Question Corner by Milton C. Wilcox

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 27, 1914

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 42.

Question Corner

By Milton C. Wilcox

Conducted by MILTON C. WILCOX Professor of Biblical Exegesis of the Faculty of the College of Medical Evangelists Loma Linda, California

NOTE.—This department is for the purpose of helping Bible students. Answers must of necessity be brief, often only suggestive, never exhaustive, never infallible only as they agree with the infallible Word. Such questions only will be answered as seem to the editors to minister to the mission of the paper. Questions of the same import can not be answered repeatedly in the same volume. Name and address must be given, not for publication, but as evidence of good faith and to insure reply by letter if thought best. It is well always to enclose stamp, not stamped envelope, unless answer is desired by letter alone.

39—THE WORSHIP OF GOD

Kindly give me through the SIGNS OF THE TIMES your views on Rev. 14:7, latter part, which reads, "And worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters," in connection with Rev. 22:18, 19, the former being in the fourth commandment. Rev. 14:12 reads, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Have not those who are observing the first day of the week instead of the Bible Sabbath taken away from the words of the prophecy of this book? H. T.

Rev. 14:6-12 is one great unified prophecy. It is the everlasting gospel in three different messages, the first containing the positive part of the message; the second containing the lamentation that men did not accept the message and let it do its work. God would have brought healing to Babylon if Babylon had been willing to be healed (Jer. 51:9); but Babylon was not healed, and consequently the proclamation of the fall of Babylon. Falling away from God, men turned to tradition,—not only turned to tradition, but tried to enforce that tradition upon others; and consequently we have the beast and his image, and the tyrannical laws that grow out of the combination. Against this the third part of the message warns. But as before remarked, the positive part of the message is found in verse 7, "Fear God, and give Him glory"—not give glory to man. "The hour of His Judgment is come" is a last-day message. It does not speak of a Judgment to come, but one that is already ending. The rule of that Judgment is God's holy law. James 2:8-12; Eccl. 12:13, 14.

God demands worship—not merely songs of praise, not merely prayer, but service. Our Lord Himself has told us, in the clearest words, just what worship means. When Satan said, "All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me," Jesus responded, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Matt. 4:9, 10. The truest worship is faithful service, and the truest service is doing just what the Master says; and so Jesus asks, "Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46.

We are to worship, too, the Creator—the One who "made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters"; the One who created the world for man, and placed man upon it; the One who gave the Sabbath as the memorial of that creation. And consequently the development of that message in its fulness brings before us the Sabbath and the restoration of the Sabbath and the last message. The class developed by the everlasting gospel, develops as that gospel goes out to all nations, and it is composed of those who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Now regarding the last question, "Have not those who are observing the first day of the week instead of the Bible Sabbath taken away from the words of the prophecy of this book?" we would say, That depends wholly upon the motive of those who are observing the first day of the week. What God demands more than anything else is a true heart, and the true heart is in His sight more than great knowledge and mighty pretensions. There doubtless are thousands who are observing the first day of the week who are endeavoring to do God service and are living according to all the light that shines upon them. There are others who are observing it simply and solely through custom without thinking very much about it.

There are, of course, among the professed followers of Christ in ages past and at the present time, those who are determined to carry through traditions of men, and substitute them for God's commandments, even to the usurpation of authority and the enactment of laws compelling the tradition. Such as these might be said to "take away from the words of the book of this prophecy." They are demanding what God does not demand. They are teaching determinedly and purposely what God does not teach. But as to who they are must be left with God to judge. We are not to do that. We are to leave all judgment with God. Jesus said, "If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." And He adds, "The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:47, 48.

There is one text among many others: "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." Not, whose minds are perfect; not, who may understand truth remarkably—the devil does this; but, whose hearts are to do the Lord's will as they see it. Such as these could not be said, whatever they are doing, to take away from the prophecy. Sooner or later, God will bring to them all the light.