VOL.
LXIII. October/November 1980 No. 5 Our Priceless Heritage in the Bible Weeping All Night"Keeping
may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
- Psalm 30:5 NO
OTHER book treats the matter of human woe and sorrow in the wise,
tender, sympathetic, helpful manner of the Bible. It assures us that
however cold, heartless and disappointing the world may be and our friends
may be, or those from whom we may have expected better things, we have,
nevertheless, a God of sympathy -- a God of love. No heathen religion
knows anything of such a God. With them God's attributes are merely more
or less of ferocity. Their gods are to be placated and worshiped from
fear of what they otherwise would do to their creatures. The God of
the Bible assures us of his love, his sympathy, in all of our distresses
-- his interest in our affairs and his provision for the ultimate
welfare of all those who will come into the attitude of loving
righteousness and hating iniquity -- the only proper attitude of heart,
the only one which he can approve and bless with everlasting life. A NIGHT OF SORROW AND DEATHThe
Scriptures point out to us what we recognize to be the truth-that the
world has been under a pall and blight and curse of death for six thousand
years. Appropriately our text describes this period as a dark time of
hard, lighting experiences, a night of weeping -- of sorrow. In harmony
with this figure it declares that "darkness covers the [civilized]
earth and gross darkness the people." Not
alone does this condition affect those who are in alienation from God
through ignorance and superstition and the power of sin, but it affects
also those who have accepted the grace of God, who have turned their
backs upon sin and who are seeking to walk in the narrow way, in the
footsteps of Jesus. Well does the Apostle say, "The whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but
ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our Body" -- the Body of which Jesus is the Head or
Chief and we are symbolical members or an under-priesthood (Rom. 8:22,
23). There
is a difference, however, between the Church and the world in this
groaning, as suggested by the Apostle's words. The world groans aloud
without alleviation, and even its waiting for the manifestation of the
sons of God is a waiting in ignorance; for, being out of touch with the
Eternal One, they know not of his gracious purposes and arrangements --
for these are kept secret from all except his sanctified ones. "The
secret of the Lord is with them that fear [reverence] him; and he will
show them his Covenant" (Ps. 25:14). These who possess the secret of
the Lord "sorrow not as others who have no hope" (1 Thess.
4:13). They "groan
inwardly" and wait for the glorification of themselves and all the
brethren, members of the symbolical Body of Christ, by participation in
the First Resurrection. The hopes of these must be realized first, before
the blessing can come to the "groaning creation" in general.
The latter are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God; namely,
the Church in glory. A LIGHT IN A DARK PLACEThe
Bible represents itself as being the candle of the Lord, the lamp of
Divine Truth and enlightenment. But it tells us that its light is not
for the world -either now or at any time future. Its light is only for
those who by faith and obedience unto consecration seek to walk in the
footsteps of Jesus. They need the light. God provides it for them. These
are represented by the Prophet as saying to the Lord, "Thy Word is
a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path [footsteps]" (Ps. 119:105).
This light evidently does not shine far into the future, but enough
for each onward step as it becomes due. St.
Peter amplifies the same thought. After telling us of the assurance
which he himself and his associates had upon the Mount of
Transfiguration when they beheld "the
vision" (Matt. 17:1-9) of
the Lord miraculously transformed and with him Moses and Elijah and heard
the voice from heaven, it was forceful to their minds as teaching the
coming of our Lord in glory, in due time. Nevertheless, says the Apostle,
honoring the Bible above any vision, "We have a more sure word of
prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that
shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise"
(2 Pet. 1:19), indicating that the morning is at hand and that the Sun of
Righteousness will soon fulfill its mission of blessing all the families
of the earth. BUT WHY IS THIS THUS?Why
does God permit the reign of sin and death, injustice, unrighteousness,
sorrow, trouble, pain, headaches, heartaches, etc.? Why does he not deal
with humanity graciously, kindly, lovingly, as a Father -as he deals
with the angelic sons of God? Is it just or loving on the part of our
Creator to bring forth millions of his creatures under these admittedly
unfavorable conditions-beset by weaknesses and sinwardness from their
birth and surrounded by others similarly weak, and beset by Satan and his
minions -- wicked spirits? Is it just that we should thus be in an unequal
fight subjected to weaknesses and dying and imperfect conditions on
account of the sin of our first parents and then, on the same account,
be in danger of an eternity of torture with nine hundred and ninety-nine
chances out of a thousand against us? The
inheritance of weaknesses, blemishes, sorrows, pain, and trouble, to
which we were born, is quite sufficient and, according to the Scriptures,
these are all part of death, and all reach their culmination in death,
which is the real penalty for
sin prescribed by our Creator. The fact that these blemishes still
continue with the race proves that their sins are not yet blotted out, and
to this agree the Scriptures which point us to the oncoming glorious day
of blessing a thousand years long, the Millennium, in which Divine
blessing will be bestowed upon every member of Adam's race. The merit of
Christ's sacrifice, the ransom-price for sinners which he laid down,
will by that time be made available "for the sins of the whole
world." The
merit of that sacrifice has already been applied to the Church --
"The household of faith" -- since Pentecost. It has brought to
this class very special privileges, though very different ones from those
it will bring to the world during the Millennium. The willing and
obedient of the world will then get restitution
gradually (Acts 3:20), back to human perfection and a worldwide Edenic
home. The blessing upon the Church is different. The promise now made to
those who can and will walk by faith and not by sight is a heavenly one.
They are to have a heavenly or spiritual reward and in their resurrection
become partakers of the divine nature and have no share thereafter in
human nature. The conditions of the present time are severe,
proportionately to the greatness and grandeur of their heavenly calling.
The terms of acceptance to the divine nature include not only faith and
love, but a self-sacrificing will. These sacrifice their earthly
restitution rights and privileges for the privilege of suffering with
Christ, that they may also reign with him in his Millennial Kingdom. LEARNING BY SUFFERINGThe
same thought is elsewhere expressed. Only those who hear his voice and
obey him as the Teacher sent of God will be successful in their endeavor
to become members of the "Royal Priesthood," now being
selected from the world. Only those who, during the Millennial Age, will
hear and obey will there receive this great blessing of eternal salvation
-- eternal life under Divine favor, free from the curse. The reward to the
world in the close of the Millennium and the reward to the Church in the
close of this Gospel Age will each be eternal salvation; but the
Church's reward will include eternal glory, heavenly glory, and joint-heirship
with the Redeemer himself in his great work of administering God's
blessings to the world of mankind, as Mediator of the New Covenant between
God and men -- the world. It
seemed wise to our Heavenly Father that our Lord Jesus should learn
obedience through sufferings and be tested in respect to his willingness
to endure suffering for righteousness' sake. How appropriate it is that
the same Father should make similar arrangements for all of the Church,
whom he will receive from among the race of Adam to be members of the
Royal Priesthood under Jesus, the High Priest of our order. We see a
necessity for this, not only as respects our own testings and a thorough
proof of our own heart-loyalty to the Lord, but additionally we see a
wisdom on God's part in thus preparing a priesthood of the future. The
term priest as recognized among the Jews was not merely one who offered
sacrifices, although every priest was of necessity a sacrificer. The
special mission of the priestly tribe among the other tribes was that of
instructing, helping, healing, teaching. And so God is preparing a Royal
Priesthood for the Millennial Age to bless, to heal, to teach, to uplift
all the willing and obedient. The
royalty of the priesthood signifies that it will no longer be a
sacrificing class, for all sacrificing will be at an end. It will be a
glorious class, royal, of the Divine nature, and representatives with
our Lord Jesus of the Divine power. As priests who will have to do with
judging and chastening, healing, and helping humanity, how much sympathy
do we suppose that these Royal Priests should have? Are they not to be on
the Divine plane of glory, "members of the Body" of Messiah, the
great kingly priest after the order of Melchizedek? And of him has not the
Apostle written that he must be a faithful and merciful High Priest, able
also to sympathize with the people in their infirmities? Does he not
declare that it was for this reason that our Lord was touched with a
feeling for humanity's infirmities? And is it not in perfect keeping with
this that all those accepted as "members of his Body" should
have such experiences in this sacrificing time as would demonstrate their
loyalty to the Lord and guarantee their deep sympathetic interest in the
world, then committed to their care. To such will be committed the work of
human restitution, uplift out of
sin and death conditions -- mental, moral, and physical. THE MORNING OF JOYHow
glad we should be that our Heavenly Father's sympathy for us will provide
"a morning of joy" to be ushered in, in his "due
time!" Additionally he sympathizes with us to the extent that he has
given us in advance a message and Revelation and explanation to comfort
us, to sustain us in the way! We have already seen that this Revelation is
only for those who have the eyes of faith and the ears of faith at the
present time. "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears,
for they hear." "He that hath an ear, let him hear." We
recognize the wisdom of God in withholding the secret of his plan from the
world in general. We recognize that for the world to know the deep things
of God at the present time would be injurious rather than helpful to
them. It might possibly work an interference with the Divine Program.
Nevertheless we are bound to sympathize with the poor groaning creation in
its blindness and ignorance. The poor world knows not why it came into
being. In an animal fashion, eating, drinking, etc., it seeks to use the
opportunities of present life and after a few short years full of
trouble, it goes down into the tomb, ignorant of the purposes of its
creation, and usually considerably appalled by fear respecting the future
beyond the portals of death. How
we may rejoice in spirit as we perceive the length and breadth and height
and depth of the Divine Program for the future and the blessings which it
will bring to this "groaning creation." How we long for the time
to come when the Church shall be made ready through the sufferings of this
present time for the glories of the future -of the Kingdom! No wonder
the Apostle declares, "He that hath this hope in him Lots] himself
even as he [the Lord] is pure (1 John 3:3). He is our exemplar, our
pattern. We seek to copy him. Although we cannot hope to be like him in
the flesh, we can be like him in the spirit of our minds and thus be of
the character-likeness which the Father will be pleased to honor with a
share in the "First Resurrection." By that glorious
"change" we shall be made like him actually and see him as he is
and share his glory. The
morning of joy, the Millennial Morning, of course, cannot be ushered in
until the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. Its beams of grace and Truth
will flood the earth with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
to such a degree that it will drive out, expel, all ignorance,
superstition and sin, which have worked such havoc in our race. But
what is this Sun of Righteousness? Whence comes it? The Bible answers
the question by telling us that it symbolically represents the Lord
himself and the elect Church of this Gospel Age. The Sun of Righteousness
is a synonym for the Seed of Abraham, of whom it is written, "In thee
shall all the families of the earth be blessed." The Mystery hidden
for a time from many is the fact that the Church is to share with her Lord
in every feature of his glorious work, not only in suffering, but also
in reigning. Thus we have St. Paul's assurance that the overcomers will be
members of the Seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29). And we have our Lord's own
words that this faithful class will be represented in the great Sun of
Righteousness, the Great Messiah, the great Prophet, Priest, King, and
Mediator between God and men (Matt. 13:43). "WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS"St.
Peter, in viewing the prospects of the Church, inquires as to "what
manner of persons we ought to be in all manner of holy living and
godliness." He refers to us, who know that the present order of
things is the reign of sin and death from which our Lord died to deliver
us. What manner of persons ought we to
be, who have heard the Lord's invitation to joint-heirship in his Kingdom,
and who know that we are now on trial to determine by our voluntary course
our worthiness or unworthiness of that glorious position to which we
have been called by God's favor! How paltry, how insignificant, do all
the affairs of the world appear in comparison to this great prize
set before us in the gospel! And
what should be our attitude toward the world, seeing from this inside
standpoint of Divine Revelation the real condition of the world and
God's sympathy for it? Its ignorance should make us very sympathetic,
and very much disposed to lend a helping hand of relief in every
possible manner. We should be ever ready to remove the scales of blindness
from the mental vision of all who give indication of a desire for God -
any who seem to be "feeling after God, if haply they might find
him" (Acts 17:2 7). Only such will be ready for the Kingdom, fit for
the Royal Priesthood, every member of which must be "touched with a
feeling" for earth's infirmities. -
C. T Russell "Even at the Doors""What
will be the sign of thy
presence, and of the
consummation of the
age?" - Matthew 24:3 (Diaglott). IT
HAS been well observed that "broadly speaking there are two methods
of studying the Scriptures, one, the telescopic, following the wide sweep
of the development of the purpose of God in history and prophecy. The
other, the microscopic, occupied rather with the detail of that development,
and particularly with the words in which it is expressed." The
telescopic, rather than the microscopic, has been, for the most part, the
method followed in the previous installments of this series. In this,
and in occasional subsequent installments, which it may be our privilege
to submit, we expect to use, chiefly, the microscopic, although not to
the exclusion of the telescopic, "for indeed the two are not
rivals, each is good, and one the complement of the other." PAROUSIAIn
the November-December 1979 and the January-February 1980 issues of the Herald
we discussed, at some length, the meaning of the Greek word parousia,
noting that in every place in which it appears in the New Testament
its meaning is presence. We endeavored to show that in none of its
twenty-four occurrences does it mean arrival merely, but always
includes what follows an arrival, namely, the presence of the individual
who has arrived. As an able scholar has noted: "Always, wherever it
occurs, parousia refers to a period of time more or less extended.
The usual translation, coning, is misleading, because coming is
more appropriate to other words, such as erchomai (Luke 12:45); eleusis
(Acts 7:52); eisodos (Acts 13:23, 25); the difference being
that whereas these words fix the attention on the journey to, and arrival
at, a place, parousia fixes it on the stay which follows on the
arrival there." - W. E. Vine Below
we submit, in question form, a few supplementary notes relating to this
important subject. Question
No. 1 Is
Christ's parousia identical with that which the Scriptures
elsewhere speak of as the Day of Christ? Answer: The
phrase Day of Christ (or variations of the phrase having similar
import) appears in six Scriptures as follows: Day
of Christ Total 6 Note: In
the Authorized Version, the phrase Day of Christ also appears in 2
Thessalonians 2:2, but the translation there is erroneous. A preferred
translation is given in the Revised Standard Version, namely, Day of
the Lord. The New World Translation renders the phrase, Day of
Jehovah. DAY OF CHRIST HAS TO DO WITH CHRISTIANS ONLYExamination
of the six passages above-listed shows that they each refer to the same
period; and that this period has to do with Christians only -- the
remainder of mankind not being under consideration in any one of the six. For
example, in 1 Corinthians 5:5, the Apostle expresses his judgment as to
the action which the church at Corinth should take in connection with a
brother Christian who had lapsed into grievous sin, and who was continuing
in an unrepentant condition. The Apostle's judgment was that the Church
should "deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the
flesh, that the spirit [the newly begotten nature] may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus." This,
doubtless, is the same "Day" to which he had referred earlier
in this same Epistle; that day in which the work of Christians will be
made manifest; the day in which, if a man's work abide, he shall receive a
reward; the day in which, if any man's work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss; but he, himself, shall be saved; yet so as by fire. - 1
Corinthians 3:12-15. In
Philippians 1:10, another of our six "Day of Christ" Scriptures,
the Apostle exhorts the brethren at Philippi to "be sincere and
without offence till the Day of Christ." In
Philippians 1:6 he tells them that God, who has begun a good work in them,
"will perform it until the Day of Jesus Christ." Again,
in 1 Corinthians 1:8, he assures the church at Corinth of the confirming
work of God in them, so that they "may be blameless in the Day of
our Lord Jesus Christ." Looking
forward to the same time, he says, in 2 Corinthians 1:14, "we are
your rejoicing, even as ye also are our's, in the Day of the Lord
Jesus." PAROUSIA AND DAY OF CHRIST ARE INTERCHANGEABLE TERMSMoreover,
the language in each of our six Scriptures resembles that used elsewhere
concerning the parousia. Compare, for example, 1 Thessalonians
2:19 and 1 John 2:28 with Philippians 2:16. In 1 Thessalonians 2:19 the
Apostle Paul asks: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at
[in] his parousia?" In 1 John 2:28, another Apostle,
anticipating the same time, says, "And now, little children, abide in
him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be
ashamed before him at [in] his parousia."
In other words, the Apostle John desires that both he, himself, and they
who have been the objects of his care, may have boldness and not be
ashamed, when they come before the judgment seat of Christ, in the period
of his presence -- his parousia. However,
in Philippians 2:16, the last of our six "Day of Christ" Scriptures
to be reviewed, we find the Apostle Paul expressing a similar desire (to
that expressed by the Apostle John) in regard to the church at Philippi
with whom he had labored, but, instead of calling it the parousia, he uses
the other term, namely, the Day of Christ. He expresses his desire that
they should be blameless and harmless, and should shine as lights in the
world, that he might "rejoice in the Day of Christ," that he had
not run in vain, neither labored in vain. In
the light of the Scriptures considered foregoing, it is difficult to
avoid the conclusion that the period referred to in some Scriptures as
Christ's parousia is identical with the period referred to in other
Scriptures as the Day of Christ. HOW IS THE DAY OF CHRIST INTRODUCED?Apparently
the resurrection of the sleeping members of the church, followed by the
"change" of those who "are alive and remain"
(expounded by the Apostle in 1 Thess. 4:16, 17 and 1 Cor. 15:51-53),
introduces the Day of Christ -- the period of his parousia. Then it is
that "we," that is to say, the members of the church, shall all
stand before the judgment seat of God (Rom. 14:10, RSV) which, since the
Father "hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22),
is the same as appearing before the judgment seat of Christ, "in
order that each [member of the church] may then receive an award for his
actions in this life, in accordance with what he has done [literally
practiced], whether it be good or whether it be worthless." - 2
Corinthians 5:10, Weymouth. To
the same effect, note the instructive words of Brother Russell in his 1916
Foreword to S.S., Vol. 3: "Messiah's
Kingdom has various stages of inauguration. First, in his parousia the
glorified Jesus quickens, or resurrects, the sleeping members of the Body
of Christ. This is the first executive act of the Great One God has so
highly exalted -- the Heir of the great Abrahamic promise. . . . Next in
order the Master deals with the living members of his Body the
Church." Question
No. 2 Is
the Day of Christ identical with the Day of the Lord? Answer: Hogg
and Vine, in their Notes on the Epistles to the Thessalonians, have
pointed out a number of considerations which, in their judgment, go to
show that the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord are distinct periods.
Included in the considerations they list are the following: (1)
The Day of the Lord, since it is a period of judgment and punishment, is a
"great and terrible day" (Joel 2:31), and is to be anticipated
with dread; the Day of Christ, since it is a period of rest and reward, is
to be anticipated with joy (chastened by the solemn consideration that
then the believer is to render account of himself to Christ). (2)
From the Day of the Lord believers are to be delivered; in the Day of
Christ they are to meet him, and be with him. In
the Divine Plan of the Ages, its author, C. T. Russell, devotes a whole
chapter to the Day of Jehovah. Amongst other matters discussed there, he
observes that "It is called the Day of Jehovah because, though
Christ, with royal title and power, will be present as Jehovah's representative,
taking charge of all the affairs during this day of trouble, it is more as
the General of Jehovah, subduing all things, than as the Prince of Peace,
blessing all." - Pages A307-A341. The
phrase "Day of the Lord" occurs in many Old Testament Scriptures.
Invariably the meaning is Day of Jehovah, and it is so translated in the
American Standard Version (1901). n
the New Testament the phrase "Day of the Lord" appears in only
four Scriptures, namely, Acts 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians
2:2; and 2 Peter 3:10. Let us look at them briefly, and see for ourselves
that in each of them the evident reference is not to the Day of Christ but
to the Day of Jehovah. The
first reference, Acts 2:20, is part of Peter's illustrious sermon
delivered on the Day of Pentecost. It comes towards the end of a paragraph
extending from Acts 2:17 to Acts 2:21, and is cited from Joel 2:28-32.
No scholar will question that "the great and terrible Day of the
Lord" in Joel's prophecy, and in Peter's citation, have reference to
the Day of Jehovah; not to the Day of Christ. Coming
now to the second of our four Scriptures, namely, 1 Thessalonians 5:2,
and considering, at the same time, our fourth, namely, 2 Peter 3:10, we
take pleasure in submitting the comment of William Neil, in the Moffatt
Commentary. After pointing out that the Day of the Lord Jesus
"becomes interchangeable with the Day of Christ" (as we
ourselves have noted in an earlier paragraph), he goes on to say: "Here
and in 2 Peter 3:10, the expression 'Day of the Lord' is used as in the
Old Testament." Moffatt's
translation of the next verse, namely, 1 Thessalonians 5:3, reads "At
such a time, when 'all's well' and 'all is safe' are on the lips of men,
then all of a sudden Destruction is upon them, like pangs on a pregnant
woman -- escape there is none." Neil,
after quoting this verse, continues his comment as follows: "The
whole sentence clearly refers, not to the Ecclesia, but to the . . .
world. This vivid and terrifying picture is paralleled in Isaiah 13:6-8,
where the coming of the Day of the Lord is with more graphic detail likewise
compared with a woman's labor pains. . . . Ezekiel's warning to Jerusalem
(Eze. 13:10) prophesying disaster upon those who said 'Peace' when there
was no peace, is in similar vein (cf. Jer. 6:14, 8:11) . . . . "The
Destruction will be overwhelming, complete, and cataclysmic, as it was
in the days of Noah, when the Deluge obliterated an evil world, or when
God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
for their wickedness. This was the Old Testament view of what would happen
at [in] the Day of the Lord. (Isa. 13:6 ff; Ezek. 30:3 ff; Joel 2:1
ff; Zeph. 1:14 ff; Zech. 14, etc.), and it is likewise the New Testament
view of the Day [of Jehovah] that is impending." - Acts 2:20. 2 THESSALONIANS 2:2
We
have one more of our four "Day of the Lord" New Testament Scriptures
to be reviewed, namely, 2 Thessalonians 2:2. In
an earlier paragraph we drew attention to a mistranslation in the Authorized
Version noting that instead of "Day of Christ" the phrase in
this verse should read "Day of the Lord" (or, preferably, "Day
of Jehovah")'. This distinction will be helpful now, as we review
this verse and its context. It
is apparent, from the opening verses of his First Letter to the Thessalonians,
that when he had brought the Gospel to them, the Apostle had not only
taught them to turn to God from idols, but also to "wait for his son
from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us
from the wrath to come." - 1 Thessalonians 1:10, ASV (1901). His
stay among these new converts had been but brief, and in the interval
between his departure from their city and the writing of his first letter
to them, he had heard that some of their number had died. Not only had
these losses plunged them into sorrow; they were perplexed by them,
uncertain as to the consequences, to those of their brethren who had died,
of their removal, by death, before the fulfillment of the promise of
Jesus to come to deliver them from the threatened calamity, namely,
"the wrath to come." And this perplexity would be greater if, as
is possible, the deaths had been the result of persecution. Might not that
mean that they had been the victims of the very catastrophe-the Day of
the Lord-from which they had been promised deliverance? Not
only so, but what did these happenings mean so far as they, themselves,
were concerned? Had the Lord Jesus come and delivered the faithful but,
for some unexplained reason, failed to deliver them? If so, did that mean
that they were now in the midst of the Day of Jehovah, that "great
and terrible day" spoken of by the Old Testament prophets? To
allay these fears, and give them comfort, they needed, first, a reassuring
word from the Apostle, "concerning the parousia of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him" (2 Thess. 2:1).
Such a reassuring word he was able to give them as the result of a new
revelation which the Lord had given him, which he communicated to them in
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In
the second place, while they did not need any new revelation from the
:Lord, through the Apostle, in regard to the Day of Jehovah, it is evident
that they did need another reminder of what he had previously told them
about that day. Certain developments must precede the coming of that
day. This he had told them, not once, but frequently, when he was with
them. "Remember ye not, that, when I was with you I told you these
things?" (2 Thess. 2:5). Note: The word "told" is in
continuous tense: "I used to tell you." Their
present trials, therefore, severe though they were, could not be an indication
that that day (the Day of Jehovah) had arrived, for those "certain
developments" had not yet occurred. WHAT DEVELOPMENTS WERE FORETOLD TO PRECEDETHE DAY OF JEHOVAH?What
were those "certain developments" which the Apostle "used
to tell" them about, when he was with them -- developments which must
precede (not the Day of Christ, but) the Day of Jehovah? The
Apostle refers to them in the context. One of them was "the falling
away," "the apostasy" or, as the word apostasia may
be rendered, "the departure." - 2 Thess. 2:3. Another
was the development of the spirit of lawlessness (which, at the time the
Apostle wrote, "doth already work" - 2 Thess. 2:7) into the Man
of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3); otherwise designated by the Apostle as "That
Wicked One" (2 Thess. 2:8) and "The Son of Perdition" (2
Thess. 2:3). This character is termed by the prophet Daniel "The
Abomination that maketh desolate" (Dan. 11:31; 12:11). It is referred
to by our Lord as "The abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel
the prophet" (Matt. 24:15). It is prefigured by a "little
horn" (coming out of a "terrible beast" that Daniel saw in
his prophetic vision) which had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things,
and which made war with the saints and prevailed against them (Dan. 7:8,
21). Moreover, it is seen also and warned against by the Apostle John.
"Ye have heard that Antichrist shall come" (1 John 2:18-27). It
is discussed in detail in the Book of Revelation. Yet
another foretold development was the presence of a restraining influence
which was even then at work, hindering the manifestation of the Lawless
One until the time appointed. What this restraining influence was the
Apostle knew; so also did the brethren at Thessalonica to whom he wrote (2
Thess. 2:6). This restraint against lawlessness would be exercised until
the restrainer is "taken out of the way" (2 Thess. 2:7). Then,
but not until then, would the Lawless One be revealed. - 2 Thess. 2:8. The
Apostle, who, in this passage, is pointing forward (from his day) to the Day
of Jehovah, passes over (except for a brief mention in 2 Thess. 2:9
and 2 Thess. 2:10, of the Man of Sin's Satanic power and deceitful
influence) the long interval of the "Dark Ages" during which
this Man of Sin held sway over the nations, and speaks at once of his
doom. - 2 Thess. 2:8. Note:
In The
Time Is at Hand, its author, C. T. Russell, devotes a whole chapter to
an exposition of "The Man of Sin." A review of that chapter
should prove helpful at this time in connection with this study. HOW IS THE DAY OF JEHOVAH INTRODUCED?In
an earlier paragraph we considered the question: "How is the Day
of Christ introduced?" and we expressed the belief that that
"day," otherwise called Christ's parousia, would
commence with the resurrection of the sleeping members of the church, followed
by the change of those who "are alive and remain." We now inquire:
How is the Day
of Jehovah introduced?
Do the Scriptures reveal the answer to this question? It
is our conviction that they do. We understand them to teach that it will
be introduced by our glorified Lord Jesus, accompanied by his glorified
Church, when the manifestation of his presence takes place. On what
Scriptures is our belief based? One is given in the context of 2
Thessalonians 2:2 - the last of our
four
"Day of Jehovah" Scriptures just reviewed. We refer again to 2
Thess. 2:8 which, in the ASV (1901) margin reads: "Then
shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the
breath of his mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation (epiphaneia)
of his
presence (parousia)." That
the Church will be with the Lord Jesus when he is thus manifested, may
be seen from Colossians 3:4, which, in the ASV (1901) reads: "When
Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him
be manifested in glory." SUMMARYIn
the foregoing paragraphs, we have endeavored to show: 1)
The period of Christ's parousia
is identical with the
period referred to in other Scriptures as the Day
of Christ. 2)
The above-mentioned period has to do with Christians only; the remainder
of mankind not being under consideration in any one of the six Scriptures
in which the Day of
Christ is mentioned. 3)
This period is introduced by the glorified Lord Jesus, who first resurrects
the sleeping members of the church; afterwards effecting the
"change" of those who "are alive and remain." -1
Thessalonians 4:13-18. 4)
Following the rapture of the Church and during the period of the parousia
(or Day
of Christ) all the
members of the church appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order
that each may receive an award for his or her actions in this life; in accordance
with what he or she has practiced. 5)
The Day of
Christ and
the Day of Jehovah are
distinct periods. 6)
No attempt has been made, in this installment, to determine, or even to
suggest, (a) the date when the Day
of Christ
begins, (b) how long a
period it is, or (c) the date when it ends. The manifestation of his
presence with his church brings this period to an end and introduces the
next period -- the Day of
Jehovah. (Continued
in next issue). -
P. L. Read The Valley of Dry Bones1. Bone coming to Bone 2. A Nation Born in a Day 3. Descent of the SpiritThis is the last installment of a series
written against the background of belief held by many students of the
prophetic word to the effect that before the Messianic Age commences there
is to be a restored and unified nation of Israel gathered in the Holy
Land to play an important part an the evangelistic work of that Age. The
vision of the valley of dry bones, seen by the prophet Ezekiel and
recorded in his 37th chapter, is a parable of the manner in which that
restoration is to take place. A NATION BORN IN A DAY"And
when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the
skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them" (Ezek. 37:8). This
is the second stage in Ezekiel's vision. At first he had seen the
heterogeneous collection of disjointed bones lying in the plain coming
together and joining themselves together to form complete skeletons
-lifeless, unmoving, but skeletons nevertheless. Now he saw the skeletons
growing and changing into bodies; sinews, flesh and skin appearing as if
from nowhere and clothing those bones so that now the plain appeared full
of recumbent bodies-still, and without movement, but in every respect
complete and perfect, needing only the spirit of life from God to vivify
and animate them and set them on their feet, a living and mighty host. A
very fair analogy can be drawn here between the vision as recorded and the
actual development of Ezekiel's people into a nation in the latter days.
If, as outlined in the first part of this treatise, the coming together of
bone to bone could be held to picture the slow assembling of the framework
of the Jewish State mnd
people during the period between 1897, when Theodore Herzl ;et in motion
the forces which have resulted in the present situation, and 1948, when
the Israeli State was formally proclaimed and began its independent
existence, then quite logically the years since 1948, when the nation has
been steadily gathering strength and solidity, could well be pictured by
the sinews, the flesh and the skin covering those bones. That which was a
bare skeleton in 1948 is now in fair process of becoming a well-rounded
out body. At
the establishment of the State in 1948 there were 650,000 Jews in
Palestine, and with the departure of the Mandatory Power they were left
with a land that was virtually bankrupt, without government, without
organization and without resources. Almost every function of modern
civilized national administration came to an end and by all the rules the
land should have relapsed overnight into anarchy, a read prey to the
invaders who waste eagerly around its frontiers. Today, little more than
thirty years later, there are more than 3,000,000 Jewish inhabitants
living and reasonably prospering under a well-planned and well-run
Administration which has won the admiration and envy of other nations and
is already extending its influence and assistance to other emerging
nations in Asia and Africa. Israel may have been a skeleton in 1948; it
is most certainly not so to-day. First
of all, the sinews cover the bones. Money has often been called the sinews
of war; in this case money became the sinews of peace. Not only money, but
men, immigrants, poured into Israel from the very first day of the new
regime. The restriction imposed by Britain in 1936 in a desperate attempt
a Arab appeasement vanished over night; the doors were thrown open to all
who would, of the sons of Jacob, to return. And return they did, from
every place under heaven, creating an immediate problem which all but
wrecked the struggling embryo nation. Money came too; many Jews,
particularly in America, who for various reasons were not prepared to join
in the rush for the land, made their contribution in cash or in
financial assistance so that the nation could begin to put itself upon a
commercial basis. The bones could not boast of flesh at first, but they
certainly began to acquire some sinews, something to give the muscular
power which they would need so much later on. As the facilities became
available so industries began to re-o en or to develop. Stagnated or
relict farms began to be cultivated. Struggling communities unable for
years to do more than produce enough to keep themselves alive began to
organise and increase production so that they could contribute a share to
the nation's export business, essential if the nation was to survive at
all in this modern competitive and commercially minded world. Men came
searching for new outlets of business and production, like the Australian
who remembered the sulphur nuggets he found during his war service in
Palestine, came back and explored, and started a prosperous sulphur mining
industry. Imaginative schemes were drawn up for exploiting the country
s incipient resources, such as the gigantic water pipeline running two
hundred miles or so from the head waters of the Jordan in the far north
to the parched deserts of the Negev in the south, bringing the blessings
of irrigation and abundant water to the farming communities struggling to
make the wilderness blossom as the rose. That pipe-line was a sinew
indeed! So the sinews appeared on the bones as the strength and resources,
the industries and trades, began to grow and become established. After
the sinews in Ezekiel's vision came the flesh, clothing the bare bones
with a semblance of shape and form. So, after the basis of the new
nation's economy had been assured by the provision of men, and of money,
and of farm implements, and of factories, and of ships, and of all the
means which a nation must have if it is to grow and prosper, came the
fruit of these things. Crops, herds, manufactures, raw materials gathered
from the land itself, minerals, oil, fertilizers, all these began to
appear in increasing measure both for the enrichment of the national
life and for export further to enhance the national stability. So,
at a certain point, the skin began to cover the body, sign of a completion
and rounding out of this second stage in the revival of the dry bones.
Social and commercial organization, the establishment of stable
financial and political institutions, all that makes for a sound
national economy; in short, an orderly and firmly seated Government
administering the affairs of a virile and thriving community conscious of
its own potentialities and determined to maintain its own separate
identity in a world at the same time friendly 'and hostile according to
circumstances. Here was the skin, the medium which held the fabric of the
nation together, binding the elements of the body together and enabling
it to present a united and homogeneous front to the world. It
cannot be said that this second stage is anything like complete at the
present time. Israel is a secular State; there is no question of reliance
completely and utterly upon the power of God for their national prosperity
and safety. S:, there is no question yet of the breath of life from God
blowing upon them to vivify those rapidly developing bodies. The sinews
and the flesh and the skin are still in process of clothing the dry bones,
and not until that process is seen to be complete can the third and
final stage be expected. Just to look at things from the strictly natural
point of view, it is obvious that the polity of Israel is still upon a
very insecure footing. Economically they are only just beginning to become
truly self supporting; politically there are internal strifes and
conflicts and externally the ever-present menace of the Arab world,
planning and preparing for the day of decision. Religiously, even
although honour is paid to the Bible in the highest circles and religious
thought and observance probably stands at a higher level than any European
or American country, it cannot by any stretch of the imagination be
likened to the Holy Nation which will at the end experience the most
spectacular of every Divine deliverance which the world has ever witnessed.
We must expect the present process yet to continue until the nation has
measurably fulfilled the glowing predictions of Isaiah and Jeremiah "They
shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the
goodness of the Lord, for wheat and for wine, and for oil, and for the
young of the flock and the herd . " (Jer. 31:12). " . . . the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten
cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land" (Ezek.
38:12). "Thy waste and thy
desolate places and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too
narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall
be far away" (Isa. 49:19. "The
seed shall be prosperous; t e vine shall give her increase, and the
heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people
to possess all these things" (Zech. 8:12). Some of these Scriptures
draw attention to a problem which is even now facing Israel, the limited
area of land available for the rapidly increasing population. The
present territory of Israel amounts to no more than about 9,000 square
miles; the land which God promised to Abraham and his seed for an
everlasting possession, the land which is to become the Holy Land of the
Messianic Age and which is to be possessed by the Holy Nation before the
work of that Age begins, amounts to many times that area. Somehow or
other, before the final onslaught of the forces of evil upon the serene
and confident Holy Nation at the full end of the Age, a great accession
of territory to the nation has to take place. How that will come about
is not at present clear, but that it must be so is necessitated by the
Divine promise and purpose. It is not yet true that the holy city of
Jerusalem is delivered from the power of the Gentiles. The 1967 war did
certainly bring the whole of the city under Israeli control, but it is
still too early to say whether this is going to be permanent. When Jesus
said (Luke 21:24) that Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled, He was undoubtedly
referring to Gentile power over Israel as a whole, and at the present time
Israel is still dependent upon a great deal of Gentile help and protection.
Not until the new nation is standing completely independent of outside
support can it be truly said that the treading down by the Gentiles has
ceased. The site of the Temple on Mount Moriah, the holiest place in the
world to the believing Jew, is still occupied by the Moslem shrine,
equally holy to all true Moslems, known as the Dome of the Rock. This is a
question which has yet to be settled and perhaps will not be settled
until there are far more peaceable relations between the two peoples
than is the case at present. These and many similar problems have to be
solved and Israel enter much more fully than is the case at present into
possession of the Land of Promise before it can be said that the clothing
of the dry bones with sinews, flesh and skin has been completed and the
time has come for the Divine Spirit to inbreathe new life into that nation
that it may live and stand upon its feet, an exceeding great army. The
promise to Abraham envisaged a land of Israel stretching from Sinai to
the Euphrates but any development which brings such an extension of
territory into view must pre-suppose the peaceful solution of what is
euphemistically termed the "Arab problem" and the establishment
of friendly relations between Israeli and Arab. That such an outcome is
not outside the realm of practical possibility is demonstrated by the
recent peace treaty concluded between Egypt and Israel. One has to
remember that the Divine promise to Abraham was not confined to Israel
only; God also declared that He had plans for Ishmael, progenitor of the
bulk of the Arabs, that he also would become a great people. Somehow,
therefore, it may yet be found that a perhaps quite unexpected turn of
events will bring the Arab world into the sphere of Divine purpose at
the end of the Age. Here is ample scope for watching with keen interest
the day-by-day developments in that land and perceiving how the Divine
purpose is moving steadily toward its fore-ordained climax. At
some future time, then, how far in the future we do not at this time see,
the bones will have been completely clothed and the Spirit waiting to come
upon the nation. What is the great event which so turns Israel's heart
that the Spirit can enter in? That is the next question to answer. The
Spirit cannot come unless the people are ready; God cannot deliver unless
the people believe and trust; that is fundamental in all his dealings.
So before the last great onslaught, when God rises up as He did in the day
of battle to deliver his people from their enemies, the people must have
been converted. By what power or influence will that great change have
been effected? The breathing of the wind of God upon those slain depends
upon that! DESCENT OF THE SPIRITThe
fulfillment of the third phase of this vision lies altogether in the
future. We do not yet see the descent of the Divine Spirit upon Israel,
although that epoch-making event is plainly foretold in Scripture and many
of its associated effects minutely described. It is a happening which
will be clearly evident to the peoples of earth, one about which there can
and will be no mistake. There is no doubt therefore that it has not
happened yet, and Israel is still a nation without spirit, a body without
breath. Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones has been justified
by history only about halfway up to the present. "Then
said he unto me, Prophesy unto
the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord
God; Come from the our winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that
they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came
into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding
great army" (Ezek.
37:9-10). This
is one of the most telling passages in the Bible where the analogy between
breath and wind and the Holy Spirit is set forth. It is more than an
analogy; there is a definite relationship and there is much in the
revealed purpose of God which becomes more lucid when the connection
between human life, the powers of Nature, and the operation of the Holy
Spirit is understood. Here in this vision Ezekiel calls upon the four
winds to breathe into this vast army of recreated but inert bodies and
instil life into them, that they may live. In verse 14 the reality is
expressed as the impartation of the Spirit to the restored nation of
Israel. "Ye shall know that I
am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you
up out of your graves, and shall put m spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land:
then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it"
(37: 13-14). The same Hebrew word -- ruach
--is used in the Old Testament for "wind,"
"breath" and "spirit"; the Hebrew language recognizes
an affinity between the two ideas, that of the life-giving breath which
animates a man's physical body and makes him a living being, and the
Divine Spirit which is the vehicle of life from God to man. Right at the
beginning we have this conception; "the
Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). The
whole story of man's creation is built around the central truth that all
life comes from God and is continually dependent upon God; it is the
withdrawal of God-given life because of sin which brings death, and death
is thus the antithesis of life. So here in the vision of Ezekiel the
reality is the coming of the Holy Spirit in power upon the newly awakened
people of Israel to vivify them and endow them with life that they might
take their rightful place in the outworking Divine purpose at the end of
the Age. This
coming of the Spirit is with power. That is always the case when the Holy
Spirit descends to bestow new life. The verbal form rendered
"breathe" in this passage is naphach,
which is also used for "breathed" in Gen. 2:7 above quoted.
But no gentle, quiet inflow of air is indicated here. The word has the
implication of turbulence or irresistible force. Although it is nowhere
else used in the sense of breathing, naphach
is also rendered "I see a
seething pot" (Jer. 1:13); "out of his nostrils goeth smoke
as out of a seething pot or
cauldron" (Job 41:10); "I have created the smith that bloweth
the coals in the fire" (Isa. 54:16); " . . . into the midst
of the furnace, to blow upon the
fire, to melt it" (Ezek. 22:20); "Then the spirit took me up and
I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing"
(Ezek. 3:12). A seething, blowing, rushing, tumultuous blast which
forces its way into every nook and cranny and makes its presence known
with energy and power; that is the entry of the Spirit when God sets his
hand to perform a great and momentous work. So it was on the Day of
Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the waiting disciples and the
work of this present Christian Age began. "And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and
it filled all the house where they were sitting . . . and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:2-4). That is how Ezekiel
saw the four winds come together, sweep down from the sky, and breathe
life into those slain bodies, that they might live. So it was that they
received strength and stood on their feet, an exceeding great army. The
Hebrew prophets were very definite that the Spirit will thus one day come
upon Israel and fit them for their destiny. The preceding chapter of
Ezekiel's own prophecy, the 36th, is full of it. "A
new heart also will I give unto you, and a new Spirit will I put within
you ... and I will put my spirit within you" (Eze. 36:26-27).
Says Isaiah "I will pour my
spirit upon thy seed" (Eze. 44:3) and again "My spirit that is
upon thee . . . shall not depart ... henceforth and forever" (Eze.
59:21). The magnificent apocalyptic vision which constitutes the
subject of the 3rd and 4th chapters of Zechariah culminates in a Divine
declaration that the great mountain which is the symbol of evil is to be
destroyed by the instrumentality of the Lord's servant -- and Israel
is part of that servant -- "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of
Hosts" (Zech. 4:6-7). It is by that same power and that same
Spirit that the new governors of Israel in the End Time are to pledge themselves
and their people to loyalty to that same Lord of Hosts (Zech. 12:5) and it
is this that is to make Israel a living force, incapable of harm from her
enemies and irresistible in the work she has been Divinely ordained to
accomplish -- to be a light to the nations and to declare God's salvation
to the ends of the earth (Isa. 49:6). That is purified and consecrated
Israel's mission in the Messianic Age, the Age which is to succeed this
present one and the commencement of which is signaled by the Second Coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. One
thing intervenes, one obstacle the removal of which is necessary before
that people, now gathering strength in what will one day become the Holy
Land in truth, can experience the descent of the Spirit upon them. That
obstacle is unbelief. Until the people believe, until they repent, until
they come to God in faith and loyalty and trust themselves to his power
and leadership, the Spirit cannot come. Never yet has an unbeliever been
filled with the Spirit. Never yet has one become a member of the Kingdom
of Heaven without first putting off the works of darkness and putting on
the armour of light. The bones may have come together, bone to bone, by
the power of God; the flesh and the sinews and the skin may have formed
around them, but not until there is faith and surrender can the Divine
Spirit enter with its life giving breath and constitute that assemblage
of dead bodies a living and potent force for the evangelization of the
world. So as we look upon prophecy passing into history we can expect to
see noteworthy progress in the creation and development of a nation in
apparent fulfillment of all the old prophecies relating to Israel, but
we cannot expect to see another Pentecost until first there is
repentance, surrender, faith and prayer, and a waiting upon God just as
was the case with those disciples in the Upper Room two thousand years
ago. Until that position is reached the nation is not ready for its
destiny and the work of the Messianic Age cannot begin. What
will bring about such a national repentance,-for national it will be.
Temporal prosperity is hardly likely to do so; the tendency is usually in
the reverse direction. The achieving of security from present
threatening enemies, if security can be gained by the normal methods of
political and military action, is more likely to breed self assurance
than to increase faith in and reliance upon God. "Therefore
he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none
to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses." (Psa.
107:12). Throughout Israel's history, when they apostatized and forsook
the Divine covenant they fell into the power of their enemies and went
into captivity; so soon as they turned to the Lord in repentance He
delivered and restored them. The highlights of Israel's history were the
occasions of their deliverance from the Philistines in the days of
Samuel, the Moabites in the days of Jehoshaphat, and the Assyrians in
the days of Hezekiah (1 Sam. 7, 2 Chron. 20, and 2 Chron. 32) and each
time it was because they turned to the Lord in faith and He delivered
them. The prophetic Scriptures speak of one final trial of faith which is
yet to come upon Israel, when in vision the prophets see all nations
gathered against Jerusalem to battle, and God delivers. Zechariah and
Ezekiel and Habakkuk and Isaiah ate all quite certain about it and give,
each in his own characteristic fashion and as guided by the Holy Spirit,
his own vivid pen-picture of the event. Perhaps it is in that great crisis
that the faith and belief of Israel comes to the surface and God is able
to come forth from his place and fight for them, as the prophets say He
will come forth and fight, because at last they do cry unto him in their
trouble and receive from him in return the spirit of grace and
supplication which, to Zechariah at least, marks the turning point in
Israel's history (Zech. 12:10). When
will all this take place? If what is now to be witnessed in the
development of Israel is indeed the clothing of the bare bones with flesh,
sinew and skin, how soon before the Spirit descends to finish the work?
Not before the full end of the Age, for the conversion and purification of
latter day Israel, no less than their deliverance from their enemies, mark
the time when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of Christ,
that He may reign for ever and ever. There is much in the prophetic
Scriptures to fill in the details of that final troublous time when God
comes out of his place to intervene in earth's affairs and set up the kingdom
of righteousness which has been promised for so long. Every time there is
political trouble in the Middle East the eyes of many Christians are
turned in that direction; one day, of course, their watchfulness will be
rewarded and the end will come. In the meantime we can only go on looking
at the flesh and sinew building upon those bare bones, knowing of a surety
that as truly as the dry bones have become whole bodies in our own day and
before our own eyes, so will the Spirit sweep down from above at God's set
time and cause Israel, the earthly missionary nation of the Messianic Age,
to "live and stand up upon
their feet, an exceeding great army. " - A. O. Hudson Our Priceless Heritage in the Bible
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