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Review and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 39.

Our Tower of Refuge

Review and Herald

Sep 25, 1913

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Sep 25, 1913

Our Tower of Refuge

THEY that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even forever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel. — Psalm 125.

Fruit Cure, Healthful Cookery

By Editor

AND

Digestive Disorders Number

Read also “Questions and Answers,” “Chronic Constipation,” and “Reducing Meat Diet.” For real enjoyment, read “COTTER’S SATURDAY NIGHT” (revised)

SOME OCTOBER FEATURES

  • Attractive Three-Color Cover
  • Frontispiece: Florida Bananas
  • Medicinal Value of Fruits
  • Cure of Chronic Constipation
  • History and Nature of Fruits
  • Blowing Wind-Instruments for Health
  • Some Simple Fruit Desserts
  • A Delicious Fruit Drink
  • How to Make Coffee Cakes — No. 2
  • Tobacco and Alcohol
  • Reducing the Meat Diet
  • Proper Diet for Kidney Disease
  • Cotter’s Saturday Night (revised)
  • Use of Mineral Waters
  • Drinking at Meals
  • Treatment for Hookworm
  • Advice to a Dyspeptic
  • Digestive Disorders

FORTY-SEVEN ARTICLES

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Shall America Become Rome’s “Land of Promise”?

By Editor

In This Number Read, in Her Own Words, Rome’s Program “TO MAKE AMERICA DOMINANTLY CATHOLIC.” Also the Warning Against “Vaticanism,” Issued by the Union Republican Congressional Executive Committee, Washington, D. C., in 1876.
The famous Thomas Nast cartoons we are reproducing from the old files of “Harper’s Weekly,” on the Papacy, are well worth the price of a year’s subscription.

SOME OCTOBER FEATURES

  • Double Frontispiece: Nast Cartoon, “The Promised Land, as Seen From the Dome of St. Peter’s, Rome”—Photo of Pope Pius X Under American Flag.
  • Front Cover: Catholic America the Promised Land.
  • The Land of Promise (Catholic Utterances).
  • Archbishop Ireland’s Deceptive Speech.
  • Protestants Should be Accurate.
  • Vaticanism in Germany and the United States—Warning of Union Republican Congressional Executive Committee.
  • Growth of Catholic Church in America.
  • The Papacy Foretold in Prophecy—Prof. L. Gaussen on Daniel 7.
  • The Bible and the Believer.
  • St. Louis “Post-Dispatch” Defends the Word “Protestant.”
  • The Gentle Art of Deceiving Protestants.
  • Some Startling Figures.
  • Twenty Other Striking Items.
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Shall Faith Be Found?

By Arthur W. Spaulding

ARTHUR W. SPAULDING
THE world is flooded with a weird, fierce light, The glow of fires that wait its onward march; And things in darkness hidden spring to sudden sight Beneath the tense, hot searchlight of that ominous arch. And men, delirious with the joy of things new found, Are wrapped in pride of age and praise of gain. But he who seeks amid these cumberers of the ground For men of simple faith, shall seek in vain.
The hopeful visions of the dupes of peace Parade beneath the shadow of old Lamech's boast. The blows of Tubal-cain by night and day increase, And, world-wide, every plain is marshaling forth its host. The waifs of toil mouth out their hate of happier birth, And misery with reckless luxury grows. So, mad in Time's last wild debauch, old Earth Still staggers toward her cataclysmic close.
But where shall faith be found? Not in the room Of him who lords it o'er his fellows mute. Not in the mobs of passion that upheave the gloom, Or, wallowing in the mire of riot, shame the brute. Not in the mitered cleric that, with haughty brow, Pollutes with pious cant God's sanctuary even. Not in the cringing sycophant, whose vow Upbuilds his Babel for his hopeless heaven.
Go, search the mountains and the deserts far! For Time hath wearied of his tenure long. Mayhap in waste of dune, in cavern, or by scar, Are hid the meek,—the simple and the strong.
Go, find, and deck as virgin brides the faithful few, That they may greet the culmination of the ages' plan: For when the light of faith is almost lost from view, It is the portent of the coming of the Son of man.
Sanitarium, Cal.

Tithing Garden and Home Industries

By William Covert

THE garden and home industries of the Christian world are items of some magnitude which should be considered in connection with the question of tithing. The Jews of Christ's time were careful to tithe the small herbs of the garden, yet omitted some things of great importance; but Christ says that while they ought to have given attention to the things they omitted, they should also attend to the matter of tithing their garden products. Matt. 23: 23.
If the small things that grow in the garden should be tithed, then certainly the fruits and vegetables which constitute a considerable part of the food that many families eat should be tithed.
The kitchen- and market-gardens furnish people of agricultural pursuits with much of what comes upon their tables, and it is the very best food in all the world. Concerning it God advises his people saying, "Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings." Lev. 23: 14.
This scripture probably refers to offerings in addition to the tithe, but both are intended to recognize God's ownership and also to furnish needed funds to meet the expense of carrying on the Lord's work on earth.
But many persons use the products of the garden for home consumption without reference to either tithes or offerings. Their tables are furnished nearly the whole year from the garden, the field, and the orchard with the very best that God's bounties afford, saving to them hundreds of dollars, and yet with many but little account is taken of these things when the tithe is to be paid. Then comes the milk, the butter, the cream, the eggs, the fire-wood, the fence-posts, and many other money-saving commodities which escape the mark of the tithing-rod.
The home-keeping work should also be considered. The wife who presides, superintends, and usually does a large part of this work is performing a service that entitles her to an honorable and financial consideration in the tithe and offering account of the family. In many instances her work is a fair balance with her husband's part. She may not receive and disburse the funds, but she is his helpmate and partner in business. If he hands out all the tithe to the church treasurer, her name should appear jointly with his, but if he should not be a tithe-payer on his own account, and his wife should desire to render unto the Lord's cause the part designated in the Bible, then by every consideration of love and justice he should, as a fair-minded man, arrange for his wife to do her part for the Lord's cause. Generally for the sake of quietness in the home the wife says but little about the matter, yet her silence is only evidence of submission, not of satisfaction.
But, suppose that husband and wife should differ in sentiment on this subject, could not a kindly compromise be effected, and each hold the other in higher esteem or more sacred in love than would be possible under a rule of arbitrary conduct? A forced submission never bears happiness for either side, because no sum of money can be large enough to pay for soul-smothered heartaches and tears of sadness which are shed in secret.
We are happiest when we make our friends and those dear to us happy, and we are richer, when we get the greatest amount of real enjoyment out of the things which we possess or use. No arbitrary nor compulsory course with any person or thing can possibly pay any one; and no amount of funds gained by withholding from the Giver of all good can possibly gladden the heart of one who keeps what God's cause justly claims.
Withholding from God's cause willbring poverty either of soul or purse sooner or later to any one who does it. Therefore, bring into the Lord's storehouse anything which you may have in possession which belongs to his cause.

The Test by Fire

By Ellen G. White

GLADLY would Satan come to the help of those whom he has deceived, and who are devoted to his service. Gladly would he send the lightning to kindle their sacrifice. But Jehovah has set Satan's bounds, restrained his power, and not all the enemy's devices can convey one spark to Baal's altar.
At last, their voices hoarse with shouting, their garments stained with blood from self-inflicted wounds, the priests become desperate. With unabated excitement, they now mingle with their pleadings terrible cursings of their sungod, and Elijah continues to watch intently; for he knows that if by any device the priests should succeed in kindling their altar-fire, he would instantly be torn in pieces.
Evening draws on. The prophets of Baal are weary, faint, confused. One suggests one thing, and another something else, until finally they cease their efforts. Their shrieks and curses no longer resound over Carmel. In despair they retire from the contest.
All day long the people have witnessed the demonstrations of the baffled priests. They have beheld their wild leaping round the altar, as if they would grasp the burning rays from the sun to serve their purpose. They have looked with horror on the frightful self-inflicted mutilations of the priests, and have had opportunity to reflect on the follies of idol-worship. Many in the throng are weary of the exhibitions of demonism, and they now await with deepest interest the movements of Elijah.
It is the hour of the evening sacrifice, and Elijah says to the people, "Come near unto me." As they tremblingly draw near, he turns to the broken-down altar where once men worshiped the God of heaven, and repairs it. To him this heap of ruins is more precious than all the magnificent altars of heathendom.
In the reconstruction of this ancient altar, Elijah reveals his respect for the covenant that the Lord had made with Israel when they crossed the Jordan into the promised land. Choosing "twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, . . . he built an altar in the name of the Lord."
The disappointed priests of Baal, exhausted by their vain efforts, wait to see what Elijah will do. They hate the prophet for proposing a test that has exposed the weakness and inefficiency of their gods; and they fear his power. The people, fearful also, and almost breathless with expectancy, watch while Elijah continues his preparations. The calm demeanor of the prophet stands out in sharp contrast with the fanatical, senseless frenzy of the followers of Baal.
The altar completed, the prophet makes about it a trench. Having put the wood in order and prepared the bullock, he lays the victim on the altar, and commands the people to flood the sacrifice and the altar with water. "Fill four barrels," he directed, "and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water."

A Call to Repentance

Reminding the people of the long-continued apostasy that has awakened the wrath of Jehovah, Elijah calls upon them to humble their hearts and turn to the God of their fathers, that the curse upon the land of Israel may be removed. Then bowing reverently before the unseen God, he raises his hands toward heaven, and offers a simple prayer. Baal's priests have screamed and foamed and leaped, from early morning until late in the afternoon; but as Elijah prays, no senseless shrieks resound over Carmel's height. He prays as if he knew Jehovah was there, a witness to the scene, a listener to his appeal. The prophets of Baal had prayed wildly, incoherently. Elijah prays simply and fervently, asking God to show his superiority over Baal, that Israel may be led to turn to him.
"Lord," the prophet pleads, "let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again."
A silence, oppressive in its solemnity, rests upon all. The priests of Baal tremble with terror. Conscious of their guilt, they look for swift retribution.
No sooner is the prayer of Elijah ended than flames of fire, like brilliant flashes of lightning, descend from heaven upon the upreared altar, consuming the sacrifice, licking up the water in the trench, and consuming even the stones of the altar. The brilliancy of the blaze illumines the mountain and dazzles the eyes of the multitude. In the valleys below, where many are watching in anxious suspense the movements of those above, the descent of fire is clearly seen. All are amazed at the sight. It recalls to their minds the pillar of fire which at the Red Sea separated the children of Israel from the Egyptian host.
The people on the mount prostrate themselves in awe before the unseen God. They dare not continue to look upon the heaven-sent fire. They fear that they themselves will be consumed; and convicted of their duty to acknowledge the God of Elijah as the God of their fathers, to whom they owe allegiance, they cry out together as with one voice, "The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." With startling distinctness the cry resounds over the mountain and echoes in the plain below. At last Israel is aroused, undeceived, penitent. At last the people see how greatly they have dishonored God. The character of Baal-worship, in contrast with the reasonable service required by the true God, stands fully revealed. They recognize God's justice and mercy in withholding the dew and the rain until they have been brought to confess his name. They are ready now to admit that the God of Elijah is above every idol.
The priests of Baal witness with consternation the wonderful revelation of Jehovah's power. Yet even in their discomfiture and in the presence of divine glory, they refuse to repent of their evildoing. They would still remain the prophets of Baal. Thus they show themselves ripe for destruction. That repentant Israel may be protected from the allurements of those who have taught them to worship Baal, Elijah is directed by the Lord to destroy these false teachers. The anger of the people has already been aroused against these leaders in transgression, and when Elijah gives the command, "Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape," they are ready to obey his word. They seize the priests, and take them to the brook Kishon, and there, with his own hand, Elijah slays these idolatrous priests, allowing none to live.

E. K. SLADE

By E. K. Slade

Gospel Finance—No. 10

Back Tithes

E. K. SLADE

THROUGH the prophet of old, God appeals to his children by use of the most-pointed question: "Will a man rob God?" Robbery of any form is a sin. It is directly forbidden by the specific command: "Thou shalt not steal." For men to rob one another is recognized in every nation as wrong, and is treated as a serious crime which is abhorred by Christians generally; yet man will rob his Maker and manifest little concern. For a man to rob God can be no less wrong than for him to rob his fellow beings. In my mind it is a more serious wrong for a man to rob his Maker and Benefactor than it is for him to rob another man. God freely gives to man all that he can need for his existence and happiness, and requires the return of one tenth on a basis that involves much more in principle than is involved in the relation of man to man in the matter of ownership.
Careful Christians see in the command, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse," a requirement that cannot be ignored without becoming guilty of gross wrong. There are professed Christians who would be shocked at the suggestion to steal from a man, but who make it a practise to rob God. Some rob him of a part of the tithe and others rob him of the whole tithe as well as the offerings they should give.
There is hope for a man guilty of this sin if he will repent and confess his sin to God and make restitution wherein he has withheld the tithe. It is not possible nor is it required that an individual whohas newly come to see the requirements of God in the tithing system shall pay tithe on all increase previous to such knowledge. Christ's faithfulness in that respect will be counted for the believer. It is required, however, that restitution shall be made, as far as possible, by those who, professing to obey the Lord and knowing their duty in this respect, have knowingly withheld the tithe. There are many in our churches who will never stand right with God until they do this. Anciently God's children were required to add twenty per cent to the portion of tithe used, when restoring it. As the tithing system is "to be more fully carried out and more extended, as salvation through Christ alone shall be more fully brought to light in the Christian age," the binding obligation with reference to back tithes will be more fully pressed upon us. It is always interesting to apply the light recently given by God on such points. The following pointed words are found in "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. III, page 394: "All that is withheld of that which God claims, the tenth of the increase, is recorded in the books of heaven as robbery against him. Such defraud their Creator; and when this sin of neglect is brought before them, it is not enough for them to change their course and begin to work from that time upon the right principle. This will not correct the figures made in the heavenly record for embezzling the property committed to them in trust to be returned to the Lender. Repentance for unfaithful dealing with God and for base ingratitude is required." "Let the neglected tithes now be brought in, Let those who have withheld tithes, send them in before the year shall close, that they may be right with God, and never, never again run any risk of being cursed of God."
What more could be said or needed to have it known what our duty is in reference to back tithes? We are living in a time in which all should straighten out their account with the Lord. In this God is requiring of us only that which is necessary for our eternal good.

Important Questions Answered

By W. A. Colcord

The Soul

1. How did God make man? "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen. 2:7.
2. How many of the animals and of the human family outside of the ark perished in the flood? "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life." Gen. 7:22.
3. Have men and animals the same breath? "As the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath." Eccl. 3:19.
4. Can the soul die, or be destroyed? "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Eze. 18:4. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28. See Ps. 89:48; Isa. 53:12; Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:31; Rev. 16:3.
NOTE.—The Bible nowhere speaks of the soul of man as immortal. Man's continued existence in the beginning was conditioned upon obedience and access to the tree of life. Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:22-24. As the result of disobedience he forfeited his right to eternal life, and thus to the tree of life. Through Christ these conditions are to be restored to the repentant believer in Christ. Rom. 8:19; Rev. 22:2, 14. Not until the resurrection of the just will the saints be clothed with immortality. 1 Cor. 15:51-55.

Our House From Heaven

5. What comforting assurance takes away from the believer the dread of death? "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. 5:1.
6. What is our condition in this present mortal body? "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: . . . for we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." Verses 2-4. See also Rom. 8:22, 23.
NOTE.—Three states, or conditions, are here brought to view: First, this present state, in which we are clothed with "our earthly house," or "this tabernacle;" second, the "unclothed" state, or the state in death; and third, the state when mortality is swallowed up of life, and we are clothed with "our house which is from heaven."
7. What further statement made by the apostle Paul shows that he looked forward to the resurrection as the time when he expected to be clothed with his house from heaven? "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Rom. 8:23.

Departing and Being With Christ

8. When writing to the Philippians, what desire did the apostle Paul express? "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." Phil. 1:23.
9. What were the two conditions between which the apostle was thus straitened? "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Verse 21.
NOTE.—By the expression "to depart" he meant death. Referring to his death in 2 Tim. 4:6, he said, "The time of my departure is at hand."
10. What was sure to the cause of Christ, whether Paul lived or died? "Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil. 1:20, 21.
NOTE.—Gain to the cause of Christ, as indicated in the verse before, and a blessing to himself, as stated in verse 23.
11. What, then, inclined Paul to the side of life? "Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Verse 24.
12. What inclined him to prefer to depart, or lay down this life? "To depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." Verse 23.
13. How long after his departure before he would be with Christ? "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. See 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.
NOTE.—If the sleeping saints do not go to be with Christ till after the coming of Christ and the resurrection, it may be asked how it would have been better for Paul to depart, rather than to live and labor on. As no cognizance is taken of the lapse of time after a person becomes unconscious in death (Eccl. 9:5; Ps. 146:4), though two thousand years should elapse before Paul's resurrection, it would seem to him as but the twinkling of an eye. As in James 1:12; Rev. 2:10, and 2 Cor. 5:1-8, the apostles here take no account of the time between death and the resurrection. Says Dr. Priestly, "The apostle, considering his own situation, would naturally connect the end of this life with the commencement of another and better, as he would have no perception of any interval between them."

The Spirits in Prison

14. By what was Christ quickened, or made alive? "For Christ also hath once suffered . . . being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18.
15. By what did he preach to the spirits in prison? "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison." Verse 19.
NOTE.—That is, by the Spirit that raised him from the dead, Christ preached to the spirits in prison. The Spirit that raised Christ from the dead was the Spirit of God. Rom. 8:11; Acts 2:24.
16. When did Christ, by the Spirit of God, preach to these "spirits in prison"? "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing." 1 Peter 3:20.
NOTE.—These "spirits in prison," then, were not the spirits of the dead, as some erroneously suppose, but the wicked inhabitants of the antediluvian world who lived during the allotted one hundred and twenty years previous to the flood, and heard the preaching of Noah and his colaborers during this time. Gen. 6:3. It was the Spirit of Christ in Noah and those connected with him that led them to preach the warning message to that wicked, unbelieving, and sinful generation.

The Thief on the Cross

17. What request did the thief on the cross make of Jesus? "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Luke 23:42.
18. What reply did Jesus make? "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Verse 43.
NOTE.—Paradise is in heaven, God's dwelling-place. Compare Rev. 2:7 and Rev. 22:1, 2.
19. How long after Christ's crucifixion did his resurrection take place? "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and . . . was buried, and . . . rose again the third day." 1 Cor. 15:3, 4.
20. What did Christ say to Mary on the morning of his resurrection? "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." John 20:17.
NOTE.—This was the third day after the promise made to the thief, and still Christ had not yet ascended to his Father, which is equivalent to saying that he had not yet been to paradise since his crucifixion. As no one can question the truthfulness of the Saviour's statement on either of these occasions, we must look for harmony between the two statements, though it may be at the sacrifice of previously cherished opinions. Why, then, did Christ use the word today in his answer to the thief?—Simply to give emphasis to his promise, and in a way quite common to the Scriptures. See Zech. 9:12; Deut. 8:19; 15:15. Christ had been proclaiming that he would have a kingdom. Luke 19:12-15. When he was hanging on the cross, and was actually in the throes of death, his claim, to all human appearance, had proved a failure. His enemies were mocking and ridiculing him (Matt. 27:29, 42), and even his disciples had forsaken him. The thief, notwithstanding all this, believed the Saviour's words, and made his dying request to be admitted into Christ's kingdom when he should come into possession of it. In response to this wonderful exhibition of faith, and to make his promise emphatic, the Saviour said: "Verily I say unto thee today, Shalt thou [thou shalt] be with me in paradise." A simple change of the comma, placing it immediately after the word today, instead of before it, solves the whole difficulty, and harmonizes all the scriptures on this point. And this is quite allowable, since the punctuation of the Scriptures is not a matter of inspiration. Punctuation is of human origin, and of modern invention, and should never be the determining factor in establishing the meaning of any scripture; nor should it be permitted to give to any passage a meaning contrary to the plain statements of other passages. Moreover, from the breaking of the legs of the two thieves near the close of the crucifixion day, as recorded in John 19:31-33, it seems that they did not die on that day. This again shows the popular conception concerning this passage (Luke 23:43) to be erroneous.
21. When is Christ to come into possession of his kingdom? "At his appearing and his kingdom." 2 Tim. 4:1. See also Dan. 7:13, 14; Luke 19:11-15; Rev. 11:15.
22. When did Christ say that he would take his followers to himself? "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3. See also 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
NOTE.—It is manifest from these scriptures that the time when the righteous are to be with Christ will be at his second coming, and not before. Then the penitent thief will be remembered by the Lord, and given a place in his kingdom.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

23. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, what is said to have become of Lazarus? "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Luke 16:22.
24. What befell the rich man? "The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Verses 22, 23.
NOTE.—The rich man "died, and was buried." The man himself—the very being who died—was buried. And he—the man who died and was buried—lifted up his "eyes" in hell (hades), the place of the dead, the grave. See margin of Rev. 20:13; 1 Cor. 15:55. "The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Josephus, in his discourse on "Hades," shows that the Jews at the time of Christ, like the Greeks, held hades to be "a subterranean region," "not regularly defined," "wherein the souls of the righteous and unrighteous are detained;" that it was presided over by "angels;" that it contained "a lake of unquenchable fire," a place called "the bosom of Abraham," and "a chaos deep and wide" separating permanently the just and the unjust. Upon this view Christ evidently based this parable. He did not always stop to correct every erroneous view held by the people, as in John 9:1-3, which indicates a belief on the part of the disciples in antenatal sin, but sometimes met the people upon their own ground, and taught important lessons through their preconceived opinions.
25. What request did the rich man make of Abraham? "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." Luke 16:24.
26. Upon making the request for Lazarus to be sent to his father's house to warn his brethren, what, according to the parable, did Abraham reply? "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." Verse 29.
27. What earnest appeal did the rich man then make? "And he said, Nay, Father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent." Verse 30.
28. For Lazarus to have gone on such a mission, what, according to Abraham's reply, must first have taken place? "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Verse 31.
NOTE.—This is a plain statement that Lazarus was dead, and in hades, or the grave. Before he could warn others, he must rise from the dead. It is evident, therefore, that in this parable the Saviour used the figure of speech known as personification, in which inanimate objects or beings are represented as animated, or imbued with personality and the powers of reason and speech, as in Judges 9:7-15 and Hab. 2:11. By this means he sought to correct a grievous but popular error, that the possession of riches was a special sign of God's favor. He showed that a man might be very rich and lose heaven, or very poor and gain it. The parable immediately follows Christ's instruction to "make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness;" the statement that "the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him;" and Christ's words, "That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." It was designed evidently as a rebuke to covetousness. By this parable Christ also showed the importance of heeding the word of God, and that those who reject this would not be convinced even by so great a miracle as the raising of one from the dead. This was a little later demonstrated to be true in the case of the raising of a man, Lazarus by name, from the dead. John 11. Rather than accept this crowning evidence of Christ's Messiahship and divine mission, the chief priests sought not only to kill Christ, but to put Lazarus to death also. John 11:53; 12:10, 11. These were the great lessons which Christ designed to teach by this parable, and not that men go to their reward at death, or that the dead are conscious, both of which views are contrary to the plainest declarations of Scriptures. See 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Tim. 4:1; Luke 14:14; Matt. 24:30, 31. The Bible teaches that Abraham is dead, and that he is "ignorant of us." Isa. 63:16.

Everlasting Punishment

29. How enduring will be the punishment of the wicked? "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Matt. 25:46.
30. What is the punishment for sin? "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.
NOTE.—Death is the opposite of life; and eternal death, the opposite of eternal life. Everlasting punishment, then, is everlasting death,—a death that lasts forever.
31. What is this death, or final punishment of the wicked, called? "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Rev. 21:8.
NOTE.—Good and bad are alike subject to the first death; but this is simply a temporal death, which lasts only till the resurrection. After the cases of all have been settled in the judgment, the wicked then die the second death, which is eternal.

Everlasting Fire

32. What is the fire called into which the wicked will finally be cast? "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. 25:41.
NOTE.—This fire is called everlasting, not because of the length of time it burns, but because of the nature of its results; it produces everlasting death.
33. What is this fire called in another place? "He will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. 3:12.
NOTE.—The fire here spoken of is called unquenchable, not because it is to burn eternally, but because it cannot be quenched, or put out. An unquenchable fire will go out of itself when it has consumed that upon which it preys. If the fire of a burning building is quenched, the building is saved; if unquenched, and unquenchable, the building is consumed, or destroyed. The fire ceases of itself when the work of destruction is completed. Sodom and Gomorrah suffered "the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 7. But the fire did not burn eternally. It went out when it reduced these cities to "ashes." 2 Peter 2:6. The same kind of fire will in the last day convert the wicked into ashes. Mal. 4:1-3; Ps. 37:1, 2, 10. It need not, then, burn eternally. Takoma Park, D. C.
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