VOL.
XLVI May/June 1963 No. 3 A Meditation for Whitsuntide"The
fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, DURING
THE closing days of our Lord's earthly life He gave His disciples assurance
that after His departure they would not be left desolate. "I will ask the
Father, and He will give you another Helper, . . . the spirit of truth, which .
. . abides with you, and will be in you." - John 14:16, 17, Diaglott. This
gracious promise was confirmed to them during the forty days in which He was
seen of them after His passion. "John, indeed, immersed in water, but you will be immersed in Holy Spirit, after a
few days. -
Acts 1:5,
Diaglott. For
the fulfillment of this promise they were to "wait" at Jerusalem.
"Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the
city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49;
Acts 1:4,8.) They had not long to wait. When ten days had passed-as soon as
"the day of Pentecost had fully come," the promise of the Father was
fulfilled. - Acts 2:1. ISRAEL'S SEVEN FEASTSThe
Feast of Pentecost was one of the seven "feasts" or "appointed
seasons"-, or. "holy convocations" of Israel, all of which
occurred in the first seven months of their ecclesiastical year. (Lev. 23:4,
margin.) First came the Feast of Passover, on Nisan 14. Next came the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, which lasted seven days. On the second day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, Nisan 16, the Feast of Omer, or presentation to Jehovah of
the Sheaf of First-fruits, took place. Fifty days thereafter came Pentecost,
the very word "pentecost" meaning fifty. The remaining three
festivals were all appointed for the seventh month, and were, respectively,
those of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. WAITING FOR THE PROMISEElsewhere*
we have considered in some detail the typical significance of. Pentecost. Here
we content ourselves with observing that Pentecost had long pointed to the
time when, in the Father's great plan of redemption, the offering of the
Church as "a kind of first-fruits of His creatures" would be made and
God's acceptance thereof manifested. (James 1:18; Rev. 14:4.) ------------------------------------------ *
"Herald" June 1955. And
now that time had come, and to these early followers of the Master was to be
given the privilege of representing the whole Church in its anointing
experience. The antitypical Passover Lamb (Christ Jesus) had been sacrificed;
the true Feast of Unleavened Bread could now be kept. Already Christ Jesus, as
prefigured in the Omer Sheaf, had been "raised from the dead and become
the first-fruits of them that slept." (1 Cor. 15:20.) They had conversed
with Him during the space of forty days following His resurrection and had
watched Him ascend to heaven. (Acts 1:3, 9.) What yet remained ere they, too,
though in lesser measure, would be endued with that, "power from on
high" which had possessed Him so completely
and had operated in Him so mightily?
What must have been their thoughts and emotions, as in obedience to His word
they had waited at Jerusalem? This we can only surmise. Their days and
evenings, we know, had been passed in "the" upper room in which they
had last communed with Him. (Acts 1:13.) Certain it is that such a company of
sincere-hearted ones, meeting together thus, with "one accord," could
not but have been blessed. (Acts 2:1.) By prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving they had sought to prepare themselves to receive the
"promise." (Acts 1:14.) First, perhaps, they would earnestly plead
for its fulfillment. Next, perhaps, they would recall some of the Master's
teachings, the grace of His countenance, His habit of thanks at meal-times.
Doubtless there would come at times a keen sense of shame and regret at some of
their own past conduct. Following quickly upon this mood would come the happy
memory of His grace in forgiving, and they would be relieved of their
compunctions. Then, perhaps, would follow a sense of feebleness, of utter helplessness
without the Lord-as sheep, indeed, without a Shepherd. (Zech. 13:7.) As day
after day followed without event or sign, perhaps they would give way to a
sense of disappointment at God's delay; possibly, (since they were men and
women of like passions and frailties with us) to a feeling of doubt that the
promise would ever be fulfilled. Shame at their doubt and disappointment would
follow, and then a willingness to wait God's own time and to accept God's own
way. Perhaps, as God's time drew near, there may have arisen in the hearts of
some of them the thought: "The Feast of Pentecost draws near; can it be
that the Father will fulfill His promise then? THE SPIRIT DISPENSATIONThe
day came at last; they were as
earthen vessels cleansed by prayer, emptied and waiting for the outpouring of
the Spirit, when "suddenly" it came. just as at His baptism the Holy
Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus, so now it descended upon all them that
were His, and they were all filled with it. - Acts 2:1-4. In
the case of our Lord the descent of the Spirit upon Him was manifested by an
outward sign. To the Baptist it seemed "like a dove" (note: not a
dove, but the appearance of one). (John 1:32-34.) So also, at Pentecost, the
outpouring of the Spirit on the waiting Church was accompanied by outward
manifestations. A sound like a rushing mighty wind filled the place where they
were sitting (note: not a wind, but a sound like wind). Tongues, not of fire.
but "like as of fire" sat upon them. Evidently these manifestations,
as also the "gift of tongues" (which seems to have been bestowed on
the whole company) were for signs. The appearance of a dove on the occasion of
our Lord's baptism gave the Baptist the confirmation be needed in identifying
and heralding Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. The "sound," the
"tongues of fire," and the gift of "speaking with tongues,"
likewise served to call the attention of all to the great change of
dispensation then being inaugurated. Doubtless, too, when at the close of the
seventy weeks of Jewish special favor (three and a half years after Pentecost)
the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his associates, some similar
gift was granted them as a sign, an evidence, that Gentiles, too, were now to
be privileged to share in the high calling of God extended to consecrated
believers of every nation during this Gospel Age. - Dan. 9:25-27; Acts
10:45-48; 11:15-17; 15:8, 9. How
eminently suitable these signs were for the purposes intended! The dove, the
emblem of peace and purity, fitly represented the fullness of Jehovah's spirit
of love in Jesus; as the tongues of fire, fitly represented the mission of the
Apostles to be, under the Holy Spirit, that of testifying as
"witnesses." Nor
was the "gift of tongues" without its special meaning. It may well be
understood as a sign, we think, that the confusions of Babel are to be reduced
to order; that the separations induced by the various languages of men are to
be healed, as gradually men are drawn, some in the Gospel Age and others in the
Millennial Age, into the Kingdom and fellowship of Christ. On the plain of
Shinar, thinking to raise themselves above the reach of divine judgment, to
build a tower which no flood could drown, men had been smitten with a divine
judgment; their one language was - broken into many dialects; they were divided
and scattered over the whole earth. This curse is to be conquered by the
powerful influence of the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost, which Spirit is
yet to be poured out on all flesh. In the perfection of the Kingdom none is to
be unintelligible to his brother, or separated from him; the whole earth- is to
be of one mind and heart. - Zeph. 3:9; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:16. "They
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues"
"the wonderful works of God." (Acts 2:11.) Ah! gracious omen! when
will it be wholly fulfilled? For let us not forget that just as the Omer
presented on the morrow after the Passover, setting forth' Christ Jesus as
"the first-fruits of them that slept" was a pledge and earnest of the
two loaves presented on Pentecost, which prefigured the Church in its elective
character as the first-fruits from among men, so also the second first-fruits
are themselves a prophecy and a pledge of the fuller harvest yet to be
gathered in the coming Age, of which, in the Scriptures, all God's holy
Prophets have spoken since the world began. - Acts 3:19. Thank
God, though this glorious vision tarry, it
will come; it will not fail of fulfillment. (Hab. 2:3.) True -- we must
"wait out" this promise of
the Father; but we may wait in the strength and patience of hope. For, just as
that little company in Jerusalem chanted in many tongues the wonderful works of
God, so in the end, the whole world, with its myriad tongues, will, when the
Spirit has been poured out on all flesh, sing and give praise for the
redemption God has wrought through Christ. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRITMeantime,
while waiting the Lord's time and way, we are not to be idle, but to occupy
ourselves with those things which pertain to life and godliness. (2 Pet. 1:3.)
Our chief occupation is to be the cultivation of the fruit of the Spirit.
Valuable though they were, the miraculous gifts vouchsafed to the early Church
were but transient. The gift of tongues, along with the rest, was destined to
pass away, as St. Paul plainly indicates. (1 Cor. 13:9.) Even when bestowed, it
needed to be supplemented by another gift, that of "interpretation"
before it could be exercised with profit and to edification. In discussing this
gift of tongues, St. Paul affirms that many could speak in a tongue who could
not interpret, and declares that for himself he would rather speak five words
with the understanding than ten thousand words in a tongue. Its chief
importance, lie says, was as a sign, "not to them that believe but to them
that believe not." The brethren were not to despise any of these
miraculously bestowed gifts; on the contrary they were to esteem them.
Nevertheless there was a more excellent way-expounded by St. Paul in the 13th
chapter of 1st Corinthians -- the way of love. Love
(as the Apostle observes, in the text quoted at the head of this article), with
its component elements, is the fruit of the Spirit. While doubtless the gift
of God, its very nature precluded the possibility of its being miraculously
bestowed; in every case it must be developed personally by the individual who
would possess it. Moreover this gift, unlike those miraculously bestowed, is
not destined to pass away. It is to abide. (John 14:16; 15:10; 1 Cor. 13:8,
13.) We may, therefore, well esteem it to be "in ore excellent" and
earnestly cultivate it in our hearts and lives. "FRUIT" NOT "FRUITS"How
shall we do this? The Apostle points the way in our text. (Gal. 5:22.) There he
enumerates nine elements of the fruit of the Spirit, namely "Love, joy,
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness,* meekness,
self-restraint." It
is to be noted that the Apostle speaks not of "fruits" (plural) but
of "fruit" (singular), thus drawing our attention to the fact that
the nine graces mentioned (the list is not exhaustive) are not to be separately
cultivated, "love" in one Christian, "joy" in another,
etc., but that all are to be developed together in the character of each
consecrated follower of the Master. We may compare this passage with the
Beatitudes (Matt. 5) where our Lord (in declaring the blessedness of those who
are poor in spirit, they that mourn, the meek, they that do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers) is
surely not describing various persons, but one person, namely His truly consecrated
follower, from many points of view. We
may also compare the well-known passage, 2 Pet. 1:5-8, where the one who
"has obtained precious faith" is exhorted to give all diligence to
furnish in his faith fortitude, and in his fortitude knowledge, etc., etc., and
thus to develop, not a one-sided, but a well-balanced Christian character. ------------------------------------ *
That the Revised Version "faithfulness" rather than "faith"
is to be preferred here is lear, we think, from the context, where relative
duties rather than faith in its theological sense are plainly in evidence.
Compare also Titus 2:10. (To
be concluded in next issue) -
Reprinted from "The
Herald," May, 1943. Faith for Today"Nevertheless, when the
Son of man cometh, THE
PURPOSE of the parable which opens this chapter is to teach the lesson
"that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." To this end Jesus
used the story of a judge who after long refusals finally heeded a widow's
pleas. The heavenly judge is like the unjust judge in that he delays justice,
but not like him in being "unjust," or in his motive for the delaying
of justice. This
parable was much needed in our Lord's day, for the rabbis had taught, Dummelow
says, "that God must not be fatigued by too frequent prayer. Three times a
day was enough. 'If a man comes to address you every hour, you say that he
holds you cheap: the same is true of God, whom no man ought to fatigue by
praying every hour.'" This false teaching was doubtless offset by this
parable for many of Jesus' hearers; but it was meant especially for our day,
for Jesus so indicates in his application of it in the text quoted above. This
remark was introduced by a "nevertheless," indicating that not all in
our day would profit by Christ's teaching on this point. Faithfulness
in prayer, which is both a privilege and a duty, is taught by comparison and
contrast in this parable. "This
widow was a stranger, nothing related to the judge; but God's praying people
are his own elect, whom he knows, and loves, and delights in, and has always
concerned himself for. She was but one, but the praying people of God are many,
all of whom come to him on the same errand, and agree to ask what they need.
(Matt. 18:19) . . . She came to a judge that bid her keep her distance; we come
to a Father that bids us come boldly to him, and teaches us to cry, Abba,
Father. She came to an unjust judge; we come to a righteous Father (John
17:25), one that regards his own glory and the comforts of his poor creatures,
especially those in distress, as widows and fatherless. She came to this judge
purely upon her own account; but God is himself, engaged in the cause which we
are soliciting; and we can say, Arise, O Lord, plead thine own cause; and what
wilt thou do to thy great name? She had no friend to speak for her, to add
force to her petition, and to use interest for her more than her own; but we have
an Advocate with the Father, his own Son, who ever lives to make intercession
for us, and has a powerful prevailing interest in heaven. She had no promise of
speeding, no, nor any encouragement given her to ask; but we have the golden
sceptre held out to us, are bid to ask, and it is promised that it shall be
given us. She could have access to the judge only at some certain times; but we
may cry to God day and night, at all hours, and therefore may the rather hope
to prevail by importunity. Her importunity was provoking to the judge, and she
might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our importunity is
pleasing to God; the prayer of the upright is his delight, and therefore, we
may hope, shall avail much, if it be an effectual fervent prayer." -
Matthew Henry. The
parable supposes that all God's people are praying people. Doubt on that point
is not suggested, but the parable warns that some would grow weary of leaving
their affairs in God's hands (verse 1), and the application of verse 8 points
the finger of warning at us who live in the day of the Lord's return, and
inquires, "Are you faithfully praying, 'Lead thou me on'"; or have
some of you returned to the old days when you "loved to choose and see the
path"? At least that is the purport of some translations. That lesson of the
parable needs to be taken sincerely to heart. Another
of Jesus' parables, that of the sparrows and the falling hair, was given that
all might be assured that our heavenly Father is not like the "unjust
judge who feared this widow 'might "stun" him with the blows of her
continual attack. Instead, the heavenly judge has his ear open to the cries of
"his own elect," coming up to him "day and night." It is by
his invitation, amplified and exemplified by our Lord and his messengers, that they are thus
persistent. (See Isa. 62:6, 7; 1 Chron. 16:11; Eph. 6:18; etc.) The clause,
"though he bear long with them," found in the seventh verse, others
render so as to give the thought of patience as regards the world and the Church.
Douay: "Will he have patience in their regard?" Riverside: "Will
not God do justice for his elect, who are calling to him day and night, even
though he is long-suffering with their adversaries?" Twentieth Century:
"Will not God see that his own chosen people, who cry to him night and
day, have justice done them while he bears with their impatience?" Clark
sees in it the thought of compassion. Those who accept the invitation to come
freely to the throne of grace find none of these thoughts out of
harmony with their experience. The renderings of the Revised Versions, in the text and in the margin,
are also verified in their experience: "He is long-suffering over
them," and "He is slow to punish on their behalf," as he was
slow to punish typical Egypt though
Israel cried to him day and night. Since all these thoughts are valuable to the
new creature, it would not be unwarranted to think that the Lord has left the
scholars in doubt that we might have in one short clause all these truths. A
contrast is found in the next sentence where we are assured "he will
avenge them speedily." Here are two events, stated in the order of their
occurrence -- two thousand years of being "slow to punish on their
behalf"; but the judge "will avenge them speedily" when the Kingdom
has arrived, and he takes his power. The arrival of this judge upon the scene is heralded by "a time
of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, reminding one of the
avenging of "all the righteous blood shed from Abel to Zachariah"
upon the generation in Jerusalem
in the year A. D. 70 -- a time of trouble that will destroy all institutions in opposition to his Kingdom,
a trouble so severe that except for its being cut short there would be no flesh
saved. In fact there is no intimation of any individual beingsaved out of it
except those who seek meekness and righteousness -- those in harmony with
the-class the widow of the parable represents. No
one who knows the compassionate heart of our God can suppose that the
tribulations of either A. D. 70 or recent years on "his chosen, people,"
natural Israel, were mere vindictiveness. Rather, such recognize this as God's
bearing long with them and their adversaries, and by faith's vision they see'
a new covenant to be established with them, made necessary by past failures,
but assuring that this time "he will speedily do them justice."
However, since the context indicates that Jesus was addressing this discourse to
his disciples, and had previously been warning them to expect opposition. (17:1, 2),
at least the principal application of it must be anticipated in the experiences of the disciples, "when
the Son of man comes." But the question Jesus asks is not a logical one to connect with the
parable, nor does it seem appropriate to address to those who will at that time
be so faithful as to draw down persecution on their heads -- if the King James
rendering is the best one: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find
faith on the earth?" As regards the world in general and lukewarm
Christians in particular, this is indeed a very proper, question, and the
negative answer implied is clearly taught in other Scriptures, as for instance, "Because iniquity shall abound,
the love, of many shall wax cold." (Matt. 24:12.) For those who are
faithful to the Lord and the Word, there is, however, a much more valuable and more
helpful translation of Luke 18:8, in the Diaglott rendering:
"When the Son of Man comes, will he find this belief on the earth?" Rotherham by a footnote
gives the same rendering: "I tell you -- he will execute their
vindication, quickly! Nevertheless though the Son of Man do come will he, after all, find this faith on the earth?"
Will the Christians of that time manifest their faith in the Lord by being
willing to leave to him the time and method of vindicating their name; will they
be Willing to be spoken against "as evil doers," knowing that in his
due time the maligners "shall give account to him that is ready to judge
the quick and the dead; believing, too, his assurance that these same individuals
will many of them some day praise
God on their behalf. (1 Peter
2:12; 4:5.) (The use of "this" in the Diaglott translation is
justified by many passages in the King James Version, such as Matthew 14:15;
15:12; etc.) The Variorum Bible cites J. B. McLennan and F. Godet as favoring
this translation. Barnes
comments: "Though this is true that God will avenge his elect, yet will he find his elect faithful? The danger is not that God will be unfaithful -- he will
surely be true to his promises;
but the danger is that his elect-his
afflicted people-will be discouraged; will
not persevere in prayer; will not continue to have confidence
in him; and will,
under heavy
trials, sink into despondency. The sole meaning of this phrase, therefore, is,
that there
is more danger that his people
would grow weary,
than
that God would be found unfaithful and fail to avenge his elect. For this cause Christ spoke
the parable, and by the design of the parable this passage is to be interpreted. . . . There is a close connection in what
Christ says, and it should be understood as referring to what he said before.
The truth that he had been teaching was that God would deliver his people from
their calamities and save them, though he suffered them to be long tried. He
asks them here whether, when he came, he should find this faith, or a belief of this truth, among his followers? Would
they be found persevering in prayer, and believing that God would yet avenge them or would they cease to pray always, and faint?" The
comment of Ellicott is similar: "The English, which, suggests the thought
that God bears with, i.e., tolerates his elect, is misleading. What is meant
is, that he shows himself slow to anger over them,' i.e., where they are concerned. They implore that 'longsuffering'
for themselves., They are tempted
to murmur when it is extended to others. (2 Pet. 3:9.); . . The question
implies, it is obvious, an answer in the negative. When St. Luke wrote his
Gospel, men were witnessing a primary, though partial, fulfillment of the prophecy. Iniquity was abounding, and the love of
many was waxing cold. And
yet in one sense he was near, even
at the doors (James 5:8, 9), when men thought that the wheels of his chariot
drove slowly. So has it been, and so will it be, in the great 'days
of the Lord' in the Church's history, which
are preludes of the final Advent; so shall it be in that Advent itself. The Greek noun for, 'faith' has the article, possibly as implying the special kind of
faith of which the Parable of the Widow had been an illustration." "Vengeance
belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord." (Heb. 10:30.)
"The word spoken
by angels was
stedfast, and every
transgression
and disobedience received a just recompense of reward." (Heb. 2:2.)
"It is a righteous thing with God to
recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." "We ourselves glory in
you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your, persecutions and tribulations "that ye
endure: which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that
ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which .ye also suffer. (2 Thess. 1:4-8.) Let us then
if we have the privilege of suffering for righteousness' sake, or are
companions of those that are so used, rightly evaluate our experience, "rejoicing that we are counted worthy to suffer
shame for his name. (Acts 5:41.) "For what glory is it, if, when ye
be buffeted for your faults, ye shall
take it
patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently,
this is acceptable with God. (1 Peter 2:20.) "If ye suffer for
righteousness' sake, blessed are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither
be troubled." "If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, blessed
are ye." -
1 . Peter 3:14;
4:14. -
P. E. Thomson. Israel Today"The
land, whither ye go to
possess it,
is a land of hills and valleys, FREQUENTLY
Californians refer to their fertile and beautiful state as "God's
Country." However, from the scripture text quoted above and from other
passages of the Bible, we gather that this appellation is rightfully applied
to the Land of Israel, the Holy Land, the Land of Promise. In Leviticus the
Lord says of this country, "The land is mine." A recent issue of Israel Digest states that almost 93 per
cent of Israel's land is under public ownership, according to a report recently
submitted by the Israel Lands Directorate. The Directorate is jointly
controlled by the Government and the Jewish National Fund and is responsible
for the management of all national land. This is very interesting in the light
of Leviticus 25:23" The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is
mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me." Israel's
total area is 20,700 square kilometers, of which 445 are under water. Some 40
per cent of the land, in the north of the country, receives ten inches or more
of rainfall per year. Israel occasionally has heavy rainfalls so that at times
cities like Tel Aviv are flooded. CURSE BEING REMOVEDJewish
settlers will soon till the soil on the slopes of Mount Gilboa, where Saul and
Jonathan were slain in the war against the Philistines and mourned by David
The
Gilboa Mountains form part of the southern border of the Jezreel Valley, close
to the demarcation line with Jordan-held territory. The
first Jewish settlement in the area is to be established before the end of the
year by members of the youth movement of Hapoel Hamizrahi, the religious labor
organization.
It will be a "moshav" (smallholders' cooperative village). In the
meantime the Jewish National Fund is clearing some 250 acres and will lay a
road and a water pipe to the mountain top. The
Board of Directors of the Jewish National Fund has authorized the outlay of
almost $70,000 for the preliminary work in the area, in addition to more than
$165,000 already set aside for the purpose. Some $1,300,000 will be spent in
the next four years on the development of this new and important village. DESCRIBES PLAN TO "MINE" POTASH FROM DEAD SEAA
crash program aimed at turning 58 square miles of the Dead Sea into three
enormous evaporation pans to produce potash was described by Jacob R. Senisbar, president of the Construction Aggregates Corporation of Chicago. Sensibar
also revealed that $9,000,000 worth of equipment, including scows, barges,
cranes, shovels and belt-conveyors, was now en route by vessel to Israel for
this purpose. "The
Dead Sea is a reservoir of useful non-metallic chemicals," Sensibar told
a luncheon group in New York. "It contains not only potash -- 20 to 25 per cent
of the world's known quantity -- but also salt, magnesium, bromine, and other
chemicals. " Potash
is a chemical used in the making of fertilizer. Its value on the world market
has increased steadily as the use of fertilizers has increased to produce more
food for more people on the same amount of tillable soil. The
$25,000,000 program calls for the erection of 25 miles of dykes -- or
"breakwaters," as Sensibar called them -- to hold the sea water for
evaporation. In the evaporation process a chloride called carnalite is
crystalized and then processed into potash. Ordinarily such a process has been
conducted on land, but it requires flat land, Sensibar explained, and no more
was available near the Dead Sea. The
World Bank for Reconstruction and Development has contributed an undisclosed
amount to help finance the program, which is a joint venture of Sensibar's
company and two California firms. "If
Israel can, as we hope, quadruple its
production of potash-to 600,000 tons by 1965-it can export 90 per cent of this
and in this way help to check its chronic trade deficit," said Sensibar. BANNER YEAR FOR JAFFA ORANGESIsrael
is reported to be increasing its export of oranges to the United States by 500
per cent, according to trade circles quoted in the Wall Street Journal. In 1962 about 20,000 crates
were shipped to the United States from Israel. However, because of the heavy
freezes which severely cut the Florida citrus
crop and another lesser one in California, it was indicated that Israel would
probably increase its shipments to more than 100,000 crates, according to this
newspaper. Influenced
by the shortage of Spanish oranges (the main European competitor of the Jaffa
orange) citrus income is expected to gross a record $65,000,000 or $70,000,000
as compared with $45,000,000 last year. Of
the 16,500,000 crates which are anticipated from this year's citrus crop, about
12,000,000 crates will be exported. "Israel shall blossom and bud and fill
the face of the world with fruit. " - Isaiah 27:6. NEW TOMATO VARIETY SAVES GROWING COSTSA
new variety of tomato, which should cost about 50 per cent less to grow than
other varieties, has been developed by two scientists at the Hebrew
University's Faculty of Agriculture. The
most striking characteristic of the new variety is that it grows unusually
close to the ground, the plant being only some 18 inches high. This obviates
the need for using stakes and trellises, which account for half the production
costs per acre of other varieties. The new variety is now being grown experimentally
at the Faculty at Rehovot and in other parts of the country, and\ there are
prospects of its being marketed experimentally next year. Numerous
attempts to produce low-growing tomato varieties that will need no staking have
been made in Israel in the past but failed because the fruit was exposed to
the summer heat and suffered from "sunscald." The Faculty scientists
overcame this problem through a succesful series of crossings which yielded a
three-fold increase in foliage, concentrated in the head of the plant. This
effectively protects the tomato against the sun. Israel
already grows more tomatoes than it needs. VEGETABLES IN ABUNDANCE AND CHEAPThe
supply of vegetables this February was twice as great as last year, while
wholesale prices were almost halved, an Agriculture Ministry spokesman
announced. The spokesman said that the Tel Aviv market, for example, had
received 2,540 tons of tomatoes as compared with 1,250 in February, 1962. VITAMIN-FED CHICKENS PRODUCE MORE EGGSAn
increase of 23 per cent in the egg production of hens and 30 per cent in the
fertility of breeding stock has been achieved by Prof. N. Perek, Mr. N. Snapir
and Mr. J. Kendler, of the Poultry Science Department of the Hebrew University's
Faculty of Agriculture, by adding vitamin C to the poultry feed. The
scientists showed that 100 grams of vitamin in each ton of feed was sufficient
to raise the average weight of the eggs by 3 grams-a gain of 4 per cent-and to
increase egg production by 23 per, cent. FIRST COUNTRY TO END BOVINE
TB
Bovine tuberculosis, one of the main sources of human TB infection, will be wiped out in Israel by the end of this year, according to a report submitted by the Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture. This will make Israel's the first tuberculosis-free milch herd in the world. Only a few isolated cases of the disease were reported during a nationwide check earlier this year. SOLAR ENERGY Premier
Ben-Gurion announced in the Knesset that the Israel National Physics
Laboratory has successfully developed a motor which draws
energy from the sun and has sufficient power to generate electricity for a
small settlement. NEW U. S. FIRM TO PROSPECT FOR OIL IN WEST GALILEEThe
latest oil prospecting venture in Israel was launched recently by the Asher Oil
Corporation of Delaware . Asher
will be the first foreign oil exploration company to operate in Israel for the
past several years. It is privately owned and was founded by Mr. Wesley
Hancock, whose family has been associated with all phases of the oil business
since 1906. Mr. Hancock will lean heavily on the latest technical equipment
and leading international oil consultants in prospecting on what the experts
are now considering to be a "number one" prospecting area. The
company concession extends over the Zebulun plain, the western slopes of the
Lower Galilee mountains and parts of the Jezreel Valley and Mount Carmel. Mr.
Hancock pledges that he will dedicate part of his profits to help materialize
Jeremiah's prophecy that the people may come out of the north country and
return back to their own land. The name of the company is derived from the
concession area, the erstwhile domain of the Tribe of Asher. A temporary exploration
(but not for drilling) permit has also been given for parts of the western
Jezreel Valley. Apart
from Biblical references to oil in Asher's province ("And of Asher he
said, . . . let him dip his foot in oil. " - Deut. 33:24), the company
spokesman quoted the former chief geologist of the Standard Oil Company of New
Jersey, Mr. Lewis G. Weeks, who put the area at the top of his. list of
"likely" areas. NATION'S AGRICULTURAL SURPLUSIn
closing we revert to the subject of agriculture in Israel by quoting the
columnist Carl Alpert writing from Haifa "Fruit
and vegetable stands all over Israel have been laden with abundant supplies.
Fruits which only a few years ago were scarce and terribly expensive, such as
apples, pears and peaches, have pushed in among the plums, melons and watermelons.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, potatoes, squash . oh, the list is long,
and the sight is a gratifying one for the shopper. "The
official statistics bear out the visual evidence. Israel's food production
today could feed a population of three million people-almost a third more than
now reside here-and it is estimated that with a little additional effort we
could easily double production. "As
it is, Israel's agricultural problem today is the surplus. . . . The new
immigrants to the country have increased our farm population appreciably. Forty
per cent of Israel's agricultural production comes from the new settlements.
And finally, it should not be forgotten that in the past 13 years the
government of Israel has invested more than one billion Israel pounds (about
$333,333,333) in the development of water resources, irrigation, introduction
of new crops, training of farm workers, etc. Obviously this program has paid
off well. "One
apparent answer to Israel's agricultural surplus is to export. Israel's dairy,
vegetable and fruit produce is already penetrating overseas markets. Citrus
may still be king, but all over Europe one can get Israeli bananas, melons,
eggs or canned foods. "The
Israeli farmer's income was up 20 per cent last year. The greatest boon of all
has been to the Israeli Arabs who for the most part derive their livelihood
from agriculture. They have benefited from the demand and the high prices. One
can understand now why so many television antennae are seen over Arab
buildings. "Clementina,
the Armenian girl who helps with the housework, tells us of the unbelievable
clusters of grapes and the richness of the fruits on the farms of her Arab
friends. She repeated for us an old proverb passed down from father to son
among her people, Christians all: 'The grapes will swell, the trees will be
bowed with fruit, and the fields will burgeon richly-when the Jews return to
their Holy Land.' Clementina believes it, because she has seen it with her own
eyes." -
Casimir Lanowick Three Ways of Disobedience."Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of the Father abideth for ever."
- 1 John 2:15-17. THE
life-work of a Christian consists in keeping his sacrifice on the altar; that
is, keeping his own will constantly subordinated to God's will. This was the
"cup" of Christ and this is the "cup" of His disciple.
Faithfulness in "drinking this cup," submitting "under the mighty
hand of God," will result in a transformation into Godlikeness and a
consequent resurrection upon the divine plane of existence. To prevent the
saint of God from attaining his goal, "ten thousand foes arise," and
from the Scriptures we learn that these utilize three lines of approach, all of which, however, have
the same objective, namely, to cause self-will to again assert itself, and thus
disobedience to God's will result. These are brought to our attention by St.
John in our heading text, where in words of remarkable comprehensiveness he
has summed up the three ways by which sin (disobedience to God's will) seeks
to penetrate the Christian's armor. These three means of entry are:
These
are the three motivating causes of all sin. By one or another of these, every
intelligent being can be tested completely. They embrace all the possibilities
of temptation, all the ways by which the creature can be separated from the
Creator; for "every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust
and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin
when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:14, 15.) The word
"lust" is here used in the sense of strong desire or craving, and
does not necessarily refer to desire for immoral things. The senses and the eye
and the mind are God's creation and components of man's faculties by reason of
God willing it so. Of themselves they are good and to be used properly, but the
Apostle John's words call attention to the fact that it is through these good
things that evil does always approach, "and no marvel, for Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light" and "we are not ignorant of
his devices." (2 Cor. 11:14; 2: 11.) Thus that which is good can become a
source of evil to us, and it is the recognition of this truth that has caused
men and women to mortify themselves in all manner of ascetic pursuits, as
regards clothing, diet, abstinence, etc., in their endeavor to lead godly
lives. This undue emphasis on trivial things results in a "form of
godliness," dependent upon one's personal decision as to what is good and
what is evil. In its extreme form this develops into Pharisaism, that
self-righteousness so abominable to the Lord. The question is not, What is
good and what is evil, but, Is it the Lord's will? We are not called upon to go
through our Christian life constantly classifying all things into these two
categories, as this were beyond our wisdom; for "the heart is deceitful
above all things" and "there is a way that seemeth right unto a man,
but the end thereof is death." Evil, of course, is to be instantly rejected,
but evil, as such, is not always recognizable. On the other hand, that which
is good can also become a snare unto us. The ultimate touchstone to determine
our proper choice is an affirmative answer to the question, Is it in obedience
to God's will? The attitude of the Psalmist alone will guide us safely through:
"I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my
heart." (Psa. 40:8.) Let us consider some Scriptural illustrations of the
above thoughts. THE ORIGINAL TEMPTATIONThe
truth of the Apostle John's words is markedly verified in the account of the
fall of man recorded in Genesis 3. Obedience to God was the condition under
which Adam and Eve could continue in his favor and blessing. Abundant provision
had been arranged for their welfare. No good thing was withheld to make their
life replete with joy except one, and that for a time only. Access to the
"tree of knowledge of good and evil" was denied them under penalty of
death. But in the words of the sixth verse: "When the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be
desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave
also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. " Here
we recognize the triumvirate of evil:
Thus
does that which is good in itself become a snare and the occasion. for disobedience
to God. How often since has man failed to recognize the Tempter and followed
the appeal of his own heart into sin, for the approach is ever by one or the
other of the three ways of disobedience. Note
the method of the Adversary. It is always the same. There is first a
questioning of God's love; the subtle suggestion that the commandment was
arbitrarily imposed: "Hath God said, Ye shall not eat?" Surely he
cannot love you if he denies you this fruit. No mention is made of all. God's
many gifts and proofs of love. These are carefully kept out of sight. The thing
denied is alone fixed upon and made the occasion for questioning God's love.
This is the fundamental lie; the indirect suggestion that the Creator's command
is due to his limitation in love toward his creature -- God is not love! Every other lie is possible after this. With what subtleness is the temptation opened - by
a simple question as to God! Yet doubt arises and how awful are the results. Another
has well said: "If
we question
what God does, we judge God; we get out of our place, and put him out of his. A
really humble soul never judges God. It may not have peace or joy, but at least
it will not judge God; submitting, rather, to his sovereign will; tempted to
question, yet not questioning. Such a soul has broken through the snare. It is
safe, for it will not entertain questions as to God's ways." God's
way being
questioned, his love doubted, the next step is the denial of God's truth.
"Ye shall not surely die." Truth is rejected; God is made out a liar;
his place in man's trust is assailed and what follows is inevitable. For God's
love and truth being denied, the next step is to take God's place openly.
"Ye shall be as gods." How subtilely has the poison of the first suggestion
spread! God has lost his character in the heart of men. Self may now therefore
seek to be "as God"; so entirely is spiritual perception gone when
we begin to doubt him. Disobedience follows as a matter of course. "Take
heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil. heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God." - Heb. 3:12. CHRIST'S TEMPTATIONLet
us now consider the temptations of our Master as recorded in Matt. 4:1-11,
remembering that He was "tempted in all points like as we are, yet without
sin." (Heb. 4:15.) Again does the Tempter seek access through the evil
trio
Manifestly
the objective in all three temptations was one and the same, namely, to bring
about Christ's violation of his covenant with God at Jordan., "Not my
will but thine, O God, be done" -= in one word, disobedience. Satan's appeal is not through
the grosser forms of evil, for such would have proved unavailing, but is
clothed in a subtler form. There is the suggestion to use divine power for the
necessities of the flesh, a seemingly justifiable course in view of our
Master's forty-day fast. Then the suggestion to utilize a spectacular method
of calling attention to Himself and so to His message, with Scripture wrested
in seeming confirmation. Thirdly, the appeal to the mind through the gift of
world dominion with its immediate possibility of a reign of good on behalf of
all mankind. These were indeed powerful suggestions with a direct appeal to the
perfect flesh and eye and mind of the Master; but here was One who unlike Adam,
could see beyond the creature (the visible form of temptation) and discern the
Tempter. Note
how in our Master's case, the Adversary reversed his procedure in Eden. There
he questioned God's love; next, his truth; and finally exalted man to equality
with God. Now he says in substance: "God's love for you is unquestionable;
therefore it is appropriate that you exercise the power given you for your obvious
necessity. " Again, It is proper for you to utilize this spectacular
method to call attention to your mission, for does not the unassailable Word
declare: 'He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands
they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'
Again, "I am willing to submit to the divine purpose of setting up a
world-kingdom under your jurisdiction; and to expedite matters am willing to
turn over all the kingdoms to you now, with one qualification -you must
recognize me as your superior." With
what firmness did our Lord reject all these overtures, discerning instantly
that his obedience to God's will was on trial. "Hallelujah! what a
Savior!" But the record of history reveals how these same temptations
proved efficacious in bringing about the great Apostasy; and even in smaller
spheres have the Adversary's delusions been successful. Through seeming
righteous methods, all for the furtherance of God's Kingdom, men have succumbed
to their own wills, and sad is the record of disobedience. CAIN-BALAAM-KORAHAs
further illustrative of the Apostle John's words we consider next Jude 11:
"Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily
after the error of Salaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of
Core." Here
in reference to a class in his day, Jude cites the record of several Old
Testament characters whose evil course can be similarly placed in juxtaposition
with the words of our article text:
Their
evil course is thus witnessed to us as Scriptural examples of forms of
disobedience which can be a snare to others, including ourselves also. The
record of Cain, found in Genesis 4, reveals an attitude which bears out St.
John's words: "His works were evil and his brother's righteous. " (1
John 3:12.) The sight of his eyes did but enrage him; he craved the position of
acceptance which was Abel's, and instead of determining the reasons for Abel's
favor and conforming himself thereto, he opposed his own will to the will of
God and thus despised his dominion. This was the first step in his downward
"way." Soon, abandoning all self-control, he gave free reign to his
evil passions until they led him, under the guidance of "the wicked
one," to imbrue his hands with his brother's blood. Afterwards he boldly
set at nought the authority of his Maker, and called in question his right to
sit in judgment upon his conduct. Such is the way of Cain; a brother-murderer. The
record of Balaam is found in the Book of Numbers, Chapters 22, 23, 24, and 31.
The story is familiar to all and reveals that attitude of mind which for
purposes of gain will endeavor to circumvent the divine will. The Prophet
Balaam showed a certain outward and official respect for the commands of God,
while in his heart he utterly rejected his dominion. In obedience to the
positive divine command, he at first refused to go with the messengers of
Balak. Afterwards tempted by the promise of more glittering rewards, he sought
to change the divine purpose, notwithstanding the clearest manifestation of
the divine displeasure. To cure the "madness of the Prophet" the dumb
ass spake (2 Pet. 2:15, 1.6), but to no avail, for we read the astonishing
answer to the angel: "If it displease thee, I will get me back
again." (Num. 22:34.) For the second time he is permitted to go on, and
ultimately meets his end by the sword. This is the "error of Balaam,"
and teaches us that once having been instructed in the Lord's will, we must
implicitly remain obedient thereto. If for purposes of gain we should in any
way seek permission to do our own wills, we shall but emulate the
"madness" of Balaam; for while God will not change his will, neither
will he circumvent ours, and we shall find the circumstances to permit us to
go our own way, the way of self-delusion; but "the end thereof is the way
of death. " - Prov. 14:12. The
gainsaying or rebellion of Korah does likewise have its lessons for us. The
account is found in Numbers 16 and reveals the consequence of exaltation of
self, namely, destruction. Korah and his followers were truly princes in
Israel, and God acknowledged the holiness of their offerings (Num. 16:38);
nevertheless, disobedience to the divine arrangement crept in through the
"lust of the mind" or self-exaltation. It is possibly this same type
of delusion which will ensnare the disobedient at the close of the Millennial
reign, for we read in Revelation 20:9 that this class compassed the camp of the
saints (the Ancient Worthies - then Princes in the earth) as if in rebellion
against their long jurisdiction. It is quite possible that the Adversary, then
loosed for a season, will deceive this class by intimating that they are quite capable of continuing on
their own without the further necessity of submission to these Judges of the
earth. But like Korah and his company, these shall also meet divine judgment,
and again the penalty for
self-exaltation will be death. For "pride goeth before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a fall." "MY SOUL, BE ON THY GUARD"With
these examples before us and many others which could be cited, how does it
behoove us to "put on the Lord
Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts
thereof." (Rom. 13:14.) To withstand the darts of the Adversary will
require all the fortitude and faith we possess. Seeking to bring about
disobedience to God's will through these three lines of approach are the
Christian's three great enemies: the world, the Adversary, and the flesh. To
offset the world and its love we have God and his love. To offset the
Adversary, the "liar from the beginning," "who abode not in the
truth," we have the Son, God's Truth, who was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil. To offset
the flesh or self-will, that greatest of enemies, the one within the fortress,
we have the Holy Spirit; and if we "walk in the Spirit, we shall not
fulfill
the lusts of the flesh." (Gal. 5:16.) Brethren, let us take heed to our
ways, for "the heart is deceitful above all things" and the way of
self-will is easy to enter upon. An intellectual grasp of religious truth is
no bar to the exaltation of self, but alas, can sometimes actually stimulate
self-glorification. This may not be obvious to us, but will be quite
discernible to those about us. For it is true that self can reveal itself in
our works, in our service, in our choice of hymns, in our conduct in study
meetings, in our testimonies, in our discourses, in our writings, yes, even in
our prayers! What a subtle adversary is this, for while "neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord,"
self-will, which begets disobedience, may conquer when all else fails. Let us
diligently examine ourselves, prove ourselves, whether our every course of
action is motivated by full obedience to God's will; that none of self has
crept in any where to mar our fellowship with him, but that in all things we
emulate the blessed example of our Master, who delighted in the Father's will
and was obedient in all things, even unto the death of the cross. "For
the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of the
Father abideth forever." Therefore, dearly beloved, "keep yourselves
in the love of God" by faithful obedience even unto death.
-
W. J. Siekman. The Program of Redemption
"After this I will
return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and
I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the
Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, who
doeth all these things."--Acts 15:14-17. IT
IS remarkable to observe that the first council of the Christian Church ever
convened should have outlined the whole scheme of redemption from Pentecost to
the consummation of the ages. And whatever we may hold as to the binding
authority of later councils, we must accept the deliverances of this at Jerusalem
as final, since from the testimony of inspired Scripture we know that the
Spirit so truly presided and guided in the assembly that in publishing its
decisions it was written, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to
us." (Acts 15:28.) Jesus Christ is the Architect of the ages. Not only
"all things were made by him" -- all worlds and systems of the
material universe -- but all the dispensations were planned and predestined
by him: "By whom also he made the ages." (Heb. 1:2.) His Church was
not set upon her course until a complete program of her mission had been
placed in her hands, the working-plan by which all her operations were to be
directed. "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the
world" (Acts 15:18) is the significant declaration which accompanies
the publication of this program. And, instead of being day-laborers working in ignorance,
God would have us, as laborers together with him, to understand the entire
divine scheme by which our efforts are to be directed, that we may be saved
from presumption and despair. "Simeon
hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a
people for his name." (Acts 15:14.) Here is the first act of the great
program. Because of the citation from the Old Testament which immediately follows: "And
to this agree the words of the Prophets, as it is written After this I will
return, and will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen down"
-- it has been inferred that this Gentile outgathering and the tabernacle
upbuilding mean the same thing; in other words, that the rearing of the
tabernacle of David is a figurative expression for the building of the Church
of Christ. By this superficial, though not altogether unnatural explanation of
the passage, the whole program has been reduced to a single act, and the inference
drawn that the preaching of the Gospel in this dispensation is to issue in the
conversion of "all the Gentiles." A CLEAR PREDICTION OF ISRAEL'S RESTORATIONBut
it is only necessary to observe three things in order to correct this
misapprehension: First, that the citation here made from the closing chapter of
the Book of Amos is clearly a prediction of the literal restoration of literal
Israel, and their reinhabitance of their land; for the words quoted are part of
a passage which ends with this decisive language "And I will plant them
upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I
have given them, saith the Lord thy God." (Amos 9:15.) Observe again that
in making this citation the Holy Spirit inserts the words, not found in the
original text, "After this I will return," and will build again, thus
making the restoration of the Davidic tabernacle subsequent to the gathering out
of the Church from the Gentiles, and connecting it directly with the personal
return of the Lord. And, lastly, we are to notice that in announcing this
election from among the Gentiles, it is not added, "in this are fulfilled
the words of the Prophets," but "with this harmonize [Greek,
symphonize] the words of the Prophets." It is but saying that the parts of
the great oratorio of redemption perfectly accord, though centuries lie
between its different measures; and then, to show us how they accord, the Holy
Spirit sounds all the octaves thereof with a single sweep, and lets us listen
to their grand unison. This, then, is the program of redemption by which we
are to work in evangelizing the world: "First,
God did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name. And to
this agree the words of the Prophets, as it is written: "After
this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen
down; and I will build again the ruins thereof and I will set it up: "In
order that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles
upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord who doeth all these things." The
three great stages of redemption are thus outlined in their order. ACT IThe
gathering of the Church is the first act, and this, having begun at Pentecost,
is still going on. All the descriptions of it contained in Scripture mark it as
elective. From the word of Christ to his first disciples, "I have
outchosen you out of the world," to the triumph-song of the saved heard by
the seer in Patmos, "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation," the Bride of Christ is
always the Ecclesia, the called out. Nowhere is universal redemption predicted
as the result of preaching the Gospel in this dispensation. If in the minds of
those who are accustomed to speak of the world's conversion there is a violent
revulsion from this saying, we remind them that we are simply affirming the
truth of the doctrine of election, and its application to this entire Age.
After eighteen centuries of Christian conquest the vast proportion of the
world still "lieth in the Wicked One," and Christ's true Church is
but a "little flock" in comparison. Only with pathetic sympathy for
our fallen race in its ruin and helplessness can we contemplate this fact. And
yet we must be reminded that all attempts to violate this decree by making the
Church a multitudinous collection, instead of a gracious election, have only
issued in apostasy. Sacramentarianism would take the world into the Church by
instituting a baptized paganism instead of taking the Church out of the world
by preaching spiritual regeneration; and behold the result in a half-heathenized
Christendom. Latitudinarianism, would make the Church co-extensive with the
world by preaching the gospel of universal salvation - all men by nature the
sons of God-and thus, by crowding the Lord's house with "the children of
the Wicked One," turn it into "the synagogue of Satan." Though
it be in mystery, and sorrow and tears, we had best work on, therefore, by the
divine schedule, preaching the Gospel among all nations for a witness that we
may gather out for Christ a chosen and sanctified people, calmly answering
those who say that God's ways are partial, with his own words: "When that
which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." And
yet, lest we should take too narrow a view of this theme, other considerations
should not be overlooked. Christ is called "The Light of the World."
The beams of sunlight both elect and irradiate; taking out here and there
from muddy pool or acrid dead sea a pure, crystalline drop and lifting it
heavenward; but also lighting and warming all the atmosphere by their radiance.
So Christ, preached among the Gentiles, elects from them a holy flock, a
regenerate Church; but besides this, he changes the moral climate of the
world so that such noxious growths as cannibalism, slavery, polygamy, and
infanticide disappear. These two results inevitably attend the proclamation
of the Gospel; regeneration saving some out of the world, and civilization
putting something of Christianity into the world but by neither process as now
going on is the Millennium destined to be ushered in. Moreover,
let us reflect that an election is never an end in itself; it is rather a means
and preparation for some vastly larger accomplishment. The body of the elect
is really Christ's army, gathered by a divine conscription from every kindred
and people, that they may attend him as he goes forth to his final conquest of
the world. "And they that are with him are called and elect and faithful.
" (Rev. 17:14.) Of this, however, we shall speak later. ACT IIThe
second act of the divine program now comes into view. "After this I will
return and build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen down." By Christ's personal coming in
glory, the conversion and restoration of Israel are to be accomplished. The
reader has only to compare this order with the redemption schedule drawn out in
the eleventh of Romans to see how perfectly they agree. St. Paul, indeed,
begins with the Jewish election, as St. James does with the Gentile election.
And we must remember that the choosing out that is going on in this
dispensation touches both: "not out of the Jews only, but also out of the
Gentiles. " (Rom. 9:24.) But each Apostle takes up the same succession of
events; first the Gentile outgathering, and then the Hebrew regathering. The
hardening of the Jews which we now behold is declared by Paul to continue
"until the
fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written There
shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from
Jacob." (Rom. 11:25, 26.) By the "fullness of the Gentiles" we
understand the predestined number, the elect company gathered through the
entire period of this dispensation to form the Bride of Christ. When this
number shall have been accomplished, then the conversion of Israel will occur
and their national restoration to God's favor.' The two parts of the aged
Simeon's prophecy are strictly consecutive: "A light to lighten the Gentiles and
the glory of thy people Israel."
(Luke 2:31, 32.) He will be the supreme glory of his people Israel, when he
shall at last be owned as their Messiah and reign in the midst of them as King. ACT IIIThese
two stages of redemptionthe Gentile election and the Hebrew restoration-are to
be accomplished "in order" to a third, namely, "that the residue
of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is
called." Without
enlarging upon the thought, what a profound hint of this does Paul give in Rom. 11:12, 15 where,
speaking concerning his rejected people, he says: "Now if the fall of
them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the
Gentiles, how
much more their fulness." "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling
of the world, what
shall the receiving of them b e but life from the dead?" "It
is clear," says Lange, "that the Apostle awaits a boundless effect of
blessing on the world from the future conversion of Israel." Then shall
the word of Joel concerning the effusion of the spirit have a complete
fulfilment, as it had a partial and prefigurative accomplishment on the day of
Pentecost. For if we turn to the Prophet, we find it said "And ye shall
know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and none else. And it shall come to pass
afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." (Joel 2:27, 28.) And with
this agree the words of Isaiah where he predicts the desolation of Zion as
continuing "till
the spirit be poured upon us from on high." (Isa. 32: 15.) When the Lord
shall shed forth the holy spirit abundantly upon his covenant people, through
them will come unspeakable blessings to the Gentiles. The modern
post-millennial interpretation completely deranges the program of prophecy at
this point by making redemption terminate with its first scene. "The end
of the Age," brought in by the second coming of Christ, misleadingly
translated "the end of the world" in our common version, is supposed
by many to close the probation of the race, winding up the present earthly
scene, and bringing in the final judgment and the eternal state, instead of
opening into the triumphs of the age to come. Is it possible that the first
Christians could have had this idea? If so, how could they have so ardently
desired, and earnestly looked for, the speedy return of the Lord, since his
coming would end the work of Gentile ingathering, while as yet only a handful
had been saved? On the contrary, take the words of Peter to the Jewish rejecters
of Christ, and observe how clearly they teach the very opposite "Repent
ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there
may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; and that he may
send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus; whom the heaven
must receive until the times of the restoration of all things." (Acts
3:19-21, R.V.) Here we have, as constantly throughout the Scripture, the
repentance of Israel directly connected with the return of Christ from heaven,
and their conversion and the Lord's appearing resulting, not in their cutting
off from the presence of the Lord, but in times of "refreshing from the
presence of the Lord"; not in the winding up of all things, but in the "restoration of all
things." Three
acts of the divine program appear again in this declaration of Peter -- the
coming of Christ, the conversion of Israel, and world wide redemption -- corresponding
exactly with those revealed in the texts from James and Paul already
considered. CONCLUSIONIt
is thus seen that the redemption of the world comes at last, following (1) the
glorification of the Church at our Lord's return, and (2) the conversion and
restoration of Israel. If it be said that this is a Jewish conception, borrowed
from the Old Testament, we will answer: "Yes, and reiterated and more
explicitly unfolded in the New Testament." For nowhere is the order of
events so distinctly revealed as in the Acts and Epistles. "Election,
partial and opposed to world-wide redemption," has been the verdict of
thousands who have replied against God, knowing little of the range of his
eternal plan. "Election, gracious, and preparatory to world-wide
redemption," is the discovery which a deep pondering of Holy Scripture
reveals. The elect Church transfigured with her risen Savior, and the chosen
nation, Israel, restored and made glorious on earth-these are his appointed
agents, trained by long discipline and trial for bringing all peoples and
tribes into obedience to God. As to the Gentile election, so to the Hebrew
restoration, objectors may be reconciled when it appears that this, too, is
instrumental and preparatory to world-wide salvation. "Arise, shine, for
thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, " is the
summons which the long captive daughter of Zion shall hear, and then the blessed
result: "And
the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. " -
Isa. 60:3. -
Condensed from Ecce
Venit (Behold He Cometh) Resurrection Prospects
"Our God is a God of salvation; and to God, the
Lord, Concluded from previous issue THE
time of the resurrection is declared to be "the last day." Martha, when speaking to
Jesus of her deceased brother, Lazarus, said, "I know that he shall rise
again in the resurrection at the last day." Her source of knowledge had
probably been Jesus, for four times in chapter six of John's Gospel (verses
39, 40, 44, and 54), Jesus designates the time of the resurrection as being the
"last day" "And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given
me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." "And
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and
believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the
last day." "No
man can come to me, except the Father which sent me draw him: and I will raise
him up at the last day." "Whoso
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life: and I will raise him
up at the last day." The
"last day," refers to the day of judgment, the seventh thousandyear
period of earth's history since man's creation. Paul says: "God
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by
that man whom he bath ordained., whereof he hath given assurance unto all men
in that he hath raised him from the dead." - Acts 17:31. "A
day with the Lord is as a thousand years," Peter tells us; and so this
would refer to the thousandyear judgment-day, the reign of Christ, "who
shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." - 2
Tim. 4:1. Resurrection
in the full and complete sense will take place during the second presence of
Christ; the one exception to this being the resurrection of Christ himself.
The examples, foreshowing the power of God to restore the dead, that are given
us in the Old and New Testaments, were not complete resurrections, but merely
the first step in the resurrection process; they returned to the death in Adam
condition and went into their graves again; whereas, those who experience
real resurrection, die no more. Concerning the resurrection of the Church, it
is written: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. " - Rev.
20:6. This
verse gives us to understand that there will be more than one resurrection,
otherwise it would not speak of a first resurrection. It also identifies those
who partake thereof as being kings and priests of God, and says they reign with
Christ a thousand years. The first resurrection, therefore, pertains solely to
the Little Flock Class who are declared to be "a first fruits" unto
God of his creatures. We
find also that the time element enters into this first resurrection, that it
started nearly two thousand years ago with the raising of Christ Jesus, the
first of the first fruits, and will end with those "who are alive and
remain" unto the coming of the Lord. Paul informs us in 1 Thess. 4:16,
that the sleeping saints, who lived and died prior to the second coming of
Christ, would be the first to be raised; then, following this, those who are
still alive and remain, when he comes, will not need to sleep, but will be
caught up at the time of death, and, together with those who preceded them,
will meet the Lord in the air -- the spirit realm. Following
this, there are at least three additional resurrections that will occur:
namely, that of the Great Company-the servant class whose position will be
before the throne of God, where they will serve him day and night in his Temple
(note the way this class is contrasted with the Little Flock class) (Rev.
2:26, 27 3:12, 21; 7:14, 15); that of the Ancient Worthy class which is
promised a better resurrection in reward for their faithfulness; and that of
the world of mankind who will be raised up and perfected by the judgments of
the Lord. Those
classified as "they that have done good," mentioned by Jesus in John
5:28, 29, will include the "Little Flock," the "Great
Company," and the "Ancient Worthies"; they will have perfect
organisms and powers of life restored to them instantly; but the world will be
raised up gradually, and will be restored in all the component parts of their
beings simultaneously. PRESENT RESURRECTION EXPERIENCEWe
have purposely left to the last, the consideration of that phase of our
resurrection, about which we should feel the deepest concern; for on it depends
the kind of resurrection we will eventually attain. In all probability, most
of us rarely think of ourselves as undergoing the process of a resurrection;
but in the perfecting of the new mind, the new creature, we are being raised
just as truly, as will the willing and obedient of mankind under the judgments
of Christ in the coming Age. A
more than casual consideration will cause us to note that there are a number of
ways in which our resurrection process parallels that of the world. First,
there must be the release from the legal sentence of death, imposed by Divine
justice because of the disobedience of Adam. The basis upon which this release
can be granted, is that "Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death
for every man." (Heb. 2:9.) We, the Church, experience this release through faith in the blood of Christ, and
in consequence of the fact that "Christ hath appeared in the presence of
God for us." "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous.'' - 1 John 2:1. The
world of mankind is still under the sentence of death. "He that believeth
not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him."
(John 3:36.) Therefore the world in general does not experience release until
the great High Priest enters within the veil a second time; as pictured in the
Tabernacle types, he will then lift up his hands (symbol of the exercise of
power) and bless the people. In contrast to the Church, mankind will be
subject to the authority of the Mediator, without choice, and will come forth
from the grave at his call, to experience the judgments by which they will
learn righteousness, and be gradually perfected in being. "The soul that
will not heed that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. " -
Acts 3:23. All
who make good use of that thousand years of judgment in learning to obey from
the heart, will thereby become fixed in the character image of God, and will
acquire an immunity to temptation that will forever guard them from the possibility
of sin. Those whose conformity to Kingdom regulations does not spring from the
love of God, will not be able to resist Satan's wiles when he is loosed at the
end of the thousand years; and so, along with Satan, will be annihilated in the
second death. The
resurrection process in the development of God-likeness -- the most essential
part of the resurrection in so far as the award of eternal life is concerned,
is a matter that takes time, and requires both willing and active cooperation
on the part of the Church and the world. We, in contrast to the world, have had
to exercise faith in order to come under the influence of resurrection power.
With us, that power has operated through God's spirit, "working in us
both to will and to do his good pleasure." And when God's workmanship in
us this side the veil is finished, our new bodies, like unto Christ's, will be
given us in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. - 1 Cor. 15:35-58. Both
phases of our resurrection are set forth by Paul in his letter to the
Philippian Church, chapter three, verses 10 and 11 (Phil. 3:10-11). Therein is
revealed Paul's whole-souled sanctification in his endeavor to know Christ,
and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings in
being made conformable unto his death, that "if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Paul's desire to know Christ
and the power of his resurrection, had to do with his day-by-day development,
for he couples it with having fellowship in the sufferings and death of Christ-experiences
confined to the present life; and this was all to the end that he might attain
unto "the [first] resurrection of the dead." Paul's
experience in sanctification must needs be the experience of each one who will
share in the first resurrection. But
how it should rejoice our hearts to know that our perfecting in the
character-likeness of God, is God's own work in us; and if we will continue to
be wholly sanctified unto him-if we sanctify him in our hearts-he is both able
and willing to finish the work he has begun in us, and will do so to the end
that he may establish our hearts in righteousness, and make us meet for the inheritance of
the saints in light. -
John T. Read. Recently Deceased
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