“Then (at the time that when Adventist and others were awakening and looking for the bridegroom’s arrival) all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” Their lamps once pointed them to A.D. 1844, but He “tarried.” A cry is now made that the tarrying time was thirty years (from A.D. 1844 to A.D. 1874), as paralleled by the thirty years of the Jewish age, from the birth of Jesus until He “came,” being thirty years of age. This cry proclaimed to the…
Unlike many of our Lord’s parables this one is placed and fixed by the word “then.” Taken in connection with the preceding Chapter (Chapter 24), it is fixed as belonging to the last generation of the church living when the Lord comes. The kingdom of heaven is a term applicable to the church, which, from its establishment at Pentecost has always been God’s kingdom in which He is King and over which his will is law. True, in the future it will be “set…
But would it be right for God to reckon the one righteous life given, as a full payment for the lives of the millions of sinners who have died? Does not the price – one life, for a billion or more – seem like a short (or insufficient) payment? This is a reasonable question, and we will allow Paul to give it a reasonable answer. He is a logical reasoner, as well as an inspired Apostle, and argues that, as God had seen…
But when will the law of God release the sinner from the bondage of death? Never; if he could not obey the law while partially dead, he certainly cannot when completely so. Ever since the “fall” from perfect manhood through sin, man has been in a dying condition, sometimes spoken of as already dead (see Matt 8:22.) And none but a perfect man could keep a perfect law. But, says one, did not God send his Son into the world to show us how we could work our way…
Christians are in the habit of looking at “the law” as a great enemy. Why? Because it does not countenance the least sin. It says, “walk before me and be thou perfect.” Is that not right – could a perfect God recognize or make a law in any way imperfect? Surely not. The reason men count the law their enemy is that all have sinned, and ever since the disobedience of Adam they have been in the condition known as “sinful flesh.” Prior to sin’s entrance, the law was…
Our question from our last post was: How does the death of Christ show, or commend, God’s love? It will not do to say it shows it because it shows it. That would be about equal to saying, God hates sin because he hates it, which is no reason at all. God hates sin because he loves his creatures; sin being their destroyer. If the death of Christ shows God’s love to us, there must be something accomplished by that death…
“But God commended his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8 That “God is love” and unchangeable we believe to be prime facts of the gospel; and that man alone is alienated and needs reconciliation. The death of Christ was not for the purpose of purchasing God’s love: it is above price; nor for the purpose of appeasing – quieting, pacifying, or cooling down – God’s wrath, as though he were excited…
Verse 16 “And he causes all, the little and great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the bondmen, that they should give themselves a mark on the right hand or in their forehead;” that is to say, the Image causes all who would be its followers and worshipers to commit themselves either by a public profession (mark in forehead), or by giving able support with their might, power and means (mark in right hand). A mark is…
Verse 14 “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by the signs which it was given him to do in the presence of the beast.” Those who dwell on the earth (not “the earth” itself – i.e. the people who acknowledge and obey these two beasts) it probably refers to independent Christians not allied to worldly organizations. These were deceived by the pretentious claims of divine right and appointment etc. They claim as the Papal church did and does that, they are…
We return once again to a correspondence between two brethren truth seekers; they are addressed as Brothers A and B for convenience. (This is a good review of Chapter 13). B. I am here again Brother A., anxious as ever to enjoy whatever light may be due the church; I know that you believe the word of God to be a lamp, whose oil is the spirit, which sheds its light upon the path of the just as fast as…