p. 6 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 29. (7/26/1910)

"Assuredly Gathering"

By C. H. Pridgeon

BE careful not to take visions and mere happenings as sufficient indication of God's will.

There are some who, when in much doubt, or when they have matters of much importance to decide, and have a dream, or a vision when they are not sleeping, according to that dream or vision, decide the matter. Be very careful; it might or it might not be from God. A vision alone ought not to decide us. You may think of many passages in Scripture where a vision seemed decisive. There is one that nearly everybody would think had seemed to decide the apostle Paul, in Acts 16:6-11,—the vision of the man of Macedonia calling him to come over into Macedonia. Now, you say, "Was not there a place where the apostle did not know, and where God gave a vision, and he followed the vision?"

Paul says concerning his action in the matter, "assuredly gathering." If you "gather," you take more than one thing into consideration. Notice also that it does not say, "He assuredly gathered," but "We assuredly gathered." That is, the apostle not only had this vision, but he considered the rest of the party. We must take every fact into consideration. They were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel in the eastern part of Asia Minor, and they tried to go in another direction, but "the Spirit suffered them not." They came down to Troas, the only direction that seemed open to them. They might have gone in a southeasterly direction had God led in that way. Everything was taken into consideration by them. They "assuredly gathered." They must have counseled. Paul had the vision, but, "We assuredly gathered."

Be very careful in deciding things by happenings. The enemy has just as much chance as the Lord in letting you know his will. One decision that took place in the great revival of Wesley and Whitefield, was decided by the way that Wesley opened a book. They did not know any other way to decide at that time, so they decided in that way. Sometimes God's children resort to "lots." There may be some Scriptural ground for "lots," but we do not see, in the New Testament, much good that came from the casting of "lots." God has so clearly promised in His Word to guide us, that we do not need to resort to that kind of thing. It gives Satan almost an equal chance with the Lord. The devil gives many visions and dreams; also God gives dreams and visions; but do not let them alone decide you. The "assuredly gathering" brings in sanctified common sense, which is very much needed among Christians in all their decisions.—Rev. C. H. Pridgeon.

The Dawning of a New Day

By Delwin Rees Buckner

THE meadow-lark sings from some tuft of grass, And from his perch the wakened rooster crows; For in the east the sun in glory glows, But toward the west Night's train of crape doth pass.

The happy lambs frisk in the morning air, But beasts that prowl at night — as in a cage — Are gone; the wolf hides off amongst the sage; The mountain-lion sleeps within his lair.

The glory of the rising sun, a type Is of the coming Sun of Righteousness Whom WE expect to hail with loud acclaim; But men in wickedness and sin full ripe, Before that One they hated to confess, Will flee with an eternal, endless shame.

Ambato, Ecuador.

A Glad Song in Life

By Cumberland Presbyterian

To LIVE each day as tho it were our last — our last to pay the debt we owe; to aid in making the world happier — by blending earth and heaven in His kingdom; to remember that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy, and a joyful life is an expression of gratitude to God; that there are more mercies than ills, and ills are sometimes blessings in disguise; to help others to live nobly and beautifully, and so to emulate the Master; to be charitable in judgment, and to maintain a chivalrous honor in business relations; to crush out of the heart a tendency to a pharisaic spirit; to be calm in anger, and repress the sarcastic retort, tho it scintillate with brilliancy; to face men with a consciousness of perfect integrity and a heart filled with the love that thinketh no evil; to bear disappointment, weariness, and suffering without murmuring; and to recognize the good that is often the child of sorrow, this will make each day one glad, sweet song.—Cumberland Presbyterian.

True Obedience

A MAN sincerely obedient will not pick and choose what commands to obey, and what to reject. He will lay such a charge upon his whole man as Mary, the mother of Christ, did upon all the servants at the feast,—"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." Eyes, ears, hands, heart, lips, body, and soul, do you all seriously and affectionately observe whatever Jesus Christ says unto you, and do it.—Anon.

XVI. "These Seventy Years"

"Against which Thou hast had indignation these seventy years."

WHAT is called the "Jewish captivity" has been made a matter of more or less unprofitable speculation, owing to a misconception of the prophecy itself, and an attending effort to make the facts fit this misconception. But facts are stubborn things.

The prophecy of the seventy years did not of itself include any captivity in reality for the Jews. That came upon them because they did not believe in Jeremiah's prophecy of the seventy years of Babylonian dominance.

As soon as Jeremiah had prophesied that God had given the nations into the hand of the king of Babylon, a false prophet arose, one Hananiah, the son of Azur (Jer. 28:1), and told the people that God had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon, and that in two years' time they would be released from his rule. But Jeremiah, at the risk of his life, declared the period of Babylonian rule to be seventy years.

By a careful reading of the prophecy, the period of the seventy years is found to be very clearly defined. In 2 Chron. 36:20-23 we read:

"And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up."

Here we are plainly told that the days ended in the first year of Cyrus, and that the decree of Cyrus for the Jews' return to Babylon was an end of the seventy years, a fulfilment of the prophecy of the seventy years. This decree in the first year of Cyrus was given in 536.

After the fall of Babylon in 538, Darius the Median had reigned in the city of the Chaldeans. Since the seventy years, according to the Word, ended with the decree of Cyrus, it is an easy matter to ascertain when they began. By simply adding 70 and 536 we have 606.

Appealing to the prophecy of Jeremiah itself, and to history, we ask, What occurred in 606 to designate the beginning of the years? In Jer. 25:1, we read,

"The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."

This 25th chapter of Jeremiah contains the prophecy of the seventy years. These years therefore begin with the first year of Nebuchadnezzar. Appealing to history, we find that Nebuchadnezzar's father died in 604, and Nebuchadnezzar then became the sole king. This looks confusing.

The Solution of the Enigma

By reading further in the twenty-fifth chapter of Jeremiah, we find that the prophecy was given before the conquest of Syria, Egypt, and Phenecia. Nineveh was taken in 606. The Egyptian king was defeated later. The seventy years began before the conquest of these countries; for Jeremiah sends to them a cup of wine to drink as a token of coming humiliation at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

It is therefore plain that the prophecy counts 606-607 as the first year of Nebuchadnezzar. What historical reason is there for this?

By appealing to history we learn that in the year 607 B.C. Nabopolassar associated Nebuchadnezzar with himself as king. Commenting upon this expression, "that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," Boothroyd says: "That is, according to the Jewish mode of computing his reign from the time of his being associated with his father in the empire, before he set out on his Syrian expedition. But the Babylonians do not reckon his reign to have begun till two years after, upon his father's death."

In 607, this same year, Daniel and his fellows were taken captive, with part of the vessels of the house of God. This is referred to in a prophecy of Jeremiah, Jer. 27: 16:

"Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Harken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you."

Why there Need Not Have Been Severity

Some had hoped that this was to be the end of their trouble; but the Lord tells them, through Jeremiah, that all the rest of the vessels will be taken by Nebuchadnezzar; but if they submit, he will not take them captive, and the city will not be destroyed. "Serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city become a desolation?" Jer. 27: 17.

For twenty-three years Jeremiah had warned the people, but in vain. Now their troubles had begun; yet even now, if they would repent, the city would not be destroyed. But rebellion had made such headway that they did not listen. They revolted against Babylon, and Jerusalem was left a heap. The flower of the people were taken to Babylon. God suffered long with high-handed rebellion, and the evil could not at last be put off.

In this prophecy of the sovereignty of Nebuchadnezzar, recorded in Jeremiah 27, we read:

"Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; and command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My out-stretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore harken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein."

The seventy years of Babylonian control is therefore a clearly definite period, beginning in 606 B.C., and ending in 536.

In the twenty-fourth chapter of Jeremiah reference is made to the captives who had already been taken to Babylon. The Lord promises that He will set His eyes upon them for good, and will bring them back again. But those in Jerusalem, Zedekiah the king and his princes, were to be given up to become a reproach. Nebuchadnezzar would come again as he had come already once, and the whole land would become a desolation because of their continued obstinacy.

"And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished,

that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever. And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book." Jer. 25: 11-13.

By this we see that there need not have been the destruction of life and property, and the captivity and suffering, that ensued, had God's people obeyed the decree of seventy years of the rule of Babylon. By refusing allegiance to Babylon, by attempting to go on independent of it and of God's providence, they came into trouble. The first captives that went into Babylon at the beginning of the seventy years, were treated like princes. They were given the best in the kingdom. Daniel and his fellows, tho tried severely, came to honor. The people of God need not have suffered under the rule of the Chaldean king, and they would not have so suffered had they believed God's word through His prophet.

The seventy years is therefore the period of time in which God's people were to be subject to a heathen king. If faithful to Him, at the end of that time they might return to Jerusalem and dwell anew in Zion.

The Lesson

Thus we see how God writes the history of the nations in advance of the events; and the prophecy and history accord.

Referring back to this time of apostasy and long continued rebellion, the prophet Zechariah says:

"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor harken unto Me, saith Jehovah. You fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live forever? But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of Hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us." Zech. 1: 4-6.

Yes, the word of God had all come true. Nothing had failed that had been predicted. As God had said ages before:

"All these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou harkenedst not unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee." Deut. 28: 45.

God now calls their memories back to this His word pledged to them so many years before, and He says, Did not My word overtake your fathers? Yes, it pursued and overtook them. They could not make God a liar.

But now the Intercessor, referring to that fulfilled word, importunes:

"O Jehovah of Hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" Zech. 1: 12.

God's pledged word was fulfilled. The seventy years were fully past. God could now say:

"I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; My house shall be built in it."

Keeping Insulated

By Sunday School Times

THERE are a thousand death-dealing currents of electricity playing around us as we live our lives out day by day. We must live among the forces of evil; we must be close to them, and rub up against them, and feel them touch us as they pass to and fro on their restless course. But we do not need to let them enter into our systems, or affect our nerve centers, or stimulate our wrong desires, or burn death into our hearts. We can not dodge them, but we can be insulated from them. The insulation of God's presence in our lives, and His encircling care, is the only safeguard that will effectually keep these currents out of our lives. That insulation will not be forced on us; but we may have it, and keep it daily renewed, if we will seek it as eagerly as we would seek protection from physical death. The man who rises from his knees every morning after a season of loving reconsecration of himself and all his purposes to God and God's service, and who renews his prayer silently many times in the thick of the day's turmoil, has wrapped himself about with a force through which no evil can flow. The insulation of God's presence fails only when we cast it from us.—Sunday School Times.

Our Bible Reading

Death and the Resurrection

1. Death is the result of disobedience. "The Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE." Gen. 2: 16, 17.

2. Through Adam's transgression death comes to all men. "By one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH BY SIN; and so DEATH PASSED UPON ALL MEN." Rom. 5: 12.

3. Man is unconscious in death. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3: 19. "THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANYTHING, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also THEIR LOVE, and THEIR HATRED, and THEIR ENVY, is now PERISHED; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Eccl. 9: 5, 6.

4. Spiritual death is a condition in this world. "And you, being DEAD IN YOUR SINS and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." Col. 2: 13. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have NO LIFE IN YOU." John 6: 53. "TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom. 8: 6.

5. The Son of God suffered death for us all. "When we were yet without strength, in due time CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY." Rom. 5: 6. "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste DEATH FOR EVERY MAN." Heb. 2: 9.

6. Christ regained life through a resurrection. "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that HE ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. 15: 3, 4. "Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD." Rom. 1: 4.

7. So we can gain a future life only through a resurrection, or translation at the coming of Christ. "Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE." 1 Cor. 15: 21, 22. "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.

8. Christ has the power of the resurrection. "As the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to THE SON TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF. . . . Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES shall hear HIS VOICE, and shall COME FORTH." John 5: 26-29. "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell ["hades," the grave] and of death." Rev. 1: 18.

9. The resurrection is shown in baptism. "We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection." Rom. 6: 4, 5; also Col. 2: 12.

10. There will be two resurrections. "ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE; and they that have done evil, unto THE RESURRECTION OF DAMNATION." John 5: 28, 29. "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the FIRST RESURRECTION. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Rev. 20: 4-6. "For the WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; but the GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6: 23.

The Simple Power of the Word

THE camp-meeting had been several days in progress. The preaching had been strong and searching. The law had had its place with the Gospel, or, rather, in the Gospel; for apart from the law there is no Gospel. The Spirit of God had tipped the arrows of the law with living light which revealed the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the selfishness of the human heart. Men saw themselves lost, hopelessly, humanly lost.

But Christ the Healer, the Saviour from sin, the Restorer, had also been lifted up, and souls burdened with sins were finding Him. They came to the cross with the crushing load of iniquity; they left it with songs of praise upon their lips. They came to the meeting clothed in the filthy rags of their own righteousness; they cast them aside and were clothed in the sinless garments of salvation.

The clear light of conviction revealed to all their sin, and all alike were humbled before the Master. Sins were confessed, such as were public to the public, in the open, and such as had to do with individuals to the ones wronged, and all to God. Faith in His promise grasped the sequel, "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh" his sins "shall obtain mercy."

There was one man into whose heart the probe of conviction went mercilessly deep. He saw himself a horribly repulsive sinner, and felt himself without hope, one for whom there was no forgiveness. He had committed the unpardonable sin; there was no hope for him. He saw nothing but a black, sin-stained past, and a hopeless, impenetrable future. His friends who had found Christ pleaded with him, but their words had no effect. Yet the preacher felt that light must break, else why the conviction? But the day closed with the soul in despair; what would the morrow bring to that soul chained by the power of darkness? Would the preacher leave him there? He could not. He felt that God must give power to snatch that soul from the demons of despair.

Some retired to their tents to sleep; others to praise God for deliverance; some to pray, among whom was the preacher, weary, yet hoping that God, who had given some victories, would give more and greater; that He whose glory brought conviction would reveal to the despairing soul the greater glory of justification.

What the morrow brought forth we will tell next week.

THE Sabbath of the Lord can not be destroyed by men any more than can Christ, its Author. It may be ridiculed, rejected, trampled upon, crucified between two thieves, and the devil and his allies may rejoice as it seemingly perishes and is buried under the rubbish of tradition, locked in its creed-bound tomb with papal keys: but it has in it "the power of an endless life." It does not need human laws to revive it, guard it, or keep it from desecration. It is above man's power. Its foundation is God's eternal throne.

Some "Whys"

By Editor

GOD does not reveal His truth to satisfy mere human curiosity. In the first place this would be humanly impossible, and in the second place it would be entirely apart from His great purpose in revelation — the salvation of souls.

Neither does God answer directly the many questions which it is helpful for His children to know; yet He answers them not less emphatically and much more fully in the development of His plan and in the lives of the actors in the great drama of His Word. A few illustrations will help to make this clear.

1. One of the queries which our worldly wisdom might raise, and which doubtless came to the mind of the young man Abraham, is, Why did God call Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan? from a wonderful land of fertility, from a seat of civilization and culture, from the world's great center of learning, to sojourn in the varied climate of Canaan, among idolatrous and degenerate tribes?

The secret is learned in the life of Abraham. He was there a missionary. Wherever he pitched his tent, he built an altar to the true God, and in that and his holy life proclaimed the Gospel. Gen. 12: 1, 2, 7; 13: 18. In so doing he gathered souls out of idolatry to the worship of the true God. Among the devoted worshipers in his family was Eliezer of Damascus. Gen. 15: 2. We may well believe that "the souls they had gotten in Haran" were multiplied in Canaan. Gen. 12: 5. A little later he could summon from among them, for the rescue of Lot, three hundred and eighteen men. Gen. 14: 14.

He and his household were in all their sojournings a light to the people of that dark land. All his days he had no certain abiding place, because the "iniquity of the Amorite was not yet full." Gen. 15: 16. God desired to save the Canaanites, the people of the land; therefore as long as there was hope, they must not be dispossessed, and Abraham, the father of the faithful, must share with God the burden-bearing of labor in their behalf.

2. Another "why": Why did Abraham go down into Egypt during his sojourn in Palestine? Gen. 12: 10. Obviously because there was a famine in Canaan. But God permitted the famine, perhaps caused it, that men might learn not to trust in false gods, but to see the True. But He had another mission for Abraham. It was not that Abraham should seek knowledge in the great empire of Mizraim. It was not to learn of the priests some new, sacred mysteries of religion. It was not for these. His visit was but another step in the carrying out of God's purpose in Abraham. "I will bless thee, . . . and be thou a blessing." Gen. 12: 2. Abraham was to be a blessing to Egypt, to bring to that land, to its king, even, the knowledge of the true God. He had naught to learn from Egypt; he had the Gospel of life to give.

God may disturb our nest, call us away from place, business, associations, pleasant and dear to us, to less congenial country, clime, and neighbors. But our mission is not one of self-pleasing, but of finding pleasure, strength, and greater blessing in doing the Master's work, in holding forth the light of His truth. Our selfish, half blind heart may question why; but the after years will answer.

— ★★ —

Signs of the Times

By Editor

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CAL., JULY 26, 1910

Manuscripts should be addressed to the Editor

OUR BIBLE BAND

Schedule for the Week Ending August 6, 1910

Sunday,	July 31	Lamentations	3-5
Monday,	August 1	Ezekiel	1-4
Tuesday,	2	5-8
Wednesday,	3	9-13
Thursday,	4	14-17
Friday,	5	18-20
Sabbath,	6	21, 22

SIX days of the week are taken up with Ezekiel, who prophesied among the captives of Israel between the years 595 and 574, beginning and closing his work just a little later than Jeremiah. Ezekiel also belonged to the priestly family. He presents before us the wonderful visions in which God revealed to him His glory before he began his prophetic work. The great majesty of God was impressed upon him before he was sent with his awful messages of warning and reproof. When one once gets a sight of God, he does not fear the face of man; and therefore God revealed His own glory, that Ezekiel might not fear to meet the sinners among his own people.

VERY clear, strong principles the prophet presents of sin and righteousness; of the true nature of repentance. Wonderfully graphic are some of his descriptions, as in the seventh chapter for instance, the prophecy which reaches down to our own day. Chapters eight and nine are also typical of the great sealing work brought before us in Revelation 7. First of all the sins of Judah are pointed out, and among the greatest which the prophet sees is that of sun-worship. Then follows the man who marks the true worshipers, and following him are those who cut off the men who have been judged worthy of condemnation.

IN chapter 10 is again presented a wonderful vision of God's working among the nations. The four living creatures are the same as the four standards under which Israel pitched, a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man. These were not four different creatures formed in this way, but they represented by these typical orders of creation just how God is working among the nations of the earth.

Freedom in Christ’s Service

THERE is no bondage in Christ's service; therefore, brother, if you feel bound or enslaved in your work, you are not doing Christ's service. You need either different work or a different spirit.

God’s Law Reflects His Character

The character of a government is expressed in its constitution and laws. The law is the reflect of the government. So it is with God's law. It is the reflect of His character. We may not be able to see it all in that law, because sin has blinded our minds and hardened our hearts; but it is there nevertheless. It is a good prayer to pray, "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law."

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