IN Revelation 17 and 18, a “great city” is mentioned, “which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” The name of that city is “Babylon,” which “is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Rev. 18:2.
“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”
“The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots [includes automobiles], and slaves, and souls of men.” Rev. 18:3, 12, 13.
Past and Present Civilization
Whatever prophetic and spiritual relation this city may have to the fallen church of which it is also a type, this description covers the past and present civilization as graphically as only Scripture can.
The chief sins of this city are covetousness, which is idolatry, and self-exaltation; for, “they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.” Isa. 2:8.
Their sins originated in the “prince of this world”—Satan—who has deceived mankind from the beginning. His spirit, using man as agent, formed the old pagan world. This, undergoing various transformations, became the religio-political combination known as the Papacy, which received the “deadly wound” that “was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast.” Rev. 13:3.
The writer wishes just now to deal only with the material side of this prophecy; namely, “that great city” which is made up of “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Rev. 17:15.
All the Cities in One View
To find a material city that now “reigneth over the kings of the earth,” it is necessary to combine in one view all the leading cities of the world under that title, which is not in any way inconsistent in this day and age, as they are all governed by the same spirit, united by commercialism, and consolidated by telegraphy. A financial disturbance in any of the great business centers would immediately affect every other center, and in the course of a few hours be felt to the confines of the earth.
It is said of this city, that it “is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Rev. 18:2.
A thousand newspapers attest to these facts in their daily issues; and it may be said, the half has never been told.
Like its prototype—the great Babylon of old—its chief idol is a golden image, to which all bow down in obedience to the spirit of covetousness; “for the wicked . . . blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.” Ps. 10:3.
Its destruction is certain, and will be absolute; for “when the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed forever.” Ps. 92:7.
Her Doom Is Sudden
We are told in the prophetic language of Scripture: “For in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.” Rev. 18:10, 11.
One of the chief forces in the creation of this great city will also be one of the main factors in its destruction. This force—capital and labor combined—builds up every city in this present civilization. And this force, when permanently divided in its final, deadly conflict, will help to tear down the patient work of generations, in one prophetic hour.
A remarkable feature of this prophecy is that “as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, . . . saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.” Rev. 18:17, 19.
Naturally, they will stand afar off; for they will know that all organization has broken down, so that no ship could land in any port, and moreover the cities will be on fire.
No righteous will be found in her, for they will have heeded the injunction, “Come out of her, My people.” Rev. 18:4. In fact, the force of circumstances will have driven the righteous from the cities; for this great city will have become a persecuting power in the final end, as “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rev. 13:17.
The Conditions Predicted
Other prophets, speaking of the same time, say:
“The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net [or scheme]. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.” Micah 7:2, 3.
“And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity can not enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.” Isa. 59:14, 15.
Such Conditions Can Not Continue
It is unthinkable that divine justice can stand for such a state of affairs for any length of time. History is one long vista of civilization after civilization that has arisen to a zenith of corruption, only to be swept off the earth. When the antediluvians reached the point where “the thoughts” of their hearts were “only evil continually,” the few remaining righteous were gathered in the ark, and the rest perished. “Pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness,” was the sin of Sodom. Eze. 16:49. Yet the day that the angel hurried the one righteous man and his family out of Sodom, the Lord “overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities.” Gen. 19:25.
Israel was “as the apple of God’s eye,” and Jerusalem was His holy city; and the Christ wept over it, yet it perished in a just retribution for its sins.
All these are held to be types of the final destruction that is to come upon that great city; for “strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.”
There was no fixed day for the destruction of the world by a flood, there was no fixed day for the destruction of Sodom by fire, nor was there any fixed day for the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army; but there were fixed conditions, and when those conditions were fully ripe, then the end came. There is one ark of safety, and only one; and every righteous man will have chosen that ark before the end. It is the Word. “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Ps. 119:11.
War and the “Sure Word of Prophecy”
By Marion E. Hull
By Marion E. Hull
MORE than one hundred years before Babylon, the queen city of Chaldea, reached the height of her glory under her greatest monarch, Nebuchadnezzar, God foretold her doom by His prophet Isaiah: “Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.” It should be a habitation of wild beasts and noisome creatures. The superstitious Arab would not, through fear, pitch his tent over its buried palaces; it would be a desolation forever. See Isa. 13: 19-22.
The very conqueror of the empire is called by name before he is born, and a wealth of particulars is given concerning the doom of that then flourishing kingdom and city. See Isa. 44: 26-28; 45: 1-6; Jeremiah 51. The great heap of ruins by the river Euphrates has borne long and eloquent witness to the truth of prophecy.
Not the less true have been the prophecies concerning Nineveh, the great rival of Babylon; and as decidedly have they been fulfilled.
Egypt, the fruitful land, fed by the abundance of the Nile, was for centuries the center of world civilization. Her monuments speak of her power, her greatness, her fame, her wealth, her art, her fearful idolatry, her cruelty and wickedness. But the prophet of God declared that the rivers of her great delta would be dried up, her idols would be abolished, her native princes would no more reign over her, and she would become “the basest of the kingdoms.” Eze. 30: 12, 13; 29: 15. For centuries, Egypt has affirmed in her humiliation the truth of prophecy.
So, too, has Tyre, the merchant city of the older days; and Greece, which fell before the iron monarchy of Rome; and Rome, a prey to Northern barbarians; and Jerusalem, for so long the center of Jehovah’s worship, where taught and died the Son of God;—all these and many more bear witness in their death, their destruction, their7decadence, their eloquent ruins, to the truthfulness of prophecy, of its importance to us. For not alone of the past has God spoken; He has spoken of these times and these days; of the present kingdoms of earth and their proud cities. The “sure word of prophecy” is God’s light in the midst of uncertain darkness.
This tremendous war awakening in the last days was foretold by the prophet Joel.
War, perhaps more than anything else, attracts the attention of all mankind. In the international events of to-day, we can distinguish the things plainly portrayed in the sure word of prophecy. Statesmen believe that with the downfall of Turkey may come a crisis that will involve the whole world. In the Bible it is called the battle of Armageddon, or the battle of God Almighty.
Perfect Character
PERFECT character before God can never be developed without implicit faith; for men can never become acquainted with God without trusting Him. Man will never know that God can be depended upon unless he entrusts something to Him. Not knowing trust in God, man can not love Him; for genuine trust is an essential part of genuine love. Even Adam, before his fall, must work out righteousness by faith. He must trust God’s word as regards what was evil and what was good. He must believe God that it was wrong to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If he had trusted, he would have found delight in God’s will. But he would not believe God, and sad disaster followed. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Overcoming in Him
That professed Christians do live at a “poor, dying rate,” is true. Oftentimes they confess, “The evil that I would not, that I do.” Is this sinning necessary? or, in other words, can it not be avoided or overcome? Is the grace and power of God so limited that, after it has completely covered the sins of the past, and given us a heart that hates evil and loves good, it can go no further? or if it does continue with us, it is to be only an occasional helper? Is it for this that Christ died? Are His children never quite to overcome sin? Is it to be ever thus? No; a thousand times, no! Christ gave Himself to redeem His people from all iniquity. He will not fail in the attempt. He is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory. Jude 24. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20), and He desires that we may “be filled with all the fulness of God.” Verse 19. Then be of good courage, brother; “the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” 2 Thess. 3:3.
A Pledge of His Love
THE fact that God has for Christ’s sake pardoned all past sins, is an evidence that He will enable us to overcome all sin. Christ is the author, or beginner, of our faith, in order that He may be the finisher. We may take every past blessing as a pledge that the Lord will give us all the strength and help we need for all the future. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Rom. 8:32. Surely He will if we believe; “for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Rom. 5:10. How can we despair with such pledges of God’s love?
Thou Knowest, Lord, We Love Thee
By Delvin Rees Buckner
By Delvin Rees Buckner
Thou knowest, gentle Lord, our love for Thee,
Before the Father's wrath, but Thou hast stood
To plead for sinful, guilty man; nor could
Another e'er have borne on Calvary
What Thou didst bear, nailed to the shameful tree,
Thou Son of God, who spilledest Thy priceless blood
That, flowing like a broken fountain flood,
It might efface our ink iniquity.
Ofttimes we've shown ingratitude full base,
Denying Thee in action or in word.
Yet we, dust-formed, are frail; bear with us still,
And, with Thy palm, we would Thou wouldst efface
Whatever varies from Thy image, Lord,
Remolding us according to Thy will.
Smiles and Smiles
By Francis M. Brockman
By Francis M. Brockman
There are hearts that hide their sorrow,
There are smiles that cover pain,
Self forgetting, in their struggle,
Other hearts to raise again
From despair; and eyes that sparkle
Oft are full enough to rain.
When alone—ah, only God knows
Of how swift the change takes place.
For oft is the ache of the saddened heart
Under the smile of the face.
O, the hearts that act thus nobly,
Shedding love and lightening care,
Thus bestowing gifts far richer—
Yea, than diamonds, gold, or myrrh,
Ne’er will know how bright the crowns are,
Waiting for them “over there,”
Till with Christ they meet in glory.
Then—ah, yes, a change takes place—
There’ll be always joyous heart-throbs,
As well as smiles of the face.
The Day of Trial
By Miriam Switzer
By Miriam Switzer
Dear Father, on that day of woe,
When Thou dost Christians sinners show
The power which they so long have spurned,
While Thy great heart in pity yearned
To win them from the sin-cursed path
O’er which must break Thy long pent wrath—
In strength and mercy be my stay
Upon that day, that awful day.
Dear Saviour, who sin’s power hast felt,
Thou hast alone in anguish knelt,
And known its rayless midnight dread
Close round Thyself in sinners’ stead,
Since Thy rich innocence alone
Could for man’s waywardness atone.
In sympathy be Thou my stay
Upon that day, that woeful day.
Dear Holy Spirit, heaven-sent guide,
Light, truth, and wisdom by my side,
Let me My Father’s mercy know,
My Saviour’s love unceasing show,
While love and mercy keep control,
And quell the terrors in my soul.
With peace and comfort be my stay
Upon that day, that fearful day.
Thus compassed by the powers of right,
God’s child should walk without affright,
Through all of evil, all of woe
That earth and hell together know.
The law my compass, Christ my goal,
With faith and prayer to wing my soul;
Serene and sure shall be my way
Upon that day, that blissful day.
“Shall Not Surely Die”
By Margaret Wright
By Margaret Wright
“A never-dying soul to save,” how oft we hear
them sing
These words which show to what deceit and
errors gross they cling.
But countless millions take as truth the words
of men so weak,
When they from God in heaven above should all
their wisdom seek.
They care not “It is written,” a plain “Thus
saith the Lord.”
Their eyes are blinded to the truths recorded in
His Word.
But eagerly they sanction and believe the same
old lie
The devil told in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.”
God says we die—we’re mortal—we shall return to dust,
And this should be sufficient for those who in
Him trust.
He says the soul that sinneth will surely die,
but no—
They cast aside His teachings, they will not have
it so.
God’s Word, they say, is altered—translations
have been wrong,
But many men of wisdom have studied deep and
long;
So learned men are preaching the same old
wicked lie
The devil told in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.”
God says eternal life’s a gift, a gift from His
dear Son.
He tells us of the many and wondrous things
He’s done
That we might have this gift of life if only we
believe
And all the teachings of His Word we joyfully
receive.
And “he that hath the Son hath life”—that’s
what the Word has said,
And this we will believe if by His Spirit we are
led.
But O, ’tis hard to turn them from the same
delusive lie
The devil told in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.”
But wherefore all this schism? they ask us; if
we live
The best we can—are kindly and gentle, and
we give
To help the poor and needy, the Master asks no
more.
And He will wait to welcome us then at heaven’s door.
Ah, poor, deluded mortals! How little do they
know
The awful time that’s coming upon this earth
below,
When nearly all are ruined by that most awful
lie
The devil told in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.”
How easily it smooths the way for errors, seeming bright—
For Spiritism, that which leads into the darkest
night.
For those who fully think they talk with loved
of days of yore,
Commune with devils, which will fain deceive
them more and more.
We’re told that he in these last days—the father of all ill—
Like to an angel fair will change, but will be
Satan still,
And will deceive all those who hold that same
delusive lie
He told way back in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.”
O brother, O my sister, he comes with power and
might,
Performing many miracles, all wondrous in our
sight.
E’en the elect will be deceived unless they surely
take
God’s Word to guide their footsteps, that no mistake they make,
And listen to none other. ’Twill lead them far
away
Into deceit and error, from right and truth away.
’Twill lead them with the millions who still believe the lie
The devil told in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.”
Cœur D’Alene, Idaho.
Build Thee More Stately Mansions
By O. W. Holmes
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea! —O. W. Holmes.
He Is Coming
CHRIST is coming again in His own personal presence. He went away long centuries ago after a brief sojourn on this sinful earth. Men and women loved Him then. Little children smiled in His presence. From heavy hearts rolled heavy burdens of sin and wo. Into mourning homes He carried notes of gladness. To the vile leper He brought cleansing. To the dead He brought life. The darkness of error was dissipated before the warm light of the truths He spoke. He loved man, and He showed how much, by leaving all that was His, and dying for him He created. He went away personally. His Spirit has been present with us, and has brought joy, and light, and gladness, and healing, and blessing, like the Master, wherever it has been received. But Jesus in His personal presence, in His glorified beauty, in His transcendent majesty, in His infinite love, is coming again. Reader, are you glad? Do you wish to meet Him? Is He your Saviour?
The Good Pleasure of Our God
Chapter 1:9, 10
Questioning the Text
1. What has God made known?
“Having made known unto us the mystery of His will.” Verse 9. Note 1.
2. According to what is this made known?
“According to His good pleasure.” Verse 9. Note 2.
3. In whom is the good pleasure purposed?
“Which He hath purposed in Himself.” Verse 9. Note 3.
4. How much does this purpose include?
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.” Verse 10. Note 4.
Notes
1. “Made known.”—Our God is not a being who withholds Himself from His children. He is the great Revealer. He so stands forth as against all the false gods. The gods of old time veiled their meaning in equivocal, hidden sayings or riddles. We read in the second chapter of Daniel that, unlike the gods of the Chaldeans, Jehovah revealed Himself to His children. He reveals Himself in His works,—“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” Ps. 19:1. He reveals Himself in His Word,—“The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” Deut. 29:29. God’s Word is the disclosure in character and in words of the wonderful goodness of God. These things are always revealed for our good. He reveals the future in the same way,—“He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.” Dan. 2:22. “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and He hath made known . . . what shall be in the latter days.” Verse 28. He presents before us as a characteristic of His Godhead His power to reveal the future: “I am God, and there is none like Me,9declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.” Isa. 46:9, 10. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.
But our text implies more than this. He makes known unto us “the mystery of His will.” “Mystery” is one of the key-words of this remarkable epistle. The heathen gods and heathen religions had their mysteries performed in their temples, hidden from humanity, known only to the initiated few, really amounting to nothing after they were known. But they were the means of holding wonderful power over the superstitious, and those without, but never affecting for good the life of the one who knew the mystery. Not so the mystery of God. It is a mystery, but it is free to all. All may be initiated; all may know, if all will meet God’s simple conditions.
“Mystery of His will.” For “mystery,” see Rom. 11:25; Col. 1:26. It is God’s grace as manifested in redemption. It is the power of that grace laying hold upon the human heart. It was manifest in our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born of woman, born under the law. See 1 Tim. 3:16. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” that Word revealing the very character of God; and God has left us that Word which, in response to faith, will transmute poor, mortal man into the divine image. And it is the will of God that this should be the mystery of God, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27. It is what the apostle means elsewhere by “sanctification;” and so we read, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 1 Thess. 4:3. God, then, has made known the mystery of His will in order that we may be re-created and changed after His own character, in harmony with His own will.
2. “According to His good pleasure.”—God is good, and His ways are always good. He who is love can do no otherwise than good. That is not saying that our condition might not be greatly bettered; but God is doing just as well for us as it is possible for Him to do. If we stood nearer to Him, our hearts more in harmony with His blessed will, He would be able to do larger things for us; but all that He does is to do us good, but not always in the very present time. The seed sowing means the breaking of the ground, means the rain, and means the harrow, means all the hard things that come upon the ground; but it also means fruitage as well. We therefore read of the Lord’s purpose concerning Israel of old: “Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end.” Deut. 8:15, 16. The “terrible wilderness,” the “fiery serpents,” the “scorpions,” the “drought,” did not seem good; but God had in mind the greater good which would accrue from the enduring of all these. And therefore we read again His words to backsliding Israel: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end,” or, as the margin reads, “the future of hope.” Jer. 29:11. It is the good pleasure of our God to save men. It is not God’s pleasure to destroy men. It is sin that destroys, not God. He Himself emphasizes this as strongly as language can: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Eze. 33:11. It was God’s pleasure, therefore, to have mercy. Pleasure is delight; and thus He declares to His children: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.” Ps. 147:11. Well may we say, “Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Even God has made known the mystery of His will “according to His good pleasure.”
3. “Which He hath purposed in Himself.”—How good to know that the purpose is in One who is able to perform it. “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” Col. 1:19. “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him ye are made full.” Col. 2:9, 10. He is the Alpha and the Omega; He is the Author and the Finisher; He is the Beginning and the End, the One who is able to save to the uttermost. In union with that purpose we are safe. In union with that purpose, it is God’s good pleasure to do for us all that the purpose embraces.
4. “Together in one.”—“In the dispensation of the fulness of times,” or unto the dispensation,—“the mystery which He purposed in Himself unto the dispensation.” The word “dispensation” comes from oikos, a house; and nemo, to dispense, or manage. A dispensation is the work of a house steward in the managing of his house,—a stewardship. God’s purpose was purposed in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great Householder, the One who is working out in the house of God all God’s plans. “But Christ as a Son over His own house [that is, God’s house]; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” But this stewardship or dispensation of our Lord looks forward to the fulness of times, to the completion of all the travail of sin and woe and misery, past all this to the glorious ingathering of His kingdom, when God will gather together in one all things in Christ; when the great sacrifice which the universe has made of its Creator under God, shall be manifest in glorious fruits; when our Redeemer shall “see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied;” and when the divisive power of sin shall be forever put away, because sin is forever banished. All that brings disunion in this world, into God’s kingdom anywhere, is sin. All the perversion of human reason, of faculties, of judgment, of moral conduct, of anything and everything evil, is because of sin. Sin will be put away; and the great gathering will take place, predicted in Rev. 5:13: “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” All heaven and earth are then united. Earth is no more a lost island, separated from the continent of heaven; nay, it has not been separated even in its sin, for the love of Christ has bridged it. But the love of Christ and all His creatures will bridge it in that glorious new day when all God’s children shall be one, and all His universe one, and one life will throb through it all from the great heart of Heaven. And all this is found where we may all obtain it, “in Him.”
Our Faithful Priest
ONE of the greatest comforts and aids to the Christian who is warring against foes without, and crushing out tendencies within, is to know that he has a High Priest who, tho’ “higher than the heavens,” can be touched with the feeling of his infirmities; who was in all points tempted as His followers are tempted, yet He was without sin. If Jesus had sinned, while we might love His fellowship and teaching, we would have no confidence in Him as a Saviour; for if He had failed in His warfare, He would in ours. If He had not been tempted even as we, we would not have confidence in His help, for we would reason that He had never met our temptations in our frailty, that He had never resisted the inherited passions and weaknesses of generations; therefore He could not know how to help us. Lack of power in the one case, and lack of knowledge and wisdom in the other, would be the constant objection and cavil brought by the skeptical against such a Saviour.
But neither of these objections can be brought against Christ Jesus. He came in the “likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3); was “made of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3); was “made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal. 4:4); He “took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16); in fact, “in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” Therefore, according to the Word of truth, Jesus possessed the sinful flesh with all of its sinful and inherited tendencies to evil, from Judah down. Therefore He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, as He was tempted even as we. Heb. 4:15.
And Christ has power to help. He suffered being tempted, but it was always the suffering of travail; it brought forth fruit of righteousness. Men often suffer through temptation, the suffering of sin. Christ’s suffering was the travail of righteousness. With sinful tendencies in His flesh, He never sinned, but “condemned sin, [conquered and cast out sin] in the flesh,” a triumphant Victor, first over sinful flesh, second over the results of sin, death. Rom. 8:3, 4. This is our Redeemer. He knows how to help; He is “mighty to save.”
Do You Love Him?
Do you love Jesus? The question is simple, and the thought in its affirmative form quite common. But do you love Jesus? Would you delight to be in His company at all times were He here? If we love a friend, we love his personal presence. If we truly love Jesus Christ, we shall love His coming again, and we will prepare for that coming.
Come and Be Clean
COME now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; tho they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Never were there more gracious words. They express man’s need as well as God’s loving care, condescension, willingness, and power. “Come,” He invites, and His invitation is to the very lowest, to the most sinful. “Come now,” before the day of mercy is past, and your heart is so hardened that it can not be reached.
“Let us reason together.” You can not do this work of reforming in your own strength; the Lord would say, Trust Me. Look on the reasonable side.
And then His power! Tho your sins be as scarlet, as crimson—why these colors? Why should not black be used to represent sin?—Because the simile would not be true. The art of man can bleach to perfect whiteness the deepest-dyed black, but no art can thoroly remove the well-dyed scarlet or crimson. And such is sin. “Nor vows, nor promises, nor tears, can e’er for sin atone.” Man can not justify himself; he can not cleanse the heart; but God can. The scarlet iniquity will be washed away, the crimson heart will be cleansed, the soul will be made pure. Sinner, this invitation is to thee. The Lord says, Come now.
Obedience
GOD does not command men to do anything which He will not give them grace to perform. Or, to put it in another way, He has strength awaiting the call of faith that will enable them to obey His will. This, all will admit, or else hold God to be unjust. But God is not unjust. In this light, consider the following: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” Gal. 5:1. From what has Christ made us free?—“Being then made free from sin.” Rom. 6:18. Whom the Son makes free, is “free indeed.” John 8:36. If then we stand fast in this liberty from sin, we will not serve sin; in other words, we will keep the law of God, its righteousness will be fulfilled in us. 1 John 2:6; Rom. 8:4. But we will do this, not in our own strength, but in the strength of Christ, freely vouchsafed to all who believe.
Neutrality Is a Decision Against God
God has given man the right of free choice. He can serve God or not as he will, and he must decide this for himself. That sacred circle of free will even Deity will not enter. “Choose ye,” is the language of the Lord to us. We may say that we will decide neither for Him nor against Him. We must decide; and taking so-called neutral ground is deciding against God. Said Jesus, “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” Matt. 12:30.
A Missionary’s Life
A MISSIONARY's life is the greatest of all possible lives. If a messenger from God should come and tell me my life was to be spared for another fifty years, China should have them all.—Dr. Griffith John.
Studies in Ephesians
Prophecy Is Definite, and Is Accurately Fulfilled
1. What does God say of His ability to read the future?
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” Isa. 46: 9, 10.
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.” Isa. 48: 3-5.
2. How did God give these prophecies which declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done?
“And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 19-21, A.R.V.
3. What was the position of the city of Tyre in the sixth century before Christ?
Ans.—She was the leading maritime and commercial city of the world.
4. What definite prediction did the Lord make concerning her?
“Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.” Eze. 26: 3-5.
5. What definite king does the prophet say will come against Tyrus?
“For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.” Verse 7.
6. Were other kingdoms or nations beside Babylon to come against Tyrus?
“Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.” Verse 3.
7. How complete was to be the destruction of Tyrus?
“And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God.” Verses 13, 14.
NOTE.—When the foregoing prophecies were uttered in regard to Tyrus, it was ridiculous, from the human standpoint, to think that they ever could be fulfilled. She was the dazzling glory of the world's commerce, and to touch her meant to unsettle commercial conditions, and to bring great financial losses to many peoples. The selfish interests of men stood in favor of preserving that great business center. But God uttered the prediction, and went into detail in telling how her destruction would be accomplished. Her destruction was spread over a number of years, just as the prophecy would indicate by the statement that “many nations” were to come against her. But when the work was finally completed, the great commercial metropolis was reduced to that point of desolation that only a few lonely fishermen may be found spreading their nets there. And regardless of the natural advantages of the place, it has never been restored. In every one of the numerous particulars has the prophecy been most literally and truly met. God's prophecies are specific, and they are definitely fulfilled.
