tion under the Mosaic economy (Lev. 17:10-12) was related to the use of slain animals for sacrifice as well as for diet. Blood had a symbolic mean ing, pointing prophetically to the Lamb of God who shed His blood on the cross for our salvation. All the law was fulfilled in Him and we are not under law, but under grace. See such passages as Galatians 2:16; 3: 2-26; Colossians 2:16-17. God has given one commandment to us as stated by John in I John 3:23: “ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us command ment.” This goes beyond the law of Moses so far as spirituality is con cerned. While this young man need not be concerned so far as the spiritual sig nificance of this custom is concerned he doubtless wonders about the physical effect. I recall vividly my visit to the land when it was called French Indo-China and the sight of the pagans sacrificing chickens and smearing their blood all over their huts while they engaged in their drunken orgies. This was back in the jungles where I visited the mission aries. I did not know they drank the blood. It is a gruesome custom which would be repulsive to any civilized person, Our servicemen have enough to endure without this in my judg ment. THE ROSARY Q. I cannot find the word " rosary ” in my Bible. Can you help me? A. It is not in the Word of God. It derives from the Latin Rosarium, meaning a garland of roses. It is part of the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church and used as a form of devotion particularly to the vir gin Mary. The Rosary consists of fifteen decades of Ave Marias, each of which is preceded by a Pater Noster and ended with a Gloria Patri.
creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or domin ions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH Q. What did Jesus mean when he said: “A wicked and adulterous gen eration seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas” (Matt. 16:4)? What did Jonah have to do with the generation which was living when Jesus was on earth? A. For answer I refer you to Mat thew 12:39-40 which reads: “ An evil and adulterous generation seek eth after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Jonah’s experience was a type of the death and resurrection of Christ and this was the greatest of all “ signs” that was given to the Jews of that day. The Lord explained later in this dis course that even the men of Nineveh had no sign like that and yet they repented . . . “behold, a greater than Jonas is here” (Matt. 12:41). USE OF BLOOD IN DIET Q. Some of the servicemen in Viet Nam have been asked to identify themselves with the people, even to the point of drinking chicken blood, which the natives consider a deli cacy. A Christian boy is concerned because of the commandment in the Old Testament which says we are not to eat blood. Does this apply to him? A. No, this would not apply to a Christian who is not under the law of Moses or bound by it in regard to diet or anything else. The regular
THE STONE AND THE MOUNTAIN
Q. Please explain what the stone and the mountain of Daniel 2:34 and 35 mean. A. A mountain in Scripture is often a figure of speech for a kingdom and the Word of God has referred to Christ as “ a Stone.” Moses smote the rock in the wilderness and the Is raelites drank from the stream that issued forth. Paul, referring to the typical significance of this event, tells us in plain words, “ That Rock was Christ” (I Cor. 10:4). Isaiah predicted that He would he “ smit ten of God and afflicted” for our sins (Isa. 53:4). The Psalmist prophe sied, “ The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner” (Psa. 118:22) and the Lord Jesus applied these words to Himself (Matt. 21:42). He became the foundation stone of the church (Matt. 16:18; Rom. 9:32, 33; I Cor. 3:11; I Pet. 2:4-8). In the verses referred to, Christ as the smiting stone, will put an end to Gentile world power when He comes in glory to reign. Christ Him self is “ the stone cut out without hands.” This will be a work of God, not of man. His millennial kingdom, as a “ great mountain” shall fill “ the whole earth.” Isaiah says of this kingdom: “ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9). CHRIST THE CREATOR Q. Please give me some Scripture which shows that Christ, as wedl as the Father, was creator. A. John 1:3: “ All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” Colossians 1:13-17: “ . . . His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgive ness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
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