Earlier text: The Controversy of the AgesThe Promises of His Coming
By W. A. S.
THE assurances that Christ will come again are among the “exceeding great and precious promises.” “Unto you . . . which believe,” says the apostle, “He is precious.” That makes the promise that He soon is coming precious indeed to every heart that loves Him. It is a glorious doctrine of Scripture—this doctrine of the soon coming of Christ. But it is more than a doctrine; it is a stupendous fact. The Lord Jesus is coming, and His word shows that He is “even at the door.” The fact of it comes with a challenge to every soul to be ready and to watch. What things the prophets have written by the Spirit concerning the first and the second coming of Christ—of “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow”— they themselves studied earnestly, and even the angels have desired “to look into” these things and watch the fulfilling Word. 1 Peter 1:12. Therefore the apostle Peter appeals to us to give heed also: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Verse 13. Now, more than ever before in the history of man, should earnest heed be given to the promises of the coming of the Saviour in glory. The promises never grow old. The nearer the event, the more precious they are, the more comfortingly come the words of assurance as we read them over and over. Each one is a message sent anew to us by One who loves us, and desires us to be ready when He comes. How this theme of Christ’s second coming runs through all Holy Scripture was testified to by the apostle Peter in his sermon and exhortation following the day of Pentecost. “By the mouth of all His prophets” the Lord had foretold “that Christ should suffer”; and the apostle pointed out that every word concerning the first advent had been “so fulfilled.” Just so, he declared, the promises regarding the second coming would be fulfilled: “And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:20, 21. As iniquity first began to abound in the world, God sent the message and the promise that Christ’s second coming would end the reign of sin: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14, 15. The promise of Christ’s coming was the “blessed hope” in the patriarchal age. In Job’s dark hour of trial, his heart clung to the promise, and he was kept from despair. “For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Job 19:25, 27. “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.” Ps. 50:3. And the prophets of later times were unceasingly moved upon to talk of the glory of that coming, of events preceding it, and of the preparation for it. “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence. . . . Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.” Isa. 62:6, 11. The promise of His coming is to be heralded to the ends of the earth; for it is good tidings of great joy to every one who will receive it. On that last night with His disciples, before the crucifixion, when His heart was sorrowful, even unto death, as the burden of all our iniquities was about to be laid upon Him, Christ’s love for His dear ones made precious to Him the thought of His second coming to gather them home at last, safe beyond all sin and trouble, and He said: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3. There the heart finds rest. O the preciousness of the promise, “I will come again”! And “for you,” for me, He is coming. “I am coming for you,” He says. “Yes, Lord,” we reply; “we will wait, and watch, and be ready, by Thy grace.” The Surety of God’s Promises
By J. O. C.
MY attention was recently called to an army incident that illustrates not only the base of God’s operation on behalf of sinful men, but also the absolute dependence one may place in His promises. A son was born in a certain army regiment, whose father was an officer of the line. The frail but God-fearing mother had trained her beloved boy in the principles of Christianity; but when the father was killed in battle, the poor mother faded like an autumn flower, and in a few months was borne to the grave. The boy, however, was retained in the regiment as a drummer, but was quartered with some of the worst men in his company assignment. Here he was very ill at ease because of the bitter jests about his religious scruples, but bore up bravely under them all. One night an injury was done to the field targets, so that the usual shooting practise was interfered with. The colonel sought for the guilty party, and traced the mischief-maker to the very tent in which the drummer boy was quartered. Every one in the tent was placed under arrest to await trial by court-martial. Evidence was secured to prove that one or more of them were guilty of the trespass. To save punishing the innocent with the guilty, the colonel announced681 that if one would come forward and receive the punishment demanded, the rest would be permitted to go free. But in vain the manhood of the soldiers was appealed to, and sullen silence reigned for the time. At last the drummer boy stepped out and said: “Colonel, you said that if one of us takes the punishment, the rest will go free. I am ready, sir, and please give it to me now.” The colonel was deeply affected at this, knowing well enough that the boy was guiltless. Turning with a deep frown toward the others, he said: “For shame, men! Are you all cowards, that you permit this boy to suffer for you? You know that he is not guilty.” Not one of them moved, however, but all remained in their sulky frame of mind. Only the boy looked up into the colonel’s face, and quietly said, “I am ready, sir.” So the order was sorrowfully given, and the boy was led away for punishment. As the fourth stroke of the lash fell on his bare back, a faint moan escaped his nearly bloodless lips. At this juncture the culpable wretch sprang forward and exclaimed: “Stop it, sir, and punish me. I am the guilty one.” But the poor boy turned toward him, and faintly said: “No, you are safe now. The colonel’s word will stand.” “O, why did you do it?” asked the humbled and repentant one of the boy, as he lay on his couch, dying from the shock received by the punishment. “Because,” said the boy, “I wanted to show the love of Christ for sinners.” In like manner Christ, the Spotless One, tasted death for every one, however guilty; and the promise therefore is that whosoever confesses his sin shall find mercy from above. And the Master’s word will stand. Let us believe it and trust Him. J. O. C. THE Bible teaches very plainly that there was a universal flood in the days of Noah. At that time the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows on high were open, and the whole earth was submerged beneath the angry waters. The breaking up of the fountains of the great deep would mean terrific upheavals in the bosom of the earth. It would mean the breaking to pieces of a large part, if not all, of its surface. It would mean that these upheavals and the actions of the waters would sweep masses of the luxuriant foliage of field and forest in that time into great heaps, where they would be buried beneath the soil that would settle with the receding waters. Our immense coal-mines are in evidence to show that this was the case, for all agree that our coal is of vegetable formation. One of our correspondents tells us of finding in a mine a piece of clay weighing one hundred fifty to two hundred pounds, that had become almost as hard as limestone. In breaking this apart with his sledge, he found that it was in regular layers, or sections, and it was full of the prints of leaves very similar to those of the cottonwood-tree. The same miner found the stump of a tree, preserved in perfect shape, standing right up out of the bottom of his mine. It projected to some five or six feet above the regular vein, and upon breaking it up he had over half a ton of coal. Facts of this kind, which are furnished in great abundance by geological remains, prove conclusively to the unprejudiced mind that the Bible is correct in teaching that we have had a universal flood, which buried vast quantities of vegetation, and this has given us our modern coal-beds. Life Through Christ
By G. B. T.
THE doctrine of the soul’s immortality and consciousness in death, if true, would destroy the great central truth of Christianity, that of life through Jesus Christ. “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Tim. 1:9, 10. If man has an eternal, immortal living principle within him, he has life and immortality without the gospel, thus making the statement that life and immortality were brought to light through the gospel untrue. Why should Jesus die to bring immortality to light, if man possessed it by nature? “Life” and “immortality” are not synonyms. Christ brought two things to light through the gospel; one is life, the other is immortality. Man by nature has neither. He is dead in trespasses and sins. He is a “mortal man.” Job 4:17. We receive life through believing on Christ. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:11, 12. We receive life when we believe; but immortality will be bestowed at the resurrection of the just. “This mortal” will then “put on immortality.” 1 Cor. 15:51-54. The unrepentant sinner has no life; he is “alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them.” Eph. 4:18. But the believer receives and retains, by faith, life everlasting. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36. By faith, therefore, we lay hold upon and embrace this life everlasting. It is ours now by faith. But that which we receive by faith, we can lose through unbelief. But in the resurrection at the last day, when the dead are summoned back to life, and in the twinkling of an eye are made immortal, eternal immortal life will be given in the absolute to those who believe. What a glorious truth is the blessed doctrine of the resurrection of the dead! What a comfort to those who mourn for loved ones! Their hope is in the resurrection, not in an immortal soul. Says Bishop Thomson: “I have sat silent and solitary in my closet, and thought over, one by one, my Saviour’s miracles. I have pictured to my mind the Almighty molding the earth of the fresh creation into a human form, and then breathing the breath of life into the nostrils of Adam; but never has my heart been so agitated as when I thought of Jehovah coming forth, at the blast of the last trumpet, to summon together the scattered dust of the corpse and mold it into a body spiritual, incorruptible, immortal, radiant as the sun, and fashioned after the glorious body of the God-man.” Blessed hope indeed! No more corruption for God’s people! No more death! No more funeral trains! No more tearful eyes and broken hearts, mourning for those who are dead! Standing, in the morning of the resurrection, on the brink of the desolated and destroyed grave, they can triumphantly exclaim, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor. 15:55. The angel who has attended and protected one through life, watched him fall in death, marking the place where he lay down in silence and in dust, will no doubt stand by this same grave again when the voice of the Archangel summons the scattered dust of the corruptible body back to life, and “together” we will be “caught up” by angelic hands to “meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17. Any so-called Scriptural teaching which makes unnecessary this “blessed hope,” is a false hope, and is not founded on the “Scripture of truth.” We are exhorted to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” Aside from Christ, man does not have this life everlasting, for he would not be instructed to “lay hold” upon that which he already had by inherent right. Through believing, we lay hold upon life, and thus live through Christ. The Kaiser’s Stand Against Intoxicants
THE stand that some of the leading men of the world are taking on the temperance question is a great help to the good cause. We not only have our president and secretary of state in this country who have taken such a pronounced stand against using intoxicants, but the emperor of Germany has discarded the famous beer of his fatherland, and does not admit even of the choicest wines. His favorite drink is lemonade flavored with a little orange juice. The kaiser found, by experimenting on himself, that even the smallest quantities of liquor lessened his energy and capacity for work. The Churches Becoming a Political Machine
ONE of the most marked tendencies of this time is that of federation, and the federation movement in the churches is one of the strongest. Men ought to be able to see that the methods used are largely political. They are seeking to combine numbers for so-called moral purposes; but where in the word of God has the church ever been encouraged to put her trust in numbers? On the other hand, God gave the promise of one chasing a thousand, and two putting ten thousand to flight. Deut. 32:30. The promise is not given, in the Word, that large numbers would flock to the church. The Master plainly says that “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt. 7:14. Then where is there any warrant for us in accepting political methods in church work? Is there any possibility of the church’s working any real reforms in society by bringing its force of numbers to bear upon the political machinery? It is when professing Christians begin to depend upon their vast numbers that they lose sight of the necessity of the power of God and expose their weakness. The individual Christian who has the power of God in his life is a power in society wherever he may be. The church makes her most fatal mistake when she minimizes this power by believing that she can combine her vast numbers and produce reforms. In some advertising that was done by the Federated Body of Pastors in one of our large Eastern cities, they had this statement: “The man who stays away from the polls on election day fails in a duty to society. Good citizens call him unpatriotic, and rightly. Every man should take his stand one way or another at the polls. “It does not occur to most people that staying away from church is a kindred failure in duty to society. Men must vote for or against the church. It does not occur to most persons that non-attendance at religious services is really nothing more nor less than a vote against religious services—a vote to remove them from society.” Such talk as that seems catchy. From the surface standpoint, it may seem all right, but it is lowering the great standard of Christianity. It is putting the work of the church down to the political basis. The ringing words of truth that come from the divine Word itself should make men feel that they are eternally lost unless they have the benefits of the gospel. And when their minds are stirred in this way, they will come to the church, not to be patriotic, but to be saved. It is the purpose of the gospel to save men, and not merely to make them patriotic. Salvation through Christ is deep enough, and broad enough, to include every virtue and every duty that comes into our lives, either in the church or in the state. The standards of this time are too low, and that is the reason why we have to have so many reform movements to seek to destroy the evils that are breaking society to pieces. The evils of this time can not be overcome by any kind of political machinery. It is just as true to-day as it ever was that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Jesus Christ is the one Saviour, and His gospel must be preached in all of its power, and with all of its forceful and truthful clearness, if we may save men. WE can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply. Is it one's duty to pay tithe on gifts of money, food, clothing, etc.? R. U. H. The law of the Bible in regard to tithing is very plain and simple. The text says we are to pay the tithe on our increase. Deut. 14:22. The scripture in Malachi is also very plain in saying: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” Mal. 3:8–12. The great principles of truth in the tithing law are perfectly clear. We become confused only when we wander off into some far-away occurrence that comes only occasionally in a lifetime. We can see how individuals might receive some gifts that it would be very proper and certainly their privilege to tithe. Other things might be given to us which there would be no necessity for tithing. In fact, the gift might be something that we would not care for or appreciate at all. On the other hand, the individual who is receiving a regular support from charity, in some cases might find it a privilege and a blessing to pay his regular tithe, but such cases would have to be settled by each individual in harmony with his own conscience. When we come to regard tithe paying as a great privilege, and consider that while paying tithes we have the Lord Himself for our partner in the transaction, we have no difficulty. There could be no specific law of detail laid down. God deals in fundamental principles, and one of the greatest fundamental blessings that the individual receives from tithe paying is the breaking up of the selfishness of his own heart and the cultivating of faith in God. 4215 — “The Beginning of Our Confidence”
Heb. 3:14 reads, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;” and the next verse adds, “While it is said, To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” There is nothing difficult about this text. It is a simple statement of the fact that we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence true to the end. Our confidence comes through receiving and accepting the word of God. We are to hold that Word and build upon it, and the ever-present “to-day” is the time to act. God always says To-day; Satan is always saying To-morrow. God's time is always the ever-living, vibrant present. The devil's time is “the will-o'-the-wisp of to-morrow.” It is always twenty-four hours ahead of us, and nobody ever did anything to-morrow. Whatever we do must be done to-day. 4216 — Reading the Old Testament Scriptures
Should we not read the Old Testament? H. J. P. Most certainly should we read the Old Testament Scriptures. The Master says, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39. When the Master made that statement, the only Scriptures in existence were the Old Testament writings. When He was on the way to Emmaus with two of His disciples, after His crucifixion and resurrection, He told them, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.” Luke 24:44–46. Christ taught the Scriptures that were written by Moses, and by the prophets, and by David and the others who wrote the Psalms. This example and teaching of Christ was after His resurrection, and therefore unquestionably in the new dispensation. It is always safe to follow the example of the great Pattern. 4217 — At the End of Six Thousand Years
Will not the Lord come at the end of the six thousand years of this world's history? P. W. K. We know of no scripture upon the subject; and in the absence of scripture, we would not be warranted in speculating upon a topic of this kind, for the Master plainly says in His word, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matt. 24:36. Where God's word does not speak, it may be harmless, except for the waste of time, to speculate; but the individual who would refrain from falling under the deceptions against which the word of God warns us, will not speculate where that Word has plainly spoken. 4218 — The Power Referred to in Rev. 9:5
What is the power referred to in Rev. 9:5? Are we to understand the five months to be 150 literal years? MRS. K. The power referred to in Rev. 9:5 is, without question, the great Mohammedan scourge that swept over Europe in the Middle Ages. The five months represents 150 literal years, as these months are prophetic, and there were thirty days to the Jewish month. We could not give the space, in this department, in a full exposition of this part of the interesting book of Revelation, but would refer all who are interested in this subject to the book “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,” published at this office. Neglecting to Preach Against Sins
THE Christian Century, published in Chicago, one of the leading Disciple papers, had some good things to say, in a recent issue, in regard to the failure of our pulpits at the present time to decry against sins. One paragraph from the article says: “A sermon against sin is one thing; a sermon against sins is another. Sin is an abstraction; nobody commits it. But sins are concrete, personal, the kind you and I have. God does not call upon His prophet to show the people their sin; he is told to show the people their sins. He is not told to rebuke them, nor abuse them, nor denounce them, but just to show the sins of the people of God.” There can be no question but that the Century is right in its diagnosis of the situation. There is not the ringing, clear denunciation of sin that characterizes power in presenting the gospel. As an illustration of this, a temperance campaign was being conducted in a certain Western town. There were enough of those who ought to have stood on the side of temperance, to carry the measure against the saloons by a big majority; but the pastors of the large churches seemed very indifferent to the movement. They could not be induced to attend any of the meetings; and when it came to taking part, in either a public or a private way, their influence was so neutral that it was really cast on the wrong side. This condition called forth an investigation, and something over three hundred individuals were found to be members of these large churches who had money invested in various ways and in various places in the big wine industries of the state. These pastors would not denounce the sin of intemperance, they would not attend the public meetings and throw their influence in favor of the cause, for in so doing they would have to denounce the sin that was practised by the members of their own church. The Bible says, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” But some of our great popular churches of this time have gone so far as to affirm openly that the ten-commandment law of the Old Testament has been abrogated; and when the claim is made that the very instrument for exposing sin has been abrogated, how is it possible to make sin appear in its exceeding sinful light? The gospel “is the power of God unto salvation.” “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” But how can people be saved from sin when the minister is such a weakling that he lacks the courage to denounce sin? The reason why the people of this age think that they are so good and that the world is getting better and better, is that the standard of the church has kept getting lower and lower, until it is practically on a level with the world itself. Bible Distribution in China
REGARDLESS of the unrest and civil war in China, the Bible house at Shanghai, during the first seven months of the year, issued 1,486,000 Bibles. This is an increase of 214,000 books over the issue for the corresponding months last year. Facts of this kind are truly significant. The mighty power of the Infinite is pushing forward the circulation of His word among all the nationalities of earth. This is preparing the way for its inhabitants to learn from His own book the gospel of His kingdom and the message of the soon coming Christ. SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 15, 1913 Our readings this week continue in 1 Corinthians, and include the first five chapters of 2 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians was written to correct Judaising tendencies and some fearful sins that had crept in among some members of the church. But Paul learned from Titus, in Macedonia, probably in the year 56 A.D., that his first epistle had had the desired effect, but that there were still teachers there opposing his influence and depreciating his apostolic authority; and this called out his second epistle, in which he pours out the love of his heart for his converts. It has been said that these two epistles, more than any others, reveal to us the personality of their writer, and also the inner life of a great Christian congregation in the apostolic age. — We have a richness of reading in the Psalms this week. Psalm 90 was written by Moses. Psalm 91 is of especial comfort to God's people in the calamities of the last days.