Opening Doors by William A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 14, 1916

Opening Doors

By William A. Spicer

While the war that convulses half of the world closes many fields to missionary operations for the time being, we can plainly see the hand of Providence swinging more widely open the doors of access in other parts of the world. A dispatch from Peking, China, some time ago, brought the following news paragraphs:—

“The Chinese government has concluded an agreement with the Siemens-Carey Company, of St. Paul, Minn., financed by the American International Corporation, for the construction of more than two thousand miles of railways. The probable cost of this work will be more than $100,000,000, and construction will begin immediately. The engineers are already at work. This is the largest single railway contract ever signed by China. The lines specified will traverse the most productive parts of Shen-si, Kan-su, Hunan, Kwang-si, Kwang-tung, and Che-kiang, densely populated and rich mining and agricultural provinces.”

Although these plans for opening up populous territories are the direct fruitage of commercial enterprise, we nevertheless see in them the working of Providence to provide means of quick access to all peoples in these days, that all may receive the closing gospel witness.

Further news from China, of deepest interest, comes in the report of the American Bible Society for 1915, which says:—

“In addition to the society’s circulation in China (1,973,453) last year, the British and Foreign Bible Society circulated 2,660,000 copies,—more than one quarter of its entire output,—and the National Bible Society of Scotland 1,578,000, making a grand total of 6,211,453 volumes distributed by the three Bible societies in China during 1914. Great indeed must be the influence of these more than six million copies of God’s living Word distributed during a single year in awakened China!”

Thus by commerce and by all the direct gospel agencies, the way is continually preparing for the heralding of the message to all China, where live the largest number of the peoples who have not yet heard the gospel.

It is good to know how great a work has been done by those blessed agencies, the Bible societies, in this time of war.

The number of languages in which the Scriptures have been issued by the two leading societies during 1916 is given as follows:— British and Foreign Bible Soc’y 497 American Bible Society . . . . . . 164

As these two societies publish in many of the same languages, we cannot give the total number of languages for the year; but it is probably somewhat more than five hundred.

The copies issued, whole Bibles or Scripture portions, during 1915, were as follows:— British . . . . . . . . . . . 11,059,617 American . . . . . . . . . . 7,150,911 Total copies . . . . . . . . 18,210,528

To this total should be added the many copies which were purchased by religious people directly from the printers of Bibles. Truly it may be said in a special sense of these last days: “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” Ps. 68: 11.

In every quarter of the earth, and among nearly every tongue and tribe, these volumes of the living Word have been passing this very year. And wherever they are read, the Holy Scriptures are preaching the way of salvation in the Lord’s own voice, and telling men of the soon-coming Saviour.

In this year, 1916, ten new tongues were added to the list of the Bible society. Six of these were dialects of Nigeria, in West Africa, in which the Gospel of Mark is telling the story of Jesus for the first time. And we remember that our own work is just planted in Nigeria, as Elder D. C. Babcock has been telling us in recent reports of wonderful blessings outpoured. Clearly God’s providence is preparing the way for the “everlasting gospel” to reach every tribe and tongue in this closing judgment hour, as described in Rev. 14: 6, 7. Though the world resounds with the clash of arms, not for a moment are we to forget that God rules above all; and his purposes shall be fulfilled exactly according to the sure word of prophecy.

“God is working his purpose out, As year succeeds to year. God is working his purpose out, And the time is drawing near— Nearer and nearer comes the time, The time that shall surely be, When the earth shall be full of the knowledge of God As the waters cover the sea.” W. A. S.