Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Edersheim : New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge."Intro"


 

 

 

 

Alfred Edersheim was born at Vienna, March. 7, 1825 of Jewish parentage, and received his earliest education in a college preparatory school of his native city and in the Talmud Torah attached to a Viennese synagogue. In 1841 he continued his studies at the University of Vienna, but left it before taking his degree on account of the financial reverses of his father. Going to Pesth as a teacher of languages, he came under the influence of John Duncan, a Scotch Presbyterian chaplain and was converted to Christianity. Edersheim accompanied Duncan on his return to Scotland and studied theology at New College, Edinburgh, and at the University of Berlin. In 1846 he was ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. He was a missionary for a year to the Jews at Jassy, Romania. In 1849, he was installed at the Free Church, Old Aberdeen. From that time forward he held various posts throughout England and Scotland. He died at Menton, France on March 16, 1889.

 

His works include: History of the Jewish Nation after the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus; The Temple Its Ministry and Services at the Time of Jesus Christ; Bible History; Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ; The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (his greatest work); and Prophecy and History in Relation to the Messiah.

This was adapted from The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge.

Posted via email from The Last Chance Bible Study

ClarenceLarkin: Dispensational Truth "The Jews" (IX)

Dispensational Truth
IX
The Jews





For upwards of 4000 years, amid all civilizations and countries, conditions of government, there has existed a distinct people with laws, , habits and customs distinctively their own. The history of the Jewish race reads like a story from the Arabian Nights, and is without a parallel in human history. Though oppressed, downtrodden carried to other lands, scattered among the nations, like they have risen from the ashes of their dispersions, and appear now and again upon the page of history.

They are remarkable in the first place for their "Antiquity." No nation can trace back its lineage by the clear light of reliable history so far as they. In comparison with the Jews the nations which are making the history of the world today are young.

The "Golden Age" of Israel's glory was long before the palmy days of Greece and -Rome. Long before Socrates and Plato taught philosophy, or Herodotus wrote history; in the dim ages of which Homer's Iliad preserves traditions and memorials; before all other authentic and circumstantial records, the nation of Israel was an organized, civilized, and well-established people.

. They had a literature before most nations had letters, .a literature that today, in the Scriptures, is more widely diffused than the literature of any other people.

Assyria has perished, Babylon is in heaps, Rome has tottered and fallen, Egypt has become a "base" kingdom, but the Jew has outlived all his conquerors and walks unscathed amid the general wreck. Dispersed for centuries among all nations, without a national centre, capital, government, flag, or rallying point, secular or religious, he has never been absorbed by the nations, nor lost his identity or national peculiarities and characteristics, and we have the unique spectacle of a nation without a king, government, or land, retaining its national existence, and a land that seems to be under a curse, awaiting the return of its legal owners.

No nation has ever had such manifest and visible tokens of the "Divine Presence." For them the Red Sea was driven back and the Jordan parted. They were miraculously fed in the Wilderness, and divinely sheltered and guided by the Pillar of Cloud and Fire. At the blowing of rams' horns the walls of a besieged city fell, and the Sun and Moon stayed in their courses that they might have time to slay their enemies. The Angel of the Lord encamped about them, and one angel slew 185, 000 of the army of Assyria for their deliverance.

No nation has given to the world such a number of great men. Such a man of faith as Abraham; such a great leader and lawgiver as Moses; such statesmen as Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon; such a king as David, and wise man as Solomon.

No nation has produced such seers as the Hebrew prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel and no such man as that man above all men, the

"MAN OF GALILEE."

In the first century there is no name that shines more resplendent than that of the Apostle Paul. And in modern days the men who have been and are, making history are Jews.

The preservation of the Jewish people is the

"MIRACLE OF HISTORY."

When Frederick the Great asked the court preacher for an unanswerable proof, in one word, of the inspiration of the Bible, he replied 'The Jew, your Majesty." The emblem of the Jewish Race is a

Bush Burning and Unconsumed.

How are we to account for the wonderful preservation of the Jewish Race? We can only account for it on the supposition that God had, and still has, some great work for them to do. We believe that God raises up individuals for special ministries. Why not a nation?

In the first place the Jewish Race was raised up to reaffirm and teach that there is but one God. In the days of Abraham the nations of the earth were given over to universal idolatry, pantheism and polytheism. For 2000 years (B. C. 1921 to A. D. 30) no other people but the Jews believed the "Unity" of God, or taught it. The Jews have been the teachers of "Monotheism" to the nations. No Gentile nation, untouched by Jewish influence, ever became Monotheistic.

In the second place the Jewish Race was raised up to be the Writers, Preservers, and Transmitters of the Holy Scriptures. To them were committed the "Oracles of God." Rom. 3:1Rom. 3:2.

Every page and book in the Bible were written by Jews. The Jews took especial care to preserve the Scriptures and keep them from being tampered with, and if it had not been for them they would have been lost long ago.

In the third place the Jewish Race was raised up that God through them might give the world a-Saviour.Who was Jesus? A Jew. How carefully His genealogy has been preserved in the Scriptures from Adam to His Birth at Bethlehem.

In the fourth place the Jewish Race was raised up that they might save the world from moral putrefaction.

When Jesus said-

"Salvation Is of the Jews, "

John 4:22, did He simply mean that from them should come the Saviour of the world-Jesus? Or did He mean when He said "YE Are the Salt of the Earth, " that the Jewish Race were to be the means of preventing the

Moral Putrefaction

of the world, and that if they became extinct as a nation, that God would destroy all mankind from off the earth, as He destroyed the Antediluvians when Noah and his family were safely shut in the Ark, or as He destroyed the "Cities of the Plain, " Sodom and Gomorrah, when Lot had escaped from them?

A careful study of Peter's speech, as quoted by James, at the First Church Council (Acts 15:13-15), and the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans (Rom. 11:1-3Rom. 11:11Rom. 11:12Rom. 11:15Rom. 11:17,Rom. 11:23-25) clearly show that Christ meant the latter.

That is, the Salvation of the Nations, morally and physically, and the preservation of the human race on the earth depends on the

Preservation and Continuance of the Jews as a RACE.

The present degenerate condition of the world is owing to the fact that the Jews have lost their savor, as the salt its saltness, and until the Jews recover their savor degeneration will continue to develop until the time comes that the smell of decomposition of the decaying nationalities of the earth shall call for Divine interposition and the salt be resavored by the conversion of the Jews, and the Jewish nation again take its place among the nations of the earth.

Let us as briefly as possible trace the history of this people.


The Jews



The Book Of Exodus

1. THEIR PAST

In the morning time of history, in B.C. 1936, 412 years after the Flood, God called Abraham, a Shemite, from Ur of the Caldees, to be the father of a new nation.

"Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathers's house unto a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."Gen. 12:1-3.

Notice that this is not a conditional promise, and there is not a passage in the Bible anywhere that revokes it.

Abraham was 60 years old when he was called, but tarried at Haran for 15 years until his father, who wasan idolater, died, when he started for the "Land of Promise." God appeared to him 10 times. These appearances were called "Theophanies"

God's promises to Abraham were progressive. At Ur the promises were the "Land, " and that his seed should "become a great nation." Gen. 12:1Gen. 12:2. At Shechem the promise of the "ownership of the land to his descendants." Gen. 12:7. At Bethel, all the land "thou seest, " and that his seed should be as the "dust of the Earth for number." Gen. 13:15Gen. 13:16. At Mamre, that his seed should be for numbers as the "stars of the heavens, " and that the "Land" should extend from the "River of Egypt" to the "River Euphrates." Gen. 15:5Gen. 15:18. And at Moriah the promise as to the number of his seed was repeated.Gen. 22:16Gen. 22:17.

These promises were unconditionally confirmed to his son, Isaac (Gen. 26:1-3), and to his grandson, Jacob. Gen. 28:10-12.

When the descendants of Abraham had increased to about 70, in fulfillment of a prophecy made by God to Abraham that his seed should be as strangers in another land, where they would be afflicted for 400 years (Gen. 15:13Gen. 15:14) ; and to prevent contamination by intermarriages, and to give them time to grow into a nation, God paved the way for their leaving Canaan, by sending Joseph down into Egypt to make provision for them when the famine He was going to send would fall on the land. There they were segregated in the land of Goshen.

The next great event in their history was the Exodus. When the time for their deliverance from Egypt came, God weaned them by increasing the hardness of their lot, and when they cried to God He sent Moses to deliver them. Within a year after their escape from Egypt the Law was given, the Tabernacle built, a sacrificial system of worship inaugurated and the "Jewish Commonwealth" set -up. But when at the end of the year they reached Kadesh Barnea and refused to go up and take possession of the Land, God punished them by compelling them to wander for 40 years in the Wilderness, where they were miraculously clothed and fed, and were divinely guided by the "Pillar of Cloud and Fire."

At the end of the 40 years, under the leadership of Joshua, they crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land and took possession of it.

Then began the third period of their history, the "Times of the judges, " which lasted about 450 years. The government was a Theocracy, administered at first through elders, and then by judges. The people, however, were not satisfied with being ruled by an invisible King, they wanted a king like the other nations around them had, so they went to Samuel the Prophet and asked him for a king. Samuel was displeased and felt it was aimed at his administration, but when he took the matter to God, God said-

"Hearken unto the voice of the people..... for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected ME." 1 Sam. 8:7.

Samuel then warned the people of what the king they would chose would do to them, but the warning did not avail and Saul was chosen. This was the fourth period of their history.

Saul reigned for 40 years and was succeeded by David, a man of God's choice, who also reigned 40 years, and was succeeded by his son Solomon, who in turn reigned 40 years. During the reign of Solomon the First Temple was built. His reign was most glorious, but its weak feature was that he married so many heathen wives, and permitted them to introduce at Jerusalem-idolatrous worship. This was a the beginning of the downfall of the Jewish nation.

After the death of Solomon, B.C. 975, the Kingdom was divided, his son Rehoboam retaining possession of two Tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and with them Jerusalem and the Temple; and Jeroboam, a usurper, as ruler over the remaining ten Tribes, set up his capital at Samaria. This division of the Kingdom, known as "Israel, " rapidly declined, and in B.C. 721 the Ten Tribes were carried captive to Assyria. The Two Tribes, known as "Judah, " survived over 100 years longer, but in B.C. 606 they were carried in Captivity to Babylon, and Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in B.C. 587. Thus ended a period of deadly tribal wars which was made illustrious by the ministry of a noble succession of great prophets.

With the Captivity of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem, began that long period which still continues, known in the Scriptures as

"The Times of the Gentiles, "

and which is so fully outlined and described in the Book of Daniel. The fifth period of Jewish History began in B.C. 536, when the 70 years of the Captivity ended, as prophesied (Jer. 25:11); and some 40, 000 of those of the Captivity returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the City and the Temple. The Temple was not finished and dedicated until 20 years later, and the walls of the city were not rebuilt until 70 more years had passed by, B.C. 445.

But while the Jews were permitted to return to their own land, they never again secured supremacy. They remained subject to the different conquerors of their land, though for the most part governed by rulers of their own race, in fulfillment of the prophecy that the Sceptre should not depart from Judah until Shiloh came.

In B.C. 168 Antiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria, wrested Palestine from Egypt, twice took and sacked Jerusalem, desecrated and closed the Temple, and cruelly persecuted the Jews, until they became so incensed as to rise in rebellion under the leadership of the "Maccabees." This rebellion lasted from B.C. 166 to B.C. 40.

In B.C. 63 Judea became subject to Rome, and during the next 60 years the Roman Empire tightened its grip on the Holy Land. About this time, B.C. 5, many of the students of prophecy, knowing that the time set for the coming of "Messiah the Prince" by Daniel the Prophet (Dan. 9:25) was not far distant, frequented the Temple waiting for the "Consolation of Israel." Luke 2:25-26.

In December of that year Jesus was born at Bethlehem, was visited by the Shepherds, acknowledged a few weeks later in the Temple by Simeon and Anna, the Wise men from the East did Him homage, He was taken to Egypt, and returned to Nazareth where He spent His youth and young manhood, and at 30 years of age appeared at the Jordan, was baptized of John and entered upon His public ministry.

But His claim of being the Messiah was rejected by His own people. They joined hands with the Gentiles in crucifying the "Lord of Glory, " and in A. D. 70 the Roman armies came, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Titus and the Jews were scattered among the nations of the earth.

II. THEIR PRESENT.

With the Crucifixion of Christ the sorrows of the Jewish race began. Their cry-His Blood Be on Us and on Our Children (Matt. 27:25) has been literally fulfilled.

In A.D. 50, 30, 000 were killed in Jerusalem in a tumult with the Romans, but their worst sufferings commenced in A. D. 66 under Gessius Florus, the Roman Governor of Judea. His oppressions led to a widespread revolt. Nero sent Vespasian, accompanied by his son Titus, with an army of 60, 000. He was met in upper Galilee by Josephus, a famous general of the Asmonean race, and a noted historian, who entrenched himself at Jotapata, but was finally overpowered, after a siege of 47 days, with a loss of over 40, 000 men. The subjugation of Galilee followed. Thousands perished in the war. Judea and Jerusalem were spared because Vespasian was called back to Rome by the death of Nero. When Vespasian was made King he sent his son Titus to complete the subjugation of the Holy Land and capture Jerusalem.

It was in April, A. D. 70, that the Roman army, numbering 100, 000 men, marched against Jerusalem. The city was poorly prepared to stand a siege. Rival factions disputed among themselves for control. The city was surrounded by a triple wall, defended by 90 towers. The siege lasted 4 months. Great engines of elastic timbers, aided by the twisting of great cables, hurled huge stones against the massive walls. Within the city famine reigned, wives snatched food from their husbands, children from their parents, mothers from their babes, and some mothers, lost to all sense of motherhood, killed, cooked and ate their own children. Many fled from the city to meet a worse fate, for being captured by Titus, they were crucified as a warning outside the city walls. So horrible became the condition of the besieged that Titus called God to witness that he was not responsible.

At last, on August 5, A. D. 70, the Tower Antonia was taken, the Romans swarmed into the Temple enclosure, and though Titus had commanded his soldiers to spare the beautiful Temple building, for it was looked upon, even by Rome, as one of the wonders of the world, yet a soldier threw a blazing torch through a doorway and in the conflagration that followed the Temple of Herod was destroyed, leaving nothing but the rock upon which it stood.

Josephus says that over 1, 000, 000 perished in the siege, while 97, 000 survived as captives, of whom the handsomest young men were taken to Rome to grace the triumph of the Conqueror, and thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel, that "the 'People' of the Prince that shall come (Antichrist) shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary." Dan. 9:26.

While the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus scattered the Jews far and wide, the end was not yet. Sixty-five years later, A. D. 130, the Jews had sufficiently recovered from that crushing blow to rise afresh in revolt against the Roman power. Hadrian then completed the work of Dispersion. In a war lasting three and a half years he devastated Palestine, destroyed 580, 000 persons, ran a ploughshare over Zion, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 3:12, uttered 885 years before, and forbade the Jews, on pain of death, even to approach Aelia Capitolina, the new Roman city which he erected on the site of Jerusalem. The Jews since that time have been few in Palestine.

In A. D. 362 the Emperor Julian the Apostate made an attempt to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, thus to falsify the prediction of the Lord, but his workmen were driven off by fire that burst from the ruins.

The interval from Hadrian, A. D. 140, to Constantine saw the Jewish people in a measure prosperous and flourishing in the lands of their exile throughout the Roman World. They even took part in pagan persecutions of the early Church. But the conversion of Constantine to Christianity in A. D. 312, changed all this. The Jews then became a condemned and persecuted sect. They lost the imperial favor and privileges they had enjoyed, and were excluded from one sphere after another. though they were still free to observe their own religion and retained their fights as citizens.

The gloom deepened until A. D. 1096, the time of the First Crusade, known in history as the "Holy War; " when the pall of midnight blackness fell upon them, and did not lift until long after the Reformation.

The Frown of England.

In A. D. 1020 Canute banished all Jews from England. In A. D. 1068 the only burial place in all England allowed the Jews was Cripplegate, London. In A. D. 1096 the "Holy War" began by attempting to murder all the Jews in Europe who would not submit to baptism. Henry II ordered the Jews to pay 60, 000 pounds toward defraying his expenses during one of the Crusades. At the accession of Richard I (Coeur de Leon), A. D. 1189, murderous riots were instigated against the Jews and not a Jewish household in London escaped robbery and murder.

The following year occurred the "Tragedy of York Castle, " in which the chief Rabbi of York, with 500 followers were besieged in York Castle, and when escape became hopeless they slew one another and the chief Rabbi, the last to die, started a conflagration, then took his own life, and when the besiegers broke in they found the besieged in one great pile like the sacrifice upon the altar.

Up to the time of Edward I, A. D. 1272, the Crown claimed to own the Jew and all he possessed, and from time to time would allow him to gather riches that he might squeeze them from him, like water from a sponge. Edward I drove all the Jews, 16, 500 in number, from England, and for nearly four centuries there is no evidence that British soil was pressed by a Jewish foot.

The Curse of France.

In A. D. 1306, on the morning of the fast commemorating the Destruction of Jerusalem all the Jews of France, men, women and children to the number of 100, 000, were stripped of their possessions for the benefit of the royal treasury, and cast out of the land. In 10 years they were allowed to return, but soon the "Pastoureaux, " bands of fanatical shepherds and malefactors, swept them away by thousands. In A. D. 1683 the Jews were ordered to quit all the French Colonies, and it was not until A. D. 1723, when Louis XV gave the Jews permission to hold real estate in France, that the tide began to turn.

The Bloody Hand of Germany.

The Plague of the "Black Death, " which swept over Europe in A. D. 1348-1350, and which carried off one-fourth of the population, afflicted the Jews but lightly, owing to their simple life and observance of the hygienic requirements of the Levitical Law. Their comparative exemption caused them to be suspected as the source of the Plague, and they were charged with poisoning the wells and springs. In Germany the composition of the poison, the color of the packages in which it was transported, and the persons who conveyed them, were all declared to be known. The result was that they suffered the torture, the caldron and the devouring flame at the hands of the "Flagellants, " an order of fanatics who swarmed through Germany preaching extermination to all unbelievers. The entire community at Strasburg, 2000 souls, was dragged upon an immense scaffold, and it set on fire. They were also charged with stealing the children of Christians and crucifying them for Passover Lambs, and also with stealing the consecrated "Host" and piercing it with knives. In A. D. 1560 they were banished from Prague and later in Constantinople 3000 houses in the Jews' quarters were burned and property to the value of 50, 000, 000 crowns confiscated.

THE HOLOCAUSTS OF SPAIN

In Spain the machinery of

"The Inquisition"

held full sway. It was established to terrify into faithfulness apostate Jews. Men and women disappeared by hundreds, as if the ground had opened and swallowed them up. Some never returned, others reappeared in after years human wrecks, pale and emaciated and semi-insane through long incarceration in dark and chilly subterranean dungeons. Now and then processions wound through the streets to the place of burning, the victims being tortured with the hope that they would recant before being thrown into the flames.

Many found themselves led from the Hall of judgment along subterraneous passage ways to the chamber of the

"Iron Maiden, "

the rude hollow figure of a woman, made of iron, which at the touch of a spring flew open and disclosed its inner surface studded with iron nails rusted by the blood of its numerous victims. No sooner did the condemned step inside than the figure began to close, hugging in its iron grasp the victim, until the nails, entering the body amid the shrieks of the victim, pierced some vital part, and when all was over the "Iron Figure" again opened and allowed the body to fall into the yawning pit below.

But this was not all. Ferdinand and Isabella in A. D. 1492 issued an edict of banishment against all the Jews in Spain. A Jew offered 600, 000 crowns for a revocation of the edict. The King and Queen hesitated and were inclined to accept when the Spanish Inquisitor, Torquemada, stalked into the presence of the abashed rulers and holding up a "Crucifix" before them cried-

"Behold Him Whom Judas Iscariot Sold for 30 Pieces of Silver. Sell Ye Him Now for a Higher Price and Render an Account of Your Bargain Before God."

The sovereigns trembled before the stern Dominican and the Jews had to go. They were given four months in which to prepare. Whither to go they knew not, for there was no hospitable shore to which to fly. Some embarked for Africa and were sold into slavery. A number reached Italy. Their sufferings were indescribable. Two hundred years later, A. D. 1680, the spirit of Spain toward the Jews was unchanged.

And so, like a horrible nightmare, for centuries history records the terrible punishments and persecutions that befell the seed of Abraham.

But the long night of persecution came to a close. The tide began to turn when England passed the

"Naturalization Bill" in A. D. 1753, and received its greatest impulse when our own

"Declaration of Independence" Was Signed in A. D. 1776,

and, with the exception of Russia the Jews today, in all lands enjoy comparative freedom.

The miracle of the preservation of the Jews during the long night of their persecutions cannot be accounted for, only on the supposition that they have been preserved for a purpose.

The secret of their endurance is twofold.

1. Their National Law.

It preserved them from disease, controlled and regulated their passions, checked the baser impulses of their nature, and secured the vigor of their offspring.

2. Their National Hope.

Amid all the vicissitudes of their history the Jewish people have been upheld by their
"National Hope." a "Hope" so rediant and a "Faith" so beautiful, that the world has never seen its like. The "Hope of a

Coming Messiah

The "Hope" of. the coming of this "Messiah" has flamed like a "Morning Star" through the darkness of Israel's long night, and has turned their thoughts toward the dawning of that day when the

"Sun of Righteousness"

shall arise and dispel the gloom and usher in that bright "Millennial, Day" when Righteousness and Peace shall cover the earth as the waters cover the deep.

For the Jews today there is no "Pillar of Cloud" by day, nor "Shechinah Flame" by night. They have no altarsno sacrifices, no priesthood as in former days. They observe the "Passover, " but no paschal lamb is slain. They keep the "Great Day of Atonement, " but no blood is shed to make reconciliation for sin. All sacrifices and oblations have ceased. They have no King, no Judges, no Prophets, no inspired writers. The "Urim" and "Thummin" give no Divine token. The word of God is precious, but there is no "open vision.' Their last Great Prophet was the "Man of Galilee, " but Him they rejected. Like their forefathers, who took Joseph, after they had rejected him, and sold him for 20 pieces of silver, and he was hidden from their view in Egypt on the Throne of Pharaoh, so the Jews took Jesus, their Joseph, and having rejected Him, sold Him for 30 pieces' of silver and He is now hidden from them on His Father's Throne.

Why Is This? Have they been supplanted as a "Nation" by the Gentiles, and as "God's People" by the Church? Are they never again to have a land of their own, and a King, and a Capital City, and a National Existence?

Is not their condition today the fulfillment of the prophecy of Hosea 3:4.

"The Children of Israel shall abide MANY DAYS without a King, and without a Prince, and without a Sacrifice, and without an Image, and without an Ephod, and without Teraphirn? "

Is it not that Jerusalem must be-

"Trodden down of the Gentiles until the 'Times of the Gentiles' be fulfilled? " Luke 21:24.

What does Paul say-

"Blindness in part is happened to Israel until the 'Fulness of the Gentiles' be come in. And so All Israel Shall Be Saved. Rom. 11:25Rom. 11:26.

We see then that the Jews (Israel) have not been supplanted by the Church, or by the Gentile nations. They are again to take the lead among the nations of the earth. For this they have been preserved.

The eleventh chapter of Romans begins with the question-

"Hath God Cast Away His People? "

Paul answers his own question by replying "God Hath Not Cast Away His People Which He Foreknew." Vs. 2.

In the eleventh verse Paul asks a second question. "Have they stumbled That They Should Fall? " That is, have they fallen down so that they shall Never Rise Again? He replies,

"God forbid; but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousy."

Now two things are revealed here, first, the Jews have fallen that the Gentiles may have a

chance to be saved, and second, that the sight of seeing the Gentiles saved may make the Jews "jealous." Why should God want to provoke the Jews to jealousy if He has cast them off ? The Apostle then adds-

"If the Fall of them be the riches of the world and the Diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles (that is, if the giving of the Gospel to the Gentiles is such a blessing to them), how much more will be their Fulness? " Vs. 12.

That is, how much greater blessing there will be for the world when the Jews rise up again and take their place among the nations. For Paul goes on to say-

"If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but

LIFE FROM THE DEAD? "

That is, when the Jews come back to God it will be like a resurrection, not of individuals, but a

"National Resurrection."

Then the Apostle changes the figure and speaks of

Two Olive Trees.

One he calls the "Good" Olive Tree, the other a "Wild" Olive Tree. Of the "Good" Olive Tree he speaks of "Some" (not all) of the branches being broken off, for there is a "Remnant of Grace, " vs. 5, as there were 7000 men in Elijah's day who had not bowed the knee to Baal. And we must not forget that the "Root"and "Trunk" of the Tree were still alive, and where some of the "Good" branches were broken off, the "Wild" Olive branches were grafted in "among" them, not "instead of, " and thus became "partaker" of the"Root" and "Fatness" of the "Good Olive Tree."

We see from this that the "Good Olive Tree" is not rooted up and destroyed and a "Wild Olive Tree"planted in its place, but it still remains alive and gives life to both the "Good" and "Wild"olive branches.

The Apostle then goes on to reprove the Gentile members of the Church at Rome, who were boasting of their independence of the Jews, and that Christianity had supplanted Judaism, just as so many in the Church today claim that the Church has supplanted Judaism and fallen heir to all its promises. saying to them-

"Boast not against the branches..... for Thou bearest not the root, but the "Root" thee.

And he reminded them that the branches were broken off, not that they might be grafted in, but because of "Unbelief, " and thus the "unbelief" of the Jews redounded to their benefit, and he goes on to tell them that if the "Good" Olive branches that had been cut off should repent, they would be grafted back again, for GOD is able to graft them in again. Rom. 11:17-19.

Here we see that if the Jews repent and turn from their unbelief, God will restore them to their old time place among the nations.

III. THEIR FUTURE.

If it were suggested that we discuss the future of any other nation than the Jewish nation, I, for one, would not attempt it, for the task would be simply a speculative one, based on probabilities that would be likely to be upset by unforeseen circumstances. But the Jewish nation has the unique distinction of having for its historian the "Holy Spirit." who has not simply recorded the past history of that nation, but has outlined its future.We indulge then in no idle and profitless speculations when we attempt to forecast the future of the Jewish People. All we have to do is to gather together and place in their logical order what the Holy Spirit through the Prophets, has foretold of their future. The method is as simple as the result is sure.

THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS.

1. As to the Fact.

"Therefore fear not, 0 my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, 0 Israel; ......... For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee; though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee." Jer. 30:10Jer. 30:11.

"And I will bring again the captivity of my people 'Israel' and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land." Amos 9:14Amos 9:15.

But you say this prophecy was fulfilled in the restoration from the "Babylonian Captivity." Not so, for they were driven out of the land after that, and this promise is, that they shall no more be pulled up out of their land, . and must refer to some future restoration. The return from the "Babylonian Captivity" was the First restoration, and the Scriptures speak of a Second.

"And it shall come to pass in 'That Day' (Millennial Day) that the Lord shall set his hand again the'Second Time' to recover the remnant of His People, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the Sea." Isa. 11:11.

The Jews have never been restored but ONCE, and that was from Babylon. The march from Egypt to Canaan was not a restoration. You cannot have anything restored to you unless it has been in your possession before, and Palestine was never in possession of the Children of Israel until after its conquest by Joshua.

Again the Jews are to come this time, not from the "East, " as when they returned from the "Babylonish Captivity, " but from the "North, " and from "All Countries."

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt; but the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the land of the NORTH and from ALL THE LANDS whither He had driven them; and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers." Jer. 16:14Jer. 16:15. Also Isa. 43:5-7. And they shall never again be dispersed.

"For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up." Jer. 24:6.

The certainty of it is seen in Jer. 31:35Jer. 31:36.

"Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar: the Lord of Hosts is His name: if those ordinances depart from me, said the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever."

When the Children of Israel shall be restored to their own land the whole "Twelve Tribes" will return. In Rom. 11:26, Paul says– "All Israel shall be saved, " and Ezekiel in his vision of the

"Valley of Dry Bones"

was told that the bones represented the "Whole House of Israel." Ez. 37:11.

There are some who teach that what is here meant is, that, previous to the Millennium God will resurrect all the descendants of Israel and put them back in the Land of Palestine, and they base it on the statement in Ez. 37:12-

"Behold, 0 my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, andbring you into the Land of Israel."

Now such an interpretation cannot be true for several reasons. First, the Land of Palestine is not large enough to hold and sustain such a great multitude, and secondly this is not a description of a physicalresurrection of dead bodies, but of a "National Resurrection" of a people. The cry of the "bones" in verse 11, where they say-

"Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts, "

is not the cry of individual dead Israelites, but the cry of a dead nation that has been "cut off" from its own land. It is the cry of a Spiritually and nationally dead people.

By the word "graves" we are not to understand "literal graves, " for the bones were not in graves but scattered over the valley. What the passage means is, that God is going to bring back His People Israel, who are buried in captivity in the "Graveyard of the Nations, " and place them again in their own land. This is clear from what follows-

"I will open your graves, (among the nations), and cause you to come up out of your graves (that is back from among the nations), and bring you into the Land of Israel."

Notice that nothing is said here of the opening of any graves in the Land of Israel. This therefore could not be a general resurrection of the Dead of Israel, but only of Israelites who lived in other countries.

But the next two verses settle the question, for the Lord say--

"When I have opened your graves, 0 my people, and brought you up out of your graves" (that is, back into their own land), and THERE shall put my spirit (Holy Spirit) in you, and ye shall live (nationally) and I shall place you in your own land: (according to your Tribes, as described in Ez. 48:1-3), then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, said the Lord." Ez. 37:13, Ez. 37:14.

This is in exact accord with other scriptures that teach that Israel is to be gathered back to their own land, where they are to be first judged, (Ez. 20:34-36; Ez. 22:19-21), and then converted. Ez. 36:24-26.

If we are to take the resurrection spoken of by Daniel (Dan. 12:2), as referring to his "People" only, then we are still more certain that there is not to be a "General Physical Resurrection" of Daniel's "People, " the Jews, before the Millennium, for he distinctly says that only some shall rise at that time.

That what is meant is a

National Restoration

of the Whole Twelve Tribes, is clear from what follows the Vision of the "Valley of Dry Bones." Ez. 37:15-17.

The Prophet is told to take a stick and write on it,

 

"For Judah and for the Children of Israel his companions, " which means the Two Tribes, Judah and Benjamin, known as "Judah." Then he was told to take another stick , and write on it,

"For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, "

the son of Joseph who represented him among the Twelve Tribes, and by whose name (Ephraim) the Ten Tribes, after jeroboam's insurrection were sometimes called. Isa. 7:17.

When Ezekiel had done so, he was told to join the two sticks together, end to end, so as to make one stick, which when he had done, the Lord said-

"When the children of thy people shall speak unto thee saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Thou shalt say, 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 themONE NATION in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." Ez. 37:18-20. From this we see that the

"WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, "

that is, the Whole Twelve Tribes, are to be gathered back to their own land, and redistributed upon it according to the manner described in Ez. 48.

"In those days the 'House of Judah' shall walk with the 'House of Israel, ' and they shall come together out of the land of the North to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers."Jer. 3:18.

The Lost Ten Tribes.

If the whole Twelve Tribes are to be restored to the Holy Land, naturally the question arises, "Where Are They Now? " The Jews are the descendants of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but where are the remaining "Ten Tribes? " How are they to be identified?

Much has been written to try to prove that the "Anglo Saxons, " the English speaking race, are the descendants of the lost Ten Tribes. But they cannot be, for it is said of Israel, that "they shall dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations" (Num. 23:9), but the "AngloSaxons are numbered among the nations, Israel is to remain many days without a King, a Prince or a Temple (Hosea 3:4), but the "Anglo-Saxons" have kings, presidents and princes, and centres of religious worship. Again, Israel, out of the Holy Land, were to be few in number, and under national curse, (Deut. 4:26,Deut. 4:27Deut. 28:62-64), but neither of these are true of the "Anglo-Saxons." Once more, the penalty of "Uncircumcision" is "Excision, " (Gen. 17:10-12), the "Anglo-Saxons" are "Uncircumcised" and therefore not entitled to Jewish privileges.

The Jews Today Are Representative of the Whole Twelve Tribes.

1. A portion of Israel, out of all the tribes, fell away to Judah at the time of the division of Solomon's Kingdom, B.C. 975. 2Chron. 11:52Chron. 11:13-15.

2. A number deserted from Israel to Judah in the days of Asa, grandson of Rehoboam. 2Chron. 15:82Chron. 15:9.

3. Ninety-six years after the Ten Tribes were carried captive, in B.C. 625, Josiah, great grandson of Hezekiah, observed the "Passover" at Jerusalem, and many were present of the"Remnant of Israel." 2Chron. 35:17, 18

4. In B.C. 605-587, Judah was carried captive to Babylon, many Israelites were carried away with them.

5. In B.C. 5316, when the Jews returned from the Babylon Captivity, Babylon and Assyria had become identical, and Israel was as free to return as Judah. Ezra tells us that he took up some Israelites (Ezra 7:28), and when the Temple was dedicated they offered sacrifices for the Whole Twelve Tribes. Ezra 6:16Ezra 6:17.

The conclusion therefore is, that those who returned from the captivity were fairly representative of the whole Twelve Tribes. Now as the descendants of those who returned from Babylon were scattered in A.D. 70 and A.D. 135, we may well ask, "the 'Ten Tribes Where Are They Not? "

But the above explanation will not completely satisfy the careful Bible student, for Eze. 37:15-17 clearly teaches that the "Ten Tribes, " as tribes are to be gathered back in the future. They must therefore besomewhere.

Says Sir John Wilkinson in his book "Israel My Glory, " search for a thing where. it was lost." When God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans it was from an idolatrous country, and he was called a Hebrew, (one who has crossed over), and when Israel relapsed into idolatry God sent them back to the other side of the Euphrates. History says the Ten Tribes were taken to Assyria, and prophecy says theyare to be brought out of Assyria (Isa. 11:11Isa. 11:16), the plain inference is they are still there.

Josephus says they were there in A. D. 70; so does Jerome in his notes on Hosea, written in the Fifth Century. We have never heard of their leaving, and so they have been identified with certain peoples living in the fastnesses of the mountains of Kurdistan, by Lake Oroomiah, in Persia. These people have many modified observances of the Mosaic Ritual, as Peace Offerings, Vows, First-Fruits, Tithes, etc. (Wilkinson.)

2. As To The TIME.

a. When the "TIMES OF THE GENTILES" Have Been Fulfilled.

"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the "Times of the Gentiles" be fulfilled." Luke 21:24.

b. When Christ Returns.

"For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord." Matt. 23:39.

3. As To The Manner.

a. Gathered Back UNCONVERTED.

"I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will

bring you into your own land. THEN will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A New Heart also will I give you, and a New Spirit will I put within you: and I will give you an Heart of Flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezek. 36:24-26.

b. Before Conversion They Are To Be JUDGED.

"I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will 1 plead with you face to face. And I will cause you to

'Pass Under The Rod, '

and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant; and I will purge out from among you the rebels,and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the Land of Israel."' Eze. 20:34-36.

Then God will cast them into His

"Melting Pot."

"Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin. into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in My fury and I will leave you there, and MELT YOU. Yea I will gather you. and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be I melted in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in- the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ve shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you." Eze. 22:19-21.

"Behold, I will send my messenger (Elijah-Mal. 4:5Mal. 4:6), and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord, whom ve seek, shall suddenly come to His Temple. even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in .:behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a Refiner's Fire, and likeFuller's Soap: and He shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver: and He shall Purify the Sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.Mal. 3:1-3.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name and I will hear them: I will say it is my people; and they shall say, the Lord is my God." Zech. l 3:9.

The Jews have never as yet had such an experience as this. It is spoken of in Jer. 30:4-6, and Dan. 12:1, as the

"Time Of Jacob's Trouble, "'

and Christ called it

"THE GREAT TRIBULATION."

and He and Zechariah the Prophet associate it with the Return of the Lord. Matt. 24:21-23Zech. 14:1-3.

The result of these terrible judgments will be that the Jews will call in their misery upon the Lord.

"And I will pour upon the 'House of David.' and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem The Spirit of Grace and of Supplications." Zech. 12:10.

Then Christ will come back to Jerusalem-

"And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the east." Zech. 14:4.

"And they shall look upon ME Whom They Have Pierced." Zech. 12:10.

And a nation, the Jewish Nation, shall be born (converted) IN A DAY.

"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a Nation Be Born At Once? for as soon as Zion Travailed, She Brought Forth Her Children." Isa. 66:8.

Speaking of the appearance of Christ after His Resurrection, Paul says,

"And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." I Cor. 15:&

What Paul means is, that he was born before the time, that his was a premature birth, and that his"New Birth" is a type of the Birth of the Jewish Nation when the Lord returns, and not of the "New Birth" of a Christian. As Paul saw the glory of the Lord, and heard his voice, so shall it be with theJewish Nation assembled at Jerusalem when Christ shall reveal Himself on the Mount of Olives at Hisreturn.

As to the Children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt they took with them of the "Riches of the Egyptians, " Ex. 12:35Ex. 12:36, so when they return to their own land they will take with them the"Riches of the Gentiles." Isa. 60:9Isa. 61:6.

When the Children of Israel return to their own land it will be to possess and occupy all that was promised to Abraham.

"The Royal Grant"

given by the Almighty to Abraham, extended from the "River of Egypt unto the "Great River, the River Euphrates (Gen. 15:18); and according to Ezekiel (Eze. 48:1-3), from Hamath, northeast of Damascus, to Kadesh on the south. The Temple will be rebuilt. The Glory of the Lord will return. Sacrifices will again be offered. The Government shall be reestablished, and the nations of the earth will be blessed through Israel. Zech. 8:20-22.

For a continued account of the future of the Jews, see the chapters on "The Great Tribulation, " and "The Kingdom." Also carefully study the chart on "The Jews, " and "The Millennial Land."

 

Posted via email from The Last Chance Bible Study

ClarenceLarkin: Dispensational Truth "The Dispensational Work of the Holy Spiritt" (VIII)

Dispensational Truth
VIII
The Dispensational Work of the Holy Spirit



As the Holy Spirit, the THIRD PERSON in the Godhead, has existed from all eternity (Heb. 9:14), it stands to reason that if we would pursue the same course of speaking and writing about Him, as we do about the person and work of Christ, much of the mystery and misunderstanding as to His person and work would disappear.

Let us therefore take up His work in each Dispensation.

1. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN CREATION

We read in job 26:13, "By His SPIRIT He hath garnished the heavens." That is, made them beautiful with stars and suns. The work of the Trinity in Creation has been described thus: God the FATHER created the matter, God the SON moulded it into shape, as seen in the heavens, and earth, and every visible object, and God the HOLY SPIRIT breathed into all animate creation life. This seems confirmed by the account of the creation of man in Gen. 2:7, "And the LORD GOD (the Triune God) formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the BREATH OF LIFE: and man became a LIVING SOUL." Here we see the threefold work of God. The Father made the "dust of the ground, " the Son, like a sculptor molds the clay into a statue, formed the dust into the shape of a man, and the Holy Spirit breathed into its nostrils the "BREATH OF LIFE."

In Gen. 1:2, we read that-"The Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT OF GOD (Holy Spirit) moved upon the face of the waters." Here we have the work of the HOLY SPIRIT in the restoration of the Earth to its Primeval State. This reveals to us that the work of the Holy Spirit in Creation was to impart and restore life.

2. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE DISPENSATION FROM THE FALL TO THE FLOOD.

This was the "Dispensation of CONSCIENCE, " and the work of the Holy Spirit during that Dispensation seems to have been to "strive" with men through their conscience to live better lives, for we read in Gen. 6:3, "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always STRIVE with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years." That is He would bear with them for 120 years longer, and if they did not repent and turn to Him, He would send the Flood.

3. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE DISPENSATION FROM THE FLOOD TO THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

This Period included Three Dispensations, the "Post-Diluvian, " the "Patriarchal" and the "Legal." The work of the Holy Spirit in these Dispensations seems to have been about the same, and was neither constant nor specific. He came upon individual men and women and filled them for some special service or specific work without reference to their character, such as Balaam (Num. 24:2-4), Samson (Judg. 13:24-25), and King Saul. 1Sam. 10:6-8. The Holy Spirit came upon these men not because they were good men, but on account of their official position, and was given for a special service. With few exceptions, such as Joseph (Gen. 41:38-39), Joshua (Num. 27:18), and Daniel (Dan. 4:8Dan. 4:9Dan. 4:18Dan. 5:11-13), the Holy Spirit did not abide on men for any length of time during this Dispensation, but came and went, as, in the case of Samson, His presence was necessary. When the time came to construct the Tabernacle and its furnishings, God specially endowed Bezaleel for the work by filling him with the Holy Spirit. Ex. 31:1-3. Thus the whole of the work of the Tabernacle in its exquisite perfection and glorious beauty, was the work of the HOLY SPIRIT through Bezaleel. So the people could not praise Bezaleel, and say-"Bezaleel, what a wonderful and skillful workman you are", but were compelled to say-"See how wondrously the SPIRIT OF GOD has wrought through Bezaleel." So it was with the Old Testament prophets-"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." 2Pet. 1:21. The work of the Holy Spirit in this Dispensation was mainly to fit men for some special work.

4. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE "PARENTHETICAL DISPENSATION" BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT DISPENSATIONS.

The work of the Holy Spirit during this "Parenthetical Dispensation" has to do mainly with the earthly life of Jesus, and throws additional light on the relation of the three persons of the Godhead to each other, and shows that even God the SON, could not take on our human nature and do the work He did for the redemption of the race without the aid and co-operation of the "HOLY SPIRIT." The work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus is very clearly outlined in the New Testament.

1. He was CONCEIVED by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:30-31Luke 1:34-35Matt. 1:18-20.
2. He was BAPTIZED by the Holy Spirit. Matt. 3:16Luke 4:1.
3. He was led by the Holy Spirit into the Wilderness to be TEMPTED (Tested). Matt. 4:1Luke 4:1-2.
4. He performed all His MIGHTY WORKS by the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:38.
5. He was ANOINTED TO PREACH by the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:18.
6. He DIED ON THE CROSS through the Holy Spirit. Heb. 9:14.
7. He was RAISED FROM THE DEAD by the Holy Spirit. 1Pet. 3:18.
8. He gave His POST RESURRECTION DIRECTIONS to the Apostles through the Holy Spirit.Acts 1:1-2.

5. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE DISPENSATION FROMPENTECOST TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

This is preeminently the "DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT." The Old Testament Dispensation was that of the FATHER, the Millennial Dispensation will be that of the SON, and this is that of the HOLY SPIRIT. Jesus said to His Disciples"It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away the COMFORTER (Holy Spirit) WILL NOT COME UNTO YOU; but if I depart , I will send him unto you." John 16:7. This clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is a PERSON, and that He and Jesus cannot both reside at the same time on the earth. The Holy Spirit has a specific work in this Dispensation. It is the formation of the "BODY OF CHRIST"-THE CHURCH, into which we are baptized by the Holy Spirit. 1Cor. 12:131Cor. 12:27. The Holy Spirit took up His residence on the earth at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-3), and will remain on the earth until the Church is complete and then He will escort it to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture.

But you ask-"If the Holy Spirit is now residing on the earth, where may He be seen? Is He in the Holy Land or in some other part of the world? " The Holy Spirit at Pentecost did not assume a bodily form, but took up His residence in the Church. The Apostle Paul, writing to the saints at Corinth, said-"What! Know ye not that your BODY is the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST? " 1Cor. 6:19. And in 1Cor. 3:16, he speaks of them as being collectively the "TEMPLE OF GOD, " and that the "SPIRIT OF GOD" (Holy Spirit) dwelt in them, that is, had his residence among them. And in Eph. 2:21-22 he speaks of the Church as a Building, "fitly framed together" for a "HOLY TEMPLE, " into which the saints are being built, as building stone is built into a building, and that the purpose of the building was to make a"HABITATION FOR GOD" in which He could dwell on the earth in the Person of the Holy Spirit. InJohn 14:22-23, in anticipation of His going away, and in answer to Judas Iscariot's question as to how He would manifest Himself to His disciples after His departure, and not to the world, Jesus said-"If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him and WE (the Triune God) will come unto him, and make our ABODE with him." And in the "appendix" to the "Great Commission" (Matt. 28:20) Jesus said-"Lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE AGE." that is, the end of this Church Dispensation. Now the idea is, not that Jesus Himself IN PERSON will be with us in this Dispensation, for He cannot leave His High Priestly duties at the Right Hand of God, but that He will be with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is now the REPRESENTATIVE of the Godhead on the earth, for when Jesus said "I will be with you, " He meant by "I" the Godhead, and the Godhead is represented on the earth whenever one of its members is resident on the earth, as it was represented in Jesus when He was on the earth (John 1:141Tim. 3:16), and is now represented by the Holy Spirit.

It follows therefore, as every true believer is a "Temple of the Holy Spirit, " if we would see the Holy Spirit during His residence on the earth we must see Him in the glowing face and Christlike behavior of the sanctified child of God.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH

The Holy Spirit, by virtue of His residence in the Church, is the

PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE CHURCH.

Says Dr. A. J. Gordon, in his work on the "Ministry of the Spirit"-"The Holy Spirit has rightly been called the 'VICAR OF JESUS CHRIST.' To him has been committer the administration of the affairs of the Church. There is but one 'Holy See' upon earth, ' and that is the 'Seat' of the Holy Spirit in the Church. There is but one 'Infallible POPE, ' and He is the Holy Spirit. He alone can speak 'Ex Cathedra'."

This is clearly brought out in Acts 15:13-15 in the account of the First Church Council, where the record states (Vs. 28), "For it seemed good to the HOLY GHOST and to us, " implying that the Holy Ghost was present in the Council, and acted in an official capacity.

When Ananias and Sapphira were arraigned for conspiracy and falsehood in the sale of a certain piece of property, Peter said to Ananias-"Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the HOLY GHOST? " (Acts 5:3), thus implying that the invisible presiding officer at that trial was the Holy 5pirit Himself.

As Jesus chose and sent forth His Apostles, so the Holy Spirit chooses and sends forth His Apostles; for we read in Acts 13:2-4-

"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, (He must have been personally present)-'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, BEING SENT FORTH BY THE HOLY GHOST, departed to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."

Paul's last words to the Ephesian Elders were-'Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the HOLY GHOST HATH MADE YOU OVERSEERS, to feed the 'Church of God, ' which He hath purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:28. Clearly the pastors or bishops of the Apostolic Church were chosen by the Holy Spirit, and not by the suffrage of the people.

As an illustration of the mistake that may be made in filling an official position in the Church without consulting the Holy Spirit, we have the case of Matthias. A vacancy had occurred in the "Apostolate" by the suicide of Judas. Standing in the upper-room, surrounded by the 120, Peter boldly affirmed that the vacancy must be filled, and of the men who had companied with them during the Lord's earthly ministry-"One must be ordained to be a witness with us of HIS RESURRECTION." Acts 1:22. But the Apostles had hitherto had no voice in choosing Apostles. The Lord had done this of His own sovereign will-"Have I not chosen you twelve." John 6:70John 13:18. Now the Lord had gone back to heaven having commanded His disciples to do NOTHING until His 4 4 Vicar" the "Holy Spirit" should come (Luke 24:49), and as he had not yet arrived no business that they might transact would be LEGAL. But in spite of the Lord's command a nomination was made, and an election held but there is no indication that their choice was ratified by the Holy Spirit when He came. On the contrary, Matthias, who was chosen from that time, passed into obscurity, and his name is never again mentioned. A few years later, on the road to Damascus, the Lord Himself chose Saul of Tarsus to be an Apostle in Judas' place, certifying to the choice by filling him with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15-17), so that the Apostle could say of himself-"Paul, an APOSTLE, NOT OF MEN, NEITHER BY MAN, BUT BY JESUS CHRIST, AND GOD THE FATHER.' Gal. 1:1.

While the Apostolic Office ceased with the death of the Apostle John, for its qualification was that the holder should be a witness of the Lord's resurrection, and Paul was a witness of that (1Cor. 15:3-5), it is still the Divine plan that the office of the successors of the Apostles, the pastors, elders, bishops, and teachers of the flock should be filled by Holy Spirit chosen men. Acts 20:28. There is no certainty when an Archbishop, or Bishop, or some other church Functionary, appoints a pastor over a flock, whether the appointment is of the holy Spirit or not. We see therefore that while it is easier to get-"the sense of the meeting by a show of hands" in the choice of a pastor, that it is not the Apostolic way, and accounts for the mistakes and misfits that occur in filling the pastoral office. It also accounts for the decline and death of many church organizations. It is far. better by prayer and fasting to wait upon God until the"MIND OF THE SPIRIT" is made manifest, and the right man sent.

And not only should a church consult the Holy Spirit in the choice of a pastor, but the pastor should consult the Holy Ghost as to a field of service. Of Paul and Timotheus we read--"Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and were FORBIDDEN OF THE HOLY GHOST to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed (attempted) to go unto Bithynia; 'BUT THE SPIRIT SUFFERED THEM NOT'." Acts 16:6-7. We naturally ask-"Why not? " And we do not have far to go for an answer, for in the next three verses we read-"And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas, and-a vision appeared to Paul in the night: there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, COME OVER INTO MACEDONIA AND HELP US. And after he had seen the vision,IMMEDIATELY WE ENDEAVORED TO GO INTO MACEDONIA ' ASSUREDLY GATHERING THAT THE LORD HAD CALLED US FOR TO PREACH THE GOSPEL UNTO THEM." Acts 16:8-10. And into Macedonia they went and were blessed in their work. We see then that the pastor, and missionary, and every Christian worker, should follow the Holy Spirit's guidance in the choice of a sphere of work. The Holy Spirit makes no "Misfits." This is beautifully illustrated in the experiences of Adoniram Judson, William Carey, and David Livingstone. Judson purposed going to India, the Holy Spirit sent him to Burmah Carey purposed going to Tahiti, the Ho 1y Spirit landed him in India. Livingstone purposed going to China, but the Holy Spirit led him to Africa.

When Jesus was on the earth the Father spoke and said-"This is my beloved Son HEAR YE HIM." The night before His Crucifixion Jesus said to His Disciples-"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the 'Spirit of Truth' (H. S.), is come, He will guide you intoALL TRUTH: He will show you things TO COME." John 16:12-13. The reason was that the teachings of Jesus required to be illumined by the light of the Cross and of the Resurrection, and the further light that He would be able to furnish after His Ascension. There were certain limitations to Christ's knowledge while on the earth. When asked as to the time of His Second Advent, He replied-"Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither (not yet) the Son, but the Father."Mark 13:32. But as soon as Jesus was "Glorified" He knew all about it, and 66 years after His Ascension He revealed it to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos. The Book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which GOD GAVE UNTO HIM, to show unto His servants THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS" 'Rev. 1:1), and in the Messages to the Seven Churches of Asia, which are typical churches (Rev. 2:1Rev. 3:22), we find, SEVEN TIMES REPEATED, the command "He that hath an ear, let him HEAR what 'THE SPIRIT' SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES."

The Holy Spirit's Teachings and communications are not His own, but CHRIST'S. "Howbeit when He, the 'Spirit of Truth, ' is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but WHATSOEVER HE SHALL HEAR, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come. He shall GLORIFY ME: for He shall RECEIVE OF MINE AND SHALL SHOW IT UNTO YOU"John 16:13-14. The office-work then of the Holy Spirit in this Dispensation is to reveal the things of the Glorified Christ to the Church.

To this end the preacher and teacher of the "Word" should be a Holy Spirit filled person. Peter said-"We have preached the Gospel unto you WITH THE HOLY GHOST SENT DOWN FROM HEAVEN."1Pet. 1:12. And Paul said-"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT AND OF POWER." 1Cor. 2:4. Education is not enough. The Disciples were in training with Jesus for three years, but He forbade them to preach until they were ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH. Luke 24:49Acts 1:8Acts 2:1-3. Peter, the fisherman, could never have preached the sermon he did on the Day of Pentecost without the help of the Holy Spirit. The preacher is to "Rightly Divide the Word" (2Tim. 2:15), and Peter could not have done so in his apt quotations from the Scriptures if the Holy Spirit had not aided him. The "Instrument" that the Holy Spirit uses to convict and convert men is the "WORD OF GOD." "The 'Seed' is the WORD OF GOD." Luke 8:11. But -as in the Natural World the seed must be alive to germinate, and there can be no life without-"PRE-EXISTING LIFE, " for there is no such thing as "SPONTANEOUS GENERATION OF LIFE, " so in the Spiritual World the "Seed" (the Word of God) must be vitalized by the Holy Spirit, otherwise it is BARREN. This explains why sceptics and scientists and philosophers and others may know the Scriptures and be able to quote them glibly and yet not be converted by them. To use another figure the Scriptures are "Burglar Proof" to those who have not the "Spiritual Combination, " for "the NATURAL man receiveth not (cannot understand) the things of the 'Spirit of God': for they are foolishness unto him; neither -can he know them, because they are SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED." 1Cor. 2:14. A spiritual revelation cannot be comprehended by the natural understanding. Says Dr. R. A. Torrey, "I would as soon think of setting a man to teach art merely because he understood paints, as to set him to teach the Bible merely because he understood Greek or Hebrew."

In the Natural World there can be no offspring without the union of the two sexes. There must be a father and a mother. How was the "Son of God" born? The Holy Spirit was his Father, and the Virgin Mary his mother. Luke 1:30-32. As the womb of the Virgin was the place of conception of the Son of God, so theHUMAN HEART is the place of conception of the "Children of God." Similarly "Sin" is generated in the human heart by Satan the "Father of Lies." Peter said-"Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou CONCEIVED this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." Acts 5:3-4.

The "New Birth" then is the COMMUNICATION of a "New Life", the IMPLANTATION of a "New Nature" by the SPIRIT OF GOD. When as he sat under a Numidian Fig-Tree there fell into the heart of Augustine, who was living a profligate life, the "Seed" of Rom. 13:13-14, "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife andenvying, but PUT YE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND MAKE NOT PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, TO FULFIL THE LUSTS THEREOF, " and Augustine's heart received the words by faith,they being vitalized by the Holy Spirit, caused Augustine to become a "NEW CREATURE, ' and he arose to his feet no longer a child of the Devil, but a SON OF GOD.

What every minister of the Gospel and Bible Teacher should do, is to so familiarize himself with the Scriptures, and saturate his mind with them, that he shall be able skillfully to use the instrument that the Holy Spirit has provided, for the "Sword of the Spirit" is the "WORD OF GOD." And it is only by the proper use of it that men are convicted of sin and regenerated.

But it is just as important that we have the Holy Spirit's help in our PRAYING as in our preaching. Ought we to prepare and write out our prayers and memorize them, or read them from a book? For an answer we turn to the Scriptures. In Eph. 6:18, we read, "Praying always with all prayer and supplicationIN THE SPIRIT." Paul says ::"Likewise 'THE SPIRIT' (H. S.) also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but "THE SPIRITHIMSELF (R. V.) MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the 'MIND OF THE SPIRIT, ' because He maketh intercession for the saintsACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD." Rom. 8:26-27. There is a promise which Christians love to quote-"lf two of you shall AGREE ON EARTH as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven." Matt. 18:19. This is generally taken to mean that if two persons mutually agree to pray for a certain thing they have God's promise that they shall have it.

The word here translated "AGREE" is the Greek word from which our word "SYMPHONY" comes. In tuning an organ all the notes must be keyed to the standard pitch or harmony is impossible. So in prayer the suppliants must not only agree, they must SYMPHONIZE, and this must be done by the "DIVINE TUNER, " the HOLY SPIRIT, else they will not be in agreement with the "MIND OF THE SPIRIT, "and cannot ask according to the "WILL OF GOD." If two persons find themselves, without previous arrangement, praying for the same individual, they have doubtless been prompted so to do by the Holy Spirit, and their prayer will be answered.

There may be an agreement which is SINFUL. "How is it that ye have AGREED TOGETHER to tempt the 'Spirit of the Lord' (H. S.) ? " (Acts 5:9), asked Peter of Sapphira. Here there was "mutual accord, " but guilty "discord" with the Holy Spirit. It is not enough that two persons agree with each other; they must be in accord with a "THIRD"-the HOLY SPIRIT.

Having thus dwelt at length on the Holy Spirit's work in this Dispensation in the Church, let us now briefly note

HIS WORK IN THE WORLD

His work in the world is outlined in John 16:8-10. "And He, when He is come, will CONVICT THE WORLD IN RESPECT OF SIN, and OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and OF JUDGMENT: of Sin, because they BELIEVE NOT ON ME; of Righteousness, because I GO TO THE FATHER, and ye behold Me no more; of judgment, because the 'Prince of this World' HATH BEEN JUDGED." (R. V.)

The Holy Spirit's work then as to the World is threefold-

1. TO CONVICT THE WORLD OF "SIN."

Some hold that "Conscience" is all-sufficient to convict men of sin, and they quote Rom. 2:15, where, speaking of the Gentiles, Paul says-"Which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, theirconscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile ACCUSING or elseEXCUSING, one another." But there is a vast difference between "LEGAL" conviction, and'SPIRITUAL" conviction. Conscience only begets "Legal" conviction- while the Holy Spirit begetsSPIRITUAL conviction. Conscience may produce fear and remorse, but it will not keep men from doing wrong, for Conscience imparts no "power, " but the Holy Spirit imparts "power" and begets HOPE. Conscience only "Accuses" or "Excuses, " while the Holy Spirit CONDEMNS. Conscience convicts men of sin against the "Law, " for the "Law" says-Thou shalt not steal, or covet, or commit adultery,or kill, and so when men steal, or covet , or commit adultery, or kill, conscience convicts them of those sins. But the "SIN" that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of is none of these, but of the special sin ofUNBELIEF. "He will convince the World-, of sin, because they BELIEVE NOT ON ME." The entrance of Jesus into the world rendered possible a sin hitherto unknown, the sin of REJECTING HIM AS THE WORLD'S SAVIOUR. What was the sin that Peter charged his audience with on the Day of Pentecost? Listen! "Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him, in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, YE HAVE TAKEN AND BY WICKED HANDS HAVE CRUCIFIED AND SLAIN." Acts 2:22-23. Their sin then was theREJECTION AND CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF. And we read (Acts 2:37) that they were PRICKED (Convicted) IN THEIR HEART, and cried out- "Men and brethren, what shall we do? " Now what produced that conviction for sin? The presence of the Holy Spirit, who, using",Peter as a mouthpiece, charged His hearers of the awful sin of "UNBELIEF" in rejecting the claims of Jesus.

The sin then that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict men of in this Dispensation is the sin ofREJECTING JESUS. Conscience may convict men of "legal sins, " such as murder, theft, covetousness, adultery, etc., but only the Holy Spirit can convict of the SIN OF UNBELIEF, the most awful and damning sin of the World today. So it is no longer the "SINS QUESTION, " but the "SON QUESTION"-"What shall we do with JESUS? "

It is only then as we present and press home the "Sin of UNBELIEF IN JESUS." that we may expect the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, and the conviction of sin in the unbeliever.

2. TO CONVICT THE WORLD OF "RIGHTEOUS

What is "Righteousness? " It is to be conformed to the standard of right and justice, to be upright and blameless. I not the "World's Righteousness" that is here meant, for it has none, it is the"Righteousness" of Jesus. When Jesus was on the earth he claimed to be the "Son of God." He claimed to forgive sins, and to be Himself holy and sinless, and that whosoever believed on Him should have "Eternal Life." But He died an ignominious death. He went to the Cross under charges of sedition and blasphemy, even amid His dying agonies the challenge was hurled at Him-"If Thou BE THE SON OF GOD, come down from the Cross." Matt. 27:40-42. He failed to justify His claim by coming down from the Cross. He died as an ordinary mortal dies. The shades of night found Him locked in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea, and a Roman guard keeping watch. Where now are all His claims to Deity? Was that to be the end of all His pretensions? Suppose He had remained in the Tomb and had not risen, what evidence would we have had that He was not an imposter, a false Messiah, like many before Him? None. "If Christ BE NOT RISEN, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 1Cor. 15:14.

If Jesus had not risen from the grave that would have been the end of His Righteousness, for three times He had declared that he would, and it was for fear that He would that a guard was placed at the Tomb.Matt. 27:63-64. The fact then that Jesus rose from the dead is proof that His claims were true, and thus His RIGHTEOUSNESS was established, and He was "DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF GOD with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, (Holy Spirit), by the RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD." Rom. 1:4.

The standard miracle of the Old Testament is the opening of the Red Sea, and the standard miracle of the New Testament is the Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus to the Right Hand of God. Eph. 1:19-20. We read in Phil. 2:8-10, that, because He was "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, " that God hath HIGHLY EXALTED HIM.

The "Resurrection" and "Exaltation" of Jesus then is indisputable proof of His RIGHTEOUSNESS. But how is the world to know and be convinced of this? That is the work of the Holy Spirit. That is what He is to convince the world of in this Dispensation. How is He to do it? How did He do it at Pentecost? In John l 4:16, Jesus said "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter." That the Father had acceded to Jesus request is clear from Luke 24:49, where, after His Resurrection and just previous to His Ascension, He said to His Disciples-"Behold, I send the 'PROMISE OF MY FATHER' upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power FROM ON HIGH." "And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came asound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it FILLED ALL THE HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE SITTING. (That is, the sound filled the house). And there appeared unto them'CLOVEN TONGUES' like as of fire, and it (a cloven tongue) sat upon each of them. And they were allFILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, (that is, the Holy Ghost took up His residence in them, and they became 'Temples of the Holy Ghost'-l Cor. 6:19), and began to speak with other tongues, as the SPIRIT(H. S.) gave them utterance." When this was "voiced abroad" a crowd collected and wanted to know the meaning of the strange proceeding, and Peter stood up, and having charged them with having crucified Jesus, he declared that God has raised Him from the dead, and exalted Him, thus justifying His claims, and-"Therefore, being by the Right Hand of God EXALTED, and having received of the Father THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY GHOST, He (Jesus) hath shed forth this which ye NOW SEE and HEAR." Acts 2:33.

While the disciples of Jesus knew that He had been raised from the dead, they did not know whether He had been "Exalted" and could not unless a "WITNESS" was sent from Heaven, and the "Witness" sent was the "Holy Ghost." If a friend should tell you that He was going to take a trip to the Holy Land, and that when he reached there he would send you a "box of figs, " though you did not hear from him by cable or letter, the receipt of the "box of figs" would be evidence sufficient that he had reached his destination. So the receipt of the "promised gift" of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was visible and sufficient evidence to the Disciples that Jesus had reached Heaven, that the Father had approved of His work on earth, and accepted the sacrifice of the Cross, and as an acknowledgment of HisRIGHTEOUSNESS had EXALTED Him to a seat beside Himself on His Throne.

In Peter's defense before the Council he said-

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath GodEXALTED with His Right Hand (that is, drew Him up with His right hand, to a seat at His right hand on His Throne) to be a 'PRINCE' (He is not yet a King) and a SAVIOUR for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we (the Disciples) are His WITNESSES of these things; and so is also the HOLY GHOST." Acts 5:30-32.

The Law required two witnesses. Deut. 17:6. While the Disciples could bear witness to the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus, they could not testify to His "EXALTATION" as that was beyond their human vision, but the Holy Ghost could, for He had witnessed in the presence of Angels, Archangels, and all the Principalities of Heaven the EXALTATION OF JESUS, and had been sent to the earth to bear witness to the fact.

If Jesus had not been what He claimed to be, the Father would never have received Him back and "Exalted" Him, and the Holy Spirit would never have been sent to testify to His EXALTATION. The Holy Spirit then is the only one who can convince the world of Jesus' RIGHTEOUSNESS.

3. TO CONVICT THE WORLD OF "JUDGMENT."

Many in quoting this passage say-"Of a judgment to come." But the words, "to come, " are not there. It was Paul before Felix who "reasoned of Righteousness, Temperance, and judgment to come, " and the result was that Felix trembled. But it was only the conviction of conscience, not Holy Spirit conviction, for though Felix trembled he did not change his course of life, but dismissed Paul with the words – " Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Acts 24:25.

The judgment that the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of in this Dispensation is not a futurejudgment, but a judgment that is PAST. Neither is it a judgment of the Righteous or the Wicked; it is a judgment of SATAN, the "Prince of this World." John 16:11. And it does not refer to a future judgment of him, but declares-"IS JUDGED." When was Satan judged? In the first place he was judged in the Garden when God passed the sentence on him-"I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed (Christ) ; it (He) shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise His heel." Gen. 3:15. In the second place Satan was judged on the Cross. Satan is the author of "Death." To overcome the work of Satan it was necessary for Jesus to die on the Cross, and by rising from the dead to "ABOLISH DEATH." 2Tim. 1:10. The purpose of Christ's death then was"That THROUGH DEATH He mightDESTROY HIM THAT HATH THE 'POWER OF DEATH.' That is, THE DEVIL; and DELIVER THEM who through 'fear of Death! were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Heb. 2:14-15.

While the "Prince of this World" (Satan) has been judged, and condemned to the Bottomless Pit for athousand years, (Rev. 20:1-3), and finally is to be cast forever into the "Lake of Fire, " (Rev. 20:10), his sentence has not yet gone into effect. But he does not want the world to know this lest he lose his influence, and it is the work of the Holy Spirit in this Dispensation to convince the world that Satan has been judged and that his power is on the wane, and that "Death" will soon be swallowed up in the victory that the Resurrection shall have over the grave. For if the "Tomb" could not hold Jesus, neither hall the "Grave" hold us.

But there is one more work the Holy Spirit is engaged in in this Dispensation, and that is to hinder Satan in his efforts to produce His Masterpiece, the "MAN OF SIN." Writing to the Thessalonians Paul said--

"And now ye know what WITHHOLDETH that he (the "Man of Sin"-THE ANTICHRIST, 2Thes. 2:3-4) might be revealed in his time. For the 'Mystery of Iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth (restraineth, R. V.) will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall thatWICKED Antichrist be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the 'Spirit of His Mouth, ' and shall destroy with the Brightness of His Coming: even him, whose coming is after the workings of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2Thes. 2:6-8.

There has been a great deal of controversy about who or what is meant by the "Restrainer" or "Withholder" in this passage, but the Apostle John clears it up -

"Hereby know ye the 'SPIRIT OF GOD': every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is OF GOD: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is NOT OF GOD: and this is that 'SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, ' whereof we have heard that it should come: and even now already is it in the World. 1John 4:2-3.

Here we have two opposing Spirits, one the "SPIRIT OF GOD" and the other the "SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST." The "SPIRIT OF GOD, " or the "HOLY SPIRIT, " must therefore be the"RESTRAINER" who keeps Satan from producing his "Man of Sin, " the Antichrist.

A part of the Holy Spirit's work in this Dispensation then is to hold in check the full development of evil until the Church is complete. Then He will be "Taken away" and there will be nothing to prevent the manifestation of the "Mystery of Iniquity."

6. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE PARENTHETICAL DISPENSATION BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND REVELATION.

As we have seen, the Holy Spirit who came at Pentecost to form the "Body of Christ, " the Church, will, when the Church is complete and caught out, return with the Church to Heaven. This will leave the world without the presence of the Holy Spirit, and as no man can be "Born again" (John 3:3John 3:5-7), or call Jesus LORD but by the Holy Ghost (1Cor. 12:3), the world will be in a bad plight. And as the "SALT" of "Pure Christianity" will have been removed from the earth, the earth's "Moral Rottenness" will rapidly develop into such a state of "Putrefaction" that only the return of the Lord can stop. But we read that during this period between the "Rapture" and the "Revelation" a "great multitude" shall be saved, out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. Rev. 7:9-11. Now how is this "great multitude" to be saved if the Holy Spirit is no longer resident on the earth? They will be saved as the Old Testament Saints were saved, by the Holy Spirit coming to individuals and regenerating them. The work of the Holy Spirit then in the "Parenthetical Dispensation" between the "Rapture" and the "Revelation" will be individualistic only.

7. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE DISPENSATION FROM THE REVELATION OF CHRIST TO THE RENOVATION OF THE EARTH BY FIRE.

This is the Dispensation commonly spoken of as "The Millennium." The work of the Holy Spirit in this Dispensation is foretold in Joel 2:28-30.

"And it shall come to pass afterward (after Israel shall have returned to their own land, which will be before the Millennium, Joel 2:21-23), that I will pour out MY SPIRIT (H. S.) upon ALL FLESH; and your (Israel's) sons and your daughters shall PROPHESY, your old men shall DREAM DREAMS, your young men shall see VISIONS: and also upon your servantsand upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out MY SPIRIT. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, BLOOD and FIRE, and PILLARS OF SMOKE. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible 'Day of the Lord' come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever, shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."

But you say this was fulfilled at Pentecost. Yes, in part only. That was the "First Fruits" of a future and greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for while Peter quoted all but the last few lines of Joel's prophecy, the physical phenomenon that is to attend this outpouring of the Holy Spirit did not take place at Pentecost. There were no wonders in the heavens and in the earth, such as blood and fire, andpillars of smoke. The sun was not darkened, nor the moon turned into blood, and as these things are to occur during the Tribulation Period and just previous to the Millennium, it is clear that the prophecy has reference to the Millennial Dispensation.

Whether this "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" shall be on the Jews only is not clear, but it will overflow on the Gentiles, for in those days a King (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall reign in righteousness (Isa. 32:1), and the work of righteousness shall be peace (Isa. 32:17-18) and upon the bells of the horses shall be inscribed "HOLINESS TO THE LORD." Zech. 14:20-21. All this will be largely possible because Satan will be bound, but the Holy Spirit will doubtless have much to do with the righteousness of those days.




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