March 1932
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the sleeper, soon followed. Soon thereafter, several stal wart youths yawned and likewise crawled away into the land of Lethe. Several young ladies were left alone— watching, waiting, as the clock struck the midnight hour. But it was too much; even their inquisitive spirits failed to keep them from dropping down the curtains over their weary eyes and lying down in the land of dreams—all but one. Only one “remained up” until he came! Need we tell you what relation existed between the one who re mained up and the one who, though he tarried long, yet came ? DENYING THE RESURRECTION [Continued from page 110] of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.” It is needless to say that there can be no resurrection until Jesus comes, and it is this that makes some of us long for His coming with exceeding desire, for not until then shall we see in the body the precious ones who have been torn from our arms by the ruffian hand of death. But He is coming; “and when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” T r ium phan t It is a triumphant resurrection. “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Christ came that “he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” The whole cre ation, smitten with the curse, is groaning and travailing in pain, and “even we ourselves groan within ourselves, wait ing for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” If there is no resurrection, Christ is defeated forever and ever. It is amazing that any Christian can become the dupe of the devil so easily as to doubt that he will rise from the dead. New Topics for the Week of Prayer t th e great Founder’s Week Conference held in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, February 1 to 5, 1932, the following preamble and resolution, sponsored by Dr. Charles G. Trumbull, editor of the Sunday School Times, Philadelphia, and Clarence H. Benson, associate editor of the Moody Bible Institute Monthly, were unanimously adopted: Whereas, For a long time it has been the custom of the reli gious press to publish topics with suggestions for a week of inter cession and prayer at the opening of each year,. And whereas, Recently the World’s Evangelical Alliance, hav ing the matter in charge, has inserted so much Modernism into the copy as to make it offensive to those who believe in “the faith delivered once for all to the saints,” And whereas, For the foregoing reason, it has become impossible for the Sunday School Times, the Moody Bible Institute Monthly, the Evangelical Christian, and other evangelical periodicals to longer continue the publication of those topics, therefore be it Resolved, That a committee be appointed to communicate with representatives of interdenominational evangelical periodicals of this and other lands with reference to the preparation and publica tion of suitable topics and suggestions for the week of prayer be ginning January, 1933. The committee appointed in accordance with the above consisted of Clarence H. Benson and Charles G. Trumbull.
that it is still true that “of that day and hour [exact time] knoweth no man” (Matt. 24:36). The writer even mar vels that the Lord has remained away as long as He has. A Significant Present-Day Fulfillment of Prophecy Right here we perceive a wonderful present-day ful fillment of prophecy! Many set times have passed and gone, and the Lord is not here—this to the disappointment of the few and to the joy of the many. Right now, there are a few who can see no possible date beyond 1936 for our Lord’s return to earth. And they are perplexed; for, seven years (Daniel’s missing “week” ) prior to that, the Lord should have taken His church out of the world. But, lo ! seven years prior to that brings us back to 1929—two years and more past! What is the result? Some are beginning to doubt the whole scheme of prophecy. Some even now are writing against what they once believed and preached. Some are discounting tremendously the testimony of all premillennial teachers, even though some of these teachers have kept themselves from date-setting errors. Some are following the “evil servant” to the job of making his fel low servants righteous by “smiting”-—using the methods of worldlings for the sake of “world betterment.” And others have simply dropped into the slumber of the virgins (Matt. 25:1-5). All this is because the Lord “tarrieth.” “Tarrieth?” Yes, He seems to stay away beyond the appointed time! And is it not exactly this that is happening, exactly what was prophesied? “That evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord tar rieth” (Matt. 24:48, R. V.). “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. . . . While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept” (Matt. 25:1, 5). “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And say ing, Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Pet. 3 :3, 4). But why the scoffing? Will it not be because it shall seem that “the Lord is slack concerning his promise”— tarrying beyond the promised time? Truly, the very tarry ing of our Lord today is tremendously significant of the fact that, “yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37). Our Simple Duty The simple duty of every true child of God in these mo mentous times is to turn “from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thess. 1 :9, 10). “To serve” and “to wait”—and beautiful is the thought within that Greek word translated “wait.” Only once do we find it in all the New Testament— anamenein. Young says it means “to remain up.” When He shall have “tarried”—have lingered seemingly far beyond the time ap pointed, far into the night—shall we be found among those who will be “up” and watching, or among those who shall be caught unawares, sleeping? A Parable Once upon a time a young man informed a certain household that he was coming from his far-distant home to visit them. And one day he sent a message ahead that he was nigh. That night, there was great expectancy in that household. There was watching and waiting. The hours grew on—late! They wondered why the delay. By and by, one began to doubt that he would come at all that night, and went to bed and slept. Another, companion to
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