| The Christian Life | December 1944 |
At The Turning of an Age
“Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”—Acts 10:34
RELIGIOUS convictions and emotions are usually deep-rooted in the human breast, and well they might be, for they represent our endeavors to worship and serve our God. One who holds his religious views halfheartedly and who considers them to be subject to change with each new theory he may happen to hear and like, is but little, if any, better off than one who is not a believer at all The desire to be established in what one believes is commendable, for only thus is the Christian safe from being blown about by “every wind of doctrine.”—Eph. 4:14
Of course one should endeavor to be established in the truth, not in error. One who is established in error and who refuses to consider the direct testimony of God’s Word which reveals the truth might properly be styled a religious bigot, but one who is established in the truth is not a bigot. He not only knows whet he believes, but why, and is ready always to give a reason for his hope—the only reason which a Christian should ever give, which is the testimony of the Word of God.
Truth is progressive in the sense that we learn to understand it better, but it doesn’t change. That which is the truth today will be truth tomorrow. We may understand it better tomorrow than we do today, but that’s because we have developed, not because the truth has changed. Besides, there are due seasons for certain truths to be understood, and if it is given to us to be living at a time when the plan of God moves forward from one point of development to another, we may be blessed with the understanding of new truth. But if our new knowledge is truth it will be in harmony with old truths and not contradictory to them.
It was this great blessing which came to the apostles and other Jewish disciples at the closing of the Jewish age and the beginning of the Gospel age. Since the death of Jacob, when God began to deal with his twelve sons as the nucleus of the Jewish nation, He had restricted His blessing to this one people. God Himself had said, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”—Amos 3:2
Jesus, who knew the plan of God and was loyal thereto, confined His ministry to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel;” and in sending out His disciples to represent Him, He charged them not to go in the way of the Gentiles, nor to any city of the Samaritans. (Matt. 10:5,6; 15:21) This was not because Jesus didn’t love the Gentiles, nor because no provision had been made in the plan of God for the blessing of the Gentiles. It was simply because He was loyal to the truth of the divine plan as it applied at that particular time.
Following His resurrection, and before His ascension, Jesus widened the scone of His commission to the disciples, telling them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem. (Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8) Even then the due time for the Gentiles to hear had not fully come, but Jesus knew that if His disciples began their work at Jerusalem it would be some time before they were able to reach out to the Gentiles, and that then, it would be the due time. Probably Jesus also knew that merely this one statement to the disciples concerning the full scope of their work would not be sufficient to lead them into the new truth concerning the Gentiles.
Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks
God had set a definite time limit to His exclusive favor to the Jewish nation. This is set forth in Daniel 9:24-27. The total length of time outlined in this prophecy is described as “seventy weeks.” These, of course, are symbolic weeks of seven years each, computed upon the basis of a day for a year. Seventy times seven is four hundred and ninety years. This allotted time was to begin with the issuing of a decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, and would reach to “Messiah, the Prince.”
More specifically, the close of the sixty-ninth week would be the time for the appearance of the Messiah, and in the midst, or the center of the seventieth week He would be cut off in death, “but not for Himself”—that is, not on account of His own sins, but as the Redeemer of the world. The Prophet Daniel adds, however, that the “covenant” would be confirmed with many until the full end of this seventieth week. God had entered into a covenant with the natural descendants of Abraham, and this covenant of exclusive favor was to be continued with a remnant of the Israelites until the end of this seventy weeks’ period.
As each of these symbolic weeks was seven years in length, as the Messiah was cut off in death in the midst or center of the seventieth week, it follows that not until three and one-half years after His death would it be due time for the Gospel message to go to the Gentiles.
In passing, it might be well to observe an important point in connection with the beginning of this seventy weeks of favor to the Jews. The prophet explains that it would date from the time that a decree would be issued to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. The prophecy was given at the time that the Jewish nation was held captive, first by Babylon, and then by Medo-Persia. In 536 B.C. Cyrus, king of the Medes and Persians, issued a decree authorizing the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Students who are not too careful in their study of the prophecies have erroneously concluded that this was the decree referred to by Daniel, but not so.
Apparently God wished to conceal this time measurement to some extent; so, in His providence, the decree foretold by the prophet is often overlooked. Actually, it was a decree issued eighty years later than the one given by Cyrus which marks the beginning of the seventy symbolic weeks. On this point we suggest a careful reading of the two historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. It will be found that Cyrus’ decree applied to the temple only, and that the rebuilding of the city was not started because no decree had been issued giving the Jews authority to do it. Finally, the matter was brought to the attention of King Artaxerxes and he issued the necessary decree of authority and the building of the city and the walls got under way.
This was 483 years before the baptism of Jesus, for He was not the Messiah until He had received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This was at the close of the sixty-ninth symbolic week. Three and one-half years thereafter (in the midst of the week of 7 years) Jesus died, and another three and one-half years would be the full end of exclusive favor to the Jews.
Cornelius the Devout
When God’s time clock strikes the hour of change, the divine timekeeper sees to it that the called-for change is made. There are never any delays in the plan of God. If there are seeming delays it is because of our failure to read the time clock of prophecy correctly. His ways are unlimited, His methods unique and effective. In a city named Caesarea there lived a devout Gentile named Cornelius. He was a praying man, and unselfish in the giving of alms. He was ‘a centurion of the band, called the Italian band. Apparently this was somewhat of an honored position, and Cornelius was respected because of it, and looked up to also on account of his nobility of character.
The wonderful story of Cornelius is recorded in the 10th chapter of Acts. There we learn that his whole family were likewise God-fearing people. But they were not Christians. It requires more than devotion in prayer, and the giving of alms to make one a Christian. A knowledge of Christ, the acceptance of Him, and a full consecration to do God’s will as it is outlined in His Word, are the conditions upon which one may become a disciple of Christ. Cornelius did not have this knowledge. God’s due time to favor Gentiles had not yet come. Not until the full end of the seventy weeks of favor to Israel, could His prayers be answered.
But what blessings were in store for this devout soul when the due time arrived! He was favored with a vision. An angel appeared to him and explained that his prayers had come up as a memorial before God. Yes, his prayers had been heard, although not answered. They were remembered by God, nevertheless, and because they revealed the wholehearted sincerity and devotion of Cornelius he was being selected as the first Gentile to be accepted into the church of Christ. And not only so, but in connection with his acceptance there was to be such a miraculous weaving of divine providences as to silence forever all doubts that a great change of dispensation had occurred—that those previously considered to be mere dogs and outcasts were now eligible upon conditions of faith and obedience for joint-heirship with the Messiah in His glorious Kingdom.
The angel who spoke to Cornelius instructed him to send for Peter. He told Cornelius just where Peter could be found, even naming the home in which he was being entertained. At the time, Peter, was in Joppa, living in the home of Simon the Tanner, located by the edge of the sea. This information was given to Cornelius in detail and he was told to send at once for Peter who would instruct him in what to do.
Things Unclean
Meanwhile God was also preparing Peter. This was too important a matter to be left to chance. All God’s business is too important for that. Nothing in a Christian’s life just happens. His providences are not always as outstanding nor as clearly manifested as were His dealings with Cornelius and Peter, but they are just as real. Let us take comfort in this assurance.
Peter had been in Joppa for some time. The Lord had blessed his efforts there. He had been used by God to awaken Dorcas from the sleep of death, and this had brought considerable popularity to the truth in that district. We can imagine him in the home of Simon on this particular day. It may have been a day of rest, or of fellowship with the family. Or, perhaps he had been about the city bearing witness to the truth and had come back for the evening meal and for the night.
Whatever the circumstances, Peter was tired, and went up on the flat roof of the house to rest while waiting for the meal to be prepared. And he was hungry too, the account tells us. While on the roof resting and waiting, he fell asleep and was given a vision by God. It was a wonderful vision, one which Peter never forgot. He saw a basket, formed by holding together four corners of a sheet let down from heaven. This basket was filled with all sorts of reptiles and birds, etc., which according to the Jewish law were unclean and not fit to eat.
As the basket was lowered he heard a voice bidding him to “rise, kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord.” His loyalty to the Law would not permit him to eat that which was unclean, so he refused. But the Lord insisted, telling him that whatever God had cleansed he was not to consider common or unclean. Three times the sheet was let down and the invitation repeated to partake. Then Peter awakened, and the Spirit said to him that messengers were in front of the house to see him.
Peter was now alert. He pondered in his heart what the vision might mean and he carefully watched every providence of God that he might find out. He went down where the messengers were waiting and learned that they had been sent by the Gentile, Cornelius. They told him of the wonderful experience of their master, and that they had come by his request, and as they also believed, in the providence of God, to bring the apostle to Caesarea to explain the truth to Cornelius.
Peter, probably still wondering what all these strange events might mean, but not wishing to stand in God’s way, invited the messengers into the home for the night. Evidently Simon the Tanner had turned the home over to Peter’s use, or least a part of it, to serve as a headquarters for the Gospel work, hence the apostle felt free to invite these Gentiles to remain overnight.
Great events were in the offing. That, Peter knew! He did not want to trust too much to his own judgment as to what these events might mean, so that evening he contacted certain other believers in Joppa and arranged with six of them to accompany him to Caesarea and to the home of Cornelius. This was a wise procedure. Peter, although one of the apostles, felt his own lack of wisdom and great need of counsel. Too often the Lord’s people do not take this humble and wise view of matters. We are often too prone to think we are so brilliant and such good students that we don’t need the advice of others. The most-used servants in the church are those who are willing, to learn from others. Peter was humble, and he was wise.
The journey to Caesarea required considerable time during which Peter, no doubt, pondered over the meaning of things. He was not altogether surprised when they reached the home of Cornelius to find a considerable company of Gentiles gathered for a cottage meeting. Cornelius met him with rather more than due respect, falling at his feet in worship. Peter corrected this immediately, explaining to him that he was a mere man like himself.
Entering the home of Cornelius, and realizing that he was in the company of Gentiles, contrary to the Jewish tradition, the full meaning of his vision now seemed to dawn upon Peter. Now he saw what it was that God was saying to him by insisting that he eat unclean animals. These unclean Gentiles were to be made clean by God’s arrangement and accepted into the fellowship of the saints.
But perhaps even now Peter was not fully convinced. His fellow-countrymen, the Jews, were God’s chosen people. All God’s prophets had said so. To them Jesus had ministered exclusively. Upon them only the Holy Spirit had descended at Pentecost. Certainly this was true. Could it also be true that God now had in His plan a place for Gentiles? Peter is to be commended for being cautious. Much was involved, and he wanted to be sure that he was right.
When he put all the facts together—Cornelius’ vision, his own vision, the perfect timing of the two, and the Lord’s providence in bringing him to Caesarea—it made him reasonably sure of one thing, which was that God wanted him to preach the Gospel to Cornelius and his household and the guests which were assembled. This he did, and while he preached the Holy Spirit came upon them as it had come upon the Jewish disciples at Pentecost.
Now there could be no doubt. The apostles considered the Spirit’s manifestation at Pentecost as an evidence of their acceptance into the spiritual house of sons. Could they deny the meaning of this same evidence now that it had come to the Gentiles? Certainly not! Peter was established in the faith of His fathers, but he was not a bigot. Here was new truth! It didn’t deny that God had dealt exclusively with the Jews for a time. That still was true, but now a change had come. God’s plan had taken a step forward. Now believing Gentiles were to enjoy the same blessings of divine favor as believing Jews.
Yes, Peter had learned a new truth. His mind, and his heart too, had been enlarged. “I perceive,” he said, “that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.” (Acts 10:34,35) Thus was the opening of the narrow way to the Gentiles clearly marked. The door to the high calling had swung back to let them enter. Of that there could be no mistake.
Later, when the news of what had occurred reached Jerusalem, it became an important topic of discussion among the brethren, and to set the minds of the church at rest, Peter related all that had taken place. The brethren generally agreed that he had placed the proper construction upon the events, and they were glad to learn that from then onward other Gentiles were accepting the Gospel and receiving the blessing of the Lord.
Lessons for Today
Who can doubt when reading this story that God is taking care of His affairs? Certainly, had the matter been left to Peter, or to any of the apostles, they never would have started missionary work among the Gentiles. True, Jesus had told them to do so, but truth often is hard to learn. We are loath to change our viewpoint. We are slow to broaden out beyond our accustomed and oftentimes very circumscribed spheres of life and perspective. Peter had to be forced into this enlarged service. Blessed are they who enter into larger fields when, as was the case with Peter, the Lord’s providences so clearly indicate His will.
Peter’s ministry in Joppa had been richly blessed. It was no doubt in the Lord’s providence that he was cared for so comfortably in the home of Simon the Tanner. Perhaps he felt that now he could settle down in this one place and work for God, but God ruled otherwise. The call came and he moved on. Because he responded, God used him mightily as the work of the Gospel expanded to take in the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Since Peter was worthy of the honor, the promise of Jesus to him concerning the keys of the Kingdom was now wholly fulfilled. He had used one of the keys at Pentecost, and the other he used in the home of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert.
It is well to note the manner in which the work of the Gospel age started. Both Jews and Gentiles had definite assurance of their acceptance and of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Is it not reasonable to conclude that the closing of the work of this age will be just as definitely marked? We may not know how this will be accomplished even as the apostles did not know in advance how the work of the new age would begin. But this we do know, that the truth is still being preached, Gentiles and Jews are still accepting it, and these are manifesting the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s reception in their lives. Because of this, we know that the door to the high calling is not yet definitely closed. Those coming into the truth now should be assured by these facts and not permit the imaginings of the narrow-minded or ill-informed to rob them of their confidence and hope.
As the Gospel age work continued to expand into ever enlarging fields, it offered greater opportunities for the early believers to sacrifice their lives in the service of the truth and the brethren. Perhaps our flesh would like to be convinced that the work is now all over, but let us not yield to this cunning sophistry. As long as there is even one more saint of God to be reached by the message ere the work of the Gospel age comes fully to a close, it is our privilege to spread the Gospel far and wide that that one may be found and blessed.
Another lesson to be learned from the experiences of Cornelius is that what we believe is essential to what we are to be in the plan of God. There is no doubt that God was pleased with the devotional attitude of Cornelius, but the Holy Spirit was not given to him until he accepted the Gospel message. It does make a difference what we believe, and especially so today. God has given us the truth that we may be sanctified by it. Let us cherish that truth and not treat it lightly or as something commonplace. Let us treasure it and use it to His glory.
Let us remember, too, that God’s providences are overshadowing us, and that no matter what new scenes may rise before us, if we accept them by faith as from the Lord, and make the best possible use of them, all our experiences will work together for our good. If we are ever inclined to be discouraged let us think of Peter and Cornelius; indeed, of all God’s servants of the past. The God who blessed and kept them is keeping us, and will bring us off conquerors through Him who loved us and died for us.