Earlier text: A CONSECUTIVE VIEW OF THE PROPHECIESHISTORY OF THE WORLDLY SANCTUARY.
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.
It was at this time when the Lord had given David "rest round about from all his enemies," that the situation of the house of his God came into his mind, and he said unto Nathan the prophet, See now I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. 2 Sam. viii. This must refer to the tent which he had pitched for it; for the tabernacle, as we have seen, was still at Gibeon. The same may probably be understood of the saying of Uriah the Hittite. 2 Sam. xii, 11. Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee." But the same night he was commanded to tell him that he should not build a house for him to dwell in. This was because he had been a man of war, and had shed much blood. But he was promised that Solomon his son should build the house. 1 Chron. xxii, 8-10. The place where the angel of the Lord appeared to David, at the time the plague was stayed, namely, the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, [chap. xxi, 14-18,] upon mount Moriah, [2 Chron. iii, 1,] which was near to mount Zion, was chosen for its location. Extensive preparations were immediately made for the construction of the building. The neighboring king of Tyre was enlisted to furnish servants and material. The charge which David gave to Solomon and the princes concerning this work, was as follows: "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise, therefore, and build ye the Sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord. 1 Chron. xxii, 19. And again: Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the Sanctuary: be strong and do it. Chap. xxviii, 10. The plan and whole model of this structure was laid by the same divine architect as the Tabernacle; namely, God himself. After David had given to Solomon an accurate pattern of the house and every thing pertaining thereto, as recorded in 1 Chron. xxviii, 11, and onward, he said, "All this the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern." Verse 19. The author of the first book of the Kings and of the second of Chronicles has very fully described the temple and all the apartments belonging to it. The commencement of the work is thus described, in 1 Kings vi, 1, 2: "And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the hight thereof thirty cubits." This was in the year B. C. 1012. In addition to the length of the house above given, there was the porch which was ten cubits, making the whole length of the temple proper, seventy cubits. But the temple, strictly so called, which comprised the portico, the holy, and the holy of holies, formed only a small part of the sacred edifice. It was surrounded by spacious courts, chambers and other apartments much more extensive than the temple itself, as this was never designed to hold a concourse of people, but was for the service of the Lord; and the priests were the only people employed in it. We learn from 1 Kings vi, 17, that the holy place was forty cubits long, and twenty wide, [verse 2,] and the most holy place twenty cubits in length and the same in breadth. Verse 20; 1 Chron. iii, 8. The two holy places of the temple differed from the tabernacle only in being an enlargement of that plan. The vessels of the Sanctuary were also increased in size and number. The cherubim which Solomon made for the most holy place, as described in 1 Kings vi, 23; 2 Chron. iii, 10, were not found in the tabernacle, but were peculiar to the temple. Concerning the whole building the Bible Companion says: "As we possess only verbal descriptions of the temple of Solomon, it is impossible to obtain a very accurate idea of the relative parts, and their respective proportions. Hence we must not feel surprised that no two writers who have undertaken to describe it agree in their descriptions." Says Dr. Clarke, "There is a great variety of opinion concerning the temple, its structure, ornaments, &c.; and modern writers, such as Vitalpandus, Dr. Lightfoot, and Dr. Prideaux, professing to be guided by the same principles, have produced very different buildings." We will not therefore attempt to enter into any particular description of the temple and its various apartments. It will be sufficient for us here to say that it was a structure of wonderful magnificence and splendor. The carving of the walls of the house with figures of cherubim; the overlaying it with pure gold within and without; the doors of olive trees adorned with carved work, and overlaid with gold fitted to the carvings, with the various other ornaments and embellishments of the house, were accomplished at an expense, which, says Dr. Clarke, it is impossible to estimate. At the expiration of seven years and six months from its commencement, the building was completed. The dedication did not take place till the following year, the twelfth of Solomon's reign. Having all things prepared for this joyful occasion, we read that Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord, out of the city of David, which is Zion. 1 Kings viii. From the narrative of this chapter, we might be led to suppose that the ark and tabernacle were abiding at the same place. But we have seen that the ark was brought into the city of David, and the tabernacle still remained in Gibeon. On this point Dr. Clarke remarks, "It is generally agreed that at this time there were two tabernacles, one at Gibeon, and the other at the city of David, which one David had constructed as a temporary residence of the ark, in the event of a temple being built. Which of these tabernacles were brought into the temple at this time, is not well known; some think both were brought in, in order to prevent idolatry. I should rather suppose the tabernacle from Gibeon was brought in, and that the temporary one erected by David was demolished." As the ark is brought forward "unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place," our attention is arrested by the declaration of verse 9, that there was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb; for we remember having read in Heb. ix, 4, that in the ark were not only the tables of the covenant, but the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded. How can we reconcile this apparent discrepancy? That these last were originally placed in the ark is evident. Ex. xvi, 33, 34; Num. xvii, 10. They must therefore have been removed before the time of Solomon; and it must be the tabernacle as it existed during the lifetime of Moses, of which the Apostle speaks. "Therefore, says Calmet, we need not trouble ourselves to reconcile the various scriptures which mention this subject; some of which refer to the tabernacle, others to Solomon's temple, and others to the temple built by Zorobabel, which places were very different from each other." There is another point to which our minds are naturally led in this connection, and that is concerning the book of the law written by Moses: where was it placed? We read in Deut. xxxi, 26, the charge which Moses gave to the Levites, saying, "Take this book of the law and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee." Much doubt exists in many minds even at the present day as to what place is meant by the expression, "in the side of the ark:" some supposing that it meant within, others, upon the outside of the ark. The following criticism from Dr. Prideaux, on this point may not be out of place: "As to the book or volume of the law, it being commanded to be put mitzaad, i. e., on the side of the ark, those who interpret that word of the inside, place it within the ark, and those who interpret it of the outside, place it on the outside of it, in a case or coffer, made on purpose for it, and laid on the right side; meaning by the right side, that end of it which was on the right hand. And the last seem to be in the right as to this matter; for, first, the same word, mitzaad, is made use of where it is said that the Philistines sent back the ark with an offering of jewels of gold put in a coffer by the side of it. And there it is certain that word must be understood of the outside and not of the inside. Secondly, the ark was not of capacity to hold the volume of the law of Moses, with the other things placed therein. Thirdly, the end of laying up the original volume of the law in the temple was, that it might be reserved there as the authentic copy by which all others were to be corrected and set right; and therefore, to answer this end, it must have been placed so as that access might be had thereto on all occasions requiring it, which could not have been done if it had been put within the ark, and shut up there by the cover of the mercy-seat over it, which was not to be removed. And, fourthly, when Hilkiah, the high-priest, in the time of Josiah, found the copy of the law in the temple, there is nothing said of the ark; neither is it there spoken of, as taken from thence, but as found elsewhere in the temple. And, therefore, putting all this together, it seems plain that the volume of the law was not laid within the ark, but had a particular coffer or repository of its own, in which it was placed on the side of it. And the word mitzaad, which answers to the Latin, a latere, cannot truly bear any other meaning in the Hebrew language. And therefore the Chaldee paraphrase, which goes under the name of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, in paraphrasing on these words of Deuteronomy—'Take this book of the law and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant,' renders it thus: 'Take the book of the law and place it in a case or coffer, on the right side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God.'" The Sanctuary and its ark are now again together; the sacred vessels are all brought into their respective places; the movable tabernacle erected by Moses gives place to the permanent and more glorious temple of Solomon; and God takes possession of his habitation. "And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord." The shekinah, or visible glory of God, which had dwelt in the tabernacle had now passed into the temple; and that temple was to be thenceforward the Sanctuary of the Lord. It will be remembered that in the commencement of this article we passed over the prophetic song of Moses, [Ex. xv, 17,] till it should be fulfilled. That time has now arrived. David in Psalm lxxviii, gives a brief outline of Israel's history from their141 deliverance from Egypt to his day. Moses standing upon the shore of the Red Sea, looked forward and prophesied. David, standing this side of the accomplishment of that prophecy, looked back and recorded its fulfillment. If then we wish to know what Moses meant, let us see how David says it was fulfilled. Therefore we read: Verses 53, 54, "And he led them on safely so that they feared not, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. And he brought them to the border of his Sanctuary, even to his mountain which his right hand had purchased." Verse 56. "And he built his Sanctuary like high palaces," &c. No one can fail to understand these passages, and see that David calls the temple which was here built, the Sanctuary. Hence we see how inapplicable it is to apply Ex. xv, 17, as some have done, to the land of Canaan. The Sanctuary has now reached the summit of its earthly glory. Its sacred vessels are perfect and complete. It contains the very ark which was made by Moses under the express direction of Heaven; and that ark contains the very tables of the covenant which were written by Jehovah himself. The temple building was a structure of magnificence and glory, and there was nothing to hinder the Levitical worship from going forward in all its perfection. We would be happy long to contemplate both the temple and the Sanctuary in this prosperous condition; but sin ever present to mar the affairs of man, soon brings a shade over this bright picture. The temple as above described, retained its primitive splendor but thirty-three years, and from this time its history is one of decline. Its services became more or less imperfect, and its glory gradually departed, till finally it ceased to exist on earth. The reader will remember that the object of this investigation is to make very apparent what the Holy Ghost recognizes as the Sanctuary of the Lord. Claims have been put in at various times and by various persons, in favor of this whole earth, and by others for at least a portion of it, Palestine, as the holy place, the dwelling place, the Sanctuary, of the Lord. But that which is the Sanctuary, we may expect to find the Bible dwelling largely upon, and bringing to our view as such: and we do find upon its sacred pages, continually introduced to us, under the very explicit name of the Sanctuary of the Lord, the building which we have been noticing; hence our interest in investigating the main facts concerning it. We have seen that during Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, this building was fifty-six times called the Sanctuary. From its entrance into the holy land, to its location in the temple, this term is by the sacred penmen nineteen times more expressly applied to it as will be seen from the following quotations: Josh. xxiv, 26; 1 Chron. ix, 29; xxii, 19; xxiv, 5; xxviii, 10; 2 Chron. xx, 8; Ps. xx, 2; xxviii, 2, margin; xxix, 2, margin; lxiii, 2; lxviii, 24; lxviii, 17; lxvii, 15; lxxviii, 54, 69; xcvi, 6, 9, margin; cxxxiv, 2; cl, 1. THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE.
By James White
A MISSIONARY spirit should be cherished by those who profess the Message. Not to send the gospel to the heathen; but to extend the solemn warning throughout the realms of corrupted Christianity. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain.” Joel ii, 1. “Cry aloud and spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isa. lviii, 1. Show the professed people of God in Christian lands that they are each week violating, and trampling in the dust, one of Jehovah's immutable commandments, and in doing this are honoring an institution of the Papacy. We say a missionary spirit is wanted to raise the cry more extensively in new fields, and sound the alarm throughout christendom. There is yet, no doubt, much work to be done in each State where the Message has been given; but not in those towns where the alarm has been given, and the few who had ears to hear and hearts to obey have been gathered out. The West is evidently the most successful field of labor at present, yet those who enter new fields, East or West, find good success. And to continue operations on old ground, and go the rounds over and over with very little success, looks as unwise as for the harvest man, after he has harvested a portion of his fields, to glean them over and over again, and have a portion of his grain to perish. But shall our preachers enter new fields, and leave our little churches to perish? No, not to perish; but leave them when fully established, with God and the Message, to pray for missionaries who are breaking new ground, and to honor God with their substance, in sending them forth to the lost and scattered sheep. In doing their duty our churches will prosper far better without ministerial aid than they will with it, while living in neglect of duty. If the Message will not hold them, while doing their duty, nothing will save them. And for laborers to move off into new fields would probably stir up the churches more than anything else, to pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up, qualify, and send forth more laborers into the harvest. Let the laborers in the Lord's harvest move out in the great work by faith; then let every brother and sister feel that a portion of the responsibility of sustaining the servants of the Lord in their arduous work, rests on them. The churches thus acting up to their duty would share the sustaining grace and power of God, and would be greatly cheered by reports of the advance of the cause in new fields. It is a generally admitted fact that our preachers do not enjoy as much freedom in old fields of labor as in new ones. And, of course, the churches feel this lack of freedom, and sink in spirituality under it. And for want of faith and courage, and the necessary means, some of our preachers have been kept from new fields of labor, and have gone the old ground over and over. God could not especially bless a wrong course, and the lack of the Spirit of God has been felt, both by preachers and people. Some have felt much discouraged in regard to the advance of the Message, because the Spirit of God has not moved upon them, and given them a Spirit of labor in their own neighborhoods and towns where the Message has been set before the people, and they have inquired, What shall be done? We take the liberty to answer, Work where work may be done to profit. Send the Message abroad throughout christendom. Let our preachers go forth and labor where God can especially approve and sustain them by his power, and let the churches with their means and their prayers thrust them out. Then God will bless those who stay by the stuff, equally with those who go out to battle. Remember, dear brethren, that this is the Third call to the Lord's great supper. Luke xiv. “Go out into the highways and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Yes, “Go out.” Go forth from town to town, from county to county, and from state to state, fitly represented by the “highways and hedges,” and give the third and last call which has compelling power in it. And nothing as yet has looked more like obeying this mandate to “Go out into the highways and hedges,” than to see Tent companies moving out into new fields, among strangers, and pitching their Tents, and posting their hand-bills, to call out the people. The first call to the supper was to those who had been bidden to the gospel feast, to the professed church of Christ. The second was to those in the streets and lanes of the city. These answer to the first and second Messages in the past. It is said of those who offered their excuses, and slighted these calls, “None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” How vain, then, to labor for such. Those churches which rejected the first message cannot be moved. How fruitless have been our labors in the streets and lanes of those cities where the former messages have been given. How sure is our success if we go out into the highways and hedges. God help us to keep pace with his truth and opening providence. We now inquire, Is it time to form colonies of Sabbath-keepers? To huddle together for the sake of the society of those of like faith? Do not such hide their light beneath a bushel? If we judge correctly, God does not approbate the course of such by the outpouring of his Spirit on them. Is this the time to improve large farms in the West? Take care, brethren, lest the work of God in the Message as it moves forward, leave you behind. A missionary spirit is lacking, and must be in the church in order for the Third call to move out in the order of God. This call is now to Sabbath-keepers. “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in.” Those of whom it is said, “None of those men shall taste of my supper,” were prevented by their land, their oxen and their wives. The voice of God is to us, “Go out,” &c., and will the brethren let these very things keep them from their duty in sending the Third Message forth? If they do, will they taste of the Lord's supper? With this view of the present duty of Sabbath-keepers, it seems more in the providence of God for them to scatter abroad, than to collect together. That God has laid the duty on some in New England to move into the great West, we do not doubt. He has placed them in the midst of the most successful field of labor, not to bury themselves up deeper in the cares of this life, but to devote their lives to the cause of the Third Message. And it seems in harmony with the work of the last ripening Message for many of those in the East who have borne their testimony to their neighbors and townsmen, and have faithfully lived out the truth before them, to move into the West where there is hope of benefitting many, by a faithful testimony and holy life. Beware, brethren, of settling down, and burying yourselves up in the cares of this life, of adding house to house, and land to land. O the deceitfulness of riches! Remember that but one of the four classes of hearers brought forth fruit. Matt. xiii. One class understood not the word. The second soon with joy, received the word; but when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, they are offended. This seems wonderfully true where a whole community becomes interested by a course of lectures, and afterwards, with few exceptions, are hardened and set against the word by the professed ministers of Christ. The third class are thus described: “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” God grant, dear brethren, that you may be of the fourth class of whom it is said, “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” J. W. Subscribers.—During the last thirteen months the number of stoppages, including those stopped in consequence of deaths, and thirty-eight names recently erased, amounts to 304. On the other hand, the number of new subscribers during this time is 451, making a net gain of 147. And we might add, that most of those whose papers have been stopped the last thirteen months, never had interest enough in the present truth to pay anything for the Review, while most of our new subscribers are advance-paying subscribers. It is a matter of no small encouragement, that during this period, while strong efforts have been made against the Review, its friends and supporters have been increasing. The Age-to-Come Theory Examined
By S. A. Bragg
Is the One Thousand Years' Reign of Christ less Glorious than This Dispensation?—Yes, if the Age-to-Come Theory is Correct. After hearing much of the "glorious Gospel of the kingdom," as it is recently called, I was not a little surprised to learn that those of this faith generally hold to the building of the city presented by Ezekiel from chapters xl-xlviii, in the future age; and that the offerings and sacrifices are to be carried on during that time; also that this city supersedes the necessity of the "heavenly Jerusalem" which John saw "coming down from God out of heaven," and which Paul says "is above, is free, which is the mother of us all;" and that the heavenly Jerusalem is not a literal city but refers to "Polity," or government. Such a state during the reign of Christ would come as far short of meeting my expectations, as a Shaker village did a brother's, when told that he was in the "New Jerusalem." The Shakers and the Mormons have made attempts to build a city on this sin-cursed earth, to save God the trouble of sending the "New Jerusalem" down upon the "new earth;" and lastly, the Age to come believers attempt to revive ancient Jerusalem from its ruins, to take the place of that which "hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." This is to give an undeveloped class a chance in a state less glorious than the present dispensation. But I want as much testimony for returning to the ordinances of the "first covenant" as I have that we are in a more glorious one. "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant, or testament," &c. 2 Cor. iii, 7-14; Heb. xii, 18-24; viii; ix, 15. The offerings of the "first covenant" pointed to Christ, the great sin-offering. Now if this work is to be done again, there must, of necessity, be a second Messiah, at the end of the one thousand years, to expiate the transgressions of this undeveloped class. "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect." He is the mediator of the new testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." Heb. x, 1; ix, 15; x, 9, 12, 13. Christ offers his body once for all and takes his seat at the right hand of his Father, in expectation of his enemies' (not a part only) being made his foot-stool; and when he leaves his Father's throne, he takes his own, or David's throne, and comes King of kings and Lord of lords. Heb. x, 10-13; 1 Cor. xv, 24; Rev. iii, 21; Luke i, 32; Luke xix, 12, 15; Rev. xi, 14-15; Rev. xix, 15. Eld. D. P. Hall has taken the position, in a public meeting, that the "new Covenant" has not been made. But who that believes that Christ has come, can doubt that he is now ministering in the heavenly Sanctuary and that the "new covenant" was "confirmed with many for one week, as was shown Daniel, ix, 26. Truly "all men have not faith." My prayer is, that the true-hearted may not be deceived by error that is being taught by some who profess to be teaching the commandments of God. In regard to the building of the city seen by Ezekiel, our Age-to-come friends say that this is prophecy and must be fulfilled. I believe God's word will be fulfilled; but I am not expecting any will have offers of pardon, for sins, in the future age; for before Christ comes the mandate goes forth "He that is filthy let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And behold I come quickly." Rev. xxii, 11, 12. Neither do I understand that ancient Israel accepted the great blessings offered them. Had they done so, their house would have stood to this day. This does not lay God under obligation to fulfill, in the future, what they could have received in the past, had they been obedient. Ezekiel, while in captivity, was shown blessings to show to the twelve tribes, while they were in captivity, and if they were ashamed he was to show them the fashion of a house. Eze. xi, 4; xlvii, 13, 21; xliii, 10, 11; xxxvi, 37. This house was not built; for the one afterwards built by Zerubbabel was the temple of Solomon rebuilt, though larger. Ezra v, 11. We find that it was offered to the twelve tribes and its fashion to be shown to them if they were ashamed of their iniquities. But Israel did not hearken unto God, by Ezekiel; [Chaps. ii, 5; iii, 7;] and but few, a remnant, chief of Judah and Benjamin, a few others, with some of the ten tribes, accepted of the offers under the decrees, and went up to build their city, after the seventy years' captivity. Such received as God had promised the remnant. Ezra i, 5; vii, 7; Eze. xxxvi, 37. "Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them." God expostulated with them until they as a nation, were fitted for rejection. Soon after Ezekiel's offer, Daniel, while in captivity, received their closing history, as the people of God. But that the house presented, in vision, to Ezekiel, is not to be built in the future reign of Christ appears evident, from the fact, that when the blessings connected with this building were to be enjoyed there were deaths, marriages, divorces, the offerings of the first covenant, and Levitical priesthood. But when Christ reigns they "neither marry nor are given in marriage, neither can they die any more for they are equal unto the angels." The first covenant with its offerings, Levitical priesthood and divorces was done away by Christ, at the cross. Luke xx, 35; Col. ii, 14; Matt. v, 31, 32. Let us examine a prophecy said to be fulfilled in the future gathering of Judah and Israel, in the Age to Come. "In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed." Micah vii, 11. By the chronology of this prophecy, we see that Micah stood back of the gathering from Babylonish captivity, and of the decrees for the building of the city Jerusalem, after that captivity. Ezra gives the account of the first decree for the building of the house of God, under Cyrus. Ezra i. Before it was completed, and after Cyrus' death, the adversaries of the Jews prevailed upon the king to make a decree to put a stop to the building at Jerusalem. Ezra iv. It was nearly one hundred years before this that God showed Micah that this decree "should be far removed," and that the walls should be built. This was accomplished by Darius, king of Persia. He passed a decree that search should be made for the decree made by Cyrus; and when found, he passed one agreeing with that of Cyrus, and for the removing of that which hindered the work. Thus the house was completed. Ezra iv, 24; v, 17; vi, 7, 8, 11, 15. "In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain." Micah vii, 12. History shows that Assyria and Babylon were the nations God took to punish his people. Assyria overturned the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, and carried them into Assyria and planted other nations in the land of Samaria. 2 Kings xvii, 23, 24. This was more than one hundred years before Judah was carried into Babylon at which time the Babylonian kingdom was universal. Afterward they were conquered by the Medes and Persians; and Cyrus, their king, sent forth a decree throughout all his realm, for the building of the house of God in Jerusalem. Ezra i. This decree reached the ten tribes in Assyria as "the decree of Cyrus is to all the people of the God of Israel."—Prideaux's Connection, Vol. I, p. 320. Ezra i. D. P. Hall stated "that the going to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel did not effect the ten tribes." Although Cyrus says, and it is penned by inspiration, "The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth," it is claimed that "there were powers that were not subject to him, and the ten tribes were held by these powers;" also that "there was no prophecy fulfilled after the captivity, that refers to the gathering of Israel and Judah; for none but the chief of Judah and Benjamin went to Jerusalem." But scripture testimony and history show that the decree Ezra received from Artaxerxes "extended to all the people of Israel," and Ezra sent a copy of the king's decree, whereby that favor was granted him, through all Media, where the ten tribes were in captivity, as well as through all Chaldea and Assyria, where the Jews were in captivity; which implies, that both of them were included in that decree, and that being a renewal of the decree of Cyrus, both must be understood of the same extent."—Prideaux's Connection, Vol. I, p. 230. Ezra vii, 11. Before the captivity, some of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh dwelt with Judah at Jerusalem, and with them continued the worship of the true God, it is very probable that some of these out of the ten tribes, went to Jerusalem after the captivity. 1 Chron. ix, 3; 2 Chron. xi, 16, 17. Josephus says, "Many of the Jews took their effects and came to Babylon, very desirous of going down to Jerusalem." Book II, chap. v, p. 225. "In the day that thy walls are built, in that day he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain." Verse 12. In Jeremiah we have a synchronizing prophecy and its location given at the overthrow of the kingdom of Babylon by the Medes. "Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away; first the king of Assyria hath devoured him, and last, this Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I have punished the king of Assyria, and I will bring Israel again to his habitation, he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I reserve." Chap. i, 17-20; Ezra vii, 14, 15, 18-20. We have an account of God's favor to the remnant that were saved, and that they represented the twelve tribes, as believers in Christ represent them in the present dispensation. Ezra vi, 17-22; James i, 1. "The nations shall see, &c., they shall lick the dust, they shall move like worms." Micah vii, 16, 18. These are figures of speech, as in Jeremiah, to express their weakness, the inability of the nations to oppose the Medes. "The redeemer of Israel is strong," &c. "A sword is upon the Chaldeans, and upon Babylon," &c. Jer. xlix, 43, 33-35, &c. I have given this as a fair specimen of the prophecies I have heard applied to the Age to Come. The theory rests upon fulfilled and misapplied scripture. I agree with D. P. Hall to "cease from man;" therefore I take scripture testimony rather than man's assertions.143 I have observed that when the mind is diverted from the Third Angel's Message, the present truth, that a worldly spirit has followed; and I have found nothing so fully calculated to lead the mind from the present truth as the Age to Come theory. There are probably those who honestly hold to the theory of both, in some measure, without realizing that these two positions are at antipodes with each other. I hope such will become settled in the truths of the Third Angel's Message. "Nothing to do?" O pause, and look around
At those oppressed with want, and sorrow too;
Look at the wrongs, the sufferings that abound,
Ere yet thou sayest there's naught for thee to do. Are there no hungry that thy hand may feed,
No sick to aid, no naked to be clad?
Are there no blind whose footsteps thou may'st lead,
No mourning heart that thou couldst make less sad? "Nothing to do?" hast thou no store of gold,
No wealth of time, that thou shouldst well employ?
No hidden talent that thou shouldst unfold,
No gift that thou shouldst use for other's joy? "Nothing to do?" O look without, within,
Be to thyself and to thy duties true:
Look on the world, its troubles, and its sin,
And own that thou hast much indeed to do. Encouragement from New Sabbath Keepers
By David Chase
BRO. SMITH:—I am much comforted and edified by the paper. I prize its visits very highly, and hope it may continue to increase (with the readers of it) in usefulness, excellence and purity. We feel much encouraged in this section of late, as three more have begun to keep the holy Sabbath. We meet together on the holy Sabbath-day, and the Lord has been faithful to his promise, that where two or three are met together in his name, there he would be. We hope they will continue faithful to the end. We have some hope that several more will soon make up their minds to obey God and have eternal life. We are still praying the Lord to raise up, qualify and send forth more faithful laborers into this part of the great harvest-field, that a few more may be gathered in ere it is said, He that is filthy, let him be filthy still, and behold I come quickly to reward every man according as his work shall be. DAVID CHASE.
Fall River, Wis. Bro. J. J. Perkins writes from Chicago, Ill., Aug. 24th, 1856:— “Bro. Smith. Chicago reminds me of what Paul said of Athens. If Athens was wholly given over to idolatry, so is Chicago; and in some respects it is worse than Athens. Here the sects are at war with each other, and with the Roman Church, which is the mother of them all. This city is thronged nearly the whole time with travelers and political aspirants. “If these political elements were the religion of the lowly Nazarene, then nearly all would be saved. But how wide the contrast between the few that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus, and the many that keep the commandments and traditions of men. There are free lectures every evening on the wonderful manifestations, or spiritual developments of this generation, which are to convert the world. Deluded souls! how mistaken to dream of heaven and the society of the blessed Redeemer and all the holy angels that surround the throne above; to even think of ever entering the city of the great King, when they have never prepared to walk in his footsteps here! This city, with others of like character, are doomed to drink of the wrath of God that shall soon be poured out without mixture.” THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH—ITS RISE AND FALL.
By Swedenborg
When a church is first raised up and established by the Lord, it exists in the beginning in a state of purity, and the members then love each other as brethren; as is known from what is recorded of the primitive Christian Church after the Lord's coming. All the members of the Church at that time lived one amongst another as brethren, and also called each other brethren, and mutually loved each other; but in progress of time charity diminished, and at length vanished away; and as charity vanished, evils succeeded, and with evils falses also insinuated themselves, whence arose schisms and heresies. These would never have existed if charity had continued to live and rule; for in such case they would not have called schism by the name of schism, nor heresy by the name of heresy, but they would have called them doctrinals agreeable to each person's particular opinion, or way of thinking, which they would have left to every one's conscience, not judging or condemning any for their opinions, provided8 they maintained nothing contrary to the Divine order, that is contrary to the commandments of the Decalogue.—Swedenborg.