For four thousand years the Jews had been looking for Christ, and now he had come. And the first thing we read of him is that there was no room for him in the inn of Bethlehem.
The sinner's heart is very much like that little inn at Bethlehem; it has no room for Christ. If a prince comes to this country from some foreign land, there is sure to be room for him, and the best you have is not good enough to bestow upon him. When the Crown Prince of England came to America, a few years ago, there was plenty of room for him; every mansion was open to him, and the nation received him almost as one man. Yet here is the Prince of Heaven—the Prince of Peace—come to earth, and there is no room for him in the little inn at Bethlehem!
Think what he was come for! He had come to seek and to save that which was lost—to redeem a lost world. He might have come with all the pomp and grandeur of Heaven; he might have had a million of angels in his train. But he left behind him all the glory he had with his Father, and stooped from the throne and went down into the manger, that he might get his arm under the vilest sinner and lift him up to the heights of glory.
Some one has said that the Jews did not know he was the Messiah, or they would have given him a glorious reception. Would they? Why, we read that when the wise men came with the glad tidings that he was king of the Jews, Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled. There was no one in Jerusalem that wanted him, any more than in Bethlehem. Herod hunted for his life as if he were some terrible murderer, so his parents were obliged to flee into a foreign land.
Has the world grown any better during these eighteen hundred years? Is Christ wanted to-night? If he should come, would he be welcome? Would the nations of the earth receive him with delight and gladness? What nation would make room for him to-night? Is there any nation under heaven that would invite him to come back? If it were put to the public vote, what nation would vote to have him come back to be their king? That nation does not exist.
Talk about England and America being Christian nations: do you think either of them would invite him to come? Has America room for him?
Eighteen hundred years have rolled away since he went away, and more has been written about him and said about him than any other man, or thousand men, or million men, and yet there is no nation under heaven that wants him. When he was down here, there was not a village in any part of the country that wanted him. He went to Nazareth, where he was brought up; he went into the synagogue and began to declare the glad tidings. They took him to the brow of the hill, and would have cast him into hell if they could. They put him out of the town. And there is not a town or village under the sun to-day but would do the same. People say the world is growing so much better; but, as I have said there is not a nation anywhere to-day that wants him. Does Germany, or France, or England, or America?
Not only that; there is something a great deal worse than that. There is hardly a church in Christendom that wants him. Go to any of the churches next Sunday, and ask if they would vote to have him back. Why, my friends, the church has not got room for him. She is not praying and longing for his return. Go down to the exchange, and ask if they have room for him. Why, a great deal of the business would have to be done on different principles. Men would say, “We cannot make quite so much money, and we don't want him.” If it should be put to the vote in congress would they have him back? Is there room for him among our statesmen and those who are making our laws? Would they invite him back? Why, there would be a great commotion among the nations of the earth if he were to come. If I should stand up and tell you that I had a message that Christ was coming to-morrow, I think the people would be terrified. I don't think there would be a shout of joy going up. The fact is, there is no room for him in the world yet. Our homes, our churches, the nations of the earth are like that little inn at Bethlehem. There is room for everything else; but in the church and world to-day is “no room for him.”—Sel.
THE OPEN DOOR.
By Mrs. Ranyard
The mistakes of my life are many,
The sins of my heart are more,
And I scarce can see for weeping,
But I come to the open door.
I am lowest of those who love Him,
I am weakest of those who pray,
But I am coming as he has bidden,
And he will not say me, “Nay.”
My mistakes his love will cover,
My sins he will wash away;
And the feet that shrink and falter
Shall walk through the gates of day.
If I turn not from his whisper,
If I let not go his hand,
I shall see him in his beauty,
The King in the far-off land.
The mistakes of my life are many,
And my soul is sick with sin,
And I scarce can see for weeping,
But the Lord will let me in.
—Mrs. Ranyard.
FOREVER AND EVERLASTING.
By A. SMITH
These terms, according to Webster, are synonymous, and signify, primarily, endless duration. This is their meaning in Matt. 25:46. Eternal conscious suffering, however, is not a necessary concomitant of everlasting punishment. The criminal is terrified, not so much by the prospective pain of dying, which is not nearly so great as what he might suffer and live, as by the thought of being deprived of all the pleasant experiences and associations which he might enjoy during the remainder of his natural life.
Fire is an eternal element; its latent energies pervade all nature, and may be called into requisition by a combination of circumstances and conditions ever at the command of God, and, in a limited extent, at the command of men.
Such was the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude 7. To make this text harmonize with modern theology, it should read, “Eternally suffering the vengeance of fire.” But, bad for the theory, the Sodomites were reduced to ashes, and the fire ceased to burn. All the unjust may expect a like fate; for this incident is given as an example to all such. It was in this sense that Luther, the great reformer, understood the term. When burning the popish decretals at Wittenberg, he would take up a volume, and after saying, “Thou hast tormented the Lord’s holy one; may the everlasting fire torment and consume thee,” would throw it into the flames, where it soon shared a fate like that of the Sodomites, save the pain of dying. These books were reduced to ashes, and existed as books no more forever.
These terms have also a secondary meaning, signifying a comparatively long, indefinite time.
God commanded the Israelites to observe the ordinance of the passover forever, and yet it was only designed to continue till the coming of Christ. See Ex. 12:24, 14, 17; 1 Cor. 5:7.
In Ex. 21:6, it is shown how a man might be made a servant forever; yet both master and servant died in process of time, and the service ended; thus proving that his everlasting servitude was limited to the remainder of the servant’s natural life.
Christ is declared to be a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec, Heb. 6:20, yet his priesthood is to end with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. This shows that no other priesthood should succeed that of Christ; the term “forever,” therefore, in this instance, signifies a limited period of duration.
It is said of the devil that he shall be tormented day and night forever and ever, Rev. 20:10; yet the following scriptures prove that he is finally to be destroyed: Eze. 28:16-19; Heb. 2:14; Mal. 4:1. The term forever and ever, therefore, signifies a long, but indefinite, period, from the time he is cast into the lake of fire, until he is finally consumed. A. SMITH.
THE SLANDEROUS TONGUE.
The tongue of slander is never tired. In one way or another it manages to keep itself in constant employment. Sometimes it drips honey and sometimes gall. It is bitter now, and then sweet. It insinuates, or assails directly, according to the circumstances. It will hide a curse under a smooth word, and administer poison in the phrase of love. Like death, it “loves a shining mark.” And it is never so effective and eloquent as when it can blight the hopes of the noble minded, soil the reputation of the pure, and break down the character of the brave and strong.
What pleasure man or woman can find in such work, we have never been able to see. And yet there is pleasure of some sort in it, to multitudes, or they would not betake themselves to it. Some passion of soul or body must be gratified by it. But no soul in high estate can take delight in it. It indicates lapse, tendency toward chaos, utter depravity. It proves that somewhere in the soul there is weakness, waste, evil nature. Education and refinement are no proof against it. They often serve only to polish the slanderous tongue, increase its tact, and give it suppleness and strategy to do its death-work.—Sel.
LEARN ALL YOU CAN.
An unfortunate man is he who can only do one thing, especially if he has not learned a trade. A gentleman who could write five or six languages, but who could do nothing else, found it impossible to obtain employment during a long, cold winter. Another man preached for twenty-five years, until his throat failed him, and he used to go round looking very, very blue and sad, until people pitied him and got up donation parties for him, because he was good for nothing except to preach. A lady taught school for twenty years, until she was a poor, nervous, broken-down woman, and she didn't know how to make a dress for herself. Now, boys and girls, every real man should know how to do one thing right and well. Every wise farmer has a principal crop; but he has always a little something else to live on. Don't carry all your eggs in one basket. Don't put all your money into one pocket. If you want to get along right well, learn one sort of work to get along by, and other sorts of work to get a living with when your one sort gives out.—Sel.
THE SANCTUARY.
By Uriah Smith
Thirty-third Paper---A Work of Judgment.
THE cleansing of the sanctuary leads us into a series of subjects of the most important and timely character, subjects which explain some statements of the Scriptures which are otherwise obscure, harmonize lines of prophecy otherwise disconnected, and answer some otherwise unanswerable queries which arise concerning events connected with that crowning of all events, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For instance, when Christ comes a change passes instantaneously upon the people of God, and all others are passed by. The righteous who are in their graves are raised in power, glory, and immortality, and the rest of the dead are left in their graves for a thousand years, and the righteous who are living are changed from mortality to immortality, while the rest of the living are given over to perish under the judgments of the Almighty. And this change for God's people is wrought instantaneously at the last trump. But before this change can be wrought it must be decided who are the people of God, and who are the incorrigibly wicked. This point must be decided before the Lord comes; for there is no time then for investigation and decision of character. But this work of decision is a work of judgment; and such a work of judgment must transpire before the Lord comes.
We know of no system of belief which has a place for this preliminary work of judgment, except that held by S. D. Adventists. It has been a source of perplexity to many, and to meet it, they have been obliged to resort to such unscriptural conclusions as these: 1. That all the race, good and bad, are raised indiscriminately together; whereas the Bible plainly declares that there are a thousand years between the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked. Rev. 20: 5. 2. That when the righteous are raised, they are raised mortal, judged and then changed; whereas the Bible assigns no place for any such work of investigative judgment after Christ appears, and moreover, explicitly declares that the righteous are raised in power, in glory, with spiritual bodies, and in incorruption. 1 Cor. 15: 42-44. No system which contradicts such plain statements of the Bible can be worthy of the least credit.
The subject of the sanctuary, correctly understood, removes all these difficulties. The cleansing of the sanctuary provides the very place for this preliminary work of judgment, and brings to view a work of just exactly this nature.
The cleansing of the sanctuary is a work of judgment. A few considerations will make this proposition plain. The priesthood of Christ continues up to the time when he takes his own throne as king. He passes directly from the first position to the second; and when he takes his position as king, his work as priest is done. Now, his work as priest, being for the purpose of gathering out from the human family a people for his name and kingdom, his priestly office cannot close till this result is declared. When he ends his work, it will be decided who have availed themselves of his mediation, and have thus become his people. It is the putting away of sin that determines this; but this is the very work that Christ performs in the most holy in the conclusion of his ministry. He here puts away the sins of his people; and this is the cleansing of the sanctuary.
This involves an examination of the books; for the rule that God has laid down in this matter is that all judgment shall be rendered according to each man's works as they stand upon the record. “And the dead,” says John, “were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Rev. 20: 12. From the reference in this and numerous other passages, to the books, the book of life, the names or the things written therein, and the blotting out to take place, but one conclusion can be drawn; and that is that a faithful record is kept of each one's actions, the thoughts, words and deeds that make up the texture of his character, and the course of his life. If the person repents, all these recorded sins are to be blotted out of this book. So Peter declared, “Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3: 19. Of the same class Christ speaks in Rev. 3: 5: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Again he says, “Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven.” Matt. 10: 32, 33; Luke 12: 8, 9. And this is when Christ is about to be sent the second time to earth, Acts 3: 20, and when he is prepared to come as a thief on all them that do not watch. Rev. 3: 3.
The two divisions of this great proposition are thus established: If we secure the pardon of our sins, the time comes just before the end when these sins are blotted out of the books, and our names are retained in the Lamb's book of life, and the Saviour confesses our names to the Father as those who have accepted of salvation through him. Our cases are then decided, and we are sealed for everlasting life. If, on the other hand, we do not repent, our sins are not blotted out of the record where they stand, but our names are blotted out of the book of life, and Christ denies our names before his Father, as those who have slighted his mercy, and are not entitled to everlasting life through him.
Thus the cleansing of the sanctuary involves the examination of the records of all the deeds of our lives. It is an investigative Judgment. Every individual of every generation from the beginning of the world thus passes in review before the great tribunal above. So Daniel, describing the opening of this scene, calls it a work of Judgment, and expressly notices the fact that the books were opened. Dan. 7: 9, 10.
This work has been going forward in the sanctuary above since the end of the prophetic period in 1844. Beginning, according to the natural order, with the earliest generation, the work of examination passes on down through all the records of time, and closes with the living. Then the sealing message, Rev. 7, will have performed its work, and all antecedent questions being determined, all cases decided, everything will be ready for the coming of the Lord.
For nearly thirty-two years already this solemn work has been in progress. How much longer can it continue? Nearly thirty-two years of this solemn work of investigative Judgment already past, and yet how few of all the masses of the earth dream of their position. O church of Christ, lift up the voice like a trumpet, sound an alarm which shall cause all the inhabitants of the land to hear and tremble; for the great day of the Lord is near, and hasteth greatly.
A subscriber sends us an article which he copied from a late World's Crisis, entitled “Mrs. White's Visions,” the substance of it being an article which the Crisis copied from the A. & S. Advocate, and asks us to review it. In reply we would say that we have long considered the stale falsehoods and half-witted slanders against the visions peddled about with such avidity by clerical falsifiers, unworthy of further notice. We allude to the subject now simply at the request of our friend.
The objections against the visions, the strongest that can be urged, are taken up severally and answered in full in the work published at this Office, entitled, “The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White, a Manifestation of Spiritual Gifts according to the Scriptures.”
In reference to the charges preferred in the article in question, as they are bare assertions, we meet them again with our oft-repeated denials. The visions have never taught the end of probation in the past, or the close of the day of salvation for sinners, called by our opponents the shut-door doctrine. No such proof can be shown. That they are self-contradictory, we deny. No evidence to sustain this assertion can be presented. That they contradict the Bible, we deny. They do contradict some things the objector sets forth as his views of the Bible; but that is a very different thing. If they did not contradict some of his positions, we should consider it good cause for rejecting the visions themselves. That they have ever been suppressed in any particular, we deny. Perhaps no better answer could be given to this charge than the following extract from the book above referred to, published in 1868. We quote from pp. 122, 126:—
“We now come to the great outcry about suppression. This the reader will at once understand cannot be urged as an objection against the visions themselves. If any wrong has been committed in this direction, it lies at the door of those who have had the charge of their publication. But there are charges made here which are infamously false. The visions are accused of following the views of the people; and as our views change, the visions must change to correspond; and if they cannot be changed they must be suppressed. To use the objector's own language, ‘All such visions are put where it is not an easy matter to get hold of them. Had it been possible they would long ago have destroyed them.’ We pronounce this an unvarnished, malicious falsehood; and those who make it, and those who love it, are respectively referred to Rev. 22: 15. They cannot produce the first particle of evidence that there has ever been any attempt or design on the part of the leaders in this work to suppress any of the visions. Having once published them and spread them through the ranks of believers, any one could see that it would be sheer folly to attempt any such thing. No; be it understood that we stand by everything that has been shown. And what is the great proportion of that which is charged upon us as suppression? Simply matter that has been once published, and the edition becoming exhausted, has not been republished. Now is there any law compelling us to keep on hand an edition of every vision that has ever been published? We certainly wish we had them, and could put them on sale at this Office. But because the editions are all exhausted, Oh, says this silly charge, they are now suppressed! This might just as well be said of every book that chances to be out of print. . . .”
“Let us briefly recapitulate, that the reader may look at all the facts in connection.
“1. Every vision, except such as pertained exclusively to individual cases, has been once published, put in print, and indiscriminately circulated, where friend and foe could alike obtain them. Attempts to suppress any of these would be utterly futile.”
“2. The main body of what we are accused of having suppressed, is simply the editions of some visions, which, having all been sold, have not yet been re-published!”
“3. Portions which are claimed to have been suppressed from some evil design, are simply some things which related to particular and local circumstances, and having accomplished their object, have not been inserted when that which is of general interest has been re-published.
“4. Expressions are retained inculcating the same sentiments, in language still stronger than those which the objector claims to have been suppressed on account of their objectionable features; so that the teachings of the visions are not altered a whit by the omission of those things which he asserts have been left out because they are not now believed.
“5. In answering these objections we have answered all the points which are set forth as suppressions, and have shown that they contain nothing but what we still fully indorse.
“6. If the objector could maintain his points, what would he prove? Nothing against the visions themselves, but only against those who have had charge of their publication.”
“In view of these facts this objection dwindles to a point that is not visible to the naked eye. And all the assertions that certain visions are not now for sale at this Office because we do not now believe them, or that there has been any effort made to call in visions for the purpose of suppressing them, or that if we could have got hold of them, they would long ago have been put out of the way, or anything of the kind, we brand as infamous calumnies, and bald and barefaced untruths.”
But it is urged again that a great wrong once existed which was not exposed by this gift, therefore it is not of God. Profound reasoning! Has God no other way of exposing wrongs, except by giving some one a vision concerning it? And if visions are manifested, is he obliged through that source to expose at once everything that is contrary to his will? In the case referred to, did not God know that the wrong existed? And were not prayers ascending to him from honest hearts to guide and guard his people from the power of the enemy? And could he not in a thousand ways have arrested the course of this individual, and caused his evil influence to come to light? Why did he not do it? Why then single out a gift and say that because the wrong was not exposed through that, it is not of God. We might just as well throw away prayer as useless, or disbelieve the providence of God, or deny that the Lord himself knew of the wrong because it was not exposed sooner. Shame on such malicious inconsistency!
The writer says, “The people who set so high a value on those visions, would be better off without them.” Well, he claims that a great many have given them up; hence it is an easy matter to see how much better off they are without them. We ask them, What do we find among those who have given them up? As to personal habits, we find pork, tobacco and beer; and they no doubt esteem the use of these things great privileges. As to religious theories, we find infidelity, universalism and spiritualism. Great blessings, indeed! And among those who still retain the observance of the Sabbath, we find stubbornness, alienation, discord and confusion. This is getting “better off” in a way we do not at all covet; while, on the other hand, those who regard these as one of the gifts in the church, stand united, rejoicing in the truth, pressing forward together for a higher life; and God is prospering the work in their hands.
“Were she a believer in modern spiritualism, she would see that kind of vision,” says the article. The man who can put forth such weakness for argument is deserving of our profoundest pity or supremest contempt, accordingly as we attribute it to mental imbecility or uncontrollable malice. If she were the servant of the devil, she would be doing his work; therefore don't put any confidence in her now. An effort of petty spite more apparent than this would be indeed a curiosity. If Moses had been Mahomet, he would have written the Koran instead of the Pentateuch. But Moses was not Mahomet, and sister White is not a spiritualist.
It is charged upon the visions that their course has been “to distract and divide churches, entirely ruining the faith of some, and engendering strife and unchristian feeling between others.” In reply we have only to point to facts open to all. Those who believe them are united, harmonious, and happy; the distraction, confusion, and alienation are among those who have rejected them; and they have come in on account of that rejection. To charge this upon the visions is to do just what the Jews did to the work and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this point look at a little matter of consistency. Eld. Grant quotes and indorses this charge against the visions. But he hates our churches, our faith, and our work, and would be glad to see the first divided, and the latter ruined and destroyed. Now if, as charged, the visions are thus distracting and ruining the cause of this people, why don't he like a skillful general strive to foster this element of weakness among us, instead of being, as he is, so furious against them? He knows that these things are not chargeable to the visions.
It is asserted further that those who believe the visions are by them held back from receiving correct views on the subjects of the sanctuary, desolation of the earth, two-horned beast, &c., which are so much clearer and more consistent. Of course, then, those who have given up the visions, have adopted these better views. Why, then, don't they show the superior power and clearness of their faith by presenting a rapid increase of converts to it? S. D. Adventists are making converts to their views by scores every week in all parts of the land. Why don't these persons show a power in proportion to numbers to do still better? This should be the case if their views are more clear and consistent. But instead of this their converts are few and far between. They don't agree among themselves; and when they attempt to set forth their views on the subjects named, it is the most disjointed and incoherent mass that ever drizzled from a sane pen. The result is as might be expected. While S. D. Adventists number from 15 to 20 thousand, they, gathering up all the elements of defection which they are able at any one time to hold together, cannot, to be very safe in the statement, show a membership of five hundred; and we greatly doubt if they can boast of half that number.
As we have often stated, we repeat, we hold forth no views which are not based upon, and defended wholly by, the Bible. We believe that S. D. Adventists have been led to these positions in accordance with the promise of the Saviour, that the Spirit of truth would be given to his people to lead them into truth. And if a special gift in the church is in accord with these, it is only what we might expect, and we can but respond, Amen, to it. We have yet to learn of any who have rejected the visions, who have not soon surrendered the main pillars of present truth. They have thus separated themselves from S. D. Adventists and shown that they were not of us. Perhaps this is well. We find no fault with the providence of God, which seems to smite with judicial blindness those who hate a source of instruction so pure, and shut their eyes to light so plain. So long as persons love and rejoice in the great truths of the Bible for61this time, they feel no disposition to quarrel with this feature of the movement.
Eld. Grant quotes again: “Those visions are one of the greatest deceptions of the last days, because practiced upon an honest people, who are seeking after godliness.” Over this statement he rubs his hands in highest glee. Yet Eld. G. has admitted publicly that if any one would live out the visions he would be saved. Put these two together. A deception practiced upon those who are seeking after godliness which will lead them to such a degree of godliness that they will be saved! And yet this “is one of the greatest deceptions of the last days.” Surely, then, the deceptions of this time are not very dangerous—a deception that will deceive us into the kingdom!
So to any extent we might go on exposing the inconsistencies of this foolish tirade against the visions. But there is no object in following it further. Those engaged in it know but very little of sister White's work, and have still less acquaintance with her. This they very innocently confess when they say that if they “were better acquainted with her and her history,” they would probably be able to explain some things which they cannot now explain. We simply say to all, Acquaint yourselves with the writings of sister White, and with her history and work as far as possible. We have seen not a few who have done this come to her at the camp-meetings and confess that they had been deceived by the false statements of those who are at war with her, but now they had seen for themselves and were constrained to confess that the Lord was with her; and they asked with tears her forgiveness for their opposition. A terrible day is coming soon for the deceivers. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good.
E. S.
HE CAME AT LAST.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
Two characters worthy of thoughtful study are briefly introduced to us in the second chapter of Luke, both of them very aged persons, both full of faith and the Holy Ghost, both waiting, watching, hoping—a father and a mother in Israel. But why were they waiting so long, and for what did they linger? What was their hope? Go back through the sacred records which they revered as the voice of God, which they searched as for hid treasures. In those sacred writings was recorded the promise first made, just outside the gates of Eden, of a coming Deliverer, the Star of Hope, the glorious Prince, the blessed Messiah. God had spoken of it to Adam. Gen. 3:15. This promise was renewed to Abraham. Gen. 22:18. To the sharp vision of Moses it was more clearly revealed. David had sung of it in the Psalms, and of Him had all the prophets spoken, each succeeding one with increasing clearness. Micah foretold the very place of his birth. Micah 5:2. Daniel had announced the time, stating that after sixty-nine weeks the Messiah should come. Dan. 9:25.
To the fulfillment of this promise the eyes of all the true Israel were turned. Every father's hopes centered in that, and to it the heart of every mother looked with joy; but still old time marched steadily on. Year after year passed, age after age rolled by, century after century was added to the years of waiting, and generation after generation of God's servants had to lie down in the dust without seeing it fulfilled. The foes of Israel pressed hard upon them on every side and crushed them to the dust. Their liberty was taken from them; their hope was mocked at and ridiculed. For nearly four hundred years not a prophet had been sent from God. Not one word of additional hope was deigned from Heaven. Corruption was on every side and all through the nation of Israel. Indifference and unbelief began to grow rank, and the hearts of God's servants were sad. But still they believed on, hoped on, waited on, believing that God in his own good time would fulfill every word of his promise.
As the time drew near for God to accomplish his promise, many in Israel who had faith in God were impressed by his Spirit and the light of his word that the coming of the Messiah was very near. This may be seen by many scriptures in the New Testament. Read Matt. 2:1–8; Luke 3:15; John 1:19–25. Among the most prominent of these persons were the two we have mentioned—pious old Simeon and Anna the prophetess. Let us read their record:
“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Luke 2:25–30.
Simeon appears to have been an aged man, a very devout man, a man of faith; and the Spirit of God was upon him; but the prominent point in his history was that he was waiting. Waiting for what? “The consolation of Israel;” that is, the birth of the Messiah, as the text states. How long he had been waiting the record does not state; but it does plainly imply that it was a very, very long time; for it was the only hope for which he still lived, and when he saw it accomplished, he was ready to die in peace. The word of the Lord, though long, long delayed, did not fail. He did live to see the first advent of the Lord’s Christ, and then he was laid away in sweet rest.
Read the history of Anna: “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36–38.
Here was a devout mother in Israel. Like Simeon, she too was waiting for the coming Messiah. The record does not state that she had a promise of life till Jesus should come, but evidently she had the very strongest hopes of it, and was constantly expecting it. She gave herself up wholly to this hope. Day and night she fasted and prayed and gave herself to the service of God, watching for the coming of the Just One. But her watch was a long one—her hope was long deferred.
She appears to have been about one hundred years old, and upwards of eighty years she had been looking for and constantly expecting the coming of the Messiah. As she passed her three-score years and ten, as her hair grew white with many years, as the infirmities and feebleness of age weighed more heavily upon her, as she had passed far beyond the allotted age of man, it must have seemed to her like hoping against hope to still hope that she should see the accomplishment of the expectation of her life, the advent of the Messiah. But with God all things are possible.
At length the happy day arrives. The Son of God is brought into the temple. Anna is waiting to receive him and to show him to all the expecting, waiting, faithful ones. Now she is ready to lie down in hope, till that same Jesus shall come again in the clouds of heaven and raise the dead.
Did not the Lord design these cases as a lesson to those who are waiting for the second advent of that same Jesus? Was it not written for our instruction that we might have hope? Ever since Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives his church has been looking with aching hearts and fond hopes for his second coming; but generation after generation has gone down into the dust without seeing it accomplished. Weary ages and long centuries have rolled by and the wicked have said, “Where is your hope?” But now, as all the prophecies pointing to that glorious event have been fulfilled, that blessed hope is revived. Many have been constantly expecting his immediate coming for many long years, and yet Jesus has not come. They have waited, and watched, and believed; they have been mocked and ridiculed, and yet they have believed on; they have been persecuted and opposed, and yet they will not give up the blessed hope. The evidences are too strong, the proofs too clear, and the signs too positive. They know he is coming soon; but just how soon none can tell.
Many of these waiting ones, since they first cherished this hope, have exchanged youth for old age; their hairs are white, their strength is nearly gone. But, brethren and sisters, hold on! God’s promises will not fail. Let the case of Simeon and Anna cheer our hearts. God has recorded it for our encouragement. Jesus has said, When ye see these signs, know that it is near. The generation that sees them shall not pass till he comes. Let us still believe it, though our hope is deferred to the last possible sands of time. Blessed hope! Who will be ready?—D. M. CANRIGHT in Bible Banner.