THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL.
LIII. March/April 1970 No. 2
Table of Contents
Remembering Christ
"Many Infallible Proofs"
"Blessed Are the Dead Which Die in the Lord
From Henceforth"
"Even at
the
Doors"
Israel Today
The Question Box
"Christ Our Passover"
Cooperation With Our British Brethren
British Correspondent
Notice of Postponement of Annual Meeting
Entered Into Rest
"This do
in remembrance of me." - Luke 22:19.
WITH
solemn joy, in smaller and larger groups (perhaps alone) we shall gather on the
evening of Sunday, April 19, to observe -- in obedience to Him who did
institute and command it -- the Lord's Supper. The days of the years of our
pilgrimage have been many and hard, but again we draw nigh to the hallowed
place in our Christian experience, once again to keep the Feast. "This is
my body which is broken for you; eat ye all, of it. 'This is my blood which is
shed for you; drink ye all, of it." How precious the familiar words.
Heaven's treasury was exhausted that this table might be set;' blessed is he
that partaketh thereof. The sufficient emblems a crumb of bread-a sip of wine:
and oh! how we sing!
"This is the hour of
banquet and of song;
From this, Thy table, let
each shadow flee;
Here let me feast, and
feasting still prolong
The brief bright hour of
fellowship with Thee."
As
regards the Memorial proper, its institution, significance, and its cluster of
associated events, both typical and antitypical, we shall not enter into them
particularly now. Concerning these glorious truths we have all been well
informed. Our meditation will be devotional rather than expository. We would
linger instead upon the words of our text:
"This Do in Remembrance of Me."
In
remembrance of Thee? O Savior, we will indeed commemorate thy costly
redemptive sacrifice. Yea, Lord, we will further remember all thy benefits
toward us. For we remember the riches of thy prehuman existence, the glory
which was thine with the Father before the world was. Thou, the firstborn of
all creation, the beginning of the creation of God, wast by him as one brought
up with him, daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. For he possessed
thee in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. Thou wast set up
from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. All things were
made by thee, and without thee was not anything made that was made. When the
foundations of the earth were laid, thou didst hear the morning stars sing
together and all the sons of God shout for joy.
Yea,
Lord, we do remember that in the fullness of time, thou, in -obedience to thy
Father, didst lay aside thy glory, and wast born of a woman -- wast made flesh.
Thou, so rich -- becamest poor for our
sakes! We remember the circumstances of thy birth -- that thou wast laid in a
manger because there was no room for thee in the inn! Thou earnest into the
world made by thee, but the world knew thee not. Thou didst make thyself of no
reputation and didst take upon, thee the form of a servant. Did they not call
thee the Carpenter's son -- thou, the architect of the universe? Yea, the
foxes had dens, and the birds, nests, but thou hadst no place to lay thy head!
Thou camest to thine own, but thine own received thee not. Despised, rejected,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief! Of the people there was none with
thee. How oft wouldst thou, in thy great love, have gathered them as a hen doth
her chicks, but they would not! For thou hadst compassion on the multitude, for
they were like sleep without a shepherd. O Savior, we do remember all this and
more.
We
remember how thou wentest about doing good, and manifesting thy glory. The
blind received their sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf
heard, the dead were raised, the multitudes were fed, and to the poor the
Gospel was preached. Bartimeus, Jairus, the widow of Nain, Martha, Mary,
Lazarus and many others-all did partake of thy wonderful grace. Did ever man
speak as thou, didst speak? Did not all bear, witness and wonder at the
gracious words which proceeded forth out of thy mouth? Words of spirit and
life, words which the Father did give unto thee, wonderful words of life!
We
remember Lord, as the last hour drew near, how thou didst steadfastly set thy
face to go to Jerusalem. The cup, which the Father had given thee, thou
wouldst' drink to the full!
"O holy Lamb of God!
Must Thou to slaughter go?
And on Thy sinless shoulders
bear
Our heritage of woe?
Must Thou endure our grief
Our stripes be laid on Thee?
The sins of many must Thou
take,
And thus our ransom be?"
The
shadows lengthened. With desire thou didst desire to eat the last Passover with
them, thy little ones, before thy suffering. Thou, when thy soul was full of
sublime purpose, in pained silence didst hear their words of selfish strife,
wounding thy spirit. (O Master! forgive us for all the many times since then
that we have wounded thee.) Sublime was thy example of humble servitude, as
kneeling before each one thou didst wash their feet. Unmindful of thyself, thy
solicitude was all for them, whom thou wouldst not leave as orphans. Having
loved thine own, thou didst love them to the end. For them, thou didst pray to
the Father, and O blessed thought! not only for them but for us also who have
believed on thee through their word!
We
remember, dear Lord, as the awful hour of thy deepest humiliation arrived, that
thou in agony of spirit didst seek the garden spot. O that we could have
watched with thee one hour!
"Draw near, my heart,
and gaze anew,
Where Jesus on that night
withdrew,
To bear the load for thee;
Come read the love that in
him wrought,
Come linger long in tender
thought,
In lone Gethsemane."
Dear
Lord, we must follow thee in our meditation for we remember thy betrayal. We
remember the traitorous kiss, the armed band, the fleeing disciples. To face
the powers of darkness thou wast left alone, and yet not alone, for the Father
was with thee. But from this hour he did not save thee, for, for this cause
camest thou unto this hour. Thou wast bound as a criminal and led before men of
evil. Do we remember what followed? O Savior! can we forget thy burden, of
suffering and the scenes of indignity and horror? How men smote thee -- mocked
thee -- spat upon thee --scourged
thee and then -- O shameful ignominy -- condemned thee to be crucified!
"I see my Lord, the
pure, the meek, the lowly,
Along the mournful way in
sadness tread;
The thorns are on His brow,
and He, the holy,
Bearing His cross, to Calvary
is led,
"'Tis death's dark hour;
yet calm Himself resigning,
E'en as a lamb that goeth to
be slain,
The wine-press lone He
treadeth, unrepining,
And falling blood-drops all
His raiment stain."
We
remember, precious Lord, though we little understand, the night thou didst
pass through when by the grace of God thou didst taste death for every man. Thou
hast once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that thou mightest bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit. Thou
hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received
gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell
among them. We remember, dear Lord, that we Gentiles in time past were aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope, and. without God in the world. But now in thee, we who were far
off are made nigh by thy blood, and through thee we have access by one spirit
unto the Father. We are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation
of the Apostles and Prophets, thou thyself being the chief corner stone; in
whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord, an habitation of God through the spirit.
We
remember that through thy poverty, we who were dead in trespasses and sins,
have been made rich. We have received forgiveness of sins, peace, life, sonship, joy, love, the hope of immortality. Thou hast become unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and deliverance. We are heirs of God and
joint-heirs with thee; if so be that we suffer with thee, that we may be also
glorified together -- to be kings and priests for a thousand years, to bless
all the families of earth.
Dear Lord, our cup runneth over; our hearts o'erflow with gratitude! Our souls do
magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior. Blessed be the
Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Gladly, dear Master, do we gather about thy table to commemorate thee; to bless
the cup, and to break the bread, the communion of thy blood and thy body.
And so will we keep the Feast until that rapturous day when we shall drink the
new cup with thee in the Kingdom of
God.
- W. J. Siekman
"The Lord is risen
indeed." - Luke 24:34.
THE STORY of our Lord's
resurrection is one of exquisite pathos and beauty. His crucifixion had
created despair-had smitten the Shepherd and scattered the sheep. In loving secrecy
and weeping silence the faithful few had removed the body from the cross and
laid it in the new tomb of Joseph. The great feast came, and while Jerusalem
kept holy-day, the disciples had to bear, as best they might, their !bitter
shame and ruined hopes. But the women could not forget the marred visage, now
rigid in death, but once so expressive of holy and beautiful life, and with
characteristic devotion, waited to seize the earliest moment to look upon it
once more before the effacing fingers of decay had swept the lines of its
lingering beauty, and in the little ministrations of tender regretful affection
at once express and relieve the sorrow that !burdened their hearts. So, in the
dim dawn of the morning after the sabbath, they stole to the tomb,. only to
find in it no buried Lord. The thought of a resurrection did not occur to
them; they thought only that the grave had been rifled. One of them, Mary
of Magdala, fled, in an anguished woman's way, blind to everything but her
awful loss, crying: "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where
they have laid Him." But the angels within the tomb, and the Lord without,
made the tear-blinded women awake to the strange glad truth: "He is risen,
as He said."
Begotten Again unto a Hope of Life by His Resurrection
Before this truth was brought
home to them they were in despair. Their hopes were buried in His grave. They
had trusted in Jesus, and had entertained high hopes, but now, since Jesus had
died, they were sad, their hopes having withered. How different with them when
the fact of His resurrection was made known to them! What joy displaced their
dejection! It became true of them then, as it has of us who have believed
since-they were, and we have been, begotten again unto a hope of life, by His
resurrection. Because He lives we have grounds for hoping that we shall live
also. In His resurrection lies our assurance.
It is an interesting study to
trace in the Gospel narratives and in the Epistles, the harmony which obtains
in the various references to the appearances of our Lord. Matthew, Mark and
Luke, Peter, John and Paul all make mention of His resurrection. Each account
is different, depending upon the point of view of the writer, but they are
unanimous in affirming the fundamental fact that Jesus did indeed rise from the
dead. Moreover it is not difficult to combine all these various appearances
now distributed amongst the Gospel writers and in the Epistles, and arrange
them into one complete and connected picture.. By so doing we perceive that our
Lord's first work was that of consoling and encouraging. To Mary Magdalene and
the other women He first appeared, turning their sorrow into joy. This was
early in the morning on the very day He arose. That same day, in the
afternoon, those two downcast disciples who were on their way to Emmaus found
their hearts burning within them as a Stranger talked with them and finally
revealed Himself as their Lord. Unable to contain themselves, although the
hour was late, they hastened back to Jerusalem to tell the good news. But the
Lord was traveling faster than they knew. Before they got there He had appeared
to another; doubtless before He had appeared to themselves, even. There was
one of His disciples whose heart was breaking--one who in an evil moment had
denied His Lord. What passed 'between our Lord and Peter we do not know;
however, we who are in any measure acquainted with
Jesus and know something of His grace can well understand the peace and comfort
which possessed Peter after that meeting. At all events, Peter had not been slow to tell the
good news, for when the Emmaus disciples came breathlessly with their story
they were told: "The Lord is risen indeed, and bath appeared unto
Simon." Then, once again, in the late evening of that wonderful resurrection
day, while they were rehearsing their own experiences to the Apostles, and how
Jesus had been known of them by the old familiar habit of His, of first
blessing and then breaking the bread, He once more appeared in their midst,
saying, "Peace be unto you."
That Glad Resurrection Day
On
the very day of His resurrection, then, first to the women, then to Peter, next
to the Emmaus disciples, lastly to the Eleven -- four times in all -- Jesus
appeared, each time bringing a sense of peace and comfort, hope and joy. What a
day to be remembered for all time!
A
week later He appeared to the disciples again, this time for the special
benefit of Thomas, who had been absent on the previous occasion, and who had
doubted.
Some
time later, just when we may not know precisely, Jesus appeared to more than
five hundred brethren at one time, no doubt taking His last leave of the
collective Church then. His next appearance seems to have been to James, His
"brother," or "kinsman," as the word more exactly means.
This appearance is mentioned by St. Paul in his first letter to the
Corinthians, although it is not mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures. St.
Paul, we know, had become personally acquainted with James at Jerusalem, and no
doubt learned about this appearance of Jesus from James himself.
Still
another appearance to His disciples is recounted 'by the Apostle John, in the
last chapter of his Gospel. Seven of the disciples had gone fishing. Perhaps
they had grown weary with waiting for the Lord to manifest Himself again. We
do not know. At all events they had toiled all night and caught nothing. And,
it will be remembered, Jesus revealed Himself to them by telling them where to
cast their net to secure a big catch of fish. Finally He took His last leave of
them, just before His ascension, leading them out as far as Bethany, appointing
them to be His witnesses --witnesses not only of all the wondrous things He had
done and taught in their midst during His ministry; witnesses not only of the
fact that He had been crucified and buried; but witnesses especially of His
resurrection.
Have I Not Seen Jesus Christ Our Lord?
And
yet once more, in order that he, too, might qualify as a witness, Paul was
given a glimpse of the resurrected Lord in that never-to-be-forgotten journey
on the Damascus road.
St.
Paul never forgot this commission. In all his Epistles he speaks of the
resurrection of Christ. And when, at the close of his life, the Apostle writes
to his son in the faith, Timothy, he reiterates the matter in these words:
"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead,
according to my Gospel. But while he mentions the resurrection in all his
Epistles, there is one Epistle in which he undertakes to expound the matter in
great detail. It is his first letter to the Corinthians. There, in the
fifteenth chapter, he unfolds the subject at length, affirming his faith,
first, in the resurrection of Jesus; second, in that of the world of mankind as
a whole; and third (third in point of mention, though second in order of
accomplishment), in that of the Church. Most of the discussion we hope to
present in the remainder of this series of meditations will be drawn from this
heaven-sent exposition by "our beloved brother" Paul. However, for
this meditation let us content ourselves with reviewing the ground already
covered.
How Firm a Foundation is Laid for Our Faith!
The
doctrine of the resurrection is so fundamental to our faith that all
Christians should be thoroughly established therein -- "able to give a reason"
for their own hope, and their hopes on behalf of others. Junior students of the
Scriptures, especially, and all newly consecrated ones, are urged to become
very familiar with all the Bible has to say on this most important subject;
while those who have been long in the way will, if they join us in these
meditations, experience once again the comfort to be derived from a
consideration of "these words." (1 Thess. 4:18.) For example, in the
previous paragraphs we have listed all the recorded appearances of our Lord.
Let each ask himself the question: Do I know how many there were? To whom they
were vouchsafed? In what order they occurred? Where they took place?' What the
total period of time was during which they all happened? -- all, that is to
say, except that to Paul. To get the most out of this first meditation the
reader will do well to trace in his own Bible the ten appearances mentioned,
and to prayerfully ponder the related contexts of each. Those who do so for
the first time will be astonished to find how firm a foundation is laid for
their faith; that to the Apostles our Lord showed Himself alive after His
passion by "many infallible proofs, being seen of them by the space of
forty days, and speaking the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." - Acts
1:3.
Our Lord Showed Himself Alive
To
assist the student to accomplish, with the minimum effort, the searching of the
Scriptures suggested in the previous paragraph we submit the following brief
summary:
Appearance
No. 1.
To
whom-Mary Magdalene and the other women.
Place-At
the sepulcher, Jerusalem.
Time-Resurrection
Day, early morning.
Scripture-Matt.
28:9; Mark 16:9; John 20:1-18.
Appearance
No. 2.
To
whom-Peter.
Place-Secret
meeting.
Time-Resurrection
Day, during daytime.
Scripture-Luke
24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5.
Appearance
No. 3.
To whom-Cleopas and another.
Place-On
road to Emmaus.
Time-Resurrection
Day, towards evening.
Scripture-Mark
16:12; Luke 24:13-35.
Appearance
No. 4.
To
whom-Ten Apostles and others (Thomas absent).
Place-Jerusalem.
Time-Resurrection
Day, evening.
Scripture-Mark
16:14; Luke 24:36; John 20:19; 1 Cor. 15:5.
Appearance
No. 5.
To
whom-Thomas and the rest.
Place-Jerusalem
(most probably the same place and circumstances as in appearance No. 4).
Time-The
first day of the next week.
Scripture-John
20:26-29.
Appearance
No. 6.
To
whom-The seven.
Place-By
the Sea of Tiberias.
Time-Uncertain
(This was the third appearance to the "disciples"-the previous two
being appearances Nos. 4 and 5).
Scripture-John
21:14.
Appearance
No. 7.
To
whom-The Eleven in the midst of five hundred brethren.
Note: Matthew mentions only those who
were receiving the apostolic
commission.
Place-Galilee.
Time-Uncertain.
Scripture-Matt.
28:16; Mark 16:7; 1 Cor. 15:6.
Appearance
No. 8.
To
whom-James.
Place-Uncertain
(Paul probably learned about this appearance from James himself). Time-Uncertain.
Scripture-1
Cor. 15:7.
Appearance
No. 9.
To
whom-The Eleven.
Place-Bethany.
Time-Ascension
Day (at the close of forty days).
Scripture-Luke
24:50-53; Acts 1:6-9; 1 Cor. 15:7.
Appearance No. 10.
To
whom-Saul (afterwards called Paul).
Place-On
the Damascus road.
Time-Some
time after the Ascension.
Scripture-Acts
9:5; 1 Cor. 15:8
"This Jesus Hath God Raised Up"
It
is strengthening, too, to faith and consecration, to trace in the Acts of the
Apostles how our Lord's chosen "witnesses," -- witnesses of His resurrection
-- (John 15:27; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8, 22) -- proceeded to carry out their
commission. Our Lord had said: "Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth." But first they were to receive "power." "Tarry ye
in the city of Jerusalem," was His word, "until ye be endued with
power from on High." (Luke 24:49.) Accordingly we find them waiting at
Jerusalem in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14), until they had received the
promise of the Father. Then commenced the work of witnessing, as the Spirit
gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4.) One cannot but be impressed with the
prominence given to the "resurrection of Jesus" in this, their first
witness given under the guidance and in the power of the Holy Spirit:
"Ye
men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth . . . by wicked hands have
crucified .and slain; whom God raised
up, having loosed the pains ["grip," Fenton] of death; because it
was not possible that He should be holden of it." - Acts 2:22-24.
"This Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof
we all are witnesses." - Acts 2:32.
"They
taught the people, and preached through Jesus
the resurrection from the dead." - Acts 4:2.
"Be
it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of
Jesus of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom
God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you
whole." - Acts 4:10.
"The God of our fathers
raised up Jesus, whom ye slew." - Acts 5:30.
Thus
it was that at Jerusalem "with great power gave the Apostles witness of
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all." -
Acts 4:33.
"I
know that my Redeemer lives;
What joy the blest assurance
gives!
He lives, He lives, who once
was dead;
He lives, my everlasting
Head!
"He lives, to bless me
with His love;
He lives, who bought me with
His blood;
He lives, my hungry soul to
feed;
He lives, my help in time of
need.
"He lives, and grants me
daily strength;
Through Him I soon shall
conquer death;
Then all His glories I'll
declare,
That all the world His life
may share."
- P. L. Read
"Yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from
their labors;
for their works follow with them." - Rev. 14:13.
UNIFORMLY
throughout the Bible except this one instance, death is represented as a
dreadful disaster, a terrible enemy, a devouring monster, and the grave as a
great prison, permitted of our loving Heavenly Father, only because men had
become sinners and must be destroyed....
In
view of the general expression of enmity to death in the Scriptures the above
solitary text speaking of it as a blessing is rather peculiar, until we notice
that the application is limited by the word "henceforth." Not
always, but henceforth, death may be a blessing. But notice another limitation;
it will not henceforth be a blessing to all mankind, but only to those
in the Lord -- members in particular of the Body of Christ, the little flock to
whom it is the Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom -- to all others death
will continue to be an enemy until its final destruction in the Millennial
reign (Hos. 13:14).
Again,
it is unusual to speak of those already dead as dying; but the spirit
uses this seemingly incongruous expression, evidently desiring to limit the
application of the death blessing to a certain class, "Blessed are the dead
(dead to the world -- crucified with Christ -- "ye are dead and your
life is hid with Christ in God,") who die in the Lord from henceforth."
Now,
we are full of interest to know when, from what time forward, will it be blessed for the special
class mentioned to die. These words were written for our edification, and we
should be able to know when they apply, especially if we are in the
Lord and dead to the world; for it was part of our Master's promise that
the spirit should guide us into an understanding of the truth and show us
things to come (John 16:13). If, as we believe, the last members of the Body of
Christ are now living -- "The feet of him" -- it is time that we
understood this passage, which clearly refers to the feet... .
But
we inquire: In what respect will death be a blessing to us now, that it has not
always been to other members of the Body? We answer: The difference is that we
shall not sleep, but we will be instantly invested with our heavenly,
spiritual bodies, being changed in a moment, dropping all that is human and
earthly and being clothed with our heavenly condition. In the case of Jesus,
there were nearly three days of sleep-the unclothed condition between the
times when the earthly body was resigned and the heavenly body was received.
Paul and others have been nearly two thousand years waiting "unclothed"
or "asleep in Jesus" and this is one of the principal reasons why
death was undesirable even to Christians. We don't wish to be unclothed even
for a moment, but we do desire to be clothed or have the change an
instantaneous one (1 Cor. 15:52).
Herein
consists the blessing to those of the Body now taken. Death of the human will
be instantaneous with the perfecting of the divine nature, hence it will
be a blessed "change." "Yea, saith the spirit, that they
may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them."
To
the class thus "blessed" there will be no interruption of work.
Already dead to the world and alive toward God', their work is in harmony with
the Kingdom work now going on, and they merely step to their higher plane of
"divine" perfection and power and there continue the same work. It is
only the labor (toil) incident to the mortal body, the frail
"earthen vessel," which ceases. Not so highly favored in this regard
was the lot of any of the members of "the Body" which preceded us.
Quite a period elapsed in Paul's case between sufferings and glory. When he had
fought a good fight and finished his course, he looked forward, not to a change
"in a moment," but to a sleep from which he would be wakened to receive
his reward in the Kingdom. So he expresses his hope, "Henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous
Judge, shall give me at that day" (2 Tim. 4:8).
Nowhere
in the Scriptures is death represented as in any sense a blessing, except in
this one instance; and here it is
particularly limited and made applicable to a certain specific time" --
from henceforth." And even then, notice, it is blessed only to a special class
-- "the dead who die." This expression must not be considered a
blunder, but as a very pointed and forcible description of the small class to
whom death will be a blessing. This class constitutes "the feet of
Him." And, as already shown, each member of the Body of Christ must finish
his sacrifice in actual death.
These
alone are "the dead who die." They are reckoned of God as
being already dead, and they are exhorted so also to reckon themselves:
"Reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin." No other dead men
can be said to die but this class of dead ones, who must finish their course
of sacrifice in actual death.
Thus
will God help Zion in the dawning of her morning -- in the morning of the
eternal day of Christ's triumph. Thus he is already helping her. One by one,
imperceptibly to the world, the saints are now being changed, and are joining
the company of the Church triumphant; and those who remain to the last, proclaim
the everlasting Gospel until the door is shut and all opportunity to labor is
at an end. Then they will "stand" in faith and patience and
await their change, accepting deliverance joyfully through whatsoever agency
God may be pleased to permit its accomplishment.
Thus
they will be saved from that great hurricane of trouble which will follow their
departure, as well as preserved in the forepart of the battle in which a
thousand will fall into infidelity, and be overcome by the various
pestilences of error, to one who will stand (Ps. 91:7).
-
Condensed from the writings of C. T. Russell.
"What will be the sign of thy presence,
and of the consummation of the age?" -Matthew 24:3 (Diaglott).
"When ye shall see all
these things, know that he is near."
- Matthew 24:33 (margin).
IN
this article we continue the discussion commenced in our last issue. Christians
of mature experience will not need to be reminded that divergent views on this
subject ought certainly to be no occasion for strife or bitterness. Nor will
they be amongst them, whatever the effect amongst others. Differences of
opinion are unhappy only when they sharpen tempers and occasion ill will.
Otherwise they may be profitable and result in a larger education for us in the
school of Christ.
Last
month we noted, first, the glorious object of our Lord's Second Advent
-- that of blessing both Church and World -- that his return would be in
fulfillment of a gracious promise, not of a dire threat.
We
next observed that this view harmonized with that school of interpretation
held by Pre-millennialists -- that Christ would come before, not after, the Millennium
-- that he would come to introduce that glorious reign (Acts 3:21). We saw,
too, that Premillennialists were themselves divided into two schools, one, the
Futurist, believing that Antichrist is an individual yet to appear; the other,
the Historical, understanding that Antichrist has already come in the bloody
and blasphemous system of the Papacy, the complete destruction of which is predicted
to occur during our Lord's second presence (Dan. 7:26; 2 Thess. 2:8).
MANNER AND TIME OF OUR LORD'S PAROUSIA
This
school of Historical Pre-millennialists is divided once again into two schools
of thought and interpretation, the main points of difference being as to the manner
and time of our Lord's parousia. One school holds to the view that
our Lord will be visibly present, and, consistently with that view, believes
the event still future; the other viewpoint, and the one to which we subscribe,
is that our Lord's second presence is an accomplished fact and that for some
years past he has been invisibly present. If, while granting those of the
opposite viewpoint fullest liberty of thought and utterance, we ourselves
maintain a similar right and duty, it is not because we love them less. On the
contrary, we regard many of them very highly, though differing in the conclusions
they have reached. Both schools, without question, gladly confess the same
Lord, and it certainly becomes us all, while rejoicing in the light we have,
humbly to wait for greater light, assured that, in what one school would speak
of as the foregleams of his approaching advent, but which we ourselves think
would be better referred to as the shining of his presence, contradictory
views will more and more vanish, till in our final gathering unto him, the
"watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they
sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion"
(Isa. 52:8).
TWO PROPOSITIONS DISTINGUISHED
Before
we take up the study of the manner and time of our Lord's return,
and even before we undertake the consideration of the signs which were
foretold, it is of the highest importance that we sharply distinguish two
propositions which have been very close together in our past thinking, but
which, in our opinion, should be considered separately. We refer to:
1.
Signs of the Master's presence and of the consummation of the age.
2.
Determination of the date of the glorification of the Church.
In
expressing our opinion that these two propositions should be considered
separately, let us not be misunderstood. It is not our thought that they are
entirely unrelated to each other. On the contrary, we realize that the
glorification of the Church could not take place without the return of the
Master and the end of the Age. But the point we wish to make is that our
inability to determine the date for the glorification of the Church does not
necessarily prevent us from recognizing the signs of the Master's presence,
nor does it prove that there are no signs awaiting our recognition. Whether
there are or are not such signs, remains to be considered. But if it be
conceded that our Lord is now a spirit-being, and therefore able to be
invisibly present, should he so desire -- facts which we believe all our readers
are satisfied are well established by the Scriptures, then it follows that the
Master might be present, the end of the Age might have been
reached, and these facts might be satisfactorily evidenced to us, even
though the date for the glorification of the Church still remained among the
"secret things" belonging unto the Lord (Deut. 29:29). To appreciate
this point we have but to remember that the conviction that the Lord was
present and that the consummation of the Age had been reached, rested upon
several different, independent "signs," whereas the inference that
1914 would see the glorification of the Church was deduced solely from the
parallels drawn between the Jewish and the Gospel Ages. That these two Ages do
correspond in many respects there can be no question; but that the parallels
drawn between them, especially their time features, were strained and forced,
seems equally clear, and in respect to their harvests we have already noted,
in our last issue, that before
he left us, Brother Russell recognized this mistake and the consequent unjustified
inference based on such mistake.
JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN PARALLELS
It
is our thought that had our dear Pastor continued with us he would have given
the subject the thorough reexamination it deserves, and that, in the light of
the events which have since transpired, his keen spiritual mind would have seen
the necessity of discarding still more of the "parallels" than those
particular features to which, in the article cited (Reprints V 7, page -
R5950), he referred. However, his brief remarks are quite sufficient for our
purpose. They not only admit mistake, but what is of still greater value, they
explain the nature of the mistake. It was not merely. that we had been mistaken
in the year in which the Church
was to be glorified (1914). Had that been the extent of our mistake, he
would, presumably, have been able, by a more accurate calculation, to tell us
how many years we were in error, and just what the correct date would be. No!
our mistake was of a different character than merely an error in arithmetic. It lay in
supposing that the date of the Church's glorification could be ascertained at
all by the "parallels" method. His actual words are: "We should
not have looked for parallelisms between the starting of the Gospel Church and
its experiences, and the starting in this harvest time of the heavenly Church
and its experiences. These are no part to the parallel." Again, he said:
"We imagined that the harvest work of gathering the Church would be accomplished
before the end of the Gentile Times; but nothing in the Bible so said. Our
thought was purely an inference, and now we see that it was an unjustified
one." Yet again, he wrote: "The harvesting of the Jewish Age,
gathering 'Israelites indeed' into the Gospel Church, did not close with A.D. 70, but progressed in
various parts of the world thereafter. Quite a good many Jews, doubtless,
profiting by their terrible experience, were all the better prepared to be
gathered into the Gospel Garner after the destruction of their national polity.
Similarly, we may expect that quite a good many [Christians] will yet be
gathered to the heavenly Garner, and we know of no time limit here."
We
know of no time limit here, either. With Brother Russell we are quite satisfied
that it was a mistake to try to arrive at such a "time limit" from
the "parallels," and no other method has occurred to us, or been
brought to our attention That the time will one day arrive when the last member
of the Church will have been faithful unto death we are, of course,
assured. And we have confidence, too, in his promise, that to those who are
thus faithful, he will give the crown of life. In this confidence, and in the
assurance that he is making all things work together for our good, and will
under no circumstances permit us to he tempted above that we are able to bear,
we rest (Rev. 2:10; Rom. 8:28,1 Cor. 10:13).
In
the foregoing paragraphs we have endeavored to show:
1.
That insofar as the glorification of the Church is concerned, not only is the
date 1914 erroneous but also the true date is not to be ascertained from the
"parallels" of the Jewish and Gospel Ages.
2.
That up to the present time no other method of determining this event has
occurred to us, or to any Christians of our acquaintance.
3.
That the absence of a revelation on this matter does not give us any occasion
for unrest, but leaves us content, rejoicing in the continued privilege of
ministering the glorious Gospel (a message angels fain would sing) to all who
have ears to hear, and while seeking to assist others, to endeavor, by his
grace, to make our own calling and election sure.
4.
That while the "glorification of the Church" is closely associated
with the "second presence of the Lord" the determination of the date
when such glorification is to take place is quite another matter, and
5.
That this was a fact clearly seen and stated by Brother Russell prior to his
death.
"The
sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks;
The
summer morn I've sighed for, The fair, sweet, morn awakes. Dark, dark hath been
the midnight, But dayspring is at hand; And glory, glory, dwelleth, In
Emmanuel's land."
(Continued
in next issue)
-
P. L. Read
"The wilderness and the
solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and
blossom as the rose." - Isaiah 35:1.
Twelve
years ago, David Ben Gurion, at that time Israel's Prime Minister, in answer to
a question as to when lasting peace would come to the Middle East, was reported
to have declared:
"There
will be lasting peace in this area of the world when there is lasting peace in
the whole world.... It is not for me to discuss the policy of a foreign
government, but . . . if we could guarantee that there would be no quarrels
among the big powers, then I say lasting peace would come. Jewish-Arab cooperation
would be part of that lasting peace.... Within the next ten years, I hope there
will be no desert in the Negev and that our country will be cultivated and developed.
- Herald March 1958
The
ten years to which he looked forward have now passed into history. In the
following paragraphs, reprinted, by permission, from The American Hebrew
Christian, this world statesman and Bible scholar writes instructively as
to the place of the Negev in Jewish history -- and his hopes as to its place in
contributing to the solution of problems not only for Israel but for all
mankind.
THE
NEGEV is the cradle of our people, the dangerous "Achilles' heel" of
our State and its great future. When our father Abraham received the command
to leave his home and go to the land of promise, he went into the Negev. When
famine had forced him to go to Egypt, he returned from there into the Negev.
After the destruction of Sodom he parted from Lot, his brother's son, and again
wandered into the Negev: "And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the
south country (Negev), and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in
Gerar" (Gen. 20:1).
His
son Isaac, too, lived in the Negev, and here he met Rebecca, when she came from
Aram Naharaim. Then, as today, it was the most thinly populated part of the
country. Everyone coming from Babylon found free, empty space in the Negev as
nowhere else in the land. Even the spies whom Moses sent out first went to the
Negev and from there to Hebron. The first Canaanite king whom the Israelites
encountered on their way from south to north was King Arad residing in the
Negev.
FIGHT AGAINST THE DESERT
As
in those days, so today, the Negev is the great desert of Israel. From the
time our forefathers wandered through the Negev it has seen many changes. The
ruins of cities are witnesses to the efforts made by many generations to
conquer the desert -- from the days of the forefathers to the end of the
Byzantine epoch.
The
conquest of the country by the Arabs destroyed all these efforts, and today there
are barely any traces of the cities of Judah and Simeon, the two tribes that
had settled in the Negev. "And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the
children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder,
and Jagur . . . and Beersheba and Bizjothjah . . . all the cities are twenty
and nine, with their villages" (Josh. 15:21-32). "And their
inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. ... thirteen
cities and their villages; [and] ... four cities and their villages" (Josh
19:1-7).
The
Bible knows six districts in the Negev: Negev Arah; the desert of Judah east of
Beersheba as far as the Dead Sea; Negev Judah; central Negev; Negev Jerachmil
and Negev Hakimi, both apparently in the south; Negev Hekreti in the west at
the border of the Philistine country. Negev Caleb which is also mentioned
appears to be part of Negev Judah.
THE VOICE OF THE PROPHET
The
Prophets never became reconciled to the term wilderness. Isaiah ben Amoz
prophesied:
"The
wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall
rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice
even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the
excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the
excellency of our God.
"Strengthen
ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a
fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance,
even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the
blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall
the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the
wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched
ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the
habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The way of
holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the
wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor
any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the
redeemed shall walk there" (Isa. 35:1-9).
In
this prophecy all decisive actions for the development of the Negev are
mentioned, still valid in our days.
And
Jeremiah prophesied: "For thus saith the Lord; Like as I have brought all
this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I
have promised them.
And
fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man
or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for
money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land
of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and
in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the
cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the
Lord" (Jer. 32:42-44).
The
hills, the valleys, and the Negev are the three parts which the Jews acquired
west of Jordan; for in the days prior to the first Temple they were not able to
occupy the seacoast. The inhabitants of this part had "iron battle
chariots," and the children of Israel were unable to conquer them.
THE BATTLE FOR ELATH
Then
three kings of the house of David waged war to get to the southernmost tip of
the Negev, in order to make Elath a Jewish port: Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and
Uzziah.
The
way to Elath, the steppe and the town at the coast of the Red Sea were then in
possession of the Edomites, as the Bible reports. At the time of David, Edom
was conquered: "And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he
garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants" (2 Sam. 8:14).
David's
heir, King Solomon, intent on increasing the wealth and greatness of his
country by peaceful means, endeavored to perfect the port of Elath. "King
Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Elath, on the
shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom" (1 Kings 9:26).
The
division of the country in the days of Rehoboam brought about the loss of
Elath. The fourth king after Rehoboam, Jehoshaphat ben Asa, succeeded in
making an alliance with Ahab, King of Israel, and in capturing Elath. He
attempted to renew Jewish shipping as it existed at the time of Solomon.
After
the death of Ahab the relationship between Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah, son of
Ahab, deteriorated. Ahaziah, too, wanted to have a part in the shipping on the
Red Sea, but Jehoshaphat declined this suggestion. This quarrel weakened Judah,
and again Elath was lost.
Once
more four generations passed until King Amaziah ben Joash defeated the
Edomites, and his son Azariah (Uzziah) "built Elath and restored it to
Judah" (2 Kings 14:22). Uzziah had good relations with Jeroboam II, King
of Israel, both extending the frontiers of their respective countries, Uzziah
towards the south and Jeroboam towards the north.
Of
all the personalities of the Bible there is barely one that would be so near to
our time as King Uzziah. "And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the
host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to
cast stones. And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be
on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal.
And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was
strong" (2 Chron. 26:14, 15).
This
was the first artillery in the history of Judah. With the help of his
well-armed and trained army Uzziah enlarged the frontiers of his kingdom
towards east and west. "And he went forth and warred against the Philistines,
and brake down the wall of, Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of
Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. ... And the
Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering
in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself
exceedingly" (2 Chron. 26:6-8).
CULTURAL PROSPERITY
The
brave king was not satisfied with conquests by the sword alone; he knew that he
had to develop the country, extend its settlement, and cultivate the desert.
"And he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for be had much
cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine
dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry" (2 Chron. 26:10).
Together
with the strengthening of the army, the increase of settlement and the conquest
of the sea in the south there began a cultural and spiritual blossoming, such
as had not been known before. In the days of Uzziah the great Prophets Amos,
Hosea, Isaiah prophesied, bringing the teaching of righteousness and justice
to the Jewish people and all mankind. They taught humanity, brotherhood, and
grace, they proclaimed the redemption at the end of days.
Thanks
to the deeds of Uzziah in the south and in the desert, Elath remained a Jewish
possession for three generations. His son Jotham continued the work of his father,
the enlargement of the frontiers in the southwest. "He built cities in
the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. He
fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them" (2 Chron. 27:4, 5).
With
the destruction of the kingdom of Israel in the days of King Hoshea ben Elah
the power of Judah also waned: "At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered
Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath,
and dwelt there unto this day" (2 Kings 16:6).
In
the war of 1948-9 the army of Israel erased the words "unto this day"
from the records of history, and after 2,670 years Elath has once more become Israel's port on
the Red Sea. Jewish settlers have come to Elath, and the whole Negev, north and
south, is in the possession of Israel.
BETWEEN TWO SEAS
For
the first time in its history Israel joins two seas, the Mediterranean in the
west and the Red Sea in the south, as it is written: "I will set thy
bounds from the Red sea unto the sea of the Philistines" (Ex. 23:31).
Israel
is one of the few countries which have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean by
way of the Mediterranean as well as to the Pacific Ocean by way of the Red Sea.
From the standpoint of world traffic the Negev can be compared to the Suez
Canal. Like that one it forms a bridge between the two main traffic arteries in
east and west.
The
Negev is blessed with yet another sea which, though of no value to traffic, is
of great economic importance, the Dead Sea. It lies in a deep depression,
1,200 feet below sea level, the deepest spot on the earth. It is that sea on
earth which is richest in mineral salts. Its water contains about two milliards
of tons of potash, more than twenty milliards of tons of hydrochloride acid
magnesium, more than ten milliards of tons of sodium salts, about six milliards
of tons of calcium salts, one milliard tons of bromine, and others besides.
Since
its conquest the Negev has been newly explored, though not finally. The
exploration has confirmed the description of the Bible: "land wherein
thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it;
a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass
[copper]" (Deut. 8:9). King Solomon's copper mines have not been exhausted
to this day. Rich copper ores have been discovered in the south, and in many
places iron ores have been found.
The
surveying groups of the army have found phosphates which are partly worked
already, and which will give us the material for atom energy. Also rich
deposits of gypsum have been discovered, likewise granite and marble, the
finest sand for making of glass, kaoline, bituminous stones, asphalt, and
other minerals. Not all the treasures hidden in the depth of the vast desert
have yet been found. Already foreign companies have begun to make borings in
order to find the coveted oil.
The
triangle of the Negev lies between Egypt and Jordan. In the west it borders
the desert of Sinai, in the east the Arabian desert. The Arabs have changed
many a flourishing country into a wilderness. The State of Israel, however,
does not tolerate any wilderness in its territory.
Still
under British rule the courage and devotion of three generations have changed
the face of the land. The pioneers of the State dried swamps, dug wells,
planted vineyards and orange groves, afforested hills, made dunes and rocky
districts fertile, built villages and towns, developed crafts and industry, but
their work was confined to the northern part of our country where soil is
good and there is sufficient rain.
The
southern part, the Negev, was lying waste for centuries. Neither the Turks nor
the British undertook anything to awaken the desert to life. The Israel army
has given back the wide empty space to the sons of the original settlers of
four thousand years ago.
THE GREAT TEST
In
the Negev the creative strength and the pioneering courage of Israel are being
put to a fateful test. Likewise Jewish exploration and Jewish science have to
stand this test. The results of the great progress of science and techniques
during the last three centuries have been concentrated in America and Europe.
In those countries there is no lack of water and energy. There it rains
abundantly all the year round, and treasures of coal, oil, and iron have
prepared the industrial revolution there.
The
Jewish people whose sons have made a great contribution-much greater than its
numbers warranted -- to all scientific achievements in Europe and America, are
now settling in a hot and dry land. Now we must exploit all results of
science, in order to make this dry land fertile and rich. We must find the
cheapest way to desalt seawater, we must study the fauna and flora of the
Negev with regard to their adaptability and usefulness.
Such
research was unimportant in Europe and America; hence it was not carried out.
Yet the scientists in Israel must discover all the secrets of our soil and find
ways to make serviceable all hidden energies, for the good of the country. Thus
they will write a new, leaf in the history of science and awaken the desert to
new blossoming. At the same time they will make perhaps the greatest
contribution for solving vast human problems of our and future times: for the
cultivation of the desert becomes more and more a vitally important problem
for all Asian,. African, and Australian nations, that: is, for the majority of
mankind.
The Gospel According to John
Question
No. 1:
Does
the "layout" of the Fourth Gospel parallel that of the Old Testament
tabernacle?
Answer:
Yes
-- it would seem so.
When
this question arose, we went back to some notes which we had made ten years
previously, when our Bible Class was studying Tabernacle Shadows. In those
notes I found a notation to that effect. Unfortunately, my notes do not reveal
the name of the author to whom I was indebted for the suggestion, but I think
it may have been Edersheim.
A
few weeks ago, the same suggestion came to my attention in a later work
entitled "Explore the Book" by J. Sidlow Baxter.
In
the Epistle to the Hebrews 8:5, the writer refers to Israel's tabernacle as a
symbol and shadow of the true tabernacle; while in the 9th chapter of that
epistle (Heb. 9), after briefly mentioning the two compartments into which the
tabernacle was divided, and after enumerating the furniture in each, the writer
goes on to say that the annual entrance of the High Priest into the Most Holy
was but a figure, pattern, type, or illustration of the passing of the
antitypical High Priest (our Lord Jesus) through the two compartments of the
true tabernacle -- to appear in the presence of God, in heaven itself.
If
the tabernacle were standing today, and it were possible -- to walk through it
and take note of its layout and of its several items of furniture, we should find
ourselves walking from east to west.
We
should walk first into the Court and then into the two divisions of the
sanctuary proper, namely the Holy and the Most Holy.
We
should enter the Court through the Gate, the Holy through the Door, and the
Most Holy through the Vail.
As we entered the Court, the first
piece of furniture we would see would be the Brazen Altar.
A
little further along we would see the Laver.
After
going through the Door into the Holy we would see to the north (on the right)
the Table of Shewbread.
And,
to the south (on the left) the Candlestick (or Lampstand).
Further
along still, close to the Vail which separated the Holy from the Most Holy, we
would see the Incense Altar.
Inside
the Most Holy we would see the Ark.
The
Ark had a lid or cover called the Mercy Seat.
Upon
the Mercy Seat a supernatural light appeared known as the Shekinah light. It
represented the Divine Presence.
Now
whether the author of the Fourth Gospel purposed to tell his. story of Jesus in
the same order as we find in the tabernacle arrangements, or even whether he
was cognizant of the fact that he did so, I do not know. But the more we study
his Gospel the more evident it appears.
The
true order of approach to God has always been the same. And it becomes
increasingly evident that in this Gospel its author leads us in exactly the
same order as the compartments, and their items of furniture are seen in the
tabernacle to the great spiritual realities which they typify.
As
in the Court of the tabernacle, the first thing to be seen is the Brazen Altar
and its Sacrifice, so in the opening chapter of the Fourth Gospel we have the
Baptist pointing us to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world" (John 1:29, 36).
The
next thing in the Court was the Laver; the 13th chapter of John (John 13) shows
us Christ washing the disciples' feet and, by the spiritual import of his
action, seeking to prepare them for service in the true tabernacle arrangements.
In
chapters 14, 15, and 16 he takes them into a realm of much deeper truth than
previously, teaching them much about the holy spirit, typified by the oil of
the Golden Lampstand; talks with them about prayer in his name, typified by the
incense on the Golden Altar; in chapter 17 we have, in our Master's matchless intercessory
prayer, what forcibly reminds us of the High Priest alone, in the Most Holy.
Then,
in the heart-subduing climax of Calvary we see, in chapters 18 and 19, how our
Lord Jesus becomes the very Ark of the Covenant, and that the Antitypical Mercy
Seat forming its cover or lid was sprinkled with the blood of his own vicarious
self-offering.
Following,
in chapter 20, (the Resurrection Chapter) our Risen Lord makes the
announcement of the new relationship we (the church which is his body)
may now have with God: "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to my God, and your God."
Finally,
in verse 22 of that Resurrection Chapter, he disclosed to the disciples what
was the reality to which the Shekinah light pointed. It was the holy spirit
which was to be poured out on the waiting church at Pentecost. The verse
reads: "He breathed on them, and saith unto them: 'Receive ye the holy
spirit' "
The
breathing on them was evidently symbolical; and was in illustration of his
words "Receive ye the holy spirit." By this illustration they would
realize (after Pentecost) that while the holy spirit is "of" or
"from" the Father, it is nevertheless "by" the Son. In John
14:26 and 15:26 Jesus had previously told them this. And Peter's words, on the
Day of Pentecost (as he explained the matter to the amazed multitude), are in
full agreement with those of his Lord: "This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received o f the Father the promise of the holy spirit, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:32, 33).
Question
No. 2:
John
7:37, 38 reads:
"In
the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 'If
any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. - John 7:37.
He
that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water."' - John 7:38.
Where
in the Old Testament do we find the scripture to which Jesus here refers?
Answer:
Before
taking up this question, we need to secure a better translation.
Three
changes are necessary, as follows
(1)
The word "belly" in John 7:38 really means (and modern translators
all use the expression) "out of him," or "from within him,"
or "out from his innermost being."
(2)
The word "drink" at the end of John 7:37 really means "let him
drink" (as the Companion Bible and other translators have noted).
(3)
The opening phrase of John 7:38, namely, "He that believeth on me,"
should be connected with the previous verse.
With
these three changes made, the passage would read:
"If
any man thirst, let him come unto me, and he that believeth on me, let him
drink. As the scripture hath said: Out of him shall flow rivers of living
water."
Now
before we come to our question, let me ask a preliminary one:
In
the phrase "out of him shall flow," to whom does that word
"him" refer? Does it refer to the believer, or does it refer to the
Messiah?
Most
commentators think it refers to the believer. However, verse 39 explains that
Jesus was speaking of the spirit which believers should receive (not
pour out to others). Moreover, as soon as the text is rearranged (as above)
those words "as the scripture hath said" cease to puzzle us. As the
Companion Bible states in a footnote: "Messiah . . . is, and will be, the
Source of all spiritual blessing 'as the scripture hath said."' Does one
still ask where? I reply: In many places. For example, Isaiah 32:2; 55:1, 4;
Zechariah 12:10; 13:1; 14:8. These are but a few references taken from the
prophets.
There
is also the outstanding one in Exodus 17:6 where is recorded God's instruction
to Moses to smite the Rock with his rod, that water might flow out of it to
assuage the people's thirst. This latter passage, by the way, was confirmed
and, at the same time, amplified, by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4 where he says:
"That Rock was Christ." What that Rock was really telling Israel (in
Paul's inspired thought) was that "out of him -- the Messiah -- shall flow
rivers of living water."
No
such river flows today, but in "that day," the great Millennial day
of Christ, after the chaste virgin shall have become the bride, the spirit and
the bride will say "Come." And whosoever will, shall then take
of the water of life freely (Rev. 22:17).
The
prophecy of Isaiah will then meet fulfillment: "Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and
eat; . . . without money and without price" (Isa. 55:1).
Meantime
consecrated believers of this Gospel Age have a blessed privilege extended to
them now, before that river flows. These, having sat down and counted the cost,
and having realized that all that they have, and all that they are, and all
that they hope to have or to be, are as loss and dross compared to the
fellowship of Christ and are invited to drink of the living waters now.
As
Jesus said in his words to the
woman of Samaria: "Whosoever drinketh of this water (the water in the
well) shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water (or, as the Diaglott renders the passage "Shall become
in him a fountain of water") springing up into everlasting life"
(John 4:13, 14).
Later,
as above suggested (in the Millennial Age now so close at hand), "out of
him" -- that is, "out of the body of the Christ complete; from the
mouth of the Messiah in glory" (see Reprints R3510) shall flow rivers of
living waters -- the knowledge of the glory of God filling the whole earth.
- P.
L. Read
In
the dark night, when Egypt lay asleep,
Forth
went the angel, God's command to keep
Slay
all the firstborn, even from the throne,
Down
through the realm to the humblest home.
Swift
was his work; and on the midnight air,
Oh,
what a cry of anguish, and despair
Rose,
from the hearts of those in every home:
God's
word was sure; the last great plague had come.
But
in the homes of Israel, what a sight!
Darkness
without, in every dwelling, light.
Clad
for a journey; shoes upon their feet;
With
staff in hand, a solemn feast they eat.
Their
father's God had heard their cries at last:
His time had come; their bondage
now was past;
So
in that night while Egypt mourned her dead,
They
ate the lamb with bitter herbs and bread.
But why
this blood we see on every door?
Why
does the angel, seeing, pass it o'er?
Israel's
firstborn in Egypt's danger shared;
And
only through that blood could they be spared.
Centuries
passed; and still by God's command,
Each
year they slew, and ate the paschal lamb.
Not
that its blood could for their sins atone,
But
as a type of One that yet should come.
That
sinless One, who, hanging on a tree,
Bore
all earth's sins, to set the prisoners free;
That
Righteous One, that perfect Lamb of God,
Who
for the world gave his most precious blood.
Our
blessed Lord, with those whom he loved best,
On
that last night, sat down to, keep the feast.
"With
great desire," he told his chosen few,
"Have
I desired to eat this feast with you.
"My
heart is grieved; for I betrayed shall be
By
one of you, my chosen company."
"Lord,
is it I?" each asked in trembling tone.
"Nay,
Lord, we'll die with thee!" cried everyone.
But
in great sorrow, still our Lord did say,
"One
shall deny; another shall betray;
All
be offended, and flee unto their own --
But
for my Father, I should be alone."
After
the feast, he took the cup, and said:
"Drink
ye of it; for you my blood was shed.
I
drink no more, until I drink with you,
In
that glad day, when we shall drink it new."
Then
blessed the bread, and as each one did take,
"This
is my body, broken for your sake."
Oft
as ye drink this wine, and eat this bread
Ye
do show forth the suffering of your Head.
Bearing
the whole world's load of guilt and shame,
Knowing
his own would soon deny his name;
Knowing,
by God, he would forsaken be,
Thus
our Lord went to his Gethsemane.
And
still that sacred feast down through the years,
Thy
saints commemorate with holy tears.
Keeping
the words of him, who said,
"This
do In mem'ry of my dying love for you."
In
this dark night, Lord, we, thy firstborns meet,
With
staff in
hand and shoes upon our feet.
Thy
precious blood is sprinkled on our hearts;
Thy
broken body life to
us imparts.
Come,
dearest Lord, and bless us while we feast;
Around
this board, be thou our honored Guest.
We
eat, and drink, and here our vows renew;
Oh,
to our vows, Lord, keep us ever true!
All
earthly hopes and joys, behind us lay;
Lord,
we would walk with thee, the narrow way.
What
is earth's joy and what its glittering dross?
We
gladly leave it all for thy dear cross.
Thy
matchless sacrifice doth us afford,
A
chance to share thy sufferings, dearest Lord.
Broken
with thee, we claim this privilege rare,
That
in thy joys we may obtain a share.
On
this Atonement Day, we would lay down
Upon
the altar, Lord, beside thine own,
Our
sacrifice; it is so very small;
Take,
Lord, and offer it; it is our all.
Some
glorious morn the angelic host shall sing!
Some
glorious morn the bells of heaven ring!
The
Church of Christ has passed her trial stage;
Eternal
bliss is hers from age to age.
Before
his Fathers throne, with love and pride,
Christ
shall present his perfect, spotless Bride.
The
feast begins; the marriage hour has come;
Christ
and his faithful, are forever one.
On
that blest day, the Bridegroom shall sit down,
With
his Bride beside him on the throne.
To
share his joys; to see his blessed face;
In
that blest throng, oh Lord, give us a place.
- Rebecca Fair Doney
Our
readers will recall that in the March-April 1967 issue of the Herald mention was made of an
attempt to cooperate, more effectively than previously, with our British Brethren-both in regard to the circulation of Booklets, and the restoration of
something like the old-time Pilgrim Ministry.
At
that time seven new booklets (of approximately the same size as those published
by our Institute) were promptly made available, at no cost to Herald subscribers, and two Brothers
(J. D. Parker and E. G. Roberts) commenced Pilgrim visits.
The
Pilgrim Ministry for 1967 was a trial period, supervised by Brother Albert O.
Hudson, of the B. S. M., Welling, Kent. For 1968 and 1969 this Ministry was
under the direction of Brother John Thompson (whom many will recall having met,
when he served a number of Bible Classes in the U. S. A., a couple of years
ago). For those two years, Brother Thompson has submitted the following report,
which we are glad to share with our readers.
British Pilgrim Service Report for 1968 and 1969
This
two-year period follows the trial year conducted by Brother Hudson. The
pattern of trips lasting several weeks has for personal reasons been
discontinued. A number of older brethren were approached for assistance with
the work but only Brother F. Musk saw his way clear to joining Brothers Parker
and Roberts. At the end of the period a younger brother in the Midlands has
offered his services.
Two
to three hundred brethren have been served, mostly once per year. Eighteen
classes were visited, with an average attendance of twelve (31 visits). Ten
individuals or home groups were visited, either once or twice, with an average
of two present (24 visits, including 10 to Sheffield).
These
were supplemented by 13 class visits by Brother and Sister Morrell of
Vancouver, who visited the classes at their own request and expense. Brother
Parker made 18 visits, Brother Roberts 9 visits, and Brother Musk 29 visits --
these include 9 visits to nearby Sheffield where the two brethren regard him
as their elder. Assistance was rendered in connection with Northern visits by
Brothers K. Flint (Germany) and L. Iannaccone (U. S. A.). During late 1969
Brother Musk had both support and transport provided by Sister Musk. Brother
Parker traveled by train, having reduced fare facility; Brother Roberts
traveled chiefly by coach.
Four
classes -- three of them participating in the scheme -- closed. Two withdrew but
remain cooperative. One new class has opened -- at Sudbury. Eighteen to twenty
classes do not participate, principally because they are adequately provided
with fellowship and speakers. Six classes are willing to participate but accept
a low priority in view of the fact that they are reasonably well served
locally.
Circular
letters sent out toward the end of both years revealed very little new need.
The Midland Group Brethren have offered to help in any way they can. The
pattern for 1970 thus is likely to be very similar to that of 1969, with the
three brothers working principally within reasonable reach of their homes -in
the North, Southeast and Southwest. Other brothers will be used as the Lord
provides. Prayer is requested that we may become aware both of need and of the
means to meet it.
-John
Thompson
14th
January 1970
In a
recent letter Brother Cedric Smith has written us to say that, for reasons of
health, he must relinquish the duties and the privileges of service as our
British Correspondent, as soon as we can find a suitable substitute.
While
we regret the circumstances which have necessitated Brother Smith's
resignation, we are glad to inform our British subscribers that we have been
successful in securing the services of another brother, who is favorably known
to them and to us. His name and address are given below:
Mr.
J. Thompson
82
Moss Bank, Crumpsall
Manchester
M8 6AP, England
The
Annual Meeting of the Pastoral Bible Institute, due to be scheduled for
Saturday, June 6, has been postponed to Saturday, September 19. Plans are now
under way to hold it in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
We
are making this early announcement so that Institute members, who might wish
to participate in conventions now being planned by Associated Bible Students
in various parts of the country to be held during the summer months, will know
that they need not reserve the June date for the Institute's Annual Meeting.
Further
particulars as to the hour and place of meeting will be announced later.
Hugh
S. Cox, Milton, Mass.
Jessie
Fraser, Breenbrook, N. J.
Lily
V. Hilyard, San Diego, Cal.
Ella
C. Hogan, Minneapolis, Minn.
Thyra
Hudgings, Westford, Mass.
John
Lanigan, San Bernardino, Cal.
Frederick
J. Lardent, England
Henrietta
LoCane, Buffalo, N.Y.
Annie
McLearn, Lexington, Mass.
Elizabeth
Pandolfo, Cleveland, Ohio
Edith
A. Shepherd, Maynard, Ark.
Hans
H. Steinmann, Ft. Thomas, Ky.
John
B. Williams, Loxley, Ala.
1970
Index
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