p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 23. (6/4/1902)

LESSON 12.—JUNE 21.—BUILDING THE HOUSE OF DAVID.

NOTE.—This series of lessons is entitled, “Studies on the Gospel Message.” For Introduction and excellent suggestions as to their study, we refer the student to the Lesson Quarterly.

THROUGH the tabernacle and its services God was teaching the mystery of godliness,—God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:15, 16), the King in His house. To show His purpose to identify Himself with His people, He occupied the same kind of dwelling as they did (2 Sam. 7:6, 7), thus acting His word as an object-lesson before them (2 Cor. 6:16; Heb. 2:14). Now, when David’s heart is stirred to find out a settled place for the Lord (Ps. 132:3-5), the Lord reveals to him that He will build the house of David (2 Sam. 7:11, last clause), and make that His permanent home, through the relationship which He would establish with his family (verse 14, first clause).

The real house is the people (Isa. 58:1), and is thus equivalent to household (2 Tim. 4:19, A. V. and R. V.), or family (1 Chron. 13:14). To build a house was to bring a son into the family. Ruth 4:11. If a house continues forever, there must be a son in the family forever. When the Lord promised to establish David’s house and David’s throne forever (2 Sam. 7:16), He renewed the promise of the Seed (Gen. 3:15), and declared His purpose to give His eternal Son to David’s family (Isa. 9:6, 7) to retain the flesh forever. This was the Seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29), the Seed of David (Rom. 1:1-3), and the Son of both (Matt. 1:1). In Him Israel was brought into the relation of a Son (Ex. 4:22; Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:14, 15), and the family on earth and the family in heaven were united (Eph. 3:14, 15). Read Luke 1:67-75.

QUESTIONS.

What lesson was revealed in the tabernacle and its services?
How did God indicate His purpose to be one with His people?
What statements were thus being put into a concrete form?
What opened the way for the Lord to reveal to David the truth concerning His real temple?
In what promise was this revelation made?
What relationship would thus be established with David’s family?
What is the primary meaning of the word “house”?
To what other words is it thus equivalent?
How is such a house as this built?
On what basis alone can such a house as this continue forever?
When the Lord promised to build a house for David, and to establish it forever, what promise was renewed?
What further revelation was now made to David as to the way in which the promise would be fulfilled?
Whose seed did the Son of God thus become? Whose Son?
How was it possible for God to speak to Israel in Egypt as His Son?
What union was established through the gift of the Son of God to the family of David?

The Summer Assembly.

By E. A. Sutherland

THERE will be conducted at Berrien Springs, Mich., from June 12 to August 20, a summer assembly for teachers and Christian business men. This school is under the auspices of the Educational Department of the General Conference, the Foreign Mission Board, and Emmanuel Missionary College. Owing to the interest in the training of teachers for our children and youth, and the preparation of men and women for efficient work in business lines, manifested by the bodies mentioned, tuition and tent rent are absolutely free to all who are qualified to take the work of the assembly. Board will be served on the European plan.

The urgent demand for well-qualified laborers both in home and foreign fields, should arouse every Christian to whom has been entrusted the gift of teaching. The summer assembly offers unusual advantages.

The Announcement, which gives full information concerning the assembly, and also contains valuable reading matter for those interested in Christian education, will be sent upon application to—

E. A. SUTHERLAND,

Berrien Springs, Mich.

LESSONS BY MAIL ON MEDICAL ELECTRICITY OR HOW TO USE THE BATTERY

By G. L. Abell

By Prof. G. L. Abell, Member of the Board of Directors of the Electro-Medical Society of San Francisco

Learn how to use the battery and treat yourself. Many diseases are quickly cured by the proper application of electricity. The course embraces the treatment of every organ and part of the body. The lessons are written in plain language and are illustrated. Course, five dollars. Send for circular. Address,

PROF. G. L. ABELL School of Chemistry and Electro-Therapeutics 36 Geary St., San Francisco, Cal.

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Take a Tourist Car

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117 Manchester Street

THE ESSENTIALS OF OUR LANGUAGE

ACCURACY IN THE USE OF WORDS is the title of Professor Rine's opening chapter of his new book, entitled

THE ESSENTIALS OF OUR LANGUAGE

Other chapters are, Slips in Syntax, Punctuation and Capitals, Art of Correspondence, Art of Sentence-Building, Practical Synonyms Discriminated, Learning by Doing.

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The Coronation Number of the Signs of the Times

By Editor

Will be ready June 5. It will contain historical sketches of the British Empire and the Royal Family, with fine illustrations which have been specially prepared for it.

The Grand Coronation of King Edward VII. will be used to illustrate the grander event—the Coronation of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The following heads of articles give an idea of the way in which a record of this great event will be used to teach precious truth:—

The Dominion of Earth; To Whom Given, How Lost, How Won; Christ the Sacrifice, the Revealer, the King-Priest; Christ’s Eternal Kingship: His Subjects, The Right to Reign, The Grand Coronation.

This special issue of the SIGNS affords our readers a grand opportunity to place in the hands of neighbors and friends, at small cost, a most effective and valuable presentation of the truth for to-day.

Arrangements have been made by which those desiring to have copies of this special number mailed to relatives or friends at a distance can send ten or more such names to the publishers who will address, wrap, and mail at the nominal rate of one-half cent extra per copy. Thus; ten copies will, when sent in this way, cost 30 cents; 25 copies, 63 cents; 50 copies, $1.25; 100 copies, $2.50.

Address

Signs of the Times

Oakland, Cal.

Or any of our General Agents noted in another column

Christian Nations

By Editor

“Christian Nations.”—The article in our Mission department from our bright young friend, Mr. Hasegawa, emphasizes anew the terrible wrong of calling any nations Christian nations. Absolutely there is not a Christian nation, as a nation, on the face of the earth. There are Christians in these nations, more in Great Britain and America doubtless than in any other two nations; but these nations are not Christian. The Christian religion is the most prominent of any religion in these nations, but the nation does not possess it. It requires more than imperial ukase, or kingly decree, or a legislative act to make a nation Christian. Christianity is the life of God brought down to men. It can be received only by personal, individual faith. That faith received will make men like Christ. It will abolish enmity, strife, hate, intrigue, dishonesty, drunkenness, vice, immorality, sin, war, murder. Just as long as any nations do these things, or countenance them in any way, they are not Christian, it matters not what men call them. They are as truly heathen as Japan or China ever was. The great wrong lies in telling the people of nations like Japan and China that America, and England, and Germany, etc., are Christian nations; and then when evil is manifest, as it is sure to be through representatives of these nations, the deceived ones charge it to Christianity. It is the business of the ambassadors of Christ to tell to every people that they are messengers of God, receiving their commission from Heaven not earth, from God not man, and to men of every land, American as well as Chinese, English as well as Japanese, that these men may receive Christ Jesus unto regeneration of life and character. The only hope of any people is for each one to receive Christ Jesus.

An Old Pioneer.

Individuals and churches on the Pacific Coast have been greatly pleased to meet once more, and to hear again, one of the old pioneers in this work, George I. Butler, now president of the Southern Union Conference, and president of the Southern Publishing Association of Nashville, Tenn. For several terms Brother Butler was president of the General Conference. Heavy burdens resulted in nervous prostration and great mental weariness. Added to this his good wife was stricken with paralysis. For fourteen years he has been living in the pine woods of Florida, caring for his beloved wife, and endeavoring to regain his health. About six months ago his wife fell asleep in Jesus; and out of the sorrow and cloud of that affliction God brought him to restored health and active labor once more. He comes into the conflict again with the martial tread of a young old veteran. He has demonstrated in himself the promise, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”

He, with Brother W. O. Palmer, the secretary and general business manager of the Southern Publishing Association, came out on the coast on business connected with the work in the South. Brother Palmer immediately returned. Brother Butler preached, with his old-time vigor, at Sanitarium, Healdsburg, San Francisco, and Oakland. Besides the excellent, living Gospel talks, he presented before these churches the needs of the great Southern field, neglected as no other field in America has been in the giving of God’s everlasting Gospel. To these appeals response was made. We have not heard the exact amount in all these places; but approximately, as far as heard, there was raised at Sanitarium, $550; at San Francisco, $280; at Oakland, $263. We have not heard from Fresno. Here also he met two other pioneers, Mrs. E. G. White and John N. Loughborough.

Sunday morning, May 25, he spoke words of encouragement and instruction to the employees of the office. May God bless the old soldier of Christ, and keep him strong, vigorous, and clear till the work is ended.

Coronation Number

By Editor

On this page will be found a reduced facsimile of the first page of our Coronation number. It will be issued next week. Order early, use early, and know that the distribution and sale of this number will be a grand work.

What Did Christ Abolish?

By Editor

“What Did Christ Abolish?”—We especially call attention to this article by Professor Derby in another column. It was written for two articles, but it did not seem best to divide it; and we have therefore crowded out other good articles to admit it in its entirety. It will bear reading and study.

The Meaning of Earthquakes.

By Editor

In our Outlook department will be found an article setting forth some of the meanings of the great convulsions and contortions of the earth’s crust. Later, as we hear more fully from the afflicted districts and from the scientists, we shall have more to say.

The Heavenly Coronation

By Editor

Our next issue is our Coronation number, dealing not with an earthly coronation alone, which particularly affects only British subjects, and more generally and remotely other peoples, but with a heavenly coronation, which affects all men. It is this greater view which will make the next SIGNS valuable.

Signs of the Times

Coronation Number

DATED JUNE 11 READY JUNE 5

5c Single Copy 10 Copies, 25c 25 or Over, 2c ORDER EARLY

Duty

Duty.—Devotion to duty. It is this one element in his character that made the late Rear-Admiral W. T. Sampson the man he was, Mr. Park Benjamin tells us in the Independent. He knew nothing else but to do duty. Hence he was trusted by every one who knew him. Mr. Benjamin also informs us that the Sampson-Schley controversy was not of Mr. Sampson’s origination or continuance. Misguided friends kept up the battle. The real Sampson had ceased to exist. How many times things would seem different at the time, if we knew the truth which is revealed later. How every lesson teaches us that harsh judgment should be deferred till we know—“neither praise nor blame unduly.” Let our own duty be so faithfully done that we shall have no time to sit in judgment on men’s little-understood motives.

A False Report Corrected

By Editor

“Nature Worship Revived.”—In the SIGNS of March 12 was an article with the above title which quoted a report, coming to us from several sources, in regard to a “hugging social” in North Greenfield, O. The hugging was said to be of different prices according to age. We did not print the name of the church, nor the name of the young lady promoter. A correspondent, W. T. Steele, University Park, Colo., writes us that he has investigated the matter, and finds the report a canard. As proof of this he sends a letter of denial from Mr. C. W. Hoffman, “pastor of West Mansfield circuit.” West Mansfield is a town or village about six miles from North Greenfield. He writes, “Our church is not in debt; has not had a social of any kind for a long time; uses no questionable methods to raise money, and has stood for fifty years a model society.” Of this we are glad. Now if Mr. Hoffman’s letter refers to the North Greenfield church, and his is the only church there, we are even more glad still; for we find no pleasure in knowing of such things. The report, of which we published a part, named no “merchant” in connection with it, as Mr. Hoffman intimates, but a young woman. We suppressed the names of both church and persons, as it was not our purpose to expose persons, but to point out the evils, and warn against them.

Christian Apologies for War

It seems sad to see an article from a “Christian,” soldier tho he has been, justifying war and its cruelties, as from Gen. O. O. Howard in the Independent. A prominent general of the United States army, who was never noted for his piety, expressed it much better when he said, “War is hell.” It is. General Howard quotes General Sherman as saying to him, “Howard, war is cruelty, and you can not too much refine it.” And the man of war spoke truly. The of-late frequent apologies for cruelty and war by professed Christians clearly show that the church is drifting rapidly from the view of Christianity which she once had. We mean the Protestant churches.

Work for the Needy.

At the recent laying of the corner-stone of the new sanitarium building, Battle Creek, Mich., Mayor Webb, of that city, said in his remarks, “I have watched the growth of this great institution from boyhood, when they occupied the small building known as the water cure, but never, until recently, had I a faint conception of the work done for the poor and needy by this great institution.” How true it is that it is not until the good is taken from us that we know how to appreciate it.

A Book You Want

A Book You Want.—We have had in preparation a long time a book entitled, “Modern Christianity and Modern Science,” by Geo. E. McCready Price. It discusses the ever-changing attitudes of science, tells us just what true modern Christianity is, and what its work will be. It shows by the testimony of scientists the unreliability of much that is called “science.” Every Christian worker ought to have the book. It is now in pages, and will soon be upon the market.

Our Coronation Number

By Editor

Some kings reign “by right of” conquest. Others reign “by right of primogeniture,” that is, by virtue of being the eldest son. Both of these “rights” may be absolutely wrong morally. There is One—nay, there are many—who will have the absolute right to reign eternally. Why? Who are they? Our Coronation number will answer this question.