Photograph above: - The Garden of Gethsemane
by Rev. McCormick, Coleraine.
ARE YOU SLEEPING
A poem by Rosalind Johnston
Are you sleeping in the
While the darkness
increases all around?
Wont you light a light and kneel and pray
and watch with Me,
As my blood and sweat fall mingled to
the ground?
Storm clouds are gathering over the
earth,
Yet My church
has not noticed the day.
The hour is so late and the signs in
the sky
Say its now
to prepare ye the way.
Were you there when the hunters were
hunting them out?
Where you there when
the flames lit the sky?
Were you there when they opened the
gates to the camps
Where theyd
herded My people to die?
Where you there when the bodies were
piled up high
Of My chosen, those brothers of Mine?
Were you there as
they worked them and starved them to death?
Did My church
weep and pray at that time?
And now as we watch they are hunting again,
Come, let us destroy her they say.
With lies and deception
they pursue
And are leading the whole world astray.
Theres a lie rising up that is called
With a people, a leader, a claim
To the land that belongs to the King of kings,
That Ive
given the Jews in My name.
O My body,
awake and do not be fooled!
For what a man sows
he will reap,
Give heed to the Word I have written
for you;
Stand up, take your Sword, do not sleep.
Dont you know that soon there is
coming the hour
When My
people, the Jews, will arise?
I will open their graves and raise them
to life,
Send My Spirit and open their eyes.
They will see their Messiah and give Me their hearts
That Ive
longed for, for so many years.
Then My glory
will shine over all the earth,
Therell be joy where once there was tears.
So where will you stand when I come
again?
Will you be with the goats or the
sheep?
Will you follow the lie that is called
Will you be amongst those who will
sleep?
Or will you be ready, alert and awake;
Will My sheep
fill their hearts with My Word?
Will you listen and watch and pray and
weep;
Will you be amongst those who have
heard?
Do not be foolish, for you I have
loved.
Youve been with Me right from the start.
Will you stand there with Me as I wait at the gate
To welcome home those in My heart:
My brothers, My
kin, those ones of My flesh,
Whove cursed me two thousand years long,
Who sold Me
to
But whove always been part of My song.
Will you be amongst those who join in
that song
That even the angels cant sing?
Will you watch and
pray and wait at that gate,
Although it will
cost everything?
Will you be amongst those who understand
The mystery of My
glorious bride?
A people called forth, both Gentile
and Jew,
A people born out of My side.
* * *
INDEX
851 HOPE By G. H. Lang.
852 THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE By G. H. Lang. [PART ONE]
853 GODS WORD FOREVER SETTLED By Clifford Parsons.
854 CONDITIONAL PASSAGES By G. H. Lang. [PART ONE OF TWO]
855 THE COMING OF THE KING TO HIS PALACE
By Alexander Maclaren, D.D., LITT. D.
856 LINE UPON LINE
Earliest
Religious Instruction The Infant Mind Is Capable Of Receiving. [PART
ONE]
857 APOSTASY By Arlen L. Chitwood. [PART ONE OF
THREE]
858 A NEW KIND OF KING
By Alexander Maclaren,
859 THE NATIONS IN RELATION TO CHRIST AS IN
THE SECOND PSALM By B. W. Newton.
860 THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE By G. H. Lang. [PART TWO]
861 LINE UPON LINE [PART TWO]
862 THE LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD
By A. T. Schofield, M.D., M.R.S.C.,
&c. [PART ONE]
863 A FUTURE SALVATION By Arlen L. Chitwood.
864 THE HOPE THAT IS SET BEFORE US By
Philip Mauro.
865 THE PURPOSE OF GODS CALLING By
Philip Mauro
866 THE LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD
By A. T. Schofield M.D., M.R.C.S.,
& [PART TWO]
867 SAINTS MAY FAIL TO REIGN
WITH CHRIST By Robert E. Neighbour.
868 APOSTASY By Arlen L. Chitwood. [PART TWO]
869 DECEPTION -
SATANS GREATEST WEAPON By Derek Rous
870 MISSING THE PROMISED -
THE
871 APOSTASY By Arlen L. Chitwood. [PART THREE]
872 FOREORDINATION AND FREE-WILL By G. H. Lang.
873 AN EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 6: 1-6.
ARE SAINTS OR SINNERS IN VIEW? By Dr.
Robert E. Neighbour.
874 THE NATIONS IN RELATION TO CHRIST
IN THE SECOND PSALM By B. W. Newton.
875 LINE UPON LINE [PART THREE]
876 THE RESTORATION OF
By Derek Rous and Ofer Amitai.
877 AN EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 6: 1-6.
By Dr. Robert E. Neighbour. [PART
TWO]
878 HE THAT SHALL COME. KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
AND KING OF PEACE By Philip Mauro. [PART
ONE OF TWO]
879 THE CHRISTIANS HOPE By G. H. Lang.
880 THE CHRISTIANS HOPE AND FEAR By G.
H. Lang
881 LINE UPON LINE [PART FOUR]
882 AN EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 6: 1-6.
By Dr. Robert E. Neighbour. [PART
THREE]
883 HE THAT SHALL COME. KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
AND KING OF PEACE By Philip Mauro. [PART
TWO]
884 APPROVAL, GOAL OF YOUR FAITH
By Arlen L. Chitwood. [PART
ONE OF TWO]
885 GLORY THE REWARD OF SUFFERING By G. H.
Lang.
886 LINE UPON LINE [PART
FIVE]
887 THE
888 APPROVAL, GOAL OF YOUR FAITH
By Arlen L. Chitwood. [PART
TWO]
889 THE COMING KING By G. H. Lang.
890 THE BASIS OF PREMILLENNIAL FAITH AND ITS
BASIS IN ESCHATOLOGY By Charles C. Ryrie. [PART ONE OF
THREE]
891 LEADERS UNDER ATTACK By Derek Rous.
892 WHATS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THE
893 FEAST OF TABERNACLES By Derek Rous.
894 ONE NATION UNDER GOD By Derek Rous.
895
THE BASIS OF THE PREMILLENNIAL FAITH AND ITS
BASIS IN ESCHATOLOGY By Charles C. Ryrie. [PART
TWO]
896 PURIM: A JOLLY BUT SOBER FEAST By Derek Rous.
897 A MESSAGE OF HOPE By Keith Parker.
899 CHARACTER By D. M. Panton, B.A.
900 THE HOME BEYOND By D. M. Panton, B.A.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
851
HOPE
By G. H. LANG
[18] For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed to us-ward. [19] For the earnest expectation of the CREATION waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the CREATION
was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in HOPE that [21] the
CREATION itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
liberty of the glory of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole CREATION groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. [23] And not only so, but we
ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves, waiting for our adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our
body. [24] For by HOPE were
we saved: but HOPE that is seen
is not HOPE: for who HOPETH for that which he
seeth? [25] But if we HOPE for that which we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it: (Romans
8: 18-25,
Revised
Version 1881.)
HOPE IN CREATION EXALTED
Creation
was formerly established with a degree of splendour suitable to the dignity of
Adam as its appointed ruler. When he fell his kingdom fell with him. But when creations new rulers, Christ and His glorified church, are
manifested, their kingdom will be elevated again with them. And they
for ever free from all pain and sorrow; then so will their realm be. And by as
much as their estate will be vastly more glorious than was that of Adam at the
first, by so much shall the condition of creation be higher than ever before.
Thus it becomes a natural consequence to take literally those promises of God
which foretell for the earth and its occupants a future of surpassing beauty,
fruitfulness, and joy.*
* See Dan. 7: 13, 14. Cf. Zech.
6: 12, 13. Thus by a succession of messengers, covering a
period of no less than fifteen centuries, did God foretell to men the glorious
things that He is working out for this earth in conjunction with the heavenly
world. Then shall Gods own spirit of unity, love and peace be poured out upon
all (Joel 2: 28)
and all men shall know God and love one another, (Hab. 2: 13, 14).
2. This hope is marvellously
inspiring to devoted service. Unto the furthering of this purpose of
God Paul suffered gladly (1: 24), and laboured strenuously (1: 29- 2: 1); and
greatly he rejoiced when he saw the saints living in such wise as gave hope of
their being counted worthy of this calling (2: 5, 7).
3. The apostle deemed it highly important that disciples
should have full assurance of
understanding of this final purpose of God. If the highest of prospects be
unknown the highest stimulus to christian living, serving, and suffering will
be wanting. The fullest appreciation of the magnificence of Gods
grace is known to those who best appreciate the magnitude of the benefits which
that grace offers. The highest estimate of the Person and the cross of the
Redeemer will be that of those who perceive most of all that which is conferred
in Him.
HOPE MUST HAVE A WARRANT
4. It is further to be observed that the practical
proof and basis of this hope is the present indwelling of Christ in His people.
At this last thought we shall look closely, for it is pregnant with power.
When any person ignorant of Gods counsels, or sceptically
disposed in regard to them, hears of the christian hope, it is calculated to
arouse incredulity. For a man solemnly to declare
that he is expecting an hour when, on a sudden, an innumerable number of the
long deceased shall start into life, and that at the same moment another throng
of persons living on earth shall, with the raised, instantly find themselves
clothed in a body spiritual, immortal, and glorious, free from the limitations
of this earth-bound, death-stamped frame, the hearer is apt to question the
credibility of the asserter of such things. And when the latter
proceeds to add that these wonders will be accompanied by the instantaneous
transfer of these [resurrected] raised
and changed beings from the earth to some realm in the heavens above, astonishment
deepens to amazement, and sometimes to indignation.
The Christian should be prepared for this, since the scheme is
of all schemes the most improbable from the human point of view. It is without
parallel, and it involves some serious super-cession of the ordinary laws of
matter, such as that of gravity, for example. Cemeteries have never been known
thus widely to surrender their contents, nor throngs of mortals to rise bodily
heavenward. The writer will not readily forget a still and lovely evening when,
amid the shadows of a grove in a remote hamlet in
Seeing then that we are expecting the impossible - and we are - what is our justification for
indulging such a hope? How many of us are ready always to give answer to
every man that asketh us a reason concerning
the HOPE that is in us?
(1 Pet. 3:
15). Yea, how many, or how few, who trust in Christ, know what the
hope is, let alone can give a reason for
the same?
HOPE BASED ON CHRISTS
RESURRECTION
·
The
reasonable basis for indulging such expectations is mainly twofold. First, as
to the possibility of such an event, the proof is that precisely such a resurrection from the dead, accompanied by the described change of body,
and followed by the ascending to the upper world, has actually taken place in one case, and can therefore do so in any number of other cases if the power that wrought in that
instance be put forth upon other subjects.
The resurrection and ascension of Christ as a literal event is
as indispensable to the christian hope as it is to faith. If Christ were not raised
it were vain to trust to His death for justification, and still more vain, if
that be possible, to look for His return from heaven to receive His people to Himself, since on that assumption He is
not in heaven. Paul was not such a poor thinker as some superior moderns affect
to think. This at least he knew, that no philosophy of mans erecting - and
what philosophy has been floated upon the ocean of speculation since his day
which was not, in essence, involved in those current in his day? - that no philosophy
could build into its foundation or superstructure such an event as the bodily
resurrection of the literal person who died. Therefore it was to disciples
living at the centre of worldly philosophy (
Christs ascension is thus the valid ground
for holding the possibility and the certainty of that of the church in general;
and of the certainty, as well as of the possibility, because the same God Who
promised to raise His Son from the dead, and did so, has promised to do the
same for the saints, and may be trusted to keep His word to Christs people as
to Christ.
2. But what is the ground upon which any individual may
rightly base a hope that he in particular is one of those to whom the promise
applies? The answer to this must be found in the individual himself, or rather
in Gods work in him. Christ in you is the hope of glory. Christ for us on the cross is the basis of that peace with
God which the believer has as touching the pardon of sin, but it is not by
itself the ground of assurance to the individual that he will attain to the
height of glory. It is, indeed, the basis upon which God is able to
propose to the repentant that they should go on unto perfection and glory; but Christ in you is the rational ground of assurance of being glorified.
HOPE BASED ON CHRISTS
INDWELLING
And this is so because the glory consists in conformity
to the image of Gods Son (Rom. 8: 29), and that conformity is already in process of development in those in
whom Christ now dwells; and the carrying on of a process is the simple and
satisfactory ground for expecting the perfecting of the designed work: He Who
began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ
(Phil. 1:
6). If there is no sign of the process there
can be no hope of its completion; but where the inner man is even now being
moulded so as to reveal more and more fully and clearly the character of the
heavenly archetype, Christ Jesus, there is in such case solid and rational
ground for expecting the perfecting of that work, including the fashioning of
the outer man like unto the glorified body of the Lord. For this has been
promised by God, and it follows naturally, since the method of the Lord is ever
to work from within to without, and to complete that which He commences.
The practical bearing of this is obvious and salutary. The
first step towards that glorious consummation is that we be purged from sin in
the precious blood of Jesus: the next is that we co-operate with
our God unto the developing in us of the moral likeness of His Son. And there
is no middle ground between our continuing in the faith and Jesus Christ being in us, on
the one hand, and our being, on the other hand, reprobate (2 Cor.
13: 5-7), which
last term Paul had before used to the Corinthians (I Ep. 9: 27) of being refused the crown, as we have seen.
It is to be much observed that Christ dwelling in a believer
is not a present inevitable consequence of conversion. There are those who
have turned to the Lord that He may he their Saviour from perdition, and who
steadfastly maintain that it is in Him only that they trust for this, but who get little further. Such may manifest a new interest in spiritual exercises,
attending meetings and the like, and may even show some earnestness in
religious efforts. And yet it may be still evident that it is what the man is,
in his inner nature, that is presented to the beholder of his ways and spirit,
and not what Christ is that is exhibited. Ye in Me, and I in you, said the Lord to the disciples, and
this was to result from His resurrection life being theirs (John 14: 19, 20). This
double association constitutes the full-orbed Christian life. The former
experience alone - ye in Me - is but a partial
salvation, which guarantees deliverance from perdition, since one who is in
Christ cannot also be under a condemnation from which Christ is secure; but alone it is not the ground of
the hope of glory.
Writing to believers who were failing
to hold tenaciously the true faith of the gospel, Paul protests his deep
concern for them in these moving words: My little
children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you (Gal. 4: 19). The formation of Christ in a [regenerate] believer is therefore a work additional to the setting of that believer
before God in Christ, and
is a work of such supreme moment that the apostles large heart was as full of
intense and soul-paining longing for its perfecting, as formerly, in their unconverted
days, he had been solicitous for
their regeneration. The heart of the
pastor needs to be as deeply desirous for the growth of saints as that of the
evangelist for their birth from above. Not the mere securing of vast audiences, nor the conducting of
delectable services, nor the maintaining of successful organizations, are the
important matters; but rather the converting of the lost and the
perfecting of the saints are the momentous interests of the christian ministry;
and where preachers and pastors know throes and pangs of heart for these
results to appear, there is the true work of God sure to make progress.
Paul similarly wrote to such advanced and healthy christians as those at Ephesus that he prayed for them that
the Father would grant you,
according to the
riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in
the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
to the end that
ye, being
rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the
breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth
knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. (Eph.
3: 16-21).
Here again it is plain that the indwelling of Christ in the heart may
not always accompany conversion, for
he desires that Christ may dwell in their hearts. And there is shown a distinction between the presence of the Spirit
and that of Christ, and that the
latter is consequent upon the former, the Holy Spirit being He by whose power
(not by Whose presence merely) the indwelling of Christ is produced. Where the [Holy] Spirit indwells Christ may be developed, providing that the [Holy] Spirits power is not hindered by
carelessness or wilfulness; for it is only according to the
power that worketh in us
that God is
able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. On the side of the Holy Spirit
there is not, indeed, any limit to the possibilities, but we may limit the Holy One.
The [Holy] Spirit is in the saint as a Person, but Christ personally is at the right
hand of the Father, and it is therefore morally that He dwells in His people.
The [Holy] Spirit dwells more especially in the body of the believer
(1 Cor. 6: 19), and sheds
abroad His grace through the whole man, and thus by Him Christ is formed in the
heart of the saint. The term heart
covers in Scripture the three regions of the thoughts, the feelings, and the
will. This is seen, for instance, in the three first places where the word
is used. In Gen. 6:
5, we read of the imagination of the thoughts of the heart: in verse 6 we are told that by mans wickedness the Lord was grieved at
His heart: and in
8: 21, we
are informed that the Lord said in His heart, I will
not. And the work which the Holy Spirit is ready and longing
to do in each child of God is to inform the intellect with the wisdom and
knowledge of our Head in heaven, so that we can say that in measure we have the mind of Christ (1
Cor. 2: 16). He can stay the flow of vain, merely human,
not to say carnal, thoughts, and fill the mind with the ideas and conceptions
of the Lord. The chief means to this end
is the reverent and believing study of the Scriptures that He wrote for our
learning. Then the [Holy] Spirit can suppress in us all emotions that are not of Christ -
selfishness in all its hydra-headed workings; and can impart ceaselessly the
love of God, so that no sentiments triumph in us save those that are gracious,
pure and loving; and hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the spirit which He gave us, that is the spirit of love (1 John 3: 24, 18). And thus it comes to be that, where Christ
dwells morally in us, we shall be rooted and grounded in love, and be strong to apprehend with
all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love
of Christ which passeth knowledge; and thus necessarily we shall be filled unto all the fulness of God, since God is love.
Moreover, the [Holy] Spirit can remove the crookedness of
the disposition native to all men, and well exhibited, for instance, by a child
who answered her mothers question Why do you do
these naughty things? with the frank avowal, Well,
mother, I like doing naughty
things! He renews the impetuous will until we will to do Gods will, and can in some true degree say with
Christ, I delight to do Thy
will, O my God. One wrote thus:
Thy
wonderful, grand will, my God,
With triumph now I make it
mine;
And faith shall cry a joyous,
Yes!
To every dear command of
Thine.
Many others also have truly reached
that blissful state of heart, and have been able to use the words of another
poet, and to sing from the outflowing of a contented spirit,
I worship Thee,
sweet will of God,
And all Thy ways adore;
And every day I live I seem
To love Thee
more and more.
And unblessed good is ill;
And all is right that seems
most wrong
If it be His sweet will.
HOPE IN CHRISTS COMING GLORY
Where thus the mind and the desires
and the will are renewed by the [Holy] Spirit of the Lord,
so that Christs thoughts and preferences and resolves are effectually inwrought in the saint, and become the guide and impulse of daily life, there Christ dwells in the heart,
and there His beauteous character is being developed and revealed. This is the
basis for such to indulge the HOPE of
reaching and sharing perfectly His heavenly [Messianic and Millennial] glory, and this
enables them meekly, but confidently, to give to others a convincing reason
concerning their
[future and conditional] HOPE.* Therefore it is
not our wisdom to rest in any complacent notion that the initial act of faith, by
which we accepted Christ as our shelter from the wrath of God, is all that is
requisite to warrant these highest of expectations. Equally great is the error
of thinking, even if it be only in our most secret heart cogitations, that we
are sufficiently like our adorable Lord to
be beyond risk of falling short. Rather must we go on to
put in Him a continuous faith, asking that He
will cause His sanctifying work in our hearts to advance daily. Yea, it must be our determined desire
and earnest prayer that He shall remove, and keep excluded, from our heart
every thought, feeling, and resolve that is not of Himself, so that He may
verily be sanctified in our heart as Lord (1 Peter
3: 15).
[* This future and conditional HOPE, the Apostle Peter has
described as: A LIVNG HOPE by the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an INHERITANCE
(1 Pet. 1:
3, 4a.
R.V.). [Cf. Ps. 2:
8; Gal. 5: 19-21; Eph. 5: 5: - which can be lost (Heb.
12: 17).]!
It is
reserved in heaven for you
unto A SALVATION READY TO BE REVEALED
IN THE LAST TIME
(v.
5) (at the REVELATION of
Jesus Christ: whom not having seen ye love,
on whom, though now ye
see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the END of your faith,
even the SALVATION OF your SOULS. Concerning which [future] salvation the prophets
sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching at what time or
what manner of TIME the Spirit which was in them did
point unto, when it [He] testified beforehand the
sufferings of Christ, and THE GLORIES that should follow them, (vv. 7b-11)
Wherefore girding
up the loins of your mind, be sober and SET YOUR HOPE perfectly
on the grace that is to be brought
unto you AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST; as children of OBEDIENCE,
not fashioning
yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance:
but like as he
which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also
holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.
And if ye call on him as Father, who WITHOUT RESPECT OF PERSONS
JUDGETH ACCORDING TO EACH MANS WORK, pass the time of your sojourning in fear,
(vv. 13-17). So
that your faith and HOPE might be in
God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in YOUR OBEDIENCE to the
truth
(v. 22a, R.V.).
When Christians realise the SALVATION OF
SOULS (1 Pet. 1: 9) Cf. Matt.
16: 18; Luke 16: 23; Psalm 16: 10; Acts 2: 27, 34, etc.) will take place at the time of the FIRST RESURRECTION (Rev. 20: 5, 6); when our Lord Jesus will descend from heaven to resurrect the holy dead, (1 Thess. 4: 16; Rev. 20: 6, R.V. Cf.
John 3: 13;
14: 3; 2 Tim. 2: 18, R.V.): then, and only then, can we begin
to understand the many future and conditional promises,
(with the Holy Spirits help and enlightenment); and see the importance which our
OBEDIENCE
plays (Col. 3:
25; 1 Tim.
4: 15, 16; 2 Thess. 1: 8-12, R.V.), in
qualifying
His obedient servants at the Judgment Seat of Christ for the promised HOPE
and future GLORY,
mentioned in the passage above!]
It is to be observed that the cleansing of the heart is not the
same as the changing of the nature, though often confused therewith, and
especially by such as teach the present eradicating of sin from the christian.
The tendency or bias or nature of the flesh in
man is unalterable, and not improvable. Hence God gives a new nature, the divine nature, to such as accept and live by His promises (2 Peter 1:
4). We find not that He teaches the removing
of the old nature during this
life ; but we do find that the heart may cease to be fed from that nature, and, by the Spirit, may
derive its thoughts, desires, and decisions from Christ through the new nature.
And through maintaining by faith the fellowship of the Spirit, this purifying
of the heart, and therefore of the daily life, may be continuous and complete.
But the tendency to revert to the type, the
former life, will assert its presence in the saint if he cease at all to live
by faith in the Son of God. Hence watching
and praying are ceaselessly needful; and whilst they are exercised faith in
Christ will assure victory and growth in holiness. Such as say they have no
sin, and such as say that they cannot help but sin, are both far from
perfection, whilst they are nearest to the goal who ceaselessly press towards
it.
And one word more should be added. Whilst a measure of
self-examination is beneficial, and is called for by the Word (1 Cor. 11: 28; 2 Cor. 13: 5), yet a
little thereof is sufficient. It is not by overmuch occupation with our own
heart that Christ is produced there, but rather by ceaseless heart-occupation with Himself in glory. We all with
unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are transfigured into the
same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit (2 Cor. 3: 18). It is good occasionally to look at the
mirror, and to dust it if necessary; but it is by the turning of the mirror
sunward that it glows with the glory to which it is exposed.
* *
* * *
* *
852
THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE
By G. H. LANG
[PART ONE OF TWO]
But when ye see
There is
the highest possible authority for deeming Holy Scripture to have been written
by God and therefore with the utmost exactness is to its very word and
expression. For the very Son of God said of the Old Testament (the law and the
prophets) that It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one
tittle of the law to fail, and that till
heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till
all things be accomplished (Luke 16:
17; Matt.
5: 17, 18). The Lord was accustomed to lay full stress upon minute
details of texts, as upon the present tense of a verb, resting His whole
argument hereon: I AM the God of Abraham (Matt.
22: 32). His own words also He attributed to the Father (John 7: 16; 8: 28; 12: 49; 14: 10).
Thus there is no looseness of speech. The meaning might be
expressed in figurative language, or even pictorially, as by vision. We have
lived years enough in daily contact with Orientals in their own lands to
appreciate fully this prominent feature in an oriental book, which the Bible is
as to its human side. But the figures, pictures, symbols, being used with
divine skill, express the meaning with exactness, not in vague generalities
easily to be taken in various senses.
Therefore it is not permissible to interpret Scripture in any
vague, indefinite manner, as if, either by design or carelessness, it were
written ambiguously. He who believes that God is the author must believe that
His Book partakes in the perfectness of all God does, and that His words will
mean precisely what they say. Most obviously must this be so when neither
parable nor picture nor figure is employed, but the statement is in plain,
direct language.
This last feature rules the message now in view (Luke 21: 5-36). There is a single proverbial sentence: not a hair of your head shall
perish (18), and one statement declared to be a
parable: Behold the fig tree (29,
30) otherwise all is literal. Wars, earthquakes, famines,
pestilences synagogues, prisons, kings, governors, persecutions; parents,
brethren, kinsfolk, friends; Jews and Gentiles; Judea, Jerusalem; mountains and
countryside, the sea and its billows; the Son of man and His coming with the
clouds; the powers of heaven and signs in the heaven - what is there in all
this that is not plain and literal. Actual disturbances in nature have before
been signs that God was acting in wrath, why should they not be so again?
When therefore the Lord speaks of days of vengeance, and the
features that will mark them, we are bound to believe that His words were
weighted, were indeed the words of His Father, used in precision, and the more
so that the events detailed were to be uniquely terrible, unexampled indeed in
the history of the human race and never again to be equalled. Shall a righteous
judge, passing sentence of death upon many malefactors, speak otherwise than
with solemn strictness of language? Or shall a noble leader of a mighty
enterprise not speak plainly to his trusted and loved followers of the dangers
they must face for him, and the golden issues of their toils?
We preface this study thus because prophetic
scriptures are sometimes treated in a loose, vague way
that admits of them being made to teach what strictly they do not say, and by consequence much which they do say
is ignored or misapplied. For ourselves we wish to take each
statement, and each word of each statement, as having some distinct, particular
meaning. We know that through our human fallibility we may miss or mistake that
meaning; but we are not content to take some mere general notions of Gods
words and then to seek some equally general correspondence herewith in history
or in a suggested application to the future. We conceive the natural result of
such treatment of the Word to be necessarily a confusing of the subject and a
misleading of the reader. Our belief in the verbal inspiration of Holy
Scripture forbids indefiniteness of sense and demands preciseness of
interpretation.
It has been almost universally (we suppose) considered that
the Lords words concerning the days of vengeance, began to be fulfilled at the
destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, A.D. 70, have been in process of fulfilment
ever since by the holding of that city and land by Gentiles, and will reach an
ultimate fulfilment, properly so called, at the coming of the Lord. Our present
enquiry is as to whether A.D. 70 was at all in view in this statement, and if
not, to what period does it point?
There are certain particulars mentioned by Christ which did
come to pass at that time, which fact has been the basis of the application of
the passage to that event; but the details in view have been common to the
sieges of all cities, and are not the distinctive features of this prophecy. It
is ever the latter features which must decide the application of a prophecy,
and here they are against an application to A.D. 70.
That overthrow was most truly a day of vengeance upon impenitent Israel it was certainly
a time of great distress and wrath upon them they fell by the
edge of the sword to such terrible extent that Josephus
says the Roman soldiers became weary of slaughtering them; they were led
captive into many provinces of the Roman world and Jerusalem was verily trodden down
of the Gentiles.
But all this by no means exhausts the passage, and the
features that remain are the most distinctive and never yet have been
fulfilled. They are these.
1. In the days in question all things
that have been written (that is, in the Old Testament) concerning
·
The
statement of the Lord that has to be matched by the events is that all things
that are written, will be accomplished. It was not a question of the fulfilment of such
things as He himself may have spoken concerning the people and city of his own
time. He announced that the pent up wrath due to generations would be vented
upon that generation, because they had endorsed, and, by killing Himself, had
brought to a climax, the wickedness of their fathers. He said that the house of
God then standing was to be abandoned (Matt.
23: 34-38), and that not one stone of it would be left
upon another.
But all this was not what was in question in His words in Luke 21: 22.
It was things that were written of which He spoke; and not
some, but all things that were written. Where in
the Old Testament is even one thing that unquestionably applies to A.D. 70?
The phrase in Daniel 9: 26,
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary is taken by many to mean the destruction of
It will be well to show by definite examples that there are,
predictions as to judgment on
Deuteronomy
32. In view of the foreseen faithlessness
of Israel God gave to Moses a song to teach to the people which He undertook
they never should forget, and in particular it was designed to teach them
concerning the latter days or the end of days (Darby, Deut. 31: 21, 29).
The issue of the judgments denounced was to be that the power
of
It is here said also that when the time in view should come Jehovah will
repent Himself concerning (or, in favour of) His people (36); but the history of almost nineteen
subsequent centuries of general desolation of the land and dispersion of its
peoples tells that this change of attitude in their God did not take place in
A.D. 70.
Further, the final issue of the judgments foretold will be
that vengeance will be rendered to the adversaries of God, as a divine avenging
of the blood of His servants, and that this vengeance will make
expiation for His land, for His people (43). This is explained by Numbers 35: 32, 33: blood, it polluteth the land; and no
expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Hence, the expiation for the land
here in view was not made by the blood of Christ shed on the cross: it refers
to the blood of those who will yet shed in
This righteous judgment will atone for the land defiled by the violence done in it
and will lead directly to the restoration of Israel,
which in turn will be the occasion for the spread of the Gentile nations to
submit to Israels God, even as Moses said in the song: Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people (43).
A foretaste of this is indeed seen already by individual Gentiles rejoicing
with individual Jews as they alike come to faith in Christ through the gospel;
but this by no means exhausts the four scriptures that Paul cites in Romans 15: 8-13, each of which, by its context, requires the days of Messiah in visible glory for its fulfilment (Psa. 18: 49; Deut. 32: 43; Psa. 117: 1; Isa. 11: 10). Paul himself shows that the
proper fulfilment of these passages he cites lay in the future, for he calls it
a hope, that is, something not yet present.
It is obvious that A.D. 70 wrought no expiation, brought no
restoration, and ushered in no holy union between
Psalm 83. This psalm was written in the days of
David or Solomon, for it was at that time that its writer, Asaph, led the
priests of God. It describes (1) a
wide and deliberate confederacy, under covenant, of nations named, (2) having for its goal nothing less
than that Israel shall cease to be a nation, and cease even to be remembered. (3) The peoples covenanting are
It is equally certain that no such covenant and confederacy
had any place in A.D. 70.
One issue desired from the judgments invoked against these
nations is that thy may seek thy name, O
Jehovah ... and know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, art the
Most High over all the earth (16: 18). No fulfilment of this has been seen as yet.
It follows that this prophetic psalm awaits accomplishment. It
affords sure information as to some developments in connection with
Isaiah,
Chs. 8-12. In verse 9
and onward of this leading prophecy there is mentioned just such a conspiracy,
a taking counsel together against
After glancing again at the period of
Yet it is clear that no Shalmaneser
or Sennacherib of the past fulfilled
this most vivid and striking picture; for God having used the Assyrian to
punish wicked Israel, shall then punish him also for his own wickedness, and in
the very day of that punishment (ver.
20) the remnant of Israel will at last be
brought to stay themselves upon Jehovah in truth. The period of that remnant is
expressly said to be that of the determined consummation of judgments in all the earth (ver. 23).
There is then detailed the march of the Assyrian through the
land until he is seen shaking his hand in fury against
The prophet then sees the Gentile nations seeking unto the Root
of Jesse (11: 10). At that same time Messiah gathers
together the rest of
(To be continued.)
* *
* * *
* *
853
GODS WORD
FOREVER SETTLED*
By CLIFFORD PARSONS
[* From a Sermon preached at the 120th Annual Meeting of the BIBLE SPREADING UNION.]
The
scripture that I bring to your attention is found in Psalm 119: 89,
For ever, O LORD,
Thy Word is settled in heaven. We read in Ecclesiastes
8: 4, that Where the
word of a king is, there is power. Well, the LORD is a great
King over all the earth (Psalm 47: 2). He is a great God, and a great
King above all gods (Psalm 95: 3). For I am a great King, saith the LORD
of hosts and My Name is dreadful among the heathen (Malachi
1: 14). Jeremiah prayed, Who would not fear Thee, O King of nations? (10:
7). Yes, where the word of a king is, there is power and if that
is true of an earthly monarch how much more is it true of the Lord our God, Who
is the King of heaven, all Whose works are truth, and His ways judgment (Daniel 4: 37). If the decree of an earthly king must be performed, then that
which God has decreed must surely and infallibly come to pass. That which God has decreed in eternity will
be brought to pass in time.
In his catechism, William
Gadsby asks the question, What are the
decrees of God?
and the answer he gives is, The decrees of God are,
His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own
glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. And really, that
is what we have in the words of our text: For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in
heaven. As God
said by Isaiah the prophet, For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all My pleasure (Isaiah 46: 9-10).
Now God executes His decrees in His works of creation and of
providence and of grace.
Concerning creation, we know, as Peter says, that By the Word
of God the heavens were of old, and the earth
standing out of the water and in the water (2
Peter 3: 5), and in Psalm 33, we read, By the Word
of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the
host of them by the breath of His mouth. He
gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spake, and it was
done; He commanded,
and it stood fast (verses
6-9).
Concerning providence,
we read that He upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1: 3). Again, in Psalm
107: 25 we read, For He
commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind. How often has the stormy wind been
raised in the history of the church! and how often the stormy wind is raised in
the life and experience of the believer! Cross providences come into our lives
that our souls might be melted, that we might be brought to our wits end. That
is the purpose expressed in this psalm. For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and
stagger like a drunken man, and are at their
wits end (Psalm 107: 25-27). The margin says, All their
wisdom is swallowed up. They are brought to an end of themselves and their own schemes to save
themselves, and so what do they do? The next verse tells us: Then they cry
unto the LORD in their trouble, and He bringeth
them out of their distresses. Let us always remember that it is God Who commandeth and
raiseth the stormy wind, and the same word of a King, that commands and raises
the stormy wind, is well able to subdue it again. You will remember the
incident recorded in Marks gospel, And there arose a great storm of wind,
and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And
He (that is, the King) was in the hinder
part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say
unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we
perish? And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said
unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm (4: 37-39).
Now we have reference to Gods works of creation and
providence in this part of the Psalm: For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled
in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all
generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue
this day according to Thine ordinances: for all are Thy servants. Everything
in creation serves Him. He is working all His purposes out in this world. All are Thy servants. The Psalmist takes comfort from Gods
works of creation and providence. He sees that the world is established by the
Word of God, and he sees that the world abides, that is, it is sustained by the
Word of God and he then proceeds to consider his own souls salvation. Unless Thy
law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget Thy precepts: for with them Thou hast
quickened me. I am Thine, save me;
for I have sought Thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider Thy testimonies.
(Psalm 119: 92-95).
There is a comparison here between Gods works of creation and
providence and His work of grace.
As the old creation and the sustaining of it was by the Word of God and is
the outworking of the eternal decree of heaven so likewise the new creation,
the work of grace, is by the Word of God and by the will of God, and is the
outworking of the eternal decree of heaven. A similar comparison is made in Psalm 89: My covenant
will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. Once have I
sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me.
It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in
heaven. Selah (verses 34-37). I would suggest that this word which we have here in Psalm 119: 89
speaks of the eternal covenant, the covenant of grace.
As we approach this text this evening, I have three headings
for your consideration. Gods Word of Purpose is forever
settled in Heaven. Secondly, Gods Word of Promise is forever
settled in Heaven. Then thirdly, Gods Word of Precept is for ever
settled in Heaven.
Gods Word of PURPOSE is For Ever Settled in Heaven
The Lord God has promised in eternity to save a people, and
the names of every one of them are written in the Lambs Book of Life from the
foundation of the world. This is Gods decree of election.
Deep in the
everlasting mind the great mysterious purpose lay,
Of choosing some from lost
mankind whose sins the Lamb should bear away.
Paul speaks in Ephesians of the
eternal purpose of God: Unto me, who am less than the
least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ; and to make all men see
what is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly places might be known by the
church the manifold wisdom of God, according to
the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (3: 8-11). Again, in Romans,
he speaks of the purpose of God according to election, where he sets before us Jacob and
Esau as types of the elect and of the reprobate. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, even by our father
Isaac; (for the children being not
yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that
calleth); it was said unto her, The elder shall serve
the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated (9: 10-13).
The Word of Purpose chooses one and rejects the other, and it
is not on the basis of any works good or evil, that
the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that
calleth. See how this doctrine digs up works religion by the roots. It
is interesting to note that the reprobate who wonder after the beast are
described in the Book of the Revelation as those whose
names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world
(17: 8).
But some may object. They might say, What
then is the point of preaching? What is the point of evangelism? What is the
point of a work such as the Bible Spreading Union? I would answer that
if the salvation of a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, depends on my
activity or on my persuasive abilities; if the salvation of a sinner depends
upon the sinner quickening himself or exercising any kind of duty in order that
he might be saved, then I can have no hope or confidence that any would be
saved. Indeed, I can be confident only of this, that none would ever be saved;
in which case there would be no point in going out at all to preach or to
engage in evangelistic work.
If however, God has decreed that sinners shall be saved, the faithful
gospel minister has a good and solid ground of hope that his labour is not in
vain in the Lord. So we read in Isaiah, For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and
returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so
shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing whereto I sent it (55:
10-11). This is the purpose of God in sending
His Word and in sending faithful ministers of the Word. It is that His people might be saved. Thou, O God, hast prepared of Thy
goodness for the poor. The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those that published it (Psalm
68: 10-11).
God has from eternity decreed the salvation of His elect, and
that elect people is to be called by the preaching of the gospel and by the
publication and preaching of the Word of God. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10: 17).
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe (1 Corinthians 1: 21). This is the very reason why we engage in Christian ministry;
it is because the Lord has a people to save; because the Lord has decreed
salvation for guilty sinners. That is why we preach, and that is why we delight
in spreading the Word of God amongst the nations. This is our confidence and
this is our motive - Gods Word of Purpose is for ever settled in heaven.
Gods Word of PROMISE is For Ever Settled in Heaven
We now consider Gods Word of Promise. What is Gods Word of
promise? It is the promise of eternal life. And this is the promise that He hath
promised us, even eternal life
(1 John 2: 25). That is what John says. Paul in
writing to Titus tells us when that promise was made: In
hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began; but hath in due times
manifested His Word through preaching, which is
committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour (1: 2-3). Eternal life was promised in the eternal
covenant of grace before the world began, and that word of promise is now
manifested through the preaching of the gospel.
Now, how do we obtain eternal life? Well, the same God Who
promised it, gives it. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Romans 6: 23).
John says, This is the
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son (1
John 5: 11). It is in fulfilment of the word of
promise that God sent His only begotten Son into the world. In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might* live through Him (1
John 4: 9). And all those to whom the promise
belongs are brought by Gods grace to believe on Him. He
that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him (John 3: 36). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said, He that believeth on
Me hath everlasting life
(John 6: 47).
That is the promise.
[*Check the context in the R.V.
translation of 1 John 4: 9), because there is a grave danger of regenerate
believers receiving the spirit of error (verse 6): This will manifest itself in
ungodly and wicked behaviour! See verses 12,
13, 16, 17, 20, of the
R.V.: and compare Acts. 5: 32 with 1 John 3: 22:
IF our heart condemn us not, we
have boldness toward God; and whatsoever we ask,
we receive of him, BECAUSE WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS
and do the
things that are pleasing in his sight, 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the
name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER, even as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that KEEPETH HIS COMMANDMENTS ABIDETH IN HIM, and HE IN HIM.
And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the
[Holy] Spirit which
he gave us.
The condition must be fulfilled,
for regenerate believers to qualify, at the Judgment Seat of Christ: and eternal life, as the free
gift of God (Rom. 6: 23, R.V.),
is not
the issue being dealt with in this text!]
Now we cannot pry into the eternal
counsels of Jehovah; we cannot climb into heaven to see if our names are
written in the Lambs Book of Life. The heirs of promise are those who come to
the Lord Jesus Christ out of a felt sense of their need, out of a spiritual
sense of their need as sinners. We only know our election of God by our belief
of the truth and by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes to the
Thessalonians, But we are bound to give thanks alway
to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2
Thessalonians 2: 13). This is how
election is known. It is made known by calling, it is known by our believing of
the truth and laying hold upon it.
And that belief, that faith, is wrought in the elect sinners heart by God Himself. It is God Who gives the faith.
Jesus said, No man can come to Me (that is, No man can truly believe on Me to the saving of his soul)*, except the Father which bath
sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard,
and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me
(John 6: 44-5).
[* See 1 Pet.
1: 5, 9, R.V.). Cf. Acts
2: 27, 31
with Luke 16: 23,
31 and Matthew
16: 18, R.V.).]
The apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Spirit
of God to the believers at
The eternal covenant is ratified by precious Blood. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered and bled and
died for all those who were given to Him in that eternal covenant, and He has
for ever put away their sin by the sacrifice of Himself. His Blood is a perfect
atonement, a perfect covering for all the sins of all the elect. His work is a
finished work. There is
nothing that can be added to that [impeccable] work. By the perfect
law-keeping of our Lord Jesus, by the death that He died, by His [select] resurrection [out of
dead ones (Acts 4: 2. Lit. Gk.], all the elect of God are for
ever justified [by faith]. No charge can be levelled against them; they are
justified before God. The Lord Jesus Christ is now ascended up into heaven and
there He appears and intercedes for His people, Wherefore He is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7: 25).
Joseph Hart is quite correct when he says, Gods elect can never fail. Gods elect can never
fail because Christs intercession for them can never fail. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the Word of God. He is the Word incarnate. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same
was in the beginning with God (John 1:
1-2), and that eternal Word, was manifest in
the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto
the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (1
Timothy 3: 16). There He sits at the right hand of
the majesty on high. For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven, and the word of promise to all His
saints is that they shall sit with Him there. He prayed, Father,
I will that they also, whom
Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am (John 17: 24). The Word of Promise is for ever
settled in heaven. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am
set down with My Father in His throne. He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3: 21-22). Gods word of promise is for ever settled in
heaven, just as His word of purpose is for ever settled in heaven.
Gods Word of PRECEPT is For Ever Settled in Heaven
Those who are called according to His purpose love not only
the promises of Gods Word, but also the precepts of Gods Word. There is such
a thing as the precept of the gospel; there are such things as gospel precepts;
there is such a thing as the obedience of faith. If we are those
who profess the Name of Christ then surely we will be those who are seeking to frame our lives according to the Word of
God.
The Gospel teaches us how we are to live as believers in the world: Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world, John says (1 John 2: 15). Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God, says Paul (Romans 13: 1). Again, Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as
lieth in you, live peaceably with all men
(12: 17). This is how we are to behave in the
world. And we are taught how to behave towards those who hate us: But I say
unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and
persecute you (Matthew 5: 44).
The Gospel teaches us how we are to live in this world, and it
teaches us how we are to behave in the family.
Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands, as unto the Lord ... Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it ...
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right ... And,
ye fathers, provoke not
your children to wrath: but bring them up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians
5: 22, 25;
6: 1, 4). Now these precepts stand. For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in
heaven. They may
not be politically correct but true godliness has never been politically
correct in this fallen world. It might be the fashion of the world for fathers
to desert their families, to leave their wives, to leave their children. It
might be the fashion for children to be disobedient to their parents. It might
be the fashion for wives not to submit to their husbands. It may be the fashion
of the world to render evil for evil, to get your own back and so on, but
nevertheless, notwithstanding the fashions of this vain world, For ever,
O LORD, Thy Word is settled in
heaven, and the precepts of the gospel do not
change.*
[* See Malachi
3: 6, R.V. Cf. Heb. 10: 26-31, R.V.).]
The Gospel also teaches us how we are to behave in the church. Paul gives the reason for his
writing his first epistle to Timothy: That thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which
is the church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3: 15). He writes to the Corinthians, Let all things be done
decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:
40), and again, Keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to
you (11: 2). To the Hebrews he writes, And let us
consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so much the more,
as ye see the
day approaching (10: 24-25). John
says, Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another (1 John 4: 11). We could go on. This is how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of
God. We could speak also of church order and of church discipline and
church membership, and so on. This is a solemn truth: For ever,
O LORD, Thy Word is
settled in heaven.
But notwithstanding this solemn truth, men think that they can
change gospel precepts with regard to church ordinances and conduct, and the
reformers were not immune from this. Much as I admire the great reformer John Calvin, I cannot agree with him
when he says, regarding the mode of baptism, that the
church did grant liberty to herself since the beginning to change the rite
somewhat. The church has no such right to change any of Christs
ordinances. For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven. In the present day, we know, many
women are discarding their head-coverings, contrary to the precept of the Word
of God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that
prayeth or prophesieth with her head
uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were
shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a
shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered (1 Corinthians 11: 4-6). That is what the Bible says. We now see women entering the
ministry, contrary to the Word of God. Let the woman learn in silence with
all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to
teach, nor to usurp authority over the man,
but to be in silence (1
Timothy 2: 11-12).
Society may change, but Gods Word never changes. For ever,
O LORD, Thy Word is
settled in heaven.
Preaching is despised in our day. The pulpit has been replaced
by the stage in many places - entertainment, drama, music is the order of the
day. Anything, it seems, except faithful gospel preaching.
Well, we are warned of such a time as this. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who
shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom;
Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be
turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4: 1-4). God has appointed the ministry of preaching. He has ordained preaching
as the principal means of gathering in His dear elect and of building them up
in their most holy faith. We despise the preaching of the
Word of God at our peril.
What of those who would tamper with the Word of God itself?
Oh, we live in a day of confusion. Many do not even know what the Word of God
is. There is a plethora of modem versions - or rather, perversions - of Holy
Scripture. Interestingly, all the modem versions have this in common: they
preach another Jesus. In the modem perversions He is not the only begotten Son
of God. Now begotten is an important word. It speaks of His eternal generation.
The modern un-holy Bibles have expunged and deleted the Holy Trinity from 1 John 5: 7. You will not find in the un-holy
Bible these words: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these
three are one. If
you do find them in a modem version (it is in the New King James Version) there will be a question mark over them. Yea, hath God said? It is the serpents ancient temptation and it has now
insinuated its way into the pages of many a so-called Bible. Towards the
conclusion of the Book of God we read, For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book,
If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of
this prophecy, God shall take away his part out
of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Revelation 22:18-19). We have the complete canon of Holy Scripture. These are the
true sayings of God (Revelation 19: 9). We do not need the Koran. We do not need the book of Mormon,
and we do not need the false prophecies of the Charismatics. No, these are the
true sayings of God, and for ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in
heaven. We thank God for the faithful translation we have in our
Authorised Version. We thank God for faithful ministers who still use it; and we
thank God for faithful organisations, such as the Bible Spreading Union, which
still continue to circulate it; and may the Lord Himself bless their work and
all their endeavours, to the glory of His Holy Name.
Now in conclusion, what uses can we draw from this truth? - For ever,
O LORD, Thy Word is
settled in heaven. Well, as we look at the creation, when we see the hand of providence that
sustains it, the faithfulness of God unto all generations, can we not look up
by faith to heaven and see that the word of the gospel, the word of salvation,
is firm and immutable? Indeed it is more firm and more sure than the earth
itself. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but
My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither
shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith
the LORD that hath mercy on thee (Isaiah 54:
10).
Secondly, though we pass through many changes in this life,
and though there are so many tumults in the world, and these things may trouble
and perplex us, yet we know that the truth of God never changes and there can
be no change in God nor in His covenant. Let us then draw comfort from this,
and receive it as an antidote to all our fears and disturbances. For ever,
O LORD, Thy Word is
settled in heaven. Though all is unsettled around us, though there may be those things
unsettling in our lives, our hearts may be unsettled within us, yet all is
settled in heaven.
Then, thirdly, when the strong wind of persecution or
temptation is raised against us let us remember our covenant-keeping God. For ever,
O LORD, Thy Word is
settled in heaven. The words may be rendered, For ever art Thou,
O LORD, Thy Word is
settled in heaven.
Fourthly, and finally, we
need to wean ourselves from a love of this world. We have to confess that
we are all prone to it; we have a fallen nature that loves to cleave to the
dust. It is like the pigeons that used to inhabit
Gods Word of purpose is
for ever settled in heaven. Gods Word of promise
is for ever settled in heaven. Also, Gods Word of precept is for ever settled in heaven. May the Lord bless His Word
and the preaching of it to our never-dying souls, and may He be pleased to
bless the work of the Bible Spreading Union.
This message was recorded and CDs and
cassettes are obtainable from the B.S.U. secretary
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854
CONDITIONAL PASSAGES
By G.
H. LANG
[PART ONE OF TWO]
It is a
fairly sure sign that a line of exposition is correct when it enables numerous passages
to be taken in the simple natural meaning of the terms employed. So long as we
cannot accept the obvious sense of words and phrases, but must suppose them to
mean something other than they say, we do well to question whether we yet
understand them. When Kepler
found that the theory of the elliptical orbits of the planets fitted all the
known facts of their movements, he felt positive that he had reached the truth
upon that matter. The same kind of assurance is gained when a given exposition
of Scripture enables numerous and hitherto difficult passages to be understood
in their plainest sense, and causes them to give an accordant teaching.
We have seen that using this key (the possible forfeiture of
the [messianic] kingdom) such a phrase as shall not
inherit the kingdom may be taken in its first and plain meaning. And thus can be taken numerous
other statements of Holy Writ. There are, for example, several passages in
which a conditional element is
prominent, but to which element due force cannot be given save when interpreted
in the light of what we are now studying.
·
Col. 1: 21-23 reads as follows: And you,
being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind
in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death, to
present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable
before him: if so be that ye continue in the
faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard.
It has been held that the main theme of this passage is
expressed in the term reconciled, and that therefore the if so be must be construed therewith, and be
taken to imply that unless the professor continues in the faith, grounded and
stedfast and unmoved, he reveals that he never has been reconciled to God. This
is a good sample of the straits to which we are reduced when maintaining that
the sharing the kingdom is non-forfeitable.
·
For
this view makes reconciliation, according to this verse, to be partly dependent
upon conduct after conversion, and forbids assurance of salvation until life on
earth has been safely passed without wavering as a disciple. (2) Or else it
demands that no genuine believer can turn from
the faith or be moved away from the hope of the gospel: which is contrary to
Scripture and fact.
In 1 Corinthians 15: 58, the same writer uses the same two terms stedfast and
unmoveable and
this as part of an exhortation, showing that those Christians needed such a word, and
that therefore they could cease to
be stedfast and might be moved away; and he is addressing his beloved
brethren.
Considering how many in this day who did for years run well are being moved
away by such influences as higher criticism, evolution, and other false
teaching, or by worldly inducements or cares, it is a solemn thing so to deal
with such a scripture as to require the assertion that all these (and all such
of other days, past and future), are after all unbelievers, and so to consign
them to perdition. The view which does no violence to the testimony of the
former years to their true regeneration, and yet forewarns such that they are
risking the highest of Gods possibilities for them, is surely truer to all the
facts of the case, to the terms of Scripture, and to the mercifulness and the
justice of God. (3) It is not the case that the reconciling is the main thought
of these sentences. We are stated to be reconciled with a view to being presented to the Lord holy, and without blemish,
* and unreproveable, and
it is this presentation which is the dominant theme of the verses. **
·
Upon
the force of this term as applying to practical personal holiness of life see ch. 12.
** This sense of
the passage is taken by such scholars as Alford, Jamieson, Faussett
and Brown, Beet, Westcott. And Moule.
Comparison with the Ephesian letter written at the same time
will show what was engaging the apostles mind at this season. He there says (1: 4, 5) that God chose us in Christ before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blemish before Him in love: having
foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself. That we should be ultimately before Him, sharing the adoption of
sons, and be
found holy and without blemish, is the goal of Gods purpose
concerning us. He is, through Christ, bringing many sons unto
glory (Heb. 2: 10). To fulfil this end. Christ so
loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
that he might
sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing
of water with the word, that he might present the church unto himself a
glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish, (Eph. 5: 25-27). This presentation of the
bride to the King, and by him to His Father, is the burden of these
passages, as it was the supreme theme of the apostles, and that which
differentiated their message from earlier revelations, (Eph.
3: 4, 5; Rom. 16: 25, 26); and this it is that is in view in Col. 1:
23. Reconciliation by the blood of the cross is part of the work
designed to issue in this glorious end. The reconciliation is past and complete
- yet now hath He reconciled you; the presentation is future and
is conditional,* requiring continuance in the faith and
hope of the Gospel; for apart from
this continuance moral state will not advance to the high standard by which God
will determine future reward - they will
not arrive at the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord. (Heb. 12: 14).
* The particle eige lays great
stress upon the condition as absolutely essential to, and certainly to be
followed by, the accomplishment of the divine purpose contingent upon it
(Beet). Alfords note to the verse is: (condition of
this presentation being realized: put in the form of an assumption of their
firmness in the faith and hope of
the gospel) - IF THAT IS. (i.e.
assuming that. Etc.).
2. 2 Thess. 1: 11, is another passage which creates the
presumption that the kingdom may be missed. If it be not so, if, that is, the
sharing in the kingdom be an absolutely guaranteed and unforfeitable privilege,
how could the apostle have written these words?
- To which end (to the end
that ye may be counted worthy of the
In Christ these believers were already possessed of perfect
judicial righteousness, nor did their exemption from the eternal wrath of God
in the least depend upon themselves. But plainly the arriving at the kingdom to
which they had been called, did depend upon their being counted personally
worthy thereof. To this end Pauls prayers would contribute by strengthening
their goodness and work of faith, so that they and the Lord Jesus should be mutually glorified
each in the other. And worthiness of a believer, and such as can be furthered by the prayers of a fellow-believer,
and is connected with goodness and work, is emphatically not the righteousness imputed to him upon first trusting
in Christ. But unless words have no meaning, such worthiness is required for admittance to the kingdom.
3. We have before remarked upon Phil. 3: 11, 12, where the
apostle proclaims the uncertainty of attaining to the first resurrection - if by any means (ei pas) I may attain, and again I press on, if so be (ei kai) that I may lay hold. A Bible teacher much honoured in his
sphere, James Wright of
4. Romans 8: 16, 17. - The Spirit himself
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God,
and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we maybe also glorified with him.
The latter verse should read, heirs indeed (men) of God, but (de) joint heirs with Christ; if so be (eiper) that we suffer
with Him, etc.
How clearly this establishes a condition for being glorified
with Christ
let a competent scholar say who showed no leaning towards our use of the words.
Alford thus translates and comments:
IF AT LEAST
(see above on verse 9, eiper, provided
that, not since, which would be epeiper) we are
suffering with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him:
i.e. if (provided that) we are found
in that course of participation in Christs sufferings, whose aim and end, as
that of His sufferings, is to be glorified as He was,
and with Him. But the eiper does not regard the subjective aim, q.d. if at least
our aim in suffering is to be glorified,- but
the fact of our being partakers of that course of sufferings with Him, whose aim is, wherever it is found, to be glorified with Him (Alfords italics). The reader will note the italicized
words wherever it is found, implying that there may be those who are not found suffering with Him. The
learned Dean adds, The connection of suffering with Christ, and being glorified with Him is elsewhere insisted on, see 2 Tim. 2: 11; 1 Pet. 4: 13; 5: 1.
Jamieson, Faussett and Brown
implicitly reject the rendering since by translating provided we be suffering with Him. So also Darby (New Translation) renders if indeed we
suffer. Moule explicitly condemns it (Cambridge
Bible for Schools), and so does Bloomfield,
who quotes Crellius as follows: it
was but just that they who wished to be partakers with
Christ in his glory, should be also partakers of
his sufferings.
Robinson (Lexicon) accepts the sense since, but even so it is not fair to quote
him thus, as has been done: The Greek work rendered, if so be, implies an acknowledged and recognized
fact, or as Robinson says, assumes the supposition to
be true. For what Robinson says is that eiper assumes the supposition to be true, whether justly or not
(my italics). For the sake of argument or illustration a supposition
may be assumed to be true, but where eiper is used it is open to question whether the
assumed fact is a fact or only an assumption.
The ordinary grammatical rule that if with the indicative of the verb does
not create a condition does not hold regularly in New Testament Greek. In 2 Tim. 2:
11-13, are four parallel clauses, which
must all be construed alike, and all have this construction:
If we died with him, we shall also live with him;
If we endure, we shall also reign with him;
If we shall deny him, he also will deny us;
If we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.
Now it is plain that the two last clauses cannot mean since we deny him, and since we are faithless, for that is not the fact of all [regenerate] believers; so
here the if does carry a condition, and thus living with Christ (as contrasted with only having life in Him) and
reigning with Christ are conditioned by dying with Him (which is more than believing that He died for me), and enduring a share of His
sufferings. Thus in this place also, and dealing with the same theme as in Rom. 8:
17, the same thought is pressed, and the privilege is
made conditional. Upon this passage we shall comment further.
All children inherit something from their parent, such as his
nature, life, love, care, and their daily necessaries. But how much of his wealth they will each receive a wise father will determine by their
several capacities for profiting by possessions. Already this salutary
principle operates with the Lord, for unto one He gave (for use during His absence) five talents, to another
two, to another one; to each according to his
several (particular, Darby) ability. (Matt. 35: 15).
Is not this the force of Rev. 21: 7: The one that
overcometh shall inherit these things;
and I will be his God, and
he (emph.) shall be to me a son (emph.)? The whole passage mentions three classes in the eternal state (1) - The lost, whose part is the second
death (ver. 8): (2) - saved
peoples (ver. 3), with God dwelling among them, and who, because
salvation must include possessing eternal life by the new birth, must be children of God and have
entrance to His kingdom (John 3):
(3) - heirs and sons inheriting being not collective but strictly
individual, and consequent upon being a conqueror:
the
one that overcometh shall inherit; and the son being a full-grown, mature man,
according to the well-known emphasis, and the distinction between child and son, found elsewhere as carrying the
very point of the argument. See Luke
20: 36, where the first resurrection unto a heavenly position (equal unto the angels) is the question; and Gal. 3:
23 - 4: 7, where the [scriptural and Holy Spirits] teaching hangs entirely upon the difference
between children and
sons.
Thus here the son is the heir of the heavenly glories, these things just before described, not simply one
of the large family; a standing carrying larger privilege, and greater
responsibility and opportunity. It is for the revealing of the sons of God that creation waits (Rom. 8:
19). The Roman noble of N.T. times chose one of his boys to be
his heir, whichever he thought most suitable, and declared before the
magistrates that this was his son and heir. This was the adoption of that child
as distinct from the others of the family, and made him the head of the house
under the father. His relationship to the father was as theirs, his position in
the family was superior. Now Christians
are the children of God (Rom.
8: 21) who expect to be glorified with Christ if so be that
we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him (ver. 17), but we groan as yet, expecting the adoption. The open acknowledgement by the
Father of the whole family of the saved that we, who suffer with Christ, are
the sons in the family (ver. 23).
The sharing of Christs sufferings now is our training and
qualifying for sharing His glory hereafter; as well as the glory being the compensation
graciously promised for the sufferings. The path of
sorrow is not indeed the meriting but the capacitating preparation. (Moule, in loco). Those who refuse the distinction between simple heirship
to God and joint heirship with the Messiah, make the former as well as the
latter to become conditional upon suffering with Christ; and thus would the
loss of those who avoid suffering
become vastly greater, their salvation itself being imperilled.
But the force of this passage (Rom.
8: 17)
will become yet clearer if we remember that the Greek term Christ is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Messiah
(John 1: 41), which is the official title of
the King to whose universal reign the prophets pointed Israel. What think ye
of the Messiah? Whose son is He? illustrates this title (Matt 22:
42). Consider now this conditional clause:
5. Hebrews 3:
14: For we are become companions of the Christ if indeed we hold the
beginning of the assurance firm to the end (J. N. Darby, New Translation).
(To be continued
)
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855
THE COMING OF THE KING
TO HIS PALACE
By ALEXANDER MACLAREN, D.D., LITT. D.
And when they drew nigh unto
Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives,
then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, GO into the
village over against you, and straightway ye
shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her:
loose them, and bring
them unto Me. 3 And if any man say ought
unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath
need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee,
mock, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6. And the disciples went, and
did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude
spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the
trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that
followed, cried,
saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when He was come into
JESUS
spent His last Sabbath in the quiet home at
·
The procession of the King. The first noteworthy point is that our Lord initiates the
whole incident, and deliberately sets Himself to evoke the popular enthusiasm,
by a distinct voluntary fulfilment of a Messianic prophecy. The allusion to the
prophecy, in His sending for the colt and mounting it, may have escaped the
disciples and the crowds of pilgrims; but they rightly caught His intention to
make a solemn triumphal entry into the city, and responded with a burst of
enthusiasm, which He expected and wished. The poor garments flung hastily on
the animals, the travel-stained cloaks cast on the rocky path, the branches of
olive and palm waved in the hands, and the tumult of acclaim, which shrilly
echoed the words of the psalm, and proclaimed Him to be the Son of David, are
all tokens that the crowds hailed Him as their King, and were all permitted and
welcomed by Him. All this is in absolute opposition to His usual action, which
had been one long effort to damp down inflammable and unspiritual Messianic
hopes, and to avoid the very enthusiasm which now surges round Him unchecked.
Certainly that calm figure, sitting on the slow-pacing ass, with the noisy
multitude pressing round Him, is strangely unlike Him, who hid Himself among
the hills when they sought to make Him a King. His action is the more
remarkable, if it be remembered that the roads were alive with pilgrims, most
of whom passing through Bethany would be Galileans; that they had seen Lazarus
walking about the village, and knew who had raised him; that the Passover
festival was the time in all the
year when popular tumults were to be expected; and that the crowds going to
Jerusalem were met by a crowd coming from it, bent on seeing the doer and the
subject of the great miracle. Into this heap of combustibles our Lord puts a
light. He must have meant that it should blaze as it did.
What is the reason for this contrast? The need for the former
reticence no longer existed. There was no fear now of His teaching and ministry
being interrupted by popular outburst. He knew that it was finished, and that
His hour had come. Therefore, the same motive of filial obedience which had led
Him to avoid what would prevent His discharging His Fathers commission, now
impelled Him to draw the attention of the nation and its rulers to the full extent
of His claims, and to put the plain issue of their acceptance or rejection in
the most unmistakable manner. A certain divine decorum, if we may so call it,
required that once He should enter the city as its King. Some among the
shouting crowds might have their enthusiasm purified and spiritualised, if once
it were directed to Him. It was for us, no less than for them, that this one
interruption of His ordinary method was adopted by Him, that we too might
ponder the fact that He laid His hand on that magnificent prophecy, and said, It is mine.
I am the King.
The royal procession is also a revelation of the character of
the King and the nature of His kingdom. A strange King this, indeed, who has
not even an ass of His own, and for followers, peasants with palm branches
instead of swords! What would a Roman soldier or one of Herods men have
thought of that rustic, procession of a pauper prince on an ass, and a hundred
or two of weaponless, penniless men? Christs one moment of royal pomp is as
eloquent of His humiliation as the long stretch of His lowly life is. And yet,
as is always the case, side by side with the lowliness there gleams the veiled
splendour. He had to borrow the colt, and the message in which He asks for it
is a strange paradox. The Lord hath need of him - so great was the poverty of so
great a King. But it spoke, too, of a more than human knowledge, and of an
authority which had only to require in order to receive. Some farming villager,
no doubt, who was a disciple but secretly, gladly yielded his beasts. The
prophecy which Matthew quotes, with
the omission of some words, from Zechariah,
and the addition of the first clause from Isaiah,
is symbolic, and would have been amply fulfilled in the mission and character
of Christ, though this event had never taken place. But just as it is symbolic,
so this external fulfilment, which is intended to point to the real fulfilment,
is also symbolic. The chariot and the horse are the emblems of conquerors. It
is fitting that the Prince of Peace should make His state entry on a colt,
unridden before, and saddled only with a garment. Zechariah meant that
The entry may remind us also of the worthlessness of mere
enthusiastic feeling in reference to Jesus Christ. The day was the Sunday. How many of that crowd were shouting
as loudly, Crucify Him! and Not this man, but Barabbas! on the Friday? The
palm-branches had not faded, where they had been tossed, before the fickle
crowd had swung round to the opposite mood. Perhaps the very exuberance of
feeling at the beginning, had something to do with the bitterness of the
execrations at the end, of the week. He had not answered their expectations,
but, instead of heading a revolt, had simply taught in the temple, and meekly
let Himself be laid hold of. Nothing succeeds like success, and no idol is so quickly forsaken as the idol
of a popular rising. All were eager to disclaim connection with Him, and to
efface the remembrance of their Sundays hosannas by their groans round His
gibbet. But there is a wider lesson here. No enthusiasm can be too intense
which is based upon a true sense of our need of Christ, and of His work for us;
but it is easy to excite apparently
religious emotion by partial presentations of Him, and such excitement
foams itself away by its very violence, like some Eastern river that in winter
time dashes down the wady with irresistible force, and in summer is bone dry. Unless we know Christ to be the Saviour of
our souls and the Lamb of God,
we shall soon tire of singing hosannas in His train, and want a king with
more pretensions; but if we have learned who and what He is to us, then let us
open our mouths wide, and not be afraid of letting the world hear our shout of
praise.
II. The coming of the
King in the temple. The discussion of the accuracy of
Matthews arrangement of events here is unnecessary. He has evidently grouped,
as usual, incidents which have a common bearing, and wishes to put these three,
of the cleansing, the healing, and the pleasure in the childrens praise, as
the characteristic acts of the King in the temple. We can scarcely avoid seeing
in the first of the three a reference to Malachis prophecy, The Lord,
whom ye seek, shall
suddenly come to His temple. ... And He shall
purify the sons of Levi. His first act, when in manhood He visited the temple, had
been to cleanse. His first act when He enters it as its Lord is the same. The
abuse had grown again apace. Much could be said in its vindication, as
convenient and harmless, and it was too profitable to be lightly abandoned. But
the altar of Mammon so near the altar of
God was sacrilege in His eyes, and though He had passed the traders
unmolested many times since that first driving out, now that He solemnly comes
to claim His rights, He cannot but repeat it. It is perhaps significant that
His words now have both a more sovereign and a more severe tone than before.
Then He had spoken of My Fathers house, now it is My house, which are a part of His quotation indeed, but not
therefore necessarily void of reference to Himself. He is exercising the
authority of a son over His own house, and bears Himself as Lord of the temple.
Before, He charged them with making it a house of merchandise; now, with turning it into a robbers
cave. Evil rebuked and done again is worse than before. Trafficking in things pertaining to the altar is even more likely than
other trading to cross the not always very well defined line which separates
trade from trickery and commerce from theft. That lesson needs to be laid to
heart in many quarters now. There is always a fringe of moneyed interests
round Christs Church, seeking gain out of religious institutions; and their
stands have a wonderful tendency to creep inwards from the court of the
Gentiles to holier places. The
parasite grows very quickly, and Christ had to deal with it more than once to
keep down its growth. The sellers of doves and changers of money into the
sacred shekel were venial offenders compared with many in the Church, and the
race is not extinct. If Christ were to come to His house to-day, in bodily
form, who doubts that He would begin, as He did before, by driving the traders
out of His temple? How many most respectable usages and people would have to go,
if He did!
The second characteristic, or we might say symbolical, act is
the healing of the blind and lame. Royal state and cleansing severity are
wonderfully blended with tender pity and the gentle hand of sovereign virtue to
heal. The very manifestation of the former drew the needy to Him; and the
blind, though they could not see, and the lame, though they could not walk,
managed to grope and hobble their way to Him, not afraid of His severity, nor
daunted by His royalty. No doubt they haunted the temple precincts as beggars,
with perhaps as little sense of its sacredness as the money-changers; but their
misery kindled a flicker of confidence and desire, to which He who tends the
dimmest wick till it breaks into clear flame could not but respond. Though in
His house He casts out the traders, He will heal the cripples and the blind, who know their need, and faintly trust
His heart and power. Such a trait could not be wanting in this typical
representation of the acts of the King.
Finally, He encourages and casts the shield of His approval
round the childrens praises. How natural it is that the children, pleased with
the stir and not yet drilled into conventionalism, should have kept up their
glad shouts, even inside the temple enclosure!
How their fresh treble voices ring yet through all these
centuries! The priests had, no doubt, been nursing their wrath at all that had
been going on, but they had not dared to interfere with the cleansing, nor, for
very shame, with the healings; but now they see their opportunity. This is a
clear breach of all propriety, and that is the crime of crimes in the eyes of
such people. They had kept quite cool and serenely contemptuous, amid the stir
of the glad procession, and they did not much care though He healed some
beggars; but to have this unseemly noise, though it was praise, was more than
they could stand. Ecclesiastical martinets, and men whose religion is mostly
ceremony, are, of course, more moved with indignation at any breach of ceremonial
regulations than at holes made in graver laws. Nothing makes men more
insensitive to the ring of real worship than being accustomed to the dull
decorum of formal worship. Christ answers their hearest thou? with a did ye never read? and shuts their mouths with words so
apposite in their plainest meaning that even they are silenced. To Him these
young ringing hosannas are perfect praise, and worth any quantity of rabbis
preachments. In their deeper sense, His words declare that the ears of God and of
His Son, the Lord of the temple, are more gladly filled with the praises of the little ones, who know their weakness, and hymn His
goodness with simple tongue, than with heartless eloquence of words or pomp of
worship. The psalm
from which the words are taken declares mans superiority over the highest
works of Gods hands, and the perfecting of the divine praise from his lips. We
are but as the little children of creation, but because we know sin and
redemption, we lead the chorus of heaven. As St. Bernard says, Something is wanting to the praise of heaven, if
those be wanting who can say, We went through fire
and through water; and Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. In
like manner, those praise Him most
acceptably among men who know their feebleness, and with stammering lips humbly
try to breathe their love, their need, and their trust.
* *
* * *
* *
856
LINE UPON LINE
EARLIEST RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION THE
INFANT MIND IS CAPABLE OF RECEIVING
[PART 1]
CHAPTER I
SAMUEL, OR THE PIOUS MOTHER.
1 Samuel. 1; 2: 1-11.
You have
heard, my dear children; how the Israelites came into the
Do you remember that the tabernacle was placed in
I am now going to tell you of a high priest, called Eli.
Eli was a very good old man.
A great many people used to come up every year to
Among the people who came up to worship at the tabernacle,
there was a man who had two wives. You know that people might have two wives a long
while ago, though they may not have two now.
One of these wives was a very good woman, and she was called
Hannah; but she had no little child. The other wife was unkind and wicked; but
she had a great many children. the unkind wife laughed at Hanna, and said that
God gave Hannah no child because he did not love her. This was not true, for
God loved Hanna very much. Poor Hanna used sometimes to cry when the other wife
spoke so unkindly to her.
Once, when Hanna had come to
When Eli heard this, he spoke kindly to her, and said, May God give
you what you have been asking for.
What had poor Anna been praying for? She had been praying for
a little child, and she had been promising God to bring him up to serve God,
and to teach people about God.
Hannah was very glad when Eli spoke so kindly to her, and she
wiped away her tears, and she went home, looking quite happy. You see, dear
children, that it is a good thing to pray to the Lord when we are unhappy. I
hope you do so, when you are sick, or when you are in disgrace, or when people
are unkind to you.
Hannah went away from Shiloh to the place where she lived in
While Samuel was a baby, Hannah did not go up to Shiloh, but
when he was a little child, about three or four years old, she took him up to
Shiloh with her.*
·
As
the priests began to learn the work of the sanctuary at three years of age, it is probable that Samuel (though only a
Levite, 1 Chron. 6:
16-28)
began to be taught at that age. From three years old
and upward, even unto every one that entereth
into the house of the Lord. - 2 Chron.
31:16.
Hannah did not forget her promise to bring up her child to
teach people about God; Hannah did not mean to keep him always at home with
her, though she loved him very much: for she wished the good old high priest
Eli, to bring him up, and to teach
him. So she brought the child to Eli, and said to him, I am the
woman that, you once saw in the court of the tabernacle, praying to God: I was praying
for this child, and God has heard my prayer, and
I wish the child to be brought up to serve God.
Eli took the little boy to live with him. Hannah sang a
beautiful song of praise to God for his goodness in hearing her prayers, and
then she left her dear little Samuel, and she went home again with her husband.
Do you think she ever came to see her child? Yes, every year;
and she always brought him a present of a dress such as the people wore in
those days. It was a linen dress down to his feet, and it had long sleeves.
Samuel used to wear a linen ephod also, such as the priests wore, though Samuel
was not a priest himself. God had
put his spirit into Samuels heart, so that he liked serving the Lord in the
tabernacle, and seeing the sacrifices offered, and hearing the Lord praised by
the priests and the people. As he grew older he pleased God more and more, and
a great many people loved him. How glad Hannah must have been when she came to
see him to hear that he was a good child! It makes your parents, dear children,
very happy to hear that you are good. And the angels are pleased when you are
good, and Jesus your Saviour is pleased. I hope you will be like little Samuel,
and be Gods children while you are very young.
What lovely
child, with flowing hair,
Old Elis
steps attends?
And why does he an ephod wear,
As by the priest he bends?
It is the child to Hannah sent,
When humbly she implored -
It is the child by Hannah lent
To her prayer-hearing Lord.
No foolish mirth nor idle sports
Young Samue1s heart engage:
With joy he treads Gods holy courts,
Een from his tenderest age.
This child with heavenly grace endued,
Was lovely in mens sight;
And b his gracious Saviour viewd
With infinite delight.
* *
*
CHAPTER II
SAMUEL, OR THE LITTLE PROPHET.
1 Samuel. 2: 23 to end.
You have
heard, dear children, how Samuel lived with old Eli at
He did not live in the tabernacle, but in some tents very near
it.*
·
Hezekiah
appointed the priests and Levites to minister in the
gates of the tents of the Lord. - 2 Chron.
31: 2.
You would like to know whether Eli had any children of his
Own. He had two sons, who were grown-up men, and they were priests, and offered
sacrifices, at the altar.
I suppose you think that Elis sons were good, because Eli was
good; but I am sorry to tell you that
they were very wicked men. They did not love God, they only cared for eating,
and amusing themselves; and they did not wish to please God. Eli was good
himself, but he did not punish his wicked sons; and that was very wrong of Eli.
God has told fathers to beat their children with a rod, to save them from going
to hell [i.e., the
lake of fire]. My dear children, do your parents
punish you when you fall into passions, or are disobedient, or tell lies? They
punish you to make you good.
Eli heard of the wicked things that his sons did; and he said
to them, Why
do you do such wicked things? Everybody telly me of your wickedness. Oh, my sons, the Lord will be very angry with you, and punish you. But Elis sons would not mind what their father said, but
went on in their bad ways.
At last a good man came to Eli, and told him that God was very
angry, and that he would let both his sons be killed in one day.
It must have grieved Eli to hear this. God was displeased with
Eli for not having punished his sons. Yet Eli was a good man, and God loved
him.
The two sons went on in their wickedness. And now you shall
hear something else that God said.
One evening old Eli was lying in bed; and little Samuel was
lying in another bed a little way off. Samuel heard a voice calling him, Samuel. Samuel thought that Eli called him,
and he answered, Here am I; and then he got out of bed and ran to Eli, to know what he wanted.
You see what a kind little child Samuel was, and how ready he was to wait upon
Eli.
But Eli said to Samuel, I did not call you; then Samuel went and lay down again.
Soon afterwards Samuel heard someone call again, Samuel. So he went again to Eli, and said, Here am I,
for you did call me. But Eli said, I did not
call, my son; lie
down again.
Then Samuel lay down, and he soon heard the voice again
saying, Samuel. Then he felt sure that it was Eli who called him, and he went
to him and said, Here am I, for you did call me.
Now Eli knew who it was who had called Samuel
My dear child, do you know who it was? It was the Lord.
So Eli told Samuel to lie down again, and when he heard the
voice, to answer, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.
Samuel was to call himself Gods servant.
So Samuel went and lay down again, and soon the Lord came and
stood by him, and called as before, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth. God had never spoken to Samuel before. Samuel must have
longed to know what the Lord had to say to him. It was something very sad and
dreadful: it was about Eli.
God told Samuel that he should soon punish Elis sons for
their wickedness, and that he was displeased with Eli for not having punished
them.
After God had done speaking, Samuel remained in his bed, and
Eli did not call him. Samuel did not like to tell Eli that God was displeased
with him.
So when the morning came, Samuel did
not go but began to open the doors round about the tabernacle; for it was
Samuels business to open the doors. Soon Eli called Samuel: for he wanted to
know what God had said to Samuel. Eli begged Samuel to tell everything to him,
and to hide nothing from him.
Then little Samuel told Eli all that
God had said.
How grieved Eli must have been when he
heard that the Lord would punish his sons, and that the Lord was displeased
with him; but Eli answered very meekly, and said, Let the Lord
do what he pleases. Eli really loved God, though he had done one wrong thing.
After this, God often spoke to Samuel, and told him how he
would punish wicked people; and Samuel used to tell people what God had said,
and all that Samuel told them came true, Samuel was a prophet: a prophet is a person to whom the Lord
tells what he means to make happen.
People paid great attention to what Samuel said, but still
many people went on doing wicked things. The people in
My dear children, do not you wish that
God loved you? If you love him, I am sure that he loves you: for he has said, I love them
that love me. Pray to God to make you love him a great deal
more, and to make you good like Samuel. I hope that you will never be like
Elis wicked sons.
What voice salutes young Samuels ear,
So like to Elis gentle tone?
Oh, let the child no danger fear!
It is the Lord from heaven come down.
And why does he to Samuel speak?
On him the Lord has poured his grace,
And made him holy, wise and meek,
And fit to fill a prophets place.
With grief he hears of dreadful woes,
The sons of Eli soon shall feel;
Trembles the message to disclose,
Till Eli bids him all reveal.
Such was the tender, gentle child,
To whom these honours high were given;
On him the great Jehovah smiled,
And deignd
to speak with him from heaven.
CHILD
O Lord, renew my sinful heart,
Which is by nature rude and vain,
That I may act a lowly part,
And grieve to cause another pain.
* *
*
CHAPTER III
SAMUEL, OR THE
1 Samuel. 4: 1-18.
I SHALL
tell you to-day how God punished Elis sons: but first I must speak to you about
some people who lived in. the land of
The Philistines lived in some of the towns of
One day a great number of Philistines came out of their towns
to fight against the Israelites. They brought some tents with them, and slept
in them at night. The Israelites heard that the Philistines were coming to
fight against them: so a great number of Israelites took their swords and
spears, and placed their tents near the tents of the Philistines. In the
morning, the Philistines and the Israelites fought with each other. Who do you
think conquered? The Philistines. Yes: God did not help the Israelites as he
used to do, so the Israelites were frightened, and ran back into their tents.
Now the Israelites ought to have prayed to God to forgive
their sins: but instead of praying they said, Let us send for the ark of God.
If the ark were here, we
should be able to conquer the Philistines.
You remember that the ark was a golden box, on which God
sometimes sat in a cloud. But would the ark save them? No: only God can save
people.
The Israelites sent a person to
So the Philistines and the Israelites came out of their tents
to fight, and the priests brought the ark on their shoulders.
But God did not help the Israelites. They were soon afraid,
and ran back to their tents, and a great many of them were killed; and the two
sons of Eli were killed, as God had said.
What became of the ark of God?
The Philistines took it. How pleased they were to get the ark!
They carried it back to the towns where they lived.
Eli had not come to the battle. He had
stayed in
At last a man came running along the road: he had been
fighting in the battle, and he came to tell the people in
When Eli heard that the ark was taken he was very unhappy
indeed: he was sitting on a high seat that had no back, and he fell backwards
in his grief, and he broke his neck; for he was a very old man and very heavy.
He was almost a hundred years old.
What a very sad way of dying this was, instead of dying in his
bed.
How grieved Samuel must have been, when he heard how Eli had
died! Where did Elis soul go? To heaven!* Eli loved God very much.
[*No!
Most people believe that today! But they are wrong, because Gods Word teaches
us that the soul goes down
into Sheol immediately after Death. See Gen. 37: 35; Num. 16: 33; Psa. 16: 10. cf. Luke
16: 23;
Acts 2: 27, 31, 34; 2 Tim. 2: 18, R.V.]
Why was Eli so sorry that the ark was taken? Because the ark
was the throne where God used to sit, and he did not like wicked people to have
it; so you see that Eli loved God very much.
Where were the souls of Elis sons gone? I know they were gone
into darkness; for God had said that he
would not forgive them.*
·
I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Elis house shall not be purged with sacrifice
nor offering for ever. - 1 Sam.
3: 14.
But God forgave Eli all his sins, though he punished him
before he died.
You will like to hear what the Philistines did with the ark of
God. I will tell you about it next time.
THE
Was it because his sons had perishd,
That Elis heart with grief was torn?
Rather because the ark so cherishd.
By heathen hands away was borne;
That holy ark, where oft, between
The cherubim, the Lord was seen.
And had the Lord at length departed -
From
Alas! old Eli, broken-hearted,
From his high seat astonishd
fell.
Oh, who can doubt he loved the Iord,
And that to heaven his spirit soard?
But
though his sins were all forgiven,
And washd
away in Jesus blood,
His way
had been less rough,
Had Eli honourd
more his God.
But sinners, where shall they appear? *
For righteous men are punishd here.
·
Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed [or punished] in the earth; much more the
wicked and the sinner! - Prov.
11: 31,
R.V.
(To be continued
)
* *
* * *
* *
857
APOSTASY
AND THE ACTS OF THE APOSTATES
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD
[PART
ONE OF THREE]
Introduction
Never in the history of the Church has it been more important
than during the present time for Christians to understand the true nature and
course of apostasy, along with the Christians only recourse to avoid
being engulfed, to some degree, in the apostasy. Were living very near the
close of this present age, during the time when the Laodicean period of Church
history is rapidly nearing completion. Throughout the remainder of this [evil] age, according to Scripture, there can
only be a further deterioration of existing conditions. There will be no great
awakening, great revival in Christendom during days ahead. Rather,
deteriorating conditions will only intensify, producing instead, the great
apostasy to culminate the age in which we live.
Jude is one of the New Testament epistles dealing specifically with the [future] salvation of the soul. The special
and particular emphasis in Jude is
upon an ever-intensifying apostasy in the face of this proffered salvation.* This is the main thesis of Judes epistle, and this
is also the main thesis around which this commentary on Jude has been written.
[* See 1 Petter
1: 5, 9, R.V. Cf. James 1:
21; Hebrews 10:
39ff., R.V. NOTE: The epistles of Hebrews, James, I, II, III John, and Jude deal
specifically with the salvation of the soul. These epistles deal with those who already have eternal
life - salvation of the spirit, wrought through believing on the Lord Jesus
Christ - and pertain to the things surrounding a salvation to be revealed. - A. L. Chitwood.]
Jude
is an epistle dealing specifically with apostasy in the latter days and with judgment which follows this apostasy. The Church Age begins in the New Testament with the Acts of the Apostles and terminates, as
described in the Epistle of Jude,
with the Acts of the Apostates. The Book of Acts describes the history of the early
Church, and the Epistle of Jude
reveals how this history will end.
The exact positions which the Book of Acts and the
Epistle of Jude occupy in the
canon of Scripture are in perfect keeping with their respective contents. The
Book of Acts immediately precedes the Church
epistles, providing a smooth, transitional movement from the gospels into the
and the Epistle of Jude
appears as the last of all the Church epistles, introducing the Book of Revelation by the great apostasy which precedes the coming Day of the Lord.
Apostasy
The word apostasy is itself
not used in the Epistle of Jude, but
this word is taken from the Greek text of several corresponding Scriptures
appearing elsewhere in the New Testament which refer to the latter-day departure from the faith as the apostasy. Paul states in 2 Thess. 2:
3, Let no man
deceive you by any means: for that day [the Day of the Lord] shall not come except there
come a
falling away [the apostasy] first ... Paul, again in 1 Tim. 4: 1 states, Now [But] the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart [apostatize] from the faith, giving heed
to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons.
The writer of Hebrews calls attention to this same thing in
Heb. 3:
12: Take heed brethren, lest there be in any
of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing [apostatizing] from the living God. In the preceding verses the words falling away,
depart, and departing are translations of either the Greek noun apostasia or its verb form
aphistemi, referring to apostasy. The English word apostasy is actually a transliterated form of
the Greek word apostasia, a
compound word formed from apo and stasis.
In the true sense of the word, no one can stand
away from something with which he has never been associated. This
can be illustrated by the use of the Greek word apostasion (neuter from of apostasia) in Matt. 5: 31; 19: 7; Mark 10: 4. In each instance the word is translated divorcement. It is one person standing away
from another
person. There could be no divorcement, standing
away from, unless
there has previously been a marriage. In like manner, no one could stand away from the faith (apostatize) unless he had previously been
associated with the faith. [Born again, i.e., regenerate] Believers alone occupy a
position of this nature from which they can stand away. Unbelievers [i.e., non-Christians] have never come into such a position, and, in the true sense of the word, are not associated with the latter-day apostasy in Scripture.
Reason for Apostasy
Christians familiar with what Scripture teaches will have no
difficulty understanding why the present [evil] age will end in apostasy. The entire matter stems from
an incident occurring very early in the history of the Church. In Matt. 13:
33, in the parables of the
mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, a woman took leaven and hid this
leaven in three measures
of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Note also the parable of
the tares and the
parable
of the mustard seed [vv.
24-32].) All seven parables in this chapter
have to do with the course of Christianity throughout the present age and /or
with events at the conclusion of the age after the [accounted
worthy members of the] Church has been removed from the
sphere of activity,* but preceding the establishment of
the Messianic Kingdom. Once
this woman placed leaven in the three measures of meal, the course of
Christianity was set. The leaven would work in the meal throughout the age,
climaxing its work at the end of the age with the entire three measures of meal
being completely saturated with leaven.
[* See Revelation
3: 10. Cf. Luke 21: 34-36, etc.]
Leaven in Scripture always refers to that
which is false or corrupt. The leaven of the
Pharisees and of the Sadducees was false doctrine (Matt. 16: 6-12), and leaven associated with a Christian refers to sin in his life (cf. Ex. 12:
14-20; 1 Cor. 5: 1-8). Leaven in Exodus, chapter twelve, because of what it symbolized, could occupy no place in the
house of an Israelite following the issues surrounding the death of the
firstborn in Egypt; and that which leaven symbolizes (sin, corruption) must, in
like manner, never be allowed to
occupy a place in the life of a Christian today.
Result of Apostasy
The woman in Matt. 13:
33, a propagator of that which is false or corrupt, can only be
associated with Satan and his false systems of doctrine. This woman inserted
leaven in the three measures of meal very early in the history of the Church.
The leaven has been working for over nineteen centuries, it is presently
working, and it will continue to work until the whole is leavened. Scripture places the completion of the leavening process at
the termination of the [present evil] age, exactly where we are living today.
The latter days in Christendom, prophesied in Scripture, will be marked, not by great revivals or a widespread
teaching of the Word of God, but by the completion of a leavening process,
resulting in apostasy.
Conditions in Christendom throughout the age are set forth in
the seven letters to the seven Churches in Revelation, chapters two and three. These are seven epistles to seven Churches existing in the
first century during the days of John, which portray the history of the Church
throughout the age. The leaven placed in the three measures of meal was already
at work in these Churches; and one Church, the
The end of the age is to be marked by
a rise in demonic activity, an increase of false teachers, and [many regenerate] Christians
being carried away with every wind of doctrine, being misdirected in every which
manner. The tremendous growth in such activity ushers in the
great apostasy of the end-time and can only be expected to increase
as the age draws to a close. The only recourse which Christians have during
this day of apostasy is the Word of God
and the indwelling Holy Spirit Who can take the Word received into
Mans saved human spirit and guide him into all truth, providing all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
How are Christians able to so live as Jude has previously exhorted? How are
Christians able to govern their lives in such a manner that an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be their portion? They are able
to so live and govern their lives in this manner only because the One Who loved
them and gave Himself for them continues
to love them and is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the [Holy Spirits]* power that worketh in us (Eph.
3: 200.
[* Compare Judges 16: 20; 1 Samuel 15: 22-27; 18: 12; 28: 16, 18; Psalm 51: 11
with Acts 5: 32
with 1 John
3: 24,
R.V.]
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his
glory* with exceeding joy. To the only
wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power,
both now
and ever. Amen.
[*
See divine promises, after the Second Advent, of our Messiahs / Christs
coming millennial glory, in 1 Sam. 2: 8; Habakkuk 2:
14; Psalm 72:
19; Isaiah 6:
3; 35: 2; 66: 18; Matthew 25:
31, 34; Luke 9: 26; Romans 5: 2; 9: 23; Heb. 2: 10; 1 Peter 1: 7, 11, etc.]
* *
* * *
* *
858
A NEW KIND OF KING
By ALEXANDER MACLAREN,
All this was
done, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophet, saying,
Tell ye the daughter of
and sitting upon an ass. - MATTHEW
21: 4, 5.
Our
Lords entrance into
My object in this sermon is not at all to attempt a pictorial
treatment of this narrative, for these Gospels tell it us a great deal better
than any of us can tell it after them; but to seek to bring out, if it may be,
two or three aspects of its
significance.
·
First,
then, I ask you to consider its significance as an altogether exceptional fact
in Christs life.
Throughout the whole of the preceding period, He had had two
aims distinctly in view. One was to shun publicity; and the other was to damp
down the heated, vulgar anticipations of the multitude, who expected a temporal
king. And now here He deliberately, and of set purpose, takes a step which is
like flinging a spark into a powder barrel. The nation was assembled in crowds,
full of the unwholesome excitement which attended their meeting for the annual
feast. All were in a quiver of expectation; and knowing that, Jesus Christ
originates this scene by His act of sending the two disciples into the village
over against them, to bring the ass, and the colt
the foal of an ass. The reasons for a course so entirely opposed to all the preceding must
have been strong. Let us try to see what they were.
First, He did it in order to precipitate the conflict which
was to end in His death. Now, had He any right to do that? Knowing as He did
the ferment of expectation into which He was thrusting this new element of
disturbance, and foreseeing, as He must have done, that it would sharpen the
hostility of the rulers of the people to a murderous degree, how can He be
acquitted of one of two things - either singular short-sightedness or rash
foolhardiness in taking such a step? Was He justified, or was He not?
If we are to look at His conduct from ordinary points of view,
the answer must certainly be that He was not. And we can only understand this,
and all the rest of His actions during the fateful three or four days that
followed it, if we recognise in them the fixed resolve of One who knew that His
mission was not only to live and to teach by word and life, but to die, and by death to deliver the world. I
take it that it is very hard to save the character of Jesus Christ for our
reverence if we refuse to regard His death as for our redemption. But if He
came, and knew that He came, not only to minister but to give His life a ransom for many, then we can understand how He hastened to the Cross, and
deliberately set a light to the train which was to end in that great explosion.
On any other hypothesis it seems to me immensely hard to account for His act
here.
Then, still further, looking at this distinctly exceptional fact
in our Lords life, we see in it a very emphatic claim to very singular
prerogative and position. He not only thereby presented Himself before the
nation in their collective capacity as being the King of
Now again, I have to ask the question, Was He right, or was He
wrong? If He was right, then He is a great deal more than a wise Teacher, and a
perfect Example of excellence. If He was wrong, He is a great deal less. There
is no escape from that alternative, as it seems to me, but by the desperate
expedient of denying that He ever did this thing which this narrative tells us
that He did. At all events I beseech you all, My friends, to take fairly into
your account of the character of Jesus Christ, this fact, that He, the meek,
the gentle, said that He was meek, and everybody has believed Him; and that
once, in the very crisis of His life, and in circumstances which make the act
most conspicuous, He who always shunned publicity, nor caused His
voice to be heard in the streets, and steadfastly put away from Himself the vulgar homage that
would have degraded Him into a mere temporal monarch, did assert that He was the King of Israel and the Fulfiller of
prophecy. Ask yourselves, What does that fact mean?
And then, still further, looking at the act as exceptional in
our Lords life, note that it was done in order to make one final, solemn
appeal and offer to the men who beheld Him. It was the last bolt in His quiver.
All else had failed, perhaps this might succeed. We know not the depths of the mysteries
of that divine foreknowledge which, even though it foresees failure, ceases not
to plead and to woo obstinate hearts. But this we may thankfully learn, that,
just as with despairing hope, but with unremitting energy, Jesus Christ, often
rejected, offered Himself once more if perchance He might win men to
repentance, so the loving patience and long-suffering of our God cease not to
plead ever with us. Last of all He sent unto them His
Son, saying, They
will reverence My Son when they see Him; and yet the expectation was
disappointed, and the Son was slain. We touch deep mysteries, but the
persistence of the pleading and rejected love and pity of our God shine through
this strange fact.
II. And now, secondly, let me ask you to
note its significance as a symbol.
The prophecy which two out of the four evangelists - viz.,
Matthew and John - regard as having been, in some sense, fulfilled by the
Entrance into Jerusalem, would have been fulfilled quite as truly if there had
been no Entrance. For the mere detail of the prophecy is but a picturesque way
of setting forth its central and essential point - viz., the meekness of the
King. So our Lords fulfilment is only an external, altogether subsidiary,
accomplishment of the prophecy; and in fact, like some other of the external
correspondences between His life and the outward details of Old Testament
prophecy, is intended for little more than a picture or a signpost which may
direct our thoughts to the inward correspondence, which is the true fulfilment.
So then, the deed, like the prophecy after which it is
moulded, is wholly and entirely of importance in its symbolical aspect.
The symbolism is clear enough. This is a new kind of King. He
comes, not mounted on a warhorse, or thundering across the battlefield in a
scythe-armed chariot, like the Pharaohs and the Assyrian monarchs, who have
left us their vainglorious monuments, but mounted on the emblem of meekness,
patience, gentleness, and peace. And He is a pauper King, for He has to borrow
the beast on which He rides, and His throne is draped with the poor, perhaps
ragged, robes of a handful of fishermen. And His attendants are not warriors
bearing spears, but peasants with palm branches. And the salutation of His
royalty is not the blare of trumpets, but the Hosanna from a thousand throats. That is not
the sort of King that the world
calls a King. The Roman soldiers might well have thought they were perpetrating
an exquisite jest when they thrust the reed into His unresisting hand, and crushed
down the crown of thorns on His bleeding brows.
But the symbol discloses the very secret of His Kingdom, the
innermost mysteries of His own character and of the forces to which He intrusts
the further progress of His word. Gentleness is royal and omnipotent; force and
violence are feeble. The Lord is in the still, small voice, not in the
earthquake, nor is in the fire, nor the mighty wind. The doves light pinion
will fly further than the wings of
Now all that is a great deal more than
pretty sentiment; it has the closest practical bearing upon our lives. How slow
Gods Church has been to believe that the strength of Christs kingdom is
meekness! Professing Christian men have sought to win the world to their side,
and by wealth or force or persecution, or this, that, or the other of the
weapons out of the worlds armoury, to promote the
Then, still further, let me remind you that this symbol
carries in it, as it seems to me, the lesson of the radical incompatibility of
war with Christs kingdom and dominion. It has taken the world all these
centuries to begin to learn that lesson. But slowly men are coming to it, and the
day will dawn when all the pomp of warfare, and the hell of evil passions from
which it comes, and which it stimulates, will be felt to be as utterly
incompatible with the spirit of Christianity as slavery is felt to-day. The
prophecy which underlies our symbol is very significant in this respect.
Immediately upon that vision of the meek King throned on the colt the foal of
an ass, follows this: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horses from
Let me beseech you, Christian men and women, to lay to heart
the duty of Christs followers in reference to the influence and leavening of public
opinion upon this matter, and to see to it that, in so far as we can help, we
set ourselves steadfastly against that devilish spirit which still oppresses
with an incubus almost intolerable, the nations of so-called Christendom. Lift
up your voice, be not afraid, but cry, We are the followers of the Prince of
Peace, and we war against the war that is
blasphemy against His dominion.
And so, still further, note the practical force of this symbol
as influencing our own conduct. We are the followers of the meek Christ. It
becomes us to walk in all meekness and
gentleness. Spirited conduct is the worlds
euphemism for unchristian conduct, in ninety-nine cases out of the hundred. The
perspective of virtue has altered since Jesus Christ taught us how to love. The
old heathen virtues of magnanimity, fortitude, and the like have I with shame
to take a lower room. There is
something better than these. The saint has all the virtues of the old heathen
hero, and some more besides, which are higher than these, and those which he
has in common, he has in different proportion. The flaunting tulips and peonies
of the garden of the world seem to outshine the white snowdrops and the
glowing, modest little violets below their leaves, but the former are vulgar,
and they drop very soon, and the latter, if paler and more delicate, are
refined in their celestial beauty. The slow-pacing steed on which Jesus Christ
rides will out-travel the fiery warhorse, and will pursue its patient,
steadfast path till He bring forth righteousness unto judgment, and all the upright in heart shall
follow Him.
III. Lastly, notice the significance of
this fact as a prophecy. It was, as 1 have pointed out, the last solemn appeal
to the nation, and in a very real sense it was Christs coming to judgment. It
is impossible to look at it without seeing, besides all its other meanings,
gleaming dimly through it, the anticipations of that other coming, when the
Lord Himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel,
and the trump of God.
Let me bring into connection with the scene of my text three
others, gathered from various parts of Scripture. In the forty-fifth Psalm we find, side by side with the
great words, Ride on prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness, the others, Thine arrows
are sharp in the hearts of the kings enemies; the
people shall fall under Thee. Now, though it is possible that that later warlike figure may
be merely the carrying out of the thought which is more gently put before us in
the former words, still it looks as if there were two sides to the conquering
manifestation of the king - one being in meekness and truth and righteousness, and the other in some sense
destructive and punitive.
But, however that may be, my second scene is drawn from the
last book of Scripture, where we read that, when the first seal was opened,
there rode forth a Figure, crowned, mounted upon a white steed, bearing bow and
arrow, conquering and to conquer. And, though that again may be but an
image of the victorious progress of the gentle Gospel of Jesus Christ
throughout the whole earth, still it comes as one in a series of judgments, and
may rather be taken to express the punitive effects which follow its
proclamation even here and now.
But there can be no doubt with regard to the third of the
scenes which I connect with the incident of which we are discoursing: And I saw
heaven opened, and beheld a white horse; and He that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness doth He judge and make war.
... And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God.
That is the Christ who came into
Our Judge is the gentle Jesus, therefore we can hope. The
gentle Jesus is our Judge, therefore let us not presume. I beseech you,
brethren, lay, as these poor people did their garments, your lusts and proud
wills in His way, and join the welcoming shout that hails the King, meek and
having salvation. And then, when He comes forth to judge and to destroy, you will not be
amongst the ranks of the enemies, whom He will ride down and scatter, but amongst
the
armies that follow Him. ... clothed in fine
linen, clean and pure.
Kiss the Son lest He be angry,
and ye perish from the way when His wrath is kindled
but a little. Blessed are all they that put
their trust in Him.
* *
* * *
* *
859
THE NATIONS IN RELATION TO CHRIST
AS IN THE SECOND PSALM
By B. W. NEWTON
Psalm 2
1. Why have the gentiles furiously
gathered together, and why do the peoples
meditate a vain thing?
2. The Kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together
against Jehovah, and against His Anointed,
saying,
3. Let us break Their bands asunder,
and cast away Their cords from us.
4. One that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh; Adonai shall mock at them.
5. THEN shall he speak unto
them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore
displeasure.
6. And I have inaugurated My King on
7. I will declare (make proclamation) in
reference to the decree, Jehovah said unto Me,
MY Son art Thou; I this
day have begotten Thee.
8. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the
gentiles for Thine inheritance, and for Thy
possession the uttermost parts of the earth.
9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of
iron as the vessels of a potter shall Thou shiver them.
10. Now therefore, O ye kings, have understanding.
Be corrected, ye judges
of the earth.
11. Serve Jehovah with fear and rejoice
with trembling.
12. Kiss ye the Son lest He be angered
and ye perish in the way, what time His wrath
shall suddenly kindle. O the happiness of all
that are trusters in Him.
(Translation: B. W.
Newton).
One of
the chief objects of the Psalms is to contrast the condition of the earth,
whilst under the supremacy of evil, with its future condition when the
sovereignty of the world shall have become the sovereignty of our Lord and of
His Christ (Revelation 11: 15).
At present, Satan is the Deceiver not merely of individuals
but of nations and their governors. The streams of national life are poisoned
at their source. In the Apocalypse, which treats of the close of the present
dispensation, Satan is especially described as the Deceiver of the nations (Revelation 12: 9,
and 20: 3)
- as wearing the diadems of the Roman World (Revelation
12: 3) and then giving them to
Antichrist (Revelation 13: 2), and as finally gathering the kings of the
whole Roman World to that great day of the battle of the Lord God Almighty. Of that great gathering this Psalm treats. It speaks of the
time when not merely the peoples, but their kings and rulers shall openly confederate against
God. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah and
against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder and cast away Their cords
from us. This is
the consummation of that lawlessness which makes him who heads it emphatically the lawless
one (2 Thessalonians 2).
Armageddon (i.e., the Hill of Megiddo, in the north-west of
Thus the power and glory of the Lord God of
Past Partial Fulfilment
Many, forgetful of the well-known rule respecting the
germinant fulfilment of prophecy, have virtually quenched the light of this
Psalm, by regarding it as finally accomplished when Pilate, Herod, and Israel
gathered together against Jesus and His disciples. It is indeed true that the
commencing verses of this Psalm received a fulfilment both then, and on every
other occasion in which the powers of earth have confederated against Christ
and His Truth. The principles which are to attain their maturity at the close
of the dispensation, have long been germinating. The heads of society, secular,
philosophic, and religious, had begun to exhibit when the Lord Jesus was on
earth, an indifferentism, and scepticism about Truth, which was making them
reckless of all its restraints.
He who has learned contemptuously to say, What is Truth? will not be restrained by Truth. If
they be personally untroubled by its voice - if its testimonies reach them not
so as to harass their consciences, their indifferentism may be content with
despising Truth; but if its voice be heard upbraidingly, or if its power thwart
any of their designs of evil, then they persecute and trample it to the dust.
Such was Pilate; and not only Pilate, but multitudes beside both in
The final development of iniquity, therefore, is only the
matured form of that which has long been advancing: for what is there in the flower,
or in the fruit, that is not hidden in the bud? But the descriptions of
Scripture are not limited to the embryo form. They extend to the matured
development - the description of the greater necessarily including the less. We
are not indeed to neglect premonitory fulfilments. By means of what has been,
we are taught what is to be. But if we mistake premonitory
fulfilment for final accomplishment, we deceive
ourselves by the very light that is intended to be our guide.
Future Accomplishment
The word Then proves that this passage is yet to receive its full
accomplishment. THEN shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. He has never yet done this. On the
contrary, His longsuffering mercy has waited, and permitted violence to
prosper. He has allowed Truth and its servants to be trampled down. The cry has
yet to be heard and answered, Lord, how long wilt
thou not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell on the earth?
The sixth verse, Yet have I inaugurated My king, upon My holy hill of Zion, stands intermediately between the two
divisions of the Psalm. In contrast with the vain purpose of the raging
nations, this verse reveals Jehovahs purpose of establishing the
government of Christ as Lord of
The Inauguration of Christ on
It is mentioned also as the place where divine glory will be
manifestly present in protective power: and Jehovah will create upon every
dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and on her
assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the
shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And in
Psalm 68 we read, The
hill of God is as the hill of Bashan;
an high hill as the hill of Bashan. Why leap ye, ye high hills?
This is the hill
which God desireth to dwell in; yea, Jehovah will dwell in it for ever. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the
Lord (Adonai) is among
them as in Sinai, in the holy place. This passage sufficiently
indicates the [messianic] glory that will be connected with
But as there was an interval between the destruction of
Pharaoh and his hosts at the Red Sea, and the descent of Jehovah on Sinai, so
there will be an interval between the destruction of Antichrist with his hosts,
and the inauguration of Christ on
In Earths Darkest Hour
The morning star arises at the moment of the earths deepest
darkness. So when the Lord Jesus returns, evil will be dominant in the earth in a way in which it never yet has
been, and never will be again. Antichrist will be in the plenitude of
power at the head of all the Ten Kingdoms of the Roman World. Christendom, that is, those parts of the
earth which will be neither heathen, nor subjected to the power of Antichrist,
will teem, even as they already do, with corruption. As a general description, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness
the peoples.
Accordingly, the avowed object for which Christ assumes His
millennial power is that He may put down this giant strength of evil and subdue
every enemy. He must reign, says the apostle, until He hath put all enemies under His feet (1
Corinthians 15).
Indeed so much is the subjugation of enemies characteristic of the millennial
reign that it terminates as soon as the last enemy has been subdued.
We must beware, therefore, of supposing that every enemy is
suddenly and effectually subdued by the judgments which Christ inflicts at the
moment of His appearing in glory. His first act will be to remove (changed and
glorified) from the earthly into the heavenly branch of His kingdom, all those
who are sanctified by faith in Him;
and to remove, by means of angels, into the unseen place of torment, all who merely profess His name - all
who come under the name of Tares. See Matthew 13. Christendom will thus end.
On the day of His appearing also, after having been joined by
His saints in the air, He will come with them to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14), and will utterly destroy all the
armies that have been gathered under Antichrist with the view of blotting out
The distant heathen, however who have not heard His fame nor
seen His glory (Isaiah 66: 19) will be for the most part spared as individuals, although they may be
broken up as nations.
The Glory of Christ Manifested
These overwhelming and destroying judgments, however, will not
continue after the glory of Christ has been fixed on
The sixth verse, which thus reveals the fixed purpose of Jehovah in establishing the glory
and power of Christ Upon Zion, His holy mountain, is appropriately followed by the
address of Christ, as King, to those kings and governors who are spared after
the termination of those judgments which usher in the millennium, and under
which Antichrist will perish.
From the seventh verse onward, the words are the words of Christ as the Messiah-King. He first
recites what Jehovah had said unto Him at the time of His resurrection from the
dead. Jehovah SAID unto
Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the Gentiles for
Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.
Thou shalt rule
them with a rod of iron: Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel. Such were the words addressed unto
the Son by the Father at the time of His resurrection. See Acts 13: 33.
As yet, seeing that the time of longsuffering and grace towards
the nations is not past, He hath not asked to be invested with this power.
But when the time shall come for Christ to use the words of
this Psalm, He will have asked, and He will have been brought before the Ancient of Days as described
in Daniel
7 and have been invested
with the power of earth, and have begun to exercise it.
On the fact of His having assumed this power, is grounded His
exhortation to the kings and rulers that will have been spared. NOW, therefore, O ye kings, be wise; be instructed ye judges of the earth; serve Jehovah with
fear and rejoice with reverence. Do homage to the Son, lest ye perish from
the way when His wrath is kindled yea, but a little. They to whom these words will be
addressed, will have seen how Antichrist and others who have rebelled against
Jehovah and His Christ have perished; and at last they will learn wisdom. The kings of
Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the
kings of
Yet it is not said that all who render this outward homage are blessed. That word blessed is confined to those who trust in Him. Blessed are all they who trust in Him. All in
Mendelssohns comment is, They
seem to be willing and trusty servants; yet in truth, in their heart they hate
Me, but the fear of Me hath fallen on them. From these strange children will finally
spring the last great apostasy, when for a little season Satan is unbound.
Perfect Legislation
But although Christ does not at the present moment legislate
for and direct the nations, as He will when the words of this Psalm shall be fulfilled,
yet its prophetic voice might be heard and ought to be heard, even now, by
nations and their governors. Shall they at present despise and dishonour Him
Who is already made Lord and Christ - to Whom Jehovah hath already said, Thou art my
Son, ... Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the Nations.?
Christ although not yet seated on His Own millennial throne,
is seated on His Fathers throne and administers all its power. See Revelation 5. He hath all power in heaven and in
earth. It is vain, therefore, for nations to deceive themselves with the
thought that they can do homage to God as the Governor of all, if they refuse
to own Christ as the Person, even now, invested with all the glory and power of
the throne of the Majesty of the heavens, To deny the fact of Christs present
exaltation and authority, is virtual atheism. It is true indeed that the
acknowledgment of this fact does not make men real Christians; but the denial
of it makes them Infidels.
A nation that by its official organs governmentally
acknowledges the Lordship and Mediatorship of Christ as a fact, does not
thereby become Christian in the sense of being brought into the
The natural blessings that have for many centuries flowed down
upon our own unworthy country, as a consequence of having outwardly owned the
name of Christ and His one Mediatorship, must be obvious to all whose hearts
are not judicially blinded. But of late years the recognition of Christ has
begun to be relinquished (And much more since this article was written
in the 19th century! -
Ed). Whether governors own, or do not own Him by whom kings
rule, and princes decree judgment, has been thought a matter of
indifference. It has been thought immaterial whether men own Christ alone as
the one Lord, and the one Mediator; or whether they bow down
idolatrously to Mary and seek the mediation of the queen of heaven, or despise mediatorship altogether.
Even in this our own favoured land it is beginning to be deemed
immaterial whether governors, and even authorised religious teachers own the
supreme authority of the Word of God, or whether they give themselves over to
philosophic Pantheism and trample under foot the Blood of atonement and every
other distinctive truth revealed in the Scripture. That ear must indeed be deaf
(shall I say, judicially deafened?) that hears not already the cry, Let us break
Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords
from us.
* *
* * *
* *
860
THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE
By G. H. LANG
[PART
TWO]
When
Israels century-long warfare shall have been at last thus accomplished and her
iniquity in consequence have been pardoned when she shall have received of
Jehovahs hands double for all her sins, then
at once will go forth the word: Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith
your God: then will one tell of Zion the
good tidings, the good tidings, Behold your God! (Isa. 40: 1, 2, 9).
These passages from among many may suffice for our purpose. It
requires neither proof nor discussion to show that these mighty events,
explicitly set in connection with the fulfilling of vengeance on Israel, did
not come in the year A.D. 70, but are still in the future, and that therefore
when the Lord spoke of days of vengeance when all things that are written shall
be fulfilled, He was looking on to times yet to come [at the termination of the Great
Tribulation].
(We are not unaware that some godly persons [i.e., Anti-millennialist, regenerated believers who] consider that there is no future for
[* NOTE: To be equal
unto angels, - (after the
first resurrection (Luke 20: 36; Rev. 20: 6, R.V.),
in a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24: 39,
R.V.) cannot prevent Gods promise to resurrected Abraham in the land of
Because Resurrection out of dead ones (Acts 4:
2,
Lit. Gk.), has not yet occurred (2 Tim. 2: 18; John 3: 13; 14: 3; 1 Thess. 4: 16; Acts 2: 34ff.),
the Writer of The Acts of the Apostles could
say, - God
removed him [Abraham] into this land [Canaan],
and he gave him none inheritance in it,
no, not so much as to
set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession
(Acts 7: 4b,
5, R.V.). This future inheritance,
promised to Abrahan, a Jew, will not prevent him, as a resurrected Jew,
from entering into the heavenly sphere of Messiahs Kingdom
also! This will be possible for all resurrected saints - Jews and
Gentile Christians alike - after the Lord Jesus will return to resurrect the holy dead, (Rev.
20: 6; 1 Thess. 4: 16. cf.
John 14: 3,
R.V.).
Hyper-dispensationalism has erroneously taught that Jews cannot have the same
privileges as Gentiles, after their resurrection! But our Lords activities upon
this earth, after His post-resurrection ministry, proves the contrary: See my hands and my feet, that
it is I myself: handle me and see; for a
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me
having.
And while they still disbelieved
for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here anything to eat? And they gave him a
piece of a boiled fish. And he took it, and did eat before them.
Then opened he their mind, that
they might understand the scriptures
(Luke
24: 39-42,
R.V.).]
2. Our second consideration concerns the
term treading down. In itself this word (pateo)
could apply to the violent destruction of a city, and so might be rightly
applied to the treatment of
Of this word the New Testament gives its own illustrations. In
Revelation 14: 20
and 19: 15
it is used of the coming destruction of Antichrist and his armies by Christ,
which will be sudden, violent, final. The Victor is said to tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. It is the life-juice in the shortest
possible time. Swiftness and violence are of the essence of this picture. Hence
the term used is not simply the wrath of God, which is general and admits
of wide degrees of intensity, but the fierceness of wrath.
This strong feature the other use of the word enforces. The Lord
said: I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and
scorpions (Luke 10: 19). As we ourselves have witnessed, a man simply hurls himself
upon a serpent with all conceivable fury, and stamps it down with his heel with
the utmost possible force and speed; for the serpent itself moves and strikes
so swiftly, and its poison is so painful and deadly that a mans whole nature
seems excited on the instant to unrestrained violence.
In the nature of the case such ruthless and ruinous efforts cannot
be very protracted, for the object thus crushed - grapes or snakes or cites -
are shortly destroyed by such violence. Thus the picture and the term cannot
apply to the mere possession of a city through nineteen slow centuries.
Titus indeed trod down
The very sieges of the city since that by Titus have not been
for the purpose of destroying it, but for owning it and occupying it as a holy
place.
So far therefore is it from fact that
The change of tense in the verb is significant. John is told that
the temple court was given over to the nations, that is, at some preceding time
not here specified. This may look back as far as to when Nebuchadnezzar was
given sovereignty over the land. But the treading down mentioned was to be an
event future to the time when John saw the visions the holy city
they shall
tread under foot forty and two months. Now the destruction of Jerusalem by
Titus was already past by at least twenty years, accepting, as there is good
ground to do, the generally allowed date of the Apocalypse as in the last
decade of that century. So that this treading down was yet to come, and is yet
to come, for, as we have seen, there has been no treading down of
But exactly such a destruction of
Daniel 9:
26, mentioned quite fairly admits of this application. At a
certain point Messiah was to be cut off and was to have nothing. Here there
comes in the prophecy an unsurveyed break of some duration. For even if the
next clause, the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the
city and the sanctuary, refers to A.D. 70 there was an interval of forty years. Now if the
interval might be forty years, it might equally well be 400 years or any longer
period.
Also the supposition that the Romans were the people here in
view involves the further and more than doubtful supposition that Antichrist, the prince
that shall come,
will be the head of the Roman world, whereas in Scripture he is the Assyrian, the king of the north, that is, Assyria, or the king of Shishak, that is, Babylon. The fourth empire of prophecy is never in Scripture named Roman.
It is therefore at least admissible to refer the words wholly
to Antichrist, and this will connect naturally with the next clause, his end shall
be in the flood, and even unto the end shall be war, the desolations determined for here the Beast is the person in
view. This leads on to the announcing of his covenant with the more part of
Israel for seven years, his violating it
in the middle of that term, his profaning and desolating of the sanctuary
for the remaining three and a half years, that is, for the period of the
treading down of the holy city declared to John, as above observed, all
reaching on to the determined consummation when he, the
last desolator of Israel, shall be destroyed, and the time of Gentile world sovereignty end.
Thus understood the passage answers exactly to the words of
Christ we are examining, which are indeed a summary thereof.
This final treading down of
Chapter 12 declares that
But before they can be brought to this humbled state they must
be diminished in numbers till only a third of them in the land are left, and
that third, that very small remnant of Isaiah 1: 9, must go through a fierce refining
fire, and, when thereby purged as gold, at last they will be again acknowledged
by Jehovah as His people (13: 7-9).
That all this is at the end days is clear from ch. 14: 1-4, for it is placed in the day of
the Lord.
Moreover, whereas it was only the Romans that destroyed
And the day in question includes final events which never yet
have taken place, even that Jehovah shall go forth in person and fight against
those nations, and His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives,
which is before Jerusalem on the east. And the issue of those purifying
judgments shall be that the whole life of the people shall become sanctified,
for all common things shall be sacred, Holy unto Jehovah (14: 20, 21).
It is therefore clear that there yet remains that treading
down of Jerusalem shewn in Revelation 11: 2, and which will correspond until it is ended suddenly by the
descent of Christ to Jerusalem and the destruction of the Beast, which will
close the times of the Gentiles, and bring the promised
restoration of earthly sovereignty to the house of David in the person of
Davids greater Son.
Other pictures of this same invasion of the holy land, and its
final deliverance are found, as in Isa. 63: 1-6; Joel, Habakkuk, and Zephania.
Since such extreme violence is in the case the student may
enquire why the more intensive form katapateo, was not used, instead of pateo.
If the Septuagint is examined it will be seen that two centuries before the New
Testament these words, and also sumpateo, had already become
practically interchangeable. Thus pateo is used of treading grapes in Judg. 9:
27; Lam. 1: 15; Isa. 16: 10; Jer. 48: 33; while in Isa. 63:
2 pateo, is first used and in the next sentence katapateo.
In 2 Kings
14: 9 sumpateo
is used of a wild beast trampling down a thistle, whereas in the parallel
passage (2
Chron. 25: 18) it is katapateo.
Of the crushing of eggs (Job 39: 15) and of trampling down a vineyard (Isa. 5:
5) we find katapateo, but of the trampling down
of straw by oxen in their byre, as a picture of the destruction of a country by
war, pateo
is used and is equivalent to beside katapateo in Isa. 25:
10. In Zech. 10: 5 of warriors trampling down enemies in
the mire of the streets it is pateo; of horse-men doing the same katapateo
is found in Ezek. 26: 11, and in Micah 7: 10 it is katapateo. In Ezek. 34:
19 the trampling of pasture has pateo, but in Isa. 7:
25 of the same scene katapateo is used.
Most often katapateo describes the treading
down of persons, cities, or nations, but in Isa. 26:
6 pateo, is found, and in Dan. 8: 13 sumpateo.
In 2 Kings
7: 17 this last word pictures a surging crowd trampling a man to death, and it
is used in 9: 33, of Jehu driving his chariot over Jezebel.
In four of the five places where katapateo is found in the
New Testament (Matt. 5: 13; 7: 6; Luke 8: 5; 12: 1) there is no suggestion of fury or destruction,
and the prefix seems only to indicate position or direction, trampling under or
down. In the remaining place (Hab. 10:
29) it seems that contempt is the thought implied. It appears
from the usage that in the New Testament pateo is used as the stronger word,
all its five places distinctly importing great violence and intention to
destroy.
3. The Lord specified certain mighty events which are to lead on
to the days of vengeance, which events certainly did not happen prior to
the destruction of
These were (a) vast international wars: nation shall
rise up against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom; (b) great
earthquakes; (c) famines and pestilences (Luke 21: 10).
These things were described as the
beginning of travail (Matt. 24: 8; Mark 13: 8).
This figure precludes an application of the predictions to events like these
such as might occur at times throughout the centuries, and fixes the application
to the very end of the age, for though the woman carries the child for a
lengthy period, and may (or may not) ensure various sufferings during the same,
yet travail is but the short and sharp
agony that marks the very end only of that period. This same figure of
birth pangs equally forbids the idea that the woman in travail of Rev. 12:
2 referred to
Christ had just before said that wars and tumults would mark
this whole age, and yet would not show that the end was at hand, for he said
positively, the end is not
immediately (Luke 21:
9; Matt. 24: 6; Mark 13: 7), that is, was not to follow quickly
after the time when He was speaking. That each evangelist records this remark
long after it was uttered suggests how they understood it and thought it
needful to repeat it to all Christians. But A.D. 70 did follow comparatively
soon thereafter and therefore was not connected with the end, as events have shown.
Nor at that time were nations and kingdoms entire hurling
themselves against one another, for they all were kept in bounds under the Roman
overlordship. It may be averred that this feature has never really been seen
before the late Great War, for prior thereto campaigns were usually affairs of
comparatively small armies rather than of whole states mobalised as to their
whole manhood, with the women and youth also working in the background.
Yet that even the late war did not fall within the description
given may be seen from the plain statement (Luke 12: 19) that before all these things mentioned - wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences - there is to come a hatred of and persecution of
Christians which is to be a
universal (Ye shall be hated of all men); (b) distinctly for Christs name sake; (c) so virulent [i.e., severely
strong or severe] that all family affection would be destroyed by its malign intensity;
and (d) which shall continue unto
the end of the age: he that endureth unto the end, the same (this individual) shall be saved (Matt. 24:
15). Now in this discourse the end is the climax and close of this [evil and apostate-church] age (Matt. 24: 3, 6, 13, 14), not the finish of any former
burst of persecution, or the end of
the trials or the life of an individual.
No persecution answering fully to these details has yet come. It
is the famines, and pestilences that will fulfil the prediction before us, not
one or more of these occurring now and again. Similarly, it is the combination
of the features given as to mark the persecution that must be found, and
hitherto no persecution has been so world-wide as to warrant the term all men. As to A.D. 70, which is in the
reign of Vespasian, no such persecution marked his rule as to answer to what
the Lord here said. The later Papal persecutions were not even avowedly for Christs name sake, but rather, as the persecutions
alleged, falsely or perhaps sometimes sincerely, because they deemed heretics
to be antichristian persons. And certainly no persecution has continued unto
the end of the age.
But such a persecution will come. For before the Beast
shall reign supreme, the Harlot system of religion will ride in power and will
make herself drunk with the blood of the saints (Rev.
17: 6); and when the Beast shall have destroyed her
(ver. 16, 17) then he in turn will make war
with the saints and overcome them (Rev.
13: 7), and his destructive efforts will
end only with the end of the [apostate] age and the appearing of their Lord to save them.
Thus events which have not yet transpired are to lead up to
the days of vengeance.
4. Certain events which are still to
come are to accompany those days. (1).
One is that there shall be a concurrent preaching of the gospel [of the kingdom] in the whole
inhabited earth (Matt. 24: 14). This
term (rchetype) cannot here be restricted to the then Roman empire, for Mark gives
the meaning as all the nations (13:
10). But when first the Harlot and then the Beast instigate
general and intense persecution, and Christians all over the earth are being
arraigned before magistrates of all grades, are called before Jewish synagogues
and Gentile courts, even before supreme rulers, kings and governors, an obvious effect will be to bring
their peculiar tenets before men at large and the gospel will be made known to
all nations for a testimony unto them. That this is future is clear, from the
statement that, this having been accomplished, then shall the end come.
(2). In connection
with the end period there is to be set up in the holy place that, abomination of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel the
prophet (Matt. 24:
15; Mark 13:
14). It is to be noted that this was not to be as a result of the overthrow of the city, for the Lord gives it as
a sign for believers to flee from Jerusalem and the country, and of necessity
this flight would have to be before the armies that shall desolate it should
encircle it, for when they had once invested the city flight would be out of
the question. Hence the word (Luke 21: 20),
When ye shall see
Now no setting up of an abomination (an image) in the holy
place preceded the attack by Titus, or any subsequent attack down to this time.
This therefore requires fulfilment in that half of the week when the prince
that shall come
shall cause the worship of Jehovah to cease, and upon the wing of
abominations shall come one that maketh desolate even unto the consummation
(Dan. 9: 27), even he who shall deceive mankind into making an image of
the Beast, shall vivify it and make it to speak, and shall cause that as many
as will not worship it shall be put to death (Rev. 13: 14, 15). So Christ added of that time that
then shall be great tribulation, beyond anything ever known or ever to be known
(Matt. 24:
21). Dreadful as the siege by Titus was, yet surely it were
extravagant to say that its horrors were worse than anything that had happened
since the world began, or since its time, and surely it were presumptuous
to affirm that nothing so terrible ever can happen again.
(3) One specified
feature of those days was that they were to be limited by the direst act of
God, or the race of man would perish, no flesh should
be saved (Matt. 24: 22). In
A.D. 70 there was no approach to such general distress and destruction, nor was
a limit put thereto such as brought a change of world affairs. Nor were Gods
elect in such particular jeopardy as to require that for their sake God should
put a limit to that period. But all this will be true in the days of the beast,
as pictured in Rev. 13 and Daniel
11: 36 -12: 1.
If it be asked why the dread events of A.D. 70 were not
foretold particularly, the answer may be given that it was but one fearful
stage in the long-drawn and dreadful progress of Israels [and the Church] apostasy.
The sad drama of over three and a half millenniums of years had been
sufficiently described without all its separate events being particularized.
But its climax epoch, leading to general national repentance and recovery, is
fully disclosed, for it is the great goal to which world history points and
leads.
5. Lastly, certain events were to follow
immediately upon those days of vengeance.
(1). Immediately
after the tribulation included in those days of vengeance there shall come the
terrific disordering of the sidereal and angelic heavens specified by Christ (Matt.
24: 29; Mark 13: 24, 25; Luke 21: 25, 26), and shown again under seal 6 of the Revelation (6: 12-17).
(2). Next following
these things is to be the visible coming of the Son of man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory, with the events then to accompany, including the resurrection of the godly [dead], and the gathering together of His elect (Dan. 12: 2; 1 Thess. 4.; 1 Cor. 15.; etc). This is the blessed hope of Paul (Tit. 2: 13); the revelation of
Jesus Christ of Peter (1 ep. 1: 13); the manifestation
of John (1
ep. 2: 28). It includes also the restoration of
That Christians in Judea in A.D. 70 acted (as is said) upon
the counsel of Christ, and fled the country before Titus surrounded
Thus In A.D. 70 (1)
all things written concerning
On the other hand, all of these particulars are shown in
Scripture as connected with a treading down yet to be known at the oppression
of
If anything at all can be demonstrated by a strict
consideration of Gods inspired Book surely it is these two points.
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861
LINE UPON LINE
CHAPTER IV
SAMUEL; OR THE GOD DAGON.
1 Samuel 5.;
6: 1-14.
[PART
TWO]
Do you
not wish to know what the Philistines did with the ark?
They were much delighted at getting the ark of the God of Israel;
for they knew that he was a very great God. The Philistines took the ark to one
of their cities, or towns; and they put it in the house of their idol. Their
idols name was Dagon. The
Philistines had made an image like a
man, and they called it Dagon, and they had built a house for Dagon, and they
had set Dagon up on a high place; so they used to come and worship Dagon very
often in this house.
The Philistines left the ark all night in the house of Dagon: the
next morning they got up early and went into the idols house. But what do you
think they saw when they went in?
They saw their idol Dagon fallen down from the high place, and
lying upon his face before the ark.
Who had thrown Dagon down? It was God, who wished to show the
Philistines that he was stronger than idols, and that he hated idols.
The Philistines were not quite sure that it was God who had
thrown Dagon on the ground: so they lifted up Dagon, and set him in his place
again near the ark, and then left him.
The next morning they rose up early and came into the idols
house. What do you think they saw this time?
Dagon was fallen down again upon his face, before the ark; and
this time Dagon was broken; his head and his. Hands were broken off from his
body. The Philistines were very sorry, their idol was broken. I do not know
whether they mended the idol or whether they set him up again, but God soon
made something much worse happen to the Philistines. God made them very ill
indeed, and full of pain. They said one to another, What shall we
do with the ark? For it shall not stay in this
city any longer.
So they sent it to another city, where some other Philistines lived. What do you
think happened to the people of that city, when the ark of God was come into
it?
They fell very ill indeed, and a great many of them died, so
the people of the city sent it to another city of the Philistines. The people
of the other city were very much frightened when they saw the ark coming: they
said, We shall die now the ark is brought here.
Soon they fell very ill, and a great many of the people died,
and the city was full of people groaning and crying.
At last the Philistines thought they would, send the ark back
to the Israelites; but they did not feel quite sure that the God of Israel had been angry with them for keeping the
ark.
Had the God of Israel been angry with them? Yes, my dear
child: you know that it was God who had made them so ill, and who had killed so
many of them.
The Philistines made a plan for sending back the ark. This was
their plan. They said, We will put the ark in a cart, and we will take two cows
that have never drawn a cart before; and we will
tie them to the cart, and we will shut up their
calves in this place where we live. No one shall
drive the cows, but we will see what they will
do. If the God of Israel be so great, he can make the cows take the ark back to the Israelites. If the cows leave their calves and go to the place where the
Israelites live, then we shall be quite sure
that it was the God of Israel who made us so ill, to punish us for keeping the ark.
This was the plan of the Philistines.
They had heard how God once sent plagues to Pharaoh, and they were afraid lest
God should do the same to them. They said, We will not
harden our hearts, as Pharaoh and the people of
The Philistines took two cows that
gave milk, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home, and
they laid the ark of God upon the cart, and they watched to see what the cows
would do.
Then God made the cows do a wonderful
thing. They drew the cart without being driven, along the road which led to the
place where the Israelites lived. They lowed as they went, and never once
turned out of the road.
Some of the Philistines followed the cart.
At last the cart came to a place where
some of the Israelites were reaping corn in a field. These Israelites looked
up, and saw the cart coming, and soon they saw the ark, and they were very glad
indeed. The cows brought the cart into the field, and then stopped by the side
of a great stone.
* *
*
CHAPTER V
SAMUEL, OR THE DISOBEDIENT LOOK.
1 Samuel 6: 13; 7: 1 to
end.
THE
Israelites in the field took the ark out of the cart, and placed it on the
great stone, and they took the cart, and cut it up for wood for a sacrifice,
and they killed the two cows and burned them as a sacrifice. They did this to
show they were grateful to God who had made the cows bring the ark back.
The Philistines were much surprised at
the wonderful thing that God had done, and they went back to their own land.
Ought they not to have left off worshipping idols, when they saw how great the
God of Israel was? Yes, they should have burned their idols when they got home,
and only worshipped the true God. But they did go on worshipping idols, and God
was angry with them for it.
And the Israelites did a thing that displeased God very much.
They looked into the ark. God did not allow anybody to look into the
·
They shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered,
lest they die. Num.
4: 20. This
prohibition (addressed to the Levites) applied to all except the priests.
God is very angry when people dare to disobey him: so he made
those Israelites fall very ill, and a great many of them died. Then they were
afraid of keeping the ark in their city; and they sent messages to some other
Israelites to come and fetch it: and they came and fetched it, and put it in
the house of a man. This man lived upon a hill, and he and his son took care of
the ark in one of the rooms of his house.
Do you know why the ark was not sent
back to the tabernacle at
* They provoked
him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their
graven images. So that he forsook the
tabernacle of
It was very kind of God to let the ark come again into the
place where the Israelites lived.
The Philistines, with heathen pride,
Have set the ark by Dagons side,
Within their idols temple walls:
The door they close, -
Lo! Dagon bows,
And on his face he falls.
In vain they set him up again;
He cannot near the ark remain:
Ah! see, he trembles where he stands,
Falls from his place
With dire disgrace,
And breaks his head and hands.
CHILD
And are some children taught to pray
To such a god as fell that day?
My Parents, in my babyhood,
Instructed me
To bow the knee
To
Oh, may I
be more wise and good
Than those
who worship stone and wood.
For every
sin the Lord abhors,
And he will
cast
In hell at
last
All those
who break his laws.
* *
*
CHAPTER VI
SAMUEL, OR THE UNGRATEFUL WISH.
1 Smuel 8.
WHO was
the king of the Israelites? God was the king of the Israelites. When Samuel was
grown up to be a man, he was called a judge; but he was not a king. He used to
tell the people what God wished them to do; and he used to punish bad people.
Moses had once been the judge of
You will be sorry to hear that at last they grew tired of
having God for their king. They said, We should like to have a king that
would go out to battle before us. They wanted to have a king that they could see. So they came
to Samuel and said, Give us a king.
Samuel was very sorry to hear this, and he went and prayed to
the Lord. Do you think that God would let the Israelites have a king? Yes, he
would: he was displeased with them for wishing for a king, but as they wanted a
king, God said they should have one.
So Samuel called the Israelites together to speak to them, and
then he said, God will let you have a king, but
this is the way in which the king will treat you.
He will make your sons work for him;
some of them will run before his chariots; and some will make swords and spears for him, and some will plough his ground, and reap his corn: and some
of your daughters will bake, and cook, and make nice things for him to eat; and he will take away many of your fields, and gardens, and corn, and sheep from you, and give
them to whom he pleases, and then you will be
sorry that you wished for a king, and you will
cry to God, and he will not hear you.
Did the Israelites still wish for a king? Yes, they would not
mind what Samuel said: but they cried out, We will have a king.
Then all the people went home.
Who do you think would say what man was to be a king?
God was to choose the king; and God would tell Samuel who was
to be king.
I shall tell you about the man whom God chose to be the king
of
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862
THE LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD
OUR REWARDER AND AWARDS
By A. T. SCHOFIELD, M.D., M.R.C.S., &c.
[PART
ONE]
THERE was a time when it was generally
believed that Christians went to Heaven when they died, the intermediate state
under the name of Purgatory being but an invention of the Roman Catholics. It
is now, however, I think, generally admitted that there is a place for the
present abode of departed spirits [and disembodied souls, in the heart of the
earth, (Matt. 12: 40, R.V.)] to which our Lord went in the
disembodied state. When, however, He rose in His glorified body He, [after His
post-resurrection ministry on earth,] ascended up to the right hand of God in Heaven itself. Inasmuch, as in all
things, He is our Forerunner, it appears that our disembodied spirits [and souls] in like manner pass into the
disembodied state [in Hades* (Luke 16: 23,
R.V.)] and enjoy therein the blessed sense
of the Lords presence which pervades it.* Absent from
the body, present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5: 8).
[* That is, that section of Hades
which our Lord Jesus described as
This differs, however, from the Roman Catholic Purgatory,
inasmuch as Scripture affords no ground for believing that any such process as
purging goes on there. On the Resurrection morning, when saints are clothed in
their glorified bodies, it would appear they [can] enter Heaven, in the fullest
sense, Heaven not being a place for unclothed spirits, but rather for redeemed
spirits* [and disembodied souls] clothed
with immortal bodies.
[* NOTE: Our Lords animating
(life-giving) spirit returned to God in Heaven
at the time of His Death.
Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit: and having said this he
gave up the spirit (Luke 23:
46b).
Again:-
he [Jesus] said, Weep not; for she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him [Jesus] to scorn,
knowing that she
[the ruler of the synagogues daughter] was dead. But he
taking her by the hand, called, saying, Maiden, arise. And her spirit
returned, and she rose up
immediately (Luke 8: 52-55,
R.V.).
And again:- For as the
body apart from the spirit is dead, even
so faith apart from works is dead (Jas.
2: 26, R.V.).]
The conventional Heaven, too, of our earlier hymns and
childhood thoughts, where the principal idea seemed to be that there would be
no occupation of any sort for evermore, has given place to a new concept based
on a more careful study of the prophetic Scriptures.
There will be, of course, for all a
state of perfect bliss, an absence of all sin, but there will be positions in
glory both high and low, and as unlike to each other as a star of the first
magnitude is to one of the twentieth (1 Cor. 15. 41). Gods servants, moreover, shall then serve
Him efficiently and perfectly, for this earth is rather the place of
apprenticeship, where work of various sorts may be learned, to be carried out
in Eternity in all its fulness, throughout the universe.
God the Awarder
The first point one would wish to emphasize in connection with
our subject is that God is a Rewarder, or, better still, our Awarder. This
thought runs through the whole Bible, and is specially emphasized by Christ
Himself: Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men,
to be seen of them; else
ye have no reward with your Father which is in Heaven
(Matt. 6:
1); by the Apostle Paul: For he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of
them that seek after Him (Heb. 11: 6); by the Apostle John: Behold,
I come quickly; and My
reward is with Me, to render to each man according as his work is (Rev. 22: 12); also
by James and Peter.
The essential difference between a rewarder and an awarder is that the former
word carries with it the idea of merit only, whereas an awarder is a
judge who decides not only on merit but demerit. Of course the word
reward is connected with punishment in Scripture. For if the
word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and
every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward (Heb.
2: 2); but our conventional use of it is as
I have stated. In the Bible death itself is spoken of as a reward, or, in other words, as the wages
of sin (Rom. 6: 23).
As it is possible there may be some lofty-minded Christians
who think the whole question of rewards for life and service is not worthy of
their highest thoughts, and that the love of virtue itself and of God is the
sole consideration that should be entertained, it may be necessary to point out
that it is very dangerous ground indeed to affect to despise
what is so plainly taught in Scripture. Moreover, if further
incentive were needed to value the rewards that God Himself gives for
faithfulness, we have set before us nothing less than the example of Christ
Himself: Looking unto Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the Cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God
(Heb. 12:
2).
Award as an Incentive
The general principle with regard to Christian awards is well
stated by the Apostle Paul: But thou, why dost
thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God.
For it is written, As I
live, saith the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow, and
every tongue shall confess to God. So then each
one of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 14: 10-12). Here we find that although the
judgment for sin is for ever passed for the believer, having been suffered by
his Saviour upon the Cross, there is to be an inquiry into every fact of his
Christian life, when each one with perfect memory, will give an account of himself,
and in which all evil as well as all good will come out. Moreover, the apostle
presents this truth as an incentive for honest and Christian action now, and
this Scripture alone suffices to show the extreme importance for our subject of
this chapter. To get the matter clearly before us we must understand that this
is now the acceptable year of the Lord, the year of grace, already stretched
out into nearly two thousand years. It will be followed by the day of God,
during which three distinct judgments will take place. The first, that of the
saints which will take place in Heaven, for judgment must begin at the House of
God (1 Peter 4: 17).
Those who are judged then are already in Heaven and in their glorified bodies,
so that there is no question of judgment of sin, but of their Christian life
and character. The second judgment is that of the living nations upon the earth
as recorded in Matthew 25. And the
third or last is that of the dead, after the thousand years of the Millennium
are past and gone.
Appearing before the Bema
A classical passage on the judgment of the saints in Heaven is
in 2 Corinthians 5: 10:
For we must all be made manifest before the
judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may
receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. We must consider this word
by word.
WE, that is, all individual Christians as
such, not Churches or bodies of Christians collectively. It is now that
Churches are judged, all will be individual then, each one. There will be no wicked there, for
this will be a congregation of the righteous: Therefore the ungodly shall
not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous (Psa. 1: 5); no book of life will be opened there, for each one has already entered
into life eternal.
The word MUST is emphatic, and reminds us of the
other musts - must be lifted up, must be
born again - so
there is evidently no possible exception on any conceivable ground.
ALL includes both those present in the
body and those absent in the grave at the Lords coming.
BE MADE MANIFEST means opened, exposed, turned inside out,
for this will be true then. Now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but
then shall I know even as also I have been known (1 Cor. 13: 12).
JUDGMENT-SEAT OF CHRIST. Christians have long sought to
minimise this expression in its solemnity and its reality, lest it conflict
with John 5: 24:
Cometh not into judgment, and have tried by parading Greek to
obscure its meaning. This is not a judgment-seat,
they say, but only a Bema tribunal whence on a sort of prize day rewards are given
to faithful servants. But this is only to obscure Scripture. It is true
that the word in the Greek is Bema, but then Bema means judgment-seat, and is used in Scripture to describe
the judgment-seats of Pilate, of Caesar, of Herod, of the Son of Man (John 5: 22), as well as of Christ here.
It does not follow, however, because it is a true
judgment-seat that the judgment of sins takes place there; while, on the other
hand, as we shall see, it is far more than a tribunal for prizes.
Acts now - Awards there
The passage goes on to say: EACH ONE, preserving the intense
individuality of the scene. MAY RECEIVE THE THINGS, the force of which is, we receive
then what we do now.
With regard to good things, we read: Knowing that whatsoever good thing
each one doeth, the same shall he receive again
from the Lord (or
this exactly shall he render), whether he be bond or free (Eph. 6: 8). But we shall receive the bad
also: For he that
doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is
no respect of persons (Col. 3: 25). Both of these passages emphasize the
fact that there is no respect of persons, no consideration to affect the
righteous judgment but that of character itself. Let us mark well, then, that
if Paul in Ephesians clearly shows that every good thing done by Christians
shall receive its reward, in Colossians he equally shows that every
wrong thing that they do shall also receive its award.
It may be difficult now when still in this world with
imperfect and sin-darkened minds to be able to apprehend the glory of the time
when sin in us, as well as on us, will be for ever done away, when we shall
stand body, spirit, soul in the likeness of our Lord and Saviour and judge in
Heaven. And yet it is then we shall receive the bad we have done on earth, and
the form this will take will be to suffer loss. Without doubt we, having received
from our Saviour all His love can give, will then (in spirit one with our
Judge) gladly bow to His righteous award on the failures in our lives. There will
be no fear, but intense solemnity and great humility, and a feeling of deepest
thankfulness that standing then in the perfect light the truth about each one
is seen at last, and all shadows, subterfuges, and falsehood for ever done
away.
ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HATH DONE does not mean, as some would persuade
us, According to what he hath practised (that
is to say, a single sin will not be considered, but only repeated sins), for
the word is not in the perfect, which might bear such a meaning, but in the
aorist, which distinctly means according to what he had done even once.
WHETHER IT refers to the reward, not to the deeds, and clinches what we
have emphasised, that each one receives the things exactly he has done, whether
the reward BE GOOD OR BAD. In other words, there is no
flinching there from a bad award, and it will be as real, as true, and as
emphatic as a good reward. The object, of course of this final
judgment is not only to establish the truth, and to enable each one to know how
far in his Christian life he has really lived honestly and pleased God, or
dishonestly and displeased God, but is in
view of future position and service in [Hades, the coming Kingdom and restored earth, and in] Heaven.* Let me point out once more before leaving this
solemn subject that it is only when faith is changed to sight, and we have
actually received all that grace has to give, that our place in glory
is determined by the character of our lives and actions.
[* See Heb. 9: 27. cf.
Luke 20: 35;
Phil. 3: 11 with Gal. 5: 21; Eph. 5: 5; Rom. 8: 17-21 and John 20:
17, R.V.]
Relation of Conduct with
Destiny
There can be no doubt whatever that it is our Christian life and faithfulness now that is making or marring
our position in [the coming Kingdom and in] Eternity, and that this judgment scene takes
place [before the time of resurrection (Heb.
9: 27. cf.
John 3: 13;
14: 3; 2 Tim. 2: 18, R.V.) and] at our entrance into Heaven, in order that at once we may be assigned the
positions there which we have made for ourselves here. Grace has been so
exalted in these days at the expense of works as to lead to much practical
anti-nomianism and carelessness and dishonesty of
life.
The relations of conduct with destiny are too clearly marked
for us to neglect them, and the consideration of this one verse should in
itself be of sufficient power to make us lead different and better lives as
long as we are spared to do so. The judgment-seat of Christ with respect to
Overcomers or Overcome
There are really but two classes in all the Churches, the
overcomers and the overcome, and it is so to-day. We must either be overcome of
evil or overcome evil with good.
Let us turn aside for one moment to survey the life of the
greatest overcomer, next to his Master, the Apostle Paul.
In 2 Timothy 4: 7 he gives the whole story of his life: I have fought
the good fight, and have finished the course,
I have kept the faith. Here we get the warrior, the walker,
and the witness, or the three-fold
overcomer, and connected with his overcoming are no less than seven specific
rewards. With regard to the warfare, we get the reward for ministry in Luke 12. 43; for
suffering in Romans 8: 17 and 2 Thessalonians 1: 4,
5, 1 Corinthians
3: 8; for overcoming
in Revelation, chapters
2 and 3. With regard to the walk, we find the reward for
caring for the poor in Luke 14.
14; and for its whole
duration in 1 Corinthians 9: 24. With regard to the witness, we find the reward for watching in Luke 12:
37; and for steadfastness
in Colossians
1: 2, 3, and James 1: 12.
Let us now turn for further instruction to an entirely
different scene. Here we no longer look upon the [regenerate] Christian as doing good or evil in
his life, but as building, and building well or ill. The whole
passage is in 1 Corinthians 3: 10-15: According to the
grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder I laid a foundation, and another
buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no
man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. But if any man buildeth on the
foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; each mans work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because
it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself
shall prove each mans work of what sort it is. If
any mans work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If
any mans work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
The Wise Masterbuilder
Paul represents himself personally as the wise masterbuilder,
he lays the only foundation that can be laid
for Christian building, which is Christ Himself. There is no question whatever
here of un-christian builders who use any false foundations, building upon
canvas rocks or upon the sand itself (such builders abound in the present day),
and upon them contriving to erect many fair and presentable lives. But when we
wish to know if such lives will stand we soon learn that the foundation is of
far more importance than the superstructure. All builders, therefore, building
on other foundation than Christ Jesus will be judged elsewhere, and not only
the houses, but the builders will be destroyed; these have no place at the judgment-seat of Christ of
which we are speaking, where all the
builders are [regenerate and, by Gods grace,
eternally] saved.
The question in this chapter is not for a moment of any
unchristian building, for all here build on Christ, so the judgment is solely as to how they build. Christ Himself was the
great Masterbuilder. Upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
(Matt. 16:
18).
Two Houses to be Built
All Christians are builders, and many of us in more senses
than one. There are two houses to be built, the one is the house of individual
Christian profession described in Matthew 7: 24, 25: Every one therefore
which heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them, shall be
likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon
the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and
it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. The other is Gods House, of which
some Christians, not all, are called to be builders. Take heed, says the apostle, in view of the coming judgment of our
building, for each mans work (not the foundation, for that is already laid - a tried
Corner Stone, but all that is built upon it) shall be made manifest (that is, as we have seen in 2 Corinthians 5. 10, be full exposed and carefully
examined and tested) for the day (that is,
the day of God) shall declare it, or make it manifest. It will be
proved by fire, ever a symbol even to [regenerate] Christians of the judgment of God. Our God is a
consuming fire (Heb. 12: 29).
Six Materials used in
Building
The building may be constructed of three things that stand the
fire, and are therefore precious - gold, silver,
and costly stones; or, on the other hand, it may be built of three
things that cannot stand fire, and are therefore comparatively worthless - wood, hay, stubble (or straw). In the building itself there may be any admixture of these,
often in such complexity that God Himself alone can reveal the truth about it.
For in some cases it is most difficult for us really to know how far what we
have done is acceptable to God, and will stand the fire.
This part of our life, or work, or building, that stands the
test and the judgment-seat of Christ
shall not be treated as fulfilling a duty, or merely doing what we should do
(though this be true), but as worthy of
a positive reward. The rewards include crowns
of various distinction, special praise,
special positions in Heaven,
varieties of rule in the [messianic] kingdom, and special relationships to Christ. But,
on the other hand, for that
part of our work that will not stand the fire we shall as surely suffer loss.
How the Christian
Suffers Loss
The question now is: Does Scripture throw any light whatever
on the character of this loss? I would like in this connection to call
attention to three Scriptures. The first is in 1
Corinthians 6: 8-11: Nay, but
ye yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Or
know ye not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the
I know well the popular gloss on this
passage is that 1 Corinthians 6: 9 refers solely to unbelievers. I do not say this is not so, though I
do not think it; but would ask each one to weigh the passage, not only in
its own light, but in the light of the other two to which I now refer.*
[* NOTE: Regenerate
believers who pay attention to the numerous accountability truths and
conditional
promises of God, shown throughout the Holy Scriptures by the Holy
Spirit, understand the numerous unfulfilled divine prophecies,
awaiting a literal fulfilment upon this earth when our Lord Jesus
returns. There will be no difficulty then recognising that
these Divine truths and prophetic statements are addressed to regenerate believers only:
and that the dire warnings are addressed to apostates and the numerous false
teachings within the Chirch, of the danger of loosing
the inheritance in the age to come (Heb. 6: 4-6)! Suffering loss can only have reference to the Messianic
and Millennial
Kingdom of God, which will be established after
the first resurrection (Rev. 20: 4-6), when our
Lord descends from heaven to resurrect the holy
dead from Hades (Acts
2: 34 ff., R.V), and take possession
of that
inheritance promised to Him by His Father. Ask
of me, and
I will give thee the
nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,
Psalm 2: 8,
R.V.).
See also Luke 22: 28-30 and Luke 24: 25ff.):
and keep in mind, the only throne which our
Lord is willing to share with overcomers, is that one which the Most High
shall give unto Him the throne of his father David
(Luke 1: 32,
R.V.). This throne will be awarded to Joint-heirs at the revealing of the sons [not children] of God,
when the whole creation will be delivered: (Rom. 8: 17-25, R.V.). Again, - He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne,
as I also overcame, and sat
down with my Father in his throne
(Rev. 3: 21, R.V.).]
(To be continued)
* *
* * *
* *
863
A FUTURE SALVATION
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD
Every Christian
is in line to receive the inheritance belonging to the firstborn; but,
according to that revealed in Scripture, this inheritance is forfeitable. The positional
standing of Christians in Christ places all Christians in a position wherein God can deal with
them in relation to the inheritance awaiting firstborn sons, but this
positional standing does not itself guarantee that this inheritance will be
received. A firstborn child of God, through rebellious actions, can, as
firstborn sons in the Old Testament, forfeit the rights of primogeniture.
The fifth and last of the five major warnings to Christians in
Hebrews (12:
14-17) concerns the account of Esau and the
forfeiture of his rights as firstborn. This warning has been placed in the Book
of Hebrews in a type-antitype arrangement, as
the wilderness journey of the Israelites in chapters three and four, to
sternly remind and warn Christians that the things which befell Old Testament
saints can also befall New Testament saints.
Esau, Isaacs firstborn son, was in
line to receive the rights belonging to the firstborn, but he, through
disobedience, was rejected. Esau was denied the rights of primogeniture - his
rightful inheritance within the family.
The Israelites in the wilderness - forming Gods firstborn son (Ex. 4:
22, 23) - were in line to go in, conquer,
and take possession of the land. They were in line to realize their earthly
inheritance. But the entire accountable generation, twenty years old and above,
save Caleb and Joshua, was overthrown in the wilderness, short of the goal of
their calling.
And Christians on their pilgrim journey, with a heavenly inheritance
in connection with the rights of the firstborn in view, can, through
disobedience, also be overthrown and be denied their inheritance reserved in
heaven. This is
seen in both the type dealing with Esau and the type dealing with the
Israelites under Moses, together forming the foundational material for all five
of the major warnings in Hebrews.
A FUTURE SALVATION
The underlying theme throughout the Epistles of Peter involves
our present hope,
which is centered in the salvation to be revealed, wherein Christians will
realize the inheritance reserved in heaven for firstborn sons. During our present pilgrim walk,
anticipating that blessed hope set before us, we are being kept [guarded] by the power of God through faith for the purpose of realizing the salvation of our souls and
occupying positions as joint-heirs with Gods Son during the coming age. The
entire program of God for Christians today moves toward this end.
As the living hope possessed by Christians and the inheritance reserved in heaven for Christians have their respective counterparts within
teachings drawn from the five major warnings in Hebrews, so does the salvation to be revealed in the last
time. Hebrews 1: 14 speaks of a future salvation which is so intimately associated with the
inheritance of the saints that salvation itself is said to be inherited; and Heb. 2:
3 calls this future salvation, so great
salvation.
It is the greatest thing God could ever design for redeemed
man, for it consists of the recipients exercising power and authority from the
heavens over the earth with Gods Son when He rules as King of kings,
and Lord of lords. Through coming into possession of
this future salvation,
Christians will realize the very purpose for their present salvation - the goal of their calling, the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls.
However, the first warning in Hebrews, as the other warnings in this book, gives two sides
to the overall picture; and the lessons at the very beginning, as in subsequent
warnings, are drawn from Old Testament history. The object lesson beginning
these warnings surrounds the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness:
For if the
word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every
transgression and
disobedience received a just
recompense of reward; How shall we escape,
if we neglect so great
salvation... (Heb. 2: 2, 3a)?
The just recompense of reward is receiving exactly what an individual deserves.
All of the Israelites who left
The danger which the Israelites faced was not that of being
returned to
Rather, the danger which the Israelites faced lay in the fact
that they could be overthrown
in the wilderness and not realize the purpose for their deliverance from
The same is true for Christians today. All Christians have availed
themselves of the substitutionary death of the Passover Lamb. The death of the
firstborn is past and can never be their lot, for the Passover Lamb has already
died in their stead.
The danger which Christians face is not that of being removed
from the safety of the blood. Such an act is an utter impossibility, for the firstborn has died (via a
Substitute); and God, as
in the type, is satisfied.
Rather, the danger which Christians face is the same as that
which the Israelites under Moses faced: Christians can be overthrown in their present position and
fail to realize the purpose for their salvation.
Through obedience, which involves a living faith - connected with faithfulness
in carrying out the works which the Lord has outlined for ones life - an
individual will realize this purpose. But through disobedience, which involves a dead faith - connected with unfaithfulness
in carrying out the works which the Lord has outlined for ones life - an
individual will fail to realize this purpose.
In either instance, Christians will receive a just
recompense of reward. They will receive wages exactly commensurate with services rendered as household servants in the Lords
house, receiving exactly what one deserves in this respect, based upon faithfulness or unfaithfulness to
their calling, whether positive or negative.
The so great salvation in Heb. 2: 3, synonymous with the salvation to be
inherited in 1: 14, is, within the context,
associated with the inhabited earth to come:
For unto the angels hath he not put
in subjection the world [the inhabited earth] to come,
whereof we speak [lit. concerning which we are speaking] (2: 5).
Angels occupy positions of power over the nations during the
present age. But, during the coming age, angels will not occupy these
positions. Satan and his angels will be removed from their positions of power
at the end of the present age; and Christ, with His companions (cf. Heb. 1: 9; 3: 14), will exercise power over the
nations during the coming age.
The writer of Hebrews
clearly states that this coming inhabited earth under the rule of man is what
the preceding verses are dealing with. The inherited salvation (1: 14), the so great salvation (2: 3), has to do with the coming age when a new order of rulers - a new order of sons (Heb. 1: 9, 10; cf. Rom.
8: 18, 19) - will be crowned and exercise regal power and
authority over the earth.
The Books of Hebrews,
James, and 1, 2 Peter all deal with the salvation to be revealed, the salvation of the
soul; and these epistles, as all of the other epistles (which also deal with
this same subject), must be interpreted within this same framework. The warnings in Hebrews and works in James have to
do with the same thing as the text in 1 Peter 1: 3-5 - a just
recompense of reward to be realized in the coming [millennial] age.
* *
* * *
* *
864
THE HOPE THAT IS SET BEFORE US
By PHILIP MAURO
The Works of the Flesh
The next
is Galatians
5: 19-21: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife,
jealousies, wraths,
factions, divisions,
heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings,
and suchlike: of the
which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you,
that they which
practise such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Here we get fifteen different works
of the flesh enumerated; and will anyone tell me that a [regenerate] Christian man may not commit all these
sins, and not only commit but practise them? Have we carefully noticed that out
of the fifteen, the greater half - no less than eight - are quite common
amongst Christians, and some of them indeed are more common amongst Christians
than amongst ordinary men? These eight are, enmities, strifes, jealousies,
wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, and envyings. Is it not of
common knowledge that these things are not only done but practised among
undoubted believers; and is not, therefore, the warning that follows to be looked upon as applying to them? Of the which I forewarn you, even
as I did forewarn you, that they which
practise such things shall not inherit the
What is the use of giving such warnings to Christians if they
do not apply to Christians at all? If we say, as some do, that those who
practise any of these cannot be Christians our common sense and our
common knowledge rebel against the statement; for we know well that not only
private Christians, but clergymen and ministers, teachers, pastors,
evangelists, and other undoubted servants of God may fall, and have fallen,
through practising many of these sins. As to what is exactly meant by the form
of loss that is here suffered, I again leave it to the eschatologists.
The third passage is in Ephesians 5: 3-7: But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not even be named among you,
as becometh saints; nor
filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not
befitting; but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an
idolater, hath any inheritance in the
We ask again, where is the use or meaning of such an
exhortation unless a participation were possible? And we know, alas, that it
is. Surely verse 5 clearly tells
us in what form the suffering loss will take place. Again, as to the exact
meaning of the words I refer to the eschatologists.
The suffer loss of 1 Corinthians 3 is the same word as lose his own soul. The loss is no doubt total, but in
this case it is of work done, and not of the immortal soul. The outcome of these passages clearly is that Christians of sinful
lives will be shut out from certain positions of privilege and nearness to
Christ that are the reward of the faithful and honest lives that please God.
How to Anticipate the
Judgment-Seat
In a measure it appears we may be able to anticipate this
judgment-seat now, for in 2 Corinthians 5. 11 it says: We are made
manifest to God.
Not only so, but in 1 Corinthians 11: 9 we find that one of the works of the
flesh, to which we have already alluded (heresies), not only makes manifest
those who are overcome by it, but those overcomers who refuse to share them.
Those who are overcome will surely be a grief to Christ. For whosoever
shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also shall be ashamed of him, when He cometh in the
glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark
8: 38). On the other hand, the overcomers may be an occasion
of great joy, not only to Christ, but to some of His servants. For ye are
our glory and our joy (1 Thess. 2: 20).
At the close of the
passage we are considering we see the end of a Christian who has lived
dishonestly, who has trusted in his standing on the Rock (which is Christ), but
has built upon it no house that will stand the fire, however fair may have been
its appearance before men. We see him appearing before the judgment-seat of
Christ, we see his whole life since his conversion brought up in detail, and we
see year after year consigned to - the flames, until he himself is left
standing alone, clothed indeed in Christ his Righteousness, but having upon him
no fine linen - the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:
8) - to show that he has done anything for the Saviour on whose
finished work he stands. He is saved, it is true, but so as through fire.
Could any picture be more solemn, and yet could any picture be
more true of what must so shortly come to pass? Is it possible to conceive a
greater incentive to a godly walk than giving joy to Christ in that day? It is
indeed a great evil that this connection of Christian conduct with eternal
destiny is not brought home more to the hearts and consciences of all
believers; and Christian teachers who fail to bring these solemn passages before
the consciences of their bearers cannot be described as rightly
dividing the Word of Truth (2 Tim. 2: 15), and will surely have much to answer
for in not enforcing truths of such solemnity as incentives to a godly walk.
Before considering further what the destiny maybe of those
whose life here is well pleasing to God, and what we are to understand by the
various rewards spoken of, it may be well briefly to consider whether we can
find in the Word of God any indications of the points in a Christian character
that God values most, and that will therefore count most on that judgment day.
I will just refer to four passages that may help us in this respect.
Living with an Aim
The first point is a general one: Wherefore
also we make it our aim whether at home or absent to be well pleasing unto Him
(2 Cor. 5: 9). There is everything in living with an
aim, and the results are in striking contrast to those who live without an aim.
We may miss the mark it is true, but if we are always aiming at it we are much
more likely to come near it than if we had no target before us at all. Of
course it is possible that under such conditions it is better to have no aim at
all than to have a wrong one. We cannot, however, be in error in taking what
was the apostles aim as ours, although it is nearly 2000 years since these
words were written, our relations to God remain the same, and His will in this
matter changes not. Observe carefully that our aim is not directed at anything
here, neither our work, nor our character, nor our spiritual health, nor our
orthodoxy, nor in our love of the brethren are directly set before us in this
passage, which aspires to nothing less than to merit the good pleasure of our
Father in Heaven, which rested on the private life of the Son and on the public
life of the Servant, and which will as surely rest upon these other sons and
other servants who make Gods will the
object of their lives. None need fear that if they do so they will fail in work, or in character, or in
spiritual health, or in orthodoxy, or in love of the brethren. We may say
further that with this object before our lives we shall produce those qualities
which are most pleasing to God, and shall receive a rich reward at the
judgment-seat of Christ.
Motives of the Heart
We have, however, three other passages that should be noted. Who will both
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and
make manifest the counsels of the heart; and
then shall each man have his praise from God. Wherefore
judge nothing before the time (1 Cor. 4: 5). Here we see what count as motives - the counsels of the
heart. In former days the Lord said to David when he purposed to build a house
for God in
There are many other instances in Scripture where we see
clearly that motives count more than actions. Man is rightly said to judge us
by our fruits, but the Lord trieth the heart. It is therefore of the greatest
possible importance that the motives of our life be pure and right.
Observe that the verse speaks of each man having his praise from God, in
contrast to being praised by man. It is each, not every, as in our version, that is to say, all who stand before the
tribunal will not be praised, but however much misjudged down here, each one
whose motives have stood the test will then receive his reward from God.
The second passage we should notice is 1 Corinthians 10: 6-12: Now these things were
our examples, to the intent we should not lust
after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as
were some of them; as it is written. The people
sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and
fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither
let us tempt the Lord, as some of them tempted,
and perished by the serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of
them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.
Now these things happened unto them by way of example;
and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall. Here we get,
in continuation of the close of the ninth chapter, where
The third warning is against special sins of the flesh, and
then comes unbelief, that protean evil which consists in doubting God in
various ways, and refusing to accept His Divine revelation; while the fifth is
murmuring against God. Indeed we get here the denial, the distrust, and the
doubt which I pointed out in the first chapter, specially wounded Christ in the house
of His friends.
Displaying the Character
of God
The last passage to which I would refer is in Luke 6: 35-38: But love your enemies,
and do them good, and
lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the sons of the Most High: for He is kind towards the unthankful and evil. Be ye merciful, even as your
Father is merciful. And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
release, and ye shall be
released: give, and
it shall be given unto you. The conduct here is to receive great reward in Heaven for a
very special reason. The object for which we are left down here is to be
conformed to the Image of the Son, and it is pointed out here that the value of
these qualities is that after all they are the qualities of the character of
God Himself; and therefore in possessing them we become like God, and as His
sons display the character of our Father.
We get seven points in this passage - love, goodness, mercy,
graciousness, charity, forgiveness, generosity, and if we do these things we shall be neither idle nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, but thus shall be richly supplied unto
us an abundant entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ (2 Peter 1: 10,
11).
And now, in closing, one word about rewards, and here we must
repeat what we have said elsewhere. It is quite certain that those which are
set before us in the Word of God, when pondered over, far transcend the
greatest prizes ever set before the most ambitious man. Our Master is not only
a King, but having all at His disposal, and to show the glory of His grace
according to the measure of His own heart, rewards His faithful servants in a
way that our minds at present cannot conceive. We have already enumerated seven
special rewards connected with the three aspects of the Christians life, as a
witness, as a walker, and as a warrior, and what must surely enhance the value
of every gift is the fact that the workman is to be rewarded by Christ Himself:
Knowing
that from the Lord Himself ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance (Col.
3: 24).
The Glorious Future
The dazzling future that is before the Christian who is
well-pleasing to God, and who has not moved away from the hope of the Gospel,
is foreshadowed in such passages as this: Having foreordained us into adoption
as sons to the end, we should be unto the praise
of His glory. Ye were sealed with the special
spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our
inheritance into the redemption of Gods own possession. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches
of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens.
The Father who has made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light. To present
you holy and without blemish, and unreprovable
before Him. That we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus. Ye shall also be
manifested with Him in glory (Eph. 1: 5, 12, 13, 14, 18; 2: 7; Col. 1: 5, 12, 22, 23, 28; 3: 4). Many other passages might of course be added, but these are
specially the portion of those who have kept the faith.
Crowns Awarded
For running the race, as we have seen, the rewards are nearly
always described as crowns, in accordance with the well-known practice of the
Greek games.
With regard to the race, five crowns are mentioned:
Incorruptible (1 Cor.
9: 25),
rejoicing (1 Thess.
2: 19),
righteousness (2 Tim. 4: 8), love (James 1: 12, Rev. 2: 10), glory (1 Peter 5:
4). Besides this, there are generally the
prizes of 1 Corinthians 9: 24, Philippians 3:
14. Such are the rewards of those who finish
their course with joy, for the fighters who fight a good fight and gain the
victory, they shall eat of the tree of life, which
is in the Paradise of God (Rev. 2: 7). They shall not be hurt at the second death (Rev. 2: 11). To the overcomer will I give of the hidden manna,
and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a
new name written (Rev. 2: 7), and will I give authority over the
nations, and I will give him the morning star
(Rev. 2: 27). These are they who live and reign with Christ a thousand
years, who are rulers over cities, and who constitute the armies that follow
the Word of God on white horses, and are clothed in
fine linen, white and pure (Rev. 19: 14).
It is clear from this that for the worker the great reward may
be to be employed in yet greater and more glorious work in association with
Christ in His glory throughout the universe, and not confined to this earth at
all, for those high positions in the millennium reign of Christ will be but the
foretaste of higher and higher glories in the unfolding of the mystery kept
secret from before the foundation of the world. Behold, I come quickly; and My
reward is with Me, to render to each man according as his work is. (Rev. 22. 12).
*
* * *
* * *
865
THE PURPOSE OF GODS
CALLING
By PHILIP MAURO
It must be
sorrowfully admitted that many of those who have the ear of the people are
directing their thoughts to the things of this present world, preaching against
the evils and extravagances of modern society, the unequal distribution of
wealth, the corruption of political life, etc., and urging them to devote their
energies to the improvement of the wilderness (so to speak) instead of
exhorting them to take heed to the path that leads through and out of it. Yet
the Lord has left it on record that He prays not for the world, but for His own
that are in the world (John 17: 9).
We would, therefore, most earnestly urge the saints of God to
ponder the lesson so plainly taught in Hebrews 3. and 4. For
those chapters contain a very clear statement of the chief danger to which they
are exposed; and they contain also the revelation of the provision God has made
for their protection and escape from that danger. With warnings so plain, and
with provisions of grace so ample as those set forth in those chapters, How shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvation; which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was
confirmed unto us by them that heard Him?
The Purpose of God
One reason for the present deplorable condition of the mass of
Gods people in the wilderness of this world is undoubtedly their ignorance of Gods purpose for His Son,
and for those who have been redeemed by Him. Many of them seem not to be
aware that God has in view any definite purpose whatever, not withstanding the clear
testimony of many Scriptures to the fact that God has a settled plan which
centres in Christ and embraces the entire universe in its scope - things in heaven and things on earth - and that
He is steadily working towards the accomplishment of that plan. Most Christians
realise, perhaps, that through the death of Christ on the Cross they have
justification from their sins, and that they will be delivered from the wrath
to come; but beyond that they have very imperfect notions of what is yet to be
done in the purpose of God. Indeed, there seem to be but few who give any
serious thought to what the Lord has been doing since His ascension into
heaven, or to what He will do when He comes forth
again.
Surely, if a child of God comes to
know what his Fathers purpose is, he will seek steadfastly to set himself in
line with that purpose, and not in opposition to it. Hence it is of the utmost
importance for the children to have a clear understanding of the purpose for which God
has laid hold of them. Like Paul, they should follow after (or pursue) if
that they might apprehend (lay hold of) that for which they have been
apprehended in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3: 12).
Gods great purpose, then, is to glorify His own Son publicly
in the eyes of all the universe, and particularly in the very same place where
He was publicly put to shame, - that is, the earth. This earth, which
was once the scene of the deep dishonour done to the holy One of God, is to be the scene of the display of His
glory. At the time
appointed of the Father, He is to come forth, in His own glory and in the glory of His Father, and all the
holy angels with Him, and shall sit upon the throne of His glory (Matt.
16: 27; 25: 31). This event is just as surely a matter
of the history of this earth, though it is yet to happen, as is the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ on
The first statement made of Him in Hebrews is that God has appointed Him Heir of all
things. This puts
prominently before us the Inheritance of the Son of God, which inheritance He is to share
with His co-heirs, and which embraces all things.
The period when He will assume His rightful ownership of His creation is
brought to mind in the words quoted in Heb. 1. from Ps. 45., which we are here told are addressed to the
Son: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a
sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom (Heb. 1: 8). The same period is referred to in verse 13 in the words, until I make
Thine enemies Thy footstool. And then the co-heirs are referred to in the last verse,
where we read that the angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister
(or serve) for those who shall be heirs of salvation.
This salvation which is yet future,
being still in hope or expectation, pertains to the world (habitable earth) to come
whereof we speak (2: 5). The significant expression whereof we speak tells us that this world to come which God has [and
manifestly
will,] put
in subjection under the feet of the Son
of Man, Who once was made lower than the angels, is the theme of the Scripture
we are considering. It will be [during the coming millennium (Luke 1: 32; Rev. 20: 2, 3, 4, 6, R.V.), be
the] the scene of the display of the glory of the Christ of God.
Gods thoughts, then, are towards the age to come. His
purposes will have their fulfilment in
that age; and He shall then set His
King upon His holy hill of Zion (Ps. 2). That prospect of coming [messianic] glory was the joy which was set before
the Son of God when He endured the Cross; and so wondrous was the prospect
that, in view of it, He was able to despise the shame. For that joy He still
waits (Heb. 10:
13; expecting is literally awaiting). Surely, if those for whom He died on that Cross
realise that He is yet awaiting the promised joy that is to reward His
sacrifice, they will set their own hearts toward the fulfilment of that event.*
[* See 1 Pet.
1: 11,
R.V.]
But, for the accomplishment of the glory of Christ, it is
necessary that the children whom God has given Him, the partakers of the heavenly
calling, should
be brought through this world and brought
into the rest that remains
for the people of God. Gods mansions must have occupants fitted
therefor. His table must be furnished
with guests. Seeing that the Rest
remaineth, it is necessary that some
must enter therein (Heb.
4: 6). Consequently, the present ministry
of the Son of God has reference to bringing many sons unto glory, the word glory
being descriptive of the prominent characteristic of the world [age] to come.
It should be carefully noted that the
first two passages quoted at the head of this chapter are found at the
beginning and end respectively of a portion (Heb. 3. and 4.) which refers to the provocation of the Israelites in the wilderness. That provocation is here cited as a warning to the redeemed people of
God who are now in
the wilderness of this present evil world. From this incident we learn that what provoked God beyond the limits of His
forbearance was the perversity of His redeemed people in deliberately turning back [i.e., their apostasy] from His purpose, which He had made known to them. That purpose was not merely to get
them out of Egypt, from under the dominion of Pharaoh, and from the hard
bondage of the brickyards; but to bring them into the rest and the inheritance of Canaan, that good land, which
drank water of the rain of heaven, a land which the Lord Himself cared for, and
upon which His eyes rested from the beginning of the year to the end of the
year.
All this that happened thousands of years ago in the
wilderness of
We have mainly to take note of the fact that, when the
wilderness had been traversed, and the critical moment had come for taking
possession of the promised rest, at the moment when God said to the people whom
He had brought out of Egypt, Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possess it (Deut.
1: 8), they
then disregarded and turned back from His purpose. And it is expressly pointed
out for us that the reason underlying their conduct was unbelief. Unto them was the gospel preached, that is to say, due announcement was made to them of
the good news of the inheritance awaiting them in Canaan;
but the word announced did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard (Heb. 4: 2). It was entirely a matter of faith [in Gods purpose and plans for the
future upon this earth] with them (as it is with us), that is, of believing Gods word concerning
it; for they had not seen the promised
inheritance, and knew of it only by
what God had spoken. Such is also the case with us concerning the inheritance of the world [i.e, of the age] to come. We know
thereof only by faith, which is the evidence of things not seen;
and we have heard of Gods purpose
to put all things under the rule of His Son, but we see not yet all things put under Him.
And because there was, in the mass of the Israelites, an evil heart of unbelief in
departing [apostatizing] from the living God, they withstood His purpose. Their heart was not right with Him (Ps.
78: 37),
They set not their heart aright, and their spirit was not
stedfast with God (Ps. 78: 8). Yea, they despised the
pleasant land, they believed not His word; they
hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord
(Ps. 106:
24, 25). Their hearts turned back from Gods
plan for them, and they hearkened to leaders of their own choice,
instead of paying heed to Gods word
spoken by Moses, His servant. Therefore, the warning comes clearly and
sharply to us: See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For
if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth (Moses), how shall we escape, if we turn
away from Him that speaketh from heaven? (Heb.
12: 25).
How is it then To-day with those who are, or
profess to be, the people of God on earth? Is not the provocation being repeated [by the apostates within the Church] in our day on a vastly greater
scale? Can it be denied that the great mass of professing Christians have turned completely aside
from the revealed purpose of God concerning the world [or age] to come? Do we not see them everywhere following leaders of their own choice, who are preaching to them the betterment of
this present evil age, and inciting them to take active part in its political
and other cherished institutions? Are
not the aim and end of the ministry of these chosen leaders to divert the
attention of their hearers wholly from the age to come, wherein the fulfilment of Gods purpose
lies, and to occupy them entirely with the alfairs of
this present age? Do they not go
even to the profane lengths of making the Lord Jesus Christ a socialist, and
the Fathers words which He sake a social message?
Blind leaders of the blind, are they not all heading straight for the ditch?
Let me say, with all earnestness, that I know of no subject of greater or more immediate importance to the
people of God (I speak of those who have been truly redeemed by the blood of
Christ) than that presented in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. I know of no point of doctrine that is more
needful for all Christians to lay hold of at this time than the fact that Gods purpose for this age is but to get His people out of it. It is no more a part of Gods plan for His people to-day that
they should engage in projects for bettering the conditions of life in this
world, or should form affiliations with the earth-dwellers in schemes of
municipal reform, good government, elevating the masses, etc., than it was part
of His plan for the Israelites to cultivate flower-gardens in the wilderness,
or to form social and religious affiliations with the Amalekites and Moabites.
On the contrary, the things we have referred to are the most
effective of all the Enemys devices for turning aside the people of God from His
purpose. It is, we say, most needful for them to understand that the only
rightful possession they have in this world is a way out of it. Their rightful
possessions - their country, their city, their better and enduring substance, their inheritance, incorruptible and
undefiled and that fadeth not away- all lie in the world to come whereof we
speak. For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God
giveth you (Deut. 12: 9).
* *
* * *
* *
866
THE LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD
OUR REWARDER AND AWARDS
By A. T. SCHOFIELD, M.D., M.R.C.S., &c.
[PART
TWO]
The Works of the Flesh
The next
is Galatians
5: 19-21: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife,
jealousies, wraths,
factions, divisions,
heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings,
and suchlike: of the
which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you,
that they which
practise such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Here we get fifteen different works
of the flesh enumerated; and will anyone tell me that a [regenerate] Christian man may not commit all
these sins, and not only commit but practise them? Have we carefully noticed
that out of the fifteen, the greater half - no less than eight - are quite
common amongst Christians, and some of them indeed are more common amongst
Christians than amongst ordinary men? These eight are, enmities, strifes,
jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, and envyings. Is it not of common knowledge that these things are not only done but
practised among undoubted believers; and is not, therefore, the warning that follows to be looked upon as applying to them? Of the which I forewarn you, even
as I did forewarn you, that they which
practise such things shall not inherit the
What is the use of giving such warnings to Christians if they
do not apply to Christians at all? If we say, as some do, that those who
practise any of these cannot be Christians our common sense and our
common knowledge rebel against the statement; for we know well that not only
private Christians, but clergymen and ministers, teachers, pastors,
evangelists, and other undoubted servants of God may fall, and have fallen,
through practising many of these sins. As to what is exactly meant by the form
of loss that is here suffered, I again leave it to the eschatologists.
The third passage is in Ephesians 5: 3-7: But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not even be named among you,
as becometh saints; nor
filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not
befitting; but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an
idolater, hath any inheritance in the
We ask again, where is the use or meaning of such an
exhortation unless a participation were possible? And we know, alas, that it
is. Surely verse 5 clearly tells
us in what form the suffering loss will take place. Again, as to the exact
meaning of the words I refer to the eschatologists.
The suffer loss of 1 Corinthians 3 is the same word as lose his own soul. The loss is no doubt total, but in
this case it is of work done, and not of the immortal soul. The outcome of these passages clearly is that Christians of sinful
lives will be shut out from certain positions of privilege and nearness to
Christ that are the reward of the faithful and honest lives that please God.
How to Anticipate the
Judgment-Seat
In a measure it appears we may be able to anticipate this
judgment-seat now, for in 2 Corinthians 5. 11 it says: We are made
manifest to God.
Not only so, but in 1 Corinthians 11: 9 we find that one of the works of the
flesh, to which we have already alluded (heresies), not only makes manifest
those who are overcome by it, but those overcomers who refuse to share them.
Those who are overcome will surely be a grief to Christ. For whosoever
shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also shall be ashamed of him, when He cometh in the
glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark
8: 38). On the other hand, the overcomers may be an occasion
of great joy, not only to Christ, but to some of His servants. For ye are
our glory and our joy (1 Thess. 2: 20).
At the close of the
passage we are considering we see the end of a Christian who has lived
dishonestly, who has trusted in his standing on the Rock (which is Christ), but
has built upon it no house that will stand the fire, however fair may have been
its appearance before men. We see him appearing before the judgment-seat of
Christ, we see his whole life since his conversion brought up in detail, and we
see year after year consigned to - the flames, until he himself is left
standing alone, clothed indeed in Christ his Righteousness, but having upon him
no fine linen - the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:
8) - to show that he has done anything for the Saviour on whose
finished work he stands. He is saved, it is true, but so as through fire.
Could any picture be more solemn, and yet could any picture be
more true of what must so shortly come to pass? Is it possible to conceive a
greater incentive to a godly walk than giving joy to Christ in that day? It is
indeed a great evil that this connection of Christian conduct with eternal
destiny is not brought home more to the hearts and consciences of all
believers; and Christian teachers who fail to bring these solemn passages
before the consciences of their bearers cannot be described as rightly
dividing the Word of Truth (2 Tim. 2: 15), and will surely have much to answer
for in not enforcing truths of such solemnity as incentives to a godly walk.
Before considering further what the destiny maybe of those whose
life here is well pleasing to God, and what we are to understand by the various
rewards spoken of, it may be well briefly to consider whether we can find in
the Word of God any indications of the points in a Christian character that God
values most, and that will therefore count most on that judgment day. I will
just refer to four passages that may help us in this respect.
Living with an Aim
The first point is a general one: Wherefore
also we make it our aim whether at home or absent to be well pleasing unto Him
(2 Cor. 5: 9). There is everything in living with an
aim, and the results are in striking contrast to those who live without an aim.
We may miss the mark it is true, but if we are always aiming at it we are much
more likely to come near it than if we had no target before us at all. Of
course it is possible that under such conditions it is better to have no aim at
all than to have a wrong one. We cannot, however, be in error in taking what
was the apostles aim as ours, although it is nearly 2000 years since these
words were written, our relations to God remain the same, and His will in this
matter changes not. Observe carefully that our aim is not directed at anything
here, neither our work, nor our character, nor our spiritual health, nor our
orthodoxy, nor in our love of the brethren are directly set before us in this
passage, which aspires to nothing less than to merit the good pleasure of our
Father in Heaven, which rested on the private life of the Son and on the public
life of the Servant, and which will as surely rest upon these other sons and
other servants who make Gods will the
object of their lives. None need fear that if they do so they will fail in work, or in character, or in
spiritual health, or in orthodoxy, or in love of the brethren. We may say
further that with this object before our lives we shall produce those qualities
which are most pleasing to God, and shall receive a rich reward at the
judgment-seat of Christ.
Motives of the Heart
We have, however, three other passages that should be noted. Who will both
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and
make manifest the counsels of the heart; and
then shall each man have his praise from God. Wherefore
judge nothing before the time (1 Cor. 4: 5). Here we see what count as motives - the counsels of the
heart. In former days the Lord said to David when he purposed to build a house
for God in
There are many other instances in Scripture where we see
clearly that motives count more than actions. Man is rightly said to judge us
by our fruits, but the Lord trieth the heart. It is therefore of the greatest
possible importance that the motives of our life be pure and right.
Observe that the verse speaks of each man having his praise from God, in
contrast to being praised by man. It is each, not every, as in our version, that is to say, all who stand before the
tribunal will not be praised, but however much misjudged down here, each one
whose motives have stood the test will then receive his reward from God.
The second passage we should notice is 1 Corinthians 10: 6-12: Now these things were
our examples, to the intent we should not lust
after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as
were some of them; as it is written. The people
sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and
fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither
let us tempt the Lord, as some of them tempted,
and perished by the serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of
them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.
Now these things happened unto them by way of example;
and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall. Here we
get, in continuation of the close of the ninth chapter, where
The third warning is against special sins of the flesh, and
then comes unbelief, that protean evil which consists in doubting God in
various ways, and refusing to accept His Divine revelation; while the fifth is
murmuring against God. Indeed we get here the denial, the distrust, and the
doubt which I pointed out in the first chapter, specially wounded Christ in the house
of His friends.
Displaying the Character
of God
The last passage to which I would refer is in Luke 6: 35-38: But love your enemies,
and do them good, and
lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the sons of the Most High: for He is kind towards the unthankful and evil. Be ye merciful, even as your
Father is merciful. And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
release, and ye shall be
released: give, and
it shall be given unto you. The conduct here is to receive great reward in Heaven for a
very special reason. The object for which we are left down here is to be
conformed to the Image of the Son, and it is pointed out here that the value of
these qualities is that after all they are the qualities of the character of
God Himself; and therefore in possessing them we become like God, and as His
sons display the character of our Father.
We get seven points in this passage - love, goodness, mercy,
graciousness, charity, forgiveness, generosity, and if we do these things we shall be neither idle nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, but thus shall be richly supplied unto
us an abundant entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ (2 Peter 1: 10,
11).
And now, in closing, one word about rewards, and here we must
repeat what we have said elsewhere. It is quite certain that those which are
set before us in the Word of God, when pondered over, far transcend the
greatest prizes ever set before the most ambitious man. Our Master is not only
a King, but having all at His disposal, and to show the glory of His grace
according to the measure of His own heart, rewards His faithful servants in a
way that our minds at present cannot conceive. We have already enumerated seven
special rewards connected with the three aspects of the Christians life, as a
witness, as a walker, and as a warrior, and what must surely enhance the value
of every gift is the fact that the workman is to be rewarded by Christ Himself:
Knowing
that from the Lord Himself ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance (Col.
3: 24).
The Glorious Future
The dazzling future that is before the Christian who is
well-pleasing to God, and who has not moved away from the hope of the Gospel,
is foreshadowed in such passages as this: Having foreordained us into adoption
as sons to the end, we should be unto the praise
of His glory. Ye were sealed with the special
spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance
into the redemption of Gods own possession. That
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness
towards us in Christ Jesus. Because of the
hope which is laid up for you in the heavens. The
Father who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light. To present you holy and without blemish,
and unreprovable before Him. That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Ye shall also be manifested with Him in glory
(Eph. 1: 5, 12, 13, 14, 18; 2: 7; Col. 1: 5, 12, 22, 23, 28; 3: 4). Many other passages might of course
be added, but these are specially the portion of those who have kept the faith.
Crowns Awarded
For running the race, as we have seen, the rewards are nearly
always described as crowns, in accordance with the well-known practice of the
Greek games.
With regard to the race, five crowns are mentioned:
Incorruptible (1 Cor.
9: 25),
rejoicing (1 Thess.
2: 19),
righteousness (2 Tim. 4: 8), love (James 1: 12, Rev. 2: 10), glory (1 Peter 5:
4). Besides this, there are generally the
prizes of 1 Corinthians 9: 24, Philippians 3:
14. Such are the rewards of those who finish
their course with joy, for the fighters who fight a good fight and gain the
victory, they shall eat of the tree of life, which
is in the Paradise of God (Rev. 2: 7). They shall not be hurt at the second death (Rev. 2: 11). To the overcomer will I give of the hidden manna,
and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a
new name written (Rev. 2: 7), and will I give authority over the
nations, and I will give him the morning star
(Rev. 2: 27). These are they who live and reign with Christ a thousand
years, who are rulers over cities, and who constitute the armies that follow the
Word of God on white horses, and are clothed in
fine linen, white and pure (Rev. 19: 14).
It is clear from this that for the worker the great reward may
be to be employed in yet greater and more glorious work in association with
Christ in His glory throughout the universe, and not confined to this earth at
all, for those high positions in the millennium reign of Christ will be but the
foretaste of higher and higher glories in the unfolding of the mystery kept
secret from before the foundation of the world. Behold, I come quickly; and My
reward is with Me, to render to each man according as his work is. (Rev. 22. 12).
*
* * *
* * *
867
SAINTS MAY FAIL
TO REIGN WITH CHRIST
By ROBERT E. NEIGHBOUR
Let us
discover if the fact of the possible failure of saints to reign with Christ is
corroborated by other scriptures than those in Hebrews 3 and 4.
Romans 8:
17 says, And
joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be
glorified together.
2 Timothy
2: 12 says,
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny
us.
Why does Peter in 2 Peter 1: 6, 9-15, in his philippic on the Lords
return urge the saints to give all diligence to add to their faith,
virtue, etc.; and to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, if all saints shall enter into the Kingdom reign?
Why does Paul, speak of being a possible castaway at the Bema,
and of pressing on to attain the out-resurrection group, and the prize of the up-calling, if all saints will reign with Christ?
Why did Christ so frequently and constantly refer to those who
would be shut out of the Kingdom,
if all are to enter in?
What is the recompense
of the inheritance in Colossians
3: 24?
What is
the recompense
of the reward in Hebrews 11: 26?
What is the incorruptible
prize of 1 Corinthians 9: 24?
When and where will the
first be last, and the last be first, as in Mark 10: 43.
When and where will the saints
enter upon the rewards which the Lord brings with Him in Revelation
22: 12?
When and where will the
Lord reckon with His servants, as in Matthew 25: 19?
What did Paul mean when he said, Yea, and I wish that ye did reign, that we also might reign
with you? (See 1 Corinthians 4: 8).
What did Christ mean by Thou shalt be recompensed at
the resurrection of the just? (See Luke 14: 14).
Why did Paul say, We are ambitious (R.V.) to be well pleasing unto him. For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ? (See 2 Corilithiltis 50‑10).
Why should saints buffet their bodies, lay aside every weight, So run,
So fight,
Mortify their
members, Hold fast that they have?
Deny the possibility of losing crowns and then explain 2 Tiniothy 2: 5, He is NOT CROWNED except he strive lawfu1ly.
Of whom, and of what did Christ speak when He said, He that saveth his life shall lose it?
The parables of Christ plainly teach that the unprofitable and wicked and slothful servant, shall have no place in the Kingdom.
Our faithful serving, our undimmed watching, and our holy living,
will decide our Kingdom rewards.
He that overcometh, and keepeth my words unto the end, TO HIM will I give authority over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. (Revelation 2:
26-27).
Thus it is that the realm of rewards, of
crowns, and of recompense, must meet their complement in the Kingdom of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
WHAT THEN? If
[the Millennial and Messianic] Kingdom honours are
REWARDS to those who win them - LET US FEAR LEST.
Ye see that they could not enter in. (Hebrews 3:
19).
Lest ... any of YOU should seem to have come short of it. (Hebrews 4: 1).
Remember Christ said, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the Kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 7: 21).
In Revelation 20: 6, it was those who worshipped not the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in
their hands who LIVED and REIGNED with Christ a thousand years.
I saw a Christian as the (lay broke gray,
He took his burden, starting on his
way,
He never faltered till a westring sun
Proclaimed the message, that his day
was done;
I saw him enter heavens wide-flung
door,
I saw him crowned with glory evermore,
Both tried and true, he now shone
forth as gold;
A great reward was his, an
hundredfold.
I saw another start at break of day,
But soon he tired, and fainted by the
way;
He turned aside to spend a pleasant
hour,
And basked beneath the worlds
entrancing bower;
I saw him later stand before the
throne,
Saved by Gods grace, and yet without
a crown;
His face was sad, he field no harp, no
lyre,
His works were burned, and he was
saved by fire.
* *
* * *
* *
868
APOSTASY
AND THE ACTS OF THE APOSTATES
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD
[PART
TWO]
Defiling Ones High Calling
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of
dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed
about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said,
The Lord rebuke
thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know
naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves: (Jude 8-10).
The message throughout the Epistle of Jude is twofold: 1) Christians are exhorted to earnestly strive for [with reference to] the faith, and 2) Christians are warned concerning apostasy
manifested in the lives of individuals who, instead, stand away from the faith. Verses three and four introduce this message, verses five through seven
form examples to illustrate
what has been introduced, and verse eight
then continues the message set forth in verses three and four by
drawing from the examples in verses five through seven. Note how verse eight continues within the framework of teaching set forth in verses three through seven: Likewise [in like manner to the individuals
previously mentioned in the examples] also these filthy dreamers [those in verse
four] defile the flesh. [cf. verse 7], despise dominion [cf. verse 6], and speak evil of dignities [Cf. verse 5]. Proper and improper attitudes
toward dignitaries are then given in verses nine
and ten.
A basic teaching throughout the entire passage, beginning with
verse three, has to do with the governmental administration
of the earth and with apostasy in relation to this administration. Christians
are to earnestly strive with
reference to the faith in view of attaining the goal of their faith, the salvation of their souls (1 Pet. 1: 9). The realization of this [future] salvation will follow the issues of the judgment seat of Christ* and involves the placement of Christians in
positions of power and authority as joint-heirs with Christ in His coming
[millennial and messianic] kingdom. Thus, Christians earnestly striving with reference to the faith is with
a view of occupying positions in the coming governmental administration
following the time when the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord, and of his Christ (Rev. 11: 15, ASV)
[* That is, after Death, and before
the time of their Resurrection (Heb. 9: 27, R.V.),
the Divine judgment will take place in Hades (not
in Heaven after Death and before the time of their Resurrection, as is
generally believed today)! Therefore, this Judgment, at this
time, will be based upon the standard
of a disciples righteousness -
except your righteousness exceeds
Matt.
5: 20,
R.V.) - as a standard for their qualification, or disqualification, relative to
their entrance, or exclusion, from the inheritance in the promised Messianic
and Millennial Kingdom! See also Rev. 6: 9-11, where we read of souls underneath the altar
(where they were slain); they are presently waiting until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, which should be killed even as they were, should be fulfilled, R.V. See also Heb. 11: 39, 40, -
And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received
not the promise, 40 God having provided]
Examples of Apostasy
Apostates depart from the faith through various, revealed
forms. In the first ten verses of Jude lessons concerning apostasy are drawn
mainly from the three periods in Old Testament history referred to in verses five through seven; and within the spiritual lessons
drawn from these verses, apostasy in
Christendom, wrought through the deception of Satan and in connection with the
doctrines of demons is always directed toward one goal: to effect failure in
the race of the faith.
·
Verse Five: The Israelites
under Moses were to enter the land covenanted to Abraham and his posterity and
rule as Gods firstborn son over all the nations of the earth. Israel was not only to exercise national supremacy in this capacity
but Israel was also to be a kingdom of priests through whom the nations would be blessed. The Promise in Gen. 12:
2, 3 was to be, and will yet be, fulfilled through Israel dwelling in her own land in this position.
Spiritual blessings flow out to the people of the earth through
Gods firstborn Sons from the lineage of Abraham. This is the
order established in Genesis, and this order does not, it cannot
change. Through sovereign grace God chose Abraham and decreed,
in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Beyond this point in Genesis chapter twelve, Scripture could be summarized by two
statements: a) In the Old
Testament
God so loved the world that He gave His son, Israel, the seed of Abraham; and b) in the New Testament God so loved
the world that He gave His Son,
Jesus, the Seed of Abraham. The
purpose: Spiritual blessings for mankind,
beginning with mans salvation and
continuing with all spiritual blessings (Gen.
12: 2, 3; 22: 17, 18; John 8: 37; Gal. 3: 16; cf. Eph.
1: 3ff).
The Israelites during Old Testament days, however, apostatized [at Kadesh Brnea] in the matter surrounding their
calling [and God given earthly inheritance]. Under Moses they refused to go into
the land and occupy the very position
for which they had been called out of
A second generation of Israelites later entered the land under
Joshua; but through continued disobedience lasting for hundreds of years, the
nation never realized the goal of her calling. Because of this continued disobedience,
God eventually, in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C., allowed Gentile
nations to come into the land and uproot His people. The Israelites then became
subject to rather than ruler over the nations, exactly as God had
warned (Lev. 26:
1ff; Deut.
28: 1ff).
Since that time, conditions have continued relatively unchanged.
As Israel was called out of Egypt under Moses for a purpose,
the nation will be called out from a worldwide dispersion under her Messiah for
the same purpose; as the old covenant was made with Israel following the
nations removal from Egypt, the new covenant will be made with Israel
following the nations removal from among the Gentile nations; and as Israel
was to enter into the land and exercise supremacy over, being a blessing to,
the nations of the earth under Moses, the restored nation under [the Lord] Jesus will enter into the land and
occupy this position. In that [coming
millennial] day the nation will realize her calling, established 4,000
years ago through Abraham.
2. Verse Six: The thought of apostasy is continued through the acts of
angels in the
Angels apostatized in the sense that
they stood away from their positions in Satans heavenly kingdom. They took upon themselves the form of man, left their positions of
power in the heavens, came to earth, and cohabited with members of the human
race. Gods immediate judgment upon these angels resulted in their
being confined with chains in a place of darkness - in Tartarus - awaiting judgment by Gods Son at a future date.
3. Verse
Seven: The thought concerning
angels entering into a form of apostasy in verse six is continued in verse seven by showing the inhabitants in the cities of the plain also
entering into a form of apostasy, committing the same sin as the angels. Apostasy in relation
to angeTs is easy to understand, for they had
something from which they could stand away. But, from what did the inhabitants
of the cities of the plain stand away? They were not part of a present existing
kingdom in the same sense as were the angels. Thus, since the underlying
thought under consideration throughout these verses has to do with the
governmental administration of the earth, they seemingly were in no position to
stand away from anything so related. However, bear in mind that the very
purpose for mans creation in the beginning had to do with the government of
the earth (Gen. 1:
26-28);
and the inhabitants in the cities of the plain, although fallen creatures and
in no position to rule, were still of the creation which had been brought into
existence to exercise this power and authority.
Note in verse seven that the sin for which they were judged had to do with fornication,
and going after strange flesh [a different type flesh - the flesh
of angels]. The inhabitants in the cities of the plain entered
into this sin in like manner to the angels. Both departed from
a certain position for the purpose of going after a different type flesh. The
angels who apostatized were of the fallen creation presently ruling, and the
men who apostatized were of the fallen creation which had originally been
brought into existence to assume this power and authority. Thus, apostasy, among angels was
associated with a cohabitation among the creation which had been brought on the
scene to usurp their positions, and apostasy among the inhabitants of the
cities of the plain was associated with a cohabitation among the incumbent
rulers which were to be replaced by man. Fallen ones cohabiting with fallen ones - angels with men, men with angels - is
associated with standing away from a certain position on the part of both. Standing away from this position has to do with a departure from the
position for which both were created, and this departure is dealt with in the
Epistle of Jude as a form of apostasy from which spiritual lessons are drawn.
Defiling the Flesh (Verse 8)
Defiling the flesh refers back to the people in the
cities of the plain going after strange flesh in verse seven. There is a parallel drawn in verses seven and eight between the inhabitants in the cities of the plain defiling
the flesh and redeemed man today defiling the flesh. In both instances there is
a departure from a certain position, and this position has to do with the
reason for ones creation. The old creation in Adam and the new creation in
Christ were brought into existence for essentially the same purpose - man
ultimately exercising governmental power and authority over the earth. And
lessons are drawn from the former to teach spiritual truths in the latter.
These truths concern Christians who forsake their high calling - depart from
the reason for their creation in Christ - and defile the flesh.
Warnings in the Epistle of Jude, derived mainly from spiritual
lessons taught through the use of Old Testament historical events, are directed to [regenerate] Christians alone. The admonition
placed at the beginning of the epistle concerning earnestly striving with reference to the faith is directed only to [regenerate] Christians, and
so are all the subsequent warnings throughout the epistle. God deals with unregenerate man
and with regenerate man on two entirely different planes. Unregenerate man is dealt with, not on the basis of admonitions and
warnings, but on the basis of Christs finished work on
This is aptly illustrated in Old Testament
history through the account of God dealing with ALL in the
The works of the flesh, associated with
leaven which is to be put out following the appropriation of the blood, are
reiterated in Gal. 5:
19-21;
and the [divine] warning concluding these works must be looked upon as directed to [regenerate] Christians alone. The list of the sins of the flesh in this passage concludes with the
statement,
they which do such things shall not inherit the
Contrary to what Scriptures such as the preceding teach
concerning the sins of [regenerate] Christians, there is a widespread, false teaching in Christendom today which
states that all of a Christians sins
- past, present, and future - were taken care of through the sacrifice of
Christ on Calvary; and, on the basis of the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice,
a Christian can never come into judgment
for any sin which he commits. Therefore, warnings concerning Gods judgment
to be visited upon individuals indulging in the sins of the flesh cannot be directed toward Christians.
Romans 8: 1 is usually cited to support this line
of teaching:- There is therefore now
no condemnation to [a rendering of judgment against] them which are
in Christ Jesus. However, this verse is with
Christians in relation to their positional
standing in Christ, a standing
which can never be changed. In this
respect the sin question is past, Christ did take care of this at
[* See Heb.
10: 26-31, R.V.]
Christians can and do sin. In fact, Christians cannot live
apart from sin. Sin is wrought in the lives of believers through the old sin
nature: If we say that we have no sin [old sin nature], we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us (1 John 1: 8). The abiding presence of this old sin
nature places [regenerate] believers in a position where they must either acknowledge sin in their
lives or make God a liar (1 John 1: 10).
Sin manifested in the lives of
believers will, without exception, be dealt with by the Lord in one of two
ways: 1) through the present high
priestly ministry of Christ, or 2)
through the issues of the coming judgment seat of Christ. Christians can either judge their own
sins now, confessing them and receiving forgiveness, or they can await the
judgment seat of Christ and have their sins judged by the Lord (1 Cor. 11: 31, 32; 2 Cor. 5: 10, 11; 1 John 1: 9; cf.
1 Peter 4: 17).
Christ is presently exercising the office of High Priest in the Holy of Holies
of the heavenly tabernacle for the former, and he will exercise the office of Judge at the judgment
seat of Christ for the latter. Confession now will result in
cleansing, but waiting will result in [present and future] chastisement.
Christ is exercising the office of High Priest to effect a
present cleansing for the kingdom of priests about to be brought forth. This
kingdom of priests will be manifested as the sons of God at the end of this age, and [after resurrection they that accounted worthy to attain to that age (Lule 20: 35, R.V.),
will] fill positions of power and authority as joint-heirs with
Christ in the [messianic and millennial] kingdom. The judgment seat - [of Christ - based
upon the undisclosed standard of a disciples righteousness* (Matt. 5: 20, R.V.).] - will reveal their approval to occupy these
positions.
[* See also -1 Cor. 3:
10-15; Col. 3: 23-25; 1 Thess. 2: 12; 4: 1-6; 2 Thess. 1: 8bff.)]
However, there is another side to the judgment seat. Not only will certain individuals be approved, but other individuals,
because of the sins of the flesh, will be disapproved. Christians who, today, refuse or neglect to avail themselves of the
high priestly ministry of Christ will have their sins dealt with before the
judgment seat, not by Christ as High Priest, but by Christ as Judge. Chastisement will then follow; and numerous
Christians in that day, because of the sins of the flesh, will be shown to have
forfeited their inheritance, resulting in their disqualification for positions
as joint-heirs with Christ.
* *
* * *
* *
869
DECEPTION - SATANS GREATEST WEAPON
By DEREK ROUS
Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of HIS might. Put on
the WHOLE armour of God, that you may be
able to stand
against the wiles of the
devil. Ephesians 6:
10-11.
One
might be forgiven for treating signs and wonders in the heavens and on the
earth, pointed out to you by end time, watchers, in a rather casual way. I am personally very
thankful for their observations. Its very important to be aware of the events
taking place in the world and understand their significance since they often but
not always, point to the Lords coming again. Even the worlds movie makers cash
in on the subject which thrills the imaginations of countless watchers - and
spenders. However, when it comes to seeing the greatest miracle of all, which
is a life changed by the power of God through repentance and faith in Him who
is the only one who can heal the sick and set captives free - in body and mind;
some end time watchers sometimes seem a little
less appreciative of what has taken place.
Its right to be a campaigner against anti-Semitism; to be an
advocate for
The apostle Paul argued with the believers in
WALKING ALONE IN THE
I might have mentioned this before, that the greatest
preachers and teachers of the Word of God down through history faced huge
personal battles; not so much in the churches or law courts but in their own
minds. Paul is one who makes much mention of it. (Ephesians 6: 2; 2 Cor. 4; Phil. 2: 2; 2 Tim. 1: 7) But even the Old Testament prophets of God up to and including John the
Baptist, were all men who learned how to walk alone and face opposition alone.
And yet, they were never alone, for the Lord God walked with
them. In all their trials, rejections, sorrows, griefs and pain - the Lord was
in the midst with them. A good illustration is the Son of God (Jesus or Yeshua)
walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (Daniel 3:
25). It couldnt get worse than that - or
could it?
Many, known to us in Prayer For Israel, have suffered loss in
the past 12 months. Either through terminal sickness, which has affected their
long running prayer groups but also the loss of friends in a fellowship/church
setting that as become increasingly hostile to the idea that
HAVING A BALANCED
UNDERSTANDING OF FHE TIMES
Jesus made clear in Matthew 24: 22 that the most difficult times will precede the
Triumphant Second Coming of the lord Jesus to planet earth. Having a future
and a hope within that believes in Gods plan, and wants us to be part of that
Kingdom on earth, makes it a lot easier to live our lives. Without hope in the
Lords prepared plan, we would indeed be most miserable. (1 Cor. 15). But the Lord says, He is going to
cut short those days and He will do it,
for the
The other most important thing to possess is a clear focus on what God is doing in this
world. The greatest encouragement for me as for all those who have prayed
for these days, is seeing, hearing and meeting the evidence of Gods activity,
particularly in
GOOD NEWS
It is our hope that as you read this prayer bulletin - perhaps
for the first time, it will help deal with all the bad news that you are
hearing and give you an insight into a whole new world of Salvation and
Rejoicing that is happening in Israel today.
* *
* * *
* *
870
MISSING THE PROMISED REST -
THE
By ROBERT E. NEIGHBOUR
Let us
consider these scriptures somewhat analytically.
1. In Hebrews 5: 12-13, the Spirit speaks of Christians who are in need of milk
- and not of strong meat. They are but babes, although by reason of time they
should have been full grown.
2. In Hebrews 6:
1-2, the Spirit gives the call to these
baby saints to lay aside the word of the beginning and press on to full, growth.
3. In Hebrews 6: 3, the saints are saying, And this (going on to full growth) we will do if God permit. The fact is therefore, that there are some whom God will not permit to go on.
4. In Hebrews 6: 4-6,
the Spirit declares why some saints cannot go on. We quote the words in full.
For it is impossible for those who
were once enlightened, and have tasted of the
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God,
and the powers
of the world to come, if they shall fall away [i.e., apostatize], to renew them
again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and
put him to an open shame.
5. In Hebrews
6: 7-8 these saints, who could not go on, are
described as those whose works are [continually likened as] of the wood, hay and stubble class,
under the figure of the earth bringing forth thorns and thistles.
Here is the scripture:
For the earth which drinketh in the
rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it
is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto
cursing; whose end is to he burned.
6. In Hebrews 6: 9-10 the Spirit
speaks of another class of saints, filled with a work and labour of love, of
whom He expects better things, even the things
that accompany salvation. In this connection read once more our words, herein, concerning,
Salvation in the book of Hebrews.
But, beloved,
we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God
is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
7. In Hebrews 6: 11, the Spirit warns the saints described in Hebrews 6: 9-10, that they
must show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope, firm unto the
end. Then He warns them lest they fall by the way
(as those in 6: 4-6 fell), by becoming slothful. Here is the reading of this scripture.
And we desire that every one of you
do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.
Let us now offer a few deductions on the whole matter.
1. The those, and the they and the them of Hebrews 6: 4-6, and the you, and the ye of Hebrews 6: 4-6, are two distinctive groups of [regenerate] believers; and not the almost saved
unbelievers, in contrast to the fully saved, believers.
2. There are abundant scriptures which
teach that the [eternally] saved who have been once enlightened,
and have tasted of the heavenly gift, etc., may fall away and lose
their place in the Kingdom, and its rewards; there is no scripture
that teaches that unbelievers (the
unregenerate) can crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh.
3. Saints who harvest wood, hay,
and stubble, will suffer loss by the fire which shall try every [regenerate] mans work; while other [repentant, obedient and fruitful] saints will receive a full reward because their works were gold, silver,
and precious stones which cannot be burned.
4. Those who teach that Hebrews 6: 4-6 speaks merely of the unregenerate, who were
almost saved, fail to explain the
significance of the following statements which are to be found in the divinely
written context.
(a). The significance of babes, in 5: 12-13. They are not
the you and the ye of Heb. 6:
9-10; then who are they?
(b). The significance of going on to full growth, if God will permit in 6: 3 (They do not explain why God will not permit this going on, although 6: 4-6
explains why).
I. The significance of the warning to the victorious saints of
Heb. 6: 9-10, to press
on to the full assurance of hope to the end - this they invariably
omit. (This full assurance of hope
is in harmony with Hebrews 3:
6;
3:
14; and 10: 35-39).
5. They utterly fail to
grasp the [coming inheritance* during the] Kingdom warnings which pervade the whole book of Hebrews and therefore snatch away the
text, Hebrews 6: 4-6; from the context, Hebrews 6:
1-13, 24.
[* See Gal 5:
21; Eph. 5: 5. Cf.
Col. 2: 22-25 with Acts
20: 32 and context, R.V.).]
As we close, we earnestly ask our readers who may be tempted
to cast aside what is written herein, to answer with all sincerity the
following questions:
Question 1. What is meant in Hebrews 10:
30-31,
when the Spirit says, The Lord shall judge his people, and, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God? (Compare
with 2
Corinthians 5: 11).
Question 2. What is meant in Hebrews 10: 35-39, by the Saving of the soul? [R.V.] In the same verse who are those who draw back to perdition? And what did
they lose? (If you answer, the saving of the soul
stands for eternal life, then we ask what does Hebrew
10: 35-36
mean when it says?)
Cast not away
therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of
patience [patient endurance], that, after ye have done
the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Question 3. To
whom does the Spirit in Hebrews 12: 16-17 refer, when He uses Esau as a solemn
warning? And why?
Question 4. Why
the great call of Hebrews 13: 13 - Let us, therefore, go out unto Him,
without the camp?
Surely, not eternal life which is the gift of God, is discussed in any of these scriptures. The child of God is
saved eternally, and is eternally safe.
It must be MISSING THE KINGDOM.
IN CONCLUSION
Permit us, finally, to sound one loud
call to believers everywhere to set themselves to lay hold upon
those things, by which they have been laid hold upon by Christ.
Let us live looking for that blessed hope.
Let us learn to love His appearing.
Let us henceforth watch and wait and long for Him to
come.
Let us beware lest we say, Our Lord delayeth His coming.
Let us beware lest, like Esau, we sell our inheritance for a mess of
pottage.
Let us beware lest a promise being
life us of entering into His rest,
we should seem to come short of it.
We must be robed and ready, with lamps
trimmed and burning until He comes.
We must be occupying. We must be
keeping the faith, fighting the good fight,
and stretching forth to the prize which lies before us.
Remember that
when David came into his kingdom, he gave places of honour and authority to the men who had suffered with him in the days of his rejection by
Saul - even so will Christ do at His coming.
For: -
All our
toil for the Master will not be in vain,
We will
meet all our labour in heaven again;
That is
If our
service id His;
If we toil
for the lucre that men hold as dear,
If we labour
for honour that comes to us here,
Ah, then,
Shall we
have His reward in the joy of His reign?
In the Lord
we must labour, if praise we would win,
Let us
then, at this moment, true service begin;
Tis thus
His
blessing Hell grant unto us;
If we do
and we dare in the things He commands,
If we go
and we come whensoer He demands,
Tis then
That again
We shall
have His rewards for a work genuine.
* * *
* * *
*
871
APOSTASY
AND THE ACTS OF THE APOSTATES
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD
[PART
THREE]
Despising Dominion (Verse 8)
Despising dominion refers back to the sin of the angels in verse six. The word despise is from a Greek word meaning to set aside, disregard.
Angels in the
This account has been recorded in Jude in order to draw spiritual lessons
showing how Christians can, in like manner, despise dominion; and this dominion
is the very same dominion which the angels despised. The Church has been
brought into existence to occupy heavenly places, to fill positions of power
and authority as Gods firstborn son in the coming age; and these positions are
the same positions presently occupied by angels ruling under Satan in his
kingdom. Angels holding positions of power and authority under Satan in the
present kingdom of the heavens will continue to rule from this heavenly sphere
until the day they, along with Satan, are cast out of the heavens onto the
earth. The Church will then be brought to the goal of its calling, and, as the
bride of Christ, be placed in this heavenly realm and occupy these positions.
Christians have been saved with a view to their replacing the
incumbent rulers in the heavens, and the warning in this passage concerns the
present existing danger of Christians setting aside or disregarding
their calling. Angels apostatized by standing away from the position for which
they had been brought into existence; and Christians can, in like manner,
apostatize by standing away from the position for which they have been brought
into existence. Corruption, followed by judgment, was the inevitable outcome of
this apostasy by angels; and corruption, followed by judgment, will also be the
inevitable outcome of the same apostasy by Christians today.
Speaking Evil of Dignitaries (Verses 8-10)
Speaking evil of dignitaries in verse eight refers back to verse five and moves forward into verses nine and ten. The
same word translated speak evil in the Greek text of verse eight is also used in verses nine and ten (blasphemeo, the
verb form, appears in vv. 8, 10; and blasphemia, the
noun form, appears in v. 9). The word is translated railing
accusation in verse nine and rendered, once again, as speak evil in ten. This is the Greek word from which the English word blasphemy is derived; and the translation, railing
accusation, in verse nine actually captures the thought
expressed by the word somewhat better than the translation, speak evil
in verses eight and ten.
Railing accusations, emanating from unbelief on the part of
the people of
Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and those who followed them constitute
another similar example (Num. 16; 1ff). They
rose up against Moses and Aaron in matters concerning their authority - Moses
as leader of the people, and Aaron as high priest in the camp. When this
occurred, Moses fell upon his face (v.
4). Moses knew that Korah and those with him were questioning,
not just his and Aarons authority, but the authority of God.
This rebellion against authority led to unacceptable incense
being offered upon the altar at the door of the tabernacle by two hundred fifty
prominent men who had gathered themselves against Moses with Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram. This, in turn, led to Gods judgment on the entire group. God exhibited
his wrath upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram by opening a chasm in the earth and
causing them, along with all that appertained unto them [their wives, children (save Korahs sons; cf. Num 26: 11, 58), to go down into Sheol alive: The earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up,
and their houses, and
all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all
their goods. They, and all that appertained unto them, went down alive into
the pit [into Sheol], and the earth
closed upon them: and they perished from among
the congregation (vv. 32, 33). A fire then came out from the Lord
and consumed the two hundred fifty men which had offered the incense upon the
altar (verse 35).
Immediately after the destruction of Korah and those following
him, the people of
According to Scripture it is a serious thing to murmur
against, bring railing accusations against, those whom God has placed in positions of
power and authority, for any rebellion against Divinely established authority
is a rebellion against the Lord. It was so during Moses day, and it is no
different during the present day. The
powers that be were during Moses day, and are today, ordained of God. All positions of power and authority are by
Divine appointment. And whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth
the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation [judgment] (Rom. 13: 1, 2).
God rules in the
kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will. God is the One Who establishes rulers, and He is also the One Who removes rulers
(Dan. 4: 17, 25-32). There is no power but of God (Rom. 13: 1), which today, in view of the coming age, is vested in His Son. Jesus told His
disciples, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth (Matt. 28: 18). In view of this, any rebellion against existing ordained
powers - whether in the heavens or upon the earth - is a rebellion against the
power vested in Gods Son, which is simply a rebellion against Christ Himself.
Note the example given in Jude 9: Michael, the archangel, would not
bring a railing accusation against even Satan. He knowing that Satan held his
position by Divine appointment and that Satan held his possessed no power but
that which emanated from God, would go no further than to simply say The Lord rebuke thee. Michael knew that any accusation
against the One in whom all power and authority reside. (The parallel section
in 2 Peter
2: 11 is expanded to include other angels and other dignitaries as well: Whereas angels, which are
greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them [dignitaries] before the Lord.)
Now, with all this in mind, the particular apostate element
existing in Christendom in the latter days - with its parallel drawn from
experiences of individuals during the days of Moses - should be clear. Bringing
railing accusations against those whom God has placed in positions of power and
authority is a form of apostasy. It is that simple. Such
reviling or railing against Divinely established authority is standing away
from the God-ordained position which a Christian is to occupy and moving into a position wherein the apostate,
in actuality, brings these accusations against the Lord Jesus Christ. And through
such accusations, these apostates, as brute beasts ... corrupt themselves (Jude
10; cf. 2 Peter 2: 12).
* * *
* * *
*
872
FOREORDINATION AND FREE-WILL
By G. H. LANG
[PART ONE OF TWO]
I would ... Ye would not.
- Matthew 23: 37.
It will
be asked, How does this heavy emphasis upon the christian attaining consist
with the teaching concerning the divine foreordination?
The answer is that a truth so abundantly revealed and
powerfully enforced throughout Scripture will certainly be in harmony with all
that Scripture teaches along other lines. But it may be that it will not
altogether agree with some humanly constructed theories and theological
positions as touching the profound counsels of God.
The suggestion has already been offered (chapter 5) that it is in the realm of the heavenly
kingdom, rather than in that of simple salvation from hell, that the
foreordaining authority of God is exercised. This of itself intimates how much
of the controversy upon the topic has been beside the mark; for divines have
disputed as to the precise application of the scriptures in question to a
matter to which do not apply, save in the very least degree, if at all.
And it may be further enquired whether
the divine decrees have not sometimes been interpreted in a too absolutely
fatalistic sense, that is, that Gods fiat has been unduly pressed to the
virtual exclusion, or suspension, of mans God-given part in the great
transactions in question. What if it be, for example, that God decision always
was that man should arrive at His kingdom and glory by the road of suffering
and sanctification, and not apart therefrom? Certainly it was not according to
our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, and this given to us in
Christ Jesus before times eternal, that God saved us and called us with this
holy calling (2 Tim. 1: 9); but be it noted that it was a holy calling, and therefore a calling to
holiness, that was the purpose of God. Similarly we are reminded in Ephesians 1: 4, that God chose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blemish before Him. Now what proof can be brought from
the Scriptures to show that holiness can be attained by man apart from his own
will, and his conscious, intentional, albeit God-empowered activity? That we
cannot wholly trace out the secret workings of God is certain; and this may be
more readily conceded seeing that we cannot always perceive the deeper, subtler
workings of our own being. It follows that the interacting of the two invisible
factors will be beyond our comprehending and defining. But our very ignorance
should make us hesitate to dogmatize, and should throw us back upon the facts
which are known and unquestioned; and of these facts one is that God deals with man as having the power to
will, and complains that he wills not to agree with God - (e.g., Matthew 16: 24-25; 22: 3; Luke 13: 34; 19: 14; John 5: 40; 7: 17; 8: 44; Revelation 2: 21) and another fact is that each of us is conscious that we have this power and are morally
responsible for its right use.
We do not find it stated in the Word, wherein God reveals
Himself and His ways, that He either foreordained men to share the [millennial] glory of His Son irrespective of
their moral conformity to Christ, or that He pushes through His plan, which
demands holiness in its subjects, without
regard to the co-operation of the [regenerate] believer in his own
sanctification. A
forced sanctity were no pleasure to the heart of God; and this were just as
much so if the compulsion were secret as if it were recognized by us.
The passage mostly urged against the view that we are
advocating is Romans 8: 28-30, which reads thus; And we know
that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
For whom he foreknew, he
also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren: and whom he
foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he
also justified: and whom he justified them he also
glorified.
1. It is
significant that this noble statement
opens by an emphasis upon our love to God, and not first upon His resolves
concerning us. Now the Biblical definition of our love to God is that we
keep His commandments (1 John 5: 3), and such loving obedience is just
true sanctification, and neither more nor less. So that it is to the sanctified that the following clauses apply; and we
ask upon what ground any others than those who love God, that is, who live in obedience to Him, are
entitled to take to themselves what
follows? That all who are justified might be and ought to be of the
sanctified is true; but it is not fact that every
[regenerate] person who has known the peace of the justified abides in
a state of love to God, that is, of obedience to His commandments. Our, Lord, explicitly warned the
disciples upon the possibility of ceasing to enjoy His love, by saying, If ye
keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love (John
15: 10); and the church at Ephesus is searchingly reproved
for having left its first love, the
proof of which decay was that they were no more doing the first works. (Revelation 2: 2, 5).
2. The fact that Gods foreordination was
guided by His foreknowledge shows that it was not merely arbitrary, but was conditioned; and this is declared, and
must be allowed, even though we may not be able to determine what it was that,
being foreknown by God, influenced His ordaining act.
3. It is plain that Gods foreordination
was not applied to the matter of who should or should not go down to the pit,
but was concerned with what persons so delivered should be finally, in the
heavens, made like unto His Son in character and glory. To accomplish this transformation in us is the end, as
regards
us, of our election by God;
not merely to rescue us from wrath, and that Christ might be shown, acknowledged to be, and be glorified as THE SON OF GOD, pre-eminent among those
who are by adoption through Him the sons of God. This is the further end of our
election, as regards Christ: His
glorification in us (Alford). How, at the coming of Christ to set up His
Kingdom, shall these ends be served in the cases of such believers as may have
thwarted His purifying work, and have so died, in a backsliding state? At the judgment seat [in Hades, and therefore
before their resurrection,] such will appear morally as they
were at their decease.
4. As soon as one arrives at the point where
Gods purpose is to take effect, and, hearing the good news, is called, immediately the human element enters
as a condition upon which the divine ordination takes effect. For the called may refuse to respond (Mathew 22: 1-14).
5. In the next step, that of
justification, also, the faith of the sinner who is giving attention to the
call is again the condition set forth by God Himself upon which the purpose of
God advances.
It is thus evident, as was before said, that the foreordination
was conditional: in advance it was conditioned by somewhat that God foreknew;
and in development it requires as self involved conditions the response and the
faith of its object. If therefore we find from this and other scriptures that
sanctification is also required with a view to the glorified state being
reached, that will but be in harmony.
6. And in this connection it is proper
to add that the word justified is sometimes used by the Holy Spirit to include
sanctification. As regards the delivering of the guilty from justly deserved
wrath, this is effected solely and perfectly by the imputing to faith of that
which Christ is and has done; and the sinner is thus justified apart altogether
from works of his own. But there is a fuller sense of the word in which it is
considered as including the changed life of which it is the commencement. Thus
in its first use in this same epistle we read that the doers of law
shall be justified - accounted righteous (Romans 2: 13). And again we find in James that Abraham and
Rahab were justified by works. Not
that the doing and the working are the meritorious ground of justification [by faith]; but they are the occasion in the one
case, and the proof in the other, of the sinner being justified. But in both
cases the works are included under the term justification. Similarly, the two
are blended in the words (1 Corinthians 6: 11), but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit
of our God.
At this late place in the apostles exposition, after he has
laboured the question of holy living as well as that of justification, we judge
him thus to combine the two aspects in one, and to mean the term justified to
cover the sanctity of life that it makes possible and therefore demands, but
which the justified may largely fail to produce, or cease to produce after
having long brought it forth by the Spirit.
7. But we may further urge that this
passage must not be read apart from its preceding context. (a) The sense that
those would give to it who differ from our view practically ignores the fact
that chapters six and seven intervene between chapters
three to five and chapter eight of the letter. They as good as [erroneously
assume or] say that sanctification has no indispensable place in the glorifying of the child of God; and
so the orderly development of the exposition is set aside. This is like taking out the middle floor of a
building and expecting the upper storey to remain in its place. (b) These sentences
must be construed in harmony with the teaching immediately before given, even that our being glorified with Christ is dependent upon our
suffering with Him (verse 17). A preceding passage must not be ignored in dealing with one that follows
upon the same subject, nor the latter be forced into conflict with that which
goes before. These two verses are strikingly parallel with those before dealt
with from Colossians
1, in the proximity of a seemingly absolute statement to one
plainly conditional.
Our passage must therefore (1) be read in the light of
its context; and (2) of its late
place in a consecutive exposition which has included a heavy emphasis upon practical holiness; and (3) of the fact that the word justified
may include the practice of holiness;
and (4) of the overwhelming consensus of the rest of Scripture: and we conclude
that it cannot be made the basis of teaching that every justified person is
unconditionally guaranteed a share in the [millennial or] heavenly glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Thus Tindale wrote on this passage (see Wescotts
A General View of the History of the English Bible,
1905 ed., 141), God rchetyp
of his awne rchetyp and mercye: calleth thorow ye rchet: justifieth thorow faith
and glorifieth thorow good workes.
They who would make it teach the opposite of this are
obligated to show that their view is in harmony with all the rest of Gods Word
upon the subject; that is, it is incumbent upon them to give as straightforward
and harmonious an explanation as we have sought here to offer of all the large
array of Scripture which is now before us.
But it is urged that the series of past tenses used in this
passage shows that from Gods point of view He sees the believer as already
glorified as much as justified. True, He does; but this does not forbid that some for whom He prepared that destiny may
forfeit it. So heavy is the possibility of failure that we have from our
Lords lips this solemn word concerning those for whom a feast was provided and
to whom the invitation was first sent, I say unto you that none of those men
which were bidden shall taste of My supper (Luke
14: 24); although it
was expressly for them that the provision was in the first instance made. The guests invited to the bridal supper may
have their place taken by others, if they be found unworthy (Matthew
22: 8). Closer yet; the special virgins that should attend
upon the bride at the supper, may lose
the opportunity (Matthew 25: 1-13). Finally,
it becomes strictly a matter of proof from Scripture as to whether individuals
who might have been of the company that form the bride may not have a similar experience. Or
rather, considering how uniformly the principle applies in other circles of the
redeemed, as well as to the perishing, the duty of proving that the company
that will form the bride is exempt from this principle is upon those who allege
the exemption.
It is the assumption that Gods foreordination is absolute and
irreversible as touching the individual that is not proven and that would throw
this passage into conflict with the consensus of Holy Scripture. In His purpose
God did glorify all in question; but equally in His purpose does He see every
justified one as already seated with Him in the heavenly places,
in Christ Jesus (Ephesians
2: 6), and equally true it is that the Holy Spirit is ready
to make this an operative reality to faith; yet very many by carnality or ignorance are forfeiting this elevated
experience, in spite of it being part of Gods plan for them!
Again, it was Gods sworn covenant to Abraham that
his seed should return to Canaan, and He was ready to take there every child of Abraham; yet six hundred thousand
individuals missed the covenanted grace, and, later, some of the tribes were
warned that they might occasion that second generation also to miss the
promised land (Numbers 32: 14, 15). No purpose of God can be more
absolute than a covenant to which he binds Himself by an oath which involves
His very existence, and such was His bond graciously given to Abraham (Genesis 22: 16). This has been partly performed, and will be completely so in the yet
coming restoration of Israel; but that oath did not hinder God taking oath
again in this dread utterance against those individual children od Abraham who proved faithless and rebellious: I have pardoned, He said to Moses, I have pardoned - they are forgiven according to thy word; but in
very deed, as I live and as all the earth shall be filled
with the glory of the Lord; because all
those men who have seen My glory and My signs, which
I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted Me these ten times,
and have not
hearkened to My voice surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their
fathers neither shall any of them that despised Me see it: but My
servant Caleb, because he had another spirit
with him, and followed Me fully, him will I bring
into the land (Numbers 14: 20, 24). Surely
nothing can be clearer than the way in which [redeemed]
individuals, being all equally, by birth and standing, within a general purpose
and covenant of God, are thus discriminated for or against the obtaining the
offered benefits.
* *
* * *
* *
873
AN EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 6: 1-6
By Dr. ROBERT E NEIGHBOUR
[PART ONE OF THREE]
We are adding to the address on [Missing
the Promised Rest] some excerpts from a stenographically reported
sermon preached by Dr. Neighbour. This will
give added emphasis to the preceding message.*
[*See Tract number 870.]
GODS GREAT IF
Hebrews 6: 4-6
contains a message that is greatly needed among saints. The more illumined we are
the more the message is needed, for to whom much is given, much is required.
Let us read together the 6th chapter of Hebrews,
beginning at verse 1:
Therefore leaving the principles of
the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith toward
God, [2]
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of
laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the
dead, and of eternal judgment.
[3] And this we will do, if God permit.
[4] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost,
[5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the
powers of the world to come,
[6] If they shall fall away, [i.e.,
apostatize] to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and
put him to an open shame.
[7] For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon
it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,
receiveth the blessing from God;
[8] But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh
unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
[9] But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though
we thus speak.
ARE [regenerate] SAINTS OR [unregenerate] SINNERS IN VIEW?
The
question which you wish answered first of all, and scripturally answered, is
this: Do these verses in Hebrews 6 refer to a [regenerate] believer or to an unbeliever; to the [eternally] saved, or to the [eternally] lost; to the saint or to the sinner?
We believe in the security of the [regenerate] believer; we believe if you are born
again, you can never be unborn: we believe that none of Gods [redeemed] children will be found in the lake of fire; that none of them will be
ultimately lost; we believe that the children of God have eternal life; that
when they believed, they were sealed by the Holy Ghost unto the day of
redemption of their bodies, unto the day of their entrance into eternal life;
we believe that Gods sheep can never perish.
However, the eternal security of a [regenerate] believer does nor secure his rewards.
Salvation is by grace, apart from works, that is, [Gods] salvation is altogether an unmerited
favour. Salvation is the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He saves you
because of what Christ did, and not because of what you do. Salvation is,
therefore, of grace, to the exclusion of works. You can do nothing to become a
Christian. You cannot even lift a finger to help yourself. All a sinner can do
is to receive a finished and a completed work. When he receives Christ, God
gives unto him eternal life and he can never be lost.
There has been, however, on the part of many who so believe a
grave error. They have turned away from many solemn warnings, which are plainly
and positively written in the Word of God.
THE TEXT AND THE CONTEXT
We are coming to a very solemn passage this afternoon. It is
easily understood, I think, when we have the whole concept of the Book of Hebrews in our mind. The reason we have not
caught Gods warning in Hebrews 6: 4-6, is because we have isolated it,
picked it up out of the chapter, carried it off and examined it apart from its
environment. When we look at this scripture, out of its setting, we are
staggered. When we remember that the sum of thy word is truth, and that it is altogether wrong to
use any scripture outside of its context, and contrary to its setting, we will be
greatly blessed. The Book of Hebrews
begins with the annunciation of the heirship of Jesus Christ; the Book of Hebrews concludes with the vision of Jesus
Christs Second Coming and His throne, in the 12th chapter. Chapter
13 is a final word
of advice and wisdom. The 12th chapter tells of the removing of everything that can be shaken, while
the things, which cannot be shaken, remain. The conclusion is. Wherefore receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us worship God with fear. The Book of Hebrews, thus, beginning with the heirship of Christ,
and closing with the kingdom that cannot be moved has, lying between those
statements, a continuously presented call to saints to lay hold of that [Messianic (Psa.
2: 8)] heirship, and to enter into that [thousand-year
(Rev. 20:
6)] reign.
In discussing Hebrews 6, we will, of all necessity, refer to
some passages in Hebrews which we have
developed in other recent sermons.
WHOSE HOUSE WE ARE IF WE HOLD FAST
First of all, in the 3rd chapter of Hebrews it speaks of the fact that Moses was faithful as the servant of his house; then it says that Jesus
Christ, who is greater than Moses, was faithful as the son of His own house. Moses led the
children of
These words are in accord with those
in Hebrews
2: 1-3 How shall we [who
are regenerate] escape IF we neglect so great salvation? If we had not always used the 2nd chapter and verse 2 and 3, as an
evangelistic text, to be applied to [unregenerate] sinners, we would not have had trouble when we came
into the 6th
chapter of Hebrews, How shall we escape IF we neglect so great
salvation? The WE of this scripture refers definitely, distinctively, and
incontrovertibly to the [regenerate] believer. How shall WE
escape if WE neglect so great
salvation? The
salvation of this verse and the salvation in Hebrews 6: 9 are the same salvation.
Let us return to chapter 3: Christ as a
son of his own house, whose house we are,
IF. In chapter 3 and 4, you find the story of how the Children of Israel were saved
out of
Hebrews uses all of this as a warning to saints who start out, putting their hands to the
plough, and then fall after the same
example of unbelief. Time and again the words ring out: Take heed lest ye also fall after the same example of
unbelief. God
asks us [His redeemed children today,] to remember the days of the provocation in the wilderness, when
The sins of the Children of Israel, as
they journeyed through the wilderness, are summed up for us in the 10th chapter of 1 Corinthians, under a six-fold statement: They
lusted after evil things; they were idolaters; they committed fornication; they
tempted Christ; they turned back, and they murmured. Therefore, they failed to
enter
(To be continued
)
* *
* * *
* *
874
THE NATIONS IN RELATION TO CHRIST
AS IN THE SECOND PSALM
By B. W. NEWTON
Psalm 2
1. Why have the gentiles furiously
gathered together, and why do the peoples
meditate a vain thing?
2. The Kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together
against Jehovah, and against His Anointed,
saying,
3. Let us break Their bands asunder,
and cast away Their cords from us.
4. One that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh; Adonai shall mock at them.
5. THEN shall he speak unto
them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore
displeasure.
6. And I have inaugurated My King on
7. I will declare (make proclamation) in
reference to the decree, Jehovah said unto Me,
MY Son art Thou; I this
day have begotten Thee.
8. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the
gentiles for Thine inheritance, and for Thy
possession the uttermost parts of the earth.
9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of
iron as the vessels of a potter shall Thou shiver them.
10. Now therefore, O ye kings, have understanding.
Be corrected, ye judges
of the earth.
11. Serve Jehovah with fear and rejoice
with trembling.
12. Kiss ye the Son lest He be angered
and ye perish in the way, what time His wrath
shall suddenly kindle. O the happiness of all
that are trusters in Him.
(Translation: B. W.
Newton).
One of
the chief objects of the Psalms is to contrast the condition of the earth,
whilst under the supremacy of evil, with its future condition when the
sovereignty of the world shall have become the sovereignty of our Lord and of
His Christ (Revelation 11: 15).
At present, Satan is the Deceiver not merely of individuals
but of nations and their governors. The streams of national life are poisoned
at their source. In the Apocalypse, which treats of the close of the present
dispensation, Satan is especially described as the Deceiver of the nations (Revelation 12: 9,
and 20: 3)
- as wearing the diadems of the Roman World (Revelation
12: 3) and then giving them to
Antichrist (Revelation 13: 2), and as finally gathering the kings of the
whole Roman World to that great day of the battle of the Lord God Almighty. Of that great gathering this Psalm treats. It speaks of the
time when not merely the peoples, but their kings and rulers shall openly confederate against
God. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah and
against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder and cast away Their cords
from us. This is
the consummation of that lawlessness which makes him who heads it emphatically the lawless
one (2 Thessalonians 2).
Armageddon (i.e., the Hill of Megiddo, in the north-west of
Thus the power and glory of the Lord God of
Past Partial Fulfilment
Many, forgetful of the well-known rule respecting the
germinant fulfilment of prophecy, have virtually quenched the light of this
Psalm, by regarding it as finally accomplished when Pilate, Herod, and Israel
gathered together against Jesus and His disciples. It is indeed true that the
commencing verses of this Psalm received a fulfilment both then, and on every
other occasion in which the powers of earth have confederated against Christ
and His Truth. The principles which are to attain their maturity at the close
of the dispensation, have long been germinating. The heads of society, secular,
philosophic, and religious, had begun to exhibit when the Lord Jesus was on
earth, an indifferentism, and scepticism about Truth, which was making them
reckless of all its restraints.
He who has learned contemptuously to say, What is Truth? will not be restrained by Truth. If
they be personally untroubled by its voice - if its testimonies reach them not
so as to harass their consciences, their indifferentism may be content with
despising Truth; but if its voice be heard upbraidingly, or if its power thwart
any of their designs of evil, then they persecute and trample it to the dust.
Such was Pilate; and not only Pilate, but multitudes beside both in
The final development of iniquity, therefore, is only the
matured form of that which has long been advancing: for what is there in the
flower, or in the fruit, that is not hidden in the bud? But the descriptions of
Scripture are not limited to the embryo form. They extend to the matured
development - the description of the greater necessarily including the less. We
are not indeed to neglect premonitory fulfilments. By means of what has been,
we are taught what is to be. But if we mistake premonitory
fulfilment for final accomplishment, we deceive
ourselves by the very light that is intended to be our guide.
Future Accomplishment
The word Then proves that this passage is yet to receive its full
accomplishment. THEN shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. He has never yet done this. On the
contrary, His longsuffering mercy has waited, and permitted violence to
prosper. He has allowed Truth and its servants to be trampled down. The cry has
yet to be heard and answered, Lord, how long wilt
thou not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell on the earth?
The sixth verse, Yet have I inaugurated My king, upon My holy hill of Zion, stands intermediately between the two
divisions of the Psalm. In contrast with the vain purpose of the raging
nations, this verse reveals Jehovahs purpose of establishing the
government of Christ as Lord of
The Inauguration of Christ on
It is mentioned also as the place where divine glory will be
manifestly present in protective power: and Jehovah will create upon every
dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and on her
assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the
shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And in
Psalm 68 we read, The
hill of God is as the hill of Bashan;
an high hill as the hill of Bashan. Why leap ye, ye high hills?
This is the hill
which God desireth to dwell in; yea, Jehovah will dwell in it for ever. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the
Lord (Adonai) is among
them as in Sinai, in the holy place. This passage sufficiently
indicates the [messianic] glory that will be connected with
But as there was an interval between the destruction of
Pharaoh and his hosts at the Red Sea, and the descent of Jehovah on Sinai, so
there will be an interval between the destruction of Antichrist with his hosts,
and the inauguration of Christ on
In Earths Darkest Hour
The morning star arises at the moment of the earths deepest
darkness. So when the Lord Jesus returns, evil will be dominant in the earth in a way in which it never yet has
been, and never will be again. Antichrist will be in the plenitude of
power at the head of all the Ten Kingdoms of the Roman World. Christendom, that is, those parts of the
earth which will be neither heathen, nor subjected to the power of Antichrist,
will teem, even as they already do, with corruption. As a general description, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness
the peoples.
Accordingly, the avowed object for which Christ assumes His
millennial power is that He may put down this giant strength of evil and subdue
every enemy. He must reign, says the apostle, until He hath put all enemies under His feet (1
Corinthians 15).
Indeed so much is the subjugation of enemies characteristic of the millennial
reign that it terminates as soon as the last enemy has been subdued.
We must beware, therefore, of supposing that every enemy is
suddenly and effectually subdued by the judgments which Christ inflicts at the
moment of His appearing in glory. His first act will be to remove (changed and
glorified) from the earthly into the heavenly branch of His kingdom, all those
who are sanctified by faith in Him;
and to remove, by means of angels, into the unseen place of torment, all who merely profess His name - all
who come under the name of Tares. See Matthew 13. Christendom will thus end.
On the day of His appearing also, after having been joined by
His saints in the air, He will come with them to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14), and will utterly destroy all the
armies that have been gathered under Antichrist with the view of blotting out
The distant heathen, however who have not heard His fame nor
seen His glory (Isaiah 66: 19) will be for the most part spared as individuals, although they may be
broken up as nations.
The Glory of Christ Manifested
These overwhelming and destroying judgments, however, will not
continue after the glory of Christ has been fixed on
The sixth verse, which thus reveals the fixed purpose of Jehovah in establishing the glory
and power of Christ Upon Zion, His holy mountain, is appropriately followed by the
address of Christ, as King, to those kings and governors who are spared after
the termination of those judgments which usher in the millennium, and under
which Antichrist will perish.
From the seventh verse onward, the words are the words of Christ as the Messiah-King. He first
recites what Jehovah had said unto Him at the time of His resurrection from the
dead. Jehovah SAID unto
Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the Gentiles for
Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.
Thou shalt rule
them with a rod of iron: Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel. Such were the words addressed unto
the Son by the Father at the time of His resurrection. See Acts 13: 33.
As yet, seeing that the time of longsuffering and grace
towards the nations is not past, He hath not asked to be invested with this
power. But when the time shall come for Christ to use the words of
this Psalm, He will have asked, and He will have been brought before the Ancient of Days as described
in Daniel
7 and have been invested
with the power of earth, and have begun to exercise it.
On the fact of His having assumed this power, is grounded His exhortation
to the kings and rulers that will have been spared. NOW, therefore, O ye kings, be wise; be instructed ye judges of the earth; serve Jehovah with
fear and rejoice with reverence. Do homage to the Son, lest ye perish from
the way when His wrath is kindled yea, but a little. They to whom these words will be
addressed, will have seen how Antichrist and others who have rebelled against
Jehovah and His Christ have perished; and at last they will learn wisdom. The kings of
Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the
kings of
Yet it is not said that all who render this outward homage are blessed. That word blessed is confined to those who trust in Him. Blessed are all they who trust in Him. All in
Mendelssohns comment is, They
seem to be willing and trusty servants; yet in truth, in their heart they hate
Me, but the fear of Me hath fallen on them. From these strange children will finally spring
the last great apostasy, when for a little season Satan is unbound.
Perfect Legislation
But although Christ does not at the present moment legislate
for and direct the nations, as He will when the words of this Psalm shall be fulfilled,
yet its prophetic voice might be heard and ought to be heard, even now, by
nations and their governors. Shall they at present despise and dishonour Him
Who is already made Lord and Christ - to Whom Jehovah hath already said, Thou art my
Son, ... Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the Nations.?
Christ although not yet seated on His Own millennial throne,
is seated on His Fathers throne and administers all its power. See Revelation 5. He hath all power in heaven and in
earth. It is vain, therefore, for nations to deceive themselves with the
thought that they can do homage to God as the Governor of all, if they refuse
to own Christ as the Person, even now, invested with all the glory and power of
the throne of the Majesty of the heavens, To deny the fact of Christs present
exaltation and authority, is virtual atheism. It is true indeed that the
acknowledgment of this fact does not make men real Christians; but the denial
of it makes them Infidels.
A nation that by its official organs governmentally
acknowledges the Lordship and Mediatorship of Christ as a fact, does not
thereby become Christian in the sense of being brought into the
The natural blessings that have for many centuries flowed down
upon our own unworthy country, as a consequence of having outwardly owned the
name of Christ and His one Mediatorship, must be obvious to all whose hearts
are not judicially blinded. But of late years the recognition of Christ has
begun to be relinquished (And much more since this article was written
in the 19th century! -
Ed). Whether governors own, or do not own Him by whom kings
rule, and princes decree judgment, has been thought a matter of indifference.
It has been thought immaterial whether men own Christ alone as the one Lord, and the one Mediator; or whether they bow down
idolatrously to Mary and seek the mediation of the queen of heaven, or despise mediatorship altogether.
Even in this our own favoured land it is beginning to be
deemed immaterial whether governors, and even authorised religious teachers own
the supreme authority of the Word of God, or whether they give themselves over
to philosophic Pantheism and trample under foot the Blood of atonement and
every other distinctive truth revealed in the Scripture. That ear must indeed
be deaf (shall I say, judicially deafened?) that hears not already the cry, Let us break
Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords
from us.
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875
LINE UPON LINE
CHAPTER VII
SAUL, OR THE KING.
1 Samuel 9.; 10: 1, 17 to
end.
[PART
THREE]
THERE was a young man whose father had some fields, and sheep, and
cows, and asses. One day three asses were lost; so the young man went to look
for them among the hills and fields. The young mans name was Saul. He took a
servant with him and he looked for the asses a long while, but he could not find them. At last Saul came near the city where
Samuel lived.
The servant said to Saul, I have heard that there is a man in
that city who is a prophet; all he says comes
true. Let us ask him where the asses are. Then Saul said to his servant, Come, let us go. So Saul, and the servant went into the city, and as they went
along they met Samuel.* Saul and the
servant had never seen Samuel before: so they did not know who he was. Samuel
was an old man, and his hair was long,** and he used to wear a cloak.
·
The
history of the sacrifice is omitted because it would not be well understood,
without the knowledge of many complicated details, unknown to the young pupil.
** Samuel was a Nazarite, and wore long hair - l Sam 1: 11; Num. 6.
Saul spoke to this old man, and said, Can you tell me where the prophets house is?
Samuel answered, I am the prophet.
Did Samuel know who Saul was? Yes, he did; for though Samuel
had never seen him before, God had told Samuel that he would meet a man just at
that time, who was to be the king of
Before Saul had told him that he had lost some asses, Samuel
said, The asses that you lost three days ago are found. And Samuel told Saul, that he had a
great deal to say to him, and that he must come home with him that evening and
that he would let him go away the next morning.
So Saul and the servant went to Samuels house, and Samuel
took Saul to the top of his house, and talked to him alone: but I do not know
what he said to him.
The next morning they all got up very early, as soon as it was
light, and Samuel walked with Saul and the servant through the city. When they
were come to the outside of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the
servant pass on before. So the servant passed on before; and Samuel and Saul stood still together
quite alone.
Then Samuel took a bottle of oil, that he had brought with
him, and poured it on Sauls head, and said to him, God has
chosen thee to be king over
Why did Samuel pour the oil upon Sauls head? It was as a sign
that he was to be the king. Pouring oil upon a person is called anointing.
After Samuel had anointed Saul, they parted from each other.
Saul went on his way, and returned to his friends; but he did not tell any one
that he was to be king of
Soon afterwards Samuel called all the Israelites together, to
tell them who was to be the king.
Samuel first told them it was very wicked not to like to have
God for their king and then he showed them the man who was to be the king. When
the people saw Saul they were very much pleased, for he was taller than any of
the Israelites; no one else reached higher than his shoulder. The Israelites
wished to have a king that would look very grand when he went out to battle.
The Israelites shouted when they saw him, and cried out, God save the
king!
When the people had seen the king they went home to their
houses.
You will soon hear what sort of a king Saul was, whether he
loved God, or whether he did not.
Did the Israelites deserve to have a good king? No. How
ungratefully they had behaved to God, who had been so kind to them! How
ungrateful they were to Samuel, who had been their judge! But Samuel was not
angry with them, he was only sorry that they were wicked.
Are foolish
Of their great king above -
Of him who chose them for his own,
And blessd
them with his love?
Oh, where can they another find,
So wise, so powerful, or so kind?
But foolish
Like heathen nations round;
To have a king whom they can see,
With earthly splendour crownd;
Who in the battle shall appear,
And fill their enemies with fear.
CHILD
Oh, may I never weary grow
Of those sweet pleasant ways,
In which I have been taught to go,
Evn since my infant days!
And may I never wish to be
Like those who care not, Lord, for
thee.
Let me not join the careless throng
Who break the Sabbath-day;
Nor waste my youth in dance and song,
Deckd out in garments gay:
But let me leave each earthly thing,
And cleave to God, my heavenly king.
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CHAPTER VIII
SAUL, OR THE DISOBEDIENT DEED.
1 Samuel 15: 1-12.
I HAVE told you how God made Saul the
king of
Samuel used often to come and see him, and advise him to serve
God. Samuel wished Saul to be good, - and he often prayed for him.
At last God chose to see whether Saul would do all he desired
him to do. You remember how God once tried Abraham; and how Abraham did what
God desired him, because he loved God.
What was it that Saul was to do?
There were some wicked people who lived near the
One day Samuel came to Saul and said to him, God desires
you to go and fight against the Amalekites and kill them all, - men, women, and children, and oxen,
and sheep, and camels,
and asses.
Saul got a great army of Israelites, and went to the
Amalekites, and he conquered them. Then Saul desired his soldiers to kill them
with their swords, as God had told him. But he thought he should like to take
the king of the Amalekites back to
Did Saul obey God? No; Saul did not love God; so Saul did not
wish to obey him.
My dear children, if you love God you will like to obey him.
That night God spoke to Samuel and told him that he was very
angry with Saul.
Samuel was grieved to hear this, and he prayed to God the rest
of the night.
* *
*
CHAPTER IX
SAUL, OR THE PUNISHMENT.
1 Samuel 15: 12 to end.
THE next
morning Samuel went to look for Sault for God had told him many things that he
must say to him.
Saul did not know that Samuel knew of
his wickedness; so he tried to make Samuel think that he had done all that God
had told him.
When Saul saw Samuel, he pretended to be glad to see him, and
said, I have done the commandment of the Lord. Then Samuel said, What then is
the this bleating of sheep and lowing of oxen that I hear?
Now Saul saw that Samuel knew what he had
done. He saw it would be of no use to say that he had not saved the sheep and
oxen, so he began to make excuses for himself.
Saul said, It was the people who would not kill the fat sheep
and oxen.
Was it the people who had saved the sheep and oxen? Had not
Saul saved them too? And why did Saul let the people do wickedly? Was he not
the king? Should he not have made them to do what was right?
Would God like those sheep and oxen to be offered in sacrifice
to him? No; God would rather that Saul should obey him than that he should
offer sacrifices.
Then Samuel told Saul that God was
very angry with him, and did not mean to let him be king much longer.
Saul was very much frightened when he heard that God would
punish him, and he said to Samuel, Do stay and pray to God with me. But Saul was not really sorry; he was
only afraid of being punished. Samuel knew that he was not sorry for having
offended God, who had been so good to him, so Samuel would not stay with Saul.
Then Saul took hold of Samuels cloak, to hinder him from going away, and he
tore the cloak.
Samuel stopped and said to Saul, God has torn
the
Saul begged Samuel very much to stay with him, and to pray to
God with him, that the people might not know that God was angry with him. You
see that Saul cared more about what people thought of him, than about God being
pleased with him.
At last Samuel said that he would worship God with him.
Then Samuel desired to see the king of the Amalekites, whom
Saul had saved alive.
This king was a very wicked, cruel man, and God chose that he
should be killed. He had hoped, that, as Saul had not killed him, he should not
die: but Samuel took a sword and killed him.
Then Samuel left Saul, and never came
to see him any more; but he still was very sorry to think that he was so
wicked.
I hope, my dear children, that when you offend God you will feel
sorry. If you love God, you will not like to grieve him. Saul did not love God:
he only cared about being punished.
Do you know whom God intended to be king instead of Saul? I
will soon tell you his name. He will be a better man than Saul.
Why was it so wicked of Saul not to kill the king of the
Amalekites, and the fat cattle? Because God had told him to kill them. We ought
to do what God tells us to do. Has he told you to kill wicked people? No; but
he has told you to pray to him, and to be kind, and to speak truth, and, first
of all, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh turn once more, and pray with me,
King Saul exclaimed most earnestly.
Oh why does he this sorrow show?
Why fear to see the prophet go?
Alas! he has such evil done,
That God will chase him from his
throne;
Nor will the Lord in mercy spare,
Nor listen to the prophets prayer.
Saul does not of his sin repent,
But merely dreads the punishment:
And could he still retain his throne,
He would not heed Gods holy frown.
CHILD
O Lord, when I have broke thy laws,
Is my heart only grieved because
I fear lest thou shouldst
plunge my soul
Where fiery waves for ever roll?
Or is it grieved because Ive sinned
Against a God so good and kind?
Do I feel thus? Then by this sign
I know that Im a child of thine.
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876
THE RESTORATION OF
By DEREK ROUS AND (2) By OFER AMITAI
1
Awake,
awake put on strength, O
arm of the Lord!
Awake as in the ancient of
says
Isaiah 51: 9.
At the
end of the bulletin there is a very helpful piece on the subject from Ofer Amitai. Do
use it as a Bible study and guide to what we are praying for in Prayer for
But what is realty meant by the phrase The
Restoration of Israel? Many see it in terms of Aliyah - bringing the
Jewish people back to the ancient land. The focus therefore can be prosperity,
building enough houses and schools, jobs, fighting anti-Semitism, dealing with
terrorism and generally trying to justify
Hoseas prophecy, especially Chapter 11, reveals the heart of God in the whole process. It shows that
He wants them to be His People. He wants them to Know Him, to live with Him, to
share His heart with them so that they might be His Spokesmen to the world - so
that the world might know who God is. This is the purpose of Restoration and
the process is through Redemption. God does what is impossible for them or
anyone else to do and that is to enable
them to draw near and be close to Him. Hosea expresses this suffering of
God through the rejection he experiences from his wife Gomer. God is suffering because of His people and their stubborn refusal to respond
to His love. That is why God acts in ways we find
difficult to understand. God is wholly merciful but also Holy and Just in all
He does. If He judges and allows
havoc to break out upon His people it is because He will not stand by and let
them walk away from Him.
God says in 11: 8, How can I give you
up Ephraim? How can I hand you
over, O Israel? But then He
goes on to say When He roars, then
His sons shall come trembling from afar and like a bird
and I will let them
dwell (in peace) in their
houses.
Generally, when a Lion roars, the sensible thing is to run as fast as you can
in the opposite direction. Gods roar may very well make most people do that,
but here it is Gods way of drawing His people to Himself. Discipline is tough
on the rebellious heart, but when done by a loving Father to His own children,
it is the only way for them to grow-up and experience the blessings of
maturity. Look at what Ofer says about the roaring lion of
So, thats why our prayer should not
be motivated by peer pressure or by sentimental concerns for the pain and
suffering of the Jewish people at the hands of what they believe is the church.
The approach of the true early Church in Acts made up almost entirely of Jewish believers in Messiah
Yeshua, was direct and unapologetic. They werent a group of anti-Semites
attempting to start a new religion. They were part of that Roar of God that came from within and challenged
His people to Awake
and face up to
Gods heart of redemption through the finished work of Messiah (Christ) at
Calvary. Jesus had first appeared to
Conflict and challenge from the religious establishment was
intense in the first century. Lets not forget, replacement theology wasnt developed until later.
Anti-Semitism and Jewish persecution didnt get going until the Church became
established in the Gentile world. No! The Reluctance of Israel to embrace Messiah
was because God and His prophets got to the heart of the matter centuries
before and caused Hosea to declare
it. In similar ways, one can see this reluctance to be not just a Jewish
problem but is a failing of all humanity.
God chose
He is the one who created us all as
eternal beings, gives us life, purpose and hope that despite all we see now,
God is in control and His people are here to declare the knowledge of Him and
bring praise to Him alone. So be encouraged as you continue to faithfully pray
for the matter which is the greatest on Gods heart - the redemption of
2
Every
Wednesday evening, we gather for intercession for the restoration of
We want to leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead you and your
group to pray as you are led.
The AMAZING love and grace of God and our total
unworthiness of such love Hosea chapter 11.
God: When
Us: ...they sacrificed to Baals...
God: I taught Ephraim to walk ... taking them by the hand... I drew them with cords of kindness
with the bands of
love ... eased the yoke ... I bent down and fed them.
Us: My people are bent on turning away from Me.
God: How can I give you
up Ephraim? How can I hand you
over, 0
How amazing is Gods faithful love! How can a just God not
come in wrath? Ultimately, because He wreaked His wrath in judgment on His Son,
our Saviour!
How can the roaring of the lion attract
rather than sow fear in our hearts? We must understand this roar in light of
We were much moved by this sight of God and were helped to
intercede with a deep sense of Gods grace and presence.
We called on the lord to
utter His voice and roar in this land.
We cried out for His [Holy] Spirit to fall upon His
people.
We cried out for a heart of flesh instead of the heart of stone!
(See Ezekiel 36: 26, see Jeremiah
31: 31-34).
We called on the Lord to be washed in the blood of Yeshua [i.e., the Lord Jesus].
We called on the Lord to reveal His own nature and being in this
land.
We cried for the Lord to reveal the sufferings of the Messiah on
the cross.
We asked for the lord to reveal His own heart and passion that
propelled Him to the cross.
We prayed for the breaking of the bondage of religion in the land.
We prayed for the lord to shake us and wake us, again, from our
spiritual lethargy.
We prayed out of Deuteronomy 30:
5-7 for the circumcision of our and our peoples heart
to love the lord with
all our hearts and souls that we may live before Him.
We called on the Lord to heal the wounds of this nation (see Jeremiah
30: 17).
We called for His Mercies and Compassions to come
upon the tents of Jacob (see Jeremiah
30: 18).
We cried for the Lord
to un-bend us from our bent on
turning away from Him.
The Lord roars from
Last week we prayed from Ezekiel 34: 25,
-
I will banish the wild
beasts... We compared some leaders (Assad, Nasrallah and the
Ayatollahs) to devouring beasts.
Jeremiah speaks in a similar way: Jeremiah 30: 16 -
all who devour you
shall be devoured
those who plunder
you shall be plundered
all who prey on you I will make a prey
No wonder then, that in the midst of this jungle God likens Himself to a lion who roars ...
the King of the jungle roars. But whereas the
roaring of God in Hosea attracts His
people, the roaring of God in Joel 3: [15, 16] causes a quaking of the heavens and the earth (and all therein), and He becomes the refuge, the
protection of His people, [see verses
17-21].
We prayed for the voice of the Lord to shake the nations (See Psalm 46: 6)
We prayed for that roar of God in the midst of
We prayed for God to be
We prayed for God to become
We prayed for Gods intervention on behalf of
We prayed for the subduing of Hezbollah on our northern borders.
We prayed for
Hamas plans to cause havoc and chaos in
We prayed for the well being of
We stood on the Word and Gods eternal purpose for this nation,
to become a refuge for all the Jews in
the world (they need to
come home of course.)
Joel 3: 20-21: But
Thank you for standing with us, for His [millennial
and] eternal purposes to be fulfilled in
the earth! May the God of Israel and the Father of our Lord Yeshua, bless you at this special time of the year.
Blessings from
- The
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877
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877
AN EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 6: 1-6
By Dr. ROBERT E. NEIGHBOUR.
[PART TWO]
In our
former sermon we emphasized that the
GODS GREAT IF
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened.
We do not believe, for one moment, that the THOSE of this
scripture can possibly refer to an [unregenerate] unbeliever. Let us now mark carefully the reading: It is impossible for those
who, firstly, were once enlightened; secondly, who have tasted of the heavenly
gift; thirdly, who were made partakers of (were led along by) the Holy Ghost; fourthly, who have tasted the good word of God, and, fifthly, who have tasted the powers of the world to come. Can these words refer to the [unregenerate] unsaved (Israelite or Gentile)? No.
They refer to [regenerate] believers,
even to advanced believers - [in future
prophetical knowledge] - to believers who were enlightened; to believers
who have tasted of the Heavenly Gift; to believers who have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the age to come.
How were they enlightened? By the Holy Spirit of God. Of what gift
did they partake? Of the gift of eternal
life? Yes. But, to my mind more
particularly of the gift of the [Holy] Spirit [and His spiritual enlightenment and understanding of His Prophetic
statements]. What is the greatest gift that God ever gave to
saints? Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is unto you and your children. How were they led along by the [Holy] Spirit? He instructed them, and guided them into the things of Christ. How
had they TASTED of the good Word of God? You know I like that word, tasted. David said, Thy word is
sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb. It is good to the taste. Have you ever
tasted it, tasted the good things that are written in the Word? There hath not
failed one GOOD THING that was
spoken. The good
word of God in Hebrews, is the message of Christs heir-ship [See
Psa. 2: 8; Psa. 110; Psa.
72. cf. 1
Pet. 1: 11,
R.V.).] - the good things to come. How had they tasted
of the powers (the word is miracles),
of the age to come? They had known the
Gospel of the Kingdom, they had entered into the marvels
of the millennium.
They had tasted all of these things. Now, what does God say of these favoured
believers? It is impossible for them IF THEY shall fall away [apostatise] to
renew them again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify unto
themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame.
CRUCIFYING THE SON OF GOD AFRESH
Before we examine the words. If they shall fall away, let us consider the words seeing that
they crucify unto themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Christians sing:
In the cross
of Christ I glory,
Towring oer the wrecks of time,
All the light of sacred
story,
Gathers round its head
sublime.
We love to sing, At the Cross, at the Cross, Where I first
saw the light. What is the Cross to a believer ? It is the emblem of his
redemption. Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy Blood was shed for
me. What else does the Cross of Christ mean to the Christian? In Galatians 1:
4 it says, He died that He might save us
from this present evil age. What is the message of the Cross? Let us go back to
the story of the Children of Israel. The blood was sprinkled on the two side
posts, and on the upper door post. God said, When I see the blood, I will pass
over you. After the angel had passed over at midnight, and the first-born in
the homes of the Egyptians had been slain, then God said to Moses, Up, get you out. Why this hurry? Because that blood stands for separation.
I love that other passage in Galatians: God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by the which I am crucified unto the world and the world unto me. Oh, beloved, if the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ means anything to you, it
means separation. It means that you are a purchased people, bought with the
precious Blood of Christ. Listen! Have you been enlightened? Have you received the Heavenly Gift? Have you been led along by the Holy Spirit? Have you tasted of the powers of the age to come? Then, have you fallen away? If so, you have crucified afresh to
yourselves the Son of God, and you have put Him to an open shame.
Ah, Thou Son of God, how many [apostate] saints there are today who are crucifying
Thee afresh. They make Thy Cross of no avail, they spoil its deeper meaning.
They trample its call beneath their feet, they spurn its message. Saints should
glory in the Cross where they die, not alone in the Cross where He died.
IF THEY SHALL FALL AWAY
Now, we are ready to discuss the words: If they fall
away - and also
the words, It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.
Shall we leave the first principles, the beginnings of the doctrine
of Christ? And press on to full growth? Yes, this we will do if God permit.
God will not always permit, for with some it is impossible to press on. Let us
find the 1st chapter of Deuteronomy. There we will discover the meaning of
Hebrews 6: 4-6.
HOW
There are eleven days journey from
Horeb by the way of
The Lord our God sware unto us in
Horeb, saying, Ye
have dwelt long enough in this mount. (verse
6)
God is talking to many Christians in this audience saying, You have been
living where you are living, long enough. Whereas you ought to be teachers, you
have need that someone teach you again the beginnings of Christ. You have dwelt
in this mount long enough.
Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the find. (verse
8.)
The Lord, your God, hath multiplied you,
and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
(The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times,
so many more as ye are, and
bless you, as he hath promised) (verse 10.)
And when we departed from Horeb,
we went through all that great and terrible wilderness,
which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites,
as the Lord our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. (verse 19.)
I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us. Behold, the Lord thy God hath
set the land before thee; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be
discouraged. And ye came near unto me every one
of you, and said,
We will send men before us, and they shall
search us out the land, and bring us word again
by what way we must go up. (verses 20-22.)
And they turned and went up into the
mountain, and came unto the
And they took of the fruit of the
land in their hands, and brought it down unto us,
and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land
which the Lord our God doth give us.
Notwithstanding YE WOULD NOT GO UP, but rebelled
against the commandment of the Lord your God; and
ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he
hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt. (verses 24-27)
Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, who wert
in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in
fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should
go, and in a cloud by day. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware,
saying, Surely there
shall not one of these men of this evil
generation see that good land.
(verses 30-35.)
I am using this experience of the Children of
(To be continued
)
* *
* * *
* *
878
HE THAT SHALL COME.
KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND KING OF PEACE
By PHILIP MAURO
[PART
ONE OF TWO]
In Old Testament
times the Son of God did not come in Person among men to take part in their
affairs. But, from time to time, He cast His shadow across the surface of human events.
We have, in the Old Testament, the record of many of these shadows of Him that was eventually to come
for the fulfilment of all the purposes of God. These shadows present various
aspects of the Person and Work of that Coming One, and their study should afford both
instruction and delight to His redeemed people.
We are at present concerned mainly with two of the shadows
which, in olden times, the Son of God cast upon the surface of human history.
One of these is Aaron and his successors in the office of High Priest of the
Levitical order down to the time of Christs first coming. As we have already
seen, we have now the substance of
that shadow in Christs entrance, by His own blood, into the heavenly
sanctuary, and in His present ministry there.
The other shadow is Melchisedec. A very mysterious shadow was
this, which appeared so abruptly and disappeared so completely, after lingering
for so short a time upon the scene. The history of Melchisedec is of the
briefest. Yet we are bidden to consider how great this man was (Heb. 7: 4). And since he was greater than Abraham, who was the greatest
of all the patriarchs, for to him God gave the covenants of promise, we may safely conclude that in
Melchisedec we have a type of surpassing importance; and indeed the Epistle to
the Hebrews makes it plain that Melchisedec was
the chiefest among the shadows of good things to come.
We have seen that Christs work as High Priest of the heavenly
sanctuary is very different from that which He accomplished as the Apostle of
God. So also, His work as High Priest in
the coming age will be very different from that in which He is now engaged.
Comparison of the two shadows brings out this difference clearly. Aaron went into the holy place
with the blood of the sin-offering that had been slain outside, and whose body
was burned without
the camp. Melchisedec,
on the other hand, brought forth something for the refreshment of the man who
had fought the good fight of faith, and blessed him in the name of the Most High God,
the Possessor of heaven and earth.
Moreover, the name and titles of that great personage constitute important
features of the shadow. His name, Melchisedec, means King of Righteousness. And he was, moreover, King of Salem,
which means Peace. Special mention is made in Heb.
7: 2 of
the fact that he was first King of righteousness, and
after that also King of Salem,
which is, King of Peace. His name, Melchisedec, preceded his
accession to the throne of
The coming dominion of the Son of Man is vividly set forth in
the 72nd
Psalm, where it is
declared that He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth (ver. 8). The characteristic feature of that dominion will be that He shall judge thy people
with righteousness,
and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness (vers. 2, 3). And in His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth (ver. 7). Then will be fulfilled the prophecy of Ps. 85: 10, Righteousness and
peace have kissed each other.
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram,
of the Most High God, Possessor
of heaven and earth: and blessed be the Most
High God, which hath delivered thine enemies
into thy hand.
Righteousness, peace, and blessing will be the characteristics of the reign of
Gods King-Priest. There is more in this blessing than we can possibly conceive. It carries with it the fulness
of joy and the pleasures for
evermore that are
in the presence of the Lord and at His right hand (Ps.
16: 11). In
the bread and wine that Melchisedec brought forth for the refreshment of the
man of faith we have an intimation of the times of refreshing that shall come from the presence
of the Lord (Acts 3: 19).
The blessing that Melchisedec bestowed was that of the Most High
God, Possessor of
heaven and earth. It speaks, therefore, of the fulness of the blessing of the
gospel of Christ, carrying with it the
enjoyment of all created things, both things that are in heaven,
and things that are on earth. For He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things? (Rom. 8: 32).
Another passage that comes to mind in this connection is found
in Matt. 11.
The Son of Man had been rejected by that generation, as a man gluttonous and a
wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. Nevertheless, He said that Wisdom is
justified of her children (ver.
19); and He comforts Himself with the thought of the babes to whom the Father had been pleased to reveal things that He had hidden from the [worldly] wise and prudent. It is significant that at this very point He addresses the Father as Lord of
heaven and earth. Those words link the passage with the Scriptures we are considering, and
show that He was even then contemplating the joy set before Him, in view of
which He despised the shame of the cross, and for which He still waits.
Thereupon He declares, All things are delivered unto Me of My Father, thus announcing Himself as the Heir of all things; and then He calls to those who
have been chosen to be partakers with Him of the [coming, promised millennial] inheritance, Come unto Me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My
burden is light.
Those who take His yoke now, confessing Him as Lord and serving Him, will share His glorious rest. And not only so, but
He gives them refreshment now; even as Melchisedec not only blessed Abraham with future promises from the
God of heaven and earth, but brought forth for
his immediate refreshment bread and wine. The words will give you rest are the A.V. rendering of what is in
the original a verb, I will rest or
refresh you. The noun rest does not occur in that
clause.
Not only does Melchisedec bless Abraham, but he adds, And blessed
be the Most High God, thus clearly pointing to the time of Gods
rest. God Himself will then be blessed, or happy, when He shall
enter into the satisfaction of a creation restored and reconciled, wherein
everything is ordered and established according to His own mind. In
the vision of the Apostle John when he sees the Lamb, by Whose blood all things
in heaven and earth have been reconciled, about to take possession of the [yet future] inheritance, he hears a mighty chorus, wherein
every creature which is in heaven and on
earth, and [in Sheol = Gk. Hades] under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, join in an ascription of praise to the Lamb, whereof the first item
is blessing.
The effect upon Abraham of meeting with Melchisedec was very
striking; and this feature of the incident conveys a
lesson of great importance. We have seen that the King of Sodom was also on the scene, and he too had
something to offer Abraham, the goods of
The King of Sodom, which was the seat of the godless civilisation of Palestine, represents, of course,
the prince of this world, who is always ready with his goods
- the things that are in the world - offering them to the man of faith as
a counter-attraction to the things of Christ, which are matters of promise - things not
seen as yet. It
was evident to Abraham that he could not receive and enjoy both the blessing of
the Priest of the Most High God and also the goods of the King of Sodom. He had [during his lifetime] to make choice between them; and his choice was uncompromising.
If such was the effect upon Abraham of meeting Melchisedec,
and hearing his words, what should be the effect upon our hearts of knowing and
hearing the words of that One of Whom Melchisedec was but a shadow? Surely,
when we consider the High Priest of our confession, and the blessing that He will bring from the Lord, the
Possessor of heaven and earth, we should be strengthened in faith to turn away
from all the attractive things of this present age. It is the prince of this
world, typified by the King of Sodom, who parades these goods before our eyes; for the true heir of the Most High God has not yet come into
his inheritance. The
effect upon Abraham of Gods revelation to him of His future purposes was that
he waited. In like manner we, to whom God has made known the mystery of
His will, and who have been sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, should,
through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith (Gal. 5: 5).
(To be continued.)
* *
* * *
* *
879
879
THE CHRISTIANS HOPE
By G. H. LANG
When any person ignorant of Gods counsels, or sceptically disposed
in regard to them, hears of the children of hope, it is calculated to arouse
incredulity. For a man solemnly to declare that he is expecting an hour when,
on a sudden, an innumerable number of the long deceased - [presently awaiting the time of their
resurrection, from the underworld of the souls
of the dead in Sheol = Gk. Hades*] -
shall start into life, and that at the same moment another throng of persons
living on earth shall, with the raised, instantly fond themselves clothed in a
body spiritual, immortal, and glorious, free from the limitations of this
earth-bound, death-stamped frame, the hearer is apt to question the credibility
of the asserter of such things. And when the latter proceeds to add that these
wonders will be accompanied by the instantaneous transfer of these raised and
changed beings from the earth to some realm in the heavens above, astonishment
deepens to amazement, and sometimes to indignation.
[* See Matt. 12: 40; 16: 18; Luke 16: 22, 31; 23: 43; John 3: 13; 14: 3; 20: 17; Acts 2: 27, 31, 34; 1 Cor. 15: 22, 23; Phil. 3: 11, 12; 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17; 2 Tim. 2: 16-18; Rev. 6: 9-11; Rev. 20: 4, 5, 13, R.V.]
The christian should be prepared for
this, since this scheme is of all schemes the most improbable from the human point
of view. Cemeteries have never been known thus widely to surrender their
contents, nor throngs of mortals to rise bodily heavenward. The writer will not
readily forget a still and lonely evening when, amid the shadows of a grove in
a remote hamlet in
Seeing then that we are expecting [what
was deemed as] the impossible - and we are -
what is our justification for indulging such a hope? How many of us are ready always
to give answer to every man that asketh us a reason concerning the hope that is
in us? (1 Pet. 3: 15). Yea, how many, or how few, who trust
in Christ, know what the HOPE is, let alone can give a reason for the same.
HOPE BASED ON CHRISTS RESURRECTION
·
The
reasonable basis for indulging such expectations is mainly twofold. First, as
to the possibility of such an event, the proof is that precisely such a resurrection from the dead, accompanied by the described change of body,
and followed by the ascending to the
upper world, has actually taken place in one
case, and can therefore do so in any number of
other cases if the power that
wrought in that instance be put forth upon other subjects.
The resurrection and ascension of Christ as a literal event is
as indispensable to the christian hope as it is to faith. If Christ were not
raised it were vain to trust to His death for justification, and still more
vain, if that be possible, to look for His return from heaven to receive His
people to Himself, since on that assumption He is not in heaven. Paul was not
such a poor thinker as some superior moderns affect to think. This at least he
knew, that no philosophy of mans erecting - and what philosophy has been
floated upon the ocean of speculation since his day which was not, in essence,
involved in those current in his day? - that no philosophy could build into its
foundation or superstructure such an event as the bodily resurrection of the
literal person who died. Therefore it was to disciples living at the centre of
worldly philosophy (
Christs ascension is thus the valid ground for holding the
possibility and the certainty of that of the church in general; and of the
certainty, as well as of the possibility, because the same God Who promised to
raise His Son from the dead, and did so, has promised to do the same for the
saints, and may be trusted to keep His word to Christs people as to Christ.
2. But what is the ground upon which any
individual may rightly base a hope that he in particular is one of those to
whom the promise applies? The answer to this must be found in the individual
himself, or rather in Gods work in him. Christ in you is the hope of glory. Christ for us on the cross is the
basis of that peace with God which the believer has as touching the pardon of
sin, but it is not by itself the ground of assurance to the
individual that he will attain to the height of glory. It is,
indeed, the basis upon which God is able to propose to the repentant that they
should go on unto perfection and [into His millennial*] glory; but Christ in you is the
rational ground of assurance of being glorified.
[* See 1 Pet. 1: 9-11,ff. cf.
HOPE BASED ON CHRIST INDWELLING
And this is so because the glory consists in conformity to the
image of Gods Son (Rom. 8: 29), and
that conformity is already in process of development
in those in whom Christ now dwells; and the carrying on of a process is the simple and
satisfactory ground for expecting the perfecting of the designed work: He Who began
a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1: 6). If there is no sign of the process
there can be no hope of its completion; but where the inner man is even now being moulded so as to
reveal more and more fully and clearly the character of the heavenly rchetype, Christ Jesus, there is in such case solid and
rational ground for expecting the perfecting of that work, rchetype,
Jesus Christ the fashioning of the outer man like unto the glorified body of
the Lord. For this has been promised by God, and it follows naturally, since
the method of the Lord is ever to work from within to without, and to complete
that which He commences.
The practical bearing of this is obvious and salutary. The
first step towards that glorious consummation is that we be purged from sin in
the precious blood of Jesus: the next is that we co-operate with our
God unto the developing in us of the moral likeness of His Son. And there is no middle ground between our continuing in the
faith and Jesus Christ being
in us, on the one hand, and our being, on the other hand, reprobate
(2 Cor. 13: 5-7), which
last term Paul had before used to the Corinthians (1
Ep. 9: 27) of being refused the crown, as we have
seen.
It is to be much
observed that Christ dwelling in a believer is not a present inevitable
consequence of conversion. There are those who have turned to the Lord that He may be their Saviour from
perdition, and who steadfastly maintain
that it is in Him only that they trust for this, but who get little
further. Such may manifest a new interest in spiritual exercises,
attending meetings and the like, and may even show some earnestness in religious
efforts. And yet it may be still evident
that it is what the man is, in his inner nature, that is presented to the
beholder of his ways and spirit, and not what Christ is that is exhibited.
Ye in Me, and I in you, said the Lord to the
disciples, and this was to result from
His resurrection life being theirs (John 14:
19, 20).
This double association constitutes the full-orbed Christian life. The former
experience alone - ye in Me- is but a partial salvation, which guarantees deliverance
from perdition, since one who is in Christ cannot also be under a
condemnation from which Christ is secure; but alone it is not the ground of the hope of
glory.
Writing to believers who were failing to hold tenaciously the
true faith of the gospel, Paul protests his deep concern for them in these
moving words: My little children, of whom I
am again in travail until Christ be formed in you (Gal. 4: 19). The formation of
Christ in a [regenerate] believer is therefore a work [in progress] additional to the setting of that believer before God in Christ, and is a work of such supreme moment
that the apostles large heart was as full of intense and soul-paining longing
for its perfecting, as formerly, in their unconverted days, he had been solicitous
for their regeneration. The heart of the pastor needs to be as deeply desirous
for the growth of saints as that of the evangelist for their birth from above.
Not the mere securing of vast audiences, nor the conducting of delectable
services, nor the maintaining of successful organizations, are the important
matters; but rather the converting of the lost and the perfecting of the saints
are the momentous interests of the christian ministry; and where preachers and
pastors know throes and pangs of heart for these results to appear, there is
the true work of God sure to make progress.
Paul similarly wrote to such advanced and healthy christians as those at Ephesus that he prayed for them that
the Father would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith; to the end
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and
height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be
filled unto all the fulness of God.
CHRIST IN THE HEART
Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto
all generations for ever and ever. Amen.
(Eph. 3: 16-21).
Here again it is plain that the indwelling of Christ in the heart may not always accompany
conversion, for he desires that Christ may dwell in their hearts. And there
is shown a distinction between the presence of the [Holy] Spirit and that of Christ, and that
the latter is consequent upon the former, the Holy Spirit being He by whose
power (not by Whose presence merely) the indwelling, of Christ is produced.
Where the [Holy] Spirit indwells Christ may be
developed, providing that the [Holy] Spirits power is not hindered by carelessness or
wilfulness; for it is
only according to the
power that worketh in us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all
that we ask or think. On the side of the Holy Spirit there is not, indeed, any limit to the possibilities,
but we may limit the Holy One.*
[* Keep thy
heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of LIFE
(Proverbs 4: 23).
If one turn
aside in heart how great is the immediate loss of present joy in the Lord, and how incalculable the future and ultimate loss if found unworthy to be part of the bride, a place in
which company will be forfeited by spiritual fornication. (G. H.
Lang.)]
CHRIST INDWELLING
MORALLY
The [Holy] Spirit is
in the saint as a Person, but Christ personally is at the right hand of the
Father, and it is therefore morally that
He dwells in His people. The Spirit dwells more especially in the body of the believer
(1 Cor. 6: 19), and sheds abroad His grace through
the whole man, and thus by Him Christ is formed in the heart of the saint. The
term heart covers in Scripture the three regions of the thoughts, the feelings,
and the will. This is seen, for instance, in the three first places where the
word is used. In Gen. 6: 5, we read
of the imagination of the thoughts of the heart: in verse
6 we are told that by
mans wickedness the Lord was grieved at His heart: and in 8: 21, we are informed that the Lord said
in His heart, I will not. And the work which the Holy Spirit is ready and longing
to do in each child of God is to inform the intellect with the wisdom and
knowledge of our Head in heaven, so that we can say that in measure we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2: 16). He can stay the flow
of vain, merely human, not to say carnal, thoughts, and fill the mind with the
ideas and conceptions of the Lord. The chief means to this end is the reverent
and believing study of the Scriptures that He wrote for our learning. Then the [Holy] Spirit can suppress in us all emotions that are not of Christ - selfishness
in all its hydra-headed workings; and can impart
ceaselessly the love of God, so that
no sentiments triumph in us save those that are gracious, pure and loving; and hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the spirit which He gave us, that is the spirit of love (1 John 3:
24, 18). And thus it comes to be that, where
Christ dwells morally in us, we shall be rooted and grounded in love, and be strong to apprehend with all
the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; and thus necessarily we shall be filled
unto all the fulness of God, since God is love.
Moreover, the Spirit can remove the crookedness
of the disposition native to all men, and well exhibited, for instance, by a
child who answered her mothers question Why do you
do these naughty things? with the frank avowal, Well, mother, I like doing naughty things! He
renews the impetuous will until we will to do Gods will, and can in some
true degree say with Christ, I delight to do Thy will, O my God. One wrote thus:
Thy
wonderful, grand will, my God,
With triumph now I make it
mine:
And faith shall cry a
joyous, Yes!
To every dear command of
Thine.
Many others also have truly reached
that blissful state of heart, and have been able to use the words of another
poet, and to sing from the outflowing of a contented spirit,
I worship
Thee, sweet will of God,
And all Thy ways adore;
And every day I live I seem
To love Thee more and more.
And unblessed good is ill;
And all is right that seems
most wrong
If it be His sweet will.
CONTINUOUS FAITH
REQUIRED
Where thus the mind and the desires and the will are renewed
by the Spirit of the Lord, so that Christs thoughts and preferences and
resolves are effectually inwrought in the saint, and become the guide and
impulse of daily life, there Christ dwells in the heart, and there His
beauteous character is being developed and revealed. This is the basis for such to indulge the hope of reaching and sharing
perfectly His [messianic and] heavenly glory,
and this enables them meekly, but confidently, to give to others a convincing reason concerning their hope. Therefore
it is not our wisdom to rest in any complacent notion that the initial act of
faith, by which we accepted Christ as our shelter from the wrath of God, is all
that is requisite to warrant these highest of expectations. Equally great is the error of thinking, even if it be only in our most
secret heart cogitations, that we are sufficiently like our adorable Lord to be
beyond risk of falling short. Rather must we go
on to put in Him a continuous faith, asking that He will cause His sanctifying
work in our hearts to advance daily. Yea, it must be our determined desire and
earnest prayer that He shall remove, and keep excluded, from our heart every
thought, feeling, and resolve that is not of Himself, so that He may verily be
sanctified in our heart as Lord (1 Peter 3: 15).
It is to be observed that the
cleansing of the heart is not the same as the changing of the nature,
though often confused therewith, and especially by such as teach the present
eradicating of sin from the christian. The tendency or bias or nature of the flesh in man is unalterable, and not
improvable. Hence God gives a new nature, the divine nature, to such as accept and live by His
promises (2 Peter 1: 4). We find not that He teaches the removing of the old nature during this
life; but we do find that the heart may
cease to be fed from that nature, and, by the [Holy] Spirit, may derive its thoughts,
desires, and decisions from Christ through the new nature. And through
maintaining by faith the fellowship of the [Holy] Spirit, this purifying of the heart, and therefore of the daily life, may
be continuous and complete. But the
tendency to revert to the type,
the former life, will assert its presence in the
saint if he cease at all to live by faith in the Son of God. Hence watching and praying are ceaselessly needful; and whilst they are exercised faith in
Christ will assure victory and growth in holiness. Such as say they
have no sin, and such as say that they cannot help but sin, are both far from
perfection, whilst they are nearest to the goal who
ceaselessly press towards it.
MORAL TRANSFIGURATION
And one word more should be added. Whilst a measure of self-examination
is beneficial, and is called for by the Word (1 Cor. 11:
28; 2 Cor. 13: 5), yet a little thereof is sufficient. It is not by overmuch occupation
with our own heart that Christ is produced there, but rather by ceaseless
heart-occupation with Himself in glory. We all with unveiled face reflecting
as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
transfigured into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit (2 Cor. 3: 18). It is good occasionally to look at the
mirror, and to dust it if necessary; but it is by the turning of the mirror
sunward that it glows with the glory to which it is exposed.
[This theme is more fully treated in
the writers pamphlet The Clean Heart, as advertised].
O for a
heart to praise my God,
A heart
from sin set free !
A heart that always feels thy blood
So freely spilt for me!
A heart
resigned, submissive, meek,
My great
Redeemers throne,
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone;
An humble, lowly, contrite heart,
Believing, true, and clean;
Which neither life nor death can part
From Him that dwells within;
A heart in
every thought renewed,
And full
of love divine;
Perfect,
and right, and pure, and good,
A copy,
Lord, of thine!
Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart!
Come quickly from above,
Write thy
new name upon my heart,
Thy new,
best name of love.
(Wesley)
* *
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* *
880
THE CHRISTIANS HOPE AND FEAR
OR
[THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING THE CONTEXT TO
RIGHTLY UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE WORD ALL]
By G. H. LANG
The
difficulty as to some [regenerate] believers
not sharing in the first resurrection that is
found by some in 1 Corinthians 22-24 and 51,
52, is not so real as it
may appear.
The statement in verse 22 that As in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive applies to the whole human race. This is evident in the first clause. The
assertion is not concerning the first resurrection, that of
believers, but the thought is the same as that of the Lord in verse 28, All that are in the tombs shall
hear His voice and shall come forth. But the apostle at once explains that this
will not be all at the same time, but at different times. This subject he does not open up here, and its enlargement
and details must be sought in other passages dealing with the theme.
The real point to be determined is the exact force of the
expression in verse 23 those of the Christ, as it reads exactly. We hope to examine this more
thoroughly on another occasion. It would
require a considerable paper. Critical study will, we think, show that it is
not the same as the English expression they that are Christs. The latter is a wider phrase than the former.
As to the statement in verse 15 we shall all be changed, it is not certain that this applies to the dead. It may apply
only to the living at the hour the Lord will descend, for at the close of the
statement they are distinguished, and of the former it is said that the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
(that is, the then
living) shall
be changed. Can the dead be changed seeing they have not [until the time of their resurrection] a body to be changed? They will be
clothed upon with the [glorified
and immortal] body that is from heaven (2 Cor. 5: 1, 2), and that [body] will not need any change to pass over it
to fit it for the heavenly world. This passage therefore seems to leave open
the question as to which of the dead will be accounted worthy of the first resurrection, according to Luke 20: 35.
But if it be that the two alls mean the same persons, not all
(of us) shall
sleep, but all (of us) shall
be changed, then, as to the word all it must be remembered that in Hebrews 2: 15, R.V., it is said that the purpose of
the death of Christ was that He might bring to nought him that had the power of
death, that is, the
devil, and might deliver all them that through fear of
death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Yet other scriptures shew that not all, alas, will be delivered. Though the word translated all (hosoi)
is not the same as that in Cor. 15., yet doubtless the R.V. gives the
sense correctly, and the passage affords an example of an important feature of
the Word of God, that when a matter is dealt with in general, and from the
point of view of the divine purpose and willingness, wide universal terms are
used. But these must ever be read in the light of more detail
statements, such as open up the human side of the
matter, which God allows to interact with His own workings, to the limiting of these latter. Another good instance will be seen
later in Exodus
15: 13-17, where the entrance into Canaan of
every person that had come out of
THE HOPE
For by the Hope we were saved. - Romans 8: 24.
The crown
to all who
have loved His appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:
8.
Psalm 107: 23-32.
Safe home, safe home in port!
Rent cordage, shattered deck,
Torn sails, provisions short,
And only not a wreck:
But oh, the joy upon the shore
To tell of voyage perils oer.
2 Timothy 4: 8.
Revelation 2: 10.
The Prize, the prize secure!
The wrestler almost fell;
Bare all he could endure,
And bare not always well:
But he may smile at troubles gone
Who has the victor garland on.
Revelation 17: 14;
2: 25-28.
No more the foe can harm,
No more the leagured camp,
Or cry of night alarm,
And need of ready lamp:
And yet how nearly he had failed,
How nearly had the foe prevailed!
1 Peter 2: 25.
Psalm 23: 6.
Revelation 7: 16,
17.
The lamb is in the fold,
In perfect safety penned;
The lion once had hold,
And thought to make an end:
But One came by with wounded side,
And for the sheep the Shepherd died.
1 Corinthians 4: 11.
John 12: 26.
Hebrews 12: 1,
2.
The exile is at home!
O nights and days of tears!
O longings not to roam!
O sins and doubts and fears!
What matters now? O joyful day!
The King has wiped all tears away!
Ephesians 5: 25,
27. Revelation
19: 7, 8.
O happy, happy bride!
Thy widowed days are past;
The Bridegroom at thy side,
Thou all His own at last!
The sorrows of thy former cup
In full fruition swallowed up.
(S. S. and S. 719, old ed.)
Brethren,
I
(Paul) count not
myself yet to have laid hold (of the prize)
THE FEAR
But I fear,
lest - ! - 2
Corinthians 11: 2, 3. 11: 2, 3.
Let us fear,
lest - ! - Hebrews
4: 1.
1 Timothy 1: 18-20.
The rocks! Men stood aghast!
The voyage was almost done,
Such fearful perils past,
The port so nearly won:
But oh, the grief to see the shore
With costliest wreckage littered oer!
1 Corinthians 9: 24-27; 10: 12, 13. Revelation 3: 11.
The crown he longed to gain
Shall neer his brow adorn!
He stoutly strove, with pain,
And yet the prize is gone:
Oer confident, he tripped, and lo,
He crippled lies before the foe.
Luke 22: 45,
46, 62. Hebrews 10: 32,
39.
So long and brave the fight,
And yet the field is lost;
The warrior, put to flight,
Bewails the awful cost:
Twas such a little hour of sleep,
But many a day his soul shall weep.
1 Peter 5: 8.
The lamb is in the waste!
How wild the wintry blast!
The Shepherd moves with haste,
The silly sheep flees fast:
Oh, should the lion once get hold!
Oh, should the sheep succumb with
cold!
Matthew 24: 24.
2 Corinthians 11: 13-15. Hebrews 4: 11.
Allured by falsest Guide
In flower-strewn fields to stray,
The pilgrim turned aside,
Nor held the narrow way:
O darksome wild! O chilling fears!
O distant home! O scalding tears!
2 Corinthians 11: 2,
3. James 4:
4.
O grief for words too sore!
The bridal day is nigh,
The virgin, that no more,
Is left to weep and sigh:
All sullied by the foul embrace,
She lost for aye her queenly place.
(Wolkendort. Roumania. 24th April, 1923).
G. H. L.
but one thing I do
I
* *
* * *
* *
881
LINE UPON LINE
CHAPTER 13
DAVID, OR THE FIGHT OF FAITH
1 SAMUEL 17: 38-54.
[PART FOUR]
WHEN Saul
heard David speak these words, he told him to go and fight the giant. But David
had no sword, or coat of iron, so Saul lent him his own armour, and his own
sword; he put a cap of brass on Davids head, and dressed him in a coat of
iron. But David had not been used to wear armour: so he said to Saul, I cannot wear
this armour, and
he took it off again: neither would he take a sword, or a spear. He went to the
brook and chose five smooth stones, and put them in a bag which he had and took
the bag with him, and a cloth. You will hear what he did with the bag, and the
stones, and the cloth. In the other hand he held a stick. Then David went to
meet the giant.
The giant heard that one of the
Israelites was ready to fight with him, and he came near to David: a with a shield, went before him.
When the giant looked and saw David, he was surprised: he had
expected to see a great man like himself, dressed in armour, and holding a spear in his hand.
But David was very young, and his face was rosy like a childs,
and he only wore a shepherds dress, and he held a stick in his hand.
The Philistine giant was angry when he saw him, and cursed
him, and used very wicked words. Then he began to laugh at David, and said, Come to me,
and I will give your flesh to the birds and to the
beasts to eat.
But David was not afraid, and he said to the giant, You have a sword, and a spear, and a shield: but God will fight for me; and he will help me to kill
you, and take your head from you: and the beasts and the birds shall eat up the flesh of all the Philistines, and everybody shall see
that the God of Israel is the true God, and that he can save whom he pleases.
Then the Philistine giant came still nearer to David, and David
ran towards him quickly, and put his hand in his bag, and drew out a stone, and
put it in the cloth that he had: then holding one end of the cloth, he threw
the stone out of it with all his strength, and the stone hit the giant in the
forehead, and it sank into it, and the giant fell upon the ground on his face.
Then David ran to the giant, and taking the giants sword out
of its sheath, he cut off his head, When the Philistines saw what a great
wonder God had done, they were frightened; and the Israelites shouted, for they
saw that their God fought for them, and they ran after the Philistines, and the
Philistines tried to run away: but the Israelites overtook a great many of
them, and killed them. David showed the head of the Philistine to a great many
of the Israelites, and he kept the armour that the Philistine had worn.
Did David thank God for helping him to conquer the giant? Oh
yes, he sang Gods praise, and played upon his harp. David did not wish people
to praise him: he wished everybody to praise God.* He wished all the people to
say, How great God is! He helped
the poor young shepherd to conquer the great giant.
·
Thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen,
and sing praises unto thy name. - Psalm 18: 48, 49.
Proud people wish to be praised: but people who love God wish
people to praise God. If God helps you to be good, my dear children, you ought
to praise God for helping you to be good: if you remember things you are taught,
you ought to praise God for helping you to remember. What do you say in the
Lords Prayer about praising God? You say, Hallowed be thy name; which means, Let Gods name be praised.
Upon those hills two armies stand,
A conflict to behold:
The shepherd youth hath raised his
hand
Against the giant bold.
A stone which from the brook he fetchd,
Now gives the deadly wound:
Ah ! see the mighty giant stretchd
Expiring on the ground!
It was the power of God alone
Made Davids arm so strong;
And now he wakes the harps sweet tone,
And pours a grateful song.
Those armies too, that waiting stood,
The wondrous victry
see;
While
The trembling heathen flee.
Oh, that all nations now would own
That God can save from death!
Oh, that all idols now were thrown
In darkest caves beneath!
* *
*
CHAPTER 14
DAVID, AND THE JAVELIN.
1 Samuel 18: 5 to end; 19: 1-10.
SAUL was
very glad that David had killed the giant Goliath. David was brought to Saul, that
Saul might speak to him. He came in with the giants head in his hand. Then
Saul said to David Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the
son of Jesse, who lives at
While Saul was talking to David, there was a person standing
near, whom you have not heard of before; it was the son of Saul. He was a
grown-up man, very brave, and very good; his name was Jonathan: he was a prince, because he was a kings son, and the
kings son is called a prince.
Jonathan began to love David very much indeed. What could make
Jonathan love David so much? I think he loved David because David was so brave
and so good. David had also a very sweet look. Still it was God [who] made Jonathan love David so much.
Jonathan told David that he loved him, and they both promised always to be kind
to each other. Jonathan gave his own clothes to David, and wore other clothes,
and he also gave him his sword, and his bow.
Saul told David that he must not go back to live with his
father again, but that he must stay with him. So David and Jonathan saw each
other very often. How much that must have pleased them, for friends like to be
together.
Perhaps you think that David now was very happy. But there was
one thing that soon happened to make him sad. I will tell you what it was.
After the giant had been killed in the battle, the Israelites
went back to their homes, and did not live in tents any more, and Saul, and
Jonathan, and David, went to the place where the king lived. As they were going
along they saw a great many women with harps in their hands, and these women
played as they went, and sang and danced. They were singing about David, and
how he had killed the Philistines, and they said in their song that David had
killed a great many more men than Saul. These are the words they sang, Saul has
slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Do you think that David liked to hear these songs? No. David
did not wished to be praised. He wished God to be praised. He would have liked
to hear the women say that God had helped a poor shepherd to kill the giant.
But when Saul heard these songs he was very angry, for he
wished to be praised, and he could not bear to hear David praised more than
himself. What, thought Saul, do they say that David has killed more Philistines than I
have, and that he is braver than I am? How wicked Saul was! He was
envious, he was like Josephs brothers, and he was like Cain!
Then Saul thought, Perhaps David is the man who is to he
king instead of me? Saul remembered that Samuel had told him that God had chosen a better man
than he was - to be king.
Did Saul guess right? Yes.
Then Saul hated David, and wished to kill David. Saul had
these wicked thoughts in his mind when he came back to his own house. Instead
of thanking God for his kindness in having helped the Israelites to conquer the
Philistines, he was thinking how he could kill David.
The next day after he was come home, God let the evil spirit come into him again. David saw that Saul
was ill and unhappy. How did David try to make him well?
He took his harp, as he used to do, and began to play sweet
music. Now, Saul had a sharp thing in his hand, called a javelin: and Saul
thought to himself, I will throw this at David, and
it shall go through his body. But David saw the javelin coming, and he
slipped out of the way; so that Saul did not hurt him. Then Saul threw it at
him again, but he could not hurt David. God took care of David.
Every one but Saul loved David, and this made Saul hate him
still more.
David behaved so well, that Saul could not find any fault in
him, for which he
could punish him. Then Saul told David to take some men, and to go and fight
against the Philistines. Why did Saul send David to fight? Saul hoped that the
Philistines would kill David in battle. David went and killed a great many
Philistines, but no one hurt him. Everybody praised him more, and called him
brave. Saul grew more angry. At last
Saul told all his servants to kill him, but they loved David, and would not
kill him. Still Jonathan was afraid lest some wicked person should mind Saul,
and kill David; so Jonathan told David to hide himself, while he begged his
father to forgive him. So Jonathan said to his father, Why do you
wish to kill David? What has he done? Did he not once kill the giant? Then you were glad: why are
you angry with him now?
It was kind of Jonathan to beg for David. It is kind of
children to beg for each other when they are in disgrace. Saul promised that he
would not have David killed. Then Jonathan called David and brought him to
Saul, and David was with him as he used to be.
But soon Saul began to
hate David again, and the evil spirit was on him still. Then David played on his
harp to make him well. Saul had a javelin in his hand, and threw it at David,
but David slipped out of the way, and the javelin stuck in the wall.
Now David was afraid of staying any more with Saul, and he ran
away that night.
He did not go tack to his father, for Saul would have looked
for him there, and would have found him: but he hid himself in a great many
places. You will hear of many sad things that will happen to poor David.
But God loved him and took care of him.
But Saul was miserable, for he was proud and envious, like
Satan.
I wish you, my dear children, to love one another, and not to
want people to notice you. I hope you will not envy one another, but be glad
when other children are praised.
* *
*
CHAPTER 15
DAVID, OR THE CAVE.
1 Samuel 24.
WHEN David ran away from Saul, he was obliged to leave his dear
friend Jonathan. David and Jonathan kissed each other, and shed many tears when
they parted: but Jonathan chose to stay with his father, king Saul.
It was right of Jonathan to stay with his father. Where did David hide himself?
There were very high hills in
Very few people lived among these hills; but sheep fed upon
the fresh grass that grew on them, and goats leaped and sported on the tops of
the hills.
David was not alone. His brothers came to him, besides a great
many poor people. These people liked to be with David, to help him, because
Saul had desired his servants to kill David. But these people were friends to
David. David had God for his friend, too.
David and his friends lived together in a large cave: for some
caves are very large, and will hold as many people as you see at church on
Sunday.
How did poor David and his friends get
food? Kind people gave them food; for God made some people love David, and be
kind to him. Saul was very angry when he heard that any one was kind to David. Saul used often to tell people that David
was wicked, and that David wished to kill him. Was that true? No. Some
people believed what Saul said, and thought that David was really wicked; and
mocked and abused David when they saw him.
Poor David! It made him sad to think that people believed that
he wanted to kill Saul. But it was a comfort to David to think that God knew
that he did not want to kill Saul. So David used to comfort himself by praying
to God. He sometimes asked God to look into his heart, to see whether he wished
to kill Saul.* David had his harp with him in the cave:** he of ten sang
psalms, and praised God for keeping him from being hurt, though so many people
were watching to kill him.***
*Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast tried me, and shalt
find nothing (that
is, no evil purpose against Saul)Psalm 17: 3.
** Awake psaltery and harp - Psalm
57: 8.
*** I will praise thy name, O Lord,
for it is good. For he
hath delivered me out of all my trouble Psalm
54: 6, 7.
David did not always live in the same cave, lest wicked people
should tell Saul where he was hid. So David sometimes hid himself among the thick
trees in the wood, and sometimes in one cave, and sometimes in another.
Saul took a great many soldiers, and came to look for David
among the hills, but God did not let Saul find him. Saul said to the people he
met, Have you seen David and his men? If you love me, you will tell
me where he is, for David wants to kill me.
Then some people would tell Saul, He is in the cave in that hill: but when
Saul got to the place he could not find David; for David heard that Saul was
looking for him, and he was gone to another cave.
Saul was almost tired, of looking for David, when something
happened which you will like to hear.
Are caves dark inside, or light? Very dark. Because, though
there is a hole to go in at, there are no windows to let in the light. One day
David was in a very large cave with his men when Saul, and his men passed that
way. Saul did not know that David was in the cave. Had he known it, he and his
soldiers would have killed David and all his friends. But Saul saw the cave,
and he wished to go into it to sleep for a little while; so he left his men
outside, and came in quite alone. David and his men saw him come in, but Saul
did not see David and his men, because they were in the dark parts of the cave.
How surprised David was to see Saul! David and his men
remained quite quiet, and Saul lay down to rest himself. Then Davids men said
to him in a low voice, Now you can kill Saul if you wish it. Would David kill Saul? No, said David, I will not
hurt the man whom God made king. And David would not let his men hurt Saul: but he went gently
up to Saul as he lay asleep, and cut off a piece of his clothes.
Why did he do this? You will soon find out the reason.
After a little while Saul rose up, and went out of the cave;
and he and his men went on looking for David among the hills. Then David came
out of the cave, and called in a loud voice after Saul, My lord the
king. Then Saul
looked behind him, and David bowed himself down to the round. How surprised
Saul must now have been to see David! Then David spoke very meekly to Saul, and
said, Why do you think that I wish to kill you? You came into the cave where I was, and some people advised me to kill you: but I would not do it. Then David held up the piece of Sauls clothes that he
had cut off. Look, my father, said David, at
this; I cut it off. Could I not have killed you? Yes,
I could; but I would not.
Why then, do you hunt
after me? The Lord will keep me safe, and will not let you hurt me.
When David had done speaking, Saul said, Is that your voice, my son
David? and Saul began to weep. He had once loved David, and when he saw
how good David was, he felt that he had been wicked; but he did not feel sorry
that he had offended God.
Yes, said Saul, I see that you are much better than I am, and that you do not wish to kill me; and I know that you will be king one day.
So Saul did not try to kill David that day, and he left off
looking for David, and went home with his men to his own house.
But David did not go and live with Saul, for he could not
trust him.. Once before Saul had promised Jonathan that he would not try to
kill David again, and yet he had broken his promise, and David knew that
perhaps he would soon try to kill him again. So David went back to his cave.
Saul was not sorry that he had offended God by his wickedness:
Saul did not ask God to forgive him, and to
give him the Holy Spirit [again (See Septuagint at 1 Kings 10: 6
& 11: 6,
Cf.
1 Kings 16: 14
10 & 16:
14.]; so Satan would soon make him do
wicked things again.
Now, my dear children, when you have been naughty, will you
pray to God to forgive you, and will you ask him to put his Holy Spirit in you?
If you do not ask God to make you good, the devil will make
you more and more wicked.
Where wild goats sport among the
rocks,
Where shepherds love to lead their
flocks,
And find the freshest grass;
There David and his soldiers brave,
Within a deep and darksome cave,
Have found a hiding-place.
And now they hear the sound of feet,
And to the caves dark sides retreat,
And there in silence stand:
But who is this that comes alone,
And in the cave awhile lies down,
Nor sees the warlike band?
Full well young David knows that face,
Tis his who goes from place to place
Seeking his blood to shed.
And shall he now unsheathe his sword?
Oh no, the holy oil was pourd
Upon that kingly head.
This is the
hour that David may
His
faithfulness to Saul display, -
So cuts the kingly skirt;
This skirt will prove that he was
near,
Yet neither lifted sword nor spear
To do his monarch hurt.
CHILD
Jesus, my Lord, thus gently thou
Didst deal with wicked men below,
Who sought thy blood to spill;
Nor will I let my anger burn,
But kindness ever will return
To those who do me ill.
* *
* * *
* *
882
AN EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 6: 1-6.
By Dr. Robert E. Neighbour
[PART
THREE]
-------
And the Lord
heard the voice of your words and was wroth, and
sware saying, Surely there shall not
one of these men of this evil generation see
that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,* save Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go
in thither. But Joshua, the son of Nun, which standeth
before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall
cause
[* That is, not until after their resurrection out of dead ones (Acts
4: 2, lit. Gk. Cf. Phil. 3: 11; Luke 20: 35; John 3: 13; 14: 3), at the time of the First Resurrection of the holy dead from Hades:
(Rev. 20:
4-6. Cf. Acts 7: 4b, 5, R.V.
with Matt. 16:
18; Luke 16:
23; Acts 2:
34; Psa. 16:
10; 2 Pet.
2: 1; 2 Tim. 2: 18, R.V.]
BACK INTO THE WILDERNESS
Then we turned and took our journey into the
wilderness. (Deut. 2: 1.) Oh, [Christian] men and women, God has brought you
up to your Kadesh-Barnea. He has [now] shown you the vision of the Heavenly things; the blessings of rewards; the joys of the millennial kingdom. Have you tasted the good Word of
God concerning the inheritance which is your birth-right? Have you turned back? God said to Israel, You can
never enter into that land. Will He refuse you any part in the [millennial] reign of the Lord Jesus Christ? If this were the only passage in
the Bible that had to do with a [born-again] Christian losing anything, I would hesitate: but there are scriptures upon
scriptures, passages upon passages which teach the same thing.
THE EARTH THAT BEARS THORNS AND BRIERS
Now, let us go a little deeper into Hebrews 6:
It is impossible * * if they shall fall away, to
renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and
put him to an open shame.
The Holy Spirit goes on to give us ail illustration of His
holy dealings and just judgments: here are His words:
For the earth
which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing front God; but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose
end is to be burned.
It is the same earth, bearing two kinds of things: 1. herbs; 2. thorns.
What a picture! It is the 15th chapter of John
over again: Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit. If a man abide not in
the vine, he is cast forth as a branch and is
withered, and men gather them and cast them into
the fire and they are burned. Go back, if you will, to the 5th chapter of Isaiah; to the 80th Psalm; go to the song that He sang about His vineyard. He brought a
vine out of
Listen again: John the Baptist, came preaching, and he said, The kingdom
of heaven is at hand. In Matthew
4: 17 we read, From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It was not very long until, (see the 19th of Luke), they put Christ on an ass and He rode into the city of
This did not mean that the children that should yet be horn unto
them, should not enter into the Kingdom, any more than the rejection of the
fathers at Kadesh-Barnea under Moses, meant that their children, under Joshua,
could not enter into Canaan.
All of this is in striking analogy to the words of Hebrews 6: 4-6:
For it is impossible for those who
were once enlightened, and have partaken of the
heavenly gift, and have been led along by the
Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of
God and the powers of the age to come,
if they fall away, to
renew them again unto repentance.
It is impossible. Even now I can hear those doleful words: Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate. You shall not see me henceforth,
TILL. You
can not enter in, but your children can and will. Instead of the fathers will
be the children. As the
children of
The Apostle Paul used to go bark over his trips, visiting the
Churches where he had been, that he might encourage the saints to continue in
the confidence of the HOPE,
firm unto the end. Paul was not afraid that the saved
would be lost, but He wanted to present them full-grown in the Day of Christ.
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SAINTS
Let us continue in Hebrews 6, reading verse 9
and on.
But, beloved,
we are persuaded better things of you, and things that
accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Here is wily the [Holy] Spirit expected better things:
For God is not unrighteous to forget your
work and labour of love, which ye have shewed
toward his name, in that ye have ministered to
the saints, and do minister. And we desire, (now listen) that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full
assurance of hope unto the end. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who
through faith and patience [i.e., by patient endurance, or perseverance] inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying,
Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently
endured, he obtained the promise. For men verify swear by the greater: and an oath for conformation is to them an end of all strife.
Wherein God, willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs
of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed
it by an oath; that by two immutable things,
in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for
refuge TO LAY HOLD UPON THE
HOPE set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the
soul, both sure and stedfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil; whither
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,
made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
The Holy Spirit penned these words for the encouragement of
saints. None need fall by the way. In 1 Corinthians 10, is a similar assurance, an assurance given after a
similar warning:
There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man: but God in
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that you are able; but will with the
temptation prepare a way to escape it, that ye
may he able to bear it.
If any man fall away, it is his own fault. God has made every
provision to carry everyone of us through in victory, into His promised land,
and, blessed be God, I am set for it.
IF WE SIN WILFULLY
Now, I close, by reading from the 10th chapter, verse 23. These words include each of us.
Let us hold fast the profession of our
faith. (This
should read, the confession of our hope.) without wavering; for he is faithful that
promised; and let us consider one another to
provoke unto love, and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but
exhorting one another; and so much the more,
as ye see the
DAY approaching. For IF WE sin wilfully after
that we have received (this is similar to Hebrews 6) the
knowledge of the truth,
(that is, after we have once been
enlightened) there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.
You say, That is awful. Yes,
it is a solemn, but faithful warning. In the Old Testament offerings there was
absolutely no sacrifice offered for rebellion. For sins of ignorance, for
trespasses, they had blood to offer, but there was no blood for wilful sinning.
When a child of God today comes up to the light, and he wilfully turns his face
against it, there is no more sacrifice for sins. It is impossible to renew them
again to repentance. You say, Then such an one is going to hell.
Oh, not at all. What does happen? There is
A certain fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation, which shall
devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses
law died without mercy, under two or three
witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be
thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the
Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath
done despite unto the Spirit of grace.
Listen to the next verse:
For we know him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth
unto me.
I would like to turn over to the 34th
chapter of Deuteronomy and read these
very words:
To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence, saith the Lord.
And again, (continuing Heb.
10),
The Lord shall judge his people.
Thus, He is not talking of sinners, but of saints. The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God. What is the urgent conclusion?
Verse 35:
Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience [i.e., patient endurance, perseverance, etc.], that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
(Turn back and read Heb. 3: 6, 14.)
ESAWS REJECTION
Now, last of all, listen to Hebrews most solemn warning: Chapter 12: 15-16-17:
Looking diligently lest any man fail
of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or
profane person, (this is Gods own illustration) as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he
sought it carefully with tears.
These words are analogous to Hebrew 6: 4-6 -
For It is impossible for those who were once enlightened,* if they shall fall away [i.e., apostatize] , to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and
put him to an open shame.
[*
That is, after being given a full understanding of all the above
teachings, and then fall away by rejecting
the Holy Spirits teachings and warnings on all these matters.]
Esau sold to his brother, Jacob, his birthright. That birthright included the very thing of which I am now preaching,
the coming Seed, the inheritance of the land,
and all. Esau sold it for a mess of pottage, and when he wanted to reconsider,
he found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears. Men and women,
I plead with you in the name of a Risen Christ. He has placed before you
marvellous rewards for service; He has placed before you His Coming and His
Reign. Perhaps you
have come now to your Kadesh-Barnea. I plead with you, refuse not to go on in
the firm confidence of your hope. Let not the [apostates and] scoffers, or persecution [for this truth], turn you back. Let us go out together unto Him, without the camp, bearing
His reproach. Do you know what God will do with you, if you turn back? He will
do exactly what He did for that million and a half, who came out of
Note: We are well aware that Hebrews 6: 1-6 and Hebrews 10:
26-31
have a special message to Hebrew saints. However, we must not forget that we
are told in Hebrews 10: 22-25 [and
in 1 Corinthians 10: 6, 11, R.V.] that these admonitions are
particularly applicable as we see the day approaching and that we are commanded as saints living in these last
days to exhort one another relative to these very things.
To isolate the message of this book to the Jews of a former
age is altogether faulty - R. E. N.
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883
HE THAT SHALL COME.
KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND KING OF PEACE
By PHILIP MAURO
[PART
TWO]
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Let us
pause for a moment to consider the influence which these wonderful revelations
of God should have upon our own conduct. Surely it is a most grievous
thing in His sight when the heirs of the promise manifest, by their conduct,
that they have little or no interest in their glorious inheritance. This is certainly akin to the offence of the Israelites in despising
the pleasant land, and is the more serious because the inheritance spoken of to
us is far more glorious than the
Abraham was, when Melchisedec met him, in the very land which
God had promised to give him (Gen. 13: 17). It is
recalled in Hebrews that he went
out into a place which he should after [his resurrection] receive for an inheritance (11: 8 [cf. Acts 7:
5; 2 Tim.
2: 18,
R.V.]). Yet he would not receive from the King of Sodom any of the
goods of that land. This was a shadow of what happened subsequently at the
temptation of Christ. The devil took Him to an high mountain, from which he
showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and offered Him
all those things if He would do homage to him. This was the Heir, Who had come to His own. But He would receive nothing from the
hands of the prince of this world. Moreover, the time of the redemption of the purchased possession
had not yet come. The day is yet future in which the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ
(Rev. 11:
15).
Thus the incident of the meeting of Abraham by Melchisedec
foreshadowed in a remarkable way the appearing of Christ, when He shall come
forth from the heavenly tabernacle. So long as He remains there He is occupied
in making propitiation for the sins of the people; but when He shall appear the
second time unto those that await Him, it will be apart from sin unto salvation (Heb. 9: 28). That [yet future] salvation embraces all the blessing into which the heirs of the promise will be
brought.
We have dwelt thus far upon the responsibilities and honours which the Son of Man will assume when He
shall presently come forth as Gods King, to sit upon the throne of His glory,
and to rule in the midst of His enemies until He shall have put them all under
His feet. But we must not lose sight of the fact that He will retain the
office of Priest. As foretold by Zechariah, He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule
upon His throne; and He shall be a Priest upon His throne (Zech. 6: 13).
Thus there will be two sides to the Lords work in that day,
one manward, and the other Godward. As King, He will administer the affairs of
men. As Priest, He will represent them before God. Thus, the happy subjects of
that kingdom will have not only a King who embodies all wisdom and power, and
who will employ them for the benefit of His people, but they will have also One
Who, as Priest of a perpetual and unchanging order, will have uninterrupted
access to God on behalf of all who are under His sway. The Priesthood of
Melchisedec is far broader in scope than that of Aaron. The latter was confined
to the one small nation, the fewest of all people (Deut. 7: 7); whereas Melchisedec was outside the family of Abraham. So with
the Antitype. The Lord Jesus now, as the High Priest within the Sanctuary, is
ministering on behalf of the people of God, truly the fewest of
all people, and
the feeblest. But when He comes to fulfil the Melchisedec type, as Priest of
the Most High God, His ministry will be
on behalf of all who are subject to His rule, in the heavens and on earth.
Well may we exclaim, And who is
sufficient for these things? No mortal man can command words wherewith to describe that
coming scene of glory and blessing - the era of the Priest-King. But we can, at
least, and we should, encourage one
another to lay hold upon the hope set before us;
and so much the more should we do so as we see the day approaching. Let our hearts be
stirred then as we consider what the advent of that day will
mean for all who are [accounted worthy to be] included in the purpose of God.
For God Himself, the Father of glory, the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean the rest and satisfaction of His heart in
the glory of His only-begotten Son, and in the blessing of those whom He has
chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. It will be the consummation
of His eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For the Son it will be the
entering into that joy which was set before Him when He endured the cross,
despising the shame. Who can say how great will be the joy that was sufficient
to sustain Him through such agony and shame?
For the holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling, who have held the beginning of their confidence firm to
the end, it will mean a share in the glory and authority which God has given His own Son.
For the nations of the earth in that [coming messianic] age, and for all who have any place whatever under His sway, it
will mean blessing beyond all that has ever entered into the mind of man.
And for [the
presently groaning (Rom. 8: 19-22, R.V.)] creation itself it will mean release from the curse,
and deliverance from the bondage of corruption
into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
That [millennial
(Rev. 20.)] age will be specially the day of the revealing, or public manifestation,
of the children of God, as stated in Rom. 8: 19, The earnest
expectation of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation of the children of God. Christ will then be seen in the midst
of the church, leading the praises of the great congregation, as set forth in Heb. 2: 10-12. For now, during this present [evil and apostate] age,
God is bringing many sons unto glory; and when that shall have been
accomplished, the prophecy of ver. 12 (quoted from Ps. 22 will be fulfilled by Christ, In the midst of the church
will I sing praise unto Thee.
That will be the time of the adoption,* that is to say, the placing of the
sons of God in the positions suited to them as Gods children. The idea is that
of investing the full-grown sons of the household with the honours and
dignities befitting their station. In Eph. 1. we read of those whom God chose and
marked out beforehand for adoption unto Himself by Jesus Christ; and it is
said of them, that, having believed the gospel, they were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise, Who is the earnest of their inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession. The choice of God was made
long ago, but the actual ceremony of adoption still awaits the day when Christ will enter into the
inheritance, taking actual possession of the
purchased possession. Meanwhile the chosen ones receive the Holy Spirit of promise as an earnest, that is to say, an instalment, of the inheritance, which yet remains in hope.
* From two Greek words signifying a son and to place.
This passage is in full agreement in
its leading points with Rom. 8: 14-25. Those two passages should be carefully studied together. In Romans, we read of the children of God who are waiting
for the adoption, the redemption of our
body, showing
that the adoption is yet future.
But meanwhile they have received the Spirit of adoption (an expression of similar import to the Spirit of promise,
for the promise is the adoption), Who is spoken of as the
firstfruits,
which signifies much the same thing as the earnest.
That adoption will doubtless be the grandest and most glorious ceremonial
of all time. Presentation days in the courts
of earthly monarchs are great occasions. Those who are to be presented look forward to the event with
keenest expectation, and make for it the most elaborate preparations. But no
scene of earthly glory can furnish a comparison for the great presentation day
of the many sons whom God is now bringing unto glory. The Son of God Himself will present
them to the Father as the trophies of His redemptive work and priestly care.
Every one of them will be arrayed in the best robe of Gods righteousness; every one
will be fully conformed to the image of His Son; every one will be changed into
His likeness; and Christ Himself, bringing to the Father the innumerable
multitude, all radiant with His own glory, will say, Behold, I and the
children which God hath given Me. I and the children; He and they; He in them, and they in
Him, made perfect in one. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are
all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will
declare Thy Name unto My brethren; in the midst
of the church will I sing praise unto Thee.
* *
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884
APPROVAL, GOAL or YOUR FAITH
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD.
[PART ONE OF TWO]
-------
That the trial [approval] of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it
be tried with fire [but being approved through
fire], might be found unto praise and honour
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end [goal] of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1: 7-9).
In the
Greek text of verse seven the word
translated trial is dokimion, and the word translated tried is dokimazo. These are, respectively, noun and verb
forms of the same word. In either form, this word means to be tried with a view to approval, if found worthy; or,
if the text so indicates, the word can refer to approval
itself at the termination of testing.
James 1: 3, where dokimion is
used, provides a good example of testing during present time with a view to
future approval. But 1 Peter 1: 7, contextually, moves beyond the point of a
present-day testing. Approval at a future date is in view, and the translation
of both dokimion and dokimazo should reflect this fact. This verse
should correctly be translated,
That the approval of your faith
... but being approved
through fire...
Verse nine, continuing this same thought, refers to obtaining something
because of the outcome of ones faith- Receiving the end of your faith... The word translated end is telos in the
Greek text, which literally means goal, consummation, full
development of that which is in view. Faith, the subject matter at hand in verses seven through nine, is that which is in view. In verse seven, faith must be approved in order to realize praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; and in verse nine, faith must be brought to full development,
reach its goal, in order to realize the salvation of your souls.
AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT
The approval and goal of ones faith await the coming issues of the
judgment seat of Christ. The evaluations and determinations of this judgment
will be based on works which emanate out of faithfulness to ones calling. The Book of James teaches that faithfulness to ones
calling will result in works of a particular nature, and these works alone (works which God has outlined for each
individual Christian to accomplish) will result in faith being brought to the
place where it can be approved, realizing its proper goal.
The trial of every mans work in fire at the judgment seat of
Christ will be with a view to approval,
if found worthy.
The Greek word translated try in 1 Cor. 3: 13 is dokimazo, the same word used in 1 Peter 1: 7. Works are approved through fire in 1 Cor. 3:
13, and faith is approved through fire in 1 Peter 1: 7. Both Scriptures refer to that future
time when the approval of works at the judgment seat will reveal an approved
faith as well.
Works of a nature which can be approved
will have emanated out of faithfulness to ones calling, resulting in a faith which can also be approved. During the present time, faith is being
brought to its goal (into the place where it can be approved) through works;
and at the judgment seat, the approval of faith will be based upon the approval
of works. The former cannot be realized apart from the latter, and the
relationship between faith and works after this fashion is such that Scripture
reveals both being approved through fire.
However, there is another side to the judgment seat of Christ,
for Scripture reveals that a Christians works may be found unworthy of
approval. The trial will be with a view to approval, but such will not be the case
if the fire reveals works which are not worthy of approval - works emanating
from other than a faithfulness to ones calling.
And disapproved works can only result in a disapproved faith. A faith of this nature will not have been brought to its proper goal, and individuals
possessing works unworthy of approval will suffer loss.
Then, using the inverse of that which is taught in 1 Peter 1: 7-9 about approved faith brought to its goal (shown through approved works),
an individual possessing a disapproved faith (shown through disapproved works)
will not only be denied praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ (verse 7), but his suffering loss will have to do with the loss of his soul (verse 9).
James 1: 12 refers to Christians being approved prior to receiving a crown:
Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried [approved], he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord
hath promised to them that love him.
The word translated tried is dokimos in the Greek text. This word, from the same root form
as dokimios in 1 Peter 1: 7, refers specifically to being approved at the
end of testing. In 1 Cor. 3: 13, it is the approval of an
individuals works; in 1
Peter 1: 7, it is the approval of an individuals
faith; but in James 1: 12, it is the approval of the individual himself.
The approval of works, as has been shown, will result in and
reveal the approval of faith. This will, in turn, result in the approval of the
individual, for it is a physical flesh and bone entity*
who will realize the goal of his faith, the salvation of his soul.
[*
That is, only after receiving a physical post-resurrection
body of flesh and bone, can a Christian then realize the goal of his faith,
the salvation of his soul.. See Luke 24: 39,
R.V. Cf.
Heb. 10: 35-39, R.V. with Heb.
11: 39, 40 and 1 Pet. 1: 5, 9-11, R.V.).]
In 1 Cor.
9: 24-27 Paul states that the Christian is in a race with a crown in view, which will be acquired only after the runner
has been approved at the conclusion of the race:
Know ye not that they which run in a
race run all, but one receiveth the prize?
So run, that ye may
obtain [the prize].
And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible [crown].
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that
beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it
into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway [lit. be disapproved].
The word translated castaway (verse 27) is adokimos in the Greek
text. This is the same word translated tried
[lit. approved]
in James 1: 12,
but with the prefix a, which negates the word. Adokimos, thus, means disapproved.
Studying 1 Cor. 9: 24-27; James 1:
12; 1 Peter 1:
7-9 in the light of
one another will produce one clear, uniform teaching: Christians are
enrolled in a race, with crowns to be won or lost at the
termination of this race. And how
well Christians run the race depends upon their faithfulness. Faithfulness to ones calling is
the key, for only through faithfulness can works
ensue; and works are necessary to
produce a living faith, resulting in fruit-bearing,
which can, in that coming [millennial] day (at the judgment
seat), be approved (cf.
James 2: 14-26).
Only in this manner will [faithful] individuals be approved for crowns, allowing the recipients of crowns
the privilege of occupying positions as joint-heirs with Christ in His coming [messianic and millennial] kingdom.
THE PRIMARY, FUNDAMENTAL TYPE
A [regenerate] Christians
disapproval for the crown referred to in 1 Cor. 9: 24-27 has its contextual
parallel in the verses immediately following (1 Cor. 10: 1-11), which
record
The verses outlining these experiences are divided into two
sections (verses
1-6 and verses 7-11). The first section
outlines in general terms the experiences of the Israelites under Moses, and
this section is concluded in verse six with the statement:
Now these things were our examples [lit. these things happened as types
for us], to the intent we should not
lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Then, the second section outlines in more specific terms four
sins of the people which characterized the wilderness journey, and this section
is concluded in verse eleven with the
statement:
Now all these things happened unto
them for ensamples [lit. for types]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [ages] are come.
Thus, there is a type-antitype treatment of Israelites under the leadership of
Moses with Christians under the leadership of Christ. This same
type-antitype treatment of Israelites with Christians also forms the basis for
the first four of the five major warnings in the Book of Hebrews (1:
14 - 2: 5; 3: 1-4: 16; 6: 1-12; 10: 19-39), apart from which these warnings cannot be properly
understood.
Just as a proper understanding of the first four of the five
major warnings in Hebrews
is built around a type-antitype treatment of the Israelites under Moses with Christians under Christ, a proper
understanding of 1 Cor.
9: 24-27 is built
around this same type-antitype treatment. These verses logically lead into the tenth chapter, and this chapter forms the basis
for explaining what is meant by being approved or disapproved at the conclusion of the race.
Scripture is to be interpreted in the light of Scripture, and the approval or disapproval of an individual
at the judgment seat of Christ must be understood in the light of Old Testament typology - namely the
experiences of the Israelites under the leadership of Moses following the death
of the paschal lambs in
* *
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885
GLORY THE REWARD OF SUFFERING
By G. H. LANG.
-------
Behoved it not the
Messiah to suffer these things,
and to enter into His glory? (Luke
24: 26).
It is
now needful that we observe very specially the ground upon which Christ as man is
exalted to the supreme rule of heavens and earth. As the eternal Son of God it
is his position by right. But man has no right to the heavenly world and its
government: and the Son of God, in order to become man, emptied
Himself, and took
the form of a bondservant, not that of a king (Phil. 2: 6, 7). By what right, then, does He now as man hold this position
and glory? For the Scripture takes pains to emphasize that it is as man that He
does so hold these glories. When Daniel
the prophet saw beforehand the coming King, he describes Him as One like unto
a son of man (ch.
7: 13); and Christ Himself intimated that
the Father had appointed Him to be the sovereign judge because of His being a Son of man
(John 5: 27).
The answer to this question is that the Lord Jesus is thus
exalted as His Fathers recompense to Him for His fidelity and sufferings on
earth. At infinite cost, even of death itself, He made possible the display of
Gods mercy and the salvation of the sinner, overcoming Satan and death, and
completely solving all the dread problems that sin had caused in heaven and
earth. And proportionate to his toils shall be His reward. Because He shall
reduce to order the
By weakness and defeat
He won the meed
[i.e., reward] and crown:
Trod all His foes beneath His feet
By being trodden down.
The following passages declare and emphasize this connection
between Messiahs humiliation and exaltation:
Isa. 53:
12. Therefore will I divide
Him a portion with
(among) the
great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong (or, as Luther, Lowth,
Wordsworth, the mighty people shall he share as his
spoil, as Psalm 2: 8); because He poured out His soul unto death, and was
numbered with the transgressors.
Phil. 2: 8, 9. He humbled Himself, becoming
obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and
gave unto Him the name that is above every name.
Heb. 2: 9. We behold Him Who hath
been made a little lower than the angels, even
Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour.
Luke 24: 26, 1 Peter 1: 11. In view of the plan of God, and of the
revelation of that plan through the prophets, our Lord Himself, reviewing from
resurrection ground the but lately endured agony of the cross, enquired of
perplexed disciples whether it behoved not the Messiah to suffer these things,
and to enter into his glory? And later on Peter gave this as a
summary of the message of the Spirit of Christ through the prophets, that He
had testified beforehand the sufferings (which should come) unto Messiah, and the
glories which should follow them, not precede nor be independent
thereof.
Rev. 5. In the visions of the actual and
official recognition of the Lamb in the heavens as the Governor, the praise is
rendered to Him because of His conquest (verse 5
hath overcome); and because He had been slain
(verses 9, 13).
Whoever should wrest the sceptre from the hands of the rebel
prince, Satan, should himself wield it; and this Christ alone did, and did it
as man. Faint pictures of His thus winning
His bride and His authority are seen in such incidents in the Old Testament
as Othniel winning Calebs daughter by conquering the town of Hebron (Judges 1: 13),
and Joab securing the office of commander-in-chief of Davids armies by
attacking and entering the hitherto impregnable Jebusite fortress of Zion (1 Chron.
11: 4-6). The satanically and monstrously wicked nations of Canaan, whom Israel
found in possession of the land of promise, are the old-time type of the wicked spirits who are as
yet in possession of the heavenly places and powers which the church are to
occupy. And for those spheres we must fight; and we secure only as much as we
win at the swords point. Perhaps the words, the iniquity of the Amorite is
not yet full (Gen. 15: 16), which were Gods explanation as to
why Abrams seed could not for a long while after have possession of the land,
are a hint to the spiritual mind as to one reason for the long delay in the
glorifying of the church. Angels as well as men are shown full leniency and
given full probation.
Two truths unite in this exaltation of Gods Son. First, on
Gods side, it was of old true that the Father had appointed His Son to be heir
of all things (Heb. 1: 2). But then, on the outward side of things,
Christ must vindicate this appointment by showing Himself as man worthy of it by victoriously suffering;
for it became Him (the Father) for Whom are all things, and
through Whom are all things, in bringing many
sons unto glory, to make the Author of their
salvation (the Son) perfect through sufferings,
perfect that is, not as to His nature or character, but in his experimental
fitness for the work in view (Heb 2: 10).
And it is upon precisely the same double condition that
Christs people will share with Him His honours. In the first place, it is the
choice of God, and the call of God, that create even the possibility thereof,
and it is the effectual working of God, by His Spirit, that alone can make
actual this purpose of God. God. Thus it is wholly of grace, and by the power
that grace supplies, that any will be glorified, and their glory will be to the praise of
the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed
on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1: 6).
Yet, on the other hand, it is plainly set forth in Scripture
that these honours must be reached through fidelity and suffering during our earthly
course. Forgiveness of sins, and the possession of eternal life and salvation,
are indeed free gifts (Rom. 3: 24; 6: 23), but the
inheritance the [millennial] kingdom
requires that we prove our fitness and worthiness by sharing our Leaders toils
whilst pressing on after Him along His path in life.
REIGNING A REWARD
Gracious indeed it is of God that pardon and life eternal, the
irreducible minimum for us if we are to escape perdition, should be secured to
faith solely upon the ground of the merits of Christ. Indeed, as the pardon of
a rebel is a matter that must be determined with regard to the strict
requirements of Gods justice, it is obvious that no efforts of man could meet
the case, since only a sinless man can be personally acceptable, and no rebel
is this. Hence, the merit of the only perfect One is necessarily the ground
upon which that pardon can be extended and secured. But it is as gracious as
wise, and as wise as gracious, that the [coming messianic] kingdom and its honours are presented
to us as a goal to be reached by strenuous endeavour, as a prize to be gained
by earnest toil, as a reward to be earned by faithful service, as a crown to be
won by keen fighting.
Of the many who heard Christs teaching, and who appear to
have believed on Him as the Messiah, only a few followed Him wholly: but to
these the Lord said, But ye are they who have continued with me in my temptations:
and I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as my Father appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and ye
shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22: 28-30).
Thus authority in the kingdom, and the
honour of sitting at His own, the chief, table in the day of His royal
feasting, are plainly promised as superior rewards for superior devotion. And
having thus set aglow their hearts by so bright a prospect, Christ immediately
gave warning that straight before them was sever conflict with Satan. This is
the normal experience of those who aim to supersede the powers of darkness in
the places of heavenly authority; the latter hate the more those who will
succeed them, and attack them the more fiercely, as witness the fierce but
futile endeavour of the dragon to devour the man child (Rev.
12: 4, 5). And this opposition is wisely permitted of God so that those whom He has
chosen for His kingdom may become thoroughly qualified for their duties in that
age. The sons of royal and noble houses are by their birth entitled to expect
riches to use, honours to bear, and high offices to fill. But though their
birth is their title to such great things, the training, educating and
disciplining of such must be as thorough as their future is exalted. If we are Gods children, we
are therefore His heirs; heirs indeed (men)
of God, but
(de) joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be also
glorified with Him
(Rom. 8: 17). It has been well said that the path of sorrow is not indeed the meriting, but the
capacitating, preparation for being glorified with Christ
(
David, Christs kingly ancestor, is in this himself a type of
his Lord. For chosen by God to succeed the lawfully appointed but rejected king
(Saul), he was yet for many years allowed to be hunted and persecuted by the
doomed monarch whom he was to follow. During these wanderings over the
mountains and wilds his faithful followers shared his hardships, and he and
they together learned to endure and to fight; and thus when Gods time of
preparation was over, and their training had been completed, David and his men
were found equal to the great task of freeing Gods people from all bondage to
their foes. And of course, those brave men who had shared their leaders path,
with its dangers and distresses, were
rewarded with the chief positions of glory in the kingdom. Surely everyone can see the fitness of this, and can appreciate how
worth while it finally proved to have shared their kings rejection and
persecution. And thus in intenser measure will it be in the day of Christ, for the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with
His angels; and then shall He render unto every man according to his
doing: and
again, Behold, is our Lords final message to His people, I come
quickly, and my wages with me, to render to each
man according as his work is (Matt.
16: 27: Rev. 22: 12).
THE INHERITANCE A
RECOMPENSE
We again remark that so thoroughly did the apostles of our
Lord enter into this teaching that they heavily emphasized it for both the
warning and encouraging of disciples. To the ungodly they said: Be it known
unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of
sins: and by him every one that believeth is
justified from all things, from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts
13: 38, 39); but so as to confirm the souls of
the same hearers, who through believing had become disciples, and when exhorting
them to continue in the faith, they add, that through many
tribulations we must enter into the
O happy band
of pilgrims,
Look upward to the skies,
Where such a light
affliction
Shall win so great a prize.
Looking on to that wondrous time, Abram was strengthened to
forsake his home in a grand earthly city, for he
looked for the city that hath the foundations (Rev.
21: 14), whose Architect and Master-builder is God (Heb. 11: 10). And thus he continued as a pilgrim for no
less than one hundred and five years, patiently pressing on towards the goal;
not indeed perfect in all his ways as a pilgrim, but yet never turning back
from the hope of that
glorious day. Thus
Moses, though sharing the glory and power of Egypt when it was the greatest
kingdom on earth, was enabled to give up all, and to choose rather to be
evil entreated with the people of God, than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season accounting the reproach of the Messiah
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for
he looked unto the recompense of reward (Heb.
11: 25, 26). And by the same vision multitudes since have been nerved to
dare, to suffer, to die, enjoying the spiritual fellowship of Christ while
suffering for His sake, and kept firm to the end because of the hope set before them
in the gospel.
And we also shall find strength to endure if we too welcome to
our hearts these promises, as they of old did (Heb. 11: 13), and fix our eye on the prize of our
high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3: 14). We too shall so run as to attain, and
so strive in the contest as to receive the incorruptible crown, if we set our
hope perfectly on the grace that is being brought unto us at the revelation of
Jesus Christ (1 Cor.
9: 24, 25; 1 Peter 1: 13). In our case also shall become true this word: our light
affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of
glory, while (on the condition that, see
Alford) 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 (2 Cor.
4: 17, 18).
Thus to us and our throne and sceptre, as to our Lord and
Leader, apply the words, Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity (lawlessness); therefore God, thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows
(Heb. 1: 8, 9).
THE HOPE A STAR
That true saint and rare expositor quoted at the beginning of
this chapter, Adolph Saphir, wrote
further as follows: I often pray that you may have
much inward peace, and that the Lord may remove all that causes anxiety. And
yet, as the Germans say, das liebe Kreuz, the dear cross. No doubt our
afflictions and trials are signs that God has not forgotten us, but is educating
us in Fatherly love (Heb. 12). I have felt of late years constantly drawn to those
passages of Scripture which teach the mystery of our fellowship with Christ in
suffering, or rather fellowship of His sufferings, and sometimes hope that I am
beginning really to rejoice in Christ, though I am often ashamed of being so
disappointed. The return of the Lord Jesus, and our being glorified together with Him (if so be that we suffer with Him), this true and lively hope seems to me like a star, which is not seen in
the garish light of prosperity and a smooth course, but only in the stillness
of sorrow, or at least of a chastened, crucified condition. I think this is one reason why the church
lost this hope, after the first ages of martyrdom, and why now-a-days it so often degenerates into a mere sentimental
speculation. (Memoir 216).
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886
LINE UPON LINE
CHAPTER 16
DAVID, OR THE SPEAR.
1 Samuel 26.
[PART
FIVE]
You
know, my dear children, that Saul had left off looking for David, after David
had spoken to him. But Saul soon began to hate David again. One day some wicked
men came to him, and said, We can tell you where David
has hid himself. Was it not very unkind of the men to tell Saul where
poor David was? David had done them no harm, yet they behaved in this manner to
him. Saul was glad to hear where David was, and he took a great many soldiers
with him and went to the place where he heard David was. Saul did not know the
very place where David was, but he knew that David was hid in some place near.
Saul desired his men to set up their tents on a hill, and he
desired them to dig a deep ditch all round the tents, that nobody might come to
the tents to hurt them. In the night Saul and his men would sleep in their
tents, and in the daytime they would look for David.
David heard that Saul was come to look for him. How sorry
David must have been to hear this! He could scarcely believe it; so he sent
some men to go and look, to see whether Saul was really come: and the men came
back and told David that they saw his tents on the hill.
Then David went with some of his friends near the place where
the tents were, and he said to his friends, Who will
go with me among the tents? And one of Davids friends said, I will go with you. Then David and his friend went in
the night, and walked among the tents but no one saw them or heard them: for
all the people were fast asleep, for God had made them sleep: even the people
whom Saul had desired to watch, to prevent anybody coming, even they had fallen
fast asleep. God did not choose that David should be hurt: therefore he made
the people sleep.
David got over the great ditch that had been dug, for there
was nobody watching near to hinder him.
Into which of these tents do you think David went? Into the
tent of Saul. He found him sleeping on his bed; and by his pillow he saw his
spear stuck into the ground, and a jug of water: and he saw other people, who
ought to have watched him, asleep around him.
Saul little knew that David was so near him, looking at him as
he slept.
Then Davids friend said to him, Let
me take this spear and kill Saul; I will pierce
his body through in a moment.
Would David kill Saul?
No, said David, do not kill him: it would be
very wicked to kill the man whom God has made king. When God chooses him to die, God
will make him die, but I will not kill him.
Only take the jug of water and the spear, and let us go.
So they took the jug of water and the spear, and they went
away from the tents; and nobody woke while they were passing.
Why did David take the jug and the spear? You remember why he had once cut off some of Sauls clothes. It
was for the same reason he now took the jug and spear. He wished to show Saul
that he had been near his bed while he was asleep, and that he might have
killed him if he had chosen it.
Then David went down the hill where Sauls tents were, and
went, up another hill: so there was a great way between Saul and him. Then
David cried out with a very loud voice to the men that were sleeping round king
Saul, and said, Why did you let people come near the
king while he was asleep?
You know, my dear children, why they had not watched; God had
made them fall asleep.
Then David showed the people the kings spear and the jug of
water.
When Saul heard Davids voice, he remembered it, and wept.
He said, Is this thy voice, my son David?
And David said, It is my voice,
my lord, O king. Why do you go on looking for me? What wickedness have I done? Have
any wicked men told you that I wish to hurt you?
Then Saul said, I have sinned.
Go to your home again. I
will never hurt you again, because you did not
kill me to-day when you might have done it. I
have done very wickedly.
Was Saul very sorry for his wickedness? Oh no! He did not pray
to God to forgive him, and make him good.
Then David said, Here is the kings
spear. Send one of your servants to fetch it.
Why would not David bring the spear to Saul himself? He could
not trust Saul; he was not sure that Saul would not kill him.
Saul said, Blessed be thou, my son David. And then: Saul went home, but David
went into the part of Canaan where the Philistines lived, that Saul might not
be able to hurt him; and God made the Philistines kind to David.
David ought not to have gone to live with the Philistines,
because they worshipped idols.
David ought to have trusted in God to keep him safe among the
caves and hills.
When Saul went home this time, did he pray to God to keep him
from Satan, and from hating David again? If Saul had done this, God would have
kept him. Let me tell you again, dear children, that this is the way to grow
good. It is not enough to say I will be good: I will
not do that naughty thing any more; you should always pray to God to
keep you from wickedness. For Satan is a great deal stronger than you, and
unless God is with you, Satan can make you do wicked things. So, my dear
children, if you wish not to mind Satan, ask God to put his Holy Spirit into
you.*
* He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that
wicked one toucheth him not. - 1 John 5:
18.
* *
*
CHAPTER 17
DAVID, OR THE DEATH OF SAUL.
1 Samuel 31
WHERE
did David at last go to hide himself from Saul? To the land of the Philistines;
they were wicked people, who worshipped idols, yet God made them kind to David,
and to his men.
When Saul heard that David was gone to the Philistines, he
went to look for him no more; because if Saul had gone to them, they would have
tried to kill him.
The time was now almost come when Saul must die. I will now
tell you how he died.
You know that the Philistines hated the people of
The Philistines and the Israelites fought together upon some
hills. Who do you think conquered? The Philistines conquered. God was angry
with the Israelites, and he did not help them to conquer. The Israelites ran
away from the Philistines; even Saul and Jonathan, though they were very brave,
ran away; and the Philistines ran after them, and they killed Jonathan. And did
they kill Saul? This was the way in which Saul died. Some men with bows and
arrows shot at him, and some of the arrows went into Sauls body, so that he
could not run away any more; yet Saul was not killed by the arrows; he was only
very much hurt.
When Saul found that he could not run away, he was very
unhappy, for he was afraid that the Philistines would soon get hold of him, and
treat him very cruelly; so he wished very much to die before they overtook him.
Then Saul said to one of his soldiers, Take your sword
and run it through my body.
Would it have been right of the soldier to kill Saul? If your
brother were to ask you to kill him, might you kill him? No; you might not. God
has said, Thou shalt not kill.
Sauls soldier would not kill Saul. Then Saul took his own
sword, and fell upon the point of it; so it ran through his body, and he died.
Was it right of Saul to kill himself? Oh no, he should have waited till God
made him die. It is very wicked of people to kill themselves. People who love
God, wait till God takes away their breath.
When Saul was dead, the soldier who would not kill Saul when
he had asked him, fell upon his sword and died with him. The soldier saw Saul
do a wicked thing, and he did the same.
The Philistines went on running after the Israelites all that
day, and they killed a great many.
The next day the Philistines went to the hills, where they had
been fighting, to look at the dead people who were lying there. They found
Sauls dead body, and Jonathans dead body. How pleased they were to find that
the king and his brave son were dead! But how shamefully they treated their
bodies! They cut off Sauls head: they stripped off Sauls clothes of iron and
brass (his armour), and they sent his head and his armour to all the places
where the Philistines lived; and they praised their idols, and said that their
idols were greater than the God of Israel; because they said their idols had
helped them to conquer the Israelites. Then they took Sauls armour, and put it
in one of the houses where they worshipped idols: and they fastened his body to
the wall of one of the idols houses, that everybody might see it. And they
fastened Jonathans body to the same place. Was not this a sad thing to happen
to poor Jonathan? But God loved
Jonathan, and blessed him for ever.
THE DEATH OF SAUL
Wounded with sharp arrows,
The king of
On the field of battle
By his own sword he dies.
How the heathen triumph
To find him mongst
the dead!
To their idol temples
They send his royal head.
Then with nails they fasten
His body to a wall;
All who pass by see it,
And mock the name of Saul.
He refused to honour
The great Almighty Name;
God, in righteous anger,
Has coverd
him with shame.
* *
*
CHAPTER 18
DAVID, OR THE PROMISE FULFILLED.
2 Samuel 2: 1-4; 5: 1-3.
SOME of
the Israelites heard where the Philistines had fastened the bodies of Saul and
Jonathan, and these kind men travelled all night to the place, and took their bodies
down from the wall and burned them, and buried their bones under a tree.
Where was David all this time? He was in the land of the
Philistines. He knew that Saul and Jonathan had been fighting a battle, and he
longed to know who had conquered. At last a man who had been at the battle,
came to David, to tell him about it. The man bowed down to David, and David
said, Where do you come from?
And the man said, I come from the
tents of
Then David said, Pray tell me what
has happened.
And the man said, The Israelites have
run away, and many are dead: and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
The man thought that David would have been very glad to hear
that Saul was dead. But, was David glad?
No: he still loved Saul, and he was sorry too that the Philistines should have
conquered him, because he knew that the Philistines would praise their idols,
and speak against the God of Israel; and David loved God so much, that he
wished everybody to praise him. And David was very sorry for Jonathan his
friend. He would never see his face again in this world.
David sang a sweet song about Saul and Jonathan. He said that
Saul and Jonathan had been like eagles and lions, they had been so brave; he
said they had lived together, and had died together. And then he said in his
song, I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; thy love
to me was wonderful. He called Jonathan his brother, because he had
been so very kind to him.
David did not speak of Sauls wickedness, he only spoke of his
bravery: for he did not like to
speak against the king.
Now the time was come when David was to be king. God put it
into the hearts of the Israelites to ask David to be their king. And David said
he would be their king. God had promised that David should be king, and God
kept his promise, and made him king.
God always keeps his promises. What did God once promise
Abraham? That he should have a son, and that his childrens children should
live in the
David praised God on his harp for keeping his promise to him;
for taking him from keeping sheep, to make him king over all the land. David
wished to be a good king, and to do all that God told him, and to teach all his
people to love God. He knew that God would bless him, and keep him from all
harm.
THE BRAVE SHEPHERD
Good David, whose psalms have so often
been sung,
At first was not noble, or grand;
But only a shepherd-boy when he was
young,
Though afterwards king of the land.
He tended his flocks in the pastures
by day,
And kept them in safety by night;
And though a poor shepherd, he did not
delay
To do, what was holy and right.
For while he sat watching his sheep in
the fold,
To guard them from danger abroad,
It then was his greatest delight, we
are told,
To think on the works of the Lord.
He gazed on the moon and the stars in
the sky,
Which God has appointed to shine:
And, Lord,
what is poor sinful man, he would cry,
Compared
with these wonders of thine.
Thus seeking so early for knowledge
and truth,
His childhood in wisdom began;
And therefore the Lord was the guide
of his youth,
And made him so mighty a man.
When ready for battle Goliath appeard,
Young David first offerd
to go;
He knew that his God, whom he trusted
and feard,
Would help him to conquer the foe.
In war or in fighting he had not been skilld,
Yet ventured to meet him alone;
And this mighty giant he presently killd
With only a sling and a stone.
So he soon
was made king, for the prophet foretold
That God
meant to honour him thus;
And if we will serve him like David of
old,
The Lord will he mindful of us.
- Original
Hymns, by Ann and Janne Taylor.
* *
* * *
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887
THE
By G. H. LANG
We must not adhere to those systems of doctrine
which never can bear an infringement of a view that is held popularly. For instance,
perhaps we have all been brought up in the notion that all the children of God, in all ages, compose
the
It is
very important to distinguish clearly between the two phrases which have been
just quoted. The times of the Gentiles being fulfiled means that the period foreseen and
determined by God during which He would allow Gentile powers to control the
world, will have come to its end. The fulness of the Gentiles shall
have come in
means that all those individuals who are to become members of the heavenly church
will have been gathered from the nations and prepared for their special duties
and glories in the coming kingdom. The suggestion that this phrase indicates
the salvation of all the nations, as nations, is inadmissible. The passage
makes the national conversion of
The matter of this company called the
Down to the time of Christ, God saw all mankind as divided
into two visible classes: (1) The
Jews, His chosen people, and (2) the
rest of the world. The former had many vast privileges, and, firstly, this one,
that to them were intrusted the oracles of God (
But God always kept in mind His purpose to bless the whole
race, and often spoke to Israel about this; and when His Son came to earth it
was as a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers,
and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy;
as it is written,
Therefore
will I give praise unto thee among the Gentiles,
And sing unto thy name.
And again he saith,
Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people.
And again,
Praise the Lord, all ye
Gentiles;
And let all the peoples
praise Him.
And again, Isaiah saith,
There shall be the root of
Jesse,
And he that ariseth to rule
over the Gentiles;
On him shall the Gentiles
hope. (
When therefore Christ, after His resurrection, sent forth His
servants to tell the good news of salvation through Himself, He sent them to
the whole world, bidding them to make disciples from among all the nations (Matt. 28:
19), by being His witnesses (Acts 1: 8). For the time had come for the last and
highest purpose of God to be fulfilled. Much of His mind as God had formerly
made known, there remained one great secret of His plans of which He had given
hints but had not openly revealed it, but which the apostles were taught by the
Holy Spirit. This secret (mystery
it is called in the New Testament, which does not mean something mysterious, but only something hitherto kept secret, but which may be in itself
quite simple to understand once it is explained) - this secret introduces us to
some new and marvellous thoughts of God, of which we specially notice these:-
1. That there was a third division of
mankind to be established - the
2. That this new company, thus gathered
from both Jews and Gentiles, should be united into one new man, by their equal privileges in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:
11; 3: 13). So that the members of this church are no longer regarded by God as
either Jews or Gentiles, but are viewed only as related to Christ.
3. That into these the very Spirit of
Christ is sent, so that they become actually united to Him, in a vital
spiritual union. This oneness is set forth under the figure of Christ being the
living Head, and His church being to Him a body, of which each individual
believer is a separate member (1 Cor. 12 ; Eph. 4: 11-16). As a man uses his body to perform
those works which he desires to do, so Christ, being not Himself on earth in
His own person, uses the members of this body to do those things which he wishes
done. For example, Christ desired that the news of salvation should be spoken
to an Ethiopian officer who was seeking light; to accomplish which end He, by
an angel and by His Spirit, directed His servant Philip to go to a point of
road on a desert, and to arrive at so quiet and retired a spot just when he should
meet the man in question.
4. Further - and this is of first
importance - because the Head is no longer on earth, nor earthly, so neither
does God consider His body to belong to the earth. God looks on the body as
belonging to heaven, because the Head is of and in heaven. By His Spirit the
heavenly character of Christ is being reproduced in His members; and let it
never for one hour be forgotten that if any man have not the spirit of
Christ he is none of His (Rom. 8: 9).
5. Consistently with this heavenly
relationship and standing before God in Christ, God has graciously appointed a
heavenly future for this company. Israel and the saved nations are promised a
sphere of rich blessing on earth, as we have seen; but the church of God is
called to a nobler inheritance in Gods own region of His universe, the heavens
(1 Pet. 1:
3-5).
Christians are accustomed to speak of the life hereafter as
going to heaven, but it is to be feared that few have any clear idea of what
is meant.
It should be noted first of all that man does not properly
belong to the heavenly regions. He was made to rule the earth, and was made, as
to his body, of the earth. Had he not sinned he would not have died, but would, for ought that we are told, have continued to live on the earth.
The heavens are not a realm of material things, but of that kind of substance
which is called spiritual; and because man is partly material by constitution,
part of him being a material body, therefore he is not fitted to live in a
purely spiritual realm, as says the Scripture, flesh and blood cannot (is not able, ou
dunatai to)
inherit the
kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15: 50). Therefore it is a very remarkable
thought that he should be taken from the region to which he belongs by creation
and be made to live in another, and very different realm. Nor do we know of any
other instance of God thus altering the station in the universe of any of His
creatures. Each is expected to abide in that realm and state in which the
Creator set him (Jude 6, 7, etc.).
It follows of necessity that mans being, because it is
unsuited to the spiritual world, must be changed by the power of God, and be
fitted to live in the heavens. A bird would need a mighty change to be able to
live under the water. Or a fish to live in the air; but the Lord promises a
much more striking change to the members of His church (1 Cor. 15: 35-58; Phil. 3: 20, 21; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18; 1 John 3: 1). Such a change of state and locality
the body of Christ went through at His resurrection and ascension; and His case
is the proof that such a thing can be, and is the solid basis for the hope of
His people that thus it shall be with them also. For the God Who promised it to
His Son has promised it to Christs members also. The glorifying of His Son,
the lifting Him from the grave to the throne, is the standard of Gods power,
and it is to us-ward who believe (Eph.
1: 19-23); that is, this same power is working on our behalf to bring
us where Christ is, and to make us like Him. Now He Who wrought us for this
very thing is God, Who gave unto us the earnest
of the Spirit (2 Cor. 5: 5). The earnest is the interest on capital paid in advance, and thus the
proof that there is an estate; the grapes of Eshcol were this to the Israelites
who had never seen the land for themselves. Thus the true hope of the christian
is the appearing of the
glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2: 13), at which event the dead in Christ
will be raised in glory, and the living at that moment will be changed into His
likeness, and all together will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air,
thenceforth to be for ever with Him. Well did the poet sing:
And is it so, we shall be like Thy
Son?
Is this the grace that He for us has
won?
Father of glory, thought beyond all
thought,
In glory, to His own blest likeness
brought!
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888
APPROVAL, GOAL OF YOUR FAITH
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD.
[PART TWO
CONTINUED]
-------
TYPE -
On the
night of the Passover in the
Not only was the Feast of the Passover instituted at this time but the Feast of
Unleavened Bread
was also instituted at the very beginning of
Leaven, in Scripture, always, without
exception, portrays that which is evil,
corrupt. Seven is the number of perfection,
indicating the completeness of that which is in view. And regardless of the
time or place - in
... for
whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day,
that soul shall be cut off
from
Thus, Gods dual truth concerning blood and leaven was established at the very beginning
of
What though did
The answer of course, according to Scripture, is No.
Had
However, instead of exhibiting faithfulness, the Israelites
exhibited unfaithfulness. The entire accountable generation (save Caleb and Joshua,
who possessed a different spirit [i.e. a different attitude or frame of mind, to what
God had commanded them to do.*]) was overthrown in the wilderness. Of
the 600,000 fighting men who came out of
[* NOTE: The word spirit
here, in this context (Numbers 14: 24, R.V.), should never be understood as
being synonymous with the clause:- That the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus, (1 Corinthians 5: 5, R.V.)! In the former case - (Num. 14: 24) - the word spirit
has to do with obtaining the inheritance in the Land; and then, after
death,
and at the resurrection of those accounted worthy to attain to that age (Luke 20: 35) to
rise
out from the dead at the time of the first
resurrection (see Rev. 20: 4-6. cf. Phil.
3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b, R.V.)! But, in the latter context (1 Cor. 5: 5), the word
spirit should be understood as having to do
with being given - after death (Heb. 9: 27) at the
Judgment seat of Christ in Sheol / Hades) - the knowledge of not being judged worthy of that future inheritance,
in the land, during the age to come (Heb. 6: 5; Gal. 5: 21; Eph. 5: 5)! That is, during the time of Christs
inheritance (Ps. 2:
8); and during His Messianic and Millennial
Reign, upon and over this restored earth (Rom. 8:
19-22,
R.V.), from the throne
of David (Luke 1: 32, R.V.) in
These accountability and conditional
truths, taught throughout the Word of God, are being neglected today by
multitudes of Bible Teachers! But, after death, they will be fully understood
by all awaiting the time of their resurrection! The
first resurrection has not yet taken place, (2 Tim. 2: 18, R.V. Cf.
Acts 2: 34ff),
for our Lord Jesus has not yet returned (1 Thess. 4: 16)!
Therefore, the Judgment seat of Christ (upon our works and behaviour as
regenerate believers) must precede that first Resurrection and
divine Judgement, according to the teachings
of Christ and His Apostles! Heb. 9: 27; 1 Cor. 3: 12-15; Col. 3: 23-25; Rev. 3: 19-22; 6: 9-11, R.V.!
That is, before the time when our Lord Jesus will return to
resurrect the dead (1 John 14: 3ff; Thess. 4: 16; Rev. 6: 9-11; 22: 12, R.V.): which event will occur before
Hades will gave up
the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to his works (Rev.
20: 13,
R.V.). See also Matt. 5: 20; 7: 21; John 3: 13; 14: 3; Acts 7: 5,
R.V. etc.]
In this respect, according to the account of the wilderness
journey of the Israelites in Hebrews chapter three,
because of unbelief [unfaithfulness], the nation failed to enter into the
land at Kadesh-Barnea (v. 19). The Israelites under Moses rejected that
which God had to say concerning entrance into the land set before them. They
believed the false report of the ten spies rather than the true report of Caleb
and Joshua. At this point they fell away; and, as set forth in the
antitype of Heb. 6: 4-6, it was then impossible to renew them again unto repentance.
(In the type, it was impossible for God to
change His mind concerning that which He had previously stated would occur if the Israelites did not obey His voice;
and, in the antitype, in like manner, it will be impossible for God to change His mind
concerning that which He has previously stated will occur if Christians do not obey His
voice.)
Why did the Israelites fall away? What brought about such unbelief,
unfaithfulness, on their part? The answer can be found bv
comparing their attitude in two realms: 1) their attitude toward both the food (the manna) which God had provided
and the land (the land of Canaan) which lay before them with 2) their attitude toward both the food (fish, etc.) which they had
previously enjoyed in Egypt and the land (the land of Egypt) which they had
left.
According to Numbers chapter eleven, they had rejected the manna and had longingly looked back to the food which they
remembered in
In each instance, their look was away from the things of God and the land set before them back to the things of the world and the god of
this present world system (cf. Luke 9: 62) - back to the things associated with the leavening process which had been
working for almost eighteen months in the camp (Egypt
in Scripture is always a type of the world, with
its fleshly allures; and Satan
is
the god of this present world system).
ANTITYPE - CHRISTIANS IN THE WILDERNESS
As a distinction was established between the Egyptians
and
As
As Israel was commanded to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread
for seven days
immediately following the Passover, so have Christians been commanded to keep
this feast for the same length of time immediately following that to which
events of the Passover point (the birth from above, a passing from death
unto life):
Know ye not that a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may
be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth (1 Cor.
5: 6b-8).
The feast is to be kept for a period of seven days, indicating the completeness of that
which is in view. The entire Christian life from the point of salvation forward
is in view. During the present dispensation Christians reside in bodies of
death, possessing the old sin nature; but during the coming dispensation (the
Messianic Era) Christians will reside in sinless, deathless bodies like unto
the body of Christ (cf. Rom. 7:
24; 1 John 1:
8; 12).
During the coming dispensation [the Messianic age] the removal
of leaven from the house will no longer be an issue, for it will have been put
out once and for all. Thus, the issue of Christians keeping the feast (in
accordance with 1 Cor. 5: 6,ff) and the dangers inherent in not keeping the feast are for
the present dispensation alone, as it was for the Israelites during the past
dispensation.
Israelites who failed to keep the feast were cut off from the
house of Moses; and Christians who fail to keep the feast will fare no better,
for they will be cut off from the house of Christ (Heb. 3:
1ff).
Thus, Gods dual truth concerning blood and leaven, established at the very beginning of
This, however, as in
Keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread, outlined for Christians
in 1
Corinthians chapter five,
is not synonymous with Christians living sinless lives, living above sin. Nor
was this the case for those in
The fact that the Israelites could and did sin following
events surrounding the death of the firstborn was the reason for Aarons past
high priestly ministry in the earthly tabernacle. And the fact that Christians
can and do sin is the reason for Christs present high priestly ministry in the
heavenly tabernacle.
Christ is ministering today in the antitype of Aaron, on the
basis of His shed blood on the mercy seat, on behalf of Christians who sin. The
sins committed by Christians are forgiven through confession of these sins on
the basis of the shed blood of Christ
which cleanseth [keeps on cleansing] us from all sin.
In this respect, Christians keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread
today in a twofold manner; abstention from every appearance of evil on the one
hand, and confession of sins when overtaken by evil on the other hand 1 Thess. 5:
22; 1 John 1:
7-10). All leaven is to either be put out
or kept out of ones life in this twofold manner; and Christians conducting
their lives in this fashion, correspondingly, keep the feast.
However, as
The Israelites committed trespass after trespass against the
Lord, disregarding that which God had commanded; and they climaxed their sins
by rejecting the manna and rejecting the
And Christians [today] are doing exactly the same thing. The Church has become so enmeshed in the things of the world that it is
becoming increasingly difficult to tell where the world ends and the Church
begins. The sins of Christians, as the sins of
The manna was that bread from heaven which God had
provided to sustain the Israelites while on their pilgrim journey. This bread
contained everything necessary for the sustenance and health of the physical
body throughout the wilderness journey, as the Israelites looked ahead to an
inheritance in the land set before them (an earthly inheritance and land).
And the counterpart for [regenerate] Christians today is the Bread from heaven, the Word of
God. This Word
contains everything necessary for the sustenance and health of the spiritual
man throughout the pilgrim journey (cf.
John 6: 30-58; Luke 4: 4), as Christians look ahead to an inheritance in the land set before
them (a heavenly
inheritance and land).
The Israelites, remembering the food which they had while in
Christians today have done exactly the same thing with the
Word of God; and, according to the type, it is because of their carnal desires
for the food served in
God revealed Himself, His plans, and His purposes to man in pure words: as silver
tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven
times; and God
has magnified his word above his name (Psa. 12: 6; 138: 2). Beyond that, God has made this
revelation known after a certain fashion (history, prophecy, types interwoven
within history, antitypes, metaphors, parables, etc.). And for finite man to
make changes after any fashion, which would include refusing to recognize the
manner in which God has made this revelation known, can result in only one
thing, seen in the type: Changing the manna during Moses day ruined that which God had provided for
the people, and
changing the Manna today serves only to accomplish this same destructive end.
The importance of recognizing this whole thing for what it
really is, no matter what form it may take - a Satanic attack upon the Word of
God - becomes evident when one understands the proper place which the Word
occupies in the life of a Christian. God has breathed life (the Neshamah [initial work of the Spirit]) into man,
effecting the birth from above (cf. Gen. 1: 1-3; 2: 7; John 3: 3). He then continues this life through the indwelling presence of His
Breath (the Neshamah [indwelling of
the Spirit; 1 Cor.
6: 19]),
and nourishes and sustains this life through a continued breathing in (the Neshamah / Theopneustos [the God-Breathed, Living Word; 2 Tim. 3:
16; James 1:
21]). The indwelling Holy Spirit (the Neshamah), in this manner, takes the Word of God
(the Neshamah) received into mans saved human spirit
and effects spiritual growth unto maturity (ref.
Chapters III, IV).
That which God delivered to man through Moses and the prophets
constitutes the Neshamah - the
God-Breathed Oracles - not that which carnal man has changed by seeking to make
it palatable to himself and the world. And the Holy Spirit (the Neshamah) uses the God-Breathed Oracles (the Neshamah)
alone to effect a Christians spiritual
growth unto maturity. That which is not the Word of God (not the Neshamah) substituted for the Word of God (the
Neshamah)
can only produce spiritually anaemic, sick Christians, for the Holy Spirit cannot use that which
is not the Breath of God to effect spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit cannot use that which is lifeless to nourish
and sustain life, which He (through the Neshamah) brought into existence.
In this respect, that which man has changed today approximates
the Living Word of God to the same degree that the manna which the Israelites
changed approximated the manna which God delivered to them from heaven. The
Israelites, through changes, ruined the manna; and Christians (also the unsaved
in certain instances, for monetary gain), through changes, have ruined the Word
of God.
Thus, it is easy to understand why the Israelites under Moses
preferred the things of Egypt to the things of the land set before them (their
earthly inheritance [cf. Num. 14: 12; Heb. 11: 8]), and why
innumerable Christians today prefer the things of the world to the things of
the land set before them (their heavenly inheritance [cf. Heb. 1: 14; 11; 1 Peter 1: 4]).
The Israelites desired to feast on the things of Egypt rather than the manna which
God had provided, and [regenerate] Christians today are exhibiting exactly the same attitude and are doing
exactly the same thing relative to the things of the world and the Word of God.
The spirituality of the Israelites, brought about through their
association with
The spirituality of many [regenerate] Christians today, brought about through their association with the
world, is at such a low ebb that they, in like manner, refuse to believe it is possible
for them to go in and conquer the inhabitants of the land (cf. Eph. 6: 10-17), Thus, they, as the
Israelites under Moses, seek their place
in the world, under the sun - completely
overcome by the enemy before ever engaging the enemy in battle.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
The importance of feasting on the Manna from heaven cannot be
overemphasized. A Christian must receive the implanted word [the Neshamah]
or he cannot realize the salvation of his soul. The reason is very simple:
Apart from the reception of this Word there can be no spiritual growth unto
maturity. And without spiritual growth, wrought through a continued inbreathing
of life into man, there can be no movement of the spiritual man, producing works emanating from a living faith.
The race will have been run in no certain manner, with no
fixed goal, as one beating the air. And, as revealed in 1 Cor. 9:
24 - 10: 11, a race run in this manner will result in the individual being disapproved, for he will have been overcome and thus overthrown in the
wilderness.
Accordingly, such an individual at the judgment seat of Christ
will have his works tried, with a view to approval; but these works will be
shown to be dead [barren] works, emanating
from unfaithfulness, producing nothing but wood, hay,
stubble. These will all be burned in the fire, leaving the individual
in the position, saved [salvation of his spirit] yet so as by [through] fire
(1 Cor. 3: 12-15).
His works will be disapproved; and works of this nature will
have failed to bring faith to its proper goal. Consequently, the individuals
faith will also be disapproved, and he will suffer loss - the
loss of his soul.
*
* * *
* * *
889
THE COMING KING
By G. H. LANG
For the Son of Man
shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels;
and then shall He render unto
every man according to his doing.
(Matt.
16: 27).
Things
will not for ever go on as they are. Sin and sorrow
crushing mankind, and death daily hurrying multitudes
to its gloomy depths, are not to be permanent conditions on this old earth. The
ancient poets used to sing of a golden age far back in times remote beginnings;
but they had no sure prospect of things becoming in the future better than they
are. The nations were without God and without hope (Eph.
2: 12). But the
prophets of God exhausted the possibilities of language in describing to the
Jewish race a golden age that is to be. And this prospect is not for that nation only, but is Gods purpose for
the whole world.
A few of these declarations of the prophetic Scriptures are
given, beginning with the first covenant with Abram, which constitutes the
initial step taken by God to reveal to man His method of fulfilling through Abram
His gracious purpose and promise to bless all the race.
(Gen.
12: 1-3, 1921, B.C.) Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get
thee out of thy country and from thy kindred,
and from thy fathers house, unto the land that
I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a
great nation, and I will bless thee, and make
thy name great; and be thou a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall, all the
families of the earth be blessed.
THE GOD OF JACOB SHALL
REIGN
Deut. 32: 43, (1451 B.C.) Rejoice O ye
nations, with his people:
For he will avenge the blood
of his servants,
And will render vengeance to
his adversaries,
And will make expiation for
his land, for his people.
Psalm 67 (about 1000 B.C.) God be merciful unto us, and
bless us,
And cause his face to shine
upon us;
That thy way may be known upon earth,
Thy saving
health among all nations.
Let the peoples praise thee, O God;
Let all the peoples praise
thee.
O let the nations be glad
and sing for joy:
For thou shalt judge the
peoples with equity,
And govern the nations upon
earth.
Let the peoples praise thee,
O God Let all the peoples
praise thee.
The earth hath yielded her
increase:
God, even our own
God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
And all the ends of the
earth shall fear him.
Isaiah 2: 1-4. (750 B.C.) [This
and the following dates are given in round numbers]. The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning
Isaiah
9: 6, 7. For unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to
establish it, and to uphold it with judgement
and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts shall perform this.
NATURE RENEWED
Isaiah 11: 1-10. And there shall come forth a shoot
our of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit; and the spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And
righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle
of his reins. And the
wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and
the young lion and the fatling together; and a
little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall
put his hand on the basilisks den. They shall
not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah,
as the waters cover the sea.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting place shall be glorious.
Isaiah 55: 1-5. Ho, every
one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money;
come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which
satisfieth not? hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is
good, and let your soul delight itself in
fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear,
and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to
the peoples, a leader and commander to the
peoples. Behold, thou
shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and a
nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because
of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of
Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
THE SPIRIT OUTPOURED
Daniel 11: 44 (600 B.C.) And in the days of those kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Daniel 7: 13, 14 (355 B.C.) I saw in
the night visions, and, behold, there came with the
clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and
he came even to the ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him. And there was given
him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Joel 2: 28-32 (800 B.C.) And it
shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour
out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, your old men
shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions: and also upon the servants and upon the
handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the
heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come. And it shall come to pass,
that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered: for in
Zechariah 6: 12, 13, (510 B.C.) Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is
the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his
place, and he shall build the temple of Jehovah;
even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory,
and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he
shall be a priest upon his throne.
PURGING BY JUDGMENT
Malachi 2: 17;
3: 1-6; 4: 1-3. (400 B.C.)
Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?
In that ye say, Every
one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or
where is the God of judgement? Behold, I send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to
his temple; and the messenger of the
covenant, whom ye delight in, behold he cometh, saith
Jehovah of hosts. But
who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiners fire, and like fullers soap: and
he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and
purge them as gold and silver; and they shall
offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness.
Then shall the offering of
For behold, the day cometh, it burneth as
a furness; and all the proud, and all
that work wickedness, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, and
it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go
forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the
day that I do make, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Thus by a succession of messengers, covering a period of no
less than fifteen centuries, did God foretell to men the glorious
things that He is working out for this earth in conjunction with the heavenly
world.
MESSIAH FORETOLD
Then shall Satan and his hosts be bound
in the abyss under the earth (Rev. 20: 1-3), and thus there will be no temptation from without to incite to evil.
Then shall Gods own spirit of unity, love and peace be poured out upon all (Joel 2: 28) and
all men shall know God and love one another (Hab. 2: 13, 14). The
perverse and rebellious shall be destroyed from
amongst men, that the virtuous may receive unhindered blessing. The beasts will
lose their ferocity, and the fields be exceeding fruitful. The very mountain tops shall wave with ripened corn (Psalm 72: 16),
and all creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
liberty of the glory of the children of God (Romans
8: 21).
But every kingdom requires a king; and
who is the sovereign wise enough and strong enough to produce such a kingdom
over the whole wide world, or to maintain it when set up?
The prophets long since declared that no one but God would be
equal to this great task, and so announced that One should be born Who should be none
less than Emmanuel (God with us), the mighty God, the Father of eternity. He,
thus become man, would be the Prince of Peace, of whose kingdom there should be
no end (Isaiah 7: 14 and 9: 6, 7).
Suitable to the greatness of His Person should be the
uniqueness of His entrance into humanity, for a virgin should be His mother.
Thus begotten by the direct action of the Holy Spirit He should be without that
taint and entail of an inherited sinful nature which
effectually forbade that any other could save the world, since each other
himself needed to be saved.
The country and the town where He should be born were also named several centuries before He was to come (Micah 5: 2).
But the prophets of God foretold that the
Messiah would come to earth twice. The first time He would be lowly, and be despised and rejected of men,
a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief (Zechariah 9: 9; Isaiah 53: 3).
Then He would be violently killed by
enemies: yet this as part of Gods counsel concerning Him; for thus dying He
would provide for men healing from the fatal disease of sin, and freedom from
dread of judgment, for, says the prophet, He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53: 5). It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sins (Hebrews 10: 4), for the life of an animal is not of equal moral value to that of a man. Therefore such a sacrifice could not satisfy justice, so
that the right to live, forfeited by man through sin, should be restored to him and be made sure to him for ever. But the life
of God manifest in the flesh was more than worthy to make
propitiation for the whole world (1 John 2: 2). He bore our sins in His body on the
tree (1 Peter 2: 24); yea, He bore away the sin of the world (John 1: 29), as
well as the guilt of mens actual sins. Thus in Him God was reconciling the
world unto Himself (2 Corinthians 5: 19), and thus He made it just that the
repenting, believer sinner should be forgiven. If we walk in the light,
the blood of Jesus Gods son cleanseth us from all sin
(1 John 1: 7),
for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof
(Leviticus 17:14), and the shedding of blood means the
taking of life, means death, means, that is, that the just penalty of sin has
been paid. But as the penalty has been paid the sinner who repents and has
faith need no more dread lest he be called upon to pay it, his Redeemer having
done this for him, and done it once for all (Hebrews 10: 12, 14; 1 Peter 3:
18).
RESURRECTION OF MESSIAH
God had duly revealed through the
prophets the resurrection of His Son [out] from among the dead, as also that He should ascend to heaven, there to
intercede for His people, so securing for them the full benefit of His saving
work on the cross; and that He should there sit at the right hand of the Father
until the time should come for all His foes to be suppressed by force (Isaiah 53: 12
maketh intercession; Hebrews
1: 13; Psalm
110: 1).
The same voice that declared that Messiah should be cut off out
of the land of the living immediately added that He shall prolong His days, and the
pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand (Isaiah 53: 8-10), and
that He shall receive a great reward. The psalmist, one thousand years before
He should come, put into his mouth this song:-
Psalm 16: 8-10. have set Jehovah always before me.
Because he is at my right
hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory
rejoiceth:
My flesh also shall dwell in
safety.
For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol;
Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.
Thou wilt shew me the path
of life:
In thy presence is fulness
of joy;
In thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore.
Thus He would go into [Sheol = Gk. Hades
(Acts 2: 31;
Matt. 12: 40; 16: 18, R.V.) after] death, but would not be left there, nor would His body be suffered to go to
corruption (a most
astounding miracle in a hot climate); but along the path of resurrection life
He would ascend [after 40 days] to the
presence of God in fulness of joy.
JESUS IS THE DIVINE MESSIAH
All these details the Messiah must fulfil, for they were settled and foretold by God, and His word cannot be
broken. He only to Whom all these things came true can
be the Saviour and King. The Messiah when He should be present would be known
to all having sight by His fulfilling these and many more such predictions. Now
all of these more than three hundred events of which Gods prophets had spoken
were literally fulfilled in Jesus; which the diligent
and honest may see for themselves by comparing the statements of the prophets
with the histories of Christ Jesus given in the four Gospels.
These considerations establish the following truths:-
1. That the words of the prophets were the
words of God, since He only can certainly foresee and accurately foretell the
future.
2. That Jesus is the Messiah, for in Him only have the words of the
prophets (that is, of God) been fulfilled.
3. That Jesus is God become man. For the same prophets that showed themselves to be speaking from
God by truly foretelling His life, wove into their God-given utterances
statements such as these: She shall call His name Immanuel (God with us); His name shall be called ... Mighty God (Isaiah 7: 14; 9: 6); Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the
man that is My
fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts (Zechariah
13: 7).
4. That it was necessary for the Saviour
of the world actually to die, and afterwards to rise again and ascend to the
throne of God.
5. That in due time Christ must come
again to the earth, and establish by force the [millennial]
* *
* * *
* *
890
THE BASIS OF THE PREMILLENNIAL FAITH
AND
ITS BASIS IN ESCHATOLOGY
By CHARLES C. RYRIE
[PART
ONE OF TWO]
Although
other parts of the book have dealt with eschatological details, there are
certain passages which have not been discussed which belong
to the field of eschatology. In this chapter these
will be considered in the relationship of premillennialism to the tribulation
and to the millennium. Also some of the problems of
the premillennial system will be included. One thing, however, should be very
evident; that is, the proportionate place given to eschatology per
se as a basis of the
premillennial faith. Premillennialism is far more than a system of
interpretation of the doctrine of last things. It is vitally related to the entire Word of God.
1. THE TRIBULATION
Premillennialism does not stand or fall on ones view of the
tribulation. It is not the decisive issue, but it is hoped
that the view set forth in this chapter will add to the weight of evidence that
premillennialism is the only consistent system of interpretation.
The duration of the tribulation. According to Daniel 9: 24-27, the period of the tribulation is
seven years. Matthew 24: 22.
seems to indicate that this seven year period will be
shortened a little, but, generally speaking, the duration of the tribulation is
seven years. It was demonstrated that the first sixty-nine weeks of Daniels
prophecy ended at the death of Christ and that the seventieth week is still
future. This is important because it proves that the tribulation is still
future. Daniel
9: 27 confirms this:
And he shall confirm the covenant
with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation
to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations
he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The important question in the interpretation involves the
antecedent of the pronoun he. The reference cannot be to Christ for He
did none of the things referred to in the verse. Thiessen sets forth the correct
interpretation when he says:
It is more natural
to refer the pronoun he to the prince
mentioned in the last part of verse 26, namely the Roman prince; however not to Vespasian, Roman emperor from A.D.
69-79, nor to his son and successor, Titus,
who ruled from A.D. 79-81. Neither of these made and broke a covenant
with the Jews; and Titus lived only two years after his accession to the
throne. The reference is to a Roman prince who shall come after the long
interval of the last half of verse 26, which has already lasted [over] 1,800 years; and the last week is still future.*
* Bibliotheca Sacra, XCII, 49.
Daniel also indicates in this verse that the tribulation is divided into two equal parts. The latter half [of the seven years] is called the great tribulation and is referred to elsewhere in Scripture
as time, times, and half a time; that is, three and a half years (cf. Daniel 7: 25; 12: 7; Revelation 12: 14). Elsewhere it is
called forty-two months and 1,260 days (Revelation 11: 2; 13: 5; 11: 3; 12: 6). Thus the tribulation is a future period of
approximately seven years divided into two equal parts. The fact that this
period is yet future will be even more evident as the characteristics of the
period are given.
The nature of the tribulation. The Scripture
gives certain characteristics of this period.
First, it is a unique period.
Alas! for that day is great so that none
is like it: it is even the time of Jacobs trouble; but he shall be saved out
of it (Jeremiah
30: 7).
And at that time shall Michael stand
up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to
that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that
shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12: 1).
For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor
ever shall be (Matthew 24: 21).
Secondly, it is a period of judgment upon the nations. It
would not be practical to enter into all the arguments concerning the
interpretation of the Revelation. In contrast to the futurist interpretation
assumed here, suffice it to say that:
The most fanciful effort of imagination is demanded when the
world-transforming judgments of Revelation, chapters 6-19, are applied to past history. A few writers have attempted
this adjustment in detail. More of them prefer to remain in the realm of
indefinite generalities, and to excuse their own uncertainty by the contention
that the Revelation is veiled and obscure at best.*
* Chafer, op.. cit, IV, 361.
The entire fourteen chapters could be cited
in proof of this characteristic, but a few verses are sufficient:
And the kings
of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every
free man, hid themselves in the rocks of the
mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us, and hide us
from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation
6: 15-16).
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the
time of the dead, that they should be judged and
that thou ... shouldest destroy them which
destroy the earth (Revelation 11: 18).
Thirdly, it will be a period of persecution of
Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake.
... And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved (Matthew 24: 9, 22a).
And the
dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of
Jesus Christ (Revelation 12: 17).
Fourthly, it will be a period of salvation. It is usually
charged that premillennialism teaches that all who
enter the tribulation period are irrevocably lost. This is not true, for the
Scripture says:
And I heard the number of them which
were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred
and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no
man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people,
and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands; And cried with a loud
voice, saying, Salvation
to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb. ... These are
they which came out of the great tribulation (Revelation
7: 9, 14b).
The Holy Spirit, though withdrawn in a special way at the rapture
of the Church, will nevertheless have a ministry in the world during the
tribulation much the same as He had in Old Testament times.
This is not purported to be a complete list of the characteristics
of the tribulation, but it in general describes the nature of the tribulation.
The relation of the Church to the
tribulation. It has already been made clear that the belief of the author is
that [not all members of] the Church will not go through the tribulation. Christ will meet His
Church in the air before the seventieth week of Daniel or the [last 3 ½ years of great] tribulation
begins, and the [accounted worthy to escape (Luke 21:
36, A.V. cf. Rev. 3: 10) members of the] Church will be with Him in heaven until they both
return together at His Second Coming after the tribulation. During this time
the Church will be judged (2 Corinthians 5: 10), rewarded (1 Corinthians 3: 14), and married (Revelation 19:
7-9). Some premillennialists believe that
the rapture of the Church will occur either in the middle of the tribulation or
at the end of it. It is not necessary to go into all the arguments for each of
these views, for premillennialism as a system is not
dependent on ones view of the rapture. However, for the sake of completeness
some reasons will be mentioned why the pre-tribulation
rapture view is the most consistent one.
(1) If the Church is a mystery, as has
been shown, she must be removed before the
tribulation, for the tribulation is not a mystery but was the subject of Old
Testament revelation.
(2) If the
restrainer, the Holy Spirit, is to be removed before the tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:
1-10)
then the Church also must he taken out of the world.
(3) The promise of Revelation 3: 10 is that the whole Church will be taken away before the hour of temptation begins.
This does not mean that she will be kept through the trial, for as Thiessen
observes, when it would have been so easy to write [
See Greek], if the writer had meant preservation in that hour, why should
he write [
See Greek)]; as he did?*
(4) If the church had no part in the
first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel prophecy, how can it be a part of the future
seventieth week?
(5) The twenty-our elders, which picture
the Church, are seen in heaven before the tribulation
begins. That they represent the Church is seen from
their own declaration that they represent a crowned throng that is there only
through the virtue of the redeeming blood of Christ.
(6) The exhortations concerning the
rapture indicate that [not all of] the Church
will not go through the tribulation. The rapture is called a comforting hope (1
Thess. 4: 18); a purifying hope (1
John 3: 3); and a blessed hope (Titus 2: 13, [R.V.]). None of these would be true if
the church had seven years in which to prepare to meet her Lord. In addition,
believers are told to look (Titus 2:
13), watch (1 Thessalonians 5:
6), and wait (1 Cor.
3: 7) for their [returning] Saviour.
All the evidence points to the fact
that the rapture will occur before the tribulation. Let it be said
again that one's attitude toward the tribulation or the rapture is not a
decisive factor in premillennialism.
The end of the tribulation. Feinberg has given a good summary of the important events
which will occur at the end of the tribulation which summary is included
that the picture might be complete.
First of all,
* Op.. cit., pp. 135-36.
II. THE MILLENNIUM
The millennium is the period of a
thousand years of the visible, earthly reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who,
after His return from heaven, will fulfil during that period the promises
contained in the Abrahamic, Davidic, and new covenants to Israel, will bring
the whole world to a knowledge of God, and will lift the curse from the whole
creation.
Its literal character. That the
millennium is a literal period of time is practically
only a conclusion of all that has been said before. The question of literal
interpretation has been discussed at length. The last
book of the Bible, which is an unveiling, not a veiling, plainly teaches that
there will he a kingdom rule of Christ on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20). Let the Anti-millennialist notice
carefully that this is the first mention in this entire book of this chapter which has been called the keystone of
Pre-millennialism. This passage must be taken as
literally as the rest of Scripture. Alford,
the great Greek scholar, rightly says:
I cannot consent to distort words
from their plain sense and chronological place in the prophecy, on account of any
risk of abuses which the doctrine of the millennium may bring with it. Those
who lived next to the Apostles, and the whole Church for 300 years, understood
them in the plain literal sense: and it is a strange sight in these days to see
expositors who are among the first in reverence of
antiquity, complacently casting aside the most cogent instance of consensus
which primitive antiquity presents. As regards the text itself, no legitimate
treatment of it will extort what is known as the spiritual interpretation now
in fashion.*
The literal millennium is made
necessary, then, not merely by one passage in the Revelation, but by all that has been cited
before by way of Scriptural evidence for the kingdom age. Revelation 20 simply gives the
duration of that period.
Its importance. A literal
millennium is the natural result of all that has been said
concerning literal interpretation, the fulfilment of the Abrahamic, Davidic,
and new covenants. When the millennium is spiritualized,
then these promises of the Word of God must also be spiritualized.
Its designations. The millennium is called by different descriptive titles in the Scriptures,
and these will be listed without comment. It is called the
kingdom of heaven (in real form, Matthew 6: 10); the kingdom of God (in real form, Luke 19: 11); the kingdom of Christ
(Revelation 11:
15); the regeneration (Matt.
19: 28);
the times of restitution (Acts 3: 18-24); the times of refreshing (Acts 3: 19); the fulness of times (Ephasians 1:
10); and the world to come (Hebrews 2: 5).
Its earthly character. The kingdom will be established on
the earth.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in
all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters
cover the sea(Isaiah
11: 9).
And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one (Zechariah 14: 9).
(Cf.
Psalm 2: 8;
Isaiah 42: 4;
Jeremiah 23: 5;
Daniel 2: 35,
44, 45; 7: 24-27; Luke 1: 31-33.)
There will be certain physical changes in the earth during the
millennium. There will be a cleavage in the
And his feet
shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof
toward the cast and toward the west, and there
shall be a very great valley; and half of the
mountain shall remove toward the north, and half
of it toward the south (Zechariah 14:
4, cf. Matthew
24: 3; Acts
1: 11-12).
There will be a river of living water flowing from
And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from
The
wilderness and the solitary place shall he glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and
blossom as the rose. ... Then shall the lame man
leap as an hart, and
the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness
shall waters break out, and streams in the
desert. And the parched ground shall become a
pool, and the thirsty land springs of water:
in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass
with reeds and rushes (Isaiah 35: 1, 6, 7; cf. 41:
17-20; 55: 12-13; Rom. 8: 22, ff.).
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891
LEADERS UNDER ATTACK
By Derek Rous
-------
For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work
2 Thessalonians 2: 7.
You dont have to be a complete news addict to understand that
being a leader of a Western nation is today something of a poisoned chalice. Both Donald Trump in the
Before the
However, the interesting thing was that it would not be the
first time that someone without previous experience got
elected to the presidency. The
So, it seems that a non-political
background doesnt seem to be predictive
of anything special. You can either be a legend like
So, whats
really going on? It seems that most
commentators today are entirely dismissive of Gods involvement in the affairs
of the Nations throughout the history of the world. If they did still have a
concept of divine intervention, as previous generations, they would not be so
quick to judge - for clearly, He does indeed raise up leaders and He brings
others down.
In the Bible, when
Later, when Habakkuk complained to the
Lord about the unrighteousness amongst the priests and injustice heaped upon
the people of
Earlier, Moses was chosen by God to lead His people from
captivity to the promised land. But
what kind of CV did he have? A dysfunctional childhood, a murderer on the run,
40 years of looking after sheep and married to an unsympathetic wife. Just the
start in life one needed! But surely the people would
understand and give him the opportunity to make the right choices for them all!
Clearly, not everyone was sympathetic to his qualities for leadership - and
expressed this in no uncertain terms. Numbers 11
records the complaints. Just read how Moses felt about that but also how he
also became the focus of the anger of those closest to him - Miriam and Aaron
in Chapter
12. Its enough to make one quit, which
Moses tried to do.
One thing seems clear today. God is still raising
up leaders for His own purpose. If we believe this - that Donald Trump is Gods
appointment, then its entirely possible that the
reason is to expose the deep divisions that have been simmering for a long time
which will accelerate Jewish Aliyah and bring
Intercessors for
So, to help us in our praying, these are
the topics that IFI thought appropriate:
Until it is Your time to replace
him, anoint him to do the job for today. (2 Kings 9: 6)
Expose all unrighteousness and lies that need to be exposed.
(Proverbs
14: 34)
If there is criminal negligence on Bibis
part, then let it be revealed. (Job 12: 22)
Let him cry out to You over this
Shabbat. (Psalm
142: 6)
Be his shield and the guardian of his mind from all media
attacks. (Psalm
3: 3)
Impart wisdom to him concerning his relationship with
President Trump
and other world leaders. (Proverbs 21: 1)
Guard his health - both physical and the overall shalom of
his home. (Psalm 71: 9)
Save Bibi. Reveal Your Son Yeshua
to this chosen vessel of Yours. (Numbers 16: 15)
Give him courage to stop saying yes
to every new peace
initiative that is forced on this nation.
Place in his heart the courage to say things like this: The
God of Heaven, He will bless us,
and we, His servants, will arise and
build. But you have no portion
or right or memorial in
* *
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* *
892
WHATS SO IMPORTANT
ABOUT THE
By Derek Rous
-------
On Friday
14th July
three Palestinian gunmen attacked and killed two security policemen on
After much rioting, the murder of a family in Neve Tsuf and intense standoff
between Israeli Palestinians and police,
international pressure forced the government to remove the newly installed
security measures, putting the police back in the original vulnerable position.
On Thursday, police released video footage showing how the killers and an
accomplice got the guns into the
The Israeli public have been stunned
by the events but even more so by the actions of their own government. Their reactions
were exposed on July 26th by a survey which
concluded 77 per cent opposed the removal of
Speaking to IDF Radio, Bennett said, Every time the
state of
INTERCESSORS FOR ISRAEL in their Prayer
points for Friday 28th July said that despite
IFI PRAYER appeal to God:
God of
Israel, give wisdom and courage to all
May
Pour out Your
fear upon Your enemies those who want to wipe
Confound all
plans and words of the haters of
Confound them, YHWH and confuse their am speech, because I have seen violence and fighting in the city.
(Psalm 55: 9,
ISV).
Arise, Lord and deal with Your enemies. Rejoice,
gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, will
render vengeance to His foes and will be merciful to His land to His people. (Deuteronomy
32: 43; Romans
15: 10).
(See www.ifi.org.il
used with permission)
WHAT DID JESUS PROPHECY?
The events that took place on the
WHAT IS THE
The second temple was beautiful to behold but the Holy Spirit
who was its glory had reluctantly departed a long time before (see Ezekiel 9: 3; 10: 4; 10: 18; 11: 23) and apart from the visits made by Jesus would never return. Because
that generation failed to recognise who He was, Jesus accurately predicted that
the
[* That is, the whole city was then destroyed, as well as the area around which Herods Temple once
stood - the Temple in which out Lord
Jesus, - Gods coming, anointed Messiah
and world Ruler - stood and asked a prophetic question, - Is it not written, My house SHALL be called a house of prayer FOR ALL THE NATIONS? (Mark 11: 17,
R.V.) Cf. Isaiah 56: 7; Jeremiah 7: 11, R.V.).]
Over the past 2,000 years,
The question is, should Jewish and
gentile believers in Yeshua (Jesus) be supportive of the Jewish hope of
rebuilding the Temple if the purpose of that place has been fulfilled in the
death and resurrection of Gods Son, the Lord Jesus - the Messiah of Israel who
came first to die, rise again and is coming again to rule and reign from Jerusalem?
There is clearly more to the
Although Zechariah Chapters 12-14 gives us the clearest picture of
It seems from this, that in the last days there is still coming a day of reckoning for Esau who represents those who envy the inheritance given to Jacob. This has been the heart of the
conflict between Jew and Arab ever since, its envy
over a portion of
land given by God to
So, something rather special is yet
to happen [quite near*] on
and because of the changes that will happen to the
[* NOTE: This is because there are those,
who have very good reason to believe the area known as the
Can you imagine the upheaval in the
political and religious world if the
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 indicates that a
* *
* * *
* *
893
FEAST OF TABERNACLES
SUKKOTH
By DEREK ROUS
A recent
three day break took us into the rural heart of
southern
The opposite of disaster is blessing. And
scripture is full of reminders of Gods plan for the earth to be filled with
His presence and His provision. Yet Isaiah 26 goes on to say
in verse 10 that in spite of grace being shown to the wicked, he will not learn righteousness.
He will continue to deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.
Consequently, the only way that this rebellious man will learn righteousness is
when Gods judgments are in the earth. (26: 9)
The Autumn feasts of the lord
What a wonderful series of reminders of Gods provision to
This critical period begins for them with the Feast of
Trumpets on October 31st Ten
days of repentance is followed by Yom Kippur on 12th October and
then Sukkoth is 17th to 24.
What will it bring for
Feast of Trumpets
The Blowing of the Shofar is to alert
Yom Kippur
This most Holy day in the Jewish calendar tells about
substitution and atonement. It tells
Feast of Tabernacles
When all is accomplished, He will come from heaven to dwell
with them. But
Psalm 33: 10 says, The Lord brings the counsel of the Nations to
nothing; He makes the plans
of the peoples of no effect.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever; the plans of all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
There are many good things happening in
Feldon Lodge Conference
Claude and Michelle Ezagouri the Morning Star fellowship in Tiberias, reminded us of the moral and spiritual state of the nation
as well as sharing their own needs as a congregation on the front line. Again,
we look at Ezekiel 37 as the Lord works towards shaping
them into one nation in the Land. Today, there is much to pray for in
government, in the military, in business and especially in every home in
* *
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894
ONE NATION UNDER GOD
PART 2
By DEREK ROUS
In the summer magazine I summarised
Gods plan for
Gentile Christians also need to appreciate the radical act of
Salvation involving repentance, renunciation, redemption and transference from the [Satanic] Kingdom of darkness
to the [coming Messianic] Kingdom of Light, Hope and everlasting life. Colossians
1: 13-23. If we ever think that because of
Some Christians today understand Gods purposes for
Clearly, God is at work in
Ezekiel 37 tells us about RESTORATION -
first physically, then spiritually and finally socially. But
the question is - Why did He do it? Why did God - the righteous and just God
who Christians the world over say they believe in - why did God, when Israel
made such a mess of things not just finish them off and start again with some
other more righteous, reliable, more worthy nation to be His chosen people -
like the British for example? Why? Its
the same question of why He chose you and me. Are we better than anyone else?
Ezekiel 36:
23,
32 & 36 makes it abundantly clear - He did it for His own Name sake. So that first of all,
It could have happened previously of course. God could have
wiped them out in the wilderness when they provoked God by all their idolatry
and moaning. (Numbers 14: 11-21.)
God said He would destroy them had it not been for Moses who interceded. Why? Because the nations around would say that YHWH - the
God of Israel, was not merciful nor was He able to save and deliver this people
out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. But God is
indeed able to redeem and to deliver. And what is more
He has done it Isaiah 59: 20 cf with Romans 11: 26 Redeemer comes to
Jacob + Deliverer will come out of... Together = salvation.
Ezekiels prophecy shows
three miracles that are taking place in our lifetime:-
Restoration to the Land - Miracle 1
Restoration to God - Miracle 2
Restoration of
unity - Miracle 3
Looking at the Miracle No. 3.
We have often focused on the first two but lets
take a closer look at what Gods plan is for one united, kingdom under God.
What we see in
How did disunity happen?
It started at
God then calls
individuals to be His spokesmen - to tell them they
cant do it without God. Noah, Abraham, Moses but the next generation always
failed to continue in that calling.
For Samuel it was the failure of his
two sons. (1 Samuel 8) His sons did not walk in his ways. (verse 3.) As a result
the people look at the world and call for a King, so that they can be like
them. (verse 6.)
A king is appointed
that meets with their approval. He has admirable physical qualities but Saul is
eventually rejected for unfaithfulness to God (1 Samuel 15: 11, 23.) Division emerges between the House of Saul and House of
David - the man after Gods heart.
Envy turns to war which eventually
breaks out after David is anointed King (2 Samuel 2: 12-17.) The rebellion of
Solomon imposed unity but as soon as
he died, the unwise actions of his son Rehoboam, ensured division would
continue (2 Chronicles 10). Rehoboams disastrous reign which
involves listening to the wrong people guaranteed division. (2
Chronicles 12: 15).
Many Priests and Levites leave
King Abijah of
After Asa, Jehoshaphat tries to builds
an alliance with Ahab to bring
Restoration of the Nation (Ezekiel
37: 15-21.)
Although
Restoration of the King (Ezekiel
37: 22-25.)
Jesus is returning to be that King. (Zechariah 12.) You might say that God has already established His
everlasting covenant of Peace with
One people,
one king,
one house and one land (Ezekiel 37: 26-28.)
Today, there is no better example to
the world of what it means to walk in the light. To
May our prayer for
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895
THE BASIS OF THE PREMILLENNIAL FAITH
AND
ITS BASIS IN ESCHATOLOGY
By CHARLES C. RYRIE
[PART
TWO]
The
kingdom, as promised, will be on the [present, sin-cursed (Gen. 3: 17, R.V.)] earth, though the earth will be changed in the ways that have been named.
Its government. The Head of the government in the
millennium is the King, Christ Jesus.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth (Jeremiah 23: 5;
cf.
Luke 31-33;
Revelation 11: 15;
19: 6).
Concerning the character of Christs
reign, the Scriptures teach that it will be in the plenitude of the Spirit (Isaiah 11: 2-5), that it will be in equity and
justice (Jeremiah 23: 5-6), that sin will be punished (Psalm 2: 9; 72: 1-4; Isaiah 65:
20; Zechariah 14:
16-21), that it will be prosperous and
glorious (Jeremiah
23: 5; Isaiah 24: 23), and that it will be a reign of
peace (Isaiah 2: 4;
11: 5-9; 65: 25; Micah 4: 3).
The centre of government in the millennium will be [the holy city]
* Op. cit., p. 46.
Three groups of people will be related
to the millennial government.
Its spiritual character. There are three questions which are related to this problem. First, there is
the question of the unsaved [and un-resurrected (Luke 20: 35; Philippians 3: 11,
cf.
Acts 2: 34;
7: 5ff; 2
Timothy 2: 18, R.V.)] in the millennium. It seems clear
from Isaiah
65: 20, Zechariah 14: 16-18, and Revelation 20: 7-8 that there will be unsaved people in
the millennium. Involved in this question is the judgment of the nations (Matthew 25: 31-46), for if the judgment is
individual, then it seems that no unredeemed person will enter the kingdom age;
but if the judgment is of national groups, then conceivably some unsaved people
will enter the kingdom. However, there is no evidence that those who enter the
kingdom as a result of this judgment will have
redeemed [glorified and immortal] bodies so that children may be born during the millennial period who may
or may not come to a personal saving knowledge of the Lord. In any case anyone
who is saved will be saved by the blood of Christ, for
that is the only way that anyone in any age can be saved (Zechariah 13: 1). Obviously, this question does not
make or break the entire premillennial system.
Secondly, there is the question of Christian
ordinances in the millennium. Again, this is not a determining question, but it
seems to follow from the distinctive character of the Church in this age that
Christian ordinances will be terminated at the
beginning, of the millennium. The Lord Himself placed the terminus of the great
commission as the end of the age (Matthew 28: 20), and it seems as though the making
and baptizing of disciples will also terminate then. The Lords Supper also was
to be observed till He come
(1 Corinthains 11: 26) and will not be observed during the millennium.
Thirdly, there is the more difficult question
of the offerings in the millennium. This is always seized
upon by Anti-millennialists as manifesting an irreparable weakness in
the premillennial system. It involves these Scripture passages: Ezekiel 43: 18
- 46: 24;
Zechariah 14: 16; and Hebrews 10: 4, 14. The Ezekiel passage is usually
interpreted in one of three ways: (1)
the description is of the actual temple that was built in history by the
remnant when they returned from
Basically, the question is one of literal versus
allegorical interpretation. If literal interpretation is accepted, only the
third view is possible; therefore, it must be accepted
if we are going to be consistent with the principles of interpretation set
forth herein. It is admitted that the question is not an easy one, but it is
not one on which the entire premillennial system either stands or falls. Viewed
in proper perspective it is merely a detail of the kingdom age. The existence
or non-existence of the [messianic
and millennial] kingdom itself certainly does not depend on the
question of offerings.
The issue also involves the question of whether or not the
temple will be rebuilt. The plain sense
of the chapters in Ezekiel teach that
it will be rebuilt, and this New Testament verse seems to clinch the argument:
Who opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that
he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing
himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:
4).
This verse teaches that during the
tribulation period the temple - [which the Antichrist will desecrate] - will be in existence, and that
sacrifices will be offered there (Daniel 9: 27). Therefore, the temple will be there, but will
offerings be continued after Christ returns and is personally reigning?
Premillennialists in general answer in the affirmative. We
agree with this, but, in order to keep the discussion within proper bounds,
will only defend this against the most commonly urged arguments against literal
offerings in the millennium.
The first argument against literal sacrifices is that the
dimensions of the temple as given by Ezekiel are far too large to fit into the topography of the land. This
is easily answered by referring to the physical changes in the land which will occur during the millennium (Zechariah 14: 4-5; Isaiah 29: 6). These will allow for the
literal temple, and:
If there is going to be such a
temple, and we believe that there is, what would be the use and purpose of the
same if it were not to be used for worship and that worship to be conducted in
the manner as explained by Ezekiel in the same passage? That would be by animal
sacrifices.*
* John L. Mitchell, Animal Sacrifices in the Millennium, p. 41.
The second objection often raised is that such offerings would
be a retrogression in the program of God, according to
Hebrews 9 and 10 which teach that sacrifices came to an end with Christs
death. Mitchell gives a sane answer
to this question which, though lengthy, is quoted in
full:
To answer this objection, let us
step back and look at Gods entire program from a distance. Throughout the Old
Testament, the Jews were worshiping God in their tabernacle and temple through
animal sacrifices. They were looking forward to a day of peace and prosperity,
a kingdom over which their Messiah would be their King. Their Messiah came, but
they refused to accept Him as such and continued with their sacrifices. In the
meantime, He was crucified as the one great Sacrifice
sufficient for all. Outside of the small circle of believers of that day, this
meant nothing to the vast majority except that an impostor had
been put to death.
Now then, the Epistle to the Hebrews was written not to the Jewish people in general, but
especially to them who had professed faith in Christ as the one great and final
Sacrifice but since then had either continued in or gone back to their animal
sacrifices. ... They were warned not to return to
their sacrifices since Christ had set them free. The context is concerning animal sacrifices during the day of grace. The subject before us is that of animal sacrifices in the millennium day.
The Church will be taken out of the earth at the
rapture at which time Gods program for the Jew will be resumed and continue
from where it was at the time of Christs death. ... [The millennium] will simply be a continuation of the old order, this time
with Christ accepted as and reigning as King. The Jews will continue their
animal sacrifices in worship as they did before Christ died. It is true that
these sacrifices will be types and symbols of their faith in Christs death,
but that does not make them nonetheless real. There will probably be mingled
sorrow and joy in these sacrifices as they recall how their fathers refused to
accept this Christ as their Messiah and how now they have the privilege of
seeing it all so clearly.*
* Ibid., pp. 43-44.
We conclude, then, that animal sacrifices will
be offered in the millennium.
Its end. At the end of
the millennium certain events take place. First, Satan
will be loosed for a little season, and he will
attempt a last revolt (Revelation 20: 7-10).
This will demonstrate that even the very best environment in the world will not change the corruptness
of the unregenerated heart. Satan will then meet his final doom by being cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20: 10). After this a stupendous event about which there is little
revealed will occur - the passing away of the present heaven and earth (Isaiah 65: 17;
66: 22; Hebrews 1: 10-12; 2 Peter 3: 3-13; Revelation 20: 11;
21: 1). Next follows the resurrection
and judgment at the great white throne of all the unsaved dead [with all resurrected at that time - consisting
of the saved and unsaved alike, (Revelation 20:
12, 13,
R.V.)]
and their commitment - [of
those whose names will not be found written in the book of life
(verse 15, R.V.)] - to the lake of fire
forever (Revelation 20: 12-15; 21: 8; 22: 10-15).
The final work of God is the creation of the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21: 1) and the ushering in of the eternal
state.
A final word is necessary concerning the duration of Christs
reign. It has seemed incongruous to some that the reign of Christ is referred to as a thousand years and as eternal. One
passage - 1 Corinthians 15: 24-28 - seems
to teach that Christ yields up the kingdom at the end of the millennium, but Chafer rightly points out that:
The statement is meant to signify
that, when all is subdued and divine authority is restored in full, the Son,
who has ruled by the authority of the Father throughout the thousand years and
has put down all enemies, will go on ruling under that same authority of the
Fathers as subject as ever to the First Person. This more clarified meaning of
the text removes the suggestion of
conflict between an everlasting reign and a supposed limited reign of Christ.
He will, as so fully assured elsewhere,
reign on the throne of David forever.* *
* Op. cit., V. 374.
[* That is, as long as this present
creation continues, and, before the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements be
dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that
are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:
10, R.V.)]
This concludes the relation of premillennialism to
eschatology. Premillennialism is the only system which
presents in eschatology consistent with the principles of interpretation and
the plain teaching of the Word of God. We have dealt with some eschatological
problems and tried to indicate the solutions, but because in the over-all
picture they are not major problems, premillennialism, in eschatology, rests on
a solid basis.
Conclusion
The purpose of this book has been to examine in a positive way
the basis of the premillennial faith. Of necessity, reference has been made to
opponents claims as they challenged the very basis on which premillennialism
rests, but in general the aim was not critical or
negative. All the details of prophecy were not
examined, nor was it claimed that premillennialists agree on every detail. But disagreement on details does not constitute a major
problem to the system as a whole, and while many of these problems were
discussed and solutions which seemed most consistent to the premillennial
system were offered, it is evident that they do not affect the basis of the
faith.
We have traced the history of premillennialism giving special
emphasis to the sub-apostolic age. It was clearly shown
that the premillennial faith is not a modern invention. From the study of the
principles of interpretation it was demonstrated that
premillennialism alone is consistent with the principle of literal
interpretation as it extends to all fields of Biblical interpretation including
eschatology. Literal interpretation is the only safe method of interpretation,
and on this principle premillennialism rests.
The main burden of the work was the relation of the Abrahamic,
Davidic, and new covenants to pre-millennialism. The main question resolved
itself to this: will the unfulfilled provisions of these
covenants be fulfilled? In answering this it
was necessary to examine one particular New Testament problem under each
covenant. Under the Abrahamic covenant the Church and
Certain aspects of the doctrine of ecclesiology were discussed
chiefly the distinctiveness of the Church as the body of saints in this age
only. This means that there is no overlapping on either side of the age of
Gods program for His people
Each of these factors - the historical evidence, the science
of hermeneutics, the Abrahamic covenant, the Davidic covenant the new covenant,
the teachings of ecclesiology, and the teachings of eschatology - is like a
plank in the platform of pre-millennialism. Altogether
they form an harmonious whole and an unshakeable basis upon which
premillennialism rests. And underlying it all
is the very nature of God Himself in that what He has plainly spoken He will
do, and what He
has assuredly promised He will perform. This is the basis of the premillennial faith.
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896
PURIM - A JOLLY BUT
SOBER FEAST
By DEREK ROUS
The
Feast of Purim is probably the jolliest time of celebration in the Jewish Calendar. And yet it contains a sobering message for
Jews and Gentiles who dare to read - for its central thought is one of miraculous deliverance
from their enemies. Its interesting however that
there is no mention of God in the whole book. But even
though its not one of the three major Feasts periods of the Lord, it contains
many valuable spiritual lessons which are sometimes lost in the fun of the
occasion.
For the Jewish people, its a story
about deliverance from the wicked plot of Haman the Agagite to destroy all the
Jews in
In the first chapters, there is the account of a change of
Queen. This beautiful Queen Vashti feigned with King Ahasuerus but one day he summoned her to his presence
so that he could show off her beauty and for some reason, she refused to come.
This rebellion on the part of the Queen had never happened
before and caused the Kings advisors much anguish. Rebellion will catch on and
it needs to be stopped. The answer was to depose the
Queen and get a new one with a different
spirit.
Mordecai gets to hear of this and encourages his niece Esther
(a Jew) into the selection process. Amazingly, she is chosen for what would be a crucial
appointment. The King immediately loves Esther; she finds grace and favour in his sight; and he adorns her with a royal crown.
Plots come and go in the Kings household and Mordecai is
close enough to hear of evil plans being hatched
against the King. He tells Esther who passes on the threat to the King. The
plot is squashed and Esthers reputation grows within
the palace.
DOWNFALL OF HAMAN
After this comes the episode, so well known, about Haman.
Promoted into high position, he soon begins to exalt himself. Mordecai would have none of it and refuses to bow down to him!
With a spiteful mind, Haman (the Agagite) plots the destruction of the whole Jewish race in
Mordecai urges her to tell the King. But unless he beckons her into his presence she risks her life.
So, with nothing to lose but everything to gain, he declares, For if you remain
completely silent at this time, relief
and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place but you and your
fathers house will perish. Yet who knows whether
you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Esther learned
to trust God for her people at the risk of losing her life. But
she did it and deliverance came; Hamans plot is exposed and he ends up on the
same gallows that he erected for Mordecai.
A BRIDE REPLACED
There is a lot more to the story but just reflect here on this
matter of the queens of
Isnt this a picture of the Church? When
the call came from the King to show off her beauty to the world she refused. She was consumed with her self-importance.
As a result, she lost her place
alongside the King and was replaced by a bold,
discerning and caring Queen, whose beauty was more than skin deep. She had the right spirit of humility along
with courage to rule beside the King. What a beautiful picture of harmony
and unity! May all who read be challenged to become bold caring intercessors
who understand the critical issues for
WHERE DO YOU FIT
You might think that as a gentile, praying for the Jews to know the Lord can never be high on
your list of concerns. Maybe you are not Jewish so how can you feel for them
like Paul in Romans 9: 1-5? But take a
took at Jeremiah 31:10. Here it says, Hear the
word of the Lord O nations [gentiles] And declare it in the isles far off
and say, He who scattered
Please also pray that as Jewish people enact the feast of
Purim and then look towards Passover and all that says about sacrifice,
suffering, and substitutionary atonement, that the real sobering and powerful
message of God their redeemer and deliverer might bring them to their senses,
melt their hearts and bring them to a real trust in their Messiah.
A WORD ABOUT PEACE
In Matthew 24 Jesus gave several warnings to His disciples about the character of the
times that would precede His coming again.
Many of them are signs in the earth - with extreme environmental disturbances taking place. Then there are warnings to draw
our focus to frontal assaults on the Christian faith. And it also warns us that lawlessness will abound and the
love of many will grow cold.
From a military perspective, its all
good advice to make sure we are paying at least some attention to the world
around us. Many true Christians
might think they are rather good at discerning those kinds of warnings. But there is one rather different warning which we can
easily miss. It is in Matthew 24: 10 And then many will
be offended, will betray one
another and will hate one another! - Ring
any bells!
We all might argue that in these times we need to Contend earnestly for the Faith and if that means separating from those
who preach and practise error - so be it! Its right
that we should not make peace with our real enemies at any price. (Remember Chamberlain 1938.) But
the question is - who is the enemy? Romans 12: 18 says,
If it is possible (brethren), as much as depends on you, live
peaceably with all men. See also, Hebrews 12:
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord.
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897
A MESSAGE OF HOPE
By KEITH PARKER
My soul wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him ... in God
is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my
strength and my refuge is in God. (Psalm 62)
The
world is reeling from the events of 2016:
the Brexit vote in the
But of course our present concern is:
what will happen now? Where are we in the plan of God? 2017 will hold a lot of surprises, some
good and some unpleasant. Some might hope that the
We can be grateful for Gods gracious answers to the prayers
of His people in 2016, well beyond the
faith or expectation of yours truly. A friend wrote that though we have seen
encouragement, our western nations have acted so wickedly that judgment is
inevitable. Well, what is the truth? Permit me to outline the situation that
faces us. You may think I am stating the obvious.
For the best part of a century our previously Christian
society, aided and abetted by the church, has been divesting itself of its
culture and morality. This began by questioning and ridiculing the Bible:
denying the truth of Divine Creation and putting Evolution in its place, and
finally undermining the incarnation of the Son of God, denying His blood
atonement for all who will believe, and of course rubbishing the resurrection
of Christ. The rest of the scriptural plan of redemption in the last days is inevitably thrown out. The present Pope is openly working
for a one-world religion, which will deny the uniqueness of Christ as the one
and only way to God the Father. Man is by nature religious, so he has put
paganism and spiritualism in place of Bible truth. Hell [i.e., the underworld of the dead in Sheol,
Hades and the lake if
fire] is
denied and Heaven is made into some kind of nirvana.
Because of all this we have witnessed
the once unthinkable: babies murdered in the womb, marriage redefined and
gender reassignment put forward as a norm, valid even for children of primary
school age. Our rulers have stood by cheering as these nightmares have
overtaken western civilization; and the church has
done very little to counter it. It will be hard for Donald Trump or post-Brexit
Already we see the forces of reaction flexing their muscles: George Soros
is pledging his $billions to fight what he sees as revolutionary. Our own Tony Blair is offering some of his
£millions to fight Brexit and help to keep us in a Babylonian European system.
Globalists and Eurocrats are not just twiddling their thumbs!
Well, that is a brief overview of the
bad news. What is the good news? Jesus
is coming!
Just before the judgment fell an eight-year old boy came to the throne of
His reign was summed up thus: And like unto him
was there no king before him that turned to the LORD with all his heart and
with all his soul and with all his might,
according to all the law of Moses; neither
after him arose there any like him. Doesnt that
sound encouraging? And it is! But
we have to read the rest of the passage: Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the
fierceness of His great wrath, wherewith
His anger was kindled against
Manasseh was the son of one of
At the end of his life Manasseh had a conversion experience in a Babylonian
jail. After this he tried to undo his previous
wicked deeds. Read about it in 2 Chronicles 33: 11-17. I
have no doubt that Manasseh, wicked though he had been, had his own sins forgiven
and has a place in heaven. But the fruits of his sin remained, and still attracted the fierce
displeasure of God. Rulers bring
either blessing or judgment on those whom they rule.
Manasseh was succeeded by his son Amon, who resumed the wicked career of
his father, though he reigned only two years and was succeeded by Josiah. Josiahs reign was
marked by the recovery of the written
word of God, which had been relegated to some obscure shelf in the
Today our western societies and churches are in a similar
position to
My
prayer and hope is that God will grant us a Josiah
moment, when we shall have rulers to try to undo the wickedness of the
last 100 years. As a friend observed you cant
unscramble eggs, but what you can do is to show repentance and zeal for
God. We should be praying for a revival of faith in the Word of God within the church, for the preaching of
the full gospel of Christ in the
world and for souls to be
saved. Even though we know that the promised end-time judgments must occur we
are not called to be Christian fatalists.
Everyone
that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh
findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened (Luke
11: 10). The night cometh when no man
can work (John 9: 4). But we
still have the opportunity to delay the judgment through out prayers and
actions. What will 2017 [and 2020] hold? A lot of
encouragement and a lot of trouble! When these things begin to come to pass
your redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21: 28). What an encouragement! Watch and pray and proclaim
the gospel!
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898
THE PLACE OF PRAYER
IN N.T. CHURCHES
By DEREK ROUS
When
Jesus visited the
Last time I showed that the Bible reveals that Prayer was the
normal experience of true Israelite believers who lived in the Old Covenant
relationship with God as well as being the experience of all N.T. believers in
Yeshua, the Saviour of Israel. In the Autumn
2013 Magazine I emphasised how important prayer was to the early church and to us.
Many examples can be found in O.T.
and N.T. writings of personal appeals to God. Many prayers focused on the
attributes of God which thrilled the writer and get at
other times, the prayer flowed out of anguished hearts as they made strong
appeals for God to intervene in humanly impossible situations. Nevertheless,
prayer was encouraged to ensure that each believer developed his personal
relationship with God, rather than depending on an external priest/intercessor
to do things on his behalf as they had done previously. So prayer was a normal
part of Church life and was held in balance with other
important aspects such as receiving the apostles doctrine (teaching),
fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. Acts 2:
42.
IMPORTANT TO EARLY CHURCH
The Apostles considered prayer to be so
important that they gave themselves to it but also
to the Word of God - to ensure they heard the directing voice of God Acts 6: 4.
They prayed before laying on hands and before acts of commissioning Acts 13: 1-3. On some occasions
when they prayed, the place was shaken Acts 4: 31. However, praying was part of the N.T.
church activity and not the whole Acts 2:
42. There was no
indication of believers joining monasteries, convents or going to retreat
centres. No separate Houses of Prayer, 24/7 prayer rooms or
joining in Prophetic Prayer Conferences. Prayer was part of the normal
everyday experience of these pioneer believers as they explored the new-found freedom and joy in the Holy Spirit. They were
taught the apostles doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread AND prayers and lived out the
Further scriptures to study: Matt. 18: 19-20; Matt. 6: 5-15; 1 Tim. 2: 4; Acts 4: 23-31.
Today, according to Lance
Lambert in his book
RISE OF PRAYER MINISTRIES
Since the Charismatic renewal of the
1960s and onwards, we have seen a rise in numerous para-church
prayer ministries. This can be a reflection on the revived interest created in
the person and work of the Holy Spirit especially in equipping the saints for
spiritual activity whether corporately, nationally, or internationally. Indeed Prayer for Israel is one such ministry that developed
with a focus on the salvation of Israel and the development of Messianic
congregations in the Land and not just the return of the Jews to the Land because
the Church had lost the vision for and understanding of Gods purposes for Israel.
Intercessors
for Britain also emerged in the same period to help focus Prayer for
the U.K. Nation and Church and encourage saints in their own spiritual walk in
local church life. Alongside this, many sound discipleship training courses and
Bible Training institutes were developed to support local
churches efforts to ensure that all spiritual activity was thoroughly grounded
in the Word of God. But in recent years there has been an explosion of Ministries that focus solely on Intercessory
Prayer, some of whom are highly suspect.
If you search the Internet for Prayer ministries,
you will find many that claim to be Christian. Here are some - in no order of preference:
The Jerusalem Prayer Team; House of Prayer; Christian Prayer centre; Miracle
Prayer Centre; Harvest Prayer; Christian Prayer Ministries; Prayer Warriors International;
Generals International; Global Prayer; Israel Prayer Coalition which links to many
other prayer ministries in Israel - to name but a few. Prayer is indeed a growing
focus of interest!
The question is this. Are they sound, truly Christian, Bible-based, and focused on the up-building
of the saints in
WHY DO WE PRAY?
There is no doubt that we need to be a
people of Prayer and know how to stir one
another up to pray. Why? We pray because there is a
God who hears. We pray because we have a God who cares and we pray because only
God can change things that (according to the way the Holy Spirit moves us) need
changing. But the essential part of prayer is acknowledging
who God is and that we are praying to a Holy God into whose presence we are
privileged to enter. For all who truly believe, He has opened up a new and
living way through the blood of His cross. What a joy to know,
that this is the inheritance of every [regenerate] believer
whether Jew or Gentile!
However, there are some
very real concerns about some prayer ministries that are likely to detach people from the guiding, guarding and modifying influence
of the Body of Christ under the direction of the Spirit-anointed and complete
Word of God. Are
we surprised that this is the case? Are we shocked? We shouldnt
be! Since this is all prophesied by the Lord Jesus Himself (Matt
24: 5, 11-12, 24.) and
the apostles Paul, John and Peter (2 Thess. 2; 1 Tim. 4: 15; 2 Tim 4: 3-4; 1 Peter 2:
1;
John 4: 1-3)
and is a sure sign of [satanic deception in] the Last days
before the Lord returns. So let me focus on one particular group which may help you judge the rest, before you become involved.
HOUSE OF PRAYER
This ministry advertises itself in its
title as being the genuine fulfilment of Isaiah 56. The movement goes back to 1982 and
the Kansas City Metro City Fellowship pastored by Mike Bickle
who started the International House of
Prayer (IHOP) in 1989. Bickle became
well known in the 80s for promoting a new breed of prophets that included Paul Cain, Bob Jones, and
others. Many question marks have been raised about this movement and all especially
among spirit-filled believers. I mention it mainly because they have a strong focus
on
The Monastic Tradition behind 24/7 Prayer
For over one thousand years, monasticism (the practice of
taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to ones spiritual superior)
held a key role in the development of theology and practice in the dark period
of the established Church. From the fourth and fifth centuries, monks and nuns
were an accepted part of religious society. Monasticism was the cradle from
which 1aus perennis
or perpetual prayer, was birthed in this church age. But history has
clearly shown that being separated from the world and shut up in an intense meditative spiritual atmosphere leads to spiritual imbalance and tragic consequences.
Mike Bickle of IHOP says
that many IHOP teachings draw upon the works of St. John of the Cross and
Teresa of Avila, as well as contemporary Catholics including Father Henri Nouwen and Father Thomas Dubay, SM.
The IHOP 24 hour prayer room, he says, ...was inspired by the spiritual practices of Catholic European
monks, such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Ive always had a passion for Catholic-Christian unity
We
may have different religious traditions, but we focus on fellowship, and unity
of Jesus being glorified in prayer, worship, and teaching.
The Reformation has occurred. Protestants have broken away from
Has Catholic theology suddenly become compatible with the Bible?
As a consequence of
the connections with Catholic Mystics, IHOP has been promoting, Centering Prayer which according to the description
of its founder Fr. Thomas Keating who
is a founding member and the spiritual guide of Contemplative Outreach,
is a method of silent
prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience Gods presence
within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.
Centering prayer, also known as contemplative prayer and listening prayer, is the practice of relaxing,
emptying the mind, and letting ones self find the presence of God within. It involves silence, stillness, patience, sometimes
repeating something, and the practice of not knowing
as the person seeks Gods presence. Experiencing God is through silence, emptying of self through
contemplation in the quiet of the mind and soul. Promotional websites offer directions for
centering prayer.
Is this Biblical Meditation - absolutely not? It
is eastern mysticism and is based in occult and eastern metaphysical
practices, something the Christian church and prayer groups should carefully
avoid. And where is this all leading for those being
drawn by its apparent spirituality? Just take a look
at some of the testimonies of young interns"
on You Tube as they describe the experience of being trained in the
REASONS FOR THE NEW INTEREST
There is much to thank God for in the Reformation.
However, Protestant Evangelical spirituality has tended to develop mostly around
the correct Bible teaching and expository preaching. It rejected Catholic mysticism,
praying to Mary and the saints. It rejected monasticism. It rejected pilgrimages,
self-abasements, acts of penance and self-loathing. But
in so doing it created tension between those who settled for knowing the
scriptures in an intellectual way and those who desired to be more spiritual, perhaps because they were more vocal ones
who desired to explore new ways to pray.
They were all taught
Forms of Prayer but those who found it difficult
to express their feelings were made to feel that they were unspiritual for not
being fluent in prayer. IHOP and
other movements seemed to have stepped into the gap created by a desire to know
and relate to God and perhaps inadvertently created an elite grouping of gnostic mystics. But they
run the huge risk of repeating history.
We Have we today, in Pentecostal and
NEED TO TEST THE SPIRITS
Eph 6: 10-12 reveals that we are in a battle - and its a spiritual
battle - not a cultural or a political one. So it is
clear, we need to be a people of Prayer; we need to be praying without ceasing
but we also need to pray aright using the Godgiven
discernment that He provides. This is not intended to
knock another movement that may involve many well-meaning believers. The role
of Watchmen of the Walls is to look,
assess and warn. Thats not being negative or critical.
Its called being loving enough to tell the truth [which
few
people in Gods Churches want to hear!]. Read Eph 4: 4-15. Thats our prayer.
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899
CHARACTER
By D. M. PANTON, B.A.
THE Beatitudes,
said Lord Acton, are the root
of the Christian revolution in
ethics; they were new ideas in the world, the real revelation of a new morality. Our Lord began His whole ministry by unveiling the ideal
character; not what the good man does, but what the good man is: in the Beatitudes He reveals the
roots of character, leaving the fruits to come of themselves;
and to this ideal character, and to this ideal character alone, He assigns the coming [millennial and messianic] kingdom of God.
The Beatitudes are not extraneous gifts, but natural fruits; they are
individual grapes, that can grow alone, but can also cluster on one stalk; and
they form a character so startlingly unworldly, so extraordinarily unearthly,
as to open before us a new world of beauty and holiness and joy, such as never
before entered the heart of man.
Our Lord strikes the first profound, amazing note in the
heavenly character. Blessed are the POOR
IN SPIRIT: for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven (Matt. 5: 3). Here, at once, is a sharp, deep
revolution in human thought, something profoundly alien to the spirit of the
world. Nothing carries a man through the world,
said the infidel David Hume, like
a true, genuine, natural impudence: on the contrary, our Lord puts humility at the summit of the Beatitudes. It is not poverty of circumstances;
it is not necessarily poverty in gifts, such as intellect, graces, strength of
character - the Lord Himself was immeasurably so gifted: it is the absence of self-sufficiency, of pride, of worldly ambition:
for
of such is the kingdom of heaven.
The second Beatitude is the beatitude
of divine sorrow. Blessed are they that MOURN:
for they - in all the Beatitudes the they is emphatic;
they, and no others - shall be comforted. Blessed, says the world, are they that laugh, and dance, and sing; even though
millions are starving to death a few hundred miles away, and a whole world moves hellwards. Which is right?
A single tear can disclose a deeply-fountained heart; the
spirit of mourning - unknown in heaven,
and ungranted in hell - reveals a soul acutely sympathetic with God, who is an enemy in the world that He has made.
It is the noble grief over past sin, present failure, broken communion, growing
iniquity, multiplying backsliders, perishing millions:
it is Gods sorrow, which will bring Gods comfort.
The third Beatitude is the beatitude
of the obscure. Blessed are the MEEK:
for they shall
inherit the earth; the
landed property which of all is the surest. The contrast is as startling as
ever: it is just the meek, in a world of violence and wrong, that are sure to be disinherited, robbed, despoiled. The French version is: Happy are les debonnaires - the gracious, self-effacing - gracious
characters, that attract and win. Meekness is an absence of antagonism in
the character: it is not weakness - on the contrary, it means immense self-control
become habitual, and passed into
character; it can on found in men of fiery spirit - like Moses and John the
Apostle: it means a willingness to forego claims; to rate low our own position and dignity; to stand insult and neglect without
resentment or bitterness. To such
characters of ripened self-control belongs the control of the coming [God-ordered and restored (Rom. 8: 20, 21, R.V.)] earth. Dost thou wish to possess the earth? Beware
then lest thou be possessed by it
(Augustine). Self-renunciation is the way to world-dominion
(Stier).
The fourth Beatitude is the beatitude of sanctity. Blessed are they that HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS - sheer goodness, sought for itself
alone: for they shall
be filled - they
shall [then] be rewarded in kind. The Catacombs have a figure marked on many tombs - a stag, drinking at a
silver stream. The ache, the craving in the heart to be good, is a famine
planted in the soul by God; such pursue the highest with
the full force of the instinct of the sustentation of life: one day they shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more, for bread of either body or soul.
Here it is a sprinkling on the lips; there [during a Day
(2 Pet. 3: 8) yet to come], a full, long, deep draught: the very dilating of the vessel is a daily
increase of capacity to receive.
The fifth Beatitude is the beatitude of pitifulness, Blessed are
the MERCIFUL: for they shall obtain mercy. It is most significant that the heart
of mercy immediately follows the passion for righteousness: so often the most righteous are the least merciful! Mercy is not a
soft easy-goingness, that confounds right and wrong: it is a sensitive
perception of sin, combined with a boundless compassion for the sinner: it is
having a man in our power, by just right, and instead of a blow it is a kiss. Mercy rejoiceth against judgment: its delight is to remit punishment,
not to impose it: it is a great pitifulness. Big enough to take in a world; and
over such will break a vast cloud-burst of pitifulness
at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The sixth Beatitude is the beatitude of purity. Blessed are the PURE IN HEART: not merely the pure in act: for they
shall see God. It was said of Sir Isaac Newton, by those who knew him best, that
he had the whitest soul they had ever known. The look of
lust, under the new [divine] code, is an act of adultery. We read of
The seventh Beatitude is the sole beatitude of the eight that
deals with action. Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS:
for they shall
be called - acknowledged,
publicly recognized, before men and angels, - [during the age
to come (Heb. 6: 5, R.V.)] - by God - sons of God. To
stand up for peace, in a world full of peace- breakers, is hard enough: to make peace requires a tact, a wisdom, a courage, a love
that is no light achievement. Charles
Simeon and Robert Hall were once
seriously estranged. After several friends had failed to re-unite them, John Owen wrote half a dozen lines, and
left them at the house of each.
How rare that task a prosperous issue finds,
Which seeks to reconcile
discordant minds!
How many scruples rise to
passions touch!
This yields too little, and
that asks too much:
Each wishes each with others
eyes to see;
And many sinners cant make
two agree:
What mediation, then, the
Saviour showd,
Who singly reconciled us all
to God!
Simultaneously, Simeon and Hall hurried to each others
houses; they met in the street; and looked in each others eyes, never to
quarrel again.
The last Beatitude is the beatitude of the sufferers. Blessed are
they that have been PERSECUTED FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. The Beatitudes opened with the Kingdom; they close with the Kingdom; they express the ripeness that enters: these are
the children of the Kingdom. So our Lord
closes with the hallmark of the Kingdom-suffering. Those who
are hunted, harassed, spoiled; the term is properly
used of wild beasts pursued by hunters, or of an enemy or malefactor in flight
(Wetstein). Some seven millions of Christians are
laid to rest in the Catacombs, two millions of whom were martyrs. Sufferings for Christ constitute the title deeds of the
Kingdom. Rejoice; for blessed, and happy are interchangeable words at last: leap for joy not in spite of the persecution, but because of it: the greater the suffering, the greater the reward, in the heavens. Eight are the Beatitudes: eight is the number of resurrection; and in them is enshrined a character
stamped and scaled for the First Resurrection.
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900
THE HOME BEYOND
By D. M. PANTON, B.A.
TABITHA, which by interpretation
is called Dorcas (Acts 9: 36): the Holy Spirit - as so often in Scripture - emphasizes the
name, for in Scripture a name reveals a
character even more than a person : Tabitha, Dorcas, Gazelle - such is the
name in Aramaic, Greek, and English. As Rhoda is the budding rose of the Acts, so Dorcas
the gazelle or roe - an emblem among
Orientals for beauty - is loveliness in its maturity. I doubt if we should go
too far if we see in the word a remarkable translation of the physical into the
spiritual: of all animals the gazelle is one of the most graceful - grace-full: the grace that distinguished Tabitha
is translated - not lost - into another grace, which can never age, and never die.
Dorcas was a violet blooming in the
shade; but the fragrance of her life has filled the Churches for two
thousand years.
For here is one of the wonderful biographies of Scripture
sketched in a few words by the Holy Spirit. Now there was at Joppa a certain
disciple - the
only time the word disciple is ever used in the feminine: it is
found nowhere else in the literature of the world - for Heathenism never
admitted a woman-disciple. Tabitha is the typical woman-disciple delightsome to
God: this woman was full of good works - the Spirit is careful to say that
she was a disciple before she did good works: fruit does not make a tree alive; but a
live tree makes fruit - and alms-deeds
which she did.
Eve sewed fig leaves together, to cover sin: her daughter, four thousand years
after, sewed garments together, to cover want and disease and
poverty and pain. It is not social position, or
wealth, or great natural gifts, or learning, for which the Holy Spirit
distinguishes the only woman ever raised from the dead: it is not even for alms-gifts, but
alms-deeds
- that is, she did not get the garments made, but with her own fingers sewed
what she may have been too poor to buy: and FULL OF GOOD WORKS;
which no woman is too poor to give, and none is prevented from giving because
she is rich. What a biography in four words! - FULL of good works: good works in the soul, and the soul
in the good works: each full of the other. We have not the record of a single
word Tabitha ever said; but he who is
full of good works is a far happier and a far more memorable man than he whose
bank is full of gilt-edged securities.
Now the shadow falls. And it came
to pass in those days that she fell sick, and died. What a wonderful
thing is a holy death! A mother, some time ago, speaking of her neighbour who
had just lost her child, said to her minister with moistened eyes:- Oh, I wish I had buried my
lassie when she was seven years old! A holy death is a happy death.
When Sir Harry Kane stepped on the
scaffold to which he had been sent by Charles II, stooping to embrace his
children, he said:- I am going to my Fathers
house. Suffer
anything from men rather than sin against God. As he bowed his head to the axe, he
said:- Blessed be God, I have kept a conscience void of offence toward Him, and have not deserted [i.e., apostatised from] the holy cause for
which I suffer. Happy death!
Now there rises before us the
after-death scene - the change which awaits us all. All the
widows stood weeping and shewing the coats - tunics, or
inner raiment - and garments - the robes worn
over the tunic - which Dorcas made. The poor can give no rich funerals, but they can bring their
tears; and they can show the reasons why they weep: who would envy any funeral
but that? Dorcas had used only a needle: but she had embroidered her name in
deathless letters into the practical charities of the
Now we arrive at the hidden moment and the secret scene that
is coming. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled
down and prayed.
The secrecy of resurrection is exceedingly remarkable. If dying should be a quiet scene, and we instinctively guard the
death-chamber from interruption or curiosity, may not the coming back to life
call for the same delicacy and seclusion?
Peter, representing his Lord, kneels alone: unlike his Lord,
he has to pray before the body can be quickened: the
Resurrection and the Life must enter the room.
So we reach the great reunion. Turning to
the body - for there was
no doubt that it was a corpse - he said, Tabitha, arise: and she opened her eyes; and
when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her
his hand, and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her ALIVE. She who had loved so well, and been
so beloved, is restored to them, to love and be loved
once more, and to resume the happy tasks
of charity and grace. What a parable! When a French ship, which had been
absent from France for four years, drew near its shores, the sailors were
almost incapacitated for service through joy, as they cried again and again, La Belle
France, La Belle France! and when,
approaching the wharf, they saw their wives and mothers and children, they were
so helpless with joy that the Captain had to get other labourers to help dock
the vessel. How quickly every tear must have dried as the
widows re-entered a death-chamber that was now a cradle, not of an infant, but
of a saint in the full maturity of her
experience and her powers! One of the most saintly women of a past
generation, Mrs. Reilly, of Harrisburg, when asked by one of her
large Bible Class what reward she would
like in the day to come,
replied:- Some service which will keep me near my Lord and Master. As Tabitha eagerly resumed the
unfinished garments, so with what joyous, glorious intensity we shall resume a
new sinless service in the
Beneath and within all the beautiful life and its crowded
service is the word used only here in all literature -
a female disciple. Incandescent mantles are a
lovely parable of how the silent, but radiant,
life is made. A web of cotton is soaked in a solution
of rare minerals, until it has absorbed every particle it can absorb. Then it is dried; and then it is burned. The cotton all passes away; and the mantle,
which, fragile as it is, endures in white loveliness the fierce flame, survives.
What was the cotton for? Simply to
feed that which is imperishable, something to build the permanent around.
So it is in discipleship. Our web of
cotton must be soaked in the Spirit, and lit from the flame of CHRIST: then all life is but cotton
burnt away in the flame: but what is holy and good shines:
and more than shines - it is imperishable; death itself only bums away the cotton,
and leaves in character, in works, even in the body itself, the
immortal.
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