Dx*. T a l b o t ’s
only peculiarity of this list. When the two sons of Joseph were listed as equal tribal heirs, it made thir teen instead of 12, including Levi. Levi, therefore, not having a landed inheritance, was usually omitted from the list of the twelve tribes. But Levi is included here, and Ma- nasseh, one of Joseph’s two sons. In place, however, of Ephraim, the oth er son, Joseph himself is included. Yet there are but twelve in all, as Dan is omitted. However, they are called “all the tribes of the children of Israel” and twelve there are, just the number of the sons of Jacob. So this incomplete and accommodated list must answer the need so far as God is concerned. Some have conjectured that per haps the prophecy concerning Dan in Genesis 49:17 may have some thing to do with this passing over Dan: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels so that his rider shall fall backward,” but Dan was not the only one of the sons of Jacob of whom very unfavorable things were said. Take Reuben (v. 4 ) ; Simeon and Levi (v. 5-6) and even Benjamin (v. 27). HOW DID PETER DIE? Q. Does the passage in John 21:18 predict Peter’s death by crucifixion and was it fulfilled? A. Yes to both questions. The mar tyrdom of Peter in Rome, .probably about A.D. 64, is mentioned by Clement of Rome. Doubtless he per ished in the persecution o f Nero. Tertullian states that he was cruci fied and Origen declares that he was placed on the cross, head downward. LOCATION OF HELL Q. Do we know where hell will be from anything said in the Bible? A. Not for sure. The Word seems to indicate that hell, the lake o f fire of Rev. 20:10-15, the abode o f the
LAZARUS Q. Was the Lazarus of Luke 16 the same man Jesus raised from the dead? A. No, the Lazarus mentioned in Luke 16 was not the same Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Note that Lazarus of the Luke ac count was a beggar. On the other hand, Lazarus, his sisters Mary and Martha had a home in Bethany where they often entertained our Lord. After Lazarus was raised from the dead, we read that they made him a supper, and Lazarus sat at the table with them (John 12:2). LEPROSY Q. I cannot understand why such a thing could have happened as is de scribed in II Kings 5:27. A. You have referred to the inci dent where the leprosy of Naaman was transferred to Gehazi. You need to read the whole story to under stand why God dealt so severely with this man. At a time when the Lord was performing miracles, this man turned into a thief, a liar and a hypocrite. Remember in those days God did not deal in the grace that He does today. This man simply got what he deserved for so dishonoring God and taking advantage of the op portunity to lay up something dis honestly for himself. DAN'S NAME Q. Why is Dan omitted from the list of the tribes of Israel in Revelation 7? A. No one knows for certain why this has been done, but it is gener ally conjectured that Dan is omitted because he was the first tribe to go into idolatry according to the record in the later part of the Book of Judges. It is only fair to add that in the apportionment of the land to the tribes of Israel at the end of the Book of Ezekiel, Dan finds its por tion also in the millennial period. The omission of Dan is not the
devil, the false prophet, and the beast, the rebellious angels, and all of those human beings who have re jected the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, will be in an outer darkness beyond the limits o f God’s universe. Jude speaks of those fallen angels as those “to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Ap parently there is a limit to God’s universe beyond which there is no light o f any sun or star, which light cannot penetrate. In Egypt there was a darkness that could be felt when God’s judgment fell upon that land. Hell will be like that, only intensi fied beyond our imagination. Hell will be a lonely place, not a place where men can continue their rebel lion against God, for even it will be under His government. TREE OF LIFE Q. Is the tree of life, described in Revelation 22:2, a literal tree? A, No, I think this is a figure to explain the spiritual blessings eman ating from the eternal city. The wa ter o f life is referred to in the verse preceding, and both are types of Christ. He called Himself the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light and all of these figures — as well as many more in the Word — show the virtues and glories o f His Person. DANIEL'S SEVENTY WEEKS Q. I have been told that the “ seventy weeks of Daniel’’ have nothing to do with the Gentiles? Is this true? A. Yes. Note the Words of Dan. 9: 24: “ Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and proph ecy and to anoint the Most Holy.” Daniel’s people and city were the Jews and Jerusalem and it is with them that the seventy weeks have to do.
THE KING'S BUSINESS
24
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online