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2422.—The Beginning of the Day.
How can people upon various portions of the globe know at what moment to begin a Sabbath analogous to the first seventh day of creation without knowing the relation of the sun to the earth when the sixth day closed? The point of actual time between darkness and light would not suffice as a criterion in a strict construction of the dictum as applied to a round world. J. M. C.
It is not actual time in the sense of time measured by chronometer, or clock, that the true Sabbath-keeper is to observe the day, but as measured by the sun. When sunset comes, the day begins; the sixth day closes at sunset, the seventh day begins as the sixth day closes. Whether the Jew of the time of Christ lived in the longitude of Babylon in the East or the longitude of Spain on the West, he did not begin the Sabbath until it reached him, at sunset. If we recall correctly, there is about three hours' difference in time between these localities. He did not ask himself when the sun was setting what the time was at some particular degree of longitude; he saw that the day was ending and another was about to begin with him; and that was the day for which God asked consideration at his hand. When the Lord gave the Sabbath, He knew that the world was round; when He made man upon the earth, of course He knew the same fact. To all men scattered all over the world God gave the Sabbath, regulated as recorded in His word. See Acts 17:24-26; Mark 2:27.
What is meant by the earth being reaped? It reads as tho those who had gotten the victory over the beast and his image stood on the sea of glass before the plagues were administered.
To understand Revelation you must remember that it is a presentation of a series of visions. Where the expression occurs, as it does frequently, "After these things," it does not necessarily mean that the things shown come after, but that John was shown them after. Verses 1 to 5 of chapter 14 belong really with chapter 13. Chapter 13 shows the earthly power that will persecute God's children, and chapter 14:1-5 shows the victory over that earthly power. Then we have another prophecy beginning with verse 6, presenting the great Threefold Gospel Message, and the events that follow that. Verse 14 refers to the coming of the Lord. But before He comes the plagues will begin to be poured out, as indicated in verse 10. These plagues, however, do not cease, nor will they cease, until all the wicked and all allied with wickedness are destroyed; for "in them is filled up the wrath of God." When Christ comes, a twofold reaping will take place—He will gather His own children, and He will also send angel-reapers to gather the harvest of those who have utterly rejected Him. After that comes the desolation of the earth. Chapter 15 is another prophecy taking up the plagues specifically, but before that awful outpouring of wrath is described, the Lord reveals the fact (verses 2-4) that His own children will be saved from these awful calamities.
Did Paul mean in 1 Tim. 1:15 that he was then the chief of sinners? G. R.
He certainly did not mean that he was at that time the active chief of sinners, nor are we to gather from the expression that he himself ever was the chief of sinners; yet that was the conviction of his own heart, just as it is the conviction of many other hearts who feel truly condemned when they themselves are revealed in the light of Christ's holiness. That sense of unworthiness seemed to abide with Paul. Of himself he was a poor sinner, yea, the very chief, but in Christ he found mercy. That will be true of every believer. He will never boast of himself; if saved, he is a sinner saved by grace. But this does not mean that Paul was going on in sin. With a sense of his own unworthiness and Christ's power, he was pressing on to the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. See Phil. 3:8-16. This expresses Paul's experience; it ought to be the experience of every Christian.
2425.—The New Jerusalem and Its Resting-Place.
Does the New Jerusalem rest on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4), or does it float on the billows of fire as the ark floated on the waters? J. R. L.
From Zech. 14:4, it would seem that when the Lord shall come at the end of the thousand years, His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives. The very touch of His presence divides the mountain in twain, making a very great valley, purifying its material by His touch and fitting it for the place of the New Jerusalem when it descends. Of course there will be beneath this the very melting of the elements, as stated in 2 Peter 3:10. The foundation of the city with its surroundings, called "the camp of the saints," rests upon the fiery mass. Farther than this we can give no information.
2426.—Calling upon the Name of the Lord. Gen. 4:26.
What is meant by the expression, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord"? Had not men called upon the Lord previous to that time? No. 616.
Calling upon the name of the Lord would seem to refer* to a time when men were organized under the name of the Lord; that is, the children of Seth called on the name of the Lord, or, as the margin reads, "to call themselves by the name of the Lord." They were God's children, the sons of God. See Gen. 6:2. Surely they had called upon the Lord before this. Abel died a martyr for his faith. But men at that time seem to have associated together in calling upon His name.
2427.—Eating of Swine's Flesh.
Please explain what the hog was intended for, as you do not believe it should be used as food. We read that everything that God made was very good. Thousands of professed Christians eat pork; are they not verily guilty? F.
When everything came from God's forming, creating hand in the beginning, it was very good. We have no question as to that, but man, the prince of earth under God, yielded to sin, and man's yielding to sin affected the whole creation. So we read in Rom. 8:20, "For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it." Man, the higher creature, yielded to sin, and that involved all the lower creation, and brought a curse upon all the animal creation below man. We know that it is not now "very good," for God has distinctly pronounced some of it unclean, in Leviticus 11, and elsewhere. Why not accept what He says? This is no arbitrary declaration on God's part; the swine is not simply unclean because He says it is, but that is the very nature of the swine itself since sin entered our world. Before sin entered, it was not God's plan that man should eat flesh foods. We have no reason to believe that the swine has in anywise changed its nature since the Lord pronounced it unfit for food. There are doubtless many honest people who eat it. They are transgressing physical law, and are ignorant that they are. They will meet the consequences in bodies that are more subject to disease and decay.
God asks of His children that they shall follow the light which He gives them. Those who turn from that light, knowing it to be light, are walking in darkness. Those who presume upon God's mercy are unworthy of His mercy; and yet it is true that He still calls after man when he has long sinned against Him. The sin may be a matter of ignorance, and yet man may be in a measure convicted of it. At such a time as that it ought to be considered. If it is not, the Lord still blesses perhaps in spite of the sin, but deeper conviction will come to the sinner, and the Lord will continue to convict until the soul yields the sin and accepts Christ, or utterly turns away.
2428.—Fire from Heaven.
Please explain Rev. 13:13, "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." What will be the appearance of the fire mentioned above, and what will be the result of the descent of the fire? Who will see it? Will it be a consuming fire? No. 237.
This is something of which we have little knowledge. The purpose of the bringing of the fire down from heaven in the sight of men is to deceive; that is the object of the beast-power. The very appearance of the fire itself may be deceptive, anything which will accomplish the purpose of deceiving the people. It probably will not be a consuming fire, and doubtless will be that which may be seen by any one, inasmuch as it is designed to deceive all. Anciently when God answered by fire, in the time of Elijah, He did it to show that He was the true God. In the latter days Satan's agencies will evidently use a counterfeit so as to endeavor to deceive the people of the world into believing the false to be the true. The true test for God's people at that time will be His truth, and the moral conduct consequent upon living that truth. The Ninety-first Psalm declares to His people, "His truth shall be thy shield and buckler;" and of this people it is said, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
Does the law mentioned in these passages mean the Ten Commandments? A. T. N.
It does. Man is not justified by law. Because he is a sinner, that law condemns him; he is under the law, under its condemnation. When that sin is forgiven thru Christ Jesus, man is taken out from under the condemnation of the law, and is no longer a sinner in the sight of God. His sins are forgiven. The writing of the law by the Spirit of God has begun in his heart. He is not above the law, neither is he then under the law, but he is with the law, and that law bears testimony to the righteousness which he has received by faith. Rom. 3:21, 22. See the tract, "Under the Law, or Under Grace,"¹ in which this subject is much more fully explained. Address this office.
2430.—G. L. P.—Foreordination.—It is very clearly taught in the Bible that all good things were foreordained of God. He did not foreordain evil. Evil is caused by God's creatures taking themselves out of His normal way. We have not space in this department to discuss the question, but if our inquirer will send for the little tract entitled, "Bible Election," price one cent, that information and much more connected with it will be given. Address this office.
2431.—O. H.—The expression, "Cleanliness is next to godliness," does not occur in the Bible. By some it is ascribed to John Wesley. In his ninety-second sermon, on "Dress," is found this expression, "Certainly this is a duty, not a sin. Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness." But his use of the phrase seems to indicate that he had quoted it from some one before him.
2432.—A. D. F.—Rich Man and Lazarus.—For an explanation of this, see tract with above title, published by Pacific Press, or chapter, "A Great Gulf Fixed," page 269, in "Christ's Object Lessons." We have not space properly to explain the parable in this department.