The above subject (Luke 17:31) is found with other connections in Matt 24:17-21, viz: “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house…and woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! But pray you that your flight be not in the winter (neither on the Sabbath day) for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be.”

This has been very generally applied as having its fulfillment with the Jews, after their house was given up and at its destruction, which followed the end of its seven years of favor. We believe that they did have a fulfillment there, but that they apply to the end of this age especially – in fact as we have seen, everything which occurred to them during their harvest was a shadow of what occurs now during this harvest. To the Jew, it was literally fulfilled; they fled from literal Zion, left literal housetops, fields, beds and mills, and Josephus tells us that mothers ate their own offspring in those days.

But we are looking for the substance there shadowed; we have found the meaning of the “bed” and of the “grinding mills” and of the “house-top,” and now let us see who in Zion are they that give suck and are with child in these days.

We suggest that Paul and Peter and Isaiah tell us who the children are. Written to new converts, we read: “As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.” (1 Pet 2:2). Again, written to those who made slow progress in divine grace and knowledge, we read: “I have fed you with milk and not with meat – even as unto babes.” (1 Cor 3:2), “for when for the time you ought to be teachers [suck givers] you have need that one teaches you again, which be the first principles [milk] of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that uses milk, abides on the [first principles only] is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age [men – it is when grown to this full age and size of manhood in Christ, that the bed is found too short – that a man (a mature Christian) cannot stretch himself on it] even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised.” Heb 5:12.

In Isa 28:9 we read: “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine [the deeper elements of his Word and plan]? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.”

The nominal church to-day is composed largely of those who give no evidence whatever of being begotten of the Spirit – consequently are not even (embryo) babes in Christ, and have neither part nor lot in spiritual things; and of those who are spirit-begotten, how few have reached any degree of growth – how few are men – nearly all who reside there are babes in Christ.

We love babes – new-born babes especially, but we feel disappointed, and disposed to chide them (as Paul did), when for the time they ought to be teachers and still have need that some-one teach them the first principles (the first precepts of the doctrines of Christ). They themselves are much to blame that they are “unskillful in the Word,” for the strength comes “by reason of use.”

We should not confound these babes with the class referred to as babes by Jesus, unto whom he says God reveals his plans, hidden from the prudent. There is a sense in which we always should be babes – in meekness and simplicity; we should always be Christ’s “little ones.” Paul defines the distinction between the two classes of babes in 1 Cor 14:20.

If now we have found that nearly all the true Christians of to-day (like the Corinthian church of Paul’s day) are babes not weaned from the milk, but still needing it, who shall we supposed to be those who give suck in these days?

We answer, they are the ministers, class leaders, and Bible class teachers of the church. They almost all boast of giving only first principles – milk; and they seek by all means to prevent those in their charge from wandering off and getting even a morsel of meat – from hearing anything which would cause their “senses” to be exercised.

As we progress into the time of the church’s trouble, (Zion’s travail) when truth and error are both attacking her and causing her pain, until all of God’s true children are delivered out of her – the brunt and severity of anguish will come mostly upon those that “give suck.” They will find (and even now are beginning to be alarmed) that not only will the babes cease to come into her, but many (yes, ultimately all) of those now being fed with milk will be weaned and learn to eat meat or die of starvation. “It shall be for a vexation only until He shall make you to understand doctrine” – or to eat meat (grasps the deep things of the Word of God). Isa 28:19 margin.

We continue with our next post.