| The Everlasting Gospel | September 1942 |
Divine Intervention Near
THE Scriptures teach that the final solution of the world’s problems will come as a result of divine intervention in the affairs of men. Most of the measurably civilized nations of the earth claim to believe that God is sufficiently interested in their affairs to guide them through and out of their troubles. This is the official viewpoint of America, and for that reason our sessions of Congress are opened with prayer, this being a tacit acknowledgment of our belief that a divine influence directs the deliberations of our lawmakers. Our President, on suitable occasions, calls upon the people of the nation to give thanks to God for His guidance and blessing in the past, and to seek His help for the future. On some of our coins there is inscribed the words, “In God We Trust,” which further attests that officially we as a nation believe that God is interested in our welfare and is caring for us.
But while this is the official viewpoint of America and some other nations, yet when it comes right down to an individual belief in, and a heart reliance upon God, based upon the conviction that He will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that is something different. Not many today are able to exercise such a faith, hence cannot believe the promises of God’s Word that Messiah’s Kingdom is soon to be fully established in the earth, bringing peace and happiness to all mankind. Jesus intimated that there would be a dearth of faith in the earth at this time and raised the question, “When the Lord cometh shall He find faith in the earth?”
We feel that the world should not be held too much to blame for its lack of genuine faith, for after all it has been a long time since there has been any outward manifestation of God’s interest in the people. There has been no divine intervention on behalf of humanity during the lifetime of this generation, nor throughout many generations of the past.
Those who believe the Bible know that in the past God has intervened in world affairs, and they have confidence in His promises to do so again. To these, therefore, the world’s hopes for the future are as bright as the promises of God. These promises are exceedingly bright; yea, they assure us that the Sun of Righteousness will “arise with healing in His wings,” bringing life and joy to all. Those who do not have such a faith, can not rejoice in such a bright hope.—Mal. 4:2
The Flood
At the time of the flood, in the days of Noah, God intervened in the affairs of men and the result was the ending of a world—“The world that then was, being overflowed with water perished.” (II Pet. 3:6) Jesus, in His prophecy of conditions that would prevail in the earth at this time, referred to the days of Noah, and used conditions back there to illustrate what was to take place now. In keeping with this, the Bible makes it plain that divine intervention at this time also results in the ending of a world—“this present evil world.”—Gal. 1:4; II Pet. 3:7
The destruction of the world that was before the flood did not destroy the earth, however; nor will the overthrow of Satan’s worlds at this time destroy the earth, for on it God will establish His world, or order of things, described by the Apostle Peter as the “new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (II Pet. 3:13) This means that if we truly want God to do something for the people today, and pray for Him to intervene in world affairs, we should be prepared to be reconciled to what He has foretold as His program for the distressed nations; namely, the replacement of their governmental arrangements by the Kingdom of Christ.
The Exodus
There was another outstanding manifestation of divine intervention at the time of the Exodus. At that time it was on behalf of God’s own people, the nation of Israel, when He delivered them from the cruel and oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. That was a mighty deliverance, wrought by miracle-working power and on behalf of a people who were unable to extricate themselves from a slavery that had been selfishly imposed upon them.
The God who delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage has promised to deliver them again, not from Egypt, but from the “land of the north”—Europe—“and from all the lands whither He had driven them.” (Jer. 16:14,15) This prophetic and final deliverance of Israel is now due to take place, and as a result of it all nations will have their eyes open to behold the glory of the Lord. (Ezek. 38:22,23) When this occurs, many who now lack faith in divine intervention, will realize that there truly is a God in heaven who is interested in the affairs of His human creation.
Christ is Born
The professed Christian world claims to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus, as the world’s Redeemer, Savior and Messiah. Christmas is perhaps the most universal of all sacred days, but Christmas would mean little or nothing except for the fact that it symbolizes God’s interest in men in that the miraculous birth of Jesus, His Son, was an expression of His good will toward a sin-cursed and dying race.
True faith in the significance of the birth of Jesus precludes the possibility of now concluding that the Creator has lost interest in the people living on this planet. Surely He is just as interested now as He was then, and fully able, even if it requires miracles, to now intervene in world affairs and to establish order in the place of present chaos. This is what He has promised to do, and this, therefore should now be the blessed hope of all true believers.
Thirty years after His birth Jesus entered upon His ministry—a ministry which was characterized by miracles. Not only did He affirm that He had come to fulfill the Messianic promises of the Old Testament, but He backed up His claim by handing out samples of what Messiah’s Kingdom would do for the people when finally established worldwide. He healed the sick and raised the dead, and this God has promised to do on behalf of all mankind when He answers the Christian’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth even as it is in heaven.”
Christ’s Resurrection
It was in the divine arrangement that Jesus should die as man’s Redeemer, hence His enemies were permitted to crucify Him. Following this God’s power was wondrously manifested in raising Him from death. This fact of Jesus’ resurrection is one of the fundamentals of Christian belief. If we accept this fundamental it should not be hard to believe that God is still able to use his power to complete His program of blessings for the people. Not to believe this would be inconsistent.
Forty days after the resurrection of Jesus came the miracle of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit, or power of God, was poured out upon the waiting disciples, enabling them to carry on with the program of miracles introduced by the Master. But Paul warned that miracles would cease in the church, and they did. (I Cor. 13:8) Nearly two thousand years have passed since, and the world has seen no evidence of miracle-working power, hence it is no wonder that so few are now able to believe in divine intervention.
Miracles have continued throughout the age, but these have been mostly miracles of grace in the hearts and lives of individual Christians. God has worked mightily in His church, preparing its members for future association with Jesus in the glory of the Messianic Kingdom; but the world has not been aware of this, and Christians have appreciated it only because, by faith, they have been able to look at and appreciate things unseen by the natural eye.—II Cor. 4:17,18
God’s plan for these is that they be exalted to heavenly glory and reign with Jesus in the Messianic Kingdom through which mankind in general are to receive blessings of health, life and happiness upon the earth. (Gal. 3:8,16,27-29) Many have overlooked the fact that these heavenly promises are made only to the church of this Gospel age, and do not, therefore, represent God’s plan for humanity as a whole. Failing to note this, the general idea has developed that conditions here upon the earth are to continue as they are, indefinitely, and that God’s interest in the people is mostly to save as many of them for heaven as possible.
But this is not God’s plan for humanity. Since the first advent of Jesus God’s work in the earth has been that of preparing the followers of Jesus for their share in His Kingdom, hence there has been no interference in the course of the world, and no effort made to save it. God foretold this period of silence in the affairs of men, saying, “I have a long time holden My peace; I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.”—Isa. 42:14
As Travail upon a Woman
Not only does the Lord thus explain that for a long time He would refrain from interfering with the evil course of man, but He also reveals the manner in which His silence would be broken; namely, that He would “cry like a travailing woman.” This, of course, does not mean a literal or audible cry. God explains what He means, saying in the remainder of the text, “I will destroy and devour at once.” The preceding text is also enlightening. We quote, “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea, roar; He shall prevail against His enemies.”—Isaiah 42:13
All of these symbols denote that the first thing to expect when God breaks His silence is a time of destructive trouble upon the nations of earth. In I Thessalonians 5:2,3, the Apostle Paul presents a similar thought, employing the symbolism of a travailing woman as mentioned in Isaiah 42:14. He says, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
While it is inevitable that many people lose their lives in this prophetic time of destruction, yet primarily it is a world that is to be destroyed. In the symbol of travail, we have the suggestion that the trouble would come in spasms, continuing until the full birth of the new order. Prophetically, the world which the present generation has known, was due to end in the year 1914; and now it is generally conceded that there is no hope of saving the pre-1914 world from complete destruction.
It is given to this generation to witness the passing of a world. It isn’t fully destroyed as yet, but the processes of destruction are at work, and they are working exactly as the prophecies indicate they would, namely, as “travail upon a woman with child.” The first World War marked the beginning, or initial spasm; now the world is in the throes of another and much more devastating spasm.
There may be another period of easement, but the pre-1914 world cannot be restored. The Scriptures assuringly promise that eventually—in the lifetime of this generation—a new world will emerge from the trouble; not fashioned by man, but by God. “In the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed … It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”—Dan. 2:44
Divine Method of Intervention
God’s method of intervention is not spectacular, but nevertheless it is surprisingly effective. The destruction comes upon the world unexpectedly, “Like a thief in the night.” God’s strategy is such that the very thing which brings the dissolution of a world is hailed by the people as a product of their own wisdom, which they imagine will bring them peace and safety. That’s why the apostle foretold that “when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child.”
The divine method of intervention, as prophetically described, is that of increasing knowledge among the masses of mankind. Already some of the world’s outstanding statesmen discern the relationship between increasing knowledge and present world chaos, but few as yet recognize that the increase of knowledge is by divine appointment. It is referred to in Daniel 12:3, where we read that “In the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.” This prophecy also associates the increase of knowledge with a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.”—Dan. 12:1
The increase of knowledge is symbolically foretold in Psalms 97:4, where the prophet says, “His lightnings enlightened the world; the earth saw, and trembled.” Note how the trembling of the social earth is here shown to result from the enlightenment from God’s lightnings. Revelation 16:18 gives us a further symbolic description of this sequence of events. We quote: “And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great.”
An earthquake is used prophetically to symbolize a social revolution, and the Revelator indicates that the greatest of all social revolutions, involving a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,” results from “voices, thunders and lightnings.”
Divine intervention for the establishment of a new world order—which is the Kingdom of Christ—occurs in connection with the second presence of Christ, although the increase of knowledge pre-dates His coming. When Jesus was asked what would be the signs of His presence, He explained that “as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall the coming (Greek, parousia, meaning presence) of the Son of Man be.”—Matt. 24:27
The Greek word translated “lightning” in this passage, is the same as translated lightning in the text quoted above in Revelation. It has definitely the thought of enlightenment which emanates from supernatural sources. The word is astrape, from the same root as astro, meaning the light of the stars. Inasmuch as Jesus emphasized that the light of His presence would shine from the east to the west, it means that in this respect it would be like the light of the sun—a worldwide diffusion of light, affecting all humanity.
In II Thessalonians 2:8 the “brightness” of Christ’s coming—or presence, as it is here also in the Greek—is again mentioned, and the effect of it shown to be the destruction of the great anti-Christ system of iniquity which for centuries has posed before the world as the true Kingdom of Christ. The point to be specially noted here is the fact that an unrighteous system is shown to be destroyed by enlightenment, or knowledge.
Such are some of the prophetic references which indicate that God intervenes in world affairs at this end of the age by causing a great increase of knowledge to reach the people. What this increase of knowledge has done, and is continuing to do to a world order, is a matter of record, clearly discernible to those who are acquainted with the fundamental causes of present world distress.
The general enlightenment of the people has awakened them to a realization of the manner in which they have been exploited and oppressed by the old-world ruling classes. Hereditary royalists, and what President Roosevelt has styled, “Economic Royalists,” can no longer claim divine right to enjoy the best of the world’s blessings, while the masses are deprived of the ordinary comforts of life. People know too much now to permit inequalities of this kind to continue.
The increase of knowledge, in bringing to light the hidden things of darkness and superstition, has, as Vice-President Wallace recently stated, started the people on the march to freedom; and before them, as they march, the old order is crumbling. But this is not the end result intended by God in causing the increase of knowledge peculiar to these last days. While the first effect of the brightshining of Christ’s presence is that of making the earth “tremble,” the light will continue to increase until, under the ministration of Christ’s Kingdom it will bring health, freedom, and everlasting life to all mankind.
The full effulgence of light and knowledge resulting from the presence of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom is described by the prophet as being like the sun—“the sun of righteousness,” which shall rise “with healing in His wings.” From pole to pole that sun will shine, and upon every continent and the isles of the sea, the soothing, lifegiving powers of that divine Light—and Life-Giver will be felt for good.
We are not implying that the increase of knowledge alone will bring to mankind all the promised blessings of Christ’s Kingdom, for the Scriptures reveal that direct use of miracle-working power will be employed. The flashings of Jehovah’s lightnings have thus far enlightened the world principally along scientific and economic lines. Modern conveniences and inventions are byproducts of knowledge. Through a selfish misuse of knowledge, instruments of destruction are helping to wreck the pre-1914 world.
If the increase of knowledge went no further than to enlighten the people along economic lines, great blessings would result were it not for the selfishness of fallen man. With God’s new world established, however, the enlightenment will continue until it embraces every phase of human experience, including a true understanding of the Creator as a God of Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power. Concerning this the prophet declares that the “Knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.”—Isa. 11:9
In order for the people to then obtain the blessings of the Kingdom it will be necessary for them to render obedience to the knowledge they have received. But, oh, what wondrous blessings will come to those who do obey! Divine power will fly to their aid to heal them and bless them with life everlasting. Full obedience to the knowledge which will then fill the earth will mean a turning from selfishness to love; from war to peace; from riches for some and poverty for others, to plenty for all—every man will dwell “under his vine and fig tree, and none shall molest nor make afraid, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”—Micah 4:1-4
All Enemies Destroyed
Divine intervention at this time means the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ, and the Apostle Paul explains that Christ will reign until all enemies are put under his feet, the last enemy to be destroyed being death. (I Cor. 15:25,26) This means that more is to be done for the people than to merely put a stop to war. If in the past it has seemed that God has not been interested in the welfare of humanity simply because He has not answered all their conflicting prayers for peace, let us remember that it is because He has been developing a much more far reaching program for world peace.
The prophet declares of Christ’s reign, that “of the increase of His Kingdom and peace there shall be no end.” (Isa. 9:7) This will be universal and everlasting peace—peace among the nations and within the nations; peace in every community; peace in every family; peace in every heart; and, above all, peace between God and men. Without this latter peace, indeed, there could be no genuine peace of any kind.
But with peace between God and men established by Jesus, the great Mediator, and based upon the merit of His atoning blood, all the other blessings promised by the Lord will flow to the people in a never-failing river of water of life, from underneath the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the Revelator’s symbolic description of Kingdom blessings flowing to the people he tells us that on either side of the river of life will be the trees of life, and that the leaves of the trees will be for the healing of the nations.—Rev. 22:1,2
When the final spasm of the great “time of trouble” will have finally prepared the people for the Kingdom of Christ, how much they will need to be healed! And how they will rejoice when they realize that all the blessings they have been made to desire by the increase of knowledge are provided for them, and many, many more. In this Kingdom there will be spread for all nations a “feast of fat things,” the prophet declares.
Among the “fat things” is listed the fact that God will wipe away tears from off all faces. To wipe away tears from off all faces will require the awakening of the dead, and this, too, is on the agenda for God’s new world. Knowing that He would raise the dead in His own due time, God has permitted the world to continue on its downward way into death while He has, been preparing the Kingdom agencies for their future blessing. Now that preparation work is about complete. Already He has broken His silence and is pleading against the selfish kingdoms of this world and they are crumbling into dust before Him.
The sincere and honest-hearted of the world are planning as best they can to establish a new order to take the place of the one that is crumbling. How happy they will be when they learn that God has done the planning for them, and that His plans are now ready to unfold in the setting up of the long-promised Kingdom of Christ. Let us continue to pray for that Kingdom, in the realization that the answer to our prayers will mean the fulfillment of the legitimate desire of all nations. When we pray for Christ’s Kingdom we are praying for divine intervention in world affairs in the only way that God will answer. For six thousand years He has been getting ready to answer this prayer. Now the Kingdom is in sight, and our King is marching on.