VOL.
LV. September/October 1972 No. 5 Jesus The Father's Faithful Workman Lights and Shadows in Christian Experience Watchman, What Hour of the Night? Among the Last Leaves of a Christian Diary "The Kingdom of God Is Not in Word but in Power." Jesus The Father's Faithful Workman "I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day: THE
brevity of human life, and the proper use of its brief span, is a subject of
solemn importance to every sober-minded person. Since life is a gift from God
and all are accountable to him for this gift, it is not surprising that we find
the Scriptures constantly counseling its proper valuation. Again and again the
righteous are reminded of the value of the fleeting days of stewardship soon to
end in approval or disapproval, and the unrighteous are likewise warned of the
issues involved in wasted time. The same Scriptures teach that within the
limits of man's "threescore years and ten" lie possibilities that are
eternal in their importance; for the present infinitesimal moment of time has
been made by the great Creator the determining factor in deciding our portion
or station in a boundless, eternal existence beyond the grave. God, who
possesses all time, "from everlasting to everlasting," has chosen to
give us but one day at a time out of his unlimited ages, to teach us the value
of these fragments of his eternity. "SO TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS" The
great characters of Scripture, such as Moses, David, and Solomon, recognizing
the brevity of the present life, have furnished us with conclusions,
admonitions, and prayers, that find a response in our own meditative considerations
of life's stewardship responsibilities. Like them, we must acknowledge that
life is "but a shadow" that quickly passes by. Therefore
"whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Then like Moses we pray, "So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Ps. 102:11; Eccl. 9:10; Ps.
90:12). Such considerations as these are intended by the Lord to impart a
sober-minded understanding of the great purposes of God in bestowing upon us
the gift of life, and entrusting us with the stewardship of so great a boon. Thus
we see that the prayer of Moses to God for wisdom to live faithfully the few
days of earthly life is in every way a proper one for us. Obvious though it be
to all, that the days of our stewardship are few, yet only God can permanently
teach us this lesson. And by his diversified means of correction, instruction,
and grace, he does teach us, and leads us in wisdom's ways, always ready to assist
us to become workmen needing not to be ashamed when the duties of life's little
day have ended. LOOKING UNTO JESUS, OUR EXAMPLE In
thus instructing us God would surely direct our attention to Jesus, the One in
whom he was well pleased, admonishing us to observe his life of service, and
his faithful application to the work for which he came into the world. With him
it was always the "Father's business." "My meat is to do the
will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." His aim in life is clearly stated:
"I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the
night cometh when no man can work." Let us therefore observe the service
that gained for our dear Redeemer the Father's approval, that we may likewise
have the joy of eventually finding our brief day of service rewarded with his
sweet "Well done." First
of all we note that Jesus recognized the shortness of his day. He takes the
position of a day laborer whose day of service will be over with the coming of
night. He speaks of his life as a mission, a task, which had to be fulfilled
within the limits of the time assigned by his Father. He began his ministry
with forty days of inquiry respecting the Father's will, learning from types
and shadows and prophetic utterances the time allotted and the nature of the
work to be done. When he ends his day of service, with the coming of night, he
is able to say, "I have finished the work thou gayest me to do."
There have been no omissions, no neglected duties, and there have been no
departures from the clearly defined commands of his Father. Surely he was a
servant worthy of God's approval, and to his Church, a perfect example that all
should prayerfully seek to follow. Although
Jesus knew that his time on earth was short, and although he would have us
remember that the same is true of our workday, yet he was in no feverish haste.
With a calmness, and a steady, even deportment he went about his work. There
was a time to work, and a time to pray; a time for the multitude, and a time
for the disciples alone. He could not be hurried into any action by the
solicitation of his friends, or the taunts of his enemies. When his brethren
urged him to go up to the feast and make himself known, his reply was
significant: "My time is not yet come; but your time is always
ready." It was as though he had said, yours is the worldly mind-they who
do their own work, who seek their own glory, are the masters and disposers of their
own time, but my time is not yet. "ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS" What
an example he is to us in all this! How he rebukes our impetuosity by his
implicit obedience! How forcefully he teaches us that "In quietness and
confidence shall be your strength" -- yes, and our safest, wisest course.
To follow him thus "imparts to our present life an unspeakable solemnity;
it endows it with an infinite preciousness and value. And while at first sight
we may feel overpowered by the thought of the short space given us for our
labor, and inclined to feverish haste and to impatient self-made work, a truer
insight will teach us that as the approach of night is altogether beyond our
calculation and control, so it behooves us, with calmest faith and implicit
surrender of our own will, to look upon each day's work and each day's trial, as portioned out to us by
divine wisdom and love. How much of false zeal, self-chosen work, and self-appointed times, is there
in our own private and public Christian life. We run before we are sent; we
choose the kind of usefulness and work for which we fancy we have inclination
and adaptation; we select the time and method for accomplishing our task. We
pursue with spurious zeal and self-sustained energy aims of our own choice; we hurry impatiently our own
souls and those of others, and are satisfied with forced results, till experience
teaches us, to our deep humiliation, that grace also has its nature and law,
and that in God's work 'it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God, that showeth mercy.'" Happy indeed will be our lot if we may
say with Jesus at the end of our day of labor, "I have finished the work Thou
gayest me
to
do," and
there are no works of wood, hay, and stubble to be burned. Next
we note the emphasis that Jesus puts upon the necessity of working while it is
called day. "1 must work the
works of him that sent me." This seems to have been a thought deeply
impressed upon his mind early in life, and in all after years it is the keynote
of his obedient service. At twelve years of age he said, "Wist ye not that
I must be about my Father's business?"
From Jordan to the cross this "I must work" was the motto of his
life. "I must preach the Kingdom of God." He must go up to
Jerusalem. The
Scriptures must
be
fulfilled. WOE IS ME IF I PREACH NOT THIS GOSPEL This
view of his responsibility to God is of vital importance to us. It was because
he recognized that his was the place of a servant commissioned with the
responsibility of completing a task laid upon him, that he so humbly takes
this place under a servant's "I must work." This lesson he also wove
into many of his private and public discourses for us: the vineyard left in
the care of servants; the steward put in charge of his master's goods; the
one-, two-, and five-talented servants, were all illustrations of the lessons
of this unavoidable "I must work," in our relationship to him as his
servants. Again and again, wouldbe followers are cautioned to consider
carefully the requirements of discipleship before undertaking its obligations.
But once the step has been voluntarily taken, then he would have all such
remember that from henceforth they are bondslaves of his. Paul realized this
to be so true, and his future so dependent upon it, that he declared,
"Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is me, if I preach not the
Gospel." This
"I must work" of Jesus' should therefore ring in our hearts with all
its solemn significance. The talent preserved in a napkin, the neglect of duty
while the lord of the household is absent, the forgotten privileges of service, will some day make necessary
the Master's word - "Thou wicked and slothful servant, . . . thou oughtest
therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I
should have received mine own with usury" (Matt. 25:26, 27). "Depart
from me, I know you not" -- you live in the midst of priceless opportunities,
you were surrounded with the crying want of those who represented me in their
need, and you served me not, but followed your own self-chosen way. IMMANUEL--GOD WITH
US
This
brings us to the third striking feature of our Lord's day of service; namely,
the fact that the work he did was wholly the Father's work through him, as he
himself reiterated. By this he meant to teach that since he was solely the
Father's representative, whatever works he performed, or whatever revelations
he gave to men, were merely what the Father himself would have performed or
given had he chosen to appear amongst them. True to the name he bore, Immanuel,
he was "God with us," so much so that to his disciple he could say,
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. . . . The Father that
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." "Blessed Son of God! What sublime humility,
self-abnegation, and love was thine! You came to reveal the Father, to teach us
that to know God was eternal life, and now we learn that the humiliations of
man's estate, the years of earthly life and absence from the heavenly courts,
the poverty and homeless wanderings, the acts of compassion that brought
healing to the sick and life to the dead, the patient submission to indignities
and shame, were not your own works, but things the Father himself would have done for us had it been
possible. His love he has revealed through you. Oh teach us, that we too may be God's true
witnesses in the earth, revealing his love and sympathy for the poor groaning
creation; then no more will we ask
for fire to destroy, but pray for more of the grace and love." In
this connection then let us take
note of the circumstances under which Jesus made the statement contained in our
text: A man born blind had appealed for aid, and apparently both Jesus and his
disciples had been particularly interested in this case. The disciples, being
familiar with the Law of Moses, naturally concluded that his affliction might
be traceable to the sins of a previous generation. "Who did sin, this man
or his parents that he should be born blind?" Jesus not only corrects
their mistaken inference, but he also reveals his own attitude toward the
affliction of this poor man, and toward all similar afflictions of mankind.
While the disciples would be concerned to ask, Who is to blame? Jesus would
ask, Who is to relieve and help? While they were thinking of guilt and
punishment, Jesus was thinking of healing and restoring. The salvation works
of God were his meat and drink. He came not to condemn the world, but to save
it. He came not to judge the world, nor to analyze and tirade against sin, but
"to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, to give the oil of joy for mourning, and the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." JESUS THE EXCELLENT REVELATION OF LOVE Let
us observe "the wonderful union in Jesus of love to God and love to man.
There is only one love. Love to God and love to man are united in their origin
and their nature. They form one river flowing out of the eternal love of
God." "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a
liar, for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God
whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). "Some of us find it easier to
ascend to God with the wings of adoration and joyous contemplation, than to
descend on the selfsame ladder to our neighbor in the spirit, and with the
service, of forgiving, comforting, and helping love. But in Jesus there was
only one, deep, pure, divine love. When he healed the sick, and opened the eyes
of the blind, when he fed the multitude, when he cast out devils, when he
taught the disciples, and blessed the little children, he was doing the works
the Father had given him to do. . . . We forget that when we behold Jesus
forgiving the sinner, and receiving him with most tender compassion, when we
behold Jesus permitting the woman to kiss his feet, we see the Father in
him." We also forget that though he may frequently display the Father's
indignation against hypocrisy, and speak in no uncertain sound against wrong
practices, that these are the exceptions in and not the burden of his message
and ministry. Both of these omissions in our memory are serious; for if we
forget that "God was in Christ" in the work of our redemption, and
allow ourselves to think of Jesus as being more merciful than the Father, we
dishonor both. If on the other hand we think chiefly of Jesus as an exposer and
denouncer of the sinner, we do violence to his definition of God, for he said,
"God so loved the world" as to send me, not to condemn it, but to
save it. JESUS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN When
John the Baptist became somewhat disturbed by his imprisonment, wondering no
doubt why Jesus did not attempt his release, we find him sending his disciples
to Jesus with the question, "Art thou he that should come, or look we for
another?" How peculiarly Jesus answered this earnest inquiry. He did not
send the messengers back with a list of Scriptural citations from the
prophecies, nor did he acquaint John with some program of a campaign against
prevailing errors, but he sent them back with a message void of any suggestion
of kingly prerogatives, or of triumph over opposing forces, but a message
full of the joy of a successful, happy physician. "Tell John what things
ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is
preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." Surely his
servants of the present day will not overlook this lesson; for Jesus was a
workman fully approved of God, and in all things, in all periods of the Age, an
example to be faithfully and devoutly followed. In
conclusion, let us refer once more to our Lord's appreciation of the privilege
of giving a full day's service. There was no thought of ceasing to labor until
the night interrupted his work. His was a life of fullness - full of the
spirit, full of compassion, full of loving service. "The thought of the
approaching night sometimes exerts a paralyzing influence on man's energy and
activity. It tempts us to anticipate our rest or to relax our effort. It often
damps our enthusiasm. We are inclined to think that we have labored enough, and
that we can add no more to our service, or to fear that our strength, our
material, our opportunity, is exhausted. But Jesus was faithful to the end. As
he approached the last sufferings in Jerusalem, his love and his zeal burned
only with the greater intensity and brightness. To the very last in his
warnings to Judas, in his final addresses to the Jews, in the good confession
which he confessed before Pontius Pilate, in his words to the daughters of
Jerusalem, in his patient and silent suffering, and in the seven words from the
cross -- he fulfilled his ministry; he was faithful -- the perfect servant of
God." HIS LOVE FOR THE DISCIPLES SEVERELY TESTED "His
love to his disciples was never more severely tested than during his last days.
He never faltered. He never relaxed his faithful, anxious care of the men whom
the Father had given him to keep. He prayed for the disciples, anticipating the
hour of temptation. On that night in which he was betrayed, and in which all
the disciples were offended because of him, Jesus manifested his love more
fully than ever. He called them friends; he spoke to them of the love with
which they were loved, of the vital union between the true vine and the
branches; he instituted the Memorial of his dying love; he prayed for them to
his heavenly Father. In that prayer Jesus clings with the same love to the
Father and to the disciples; and by the wonderful words, 'I in them, and thou
in me,' he places believers in a position of glory, to which we can scarcely
lift the eyes of our heart." Why did he do all this? Because he in his
love and faithfulness would have us know "that the Father who dwelleth in
me, he doeth the works." "As long as I am in the world, I am the Light
of the world." "In this also we are called to follow Jesus. He is
Lord and we are his servants, he is infinitely great, and we are but little.
But to the least of us the exhortation is addressed, 'Be thou faithful unto
death'; 'Occupy till I come'; work while as long as-it is day. And to each one
of us some peculiar talent is entrusted. We can be, we can do, we can suffer something,
and in some way, in which no other person can take our place. . . . There
is no measure that we can say, 'It is enough.' The only measure is the daily
opportunity appealing to the heart, out of which are the issues of life. Only
let our heart be loving, and it will be like the measure Jesus describes,
'Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. - J. J. Blackburn Lights and Shadows in Christian Experience "For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy As was noted in our last issue, Brother Alec L. Muir
ended his earthly journey March 27, 1972. As a special tribute to his memory,
we are publishing, in four installments, an article of his which previously
appeared in this journal. The first installment was published in our last
issue. Here we continue with the second. -Directors and Editors IN
THE previous issue, we began a devotional study of the conditions obtaining in
the Bethany family and, pondering the distinctive characters of Martha, Mary,
and Lazarus, sought to apply to ourselves the lessons developed in the sacred
narrative. After prayerfully reviewing the scene unfolded in Luke 10:40-42, we
journeyed, in thought, to the special circumstances surrounding the awakening
from the sleep of death of "Our Friend Lazarus." The story is told in
the eleventh chapter of John. At
first the sickness of Lazarus came as a surprise to the two sisters. As they
discussed the matter they could not understand it. But of one thing they were
very sure -- if the Lord had been present, it would not have happened. And so,
as they watched Lazarus slowly sinking, they decided to send a message to
Jesus. Notice the message they sent; it is evidently reported in their own
words: "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." Here is no
complaint; no urging of immediate action; just a simple statement of the facts.
No doubt the message veiled an unexpressed prayer. But they could trust him to
read the unexpressed longing of their hearts. Even in their great sorrow, they
could not press him to come, aware, as they were, of the dangers which awaited
him in Judea. They merely informed him of the situation, leaving it to him to
decide how he should act. How
is it with us? When we send messages to the Lord concerning our personal
matters, are we not inclined, sometimes, to say: "Lord, he who loves you
is sick -come at once." The sisters knew the love
that Jesus bore them and that if anything could be done for Lazarus, Jesus
would do it. So too, we, knowing full well that Jesus loves us, should realize
that when we cry unto him in the hour of need, it is enough that we remind him
of our knowledge of his love, and assure him of our abiding confidence in him. ASCERTAINING THE FATHER'S WILL Jesus
received the sisters' message, but made no immediate attempt to return to
Bethany. Instead, he said: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the
glory of God." (Our Lord's words here would seem to be as much for the
benefit of the disciples present, as for the absent sisters.) He then remained
two days longer in the wilderness of Perea, whither he had fled from the
enmity of the Jews. Perhaps
we may never know just why Jesus delayed his departure these two days. We do
know that the direct result of his miracle in awakening Lazarus from the sleep
of death, was his own condemnation and death. No doubt he had a presentiment
that such would be the outcome. In all probability, therefore, his delay was
deliberate -- designed to afford him special opportunity of communing with the
Father, to make certain that he fully understood his Father's will concerning
him, and that grace sufficient would be supplied him for every step of the way. Having
gathered the meaning of the providential circumstances associated with Lazarus'
sickness, Jesus promptly decided to return to Judea. But at the word
"Judea" the disciples are ready to object, contending that it would
mean suicide. "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest
thou thither again?" To this, however, Jesus replied in words of deep
significance: "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in
the day, he stumbleth not." These words, applied to his own case, very
evidently mean: "If duty calls, I may fearlessly go. While the time
allotted to me by my Father has not yet expired, no harm can come to me, in the
path of duty. My twelve hours of work are not quite over. Mine hour is not yet
come (John 2:4; 7:6). The duration of my earthly life is meted out and secured
to me by my Father. The Jews will not be able to shorten, by a single moment,
the time assigned to me for accomplishing my mission. During these twelve hours
I am walking in daylight, and therefore will not stumble. However, if, as you
seem to be proposing, I should arbitrarily endeavor to prolong my life, by
refusing to go where duty calls me, I would be as one walking after daytime has
ended -- in the nighttime. Real danger of stumbling would then reach me, for I
would be without the light of my Father's countenance." This
saying of Jesus applies to all the members of the Church, in their measure, for
"precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Ps.
116:15). No harm can come to us, in the line of Christian duty, save in God's
own time, and as he may permit. On the other hand, if, by failing to do our
duty, we did succeed in prolonging our life -- if, for example, we were to deny
the faith in a time of religious persecution, our life, thus lengthened, would
no longer be illuminated by the light of God's will. In such a condition, we
would seek in vain for wisdom from above, to direct our course. In such
darkness, we would "stumble"; i.e., morally perish. Or again,
in time of comparative peace, if, shrinking from trouble or unpleasantness, one
seeks to prolong his life, and refusing what he realizes is God's will, turns
into some softer and easier path, then indeed danger threatens. He may prolong
his life, but his "day" is done. "OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH" Our
Lord next proceeded to discuss the case of Lazarus further: "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but
I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." These words did but serve the
disciples as yet another reason why they should not go to Bethany. Surely, they
reason, if Lazarus had been sick and is now resting in sleep, it would be
wiser to wait for him to awaken in the normal way, at which time he would be
recovered from his ailment. Then Jesus told them plainly: "Lazarus is
dead." From
our Lord's procedure here, we may learn a lesson on how to present the truth.
It should be adapted always to the hearer's ability to receive it; beginning
with the simpler lessons, and only after these have been grasped, proceeding to
the more difficult. Thus, instead of announcing two days earlier that Lazarus
was dead, and thereby bringing a shock to the minds and hearts of his
disciples, our Lord breaks the sad news gently, gradually leading up to it,
preparing their minds to receive it. This
is still his method of dealing with his people. He prepares them for their hour
of trial, and does not lay upon them more than they can bear. He considers
their case-teaching them by slow and gradual discipline, leading on step by
step. Jesus
next informs the disciples that, for their sakes, he was glad not to have been
in Bethany at the time of the sickness and death of Lazarus. Had Jesus been in
Bethany, it is more than likely that he would have been led to heal him.
Because of his absence, Lazarus had been without the benefit of our Lord's
presence and healing touch, and thus had been permitted to die. But in the
overruling providence of the Father, this would prove advantageous, not only to
Lazarus and his sisters, but also to the disciples; the faith of all being
greatly strengthened, when they saw "the glory of God" as, in the
exercise of the Father's power, our Lord awakened Lazarus from the sleep of
death. IF THOU HADST BEEN HERE In
verse 19 we are told that many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort
them concerning their brother. They needed all the sympathy they received, for
all the past bright memories of Bethany seemed buried in desolation and sorrow.
We may picture the scene: the stronger and more resolute spirit of Martha
striving to stem the tide of overmuch sorrow; the more sensitive heart of Mary,
bowed under a grief too deep for utterance, able only to indicate by her silent
tears the unknown depths of her sadness. Thus
they are employed, when "Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was
coming, went and met him." It requires no small fortitude in the season of
sore bereavement to face an altered world, but again we have illustrated the
strong character of Martha, her quick apprehension and vigorous action. When
Martha reached Jesus just outside the village, she stood before him and said:
"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." These
words were not intended as a reproach on Martha's part, for she could not have
been ignorant of the fact that her brother was dead before Jesus had received
the news of his illness. Moreover, would she have allowed herself to complain
of our Lord's course of action, just at the time when she is about to make the
very greatest of requests? On the contrary, she merely expressed her regret
that Jesus had not been there at the time of her brother's illness, and this
regret only helped to prepare for the petition she was about to make: "But
I know, that even now [although so late], whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will
give it thee." On these words of Martha, the eminent scholar Godet comments: "The reticence
of this indirect request is admirable." How wonderfully restrained is Martha,
in this great sorrow. Of course she hoped that, included in her "whatsoever,"
would be the awakening of her brother. But she is too reticent to say it. The
Master--her Lord-will know best what to do. THY BROTHER SHALL RISE AGAIN Jesus
responds to her faith with a word of promise: "Thy brother shall rise
again." This assurance was capable of being interpreted either in a
general sense as referring to the general resurrection (which all devout
Israelites believed would take place at the inauguration of Messiah's reign) or
in a particular sense (as having reference to the approaching awakening of
Lazarus). It is more than likely that Martha sensed the reference to the
approaching awakening of Lazarus, but not being sure, she applied our Lord's
words to the general "last day" resurrection, which she did regard
as certain. This gave Jesus the opportunity to explain his words further, and
to declare expressly, what she had hardly dared to hope: "I am the
resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet
shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Believest thou this?" Here
Jesus speaks words that have echoed down the corridor of the Gospel Age,
bringing hope and comfort to millions. In these few words we have the core of
the Gospel, Jesus expressing the confidence of his final victory over sin and
death, and the glorious work of the resurrection, first for the Church which is
his body, gathered in the Gospel Age, and later for all mankind during the
Millennial Kingdom, as it holds sway over all the earth. Freed from the
confusions of the creeds of Christendom, we see clearly that all not now
disciples of the Lord have, nevertheless, the hope of a share in the general
resurrection in the Millennial Kingdom (whether they understand it now or not);
whereas those living during the Gospel Age, who had been footstep followers
of Jesus --who have consecrated themselves to do the Father's will, even unto
death-these have already, by faith, passed from death unto life. They have been
made alive unto God as new creatures in Christ Jesus. To these the very crown
of life -- immortality -- has been held out as their hope. They are to share in
the throne of God and of the Lamb. These things, of course, were hidden until
after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was shed abroad in its begetting and
anointing power, at which time it took the things of Jesus and made them known
to the Apostles, and through them to the early Church, and to us. (Continued
in next issue) Watchman, What Hour of the Night? "The prophets . . .
searching what time or what manner of time IT
WAS the duty of the watchman in an ancient city to call the hours. The question
heard by Isaiah suggests that the watchman had been silent. Perhaps the city
was in fear of an enemy -- of an attack at dawn. The night was dark -- the
stars, by which the time might be told, were hidden in the clouds. A citizen,
roused from sleep by he knows not what, calls to the watchman in the street or
on the wall, literally: "Watchman, what from off the night?" "Watchman, how far gone
is the night?" - Rotherham. The
Scriptures picture the symbolic earth, the social order, as being in darkness,
and most of mankind lying in a heavy sleep (Isa. 60:2; Isa. 29:9-12; et al.).
But some individuals have been wakeful; and from the prophets and servants of
God, as well as from Seir and other godless sources, has often come the ancient
question: "What
time is it?" Thus
the Psalmist, David, asked: "O Jehovah, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked
triumph?" Again he inquires, saying: "Our own signs have we not seen
-- there is no longer a prophet -- neither is there one with us who knoweth how
long! How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy revile
thy name perpetually?" In the prophecy of Daniel the repeated inquiry is
found concerning the symbolic time-measures given him: "How long shall be the vision?"
"What shall be the issue of these things?" The disciples asked of the
Lord: "When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign ... ?"
And after the resurrection: "Dost thou at this time restore the Kingdom
to Israel?" The
demons also, having a deep personal interest in the matter, demanded of Jesus:
"Art thou come hither to torment [restrain] us before the time?" (Psa. 94:3; Psa. 74:9, 10;
Isa. 21:11; Dan. 8:13; Dan. 12:8; Matt. 24:3; Acts 1:6; Matt. 8:29). The
interest today, among the wakeful, is no less intense. The "Worldly Wisemen"
are anxiously seeking to penetrate the future; and many modern Bible students
are searching the Scriptures, as did the holy men of old, to discover if it may
be, "What time or what manner of time" the prophecies signify. The Herald is constantly receiving, from
earnest and zealous brethren, manuscripts, charts, pamphlets, and books on
various features of "the chronology." These usually
"correct" one or two alleged mistakes of past writers and often
contain helpful suggestions, but as these correspondents are not in
collaboration, their conclusions are not in harmony. Not only so, but related Scriptures
are often overlooked or ignored, which would modify or contradict their
findings. The
Bible chronology, as it has been constructed by many generations of investigators
throughout the Gospel Age, is not readily corrected in detail; if it is to be
changed, it must be revised with full regard for interrelated prophetic time
periods, and with familiarity with the vast and invaluable researches of previous chronologers. From time to time the Herald has sought to aid in clarifying the subject by a
restatement of some of its underlying principles and requirements, and a
review of the conclusions and unanswered questions left to us by the ablest of
modern investigators in this field, and thus help those continuing prophetic
research to harmonize their findings. It
is evident that the question before us is essentially identical with the one
that St. Peter declares was in the minds of the prophets themselves--yes, even
in the minds of angels (1 Pet. 1:10-12; Dan. 8:13), viz., What time-periods, or
what manner (kind) of time-periods, does the Spirit signify, in the prophecies
of Scripture which obviously indicate a fixed and definite period of suffering
for God's people, of both the Old and the New Dispensations, to be followed by
an equally definite period of exaltation and glory in the "Age to come
wherein dwelleth righteousness"? St.
Peter says it was revealed to the Prophets that they were not to understand
the meaning of these prophecies, but that this understanding was reserved for
"us"; and he exhorts us to "gird up the loins of your mind, and be sober,
and [with the aid of these prophecies] hope completely [fully] for the grace
that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." (1
Pet. 1:12, 13). Accordingly we honor those brethren who are giving thought and
time, labor and their means, in the endeavor to solve the ancient mystery. Those
to whom the Apostle refers as
"us" are the ones to whom he addresses his Epistle: ". . . the
elect . . . according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ" (verses 1-3). We therefore ask, Have all these been fully
aware of the time-significance of the prophecies; of the dates of the
beginnings and endings of the periods; of "what time and what manner of
time" was meant? The answer of course is No, all have not been so aware;
it would therefore appear that some other feature of the prophecies was
intended for all
the Church
-- the "us" class. It
may well be argued that, though veritably of this class, we may never know the
exact lengths or dates of the prophetic periods; but we may know of a surety
that these prophecies have their fulfillment in Christ, and if we are joined to
him we may with equal assurance make application of their promises of
blessings to ourselves: for "If we suffer [with him] we shall also reign
with him"; and "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then
shall we also appear with him in glory" (2 Tim. 2:12; Col. 3:4). Certainly
it is far more important for us to know that we may participate in the
prophesied blessings than to know just when those blessings are to come. It
is apparent that partial knowledge and even misunderstanding of the time
prophecies has been stimulating to Christian living in all periods of the Age.
Because the meaning of these prophecies has been hidden and obscure, yet their
promises so attractive and their terms so urgent, each zealous investigator has
been prompted to apply them to his own times. Constant expectation of impending
dissolution of the present evil order has contributed in an important measure
to holy living by the believer in every stage of the Church, as Peter seems to
imply further along in this very passage: "Wherefore ... set your hope
completely on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ .. . like as he is holy . . . be ye yourselves also holy."
And the Apostle makes his thought still more clear in his second Epistle:
"Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and
earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God ...?" (1 Pet. 1:13-16;
2 Pet. 3: 11-13). However,
the earnest Bible student can never be satisfied with an incomplete or
inaccurate understanding of Scripture. He cannot admit that the Bible statements
of time-periods should be considered impossible of complete interpretation
and understanding. He refuses to relinquish hope of an ultimate solution; hence
he never ceases his efforts to solve the puzzles connected with these time
features, and is ever on the lookout for hints from any source that may prove
helpful in his quest. Figures
are exact; "seventy sevens" are 490, not 491, or 489; "seven
times" (if we understand the numerical system correctly) are 2520 years,
not 2520 plus 40, or some other figure. The time periods of prophecy must have
a definite ending, marked by some definite event, or their significance and
authority are greatly weakened. The fact that previous interpreters obviously
have erred in their conclusions should not have a deterrent or discouraging
effect, but rather a stimulating influence, on the "searchers" and
"examiners" of the Scriptures. There is the gold of further truth yet
to be discovered, if we are willing to "search for it as for hid
treasure." Through the Prophet Habbakuk the assurance is given: "The
vision is yet for the appointed time . though it tarry, wait for it; because
it will surely come, it will not delay" beyond the "appointed
time" (Prov. 2:1-5; Hab. 2:3). Daniel,
who asked for an understanding of the time prophecies given him, was told:
"Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of
the end ... none of the wicked shall understand, but they that are wise shall
understand" (Dan. 12:9, 10). This expression, "time of the
end," clearly indicates a period of time. The Prophet employs
quite another word to indicate a point of time. The latter is found in
Dan. 2:8, 9, 16 (see A.R.V. and Rotherham); Dan. 4:36; Dan. 7:22. Similarly,
Daniel distinguishes between a terminating period and a complete end, although
the Authorized Version does not, translating both original words as
"end." A final end is indicated in Dan. 1:5, 15, 18; Dan. 4:29, 34;
and Dan. 9:24 (a still different word). Daniel
was told that "the vision belongeth to the time of the end" (Dan.
8:17, A.R.V.). Strong defines the word "vision" as "a view, the
act of seeing." Again, the Prophet was told to "seal the book to the
time of the end." Before that time, "some of them that are
wise" -- Rotherham's footnote says "the instructors," and refers
to Dan. 8:33, "they who make the people wise" -- "shall fall, to
refine them, and to purify and to make them white, even to the time of the end;
because it is yet for the time appointed." The American Revised Version
also has footnotes giving the meaning of "instructors" to "the
wise of chapters 11 and 12. Perhaps this (Dan. 11:35, quoted above) has
particular reference to the many sincere but premature and erroneous
interpretations of "the vision" by "the teachers of the
people." It is encouraging to believe that even our honest errors may
"refine, purify and make us white," by humbling and warning us (Dan.
11:33, 35). "The
words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. . . . None of the wicked
shall understand; but they that are wise shall understand" (Dan. 12:9,
10). Whether this promise means that during the end-period the "wise"
shall come to a complete understanding of all of the time-prophecies, or to the
particular one or ones given through Daniel, or merely that the
"wise" shall know in a general way that it is the time of the end,
and that the prophecies are being, or are about to be, fulfilled, is for each sincere and honest examiner of
the sacred records to conclude for himself. The writer holds the former view.
He believes that it would be more to the glory of God and the vindication of
his Word for some, at least, of his "little ones" to arrive at
"an exact knowledge of the truth" in this respect as in others,
during the due time -- the time-period of the end. Such an understanding would
demonstrate not only God's foreknowledge, but his ability to forestall events
in such a way as that, hidden until the "time-lock" is released, even
poor human intelligence, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, may share the
foreknowledge in all its exactness. "The path of the righteous is as the
light of dawn, going on and brightening, unto meridian day" (Prov. 4:18,
Rotherham). As
Bible students we therefore may say: "We know the solution of the mystery
is there, hidden in his Word. We do not yet fully understand, but we shall
understand in God's due time, or when we have worked hard enough on the problem
to merit its unfolding to us. We will not be discouraged either by past
mistakes and disappointments, or by the difficulties that lie before us. We
will remember the intense interest and labors to understand on the part of the
angels, of the prophets, and of our brethren of the Church who have preceded
us; and calling to mind the promises of ultimate understanding given through
Daniel, Habakkuk, and others of the Prophets and the Apostles, we will follow
on in full expectation of eventually coming to "know even as we are
known." - H. E. Hollister Among the Last Leaves of a Christian Diary "With lovingkindness
have I drawn thee." - Jeremiah 31:3. Many of our readers will
recall an article captioned "Leaves from a Christian Diary" which
appeared in this journal in February 1958. Recently we received a few
more "leaves" from that same "diary," which we take
pleasure in publishing below. We trust all our readers will find them as
spiritually refreshing as we did ourselves. - Editorial Committee. REMINISCENCE
is considered the privilege, if not the symptom, of old age. Few have leisure
to sit down and take stock, to look around, during their working years; most
are so busy doing things or getting on, that they have little inclination to
pause in their activities. Christian
maturity might be considered the youth of eternity. The years are rich with
the fruits of experience and ripe with memories of loving-kindness. One may look back across
retreating years with profit. Evidences of loving-kindness lie so thick about
the way that a recollection of mercies here, of help there, of strength
supplied and comfort given, renews vigor and deepens confidence in him who
loves with an everlasting love. A
traveler to a foreign land watches the fading coastline of his native shore with
that affection peculiar to familiar scenes. But as the journey proceeds new
experiences begin to claim attention. When at last the journey nears its end
there is a mounting excitement, a
quickened interest in the new country, in the life to be lived there. All that
imagination has long envisaged
will soon become reality. As
the new land appears on the horizon, steadily getting closer, assuming the
solid proportions of a new world and a new life, there is a dreamlike sense
about the arrival. In an hour of pleasant wonder the mind will flash back to
the day of leaving the old home to all that has befallen by the way, to bring
the wayfarer at last to the foreseen destination, to find that realization
surpasses anticipation. Christian
life is the greatest journey of all time. From the various analogies of an
ocean voyage, an adventurous land journey, or a hazardous mountain ascent, the
Christian pilgrim has drawn inspiration. No one travels alone. At times it may
seem a lonely pathway. Thinking of personal ups and downs is often a solitary
business. They who leave the world to climb' the heavenly steeps are always in
good company, for as one of our finest pilgrims said out of the fullness of his
own experience: "Those who delight in the Lord's way have blessed
communion and fellowship with him. . . . They live on a higher plane, breathe a
purer atmosphere and enjoy a holier, sweeter friendship than the world could
ever offer." - Manna June 20th.
During
the long era set aside for the gathering together of God's family, they have
all been on the road together. Circumstances have differed, time and miles
have divided them, but in experience, in aim, in love, they have been one band,
on the march to the City of God. Now
as the sun sets over the world hurrying to its destruction, as the days grow
shorter and the evening star beckons the wayfarers up the last hard slope, it
may be good to halt, to get as we say, our second wind, while we look back
across the checkered experiences of the road, drawing new courage for the
final mile that will lodge us safely in the Father's house. All that has passed
has brought us to this very hour. None of it may be lived again. This present
resting-place will soon become past. Time pushes us forward. We must go further
on. Drawn by loving-kindness we will not go reluctantly nor with unseemly
haste, but with firm and steady foot, watchful, meek and reverent as those
commanded to appear before a royal presence. How
long ago it seems since first we lifted eyes towards the Father's home, yet
memories fresh as yesterday, bittersweet with pain and joy, come crowding
back, bright as shimmering dew drops and the eager, questioning eyes of youth. Thumbing
through the Christian diary, that logbook of the pilgrim way, how remarkable
has been the journey. There are those early days, like basking in the summer
meadows. In poem and picture lay the celestial mountain, distant, mysterious;
strangely attractive with its wordless invitation so readily accepted.
"Lord, lead me up that mountain path and teach my feet to climb, Till I
forget the downward way, thy way forever mine. By
what strange power are hearts drawn and feet wooed to take that lengthy road
where they may sit with Christ in heavenly places! "With lovingkindness
have I drawn thee." It was not the rod of force or fear driving us where
we would not go, but love, wondrous love, yearning, drawing, winning as a
parent wins a child to take its first steps. "We love him because he first
loved us" and realizing the power of his love at work in our mind and
heart, we could not choose but go. It
is never easy to go, for the world raises its voice in protest, the ties of
flesh stretch out restraining hands, and the skeptic tongue lets fall its acid
words of doubt and thinly veiled contempt. To the worldly-wise it seems a
fool's errand. The abandoning of the certain and the seen. for the ethereal
uncertainties of the unseen, for a kingdom which cannot be entered upon by
flesh and blood or without struggle of mind and sacrifice of self, appear to
the natural mind an unreasonable throwing away of all that is best in life. But
the Christian traveler intent upon abandoning the present evil world, is
encouraged in the experiences of those who have gone before. Abraham,
the father of all faithful pilgrims, left the known and familiar, content to journey he knew
not where, led, supported, and blessed by the loving-kindness which drew him
from pagan Ur to the promised land. Rebekah readily left home and kindred,
drawn by love to a new land and a wonderful destiny. Meditating upon that
journey of his great ancestress, the Psalmist saw a greater bride, setting out
upon a longer, more hazardous journey and left his vision in words for our
inspiration: "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear;
forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the king
greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him" (Ps.
45:10, 11). Then
there is Pilgrim Paul, counting his all an easy loss, that he might win
Christ, his real treasure; counting the perils and pains of the way a light
affliction, not worthy to be compared with the journey's end and the crown of
life. Yes,
we are in good company. The Lord of pilgrims himself left the heavenly glory,
was made flesh and for our sakes became poor, leaving us an example that we
should follow in his steps. The experienced pilgrim poet will say: "It is
a pathway hard to choose, a struggle rough to share" but the undaunted cry
out to us to "stretch every nerve and press with vigor on." They
exhort us,
So
the journey began without misgivings, without backward look, though not
without sorrow. "When love meets truth and truth must ride above,"
the heart knows a widening gulf which may never be crossed again. It meets its
first heroic test "when love can leave love though the heart may
bleed." The gulf was crossed, however, at that Jordan of baptismal waters
and separation from all the old ways. Feet were firmly set upon the narrow,
holy ground that leads to heavenly life. Confidence lent vigor to the energetic
striding, to the heart eager to be active, to be off, to mount the paths of
grace and knowledge, but consternation put many a damper on the ardent
traveler, expecting to see round every bend the golden land of promise. With
what comical dismay we read on each signpost -- a little further on -- and
viewed the next hill with a lesser sense of conquest, realizing by now that
beyond that lay another and yet another beyond that, a sort of pilgrim's
staircase about which the angels sometimes flitted, but more often the shadows
of self-doubt and self-deception dimmed the day's march, or the mists of
self-pity drenched enthusiasm to a spluttering spark,
Looking
back we can but smile over those absurdities, those fond, foolish hopes, that
the kingdom of heaven lay around every corner, that with brash certitude we
could, in a few swift mountings, stand boldly before its gates, take it by
storm as it were, the privileged, knowledgeable, favored few, for whom all
heaven waited before there could begin a work of blessing the multitudes of
men upon this little planet Earth. Only as the road lengthened, as Time took
its toll of hasty conclusions, did we look from many a vantage point and see as
God sees. Time is no mean element. It took time to frame the world and it takes
time to make a saint. God is in no hurry. With
patience and certainty the Lord of Eternity works out his sovereign will,
taking hold of the human material, drawn into his hands, shaping and molding
it to his own heart's desire, and the clay cannot say to the Potter, "Why makest me thus?
If it does, it must be slapped into shape for its presumption. Only as it grows
in grace does it cease to question, to lie still in trust as David learned to
be "dumb with silence." It
is one of the great and hard lessons of the pilgrim way. The great forerunner
had to learn obedience, quiescence, by the things he suffered. The servant
being lower than the master learns the same lessons in the same way, shares the
same school and the same inevitable suffering. "As a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth!" It is more than a wordless
acceptance of reproach, more than a silent resignation to the shaping hand of
God. It is love in unquestioning repose.
Meditating
on that last rise before the heavenly portals, we see that this is the real
meaning and purpose of life. We know that factions, parties, creeds, and dogmas
fade away into nothingness before the one abiding, eternal grace. The steps by
which we have risen, the road on which we have traveled, the books by which we
have learned, even the very conflicts in which we have engaged in what we took
to be truth and error, right and wrong, fall away like autumn leaves before the
certainty that nothing but Godlike, benevolent love will gain admittance to
the glorious courts of the Most High. The
pilgrim must stand alone at the last step, stripped of all earthly trappings,
deprived of all human support, freed from all natural pretensions.
If
the earthen vessel has at last become the container of the spikenard, refined
and scaled of all its dross and roughness into the lustrous beauty of the
spirit, then the labor and the journey have not been in vain. "Blessed
are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Jesus said nothing about
formulas, or factions, about letters or works; his beatitudes are about love,
purity, and beauty. At
journey's end there will be nothing left but that. The old faraway beginning
will be lost to sight; the flower strewn pastures far behind. All the hazards
and storms of the journey will be over. Only the quiet resting-places will
remain in memory to refresh the last lap of the road. Even the very road
itself, zigzagging up and around the Mount of God will be lost in the mist of
the years that are gone. Now the eye must be constant to the peak, the step
firmly forward. With staff in hand and robe tightly girdled, the wayfarer must
go as Moses went to meet his God, to put himself finally and forever into his
keeping. When
a craftsman finishes a work of worth and beauty he holds his treasure lovingly.
He sees his design translated into reality. He gives that treasure and beauty
as a legacy to the ages to come. David
saw his Lord leaving the ivory palaces, his garments fragrant with healing
essences as he passed among men. The Revelator saw the bride of Christ, the new
Jerusalem, descending from heaven adorned in all the glory and beauty of
life-giving power. And a great voice proclaimed the event, as the time for the
wiping away of all human miseries, the drying of tears, and the water of life
flowing freely to every thirsty soul. It is the grand culmination of the pilgrim
way, the event for which heaven and earth have waited long. The light
afflictions of earth will not begin to compare with that ponderous weight of
glory, allotted to those who hold on in faith through thick and thin, through
rough weather and awesome solitudes, to the very throne of God. There
at last the load, the cross and the trophies will all be laid down, replaced
by the crown of life and victory, to the accompaniment of the heavenly choirs
chanting their glory songs to the Most High. So
at last the pilgrim arrives home: "Lost
in wonder, love and praise." - F. A. Shuttleworth, Scot. "The Kingdom of God Is Not in Word
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