| HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN | January 1991 |
As the world enters the new year, there is an increased feeling of uncertainty about the future. The volatile events of the past two years have manifested how weak is the fabric of our society, and how subject to sudden unanticipated change.
One senses as never before that our world plunges on into the misty unknown, with no viable solutions to its myriad dilemmas.
Are we out of control?
From man’s perspective, yes! But how about God’s?
“Hitherto Shalt Thou Come, but No Further”
“Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, and brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?” —Job 38:8-11
AFTER JOB HAD listened to his three “comforters” lengthy endeavors to explain to him why he was enduring such great misfortune, God spoke the words of our theme text to Job. The Lord had permitted Job to be tested to the extremity of his endurance, and after all the wisdom of men had been spent, as expressed in their pointless words, the Lord drew Job aside and began to speak to him. Only Jehovah’s answer fully satisfied the mind and the heart of the Prophet Job.
The quotation is a statement the Lord made concerning creation—how he had arranged and limited the “great deep” at the time when Earth was being prepared as a habitation for man—when earth and seas were divided. At times, when we have watched in awe as a terrifying thunderstorm descended over the ocean, has not the thought entered our minds of the devastation that would occur if no limits had been put upon those fierce and powerful waves? What if they should break forth from the invisible barrier which holds them in place and engulf the shores along the seacoast? Or worse—if they would only stop when the highest mountains contained them! The Scriptures assure us that the Heavenly Father himself controls the seas. Though storm clouds may gather and waves may threaten, they may boil and fume, but they have had their boundaries set. No matter how huge or powerful, they can go no further than God has decreed: “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.” Thank God for this assurance!
When we study God’s Word we find that in all aspects of life the Lord has had control. This was true in his dealings with his people of the past, and it is true even today. The Lord has set bounds, and bars, and doors to everything. Anything that may attempt to go beyond the boundary which he has set for it will fail.
God Controls the Material Universe
For instance, our solar system—including the sun and its retinue of planets—all move within their decreed orbits. The earth cannot approach nearer to the sun than the Lord has decreed. The Lord prescribed that every one of Earth’s planets which revolve around our sun would have its own boundaries set—“Hitherto, thus far shalt thou go and no further!” There is no power in the universe which could swerve any of these planets one iota of an inch outside the Lord’s decreed orbit. And scientists are aware of this accuracy and dependability attested to by the heavens, and they utilize it for measurements with complete assurance that it is indeed correct.
But occasionally we run across an article written by a scientist who attempts to convince us that sometime in the future the earth will get too close to the sun, and it may burn up, becoming nothing but a cinder. How foolish it is for us to worry needlessly about such a possibility. Only those who lack understanding and faith in God will find themselves full of such fears. All the wonders of nature attest to his great power and wisdom.
When we recognize the fad that the Creator has set the bounds for the movements not only of our own solar system, but also for the countless number of solar systems that make up the galaxy in which we are located—then to consider that there are countless galaxies in the vast expanse of the limitless universe, and that they are all whirling around in space each within a given orbit—we will realize that one who could create such a multitude of worlds is certainly also powerful enough to control them. These galaxies move through the heavens so silently, so beautifully, so accurately that their positions can easily be calculated for a thousand years! And never an interruption or deviation occurs from the set bounds the Lord has mandated.
Population of Earth Under God’s Control
When the Lord created Earth, he made it just the right size for his purpose. “Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” (Isa. 45:18) When he placed our first parents in the Garden of Eden God told them to be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, to its perfect capacity. (Gen. 1:28) This process has been going on for over six thousand years. Millions upon millions of people have lived and died.
The population explosion occurring in our day has become a matter of deep concern to thinking people. Articles in newspapers and magazines report the alarm which has gripped the minds of men as they contemplate what they call the ‘demographic explosion’. They fear that if this earth continues for another one hundred years with the present rate of increase of population continuing, we will have extreme food, housing and employment shortages.
Even today in this country, many who need food are unable to obtain it. But in many third-world countries food availability has developed into a desperate situation. This is the case despite the paradox that there are billions of dollars’ worth of foodstuff stored, which governments are holding back in order to keep the market from being glutted and prices from plummeting on those items. Many millions of dollars are also spent in building and maintaining more storage space for this food surplus. And yet those who study world developments still fear that if the rate of increase of population continues at the normal pace there will be a severe shortage of food worldwide for the people who will be living in the middle of the 21st century.
Yes, there is concern, and from their viewpoint they have good reason to be concerned about the increase of the earth’s population in these, our days. In China families are limited to one child. Any children begotten after the first child, by law must be aborted. We feel certain that our Heavenly Father has a better solution than this heartbreaking one. Yes, we have confidence that our Heavenly Father has set the bounds and the bars in this matter of great importance to his human children. He has decreed the total, perfect number of people who will occupy this planet Earth.
When God’s kingdom—for which we continually pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”—is established, not only will those who are alive at that time have many needs to be met, but additionally, those resurrected from the dead will have many, varied needs. The Bible assures us that everyone who ever lived upon this earth, every child of Adam, will return from death. (John 5:25,28; Acts 15:16,17) These will have both immediate and continuing needs that must be supplied.
As we study the Scriptures, and read about the unfolding of God’s plans and purposes as they will operate during the Millennial Age we find many texts which describe that glorious day. But we do not find even one text of scripture which might in any way indicate that overpopulation will be one of the problems which will require special resolving. Even in this matter the Lord has said, “Adam, you and your offspring can increase thus far, but no further. I have prepared this earth to house a particular number of your children, and when my plans and purposes are fully completed you will see that just the right number were born. Just enough to ‘fill the earth’, to inhabit this planetary paradise in joy and plenty and comfort—and no more or less—will be brought forth.”
God’s Command over Dispensational Features
The length of the different ages and dispensations in God’s plan were designed by him to be a specific number of years in length, and no longer or shorter. The period from Creation to the Flood was 1,656 years long. The Lord decreed that the first dispensation would end just then—not a year earlier—not a year later. It accomplished God’s purpose in his permission of evil, and then a new dispensation began to teach its particular lesson. The lesson of the first world was that angels could not solve the problems caused by man’s fall into sin and death without God’s help. In fact, the first ‘world’ became so wicked that God destroyed it in the great Flood.—II Pet. 2:4,5; Gen. 6:5,6
We find that the succeeding ages were also precisely as long as the Lord wished them to be, to accomplish his purpose for that period of time. The Patriarchal Age was just long enough to record the great covenant that God made with Abraham—“In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 22:18), confirmed to Isaac, and then passed on to Jacob. At the death of Jacob, his twelve sons became the nation of Israel, and a new age began—just on time! The Jewish dispensation, which continued for many centuries with its helpful “types and shadows” (Heb. 8:5) illustrating a new, greater work of God still to come, ended at precisely the right time in God’s plan of the ages. Next the Gospel Age opened up and began the fulfillment of the types and shadows of the Jewish Age. With the First Advent of God’s only begotten Son as our Redeemer, the Gospel Age brought with it the invitation to walk in his footsteps. It, too, arrived just on time, as foretold by the prophets of old!—Dan. 9:25-27
God as it were, had stated to each age and its work: “Thou shalt go thus far and no further.”
Permission of Evil Limited by God
Again, we see this principle so beautifully exemplified in the permission of evil among men. With the entrance of sin into the world, and its corrupting influences upon mankind, we have a clear picture of the doleful result of wickedness. Yet we firmly believe that Satan has never had complete mastery over the minds of the human race. No, as we study bits of history we find that often wonderful principles came to the fore for short periods of time. Good, kind monarchs ruled to the best of their knowledge and ability.
Sometimes in the past (and this still occurs in our day) an exceedingly corrupt regime came upon the scene, forcing men into an abyss of oppression. Yet even these evil rulers were permitted to exist only for just so long, and then the Lord held evil in check by permitting a more principled leader to arise and crush the corrupt element to the dust. In some instances, an evil leader would rise up in an attempt to replace a wicked one already in control. He would seek to completely crush the one who had been in power. In the struggle, both forces would find their strength and their power dissipated, causing each side to go out of existence, thereby making room for a better element of society to assume authority once again.
In Daniel we read: “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Dan. 4:17) In some instances this has been the method utilized in the providential overruling of the great Creator—to serve the particular purpose he has in mind—to teach a specific lesson. But “only thus far shalt thou go and no further” still applies. “Here shall thy proud waves be stayed,” is still the watchword! How happy we are to recognize that it is the God of heaven who actually rules among the children of men, though he sometimes permits for a time even the basest of individuals to hold sway in one part of the globe or another, for a particular purpose, and for a limited amount of time.
Man, who was in the beginning created in the image of God, became impaired to a greater or lesser degree by his fall into sin, but rarely has that original image been erased completely from his mind and heart. No, the Lord would not permit this, because he had a plan—a purpose, which involved man’s restoration to perfection. When given a full chance during the Millennial reign of Christ to return to man’s original perfection, by far the majority will choose to accept the opportunity to turn to righteousness. Having learned of the exceeding sinfulness of sin through many painful, tragic, unforgettable experiences throughout the past six thousand years, man, when placed under the favorable administration of a “new heavens and a new earth” (II Pet. 3:13), will rejoice to walk in the way in which they can serve the Heavenly Father in righteousness, peace and fidelity.—Isa. 2:2-4
God’s Control Over the Counterfeit Church
During the middle centuries of the Gospel Age when the counterfeit church held Europe and its monarchies in its death grip, their power was exercised in large degree to “wear out the saints of the Most High.” (Dan. 7:25; II Thess. 1:4-12) The message is clear in Thessalonians, in Daniel, and in Revelation, that the Lord planned to allow that power to continue unabated only for a limited amount of time. “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10) How long, O Lord are you going to allow this wicked imposter to continue to persecute and kill your saints? If its ruling power had been permitted to continue much longer than it did, it would seem that all the saints would have been ‘worn out’, completely destroyed, by the persecuting power of the counterfeit church.
But after one thousand long years of the saints’ crucible of testing experiences, the Lord raised up upon the scene a very significant individual by the name of Napoleon. He was ambitious and wanted to become a great military man who would rule the entire world. For a short while he reached his goal, and it was through this man that the Lord brought to an end the persecuting power of the counterfeit church. “Only thus far shalt thou go!” The Lord here again expressed his power and control over all things! “I have set the bars thus far.”
Satan’s Power over Job
In the Book of Job, from which our theme text is taken, Satan suggested to the Lord that Job served God faithfully only because Job received abundant blessings from the Lord. To paraphrase Satan’s words, he said, “Why certainly Job is faithful to you! Look what you have done for him! He is a good servant only because he knows you will bless him abundantly above all men upon the earth; but begin to take some of these blessings away, and you’ll see how soon Job will serve you no longer.” In this allegory, God permitted a test of Job’s faithfulness to him. The Lord said, “All right, Satan, touch him with troubles, but do not kill him.”
So one by one, his family, his possessions, his friends, his wife, his health, were all swept away, almost overnight. “But don’t touch his life, Satan! No, only thus far shalt thou go, Satan—don’t touch his life.” We see even here, in permitting the testing, the trial of Job’s faith, the proud waves of Satan’s persecution could go only so far, and no further.
The Lord set the limit upon Job’s trial. It was difficult, a severe experience, filled with loss and suffering, but we know the result. Job proved himself faithful to his Heavenly Creator under extremely adverse circumstances. In the end he was even more abundantly blessed than in the beginning! He received far more temporal blessings at the Lord’s hand than he had previously possessed and lost.
God Will Limit the “Time of Trouble”
In the severity of the time of trouble which we are presently experiencing, we find that the same principle also operates. We read in Matthew 24:21 and 22, “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be [again]. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” The Lord permits the angry waves of world unrest, wars and rumors of wars, economic calamities, political upheavals, terrorism, crime, drugs, disease, etc., to almost totally engulf the whole earth, bringing it to the very brink of complete disaster. But God said, “Except those days be shortened. …” Yes, except the bounds, the bars, set up by the Lord himself—“Only thus far shalt thy proud and angry waves go, and no further,” man would push himself over the precipice of everlasting destruction! But the Lord will calm the sea—the storm of human strife and passion—and bring about the ‘afterward’ of peace.
For the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. “Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.” (Isa. 49:8) Although the Lord will intervene to prevent the total annihilation of mankind and his home—the Earth—the church will inherit a “desolate heritage.” But Earth will indeed abide forever. (Eccles. 1:4) It will be the church’s inheritance, and they will have the privilege to “establish the earth,” to bring it back to the original perfection enjoyed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden!
When the church is complete, and the New Jerusalem established as God foretold (Rev. 21:1-4), when the nation of Israel has been snatched from the hands of their enemies because God has decreed, “Thus far Armageddon shall be permitted to go, and no further,” then Christ’s kingdom will begin to pour out its majestic blessings upon the world of mankind!
“Thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a loud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. … And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. … Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that 1 am the Lord.” (Ezek. 38:16,18,23) “Only thus far shalt thou go, Gog and Magog, and no further! Here will your proud waves be stayed.” When the Lord fights the battle for Israel, they will be stayed. When the Lord steps into the fray to save Israel from utter destruction, Gog’s knees will begin to tremble and shake, and they will be powerless against God’s people of old.
The Vision Is for an Appointed Time
The Prophet Habakkuk wrote these words over 2,500 years ago: “The Lord … said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Hab. 2:2,3) The great vision which inspired all God’s holy prophets since the world began—the establishment of the kingdom of Christ upon earth—has indeed seemed to tarry, has it not? Why is this so?
God has a reason behind the ‘tarrying’. This age must continue until the work designed by him has been completed. Then he will say, “Thus far shalt thou go and no further.” The Gospel Age will continue until the culmination of the time of trouble—Armageddon—and the establishment of the kingdom here upon earth will bring in the new age—the Millennial Age. Even though it seems to tarry, we are to wait for it patiently. It will bring with it all the joys and blessings of life, peace, health and happiness the perfect human heart could desire!
Why Do Our Blessings Seem to Tarry?
In our personal experiences there are tests of patience, of one kind or another, that the Lord permits to come upon us to try the metal of our character. God will determine by our reactions whether we are prepared for the place he has in mind for us in the kingdom, or whether we need still more lessons, or guidance along a particular line. Some of these experiences are permitted for a short time—others are of longer duration—as our needs may be. This is the measure used by God to determine what trials and testings are necessary for us to endure. When our need and God’s purpose has been fulfilled and satisfied, we can rest assured that easement will come to us. This was true in the case of the Prophet Job, and the Lord has guaranteed just such a personal overruling and guidance in every one of our individual lives.
Every consecrated believer is precious to the Lord and he deals with each on a person-to-person basis. Yes, he does work with us as ecclesias of his people as we assemble to worship him at our Sunday and weekday gatherings, pouring out upon us his Holy Spirit of truth, and revealment, and inspiration. (Heb. 10:23-25) But the basis upon which we will make our calling and election sure is exclusively an individual one.
God suits our trials and tests according to our individual needs. Just as a builder shapes a stone or a piece of wood to fit into a specific spot in the home he is constructing, so God has a particular place in mind for each one in his ‘temple’. (I Cor. 3:16) A carpenter or stonemason does not randomly form a piece of building material, and then hunt for a place for it to fit! No, it is cut and shaped and sanded and planed, or is hewn and carved, so that it will exactly fit the place for which it was intended.
Indeed sometimes our trials seem so oppressive, so difficult to bear, but if we remember that we are being shaped for the Master’s use, and by his magnificent design, we will have the fortitude to be submissive and learn the lessons he has for us in the experience. Sometimes audibly, but more often inwardly, our cry goes up, “O Lord, how long, how long?” Let us take comfort in the fact that “there bath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful,”—what a beautiful thought—God is faithful! “who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”—I Cor. 10:13
The Lord says to our trials, “Only thus far shalt thou go, and no further!” The Lord decides—and his decisions are perfect!—when our trials have accomplished the development of the peaceable fruits of righteousness, and of perfecting the character he is looking for in each New Creature. The great God of the universe, who has all things under his control, is directing every one of our daily experiences. They will never be permitted to go so far in our individual lives that we would be damaged by them. Only “thus far” will our ordeal be permitted to continue, and “no further.”
How precious this thought is to those whose hearts and minds are stayed upon the Lord.