I B IO L A
TheBibleInstituteDour CALIFORN IA Arroyo Grande-San Luis Obispo KCJH
broadcaster Monthly Publication of the BIOLA FELLOWSHIP V o l. 4 N o . 1 2 D E C E M B E R , 1 9 6 4 CONTEXTS LYING WONDERS .................... 3 LYING TONGUES .................... 4 GATHERING VULTURES ........... 5 REGATHERING ELECT ............. 6 BUDDING FIG TREE ................ 7 THE CERTAIN COM ING ........... 9 THE UNKNOW N HOUR ............10 UNAWARES ........................... 11 RADIO QUESTIONS ANSWERED .13 HEBREWS 2:1-18 .................... 23 BIOLA FELLOWSHIP PLAN ...... 28 HEBREWS 3:1-4:13 .................. 31 COVER: Biola students in front of the College Dining Room where hundreds of young people are fed each day. W I L L Did you know that there is a way to invest in Biola for the training of students while saving cosily estate taxes. Ultimately you may be able to leave more money for your loved ones. As a Fellowship member you are under no obligations when you write for information or counsel. BIOLA STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT S T A F F President ................ S. H. Sutherland Editor ............................. Al Sanders Production ............Virginia Schwepker Printing ...................... Church Press Published monthly by the Radio Dept. BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Cal. Controlled circulation postage paid at Los Angeles, California. Y O U R C H R I S T I A N
1280 9:00 A.M. MTWTF
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Kansas City, Missouri KCCV Lapeer, Michigan WMPC Miamisburg, Ohio WFCJ 93.7 (FM)
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11:00 P.M. MTWTF (Radio Log continued on page 2U)
by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
LYING WONDERS
I N A VERY REAL SENSE there is a psy chology to the Great Tribulation. The entire spirit we see is one of de ception. The word “then” found at the be ginning of verses 16, 21, and 23 of Matthew 24 means “at the same time.” So with the abomination of desolation, the exodus from the land, and the “eye” of the tribulation storm, at the very same time will the spirit of de ception be prevalent. This is a time of lying wonders, lying tongues, and of gathering eagles. Let us think of the first, lying won ders. Three warnings are given. First, the believer is to avoid false claims; secondly, the people of that day are to avoid false Christs and false prophets; and third, they are to heed the warnings Christ gave them. Verse 23 states, “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe him not.” The people are in the midst of their exodus. As they flee their homes and run from their fields they are looking for a na tional deliverer. Instead, however, de ception will be rampant. When Satan works, he not only misquotes the Word of God, but also he offers false miracles. Verse 24 clearly points this out. Two words in this regard are inter esting, “signs” and “wonders.” We might use these words as synonymous, however, in the likeness there is a dif ference. The word “sign” gives us the idea of a signal, an ensign, or a symbol. It is an upward representa tive of an inner meaning. In diplo matic terms it could represent a code. Stationed around the world are repre sentatives of our country. When mes sages come from the State Depart ment they are usually in code. The purpose is to protect the important secret. No one can know the mes sage without “cracking” the code. In a sense these signs were “codes.” A Gentile couldn’t know what would
be real only to a Jew who was familiar with the Old Testament. Spiritually speaking, we can see how important it is for believers to be acquainted with the entire Bible. We are warned again and again not to heed the deceivers. Our Lord says, “Behold, I have told you before” (verse 25). One further thought centers around the last word of verse 24. “Elect” does not refer to those of us who have been redeemed by the sovereign grace of God in this present dispensation. We THE PERFECT CHURCH I think that I shall never see A church that’s all it ought to be; A church whose members never stray Beyond the straight and narrow way; A church that has no empty pews Whose pastor never has the blues; A church whose deacons always ''deak/' And none is proud, and all are meek; Where gossips never peddle lies, Or make complaints and criticize; Where all are always sweet and kind, To all of others' faults are blind. Such perfect churches there may be, But none of them is known to me. But still, we’ll work, and pray and plan To make our own the best we can. are now a part of His body and form His church. This refers to that rem nant of God’s people Israel whom the Lord will redeem and restore, bring ing them back to their land. So for us, let us not be drawn away by experi ences or even by great personalities who may be able to misuse the Word of God. May we make every endeavor to be filled with the Spirit of God and to study His truth so that we might walk in the way and in the will of the Lord. 3
■ by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper His people. It shows forth His grace. The word “chambers” can possibly be misunderstood. We may think of it as a room, perhaps generally an over sized one. The Hebrew word, how ever, has to do with an enclosure or that which might protect one from others. It is what could be termed an “inner sanctum.” Since the last war we have been very conscious of air raids and shelters. In our large cities many of the buildings have insignias on them which assure us of a place of refuge. This is the sense of the word. This was an appeal for Israel’s pro tection against false prophets and false messiahs. The greatest form of deceit is in the realm of religion. Satan himself knows how to quote the Word of God. Invariably his appeal is at the point of our greatest need. The only ante- dote and preventative for being de ceived is to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the true Messiah comes, there will be no doubt about it. The entire world will know, for He shall come in the power of Jehovah God. Thus, as we meditate upon the Word of God, reading carefully all that the Scrip ture has to say, we can be careful that deception does not overtake us. Operation: Firebrand student, Fidencio Duma- ran, from the Philippine Islands.
LYING TONGUES
G od ’ s W ord is very beautifully and and wonderfully arranged for practical study. In Matthew 24:16, 21 and 23, the little word “then” is used to link together the time seg ments of the Great Tribulation. It literally means “at the same time.” This tells us that everything from verse 15 through 28 has to do with the same period. All of the people who live at that time will experience the events which are described as they occur simultaneously. In the 26th verse the second form of deception is given. This is defined as “lying tongues.” “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is •in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” The expressions “desert” and “secret chambers” are very inter esting. Why should they expect the Lord Jesus Christ to be found here? Using a concordance to trace these two expressions, we discover the terms have real significance in the Old Tes tament. Many of Israel’s religious leaders came from the desert. Moses is an example. The same was true with John the Baptist. He. said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilder ness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as saith the prophet Isaiah.” This is quoted from Isaiah 40:3. This gives us the indication as to why these false christs and false prophets might say, “Lo, he is in the desert.” Every one instructed in the Old Testament knew that the Messiah would doubt less be found in such a place. The passage was taken quite literally. As to “secret chambers,” we look at Isaiah 2 6 :20, “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” God prom ises to protect His people in the day of trials and persecution. Notice that this verse is an invitation by God to
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I N THE STUDY OF THE EVENTS leading up to the return of Christ, we may well ask ourselves the question, “How will one know when Messiah has actu ally come?” In Matthew 2 4 :27 we find the answer, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” He will not be coming from the desert nor from the secret chambers. The Word of God is very explicit. The sign of the coming of the Son of man, from heaven, will be like light ning. The entire world will know it. Those of us who live in areas where we are subject to thunderstorms, have seen the lightning play in the sky. It is vivid, sharp and electrify ing. God means in this manner of greatly intensified scale, that His Son will return in all of the brightness of His glory. All the world will know that the Saviour is present. His com ing Is not something ethereal, mys terious or private. Parenthetically, w hen the Lord Jesus comes in the sense of which we now speak, we do not have in mind that He is coming for the church. This tinU be a secret coming in the. sense that there shall be removed from the earth all of the true believ ers who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. This coming spoken of in Mat thew follows the first by seven years. It will be visible, whereas the first will not. Moving to verse 28 there seems to be an interruption in the text. It is as though suddenly, listening to our radios, we had one station switched to another. “For wheresoever the car case is, there will the eagles be gath ered together.” What is meant by this abrupt change? Our general context in this portion of God’s Word has to do with judgment. The culmination of this judgment will be the total de struction of Israel. The world, of
course, has looked upon Israel as a dead nation. All the nations will be gin to prey upon her, taking advan tage of her position. The eagle is a bird of prey. It represents a nation of fierce countenance which “shall not regard the person of the old but show favor to the young.” The eagle will feed upon the dead. So will this na tion fall in judgment upon Israel. LET THE PERFECT THROW THE STONE It there's one who often falters By the wayside in despair, Seems unusual, his shortcomings— Do you hold him up in prayer? If the weak should stumble, brethren, If he cannot stand alone, Let the perfect one among you Be the first to throw a stone. If so often he has wavered That you can't believe him true, Have you mentioned it to Jesus As the strong one ought to do? Do you ever stop, consider, Have you no faults of your own? Let the perfect one among you Be the first to throw a stone. Is there one with cross so heavy Seems he cannot carry all— He may not keep step as you do, You may even chance to fall. Do you plead with God for mercy Till He answers from the Throne? Let the perfect one among you Be the first to throw a stone. These two verses, which seem on the surface to be in contrast, really fit to gether. It is at this very point that the Lord Jesus says, “I shall come and deliver Israel from her.” In the midst of judgment the Deliverer, even the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall come. 5
A s we continue our p r o p h e tic series,. we find that after the judgment, the day star is about to arise. In Matthew 24:29, we read of this event. The metaphor is changed from stars and lightning (verses 27- 29) to a budding fig tree (32-34). “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be dark ened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (29). This is a very definite time change. The scene which has portrayed the disturbance of this earth moves now to heaven. The action is focalized in the solar system. The sun, being the source of light, is also darkened. It will not be due to the weakness of the sun iteslf, but as God intervenes in the judgment of earth so His hand will be on the powers of the heaven. The Bible tells us interestingly, “And the moon shall not give her light.” Of course, the moon has no light of its own. Is the Bible using “poetic license” here? In the Greek text the answer is fascinating. There are a number of words in the orig inal which have to do with light. The word used here about the moon could be properly given as, “the moon shall not give her sunlight.” That is to say, the moon gives the light which in turn has been given to it by the sun. If the sun is darkened, it only follows that the moon will have no light to give. This shows again the meticu lous care which the Holy Spirit has used to express His truth to our hearts. Looking further at the verse we find the word “shaken” really means “to be shaken violently.” This great heav enly display will usher in the coming of our divine Lord. That is why the warning is given. All of the universe will welcome His coming. For in the brightness of His glory the bright
ness of the sun will be far outshad- owed. In verse 30 we read, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn.” It ie in teresting to note that the heavens be speak His glory while earth bespeaks its gloom. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.” At the ap pearance of the Lord Jesus, nature will intensify its glory and sing to gether His praises. Man, of course, has been in rebel lion against God. When he sees the Lord appear, then it is a day of trag edy and gloom. “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather to gether his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (verse 31). The “elect” here are not the same “elect” which term is used to denote the true Church, the bride of Christ. They will be with the Lord in heaven. They will have been caught up to meet Him’ in the air (I Thess. 4:13-18). This will be the time, not only of Is rael’s redemption and restoration as a nation, but also when God will fin ish the confirmation of indignation, fulfilling His mighty Word. The world has evidence that what God has spok en He will make good. This will be a day of Israel’s great est jubilation. How we can rejoice with them as they anticipate their home, even as we anticipate our home in heaven with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The presence of God is the future of the believer, even as it is that for Israel. * * * It is better never to have been born at all, than never to have been born again. * * * You can properly be content with what you have, but never with what you are. 6
by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
BUDDING FIG TREE
G od ’ s W ord is often revealed to us by means, of beautiful illus trations. Such is the case with Mat thew 24:32, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.” Someone has well described a parable as noth ing more than an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Christ took the things of nature and taught great spiritual truths with them. Matthew 13 gives us several of these very beau tifully. The same is true with the Ser mon on the Mount. The fig tree has been used as a sym bol of the nation of Israel. He says, “When you observe the fig tree in bloom, when its branches begin to break forth and bud, then you know it will not be long before the summer and the time of harvest.” The signs which He described in the previous verses of Matthew 24 are indicative that Israel’s summer is nigh and that He Himself will return. In verse 33 we read, “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” What does Christ mean by “like wise” ? This actually takes us all the way back to verse five wherein we are reminded of the time of great decep tion. He also warns that there will be a period of great trouble with wars, p e s t ile n c e s , famines, earth quakes and trouble everywhere. There is not to be a place on earth where rest and peace will be known. When there are such disturbances and dis tress, anyone who does appear to be a deliverer might readily be accepted as such. During all this time, the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached throughout the entire world, and then the end will come. Verse 15 indicates that there will be a time of great abomination in in tensifying Israel’s trouble. One of the greatest insults that ever could be
hurled at a Jew will be when their holy temple will be profaned. This is why these strong words are used, “The abomination of desolation.” Not only are there disturbances on the earth but also there are disturbances in heaven itself. The sun will not shine, the moon no longer gives her reflected light, the stars fall, and the powers of heaven are violently shak en. This makes up the total picture of the phrase, “Likewise when ye see these things come to pass” (and there is an absolute certainty concerning th is), “know that it i§ near, even at the doors.” That which is near is, of course, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of man, the conquering Messiah, the One Who is alone able to deliver His ancient people Israel. Those of us who are interested in prophetic truth take a fresh inter est in the events which are occurring in the world. Reading and listening to the news of our day, we can see the beginning of these trends even now. It goes without saying that there is trouble everywhere. Nation is rising against nation; kingdom is rising against kingdom. We must be very careful, however, not to “jump the gun” on the timing. As we have Prof. Marvin KisSick (at console), director of the Biota Music Dept., goes over a score with trumpet instructor, Dr. Lester Remsen.
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pointed out repeatedly, all these things occur after the church has been re moved. Then there will be “the be ginning of travail.” Let us not mis- identify the current events with hap- DON'T QUIT When things go wrong, as they some- times will, When the road you're trudging is all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest— if you must— but don't you quit. Life is queer, with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learn. And many a failure turns about When he might have won, had he stuck it out; Don't you give up, though the pace seems slow— You might succeed with another . blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of the clouds of doubt— And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit— It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit. penings that will transpire. Today’s developments cast a shadow of the things which will occur in the days ahead. So may we say with John, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” * * * In your church, are you a pillar, or more like a caterpillar?
Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, dean of Talbot Theo logical Seminary, goes over radio script with
Mrs. Margaret Sanders, organist. HIS WAY IS BETTER
How easy it is fo r us to fa ll into the trap o f criticism . When we once begin to find fau lt and are caustic about others we discover that, as a cancer, this disease spreads to every a rea o f our life. Many years ago there was a g reat man o f God who was used not only as a soul winner but also as a g ifted m u s ic i a n . His name was Charles M. Alexander. A man came to him at one time and said, “I believe in leading men to accept Jesu s Christ but I don’t like your m ethod very well.” Mr. A lexander sm iled and swal lowed his pride, responding, “Well friend, n either do I. Tell me, how do you do it?” The man was somewhat stunned by this response and he told him,. “Well, actually I don’t know as I do it at all, but I ju st don’t like the way you do it.” This great man o f God w isely responded by saying, “Well actually then, come to think o f it, I like the way I do it much better than the way you don’t do it.” The question is how many souls have we won to the saving knowledge o f the L ord Jesu s Christ, fo r that will be the final p roof o f our devotion to the Saviour. L et not the bittern ess and gall o f criticism ruin your life and testimony. * * * Some of our greatest bounces are the re sult of the fall that pride went before. 8
THE CERTAIN COMING
(C ometimes certain Biblical phrases ^ universally puzzle commentators. Such is the case with Matthew 24:34 where our Lord declares, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be ful filled.” The problem is in the inter pretation of “this generation.” What did the Saviour mean by it? When we read the word “this” we must think of it not from a point of view of the Olivet Discourse but rather keeping in mind all those who shall be living at the time of the events which our Lord is describing to His disciples. The phrase does not apply to the disciples nor to their contemporaries, but rather to people who go through the Tribulation period. Perhaps the events Christ has de scribed will not occur for a thousand years, but when they do begin, they will follow in tremendously rapid order. The people living in the day of God’s judgment upon the earth will witness all of the happenings. The events will occur one right after the other, as seen by verses 16, 21 and 23. In fact several of the things will occur simultaneously. It would be ab solutely impossible for our Lord to have meant the generation of His dis ciples since all of these events cer tainly did not take place in their day. In the following verse, Christ as serts, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” In that day, even as in ours, there were many who did not believe in prophetic truth. Everything seemed so impossible to them. How could a “martyr,” who seemingly was about to die for a lost cause, become the King of kings and Lord of lords? There may have been skepticism on the faces of the disciples, too. If this were true of His own, what can we say of people generally ? In the beginning of His ministry, in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ makes the same similar 9
statement. He said that not one jot or tittle should pass from the law until it was all fulfilled. (Jo t and tittle in the Hebrew characters are equiva lent to our dotting of an “i” or cross ing the “t” ). Here we have a tre mendous confirmation of the written Word concerning the certainty of our coming Lord. The return of Christ will be rec- A MOTHER'S PRAYER I do not ask riches for my children, Nor even recognition for their skill; I only ask that Thou wilt give them A heart completely yielded to Thy will. I do not ask for wisdom for my chil dren Beyond discernment of Thy grace; I only ask that Thou wilt use them In Thine own appointed place. I do not ask for favor for my children To seat them on Thy left hand or Thy right; But may they join the throng in heaven That sing before Thy throne so bright. I do not seek perfection in my chil dren, For then my own faults I would hide," I only ask that we might walk to gether And serve our Saviour side by side. — Phyllis Didriksen ognized universally. Verse 30 of the chapter, as well as Revelation 1:7, establishes this fact. We are told that He will come with clouds. This will remind the Jewish people of the sheki- nah glory which was given in the wil derness when God’s presence was over the tabernacle. This is truly Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man!
I F we were given our choice, doubt less everyone would prefer to live by sight instead of by faith. We like to know what is going to take place. The disciples earnestly desired to know the exact hour of the Lord’s coming. Often they asked Him, “When shall these things be?” “When will this occur?” After the resurrection, they still asked the same questions. Our Lord Jesus flatly told them that no one could know the hour. In Matthew 24:36 we read, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” The moment is in the secret counsels of God alone. There are good reasons for this, too. In our present church age we must remem ber that there is work for us to do here and now. It is a wonderful thing to wait for the coming of the Lord but we should not be so taken up with it that we become spiritually para- lized by it. The same thing is true about Israel. If they knew exactly when the Messiah would come, they might wait for the hour. But there are certain things in God’s providence which must come to pass before then. Thus, it has pleased God to keep the hour of His Son’s coming as His secret. We do know He is long suf fering. In Mark 13:32 we read, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven neither the Son, but the Father.” You may wonder why Christ included Him self here. Does God the Son know as much as God the Father? Do we have a contradiction here? No, of course not! The word “Son” is used in two different connections. Mark speaks here of the Lord Jesus not as the Second Person of the Trinity, but as the perfect Son of man who came to do the Father’s will. Study the con text and this will be eminently clear. In Philippians 2:5-8 we read, “Let this mind be in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Him self of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedi ent unto death, even the death of the cross.” Christ, as God, shared all the attributes and characteristics of the Father. Everything the Father pos sessed, the Son did likewise. But when our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, He did not come to “play God.” He came in the role as the Son of man. He came to be the servant, and to seek and to save. He took upon Him self the ignorance of humanity, if we can put it that way. When the Sav iour came to this earth, He ^et aside all the prerogatives of His deity. This is the reason for Mark’s words to us. Many people excuse themselves from believing because there are things they want to know now, which God has said they will know only later on. We seek the mind of God that we may revel in that which He has revealed already by faith. Then we look for ward to the time when all things shall be known to us. May we truly follow in the way of the Lord and hear Him say, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” May we not be interested in idle curiosity or in things which real ly don’t matter. What is important is not when the Lord will come, but rather are we ready for His coming? May we be prepared to witness, faith ful in our testimony for Him. We want to hear Him say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Are you prepared to meet the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know Him as your personal Saviour? If you do, have you also known Him as your Lord? it 1c h Life and tennis are much alike. The play er who serves well seldom loses.
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by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
UNAWARES
H ave you ever been taken by sur prise? Has something happened to you which you did not expect? When such things occur, we are gen erally quite embarrassed. We might not have known exactly what to do. Such things may take place to com munities. Here in Los Angeles some time ago there was a great flood simply because a large reservoir in the Baldwin Hills cracked and gave way. Many homes were flooded and destroyed. It is only fortunate that it did not take place at night, for in this case thousands would have lost their lives. It was a tragic and sudden event. At the start of that day no one expected his home to be ruined and his possessions swept away. The same was true with the re cent Alaskan earthquakes. The tidal waves which came as a result of them swept destruction down the Pacific coast. The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus is going to be a sudden event. It will end in tremendous tragedy for many people. When the Saviour comes, as the Messiah of Israel, delivering His people, He will also come as the Judge of this world. The days of mercy and grace will be over. In Matthew 24:37 we read, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The Lord had already made a parallel be tween the budding fig tree and His coming. Here, He again goes back to the Old Testament. Noah was a preacher of righteousness in a world of sin. The people in those days thought that he was insane. He was the object of public derision and scorn. Here he was building a boat in what seemed to be the midst of the desert. He preached of coming judg ment while no one seemed to pay any attention whatsoever. Going on to the next verse we read, “For as in the days of Noe that were before- the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, un til the day that Noe entered into the ark.” People, then as now, were in terested in their own affairs. Why should they be in a panic? Everything was going along well for them. We, too, are living in prosperous times. Wages are high, and people are IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE The Bible speaks of life hereafter In a splendid dwelling place. Where all the treasures of the earth Reflect the glories of God's grace. Gold and silver and precious jewels, Diamond, emerald, ruby and pearl, Adorn the walls with celestial fire. Unseen by the eyes of this mortal world. The place prepared by God's own Son Holds treasures far beyond com pare, For He obeyed God's holy will To give us mansions fine and rare. The streets are paved with stones of kindness, And doors are locked with trust; The table is richly set with patience; A sip of mercy is a must! Every spoken word's a petal Of lovely music from a rose, •Whose fragrant perfume fills the air With constant moments of repose. Peace abides around the hearthside, Where only love can enter in, Attired in sacrificial raiment, To dwell forever with God in Heav'n. — Marian Garrett Gibbs able to get what they desire. Things once considered a luxury are now a necessity. God is being put more and more “on the shelf” here in our own country; we are becoming a secular nation. The world is acting as though God were really dead. But we must not be misled by these signs. Christ 11
gives us a definite warning about them. It would be interesting to ima gine what the people thought when they felt the first drop of rain which preceded the flood. The waters began to rise as the rain did not stop. Maybe then, when it was too late, they real ized that Noah wasn't a fool after all. The door of the ark was shut PERHAPS TO-DAY! Perhaps to-day shall sound the mystic summons, The shout, the voice, the trump, not by all heard; And, from their scattered silent rest ing places, The dead in Christ will rise to meet the Lord; While we, the ransomed, living, in a moment Shall be caught up— according to His Word. Perhaps to-day, from every clime and nation, Shall souls redeemed ascend to meet the Lord; To suffering ones— great, glad eman cipation; To those who toil for Him, a sure reward: We look not down a track of unknown years; It may be that to-day our Lord appears. Perhaps to-day, with problems fresh out-breaking, With growing evils rampant o'er the earth, When sore distress, nigh every land is shaking,— Perhaps to-day the Saviour may come forth. Earth's leaders fail; the forces are too great; But— lift your heads, the Lord is at the gate! tightly for God had done it. And some day, the door of opportunity by grace will be just as secure. What, will it be like for you? Are you prepared? Have you entered into Christ’s ark of safety through personal faith in Him? Do you know the coming Judge as your Saviour? That is the purpose of these Bible studies that you see God’s great truth revealed.
Dr. Talbot Honored
Jim Speer, Biola College student body presi dent, presents giant birthday card to Dr. Louis T. Talbot, signed by all the students. Mrs. Talbot looks on.
Miss Margaret Schumacher (right) president of the Biola Women Faculty pins a corsage on Mrs. Talbot. Dr. Daniel Rose, 95 years of age, and oldest Biola Board member, does his part with a shovel in planting a large tree in honor of Dr. Talbot's birthday. He looks on.
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RADIO QUESTIONS ANSWERED with Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland and Dr. Charles L. Feinberg
Q. Idaho — (Due to nature o f question, town is om itted). “J am a born-again teenager who believes the B ible but my science teacher has made a strong case fo r evolution. My pastor’s argu ments don’t seem to be o f much help. What would you suggest?” A. Even after almost frenzied at tempts on the part of materialistic scientists to prove the false hypothesis of evolution, they still must admit that their ideas on this subject are merely theories. Evolution is still, and always will be, an unproven subject. There are at least three great gulfs fixed over which the evolutionist has never been able to bridge. First, that nothing should be brought to some thing. The Christian on the other hand places his beliefs firmly in the Scriptural truth, “In the beginning God created. . . .” The second is how did that which is inanimate in nature begin to have life? The third is the basic difference between human life and the lower forms of animals. Men have sought frantically and fruitless ly for so-called “missing links” for more than a hundred years. None have ever been found. To be sure, there are some basic similarities in various forms of life. But, God created all things after their own kind. One other point of interest is that we must not confuse evolution with development. We see different strains in flowers, vegetables, and fruits. These are the results of such men as Luther Burbank. But never do these break over their own respective boun daries. There is absolutely no such thing as transmutation of species. There can be a cross between one ani mal and another but it will not pro create itself. Some today are trying to accommo
date evolution by introducing what has been known as “theistic evolu tion.” This is the thought that God created the original spark of life, and from thereon evolution took over. There is also a later theory known as “threshold evolution.” This varies from the former in that instead of believing that God created only the original protoplasm of life, He addi tionally created a number of genes from which evolutionary processes took over. Again, it is an erroneous effort to accommodate oneself to the changing views of science. Science can be defined as a study of facts that can be proven. True science and the Bible are never at odds. Q . San Francisco, California — “/ can’t find anywhere in the Scriptures where the S abbath was changed. Jesu s says in Jo h n I t : 15, ‘I f ye love me, keep my commandments.’ How do we get around Exodus 20:8?” A. It is a remarkable thing that peo ple can read their Bibles for years and yet not realize that through the four Gospels they have missed the truth of the Sabbath. Our Lord Jesus showed the perversions of the Sabbath, He told what righteous acts could be wrought on the Sabbath, as well as how His contemporaries among Israel had perverted the Sabbath. But on “resurrection ground,” in Acts, we find believers meeting not on the last day of the week but on the first. They came together to break bread, have fellowship, preach the Word and to rejoice over a risen Saviour. This is called the Lord’s Day in the New Testament. No one changed the Sab bath; it is still the seventh day of the week. Worship on the Sabbath, how- 13
ever, is a part of the Law system. Some of these Iegalizers take out just certain parts of the law, and major on them. I f one is to keep a certain aspect of the law, then by all that is reasonable, he should keep it in its entirety. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ made all the difference. As fa r as John 14:15 is concerned, every truth in God’s Word must be understood in its context. What is the Saviour talking about here? His mes sage is about the leading of the Fa ther, asking our petitions in His name and doing all things for the glory of God. The new commandment, that we love one another, has nothing to do with the commandments of Moses. Our Lord never once referred to those as “My commandments.” The last part of this question is the most unfortunate of all. Don’t try to “get around” any Scripture in any part of the Word! Interpret it correct ly and apply it properly, and you will never find confusion. Exodus 20:8 states, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” This is part of the legal system. Everyone of the ten command ments was reiterated and re-enunci ated in the New Testament, except for this fourth one. It was not an oversight of our Lord you can be sure. Look at Colossians 2:16-17. Paul is saying that it more important to have the real thing and not just a shadow. It would be better to have your moth er than just a shadow of her. The keeping of the Sabbath is never com manded of believers in the New Testa ment, even when the other nine are given a higher statement under grace conditions. “How fa r and how long will God perm it man to trespass H is space? What should hap pen if life were found on Mars or on some oth er planet?” A. This question appears periodically and troubles many people. When the airplane was first invented, there were many people who said that it would never work for the air belonged to the devil. Certainly no Christian should Q . Perris, California —
On each broadcast of "The Biola Hour" a different student gives a personal testimony. Here, Sharone Shawsfead of Burien, Washing ton is heard. fly. But times have vastly changed. Of course, the same erroneous declara tions were made even further back when cars were first invented. God has given man a mind and the ability to use it. If He didn’t intend for man to develop such things as space crafts. He would have kept him from it. The trip to the moon may be just an ex tension of airplane travel so common today. When God wants to put an end to it. when the day of grace closes. He will put an end to it, and there will be no question whatsoever. As for now. we can thank God for every de velopment. for should mankind get to the moon, the reports brought back can only serve to enhance His gran deur and creative handiwork. If life should be found on Mars, or on some other planet, is quite a speculation. Frankly, it need not give us cause to worry or to be upset. We know that, as believers, we are kept in His loving hands and that nothing can come to our lives apart from His divine will (Romans 8:38-39). We are content to await God’s plan and program, until the time comes when in our redeemed bodies we will be able to roam the universe. This is the Christian’s fu ture “playground” and heritage.
Q . Turlock, California — ‘‘Do you think 14
that when Christ was on the cross the divine suffering was equal to that o f a soul’s torture in hell? I f so, is that not a good argument against the bittern ess that some have that Christ was willing to su ffer so much?" A. There are some very weighty mat ters here. Christ’s suffering on the cross was divine suffering because He was the God-man. It was the precise penalty that God had indicated for sin. (“The wages o f sin is death.” ) Christ, who was “deathless” in Him self, took all our sin upon Him. We immediately obviate the so called “commercial view” of the atonement. This is that if there had been just 1,000 people in the world, Christ would have died 1,000 souls worth. This is not taught anywhere in Scrip ture. The death of Christ availed for all because of the dignity and the value o f His person. If Christ had not been sinless and only a man, He could have died for only one person. In that He was God as well, however, the infinite being of His nature sufficed for an infinite satisfaction, reconcilia tion, redemption and salvation for all men. Q. King City, California — “Why do Some people on this earth seem to carry all the burdens, and others go from day to day without- a worry or a trou ble?" A. Some people are too lazy. But this is not the whole answer. Some people carry burdens because they have never learned to cast them on the Lord. The secret of a happy, joyful Christian is to trust wholly in the Lord with all of our beings and in all of our cir cumstances, rather than carrying the load ourselves. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee” (Psalm 5 5 :2 2 ). Q . Delano, California — “Is it wrong to receive a g ift from a friend?" A. No, for this is one of the best ways of showing our love. We give our gifts to the Lord, not out of compulsion, but because we love Him. We read in Exodus 23 :8 “Thou shalt take no
gift.” But in the 1901 version it is “Thou shalt take no bribe, for a bribe blindeth every bit o f sight and per- vertet'h the words of the righteous.” In this case, as in all others, we need to look at verses in the light of their context and setting in God’s Word. Q . Vancouver, Washington — “Paul Wrote in Romans 13:8, ‘Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.’ Is it, th erefore, scriptural to buy furniture, automobiles, a home, or anything else, on the installment plan?" A. This verse has reference to that which is of a personal obligation. We are always indebted to love others. That obligation will never be paid until the Lord calls us home. We are supposed to continue to give out to those about us. This passage does not refer to the installment buying or the economy of the day. Certainly, how ever, we must have sanctified common sense in such type o f buying. Someone has well said, “We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.” Q. Seattle, Washington — “What is meant in I I P eter 1 :20 by the words ‘no prophecy o f the Scripture, is o f any private interpretation.’ ” Dr. Charles L. Feinberg (right), dean of Tal bot Theological Seminary, meets with the president of the school's alumni. Rev. Donald Lamberson.
A. Verse 21 actually gives the mean ing of this phrase. We read, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” No prophecy of the Scrip ture can be interpreted by man’s un aided reason, for prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. In other words, God’s Word is not just a man-made opinion. It is “thus saith the Lord.” Q . Oxnard, California — “What did. Pawl mean when he declared in I Timothy 5:22, “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” A. The Apostle Paul is writing to his son in the faith. The thought here is to give due consideration to all of one’s decisions. It is so easy to make hasty and unwise moves without weighing the many important factors involved. Think things over carefully in the light of God’s Word and through the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Q. Billings, Montana — “Some preach ers leave th e’ impression that i f we give our lives to Christ, we will pros per. Does it always mean that living fo r God will bring success?” A. It is both a very prevelant and a very erroneous notion. The Lord never promises monetary prosperity to any who accept Him. Certainly we will have spiritual success. To the con trary, however, there are evidences that some who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour actu ally do so a t a great personal sacrifice as far as this world’s goods are con cerned. The Lord does promise, how ever, that all o f our needs will be supplied. We must keep in mind, how ever, that He is not 'talking about wants, desires, or wishes. Tucson, Arizona — “Why did JeSUS allow Ju d as to continue as one o f His disciples i f H e know that he would betray Him?” A. Of course Christ knew all along
Dr. Myers Honored
Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland (left), Biola presi dent, presents Dr. Ray A. Myers, chairman of the Biola Board of Directors, with a special resolution on the occasion of his 70th birthday. that Judas would betray Him. For that matter, He knew it from the beginning of eternity. We cannot be gin to understand the infinite, divine mind of our Lord Jesus Christ. One reason is certainly because o f the in finitely loving and gracious heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. This simply manifested more of His matchless grace. Perhaps He allowed him to re main so that he could be a warning to others. Judas is an example of how near one can be to the Lord Jesus Christ in outward position and yet far from the truth. The same is simi larly true with the two theives on the cross. One of them is an example how that no matter how late it is, the door of grace is still open. The other one shows the folly and emptiness of waiting until it is too late. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.” Q. Yakima, Washington — “Is sickness ever a blessing? Our pastor tells us that it can be, but I have never been able to see any good in pain.” A. Pain, so far as our sinful condition is concerned, can be a blessing. If one didn’t have pain when he acciden tally got burned on a stove or in a fire, he wouldn’t know to get out, and would suffer more sever conse quences. This is true in ail o f life. 16
I f one fell and broke his leg, and there was no pain, he wouldn’t know to have it set and properly cared for. Sick ness can be a real blessing, too. In the biography o f Dr. A. C. Pierson, one -of the great leaders o f modern mis sions in past generations, he tells of making a tour around the world. While in China he became seriously ill. He had to come right home. A friend who came to call on him ex pressed his sorrow as the Christian leader lay on a bed of sickness. Dr. Pierson said, “Don’t feel sorry. The Lord had some things to say to me, but I was so busy I didn’t have time to listen.” So sickness can be a bless ing to us. It all depends on how we look at it. I f we can see the hand of the Lord in our trials, and realize that He is trying to tell us something, then when He lays us aside, we can find renewed joy and blessing (Phil. 1 :2 9 ). Paul jsaid, “Most gladly there fore will I rather glory in my infir mities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Cor. 1 2 :9 ). Q . Los Angeles, California — “/ began working when my husband became ill; now that he is well and able to work, he still expects m e to go on working while he does very little. Should I rebel?” A. Our best advice would be, if the husband knows the Lord, for them both to go to & respected Christian minister and talk out the matter. There is no value in rebellion. I think that will not change much of the situa tion. It needs to be discussed in a quiet, unheated way. The husband must come to realize that he is re sponsible to take care of his house hold. Q . Springfield, Ohio — "What was the city o f David? B ethlehem or Jeru salem? Also, when it speaks o f the Lord Jesu s in Matthew U being taken up to a pinacle o f the holy city, was this Jeru salem or where?" A. The city of David is definitely spo ken of as Bethlehem. We read “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out o f the
city of Nazareth, into Judea unto the city o f David, which is called Bethle hem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David)” (Luke 2 :4 ). The pinacle of the temple was in Jeru salem. Q . Modesto, California — "The B ible re cords the birth o f the twelve sons o f Jacob, but names only one daughter. Do you think Ja co b had any other daughters?” A. Genesis 3 0 :21 indicates that Jacob had a daughter, Dinah. The Word of God gives us no indication of any oth er daughters. Q . Eugene, Oregon — “In Acts 28:2 and U, there is mention o f barbarous people on the island o f Melita. Were they savages or cannibals?” A. We do not believe that they were either savages or cannibals. They were people who were not of the Jewish faith. Sometimes Gentiles were called “barbarians.” This was not a word of disrespect, but simply to distin guish them from the Jews or the Greeks. They lived in the Mediter ranean area, and doubtless had many of the benefits of the most advanced civilizations of that time. Q . Tulare, California — “How can an unbelieving husband be head o f a home when only the w ife is a Chris tian?" The imposing entry to Biola's new music building with Prot. Marvin McKissick (left), and Dr. Lester ftemsen.
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