THE TEMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE by Ruth

Pacific Press Publishing Association

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 29.

THE TEMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE.

By Ruth

An Allegory.

(Continued from SIGNS of June 21.)

ON the door of the Temple of Truth was inscribed, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." As the soul stood on the threshold of his Father's house, after those weary years of wasted life, tho he felt the thrilling assurance of forgiveness and acceptance, and the sustaining power of Love, Faith, and Hope, yet he trembled. Under an overwhelming sense of his unworthiness of this gracious favor and pardon, he sank on his knees, and bursting tears of remorseful contrition wet the threshold of Mercy.

Long years ago, in his early youth, the Saviour had knocked at his door, with tender, yearning love, pleading, "Son, give Me thine heart," and "attend unto My words." O, if he had only done so then, in the dew of his youth, when his heart was fresh and tender—if he had hearkened to that voice of love and had grown up in the instruction of Wisdom, how different it would all have been! But he had grieved away that gentle Spirit; he had chosen the pleasing baubles of earth—worldly honors and pleasure, self-love and selfish lovers.

Now it is he that is knocking for admission, a wretched outcast suppliant, yearning for the heart of that Friend whose love, in spite of his waywardness, had followed him all these years. It had let him have his way to prove to him the hollowness of all knowledge and science that is not based on the Rock of Eternal Truth, and has not its source in the Author of all science and every organic law; to prove to his heart how unstable and unsatisfying is every earthly love that has self for its center and selfish interests for its circumference. To show him the real purpose of the enemy of his soul, and to unmask his hypocrisy and treachery, he had been left to entangle himself hopelessly in the toils of sin, hate and death, that he might learn to prize the precious boon of love, life and the safety of the sheltering wings. Ps. 36:7; Matt. 23:37; Ps. 57:1; 61:4. He had been given the unguided rein till he should learn from his own self-ruin to "stay upon his God," and to distrust the "arm of flesh;" for it is written, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord;" but "blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Jer. 17:5, 7.

With the psalmist he could truly say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted;" for "now have I kept Thy word." Disappointed, wounded, betrayed, mocked, bruised, and broken, his soul has returned to the faithful, waiting Father-heart, and pours out its contrite sorrows on the loving Saviour's bosom—no, not on, but in; for the great Door (John 10:9) opens, and the nail-pierced hands draw him into the warm, calm haven of the divine heart, and under the brooding wings of love and power. O perfect rest and safety! O heavenly joy, and peace that "passeth knowledge," which the world can not give nor ever take away!

And who can ever tell the joy of the great Shepherd-heart as He brings home to His own blood-bought heritage the weary, world-sick one? "I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." The happy soul felt the sublime thrill and fellowship of these heavenly rejoicings, and it made him feel akin to the angels. He felt, as never before, the honor, the glory, and blessing of "the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." He went down into the symbolic grave, dying to earth and self and sin. He rose in new-created life; and bowed at the altar of consecration. Going down into that cleansing flood, he felt all his self-righteousnesses, like "filthy rags," slipping away from him. How he abhors them now—the old self-praise, self-honors, and self-love. Isa. 64:6. And when he arose to receive new life, empty, naked, blind, and helpless as an infant, he was clothed with a "change of raiment" from the Lord's hand,—raiment, pure and clean, even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Christ Jesus; the garment of humility, meekness, gentleness, patience, chastity, loyalty, and faithful love; the spotless robe of true nobility and royalty, which every son and daughter of the King must wear. Zech. 3:4; Rev. 19:8; Matt. 22:11-14.

And now begins new life—one hope, one aim, one joy, to serve his one true Master.

O precious love and service sweet If only to sit at the Master's feet.

"For I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

The holy Comforter led him to an inner sanctuary, where, from its far source, the Fountain-head, springs a natural fountain of "living water," unprofaned by any tool of art. There he slaked his parching thirst. Again and yet again, to rapturous "fulness," he drank of the pure, clear waters of unadulterated

truth, and cried, "Never shall I crave again the soul-cursing, brain-maddening draught of the world's intoxicating cup." Rev. 22:17; John 4:14.

There, too, as "a new-born babe" he daily fed on "the sincere milk of the Word," growing thereby "in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour."

Here was broken daily the bread of life, as it is written, "The Bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." "I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:33, 51; Luke 4:4.

Then the Comforter, which is the Spirit of truth, took him into the great symbolic "school"-room, where God's minor "heirs" receive their education in "the first principles of the oracles of God." John 14:16, 17, 26. In this hall of truth he saw in the realistic "letter"-al types, the perishable symbols of the great enduring "spirit"-ual truths of God. Ps. 119:142, 152, 160; Isa. 51:6, 7.

Here he saw the smitten Rock (Isa. 53; 32:2; 25:4) in a desert and weary land, from whose heart burst forth the living waters in abundant streams (Ex. 17:6; John 19:34), and under whose "shadow" the fainting pilgrims find "refuge," "rest," and "comfort."

Here he saw the Living Vine. John 15; Ps. 80:8-11. Christ in Abraham, by faith, is the trunk, and Christ in every child of God, by faith, the branches, the vital spiritual Christ-life flowing through all, and to all, from its eternal Root, the Source of all spiritual life. Rev. 22:16; John 1:4. He saw branches rich with abundant fruitage abiding steadfast in the Vine, and others, losing their connection with the living Source, were withered, bare, and fruitless, tho tenaciously clinging to their place. John 15:6. He saw the Husbandman with His sharp pruning-hook of affliction (Isa. 48:10; 1 Peter 1:6, 7; Zech 13:9), pruning and purging the good branches, that they might bear more and rarer fruitage, and lopping off the dead, hypocritical branches, which His servants gathered in bundles for the great burning (Matt 13:37-42; 3:10, 12).

Here he read, in the typical laws for the cleansing of all "literal" uncleanness, God's horror of "spiritual" contamination, and His holy "jealousy" over His children, that they should keep themselves "unspotted" from the corruptions of any compromise with the enemy.

Here he saw the earthly tabernacle with its ordinances and priestly ministrations, a fitting type of the "pattern," the heavenly tabernacle "not made with hands," "which the Lord pitched, and not man." Hebrews 7; 8; 9.

Here he saw hung up living chart lessons of sin of every type, form, and color, "for our admonition" and warning "upon whom the ends of the world are come."

Here was a portrayal of the seduction of Eve, and underneath this inscription, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Here was the fall of King David, a man after God's "own heart," and the admonition written, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

Here, as companion-pieces, were "Jacob the Supplanter" and Jacob the Wrestler."

Here he beheld the presumptuous Tower of Babel, towering heaven-ward with highest aspirations, man-named "gate-of-heaven," but God-confounded "Babel." And under this the legends, God's warning to the modern Babylon of man-made salvation: "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3:11. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Then the Spirit took the soul up into an exceeding great and high mountain called Pisgah, or the Mountain of Revelation. There, spread out before him like a map, was the prophetic history of the nations, and running through all, like a living vine, the history of the church of God. Here he read at a glance the symbolic record of the rise and fall of kings, dynasties, and nations. Like a great wheel he saw all lines of prophecy converging toward one focal point—the great day of God—and the great tides of human passion and endeavor all setting in toward that awful climax, the outpouring of His wrath.

He beheld the dying agonies of a world in travail. Rom. 8:20-22. He saw the awful throes and convulsions of the last stage of "the mystery of iniquity," which, like a fell disease, has run its full course in the earth.

Hark to the muttering of the tempest! See that thick war-cloud hovering in the eastern sky, threatening to engulf the world in awful carnage! Isa. 13:4, 5; 34:1-10. Is this the "millennial dawn" of "peace," the work of the "arbitration" league of nations?

"Go lay to earth a listening ear, The tread of armed millions hear."

See the genius of the nineteenth century expending her splendid ingenuity and resources in forging hellish implements of dire destruction. See the jealous powers of earth eyeing each other with mutual distrust and burning hatred, hedging themselves about with serried ranks on ranks of trained human armor and bristling death-bolts of appalling power. See on the outposts the great navies of the nations, each individual giant ship of itself a fearful engine of destruction, a destroyer of destroyers,—fitting implements, these, in the plan of the great destroyer to accomplish his infernal purposes.

And what will ye do in the end thereof? God has revealed even this to His servants by the "light" of His "sure Word of prophecy." His prophetic eye, looking down the ages, saw the "end" from "the beginning," and mapped out with unerring accuracy the destinies of nations and the last great overthrow. Daniel 2:28, 31-35, 44, 45. O wonderful, wonderful foreknowledge of God! "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it."

And this is the challenge that the Lord Jehovah has flung down in the arena of the World's Babylon of so-called Truth:—

"Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of naught; an abomination is he that chooseth you." Isa. 41:21-24.

And again the challenge rings down the ages to every people, language, nation, and creed:—

"Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour." Isa. 43:8-11.

Thus far the challenge has met no open response. Spiritualism has its clairvoyants, and the world its soothsayers; but what founder of any religion or creed has ever foretold the birth and destinies of nations hundreds, yea thousands, of years before they had any existence? and where are such prophecies found, save in the Word of God?

Awed by the sublime power and wisdom in all he had seen, and thrilled with the spirit of the "last times," and the fast-thickening "signs" of the glory soon to be revealed, the soul descended the Mount of Revelation, and was forthwith taken to the armory, where the Lord's "soldiers" were arming themselves for the fray.

And this was the charge of their Captain, as He armed them, and sent them forth as "lambs among wolves," to show forth the praises of Him who had called them to be soldiers:—

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph. 6:11, 12.

O, what a contrast to the hot death-bolts of the prince of darkness is the beautiful armor of light of Eph. 6:13-17 with which Jesus furnishes His church, His beloved, as He sends her forth to shine with His pure "light" amidst the chaotic darkness of the false illuminations of Vanity Fair! Matt. 6:23. She is to "be blameless and harmless . . . in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." Phil. 2:15, R.V. RUTH.