VOL.
LVIII. January/February 1975 No. 1
The Joy of Faith Our New Year Message
The Call and Destiny of Israel
Daniel's Vision of World Governments The Joy of Faith -- Our New Year Message
"The joy of the Lord is your strength." -
Nehemiah 8:10. ENTERING this, another year
of pilgrimage, no child of faith needs to be reminded of our Master's
predictive words: "Upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the
roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of
what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
- Luke 21:25, 26, R.S.V. Oars is a day of world
confusion which might well lead to the "time of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation" forecast by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 12:1). It
is truly a day of upheaval in every sphere of life, be it moral, social,
political, financial, economic, or religious. Events everywhere increasingly
evidence the proximity of God's wonderful worldwide kingdom, long promised and
awaited and prayed for-"the desire of all nations" (Hag. 2:7).
"It is near, even at the doors" (Matt. 24:33). "Weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."Psalm 30:5. These evidences that the
culmination of Christian hope is close at hand are recognized only by faith.
But for those who
there abides that inner
exaltation of spirit -- that "joy" of our heading text. And this is a
joy regardless of our present circumstances, whether they be physical
infirmity, loneliness, lack of fellowship, cares of life, financial needs or
increasing age. Shall anxieties concerning these mar faith in our Father's
provision? No rather, let us emulate the faith of one of old (Hab. 3:17, 18)
who, bereft of all physical necessities, did yet rejoice in the Lord and found
joy in the God of his salvation. It is this note of strengthening joy that we
would urge upon ourselves and upon all our readers as we enter the coming year. Our Master was "a Man of
Sorrows and acquainted with grief," yet with such a delight in doing his
Father's will for the joy set before him, that he endured the cross, despised
the shame, and left to us as a present heritage his joy, that ours might
be full (John 15:11). "Herein," said he, "is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8). It is remarkable that St.
Paul in listing nine of the elements that comprise spiritual fruitage (Gal.
5:22, 23), includes "joy." The other eight require much development
through the disciplines of time, but "joy" was an immediate reaction
of mind from our first apprehension of Divine benevolence. God gave to us
"the oil of joy for mourning." And our "joy in the Lord" increasingly
glorifies our Father as in patient obedience we undergo the trying experiences
intended to bring us to spiritual maturity; enabling us to heartily comply
with the Apostle Paul's exhortation -- "Rejoice evermore." - 1 Thess. 5:16. THE CHRISTIAN'S
JOYS
Let us take inventory of some
of the sources of the joys which are ours and which provide the strength to
persevere in our evil day. Below are listed seven -- each scripturally
amplified. First and foremost, is our
heavenly Father himself. To direct our thoughts to the Author of our salvation
is to become filled with joy!
"Behold what manner of
love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
God" (1 John 3:1). "So close to his heart does Jehovah gather his
loyal and faithful children that they feel the warmth of his love, and the
responsive language of their hearts is 'I will abide in thy tabernacle' --
under thy protection -- 'forever'" (Manna, October 17). "Rejoice in the Lord, ye
righteous" (Ps. 97:12). "Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee (Ps. 5:11). "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in
heart" (Ps. 32:11). "Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises
to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him" (Ps. 68:3,
4). "Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name" (Matt. 6:9).
"Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only
God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and
authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." - Jude 24, 25, R.S.V. Second
-- does not contemplation of our Master Jesus bring instant joy to our hearts?
Does a bride rejoice in her bridegroom? "My beloved is mine, and I am his
... he is the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys ... the chiefest
among ten thousand ... yea, he is altogether lovely" (Song of Solomon
2:16, 1; 5:10, 16). "Whom, not having seen, you love; on whom, not now
looking, but believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and glorious" (1 Pet. 1:8, Diaglott). "These
things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full"
(John
15:11). Hear His prayer: "that they might have my joy fulfilled in
themselves" (John 17:13). And what of the prospect of seeing him as he is
-- "Face to face, in all his glory" -- a prospect exceeding
imagination! Even now, may our joy abound in the realization of his presence
in our daily lives -- "Christ liveth in me." - Gal. 2:20.
Third
-- what shall we say as regards the heavenly host, the "innumerable
company of angels "(Heb. 12:22), the "ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Rev. 5:11)? They sang and shouted
for joy when the Lord laid earth's foundations (Job 38:7) and praised God at
Jesus' birth (Luke 2:13, 14). The marvelous work of God since Calvary in
"bringing many sons unto glory" (Heb. 2:10) is to them as a
theatrical spectacle (1 Cor. 4:9) into "which things the angels desire to
look" (1 Pet. 1:12). They themselves are "ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb. 1:14),
the "little ones" whose angels do always behold the face of God
(Matt. 18:10). The Master said (Luke 15:10): "There is joy in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." What will be their
paean at the marriage of the Lamb! Let this fruit of joy abound and strengthen
"the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees." Fourth
-- what of our brethren in the Lord, who will be part of our eternal family in
heaven? Think not of them as now, beset with many infirmities, some of which
may have caused us severe trials and deep suffering. Let us consider rather
their good hearts, their earnest endeavors to walk faithfully this WAY. Think
how wonderful they will be in perfection and glory when the Potter has
finished his marvelous work in them, and in us also. What joy will be there!
God has promised (Ps. 132:16): "I will clothe her [Zion's] priests with
salvation; and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. "How beautiful is the September 7
Manna Comment: "These New Creatures in Christ Jesus know each other not
according to the flesh but according to the spirit. In each others' spirits or
new minds there are the noblest sentiments, the highest aspirations, that which
is good, true, noble, pure -- whatever may be their weaknesses according to the
flesh. They love each other from the new standpoint of intention, will, harmony
with God, and their friendship for one another grows increasingly as they
perceive each other's energy in fighting the good fight of faith against the
evil influences of the world, the flesh and the Adversary. Nor tongue nor pen
can properly express the love, the friendship, which subsists between these New
Creatures in Christ Jesus, to whom old things have passed away, and all things
have become new."
Fifth
-- does not the knowledge of the Divine message of truth bring joy to our
hearts? "Thy words were found and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me
the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jer.
15:16). "Light is sown for the righteous, and [the resulting] gladness for the upright in
heart" (Ps. 97:11). "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea,
sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding: Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Ps. 119:103, 105).
"Ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). "Thy statutes have
been my songs
in the
house of my pilgrimage" (Ps. 119:54). Truly "the half was never told!
May our joy in God's Word be a constant source of inner strength. Sixth
-- consider our tribulations in this Narrow Way. Can we find present joy in
them which will strengthen us to endure unto final victory? Consider these
scriptures: "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall
separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name
as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for
joy; for, behold, your reward is great in heaven" (Luke 6:22). James
writes (James 1:2): "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall
into divers trials." And Paul, who rejoiced in his own sufferings (Col.
1:24) gives us these precious words of encouragement (Rom. 5:3-5): "We glory
in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and
patience experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit which
is given unto us." He continues in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: "For which
cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is
renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal." Such counsel is truly cause for joy to every
Christian. We seal it with Paul's words (Rom. 8:28): "We know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose." The joyful confidence of faith! Seventh,
we consider poor humanity -- not their present woeful lot but their coming
future, when joy unending (Isa. 35:10) will be their blessed portion. Then will
we share with our beloved Master in the joyful Millennial work of
"lavishing blessings all around" even as our heavenly Father has
afore determined. How apropos are the words of Brother Russell: "What a
glorious prospect the new dispensation will present when fully inaugurated!
The changes from one dispensation to another in the past have been marked and
prominent, but this change will be most eventful of all. No wonder that the
thought of such a spectacle -- of a whole race returning to God with songs and
praise and everlasting joy upon their heads -- should seem almost too good to
believe; but he who has promised is able also to perform all his good pleasure.
Though sorrow and sighing seem almost inseparable from our being, yet sorrow
and sighing shall flee away; though weeping in sackcloth and ashes has
endured throughout the long night of the dominion of sin and death, yet joy
awaits the Millennial morning, and all tears shall be wiped from off all faces,
and beauty shall be given for ashes, and the oil of joy for the spirit of
heaviness." This
beautiful prose entrances our hearts! We would linger over this wonderful and
glorious future for suffering mankind and so quote further: "No creature
of the redeemed race will be too low for Divine grace to reach, through the
all-powerful and blessed agency of the kingdom. No degradation of sin will be
too deep for the hand of mercy to fathom, to rescue the blood-bought soul; no
darkness of ignorance and superstition will be so dense in any heart but that
the light of Divine truth and love will penetrate its gloom and bring to it a
knowledge of the joy and gladness of the New Day, and an opportunity to share
the same by obedience. No disease that can attack and pollute the physical
system will be beyond the prompt control of the great Physician. And no
deformity, or monstrosity, or superfluity, or redundancy, or mental imbecility,
will be able to resist his healing touch." In
this kingdom prepared "from the foundation of the world," the
glorious portion available for every human being as an eternal gift of God
through Christ, when contrasted with their present misery, does even now fill
our hearts with overflowing joy -- yes, brings tears of gladness to our eyes.
Alleluia and Alleluia! JOYS BEYOND THE MILLENNIUMThere
remains yet the contemplation of the future joys awaiting the Church after the
work of earthly restitution is completed -- the "ages to come" to which
St. Paul refers in Ephesians 2:7. Here the veil to our understanding has not
yet been drawn back and imagination is too feeble to penetrate the glorious
future. There is a dim perception as made known to us by the Word of God, but
it still remains true that "Now I know in part; but then shall I know even
as also I am known." (1 Cor. 13:12). There yet remain blessings untold for
it is written: "How great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for
them that fear thee; ... they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of
thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures."
- Psalm 31:19; 36:8. Every
plane of intelligent life possesses its share of wonderful joys. But as we go
up the scale from the lowest (the human) to the highest (the divine), the joys
increase to that pinnacle reflected in the Psalmist's words (Psa. 16:11):
"In thy presence is fullness of joy [there can be no more]; at thy
right hand are pleasures for evermore." For these unknown joys yet to be
we sing
Let
us then fearlessly await our consummation, "rejoicing in hope of the glory
of God" (Rom. 5:2). We shall behold His face in righteousness: we shall be
satisfied when we awake in his likeness (Ps. 17:15). In these days of our earthly
pilgrimage which remain, and in which "our cup [of joy] runneth
over," may each heart sing with praise to our heavenly Father and to our
blessed Lord Jesus, heeding under every stress St. Paul's words (Phil. 4:4):
- W. J. Siekman The Call and Destiny of Israel"Israel shall blossom
and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit."
From
earliest times the nation of Israel has considered itself set apart for a
special purpose in the plans of God, and other nations and peoples have in
varying degree resented this apparent assumption of a position superior to
theirs. What is the nature of this claim and to what extent is it justified by
Scripture? The
constitution of Jacob's descendants into a nation some three million strong at
Mount Sinai in the 15th century B.C. is a historical fact; at that time they occupied the land which has
ever since been associated with the name Israel. According to the Bible the
inception of that nation was in consequence of a Divine revelation and the
institution of a Covenant whereby Israel bound themselves to obey a codified
system of laws defining Divine standards for everyday life. The Covenant
provided that national loyalty to God would ensure peace and prosperity in
their land; disloyalty, on the other hand, would bring adversity, invasion, and
ultimately expulsion from the land and the loss of all their God-given privileges.
In the outcome the nation was, from time to time, alternately loyal and
disloyal, and experienced the respective consequences, but at all times there
remained the underlying consciousness of a That
purpose was more clearly revealed after the coming of Christ, when the nature
of the Divine working in the world of men was defined and understood in greater
detail. Looking back from the vantage point of the New Testament, it is
perceptible that God's purpose in calling and selecting Israel for a specific
duty in human history was threefold. In the first place, Israel was the
appointed channel and custodian of the oral and written revelation of God and
his purposes for the fifteen hundred years which were to elapse ere Christ
appeared. Moses, as the practical founder of the nation, already held the
records of God's dealings in the past with the patriarchs, the histories of ancient
times, and so on, all going back to an unknown antiquity. To these he added the
happenings of his own day, and the revelations and commands of God transmitted
to Israel through him at this momentous beginning of their national history.
Then in after times saintly and upright men contributed that which they
themselves had discerned of the ways and purposes of God; so the Old Testament
came into being and remained intact during the remainder of Israel's national
existence. "Unto them," says Paul in Romans 3:2, "were
committed the oracles of God"
and it is
due to the care of reverential men in each successive generation that these
oracles were preserved as no other book of antiquity. In
the second place Israel was commissioned a concrete witness to the reality of
Divine lordship over the earth, that notwithstanding the prevalence of evil in
the world, God is ruler over all and will ultimately make his rule effective.
However imperfectly Israel did witness to this and however grievously they were
guilty of disloyalty it remained always that God was their God and their king.
In a world rapidly degenerating from polytheism to atheism Israel maintained
that God IS, and God is ONE. The existence and the history and the
achievements, as well as the failures, of Israel were an essential preliminary
to the establishment of the Christian Church of this present Age. The debt
owed by Christians to Israel is very great. Thirdly,
and most important of all, Israel is the destined Divine instrument on earth,
working in association with the Church in heaven for the education and conversion
of the world during the coming Age of Christ's kingdom upon earth. "Israel
shall blossom and bud," said Isaiah, "and fill the face of the world with fruit" (Isa. 27:6). Of the purified
and converted and completely dedicated Israel nation of that future day God
has said "I will also give thee for a light to the nations, that thou
mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6). From the national experiences,
both light and dark, joyous and tragic, of three and a half millenniums, there
will emerge a fruitage, a "remnant," as Isaiah puts it, a servant of
the Lord, in the form of a people that is fitted both by knowledge of God and
experience of good and evil to be messengers and missionaries of that new Age
when the Gospel is to be preached in power, and none will fail to hear. And it
follows, of course, that in that day Judaism and Christianity will be one
faith, for they who rejected Christ at first will now cry out, as Jesus said
they would, "blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Why
was Israel the nation thus chosen out of all possible candidates? There is no
doubt about the fact that the Lord did specifically select and appoint this
people for his purpose. "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God:
the Lord bath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people
that are upon the face of the
earth" (Deut.
7:6). This was no arbitrary selection. The Lord had a reason. Elsewhere in the
Pentateuch it is repeatedly stated that the Lord chose Israel because of the
loyalty and faith of their forefather Abraham, and his consequent promise that
his purposes for mankind would be worked out through Abraham's posterity. But
God only chooses and uses fit instruments for his service. A dispassionate
appraisal of the character of Abraham and of Israel shows that there was, and
is, something in this particular patriarch and these his descendants which
stands out in sharp relief against the characteristics of humanity in general.
Abraham was a man of very rare faith and tenacity; emerging as he did from the
welter of Semitic-Hamitic peoples of Sumer, the world's oldest civilization,
inheritors of the wisdom and knowledge of the most ancient times going back
perhaps to the beginning of man's presence on earth, he was peculiarly fitted
to build upon the foundation of such past experiences of God as men had
retained, and advance that experience to new conceptions and new heights. He
was a man of rare insight and unparalleled courage; when the Divine call came
to him he unhesitatingly forsook the glittering but fast disintegrating
Sumerian civilization in which he had been born, and went out to a land which
God showed him, "not knowing whither he went" (Heb. 11:8).
That same faith and courage, transmitted to his descendants of six hundred
years later, enabled them to declare at Sinai, "All that the Lord bath
said will we do, and be obedient" (Exod. 24:7), so the nation of
Israel was born and became the special people of the Lord. The
nation was organized at Sinai. There they entered into a Covenant with God at
the instance of Moses, binding them to loyalty and obedience and rigorous
separation from their neighbor nations. It is easy to credit all this to the
statesmanship of Moses to the exclusion of Divine participation but this does
not account for the remarkable manner in which the promises and warnings of the
Covenant were fulfilled centuries afterward. Throughout Israel's national
history faithfulness brought prosperity and apostasy brought adversity,
precisely as Moses had told them. The terrible description of their final
scattering among the nations of the earth and the loss of their homeland in
Deuteronomy 28 was realized to the letter fifteen hundred years later. This was
a period of experience for the emerging nation, experience of the surety of
Divine law and the inevitability of retribution if that law is infringed. For
the first four centuries of their occupation of the land Israel existed as a
fairly loose federation of tribes owning one God and one faith; more often than
not one or another section of the nation broke away from God and adopted the
idolatrous worship of the surrounding nations; speedily came the penalties of
the forsaken Covenant upon them in war, invasion, crop failure, pestilence;
each time the erring ones turned to the Lord in repentance and the curse was
lifted. In a very material but eminently practical manner they began to learn
the soundness of the maxim, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin
is a reproach to any people" (Prov. 14:34) and to know that "whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). The second phase of
their instruction came when the tribes formed themselves into a monarchy and
desired a king to rule them in the manner of other nations. Five hundred years
of kingship led them into disaster. Some kings were good men and influenced the
people for righteousness but most of them were bad men and led their subjects
into political and social and military adventures which culminated in the era
of the captivities when the land was dominated by foreign invaders and many of
the people taken as exiles into faraway countries. Those experiences at least
taught Israel the folly of alliance with earthly kings and powers and brought
them nearer to God than they had ever been before. "By the rivers of
Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion" (Ps.
137:1). Israel never relapsed into idolatry after the Babylonian captivity. At
the Restoration under Cyrus of Persia they were more meticulous in observance
of the Covenant and zealous for the law of God than at any previous time,
although during the four centuries which thereafter elapsed to the coming of
Christ that very passion for righteousness developed into a legalistic and
formalistic conception of God's ways which produced the Scribes and Pharisees
of Jesus' time and led eventually to the rejection and crucifixion of Christ.
The varied experiences of fifteen centuries had not been enough; they had not
yet learned all that must be learned ere they could be ready for their destiny.
Something more harrowing and soul-searching was necessary, and so it came about
that less than forty years after the Crucifixion the prophetic words of both
Jesus and Moses came terribly true. The Romans desolated the country, destroyed
Jerusalem and the Temple, sold the women and children as slaves, sent the ablebodied
men to the galleys, and banished the greater part: of the population from the
land, to settle where they could among the nations, until "the Times of
the Gentiles," to use Jesus' words in Luke 21:24, "be
fulfilled." The remarkable thing about this nineteen centuries'
Dispersion is that Israel never lost its identity. The Jew remained
distinguishable throughout all generations and in all nations. He never lost
his hope and belief that one day he would return to his own land. It is true,
of course, that at no time during those nineteen centuries has the land been
entirely without Jewish inhabitants; at all times there has been a remnant,
sometimes a pitifully small remnant, inhabiting the land but always under the
domination of some alien power -- Roman, Persian, Crusader, Moslem, Turk, and
finally British. Although many of the dispersed settled down in their countries
of adoption or refuge there was always the element which looked and worked for
the day of return. "Next year in Jerusalem" was the constant prayer
at their most solemn ceremonies. And in the late nineteenth century, with the
appearance and work of Theodore Herzl, the political aspect of the age-old hope
began to take concrete form. The
wresting of the Holy Land from the Turks by Britain during the 1914
war opened
the doors to the Return -- slowly at first and beset by many obstacles,
particularly Arab objections in the later years, but increasing steadily until
in 1948 Britain,
the last Gentile power to exercise control over the land, moved out, and the
sovereign State of Israel was proclaimed, two thousand years from the days of
the Maccabean priest -- kings when Israel had last known national independence. So
began the Great Restoration, political in its basis
and nature, although many who hastened to return to the land of their fathers
did so believing that the time had come for the purpose of God for their nation
to take a great step forward. The powers of the world, and the man in the
street, looking on, saw only another reshuffle of the ever-changing political
map of the world and a perhaps not very permanent one at that. The God
instructed Jew, and the instructed Christian also, knew it for what it was, the
moving of Divine forces into position for the events that are to bring this
world to an end and usher in the Age to come, the "new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." - 2 Peter 3:13. Israel
is being re-gathered in unbelief. Not that there is no religious element in
the social and the governmental structure. There is, plenty of it. But the
essence of Israel's uniqueness in the world has got to be its future complete
dedication to God and reliance upon God and the corresponding rejection of the
methods and particularly the weapons of this world. Despite certain signal
manifestations of Divine deliverance in their ancient history -- the Red Sea,
Jehoshaphat, Sennacherib and so on, that lesson has not yet been learned.
Perhaps, in view of the tragic history of Israel during the past two
millenniums, that is not altogether to be wondered at. But it has to be
learned; until Israel as a nation has been purified and converted, trusting
God implicitly for every kind of defense and protection, organizing its own
life in accord with Divine standards, it will not be ready for the Divine purpose. They
come, from far, as the Old Testament prophets said they would. The old vigor
and tenacity return as soon as they set foot upon the sacred soil, and the old
arrogance. Not for nothing are those born in the land known as
"sabras" -- the name means a prickly pear. The land is being restored
and built up; the desert is beginning to blossom as the rose; their advances
and discoveries in scientific and technical knowledge are beginning to spill
over into the wider world to the greater benefit of man generally. Of old time
Isaiah said, "They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up
the former
desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many
generations" (Isa. 61:4). They are doing all this, and nothing can stop them.
Despite their continuing unbelief, God's hand is in this thing, for God's
purpose is directly involved, and no one can fight against God. One
final time of stress is ordained, one last trial of faith, an event which will
bring to the surface all the underlying devotion of which Israel is capable
and leave them, at last, fully ready for their destiny. The continual progress
and prosperity of Israel will excite the jealousy and antagonism of the wider
world, and, perhaps, some dawning realization that this emerging nation is
indeed, as the Bible has so consistently declared, the initial phase of the incoming
earthly Kingdom of God which is to overcome all evil and institute everlasting
righteousness. Whatever the reason, there will be a great coalition of evil
powers and interests intent upon destroying Israel. Ezekief (ch. 38-39) pictures
this attempt under symbol of the eighth century B.C. invasion of the Middle East by' the Scythians, Gog
of the land of Magog and much people with him. Israel is pictured as
defenseless so far as material weapons are concerned, but resting in faith that
God will deliver--and God does so deliver. That deliverance, and the vindication
of Israel, and the overthrow of the "hosts of Gog," mark the time of
Israel's complete conversion and acceptance of her destiny. "So the
house of
Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that time and forward"
is the
prophet's comment on his account of this momentous event It
is impossible to estimate the effect upon the world generally of a nation that
is completely and altogether dedicated to the service of God and aflame with
missionary zeal to extend its influence for righteousness throughout the world.
This, under the direction of Christ and his Church in the heavens, is the
mission of Israel. "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of
the Lord
from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:3). The purpose of the Messianic Age is the reconciliation of
"whosoever will" to God and the bestowment upon them of eternal life;
Israel will stand before the world as an example of a people converted to
righteousness and, fully loyal to God. In their dedication to his service they
will become a servant nation to all, that they might endeavor to win all. "Thou,
Israel, art my servant, the seed of Abraham my friend.... I the Lord have
called thee in righteousness, and will give thee for a light of the nations, to
open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that
sit in darkness out of the prison house" (see Isa. 41 and 42).
Israel will, at the last, become a means in the Lord's hands for the
salvation of the world. - A. H. Hudson, Eng. Daniel's Vision of World Governments
"'As concerning the rest
of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away; The
vision given to Daniel which he records in chapter 7 is of four beasts which, it
was revealed to him, symbolized four kings (Daniel 7:16, 17). The
following are the leading points of the Vision and of the Interpretation
respectively. THE VISION
The Interpretation
Students
of the Scriptures have long understood these beasts to represent the four
world-governments -- the only four mentioned by name in the Word of God --
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Dan. 2:38; 8:20; 8:21, and Luke 2:1).
These four, as history shows, succeeded each other without any gap and, as the
prophecies show, are to occupy the entire interval from Daniel's day to the
establishment of the Kingdom of God.* --------------------------- *See
"The ABC of Bible Prophecy" booklet. Free on Request. The
foregoing is very generally understood. Not so general, however, is the
understanding that the first three beasts continue alive long after they lose
their dominion. Nevertheless this is clear from the language of Daniel 7:12. As
each beast in turn is conquered by its successor, its dominion is taken
away but its life is prolonged. Just
when the lives of the first three beasts come to an end is not stated. The
implication is that this occurs when both the dominion and the life of the
fourth beast are terminated (Dan. 7:26, 11). This
view, furthermore, agrees very well with the parallel prophecy recorded in the
second chapter of Daniel. When the stone struck the image in the feet, "then
was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to
pieces together" (Dan. 2:35) In
Daniel's vision it is probable that these four beasts emerged from the sea one
after another, each in turn being vanquished by its successor. Eventually,
however, all four must have been present to his view at the same time since,
while the dominion of the first three had been taken away, their lives
had been prolonged. How is this distinction between the life and
the dominion of the beasts to be understood, as it relates to the four
world -- empires symbolized? To
us it seems that there is only one satisfactory explanation. It lies, as has
been pointed out by an able writer, in recognizing "that prophecy regards
the four empires as being as distinct in territory as in time: as
distinct in geographical boundaries, as in chronological limits. They rise in
a definite sequence; the supreme dominion of one does not in point of time overlap
the supreme dominion of the following one, nor is the territory of a
former 'beast' or empire ever regarded as belonging to a later one, though it
may have been actually conquered. Each has its own proper theatre or body, and
the bodies continue to exist after the dominion is taken away. This is
distinctly stated, both in connection with the fourfold image and with the four
beasts. In the first case the stone falls upon the clay and iron feet only, but
the iron legs, the brazen body, the silver breast, and the golden head, are all
by it 'broken to pieces together.' Now the empires represented by
these have long since passed away. They (as universal empires) cannot therefore
be 'broken to pieces' by the Second Advent. But the territory once
occupied by them is still existing and still populous, and exposed to the
judgments of the day of Christ just as much as Rome itself. "Similarly,
we read that the three earlier beasts did not cease to exist when the
fourth arose. 'Their dominion [was] taken away, yet their lives were
prolonged for a season and time' (Dan. 7:12). That is to say, the first three
empires are regarded as coexisting with the fourth, after their dominion
has ended. This proves that they are regarded as distinct in place as
well as in time. They continue to be recognized as territorial divisions of
the earth after the disappearance of their political supremacy." - H. G.
Guinness. Many
years before Guinness, this had been clearly seen by the world's great
mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton. In his "Observations on the
Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation," he wrote: "All the
four beasts are still alive, though the dominion of the first three be taken
away. The nations of Chaldea and Assyria are still the first beast. Those of
Media and Persia are still the second beast. Those of Macedonia, Greece,
Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt are the third beast. And those of Europe
on this side are still the fourth beast. Seeing, therefore, the body of the
third beast is confined to the nations on this side of the river Euphrates, and
the body of the fourth beast to the nations on this side of Greece, we are to
look for all the four heads of this third beast on this side of the Euphrates,
and for all the eleven horns of the fourth beast among the nations on this side
Greece; and therefore, in the breaking up of the Greek empire into four kingdoms,
we include no part of Chaldea, or Media and Persia in these kingdoms, because
they belong to the body of the first two beasts. Nor do we reckon the Greek
empire, seated at Constantinople, among the horns of the fourth beast, because
it belongs to the body of the third." This
principle of identifying governments not only chronologically but
geographically -- in accordance with the territory originally occupied-is
helpful in reaching a proper understanding not only of this prophecy but of
others. As above noted, it has proven a safe guide in the identification of
the ten horns (or kingdoms) of the fourth beast (or empire) which must
"none of them be sought in the realms of the third, second, or first, but
exclusively in the realm of the fourth, or in the territory peculiar
to Rome, and which had never formed part of the Grecian, Medo-Persian, or
Babylonian empires." There
is yet one other point which ought to be mentioned ere we close this
discussion. It is this: Not only is each world-government regarded in the
prophecy as distinct in territory and in time; each is shown also as existing
before its predecessor falls. Medo-Persia existed before it
conquered Babylon. Greece came into existence before it challenged and
overcame Medo-Persia. Rome existed before it vanquished Greece. Has
this point any special significance? Indeed it has. It suggests that before the
dominion of Rome is taken away before the beast is slain and its body
given to the burning flame, the fifth world empire comes into existence. However,
this thought, that the fifth world-empire comes into existence before the
overthrow of the fourth, is more than a suggestion; much more than a strong
probability based on the fact that each of the others is shown as existing
before the fall of its predecessor. It is specifically stated in the
Scripture. It is "in the days" of these kings, not after their
days, that the God of heaven is to set up his Kingdom (Dan. 2:44). Brethren,
unless we greatly err, the God of heaven has for years been in the process of
setting up this Kingdom. For more than half a century the "judgment has
been sitting" and his dominion (the dominion of the fourth beast in its
"little horn" stage) has been in the process of being taken away.
What yet remains? We answer: "To consume and destroy that dominion unto
the end." Immediately thereafter will occur that which, is described by
the words: "I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body
destroyed, and given to the burning flame" (Dan. 7:26; 11). And then? Ah!
then-the Kingdom will be given to One like the Son of Man; and the people of
the saints of the Most High. That Kingdom will not pass to a sixth
world-empire. It will be everlasting (Dan. 7:14, 27). - P. L. Read Unwaning Treasure
-
J. Danson Smith Our Safety
in the Last Days
"Hold thou me up, and I
shall be safe." - Psalm 119:117. THE
"LAST DAYS" are specifically mentioned in the Scriptures. There are
many "signs" or events by which we can identify the "last
days" as the time in which we now live. The Prophet Daniel designates
this period as "the time of the end," at which time "there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation."
The Apostle Paul names these days as "perilous times," "evil days," etc. St. Peter
and St. Jude say that "there shall come in the last days scoffers" or
mockers. Our
Lord speaks of this same period as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and
Luke (chapters 24 and 21, respectively). According to Luke, Jesus spoke of
events marking the last days thus: "On earth anguish among the nations in
their bewilderment at the roaring of the sea and its billows; while men's
hearts are fainting for fear, and for anxious expectation of what is coming on
the world. For the forces which control the heavens will be disordered"
(Luke 21:25, 26, Weymouth). This
being true, the question concerning our safety in these "perilous,"
"hard," or "critical" times, is very important. Since we
are in the world, this present evil world, though not of it, some of us may be
subjected to trials and difficulties similar to those through which the world
in general will have to pass. The Apostle Peter says: "Beloved, think it
not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try 'you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you" (1 Pet. 4:12). Referring
to this same time, which is designated as the last days, the Prophet Malachi
(3:1-3) asks these questions: "Who shall abide the day of his
coming? Who shall stand when he appeareth?" Where do we, the followers
of the Lord, abide, and where do we stand? Let us remember the
words of our Master: "Abide in me. ... He that abideth in me and
I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing"
(John 15:4-6). Abiding in Christ and being "found in him" is the only
safe place for the Christian in time of trouble. In
Psalm 91:1 we read: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most
High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." These words of
the Prophet are applicable to the Lord's consecrated saints, living daily in
communion and fellowship with their Lord, the Good Shepherd, who, speaking
concerning our safety, uttered these words: "My sheep listen to my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish, nor shall any one wrest them from my hand" (John 10:27, 28, Weymouth). Now
let us consider the second question the Prophet has set before us: "Who
shall stand when he appeareth?" Where do we stand? The following
quotations from the Scriptures will give us the answer: "Watch
ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor.
16:13). "Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel . . . wherein ye stand" (1 Cor.
15:1). By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:2) "Stand
fast therefore
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Gal. 5:1). "So
then, brethren, stand firm, and hold fast to the teachings which you
have received from us [the inspired Apostles], whether by word of mouth or by
letter" (2 Thess. 2:15, Weymouth). "Therefore,
my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast
in the Lord" (Phil. 4:1). "Only,
do lead a life that is worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Whether I come and see
you or only hear of you in absence, let me know you are standing firm in a
common spirit, fighting side by side like one man for the faith of the
Gospel" (Phil. 1:27, Moffatt). Indeed,
in all the above quoted texts are beautiful words of life, admonishing us to
be firm, steadfast, unmovable, firmly rooted, and grounded in faith. Not
passive or inactive, but "always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor.
15:58). Nevertheless, while we, as good soldiers of Christ, are "fighting
side by side like one man for the faith of the gospel," "earnestly
contending for the faith which was once delivered to the saints," we will not be entirely free
from danger. Knowing this, the Apostle says: "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1
Cor. 10:12). To
his disciples Jesus said: "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world" (John 16:33). His followers are invited also to "overcome,
even as he overcame." (See Rev. 3:21.) No one could be an overcomer unless
there was opposition, something to overcome. And in order to overcome, we need
faith, real faith, strong faith; for it is faith that overcometh the world. The
surest way to overcome our opposers is to quote Scriptures and explain God's
Plan in a loving and understandable
manner. The best answer is: "Thus saith the Lord," or, "It is
written." In
Isaiah 26:2 we read: "Open ye the
gates, that the righteous nation, which keepeth the truth, may enter in."
To keep the truth, means to regard it as something precious, valuable; it
means to guard it, to observe, and to defend it. If we will guard the truth,
the truth will also guard us. The Apostle Peter tells us that we "are kept
[safeguarded] by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time" (1 Pet. 1:5). Again this mighty power of God that
safeguards and sanctifies us is the Gospel Truth (John 17:17; Rom. 1:16). The
Psalmist, who knew the safeguarding power of God and relied on it, said:
"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest
me dwell in safety" (Ps. 4:8). So sure was he of the Lord's safekeeping
power, that in Psalm 121: 4 he writes: "Behold, He that keepeth [safeguardeth] Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep."
In
Deuteronomy 33:12 we read: "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety
by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell
between his shoulders." These beautiful and heart-cheering words were
prophetic, and may well be applied to the "beloved of God" during
this Gospel Age; and particularly now, in the "last days," when
God's protection and safeguarding is needed more than ever before. Note well
the gracious words: "and the Lord shall cover him all the day
long." The Psalmist (91:4) says: "He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust." Here is our sure and safe
refuge, a mighty fortress, a Rock that is "higher
than I:' In
Proverbs 18:10 it is again written: "The name of the Lord is a strong
tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." How fortunate and how
glad are we because we know who is the "strong tower" - the
"name of the Lord." If the Lord had not revealed these things to us,
we could not "run into it" and find refuge and safety. It is
necessary to know and to accept the truth; to rely upon and to trust in God's
promises, knowing that they will come to pass in his own due time. To acquire
this knowledge of our place of refuge, and where and when to "run
into" this safe hiding place, requires some effort on our part. This is in
harmony with the words of the Apostle James (James 4:8) "Draw nigh to God,
and he will draw nigh to you." Again,
in Proverbs (Prov. 3), the necessity of following the wisdom from above is
linked with the safety and well-being of the man of God. In Prov. 3:21-23 we
read: "Keep sound wisdom and discretion [divine instruction]: So shall
they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy
way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble." Valuable words of divine
instruction are found again in Prov. 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." The
same Prophet of the Lord, in Proverbs 29:25, again gives us sound words of
wisdom: "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in
the Lord shall be safe." Having
therefore before us such wholesome words of divine wisdom and instruction, let
us remember, dearly beloved, that we are constantly reminded to watch, to be
alert, to walk circumspectly, for the days are evil. Let us always be attentive
and obedient to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Let us carefully study his Word
of Truth and let us daily endeavor to apply his instructions to our lives,
remembering that faith "without works is dead." "For if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall." - J. R. Muzikant The Question BoxJohn 13:34
Question: In
John 13:34 we read: "A new commandment. I give unto you, That ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." In what
sense was this commandment new? Answer: It
was not new in the sense that a command to love had never before been given.
Such a commandment "was written in the very constitution of Adam and
Eve." (See Scripture Studies, Vol.
VI, page F350.) Moreover, love to one's neighbor is enjoined in the Old
Testament. (Lev. 19:18.) But the law of love which Jesus here gave was new in
two senses: (1) It was to be a love for
one another, and, (2) they were to love one another as Jesus had loved them. Let us briefly consider his commandment
from these two points of view. 1. They were to love one
another. The
love here enjoined was not a love which was to apply to the entire human race f
as in the case of the law of love written in the constitution of the first man),
nor was it to be especially applicable to the members of the nation of Israel,
as might be said of the law of love stated in Leviticus. It was given (not to
all men, nor yet to Israel, but) to the footstep followers of the Master. It was
to embrace them all, but only them. Moreover the earlier laws of love were not
thereby repealed, even for them. This constitutes an additional obligation. This
commandment, therefore, was new in that it was to commence from a new center,
even from Jesus himself; and was to embrace an entirely new circle -the Church.
It would thus be suited to new circumstances. The Church which is his Body was
about to be founded, and love was to be the mighty influence animating its
members, the powerful bond uniting the members of that Body to each other and
to Jesus, their Head. His Body-members, united to each other in love, were to
be his love bearers to the world. To the world the constant love which would be
seen in the, relationship of the members of the Church to each other would be
taken as a proof of their discipleship. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." - Verse 35. 2. They were to love one
another "as I [Jesus], have loved, you." Scholars
tell us that the Greek word here' translated "as" means more than a
simple comparison; it indicates a conformity, and characterizes the mutual
love of Christians as being of the same
nature as that which unites Jesus to his footstep followers, each re
turning to his brother the love with which Jesus loves him. When
our Lord gave them this new commandment he was within a few hours of his death.
His love for them, which had always been strong and unremitting, had never been
greater. "Having loved his own which, were in the world, he loved them unto the end." (Verse 1.) If,
therefore, their love was to be in conformity with his, it would mean a
willingness on their part to suffer for their brethren similarly, even unto
death, and this conclusion is actually drawn by St. John in his first epistle.
There, in chapter 3, verse 16, he says: 'Because he laid down his life for us,
we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.."' There is an instructive paragraph on this question
from the pen of Brother Russell in Reprints,
page R4549. We quote: "The 'New Commandment' represents a higher law
than was given to the Jew under the Law Covenant,: hence higher also than will
be given to Israel and mankind under the New Covenant. The New Commandment
mentioned by our Lord is not the Father's commandment at all, but the command
of our Head, our Teacher, to all those who have entered the school of Christ
and who are hoping to become 'members' of the Anointed One -- members of the
Mediator, Prophet, Priest, and King of the new dispensation. Justice could not
give this, new command; all that justice could command is expressed in the law
given to Israel, namely, supreme love of God and love for the neighbor as for
one's self. This new commandment which the Lord gave applies only to the Church
of this Gospel Age. In effect it is this: If you would be my disciples, if you
would share my throne and glory and immortality, you must have my spirit. You
must do more than keep the Law. You must be more than just. You must be self
sacrificing. If you would share my glory, I command and direct that you love
one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12.) I have loved you to the extent
of laying down my life for you sacrificially. You must have this same spirit
and cast in your lot with me in self sacrifice, or you cannot be my disciples,
nor share my glory, and associate in my work as the Mediator for the blessing
of Israel and mankind. Whosoever will be ray disciple must take up his cross;
and follow me, that where I am there shall my disciple be. Surely no one can
doubt the Savior's meaning-my disciples must die with me." Our
Lord's new commandment was most loyally obeyed. And the flame of this entirely
new affection on earth, streaming forth from the holy fires burning: in the
early Church, proved a most mighty influence in the spread of the Gospel. And
we, too, are determined, are we not, that our fellowship shall be similarly
attested; that men shall be constrained to say of us, as of them: "See how
these Christians love one another!" - P. L. Read. British Correspondent
In
recent months Brother John Thompson has written advising that, because of
increasing opportunities of service in other branches of the ministry, he
believes he should relinquish the duties and privileges of service as our
British Correspondent, as soon as a suitable successor could be found. It
has been a source of much satisfaction to us to have had the fine cooperation
of Brother Thompson for the past five years. We can only wish him well in his
expanding fields of Christian endeavor. Meantime, we are glad to inform our
British subscribers that, in his last letter, ]Brother Thompson tells us that
he has been successful in securing the services of another brother, who is not
only favorably known to himself but also to other brethren in various parts of
the British Isles-especially in the London area. The brother's name and address
are given below:
Entered Into Rest
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