Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 14, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 20.

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

No. 336. Make to Yourselves Friends.

PLEASE explain Luke 16:8, 9: “And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” C. C. N.

The lesson of the parable is the necessity of preparing for the future. The earthly lord commended the unjust steward, not because of his dishonesty, or unfaithfulness, but because of his shrewdness and foresight in preparing for the future. To do this he made friends with earthly riches, the mammon of unrighteousness. In this respect he showed wisdom greater than do the mass of professed Christians.

From the parable the Lord gives us this lesson: “Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.” (R. V.) The “mammon of unrighteousness” is the riches worship'd by the unrighteous, the riches which perish. The child of God should use these riches to feed the poor, to minister to the needy, to spread the Gospel. Thus will he make friends of God, Christ, and the angels, who will receive him home when all things earthly fail. See Matt. 24:31.

No. 337. Blotting Out of Sins.

ARE the sins of the righteous blotted out when their names come up before the Father in the sanctuary in heaven? or will that be the last work of our Saviour before he leaves the sanctuary? H. C. H.

Both will be true. The cases of the righteous dead will doubtless be decided as they come before the Father. The cases of the righteous living will not be decided till their probation is closed. The last acts of our Lord as priest will therefore be the blotting out of the individual sins of the righteous living, and the removing from the heavenly sanctuary the remembrance of all the sins of the righteous. See in the type, Jer. 16:16, 20, 21.

No. 338. The Mosaic Law.

WAS the Mosaic law intended to be handed down to us as a law of God? And if so, why did Christ change it in a measure, that is, the law of divorces and an eye for an eye, etc.? And if not, are we bound to obey that law in regard to eating and drinking, etc.? MRS. R. W. H.

In the various precepts given by the Lord through Moses some were of a distinctly spiritual character, such as injunctions to love and obey God; some were civil ordinances for the protection of individual rights against the greed and oppression of wicked men, such as usury laws, land laws, etc.; and some were ceremonial, regulating sacrifices, offerings, etc., typical of things to come; some were for both the spiritual and physical well-being of God’s people, regulating food, leprosy, etc. The civil ordinances expired with the Jewish state. The ceremonial ordinances expired by limitation at the cross; then also expired the laws, as technical laws, the statutes regulating foods; but the moral principles and the principles on which man’s physical well-being depends, are eternal. No man can eat and drink to God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31), and yet ignore the plainest teaching of God’s word with reference to food and health. For instance, the law concerning the use of swine’s flesh may not be technically binding as such, but this does not alter the eternal fact, expressed in the law, that the swine is unclean and unfit for food; and the instructed man will desire to heed what God has “written aforetime” “for our learning” in this or any other respect. See Rom. 15:4.

No. 339. This Generation—All These Things.

IN Matt. 24:34 we are told that “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” What is meant by “all these things”? If it is the events spoken of in verses 29, 30, and 31, how can that compare with verse 34? The first of these events, history tells us, took place May 19, 1780. Surely, that generation and a great number of the next one have passed away.

“This generation” evidently relates to the generation which sees the signs of Christ’s second coming in the light of his prophecy. These signs—“all these things”—are set forth in Matt. 24:12-14, 24-26, 29; Mark 13:22-25; Luke 21:25, 26. To the mind of the writer “all these things” would include all the signs of which our Saviour spoke on this occasion. Of the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, it could not be said that all were seen till the last was seen. When these things were to begin to come to pass, said Jesus, his disciples were to know that his coming was drawing nigh; but when all these things were manifest as fulfilled and fulfilling, they were to know he was near, even at the door. Compare Luke 21:28 with Matt. 24:33. The seeing of these signs is not the mere looking on them with physical eyes, but seeing them in the light of the Lord’s last message. The generation who thus see them, to whom the message is given, will not pass away till Christ comes.

No. 340. This Generation—When Begin.

PLEASE explain Matt. 24:34. When did that generation begin? and how long is a generation? G. W. T.

See answer to question No. 339. It begins with the great advent message of Rev. 14:6-14 (about 1840), and will close with Christ’s coming. There is no data by which the length of a generation for all time may be determined. It was doubtless longer in Noah’s day than it is in ours. Generally speaking, this generation would mean those living upon the earth at this time. The people composing the generation which heard the advent message based on the signs given by Christ, will not all pass away till Christ comes.

No. 341. Daniel.

WHAT became of Daniel? Did he die, or was he translated? J. S.

The angel told him that he should “rest.” The Jewish translation by Leeser reads, “Thou shalt rest, and arise again.” Daniel therefore must have died. Mahommedan tradition says that he died at Susa.

No. 342. Fire on the Sabbath Day.

ACCORDING to the Ten Commandments was Israel allowed to build a fire on the Sabbath day? J. S.

That depends on what the fire was for. If it was builded when not needed in order to defy God, it was forbidden by the Decalogue (see Num. 15:30-36); if it were necessary to save life and minister to the needy, the law did not forbid it; for it is lawful according to law to do good on the Sabbath day (see Matt. 12:12).

No. 343. The Day the Lord Hath Made.

WILL you please explain Ps. 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” ANXIOUS READER.

The language is prophetic of Christ’s triumph over Satan, sin, and death. It has no reference to a day of the week, but of the time of our Lord’s eternal triumph for evermore. See verses 22, 23; compare with Luke 20:17; Acts 4:10-12; Eph. 2:20; Rev. 12:10. See No. 305, in issue of April 16, page 5.