9. How long was the supremacy of the beast as a persecuting power to continue? Rev. 13:5; 12:6, 14.
10. What was then to occur? Was the wound to be healed? Rev. 13:3, 10. Note 3.
11. Will this power be permitted to persecute in the last days? Rev. 12:17.
12. What admonition is given to the church for this time? Rev. 13:9.
13. Amid the moral darkness, how are the true people of God referred to? Verse 10, last part; Rev. 14:12.
NOTES.
1. The description given of this beast indicates that the characteristics of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome have been inherited by the Papacy, of which this symbol is a representative. Tho professedly Christian, it wages a relentless warfare against truth and righteousness. It continues till the end, and goes alive into the lake of fire. Rev. 19:20; Dan. 7:26.
2. The dragon is a symbol of Satan. Satan offered his seat and great authority to Christ once when He was here on earth. Luke 4:5-7. The price which he placed upon it was that Jesus should bow down and worship him. It is not reasonable to suppose that he has transferred it to the beast for anything less; so that power is, therefore, the servant, full and complete, of the prince of darkness, pledged to bow down and do obeisance to him. Any homage, therefore, that is rendered to this ecclesiastical power, is, in reality, paying homage to the evil power by which sin came into the world.
3. This wound was inflicted when the beast went into captivity in A. D. 1798, when the French general, Berthier, entered Rome and took the pope prisoner, and abolished for a time the papal government—a deadly wound indeed.
(25) “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and he went out from thence, and built Penuel. (26) And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now will the kingdom return to the house of David: (27) if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. (28) Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (29) And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. (30) And this thing became a sin; for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. (31) And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, that were not of the sons of Levi. (32) And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places that he had made. (33) And he went up unto the altar which he had made in Beth-el on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up unto the altar, to burn incense.”
Golden Text.— “Keep yourselves from idols.” I John 5: 21.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Where did Jeroboam locate the capital of his kingdom? What other point of ancient note did he fortify? Verse 25. Note 1. (2) What danger was suggested to the mind of Jeroboam? Verse 26. (3) By what means did he think the people would be induced to return to Rehoboam? Verse 27. Note 2. (4) What counsel did the king take? How did he justify this course before the people? How did he introduce the idols to the people? Verse 28. Notes 3 and 4. (5) Where did Jeroboam set up the idols permanently? Verse 29. Note 5. (6) What was the effect of Jeroboam’s action? Verse 30. Note 6. (7) What further preparation was made for carrying on this idolatry? Verse 31. Note 7. (8) What feast did Jeroboam ordain? What part did the king himself take in this feast? Verse 32. (9) Whose devising was all this service? Verse 33. Note 8.
NOTES.
1. Shechem was a very ancient place, being the stopping-point of Jacob when he returned from Padan-aram to Canaan. It had been utterly destroyed by Abimelech, the son of Gideon’s maid, who caused Gideon’s sons to be slain in order that he might become ruler of Israel. See Judges 9. Penuel, or Peniel (face of God), was the place where Jacob wrestled with the angel and gained the victory. See Genesis 32.
2. Jeroboam began wisely by fortifying his capital and other strategic points, but he lacked faith in the promise of God. This was his weakness, and the cause of his downfall, as it must be that of every other man so affected. God had promised that if he would keep the commandments, as David had done, he should also have a sure house. But he was afraid to be faithful in worship, and to let the people be faithful, lest it might cause him to lose his kingdom. Thus he was afraid to do the very thing which God had assured him would be the means of establishing his house in the kingdom.
3. The counsel which Jeroboam sought was of men of like character of himself,—men who thought they must devise plans to perpetuate division. The king and his counselors were unable to see that two nations could be united in the worship of God and yet be politically separate. Despite the Lord’s promise, Jeroboam thought that in order to make sure of the continued allegiance of his people, he must needs build up a state religion different from that of the rival kingdom—that in order to maintain peace, he must build up enmity.
4. “It is too much,” or, as in the margin, “Ye have gone up long enough,” was a play of false sympathy. He would make the people believe that he was very solicitous for their convenience and comfort. They had broken off from the original kingdom because of oppressive tribute in labor and taxes, and now Jeroboam would have them believe that the religious convocations at Jerusalem were too exacting. Had he trusted God’s promise to establish his house in the kingdom, he would have known that faithfulness in religious duty would have strengthened the people in the matter of carrying out God’s purpose with reference to the kingdom.
5. Having ignored the counsel of God, Jeroboam placed himself in the hands of the adversary, who led him to the extreme of folly—gross idolatry. A departure from the commandment of God, even in jot or tittle, always opens the way to further license. This principle is made clear by the Apostle James when he says, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.” So Jeroboam’s lack of faith in God’s promise let loose the floodgate of sin upon him.
6. “Because of sin,” etc.—That is, it spread to the people, to the extent of their eventual destruction as a nation. As stated in chapter 13:34, “This thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth,” so it was with the kingdom. “Before the one” implies before the one or the other, as was most convenient.
7. Ordaining priests from the ranks of the common people was another evidence that Jeroboam wished to cut loose from the worship of Jehovah. The Levites refused to worship idols, and went to the land of Judah, leaving their possessions among the tribes that fell to Jeroboam. See 2 Chron. 11:13-17.
8. The feast in the eighth month was a variation of the command for a feast in the seventh month (the feast of tabernacles). The time was of Jeroboam’s own devising, purposely a perversion of the Lord’s appointed occasion. The expression, “devised of his own heart” contains the condemnation of the entire system of worship established by Jeroboam, and justifies the inspired record in its oft-repeated accusation that “Jeroboam made Israel to sin.” So Jeroboam is another in the long list of men with grand opportunities who let them slip through unbelief of God’s Word. How is it with you?
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HAVE YOU TRIED
By Ethan Brown
The Orphans Benefit Non-alcoholic Crystal Vanilla yet? It is the proper food flavor and can not be beat. Pronounced so by Government Commissioners, Paris Exposition, 1900, after months of use in United States Commission Kitchen. You will do well to “cut out” acquiring an alcoholic taste, and try the natural, pure, and rich flavor which neither boils or bakes out. Only 25 cents, postpaid, to any address.
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Scripture References
This pamphlet groups the more important references on twenty-four different subjects in a very helpful way. Some of these subjects are; Signs that Show Christ’s Coming Near, The Millennium, The Sanctuary, The Sabbath, Spiritualism, The Soul in the Old and New Testaments.
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Christ Is Coming Again
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Book Department Notes
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WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE HOME OF THE SAVED
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“OUR PARADISE HOME”
In the world there is much speculation as to the future home of the saved. All are curious to know what the future world holds in store for them.
The new book with the above title, by Elder S. H. Lane, will clear up the mystery to the satisfaction of all. It reveals the Bible facts about the wonderful Kingdom of Glory, and the beautiful city, New Jerusalem, in a manner that will please and profit the reader. In treating this subject, the writer naturally touches on others closely allied, such as the Judgment, Millennium, Resurrection, etc.
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“THE SAINTS’ INHERITANCE”
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752 PAGES OF GOOD STORIES
Volumes 1 and 3 of “Sabbath Readings” contain 752 pages of the very best stories for young people published. Here are some of the titles:—
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FOURTEEN YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIONS.
The following is from a business letter recently received from Bro. Geo. A. King, who has been for years working with the SIGNS OF THE TIMES in New York City:—
Have just sent in a list of fourteen yearly subscriptions to the SIGNS, and have another almost ready. We are gaining ground all the time on the SIGNS in this city. Every person interested in religious literature speaks well of the SIGNS, and even those who differ from its views speak of it as a pure, good, and well-edited paper.
Worldliness in the Church
It has always been true that “the whole world lieth in the wicked one,” since man fell. This does not mean that God does not have a care for it, or that He does not rule in the kingdom of men; but it means that the carnal hearts of men have yielded to the soporific influence of sin, and are lulled to sleep by the soothing narcotics of the devil. There have been many times in the past, when sin was more rampant, more manifest, slavery more cruel, vice more open and flagrant, laws and rulers more intolerant and savage than now. It is not a sign of the end or of Christ’s coming that the world is worse; the awful sad thing is that all the wickedness of the world is in the professed church of Jesus Christ, which should be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. The sins of the heathen world, named by Paul in the latter part of the first chapter of Romans, the same apostle declares will be found in the last days, among those “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof;” and, hence, the “perilous times.” The church of Jesus Christ is not only swept away by the strong tide of worldliness, but she is turning her back upon the only means of salvation from the awful end—the Bible. Let the world be as wicked as it will if the church stand steadfast to her Lord; but when the world is in the church and dominates the church, then both church and world are in a deplorable condition indeed. From such a condition God must call a people out. The reform that meets His requirements will never take place in a church wedded to the world.
Did the Apostles Believe Christ Was Coming in Their Day?
The writers of the New Testament,—Paul, Peter, James, John, Jude, and the writer of Hebrews, probably Apollos,—speak more or less frequently of the second coming of Christ. It is held out as our only hope, the day of reward, the revelation of God’s glory in us, the blessed hope, and as being at hand, at the door, etc. They wrote of the solemnity of that event, and of the necessity of being prepared. Did they believe it was impending in their day?—There were some who did. But the apostles and chosen men of God did not. Let Paul speak for them. Here is what he says to those who had imbibed a wrong idea:—
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,” etc. 2 Thess. 2:1-3.
The same truth is taught by our Lord in Matthew 24. The simple fact is that the apostles not only wrote for their time, but for ours, the end of the age. When the time comes that Christ’s coming is near, God will see that His servants give meat in due season, according to the prophetic word. See 2 Peter 1:19.
Chautauqua Summer-School Program
During the Chatauqua Institution Summer-school's sessions, July 9 to August 19, the SIGNS OF THE TIMES can be obtained at the Temple on the Chatauqua grounds, Chatauqua, N. Y. Some special subjects are given prominence each week of the session. July 10-16 is “Civic Week;” July 17-23, “The School—State or Parochial;” July 24-30, “Missions;” July 31—August 6, “Graft in American Life;” August 7-13, “The Bible in Modern Life;” August 14-20, “Music.” This is only a part of the excellent course offered.
The Author of Life
The Author of Life.—God is the Author of life. From Him all life comes. The psalmist expresses it beautifully in the expression, “The Fountain of Life.” Think of what that means. Imagine to yourself a country parched, dry, and dead, when all at once on the highest eminence a mighty fountain of pure, sparkling water bursts forth, and flows outward in every direction, carrying life and nourishment to the dry, parched earth. The earth seems to throb with life. Grass and flowers and shrubs spring up everywhere. The dry roots or seeds have been touched; they are connected with a living fountain. So it is with God and the universe. He is the great Fountain, from whom streams of living water are flowing out to all parts of the created universe. Those who receive this water, who quaff it for what it is, the nectar of life, live; while to those who use it selfishly, endeavor to hoard it for selfish purposes, pervert it to selfish ends, shut it away entirely, it does no good. Nay, it does more; it proves to them destruction. But this is not because God is not good, nor the water good, but perverted good is always evil. There is life in God through Jesus Christ; receive it as such.
Peace Be unto You
“Peace Be unto You.”—This is God’s message to you, sinner. It is not a compromise, but an honorable, righteous peace. He has purchased it for you. He brings it to you in hands of infinite love, hands wounded by your sin. His message is peace, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,” and which, if accepted, will “keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:7. It is not for a day, or a year; but “the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” And My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings.” Isa. 32:17, 18. “I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.” Isa. 60:17. Yea, a foretaste of that blessed peace begins now. Men may be at war with us, but we are at peace with God. Our boat may seem to be tempest-tossed on the sea of life, but He who bade the wild waves of Galilee, “Peace, be still,” will calm the wild tempest within, and bring His own blessed rest. “Peace be unto you,” dear sinner, whoever you are. Jesus Christ has purchased it, and offered it to you; will you accept it? Can you spurn Him away?
What Is Your Idea?
This is an important question in these days. The Roman Catholic definition of faith is “body of doctrine” as held or defined by the “church.” The Bible idea of faith is personal, living belief in God, that which connects man with God. It is personal or it is nothing. Rome, holding the idea she does of faith, logically believes that the Bible is a dead book without the church, that it receives its life from the church, which holds the faith, or “body of doctrine.” The Bible idea of the Word of God is that it is “quick [living] and powerful” in itself, and that faith, personal faith, appropriates this power direct. From the living word in the beginning the soul and the church of souls is born, and by that word life is maintained. Rome reverses the Bible order. The Bible idea is the Protestant idea. Which idea is yours?
Where There Is Growth There Is Life.
—It may be an abnormal growth, but there is life there in some form. This seems to us self-evident, and it is especially true in vegetation. It seems strange to read from the pen of René Bache, in the Youth's Companion of not long ago, in regard to the sugar maple: “One should realize that the inner body of the tree is a mass as lifeless as so much brick or stone. How did that inner body get there? How did it get so large from the little center a sixteenth of an inch in diameter to a mass 23,104 times as great, to say nothing of the height? Of course, the sap is in the wood next the bark, but there is life in the heart. There is no blood appreciable in the finger nail, yet it is alive till severed, and it grows. Every part of a healthy tree is alive, and every part of a Christian ought to be, heart and all.”
Christ and the Church
The relation between each individual and Christ, and therefore between the church and Christ, is illustrated by marriage. Christ is the husband; the believer, as well as the believing church, is the spouse. See Rom. 7:4; Eph. 5:30, 32; 2 Cor. 11:2. From Christ she receives her help, her power, her name, her character, her all. To leave His word for the theories or creeds of men is to bring confusion and make her Babylon; and to ask aid of earthly powers or to connect with them to obtain aid in the work of religion, is to reject Christ and to commit fornication with the kings of the earth. See James 4:4; Rev. 18:3. But this same thing the church is doing when she asks aid of the state to “protect” or “promote” what she calls Christian institutions. Would God she might return to the Husband of her youth.
What Hast Thou Given?
The eternal Son of God “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14); that He might take us, all defiled and ruined by sin, and through His power make us “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:6, 12). In this He was not alone. God gave His only-begotten Son, “the Son of His love,” that all believing should have eternal life. Here is the fulness, the completeness of sacrifice. God gave all that He could give without jeopardizing, aye, ruining, the government of Heaven. The Son gave all that He could give,—His own glorious self. This meant humiliation, poverty, suffering, shame, cruel death upon the cross. Sinner, He did it all for you. Will you give your sinful self to Him, that He may make of you what He died to make?
Sunday Is a Religious Institution.—
Any distinction that ever has been made between Sunday and other days of the week, by law or custom, has been on account of its alleged sacredness. Then any legislation which discriminates between Sunday and the other days is religious legislation. And religious legislation is a union of church and state—a union of state power with church influence, at the instigation of the church, to enforce a church tenet. Any law to close saloons or any other business on Sunday only is delegating the power of the state to enforce a church institution, and is to that extent an establishment of religion, a practical endorsement of the principle of church and state union.
Southern Watchman Special Advent Number
The special Advent Number of the Southern Watchman is at hand. It is an excellent number, printed in two colors. It clearly shows what the second advent of Christ means, and gives many of the signs which precede His second coming. The same amount of evidence and good up-to-date matter could not be purchased in any one publication for five times its price. Price five cents a copy. To one address: five to twenty-four copies, four cents; twenty-five or more, three cents. Address, Southern Publishing Association, 1025-27 Jefferson Street, Nashville, Tenn.
