THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL. XXV SEPTEMBER 1942
NO. 9
Table of Contents
The Privilege and Power of Prayer
The Seven Key Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation
A Discussion of 1 Thessalonians 4:15.17
Oneness of Mind
Creed and Character
"We Would See Jesus"
Recently Deceased
"And Jesus spake a parable unto
them to this end, that men
ought always to pray and not to faint." - Luke 18:1-8.
TO THE
thoughtful, appreciative mind, one of the greatest privileges which the Word of God offers
is that of personal audience and communion with the King of kings and Lord of lords. When
we consider how great is our God, and how exalted His station, how wonderful is the
condescension that thus regards our low estate! He it is whose glory covereth the heavens,
and whose kingdom ruleth over the whole universe. He it is who is without beginning of
days or end of ),ears: "From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God." He is the
immortal, the self-existing One, "dwelling in the light which no man can approach
unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see." The heavens declare His glory and the
firmament showeth His handiwork. In all His vast universal domain there is nothing
hidden from Him, nor can He be wearied by its care. His wisdom, who can fathom? and His
ways, who can find them out? or who hath been His counselor? His mighty intellect grasps
with ease all the interests of His wide dominion, from immensity to minutia. His eye never
slumbers nor sleeps, nor can the smallest thing escape His notice-not even a sparrow's
fall; and the very hairs of our heads are all numbered. It is His skill which clothes
with life and beauty the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the
oven. And are not we, the creatures of His hand, "fearfully and wonderfully
made," and the subjects, too, of His love and care? "O Lord, Thou hast searched
me and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my
thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all
my ways; for there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it
altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.
"Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go
from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven,
Thou art there; if I make my bed in the grave, behold Thou art there; if I take the wings
of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead
me, . . . even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee,
but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee."
- Psa. 139:1-12.
Fallen
creatures though we be, from the noble estate in which we were created, God so loved our
race, even while we were yet sinners, as to make provision at great cost for our
redemption and restitution and subsequent eternal glory. And therefore it is, because He
loves us, that through Christ He extends to us the gracious favor of coming to Him as
children to a father. Wonderful is the condescension, wonderful the love and favor of our
God!
As Jesus Taught Us to Pray
Yet our God
is a God to be revered; He is not one like ourselves, our equal, into whose presence we
may come without that ceremony and decorum due to His glorious person and office. (Job.
9:1-35.) The court of heaven has regulations and ceremonies of respect and due deference
which must be complied with by every man who would gain an audience with the King of
kings; and it behooves us to inquire what those regulations are before we presume to
address Him. Here the Word of God gives explicit directions. Our Lord Jesus, the appointed
"days-man" for which job so earnestly longed (Job 9:32, 33), said, "No man
cometh unto the Father, but by Me. .[ am the way." (John 14:6.) Then He gave us an
illustration of the manner in which we should address Him, in what is known as the Lord's
prayer. (Matt. 6:9-13.) The illustration teaches (1) that we (believers in Christ) may
consider ourselves as in God's estimation reinstated (through faith in Christ) to the
original position of sons of God, and that we may therefore confidently address Him -
"Our Father."" (2) It indicates on our part worshipful adoration of the
high and holy One, and profound reverence for the glorious character and attributes of
our God. -- "Hallowed be Thy name." (3) It expresses full sympathy with His
revealed Plan for a coming Kingdom of righteousness, which will be according to His
will -- "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven."
This shows the attitude of heart to be toward righteousness, and fully submitted to the
Divine will and purpose, that God may work in it to will and to do His good pleasure. (4)
It expresses in plain and simple language its dependence on God for daily needs, and the
confidence of a child in the Father for the supply of those needs out of His abundant
fulness-"Give us this day our daily bread." (5) It seeks forgiveness for
trespasses, and recognizes also the obligation thus incurred to render the same to those
trespassing against us-"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors";
and (6) it seeks to be guarded against temptations and to be fortified by God's
abounding grace against all the wiles of the Adversary-"And abandon us not to
trial, but preserve us from evil."
Such are the
principles which must ever characterize our attitude of mind and heart when we would
avail ourselves of the privilege of addressing the throne of heavenly grace. In brief, our
prayers, to be acceptable to God, must express confident faith, loving esteem and
reverence, full sympathy with the Divine Plan and submission to the Divine will, childlike
dependence upon God, acknowledgment of sins and shortcomings, and desire for
forgiveness, with a forgiving disposition on our part toward others, and a humble
craving for the Divine guidance and protection. These may not al ways all be expressed
in words, but such must at least be the attitude of the soul.
May Come Boldly
Those who
thus come to God are privileged always to have their interests considered at the throne
of grace, and the welcome we shall always find there may be judged of by the cordial
invitations to come often and tarry long. Well might we hesitate to avail ourselves of
such privileges were we not thus assured, but having this assurance we may come with
confidence to the throne of grace. - Heb. 4:16; 13:6.
The Lord
knew how necessary to our spiritual life would be this communion with Himself.
Tempest-tossed and tried, how much we need our Father's care and the comfort and
consolation which His presence and sympathy realized imparts. And have not all the meek
and contrite in heart the promise not only 'of the occasional attentive hearing, but of
the abiding presence of both the Father and the Son, our Lord Jesus? Jesus said,
"He
that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me
shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.
Judas-not Iscariot-saith unto Him, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us
and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep
My words, and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with
him." - John 14:21-23.
The thought
which this promise of the abiding presence of the Father a d Son conveys to our minds is
that their though and care and interest will be constantly upon us, and that at any
instant we may engage the special attention of either or both. The same idea is also
conveyed by the words of the Apostle Peter (1 Pet. 3:12)--"For the eyes of the Lord
are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers." And we are urged
to be "instant in prayer," to "pray always, and not to faint," to
"pray without ceasing"; for "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the
Lord pitieth them that fear Him; for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are
dust." "As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them
that fear Him," and "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed
our transgressions from us." Yea, "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting
to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children, to
such as keep His covenant and to those that remember His commandments to do them." -
Rom. 12:12; Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17; Psa. 103:13, 14, 11, 12, 17, 18.
If any Man Sin
We cannot
come too often, then, to the throne of the heavenly grace, if we are of those who can
claim the abiding presence of the Father and the Son-if we are of them that love Him and
keep His commandments and who recognize the Lord Jesus as the only way of access to the
Father. And even "if any man sin" - be overtaken in a fault-so that from his
outward conduct he might be judged as not loving the Lord, yet, if he repent, let him
remember that "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous," who "is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins,"
"who also maketh intercession for us." "Who," then, "shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the
right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." - 1 John 2:1, 2; Rom. 8:33,
34.
Wherefore,
the Apostle urges, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession; for we have not an
High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come with confidence
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need." - Heb. 4:14-16.
With such
urgent and loving invitations let no child of God hesitate to come to Him often or to
tarry long in communion and fellowship with Him. It is our privilege to enter into our
closets and shut the doors and pray to our Father which seeth in secret, who will reward
us openly. (Matt. 6:6.) And not only so, but He will go with us through all the business
and hurry and commotion of the day; and at any instant in the midst of cares and
perplexities we may turn our prayerful thoughts to Him for wisdom, for strength and
Christian fortitude, or for comfort and consolation for ourselves or others. And though
we hear no responding voice, if we are attentive to the course of His providence we will
shortly see the shaping of events and circumstances for our good and the good of others in
answer to such prayers. Beloved, have we not many a time proved this true? in
perplexities, in tribulations, in afflictions, in persecutions, in bereavements, in
temptations and trials?
In coming to
God we need have no fear that He is too busy with other matters of greater importance, or
that He is weary of our coming to Him repeatedly with things of small importance. It was
to assure us against this very thing that our Lord spoke the parable of the importunate
widow, who was heard and answered on account of her importunity. In so doing we evince
both the earnestness of our desires and our faith that our prayers will be answered, if we
faint not from lack of faith or zeal when the answer is delayed, as often it must
necessarily be, since time is an important element in all God's work.
"Everything to Him in Prayer"
All night,
until the break of day, Jacob wrestled in prayer, saying, "I will not let thee go,
unless thou bless me." Paul thrice besought the Lord until he was assured His grace
would be sufficient for him. The Lord Himself frequently spent whole nights in prayer, and
He prayed earnestly and with many tears. (Luke 6:12; Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:46; 1:35; Luke
5:16; Heb. 5:7.) And the Apostle Paul says, "In everything, by prayer and
supplication [earnest pleading] with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto
God." - Phil. 4:6.
The Apostle
himself acted on this principle when lie urged, in his letter to the Romans, that the
saints "strive together [Greek, agonize] with me in prayers to God for me," that
he might safely accomplish a certain work which seemed to be of the Spirit's leading. -
Rom. 15:28-32.
"In
everything" that signifies that our Heavenly Father is deeply interested in
everything that relates to us and ours. What thing is too small for His notice who numbers
even the very hairs of our heads? In today's household or business cares, then, we may
have His loving sympathy and helpfulness. Do a mother's counsel and a father's wisdom
seem inadequate to restrain and guide aright the wayward course of impetuous and
over-confident youth? They may bring their cares and fears to the Lord; and, as the
children cross the threshold to meet the world's temptations, His wisdom and providence
may be invoked to so shape their circumstances and surroundings as to show them eventually
the sure safe way and the folly of pursuing any other.
Do business
cares perplex and annoy? Remember the Lord's caution, "Be not overcharged with the
cares of this life," and the Apostle's warning, "They that will be rich fall
into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in
destruction and utter ruin; for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with
many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life." And, remembering these things, come to the throne of the heavenly
grace for wisdom and direction as to how you may so adjust your temporal affairs as not to
be overcharged with the cares of this life. It
is right to be charged with them to the extent of diligence (Rom. 12:11) and the
utilization of such diligence in the Lord's service; but it is the overplus, the
corroding care, that interferes with peace of mind and communion with God, that is to be
avoided.
It Will Sweeten Our Days
Does poverty
pinch and cause anxious thought? Take that also to the Lord in prayer; and then, while
diligently using; the means at hand, to provide things decent and 'honest, patiently and
confidently wait and watch the indications of providence, assured that He who feeds
the fowl of the air, which neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and who clothes the
grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, is both able and
willing to clothe and feed you and yours.
And so
through all the list of earth's trials and cares, its wants and its woes, its bereavements
and disappointments and calamities and distresses, its failures and shortcomings and sins
and mistakes, we may take them all to the Lord in prayer and receive that strength and
sympathy and consolation and help we so much need. Let us live in the presence of the
Father and the Son who have promised to abide with us. It will sweeten our days and
comfort our nights and ease our burdens and lighten our cares and brighten our hopes,
and, in a word, it will lift us up above the world into a higher and purer atmosphere.
Such is the will of heaven concerning us: let us appreciate and avail ourselves of the
privilege.
By all the
encouragements of precept and example, the Lord assures us that the fervent prayer of a
righteous man (a justified and consecrated child of God) availeth much. (James 5:16.) We
are urged also to come in faith. Jesus said, ."If ye have faith and doubt not, . . .
all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
(Matt. 21:22.) As He was addressing His consecrated disciples, it must of course be
understood that all their petitions would be subjected to divine wisdom, and therefore
the answers to their prayers, though always sure, might not always be in the way expected,
but they would always be considered and answered in some way for their highest good.
What a
blessed privilege, dear fellow-disciples of the Lord, is ours, to be instant in prayer, to
pray always -- to lift up our hearts and minds to God at any time and in any place and to
realize thus daily and hourly that the Father and our dear Lord Jesus continually abide
with us. And then, when the active duties of the day have been performed under His eye and
supervision, or at any (time when the soul realizes its necessity, how precious is the
privilege of entering into our closets and there alone with God unburdening our hearts.
While secret
prayer is the blessed privilege of every child of God, and one without which his
spiritual life cannot be sustained, it is also the privilege of Christians to unite
their petitions at the throne of grace. This united prayer is specially commended by the
Lord. (Matt. 18:19.) "Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father; for
where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of
them."
If We Faint not
With such
promises as these, together with an experience of their fulfillment, who can doubt the
love and favor of our God and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Therefore let us be
encouraged to pray always and not to faint when the answers seem to tarry long, for time
is often required to work out the deep designs of an all-wise and loving Providence.
Remember the words of the angel to Daniel. Daniel said, "While I was speaking and
praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my
supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God; yea, while I was
speaking in prayer," the answer came by the hand of an angel who said, "O
Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy
supplications the commandment came forth, and
I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved." - Dan, 9:20-23.
On another
occasion, when Daniel had mourned three weeks, fasting and praying, because of his
inability to understand, the angel of the Lord came and said, "Fear not, Daniel,
for from the first day that 'thou didst set thine heart
to understand, and to chasten thyself before
thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." - Dan. 10:2, 3,
10-12.
Even so
shall it ever be with all the beloved of the Lord: at the beginning of our supplications
God begins to set in operation the influences and to shape the circumstances which are
designed to work out the intended blessing for us-if we faint not, but continue instant in
prayer, thereby evincing our continued earnestness of desire, and if we confess our
sins, and set our hearts to understand, and chasten ourselves before Him. How many prayers
are not heard or are hindered because the one who asks does not first purify himself of
evil in his own heart! "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts"; that is, you ask selfishly and without regard to the
will of God. (James 4:3.) But to the chastened and sanctified comes the
promise-"Before they call [reading the desire of the heart even before it finds
expression in words] I will answer [will begin so to shape events as to bring the answer
sooner or later]; and while they are yet speaking I will hear." (Isa. 65:23, 24.)
While this is in connection with a prophecy relating to the Lord's people in the
Millennial Age, it nevertheless is true of all His faithful ones of this Age. Praise the
Lord for all His loving kindness to even the least of His lowly children. - W. T. Reprints, R1864, Sept. 15, 1895.
A Meditation in two parts-Part 2
"The testimony of Jesus is the
spirit of Prophecy." - Rev. 19:10.
No. 3-The Handwriting on the Wall
OUR THIRD
"key" prophecy is found in the fifth chapter of Daniel. It is the
interpretation of the handwriting on the wall of Belshazzar's palace.
At
Belshazzar's feast the golden vessels from the temple at Jerusalem were profaned by being
used for the worship of gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of
stone. It was the culmination of the sin of Babylon.
Silently her
doom was written. "In the same hour," we read, "came forth fingers of a
man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the
king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote."
Moved by
curiosity and consternation the king asks his wise .men to interpret the mysterious words
upon the wall; but none of them can do it. At the queen-mother's suggestion he sends for
Daniel. Evidently she, a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, had profited by the Lord's judgment
and mercy upon her father, for she seems to have been the only one of the palace who had
taken no part in the impious banquet-feast.
The aged
Prophet stands in the presence of the illustrious monarch, and, while refusing his
proffered gifts, says: "I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to
him the interpretation. "This is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel,
Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom,
and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres;
Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."
History,
both sacred and secular, records the fulfillment of this prophecy. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the
Chaldeans slain. The kingdom of Babylon, proud, sensual and idolatrous, fell before the
Medo-Persian power. In the interpretation of the word "Peres" the Prophet
plainly indicates the name of the second of the four kingdoms, that of the Medes and
Persians. Thus the silver breast and arms of the great image are interpreted. As the first
of the four kingdoms is Babylon, so the second is Persia. In accepting this
interpretation we build on plain statements in the Word of God, confirmed by the witness
of history.
The
temptation is strong with us to pause awhile here to note some of the striking
fulfillments in antitypical Babylon. None of the wise men even to this day can interpret
the mysterious words, "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin," as they apply to
antitypical Babylon. Only the truly "wise" understand. One of these was our late
brother, C. T. Russell. As our readers well know, a large part of the Fourth Volume in his
Scripture Studies series was written to demonstrate that antitypical Babylon (Christendom)
was being weighed in the balance and found wanting. He and a few other faithful pastors
and teachers fearlessly and accurately portrayed its judgment, socially, ecclesiastically,
politically, economically; and today it is fulfilling rapidly before our very eyes. But we
must not digress from our main purpose, which is to show the relationship of each of the
seven key prophecies to the others. However, as we leave this third one, let us not fail
to notice three things concerning it
1. That its
interpretation is divinely given. We do not rely on the word of uninspired men for its
meaning.
2. That it
does not deal with any new subject, but relates to the same general, broad outline as the
first two prophecies considered.
3. That what
it has to teach is in complete harmony with the meaning of the first two prophecies,
but that it supplies additional details, which only confirm the interpretation of the
earlier prophecies.
No. 4-The Ram and the He-goat
The
interpretation of the Ram and the He-goat in the eighth chapter of Daniel is the fourth of
the "key" prophecies we wish to consider. We are discussing this prophecy
before we turn to the one in the seventh chapter, because it gives us the name of the
third empire.
The Persian
power is represented in this vision by a Ram, while the power which destroyed and
succeeded it is depicted by a "He-goat."
The Ram has
two horns, and is thus interpreted "The ram which thou sawest having two horns are
the kings of Media and Persia."
The He-goat
that came from the west on the face of the whole earth and touched not the ground, which
had a notable horn between his eyes, and which smote the rare. and brake his two horns and
cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him, is thus interpreted: "The rough
goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn
that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up
for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." - Dan.
8:21,22.
Exactly the
sane succession of historic events is again plainly foretold in the eleventh chapter of
Daniel, verses 2-4 (Dan. 11:2-4). There the revealing angel says to Daniel, "Now will
I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the
fourth shall be far richer than they all; and by his strength through his riches he shall
stir up all against the realm of Greece. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule
with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up his kingdom
shall be divided towards the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor
according to his dominion which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for
others besides those."
Turning to
history, what do we find? Events which exactly correspond to the prophecy. There were four
Persian kings who followed Cyrus, as the prophecy foretold. Their names were Cambyses;
Smerdis; Darius, the son of Darius Hystaspis; and Xerxes. Xerxes, the fourth, was far
richer than his predecessors, as had been foretold. Because of his riches, and the
strength which they brought him, he thought he could invade and conquer Greece. He did
invade Greece, but instead of conquering it, was defeated, and his defeat brought about
the crisis of Persian decay. The mighty world-conquering king who overthrew the power of
Persia was Alexander the Great of Macedon, and history shows that Alexander's kingdom was
divided in four, just as the prophecy had foretold.
Prophecy and
history agree in determining the Grecian Empire to be the third in the succession of
world-empires, of which Babylon and Medo-Persia were the first and second respectively.
No. 5-The Four Wild Beasts
For our
fifth "key" prophecy we turn back to
the seventh chapter of Daniel. Here Daniel presents the interpretation of the four
Wild-beast kingdoms and of the Kingdom of the Son of Man.
There is no
change of subject matter in this vision. The same broad outline, covered in the first
vision, is tinder discussion here. But the symbols are strikingly different, and there
are some added details.
When the
four great empires of earth appeared to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:31-45), the symbols
employed present quite a contrast to those in which the self-same kingdoms are seen by the
Prophet. In the case of Nebuchadnezzar a worldly idolater looked up, and beheld a great
fourfold Image, of earthly dominion; it was terrible, yet it was also attractive, to him,
in its brilliancy. In the case of Daniel, as recounted in this seventh chapter, a man of
God looked down, and beheld four great Beasts, terrible only in their fierce brutality.
The identity
of the four kingdoms seen by Nebuchadnezzar in the dream of the Image, with those seen
by Daniel in his vision of the four Wild Beasts is evident. The number is the same, four
in each. The starting point is the same, for each was given while Babylon was the ruling
power. (Dan. 2:1; 7:1.) The. issue is the same, for both are immediately followed by the
Kingdom of Christ. The order is the same, for the kingdoms in the first vision, as all
admit, are successive; and in the other, there are no less than seven or eight clauses
which denote succession in time. There is the same gradation, for the noblest metal and
the noblest animal take the lead in each series. Further, the kingdoms in each vision
are described as occupying the whole space of time till the dominion of the saints of God.
The firs. empire is that of Babylon, for to the King of Babylon it was said: "Thou
art the head of gold." I' we require the names of the two next kingdoms, the angel
Gabriel continues the message of the Prophet: "The ram having the two horns are the
kings of Media and Persia; the rough goat is the king of Grecia." If we ask the name
and character of the fourth empire, the New Testament supplies the answer: "There
went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed;" "If
we let Him alone, all men will believe on Him, and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and
nation." Four supreme and ruling kingdoms, and four only, are announced by name in
the Word of God, from the time of Daniel to the close of the sacred Canon of Scripture.
The
narrative of the vision of the four Wild Beast empires and the Kingdom of the Son of Man
in Daniel 7, occupies the first 14 verses (Dan. 7:1-14), while the interpretation follows
in verses 16-27 (Dan. 7:16-27). Note the words: "So he told me, and made me know the
interpretation of these things."
First a
general interpretation is given of the four Wild-beast powers and of the kingdom of the
saints of the Most High (Dan. 7:17, 18) and then a more detailed interpretation of the
fourth kingdom. "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall
be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down,
and break it in. pieces." Here, as in the symbol of the great Image, a ten-fold
division of the Roman Empire is predicted. In the vision of the Image the interpretation
went: "The kingdom shall be divided. 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]."
(Dan. 2:41, 42.) In the vision of the Wild Beasts we are now considering, this tenfold
division is represented by the ten horns of the fourth Wild Beast. Among these rises
another little horn with eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking- great things,
which horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, for a definite period.
"They shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time.
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to
destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose
Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'' - Dan. 2:25-27.
No. 6-The Seven Candlesticks and No. 7-The Woman, Babylon the
Great
The sixth
and seventh "key" prophecies appear in the Book of Revelation.
The sixth is
the interpretation of the Seven Stars and Seven Candlesticks of chapter one, while the
seventh appears in chapter seventeen, and is the interpretation of the Woman, Babylon
the Great, and of the seven-headed, ten-horned Beast that carried her.
It would be
going beyond the scope of our present purpose to enter upon a detailed discussion of these
last two "key" prophecies and their interpretations. Here we wish to notice
only one thing concerning them both, namely, that at the time John received them, the
first, second, and third world-empires had come and gone; the fourth, that of Rome, was
holding sway. Evidently, therefore, they are to be properly understood only as they are
seen to fit into the general outline of the fourth empire.
The
Candlesticks in chapter one are interpreted by our Lord Himself to be the seven churches.
Doubtless the vision was intended to show the wise and loving watch-care which He Himself
would exercise over the true Church all down through the Gospel Age.
Contrasted
with the history of the true Church is the history of the false. In the seventeenth and
following chapters both are doubly symbolized, as women and as cities. The Harlot City is
arrayed in purple and scarlet color, decked with gold and precious stones and pearls;
while the Bride, the New Jerusalem, is arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, which is
the righteousness of saints, and has the glory of God. The one is the associate of the
Beast, the other of the Lamb. The one is drunken with the blood of saints and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus; the other consists of saints and includes many of the
martyrs. The one is punished with both temporal and eternal judgments; the other is
rewarded with everlasting honor and felicity. The contrast between them is complete.
As we close
this brief review of the seven "key" prophecies, let us not do so without
thanking God afresh for the wonderful Plan of salvation they unfold, and let us go
forward with renewed determination that the vision shall not have been vouchsafed to
us in vain, but that by His grace we will give all diligence to make our calling and
election sure, and assist others in "this way" to do the same.
---------------------------------------------------------
In this and
the preceding article we have attempted to present a brief summary of the seven key
prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, with the primary purpose of showing their
relationship to each other, and their essential unity. Students will not be satisfied
with this bare outline but will desire more detailed discussion. We urge upon all such who
are not already in possession of same that they secure a set of the three volumes on
Daniel and the Revelation, by R. E. Streeter, published by our Institute. Write us for
particulars. - Ed. Com.
ON THE basis
of the Apostle Paul's assurance that there is a "crown of righteousness awaiting all
those who "love His appearing," our
brethren of Thessalonica are evidently among those that we, if faithful, will in due time
meet in the heavenly courts. One needs to read only a few verses from either of Paul's
letters to the Thessalonians to realize that these brethren had as intense an interest in
the Lord's return as we today have. Nevertheless, there evidently was some difference of
opinion among them upon this engrossing subject. The Apostle is not less interested than
they in this great hope; but, though this is the subject under discussion, he devotes much
more of his time in both epistles to the matter of Christian living and preparation for
our Lord's return than he does to the subject of His return-a point it is well for us to
note today. As we consider a few features of this chapter, it is not with the intent that
our thoughts may be drawn even one moment away from this great objective before us -- a
sanctification through the truth-but rather, in order that this truth made a little
clearer may be yet more powerful in its sanctifying influence.
Critically
examined, the phrase "alive and remain," used in both the 15th and 17th
verses, is one the Apostle Paul would never have used to express the thought usually
ascribed to it. It is not Paul's custom to use senseless repetition; and, with the former
idea, that is what the phrase would be. To speak of certain ones as "alive unto the coming of the Lord"
would have exactly the same meaning as to speak of them as "remaining unto the coming of the Lord."
A less careful writer might use such a repetition, but not the Apostle Paul. The first
supposition to occur to one naturally is that one of these words is a mistranslation. An
examination of the Greek does not however bear this out. The lexicons support the
Authorized Version.
We have
already examined the word "parousia" on
previous occasions and have found the scholars in agreement that its actual meaning is
"presence." It comes from the -verb "pareimi," defined, "to be
by, be at hand, to have arrived, to be present." It never means on the way. In
Rotherham's latest edition of his translation he says
"In
this edition the word parousia is uniformly rendered 'presence' ('coming,' as a
representative of this word, being set aside). The original term occurs twenty-four times
in the N. T., viz.: Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 15:23; 16:7; 2 Cor. 7:6, 7; 10:10;
Phil. 1:26; 2:12; 1 Thess. 2:19; 3:3; 4:15; 23; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8, 9; James 5:7, 8; 2 Pet.
1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28. The sense of 'presence' is so plainly shown by the contrast
with 'absence' (implied in 2 Cor. 10:10, and expressed in Phil. 2:12) that the question
naturally arises-Why not always so render it? The more so, inasmuch as there is in 2
Pet. 1 :16 also, a peculiar fitness in our English word 'presence.' This passage, it
will be remembered, relates to our Lord's transformation upon the Mount. The wonderful
manifestation there made was a display and sample of 'presence' rather than of 'coming.'
The Lord was already there; and, being there, He was transformed and the 'majesty' of His
glorified person was then disclosed. His bodily 'presence' was one which implied and
exerted 'Power'; so that 'power and presence' go excellently well together-the 'power'
befitting such a 'presence'; and the three favored disciples were at one and the same
moment witnesses of both. The difficulty expressed in the notes to the second edition of
this N. T. in the way of so yielding to this weight of evidence as to render parousia always by 'presence,' lay in the seeming
incongruity of regarding 'presence' as an event which would happen at a particular time
and which would fall into rank as one of a series of events, as 1 Cor. 15:23 especially
appeared to require. The translator still feels the force of this objection, but is
withdrawn from taking his stand upon it any longer by the reflection that, after all,
the difficulty may be imaginary. The parousia, in
any case, is still in the future, and may therefore be enshrouded in a measure of
obscurity which only fulfillment can clear away: it may, in fine, be both a period-more
or less extended, during which certain things shall happen-and an event, coming on and passing away as one of a
series of divine interpositions. Christ is raised as a firstfruit--that is one event; He
returns and vouchsafes his 'presence,' during which He raises His own-that is another
event, however large and prolonged; and finally comes another cluster of events
constituting 'the end.' Hence, after all, 'presence' may be the most widely and
permanently satisfying translation of the looked for parousia of the Son of Man."
The following from the May issue of
the English magazine, "Words of Life," will also be found of interest on this
point:
"An
article in the 'Witness' upon the meaning of 'parousia' is of interest. The article by W.
E. Vine, M .A., and commenting upon and contrasting the two 'parousias' of 2 Thessalonians
2, he writes 'To understand their significance it is necessary to know the meaning of the
word 'parousia' as used in the Greek-speaking world when the Scriptures were written. The
word consists of the prefix 'par,' which is short for 'para,' signifying 'with,' and
'ousia,' from a form of the present participle of the verb 'eimi,' to be, so that
primarily the word has the meaning of 'being with.' . . .
"Several
passages in the New Testament can rightly be understood only in the light of the meaning
of the wore', 'parousia' thus explained. The rendering 'coming' is misleading."
With these
three words, "alive, "remain," and "coming" examined, and the
proper translation established, there is only one word left to consider the little
word, "unto." Many times in the past
we have found that the little word in a text has been given too little attention and that
some important fact has been missed on this account. In this instance, we are again
richly rewarded for examining into little things. With the correct translation of this
word the passage becomes a very Pauline one, all suspicion of repetition being removed
and each word freighted with thought.
Thayer in
his lexicon gives three and one-half pages to the consideration of this word, which is
used with various meanings under different circumstances. For instance, one must
consider whether it is used with regard to time or place, and the nature of these must
also be taken into consideration. For our present discussion we need note only the
definition that applies under the circumstances of this verse.
Since the
translators of our Bible have all been men whose theology held that the events connected
with the Second Advent of the Lord were to occupy comparatively only a moment of time,
they of course have thought of this preposition "eis"
as having the meaning which it does properly have when connected with a point of
time: "they that are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord."
Former Misconceptions Still Confuse
Banishing
from our minds all previous misconceptions to the effect that our Lord's return is to be
only for a twenty-four hour day, let us approach this passage with the true teaching of
the Scriptures in mind; that is, that He comes for the purpose of reigning one
thousand years, until the last enemy is destroyed. With this correct understanding of
His "presence," let us turn to the lexicons for the definition of the word when
used regarding a period of time.
When
relating to a point (either time or place), the preposition "eis' has the meaning of
"unto"; but when relating to a space, a period (either time or place), it has
the meaning of "into." (See Thayer's Lexicon, p. 183; Winer's Grammar, gyp.
396.) Unless we forget that the "parousia" of the Lord is Scripturally
indicated to be a period of time, there would
therefore seem to be only one translation to make of this passage: "This we say to
you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain into [the period of] the
presence of the Lord, shall not precede those which are asleep."
The
sixteenth verse tells us that the "dead in Christ [those who have slept during the
'two thousand years of this Gospel Age, until the beginning of our Lord's parousia] will
rise first." Paul had already told us that those who are living at the time of the
Lord's return will remain into the period of our Lord's presence, not saying how long they
would remain. He does, however, indicate by the words, "first,"
"remain," and "then" - "afterwards," that the sleeping and
the living ones are to receive their change at different times. The word,
"then," that introduces the seventeenth verse is correctly translated
"afterward" in the literal rendering of the Diaglott, for the Greek word never
has any other meaning.
With What Body do We Rise?
When the
Apostle speaks of the "dead in Christ" rising, he has no reference to human
bodies but new creatures. He has made that clear in 1 Corinthians 15, where he tells us
that for each of us a new body is provided and that because we have been developed along
the line of the spirit, "transformed by the renewing of our minds," the
resurrection body will correspond. Similarly, when he speaks of those who are alive and
remain down into the period of the presence, as being caught up, he is still discussing
new creatures in Christ Jesus and has no reference to human bodies. The following
footnote from the Weymouth Translation is interesting along that line
"Caught up -- Whether in the body or apart
from the body we are not told. Compare the use of the same words in 2 Cor. 12:2, 4; Rev.
12:5. Since the ... spirit is the essential man [new creature], we may be caught up to heaven although our bodies
are left behind on earth and perish. So in the present day the really consecrated
Christian does not go down into the grave at death, but rises to Christ and God. He is no
longer here; he has ascended to heaven."
Those who
have not made a study of languages are often perplexed as to why the various translators
should so often disagree. The reasons are various. One very frequent cause of divergence
is the fact that a large percentage of words in any language have more than one meaning.
In translating such words the one who is doing the work is under the necessity of
concluding which meaning it is most likely the writer had in mind. In most instances this
is a simple matter, but not always so.
One of the
difficult instances is a word in the passage now under consideration. It is the word
translated "together" in the King James Version. This English word has two
meanings, for it may apply either to time or to place; and this is exactly the meaning of
the Greek word. The translator might therefore render it either: "Then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up at the same place with them [those saints who had
slept until shortly before that time]," or, "Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up at the same time with them." Another possible rendering would be
to use the word "together" as it is used in the King James, leaving it to the
reader to decide whether time or place is meant, and this is manifestly the preferable
thing to do in this and every instance. We suggest that possibly the Apostle Paul wished
to incorporate both thoughts in the text, since following this, two matters are
suggested which could be interpreted as associated one with time and the other with
place. With this in mind we suggest the following as the significance of the Apostle's
words, in harmony with Brother Russell's explanation of our text: Upon out Lord's return
every member of His Body asleep in death would be awakened on the spirit plane,
"changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." That event, however, would
find some brethren still in the flesh who had not yet completed their course. Each would
be given time to make his calling and election sure, and then, without the necessity of
sleeping in death as the others have done, these would one by one be changed from human to
spirit, also "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." The last members are to
be "caught up in the clouds" of the time of
trouble that Daniel prophesied would be the indication of the presence of the Lord. The place to which they will be taken will be the
place of spiritual rulership, symbolized by the word "air."
In closing
let us say that our sharing with the Lord in His reign depends not on our agreeing with
the above, or any other interpretation, but on whether we "love His appearing."
"Wherefore comfort one another
with these words."
"Be ye
all of one mind, having compassion one of another." This oneness of mind does not
demand the monotony of similarity, but unity in variety. Not the oneness of a
hop-pole, or a pile of hop-poles; but of the plant which, with tendril, leaf and fruit,
rears itself aloft in the summer air. Not the oneness of a brick, or of a pile of bricks;
but of the house, in which so many different materials and contrivances combine to
shelter human life. Not the oneness of a child; but of a family of children who differ in
age, character, temperament, and chosen pursuits, but are one in love and tender sympathy.
We shall
never be of one mind in the sense of all holding the same opinions; but we may be all of
one mind when, beneath diversities of opinion, expression and view, we are animated by a
common devotion to Christ, a common loyalty to the great underlying facts of Redemption,
and a common love to all who hold the head, though they may differ from us in an infinite
variety of minor considerations. - Selected.
"The Kingdom of God is not in
word only, but in power." - 1 Cor. 4:20.
WE CALL
ourselves Christians, that is, we profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us not make
the mistake of taking it for granted that because we are students of the Bible, we are
therefore Christians; for too often the Bible is treated only as a text book from which is
to be extracted and expounded a theology. Discipleship is lost sight of in the pursuit of
mere knowledge. "Knowledge [alone] puffeth up, but love buildeth tip." (1 Cor. 8:1.) One makes a balloon of
us; the other a temple of God.
Now the
Scriptures certainly do contain theology; that is, the truth of the existence,
character, and attributes of God; His laws; the plan of salvation; the doctrines we are
to believe; and the ethics we are to practice.
The
Scriptures, being of God, are the expression of a vital, personal Spirit Being. As we read
in Hebrews 1:1: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in times
past," etc. And although they are a collection of the writings of many men,
produced over a period of more than sixteen hundred years, they contain that which
suggests a single, paramount idea, as though they are the revelation of a single mind.
There is a unity that binds them together as a whole.
And what is
that unity? It is the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:10)-of His advents, ministry,
doctrines, sacrificial death, resurrection, and Kingdom. Or as Jesus Himself said:
"The Scriptures testify of Me." And again, beginning at Moses, and all the
Prophets, He expounded to them of all the things concerning Himself." - Luke 24:27.
The Upward Look of Faith
It is
sometimes urged against Christianity that it is merely a historical faith. It is true that
the basis for faith is historical; but this is no cause for reproach. Faith holds the
records of the past, but the attitude of faith is not that of looking back. Faith receives
the evidences of history of the character of Christ; faith accepts the testimony of the
eye-witnesses of His resurrection-eye-witnesses who made it the work of their lives to
proclaim that resurrection; and who sealed their testimony by their death. Faith sees in
the Church a living, historical evidence of this truth; but faith's gaze is beyond and
above all these. It is true that faith's feet are firmly planted on the solid ground of
historical fact, but faith's look is upward; faith's eyes are fixed on a risen, living,
ascended Lord.
We sometimes
forget that Christ is the object of our faith. Faith is not a creed. It is an attitude of
soul. No profound spiritual thinker has ever been able to put his deepest convictions into
the language of theology; for faith makes substance of what to the purely natural sense
does not exist; it proves things unseen, and knows them by the immediate evidence of their
power in the soul. That Christ should not have been bounded by the grave; that He with
whom the Father was well pleased should be proved "to be the Son of God with power by
the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4), is to faith nothing strange. Stranger far
would it have been if He had not risen; if the object of faith had disappeared before our
eyes and existed only in the records of the past. The object of faith is not merely a life
or example; it is the person to whom that life or example appertains. If the eyes of faith
are turned upon a Life passed long ago among the hills of Galilee and Judea, if by the aid
of history, faith loves to trace the lineaments of a Character seen and known among men
nearly two thousand years ago, it is because they are those of an ever living Lord,
Savior, and Friend.
Jesus tells
us that the words He speaks "are spirit, and they are life." That being so,
then, they must have a living force, and true Christians must realize that force or power,
or spirit alive in themselves. To this agree the words of Peter: 'Being born again, not
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
forever." - l Pet. 1:23.
It is not
just saved, repentant sinners that God desires, but surrendered saints. We are given a
twofold plan whereby this is accomplished. We cannot afford to neglect either: First,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16); second, 'Be ye filled
with the Spirit." - Eph. 5:18.
It is the
province of the Holy Spirit to take the things of Christ and reveal and interpret them to
us; to so energize and quicken these dedicated lives as to transform them into Christ's
image. For "the Kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power. (1 Cor. 4:20.) "When the Spirit of
truth is come, He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto
you." (John 16:13, 14.) "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God." - Rom. 8:14.
There are
two great spiritual forces, which are operating in the world through human beings, in
this Age. These are directly opposed to each other, and in the ensuing conflict lies the
explanation of all that is mysterious and puzzling in human affairs. As the Age draws to
a consummation the conflict deepens in intensity. God's mighty purposes are being
accomplished in the energy of the Holy Spirit, and its operations impart to the Age some
of its characteristics. On the other hand, the great forces of evil, under the leadership
of the head of the principalities, powers, and world-rulers of darkness, are directed to
the accomplishment of certain definite objectives, directly opposed to the purposes of
God. The display and exercise of these stupendous energies likewise impart to the Age some
of its characteristics.
Now, it is
the clear testimony of all Scripture that each and every one of us was born a subject of
the ruler of this world. As we read in Ephesians 2:1-3: "You were dead in trespasses
and sins in which you moved as you followed the course of this world, under the sway of
the prince of the air -- the spirit which is at present active within those sons of
disobedience among whom all of us lived, we as well as you, when we obeyed the passions of
our flesh, carrying out the dictates of the flesh and its impulses, when we were objects
of God's anger by nature, like the rest of men." - Moffatt's Translation.
Enlightening and Operating Force of the Spirit
It is quite
evident, too, that God's purpose in giving us the light of His truth is to dispel the
darkness of mind-the superstitions, errors, ignorance, and prejudices, by which Satan
holds the race in subjection, so that we might become willing subjects of Christ. This is
the thought of Colossians 1:13: "The Father has delivered us from the power
[dominion] of darkness, and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son." It
is a truth, voiced by the Apostle in Ephesians 5:13: "All things that are reproved
are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever does make manifest is light."
It is by the
light of truth unfolded to us that sin and righteousness, truth and error are discerned.
As we all know, only light can dispel darkness; and it is by the revelation of Himself, in
Christ, the true Light, that God delivers us from the power or dominion of darkness; and
it is by that Light becoming a force in our lives that we become subjects of the Prince
of Light-" translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son."
This
dominion of Christ, then, is manifest in two ways: As a mind that enlightens and directs,
and as a force that operates. It is not one without the other-not a mere knowledge of the
Word of God; nor yet an exhibition of energy, either undirected or misdirected. It is the
mind of Christ directing, and the Spirit of Christ operating. It is one and the same will
in either case--"the will of My Father." (John 8:28-50.) It is not merely
knowing "these things, but happy are ye if ye do them." (John 13:17.) We find
ourselves, once subjected, enlightened, disciplined, built up by the Word of God and its
power, until all our moral and spiritual actions are governed by the spirit or mind of
Christ -- all under the dominion of God's dear Son
"bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. 10:4, 5.) What
was it that made such a difference in those disciples on the day of Pentecost--those
disciples who had previously forsaken Jesus and fled, and who had met behind closed
doors for fear of the Jews? It was the spirit, mind, and power of Christ, which had that
day been given. It was the beginning of the dominion of Christ; for, "The Kingdom of
God is not in word only b--it in power." "God has not given us the spirit of
fear, but of power." - 2 Tim. 1:7.
One of the
most powerful testimonies we can give of this power is to have and manifest the fruit of
joy. One of the profits we get out of adversity is the fruit of joy. The advantage of the
fires of sorrow does not lie in the things consumed, but in the things which they cannot
consume. The sweetest of all the uses of adversity is to show us the joy which it cannot
take away. There are substances which fire can not destroy. We could never have their
qualities proved except by fire: yet the blessing is not the fire, but what it could not
do. The benefit of the furnace, then, is the limit of its power. What God looks for is not
the pain, but the tenacity of our joyfully enduring-the inability of the fire to
extinguish His Word and Spirit in us. God appreciates our bearing and enduring; but it
is joy in the Holy Spirit alone that enables us to bear and endure. Happiness is not the
bliss of condition or environment, but of character.
But the
virtue that is victorious in the crisis must be nourished and strengthened in the
humdrum moments of life. No career is a dead level from the cradle to the grave; and we
need the reserve power of the Spirit, stored up in the quieter days, for the emergencies
and crises that surely come.
And be sure
that emergencies and crises will come. At the conclusion of His discourse, which is
commonly called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes a very startling statement: "Not
every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. . . . Whosoever heareth these
sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that
heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man,
which built his house upon the sand:' and the rain descended, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it." - Matt. 7:21-27.
An
unalterable alternative-there is no escaping, either the one or the other results from
studying and hearing the Word of God; either a house built on rock, or a, house built on
sand. To continually search the Word of God to get a knowledge of the plans and purposes
outlined therein, and then refuse to allow that truth to become a force or power in the
life, is making mockery of it. But "be not deceived, God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting." - Gal. 6:7, 8.
"'Corruption!"
The very word itself brings to the conscience the sense of something repulsive. Who would
knowingly choose "corruption in preference to "life everlasting"? Let us
lay hold of all the promises of grace and power that we might be "more than
conquerors." God's "divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory, and virtue:
whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
through lust." - 2 Pet. 1 :3, 4.
Marks of a Church Operating in the Power of the Spirit
Before
closing our subject we might briefly consider the Scriptural marks of a church or
ecclesia operating in the power of the Spirit. An ecclesia is an association of Christ's
disciples formed for the purpose of worshipping together, serving- together, studying
together, and fellowshipping together. Our worship should be simple and sincere. There is
apt to be too much smoke from our incense and too little fragrance. Some confine their
worship to Sunday, or sacred seasons, or even to conventions. Discipleship does not
consist of sacred phrases to be put on or taken off with our Sunday clothes.
Also, the
ecclesia should be a center for service in diverse spheres of activity, according to the
diversity of gifts or talents. One has said, "We are saved to serve." Those who
merely seek to be saved from the penalty of their sins have a very limited view of God's
eternal purpose. God's great work, in which He is still engaged, is the New Creation.
"We are laborers together with God." The ecclesia, too, is a school where the
Spirit reveals, explains the things of Christ as we seek to know and do the will of God as
set forth in His Word. To this end some have been made "apt to teach"; others
have been furnished for evangelizing, etc.
And no
church or ecclesia is complete unless it is a family home. In order to become a radiating
point the church gathering must first be a rallying point, united in the bonds of
brotherhood and love. Surely every mature Christian today, as we see all the signs
indicative of the close of the Church's history on earth, should be beyond bickering over
hairsplitting doctrinal points and. should enter into that fullness of love Jesus
manifested.
Paul caught
an overwhelming glimpse of this, which he records in the eighth chapter of Romans, from
the "no condemnation" to the "no separation." It overflowed his own
heart; and he rose to the mark of perfect love when he stated that he would be willing to
be separated from Christ (forego his own share in Christ, "the great
salvation"), if only his kinsmen, Israel, might acknowledge and receive Christ. (Rom.
9:1-5.) He was proving to have that perfection of love that was like unto God's love. --
See Matt. 5:43-48.
Do we have
that compassion and love ourselves? Do we long for, and pray for those who, perhaps,
having formerly walked to the house of God with us, are in danger of being overtaken by
the dread extremity-separation from God by carelessness, indifference, and sin? Do we
pray, "Think on them Lord, who in times past remembered Thee. Follow them where we
cannot go; and though our resources fail, as did the power of the disciples in casting
out demons on one occasion, may Thine infinite resources do what we may not, and bring
them again to Thy feet, where they may know, once more, the sweetness and gladness of
these closing days of the Church's pilgrimage"?
Our walk in
life must not be inconsistent with our profession of faith, our creed. They must blend in
perfect harmony; for, "the Kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power.
"Lord
speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou halt sought, so let me seek
Thy erring children, lost and lone.
"Oh,
teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.
"O,
strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the Rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a helping hand
To wrestlers in the troubled sea.
"O,
give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may .speak with soothing power
A word in season, as from Thee,
To weary ones in needful hour.
"Oh, fill me with Thy foulness, Lord,
Until my very heart o'erflow,
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.
"O, use
me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share!"
- Contributed by F. A. Essler
LIFE HAS its
battle grounds, where fierce conflicts are waged against opposing forces. Life has its
fords and crossing places, where we go over from one great experience to another. Life has
its mills, where are ground out the product of a greater love and a serener trust. And
life has its gardens of peace, where one can sit beneath the blossoming boughs and rejoice
in the warblings of the feathered songsters of the place.
And it was
one of the gardens of peace that Jesus found in a- certain home in Bethany. It was for Him
a little oasis in the world's desert. We know not what took Him there on the occasion of
His first visit, but we are told that He conceived a love for Lazarus and his sisters,
Mary and Martha.
There were
many homes that might have entertained the Master, but they failed to do so. They failed
to see their opportunity. It has been said that opportunity knocks once at every door. We
do not know. But we do know that it can be turned away. It does not insist on entrance. It
just comes. In appearance it may not even seem prepossessing, but it is Opportunity none
the less, and it has precious jewels to give to those who can receive it.
Much has
been said on the subject of Mary and Martha. No doubt they were both very good women.
During one of our Lord's visits to their home it would seem that Martha was occupied with
the housework more than was necessary. Consequently she was missing a thing of great
value. Mary saw something of this and desired it. Yet at a later time Martha manifested
great faith in Jesus, and we can believe that in her heart she was His true friend to the
last.
There were
times when, Jesus needed comfort and refreshment, just as His followers do. The world is a
hard, stern place in which to live. We do not refer to the natural world, but to the world
of affairs that man has reared. There are times when the heart grows weary with the
incessant struggle with the inclement elements, and when we yearn to step out of it all
for ever so brief a span. Then perchance we think of the home of a friend, one who will
understand and whose words will buoy us up and cheer us along life's way. For a true
friend is a priceless possession in a darksome world.
Mary and
Martha appeal to us as being the friends of Jesus. And the Master did not have many
friends on this earth. The people did not understand Him. He had been called with a
calling that they knew nothing of. They failed to discern the temple wherein He dwelt. And
little did they know that the dome of that temple reached up to the very skies. The thoughts of Jesus soared far above
the selfish schemes and ambitions of men.. He was in the world, and yet the world sawn Him
not for what He was.
And the
world sees Him not for what He is today. Yet the world needs to see Him more than it
needs anything else. To see Jesus is the highest vision that Cod can grant to man. And if
we belong to the favored few who see Him-His friends under all conditions of life-we
have a source of joy that the sum total of the world's hardships cannot remove from us.
Suppose that
by pressing a magic button we could transfer ourselves from this modern sphere of
existence to the little town of Bethany over nineteen centuries ago. Here we are in the
home of Lazarus. And here is Jesus, travel-worn and weary, yet able to speak as never
man spake. And what is the Master talking about? Is it politics? Is it about the recent
arrest of some criminal? Is it about the affairs that make up the Roman world? Is it about
any one of a thousand things that frequently engage our conversation when we meet
together? Evidently. not, It is something higher than these things that so completely
chains the attention of Mary. Jesus must have spoken some beautiful words in that quiet
home. We are not given the discourse. But it must have contained something about His
Father, something about salvation's mighty plan. How our Lord must have loved to speak
of these matters to those who had the heart and mind to receive them! Ah, yes! here in
this simple abode we see Jesus-not in the palaces of the great, but with the meek and
lowly of heart, with those who possessed the capacity for faith and love.
But the
spell is broken. We are back again in our modern world. Men are clamoring for. dollars and
cents. Pride and selfishness are turning human hearts to stone. Nations have brought
upon the scenes the grins terrors of war. Darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the
people. Wild beasts of destruction have been unleashed! Oh! that we might see Jesus with
the human eye. Oh! that we might hear the tender accents of His voice. "The world is
waiting for the sunrise" - a sunrise to be brought to men by Him. Poor world! Poor
human hearts that by the million are breaking. O golden Day of God, with your unspeakable
plenitude of joy! Come soon! Come soon!
But while we
cannot see Jesus with the natural eye we can see Him in a higher sense, even with the eye
of faith. We see His tenderness, His compassion, His love. And there are times when His
presence seems so real that other things just fade away. But for the most part the vision
of His face is reposeful and calm, and, as we reach out in the darkness and touch His
hand, He speaks to us in a still small voice, yet with words of strength and assurance
that drive all our fears away.
We would see
Jesus with a still closer and truer vision. Ere long the thunders of the world shall
crash, and the billows of human passion shall surge upon the land. But "there is a
river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the dwelling place of the
tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved. God
shall help her, and that right early." Let us then look up above the blackness and
the gloom, and we shall see a star, and now while we gaze and gaze upon it, it assumes a
form. It comes nearer and nearer. And now there can be no doubt about it -- it is indeed
the very Christ, the Son of God. Ah! yes, He is looking on, and He knows that the world's
approaching change is even now at the doors.
And soon
this Mighty One shall wield the rod of His power over a boundless domain. No more then
shall the pale specter of death stalk about the land. No more shall rivers of blood flow
because of devastating wars. No more shall the gaunt hand of famine lay millions in the
tomb. No more shall the sons of toil be exploited by the plutocrat and the profiteer. One
country shall arise to catch the beams of glory poured forth by the Sun of
Righteousness, and that country shall be the world. One people shall dwell therein in
freedom, in happiness and in life, and that people shall be mankind. One law shall shine
forth in a mundane paradise to eternally safeguard the interests of the human family,
and that shall be the law of Love. And upon a new foundation shall be built a new
world-the theme of all God's ancient prophets -- to reflect the radiance of righteousness,
joy, and peace forever more. That is what the vision of the Christ will mean to the sons
of men.
But in the
present time what does this vision mean to us?
"We
would see Jesus, for the shadows lengthen
Across the little landscape of our life
We would see Jesus, our weak hearts to strengthen
For the last weariness, the final strife."
We would see
Jesus "when morning gilds the skies," before we start in on the tasks and duties
of the day. We would see Him in the evening when night clothes the earth in sable robes,
and we want to feel the assurance that His guardian angel will be with us during the hours
of sleep. We would see Him when temptation assails us, and receive the overcoming power
that He promised to His own. We world see Him when trouble like a gloomy cloud- 1-.as
settled down, and the flail of anguish beats upon the heart. We would see Him every day,
and under all the vicissitudes of the years.
Then let us
see Him. Let us take care that nothing robs us of our heavenly vision. Let us follow
the example of Mary of Bethany, and sit at His feet. Let us enjoy the good portion that
cannot be taken from us while our hearts are right. Over two thousand years of sorrows,
and over the world's dark sea of death, let us see the Master's face smiling upon us in
love, and let us hear His words, pure and tender and sweet as when He uttered them so
long ago: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye
shall find rest unto your souls." And, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." - Walter Sargeant
Mrs. Harry
E. East, Mays Landing, N. J. - (April).
Mr. G. O. Anderson, Moline, Ill - (June).
J. J. Connell, Winnipeg, Man.,, Can. - (July).
Mr. J. F. Godfrey, Pictou, N. S., Can. - (July).
Mrs. Hanna Lundgren, Chicago, Ill - (July).
Mrs. Clara Shinn, Chicago, Ill. - (July).
Mrs. Margaret Johnson, Youngstown, Ohio - (August).
Mr. Conrad H. S. Kuehn, Toledo, Ohio - (August).
1942 Index |