Some say that the "one hour" of Rev. 17:12 should be translated "at the same time;" and that the word from which "hour" is translated is not the same as in Rev. 9:15. Does the hour end before or during the pouring out of the seven last plagues. If during the seven last plagues, at what time. Does Jacob's trouble come before or during the plagues. L. G. L.
(1) The word rendered hour is hōra, and is the word from which hour is translated in every place in the New Testament save 1 Cor. 8:7, rendered "until now" by the A. R. V. (2) We have not space in this department to discuss at length this subject. To our mind the "one hour" comes right in connection with the close of probation. See Rev. 3:10; 18:10, 17, 19.
1854.—Duty to Our Brother.
If a brother says something that I know to be false, or think I have the best evidence to believe is not true, and he also says something that his actions plainly show that he did not mean or think at heart, it is plainly my duty to talk with him about it, according to Matt. 18:15–17? If I neglect to do it, do I hereby cut myself off from God by disobeying that scripture? Is it applicable in such a case? Am I debarred from praying and taking part in the ordinances according to Matt. 5:23, until I follow out these instructions? Do I endanger the other person's salvation if I do not follow out these scriptures? Supposing the other person did not know or realize that he did any wrong. Are the scriptures referred to above applicable in the same cases? Is such loose talk serious enough to take up in that way, or should it be dropped without further notice? I desire clear principles. INQUIRER.
Matt. 18:15 reads: "If thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone; if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." If he will not hear, further instruction is to be followed. Some of the most ancient MSS. omit "against thee," Matt. 5:23, 24 reads: "If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."
The first scripture refers to our brother's wrongs; the last refers to our own wrong-doing or what some one feels is our wrong-doing. The latter does not apply to the case in hand unless the words spoken are reflections upon the inquirer.
As to our duty when we see a brother sin, read what the Word says in Lev. 19:17; Gal. 6:1. But it requires the wisdom of God filled with love for the brother's soul to reprove, correct, or restore effectually. "Ye which are spiritual restore such an one," "considering thyself." Perhaps you did not understand him aright; kindly ask him when alone. Do it alone, almost invariably. Sometimes the best reproof to idle, silly, vapid, loose talk is a dignified silence.
"Is it always duty to reprove?"—Yes, if so God's Spirit bids you, if the salvation of a soul is at stake. "Quench not the Spirit." No man can point out your duty in such things. You must know from God. Seek Him; He will guide if your heart is right. But if you seek to reprove or correct, do it in humility, in meekness, in kindness, in private, unless very rare circumstances demand otherwise. As to the last question, it depends on the talk, the manner, the effect. Seek God to know.
1855.—Commanded to Kill.
Please explain why the Lord told Moses to kill the women children, and the cattle of the other nations. Did they have a chance to learn and obey the Lord? Some say they don't believe that was what the Lord told Moses. M. G.
If our querist had read fully the records he would have found the reason. In Numbers 31 is a record of the command to destroy the women of Midian, not because of their corruption alone, but because of their power and purpose to corrupt others. It was much better that they should die than that many should be corrupted by them. In the records given by Moses in Deuteronomy, chapters 2 and 3, the great leader doubtless felt that only corruption and evil could come by preserving alive those who were wholly given over to evil. This was also true of Amalek. 1 Samuel 15. The judgments executed against the nations of Canaan were because they had utterly shut away God notwithstanding His efforts to save them by the sojourn of His faithful servants among them, such as Abraham, Isaac, etc. These judgments are typical of what will come upon the nations of the world, the people of which utterly reject God. We see so little of some things, know so little of God's reasons, that it is not for us to pass judgment. Sometimes death is the greatest blessing that can come to the wicked. He ceases his own sinning, and will not corrupt others.
Please explain Eph. 6:5. Are we to fear before our wicked masters? I never knew we were to fear and tremble before any of our fellow men who might be our masters. W. A. H.
The word "servants" in the text means "bond-servants" or slaves, as many Christians were then and have been since. According to civil law they were the property of their masters. He must use no wrong method to be free. 1 Cor. 7:20–24. But tho a slave, let the Christian serve God with fear and trembling; not fear and trembling before his master, or on account of his master, but serve Christ in serving that master. Let him regard his service as service to Christ, since God permits him to be a slave, and then serve, in fear and trembling, doing service as to the Lord, "as unto Christ." Phil. 2:12. He who feared simply his master would do eye service; but he who feared God would do service from the heart.
The Scripture reads as follows from the American Standard Revised Version: "Let no man beguile you in any wise; for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God."
Note (1) that the previous verses refer to Christ's coming and the gathering of His people (see also 1 Thess. 4:15–17); but that God's children were not to be troubled in believing that that coming of Christ, or the day of the Lord, was imminent in their day. The apostle did not teach that Christ was coming in his day. His epistles were written for all time.
2. Before that day came, whatever men might say, there was to come the great falling away predicted; and that apostasy would be revealed as a professedly Christian power, sitting in the church of God, and yet opposing God and undermining His worship.
3. This falling away is predicted in Daniel, from which these very words are taken. See Dan. 11:36, a specification parallel with Dan. 7:20; 8:23–25, and which applies in every particular in its full development, to the Papacy, and to no other. For (a) the Papacy began in apostasy, in exalting human philosophy and tradition of men as equal to the Word of God; (b) in interpreting that Word by the philosophy of men; (c) and finally exalting a class of men as the head of the visible church, so that the head of the system sat in the temple, or church, of God, declaring himself to be God.
4. All this apostasy resulted in attempts to change God's law and the exaltation of that change as the test of loyalty. This was manifest, and still is, in the exaltation of Sunday as the Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment. Thus this apostasy became, not where a sinful man or woman could fitly represent it, but the man of sin, the son of perdition, or destruction; sin upheld by law.
Does the word "let," in 1 Cor. 14:34, have a permissory or a mandatory significance? If the latter, why is it openly violated by Seventh-day Adventists each week in the year? C. R. B.
If these are the apostle's words we would say that "let" was advisory, neither mandatory nor permissive. But we are inclined to believe that the words are the words of an objector which the apostle quotes; because (1) Paul has before told us how women ought to appear who prophesy or teach (1 Cor. 11:5), a thing which he certainly permitted them to do under proper circumstances; (2) Paul commends women who labored in a public or semi-public capacity, placing Priscilla before her husband (Acts 18:2, 26; Rom. 16:1–3); (3) the prophecy declares God would use women (Acts 2:17, 18), and history demonstrates its truth (Acts 21:8, 9). Elsewhere the apostle refers to what objectors say. See 2 Cor. 12:16–18; 10:10. Read 1 Cor. 14:34, then, as the words of objectors: "Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; . . . for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." And here is the apostle's rebuke to them: "What? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or came it unto you alone?" And then he tells us to heed his teaching to earnestly desire to prophesy, to forbid not to speak with tongues; but let all be done decently and in order.
1859.—Pool of Siloam. L. P.—We do not know how the waters were troubled, no more than what the text says. The last half of John 5:3, beginning with "waiting," and all of verse 4, is omitted in some of the earliest Greek copies. See Revised Version.
1860.—John the Baptist was permitted to preach, it is supposed, about three years.
1861.—Foreordination, Eph. 1:3–14. See "Bible Election," Bible Students' Library, No. 67, price, post-paid, four cents. The whole subject is discussed in this tract.
1862.—Ps. 69:22–28 is the Spirit telling what will become of the incorrigibly wicked. As they have despised God's goodness to the utmost, He will let come upon them the harvest they have sown for. Consider the Psalm as God's Word. There is no more contradiction between that and Romans 12 than between the first part and last part of Ps. 136:15, 17.
1863.—For hardening of heart see tract referred to in No. 1861. God always hardens hearts by withdrawing His Spirit, the pleading of which men reject.
1864.—"When shall we forgive; before being asked? Luke 17:3, 4."—Yes, before forgiveness is asked, and whether forgiveness is asked or not. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." Mark 11:25.
1865.—What was the end of Nebuchadnezzar?—He died. From Dan. 4:1, 2, 37 it seems very clear that the old king became a converted man. The resurrection will reveal this.
1866.—Between Old and New Testament. This period, from the time of Malachi to the birth of Jesus, was about 400 years. The definite time of Malachi's prophecy is not clear, but fully 400 B.C.