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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 30, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 52.

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Question Corner

1454.—“Man of Sin.” 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
Who is that “man of sin”? Is it the pope or the Czar of Russia? D. W. J.
Neither. It does not refer to an individual, only as that individual represents a system. It here stands for that mystery of iniquity which came into the church as the counterfeit of the mystery of God, the Gospel. That system presents a scheme of self-righteousness, salvation by works, and so sets aside righteousness and salvation by faith, as the free gifts of God. It places God far away with many human intermediaries, and substitutes a changed law for the law of God. Its chief exponent is the Papacy, but it includes in principle, and will include in fact, under its banner, everything that wars against God under the mask of Christianity. Its first application as an organized form is the Papacy.
1455. When the Kingdom Is Set Up.
Did Peter set up the Kingdom the day of Pentecost, or are we to look for the Kingdom when Christ comes again? W. K.
There is no Scripture whatever so far as we know from which a just inference can be gathered that the kingdom was set up on the day of Pentecost. During the passing of the ages there have been from time to time fuller manifestations of the Gospel work, of the kingdom of grace among men. Pentecost was but one of those glorious manifestations. But the everlasting kingdom of Christ will be established at “His appearing.” “When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory.” Matt. 25:31. See also Luke 19:11, 12; Dan. 7:13, 14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:15. Christ will not take His kingdom till His second coming, when His royal priesthood ends. Rev. 3:21.
1456. The Ministration of Death.
What was the ministration of death written and engraven in stones, 2 Cor. 3:7-9? And were the stones spoken of the tables of the law? W. K.
The law to the sinner. See Bible Students’ Library, No. 149, “From Glory to Glory,” price 2 cents. It will give you much more information than the explanation of the above.
1457. The Seven Women of Isa. 4:1.
Please explain Isa. 4:1. Who are the seven women who would eat their own bread, and wear their own apparel, and who is the “One Man,” whose name these women wished to take? G. W. R.
“And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by Thy name, to take away our reproach.”
Thus reads the text. From the context (chapters 2-5) it will be seen that the general subject is the setting forth of the false and true among God’s people, the true church, and the apostate church, in the last days. The text in question seems to us clearly to refer to the apostate churches. They prefer their own food to the bread of God’s Word; they prefer their own gaudy robes of spiritual harlotry to the robes of Christ’s righteousness; yet they would be called by His name, not to be invested with His righteousness, but to have their shame taken away. The “man” referred to is “the Man Christ Jesus.”
1458. Moses Risen from the Dead.
Do not Acts 26:23; 1 Cor. 15:20; Col. 1:18; and Rev. 1:5 contradict the statement that Moses is risen from the dead?
No more than they would the resurrection of Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow of Nain, and the Shunammite widow’s son. Note: (1) The emphasis in Acts 26:23 is “How that He first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and the Gentiles.” He demonstrated in Himself the power over death. (2) The terms “firstfruits” and “firstborn” do not always denote priority of time (save in God’s purpose), but pre-eminence. So Israel and Ephraim are called the firstborn. Christ is the One through whom all are raised, and in God’s purpose was before all, even the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He it was who called Moses back to life.