This scripture names various errors which are held by a class named in the first verse,—those who fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, whose consciences have been seared by sin. They forbid marriage, and command abstention from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. In other words, they seek to control one's private life to that extent that they forbid him to participate in an institution founded of God, and also command certain fasts. The word "meats" comes from "bromaton," and means foods of various kinds, whether vegetable or animal. The fulfilment of this may be found in the apostasy which followed the early days of Christianity, especially centering in the Roman Catholic and Greek churches, in the celibacy of the priesthood and in the various fasts which have been enjoined. See "Questions and Answers," page 192, for a much fuller explanation of this text. If our subscriber does not have the book, she may be able to obtain it from some of her friends who are full subscribers to the "Signs of the Times."
3653 — The Apostolic People
By Editor
Will you please tell me something about that sect of people called the Apostolic? I am a convert, and have been attending their meetings, but I do not seem to be able to approve of the speaking in tongues, as they profess. They hold that you must speak in tongues in order to have the baptism such as was manifest on the Day of Pentecost, believe that diseases are of the devil, and also believe in the prayer for the sick, and anointing with oil. L.
The Lord has expressly told us that it is our privilege to pray for the sick, in the 5th chapter of James. The sick may call upon the elders of the church, and they may pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. We are told that the prayer of faith shall save the sick. Of course sickness came because of sin, and sin originated with the devil; all that is true. But there may be many reasons why people are sick that have nothing to do with the devil; their sickness is simply the outworking of the law of cause and effect in a fallen world. David says, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy Word." Seeing a certain blind man, the disciples of Jesus asked, "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" And Jesus told them that neither the man nor his parents had sinned, but God had suffered the affliction in order that He might be glorified. There is a common-sense way of looking at all these things, in taking the Word of God just as it is given.
But we are nowhere told in that Word that we must have the gift of tongues as the evidence that we have the Spirit of God. The gift of tongues was possessed by some in the early church, but not all. It was necessary there because the disciples were to go out and preach among men of other tongues and other languages. But it is not mentioned among the greater gifts, nor the more necessary gifts. God placed in that early church first apostles, secondarily prophets, after that teachers, helps, governments, and so on; and tongues came toward the very last. See the apostle's instruction in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12 to 14, and note that the apostle does not make the tongues a prominent gift, altho some of the believers seemed inclined so to do. A whole lot of this so-called speaking with tongues in these days is the utterance of a lot of outlandish gibberish, which neither edifies those who hear nor exalts the one who speaks. Souls have been led to believe that they spoke some East Indian tongue, and have gone to India to convert natives, but when they reached there they could not be understood, and some have made shipwreck of faith because of it. Let this one great thought be grasped by our inquirer: God gives His Spirit for service, and that Spirit bestows upon His children gifts (1 Cor. 12:11; 1 Peter 4:10); and as every man has received a gift — some gift — let him use it in service for others. It is one of the talents to which God will add others, if the receiver will use them aright.
The one great test of all spiritual manifestations in these and all other days, is given by the prophet Isaiah, and by our Lord Himself: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20. "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." We are given in clear, unequivocal terms the characteristics of the remnant church who will welcome His coming: "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12.
3649—"Greater Works"
By F. F. G.
I am at a loss to know how, when, or where the apostles did greater works than Jesus Christ. See John 14:12.
F. F. G.
When our Lord went away He gave His Spirit, and that Spirit baptized and filled all those who had faith in Him. Jesus as a physical being could be in but one place at a time while He abode here, but His disciples could be in twelve different places at the same time, and each of them doing God's work by the fulness of that Spirit. And when those disciples were multiplied, as they were later on, each one, doing work for God in the locality where he was, would of course multiply the seed sown and increase God's working. And therefore all those disciples would do greater works than the Master. While Jesus was here personally present, the disciples could not seem to grasp that He could do work other than where He was physically present. When the centurion grasped that fact, and told the Lord that he was not worthy that He should come into his house, but speak the word only, and his servant should be healed, Jesus marveled, and said that He had not found so great faith, no, not in Israel; but when Lazarus was sick and died, each of the sisters—devoted, earnest disciples of Jesus—said, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." They could not grasp God's healing, saving power apart from His presence. Therefore it was expedient that He should go away, and in going away He sent the great power of His fulness of life, the outpouring of His Spirit, upon His disciples, so that wherever those disciples went and were united to Him by living faith, His power and His presence were with them. And then, too, mighty miracles were wrought by the individual disciples. It is said of Paul at Corinth, that God wrought "special miracles" by his hand, "insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out." Acts 19:11, 12. And of Peter it is said that "they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some one of them. And there also came together the multitude from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." Acts 5:15, 16.
3650—The Spirit of Man
By Editor
Where is the agreement between Job 27:3 and Job 34:14, as given in the Common Version? D. R. M.
We do not see any inharmony in the scriptures. The first is a statement by Job that his soul was vexed while his breath was in him, while the life of God was still with him—as the margin reads, the breath which God gave him. (Gen. 2:7.) The American Revised Version has it that his soul is still vexed, "for my life is yet whole in me, and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils,"—that is, the life which God gave. Job 34:14, according to the context, has this lesson: that it is God's goodness that He rules over the earth. No man has given Him charge over it. No man has set Him there as a duty, and if He should set His heart upon Himself (read as in the Revised Version and as the margin of the Common Version), if He should set His heart upon Himself, if He should gather unto Himself His spirit and His breath, why, man would utterly perish. It is God's goodness which keeps men alive, and with God is the great fountain of life; and if He should gather this life home to Himself, as does selfish man, all men would be utterly destroyed. The Revised Version gives the better rendering.
3652 — Socialism
By Editor
Should a Seventh-day Adventist belong to the Socialist party? B.
In other words, should any full-fledged Christian belong to the Socialist party? No, nor any other political party under the sun. We do not see how it is possible that a Christian should allow himself with any political party, and become responsible for the actions of that party. Of course there are political parties, and have been, which have been molded by principle. There may be such now in localities,—parties composed of men that would not swerve from principle for anything in this world, who are doing the very best they can to effect righteous rule and carry out true principles of government. But with most of our political parties there has been more or less political chicanery, dishonesty, trickery, sale, barter, etc. The Christian can not yield himself to such things. He is to stand high above all political trickery of every kind. He is not to be molded by men; he is placed here to mold and win the minds of others to a higher realm, that of the Lord Jesus Christ. If there comes a time when duty demands that he should express his opinion at the polls, he can do this without necessarily belonging to any political party. Christ said, "My kingdom is not of this world."
3654 — Communion Cups
By Editor
Can not the arguments that have been presented in favor of communion cups also be used against kissing, which is practised as a religious act by some Christians? A. K.
Yes, from the health standpoint. We question quite seriously whether disease is transmitted in this way to any extent, and yet there are those who feel that there is great danger in a single communion cup, especially where people of all ages and conditions of health partake. Of course the danger might not be quite so serious where the kissing is upon the cheek. There are dangers, doubtless, to some persons in both, and to others, perhaps, in neither. Neither custom is mandatory.
Our readings begin with the 5th chapter of Exodus and close with the 15th. They begin with Israel in oppression and bondage, with the whole power of Egypt set against them. They close with the song of triumph of Israel on the thither side of the Red Sea with the host of Egypt overthrown. Mighty work God did in saving them. It was creative power manifest over again. Never was such work done in the saving of any nation.
The careful, earnest student who has time will search out the genesis and purpose of the various plagues brought upon Egypt. He will find that they generally come against the gods of Egypt, those things which the Egyptians worshiped. He will note this,—that while the Lord predicted that He would at last harden Pharaoh's heart, yet in all the earlier judgments it was Pharaoh who hardened his own heart, and made his own heart stubborn against God. God would have saved him as He saved Nebuchadnezzar, would have glorified His name through Pharaoh's repentance and salvation; but Pharaoh would not. And when the time came that God hardened Pharaoh's heart, it was only the withdrawing of His Holy Spirit, which Pharaoh had before rejected; and so all hearts are irretrievably hardened, by rejecting the very means which will bring salvation.
The word "borrow" in Ex. 11:2 should be "ask," as in the American Revised Version. A long time Israel had served the Egyptians in bondage as slaves, and now they are asking, or demanding, some compensation for their labor. The original bears this meaning of the word. It is well to read carefully the institution of the Passover, and its object. Note that the song of Moses was a song of triumph over earthly foes; the redeemed at last will sing not only the song of Moses, but the song of the Lamb,—redemption from earthly foes, as well as from all sin.
Psalms 16 and 17 will emphasize the readings of the week, of God's preservation of His people from trouble.
Question Corner
"IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE."
This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer them does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.
The Mystery of God
By Mrs. E. G. White
"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily."
WHAT is this mystery of which Paul writes to the Ephesians and to the Colossians, saying that it was given to him to fulfil the word of God, the mystery "which hath been hid from ages and from generations"? One translation reads, "which hath been kept in silence through eternal ages."
Many have endeavored to define the mystery which Paul here mentions. But it embraces much, and our ideas in regard to the love, the goodness, and the compassion of God are strangely limited. Because our knowledge of spiritual things has become so dwarfed and enfeebled, we have not advanced from light to greater light. The Lord has not been able to open to our understanding many precious things. In view of the losses which we have sustained by our earthliness and commonness, we have much to make us humble.
The Plan from Eternity
God had a knowledge of the events of the future, even before the creation of the world. He did not make His purposes to fit circumstances, but He allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring about a certain condition of things, but He knew that such a condition would exist. The plan that should be carried out upon the defection of any of the high intelligences of heaven,—this is the secret, the mystery which has been hid from ages. And an offering was prepared in the eternal purposes to do the very work which God has done for fallen humanity.
Paul was taken up into the third heaven, and there he saw and heard things which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Mysteries which had been hidden for ages were revealed to him, and as much as he could bear of the workings of God, and of His dealings with human minds, was made known. The Lord told Paul that he must preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Light was to be given to the Gentiles. This is a mystery which had been hidden for ages.
“This wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam.”
The Jews had grown into a belief that everything pertaining to the Gentiles was cursed and unclean. Prejudice had built up the wall of nationality and religious seclusion. But God Himself instructed Paul that his work was to present Christ to the Gentiles. The great work of redemption was to be brought before all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. Because of their disobedience, the Jews were broken off from the olive-tree, and those among the Gentiles who would accept Christ as their Saviour were to be grafted into the good olive-tree, and made one with the original branches. But in no case are they to boast because of this, lest they be broken off as were the natural branches.
The Gentiles knew nothing of circumcision, but they were to be brought under the covenant of grace given to Abraham. The Lord talked with Paul, and told him that the blessings given to the Jewish nation were given equally to the Gentiles. And Paul writes to them: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands: 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: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Presenting the Mystery
The incarnation of Christ is a mystery. The union of divinity with humanity is a mystery indeed, hidden with God, "even the mystery which hath been hid from ages." It was kept in eternal silence by Jehovah, and was first revealed in Eden, by the prophecy that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and that he should bruise His heel. To present to the world this mystery that God kept in silence for eternal ages before the world was created, before man was created, was the part that Christ was to act in the work He entered upon when He came to this earth. And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam, whether Jew or Gentile. His sufferings perfectly fulfilled the claims of the law of God. None of the apostles could have filled the deficiency, had there been any.
God has given us warnings that must be heeded if we would escape the perils of the last days. Temptations, fierce and strong, will try us. The enemy will strive to take from us the hope of eternal life. If we are not growing up into Christ, our living head, we are growing in distrust and unbelief, and are giving our allegiance to the world.
Since the promise given in Eden, God has4revealed His mysteries through His prophets. According to the command of the eternal God, they have been made known to all nations. God, being rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, quickens us together with Christ, and raises us up to sit together in heavenly places in Him, "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
Mysteries Yet Remain
But many mysteries yet remain unrevealed. How much that is acknowledged to be truth is mysterious and unexplainable to the human mind! How dark seem the dispensations of Providence! What necessity there is for implicit faith and trust in God's moral government! We are ready to say with Paul, "How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"
We are not now sufficiently advanced in spiritual attainments to comprehend the mysteries of God. But when we shall compose the family of heaven, these mysteries will be unfolded before us. Of the members of that family John writes: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." "And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads."
Then much will be revealed in explanation of matters upon which God now keeps silence because we have not gathered up and appreciated that which has been made known of the eternal mysteries. The ways of Providence will be made clear; the mysteries of grace through Christ will be unfolded. That which the mind can not now grasp, which is hard to be understood, will be explained. We shall see order in that which has seemed unexplainable; wisdom in everything withheld; goodness and gracious mercy in everything imparted. Truth will be unfolded to the mind, free from obscurity, in a single line, and its brightness will be endurable. The heart will be made to sing for joy. Controversies will be forever ended, and all difficulties will be solved.
The Testimony of Jesus
By George W. Reaser
IV—The Mightiest Evidence
Prophecy Must Be Fulfilled
(Concluded from last week)
SEEING that prophetic utterances were written centuries in advance, giving the minutest details of Christ's varied experiences, no matter how great the mental and physical suffering that must be endured by Him in order to fulfil every detail of prophecy, He must not, at the crisis, withdraw from the anguish of soul and excruciating physical pain, for thus He would defeat the plan of Heaven in the giving of prophecy, and nullify His own testimony, His own witnessing to the ages, which is by "the spirit of prophecy." When He should stand face to face with the terrors of the crucifixion, He must become "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," He must pour "out His soul unto death." When He surrendered Himself to the death of the cross, He was witnessing to God's prophetic Word, to His own utterances through the prophets—for He Himself had spoken through the prophets that thus it must be.
He attached paramount importance to submitting to every humiliating and painful detail of His betrayal, His apprehension in the Garden of Gethsemane, His unjust trial and crucifixion, altho at the time He did not suggest a single one of those experiences, and therefore there was absolutely no collusion to fulfil prophecy.
His declaration of His submission and willingness to suffer the shame, agony, and death of the cross, is, to every honest Christian heart, overwhelming evidence of the supreme importance which He attached to the subject of prophecy, and to its accurate fulfilment in every detail. It is well worth while for some of the professed followers of Christ who to-day minimize the importance of prophecy, to meditate upon the value which Jesus Himself attached to this divine scheme for proving His Messiahship, and for corroborating the Word of God.
When He was apprehended by the murderous mob in the garden, He assured Peter, who had hastily drawn his sword and smitten the servant of the high priest, that there was no need that His twelve apostles should defend Him with swords of steel, for it was easily within His power to summon twelve legions of angels to rescue Him from the grasp of those who sought His death, and thus from the cruel experience of His trial and of Calvary. But His reply to His own heart and to those who sought His life was, "But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" And "all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Matt. 26: 53-56; Mark 14: 49. The reason why Jesus attached so much importance to the fulfilment of prophecy, was because this was the most effectual way to convey testimony to the ages that God's Word is true, and that every word of God must be fulfilled, and it was likewise the way designed of God that the plan of redemption should be accomplished. If one specification of the spirit of prophecy should fail, the value of the testimony of Jesus would be lost. We do not ignore the fact that the paramount motive in the mind of Jesus, as He stood face to face with Calvary, was the salvation of men. Yet, as He clearly expressed Himself, every detail of prophecy must be fulfilled, else the failure of the prophetic Word would leave humanity without a sufficient basis for faith in the Word of God and in Himself as the true Messiah.
The Answer to Unbelief
Some would seek to undermine our faith in Christ by telling us that clay tablets, dated ten thousand years ago, have been discovered in India, describing supposed supernatural persons called Joseph and Mary, and mentioning the crucifixion of one Jesus.
We are well aware that Satan's special occupation is to deceive, and he has many agents chained to his chariot, adroitly toiling for him. The special object of their assaults is Christ and His divinity. The prince of darkness sought to defeat the plan of salvation by undermining the faith of the Saviour in His own divinity, by saying, "If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down." The above "tablet" story was recently related to a Christian family in Mexico by an educated man from the United States.
How shall we disprove the clay tablet falsehood, and reassure our own hearts of the divinity of Christ and of the truthfulness of God's Word? One fatal weakness in all false religions and theories is that they can not bring a single line of fulfilled prophecy to bear in support of their genuineness. The Christian religion alone offers, in God's prophetic Word, unimpeachable evidence of its authenticity, of its divine origin, and of the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth. Evidence thus fortified, Satan can not overthrow. Sad to say, there are men in all nations, educated, but not in the science of salvation, who seek to undermine faith in the Word of God. Those "messengers of the nations" defiantly challenge the divinity of Christ: "What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it."
Jesus, when making His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, was importuned to hush the voices of the children, lifted in glad anthems of praise. His answer was, that if these should hold their peace, the very stones in the street would take up the strain. Why must this be? Prophecy had spoken 500 years in advance; all heaven was pledged for its fulfilment. As descriptive of that very event, the prophecy had said, "Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem." Zech. 9: 9 with Luke 19: 40.
Jesus' Method of Proving His Messiahship
The reader will recall Christ's method of convincing His doubting disciples of His Messiahship, even after His resurrection. As He joined Himself to the two disciples as they journeyed to Emmaus, the discussion of the two had been with reference to the death and burial of Jesus, and altho the report had come to them that He was risen from the dead, yet they were still in doubt and uncertainty as to His being the true Messiah. Jesus' appeal was to the things that He Himself had dictated to the prophets, concerning His experience when He should take upon Himself human nature and suffer death upon a Roman cross. "Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24: 13-32.
The response of the two disciples to this array of prophetic evidence of His being their divine Lord was, "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?" Surely the "testimony of Jesus"—Heaven-inspired prophecy—is not a dry and lifeless theme, if it be pursued understandingly. Would that our hearts might be all aglow with renewed faith in God and in His Word, as we tread softly, reverently, in our exploration of the great field of prophecy.5In the evening when Jesus met with His disciples in the upper chamber, again He had recourse to the prophecies, to convince them all that He was indeed the true Messiah. Luke 24: 33-44.
If Jesus Himself employed the prophecies to convince His own chosen disciples of His Messiahship, can any better or more forceful way be discovered to convince mankind that He was the Son of God? In fact, is it possible to show that He was the true Messiah, without deducing the proof from the prophecies, with their fulfilment?
Fulfilled Prophecy Stronger Evidence than the Testimony of One Risen from the Dead
Suppose that a widely known but deceased man should rise from the dead and profess to speak God's truth. He would make a strong impression upon the minds of humanity, would he not? But in the face of one rising from the dead, Christ gave His testimony that prophecy is a safer, surer, stronger evidence upon which to base faith than the statements of one risen from the dead. You will recall the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded in Luke 16, in which the rich man is represented as having died. His piteous appeal was that some one be sent to give warning to his five brethren, "lest they also come into this place of torment." In that intensely dramatic scene, Christ put the answer to this appeal into the mouth of one of the characters called Father Abraham, and made him say, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, tho one rose from the dead." Therefore the prophecies are a better, safer guide than one risen from the dead.
Peter's Appeal to Fulfilled Prophecy
On the Day of Pentecost Peter, altho filled with the Holy Spirit, reached the climax of his mighty, Spirit-filled sermon, in his masterful effort to prove Jesus to be the true Messiah, by an appeal to prophecy. Acts 2: 22-32. How wise and deeply laid was the plan of salvation, when we recognize that Jesus, by the spirit of prophecy, began to foretell and give details of His coming into the world to be the Saviour of men, full four thousand years before He came, or immediately after sin had entered and man needed a Saviour! Gen. 3: 15.
The Climax of Paul's Sermon Before Agrippa
Paul's recourse, in witnessing before kings, was to the same overwhelming evidence; namely, the "spirit of prophecy." As he stood, a prisoner in bonds, before Agrippa, and doubtless saw evidences that God was using him to touch the heart of the monarch, who sat, an interested listener, upon his throne, the apostle reached the very climax of his appeal, in addressing the pointblank question to the ruler: "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." This question, as an arrow of conviction, driven into the king's heart by the Holy Spirit, forced from him the answer, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Acts 26: 27, 28. Paul had based his argument, proving that Jesus was indeed the Christ, on fulfilled prophecy. It was the strongest argument he could possibly make before the king.
The question, "Believest thou the prophets?" will ever be one of the most important of all questions, till the end of time.
In the fulfilment of the many wonderful prophecies in connection with the advent of Christ into the world, His almost continuously miraculous life, His crucifixion and resurrection—the latter the mightiest monument of all fulfilled prophecy—all of these things being, as Paul stated before Agrippa, not "done in a corner," and moreover heralded to the world, the great apostle to the Gentiles preaching them himself for two years at the world seat of empire, the city of Rome,—by all of these means in fulfilling prophecy, the flood-gates—the witnessing power—of Heaven had been opened, God had witnessed to His existence and to His truth through "the testimony of Jesus," and mankind was left without excuse for unbelief.
A Distinct Triumph of the Cross
The events associated with the cross of Calvary not only fulfilled minutely numerous prophetic utterances, but also made the event of the cross the great central beacon light of fulfilled prophecy in all of the world's history, and likewise revealed the importance that Jesus attached to the accurate fulfilment of every detail of prophecy. It is said that nearly three hundred specifications of prophecy were fulfilled in the experiences of Christ while here among men. Some of these were definite time prophecies. Dan. 9: 24-27.
At the same time the writer does not ignore the fact that there are other overwhelming evidences of our Lord's divinity.
Jesus' Resurrection Not a Proof of His Being the True Messiah, Except as It Was Fulfilment of Prophecy
The fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, no matter how great its significance in the plan of salvation, did not in itself prove Him to be the Messiah; for other members of our race were resurrected from the dead, both before and after Him. Neither did the fact that Jesus raised the dead to life again, in itself, prove His Messiahship; for both Elijah and Elisha before, and Peter and Paul after His earth life, were instruments in performing the same miracle. In the fact of His vicarious death, burial, and resurrection, "according to the Scriptures" of the prophets, do we find undeniable proof of His Messiahship. See 1 Cor. 15: 3, 4; Ps. 2: 7 with Acts 13: 33, 34.
No Place for Doubt
Further discourse to convince the Christian of the importance of prophecy would be superfluous. The arising of the star to guide the magi was foretold; the time when He should be anointed Messiah; the place of His birth, as well as the miraculous manner of His conception. His name was selected more than seven centuries in advance. Nearly all the details of His betrayal, His trial, the forsaking of Him by His disciples, the graphic scenes of Calvary, His burial and triumphant resurrection, were foretold. David, speaking prophetically, had given us a glowing description of the triumphant ascension to glory of the One who had conquered sin, Satan, death, and the grave, when he sang: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. . . . The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory." Ps. 24: 7-10.
In harmony with the thought that Heaven-sent prophecy supplies the strongest possible evidence upon which to base intelligent faith, is the statement of a prominent author, that while the "miracles of Christ are a proof of His divinity, yet a stronger proof that He is the world's Redeemer is found in comparing the prophecies of the Old Testament with the history of the New."—"Desire of Ages."
Thus Heaven gave me so firm a foundation upon which to base my faith in Him as my all-sufficient Saviour, that the combined assaults of infidelity can not disturb my confidence nor destroy my hope. And thus it is that the "testimony of Jesus" has placed a weapon in the hands of Christians which, if rightly used, will cause skepticism to scamper away into the shadows, for shame.
The "testimony of Jesus," the "spirit of prophecy," not only proves Jesus to be the true Messiah, but it also proves all others who have claimed, or who may profess, to be messiahs, to be false christs.
