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D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
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STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR INDIVIDUAL MEDITATION AND FAMILY WORSHIP ■■
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By R A . TORREY
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Tuesday, February I. Luke 17 : 25 - 30 .
ing to the earth. And so the primary appli cation o f verge 32 is to that day, but it can also be well applied not only to the folly -of turning back in that day, but also to the folly o f turning back to the world when one has turned "his back upon it. I f one is tempted to cast a lingering, longing look back upon the world with its allurements and pleasures, let him remember Lot’s wife in her attempted .escape from Sodom in the day o f its destruction. The way to lose real life is by trying to save our lives (v. 33; cf. John 12:25). The word trans lated “ lose” in verse 33 is the word ordi narily translated “ destroy,” and is the verb from which the noun translated “ destruc tion” is derived: this is conclusive proof, if one will stop to reflect upon it, that destruction in the Bible does not mean annihilation. At o u r Lord’s return there will be separation even between those-who are closest to one another. Verse 34 would imply that our Lord is to return at night, but verse 35 would imply that He is to return in the day time. How is this appar ent contradiction to be reconciled? By' just remembering that the world is round and revolves upon its axis, and while it will be day on one side o f the 'earth, it will be night on the other. The men o f the- day when our Lord uttered these words did not know this, and it is only one of the many illustrations o f how the advance o f true science serves to confirm the accu racy o f the Word o f God. It is all the more significant that it comes in such minute points and incidental details.^ Thursday, February 3 . Luke 18 : 1 - 8 . The parable o f this lesson is closely con nected with the closing verses o f the pre ceding chapter. They had tQ do with the present absence and future return o f our Lord. During the days o f the Lord’ s
The Revelation in glory o f the Son o f Man must be preceded by His atoning death- and rejection (cf. Matt. 16:21; 1 Peter 1:11). While the time o f Hit rev elation will be a time o f blessing and glory for His people, it will be a time of judgment for the world, and that judg ment will overtake the world just as judg ment overtook the earth in the days of Noah, and Sodom in. the days o f Lot. At the time o f our Lord’s revelation and His coming back to this earth the world will be entirely immersed in its usual occupa tions. Everything will be going on as usual, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling planting and building, and without warning the Lord will come. Our Lord’s reference to the «tory o f the flood and the destruc tion o f Sodorft is full o f interest and instruction. There is no other part o f the Old Testament which infidels and destruc tive critics have assailed more vigorously and persistently than the stories of', the flood and o f the destruction o f Sodom. Here our Lord sets the stamp o f His endorsement upon both o f these stories and even upon the details regarding the destruction o f Sodom. If these incidents are not true history, then our Lord was a false teacher and His teaching about His own return is utterly discredited. W e have to choose between believing Christ and accepting the theories o f some so-called “ scholars.” W e cannot accept these the ories and continue to intelligently believe in Jesus Christ. Wednesday, February 2 . Luke 17 : 31 - 37 . Vèrse 31, as the Context clearly shows, does not refer to the destruction o f Jeru salem, but to the time o f our Lord’s com
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