Answers to Correspondents.
“I have recently had an opponent who denies that the word day is found in the original Hebrew in the first chapter of Genesis. If you think it worth while, I would be glad to have you give a true statement of the matter in REVIEW; especially the two words DAY, in Gen 1:5.” It is surprising that people will so misrepresent the word of God in order to maintain their own unscriptural views. Our common translation of Gen. 1:5, is as accurate as can be. The word day is as plainly there as it is in the English. QUESTION. Do you, as a people, deem it proper and right for an individual who is a professed Sabbath-keeper to wish an individual who does not keep the seventh day to plow upon his premises, and he still remain in the house as a Sabbath-keeper? The person sending queries on Acts 7:59, and Col. 3:3, is referred to the book published at this Office entitled, “The Nature of Man.” QUESTION. Did Jephthah carry out his vow, and sacrifice his daughter? Judges 11:39. W. S. E. ANS. We do not think that Jephthah vowed to sacrifice his daughter. The vow, as given in verse 31, includes two things, to wit., “It shall be the Lord’s,” and “I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” In our version, these are connected by the conjunction, and, but the Hebrew letter thus translated is also used as a disjunctive, and translated, or, as in the margin. By reference to the law concerning sacrifices, it will be seen that certain “clean beasts” only were accepted for sacrifice; the first-born of mankind and the first-born of unclean beasts were to be redeemed because they could not be sacrificed. If a “singular vow” were made by a man, and it concerned one of his household, it was to be redeemed according to the estimation of the priest. Lev. 27. As Jephthah did not redeem his daughter according to this law, it appears that his vow did not devote her any further than that she should “be the Lord’s,” which doomed her to perpetual virginity. See verses 37, 38. And his vow was this: “It shall be the Lord’s [devoted to his service], or I will offer it a burnt offering,” that is, provided it is something which the law permits to be so offered. Further reasons may be given for this vow, but this seems sufficient. QUESTION. Is it right to be baptized by a Sunday-keeper? ANS. Doubtful: we could not be at all satisfied with baptism administered by one who did not keep all of God’s commandments. QUESTION. Why is Christ represented as a reaper in Rev. 14:14, 15, when it is said in Matt. 13:39, that the reapers are the angels? L. M. A. ANS. Jesus Christ is the commander of the angels. They perform the work spoken of under the figure of reaping the harvest of the earth, under his direction, and by his command. Therefore, it is proper, that in the symbol of the Son of man on the white cloud, coming to gather his saints—the wheat of the earth—he should be represented as a reaper. We speak of Solomon building the temple. It was built by his command, and under his direction.