathematicians, if not
the greatest of them, says :
"The
Apocalypse of John is written in the same style and language with the prophecies of
Daniel, and hath the same relation to them which they have to one another, so that all of
them together make but one complete prophecy."
The Book of
Revelation should thus be regarded as the New Testament sequel to the Book of Daniel.
The Books of Daniel and Revelation may be considered as parts- one and two of a single
prophecy, a prophecy relating to the same subject, and presenting that subject in the same
symbolic form. They unfold earlier and later portions of the same great story. All the
events foretold in the Apocalypse belong to that order of things and to that course of
ages predicted in the Book of Daniel. The introductory vision in Daniel, that of the
Image, the Stone, and the Mountain, sketches the complete course of the five great
kingdoms of History and Prophecy. The grand outline given in this introductory vision is
filled in by later prophecies. Each succeeding prophecy adds further details, but no fresh outline is presented. The sublime
framework of the five empires remains unaltered. All the visions of both Daniel and the
Apocalypse be long to this one outline. They cannot be properly understood until they
are fitted into it, and take their place in it as part of a great symbolic revelation of
the course and succession of earthly empires and the rise and establishment of the
Kingdom of God.
As we review
these seven "key" prophecies, let us bear in mind that in each case not only the
prophecy itself, but its meaning, has been divinely interpreted. In building on these
interpretations, therefore, as another has said. "we build not on the shifting sands
of human opinion, but on the stable rock of revealed truth."
No. 1-The Great Image
The first is
recorded in the second chapter of Daniel, and is the interpretation of the great Image.
Five verses
contain the description of the Image, Stone, and Mountain (Dan. 2:31-35) followed by ten
verses giving the interpretation (Dan. 2:36-45). Mark the introductory words: "This
is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof
before the king." Note also the concluding words: "The dream is certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure." It has been
suggested that we would do well to underline in our Bibles the word
"interpretation" that we may note and remember the important fact that we are
furnished here in the prophecy with an infallible guide to its meaning.
The
interpretation of the vision of the Image given to Daniel by the God of heaven, in
answer to prayer, and conveyed by Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar is as follows:
(1)
"Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven bath given thee a kingdom,
power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of
the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee
ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
(2)
"And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee,
(3)
"And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
(4)
"And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces
and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces
and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part
of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the
iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet
were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly
broken [fragile]. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is
not mixed with clay.
(5)
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break
in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou
sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in
pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God path made
known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."
In this
divinely given interpretation the four different metallic parts of the Image represent
four successive kingdoms, of which the first is Babylon; while the Stone cut out without
hands which destroys the Image, becomes a Mountain, and fills the earth, represents the
Kingdom of the God of heaven, universal in its range, and everlasting in its duration.
Five kingdoms in all, of which the first is Babylon and the fifth the Kingdom of God.
Let us note
that the four kingdoms follow each other without any gap, as represented by the four parts
of a single image; that the second is inferior to the first; that the third is
characterized by worldwide extent, and the fourth by resistless strength and
all-subduing conquests. Observe especially that the fourth kingdom is in its later stage
"divided," that it consists partly of iron and partly of clay, and that the
attempts to reunite its broken fragments prove vain and futile. Contrast the great
Colossus of human sovereignty standing on feeble fragile feet of iron mixed with clay with
the stable and everlasting Mountain of the Kingdom of God. Observe the superhuman origin
of the final Kingdom represented by a Stone cut out without hands-a Kingdom founded by no
sword or sceptre of man, built by no human will or wisdom, but by the invisible power of
the Creator of heaven and earth. Note also the two stages of the Kingdom represented by
the Stone and the Mountain, and that before the Stone becomes the Mountain, it falls on
the Image in its finally divided clay and iron state, and utterly annihilates it.
The first
and the last of the five kingdoms are clearly and authoritatively interpreted as the
Kingdom of Babylon and the Kingdom of the God of heaven; while the second, third and
fourth are the intervening kingdoms which fill up the course of Gentile rule between these
two well marked termini. Later visions plainly show what these intervening kingdoms
are.
No. 2-The Great Tree
So much for
the first of the seven "key" prophecies. Let us turn next to the second. It is
found in the fourth chapter of Daniel, and is the interpretation of the great Tree.
Observe once
again the words of Daniel: "This is the
interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High."
Nebuchadnezzar
had seen in his dream a great Tree, reaching to heaven, under whose shadow dwelt the birds
and beasts of the earth. He had heard a voice from heaven proclaim the decree "Hew
down the tree" but "leave the stump of his roots in the earth," and
"let seven times pass over him."
Daniel thus
interprets the dream: "It is thou, O king." (Ver. 22.) As in the former vision
Daniel had said to Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou art this head of gold," so here he
boldly tells the monarch that the vision concerns himself. He, Nebuchadnezzar. was
symbolized by the great Tree; his far reaching dominion by its widely extending branches;
and his temporary abasement during the period of seven times was represented by the
cutting down of the Tree, whose stump was left bound with iron and brass in the soil
during this predicted period. "They shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall
be with the beasts of the field . . . and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know
that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. The
rest of the chapter relates the historical fulfillment of the vision: "All this came
upon the King Nebuchadnezzar."
That is as
far as the divine interpretation goes. "It is thou, Nebuchadnezzar." Daniel's
interpretation of the dream relates only to its fulfillment upon Nebuchadnezzar; but the
fact that the dream and the interpretation and the fulfillment are all so carefully
related here is evidence of an object in its narration. And its remarkable fitness as an
illustration of the divine purpose in subjecting the whole race to the dominion of evil
for its punishment and correction, that in due time God might restore and establish it
in righteousness and everlasting life, warrants us in accepting it as an intended
type.
Commenting
on its typical significance, another has observed:
"Unless
it was to foreshadow the degradation and the duration of Gentile Times, we know of no
reason for the recording of this scrap of history of a heathen king. That his seven years
of degradation fitly illustrated human debasement is a fact; that God has promised a
restitution of earth's dominion after humanity has learned certain great lessons is also
a fact; and that the seven symbolic Gentile Times (2520 years) end at the exact point when
mankind will have learned its own degradation and present inability to rule the world to
advantage and will be ready for God's Kingdom and dominion, is a third fact. And the
fitness of the illustration forces the conviction that Nebuchadnezzar's seven years, while
literally fulfilled on him personally, had. a yet greater and broader significance as a
figure of the seven symbolic times of Gentile dominion, which he represented. The seven
times of Nebuchadnezzar's degradation proved to be seven literal years, when actually so
fulfilled; and so the humiliation of Israel and the world under the 'powers that be' has
proved to be seven symbolic times-2520 years. This period has now ended, and agencies are
at work on every hand pointing to a termination of Gentile dominion, and the bringing in
of everlasting righteousness and all the blessings of the New Covenant to Israel and to
all the groaning creation."
We may
conclude, then, that this second "key" prophecy is in complete harmony with the
first; that it does not introduce another subject, but treats of the same subject from
another point of view. It supplies the additional information as to the length of the
period during which the four worldly kingdoms would have dominion. The first prophecy
showed this dominion would last from the time of Nebuchadnezzar until the time of the
Kingdom of the Stone which became a Mountain. The second prophecy shows this period to be
one of seven symbolic times -- 2520 years.
Col. 2:4-7.
"This I say that no one may delude you
with persuasiveness of speech."
- Col. 2:4, R. V.
WITH
CONSUMMATE skill, from the apostolic greeting of verse one to the warnings that begin
with the verses which we are about to consider, every word has been used to prepare the
minds of these far away brethren for the advice their dangers make necessary. The Apostle
realizes he must use great care, for warnings may easily be mistaken for scoldings. He has
the interests of his brethren at heart, and his words are apt to take on such a solemn
tone that they will feel he is at least exaggerating their danger. In fact they are not
aware that they are in any danger; and they will not be safe until made aware of it.
Even the
false teachers were doubtless ignorant of the fallacies in their reasonings; for with
imperfect brains they could not reason perfectly. On the other hand, if the Colossians had had perfect brains, they would have been quite
safe in listening to these philosophers, accepting the truths they taught, and discarding
the errors. The question is not raised as to the honesty of either the teachers or the
hearers; but, though he does not directly say here what he has said in other places, his
politely phrased warning is directly implying that neither they nor their teachers are
able to "reason anything" of themselves. - 2 Cor. 3:5, Diaglott.
The danger
which had come upon our brethren of this Colossian ecclesia was not peculiar to their day.
There are at all times philosophies so-called offering themselves as a substitute for the
true philosophy to be found no where except in God's Word. Our being able to discover some
of the errors in the world's philosophizings is no safeguard, but rather a danger; for
if we become convinced of our ability to "reason anything" of ourselves, the
errors which our imperfect brains do not discover will be gladly accepted and stored away
as precious truths. Apparently Paul's warning is as much needed today as when given, for
one still hears of teachers who are accepted and blindly followed because of their
"great brains." Such expressions are heard as, "one of the greatest minds
in the truth," "deep thinker," etc. Fine brains are good, just as
"persuasiveness of speech" (R V.) is, when used by an Apostle Paul, or any one
who is under the influence of the Spirit of God; but the greater the brain and the more
powerful the "persuasiveness," the greater the, danger; especially when error
is bated, as it always is, with a thousand truths.
Must we then
reject all teachers, since we have never found one who did not sometime in his life teach
some error? Even the Apostles would have taught a mixture of truth and error without the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God in His Word, answers
that it is He who has set the teachers in the Body. Manifestly a teacher cannot be
accepted as "good" merely because he teaches only what we already believe (he
would then have nothing to teach us), nor because he teaches some truth. Neither can he be
rejected as "bad" because he makes some mistakes. What then shall be our rule to
safeguard ourselves and the brethren against false teachers? Not only through the great
logician, the one we would have selected for giving the answer, but also through the
loving John (1 John 3:23-4:8) we are told what the final test on the teachers must be. It
is presupposed that they must have something to teach us and some ability in teaching.
Then, Brother John says, "Try the spirits, whether
they are of God." The first evidence he gives that they are led of the spirit is
their belief in the ransom, confessing that "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh."
Next, if they are "of God" they will be guided by the teachings of the Apostles,
God's messengers. Lastly, "He that loveth not, knoweth not God," and therefore
can never teach us to know Him; and this is the knowledge through which everlasting life
is gained. If with persuasiveness of speech some one, even one in whom we have great
confidence, offers some other standard, in that teaching he is not being guided of the
Spirit of the Lord and to that degree must be rejected. But especially "Beware of
false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:15, 16.) This is our Master's warning.
"There Must be Heresies Among You"
Truth is
actually more fascinating than error; but error must be to some degree fascinating in
order to deceive. The natural mind is attracted by natural reasonings; the spiritual mind
by sanctifying truths. Therefore the process of introducing error is usually quite
simple. The truth-loving mind with some trace of the human still left in it is first
attracted and left bewildered by the suggestion of apparently deep and unanswerable
questions, made to sound very important even though there would not be a grain of
sanctifying power in the answer if ever it were discovered. Then they are. induced to
accept the teacher's answer because of its speciousness, without seeing all its
bearings, or even knowing its real meaning. "So error ever creeps into the Church.
Men are caught by something fascinating in some popular teaching, and follow it without
knowing where it will lead them. By slow degrees its tendencies are disclosed, and at last
the followers of the heresiarch wake to find that everything which they once believed and
prized" has been dropped.
It was not
human wisdom that taught the Apostle his method of safe-guarding the brethren of Colosse.
The human method is to exalt human reasonings with the resulting partial or even total
eclipse of the Scriptures; but the one who is being deceived will go away saying, "He
had Scripture for it" - for of course Scriptures, some of them misapplied, were
intertwined with the human reasoning. "Paul knows that he can best fortify these
disciples against all harmful teaching by exalting his Master and urging the inexhaustible
significance of His person and message. To learn the full meaning and preciousness of
Christ is to be armed against error. The positive truth concerning Him, by preoccupying
mind and heart, guards beforehand against the most specious teachings. If you fill the
coffer with gold, nobody will lack, and there will be no room for pinchbeck [anything
spurious or pretentious]. A living grasp of Christ will keep us from being swept away by
the current of prevailing popular opinion, which is always much more likely to be wrong
than right, and is sure to be exaggerated and one-sided at the best. A personal
consciousness of His power and sweetness will give an instinctive repugnance to teaching
that would lower His dignity and debase His work. If He be the center and anchorage of all
our thoughts, we shall not be tempted to go elsewhere in search of the 'treasures of
wisdom and knowledge' which 'are hid in Him.' He who has found the priceless One, needs no
more to go seeking, but only day by day more completely to lose self, and give up all
else, that he may win more and more of Christ, his All. If we keep our hearts and minds in
communion with our Lord, and have experience of His preciousness, that will preserve us
from many a snare, will give us a wisdom beyond human logic, will solve for us many of the
questions fervently debated today, and will show us that many more are unimportant and
uninteresting to us" as new creatures.
"For
though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding
your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ Jesus." (Col. 2:5.) For
many years Paul had served the Church through the length and breadth of the known world.
If now in his prison cell his shoulders were bowed and his hair gray, it was not because
of the burden he had borne. These were the toll of years, not of worry. His habit had been
one of "joying and beholding." Note that the joy is first. It is for that reason
that Paul can see much that is good in these brethren of Colosse. He knew of the errors
that were being taught and believed, but with a heart filled with joy he could look
beyond their errors and see much in which to rejoice in their "order" and
"steadfastness."
Without
exception the prison epistles are masterpieces of "rejoicing in the Lord." He
who would sympathize with this prisoner of the Lord must draw on his imagination to
discover any mournful prospect for him, for he looked not on barren walls but on, a vision
of his glorified Lord ever with him It is not the damp air of a prison cell he breathes,,
but heaven's own atmosphere. And not only his Lord is with him there, but into that little
square is crowded every saint, living and dead, known and unknown; for Paul is ever
rejoicing with those who have gone to their rest to await the victor's crown, and
struggling side by side with those who are valiantly stretching forth toward the mark of
the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
If Paul's
preference had been to know his brethren "after the flesh," his astute mind
would probably have been able to uncover more unlovely things in his brethren than the
less active brains would. He, however, does not find pleasure in talking about the
failings of which he has of necessity been made aware that he may write the Colossians
this epistle for their blessing and for ours. He who counseled others to think on things
that are lovely, gives little more than bare mention to these weaknesses, in his haste
to take up the theme of which he never wearies-the beauties of true holiness as
exemplified in his Lord.
It is a
military figure the Apostle uses to portray the thing of worth in the Colossian ecclesia
which he mentions first -- "your order." Paul was living in a Pretorian camp and
if he could not so much as see the soldiers from between the bars of his little window, he
could hear the feet in perfect accord, a proof that heads that differ and hearts that once
were set on widely differing ideals need not interfere with the beautiful oneness that
makes effective soldiers, and that can make the soldiers of the cross move as one man
under the direction of the Captain of their salvation.
The
translation which Weymouth gives the next phrase is also a military metaphor: "the
solid front presented by your faith in Christ" -- your closed phalanx, in other
words. This designation should perhaps be taken as referring to the inward condition,
and the former to the outward discipline of the Church in Colosse. This is an excellent
ideal for every congregation to have set before it: military precision in the orderly
array of their activities; and, within, a steadfast, unwavering faith. Paul, it must be
borne in mind, is not recommending discipline merely for display; but precision
resulting from a faith in our Captain so great that, at His command, following where He
has gone before, any foe however numerous, and any danger however great, will be faced
shoulder to shoulder and without a suspicion of wavering. It was another, well acquainted
with the requirements of a good soldier, who centuries earlier wrote of the company that
came to make their captain king in Israel: "All these, men of war, that could keep
rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel." (1
Chron. 12:38.) May it not be that a, test more subtle than many suspect is, in this day of
divisions, determining who are worthy of heart to be present at the crowning of the King
of kings, and Lord of lords? How foolish to be making a great to-do over the fact that
some people are hard to keep step with, when the discipline preparatory to our great
battle and victory depends much on our accommodating ourselves to our comrade's stride.
Not in the sense of making missteps with him, but in bearing with his
"infirmities" to his "edification."
Courage,
devotion to the cause and to our Captain, and whole-hearted enthusiasm are needed to
make a "good soldier" even in the days of training. It is better that
"Faint heart" have his weakness revealed in the dust and heat of the drill-field
than be exposed to humiliating defeat when the battle is on. Let us ask ourselves whether
through the dust of the drill-field we can see the face of our Captain ' joying and
beholding" our orderly rank and
steadfast faith in Him? If there is any disorder in our ranks, is the whole company out
of step with me, or am I out of step with them?
The Christian's Walk
"As
therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (a) rooted and (b) builded up
in Him, and (c) stablished in your faith, even as ye were taught, (d) abounding in
thanksgiving." - R. V.
A truth so
important as this cannot be too often reiterated: knowledge is imparted only that it may
be put into practice-in view of the fact that you have taken Jesus, the Man who died for us, and who was anointed as the
long expected Messiah, the Christ, as your Lord, your
exalted Head, of course you must mold your life, down to the smallest detail, to His
will. This is the life, the walk, of faith which will be manifested in the four ways
outlined by the Apostle.
(a)
"Rooted . . . in Him," the oft repeated "in Him" of this epistle and
the one to the Ephesians reveals the never-failing source of life from which the
Christian may draw nourishment, the antitype of the Rock that followed the children of
Israel through all their wilderness journey with its refreshing, life-sustaining water.
The figure forcefully represents the real, the vital indwelling of the believer in
Christ. But "Paul drives his fiery chariot through rhetorical proprieties, and never
shrinks from 'mixed metaphors' if they more vigorously express his thought. Here we have
three incongruous ones close to each other's heels. The Christian is to walk, to be rooted
like a tree, to be built up like a house. What does the incongruity matter to Paul as the
stream of thought and feeling hurries him along?
"The
tenses of the verbs, too, are studiously and significantly varied. Fully rendered they
would be 'having been rooted and being builded up.' The one is a past act done once for
all, the effects of which are permanent; the -other is a continuous re= suiting process
which is going on now. The Chris tian has been rooted in Jesus Christ at the beginning
of his Christian course. His faith has brought him into living contact with the Savior,
who has become as the fruitful soil into which the believer sends his roots, and both
feeds and anchors there. The familiar image of the First Psalm may have been in the
writer's mind, and naturally recurs to ours. If we draw nourishment and stability from
Christ, round whom the roots of our being twine and cling, we shall flourish and grow
and bear fruit. No man can do without some person beyond himself on whom to repose, nor
can any of us find in ourselves or on earth the sufficient soil for our growth. We are
seedlings dropped on some great rock, which send their rootlets down the hard stone and
are stunted till they reach the rich leaf-mold at its base. We blindly feel through all
the barrenness of the world for something into which our roots may plunge that we may be
nourished and firm. In Christ we may be 'like a tree planted by the river of water'; out
of Him we are 'as the chaff,' rootless, lifeless, profitless, and swept at last by the
wind from the threshing floor. The choice is before every man -- either to be rooted in
Christ by faith, or to be rootless."
(b) "
'Being built up in Him.' The gradual, continuous building up of the structure of a
Christian character is doubly expressed in this word by the present tense which points to
a process, and by the prefixed preposition represented by 'up,' which points to the
successive laying of masonry course upon course. We are the architects of our own
characters. If our lives are based on Jesus Christ as their foundation, and every deed is
in vital connection with Him, as at once its motive, its pattern, its power, its aim,
and its reward, then we shall build holy and fair lives, which will be temples. Men do not
merely grow as a leaf which 'grows green and broad, and takes no care.' The other metaphor
of a building needs to be taken into account, to complete the former. Effort, patient
continuous labor must be put forth. More than 'forty and six years is this temple in
building.' A stone at a time is fitted into place, and so after much toil and many years,
as in the case of some medieval cathedral unfinished for centuries, the topstone is
brought forth at last. This choice, too, is before all men-to build on Christ and so to
build for eternity, or on sand and so to be crushed below the ruins of their fallen
houses."
(c) The
Greek of the following phrase is, literally, "being established, and may be
paraphrased either: "being stablished by your faith," or "being stablished
as to your faith." "A progressive increase of our faith is the condition of all
Christian progress. The faith which is already the firmest, and by its firmness may
gladden an Apostle, is still capable of and needs strengthening. Its range can he
enlarged, its tenacity increased, its power over heart and life reinforced. The eye of
faith is never so keen but that it may become more Ion'-sighted; its grasp never so close
but that it may be tightened; its realization never so solid but that it may be more
substantial; its authority never so great but that it may be made more absolute. This
continual strengthening of faith is the most essential form of a Christian's effort at
self-improvement. Strengthen faith and you strengthen all graces; for it measures our
conception of divine help.
"And
the furthest development which faith can attain should ever be sedulously kept in harmony
with the initial teaching -- 'even as ye were taught.' Progress does not consist in
dropping the early truths of Jesus Christ the Lord for newer wisdom and more speculative
religion, but in discovering ever deeper lessons and larger powers in these rudiments'
which are likewise the last and highest lessons which men can learn."
(d)
"Further, as the daily effort of the believing soul ought to be to strengthen the
quality of his faith, so it should be to increase its amount -- abounding in it with
thanksgiving.' . . The main idea of the clause is that thanksgiving is an inseparable
accompaniment of vigorous Christian life. It is to be called forth, of course, mainly by
the great gift of Christ, in whom we are rooted and builded, and, in Paul's judgment it is
the very spring of Christian progress."
The
abounding in thanksgiving implies a habitual dwelling of the mind on the great mercies
of God as expressed in His "unspeakable gift," a continual glow of heart as we
look on Him, a continual laying hold of that gift for our very own, and a continual
pouring of our heart's love to the One who was the embodiment of immortal love.
Gratitude on this basis will bind us to glad obedience, will give swiftness to the
messenger, and eagerness to the running in the way of God's commandments. It is this
genial sunshine that imparts sweet perfume to the spiritual flower, lusciousness to the
spiritual fruit. It is the coal that kindles the sacrificial fire from which arise the
fragrant incense clouds, an acceptable offering to our God, the highest and noblest
service to which we can here aspire.
The life
which flows out of the fount of thanksgiving is first pure, and it will be therefore a
life acceptable to Him who is its inspiration, an "acceptable sacrifice"
"of sweet perfume," a life of joyful surrender. "By Him, therefore, let us
offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually."
"There
were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold,
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd's care."
"God will not change:
The restless years may bring
Sunlight and shade,
The glories of the spring,
The silent gloom of sunless winter hours,
Joy mixed with grief --
Sharp thorns with fragrant flowers,
Earth's lights may shine awhile and then grow dim
"But God is true!
There is no change in Him.
Rest in the Lord today and all thy days,
Let His unerring Hand direct thy ways
Through the uncertainty, and hope and fear
That meet thee on the threshold of the year;
And find while all life's changing scenes pass by --
Thy refuge in the Love that cannot die."
"Oh how great is Thy goodness,
which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou host wrought for them that
trust in Thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence
from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from
the strife of tongues." - Psa. 31:19, 20.
THE SECRET
place of the Most High is in no sense a literal building made with hands; nor is it a
place which we may hire for a weekly or quarterly rent and for which we secure sole right
of tenancy. It is not a place where occupation can be leased for a fixed term of years,
and it is not a place to which the greatest earthly wealth can purchase admittance; nor
can those who are very poor plead that their poverty may excuse them from paying and
thus gain admission free.
No, the cost
of entry is within the reach of the poorest as well as the richest, for it is the same to
all; yet very few are willing to pay the price because it demands their all-"My
son, give Me thine heart." And when we give our heart, it must be done willingly,
gladly, sincerely, and there must be no qualification or reservation, for if there should
be, then it would not be acceptable, and entry to the "secret place" will be
denied to us. If we give only a part of our heart's warmest affection, then it will not be
long ere we realize that we do not dwell in that secret place of retirement reserved
exclusively for those who have loyally fulfilled the requirements.
But, having
paid the price, to what peace of mind and joy of heart do those enter in who continue to
faithfully keep their all upon the altar of sacrifice.
"In Thy Presence is Fullness of Joy"
What a
blessed privilege it is to be able, under all conditions of life, when thronging duties
and cares can be relinquished and the thoughts set free, to return to the place of our
rest, to allow the mind to retire to the quiet confines of the "secret place."
Indeed to cultivate this retirement to "the secret place of His tabernacle" as a
habit of thought, so that the mind instinctively hastens there as to its permanent abiding
place, its dwelling, its home, is the only way in which it is possible to receive that
great legacy which our dear Redeemer left for all
His faithful
followers-"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." As
another has so beautifully expressed it "The Christian's habit of thought has much
to do with his spiritual progress or retrogression, as it is also an index of his
spiritual state; and good habits of thought need to be carefully cultivated. By 'habit
of thought' we mean that normal condition to which the mind habitually returns in the
moments of mental leisure. While engaged in the active duties of life we must of
necessity bend our mental energies to the work in hand, for if we do anything merely
mechanically and without concentrating thought upon it we cannot do it well: yet even
here Christian principle, well established in the character, will unconsciously guide.
But when the strain of labor and care are lifted for a time, the established habit of
thought, like the needle to the pole, should quickly return to its rest in God."
"He Shall Hide Me in His Pavilion: in the Secret
of His Tabernacle Shall He Hide Me"
If we do
indeed habitually "dwell in the secret place of the Most High," then we might
liken the home -of our thoughts, the dwelling place of our mind when at rest, to a lofty
and spacious building containing a series of never-ending delights. In its quiet and calm
precincts, where rush and bustle and all turmoil are unknown, we spend the happiest
moments of our conscious existence. "In the secret of His presence, how my soul
delights to hide," says the poet.
High up
indeed so very high as to require keen spiritual vision to discern clearly its beauties,
is a dome flooded brilliantly with a glorious golden light, dazzling to behold.
Do we at
times feel that it is too far away for us ever to reach? Or can we as it were rise on the
wings of faith even to that apparently inaccessible height and with full confidence in the
"exceeding great and precious promises
realize that even now the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory has given unto
us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened,
that we may know what is the hope of His
calling, and what the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints, and that He "hath raised us up together, and made us
sit together in heavenly places"? If our wings of faith are strong, the
intervening space will be correspondingly less, for as our faith grows stronger, the
Word will be like a telescope with an ever-increasing range of vision, making this exalted
goal, so utterly impossible of attainment to the natural senses, more and more real to us
"who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." In proportion to the
clearness of our vision of those scenes of glory will our peace and joy in the Lord
increase.
"I
love by faith: to take a view
Of brighter scenes beyond;
The prospect doth my strength renew,
And hence my songs abound."
Would we
manifest such a limited trust in our Heavenly Father's power, such a lack of confidence in
His promised grace, as not to take Him at His word? Have we not proved our God to be true
to His promises! Would we dare say that our Father had invited us to a position impossible
of attainment? Knowing full well the difficulties of the way He had invited us to walk,
did He not at the same time promise an abundance of grace sufficient to lead us to the
goal? Wherein then do we lack? Surely it is in that element of character which God appears
to value so highly-faith. Ah yes! an unquestioning faith in our Heavenly Father will
ever insure an undimmed spiritual vision and guard us against aspiring to reach a limited
station to which He has never invited us. Let us ever seek to manifest our appreciation
of the great honor God has bestowed upon us by fully availing ourselves of the grace He
has promised and ever proving that our faith is strong enough to firmly hold on to that
grace.
"And the Work of Righteousness Shall be Peace"
No matter
how our longing eyes may look to that lofty, distant, golden dome that seems so far away,
we find ourselves, for the present, confined inexorably, to the marble floor. How
thankful we are to be able to rest so confidingly upon its crimson bosom where,
"Hidden
here from all my foes,
None can harm though all oppose;
For though justice once condemned,
Love did this blest shelter send."
But what a
continual feast of beauty lies there for our eyes to behold! Treasures are there which,
dimly lighted by the radiance from that far-away golden dome, provide a never-ending
panorama of delight. Palms and graceful foliage charm the eye while vines with their
luscious fruit vie with the many fragrant flowers to continually remind us of the ultimate
grace and beauty and sweetness of all God's finished handiwork.
"Search We May for Many Years,
Still Some New, Rich Gem Appears"
And what an
entrancing occupation it is, searching among the luxuriant foliage all around, for those
beautiful pictures so skillfully hidden away that only the diligent searcher can find
them. But what a reward when they are found! How exquisitely beautiful they are! And even
those upon which we have gazed often and long, reveal fresh beauties each time we examine
them. Their beauty of design, harmony of color and detail, all betoken the skill of the
Master Artist. Only the mind that conceived the loveliness of nature with its
sweet-smelling flowers, its butterflies, trees, fields, mountains and rivers, could
produce such pictures. We never grow weary of the long-familiar ones, nor tire in our
search for new ones.
"Salvation! 0 the joyful Sound!"
Echoing
throughout the lofty spaces of this "secret place" can ever be heard the sweet
strains of an invisible organ. The deep pedal notes come reverberating through the
corridors reminding us of the stately steppings of our God, while the sweet melodies of
Jesus' sacrifice and faithfulness sound forth from the manuals; all the delightful harmony
blending perfectly with the singing of the birds and the gentle rustling of the leaves.
As we become
more and more domiciled to the "secret place"; as our thoughts become more and
more accustomed to an instinctive retirement to that abode of rest, it will ever become
more and more attractive to us, and the heavenly city, the longed-for goal and end of our
journey, will become increasingly real to us until we can say, "I fancy but thinly
the veil intervenes between that fair city and me."
"O Sometimes the Shadows are Deep"
We may, nay
probably will, experience a feeling of regret every time the duties of life call us to
less harmonious surroundings. Although we have the promise that we shall be kept from
"the strife of tongues," we shall not always be able to close our ears to such things. We may find that the proud
philosopher will still endeavor to convince, by reason or logic, that he understands
truth and we do not. We shall probably have
to listen to those who would fain convince us that salvation is won by works. There will
continue to be many cries and much confusion all around us, and many will be the times
when, disturbed by these and other distressing elements, and. pressed by the duties and
cares of life, we will utter the Psalmist's cry, "O that I had wings like a dove! for
then would I fly away and be at rest."
"Return unto Thy Rest, 0 My Soul"
It is at
such times that the "secret place" proves our most sacred retreat. As we once
more enter therein and review the promises for the future, and are reminded that "God
is not the author of confusion, but of peace," we whole-heartedly praise and magnify
our Heavenly Father's name. How quieting to the troubled soul to be able thus, even in
the midst of life's battles, to be able to say, "I can be calm and free from care on
any shore, since Thou art there."
"My
God, the spring of all my joys,
The source of my delights,
The glory of my brightest days,
And comfort of my nights."
'Tis in
times of stress and strain, or when passing through the deep waters; when storms beat or
the disciplines of life's experiences rest heavily upon us, that we find the greatest
relief and calmest delight in reviewing the treasures of "His pavilion" and
refreshing our thirsty souls with the "exceeding great and precious promises."
How true it
is that the vine-dresser must of necessity be close to the vine when pruning, and at
that time exercise special care in his attention lest the pruning knife should do harm
rather than good. And how true it is, too, that the refiner gives close and careful
attention to the gold as well as to the heat of the furnace, lest in seeking to remove the
dross, the precious metal too should be lost.
And have we
not proved that it is in our hours of deepest distress, in times of sickness, pain, or
sorrow that our Heavenly Father is very near to us; that at such times the precious
promises are made especially sweet; that pain, sorrow, and loss are but channels through
which the comfort and consolation of our hope in Christ flow with concentrated blessings
to our hungry soul, longing for a closer fellowship with Him.
It is surely
then that our Heavenly Father draws us quietly into the "secret of His
presence," and there responds to the deep yearning of our inmost being to draw nearer
to Him. - Contributed.
"I've a safe and sacred refuge
In the midst of all life's cares,
I've a Helper-tried and precious
Who will all my sorrows share.
I've a Comforter who dries my tears
And soothes my deepest grief,
Who stills my fears and gives to me
A blessed, sweet relief.
I know no fear or trouble
In the whirl of life's alarms,
For I am safely carried
In the Everlasting Arms.
"God's love is like a canopy
Above my weary head;
His kindly hand replenishes
My store of daily bread.
His mercy forms a barrier
To every howling blast,
And wipes away the memory
Of 'the waters that are past.'
Here cradled in His tender love,
Pin safe from life's alarms;
No harm can pass the portals of
The Everlasting Arms.
"What though my friends forsake me
And loved ones wound me sore,
He has prepared a mansion
On the Eternal Shore.
There flowers are always blooming,
There I shall serve Him still,
Where earth-born clouds shall not conceal
The Heavenly Father's Will.
When death shall write the 'finis'
To life's page, I'll fear no harm;
For I shall still be carried
In the Everlasting Arms.
"This weary, worn-out garment
I will lay aside at last;
The pain and weakness and the grief
Of life will all be past.
Clothed in my house from Heaven
I shall see the Father's face,
And know at last the fullness
Of His unchanging grace.
There'll be no sorrow or regrets,
No fears and no alarms,
When I'm carried through Death's portals
In the Everlasting Arms."
- L. K. Poole, Author of "Ten Camels."
"Whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4.) If by reason of
appropriating some small portion of the sanctifying power of the Scriptures one is
convinced that any effort to make his knowledge of the Scriptures more complete will be
well rewarded, that one will perhaps be appreciative of the method successfully used by
many. By reading four chapters a day the entire Bible may be read through in a year. This
is not recommended as a substitute for a careful study of the Word, but as a very helpful
adjunct to it. Few can hope to have time for a detailed study of every portion of the
Word, but if one is familiar with the entire range of Scripture, even the less studied
portions will lend their measure of assistance while other portions are being more
thoroughly considered. This cannot, of course, be true if one has not familiarized
himself in a general way with the entire Bible.
Greater
interest is given if the Bible is divided into three sections: Section No. 1, Genesis to
Psalms; Section No. 2, Proverbs to Malachi; Section No. 3, the New Testament. In this
third section the epistles by the same name, such as First and Second Corinthians, may be
considered as one, and Titus and Philemon also read together. Beginning with the first
book in Section 1, Genesis, follow with the first book in Section 2, Proverbs; then with
the first book in Section 3, Matthew; and follow this order until the entire Bible is
read.
Additional
interest may be given if several brethren plan to read the same chapters each day,
especially if they are brethren who contact each other frequently.
No reading
can have the intended effect unless it is done with the Spirit and the understanding, but
an earnest endeavor to know better the Author of the Word must inevitably result in
blessings to one who searches the Scriptures with that object in view.
"God's promises, exceeding
great!" are expressions of His desire to shower blessings upon His people. They are
assurances that He delights to give, and give, and give again. The fulfillment, therefore,
in our experience of any of His exceeding great and precious promises becomes an
encouraging evidence of our being in the line of His will -a witness of the Spirit that we
are His. Jesus has promised that "where two or three are gathered in My name, there
am I in the midst." Truly they who have met together in that Name and thereby found
themselves blessed, according to this promise, may testify, "How sweet to leave the
world awhile, and seek the presence of our Lord." God delights to keep tryst with His
children and there command His blessing upon them, even as He promised His people of old.
He is still the same God, ever ready to pour out of the abundance of His riches of grace
on those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.
This was confirmed to those who were
privileged to attend the two days of fellowship in Detroit over the weekend -of July
Fourth. Surely none failed to carry away the happy assurance of having been
"apart" with the Master, privileged indeed to leave the world awhile, and in His
presence find a little time for relaxation from the conflicts of life, and gain strength
for whatever experiences the coming days may bring. We believe these times
"apart" are a gracious provision of the Lord, and that it is His purpose that we
shall return to the routine of daily life strengthened in spirit to press forward toward
the goal set before us in Christ Jesus.
The themes discussed by the speakers
encouraged a consistent, sober outlook on life, which is greatly needed in these momentous
days. The incorruptible crown held in reserve for those who so run as to obtain, was once
again reviewed, to the end that we might be further encouraged to lay aside all
hindering things and count all else but loss and
dross. The fast approaching darkness which, according to the prophetic Word, must precede
the full dawn of the new day, also had attention, that we might remember we are favored
children of the light, and should walk accordingly. The character of those who dwell in
the secret place, and the consecration of those who shall ascend into the hill of the
Lord, were likewise considered, that the great truth might be reiterated, and constantly
remembered, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification."
A discussion on "The light of. the
knowledge of the glory of God," refreshed our hearts with timely reminders of God's
inexhaustibleness, and, in contrast, our own littleness. Truly, "the reverence of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The blessed freedom of those in Christ-free, yet
bound with cords of love to the will of God-was a word in season, and equally so the
thoughts presented on the familiar text, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor
in vain who build." The closing session was a symposium on the three abiding
qualities of Christian character, Faith, Hope, and Love.
The keynote of the fellowship, so well
expressed in song, was, "Gladness has come to stay." As the time for departure
drew Mar, it seemed that gladness had indeed come to stay, and would radiate into wider
and wider circles embracing many not privileged to be personally present. The testimonies
of the friends and their parting words gave evidence that we had met in Gods place of
blessing, in the peerless name of Jesus, and in the blessed unity of the Spirit. The words
of a closing hymn fitly expressed the desire of one and all:
"Lord, give me grace to walk with
Thee,
Through pain, or loss, or shame.
That every act may henceforth be
An honor to Thy name."
Mr. J. W.
Knowlton, Clarington, O. - (June).
Mrs. Hillie L. Wallace, Bellingham, Wash. - (June).
Mr. William Grab, Junction City, Wis. - (July).
1942 Index |