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 The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable.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.
4026 — The Soon Coming of the Lord
Please explain what you mean when you say in your good paper, which a friend lends me to read, that our Lord is at hand, is very near, at the door. To this I say, Amen. I love His coming, and am watching and waiting. But at your camp-meetings your preachers tell us there is a great deal to be fulfilled yet, and they speak of the seven last plagues. Kindly explain through your question column. M. C.
When we say that our Lord is soon coming we mean this. All the evidences in the Scripture prove this to be true. There is, too, a great work to be done before our Lord comes, a work that would be an utter denial of all claims of His near coming, were it to depend upon man, but it depends upon the power of God. How frequently we look at a field of grain this week. It is very green, yet it seems to us that it will not be ready for harvest for weeks and weeks to come, but the weather is such that in one week the grain is ripened for harvest. God’s power in air and sunshine has wrought the change.
We read of God’s closing work in Rom. 9:28: “For the Lord will execute His Word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short;” or, as in our Common Version, “For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” It is the tendency of all things to culminate rapidly, and in this day and age of the world, when human invention has made the world, as it were, one small district, when human action can be accelerated by telephone and telegraph and wireless telegraphy, when great transactions are carried on in this way, rather than by the slow human couriers of the past, or the more recent railway transmission of communications, it will not take God long to do His work. The reason of this is that all the various principles which culminate and cumulate in the last days have been in sowing through all the centuries of the past. The harvest will come quickly. To the great world must be given the threefold message of Rev. 14:6-12; but that message has been going to the world through living preacher and publications, for more than half a century. The people of the whole world are ranging themselves on one side or the other of the great Prince. Shall it be the worship of Him who made the heavens and the earth, or shall it be the worship of humanity, of human opinions? Shall we depend upon salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and His mighty gospel, or shall it be through evolution, self-salvation? It was this vision which Joel saw when he said, in the 3d chapter and the 14th verse, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” So that while there is very much yet to be done, very much yet to be fulfilled, we have the great power of God in its fulfilment, and it may come very quickly. The seven last plagues of Revelation 16, in all probability, cover one year, “the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” Isa. 34:8. The same prophetic day is indicated in Rev. 18:8. “Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine.”
Will you please give a clearer rendering of the expression found in the 9th chapter of Daniel, verse 26: “And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” It is the marginal reading we wish to have made clearer. G. H. S.
Then why not take the text? That was considered by the translators to be the better sense: “And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary,”—that is, the Romans. Why not let it rest there? Of course the margin is, “And they shall be no more his people,”—that is, the Jews. Or, they shall be no more the prince’s (Messiah’s) people. Of course that is true, but it seems to us that the better rendering is in the text. So the Revised Version reads, “And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” Spurrell’s translation: “And the city and the sanctuary shall they destroy, even the subjects of the prince who cometh.” The Septuagint reads, “And he shall destroy the city and the sanctuary of the prince that is coming.” For the benefit of this inquirer, and also for all our readers, we give an arrangement and translation by Houbigant. There are many variant readings of this passage of Scripture (Dan. 9:24-27), and after very long study Houbigant has arranged them and given us the following rendering, beginning with verse 24:
“24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and the city of thy sanctuary: that sin may be restrained, and transgressions have an end; that iniquity may be expiated, and an everlasting righteousness brought in; that visions and prophecies may be sealed up, and the Holy of Holies anointed.
“25. Know therefore and understand: from the edict which shall be promulgated, to return and rebuild Jerusalem, there shall be seven weeks. Then it shall be fully rebuilt, with anxiety, in difficult times. Thence, to the Prince Messiah, there shall be sixty-two weeks.
“26. And after sixty-two weeks the Messiah shall be slain, and have no justice. Afterwards He shall waste the city and the sanctuary, by the prince that is to come. And his end shall be in straits: and to the end of the war desolation is appointed.
“27. And for one week He shall confirm a covenant with many: and in the middle of the week He shall abrogate sacrifice and offering: and in the temple there shall be the abomination of desolation, until the ruin which is decreed rush on after the desolation.”
4028 — Sealing the 144,000
May we know when the work of sealing the 144,000 is completed? If so, how? N. B.
There will be no sign, so far as we know, that will indicate the time when this work of sealing will close. We may know this, however, that God’s children are doing work for Him, and His work is to save souls, and they will go on preaching the great message of the everlasting gospel till the last soul is gathered in and sealed for eternity. When that time comes they will lose all burden for souls. Every one who can be convinced will have been convinced, and God’s work shall close. He will then withdraw His Spirit from the world and there will be no burden of soul resting upon His people. We know of no other way by which we shall conclude that God’s work is done, and in this case it may conclude with some cases long before it does with others. What other evidence the Lord may give them at that time we do not know.
1 Sam. 19:24 and 2 Sam. 6:20 seem to indicate that it was a custom among the prophets to go naked sometimes. What could that be for? A. K.
By the term “naked” is not meant entirely destitute of clothing. It was simply laying off the outer garment that covered the whole person. The undergarment was the tunic, a sleeveless woolen or linen garment reaching down to the knees, and worn next to the skin. Over this was another garment, which was taken off at night and used as a covering. When this outer garment was laid aside, the individual was often said to be naked.
4030 — Writing Letters on the Sabbath
Do you think it is right to write letters on the Sabbath? And what about wishing people “a merry Christmas,” when we are fully informed about its origin? A. K.
It depends altogether on the letters. It is just as proper to write a good missionary letter on the Sabbath, a letter of cheer and hope and courage, as it is to have a good talk with an individual on the Sabbath, or to preach a sermon on the Sabbath. It depends entirely on the motive and object of the letter. Let Isa. 58:12 guide. Writing business letters, or letters which pertain to our own work, is another thing. Regarding “merry Christmas,” we think it would be a great deal better if Christians, and those who know the origin of the semi-idolatrous day, would let it alone. So far as wishing people a happy time is concerned, why, that is proper enough under all circumstances, on all days. But the “merry Christmas” is generally a repetition of the old days of the pagan Saturnalia, altho the spirit in many who wish it is truly Christian.
4031 — The Indians
How did the Indians ever originate in America, as they were here when this country was discovered? M. M. M.
Evidently they came from Asia by the way of Bering Strait. In the vicinity of Bering Strait there is a great deal of volcanic activity, and there are those who contend that the strait was once completely bridged, an isthmus of land connecting Asia and America, but through volcanic action this has been broken up, or, if this were not the case, that the strait was so much narrower then that it was not difficult at all to cross over with canoes, rafts, etc., and that during this time for centuries there was emigration from Asia over to North America.
4032 — Shortening Life
I have heard it said that the Lord permitted men to eat flesh to shorten their sinful lives. Does the Bible teach that? A. K.
We know of no explicit instruction regarding that. We have these facts, however, clearly set forth: first, that humanity did eat flesh after the Deluge; and secondly, that their lives became very greatly shortened; and it would be but a logical inference to connect the one with the other, and conclude that man’s life did become shortened because of the change of his diet. We do not think that God directly shortened life. He allowed it to come through man’s own transgression.
4033 — Length of Torment
How long will the torment last, spoken of in Rev. 20:10? “Day and night” would make it seem that it would be going on for some time. Inquirer.
We do not know, nor does anybody. Only God Himself can mete out the punishment that is due in the exact proportions belonging to each. Some will no doubt suffer longer than others. See No. 111 Bible Students’ Library, “Tormented Forever and Ever,” for fuller explanation of these scriptures.
