King's Business - 1949-08

AUGUST , 1949

Biola’s School of Missionary Medicine In This Issue

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e f o r e June, 1946, Hildebrand could (boast no better meeting place than a beer garden and a dance hall,” writes an alert West Virginia A.S.S.U. Missionary. “ But in that red-letter month we held our first Daily Vacation Bible School there. A t night, in an old-fashioned revival carried on at the same time, more than forty souls, mostly young folk, were saved. “ Through these young people we ob tained a meeting place for a much-needed Sunday School. A man, not a Christian, ce mented part of his basement and, growing by leaps and bounds, more than sixty soon crowded the little room beyond comfort. So the young people circulated a subscription paper, and now our little new church is nearly complete. “ You should watch the shining faces of those same teen-agers as they testify! One young man has been bound by the drink habit; now he stands a free child of the King. A girl speaks who, not long ago, had the smoking habit. Now she walks at liberty, in Jehovah’s hands. That boy used to swear ‘by note’ . He now uses that holy name in love. This girl used to teach younger youth to dance. Now, although not quite seventeen, she has already led five of them to her precious Redeemer. She testifies: ‘I’m so happy that now I find all my real joy in serving Jesus!’ ”

Evangelical in purpose, non sectarian in method, and true to the Word of God, un reached rural America is the field of the A .S .S .U . We stress regeneration as the only real foundation for the Chris tian character so sorely needed today by the nation and the world. We; establish Sunday Schools and Young People’s Societies, and arrange Youth Bible Conferences and Summer Camps for the training of Christian workers. We also conduct home visitation and render community welfare aid to the otherwise unreached.

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Gift that Lives.” It tells of the work of the American Bible Society, beautifully illustrated with scenes from many lands and answers 31 questions about American Bible Society Annuity Agreements, that give you an assured income for life. Sent postage free. For those who want a regular income for life In these somewhat troublesome times, regu lar income checks are received from the American Bible Society by thousands of men, ■women and children. Medical examinations and other exacting requirements are not necessary. A generous rate of payment, depending upon your age, is assured you, no matter where you live. There are no coupons to be clipped, no wor ries about reinvestments. And, in addition, you know that, in due time, a liberal part of your Annuity Gift will start working to spread the Word of God to others. We have prepared a beautifully illustrated booklet, showing scenes from all parts of the world, where the Society is now distributing the Bible, New Testament and portions of the Scriptures. It also contains 31 questions and answers that give you the complete story

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The Press and The Christian World Birthday and Anniversary: In a recent gathering in Dallas, Texas, joint recognition was made of the sev enty-eighth birthday of Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, president and founder of the Dallas Theological Seminary, and of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the school. Prom a very small beginning, conserva tive and scholarly Dallas Theological Seminary has grown to a present enroll ment of nearly two hundred men. Bible Memory Association: With nearly three thousand contest ants memorizing Bible verses, this ex cellent organization, headed by Dr. N. A. Woychuk, each summer sponsors a series of Bible camps which many of those who complete a program of memoriza tion attend without cost. A series of 250 Bible verses is needed to earn this award at Miracle Camp near Ringgold, Louisiana. New Kind of Missionary: Harold E. McMillan is a graduate pharmacist, living in Jos, North Nigeria, who dispenses vitally needed supplies of drugs and medicines to eighty bush sta tions across Central Africa. Mr. McMil lan was five years with the Royal Cana dian Army Medical Corps. Following his army experience, he responded to the call of the Lord to missionary service. This spring he is concluding his first two years’ work as a new kind of dental missionary with the Sudan Interior Mission. A recent statistics report by the U. S. State Department indicates a potential audience of nearly three hundred million who can listen to the radio by short wave. This is in contrast to listeners in North America where most radio is by long wave. A real opportunity for evangelical Christianity is seen in reach ing these listeners by short wave sta tions like that of HCJB in Quito, Ecua dor. It is estimated that from thirty- eight key points around the world mis sionary radio stations could lay down a veritable barrage of the gospel in many languages at a cost of about $50,- 000 per station. There are an estimated two million short wave sets now in use in Soviet Russia. Latin American Goals: Under the leadership of energetic Kenneth Strachan, son of Dr. Harry Strachan, founder, the Latin American Mission has begun a real expansion pro gram emphasizing evangelical cam paigns, publication of evangelical liter ature in Spanish, a short wave radio transmitter, and an increase in training facilities for native workers. A recent evangelical tour by Dr. Strachan resulted in over five hundred souls accepting Christ. Three Hundred Million Short Wave Listeners:

Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated

Louis T. Talbot, D.D.

Betty Bruechert Managing Editor

William W . Orr, D.D.

Editor in Chief

Associate Editor

CONTENTS Editorially Speaking ........................................................ ............................... 4

Dr. Talbot’s Question B o x ............................................................................... 5

Biola’s School o f M issionary Medicine .................................................... 6

What the Bible Says About Heaven, Louis T. Talbot ......................... 8

My Shepherd, Martha Snell Nicholson ...................................................... 10

Dare We Ignore the Challenge o f the Unfinished Task? Oswald J. Smith ..................................................... -.......................................... 1 1

Biola Fam ily Circle .................... ................................................................... 14

Hitchhiking on Purpose, George Watmough ......................................... 15

The Bible in the News, William W. O r r .................................................... 17

His Hands, Dorothy C. Haskin, Junior K ing’s Business.................. 18 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. W ilson ............................................... 19

Sunday School Lessons, Homer A. Kent, Allison Arrowood .............. 23

Object Lessons, Elmer L. W ilder ................................................................... 29

Cover: Technician at Work. Reproduced from Therapeutic Notes, by courtesy o f Parke, Davis and Company.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—“ The King's Business” is published monthy; $2.00, one year; $1.00, six month; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES—Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to “ The King’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING—For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, California. MANUSCRIPTS—“ The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538/ P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13. 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, California.

A U G U S T , 1 9 4 9

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the amount of aid to be given to our erstwhile enemies has been a subject of much debate, this does not take away the fact that America, as a whole, has opened her heart in great generosity, and out of our abundance we have shipped food and clothing in tremendous amounts to those in need. While no doubt there has been a sub stratum of selfishness inherent in this whole plan, this does not minimize the fact that the hearts as well as the purses of the American people have been ex tended in a magnificent gesture of friend liness and good will. Do not think for a moment that God is unacquainted with this! On one occa sion, as recorded in the 10th chapter of Acts, God sent a special angelic mes senger to a pious military man who was a generous almsgiver, reminding him that notice had been taken by God him self of his benevolence. In a sense, America has already been bountifully repaid for her charity by the overwhelming harvest of her acres dur ing the past eight or ten years. Each subsequent harvest seems to top all pre vious records, and even though we have given away uncounted tons of foodstuffs, today our granaries are filled to over flowing. Nor is this all, for God will most surely continue to bless and add new grace to this already favored land be cause of our magnanimity. It may even be that God, by His Holy Spirit, will cause a great wave of revival to sweep over America which will bring multi tudes into a knowledge of salvation. Sweet From Sorrow Into our hands has come the latest volume of poems from the gifted pen of Martha Snell Ncholson entitled The Glory Forever, a collection of Bible-inspired poems. One would not dream when read ing these lovely verses that the author for a number of years has been a patient sufferer from arthritis and other serious ailmdnts. For years hardly a day has gone by in her life when she has been free from pain. As is often the case, Mrs. Nicholson is one of God’s choicest saints. For when one must absolutely lean upon God, then the wonder of- His sufficiency is most surely demonstrated. While Christian people generally shrink from such ex periences of pain, the fact remains that sorrow is one of God’s greatest teachers and becomes the harp upon which God brings out some of His sweetest melodies in our lives. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

establishing the communion memorial table right in the center of our Christian life. Prone as we are to forget the real heart of Christianity, God has given us in graphic tangible form the essential truths of our dependence upon, and rela tionship ' to, the crucified and risen Christ. So, as the saints gather around the table, we are reminded that in us there dwelleth no good thing and that by grace through faith we are saved, not of ourselves, but through the unique sac rifice of. another, even the Lamb of God. The memorial feast, however, has an other function as well. Four distinct “ looks” are emphasized. First of all, the feast looks back to Calvary’s cross where your salvation and mine was ob tained at such tremendous cost. The feast then looks forward to the time when the absent Christ shall return and we shall be forever with Him. The feast also looks upward to the position of Christ today at the right hand of the Father where He ever liveth to make intercession for those who are His. And the feast looks inwa/rd to the hearts of God’s children with the exhortation that a man examine him self before he eats of the bread and partakes of the cup. Thus it is that every time God’s child presents himself at the communion table, the great underlying principles of Chris tianity are reviewed in his mind: re demption through the blood alone; the careful walk of the believer in depend- . ence upon the risen Christ, and then, to cap it all, the truth—which is the blessed

One o f the Fingers The preacher was speaking on the marvels of the truth found in the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel, verses 28 and 29. He was re-emphasizing the precious fact that eternal life is a gift and that the one who is genuinely saved by the Lord Jesus Christ is held in the strong hand of the Son of God! He stated, moreover, that there is the additional safeguard that the Heavenly Father, be ing greater than all, adds the strength of His hand to the safety of the believer’s position. He assured his listeners that the believer’s relationship to God was one of the utmost security. Then someone asked the question: “ I know that the Christian is in the hand of Christ, and that the hand of Christ is in the hand of God, and this seems to be a very safe place, but suppose that through force of dire circumstances the Christian were to slip through these fin gers and thus be lost?” To this inquiry the preacher made answer: “How can any child of God lose his place of security and blessing in the hand of Christ when he himself is one of the fingers?” For here is a glorious truth: the Christian is not only safely residing in a position of security but is eternally, vitally joined to the risen Christ. Just as the various members of your body, being many comprise one body and 'are endued with one life, so also are the Christians of all times one body, made alive and kept alive by the resurrection life of the indwelling Christ. How such precious truth should thrill our hearts, and how we should rejoice in so great a salvation as that which God Himself provides for us! Four “ Looks” One of the marks of God’s wisdom and His understanding of the character and weaknesses of the sons of men is His

truth of the Lord’s sure return. Marshall Plan May Mean New Blessings

Never before in the ?history of the nations of the world has there been such a gigantic benevolent gesture on the part of a victorious nation to those that were defeated as the Marshall Plan. While

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I want to know about joining a church. How can we decide which one? I hope never believed in joining one church. Can you straighten me out? Every real Christian should belong to some local assembly, and it is not diffi cult to decide which one to join. Always associate yourself with the truth wher ever it is found, and not necessarily with a particular denomination. If, for in stance, you are a Baptist, and you find it necessary to move to a city where the truth is being proclaimed in a Pres byterian Church, and that church hap pens to be the only real testimony to the gospel, then associate yourself with the truth. If it is in the Baptist or the Methodist or some other denomination that is standing for the truth, even if you have been brought up in another group, forget it, and line up with the truth. This is the advice I always give my friends when they move to another city. It is the truth that counts. We are called believers, and a believer should associate himself with believers. In Hebrews 13:17 we are told to obey those that have the rule over us. What if our pastors and religious leaders are not scriptural in their teaching? Are we to obey them? Not at all. When the apostle gave that exhortation, he was taking it for granted that the pastors or ecclesiastical leaders were born-again men, seeking the mind of Christ in all things. If your pastor, is not of this classification, then you are under no such obligation. The pastor is exhorted to preach the Word, and if he does not do it, he is not worth listening to, and should not be “obeyed.” When Jesus came from the grave, was that the first resurrection, or is the first resurrection when He comes in the clouds for His own? I have no doubt but that the first res urrection includes, first, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ himself; sec ond, the resurrection of the saved at the rapture; and third, the resurrection of the tribulation saints at the Second Coming of our Lord to the earth. The first resurrection is identical with the resurrection of the just. A U G U S T , 1 9 4 9

Dr. L. T. Talbot

David, and multitudes will go up to Jerusalem at stated times to see the King. Zechariah 14 makes that clear. Whether people on the earth will see the church, I do not know. It will not matter much whether or not they see us, so long as they see Him. Is there any place in the Bible that shows that Jesus ever sang? I think so. In Matthew 26 there is the account of Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper. In verse 30, we read: “ And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” I would conclude from the reading of the entire chapter that, the Lord Jesus joined with the disciples ui the singing of that hymn. Then again in Hebrews 2:12 it is stated: “ Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” That verse is a quotation from Psalm 22, prophetic of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Have you ever thought that when you gather on the Lord’s Day He is there with you in all the worship, for where two or three are gathered in His name, He is in your midst? That would include the singing too. Maybe this will cause you to rise up earlier on Sunday to join in the first congregational song. How can the number of years before Christ that Adam and Eve lived be rec onciled with Egyptian history which is supposed to date back to 5000 B.C. and with Chinese history which dates back even farther. The fact is that both Egyptian and Chinese histories are legendary and one cannot depend upon either. We must re member too that the Bible does not deal too strongly with chronological dates al though that does not mean we cannot accept the billions of years that some scientists have propounded for the age of man. Page Eve

Recently I was at a meeting where they read off the names of some depart ed church members and someone re marked: “ Tonight they look down on us at this meeting from glory.” Are the departed believers able to do this? I guess the person referred to was thinking of Hebrews 12:1 which reads: “ Wherefore seeing we also are com passed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight.” If so, this interpretation of the text is wrong, for the cloud of witnesses are the believers in the preceding chapter. There is nothing in the Bible that teaches that our departed loved ones look down over the battlements of Heaven upon us. They may, but the Word is silent as to it. There are many things we would like to know about the dead in Christ that are not revealed. However, there are some things we do know about them: they are with the Lord; they rest from their labors; and they see His face. What does it mean in the book oj Revelation when it refers to “ him that overcometh” ? Are overcomers a special group of believers? Scripture makes clear that overcom ers in the Bible are not a little group within the body of Christ, but the all- inclusive body of real believers, those who have been truly regenerated. If you are a believer, you are an overcom er. First John 5:4, 5, states: “ For what soever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that over cometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” During the millennium will Christ and His resurrected saints be visible to the people dwelling on the earth? We know that Christ will be seen dur ing the millennium, for He will be here upon the earth, occupying the throne' of

G OD ever works through human instrumentality. When He desires to perform a work, He lays upon the hearts of His children a burden for that task, and gives the vision of what may be accomplished for Him. The details are then worked out and great events set in motion for His glory. Personnel When it pleased the Lord to establish the School of Mis sionary Medicine at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, He had His prepared servants ready to bring it into being. The idea first occurred to the Dean of the Institute, Dr. S. H. Sutherland, who had long been distressed by the plight of the missionaries who, without medical training of any kind, were often obliged to administer help in relieving suffering natives or fellow-missionaries. In addition, Biola graduates, with their faces turned toward the foreign field, were con tinually asking where they might obtain some practical knowledge of simple cures, dietetics, sanitation, etc. Dean Sutherland was of the opinion that Biola should supplement its Bible and Seminary training with a Graduate School of

Missionary Medicine for its missionary volunteers. The board and faculty promptly endorsed this project, and the plan went forward. To secure an able and enthusiastic director for the School of Missionary Medicine was the first important step. Fortu nately, for some time Dean Sutherland had been in contact with one who by her consecration, training and temperament was admirably suited for the post. Miss Leonie V. Soubirou, a graduate of the Bible Institute, holding additional degrees of R.N., Ph.N., B.A. and M.A., in 1945 was persuaded to head fhis new department. Since Miss Soubirou herself had been sn accepted candidate of the China Inland Mission, within six days of sailing when the Chino-Japanese war broke out in 1937, naturally she had a great heart interest in missions and a deep understanding of the problems the missionary faces. The new venture immediately captured the imagination of Christian doctors and nurses, who happily joined the staff, some without any salary and with only their expenses pro vided. Distinguished physicians, well trained in medicine, surgery, obstetrics, pharmacology, eye, ear, nose and throat diseases, public health, dental science, tropical diseases, lab oratory science and nursing arts began their courses. A laboratory, dental science clinic, and other expensive medical and dental equipment were supplied in miraculous ways, through gifts of Christian people, war surplus “bargains,” and even from the doctor-instructors themselves. While the equipment was—and still is—by no means adequate; so thorough has been the instruction, and so great the co-opera tion between teachers and pupils engaged in this unique endeavor that already two classes have been graduated, and 37 of the graduates are already on the mission field, with many others under appointment to sail. Reports from those who have taken this newly-acquired medical knowledge into the dark places of the earth present unassailable evidence that the school under the leading of God was established for such a time as this. Purpose For it is distinctly and solely a School of MISSIONARY Medicine—not a medical school, nor a nurses’ training insti tution, nor a course in first aid. Its primary objective is to T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

Hospital (where each student trains']

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reach with the gospel the unevangelized on the mission fields by means of the entering wedge of missionary medicine. There are thousands in all lands who will never be brought to Christ in any other way. In China, for instance, while the rising younger generation in great numbers is turning from Buddhism, idol and ancestor worship, the middle-aged and elderly people are for the most part still steeped in paganism and superstition. But when they become victims of disease, they turn to those who can relieve their pain, whoever they may be. For the missionary who is qualified to administer even the simplest cures and perform the most minor surgery, think what an opportunity this is! And it would not be possi ble were it not for just such training as is given at the School of Missionary Medicine. The second reason for establishing such a school is that here the missionary may learn to take care of his own health and that of his fellow-missionaries who are often stationed in isolated areas hundreds of miles from nurses, doctors and hospitals. The history of missions records many a sad case of intense suffering and untimely death because such aid was not available. Practice The studies in the School of Missionary Medicine are so arranged as to give practical as well as theoretical knowledge. Each student is required to spend twelve hours a week in a general hospital where instructors supervise their work. They i lso visit health centers and medical institutions for observa tion. They put into immediate practice what they learn in the Classroom so that they will have confidence in their ability to apply such learning when they reach the mission field. Visual instruction by colored slides and moving pictures plays a large part in classroom lectures. When he has completed this concentrated and accelerated cne-year course, the graduate of the School of Missionary Medicine possesses a knowledge of diagnosis, methods of performing minor surgery, methods of simple dentistry, nutrition in health and disease, prevention and treatment of tropical disease, sanitation procedures and plans for pioneer life, and a basic understanding of obstetrics and medicine. Prerequisites Any actual missionary of evangelical faith or missionary candidate, with a letter from the board by which he has been accepted, approving his taking of the course, may make application to the School of Missionary Medicine. Naturally, he will be in good health, and his financial support will have to be partially provided through other means than personal employment in order that he may give his time to study and practice. As this is a graduate school, the enrollee must be a graduate of a Bible institute, college or theological seminary. As the school is not equipped to enroll a large number, the very finest selection is possible, and only stu dents of the highest caliber, who give promise of a real effective future in the Lord’s service, will be admitted. There is no other school of this kind in the West, and, with God’s ever-increasing blessing upon it, the School of Missionary Medicine is growing in popularity and usefulness. As the years go by, it will equip thousands of missionaries for better and longer-lasting service in all parts of the world as those graduates who are now serving in Africa, India, South America and the Islands, bear witness. A U G U S T , 1 9 4 9

(Left to right) Harry D. Earl, M. D., Member of Administration; Leonie V. Soubirou, R. N., M. A ., Member of Administration and Director of School; E. Forrest Boyd, M. D., Member of Administration.

ANATOMY CLINIC

LABORATORY INSTRUCTION

EYE DEMONSTRATION

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Third in a Series of Messages

N two previous articles I have at tempted to make it clear from the Scriptures how we may know for certain that there is a life after death and a heavenly home a/waiting believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not an unexplored country for our Lord Jesus Christ was there from eternity, then came to earth, and has returned to His place at the right hand of the throne of God. The apostle Paul by his own testi mony was “ caught up to the third heav en . . . into paradise” where he heard “unspeakable words.” And the apostle John, on the Isle of Patmos, had a clear vision of that land of glory. That it is a real place and that it is to be the eternal home of the Lord’s own is one of the best attested teachings of the Word of God. Now we consider a most interesting aspect of the subject: Where Is Heaven? The Scriptures proclaim the existence of three heavens, and the context of each passage determines which one is in the mind of the writer. First of all, there is the aerial heaven, where birds fly, the winds blow, and the rain is formed. Satan, as the prince of the power of the air, has his abode somewhere in this area.

By Louis T. Talbot, D.D.

Then we have the second or planetary heavens wherein the sun, moon, and stars are set. And it is these heavens that “ declare the glory of God,” as the psalmist affirms. Last of all, we have the heaven of heavens, the third heaven, God’s resi dence and the dwelling place of angels and of the redeemed. This sacred pre cinct of light and joy is “ the habitation of his holiness, the place where his honor dwelleth.” It is different from the other two localities in that it is entirely separated from the impurities and im perfections, the alterations and changes, of the lower realms. Ultimately, the redeemed of all ages will, by the grace of God, have their habitation in His holy presence. The Old Testament saints will be there. Prior to Calvary, the spirits of the righteous dead went to Paradise (or Sheol) which was one division of “the place of the de parted spirits.” Hades (or hell) was the other section. But sometimes the word

translated “hell” is used loosely to mean both sections, as in Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:27. Paradise, in the Old Testa ment times, was not identical with Heaven, though it has been since the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. When the Lord Jesus died on Calvary, His body rested in Joseph’s new tomb for three days and three nights, while His spirit went to the abode of the righteous dead who had lived from the time of Adam to the time of Christ. Through His death on the cross, Christ opened the way for believers to enter Heaven, God’s dwelling place. And there by He made it possible for the redeemed of the Old Testament days who were in Paradise, a waiting place, to ascend with Him into the presence of the Father. Because all believers are identified with Christ by faith, and because death could not in any way hold Him, it follows that every believer—whether living before Calvary or after it—is assured of eternal residence in the Saviour’s presence. Looking ahead, now, to that time of the complete ingathering of all those who are and shall have been redeemed in all the ages, and to that place of their permanent residence, we turn our at tention to the eternal city and seek the enlightenment of God’s Word concern ing it. The Scripture always speaks of Heaven as “ up” from the earth. We read that “ Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). Again, “when he [Christ] had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). And again, “then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. (I Thess. 4:17). But which way is “up” ? If we say it is in the direction at right angles with the earth’s surface wherever one may happen to be, then it would follow that “up” would be in a somewhat different direction from every part of the globe. The earth is round, and if a command were given for everybody to look up, broadly speaking every person on earth would look in a different direction from every other person. If Heaven is just “ up,” then Heaven is everywhere in general and nowhere in particular. But this is not what the Word of God teaches. When the Lord ascended, He went somewhere in particular and not everywhere in general. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

Sunset and Evening Star And one clear call for me, And may there be no moaning at the bar When I put out to sea. —Tennyson

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My friend, Dr. W . L . Pettingill, dis cussed in the Church of the Open Door some time ago this subject of the locality of Heaven. His conviction is that the eternal abiding place of the redeemed, the New Jerusalem, is in the north; and to bear out this view he called attention to Isaiah 14:12-15, where the fall of Lucifer is described. Lucifer was the name for Satan before his fall, and the event of his being cast out of Heaven is graphically pictured: “How are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Notice: 1. It is “ above the stars of God.” 2. It is “above . . . the clouds.” 3. It is “ in the sides of the. north.” That Heaven is above the stars of God and above the heights of the clouds we have learned from the above pas sages, but here we have the additional information that it is “ in the sides of the north,” or, as the Revised Version puts it, “ in the uttermost parts of the north.” Dr. Pettingill called attention to an other significant passage, Psalm 75. In the first verse, God is addressed as fol lows: “ Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy won drous works declare.” Beginning at verse 2, God Himself speaks: “ When I shall receive the congre gation I will judge uprightly. The earth and all the inhabitants there of are dissolved: I bear up the pil lars of it. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: . . . For pro motion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge” (Psa. 75:2-7). Here it is implied that the throne of God where He judges uprightly is in the north. Since it is not in the east, nor in the west, nor in the south, it must be in the north. North is the same direc tion from every point on our earth, and north is “ up” from everywhere. Perhaps the eternal city is the North Star; it is not a known fact, of course, but it is a possible conjecture. The magnetic needle in the compass points unerringly in that direction. Astronomers tell us that our solar system is speeding straight north at a terrific rate. Toward what are we going? Though finite minds cannot give a complete answer to this question now, we shall know ere long; for when we are “with Christ, which is far better,” we shall no longer “ see through a glass darkly,” but we shall know all that di vine grace has planned. A U G U S T , 1 9 4 9

Cloudscape as seen from the cabin of a United Air Lines’ Mainliner flying over the New York-Chicago-Califomia airway.

of the original glory. But the New Jeru salem never will know sin and its fruits. It will be perfect in form and splendor. John was granted a glimpse of it one day from his lonely island of Patmos, and he tried to' describe what he saw. But no human words could por tray the magnificence that he beheld. The late Dr. W. E. Biederwolf has related the story of a little girl, blind from birth, on whose eyes a noted sur geon worked a successful operation. As the scenes of earth came into her line of vision for the first time, she ran into her mother’s arms and cried, “ Oh, Mother, why didn’t you tell me the world was so beautiful?” The mother, wiping away her own tears, replied, “ My child, I tried to tell you, but I could not do it. You had to see it for yourself.” One day you and I shall stand in the glory, and when we catch a vision of the splendor of that city, perhaps we shall say to the beloved disciple, “John, why didn’t you tell us it was so beautiful?” And I think John will reply something like this: “ I did my best to describe its glory, in the last chapter of Revelation. It was the best I could do. But to really know, you had to see it for yourself.” And, oh, my friends, we shall see it. This is the glad experience that awaits even the weakest of the children of God. Praise His name! Heaven is a place of companionship of all the redeemed of all ages. God no doubt has infinite surprises in store for us. Paul says, “ Eye hath not seen, nor Page Nine

What Is Heaven? The Bible never discusses Heaven theoretically, but from a practical point of view. Reflections upon Heaven are never a waste of time. Rather do they provide a moral force for our practical life upon this earth. A true believer, longing for Heaven, is never too heav enly-minded to be of no earthly use! The Biblical description of Heaven is made up of an array of positives and negatives. More is said of what is not in Heaven, than of what is to be there. For example, John gives us a list of “ no mores.” Heaven is made up of the ab sence of many elements that character ize our life on earth. There will be no more pain, no more night, no more sor row, no more crying, no'more curse, no more tears, and no more death. Seeing that all the former adversities cannot enter that holy place to mar the bliss of the redeemed, every true Christian longs to be there. Summarizing the teaching of Scrip ture regarding the exact nature of Heaven, the following aspects may prove to be helpful. Heaven is a place of inexpressible beauty. It is called a place of “many mansions,” “ a building of God, an house not made with hands,” “ a city,” “ a better country,” “ an inheritance,” “ glory.” Our God is a God of beauty. This world must have been very beautiful when it first came from the hand of God. Al though sin has come in and brought chaos and the blight of death to every thing, still there remains some evidence

ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9). Think of being in timate with Peter, James, and John! Think of sitting down with these eye witnesses of stupendous happenings and having them tell us about the transfig uration, the resurrection, the ascension. Imagine conversing with Paul and Silas; with Mary, the mother of our Lord; with Elijah, and Daniel, .and Abel, the first martyr. We shall meet the reformers, John Huss, Martin Luther, John Wy- cliffe, and others, as well as great evan gelists of modern times: Wesley, White- field, Finney, Moody, Torrey. We shall see Gabriel and Michael. We shall be hold a myriad of angels. Our loved ones will be there—those who have died trust ing in the finished work of Calvary. I shall see my dear old mother, and you shall see yours if she was in her life time a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall clasp that precious hand once more and hear that well-loved voice. But, above all, we shall see the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Word of God as sures us that “we shall see his face.” We are to be “for ever with the Lord.” Heaven would not be Heaven without Him. I have read somewhere of a child who was inconsolable over the loss of her mother. Her father, for a change of scenery, sent her to another locality. While she was gone, he built a beautiful house and filled it with rare and costly furnishings. Then he sent for his little girl and brought her into the house which he had built. But he could not interest her in any part of it. She would give one quick look around the room that was being shown to her, and then would ask to be shown to the next. At last, her father had to say, “ My child, there are no more rooms. You have seen them all.” And then she fell to the floor with a despairing cry: “ O Mamma, Mamma, this is not home without you!” Our grateful hearts can understand the child’s feeling and we can say with reverent adoration, “ O blessed Lord Jesus, even Heaven would not be Heaven without Thee!” It is not the golden streets that we look for, but we long to “ see his face.” When we stand in that glorious com pany, we shall not be afraid. We shall not only see Him, but we shall be like Him, and we shall praise His name for ever. Several years ago, I was going across the Pacific. I was standing on the prom enade deck, watching the blazing sun about to disappear over the horizon. There were innumerable little white- crested waves moving in a westerly di rection and each one seemed to be doing obeisance to the sun. As I gazed upon that sight, I thought of that day when the redeemed of all the ages will stand in Immanuel’s land, and every head Page Ten “ Friends will be there I have loved long ago.”

will be turned in the direction of the Son of God and the united voices of that vast multitude will acclaim: “ Thou . . . hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation . . . Worthy is the Lamb that was slain . . . Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:9-13). Heaven is . a place of glad reunions. The Apostle Paul comforted the Thessa- lonians who were sorrowing because of the death of loved ones by saying, “ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the ☆ ☆ M Y SHEPHERD Lonely I trod the moor. Black was the sky; There was no man nor beast, No creature nigh; Only G rief dogged my steps, G rief and Despair. Fled I to north or south, Still they were there. Darkness had compassed me, Gone was my sight, Well-nigh my feet had slipped .. . Then shone a light, Then spoke a Voice to me, Gentle and Sweet, "O thy poor bleeding heart, O thy torn feet! "I am thy Shepherd kind, Thou art My sheep. Safely within My arms Rest now and sleep." Then slunk those wolves away, clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). How well do we remem ber the time when the hearse came for the body of one of our dear ones! We shall meet that dear one again, if he or she died in Christ. Some people ask the question, “ Shall we know each other in Heaven?” If mutual recognition were not to be had in Heaven, how could Paul say to the Thessalonians, “We . . . shall be caught up together with them [our departed dead] . . . Wherefore comfort one an other with these words” ? There would be no comfort in being caught up with our loved ones if we did not recognize them or know who they were! As Moses and Elijah were recognized by others on the Mount of Transfiguration; as Stephen knew his Lord as he was being stoned, and as Dives in hell recognized Lazarus and Abraham, so in the life beyond the grave each of us shall know even as also we are known. This belief in continued recognition after death has been beautifully set G rief and Despair . . . Suddenly morning broke, Rosy and fair! —Martha Snell Nicholson i t i t

forth in a silent testimony. There are graven on the tombstone which marks the place where Charles Kingsley and his wife both are buried, the three Latin words Amavimus, Amamus, Amabimus, which when translated, means “ We have loved; we love; we shall love.” Such was Kingsley’s faith! And such is ours! “ And with the morn Those angel faces smile, . Which I have loved long since And lost awhile.” When D. L. Moody lay dying, his son leaned over him to listen to his last utterance. And these were the words that he heard: “ Earth is receding; Heaven is opening; God is calling.” “ You are dreaming, Father,” said the son, gently. “ No, Will, this is no dream. I have been within the gates. I have seen the children’s faces.” “ The children’s faces” referred to Mr. Moody’s children who had preceded him to the glory land. Yes, there will be glad reunions. We have Christ’s own words of assurance for that in Matthew 8:11: “ And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” That verse assures us of preserved personalities. What a blessed thought! In connection with the prospect of reunions in Heaven, one may ask a question in regard to children. Speaking of little ones, the Lord uttered these precious words: “ In heaven their an gels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 18:- 10). Could you wish for a more delight ful occupation for the darling of your heart and home? It is sometimes asked, “ Do children grow after their spirits have passed from earth?” Some writers suggest that those who pass away in childhood have their purpose in Heaven—as children— that without them much would be missed in Heaven by all motherly and fatherly hearts. This view is based on the prem ise that apart from human life on earth, human growth, increase, and develop ment cannot be; and that, whether child, youth, or patriarch at the time of death, to whatever status the individual has at tained, so he or she abides. Accordingly, while others might have grown sons or daughters there, a mother would have her child in Heaven as a child forever. Hence it is pointed out that when Christ comes to raise our bodies, He will raise them just as when they were first put into the ground, without having aged in any way. Thus children of one year, would still be, in size and appearance, children of one year, and children of ten years would still look like children of ten. This view, while it has in it ah ele ment of comfort and possibility, never theless presents some difficulties. For ex ample: If a mother goes to be with (Continued on Page 28) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

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By Oswald J. Smith, Litt.D.

What, then, is the most important work of the hour? It is to carry out our Lord’s last orders. It is to give His gospel to the unreached tribes and peoples of the world. That, my friends, is more important than anything else. “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). By this, a*id this alone, we must judge all spirituality, all Bible knowledge, all doctrinal and theological discussions. If we are truly spiritual, if we are real Bible students, if our doctrines are scriptural, we will put world evangelism first; we will give, and give liberally, to missions. All our Bible knowledge, all our spirituality, all our doctrinal standards are nothing but make-believe, unless we are putting first things first, and we are only deceiving ourselves. Let those who do not have the vision, those who do not know God’s program, let them give to the many worthy causes here at home; but let those of us who have heard God’s call, let us concentrate on pioneer work in the regions beyond. Let us put our money into one thing and one thing only, that of reaching the remaining thousand unevangelized tribes with the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are those without a vision, who are moved by appeals and give a little here and a little there, and have but little to show for it, whereas they could put all they give back of the most important work of the hour and see a whole new tribe or a whole new country evangelized. There are men who could have the untold joy of supporting fifty or a hundred missionaries in pioneer territory, who are today giving to a hundred and one nearby enterprises, to which thousands who do not have the God-given vision of world evangelism are glad to contribute. The home work will never lack. We have but one great task and God’s Word, “his blood will I require at thine hand,” will apply to us if we withhold the gospel. If the King is to reign, we must finish the task. He is counting on us. How long, I wonder, are we going to keep Him waiting? We should lay everything else aside and concentrate on this one great objective, the completion of the evangelization of the world in our own generation. If you cannot go yourself, you will have to send a substi tute. Why not put your prayers, your talents and gifts, and your money, back of substitutes, and have your own represen tatives on the foreign field? We will never be satisfied until we have five hundred substitutes in the regions beyond. That is our prayer. That is our vision. We live for nothing else. Our Lord’s last words ring in our ears? “ The gospel must first be published among all nations.” Paul could have first evangelized Palestine, but he didn’t. Countless thousands had never even heard the gospel in Page Eleven

Street Scene—Old Cairo, Egypt Photo by Adelbert Bartlett, Santa Monica, Calif.

L ET US turn to Romans, the tenth chapter, verses thirteen to fifteen. They read as follows: “ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beau tiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Here you have the four “hows” of God’s Word. First, there is the promise, “ call” and “be saved.” But to call, they must believe. To believe, they must hear. To hear, someone must preach. To preach, he must be sent. Thus God puts the respon sibility on us. If we send, the missionary can preach. If he preaches, the heathen can hear and believe. If he believes, he can call. If he calls, he will be saved. But it starts with us. We must first of all send. The Most Important Work What, then, is the most important work of the hour? Is it to pray for revival, to lead God’s children into the deeper life, to instruct them in the truths of the Bible? I think not. Is it to establish Bible schools and Christian colleges, to train ministers and pastors? No, I do not think it is. Is it to build hospitals, orphanages and asylums? Or to erect new church buildings and repair old ones? It is not. Is it then to distribute Bibles and New Testaments, to circulate gospel literature; to support the many home move ments that abound on every side? I do not think so. Is it to work among children and the youth of our country; to back philanthropic enterprises; to eradicate disease and minister to the unfortunate? Again, I answer, No. A U G U S T , 1 9 4 9

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