| Highlights of Dawn | September 1964 |
Last Days’ Dissemination of Knowledge
“As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming [Greek, presence] of the Son of man be.” —Matthew 24:27
WHEN Jesus said that his second presence would be like the lightning he was illustrating the enlightening effect his presence would have on mankind; that it would result in a world-wide diffusion of knowledge. It is interesting to note the manner in which, in the Lord’s providence, the means of conveying knowledge, other than by person-to-person conversation has come about within the last few centuries, particularly from about the middle of the fifteenth century, when printing began slowly to be used in Germany, and shortly thereafter in other European countries. The printing press since then has made possible an almost unlimited means of conveying thoughts and ideas, not only from individual to individual, but from nation to nation and from generation to generation.
There is archeological evidence that the art of writing was known before the Flood. Away back in the antediluvian world men learned how to record their thoughts in a way that could be understood by others, but the process was tedious and laborious. The cuneiform style of writing was in general use at that time, and even after the Flood, the characters being etched upon clay tablets, which were then baked in ovens, or in the sun, to give them a degree of permanency. But the method was so slow that the recordings were largely merely of a statistical nature, and sometimes brief family histories. Many of these ancient tablets have been unearthed and their inscriptions deciphered; and while the information thus gained of conditions which existed before the Flood and since is interesting, it is not of a nature to change the course of the world today.
The art of writing improved somewhat following the Flood, but clay and stone tablets were used for centuries thereafter. Then came the use of parchment rolls, with varying degrees of quality, and improving in durability. Finally paper appeared. But during this entire period there was no better way of recording thoughts than the hand method, with all of its limitations. Few were able to write, and the masses could not read what was written. Even in the case of the Israelites, provision was made for the Law to be read to them on certain stated occasions. This was undoubtedly because the rank and file of the ancient Israelites were illiterate.
The philosophers of Greece had no adequate means of disseminating their theories. Probably the general public today knows more about platonic philosophy than did the Greeks themselves at the time of Plato, for the simple reason that the art of printing has now made these views available to all who may be interested in them. The Bible itself had very limited circulation prior to the advent of printing. Copies of the Scriptures were scarce in the days of the Early Church. Each new copy produced required much time, which made it costly. But the advent of printing changed all this.
While we have mentioned the advent of printing in Europe in the fifteenth century, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica “the oldest known printed book, printed from blocks, was discovered in the Chinese province of Kansu in 1910. It bears the statement, ‘Printed on May 11, 868, by Wang Chieh, for free general distribution, in order, in deep reverence to perpetuate the memory of his parents.’ The quotation continues, “Printing from moveable type was first done by Pi Sheng in China in the years 1041 to 1049. Both events are well authenticated. Because of the large number of characters in what in Chinese corresponds to an alphabet, the new method was not generally adopted.”
The Key of Knowledge
Only those who maintain a hold on others through ignorance need fear the wide dissemination of knowledge, for knowledge is a key to liberty. It breaks the shackles of superstition and prejudice, of whatever nature they may be; and the printing press has contributed mightily to the increase of knowledge. In the religious field, for example, printing has made possible the wide use of Hebrew and Greek concordances of the Bible. From these we learn that the Bible does not teach the gruesome doctrine of eternal torture for the wicked. With the removal of this superstition we are able to comprehend more fully what the Bible means when it tells us that God is love. Without printing, the Christian world would still be supposing that the Bible teaches hell-fire and damnation.
The religious and civil rulers of the Dark Ages recognized the power the printing press would exercise in the minds of the people, and did what they could to discourage the development of the art of printing, which, as we have seen, got its start in Europe in the fifteenth century. On this point the Encyclopedia Britannica observes: “The quality of printing began to deteriorate in the 16th century, owing somewhat to the fact that the ruling powers in church and state became alarmed because the new art seemed to be creating too much freedom of thought. Measures of repression were adopted and printing ceased to be an art and became merely a vehicle for the conveyance of information.”
Progress Resumed
While those who feared the dissemination of knowledge made possible by printing were able for a while to retard the development of this new art, it was destined to improve and expand into the tremendous enterprise which it is today. It is a far cry from the crude presses used in the 15th century to the modern multi-color rotary presses in use today. But with increasing volume through the years of its development, the art of printing has flooded the world with knowledge. It has made possible our public libraries, established our newspapers and magazines, and furnished text books for our schools and colleges.
The Bible has been styled the torch of civilization, and the printing press has sent the Bible into all lands, being now translated into practically all the known languages of the earth. In contrast with the era of the first printing press, when practically no one possessed a Bible, and none but the high prelates of the church were permitted to read it, there is now scarcely a home in the entire civilized world that does not contain this divinely inspired book.
Hand in hand with the phenomenal circulation of the Bible, made possible by the printing press, there came also a general diffusion of knowledge along other lines—national, political, scientific, economic, and industrial. This knowledge has awakened the world to a sense of its needs, and has begotten in the hearts of the common people everywhere a desire for liberty which cannot be denied. We believe that this is, in part, a fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the “lightning” which would enlighten the world from the east even unto the west.
The increase of knowledge made possible through printing is cumulative, in that the learning and experience of one generation is recorded and widely disseminated for the benefit of the next. With the printing of books, the thoughts and discoveries of thinkers and inventors were preserved and made available to their successors. As knowledge becomes more wide-spread, and books more common, each generation possessing these has a decided advantage over previous generations.
Viewed prophetically, the advent of printing is thus seen to be one of the highlights to signal an incoming new age, the age of Christ’s second presence, which will eventually bring about the complete enlightenment of the whole world. From this standpoint it should not be viewed as a natural development in human progress, but as one of the providences of God designed to accomplish certain features of his plan in the due time which he had arranged.
If it were possible for an individual who lived in Jesus’ day, or even a mere hundred years ago, to be awakened from the sleep of death and shown the world as it is at the present time, he would certainly insist that he was surrounded with miracles. And much of this change has been brought about either directly or indirectly through the advent of printing.
At a Distance
Another outstanding means of disseminating information is through the science of electricity and electronics. Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph, said, “If the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of a circuit, I see no reason why intelligence cannot be transmitted by electricity.” Morse went to work on this idea, and in 1837 applied for his first patent on the electric telegraph. That was just a little over a century and a quarter ago. Now the electric wings of thought are bearing the ideas of man, and the reports of happenings hither and yon over the globe, to a degree that staggers the imagination. The word “telegraph” is from two Greek words meaning “to write at a distance.”
The telephone soon followed the telegraph. Then came the wireless telegraph. It was not a long step from the wireless telegraph to the wireless telephone, and on to the radio. Voice and music radio broadcasting took place sporadically from about 1916 on, but the first pre-announced programs on regular schedules are credited to the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co., operating KDKA at East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first of these pre-announced broadcasts was the Harding-Cox presidential election returns on November 2, 1920, less than forty-four years ago.
Beginning in a practical way about 1950, television has been added to radio, and even more recently color television. Television has made possible the dissemination of knowledge on a vaster scale even than radio. And television today is a globe-circling outlet for knowledge, since it is now possible to beam programs to a satellite in outer space and have them bounced back to almost any part of the earth that may be desired. And all of this has come about in such a remarkably short period of time! There are people still living who can remember when there was no telegraph, no telephone, no wireless, no radio, and no television.
It would be folly to say that these outstanding developments have been brought about within the present generation because the people of our day are more intelligent than those of previous generations, for in reality they are not. As a matter of fact, the general public does not need to be particularly intelligent in order to use and enjoy our modern advantages. The number of people engaged as scientists to produce the marvels of our day is small when compared with the total population, and many of their inventions have been stumbled upon rather than thought out step by step in advance.
It is only as we view the fast-moving developments of these “last days” from the standpoint of biblical prophecies that we are able to see their real meaning. As we have noted, the art of printing—which has been developed to such a high point of efficiency in our generation—the telegraph, the telephone, the radio and television, are media of communication, and communication of ideas leads to enlightenment, and enlightenment is what Jesus prophesied when he said that his second presence would be as lightning which shines from the east even unto the west.—Matt. 24:27
Our Common Version translation of the Bible hides the meaning of Jesus’ words to some extent by using the word “coming” to translate the Greek word parousia, and “lightning” to translate the Greek word astrape. Parousia means presence. Astrape means bright shining. It can be the bright shining of a candle, and sometimes in the Bible refers to the bright shining of lightning, but not always. (Luke 11:36) In the case of our text Jesus said that the bright shining would be from east to west, like the bright shining of the sun, denoting a world-wide diffusion of light, which is used in the Bible to symbolize knowledge. The psalmist wrote, “His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.”—Ps. 97:4
It is apparent that in his prophecy Jesus is explaining that his second presence would result in a world-wide diffusion of knowledge. This we believe is the real reason that all the marvelous media of communication have come to mankind in our generation. And how potent along this line these modern methods of conveying thoughts from one to another have been! Suddenly the people of the whole world find they are able to converse with one another. Nations of the entire earth have been brought together into one world; and because of human selfishness they are daily learning more and more that the task of satisfactorily running that world is quite beyond their ability.
The nations talk peace, and want peace, but keep right on preparing for war. When we first heard of nuclear energy we were told much about the wonderful things it would accomplish along peaceful lines, and for the betterment of mankind. And there has been progress along these lines. But offsetting this gain is the fact that the two most powerful nations of earth have built up stockpiles of nuclear bombs sufficiently large to destroy the entire population of the earth several times over.
The electric wings of thought have brought the nations of the world face to face with one another, and they are frightened by what they see. Out of the confusion, however, come a few positive ideas and demands. Some of the people are beginning to identify the underlying causes of oppression and superstition, and are insisting that those causes be removed. In many instances these voices are not heard, but they are sounding forth, and in the general picture are seen to be taking part in an effort which is helping to prepare the people for the blessings of Christ’s kingdom.
The foretold increase of knowledge is gradually leading to the overthrow of all systems of iniquity and superstition because they are unable to stand before the increasing light. As the masses which have supported them learn their real character they withdraw their support, and eventually will demand their destruction. Thus all the selfish and oppressive institutions of this present evil world are being shaken by the impact of knowledge. The printing press and the electric wings of thought are carrying knowledge into every nook and corner of the earth in ever increasing volume.
This increase of knowledge is along all lines of human endeavor. In most instances thus far it is blended with selfishness, and sometimes with hate. The world is being divided into opposing camps which ultimately will destroy each other in a time of trouble, fast developing into a severity such as never was since there was a nation. (Dan. 12:1) Jesus referred to this time of “great tribulation,” and assured us that it would never be permitted to occur again. (Matt. 24:21) The reason is that the final solution of the problems posed by the increase of knowledge will be the full establishment of the kingdom of Christ, that glorious kingdom of righteousness and peace and everlasting life.
Only the Beginning
The dissemination of knowledge that we see taking place throughout the earth today is only the beginning. At present the increasing light, or knowledge, of the people is mostly along material lines. In many instances, indeed, it tends to take the minds of the people away from God. This is partly because they associate God with the systems of superstition which have come down to our day from the Dark Ages. It is well that they are getting away from superstition, and in due time they will learn to know and serve the true and loving God of the Bible.
We know that the time will finally come when all our modern means of communication will be used for transmitting information which the people will need in order to come into harmony with the kingdom of Christ, which will then be in control of the affairs of the whole earth. And then the knowledge of God’s love and glory will quickly fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Before the kingdom is fully established and in operation, doubtless the transmission of thought will have become still more rapid and universal than it is even today. How quickly, then, will the knowledge of the new kingdom be communicated to all people! What we see today is miraculous, and it is not difficult to believe that the God who foretold these things through his prophets will be able to fulfill all his promises on behalf of his people, and on behalf of the whole world—even to the raising of the dead when the time comes for that.
Jesus in kingdom power and authority is likened in prophecy to the sun—the “Sun of Righteousness.” (Mal. 4:2) From pole to pole this “Sun” will shine, and upon every continent and isle of the sea the life-giving powers of that divine Light-and Life-giver will be felt for good. There will be no unfinished spots or situations not taken care of by the bright shining of the Master’s presence. Nothing short of an east-to-west dispensation of its healing rays can fulfill completely the Master’s own promise concerning the manner and object of his second presence.
The enlightening rays of Christ’s presence will fill the earth with a knowledge of the glory of God. This means that all doctrines of devils, all nocturnal hallucinations and superstitions, all human creeds and dogmas, all the precepts of men by which people are made afraid of God rather than induced to love him, all political intrigues, as well as the thousand and one other evils which have plagued a dying world, are to be swept away, and all of this replaced by a true knowledge of God and of his righteous laws.—Zeph. 3:8,9
The warmth of the enlightening and healing rays of Christ’s presence will surely reach into the slums of our great cities, and radiate into the institutions of suffering which we call hospitals. How glad we are for these hospitals today, but how wonderful it will be when the bright shining of the Master’s presence destroys the diseases which make them necessary. Whether in hospitals or in homes there will be no more beds of sickness. Our Lord through the Apostle John summed it up when he wrote, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”—Rev. 21:4-7