TRACTS FROM 951-1000
INDEX
951 WHY DO THE WICKED PROSPER?
By Derek Rous.
952
EXAMPLES OF APOSTASY By Arlen L.
Chitwood.
953 DEFILING THE FLESH By Arlen L. Chitwood.
954
By Frederick A. Tatford LITT.D.
955 DISPISING DOMINION By Arlen L. Chitwood.
956 THE WORD-STUDY OF THE WORD
By Mildred Hill.
957 THE PROMISE OF THE LAND TO
By J. E. Walvoord. [PART ONE OF
THREE]
958 LINE UPON LINE
959 JOSEPH AS A YOUTH By Arthur W. Pink. [PART ONE OF TWO]
960 KINGDOM STUDIES IN GENESIS
6
By Royce Powell.
961 THE PROMISE OF THE LAND TO
By J. E. Walvoord [PART TWO]
962 KINGDOM STUDIES IN GENESIS
24
By Royce Powell. [PART ONE OF TWO]
963 WHERE IS
FINANCIALLY By
David Mc Millan.
964 JOSEPH THE OVERCOMER By Arthur W. Pink [PART TWO]
965 LINE UPON LINE
966 THE PROMISE OF THE LAND TO
By J. E. Walvoord. [PART THREE]
967 LINE UPON LINE
968 KINGDOM STUDIES IN GENESIS 24
By Royce Powell. [PART ONE OF TWO]
969 THE REWARDS OF THE RIGHTEOUS
DISTINCT FROM GRACE By R. E. Neighbour, D.D.
970 JOSEPH BETRAYED BY HIS BRETHREN
By Arthur W. Pink.
971 FAITH TO THE SAVING OF THE SOUL
By Philip Mauro [PART ONE OF
FOUR]
972 THE GRACE OF THE GLORY
By Robert E.
Neighbour, D.D.
973 KINGDOM STUDIES IN GENESIS 24
By Royce Powell. [PART TWO]
974 JOSEPH IN
975
By Frederick A. Tatford, LITT. D.
976 WHAT ABOUT MISSING THE KINGDOM?
By Robert E. Neighbour, D.D.
977 ANTICHRIST IN THE
By D. M. Panton, B.A.
978 THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
By G. H. Lang.
979 JOSEPH THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD
By Arthur W. Pink. [PART
ONE OF TWO]
980 JOSEPH’S EXALTATION By Arthur W. Pink.
981 “WILT THOU GO WITH THIS MAN?”
By G. H. Lang.
982 LSRAEL, JEHOVAH’S PEOPLE
By Frederick A. Tatford. LITT, D.
983 JOSEPH THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD
By Arthur W. Pink [PART ONE OF TWO]
984 THE
985 CREATION AND RESTORATION
By Arthur W. Pink.
986 THE BIRTHRIGHT AND THE
HEAVENLY PRIZE By Erich Sauer
987 JOSEPH THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD
By Arthur Pink [PART
TWO]
988 THY PEOPLE SHALL BE DELIVERED
By Nathaniel West, D.D.
989 HEZEKIAH’S SICKNESS AND RECOVERY
By Robert Govett, M.A.
990 THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
By Frederick A. Tatford LITT. D.
991 ABRAHAM “THE FATHER OF US ALL”
By Arthur W. Pink.
992 KADESHBARNEA AND ITS LESSONS
By G. H. Lang. [PART
ONE OF THREE]
993 THE REIGN OF CHRIST
By Frederick A. Tatford LITT. D.
994 JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN DISPENSATIONALLY
CONSIDERED By Arthur W. Pink.
995 AN ENQUIRY AS TO MAN’S CONSTITUTION AND FUTURE
WITH REMARKS IN HADES AND
996 OVERCOMING [OR] BEING OVERCOME
By Arlen L. Chitwood.
997 CROWNED RULERS - CHRIST, CHRISTIANS
By Arlen L. Chitwood.
998 SOME SHALL DEPART By Arlen L. Chitwood.
999 THE CHURCH’S PLACE IN GOD’S WORLD-PLAN
By G. H. PEMBER.
1000 THE TRANSFIGURATION, THE DEMON-POSSESSED YOUTH,
AND THE TEMPLE-TAX. By G. H. Pember.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
951
WHY DO THE WICKED PROSPER?
By DEREK ROUS
Jeremiah’s question to God in these verses is an
expression of frustration that he has about the justice of God. Jeremiah 12: 1
He continues in the verse, “Why are those happy who deal treacherously ... you are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” No doubt Job would have agreed with him. He says, “God has delivered me to the
ungodly and turned me over to the hands of the wicked.” Job 16: 11. What they both discovered was that despite the
greatness and power of God, He never seems to act in life, to please or satisfy us.
For reasons that fail us, He thinks, speaks and acts in ways that defy our
understanding and judges situations in a way and in a timeframe that causes us
to doubt His purposes. The reason for this is because He is God.
“Therefore strengthen
the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths
for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but rather be
healed.” - Hebrews 12: 12.
Jeremiah Chapters 10-12 shows us
that God knows exactly what He is doing and doesn’t need us to tell Him what to
do next? The wonder is that
HOW DOES GOD
FEEL ABOUT BETRAYAL?
But, how did God feel when
JUDGMENT WAS BRINGING THEM TO REPENTANCE
We just don’t understand how God feels about things!
And then we wonder why God does what He does. But this is where we see the
goodness and mercy of God flow together for
the sake of His own Holy Name as well as for the people of the Covenant.
Sin and its consequences make us feel bad but God feels so much more than us.
It’s the same as saying how awful when people die for their faith. But Jesus
died for the sins of the whole world. And He did it alone, when at any time He
could have been given twelve legions of angels to come to help but that the
scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled and “...all forsook Him and fled.” (14: 50.) But how much joy in heaven when one sinner
repents. We don’t really understand that
either.
DON’T GET WORN DOWN
Chapter 12: 5-6 is very relevant for us today. The enemy is a master
at using diversionary tactics. These are devised to draw people into a what
appears to be noble cause but is actually a trap. Here, we are forced to use up
our energies facing various pressing but unnecessary trials. It is just what
Jeremiah is warning against - and the
real problem is the temptation is coming from people we thought we could trust.
Discernment!
THE NEED TO PRAY ON
So,
when praying for
*
* * *
* * *
952
EXAMPLES OF
APOSTASY
By ARLEN L.
CHITWOOD.
Apostates depart
from the faith through various forms. In the first ten verses of Jude lessons concerning apostasy are drawn mainly from the
three periods of 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.
1. Verse Five: The Israelites under Moses were to enter the land
covenanted to Abraham and his posterity and rule as God’s firstborn son over
all the nations of the earth.
Spiritual blessings flow out to the people of the
earth through God’s 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 Old Testament God so loved the world that He gave His Son, Jesus, the
Seed of Abraham. The purpose: Spiritual blessings for mankind, beginning with
man’s 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 in the matter surrounding their calling. 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 nation’s removal from
Egypt, the new covenant will be made with Israel following the nation’s 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 Jesus will enter into the land and occupy this
position. In that 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 Satan’s 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. God’s immediate judgment upon these
angels resulted in their being confined with chains in a place of darkness - in
Tartarus awaiting judgment
by God’s 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 angels 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 man’s
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 of 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.
*
* * *
* * *
953
DEFILING THE
FLESH
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD
“Yet in like manner these also in their
dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought
dominion,
and rail at dignities. [9] But Michael the archangel,
when contending
about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him
a railing judgment,
but said
The Lord rebuke thee:” Jude
8, 9.
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 one’s
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 [apostatize and] 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 [redeemed and 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 Christ’s 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
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
Christians, there is a widespread, false
teaching in Christendom today which states that all of a Christian’s sins -
past, present, and future - were taken care of through the sacrifice of Christ
on Calvary; and, on the basis of the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, a
Christian can never come into judgment for any sin which he commits. Therefore,
warnings concerning God’s judgment to be visited upon individuals indulging in
the sins of the flesh cannot be directed toward Christians.
Rom. 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
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
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 [regenerate] 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 - [after death (Heb. 9: 27) until resurrection (2
Tim. 2: 18; Rev. 20: 4-6, R.V.] - may result in chastisement [and one’s loss of the coming messianic and
millennial inheritance! See Matt. 5: 20; Luke 19: 22; Luke 16: 23, 30; Rev.
3: 15-22; 20: 5, R.V.]*
[* Note the conditions
by use of the words “they that are accounted worthy to attain to that age”,
(Luke 20: 35,
R.V); “If by any means I may attain”
[i.e., ‘gain by effort’] “onto the resurrection [out] from
the dead” (Phil 3: 11,
R.V.).]
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 [at
the time of resurrection (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52; 1 Thess. 4: 16, R.V.)] as the “sons of God” at the end of this [evil
and apostate]
age and fill positions of power and authority as joint-heirs with Christ in the
kingdom. The judgment seat will reveal
their approval to occupy these positions.
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 [compare Num. 14: 23. with 1 Cor. 10: 6, 14, 15, R.V.
and Heb. 10:
28-30,
R.V.];
and numerous Christians in that day, because of the sins of the flesh, will be shown to have forfeited their [millennial] inheritance, resulting in their disqualification for positions as joint-heirs with
Christ.
*
* * *
* * *
954
By FEDERICK A. TATFORD LITT. D.
WHEN GOD called
out Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11: 31), it was
with the object of creating a new nation which was distinct from all others - a
people who were holy and a special possession to Him (Deuteronomy 7: 6), an elect race. Balaam
subsequently declared, “... the people shall dwell alone, and
shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers
23: 9). It was the Divine intention that this new nation of
God
made certain pledges to them in respect of their future blessing. He bound
Himself to Abraham by an unconditional covenant of such importance that He
declared it in various forms ten times - six times to Abraham and two each to
Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12: 1-3; 13: 14-17; 15: 1-7; 17: 1-18; etc.). In addition to the Divine promises to Abraham
personally, blessing was promised to his seed, who were likened to the stars of
heaven (Genesis 15: 5), to the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22: 17) and to the dust of the earth (Genesis 13: 16), so
countless in numbers were they to be. There was, of course, an implication in
the symbols that the patriarch would have a spiritual posterity (innumerable as
the stars) as well as a physical posterity (numberless as the grains of sand
and dust), and it is significant that some of the blessings covenanted were
spiritual and others material. Prof. J.
F. Walvoord in The
Millennial Kingdom concisely
summarizes the promises to Abraham’s seed, “The
nation itself shall be great (Genesis 12: 2)
and innumerable (Genesis 13: 16).
The nation is promised possession of the land. Its extensive boundaries are
given in detail (Genesis 15: 18-21).
In connection with the promise of the land, the Abrahamic covenant itself is
expressly called ‘everlasting’ (Genesis 17: 7)
and the possession of the land is defined as ‘an
everlasting possession’ (Genesis 17: 8). It should be ‘an everlasting possession’ (Genesis l7: 8) immediately clear that this promise
guarantees both the everlasting continuance of the seed as a nation and its
everlasting possession of the land.”
The
covenant was unconditional for Abraham and was binding only upon God. No
provision was made for its revocation, and it cannot, therefore, be annulled.
Indeed, in Galatians 3: 17, the apostle Paul argues emphatically that the Mosaic
law, given 430 years later, cannot abrogate the provisions of the covenant. The
promises must be fulfilled, and
In
so blessing
When
David was established on his throne, God entered into a covenant with him,
promising that his house, his throne and his kingdom should be established for
ever (2 Samuel 7: 12-16). As in the case of the Abrahamic
covenant, no conditions were imposed on the beneficiary; it was an
unconditional covenant, binding only upon God. It was quite irrevocable, and in
Psalm 89: 28, 29, 34-37 He declared
that His covenant with David should not be broken, that David’s seed should
endure for ever and his throne should be as permanent as the sun. Jeremiah 33: 20-26 expressed
it equally plainly: only if day and night ceased to be would the covenant with
David be broken or his seed disowned. Isaiah 54: 8-10 provides further confirmation: mountains and hills
would be displaced before the Davidic covenant was disturbed. The covenant was
an everlasting one (Ezekiel 37: 26).
On
the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided into two, ten tribes crowning
Jeroboam the son of Nebat as king while the other two tribes retained their
loyalty to Rehoboam, Solomon’s son (1 Kings 12). The two
kingdoms continued side by side until 721 B.C., when as a result of the sin of
the northern kingdom of Israel, the people were carried away captive by the
Assyrians (2 Kings 17: 5, 6). The
lesson made little impression on the southern kingdom of Judah, and in 598
B.C., the king and the chief people were carried into captivity by
Nebuchadnezzar, and nine years later most of those who remained were
transported to Babylon (2
Kings 24: 11-17; 25: 1-11).
Although some of the exiles were subsequently allowed to return (Ezra 2: 1), the
It was during the Roman regime that one of heaven’s
eternal purposes was fulfilled, and the Messiah was born of
Our
Lord made clear the consequences of their rejection when He declared, “the
It
is sometimes taught that the elect remnant of Israel, who accepted the gospel
and were incorporated with Gentile believers into the one body of the Church, became the “holy nation” of 1 Peter 2: 9 and that this was the “direct
and plenary fulfilment of the assurances given in the Old Testament that Israel
was not to cease from being a nation before the Lord for ever.” But this
virtually implies that Israel has, in fact, ceased from being a nation and has
been superseded by the Church, the latter thus becoming the inheritor of all
the promises to Israel. The blessings of this age, however, as another has
pointed out, “do not correspond with the predictions
of the restoration and conversion of Israel, with the predictions of Israel’s
supremacy on a regenerated earth (Isaiah 14: 1-3; 41: 11, 12; 49: 22-26; 51: 22, 23; 54: 17; 60: 12, 14, 16), or with the return of fertility to
Canaan (Isaiah 35: 7; 41: 18, 19; 43: 20; 55: 12, 13; 60: 13; Jeremiah 3: 5).” The only conclusion which can be reached is that the covenants made with
At
the Jerusalem conference referred to in Acts 15, James declared
that after God had taken a people out of the Gentiles, He would return and
rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David (Acts 15: 13-18). James was, of course, quoting Amos 9: 11, 12, where the prophet depicted the fortunes of
[* NOTE: Scripture makes mention of TWO raptures of His redeemed people! The first will occur before
the Antichrist’s persecutions begin - when he breaks his covenant with
Keep
this truth in mind, for our God is no respecter of persons in
judgment (Col. 3: 25, R.V. Cf.
Malachi 3: 6 with 1 Cor. 10: 5, 6, 9-11; Eph. 5: 6; Heb. 10: 30, 35ff.; Heb. 12: 17ff., R.V.).]
There
must be a future repatriation of Israel if a land co-terminous
with the promised boundaries is to be their inalienable possession, and if the royal house is to be
established in perpetuity. There can be no dubiety about the Divine purpose.
God declared, “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,
saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go
over the earth; so I have sworn that I would not
be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 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, who hath mercy upon thee” (Isaiah 54: 8-10). If this
is not sufficiently explicit, Jeremiah records
the words of the Lord, “…who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light
by night, who divideth the sea when the waves
thereof roar. ... If those ordinances depart
from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of
[* NOTE: The words translated ‘for ever,’ ‘everlasting’ and ‘for evermore’
- in this context our Lord’s messianic and millennial reign, upon
and over this earth - must be understood in the sense for as long as God will
allow this earth to remain, before destroying it by fire, and replacing it with
an entirely ‘new’ one! See 2 Pet. 3: 10. Cf. Rev. 21: 1, R.V.]
The
Old Testament prophets repeatedly
and explicitly foretell the restoration
of [the nation of]
[*
Here is proof that David’s resurrection from the dead has not yet happened! On
the day of Pentecost - ten days after Christ’s ascension he said: “For David ascended not …” Acts 2: 34; and
Paul’s words to Timothy were: “Hymenaeus and Philetus
… have erred, saying
that the resurrection is past already …” (2 Tim. 2: 17b, 18, R.V.);
and of our Lord’s words to His disciples: “… if I go to
prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself…” (John. 14: 3, R.V.). How then can David be “their king” before his resurrection or before
the time when “
If, as we believe, the seventieth “week” of Daniel 9: 27 is still unfulfilled, it
is essential for Israel to be in her own land in order that the western powers
may enter into the predicted treaty with her. Similarly, a returned
[* That is, after
the temple the Jews will build - the one which the Antichrist will desecrate:
but the millennial ‘temple’ will be
built by our Lord Jesus - “the man whose name is the Branch” Zechariah 6: 12,
13, R.V. See Mark
11: 17, R.V. This temple will be, -
“… a house of prayer for all nations…”!
So says the prophet Isaiah: “… for my
house shall be called as
house of prayer for all nations, (Isa. 56: 7 R.V.)! But, the prophet Jeremiah, gives a dire warning of Divine judgment to all apostates; and those who place their
trust in “lying
words” (Jer.
7: 3-17, R.V.),.]
For
these events to happen, the elect of the present day (i.e. [members
of] the
church) must first be removed, but present conditions suggest that
this is not far distant.
It is clear from our Lord’s own words, as well as from
Old Testament prophecy, that the prospect before the restored Jew is first a period of unparalleled tribulation and
judgment, which will be brought to an end by the return of the Lord to the
earth to set up the kingdom for which
There
can be no possibility of interpreting prophecies such as Isaiah 11: 6-10 and 65: 19-25 otherwise than literally, and any attempt to spiritualize them, and make them applicable to the [whole] Church - [irrespective of
the disgraceful, immoral and ungodly behaviour of many regenerate and apostate
members within it] - is ill-reasoned. “Hath God cast away His people?” asked the apostle
Paul. “God
hath not cast away His people which He foreknew” (Romans 11: 1, 2).
*
* * *
* * *
955
DESPISING
DOMINION
By ARLEN L.
CHITWOOD
“Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the
flesh,
and set at nought dominion and rail at dignities:” (Jude 8, R.V.).
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,” “disregarded.”
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 God’s 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.
[* See Genesis chapter 24
and Revelation 19: 7,
8.]
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 verses 8, 10; and blasphemia, the
noun form, appears in verse 9). The word is
translated “railing accusation” in verse nine and rendered, once again, as “speak evil” in verse 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” (verse 4). Moses knew that Korah and those with him were questioning,
not just his and Aaron’s 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 God’s 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 Korah’s 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” (verses 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).
[* That is, into the place of the dead, ‘in
the heart of the earth’ (Matt. 12: 40), where
the souls of the dead presently are awaiting resurrection! (Psalm 16: 10. cf.
Acts 2: 27-34, R.V.).]
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
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 [messianic and
millennial] 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 God’s 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 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 Satan would
be an accusation against the One Who had appointed him in this position, 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, 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).
*
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956
THE WORD-STUDY OF THE WORD
By MILDRED
HILL
Unless we seek God, by the power of His Spirit, through
His Word, all our dreams of holiness will be vain. Without a quickening and
ever-deepening knowledge of God’s Will, as revealed in His Word, we are but
unarmed, famine-stricken soldiers, powerlessly fighting in the darkness in an
enemy’s country which is quite unknown to us against a superior powerful foe,
and we have no hope of anything save a pitiful defeat.
It
is only the man or woman who knows God’s Word, with an ever-increasing
understanding, who can - like our beloved Master - rout the enemy at every turn
of the battle. The sword of the Spirit is sharper than any two-edged sword; it
is milk, water, light and lamp, food, cleansing, new birth, a hammer, life,
health to the flesh; and the Bible contains everything we need for guidance,
fighting, comforting, overcoming, and winning through to glory.
Christians
know all this, and many would like to become Bible students if they only knew
how to begin; every scheme set before them appears intricate and bewildering.
If they embark upon one they are likely to find their study becomes head
knowledge, and is not feeding their souls, for our great and wonderful God -
Who ever reveals Himself anew - has His own message and His own method of
teaching each one of His children, so that a Course which to the author has
been full of help, to the reader is sometimes a hopeless puzzle.
Word-study
is so simple that a child can follow it with delight and rapture; so divine -
if we are led by the Spirit of God - that we are intimately drawing in the Life
of God; so varied as we are led to and fro from Old to New Testament -
fitting together those precious words, which when collected reveal God’s will
to us - that we are restrained from any one-sided view of things eternal, that
we are continually learning more of God; and so alluring that an hour passes like a minute, and
we long to get to His Word again, throwing aside every other book.
None
who use this method can ever doubt the inspiration of God’s Word, for no other
book in the world can be studied in this way, it would be foolish even to
attempt to do so.
Another
big advantage of Word-study is that it provides rich food for meditation, the words link the messages together, so that we
can ponder over a subject, ruminating on the precious truths revealed to us, as
our hands are busy with work that requires little or no concentration, or
during wakeful night hours.
With
the promise of Mal. 3: 16, 17, as a sure foundation, I should advise the student to
prayerfully commence with the Name of God, starting at Genesis, and carrying on through the Word steadily to the last chapter of Revelation. If the student has never studied the revelation of God by the power
of His Name, he will literally feast on the Food thus supplied.
Always
keep a big stout notebook by your side, one well and strongly bound, as you
will never want to part with it.
When
you have been all through God’s Word, drinking in the power of His Name, try
the same method with the titles given to our Blessed Saviour. Afterwards carry
on, as God’s Holy Spirit leads you, with this Word-study.
I
suggest a few words full of rich food, and advise that the whole text be
written out. “Nothing.”
“Thoughts.” “Tears.”
“Songs.” “Increase.”
“Ready.” “Consider.”
“Cannot.” “Faint,” etc.
Do
not begin with such a word as “Love,” or the
immensity of the subject will dishearten you.
Pray
for God’s Holy Spirit to give you the message you need, and He will “guide you into all the truth.”
*
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957
THE PROMISE
OF THE LAND
TO
By JOHN E. WALVOORD
[PART ONE OF THREE]
In the broad program of prophecy relating to
Practically
all conservative expositors agree that Abraham was instructed in his original
call to leave his native country,
It
would seem redundant to cite these proofs if it were not for the fact that the
term the land and its
related promises are frequently spiritualized as if they had no geographic
implications whatever. As has been pointed out in previous discussion,
Anti-millenarians usually follow one of two routes in evading the
Pre-millennial interpretations of this passage, namely, (1) that the promises of the land are to be spiritualized and relate
to heaven; or (2) that the promises
are to be interpreted literally but are conditional and will never be
fulfilled. In order to consider the anti-millennial argument, it is necessary
to examine first the promise of the land to the seed of Abraham as unfolded in
the Old Testament; second, to study the dispossessions of the land involved in
the three dispersions of Israel; third, to ascertain whether these promises
have in some sense already been fulfilled or whether they are subject to future
fulfilment and, fourth, whether taking the evidence as a whole there is good
ground for belief in the future fulfilment of these promises. Certain
conclusions may then be drawn concerning
THE PROMISE
OF THE LAND TO ABRAHAM’S SEED
In
examining the promise of the land, it may be observed first that Abraham
understood the promises of God as relating to the literal
In
Genesis 15: 18-21 the exact
dimensions of the land are given and the territory is described as running from
the river of Egypt, which was the borderline between Egypt and Canaan, and the
great river, the river Euphrates, hundreds of miles to the east. It becomes
clear from the description which follows which itemizes the heathen tribes
occupying this territory that God had in mind more than just the small area
occupied by the Canaanite himself, but rather the entire area between these two
boundaries. Here again it is obvious Abraham understood that a large geographic
area was involved.
The New Testament comments on this expectation of
Abraham in Hebrews 11: 8, 9 where it
is written: “By
faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a
place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing
whither he went. By faith he became a sojourner
in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaae and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise.” So
far, all must agree that a literal land is in view. Anti- millenarians are
quick to point out, however, that verse 10
goes on to say: “For
he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Also, in Hebrews 11:
16 it adds: “But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he
hath prepared for them a city.”
Do
these allusions to a heavenly city nullify the idea a literal land? A careful
study of this passage will demonstrate that the subject is Abraham’s faith. His
faith first of all was in regard to the land, and his faith was indicated by
his obedience and his sojourning in the land in tents. The same faith which he
manifested in God’s promise concerning the land is also manifested in Abraham's
faith concerning the heavenly city. The land represented God’s promise in
relation to time, more specifically, the future
In
presenting the Messianic hope, Isaiah,
in the major passage of Isaiah 11: 1-12, after
describing the justice which will characterize the land when the Messiah
reigns, prophesies the regathering of the children of Israel from “Assyria, and from Egypt, and from
Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the
islands of the sea.” He goes on to
state that He is going to “gather together the dispersion of
Similar
passages abound in Isaiah. For instance, in Isaiah 14: 1 it is
declared: “For
Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will
yet choose
In
Isaiah 43: 5-7
the regathering of Israel to the land is
described: “Fear
not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not
back; bring my sons from far, and my
daughters from the end of the earth; every one
that is called by my name, and whom I have
created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.” It is stated categorically in Isaiah 60: 21: “Thy people also shall
be all righteous; they shall inherit the land
for ever.”
The
book of Isaiah concludes with a great prophecy concerning the
regathering of
This
theme of Israel is continued in Jeremiah 16: 14-16: “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that it shall no more be said, As Jehovah liveth, that brought up the
children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, As Jehovah liveth, that
brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither he had driven them. And I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto
their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers,
saith Jehovah, and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out
of the clefts of the rocks.” It
should be noted that the regathering of
In
describing the time of the great tribulation in Jeremiah 30: 1-7, it is declared in verse 3: “For, lo, the days come, saith Jehovah,
that I will turn again the captivity of my people
Israel and Judah, saith Jehovah; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to
their fathers, and they shall possess it.” It is further stated in Jeremiah 30: 10, 11: “Therefore fear thou
not, O Jacob my servant, saith Jehovah; neither be
dismayed, O
In
the description of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31: 31-40 it is predicted that Israel will return to the land
and that Jerusalem will he built in a certain area which had formerly never
been used for building purposes. It is remarkable that this precise area has
been built into a portion of the modem city of
Another
clear reference to the regathering of
*
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* * *
958
LINE UPON
LINE
CHAPTER 41
ELIJAH, OR THE
VINEYARD OF NABOTH.
1
Kings 21.
I AM going to tell you of a very wicked thing that Ahab
did. People who worship idols always do a great many other wicked things: but
people who love God, hate lying and stealing and all wicked things.
Ahab
was very rich. He had two houses. One of his houses was in one town, and the
other of his houses was in another town a good way off. Near one of these
houses there was a garden full of vines. What fruit grows on the vine? -
Grapes. A garden of vines is called a vineyard. You never saw a vineyard,
because there are no vineyards in
But
Naboth answered, ‘No, I will not sell my vineyard; my father gave it to me, and I
do not choose to sell it.’
Was
it wrong of Naboth not to sell his vineyard? No, it was not wrong; he might
keep it if he pleased.
But
Ahab was very angry, because he could not get the vineyard; and he went home to
his other house, and he was so unhappy that he lay down upon his bed, and
turned away his face, and would not eat any bread.
How
foolish Ahab was to be unhappy about a vineyard! He had a great many beautiful
things, yet he wanted more. But people who do not love God are always wanting
more things, and are never satisfied.
Now
Jezebel saw how unhappy Ahab seemed, and she went to him, and said, ‘What makes you so sad?
Why do you not eat?’
And
Ahab said, ‘I asked Naboth to
sell me his vineyard, and he said, “I will not sell
it.”’
Then
Jezebel said, ‘Are
you not the king? Do not be unhappy; eat and drink: I will give you
the vineyard.’
How
could Jezebel get the vineyard? Oh! she had such a wicked plan in her mind, -
she meant to have Naboth killed. So she wrote some letters to some wicked
judges who lived near Naboth and she told them to desire some other wicked
people to say that they had heard Naboth, and say very wicked words against God
and the king, - and then to order people to kill him.
Then
Jezebel sent these wicked letters to the judges in the town where Naboth lived.
And when they had read them, they did as she told them. They desired two men to
say that they had heard Naboth say very wicked words against God and the king.
And then the judges said that Naboth must be killed: and the people took him
out of the city, and threw stones at him till he died. Poor Naboth’s blood
flowed upon the ground, and the dogs licked it up. God saw the blood of Naboth:
he was, very angry with the wicked Jezebel, who had desired him to be killed;
and God was angry with Ahab too, because he had allowed Jezebel to write
letters.
The
judges who had killed Naboth sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth is stoned, and is dead.’
Then
Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Go and take the vineyard of
Naboth: for he is not alive, but dead.’
Then
Ahab went to the town where the vineyard was, to take it for his own, and to
make it into a garden.
Dear
children, do you think that God will punish Ahab for all this wickedness?
God
spoke to Elijah and told him what Ahab had done; And God said, ‘Go to the vineyard where Ahab
is, and tell him that dogs shall one day lick
his blood.’*
So
Elijah went into the vineyard. When Ahab saw him he was very sorry: for he
could not bear to see Elijah, because he told him of his sins: and Ahab said to
Elijah, ‘Hast
thou found me, oh mine enemy?’
* The blood of Abab himself
was not licked up by dogs in that place, but in Samaria; but the blood of his son Joram was licked up
in that very place (2 Kings 9: 21), and this circumstance was no doubt a
fulfilment of God’s threatening; but not being sufficiently direct for children to understand, it was
judged better that this particular of the history should be omitted in this
recital.
He
called Elijah his enemy. Then Elijah told him that God had said that dogs
should lick his blood, and that dogs should one day eat up Jezebel’s body; and
that his children should be eaten by dogs, and picked by birds after they were
dead.
What
a dreadful message this was! I am glad to tell you that Ahab was frightened at
the message, and was very unhappy. If Ahab had not cared for what God had said,
God would have been still more angry with him; but now God soon told Elijah to
tell Ahab that he would not give him all the punishment, so that his children
should not be killed till after Ahab was dead: they would be eaten by dogs and
birds some day, but not for a long while; yet dogs should lick up Ahab’s blood.
It
was very kind of God not to kill Ahab’s children immediately; but God is very
kind even to wicked people, though he casts them into hell at last.
Ahab
was still wicked; he was not sorry because he had offended God, for he did not
love God; he was only sorry for the punishment. He was like Saul; he was not
like David.
*
* *
CHAPTER 42
ELIJAH, OR
THE DEATH OF THE KING AND QUEEN.
1
Kings 22: 34-36. 2 Kings 9: 30 to
end.
I will now tell you how Ahab was killed at last A long
while afterwards Ahab went to fight a battle against some people who lived near
You
remember that God had told Elijah that dogs should lick up Abab’s
blood, because Ahab had allowed Naboth to be killed.
All
that God says must come true.
Ahab’s
body was buried in a grave; but his soul, I fear, went to hell: for he did not
love God.
And
What became of wicked Jezebel?
A
long while afterwards she was killed too. A captain desired her servants to
throw her out of the window, and they did so: and her blood ran out upon the
wall, and upon the horses of the captain and his soldiers: and the captain
trampled upon her with his horses’ feet. Then he went in to dinner: and while
he was at dinner, the dogs ate up Jezebel; so that there was nothing left of
her but the bones of her head (which is called the skull), and the bones of her
feet and hands. This was the end of that wicked woman, who had killed so many
of God’s good prophets, and encouraged Ahab to be wicked.
What
dreadful punishments God often sends to wicked people at last!
Now,
dear children, will you tell me what Ahab should have done, when Naboth said he
would not sell his vineyard? Should he have gone on wishing for it, and
fretting about it? No, that was very wicked: it was coveting. God had said, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ We should not wish for things that God does not
choose us to have. If you see something nice, or pretty in a shop, and you have not money enough to bay
it, you should not go on wishing for it. If there is nice fruit in your
father’s garden you should not go, and look at it, and wish for it: but you
should turn away. If your father pleases, he will give you some. If your mother
puts some cake in the cupboard, you ought not, to think to yourself, ‘How much I wish I could have some of that cake!’ for
if you do so, perhaps you will try and take some. Satan wishes you to covet
things. How should you prevent yourself wishing for things? You should pray to
God to take the thoughts out of your mind, and to make you think of heavenly
things. Instead of thinking so much of cake, and fruit, and toys, and pretty
clothes, God’s Spirit would make you
think, ‘How pleasant it will be to see the angels, and to sing God’s praises to a golden
harp, and to see the dear Lord Jesus on his throne of glory!’
King Ahab has a palace grand,
Fair gardens all around are spread;-
Yet now he longs for Naboth’s land,
And mourning lies upon his bed.
Ah! see, where murdered Naboth bleeds,
While hungry dogs the spot surround,
The Lord abhors vile Ahab’s deeds,
And Ahab’s blood shall stain the ground.
What pleasure now can Ahab find
In that sad spot where Naboth bled?
Does not the place recall to mind
The dreadful words the Lord has said?
Satan tries ever to deceive
The souls he wishes to destroy;
He first persuades them to believe
Some earthly thing will give true joy;
Then leads them down some crooked path,
By which that pleasure to obtain;
But when they taste God’s dreadful wrath,
He laughs and triumphs in their pain.
*
* *
CHAPTER 43
ELIJAH, OR THE THREE
CAPTAINS.
2
Kings 1
When, Ahab was
dead, there was another king. He was one of Ahab’s sons, and his name was A-ha-ziah. He was wicked like his father Ahab and his mother
Jezebel. He worshipped idols.
After
he had been king a little while, he met with a frightful accident. He was in a
room upstairs, and he fell out of the window, and hurt himself very much. He
thought that perhaps he should die, and he wanted very much to know whether he
should die, or whether he should get well. When you are sick, my dear child,
who is it knows whether you shall get well? Only God. But Ahaziah was so
foolish that he thought an idol could tell whether he should die or live. So he
sent his servants a great way off to an idol that he had heard of.
As
the servants were going to the idol they met a man; they did not know who he
was. This man was dressed in the skins of beasts with the hair outside, and he
wore round his waist a piece of leather, called a girdle. Do you know, dear
children, who this man was? It was Elijah. God had told him to go and speak to
the servants of king Ahaziah.
Elijah
told the servants that God was angry with Ahaziah for sending to an idol to
know whether he should get well; and that God had said that he should never
come down from his bed, but should surely die.
How
surprised the servants must have been when they found that the man they met
knew where they were going, and what the king’s message was! They did not go on
to the idol’s house, but they went back to tell Ahaziah what the prophet had
said. Then Ahaziah thought that perhaps the prophet was Elijah, for Ahaziah had
often heard of him, and perhaps Ahaziah had seen him. He said to the servants, ‘What sort of a man was he?’
And
the servants said, ‘He wore clothes covered with hair, and a leathern girdle.’
Then
Ahaziah said, ‘It
is Elijah.’
Ahaziah
was very angry with Elijah for having said that he should die, and he wanted to
see him; but he knew that Elijah could do wonders, so he determined to send a
great many men to fetch Elijah, and to make him come. So he desired a man who
could fight, called a captain, to take fifty soldiers with him, and to go and
fetch Elijah.
The
captain found Elijah sitting on the top of a hill, and the captain spoke to him
in a rude manner, and said, ‘Thou man of God, the king
hath said, “Come down.”’
Elijah
said ‘If I be a man of God, then let fire come down
from heaven, and burn up you and your fifty men.’
And
the, fire came down from heaven, and burned up the captain and his fifty men.
How
dreadful it must have been to have seen all these men burned up in a moment!
How easily God can punish wicked people when he chooses it! He might have burnt
us up if he had chosen it, but he has been very kind to us.
Ahaziah
found that the captain and the soldiers did
not come back. Then Ahaziah sent another captain with fifty soldiers; and this
captain found Elijah on the top of the hill; and he said, ‘man of God, thus
hath the king said, “Come down quickly.”’ You, see that this captain spoke even more rudely than the other
captain had done, for he said, ‘Come down quickly.’
And
Elijah answered, ‑ ‘If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven
and burn you up, and your fifty men.’ And the fire of God came down from heaven,
and burnt them up. So these soldiers never returned to king Ahaziah.
Then
he sent another captain and fifty other soldiers. Now this captain had heard
what had happened to the other captains.
Do
you not think that he must have, been very much frightened when Ahaziah told
him to go and fetch Elijah? What could this poor captain do? The king would
have been very angry if he had said he would not go. This is what the captain
did. He went to Elijah, and he behaved in a very humble manner. He threw himself
down upon his knees before Elijah, and begged Elijah to spare his life, and the
lives of his soldiers, and not to let them be burnt up like the other soldiers.
Was this captain burnt up? Oh no! God was too kind to bum him up. The angel of
the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; be not
afraid of him.’
So
Elijah vent with this captain to king Ahaziah.
Elijah
found Ahaziah lying sick in bed, and Elijah told him that because he had sent
to ask the idol whether he should get well, God would never let him get well,
but that he should die in that bed.
Very
soon afterwards the king Ahaziah died, and there was another king instead of
him, and he was wicked like Ahab and Ahaziah.
Are
you not surprised that Ahaziah did not order his servants to kill Elijah? I
suppose that he was afraid of hurting Elijah: for God, you see, took care of
him.
Are
you afraid, dear children, lest God should send you to hell, and let you bum
for ever and ever? Then you must do what the last captain did. You must pray to
God to spare you, and he will hear you, because Christ died for you.
*
* *
CHAPTER 44
ELIJAH, OR
THE CHARIOT OF FIRE.
2
Kings 2: 1-15.
Do you remember, dear children, that Elijah once wished
to die? But God chose that Elijah should never die, but should go up to heaven
without dying. How pleased Elijah must have been, when he knew that God meant
to do this! Should not you like, my dear child, to be caught up into heaven to
see God, and to sing with the angels? But God chooses that we should die, and
that our bodies should be put in the ground. Yet if Christ were to come again
while we were alive, then we should be caught up into heaven without dying, if
we loved Jesus; but perhaps Jesus may not come for a long while. When Elijah
knew that he was soon going up into heaven, he went to a great many places
first, where his friends lived. These friends were some good young prophets who
lived together, and learned about God.
Once
Elijah had no friends; he had thought that no one loved God but himself: but
now he had a great many friends. These young prophets knew that Elijah was soon
going up to heaven. I think they must have felt sorry to part with him: only
they knew that he was going to be happy.
Elisha
wished very much to see Elijah go up to heaven. What do you think he determined
to do?
To
keep close to Elijah, and not to leave him. Elijah said to him, ‘Pray stay at this place,
while I go to another place, where the Lord has told me to go.’
And
Elisha said, ‘I
will not leave thee.’
Soon
afterwards Elijah said, ‘Stay
at this place while I go on. ‘No,’ said Elisha, ‘I will not leave thee.’
Soon
again Elijah said, ‘Stay at this place while I go on.’
‘No,’ said Elisha, ‘I will not
leave thee.’
So
Elijah and Elisha walked a great way together from place to place. At last they
came to the river
After
they had gone over the river, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for thee before I be
taken away from thee.’
For
what did Elisha ask? He wished to be such a prophet as Elijah was, so he asked
for a great deal of his spirit. Was not this a good thing to ask for? Elisha
wished to be a great prophet, that he might teach people about God. He did not
want people to praise him; he wanted them to praise God.
* It is doubtful whether by the words ‘a double portion of thy spirit,’ Elisha meant double
the measure that Elijah had, or double the measure that was bestowed upon the
other prophets of his day.
Elijah
said, ‘You have
asked a hard thing; but if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so: but if not, it
shall not be so.’
How
much Elisha now hoped that he should see Elijah go up to heaven!
They
still walked on, and talked to each other. What do you think they talked about?
I am sue that they did not talk of foolish things. I think they talked of God
and of heaven, and of what they could do to please God. How happy Elijah must
have felt when he knew he was soon going to see the God he loved so much!
As
they were talking, there came down from heaven a chariot and horses of fire,
that is, angels,* who are bright like the fire, and Elijah was taken away from
Elisha, and carried up into heaven: and Elisha saw him go up: and he cried out,
‘My father,
my father!’
* The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even
thousands of angels Ps. 68: 17.
Elisha
loved Elijah as if he had been his father; for he had taught him about God.
Elisha was very sorry to lose his dear friend. As Elijah was taken away his cloak fell from him, and Elisha picked
it up; and when Elisha came back to the river
Now
Elisha saw that God had made him such a prophet as Elijah had been. Some of
Elijah’s friends were, standing on the other side of the river, and they saw
the wonder that Elisha had done, and they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah is in Elisha;’ and they came and bowed themselves down to him.
These
young prophets used to mind what Elijah said, and now they wished to mind
Elisha.
Now
Elisha would go about from place to place, as Elijah had once done, and he
would teach people about God, and do wonders, to show people that his God was
the true God.
You
see, dear children, how happy God made Elijah at last. Once Elijah had been
obliged to hide himself, because wicked people had tried to kill him; and he
had often felt unhappy, because people would not turn to God. At last his tears
were wiped away, and he went in a bright chariot to heaven. I wish, my dear
child, you would begin now to pray to God and think of him. How happy you would
be at last!
Oh no, Elisha will not leave
His father and his guide;
Till the last hour he’ll closely cleave
To his beloved side.
In vain Elijah bids him stay;
He still attends him on his way.
A gift - Elijah bids him choose
Ere he ascends on high;
For heavenly grace Elisha sues,
And begs a large supply.
Does not this hope console his heart,
That dreads with one beloved to part?
The voice he soon no more shall bear
Still speaks of heavenly things:
But now Elijah must appear
Before the King of kings:
A chariot, formed of angels bright,*
Conveys him to the world of light.
Does not Elisha long to go
Up to the same abode?
Ah! still must he remain below,
To labour for his God:
At last he must submit to die,
Before he sees the worlds on high.
It was indeed an honour rare
From God’s all-sovereign hand,
No death to see, to cleave the air,
And join the saintly band:
The grave’s prepared for Adam’s sons,
Save those who live when Jesus comes.
Ah, then the living saints shall soar,
And meet him in the sky,
And death the righteous shall restore,
Who in the cold grave lie;
And sin and sorrow, death and pain,
Shall ne’er be known by them again.
* “Who maketh his angels
spirits; his ministers a flaming fire”Ps. 104: 4.
The
chariots and horses which Zechariah saw in a vision are declared to be the ‘spirits of the heavens,’ which go forth from standing
before the Lord of all the earth. - Zech. 6: 5.
*
* * *
* * *
959
JOSEPH THE
OVERCOMER
JOSEPH AS A
YOUTH
By ARTHUR W.
PINK [PART ONE OF TWO]
Genesis
37
In the first of our articles upon Jacob we called
attention to the fact that each of the great Israelitish patriarchs illustrated
some basic spiritual truth and that the chronological order of their lives
agrees with the doctrinal order of truth. In Abraham we have illustrated the
doctrine of election, for he was singled out by God from all the heathen
and chosen to be the head of the Jewish nation. In Isaac we have foreshadowed
the doctrine of Divine
sonship: Abram’s
firstborn, Ishmael, represents the man born after the flesh, the old nature;
but Isaac, born by the miraculous power of God, tells of the new man, the
spiritual nature. In Jacob we see exemplified the
conflict between the
two natures in the believer, and also God’s gracious discipline which
issued, slowly but surely, in the triumph of the spirit over the flesh. Joseph,
typically, speaks to us of heirship preceded by “suffering,” and points forward to the time when the sons and heirs shall reign together [in the coming
messianic and millennial kingdom (Rev. 20: 4-6)] with Christ. There is thus a beautiful moral order in the several leading truths
illustrated and personified by these men. And it should be observed that here,
as in everything which pertains to God’s Word, its orderliness evidences it’s Divine Authorship; everything is in its
proper place.
Joseph,
then, speaks of heirship and, as
another has beautifully expressed it, “And
consistently with this, in Joseph, we get suffering before glories. … For while
discipline attaches to us as children, sufferings go before us as heirs; and
this gives us the distinction between Jacob and Joseph. It is discipline we see
in Jacob, discipline leading him as a child, under the hand of the Father of
his spirit, to a participation of God’s holiness. It is sufferings, martyr-sufferings, sufferings for
righteousness, we see in Joseph, marking
his path to glories. And this is the
crowning thing! and thus it comes as
the closing thing, in this wondrous book of Genesis - after this manner perfect in its structure, as it is
truthful in its records. One moral after another is studied, one secret after
another is revealed, in the artless family scenes which constitute its
materials, and in them we learn our calling, the sources and the issues of our
history, from our election to our
inheritance” (Mr. J. G. Bellett).
Joseph
is the last of the saints which occupies a prominent position in Genesis. In all there are seven - Adam, Abel, Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. More space is devoted to the last of these seven
than to any of the others. There are several reasons for this which appear on
the surface. In the first place, the history of Joseph is the chief link which
connects Exodus with Genesis; the earlier chapters of Exodus being unintelligible without the last ten
chapters of Genesis. It is
Joseph’s life which explains the remarkable development of the Hebrews from a
mere handful of wandering shepherds to a numerous and settled colony in
“Joseph was the elder son of Rachel (30: 24). Of his early life
nothing is recorded. He could not have been more than five or six years old
when his father left
“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah,
his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his
father their evil report. Now
There
are perhaps few portions of Holy Writ with which we are more familiar than the
one now before us. From earliest childhood many of us have listened to this
beautiful but pathetic narrative. The aged patriarch, his favourite son, the
coat of many colours, Joseph’s dreams, the envious brothers, their wicked
conduct - all so true to life - have been indelibly impressed upon our memories
since we first learned them on our mother’s knee, or from the lips of our
Sunday School teacher. Many are the lessons which may be drawn, and pointed are the warnings which are found here. But we
shall pass from these to something deeper and even more precious.
As
we read thoughtfully the books of the Old Testament our study of them is but
superficial if they fail to show us that in divers ways and by various means
God was preparing the way for the coming of
His Son. The
central purpose in the Divine Incarnation, the great outstanding object in the
life and death of the Lord Jesus, were
prefigured beforehand, and ought to have been rendered familiar to the minds of
men. Among the means thus used of God was the history of different persons
through whom the life and character of Christ were to a remarkable degree made
manifest beforehand. Thus Adam represented His Headship, Abel His Death, Noah
His Work in providing a refuge for His people. Melchizedek pointed to Him as
priest, Moses as prophet, David as King. But the fullest and most striking of
all these typical personage was Joseph, for between his history and that of
Christ we may trace fully a hundred points of analogy! Others before us have written upon
this captivating theme, and from their writings we shall draw freely in the
course of these papers on the typical significance of Joseph’s history.*
* We take this occasion to acknowledge our indebtedness to Dr. Haldeman and Mr. C. Knapp.
In
the verses quoted above from Genesis 37
there are seven points in which Joseph prefigured Christ, each of which is
worthy of our attention, namely, the meaning of his name, the nature of his
occupation, his opposition to evil, his father’s love, his relation to his
father’s age, his coat of many colours, and the hatred of his brethren. Let us
consider each of these in turn:
1. The Meaning of his Name. It is most significant that our patriarch had two
names - Joseph, and Zaplinath-paaneah (41: 45) which the rabbins
translate “Revealer of secrets.” This latter
name was given to him by Pharaoh in acknowledgment of the Divine wisdom which
was in him. Thus, Joseph may be said to be his human name and Zaplinath-paaneah his Divine
name. So, also, the one whom Joseph foreshadowed has a double name - “Jesus” being His human name, “Christ”
[or ‘Messiah’ - (i.e.,
a world-ruler)] signifying
“the Anointed” of God, or, again, we have his double name in “Son of Man” which speaks of His humanity, and “Son of God” which tells of His Deity. Let us note how the meaning of
Joseph’s names were typical in their significance.
“Joseph” means adding
(see 30: 24).
The first Adam was the great subtractor, the last Adam is the great Adder:
through the one, men became lost; by the other, all who believe are saved.
Christ is the One who “adds” to Heaven’s [and
the millennial earth’s] inhabitants. It was to this end that He came to this
earth, tabernacled among men for more than thirty years, and then died on the
Cross: “Verily, verily,
I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die, it
abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit” (Jno.
12: 24).
The ultimate result of His Death will be “much fruit,” and
at His return this will be gathered into the Heavenly [and
millennial]
garner [i.e., ‘store’]* (Jno.
14: 3).
[* See Rev. 2: 26, R.V.]
But
Joseph’s second name means “Revealer of secrets.”
This was a most appropriate name. Revealer of secrets Joseph ever was, not
merely as an interpreter of dreams, but in every scene of his life, in every
relation he sustained - when with his brethren in Potiphar’s household, in
prison, or before Pharaoh - his words and his works ever tested those
with whom he had to do, making manifest their secret condition. How strikingly
this foreshadowed Christ, of whom it was said in the days of His infancy, “Behold this Child is set for
the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and
for a sign which shall be spoken against … that
the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lu.
2: 34, 35).
In
the incident now before us Joseph is seen as the Revealer of secrets in a
double way. First, he revealed his father’s heart, for he is here seen as the
special object on which Jacob’s affections were centered. Second, he revealed the hearts of his brethren by making
manifest their wicked “hatred.” In like manner, our blessed Saviour
revealed the Father’s heart, “No
man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him”
(Jno. 1: 18). And in like manner, the Lord Jesus also revealed what
was in the hearts of men. One of the most striking and prominent features
presented in the four Gospels is the fact that everywhere He went the Lord
Jesus exposed all. He made manifest the secret condition of all with
whom He came into contact. He was truly “the Light of the world,”
shining in “a
dark place” - detecting, displaying, uncovering, bringing
to light the hidden things of darkness. Well, then, was Joseph named the one
who added, and the
one that revealed.
2.
By Occupation Joseph was a Shepherd, “feeding the flock.” This is one of the prominent lines which is found
running through several of the Old Testament typical personages. Abel, Jacob,
Joseph, Moses, David, were each of them “shepherds,” and
a close study of what is recorded of each one in this particular relation will
reveal that each pointed forward to some separate and distinctive aspect of our
Lord’s Shepherdhood. No figure of Christ is more beautiful than this: our
favourite Psalm (the twenty-third) presents Him in this character. One of our
earliest conceptions of the Saviour, as children, was as the Good Shepherd. The
figure suggests His watchful care, His unwearied devotion, His tender
solicitude, His blessed patience, His protecting grace, His matchless love in
giving His life for the sheep. Above, Joseph is seen “feeding the flock,” pointing to the earthly ministry of Christ who, sent
unto “the lost
sheep of the House of Israel,”
spent Himself in tending the needs of others.
3.
His Opposition to Evil. “And Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.” It is truly pathetic to find how this action of
Joseph has been made an occasion for debate, some arguing that in doing what he
did Joseph acted wrongly; others defending him. But it is not as a tale bearer
that Joseph is here viewed, rather is he seen as the truth-speaker. Not
by cowardly silence would he be the accomplice of their evil-doing. And here too we may discern a clear foreshadowing of
the Lord Jesus Christ. We will quote but one verse, but it is sufficient to establish the type: “The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I
testify of it that the works
thereof are evil” (Jno. 7: 7).
4.
His Father’s Love. “
*
* * *
* *
*
960
RULE AND
REIGN:
Kingdom
Studies in Genesis
By ROYCE POWELL
Genesis
6
‘And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them , 2 That the sons of God saw the
daughters of men that they were fair; and they
took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not
always strive with man, for 4 that he also is flesh:
yet his days shall he an hundred and twenty years.
There were
giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became
mighty men which were of old,
men of renown. 5 And God saw that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination
of the thoughts of 6 his heart was
only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth,
and 7
it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will
destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and
the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I
have made them:’ (Genesis 6: 1-7).
The Sons of
God
This is an extremely important passage in relation to
the Lord’s prophecy: “But as the days of Noe were, so also the coming of
the Son of man be” (Mark 24: 37). Verses 1-4 are the
source of continuing controversy, but we simply follow a logical explanation,
we will reach a sound conclusion. The problem in most instances involves the sons of God. Many teach that the sons of God are the evil scoundrels of the Earth,
intermingling with the daughters of men. As seen in verse
1, men are obeying the Lord, multiplying and replenishing. Sometimes the
word “men” refers to humans, other times it
refers specifically to males. Here, it probably means that the males are
multiplying out of proportion to the females. Humans are living for long
stretches. The “sons of God” refer to particular
group.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the LORD, and Satan came among them” (Job 1: 6). These are the sons of God who follow Satan. The
expression occurs again in Job
2: 1,
“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the LORD, and Satan
came also among them to present himself before the LORD.” These sons of God must offer an account to God. “When the morning stars sang
together, and all the sons of God shouted for
joy?” (Job 38: 7) This
happens before Adam appears on the Earth. The sons of God in Genesis 6 are angelic beings.
Comparing
Job 38: 7, Job 1: 6, Job 2: 1 and Genesis
6: 2, we see that a segment of the fallen angelic
beings are sons of God. There are multitudes of angelic beings,
thousands upon thousands. According to Revelation 12: 3, a third
of the angels fall with Satan. I believe that those who believe on the Lord
Jesus in this era is the same number is the same number as those sons of God
who fall with Satan. “For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”
(Romans 8: 14).
This is a New Testament phrase, applying only to those who are intimately
joined to the Lord Jesus. This is why believers of this age are called the sons
of God. They will replace the fallen creatures of Genesis
6 and Job 38.
Here
is the problem. Angels are spirit beings, while the daughters of men are
physical. How do they mate? This is the argument against the sons of God being
angelic. But look back at Genesis
3: 15,
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel.” [The Virgin] Mary bears a child from a spirit being [i.e., “of
the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1: 18. Cf. Luke 1: 34, 35], yet she is physical. The serpent
will also bear a seed who is a spirit being. If you deny this fact, you deny the virgin birth.
1. And
2. And they called
the people unto the sacrifices of their gods:
and the people did eat, and
bowed down to their gods. 3 And
These
gods
are demons. The situation here is similar to Genesis 6: 2. This episode happens because of the prophet Balaam, who suggests this
action to Balak. Remember that the New Testament warns us that in the last
days, there will be those pursuing the teaching in Balaam.*
[*
NOTE: This activity is what I believe is meant by the use
of the word “APOSTASY”!]
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when
I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop,
he gave it to Judas
Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That
thou doest, do quickly: (John 13: 26-27).
Judas’s
father is named Simon. Satan, the anointed cherub, enters the body of
Judas Iscariot. Regarding his treachery, turn to Psalm 109:
3,
6,
8-14:
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause... Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. ... 8 Let his days be few;
and let another take his office. 9 Let his children be
fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children be
continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 Let the
extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the
strangers spoil his labour. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity
be cut off, and in the generation following let
their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD;
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Verse 3 refers to Jesus,
see John 17: 12. Verses 6 to 20 refer
to Judas. The iniquity of his father and mother in verse 14 is not identified, but
implies that his family is in league with Satan, causing him to commit this
awful crime. His mother commits a hideous sin, her name to be blotted out. I
believe Judas Iscariot is the man of sin, though many disagree. The sons of God
are angelic. Demonic powers inhabit the bodies of men and produce giants,
creatures displeasing to the Lord. I believe this is why there is so much child
abuse, because of the loosing of demonic powers. We try to find excuses for
evil men, sociological patterns and so forth, but they are demonized. There is
only one counsellor and that is the Lord Jesus. Another controversy appears in Genesis 3: 6, “And
the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive
with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Some men argue that a man might sin away his day of
grace, that the Holy Spirit will deal with you only so long and then he quits.
Not true. Regarding the phrase - “My spirit shall not always strive with man” - look at 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-7, one of the most relevant passages of scripture for our
day:
3 Let
no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling away
[i.e., the ‘apostasy’] first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition; 4 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. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you,
I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might
be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Judas
is also called “the son of perdition” in John
17.
We interpret this passage as saying
that the man of sin will stand against Christianity, but he will oppose all
religion, demanding all worship to himself. He will sit in the
*
* * *
* * *
*
961
THE PROMISE
OF THE LAND
TO
By JOHN E. WALVOORD
[PART TWO]
Ezekiel 20: 33-38 describes
the judgment upon
In
the great prophecy concerning the valley
of dry bones in Ezekiel
37 the significant statement is given in verses 21, 22:
“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
Behold, I will take the
children of Israel from among the nations,
whither they are gone, and will gather them on
every side, and bring them in to their own land:
and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and
they shall be no more two nations, neither shall
they he divided into two kingdoms any more at all.” Ezekiel adds in verses 24, 25 that David [after his resurrection (Acts
2: 34ff, R.V.)] is going to reign over them. In verse
25 he writes: “And they shall dwell in the
land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein
your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein,
they, and their children,
and their children’s children, for ever: and David my
servant shall be their prince for ever.”
The
process of the regathering of Israel is declared in Ezekiel 39: 25-29 to extend to the whole house of Israel and indicates
that they will be brought back into their land to the last man, as stated in verse 28: “And they shall know that I am Jehovah their
God, in that I caused them to go into captivity
among the nations, and have gathered them unto
their own land; and I will leave none of them
any more there.” The meaning of
this passage is that they will be gathered to their land and that God will not
allow a single Israelite to remain in dispersion. This has never been fulfilled by any previous regathering.
Most
of the minor prophets continue this prophetic strain, so prominent in Isaiah, Jeremiah,
and Ezekiel. The undying
love of God for Israel is declared in Hosea, and, though according to 3:
4 the
children of Israel will be without a king and a priesthood, they are assured in
verse 5: “Afterward shall the
children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah
their God, and David their king, and shall come
with fear unto Jehovah and to his
goodness in the latter days.” The
Prophet Joel, after declaring the judgment of God upon
The
Prophet Amos, after an almost
unrelieved indictment on
Obadiah continues this strain on the regathering of
Micah gives a comprehensive picture of the future Messianic kingdom in 4:
1-8.
The
remaining minor prophets continue this theme. Zephaniah closes chapter 3 with the picture
of
The
careful analysis of these many promises relative to
THE
DISPOSSESSION OF THE LAND
Though
only Pre-millenarians insist that
The
third and final dispersion began in A.D. 70, with the destruction of
The
principles involved in the dispersion and regathering of
[* The fact that so many Jews are being saved today, by
recognizing and accepting our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, is a
modern-day sign of His soon return to resurrect the ‘holy’
dead (see Rev. 20:
6, R.V.) and fulfil His long-awaited promise
to their father Abraham (see Acts 7: 4b, 5ff,).]
This
regathering is connected with the return of Christ mentioned in Deuteronomy 30: 3 and involves the restoration and regathering of all
the children of Israel scattered over the face of the earth including righteous
Israelites who have died and gone to - [‘Sheol’ / Gk. ‘Hades’- the place of the dead, (Gen. 37: 35; Psa.
16: 10. cf.
Acts 2: 17,
34ff.; 2 Tim.
2: 18, 19a, R.V.). Not until after their Resurrection
from there
(Luke 16: 23;
23: 43; Matt. 12: 40, R.V.) can any enter] -
heaven.* As stated in Deuteronomy 30: 4: “If any of thine outcasts be in the uttermost parts of heaven**, from thence will Jehovah thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee.” According to Deuteronomy 30:
5-9, they
are promised that they will be regathered to their land, restored spiritually,
delivered from their enemies, and abundantly blessed. Though the prophecy is
given in a context which conditions fulfilment on the future repentance of
[* See also John 3: 13; 20: 17. Cf.
Luke 24: 40-49, R.V.).
** Here
is scriptural proof of a coming Pre-tribulation rapture - from EARTH into HEAVEN - of the watchful, who will make supplication,
that they
“may prevail to escape
all those things that shall come to pass” - [i.e., the Antichrist’s persecutions.] -
“and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21: 36,
R.V.). And again, we read in a translation of the Apostle John’s writing’s, a conditional
Divine promise: “Because thou didst keep the word
of my patience, I also will keep
thee from the hour of trial,
WHICH IS TO COME
UPON THE WHOLE WORLD,” (Revelation 3:
10, R.V.). To suggest that we can ascend
into heaven, where our Lord Jesus is now seated at His Father’s right hand,
without being clad with a glorified and immortal body, is both
unscriptural and forbidden! Only the Lord Jesus Christ (as our High Priest) is
there today.
The
‘heaven’ into which Enoch and Elijah were rapt alive,
must have been a lower ‘heaven’ than the one
where our Lord Jesus presently resides in an immortal body
of “flesh and bones”
(Luke 24: 39,
R.V.)! As the High Priest of
Furthermore,
we read of God allowing “a new thing” to happen
in (Numbers 16: 30,
31), of those apostates who “went down alive into Sheol”:
and since “Sheol” / Gk. “Hades” is a place “in
the heart
of the earth” (Matt. 12: 40. cf. 16:
18), containing disembodied “souls” who are awaiting their Resurrection when Jesus
returns (1 Thess. 4: 16), there
is ample reason to believe why Satan wanted the body of Moses; and for believing
it will be Moses who will accompany Elijah as God’s “two witnesses” (Revelation
11: 3), during the coming Great
Tribulation under the Antichrist.]
The
dispossessions of the land, therefore, are temporary judgments upon the
generations of
HAS THE
PROMISE OF THE LAND ALREADY
BEEN
FULFILLED?
Generally speaking, Anti-millenarians who deny that Israel will possess the Promised Land in the future tend
to ignore the promises to the contrary in the Major and Minor Prophets and in
many cases do not even attempt to offer evidence that these promises are [for
some of the dead]* conditional or are, to be interpreted in a nonliteral way. Occasionally, however, some arguments are offered in
the attempt to sustain the thesis that the promises have already been fulfilled
in historic possessions of the land. George L. Murray for instance, in his book
Millennial Studies, page 27, offers 1
Kings 4: 21-24 as
evidence. It is stated in verse
21: “And Solomon
ruled over all of the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines,
and unto the border of
[* See Luke 20: 35; Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b; Rev. 20: 4-6, R.V.]
A
careful study of this passage in the light of its context, however, will
demonstrate that, while Solomon ruled over all this area, he did not possess
it, inasmuch as the kings are indicated as continuing their rule even though
they paid tribute and served Solomon. The area was therefore not incorporated
in the
A
similar argument is offered by
Much
later in
*
* * *
* * *
962
RULE AND
REIGN:
Kingdom
Studies in Genesis
By ROYCE POWELL
[PART ONE OF TWO]
Genesis
24
-------
1 And Abraham was old, and well
stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed
Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said unto
his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over
all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under
my thigh: 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the
God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a
wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son 5 Isaac. And the servant said
unto him,
Peradventure the woman will not be
willing to follow me unto this land: must I
needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou earnest? 6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
(Genesis 24: 1-6.)
Search for
the Bride
Here
the Lord does not allow mixed marriages. This is good because in the kingdom
there will be no Canaanites. The servant is not named, indicating the silent,
sure work of the Holy Spirit. He must locate a wife, but he asks what will
happen if the woman does not follow him back to the land? Should he bring Isaac
back to the land? Abraham forbids this. This tells us that the Son of God came
once to die. He will not do it again. The
bride must go to him, because in Genesis 22 he has died
once and for all. “And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the
goods of his master were in his hand: and he
arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of
7 The
LORD God of heaven, which took me from my
father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and
that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I
give this land; he shall send his angel
before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my
son from thence. 8 And if the woman will
not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. 9 And the servant put his
hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and
sware to him concerning that matter. 10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his
hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto
the city of
Camels
Camels
are significant in this chapter. See them again: “And he made his camels to kneel down without
the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that
women go out to draw water” (Genesis 24:
11).
See the camels again: “And let it come to pass, that
the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she
shall say, Drink,
and I will give thy camels drink also: let the
same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto
my master.” (Genesis 24: 14). See
them again: “And
when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking” (Genesis 24:19). See them again: “And she hasted, and emptied
her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto
the well to draw water, and drew for all his
camels” (Genesis 24: 20). See
them again: “And
it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking,
that the man took a golden earring of half shekel
weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold” (Genesis 24: 22). See
them again “And
it came to pass, when he saw the earring and
bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he
heard the word of Rebekah his sister, saying,
Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and,
behold, he stood by the
camels at the well” (Genesis 24: 30). See
them again: “And
he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore
standest thou without? for I have prepared the
house, and room for the camels” (Genesis 24: 31). All references are plural unto we come to verse 64, where it is singular: “And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she
lighted off the camel.” The word “camels” as a plurality is mentioned 17 times in this chapter;
this is the number of total victory,
10 + 7.
When
Joseph is born, he lives with Jacob for 17 years before his son is sold to the
Ishmaelites. After a period of time, Jacob again lives with Joseph for 17
years, the remainder of his life. This number seventeen indicates the victory
to be won when he calls his church to be with him. In my opinion, she lights
off the camel, meaning that one day the Lord’s prayer in John 17 will be fulfilled. For what does he pray? For those who love him to be one with him. The word “one” is not numerical; it is about unity. This is the
Trinity. We believe in one God, but we believe in God the Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Spirit, one in mind, purpose, thought and intent. This is what
we mean by one God. “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old:
these were the years of the life of Sarah” (Genesis 23: 1). Sarah is 127 when she dies. If chapters 22-23 are unique as a unit, add 127 + 1 = 144. In my
opinion, the Lord might be signalling that the 144,000 of Revelation will arrive to spread the good news of the Lord Jesus. Genesis 24 is about faith for the future. Abraham cannot, humanly speaking, see what is
happening. It is an act of faith. Isaac is to remain with Abraham until the servant brings this woman to be with
his son. “And
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and
took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis
24: 67). Sarah had died, now to be replaced with a woman for Isaac, picturing
two different women. Sarah is
Jewels for Bride
The
earring symbolizes obedience or listening faith because faith cometh by
hearing. The bracelets symbolize her service or work. “And the servant brought forth
jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to
Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her
mother precious things” (Genesis 24: 53). The
jewels include precious stones, silver and gold, a type representing the
Judgment Seat of Christ, where every
man’s work will be tried, whether it
be of the Lord, or wood, hay or silver. See how Rebekah faces
Isaac. “For she
had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself”
(Genesis 24: 65). She covers herself with raiment already provided. When she approaches Isaac, he sees only what he has given her.
This is a classic example of the Lord’s remark, “There shall no flesh glory in the presence of the Lord.” All that the
Lord will see at the Judgment Seat is what he has gifted to us. That is all that will remain. We might
be great teachers or missionaries, but the only valuable material is what he
gives to us. “And
Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country” (Genesis 24: 62). See this well again. “Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered”
(Genesis 16: 14). This is where Ishmael and his mother live. See the
well again. “And
it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that
God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the
well Lahairoi” (Genesis
25: 11). Ishmael is the Arab, the wild man, but the [Divine] blessing goes
to Isaac. The Arab may lay claim [today] to the land, but the
promise belongs [in the near future] to Isaac.
*
* * *
* * *
963
WHERE IS
FINANCIALLY
By DAVID McMILLAN
One of the main arguments made for staying in the
European Union is commercialism. This argument is made continually, and it
highlights the fact that what most people are concerned about is not Scriptural
values, but money and markets. Sadly, we live in a very materialistic society
and most people are not influenced by what is right before God but what is
financially profitable.
In
Zechariah 5: 6 we are told, ‘And I said, What is it?
And he said, This is an
ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover,
this is their resemblance through all the earth.’ This is a very significant verse and it is found in a
key prophetical passage of Scripture because it reveals to us where
Trade
Agreements
It
is very enlightening to learn from this passage that the European nations will
not use the mitre or the sceptre or the sword as the Roman Empire did in the
past; but they will gain control of the nations through the Ephah; in other
words, through trade and trade agreements such as the U.K. is still to
negotiate with the European Union. Today there are more trade agreements than
ever and it does not matter with whom you make the agreement, or how the
agreement is made, or how many laws of God are broken in the carrying out of
the agreement. If it is done in the name of trade and it helps the economy,
then it is seen to be good for the nation.
The Common
Market
It
is important to notice that the trade about which Zechariah is teaching us will
have a great unity to it. In verse
9 of the chapter he tells us to consider
the two women who are carrying the Ephah; here are two groups or two areas that
are flying and working together. Think of the cast and the west of the
Mediterranean Sea; which were the two main divisions in the old
The
prophet also says of the Ephah in verse 6, ‘this is their resemblance through all the earth.’ The earth of which the prophet spoke is primarily the
Roman or the Prophetic earth and he is revealing to us that in that region the
standard of trade is going to be the same for everyone. In fact, you could
describe it as a ‘common market.’ Those two
words form one of the old names of the European Union and it is what we have in
the European Union today; and that policy will be developed more and more in
the future.
It
is very significant in this context to point out that the Ephah was measured in
multiples of ten. Ezekiel tells us that an Ephah contains the tenth part of an
homer and also that ten baths make up an homer (Ezekiel
45: 11 and 14).
It is important to note that an Ephah and a bath were the same quantity (Ezekiel 45: 11).
So here is a commercial system that is clearly based on a multiple of tens. How
relevant that is in the light of what is happening in
In
addition to this, remember that in January 2002 the Euro zone was introduced
because they wanted all nations in the EU to use the same currency, which is
presently the case with nineteen of the twenty eight member states. They also
want all the EU countries to trade with the same rules and the same prices.
Then on top of all that, they want all member states to have economies which
are on the same level; which is very difficult for some countries to achieve.
These
things are unfolding before our eyes and they reveal that the European Union
wants to have such control over commerce that it intends the same trade rules
to apply throughout the whole of the European region.
Financial
Controls
The
Bible also reveals that there is a day coming when
political powers, especially in the European Union of
nations, will place major controls
upon the finances of its citizens and their ability to trade. The central government of the future
The Mark of
the Beast
A
very interesting question that is often asked in this context is, what is the
mark of the beast? We suggest that it could be a type of electronic chip. If
you think of the development in recent years of bank and credit cards that are
called chip and pin and the chip contains all your financial details. Also, all
new passports have a chip containing the holder’s personal details. It will
soon be the case that all your personal and financial details will be held on a
chip which then, for security and to avoid identity theft, will be implanted
either in a person’s hand or forehead. This, of course, is nothing new. After
the tragedy of 9/11 in the
How Will People Live?
That
raises the relevant question, how will those who are alive and living in the
European Union at that time be able to live and get food, if they do not take
the mark of the Beast? We get some help in answering that question by thinking
of the drought that came upon
We
are told that during the years of famine in
Financial
Genius
Let
me point out that one of the characteristics of the Antichrist is that he will
be a genius. In Daniel 8: 23 the Antichrist is described as, ‘understanding dark sentences.’ The meaning of those words is, - that which baffles
others will be simple to him. The Hebrew word that is here translated ‘dark sentences’ is the same one that is translated ‘hard questions’ in 1
Kings 10: 1; where we are told of the Queen of Sheba coming to
Solomon to test his wisdom with her hard questions. It is also the word that is
used for Samson’s riddle in Judges
14. The word indicates that the
Antichrist will have great intellectual ability. Keep in mind how he is
described by Ezekiel, ‘Behold, thou art wiser than
Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide
from thee’ (Ezekiel 28: 3). His
genius will be one of his outstanding characteristics. His brilliant mind is
what will attract others to him and one area in which that brilliance will
stand out will be commerce. The Antichrist will be a financial genius. Daniel reveals this aspect of his reign when he
says, ‘And
through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand’ (Daniel 8: 25). Antichrist will sort out the entire financial crisis
in the nations around the
The
reality is that all the current events in Europe and all the financial turmoil
in European countries, the great prominence given to business deals and trade
talks, is all preparing the way for the emergence of the Antichrist, because
one thing that he will do when he arises will be to take total control of and
sort out the finances of the nations of the European confederacy of nations.
(In the next issue of ‘Watching and Waiting’ (WWW.SGAT.ORG)
we
intend to look at where
*
* * *
* * *
964
JOSEPH THE
OVERCOMER
JOSEPH AS A
YOUTH
By ARTHUR W.
PINK [PART TWO]
Genesis
37
[Continued from 595]
-------
5. His Relation to his father’s Age. “He was the son of his old age.” No line in this picture is without its own meaning -
how could it be, when none other than the Spirit of God drew it! Every word here
is profoundly significant. We quote from the words of another: “Old age, translated into spiritual language and applied to
God, signifies ‘eternity.’ Jesus Christ was the Son of God’s eternity. From all
eternity He was God’s Son. He was not derived, He was eternally begotten; He is
God of God, very God of very God, equal with, and of the same substance as, the
Father.” As the opening verse of John’s Gospel declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God and the Word was God.” And again, in His high-priestly prayer the
Lord Jesus said, “And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I
had with Thee before the world was”
(Jno. 17: 5). The Lord Jesus Christ is no creature, He is Creator (Jno. 1: 3); He is no
mere emanation of Deity, He is the One in whom dwelleth “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”
(Col. 2: 9). He is
far more than a manifestation of God, He is Himself “God manifest in the flesh”
(1 Tim. 3:
16).
He is not a person who had His beginning in time, but is Eternal in His being;
as the true rendering of Micah
5: 2 declares, the One who was born in Bethlehem of Judea
was none other than He “whose goings forth have been from of old, from
the days of Eternity.” Christ then
was, in the language of our type “the Son of
(His Father’s) old age” - the eternal Son
of God.
6.
His Coat of Many Colours. Thus far
the interpreting of the type has been simple, but here, we encounter that which
is not quite so easy. How gracious of God for providing us with help on this
point! We are not left to our own imaginations to guess at the meaning of the many coloured coat. No;
guesswork is not only vain, but altogether needless in regard to God’s blessed
Word. Scripture is its own
interpreter. In Judges 5: 30, we read,
“Have they not
sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to
Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers
colours of needlework, of divers colours on both
sides, meet for the necks
of them that take the spoil?” Here
we learn that such garments were to be worn as a mark
of distinction. Again in 2 Samuel 13: 18 we read, “And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the King’s daughters that were virgins apparelled.” Here again we get the same thought: This was the
attire of unmarried princesses; it was a mark of honour, singling out the
wearer as one of noble birth. This, no doubt, was Jacob’s object to distinguish
Joseph (born of Rachel) from his half brothers (born of the slave-wives).
How
appropriate was this as an adumbration of Christ! He, too, was marked off from
all His brethren according to the flesh, marked off as one of noble birth,
marked off by outward signs of peculiar distinction and honour. It is blessed
to behold what care and pains God took to manifest this coat of many colours,
in connection with His blessed Son. The “virgin’s” Babe
was distinguished from all others born by the Angelic Song o’er
7.
The Hatred of his Brethren. They hated
him and could not speak peaceably to him. It was Jacob’s love which brought out
the heart’s enmity of these men. Joseph then, made manifest both his father’s
love and his brethren’s hatred. So
when Christ came to the earth He did these two things. He revealed the Father’s
heart and He exposed man’s enmity. And one of two things always followed:
either men hated Him for exposing them, or they accepted such exposure and took
refuge in the Grace which He revealed. When Christ exposed the hypocrisy of the
Pharisees they hated Him; but when He exposed to the woman at the well her
sinful life and condition, she welcomed it, and availed herself of God’s grace.
So it is now: those who hear the truth of God faithfully preached, the lost and
guilty condition of the natural man fearlessly proclaimed, either they hate it,
and seek to hide behind the filthy rags of their own self-righteousness, or
they come out into the light, bow to God’s verdict, and casting themselves in
the dust before Him as Hell-deserving sinners, believe in the Saviour which the
Gospel makes known. In which class are you found, dear reader? Are you, like
the brethren of Joseph who hated the son of the father’s love, “despising and rejecting” Christ? Friend, make no mistake here. You either love or you hate the Lord
Jesus Christ! and it is written, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed” (1
Cor. 16: 22). O heed
now this solemn admonition of God, “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” (Ps.
2: 12).
Before
we turn to consider the special subject of this article we must first notice
three or four points in the first eleven verses of Genesis 37 which, through lack of space, we omitted from our last.
“And Joseph dreamed a dream,
and he told it his brethren: and they hated him
yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also
stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood
around about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him,
Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed
have dominion over us? And they hated him
yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and
said, Behold, I
have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon
and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
And he told it to his father, and to his
brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream
that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father
observed the saying” (verses 5-11).
Continuing our numeration we may note:
8. Joseph is hated because of his Words. There are two lines which are, perhaps, made more
prominent than others in this first typical picture: the love of
Jacob for his son, and the hatred of the brethren. Three times over within the compass
of these few verses reference is made to the “hatred” of Joseph’s brethren. In verse 4 we read, “they hated him, and could not speak peaceably
unto him.” Again, in verse 5 we are told, “and they hated him yet the more.” And
again in verse 8: “And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.” It will be seen from these references there was a
twofold occasion for their wicked enmity. First, they hated Joseph’s person, because of Jacob’s special love for
him; second, they hated him because of “his words.” They hated him because of what he was, and also because of what he said. Thus it was, too, with the One whom
Joseph typified. As we turn to the four Gospels it will be found that those who
were our Lord’s brethren according to the flesh hated
Him in this same twofold way.
They hated Him because He was the beloved Son of the Father, and they also
hated Him because of His teaching. As illustrations of
the former we may note the following passages: “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him,
because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (Jno. 5: 18). “The Jews then
murmured at Him, because He said, I am the Bread which came down from heaven” (Jno. 6: 41). “I and My Father are one.
Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone Him” (Jno.
10: 30, 31). Such was their wicked hostility against His
person. And it was just the same, too, in regard to His teaching: “And all they in the synagogue when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and
rose up and thrust Him out of the city, and led
Him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong” (Lu. 4: 28, 29). “The world cannot hate you; but
Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works
thereof are evil” (Jno.
7: 7). “But now ye seek to
kill Me, a man that hath told you the
truth, which I have heard of God” (Jno. 8: 40).
9.
Joseph was to enjoy a remarkable future. These
dreams of Joseph intimated that this favoured son of Jacob was the subject of
high destinies: they were Divine announcements of his future exaltation. There
can be little doubt that Jacob and his sons perceived that these dreams were
prophetic, otherwise the brethren would have regarded them as “idle tales,” instead of being angered by them. Note, too, that “his father observed the
saying” (verse 11).
So,
too, of the Antitype. A remarkable future was promised to the One who first
appeared in lowliness and shame. Concerning the Child that was to be born unto
10. Joseph
foretold his future Sovereignty. It
is worthy of notice that the two recorded dreams of Joseph contemplated a double sovereignty:
the first dream concerned “the field,” which pointed to the
earthly dominion of
our Lord; but the second dream was occupied with the sun, the moon and the stars, and tells, in type, of the Heavenly dominion
of Christ, for all power (or authority)
has been given to Him in heaven and on earth.
Joseph’s
announcement of his future exaltation only served to fan the fires of enmity,
and gave intensity to his brethren’s hatred. And so it was with the Saviour.
The more our Lord unfolded the glory of
His person, the more He spoke of His
future exaltation, the more did the Jews - His brethren according to the
flesh - hate Him. The climax of this
is to be seen in Matthew 26: 64: “Nevertheless, I say unto you,
Hereafter
shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand
of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Here was the announcement of His future [Messianic and Millennial] sovereignty, and mark the immediate effects of His words on those that
heard Him: “Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy.”
11.
Joseph was envied by his brethren. “When his brethren saw that their father loved him more than
all his brethren, they hated him” (verse 4). In these words are found the key to what followed.
That which was the prime cause of the brethren’s hatred was envy: as verse 11 tells us, “And his brethren envied
him.” They were jealous of the
partiality shown by Jacob to their half-brother. This is a sin which has
characterized human nature all down the ages: the difference between envy and
covetousness is this - we envy persons, we covet things.
Here,
too the type holds good. Christ was “envied” by those
who were His brethren, according to the flesh. This comes out in His parable of
the Wicked Husbandman, “Having yet therefore one son,
His well-beloved, He
sent Him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence My Son. But
those husbandmen said among themselves, This is
the Heir; come, let
us kill Him, and the inheritance
shall be ours” (Mk. 12: 6, 7). Again, “For this cause the people also met Him, for that they heard that He had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among, themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after Him” (Jno. 12: 18, 19). How
that utterance manifested the jealousy of their hearts! But even plainer is the
testimony of Matthew 27: 17, 18, for
there the very word “envy” is found, “Therefore when they were
gathered together, Pilate said unto them,
Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is
called Christ? For he knew that for
envy they had delivered Him.” In our next [tract] we shall
consider, Joseph betrayed by his brethren.
*
* * *
* * *
965
SATAN’S
SUBTLETIES AGAINST
THE GLORIES
OF GRACE
IN SEEKING
TO SWERVE THE SAVED FROM
THEIR SAFETY
IN THE SAVIOUR
By R.
E.NEIGHBOUR, D.D.
-------
A matter so
fundamental as the Safety of the
Saved should be
settled alone by the sure statements of Scripture.
It is not enough to
present some concrete example in daily life which, to all import, contradicts
the Word of God. Too often alas, what is supposedly a real work of grace, is,
after all, but seeming grace.
It is not enough to argue and aver this or that because it appeals strongly to the
human mind. Alas, man’s ways are not God’s ways, man’s thoughts are not God’s
thoughts. Man looks on the outward appearance - God looks on the heart.
It is not enough to
build a doctrine upon any fancied interpretation of Scripture - upon scriptures
taken entirely out of their setting - when, many clear and concise scriptures
speak the other way. If the Word of God definitely declares that the saved soul
is safe and
cannot perish then we can know assuredly that the Word of God, rightly divided,
can never teach any other word than this.
That
there are striking examples of those who seemingly were saved and who afterward
departed from the faith into open sin, and into utter repudiation of salvation,
we need not deny. We need but remind the reader that Judas was only to all appearances a saved soul. The Lord was never
deceived as to his true state of heart, although the disciples were. When
Christ said, “One
of you shall betray me,” the eyes
of the eleven were not turned upon Judas. Each said in turn, “Lord, is it I?” not “Lord, is it Judas?”
What
appears regeneration, may be no
more than reformation. It is quite possible, in these days when there is so
much of “salvation
by works” in the air, that some
may honestly, but deceptively, have felt saved, who in reality never knew the saving power of the Cross.
It
is true that a day is coming when, many will hear the words, “I never knew you, depart;” many,
who were trusting in their labours and in their mode of living. Many regarded
by self and others as the very best - the most ardent church members, the most liberal givers, and apparently the most consistent in conduct
- many who will say, “In thy name we have cast out demons, and in thy name have done many wonderful works.” Yet these will hear His word, “I never knew you, depart.” Seeming
grace is not saving grace.
If
this is true, it is also true that some of these supposed saints, who have
builded their hope of heaven upon the “labour of their own hands,” may fall
back from their own integrity into immorality or infidelity.
Of
such as these it is safe
scripturally to say: “They went out from us because they were not of us; for if they had been of us,
they had doubtless continued with us.”
Of
such as these, we may be sure that while they may have
spoken “loud,
swelling words” during the days of their Christian profession, yet, they never were in
reality trusting in the blood alone, they never were truly the children of God.
Of
such as these are they
that build their houses on the sands, but fall in times of storm, because they
built not on Christ, the only true and rock foundation.
It is impossible for one of God’s children to be lost. Impossible, because God says it is impossible.
Impossible, because the “Glories of Grace”
make it impossible. A child God may backslide, but a child of God cannot be
“unborn.” He may fall into sin, but he will not lie down in sin.
OBJECTIONS? Yes, there are objections. Objections to the Glories
of Grace. Objections that often stagger saints.
A. Says one: If the Bible proclaims the security of the saved,
it puts a premium upon careless and thoughtless Christian living. Let tile
objector remember:
The
Bible, never, never, never places the fear of hell before a believer as
an incentive to continuing in the faith, nor as an incentive to holy living.
The
Word of God does
clearly state that the believer who sins will he chastened. This is God’s call
to fidelity.
Sonship
is dependent upon birth.
Fellowship
is dependent upon behaviour.
Not
every son keeps himself in the love of God. Not every son basks beneath the
sunshine of his Father’s favour. If a believer sins, what then? “My son, despise not thou
the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of him.”
There
may be union without communion.
You thought because
“once saved and
always saved” you would revel in
sin? Beware! “Deliver
such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
You
thought because, “once in grace, always in
grace,” that you would neglect the
things of God? You thought therefore, you would fail to walk in fellowship with
the Father? Beware! “Whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth.”
You
thought because
your salvation “was
secure in him,” that you would
drink unworthily of the cup and fail to discern the Lord’s body? Beware! “For this cause many are weak and sickly” and not a few are “fallen asleep.”
B. Another objects: If salvation is wholly of grace and
the works and conduct of the believer have nothing to do with his obtaining
eternal life, then the Bible has removed a resourceful call to consecrated
services and sanctified conduct.
Hold! The Bible never, never, never places the hope of eternal life before any one,
saint or sinner, as a reward. The believer serves God neither to escape hell
nor to gain heaven.
The
Bible does give
abundant promises of rewards. This is a mighty call to fidelity.
Eternal
life is, dependent on,
birth.
Rewards
are dependent on behaviour.
Every
“born one” has eternal life, but not every “born one” will have the
“well done” of the Father.
You
thought that “once saved, always saved” left no room, for special
rewards? If you were going to
heaven anyway - why should you toil in the vineyard? You forget there are crowns which
only the saved can win. For him who fights a
good fight, who keeps the faith, who finishes his course, and who loves His
appearing - the crown of righteousness.
For
him who wins souls for God - the
crown of rejoicing.
For
him who “feeds the flock of God
… not for love of money ... not as ruling it over God’s heritage, but as examples to the flock” - a crown of glory.
For
him who is faithful unto death -
a crown of life.
For
him who keeps his body under,
and runs and fights not as uncertainly - the incorruptible
crown.
You thought “once in grace, always in grace” left no call to
consecration? Not so. “Ye who have followed me, in
the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory ye
shall sit on twelve thrones.” This
was given to the twelve - the same spirit of reward is to all.
“Whosoever shall confess me ... him will I confess, before my Father.”
“If we suffer, we shall reign.”
You
thought that
because the “saved are safe” that their crowns
and rewards were also safe? “Hold fast that thou hast that
no man take thy crown.” “Saved ... so as by fire ... his works
shall be burned ... he shall lose his reward.”
A
child of God should not serve God
to become a child. One who has received the free gift of eternal life can not
so live that he may obtain eternal life.
A
child of God may run his race with a reward in view. One
possessing eternal life may seek the life more abundant.
C. Another contends: “There
are many scriptures which teach the possibility of a child of God losing his
son-ship, and with his sonship, his eternal life.”
Let
us carefully note some of these supposed passages.
1.
1 Cor. 9: 24-27: “Lest ... I should be a
castaway.” Paul was running
for the crown, verse 25. He strongly avers that he “knew whom he had believed and was persuaded
that he would keep that which he had committed unto him against that day.” Paul was not running for [eternal] salvation. He
had to be saved in order to run. He was running for an incorruptible crown. He so ran, he so fought ... he kept his body under ... lest he should
be “a castaway”
- more clearly translated, “Lest he should be disapproved.” The verse has to do with rewards, not with [initial] salvation.
2. Matt. 24:
13: “But he that endureth unto the end, the same shall he
saved.” Certainly. But, “endureth unto the end” of what? “Shall be saved”
how? The context, is speaking of the Great Tribulation. The Jewish people are
in question. If the days are not shortened no flesh will be saved. So fierce
are the onslaughts of the enemy, so mad the carnage of battle with attending
judgments, that should God permit the full sweep of the Tribulation the whole race
would be swept away and His own elect people, Israel, with them. God’s promises
to
An
additional thought may have been in the mind of the Spirit. It is true that at
the Coming of our Lord,
There
is no reference here to saved souls keeping saved,
but to a hated and persecuted people being saved into the millennial kingdom.
3. 2 Pet. 2:
21-22. “It had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, knowing it to turn back from the holy
commandment delivered unto them.”
“But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb,
the dog is turned to its own vomit, and the sow that was
washed to wallowing in the mire.”
There
is no description of a saved soul, one born of the Spirit, in these verses. The
context (see verse one) is speaking of False
Prophets, and of those who follow their pernicious ways. “Dogs,” in fact
represent False Prophets. In Isaiah these prophets are
“greedy dogs that never have enough,” they are “dumb dogs that cannot bark.” In Philippians we read: “Beware of dogs.”
These
False Prophets are “wells without water.” They “speak
great swelling words of vanity.”
They
had the knowledge of Jesus Christ, they knew the way of righteousness.
They
seem, on the one hand, to have escaped the pollutions of the world, through
their knowledge of Jesus Christ; while on the other hand they are like Balaam,
the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.
On
the one hand they promise liberty, while on the other hand they themselves are slaves
of unrighteousness. But after all, in verse twelve, they are
like brute beasts (the dog and the sow of verse 22) made to be taken and destroyed. The
doctrine of “falling
from grace” cannot be based on
this scripture.
4. Phil. 2: 20-22. “Work out
your own salvation.” This does not
say work for your own salvation. The whole setting describes [regenerate] saints. The
Philippian Christians were among God’s holiest and best. Paul rejoiced in them,
thanking God for them. The Holy Spirit reminds them, however, that God is
working in them to will and to perform His own good pleasure; and that they must work out what God is working in. Work
out “with fear and
trembling” because it is so easy to miss God’s best. There is no working here in order
to establish a credit in heaven that will buy salvation. Salvation is a gift
that cannot be purchased by man.
5. Luke 11: 24-26. “The latter state of
that man is worse than the first.” What
have we here? A possessed man. A man with the demons driven out. A house swept
and garnished and empty. A house
re-entered by seven additional demons.
The
whole reference here is to
If
the matter in question did refer to individuals it certainly could not be made
to teach that a saved soul could perish, for while the demon was cast out,
Christ never entered in.
6. Heb. 3. This whole chapter is often used to establish the
possibility of a child of God being ultimately lost.
The
matter under discussion is not salvation from hell nor eternal life. The Holy
Spirit is speaking of Christ, the imperial Christ. Of the House of
this Imperial One. Of the members of that House. It is clearly stated that if we are
members of that house, we must as believers hold fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end. Not the hope of Salvation from hell but
the hope of Christ’s Coming, The House has to do with the coming of the Lord Jesus. This is
fully set forth in this book, under “Missing the
Kingdom.”
The
chapter furthermore discusses the
The matter under discussion is the Millennial Rest. There
are nations there to be judged, the Anakim to be put
down, failures to be confessed.
The fear the Holy Ghost holds forth is real. The
danger is vital - but it is not a fear of missing heaven. It is not a fear of
affecting sonship or eternal life. It
has to do with rewards, it has to do with Christ and His house, it has to do
with the thousand years, It has to do with missing the Kingdom Reign. Neither
Hebrews chapters three nor four can possibly teach the doctrine of “Falling from Grace.”
*
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*
966
THE PROMISE
OF THE LAND
TO
By JOHN E. WALVOORD
[PART THREE]
The passages already cited relative to
There
are three essentials to the fulfilment of the original promises given to
Abraham regarding the possession of the land. First, the land must be actually
possessed, that is, occupied, not simply controlled. Second, the possession
must continue as long as the earth lasts.
i.e., forever - [i.e., until this “first heaven
and the first earth are passed away; and the sea
is no more” (Rev. 21: 1. Cf.
2 Pet. 3:
10, R.V.)]. Third, the land during this period of possession must be under the
rule of the Messiah in a time of peace, tranquillity, and blessing. Nothing in
history fulfils the many promises given to the prophets and, if it be judged
that these promises must be fulfilled literally and surely, there remains only
one possible conclusion - that is, that Israel in some future time will
possess their promised [inheritance, after
the resurrection of Abraham (see Acts 7: 5), in the] land, including
the entire area described in Genesis
15.
ARGUMENTS FOR FUTURE FULFILMENT OF THE PROMISE
In
reviewing the material already presented relative to
The
strongest kind of promises are related
to the possession of the land in that not only the nation Israel is
promised eternal continuity, but the land is promised as an everlasting
possession. The emphatic description of the land given in Genesis 15: 18-21 almost defies spiritualization, including as it
does the heathen tribes which possessed it at the time the promise was given.
The fact that
On every hand, therefore, an examination of the
promises of the
SUMMARY
The
theological implications of the promise of the land to
The
dispersions predicted when
The
Anti-millennial argument that the promise of the land was fulfilled in
Solomon’s day was refuted by the fact that Solomon never fulfilled the promise
in any proper sense, and that subsequent Scriptures regarded the promise as
subject to future fulfilment. Assertions of Joshua and Nehemiah to the fact
that God had fulfilled all His promises to
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967
LINE UPON
LINE
CHAPTER 45
ELISHA, OR THE BEARS.
2
Kings 2: 23-25; 4: 1-7.
DEAR children, should you think that people loved
Elisha? People who loved God loved Elisha very much, but wicked people hated
him. There were some people who even durst laugh at him: there were even some
little children who durst mock him. I will tell you about these children.
Did
you know that people who have no hair (or only a little hair) on their beads
are called bald? Elisha was bald. One day Elisha came near a town where a great
many people lived who worshipped idols. One of the golden calves that Jeroboam
made was in this town. A great many little children came out of it, and met
Elisha as he was in the road; and they mocked him, and said, ‘Go up, thou bald head! go up, thou bald head!’
They wanted Elisha to go up into heaven as Elijah had done, that they might not
see him any more, nor hear what he said.
How did they dare to speak in this way to the prophet
of the Lord! But yet some children dare to take God’s name in vain. Elisha
turned back, and looked on them, and to told them that God would send them a
dreadful punishment.
The
children soon found that Elisha had spoken truth; for two bears came out of the
wood, and tore forty-two of these children into pieces.
No
doubt the children cried, and screamed, and tried to run away when they saw the
bears coming; but it was of no use; they could not escape: the bears overtook
them, and killed them. What must their parents have said when they heard what
had happened to their dear children? You know, my little dear, how your mother
would cry if you were to be eaten up by a bear. There are no bears or lions in
this country; but God will put you in hell [i.e., ‘Hades’
R.V.] if
you are wicked. I hope that you will never laugh at people who love God.
You
have now heard what became of wicked children who mocked Elisha, and you shall
hear next of God’s kindness to a good poor woman.
This woman had lost her husband, so she was a Widow.
Her husband had been a good prophet: and he had been very poor; and he had not
been able to pay for all the things he had bought.
People should never get into debt, except they have
not money enough to buy bread: but perhaps this poor prophet had not money
enough even to buy
The poor woman came to Elisha, and said, ‘My husband is dead, and he did fear the Lord; but
I cannot pay my debts, and a man is come to me
to take away my two sons to be slaves.’
The
poor woman was very unhappy at the thought of losing her dear boys. Your
mother, dear child, would not like that you should be taken from her, and made
a slave. But people in this country may not take away children from their
parents; there are no slaves here.
Elisha
was sorry for this poor woman, and he said, ‘What shall I do for thee? Tell
me, what hast thou in the house?’
And
the woman said, ‘I have nothing but one pot of oil.’ This oil was, sweet oil,
and fit to drink.
Elisha
said, ‘Go and
borrow a great many empty cups,
jugs, and basins,
and bring them into
thy house, and shut the door upon thee, and thy sons, and pour the oil
you have got into all these cups and basins, and
when they are full of oil put them by.’
Could
a little oil fill a great number of cups and basins? But the woman knew that
Elisha could do miracles, because God was with him to help him.
So
the woman did as Elisha had told her.
She
borrowed the cups, jugs, mugs, and basins, and shut herself up in a house with
her sons, and began to pour out the oil. She poured and poured, and still there
was oil left in her pot. At last she said to her son, ‘Bring me another cup:’ but he said, ‘There is no more,’ and then she saw there was no more oil in her pot. So
she went to Elisha, and asked him what she was to do: and he said, ‘Go and sell thy oil, and pay thy debt, and when the
debt is paid, keep all the money that is over to
buy bread for yourself and your children.’
How
happy the poor woman must have been! How happy the boys must have been! They
were going to be made slaves; but now they might stay with their mother. I hope
they grow up to be good like their dead father.
But
how sad it is to think of the children who were eaten up by the bears! Perhaps
their parents had not taught them to love God. But I do teach you about God, my
dear child. Never laugh at any person who is lame, or blind, or whose back is
broken; but more than all, never laugh at people who pray to God. Never laugh
at any person who preaches, either in a church or in the streets.
Our tongues were made to bless the Lord,
And not speak ill of men;
When others give a railing word
We must not rail again.
Cross names and angry words require
To be chastised at school;
And he’s in danger of hell-fire
That calls his brother, fool.
But lips that dare be so profane
To mock, and jeer, and scoff
At holy things, or holy men,
The Lord shall cut them off.
When children in their wanton play,
Served old Elisha so,
And bid the prophet go his way,
‘Go up, thou bald head, go!’
God quickly stopped their wicked breath,
And sent two raging bears,
That tore them limb from limb to death,
With blood, and groans, and tears.
Great God, how terrible art thou,
To sinners e’er so young!
Grant me thy grace, and teach me how
To tame and rule my tongue.
-
Divine Songs of Dr. Watts.
*
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CHAPTER 46
ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE
ROOM.
2
Kings 4: 8-37.
ELISHA used to go about from place to place to teach
people about God. Those people who loved God were kind to Elisha and gave him
food.
There
was one very rich lady who used to ask Elisha whenever he passed by her house
to come in.
This
kind woman wished that she had in her house a room for Elisha to sleep in, and
she said to her husband,* ‘Let us make ready a little room close to our house; and let us put in it a bed, a
table, a stool, and
a candlestick, that Elisha may sleep in it when
he comes this way.’
* It is probable this room was already built, and that
it was over the gateway, and separate from the house.
And
the lady’s husband allowed her to have such a little room for the prophet. Soon
afterwards Elisha came by that way, and he slept in this room. Elisha must have
liked it very much - he could sit there alone, and think of God: and he could
write in it, because there was, a table in it: and when it was dark he could
light the candle, and go on writing or reading. I know that he prayed to God in
this room; for Elisha often prayed to his God. I hope, my dear child, that you
pray to God in the room you sleep in.
Elisha
thought that the woman had been very kind to make such a nice room for him, and
he wished to do something to please her; for Elisha was grateful: he was very
kind to people who were kind to him. Now Elisha had a servant called Gehazi. Elisha desired Gehazi to ask
the woman to come to him. And she came, and stood before Elisha. Then Elisha
thanked her for her kindness in making the room for him, and he asked whether
she would like him to speak to the king about her, so that the king might send
for her, and take notice of her.
Then
the woman said, No, she would rather stay where she was: and then she went out
of the room.
So
Elisha said to Gehazi, ‘What shall I do for her?’
And
Gehazi said, ‘She
has no child.’
Gehazi
thought that she would like to have a little child. It was true that this lady
and her husband did wish for a child. Then Elisha told Gehazi to call her
again, and she came and stood at the door.
And
Elisha said to her, ‘Next year you shall have a son.’
The
woman was very much strprised hear this, and she
could hardly believe it. Next year she had a baby. She was very fond of it
indeed. She thought it was very kind of God to give it to her. Do you not think
she loved Elisha more than ever, since he had asked God to give her this child?
One
day, when the child was grown old enough to talk, the child went out with his
father into a field where men were reaping corn: for his father had a great
many fields full of corn, which his servants reaped. It was the morning, yet
the sun was getting hot, for the child soon cried out, ‘My head, my head!’ The
child felt such a pain in his head
that he could not stay in the field.
So
the father said to one of his servants, ‘Carry him to his mother.’ The servant carried him home to his mother, and he
sat on her knees till twelve o’clock, and then he died.
Oh,
how sad the mother was when she found her little boy was dead! I have often
heard of little children dying quite suddenly, like this poor little boy. Every
day we should think, ‘Am I ready to die, if I were to
die to-day?’
Now,
you shall hear what the mother did with the dead child. She went into the room
she had made for Elisha, and laid him on his bed, and shut the door, and went
out. Elisha lived at a place a good way off, and the lady wished very much to
go and see him. I need not tell you why she wished to see him. She asked her
husband to allow her to have one of the servants to go with her, and one of the
asses: for her to ride upon, that she might go to Elisha and come again soon.
And her husband said, ‘Why do you want to go to Elisha today? This is not the Sabbath-day;’ because Elisha used to teach people about God on the
Sabbath-day.
And
the woman said, ‘It
shall be well;’ but she did not
tell her husband why she wanted to go; I suppose she was afraid of grieving
him. A servant went with the lady, and she said to the servant, ‘Go quickly, and do not stop
unless I tell you.’
At
last they came to the hill where Elisha was. He was with his servant Gehazi;
and he saw the woman coming while she was still a great way off, and he wanted
to know why she was coming to him so quickly, for he thought that something was
the matter; so he said to Gehazi, ‘Run now to meet her, and say,
“Is it well with thee? Is
it well with thy husband? Is it well with the
child?”’
So
Gehazi ran, and asked the woman whether it was well with them. And she said, ‘It is well.’ Why did she say it was well? Was not her child dead?
But she knew that it was well, or right, because God had made her child die,
and she knew that all that God does is well. Yet the poor lady felt very
unhappy. When she came up to Elisha she got off her ass, and threw her arms
round Elisha’s feet, and Gehazi was going to thrust her away. Was not that very
unkind? But Elisha would not let him do so, but said, ‘Let her alone; she is very unhappy, and God
has not told me what has happened to her;’ because Elisha only knew those things that God had told him.
Then
the woman said to Elisha, ‘Did I ask you for a son?’
Then
Elisha saw that her son was dead. So Elisha gave his own staff, or stick, to
Gehazi, and told him to go quickly, and not to stop to speak to any one by the way, and to lay the staff on
the face of the child. But the woman would not go with Gehazi: she said to
Elisha, ‘I will
not leave thee.’ She liked better
being with Elisha than with unkind Gehazi. She knew that Elisha loved God: Gehazi did not love God: he
was wicked, but I am not sure whether the woman knew that he was wicked, for he
pretended to be good.
Gehazi
went on first, and laid the staff on the child’s face; but the child did not
hear his voice, Nor did the child speak: he remained quite dead. So Gehazi went
back, and met Elisha coming along with the woman, and Gehazi said, ‘The child
is not awaked.’
At last Elisha came to the house. He went into his own
little room, and found the child lying dead on the bed, and he shut the door,
and he stayed in the room alone with
the dead child. Then he prayed to God to make him alive again; and then he lay
upon the child, putting his mouth upon the child’s mouth, and his eyes upon the
child’s eyes, and his hands upon the child’s hands, and he stretched himself
upon him, and the child’s flesh began to grow warm. Then he got up and walked
up and down, and then he stretched himself again over the child; and the child
sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
Then Elisha called Gehazi, and desired him to tell the
woman to come. And when she was come into the room, Elisha said, ‘Take up thy son,’ for the child was lying on the bed. Oh, how glad the
mother was! How thankful to God and to Elisha! Before she took up the child she
fell at Elisha’s feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and then she took up
her child, and went out of the room.
Was
not this a great wonder that Elisha had done?
Elijah
once made a widow’s child alive again: and Elisha made a child alive again: for Elisha was such a prophet as Elijah had
been, and could do wonders like him. God had promised that he should be like
Elijah, if he saw him taken up to heaven: and God kept his promise.
Ought
not the people of
Does
God now make little children alive when they die? No: he waits till the last
day: then the trumpet shall sound, and all the children’s bodies shall rise
from their graves, and the bodies of holy children shall be taken up to heaven,
but the bodies of wicked children shall be burned in hell.
Elisha oft the kindness shared
Of one who lands possessed;
A little chamber she prepared,
Where safely he might rest.
The prophet soon implored his God
Her kindness to requite;
And he a little child bestowed,
In whom she took delight.
This little child, one summer morn
Into the field was led!
And, as he stood amongst the corn,
He cried, ‘My head, my head!’
The father bade a lad convey
The child unto his home:
Upon his mother’s knees he lay,
And died when noon was come.
The mother laid him on the bed,
Within the room she built,
And to the place with haste she sped
Where good Elisha dwelt.
From far Elisha saw her come,
And longed her
grief to know;
He bade Gehazi quickly run,
And bear her tale of woe.
And did the woman say ‘Tis
well,’
Nor murmur with her tongue?
Though mother’s hearts can tell
What grief her bosom wrung.
In her distress she placed her trust
In God’s great love and power;
She knew that he who gave him first,
Could now her child restore.
Ah” soon to heal the mother’s pain,
To God the prophet cries;
The child grows warm, and once again
He opens his infant eyes.
CHILD
No prophet lives that can perform
So wonderful a deed:
No clay cold flesh shall now grow warm.
Although the righteous plead.
This is the time to pray for souls,
That they may pardoned be;
For, rapid as a river rolls,
So hours and minutes flee.
I’ll ask the righteous for their prayers,
And I myself will pray,
‘For Jesus’ sake behold my tears,
And wash my sins away.’
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968
RULE AND
REIGN:
KINGDOM STUDIES IN GENESIS 24
By ROYCE POWELL [PART
ONE OF TWO]
-------
1 And Abraham was old, and well
stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed
Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said unto
his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over
all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under
my thigh: 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the
God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a
wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son 5 Isaac. And the servant said
unto him,
Peradventure the woman will not be
willing to follow me unto this land: must I
needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou earnest? 6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
(Genesis 24: 1-6.)
Search for
the Bride
Here
the Lord does not allow mixed marriages. This is good because in the kingdom
there will be no Canaanites. The servant is not named, indicating the silent,
sure work of the Holy Spirit. He must locate a wife, but he asks what will
happen if the woman does not follow him back to the land? Should he bring Isaac
back to the land? Abraham forbids this. This tells us that the Son of God came
once to die. He will not do it again. The
bride must go to him, because in Genesis 22 he has died
once and for all. “And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the
goods of his master were in his hand: and he
arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of
7 The
LORD God of heaven, which took me from my
father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and
that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I
give this land; he shall send his angel
before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my
son from thence. 8 And if the woman will
not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. 9 And the servant put his
hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and
sware to him concerning that matter. 10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his
hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto
the city of
Camels
Camels
are significant in this chapter. See them again: “And he made his camels to kneel down without
the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that
women go out to draw water” (Genesis 24:
11).
See the camels again: “And let it come to pass, that
the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she
shall say, Drink,
and I will give thy camels drink also: let the
same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto
my master.” (Genesis 24: 14). See
them again: “And
when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking” (Genesis 24:19). See them again: “And she hasted, and emptied
her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto
the well to draw water, and drew for all his
camels” (Genesis 24: 20). See
them again: “And
it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking,
that the man took a golden earring of half shekel
weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold” (Genesis 24: 22). See
them again “And
it came to pass, when he saw the earring and
bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he
heard the word of Rebekah his sister, saying,
Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and,
behold, he stood by the
camels at the well” (Genesis 24: 30). See
them again: “And
he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest
thou without? for I have prepared the house,
and room for the camels” (Genesis 24: 31). All references are plural unto we come to verse 64, where it is singular: “And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she
lighted off the camel.” The word “camels” as a plurality is mentioned 17 times in this chapter;
this is the number of total victory,
10 + 7.
When
Joseph is born, he lives with Jacob for 17 years before his son is sold to the
Ishmaelites. After a period of time, Jacob again lives with Joseph for 17
years, the remainder of his life. This number seventeen indicates the victory
to be won when he calls his church to be with him. In my opinion, she lights
off the camel, meaning that one day the Lord’s prayer in John 17 will be fulfilled. For what does he pray? For those who love him to be one with him. The word “one” is not numerical; it is about unity. This is the
Trinity. We believe in one God, but we believe in God the Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Spirit, one in mind, purpose, thought and intent. This is what
we mean by one God. “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old:
these were the years of the life of Sarah” (Genesis 23: 1). Sarah is 127 when she dies. If chapters 22-23 are unique as a unit, add 127 + 1 = 144. In my
opinion, the Lord might be signalling that the 144,000 of Revelation will arrive to spread the good news of the Lord Jesus. Genesis 24 is about faith for the future. Abraham cannot, humanly speaking, see what is
happening. It is an act of faith. Isaac is to remain with Abraham until the servant brings this woman to be with
his son. “And
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and
took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis
24: 67). Sarah had died, now to be replaced with a woman for Isaac, picturing
two different women. Sarah is
Jewels for Bride
The
earring symbolizes obedience or listening faith because faith cometh by
hearing. The bracelets symbolize her service or work. “And the servant brought forth
jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to
Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her
mother precious things” (Genesis 24: 53). The
jewels include precious stones, silver and gold, a type representing the Judgment
Seat of Christ, where every man’s work
will be tried, whether it be of the
Lord, or wood, hay or silver. See how Rebekah faces
Isaac. “For she
had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself”
(Genesis 24: 65). She covers herself with raiment already provided. When she approaches Isaac, he sees only what he has given her.
This is a classic example of the Lord’s remark, “There shall no flesh glory in the presence of the Lord.” All that the
Lord will see at the Judgment Seat is what he has gifted to us. That is all that will remain. We might
be great teachers or missionaries, but the only valuable material is what he
gives to us. “And
Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country” (Genesis 24: 62). See this well again. “Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered”
(Genesis 16: 14). This is where Ishmael and his mother live. See the
well again. “And
it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that
God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the
well Lahairoi” (Genesis
25: 11). Ishmael is the Arab, the wild man, but the [Divine] blessing goes
to Isaac. The Arab may lay claim [today] to the land, but the
promise belongs [in the near future] to Isaac.
*
* * *
* * *
969
THE REWARDS OF THE RIGHTEOUS
DISTINCT FROM GRACE.
By R. E.
NEIGHBOUR, D.D.
No difficulty presents itself in the relation of “Rewards” to “Grace” when the
scriptural position is accorded to both.
Rewards
are distinct from Grace.
Grace
is unmerited favour; Rewards
are always merited.
Grace
is a free gift; Rewards are wages.
Grace is without money and without price; Rewards cost
labour and sacrifice.
Rewards depend wholly on the believer; Grace depends wholly on
Christ.
Rewards look to the
believer’s faithfulness; Grace looks to God’s faithfulness.
Rewards recognize the least service; Grace ignores
the best service.
The
language of Grace is, “Not of yourselves;” the language of Rewards is, “Your labour of love.”
The
message of Grace is,
“To him that worketh
not;” the message of Rewards
is, “ye serve the Lord
Christ.”
The
voice of Grace is,
“Herein is love;” the voice of Rewards is, “Thou hast been
faithful over a few things.”
Grace
places us upon the race course, Rewards lure
us to “so run.”
Grace
introduces us into the
games, Rewards urge us to “so fight.”
There
is no such word in Grace as “Lest ... I myself should be disapproved;” such expressions belong to Rewards.
There
is nothing in Grace that presses us to obtain all incorruptible crown -
crowns, belong to the realm of Rewards.
There
is no stretching the neck toward the mark for the “prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus” in “Grace;” prizes belong to “Rewards.”
“Well done thou good
and faithful servant ... have authority over ten cities” is quite distinct from “Not by works of
righteousness which we have done.”
“They cannot
recompense thee, for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” is quite distinct from “The gift of God is
eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“Knowing that of the
Lord ye shall receive the reward of
the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ,” is quite distinct from “If thou knewest the
gift of God ... thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have
given thee living water.”
Grace is “to him that worketh
not, but
believeth.” Rewards are
“according as his works shall be.”
The
disciples said: “Lord
we have forsaken all, and followed thee,
what shall we
have therefore?” Jesus quickly
answered: “Ye shall sit on twelve thrones judging the
twelve tribes of
Jesus
Christ placed before His disciples the picture of a whitened harvest. He sent
forth a call for labourers. He promised wages. “And every one that reapeth
receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto, life eternal.” Those reaping are saved by Grace, the wages are the Rewards for service.
The
Holy Spirit bears witness that “other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is
Jesus Christ.” Grace places
the believer upon that foundation. Grace does more, “The Grace of God, which
is given unto me as a skilled architect.” Grace imparts skill for building purposes. Then follows a distinction: “Let every man take heed HOW
he buildeth thereupon.” No man can
lay other foundation than Jesus Christ, but every man in Christ Jesus, skilled
as an architect, can build upon that foundation “gold, silver,
precious stones, wood
hay or stubble.” And he should take heed how he builds, for “every man’s work shall, be made manifest for the day shall declare it.” In that [millennial
(2 Pet. 3:
8, R.V.)] day only he who has builded well, and whose work abides shall receive a reward. Other builders
shall be saved, but their works burned.
They shall suffer loss.
The
Word of God is clear. Grace is the unmerited, the free
gift of God,
received by faith, without money and without price. In Grace the
best service is worthless, obligation is
not recognized, worth is not
considered.
Rewards are merited, they are the wages for service, received
by works, through toil and sacrifice. In Rewards
the least service is remembered,
obligation is recognized and worth considered.
Grace is offered
to the unsaved; heavenly [and
Millennial]* Rewards are
offered to the righteous.
[* See Luke 20: 14, 35; Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b.; Rev. 20: 4-6 - all select
resurrections ‘out of dead ones’ (see Acts 4: 2, lit.
Greek) - only when Christ will return: (1 Thess.4: 16). Cf. John 3: 13; Acts 2: 34ff.; 7: 5; 2 Tim. 2: 18; Heb. 11: 40; Rev. 2: 25, R.V. etc.).]
In
Grace the,
kindness of God reigns in Christ Jesus.
In
Rewards, the
justice of God reigns, based upon our worth.
When
Rewards pass beyond real worth, just wages, they enter the
realm of Grace.
Grace always super-abounds over any worth or merit of
its recipient.
Grace
operates in [initial
and eternal]
salvation, “For by grace are ye saved.”
Grace operates in
the daily walk of the believer, “That we may find grace to help in time of need.”
Grace
operates in the
prayer life. “Let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
Grace is to be
brought unto us at the Second Coming of Christ. “The grace that is to be brought unto you
at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace passes into the eternal ages. “That in the ages to come he
might show ... grace.”
Rewards operate only among the saved. God recognizes no
spiritual worth in the unregenerate. “There is none that doeth good no not one.”
Rewards begin to operate here and now. “Ye shall receive manifold
more in this present time.”
Rewards, however,
meet their glorious fruition at the Second Coming of Christ. “Behold I come quickly;
and my reward is with me.” “There is laid by for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day.”
“Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
While
in their operations, Grace and Rewards may cover the same periods in the life of the
believer, they ever remain separate and distinct in their workings.
Grace is ALWAYS
operative by virtue of the atonement of Christ, and is therefore the same to
all and upon all who believe. Rewards are ALWAYS operative
upon the worth of the believer. They are additional to, and separate from Grace and bestowed only upon those who win their laurels.
The
blessings of Grace are
assured to all [regenerate] believers in Christ Jesus. “God hath blessed us with every
spiritual
blessing in Christ Jesus.” “He chose us in him, before the
foundation of the world ...” “Having
predestinated us for adoption as sons through Christ
Jesus.” “In whom we have redemption ... according to the riches of his grace.” “In whom we also have obtained an
inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him...”
“In whom ... having
heard ... having believed in him, ye were sealed UNTIL
the redemption of the purchased possession.”
All
of the blessings noted above are gifts of Grace, given to
all and upon all who believe. They
are ours “in Christ;” they cannot be lost. They are fixed in God’s eternal
purposes; secured in His predestinating grace.
The
blessings of Rewards are
assured [to] the [regenerate] believer
upon his own merit.
“The Father who without respect of persons, judgeth every man’s work.”
“Take heed ... otherwise ye
shall have no reward.”
“He refused ... choosing rather ... affliction ... esteeming the
reproach of Christ as greater riches ... he
forsook
“Look to yourselves that ye lose not those things YE HAVE WROUGHT, but that we receive a FULL
REWARD.”
“Blessed is that man that endureth … he shall receive the crown of life ... promised to those who love him.”
All
of these passages clearly show that Rewards are offered to all believers, but dependent upon
their fidelity.
Rewards, therefore,
may be lost.
Grace
affirms that the
believer “hath
everlasting life,” that he “shall never perish.” Rewards plead “Hold fast that thou
hast that no man take thy crown.”
Grace
assures: “I know WHOM I have
believed, and am persuaded that he is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto HIM, against that day!' Rewards
remonstrate: “Lest I should be
disproved,” and again “No one is CROWNED except he strive
lawfully.”
Grace
says: “And
if children, then heirs of God…”
Rewards
add: “… and [but] joint-heirs with
Christ, If so that we suffer with him, that we may be
glorified together.”
Grace
rejoices in being “found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is from God through faith.”
Rewards continue to say: “I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Laying
the comparisons between Grace and Rewards aside for the moment, listen to a word of admonition.
1. Be inspired to greater
tasks for God by
the promise of Rewards:
“Love your enemies ... do
good ... your reward
shall be great.”
“A cup of cold water shall in no wise lose its reward.”
“I know thy works ... love ... faith … I will give to
everyone of you according to his works.”
2. Be inspired to greater
sufferings for the
Master:
“When men shall hate you ... separate
you ... great is your reward in heaven.”
“I know thy works ... and tribulation ... and poverty … I will give thee a crown of life.”
“I have fought the good fight ... kept the faith … finished my
course HENCEFORTH
... the crown of righteousness.”
3. Be inspired in serving and suffering because
the time of Rewards draws near as Christ’s coming draws near.
The
Lord’s return is hastening on apace. He will bring His Rewards with Him.
“For the Son
of man SHALL COME … THEN shall he reward …
“B1essed is
that servant... WHEN HE COMETH ... he
shall make him ruler over his house.”
“The time hath come that thou shouldest give REWARDS
unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints.”
*
* * *
* * *
970
JOSEPH THE OVERCOMER
BETRAYED BY
HIS BRETHREN
By ARTHUR W.
PINK.
Genesis
37
“And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
And
12.
Joseph sent forth by his father. The
verses just quoted above introduce to us the second of these marvellous typical
scenes in which Joseph shadows forth the Lord Jesus. Here the brethren of
Joseph are seen away from their father. Jacob says to his beloved son, “Come, and I will send thee unto them.” How this reveals the heart of Jacob to us. He was not
indifferent to their welfare. Absent from the father’s house as they were,
Jacob is concerned for the welfare of these brethren of Joseph. He, therefore,
proposes to send his well beloved son on an errand of mercy, seeking their
good. And is it not beautiful to mark the promptness of Joseph’s response! There was no hesitancy, no
unwillingness, no proffering of excuses, but a blessed readiness to do his father’s will, “Here am I.”
One
cannot read of what passed here between Jacob and Joseph without seeing that
behind the historical narrative we are carried back to a point before time
began, into the eternal counsels of the Godhead, and that we are permitted to
learn something of what passed between the Father and the Son in the remote
past. As the Lord God with Divine omniscience foresaw the fall of man, and the
alienation of the race from Himself, out of the marvellous grace of His heart,
He proposed that His beloved Son should go forth on a mission of mercy, seeking
those who were away from the Father’s House. Hence we read so often of the Son
being sent by
the Father, “Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jno. 4: 10). And blessed it is to know that the Beloved of the
Father came forth on His errand of love, freely, willingly, gladly. Like
Joseph, He, too, promptly responded, “Here am I.”
As it is written of Him in Hebrew
10: 7,
“Then said I, Lo,
I come (in the volume of
the book it is written of Me) to do
Thy will, O God.”
13.
Joseph seeks the welfare of his brethren. “And he said to him, Go,
I pray thee, see whether
it be well with thy brethren, and well with the
flocks, and bring me word again” (37: 14). Joseph could not have been ignorant of his brethren’s
“envy”; he must have known how they “hated” him; and in view of this one had not been surprised
to find him unwilling to depart on such a thankless errand. But with gracious
magnanimity and filial fear he stood ready to depart on the proposed mission.
Two
things are to be particularly observed here as bringing out the striking
accuracy of this type. First, Joseph is sent forth with a definite object
before him - to seek his brethren. When we turn to the Gospels we find the
correspondence is perfect. When the Beloved of the Father visited this world,
His earthly mission was restricted to His brethren according to the flesh. As
we read in John 1: 11, “He came unto His own, and His
own received Him not”: His “own” here refers to His own people, the Jews. Again, in Matt.
15: 24, it is recorded that the Lord Jesus Himself expressly
declared, “I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” And again, in
In
the second place, observe the character of Joseph’s mission: said Jacob, “Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren.”
He was sent not to censure them, but to inquire after their welfare. So, again,
it was with the Lord Jesus Christ. As we read in John 3: 17, “For God sent not His
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”
14. Joseph
was sent forth from the vale of
The
peaceful vale of
15.
Joseph came to Shechem (37: 14). The word “Shechem” means “Shoulder,”
being taken from “the position of the place on the
‘saddle’ or ‘shoulder’ of the heights which divide the waters there that flow
to the Mediterranean on the west and to the Jordan on the east.”
(Smith’s Bible Dictionary). The meaning of this name conforms strictly to the
Antitype. The “shoulder” speaks of
burden-bearing and suggests the thought of service and subjection. The moral
meaning of the term is Divinely defined for us in this very book of Genesis - “and bowed his shoulder to bear and become a
servant unto tribute” (49: 15). How striking it is to read, then, that
on leaving his father in the vale of
Moreover,
is it not significant that Shechem has been mentioned before in the Genesis
narrative - see 34: 25-30 especially
when we note what occurred there. Shechem was the place of sin and sorrow, of
evil passions and blood-shedding. Little wonder that Jacob was anxious about
his sons in such a place, and that he sent Joseph to them there to
inquire after their welfare. And how what we read of in Gen.
34 well
depicts in terse but solemn summary the history of this earth. How aptly and
how accurately the scene there portrayed exhibited the character of the place
into which the Lord Jesus came. The place which He took was that of the
Servant; the scene into which He came was one of sin and strife and suffering.
16.
Joseph now became a Wanderer in the field. “And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him: saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my
brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks”
(37: 15, 16). In His
interpretation of the Parable of the Tares, the Lord Jesus said, “the field is the
world” (Matt. 13: 38). Like
Joseph, the Beloved of the Father became a Wanderer, a homeless
Stranger in this world. The foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had their
nests, but the Son of man had not where to lay his head. What a touching word
is that in John’s Gospel, “And
every man went unto his own house: Jesus went unto the
17. Joseph
seeks until he finds his brethren. “And the man said, They are
departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to
“And Joseph went after his brethren.” How these words gather up into a brief sentence the
whole story recorded in the four Gospels! As the Redeemer went about from place
to place, one end only was in view - He was going after His brethren. He enters
the synagogue and reads from the prophet Isaiah, and with what object? That His
brethren might be reached. He walks by the
“And found them in
18.
Joseph conspired against. “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him” (37: 18). The hatred of the brethren found opportunity in the
love that sought them. It is striking to notice how that a conspiracy was formed
against Joseph “before
he drew near unto them.” How this
reminds us of what happened during the days of our Saviour’s infancy. No sooner
was He born into this world than the enmity of the carnal mind against God
displayed itself! A horrible “conspiracy” was
hatched by Herod in the attempt to slay the newly born Saviour. This was in the
days when He was “afar off.” Thirty years
before He presented Himself publicly to the Jews. The same thing is found again
and again during the days of His public ministry. “Then the Pharisees went out
and held a council again Him, how they might
destroy Him” (Matt. 12: 14), may be cited as a sample.
19.
Joseph’s words disbelieved. “And they said one to another, Behold
this dreamer cometh. Come now, therefore, and let us slay
him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil
beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what
will become of his dreams” (37: 19, 20). The prophetic announcement of Joseph seemed unto his
brethren as idle tales. They not only hated him, but they refused to
believe what he had said. Their scepticism comes out plainly in the
wicked proposal, “Let us slay him and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” Thus it was with the Christ of God. After He had been
nailed to the cross, “they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, and
saying, Thou that destroyed the temple and
buildest it in three days, save Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God,
come down from the cross. Likewise, also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders,
said, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He
be the King of Israel, let Him now come down
from the cross, And we will believe Him” -
which was an admission that they did not believe. The Jews believed Him not. His teaching was
nothing more to them than empty dreams. So, too, after His death and burial. “The chief priests and
Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that
deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore, that the
sepulchre be made sure” (Matt. 27). When the
stone was scaled and the watch was set, the sceptical Pharisees were but saying
in effect, “We
shall see what will become of His dreams.”
And
is it any different now in modern Christendom? How do men and women today treat
the words of the Faithful and True Witness? Do those who listen to the Gospel
give credence to what they hear? Do they set to their seal that God is true? Do
they really believe as true the Lord’s own words, “He that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3: 18)? Ah, unsaved reader, dost thou believe that, that even now the condemnation of a
Holy God is resting upon thee? You do not have to wait until the last great
day; you do not have to wait until the judgment of the great white throne. No;
God’s condemnation rest upon thee now. Unspeakably solemn is this. And there is
but one way of deliverance. There was but one way of escape for Noah and his
family from the flood, and that was to seek refuge in the
20.
Joseph is insulted. “And it came to pass, when
Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they
stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of
many colours that was on him” (37: 23). How
this brings out the wicked hatred of these men for the one who had come seeking
only their welfare. Like beasts of prey they immediately spring upon him. It
was not enough to injure him; they must insult him too. They put him to an open shame by stripping
him of his coat of many colours. And how solemnly this agrees with the
Antitype. In a similar manner the Lord of Glory was dealt with. He, too, was
insulted, and put to shame: “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common
hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of
soldiers. And they stripped Him” (Matt.
27: 27, 28). The
same horrible ignominy is witnessed again at the Cross: “Then the soldiers when they
had crucified Jesus, took His garments” (John 19:
23).
21. Joseph
is cast into a pit. “And they took him, and cast him into a pit;
and the pit was empty, there
was no water in it” (37: 24). We
quote now from Dr. Haldeman: “The pit wherein is no water, is another name for Hades,
the underworld, the abode of the disembodied dead: of all the dead before the
resurrection of Christ. ‘The pit wherein is no water’ (Zech. 9: 11). ‘For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth’ (Matt. 12: 40). It was here our Lord, as to His [disembodied]
Soul, abode between death and resurrection.”
2.
Joseph was taken out of the pit, alive, in his body. “And they lifted up Joseph out
of the pit” (37: 28). “The actual order of the occurrence is that Joseph was first
cast into the pit and then sold; but the moral order of the type is not
deranged by the fact; it is in the light of the Antitypical history that we
make the type to be verified, as well as to verify it. The lifting out of the pit is one of
those Divine anticipations of the resurrection scattered all through the
Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi.”
(Dr. H.).
23. Joseph’s brethren mingle Hypocrisy with their Hatred. “And they sat
down to eat bread. ... And
But
mark now this hypocrisy: “Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him.” The
parallel to this is found in John
18: “Then led
they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment; and it was early; and they
themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they
should be defiled” (verse 28).
Such deceptions will men practice upon themselves. And again, how remarkable,
in this connection, are the words found in John 18: 31: “Then said Pilate unto
them, Take ye Him and judge Him according to
your law. The Jews therefore said unto him,
It is not lawful for us to put any man to death!”
24.
Joseph is sold. “They drew and
lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph
to the Ishmaelites” (37: 28). Is it
not exceedingly striking to note that from among the twelve sons of Jacob Judah should
be the one to make this horrible bargain, just as from the twelve apostles Judas (the
Anglicized form of the Greek equivalent) was the one to sell the Lord!
25. Joseph’s
blood-sprinkled coat is presented to his father. “And they took Joseph’s coat
and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the
coat in the blood; and they sent the coat of
many colours, and they brought it to their
father.” “The
anticipation of the type is self-evident. The blood of Jesus Christ as
the blood of a scapegoat, a sin offering, was presented to the Father” (Dr. R).
In our next, D. V., we shall consider Joseph in
*
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971
THE SALVATION OF THE SOUL
By PHILIP MAURO [PART
ONE OF FOUR]
We take up now the important words which bring the
tenth chapter of Hebrews to a close, and which introduce the great theme of chapter 11: “Now
the just shall live by faith: but if he draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But we are not of them that draw back unto destruction, but (of them that are) of
faith to
saving the soul” (10: 38, 39).
The
foregoing is a literal rendering of the original text; and we would at the
outset call attention to several corrections that need to be made in the A.V.
1.
The words “any
man” are introduced by the
translators as the subject of the verb “draw back”; but the fact that they are in italic type shows that they are without warrant
in the original. The antecedent subject is the “just man,” who is to live by faith. The expression is the same
that Paul used of himself in Galatians
2: 20,
“the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God.” Jesus
Christ is not only the author, but also the finisher of faith. As already seen,
it is only the [regenerate] believer,
the man who has been justified by faith, that
can “draw back.” The unbeliever has not come to anything from which he
could “draw back.” There is no question at all as to the correctness of
the reading, “if he draw back.” The drawing back to destruction is put in direct contrast with the living by faith, and going on to the saving of the soul.
It is true that the believer cannot draw back from his standing in Christ. He
cannot draw back from eternal life. But he needs to be
warned lest he draw back [i.e., apostatize] from the pilgrim’s place and return to the world.
2. It should be pointed out that the word “perdition” should be “destruction.”
The difference is important. The people of God will surely suffer destruction
if they draw back into the world. Because it is polluted, it will destroy them
with a sore destruction (Mic. 2: 10); that is, will involve them in great and
irreparable damage or loss. But they will never come into “perdition.”
3. The words “of them that believe” should read simply “of
faith.” While the meaning is
substantially the same, yet the exact wording “of faith” is important, for the reason that this word “faith” announces the
theme of chapter 11. That great chapter
is given to the people of God for the very purpose of instructing them in regard to the nature of that faith which is effectual to the saving
of the soul. The very next words are, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
It
is very desirable for our benefit and instruction that we should see the
intimate connection between the contents of chapter
11 and the subject of the Epistle as a whole.
The chapter is so commonly detached from its context and treated as a separate
portion of Scripture that the connection is lost sight of.
The
purpose of this passage is to bring to bear upon God’s children in this [evil
and ungodly]
age the combined and cumulative influence of the lives and examples of those who continued steadfast in the faith, down to
the last day of their lives, being
controlled during the entire course of their pilgrimage by “things not seen,” but concerning which God had spoken to them.
Men’s
lives ordinarily are controlled by the influences of this present world, the
seen things, and by the desire to secure worldly advantages, wealth, and
pleasures. But the conduct of those who
are brought to our notice in this chapter was just the reverse. Thus they
illustrate, and enable us to understand, what is meant by faith to the saving of the soul.
Verse 13 gives us the
point of the lesson in the words: “These all died in
faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them [by the eye of faith] afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed
that they
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”
The
words “died in faith” tells us really that they lived
in faith down to the very last day of their long lives. In other words, that
for which they lived and waited was still
in the future when death took them from the scene. Hence, if there be no resurrection and no coming age, the promises in which they trusted would be deceitful and their lives an utter failure. To die in
faith then, is not merely to die a believer, but to die without having reached the goal of one’s life: “not having received the promises.”
The point of the lesson for us is easily seen. Just as they [the Old
Testament saints]
had a distinct
promise of God put before them,
so there is put before us as the object of our HOPE [after
‘the first Resurrection’ (Rev. 20: 4) of], the promised [Messianic
and Millennial]
kingdom in the age to come. And just
as the embracing of their hope made them confessed strangers and pilgrims on
earth, so should the hope that is set
before us influence our lives and conduct in such wise as to make us walk apart
from this present evil age.
The
opening words of chapter 11, “faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things
not seen” call for
explanation. The word rendered “substance”
appears in chapter 3: 14, and is there well translated by the familiar
word “confidence.” So we may accept
The
special aspect of faith which is pressed upon our attention in this chapter is,
not so much that which believes God touching His offer of pardon and life
through Jesus Christ, but that faith which lays hold of His promise concerning the coming [of
Messiah’s millennial] glory - the
things hoped for because promised by God, though not yet seen. Such is
the nature of that faith by which our souls
are saved from the dangers that now threaten them.
It
is quite evident that the expression saving the soul refers to
something yet future. It plainly
refers to that condition of blessedness
and glory which is in view throughout the Epistle, and into which God’s pilgrims [if judged as ‘accounted
worthy’]
will be brought when the Lord comes again. The last words of chapter 9, “unto salvation” manifestly refer to the same
thing as the last words of chapter
10 “unto saving the soul.”
And
the reason why this yet future
salvation is spoken of as the saving of
the soul is susceptible of being clearly understood, if we pay careful
attention to the distinction which the Scriptures observe between the soul and the spirit.
We
are not aware that anyone has heretofore attempted to lead the Lord’s people to
inquire precisely what is meant in Scripture by saving the soul; and since we believe this to be an exceedingly profitable inquiry, we
here will endeavour to trace out, in the light of the Word of God, the distinction between soul and spirit.
Two points may be noted at the outset: (1) that saving the soul
refers to something which lies beyond the
present [evil] age,
and (2) that it means something
quite distinct from the forgiveness
of sin and the gift of eternal life which
every sinner receives upon conversion.
Thus
the Apostle Peter admonishes the children of God “as strangers and pilgrims” (to) abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1
Pet. 2: 11). Since this warfare is very real and very terrible,
it shows that, though redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and born again
(1 Pet. 1),
our souls are yet exposed to danger, just as our bodies are. The souls of God’s
pilgrims are yet to be saved, that
is, to be brought through, and placed beyond the reach of, all danger.
The distinction between soul and spirit is very
sharply drawn in First
Corinthians 2. It is the spirit
of man that discerns the things of a man. The man of soul
(the natural
man) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Again in First Corinthians 15 the
distinction is clearly drawn in verses 44-46. “The first man Adam
was made a living soul; the last Adam a
quickening spirit.”
Also the Apostle James, speaking to “beloved brethren” who have been already begotten again with the word of
truth, exhorts them to lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and to receive with meekness the
engrafted word, “which
is able to save your souls” (James 1:
21).
Here again the saying of the soul is referred to as something distinct from the new birth, and as something yet future.
Another point to be noted in all the Scriptures
relating to the saving of the soul is that, whereas the pardon of sins and
bestowal of eternal life are the free gift of God’s grace, apart from all works
or behaviour of the one who receives them, the
salvation of the soul is invariably referred to as something to which we are required to give earnest heed.
The soul of man is capable of experiencing pleasure in
the activities of life; and but for sin all the activities of life would be
pleasurable. Man would, but for sin and its consequences, enjoy continued and
invariable satisfaction or “rest” in
everything around him and in every happening in his life. But the Word of God
tells us that it is a serious mistake to seek pleasure and satisfaction for
one’s soul in the world as it now is.
For God’s people to do so is to incur loss in the coming [Messianic
and Millennial]
age. And since that loss is not
perdition or eternal ruin, but rather the
loss of rewards or satisfaction,
it is called the loss of the soul.
The soul of man is that part of his being which is affected. Hence, we have the
principle that he who seeks his soul’s satisfaction now, shall
lose it hereafter; and he who
loses, that is, consents to part with, his
soul’s desire now, shall find it hereafter. This, of course, applies
to the [regenerate] people
of God, and to them alone.
This
lesson is clearly illustrated in the Lord’s parable of the rich man in Luke 12. A dispute arose between brethren over the dividing of an inheritance.
The Lord was appealed to, but He refused to interfere, saying, “Who made me a judge or a
divider over you?” (verse 14). This brought forth a warning against covetousness. Men covet and seek after wealth, because thereby one can purchase
satisfaction in this world for the soul. But the Lord said: “Take heed, and beware of
covetousness: for a man’s life (or soul) consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a
certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And
he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I
have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he
said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns,
and build greater; and there will I bestow all
my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou
fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” - [i.e., in
‘Sheol’ / ‘Hades’
the underworld of the disembodied souls of the dead, ‘in the heart of the earth’ (Matt. 12: 40; Psalm 16: 10; Acts. 2: 27,ff. R.V.)]: - “then whose shall those
things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth
up treasure for himself, and is not
rich toward God.”
Farther
instructions concerning the soul, or natural life, follow in verses 22-30. But we need not quote the entire passage. The portion quoted above is
very illuminating, making clear, among other things, that the soul is that part
of man which is capable of taking pleasure in material things, as in eating and
drinking; and making clear also that the soul is distinguishable from the man
himself, for he can speak to it and it can be required of him.
In
studying our Lord’s utterances on this subject we have only to remember that
the soul is the seat of the natural life, embracing all man’s experiences and
his sensations of pleasure and delight, or of pain and sorrow, or of whatever
nature, arising from his associations with other persons and created things.
Hence, the same word is sometimes rendered soul and sometimes life. Bearing this in mind, we are the
better prepared to examine those sayings of the Lord Jesus that touch upon our
subject.
*
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972
THE GRACE OF
THE GLORY
By ROBERT E. NEIGHBOUR, D.D.
In revelling in “The Glories of Grace” we must not forego the joy of considering “The Grace of the Glory.”
If
Grace,
all Grace, is based upon the work of the Cross, it at least radiates from that
Cross with increasing lustre
as it reaches into the ages to come.
The
Word of God bears witness: “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding
riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Such words are weighty. They doubtless mean that the out-workings of Grace
which begin at Calvary, and which were made possible through
We
have shown that when Christ comes He brings His Rewards
with Him. The Rewards are
wages and are not of Grace. Rewards will be well
worth the toil they cost. They have much to do with the raptured believer’s
position in heavenly places during the Millennial glory. To what extent they
pass beyond the period of the personal reign of Christ we may not know - the
Word of God does not reveal.
One
tiling we do know - that the Grace of God passes beyond the resurrection, beyond the “Day of Rewards,”
beyond the Millennial Age and into the Ages to Come.
The
finite cannot grasp the infinite. The Holy Spirit gives a few fore-gleams of
coming glories - but they are brief. He tells of the
There
is much in the Bible about the Millennium, because that age is still in the
realm of things earthy, and can be understood by those of us who tabernacle
here. The “Ages
to Come” are beyond us. Our minds cannot grasp them.
The glory is so great that if we were told we would not now be able to receive
it. Its lustre would blind us, its magnificence would stagger us.
Our
God has not told it all. Yea, the half has never yet been told. The head could
not contain the facts, the heart could not contain the glory, the world could not contain the books had God told it all.
God
has His secrets. Secrets of what He has in store for the Redeemed. God’s one
brief sentence makes us wonder, “That IN THE AGES TO
COME he might shew THE EXCEEDING
RICHES OF HIS GRACE in his kindness toward us, through Jesus Christ.”
These
words are unfathomable. We know that we cannot know - that we cannot know NOW what riches, what exceeding riches
of Grace lie ahead of the Redeemed.
Death
will not reveal more than the first instalment of these riches.
The
Second Coming of Christ will not reveal more than another instalment.
The
riches will not ALL lie open before
us, when the Son delivers the kingdom unto the Father.
The
manifestation of these exceeding riches of Grace passes into the ages to come.
There
is an ever increasing revelation of these “riches.”
Anticipation will be a vital note in the language of heaven.
Hope
abides. There will always be more to follow.
Each
successive manifestation of the Glories of Grace will increase the lustre of
the Cross.
Age
upon age will bring to light Grace upon Grace, while Christ Jesus is ever and
increasingly magnified.
Our
praises and our testimony, our songs and
our sermons, will ever
find enlarged expression as the blessings of the ages to come unfold the
Glories of Grace.
In
those ages we will begin to fathom the eternal purposes of
God.
In
those ages we will
begin to understand that now almost inexplicable “My God! My God!
WHY hast thou forsaken me.”
In
those ages we will
begin to appreciate the tremendous energies put forth by the Father and by the
Son and by the Holy Spirit in behalf of the salvation of men.
Let
us think of Calvary as the ground, the basis of all Grace, but let us not think of
The
believer needs this forward look.
The
believer needs the vision of the “ages to come.”
The
believer’s citizenship, his abiding place, his complete heirship, lie beyond
the things earthly and temporal.
We
are strangers and pilgrims travelling home.
Satan
seeks to centre
the mind and fasten the affections of men on “this present evil age.”
Satan blinds the
minds of the unbelieving lest the light of the Gospel of the GLORY OF GOD should shine in upon them
and convert them.
Satan
employs the
deceitfulness of present riches and the lure of present pleasures to deaden the
lustre of the Gospel of coming glory.
God’s
Grace hath appeared teaching us to LOOK “for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ.”
While
praising God for the Glories of
Grace, let us not fail to praise
Him for Grace of His Glories.
By grace, through faith, and that alone,
I'm saved, from sin set free;
Not by the works which I have done,
Salvation came to me.
By grace, through faith, I’m justified,
No boastfulness I know;
Christ died, and God is reconciled,
Peace doth my heart o’erflow.
He died, I live: I trust His grace;
Near by His cross, I stand;
He died, I sing; I take my place,
Yield Him my heart and hand.
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* * *
973
RULE AND
REIGN:
Kingdom
Studies in Genesis 24
By ROYCE POWELL
[PART TWO]
-------
Typological
Trinity
This wonderful story involves three men, Abraham, Isaac
and Eliezar. They typologically
represent the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
The father sends his servant to obtain a
wife on his son’s behalf. This is how the Trinity is working at this moment.
Abraham wants a wife for his son, Isaac. Note that Abraham does not send for a
bride, he sends for a wife. God stipulates that the wife must not be taken from the Canaanites. Why? “And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were
Shem, and Ham, and
Japheth: and Ham is the father of
Canaanite
Exclusion
However, God the Father forbids Canaanite
participation. Jesus chooses 12 apostles.
2 Now
the names of the twelve apostles are these; The
first, Simon, who
is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and
John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican;
James the son of Aiphacus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname
was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaartite, and Judas Iscariot, who also
betrayed him. (Matthew 10: 2-4)
Among
the apostles is Simon the Canaanite. Considering the type in Genesis 24, why is Simon included? This demonstrates the distinguishing marks of
the dispensations and ages. Regarding the general church, or the specific bride who is selected
from it, there is neither Jew nor
gentile. However, as far as God is concerned regarding the
millennium, no Canaanite will claim
any promise directed to the Jew. We
must distinguish the difference.
The
Jew will always be the Jew. God will not allow them to be destroyed. A Jew who
converts to Christ remains of Jewish heritage, pictured in this passage. The
servant approaches the well, reminding us of the significance of John 4 and Jacob and Rachel and so forth. Praying, he says, “And let it come to pass,
that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray
thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink,
and I will give thy camels drink also.” If this pictures the Holy Spirit, then he wins men and women
to the Lord by his Word. The woman
conforms to that Word. A person is
truly justified when he confesses that the Word is the only
means whereby he can know the Lord. She
says the exact words that the servant speaks. The entire Word is inspired, God
breathed. The Holy Spirit teaches
the Word, which simply instructs
about Jesus Christ. The woman is fair and
holds a pitcher, like the woman in John 4.
Rebekah’s
Response
When
the Lord Jesus wants to keep the Passover feast with his disciples, he says there will be a man with a pitcher, so follow
him if you want to go to the upper room. Preparing to destroy the
Midianites, God uses Gideon and 300 men with pitchers. The pitcher is a
symbol of what the well offers. The servant wants her to water his
camels. Have you seen a camel? God has a great sense of humour. Perhaps he was
in a bad mood when he created this animal because nothing is graceful or pretty
about it. The servant takes ten camels. The word “camels” is mentioned 17 times, the biblical number of victory. The servant
wants the woman to say that she will water those camels, and he will know when
she conforms to his word. Why should she water the camels? Why does he expect
this? They are far from Isaac and Abraham. Standing at the well, he asks for
something that is a bit unreasonable. The woman conforms to the word that the
servant utters. If she says she will water the camels, she agrees. Performing this lowly task, she meets the need of supplying transportation
to Isaac her husband. This is why it is important that we always conform to the Word of the Lord,
until we meet Jesus Christ. Rebekah has not met Isaac, yet this fellow
appears, exclaiming, “I’ve got just the man for you.”
If it were me, I would run! But as 1 Peter 1: 8 says, “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.” What does the Lord Jesus look like? He looks like a man. We do not
know the details, but this pictures Jesus. So here is this strange man, asking Rebekah to journey with him. “And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of
gold” (Genesis 24: 22).
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
54 And they did eat
and drink, he and the men that were with him,
and tarried all night; and
they rose up in the morning, and he said.
Send me away unto my master. (Genesis 24: 53-54)
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when
she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said
unto the servant, What man is this that walketh
in the field to meet us? 66 And the servant had said, It
is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 66
And the servant told Isaac all things 67 that he had done.
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent,
and took Rebekah, and
she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. (Genesis 24: 64-67)
In
Genesis 24: 22
he gives her gold, an earring and two bracelets. In Genesis
24: 53 he gives her silver, gold. and
clothing. In Genesis 24: 64-65 there is
a new relationship. He gives her nothing but a veil, with which she covers
herself. This is a picture of the
complete salvation which the Lord offers to the believer. Scripturally, gold is a picture of deity.
He
gives her a golden earring; this is how the
spirit is saved, by listening to God and what he says, doing only what he commands. Gold is
the salvation of the spirit. He gives her jewels of silver, which is redemptive
money. There is also raiment, the salvation of the [disembodied] soul. What about the final phase of the journey, when
Rebekah meets Isaac? The salvation of the spirit is costly, possessing a value
only God knows. The salvation of the
soul is also costly. The salvation of the body,
as described in Genesis 24: 64-67, is by power not cost. It is by God’s power that the Lord Jesus is
raised from the dead. There is the trichotomous salvation of
the spirit, soul, and body, when we meet the Lord Jesus. Look at Genesis 24: 65, “She
took a vail, and covered herself.” Why? When we meet the Lord, the only feature we will
show is a golden earring, bracelet or other jewel, fulfilling the scripture, “No flesh will glory in his
presence.” Only that which is
given will be revealed. She covers herself. When we are with Jesus, he will not
ask how many times we preached this week or how much money we earned. He will
only ask, “What
did you do with what I gave you?” Look back at Genesis 24: 53. Rebekah’s brother and mother do not join her. The Lord offers great
gifts to every believer. Some follow and
conform to the Lord’s Word. These
are the ones who will be intimately acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ. The mother and brother do not go.
Looking at Genesis 24: 22. only one golden earring is given. If you want your life to be meaningful, listen to the Lord.
When
a servant in the Old Testament fulfils his term of six years and does not want
to leave, his master takes him to the doorpost and bores his ear with an awl.
This is a sign that the servant loves his master and does not want to leave.
The Lord wants us to listen to the Holy Spirit. Hear the Word. What happens
when we do not listen?
1 And
when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go
before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of 2
him. And Aaron said unto
them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your
daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake
off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. (Exodus
32: 1-3)
The
golden earrings are broken and melted. The Israelites quit listening, and it
leads to idolatry. This is why Eliezar wants Rebekah to wear one golden earring
for one master, one God, one ear to hear what the Lord commands.
22
Then the men of
Where
does this lead? “And
Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his
city, even in Ophrah: and all
Love for
Rebekah
Look
with me in your Bible at Genesis
22: 2,
“And he said, Take now
thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee
into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for
a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” This is the first time the word “love” appears in scripture. It is the love of the father
for the son. “And
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and
took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis
24: 67). This is the second time the word love is used. Here,
it is the son’s love for his wife or bride. “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;
and that the world may know that thou
hast sent me, and hast loved them,
as thou hast loved me” (John
17: 23). The Lord desires that we become one; this does not mean we will be God, but that we shall be in complete agreement.
This is about union. The point of the Trinity is not threeness but oneness. The
word “one” is not numerical, but indicates unity. He wants [redeemed] man to be like
him, to think [and
act]
like him. This is why Paul says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2: 5). Since the advent of sin in this world, the Lord must
use a physical event to communicate a spiritual message to man. Man is essentially
a body controlled by the soul, not the spirit.
This
incident in Genesis 22: 2 is referenced in two New Testament scriptures, Hebrews 11 and James 2. This offering speaks of the three aspects of man,
body, soul and spirit. Why does the Lord tell his friend Abraham to perform an
act forbidden in the reminder of the Old Testament? Let’s examine a
possibility.
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken
the nations! 13
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I
will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High. (Isaiah 14: 12-14)
Isaiah
mentions the “nations” and the “stars,” which are associated
with Abraham. Satan would be like the most High God, creating spiritual and physical
beings such as angels and humans. When we hear, “I want to be like God,” we must be careful. Satan desires this. More often
than not, God uses a physical event to teach a spiritual lesson, as he does
with Abraham. Satan is a spirit being who wants to be like God, but it is
different with Abraham. Consider why the Lord does this. In my opinion, the
Lord never intends to allow Abraham to kill his son. So why command it? The Lord wants Abraham to feel what he felt
when he sent his son to the cross. This is who we are like him. This is how we know him. Today, we
cannot be like God, but we can know him. This is what the New Testament teaches
when it says, “I want to know him.” This is not about believing on him as
saviour, but knowing him [more intimately (see Phil.
3: 11,
R.V.)]. God
wants Abraham to know him. This is
illustrated over and over. God tells
Hosea to marry a prostitute. Why? In
the Old Testament, adultery and
fornication are types of apostasy from the Word. The Lord wants Hosea to know him. He wants Hosea to know how he feels
when his wife,
This incident in Genesis
22: 2 also displays the father’s love
for the son, as we see in Genesis
22. “Father,
I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that
they may behold my glory,* which thou hast given
me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of
the world” (John 17: 24). Again,
it is the father loving the son.
[* See Hosea 5: 15-6: 1-3. Cf. Habakkuk
2: 14; Isaiah
43: 19, 20ff.
R.V.)]
25
O righteous Father, the
world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known 26 that thou hast sent me. And I
have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love
wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them,
and I in them. (John 17: 25-26)
Here
is the Son loving his wife. Why is this important? We must always remember that
the best commentary on Genesis is the New
Testament. We see the Father’s love to his Son, the Son’s love to his wife. “Father, I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold
my glory, which thou hast given me:
for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17: 24). This love occurs before the foundation of the world.
The Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the believer who [obeys
and]
worships him. This is established before the Earth, before sin. The Lord
forgives us, and no event can erase or deter that love. We are chosen in him
before the foundation of the world. Before the foundation of the world, there
is no tangible matter. This means the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves
the bride without material. Their exquisite love prevails. God always knew that
man would sin, telling us that no future could alter this love for those who would diligently serve.
Love is not fleshly but spiritual. This is how the Father loved us. In my
opinion, Genesis 22: 2 is the first mention of the father’s love to his son;
and Genesis 24: 67 is the Son’s love for his wife. Frankly, I do not understand this love, but it is the
truth.
*
* * *
* * *
974
JOSEPH THE
OVERCOMER
JOSEPH IN
By ARTHUR W.
PINK
Genesis
39, 40
Genesis 37 closes with an account of Jacob’s sons selling their
brother Joseph unto the Midianites, and they, in turn selling him into
It
is remarkable that Gen. 38 records the history of
Genesis 39 is more than a
continuation of what has been before us in Gen. 37, being
separated, as it is, from that chapter by what is recorded in 38.
Genesis
in 39 is really a new
beginning in the
type, taking us back to the Incarnation, and tracing the experiences of the
Lord Jesus from another angle. Continuing our enumeration (see previous
article), we may observe:
26.
Joseph becomes a Servant. “And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an
Egyptian, brought him out of the hands of the
Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither”
(39: 1). What a contrast from being the beloved son in his
father’s house to the degradation of slavery in
27.
Joseph was a Prosperous Servant. “And the Lord was with Joseph, and
he
was a prosperous man, and he
was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And
his master saw that the Lord was with him, and
that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand” (39: 2, 3). Observe,
particularly, it is here said, the Lord made all that Joseph did “to prosper in his hand.” How these words remind us of two prophetic scriptures
which speak of the perfect Servant of Jehovah. The first is the opening [of
the first]
Psalm, which brings before us the “Blessed Man,” the Man who walked not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of
the scornful; the Man whose delight was in the Law of the Lord, and in whose Law
He did meditate day and night; the Man of whom God said, “And He shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth His fruit in His Season; His leaf also
shall not wither; and whatsoever He doeth shall prosper” (Psa. 1: 3). Manifestly,
this spoke, specifically, of the Lord Jesus, in whom, alone, the terms of the opening verses of this Psalm were
fully realized. The second scripture is found in that matchless fifty-third of Isaiah (every
sentence of which referred to the Son of God incarnate, and to Him, expressly,
as Jehovah’s “Servant,” see 52:
13),
we read, “The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in His hand.” How marvellously accurate the type! Of Joseph it is recorded,
“The Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand” (Gen.
39: 3). Of Christ it is said, “The pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in His hand”
(Isa. 53: 10).
28. Joseph’s
master was well pleased with him. “And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made
him overseer over his house, and all that he had
he put into his hand” (39: 4). How
could it be otherwise? Joseph was entirely different from any other servant
that Potiphar ever had. The fear of God was upon him; the Lord was with him,
prospering him; and he served his master faithfully. So it was with the One
whom Joseph foreshadowed. The Lord Jesus was entirely different from any other
servant God ever had. The fear of the Lord was upon Him (see Isa. 11:
2).
And so faithfully did He serve God, He could say, “I do always those things that
please Him” (John 8: 29).
29. Joseph, the servant, was made a blessing to others. “And it came to pass from the time that he had made him
overseer in his house, and over all that he had,
that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s
sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all
that he had in the house and in the field” (34:
5).
So, too, the Father entrusted to the Son all the interests of the Godhead - the
manifestation of the Divine character, the glorifying of God’s name, and the
vindication of His throne. And what has been the outcome of the Beloved of the
Father taking the Servant place, and assuming and discharging these onerous
responsibilities? Has not the Lord “blessed” the
antitypical “Egyptian’s
house,” for the sake of that One
whom Joseph foreshadowed? Clearly, the “Egyptian’s house”
symbolized the world, and how
bountifully has the world been blessed for Christ’s sake!
30. Joseph
was a goodly person. “And Joseph was a goodly
person, and well favoured” (39: 6). How carefully has the Holy Spirit here guarded the
type! We must always distinguish between the person and the place which he
occupies. Joseph had entered into the degradation of slavery. He was no longer
at his own disposal, but subject to the will of another. He was no longer dwelling
in his father’s house in
31.
Joseph was sorely tempted, yet sinned not. “And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
But he refused and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house,
and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand.
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness,
and sin against
God? And it came to pass as she spake to
Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto
her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came
to pass about this time, that Joseph went into
the house to do his business; and there was none
of the men of the house there within. And she
caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his
garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out” (39:
7-12).
It
is surely not without design that the Holy Spirit has placed in juxtaposition
the account of the unchastity of
Beautiful
is it to mark how Joseph resisted the repeated temptation - “How then can I do this great
wickedness and sin against God?”
This is the more striking if we link up this utterance of Joseph’s with Psa. 105: 19, “The Word of the Lord
tried him.” So it was by the same
Word that the Saviour repulsed the
Enemy. But notice here one point in contrast: “And he (Joseph) left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out”
(39: 12). So, the Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, enjoined
him to “Flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim.
2: 22). How different with the Perfect One! He said, “Get thee hence, Satan” (Matt. 4: 10), and we read, “Then the Devil leaveth Him.” In all
things He has the pre-eminence.
32. Joseph was falsely accused.
“And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. And
she spake unto him according to these words,
saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me.
And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and
cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out” (39: 16-18). There was no ground whatever for a true charge to
be brought against Joseph, so an unjust one was preferred. So it was, too, with Him who was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners.” His enemies “the chief priests, and elders, and all the
council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death. But
found none.” Yet, at the last, “came two false witnesses” (Matt. 16: 59, 60), who
bore untruthful testimony against Him.
33. Joseph
attempted no defence. “And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his
wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to
me: that his wrath was kindled” (39: 19), though notice, it does not add, “against Joseph.” In Gen. 37, we beheld Joseph’s passive submission to the wrong done him
by his heartless brethren. So here, when falsely and foully accused by this
Egyptian woman, he attempts no self-vindication; not a word of appeal is made;
nor is there any murmuring against the cruel injustice done him, as he is cast into prison. There was no recrimination; nothing but a
quiet enduring of the wrong. When Joseph was reviled, like the Saviour, he reviled not again. * And
how all this reminds us of what we read in Isa. 53: 7, with its recorded fulfilment in the Gospels, “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He
opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His
mouth!”
[* Why? Because Joseph knew God had other
plans for his faithfulness in the near future! Joseph also
knew about the possibility of “apostasy” from “the Faith”!
(See Numbers chs. 13. & 14.).
And, like Moses, “… when he was grown up … chose rather to be
evil entreated … than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; accounting the reproach of
Christ greater riches … for he looked unto
THE RECOMPENSE OF REWARD”
(Heb. 11:
24-26,
R.V.): “and the
powers of the AGE TO COME”
(Heb. 6: 5ff. R.V.). Cf. Rev.
2: 25, 26, R.V.]
34.
Joseph was cast into prison. “And Joseph’s master took him, and
put him into the prison, a place where the
king’s prisoners were bound; and he was there in
the prison” (39: 20).
“Taking the garment that Joseph had left behind him in his
flight, she used it as a proof of his guilt, and first to the servants, and
then to her husband. She made out a case against the Hebrew slave. The way she
spoke of her husband to the servants (verse 14)
shows the true character of the woman, and perhaps also the terms of her
married life; while the fact that Potiphar only placed Joseph in prison instead
of commanding him to be put to death is another indication of the state of
affairs. For appearance’ sake Potiphar must take some action, but the precise
action taken tells its own tale. He evidently did not credit her story” (Dr. G.
Thomas).
Just
as Joseph, though completely innocent, was unrighteously cast into prison, so
our Lord was unjustly sentenced to death by one who owned repeatedly, “I find no fault in Him.” And how striking is the parallel between the acts of
Potiphar and Pilate. It is evident that Potiphar did not believe the accusation
which his wife brought against Joseph - had he really done so, as has been
pointed out, he would have ordered his Hebrew slave put to death. But to save
appearances he had Joseph cast into prison. Now mark the close parallel in
Pilate. He, too, it is evident, did not believe in the guilt of our Lord or why
have been so reluctant to give his consent for Him to be crucified? He, too,
knew the character of those who accused the Saviour. But, for the sake of
appearances - as an officer of the Roman Empire, against the One who was
charged with being a rebel against Caesar, for political expediency - he passed
sentence.
35.
Joseph this suffered at the hands of the Gentiles. Not only was Joseph envied and hated by his own
brethren, and sold by them into the hands of the Gentiles, but he was also
treated unfairly by the Gentiles too, and unjustly cast into prison. So it was
with his Antitype, “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord,
and against His Christ. For
of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whoin Thou hast anointed,
both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with
the Gentites, and the
people of Israel were gathered together” (Acts
4: 26, 27).
36. Joseph, the innocent one,
suffered severely. In
Stephen’s speech we find a statement which bears this out. Said he, “And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph
into
37. Joseph won the respect of his jailor. “But the Lord was with Joseph,
and showed him mercy, and
gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (39: 21). Is not the antitype of this found in the fact that
the Roman centurion, the one who had charge of the Crucifixion of the Saviour,
cried, “Certainly
this was a Righteous Man” (Luke 23: 47). Thus
did God give His Son favour in the sight of this Roman who corresponded with
Joseph’s jailor.
38. Joseph
was numbered with transgressors. “And it came to pass that after these things, that the butler of the king of
39.
Joseph was the means of blessing to one,
but the pronouncer of judgment on the other. His fellow prisoners had each of them a dream, and in
interpreting them, Joseph declared that the butler should be delivered from
prison, but to the baker he said, “Within three days shall Pharaoh lift up his head from off
thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds
shall eat thy flesh from off thee” (40:
19).
It is not without good reason that the Holy Spirit has seen fit to record the
details of these dreams. Connected with the spared one, the butler, we read of “the cup” into which the grapes were pressed (49:
10-12), suggesting to us the precious Blood of the Lamb, by
which all who believe are delivered. Connected with the one who was not
delivered, the baker, were baskets full of bakemeats
(40: 16, 17),
suggesting human labours, the works of man’s hands, which are powerless to
deliver the sinner, or justify him before God: for all such there is only the “Curse,” referred to here by the baker being “hanged on a tree” (cf.
Gal. 3: 13). So it
was at the Cross: the one thief went to ‘
40.
Joseph evidenced his knowledge of the future. In interpreting their dreams, Joseph foretold the
future destiny of the butler and the baker. But observe that in doing this he
was careful to ascribe the glory to Another, saying, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (40: 8). So the One whom Joseph foreshadowed, again and again,
made known what should come
to pass in the future, yet did he say, “For I have not
spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak” (John 12:
49).
41.
Joseph’s predictions came true. “And it came to pass the third day,* which was
Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto
all his servants; and he lifted up the head of
the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again;
and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph
had interpreted to them” (40:
20-22). Just
as Joseph had interpreted so it came to pass. So shall it be with every word of
the Son of God, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but His words shall not pass
away. And O, unsaved reader, just as the solemn announcement of Joseph
concerning the baker was actually fulfilled, so shall these words of the Lord
Jesus be found true - “he that believeth not shall be damned!”
[* See Hosea 6: 2:
“After two days” - (i.e., after two thousand years, 2 Pet.
3: 8,
R.V.) - “will he revive us:” - (i.e., resurrect the ‘holy’ dead) - “on the third day” - (the millennium, Rev. 20: 4-6. R.V.) - “he will raise us up” (from ‘sheol’
/ ‘Hades’ Gen.
35b; Acts 2: 27,
34; 2 Tim.
2: 18ff.
R.V.)] - “and we
shall live before him.”]
42.
Joseph desired to be Remembered. Said
Joseph to the butler, “But think on me when it shall be well with thee” (40:
14).
So, in connection with the Supper, the Saviour has said, “This do in remembrance of Me.”
As
we admire these lovely typical pictures, like the queen of
*
* * *
* * *
975
By FREDERICK A. TATFORD, LITT. D.
EARLY in the world’s history, a mighty hunter named Nimrod
arose who determined to found a world empire, and Genesis 10: 10 states that “the beginning of his kingdom was
Nimrod
was the first leader of human apostasy from God. All pagan
mythologies and systems of idolatry show an underlying unity of character which
indicates their common origin, and all may, in fact, be traced back to
The
great rebel was cut off suddenly, being torn to pieces by a wild boar. Persian
records reveal that after his death Nimrod was deified by his followers. The
ancient world was well acquainted with the Edenic promise (Genesis 3: 15)
and rightly concluded that the bruising of the head of the woman’s seed implied
the death of the Deliverer. In brazen blasphemy Semiramis proclaimed that her
husband was the promised seed, whose death had really been a voluntary
sacrifice for the benefit of his partisans. This so fully accorded with the
latter’s inclinations that it was gladly accepted and worship was paid to the
deified leader.
The worship of Nimrod, under various names, was for
long practised only in secret and herein originated the ancient “mysteries”.
Jeremiah 51 foretold the destruction of the city of
The
The
vision of
As
the common prostitute in olden times wore her name on her brow, so a name was
impressed upon the forehead of the great whore: “Mystery,
The
universal church, of the future will evidently be in such close co-operation
with the political power that her will is dominant and her supreme authority is
acknowledged throughout the empire. Such a close association will surely have a
considerable effect in binding the countries together in loyalty to the leader
approved so wholeheartedly by the church. The official recognition of the
authority of the church will cease when the western emperor claims Divine
homage and worship. With the setting up of his image in the temple at
Revelation 18
discloses that the fall of
* *
* * *
* *
976
WHAT ABOUT
MISSING THE KINGDOM?
AN
EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS 4 AND 5
By ROBERT E. NEIGHBOUR,
D.D.
The message of the Epistle to the Hebrews is peculiarly
a message of the Kingdom.
We
believe that Christ, as our Great High Priest, holds a conspicuous place in the
epistle, and yet even the major message of His priesthood is not after the
Aaronic, but the Melchisedec pattern. This Melchisedec was a king-priest, and a
type of Christ as King-Priest when He reigns on David’s throne.
We
believe again that Hebrews carries a vital message on Christ’s superiority to
angels, and to Moses; however, in each case His superiority relates to His coming earth heirship and ministry.
Once
more we grant that Hebrews carries a definite message about the blood of
Christ, as God’s great and covenant sacrifice. Yet, in relation to this
hallowed offering once and for all, and in relation to His present entrance
into heaven itself, where He appears before God for us, is given this definite
statement:
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”
(Hebrew 9: 28).
We
believe that Hebrews is pre-eminently an epistle on the ]Messianic] Kingdom,
and on the Kingdom from a distinct and unique standpoint.
Hebrews, in its Kingdom-testimony presents and enlarges upon one tremendous
warning, and one great plea. The warning, is lest we fall [apostatise] by the way, and fail to enter into our
kingdom-heirship. The plea is for us to go with Christ
outside the camp, so that we may
enter with Him into His [millennial] reign.
We
ask our readers to follow with us, keeping an open mind, as we enlarge upon
this theme so vital to the [regenerate] Christian’s present day living and to his future
rewards.
I
A NEW VISION
OF HEBREWS
We
sat, one day, asking God for a testimony which we might deliver to our people.
Our mind was running over the matchless message of Hebrews eleven.
As
we sat in our study we slowly read the first verse.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence
of things not seen” (Hebrews 11: 1).
As
we paused and considered - suddenly a new light dawned upon us. Quickly we said
- this definition of “faith” is not
that of the faith which looks back to Calvary, the faith whereby we are
justified, but it is that of the faith which looks on to the
things unseen.
Then
we inwardly wondered if the heroes of the faith mentioned by name in this
marvellous chapter were each, in turn, an example of this definition of faith?
That is, did Abel, and Enoch and Noah, and Abraham, and the rest, each have a faith which gave substance to things hoped for, and evidence of things not seen?
The
result of our search was a demonstration that God’s star-cluster of heroes in Hebrews eleven, did, undoubtedly, outline the whole of prophetic story.
A
poem we wrote at that time will reveal to the reader the conclusions of our
discovery.
Faith looks afar and substance gives
To things hoped for; it always lives
With strong convictions; firmly clings;
Gives evidence to unseen things:
The faith of Abel saw the Blood,
Far down the years, a crimson flood;
And Abel’s sacrifice replete
Came up to God, an odour sweet.
The faith of Enoch saw the hour
When Christ would come in mighty power,
Translating all who know the Lord,
Who walk with Him, obey His word:
Thus, God translated Enoch, too,
A type, a picture ever true,
Of those caught up to Christ on high.
Of living saints who never die.
The faith of Noah saw the flood
Foretold by God’s unerring Word;
An ark faith built, a shelter sure
That would his household keep secure;
But, Noah’s faith saw down the years
Another day, a time of tears,
When God shall set the world afire
With famine, sword, and judgments dire.
The faith of Abraham portrayed
A far-flung vision. He obeyed,
And left his fatherland, to view
Another country, for he knew
That in the distant years, his seed
From bondage and from Gentile freed.
Forgiven and restored, would stand,
Inheriting the promised land.
The faith of Sara saw a seed
Born unto one as good as dead;
Her faith gave strength to her to bear,
And bring to birth this seed, this heir
Of promises foretold. In him
She saw a multitude of men,
In numbers as the stars of sky,
And as the sands of seashore, nigh.
The faith of Abraham did see
His son raised up, from death set free.
This man of faith looked down the years
And saw death robbed of all its fears,
Saw Christ raised up; believers, too,
All raised, translated, made anew
With bodies changed and glorified,
With Christ forever to abide.
The faith of Abram’s sons saw well
How
In her own land, forever blest,
Their sufferings and wrongs redressed;
How
And dwell together with one King;
How she would rest for aye, secure
As long as sun and moon endure.
The faith of Moses gladly shared
The poverty of saints, nor cared
For
Earth’s pleasures for the blest reward
Which he foresaw the Lord would bring
When He came back to earth as King;
Thus Moses heard the Spirit’s call.
And faith chose Christ as all-in-all.
The faith of many saints looked down
Through many ages, saw their crown;
They knew that Christ would come again,
That they with Him would live and reign;
In faith they lived, in faith they died,
The promises, not verified,
Disturbed them not, because faith knew
The Word was sure, and God was true.
The faith of all the saints, who give
Today upon the earth. should, give
To God a faith as strong, as true
As saints of old were used to do;
God’s galaxy of heroes still
Is open unto all who will,
By deeds of faith write in their name,
And thus attain a lasting fame.
As we sat that day, alone, with our open Bible, once
again, and quite as suddenly, a second query came to our mind. It was this:
Does the whole book of Hebrews centre in the “Things to come?”
We began anew the perusal of Hebrews - a perusal from a different angle. The
result of that study (a study which still goes on) is the message of this
booklet.
II
SOME
DIFFICULT SCRIPTURES IN HEBREWS
During the early years of our ministry the warnings of
Hebrews 3, and 4, were a
source of great concern. Then, again, Hebrews 6:
1-12
(especially verses 4-6), staggered us.
We
had been brought up in the lap of Calvinism. We believed tenaciously in the
security of the believer. We were established in this - a saved soul can not be
lost.
What
then, meant these strange and startling warnings from the pen of God, found in,
the epistle to the Hebrews?
We
soon learned how to explain them
away to the satisfaction of the
majority. We used the “professor and possessor”
method, a method still commonly employed.
Relative
to that oft disputed scripture Hebrews
6: 4-6, we taught
that the words referred to an unbeliever who was almost but not wholly saved.
We taught that the unbeliever in question, was enlightened, but yet loved
darkness rather than light; that he had tasted the heavenly gift, but did not
swallow; that he was, led along by the Holy Ghost, but balked by the way, etc.
No
matter how we helped others, we ourselves, were not fully satisfied.
Our
interpretation had by no means conquered us; it had its still “guessing.” The great scripture bulwarks on “security” were too strong to permit us to believe
that the saved could be lost, and yet, what did these scriptures in Hebrews 6: 4-6 mean?
As
the new vision of God’s message in Hebrews dawned upon us; in a flash all of
these difficult passages in our Epistle fell into their God-sent message, and
our heart rejoiced.
We
saw that we could not lose eternal life, but we could lose a place in the [coming Messiah’s millennial] kingdom. All of this will be made plain as we proceed.
III
KEY VERSES
God
places the “key”
which unlocks His books in a handy place. There are two keys - a major and a
minor - to the book of Hebrews. With these keys placed in their locks, the Epistle
opens readily, and the contents of the book lie before us in full display.
Key
No. 1 is found in the first chapter, verse two. Here it is:
“His Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things.”
Christ
is heir of all things. In Colossians 1: 16-17 we read:
“For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were
created by him, and for him:
“And he is before
all things, and by him all things consist.”
Into
Christ’s “all things” all enemy entered and laid claim. The result is
scripturally set forth: “The whole world lieth in wickedness.” (the wicked one). (1 John
5: 19).
On
the mountain, Satan, showed to Christ “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,” and
said unto Him: “All
these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”
Christ
did not deny Satan’s claims, He did emphatically refuse his request.
God
says to the Son, “Ask of me, and I shall
give thee the heathen, for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psalms 2:
8).
When
will this be accomplished? Even when God sets His king upon the
holy hill of Zion.
Hebrews 1: 6 tells its when Christ will enter into His heirship,
and be worshipped of angels.
“And again, when he bringeth in
the first begotten into the world,
he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him”
(Hebrews 1: 6).
When
the time draws near for Christ to enter upon his heirship, Satan will be
chained and cast into the pit of the abyss.
Even
now we can catch the echoes of heaven’s magnificat:
“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our
Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:
15).
The
promise through Isaiah must shortly come to pass.
“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, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace!” (Isaiah 9: 6).
The
promise of Gabriel to Mary is sure and certain.
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the
house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1: 31-33.)
This
is the [millennial as well as the eternal] heirship of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Arise, O Lord, the night is far o'er spent,
The harvest of the earth is ripe in sin;
The wicked hold the reigns; the woes begin;
The world on evil sets its heart intent.
The nations gather, and the night grows on:
They set themselves together, Christ to rout;
They cast His cords away, break loose and shout
Against the Lord, and His anointed One:
The Jews now languish, as they plead for Thee,
Their hearts grow weary; hark, how deep their sigh:
“Come down, O Lord, our foes
against its cry;
Come down to reign - the throne belongs to
Thee,
Burst forth and shine, O Sun of
righteousness,
Come down Thy chosen people to redress!”
Key
No. 2 is found safely hidden away in Hebrews 1: 14. The
key verse reads:
“Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to minister for them
who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1: 14).
In
Key No. 1 - Christ is heir.
In
Key No. 2 - Saints [to
be ‘accounted worthy’] are heirs.
We
wonder if this is a joint-heirship. In Romans
8: 17, we read: “And joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Let
us then examine our Key No. 2, with concern.
Christ
is an heir to the kingdom of this world.
Saints
are heirs of [eternal] salvation.
If
the heirship, therefore, of Hebrews
1: 2 (Key No. 1), and of Hebrews 1: 14 (Key No. 2) is a [conditional] joint
heirship, then the salvation of Hebrews 1: 14 [is age-lasting and] must have to do with our reigning with Christ in His [Millennial] Kingdom.
This brings us to our next consideration.
IV
SALVATION IN
THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
In
the popular conception, the word “salvation” refers
to something which came to us when we were [initially and eternally] saved. It
carries with it our redemption from sin, and our justification by faith through
the blood of Christ. It is therefore a conception of something which happened
and was concluded when we first came to; Christ.
Salvation,
however, at the cross, had but its beginning
so far as its deeper and fuller
fruition is concerned.
I. BEFORE WE LOOK AT “SALVATION,” AS HEBREWS PRESENTS IT; LET US READ A FEW OTHER
SCRIPTURES TO PREPARE THE WAY.
1.
There is a statement in 2 Timothy 2: 10 that will help -
“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal [Gk.
‘aionios’ i.e. in this context, ‘age-lasting’]
glory.”
We
see in this scripture a salvation in Cluist Jesus,
with eternal glory.
We
further see that it is yet to
be obtained by the elect.
Finally
we see that Paul endured all things for the elect, that is the saved, that they might obtain this future
salvation.
Perhaps
verse twelve will elucidate verse ten:
“If we suffer, we shall
also reign with him: if we deny him,
he also will
deny us.”
In
other words salvation, in verse
ten is synonymous with “reigning” with Christ, in verse twelve.
2.
There is a statement found in Romans 13: 11:-
“And that, knowing the time, that now is it high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first
believed.”
When
we are saved from sin at the cross, then we start our march toward a further
and future salvation.
That
salvation daily draws nearer. The
context shows that it points to Christ’s return, because verse twelve says: “The night is far spent, and
the day is at hand.”
This
present evil age is “night.”
Christ’s
second coming is “day.”
3. There is a third scripture: you will
find it in Peter’s first epistle, chapter one, verse five.
“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Verse
four, of the same chapter, tells of our inheritance reserved in heaven for us.
Verse
five, calls the inheritance of verse 4, “salvation, ready
to be revealed in the last time.”
Verses 6 and 7
tell how the coming salvation is a source
of joy - “wherein
ye greatly rejoice,” and then
speaks of the “appearing of Jesus Christ.”
Thus
in three scriptures (2 Tim. 2: 10, Rom. 13: 11, and 1
Pet. 1: 5) we have
found particulars of a coming
salvation.
*
* * *
* * *
977
ANTICHRIST
IN THE
By D. M.
PANTON, B.A.
Had we all the facts before us which God has before
Him, and had we the mind to master and collate them which God has, prophecy
would be superfluous, since prophecy is only the supernatural disclosure of
what the facts around us make as inevitable as mathematics; and therefore, as
it is, to a mind trained in prophecy, as the oak is in the acorn, so the drama
of the end is visibly forming in the facts of to-day. Here is one. “In the magnificent chapel of the Tsar’s Palace in Livadia, in the Crimea,” says Mr. Stanley Perkins of
THE HOLY OF
HOLIES
There has been one spot in the world and one only, which
is actually ground consecrated to Deity, where, alone on earth since
the creation of the world, God has been resident. When the
“When Solomon had made an end
of praying, the fire came down from heaven,
and THE GLORY OF
THE LORD” - the
Shekinah Glory that never appears apart from the local presence of Deity - “FILLED THE HOUSE” (2
Chron. 7: 1). The Holy of Holies is the only plot of ground which
the Godhead, untabernacled in flesh, has ever taken up prolonged residence: it
was the earthly Palace of the King.
THE
SACRILEGE
It
follows therefore that no spot on earth could be more ideally
chosen on which to challenge the Godhead, or on which to substitute a human
deity, in a sacrilege the most amazing, the most, daring, and - if uncrushed -
the most strategically successful conceivable. This is the exact plan of Hell.
Where no man might enter without death, except the High Priest; where the High
Priest could not [apart
from wearing clothing, to represent an immortal body] enter without death except on one day of the year; where even the Lord Jesus, as the obedient
Israelite, never entered:-
“the man of Sin,
the son of perdition SITTETH” even as
Jehovah reposed between the Cherubim - “IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, setting himself forth
as God” (2 Thess.
2: 4). On
the Mercy Seat, beneath the overshadowing Cherubim, is seated, for the worship
of the world, the Arch-Rebel himself.
THE
Who exactly rebuilds the Temple - whether it is
reconstructed internationally, or by Zionists, or by the Masons, of the world,
or by the Mandatory Power - does not appear to be revealed, but since the
sacrifices could be offered nowhere else, and Antichrist makes the sacrifices,
which had been resumed, to cease (Dan. 7: 27), the
Temple must be again in being for the final drama, and it is the Temple of God. Our Lord regarded
Herod’s
[*
See also Psa. 74:
7, 8.]
THE IMAGE
Now
the drama begins by the Antichrist getting control of the
[* Many Prophetic
students believe Moses, will accompany
Elijah at this time, as God’s “Two Witnesses” (Rev. 11: 3, R.V.) See also Luke
9: 27, 30;
Matt. 17:
1, 3; Mark 9: 1-4).]
**
It is a curious and sinister forecast
that Caligula habitually spoke
to his Image in
***A thirty-foot image of Lenin over-shadows the Tomski Stadium in the suburbs of
WORSHIP
So
now we reach the final maturity of human sin. “He SITTETH”
- that is, in regular and habitual
session -“in the
*
Since Satan gives him his
throne (Revelation 13: 4) which is super-angelic, the Beast must control
the evil Principalities and Powers: “I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God” (Isaiah 14: 13). Stars
figuratively, are angels (Revelation 12: 4.)
VENGEANCE
Antichrist in the
*
* * *
* * *
978
THE
PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
By G. H. LANG.
There are two
principal views upon the matters here considered: one, that the Parousia will commence
prior to the Times of the End, and that at its inception all believers of the
heavenly calling, dead and living, will be taken to the presence of the Lord in
the air; the other, that the Parousia will occur at the close of the Great
Tribulation, until when no believers will be raised or changed. The one view
says that no believers will go into the End Times, the other that none then
living will escape them. The one involves that the utmost measure of
unfaithfulness or carnality in a believer puts him in no peril of forfeiting
the supreme honour of rapture or of having to endure the dread End Days: the
other view involves that no degree of faithfulness or of holiness will enable a
saint to escape those Days.
As regards this matter, godliness and unfaithfulness seem immaterial
on either view; which raises a doubt of both views.
Our
study thus far has shown that the former
view is unfounded: we have now to see that the latter is partly right and
partly wrong. It is right in asserting that the Parousia will commence at the
close of the Great Tribulation, but wrong in declaring that no
saints living as the End Times near will escape that awful period.
1. For our Lord Jesus Christ has declared distinctly that escape is
possible. In Luke 21 is a record of instruction given by Him to four
apostles on the
Then
He mentions the disturbances in nature and the fears of mankind that are
grouped under seal 6 in Rev. 6: 12-17, and adds explicitly that “then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory,” and that when
these things begin His disciples may know that their redemption draweth nigh (ver. 27, 28).
In
concluding this outline of the period of the Beast the Lord then uttered this
exhortation and promise: “But take heed to
yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [gluttony, fleshly lusts], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come
on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of
all the earth. But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before
the Son of
This
declares distinctly: (1) That escape
is possible from all those things of which Christ had been speaking, that is,
from the whole End-times. (2) That
that day of testing will be universal, and inevadable by any then on the earth,
which involves the removal from the earth of any who are to escape it. (3) That those who are to escape will be
taken to where He, the Son of Man, will then be, that is, at the throne of the
Father in the heavens. They will stand before Him there. (4) That there is a fearful peril of disciples becoming worldly of heart and so being
enmeshed in that last period. (5)
That hence it is needful to watch, and to pray ceaselessly, that so we may
prevail over all obstacles and dangers and thus escape that era.
This
most important and unequivocal statement by our Lord sets aside the opinion that all Christians
will escape irrespective of their moral state, and also negatives the
notion that no escape is possible. There
is a door of escape; but as with all
doors, only those who are awake will
see it, and only those who are in earnest will reach it ere the storm bursts. In every place in the New Testament the word “escape” has its natural force - ekpheugo,
to flee out of a place of trouble
and be quite clear thereof.* It never
means to endure the trial successfully. In this very discourse of the Lord it
is in contrast with the statement, “He that endureth (hupomeno) to
the end [of these things] the
same shall be saved” (Matt. 24: 13). One escapes, another endures.
* It comes only at Luke 21:
36; Acts 16:
27; 19: 16; Rom. 2: 3; 2 Cor. 11: 33; 2 Thess. 5: 3; Heb. 2: 3; 12: 25. In comparison with
The attempt to evade the application of this passage
to Christians on the plea that it refers to “Jewish”
disciples of Christ, is baseless: (a)
No “Jewish” disciples of Christ are known to
the Scriptures (Gal. 3: 28; Eph. 2: 14-18). (b) The God-fearing remnant of
2. In harmony with this utterance of our Lord is His further statement to
the church at Philadelphia (Rev. 3: 10): “Because thou didst keep the word of My patience, I also will keep
thee from (ek) the
hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole inhabited earth,
to try them that
dwell upon the earth.” Here
also are declared: (a) The
universality of that hour of trial, so that any escape from it must involve
removal; (b) the promise of being
kept from it; (c) the intimation
that such preservation is the consequence of a certain moral condition: “Because thou didst keep ... I also will keep.” As this is addressed to a church, no question of a “Jewish” application can arise. Nor do known facts or
the Scriptures allow of the supposition that every Christian keeps the word of
Christ’s patience (Matt. 24: 12; Rev. 2: 5: Gal. 6: 12; Col. 4: 14 with 2 Tim. 4: 10
concerning Demas); so that this promise cannot be stretched to mean all
believers.
In
The Bible Treasury, 1865, p. 380, there is
an instructive note by J. N. Darby (see also Coll. Writings, vol. 13, Critical
1, 581) on the difference between apo and ek. The former regards hostile persons and
being delivered from them; the latter refers to a state
and being kept from getting into
it. On Rev. 3: 10 he wrote:
“So in Rev. 3 the faithful are kept from getting into this state,
preserved from getting into it, or, as we say, kept out of it. For the words
here answer fully to the English ‘out of’ or ‘from’.”
That the thought is not being kept from being injured in soul by the trials is
implied in the expression “Keep thee out of that hour”; it
is from the period of time itself that the faithful are to be kept, not merely from its spiritual perils.
3. Of this escape and preservation there are two pictures as there are
two promises.
In
Rev. 12
is a vision of (a) a woman; (b) a man-child whom she bears; (c) the rest of her family. Light on
this complex figure may be gained from Hosea 4
and Isa. 49: 17-21; 50: 1.
As
to this “woman” the dominant fact is that at one
and the same time she is seen in heaven arrayed with heavenly glory and on
earth in sorrow and pain. This simultaneous and contradictory experience is
true of the
As
to the Man-child, his birth and rapture, as with the whole of this book from c.
4: 1, pointed to events which the angel distinctly said
were future to the time of the visions. There is no exception to this, and
therefore there is no possible reference to the resurrection and ascension of
Christ. Nor, in the fact, did our Lord at His birth escape from Satan by
rapture to the throne of God: on the contrary, the Dragon slew Him in manhood
and only thereafter did He ascend to
heaven. Nor at the ascension of Christ was Satan cast out of heaven. Thirty
years later, when Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he and his servants were still
there (Eph. 6: 12), and
another thirty years later again, when John saw the visions, his ejection was
still future (Rev. 12).
The
identity of this Man-child is indicated by the statement that he “is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron,” for this is a repetition of the promise (Rev. 2: 26-27), “And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth My works unto the end [comp. the
keeping the word of My patience, as above], to him will I give authority over the nations, and he shall rule them
with a rod of iron.” This
promise is given only to Christ and the overcomers of the churches. As it
cannot here (Rev. 12)
apply to Him it can only apply to them.
This
removal of the Man-child cannot be the event foretold in 1 Thess. 4: 15-17, for those there in view will be taken up only
as far as to the air around this earth when the Lord descends thereto from
heaven, but this removal takes the Man-child to the throne of God, which is
where Christ now is, in the upper heavens. This fulfils the promise that such
as prevail to escape shall “stand before the Son of Man.”
As
we have seen, the Lord does not descend from heaven till the close of the Great
Tribulation, not before Satan is cast down. Moreover, this one child can be
only a part of the whole family, not the completed church in view in 1 Thess. 4* and 1 Cor. 15. The “woman” out of
whom he is born remains on earth, and after his ascent the “rest of her seed” are persecuted by the Beast; but his removal is
before the Beast is even on the scene or Satan is cast out of heaven. Thus
those who will form this company escape all things that will occur in the
End-times, as Christ promised; and the identification with the overcomers
declares that they had lived that watchful, prayerful, victorious life, upon
which, as the Lord said, that escape will depend.
* In 1 Thess. 4: 15, 17 the word perleip,
“that are left,” deserves notice. It is not
found elsewhere in the New Testament, but the force may be seen in the LXX of Amos. 5: 15, and of the verb (in some editions) at 2 Chron. 34: 21; Hag. 2: 3. In each case it means, to be left after others are gone. So
the lexicons also, and they are confirmed by The
Vocabulary of the Greek,
Testament. In this
place it seems redundant save on our view that the
rapture there in question is at the close of the Tribulation and that some
saint; will not have been left on earth until that event, but will have been removed alive earlier; for to have marked the
contrast with those that had died it would have been enough to have said “we that are alive,” without twice repeating this
unusual word out of heaven.
Consequent
upon this removal of the watchful, Satan is cast out of heaven, and presently
brings up the Beast, who persecutes the rest of the woman’s family (12: 17, 18; 13: 7-10). So that
one section of the family escapes the End-times by being
rapt to heaven, and the rest, the more numerous portion, as the term indicates,
go into the Great Tribulation. These latter are such as “keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus” (ver. 17).
In Rev. 14:
12, such are termed “the saints,” which in New Testament times, was the term regularly
used by Christians of one another; and among their number John had already
included himself (1: 2, 9). It
covers therefore the
4. The second picture of this pre-Tribulation rapture is given in Rev. 14. In
this chapter there are six scenes:
1. “Firstfruits”
with the Lamb on the
2. The hour of Judgment commences (6, 7).
3. “
4. The Beast period is present and persecution is in progress
(9-13).
5. The Son of Man on a white cloud reaps His “harvest” (14-16).
6. The “vintage” of the
earth is gathered, and is trodden in the winepress on earth (17-20).
The
agricultural figure wrought into this chapter by the Holy Spirit is the key to
its teaching. In the early summer the Jew was to gather a sheaf of corn as soon
as enough was ripe, and this was to be presented to God in the temple at
Thus
the “firstfruits” are shown as on Mount Zion with the Lamb, the “harvest” is taken only as far as to the clouds, which accords
with 1 Thess. 4; and the vintage is trodden outside the city of
The
last scene is the destruction of the Beast by the Lord at His descent to
The
Firstfruits cannot be a picture of the whole of the redeemed as they will
finally appear at the end of the drama of those days, for firstfruits can not
be more than a portion of the whole harvest, neither can firstfruits describe
the final ingathering. It were a
contradiction to speak thus. Firstfruits must be gathered first, before the
reaping of the remainder. The number 144,000 need not be taken literally. In
the Apocalypse numbers are sometimes literal, but sometimes figurative.
As
has been noted above, these had been purchased out of the earth, which shows
that they were not then on earth, and they learn the song of the heavenly
choir. Nor can this
The
144,000 of ch. 7 are a different company. They are the godly
Remnant of Israel seen on earth after the Appearing and the gathering of the
elect to the clouds, and are sealed (comp. Ezek. 9) so as to
be untouched by the wrath of the Lamb now to be poured upon the godless (Zeph. 2: 3; Isa.
26: 20, 21).
The
identity of these Firstfruits is revealed by a similar means to that which
reveals the identity of the Man-child. These persons are shown as connected
with the Father, the Lamb, and the Mount Zion, which also refers back to the promises to the overcomers, and shows
that the Firstfruits will be a portion of the company of the victors, who,
it is promised, will be marked as connected with the Father, the Son, and the
New Jerusalem (Rev. 3:
12). These three marks of identification
come together in these two passages only. Now the moral features
attributed to these Firstfruits show that they had lived just that pure,
faithful Christian life which necessarily results from watchfulness,
prayerfulness, and patient obedience to the words of Christ, as inculcated in
the corresponding passages quoted.
As
the Man-child and the rest of the woman’s seed were but one family, only removed in two portions, one before the Beast and the other after his
persecutions, so firstfruits and harvest were grown from one sowing in one
field, only they were reaped in two portions, one before the hour of judgment
and the other after the Beast had persecuted. We have remarked above that these latter
are termed “saints,” and that this was the regular title that Christians gave to one another; that it
is amplified by the double description “they that keep the
commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus,” and that in this
description John had before twice included himself; so that the terms mean that
company in which John had membership, the church of God. Moreover, as the
Jewish remnant will not have owned Jesus during the period in view the terms
can apply only to [regenerate] Christians.
Finally,
as between the gathering of the sheaf of firstfruits and the ingathering of the
harvest there came the intensest summer heat, so between the removal of the
Firstfruits and the reaping of the Harvest there is placed (verses 9-13)
the Great Tribulation, that final persecution which while, like all
persecution, it will wither the unrooted stalk (Matt.
13: 21),
ripens the matured grain. It is ripeness, not the calendar
or the clock, that determines the time of reaping (Mk. 4: 29).The Heavenly Husbandman reaps no unripe grain: hence, “the hour to reap is
come” when the
harvest is “dried up” (Rev. 14: 15), for the dryness of the kernel in the
husk is its fitness for the gamer and for use. Thus the Great Tribulation will be a true mercy to the Lord’s people by
fully developing and sanctifying them for their heavenly destiny and glory.
It
thus appears that the foretold order of events will be:
1. The removal of such as prevail to escape the Times of the End. These
will be taken up to God and to His throne on the
2. The Beast arises and persecutes.
3. The Lord descends to the clouds and gathers together His elect (Matt. 24: 29-31; 1 Cor. 15: 51, 52; 1 Thess. 4: 15-17; Tit. 2: 13; Rev. 14: 14-16). At this time there will be the
first resurrection. Each who shall be accounted worthy of the coming
age will “arise
into his lot at the end of the days,”
not sooner, certainly not before the End days have commenced (Dan. 12: 13). Nor
may we assume of the Firstfruits that they will have priority in the [Messianic] Kingdom over equally faithful saints of earlier times.
4. After an interval the Lord descends to the
It
is therefore our wisdom to give earnest, unremitting attention to our Lord’s
most solemn exhortation [to His redeemed
people] “take heed to yourselves, lest haply your
hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness [that is, fleshly indulgence], and cares of this life [that is, its
burdens through either poverty or riches], and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall it
come on all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. But watch ye at
every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things
that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk. 21: 34-36 [R.V.]).
Oh, dare and
suffer all things!
Yet but a
stretch of road,
Then
wondrous words of welcome,
And then - the
FACE OF GOD!
Many
of the perplexities felt as to these themes are caused by misconceptions upon
three subjects - the constitution of man, the place and state of the dead [in ‘Sheol’ / ‘Hades’], the
judgment of the Lord upon His people.
Some discussion of these matters follows.
*
* * *
* * *
979
JOSEPH THE
OVERCOMER
JOSEPH’S
EXALTATION
By ARTHUR W.
PINK
Genesis
41
Our present
chapter opens by presenting to us the king of
First,
we are shown that “The
king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers
of waters. He turneth it
whithersoever He will” (Prov.
21: 1). It was no accident that Pharaoh dreamed as he did,
and when he did. God’s time had come for Joseph to be delivered from prison and
exalted to a position of high honour and responsibility, and these dreams were
but the instrument employed by God to accomplish this end. Similarly, He used,
long afterwards, the sleeplessness of another king to lead to the deliverance
of Mordecai and his fellows. This
truth has been expressed so forcefully and ably by C. H. M. in his “Notes on Genesis,” we cannot refrain from quoting
him:
“The most trivial and the most important, the most likely and
the most unlikely circumstances are made to minister to the development of
God’s purposes. In chapter 39 Satan uses Potiphar’s wife, and in chapter 40 he uses
Pharaoh’s chief butler. The former he used to put Joseph into the dungeon; and
the latter he used to keep him there, through his ungrateful negligence; but
all in vain. God was behind the scenes. His finger was guiding all the springs
of the vast machine of circumstances, and when the due time was come, he
brought forth the man of His purpose, and set his feet in a large room. Now,
this is ever God’s prerogative. He is above all, and can use all for the
accomplishment of His grand and unsearchable designs. It is sweet to be able
thus to trace our Father’s hand and counsel in everything. Sweet to know that
all sorts of agents are at His sovereign disposal; angels, men and devils - all
are under His omnipotent hand, and all are made to carry out His
purposes” (p. 307: italics are ours). How
rarely one finds such faith-strengthening sentiments such as these set forth,
plainly, by writers of today!
Second,
we are shown in the early part of Genesis 41
how that the wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God. As it is well known, Egypt stands in Scripture as a figure of this
world, In Joseph’s time, the land of the Pharaoh’s was the centre of learning
and culture, the proud leader of the ancient civilizations. But the people were
idolaters. They knew not God, and only in His light can we see light. Apart
from Him, all is darkness, morally and spiritually. So we see it in the chapter
before us. The magicians were impotent, the wise men displayed their ignorance,
and Pharaoh was made to feel the powerlessness of all human resources and the
worthlessness of all human wisdom.
Third,
the man of God was the only one that had true wisdom and light. How
true it is that “the
secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him!” These dreams of Pharaoh had a prophetic significance:
They respected the future of
Fourth:
That “all things work
together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called
according to His purpose,” is writ
large across our lesson. And well for us if we take this to heart. But the
trouble is, we grow so impatient under the process, while God is taking the
tangled threads of our lives and making them “work together for good.” We become so occupied with present circumstances that
hope is no longer exercised, and the brighter and better future is blotted from
our view. Let us bear in mind that Scripture declares, “Better is the end of a thing than the
beginning thereof” (Ece.
7: 8). Be of good cheer, faint heart; sorrow may endure for
a night, but joy cometh in the
morning. So it was with Joseph. For a season he suffered wrongfully, but at
the last God vindicated and rewarded him. Remember Joseph then, troubled
reader, and “let
patience have her perfect work.”
But we must turn from these moralizings and consider the typical bearings of
our chapter. We continue our previous enumeration.
43.
Joseph, in due time, was
delivered from prison.
Joseph
had been rejected by his brethren, and treated unjustly and cruelly by the
Egyptians. Through no fault of his own he had been cast into prison. But God
did not suffer him to end his days there. The place of shame and suffering was
to be exchanged for one of high dignity and glory. The throne was to supplant
the dungeon. And now that God’s time for this had arrived, nothing could hinder
the accomplishment of His purpose. So it was with our blessed Lord. Israel
might despise and reject Him, wicked hands might take and crucify Him, the
powers of darkness might rage against Him; His lifeless body might be taken
down and laid in the tomb, the sepulchre sealed and a watch set, but “it was not possible that He should be holden of death” (Acts 2: 24). No; on the third day, He rose again in triumph o’er
the grave, leaving the cerements of death behind Him. How beautifully this was
prefigured in the case of Joseph. “Then Pharaoh sent
and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily
out of the dungeon - [a type of ‘Sheol’ / ‘Hades’]; and he shaved himself,
and changed his raiment,* and came in
unto Pharaoh” (41: 14). Compare John 20:
6, 7!
[* NOTE: The words “changed his raiment,” is typical of a Christ’s disembodied ‘soul’ (from ‘Sheol’ / ‘Hades’)
being united toan immortal body of “flesh an bones” (Luke 24:
39, R.V.): and this did not happen
before His Resurrection! See Matt. 12: 40. Cf. John
20: 9-17;
Acts 1: 9-10, R.V.
God demanded special clothing to be worn by the High Priest before entering
the ‘Holy of Holies’ in the Tabernacle or
44. Joseph
was delivered from prison by the hand of God.
It
is evident that, apart from Divine intervention, Joseph had been suffered to
languish in the dungeon to the end of his days. It was only the coming in of
God - Pharaoh’s troubled spirit, the failure of the magicians’ to interpret his
dream, the butler’s sudden recollection of the Hebrew interpreter - that
brought about his release. Joseph himself recognized this, as is clear from his
words to his brethren, at a later date: “And God sent me before you to preserve
you a posterity in the earth, and to save your
lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not
you who sent me hither, but God: and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh,
and Lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the
*There are other scriptures which show that the Lord
Jesus raised Himself (John 2: 19; 10, 17, 18, etc.). But, above, we have quoted those which
emphasized the fulfilment of the type.
45. Joseph
is seen now as the Revealer of secrets.
Like
the butler and baker before him, Pharaoh now recounted to Joseph the dreams
which had so troubled his spirit, and which the “wise men” were unable to interpret. It is beautiful to mark the modesty of
Joseph on this occasion, “And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying,
It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (41: 16). So, in a much higher sense, the Lord Jesus said, “I have given unto them the
words which Thou gavest Me” (Jno.
17: 8). And again, “As the Father hath taught Me, I
speak these things” (Jno.
8: 28). Once more, “For I have not spoken of Myself: but the Father which sent Me, He
gave Me a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak” (Jno. 12:
49).
Having
listened to the king’s dream, Joseph said. “God hath showed Pharaoh what He is about to do” (41: 25), and then
he made known the meaning of the dreams. How close is the parallel between this
and what we read of in the opening verse of the Apocalypse! Just as God made
known to the Egyptians, through
Joseph, what He was “about to do,” so has He now made known to us, through Jesus Christ, the things He will shortly do in this world. The
parallel is perfect: said Joseph, “What God is about to do He showeth unto Pharaoh” (41: 28), and the
Apocalypse, we are told, is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things
which must shortly come to pass.”
46. Joseph warned of a coming danger, and urged his hearers to make suitable
provision to meet it.
Joseph
was no honied-mouthed “optimist,”
who spake only smooth and pleasant things. He fearlessly told the truth. He
shunned not to declare the whole counsel of God. He declared that,
following the season of Divine blessing and privilege, there would come a time
of famine, a famine which should consume the land, and be “very grievous.” And in view of this, he warned them to make ready and
be prepared. So also was Christ the faithful and true Witness. He made known
the fact that death does not end all, that [after resurrection] there is a life to come. He warned those who trusted
in their earthly possessions and who
boasted of how they were going to enjoy them, that their soul’s would be “required” of them, and that at short notice. He lifted the veil
which hides the unseen, and gave His hearers a view of the sufferings of the damned
in Hell [i.e., in ‘Sheol’, = ‘Hades’
and ‘the ‘
47. Joseph appeared next as the Wonderful Counsellor.
Having
interpreted to Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams, Joseph then undertook to
advise the king as to the wisest course to follow in order to meet the
approaching emergency, and provide for the future. There were to be seven years of plenty, which was to be
followed by seven years of famine.
Joseph, therefore, counselled the king to store up the corn during the time of
plenty, against the need which would arise when the season of scarcity should
come upon them. Thus did Joseph manifest the wisdom given to him by God, and
display his immeasurable superiority over all the wise men of
48. Joseph’s counsel commended itself to Pharaoh and his officers.
“And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes
of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his
servants, Can we find such a one as this is,
a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch
as God hath showed thee all this, there is none
so discreet and wise as thou art” (41:
37-39). Pharaoh recognized that the [Divine] wisdom manifested by this Hebrew slave had
its source not in occult magic, but in the
Spirit of God. Joseph had spoken with a discretion and wisdom far different
from that possessed by the court philosophers, and this was freely owned by the
king and his servants. So, too, the words of the Lord Jesus
made a profound impression upon those who heard Him. “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended
these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine. For He taught them as One having
authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7: 28, 29). “And when He was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogues, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man
this
wisdom?” (Matt. 13: 54). Just as Pharaoh and
his servants were struck by the wisdom in Joseph. So here, those who listened to the Lord
Jesus marvelled at His wisdom. And just as
Pharaoh confessed, “Can we find such a one as
this is? ... there is none so discreet and wise,” so the auditors of
Christ acknowledged, Never man spake like this
Man” (Jno. 7: 46)
49. Joseph is duly exalted, and set over all
“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise
as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled:
only in the throne will I be greater than thou” (41: 39, 40). What a
blessed change this was: from shame to glory, from the dungeon to the place of
rule, from being a slave in fetters to being elevated high above all, Pharaoh
alone being excepted. This was a grand reward for his
previous fidelity,
and a fitting recognition of his worth.
And how beautifully this speaks to us of the
One whom Joseph foreshadowed! He was here in humiliation and shame, but He
is here so no longer. God has highly exalted Him. He is “gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him” (1 Pet. 3:
22).
50. Joseph was seated on the throne of another.
How
marvellously accurate is the type. Joseph
was not seated upon his own throne; he
was not in the place of rule over his brethren. Though he was placed over Pharaoh’s house, and according to his
word was all
“Today our Lord Jesus Christ shares the throne of the Father
as Joseph shared the throne of Pharaoh. As Joseph ruled over Pharaoh’s house
with his word, so today our Lord Jesus Christ rules over the Father’s
household, the household of faith, the Church, by and through His Word. And today, while the Lord Jesus Christ is on the
throne of His Father, He is not on His own throne. Read the passage just quoted in Revelation again, and it will be seen that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself makes a
distinction between His own throne and the Father's throne, and promises reward
to the overcomer, not on the Father's throne, but on His own; and we know, according to the promise of the angel made to
Mary, and the covenant made to David, and the title He wears as the King of
Israel, ‘the Son of David, the Son of Abraham,’ that His
throne is at Jerusalem, ‘the city of the great King.’ On His Father’s throne He sits today as
the Rejected Man, the Rejected Jew.” (Dr. Haldeman).
51. Joseph was exalted to the throne because of his personal worth.
“All this is typical of the present exaltation of Christ
Jesus the Lord. He who was once the Crucified is now [destined
to be] the Glorified [upon
this earth]. He whom men once put upon a gibbet, has [now a promise (Psalm 2: 8), in
the ‘age to come’ (Heb.
6: 5,
R.V.) to be] … placed by God upon His throne. Joseph was given his place of exaltation in Egypt purely on
the ground of his personal worth and actual service rendered by him to the
country and kingdom of Egypt” (Mr. Knapp). And what a lovely parallel
to this we find in Phil. 2 -yet as far as our Lord excelled Joseph
in personal worth and service, so far is His exaltation the higher - “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made Himself
of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself,
and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted Him” (Phil. 2: 6-9).
52. Joseph was invested with such insignia as became his new position.
“And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and
put a gold chain about his neck” (40:
42).
And thus we read of the Antitype: “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince, and a Saviour” (Acts 5: 31). And again, “But we see Jesus, who was made
a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour” (Heb.
2: 9). Compare, too, the description of our glorified Lord
as given in Revelation 1. There we behold Him, “clothed with a garment down to the foot,
and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle”
(5: 13).
53. Joseph’s authority and glory are publicly owned.
“And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had;
and they cried before him, Bow the knee; and he made him
ruler over all the land of Egypt” (41:
43).
On the day of Pentecost, Peter said
to the Jews who had condemned and crucified the Saviour, “Therefore let all the House
of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made
that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2: 36). And it is
the part of wisdom, dear reader, to recognize and own this. Have you recognized
the exalted dignity of Christ, and by faith seen that the One who died on
54. Joseph received from Pharaoh a new name.
“And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paancah”
(41: 45), which signifies, according to its
Egyptian meaning, “the Saviour of the world.” So, to quote once more from Phil.
2, we
read, “Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and
given Him the Name which is above every name ... Jesus”
(Phil. 2:
9, 10). This name He bore while on earth, but at that time it
was held as pledge and promise, “Thou shalt call His
name Jesus: for He shall save His people from
their sins” (Matt. 1: 21) said the angel. But He could not “save His people from their
sins” until He had borne them in
His own body on the tree, until He had risen [out] from the
dead, until He returned to heaven and sent forth the Holy Spirit to apply the
benefits and virtues of His finished work. But when He ascended on high He
became Saviour in fact. God exalted
Him with His right hand “to be a Prince and a Saviour” (Acts 5:
31),
and therefore did God Himself then give to His beloved Son the Name which is above every name,
even the Name of “Jesus,” which means the
Saviour; just as after the period of his shame was over, and Joseph had been
exalted by Pharaoh, he, then, received the name which signifies “the Saviour of the world!”
Reader,
have you an interest, a personal one, in the value and saving efficacy of that
Name which is above every name? If not, receive Him now as your own Saviour. If by grace, you have, then bow before Him in adoration and
praise.
*
* * *
* * *
980
NABAL AND
ABIGAIL.
By BENJAMIN WILLIS NEWTON
When God has bestowed on any of His servants peculiar
grace, it is often subjected to peculiar trial, that its excellency may be the
more fully manifested. The chill blast of the north wind, as well as the more
gentle influences of the south, when it blows upon the garden, causes the
spices thereof (if such there be) to flow forth. Nor has there ever been any
heart (One only excepted) that has not needed discipline. Hence not unfrequently, the trials of God’s servants are prolonged
as well as various.
But
besides these ends which respect the servants of God themselves, God is pleased
by means of their characters and their sufferings, to test others. Their
characters may be appreciated, or they may be despised; their sufferings may be
soothed by sympathy, or aggravated by reproach; the hand of kind compassion may
be extended towards their necessities, or cruelty may delight in multiplying
their miseries. Thus was it with Him, Of whom it was said, that He was set “as a sign. … in
order that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed.” His
presence tested the hearts of men. From some it drew forth confession,
thanksgiving, and praise - thoughts according to God: from others it elicited
thoughts of enmity and hatred - proofs of the darkness and corruption that
dwelt within. So, in measure has
it ever been with Christ’s servants, and Christ’s truth.
The
history of David in the wilderness, affords a remarkable example of the diverse
judgment formed by two different hearts in contemplating the same object - one
seeing and acknowledging the presence and power of God, where the other saw
nothing save that which it contemned and scorned. Near to David in the
wilderness, dwelt Nabal, a man great
in the abundance of his riches; one who in the midst of all the convulsions
that were distracting Israel, had contrived to root himself in prosperity and
earthly good - rich as David was poor, honourable as David was despised.
Nabal had heard of David. However absorbed in schemes of selfish acquisition,
he could not shut out from himself the knowledge of a name that had once made
all
An
opportunity of owning and befriending David was thus suddenly presented to
Nabal, an opportunity worthy of a
descendant of Caleb for Nabal was of Caleb’s house. There were few more
honoured names in
And
observe the character of the test
applied to Nabal. An opportunity was
afforded of owning that person, who, though an outcast in the wilderness, was really he in whom all the hopes of
Israel centred - one whom Samuel had anointed - one in whom the blessing of the
God of Israel had manifestly rested throughout all his afflictions. How surely would Nabal’s
forefather - Caleb - have recognised, in
David, the chosen servant of the
Lord! But Nabal discerned none of these things. Seeing, he saw not; hearing, he heard not. The evil of
Saul, or the excellency of David, the
spread of falsehood, or the growth
of truth, the presence of God’s
favour, or the tokens of His
displeasure, were all alike to
Nabal. David had been compelled to resign his place of honour in the
courts of Saul. His flight from the fierce fury of Saul, admitted of being
spoken of as the act of a servant who had run away from his master: and Nabal
gladly availed himself of the plausible misrepresentation. “Who,” said he, “is David? and who is the son
of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that
break away every man from his master.” His churlish soul, adding insult to injury, dismissed the messengers
of David with contumely and scorn.
It
is a hard thing to endure. David had endured, and was enduring much. He was
suffering from the active enmity of Saul, and
from the dull apathy of
But
there was dwelling in Nabal’s house one whose thoughts had no communion with his. Abigail was Nabal’s wife. Bound to him by a tie
which none but God could break, - obliged
to own him as her lord, she had
probably spent many a day of bitter anguish, surrounded by circumstances that her spirit loathed, and debarred from all in which it would
have rejoiced. Such was the
appointment of God. She had bowed to
it; and her submission had not been in vain. Excluded from many a sphere of active service, which, under other
circumstances she might have filled,
meditation seems to have been her resource. She had considered
and estimated aright, the condition of Saul, of
Such
were the words with which Abigail, taking the place of intercession, met David.
There are few things more honoured of God than intercession. It is the opposite
to that habit of soul that delights to discover evil, in order that it may
gratify itself by rushing into the judgment seat, and awarding the vengeance
that it deems to be due. Abigail interceded; and observe the consequences of her intercession. Nabal and his household were
preserved from destruction, and David restrained from shedding innocent blood - for every male
in the house of Nabal had been marked by David for destruction. She
was able, too, to admonish David. Could David at that moment have portrayed as did Abigail, the dignity of his own high calling [in a future ‘day’
(Jer. 33: 15, 16; cf. Ezek. 37: 22-25,ff, R.V.).]?
Angered and excited, he had lost the sense of what he himself was, and of what his enemies
were in the estimate of God: the remembrance of all this had faded
on his soul,
but in Abigail’s it remained in
vividness and power. Reminding him
of his calling, portraying his future destiny, she asked him whether such an
one as he should shed blood causeless; whether it became him to avenge himself; whether he wished to prepare for himself anguish and remorse to
embitter the day of his coming joy.
David heard her words, and instantly recognised the intervention of God. “Blessed,” said
he, “be the Lord
God of
Abigail
fulfilled her mission; and then, with
blessing resting on her head, she
meekly retired to the place of her sorrows again. The day of danger had
been spent by Nabal in revelling and drunkenness. Abigail on her return found
him stupefied by wine, unconscious therefore of the peril that had come so near
his household; unconscious of the mercy of his deliverance. The night passed,
and the morning came. It rose as a morning of joy to his delivered house; but
it was no morning of joy to him. He heard from the faithful lips of Abigail the
tale of his deliverance; he heard of the instrumentality by which it had been
wrought. Her words were as arrows to his
soul - his heart withered, and he died. So must it finally be with every Nabal-like heart. It cannot greet the day of God. When the morning
shall arise without clouds, and others shall give thanks for their great
deliverance and say Alleluiah, every such heart will quail and perish for ever.
The
hand of God avenged His servant, and
freed the energies of Abigail. She
became the spouse of David - the
partner of his dangers, and
subsequently of his triumphs. Her
path indeed was not without its sorrows. Even David himself, as we
shall afterwards see, was the means
of involving her in perils she had never known before; but in suffering with him,
she was suffering with one by whom God was working His work of blessing in
Israel, and this was sufficient
compensation for this woman of faith.
They
who are most engaged in the activities of ostensible service, are not always
best able to appreciate their own position. Abigail, ostensibly unemployed for
God, suffering too from causes that were private rather than connected with His
truth and service, had nevertheless formed conclusions so true, so firmly
established in her soul, that when the hour of emergency
arrived, she was instantly able to act with an
energy and decision that influenced in result the whole destinies of
Abigail,
indeed, had not so subjected herself to Nabal as to make his will paramount to
the will of God. Whenever the duty she owed to God clashed with the duty she
owed to her husband, there can be no question as to her decision. She was a
woman of faith; she obeyed God rather than man. A proof of this was given in
her resolve to meet and to propitiate David. If Nabal had been consulted, he no
doubt would have forbidden her to proceed; but she saw what duty demanded- duty
to her household, to her husband and to God; and therefore she hesitated not to
go unbidden. Having fulfilled her duty she returned, and again submitted
herself to Nabal; yet only so far as she could obey God in obeying him - a path
difficult indeed, and full of trial. God saw the difficulty, and Himself opened
a way of deliverance.
We
must beware indeed of thinking that the same manifested interference as was
then vouchsafed to Abigail must necessarily be granted now. The era of David
was one in which God was avowedly subjecting evil, and causing His servants to
triumph over it; whereas the present is a period when evil is for a season being
allowed to prevail, and endurance rather than triumph is made the
characteristic of God’s people. “Brethren,” said
the Apostle, “we count them happy that ENDURE.” Nevertheless, though the
hour of deliverance may be delayed,
and though [prophetic] truth
may be denied its triumph now,
the joy of victory will not be less welcome when at last it comes. The sufferings of David ended in a throne -
those of Jeremiah in a dungeon - but were the latter less precious in the sight
of God? Will they be esteemed less
precious in that final day [to receive “the recompense of the inheritance” (
*
* * *
* * *
981
“WILT THOU GO WITH THIS MAN”?
By ARLEN
L. CHITWOOD.
The question which Rebekah was asked in Gen. 24: 58 (“Wilt thou go with this man?”) and her response (“I will go.”)
form the heart of the most important matter that will ever confront any
Christian at any time throughout the present dispensation. The question and
corresponding answer have to do with the very reason for a Christian’s
salvation. A person has been redeemed for
a purpose, and it is this purpose to which Gen. 24: 58 relates.
Genesis, chapter twenty-four
forms an integral part of a larger type covering five chapters - chapters twenty-one through twenty-five.
And these five chapters together, in a type-antitype framework, set forth a chronological
sequence of events relative to Christ,
In
these chapters, “Abraham,” the father of Isaac, typifies God, the Father of Jesus; “Sarah,” Abraham’s wife, typifies Israel, the wife of God; “Abraham’s servant,”
sent into the far country to obtain a bride for Isaac, typifies the Holy Spirit,
sent into the far country to obtain a bride for Jesus; and “Abraham’s subsequent remarriage” typifies God subsequently restoring Israel to her prior place as His wife.
Thus,
chapter twenty-one has to do with “the birth of Isaac,” typifying the birth of
Christ; chapter twenty-two has to
do with “the
offering of Isaac,” typifying the
offering of Christ; chapter
twenty-three has to do with “the death of Sarah,” typifying the setting aside of Israel; chapter twenty-four has to do
with “Abraham’s
servant searching for a bride for Isaac in the far country,” typifying the Holy
Spirit in the world today searching for a bride for Christ; and chapter twenty-five has to do with “the remarriage of Abraham,” typifying the future
restoration of Israel.
Note
the setting for chapter
twenty-four in the antitype.
Events in this chapter occur between the
setting aside (ch. 23) and the
restoration (ch.
25)
of
The
Holy Spirit is in the world today seeking a bride for God’s Son. That’s what Genesis,
chapter twenty-four
is about. This chapter is not about
salvation per se. Rather, it is about the
purpose for salvation.
Abraham
sent his servant into the far country to procure a bride for his son. And
before the servant ever left Abraham’s home to fulfil his mission, Abraham made
him swear that the search would be carried out solely among his
own people, among those referred to as “my kindred” (verses
3, 4, 9).
Then
the servant took “all the goods of his master”
on ten camels (a number signifying ordinal
completion) and departed for the
far country to search for and obtain a
bride for Isaac - a bride which must come from
Abraham’s people (verse
10).
And,
in the antitype, that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit has been doing in the world for
almost 2,000 years. God has sent the [Holy] Spirit into the world to procure a bride for His Son; and the Spirit, in perfect accord
with the type, has been searching for the bride from among the [redeemed] people of
God.
The
primary task of the Holy Spirit throughout the dispensation, again, in perfect
accord with the type, is to show the people of God - [i.e., regenerate]
Christians - all the Father’s goods. These goods will one ‘day’
[see 2 Pet. 3: 8, R.V. or A.S.V.] belong to the Son,
with Christians being invited to
co-inherit with Him in that day (verse 36; 25: 5; cf. John
16: 13-15; Rom. 8: 17-23).
And
the search is almost over. The dispensation [or this evil ‘age’] has
almost run its course. The time when the [Holy] Spirit will have completed His work, subsequently removing the bride [from the body, (Gen. 2: 22)], is almost upon us (vv. 60ff).
Acceptance
or Refusal
The Holy Spirit’s search for a bride for
God’s Son is a work subsequent to His work surrounding man’s eternal salvation.
Bringing the former to pass (a work effecting man’s removal from his dead,
alienated state, through the birth from above) allows the [Holy] Spirit to
bring the latter to pass (a work involving the search for and procurement of
the bride). And this subsequent work of the [Holy] Spirit has to do with the central purpose for His former work - [regeneration.]
The
question, “Wilt
thou go with this man?,” brought
over into the antitype, is a question directed solely to those within the
family of God, to [regenerate] Christians. It is a question which involves [sanctification and
obedience in]
following the present leadership of the [Holy] Spirit, with a view to that [messianic inheritance (Ps. 2: 8. Cf.
Gal.
5:
21ff;
Eph.
5:
20,
R.V.)] which lies out ahead. It is a question which involves allowing
the [Holy] Spirit to open the Word to a person’s
understanding, allowing the [Holy] Spirit to lead that person “into all truth.” And this truth, textually, can only centre
around the things of the Father which will one day belong to the Son, something which [the Holy
Spirit’s enlightenment on those
‘born from above’ ‘born of
the Spirit’ (John 3: 3, 6-8.)] Christians alone can fully grasp and understand (1 Cor. 2: 9-14).
The
[Holy] Spirit is in the world today revealing to Christians, from the Word, all the things
surrounding the Son’s future [messianic
and millennial] glory.
And, through this process, Christians are being instructed
and warned concerning present faithfulness (encompassing
all the various things involved therein - one’s calling, the race, the spiritual warfare, etc.), with a view to the [coming
and manifested Divine (Isaiah 40: 5ff.; Habakkuk 2: 14. Cf. Romans 8: 17-23,
R.V.)] ‘glory’ lying out
ahead.
And
through the [Holy] Spirit opening the Word in this manner, [regenerate] Christians are being extended an offer to have a part in this future
glory; and [these] Christians, relative
to this offer, can do one of two
things: They can either acceptor
they can refuse.
Acceptance
is associated with one day becoming part of the bride of Christ (and realizing the Son’s [millennial (Rev. 3: 5, 11, 19-21. Cf. Rev.
20: 6,
R.V.)] inheritance
with Him), as Rebekah’s acceptance
had to do with her one day becoming the
bride of Isaac (and realizing the son’s inheritance with him).
But
a Christian’s
refusal will leave the person in a position where he cannot
realize any of these things, as a refusal on Rebekah’s part, had she
done so, would have left her in exactly the same position in relation to Isaac
and his inheritance.
Either
way though, acceptance or refusal, the family relationship remains unchanged.
Rebekah’s acceptance wrought no change in her position within Abraham’s
family; nor would there have been a change had she refused. And
so it is with [God’s redeemed family of] Christians today.
A
Christian’s presently possessed eternal salvation was wrought through a past,
completed work of the [Holy] Spirit based on the past, completed work of God’s
Son at Calvary. Thus, eternal salvation is a finished
work, wrought entirely through and on the basis of Divine intervention; and no change can ever occur.
Salvation by grace through faith - the good news
surrounding the grace of God - is
one thing; but “so great salvation,” “the saving of the soul” (Heb. 2: 21; 10: 39. [Cf. Acts 2: 27, 34 with
Ps. 16: 10; 2 Tim. 2: 18ff. and]) - the good news surrounding the coming [messianic and
millennial (Cf. Psalms 45. 46. 47. & 72. with Luke 24:
21, 25, 26] ‘glory’ of Christ - is something else entirely. And it is the latter, not the former, which the [Holy] Spirit’s ministry to [regenerate] Christians
centers around throughout the dispensation - [i.e., throughout this evil ‘age’.]
[These ‘born again’] Christians have been saved for a revealed purpose, the
central mission of the Spirit in the world today is to bring that purpose to pass, and the decision concerning
having a part in that purpose is left entirely to each individual [regenerate] Christian. A
Christian can “go with this Man” - the [Holy] Spirit
sent into the world to procure a bride for the Son,
the One through Whom the offer is being extended - or he can [apostatize from “the faith” (1 Tim. 4: 1) and] refuse to go.
This
decision is the Christian’s alone to make. And
the decision which he makes will have far-reaching
ramifications.
The Goal
The
goal, of course, is that set forth in the latter part of Genesis, chapter twenty-four,
leading into the things set forth in chapter twenty-five. It is a successful completion of the search, followed by a
removal of the bride. And this
will, in turn, be followed by blessings in
the Messianic Era.
(All
Christians - [who
“prevail to escape” (Luke
21: 26. cf. Rev. 3: 10, R.V.)] and [all
“accounted worthy to attain to that age, and the resurrection
out from the dead” (Luke 20: 35. cf.
Phil. 3: 11, ff., R.V.)] - will be
removed from the earth at the same time, shown by Rebekah and the damsels
accompanying her going forth on ten camels to meet Isaac [signifying completion, i.e., they all went forth (cf. verses 10, 61)]. However, Rebekah
alone is seen
taking a veil and covering herself when meeting Isaac [a type of the wedding
garment to be worn by the bride
alone when meeting Christ (verses 64, 65; cf. Rev. 19: 7, 8).])
After
Abraham’s servant had procured the bride for Isaac, he removed the bride from
the far country. And, at the same time, Isaac came forth from his home to meet
Rebekah. They met at a place between her
home and his home; and they then
went to his home,* where she
became his wife (24: 61-67).
[* See Matt. 16: 18; Luke 16: 22-23, R.V. Cf.
John 3: 13; 14: 1-3; 16: 7, 8, 13, R.V.]
And
so will it be with Christ and His bride.
After
the Holy Spirit has procured the bride,
He will remove the bride from the earth. And, at the same time, Christ
will come forth from heaven to meet His bride. They will meet at a place [in heaven] between the bride’s home and His
home; and they will then go to His
home, where the bride will become
His wife (cf. 1 Thess. 4: 14-17; Rev. 1: 10; 4: 1, 2; 19: 7).
Then,
that which is revealed in Genesis, chapter twenty-five can be brought to pass. Messianic blessings will be ushered in; and the
glories of the Son, with His consort queen, will be manifested for all of
creation to behold (Psa. 24: 1-10; Isa. 2: 1-4; Rev. 20: 1-3a).
The present search for and the future
glory [at the establishment
of Christ’s promised Inheritance (Psa. 2: 8. cf. Eph.
5: 5,
R.V.)] awaiting the
bride of Christ is what … [the Holy
Spirit’s revelation of the teachings found in Genesis
24] is all about.
Christians are
being offered [today] the greatest thing that God has
ever designed for redeemed man - to co-inherit with His Son, occupying positions on the throne with
Him in that day when He is revealed in all His power and glory.
And it is these [Messianic and
Millennial age-lasting - (not eternal)] glories awaiting
the Son and His co-heirs which the Spirit
of God has been sent into the world to reveal. Until the search for the bride has been completed, the revelation of
the Son’s coming glory will continue, and the invitation will remain open.
*
* *
FOOTNOTE
Man was created for a purpose which had to do with regality;
and fallen man has been redeemed with this same purpose in view. Salvation has
been provided for fallen man in order that God might bring man back into the
position for which he was created in the beginning.
Accordingly, the gospel message, the good news seen
throughout Scripture, has two
facets - the good news concerning the grace of
God, and the good news
concerning the glory of Christ:
1) The Gospel of
the Grace of God is a message
dealing with Christ’s past, finished
work at
2) The Gospel of the Glory of Christ is a message encompassing Christ’s present work
culminating in and dealing more specifically with His future
work. It is a message surrounding present Christian living, with a view to
that which lies ahead. And, encompassing Christ’s present work as High Priest,
the gospel of the glory of christ (as the Gospel of the grace of God) is also a
message surrounding the shedding of blood (Christ’s shed blood on the mercy
seat in the heavenly sanctuary). But now matters surround Christ’s [coming and
manifested] glory and that of bring many sons unto glory with Him.
The reception of this message - redeemed man
exercising faithfulness to his calling - will result in an individual being
accorded the honour and privilege of [entering into His kingdom (see Matt. 5: 20ff. 7: 21; cf. 1 Cor. 6: 9,ff.) and] ascending
the throne with Christ in His kingdom when He returns in all His power
and glory.
Distinctions between the preceding two messages must be clearly understood if an individual would properly understand the whole
of the salvation message in Scripture.
*
* * *
* * *
982
By FREDERICK A. TATFORD, LITT. D.
WHEN GOD called
out Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11: 31), it was
with the object of creating a new nation which was distinct from all others - a
people who were holy and a special possession to Him (Deuteronomy 7: 6), an elect race. Balaam subsequently declared, “... the people shall dwell
alone, and shall not be reckoned among the
nations” (Numbers 23: 9). It was
the Divine intention that this new
nation of
God
made certain pledges to them in respect of their future blessing. He bound
Himself to Abraham by an unconditional covenant of such importance that He
declared it in various forms ten times - six times to Abraham and two each to
Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12: 1-3; 13: 14-17; 15: 1-7; 17: 1-18; etc.). In addition to the Divine promises to Abraham personally, blessing was promised to his seed, who were likened to the stars of
heaven (Genesis 15: 5), to the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22: 17) and to the dust of the earth (Genesis 13: 16), so
countless in numbers were they to be. There was, of course, an implication in
the symbols that the patriarch would have a spiritual posterity (innumerable as
the stars) as well as a physical posterity (numberless as the grains of sand
and dust), and it is significant that some of the blessings covenanted were
spiritual and others material. Prof. J.
F. Walvoord in The Millennial Kingdom concisely summarizes the promises to
Abraham’s seed, “The nation itself shall be great (Genesis 12: 2)
and innumerable (Genesis 13: 16).
The nation is promised possession of the
land. Its extensive boundaries are
given in detail (Genesis 15: 18-21).
In connection with the promise of the land, the Abrahamic covenant itself is
expressly called ‘everlasting’* (Genesis 17: 7)
and the possession of the land is defined as ‘an
everlasting* possession’ (Genesis 17: 8). It should be immediately clear that this
promise guarantees both the everlasting continuance of the seed as a nation and
its everlasting possession of the land.”*
The
covenant was unconditional for Abraham and was binding only upon God. No
provision was made for its revocation, and it cannot, therefore, be annulled.
Indeed, in Galatians 3: 17, the apostle Paul argues emphatically that the Mosaic
law, given 430 years later, cannot
abrogate the provisions of the covenant. The promises must be fulfilled,
and
In
so blessing
When
David was established on his throne, God entered into a covenant with him,
promising that his house, his throne and his kingdom should be established for
ever (2 Samuel 7: 12-16). As
in the case of the Abrahamic covenant, no conditions were imposed on the
beneficiary; it was an unconditional covenant, binding only upon God. It was
quite irrevocable, and in Psalm
89: 28, 29, 34-37 He declared
that His covenant with David should not be broken, that David’s seed should
endure for ever and his throne should be as permanent as the sun. Jeremiah 33: 20-26 expressed
it equally plainly: only if day and night ceased to be would the covenant with
David be broken or his seed disowned. Isaiah 54: 8-10 provides further confirmation: mountains and hills
would be displaced before the Davidic covenant was disturbed. The covenant was
an everlasting one (Ezekiel
37: 26).
On
the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided into two, ten tribes crowning
Jeroboam the son of Nebat as king while the other two tribes retained their
loyalty to Rehoboam, Solomon’s son (1 Kings 12). The two kingdoms continued side by side
until 721 B.C., when as a result of
the sin of the northern kingdom of Israel, the people were carried away captive
by the Assyrians (2 Kings
17: 5,
6). The lesson made little impression on
the southern kingdom of Judah, and in 598 B.C., the king and the chief people
were carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, and nine years later most of
those who remained were transported to Babylon (2 Kings 24: 11-17; 25: 1-11). Although some of the exiles were
subsequently allowed to return (Ezra 2: 1), the
It
was during the Roman regime that one of heaven’s eternal purposes was
fulfilled, and the Messiah was born of
Our
Lord made clear the consequences of their rejection when He declared, “the
It
is sometimes taught that the elect remnant of Israel, who accepted the gospel
and were incorporated with Gentile believers into the one body of the Church
became the “holy
nation” of 1 Peter 2: 9 and that this was
the “direct and plenary fulfilment of the assurances
given in the Old Testament that Israel was not to cease from being a nation
before the Lord for ever.” But this virtually implies that Israel has,
in fact, ceased from being a nation and has been superseded by the Church, the
latter thus becoming the inheritor of all the promises to Israel. The blessings
of this age, however, as another has pointed out, “do
not correspond with the predictions of the restoration and conversion of
Israel, with the predictions of Israel’s supremacy on a regenerated earth (Isaiah 14: 1-3; 41: 11, 12; 49: 22-26; 51: 22, 23; 54: 17; 60: 12, 14, 16), or with the return
of fertility to Canaan (Isaiah 35: 7; 41: 18, 19, 43: 20; 55: 12, 13; 60: 13; Jeremiah 31: 5).” The only conclusion which can be reached is that the covenants made with
At
the Jerusalem conference referred to in Acts 15, James declared
that after God had taken a people out of the Gentiles, He would return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David (Acts 15: 13-18). James was, of course, quoting Amos 9: 11, 12, where the prophet depicted the fortunes of
[* See Luke 21: 34-35; Rev. 3: 10, R.V. This is a pre-tribulation and select rapture of those (“accounted worthy
to escape”
A.V.) from Antichrist’s persecutions; therefore not all regenerate believers
will be ‘removed from the earth’ at
this time! See Mr. G. H. Lang’s
“Firstfruits and Harvest.”]
There
must be a future repatriation of
God’s Old Testament prophets repeatedly and
explicitly foretell the restoration of
If,
as we believe, the seventieth “week” of Daniel 9: 27 is still
unfulfilled, it is essential for
Israel to be in her own land in order that the western powers may enter into
the predicted treaty with her. Similarly,
a returned
For
these events to happen, the elect of the present day (i.e. the church) must first be removed, but present conditions suggest that this is not far distant.
It
is clear from our Lord’s own words, as well as from Old Testament prophecy,
that the prospect before the restored Jew is first a period of unparalleled
tribulation and judgment, which will be brought to an end by the return of the
Lord to the earth to set up the kingdom for which
[* the word ‘everlasting’
throughout our English Translations, relative to the ‘land’
during the Millennium in this Creation, are extremely misleading! We are told the contrary in 2 Peter 3: 10: “… the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved
with fervent heat, and the
earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Again
in Revelation 21: 1:
“… a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the
first earth are passed away; and the
sea is no more.” It is impossible for any Divinely Inspired
writings in the Holy Scriptures to contradict themselves!
But, there is no doubt in my mind, that English Translations, from both Hebrew
and Greek manuscripts, make them appear to do precisely that!]
There
can be no possibility of interpreting prophecies such as Isaiah 11: 6-10 and
65: 19-25 otherwise than literally, and any attempt to spiritualize them and
make them applicable to the Church [only, and not to the nation of Israel] is
ill-reasoned. “Hath God cast away His people?” asked the
apostle Paul. “God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew”
(Romans 11: 1,
2).
*
* * *
* * *
983
JOSEPH THE
SAVIOUR
OF THE WORLD
By ARTHUR W. PINK
Genesis
41
[PART ONE OF TWO]
55.
Joseph has a wife given to him.
“And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah (the
Egyptian meaning of which is ‘Saviour of the world’); and he gave him to wife
Asenath, the daughter of Potipharah
priest of On” (40: 45). It is
with some hesitation and much reluctance that at this point the writer finds
himself differing from other students and commentators. Many whom we respect
highly have regarded Asenath as here prefiguring the Church. Their principal
reason for doing this is because Joseph’s wife was a Gentile. But while allowing the force of this, we feel that it is more than
counterbalanced by another point which makes against it. Believing that everything in
this inspired narrative has a definite meaning and typical value, and that each
verse has been put into its present place by the Holy Spirit, we are confronted
with what is, to us, an insuperable difficulty if Asenath prefigures the
Church, namely, the fact that in the very next verse which follows the mention
of Pharaoh giving a wife to Joseph, we are told, “And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of
Egypt” (41: 46).
Had this statement followed immediately
after 41: 14, which records Joseph being brought out of prison to
appear before Pharaoh, and after this we had been told Joseph received his wife, we
should be obliged to regard Asenath as a type of the Church; but as it is, we
believe the typical application must be sought elsewhere, as we shall now
proceed to point out.
The
Holy Spirit has here (we are assured, with definite design) made mention of
Joseph having a wife before his “age” is referred
to, and before his life’s work began. That the age of
Joseph at the time his real work started, pointed to the age of the Lord Jesus
when His public ministry commenced, is too obvious to admit of
dispute. The fact, then, that the Holy Spirit speaks of Joseph’s wife before the
mention of him being thirty years of age, suggests to the writer that the
typical significance of Asenath must be sought at some point of time before the
Lord Jesus entered upon His life’s mission. And that, of course, takes us back
to Old Testament times. And there, we do learn of Jehovah (the Lord Jesus) possessing a “wife,” even
But
against this it will be objected, How could Asenath, the Egyptian, wife of Joseph, typify
The
issue from
Joseph’s marriage appears to us to fit in with the interpretation suggested
above much better than with the common application of the type of Asenath to
the Church. “Unto
Joseph were born two sons” (41: 50), and
does not this correspond with the history of
56.
Joseph’s marriage was arranged by Pharaoh.
How
perfectly this agrees with what we read of in Matthew 22: 2! “The kingdom of heaven
is like unto a certain king, which made a
marriage for His Son.” The
fact that Asenath is mentioned before we are told that Joseph was thirty years old when he
stood before Pharaoh and began his life’s work (type of Christ as He began His
public ministry), and that the birth and naming of his sons occurred afterward, suggests (as is so often the case, both
in types and prophecies) that there is here a double
foreshadowment. This Gentile wife
of Joseph points backward, first, to Israel’s condition before Jehovah
separated her from all other peoples and took her unto Himself; and, second,
the type seems to point forward to the time when the Lord shall resume His
dealings with her, (see Jeremiah
31: 31-34; Ezekiel 16:
62, 63; Hosea 2: 19-23; Isaiah 54: 5-8*). Then, too, shall the names of Joseph's two sons '
be found to possess a double significance,
for God's will "forget" Israel's
past, and Israel shall then, as never before, be found "fruitful."
*
The spiritual and dispensational
condition of Israel at the moment when God shall resume His dealings with His
ancient people, is, again, aptly figured by a Gentile, for they are termed by Him now, and
until then “Lo-ammi” (Hosea 1: 9),
which means “Not My people.”
57.
Joseph was thirty years old when he began his life’s work.
“And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh
king of
58.
Joseph went forth on his mission from Pharaoh’s presence.
“And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh
king of
59.
Joseph’s service was an active and itinerant one.
“And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the
60.
Joseph’s exaltation was followed by a
season of plenty.
“And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by
handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the
We
doubt not that the saved of this dispensation are far in excess of any previous one.
How few were saved during the centuries which passed from the days of Abel up
to the Flood! How few appear to have been saved during the times of the
patriarchs! How few among
*
* * *
* * *
984
THE
By G. H. LANG.
-------
“The kingdoms of the world is
become the kingdom of our Lord and of His
Messiah;
and he shall reign unto the ages of the ages.”- (Revelation 11:
25).
Twenty four centuries before the time of Christ mankind
had so corrupted his way upon the earth, that God destroyed the race by a flood
of waters, sparing only Noah and his family. Unawed
by so dread a judgment, man, upon once more increasing in numbers, quickly
turned again to evil, and very especially to the worship of idols. Thus the
knowledge of the true God, Who demands holiness from His creatures, was
willingly given up, in order that man might gratify unholy passions (Romans 1). In a few centuries there were left but very few who worshipped God.
Yet God had His purpose to save this world from the power of Satan and from the
grip of sin and death; and He had already announced in the hearing of our first
parents that the seed of the women should fulfil this His merciful design (Gen. 3: 15).
It
was therefore necessary that a godly race should be preserved on earth among
whom the promised Saviour should be born. For this purpose God visited a man
named Abram, living in the great city of
Abram
responded to this revelation and call, forsook everything, and went off on the
long journey to the
Moreover,
God being most graciously willing to establish the confidence of those to whom
the promise was given, not only gave a simple promise (though that were enough
from GOD), but He presently turned
the promise into a formal covenant; and then, as if to make assurance doubly
sure, He ratified the covenant by an oath (Gen. 22: 16), saying, “By Myself have I sworn, saith
Jehovah.” Now sometimes, though
indeed rarely, circumstances may arise which make it right not to fulfil a
promise; and it is lawful for the parties to a covenant to alter the terms of
their arrangement; but an oath none may vary or ignore. And thus God has put it
beyond even His own power to alter or dispense with His covenant with Abraham
and His seed. Therefore the
In
pursuance of the assurance of national supremacy, God spoke to David, the king
of Israel about nine hundred years after the time of Abraham (say 1000 B.C.),
and made to him this promise:-
“Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts,
I took thee from the sheepcote, from following
the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over my
people, over Israel: and I have been with thee withersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth. And I will appoint a
place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell
in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any
more, as at the first, and as from the day
that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause thee to
rest from all thine enemies. Moreover Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee an
house. When thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with
thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He* shall
build an house for my name, and I will establish
the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he
shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will
chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away
before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom
shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy
throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David:” (2 Samuel 7: 8-17.).
[* See Zechariah 6: 12,
13, R.V. Cf. Isaiah 56: 7; Mark 11: 17,
R.V.)]
This
covenant also God confirmed with an oath, as these words witness:-
“I have made a covenant with
my chosen,
I have sworn unto David my servant;
Thy seed will I establish for ever,
And build up thy throne to all generations.”
Psalm 89: 3, 4, R.V.
It
is to be observed that God declared that when
the time should come for the complete fulfilment of these covenants, then the Jewish nation shall be fixed in
their own land as a planted tree
that is not to be removed to another spot, and they shall “be moved no more”; and then, too, neither shall “the children of
wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first.” Neither of
these promises has yet been fulfilled.
Again and again
Anything
less or other than a national future for
The
sons of David that ruled after him, nearly all went after strange gods, and
worshipped idols; and so evil was their way before God that some six hundred
years B.C. He suffered
Thus
the sovereignty of the earth which had been given to the house of David, passed
into the hands of a non-Jewish ruler, and in such hands it has ever since
remained. But long though the delay seems, yet the oath to David must be
fulfilled, and so the period of Gentile
sovereignty of the earth cannot be permanent.
God
took very special pains to impress this point upon the first Gentile monarch
who ruled the whole world. To Nebuchadnezzar was given the following dream: and
this was later supernaturally revealed to the prophet Daniel without the king
having hinted to him the nature of the vision. This most remarkable thing, of a
second man being made aware of what another had previously dreamed, was plainly
intended to inspire absolute confidence in the interpretation which should be given
by the prophet. The dream, then, as related by Daniel to the king, was as
follows:-
“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great
image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was
excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible. As for this image, his head
was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of
silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet
part of iron, and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and
clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in
pieces together, and became like the chaff of
the summer threshing-floors; and the wind
carried them away, that no place was found for
them: and the
stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the
whole earth:” (Daniel 2: 31-35, R.V.).
The
following is the interpretation of the dream which the God-instructed prophet
gave to the great monarch:-
“Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom
the God of heaven hath given the
kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the
glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he
given into thine hand, and hath made thee to
rule over them all: thou art the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and
part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom;
but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly
broken. And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed
with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves
with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay.
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,
forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone
was cut out of the mountain without hands, and
that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath
made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and
the interpretation thereof sure. Then the king
Nebuchadnezzer fell upon his face, and
worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they
should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of
secrets, seeing thou hast been able to
reveal this secret:” (Daniel 2: 37-47, R.V.).
All
this forecast, given five and a half centuries, before Christ, and when the
first of the empires was at its commencement only, the subsequent history of
the nations of the earth has accurately fulfilled almost to the end.
The
empire of the Medes and Persians followed that of
And
as the head of gold was a symbol of the absolute monarchy of Nebuchadnezzar, so
the silver was a picture of the partly limited government of the Persians, in
which the king was a good deal dependent upon his great nobles, and could not
do altogether as he might like, as Nebuchadnezzar had done (Dan.
6).
The Grecian rulers were still more largely dependent upon their princes and
soldiers; whilst the fourth empire was mainly ruled by a senate of the chief
citizens, and even the later emperors were but little able to rule as
autocratically as Nebuchadnezzar. In our own days we see how that
the will of the people is more and more consulted by rulers; and the discerning
can perceive that on this account weakness and variableness in governing are
conspicuous features of the times
The
gold has given place to iron and clay, mixed indeed, but which cannot blend
into a strong whole. And thus it will be till the One comes to Whom alone can be safely entrusted
that absolute, unlimited monarchy which is God’s ideal and is the best for the
governed, provided the Ruler be
perfect, as the ‘Son of Man’ will be.
That
Daniel should have thus minutely foretold the past two thousand five hundred
years of national history is convincing proof that we have in his
writings a divine revelation, and it demands
that we expect the due fulfilment of the rest of his forecast. That is to say, we are bound to expect the sudden and violent breaking up of the world
kingdoms by a heaven-sent power - the “stone cut out without hands,” which shall itself increase and fill the whole
earth. It is not reasonable that so
sudden and crushing an event as this boulder smashing up the image and grinding
it to a powder that the wind drives away, should represent the very slow, very
gradual and peaceful conversion to God of all mankind by the persuasive and
gracious influences of the gospel message now being preached. The necessary
rapidity of the fall of such a block of stone, and the violence with which it
would strike, and the immediateness of the destruction resulting, render the
picture most entirely unsuitable for carrying such a meaning. This moreover is clear from the distinct
statement that it is in days when ten kings are reigning that the stone falls,
which condition yet waits realization. These kings are as plainly the final
rulers of the empires as the ten toes are the bottom members of the image.
The
fulfilment of this sudden descent of the stone is vividly pictured in a
prophecy which is at the close of the Book of God, and which reads thus:-
“And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse,
and he that sat
thereon, called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make
war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and
upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a
name written, which no one knoweth but he
himself. And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is
called The Word of God. And the
armies which are in heaven followed him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. And out of his mouth proceedeth 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 of the wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his garment and on his thigh
a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he
cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains,
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of
horses and of them that sit thereon, and the
flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that
sat upon the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the
false prophet that wrought the signs in his
sight, wherewith he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that
worshipped his image: they twain were cast alive
into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were
filled with their flesh:” (Revelation 19:
11-21,
R.V.).
Further
descriptions of this mighty intervention of the Word of God are given in such scriptures as Isaiah 63: 1,
6 and Joel 3: 11, 17. That such an event has never taken place does not
require proof, for Jehovah, the God of
*
* * *
* * *
*
985
CREATION AND RESTORATION
By ARTHUR W.
PINK.
Genesis
1
The manner in which the Holy Scriptures open is worthy
of their Divine Author. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,
and that is all that is here recorded concerning the original
creation. Nothing is said which enables us to fix the date of their creation;
nothing is revealed concerning their appearance or inhabitants; nothing is told
us about the modus operandi of their Divine Architect. We do not know whether
the primitive heaven and earth were created a few thousands, or many millions
of years ago. We are not informed as to whether they were called into existence
in a moment of time, or whether the process of their formation covered an
interval of long ages. The bare fact is stated: “In the
beginning God created,” and
nothing is added to gratify the curious. The opening sentence of Holy Writ is
not to be philosophized about, but is presented as a statement of truth to be
received with unquestioning faith.
“In the beginning
God created.” No argument is
entered into to prove the existence of God: instead, His existence is
affirmed as a fact to be believed. And yet, sufficient is expressed in this one
brief sentence to expose every fallacy which man has invented concerning the
Deity. This opening sentence of the Bible repudiates atheism, for it postulates the existence of
God. It refutes materialism, for it distinguishes
between God and His
material creation. It abolishes pantheism, for it
predicates that which necessitates a personal God. “In the beginning God created,” tells us that He was Himself before the
beginning, and hence, Eternal. “In the beginning God created,” and that informs us He is a personal being, for an abstraction, an
impersonal “first
cause,” could
not create. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” and that argues He is infinite and omnipotent, for no
finite being possesses the power to “create,” and
none but an Omnipotent Being could create “the heaven and the earth.”
“In the beginning
God.” This is the foundation truth of all real theology. God is the great Originator and Initiator. It is the
ignoring of this which is the basic error in all human schemes. False systems
of theology and philosophy begin with man, and seek to work up to God. But this
is a turning of things upside down. We must, in all our thinking, begin with
God, and work down to man. Again, this is true of
the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The Bible is couched in human language, it is addressed to human ears,
it was written by human hands, but, in the beginning God - “holy men of God spake,
moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1: 21). This is
also true of salvation. In
“In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth,” and we cannot but believe that these
creations were worthy of Himself, that they reflected the perfections of their
Maker, that they were exceedingly
fair in their pristine beauty. Certainly, the earth, on the morning of its creation, must have been vastly different from its
chaotic state as described in Genesis 1: 2.
“And the earth was without form and void” must
refer to a condition of the earth much later than what is before us in the
preceding verse. It is now over a hundred years ago since Dr. Chalmers called attention to the fact that the word “was” in Genesis 1: 2 should be translated “became,”* and that between the first two verses of Genesis 1 some terrible catastrophe must have intervened.
That this catastrophe may have been connected with the apostasy of Satan, seems more than likely; that some catastrophe did occur is certain from Isa.
45:
18,
which expressly declares that the earth was not created in the condition in which Genesis
1: 2 views it.
[* As is shown at
the foot of the same page in the New International
Version.]
What
is found in the remainder of Genesis 1 refers
not to the primitive creation but to the restoration of that which
had fallen into ruins. Genesis
1: 1 speaks of the original creation; Genesis 1: 2
describes the then condition of the earth six days before Adam was called into
existence. To what remote point in time Genesis 1: 1 conducts
us, or as to how long an interval
passed before the earth “became” a ruin, we have no means of knowing; but if the
surmises of geologists could be conclusively established there would be no
conflict at all between the findings of science and the teaching of Scripture. The unknown interval between the first two
verses of Genesis
1,
is wide enough to embrace all the
prehistoric ages which may have elapsed; but all that took place from Genesis 1:
3
onwards transpired less than six thousand years ago.
“In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is” (Ex.
20: 11). There is a wide difference between “creating”
and “making”: to “create” is
to call into existence something out of nothing; to “make” is to form or fashion something out of materials already existing.
A carpenter can “make” a chair out of wood, but he is quite unable to “create” the wood itself. “In the beginning
(whenever that was) God created the heaven and the earth”; subsequently (after the primitive creation had
become a ruin) “the
Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.” This Exodus scripture settles the controversy which has been
raised as to what kind of “days” are meant
in Genesis 1, whether days of 24 hours, or protracted periods of
time. In “six
days,” that is, literal days of twenty-four hours duration,
the Lord completed the work of restoring and re-fashioning that which some
terrible catastrophe had blasted and plunged into chaos.
What
follows in the remainder of Genesis 1 is to be regarded not as a poem, still less as an
allegory, but as a literal, historical
statement of Divine revelation. We have little patience with
those who labour to show that the teaching of this chapter is in harmony with
modern science
- as well ask whether the celestial
chronometer is in keeping with the timepiece at
Marvellously
concise is what is found in Genesis
1. A single verse suffices to speak of
the original creation of the heaven and the earth. Another verse is all that is
needed to describe the awful chaos into which the ruined earth was plunged. And
less than thirty verses more tell of the six days’ work, during which the Lord “made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.” Not all the combined skill of the greatest literary
genuii, historians, poets, or philosophers this world has ever produced, could
design a composition which began to equal Genesis 1. For
reconditeness of theme, and yet simplicity of language; for comprehensiveness
of scope, and yet terseness of expression; for scientific exactitude, and yet
the avoidance of all technical terms; it is unrivalled, and nothing can be
found in the whole realm of literature which can be compared with it for a
moment. It stands in a class all by itself. If “brevity
is the soul of wit” (i.e. wisdom) then the brevity of what is recorded
in this opening chapter of the Bible evidences the divine
wisdom of Him who inspired it.
Contrast the laboured formulae of the scientists, contrast the verbose writings
of the poets, contrast the meaningless cosmogonies of the ancients and the
foolish mythologies of the heathen, and the uniqueness of this Divine account
of Creation and Restoration will at once appear. Every line of this opening
chapter of Holy Writ has stamped across it the autograph of Deity.
Concerning
the details of the six days’ work we cannot now say very much. The orderly
manner in which God proceeded, the ease with which He accomplished His work,
the excellency of that which was produced, and the simplicity of the narrative,
at once impress the reader. Out of the chaos was brought the “cosmos,” which signifies order, arrangement, beauty; out of
the waters emerged the earth; a scene of desolation, darkness and death, was
transformed into one of light, life, and fertility, so that at the end all was
pronounced “very
good.” Observe that here is to be
found the first Divine Decalogue: ten times we read, “and God said, let
there be,” etc. (vv. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 14, 20, 24, 26, 30), which may be termed the Ten Commandments of
Creation.
In
the Hebrew there are just seven words in the opening verse of Genesis 1, and these are composed of twenty-eight letters,
which is 7 multiplied by 4. Seven is the number of perfection, and four of
creation, hence, we learn that the primary creation was perfect as it left its Maker’s hands. It is equally significant that there were seven distinct
stages in God’s work of restoring the earth: first, there was the activity of
the Holy Spirit (1: 2); second, the calling of light into existence (1:
3);
third, the making of the firmament (1: 6-9) fourth, the clothing of the earth with vegetation (1:
11)
fifth, the making and arranging of the heavenly bodies (1:
14-18) ; sixth, the storing of the waters (1:
20-21); seventh, the stocking of the earth (1:
24).
The perfection of God’s handiwork is further made to appear in the seven times
the word “good” occurs here - vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 - also
the word “made” is found seven times in this section (l: 7, 16, 25, 26, 31; 2: 2,
3. Seven times
“heaven” is mentioned in this chapter - vv. 1, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, 20. And, it
may be added, that “God” Himself is
referred to in this opening section (1:
l - 2: 4) thirty-five
times, which is 7 multiplied by 5. Thus the seal of perfection is stamped upon everything God here did and made.
Turning
from the literal meaning of what is before us in this opening chapter of Holy
Writ, we would dwell now upon that which has often been pointed out by others,
namely, the typical significance of these verses. The order followed by God in
re-constructing the old creation is the same which obtains in connection with
the new creation, and in a remarkable manner the one is here made to foreshadow
the other. The early history of this earth corresponds with the
spiritual history of the believer in Christ. What occurred in connection with
the world of old, finds its counterpart in the regenerated man. It is this line
of truth which will now engage our attention.
1. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.” As we have
already observed, the original, condition of this primary creation was vastly different from the state
in which we view it in the next verse. Coming
fresh from the hands of their Creator,
the heaven and the earth must have presented a scene of unequalled freshness
and beauty. No groans of suffering
were heard to mar the harmony of the song of “the morning stars” as they sang together (Job 38: 7). No
worm of corruption was there to defile the perfections of the Creator’s
handiwork. No iniquitous rebel was
there to challenge the supremacy of God. And no death shades were there to spread the spirit of gloom. God reigned supreme, without a rival, and everything was very good.
So,
too, in the beginning of this world’s history, God also created man, and vastly
different was his original state from that into which he subsequently fell.
Made in the image and likeness of God, provided with a helpmate, placed in a
small garden of delights, given dominion over all the lower orders of creation,
“blessed” by
His Maker, bidden to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and
included in that which God pronounced “very good,” Adam had all that heart could desire. Behind him was
no sinful heredity, within him was no deceitful and wicked heart, upon him were
no marks of corruption, and around him were no signs of death. Together with
his helpmate, in fellowship with his Maker, there was everything to make him
happy and contented.
2. “And the earth became
without form and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep.” Some
fearful catastrophe must have occurred. Sin had dared to raise its horrid head
against God, and with sin came death and all its attendant evils. The fair
handiwork of the Creator was blasted. That which at first was so fair was now
marred, and what was very good became very evil. The light was quenched, and
the earth was submerged beneath the waters of judgment. That which was perfect
in the beginning became a ruin, and darkness abode upon the face of the deep.
Profoundly mysterious is this, and unspeakably tragic. A greater contrast than
what is presented in the first two verses of Genesis 1 can
hardly be conceived. Yet there it is: the primitive earth, created by God “in the beginning,” had become a ruin.
No
less tragic was that which befell the first man. Like the original earth before
him, Adam remained not in his primitive state. A dreadful catastrophe occurred.
Description of this is given in Genesis 3. By one man sin entered the world, and death by sin. The spirit of insubordination possessed him; he
rebelled against his Maker; he ate of the forbidden fruit; and terrible were
the consequences which followed. The fair handiwork of the Creator was blasted.
Where before there was blessing, there now descended the curse. Into a
scene of life and joy, entered death and sorrow. That which at the first was “very good,” became very evil. Just as the primitive earth before
him, so man became a wreck and a ruin. He was submerged in evil and enveloped
in darkness. Unspeakably tragic was this, but the truth of it is verified in
the heart of every descendant of Adam.
“There was, then, a primary creation, afterward a fall;
first, ‘heaven and earth,’ in due order, then earth without a heaven - in darkness, and
buried under a ‘deep’ of salt and barren and restless waters.
What a picture of man’s condition, as fallen away from God! How complete the
confusion! How profound the darkness! How deep the restless waves of passion
roll over the wreck of what was once so fair! ‘The wicked
are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt’” (F. W. Grant).
Here,
then, is the key to human destiny. Here is the cause of all the suffering and
sorrow which is in the world. Here is the explanation of human depravity. Man
is not now as God created him. God made man “upright” (Eccl.
7: 9), but he continued not thus. God faithfully warned
man that if he ate of the forbidden fruit he should surely die. And die he did,
spiritually. Man is, henceforth, a fallen creature. He is born into this world “alienated from the life of
God” (Eph. 4:
18).
He was born into this world with a heart that is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:
9).
This is the heritage of The Fall. This is the entail of Adam’s transgression.
Man is a ruined creature, and “darkness,” moral
and spiritual, rents upon the face of his understanding. (Eph.
4: 18).
3. “And the spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters.” Here is where hope begins to dawn. God did not abandon
the primitive earth, which had become a ruin. It would not have been
surprising, though, if He had. Why should God trouble any further about that
which lay under His righteous judgment? Why should He condescend to notice that
which was now a desolate waste? Why, indeed. But here was where sovereign mercy
intervened. He had gracious designs toward that formless void. He purposed to
resurrect it, restore it, refruetify
it. And the first thing we read of in bringing about this desired end was, “the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters.” There was
Divine activity. There was a movement on the part of the Holy Spirit. And this was a prime necessity. How could the earth resurrect itself? How could that
which lay under the righteous judgment of God bring itself into the place of
blessing? How could darkness transform itself into life? In the very nature of
the case it could not. The ruined creation was helpless. If there was to be restoration, and a [like-]new creation,
Divine power must intervene, the Spirit of God must “move.”
The
analogy holds good in the spiritual realm. Fallen man had no more claim upon
God’s notice than had the desolated primitive earth. When Adam rebelled against
his Maker, he merited naught but unsparing judgment at His hands, and if God
was inclined to have any further regard for him, it was due alone to sovereign
mercy. What wonder if God had left man to the doom he so richly deserved! But
no. God had designs of grace toward him. From the wreck and ruin of fallen
humanity, God purposed to bring forth a “new creation.”
Out of the death of sin, God is now bringing on to resurrection ground all who are united to Christ His Son. And the first
thing in bringing this about is the activity
of the Holy Spirit. And this,
again, is a
prime necessity. Fallen
man, in himself, is as helpless as was the fallen earth. The sinner can no more
regenerate himself than could the ruined earth lift itself out of the deep
which rested upon it. The new creation, like the restoration of the material
creation, must be accomplished by God Himself.
4.
“And God said, let
there be light, and there was light.” First the activity of the Holy Spirit and now the
spoken Word. No less than ten times in this chapter do we read “and God said.” God might have refashioned and refurnished the earth
without speaking at all, but He did not. Instead, He plainly intimated from the
beginning, that His purpose was to be worked out and His counsels accomplished
by the Word. The first thing God said was, “Let there be light,” and we read, “There was light.”
Light, then, came in, was produced by, the Word. And then we are told, “God saw the light, that it was good.”
It
is so in the work of the new creation. These two are inseparably joined
together - the activity of the [Holy] Spirit and the ministry of the Word of God. It is by
these the man in Christ became a new creation. And the initial step toward this
was the entrance of light into the darkness. The entrance of sin has blinded
the eyes of man’s heart and has darkened his understanding. So much so that,
left to himself, man is unable to perceive the awfulness of his condition, the
condemnation which rests upon him, or the peril in which he stands. Unable to
see his urgent need of a Saviour, he is, spiritually, in total darkness. And
neither the affections of his heart, the reasonings of his mind, nor the power
of his will, can dissipate this awful darkness. Light comes to the sinner through the Word applied by the Spirit. As it is written, “the entrance of Thy words giveth light” (Psa. 119: 130). This marks the initial step of God’s work in the
soul. Just as the shining of the light in Genesis 1 made manifest
the desolation upon which it shone, so the entrance of God’s Word into the
human heart reveals the awful ruin which sin has wrought.
5.
“And God divided the light from the darkness.”
Heb. 4:
12
tells us, “the
Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This is not a figurative expression but, we believe,
a statement of literal fact. Man is a tripartite being, made up of “spirit and soul and body”
(1 Thess. 5: 23). The late Dr.
Pierson distinguished between them thus: “The
spirit is capable of God-consciousness; the soul is the seat of
self-consciousness; the body of sense-consciousness.” In the day that
Adam sinned, he died spiritually. Physical death is the separation
of the spirit from the body; spiritual death
is the separation of the spirit from God. When Adam died, his spirit
was not annihilated, but it was “alienated” from
God. There was a fall. The spirit, the highest part of Adam’s complex being,
no longer dominated; instead, it was degraded, it fell to the level of the
soul, and ceased to function separately. Hence, to-day, the unregenerate man is
dominated by his soul, which is the seat of lust, passion, emotion. But in the
work of regeneration, the Word of God “pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,”
and the spirit is rescued from the lower level to which it has fallen, being
brought back again into communion with God. The “spirit”
being that part of man which is capable of communion with God, is light; the “soul” when it is not dominated and regulated by the spirit is in darkness, hence, in that part of the six days’ work of restoration which
adumbrated the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, we read, “And God divided the light
from the darkness.”
6. “And God said, let
there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters ... and God called the
firmament heaven” (Gen. 1: 6, 8). This brings us to the second days work, and here, for
the first time, we read that “God made”
something (1: 7). This was the formation of the atmospheric heaven,
the “firmament,” named by God “heaven.” That
which corresponds to this in the new creation, is the impartation of new
nature. The one who is “born of the Spirit” becomes “partaker of the Divine nature”
(2 Pet. 1:
4).
Regeneration is not the improvement of the flesh, or the cultivation of the old
nature; it is the reception of an altogether new and heavenly nature. It is
important to note that the “firmament” was
produced by the Word, for, again we read, “And God said.”
So it is by the written Word of God that the new birth is produced, “Of His own will begat He us with
the Word of truth” (James 1: 18). And again, “being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God” (1 Pet. 1: 23).
7.
“And God said, Let the
waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the
fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose
seed is in itself” (Gen. 1: 9-11). These verses bring before us God’s work on the third
day, and in harmony with the meaning of this numeral we find that which clearly
speaks of resurrection. The earth was raised out of the waters which had submerged
it, and then it was clothed with vegetation. Where before there was only
desolation and death, life and fertility now appeared. So it is in
regeneration. The one who was dead in trespasses and sins, has been raised to
walk in newness of life. The one who was by the old creation “in Adam,” is now by new creation “in Christ.” The one who before produced nothing but dead works,
is now fitted to bring forth fruit to the glory of God.
And
here we must conclude. Much has been left untouched, but sufficient has been
said, we trust, to show that the order followed by God in the six days’ work of
restoration, foreshadowed His work of grace in the new creation: that which He
did of old in the material world, typified His present work in the spiritual
realm. Every stage was accomplished by the putting forth of Divine power, and
everything was produced by the operation of His Word. May writer and reader be
more and more subject to that Word, and then shall we be pleasing to Him and
fruitful in His service.
* *
* * *
* *
986
THE HOUR OF DECISION AND
THE BIRTHRIGHT AND HEAVENLY PRIZE
BY ERICH SAUER
The ancient Egyptian sun-obelisk was the point which
all partakers in the chariot and other races had to pass round. Each and every
competitor in the races, be he chariot driver or runner, had to cover the full
length of the course. No one could shorten the race from himself. No one could make the victory any easer by
any measure of his own. Each had to
devote all his strength and to take upon himself the whole task without any
abatement. Only thus was there any prospect of winning the prize.
For
all those who know its history, this ancient Egyptian obelisk is even today an
eloquent witness to all this.
Let
us not be deceived! There is no victory without zeal
and devotion, no complete triumph without giving up our own indolence, no real “Yes” to
God without a practical “No” to
self, sin, and the world! If any bad
habit or sin should have a hold upon you, or if there should be any guilt of the past which is not yet been put
right, put these things in order,
clear them away in the power of the Lord, even if it should be hard to do so.
If there exists any tension between yourself and another, if there is any
possibility, seek to have a personal talk with the one concerned, even if it
mean that you must humble yourself. And do it today. Do not postpone it to some
later date. It might happen that then it will be postponed again, and in the
end nothing will be done at all. Whenever the Lord entrusts you
with a service of love and charity, do it with all
your might, even if it should
involve a sacrifice of time or money.
If there is opportunity of witnessing to Christ, open your mouth joyfully,
even if you are mocked at or have to suffer loss or disadvantage in your
earthly career.
All
this certainly costs self-denial. But self-denial is indispensable (Matt.
16: 24, 25). Every attempt to make the fight easier, makes the real victory more difficult and doubtful. Unless
we submit ourselves to all Divine orders,
and take up our full responsibility,
we shall never attain the radiant and glorious prize on the coronation day.
THE HOUR OF
DECISION
In
Esau’s bitter experience we can see something of the tactics used by sin. Sin
uses the “weak moments” in the life of a man to
cause his fall. Esau was “tired” when he
made his fatal wrong decision (Gen. 25: 29). “Feed me, I pray thee, with that same
red pottage; for I am faint (tired)” (verse 30).
This
is the regular method of sin. Sin knows the weak points and critical moments of
our life and is ever ready like a wild beast to jump upon its prey.
Thus
Cain had his weak moment when jealousy took hold of him and he murdered his
brother (Gen. 4: 5-8).
David
had his weak moment and fell deep into sin, which then brought him and the
house of Uriah into so much misery (2 Sam. 1: 2-5; 17: 26ff.).
Peter
had his weak moment when he denied his Master at the camp fire before a servant
girl (Mark 14: 66-72).
Ananias
and Sapphira had their weak moment when they behaved as hypocrites with regard
to their offering for the Lord’s work, and for this sin they were blotted out
of the church and of life (Acts
5: 1-10).
But
just these weak moments are the hours of decision. At such occasions it becomes
dear what sort of persons we really are. The strength of a chain lies in the
weakest link. A battlefront is broken through when the thinnest part of the
line is pierced.
For
this reason defeats in weak moments can never be excused by pointing to the
unfavourable or unexpected circumstances. Not the march past in the review, but
the battle shows the real quality of a soldier. We are only that which we prove
to be in difficult conditions. The weak moments are the “examinations” and “tests”
in our life of faith. The circumstances are only the battlefield, they are
never the actual decisive factors in the battle itself.
The
first men sinned in
The
same is true with regard to our service as witnesses. How many a believer
excuses his failure in witnessing by pointing to the unfavourable surroundings.
He is silent where he should speak, and some may have even given up entirely to
testify to Christ, excusing themselves by referring to the “hard soil” which would in any case render their testimony
unfruitful. Thus not seldom God-given opportunities are missed, and
possibilities for powerful victory
become “weak moments” full of defeat.
And
yet, testifying is possible everywhere. There never was a time during which the
world was without God’s witnesses (Heb. 11) and
there never will be.
In
fact, very often just such times, when many adversaries are fighting against
God’s work, are special seasons of “open doors.”
Paul, the great pioneer missionary among the apostles, says: “a great door and effectual is
opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor. 16: 9). Open doors and adversaries very often belong one to
another. Special hatred against the
message of the gospel and special opportunities for victorious witnessing to
Christ have often appeared together in the history of the church. Only we
must learn again to be better witnesses. God has no need of defenders and
advocates, nor of experts and masters of rhetoric, but what He desires are wholly devoted men and women who know only
one theme and who have only one passion, that is, Himself, the great God, Jesus
Christ (2
Cor. 4: 5).
Personal witness from man to man was the evangelizing method practised by the
early church. In this respect, too, we must become again “early Christians,” and then we shall experience that the work of the Lord always shares and
repeats the history of its Divine Master: opposed by the world, yet not defeated; rejected by unbelief, yet
not refuted; given over to death by
men, - [even apostate
‘brothers’ (see Acts
20: 30, ff.; cf. Mark 7: 6-9; 2. Timothy 4: 1-4; 2 Peter 2: 1; Jude 4, 5, R.V.)] - yet
always full of resurrection life; dead,
buried and yet always rising again. “The voice of
rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous” (Psa. 118: 15. [See also Matt. 5: 20; 7: 21; Luke 19: 20-27,R.V.]).
If
this is our attitude, God-given opportunities for witness will not become “weak moments” in our life but occasions to save
souls and thus times of triumphant joy in heaven and earth (Luke
15: 7).
THE
BIRTHRIGHT AND THE HEAVENLY PRIZE
The
warning reference to Esau and to the loss of his birthright is given in Hebrews 12 in connexion with a message which begins by demanding of us
that we should run in the arena of faith. “Let us run with patience the
race that is set before us” (Heb.
12: 1). It is a
message which demands of us a purposeful perseverance in the running of the
course (verse 1), an
overcoming of all signs of fatigue and all symptoms of weakness (verses 3-12), a pressing on in Spirit-wrought [or, in the Holy Spirit’s wrought] energy*.
“Therefore lift up the hands
which hang down and the feeble knees” (verse 17). “Make straight
paths for your feet” (verse 13). “Follow after!
Pursue
... !” (verse
14).
[* See Psalm 51: 11,
R.V. Cf.
Acts 5: 32 and 1 John 3: 24 with 6:
5; Acts 7:
5; and Acts 2:
34 with Rev.
2: 25-27, and 2 Tim. 2: 18, R.V.]
In
this connexion God’s Word expressly
emphasizes great dangers that are imminent in case the fighter is failing in the battle. Instead
of running in the race you may “be turned out of the way by lameness” (verse 13). Instead
of living in spiritual fulness, you
may “fall
short of the grace of God” (verse 15). Instead of being a channel of blessing for
others you may be a
poisonous plant defiling many (verse 15). And the Spirit of God would arouse us with the
alarming exhortation: “Follow after [pursue]
peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord!” (verse 14). For
the prize will not be given for nothing, but demands the energy of faith and
practical faithfulness. In view of
the context of our chapter the prize of the race is regarded as the full
enjoyment of the heavenly - [and millennial
(Rev. 3: 21. Cf. 20:
5, 6,
R.V.).] - birthright.
Five
main facts show us the nature of the prize.
The
heavenly prize is not to be expected as a matter of course but must be
earnestly contended for. Justification [by faith] is a gift of
free grace, but the measure of glorification depends upon personal
devotion and steadfastness in the race.
Thus it may happen that a [regenerate] believer does not stand the test, and the Umpire of the races, “the Lord, the righteous judge” (2
Tim. 4: 8), will declare
him “disqualified” at the
prize-giving (1 Cor.
9: 27). He receives no crown of victory. “That I myself might not be rejected after having preached
to others.” The word “rejected” used in the original text (Gk. adokimos) is the technical term for a runner not
standing the test before the master of the games and therefore being excluded
at the prize-giving. This is a possibility to be taken very seriously by every [regenerate] believer.
And yet:
The
heavenly prize is not identical with eternal salvation but is associated with
various degrees of glorification. In
spite of the grave possibility of being “disqualified” at
the end, the runner who did not hold out in the race will not be eternally
lost. Even in the case of Esau, in spite
of his loss of the birthright, there
remained the relationship of son. Although, indeed, Holy Scripture speaks in very strong terms of suffering “loss” (1 Cor. 3: 15), Of “being ashamed”
at Christ’s coming (1 John
2: 28), Of One’s whole life-work being “burned up” (1 Cor. 3: 13, 15b) so that one is saved “yet so
as through fire”; yet it
clearly testifies the fact that also such an one will
be “saved.”
Thus
grace and reward are presented as
combined with one another and yet shown as harmonious opposites, just like
the poles of a magnetic needle are
opposites and yet belong together inseparably. And thus being saved and being
glorified, being born again and being perfected, receiving grace and becoming a
receiver of the crown, that is, the entering into the arena at the beginning
and the prize-giving at the end, stand before our eyes in their mutual
relationship.
Through
all this the twofold result in our daily life should be joy and earnestness, thankfulness and sense of responsibility, certainty of salvation and fear of God. Only in the realization of these two
opposite and harmonious poles in Christian experience, is true Biblical
sanctification possible.
The
heavenly [and millennial] prize is not equal for each, but will be graduated
according to faithfulness. The three main blessings of the New Testament
birthright are heavenly riches, priestly service, and royal dignity, and full
possession of [firstborn
sons’ inheritance rights] -
this
birthright is the prize.
The
more a member of the “church [i.e.
the out-calling] of the firstborn” has made a
fruitful use of the spiritual riches intrusted to him by the Lord during his life-time, the more he will enjoy the fulness of
blessing in [‘the age to come’ (see Heb. 6: 5; Luke 20: 35, R.V.) and in] eternity (cf. Matt. 25: 21, 23).
The
more a member of the “church of the firstborn” has actually realized the rights and obligations of the general priesthood, the greater and more glorious will be
his service as priest in the heavenly temple (Rev. 3: 12; 1 Pet. 1: 5, 4).
The
more a member of the “church of the firstborn” has lived worthily of his high royal
calling here on
earth, the higher will be his position
in the kingdom of glory. He will
reign with Christ for ever and ever (2 Tim. 2: 12; Rom. 8: 17; Rev. 22: 5).
Thus
the more faithfully a member of the “church of the firstborn” has responded to
his spiritual birthright here on earth, the richer and more embracing will be
his enjoyment of his heavenly birthright in eternity.
The
heavenly prize will not be granted to the
self-confident and self-satisfied but only to those who are striving and
pressing on. Not every believer will attain to the full prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Least of all those who regard
themselves as sure of it! Not in vain has the Lord said: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they
[they alone!] shall
be filled” (Matt. 5: 6). In the original Greek the word “they” is emphasized strongly in order to show the exclusive
nature of the promise. And Paul declares: “Know ye not
that they which run in a race all run, but
[only] one receiveth the prize? Even so run, that ye may attain” (1
Cor. 9: 24). “And if a man also
contend in the games, yet is he not crowned,
except he have
contended lawfully” (2 Tim. 2: 5). Woe to
the self-assured, self-approving ones! A great disappointment awaits them (1 John 2: 28).
But blessed are those that hunger and thirst! Blessed are the “imperfect” ones, i.e., those who are conscious of their imperfections and therefore press on
in the Lord’s power: for they will attain [i.e., gain
by effort]
the goal.
In
all this there rules this encouraging fact:
The
heavenly prize is not to be won by human and earthly endeavours but only by the
power which grace gives to faith. All
our own efforts are impotent and worthless. Even our very best ideals and
strivings will not carry us through to the goal. Christ alone is able to do
this. Therefore the runner in the race looks unto Him from whom all power
comes. Every victory over sin, all growth in holiness, all
progress in the race is entirely a gift of His free grace. There is no human merit at all. Only he who lives by the gifts of God’s grace will be able to reach the
goal in full triumph.
And
what will happen when the great day of the prize-giving shall have come? Before
God only His own work counts. We ourselves have accomplished nothing. All has been given by Himself, and now,
in addition to all this, upon us, the receivers of His free gifts, who of
ourselves have deserved nothing, He bestows the everlasting crown of honour.
That means: He pours out upon us His gifts at the goal for the simple reason
that we have accepted in faith His gifts on the way. He showers His blessings
upon us at the winning-post simply because we have allowed Him to give us His
free blessings during the race. Therefore although
conditioned by the devotion of the one to be crowned, the prize of the
race, the full enjoyment of the heavenly Birthright, is an entirely unmerited gift of a freely giving and generous God of mercy.
It is “reward” out of “grace.” Rightly did Tauler, the great German
mediaeval mystic (about 1400), say that ‘when at last God gives the crowns, He is not going to
crown us but to crown Christ in us, for
only Christ is worthy of a crown’.
In
the
But
what are all these crowns and the crowns of other nations in comparison to
those crowns which Christ has to bestow? The “crown
of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4: 8),
“the crown of
life” (Rev. 2: 10), “the crown of rejoicing” (1
Thess. 2: 19), “the incorruptible
crown” (1 Cor.
9: 25, 26), “the crown of glory” (1
Pet. 5: 3,
4)?
How much does all that is earthly pale before the glory of the heavenly! Even
the highest earthly riches and beauties sink into absolute insignificance when
compared with the Eternal and Divine! In fact, not only the sufferings but also
the glories of this world are not worthy even to be compared to the glories
which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8: 18).
Wreaths
of olive branches and laurels, palms and festive garbs, were presented to the
victorious runners in the Greek races. Christ, however, gives those who have
served Him in faithfulness, the heavenly crown of honour.
Laurels,
olive branches and palms wither away. Crowns sink down. But the crown of honour
which Christ gives the victor will remain in everlasting life, with the
freshness and flower of youth. Here is an incorruptible possession (1 Pet. 1: 4), a priesthood eternally
worshipping, a royal dignity and rule for all time and eternity (Rev. 22: 5). Thus the
threefold privilege of the Birthright of the firstborn as richness, priesthood,
and kingship, the prize for the overcomer,
will remain for ever and ever.
All
this will be ours if we look unto Jesus, and run.
As
the “Firstbom from the dead” Christ is the great Victor over that greatest, combined, and most powerful
enemy, sin, death, Satan. Thus He is
altogether the Pioneer
and decisive Conqueror in all situations. He Who was the Winner in the
mightiest battle is certainly also able to gain the victory in all smaller
ones. He can master every difficulty and can throw back every
attack of the adversary. In any and every battle He can
give practical victory and so bring
us through to the final triumph.
As
the “Firstborn among many brethren” He enables His
own to share His glory in - [earth (Luke
1: 32; Revelation 2: 26, 27; 20: 4; and] - heaven (Rev. 3: 21; John 17: 22) and
to
attain the full blessing of the birthright, appointed to the firstborn ones, the “firstfruits of His
creatures” (James 1: 18). He Who after His own victorious battle has
reached the goal triumphantly and is crowned with glory and honour (Heb. 2: 9), gives to
every overcomer in the race the crown of rejoicing and
honour. Therefore ever anew, while
running in the racecourse in the arena of faith,
“Let us
look unto Jesus!”
*
* * *
* * *
987
By G. H. LANG
“He shall reign over
the house of Jacob unto the ages.” (Luke
1: 33)
Let us now remember that the King Who will thus come in
glory is, as to His earthly birth, a Jew, a son of Abraham. That He should be
the cause of blessing to all the families of the earth will therefore be the
fulfilment of the covenant with Abraham. Christ, moreover, is of David’s house;
and the covenant with David that his seed should rule the world will thus be
fulfilled in Christ, for “the Lord God shall
give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His
kingdom there shall be no end,” as
the angel declared when announcing His coming birth (Luke 1: 32, 33). Nor is there any other descendant of David known to
be now alive; a fact which the Jew who is looking for the hope of
Thus
Christ will wrest from the Gentiles the sceptre of the world; and in His
reigning, and the glory of
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come
against
It
was to this day that Christ looked forward with comfort in the sad hour when it
became evident that His own people were determined to cast Him out. Leaving the temple for the last time He lamented in
these words:
“O Jerusalem,
That
the day when
The
apostle Paul felt it to be of much
importance that non Jewish Christians should understand that God had not
finally cast away His people
It
is thus seen that both the rule of the world by Gentile
powers, and the preaching of the good news to Gentile sinners, are interim
arrangements ordered by God till Israel be repentant, and fit for her high destiny, according to the covenants sworn to the
fathers of that race. When the Gentile
powers shall have filled up the measure of their sins, the “times of the Gentiles,” foretold
by Daniel, will have been fulfilled (Luke 21: 24) At the same period Israel, moved by God’s good [Holy] Spirit, will
be humbled by His chastisements, and be ready to fill their place in God’s
counsel; and just then also “the fulness of the Gentiles will have come in”; and the way thus be prepared for the coming of God’s
King and [and His messianic] kingdom.
If
not decisive it would be at least interesting could we ask, say, Isaiah how he
himself understood his prophecies concerning his people, land, and city;
whether, firstly, he took his words to predict as literal a restoration as his
accompanying words predicted a literal destruction; whether, secondly, he
anticipated for his people as actual a supremacy over the rest of the nations
as they were for a time to be actually subject to them; or whether thirdly,
when restored they are to be only one among many other nations as to rank; or
whether, fourthly, the only future for them is, that such of them as come at
the end of the age to faith in Christ will simply be merged into the spiritual
privileges of the church of God, and have no racial or national existence at
all. In short, whether his words meant, as history proved, just what they said
as to destruction, but mean something quite different to what they seem to say
as to restoration.
That
From
among countless passages one may be taken, and the case be almost left to turn
upon it alone. In Isaiah 60: 5, it is said of Zion, “the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee,” and in verse 11 that “men
(shall) bring unto thee the
wealth of the nations, and their kings led with them,” and in verse 12, “For that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall
perish, yea, those
nations shall be utterly wasted.”
By
no fair dealing can there be applied to these statements the much-abused
process miscalled “spiritualizing.” For (1) the “nations” are not the “church” (1 Cor. 10: 32; Rev. 21: 24); and (2),
in the church there are no special kings to be singled out for mention, for
though all its final members are to reign they
are not to be kings [now (1 Cor. 4: 8,
R.V.)] of particular
Gentile kingdoms, or there would need
to be as many nations as there will be members of the church. Thus here is no
picture of the merging of
Further
(3), while believing Gentiles enter
into a share of the spiritual wealth of
Therefore
the kings of this passage must be actual Gentile rulers, and the wealth be
material riches; which demands that
And
if verse 12 of Isaiah
60 does not teach the political subjection of all other peoples to Israel we may
despair of finding any settled meaning in language: “the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee - [i.e.,
Israel, during their Messiah’s ‘day’ (2 Pet. 2: 8, R.V.)] - shall perish, yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.”
-------
Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious:
See the Man of Sorrows now!
From the fight returned victorious
Every knee
to Him shall bow:
Crown Him, crown Him!
Crowns become the Victor’s brow.
Crown the Saviour! angels, crown Him!
Rich the trophies Jesus brings:
In the seat of power enthrone Him,
While the vault of heaven rings:
Crown Him, crown Him!
Crown the Saviour King of kings.
Sinners in derision crowned Him,
Mocking thus the Saviour’s claim;
Saints and angels crowd around Him,
Own His title, praise His name:
Crown Him, crown Him!
Spread abroad the Victor’s fame.
Hark! those bursts of acclamation;
Hark! those loud triumphant chords;
Jesus takes the highest station:
Oh, what joy the sight affords
Crown Him, crown Him!
King of kings and Lord of lords!
(T. Kelley).
*
* * *
* * *
988
THY PEOPLE SHALL BE DELIVERED
THE INTERVENTION OF MICHAEL; THE GREAT
TRIBULATION; THE DELIVERANCE; THE RESURRECTION OF THE HOLY
DEAD; AND THE SPLENDOUR OF THE RISEN
SAINTS.
By NATHANIEL WEST, D.D.
-------
THE INTERVENTION OF MICHAEL
The intervention of Michael in behalf of
But
if the conflict is aerial it is also terrestrial. The “War of the Great Day of God Almighty” includes “the kings of the earth on the earth,” as well as “the hosts of the high ones on high.” (Isa. 24: 21.) Angels [will] execute the “Harvest”
and the “Vintage” orders. (Rev.
14: 12-20; Zech. 13: 8, 14: 5; Jude 15)
Great, however, as is the help of Michael, the destruction of the Antichrist is
reserved for Christ alone (Isa. 11: 4; 2. Thess.
2: 8; Isa. 59: 19, 20; Dan. 7: 13; Rev. 19: 11-2l.) There is right and propriety in this. It is when the Lord himself appears in
person to raise His saints, and smite the Antichrist, that the “Warfare Great” is terminated and
THE GREAT TRIBULATION
“There shall be a time of trouble such as never was since
there was a nation, even to that same time.”
(Dan. 12:
1.) It
is that period of affliction described so graphically and so frequently in both
Testaments, by Moses (Deut. 32: 39-43); by Balaam (Num. 24: 23, 24); by Isaiah (26: 8-21; 59: 16-21; 66: 5-16): by Jeremiah (30:
7); by Ezekiel (38: 1-23; 39: 1-29); by Joel (3: 9-16); by Zephaniah
(3: 8); by Zechariah
(12: 1-14; 13: 1; 14: 1-5); by our Lord
(Matt. 24: 15, 28); by Paul (2 Thess. 1: 6, 7); and by John
(Rev. 3: 10; 7: 14; 11: 7; 12: 12; 13: 1-18); covering the second half of the Apocalypse [Revelation] from
chapter 12. to 20.
Here is found the formal condemnation of all the modern
optimistic schemes, social theories, and wide-spread false teaching, that looks
for the reform of the whole world and conversion of the nations before the
Second Coming of Christ. If we ask the Prophets, Christ and His
Apostles, what they expected in the future, after the Gospel seed has been scattered over all the
earth, their reply will be found to be one and harmonious. By the side of the
Wheat, Satan’s seed, the Tares, will occupy the field of the world “together” till the Lord comes. During the Times of the Gentiles
Israel [as
a nation]
will remain in unbelief. Along with the progress of
Christianity, externally waxing [by apostasy] to a power
in the world, and allying itself
with governments and states, shall
go prosperity, internal corruption
and decay, a deepening departure
from ‘the
faith’, as the last times
draw near - Anti-christianity at
last ascendant, the world
controlling the Church, false
teaching, false Messiahs, false culture and civilisation, crime universal, the faithful a “little flock”
to whom it is “the Father’s good
pleasure to give [to them] the kingdom.” The great apostasy in Christendom shall
culminate in the Antichrist, and
bring the crisis of the “Warfare Great,” viz., the “Great Tribulation,” the world still “lying in the Wicked One.” They looked for all this, and
for the return of the Jews to their
own land, their conversion in the
midst of the crisis, and the Second
Coming of Christ to put an end to the whole disorder and bring His kingdom of
righteousness and truth to victory.
No other future than this is found in the Sacred Scriptures, save the Millennial age and the final New
Heaven and Earth, both of which
follow, the [pre-tribulation select rapture of saints (see Luke 21: 34-36; Rev. 3: 10), and the] Advent of the
Son of Man in clouds. The triumph of the kingdom comes only to those who, faithful to Christ, - [That is, those
“…that are left
alive unto the coming of the Lord” (1 Thess. 4: 15,
R.V.), who] - pass through this Tribulation, and, sealed by His Spirit, are “overcomers” who have “gotten the victory
over the Beast and his Image,
his Mark and the Number of his Name,” even as before in early times. (Rev. 15: 2; 20:
4)
The unwritten in the Book of Life “worship the Beast” and perish in his punishment. (Rev. 13: 8.) The conversion and reform of the whole world before the Second Advent
is a human fiction, contradicted by both Testaments.
Territorially, these visions of the Great Tribulation
which will be universal, especially cover Europe, Asia, and Africa, within the
limits of the old Roman empire, yet
THE DELIVERANCE
“Thy people shall be delivered,” i,e., at the close of the
Great Tribulation (Dan. 12.; 7: 25-27; 9: 27) at the
close of the 70th Week. (2 Thess. 2: 1-3)
This promise of Deliverance of the “Remnant” is
ancient as Moses, and runs through both Testaments. Not exempted from trial, or
even martyrdom, yet the “Remnant” shall
not be destroyed. Sealed of God, kept safe from the power of temptation,
delivered out of all their troubles, as were their fathers before them, they
shall be overcomers through the blood of the Lamb. “Alas, for that day is great, so
great that none is like it; it is the time of
Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” (Jer. 30: 7.)
The
deliverance will be miraculous, (1)
by the personal appearing of the Son of Man, first of all, in the clouds of heaven.
(Dan. 7: 13) (2) In the next place, “His feet shall stand on the
THE RESURRECTION OF THE HOLY DEAD
Not
only shall living
To
this time-point of the revelation of
Christ in His glory, to raise the
dead, deliver Israel, and destroy the Antichrist, the hope of both Old and New Testament saints was directed. (Matt. 24: 29-31, 40-44; 2 Thess. 1: 6-10; 2: 1-8; 1 Thess. 4: 14-17; Rev. 11: 17; 14: 13-20; 19: 11-21; 20: 1-6; 16: 15; Dan. 12: 1-3 Matt. 13: 40.) In view of that hope, Old
Testament martyrs, accounting
themselves dead even before the tyrant had struck them, refused to “accept deliverance” at the cost of forswearing their faith. The New Testament martyrs did the same.
The “better thing” they grasped by faith was the “better resurrection,” when both, washed in the blood of Christ (Heb. 9: 15),
should together be perfected, body and soul, in the likeness of Christ, at
His Second Coming, and satisfied
(Ps. 17: 15; 1: 3-6; Dan. 12: 1-3; Matt. 23: 40; 24: 29-31).
One in Christ, and one with each other, both saved in the same way. God foresaw
and provided the plan concerning us, “that they apart from us, should not be
made perfect.” (Heb. 11: 35, 40.) Moses
and Paul, Isaiah and John, are one in Christ.
THE SPLENDOUR OF THE RISEN SAINTS
“They that be wise shall
shine as the brightness of the firmament, and
they that have turned the many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12: 3). The
angel employs two words nowhere else found in the Old Testament (1) Hayi Olam,
life everlasting, i.e., to die no more, and (2) Hizhir, shall shine, from Zohar, splendour. This last one is
beautifully rendered by the German word Himmelglanz, the gleam of Heaven. Moses describes the firmament as a “sapphire pavement” beneath the feet of the God of Israel, “the body of heaven in its
clearness” (Ex. 34: 10), and Elihu
compares it to a “molten mirror” shining with
undimmed resplendency. (Job
37: 18.) Ezekiel
describes it as “an
appearance of brightness as the look of the brightness of burnished gold.”
(Ezek. 8:
2.) To
the golden sheen the angel adds the incandescent glory of the “stars,” literally of the “glitterers.” Our Lord and Paul allude to these expressions in
their brilliant language when speaking of the resurrection and its different,
degrees of glory. (Matt. 13: 43; 1 Cor. 15: 41.) An
instance of the reality, we have in the Transfiguration of the Lord in the “holy mount,” when “His face did shine as the Sun, and His raiment was white as the light” (Matt. 17: 21), “white as snow and glistering” (Mark 9: 3; Luke 9: 29). What the angel teaches is that the wise shall shine
like the crystal sheen of a sunlit firmament, and the converters of the many to
righteousness shall glow with the glitter of the stars in a cloudless canopy.
Still more, their effulgence shall be eternal - a glory unobscured
for ever (Dan. 12: 3). This
their Zohar. Degrees of glory there will be, even as the three
stars in Orion’s belt excel in magnitude and glory the lesser stars of the
constellation. The transfiguration of the living will equal that of the dead.
The Lord extends the splendour to all the “righteous.” (Matt. 13: 40.) The prophecy includes the whole sacramental host of
God’s elect, who share the glory ready to be revealed.
All
who are instrumental in the salvation of the many will be clothed with a
surpassing brightness. Eminent, the martyrs of Jesus will shine, saints who
have not deemed as dear to them their lives, for Jesus’ sake. (Rev. 20: 4; 14: 13; 2 Thess. 1: 5; Heb. 11: 35-39; Rev. 12: 11; 2 Tim. 4: 6-8) Such the “out-resurrection.” (Phil. 3: 11.) If a splendour so great and enduring, for the body
alone - even to be glorified like Christ, whose brightness Paul tells us
eclipsed the noon-day sun - is the reward of a Tribulation so brief, then
indeed the sorest afflictions are but as the puncture of a pin, and the longest
but as a moment - not worthy to be compared with the “far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory.” (Rom. 8: 18.) Earth never wore a diadem so royal as that composed
of risen saints. The eloquence of all antiquity, or modern times, has furnished
no description equal to this
conclusion of the prophecy; a scene so imposing, majestic and impressive; so
sanctifying and sublime; so solemn and subduing! We have seen the rainbow
braided on the brow of the dying storm, but here a glory-crown of saints, the
jewelled diadem of God, is placed upon the head of the dark Tribulation itself
- a vision that can never vanish from the soul of the believer. How quick the transit
from the cross to the crown, from shame to honour, from suffering to glory! The
end of the “Warfare
Great” is the outburst of an
illumination which celebrates the victory of the
“Till He come”
so runs the line.
Marking off the term of ill;
Darkest hours of power malign
Never more an hour to fill.
“Till He come”
the might of hell
Still against the saints shall rage,
And, beneath the Tempter’s spell,
Men is strifes and sins engage.
“Till He come,”
wrong will prevail,
Truth’s confession still entail
Toil, and obloquy, and pain;
But One Hope can brook delay,
Waiting such a glorious [millennial] day!
The
word from the watch-tower of the prophet is “The vision
is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it
will speak, and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it,
because it will surely come; it will not tarry.” (Heb.
2: 3.)
This attitude of patient expectation is of divine commandment. Amid all vicissitudes
the one abiding comfort is this, “Jesus Christ, the Same yesterday, to-day,
and for ever.” (Heb.
13: 8.)
The Church’s duty is clear: (1) To
give the Gospel, [of
both God’s ‘grace’ and coming ‘kingdom’ (Acts 20:
24, 25,
R.V.)] at once, to the neglected parts of heathendom; (2) to work and pray for Israel’s
conversion; (3) to save all the
souls she can and to do the good she can; (4)
to bear a fruitful witness to the truth; (5)
to keep herself unspotted from the world; (6)
to study earnestly the signs of the times, and (7) to wait, watch, and pray, uttering back the promises of the
Lord, “Amen! Even so,
come, Lord Jesus!”
*
* * *
* * *
989
HEZEKIAH’S SICKNESS AND
RECOVERY
By ROBERT GOVETT, M.A.
Isaiah Chapter 38
-------
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 38
(Translated from The
Septuagint.)
“And it came to pass at that time, that Ezekias was sick even to death. And Esaias the prophet the son of Amos came to him, and said to him, Thus saith
the Lord, Give orders concerning thy house:
for thou shalt die, and
not live. 2
And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,
3 Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, with a true heart, and have
done that which was pleasing in thy sight. And
Ezekias wept bitterly.
4. And the word of the Lord
came to Esaias, saying, Go, and say to Ezekias,
5 Thus saith the Lord, the God
of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer,
and seen thy tears: behold,
I will add to
thy time fifteen years. 6
And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand
of the king of the Assyrians: and I will defend
this city. 7
And this shall be
a sign to thee from the Lord, that God will do
this thing; 8
behold, I will turn back
the shadow of the degrees of the dial
by which ten degrees on the house of thy father the sun has gone down - I will turn back the sun ten degrees by which the shadow had
gone down.
9 THE PRAYER OF EZEKIAS KING OF
10 I said in the end of my days,
I shall go to the gates of the grave: I shall part with the remainder of my years. 11 I said, I shall no more at all see the salvation of God in the land
of the living: I shall no more at all see the
salvation of Israel on the earth: I shall no
more at all see man. 12 My life has failed from among my kindred: I have parted with the remainder of my life: it has gone forth and departed from me, as one that having pitched a tent takes it down again:
my breath was with me as a weaver’s web, when she that weaves draws nigh to cut off the thread. 13 In that day I was given up as
to a lion until the morning: so has he broken
all my bones: for I was so given up from day even to night. 14 As a swallow, so will I cry, and as a dove,
so do I mourn: for mine
eyes have failed with looking to the height of heaven to the Lord, who has delivered me, and
removed the sorrow of my soul. 16 Yea, O Lord, for it was told thee concerning this; that thou hast revived my breath; and I am comforted, and live.
17 For thou hast chosen my soul, that
it should not perish: and thou hast cast all my sins behind me. 18 For they that are in the
grave shall not praise thee, neither shall the
dead bless thee, neither shall they that are in Hades hope for thy mercy.
19 The living shall bless thee, as I also do: for from this day shall I beget
children, who shall declare thy righteousness.
20 O God of my salvation; and I
will not cease blessing thee with the psaltery all the days of my life before
the house of God.
21 Now Esaias had said to
Ezekias; Take a cake of figs, and mash them, and apply them
as a plaster, and thou shalt be well. 22 And Ezekias said, This is a sign to Ezekias, that
I shall go up to the house of God.
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 38
(Translated by the American Standard Version, 1901.)
“And in those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz
came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy
house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2
Then Hezekiah turned his
face to the wall,
and prayed unto Jehovah,
3 and said, Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have
walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then came the word of Jehovah
to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus
saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I
have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.
6 And I will deliver thee and
this city out of the hand of the king of
7. And this shall be the sign
unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do
this thing that he hath spoken:
8 behold, I will cause the
shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the
dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward
ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the
dial whereon it was gone down.
9 The writing of Hezekiah king
of
10 I said, In the noontide of my
days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the
residue of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see Jehovah, even Jehovah in the land of the
living: I shall behold man no more
with the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from
me as a shepherd’s tent: I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off from the loom: From day even to night
wilt thou make an end of me.
13 I quieted myself until
morning; as a
lion, so he
breaketh all my bones: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14 Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with
looking upward:
O Lord, I am
oppressed, be
thou my surety.
15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and
himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my
years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live; And wholly therein is the life of my spirit: Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, it was for my peace
that I had great bitterness: But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from
the pit of corruption; For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18 For Sheol cannot praise thee,
death cannot celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy
truth.
19 The living, the living, he
shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make
known thy truth.
20 Jehovah is ready to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments
All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.
21 Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a
plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.
22 Hezekiah also had said,
What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?”
*
* *
In this account
of Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery there is no particular difficulty. Its
prophetic import is, probably, that his sentence of death and recovery typifies
the death of the righteous, according to the sentence on Adam, and their
resurrection at the appearance of Christ. Hence his song of recovery has a
probable reference to its future use by the risen saints.
The
reason of Hezekiah’s affliction, as the rabbies say, was because after so mighty a deliverance
as God vouchsafed him, he did not compose a song of thanks, as did Deborah,
Moses, and David. His great fear of death is also accounted for by Jerome and Eusebius on the consideration that as yet he had no son; hence his
hope that the Messiah should spring from his family was cut off. For as Jerome
remarks, after his death, which occurred fifteen years after, Manasseh his son was only twelve years
of age, whence it follows that he was born in the third year of Hezekiah’s
restored life.
His
song describes his despair because he should “not see the
salvation of God (or the Saviour
of God) in
the land of the living.” This is of no
private interpretation, but refers to the [Lord’s Millennium, the Jews and the] Church at large. A like feeling was experienced by the
ancient Christian Church. After St. Paul had declared that Christ was speedily
to come, the Thessalonian believers mourned over those who died, because they would not be witnesses of Christ’s coming in glory, nor obtain their reward “in the land of the living,” that is, amongst the elect in his [millennial] kingdom.
In his Epistle to that Church, therefore, St. Paul meets this very difficulty,
and dissipates it: shows that, so far from the dead saints not being
participants of Christ’s glory, those
living at his coming should not even “prevent” or get the
start of them; but that “the dead in Christ
should rise first;”* “then they which are alive
and remain shall be caught up to meet him in the air, and so be ever with
the Lord. Wherefore,” saith he, “comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4: 13-18.)
[* NOTE: The text does not say that ALL of “the
dead in Christ” shall rise first!]
Now
as the command to Abraham to slay Isaac, and his intention to do so, rendered
that act a figure of the resurrection of the dead, “from whence also he received
him in a figure,” so God’s command
to Hezekiah to prepare for death, and his sentence to that effect, renders his
recovery a just figure of the death and resurrection of our Surety Christ
Jesus, and of his people through him. But the resemblance as regards the Lord
Jesus is yet more exact. Hezekiah was told that he should recover “the third day,” and “go up to the house of the Lord.” How evident, then, that the [Holy] Spirit
intended Hezekiah, that king of
matchless piety, to be a type of the
Saviour! The very words in which his character is couched are also applicable
to the Messiah, Christ Jesus. “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him were none like him among all the kings of
Judah (‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews’),
nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and
departed not from following him, but kept his commandments,
as the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him.” (2
Kings 18: 5, 6.) Surely a greater than Hezekiah is here, one who, in
all the strictness of the expression, fulfilled the commands of Moses, and
swerved not one jot from cleaving to the Lord! The Saviour’s rising again “the third day,” was intimated by the recovery of Hezekiah on that
day, as at a former time the same truth was intimated by the three days that
elapsed between the sentence on Isaac (who was from that time legally dead in
the sight of Abraham. and of God), till the Most High, in both instances,
restored the life he claimed.
But
the reader will trace its further
application for himself, as some remarks must now be made on its
applicability to believers in general. The first part of the ode describes the risen believer’s desire for the kingdom
of Christ, his death before its
appearance, and his desire even
whilst in the state of the dead: as we read in the Revelation
[6:
9-11], of “the souls under the altar” crying to God “How long, O Lord, holy, just, and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell
on the earth?” which
vengeance, as we have seen, is to take place at Christ’s coming.
The
16th verse records the answer to
this prayer, -
“O Jehovah, respecting this did I tell thee,
and thou didst raise up my spirit.
Thou hast rescued my soul that it should not perish,
And thou hast cast all my sins behind thy
back.”
Here,
then, the saint praises God in Christ Jesus, because his spirit and soul are
rescued from Hades,* and his body from the grave, and because his
sins are thereby shown to be utterly forgotten of God. “Blessed and holy is he that
hath part in the first resurrection: over such
the second death (that of
sin) hath no power,” because
their sins are forgiven.
[* NOTE: All who
disregard scriptural truths of the existence of Intermediate State and Place of
the Dead in Hades until the time of Resurrection when Jesus Christ will
return to earth (1 Thess.
4: 16,
R.V.), can have little or no understanding of numerous prophetic teachings
throughout the Holy Scriptures.]
As
regards the statement that those “in Hades will not praise God, nor can
those that go down to the pit hope
for God’s mercy,” this, understood
of those times, presents a strong confirmation of the above interpretation. For
at that time the “dead in Christ” shall all* rise and be delivered from Hades, while they that are left there, will be the wicked dead alone, and they
who at that time “go down to the pit,” will be
the servants of the Man of Sin, whom Christ will slay at his coming. Just such
is also the statement of Psalm
115. After affirming the vanity of idols,
with especial reference to those of Antichrist, the risen saints mention the
blessedness they have received from Jehovah Christ, and then add, “The dead praise not the Lord,
neither any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.” Even
thus does Hezekiah in this place, after speaking of the impossibility of the
dead expecting the mercy of God, subjoin, “The living, the
living, he shall praise thee as I do.”
[* NOTE The
word “all” must be interpreted by the context
where it is used! See Gen. 6: 13. cf.
Gen. 7: 1-4. See also 1 Cor.
15: 22, 23 & 25-28, R.V.
Mr.
Govett believed that, after the time of ‘the first resurrection’ and the Judgment Seat of
Christ, those not ‘accounted worthy’ to rule
with Christ in His messianic Kingdom, will return once again into Hades! But
Christ teaches us the contrary, by saying after their resurrection,- “… neither can they die any more.” Therefore,
those resurrected from the dead, cannot return to the place of the dead! See Luke 20: 35, 36, R.V.! Also in Hebrews
9: 27: “… it
is appointed unto men once to die,
and after this
cometh
judgment.”
That is, the Judgment Seat of Christ, relative to a believer’s works
after regeneration, takes place in Hades - not in Heaven after the time of
Resurrection! “The souls of them underneath the altar”
(Rev. 6: 9, R.V.) must wait for the time of their
resurrection - for “their brethren, which should be killed even as they were, should be fulfilled.” (verse
11)!]
*
* * *
* * *
990
THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
By FREDERICK A. TATFORD LITT, D.
The apparent existence of two conflicting principles in
nature early gave rise to what Reville termed, “an eminently
dualistic conception of the forces or divinities which direct the course of
events,” and this really lies at the root of the dualism which is
inherent in all forms of nature worship. During the captivity, the Israelites
were brought into contact with the teaching of Persian Zoroastrianism - which
had the same basic features - and it has often been suggested that it was in
the mythological conflict of the evil Ahriman with
the good Ormuz that the doctrine of a personal devil
first found its origin. It is quite plain that neither pagan conceptions nor
mythology formed the basis of the Biblical doctrine, however, for the
Scriptures had clearly referred to the existence of this mighty being at a much
earlier date.
It
is sometimes maintained that the devil is merely a personification of the
principle of evil and is not an actual being, but this is plainly
irreconcilable with the teachings of Scripture (Matthew 13: 39; John 13: 2; Acts 5: 3; 1 Peter 5: 8). “The personal existence of a spirit of evil,” says Barry, “is
revealed again and again in Scripture. Every quality, every action, which can
indicate personality, is attributed to him in language which cannot be
explained away.” He is capable of movement (Job
1: 7, 12),
he enters into men (John 13: 27), he lays snares for them (1 Timothy 3: 7; 2 Timothy 2: 26), he tempted Christ (Matthew 4: 1-9), he is described
by our Lord as a liar and murderer while activities and characteristics are
credited to him which can only be applicable to a person. If our Lord’s
testimony is to be accepted, there is no question as to the personality of
Satan.
Satan
is neither self-existent nor eternal. He is a created being and came into
existence by the hand of God. In his first estate, be was one of the cherubim
of the highest angelic order and standing in closest proximity to God Himself.
He was “the
anointed covering (or protecting) cherub”
(Ezekiel 28:14). “Like the golden cherubim, covering the visible mercy-seat in
the holy of holies of the earthly tabernacle,” writes Chafer, “he
was created a guard and covering cherub to the heavenly centre of glory.”
Ezekiel’s “lamentation”
upon the King of Tyre (Ezekiel
28: 12-15),
although addressed to an earthly potentate, obviously goes beyond the earthly
king and applies to one of greater power - even to Satan himself - the real,
though unseen, ruler of Tyre. The prophecy reveals that this mighty spirit was
created by God for immediate attendance upon Himself and that he was placed in
a position of close relationship to His throne, being connected as one of the
cherubim, with the holiness and governmental purposes of the Almighty. From the
day of his creation, he received honour and dignity and was in “Eden, the
Surpassing
all other created beings in his marvellous beauty, it is recorded that he was “perfect in beauty;” taught by the Almighty, he possessed divinely-given
wisdom; cherished and honoured above all created intelligences, he was the
anointed covering cherub, dwelling in the mountain of God, walking in the midst
of the stones of fire and possessing the mark of God’s approval in a covering
of gold and precious stones. From the reference to musical instruments and to
his anointing, it has sometimes been deduced that he was also connected with
the worship of the angelic hosts and that he was possibly the leader in this
service. Set in authority in the midst of the heavens, it is possible that the
whole hierarchy of angels was in subjection to him, but little is recorded of
the extent of the original power of the great Lucifer.
The
recipient of such blessing and favour might have been expected to exhibit the
utmost loyalty to his benefactor, but an inordinate pride and overweening
ambition led to his tragic fall (1 Timothy 3: 6). In amazing arrogance, he sought the supreme place
in heaven. Whether he endeavoured to divert the worship of the angelic hosts
from the Creator to himself, or whether he put himself at the head of a
rebellious army of angels in heaven in a desperate attempt to overthrow God and
to establish himself on the throne of the Almighty, is not explicitly revealed.
But, with the dejected hosts of his followers, he was expelled from the
immediate presence of God and deprived of his glory and dignity. “Thou was perfect in thy ways … till iniquity was found in thee,” declared Ezekiel.
“… thou hast
sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane
out of the
Deprived
of his former estate, Satan became not only the author of sin but the great
arch-enemy of truth and holiness, and the title he will carry into the lake of
fire - “that old
deceiver, the devil” - will perpetuate the memory of his iniquity and the
origin of sin.
Some
of the angels who fell with him were divinely seized and imprisoned in chains
to await the execution of the judgment which will cast them with their leader into
the lake of fire (2 Peter 2: 4, 5; Jude 6). Satan evidently has a greater liberty than his
former satellites but has been appointed
well-defined limits beyond which he cannot go.
From
the moment of his downfall, Satan set himself in opposition to God and sought
particularly to frustrate the divine purposes in relation to man. To unfallen
man in the garden of Eden, he appeared in the guise of a serpent and enticed to
a deliberate transgression of the commandment of God (Genesis 3: 4-7). In the antediluvian period there seems to have been
an unprecedented demonstration of Satanic activity (“the sons of God” in Genesis
6: 2 seem to have been fallen angels who left their proper
estate - although it is suggested by some that they were descendants of Seth).
He tempted David to number
His
efforts were particularly directed against the Messiah, however. When Adam fell
God revealed that a Redeemer would come; the Seed of the woman should bruise
the serpent’s head, and he should bruise His heel (Genesis 3: 15). From that moment commenced a long-drawn-out struggle on Satan’s part
to prevent the fulfilment of the promise. The murder of Abel (Genesis 4: 8), the universal corruption and consequent judgment of Noah’s day (Genesis 6), the murder of the Hebrew babes (Exodus 1: 16), are all
illustrations of his attempts to blot out the line through which the Redeemer
should come. In the time of Athaliah, an attempt was made to destroy the whole
of the royal house, and it was only through the intervention of his aunt,
Jehoshabeath, and the fidelity of Jehoida, the
priest, that the sole survivor, Josiah, was preserved (2 Chronicles 22: 10-12).
When
the forerunner of the Messiah appeared in the person of John the Baptist as
foretold by Isaiah and Malachi, prophecy had prepared the devil for the Coming
One Himself. Hence his instigation of Herod to destroy the children of
When
our Lord was about to enter upon His public ministry, Satan took the step of
personally assailing Him in the severest of temptations to entice Him to
sacrifice the object of His incarnation. Suffering from the pangs of hunger,
Christ was tempted to satisfy the appetite by a miracle. From the pinnacle of
the temple, the tempter urged Him to show His power and majesty by a miraculous
descent. Arraying all the kingdoms of the world before Him, Satan offered Him
all their glory and sovereignty in return for His swerving from the path of
allegiance to God (Matthew
4: 1-10). But
every temptation was completely unavailing.
In
due time, however, the Lamb of God was delivered into the hands of those who
sought His life. In order to ensure the achievement of his purpose, Satan
entered into Judas Iscariot (Luke
22: 3) and inspired the man of Kerioth
in his treacherous betrayal. The subsequent agony of
In
that hour of Satan’s greatest victory, the Christ of God turned defeat into
victory. He undid the works of the devil (1 John 3: 8), annulled
his power (Hebrews 2: 14) and defeated him who had the power of death. From [within] the depths of
Hades Christ released the souls of the blest, and wresting from the devil the
keys of death and Hades, He rose
triumphantly on the third day, carrying back with Him a multitude of captives (Ephesians 4: 8; Hebrews 2: 14, 15). He
spoiled the Satanic principalities and authorities and made an open show of His
triumph over them (Colossians
2: 15). The first great blow towards the complete bruising
of the serpent’s head had been struck; the bruising of the heel of the woman’s
Seed had been fulfilled at
Despite
his fall, Satan has not yet been deprived of all his dignity. Indeed, so exalted is his position still that
even Michael the archangel, “did not dare to bring a
railing judgment against Him” (Jude 9).
He
is still “the
ruler of the authority of the air” (Ephesians
2: 2). The Jewish rabbis taught that the terrestrial atmosphere was his abode
and that it was peopled with spirit beings. This is supported by the apostle’s
statement, “our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against authorities, against the universal lords
of this darkness, against spiritual powers of
wickedness in the heavenlies” (Ephesians 6: 12). Satan is
the sovereign of hosts of evil spirits who make their abode in the physical
atmosphere. Our Lord specifically used the title Beelzebub, the chief of the
demons, of him (Luke 11: 18, 19).
The
devil is also described as “the prince of this world,” and our Lord recognized his right to this title (John 12: 31; 14: 30; 16: 11). “Was
this world a department assigned to him of God as separate kingdoms have been
assigned to different celestial potentates?” asks Torrey. “Did he drag down his dominion with him in his own fall?” It is
sometimes suggested that this earth was the scene of his former glory and that
it suffered a pre-Adamite judgment as a result of his
fall, and some colour is given to this by references in Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 24: 1; Jeremiah
4: 23; c.f., Genesis 1: 2 with
Isaiah 45: 18).
Whether
this is so or not, evidences are not wanting that spiritual as well as human
powers are concerned with the administration of the earth. Isaiah, for example, declares that in a coming day God, “will punish the host of the
high ones on high, and the kings of the earth
upon the earth” (Isaiah 24: 21), i.e., both the spiritual and the human
rulers. Again, when the angel of the
Lord came forth to speak with Daniel,
he was confronted by rebel spirit princes, whose titles indicated their
terrestrial authority (Daniel
10: 21). Satan
evidently still has authority and, as Pember
has said, “divides the world into different provinces
according to its nationalities, appointing a powerful angel, assisted directly
by countless subordinates, as viceroy over each kingdom.”
“The powers that be are ordained of God,” but within the
restrictions set him by the Almighty, Satan is behind the whole system
of world government, and powers are but puppets in
his hand. He exercises all the
rights of sovereignty in a scene which so readily subjects itself to him. The
greed and ambition of the nations, the diplomacy and deceit of the political
world, the bitter hatred and rivalry in the sphere of commerce, and the
organization of many forms of government itself proceed from a Satanic source.
It was this sovereignty that he offered
to Christ (Luke
4: 6), and
his right to offer it was not disputed by our Lord. “Though under the
restraining hand of God,” says Chafer,
“Satan is now in authority over the unregenerate
world, and the unsaved are unconsciously organized and federated under his
leading. ... This federation includes all of the unsaved and fallen humanity;
it has the co-operation of the fallen spirits, and is but the union of all who
are living and acting in independence of God.” The Satanic system is
utterly evil and at enmity with God (James 4: 4). It is corrupt (2 Peter 1: 4) and polluted (2 Peter 2: 20). “The whole world lies
in the wicked one” (1 John 5: 19). With
the exception of the redeemed, the entire mass of men rests supinely in the
devil’s embrace. The death-knell of that mighty dominion was sounded, however,
at
The
cause of Satan’s original downfall was a desire to be on an equality with God,
and that deep-seated ambition is still buried in his heart. Not content with
the rule of men’s ways, he seeks supremacy over their hearts and cleverly
directs the religious worship of mankind to himself. “The god of this age,” wrote Paul, “has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the GLORY of God in the face of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God, should
not dawn on them” (2 Corinthians 4: 4, R.V.). In
order that the glory of the gospel - [i.e., the good news of Christ’s coming ‘glory’] - might not shine into their hearts, Satan presents
himself to their gaze. To some he becomes the great Mammon, the god of
money; to others he takes the form
of the Muses or Arts; others worship
him as fame or fortune, or even as
the personification of religion.
Through each channel, by every idol
he sets up, he gains the worship of
a section of the inhabitants of the world, blinding them to the light of the gospel. Behind every phase and facet of
man’s objects of worship is the central figure of the “god of this age.”
The
early Christians believed that evil spirits were behind all the deities of the
ancient pantheons, and that all worship of false gods was, therefore,
ultimately directed to Satan. This belief was confirmed by the apostle Paul when he wrote, “What the nations sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons and not to God” (1 Corinthians 10: 20). Even today it is impossible, as one writer remarks, “to explain all occult phenomena and phrenetic
moral aberrations by physical causes,” and there is little doubt that
behind the idols of the heathen are the spiritual forces of Satan.
During
the present day, the devil has power over the physical bodies of unbelievers (Luke 13: 16; Acts
10: 38) and where permitted by God,
can also inflict malady and physical suffering even upon [regenerate
disbelievers and] believers (Job 1: 9-12; 1 Corinthians 5:
5; 2 Corinthians
12: 7). He had formerly “the might of death” (Hebrews 2: 14), (i.e.,
authority in the realms of death), but the Son of God, descending into death - [and subsequently descended into ‘Hades’ (Acts 2: 31, R.V.) - the underworld of all the dead (Matt. 16: 18; Luke 16: 23, 29-31; 2 Tim. 2: 28; John 3: 13,
R.V.)], defeated him and rose again triumphantly.
Throughout
this present age, Satan is permitted to have a
part in the sifting and testing of [regenerate] believers (Luke
22:
31),
but the Lord is ever watching and
ready to supply all needed help in the hour of temptation. Indeed, the testings are often divinely permitted in order that faith may be
proved. While he is engaged on earth,
the devil also finds an access before God to draw attention to the faults and
failings of those who seek to live godly lives (Job
1: 6-12;
2: 1-7). The
day is not far distant, however, when he will be ejected for ever from that
heavenly sphere (Revelation
12: 9,
10).
Although
his power is so great, Satan suffers from restrictions placed upon Him by God.
His power, through his demon and angel forces, is almost beyond comprehension,
but the power of God is greater than all the forces of the evil one, and Paul
declares that not even angels, principalities or powers shall separate the
Christian from the love of God (Romans 8: 38, 39). Satan’s limitations are clearly indicated in Scripture.
Although his evil hosts make his power felt throughout the world, he is not
omnipotent since, as in the case of Job, he
has to seek divine permission before he may inflict suffering on God’s people.
Despite his unparalleled intelligence, he is not omniscient as is apparent from
the many errors he has made in history, particularly in his dealings with
Christ. Nor is he omnipresent as he revealed in his statement in Job’s day that
he came, “from
going to and fro in the earth, and from walking
up and down in it” (Job 1: 7; 2: 2).
With
the myriads of his spirit hosts, Satan possesses a power which might well cause
men to quail in fear were it not for the fact that his power is at present held in cheek by the restraining influence of
the Holy Spirit and [the prayers of] the church
of God (2 Thessalonians 2: 6, 7). At the
coming of Christ to the air, however, the Holy Spirit and the church He
indwells will be removed (1
Thessalonians 4:
15-17: 1
Corinthians 15: 51-54), and the
devil will be at liberty to produce his masterpiece - a complete travesty of
divine things. In place of the church he will present to the world a great
counterfeit, Babylon the harlot (Revelation 17); in the
stead of Christ he will introduce Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2);
and in lieu of God’s King he will enthrone the Beast (Revelation 13: 1-10).
His
access to the heavenlies will be taken from him, and after bitter warfare with
Michael and his angels, he will be cast down to the earth (Revelation 12: 7-12). His
days of liberty numbered, Satan’s fury will be unleashed, but when wickedness
has reached its culmination, the Son of Man will appear in glory with the hosts
of His saints to execute judgment upon all (Jude 14). The armies of
Satan’s two puppets will be destroyed, the leaders taken and cast alive into
the lake of fire (Revelation 19: 11-21), while
the devil, who inspired them, will be judicially bound and sealed in the abyss
there to remain impotent for 1,000 years (Revelation 20: 1-3).
*
* * *
* *
*
991
ABRAHAM “THE FATHER OF
US
ALL”
By ARTHUR W. PINK
It is to be feared that many who read the Old
Testament, particularly its earlier books, look upon these Scriptures as little
more than historical narratives, as simply containing a description of certain
events that happened in the far distant past, and that when they come to the
record of the lives of the patriarchs they discover nothing beyond a piece of
ancient biography. But surely this is very dishonouring to God. Is it not obvious
that when we relegate to a remote date in the past what we are told about
Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, etc., and see in the inspired record little or nothing
applicable to ourselves today, that we virtually and practically reduce Genesis
to a dead book? Suppose we
express this in another way: If Genesis is a part of “The Word of Life” (Phil. 2: 16), then it is a living book, charged with vitality; a
book which must have about it a freshness which no other book, outside of the Sacred Canon,
possesses; a book which speaks to our day, which is pertinent and applicable to
our own times.
Let
us now follow out another line of thought which will lead us to the same point
at which we arrived at the close of the preceding paragraph. One truth which
Scripture reveals about God is, that He
changes not, for He is “the same yesterday, and today,
and forever.” Therefore, it
follows that, fundamentally, His ways are ever the same; that is to say, He deals through
all time with men, especially His own [redeemed] people, upon the same principles. It is this which
explains the well-known fact that so often history repeats
itself. Having stated the broad
principle, let us now apply it. If what we have just said is correct, should we
not expect to find that God’s dealings with Abraham forecast and foreshadow His
dealings with us? That, stripped of their incidental details, the experiences
of Abraham illustrate our experiences? Grant this, and we reach a similar
conclusion (as we anticipated) to the one expressed at the close of the
preceding paragraph. Let us now combine the two conceptions.
Because
the Bible is a living book no portion of it is obsolete, and though
much that is recorded in it is ancient, yet none of it is antiquated. Because the Bible is a living book,
every portion of it has some message which is applicable and appropriate to our
own times. Because God changes not, His ways of old are, fundamentally, His
ways today. Hence, God’s dealings with Abraham, in the general, foreshadow His
dealings with us. Therefore, to read most profitably the record of Abraham’s
life, we must see in it a portrayal of our own spiritual history. Before we
attempt to particularize, let us take one other starting point and lead up to
the place where we here leave off.
“Therefore it is of faith, that
it might be by grace; to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed; not to that only
which is of the law, but to that also which is
of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us
all” (Rom. 4:
16).
How is Abraham the “father” of us all? In what sense is he such? Not, of course, literally, by
procreation, but figuratively, by typification. Just as naturally the son
inherits certain traits from his father, just as there is a resemblance between them, just as Adam “begat a son in his own
likeness, after his image” (Gen. 5: 3), so there
is a resemblance and likeness between Abraham and those who are “Abraham’s seed and heirs
according to the promise” (Gal. 3: 29). In a word, Abraham is to be regarded as a sample believer. Thus there will be a close correspondence, in the broad outline,
between Abraham’s history and ours. And here, once more, we reach the same
point as at the close of each of the above paragraphs. We are now prepared to
test the accuracy of these conclusions and follow them out in some detail.
I
read, then, the life of Abraham as recorded in Genesis, not merely as
a piece of inspired history (though truly it is such), not as an obsolete
narrative of something which happened in the far distant past, but also, and
specially, as a portrayal of the experiences of Abraham’s children in all ages,
and as a description of God’s dealings with His own in all time. To
particularize: What was Abraham at the beginning? A lost sinner; one who knew
not God; an idolator. So were we: “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles ... that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph. 2: 11, 12). What happened? The God of glory appeared unto him (Acts 7: 2). So it was with us. He revealed Himself to us. What was the next
thing? God’s call to Abraham to separate himself from everything which
pertained to his old life. Such is God’s call to us - to separate ourselves
from the world and everything of it. Did Abraham obey? At first only
imperfectly. Instead of leaving his kindred as commanded, Terah his father and
Lot his nephew accompanied him as he left
Deeply
important are the lessons to be learned from the life of Abraham, and many are
the precious truths which are seen illustrated in his character and career.
Having looked at him as a simple believer, let us next consider him as a Man of Faith. In Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, Abraham is given striking
prominence. Only once do we read “By faith Isaac,”
and only once do we read “By faith Jacob”;
but three times the faith of Abraham, is mentioned (see vs.
8, 9, 17).
Probably it is no exaggeration to say that Abraham’s faith was tried more
severely, more repeatedly, and more varisomely than that of any other human
being. First, he was called upon to leave the land of his birth, to separate
himself from home and kindred, and to set out on a long journey unto a land
which God promised to “show” him, and,
we are told, “he
went out not knowing whither he went.” After his arrival in the new land he did not enter into occupation of
it, but instead, sojourned there as a stranger and pilgrim. All that he ever owned in
it was a burying-place. Dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, he remained
there well-nigh a century. Again, his faith was tested in connection with God’s
promise to give him a son by Sarah. His own body “dead,” and his wife long past the age of child-bearing, nevertheless “he staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief; but was strong
in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was
able also to perform” (Rom. 4: 20, 21).
Finally, the supreme test came when he was bidden to offer up his son Isaac,
but, “By faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son ... accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (Heb.
11: 17, 19).
But did Abraham’s faith never waiver? Alas, it did. He
was a man of like passions to ourselves, and in him, too, there was an evil
heart of unbelief. The Spirit of God has faithfully portrayed the dark as
well as the fair side, and were it not that we are painfully conscious of the
tragic history of our own spiritual lives, we might well marvel at the strange
mingling of faith and unbelief, obedience and disobedience. By faith Abraham obeyed when
God called him to leave
How terribly inconsistent
are the lives of God’s saints! By
faith
Do not the above histories and their sequels bring out
the marvellous and gracious long-suffering of Him with whom we have to do? How patiently God
deals with His people!
The
divine dealings with Abraham wonderfully demonstrated God’s Sovereignty. A unique honour was conferred upon our patriarch, for he was chosen by
God to be the father of the chosen nation, that nation from which, according to
the flesh, Christ was to come. And mark how God’s Sovereignty was displayed in
the character of the one selected by Him. There was nothing in
Abraham by nature to commend him to Jehovah. By descent he belonged to a family
of idolaters. Ere he left
Consider
next Abraham as an object of God’s Love. The history of our patriarch was one of strange
vicissitudes. On no flowery beds of ease was he permitted to luxuriate. Painful
were the trials he was called upon to endure. Again and again he passed through
the waters and the fire, but there was ever One by him that forsook him not. As
the father of them that believe, Abraham was, as we have seen, a representative
believer. In kind though not in character the experiences of Abraham are the
same we meet with. Faith has to be tried that it may work patience: the gold
has to be put in the crucible that
it may be refined. God had one Son without sin, but none without suffering and
sorrow. Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom He receiveth. First, Abraham had to endure the severance of nature’s ties;
at the call of God he had to leave home and kindred. And the word comes to us,
too, “He that
loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10: 37). Called
to leave the land of his birth, to be a stranger and pilgrim in a foreign land,
he was taught, as we are, that “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3: 20). The “strife” which arose between the herdsmen of Abraham and
There are many facets to this precious jewel. We have
noted how God’s long-sufferance, His sovereignty, His love were manifested
toward Abraham; now observe His matchless
grace. Is not this the only
appropriate word to use here? Was it not grace that made Abraham the “friend of
God”? Oh, wondrous condescension
that should stoop so low as to lay hold of a worm of the earth! Oh, matchless
benignity that should bring one of His own creatures into such intimate
relationship with Himself! Oh, undeserved and unmerited favour that made him “the friend of God”! And mark how this friendship was exhibited. See how
the Lord makes known to His “friend” what
shall happen to his descendants for a long time (Gen. 15: 13-16). Mark, again, how He takes him into His confidence
and counsels respecting what He was about to do with
In
the last place, let us look upon Abraham as a
typical character. We do not
know of any Old Testament personage who was such a multifarious type as was Abraham. First, he was a type of the
Father. This is
seen in his desire for children (compare Eph.
1: 5); in
his making a “feast” at the weaning of Isaac (compare Matt.
22: 24); in the offering up of his only son Isaac (compare John 3: 16); in his sending for a bride
for his son (compare [Gen. 24: 3-7 with Rev.19: 7, 8, R.V; and] Rev. 21: 9.); in appointing his son heir of all things (25:
5).
Second, Abraham was a type of Christ. This is seen in him leaving his father’s house at the
call of God; in that he is the one in whom all the families of the earth are to
be blessed; in that he is the kinsman-redeemer of
May
divine grace enable writer and reader to walk by faith and not by sight, to live in complete separation from the
world as strangers and pilgrims, to
render unto God a more prompt and unreserved obedience, to submit to His will and to hold all at His disposal, and then
shall we find with Abraham that the path of the just shineth more and more into
the perfect day.
*
* * *
* * *
991
KADESHBARNEA
AND
ITS LESSONS
By G. H. LANG.
[PART
ONE OF THREE]
“These things were
our examples.” (1 Cor. 10: 6.)
Rise, my soul, thy God directs thee,
Stranger hands no more impede;
Pass thou on, His hand protects thee,
Strength that has the captive freed.
Is the wilderness before thee,
Desert lands where drought abides?
Heavenly springs shall there restore thee,
Fresh from God’s exhaustless tides.
Light divine surrounds thy going,
God Himself shall mark thy way;
Secret blessings, richly flowing,
Lead to everlasting day.
God, thine everlasting portion,
Feeds thee with the mighty’s
meat;
Price of Egypt’s hard extortion,
Art thou weaned from
God in secret thee shall keep,
There unfold His hidden treasures,
There His love’s exhaustless deep.
In the desert God will teach thee
What the God that thou hast found,
Patient, gracious, powerful, holy,
All His grace shall there abound.
On to
E’en thy
wants and woes shall bring
Suited grace from high descending,
Thou shalt taste of mercy’s spring.
Though thy way be long and dreary,
Eagle strength He’ll still renew:
Garments fresh and foot unweary
Tell how God hath brought thee through.
When to
Love divine thy foot shall bring,
There with shouts of triumph swelling,
There no stranger God shall greet thee -
Stranger thou in courts above -
He who to His rest shall greet thee,
Greets thee with a well-nown
love.
- J. N. DARBY.
*
* *
No contrast can be greater than the view which the Lord
and His apostles took of the
earliest books of the Bible, and the use which He and they made thereof, and
the view which certain modern hyper-critical theologians hold, and the
consequent practical uselessness to them of these books.
To
Christ a single sentence in the story of God meeting Moses at the bush was
sufficient ground upon which to settle decisively the deepest of problems. “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob” left no room for
doubting the continued existence of the
patriarchs centuries after their decease. This to the Son of God was most
certainly a word spoken by God; and its message, as enshrined in the
Scriptures, was to all generations following, and not only to Moses, the one
directly addressed: “Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God?” He demanded of the Pharisees (Matt.
22: 31, 32). And the
continuity of existence amply demonstrated by this one sentence, if by no
other, argued that God had some future
in store for those whose preservation in being He maintained, and so a [yet future] resurrection of the dead was certain. How far
removed from such use of the Word of God is that attitude which speaks of these
early records as being legend, myth, or fable, or as being at the best but late
and unreliable narratives of some ancient events of comparatively small moment,
and these magnified and adapted by the fertile imagination of unknown patriotic
moralists having no great regard for strict accuracy, or even honesty.
The
apostles followed their divine Master in the most reverential use of the early
histories; and, taught by His Spirit, they perceived in them the richest
practical teaching for later saints. “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning” (
And
of “these things” that God thus overruled and recorded none has vaster
import for us, as none has larger place in the records, than the story of the
exodus of the Jewish people from
The
record of this unbelieving disobedience is given with great fulness in chapters
13 and 14 of the book of Numbers. Thirty eight years later, when the next generation
stood in the same position, with the same prospect before them, and the same
promises to strengthen their courage, Moses took occasion to recite before the
children the sinful failure of their
fathers and its dread consequences (Deut. 1 and 2). Some four and a half centuries pass, and
again the nation faces the possibility of national advance to something like a
full possessing of the inheritance still but partially secured. The victories
in war won by David open such prospect; at this juncture the Lord again warns
the people by the great sin at Kadeshbarnea, charging them not to harden their
heart as did their fathers. “Today,” cried the inspired king,
“To-day, Oh that ye would hear his voice!
Harden not your heart, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah
in the wilderness:
When your fathers tempted me,
Proved me, and saw my work.
Forty years long was I grieved with that
generation,
And said,
it is a people that do err in their heart,
And they have not known my ways:
Wherefore I sware in my wrath,
That
they should not enter into my rest.”
(Ps. 95: 7-11.)
Truly
He is our God; truly we are the sheep of His pasture (ver. 7):
but so were our forefathers; yet they failed to secure the best
that God had for them, is the lesson enforced.
Once
more the centuries roll away, until a whole millennium of years have flown.
There
are three principal passages in this connection: 1 Cor. 9: 23 - 10: 13; Heb. ch. 3. and 4:
11 - 6: 12. The
first of these most important scriptures reads thus: “And I do all things for the
gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker
thereof. Know ye not that they which run in a race all run, but one receiveth the prize?
Even so run that ye may attain. And every man
that striveth in the games is temperate in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I
therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the
air: but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage:
lest by any means, after that I have preached to
others, I myself should be rejected.
“For I would not brethren, have
you ignorant, how that our fathers were all
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual food; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ.
Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither
be ye idolators, 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 murmer ye, as
some of them murmered,
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. There hath no temptation taken you but
such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation make also the way of
escape, that ye may be able to endure It.”
We
are thus invited to consider the christian life and service as an athletic
ground where racers and wrestlers contend for coveted prizes. It is therefore
necessary to decide exactly what the [Holy] Spirit intended by the term “prize.” But before seeking the answer to this question, this
at least may be settled without prejudice to the answer that may be reached,
namely, that the prize, because it is a prize, is somewhat
that must be won, and that it may be lost.
The word used (brabeion) is of rare occurrence, being found here and
at Philippians 3: 14, only. But a cognate (brabeuo-)
is found at Colossians 3: 15, and another (Katabrabeuo-) at chapter 2: 18, 19, in the passage reading “Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and
worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the
things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by
his fleshly mind, and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being
supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.”
This
does not, indeed, help to the deciding what is the prize, but it does most
strongly accentuate the warning that a
prize may be lost, and further and plainly shows that there are foes who will
bring about the loss if possible, and this by inducing any state of heart, or
any line of worship or of conduct, which may suffice to cause the christian to
relax his hold on Christ, not necessarily as Redeemer, but as the Head of the
body, the church.
But
the passage in Philippians
3, affords clearer light as to what the
prize is. Using the same figure as in 1 Corinthians 9, the
apostle says, “I
press on, if so be that I may lay hold of that
for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus”; and again, “I press on toward the goal unto the prize (brabeion) of the high calling (calling on high=heavenly) of God in Christ Jesus” (verse 14). He has immediately before said that he purposes
continuing so to order his life if by any
means he may attain unto the out-resurrection from the dead.
Proceeding at once to disclaim distinctly any thought that he has obtained the
certainty of this honour, he reveals this desire to lay hold of that for which
his Lord has taken hold of him. And for what it is, in its ultimate purpose,
that the Lord had seized him, and had so royally changed him from a proud rebel
into a loyal slave, he himself tells us in the words of 2 Corinthians 5: 5, “Now He that wrought us for this very thing is
God, Who gave unto us the earnest of the
Spirit.” For what “very thing” has God wrought? The context shows that it is that we
may presently be “clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven ... a building from God, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Not the disembodied state did he desire, but rather
the wondrous moment when “what is mortal
(shall) be swallowed up of life.”
He
had already revealed to the Corinthians what this meant in detail, and at what
season it would come to pass (I Ep.
15). In glowing, heart-stirring terms he had
irradiated the darkness of death in which their pagan minds had lain, assuring
them of the certainty of an event for which no pagan philosophy has any room,
even a resurrection, when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this
mortal immortality, and that then shall come to pass the saying, “death is swallowed
up in victory, the same word
being used in each case (katapino‑.)
And this is to be at the moment of the descent from heaven of the Lord Jesus
Christ, as is determined by a comparison with the “word of the Lord” in 1
Thess. 4: 15-17. Thus it was for the very end that Paul might
share in the glory to which the first resurrection is the doorway that
the Lord had laid hold on him, and
thence, forth it was with him a
supreme concern that he should be accounted worthy to attain thereto.
There is great manuscript authority for the R.V.
margin of 1 Cor. 15: 49, “And as we have born the image of the earthly let
us also bear the image of the
heavenly,” and it is adopted in
the Nestle text, and by Lacmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, and Westcott and Hort. Ellicott prefers
the common rendering, but on internal and subjective grounds, and his remark on
the external authority is emphatic: “It is impossible
to deny that the subjunctive …, is supported by
very greatly preponderating authority.” Alford. on
It
has been pointed out earlier that in Phil. 3: 11, Paul repeats the words of our Lord, when declaring
that, whereas justifying righteousness is verily received through faith in
Christ, not by our own works, yet, in marked contrast, “the resurrection which is
from among the dead” (teen exanastasin teen ek nekron) is a privilege at which one must arrive (katanteeso) by a given course of life, even the
experimental knowledge of Christ, of the power of His resurrection, and of the
fellowship of His sufferings, thereby becoming conformed unto His death (Phil. 3: 7-21). Surely
the present participle “becoming confirmed”
(summorphizomenos) is significant, and decisive in favour
of the view that it is a process, a course of life that is contemplated.
It
has been suggested that Paul here speaks of a present moral resurrection as he
does in Romans 6. But in that chapter it is simply a reckoning of
faith that is proposed, not a course of personal sufferings. The subject
discussed is whether the believer is to continue in slavery to sin (douleuein), as in his unregenerate days, or is the
mastery (kurieuo) of sin to be
immediately and wholly broken? It should be remembered that when writing to the
Philippians Paul was near the close of his life and service. Could a life so
holy and powerful as his be lived without first knowing experimentally the
truth taught in Romans 6? Did the Holy Spirit at any time use the apostles to
urge others to seek experiences which the writer had not first known, and to
which therefore he could be a witness? And again, if by the close of that long
and wonderful career Paul was still only longing and striving to attain to
death to the “old
man”, and victory over sin, when
did he ever attain thereto? Such reflections upon the apostle are unworthy;
and, as has been indicated, the experience set forth in Romans 6 is not to be reached, or to be sought, by suffering, by attaining, by
laying hold, by pressing on, or by any other such effort as is urged upon the
Philippians, but by the simple acceptance by faith of what God says He did for
us in Christ in relation to the “old man.”
Thus
this suggestion is neither sound experimental theology nor fair exegesis, Paul
indicates as plainly as language can do that the first resurrection may be
missed. His words are:- “If by any means I may arrive
at the resurrection which is out from
among the dead.” “If by any means” (ei pos) “I may” - “if” with the subjunctive of the verb - cannot but declare
a condition; and so on this particle in this place Alford says, “It is used when an end is
proposed, but failure is presumed to be possible”: and so Lightfoot; “The
apostle states not a positive assurance, but a modest hope”: and Grimm-Thayer (Lexicon) give its meaning
as, “If in any way, if by any means, if possible”
: and Ellicott to the same effect
says, “the idea of an attempt is conveyed, which may
or may not be successful.” Both Alford
and Lightfoot regard the passage as
dealing with the resurrection of the godly from death, and Ellicott’s note is
worth giving in full, “The resurrection from the dead;
i.e., as the context suggests, the first resurrection (Rev. 20: 5), when, at the Lord’s
coming the dead in Him shall rise first (1 Thes. 4: 16), and the quick be
caught up to meet Him in the clouds (1 Thes. 5: 17); comp. Luke 20: 35. The first
resurrection will include only true believers, and will apparently precede the
second, that of non-believer, and disbelievers, in point of time. Any reference
here to a merely ethical resurrection (Cocceius) is wholly out of the question.”
With the addition that the second resurrection will include believers not
accounted worthy of the first, this note is excellent.
The sense and force of the phrase “if by any means I may arrive” are surely fixed beyond controversy by the use of the
same words in Acts 27: 12: “the more part advised to put to sea from thence if by
any means they could reach (arrive at) Phoenix, and winter there”
(ei pos dunainto katanteesantes), which goal they did not reach.
Further, speaking upon the very subject of the
resurrection and the kingdom promised afore by God, Paul used the same verb,
again preceded by conditional terms, saying (Acts 24: 6-8), “unto which promise
our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night
and day, hope to attain.” Here the force of elpizei katanteesai, “unto which they hope to attain,” is the same his words in Philippians ei pos kantanteeso,
“if by any means I may attain.” This hope of the Israelite of sharing in Messiah’s kingdom is plainly
conditional (Dan. 12: 2, 3). It is assured to such an Israelite indeed as Daniel (12: 13), and to
such a faithful servant of God in a period of great difficulty as Zerubbabel (Hag.
2: 23).
It was also offered to Joshua the
high priest, but upon conditions of obedience and conduct. Joshua had been
relieved of his filthy garments and arrayed in noble attire (Zech 3: 1-5), but immediately his symbolic justification before
Jehovah had been thus completed, and his standing in the presence of God
assured, the divine message to him is couched in conditional language. “And the Angel of Jehovah protested unto
Joshua, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts,
If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt
keep My charge, then thou also shalt judge My
house, and shall also keep My courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (ver.
6, 7). It
is at this point that the “ifs” of the Word of God come in, and are so solemn and
significant. Whenever the matter is that of
the pardon of sin, the justifying of the guilty, the gift of eternal life,
Scripture ever speaks positively and unconditionally. The sinner is “justified
freely by God’s grace,” and the “free gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 3: 24; 6: 23), in which places the word “free” means free of conditions, not only of payment.
Eternal life therefore is what is called in law an absolute gift, in contrast
to a conditional gift. The latter may be forfeited if the condition be not
fulfilled; the former is irrevocable. But as soon as the sinner has by faith
entered into this standing before God, then the Word begins at once to speak to
him with “Ifs.” From this point and forward every privilege is
conditional.
By
virtue of their relationship to Abraham all Israelites are natural sons of the
kingdom which is the goal of their national hopes according to the purpose and
promise of the God of Abraham; but the King has told them plainly, first that
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, together with all the prophets - that is, all the men
of faith and devotion - shall be in that kingdom, but, secondly, that it is
very possible that some of the sons of
the kingdom may forfeit their entrance thereinto (Mat. 8: 10, 12; Lk.
13: 28, 29); for
there are those who may have been first in privilege and opportunity who shall
be last in final attainment.
If,
therefore, an Israelite attains to that kingdom it will be on the basis of a
covenant made by God with his federal head, Abraham; the source of which
covenant is the grace of God in Christ, the working principle of which on man’s
side is faith proving itself by obedience. Wherein now does this differ in
basic principle from that new and better covenant which introduces to better,
that is, to heavenly privileges, to sharing the heavenly sphere of that same
kingdom, not only its earthward side? This new and higher order of things is
also derived from a covenant made with our federal Head, its source is in that
same grace of God, its working principle on our side is a faith that proves its
quality in obedience.
Moreover, since the man of true faith in that earlier
age could aspire to this same heavenly city and country as ourselves (Heb. 11: 9, 16) there
manifestly was no difference in his position and ours in this matter, though it
may be he had only a more distant view and not so full a revelation of the
purpose of God in all this project. So that if they of old could miss their
share, on what principle of righteousness shall we be exempted from their need
of diligence and obedience? Such exemption not only would contain an invidious
and inexplicable distinction, but it
would prove highly dangerous to our moral fibre and our zeal for godliness. And
has not this been seen?
Paul’s
exhortation that believers should at least walk fully up to the standard set by
whatever measure of light has been already gained (Phil. 3: 15, 16)
connects naturally with the Lord’s urgent call from heaven to the church at
Philadelphia, “I
come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast,
that no one take thy crown” (Rev. 3: 11). Here
again there is plain intimation, first, that there is a crown to be won;
second, that for winning it no higher attainment is required than is possible
to us, even holding fast that which we have, which the context shows to mean a measure of spiritual
power, fidelity to the word of Christ, and the confession of Him before men,
with patience under the trials which such faithfulness may bring upon us (ver. 8, 9); and
third, that the reward pictured as a crown may be lost. This agrees with both Col.
2: 18 and the passage from 1 Cor. 9, that principally we are now studying. Indeed it
should require no proof that the unsuccessful racer receives no crown. Lethargy
may cause him to run indolently: previous indulgence of the body may have
rendered him incapable of strain and have drained him of staying power: or
disregard of the rules governing the contest may disqualify one other wise “in the running,” as the sporting phrase is. These
three states we have already observed to be those which jeopardize our heavenly
prospects. Esau was indifferent to his privileges; sins of the flesh are
repeatedly warned against, and especially so here by Paul; and thirdly we are
warned as to not allowing any deliberate disobedience to the known will of God,
such as the precepts that we should pursue peace with all men, and not give way
to anger, malice, or the like evils.
A
consideration of the typical meaning of the “crown” brings
the same conclusion as every other figure and statement. For the crown is used
in Scripture as a sign of royal rank, and so at once suggests the dignity unto
which we are to aspire and the possibility of forfeiting the same. It cannot be
argued that the word stephanos does not import royal estate. That it does not
necessarily do so, but sometimes refers to the garland of leaves won in the
public games is true. The words in our passage, “they do it to obtain a corruptible crown” exhibit that meaning; and so in 2 Tim.
2: 5. But the apostle expressly asserts that that which is
the crown to us is something other and more than the athlete strove for, being
so much more valuable than that as the incorruptible is nobler than the
corruptible. To what other kind of crown can this contrast point than to the royal coronet,
composed, as such have always been, of imperishable materials? And the word stephanos was definitely used in this regal
sense. For example, it is employed to describe the crown of thorns with which
the soldiers wreathed the head of the Redeemer, which unquestionably they did
in mockery of His claim to be king. But it is enough to know that the glory and honour
which he now wears, and which betoken His universal sovereignty over all the
works of God, are thus described: “we behold Jesus, because of
the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour” (Heb.
2: 9.) Similarly of Adam, as God’s appointed sovereign of
the earth, it is said that he was crowned (Heb. 2: 7); and so of the last Adam as the Ruler of heaven and
earth. By suffering it was that He won that crown, and so it is properly a stephanos:
and it is in that same acquired
kingly rule that we are offered a share, and for it are called to strive and
suffer. Thus our kingly crown also is a stephanos, and must be won, and may be lost.* But if a king suffer the loss
of his crown he is no more a king: and thus we too, if robbed of our crown,
have no more part in that company who are “kings and priests unto God.”
*
Grimm’s Lex (Thayer’s ed), stephanos. A.
prop. as mark of royal or (in general) exalted rank [such pass in the Sept.
as 2 Sam. 12: 30; 1 Chr. 20: 2; Ps. 20. (21): 4; Ezk. 21: 28; Zech. 6: 11, 14 ...
perhaps justify the doubt whether the distinction between staphanos and diaddama was strictly observed in Hellenistic Grk.].
It
needs not, we hope, to be said that Paul makes not here the slightest reference
to the question of eternal salvation. How often would a strict and sensible
regard to the figures of speech employed save from false and blundering
exegesis. The sinner apart from Christ is declared by God to be “dead through his trespasses
and sins” (Eph. 2: 1); dead, that is, to God’s realm of existence; which
statement is only an accurate description of the fact. But it is solely within
God’s realm of things that this race and crown have any existence. Therefore no
“dead” person can be viewed as running in this course or
striving for this crown. The rewards of Satan’s kingdom the unregenerate may
seek and win, for within that realm he is alive enough; but he is utterly out
of touch of divine experience and rewards, for him they simply do not exist as realities. It is therefore here
necessarily taken for granted that the one time dead sinner has received the
life of God, or he could not run or strive. Hence it is not for eternal life
that he aspires; that he has: and it is not his life that he loses if
“disapproved,” but the reward that he, as a living man, might have
secured.
And
now to enforce this lesson upon his “brethren,” the inspired writer
carries back their thoughts to
1.
He first emphasizes that the whole people started with equal providential and
spiritual privileges. They were not deluded or deceiving professors, falsely
claiming experiences which they knew not, but were actual partakers of the vast
and saving benefits mentioned: it is expressly declared that they new and
partook of the spiritual food and drink (Christ) of which manna and living
water were material types: “they did all eat the same spiritual food, and did all drink
the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that went
with them: and the rock was Christ.” Thus they stand forth as a type of the real believer
identified with Christ and partaking of Him.
2.
Also, they all had a title to and a promise of, the glorious land, God’s sworn
possession to their fathers.
3. They had only to persevere awhile through the
intervening difficulties, and they would duly reach their goal; and thus
4.
By faith in the fidelity and power of their God they would certainly gain
possession of their inheritance.
Thus, as a number of racers, they all started together
and without handicap, being all equal in opportunity and resources, and the prize so ample that all might find a rich share: and yet most of them never attained to it, but were overthrown in the
wilderness. The desiring of things
evil; worshipping something other
than Jehovah; sins of the flesh;
provoking God by declaring that they
wished that they had never come out of Egyptian bondage; and murmuring against God’s judgments and
God’s leaders: these caused vast
numbers of them to fail of the possessions and joys which awaited them in
Canaan.
There
was, therefore, positive chastisement: “they were overthrown in the wilderness,” “they fell,” “they perished,” they came under the power of “the destroyer.” How many [regenerate] believers of
our age would indeed have done well to have given earnest heed to these things.
How many have passed their lives in a wilderness of spiritual dearth and
misery, and have died there after long wanderings, and all because they never
pressed on to the better things of which, God speaks. How easy it is to murmur
against trial, to hanker after the forbidden things of the godless world from which
we separated, or to give way to the lusts of the flesh. Such could have
overcome, for God makes this possible for every one of His people; but carnal
security induced laxity, and they
fell.
Nor
let us overlook the danger of
things morally right over-engrossing, things
present and pleasant. True are A. B. Simpson’s lines:
God hath His best things for the few
Who dare to stand the test:
God hath His second choice for those
Who will not have His best.
It is not
always open ill
That risks the promised rest;
The better often is the foe
That keeps us from the best.
*
* * *
* * *
992
THE REIGN OF
CHRIST
By FREDERICK A. TATFORD LITT. D.
“The
The predicted kingdom is obviously to be identified
with the future [messianic and millennial] rule of Christ. In the course of the annunciation to
Mary, the angel Gabriel declared of the promised Babe, “He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him
the throne of his father David: and [a disjunction] He shall rule over
the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1: 32, 33). When three decades later our Lord commenced
His ministry at Capernaum, it was with the statement, “the kingdom of heaven is at
hand” (Matthew 4: 17), and Matthew adds that He preached ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ in all the synagogues in
Galilee (Matthew
4: 23). The Jews were, of course, familiar with their own prophets, and they
patently realized the implication of Christ’s words. His disciples fully
anticipated the establishment of the kingdom during His lifetime, and even
after His resurrection they asked Him, “Wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” and the Master had to tell them, “It is not for you to know the
times or the seasons” (Acts 1: 6-8).
Although it is evident that both the Jews and the
disciples interpreted our Lord’s references to the kingdom as implying the establishment of a literal
kingdom upon earth, it is often
maintained that He never intended this and that His statements were susceptible to other interpretations. Pentecost says, “To some the
At
our Lord’s return to earth, judgment will be executed upon the guilty, and
condemned sinners will be consigned to eternal punishment (Matthew 25: 41).
This is a necessary preliminary to the institution of the kingdom, for all
causes of stumbling or offence and all who practise lawlessness must first be
removed (Matthew 13: 41), The world which rejected Christ at His first advent will
acclaim Him as King of Kings and Lord of lords at His second advent. Every
ruler will acknowledge His suzerainty,
and the whole universe will be brought into subjection to the Supreme Ruler,
for He shall put down all rule, authority and power.
If the Old Testament covenants are to be fulfilled,
Israel, must be restored to the land which was pledged to Abraham, and the
prophets reveal that they are to be Divinely gathered out of the nations of the
world and brought from all parts of the earth to be reinstated in their own
land (Isaiah 43:
5-7; Jeremiah 12: 15;
Ezekiel 28: 25,
26; Amos 9:
14, 15; Zephaniah 3: 20;
Zechariah 10: 10). An unregenerate people would only revert sooner or
later to the sinful practices of earlier days, however, and God has
consequently declared that He will cleanse Israel’s race from their sins and
put a new spirit within them and change their hearts or nature (Jeremiah 31: 33, 34; Ezekiel 11: 19; 36: 25, 26; Zechariah 13:
1). A
nation will be born in a day, and the apostle Paul foretells that “all
But
Blessing
will not be restricted to
The
Second Advent of Christ will
evidently be accompanied by physical disturbances which have the widest effect
on the topography of
Revelation 16:
19 states, “And the great city was divided into three
parts, and the cities of the nations fell. ...,” and Zechariah further reveals that at Messiah’s descent “... His feet shall stand in
that day upon the mount of Olives ... and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east 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). A glance at the map will show at once the effect of
such a remarkable cleavage. In conjunction with the sudden submergence of some
land and the elevation of other as described by Isaiah, these violent changes
will almost inevitably result in the country’s suffering from floods and possibly
other catastrophes. The
Dr. Mabie’s
description is well worth quoting in extenso:- “This earthquake will not only change the whole topography of
These
are not the only new features of the land. In Ezekiel’s vision of the millennial
temple, there is no traceof the brazen laver of the
Old Testament tabernacle or of the brazen
The physical changes in the land adequately account
for the prophet’s description of then construction of the temple, the site of
the holy oblation, the
prince’s portion and the city’s possession (Ezekiel 45: 1-8; 48: 8-21). Cachemaille’s description of this area is well worth
quoting. “By the border of
Considerable
difficulty is felt by many commentators regarding the Biblical references to a
sacrificial system in connection with the millennial temple. Ezekiel discloses that burnt .offerings,
sin, offerings, trespass offerings, meal offerings and peace offerings, will
again be presented (Ezekiel
40: 39; 42: 13; 43: 18, 27). This seems completely incompatible with
the finality of
The
blessings of the millennium will be manifold. As one writer says, “Though the principal effects of the reign of Christ will be
manifested in righteous government and in the spiritual realm, the rule of‑Christ
will have extensive impact on the economic and social aspects of life on the
earth.” Wars will cease, and peace will prevail universally. Micah declares that the nations, “... shall beat their swords
into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift
up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4: 3). The Messianic rule will be in perfect justice and
equity, and righteousness will pervade the scene (Isaiah 9: 7; 11:
5; 32: 16, 17). Holiness will characterize the people of God, and
their land, city and possessions will be sanctified to God (Zechariah 14: 20, 21). In such
conditions, crime will be reduced to a minimum, but sin will be punished by
death (Isaiah 65: 20).
During our Lord’s earthly life He brought healing to
the sick and sight to the blind. Under His beneficent rule in the golden age,
the blind will receive their sight; the dumb will be enabled to speak and the
deaf to hear; the cripple will throw away his crutches and leap for joy; those
suffering from other physical disabilities will be healed; and sickness will be
cured (Isaiah 29: 18; 33: 24; 35: 5, 6). The
grief of the broken-hearted will be converted into joy, and praise will be
substituted for heaviness (Isaiah
61: 1-3). Possibly
as a natural corollary to the banishment of sickness, longevity will
characterize the race: a person who dies at one hundred will be deemed a little
child (Isaiah 65: 20). The depopulation caused by judgment prior to the
establishment of the [messianic] kingdom
will be compensated by a greatly increased birth rate throughout the world (Ezekiel 47: 22), and the streets of
Adam’s
sin invoked a Divine curse upon creation (Genesis 3: 17-19), and nature has suffered ever since. But in that day
the curse will be lifted; thorn and briar will disappear, and the desert will
blossom as the rose (Isaiah
35: 1,
2). An
abundance of rain will result in increased productivity of the land; food will
be plentiful and flocks and herds will increase (Isaiah 30: 23, 24). The picture painted is one of prosperity and
fruitfulness, every man possessing his own dwelling and field and sitting under
his own vine and fig tree (Micah
4: 4). So bountiful will be the blessing that the prophet
declares, “... the
ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the
treader of grapes him that soweth seed...” (Amos
9: 13); the tremendously increased fertility thus speeding up the rate of
growth and increasing the number of harvests, the reaping being followed
immediately by a fresh sowing. The very animal creation will lose its venom and
ferocity. “The wolf also 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
cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain...” (Isaiah 11: 6-9;
65: 25).
Our
Lord is to be supreme potentate, and every ruler will be subject to Him. God will bestow upon Him the nations as an
inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth as a possession (Psalm 2: 8; Zechariah
14: 9). As His vice-regent in
Israel, a prince of the house of David will sit upon the throne - a man who has
sons, who must bring sin offerings for himself and his people, and who must
avail himself of the ministry of the priesthood (Ezekiel 45: 22; 46: 2). Christ is not, of course, identified
with the prince but with the shekinah glory which fills
the temple (Ezekiel
43: 1-5).
Six times in Revelation 20 is the
period during which Christ is to rule described as a thousand years, but in no
other Scripture is the duration stated. In consequence it has often been
suggested that the millennium is not intended as an actual period of time but
rather as a picture of the spiritual blessing enjoyed by the church. As already
indicated, however, a careful study of the Old Testament prophets leads
inevitably to the conclusion that a glorious reign upon earth has been pledged.
Whether a thousand years is intended to convey the idea of a period of ten
centuries, or whether the term is used as a symbol of a very long period, may
be a matter on which dogmatism is inadvisable, but there is no doubt that a
complete ‘age’ of considerable duration is envisaged.
But the reign of Christ is not limited to earth. Philippians 2: 9-11 makes it
clear that ever celestial, terrestrial and infernal creature shall
bow in obeisance to Him and, [‘under
the earth’ in ‘Sheol’ / ‘Hades’ they will then] humbly acknowledge
His lordship.* In his letter to the
Ephesian church, the apostle Paul states that God has purposed, “that, in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in the heavens, and which are on earth” (Ephesians 1:
10).
The whole universe is to be bound together under the supreme rule of our
Sovereign Lord. If this tiny planet is to own His sway, it is but a trivial
part of the galactic Milky Way with its 1000,000 millions of stars and planets;
the Way itself is only a galaxy among the trillions of galaxies which stretch
out into the far distances of space; and our Lord Jesus Christ is [then
seen to be]
the supreme Ruler over them all. In that glorious day there will be no sphere
in which He is not heralded as King; there will be no tongue which will not
acclaim Him as Lord; there will be no knee which shall not bow in homage to
Him. He will reign through all the vast extent of God’s creatorial work.
* *
* * *
* *
994
JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN
DISPENSATIONALLY CONSIDERED
By ARTHUR W. PINK.
Since we left Gen. 37-38 nothing more has been heard of the family of Jacob.
Joseph is the one upon whom the Holy Spirit has concentrated attention. In Gen.
37 we
saw how Joseph was sent by his father on an errand of mercy to his brethren,
inquiring after their welfare; that Joseph came unto them and they received him
not; that, instead, they envied and hated him, and sold him into the hands of
the Gentiles. Then, we have followed his career in
All
of this is deeply significant, and perfect in its typical, application. Joseph
foreshadowed the Beloved of the Father, sent to His brethren according to the
flesh, seeking their welfare. But they despised and rejected Him. They sold
Him, and delivered Him up to the Gentiles. The Gentiles unjustly condemned Him
to death, and following the crucifixion, His body was placed in the prison of
the tomb. In due time God delivered Him, and exalted Him to His own right hand.
Following the ascension, Christ has
been presented as the Saviour of the
world, the Bread of Life for a perishing humanity. During this dispensation
the Jew is set aside: it is out from the Gentiles God is now taking a people
for His name. But soon this dispensation shall have run its appointed course
and then shall come the tribulation
period when, following the removal of the Holy Spirit from [all disobedient people living on] the earth, there shall be a grievous time of spiritual famine. It is during this tribulation
period that God shall resume His dealings with the Jews - the brethren of
Christ according to the flesh. Hence, true to the antitype, Joseph’s brethren
figure prominently in the closing chapters of Genesis.
Continuing our previous enumeration we shall now follow the experiences of the
brethren from the time they [lied to their father and] rejected Joseph.
66. Joseph’s brethren are driven out of their own land.
In
Gen. 37 the
sons of Jacob are seen delivering up Joseph into the hands of the Gentiles, and
nothing more is heard of them till we come to Gen. 42. And what
do we read concerning them there? This: “Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in
67. Joseph was unknown and unrecognized by his brethren.
“And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brethren came,
and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him” (42: 6, 8). Joseph had been exalted over all the house of
Pharaoh, but Jacob knew it not. All these years he thought that Joseph was
dead. And now his family is suffering from the famine, the scourge of God, and
his sons, driven out of Canaan by the pangs of hunger, and going down to
68. Joseph, however, saw and knew his brethren.
“And Joseph saw his brethren, and
he knew them” (42: 7). Yes,
Joseph “saw” his brethren, his eye was upon them, even though they
knew him not. So the eye of the Lord Jesus has been upon the Jews all through
the long night of their rejection. Hear His words (as Jehovah) through Jeremiah
the prophet, “For
mine
eyes are, upon all their ways: they are not hid from My face, neither is their iniquity hid from Mine ‘Eyes’” (16:
17). So, too, through Hosea,
He said, “I know
Ephraim, and
69. Joseph punished his brethren.
“And Joseph saw his brethren, and
he knew them, but made himself strange unto them,
and spake roughly unto them … and he put them all together into ward three days” (42: 7, 17). We
quote here from the impressive words of Dr.
Haldeman: “Joseph was the cause of their troubles
now. Joseph was punishing them for their past dealing with himself. The secret
of all
70. Joseph made known to them a way of deliverance through Substitution.
“And he put them all together into ward three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, this do, and live, for I fear God. If ye be true
men, let one of your brethren be bound in the
house of your prison; go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses. ... And he took from them Simeon, and
bound him before their eyes” (42: 17-19, 24). Once more we quote from Dr. Haldeman’s
splendid article on Joseph:
“On the third day he caused Simeon to be bound in the place
of his brethren, and declared that by this means they might all be delivered,
in the third day era, that is to say, on
the resurrection side of the grave. On the day of Pentecost, the apostle
Peter presented our Lord Jesus Christ as
the risen one whom God had exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour unto Israel,
declaring that if the latter should repent of their evil and sin toward Him
whom He had sent to be Messiah and King, He
would accept His death as the substitution for the judgment due them; that He would save them and send His Son again
to be both Messiah and Saviour.”
71. Joseph made provision for his brethren while they were in a strange
land.
“Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them” (42:
25).
Although they knew not Joseph, and although he spoke roughly unto his brethren
and punished them by casting them into prison, nevertheless, his judgments were
tempered with mercy. Joseph would not suffer his brethren to perish by the way.
They were here in a strange land, and
he ministered unto their need. So it has been throughout this dispensation.
Side by side with the fact that the Jews
have been severely punished by God, so that they have suffered as no other nation, has been their
miraculous preservation. God has sustained them during all the long centuries
that they have been absent from their own land. God has provided for them by
the way, as Joseph did for his erring brethren. Thus has God fulfilled His
promises of old. “For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a
full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and I will not leave thee altogether unpunished” (Jer. 30: 11). And again; “Thus saith the Lord God;
although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries
where they shall come” (Ezek. 11: 16).
72. Joseph was made known to his brethren at the second time.
This
was emphasized by Stephen in his
parting message to
It
is significant that the Holy Spirit has singled out this highly important
point, and has repeated it, again and again, in other types. It was thus with Moses and
It
was thus with Joshua and
The
same principle is illustrated, again, in the history of David. David was sent by his father seeking the welfare of his brethren; “And Jesse said unto David his
son, take now for thy brethren an ephah of this
parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren. And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their
thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge” (1
Sam. 17: 17-18). But
when he reached them, they resented his kindness, and their “anger was kindled against
David” (See 1 Sam. 17: 28), and it was not until years later that they, together
with all
Each
of these was a type of the Lord Jesus.
The first time He appeared to
73. Joseph’s brethren confess their Guilt in the sight of God.
“And
74. Joseph’s brethren were also, at
first, troubled in his presence.
“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father
yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence” (45: 3). How
perfectly does antitype correspond with type! When Israel shall first gaze upon
their rejected Messiah, we are told, “And they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as
one that is in bitterness for his first born” (Zech.
12: 10). As
75. Joseph acted toward his brethren in marvellous grace.
“And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near, And he
said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into
76. Joseph was revealed as a Man of Compassion.
“And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren, And he wept aloud” (45: 1-2). Seven times over we read of Joseph weeping. He wept
when he listened to his brethren confessing their guilt (42:
24). He wept when he beheld Benjamin (43:
30). He wept when he made himself known to
his brethren (45: 1-2). He wept
when his brethren were reconciled to him (45: 15). He wept
over his father Jacob (46: 29). He wept at the death of his father (50:
1).
And he wept when, later, his brethren questioned his love for them (50:
15-17). How all this reminds us of the tenderheartedness of
the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom we read so often, He was “moved with compassion,” and twice that He “wept” once at
the graveside of Lazarus, and later over Jerusalem.
77. Joseph
revealed himself to Judah and his brethren, before he was made known to the rest of
Jacob’s household.
So,
too, we are told in Zech. 12: 7, “The Lord also shall
save the tents of
78. Joseph then sends for Jacob.
“In
79. Joseph’s brethren go forth to proclaim his glory.
“Haste ye, and go up to my
father, and say unto him, thus saith thy son Joseph, God
hath made me lord of all
80. Joseph makes ready his chariot and goes forth to meet Jacob.
“And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Jacob his father” (46: 29). Says Dr.
Haldeman, “This is really the epiphany of Joseph.
He reveals himself in splendour and Kingliness to his people. He meets
81. Joseph settles his brethren in a land of their own.
“And
82. Joseph’s brethren prostrate themselves before him
as the Representative of God.
“And his brethren also went and fell before his face; and they said, Behold we be
thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not; for (am) I in the place of God?” (50:
18, 19). The prophetic dream of Joseph is realized. The
brethren own Joseph’s supremacy, and take the place of servants before him. So
in the coming [millennial] Day, all Israel shall fall down before the Lord Jesus
Christ, and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and
He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we
will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Is.
25: 9).
We close at the point from which we started. Joseph
signifies “Addition,” and Addition is Increase,
and “increase” is the very word used by the Holy Spirit to describe
the dominant characteristic of the Kingdom of Him whom Joseph so wondrously
foreshadowed. “Of
the increase of His government and peace there shall
be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order
it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever” (Is. 9:
7).
*
* * *
* * *
995
AN ENQUARY
AS TO MAN’S CONSTITUTION
AND FUTURE
WITH REMARKS ON
HADES AND
By G. H. LANG.
As treasures
heavy and valuable may hang upon a small hook, so consequences weighty and
far-reaching may follow the settlement of what may seem a small point.
Because at death the spirit
of man returns to God who gave it (Eccl. 12: 7), it is generally thought that man goes then to God
in heaven. If the passage meant this it would teach that the ungodly, as well
as the godly, go to heaven at death, for it refers to man as man. This alone
shows that this is not the sense of the passage. But further, the meaning given
assumes that the man, the conscious entity, the person, the ego, is his spirit.
But if this is not so, then the opinion stated has no support in Scripture.
Again, many annihilationists deem that the man, the
person, consists of two parts only, the body and the spirit, and that when
these are parted at death the person, the conscious ego, ceases to exist until
the two parts are reunited in resurrection. But if the conscious personality
has ceased to exist, it is extremely difficult to conceive that it is the
identical conscious person that comes into existence again. Would it not rather
be a new personality that comes into being at resurrection? How can continuity
of personality persist during non-existence, and how, then, shall this new man
be held morally responsible for the deeds of that former person, and be
righteously liable to judgment therefor?
Moreover, this would involve (what indeed we have
heard asserted) a disintegration of the person of the Man, Christ Jesus,
between His death and resurrection. According to the theory, during that period
His humanity was non-existent. So that whilst the Son of God existed, Christ
did not until resurrection. This is fatal heresy, and alone forbids the doctrine
in question.
The alternative must be for the annihilationist to
adopt the first mentioned view, that personality attaches to the spirit, as
others of that school do. But if it
be, that the soul is the person, and that after death the soul has its
own separate existence, then the whole asser tion
fails.
Inasmuch therefore as most serious issues are
involved, this inquiry is of great practical importance. Indeed, it may be said
that many most interesting and
profitable themes can only be understood aright by a right understanding of our
question: Soul or Spirit, Which
is the Man?
It must here be remarked that this theme, like all
such profounder topics of the Word of God, cannot be studied in the English Authorised Version. It is not possible, on account of the
deliberate irregularity in translation used by the translators so as to secure
pleasing English. We quote here generally the English Revised Version, and
sometimes the New Translation of J. N. Darby (Morrish,
1. THE
CREATION OF MAN
The
creation of man is described in Gen. 2: 7: “And Jehovah Elohim formed man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul.”
Here
are three stages. 1. A
material form fashioned but of material particles, dust. This is the body. 2. A somewhat inbreathed by God, named in Eccl.
12: 7, “spirit.” That the “breath” of Gen.
2: 7, and the “spirit” of Eccl.
12: 7 are one is confirmed by the combination of the two
terms in Gen. 7: 22: “All in whose nostrils
was the breath of the spirit
of life.” 3. The result, that man became what is here called “soul,” a living soul.
1. As to the body, it is to be observed that it was not itself the man. It
lay there, fashioned and prepared, but the man was not yet there. The body was
an inanimate form, which preceded the existence of the man. This as against the
Sadducean materialist and his assertion that the body is the man, and that when
it dies his existence ends.
2. The same is true of the breath or spirit, which God
inbreathed. It also was in existence prior to the man, for God breathed it into
the body. It was not God; it is not
divine: it is not said that God breathed of Himself, or breathed His Spirit
into the body, but a somewhat not to be defined by us as to its substance or
nature, but which God terms “spirit.” In Zech. 12: 1 it is declared to be a created thing, a thing “formed,” as an article made by a potter. It is the same word
as “potter” in Zech. 11: 13, and is found first at Gen.
2: 8, God “formed
man.” This as
against the pantheist, and the doctrine akin to pantheism, that there is a
measure of divinity in all men by creation. The immanence of God in all creation is truth, the identity of all
things, or of any created thing, with God is error, deadly error.
Thus the spirit was not the man, for he only came
into existence by reason of the inbreathing of the spirit into the body, which
con junction of two separate, previously
existing things, resulted in the creation of a third: “man became a living soul.”
3. It remains only that the man is what he is here
described to be, “a living soul.” The man is
the soul, not the spirit, even as he is not the
body. This as against the annihilationist theory above mentioned.
It is fairly certain that every false philosophy that
has beclouded the thoughts of man had been instilled into men’s minds by spir its of darkness
in
This threefold composition of man is implied
everywhere in the Word of God, and
sometimes is distinctly stated. Thus in 1 Thess. 5:
3: “And the God of
peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your
spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without
blame in the parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The body is distinguished from the spirit in James
2: 26:
“The body apart from (the) spirit is dead”; and the soul from the spirit in Heb.
4: 12, “The word of God, piercing to
the dividing of soul and spirit.”
The
man has a body with which he operates upon the material world; but the body is
not the man. He has also a spirit with which he has dealings with the spiritual
realm; but the spirit is not the man. The man himself, the conscious ego, is
the soul. Personality in man inheres in the soul, which will become yet more
apparent as we proceed, but may be seen in such passages as Ex.
1: 5: “all the souls were seventy souls”; Lev. 4 : 2: “if a soul shall
sin” 5: 2:
“if a soul touch”; Lev. 5: 4: “if a soul swear”:
7: 18: “the soul that eateth”, etc., etc. The evident sense is: “If a person” do this or that. See also LXX Ezk. 16: 5.
2. THE
MEANING OF THE WORD DEATH
Now
“the body without
spirit is dead” (Jas. 2: 26), and the soul, the man, cannot use or inhabit a dead
body. The spirit imparts to the body vitality, animation, and makes it usable
by man. Thus so long as the two are united man is a living soul, but when God
recalls the spirit which He gave, the body ceases to have life, the soul
vacates it, and thenceforth, until resurrection, the man is dead.
But
it is carefully and always to be remembered that in Scripture the term “life” does not mean simply existence, but much more and
much rather it means a certain mode or quality of existence, and equally so the
term “death,” therefore, does not mean non-existence, but an
opposite state or mode of existence. Many things exist which do not exhibit the
property called “life.” All annihilationist reasoning which we have read
assumes this false sense of the words “life” and “death” and cannot proceed without it.
Yet
in some real sense Adam died the day he disobeyed God, according to the
sentence, “in the
day that thou eatest of it thou shalt certainly die” (Gen. 2: 17), but he
did not cease to exist that day. So, by a powerful antithesis, it is said, “she that giveth herself to
pleasure is dead while she
liveth,” which cannot be read,
ceases to exist while she exists (1 Tim. 5: 6). In much the same way we speak of a living death.
Equally
arresting is our Lord’s argument against the annihilationists of His day (Lk. 20: 37-38).
He
first admits that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are dead, saying, “But that the dead are raised,” and at once adds that “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all
live unto Him.” So dead in one
sense, they are yet alive in another, showing that both terms describe only
relative conditions of existence. Similarly the Lord makes the father of the
prodigal say: “This
my son was dead, and is alive again” (Lk. 15: 24), though in another sense he had been as much alive in
the far country as after his return. Further, it is clear that the first death
does not cause the annihilation of the sinner or there could be no second death
for him.
Thus
the word death does not of itself mean ceasing to be, and such as say that the
second death means annihilation are bound to show that the Scripture adds to
the word this sense which does not belong to it. The second death is the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 14). The
beast and the false prophet are cast thereinto before the thousand years reign
of Christ (Rev.
19: 20); they are still there at the close of that period
when Satan is cast there (Rev. 20: 10); so that
a thousand years in the second death has not destroyed their existence, and the
sentence upon all three is that “they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of the
ages.” It would be impossible to
torment that which had ceased to be.
It
is consistent with the holiness and the love of God - for it is fact - that
angels that abused His favour shall be confined in that place of misery, Tartarus, for already thousands of
years (2 Pet. 2: 4); that
Dives (Lk. 16), who abused His goodness on earth, shall be tormented in
a flame in Hades for a period unknown to us, for it is not yet ended; that the
Beast and the false prophet, who blasphemed His holy name, shall be in the lake
of fire for more than a thousand years at least. As this is consistent with the
love and justice of God why should it not be so for 10,000 years, for 100,000,
for a billion years, or for ever, and especially in the case of those who
rejected His amazing love in Christ, trampled under foot the Son of God, and
definitely resisted the Spirit of truth? We are not competent to form our own
opinion as to what God may or may not, do consistently with His character and
because of it. We can only bow to what He has revealed, assured that He will
ever act consistently with what He is, for He is not able to do otherwise. We
can best estimate what sentence a judge may pass by considering what sentences
he has before passed, as well as what statements he may have made as to future
sentences.
3. WHAT
The
passage before cited tells us that “the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the spirit returns unto God who gave it”
(Eccl. 12:
7).
But what becomes of the soul?
An
actual case is better than much speculation, an ounce of fact being worth a ton
of theory. Of the Man Christ Jesus we are told distinctly what took place at
His death.
1.
His dead body was
laid in the tomb.
2.
His last words on the cross were, “Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit” (Lk.
23: 46), the human spirit thus returning unto God who gave
it. That the human spirit is not the divine Spirit is seen clearly in the case
of our Lord, for His entire holy humanity was a created thing conceived by an
operation of the Holy Spirit in Mary (Lk. 1: 35); years later it was anointed with power by the
Spirit of God coming upon it; and at last on the cross, He surrendered His
human spirit to the Father: an act impossible in relation to the Spirit of God
with Whom He as God was in indissoluble union. The distinction - necessary and
unavoidable - between the human and the divine is thus ever maintained. It was
the human spirit which vitalized His body that Jesus gave up that He might die.
3.
But the Spirit of prophecy in David (Ps. 16: 10) had put into Messiah’s mouth these other words: “Thou wilt not leave my soul
to Sheol,” which words were later, on the day of Pentecost,
applied by Peter to Christ. “Thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades” (Acts 2: 27).
The
error of Apollinaris (cent. 4), that the person of Christ
consisted of a human body and soul only, with the divine Spirit (or Logos)
taking the place in Him of a human spirit, must be steadfastly resisted. His
humanity, as ours, consisted of body, soul, and spirit.
Sheol
and Hades are equivalent words in Hebrew and Greek respectively. Of this region
there is abundant information in Scripture. It is very far from the fact, as
spiritualists assert, that no certain information as to the state after death
is available save what they think they receive from spirits through mediums.
But most unfortunately the reader of the Authorized Version is completely
stopped from this study by the variety of the terms employed. Sheol and Hades
are rendered “grave,”
“pit,” and
“hell.” The last in its older English meaning was not
inaccurate, but it has come now to mean only the final place of the lost, the
lake of fire, which never is the sense of Sheol or Hades. However, any diligent
reader can pursue the subject in the Revised
Version, for these original terms are given in either text or margin where
ever they occur. This is one example, and an important one, of the superiority
of the R.V. over the A.V.
4. WHERE IS HADES?
So
the soul of our Lord was in Hades between His death and His resurrection on the
third day. And Eph. 4: 9-10 shows beyond question (1)
that the “soul” was the Lord Himself, the personality, and (2) where Hades is situated. It says: “Having ascended up on high he
has led captivity captive, and has given gifts
unto men. Now this, having ascended, what is it
but that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same who has also ascended far
above all heavens, that he might fill all things.”
1.
The Person that ascended is the same Person that had descended, and from His
own express words to Mary directly after His resurrection it is certain that He
himself did not go to the Father [in heaven] at the hour
of death, for He said to her: “I have (perf. ind., anabeeko) not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say unto them, I
ascend to my Father" (Jo. 20: 17). As His ascent to the Father had yet to take place it
is clear that His human spirit, which He had commended to His Father as He
died, was not Himself. Nor would the words admit the thought; for a man cannot
send his personality, his self, away from himself, but we read of Jesus that “he gave up the spirit,” or, breathed out the spirit, expired, as we say, the exact reversal of the act of
creation when God breathes in the
spirit.
The
spirit therefore was not Himself, but a part of His composite humanity that He
could dismiss by an act of the will. Man does not possess the power to do this;
he must use violence to terminate his life: but Christ had received this power
specially from His Father, according to His statement that the Father had given
Him authority to lay down His life by His own act (Jo.
10: 17-18).
2.
The realm to which Christ descended, elsewhere, as we have seen, named Hades,
is in this place in Ephesians stated plainly to be in “the lower parts of the earth.” Scripture always locates it there and nowhere else. So
Jacob of old said: “I will go down to Sheol to my son” (Gen.
37: 35); and so the
great prophet Samuel, when permitted by God to come from the world of the dead
to announce the doom of Saul (an exceptional permission and event) said: “Why hast thou disquieted me
to bring me up?” (1 Sam. 28: 15). And so Christ said of
Readers
of the great classics will not need to be reminded that it was the common
belief of the ancient world that the place of the dead was within the earth. We
are not aware that any other opinion was then in men’s minds. Their details of
that place and its conditions are not to be accepted without Scripture
confirmation, even as those of mediaeval writers like Dante are not to be; but the general facts of the location of the
world of the dead within the earth, and of its having two divided regions, one of pain and one of bliss, are
plainly adopted in Holy Scripture (as in Lk. 16),
and so are confirmed as facts.
And it could be shown that some details also are thus confirmed; as that the
poets made visitors to and from that realm go and come through some cave or
opening in the earth, and the Revelation similarly represents demon hordes as coming from
the abyss through a shaft or opening therefrom (Rev.
9:
1-11). We
take the idea in each case to represent the conception that the realm of the
dead is within* the earth.
[* See Matt. 12: 40.Cf. 16:
18, R.V.]
5. BUT DO NOT SAINTS AT DEATH “GO TO HEAVEN”?
The
death of Stephen presents the exact features seen at the death of his Lord. We
are told that “he called upon the Lord, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit ... and ... he fell asleep” (Acts 7:
59, 60). His body did not fall. asleep: it was battered to
death by brutal ill-usage, and devout men buried it. It does not say that his
spirit fell asleep, but that he surrendered it to his Lord. We shall see later
that neither does the soul “sleep” in
relation to that other realm to which it goes at death; so that the expression “fell asleep” can only mean as to its relation to this earth-life
which it leaves at death.
But did not Stephen “go to
heaven” when he died? Do not all who die in Christ do so? It has been
the almost universal belief of Protestants, but there is no Scripture for it.
If Solomon’s words, “the spirit returns to God who gave it,” mean this, then the saints before the time of Christ
must have gone there, and, as before remarked, not saints only, but the ungodly
also, for the statement applies to all men.
It has been often asserted that when the Lord rose he
released from Hades the godly dead and removed them to
It should be asked, Where were these multitudes of souls during the forty days
before Christ himself ascended? Raised at His resurrection, as the theory
asserts, what was their location during that period?
But it is known definitely that one of the most
renowned of Old Testament men of God did not ascend to heaven with the Lord,
for at Pentecost, which was after the ascension, Peter distinctly stated that “David has not ascended into
the heavens” (Darby, [New
Translation] Acts 2: 34).*
[* See also Revised Version (1881), American
Standard Version (1901)., New International Version and New King James Version, etc.]
Why was David left behind? There is no reason to think
he was: the other godly dead also stayed there [until the time of their
Resurrection and the Return of Christ - [See 1 Thess. 4: 15, 16; 2; John 3: 13; 14: 3; Tim. 2: 18; Heb. 11: 40,ff., R.V.] - as far
as Scripture is concerned.
Alford translates: “David himself
[i.e., in contrast to Christ] is
not ascended”:
In
his great work on The Creed (Art. 5, He descended into
Hell) Bishop Pearson shows how little basis
the opinion in question has. He says: “The next
consideration, is whether by virtue of His descent, the souls of those who
before believed in Him, the Patriarchs, Prophets, and all the people of God,
were delivered from that place and state, in which they were before; and
whether Christ descended
into Hell to that end, that He might translate them into a place and state,
far more glorious and happy. This has been, in the later ages of the Church,
the vulgar opinion of most men. ...
“But even this opinion, as general as it hath been, hath
neither the consent of Antiquity, nor such certainty as it pretendeth. Indeed,
very few (if any) for above five hundred years after Christ, did so believe
that Christ delivered the saints out of Hell, as to leave all the damned there.
Many of the Ancients believed not, that they were removed at all, and few
acknowledged that they were removed alone.”
But
it is asked, What became of those who came forth from their graves after Christ
had risen and who appeared unto many? (Matt. 27: 52-53). Did
they not “go to heaven” with the Lord? Let those
say what became of these to whom God may have given private information upon
the point; but it cannot be learned from Scripture that they went to heaven.
And in return it may be asked, What became of Lazarus and the other persons who
were resuscitated, as mentioned in Scripture? Did they go to heaven without
dying again or, are they still on earth? or, did they not in due time go back
to the death state, from which they had been temporarily recalled to exhibit
the power of God?
That
Christ “led
captivity captive” carries no
suggestion that He took the godly dead to heaven. The figure itself forbids the
idea. It is taken from the ancient practice that a victorious commander dragged
many, and the most noble, of his captives to his capital city and exhibited
them for his glory at his triumphal entry. The expression could in no wise
apply to the possible recovery of some of his own subjects from captivity by
his enemy and their return home with him in liberty. The sense may be seen
plainly in the place in Judges
5: 12, from which the phrase is quoted in the later
passages. As the conqueror Barak
returns from the victory over Sisera Deborah
cries: “Arise,
Barak, and lead away thy
captives.” It is the Lord’s
conquest of the hosts of darkness that is celebrated in the New Testament
passages (Eph. 4: 8; Col. 2: 15), as it is also the theme in Ps. 68: 18, from
which the quotation is actually made.
The figure is again military. God is pictured as among a mighty host: “The chariots of God are
twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands,” and then it is said “Thou hast led away captives,” the phrase formerly used of Barak.
6. WHEN AND WHERE IS
[*
NOTE: The Septuagint (LXX) - a Greek translation of the Holy Scriptures from the Hebrew
text - was completed by seventy translators approximately two hundred years before
the First Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ - God’s anointed Messiah,
or world Ruler: and to this very day, bible scholars, within the Church, are
doggedly denying the existence of the Place and State of disembodied souls in
‘Sheol’ / Gk. ‘Hades, until their Resurrection! Why is this the case today,
with so many people after so many years? It answer must be because Church and
denominational traditions have repeatedly replaced Scriptural truth:
and compromised
Christ’s teachings (Matt.12: 40; Luke 16: 23; John 20: 17, R.V.), for one of
Satan’s most effective lies!]
Paul
says that he was “Caught away into the paradise” (2 Cor. 12: 4), which,
in view of the meaning of the word, does not mean the heaven of heavens where
God has His own especial dwelling. “he word “caught up” is not exact, for the Greek word harpazo does not in
itself indicate the direction. Nor is it certain that by “the paradise” he means the “third heaven” to
which he had been taken according to the verse preceding, because he had said (ver. 1) that he was about to speak of “visions,” not of only one vision, whereas he did not mention
more than one, unless the two are separate events.
But
if the article “the paradise”
points to one such region that is pre-eminently
But the article “the paradise”
does not require the sense of a region in the heavens, because Christ used it
when he said to the thief, “Today shalt thou be with me
in the paradise” (Lk 23: 43), and it is beyond question, as we have seen, that
Christ did not go to the heavenly
regions that day, but to Hades, in “the lower parts of the earth.” Therefore the blissful region of Hades, “Abraham’s bosom” (Lk. 16: 22) was paradise; and ought not we, the followers of the
Lord, to feel that a region which was suitable to
Him in the death state must be fully suitable for us?
As far as the meaning of the word goes there may be
many paradises, even as Solomon says, “I made me paradises”; and so it may be that “the Paradise of God,” where grows the tree of life of which saints that have conquered in
the battles of life shall be privileged to eat, is heavenly in location (Rev.
2: 7; 22: 14); but in any case that is future [and after ‘the first
Resurrection’ (see Rev. 20: 4-6, R.V.)], not
present, as to our enjoyment of it,
and does not touch the place and state
of the dead.
The Lord Jesus in His universal presence is not only in heaven; He is also in the midst of two or three living saints gathered to His name on
earth. He is in Hades also: “He descended
... He ascended,
that He might
fill all things” might occupy
the universe (ta panta),
might pervade it all with His presence, as the odour of the ointment did the
house (John 12: 3), where the same verb is used as in Eph. 4: 10 (pleeroo). Thus, without vacating His place at the right hand of God, He could present Himself personally and
repeatedly to His imprisoned and hard-pressed servant on earth (Acts 23: 11; 2 Tim. 4: 16-17), and can
also communicate with the dead, as
we shall see shortly.
And
the soul, freed from the trammels of this enfeebled, deranged body of our
humiliation, can in consequence appreciate that presence more keenly and enjoy
it more blessedly, and so Paul could rightly say that to depart and to be with
Christ would be very far better than to be chained day and night to a rough
pagan soldier, as was at that time his distressing lot (Phil.
1: 23). It is
however to be noted that the apostle does not here make any general statement
that “to die is
gain”; strictly his assertion is
made of himself only. He had just stated his “earnest expectation and hope” that Christ should continue to be “magnified in his body,
whether by life or by death.” Not every believer lives with this as his fixed and
paramount intention. Not every Christian has so dedicated his body to Christ as
to be as willing for death as for life. Then Paul adds: “For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain” (Phil.
1: 20-21).
Doubtless this is true of each who lives to magnify Christ; but it is not said
of believers who may not so live, as those, for example, who are cut off
prematurely in their sins, as were Ananias
and Sapphira and the evil living
Christians in the Corinthian church (Acts 5: 1; 1 Cor.
11:
30).
7. THE SOULS
UNDER THE ALTAR
It
is a serious loss to many [regenerate] believers that they regard the book of the Revelation as beyond comprehension, and are afraid to accept its symbols and
visions as a revelation. Hence, when appeal is made to it they decline to
accept its testimony. But symbols, pictures, figures of speech, being used by
the [Holy] Spirit of truth with divine care, teach
with accuracy, and indeed with superior vividness, those who have [by Him been
given] eyes to see and ears to hear. Hieroglyphs have plain
meaning to those who can read them, and this had been just as much the fact
during the period when men could not read them, or in the later period when
scholars differed as to their meaning. Patient research brought explanation and
reconciliation.
One
of the most illuminating portions of Scripture upon our present interesting and
necessary themes is in Revelation
6: 9-11. John [the Holy Spirit inspired, and chosen apostle] says: “And when the Lamb opened the
fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word
of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with
a great voice, saying, How long, O sovereign ruler, the holy and true, dost thou not judge
and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And there was given to them, to
each one, a white robe; and it was said unto them that
they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-bondmen also and their brethren, who should be
killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course.”
At the time here in view the resurrection of the godly
[dead] has not yet come, for the roll of the
martyrs is not complete. These brethren therefore are still without
their resurrection bodies. But to John, rapt in spirit into that super-sensuous
world (c. 1: 10: “I became in spirit,” that is, in an ecstatic state), those “souls” were
visible. Therefore death does not end the existence of the soul. Moreover, they
are conscious: they remember what befell them on earth at the hands of the
godless; they know what the future will bring of vengeance; they ponder the
situation, and they wonder at the seeming delay of their vindication by God;
they appeal to their Lord; they are given answer, counsel, and encouragement; they receive the sign of their Master’s
approval, the ‘white robe’, at once His recompense for that they did not defile
their garments in this foul world, and His assurance that they shall be His
personal and constant associates in His [coming Messianic and Millennial] kingdom (Rev. 3: 4-5 [Cf. Rev. 3: 21, R.V.]). This last item - the giving of the
white robes - shows further that not all saints await a session of the judgment
seat of Christ when at last He shall come
from heaven; for His decision and approval are here made known to these in advance of His coming and of their
resurrection.*
[*NOTE:
Here is scriptural proof that there is a
judgment in ‘Sheol’ / Gk. ‘Hades’ before ‘the
first resurrection’ (Rev. 20: 5, R.V.):
and that that judgment after death (Heb. 9: 27), and on the standard of our righteousness (Matt. 5: 20), will be a decisive factor in the Divine selection
of those who will rise from the dead at that time! (Luke 14: 14; 20: 35;
Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b. cf.
Rev. 20: 13-15, R.V.).]
The vision contains also something more, and which is
completely unseen by most readers.
When Samuel
came from Hades to speak to Saul (1 Sam.
28:12-14) he was seen by
the medium. She saw him “coming up out of
the earth,” a further plain intimation that Sheol is within the
earth. She described him, saying it was “an old man” who had appeared, and he was “covered with a robe.” The description was so accurate that Saul, who had long known Samuel on earth, recognized
him by it and was satisfied that the real Samuel was present, though he had not
himself seen the appearance; for it says that “he perceived (Heb., knew),” not that he saw that
it was Samuel. Equally does his question to the witch “What seest thou?” tell that he had not himself seen the form.
This makes evident (a)
that the disembodied soul has form and garments, such as can be seen by one
endowed with vision therefor, as were the medium then and John later; and (b) that the psychical form and clothing of that state
correspond recognizably to the outer material form and clothing of the former
earth life. This has bearing upon the question of recognition after death, and
upon other interesting points not now to be examined.
The reality of this psychical form is often assumed or
asserted in Scripture. Dives in Hades (Lk. 16)
has a body that can feel anguish from a “flame” There is “water” that could cool his “tongue.” Lazarus has a “finger.” Both
Dives and Abraham have eyes and ears and voices; they see and hear and speak. The reality of bliss in that state must be surrendered if the reality
of torment there be denied. That those realities are subtle as
compared with their grosser counterparts of this world, does not make them or
the experiences less real, but rather the more acute.
Thus also it is as to the souls “under the altar.” John sees them, and sees that to each of them is
given a “robe” that is both suitable and significant.
It
was for a similar, yet even higher, experience that Paul longed; for, while the
disembodied state would indeed be far better than his painful lot as a
prisoner, yet in itself it is not the best. And so on another occasion, when he
was in freedom and rejoicing in his wondrous and privileged service, he spoke
differently (2
Cor. 5: 1-10). First he spoke of the present: “We that are in this tent-dwelling [the body] do groan, being burdened”:
then he mentioned the intermediate state after death: “not for that we would be
unclothed” (without adequate
covering), for this is not to be desired, it is as unpleasant and unseemly for
the soul as for the body*; and then
he spoke of the future: “we long to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from
heaven; if so be that being clothed we shall not
be found naked,” that is, at the coming of the Lord.
* Compare the
evident longing of the evil spirit to return into the body he had left. Without
a material body he wandered restless, like a thirsty man seeking water in a
desert (Matt. 12:
43-45).
Demons also begged to enter the bodies of even swine, when driven from the body
of a man. This misery of disembodied beings is recognized by the heathen, who
often, by reason of dread and unholy contact with the demon world, have more
sense of these matters than the materialized modern westerner. Thus a Chinese
driver explained the whirling dust spouts of the
This
“if so be” implies the possibility of not having
part in the first resurrection, for (1 Cor. 15: 54) that is
the hour when “what
is mortal shall be swallowed up of life,” by the soul being clothed upon with its “building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal,
in the heavens,” a “house” in contrast to this present body, the frail
transitory tent.
This
is the meaning of his earlier prayer above noticed, that “the spirit and soul and body
be preserved entire, unblemished,” and so unblameable (amemptos includes
both) when the Lord shall come (1 Thess. 5: 22). No “naked,” that is,
unembodied, soul can be presented before the presence of God’s glory, because
for that it must be without blemish (amoms),
not to be blamed (Jude 24; Eph. 1: 4). Were a man, however perfect his form, and even were
he of the royal family, to present himself naked on a court day before the king
upon his throne he would be severely blamed. Not only comeliness of person, but
clothing, and suitable clothing, is indispensable. Indeed, the officers of the
court would prevent anything so utterly unseemly. Shall the King of kings
receive less respect? He that hath ears to hear let him hear this, and lay to
heart that not death, but resurrection
or rapture [with an immortal
body] fits for translation to the realms above and the
court of the [presence of the] God of glory.
It was thus with Christ himself.
For
entrance into the holy places the priest had not only to be one of the redeemed
people of God; he had also to be unblemished as to his person (Lev.
21),
and he had further to be clothed in garments of glory and beauty (Ex.
28).
Both were indispensable for access to the presence of God. Moreover, before the
perfect form could be clothed in such garments it had to be washed with water (Lev. 8: 6; 16: 4), which is the work our Moses, Christ, wishes to
effect in us in this earthly life by His word (Eph. 5: 25-27) and by
discipline (Heb. 12: 10), in
preparation for that coming day of our being clothed for access to and service
in the true sanctuary above.
If
it be asked whether the righteousness imputed to the believer upon first faith
in Christ does not include all this that is evidently necessary, the answer is a distinct negative. One consideration settles this. That imputed
righteousness is the “righteousness of God,” and this is of necessity indefectible, untarnishable. But, according
to the regulations, the priest may possibly be defective in form or defiled in
person and clothing: were it not so, what need of the regulations and purifying
ceremonies?
For
the forgiveness of sins, and for life as a forgiven man in the camp,
neither perfection of form, nor washing at the gate of the tabernacle, nor
special clothing, were demanded; but for access to God and for priestly service
all these were as indispensable as the atoning blood. Imputed
righteousness
settles completely and for ever the judicial
standing of the believer as justified before the law of God; but practical righteousness must be added
in order to secure many of the mighty privileges which become possible to the
justified. Let him that hath ears hear this also, for loss and shame
must be his at last who has been content to remain deformed and imperfect in
moral state, or is found to have neglected the washing, and so to be unfit to
wear the noble clothing required for access to the throne of glory. Such neglect of present grace not only
causes the loss of heart access to God, as the careless [regenerate] believer surely knows, but will
assure the forfeiture [if repentance is not forthcoming] of much that
grace would have granted in the future.
Here
lies the weight of the warning which our Lord announces from heaven as to be
specially applicable when His coming draws near: “Behold,
I come as a
thief” [His message is set in the midst of the gathering of the
hosts of Antichrist for the battle of Har Magedon, and so indicates the period when the coming will
be]. “Blessed is he that
watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame”
(Rev.
16:
15). Therefore “garments” may be lost [through one’s
continued disobedience and apostasy]. If the reference is to the imputed righteousness, then justification [by faith] may
be forfeited, and the once [eternally] saved be
afterwards lost. But let those who rightly reject this, inquire honestly what it does properly mean
as to the eternally justified. And
let them face what is
involved in the loss of one’s garments.
In
the temple of old the guards were placed at nightfall at their posts. The
captain of the temple, at any hour he chose, went round with a posse of men
unannounced, and if a guard was caught asleep at his post, he was stripped of
his clothes, which were burned, and he was left to go forth in his shame. The
shame of his nakedness was the outward counterpart of the deeper shame that he
had slept when on duty. Not in that
dishonoured state dare he enter the house of God and sing or serve. And it would be long ere the disgrace of
that night would fade from memory, his own or others. My soul, keep awake
through this short night of duty while thy Lord is away! Thou knowest not in
which watch of the night He will come, and it were dreadful to be left
unclothed with that house which is from heaven should He come suddenly and find
thee sleeping!
To
return to seal 5. These, then, are Souls not “spirits.” Man has spirit as part of his composite being, but he
is not a spirit, as angels are. In the 397 places where the word “spirit” comes in the New Testament man is never called a
spirit, because he himself is not one,
but is a soul. Hence, by the way, the “in-prison spirits” of 1
Pet. 3: 19 are not human beings, but those - [“The Nephilim … when the sons of God”] - fallen angels - [came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to
them” (Gen. 6:
4, R.V.)] - whom
Peter again mentions (2 Pet. 2: 4 comp. Gen. 6: 1-4 and Jude 6). This is put beyond question by the fact that these are in the
underworld, in prison, in Tartarus - a region well known to the ancient world,
and by this name that Peter uses, as the
deepest and most dreadful part of Hades, a prison of fallen angels;
whereas the spirit of man does not go to the underworld, but to “God who gave it.”
It
is therefore the soul which is the person; and - against the annihilationist -
the soul has not ceased to exist, or lost its sense of personality, because of
being without spirit or body. Yet neither can man in this incomplete condition
stand in the all-holy presence of God in heaven. For entrance into
the holy of holies the high priest himself must be
arrayed in garments specially pure and glorious. It was only in His resurrection body of glory that the Man Christ Jesus
entered into the holy place on high, and
so only can the under-priests, His
followers, do so. To
stand there the being must be complete in structure and perfect morally, which
is the point of Paul’s prayer for fellow-saints: “The God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire,
blameless in the parousia [the presence, at His coming] of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess.
5: 23). This shows that the phrase
“the spirits of
just men made perfect” points to
the resurrection. It has just before been said of them, that “apart from us they could not
be made perfect” (Heb. 12: 23; 11: 40). All the other glories to which in this passage we are
said to have come are future, to be realized actually at the coming of the
Lord. See my Firstborn Sons, 84 ff
The
use of spirit in this place (Heb. 12: 23) may seem at variance with the statement that man is not called a “spirit” It is a rare instance, perhaps in the New Testament
the only instance, of Cremer’s fourth sense in which
the term is used. It “comes to denote an essence
without any corporeal garb for its inner reality”; that is, in Heb. 12: 23, which he cites, the man, the soul, without its
body, is described as spirit, meaning a spiritual
substance destitute of a material covering. This does not cancel the regular
distinction in Scripture between soul and spirit, but indicates
only the immateriality of the soul, the ego, in itself. The student should by
all means study Cremer’s treatment of pneuma and psuche (Lexicon of N. T Greek), and note his conclusion
that “psuche [soul] is the subject or ego of life.”
Now
these souls that John saw are “under the altar.”
Not one of the first six seals, of which this is the fifth, pictures events in
the presence of God in heaven; all deal with affairs of earth, or as seen from
the earth. This altar, then, is not in heaven. There is an altar in heaven
pictured in the book; but it is specified as being the “golden altar,” that is, the one for incense (comp. Ex.
30: 3), and as being “before the throne”
or “before God”
(Rev. 8: 3; 9: 13). In this
book “before the
throne” always means the upper
heavens. But this other altar is one of sacrifice, though not of atoning
sacrifice. We Christians have an altar of atoning sacrifice (Heb. 13: 10): it is the
cross of Jesus, the Lamb of God. But that is not in view here.
The
picture is really quite simple. The brazen altar of sacrifice in the tabernacle
was square mid hollow, with a grating upon which rested the wood and the
victims. When the fire had done its work the remains of the sacrifice fell
through the grating to beneath the altar, whence they could be removed on
occasion. Now the place, the “altar,” where
these martyrs of Christ sacrificed person and life in His cause is obviously
this earth, and thus this vision simply declares what we have seen from other
scriptures, that the place of the dead is under the earth: “He descended into the lower
parts of the earth”; whence those
still there will be removed at resurrection.
Since
these pages were written I have learned that this was the explanation of the
earliest known Latin commentator on the Apocalypse, Victorinus of Pettau (died
303). Mr. F. E Bruce summarized this
in The
Evangelical Quarterly (Oct., 1938) as follows: “The altar (6: 9) is the earth: the brazen altar of burnt-offering and the golden
altar of incense in the Tabernacle correspond to earth and heaven respectively.
The
souls under the altar, therefore,
are in Hades, in that department of it which is ‘remote from pains and fires,
the rest of the saints’.”
This
confirms Bishop Pearson cited above
as to the view held in the earliest Christian centuries.
A great deal more concerning Hades can
be learned from Scripture, but it
would require separate treatment. Here we deal with the matter only as
connected with the subject in hand.
It
is true, as above indicated on Heb. 12: 23, that the
words soul and spirit take, by much usage, shades of meaning derived from their
primary sense. The student will discover these, and will not be confused
thereby if only the primary, dominant
sense of each has been first grasped firmly. And keeping that sense before him, we believe he will find it to illuminate many obscure scriptures and
subjects to see that the soul is the person - a living soul while on earth - a
dead soul while in the underworld - and to be made alive in immortality at the [time
of]
resurrection, with a body [immortal
and]
of glory incorruptible, indestructible.
The
term “immortal soul” is incorrect and
misleading when used of our present state or of the dead. To be immortal is to
be incapable of dying. Man is not this as yet. Neither the innocent humanity of
Adam, nor even the sinless humanity of Jesus [before His
resurrection] was immortal, for both were capable of dying, and did in fact die. But
the saved of men will become immortal in resurrection, as the man Christ Jesus
did. The soul, the man, has now endless
existence but not
immortality, in the proper sense of the word, until resurrection; and then only
the saved will be incapable of dying; the lost will exist for ever, but in a
state termed “dead,” the “second death.”
We
rightly describe death as a “dissolution,” for
the partnership between man’s spirit and soul and body is dissolved. Of our
Lord in resurrection we read the glorious fact that “He liveth in the power of
indissoluble life” and “death no more hath dominion over Him” (Heb. 7: 16;
*
* * *
* * *
996
OVERCOMING [OR] BEING OVERCOME
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD.
-------
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; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath
trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.
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
Moreover your little ones, which ye said shall be a prey, and your children, which in that day
had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will
I give it, and they shall possess it.
But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the
And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the
children of Esau, which dwell in Seir...
And when we passed by from our
brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in
Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab ... the children of
Lot... (Deut. 1: 35-40; 2: 4, 8, 9).
Because of the
action of the people of
On
the one hand, there was the
overthrow of an entire unbelieving generation, overthrown in a manner
completely in keeping with their unbelief. Then, on the other
hand, Caleb and Joshua - the ones
believing that they could go in and, under God, take the land - ultimately
realized their inheritance in a manner completely in keeping with their belief.
UNBELIEF
The
nation at large, at Kadesh-Barnea, believed the false report of the ten spies.
They envisioned falling at the hands of the inhabitants of
Once
this had occurred, once the Israelites had expressed unbelief after this
fashion, at this particular place, the nation found itself in a position from
which there could be no return. The accountable generation had forfeited their part
in the rights of the firstborn
(rights to be realized by the nation as God’s firstborn son [cf. Ex.
4: 22, 23; 19: 5, 6]), matters could not be reversed (cf. Matt.
12: 31, 32), and the
only thing awaiting these Israelites was God carrying out His judgmental
decree.
Note
that the very next day, after hearing God’s judgment upon them because of their
unbelief (along with seeing the ten spies die “by the plague before the Lord”), the unbelieving Israelites changed
their minds. They even went so
far as to attempt to enter the land after being warned by Moses that the Lord was no longer with them; and
they were, accordingly, driven back by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. They
could no longer occupy the place from which they, through
unbelief, had fallen (Num.
14: 28-45).
This
is what the third of the five major warnings in the Book of Hebrews is
about (6: 4-6). Once a
Christian falls away in the antitype of that which occurred at Kadesh-Barnea (Heb. 3, 4), exactly the same thing will occur to the unbelieving Christian
as occurred to the unbelieving Israelites. The Christian will have fallen away
after such a fashion that he cannot be
renewed “again unto repentance [‘unto a change of mind’]” (verse 6).
The
“change of mind” is not on the
part of the Christian, as it was not
on the part of the Israelites in the type. It was/is on the part of God. A Christian falling away after this fashion may later change his mind,
as the Israelites did after falling away. But, as in the type, God will not change His mind.
The
Christian will have forfeited his part in the rights of the firstborn (rights
to be realized by the Church following the adoption into sonship [cf. Rom. 8: 18-23; Heb. 12: 23]),
with only judgment awaiting; and God will not
change His mind and bless
that Christian also. The type has been set, and the antitype must follow the
previously established type.
Exactly
the same thing is seen relative to these rights and a change of mind in the
last of the five major warnings in Hebrews (12: 14-17). Esau, after forfeiting the rights of the
firstborn - selling these rights to his younger brother, Jacob - “found no place of repentance [‘a change of mind’], though he sought it carefully with tears” (verse 17).
Esau
changed his mind following the forfeiture. After realizing the value of
that which he had forfeited, Esau sought to get his father to change his mind and
bless him also. But it was too late. The birthright had been forfeited, it was beyond
Esau’s grasp forever, and all Esau could do at this point was express grief
over that which he had
allowed to occur.
Scripture reads, “And Esau lifted up his voice and wept” (Gen. 27: 34-38).
(Note
two things: 1) The warnings in
Hebrews become explanatory, self-interpretive, if they are understood in the
light of the types [an interpretive method which is true, in reality,
throughout the whole of Scripture, i.e., types and antitypes understood in the
light of one another]; and 2) very
few Christians today could fall away in the antitype of Heb. 6: 4-6, for to
fall away after this fashion requires an understanding of the Word of the
Kingdom, something which very few Christians presently possess…])
1. TURNED ADOUT
Moses,
near the end of his life and near the end of the wilderness journey, recounted
to the Israelites that which had occurred at Kadesh-Barnea and throughout the
thirty-eight succeeding years. He spoke of the nation’s unbelief, along with
Caleb and Joshua’s belief. Then he recounted God’s promise to Caleb and Joshua,
along with the account of God’s judgment falling upon the unbelieving nation (Deut.
1: 26ff).
Caleb
and Joshua, because they believed the Lord, had been promised that they would
one day realize an inheritance in the land. They would be allowed to go in with
the second generation and, individually, have a part in the rights belonging to God’s firstborn son. The
remainder of the accountable generation though, because they did not believe
the Lord, would die in the wilderness prior to the second generation being
allowed to go into the land under Joshua. They would have no part in
realizing the rights of the firstborn (Deut. 1: 35ff).
After
Moses had recounted the Lord’s promise to Caleb and Joshua, he then turned to
the account of the Lord’s judgmental decree upon the unbelieving generation.
God’s decree from thirty-eight years back, given through Moses, began with the
words, “But as
for you...” (verse 40).
Then,
the first thing which the unbelieving generation at Kadesh-Barnea heard after
that was, “turn
you” (verse 40). That is, they were to turn from the land set before
them. Through their prior act of unbelief, they
had gone too far. They had
expressed unbelief concerning the Lord being able to complete His work
and bring them into the land to which He had called them. They had expressed unbelief in matters surrounding
the very goal of their calling - a realm which the Lord considered of supreme importance, important above everything else. And, through so
doing, they went beyond the point which the Lord could allow them to go and
still allow them to enter the land.
Thus,
there was only one thing left. They were to be turned
from the land
toward which they had moved for the preceding eighteen months, with a view to
their being overthrown outside this land. And the
place where they
were to be overthrown was clearly revealed at the beginning; and now,
thirty-eight years later, God’s dealings with a rebellious people after this
fashion was in the very last stages of being completed.
2. INTO THE WILDERNESS, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA
But
viewing matters from the beginning once again, the Israelites were not to be
overthrown just any place in the wilderness; nor could they be taken back to
The
Israelites were turned away
from the
The
“Sea” refers particularly to two things in Scripture. It
refers to the place of the Gentile nations and to the place
of death. In this
respect, typically, the place which God had reserved for the unbelieving
Israelites was in the sphere of death among the Gentile nations. And it was here that they
were to be overthrown (ref. Chapter
II, “From the Sea to the Mountain”).
The
picture is really the same as seen in the later experiences of
During
Moses’ day, it was only at the end of a full forty years (referring to a
complete period) that God allowed a second generation of Israelites to leave
their place in “the
wilderness by the way of the
(Or,
if the Hebrew rendering for Jesus is preferred in the antitype, it is “Joshua” [this is the reason for the incorrect
rendering, “Jesus,” rather than “Joshua,” in Heb. 4: 8, KJV].
Joshua led the Israelites into the land in the past, and Joshua [Jesus] will
lead the Israelites into the land in the future. Also note that a more detailed
and complete look at the overall type is seen beginning with the departure from
3. INTO THE LANDS OF ESAU,
Note,
according to the text, that the unbelieving Israelites were not to be
overthrown just any place in “the
wilderness by the way of the
A) THE
Esau,
the elder son of Isaac, “despised his birthright” and sold his rights as firstborn to his younger brother, Jacob, for a
meal consisting of “bread and pottage of lentils” (Gen. 25: 27-34). The Septuagint
(Creek version of the O.T.) uses a word for the rendering “despised” (verse 34)
which means that Esau regarded his birthright as
practically worthless. He saw no
real value to the birthright and sold it on a particular occasion to satisfy
his hunger.
Esau
was “a cunning
hunter, a man of the field,” contrasted with Jacob who was “a plain man, dwelling in tents” (Gen.
25: 27). The “field” in
Scripture, as “
Thus,
Esau, in Scripture, is pictured as a man of the
world - a person interested in the things of the
world rather than the things of God. And Esau sold his rights as firstborn at a
time immediately after he had been out in “the field” and
at a time when he was “faint [weary and hungry]” (Gen. 25: 29, 30).
There
was nothing in the field to reveal the value of the birthright to Esau. The
birthright had to do with spiritual
values, separate from the world; but Esau was interested in the world and
that which could bring satisfaction to the fleshly man. Spiritually, he could
only have been completely destitute, with his rights as firstborn being
something which he knew practically nothing about and, accordingly, something
of little interest to him. Thus, looking upon the birthright from the vantage
point of the world and seeing little value therein, he considered one meal to
be of more value and sold his rights as firstborn for the meal.
And
it was into Esau’s land - the land of a person of the
world who
considered his birthright to be of little
value - that God’s firstborn son, because of the
nation’s unbelief and forfeiture of the rights of the firstborn, was taken to
be overthrown. The unbelieving generation was to be overthrown in the land of
the descendants of a person who had looked upon the rights of the firstborn after a similar fashion to the way they had looked upon them.
B) THE
And
not only were the unbelieving Israelites to be overthrown in the
Abraham,
after strife had arisen between the herdsmen of
Lot
moved down into
the cities of the plain, pitched his tent toward
Those
who sat in the gate of a city in those days transacted business on behalf of
the city. Thus,
(Homosexual activity in Sodom had been brought to full fruition through
the men of the city committing homosexual acts with
angels in the kingdom of Satan [cf. Gen. 19: 1-11; Jude 6,
7]. And note that the homosexual activity rampant throughout the world today
will end after the same fashion. It
will apparently come into full fruition during the latter part of the Great
Tribulation, after Satan and his angels have been cast out of the heavens. That which is seen today is only the
forerunner of that which will shortly exist [cf. Luke 17:
26-31; Rev. 12: 7-9].)
And
it was into
4. CHRISTIANS IN THE ANTITYPE
The
whole matter of Christians in the antitype hardly needs to be stated for those
who have eyes to see. There is nothing - absolutely NOTHING - more important in the Christian life than presently
moving out toward and ultimately realizing the goal of one’s calling.
But,
what are most [regenerate] Christians
doing relative to the matter today? Take a look around and see for yourself.
Is this the topic of concern when Christians meet
together today? Is this what is heard from the pulpit or the classroom or on Sunday
morning, Sunday evening, and / or other times when Christians come together.
Again, the reader can answer from his/ her own experience.
Christians
cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6: 19-24). They
cannot have the best of what this world has to offer and also expect to have
the best of what God has already offered. Christians must, individually,
choose; and that decision is left entirely up to them (cf. Gen. 24: 58).
Christians
can go the way of Esau and Lot - having any spiritual senses and perspective
progressively dulled by the things of the world - resulting in their
progressively being overthrown in the
The
former is the easy life, and the latter is not so easy. In fact, the latter
often becomes quite difficult. But what will the end be? That’s what matters!
BELIEF
Note
that Caleb and Joshua, at Kadesh-Barnea, didn’t have it easy at all when
giving a true report relative to the land set before them. In fact, the unbelieving generation of Israelites sought to stone them (Num.
14: 6-10). And they had to
live with this unbelieving generation for the next thirty-eight and one-half
years, until every single one of them
had been overthrown.
And
that’s where the believing Christian is today. He
is out living among
unbelieving Christians who are in
the process of being overthrown; and he, invariably, experiences similar
treatment to that which Caleb and Joshua were accorded among the unbelieving
Israelites.
Persecution,
in actuality, doesn’t come from the world. That’s not what is found in the
type, and it can’t be found after any other fashion in the antitype. True
persecution comes from unfaithful
fellow-believers. They are
the ones who find themselves in the position of Esau,
1. NECESSARY PREPARATIONS
It
was only near the end of the forty years that God began to once again deal with
the Israelites relative to entrance into the
“This day will I
begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are
under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish
because of thee” (Deut. 2: 25).
This
was the beginning of the Lord’s preparatory work relative to bringing the
second generation of Israelites, along with Caleb and Joshua, into the land.
And the remainder of Deuteronomy - prior to the account of the entrance of the nation
into the land in the first three chapters of the Book of Joshua - concerns itself mainly with what was stated by Moses in Deut.
4: 1:-
“Now therefore
hearken, O
Then
Moses’ closing words to this new generation of Israelites, given immediately
before his death, near the end of the book, were almost identical to the way he
began:
“Set your hearts
unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of
this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your
life:
and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over
At
the time Moses proclaimed these final words to “all
And,
with the leadership falling to Joshua, this is where the five books of Moses
close, with the Israelites ready to cross the
2. GROSSING THE
Moses,
at Kadesh-Barnea, had sent twelve spies into the land. Now, thirty-eight and
one-half years later, Joshua, from the eastern side of Jordan, sends two
individuals to spy out Jericho and the surrounding land (Joshua 2: 1 ff). And upon the return of the two spies “from the mountain” (verse 23),
their report was very simple and straightforward:-
“And they said unto
Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land;
for even all the
inhabitants of the country do faint because of us” (Joshua 2:
24).
And
this time there was no evil report by the spies or unbelief
on the part of the people.
According to the record, following the report of the two spies, the immediate
matter at hand was the passage of the people across the Jordan River and the
conquest of the land, beginning with Jericho (Joshua 3: 1ff).
Once
the Israelites were across and twelve stones had been taken from the midst of
Jordan as a testimony for future generations, the priests brought the ark up
from the midst of Jordan, and the Lord released the waters to their natural
flow once again (Joshua 4: 1-24). Then
note the reaction of the Gentile nations which
“And it came to pass, when all
the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side
of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the
Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from
before the children of Israel, until we were
passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel” (Joshua 5:
1; cf. Deut.
2: 25).
Then,
following Joshua circumcising the new generation (in accord with the Lord’s
instructions) and the manna ceasing (the people were to now eat “the fruit of the
3. TAKING THE LAND, REALIZING AN INHERITANCE
Jericho
was among the cities in the land described thirty-eight and one-half years
earlier by the ten spies as being “walled up to heaven [‘to the
heavens’]” (Deut. 1: 28). But note what the Lord did with the wall surrounding
After
the Israelites had followed the Lord’s instructions concerning taking Jericho,
the wall simply “fell
down flat”; and the Israelites
marched across the fallen wall, “utterly destroyed all that was in the city” (save Rahab and her family), and then burned the city
(Joshua 6: 2-27).
And
that’s the way it was to be as the Israelites marched through the land,
conquered the inhabitants, and possessed the land. And that’s the way it could
have been thirty-eight and one-half years earlier had the Israelites believed
the true report given by Caleb and Joshua rather than the false report given by
the ten.
But
the way it was to be and the way it actually happened - even during the
conquest under Joshua - were not the same. At the very next city which the
Israelites sought to conquer - Ai - they suffered defeat. Achan, contrary
to the Lord’s command, had kept some
of the spoils of
The
matter of Achan’s sin had to be dealt with first, and the people could then
(and did) move victoriously against Ai (Joshua 7: 23-26; 8: lff). And beyond that the Israelites, under Joshua, began
to progressively move victoriously throughout the land, taking it “by little and little,” as the
preceding generation had been instructed to do under Moses (Joshua 9: l ff, cf. Deut. 7: 22).
Then,
after the Israelites, over time, had destroyed part of the nations in the land,
the Lord instructed Joshua to divide the land for an inheritance among the
different tribes (Joshua 13: 1ff; cf. Joshua
21: 43-45; 23: 4-13). And it was within this division that Caleb and
Joshua realized the inheritance which had been promised to them at
Kadesh-Barnea forty-five years earlier (Joshua 14: 7-14; 19: 49, 50; cf. Num. 14: 24, 30; Deut. 1: 35-38).
4. CHRISTIANS TODAY
Everything
is identical in the antitype. There
is a warfare against those dwelling in the land of the Christians’ inheritance
(Satan and his angels), and the warfare
can be won or it can be lost.
One
primary, simple fact though remains should Christians expect to one day realize
an inheritance in the land to which they have been called: They must engage themselves in the battle; The war fought (Eph. 3: 9-11; 6: 11-18).
The
battle and its outcome can be seen in the experiences of Israelites at
God’s
[redeemed and regenerate] people must do what He has told them to do. This is the reason
Moses, near the end of his life, immediately before the Israelites were to
enter the land under Joshua, spent his time reiterating the Lord’s commandments
to the people (Deut. 4: l ff); and
this is also the reason that Joshua did exactly the same thing immediately
following the Israelites’ defeat and subsequent victory at Ai (Joshua 8: 34, 35).
Moses,
by reiterating the Lord’s commandments to the people prior to the conquest,
sought to prevent events such as those which had occurred at Ai; and
Joshua, going back over the Lord’s commandments after matters surrounding Ai
had been taken care of - something which formed a conclusion to previous
instructions left by Moses - sought to prevent a
repeat of such
events (cf. Deut. 27: 1-8; Joshua 8: 30-35).
Jesus
is “the author of eternal salvation [‘salvation for the age’] unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5: 9; cf. Gen. 42: 55, 56; Matt. 7: 24-29; John 15: 1-15). A
Christian must follow
that which the Lord has commanded (which will result in his keeping himself
unspotted by the world [rather than following Achan’s path]) as he goes forth
to battle the inhabitants of the land.
Sin
is disobedience to that which the Lord has commanded. And though Christians -
presently in a body of flesh, housing the old sin nature - may fall, cleansing [and subsequent restoration into His fellowship] is available. That’s why Christ is presently exercising the office of High Priest in
the heavenly sanctuary (cf. John 13: 8-10; Heb. 10: 19-22; 1 John 1: 6 - 2: 2).
Sin
must be dealt with prior to the battle (as at Ai). Then, believing that
the Lord will do exactly what He has promised, victory
after victory can ensue as the person moves forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the goal. There can be no
such thing as defeat if one moves in
accord with the Lord’s instructions.
*
* * *
* * *
997
CROWNED
RULERS - CHRIST - CHRISTIANS
By ARLEN L.
CHITWOOD
-------
FOREWORD
There
is an existing universe which God not only brought into existence but one over
which He also exercises absolute, sovereign control. And the Bible is God’s
revelation to man concerning His actions in the preceding respect, especially
as these actions relate to the earth and to man.
Man
is a latecomer in the universe. He was created after God’s creation of the
physical universe, after God’s creation of angels, and after God’s government
of the universe had been established and was in full operation. Man’s existence
dates back only six millenniums, and
he was brought into existence for the specific purpose of replacing a
disqualified provincial ruler in God’s kingdom, one who had been ruling for a
prior unrevealed period of time.
Man
was created to replace the ruler whom God had, in the beginning, placed over
the earth (Ezek.
28: 14). This ruler, Satan, who,
because of his rebellion against
God’s supreme power and authority, disqualified himself (Isa. 14: 12-15). And
man was subsequently brought on the scene to take the sceptre and, along with
the woman, rule this one province in God’s kingdom in the stead of Satan
and his angels (Gen.
1: 26-28).
Thus,
matters surrounding man’s subsequent fall and redemption both revolve around
the reason for his creation - “... let them
[the
man and woman] have dominion...”
Satan
knew why man had been created, and he immediately set about to effect man’s
disqualification (through disobedience), as he himself had been disqualified -
an act which, if successfully accomplished (as it was), would allow Satan
(though disqualified) to continue holding the sceptre (Gen. 3: 1ff; cf. Luke 4: 5, 6).
And
redemption, remaining within the same framework of thought, simply has to do
with God providing a means whereby He could not only bring man back into a
right relationship with Himself but also a means whereby He could ultimately
bring man into a realization of the purpose for which he had been created (Gen. 3: 15; cf.
Heb. 2: 5).
This
is the manner in which Scripture not only begins in the Book of Genesis but also concludes in the Book of Revelation (Rev.
22: 1-5). And all intervening Scripture must be viewed
and understood within this same framework.
*
* *
When Christ returns to the earth at the conclusion of
the Tribulation, He will have many crowns upon His head (Rev. 19: 12). But these crowns, through comparing this
section in Revelation with other Scriptures on the subject, are not crowns
which Christ will wear during the Messianic Era. Christ is destined to wear the
crown which Satan presently wears; and at the time Christ returns to the earth,
Satan will still be in possession of his crown. Satan’s crown will have to be
taken from him (by force) and given to Christ before
Christ can actually sit upon the
throne and occupy, in its fullest sense, the position depicted in Rev. 19: 16: “King of kings, and Lord of
lords.”
SAUL AND
DAVID, SATAN AND CHRIST
Certain
things concerning crowns, especially relative to the crown which Christ is to
wear, can possibly best be illustrated by referring to the typology of Saul and
David in the Books of 1, 2 Samuel.
Saul
had been anointed king over
Affairs
continued after this fashion in the camp of
The
day eventually came when this occurred. Saul, following a battle and an
attempted suicide, was slain by an Amalekite. His crown was taken and delivered
to David (1
Sam. 31:
1-13; 2
Sam. 1: 1-10). Then, David and his faithful men
moved in and took over the government (2 Sam. 2: 1ff).
The
entire sequence of events depicting Saul and David typifies great spiritual
truths concerning Satan and Christ. Just as Saul was anointed king over Israel,
Satan was anointed king over the earth; just as Saul rebelled against the Lord
and was rejected, Satan rebelled against the Lord and was rejected; just as
David was anointed king while Saul continued to reign, Christ was anointed King
while Satan continued to reign; just as David did not immediately ascend the
throne, Christ did not immediately ascend the throne; just as David eventually
found himself in a place removed from the kingdom ([separated
from Saul’s followers and] out in the hills), Christ eventually found Himself in
a place removed from the kingdom (heaven); just as David gathered certain
faithful men unto himself during this time (anticipating his future reign),
Christ is presently gathering certain faithful men unto Himself (anticipating
His future [messianic and millennial] reign); just as the day came when Saul was put down,
the day will come when Satan will be put down; just as Saul’s crown was taken
and given to David, Satan’s crown will be taken and given to Christ; and just
as David and his faithful followers then moved in and took over the government, Christ and His
faithful followers will then move in and take over the government.
PURPOSE FOR
THE PRESENT DISPENSATION
A
principle of Divine government set forth in the type of Saul and David shows
the necessity of an incumbent ruler, although rejected, continuing to reign
until replaced by his successor. The government of the earth is a rule under
God through delegated powers and authorities. In this respect, Satan rules
directly under God (though a rebel ruler), and a great host of subordinate
angels rule with him.
Even
though Satan and his followers have been rejected, they must continue
in power (as Saul and those ruling with him) until replaced by Christ and His [faithful] followers (as when David and his faithful followers
took the kingdom). God will not, at any time, allow
conditions to exist upon the earth in which there is no Divinely administered
government through delegated powers and authorities. Even though the
government of the earth is in disarray today, because
of Satan’s rebellion, it is still
under God’s sovereign power and control (Dan.
4:
17-34).
The
present dispensation [or evil ‘age’] is the time
during which the antitype of David’s faithful followers being gathered unto him
occurs. As during David’s time, so during the present time - there must be a period, preceding the King coming into power, during which the [selected
(Rev. 2: 25; 3: 21, R.V.)] rulers are
called out. David’s men
were the ones who occupied positions of power and authority with him after he
took Saul’s crown. Thus will it be when Christ takes Satan’s crown. Those who
are being called out during the present time are the ones who will occupy
positions of power and authority with Him during that coming [millennial and messianic] day.*
[*
See Revelation
20: 1-6,
R.V. Cf. 2
Tim. 2: 1-13, R.V. Note: in verse
12 word translated ‘eternal’ is ‘aionios,’ and the ‘salvation’
to be obtained, in this context, should be understood as ‘age’-lasting!]
Satan
will be allowed to continue his reign until God’s purpose for this present dispensation has been
accomplished. Then, he and
those ruling with him will be put down, and an entirely new order of rulers
will take the kingdom. Christ will enter into the position previously occupied
by Satan, and Christians will enter into positions previously occupied by
angels ruling under Satan.
And
since Christ (replacing Satan) will wear the crown presently worn by Satan, it
only naturally follows that Christians (replacing subordinate powers and
authorities) will wear crowns presently worn by [fallen] angels ruling
under Satan. All of these are crowns which neither Christ nor Christians can
come into possession of until Satan and his angels have been put down at the end of
the [Great] Tribulation.
ANGELIC RULE
ABOUT TO END
The originally established angelic rule over the earth
has continued uninterrupted since the beginning, preceding man’s existence on
the earth. However, with the creation of Adam, God announced that a change was
in the offing. Man, an entirely new creation, made after the image and
likeness of God, was brought into existence to take the
governmental reins of the earth (Gen. 1: 26-28). But the
first man (the first Adam), through sin, was disqualified, necessitating the
appearance of the second Man (the last Adam) to effect redemption and the ultimate realization for man’s creation.
The
price has been paid, but redemption includes far more than that which presently
exists. Redemption includes the complete
man (body, soul, and spirit), it
includes the earth (presently under a curse), and the goal of redemption will be
realized only when
man has been brought into the position for which he was created (ruling over a
restored earth).
Scripture
clearly attests to the fact that the “world [‘inhabited world’]
to come”
will not be placed “in subjection” to angels (Heb. 2: 5). Man is the one
to whom power and authority will be delegated.
This
is clearly seen through the action of the twenty-four elders in Rev. 4: 10, removing
themselves from their thrones (verse 4) and casting
their crowns before God’s throne. Their
activity can only be with a view to the fact that the government of the earth,
at this point in the sequence of events depicted in the book, is about to change hands.
These
twenty-four elders can only be a representative group of heavenly beings
(angels) who, up to this time, had held positions within a sphere of
governmental power and authority relative to the earth. And at this point in
the book, through the action of these elders, the way will be opened for God to
transfer the government of the earth from
the hands of angels to the hands of man.
(These
crowns are cast before God’s throne [cf. 4: 14; 5: 1-7] because the
Father alone is the One Who places and / or removes
rulers in His kingdom [Dan. 4: 17-37; 5: 18-21]. He
alone is the One Who placed those represented by the twenty-four elders in
the positions which they occupied; and He alone is the One Who will place individuals in particular positions in
the kingdom of Christ [Matt. 20: 20-23].
These
crowns cast before God’s throne can only have to do with the government of the earth. And, at this point in the book, they
can be worn by angels alone, for the
Son will not yet have taken the kingdom [cf. Dan.
7: 13, 14; Rev. 11: 15]. These
crowns are relinquished to God at this time [with a view to man, rather than
angels, ruling in the kingdom] so that He can appoint those who had previously
been shown qualified at events surrounding the judgment seat [chs. 1-3] to
positions of power and authority; and those whom God appoints will wear these
crowns in Christ’s [promised, messianic (Ps.
2: 8,
R.V. Cf.
Isa. 35. and Rom. 8: 16-22, R.V.] kingdom.)
The
transfer of the government of the earth, from the hands of angels into the
hands of man, in reality, is what the first nineteen chapters of the Book of Revelation are about; and, as well, this is what the whole of Scripture preceding
these nineteen chapters is also about. In this respect, these twenty-four elders
casting their crowns before God’s throne forms a key event which one must grasp
if he would properly understand the Book of Revelation and Scripture as a
whole.
Christ
and His bride, in that coming day, will rule the earth in the stead of
Satan and his angels. And, in the
process of ruling in this manner, they will wear all the crowns worn by Satan
and his angels prior to Satan’s fall.
Thus,
that which is depicted through the action of the twenty-four elders in Rev. 4:10, 11 is
contextually self-explanatory. This has to do with the government of the earth,
it occurs at a time following events surrounding the judgment seat (chs. 1-3) but
preceding Christ being shown worthy to break the seals of the seven-sealed
scroll (ch. 5), and it occurs at a time when Satan’s reign is about
to be brought to a close.
After
events in Revelation chapters one through three have come to pass, for the
first time in man’s history, the person (the bride) who is to rule with the One to replace Satan (Christ) will
have been made known and shown forth. And events in the fourth chapter reflect
that fact.
Only
one thing could possibly be in view at this point in the book, for the bride* will not only have been made known but will be ready
for events surrounding the transfer of power to begin. The twenty-four elders
casting their crowns before God’s throne can only depict the angels who did not
go along with Satan in his rebellion; and they will willingly relinquish their
crowns, with a view to those comprising the bride wearing
these crowns during the Messianic Era.
[* Note: After a
study of Genesis chapter
24, with the text in Revelation (19: 8, R.V.);
it is evident that those who will make up the company known as the
Bride of Christ (John 3: 29), are redeemed individuals who will be chosen,
by Him, from amongst all other redeemed souls!
There
must,
and there will, be a select rapture
of living saints before the Great Tribulation commences (See
Lk. 21: 34-36; Rev. 3: 10): and
there must, and there will be a select resurrection of
deceased saints from ‘Sheol’ / ‘Hades’ - (See John 3:
13; Matthew 16:
18; Luke 16:
22-31;
Acts 2: 27-34; Acts 7: 5; Luke 20: 35; Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b; Rev. 20: 4, 5, R.V.) - before
the Messianic and Millennial reign
can commence! (See Acts 7: 1-7 and 2 Timothy 2: 16-21, R.V.).]
But
the crowns worn by Satan and those angels presently ruling with him are another
matter. These crowns will have to be taken from Satan and his angels by force when
Christ returns to overthrow Gentile world power at the end of the Tribulation
(a power exercised during Man’s Day under Satan and his angels [Dan. 10:13-20]).
The
identity of the twenty-four elders is shown not
only by their actions and the place in which this occurs in the book
but also by their number. Comparing Revelation
chapters four and twelve (4: 4, 10, 11; 12: 3, 4), it appears evident that the government of the earth
- originally established by God prior to Satan’s fall - was representatively
shown by three sets of twelve, thirty-six crowned rulers. “Three” is the number of Divine
perfection, and “twelve” is the number of governmental perfection.
Those
angels who did not follow Satan in his attempt to exalt his throne would be
represented by the twenty-four elders - two sets of twelve, showing
two-thirds of the original contingent of angels ruling with Satan. And the angels who did go along with Satan, presently
ruling with him, would be represented by a
third set of twelve, showing the other one-third of the original contingent of
angels ruling with Satan (Rev. 12: 3, 4).
In
this respect, these three representative sets of twelve would show Divine perfection in the earth’s government. And, also in this respect, this same perfection in the
structure of the earth’s government has not existed since
Satan’s attempt to exalt his throne.
But,
this structured perfection will one day again exist in the earth’s government.
When Christ and His bride ascend the
throne together, crowns worn by those represented by all three sets of twelve
will be brought together again. Then, Divine
perfection will once
again exist in the government of the one province in God’s universe where
imperfection has existed for millenniums.
STEPHANOS, DIADEMA
There
are two words in the Greek text of the New Testament which are translated
“crown” in English versions. The first and most widely used word is stephanos (or
the verb form, stephanoo), referring
to a “victor’s crown” or a crown denoting certain types of “worth” or “valour.”
The other word is diadema, referring to a crown denoting “regal authority,” “kingly
power.”
Stephanos (or the verb form, stephanoo) is the
only word used for “crown” in the
New Testament outside the Book of Revelation. This, for
example, is the word used referring to the “crown of thorns”
placed upon Christ’s head immediately preceding His crucifixion (Matt. 27: 29; Mark 15: 17; John 19:
2, 5). This is also the word used throughout the Pauline
epistles, referring to “crowns” awaiting
faithful Christians (1 Cor. 9: 25; Phil. 4: 1; 1 Thess. 2: 19; 2 Tim. 2: 5; 4: 8). James, Peter, and John also used stephanos in
this same sense (James
1: 12; 1
Peter 5: 4;
Rev. 2:
10; 3: 11). The writer
of Hebrews used this word (the verb form, stephanoo) referring to positions which will
ultimately be occupied by Christ and His co-heirs in “the world [‘inhabited world’] to come”
(2: 5, 7, 9). Then John used the word six additional times in the
Book of Revelation in several different senses (4: 4, 10; 6: 2; 9: 7; 12: 1; 14: 14).
Diadema, the other word used for “crown” in the New Testament, appears only three times; and all three
occurrences are in the latter part of the Book of Revelation (12:
3; 13: 1; 19: 12). The first two references have to do
with power and authority possessed by incumbent earthly rulers immediately
preceding and within the
The
way in which these two words are used in the New Testament relative to the
government of the earth must be borne in mind if one is to properly understand
the Scriptural distinction between the use of stephanos and diadema. Diadema (referring
to the monarch’s crown) is used only where one has actually entered
into and is presently
exercising regal power. Stephanos is never used in this respect. The word appears in all
other occurrences, covering any instance where the word “crown” is used apart from
the present possession of regal power (though
the possession of such power at a past or future date can be in view through
the use of stephanos). Then, diadema is used when one actually comes into
possession of this power.
An
understanding of the distinction between stephanos and diadema will reveal certain things about the twenty-four
elders which could not otherwise be known. They each cast a stephanos before
the throne, not a diadema. This shows that they were not
then occupying
regal positions, though crowned and seated on thrones.
At
one time they would have occupied such positions (wearing diadems); but with the disarray in the
governmental structure of the earth, resulting from Satan’s rebellion, they
ceased exercising regal power (for, not participating in his rebellion, they no
longer retained active positions in his rule). Their crowns could then be
referred to only through the use of the word stephanos; and these
crowns would, of necessity, have to be retained until the time of Rev.
4: 10.
In
this respect, overcoming Christians have been promised a stephanos (victor’s
crown), never a diadema (monarch’s crown); but the promised stephanos
will become a diadema at the time
overcoming Christians assume positions on the throne with Christ. There can be
no such thing as either Christ or His co-heirs wearing a stephanos in
that day. They can only wear the type crown referred to by the word diadema.
Then,
note that the One Who, in time past, wore a crown of thorns (a stephanos), will one day come forth with many diadems upon
His head, for the Father will not only have delivered the kingdom into His
Son’s hands but the Son will, at that time, have a consort queen and be ready
to ascend the throne (cf. Dan. 7: 13, 14; Rev. 19: 7-9). And because of this, when He comes forth, the
announcement can be sounded for all to hear: “King of kings, and
Lord of lords” (Rev. 19: 16).
(Crowns
to be worn by Christ and His bride,
in that coming day, will include the crowns relinquished willingly in Rev. 4: 10 [undoubtedly the crowns on Christ’s head in Rev. 19: 12, which can, at this point in the book, be referred to
as diadems] and the crowns subsequently taken by force from
Satan and his angels.)
Christ,
at that time, will have entered into
His long-awaited regal position. And the first order of business will be the putting down of the Beast,
the kings of the earth (Gentile world power, as it will exist in that day), and
Satan and his angels (Rev. 19: 17 - 20: 3). Satan
and his angels cannot be allowed to reign beyond the point Christ assumes regal
power. Their crowns (diadems) must, at this
time, be taken and given to others - those to whom they will then rightfully
belong.
*
* * *
* * *
998
SOME SHALL
DEPART
By ARLEN L. CHITWOOD
Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth
(1 Tim. 4:
1-3).
God’s creation of the material universe and the
establishment of His universal government preceded the creation of man by at
least one age, possibly by a number of ages. The length of this period of time
is completely unrevealed in Scripture, and the only events occurring throughout
this period which God has seen fit to reveal to man in His Word are events
having a direct bearing upon the reason for man’s existence on the earth.
Scripture
reveals God’s original establishment of the government of the earth (Ezek. 28: 14), the fall and disqualification of the earth’s first
ruler (Isa. 14: 12-14; Ezek. 28: 15), and
both the immediate and far-reaching results of the fall and disqualification of
this ruler (cf. Gen. 12a; Isa. 14: 15-17; Jer. 4: 23-28; Ezek. 28: 16-19).
The
immediate result was a ruined kingdom
- a kingdom becoming “without form, and void,” with darkness covering “the face of the deep [raging
waters covering the darkened, ruined kingdom]” (Gen. 12a). And the far-reaching results - still future today -
will be a removal of the incumbent ruler from his appointed position of
power and authority and his eventual consignment to a prepared “lake of fire” (Matt. 25: 41; Rev. 20: 10).
God
revealed these things about Satan and the earth in order that man would be able
to clearly see and understand the reason for his existence. God’s creation of
the material universe, His establishment of a universal government, the
subsequent rebellion of one provincial ruler within this established government
(the rebellion of Satan, with a segment of his angels), and the resulting ruin
of Satan’s kingdom (the earth), all preceded and anticipated man’s creation.
And not only has God revealed these things, but He has also revealed the end of
the matter. He has also revealed that which will occur relative to Satan and
his kingdom after man
takes the sceptre.
But,
viewing the matter from the beginning, man was not to rule over a kingdom lying
in ruins. The earth, which had become “without form and void” when God’s original appointed ruler sought to exalt
his throne (Gen. 12a),
was restored immediately prior to man’s creation (Gen. 1: 2b-25).
God
restored the ruined material creation
immediately prior to man’s creation,
with a view to a new
provincial ruler taking the
sceptre. And this is something which He revealed immediately following the
earth’s restoration:
“Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion...”
(Gen. 1: 26; Cf. vv. 27ff).
Thus,
God not only clearly revealed His reason for the restoration of the material
creation but also His reason for the creation of man. The material creation had
been restored for man, and man was about to be brought into existence to
replace the incumbent ruler and those ruling with him (Satan and his angels).
And,
with God’s statement to this effect, note two established, unchangeable facts concerning man, revealed immediately preceding his
creation: 1) Man was to be brought into existence to rule the earth; and 2) this rule would be realized in
conjunction with the woman, who would be taken out of man following His
creation (cf. verses 27, 28).
God
said, prior to man’s creation, “...let them have dominion [the man and the woman together]” (verses 26-28). Then, Genesis chapter two
provides a number of details concerning man’s creation (verse 7), the removal of the woman from the man (verses 21, 22), and the relationship of the woman to the man (verses 23, 24).
This
is the way God established matters in the beginning, and that which God
established in the beginning does not
change, it cannot change, as one
moves through Scripture. At any point in Scripture, following that which God
established and revealed in the opening two chapter of Genesis, the man and the woman are seen occupying this same inseparable relationship together - a regal
relationship, having to do with the government
of the earth.
It
matters not whether it’s a man and wife in their fallen state today, God and
Understanding
this established relationship will explain both Satan’s initial action and
Adam’s resulting subsequent action in Genesis chapter three.
Satan
knew full-well the reason man had been created, with the woman removed from the
man; and he also knew full-well the relationship existing between the man and
the woman. He knew that Adam couldn’t rule apart from Eve. And, knowing this, he directed
his efforts toward the woman, seeking to bring her into a state in which she couldn’t rule.
Satan
deceived Eve into eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
contrary to God’s command. And once Eve had disobeyed God, she was no longer in
a position to rule with Adam, which meant that Adam couldn’t rule. A part of
Adam’s very being - bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh (2: 23) - was no longer in a position to rule, preventing
him from ruling.
Thus,
Adam, in this condition, was left with only one choice. Eve had to be redeemed. And there was only one
way in which this could be done.
Adam,
taking the only route available, partook of the tree also. And he did this with
a view to redemption and his one day being able to occupy, as a complete being (the
man and woman together), the position for which God had created man.
Comparing
type and antitype, all of this can be clearly seen. The second Man, the last
Adam, found His bride in the same fallen state; and He took the only course available. He Who knew no sin was made sin for us “that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5: 21).
As
the first man, the first Adam, couldn’t reign apart from the one in a fallen
state, neither can the second Man, the last Adam. And since man is to
ultimately realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning, it must be
recognized that both the first Adam and the last Adam took the only course available as it pertains to the reason for man’s existence and
the sin question. To properly understand the actions of either Adam in
Man’s
redemption - wrought through Christ’s finished work at Calvary - has its direct
connection with that revealed in Genesis surrounding the
reason for his creation, Eve’s subsequent fall because of Satan’s deception,
and Adam’s resulting subsequent act. “Salvation” in
Scripture is connected with regality, not as man
often presents the matter, with a rescue or deliverance from the lake of fire.
Though the lake of fire does await individuals rejecting Christ’s finished work
at
The
lake of fire was prepared for “the devil and his angels,” not for man (Matt.
25: 41). It was prepared for the ones originally ruling over
the earth who rebelled against God’s supreme regal power and authority. Thus,
the lake of fire (as the purpose for salvation) has its connective origin with regality as it pertains to the earth.
And
this connective origin of the lake of fire is why man, rejecting God’s remedy
for sin, will end up in this place. He will have rejected that which has to do
first and foremost with regality and
the earth.
He
will have rejected a [future (1 Pet. 1: 5; cf. Mark
13: 13ff, R.V.)] salvation which finds its revealed purpose in the reason for man’s creation and subsequent fall. And unsaved man, rejecting a salvation of this nature,
is doing little more than rebelling against God’s supreme regal power and
authority - the same as Satan and his angels had done, though after a different
fashion. Thus, though the lake of fire was originally prepared for angelic
beings who had rebelled against God’s supreme regal power and authority, man,
also rebelling in a manner which has to do with regality and the earth, will be
cast therein as well.
DOCTRINES OF DEMONS
The
“doctrines of
demons” in the text from 1 Tim.
4: 1-3 would
involve a counterfeit parallel to the truth presented in the Word of God. God has His deep things, and Satan has his deep things (1 Cor. 2: 10; Rev. 2: 24). And the latter, as it is presented in Scripture, is
simply a corruption of the former. It is taking the former, remaining
within the same framework as the former, and producing a corruption.
For
example, Scripture begins with a foundational framework (Gen.
1: 1 - 2: 3), providing an
unchangeable pattern for the
whole of that which God was about to lay out in His Word (Gen. 2: 4ff). And Satan begins at the same point, providing a corrupted parallel to that which God has in His Word.
Satan
not only has his corrupted parallel relative to salvation by grace through
faith (Gen. 1: 2b-5), but he has his corrupted parallel relative to
present and future aspects of salvation as well - the salvation of the soul (Gen. 1: 6ff). And,
as God in His Word places the emphasis on present and future aspects of
salvation (not only in Gen. 1: 1 - 2: 3, but in
the remainder of Scripture as well), so does Satan in his counterfeit parallel.
And, as God in His Word reveals a specific goal for man’s salvation (not only
in Gen. 1: 1 - 2: 3, but in
the remainder of Scripture as well), Satan seeks to entirely corrupt this
teaching in his counterfeit parallel.
Satan
places the emphasis where God has placed the
emphasis, and he seeks to set forth a
counterfeit at the same
points God has set forth the truth. He has taken God’s truth and introduced error in his efforts to mislead the masses.
Then
note that God’s Word is directed to the saved, not the unsaved. The unsaved are
“dead in trespasses
and sins” and cannot understand
this Word (Eph. 2: 1; cf. 1 Cor. 2: 14).
And
so it is with Satan and his counterfeit parallel. These counterfeit teachings
have been designed for those who have “passed from death unto life” (John
5: 24). Those “dead
in trespasses and sins” are in no
position to understand spiritual issues - whether “corrupted” (emanating from Satan) or “uncorrupted” (emanating from
God). Both fall completely outside the realm of the natural (the soulical).
Such
a corruption of the truth, received by the saved, can easily be seen in the
text from 1 Timothy, where Paul sounded a warning about the “doctrines of demons.” Paul foretold a departure from “the faith” where some Christians would begin giving heed to “seducing spirits” rather than to God’s Word; and these seducing spirits
would teach that which was untrue, specifically referred to in the text as “doctrines of demons.”
These
Christians’ spiritual awareness would become seared (Gk., kausteriazo,
“Marriage” points
to a work occurring during Man’s Day (the truth surrounding the matter
established before and at the time of man’s creation), which would be brought
to fruition and realized in the future Lord’s Day; and “meats” has to do with Biblical doctrine which centers in
this overall subject (verses
6, 13,
16).
And
those seen being misled in 1
Tim. 4: 1-3, “in the latter times” by “seducing
spirits,” resulting in their
proclaiming “doctrines
of demons,” are seen, “Standing in the way of
marriage...” (literal thought from
the Gk. text) and are referred to as apostates. Further, a misleading of individuals after this
fashion is presented in a very specific and limited sense in Scripture. It is
presented specifically as and limited to an
apostasy from the faith - nothing more, nothing less.
1.
APOSTASY FROM THE FAITH
“Apostasy” has to do with standing
away from a position previously held, and “the faith” is an
expression which encompasses the whole of a specific part of the Word of God
(actually, the central teaching) - “the Word of the
Kingdom.” The Spirit of God,
revealing through Paul the central
message which [regenerate] Christians were to be taught, explicitly singled out
that which would occur “in the latter times” in Christendom relative to this central message.
In
short, there would be a departure
from this central message; and that associated with the doctrines of demons would, instead, be taught.
A) APOSTASY
The
word “depart” in 1
Tim. 4: 1 is a
translation of the Greek word, aphistemi, which is the verb form of the noun, apostasia. And this is the word from which our English word “apostasy” is derived. The English word “apostasy” is simply an Anglicized form of the Greek word apostasia. Accordingly, to understand that which is meant by “apostasy,”
the Greek word needs to be referenced.
Apostasia
is a compound word comprised of apo and
stasis.
In
1 Tim. 4: 1, the departure from the previously held position is
specifically stated to pertain to “the faith.” That
is, seducing spirits, promulgating the doctrines of demons, are seen leading
individuals adhering to “the faith” (of necessity, Christians, not unsaved
individuals [1 Cor. 2: 14]) away from this position.
B) THE FAITH
The
central thrust surrounding
the truth of the matter, derived from the Word of God, has to do with “the faith.” And the central
thrust surrounding
that which is false, derived from the doctrines of demons, also has to do with “the faith.” One emanates from “the deep things of God,” and the other emanates from “the depths [lit., ‘the deep things’] of Satan” (1 Cor. 2: 10; Rev. 2: 24). The former is the
Truth; the latter is a corrupted, counterfeit parallel to the Truth.
“The faith” is an
expression peculiarly related in Scripture to the overall scope of the Word of the Kingdom, to the mystery revealed to Paul, to the gospel of the glory of Christ, to the salvation of the soul, etc. This is the manner in which the expression appears in
numerous New Testament references - in the Gospels, in the Book of Acts, and in
the Epistles (both Pauline and General).
Christ,
during the course of His earthly ministry, at His first coming, looked 2,000 years ahead to His second coming, and,
through a question, called attention to a solitary fact concerning the central message of the New Testament. Christ asked, “...when the Son of man [a Messianic title] cometh, shall he find faith [lit., ‘the faith’]
on the earth?”
(Luke 18: 8). And the manner in which the question is worded in the
Greek text requires a negative
answer.
The
Son of Man will not find “the faith” being
taught in Christendom at the time of His return. The leaven which the woman
placed in the three measures of meal in Matt. 13: 33 (having to do with the doctrines of demons) will have
taken care of that.
Now,
if the expression, “the faith,”
refers to that held by fundamental Christendom today (the whole of man’s
categorization of fundamental doctrines; e.g.,
the virgin birth, the blood atonement, etc.) - as commonly taught - then a
major problem exists. Fundamentalism, in the preceding respect, is presently a
major force in Christendom; and “the faith” would
be something held to and proclaimed throughout a rather large segment of
Christendom.
Thus,
if “the faith” is to be understood as a reference to the body of Biblical
doctrines held by those recognized as “fundamental
Christians,” then conditions in Christendom are such that Christ cannot
return during the present time. Fundamentalism of this nature is presently
alive and well in Christendom. In fact, it is actually a growing force in
numerous quarters. Millions of Christians in this country alone would fall
within the mainstream of fundamentalism and adhere to this body of Biblical
doctrine.
But
the preceding is really neither here nor there, for, when one looks to
Scripture for its own definition of “the faith,”
something completely different is seen. Scripture uses this expression in a
very limited sense. Scripture uses this expression in contexts having to do
with the Word of the Kingdom, not in
contexts having to do with a whole body of fundamental doctrines of the
Christian faith.
Doctrines
of “the faith,” in the preceding respect, in actuality, represent
that which man has attempted to categorize as he has looked at the Scriptures,
not doctrines seen through allowing Scripture to do its own categorizing. And
it is the latter alone, not the
former, which allows man to look into the Scriptures and view matters from the
way God has outlined them in His Word. There is a vast difference in viewing
Scripture from the preceding two vantage points, especially when it comes to
dealing with “the
faith.”
To
take the Biblical expression, “the faith,” and
attempt to identify it with man’s categorization of doctrine (a list of
Biblical doctrines) is, the height of folly in Scriptural interpretation.
Scripture is always to be interpreted in the light of Scripture (1 Cor. 2: 9-13). And this
is exactly the way in which the expression, “the faith,” must
be understood.
Scripture
must be allowed to explain that which is meant by the expression. It is an
expression which is used over and over in Scripture. And the interesting thing
is that Scripture not only clearly explains how this expression is used, but it
does so in numerous instances.
Paul,
for example, in his first letter to Timothy, following his warning concerning
the apostates, said:
“Fight the good fight of [the] faith, lay hold on eternal [Gk. ‘aionios’] life
[lit., ‘Strive in the good contest of the faith, lay hold on life for the age’], whereunto thou art also called...” (6: 12).
And,
in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, a similar usage is again seen:
“I have fought a good fight [lit., ‘I have strived in the good contest’], I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...” (4: 7, 8).
Or,
when Jude sought to write an epistle relative to “the common salvation [the good news concerning salvation by grace through
faith, a subject which none of the epistles centers on],”the Spirit of God led him
to write on an entirely different subject. The Spirit of God led Jude to write an
epistle exhorting Christians to “earnestly contend
[lit., ‘earnestly strive’] for the faith which was once delivered unto
the saints [the good news concerning
salvation in relation to the coming glory of Christ, something which all of the
epistles centre on]” (verse
3).
The
word translated “fight”
(1 Tim. 6:
12), “fought”
(2 Tim. 4:
7),
and “contend”
(Jude 3) are
the same in the Greek text. The word is agonizomai, the word from which our English word, “agonize,” is derived.
In
Jude though, the word has been intensified through the writer prefixing the
Greek preposition epi to the word, forming epagonizomai. Thus, the correct translation would be, “earnestly strive...”
In
all three of the preceding passages, the thought, through the use of agonizomai, has to do with straining every muscle of one’s being relative to “the faith.”
In
the first two references (from 1, 2 Timothy), the picture is that of an athletic contest.
Christians are to strain every muscle of their being in the present race of “the faith” in which they find themselves engaged.
Then
Jude, in the face of apostasy
relative to “the
faith,” still remaining within the
thought of an athletic contest, intensified
the word. Jude,
because of apostasy among Christians relative to “the faith” - Christians giving heed to seducing spirits,
teaching the doctrines of demons (something also spoken of by Christ, Paul, and
Peter) - intensified the thought of striving in his exhortation. He, in
essence, exhorted Christians, while running the race of “the faith,” to be
especially and particularly on guard because of the apostates.
And
it is apparent that Jude intensified this word, with a view to the apostates, because of the specific nature of apostasy. Jude exhorted
Christians to strain every muscle of their being in the race of “the faith,” and he intensified the use of the word because of the
realm in which the apostates had centered their teachings - seeking to mislead
Christians relative to “the faith,” - [of a coming “inheritance”
and “reward” (Gal. 5: 21; Eph. 5: 5, 6; Tit. 3: 7ff.),
in “the age to come” (Heb.
6: 5ff,
R.V.)] - (seeking to draw Christians away from the central
teaching of Scripture. The “doctrines of demons,” promulgated by the apostates, is the
most dangerous and deadly teaching that has ever been proclaimed or ever will
be proclaimed in Christian circles.
The
preceding would form only a few examples of the way in which the expression, “the faith,” is used in the New Testament. Other
examples would be the conversion of priests in Israel during the reoffer of the kingdom, who were then “obedient to the faith”
(Acts 6: 7), disciples
exhorted “to
continue in the faith” relative to
entrance into the kingdom (Acts 14: 22), Paul
proclaiming “the
faith” which he had once sought to
destroy (Gal. 1: 23; cf. Eph. 6: 16; Phil. 1: 27; Col. 1: 23; 2: 7; 1 Thess. 5: 8; 2 Thess. 1: 4, 11; 1 Tim. 1: 2, 18-20; 5: 8; 6: 10, 21; 2 Tim. 2: 18; 3: 7, 8), and the
usage of the expression in the general epistles (cf. Heb.
12: 2; James 1: 3; 2: 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 26; 1 Peter 1: 7, 9). “Faith” is articular in
the Greek text in each of the preceding references.
Thus,
there is a uniform usage of this expression throughout the New Testament. And,
though it doesn’t have to do with the body of Biblical doctrine held by those
forming “fundamental Christendom,” it does have
to do with a body of Biblical doctrine. It has to do with that body of Biblical
doctrine rejected by Christendom at large - fundamentalists and liberals alike.
It has to do with that body of Biblical doctrine referred to various ways in
Scripture - the Word of the
Kingdom, the mystery, Paul’s
gospel, the gospel of the glory of Christ, etc.
2. MARRIAGE, MEATS
Foundational
principals and Biblical doctrine surrounding the marriage relationship have
forever been set forth in the opening chapters of Genesis. And, any time one finds the man and the woman together beyond this
point - whether during Man’s Day or during the coming Lord’s Day - rulership is in view. Or, to present the truth of the matter from another
perspective, turn the statement around. Any time one finds rulership in
view beyond the opening chapters of Genesis (relative to man),
a husband-wife relationship must also be in view.
This
is why
This
is also why Christ is to have a wife yet future. If He is to reign over the earth as the
second Man, the last Adam, He must have a
consort queen to reign
with Him. This is why a marriage must occur prior to the time He reigns. A Husband-wife
relationship must exist
at this time.
And
further, this is why the husband-wife relationship today, during Man’s Day, is
dealt with in Scripture in connection with an
heirship together (1 Peter 3: 7). There is a present reigning
in life, seen in
the marriage relationship; and this is at the heart of that which Paul refers
to as “a great
mystery” relative to “Christ and the Church” in Eph. 5: 21-33.
There
are two books in the Old Testament which bear the names of women. One is “Ruth,” and the other is “Esther.”
And, interestingly enough, no one knows who wrote either book. But the Book of
Ruth presents one aspect of this overall matter, and the Book of Esther
presents the other.
The
Book of Ruth has to do with a Gentile who marries a Jew, with a redeemed inheritance in view. Ruth, in her marriage
to Boaz, sets forth truths surrounding Christ and His
wife yet future.
And the entire Book of Ruth sets forth the overall scope of the matter from
beginning to end, with the husband-wife relationship being brought to the
forefront in the end.
The
Book of Esther then presents the matter as it relates to God and Israel. Esther was a Jew whom King Ahasuerus (who was not a Jew [note that it
is God’s Son Who is a Jew and will so remain throughout eternity, not the
Father]) had taken as his wife following the former queen’s (Vashti’s) refusal
to fulfil her role as the king’s wife (1: 9ff). Then the remainder of the book revolves around Israel
in the latter days (Haman typifying Antichrist), the end of Gentile world
power, and Israel restored to the nation’s rightful place as the wife of Jehovah (2: 17ff).
Thus,
the whole of that seen in the marriage relationship beyond Gen. 1: 26-28 (along
with that revealed in chapter two) rests on these foundational verses in Genesis. The husband-wife relationship today has its basis in the past (Gen. 1: 26ff) and points to the future (Rev. 19: 7ff). And whether it is
MINISTRY OF [HOLY] THE SPIRIT TODAY
Understanding
the preceding will allow one to clearly understand that which God revealed
concerning
The
ministry of the [Holy] Spirit during
the present dispensation is seen in Genesis chapter twenty-four,
fifteen hundred years before it even began. Events in this chapter - Abraham
sending his servant into the far country to obtain a bride for His son,
typifying God sending the [Holy] Spirit into the world to obtain a bride for His Son -
occurred following the offering of Isaac (ch. 22)
and the death of Sarah (ch.
23), but before the remarriage of Abraham (ch. 25).
That
is to say, the ministry of the [Holy] Spirit during the present dispensation occurs
following the events of Calvary (ch. 22) and the
setting aside of
The
reason why God sent the [Holy] Spirit into the world to accomplish such a mission is
easy to see and understand if one keeps in mind the God-established issues
surrounding the husband-wife relationship. The Son must have a wife if He
is to reign. And Christians on the earth, as well - anticipating the
Son’s [messianic] reign - cannot reign apart from this same
relationship.
The
coming millennial reign of the Son will be a theocracy wherein God the Father
will have a wife on earth (seen in the
type in Gen. 25)
and the Son will have a wife in the heavens
above the earth (a wife
presently being procured through the work of the [Holy] Spirit, seen
in the type in Gen. 24). And in order for any individual from the human race
to rule and reign in that coming day, that person will have to be a part of
either the wife of Jehovah on the earth or the wife of the Son in the heavens.
There can be no rule and reign for anyone - man, or God’s Son - apart from this
established, Husband-wife relationship.
The
preceding is why “marriage” and “meats” are singled out in 1 Tim. 4: 1. The marriage relationship today is based on that
which God established in past time, and reflects on that which will ultimately
be brought to full fruition during future time. And it matters not whether the
word “marriage” in this verse is understood in a literal sense
(referring to the marriage relationship today) or in a spiritual sense
(referring to Christ and His wife yet future), the
same thing is still being dealt with. A husband-wife
relationship today is based on that which God established in the past and
directly reflects on that which He will bring to fruition yet future. It
directly reflects on Christ and His wife yet future.
And
the preceding is why any corruption of the marriage relationship by man
(adultery, homosexuality, etc.) is dealt with so severely in Scripture. Any
deviation from that which God established is a
corruption, with far-reaching ramifications.
Marriage,
as established by God, has to do with regality; and this regality is to be realized in its ultimate sense during the coming Messianic Era. All of man’s
corruptions are simply offshoots of Satan’s attempted, multi-faceted corruption
surrounding the whole panorama of Biblical doctrine (“meats”) pertaining to the marriage relationship.
*
* * *
* * *
999
THE
GOD’S
WORLD-PLAN
By G. H. PEMBER
In our previous
volume we attempted to trace the origin of the Church, as revealed in
Scripture, from a time anterior to the foundation of the world; and to discover
the conditions, commandments, and ordinances, to which she was to be subjected
during her season of probation here below. We also endeavoured to unveil some
of the means and ways by which the Synagogue of Satan succeeded in corrupting
and abasing the nominal Church, often to the very level of Paganism.
And
now another task lies before us, and, with the help of the [Holy] Spirit, we
would seek to set forth what God has disclosed concerning the Dispensational
change from the Age of Law to that of Grace; and to examine those prophecies
which reveal the various phases through which the Church was to pass, until her
testimony should be finished, and the first act of her removal to the Heavens
be about to take place.
But, before we enter upon these deeply interesting
themes, it will be well to remind ourselves of one great purpose which God had
in view, when, before the mountains were brought forth or ever He had formed
the earth and the world, He determined to call the Church into being, and to
perfect her in due time.
For
to Him all the events and circumstances of history were foreknown, even from
everlasting; while we can learn them only by revelation, or from the uncertain
records of men.
When
the rebellion of
Accordingly,
as soon as His preparations, had been completed, He brought
But
neither the multitude of His loving kindnesses, nor the severity of His
oft-repeated chastisements, could keep them faithful to Himself: they were
continually turning aside after other gods, and by their idolatries causing His
Name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. In such circumstances, then, how
could He acknowledge them as His Own before the world, and set them over all
the peoples of the broad earth! No: they must be altogether changed, and become
His loving and faithful children, before He could fulfil His promises to
Abraham. And, since those promises could not be broken, He would take measures
to effect the necessary change - such measures as He had already signified,
through His servant Moses, in the twenty-sixth chapter of Leviticus and the twenty-eighth and four following
chapters of Deuteronomy.
Transferring
the sovereignty of the world for a season to the Gentiles, He would drive out
the Twelve Tribes of Israel from their own good Land, and scatter over the face
of the whole earth, for a long and terrible exile. And, during its lengthened
period, their Land should remain desolate and in the hands of strangers; while
they themselves, instead of being at the head of the world, should be hated and
trodden underfoot of the nations, and should see their life hanging in doubt
before them, and should fear day and night, and have none assurance of their
life. For He would make their plagues wonderful, that they might learn to fear
the glorious and fearful Name of Jehovah their God.
And
when, at length, this appalling discipline should have done its work, should
have broken their proud spirit and bowed down their stiff neck, then He would
led them back to their own Land, and, under a new Covenant, would put His Laws,
no longer upon Tables of Stone, but into their minds, and would write them upon
their hearts.
There
is, however, a great obstacle that must be removed before this happy
consummation can be effected. For, during their first possession of the Land,
nay, even on the journey from
*
See The Church the
Churches and the Mysteries, pp. 354, 5. note. But the whole sbject is more fully discussed in Earth’s
Earliest Ages, chapt. 3.
Now,
all these evil spirits are, apparently, actuated by a wild desire to exercise
power over, and to receive worship from, the human race; and since the heart of
Israel was prone to respond to their enticements and ever ready to apostatize from God, He, in His anger, at length “turned, and
gave them up to serve the Host of Heaven.”*
*
Acts 7: 42. In its
literal acceptation, this expression would mean the Heavenly bodies. It was
not, however, the sun, moon, or stars themselves that were adored by the
Israelites and other ancient nations, but the angels, or gods, with which they
connected them. Similarly Sir Henry Layard discovered
that the Yezidis of Mesopotamia did not worship the
sun, but the Lord of the sun, who was afterwards found to be Satan himself.
We
may, no doubt, understand - and, indeed, Scripture contains many indications of
the fact - that these fallen angels and demons proceeded with
Hence,
as we have learnt by discoveries in Mesopotamia during the last century, the
Babylonian religion consisted, for the most part, either of deprecatory prayers,
by which the gods, or spirits of the air, were intreated to ward off pain,
disease, the effects of the malarious winds, and various other calamities; or
of the use of spells, said to have been prescribed by those same spirits for
similar purposes.
And, even to-day, if we inquire of experienced
missionaries from India, China, or Africa, we shall find that the demons are
still frenzied with that craving which, on one occasion, so maddened their
Prince that he dared to say, even to the Lord of Glory, “All these things will I give
Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me;” and that they still adhere to their ancient mode of
procedure and original tactics. For sometimes they promise a man good fortune,
if he will recognize them as gods. Or they will enter a house and plague one or
more of its inmates, or, perhaps, the whole family, with petty annoyances,
disasters, and obsessions, until, at last, the victims, worn out by their
persecutions, consent to put up an image, or a tablet, in their honour, and to worship
and burn incense to them before it. And this reckless and horrible desire, on
the part of fallen spirits, to receive the adoration which is due to the Great
Creator Alone, is the obvious cause of every kind of Polytheism and
Saint-worship in our world.*
*
See The Church the Churches and the Mysteries,
chap. 76., and especially pp. 505-7.
Now,
in the Scriptures, we not only meet with many instances of the power of evil
spirits over the Israelites prior to the Dispersion, but are also told, that
demons will be exercising a baleful influence upon the Jews after their partial
return to Palestine, and just before their final restoration. As soon, however,
as the Messiah appears, a great and summary change will be effected.
“And it shall come to pass in That Day, saith the Lord of Hosts, that
I will cut off the names of the idols out of the Land, and they shall no more be remembered: and, also, I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out
of the Land.”*
*
Zech. 13:
2.
The
way in which this deliverance will be wrought may be best understood from
another passage;-
“And it shall come to pass in That Day, that the Lord shall punish the Host of the High Ones on High,
and the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered
in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days shall they be visited.”*
*
Isa. 24: 21, 22.
These
two verses are taken from Isaiah’s appalling description of the ruin upon
earth, when “the Lord shall come
with fire, and
His chariots shall be like the whirlwind, to
render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with
flames of fire.” And it is
sufficiently evident, that the “High Ones on High” can be none
other than the present Prince of This World with his angels and demons; or, as
Paul calls them, “the Principalities, the Powers, the Rulers of This Darkness,
and the Spiritual Hosts of Wickedness in the Heavenly Places.”*
*
Eph. 6: 12.
And,
again, it is no less obvious, that “the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth” must be the visible and human rulers of Christendom,
who still wield the power given to the Gentiles through Nebuchadnezzar.
Here,
then, we have set before us the complete scheme of God for the ordering of this
planet, which is carried on by means of two governmental bodies. The visible
Kings of the Earth exercise dominion from thrones located upon earth; while,
above them, the spiritual and invisible High Ones, acting from the heaven that
belongs to this earth, influence and direct them, too often suggesting, or even
exciting them to, lawlessness and sin against God.
For
both of these governments have been for many centuries in rebellion against
Him, usually owning with their lips as the Great Supreme, but neither teaching His
ways nor obeying His commandments. Hence one of the great purposes of the
Lord’s return is to depose these rebels, the spiritual and the carnal and to
hurl them into the vast prisons which are prepared for their reception in the
centre of the earth.*
*
Isa. 24: 22.
But,
although the faithless rulers, whether located in the Heavenlies or upon earth,
must be removed, yet the Lord will by no means abolish the perfect scheme of
government which He Himself established.
Therefore,
it was necessary that other beings, loyal and obedient, whose joy it would be
to carry out the will of His Father, should be chosen and made ready to take
the place of the rebel High Ones and Kings, when these latter should be
consigned to the fathomless depths of the Abyss. For, as God is true, both the
polluted earth and the Heaven that surrounds it must yet be purified and filled
with His glory .*
*
Heb. 9: 23; Isa. 6: 3.
And
herein it is that we begin to discern the unfolding of the wondrous plans, made
before the foundation of the world, which are being continuously evolved as
they draw nearer to their consummation, that is, to the Age of the Fulness of the Times, when all
things shall summed up in Christ.*
* Eph. 1: 9, 10.
For
during the whole of the past and of the present Dispensation the Lord has been
occupied in the selection and training of men from one chosen nation, that of
Israel, whom He is preparing to take the place of the Kings of the Earth, and
to be to Him a glorious Kingdom of Priests in the Lower Sphere of the Kingdom
of God.
But,
in the present Dispensation, He has, also, other work. He is seeking out and
gathering together into one, from among all nations and tribes and peoples and
tongues, those whom He foreknows to be the Sons of God, and who have hitherto
been scattered abroad. These, whom He calls His Church, or Election, He has
predestinated to sit, under Himself as the Great King, upon the thrones so soon
to be vacated by the present High Ones that are on High. And they will form the
Kingdom of the Heavens, ruling in the Higher Sphere of the [Messianic]
From
that time, Israel will be known as “the People of -
that is, specially connected with - the Saints of the High Places,”*
to whom the Kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under
the whole Heaven, shall be given; and thus the Earthly and the Heavenly Sphere
of the Kingdom of God will be indissolubly united, and the time of gladness and
reward will follow. And, throughout the happy Millennial days, the air will no
longer be filled with temptations and incitements to sin, alluring the Children
of Abraham away from Jehovah their God; but will teem with glorious forms ever
ready to help and to guard them, and ceaselessly stimulating them to love their
God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind.
* Dan. 7: 27.
It would thus appear, that, so far as God’s grand
scheme for the redemption of the world is concerned, the Church is subordinated
to the interests of
*
* *
* * *
*
1000
THE TRANSFIGURATION, THE DEMON-POSESSED YOUTH AND THE
By G. H. PEMBER
He that refuses the pleasures of sin for a season, and is willing to lose his animal life for
the Lord’s sake, will receive it
again, and that for ever. For, yet a little while, and the
Son will appear in the glory of His Father, and then will He
reward every man according to his works.
Had
the disciples been sincere, this would have been no hard saying for them: since
they had just acknowledged their Master to be the Son of the Living God, with
Whom all things are possible.
Moreover,
He added that some of them should see His glory or ever they had
passed out of the world; but conveyed His promise in words which
have been the subject of much inconclusive comment, as follows; -
“Verily I say unto you, there be some of them that stand here which
shall in no wise
taste of death, till they have seen the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
Now,
there can be no doubt that in this promise He was alluding simply and
exclusively to the Transfiguration, of which He intended Peter James and John to
be witnesses. And a true conception of the meaning of that memorable scene will
convince us, that His promise was literally and fully realized in it.
THE
TRANSFIGURATION
In the previous section, we saw that the Lord had
drawn from His disciples the confession, that He was the Christ, the Son of
God. And yet, as soon as He began to show them how He must fulfil His
commission, and put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, they had become
disturbed and perplexed. Since, however, as distinct members of His Body, they
must learn to know the fellowship of His sufferings, and to become conformed
unto His death,* He had
determined to strengthen them for the trial by giving to three of their number
a brief glimpse of the glory which He would permanently assume after His
Resurrection. For, until His people have felt the power of His Resurrection,
they cannot follow Him into sufferings and death.
* Phil. 3: 10.
Accordingly,
after six days, He took with Him Peter and James and John as His companions,
and led them up a high mountain - possibly
In his Second Epistle, Peter exhorts those to whom he
is writing, to be diligent in the attainment and exercise of
grace after grace, that they may make their calling and election sure, and that so the desired entrance into the Eternal [i.e.,
in this context ‘aionios’ means ‘age-lasting’] Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour - that is, into the Millennial Kingdom - be richly
supplied unto them. For, whereas Everlasting Life is the gift of
God for Christ’s sake, the [Messianic
and Millennial] Kingdom is the
reward of works wrought in Christ.
The Apostle then expresses his determination to remind them continually of what
he has taught; and that the more, because he knows that the time for putting
off his earthly tabernacle is very near, even as the Lord declared to him.
Moreover, he promises to take measures, that, at every time, even after his
decease,* they may have it in their power to call these things to remembrance;
by which he, probably, means, that he will commit them to writing.** they are of so much importance, he thus explains; -
* The use in this passage of the words “tabernacle” and “decease,”
both of which occur in the narratives of the Transfiguration, may, perhaps,
show how vividly the scene was present in the mind of Peter. [The word …], in the sense of “decease,”
is found, in the Testament, only in Luke 9: 31 and 2 Pet. 1: 15.
** Some understand
this promise to refer to the Epistle which Peter was then writing; others see
in it a pledge of the Gospel of Mark, which they believe to have been compiled
from Peter’s reminiscences.
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eye-witnesses of His majesty.
For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice
to Him from the excellent glory, This is My
Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.
And this voice we ourselves heard come our of Heaven, when we were with Him in
Holy Mount.*
*
2 Pet. 1: 16-18.
Now, we know from the context in the narratives of
both Matthew and Luke,
that the Transfiguration was closely connected with the Lord’s first plain
announcement of His sufferings and death. And, while Matthew tells us that Moses and Elijah talked with Him, Luke adds the subject of their
conversation, namely, “His
decease which He was about to accomplish at
“But we behold Him Who hath been made a little lower than
angels, even Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of
the suffering of death, in order that, by the grace of
God, He might taste death for every man.”*
* Heb. 2: 9.
Now,
the clause, “because
of the suffering of death,” is
usually understood to mean, that the crowning took place after the Lord had
accomplished His decease at
Moreover, the expression, “crowned with glory and honour,” may certainly be identified with that reception of “honour and glory” from the Father, which Peter notes as having taken
place on the Mount of Transfiguration. Hence there can be no doubt, that the
passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, also, refers to the Transfiguration; and
we are now confronted with three questions;-
(1) Why was
the Lord crowned with glory and honour at the Transfiguration?
(2) What connection had the Transfiguration
with His death?
(3) In what
sense could the Transfiguration be called His coming in His Kingdom?
Now,
in regard to the first question, it must be remembered, that the Lord Jesus
came into the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. But He could
be accepted as a sacrifice for sin only if He Himself were found to be sinless,
and without spot or blemish. And this perfection must, of course, be exhibited
in His human nature; for it was as perfect Man that He must save men: the
fallen race could be restored only by one of its own members. Hence a period of
probation was, doubtless, assigned to Him, during which His life of
irreproachable obedience worked for our salvation as much as His subsequent
death; for, apart from the former, the latter would have been useless.
It
is, therefore, probable, that His
probationary period had come to its close when He ascended the Mount of
Transfiguration. He had successfully
finished His course; and hence the
Glory of His Spirit, hitherto
confined within Him, was no longer
restrained, but burst forth and
surrounded Him with a halo of dazzling splendour; for He was found to be absolutely spotless. And, had He so chosen,
He might, even as a sinless man, have soared at once to the Heavens, casting
off for ever the bonds of suffering and mortality. But, in that case, He would
have failed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and the great purpose
of His birth into the world would have been unfulfilled. He had, however, of
His tender mercy and compassion toward us, set His face as a flint, and Moses and Elijah - [His two chosen witnesses]* - were well aware of His
resolution; for they spoke not with Him of a return to His glory, but of His
decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.
[* See
Rev. 11:
3, R.V.]
And
so, we obtain an answer to the second question also. For the crowning of the
Lord with glory and honour testified to His spotless purity at the end of His
probation as Man; and, therefore, to His perfect fitness to be a sacrifice for
the sins of others. It was thus the
necessary prelude to His crucifixion.
Lastly,
in His recognition by the Father as a Son of Man Who had passed through His
probation with a Spirit unstained by sin in deed word or thought, and in the
fact, that no other man had ever done so, He became at once the Heir to all that Adam had lost by his fall, and was the rightful Lord of the earth,
and of all that pertains to it.
He was the Man in Whom at length and in Whom Alone, the prediction could be
fulfilled;-
“Thou madest Him a little
lower than angels;
And crownedst Him with glory and honour.
Thou madest Him
to have dominion over the works of Thy hands,
Thou
hast put all things under His feet;
Sheep
and oxen, all of them,
Yea, and the beasts of the
field,
Fowl
of heaven, and
the fishes of the sea,
Whatsoever passeth through the
paths of the seas.”*
* Psa. 8: 6-8.
Thus,
at the moment of the Transfiguration, the Lord, as a Man, became de jure the Ruler of World, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth; and the three disciples saw His coronation,
beheld Him “coming in His
Kingdom.” Why He then laid
aside His glory and prepared for His decease, we have already explained. Little
as the disciples suspected such a thing at the time, it was only by so doing
that He could save their lives, and preserve them unto His Heavenly Kingdom.
But, later on, the Mystery was revealed, and one of the three witnesses tells
us, in touching words, that His love for us so moved the Great King that He
must needs, “His Own Self,” bear “our sins in His Own
Body on the tree.”*
*1 Pet. 2: 24.
Nor
was the same disciple perplexed by the
further delay after the Resurrection of his Master. “The Lord,”
he says, “is not slack concerning His promise as some men
count slackness; but is long-suffering to you-ward,
not wishing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”*
For, because of the multitude of the King’s enemies,** who will not that He should
reign over them, a brief change from the Acceptable Year to the dread Days of
Vengeance must precede the setting up of the Kingdom.
* 2 Pet. 3: 9.
[** It will undoubtedly come as a mighty shock to many regenerate
believers who could be amongst ‘the multitude of
the King’s enemies’! For that is precisely the position which
all those within the Anti-millennialist’s philosophy and theology maintains: and
their spiritual interpretations of God’s unfulfilled prophecies are an
open denial of their Lord’s of promised inheritance: Ps. 2: 8, R.V.! His Messianic “KINGDOM,” and His to be manifested
“GLORY”
will be demonstrated through this sin-cursed earth for “A THOUSAND YEARS.”
See Isa. 9: 6, 7; 11: 1-11; 12: 4-6; 27: 6, 13; 35: 1-10.; 37: 20; 40: 5, 9-11, 29-31; 41: 16, 18-20; 42: 4, 8; 43: 19-21; 52: 7-10; 54: 5; 55: 12-13; 56: 7, 8; 58: 8; 61: 11; 62: 1, 2; 65: 19-25; 66: 12, 19, 23, R.V.)!
Not
one of these, and many more unfulfilled prophecies will fail to be fulfilled literally
UPON THIS RESTORED EARTH, after our
Lord’s Second Advent: “But who may abide the day of his
coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire. … And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and
against the adulterers, and against false swearwes; and against those
that oppress the hireling in his wages, the
widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of
hosts. For
I the LORD change not”!]
Of
course, there is significant Dispensational teaching in the incident which
brought the Transfiguration-scene to its close - the proposal of Peter to place
Moses and Elijah on the same level as his Lord. For the Lawgiver and the
Prophet were instantly swept out of sight by a cloud; and the Voice of the
Father was heard proclaiming from the Heavens, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased: hear
ye Him!” And, when the disciples
were able to lift up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. For the
times of Moses and Elijah were now past, and henceforth the Lord Alone was to
be followed whithersoever He might lead.
The Transfiguration seems to have taken place during
the night; for it was not until the next day that the Master and His disciples
were descending the Mount. The latter, knowing that they had seen the Messiah
in His power and glory, and not understanding the delay that must intervene
before He could manifest Himself in like manner to the world, were perplexed,
because He had come in His Kingdom without the previous mission of Elijah as His Forerunner.
We
have, however, already considered His reply to their question: it is only
necessary to repeat, that we have here a plain declaration, made by the Lord
after the death of John the Baptist, that Elijah
has yet to come, and to restore all
things, before the Great and
Dreadful Day of the Lord.
But
He, also, hinted that the nation was not yet prepared
for the appearing of that Prophet; for that an
Elijah, that is, one in the spirit and power of Elijah,
had already been sent to them in the
person of John the Baptist; and they
had done unto him whatever they listed,
and were rejecting the testimony in which he bade them gather around the Lamb
of God That taketh away the sin of the World. And again He alluded to His
Own decease by adding, that, as the
people had dealt with John, so would
they also deal with the Son of
THE DEMON-POSSESSED
YOUTH AND
When
the Lord and His companions had nearly reached the plain at the foot of the
mountain the discordant sounds which grated upon their ears reminded them, that they were yet in the
realm of sin and Satan. For, during
their Master’s absence the nine disciples, whom He had bidden to await His return,
had fallen into woeful trouble. A
father had brought to them his demon-possessed son, and, in piteous tones,
entreated them to cast out the foul fiend. This they had readily essayed to do;
but the demon had proved too strong for them, and had defied all their efforts.
Moreover, certain Scribes, which were among the bystanders, had been quick to
take advantage of their failure, and of the embarrassment which it had caused
to them. And so, the derisive jeers and laughter of their foes were mingled
with the entreaties of the agonized father, the screams of the tormented boy,
and their own apologetic explanations or frantic, but unheeded, commands to the
spirit to release his prey.
But
the face of the Lord, from which the rays of glory had not yet altogether died
away, was seen approaching, and, in a moment, all was changed. He sternly
rebuked the disciples, the Scribes, and the crowd, expressed His weariness of
that faithless and perverse generation, and then imperatively commanded the unclean
spirit to come out of the lad, and to enter no more into him; and His command
was instantly obeyed.
Just,
then, as the scene in the mountain-top formed a miniature of the
Kingdom, the Lord being personally present in His
glory, while Moses and Elijah represented the raised and changed saints
respectively, and the disciples the
inhabitants of the earth; so this
incident in the plain depicted what would be the state of the world, when its Rightful Sovereign should return,
and the fact, that none but He could eject the Power of Darkness from it.
At
the earliest opportunity, the baffled disciples came privately to the Lord, and
inquired the cause of their failure, not, perhaps, without an accent of
reproach - Thou gavest us power to cast out demons: why, then, did we fail in this
case, and fail so shamefully before the eyes of the Scribes and the multitude? Because of your little faith, was the
reply. For, had you faith as a grain of mustard seed, you would be able to
remove mountains, and nothing would be impossible to you. But you had not even
so much and, consequently, while you succeeded in casting out ordinary demons,
you were utterly unable to control this more powerful spirit. Of course, the
Lord implied, that, as Children of the Kingdom, they ought to have had sufficient faith and power to perform what they
had undertaken. His suggestion of
the necessity of prayer and fasting was a hint, and a very plain hint, of
the true cause of their failure. For
they had regarded His gift of spiritual power too much as their own property, as a faculty to be exercised at their own
pleasure and for their own glory,
and so had neglected that close
communion with God by means of which alone the gift could be maintained in its
strength.
Now that the Lord had manifested the power of His
Resurrection to some of His disciples, He, for the second time, spoke of the
sufferings and death which must precede His Resurrection. And the Twelve did not
set themselves in violent opposition to the disclosure, as on the previous
occasion, but were plunged by it into deep sorrow: apparently, however on
account of their own loss, and because
their carnal ideas of the Kingdom were dissipated by the unexpected prediction,
that the King must be delivered into the
hands of wicked men, and be slain by
them. For it does not seem to have occurred to them to inquire, why these
things must befall Him; while their unbelief would not suffer them to draw
consolation from His promise to rise again on the third day.
Then
followed the incident of the Temple-tax, the half-shekel contributed by every
Jew toward the maintenance of the Sanctuary and its services. The collectors,
having met Peter, inquired of him, whether his Master did not pay the
half-shekel; and he replied in the affirmative. But when he afterwards returned
to the house, the Lord anticipated what he had to say with the question, “What thinkest thou, Simon?
The Kings of the Earth - from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from
their sons, or from strangers?” Peter of course, replied “From strangers.” To which the Lord rejoined, “Therefore, the sons are free. But,
lest we cause
them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take the
fish that first cometh up; and, when thou hast opened its mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that
take, and give it unto them for Me and thee.”
Now, in this answer the Lord placed Peter on the same
level as Himself, so far as liability to the Temple-tax was concerned. For He
spoke of “sons” in the plural, and said, “Lest we cause them to stumble;” while His direction for the disposal of the shekel
was, “Give it
unto them for Me and thee.” Hence
there is here an important Dispensational hint, namely, that the Lord regarded His disciples as being, in
Himself, already freed from Jewish
obligations, and was not ashamed to
call them brethren; because He had
made them sons of God,*
and joint-heirs** of the earth and its Heaven with Himself Who was the Last
Adam.***
*
John 1: 12, 13. *** Rom. 8: 17. *** 1 Cor. 15: 45.
He
thus recognizes them as having heard His voice and come forth out of the Mosaic
fold to follow Him; and so, could never afterwards have put them back again
into their old Jewish position. Here, then, is a reason which, together with
others, proves, that, in the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth chapters of this
Gospel, He addresses them as Christian believers, and not as Jews.
*
* * *
* * *