There are some very dark and strange things in the Bible – things which to many seem irreconcilable with the character of justice and love which we ascribe to our Heavenly Father. “God is love,” and “by the grace of God Christ tasted death for every man.” “He is the propitiation for our sins, and also for the sins of the whole world.” Why then did Christ say to his disciples: “Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and…
Ages have rolled around, yet the seed of Abraham, although a nation and partially possessing Canaan for a time, have never yet had those promises to Abraham FULFILLED. “I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee.” “And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession.” But Paul shows us how that there was a deeper meaning than the surface promise couched in…
Because of the shortness of human life, we act quickly ourselves and expect others to act so, and we can scarcely avoid carrying the same thought with us when we go to the investigation of God’s Word. We read – “Yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come.” We think, as we look back at the many centuries which have elapsed since our Lord’s first advent, that it has not been a “little while.” No, to us it has been…
“The plan of salvation comprehended in the three worlds, is progressive in its character, requiring ages for its development. There seems to have been but one age definitely marked in the world before the flood, but this present evil world is sub-divided into three ages. The first, Patriarchal or one-man age, in which only one man at a time represented the Lord as ruler of the family; (in this it was similar to the age before the flood.) The second,…
“The past, present and future of the family of man are all included in the “Three Worlds.” 1) The world that was before the flood, 2) the world that now is, and 3) the world to come. The history of mankind and the history of the Gospel of Christ are inseparable; hence, the plan of salvation spans these three worlds. The Greek word “Kosmos,” translated world, as above, relates to the order or state of things, and DOES NOT refer to the LITERAL EARTH, as…
Now some may inquire, how comes it that this (knowledge of God’s provision for all nations, the whole world) has not been seen long ago? We answer, God gives light and knowledge to his people just as it is due. The world was left in almost entire ignorance of God’s plan until the Gospel age, when Christ came, bringing life and immortality TO LIGHT through the Gospel. The Jews up to that time supposed that all the promises of God were to and…
In our last post we mentioned that God intends to bless not only the nation of Israel who went astray from Him, but likewise all nations and peoples. In the scriptures He mention some by name. Let us take a look at one such nation an illustration that will be forcible: The Sodomites. Surely if we find their restitution (recovery) mentioned you will be satisfied. But why should they not have an opportunity to obtain eternal life as well as you or…
Due time. Ah, now we see what we were missing. God has a due time for everything. He could have testified it to this hundred and fifty plus billions in their life time. Then that would have been their due time; as it was not so, their due time must be future. We know that now is our due time, because it is testified to us now. Christ was a ransom for you before you were born, but it was…
What about those who have died before the plan of God has thus reached its fullness? There have lived on earth since creation (a little over seven thousand plus years), over a hundred and fifty billion human beings. Of these the very broadest estimate that could be made with reason would be, that less than one billion were Saints of God – (prospective members of) the Church – the bride. What of the hundred and fifty plus billions who died out of…
Election vs. Free Grace We believe the Scripture to teach both, but that it requires the observance of “Heaven’s first law,” order, to rightly divide the word of truth on this subject. First, we will glance at Election. During the age preceding the deluge, there is no Scriptural account of God giving mankind any law, and very little light of revelation. One promise shine’s out, “The Seed of the Woman to Bruise the Serpent,” and even this required future revelation in…