Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 5, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 10.

1213.—Mark of the Beast.

Some people say that the Sunday (mark of the beast) will never be enforced by law under the existing state of government, as the Constitution forbids any religious interference. Therefore how can it be done? G. T.

(1) Sunday of itself is not the mark of the beast, neither is Sunday-keeping. Not until it is enforced by law against the sign of God’s power, and so accepted, does it become the mark of the beast. (2) The “existing state of government” is easily changed. The Constitution has been and will be overridden. For fuller reply see previous article.

1214.—Moses and Elijah.

Will you please explain Mark 9:4: “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.”

1. The transfiguration of Jesus was a type of His second coming in power and glory. See Mark 9:1. At that time there will be Christ Jesus the King, and His people, consisting of two classes; those raised from the dead, and those translated without seeing death. 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. So Peter tells us that this glory of Christ on the mount was a shining forth of His “power and coming.” 2 Peter 1:16-18.

2. In that scene Moses was there as the representative of those who will be raised from the dead. For Moses had died, and the Lord buried him in Mount Nebo. After that Michael—the Son of God—came to raise him from the dead. The devil, who claims all the dead as his lawful captives, death being the fruit of sin,—was there to dispute Michael’s power to raise the dead. God’s Son only replies, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Who won? There can be but one answer, the Son of God, Michael, “who is like God,” conquered, and set free the captive; and therefore Moses was on the mount as the type of the greater victory when all shall come forth who sleep in Jesus.

3. Elijah did not die, but was translated; he did not see death. 2 Kings 2:1-11. He was there as the type of those who live in the last days, and who shall be taken to the heavenly mansions without seeing death.

4. These noble men of God were sent from heaven to talk with Jesus over His coming trial (Luke 9:31), and to instruct and strengthen the souls of the disciples.

1215.—Contradictions.

(1) Does the Bible contradict itself? (2) Does the devil contradict himself? J. R. G.

1. Not when rightly translated and understood. There are expressions when torn from their context which seem to contradict each other; but not in their true settings. In some places the original text of some of the historical books has come down to us very uncertain. Some of the copyists have made mistakes, and so there may be seeming contradiction. But nothing of this kind is serious, and the seeming contradiction is easily explained to all candid minds.

2. The devil often contradicts himself, not purposely, but because he can not do otherwise. “He is a liar, and the father of it.” It is impossible for a liar to be harmonious. He is led by his own perverted way into false paths. He is forced to cross and recross old paths. Of course he does all in his power to make souls believe that error is truth, and so deceives many. But error can not, in the very nature of the case, be consistent.

1216.—The Sabbath and Its Counterfeits.

Has the Sabbath any other counterfeits than the Mohammedan Friday and the Sunday? G.

It has no others. All this talk about every day of the week a Sabbath somewhere has no basis in fact, such as “the Egyptians keep Monday, the Assyrians keep Tuesday,” etc. The Egyptians are Mohammedans. There is no nation of the Assyrians. There are only two days which stand as rivals to the Sabbath of the Lord, the Mohammedan sixth day, or about an hour of it, and the pagan first day, “the wild solar holiday of all pagan times.”