| News and Views | March 1941 |
Knowledge—Destructive and Constructive
“For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.”—Zephaniah 3:8,9
GOD’S promise of Zephaniah 3:9, quoted above, follows one of the prophetic descriptions of the overthrow of Satan’s empire. In this symbolic description of the ending of this present evil world, the Lord declares that it is His purpose to gather the nations and assemble the kingdoms, in order that He may pour upon them His indignation, even all His fierce anger. Because it is the Lord that does this the prophecy states that all the earth is devoured with the fire of His jealousy. There are many prophecies which show that the agency used by the Lord to accomplish this is the increase of knowledge of the last days. Men selfishly misuse this knowledge and thus precipitate the overthrow of the kingdoms of this world. It is reassuring, therefore, that the Lord has promised a better use of knowledge through the administration of the new Kingdom which is to be established upon the ruins of worldly kingdoms. A pure message is then to be turned to the people, and this pure message will be as far reaching in its effects for good, as the present misuse of knowledge and propaganda of hate are effective for evil.
The use and misuse of knowledge in the time of the end is in fulfillment of two lines of prophetic thought. One is that the Lord, through increasing knowledge disseminated world-wide, would acquaint the masses with the unequal distribution of earth’s bounties, and thus encourage them to insistently demand their rights. Other prophecies show the misuse of knowledge, and that human selfishness would commandeer the channels for disseminating information and use them to spread propaganda of hate, thus inciting people and nations to destroy each other in a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.
While God acknowledges the responsibility for gathering the nations to Armageddon, this does not mean that He excuses the selfishness and hate which is the immediate cause of this carnage of the last days. It is merely that He is able to use the wrath of man to praise Him. It accomplishes a certain necessary purpose in that thereby the present evil world is brought to an end, thus making way for the establishment of God’s new world of tomorrow, which will be under the leadership and Kingship of Christ.
One of the prophecies symbolically depicting the Lord’s use of the power of knowledge is that of I Thessalonians 4:16. This prophecy tells of the second coming of Christ, and reads, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” All three of these symbolisms—the shout, the voice, and the trump—represent the dissemination of knowledge as it occurs in connection with the second presence of Jesus.
The Greek word translated “shout” in this text is keleuma which, according to Professor Strong, signifies, “a cry of incitement.” It has also been defined as a “shout of encouragement.” As this prophecy is descriptive of events associated with the end of the age, it is interesting to note one of the Old Testament prophecies describing these events, and also using the term “shout.” This prophecy should help us to grasp Paul’s meaning when he uses the term in connection with his prophecy of the second presence of Christ. We quote:
“For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by My name [Christendom], and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of Hosts. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily roar upon His habitation; He shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of earth even to the other end of earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.”—Jeremiah 25:29-33
From this prophecy it is seen that the “shout” has the effect of setting class against class, nation against nation, so that all the present unsatisfactory institutions of men might be destroyed, preparatory to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. The aspect of affairs in the world for the past half century or more, very strikingly corresponds with this symbol. We have seen the outburst of world-wide encouragement for men to wake up to a sense of their rights and privileges, and to consider their mutual relationships, the principles upon which they are based and the ends which they should accomplish. Where on the face of the earth is the civilized nation that has not heard this shout and has not been influenced by it? The entire civilized world has been studying political economy, civil rights and social betterment as never before in the annals of history. Men are encouraging each other as never before to probe these subjects to the very foundation. This shout of encouragement was started by the foretold increase of knowledge among men.—Dan. 12:3,4
But with selfishness ruling in the hearts of the people, the effect of all this has been to gather the nations together to battle for both their real and fancied rights and liberties. The vast majority of men, and nations, too, can be properly considered as among what the President has described as the “under-privileged.” In Europe, this fact has made possible the rise of arrogant dictatorships, the dictators claiming to sponsor the rights of the under-privileged, individuals and nations. Thus these nations are regimented to make war upon those who are considered as possessing more than their right. Thus, while it is not difficult to detect the grossly selfish and murderous misuse men and nations are making of the knowledge which has enlightened them concerning the injustices of the past, yet we should not lose sight of the fact that the knowledge itself is in fulfillment of the last days’ prophecy and is preparatory to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom.
“The voice of the archangel” is another striking symbol of similar import. The name “archangel” signifies chief messenger. Daniel refers to the same personage, calling Him, Michael, which name signifies “who as God.” This is an appropriate name for Him who is “the express image of His [the Father’s] person,” and the representative of His authority and power. The voice of the archangel represents Christ’s authority and command. The fact that the voice symbolism is used instead of some other, conveys the thought again of the power of knowledge. In Psalm 46, we are told that the Lord “uttereth His voice, the earth melted.” At His command, reaching men and nations through the increase of knowledge, systems of error, civil, social, and religious, must go down, however old or firmly entrenched and fortified they may be. The sword of His mouth causes the havoc. The truth on every subject, and in all its varied aspects, shall judge men, and under its power and overruling, shall yet cause the complete overturning of evil and error in all their many forms.
Another prophecy which clearly indicates the first effect of the increase of knowledge to be that of gathering the nations to Armageddon, is the one recorded in the third chapter of Joel, verses 9 to 16. We quote:
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
As we view conditions in the world today, it is not difficult to see the very direct relationship knowledge bears to all that is happening. In the first place, the world-wide aspect of the present struggle of the nations could not be possible apart from the modern methods of communication and travel which have been made possible by the increase of knowledge in these last days. Furthermore, the nations of earth could not be incited to support the horrible struggle that is now going on, except that the modern methods of disseminating knowledge has made it possible to spread propaganda by radio and the printed page into the homes of all mankind.
Generally speaking, the people of all nations hate war. But in spite of this, the totalitarian governments have been able to whip up their subjects into a frenzy of hate against the democracies, upon the basis of the claim that the democratic nations are depriving them of their proper place in the sun. By the same methods, although ostensibly for a more noble purpose, the controlled propaganda of the democracies serves to convince the majority of those living in democratic countries that the only salvation for the world is to defeat the totalitarian governments.
It was the lack of knowledge as available today, that localized all previous wars throughout the centuries. It is knowledge, good and bad, plus the modern methods of disseminating it, that have embroiled all mankind in the present death-struggle of civilization. The fact that the nations do not yet recognize the real significance of what is taking place does not mean that the Lord has not intervened to bring about the end of an age by this increase of knowledge, symbolized by the Prophet David, as the flashings of Jehovah’s lightnings, which causes the earth to tremble.
But let no one suppose that the overthrow of this “present evil world” is the ultimate objective of the increase of knowledge. It is not. This first, although necessary, result of God’s intervention in the affairs of men is but preparatory to the dispensing of world-wide blessings through the channels of the new Kingdom. It is to this that the prophet refers in our text, when he says that following the overthrow of this present evil world the Lord will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon His name to serve Him with one consent. Thus seen, the knowledge and the channels through which it is dispensed, will be as effective for blessing the world, as it has been in bringing the time of trouble upon all nations. Instead of propaganda of hate, then there will be the message of good will and love. What glorious results that will produce world-wide!
Another symbol used by the Apostle Paul in the prophecy which we have quoted from his letter to the Thessalonians, is that of the trumpet. He declares that Jesus returns in connection with the sounding of the “trump of God.” By this symbol also, we have represented the increase of knowledge and its effect upon both the church and the world. By a study of the Bible’s recorded use of the trumpet, it will readily be seen that when the symbolism is associated with the presence of Christ it conveys the idea of a proclamation of truth pertaining to things which God intends to do as a result of the establishment of His Kingdom.
The trumpet proclamation covers the entire thousand year period of the Messianic Kingdom, hence we are not to expect a complete fulfillment of the symbolism yet. However we can see the beginning of it. One of the, uses of the trumpet in Old Testament times was when it was blown to announce the incoming Jubilee year, during which there was to be a redistribution of Israel’s wealth. All who, during the previous forty-nine years, had lost home or liberty, were to have restitution made to them. There seems little doubt but what this was intended by the Lord to represent the “times of restitution of all things,” when all mankind are to have their lost possessions, including even life itself, restored.
We can well imagine that the first effect of the blowing of the typical Jubilee trumpets was merely that of producing an agitation and clamor among the people, resulting during the first few months of the year in much confusion and strife. Can we not see a parallel of this in what has been transpiring in the earth during the last half century? Liberty and an equitable distribution of the earth’s bounties has been the battle-cry of men and nations. The only result thus far has been to throw the world into a state of chaos; as men and groups press their conflicting claims, oft-times by military force.
However, the increase of knowledge which has awakened a sleeping world to desire and strive for the blessings which have been withheld, while not yet having supplied the blessings, nevertheless, has and still is preparing the hearts and minds of the people to receive the blessings of restitution which will be given to them once the old order of selfishness has been overthrown and the new Kingdom established. The trump of God will continue then to sound, enlightening the people concerning the divine blessings then available. This will be the pure message that God will turn to the people and by which they will be enlightened concerning the Lord and the blessings provided for them through Christ. The knowledge of the glory of God will then fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.
By then all men will have learned the futility of their own efforts. Humble and prostrate as a result of their own selfishness and the failure of their own wisdom to find a solution for the problems which the increase of knowledge has presented to them, the people will then say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” (Micah 4:1-4) It should be noted that in this prophecy, knowledge is depicted in its constructive role, teaching the people the advantages of peace and righteousness, thus ushering in an era of happiness and economic security which is described by the Prophet Haggai, as “the desire of all nations.” But first the nations must be shaken before their desire can be realized.—Hag. 2:7