The* “SIGNS” QUESTION CORNER by William G. Wirth

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California, U.S.A. · Oct 21, 1930

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 57, No. 41.

The “SIGNS” QUESTION CORNER

By William G. Wirth

Conducted by WILLIAM G. WIRTH, 5447 EL VERANO AVENUE, EAGLE ROCK, CALIFORNIA

If you have a question regarding Bible doctrine and Christian living, or on other subjects apropos to the field of the “Signs of the Times,” write out your question and send it in, preferably direct to Dr. Wirth. Anonymous questions will not be answered. Do not become impatient if your question is not answered immediately, for Dr. Wirth has scores of questions in waiting, and yours will be answered in order.

THE JUDGMENT, POLYGAMY, AND LIGHT

Edward Kiehlbauch of Alberta wishes knowledge concerning the judgment, polygamy, the source of light, and other questions.

Seventh-day Adventists hold that Christ as high priest entered into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 to begin the investigative judgment of the righteous. This is based upon their interpretation of Daniel 8:14, as reference to such of their standard publications as “The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan” and “Daniel and the Revelation” will show.

They also hold that in Daniel 7 there are presented two distinct judgments. The first is that given in verses 9-12, treating of the judgment above mentioned; the second, in verses 21, 22, 26, having to do with the executive judgment upon the wicked at the end of the thousand years. See Revelation 20. (See the tracts published at this office entitled “The Bible Millennium;” “The Sanctuary and the Judgment;” “The Law and the Judgment.”)

There are those who understand that the “judgment” of 1 Peter 4:17 refers to the chastenings, “fiery trials” (see the twelfth verse), that God brings upon His people to prepare in them a character for the better life to come. While the context gives ground for this interpretation, it seems better to take “judgment” to mean the special judgment Heaven will conduct before Christ comes the second time, of all those who claim to be His. The statement in the fifth verse, “who shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the living and the dead,” adds force to this exposition. In the Old Testament, Ezekiel 9:6; Jeremiah 25:9; Isaiah 10:12 support this view that God’s final judgment will begin upon His “house,” or church. See 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5. There was rabbinical teaching also that the judgment will begin with the righteous. For these reasons Seventh-day Adventists apply 1 Peter 4:17 specifically to the above-mentioned investigative judgment.

The fact that Peter writes that “the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God,” does not indicate that this actually began in his day. It must be borne in mind that the New Testament writers believed they were living just before the return of Jesus in glory. Peter felt that “the end of all things” was at hand. (1 Peter 4:7.) Paul also said with confidence, “The Lord is at hand.” Philippians 4:5. See also Romans 13:11-13. James expressed his assurance by saying, “The coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8); and John earnestly wrote, “Little children, it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18). The lively hope of the apostolic Christians in their soon-coming Redeemer found utterance in their “Maranatha” (O Lord, come!). (1 Corinthians 16:22.) They did not comprehend the definite time prophecies revealed in the Bible and other clear-cut signs whereby we know of a surety that the second advent is upon us. Living in this ardent experience of the advent hope, the New Testament writers write specially for our times, and this is indisputably so of 1 Peter 4:17.

The “two tables of stone” of the Ten Commandments were placed in the ark of the covenant. (Deuteronomy 10:1-5; Hebrews 9:4.) The “book of the law” of Moses was put “by the side of the ark of the covenant.” Deuteronomy 31:26. I do not know where any “other laws besides these two” that might have been given to the Hebrews were placed.

SLAVERY AND POLYGAMY

God permitted slavery and polygamy in Bible times for the same reason that Moses gave a “bill of divorcement,”—because, as Christ said, of the people’s hardness of heart. (Matthew 19:7, 8). Since man is a free moral agent, even God cannot force him to do the right unless he chooses so to do. God did not countenance slavery, but the Hebrews, following the worldly, heathen custom of their time, fell in with this popular economic and social order. God suffered it until men became sufficiently enlightened, morally and spiritually, to cease the evil. So it has been with polygamy. God gave Adam one wife only, and the “two [not three or more] shall become one flesh.” Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31. The two scriptures the questioner refers to (Deuteronomy 17:17; Exodus 21:10) intimate God’s disapproval of the polygamous relation.

Leviticus 20:14 does not “support the inquisition.” This punishment may seem too severe to us, but the times are different. Then social crimes were dealt with in a strong manner. The Mosaic code in this respect was much better than the other codes of those days. We know from the Code of Hammurabi, for example, that governments in antiquity administered justice and punitive measures with the same drastic force of which we read in the Pentateuch.

It must also be kept in mind that at this time the commonwealth of the Hebrews was a theocracy; that is, God was the direct ruler of His people. Such a holy governor would, of course, be expected to deal severely with heinous crimes of this character.

LIGHT

I am not at all sure I grasp what the questioner means by his remarks about solar and lunar time. Solar time began as soon as the earth began to revolve around the sun; and lunar time as soon as the moon began to revolve around the earth.

As to just what light it was that God created “before or ere the sun, moon, and stars were,” I am unable to tell. The former classical physics used to teach us that there could be no physical light except that which comes from the sun; and, because of this, hostile critics of the Bible ridiculed the light brought into use on the first day of creation. The atomic, electronic physics of quite recent years, with its scientific researches in the field of radioactivity, have clearly demonstrated that physical light can exist apart from the sun; and thus the Good Book scores again over its critics.

Ezekiel 32:1-10 is a prophecy directed against the Pharaoh of Egypt. Any allusion in it to Satan seems very remote and rather far-fetched.