| Highlights of Dawn | January 1948 |
“Hope Springs Eternal”
YEARS ago, in the city of St. John, Canada, there lived a retired sea captain who prided himself in his ability to make accurate forecasts of the weather. When there was any degree of uncertainty in his mind he would scan the heavens very carefully and knowingly, and make the observation, “There will be no change as long as present conditions exist.” This, it seems to us, is about the position in which the world stands at the beginning of 1948. It might be added, however, that if there is a change during the year it will be for the worse, for there is little hope that the human selfishness that is represented in the clashing interests of nations and races will permit them to withdraw their demands or to cease their “cold war” of nerves.
The world is sick, and as a patient, is dying. Society’s physicians continue to try remedies—sedatives, mostly—but the patient fails to respond. There are too many things wrong with too many parts of the body politic to hope for a recovery when an honest view is taken. Howbeit, the physicians continue working on the patient, and to their credit it can be said that the “hope [which] springs eternal in the human breast” keeps them from abandoning the effort in gloomy despair. After all, there IS hope for the people, a glorious hope, the hope of a new world order which will be the kingdom of the Lord. But this new world will not be the old world order rejuvenated by society’s physicians, as they hope; for their patient will die, and the new world will be a divinely constituted arrangement for the governing and blessing of the people, preparation for which has been in progress for thousands of years.
There is little likelihood that that new government, the kingdom of Christ, will become evident to the people in 1948, for the prophecies indicate that the old world will deteriorate still further, that the plight of the people will become even more acute, that practically all hope will be abandoned, ere diving intervention in the affairs of men will be manifested, and then the people will be ready and glad to accept the authority of Christ’s kingdom and say, “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain [kingdom] of the Lord, … and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”—Isaiah 2:3
As Christians and students of the prophecies, our interest in world events is merely from the standpoint of noting the manner in which the general trend of these events is fulfilling the predictions of God’s holy prophets that all efforts to save “this present evil world” would fail. (Gal. 1:4) We are not to take sides in the clash of ideologies that is helping to wreck civilization. If we are adversely affected by the, turn of events, we should not blame the “other side,” but instead thank God for the assurance that his kingdom of justice and righteousness is so near, and strive more earnestly to make our calling and election sure to a position of joint-heirship with Jesus in that kingdom.
Our brethren in Germany furnish us an excellent example along this line. There is in Germany terrible suffering incidental to the death of that nation and of the world of which Germany is a part. The brethren there share that suffering, but there is no bitterness in their hearts toward those who may seem to be the immediate cause of the trouble, but only rejoicing, because, seeing these things come to pass, they know that their deliverance into the kingdom to live and reign with Christ, is near.
“Neither Their Silver Nor Their Gold”
One of the symptoms of a dying world which has been forecast by the prophets is the important role money is now playing in the efforts to restore “health”—to re-establish a sound economy which will assure security and plenty for all. This transition period in which we are living—this time when the old world is dying and the new one about to be “born”—is almost universally referred to by the prophets as the “day of the Lord.” It is the day of Christ’s presence, when he takes unto himself his great power to reign. The prophets describe the characteristics of this day in terms of gloom and trouble, as for example, Zephaniah writes:
“That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation [how true this is throughout the earth today] a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet [I Thess. 4:16] and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them [those who resist the incoming new order] that dwell in the land.”—Zeph. 1:15-18
The wasted and desolated condition of much of Europe and Asia today is undoubtedly in partial fulfillment of this prophecy, and surely the gloom of the, people is as thick darkness, for in whatever direction they turn, no way out of their dilemma can be seen. Truly they walk like blind men, feeling their way one step at a time, not knowing but what the next step might take them over the edge of the precipice to destruction. The whole array of prophecies descriptive of this “day of the Lord” indicates many of its characteristics, but this one seems to emphasize the desolated aspects of the world as now seen in its ruined economy and consequent starving of the people throughout so many lands.
To meet this tragic situation, society’s physicians are administering the money antidote. The nations are starving, they say, because they have no money with which to buy food. Seemingly the favorite form in which this remedy is administered is that of the—shall we say, sugar coated—American dollar. Give us plenty of dollars with which to buy what we need and we will pull through all right, is the hue and cry of most of the nations.
Seemingly, the dollar stands at the top of the list in value as a unit of international exchange. It is the “silver and the gold” of today. But, foreseeing this vain effort to save a dying world by “administering” dollars, God caused his prophet to write, “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath.” There is more wrong with the world today, yes much more, than an unbalance in the international money market. This is but a symptom of the disease of human selfishness, and a cure cannot be affected by treating one of the symptoms.
While the “desolations” of this day of the Lord are causing distress upon all classes of human society—rich and the poor alike—the disintegration of the power of money is particularly distressing upon those who have been accustomed to the advantages and influence which in the past they have been able to buy with money. James refers to this, saying, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” (James 5:1) James says these miseries “shall come,” that is, future from his day. Verse three of the chapter indicates the time of the miseries as being the “last days”; and the 7th verse shows these last days—still future from the time James wrote the epistle—to be the time of Christ’s presence.
The general leveling off of inequalities in a selfish world order, and the reducing of all to a common level of want in which they will eventually look to the Lord and to his kingdom for help, is described by the Prophet Isaiah. As a result of the earth being emptied and laid waste, he says, “And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.” (Isa. 24:1,2) Thus it will be, the prophet declares, when “the land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled.” (Verse 3) Even American dollars will not then buy special privileges, or wield undue influence in a world that is reduced to a common level of want and misery.
We do not rejoice in the partial fulfillment of these prophecies which is apparent in world events of today, nor do we rejoice in the thought of their more universal fulfillment in the near future. But we do rejoice in the evidence thus furnished that the kingdom of Christ will soon take over in the affairs of men and bring blessings to the distressed people. And besides, if we recognize the significance of what is now occurring we will realize the unwisdom of depending upon the “mammon of unrighteousness” to protect us from the hardships of the “time of trouble.”
Never has it been more fitting for the Christian to set his affections on things above. Never has it been more important, if we are to prove faithful in sacrifice, to realize that “life is more than meat, and the body than raiment.”‘ Never has it been more timely to “seek first the kingdom of God,” knowing that he will provide our necessary material needs according to his good pleasure.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain,” wrote the apostle. (I Tim. 6:6) True godliness is that condition of heart and mind which is fully devoted to the Lord and to the doing of his will. It is a recognition of his sovereign will as the supreme rule of our lives. It is faith to believe that he knows what experiences will be best for us, and that if we lay our little all upon the altar in carrying out the terms of our covenant of sacrifice with him, he will in turn supply all our needs according to the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus. Thus we can be “content” even though the whole social fabric goes into decay; for as the hardships imposed by the “time of trouble” bear down harder upon us, we will long the more—and rejoice in our longing—for the time to come when, together with Christ in the spiritual phase of the kingdom, we can speak peace to all nations.
“Brought Back from the Sword”
The partitioning of the land of Palestine, as voted at the closing session of the United Nations on November 29, giving part to the Jews and part to the Arabs and authorizing the forming of Jewish and Arab sovereign states, may or may not be a temporary solution to this vexing international problem. We know that it will not be a permanent solution, for God promised all the land to Abraham and his seed—not merely a part of it—and the Scriptures show that it is through Isaac that Abraham’s seed is reckoned, not through Ishmael, the progenitor of the Arabs. (Gen. 21:12) Joel 3:1,2, may allude to the plan of the nations to divide the land, and it is made plain that such an arrangement is not satisfactory to the Lord, and that this is one of the important issues at stake in God’s final judgment of the nations.
It would be unwise to attempt to forecast the development of events in connection with Israel’s return to the Land of Promise. There are prophecies which indicate that the present chaotic aspects of their returning will subside and that they will be permitted actually to possess at least a sufficient portion of the land in which to build a peaceful and prosperous community, for it is said to be against them that “dwell at rest” in the land that the forces from the “north” make their assault in the final phase of their experiences when the Lord fights for them as in the days of old.—Ezek. 38:11,21-23
Ezekiel 38:8 speaks of the land as being “brought back from the sword” and that it is in this favorable atmosphere that their community of prosperity and peace is developed previous to the final attack upon them by forces from the north. In view of the riotous conditions existing in Palestine in recent years, and the threat of all-out attack by the Arabs—a threat which may yet be made good to some extent—a temporary solution of the problem might well be described by the expression, “brought back from the sword.”
In any event, it will be interesting to watch developments in Palestine, with the thought that even though a temporary solution is found for the present controversy over the land, there is yet to come against the Jews regathered there those mighty forces from the “north” upon which the Lord will rain his judgments, and, in so doing open the eyes of all the nations to behold his glory and to know that he has intervened on behalf of his ancient people. This will signal the beginning of the operation of kingdom powers for the blessing of the people.
One of the most significant facts in connection with the Jewish situation today is the burning desire of almost all European Jews to go to Palestine. All writers who have investigated this phase of the question report that the determination to go to Palestine has become a near obsession with most European Jews that in their minds there is no other satisfactory solution to their dilemma. We believe that this is in part a fulfillment of Jeremiah 30:3, where the Lord foretold that he would “cause” them to return to the land which he gave to their fathers. The Lord has caused this by’ the “fishers” and “hunters” he has sent among them, following the end of their “appointed time” of national dispersion. See Jeremiah 16:14-18.
Isaiah 40:1,2, indicates that it would be appropriate to “speak comfortably” to Israel at this time, and to “cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished.” The marginal translation reads “that her appointed time is accomplished. This makes it more understandable. Israel has had much trouble, and will have more, since her “appointed time” has been accomplished. But this trouble should be viewed separately from the desolation pronounced by Jesus when he said, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38) Just as that pronouncement did not bring immediate and complete desolation, so the fulfillment of the appointed time of desolation has not brought immediate repossession of their land and the opportunity to dwell therein in peace and security.
When their appointed time was accomplished, Israel was not ready to return to the land, so the Lord has permitted the sufferings which have come upon them since in order to “cause” them to return. Probably the threatened closing of the doors of Palestine to them has been one of the things which has increased their determination to return. Surely the Lord knows how to carry out his designs.
The Scriptures make it plain that the turning of Israel to Christ will be accomplished under the terms of the “new covenant” which the Lord will make with them. “There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob,” writes Paul; and he explains that this is in accord with God’s promise to make a anew covenant with them. This turning away of Israel’s blindness, Paul explains, will not occur until after “the fullness of the Gentiles become in.”—Rom. 11:26-29; Jer. 31:31-34
This should not be construed to mean that no Jew since the end of their national favor three and one-half years after Pentecost has had the privilege of accepting Christ and following in his footsteps of sacrifice. It does mean, however, that God has no special plan for their conversion to Christ prior to the inauguration of the “new covenant” They go back to Palestine, not because they have accepted Christ—and in most cases not even because of interest in the promises God made to their fathers—but they are impelled to go there by spirit of nationalism and a desire for economic security, which they think they can attain in Palestine if given freedom and independence there. The opening of their eyes to behold their Christ will come in the closing phase of “Jacob’s trouble.”
In view of this, it is not advisable to become over-enthusiastic concerning reports that thousands of Jews are accepting Christ, for they are not. Many are joining nominal churches in the hope of hiding their racial identity, and thus escaping persecution. It is a part of their effort, particularly in America, to be “assimilated.” And besides, those who may accept the Christ of the nominal churches are no nearer to God than they were as Jews.
A Jew who takes his religion seriously believes in the true God, Jehovah. He believes that death is the penalty for sin. He believes in the resurrection of the dead as the basis for a hope of future life. But if he turns from these beliefs to nominal churchianity, he then believes in a triune god—which is blasphemy—he believes in the eternal torture of the wicked, and he believes he will go to heaven as soon as he dies, hence that there is no need of a resurrection.
We submit, therefore, that a Jew is nearer to God as a believer in the teachings of the Old Testament than he could possibly be as a believer in the creeds of the Dark Ages. No, if we read the prophecies correctly, God will not use a decadent churchianity to bring his ancient people to Christ; nor does his plan call for their being brought to Christ—except for the occasional one—until their eyes are opened by divine intervention on their behalf in the closing phase of the “time of trouble,” the fury of which is now increasing throughout the whole world. It is our privilege, of course, to comfort them with the truth as we have opportunity. It is our privilege to “comfort all who mourn” because of the presence of earth’s new King and the resultant overthrow of Satan’s empire. Let us be faithful in the use of these privileges by telling the whole world the blessed tidings of the new kingdom now so near.
Thus we may be used in a small way to help keep alive the hope that is in human breasts that some day, some time, things will be better—that peace and security and an abundant life will yet be enjoyed. It is our privilege to explain that this hope will be realized, not because selfish human efforts will at last succeed, but because “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform” it. (Isaiah 9:7) What a blessed prospect this is at the beginning of the new year! Ours is the peace that comes from believing in the promises of God, and the joy which results from telling others of these “good tidings” of the kingdom.—Luke 2:10