Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 5, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 30.

“Enquire, and make search, and ask diligently.”

NOTE.—We wish those who ask questions to take particular notice: (1) Only such questions will be answered here as we believe to be of general interest and information. (2) We can not undertake to explain from four to a dozen scriptures, as in one sentence we are often requested to do. (3) Do not ask to “explain” a certain text or passage. State clearly the point in question. (4) Give full name and address, not for publication unless desired, but as evidence of good faith, and to give us the privilege of replying by letter if deemed best. (5) Unsigned communications of any kind find the quickest way to the waste-basket. (6) It is always well to inclose stamp. (7) “Foolish and unlearned questions avoid,” also those that minister to mere curiosity. (8) Study the Scriptures yourselves.

No. 605. Whose Throne? Acts 2:29, 30.

WILL you please explain Acts 2:29, 30. Whose throne is there referred to? INQUIRER.

It refers to the throne of David and the throne of the Lord; for David and his seed, Solomon, etc., sat upon “the throne of David,” which was “the throne of Israel,” which was also “the throne of the Lord.” See 1 Kings 2:12; 8:20, 25; 1 Chron. 29:23. The simple recognition of this fact, that “the throne of David” is the throne of the Lord of Israel, would solve many of these problems about the kingdoms. The kingdom of Luke 1:32, 33 is also the kingdom of the Lord, the eternal kingdom of Christ, as well as the kingdom of David. Compare with Isa. 9:6, 7. Christ is now on his Father’s throne a priest (Ps. 110:1; Zech. 6:13; Heb. 8:1); but when his priesthood is ended, he will take the throne of David, his own throne, the rulership of the earth (Ps. 72:8; Rev. 3:21; Ps. 89:4, 25, 29, 35, 36).

No. 606. Judges 1:19.

PLEASE give a brief exposition of Judges 1:19, especially, “But could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.” G. A.

Dr. Adam Clarke says that the first part of verse 19 belongs to verse 18, and the full stop should be after

“mountain,” and that the latter part of the verse refers to a subsequent time, after Judah had sinned. Boothroyd translates the latter part of the verse, “But went not to drive out the inhabitants of the plain,” etc. That is, they did not trust God. Their faith reached only to the mountains. The Chaldee explains, “For after they had sinned, they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley.” “But” should be “for,” see R. V. But did not Judah conquer in the valleys or low country?—He did, for Ekron was a city of the low country. See also verse 9. That Judah did not drive out the inhabitants utterly was because of his lack of faith, for which God was not responsible; for God had promised him the land. Verse 2.

No. 607. “Third Angel’s Message.”

(1) What is the third angel’s message? (2) Why is it called such? (3) Who were first to preach it? (4) Did not the apostles preach the Gospel? And if so, did they not preach the third angel’s message? O. F.

(1) The third angel’s message in a technical sense is Rev. 14:9–12, but it embraces also in its completest sense the message of the two angels which come immediately before. It therefore embraces the entire Gospel. (2) It is called the third angel’s message because it is given to the world by the third angel in that series spoken of in Rev. 14:6–12. (3) In the light of the prophecy of Rev. 14:6–12 it was first preached to the world by men in various parts of the earth this side of 1844. The leading earlier ones in this country were Joseph Bates and James White. (4) The apostles preached the full Gospel as applicable in their day. Its chief burden was righteousness by faith, based on faith in a risen Saviour, who would sometime come again, judge the world, and reward his people. The Gospel for to-day includes all this, a return to the “old paths,” warning against apostate powers,—the beast and his image,—and the proclamation of Christ’s near coming. This latter part was not applicable in the apostles’ days; while they preached the Gospel, they did not preach the third angel’s message as such. The first angel’s message presents the positive truth of the Gospel for this time; the second angel’s message declares that Babylon has fallen, because she rejected the healing message of the Gospel; and the third angel’s message warns every soul against the corrupt powers of earth with which Babylon has allied herself.

No. 608. Gal. 3:19, 24.

ARE the above texts applied to the law of Ten Commandments or to the ceremonial law? D. M. R.

To the law of Ten Commandments. “Wherefore then the law?” Or, as the R. V., “What then the law?” If the law could not give life to sinners, if it only brought them under the curse, what did God give it or speak it from heaven for? The apostle answers, “It was added [given, spoken, Ex. 20:19; Deut. 5:22; Heb. 12:19] because of transgressions [‘that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful’ (Rom. 7:13); ‘that the offense might abound’ (Rom. 5:20)], till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made.” The Seed is Christ. The promise is the promise of the inheritance. Gen. 22:17, 18. The coming must be that coming which pertains to the reception of that inheritance. That inheritance is this earth (Rom. 4:13), now in the hands of the wicked; for thus saith the Lord: “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it [the kingdom of David]; and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him” (Eze. 21:27). The Seed will take the inheritance at his second coming (Matt. 25:31; Dan. 7:27), and until that time God’s law will point out the sins in the hearts of transgressors; “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20; 7:7).

Gal. 3:24 points out the same thing as a conclusion: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [Greek, pedagog, the one who accompanied the young to the teacher] to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Did we not know we were sinners we would not seek a Saviour. The law reveals our sinful condition, and leads us to Christ, the Saviour from sin. Christ sets us free from sin, so that henceforth we keep and love the law. Rom. 8:4; 1 John 5:3.