THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD by L. A. R.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 23, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 49.

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

By L. A. R.

Divine Light and Glory to Illuminate the Sons and Daughters of Men

“The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” Rev. 1:20. The church as the light of the world is a doctrine taught through many ages. It was announced by Christ in the words, “Ye are the light of the world.” It was reaffirmed through Paul when he declared, “Ye are all the children of light,” and, “Ye shine as lights in the world.” That God gives His children light above the light which shines for others was also prefigured and foretold when supernatural darkness had settled over Egypt, “but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Ex. 10:23. And again it was pictured when the pillar of fire guided them through their desert wanderings.

God is light, and the manifestation of God’s character is light, and all who live to reveal God’s character shine as lights in the world.

LIGHTENED DIRECTLY FROM GOD

In those discouraging times when the children of Israel were trying to rebuild the temple, when the Samaritans had harassed them, and by means of misrepresentation through an unfriendly king, had forced them to cease their work, there came word through the prophet Zechariah to the people of God. A seven-lamped golden candlestick was shown him in vision. And in the vision, the light of this candlestick was seen to be

fed by oil which flowed directly from the anointed ones that stand in the presence of God. Thus in prophetic vision was portrayed the connection, through the Holy Spirit, between God and His living representatives here on the earth. He is directly in touch with them. They are directly fed by Him. Their light is a manifestation of that spiritual power which flows directly from the presence of God to His chosen ones in the darkness of this world.

NOT MIGHT, NOT POWER, BUT MY SPIRIT

And the lesson of it all, as given to Zechariah for his time,—that time when they felt so weak before the might of the Persian king pseudo-Smerdis,—is thus given by the angel to the prophet, and through him to the people: “This is the word of the Lord, . . . Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”

Though the Samaritans by force had compelled them to desist from labor, though the Persian ruler Smerdis had decreed that they should cease their work, God called them back to build, and in so doing announced the wondrous lesson that it is “not by might, not by power,”—it is not by numbers, nor by the strength of the human agent,—but by the workings of God’s Holy Spirit, that He is to accomplish His work in the earth; that all the opposition that then confronted God’s people—that mighty mountain of opposition—would be smashed flat as a plain by the miracle-working power of God. It would not be necessary for them, by strong arm, or by any power that lodges in humanity, to bring about the victory. But as the temple would rise stone upon stone, until at last they put the headstones upon the highest turrets of that wondrous structure, they would be able to say of it all, that it was done through the grace of God—“not by might, nor by power,” but by His Spirit; accomplishing it all with shoutings that ascribed the glory to the Lord, crying, “Grace, grace, [God’s unmerited favor] unto it.”

RELYING ON INFINITE RESOURCES

Therefore one of the great lessons of the vision of the golden candlestick, of the church as the light of the world, is that God works by His own power, and that He does not need our puny might. We are to trust to His Spirit. We are to rely upon His grace. We need not long for some power that is vested in the ballot. We need not rely upon armies, nor upon numbers, to accomplish the great things that make for righteousness, because they can not come in this way. God is Master of the situation. He is supreme. He does great things in heaven and in earth, and none can stay His hand. The heart of the king, even, is in the hands of God, and He turns it whithersoever He will. And He does it that men may fear, just as He said through Zechariah in connection with the vision of the golden candlestick: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.” Zech. 4:9.

Yes, that is it. When the work is wholly one of grace, when the might is wholly the might of the Spirit of God, then we realize —we know—that the Lord of hosts has done it. We give Him glory, and the human instrument is glorified only with the glory of having submitted to the King of kings. He has no glory of his own. He glories in that he knows the Lord, and that God is at work in the earth.

Thus by living connection with the Father of lights, we may shine as lights in the world. We may help to swell that effulgence which will girdle the world with its radiance, until the earth is lightened with His glory.

L. A. R.