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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 11, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 56.

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Facing Solemn Issues

By A. G. DANIELLS

(Reading for Sabbath, December 18)

Facing Solemn Issues

A. G. DANIELLS
“THIS day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:21.
It was our Lord and Saviour who made this statement. To understand its full meaning we must know the conditions under which it was spoken.
Jesus had made his appearance among men. He had been baptized, and was just entering upon his public ministry. He had come to “Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Verses 16-19.
These statements were written by the prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before they were read by our Saviour in the synagogue on that Sabbath day.They were written of Christ, foretelling his first advent. All those years this prophecy had been before the people awaiting fulfillment. Now the hour had come; Jesus was here among men, and had received the anointing by the Holy Spirit. He was beginning to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the sick, and to deliver the people from the bondage of sin. Therefore he could say with absolute truth, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Never before had that declaration been made, for never before had that prophetic scripture been fulfilled.
From this it is plain that there are fixed, definite times for prophetic utterances to be fulfilled, and that the announcements of their fulfillment cannot be made until the time comes for the events to take place. And, further, we learn that when the hour comes for the fulfillment of a prophecy, and the events of the prophecy begin to appear, that fulfillment must be proclaimed to men by the messengers of the Lord. Pentecost was foretold in prophecy, and when it came the apostle Peter said, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” Acts 2:16.
When Jesus had been preaching for some time, he said to those about him: “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
What was it those people were seeing and hearing? — The fulfillment of prophecy. “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” its fulfillment.
From this we learn that it is a great blessing to any one to see the prophecies of the Bible being fulfilled, and to recognize their fulfillment as the unfolding and working out of God's eternal purpose. It is a greater blessing to understand this than to gain wealth, or power, or any other worldly advantage. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” those things taking place which were foretold by the prophets of God.
But we learn another important lesson from what our Lord said to the people whom he taught. One day while walking by the Sea of Galilee, he said to some of the men who were hard at work in the fishing industry: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” Matt. 4:19, 20.
These men were among those to whom Jesus said, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” But that seeing and hearing brought to them not only blessing in the pleasure and joy they experienced in the Saviour's presence and teaching and marvelous works, but brought to them great responsibilities as well. Come, follow me, and work for men. To live when prophecy is being fulfilled, and to see its fulfillment, and understand the meaning thereof, is an unspeakable privilege accompanied by solemn responsibilities.
To some of those who companied with Christ it meant an altogether new and different life from what they had known before. It gave them a new vision, a new purpose, a new calling. Straightway they left their nets, their ship, and their father, and followed him. Henceforth they devoted their whole lives to a work they had never thought of doing before. They were swallowed up in the work set on foot by the prophecy that was being fulfilled.
Here is the divine order: “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” “Blessed are your ears, for they hear.” “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
This is still God's program. Prophecy is still being fulfilled. To see and understand its fulfillment today is just as great a blessing as at any time in the past. And its fulfillment now brings responsibilities to those who see it, the same as it did in our Saviour's day.
Today that great prophecy of Revelation 14 is being fulfilled. The threefold message of that prophecy is being proclaimed throughout the world. Many thousands have received that message, and have experienced the blessing which the Saviour said accompanies the fulfillment of the word of God. And, further, those who have received the message and the blessings which accompany it have felt a new responsibility pressing upon them. A new meaning has been given to life. Different values have been placed upon the things of this world. A voice has been heard saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” A burden for the salvation of lost men and women never felt before has come into the hearts of those who have become identified with the movement which fulfills this prophecy. This burden has led thousands to abandon their former avocations and devote their lives to gospel work. It has led thousands of others to consecrate the toil and the income of their daily vocations to the proclamation of the message now due the world.
The fulfillment of that prophecy of Isaiah relating to Christ's first advent meant a movement in the world. It meant Christ's presence among men, and the preaching of the gospel in a new setting. Christ understood and emphasized this. Those who heard him understood it. They accepted the responsibility. Some left all for, and others dedicated all to, the new movement. Their interests were transferred from the things in which they had been engaged to the all-important work the new message had set on foot. From this work nothing could turn them. Not even opposition and persecution could stop them. When commanded “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus,” they answered, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
And so it must be in this day. The message, and the work required to make it known to all the people of the world, must have first place in the hearts of the believers. It is the greatest and most important thing in the world. It rightly calls for the best in the world—the cleanest hearts, the truest lives, the most genuine sincerity, and the whole-hearted devotion of its followers. Its issues are greater and graver than are the issues and problems of any movement among men. No nation, no government on earth, has such serious matters to deal with as are the interests of this message. Yet how seriously the rulers and people of the world take the problems they are facing. What great interest is manifested in these world issues! What tremendous sacrifices are made for them!
About the time this awful war broke out, President Wilson accepted an invitation to speak at the dedication of a tablet in Manassas, Va. Later the committee having the affair in charge waited upon the President to make the final arrangements. The President felt obliged to tell the committee that he could not attend the dedication. When they reminded him of his promise, the President said:—
“When I made that promise, things were just beginning, and a great many things have happened since which have altered not only the aspect of our own affairs, but the aspect of affairs of the world. My experience here day by day is that questions turn up so suddenly and have to be handled so promptly and sometimes with so much thoughtful discretion, that I really dare not let my thoughts go out to other matters.
“I could not come to Manassas without having something to say. It would not be worthy of the occasion if I did not make preparations that would be worth while, and that is out of the question. My thoughts are mortgaged beyond recall for the present.
“I simply feel that I have forfeited my liberty for the present, and that my nearest duty is the most obvious and imperative duty. I have been obliged to say this to all invitations, however tempting in character, and I would not be worthy of your trust if I did not come to such a conclusion, because I know that you want these international matters taken care of as best we know how, and I ought not to send my thoughts afield.”
This is surely a grave attitude to take toward the problems with which he is dealing: “I really dare not let my thoughts go out to other matters. . . . My thoughts are mortgaged beyond recall for the present. I simply feel that I have forfeited my liberty for the present, and that my nearest duty is the most obvious and imperative duty. . . . I know that you want these international matters taken care of as best we know how, and I ought not to send my thoughts afield.”
That sounds like serious, whole-souled devotion to a cause. It is just the devotion every believer in the third angel's message should have for the cause of that message.
Brethren, our thoughts are “mortgaged beyond recall.” We must center and hold them upon this work of God. We must not let them turn to the world.It is not safe; it is not right. President Wilson's problems are international; ours are not only world-wide, but eternal. If he dared not let his “thoughts go out to other matters” for fear of failing to do his whole duty toward his cause, how much less may we dare to let our thoughts turn from this cause of God to the world and our own pleasures and advantages.
Again, the President felt that in accepting the responsible position he held, he had forfeited his liberty. O, that God's people would take this serious view of their responsibilities? This was the view held by the apostles in their day. Paul described himself as the bond servant of Jesus Christ. He declared that, although he had been free from all men, yet he had become the servant of all. The light of God's message that came to him made him a debtor to the world.
And so it is with all who have the light of the third angel's message today. Our bodies, our minds, our time, our means—all belong to God for the advancement and the finishing of his work in the earth. All is required and all can be used now. The providence of God has opened avenues for most effective and rapid work throughout the whole world. “All things are now ready.” The way is prepared for us safely and wisely to throw all our resources in laborers and means into the field. There is a demand for all, and all can be used to advantage. This is surely the day of opportunity for the people of God.
If ever the message to “sell that ye have” applied to the church of God, it does now. If ever the people of God should bind about their personal wants and refuse to indulge in needless luxuries, it is this very hour.
This work is to be confined to a single generation. It has been in progress seventy-one years. Only a few years can possibly be left in which to finish it. Thank God, he will keep his word and finish his work at the appointed time. But he will do it through his people. Those who refuse to cooperate will be excused, passed by, and others will be found.
Brethren and sisters, let us make the surrender and consecration of all to this work now, while it is needed, and can and will be used. When the work is finished, there will be no use for anything that is left over. The money that was held from the work during its finishing will then be thrown to the moles and the bats. The houses and lands that were withheld will be destroyed. On the other hand, everything devoted to the cause now will bring great returns in this present world, and eternal rewards in the world to come.
This great demand upon the thoughts, the activities, the children, and the property of God's people, is the greatest blessing that could come to us in this period of the world's history. It is our safeguard. We need this great burden to keep us from the luxuries and selfish indulgences of the world. Yes, brethren, this great world problem is for our highest good. If we will meet our responsibilities as we should, we shall share nothing with the world. God's cause will have our thoughts, our affections, our children, our means, our all. Then we shall be wholly the Lord's portion, and he will be our God, our guide, our protector, and our Redeemer.
“Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?”