Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 27, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 42.

[To Our Inquirers.—(1) The name and address of all who ask questions must accompany questions, not necessarily for publication, in token of good faith, and that we may reply by letter if thought best. All communications will be considered confidential if so desired, and no name will be published unless requested. But we have no time to give to anonymous or unsigned epistles or articles. (2) Let the questions be to the point. Do not say, “Explain Josh. 7:1-8,” but state the thing upon which help is desired. (3) Questions can not be answered immediately in this department. Sometimes it will mean a month or more of waiting. We can not reply to the same question frequently. Read answers to other questions; you may find reply to yours. (4) Members of the Bible Band will kindly enclose stamp if answer is desired by letter. Others will please enclose ten cents. This does not begin to meet expenses oftentimes. (5) “Foolish . . . questions avoid.”]

2963.—Making Known His Dream

Why did not Satan make known to King Nebuchadnezzar his dream? Can he read thoughts? Do not angels read our thoughts when they take the records of our lives? And was not Satan an angel? N. M. B.

There is no question at all but that Satan had his emissaries around Nebuchadnezzar in the so-called wise men of Babylon, the sorcerers, etc.; but Satan does not know the future. That is the one thing above all others which God has revealed to the children of men, that He alone of all the gods can declare the things which are to come. Satan’s agencies make very wise guesses sometimes. Sometimes one can judge from general principles as to the outcome of a thing or of the events which will occur. These are not what would be called prophetic predictions, however, but are generalizations from known causes. God, however, can foretell the future. He gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream in order that He might teach him a lesson. He taught him that lesson through His own prophet Daniel, but Daniel himself could not interpret the dream, and God revealed to him the dream, and revealed to him what the dream meant. No, we do not believe that Satan can read the thoughts unless we ourselves express them, or are in such harmony with him that he has to a greater or less extent control of our minds. It must be so to some extent with the good angels, altho their discernment must almost infinitely exceed that of the angels who have fallen. Fallen angels, as fallen men, are shrewd, tricky, crafty. Not so with God’s angels who understand the great principles of righteousness, who are able to discern between righteousness and sin, and because of their sinlessness and their union with God, are able to comprehend and understand humanity as fallen angels can not.

2964.—The Electric Storm

Recently an electric storm swept over the country, paralyzing telegraph and cable lines, and was synchronous with the appearance of the aurora borealis. It was also stated that a rain of meteors was witnessed in the Hawaiian Islands in connection with this aurora. F. J. S.

No one, so far as we have seen, is able to give any cause for the recent magnetic or electric storm. Thomas Edison was asked by a newspaper man to what he attributed it, and his only reply was, “I wish I knew, I wish I knew.” It is among the unaccountable things which man at present at least is not able to comprehend. We do not know that these things come regularly. There are some that attribute them to periodical waves or circles, but the evidence seems to be very indefinite indeed. Nor is it true that magnetic storms occur whenever aurora borealis is seen. Take it in the cold countries and in the northern part of this country and the aurora borealis is frequently seen. One year ago the writer witnessed a very beautiful display of it while passing the night in Prescott, Canada, and he has frequently seen much more magnificent displays at times when there was no disturbance of electrical conditions; altho it is generally agreed that this display in the heavens which is called aurora borealis for want of a better name, is electric in its origin.

Science really knows, as Mr. Edison expressed it, very little about electricity. He declared, “We are in the dog’s age of electricity.” That is, we have not come to a human understanding of it yet. And that is true. It is among the wonders of nature: wonders which God Himself controls; wonders many times which show a disturbed and broken earth, and which in a general sense with many other things could indicate in connection with the Scriptures that the time of the end is drawing on; but we can not state positively that these are specific fulfilments of what the prophet Joel has predicted.

There are at times wonderful sights in the heavens; some of these are natural phenomena produced by difference in temperature, meteorological conditions, over which men have no control, and which many times they do not understand. All these things ought to teach us at least this, that we are very small, and that God is very great.

2965.—Two Women Grinding at the Mill

How is it that there are two women grinding at the mill when Jesus comes, and yet the righteous are gathered together according to the prophecy of Zeph. 2:1, 2? N. M. B.

The gathering of Zeph. 2:1, 2 is not a gathering together in one place, but a gathering together to one standard. That is what God’s last Gospel message does. There will come a time when He will gather the saints to Himself, when they will rise to meet their Lord in the air, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4, but the gathering which the message brings about is the gathering to the one holy standard of God’s righteousness. The coming referred to in Matt. 24:40, 41 refers to the close of probation and not the manifestation of our Lord in heaven. Right up to the time when probation shall close, the wicked and the righteous will be to a greater or less extent together. Separation of characters will then take place. This is more fully explained in the tract “The Manner of His Coming,” in which Christ’s coming to the judgment, His coming in the clouds of heaven, His coming at the end of the thousand years, etc., are more fully developed.

2966.—The Revelation

Did the apostles have the scripture contained in the Revelation in their day? Or were they considered as prophets themselves? F. J. S.

The Revelation was one of the very last books of the New Testament written. Some think that the Gospel of John was perhaps written later, but that is not certain. The Revelation was probably written about the years 96-98. The Spirit of God spoke through the apostles. Some of them wrote for later times, like Matthew, John, Peter, James, and Paul. All of their epistles are of a prophetic character. A prophet is one who speaks for God, and every one of these men spoke by inspiration for God, and was therefore possessor of the prophetic gift.