THE KING’S BUSINESS
705
ered as the highest of all the gifts'? At any rate, no more, becoming posture can be attained by the believer than this prayer ful, hopeful attitude of expectation for the day of the revelation of Jesus Christ. The apostle seems to have the approach of that day constantly in his mind in this epistle (cf. iii, 13; iv. 5; vi. 2, 3; vii. 29; xi." 26; xv. 51; xvi. 22). While it is true that by the “revelation of Jesus Christ” may be meant in some instances, according to the context, any revealing of Himself to the believer, we believe the expression in this connection refers to the day of our Lord, probably the judgment seat of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians V. 10). "D'OR many years thé average person has looked upon the Zionist Movement among the Jews, as a fanatical dream. Even those persons outside the Jewish race, who have faith in prophecy, have not until now seen in the startling events of the age, so many things indicative of the fulfill ment of prophecy in the second coming of Christ and the restoration of Palestine to this long-exiled people. With the Turks expelled from the Holy Land and the British in possession, there is a concerted awakening among the Jews, in anticipation of realizing their hope long- deferred. For over 1900 years this hope has been kept alive in the hearts of succeed ing generations of Jews.- It has suddenly been fanned into a flame of joyous expec tancy by the suggestion that England might be influenced to relinguish any claim to the land and to assist in establishing a Jewish Republic, with Jerusalem as its center. There might be human ways' in which this can be accomplished. It goes with out saying, that the Jews cannot flock to Palestine and each seize for himself a par cel of land and a house—though some of them undoubtedly have just such vision
The apostle gives thanks also for the faithfulness of God, being fully assured that He who had begun the good work in them would continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. Any lack of spiritual gifts or graces, therefore, is to be attributed, not to God, but to their own neglect. God will be faithful even though they are not (Philippians i. 6; 1 Thessalonians v. 23,- 24). Some day the believer will be pre sented “unimpeachable,” unreprovable (cf. Romans viii. 33; Colossians i. 22, 28). The word “unimpeachable” suggests a public accusation and intimates that at God’s bar of judgment no one can lay any charge against His elect (cf. Romans v. 1. viii. 1, 33). ' O ary ideas. The land, however, could be placed in the hands of a representative commission of Jews, with power to parcel it out. It would be a stupendous and almost hopeless task, but if God, in His wisdom, means that it shall be so, He will find a way, and it is not for us to specu late upon the difficulties of the achieve ment. Ph. Spievacque, editor of the Jewish Evangelist, a Hebrew-Christian publica tion, published in Brooklyn, N .' Y., says:j “If there was ever a time during the his tory of the new dispensation when the great and. awful prophecy of Habakkuk was nearing its fulfilment it is now. ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine; fhe labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I Will joy in the God of my salvation.’ “There was nothing imaginary in the mind of the prophet but he was expressing the deep truths of God. There was noth ing figurative about the entire prayer of Habakkuk, however strange it may appear,
B a ck to Palesila®
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker