This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer them does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.
3958 — No Man Hath Ascended Up to Heaven
A Baptist minister has asked for an explanation of the verse, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.” We know that Enoch and Elijah had already ascended. Please explain. G. H. G.
The passage is found in John 3:13. The Revised Version reads, “And no one hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended out of heaven, even the Son of Man, who is in heaven.” The thought is not that no one has ascended into heaven, but that no one has gone up to heaven, to receive God's message and bring it down, but Jesus. He is the One through whom God has revealed all His truth. Nicodemus was wondering and querying as to what was truth. He, the teacher in Israel, did not know that man's heart must be changed, or born from above. Jesus wanted him to learn that the things that He spoke to him were things which He had seen. He told him of earthly things, and he did not believe them, then how would he believe if He told him of heavenly things; and then follows the text in question, that He was the very one who had descended out of heaven to bring these glad tidings and important truths to the world. He was the Immanuel—God with His people. Elijah ascended into heaven, but he did not come back with a message. Moses was raised from the dead, but he has not come back to this world; and this also is true of Enoch. But our Lord came down from heaven to give life to the world, by word and example.
3959 — Sanitariums
It is said that a people who are vegetarians and that have so many sanitariums to keep them well, have more surgical operations than do people who pay no attention to their diet, or who make no pretensions to their diet. Christ nor His followers had any sanitariums, nor used medicines, etc., etc. T. E. W.
It might be well to say to our inquirer that if he knew our sanitariums and the people that come there for treatment, he would find that the real health reformers are comparatively few. There are many who accept health reform after every other means has failed. Then they adopt a vegetarian diet, but sometimes disease is so far advanced that a mere change of diet does not cure, and such as these go to sanitariums. They go there for the twofold purpose, not simply in order to get well, but to know how to keep well; and there are thousands of testimonies that have been given over and over again, of those who have thus learned and who have been able to care for their own families for years after, without ever calling a physician, or suffering from sickness. Our Lord did heal without sanitariums. His apostles and His disciples healed, but at the same time, they used remedies, and we find very much instruction, indeed, in the Word of God in regard to the use of proper remedies,—air and water and sunshine, God's own remedies. Paul tells Timothy to “use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities,” and he who healed people with a touch and a word, also wrote of a beloved disciple, “Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick.” Our Lord's great miracles were wrought in order that we might believe on Him who had life, and life to save from sin. We are not by this belittling the healing by faith. We believe in it most thoroly, but we can not force faith. The Christian must take people just where they are. In our own sanitariums, there has been much healing by faith, and many who have gone to sanitariums to obtain relief in a physical way have found Christ Jesus, and have found Him not only a Healer of the soul, but a Healer of the body as well. It would rather seem as if the ones who bring these objections are priding themselves over certain things, and are making of their own particular narrow views an idol which those they criticize are not. We believe that it is true that few of God's children, indeed, upon the earth have the simple, childlike faith in Him that they ought to have, but that does not debar any one from doing all that he can in stretching out a helping hand to aid the poor and the needy. We would like to remark further, that the chief medicines used in our sanitariums are nature's remedies, most abundant,—water, air, diet, and electricity.
John 16:13 is the promise of our Lord that the Spirit would guide His disciples after He had gone away. “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” That is, through God's own revelation by His disciples and through the spirit of prophecy, God's Spirit would speak. It would also recall to mind the truth which men have learned from God's Holy Word. It is the great agency in the hands of God, of developing and perfecting His people through the Spirit-filled Word. It will also call to the sinner. Isa. 30:21 refers to the man who is going astray, not to the one who is pressing on in the upward way. But it does tell us this, that if people are devoted and earnest, when they do go astray they will hear a voice behind them saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” That shows that they are turning away from the Master, for the great Shepherd always goes before, and His sheep follow Him; and the man who is pressing on in the heavenly way listens to the voice from before, and not from behind. It is only when he turns to the right hand or to the left that the voice of God is heard behind him. Let us so follow Him that His voice shall always be before us, calling us on.
3961 — A Generation
What time is allotted to a generation? M. W.
We know of no definite time that is allotted to a generation. It would probably be considered longer in the days of the antediluvian patriarchs than at the present time. Some have rather gathered from Gen. 15:13, 16 that it was a hundred years—four generations, four hundred years—and others have tried to figure out from the forty-two generations, mentioned in Matthew 1, that it was somewhere in the vicinity of forty years. But God has given us no definition of a generation, nor has He designed in the last generation to fix that time for us. Sometimes generation means race, people, nation. Sometimes it means the people living upon the earth at one time.
3962 — Children of Mary
Did Mary have any other children than Jesus? If so, what were their names? M. W.
We do not think that she did. Brothers and sisters of our Lord are mentioned, as in Mark 6:3: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not His sisters here with us?” See also Matt. 12:47. But these brothers and sisters were doubtless the sons of Joseph by a former wife, and yet who, according to law, were reckoned brothers and sisters of Jesus.
3963 — Armageddon
When will the war of Armageddon take place, before or after the resurrection of the just? A. M. B.
It will take place before the resurrection of the just, under the sixth plague. See Revelation 16. The plagues precede the first advent in glory of our Lord; when Christ comes the second time in glory, then the dead will be raised. 1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:51-54. This makes it very clear indeed that the war of Armageddon precedes the resurrection of the just. All not slain in that war will be slain by the glory of Christ's presence.
3964 — L. J. R. writes us under date of November 17 regarding the article on “The Tabernacle and the Ark” in the “Signs” of November 12, and says, “Please see Ex. 16:34; 25:16; 40:20; Num. 17:10, 11; 1 Kings 8:9; Heb. 9:4.” We do not know why our correspondent has referred us to these scriptures. They are all well known to the writer of the article, only the scope of the article did not necessitate their use.
3965 — Titles of Books
Sometimes I find, in the references to my Bible, one indicated by “Cant.” What does it mean? C. M.
“Cant.” is an abbreviation of “Canticles,” simply another name for the Song of Solomon. Sometimes we find the Revelation indicated by “Apoc.”—“Apocalypse.” We also find in the margin of our Bibles frequently “cf.,” and this is a puzzle to some. It stands for “confer,” meaning, in our Common Version, to compare some other scripture with the one to which it is appended.
3966 — Death of Martin Luther
How did Martin Luther die? Catholics claim he committed suicide? A. M. B.
“The Life of Martin Luther,” by Mrs. Emma H. Adams, a work on which a great deal of time and research was placed, refers to his sickness and death on pages 157, 158. The winter of 1546 Luther's health was very frail, and yet he set out on the 23d of January, attended by two of his sons, to Eisleben, in the hope of adjusting a serious disagreement between the two counts of Mansfeld, whose subject he was. Reaching Halle, Dr. Jonas, his friend, accompanied him the remainder of the journey. At Eisleben, his symptoms became more alarming, yet there he preached four times, administering the Lord's Supper twice, and ordained two ministers. On the 17th of February, he was so ill that the dukes prayed him to remain in the house. At supper he spoke much about his death. He retired to his room, and remained a long time in prayer. He then slept for an hour and a half, and on waking prayed with great fervor in Latin, and said, “O God of truth, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” He slept again, and woke feeling still worse. Soon came two physicians with Count Albert and wife, and Luther said to them, “I am dying. I shall remain at Eisleben,” and then prayed audibly this prayer: “O my God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou God of all consolation, I thank Thee for revealing to me Thy well-beloved Son, in whom I believe. I commend my soul to Thee, O my Saviour, Jesus Christ, I know I shall rest with Thee eternally.” Suddenly then his eyes closed; he fainted. After much effort he was restored. Dr. Jonas then said to him, “Reverend father, do you die firm in the faith you have taught?” He answered distinctly, “Yes,” and soon passed away. Another Catholic writer declares that Luther died blaspheming, that is he did not believe in Roman Catholicism.
