Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 15, 1909

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

[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 cannot be answered immediately in this department. Sometimes it will mean a month or more of waiting. We cannot 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.”]

2932.—“Lived Not Again.” Rev. 20:5.

Is the following expression, found in Rev. 20:5, spurious, as claimed by Millennial Dawnists: “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished”? It is said: “They [the words] are not found in the oldest and most reliable Greek MSS., the Sinaitic, Vatican Nos. 1209 and 1160, nor in the Syriac MS.” G. H.

The simple facts are these:

1. The book of the Revelation itself is not in the Vatican MS. No. 1209, and so of course the fifth verse of chapter 20 could not be there.

2. Vatican MS. No. 1160 evidently omits it by mistake of copyist.

3. It is found in A Codex Alexandrinus of the fifth century.

4. It is found in B Codex Vaticanus of the seventh century.

5. The text is found in C Codex Ephremi Rescriptus, No. 9, probably of the fifth century.

6. Young’s “Bible Translation” translates it without question. Hinds’ Interlinear, Boothroyd, Rotherham’s translations from the Greek text by Tregelles, and from Wescott and Hort, considered to represent the cumulative Greek scholarship of the centuries on the New Testament, the same.

7. Dean Alford, a noted Greek scholar, while making vigorous comment on the text, does not even question its genuineness.

8. Both the English and American Revised Versions print the translation of the text without question. We can not enumerate the many who do the same. The text is not questioned by the best authorities.

The claim that the text is spurious is evidently to get it out of the way of the Millennial Dawn theory.

2933.—World’s Age.

What prophet prophesied that the world would stand six thousand years? J. J. W.

None of them so far as we know. There is nothing in the Bible which indicates that. The world in the sense of the earth, “abides forever.” The word “world” in the sense of age is used for different periods of this earth’s history, from various types and divisions of time like the week, the week of years, the jubilee and other figures, in connection with the one thousand years of Revelation 20. The world in the sense of the inhabited earth will probably exist about six thousand years. Some Bible students have concluded that the earth would continue in its present sinful condition about six thousand years. The one thousand years during which the earth would lie desolate would be the Sabbath of the earth. It would then rest. But as to there being any direct prophecy upon it, there is none.

That the earth will abide forever, as stated in Eccl. 1:4, is clearly evident from Isa. 45:18: “For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited; I am Jehovah; and there is none else.”

2934.—Six Hundred Sixty-Six.

Please explain Rev. 13:18. A. A. O.

The verse reads: “Here is wisdom; let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” Just what this means in its fulness we do not know. We believe there is greater light upon it than any that has been yet given. There are some very striking things, however, that have been developed concerning the titles of the Papacy and the apostate powers. For instance, the sum of the Roman numeral letters in “Vicarius Filii Dei”—Vicegerent of the Son of God,—a title of the pope, amounts to 666. This is also traced by some in two or three other languages. This method of reckoning, however, has been carried so far as almost to bring it into ridicule and contempt. That, however, would not be final against its truthfulness. It is a question that is worthy of study, and the text itself implies that the wisdom of God will be in its unfolding.

This scripture and chapter 14, verses 10, 11, cover too much ground to be answered in this department. Later they will be treated more fully in regular articles in the SIGNS. In the meantime we suggest to our querist that he read what is said upon this in “Daniel and the Revelation,” by Uriah Smith.

2935.—Bread and Wine for Communion Service.

(1) Is yeast-bread proper for communion service? (2) What kind of bread should be used? (3) Should fermented or unfermented wine be used? A. D.

1. No; yeast- or sponge-bread or sponge-cake should not be used.

2. Unleavened bread only should be used. Shorten flour with olive-oil, salt it, roll it out into thin cakes, cut deeply into half- or three-quarter-inch squares, and bake moderately. This bread is unleavened, crisp, and palatable.

3. Unfermented wine alone should be used, the pure juice of the grape. This can be made and preserved in the fruit season the same as other fruit juices and fruit in general. It is usually procurable at good drug stores. Where this can not be procured, clean, good raisins may be boiled and the juice strained out. There should be no leaven or fermentation connected with the Lord’s Supper.

2936.—The Sabbath the Seal.

If the seventh-day Sabbath was the seal of God at Creation and is the same now, will not the law of God condemn the breakers of the Sabbath? And will they not be punished according to the law? A. L. B.

The Sabbath is God’s memorial of Creation. It is the seal of His law, because it tells us who the Lawgiver is—the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It condemns, always has condemned, and always will condemn, Sabbath-breakers; and yet God always takes into account in His judgment those who have light and those who have it not. He does not count as a Sabbath-breaker that soul that follows all the light he has. For that thing is a demonstration that he would observe the Sabbath if the Sabbath were made known to him. Consequently while the law condemns, God justifies through faith. As Jesus declares: “This is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God” (John 3:19-21); that is, the very works in which their very imperfections are wrought in God because the heart is right, and the Lord regards the heart. 2 Chron. 16:9.

2937.—The Division Between Good and Evil.

Please explain Matt. 24:20. Some have concluded from this that half would be saved, half lost. J. B. H.

That is not the thought of the text. It is that when the cases of mankind are decided upon, it does not make any difference what worldly position a man may be occupying or just what he may be doing, the division will take place clearly and decidedly. And this is simply an illustration of what will occur when probation closes, not when Christ comes, but when Christ leaves His mediatorial seat. Then, two shall be in the field, one is taken and another left. The shop could have been as well named, or the store. The text simply indicates clear, final decision, but has nothing to do with numbers.

2938.—Cursing One’s Enemies.

Please explain why David, if he was a man after God’s own heart, prayed God to curse his enemies. See Psalm 109. Harmonize it with Prov. 24:17. F. A. A.

Psalm 109 is what is called one of the imprecatory psalms. It is not a prayer of David for himself. It is the inspiration of God speaking against those who deserve all those punishments. It is infinite justice saying that these curses came upon the men who thought to visit them upon others, and whose lives were evil and only evil. We read in 2 Sam. 23:2, “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue.” It was God saying what would come upon the wicked, not David’s prayer that it might come. This spirit of mercy and kindness was shown again and again in David’s life. Prov. 24:17 was very clearly demonstrated when Saul was slain. Saul had hunted David for years to slay him. David did not rejoice when Saul fell in battle. He mourned and wept.