p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 49. (12/14/1904)

LESSON 13.—DECEMBER 25.—THE PRINCE OF PEACE.

Lesson Scripture, Isa. 9:1–7, A. R. V.

(1) “But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time hath He made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. (2) The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (3) Thou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast increased their joy: they joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. (4) For the yoke of His burden, and the staff of His shoulder, the rod of His oppressor, Thou hast broken as in the day of Midian. (5) For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire. (6) 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, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.”

Golden Text.—“His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Verse 6.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) When was this prophecy spoken? What was the condition of God’s people at this time? Note 1. (2) What hopeful promise is made, even while in this sad condition? How are the former and latter times contrasted? Verse 1. (3) What was shown to the people in their hour of great darkness? Verse 2. Note 2. (4) What is the prospect for their prosperity? What is to be the character of their joy? Verse 3. Note 3. (5) What is said of their burden of oppression? Verse 4. Note 4. (6) What shall become of the burden of war and of all war implements? Verse 5. Note 5. (7) In what lies the assurance of all this great promise? What titles indicate His ability to accomplish such a wonderful work? Verse 6. Note 6. (8) What is said of the duration of His government. What of its character? And what will perform all this? Verse 7. Note 7.

NOTES.

1. This prophecy was spoken during the reign of King Ahaz. A better understanding of the condition of sin and darkness that obtained at that time will be gained by reading 2 Kings 16:1–8; 2 Chronicles 28, and Isaiah 7 and 8. Nevertheless, however dark the times, there were rays of light and hope for the future.

2. “A great Light” evidently refers to the Messiah. This is verified by Matt. 4:12–16. The people were dwelling in such a state of moral and physical darkness as to be on the verge of destruction—in the very “shadow of death” as a nation; yet even to this low depth did the Star of Hope send His rays.

3. The prophetic vision, notwithstanding natural appearances, saw a greatly-increased nation, and a joy “according to the joy of harvest.” This multiplied nation is the spiritual seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29), which will be gathered in the great “harvest” time at the “end of the world” (Matt. 13:36–43).

4. The promise in verse 4 refers, first, to Israel’s physical oppressors (the Assyrians)—if the people would repent and turn to God; and, secondly and especially, to their moral oppressor, Satan, whose yoke it was the Messiah’s prime mission to break. See Heb. 2:14, 15; 1 John 3:8.

5. From verse 5 we learn that all that pertains to war—the armor and the weapons of the soldier, and the garments saturated with blood—shall be swept away with fire. This will come to pass when the earth that now is shall be destroyed, and the works therein burned up. See 2 Peter 3:10. Then the men who give themselves to the business of war should know that they have chosen a calling that will eventually end in utter destruction.

6. The assurance of all that has been said up to this point is in the fact that “unto us a Child is born” who will take the reins of government in all the earth, and that a “King shall reign in righteousness.” Isa. 32:1. In Him are all the promises of God fulfilled. 2 Cor. 1:20. The titles here ascribed to the Messiah indicate His wonderful majesty and power and dominion. He inherits the “more excellent name” (Heb. 1:4) of the Father Himself.

7. That there will be “no end” of “peace” in His government is another assurance that war will not have any place in His kingdom. The great controversy with Satan, who is the cause of all carnal warfare, will have ended in the triumph of the Prince of Peace. There shall be no end to “the increase of His government,” tho a government of peace. This would indicate that a peaceable government is the only species of government that is entitled to endless existence and endless growth.

Sabbath-School Lesson Quarterly

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Peace, Not Carnal Warfare

Carnal warfare is self-destructive, while the peace of God is self-preservative. Christ was announced, at His advent, with the heavenly proclamation, “On earth peace, good-will to men.” His kingdom has been built up on the principle that it was “not of this world,” and that His soldiers were not to fight with carnal weapons. See John 18:36; 2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:11-18. Thus the kingdom of Christ struggles on amid the angry strifes of sinful nations, meeting all opposition in the faith of the all-conquering One, who will soon fall upon the whole mass of earth’s proud nations, as a stone “cut out without hands,” and will “break them to pieces,” itself filling the whole earth. See Dan. 2:34, 35, which is interpreted in verses 44, 45. Such is the triumph of peace, as a means of bringing in a condition of universal peace, over all the world-powers that have thought to establish peace through bloody warfare. Such is the “throne of David,” that is soon to be occupied by the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” an eternal result now being hastened to consummation by the “zeal of the Lord.” See, also, Rom. 9:22-28.

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The Saloon Trade and Poisonous Liquor

Not long since an infuriated mob stormed a saloon in New York, because the saloon-keeper had sold poisonous liquor which had resulted in the speedy death of some twenty or thirty persons. The mob did not stop to consider that this is just what every saloon in the land is engaged in doing; that dead men, ruined souls, and ruined hopes are the logical fruit of the business.

Is It Long?

A highly-esteemed state paper prints an article from the president of the General Conference on “Prayer and Missions.” It was excellent. We read it in about two minutes. Turning to the last page we read in a little note that “the article from the president of the General Conference is a little long, but we hope will be carefully read by all.” We had not remembered to note its length, and we turned back, took out our watch, and read it slowly enough to be intelligible to ordinary hearers if read aloud. How long did it take, think you, reader? Just three minutes, that is all. Surely not a long article on so important a subject. We do not in any wise say this to criticize the paper in question, which we prize highly. This instance is but an index of a general demand arising in every quarter and from all classes for “short” things, especially in all serious matters. Short sermons, short prayers, short private devotions, short articles, short hours, easy, short studies, short days, but long seasons of pleasure. In many cases the cry is the expression of a need, as well as of a want. But the great danger is that the tendency will utterly unsettle and ruin all true character. God likens true character to a solid building founded upon the rock. But the many souls to-day demanding constant change, are indicative of juvenility, and may well be likened to bounding, swaying, hot-air balloons, settled on nothing, sheltering nothing, helpful to nobody, awaiting speedy collapse and, perhaps, ruin. Our reader, as you value your own soul, be willing to devote some time, some thought, some study, to the great, important questions of life here and hereafter.

Christian Community of Property

We believe in Christian community of property, as manifest in apostolic times; but that manifestation was not a fruit of politics or of legislation, but the fruit of the Spirit, moved by which, every man devoted his own property, not his neighbor’s, to the good of all. He had, also, the same power to withhold it. Those who truly acted, did so, not as members of a commonwealth, but as stewards of God.

The Right Kind of Conversion.

An item of missionary news tells of a Chinese who had long been convinced of his duty to yield to Christ, but his poppy field, cultivated for opium, stood in the way. Finally, this year, after planting his field, he gave himself to God, took the harrow, and tore out his poppy field. That is the right kind of religion to have. Even so the Gospel affected the believing Ephesians, who burnt their books of magic. See Acts 19. So it will be with any who are possessed of idols.

Not a Question of Days.

The Sabbath question is not a mere question of days. Behind the Sabbath is God, the great Creator and Redeemer through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the memorial of His creation, the sign of His redeeming, sanctifying, upholding, keeping power. Behind the Sunday—hidden tho they be by sacred memories and hallowed traditions of honest hearts—are a hoary pagan sun-worship and an apostate ecclesiasticism, the Papacy, which claims it as its mark or badge of authority. Honest men have passed the base, well-worn counterfeit in the past, but now the true light from God’s Word shines upon it, and reveals the imposture. Will they cherish it longer?

“PROTESTANT” PERSECUTION.

Where the spirit of persecution exists there is sure to be a manifestation of it in some way at some time. The following incident is related by the Union Conference Record (Sydney, N. S. W.) of October 1:

A man from a country district in New South Wales came into the tract society office a few days ago, and asked for a copy of the pamphlet, “Origin of Sunday Observance.” This led to some conversation on the subject, and it was found that he had been keeping the Sabbath for about fourteen years. He received an old copy of the Bible Echo from which he became interested in the Sabbath question. Then he saw a copy of the “Origin of Sunday Observance” somewhere, and decided to obey the Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment. He was a Roman Catholic at the time and his relatives Protestants. They had not opposed him up to this time, but as soon as he had commenced to keep the Sabbath, they began to persecute him; and have done so ever since. Up to the time he called in at the office, he had never seen a Seventh-day Adventist.

This man's professedly-Protestant relatives could endure his being a Roman Catholic, with all the error that such a religion implies, but when it came to his strict adherence to the Word of God in the matter of Sabbath observance, the heretofore latent spirit of persecution awoke to action. While this man was a professed Catholic, he was at heart more of a Protestant than his professedly-Protestant relatives; for he was open to conviction by the plain “Thus saith the Lord,” which is the foundation of Protestantism. What can be said of the so-called Protestantism that finds occasion for persecuting any class of people, and finds especial occasion to persecute one who persistently clings to the fundamental principle of Protestant doctrine—adherence to the plain Word of God?

Dedicated to War.

The war prospect in the Orient is thus epitomized by the Springfield, Mass., Republican:

Whatever hopes the Japanese originally had of a short war, they are now preparing for a long and exhausting struggle. Count Okuma is free to tell his countrymen that they must expect to spend at least $1,000,000,000. The taxes will be piled on the people; internal improvements will be stopped; even popular education is to be curtailed. In Russia, the same procedure will take place, causing even greater distress to the nation. And this is glorious war.

Thus we see the entire energies and resources of two great empires dedicated to the destruction of human life. And this is popularly recognized as patriotism.”

The Matter of War.

It seems to us from the foregoing, and from many scriptures of the same import, that Christ calls us to peace, to proclaim that peace to others, and that, therefore, the Christian may not use carnal weapons. He is what is called a non-combatant. But if it is his duty to exercise his right (so far as man is concerned) of franchise, in order to carry out what seem to be beneficial political measures, is it not his duty to pursue it logically to the end? The ballot often means the bullet. The exercise of suffrage is often followed by the use of the sword. The latter may be the logical sequence of the former. This was the case in our Civil War. Is the Christian prepared to carry out this line of “duty” to the end? How can he consent to yield up his blood-bought talents, time, ability, and strength to the control and manipulation of partisan politicians? We are aware that “Christian citizens” and “Christian patriots,” and professional politicians will say that such religion is impracticable, looking to the future wholly instead of to the present. But it is not impracticable. It is the most powerful and practical thing in the world. It brings the life of God and heaven down to earth. Received, it makes of the receivers better fathers and mothers, better husbands and wives, better sons and daughters, better neighbors and friends, better men and women. By indirect influence through these, it uplifts even those who do not receive it, and all the betterment the world has ever received is by the means directly or indirectly of Christianity, not through force, but through faith.

The Christian Minister.—

If it be the duty or privilege of the Christian to enter the political field, is it not the duty of the Christian preacher to instruct his flock in respect to that duty? In other words, is not the field of teaching on the part of the Christian minister as broad as the field of practise on the part of the Christian in general? Paul, speaking as a Christian minister, said, “I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house.” “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:20, 27. He labored “to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” And yet he nowhere tells us that it is by “the gateway of politics” that the nation becomes Christian or the disciple does his duty. On the contrary he clearly sets forth that “our citizenship is in heaven,” that here “we are ‘pilgrims and strangers,’” that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” that the foes we are to fight are principalities and powers, and spirits of evil.

Profitable

Profitable.—It will be disputed by none that from a Christian point of view it, and it alone, is profitable to do God’s will, to love Him as set forth above, to do those things that God has commanded. But it is a simple fact that God has nowhere told him to enter politics, to overturn governments, to use political means to carry out the heavenly principles. God has set before man his duty in His holy law. He has given him an example in the life of Jesus Christ. He has furnished the power in the Spirit of God. On all political issues good men are divided. Is it probable that they are led by the Spirit of God? Is it profitable for the Christian to depart from the means and power furnished of God, and for the betterment of the world seek help in carnal means?

A Very Commonly-Mispronounced Word

A very commonly-mispronounced word by educated people is “exemplary.” It is usually accented on the second syllable. But, according to the Standard Dictionary, and most other good authorities, as given in the Standard’s lists of “Disputed Pronunciations,” the word is accented on the first syllable, thus, egz’em-pla-ry. Yet many who see this note will go on as before pronouncing it incorrectly. Even so do men transgress moral law through force of habit.

The Meaning of Vegetarian

“Vegetarian” does not come from a word meaning root, but from vegetus, meaning “lively.” See Standard Dictionary. Usually it is supposed to come from vegetables. Yet the vegetable food, of the vegetarian—fruit, grains, vegetables, and nuts, are full of the life needed for the physical man.