At Their Wit’s End

ONE of the biblical prophecies pertaining to these chaotic times in which we live describes those who are undertaking to manage the affairs of the world as being at their “wit’s end.” (Psa. 107:27) This and another prophecy speak of them as staggering about like drunken men. (Isa. 24:20; 29:9) What true pictures these are of national and international affairs in this mid-century year of 1950! And the developments of recent weeks have accented the accuracy with which the Bible forecast the conditions prevalent in the fear-filled world of today!

Exceeding in importance every other situation is the “cold war” between East and West, or between a pseudo communism and a confused and much adulterated democracy. Practically all the minor issues which confront men and nations are related to this major one, and constantly it seems that this “cold war” is ever moving closer to the precipice over which it will plunge into the inferno of an atomic and hydrogenous shooting war. Only the awfulness of such a war now deters the great powers from taking the fatal step.

An incident far less serious than the one which occurred over the Baltic Sea recently set the world on fire in 1914. Only because the horrors of the last two global wars are still so vividly in the minds of the rulers of the western world, do they permit the communists to rebuff them and do nothing about it, as was the case in connection with the recent shooting down of an American war plane, causing the death of ten American fliers.

Meanwhile President Truman and other notables have re-emphasized the viewpoint of worldly wisdom to the effect that the only way to be sure of maintaining peace is to be prepared for war. Guided by this principle—if such it could be called—each threat against the western powers by Russia helps to speed up the armament program, in the hope, of course, that the enemy will thus be deterred from perpetrating anything more serious than “incidents.”

Additionally, the many minor problems of the world constitute a chaotic pattern of distress which serves as a fitting and confusing backdrop for the international stage on which the cold war is being waged. China, taken over by the “Reds,” is reported on the brink of famine conditions; while the occupation forces press forward to seize the last remaining islands of resistance. At the moment, what occurs in China seems too far distant to be of great concern to the people of America; but when the nations of the whole earth are being lined up on one side or the other for a final showdown of strength, China and every farflung nation of the globe take on importance in the general trend of events.

An Italian news agency report insists that the controversy between Dictator Tito, of Yugoslavia, and the Kremlin has only been make-believe that actually they have been on the best of terms right along. If this be true, it is certainly diplomatic camouflage on a grand and daring scale. The purpose of this would be to further confuse the western powers, and, if possible secure concessions for Tito which otherwise would not be considered. Whether or not this report be true, it helps to emphasize the confusion in which the nations of the earth are so hopelessly enmeshed.

But regardless of the chaotic state of international affairs, there is one general effort in which all are participating and into which they are pouring their resources, and that is to prepare for war. Armament programs on both sides of the world lineup are being pushed forward, and accelerated with each failure of the diplomats to ease the tension of the cold war. This is undoubtedly a further fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 3:9-15, which describes this feverish preparation for war as a beating of “plowshares into swords,” and “pruninghooks into spears.”

This fulfillment of prophecy actually has been going on progressively since the outbreak of the first World War in 1914. The year 1914 is pointed out in the time prophecies of the Bible as marking the end of what Jesus referred to as the “times of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24) The exercise of Gentile rulership over the earth during this period had been foretold by the Prophet Daniel. It was illustrated by the human-like image which the king of Babylon saw in a dream. Daniel interpreted this as representing the succession of Gentile powers beginning with Babylon and ending with the divided Roman Empire as seen in the various church-state governments of Europe as they existed just prior to 1914—the date which was to mark the beginning of their overthrow.

The period during which Gentile rulership over the earth is set aside to be replaced by the kingdom of Christ is prophetically described as the “day of the Lord,” and the Apostle Paul explains that in this day of the Lord “sudden destruction” was to come upon the world. He declares, however, that this sudden, or unexpected destruction would come as “travail upon a woman with child.” (I Thess. 5:1-5) In this we have an important outline in the pattern of events during the prophetic day of the Lord, for it indicates that the destruction coming upon the nations would be as “travail,” which means that it would come in spasms with periods of easement in between. The first spasm, or “seizure” of destructive trouble came suddenly and immediately as the prophetic “times of the Gentiles” came to a close in 1914.

Prior to that, of course, the nations of Europe had been arming with the claim that they were doing it to prevent war, so they were ready to commence destroying one another as soon as the Lord’s time came. They did not know, however, that they were accomplishing the divine purpose of destroying a social order in preparation for the kingdom of Christ. God’s hand has been in the affairs of men on various occasions without their realizing it. Men and nations imagine they are doing things their own way, and forwarding their own purposes, when at times, and unknown to them, they are actually being used to forward the Lord’s plans.

So the beating of plowshares into swords and pruninghooks into spears has been in progress ever since the end of the Gentile Times in 1914, and on a constantly increasing scale. Two major military spasms have destroyed much of the superstructure of the pre-1914 world, and its foundations have been terribly shaken. The powerful and leading church-state governments of Europe are gone; and the church, once a virtual dictator in the affairs of Europe, is now existing merely by sufferance in most countries. Her lands are being divided among the people; her clergy are being humiliated and her authority flouted.

But the destruction of the “day of the Lord” is not complete. At least one more distressing military spasm seems necessary and inevitable; and for this, the nations feverishly, and on a more gigantic scale than ever before, are beating their plowshares into swords and their pruninghooks into spears. The prophecy points out that in doing this the weak would say, “I am strong.” This may indicate the progression in the spasms of trouble that were to come upon what the Apostle Paul describes as “this present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) The two global wars already in the past left many of the nations weak and prostrate. When the last war closed few thought it possible that in so short a time these weakened nations would again be threatening one another and be spending billions of dollars in preparing for another showdown struggle for world supremacy. But such is the situation. The weakened nations are claiming that they are strong, and just when the cold war will become “hot” depends somewhat on how soon they can convince one another that these claims are true.

In the prophecy of Joel the nations of earth are symbolically represented as gathered for this final struggle in the “valley of decision.” Here again it is the Lord’s viewpoint that is being expressed. While the nations imagine that the coming atomic and hydrogenous struggle will decide which group will rule the world in the generations to come, the Lord’s decision has already gone against all of them, and in that great struggle, they all will lose. This is the prophetic pattern of coming events, and described by the Prophet Daniel as a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.”—Dan. 12:1

And apart from the prophecies of God’s Word, many are now realizing that another war will complete the destruction of what men have called civilization. What the world does not know is that the Lord’s hand is in this, and that the kingdom of Christ is to take the place of the evil world which man destroys. Without this knowledge the outlook is a gloomy one. It would mean that for generations to come hardship and want would be the common lot of all people; that dictatorship would supplant democracy, while the disillusioned human race would continue to suffer on account of its own selfish madness.

But, thank God, even though man in his madness will wreck his own world, the Lord has something in store for him which will more than compensate for all the suffering that human selfishness has brought upon the dying race. That provision is the kingdom of Messiah. The final scene in the prophecy of Joel is one in which the Lord manifests himself, making his presence known to the nations. The prophet writes that the “Lord 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.”

Much of this is, of course, symbolic language. Zion stands for the spiritual phase of Christ’s kingdom. In this symbolic Zion, Christ will be the invisible Ruler of the world. Concerning him Jehovah declares, “I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:6) With him will be his faithful followers, who, raised from the dead in the “first resurrection,” will live and reign with him. John saw these with the Lord on Mount Zion. See Revelation 14: 1.

“Jerusalem” in this prophecy seems to represent the human phase of Christ’s kingdom. The Scriptures reveal clearly that to begin with, this will be made up of the resurrected ancient prophets and other worthy ones of past ages, that these will then be made “princes in all the earth.” (Psalm 45:16) Through these, the divine authority of the messianic kingdom will speak to the world; and as stated in another prophecy, the Lord will thus say to the nations, “Be still, and know that I am God.”—Psalm 46:10

The Apostle Peter describes the present social order as being composed of a symbolic heavens and earth, which is an evident reference to the two principal elements of the present social structure—the civil and religious. Both these are already being shaken, but their final shaking, in the sense of their complete overthrow, will not occur until the kingdom of Christ manifests itself and speaks out with authority against everything that is out of harmony with divine truth and righteousness.

In the prophecy of Joel we are reminded of the important position of God’s ancient people Israel in these final scenes of a dying world. Chapter 3:1,2 shows them restored to their land, and a controversy raging over their right to the land. Ezekiel 38:14-16 indicates that even after the Jewish people are seemingly securely settled in the Promised Land there would be a final assault against them from the “north,” and that when this occurs the Lord will protect them, and that thus their eyes, and the eyes of all the nations, will be opened to behold his glory.

It is evidently this to which the Prophet Joel refers, stating that when the Lord utters his voice of authority out of Jerusalem he will also be the “strength of the children of Israel.” (Joel 3:16) Today, in the Gentile world, as well as in the experiences of the Jewish people, we see events developing toward that prophetic situation in which the Lord will become the recognized Ruler of the world. The outlook, therefore, is not hopeless and gloomy. It is very bright—bright with the promises of God, which assure us that we are at the very threshold of the messianic age of peace and joy and life everlasting for all who will recognize the authority of earth’s new King.

Evolution Only a Theory

THE unproved theory of human evolution has again been brought to the front by a scientist, Mr. Anthony Standen, in a book entitled, “Science Is a Sacred Cow.” A condensed version of this book has recently appeared in Life Magazine. Mr. Standen points out that in many ways scientists are most unscientific, and he makes this point particularly emphatic with respect to the theory of human evolution. He points out that there are in reality two theories of evolution, one vague, and the other precise. There is, he says, abundant proof for the vague theory, but none whatever for the precise.

The “vague” theory of evolution is based on the fact that there are many similarities in nearly all forms of animal life. There can be no doubt about that. But what does it prove? Mr. Standen says all that it really proves is that all forms of life are in some way related, but in what way no scientist knows. To the nonscientist, especially one who believes in the divine inspiration of the Bible, the simplest explanation of this is that all forms of animal life are the product of the one Master Builder, the one all-wise and all-powerful Creator.

The “precise” theory of human evolution is that all forms of life on the earth today came from one original form of life by a series of changes, which at every point were natural and explainable by scientists. Mr. Standen says that this precise theory of evolution is further from being proved than men are from being able to fly to the moon. He reminds us of one of the claims of scientists, that they always test their theories by experiment; yet all the experimenting they have done with this theory proves that it is not true, although most of them keep on believing it.

It is, not possible in testing the theory of human evolution to go back into remote geological ages to find out what actually happened. All scientists can do is to test the theory by what is happening now. For this purpose they have been breeding banana flies for forty years, and in that time have produced a thousand generations. But they have not, in all that time, succeeded in evolving a single banana fly into a different species, much less into a creature of more distant relationship. Thus by their scientific tests they have disproved the precise theory of evolution, but this fact is seldom emphasized by the scientists. We are glad that Mr. Standen has been courageous enough to make such assertions, and could hope that our educators would take due notice of it, and in teaching the theory of evolution make it plain that it is merely an unproved theory.

Prof. R.S. Lull, of Yale, says, “Since Darwin’s day, evolution has been more and more generally accepted until now in the minds of informed, thinking men there is no doubt that it is the only logical way whereby the creation can be interpreted and understood. We are not so sure, however, as to the modus operandi, but we may rest assured that the process has been in accordance with great natural laws, some of which are as yet unknown, perhaps unknowable.”

What strange language for a scientist—one who claims that he can be assured of truth only when it has been proved by tests and experiments! Prof. Lull says that they are assured of the theory of human evolution, and then adds that they know nothing of just how it came about, except that it was by natural laws. He admits, however, that scientists know nothing about these laws of evolution, and that they are probably “unknowable.” A layman is tempted to ask just how it is that scientists know so much about the unknowable. And how can they talk with such assurance about unknown natural laws? If they are unknown, how do they know that they exist?

So far as the scientists go, we could leave them to their guesses and their theories, and as Christians, would not need to give much consideration to their vain attempts to disprove the authenticity of the Genesis account of creation; but the difficulty is, many believe that the theory of human evolution is in harmony with the Bible and with the teachings of Christianity. This is a great deception, and is making shipwreck of the faith of millions.

So-called Christian evolutionists claim to believe the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, but seemingly they overlook that the New Testament is based upon the teachings of the Old Testament, and that several references are made to Adam by New Testament writers. If we discard the Genesis account of creation; we must also, to be consistent, discard the New Testament, admitting that Jesus and the apostles were dupes who did not know what they were talking about, and were not guided by the Holy Spirit in what they said and wrote.

In the 15th chapter of I Corinthians, the Apostle Paul, for example, refers to the “first” Adam. He shows that all lost life through the first Adam—“As in Adam all die,” he wrote, “even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Paul speaks of Christ as the “last” Adam, and explains that it is through his redemptive work that the fallen and dying human race, the offspring of the first Adam, is to be restored to life. Thus the whole Christian plan of salvation, and the hope of eternal life through Christ, is dependent upon the truthfulness of the Genesis account of creation.

It is a source of real satisfaction now, however, that many scientists are beginning to doubt the theory of human evolution. They are beginning to realize that with all their experiments and tests they have not been able to find a single shred of evidence that the theory is based on anything more than wishful thinking. Mr. Standen is not alone in reaching this conclusion.

Many outstanding scientists of our leading universities are now admitting, in the light of their most recent discoveries, that primitive man was really more highly developed intellectually and physically than the average man of today. They tell us that modern research is leading away from the picture of primitive man as brutish and dull. There is more justification, they say, for regarding primitive man as clever, kindly, generous, and inventive. They are inclining to the view that whatever change occurred throughout the thousands of years since has been largely retrogressive rather than otherwise. They cite the reduction in hand skill, and dulling of the senses of sight and smell and hearing as some of the evidences of the decline of man.

In our publication entitled “Creation,” are to be found many statements of scientists in which they explain that when we open the first pages of authentic history man is found to be in possession of almost all the fundamental inventions. He had learned the art, not only of using tools, but of making them. He had developed a wonderful ability in drawing and painting and sculpture, and was able to use them in expressing his love for the beautiful. They tell us that the picture presented by these earliest records differs in no great essential from life as it is experienced today. These scientists admit that they have no knowledge of how the inventions and discoveries of those early days came about.

Yes, all the real evidence unearthed by archeologists proves that man has fallen, even as the Scriptures teach, and that he is not evolving as the theory of Darwin claims. Discoveries indicate that the earliest inhabitants of Mesopotamia, as well as the earliest known people of Crete, Egypt, and Asia Minor, actually had civilizations far in advance of that of Europe three or four hundred years ago, and indeed, compared most favorably with ours of the present day, except, of course, that knowledge has been increased and we are favored by the inventive genius of what is now being called the atomic age.

We cannot overemphasize the fact that the Bible is the textbook of Christianity, and that all its historical records, its prophecies, its promises, are inspired by God, the Creator of the universe. If man has come into existence by a process of evolution, then the Bible is not what it claims to be, and those who wrote it have foisted upon the human race the most gigantic fraud of all human history.

However, the theory of human evolution is now considered by many scientists to be without proof, while the biblical record of the creation and fall of man is found to be in full harmony with genuine scientific knowledge. This means that we should accept the Bible for what it claims to be—the inspired Word of God. Accepting it as such, we should have confidence in its prophecies of our times, and its promises concerning the future. In this way, we are enabled to have a genuine hope for better times to come on this old earth.

The scriptural record of the creation and fall of man being true, we should have no difficulty in believing its testimony that fallen man is to be restored to God’s favor and live in a world-wide paradise, just as the Creator originally intended. Surely it should not be difficult to believe that the One who created life in the first place is abundantly able to restore life, and it is just this that he has promised to do. The Apostle Peter speaks of the age in the divine plan when this will be accomplished as “times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”—Acts 3:19-21

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