Questions by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Jan 9, 1907

Questions

By Editor

1972.—Pain and Mourning. Job 14: 22.

Please explain Job 14:22.

It is simply a statement of man's condition in life. The verses before seem to make it after death, but scripture teaching throughout show that it refers to man in this life while he is waiting for his change to come. In other words, it is a repetition of the thought in the first verse. While in this state man's flesh suffers pain, and his soul mourns.

1973.—"Worm Shall Not Die." Isa. 66: 24.

Kindly explain Isa. 66: 24.

The text describes the end of the incorrigibly wicked. Note that it is not upon living persons the worm and fire preys, but upon the dead bodies or carcasses. All that is meant by these expressions are this: the "worm shall not die," nor the fire be quenched until they have "devoured" that upon which they preyed. For the unquenchable fire, read of its nature and work in Jer. 17: 27; 2 Chro. 36: 19, 21. For the worm and its work, read Isa. 51: 8. The result will be utter and complete destruction. Mal. 4: 1; Ps. 37: 20. The time of this destruction is just before God speaks the whole earth new. The going forth is from the holy city. See Rev. 20: 7-10.

1974.—Probation after Death.

Does the Bible say the wicked will have a chance to repent after the resurrection? A minister, a few days ago, said that the Bible said every one would hear the Gospel, and as hundreds have died without hearing it they would have to hear after they were resurrected; they would have another chance to repent, but I have failed to find anything of the kind in the Bible.

And you will fail to find anything of the kind in the Bible. See Rev. 22: 11, 12; 2 Cor. 6: 1, 2; Zeph. 2: 1-3, and many other passages. It is said of the Word, "That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1: 9. Not alone by His written word does He do this, but by His creative works. See Ps. 19: 1-7; Rom. 1: 20. The apostle Paul quotes from Psalm 19, and declares that all have heard. Rom. 10: 18. The whole difficulty lies in defining God's Gospel. The darkest heathen in heathendom if he follows the light which he has, will be led to salvation by the Crucified One. That soul may never have heard of the Bible, may never have heard spoken the name of Jesus, but if he is consecrated to his highest conception of God and duty, God will lead him home. It is not the amount of light and opportunity we have, but how we use it. "For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." 2 Chron. 16: 9. One ray of light followed will lead to the Source of light; floods of light rejected, lead to darkness.

1975.—Duties of Church Officers, etc. 1 Tim. 5: 9-12.

Please explain 1 Tim. 5: 9-12.

We do not know how the matter could be much plainer than is given in the word; the instructions are to the Christian ministers in regard to the church, especially enjoining them to look after the widows and the needy, but in this work they should not be imposed upon. Widows that were able to work should support themselves. Supposedly, a widow under threescore years of age would be able to do that, normally; and she should be one who was worthy, as indicated by verses ten to twelve. While younger widows who waxed wanton, and were not faithful to their Christian pledge, should be rejected; that is, they should not be placed as objects of charity in the church. This is the substance of the apostle's teaching. We may not be able to understand what each expression means because they refer particularly to his time, but we certainly may understand the principles.

1876.—Later-Day Apostasies. 1 Tim. 4: 1-5.

Please explain 1 Tim. 4: 1-5, especially from three to five.

The text reads as follows: "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, thru the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified thru the word of God and prayer." A.R.V. 1. Note that the time is not the "last days," as so many are prone to read, but simply "later times" than the days of the apostle. Some render it, "in subsequent times:" that is, anywhere in the Christian dispensation. 2. The things specified are among those who have fallen away from the faith and are giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. 3. These demons work thru hypocritical men who have departed from God, with consciences branded as with a hot iron. Connect this with what the apostle Paul says in Acts 20: 29, 30: "I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after THEM;" and with 2 Peter 2: 1: "There arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them," etc. Again Paul tells us in 2 Thess. 2: 7: "For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work." It began in his day, in the great apostasy of the Christian church. 4. Among the things which these false teachers take upon themselves to do is to forbid marriage. That certainly has not been a characteristic of the true Christian church. It has been quite so, however, of Roman Catholicism, especially as regards the priesthood. The celibacy of the priests has been one of the characteristics of that church. 5. It also commands to abstain from "meats." The word rendered "meats" means simply food, either flesh or vegetable, just as we now speak of the meat of nuts. The old English word "meat" is used in that sense in England today. It is a common thing to hear the old farmer ask his servant if he has fed the horses their meat. To put it in other words, these false teachers command fasting, not from a wrong kind of food, but from good foods, foods of which it is said, "God created it to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth." Any arbitrary command of fasting will certainly fall under this. The kind of food mentioned seems to be modified by the expression, "It is sanctified thru the word of God and prayer;" any food that is set apart for any use by God, and properly received and used, is for the benefit of His creatures, and no one has a right to forbid the use of such food. Instances of all these various things may be found in numerous heretical sects and offshoots from the Christian church, as well as in the great apostasy itself, centering in the Roman Catholic Church; numerous false isms in which men have set themselves up as God's special representatives, have some one or more of these characteristics. When our readers know the teachings of the word, let them avoid all these errors.

1977.—Christ's Kingdom—When Set Up.

Will you please explain Prov. 11:31; Micah 4: 8; Acts 3: 19, 20; 2 Tim. 4: 1? These texts are used to make it appear that Christ sets up His kingdom on earth at His second coming, and that the New Jerusalem comes to earth at that time.

We have no space in this department to explain these passages. If our querist and others who may be troubled with the time of Christ's coming, will send for the tract, "The Great Day of the Lord," this office, they will find all these references to Christ's kingdom in their proper setting. The price of it is five cents. We may say in brief that Christ now sits upon the throne of His Father as King-priest (Heb. 8: 1; Rev. 3: 20); that when His priesthood ends He takes His own throne and delivers up the position He now occupies with the Father to the Father (1 Cor. 15: 24-28). He begins His reign in the New Jerusalem in heaven, the capital city of the new earth. During the thousand years the earth lies desolate, even as Judea did of old, until it has enjoyed the Sabbaths which man refused it. At the end of this period, Christ will come down from heaven on Mount Olivet, a great plain will be formed, purified by His own presence, where the New Jerusalem will rest. The rest of the earth will be purified by fire. The wicked will perish in the presence of the Lord. There is harmony in this view, and there is harmony in no other. Of course, we will find in the Old Testament passages which relate partly to the time in which the prophets lived, and partly to the future; these can be understood only in the light of the New Testament and the later prophecies.

1978.—The Resurrection of the Wicked.

When Christ comes are the wicked dead raised and then put back in their graves? How do you harmonize 2 Thess. 2: 8; Rev. 1: 7; 20: 5? It would seem that Scripture contradicts itself, but that can not be.

No, the wicked are not raised at the first resurrection. The first resurrection is that of the righteous; that takes place when Christ comes—"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished;" then comes the resurrection of the wicked. Second Thess. 2: 8 refers to the man of sin and that whole system being brought to naught at the manifestation of Christ's coming. All the kings of the earth will then come to nothing and all systems of men will perish, that is all. Of course the wicked men die and will remain among the "congregation of the dead" till the second resurrection. Rev. 1: 7 simply refers to those who are alive and on the earth when Christ comes. "Every eye shall see Him," means every living eye that is on the earth; and "they that pierced Him" may refer to some who are raised from the dead at that time, as indicated by Dan. 12: 1. In that case, of course, it would be a special resurrection of both evil and good who would see Christ at His second coming. Rev. 20: 5 has already been explained, "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years should be finished," refers to the wicked. The last clause, "This is the first resurrection," does not refer to "the rest of the dead," but to those mentioned in verse 4. They are the ones that have part in the first resurrection, but the rest of the dead wait until the thousand years are over. See "The Great Day of the Lord," mentioned in previous question.