Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 4, 1903

1326.—Gabriel and the Holy Spirit.

Are you acquainted with any scripture making it evident that Gabriel and the Holy Spirit are one and the same? C. D. S.

No; but we are acquainted with plenty which show to the contrary. The Holy Spirit is the great all-embracing life of God, carrying everywhere all power, and manifesting in various forms God’s presence and power; existing before angels and all other creatures; God’s potent agency in creation. Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30. Gabriel is one of the servants of God, mighty, because of God’s Spirit, but still a servant, limited in his personality and power. Dan. 8:16; 9:21, 22; 10:11–13; Rev. 19:9, 10; 22:8, 9. So in a lesser sense God’s Spirit uses men.

1327.—Three Days and Three Nights.

On what day was Christ crucified? Does the original throw any light on Matt. 12:40? What was the preparation of the Passover? John 19:14. What made that Sabbath a high day? M. T. C.

(1) From all the evidence of scripture it seems that He was crucified the sixth day of the week. Some contend that it was on the fifth day. It is wholly immaterial. Had it been important to salvation, God would certainly have revealed it. There is no such uncertainty concerning the day of the Sabbath. (2) The original of Matt. 12:40 is fairly well expressed. The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament renders as follows: “For even as was Jonas in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, thus shall be the Son of Man in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” The three days and three nights is an idiomatic expression for three days. Frequently in Bible reckoning parts of days are counted as whole days. Were they not counted this way in Jonah’s case? There is no proof either way. Does “the heart of the earth” mean the grave or the power of the Roman empire, Satan’s agency of control in the earth? It is impossible to say. From the words of Jesus in John 12:27, 28 and Luke 22:53, compared with Mark 10:33, 34 and Luke 24:20, 21 it would seem that the three days included His betrayal, His scourging, and all his sufferings from His apprehension in the garden. The betrayal occurring on Fifth day (Thursday), the First day of the week would be “the third day since these things were done.” (3) The preparation of the Passover with its observance is described in Ex. 12:1–28. (4) That Sabbath was a high day because there fell upon it one of the great days of the Passover feast. See Cadman’s “Christ on the Gospels.”

1328.—In Good Standing.

What is a Seventh-day Adventist Church member supposed to do to be in good standing in that denomination? Also should said denomination give a letter of dismissal to any member that is not in good standing? An Inquirer.

Questions of this kind, relating to church discipline should be sent to the Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich. But briefly (1) to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Here are some comprehensive texts to study: Rev. 14:12; 1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 12:1, 2; John 14:6. (2) Surely no church could give a letter stating that a member was in good standing if to the knowledge of that church the member was not in good standing. Every letter of that sort should tell the truth so far as those who give it know.

1329.—Time of Egyptian Plagues.

Is there any record to show the length of time that passed between the plagues that fell on the Egyptians, as recorded in Exodus? T.

This can be ascertained to some extent by the study of the text together with a knowledge of climatic and crop conditions of Palestine. When the plagues began, the Nile must have been high, as the land was soaked with water; the plague of flies when the waters were abating; of storm and tempest upon the growing, early crops; of locusts upon those which revived from the hail and sprang up later. All the cattle of Egypt which were attacked died; that is, such as were in the field. It is reasonable to suppose that many Egyptians gathered their cattle in. And after this plague it is reasonable to suppose that they took of the Israelite’s cattle. The plagues seem to have lasted nearly or quite a round of the seasons.