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SIGNS
TIMES
THE WORLD'S PROPHETIC WEEKLY
=
DEVANEY'
Vol. 76, No. 43
How to Build a Christian Home—see page 5
November 15, 1949
SIGNS'
TIMES
CORRESPONDENCE
"Bible Takes Wings"
DEAR SIR:
Arthur S. Maxwell
Editor
Associate Editor . . Merlin I.. Neff
Assistant Editor . . . Francis A. Soper
NOVEMBER 15, 1949 C Rif TS Vol. 76, No. 43
The picture and story, "The Bible Takes
Wings" (August 23 issue), has gone over
tremendously. It was well received from all
quarters of both the United States and Canada.
You must have a tremendous circulation,
because we heard from eighty-two people yesterday and thirty-six on one mail today, and
we get three mails per day. All letters were of
highest praise and comment.
MANLEY F. MINER.
Kingsville, Ontario, Canada.
Sermon Material
CORRESPONDENCE
EDITORIALS: EUROPE REVISITED
"LITTLE PRAYER MEETINGS"
PROTESTANT REVIVAL
Arthur L. Bretz
HOW TO BUILD A CHRISTIAN HOME
IN THE NEWS
THE THIEF'S QUESTION .
.
Donald W. McKay
2
3
3
4
5
6
7
HE WROTE OF THE MARTYRS
Gideon and Hilda Hagstotz 8
QUIET MORNING (POEM) . . Mary Lucretia Barker 9
THE GOAL OF PROPHECY . . Benjamin P. Hoffman 10
LOVE—THE CENTER OF THE LAW . .
W C. Moffett 11
THE WORSHIP OF GOD
Dallas Youngs 12
DEAR SIR:
Enclosed find two dollars for another year.
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single copy. All my sermon topics are now
taken from the Signs of the Times.
W. F. P.
North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Spiritually Alert
DEAR SIR:
I cannot mail you my renewal without telling you how much your paper has meant to
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Bible' Course we need something to keep our
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Signs of the Times certainly fills this need. I
hope I can always be a subscriber.
B. B. S.
Columbia, North Carolina.
Opens the Word
DEAR SIR:
OUR COVER
A happy home is a Christ-centered home where
members of the family look beyond themselves. Over
the home circle must be "the protecting canopy of
God's love." Read "How to Build a Christian Home,"
on page 5.
Some dear friend has been sending me
Signs of the Times for the past year and I wish
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Please renew my subscription. My roommate and the rest of the girls living here wait
F. F. H.
eagerly for your paper.
Hilo, Hawaii.
Converted
DEAR SIR:
CIRCULATION MANAGER . .
. .
H. K.
CHRISTMAN
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Page Two
I, who for many years did not believe in
foreign missions, and never would help them
in any way, several years ago was converted
through one of your missionaries to China. So
I enclose $2.00 for a renewal of my own subscription and $2.00 for a subscription to someM. R.
one in a foreign land.
Columbus, Ohio.
Engrossed
DEAR SIR:
I become more and more engrossed in the
Signs with each issue I receive from some unknown benefactor. Mere words cannot express my appreciation to this person for this
priceless gift, which I know is going all over
the world and doing so much toward furthering Christ's kingdom on earth. I especially
like Dallas Youngs' "Seekers After Truth."
F. H. S.
Mobile, Alabama.
SIGNS of the TIMES
EDITORIAL
Europe Revisited
F
OR three months this past summer it was our privilege to visit
Europe again, after an absence of nearly
thirteen years. Our journeyings took
us to England, Scotland, and Wales,
thence to Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. We attended services
once more in Westminster Abbey, St.
Paul's Cathedral, and John Wesley's
Chapel, visiting also, among many other
historical sites, Columba's isle of Iona,
John Knox's home in Edinburgh, and
the martyrs' memorial in Oxford.
Flying into Berlin on the airlift, we
spent several days among the indescribable ruins of that long-beleaguered city,
proceeding to Hamburg to view the
destruction there. Another trip took us
to the Waldensian valleys in north
ACME
Hurricane winds, with gusts up to 150 miles an hour, blast a destructive path across
southern Florida. Millions of dollars' damage resulted to homes, businesses, and fruit crops.
Italy, whence we passed through Milan,
Florence, Pisa, and Genoa, on our way
to Rome, where our itinerary reached
its climax in an interview with the Vatican astronomer in the papal palace at
the Castelgandolfo.
It was our first intention to report
this fascinating and informative tour
from day to day; but the "stern, swift
pace" of it made this impossible. However, we hope to start a series of articles, covering the outstanding memories of the trip, in the near future. Further announcement concerning this will
appear later.
A. S. M.
"Little Prayer M eetings
IT
ACME
Atomic power is being put to use in combating cancer. (Above) The plaster cast of a patient's head is
used to determine the best position for treating a
cancer of the gums. (Below) A patient is readied
for treatment of his larynx cancer.
for NOVEMBER 15, 1949
ft
was a midweek prayer service in a
I small-town church—the type of meeting where in the quiet atmosphere of
meditation and sweet fellowship one
feels drawn into the very presence of
God.
We knelt with the score or so of worshipers to offer our petitions of praise
and request to a loving Father in
heaven, knowing that they would be
heard and answered according to the
divine will.
As we were bowed reverently in that
blessed season of communion, we heard
the voice of a young man toward the
back of the church speaking in prayer.
"Our Father," he began, "tonight Thy
mercies have brought us to this oasis of
quiet in a world filled with problems
that seem insurmountable. In our simplicity we know that many of these
problems would soon melt away if only
our world were full of little prayer meetings like this."
How significant these words! Though
couched in the simple phrasing of this
humble prayer, the thunder of their
meaning should reverberate throughout
the land. Never has perplexed, disstraught humanity needed prayer more
than it does today.
But, tragically, in this day when we
face a frightening future, prayer rarely
enters into the deliberations of the leaders of men. How seldom, amid the
widely publicized plans for a new world
order, is there a voice to speak out expressing the need for more of the divine
presence!
Prayer is the greatest force known for
grappling with the disturbing complexities of our "one world." Would to God
we could have more "little prayer meetings"—thousands and millions of them
—in every part of our troubled earth!
Then would all distrust and fear give
way to mutual understanding.
"Prayer makes all men the same, in
size and importance," writes Margaret
Lee Runbeck in the Christian Herald.
"True prayer is the greatest democracy
in the universe. There cannot be prayer
without brotherhood; there cannot be
democracy without true reverence for
Almighty God and man."
As with national and international
problems, so in each of our personal
lives. Conversation with God should
be a constant habit, not a worried plea
when one is at his wit's end. Communion with God should come naturally and sincerely.
Norman Vincent Peale tells of WalPage Three
ter Hoving, a businessman who has
found prayer to be a continual and reliable aid in the unceasing pressure of
business life. Hoving, one of the nation's leading department-store executives, communes with God for fifteen
minutes each morning after breakfast.
He and his wife claim the promise,
"Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the
midst." Matthew 18:20. They find that
these "little prayer meetings" make their
everyday problems light, and that decisions and resolutions come to them
with compelling force.
A prominent industrialist has his own
private "little prayer meeting" as he
goes to his work, using his car as his
certain lad in the south Pacific tested
this wonderful promise for himself,
and found God true to His word. He
writes of his experience in these words,
"I have learned out here what it means
to pray without ceasing. And more
than that-LI have found that God answers without ceasing." May we find
that same blessed result as we approach
God in our "little prayer meetings,"
even if these meetings consist of only
"two or three."
F. A. S.
Protestant Revival ?
I
F Protestantism is to withstand the
advances of the two great totalitarianisms of today,—communism and Ca-
t`;*
7:1
•
ACME
Another mechanical brain starts solving complicated mathematical problems. This marvel,
recently demonstrated at Harvard University, has a "memory" capable of storing 64,000 digits.
chapel. "I conceive of Jesus Christ as
driving to the plant with me," he says.
"After all, He did say that He would
be with us always. And I have got in
the habit of talking problems over with
Him. Instead of desperately expecting
a prayer to pull me out of a mess, I now
condition my mind in advance, so that
no matter what comes up I am prepared to make calm and rational decisions."
Truly, we need prayer in every phase
of life—in our most intimate personal
lives, in our homes, in our factories, in
our legislative halls, around our international conference tables. God should not
be left out of any of these.
Will God hear our prayers ? Listen
to the divine promise, "Ask, and it shall
be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
for everyone that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew
7:7, 8.
During the dark days of the war, a
Page Four
tholicism,—it must experience a great
spiritual awakening, and that without
delay.
This is no time for feeble faith and
weak convictions. Protestants must not
only know what they believe, and why
they believe it; they must become repossessed of their early evangelical fervor. They must experience anew the
spiritual aggressiveness that led the early
church to victory over pagan Rome.
Is there hope of any such spiritual rebirth amongst the ranks of Protestantism ? We believe there is.
It has been our privilege the past few
days to attend the Fifty-sixth General
Convention of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in San Francisco. There, amid
the normal routine of a religious convention, we heard voices raised calling
for a revival to meet the tremendous
issues of today. From Presiding Bishop
Henry Knox Sherrill came a call for
a new Pentecost. "The members of the
early Christian community," he said,
"had an overwhelming experience in
the living power of God. They were
uplifted and inspired out of themselves,
beyond themselves, to speak the wonderful works of God." As a result of
this they "went out into a cold, hostile,
pagan world. They were persecuted,
tortured, put to death, but they told
their story, not only in words but in the
complete sacrifice of themselves." Such
is the experience we as Christians need
today, said Bishop Sherrill. "The answer to the world's need is not to be
found alone in the resources of the human spirit but in the power of God
working in and through human life.
Before we can overcome the circumstances without we must look within to
the life of the spirit. Unless we are
strong there we shall inevitably be carried along by an uncontrolled tide of
events. But if we are filled by the Spirit
of God we can move into our pagan and
disorganized society, as did the Christians of the first century."
From another leader of this church
came this challenge: "Let us pray God
for a revitalizing of the church."
From another: "We must recover the
lost radiance of the gospel."
From another: "We need an evangelistic rebirth."
Someone made reference to the remarkable success of the evangelistic
campaign held in the Church of St.
John the Divine in New York City,
concerning which Dr. Shoemaker said,
"If God can convert Episcopalians in
New York, it seems as if there is hope
for everybody!"
There may be something to that.
Certainly when the leading bishops and
laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church
begin to express their deep desire for a
recovery of the "lost radiance of the gospel," and an "evangelistic rebirth," there
is new hope for Protestantism everywhere.
Personally, we rejoiced to hear these
evidences of a great spiritual stirring
within the ranks of this traditionally
conservative communion. We came
away saying to ourselves, If the Protestant Episcopal Church is praying for
a revival, surely it is high time for every
Protestant denomination to unite in a
similar petition.
Confronting the gravest perils that
have ever faced the cause of Christ, His
true followers everywhere must unite
in prayer for a rebaptism of the -Spirit.
Now, more than ever, they must know
the meaning and the power of Pentecost. In this midnight hour of history
they must rediscover the divine dynamic
which alone can send them forth again
aflame with the love of their Lord.
A. S. M.
SIGNS of the TIMES
The Test of True Religion Is
Our Treatment of Our Loved Ones
HEN He was come into the
ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed
Him that he might be with Him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith
unto him, Go home to thy friends, and
tell them how great things the Lord
hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." Mark 5:18, 19.
True Christianity manifests itself first
of all in the home. I'd like to be with
you, Jesus, said the man who was
healed. I would like to go as a missionary.
"Go home to thy friends," said the
Master.
Here is the crucial test for one's religion. It is difficult to be anything but
yourself at home. You can strike a pose
at the office; you can assume an air of
righteousness in casual friendships; you
can deceive some folks in the ordinary
routine of life's experinces; but you are
not likely to deceive anyone at home.
Those nearest and dearest to you know
what you are and how deep your profession goes.
The family circle is the supreme conductor of Christianity, for the strength
of the church of tomorrow depends
upon the strength of the homes of today.
KEYSTONE
The truly successful home must be centered in Christian ideals and built upon the foundation of God's word. On a home thus established God can bestow His choicest blessings.
for NOVEMBER 15, 1949
by ARTHUR L. BIETZ
Of Abraham, the father of the faithful, God said, "For I know him, that he
will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the Lord, to do justice
and judgment; that the Lord may bring
upon Abraham that which He hath
spoken of him." Genesis 18:19.
Sometimes it takes three generations
to make a Christian leader. Such was the
case of Timothy, for Paul says, "I thank
God . . . when I call to remembrance
the unfeigned faith that is in thee,
which dwelt first in thy grandmother
Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am
persuaded that in thee also." 2 Timothy
1:3-5. The apostle Paul could have
confidence in this young man, who was
now entering the ministry, because he
knew of his home background.
In the beginning God established a
home in the Garden of Eden. "And
the Lord God said, It is not good that
the man should be alone; I will make
him an help meet for him." A good life
and a good home are inseparably linked
together.
Educators have found that the correlation between the ideas of the child
and the ideas of the parents is close. You
are the result of your home atmosphere,
and religion is caught much more than
it is taught.
How shall we build a Christian home ?
To achieve a home that God can bless,
we must begin before the home is
established. In friendships and in courtship the foundation must be laid. It is
folly to think of establishing a Christian
home when no thought is given to its
Page Five
character before marriage. If you want
a Christian home, you must choose a
partner who is endeavoring to live the
principles taught by the Saviour.
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap." Galatians 6:7. Whatever
you sow in your courtship you are likely
to reap in the home you establish.
If you want a happy home, be certain
it is centered in Christian ideals, principles, and attitudes. There are two and
a half times as many marriages broken
up where there is religious disharmony
as where there is concord. Where both
are Protestants, 6.8 per cent of the homes
break. Where both are Catholics, 6.4
per cent of the homes break. Where
there are mixed marriages, between religions, 15.2 per cent of the homes end
in divorce courts. Where there is no
religious affiliation whatever, nearly 17
per cent of the homes break up.
Marriage is essentially a spiritual
union. Paul gives this admonition, "Be
ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness ?
and what communion hath light with
darkness ? and what concord hath Christ
with Belial ? or what part hath he that
believeth with an infidel ?" 2 Corinthians 6:14, 15.
Is the person you love stingy or generous, dominant or co-operative ? Take a
good look at your prospective companion. Take a look at the family, for you
are marrying into the family.
Then if you would have a Christian
home, remember that marriage is a
moral act, not an emotional convulsion!
Never marry unless you have strong
feelings in regard to your life partner,
but remember that the strong feelings
must be augmented by fidelity and integrity. Marriage cannot he based on
romantic feelings alone, for feelings
are unstable.
Marriage is not a fifty-fifty proposition; it is a relationship which demands
that one or the other in time of crisis
must go ioo per cent of the way in order
to re-establish what may have been lost.
Christian marriage gives both parties
the opportunity to develop their individual characters to the highest degree.
One partner can kill the incentives toward growth in the other; one can
freeze the other into a self-conscious,
inferior, fearful creature. I make this
statement carefully: A man who has
lived with a woman for ten or fifteen
years must to a large degree blame himself for the kind of wife she is to him;
and she is equally responsible for the
kind of husband he is. In a Christian
Gasoline Jell Splits Rock
found the stone on the surface about three
hundred yards from where the now famous
Black Star sapphire was found last May.
The Black Star weighed 1,156 carats and
was valued at $300,800.
A new process to crack rock thousands of
feet underground to permit the flow of oil to
the wellholes from which it is pumped to the
surface was revealed in Dallas, Texas, by
Stanolind Oil and Gas Company, at a meeting of the American Institute of Mining and
Metallurgical Engineers. The process utilizes
jellied gasoline, one of the war's most horrible incendiary weapons.
The jellied gasoline looks like thick mush.
It is pumped into the well under very high
pressure. It spreads through the underground
rock formation and causes it to split and
open up cracks through which the oil can
flow. Sand suspended in the mush keeps the
cracks from closing again. After the rocks
are split, a liquid chemical may be pumped
into the well. It breaks the mush into a
liquid again, and the gasoline flows out of
the well with the oil.
Finds 1,958-Carat Blue Sapphire
A blue sapphire, said to be the largest in
the world; has been found near Emerald,
central Queensland, Australia, by a miner's
wife, reports the Associated Press. The sapphire weighs 1,958 carats and is as large as
a coffee cup, experts said. Mrs. Roy McKinney was picnicking with friends when she
Page Six
Ancient Tooth Not Human
For nearly eighty years Australians have
treasured as evidence of the antiquity of
man in their country a supposed human molar tooth. Found in the Wellington caves of
New South Wales, embedded in a rock, it
had been considered as belonging to a period
of 7,000 to 12,000 years ago. Now it turns
out to be the posterior half of the upper
fourth premolar of the right side of a kind
of animal whose remains are found in profusion over a wide area of Eastern and
Southeastern Australia, reports Dr. H. H.
Finlayson of the South Australia Museum in
a letter to the British journal "Nature."
Ban Tightening on Comics
The unfunny funnies that feature mayhem, murder, or lust have been banned in
nearly fifty United States cities, the American Municipal Association reports, says the
New York "Herald-Tribune." Most of the
cities have set up censorship committees that
pass on comic books before they are offered
for sale.
marriage one does not dominate the
other so that the individuality and identity are lost.
If you want a truly Christian marriage, you must look beyond yourself.
If two hearts look to God in worship, in
prayer, and in religious devotion, both
of them will grow. "But we all, with
open face beholding as in_ a glass the
glory of the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory." Jesus
Christ should be the head of the house,
the One to direct and help decide in
every crisis.
If a Christian home is to be achieved,
there must be a capacity to deal with
conflict. Some folks say, "We have not
had a quarrel; we never have a cross
word." I'm not certain that that is as
nearly ideal as it sounds. Many times
it is better to bring differences of opinion out into the open and to deal with
them, rather than to keep them submerged. I cannot believe that two persons who are alive to the world could
live together without ever having a disagreement. If they have never had a
quarrelsome word, I wonder what they
have been suppressing!
There should be enough courage in
the Christian home for the partners to be
honest with each other; and if there is
dissatisfaction, why not bring it out into
the open ? Conflict must be dealt with
in the spirit of humility, with each partner assuming an equal amount of blame
for the difficulty. Never, until both assume an equal amount of blame, can
the conflict be resolved. And both must
work together to solve the problem, because both have helped to create the
problem.
If a Christian home is to be achieved,
there must be capacity to forgive and
forgive and forgive! No marriage can
ever be successful unless the husband
and wife have the capacity to forgive.
Forgiveness allows for new beginnings.
When there is alienation, start building,
a bridge across that gap, and do it immediately!
If you would have a Christian home,
be sure that there is love in it. "Love is
a precious gift, which we receive from
Jesus. Pure and holy affection is not a
feeling, but a principle. Those who are
actuated by true love are neither unreasonable nor blind. Taught by the
Holy Spirit, they love God supremely,
and their neighbor as themselves."—E.
G. White, Messages to Young People,
page 435.
The best definition of love is the following: "Love is very patient, very
kind. Love knows no jealousy; love
makes no parade, gives itself no airs, is
(Continued on page 15)
SIGNS of the TIMES
How a Misplaced Comma
Can Cause a Bible Text
to Be Misunderstood
The
THIEF'S
QUESTION
by DONALD W. McKAY
AVE you ever had the experience, when scanning through
your morning newspaper, of
noticing an advertisement where the
opposite meaning than the one intended
resulted, merely because of the inadvertent insertion, or deletion, of a punctuation mark? Quite often periodicals
reprint these mistakes in their joke columns.
I recall having read some time ago
in the Wall Street Journal that in the
winter of • 1847-48 potatoes formed the
sole food of the Irish peasantry.
A pupil thus transcribed it: "In the
winter of 1847, 48 potatoes formed the
sole food of the Irish peasantry."
We smile when we read such items.
In Russia, however, many years ago, a
prisoner's life was saved by a punctuation mark.
The czarina, wife of Alexander III,
happened to notice a document on her
husband's desk regarding a political
prisoner. On the margin the emperor
had written, "Pardon impossible, to be
sent to Siberia."
The czarina took the pen and, striking out the comma and putting in another, made the endorsement to read:
"Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia." The czar allowed it to remain.
Even in the Bible a few commas have
been misplaced by the translators. At
the time the Bible was originally written, the use of commas and many of the
marks of punctuation we use today
were unknown to the penmen who
for NOVEMBER 15, 1949
wrote its sacred pages. Naturally, in
translating such a prodigious work, a
few commas were misplaced; for example, "From his body were brought
unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons,
and the diseases departed." Acts 19:12.
The omission of the comma after the
word "sick" changes the meaning entirely. However, we know that aprons
or handkerchiefs are incapable of being
sick.
Another instance where a comma has
been misplaced by the translators is
found in Luke 23:43: "Verily I say unto
thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in
paradise." In this text Christ was speaking to the penitent thief on the cross
who had faith in the saving power of
Jesus and believed in the resurrection
of the dead.
When Christ uttered these words He
knew that the thief would not die that
day. Indeed, a man sentenced to death
by crucifixion seldom died the day he
was crucified. Although many churches
teach that at the moment of their death
good people go directly to heaven, the
Bible teaches that death is but a sleep
until the great resurrection day, when
Christ will call His children from their
dusty graves. He said to His disciples,
"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; 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.
The dead are not yet in heaven, nor
are they in hell. "There is no work, nor
device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in
the grave, whither thou goest," states
the Scripture. Ecclesiastes 9:1o.
But Jesus has also given us the glorious promise, "Let not your heart be
troubled: ye believe in God, believe also
in Me. In My Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto Myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also." John 14:1-3.
As Christ came literally the first time,
so will He come literally the second
time. The Bible gives specific evidence
to support this natural conclusion. After Christ ascended, two heavenly mes(Continued on page 15)
Page Seven
Giants of the Reformation-7
HE WROTE
OF Tilt
MARTYRS
John Foxe
Was the Chronicler of
Reformation Heroes.
by GIDEON and HILDA
HAGSTOTZ
THE DETTMANN ARCHIVE
John Foxe occupies a unique place in the annals of reform because of his church history.
OHN FOXE was not a
great preacher. He took
,
no part in the councils
-4(
f) of kings and queens, nor
in the conferences of the
great, as they argued the merits of
Protestantism versus Catholicism. Neither did he collaborate with other Reformers in producing confessions and
beliefs. He did not translate the Bible,
and he did not die a martyr's death.
His fame as a Reformer rests chiefly
upon his having chronicled the events
of the Reformation, particularly its
martyrdoms. He occupies a unique
place in the annals of reform because
of his church history, Acts and Monuments of the Church, popularly named
Book of Martyrs, the only work of its
kind during this period in English history to give readers an insight into
Protestant social habits and thinking.
During the past centuries in England
and America the reading material supplied around many a hearthstone consisted mainly of the Bible, supplemented
by the Book of Martyrs. And many a
boy and girl, as well as older youth,
140
Page Eight
from the sixteenth century down to the study the Latin and Greek scholars, as
twentieth, have had their early think- well as the various disputations, acts, and
ing shaped by what they read in Foxe. decrees of the church. He also gained
Because of this considerable influence a thorough knowledge of the Bible in
he is given a place as worthy of mention the original tongue, which "led him to
among the heroes of the Reformation. discern the errors of popery and to seek
Foxe was born in Boston, in Lincoln- the only way of salvation."
shire, one hundred miles north of LonFrequently he spent whole nights in
don, in 1517, the same year that Luther study. At times in the dead of night he
nailed his ninety-five theses to the walked in a pleasant grove near the
church door in Wittenberg. Foxe came college to confirm his mind upon the
of good stock. While he was still young great Biblical truths, and to determine
his father died. His mother then mar- his course of action in the light of his
ried a Richard Melton, whom John evi- new-found faith. To renounce popery
dently liked. Later on John was to in that period was no light matter; it
dedicate one of his books to his step- frequently involved danger, loss of
father.
friends and preferment, and even death
His childhood was characterized by itself.
a great love for reading. Because his
"From these nightly vigils," says a
stepfather was poor, two friends sent biographer, "sprang the first suspicion
John, at the age of sixteen, to Brasenose 41 his heresy. Some . were employed to
College, Oxford. Here he attained the observe his words and actions. They
A.B. and A.M. degrees; and at Mag- questioned why he stayed away from
dalen College, in 1543, he was elected church, shunned the company of his
to a full fellowship.
associates, and refused to recreate (take
He witnessed the discrepancies be- part in sports) as he had in the past."
By request of the college officials he
tween the profession and the conduct
of the Romish clergy, and began to resigned his fellowship in 1545 and reSIGNS of the TIMES
turned- to the home-of his father-in-law,
an ardent papist, who forthwith disowned him for his heresy.
Foxe then obtained temporary employment as tutor in the home of Sir
Thomas Lucy, in Warwickshire.
Persecution drove him away, however, and, penniless and sick, he went
to London, to Paul's Church. He became the tutor of the grandchildren of
the duke of Norfolk.
Upon the accession of Mary Tudor,
Foxe wished to join his friends in exile,
but the young duke of Norfolk, although a Catholic, felt honor bound to
protect his tutor. However, Foxe, who
had been ordained a deacon of St. Paul's
Cathedral by Ridley in 155o, and who
had been the first to preach Protestantism at Ryegate, had made some pointed
remarks against the worship of images
and other popish idolatry; and Gardiner, "the sleuthhound of the reaction,"
suspected heresy.
One day, as Gardiner was visiting in
the duke's house, Foxe, whom the duke
attempted to keep hidden, inadvertently
walked into the room. When he saw
Gardiner he immediately withdrew,
and the duke explained that this was his
young physician who, just coming from
the university, had not yet learned the
amenities of court life. Gardiner remarked that he liked the young man's
looks and would doubtless sometime
want to make use of him.
Realizing that his mentor's life was
in danger, the young duke provided
a boat at Ipswich and sent Foxe and his
wife to a farmhouse near the seashore,
to be out of harm's way until sailing
time. A heavy storm caused the boat
with the Foxes on board to return to
port. Upon landing, Foxe learned that
a messenger of Gardiner's had searched
the farmer's house for him and had
followed him to the port. The messenger had left when he discovered that
the vessel had sailed.
Foxe decided to set sail again that
night regardless of the rough sea, and
in two days he and his wife landed in
Flanders. For a time they lived in
Frankfort, in the house of Anthony
Gilby, a well-known Protestant. Because controversy in that city raged
among the Protestants as to which ritual
to use, Foxe left for Basel.
At Basel, then celebrated for its superior printing, Foxe became a "corrector of the press," as he worked for
John Herbst (or Oporinus), an enthusiastic Protestant printer. He also
continued his work on a church history
which he had already begun in England. His labors were severe. In addition he "suffered want, sat up late, and
kept a hard diet," but, accustomed to
hardship from his youth, he did not
seem to mind.
With his history he was assisted by
Grindal, afterward archbishop of Can-
LUOMA
QUIET MORNING
by MARY LUCRETIA BARKER
0 morning, let me love your
peace,
Your quietness and calm,
That follow restless, troubled
nights
Like breathing of a psalm.
Oh, do not bring me turbulence
Or tumult for today,
But, like your floating, flying
clouds,
Let tempest pass away.
I know God in serenity,
I worship Him in peace,
I hear His voice in solitude.
He reigns, and frictions cease.
terbury, who was living in Strasbourg.
Grindal kept up a constant correspondence with England and obtained many
accounts of those who were burned at
the stake, from the Reformers undergoing persecution and from their
friends. These he gave to Foxe, who
later also had access to the archives and
the registers of the bishops.
In 1559 his Acts and Monuments of
the Churc.h, written in Latin and dedicated to the duke of Norfolk, his former pupil; appeared at Basel. In excellent Latin, Foxe congratulated Queen
Elizabeth, in the name of the German
people, upon her accession to the English throne.
Foxe returned to England the same
year. Still in financial straits, he appealed to the duke of Norfolk, who
provided him with a home. Foxe in
turn encouraged his patron to read the
Scriptures and stand manfully for
Christ.
Foxe remained with the duke, then
one of the most powerful noblemen in
England, until the duke was executed
in 1572 as a result of becoming involved
in the intrigues of Mary, queen of Scots.
Foxe accompanied the duke to the scaffold as his comforter, and heard him
renounce the Romish doctrines and express his belief in Jesus Christ. The
duke left Foxe an annuity of twenty
pounds.
During the autumn of 1561 Foxe
began to translate his Acts and Monuments of the Church into English:
Every Monday he worked at the printing office of John Day, famous printer
in Aldergate Street; and from this office
the first complete English edition, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, appeared in
1563.
The popularity of the volume was
instantaneous. In the course of years it
went through many editions—at least
four editions within the first twenty
years. By order of the canons of the convention of 1571, all high dignitaries were
to receive a copy, as well as every college hall and university. A copy was
ordered to be placed in every parish
church, along with the Great Bible, that
all people might read it. "Even now,"
said George Stokes, a historian, in 1841,
"the well-worn remair are sometimes
found in village churches." It is recorded
that Nicholas Ferrar, pastor at Little
Giddings, hull& chapter of it read every
Sunday along with the Bible. So great
was its influence that "with Puritan
clergy, and in almost all English households where Puritanism prevailed, the
Martyrs was long the sole authority for
church history, and an armory of argu(Continued on page 13)
for NOVEMBER 15, 1949
Page Nine
God's Gift of Prophecy-4
CRAMSTORFF
The Goal of Prophecy
by BENJAMIN P. HOFFMAN
Pr- I
0 the careful student of the divine
prophecies, history is not a meaningless
recurrence of events, but is rather the
record of the outworking of a divine
purpose. It is this purpose of God which
gives significance and perspective to human existence.
Human experience is recorded in
three great chapters: man's creation, his
fall, and his salvation. A correct understanding of these three subjects will
give us the key to man's nature, history,
and destiny. Although the entire Bible
takes up these subjects, the prophecies
are chiefly concerned with some aspect
of the final goal—salvation. It is as
man's Saviour that Jesus Christ, the Son
of God and the Son of man, occupies
the central position on the stage of
prophecy.
The Messianic prophecies of the Bible
group themselves around two events
which represent aspects of the salvation
that was to be accomplished by the
Coming One. His coming in the flesh
was primarily concerned with man's redemption from the guilt of sin, and the
provision for him to live a sinless life.
To accomplish this, Jesus met temptation and conquered it. Though He was
tempted in all points as we are, yet He
did not sin.
Then our Lord took upon Himself
the guilt of the sins of the human family, and died upon the cross of Calvary,
thus providing for the forgiveness of
those who believe and accept Him. Jesus came forth from the tomb triumPage Ten
phant over "him that had the power of
death." Hebrews 2:14. He ascended to
heaven to make intercession for us. This
work was promised and foreshadowed
in the prophecies of the Old Testament
and in the offerings and ceremonies of
the old covenant.
The other aspect of the salvation of
Jesus Christ is the work of restitution,
in which the results of sin are dealt with,
and the restoration of all that was lost
through man's fall is accomplished.
Both Old and New Testaments in their
prophetic good tidings outline not only
a coming of Christ in which redemption is efected, but also His coming
"without sin unto salvation," the time
of judgment, of rewards, and the time
of the setting up of the eternal kingdom
of peace.
This aspect of salvation involves the
second coming of Christ to this earth,
as He Himself promised. "If I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto Myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also." John
14:3. "This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen Him go
into heaven." Acts :II. In the New
Testament, many editions of which contain less than three hundred pages,
count has been made of more than
three hundred references to this second
coming of Jesus Christ—an average of
one to a page. Both phases of His work
are involved in the plan of salvation,
and are included at times in the pro-
NEWTON
As the cross of Jesus Christ stands out as the
central fact of all human history, so all prophecy is now seen to be converging upon the
"blessed hope" of His glorious second advent
and eternal kingdom.
phetic announcements of "the day of
the Lord," "the day," and "that day."
However, the work of redemption is
never represented as being fully accomplished prior to "the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ." Titus 2:13; i Thessalonians
5 :24.
The prophets recognized that the
Messiah would come as the antitype of
the priests who in the earthly sanctuary
ministered for the expiation of sin.
Isaiah, the great gospel prophet, announced the work of Christ as King
when he cried, "Behold, the Lord God
will come with strong hand, and His
arm shall rule for Him: behold, His
reward is with Him." The prophet
pictures the redemptive work of the
Messiah in these words: "He shall feed
His flock like a shepherd: He shall
gather the lambs with His arm, and
carry them in His bosom." Isaiah 4o:
10, I T. The Good Shepherd was to come
to seek and save the lost and to lay
down His life for the sheep.
These two phases of salvation are
SIGNS of the TIMES
also noted in the parabolic teaching of
the Saviour, as aspects of His kingdom.
In some of the parables the kingdom is
represented as seed sown in good
ground or as leaven hidden in meal,
in which, by natural processes of germinaton and growth, some of the great
objectives are reached. By the use of
such parables as the net from which
good fish and bad are separated, the
gathering of sheep and goats on the
right and on the left, and the final separation of tares and wheat, it is made
clear that, when the day of salvation is
ended, he that is unjust will remain
unjust, and he that is righteous will
remain righteous. Then all will stand
before the righteous Judge to receive
the appropriate rewards, either of everlasting life or of destruction.
Thus some of the parables, as well as
the prophecies, stress the preparatory
work of redemption that is accomplished in the hearts and lives of individuals, in which "the kingdom of God
is within you." Luke 17:21. This work
has been called "the kingdom of grace."
See Hebrews 4:16; Colossians 3:15. This
phase of the kingdom was announced
as "at hand" when Jesus came into the
world "preaching the gospel of the kingdom." Matthew 4:17, 23. The work of
the gospel in the hearts of men is designed in this life to make them subjects
of the kingdom and to prepare them for
His coming and for the kingdom of
glory. "When the Son of man shall
come in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then shall He sit
upon the throne of His glory." Matthew 25 :31.
Thus it is seen that there is no inconsistency or contradiction in the parables
of the kingdom. They reveal two different phases of the same kingdom
which is now being set up in the hearts
of believers of Jesus Christ, preparing
them to have a part in the day when
"the God of heaven [shall] set up a
kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be
left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand forever." Daniel 2:44.
"And the kingdom and dominion, and
the greatness of the kingdom under the
whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the Most High,
whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and
obey Him." Daniel 7:27. As the first
coming of Christ in the flesh was essential for our redemption as individuals, so the second coming in glory is
necessary for the final disposition of
sin and the restoration of that which
(Continued on page 18)
for NOVEMBER 15, 1949
LOVE
the Center of the Law
by W. C. MOFFETT
c
ET us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter: Fear God, and
keep His commandments: for
this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13.
If a man were to investigate all the
teachings which purport to be the truth,
he would be utterly confused. Divine
inspiration sums it up in a few words:
"Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of
man." When the Creator placed our
first parents in their Paradise home, He
implanted in their hearts the principles
of His holy law. In that law are set
forth the principles which a God of
infinite wisdom and love deemed essential for the security and happiness of
His creatures."
In my library is a prized possession
—a little catechism which I studied as a
child in the Methodist Church. In an-
STANDARD PUB. CO .
.
Only as a man has true love in his heart
can he keep the law of God in-its fullness.
swer to the question, "What is sin ?" the
answer is given, " 'Sin is the transgression of the law. i John 3:4."
It was transgression of the law which
brought the death penalty upon the
human race. When Adam and Eve
coveted the forbidden fruit, they were
violating the tenth commandment.
When they believed Satan instead of
God, they were having another god
before the Lord 'of the universe. Thus,
they broke the first commandment.
When they stole the forbidden fruit,
they violated the eighth commandment.
Their effort to hide from God's presence
bespoke a guilty conscience, and that
guilty conscience betrayed their knowledge of the principles of the law of God.
There are some who claim that Jesus
did away with the law when He died
on the cross. It is true that the ceremonial laws governing the offering of
sacrifices and the ritual of the ancient
sanctuary services did end when Jesus,
the Lamb of God, shed His blood on
Calvary's cross.
Concerning the Ten Commandments,
Jesus said, "Think not that I am come
to destroy the law, or the prophets: I
am 'not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven
and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall
in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall
break one of these least commandments
and shall teach men so, he shall be
called the least in the kingdom of
heaven: but whosoever shall do and
teach them, the same shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven. For
I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in
no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven." Matthew 5:17-20.
Jesus knew that men would teach
that He changed the law. In the strongest possible language He says that such
a charge is not true.
•
Listen to the words of Paul, "Do we
then make void the law through faith ?
God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
- (Continued on page 14)
Page Eleven
41. The Worship of God
AVID and I are going to be
baptized a week from next
Sabbath," said Mrs. Goldstein.
"Are you, Rachel? I'm so glad. Al
and I expect to do the same. In fact, I
think that all the class will be baptized
except Bert and Bertha Hoover," replied Mrs. Saunders.
"I'm glad you invited Dave and me
to attend these Bible studies, Hazel. I'll
never forget the wonderful times we
have had here together. It was here that
we learned to know Jesus as our personal Saviour, and it was here that we
made up our minds to devote our lives
to His service."
"Nowadays many people get their
sermons sitting beside the radio," stated
Pastor Flynn, to begin the study. "Some
people maintain that they can be good
Christians whether they attend church
or not. Undoubtedly, many are sincere
in making that statement. In the early
history of our country the ratio of
church attendance to nonattendance was
far higher than it is at present. The
trend today is a matter of alarm among
church leaders."
"Does the Bible give us any statement .as to what should be the proper
attitude toward church attendance ?"
asked Joyce Clement.
"We are told this in the Psalms: 'I
was glad when they said unto me, Let
us go into the house of the Lord.' My
soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the
courts of the Lord: my heart and my
flesh crieth out for the living God.' For
a day in Thy courts is better than a
thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God, than to dwell
" 7
Page Twelve
by DALLAS YOUNGS
in the tents of wickedness.' Psalms
I22:I; 84:2, 10.
"The proper attitude is one of joy
and rejoicing. We go to God's house
to meet with Him, and that is a far
greater privilege and honor than to
have an appointment with any earthly
potentate. The true follower of Christ
can cherish no higher ambition than
that of worshiping the one and only
God of heaven and earth.
"It is said that the metal of the elevated railways in New York City and
of the Brooklyn Bridge is in danger of
being weakened by electrolysis, because
of the leakage of the electric currents
from the trolley and electric-light lines.
This electrolysis goes on unseen and
quietly; its existence can only be known
by testing the metal. If it were allowed
to go on unchecked, dire results would
follow, and lives might even be lost.
"Public worship is also being weakened by the 'get and gain' spirit of the
age. There also the process goes on
unseen and quietly."
"You spoke about meeting with the
Lord when we go to church. Does He
make any promise that He will meet
with us ?" asked Mr. Hoover.
"Yes, indeed. He makes a direct
promise, and a good one, too. 'Where
two or three are gathered together in
My name, there am I in the midst of
them.' Matthew 18:20.
"No one ever needs to be discouraged
about the attendance at prayer meeting
or church service. Christ says that He
will meet with the smallest possible
congregation—even if there be only
two. It is written that 'the effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.' • God is moved by the sincere, unselfish, persistent prayers of the
righteous. The faithful `few' may take
courage because God will honor their
assembly with His sacred presence, even
as much as He will a larger congregation.
"Before Adam and Eve sinned, it
was the custom of God to meet with
them in the garden on occasion. But
when they transgressed the divine precepts, it was no longer possible for God
to talk with them 'face to face.' Nevertheless, while it is impossible for Christ
to meet with His assembled saints in
the fullness of His glory, He will meet
with them, according to His promise,
in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
"The fact of it is, we have in the
great truth of God's meeting with His
people, the reason for the building of
the sanctuary. 'Let them make Me a
sanctuary; that I may dwell among
them.' Exodus 25:8.
"God's way is in the sanctuary. He
delights to dwell in the midst of His
people, that He may pour out His blessing upon them. Since God's way is in
the sanctuary, and since it is His wish to
bless us, it is important that we place
ourselves in the way of His presence
and blessing by attending the regularly
appointed sanctuary or church meetings."
"Does the Bible tell us anything about
the manner in which we should worship God ?" inquired Mrs. Saunders.
SIGNS of the TIMES
F
"Yes, in several places: . 'God is a
Spirit: and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and in truth.'
John 4:24.
"When we worship God in truth we
must worship Him according to the
Bible, because the Bible is His word
and is truth. God- cannot be worshiped
in truth unless the worshiper exercises
faith and obedience.
'Give unto the Lord the glory due
unto His name; worship the Lord in
the beauty of holiness.' Psalm 29:2.
"God is the personification of holiness, and Satan is the personification of
unholiness. Sin is the corrupter and defiler of holiness. It cannot be cherished
in the life while the command to worship in the beauty of holiness is being
fulfilled. This command is, in fact, a
command of consecration and of complete devotion of self to God. It is a
command to Godlikeness.
" '0 come, let us worship and bow
down: let us kneel before the Lord our
Maker.' Psalm 95:6.
"This is an invitation to worship, and
worship means to honor and reverence
one who is worthy. Since the Eternal
God is the First Cause of all life, He
alone is worthy of the adoration of all
creatures. The call is to 'bow down'
and 'kneel' before the Lord our `Maker;'
literally, to fall, or to prostrate oneself,
as Joshua did before the Captain of the
Lord's host, and as did the four and
twenty elders of Revelation 4:1o.
"As we come into the presence of
the high and holy God we are to remember the counsel given us in Ecclesiastes 5:I, 'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God.'
"The warning here is to be careful
of our conduct when we go to church.
Lightness and irreverence must be
avoided by the worshiper who would
gain the approval of God. We must
remember, as we enter the house of
God, that we are entering a place that
is hallowed and sanctified by the presence of the great God and Father of
all."
"Are there any specific instructions
given us in the Bible to attend church,
or is that something that is merely accepted among Christian people as being
a thing that ought to be done ? Is it
simply traditional or habitual ?" asked
Mrs. Hoover.
"I think church attendance should
become habitual, all right," replied Pastor Flynn. "However, we do have specific instructions about it in the New
Testament. 'Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one an
for NOVEMBER 15, 1949
other : and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching.' Hebrews 1o:25.
"When Christian people follow these
instructions there is a record made in
heaven of their faithfulness: 'Then they
that feared the Lord spake often one to
another: and the Lord hearkened, and
heard it, and a book of remembrance
was written before Him for them that
feared the Lord, and that thought upon
His name. And they shall be Mine,
saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when
I make up My jewels ["special treasure,"
margin]; and I will spare them, as a
man spareth his own son that serveth
him.' Malachi 3:16, 17."
"I was wondering what Jesus did
when He was upon earth," said Harry
Pierson. "Did He give us an example?"
"We find the record of His practice
in Luke 4:16," responded the teacher.
" 'He came to Nazareth, where He had
been brought up: and, as His custom
was, He went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day.'
"The synagogue was the church of
Jesus' day, and Nazareth was the town
where He had grown to manhood. So
regular had been His attendance at the
synagogue services that Inspiration could
write of it that it was His 'custom' or
habit to go to church."
"I suppose that when we get over
into the new earth our churchgoing
days will be over," said Mr. Ryan.
"On the contrary," smiled Pastor
Flynn, "they will have only begun. Let
us read Isaiah 66:22, 23, 'As the new
heavens and the new earth, which I
will make, shall remain before Me,
saith the Lord, so shall your seed and
your name remain. And it shall come
to pass, that from one new moon to
another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship
before Me, saith the Lord.'
"Sabbath-day churchgoing will not
cease with the second coming of Christ.
The redeemed will ever worship their
Redeemer. The saints will go up to the
New Jerusalem, the capital city of God,
and there 'face to face' will worship
their Creator, time without end."
free Bible Correspondence Course
Readers of the "Signs of the Times" who
are especially interested in Bible study will
be glad to lmow that a free Bible correspondence course is now available to them.
There are no fees, and the only textbook is
the word of God. For full particulars, write
ghe Ed item
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Mountain View, California
The Goal of Prophecy
(Continued from page 11)
God originally created for man as man's
estate. Any preaching which leaves out
either phase of Christ's great salvation
is not the gospel of the kingdom, but
is a perversion of it. The gospel that
presents a crucified and risen Jesus as
our present ever-living Priest and as the
coming King is "the power of God
unto salvation to everyone that believeth." Romans 1:16. Gracious as is
the provision for our forgiveness through
faith in the atoning blood of Christ, it
does not avail for our victory over sin
without the help of our High Priest at
the throne of grace. Likewise even this
salvation is not complete without that
for which "the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth" and for which we
"which have the first fruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit,
the redemption of our body." Romans
8:22, 23.
As the cross of Jesus Christ stands out
as the central fact of all human history,
so all prophecy is now seen to be converging upon one future goal, the
crowning event of history, "that blessed
hope," the second coming of Jesus and
His eternal kingdom.
The Martyrs
(Continued from page 9)
ments in defense of Protestantism
against Catholicism."
Judged by twentieth-century standards Foxe's book can hardly be termed
a critical work, but his supporters feel
that it is unfair to accuse him of deliberate falsehood. In the years following
its first printing he kept on revising
wherever misrepresentations and new
facts came to light; he constantly kept
checking sources and evidences. What
he wrote, it is said, he wrote in good
faith; and this is established by the
internal evidence in the book. It possesses "a simplicity in the narrative,
particularly in many of its minute details, which is beyond fiction; a homely
pathos in the stories which art could
not reach."
Because of his Nonconformist views,
the extreme kind at that, Foxe never
succeeded to special favor with Queen
Elizabeth or her bishops, who had settled upon the Anglican form of church
service. Consequently he did not advance in church office. For a time under
Elizabeth's reign the Nonconformists
were as. greatly persecuted as were the
Catholics.
He did, however, receive some conPage Thirteen
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Page Fourteen
sideration in the lower ranks. As a reward for his Martyrs he was made a
prebendary in Salisbury Cathedral and
vicar of Shipton. While holding these
offices he had occasional conflicts with
the ecclesiastical authorities, for he believed that too many of the fripperies of
popery had been retained in church affairs. When Archbishop Parker asked
him to conform, Foxe held up a copy
of the New Testament and said, "To
this I will subscribe."
He continued to preach, even at the
famous Paul's Cross, the greatest outdoor religious meeting place of the
time. Invited by Grindal in 1570, he
preached his renowned sermon on the
crucified Christ, and later amplified it
for the press.
Foxe was a kind man, noted for his
charity. Always poor himself, he shared
what little he had with those less fortunate. Foxe also possessed tolerance.
He hated the persecutions meted out
to those of divergent faith. In 1575 he
interceded valiantly with Elizabeth and
other authorities to obtain a remission
of the sentence to burn two Anabaptists. Although the queen called him
"her father Foxe," she did not accede to
his pleadings.
Shortly after 1570, to the time of his
death, he probably lived on Grub Street.
In 1586 his health began to fail rapidly,
and after much suffering he died the
following year. He was buried in the
chancel of St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, London, where a monument inscribed by his son Samuel marks the
spot.
Love—the Center
(Continued from page 1)
Romans 3:31. It was because the law
could not be changed that it was necessary for the Son of God to die, to redeem us from the death penalty.
Our heavenly Father could not
change His holy and perfect law. He
could not make it right for men to
worship idols. God Himself could not
make it right for human beings to blaspheme His holy name, to desecrate the
hours of the holy Sabbath, to disregard
parental authority, to kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet.
The penalty must be paid. And God
gave His only-begotten Son to pay the
full penalty, that we might have everlasting life.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
proclaimed the far-reaching character
of the law of God. "Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not commit adultery: but I say
unto you, That whosoever looketh on
SIGNS of the TIMES
a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart." Matthew 5:27, 28. God's law
deals with the motives and purposes of
the heart, the secrets of the life. God
looks behind the outward forms into
the inner life.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and
the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40. The
two tables of the law of God are based
upon two great principles. If a man
loves his Creator with all his heart and
soul and mind, he will worship only
God. He will never bow down to
images; he will reverence the name of
God. He will joyfully keep God's holy
Sabbath. If a man truly loves his neighbor as himself, he will not break any
of the last six commandments.
Paul summarized the law in these
words: "Love worketh no ill to his
neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling
of the law." Romans 13:1o. Of those
who demonstrate this love it is written
in the closing chapter of the New Testament, "Blessed are they that do His
commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city." Revelation 22:14.
A Christian Home
(Continued from page 8)
never rude, never selfish, never irritated,
never resentful; love is never glad when
others go wrong, love is gladdened by
goodness, always slow to expose, always
eager to believe the best, always hopeful, always patient. Love never disappears." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Moffatt.
What a wonderful experience!
If you would achieve a Christian
home, be patient about the things that
cannot be changed. Take that which
cannot be changed and build something
beautiful around it.
If you would have a truly Christian
home, create mutual interests. So many
times we hear young men who have advanced professionally say, "Well, I have
progressed beyond my wife, and she no
longer understands me." Why didn't
you encourage your wife to keep up
with you while you were studying?
Why didn't you make her a partner?
When the one is not growing and the
other is, something is wrong, for the
two should grow together.
We must combine our treasured resources: recreation, cultUre, music, infor NOVEMBER IS, 1949
tellectual interests, financial resources,
spiritual heritage, Bible study, church
attendance, worship, and friendships.
Cherish the Christian heritage, and at
the end of ten or twenty years of happy
marriage you will have a love which
you had not dreamed was possible when
you stood at the altar.
Six things are requisite to create a
happy home: it must be built by the
architect, integrity, and upholstered by
tidiness; it must be warmed by affection, and lighted with cheerfulness; and
its atmosphere must be renewed by industry, as the ventilator; while over all
is the protecting canopy of God's love.
The Thief's Question
7)
sengers proclaimed to the disciples,
"This same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen Him go
into heaven." Acts i :11.
"Every eye shall see Him," proclaimed the apostle John some nineteen hundred years ago.
Paul said, "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." i Thessalonians 4:
16,17.
These and many other texts in the
Bible show that Christ, as He hung on
Calvary's cross, understood that the myriads of this earth's population since
the creation, living and dead, would not
receive their eternal sentence until the
great day of judgment. If everyone went
directly either to heaven or to hell at
death, then there would be no need
for a resurrection.
Scripture evidence indicates that Jesus did not go to heaven that day, therefore He could not have promised to
meet the thief in paradise that crucifixion day. On the Sunday following
His death, Jesus informed Mary, at the
sepulcher, "Touch Me not; for I am not
yet ascended to My Father : but go to
My brethren, and say unto them, I
ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God."
John 20 :17.
Although some have inferred, from
their interpretation of Christ's words to
the thief, that He would be in heaven
that day, this text plainly tells us that
such an event did not occur. Christ's
divine foreknowledge would preclude
•
(Continued from page
His making such an incorrect statement.
Before promising salvation to the
thief, Jesus had been mocked; His enemies vented their rage upon Him as
He hung upon the cross. He must have
felt that all earthly friends had forsaken
Him.
Suddenly to Jesus in His agony, as
He hung bleeding on Calvary's cross,
there came one gleam of comfort. It was
the prayer of the penitent thief. Hope
was mingled with anguish in the voice
of the thief as he made his plea to the
dying Saviour. "Lord, remember me,"
he cried, "when Thou comest into Thy
kingdom."
In a voice soft and melodious and full
of compassion, Jesus answered, Verily
I say unto you today, Thou shalt be with
Me in paradise.
The thief did not die that day. John
describes the event thus: "The Jews
therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain
upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for
that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be
broken, and that they might be taken
away. Then came the soldiers, and
brake the legs of the first, and of the
other which was crucified with him.
But when. they came to Jesus, and saw
that He was dead already, they brake
not His legs." John 19:31-33.
It was against the law of the Jews to
keep a criminal on the cross on the
Sabbath day. Since the Sabbath would
begin at sunset, it was necessary to
break the legs of the two thieves, who
had not yet died, in order to prevent
their escape when they were removed
from the cross.
One commentator explains, "According to the custom, they broke the legs
of the criminals after they had taken
them down from the cross, and let them
lie upon the ground until the Sabbath
was past. After the Sabbath was past,
undoubtedly these two thieves were
again tied on their crosses, and left for
several days, before death came."
How, then, should the text, Verily I
say unto thee today shalt thou be with
Me in paradise, be punctuated ? The
comma should follow the word "today"
instead of preceding it, as the translators
punctuated it. The sentence then reads,
Verily I say unto thee today, Shalt thou
be with Me in paradise. Jesus meant
that on that very day, as the thief hung
on the cross, the assurance of salvation
was given him.
May we all, like the thief on the cross,
come today, this very day, to the humble Nazarene and accept His promise
of salvation. He will not fail us. Let us
open wide our hearts to Him daily.
Page Fifteen
Reveals Spiritual Meaning
of Verses. Gives Desired
Information More Quickly.
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