p. 199 | QUESTIONS ANSWERED by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 1, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 13.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

By Editor

"Will the reading of Matt. 19:28, in the original, allow the interpretation like this, that those who follow Christ in the work of regeneration of the heart, will sit upon thrones?"

No, neither in the original, nor anywhere else. No person can follow Christ in the regeneration of the heart, because Christ was never regenerated. He "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." We can't imagine what idea one could have of Christ to imagine such a reading of the text. The meaning is obvious, namely, that they who followed Christ will in the regeneration sit on twelve thrones. When is the regeneration? "When the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory." Why is that time called a regeneration? Simply because it is such. "He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new." Rev. 21:5. Just as the creation of the heavens and the earth is called their generation (Gen. 2:4), and is described in the book of Genesis, which takes its name from that which it records, so the making all things new is called the regeneration, palingenesis, another genesis, the first part of the word, palin, meaning "again."

The text has no reference to the regeneration of individuals. That is a work that must be done here. The man who is not born again cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

"In 1 Tim. 1:15, 16 does Paul mean to say that he obtained mercy because he was chief of sinners, that thereafter those who were great sinners might be encouraged to hope in God?"

In verse 16 he says that he obtained mercy, that in him "Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." Of course the fact that Paul had been "a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and injurious," would give the greater hope to those who should after believe on Christ. The fact which Paul states in verse 16, as the reason why he obtained mercy, is the same that he gives as the reason why any are saved: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-7. All who are saved will be "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Eph. 1:6.

"Please explain how it may be ascertained that

the pentecost was fifty days after the departure from Egypt. Can you give us Bible authority that will show that the pentecost was given as a memorial of the giving of the law, fifty days after the departure from Egypt?"

The pentecost was fifty days after the passover, and the passover was the memorial of the departure from Egypt; but pentecost was not celebrated fifty days after the departure from Egypt, nor for forty years after, for it was not to be celebrated until the Israelites reached the land of Canaan, and reaped a harvest. Lev. 23:10-21. There is no Bible authority to show that it commemorated the giving of the law. The idea that it did is borrowed from a Jewish tradition, but the tradition cannot be traced back earlier than the time of Christ. So far as we can learn from the Bible, pentecost was simply a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest. There is no evidence that it had any reference whatever to the giving of the law. The presumption is against there being any connection between the two events, for if there were, the Scriptures would certainly say something about it. For that matter, it is a disputed question whether or not the giving of the law was just fifty days after the departure from Egypt. Expositors differ, and as it is not a vital point, it is not worth while to spend much time discussing it.