THE GREAT SALVATION by Geo. W. Reaser

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

THE GREAT SALVATION

By Geo. W. Reaser

ANGELS DELIVER FROM FIRE.

"When thou walkest thru the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

A DECREE of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonian empire, tested the loyalty of three of God's children. From treasure taken in war, his artisans had fashioned an image of gold, ninety feet in height, and set it up in the plains of Dura, adjoining the capital of the empire, the city of Babylon. Swift couriers executed the king's behest which summoned the men of renown from the remotest parts of the kingdom to a grand demonstration, designed by Satan for the express purpose of sweeping all the world into the abyss of idolatry; but as all wrath—whether of men or demons—will be made to praise the Lord, so this occasion was used by Jehovah to spread the knowledge of the true and living God to every dwelling-place of man in all the earth.

The grand pageant assembled. At the heralded signal all were required to bow in worship of the great image, or court death in the fiery furnace. The silver trumpets blew long and loud, the signal pealed forth; all bowed in unison save three despised Jews. The king inquires of them if they misunderstood, or designedly defied his authority. He offers them another trial. They care not for it, as the result will be the same. The king is filled with fury at this apparent defiance, and that in the presence of all the nobles of the realm. The decree goes forth, the mightiest men in the royal army seize God's witnesses, and hurl them into the midst of intensified flames, and themselves perish, as the angry fire-billows belch forth death. The three fall down bound in the bed of liquid fire, but immediately arise and walk unharmed in the midst of the mightiest and deadliest element of destruction. The king gazes dazed and mystified. In perplexity and amazement he addresses his counselors thus: "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answer, "True, O king." He responds, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt." He shouts, "Ye servants of the Most High God, come forth." They calmly step forth from the furnace at the call of the same voice which consigned them to the deadly furnace. Fire had no power over them. Their clothing and hair are critically examined, but not even the "smell of fire" is upon them. God is glorified. Faith brought an angel from the courts of glory, who encamped round about them, and delivered them by quenching the "violence of fire."

Angels Save Lot.

The cry goes up to heaven that Sodom and Gomorrah are so steeped in sin, and so fully identified therewith, that it will be of no avail to extend grace to them longer. However, God has had a witness there these years, who will rise up in judgment, and by his own righteousness of character, condemn the sin-polluted inhabitants. God apprises Abraham of His purpose to destroy the cities of the plain. Abraham pleads for his nephew Lot and family. The Lord will spare them if they will flee for their lives. Lot, desirous of saving any innocent stranger from pollution and destruction, sits in the gate of the city at eventide, greets the angels traveling under the guise of men, and presses them to accept his hospitality. Once in his home, an assault is made by the "sons of Belial," who are true representatives of the character-in-general of the people of these cities. A beastly demonstration follows, and these depraved men are only repulsed and thwarted in their Satanic purpose by Lot's guests drawing their host within the door and smiting the assaulting Sodomites with blindness.

The angels appeal to Lot to gather his family together, preparatory to an early flight from the city, and from destruction. The sons-in-law and their wives—their consciences deadened by contact with the vices of Sodom—are impressed by the old man's strange story that he is perhaps losing his mental balance; they believe him not. Sadly he returns to his home, leaving daughters—his own flesh and blood—behind to certain doom. The morning dawns; the angels urge Lot and family to hasten, and finally, in great mercy, take them by the hand and warn them to flee for their lives. The wife, disobedient to the command, looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt. Abraham arises with the sun, looks over the plain, and behold, the smoke goes up as the smoke of a furnace, but the angel of the Lord had encamped round about, and delivered those of the family who were obedient to the call of mercy.

Christian parents who subject their children to the corruption of modern Sodom, and who give them in marriage to unbelievers, would do well to take the lesson which God designs to convey in the recording of the eternal loss to Lot of a portion of his family.

Angels Answer Prayer.

God has special agencies by which He answers prayer. In addition to those already noted, I invite the reader's attention to two more instances.

A devout officer in the Roman army, Cornelius, had seasons of prayer as regularly as Daniel, the "beloved." While interceding at the throne of grace for additional light and help from on high, an angel appeared to him, assuring him that his prayers were heard and remembered of the Lord. He was told exactly how to proceed in order to find the way of salvation perfectly. In receiving the full answer to his petitions, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 10.

Peter was imprisoned by the wicked and cruel Herod, who had already slain James, and, to still further please the people, he purposed to behead Peter also, but prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him. On the night preceding the intended execution, "Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison." But the angel of the Lord appeared upon the scene, his glorious presence flooding the prison with light. Smiting Peter on the side and raising him up, he bade him prepare for flight, at the same time miraculously loosing his chains. Peter, obedient to the command of his deliverer, arose and silently followed thru the door, past the sentries, who noted no more of what was passing than would have been observed by marble statues. The great iron gate of the prison court swung open without human hands; and when Peter came to himself, his faith grasping the reality of his miraculous escape, he exclaimed, "Now, I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod." This was at least the second experience of the kind thru which Peter passed. Acts 5.

Angels are not only commissioned to answer our prayers, but they also offer incense before the throne of God in our behalf, which represents the grace of Christ, and thus we are accepted in the Beloved. Our sins would separate us from God, but Christ's imputed righteousness separates us from our sins, and we can thus draw nigh to God with cleansed hearts and in "full assurance of faith."