Signs of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 26. (7/8/1913)

Signs of the Times

Jul 8, 1913

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 8, 1913

HEAVEN AND EARTH

By Jesus

SHALL PASS AWAY

BUT MY WORDS

SHALL NOT PASS

AWAY

~JESUS

Our Bible Band

By Editor

Schedule for the Week Ending July 12, 1913 Sunday July 6 Proverbs 16, 17, 18 Monday " 7 " 19, 20, 21 Tuesday " 8 " 22, 23, 24 Wednesday " 9 " 25, 26, 27 Thursday " 10 " 28, 29 Friday " 11 " 30, 31 Sabbath " 12 Psalms 46, 47, 48

We conclude in our readings the book of Proverbs. Not all of these later proverbs were written by Solomon. Some seem to have been copied out by later kings from scattered writings of Solomon, but all are good. They are compacted sentiments of wisdom, most of them very simple and easily understood, inviting the remark of a conceited young English divine, who told his bishop that the proverbs of Solomon were very ordinary, and that he himself could write them. The reply of the bishop was, "Make a few," but we have no record that the young man ever accomplished anything in this line. Our Sabbath reading is the mighty, triumphant Psalms 46, 47, 48.

"IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE."

By Editor

This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer these questions does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeated in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.

4114 — The Thief on the Cross

Will you please explain Luke 23:43,— Jesus speaking to the thief, "To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise"? Was that thief supposed to be saved? A. Brother.

Let us turn to the passage and note the context. First, the request of the thief, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." This thief, or robber, belonged to a roving band, seeking plunder wherever he might obtain it. Doubtless he had been in the throngs which surrounded our Lord in His country preaching. He had listened to such discourses on the kingdom as Jesus often gave. He had seen more or less of our Lord in His mock trial, or in Pilate's judgment-hall. He may have been a Jew who imbibed truth regarding the kingdom of God from the teachers of his nation. At any rate, he had some idea of what our Lord Himself taught; that He was going away to receive for Himself a kingdom and return, for the territory of the kingdom of Christ is this earth, and this earth when it shall be made new. See Matt. 25:31, 34. Therefore his request,—not, "Lord, remember me when Thou goest to heaven," and not, "Lord, remember me when Thou diest;" but, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom."

2. The reply of our Lord. This must have had reference to the thief's request. "Verily I say unto thee to-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." We have given it without punctuation, for the original Greek was so written. Nay, more, it was written without any separation of letters into words, as follows: "VerilyIsayuntotheetodayshaltthoubewithMeinParadise." The real question is, then, Did Jesus mean to say, I am telling you this to-day, or did He mean to say that to-day the thief would be in Paradise? The adverbial expression "to-day" can either modify "say" or it can modify "shalt be." This must be decided by other great facts of Scripture: (a) Where is Paradise? By comparing 2 Cor. 12:2, 4; Rev. 2:7; 22:1, 2, we learn that Paradise is the third heaven. It is where God dwells, and His throne is in that Paradise, at the very fount of the water of life, and hard by the Tree of Life, where shines the ineffable glory of the Father's presence. (b) Jesus did not go to the Father on that day, for on the third day afterward, when He was raised from the dead, and Mary saw Him and was about to embrace Him, Jesus said to her, "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father." John 20:17. That is, He had not presented Himself before the throne since He had cried that "it is finished" upon the cross. Therefore our Lord did not say, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise upon this day; for if that was what He meant, He was certainly mistaken, according to the after-events, and we believe that our Lord knew the program of His work better than that. (c) Therefore our Lord meant to say to that thief, I tell thee to-day that thy prayer will be answered, and thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. Note the pertinence and force of such application. When our Lord was arrested, His own disciples forsook Him and fled. Only John afterward gathered courage and went in with his Lord. Another, the most ardent disciple of all, Peter, "followed Him afar off," and then denied Him; and even the holy women stood afar off beholding what was done when He was crucified, afterward coming nearer. There were only two souls at that time who were willing to acknowledge Jesus,—one a Roman centurion, who declared, because of the supernatural manifestations at that time, "Truly this was the Son of God," and the other the poor thief who was dying by His side. When all others had forsaken the Lord, he acknowledged His divinity. When His own nation in their blasphemy were saying, in mockery, that "He saved others; Himself He can not save," the thief could petition with all the earnestness of his soul, "Lord, remember me;" and Jesus could say, dying tho He was, a victim of sin upon the cross, As thou hast faith to ask, I even now have power to grant, and therefore I declare to-day — to-day when even the very heavens seem against Me in their blackness, and My own nation have forsaken Me, and I seem utterly helpless upon the cross — even to-day do I declare that thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. (d) When our Lord comes, that prayer will be fulfilled. He shall call to the sleeping dead, and among those that shall awaken at that time will be the one whose faith triumphed over all outward circumstances and grasped the arm of divine power, who hung beside Him upon his cross, and then with Jesus and all the holy angels shall he ascend to the Paradise of God on high.

4115 — The Working of Satan

Please explain 2 Thess. 2:9. J. F. H.

Our correspondent does not tell us what particular thing he wishes us to explain. Of course he must take in the context. The eighth verse speaks of "that Wicked," or the great apostasy which shall be developed, in its fulness, just previous to Christ's coming. That apostasy shall be consumed in the forthshining of Christ's presence, or His coming. The question really lies, perhaps, over the term "after,"—"whose coming is after the working of Satan." This is held by some to refer to time. The working of Satan will be manifest with all power and signs and lying wonders; and then, immediately after this, comes our Lord Jesus Christ. That, of course, will be true in point of time. But the Revised Version has "according to," which is one of the proper renderings of the Greek term. And this also is literally true; for while Satan will work with all power and signs and lying wonders, our Lord will work with great power accordingly, so much so that His triumph over all the powers of evil will be manifest. Therefore, looking upon it whichever way we will, it will be true; Christ's coming will transcend all the working of Satan, and it will immediately follow the most important manifestations of that working.

4116 — The Punishment of the Wicked

Please explain 2 Thess. 1:9. H.

The verse is a simple statement regarding the end of the wicked: "Who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of His might." This is from the American Revised Version. We do not know over what the question arises. It seems as tho it is a very clear statement of the Scripture. What the punishment is, is very clearly defined in the above version,—namely, eternal destruction; and eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of His might means destruction from God's universe, because God fills heaven and earth. Our Common Version is not contrary to this at all,—"who shall be punished with everlasting destruction."

4117 — "Questions and Answers"

Is the present book "Questions and Answers" the same as that offered as a premium to the subscribers to the "Signs," or is it another? M.

It is the same book. It is still furnished to full subscribers to the weekly "Signs." It can be obtained in no other way. It may possibly be put upon the market before a great while, but at the present time it is still used as a premium. The book itself would sell for more than half of what is paid for the book and paper together.

4118 — The Apocrypha

How is it known that the writers of the Apocrypha were not inspired of God? Do the Bibles you sell contain the Apocrypha? A. A.

The Apocrypha is set aside as uncanonical,—that is, not according to the Scripture rule,—by Protestants mainly for two reasons. First, it is not found in the regular Scripture canon, or collection of books of the Old Testament, which our Lord and His apostles considered as authority. Secondly, the character of the writings themselves shows also that they are not like the writings of the Old Testament. There are in the Apocrypha a great many beautiful things, some very good things. Some have thought that 2 Esdras was inspired. These books were written during the time of the Jewish captivity in Babylon, or from about the year B.C. 200 to a little before — some say after — Christ. They are more or less affected by the traditions and errors of those times. It is for these reasons that they have not been counted in the Protestant Scriptures. No, the Bibles which we sell are the regular Oxford or the regular Nelson Bibles, both of which are Protestant firms, and do not contain the Apocrypha unless some special edition is ordered which does. There are some editions of the Oxford print, we believe, which contain the Apocrypha. Large family Bibles usually contain the Apocrypha, and so, also, does the Douay Version, the standard English translation among the Roman Catholics. They hold the Apocrypha on the same level as they do the other Scriptures, which is not very high, because they place tradition above them.

4119 — A. A.—The meaning of "ibid." is, "in the same place." That is, it means that the quotation to which it is attached comes from the same book, or same authority, as before quoted. The full word is "ibidem,"—in the same place, meaning that it is found in the same place of the same book; and this is further abbreviated by "ib." Sometimes the "id." is used in the same sense,—"idem," the same.

4120 — The Hail

Does it mean literal hail in verse 21 of Revelation 16? M. H. R.

We understand that it does; that all those plagues are literal just as were the plagues upon Egypt, and hail is a literal hail, recalling to the mind of the Bible student the expression used in Job: "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" Job 38:22, 23.

4121 — The Ten Days of Suffering

Please explain Rev. 2:10. Is this past, or to come? L. S.

It is past. Generally considered, it is prophetic of the ten years of the worst of the pagan persecutions under Diocletian, from 302 to 312, each day standing for a year.

4122 — Women Voting

In what chapter can I find where it says about women voting in the last days? Z.

The 29th chapter of Matthew, perhaps, or the 67th of Isaiah. It must be in some such place, for we know of no other. It tells about men voting, in the same chapters.

4123 — S. C.— Regarding an explanation of Isa. 65:20, we would say that if our querist will wait, an article will appear before a great while upon this particular text.

How Nicodemus Became a Christian

By William Covert

Some Things about John 3:16

DURING the active ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth came from Galilee to Jerusalem to attend the Passover. On that occasion He manifested miraculous power in driving bartering priests and tradesmen with their profane traffic from the temple. After cleansing the sacred house, He healed the sick, and so tenderly helped the needy that great numbers of sincere people were made to love Him.

This visit was very soon after the preaching of the Baptist had mightily stirred Jerusalem, and many who had listened to John's strong presentation of the prophecies, believed that the advent of the Messiah was at hand.

Among the interested ones was an honored teacher in Israel, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, named Nicodemus. When he beheld the wonderful power manifested by Jesus and observed His sweet spirit toward the poor and the suffering, he longed to meet and talk with Him alone. Nicodemus evidently thought his own high standing as teacher and officer prohibited him from having public interview with the Nazarene, so he decided to arrange for a secret meeting to be held in the stillness of night. By covertly asking a disciple, he was told where Jesus could be found alone after the shades of evening had fallen upon the earth, and to that place Nicodemus sought, and there he found Him.

The Conversation Opened

When in His presence he opened conversation by saying, "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." He evidently supposed that Jesus would follow with the thread of thought he had introduced. But instead of following He immediately introduced another theme by saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God."

Scarcely comprehending what Jesus meant, Nicodemus asked, How can a man be born when he is old? Can the process of generation be repeated with a mature man? But Jesus reaffirmed His statement, saying, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus then proceeded to speak of the invisible potency of the wind, apart from the ability of man to control it. And as with the wind, so with the operation of God's Spirit. Man does not control God's Spirit, but it operates in an unseen manner, accomplishing its mighty work upon the inner nature even of mature men. The Jewish teacher could doubtless see that there were both beauty and force in the words of Jesus, yet he doubtingly asked, "How can these things be?"

The Teacher Himself Was Ignorant

In response to this query Jesus kindly questioned Nicodemus and said, "Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?" This question implied that a teacher in Israel should be able to instruct his charge upon the theme of the new birth. But instead, their assignments and recitations pertained to useless forms and many long, tiring ceremonies. To master these rites consumed years of precious time and really injured the mental ability of the youth. By memorizing a thousand ceremonies the young people were made almost incapable of spiritual understanding.

Here was Nicodemus, the first teacher in Israel, almost incapable of grasping the truth relating to eternal life. Here was a noble man hampered by useless ceremonies and kept away from the gospel of God's kingdom, by a theocratic notion that had hindered the nation from doing the evangelistic work which had been entrusted to it.

Jesus, knowing who it was that had come before Him for instruction, and understanding fully the whole situation, improved His opportunity by giving Nicodemus just the lesson which the man and all his people needed. He showed the man that the mission of the Messiah to the world was not to make Israel a ruling nation over all the earth, but to be a sin-atoning Sacrifice and an impartial Redeemer for all who would accept Him by faith.

At one point in the interview, when Nicodemus was manifesting a lack of faith in a statement made, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness."

Herein was Jesus stating the real difficulty with the man. A want of faith in God's word had brought blindness upon Israel, and instead of faith a useless round of burdensome works were being offered as a means of salvation.

The Serpent in the Wilderness

Then, to impress Nicodemus with the importance of simple, unquestioned faith in God's word, He referred him to how Moses had lifted up a brass serpent on a pole in the wilderness and how every one who had been bitten by fiery serpents simply looked upon that brazen serpent and by looking they were healed.

Nicodemus knew of that bit of wilderness history and believed it to be a true record of what took place. Then said Jesus to him, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Since man poisoned by the bite of a serpent could be saved from dying simply by looking, in obedience to God's word, at the image of a serpent, it was plain that the power to heal was in God's promise of recovery. But the bitten man must have faith enough in the promise to look at the lifted serpent. Perhaps at this point Nicodemus wished to ask if God would save for eternity people out of all the Gentile nations simply by their looking unto Him by faith. The Jews thought there were national distinctions that should be recognized, but anticipating the question, Jesus immediately

said, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

This was a marvelous revelation to Nicodemus. Indeed, there can not be found in all the range of Christ’s teaching as recorded in the Gospels, a fuller lesson given on the subject of salvation than this one given in the night to one who sought of Him alone to learn the way of life. How blessed is the thought that God actually loves all the world and that He loves each person in the world with such intensity of love as to give His only-begotten Son in sacrifice to make it possible that all, or any one in the world, can be saved from sin and death and get everlasting life by believing.

This was the substance of the blessed message which Jesus gave to Nicodemus. Jesus said many other things to him, but this verse in John 3: 16 comprehends it all.

Tho Nicodemus did not immediately join himself to the cause of the Redeemer, he never forgot the lesson he heard during that night’s visit.

An Observer for Three Years

For three years at least, he observed the work of Christ and treasured up thoughts spoken by Him, before he saw the great consummation on Calvary. During this period he doubtless studied the predictions of the prophets concerning Him. By careful inquiry concerning His parentage he learned that He was Immanuel, a divine Man, the Son of a virgin in fulfilment of Isaiah 7: 14. He had ample time and a disposition to learn the essential particulars concerning the time, the place, and the manner of Christ’s birth, His bringing up, His baptism, and His successful conflict with Satan in the wilderness. Each one of these things helped him in knowing about the personality and mission of the Messiah. In the predictions made by Isaiah, the fifty-third chapter, and David in the second and the twenty-second psalms, he was enabled to know that an awful tragedy would be enacted by Jews and Gentiles together when the great sacrifice should be made. Among those Old Testament predictions was the lesson of Jesus about the Son of Man being lifted up when He should be made an offering for sin. So when he beheld strong men—after a mock and cruel trial—lay Christ on a great Roman cross of wood, and with a heavy hammer drive long, sharp spikes through His hands and His feet, and then lift Him up to die on that cross in awful agony before an angry, mocking multitude, he knew the great transaction was then taking place, and that God had given His Son in sacrifice to die for the world. There can be no question but Nicodemus was fully apprized of what was taking place on that eventful day, for late in the day when Jesus was dead, he came with Joseph of Arimathea to receive the body from Pilate that they might embalm and bury it. John 19: 38-42.

As High Officials They Observed the Tragedy

These men being high officials in the Jewish nation had without doubt observed the entire tragedy. They felt the earthquake that rent the rocks, and saw the sun darkened at noonday, and in the midst of the darkness and awful commotion they could hear the Roman captain and his men mournfully saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.” Matt. 27: 45-54.

The man who had visited the Master in the night and who helped to place Him in the tomb had seen and studied enough to make him understand what had been done. Yes, he had seen the Messiah die and had buried Him. So when the tidings of His resurrection from the dead reached the ears of Nicodemus, he was prepared to believe the report, and to watch with deepest interest the development of His cause. When Christ met with His disciples and committed unto them the work of preaching the glad news of salvation through His name, Nicodemus doubtless knew it. The Lord’s ascension to heaven and the marvelous ingathering of three thousand souls on the Day of Pentecost could not escape his attention, and so it came to pass as the Christian cause grew, Nicodemus, who visited Him alone in the hush of night, became an avowed and an open-day disciple and stanch defender of the faith. It was through Nicodemus’s cautious visit with Jesus in His place of prayer, perhaps on Mount Olivet, that the world finally got the blessed lesson of John 3: 16. Now, if that ruler of the Jews could by seeking unto Jesus in the dead of night obtain such a wonderful revelation of God’s love for man, what may the disciples of Jesus at this time learn from Him if they spend nights in their secret chambers bowing at His feet?

We need not be as cautious as Nicodemus was in approaching Him, but we should be as anxious to know God’s will and as earnest in going unto Jesus to learn about the way.

The Bible to Be Understood by All

By Ellen G. White

By Mrs. E. G. White

“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” “For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.”

BY searching the Scriptures, we are to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. The Bible has not been given for the benefit of ministers only; it is the Book for the people; it is the comfort of the poor man. It is a great mistake for ministers to give the impression to the people that they should not read the Bible, because they can not understand its sacred teachings, and should be content with the interpretation given by those whose business it is to proclaim the word of God. Ministers who thus educate the people, are themselves in error.

The Bible and the soul were made one for the other; and through the agency of the Word and the Holy Spirit, God moves upon the heart. To him who receives the love of the truth, the word of God is as a light that shines in a dark place, pointing out the path so plainly that the wayfaring man, tho a fool, need not err therein. He realizes that “the entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

The uneducated man, in earnest desire of soul, may in his humility and simplicity reap from the Bible far greater consolation than the learned or more exalted and honored man. He may never be able to present to another the same evidences of the inspiration of the Word that a learned man could; but he can bear in his life and character a testimony of strength, showing forth in his outward demeanor the evidence of the power of the truth.

God means that the poor and uneducated should have His word as a sure light and guide in the path of righteousness. If they are sincere, and desire earnestly to know the will of God, they will not be left in darkness. It is the privilege of every one to be wise for himself in reading the Scriptures.

No man can safely trust his soul to the minister, or to men who are learned and talented. Jesus charged the priests and rulers, who were regarded as learned in the Scriptures, as being ignorant both of the Scriptures and of the power of God. Those to whom God has entrusted talents are responsible for the use of their gifts, and should study the Bible as a book that may be understood. A single text has proved in the past, and will prove in the future, a savor of life unto life to many a soul. As men diligently search, the Bible will open out new treasures of truth, that will be as bright jewels to the mind.

“The Powers That Be”

By New York Observer

Romans 13: 1

THE pope of Rome finds himself confronted with the command of God to submit himself to the powers that be. This divine precept is binding on him, as on any other man. The divine precept was given with special reference to the civil authorities, and to prescribe the duties of the church toward the secular powers. It was, moreover, given to the Romans, “to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints;” and the command is in these words: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.” This ought to be the pope’s rule of practise, and if he could bring himself into the spirit of submission to the command of God, whose servant he claims to be, it would be greatly for his comfort.

Now he kicks against the pricks. He and his predecessor, rebelling against the law of God, and refusing to submit themselves unto the powers that be, have made things very disagreeable for themselves. The palace of the Vatican is one of the largest and most elegant in the world, adorned with priceless treasures of art, with libraries and museums, and every luxury that genius can devise for the entertainment of a man who claims to be the vicar of Him who had not where to lay His hand. Yet this gorgeous and widely-extended palace is called a prison-house by its master, who is supposed by some of his people to be lying in a dungeon on a bed of straw! The pope is as free to go and come as any man in Ireland or Italy, and his pretense of being restrained is set up merely to exhibit his refusal to acknowledge the right of the powers that be. Probably no greater farce was ever enacted outside of the pages of Cervantes, whose Sancho imagined himself the governor of Barataria.—New York Observer.

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