. . . but a bigger and better paper. Formerly just a pupil’s leaflet, it now blossoms out as a full-fledged' Sunday School paper. Here a re som e o f the m any a ttra ctiv e fe a tu re s: • Conduct stories that make Bible truths live • Puzzle pictures, riddles, etc, • Four-color Bible pictures & stories (same as those featured in former PRIMARY DAYS) Plan now to use this exciting new paper next quarter. Mail the coupon below to get free samples. MORI THAN EVER Hhhepupils,choice* power and rmy&uMAetfy Every week more than 400,000 copies of power and my counsellor go out to youngsters— and adults— of all denominations. These papers are pop ular because they are: • Written about people and things your pupils are interested in • Phrased in straight-to-the - point language that your pupils understand • Attractively styled in modern design % Designed to put over a definite spiritual message Your class can learn to live for Christ— joyfully and enthusiastically—through these inspiring papers. Check these attractive features for yourself— mail the coupon right away. Iwanttoseeformyselfjustwhatyour SundaySchoolpapersarelike.Pleasesendme— FREE sample copies of po w er (for teen * agers and young adults) fr ee sample copies of m y c o u n s e llo r (for 9- to 13-year-olds) f r e e sample copies of p r im a r y d a ys (for 6- to 8-year-olds) # NAME______________________________________________ A D D R E S S _________________________________ CITY_______________ ZONE______ STATE________________ # S C R I P T U R E P R E S S 434 South Wabash, Chicago 5, III. Dept. .,KBP-91 * e o o e # o e e e o e e e Page Two
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The July issue of the King’s Business has just arrived and I enjoyed as always the first glance through it. I cannot re frain from a bit of reply to Mary L. Gallivan of Long Beach. She says: “ Everyone who has studied the doctrine of Catholicism knows that the images or ‘idols’ seen in Catholic churches and missions are not to be worshiped as these authors try to convey.” I cannot lay claim to a really careful study of Catholicism, but here is something I do know. Two of my friends are working in the Orinoco River Mission in Venezue la where Catholicism is very strong. I collect and send to them used cards (Christmas, birthday, etc.) that they want to use in the work with children. They inform me that they cannot use cards that have pictures of Christ on them because those are worshiped. M in n ie L eigh Fall Creek, Oregon I enjoy the King’s Business very much. Thank you for it. In this modern age a good, sound, fundamental Chris tian magazine is a Godsend! I was dis mayed to read in “ Reader Reaction” of the July issue of the Catholic woman’s reaction to “Adventuring for Christ in the Andes.” It is sinful to put belief in a denominational doctrine rather than in the Bible. She uses the Catholic doctrine as a basis for all her arguments: justi fication of their images, perfection of the Virgin Mary, her assumption into Heav en, and Mary the mediator. I know of no verse of Scripture that upholds any of this. To quote: “ Everyone who has studied the doctrine of Catholicism knows that . . . [and then the argu ments, the last one being] . . . and again, so far as praying to the Virgin as a mediator between God and man is concerned, how can one prove that it may not be through her that God bestows His power to the rest of mankind.” Let me quote 1 Timothy 2:5: “ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” M rs . C lare M orris Vero Beach, Fla. What a wonderful magazine the King’s Business is! We enjoy it very much. We read in the July edition the story of the Kentucky Mountain Mission Children’s Home. What a wonderful work they are doing there. Would- it be possible "for them to have a telephone? If so, what would the cost be? We would love to help as much as we can. M r . and M rs . K rissovich San Lorenzo, Calif. I have both love and respect for a Bible scholar like Dr. Talbot, but when he goes so wrong on a simple and clear- cut Bible passage as John 15:2,6, it (Continued on Page 19) S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
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
Copyright, 1951, The King’s Business No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved. Voi. 42 SEPTEMBER, 1951 No. 9 , vr.%. 3 Editorially Speaking.................................................................................... 4 The Work and the Workers, William W. O rr ...................................... 5 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box .......................................................|.............. 6 The Bible in the News, William W. O rr ................................................ 7 Israel Lives Again ! George T. B. Davis .......................................... 8 The Ark of Noah— Fact or Fiction? Harry Rimmer ......................... 10 The Last Valley, Martha Snell N icho lson ............................................ 12 Why I Use a Scofield Bible, Herbert Lockyer ........................... .......... 13 We Reach a New Harvest Field, Sydney A. B est ................................ 14 My First Months in Israel, Matilda Alexander .................................... 15 Biola Family C ir cle ........................................................................................ 16 Camouflaged Seventh-DayAdventism, E. B. Jones ................................. 17 Christ Revealed, Henry B. Knox ............................................................... 18 Book Reviews, Donald G. Davis ........ : .................................................... 19 Junior King’s Business: Lindy, Betty Bruechert ................................ 2,0 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. Wilson .............................................. 21 Miscellanea................................................................................. Sunday School Lessons, Homer A . Kent, Allison Arrowood .............. 25 Object Lessons, Elmer L. Wilder ............................................................... 33 Picture Credits: Cover, Valeska, Los Angeles Yemenite children in camp are shown dressed up for the “birthday of the tree/* In one hand each child holds the tree to be planted; in the other candies just distributed from the school teacher. One day each year every child plants a tree to reforest the country. Pp. 8, 9, Israel Office of Information, Los Angeles; p. 11, Wilde Bible Pictures; p. 15, Biblical Research Society; p. 17, Don Knight, San Francisco. Reader Reaction .................................................. .. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION— “The King’s Business" is published monthly; $2.00, one year; $1.00, six months; 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 17, California. MANUSCRIPTS— “The Kind’s Business" cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1988, 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 \3, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California. Page Three
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of a man who fought his way to com mercial leadership not at the expense, but always in the service of humanity; who wrested the wealth that gave him power to fill his life with good works, only from the hard and hidden treasure house of mother earth. “ Those who gather in sympathy to day, to pay the last honors to Lyman Stewart, will not be thinking of him as the head of a great corporation, who from a single well drilled at Newhall twenty years ago built up the powerful Union Oil Company —r all worthy of praise and honor though he be for so splendid an enterprise. “Nor will they be thinking of the faith and foresight he displayed when after the first discovery of oil in Penn sylvania sixty-four years ago he invested all the slowly-collected savings from his hard earned wages in buying a fraction of a lease in the new fields—though the example is one with a lesson for all the toilers and spinners of today. . “ They will not be thinking of the pluck and endurance that in the early California days saw him win victory from defeat, staking his all on the small loan offered at the eleventh hour by a true friend who knew his worth and believed in his success. “ Rather they will turn their eyes to the building of the Bible Institute that his faith in God and his desire to serve gave as a monument to his memory— such as before all else he desired to leave behind him. And they will recall how continuously and without one thought of self he gave, freely as he had re ceived, to every good object for the ad vancement of a better and brighter world. “Not because of his indomitable spirit, not to glorify his earthly successes would our old friend, we feel sure, wish those who knew him and will miss him to pay their last tribute of sympathy and respect to his mortal remains. But look ing down his spirit would say to them simply: “ ‘Write me as one who loved his fel low man’.” Another School Year B Y the grace of God, the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles opens wide its doors for another school year with an enrollment totaling about 825. We praise God for this further evidence of His grace and we seek His loving favor in order that we may teach these stu dents God’s truth and lead them into the paths of profitable experience. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles continues to follow its original policy of accepting and training young people from any evangelical denomination with out charging the student for his tui tion. With a student body of many hun dreds, and costs rising constantly, it is an ever-increasing reminder to call upon God for His sustaining grace. For the past number of years God has blessed a sponsorship plan whereby in terested people could stand behind the training cost of one student for one year T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Dope For Teen-agers O NE of the current campaigns of the public press is being directed against a most alarming symptom of our civilization: the sale to and use of dope by teen-agers. Editors and social workers alike have become tremendously exer cised over this situation and have begun a crusade to acquaint the public with the dangers which are involved. Many newspapers have been printing extensive details, of the alarming inroads of this evil into the lives of our American youth. Certainly narcotics are a menace of the first order to young peoples’ lives and morals. This is a most shameful condition to appear in the enlightened twentieth century. No time should be lost in exercising every agency possible to curb and stamp out this monster which enslaves and which degrades. But we should like to ask a question in this regard, especially of those news papers and magazines that so loudly proclaim their high altruistic interest in the affairs of our youth. What about the menace of liquor? There is no ques tion but that dope constitutes slavery, but the liquor habit is a thousand times more widespread. Teen-agers are acquir ing the liquor habit by leaps and bounds with no one to say “nay.” While “ dope” is sold by shady peddlers on side streets, liquor is openly and brilliantly displayed on billboards, tele vision and radio. The liquor stores are allowed to be open far into the night and no one raises his voice against them. The same newspapers that run pages of copy against the dope habit never so much as mention the liquor habit and the reason is, that on the very same pages where the sordid stories of dope enslavement are shown are also adver tisements of this liquor to the effect that it is the brand which intelligent people use, or the beer which is the choice of the stars. If the “dope” people were carrying large advertisem en ts in the public press perhaps nothing would be said about them, but simply because it is a business which does not threaten any responsible person’s p ock e tb ook , the Page Four
public press may excoriate them as much as they wish. Do not misunderstand. The whole dope activity is desperately bad, and greatly to be deprecated, but the drinking of liquor by teen-agers is a hundred times worse and also worse for adults. Of all the grown-ups in state penitentiaries who are there for passing bad checks, 75% are there because of drinking liq uor. The liquor traffic is a slimy octopus with not eight tenacles, but millions reaching into every nook and cranny of our beloved nation and despoiling all that which is good and high and pure and true. Would to God we had enough right-thinking men and women who, merely on the basis of common sense, would rule this despicable thing from our shores. 28 Years of Glory I T was in the very opening moments of Friday, September 28, 1923, that Lyman Stewart, man of God and great friend of the Bible Institute, went to be with the Lord whom he had served so well for 83 years. As the years pass, Lyman Stewart’s stature continues to grow. More and more do we see the greatness of this business man, who was primarily God’s business man. An edi torial which appeared on the pages of the Los Angeles Times described Lyman Stewart’s home-going in this way: “ LYMAN STEWART PASSES “ After a long life, filled with good works and crowned with success, Lyman Stewart, pioneer, fighter, oil magnate, philanthropist, has passed on. “ Perhaps only some such simple state ment can express that something, tran scending all words, that passes into im mortality with the earthly closing of so useful and so noble a career. “ The record of his life is one of brave struggle, often against overwhelming odds of patient endeavor, often under disheartening circumstances from a poor boy working in a Pennsylvania tannery to the chairmanship of one of the world’s largest oil corporations. “ But the grander part of that record is told in a far better story—the story
The W o rk and the W o rk ers By William W. Orr, D.D.
real secret of the phenomenal spread of Christianity during the first century of the Christian era was due not so much to public meetings, as to private evangelism. We hold in our hands a little pocket booklet published by the Greater Port land Gospel Crusade wherein are gath ered the results of the now famous Billy Graham Portland meeting of a year ago. From this booklet we learn that there were 8,386 total decisions for Christ. However, twelve months after the meet ing there are found to be 2,527 who are now members of a church and 1,379 who are attending church regularly, but have not yet joined. There is not the slightest doubt in the world concerning the practical value of the Portland meeting for here are 4,000 definitely lined up with some church as a result of that ministry. However, when we consider that there were nearly 1,000 churches co-operating, the 4,000 narrows down to about four new members in each church after an intensive effort of seven weeks and the expenditure of many thousands of dollars. It is, evidently, much easier to hold a large meeting and engage an evangelist than to teach individual Christians to do personal work, but we are sure that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will ever advance in the manner of the first century very much until meetings are supplemented with a vast network of individual personal solicitations. Figures are very interesting. Let us think of a few. Suppose we were to take an average small church and say that this church had a firebrand for a pastor who could really inspire his people to go out and win others for Christ. Let’s say he had under his teaching 250 members. Let us suppose that he held forth the goal that in 30 days each member should win one to Christ and to the individual church. Let us further suppose that this one pastor were able to continue this inspiration and the membership which had now reached 500 would do the same thing in another month. If this were to continue, how many do you suppose would be there at the beginning of the next year? By the beginning of the following year the church would contain no less than 1,024,000 members! Of course this is fantastic and such a program could never in the world actu ally take place. But the tragedy of the matter is that not even the principle is employed. Churches feel happy if they add a total of 25 new members during the year with the pastor doing all the work. We live in the year of our Lord 1951, which means that we are approaching the 2,000 years mark since Christ died and there are in today’s world no less than one billion never-dying souls who have not so much as heard that Christ died. Surely our evangelistic methods are in line for an overhaul. What better methods to which to turn than those which God Himself promulgated in the first flush of early Christianity?
with a gift of $125.00. Beginning this September, it has been found necessary to raise this amount to $200.00. How ever, the plan now is to suggest that each student have two sponsors and each sponsor contribute $100.00. This way the burden to the sponsor will not be in creased and more interested people and prayer warriors will be added to Biola’s list. It may be that some of the readers of the King’s Business had decided to be one of God’s missionaries at some time in their life but this has been providen tially hindered due to unforeseen circum stances. Many such friends want to aid in the preparation of a young person who would act as a substitute for them and here is a splendid way to do so. To every sponsor the Bible Institute of Los Angeles sends a photograph of the par ticular student and a description of his or her missionary interests. Further information regarding our sponsorship plan may be obtained by simply address ing the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Sponsorship Dept., 536 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif. New Testament Evangelism T HE book of Acts is the world’s greatest commentary on principles with the pastoral epistles the entire out line of church life is divinely presented. Authority for great meetings is abun dantly given in the Day of Pentecost gathering when, under the inspiration of the coming of the Holy Spirit of God and the Spirit-led and impassioned words of the Apostle Peter, 3,000 precious souls were brought to the feet of Christ. The same thing was repeated a few days later following the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate when the number of believers increased to about 5,000 (4:4). Throughout the book the indefatigable Apostle Paul preaches to multitudes with glorious results, holding meetings in every city with the number of converts being unknown to any but God. There isn’t the slightest doubt in the world but that the gospel is to be preached in large meetings and down through the centuries there; are instances almost without num ber of mighty preachers proclaiming the truth from pulpits the world around to waiting thousands. But there is another side to New Tes tament evangelism and that is the one- by-one method. A very interesting chain of converts is seen as beginning with the conversion of Andrew in the first chapter of John. In this case Christ dealt with Andrew and John concerning their need of Him, following which An drew went and brought Brother Peter to Christ. Peter in turn brought Philip and Philip, Nathanael and so the blessed results of personal evangelism spread in an ever-widening circle. Some of the most glorious chapters in the New Testament are those when both our Lord and His disciples dealt not with thousands but with individuals. Without a doubt the
6th Annual Another National Sunday School Con vention is to convene October 18-20, in the city of Detroit, Michigan, sponsored by the National Sunday School Associa tion. Everything possible is being done to encourage attendance at this meeting in order to continue the excellent up ward progress that is being made in Sunday schools throughout the nation. Pocket Testament League In a letter of endorsement to Glenn Wagner, Foreign Secretary of the Pocket Testament League, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek gives a splendid testi mony concerning his faith: “ I always have the pleasure to have people read and study the Bible, since the Bible is the Voice of the Holy Spirit. It reveals the righteousness of God and His love. Jesus Christ our Redeemer gave His life and shed His blood to save those who believe in Him. His righteous ness exalts the nation; Christ is the Cornerstone of all freedoms. His love covers all sins; all those who believe in According to a news release from the National Association of Evangelicals, the persecution of Protestants in Co lombia continues to increase. In a re cent incident, Rev. William Easton, a missionary of the World Wide Evangel ization Crusade and a British subject, was cut with a sabre, hit over the head with rifle butts, taken to the police sta tion, stripped, kicked and beaten with leather straps and clubs. Then followed indignities impossible to print. This is called “banditry” by the government of ficials, although everyone knows that the officials are working hand-in-glove Mrs. Billy Sunday, widow of the famed evangelist, recently presented a Chevrolet carryall “ Billy Sunday Unit” to Rev. Dick Hillis for use in Youth For Christ work in Formosa. The presenta tion was made at the World Congress on Evangelism at Winona Lake, In diana. Mr. Hillis plans to take the truck with him to Formosa on his return to aid in the present great ingathering of converts. Records Rolling According to Joy Ridderhof, Director of Gospel Recordings, in Los Angeles, more than 40,000 records have been pressed and sent to the field this year. The work of this organization includes the recording of Gospel messages in many languages, the total being 350. This fine organization also provides a good inexpensive portable record player for the missionaries to take along. The advantage of this system is that mis sionaries can begin work immediately upon their arrival on the field without waiting to learn the language. Him shall have eternal life.” South American Atrocities with the Catholic hierarchy. Youth For Christ Chevrolet
of church procedure and methods. Along
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Who will the “ two witnesses” of Rev elation 11: 3-12 be? The Bible does not tell us definitely, and there is a difference of opinion as to who these will be. Some think they will be a group of the redeemed, wit nessing in the power of Moses and Elijah. Others think they will probably be Moses and Elijah themselves. We are inclined to believe the latter, al though we can not be dogmatic, where God has not told us definitely. Our reasons for believing the two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah are these: 1. Moses died and was buried by God upon Mount Nebo; and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day (Deut. 34:5, 6). Satan contended with Michael over the body of Moses (Jude 9). Elijah went to Heaven without dying. Did God thus preserve the bodies of these two, representing the law and the prophets, that they might be His witnesses to Israel, as well as to all the world, dur ing the darkest period of all history? Surely their message would bear weight with Israel in that dark hour! 2. The miracles which they will do, as foretold in Revelation 11:3-12, are like unto the miracles performed by God through Moses and Elijah when they were on earth. 3. Malachi 4:5 tells God’s people, Israel, some significant words: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet be fore the coming of the great and dread ful day of the Lord. Christ verified this prophecy (Matt. 17:11). Please explain Daniel 12:2: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlast ing life, and some to shame and everlast ing contempt.” What resurrection is re ferred to in these verses? These words could well be applied to the two resurrections. The first resur rection, to take place before the thousand years’ reign of Christ, when the be lievers will be raised; and the second resurrection, to take place after the reign of Christ on earth, when the wicked dead shall stand before the great white throne. But my understanding is that this verse in Daniel 12:2 refers to the national resurrection of Israel; for the prophet is addressing Israel in the preceding verse, speaking of the great tribulation period, also referred to by our Lord in Matthew 24. If so, then' Daniel here refers to Israel’s national resur- Page Six
rection, not to the physical resurrection from the dead. Certainly Israel has long been buried, nationally, among the nations of the earth. God has repeatedly stated that the national idea will awaken in Israel— and this is literally true today! Some will awaken to shame and everlasting con tempt because they will become a part of the apostasy, worshiping the anti christ. Please explain why God said to Moses, concerning Pharaoh, “I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.” In the first place, before God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh hardened his own heart against God. Then, in order to show to the world what comes from rebellion against Him, God made an ex ample of that wicked king, as a warning to others against similar rebellion. Read the whole story carefully, and you will see that repeatedly Pharaoh made such blasphemous statements as this: Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go (Ex. 5:2). Again, it is a matter of the sovereign ty of our all-wise and all-loving God. Read once more Romans 9:14-24. And trust Him who doeth all things well to take care of such things as our finite minds cannot comprehend. Remember also—always—that He is the God of infinite love; and as such, He cannot be unjust or unrighteous. He is the God of all holiness and truth. Did Paul teach in First Corinthians 7 that the unmarried state is better than the married? If you read the chapter carefully, you will note that Paul advocated celibacy in this chapter only for the then present distress, not for all time. And even then he did not insist upon it. In First Tim othy 4:13 he expressly warns against the teaching of those forbidding to mar ry, and declares it to be the doctrine of demons. Please explain Matthew 2U:3U, “ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” The Greek word used for generation means race, kind, family, stock, breed. Matthew 24 and 25 refer to the end of the age, and this verse must not be taken out of its context.
Dr. Louis T. Talbot
Why are the Apocryphal Books in cluded in the Roman Catholic Bible, yet excluded from the Protestant Bible? There are a number of reasons why the Apocryphal Books are not recognized by the Protestant Church as being in spired by the Holy Spirit: 1. They do not claim divine authority. 2. Some of these books disclaim such authority, as seen in 2 Maccabees 11:23; 15:38. 3.. They contradict facts that are found in the Scriptures that we know are inspired. Compare Baruch 1:2 with Jer. 23:6, 7. 4. The Jews never received them as inspired. Orthodox Jews would rather forfeit their lives than falsify any por tion of the Old Testament of sacred Scripture. And they never accepted the Apocryphal Books as being anything more than the work of man. 5. The Lord Jesus and His apostles never quoted from them. 6. The Roman Catholic Church re jected them until 1545; therefore can not claim apostolic authority for them. These books were accepted at this late date because of a fanciful support that is found in them for the doctrine of purgatory. Some of the Apocryphal Books are his torical; some are fanciful. A careful reading of them will convince one taught by the Holy Spirit that they were not divinely inspired. The world and all it contains belongs to God. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof (Psalm 24:1). However, the devil and his people possess much of it. There is a diiference between own ership and possession. I own my um brella, but someone else possesses it. Christ will one day come and take pos session, and the uttermost parts of the earth will be included in His kingdom. “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S Do you think this world and all it contains belongs to God?
ferred to in the Declaration of Inde pendence as the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” said he. It is not surprising, however, to find even in high circles evidence of the inability of the heart of the natural man to understand God or to know His truth. Flowers from Israel *5* Thousands of flowers, mainly gladi oli and carnations, are being flown to America as a result of negotiations be tween a New York firm of horticultur ists and a distributing agency in Israel. Because of its climate, Israel produces flowers easily all the year round. Many of the strains are claimed to be vastly superior to other brands. The whole matter is being pushed by the Israeli Government because of their shortage of international dollar values. It is interesting to note that God has said that the deserts are to blossom like a rose in that day of peace and plenty which lies ahead as predicted in Isaiah 35:1. Old Fashioned Discipline Many preachers, in making reference to the characteristics of the present day have warmly noted the phrase “ dis obedient to parents” in Second Timothy 3 and have been able to cite innumer able examples from their own observa tion. A few years ago, Mrs. Isabelle Buckley knew exactly what sort of a school she wanted to start in Los An geles and did so. The principle of this school was a “No Nonsense” approach to education, and a real emphasis on old-fashioned-obedience and courtesy. Through the years, Mrs. Buckley has earned a reputation on the west coast as a top-notch school teacher. She pur sues the same course, with pupils thor oughly instructed in good manners and taught self-expression through self-dis cipline. Along with this, all classes start each day with prayer and listening to stories read from the Bible. Later on, they study the Scriptures, attending Bible classes right up to graduation. The techniques are as old-fashioned as the principles, the teachers not afraid of drilling their charges, having them memorize reams of poetry, and making them listen quietly to a symphony or concerto. In the modern maze of educa tion this is a refreshing and delightful novelty. New Family Bible Perhaps the first new edition of a family Bible to be issued since the war has been produced in Sweden and is being distributed by Harper and Bros, of New York. It is beautifully bound and decorated, contains high quality paper, presswork and art. Entitled, “ The Illustrated Family Bible,” it is enhanced by 225 full-page illustrations by Gustav Dore and more than 300 smaller illustrations from art galleries all over the world. It has ample provision for family records of births, marriages, deaths, etc. Page Seven
Favorable Decision The Christian public will remember the famous Supreme Court Decision in the McCollum case when school boards were warned against allowing religious services on school property. Now the New York state Court of Appeals speaks out in favor of Released Time, which include one-hour-a-week classes to which school children are re leased with their parents’ consent. “ It is manifest,” the court decided, “ that the McCollum case is not a holding that all Released-Time programs are per se un constitutional. . . . The Constitution does not demand that every friendly gesture between church and state shall be dis countenanced. The so-called ‘wall of sep aration’ may be built so high and so broad as to impair both state and church . . . It must also be remembered that the First Amendment not only for bids laws ‘respecting an establishment of religion,’ but also laws ‘prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ We must not destroy one in an effort to preserve the other.” Ridgway end Missions «S* According to David H. Johnson, Gen eral Director of the Evangelical Alli ance Mission, General Matthew B. Ridg way is in full sympathy with the con tinuance of the splendid missionary work that has been going on in Japan. In a recent letter, the General commends Mr. Johnson as follows: “ Please express to the members of your organization my sincere apprecia tion for the special greeting which you extended to me in your letter of June 6th. I am fully conscious of the great work which your missionaries are car rying on in Japan, and you may be assured that I shall always extend the utmost co-operation to the carrying on of their missionary efforts. With every good wish, sincerely, (signed) M. B. Ridgway, General, United States Army.” It is a wonderful answer to prayer that another man of such caliber is at the head of the Allied Forces in the Far East. Cigarette Advertising «S* The high-flying advertising claims of cigarette manufacturers are constantly under the scrutiny of the Federal Trade Commission. More than a year ago, the Commission instructed the manufactur ers to stop claiming that their cigarettes aided digestion or were “the lowest in nicotine.” Last week another company was enjoined to stop saying “with men who know tobacco best it’s Luckies 2 to 1; Luckies are less irritating, con tain less nicotine and acid than any other popular brands.” The Commission, of course, moves cautiously and after interviewing the referred to “ independent experts” found that 50 did not smoke at all and more than 100 did not smoke that brand exclusively. But in spite of these precautions, the advertising of false claims has built up S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
perhaps the most stupendous business of a ridiculous habit ever witnessed by the world. Below Prostitutes Recently there appeared in many of the newspapers of China a classification of the people according to their useful ness, in the “ People’s Republic of China” which is, of course, the Chinese Com munist Government. Here is the list:
1— Soldiers 2— Laborers 3— Farmers 4r —Government workers 5— Artisans 6— Intellectuals, teachers and students 7— Craftsmen 8— Business men
9— Prostitutes 10—Missionaries
Of course, this shows the diabolical hatred of Communists for anything that has to do with Christ or Christianity. Alcohol a Killer The American Business Men’s Re search Foundation recently concluded an investigation into the lethal qualities of alcohol with respect to insurance claims. This study is the most extensive of its kind since the repeal of prohibition and reveals that all drinkers have on the average a mortality rating one-third that of standard lives. This conclusion was based on a study of alcoholic cases which included 72,658 policy years and 758 death claims. Right and Wrong In a recent decision by America’s No. 1 Judge, Chief Justice Vinson, a blow was struck at the very foundations of right and wrong. According to Vin son, “Nothing is more certain in modern society than the principle that there are no absolutes.” This has occasioned a great deal of comment in the public press, with most people excusing Chief Justice Vinson for not thinking through what he had said. For instance, in the Christian Century there was dissent by Felix Morley: “ Our whole system of govern ment is based on the assumption that there are certain absolute values, re
IS R A E L L IV E S AGA IN ! First In A Prophetic Series By George T. B. Davis*
tion, came the United Nations’ decision to partition Palestine. This would permit the Jews to establish a State of their own on a portion of the land; and would give the Arabs their portion. After the partition plan was announced, there fol lowed increasing conflict between the Jews and the Palestine Arabs. Great Britain announced that on May 14, 1948, she would end her Mandate and would withdraw from Palestine. And the Jews announced that the day after the British withdrew from Palestine, the new Jewish State would be proclaimed. These events took place as announced. On May 15th the Jewish State was proclaimed, and the same day there began the invasion of Palestine by the Arab armies of the sur rounding countries. But the hand of God was guiding and helping the chosen people. The whole world was amazed to see the comparatively small Jewish population of Palestine defeating the armies of 'five invading Arab nations. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gave the Jews the victory over their foes that He might bring to pass the fulfillment of His own Word in restoring them to their ancient homeland after long centuries of dis persion. During our stay in Haifa and other parts of Israel, we heard remarkable stories of the way in which the Lord gave deliverance to the Jews during the recent Arab-Jewish con flict. At the pension on Mount Carmel, where my wife and I stayed on our recent Palestinian trip, only room and break fast could be provided for the guests. So we had our noon and evening meals with our dear friends who lived next door. We shared our rations together; and the extra food we had brought with us helped greatly. Our hostess prepared the meals on a kerosene stove, which is all that most housewives have for cooking in that land. One day while sitting around the table in the small apart ment of our Mount Carmel friends, we were told a stirring incident of the Lord’s working in the recent Palestinian war. We were deeply interested. We got pen and paper, and sitting there with them, we recorded a number of remarkable nar ratives as they related them to us. They were really modern miracles of the Lord’s working today on behalf of His ancient people. The first story related a stirring event that turned the tide of the battle for the city of Haifa. They stated: “ The Arab forces from Iraq came down to Palestine and into Haifa. For several weeks there was severe fighting between them and the Jews. But shortly before the Passover, 1948, the fighting suddenly ended in a dramatic manner. The Jewish forces had some rifles, but were entirely without heavy weapons of war. The Iraqui forces were well armed with machine guns, and heavy weapons, which they had mounted on Arab house-tops in Haifa. “ One night about 400 young men of the Jewish Haganah forces crowded into closed busses that were reinforced with iron at the sides to shield the men from the bullets. In the darkness of the night they drove the busses right into the main Arab quarter of Haifa. Suddenly the young men rushed out of the busses shouting and making a great deal of noise and firing the few rifles they had with them. “ The Arab soldiers were panic-stricken and fled for their lives! This was the turning point of the battle for Haifa. Some of the Arab residents of the city had already fled on the advice of the Iraqui officers. The rest of the Arab popu lation of Haifa left the city the following day. Some of them went on boats across the bay to Acre, while many of them trudged along the road to Nazareth. T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Sunrise over Tiberias
X ONG ago God gave the Promised Land to the children of Israel by a series of marvelous and miraculous events. 'The chosen people crossed the River Jordan on dry ground. The walls of Jericho fell down flat before them. The sun and moon stood still while Joshua defeated the armies of the five kings of the Amorites. For about 1500 years, except for their captivity in Babylon, the Jews dwelt in their own land. But since their rejection of the long-promised Messiah, they have been away from their homeland for almost 2000 years. The prophet Ezekiel, by divine inspiration, foresaw the regathering of, Israel in the latter days, and the establish ment of the Jewish nation upon the land. He uttered these remarkable words: “ Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land : And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel” (Ezek. 37:21,22). Again the prophet says: “ The cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 36:10,11). These scriptures are being fulfilled today before the eyes of the entire world. In the brief space of thirty-one years, great multitudes of the children of Israel have gone back to their ancient heritage ; and have founded an independent Jewish State—for the first time in 2500 years. In November, 1917, the Balfour Declaration was proclaimed, giving the Jews a national homeland in Palestine. In 1922, the League of Nations gave Great Britain the Mandate over Palestine, and entrusted to her the task of carrying out its provisions. And the Jews began to go back to the Land and to transform it. During the years that followed, many tens of thousands of Jews went back to the Land of their forefathers, in spite of the opposition of the Arab leaders and the restric tions of immigration imposed by the Mandatory power. In November, 1947, just 30 years after the Balfour Declara- *Executive Secretary of the M illion T estaments C am paign s . Reprinted from the book, I srael R eturns H ome A ccording to P rophecy , obtainable at 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Page Eight
machine guns and soldiers. There was severe fighting and some of the colonists lost their lives. The Arab forces suc ceeded in gaining an entrance into the colony in a broad flank. But the Jews still held out. The oldest settler in the colony was encouraging the others to fight to the last man. Then a remarkable thing happened. As the enemy tanks began to come into the colony there was a young Jewish boy of 15 or 16, and a young Jewish girl, who were hidden in the bushes. They had crude hand-made weapons. They were just bottles of benzine and phosphorus that burst into flame when the bottles were broken. One of the young people threw a benzine bottle right into one of the enemy tanks. The bottle burst, the burning liquid ignited the petrol and the tank caught fire. It was quickly rendered useless and they could not move it. “ The enemy were so amazed at the loss of this tank, and the injury to three other tanks, that they turned and fled with their soldiers and machine guns and their other tanks; and the colony and Tiberias were saved.” The throwing of the bottle bomb into the enemy tank at Degania, and the flight of the Arab forces, reminds one of young David long ago slinging a stone into the forehead of armor-clad Goliath, and the consequent flight of the army of the Philistines. One morning, accompanied by our two Mount Carmel friends, we left Haifa for Tiberias and the Lake of Galilee. As we motored through the beautiful and fertile plain of Jezreel, we were delighted to see so many Jewish colonies dotting the landscape. We stopped for a visit at a kibbutz, a “ communal,” not “ communist” - colony. The young man who acted as our guide was very courteous, and gladly accepted a copy of the Hebrew New Testament. As we journeyed on, we saw Mount Tabor in the distance, and passed to the plain of Tabor. Strangely enough, just that morning Mrs. Davis and I, in our regular reading of the Bible, had read the story of Saul traveling through the plain of Tabor (1 Sam. 10:3). We also saw Mount Gilboa where Saul and his heroic son Jonathan lost their lives. At last we drew near to Tiberias, and there lay the'beau tiful lake of Galilee, 600 feet below sea level. It is a thriving and growing city near the southern end of the lake. For long centuries the city has been famous for its hot springs. People still come from far and near to get the benefit of the curative waters of the springs. During the afternoon of our first day in Tiberias we had a delightful ride along the western shore of the lake. We en joyed seeing the varicolored wild flowers along the roadside and the brilliant bugainvillaea in full bloom, climbing over the arbors and porches of the homes. At one point along the way we met six Jewish soldiers returning from guard duty. We stopped the car and had a few words with them through our friend as interpreter. When he asked whether they would like to have copies of the Hebrew New Testament, each one gladly accepted a copy. (Continued Next Month)
“When the Jews saw the Arab citizens leaving the city they tried to persuade, them to remain. An agreement had been reached between the Jews and the local Arab leaders that the Arabs should stay in Haifa. The relationship between the Jews and the Arabs in Haifa had been very good. But the leaders of the invading foreign forces, the Iraquis and others, compelled the Arabs to leave the city. They expected to bomb and conquer Haifa, and to drive the Jews into the Mediter ranean Sea. The invaders promised the Arabs that in two weeks the Jews would be cleared out of Haifa, and it would become an Arab town.” The story of the 400 shouting Jews, and their great noise and rifle firing at night, reminds one of Gideon and his band of 300 men as they shouted and broke their pitchers and blew their trumpets, and so routed their enemies long ago. The next story our friends told us concerned the battle for the colonies of northern Israel: “ Three northern armies of Arabs—Iraqui, Syrian and Transjordanian—came together to capture Northern Israel and to re-capture Haifa. It was at a Jewish colony near Megiddo that the decisive event of the battle took place. The combined Arab forces had surrounded the colony. The besieged Jews had very few arms, and had given up all hope of deliverance. Suddenly there was a gap in the Arab lines. To this day no one knows how it happened. The Jewish Haganah defense forces at once entered the colony through the gap to help their fellow Jews. When the Arabs saw this strange turn of events, they withdrew their forces! And that was the turning point of the fighting in the valley of Jezreel in Northern Israel.” Another remarkable incident, of which our friends told us, concerned an orthodox Jewish colony: “ In the plain under Mount Gilboa there was a small orthodox Jewish colony of about 100 persons. Large Arab forces came against the little colony with airplanes, machine guns and tanks. The Jews had few weapons, and mostly those they had made themselves. They decided that they would defend the colony to the last man. But suddenly the Arab forces withdrew! The Jews declared that the fear of the Lord of Hosts fell upon the enemy, and caused them to depart! As the victory at the Megiddo colony had saved the western part of the plains of Jezreel, so the victory at this orthodox colony saved the east ern part of the plains of Israel.” At the southern end of the Lake of Galilee, where the lake empties into the Jordan river, stands the oldest and largest colony in northern Israel, called Degania. Striking events turned the tide of battle and saved this colony. Our friends continued. “ There is a pass between Syria and Transjordan, on the east side of the Jordan river, where for long centuries the armies of the East have come against Israel. Through this pass the combined Arab forces came into the Jordan valley. They burned and destroyed a number of defenseless Jewish colonies along the border, and blew up a large part of the big Rutenberg power plant on the Jordan river. The aim of the Arab forces was to destroy the Degania colony, and to capture Tiberias and other parts of Galilee. “ The enemy came against Degania with their tanks and
Night and Day Scenes of Haifa, one of
the fastest grouting ports in the world.
S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
Page Nine
The Ark of Noah—Fact or Fiction? By Harry Rimmer, Sc.D.*
P ERHAPS we should call this article “ Ignorance and the Ark,” for like so many other so-called scientific objec tions to the truth of God’s Word, the arguments that are directed against the record of the ark spring out of ignorance. On this, as upon all other Scriptural subjects, the person who challenges the inspiration and truth of the Bible succeeds magnificently in just one particular: he advertises a bound less personal ignorance of the subject upon which he speaks. We have often observed that objections made to the Biblical account of Noah’s ark are never made from the standpoint of knowledge, but from the viewpoint of misunderstanding. Many years ago, we spent part of our childhood in a small town, which had its local infidel, as did most such centers of residence. It was his constant boast that he was too “edu cated” to believe the Bible, and after “ thorough” study; he had rejected it entirely. One day, in an informal discussion, this wise unbeliever hanged himself, as calves are said to do when they have plenty of rope! Turning to the teacher who had for an hour confounded him in every point, the exasper ated infidel asked, “ Do you believe the story of the ark that Noah built?” “ Three hundred cubits long, fifty wide, and thirty high.” “ It must have weighed several hundred pounds?” the ques tioner slyly continued. “ Certainly,” replied the victim, “ It probably weighed sev eral hundred tons!” “ Then,” cried the infidel in unholy, gleeful triumph, “ if the Bible is true, as you claim it is, how could those two priests in Exodus pick up the ark and carry it across the Red Sea?” It is not too much to say that this is a typical attitude. The critic who wisely discourses on the scientific impossibility of the story of the ark, hardly knows that there was an Ark of the Covenant, as well as the ark of the deluge! No believer ever need fear what science may say about the ark of Noah, for science has said all it can say here, and its statements substantiate the account of that ark as the record is given in the Book of Genesis. The story of the ark has frequently been picked out as a weak point in the Bible’s claim to full and absolute inspira tion. However, the critics may as well give up hope; there are no weak points in the Book. Every section of the Scrip ture that is or has ever been under fire has emerged from the crucible secure for all time. Especially is this so when the point has been a scientific one. Some time ago we were delivering a series of addresses in a small town in Texas, and we came into violent contact with a local infidel who had gained a good deal of pseudo-scientific information. Vain speculation and wild guesses all were ac cepted by him without question. He was somewhat feared locally because of this superficial knowledge of scientific lan guage. We locked horns many times, until finally he said, “ I don’t want to talk to you any more; you talk to me as though I were an ignorant fool!” We replied, “ That is the finest case of self-analysis I ever saw!” Although he was angry for a while, he came back to see the “wherein” and “why for.” To open the issue, he challenged the truth and historicity of the account of the flood. He began by saying, “ Now, take that ridiculous story of the ark. You certainly can’t claim that story is scientifically possible.” *Reproduced by permission from the book T he H armony of S cience and S cripture . Copyright by Research Science Bureau, Inc. The teacher replied, “I certainly do.” A foxy gleam lit the eye of the infidel. “ Tell me,” he said, “How long was the ark?”
“ Certainly it is,” we replied. “What’s wrong with it scien tifically?” “ Just this,” he answered. “ It was utterly impossible for Noah to get two animals of every kind into an ark the size of the one he built.” “ Let’s examine your argument,” we replied. “How many different kinds of animals are there?” He looked at us for several seconds with a blank expression, and then said, “Well, how many kinds are there?” “ Oh, no,” we said, “ this is your argument; you go ahead and make it.” After some attempt to evade, he said, “Well, I don’t know how many kinds of animals there are, but I will soon find out.” Upon this note he departed. When we saw him again later in the day, he cried out in triumph, “ I know now how many kinds of animals there are!” “ All right,” we said, “how many kinds are there?” He said, “ There are one million different kinds.” Now of course he was wrong. His figures were highly inaccurate. But since it was his argument and not ours, we let him make it. So we contented ourselves by replying, “ What is the argument now?” He answered, “ It was utterly impossible for Noah to get two million animals into an ark the size of the one he built.” “ But,” we said, “he didn’t have to. Out of all the living creatures known to the science of biology, sixty per cent of them live in the water, and a flood wouldn’t hurt them.” “ Even at that,” he answered, “forty per cent of two million animals is a whale of a lot.” “ You are forgetting,” we retorted, “that out of the forty per cent that live on the dry land, seventy out of every one hundred are insects, which do not take up much room.” Upon which he got somewhat excited, and raised his voice to shout, “ But you have to admit that two elephants will take up a lot of room!” Whereupon we smiled and said, “ But think of all the in sects the size of fleas which could be parked on two elephants, all of them counting and yet not detracting much from the available space.” In some exasperation he said, “Well, no matter how you try to whittle it down, even ten per cent of two million animals could not possibly get in an ark the size of the one that Noah built.” “ All right,” we said, “How big was the ark?” He replied, “ What do you mean, ‘How big was it?’ ” We said, “ Exactly that. How big was the ark?” After considerable embarrassed silence, he was forced to admit that he did not know. He did not know whether the ark was ten miles long by five miles wide or whether it was ten feet long by twenty feet wide. We concluded this phase of our discussion by saying, “Now do you see why we talk to you the way you claim we do? What an intelligent argument is this! Here is a totally unknown number of animals, and here is a boat of absolutely unknown size. Yet you claim it is scientifi cally impossible to get an unknown number of animals into a boat of an unknown size!” By this time he was quite wroth, and departed, saying, “ I will find out how big the ark was!” We had the last word, however, by calling after him, “ You should have found out before you rejected the story.” The next day he came in grim determination to say, “Now I know how big the ark was.” “All right,” we answered. “How big was it?” He said, “ It was three hundred cubits long by fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.” “ Could that hold two of every kind of animal?” “ No, sir, it could not.” “Why? How long, or how much, is a cubit?” T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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