EVANGELISTIC LECTURES

By JOHN LEWIS SHULER

National Bible Lecturer for the American Bible
Institute And Professor of Evangelism at Takoma Park Seminary
Washington, D. C.

Review And Herald Publishers
1950

Contents

Foreword
1. Peace or Pieces?
2. What and Where Is Heaven?
3. He Wrote His Own Biography Before He Was Born
4. Why Doesn't God Kill the Devil?
5. Armageddon and the Atomic Bomb
6. Heaven Split Wide Open
7. The Way of Jesus Christ in the Year 2005
8. The Bridge from Trouble to Eternal Happiness
9. Last Day Signs
10. The Destiny of the Four Great Powers
11. The Key to Your Bible
12. Who Is the Antichrist?
13. In-fidelity Challenged, Refuted and Silenced
14. The Greatest Religious Discovery of the Twentieth Century
15. The Key to Present Truth
16. Three Steps to the City of Eternal Happiness
17. The Millennium 
18. Which Day Shall Christians Keep?
19. The Key of Knowledge
20. $5,000 for One Text
21. Unlocking Truth's Mightiest Secret
22. Who Changed the Sabbath?
23. Four ways you will know your Friends in Heaven
24. The Key to the Nature of Man
25. The Mystic Ladder
26. Does It Pay To Be Good?
27. What About Hell?
28. The Mystery of Death
29. Do the Dead Know What Happens After They Die?
30. Protestantism's Two Unanswered Questions
31. Does the Bible Contradict Itself?
32. Three Generals Appointed for Armageddon
33. How You Can Postpone Your Own Funeral
34. The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31
35. The Woman in White
36. Why So Many Denominations?
37. The Seven Last Plagues
38. The Seal of the Living God
39. Can One Enter Heaven Who Has Not Been Baptized?
40. The Woman in Scarlet
41. "Lord, What Will You Have Me Do?"
42. Mark of the Beast
43. One Hundred Thieves Caught in One Church
44. The Real Truth About the Jew
45. Preparing the Way for Christ to! Come
46. The Master Key to Your Ideal Life
47. Four Mysterious Horses
48. Five Reasons Why Ministers Reject the Sabbath
49. How To Die and Live Again
50. Baby Buggy Religion
51. What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
52. How God Leads Into the Truth
53. Five Million Dollars for One Pearl
54. Half-Baked Christians
55. Jesus Is the Way
56. The Key to Certainty in Religion
57. Is St. Peter in Charge of the Gates of Heaven?
58. What Faith Corresponds to the Divine Pattern?
59. When God Makes His Last Call
60. The Practice of the Presence of God
61. Why I Am What I Am
62. The Truth About the Law

Foreword

These sermons were delivered in an evangelistic campaign conducted in Des Moines, Iowa, during September, October, November and December of 1946. The first sermon was given on Sunday night, September 8.

The sermons were mechanically recorded at the meetings, and are reproduced in this volume exactly as spoken to the audience with scarcely any editing. No attempt has been made to place them in precise literary form. One of the objectives of this book was to reproduce the full length sermon in the free evangelistic style with its directness and appeal.

The typewritten material for the printer has of necessity been hastily prepared, and it is inevitable that some errors in construction would creep in. The doctrines presented, however, stand as being in strict accordance with the Scriptures of Truth. In some instances, certain texts, as quoted from memory by the speaker, may not be exactly word for word as recorded in the Bible, or with the same punctuation, but there is no deviation from the declaration or apparent meaning of the Scriptures.

A brief word on the plan followed in these evangelistic meetings will be in order. During the first two weeks, sermons were delivered on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Beginning with the third week a central Bible class was conducted at the meeting place with the interested people each Thursday night. From the third week to the tenth week inclusive, sermons were presented on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday nights, and on Saturday afternoons at three o'clock beginning with the fifth Saturday. From the eleventh week to the fifteenth week inclusive, the Bible class was conducted on Tuesday nights, and sermons were presented on Sunday and Friday nights and Saturday afternoons.

Above each sermon title we have indicated the number of each sermon in the series. Beneath the sermon title is a notation designating at what point in the series it was presented. This will enable any worker to discover the plan followed in the order of subjects.

Special Bible lessons were mimeographed on punched note sheets. These were given to all who attended the weekly Bible class. They were made with blank lines after certain statements of Bible doctrine, on which the people recorded the respective Scripture references as the Bible lessons were presented. The first Bible lesson was mechanically recorded as it was given to the class, and is reproduced in this volume. It will convey to workers, some concrete idea as to how the Bible class was conducted.

In connection with these sermons, twenty-two appropriate after meeting talks were presented. These were recorded mechanically and may be published in a separate volume, and made available, if there is sufficient demand for them. A postal card has been inserted in each sermon. volume, which the purchaser may use to register his desire for the additional material.

We send these forth with the earnest prayer that God will use these sermons, to establish many interested souls in the present truth, and, that many of the heralds of the third angel's message will find herein help, inspiration and guidance in presenting God's message for these closing days.
Yours in Him,
J. L. SHULER.

1. Peace or Pieces?

As we watch the swift moving events of our day, certain great questions arise in our minds. What does this new Atomic Age hold in store for man? Will the atomic bomb blast civilization into oblivion? What about the riddle of Russia? Will Russia absorb and rule all Europe? Can Stalin succeed where Hitler failed? World Peace! World security! How will it ever be achieved? What lies ahead for our world? What kind of a world tomorrow?

I don't know what is coming. You don't know what is coming. But there is a God in heaven Who does know. He knows the end from the very beginning, and from ancient times the things which are not yet done. And it has pleased that great God of heaven Who knows the future, to reveal in this Bible some of the events of the future, Which we need to know. It is to some of these items that we direct your attention tonight.

In 2 Peter 1:19 the apostle Peter says, "We have a more sure word of prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark place." I have placed this text on a piece of muslin, that you may see for yourself what the Word of God says. Notice how it reads: "We have a more sure word of prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark place." Just as the headlights of your automobile show the road ahead, the prophecies of the Bible show what is coming before it happens.

The course of this world's history for the past 2,500 years has been exactly in accordance with a prophetic outline found in the second chapter of the book of Daniel. In Daniel 2:28 I read, "There is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and makes known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." By means of a wonderful dream God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, what would happen in the latter days.

Now I have something very remarkable to bring to you. I want You to notice the striking device that God used to portray the future history of nations. (At this juncture a large wooden figure of a man was unveiled on the stage, beside the speaker's desk.) I want You to notice that what you see here on the stage is just What I am going to read from God's holy Word. I am turning now to Daniel 2:31-35.

"Thou, O King, saw, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou saw till a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the Wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

A gigantic statue of a man made of different metal segments was shown to Nebuchadnezzar in his dream. This man's head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and Part of clay. Beginning with the most precious metal, gold, there was a uniform depreciation to finally terminate with the most base of all, clay. There you have, if you please, evolution in the reverse. A stone cut from the mountain without hands, smote this man upon his feet and dashed him to pieces. The wind from that concussion blew the fragments into oblivion. Then the stone expanded and expanded and expanded until it filled the entire world.

What a mysterious dream! What can it mean? As soon as Daniel told the king his dream, he proceeded to explain the meaning of the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, the clay and the stone. Now follow me and you will see.

I am turning now to Daniel 2:38, reading the last sentence in the verse. "Thou art this head of gold." The pronoun "thou" refers to Nebuchadnezzar that mighty king of ancient Babylon. To Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the prophet says, "Thou art this head of gold." O how plain that is! It shows us that this head of gold represented or symbolized the empire of Babylon over which Nebuchadnezzar was then ruling.

Now notice, he goes on to explain the meaning of the breast and arms of silver. I am reading now from Daniel 2:39, the first part of the verse. "And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee." Daniel makes it plain that this breast and arms of silver represented a second world empire that would follow Babylon upon the stage of world dominion. History tells us that this second world empire was Medo-Persia. So the breast and arms of silver symbolized Persia.

Next he explains the third part of the man. I am reading now Daniel 2:39, the last part of the verse. "Another third kingdom of brass shall bear rule over all the earth." How plain! He tells us in so many words that this third part of the man is a third world empire that will succeed or follow the second one. History shows that the third world empire that followed Persia was the empire of Greece.

Then notice how he explains the meaning of the legs of iron. I am reading Daniel 2:40. "The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron." How plain! It shows that these legs of iron symbolized the fourth world empire that would follow the third. History shows that the fourth world empire that followed Greece was the great empire of Rome.

Mark this. Every school boy in Des Moines can testify to the accuracy of this prophecy in the Bible. Every school boy in Des Moines can tell you that Persia followed Babylon, that, Greece followed Persia, and that Rome followed Greece. There it is, as plain as two and two make four. The head of gold, Babylon. The breast and arms of silver, Persia. The sides of brass, Greece. The legs of iron, Rome. The four metals: the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron symbolized four world empires that were to arise one after another along the pathway of history, as the scroll of the future would he unrolled in the days to come from Daniel's time.

What about the feet and toes? What about this mixture of iron and clay? In the feet and the toes? The Word of God tells. I read Daniel 2:41. "Whereas thou saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided." Daniel tells us in so many words that the mixture of iron and clay represented the breaking up of the fourth world empire into smaller kingdoms.

Other prophecies of the Bible even foretold the exact number of those divisions. Daniel 7:24 indicates that this fourth empire was to be divided into ten parts. Did this come true? It certainly did. During the fourth and fifth centuries of the Christian era, ten distinct independent nations established themselves within the boundaries of Western Rome.

I have a chart here which gives a list of these ten kingdoms of Western Rome. These ten kingdoms were as follows: the Anglo-Saxons, the Burgundians, the Franks, the Alemanni, the Visigoths, the Suevi, the Lombards, the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the Vandals. Seven of those nations are found on the map of Europe today. The Anglo-Saxons are what we now call the English; the Franks are the French people of Prance; the Alemanni constitute Germany; the Burgundians are that little nation of Switzerland; the Visigoths constitute Spain; the Suevi are that little country of Portugal and the Lombards are of Italy. These seven nations of England, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal and Italy find their place in this prophecy of Daniel 2 as the toes of this composite metal man.

Now follow me closely. Here's where the prophecy touches our day. Here is where it touches 1946, if you please. When we deal with England, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland, we are dealing with Western Europe of 1946. Here is the verse that defeated Hitler. Did you know that there was a verse in the Bible that actually defeated Hitler? I am going to read that verse in just a moment.

Many people are worried about Russia. They think Russia is going to absorb and rule all Europe. Here is a verse that forever precludes Russia from gaining permanent domination over all Europe. I can tell you on the basis of this Holy Word, that if Russia grows to be ten times as strong as she is now, she'll never be able to absorb and permanently hold all Europe under her sway. Here it is. I hope you have your notebook to record all these Scriptural references.

I read Daniel 2:43. "Whereas thou saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave" (referring to these divided nations of Western Europe) "they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." The prophecy shows that these divided nations of England, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, and Italy will never be welded together into a world empire, as they once were under the Caesars of Rome. You know, I know, everybody knows that you cannot weld iron and clay together. Iron will not cohere with clay. These nations of western Europe cannot be welded into one world empire as they were back in the days of the Caesars when Rome ruled the world.

Notice those seven famous words of prophecy. Here they are: "They shall not cleave one to another." There are the seven words that defeated Napoleon Bonaparte. In the 19th century Napoleon swept over nation after nation of Europe. It looked as though Napoleon would rule all of Europe. It looked as though no nation or combination of nations could stand against his onslaught. In 1811 Napoleon said, 9n five years I shall be the master of the world." But God had said that what Napoleon was trying to do, to make Europe into a world empire, could not be done, even as iron will not cohere with clay. "They shall not cleave one to another."

So his dreams of world empire vanished in smoke on the field of Waterloo with Napoleon fleeing for his life. He bowed his head in defeat and said, "God Almighty is too much for me." Yes, God Almighty was too much for Napoleon. More than twenty-three hundred years before Napoleon was ever born, this prophecy declared that those nations of western Europe could not be welded into a world empire to be ruled by one man. "They shall not cleave one to another.

Those are the seven words that deprived Germany of victory in World War I and again, in World War II. In 1914 William the II of Germany, Kaiser of Germany, started out to make himself the ruler of all Europe. It seemed for a time that no power could stand against the German army. But the Word of God was on record in Daniel 2:43 that those nations of Western Europe could not be welded into a world empire to be ruled by one man. Consequently, the Kaiser's dream of a world empire turned into a nightmare with him fleeing into Holland and spending the rest of his days in exile sawing wood at Doorn, Holland.

In 1939 Mr. Hitler started out to make himself the ruler of all Europe. When Hitler struck at Poland in 1938 he knew England was not prepared for war. He didn't think she would come to the defence of Poland. But Mr. Hitler forgot a number of things. He forgot that the "English Bulldog" will fight whether he is ready or not. He forgot that America lies over the Atlantic Ocean, and that millions of brave Americans would rise as one man to defend the fairest flag ever flown in the breeze---the Stars and Stripes forever. He forgot God. The Word of God had declared that these nations of Western Europe could not be welded permanently into a world empire by any man.

My friends, as Hitler advanced, occupying vast portions of Europe, the Word of God was at stake. The Bible was on record that those divided nations could not be fused into a world empire to be ruled by one man no matter what his name, Hitler or anybody else. Thus it was that Mr. Hitler's dream of world empire turned into a nightmare of suicide amid ashes and ruins of his own capital city, Berlin.

Notice this carefully, don't miss it. The outcome of World War I and the outcome of World War II confirm this Book as the Word of God. This prophecy of Daniel 2:43, "They shall not cleave one to another," stands true amid all the over turnings and upheavals among the nations of Western Europe for the past fourteen centuries. Time and again the mightiest men who ever trod the soil of Western Europe have tried to weld those nations into one great world empire as it was in the days of the Caesars. But everyone has failed. All the armies they could muster have not been able to break the force of these seven words of God's Holy Writ. "They shall not cleave one to another."

Listen to me. One verse of God's Bible is stronger than all the armies in the world. Jesus Christ says, "The Scripture cannot be broken!" "Heaven and earth," says He, "shall pass away, but my Word shall not pass away."

I wonder if there is an infidel in this audience tonight. Please be especially free to invite all infidels and sceptics to these American Bible Institute meetings. Many will find faith in God in these lectures. If there is an infidel here tonight, I have a question for you, brother. Here it is. Think it through. How could any man of himself in the days of ancient Babylon look ahead for 2,500 years in advance as Daniel did, and accurately foretell that beginning with Babylon there would be only four world empires, and that the fourth would be divided into segments, and remain divided in spite of all man's attempts to reunite them. Come on, infidel, what do you say?

I'll tell you what you'll have to say. You will say, "Mr. Shuler, the fact is, that there isn't any man of himself who could look ahead 2,500 years." That is right. Man cannot look ahead even through tomorrow. This good Book says, "Boast not thyself against tomorrow, for thou knows not what a day may bring forth." You'll have to say, Mr. Infidel, that no man of himself could look ahead and prophesy accurately for 2,500 years in advance. Doesn't the fact, then, that Daniel did accurately foretell the future 2,500 years in advance, prove that this prophecy is inspired by that great God Who alone knows the future? This Book foretells things. You can't do that. I can't do that. The fact that his Book foretells things before they happen proves that this book was inspired by that great God Who alone knows the future. Infidelity is silenced; the Bible is vindicated by the unerring fulfilment of its predictions.

The most thrilling and breath-taking part of the dream of the future was when this stone smote the image on his feet and dashed it to pieces and the wind blew the fragments into oblivion. This represents what will happen in the great battle of Armageddon. This is the most interesting item in all the prophecy. It is the most important item for you to understand. In fact it is one of the biggest prophetic subjects in all the Bible. It is such a big subject that I am devoting my entire lecture next Sunday night here at the KRNT Radio theatre to "The Impending, World-ending Battle of Armageddon as Prophesied in the Bible." I will show from the Bible next Sunday night, when it will come, where it will be fought, who will win, and who is the one man who will rule the entire world after that battle. You must plan to be present to hear that subject.

Tonight I promised to tell you what lies ahead for our world. What kind of a world tomorrow? What will be the final outcome of these unsettled conditions that we see today? Well, here it is in Daniel 2:44. "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."

On the authority of this blessed Word I ca n tell you that the final outcome of this world situation will be the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth to reconstruct this world into a new, perfect world where there will be no more sorrow, no more sickness, no more trouble, no more wars and no more death. In Revelation 21:1 the prophet says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." In Revelation 21:4 he declares that God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.

This is the answer to the question, "How and when will lasting peace be established?" It will be in the kingdom of God. Here's the answer to the question. Will the atomic bomb blow the world to pieces? The answer is, "No." This world will not be blown to pieces by atomic bombs. This world in due time is to be transformed under the creative hand of the Lord Jesus Christ into a new earth.

Wouldn't you like to know how this sin-sick, tear-smitten, war-dazed world will be made into a sinless, happy paradise? Yes. Don't fail then to be at the Hoyt Sherman Place on Tuesday night and you will hear. Ever since Jesus Christ lived among men 1900 years ago, millions of people have been praying, "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth; as it is in heaven!" This prayer has never been answered yet. The will of God is not being done in this earth today as it is done by the angels in heaven. But that prayer will be answered. Wouldn't you like to know how and when the will of God will be done on this earth, as it is in heaven? Be at the Hoyt Sherman Place Tuesday night when I speak on "Heaven" and you will get the answer from the Word of God. You will see also the mystery of this stone that demolished the image and then expanded and expanded and expanded until it filled the entire world.

I can deal with only a few highlights of the prophecy in this lecture. This is why you want to be sure to mark that stub in the program folder so that we may mail you a free printed copy of this lecture that gives everything I say and much more that I cannot say for lack of time.

Do you know that everything in this prophecy has been fulfilled except the last item, the smiting of the man to pieces? Yes, that is exactly the way it is. I want you to notice where we are in the stream of time.

I have a long chart here that contains an outline of this prophecy of Daniel 2. The head of gold was Babylon, ruling the world from BC 606 to BC 538. In 538 BC Cyrus overthrew Babylon. Then Persia began to rule the world. The breast and arms of silver was Persia ruling the world from BC 538 to 331 BC. In 331 BC Alexander overthrew the Persian empire in the battle of Arbela. Then Greece ruled the world. These sides of brass represented Greece ruling the world from 331 BC to 168 BC. In BC 168 Rome took over Greece. Then Rome ruled the world from 168 years before the birth of Christ until 476 years after Christ when the Roman empire in the west fell.

Rome ruled the world when Jesus was born. If you have ever heard the Christmas story you have heard this verse, "It came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." Caesar Augustus, a Roman Emperor, ruled the world when Jesus was born. Notice that the course of history was in the legs of iron when Jesus was born, nineteen centuries ago. Then between A. D. 351 and A. D. 483 the Roman Empire in the west was divided into ten kingdoms, as indicated by the feet and the toes being part of clay and part of iron. England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland are the remnants of these divisions in our day.

Now, what next? Where are we today? Let us look at God's time-table. We are not in the head of gold. Babylon passed away as a world empire in B. C. 538. We are not in the breast and arms of silver. Persia passed away as a world empire in 331 B. C. Where are we today? Not in the days of Greece. Greece as a world empire passed away in B. C. 168 when Rome took over Greece. Where are we today? Not in the days when Rome ruled the world. The Roman empire fell in the West in 476 A. D. Where are we today? We are in the very last division of the composite metal man. The course of history is almost run. We are on the last lap of the journey. The next act, according to the prophecy, is the return of Jesus as "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

"Down in the feet of iron and of clay,
Weak and divided soon to pass away,
What will the next great glorious drama be?
Christ and His coming, and eternity."

Friends, I wonder if I have really made this prophecy plain. I've tried my best to make it clear. I believe everyone here is ready to signify by the uplifted hand that I have made the prophecy plain and that according to my explanation we must be on the verge of the last mighty act. How many believe that I have made this prophecy plain and according to my explanation we must be on the verge of that last mighty act? Will you please signify it by lifting your hand just now? Thank you. It looks as though I see every hand. I'm glad that you recognize the truthfulness and the import of this prophecy.

Friends, this brings everyone, hearers and preacher, face to face with the most vital issue of all our lives. Are we ready to enter Christ's everlasting kingdom? Are we prepared to meet Jesus Christ the coming King? There isn't anything in our lives more important than for us to make sure of an eternal happy home in Christ's kingdom.

A home in His kingdom is actually worth more than all the gold, the silver, the diamonds, the stocks, the bonds, the farms, and the houses in the world. "What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" If you should fail to prepare for a home in Christ's kingdom, it would be better for you to have never been born. However, every soul may have an eternal happy home in Christ's kingdom if he wants it. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved." All you need to do is to surrender your heart and life to the blessed Jesus and let Him live in you a life of obedience day by day.

I think tonight of one of those thieves who was crucified when Jesus was nailed to the cross for our sins. This man lived all his life in sin. He was now face to face with death. He knew he wasn't ready to die. In his dying hour he turned to Jesus and said, "Lord, remember me when Thou comes in Thy kingdom." O, how graciously Jesus responded to his request for salvation, and gave him the immediate assurance that he would be with Him In paradise.

Friend of mine, Jesus is ready to do the same thing for you if you will but look to Him. "Look unto Me and be you saved, all you ends of the earth." Don't you want Jesus to remember you when He comes in His kingdom? I'm sure you do. I've never met anybody in all my travels who didn't want Jesus to remember him with an eternal happy home in His kingdom. I believe everyone here tonight desires to raise his hand as a silent prayer to Jesus Christ. "Lord, remember me when Thou comes in Thy kingdom." How many of you with me, want to send up a silent prayer tonight to Jesus, "Lord remember me when Thou comes in Thy kingdom?" Would you lift the hand just now as a silent prayer to Jesus? Thank you. Let us look to Him now.

(Praying.) O Lord Jesus, we thank Thee that Thou art our Saviour. O we thank Thee for Thy great love in giving Thyself upon the cross for our sins. And now, Jesus, we have raised our hands to Thee as a silent prayer. Jesus, Thou hast heard the prayer. Thou hast seen every hand that has been uplifted here tonight. And O, blessed Christ, precious Saviour, undertake for every man and woman, boy and girl in this great audience. O, Lord, we thank Thee that Thou hast heard our prayer and that Thou wilt remember us with an eternal happy home when Thou comes in Thy kingdom, and we will give Thee all the praise in the name of Jesus, Amen.

2. What and Where Is Heaven?

(An outline setting forth the leading items, which are brought forth from the Scriptures in this lecture, was placed in the hands of each hearer, before the lecture began. Some of these propositions on the outline had blank lines after them, on which the hearers were requested to fill in certain Bible references. These propositions from the outline and the Bible references involved, appear in the transcript of this lecture.)

A mail carrier was making his way from house to house. Suddenly a voice called out, "Got anything for me today?" Looking up he saw it was the man who lived in the second house ahead. He replied, "Yes, I have. I have a letter for you that is postmarked Honolulu." "Fine," said the man, "that must be from my wealthy brother who lives in Honolulu." And sure enough when he opened the letter it was from his wealthy brother, inviting him to come and spend the rest of his life on his lovely estate near Honolulu.

In this letter he told about the lovely mansion that he had built for him next to his own palatial home. He told of the lovely flower gardens laid out all around the home. He described the wonderful fruit trees laden with the most luscious fruits. Then he added, "My plan is, that if you are willing to accept my offer, I'll come with my plane to bring you and your family to this lovely home, and I will share all of my fortune with you."

Do you think he was interested in such an offer? He certainly was. He accepted it, double quick. O, how he looked for that day when that plane would arrive to take him and his family to that lovely mansion. I can hear some of you say, "O! I wish I could be that lucky." Listen, this blessed Bible, the Word of God, puts into the hands of everyone in this auditorium an offer that is far better than this. Here it is, John 14:1-3. And listen, this is an offer from your brother. You have a wealthy brother in heaven. His name is Jesus. He is your elder Brother. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Shortly before He left this world He told His disciples that He would come again to receive His people unto Himself and to take them to glorious mansions in heaven. Notice, as I read, John 14:1-3.

"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Notice, Jesus says, "I go to prepare a place for you." Have you ever wondered what that place is that Jesus has prepared for His own? Wouldn't you like to know what that place is like and where it is located? And how you may be sure of having a home in that fair and happy land? Your Bible tells,

Hebrews 11:16 shows that this place that Jesus Christ has prepared is the New Jerusalem, the city of God, in the heaven of heavens. Jesus said in John 14:3, "I go to prepare a place." Then Hebrews 11:16 tells us, He has prepared a city for His people. In the context, in verse 10, that city is identified as the New Jerusalem, a city whose builder and maker is God. This indicates that this place which Jesus has prepared for our future is the New Jerusalem.

We have placed an outline in your hands that you might have a record of the striking facts about this home in the land of the "sweet by and by." Be sure to bring your notebook Thursday night. Look at No. 1 on the outline that you have in your hand. "Mansions in heaven are available through the Lord Jesus Christ," and on the blank line, record John 14:1-3.

Look at No. 2. "There are three different heavens," and on the blank line, record 2 Corinthians 12:2. Here Paul is the speaker. "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such an one caught up to the third heaven."

Paul declares that he was caught up to the third heaven. Since there is a third heaven, there must be a first and second heaven. If you tell me that your brother lives in the third house from the corner, I know I must pass two houses before I can contact your brother in the third house. When Paul says he was caught up to the third heaven, he must have passed through the first and second heavens before reaching the third.

The question naturally comes, what are the three different heavens? Are they three degrees of happiness in the life to come? Will people progress from one to the other?

Look at No. 3 on the outline, "The first heaven is the aerial heaven." Fill in the word "aerial" on the blank line before the word "heaven." Then after the words "aerial heaven" fill in the reference Revelation 19:17. This verse speaks about the birds flying in the midst of heaven. Everybody knows that the birds fly in the air above the ground. The Bible designates the air or atmosphere above the surface of the earth as the first heaven. This first heaven or atmospheric heaven is the heaven from which the rain and the snow come down. This is where the clouds float around. In the Bible in its own picturesque way of describing things, it calls the clouds, "the bottle of heaven." Isn't that colourful and expressive?

Look at No. 4, "The second heaven is the stellar heaven." Fill in the word "Stellar," and then record the reference, Psalms 19:1-6. This second heaven is far above the atmospheric heaven. It is the heaven where the sun, moon, and stars move in their orbits. This is the heaven that is mentioned in Psalms 19:1-6.

One beautiful night David went out and looking up on high at those millions of twinkling orbs he broke out in a most rapturous song, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handy work . . . In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it!"

Next look at No. 5, "The third heaven is Paradise." Fill in the word "Paradise," and after the word, record the reference 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4. In the second verse, which I read just a moment ago, Paul says he was caught up to the third heaven. In the fourth verse, in speaking of the same experience, he says he was caught up into Paradise. Now you can see how plain that makes it, that the third heaven is Paradise.

Look at No. 6, "This identifies the third heaven with the New Jerusalem." On the blank line record Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 22:1, 2. You see, the way to understand the Bible is to compare scripture with scripture and not scripture with man's idea. Compare scripture with scripture and the Bible explains itself, and you have the right explanation.

Revelation 2:7 declares that the tree of life is in the middle or midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 22:1, 2 declares, that the tree of life is located on the banks of the river of life in the New Jerusalem. So that identifies the New Jerusalem with the third heaven and Paradise. This third heaven is the place where Jesus has prepared those lovely mansions for His people.

We have a chart here that will help you to understand this. You will notice that here is the line of the earth's surface, or what we call the ground. Here is where the buildings are resting. The air, or the atmosphere above the earth's surface is the atmospheric or aerial heaven. It is called "aerial heaven," because aerial is a Latin word for air. This is the heaven where the clouds float around, where the aeroplanes travel. This is the heaven where birds fly, and from which the rain and the snow come down.

Then far above the atmosphere is the "stellar heaven." It is called the stellar heaven, because the word "stellar" is the Latin word for star. In the stellar heaven is the moon some 240,000 miles away. And the sun, 95,000,000 miles away. The nearest fixed star, Alpha Centauri, is some 19 billion miles away, or nineteen-thousand-million miles distant.

Then far above the starry sky is the third heaven, Paradise, the New Jerusalem. This is where the throne of God is located. This is where the angels dwell, and where the righteous will go, to live forever with the Lord.

I promised to tell you about the two men who passed through the first and second heaven into the third heaven, and then came back to this earth to talk to men. You will find this in Matthew 17:1-5. Put this reference down. It isn't on the outline. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah came from God's dwelling place in the third heaven. As they appeared upon the holy mount, they talked with Jesus and the chosen three of His disciples.

The transfiguration of Christ was a miniature representation of His second coming. E11jah, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, represented the righteous living, who will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord at His coming. Moses, who was resurrected from the dead, represented the righteous dead, who will be raised from the grave with immortal bodies when Jesus comes.

Everybody in this world craves happiness. But O, there are so many things in this world that mar our happiness, such as, sickness, pain, trouble, disappointment, and death. Friends, in this home that Jesus has prepared for you that craving for happiness will find full and lasting satisfaction. In Revelation 21:4 I read some of the most blessed words that have ever been penned. "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

In this heavenly home there will be no more sickness, no pain, no trouble, no poverty, no war, no sorrow, no death. We will have perfect immortal bodies that will never have an ache or a pain; that will never get old; that will never die.

"There's no disappointment in heaven,

No weariness, sorrow or pain;
No hearts that are bleeding and broken,
No song with a minor refrain;
We'll never pay rent for our mansion,
The taxes will never come due;
Our garments will never grow threadbare,
But always be fadeless and new;
There'll never be crepe on the door-knob,
No funeral train in the sky;
No graves on the hill-sides of glory,
For there we shall never-more die;
The old will be young there forever,

Transformed in a moment of time;
Immortal we'll stand in His likeness,
The stars and the sun to outshine.
I'm bound for that beautiful city
My Lord has prepared for his own;
Where all the redeemed of all ages
Sing "glory" around the white throng;
Sometimes I grow homesick for heaven,
And the glories I there shall behold:
What a joy that will be when my Saviour I see,
In that beautiful city of gold!"

My friends, when you think of all the suffering, trouble, sorrow, sickness, and disappointment in this world, aren't you glad that your loving Saviour has prepared such a wonderful home for you, where there will be no trouble, sorrow, sickness, pain, or death. Wouldn't you like to thank Jesus just now, for providing such a happy future for you? How many, with me, would like to express your thanks to Jesus tonight for providing such a happy future? Will you lift your hands? Yes, it seems that all hands are raised.

Friends, if there were a country in this world where people could go and never be sick, and never have any trouble and be perfectly happy, and never get old, and never die, wouldn't there be a rush for such a country? Yes! Everybody in the world would want to go to that country. In heaven God has prepared just such a place, for you and me. Why shouldn't we seek with all our hearts to have an eternal happy home in heaven?

A home in that heavenly land is worth more than all the wealth of this world. "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Just ask yourself, what would it profit me if I could gain the whole world, and then lose an eternal happy home in heaven? This ought to put into your hearts, and into my heart a determination to follow Jesus all the way, no matter what it costs, even if it costs us our life.

Look at No. 7 on the outline, "The New Jerusalem is a place of perfect and everlasting happiness," and on the blank line record Revelation 21:4. Remember that the last two chapters in the Bible, Revelation 21, 22, describe the infinite glories and beauties of this heavenly country. When you get home tonight, please take the Bible and turn to the last two chapters before you put your head on the pillow. If you want to have something sweet on your mind as you fall asleep tonight, just take the Bible and read the last two chapters of Revelation.

In those two chapters you will find that the New Jerusalem, the City of God, is laid out in a perfect square. It measures 375 miles on each side. It contains 140,625 square miles. It has twelve foundations composed of 12 precious stones. These are so arranged that it will look like a gigantic rainbow. This city has twelve gates, three on each of its four sides. Each gate is composed of one massive pearl. The streets possess the power of perfect transparency, so that when you walk on those streets it will be like walking on air. The throne of God and the throne of His Son, Jesus, is located in the centre of this New Jerusalem. Proceeding from the throne of God is the river of life, clear as crystal. On the banks of the river of life with the branches beautifully arched over the river is the tree of life. The fruit on that tree possesses such magic power that when you eat of it you will never be sick again. You will never die. This is the tree of life.

This New Jerusalem is a sinless city. In Revelation 21:27 we are told that "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles." Sin is what defiles. This New Jerusalem will be free forever from every trace of sin. It will be the only city that I have ever heard about in which there will never be any liquor. There will be no tobacco in the New Jerusalem. There will be no dance halls, no gambling dens, no swearing, no hatred, no immorality, no stealing, no Sabbath breaking, no sin of any kind. You see, we get rid of every sin before we can go there. "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles."

The big question is, how can we get rid of every sin? There is only one way. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin!" Not just nine-tenths, but from "all sin!"

Modern chemistry is performing great miracles, but listen, all the chemistry in the world has never been able to find anything that will wash sin out of the soul of man. What can wash away my sins? Nothing, but the blood of Jesus. Our only hope of a home in heaven is the precious blood of the Lamb. If you really want to know how to get ready for a home in heaven be sure to hear the lecture on Thursday night.

You have heard much in recent months about the atomic bomb, atomic power, the atomic age. Listen, do you know that there is coming a super atomic explosion that will be as much greater than any of these atomic explosions that man has produced, as the ocean is to a tin cup full of water. Beyond that great super atomic explosion there will come a new world in which the righteous will live forever. Here it is in 2 Peter, listen as I read. This is really a marvellous thing in view of what has happened since the advent of the atomic age in 1945.

In II Peter, 3:10 I read, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise." This heaven which will pass away refers to the first heaven, the atmospheric heaven. The Bible says in Revelation 21:1, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven," (not the second heaven, not the third heaven, but) "the first heaven was passed away." The heavens shall pass away with a great noise. This will be a super-explosion of the gases in the air. Then will come the conflagration of the world. The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works-that are therein shall be burned up."

This is a very significant point. The Bible is, just as up to date as Big Ben. It says, "the elements shall melt with fervent heat." What are the elements? The elements are the fundamental forms of units of matter. This material world is composed of some 90 elements. Some of these are: iron, lead, copper, silver, gold, radium, uranium, oxygen, hydrogen, etc. It says the elements shall melt. The Greek word that is used here in connection with the elements means to loose, or untie. It is the same Greek word that is used where John the Baptist said he wasn't worthy to untie the shoe laces of the Messiah.

Here is the principle of the atomic bomb. In the atom are tiny particles held together by enormous cohesive forces. The atomic bomb is a loosening of the particles that make up the atom. That's why they talk about splitting the atom. God knew all about that before the first man ever walked on the earth. In the day of the Lord, God will use the forces of atomic action. The heavens shall pass away with a great super-atomic explosion. Then will come the conflagration of the world.

But this world will never be wiped out of existence as a planet. When the Bible talks about the end of the world that doesn't mean that this physical world or globe will be wiped out of existence. How do I know this? Friends, if we read the Bible we don't have to worry about this world being wiped out of existence. The earth abides forever. It will never be wiped out of existence. The atmospheric heaven will pass away. There will be a conflagration that will burn sin out of the world. Then beyond this, there will arise a new earth.

I turn to verse 13. "Nevertheless we according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness." This physical sphere on which we are living will never be wiped out of existence. It will be reconstructed, recreated, remade, renewed into a perfect new world, just as it was in the beginning. There the righteous only shall live. There is only one way you can survive this impending destruction. "He that doeth the will of God shall abide forever!"

Look at No. 8, "At the final day Jesus Christ will reconstruct our present world into a perfect, happy, and sinless new earth in which only the righteous will dwell!" On the blank, record 2 Peter 3:10, 13.

Look at No. 9. "This new Jerusalem will descend from the third heaven to become the capital of the new earth!" Put down Revelation 21:1-3 on the blank line.

Under 10 and 11 you have some striking items about this coming new earth, with the Bible references already recorded. Notice these. Christ will rule over this new earth from the New Jerusalem, on the throne of David. (Luke 1:31-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7.)

The will of God will then be done on this new earth as it is now done in heaven, in accordance with the Lord's prayer. (Matthew 6:10.) This new earth with the New Jerusalem as its glorious capital will constitute the heavenly home of the righteous for eternity. (Matthew 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13.) This new earth will be the earth which the meek will inherit according to Matthew 5:5. It will be the place where the saints will reign on earth according to Revelation 5:10.

A party of Americans were touring Great Britain one summer. They decided when they came to Liverpool they would stay at the North Western Hotel. When the train arrived at Liverpool they called a taxi that took them to the North-Western Hotel. Stepping up to the desk to register the clerk said, "Sorry, there isn't a room available. See that sign, `No rooms available unless reservation confirmed'."

They called another taxi, picked up their luggage and started to find some other place. As they were leaving the hotel, they noticed one of the ladies in their party remaining at the desk. They said to her, "Come on. There isn't a room here!" "I'm going to stay here. They have a nice room for me!"

They returned to her and said, "How is this? We all came here at the same time. He told us there wasn't a chance to get a room." she said, "I wired the hotel five days ago from London to reserve a room. It's all ready for me now!"

Friend of mine, if you want a place in God's heavenly home at the end of the way, you must make a reservation now, during this life. To those who make a reservation, Jesus will say, "Come you blessed of My Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." To those who fail to make a reservation, Jesus will have to say, "Depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!"

Do you know how to make a reservation for a mansion in the new Jerusalem? Here it is. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved!" "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!" Jesus says, "I am the door, if any man enter in by me he shall be saved!"

Wouldn't you like to send on your reservation tonight? I know I do. I believe everybody in this auditorium is ready to say by the uplifted hand, "Lord help me to so believe on You that You can reserve a place in that wonderful home for me!" How many want the Lord's help to so follow Him that He can give you an eternal happy home in the city of God? Would you lift your hand just now? Thank you. (Praying) Our Dear Heavenly Father, O, we do thank Thee that Thou hast provided such a happy future. Lord, in this world of disappointment, sorrow, sickness, pain and death, O, how we do thank Thee that Thou hast provided such a happy future. Father, Thou hast even given Thine own dear Son that we might have an eternal happy home in Thy kingdom and in Thy glorious city. Father, Thou hast seen every hand that has been raised and we pray that Jesus will undertake for everyone. We do want that Thou should help us to so believe on Jesus, to so follow Him that we might have that wonderful everlasting life, that eternal happy home in the land of the Sweet by and by where dreams will come true. Father, do grant that everyone of us will so make a reservation now, that at the end of the way, Jesus can welcome us into this wonderful home that He has prepared. We ask it in His precious name. Amen.

(This is a copy of the outline which was placed in the hands of the hearers, preceding the presentation of the Bible lecture on heaven.)

SOME STRIKING SCRIPTURAL FACTS ABOUT HEAVEN

1. Mansions in heaven are available through the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. There are three different heavens.
3. The first heaven is the atmospheric heaven
4. The second heaven is the starry heaven.
5. The third heaven is God's paradise.
6. This identifies the third heaven with the New Jerusalem. In order to learn something of the glories and the beauties of the New Jerusalem, you are advised to read Revelation 21 and 22 when you return to your home.
7. The New Jerusalem is a place of perfect and everlasting happiness.
8. At the final day Jesus Christ will reconstruct our present world into a perfect, happy, and sinless new earth, in which only the righteous will dwell.
9. This New Jerusalem will descend from the third heaven, to become the capital of the new earth.
10. Christ will rule over this new earth from the new Jerusalem, on the throne of David. (Luke 1:31-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7.)
11. The will of God will then be done on this earth as it is now done in heaven, in accordance with the Lord's prayer. (Matthew 6:10.)

This new earth with the new Jerusalem as its glorious capital will constitute the heavenly home of the righteous for eternity. (Matthew 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13.)

This new earth will be the earth which the meek will inherit according to Matthew 5:5:

This new earth will be the place where the saints will reign on earth according to Revelation 5:10.

Those who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and obey His teachings will have an eternal happy home in heaven. (John 3:16; Revelation 22:14.)

3. He Wrote His Own Autobiography Before He Was Born

The most stupendous claim that ever has been advanced by any person, was that put forth by a young carpenter from an obscure village in the hills of Galilee some 1900 years ago. His family was poor and unknown. His foster father was the village carpenter. This young man worked unnoticed by the world in the carpenter shop of his foster father, in the little village of Nazareth until he was thirty years of age.

When he reached his thirtieth birthday he stepped out from the family circle; out from that carpenter shop; out from the quiet hills of Nazareth and boldly proclaimed to the world that he was the Saviour of mankind, the long expected Messiah, the Son of God. He told the people, "If men do not believe on Me as the Saviour, they will die in their sins and perish, but if a man believes on Me as His Saviour he will live forever." The all-important question before you and me is to ascertain the correctness of this claim.

Questions have come to me in this Bible Institute something like this, "Mr. Shuler, how can a person like me who has never seen Jesus really come to the place where he can be absolutely sure that Christ is the only Saviour? How can I know for a certainty that Christ can forgive my sins and give me eternal life beyond the grave? Well, here's the answer in the Word of God. Put it down, Acts 18:28. Speaking of Apollos, the record says, "For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ." Apollos showed by the Scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ, the Saviour of `the world. He took up the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament and showed how all those prophecies were fulfilled to the letter in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Do you know that Jesus wrote His own autobiography hundreds of years before He was born? Whoever heard of a man's life story from birth to death being recorded in a book hundreds of years before that man was born, and then, every item coming true in his life? That would be an outstanding wonder, wouldn't it?

Tonight, I'm going a step further than this. Strange as it may seem, or as Robert Ripley says, "believe it or not," tonight we are going to show you how that carpenter of Nazareth directed the writing of His own life's story even hundreds of years before He was ever born as a baby. This is the wonder of wonders!

I direct you to 1 Peter 1:10-12. Here we learn that it was the Spirit of Christ Who directed the Old Testament prophets to predict the coming of the Saviour beforehand. Everyone who has ever heard the story of Christmas knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Even little children can tell you that. But do you know that it was recorded 700 years before Jesus was born, that His birth would take place in that little village of Bethlehem?

Here it is, Micah 5:2: "Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

This was recorded on the scroll of the prophets BC 710, over 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Notice that Micah points out the very town where the Messiah was to be born. Out of a million places in the world where He could be born, the prophet puts his finger on a little hamlet five miles from Jerusalem, and says, "Out of Bethlehem will this Messiah come forth." You will notice that while he prophesied that the Messiah would be horn in Bethlehem, he very clearly shows us that this would not be the beginning of Christ. He declares that while He would be born in Bethlehem, His goings forth have been from the days of eternity. Yes, Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was with the Father before the world was.

Everybody in the world that has ever heard the story of Christmas must testify that Micah 5:2 has been fulfilled. I dare say that I could take the children here tonight and ask them where Christ was born, and six out of eight would say in Bethlehem, just as prophesied by Micah.

If we examine the facts in the case, we shall see the Master hand of God in the fulfilment of Micah 5:2. Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived in Nazareth. Nazareth is 92 miles north of Bethlehem. Ninety-two miles was about a four or five days journey in those days on donkey back. At present it requires a full day's run by bus. If you had been living back there three weeks before Jesus was born, knowing that Mary was living in Nazareth, you would have said her child will be born in Nazareth. That was the natural thing to expect, for Nazareth was her home.

But what happened? "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform." At the right time there came from Rome a decree that everybody in the world must be taxed. This decree of the Roman Emperor Augustus, brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem at just the right time for the birth of the Christ to take place in this village, as was prophesied 700 years before. Isn't it wonderful that Micah could look ahead 700 years by the Spirit of God and see how even though Mary would be living in Nazareth, a decree would come from Rome from a ruler who knew not God, which would cause her to journey 92 miles to Bethlehem at just the right time for the birth of that wonderful Son in that place? This is one of the numerous remarkable fulfilments of prophecy, which forever establishes the Messiahship of Jesus Christ.

A biography usually tells something about a person's parents. Isaiah foretold 700 years beforehand that Jesus the Christ would be born of a virgin. Put down Isaiah 7:14: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

There are some people who say it is very difficult to believe in the virgin birth of Christ. They say it is contrary to nature. You need have no difficulty with this, if you will just remember that prophecy never fails. What God says is to be, always happens. God said 700 years beforehand that Jesus would be born of a virgin. It is very easy to believe that what God said was exactly fulfilled.

The prophecy of Zechariah pointed out some amazing details hundreds of years beforehand. I want you to notice with me three items outlined in Zechariah 11:12, 13. You talk about television! Here is super-television! I'm going to read how the scripture pointed out the exact price that Christ would be sold for over 500 years beforehand. It specified where the one who took that money would throw it down. It specified what disposition would be made of that money. It is really remarkable.

I read from Zechariah 11:12, 13. "I said unto them, If you think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was priced at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."

Think of it! Five hundred years beforehand it was foretold that this Christ would be sold for thirty pieces of silver and it specified that the money would be thrown down in the temple and it would be used to purchase a field as a burial ground for strangers. How did it come out? All these three details were fulfilled to the very letter in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

When Judas asked them, "How much will you give me if I betray Him into your hands?" He struck the bargain for thirty pieces of silver. It says "They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." After he had betrayed the Saviour his conscience smote him. He came back to the priests with whom he had made the bargain to betray Christ and cried, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood." Then he threw down the money on the temple floor. This was exactly where God had foretold 500 years beforehand he would cast it down.

They said to one another, "What shall we do with this money?" One man evidently made the suggestion that it might be put into the treasury box of the temple. Listen to me. Do you know that if they had put that money into the treasury box of the temple, this wouldn't be a true book tonight? When that suggestion was made someone said, "No! you can't put that money in the treasury box. It is the price of blood. It is not lawful to put that money in the treasury box. We will take that money and buy a potter's field." And this is what they did. Notice that they did with this money just what the scripture foretold 500 years before.

Tell me, how could any man of himself look ahead 500 years and predict such minute details, the exact price, what the man would do with the money, and what they would use the money for. Nobody knows such things ahead of time except God. The prognostication of such minute details forever stamps the Bible as the Word of God and Jesus Christ as the only true Saviour.

One thousand years before Jesus was due to appear on this earth, Scripture even foretold where they would drive the nails into His body. Think of it! Put down Psalm 22:16. It says: "They pierced my hands and my feet." And that's exactly what happened to Jesus when He was hung on the old rugged cross. They nailed Him to the cross. They pierced His hands and His feet.

Now this is remarkable. This was written by David one thousand years before the birth of Christ, and in the time of David, death by crucifixion was not even known. It was the Romans who invented death by crucifixion at a later date. Just think of it! Even when death by crucifixion was unknown a thousand years ahead the Bible foretold exactly where they would pierce the body of the Messiah.

The Bible record indicates that four soldiers were on guard around the cross where Jesus hung. They stripped Him of His clothing. Jesus evidently had five different pieces of clothing. They took four pieces and divided them amongst themselves. This was one apiece. One apiece, but one left over. Then one of the soldiers said, "What shall we do with this remaining piece? I tell you, we will tear it into four pieces and then every man will have exactly the same." Do you know if that suggestion had been followed, this wouldn't be a true book tonight?

Here it is. Put down Psalm 22:18. It is uncanny how these minute details were specified and came to pass so clearly. It says here in Psalm 22:18, "They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture."

Prophecy did not say that they would tear it into pieces and everyone take a piece. It said they would divide his garments among them and cast lots for what was left. When this one soldier suggested that they tear it into four pieces the others said, "No! We will not tear it into four pieces.

We will cast lots and see who gets it." They did exactly as God had said they would do a thousand years ahead.

More wonderful than all this, the Bible foretold a thousand years ahead that Christ would be resurrected before His body would begin to decay. Put down Psalm 16:10: "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer your Holy One to see corruption." It was foretold that He would be raised from the dead even before His body began to decay.

Nor is that all, listen to me. It was foretold 700 years ahead that His resurrection would take place on the third day. Here it is in Hosea 6:2. "After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight." Actually it said on the third day, the Father would raise His Son, and He did.

Again, the Bible foretold that He would ascend to the Father. In the Old Testament it told how He would take His place on the Father's right hand as a Priest and Mediator to plead the cases of all who accept Him. You will find this in Zechariah 6:13.

I have a chart here tonight that is really remarkable. By the way, I'm going to give you a copy of it. My! how you will treasure it. This card contains what you see on these three charts. It tells the complete life-story of Jesus from the Old Testament.

PROPHECIES OF JESUS

"We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth." John 1:45.

Here on the left-hand side are the Old Testament prophecies about the Christ Who was to come, what He would do and all that. Then over here on the right are the New Testament references where these prophecies were fulfilled to the very letter. Not one word failed. Beginning with His birthplace on this chart there are thirty-seven advance items concerning the Messiah. They are traced out here one by one.

I have touched only a few of these in my lecture, but you will have all the references on the card. In the prophecy it foretold His birthplace. He was to be born in that little hamlet of Bethlehem. It foretold who His mother would be. She would be a virgin. It foretold the tribe from which He would come, the family from which He would come. It foretold how He would be called into Egypt. It foretold the very year when He would begin his ministry.

It told what kind of work He would do. He would be a prophet, a light bearer, a healer. He would preach in parables. All of this, mind you, was in the Old Testament centuries before Jesus was ever born. It foretold that He would be rejected by His own people, the Jews. It told of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It told how He would be betrayed by one of His own disciples. It told the exact price He would be sold for and how they would use the money. Then it told how they would spit upon Him; how they would smite Him with a rod; how He would be silent before His accusers; and how His disciples would forsake Him.

As for the closing scene, it told how He would die, even foretold just where they would drive the nails. It told the year, the day, and the hour that His death would take place. It told how He would be crucified with criminals; numbered with transgressors. It told about the taunting words that hundreds of years afterwards they used when they taunted Him as He hung upon the cross. It even foretold the agonizing cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

All this was prophesied hundreds of years ahead. It told how He would pray for His persecutors. It even told the very liquid they gave Him to drink as He hung upon the cross. It marked out what they would do with His garments. It told that not one bone of His body would be broken. It told how He would make His grave with the rich; how He would be resurrected before His body began to decay; how it would take place on the third day. Then how He would ascend to the Father and would sit upon the Father's throne as our great high priest.

Now the very fact that the life of Jesus in the New Testament corresponds to every prophetic detail about the Messiah is unimpeachable evidence that Jesus of Nazareth is the only true Saviour and the only true Redeemer. Mark this well. There is no chance for a mistake on this point. There is absolutely no room for doubt. Why not? Because-no other man ever lived, nor ever can live to whom these prophecies can apply except Jesus Christ. So we know Jesus is the right one; the only one; the true Messiah; the true Saviour. This is how people who have never seen Jesus can be absolutely sure that He is the only true Saviour and put all their trust in Him. This is how to cure your doubts and increase your faith.

Dr. Arthur Pearson has wisely said: "There would be no honest infidel in the world were these Messianic prophecies studied, and there would be no doubting disciple if this body of predictions were understood."

When we find that the life of Jesus corresponds in every detail to the prophetic blueprint, we can say we have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets did write, the Messiah, the only true Saviour.

"Yes, there's One, only One,
The blessed, blessed Jesus,
He's the One;
Men afflictions press the soul,
When waves of trouble roll,
And you need a friend to help you,
He's the One."

"Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!
Who can compare with Thee!
Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!
Fairer than all art Thou to me!

Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!
Oh, how my soul loves Thee!
Fairer than all the fairest,
Jesus art Thou to me!"

(Musical rendering of this was then sung by the choir.)

Yes, friends, it just takes one thing now to make this complete. And that is for every soul here to make sure that he receives Jesus into his heart as his personal Saviour. If you accept Him, you will live forever. If you reject Him, you will die in your sins and perish. The supreme issue before every man and woman, every boy and girl, is, "What shall I do with Jesus which is called the Christ?" The only wise course, the only safe way, the only right decision is to receive Jesus into your heart as your personal Saviour.

Lord Kelvin, that great English scientist was once asked, "What has been your most valuable discovery?" Lord Kelvin had made many great scientific discoveries. The Kelvinator refrigerator is named after Lord Kelvin. He discovered the principle of mechanical refrigeration. People thought when they asked him this question, he would go on to explain his different discoveries. Looking them in the eye he said, "Gentlemen, the most valuable discovery I ever made is when I discovered that Jesus Christ was my personal Saviour."

Have you made this discovery for yourself? O, I hope you have. This good Book says, "To as many as receive Him He gave the power to become the Sons of God and they were born, not of flesh nor of the will of men but of God."

O, friends, I believe everyone of us wants the Lord to help us to follow this wonderful Jesus, whom we have been talking about, and singing about. How many of you tonight want the Lord to help you to truly follow this wonderful Jesus? Will you lift your hand just now? Yes, it seems that every hand is raised.

(Praying) Blessed Jesus, precious Saviour, Son of God, O, how we do thank Thee for what we have learned tonight from the word of God. We are so thankful that in Thee we have a solid rock. Lord, how plain this is! How sure it is! O, Lord, we cannot thank Thee enough for these prophecies that give us such a sure foundation for our faith. We know no one ever lived to whom these could apply except Thee.

Our faith, Lord, seems stronger. We go from this auditorium tonight with more faith in Thee than we've ever had before. We have raised our hand as a silent prayer to Thee asking for Thy help. Lord, we need it. We live in an evil world. We need help and strength to follow Thee all the way. Lord, we know Thou will hear our prayer and grant us strength and help to follow Thee all the way, that finally we may be with Thee forever in Thy wonderful kingdom. We ask it in Thy precious name. Amen.

4. Why Doesn't God Kill the Devil?

(An outline setting forth the leading propositions, which are established from the Scriptures in this lecture, was placed in the hands of each hearer, before the lecture began. These propositions had blank lines after them, on which the hearers were requested to fill in certain Bible references. These propositions from the outline and the Bible references involved appear in the transcript of this lecture.)

Some time ago I stood on the street corner of a certain city and saw an empty automobile without anybody at the wheel make a tour of the business section of that city. Men the driverless car came to a red light it stopped. When the light changed to the green, the car would proceed. When the car came to another car in the middle of the road, it would turn and go around it just as you would do if you were at the wheel. But remember, nobody was in the car; and nobody was at the wheel. Thousands of people lined the streets of that city watching the movements of that automobile.

Do you think the people who watched that car thought that it was doing this of itself? Certainly not! They understood, that, behind the scenes, someone was directing the movements of that machine. So we know that all of the crime, wickedness, sin, and evil in this world does not come of itself. Back of all this crime, evil, and wickedness there is some superior intelligence engineering the great fight against God and against the right. The Bible explains that this intelligence is the devil or Satan.

I turn to 1 Peter 5:8. As I read this text I would like you to notice that the scripture makes it plain that the devil is a real personage just as much as a lion is a real animal. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion," (he is just as real a personage as a lion is a real animal) "your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour."

The New Testament mentions the devil in 34 places; it mentions Satan in 37 places. When you take the 34 places in the New Testament that mention the devil and add to that the 37 places that mention Satan you have 71 direct proofs in the New Testament for the existence of the devil and Satan. A man who doesn't believe in the devil is the worst fooled man in Des Moines.

There was a noted robber and his gang who lived in a cave on a high mountain range. He was the terror of all the country round about. When he wanted to make a raid on a certain valley, he would hire men to go from house to house in that valley telling the people that this great robber whom they had so long feared was now dead. This was to put them off their guard so they would leave their property exposed. Then suddenly, the robber and his gang would sweep down on that valley unawares and plunder their goods without resistance.

The devil is using the same kind of tactics to capture the people of this world. He has invented the lie that there is no devil. This is to throw people off their guard so that he might capture them the more readily in his snares, O, how we need to heed the counsel of the scripture! "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour."

Some people will tell me, "Mr. Shuler, you are wrong. I know there is no devil because I've never met him." Do you know why? It's because you and the devil are going the same way. If you will step out and accept the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not go one day without knowing that there is a real devil fighting against people who endeavour to walk in the ways of Jesus. Look at the first statement on the outline. "There is a real devil, who is fighting against all who follow Christ." On the blank line record 1 Peter 5:8.

The question comes, Who is the devil? Does the word "Devil" in the Bible denote merely an abstract principle of evil? Or is he a personality? I turn to John 8:44 Jesus Christ declares that the devil is a liar and the father of lies. Tell me, can a mere influence tell a lie? I hear you say no! Can a mere influence be considered the father of lies? No! Since Jesus Christ declared that the devil is a liar and the father of lies, it is plain that the devil and Satan is a personality. Jesus Christ, who is supreme authority on all questions of religion, taught that the devil is a personal being.

I turn next to James 2:19. This verse declares that the devils believe there is only one God. Tell me, can a mere abstract principle believe in God? NO! A horse and a cow are real creatures, but a horse or a cow cannot believe in God. Nothing short of an intelligent personality can believe in God. The very fact that the devils believe there is only one God is proof that the devil is a personality. Just as surely as there is a personal God, and a personal Christ in heaven, there is a personal devil in this world fighting against those who serve God and follow Christ.

Look at No. 2 on the outline. "The devil, or Satan, is a personal being." On the blank lines please record John 8:44 and James 2:19.

The question arises, Who made the devil? Where did the devil come from? It may surprise you to learn that the one we call the devil was once a happy, perfect, sinless angel, next to the very throne of God in the heaven of heavens. The devil came from heaven. Here is the text. Don't forget to bring your notebook to every lecture. You will want these valuable Scripture references.

I turn to Luke 10:18. This text contains a direct statement from the Lord Jesus Christ. He says: "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." The devil came from heaven. Jesus Christ so declares, "I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven."

In harmony with this, the third proposition on the outline sheet says, the devil is a fallen angel from heaven, and on the blank line record Luke 10:18.

The Bible even tells his original name when he lived in heaven. His name has not always been the devil or Satan. The Bible tells his original name when he lived in heaven. Here it is. Put down Isaiah 14:12-14. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" Before he sinned against God, before he was cast out of heaven, his name was Lucifer. When he rebelled against God his name was changed from Lucifer, which means Day Star, to Satan, which means "adversary" and to devil, which means "false accuser'* or "Deceiver." In harmony with this the fourth proposition on the outline is, his name was Lucifer, and on the blank line after this statement, please record Isaiah 14:12-14.

We now go a step further. This Bible even tells the position he held in heaven before he sinned. Put it down, Ezekiel 28:13, 14. The 28th chapter of Ezekiel speaks of Satan under the personification of the King of Tyre. Notice as I read from verse 13 and verse 14: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God," "Thou art the anointed cherub that covered; and I have set thee so." Lucifer was one of those covering cherubim to the throne of God. He was one of those mighty angels whom God had chosen to stand next to His throne.

Does the Bible explain what is meant by "covering cherub" Yes, it does. I have it pictured here upon a chart of the ark of the covenant. In the holy of holies of the earthly sanctuary there stood what was called the ark of the covenant. This ark was a chest made of wood, overlaid with gold. The cover of this chest was beaten out of one piece of gold and was so fashioned as to make not only the cover, but to form the figures of two beautiful golden angels one on either end of the cover of the chest with their wings stretched so as to meet exactly in the centre. These golden angels were called "covering cherubim." Cherubim is the plural of cherub. They were called "covering cherubim" because they covered the mercy seat which was the top of this sacred chest. Between these angels was the Holy Shekinah or the visible manifestation of the presence of God.

In the heaven of heavens, Jehovah, the Monarch of the Universe, the King of Kings, sits between the cherubim, not between golden cherubim as you see pictured on this chart, but between the living cherubim. I read in Psalm 80:1: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leads Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwells between the cherubim, shine forth."

Before Lucifer sinned, he was one of these Cherubim that covered the throne of the great God in the heaven of heavens. "Thou art the anointed cherub that covered, and I have set thee so." In accordance with this the fifth proposition on the outline declares, his position was that of a covering cherub to the throne of God, and on the blank line record Ezekiel 28:13, 14.

When he rebelled against God he was cast out of heaven to this earth. We find this in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 12:7-9 I read: "There was war in heaven!" Isn't that a startling declaration? If I had read there was war in China or war in Persia, you wouldn't be surprised. This says, "there was war in heaven."

When you think of heaven, you think of a place of perfect peace, perfect security, perfect rest. So it is now and ever will be. But there was a time when there was war in heaven. Does the Bible tell between whom that war was fought? Yes. Listen to this scripture. "There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels." This war was between Michael and His angels and the dragon and his angels. Michael is one of the many names that the scriptures give to Christ, the Son of God. The dragon, as mentioned here, is one of the many names that scripture gives to the devil.

On one side stood Christ and the loyal angels who took God's side in the controversy; on the other side stood Lucifer and certain angels who followed him in his disobedience to the law of God. What was the outcome of the war? Look at Revelation 12:9. "The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

This war which began up in heaven between Christ and Satan has been raging in this world ever since man sinned in the beginning. The last battle of this war will be the battle of Armageddon, on which I will preach next Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium. "The Impending World Ending Battle of Armageddon." Don't miss hearing it.

In accordance with what we found in Revelation 12:7-9, the sixth proposition on the outline declares that he was cast from heaven to this earth because of rebellion. On the blank line you may record Revelation 12:7-9.

The seventh proposition says, he goes to and fro in the earth. On the blank line record Job 1:7. There was a day when the sons of God met and Satan came also. The Lord said to Satan, "Whence comes thou?" Where do you come from? Satan's answer was "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

I promised to tell you what the devil looks like. If I were to ask an artist to draw me a picture of the devil, he would likely draw a most hideous looking creature with two great horns coming out of his head, a long dark pointed tail, his mouth breathing forth fire and brimstone, and a great pitchfork in his hand. There is no such devil as this. That is a relic of the superstition of the Dark Ages. Lucifer, or the devil, is actually noted for his beauty. Here it is in Ezekiel 28:12: "Thou sealed up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty!" Lucifer was one of the most beautiful angels God ever made. He was so bright, he was so glorious, that he was given the name Lucifer which means "Son of the Morning!"

Some may say, "If God made the devil, isn't he directly responsible for all the evil that Satan has done through the ages? Why did a Good God make a bad devil?" A simple little illustration will clear up these questions.

Here is a man by the name of John Doe. His mother of course is Mrs. Doe. His mother did everything possible to bring up John Doe in the right way, but John Doe turns out to be a drunkard. One day you are walking down the street and there you see John Doe wallowing in the gutter-drunk. His eyes are bleary, his nose is red, his hair is matted and dirty. He is a most revolting sight. Would you say what a terrible specimen of humanity Mrs. Doe brought into the world? No, you wouldn't think of blaming that mother for bringing a drunkard into the world. She brought a pure, sweet, innocent boy into the world. He corrupted his own way and made himself a drunkard.

So I am bold to say, God never made a devil. He made Lucifer pure, holy, perfect, sinless. He of his own accord corrupted his way; disobeyed the law of God; rebelled against God; and made himself a devil. This is exactly what the Bible says. Put down Ezekiel 28:15. It actually declares that he was perfect until he sinned. "Thou was perfect in all thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee."

We come now to that question that has puzzled millions. If God is all powerful and the devil is the originator and the instigator of all evil, why hasn't God killed him long ago, and put an end to his evil work? Why doesn't God kill the Devil?

God is love. The only service God can accept from His creatures is one that is prompted by love. If God had slain Lucifer the moment he took the first wrong step, the other angels would have begun to serve God from fear and not from love. The rebellion of Lucifer would not have been settled or cured. There would have been a question as to the truth or falsity of the charges he had made against God. It took Christ's death on the cross to settle the devil's doom.

Look at the eighth proposition: Christ's death on the cross gives Him the right to destroy Satan. On the blank line record Hebrews 2:14. In speaking about Christ having been made flesh and blood it declares, "that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Christ's death on the cross rang Satan's death knell. The cross of Calvary, not only made salvation sure for you and me, if we accept Jesus, but it settled the fact that Satan will finally be destroyed.

The appointed time for his destruction is not yet come. Some Sunday night soon I am going to speak on the 20th chapter of Revelation. This is one of the biggest chapters in all the Bible so far as depicting things to come, is concerned. When I lecture on this 20th chapter of Revelation you will see how and when his destruction will take place.

Look at the ninth proposition. Satan's destruction will take place at an appointed time, and on the blank line record Romans 16:20. "The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."

Why hasn't God killed the devil? The time hasn't yet come. Paul says, "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly!" God is making Satan's rebellion an everlasting lesson to the universe. He permits Satan to run his course so that In the future no one will ever have the least reason to ever rebel against God again. When God makes final settlement with Satan, He will also settle with the people who take Satan's side. That is why we should not be on his side now.

God doesn't want to punish you and me when He punishes Satan. God wants to give us an eternal, happy home in His kingdom. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God is giving you and me an opportunity to accept His way of escape so that whenever He does finally deal with the devil and those who follow the devil that we may escape.

Notice the tenth proposition. There is victory over sin for everyone who will surrender his will to Christ. On the blank line record 1 Corinthians 15:57. "Thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The devil has led every person who ever lived in this world into sin excepting one, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin. Jesus met the devil in hand to hand conflict and conquered him. This is good news! He says in John 16:33, "be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

As Christ overcame the devil and sin, we through Christ can overcome the devil and sin. There is victory over sin for everyone if he will only look to Jesus Christ. "Look unto me," he says, "and be you saved all the ends of the earth."

"In a look there's life for you; In a look at Calvary.
Blessed thought! Salvation's free, By a look at Calvary."

Don't you want victory in your life? Of course you do. You can have it. "Thanks be unto God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Why not ask Christ just now to give you the victory? How many with me want to look to Jesus Christ just now to give us the victory in our lives? Will you lift your hand, please? Thank you. It appears that every hand is raised.

One day a minister was walking on the Boston common. He met a boy who had a hand-made cage full of different birds which lived in that vicinity. He said, "Boy, where did you get those birds?"
"I trapped them."
"What are you going to do with them?"
"I'm going to play with them."
"Well, after you get tired playing with them, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to give them to the cat to eat."
"On the minister said, "Id like to buy those birds."
"Mr., you don't want those birds. They're not canaries. They won't sing. They're no good."
Those little birds were sitting there in the cage all drooped, not moving a feather, just waiting for their doom.
"But," the minister continued, "I want to buy them. How much will you take?"
"O! they're no good to you, you don't want them."
"Yes, but how much will you take?"
He finally got the boy to say, "I'll take $2.00 for the cage, birds and all."

The minister gave the boy the $2.00 and walked away. The boy watched the preacher. He turned into an alley. He opened the door in the cage. Not one of the birds moved. They didn't realize they were free. He gently patted the side of the cage and one after another hopped out the door and flew into God's free air. The minister said, "It made me happy every time one of those little birds took to the air. It seemed as if their wings said, `Redeemed! redeemed from death'.

Friends, the devil has trapped you and me in sin. He once had the entire world in his cage of sin. Nineteen hundred years ago Jesus Christ left heaven and came down here to throw open the devil's cage of sin. He came to open the prison to them that are bound. O, sinner, the cage door is open tonight! Why not soar out to liberty in Christ? Why stay in the cage of sin when Jesus has opened the door?

We, like those birds, can go to freedom. How many who feel bound in the chain of sin want Jesus to set you free? How many would like to say, "Preacher, pray for me in this closing prayer that Jesus will set me free." Just lift the hand. Thank you. I see many hands. God is speaking to your hearts by His Holy Spirit.

(Prayer.) Blessed Jesus, precious Saviour, we thank Thee that Thou art the victor over Satan. We thank Thee that Thou hast overcome and that we, through Thee, can overcome. We pray, Lord, for every soul here tonight, but we especially pray for those who have just lifted their hands. O, Jesus, undertake for them, Thou canst set them free no matter what chain of sin may bind them in their life. O, blessed Christ, we pray to set everyone free from every sin and help us that we may so serve Thee that we may have an eternal happy home with Thee in Thy kingdom forever. We ask it in Thy precious name. Amen.

(This is a copy of the outline which was placed in the hands of the hearers, preceding the presentation of the Bible lecture on "Why Doesn't God Kill the Devil?)

SCRIPTURAL NOTES ON WHY DOESN'T GOD KILL THE DEVIL?

1. There is a real devil, who is fighting against all who follow Christ.
2. The devil or Satan is a personal being.
3. The devil is a fallen angel from heaven.
4. His name was Lucifer.
5. His position was that of a covering cherub to the throne of God.
6. He was cast from heaven to this earth because of rebellion.
7. He goes to and fro in the earth.
8. Christ's death on the cross gives Him the right to destroy Satan.
9. Satan's destruction will take place at an appointed time.
10. There is victory over sin for everyone who will surrender his will to Christ.

5. Armageddon and the Atomic Bomb

The Bible tells of a final battle in which so many people will be slaughtered, that it is spoken of figuratively as a river of blood two hundred miles long. You will find this in your Bible in Revelation 14:19, 20. There you will read: "And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God, And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."

This Scripture declares that the blood ran to the horse bridles for the space of sixteen hundred furlongs. Sixteen hundred furlongs amount to two hundred miles. A furlong is one-eighth of a mile. When you divide sixteen hundred by eight, the result is two hundred. So when the Scripture says that the blood came out to the horse bridles for sixteen hundred furlongs, that is equivalent to saying that there was a river of blood to the horse bridles two hundred miles long.

This is a figurative description of the wholesale slaughter that will take place in the final battle of Armageddon. There will be so many millions of people slain that it is compared to a river of blood two hundred miles long. In fact all the people in the world will be slain in this final conflict except those whose names are written in the Book of Life. Thus it is written in Daniel 12:1 that "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

The battle of Armageddon will decide the fate of every person on this earth. You and I, and every other living soul at that day, will either be slain in this final conflict and be lost forever, or we will be delivered by the Lord Jesus Christ to live forever in His kingdom. The most vital question is, will you be among those who will be spared in this final conflict, and live forever with Jesus Christ in His kingdom? You can be, and you will be, if you obey His commandments and make the preparation that He asks you to make.

Jesus Christ declares that as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in this final day. The deluge swept all the people in the world to destruction except this man of God and his family. Noah was delivered out of that universal destruction because he made the preparation that God asked him to make. So it will be in reference to this wholesale slaughter in the battle of Armageddon at the last day. Every soul who makes the preparation that God has specified in His Holy Word will be delivered. All who fail to make this preparation will be slain in this final struggle.

The question naturally arises, What is this battle of Armageddon? You will find the answer to this question in Revelation 16:14, 16. These verses read as follows: "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty ... and he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

Please notice that the 14th verse declares that the kings of the entire world will be gathered to the battle of the great day of God. The 16th verse in speaking of this same gathering of the nations, declares that they will be gathered to Armageddon. Thus when we place these two verses of Scripture together, it is as plain as can be, that the battle of Armageddon is the battle of the great day of God Almighty. The great day of God refers to that final day which will usher in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. This final struggle is called the battle of the great day of God Almighty because this is the conflict in which God himself will fight according to Zechariah 14:3. "Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of the battle."

It will be interesting to note some of the things God will do in connection with this final war of Armageddon. In Revelation 16:16-21 we have a record of some of the most startling events in the entire history of our world that will take place in the final struggle. Verse sixteen declares that the nations will be gathered in a place called Armageddon. What will God do when the nations gather at Armageddon? The next verse, the seventeenth verse, tells: "And-the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne saying, "It is done."

When the nations gather for the battle of Armageddon, the voice of Almighty God will proclaim, "It is done!" This is the last. The end has come. Man's day is ended. Mark well this point. Armageddon is the world-ending battle. It will mark the end of the present order of things. It will ring down the curtain on the history of the human race. The battle of Armageddon is the most momentous and most decisive struggle that ever has taken place or ever will take place. You and I certainly need to know what the Bible says about it.

A man in Chicago pulled out his watch before a crowd and said. "If there is a God in Heaven, I give Him five minutes to strike me dead!" People went into hysterics. Women fainted. When the five minutes was up, the man announced, "You can see now, there is no God!" This didn't prove anything except that he was a fool, because the Scripture says "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God!"

Some day God is going to talk, and every human being will know about it. When the nations gather for Armageddon the voice; of God will be heard from one end of the earth to the other, saying, "It is done!" These three words of God, "It is done," will turn this world upside down. Verse eighteen tells about this: "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning; and there was a great earthquake, such as way not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great!"

This will be the greatest earthquake that ever has been, or ever will be. In fact the verse says, "there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth!" This earthquake will cause the entire world to reel to and fro like a drunken man. Isaiah 24:20 declares that "the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage!"

This final earthquake will reduce every city in the world to a heap of rubble, as though super-atomic bombs had struck every city at the same time. Notice how the prophet describes this in the next two verses of this 16th chapter of Revelation. "And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found!"

When this universal destruction comes where will you go for safety? There will be only one safe place in that tremendous day, and that will be, to be hid in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee!" If you are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ you will be able to say with the psalmist, "God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."

Friend of mine, will you be found safe in the Lord Jesus Christ in this final conflict? There is only one way to be sure about this and that is to be true to the Lord Jesus Christ every day that you live. If you have never given your heart to Him, I hope you will do it now.

When will the battle of Armageddon come? Revelation16:12-20 shows that the kings of the earth will be gathered for this final battle under the sixth plague, shortly before the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven at His second advent. Armageddon takes place in connection with the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. In connection with Armageddon there will come the greatest aerial bombardment that has ever been known. God will hurl down ice bombs from heaven weighing 50 pounds each. Some will say "is this really in the Bible?" Certainly it is. You will find it in Revelation 16:21. This verse says: "And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great."

A talent is an ancient Hebrew standard of weight that equals fifty-seven pounds. When it says that every stone was about the weight of a talent, that means there will be a barrage of ice bombs from heaven about the size of half bushel baskets. Some will say, "I don't believe anything like this could ever happen!" It is just as easy for God to rain hailstones weighing fifty pounds each as it is for Him to rain little drops of water from heaven. The casting these great hailstones from heaven is a part of God's plan. He talked to Job about this. God asked Job, "Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" Job 38:22, 23.

What can man do against this bombardment of ice bombs from heaven? Fighter planes will be helpless. Anti-aircraft guns will be useless. God has promised that everyone who obeys His word will be protected from these great hailstones. In Isaiah 32:18, 19 we find that when these great hailstones fall and every city is laid low, God's people shall dwell in a peaceful habitation an in quiet resting places.

On that memorable September day in 1945, when the Japanese surrender document was signed on board the battleship Missouri in Tokyo harbour, General Douglas MacArthur made a significant reference to Armageddon in a speech, which was heard around the world. He said, "Military alliance, balances of power, League of Nations-all in turn failed ... We have had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door."

You have heard much about the atomic bomb and atomic energy. But here is one special point you should mark well. What about the deep significance of the discovery of the atomic bomb in the light of these Bible prophecies which show that Armageddon will wipe out civilization, level the cities to the ground, and destroy man from the face of the earth? Before the advent of the atomic age in 1945, sceptics declared that such prophecies were simply absurd. But no infidel needs to doubt them now. Scientists openly declare that when schemes are devised for converting to energy even as much as a few per cent of the matter of some common material, civilization will have the means to commit suicide at will. The scientists are preaching the end of the world.

Dr. M. L. E. Olphant, of the University of Birmingham recently declared that "the atomic scientist is now able to produce an atomic poison gas which, if used in and with an atomic bomb, would kill every living thing within a radius of 1,000 miles. Three such bombs, if dropped at the proper spots, would wipe out the entire population of the United States.

The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America in its official organ, the Federal Council Bulletin for November 1945, declared that this atomic discovery of a method of transmuting physical elements produced the most stupendous change in man's relation to the natural order since man was created. Everyone knows that it is fraught with incalculable good or incalculable harm. As one of the responsible scientists has said, "It has been demonstrated that the universe is inflammable. He went on to add that he trembled to think of what would happen if some fool set a match to it"

Everybody knows that with the new super-destructive weapons that men are now forging, in the realm of electronics, atomic energy, cosmic rays, transoceanic rockets, and germ sprays, that the wiping out of civilization and the destruction of the human race is at hand, unless men and nations see to it that there is never again a major war.

When the first atomic bomb was tested in the New Mexican desert, as a prelude to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Dr. George B. Kistlakowsky, one of the nuclear scientists who was on the scene said to his colleagues, "I am sure that at the end of the world-in the last milli-second of the earth's existence-the last man will see what we saw." He like many other scientists, recognized that man in taking hold of atomic power, had at last taken hold of a force that was capable of annihilating all life on our planet.

Men are alarmed because some genius, with the madness of war upon him, might, with some new fissionable material set off an atmospheric chain of reaction, which would transform our earth into a bright new star, or ball of fire, consuming all life within it. Bible prophecy however makes it clear that God will intervene before man can do this. Christ will appear, and according to Revelation 11:18 will destroy them that destroy the earth. Isn't this a most significant, up-to-the-minute statement in view of the possibilities that atomic scientists are pointing out today?

Bible prophecy shows that in due time God will transform this world into a new perfect earth in which the righteous only shall live. The apostle Peter tells about this in 2 Peter 3:10-13. In this prophecy Peter declares that in the world conflagration soon to come the "elements" will be "dissolved." He does not say that all the elements will be dissolved. He does say that the conflagration will be brought about by a dissolution of elements.

The Greek word here translated "dissolve" is the simple word "luo," meaning to loose, surely a perfect word to describe the setting free, the releasing, of neutrons and protons from the power which for ages has locked them in and bound them so tightly together in the atoms of which our universe is built. It is clear that the principle of nuclear fission, of atomic energy, is the same as that which God will use in the global conflagration which will result from a dissolution of the elements of our earth. God knows how to split atoms, too, because He created them with His Word, and they will obey His Word.

Every battle that has ever been fought has been a matter of men arrayed on two opposing sides. But the battle of Armageddon will be different from every other, battle. There will be more than men arranged on two opposing sides. It will be a contest between the armies of earth and the armies of heaven, between the Lord Jesus Christ and the devil, between the Son of God and Satan.

The devil himself will lead the charge on the field of Armageddon. You will find this set forth in Revelation 16:14. There we are told that the spirits of devils go forth to gather the kings of the entire world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Armageddon is the last battle in the age-long struggle between Jesus Christ and Satan, between the Son of God and Lucifer. Armageddon is Satan's last effort to install himself as the sole ruler of mankind.

What nations will be involved in the battle of Armageddon? In Revelation 16:14 we find that the kings of the entire world will be gathered to this final battle.

Every nation in the world will take part in this last mighty conflict. You and I will act a part, and we will be found either on the side of the Lord Jesus Christ, or on the side of Satan.

Where will this battle of Armageddon be fought? Since Armageddon is a universal conflict, the battlefield will embrace the entire world. The Bible shows however that this last conflict will especially centre in Palestine, commonly called the Holy Land. In Joel 3:2, 12 God says: "I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat ... Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about!"

The valley of Jehoshaphat is between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. This prophecy of Joel indicates that the territory around Jerusalem will be a pivotal spot in the final struggle of the nations.

Revelation 16:14, 16 shows that the kings of the whole world will be gathered to a place called Armageddon. Armageddon means literally the mountain or hill of Megiddo. This word is compounded from two Hebrew words, "Har," meaning mountain or city; "Mageddon" which refers to Mount Megiddo, which overlooks the plain of Esdraelon in Northern Palestine. These plains are marked the plain of Armageddon on some maps.

It is a vast, triangular plain in the northern part of Palestine, about sixty miles north of Jerusalem. It is bounded on the west by the range of mountains terminating in Mount Carmel; on the northeast by Mount Tabor; and on the southeast by Mount Gilboa. The area enclosed by these mountain ranges has probably seen as much fighting as, or perhaps more than, any other similar area on the surface of the earth. It is one of the most historic battlefields of antiquity. More blood, likely, has been shed on this spot than any other spot on earth of equal size.

These prophecies suggest that the Near East will be the great storm centre in Armageddon. While the conflict will likely especially centre in Palestine, its implications will reach out to every part of the habitable globe and affect every soul on the face of the earth.

The question comes, who will win in the battle of Armageddon? The East? The West? Russia? England? United States? The battle of Armageddon will not bring triumph to any nation or worldly power. Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will be the victor on the field of Armageddon. I refer you to Psalm 2:2-9.

The second verse tells how the kings of the earth will set themselves against the Lord. "The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed!" Then in the sixth and seventh verses, the Lord God tells how He will crown His Son Christ, King of the world. "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree; The Lord has said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee!"

Then in verses 8 and 9 the prophecy tells what will happen when Jesus Christ appears in connection with the battle of Armageddon. "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shall break them with a rod of iron; Thou shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel!"

The battle of Armageddon brings the last act in that prophetic dream recorded in the second chapter of Daniel, on which I talked last Sunday night in the first Bible lecture of this Bible Institute. God showed Nebuchadnezzar the figure of a man, whose head was composed of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his sides of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. The last act in the dream was a stone that smote the man on his feet and dashed the entire man to pieces. Then the stone became a great mountain, and filled the entire world. This stone, smiting the man to pieces. represents what Jesus Christ will do to the nations in the battle of Armageddon. The prophecy of this second Psalm declares that He will break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

I promised to tell what man will rule the entire world after the battle of Armageddon. This prophecy of the second Psalm shows that the Son of God will rule the entire world after this final conflict. In Revelation 11:15 we find that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus Christ. The man Christ Jesus, the man of Calvary, will rule supreme over the entire world after this final battle.

Some night soon during this Bible Institute I will give a lecture on the wonderful prophecy of Revelation 20. There we shall find that after the final phase of Armageddon, Jesus Christ will reconstruct the earth into a perfect paradise where none but the righteous will ever dwell. Then the will of God will be done in this earth as it is now done in heaven. Then the meek will inherit the earth, as Jesus said.

The battle of Armageddon will come to a more sudden, stop perhaps than any other battle that has ever been fought. Why? Because thee Bible shows there will be, as it were, a blast of atomic power or a new kind of death ray that will slay millions of people in a second of time. The heavens will be split wide open and Jesus Christ will appear in person, surrounded by an army of millions and millions of angels. This will bring the great battle of Armageddon to a sudden termination. Wouldn't you like to know more about these momentous coming developments in our world? Certainly you would. Then don't fail to be on hand Tuesday night when I will take up these significant items and trace them out from the Bible. Time will not permit me to read the striking texts on these matters in this lecture, but by the help of the Lord we will do it in the next lecture. You owe it to yourself to hear from the Bible these essential facts about this impending, world-ending battle of Armageddon. I hope you will not let anything keep you from being on hand Tuesday night to hear about the momentous outcome of this final battle.

I hope no one will think-to himself, "I will wait until I see those armies gather in Palestine, then I will get ready to meet Jesus Christ." If you delay your preparation until you see this, you will never be able to prepare. Why not? Because Revelation 16:12-21 shows that Armageddon comes under the sixth and seventh of the seven last plagues. The scriptures show that man's opportunity for salvation and forgiveness closes before the first plague begins. It will be to late for Any person to prepare to meet Jesus Christ when the armies gather in Palestine for the last mighty struggle. The door of mercy will-have been closed forever at that time.

God says, "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." He says "Come now and let us reason together, though your sins be red like crimson, I will make them white as snow!" The Lord is ready to save you now. Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost, all who come unto God by Him seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. If you will do the coming, Jesus Christ will do the saving. I appeal to you to put your case in the hands of Jesus Christ while you have the opportunity.

A wealthy lady was notified one day that she must appear before the court within seven days, in regard to a certain case. Her husband said, "You better see Foster and get him to represent you." "Oh," she said, "I am having a party and a dance today. I have no time today to see Mr. Foster. I go and see him tomorrow." The next day she went to the office of this noted lawyer. After she had told him her story that she must appear before the court within seven days to answer to a certain charge, he said, "Lady, I cannot take your case!" She pleaded with him, "Please take my case. Name any fee you wish and I will give it to you." "Lady," he said, "If you offered me one million dollars, I couldn't take your case. If you had come yesterday I would have gladly taken your case. This morning just before you arrived I received word that I have been appointed judge of the court. I could have been your lawyer yesterday, now I must be your judge."

Jesus Christ wants to be your lawyer at the court of God. In 1 John 2:1 we read, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Jesus Christ guarantees a verdict of acquittal for you before the Supreme Court of the universe. He will forgive every sin and cover it with His blessed righteousness. Some day soon He will cease to be the Advocate for sinners, and will come to judge the quick and the dead. O, I beg you not to put off the matter of placing your case in the hands of Jesus Christ. He is coming soon as judge. Take His as your lawyer while you have the opportunity.

Don't you want Jesus Christ to forgive all your sins and make you ready to meet Him? God can do everything for the person who earnestly desires His help. I am sure everyone in this auditorium is ready to say by the up: lifted hand that you want God to help you, to trust in Jesus Christ for full salvation. How many want to be remembered in prayer that the Lord will help you to trust in Jesus Christ for full salvation. Will you lift a hand please? Yes, it seems that every hand is raised. (Praying.)

"Our dear heavenly Father we thank Thee for Thy great love in giving Jesus, Thy dear Son, to be our Saviour. We thank Thee for His infinite sacrifice upon the cross. O Lord we want to put our cases fully in the hands of Jesus. Lord, Thou hast seen all these uplifted hands, I pray that Thou wilt undertake for every soul in this audience. Bestow full salvation on each one and make him ready to meet Jesus Christ at His coming. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus and for His sake. Amen!"

6. Heaven Split Wide Open

Men have been watching and studying the heavens for centuries. Their nightly vigil has been rewarded, for they have seen some wonderful sights in the sky. I suppose we would all like to look through that new 200 inch telescope on Mt. Palomar in California and view the wonders of God's creation.

The day is coming however when men will see a dazzling sight in the sky, the like of which men never have seen. Heaven will be split wide open and they will see Jesus Christ, Son of man and Son of God, who trod this earth 1900 years ago, descend through the portals of the sky, surrounded by millions of countless angels. As King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ will appear in the midst of that final, world-ending battle of Armageddon, and the battle will stop immediately. You will find that in your Bible in Revelation 19:11-21. I hope you have your notebook to put down the valuable scripture references.

I read the 11th verse. "I saw heaven opened!" Yes, heaven will be opened. Heaven will be split wide open. "I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God!'

You will notice he saw heaven opened, and through the opening in the sky Christ was riding forth as the mighty, all-conquering Lord. Some people will say, "O, I don't believe that will ever be. It is impossible that the heavens will open and that Jesus Christ will ride forth from the sky!" Listen, fifty years ago people said it was impossible for men to fly across the sky like the birds. Nobody talks that way now. Men are flying five times, yes, ten times faster and higher than any bird ever flew.

The wonders of science confirm the truths of the Bible. Things in the Bible that once seemed almost beyond the realm of reality are now seen to be easily possible. Radio helps us to believe in the reality of prayer. Radar and television help us to understand the all-seeing eye of God.

I read in the 14th verse, "The armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean!" You will notice, "the armies in heaven," or the angels will come with the Lord Jesus when He rides forth from the sky. Jesus Himself said it would be just this way.

Put down Matthew 25:31: "The Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him!" We have a chart here on which the artist has endeavoured to give us some concept of this great day of days, when the Lord Jesus will appear surrounded by countless millions of bright shining angels.

(At this juncture a chart was lowered, depicting Jesus coming upon a cloud, surrounded by the angels.)

Notice verse 15: "Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite," (notice that word and think of Daniel 2) "that with it He should smite the nations: and He should rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God!"

You will notice that Jesus will "smite the nations" just like that stone smote the man whose head was of gold, breast and arms of silver, thighs of brass, legs of iron, feet part of iron and part of clay. Jesus will appear in the midst of the battle of Armageddon. It Is just as plain as can be. You can't help but see It. Take down the text, Revelation 19:19. After he describes how heaven will be opened and Christ will appear, he says: "I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army."

Mark this point. When the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered for the last battle, that great world-ending battle of Armageddon, Jesus appears from the open heaven and the battle stops instantly.

I want you to notice with me how Jesus Christ will come down from the sky at His second advent and what He will do. I turn to Acts 1:9-11. I want you to notice that what the artist has placed upon this piece of canvas is exactly what we read in the Bible in Acts 1:9-11.

(At this juncture a chart showing the ascension of Jesus was lowered In the sight of the audience.)

Notice what the Scripture says, "When He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up. behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven!'

Forty days after our Lord's resurrection He led His disciples out of the city, down across the brook Kidron, then up over the brow of the Mount of Olives. Many times they had walked by His side over the hills and valleys of old Judea. But this was to be the last time that He would ever walk visibly by their side. As He walked along He explained to them matters pertaining to the kingdom of God. When He reached a certain spot across the summit, in the vicinity of Bethany, He raised His hands in blessing. Then His feet began to leave the ground. He began to go up, and they watched Him as He went higher and higher and higher. Then He entered a cloud and disappeared from view. They watched the cloud as it appeared smaller, and smaller, and smaller, until it became a mere speck. Then it faded from their view. Still they stood there, looking up into heaven, hoping to get one more glimpse of the dear Lord whom they loved. Then they heard voices. Looking around, they saw two angels, who said to them: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven."

Please notice that the angels told the disciples exactly how Jesus Christ will come from heaven at His second advent. I have this text printed in large letters on muslin, so you may see for yourself just what scripture says. (A large piece of muslin was lowered in the sight of the audience on which the last part of Acts 1:11 was printed in large letters, with the words,--"in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven"-heavily underscored.)

Tonight I want you to help me preach. When I come to these words that are underlined, I would like everyone here, who can see the words, to read them aloud with me, in a good strong tone. The angels will tell us how Christ will come down from the sky at His second advent. They said, "This same Jesus which was taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven." This is very clear. He is coming back, just like He went away. His return will correspond to His departure.

If you want to understand how Jesus Christ will come from heaven at His second advent, all you need to do is to notice how He was taken up to heaven at His ascension, because the angels declared, "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner." He is coming back, exactly as He went away.

Did He go up with a real body? Certainly, He did. His body was resurrected on the third day, and when Christ ascended, He went up with a tangible resurrected body of flesh and bones. When He returns He will descend from heaven with a real body. The second coming of Jesus Christ is a literal, bodily coming; and not some figurative or spiritual coming.

Did Christ go away visibly or did He go away invisibly? Well, the answer is, that while they were looking at Him, while they beheld, He was taken up. The angels said, "you have seen Him go." Just as they saw Him go up into the sky, the people of earth will see Him come down from the sky. He is coming in like manner. As His disciples saw Him go up, the people of earth will see Him come down.

The angels of God know more than the wisest man on the face of the earth. These angels said He is coming in "like manner as you have seen Him go." Christ went up to heaven literally, bodily, visibly and personally. So at His second advent, He will come down from heaven bodily, literally, visibly and personally.

Would you like to know the first thing the Lord Jesus will do when He appears in the sky? Here it is. Put down 1 Thessalonians 4:16. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." Notice this. He will descend from heaven with a shout. This shout will be heard from one end of the earth to the other. Thirty years ago people said it was impossible for a person's voice to be heard from one end of earth to the other. Nobody doubts this today. The radio has revealed a law by which your voice, my voice, or any person's voice can be heard from one end of the earth to the other.

Do you know what effect this shout will have on the city of Des Moines? I will tell you what it will do. It will tear up every cemetery in Des Moines. Not only that, it will tear up every cemetery in the world. This is what we find in this 16th verse. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead In Christ shall rise first."

Graves will be torn wide open. Tombs will fall apart. And the millions of Christ's people, who have died, will rise with glorious, immortal bodies. We have a representation of this here on a chart.

(A chart was lowered at this juncture showing the graves being opened, and the angels gathering the saints from the earth, to meet the Lord in the air).

Think what a grand reunion the second coming of Jesus Christ will bring! It will be the home-coming of the ages. Death has severed the dearest ties this world knows. If I were to ask everyone here who has lost a loved one to raise his hand, I think that every hand would be raised. There is hardly a person but can think of some mound of earth somewhere that holds ,the form of one who was very near and dear to him.

When Jesus comes, the righteous meet their loved ones, never to part again. Friends will be reunited never to be separated. Yes,
"The golden morning is fast approaching Jesus soon will come
To take His faithful and happy children
To their promised home. The loved of earth who have long been parted Meet in that glad day
The tears of those who are broken hearted shall be wiped away."

There was a time when Jesus walked up to the tomb of a man who had been buried three days and said just three words, "Lazarus, come forth." This man who had been dead three days walked out of that tomb. So when He comes the second time He will say, "Awake, awake you that sleep in the dust of the earth." All over the world millions of graves will be opened and the righteous dead will rise with immortal, glorious, incorruptible bodies.

Some of you are thinking of what will happen to the living people when the Lord descends from the sky? The Bible tells. Put down 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52, and Phil. 3:20, 21. Paul tells us that the true Christian people, who will be living on the earth when the Lord descends from the sky, will be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality and be caught up to meet the Lord to be with the Lord forever. They will go to heaven without tasting death just like Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven without ever seeing death.

In Phil. 3:20, 21 Paul declares that the Christian people who are living on the earth at the time when the Lord comes will have their bodies made like His glorious body. O, friends, think of the unspeakable joy that will come to you, if you are found true to Jesus Christ when He comes. In a second of time this mortal body will be changed to an immortal, incorruptible body. Then you will have a body that will never have an ache or a pain; a body that will never get old; a body that will never die. You will never have any trouble of any kind. Perfect happiness without end.

Think of all the items that people long for or desire. Think of all the benefits with which man could be favoured. Can you think of anything better than to have your body changed in a moment of time, in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality and never have any more pain; never get old and never die and be caught up to be with Jesus forever. This is absolutely the best benefit, the greatest boon, the grandest prize that can ever come to a human being. I bring you the good news tonight that this prize of prizes is yours in Christ Jesus. It is for you if you give your heart to Jesus Christ and be true to His word.

As for me there isn't anything in all this world that I desire as much as that immortal body. I'm determined by the grace of God to do what Jesus Christ asks me to do in order to secure it. I feel sure that you in your heart share that same great purpose.

How many of you with me desire to have this immortal body more than any thing else and are determined by the grace of God to do what Jesus wants you to do that you may have it, will you lift your hand? Thank you! It looks as though every person has put up his hand on this.

We need to desire this more than anything else. In Jeremiah 29:13 God says, 11Ye shall seek Me, and find Me when you shall search for Me with all your heart." Don't forget that the lecture Thursday night is going to help you on this point. It will deal with God's great message which will help people get ready to meet Jesus.

When Jesus Christ descends from heaven the righteous dead will rise from the grave with immortal bodies. The righteous living will be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality. Then what? Where does Jesus take them? Read right on in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17: "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

They will be caught up from the earth to meet Jesus in the air at His second coming. He will take them to those glorious mansions in heaven which He has prepared for His own. This is according to Christ's own promise in John 14:1-3. He says: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

O think what a happy day that will be. The second coming of Jesus Christ means that we will say good-bye forever to all our troubles, our sorrows, our diseases, our heartaches, our disappointments, and our trials. It means that we will go to those mansions that Jesus has prepared, where there will be no more sickness. No more trouble. No more trials. No more suffering. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death. In view of all this, friends, how can we do otherwise than love His appearing as Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:6-8. I love that chorus:

"Some golden daybreak, Jesus will come, Some golden daybreak battles all won; We'll rise to glory, through heaven's blue, Jesus is coming for me, for you."

I want you folks to learn this chorus. You will like it. You will be humming it the next day at your work. It will make you happy all the day long. It is really a beautiful little chorus and it is strictly Biblical.

Yes, when Jesus descends the righteous dead rise. The living are changed and all these righteous ones are caught up from the earth to meet Jesus and go to the heavenly mansions. Now the question comes: What will happen to the millions of disobedient people when Jesus descends from the sky? Put down Jeremiah 25:33: "The slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried: they shall be dung upon the ground."

Wherever the disobedient are, they will be struck dead by the presence of the Lord. Notice it says that, "the slain of the Lord will be from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth." Men have tried to invent a death ray that would slay thousands in a second. Here is a death ray that will actually slay every person in the world that isn't ready to meet Jesus. "The slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth." Here is a death ray that will slay millions in a moment. The divine glory of Christ, when He appears from heaven will strike every sinner dead just as if a bolt of lightning smote him, or as if a live wire fell on him. This is what will stop the battle of Armageddon instantly.

In Psalm 50:3-5 we learn that when the Lord appears from heaven a fire shall devour before Him. In Isaiah 66:15-17 we are told that the Lord will come with fire and the disobedient will be slain by this blast of fire. There will be a blast of atomic energy that will destroy millions in a second. The world witnessed a blast of this atomic power in the destruction of Sodom. In Genesis 19:24 it says: "The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;" It is very significant that not a blade of grass nor a tree has ever grown in that vicinity since. Jesus cites this as an illustration of what will happen to the wicked people when He comes the second time.

Some of you may say, "Mr. Shuler, is the slaying of these disobedient people at the second coming of Jesus Christ the final end of these sinners?" No! All who have done evil must come forth in the resurrection of damnation to receive their punishment. Revelation 20 shows that when they are resurrected the battle of Armageddon will actually be resumed again. This 20th chapter of Revelation is perhaps the greatest prophetic chapter in all the Bible. Some night soon I shall speak on this 20th chapter of Revelation and it will be one of the greatest outlines of future events you have ever listened to. Be sure and hear it.

The second coming of Jesus Christ will not only be the grandest reunion but it will be the saddest separation that has ever taken place. Ungodly husbands will have their godly wives separated from them for eternity. Ungodly children will have their godly mothers and fathers separated from them forever. Jesus Christ says, "two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left." The Christian wife will be taken to meet Jesus and be with Him forever. The sinner husband will be left behind dead. O, how we need to be ready to meet Jesus when He comes.

A man lay on a hospital bed dying. People knew he could not last but a few days. His friend came and said, "Isn't there something I can do to help you."
"No, there is nothing you can do."
"May I bring you some ice cream or fruit?"
"No."
"Well, tell me isn't there something I can do for you?"
"No, there is nothing."
"Could I read to you?"
"No, there is nothing you can do."

His friend came back the next day and said, "Isn't there some little thing I can do for you?"

"No." Then he said with great earnestness, "O, if there were only some one who could undo."

Thank God, there is some one who can undo the sin question. Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He says, "Come and let us reason together, said the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Jesus can undo the sin question. He can blot out sin so it will never be seen. He can make the profligate pure, the drunkard sober, the thief honest, and the infidel into a believer.

Every person in the world is lost without Jesus. This good Book says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one aside to his own way but God's invitation is, "Look unto me," the Saviour on the cross with outstretched hands says, "Look unto Me and be you saved all you ends of the earth."

Jesus used the brazen serpent that Moses made to illustrate how people are saved. You will find that in John 3:14, 15, "As Moses lifted up the serpent so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

How long did it take a bitten Israelite to be cured? One moment he was dying; the next minute by simply looking at the brazen serpent he was completely healed. So the very moment you give yourself to Jesus and take Him as the One who bled and suffered for you, you are pardoned and saved.

"There is life in a look at the Crucified One, There is life at this moment for thee, Then look, sinner, look unto Him and be saved Unto Him who was nailed to the tree."

I believe everyone in this auditorium wants to look at Jesus Christ tonight for full salvation. How many want to be remembered just now in prayer that the Lord may help you to receive Jesus Christ for full salvation? May we see your hands? (Hands were raised.)

(Prayer) O, blessed Jesus, precious Saviour, we do thank Thee for Thy sacrifice upon the cross and for the invitation! `Look unto me and be you saved all you ends of the earth.' We thank thee, O Lord, that in a look there is life for us. In a look at Calvary. Tonight, O God, we've raised our hands to Thee, and we pray that Jesus will minister to us His own grace, His own saving power. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him. Lord we do come to Thee knowing that Thou wilt save us. So we pray tonight to undertake for every man, woman, boy and girl here. Grant that we may so receive Jesus that we shall have full salvation because we ask it in His dear name. Amen.

7. The Way of Jesus Christ in 2005

If you were walking in the country and looked up into the sky and saw an angel flying over your head and heard him speaking certain words to you, wouldn't you be interested to know the meaning of what he said? Certainly. The Bible tells of a certain man who looked up into the sky and saw three angels flying along one behind the other. He heard them broadcasting a certain mysterious message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. You will find this in your Bible in Revelation 14:6-14.

You will recall that on Tuesday night I asked you to read Revelation 14 between Tuesday night and this Thursday night. I wonder how many have done this. Will all of you who have read Revelation 14 in the last two or three days raise your hands please? (Many hands were raised.) Well, that is fine. I appreciate this, and you will get more from this sermon for having read that chapter. During this Bible Institute I will be preaching oftentimes upon a certain chapter in the Bible, and if you read that chapter beforehand, you'll get much more from the sermon.

Your Heavenly Father has certain secrets that He wants you to understand, and you can know those secrets by studying the prophecies of the Bible. I turn to Amos 3:7. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing but He reveals His secret unto His servants the prophets." God has revealed His secrets to His prophets. That means that if you will heed what the prophets wrote, you will know the secrets of truth that the Lord has provided for man.

The Bible shows that at different periods in the history of man God has sent special messages to meet man's needs. In the days of Noah just before the flood man became so sinful, so depraved, so wicked that God determined to wipe man off the face of the earth by a great flood of water. God revealed to Noah that the flood was coming and He told Noah what to do. "He reveals His secrets unto His servants the prophets."

God commissioned Noah to warn the world of its impending doom. Noah began to tell the people, "A flood is coming. God is going to wipe man off the face of the earth with a great flood of waters. Repent of your sins. Turn to God with all your heart. Obey His commandments and get ready to enter this ark that I am preparing." Mark this point well. Everyone who obeyed this message was saved. Everyone who failed to heed this message perished.

The Bible shows that when Jesus Christ was about to appear as the Messiah at His first advent, God sent a special message to prepare people to meet the coming Christ. I read about that message in Matthew 3:1-3. "In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea. And saying, Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

John the Baptist declared, "The Lord is coming. Get ready. Prepare you the way of the Lord. Repent of your sins. Turn to God with all your hearts. Be baptized for the remission of sins."

Do you know that God actually revealed that secret 700 years beforehand to the prophet Isaiah? Put down Isaiah 40:3: "The voice of Him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." This was written 700 years before Christ was born. Over 700 years beforehand God revealed that there would be a forerunner that would go before the Messiah to prepare the way of the Lord. This predicted forerunner was John the Baptist.

Notice this. John the Baptist preached the very message that God had appointed for that hour. When the people asked John the Baptist what denomination he belonged to, he referred them to this prophecy of God's message for that time. Put down John 1:19-23. You will find that a deputation of preachers was sent down from Jerusalem to interrogate John regarding his denominational affiliations. They said to John, "Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What says thou of thyself? His answer was, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord." He referred them to the message that God had appointed to be preached at that hour.

I want to raise a question that ought to be very interesting to you and me. It is a big question too; when you think of the crisis that thing world is in tonight; when you think of this world situation that we are facing and what we have gone through since 1939. The question is this: "Does God have a special message for our day as He had for the people of Noah's time before the flood, and as He had for the Jews in the time of John the Baptist?"

I will let the Bible answer this question. The Bible shows that our day sustains the same relative position to the second coming of Christ as the time of John the Baptist did to our Lord's first advent, also, as the days of Noah did to the impending flood. We are living in the time when the second coming of Jesus Christ is about to take place. Remember "the Lord God will do nothing but He revealed His secrets unto His servants the prophets."

God has placed in the prophecy of Revelation 14:6-14 a special message that is to be preached to all the world when Christ is about to return. I turn to Revelation 14, reading verses 14 and 15, and will you notice please that here on the chart you see depicted just what I will read from Revelation 14:14, 15.

(At this juncture a chart depicting the scene of Christ's coming as described in Revelation 14:14, 15 was lowered in view of the audience.)

"I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, "Thrust in thy sickle, and reap; for the time is come for them to reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

There's no mistaking what this means. Everybody in the auditorium knows that that is a representation of the second coming of Jesus Christ. He saw Christ coming on the cloud with a sickle in His hand to reap the harvest. In Matthew 13:39 Jesus Himself says, "the harvest is the end of the world." This is a representation of Christ coming at the end of the world or at the end of the age.

Notice how three angels are used to picture God's message for our day. I turn to Revelation 14:6, 7. (At this juncture a chart was lowered in the sight of the audience which depicted the scene of the angel flying in midair as described in Revelation 14:6, 7.)

"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven and earth."

He saw an angel flying through mid-air over every country in the world preaching the gospel in the setting of the judgment hour. What does this mean? Does this mean that a visible angel will fly over every country preaching to the people, "Fear God for the hour of His judgment has come?" No! It doesn1 mean that. The preaching of the gospel to all the world has not been committed to angels. It has been committed to men. Put down Mark 16:15: To His chosen disciples and their successors to the end of time Jesus said: "Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

You can see, friends, that when John saw this angel flying in mid-air preaching this great gospel message to every nation, it must represent a body of people whom God will call in the last days, to preach this special message to all the world. You will notice that there are two special truths set forth in this first angel's message.

First, "Fear God for the hour of His judgment is come." This message will show people when the judgment began, and it will show people what to do to be ready for the judgment. Again, this message will call upon men to worship Him that made heaven and earth. This message will reveal God as the personal and direct Creator of man and the world. "Worship Him that made heaven and earth." Nearly all the world, sad though it is, even the Christian world, has been led astray by the error of evolution. Man has attempted to rule God out as the Creator. This message contains God's answer to evolution.

Notice the special truths set forth in the second part of God's message. Turn to Revelation 14:8. (A chart depicting the second angel's message was lowered in sight of the audience.) What I read from Revelation 14:8 is what you see depicted upon this chart. "There followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

You will notice that the second part of this message will tell people that Babylon is fallen. In Revelation 18:2, 4 this message is amplified a bit. There we read: "He cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen." Then in verse 4 notice what God will do: "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her," (that "her" refers to Babylon,) "Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues." This second message calls God's people out of Babylon.

Notice the special truth set forth in the third part of this message. (A chart depicting the third angel's message was lowered in the sight of the audience.) What I am going to read in Revelation 14:9-11 is what you see depicted upon this chart.

"The third angel followed them," (that is, followed the first and the second angels,) "saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation: and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name."

This third part of the message will show the people what the beast is; what the image of the beast is; what the mark of the beast is; and it will show people how to refrain from worshipping the beast and his image. It will show people what to do to avoid receiving the mark of the beast in their forehead or in their hand.

What could be the purpose of this message? Let us read Revelation 14:12. ."Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus!" Notice how plain this is. The purpose of this message is to call out a separate people in every land, in every country to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The 14th verse shows that when this three-fold message has been preached to every nation, then Christ will come on the cloud. There we read, "I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle!"

Notice how plainly God has marked out the true way of Jesus Christ for 1946. This 14th verse shows that the second coming of Christ will take place when this three-fold message has been preached to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. This shows plainly that this three-fold message is God's message for the people who live in the last days just before Jesus comes on the cloud.

I wonder if I have made this plain. I want to be sure that you understand it. How many can see that Revelation 14:6-14 indicates that this three-fold message must be God's message for the people who will live in the very last days? Will you raise your hands? (Nearly all raised their hands.) Yes, I am glad you see it.

Someone handed me this question: "Mr. Shuler, I understand that there are 212 different denominations in America. Each one claims to be right, yet many teach just the opposite on certain points. I have no time to search into 212 different religions. How can an ordinary man like me ever be sure which is the true faith of Jesus Christ in these days?"

This man can be just as sure which is the true faith of Jesus Christ in 1946 as 2 and 2 make 4. This three-fold message is the true way of Christ for these last days. The people who accept this three-fold message are said to have the faith of Jesus. Be sure to put down this text, Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus?" This three-fold message is the faith of Jesus, or the way of Jesus for the people who live just prior to His second advent.

All that this man, or any man, needs to do to find the true way of Christ for 1946 is to learn and heed these truths of this three-fold message. Notice that there are six of these special truths: The hour of God's judgment is come; the worship of God as the Creator; the calling of God's people out of Babylon; the warning against the beast, his image, and the mark of the beast; the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; and the coming of Christ on the cloud. Listen to me. These are the truths that Almighty God has appointed to be preached, to be believed and to be obeyed in these days.

In Revelation 14:6 this three-fold message is called the everlasting gospel or the gospel of the ages. This three-fold message is the gospel of Jesus Christ in the correct setting for the last days. Mark this point well. The purpose of these Bible Institute meetings is to explain these special truths. Can you tell me then what kind of a message these meetings represent? You can see that since this message is to be preached to every people, it must be an inter-denominational, universal message. These truths are for the people of every denomination. This is why I feel so badly that a few people in Des Moines want to brand these meetings along narrow denominational lines, in an attempt to keep people from attending these meetings.

My friends, I refuse to be so narrow as to put a denominational tag on this Holy Book. Jesus Christ and the Bible are bigger than any denomination or all of them put together. These truths are for the people of every denomination, and those who do not belong to any church. These meetings, as we have advertised, are dedicated to the exposition of this great inter-denominational message.

We have the authority of the Bible for this kind of an evangelistic approach to the people. When they asked John the Baptist who he was. or what denomination or party he represented, he didn't say, I'm some kind of an "cult" or "sect." He put his finger on Isaiah 40:3 that foretold the very message that God had appointed for that very time. So when people ask, who we are, and why we are here, we point them to this great prophecy of Revelation 14 that sets forth God's inter-denominational message for our day. This is why these meetings are different than any ordinary revival you have ever attended. This is why it is so important not to miss a single subject.

The study of these truths of God's message takes precedence above denominationalism. We cannot explain these truths in just three or four talks. You can't take my word; and you shouldn't take my word or any other man's word as to when the hour of God's judgment came; or how you should worship God as the Creator; or what Babylon is; or what the beast is; or what the image of the beast is; or what the mark of the beast is; and how that mark is received on the forehead or the hand. We must let the Bible speak on these matters. The psalmist says in Psalm 119:105, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Jesus says in John 8:31, 32, "If you continue in My word ... you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

So dear friends, we shall take up these subjects, one by one, in these meetings and trace out their meaning from the word of God. In the Bible lecture tomorrow night, Friday night, we will show the seven great facts that constitute the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. These are the seven most important facts worth knowing. You want to be sure to hear that subject tomorrow night.

Then on Sunday night we will show the meaning of these tremendous times in which we live in the light of Bible prophecy. The following Friday night, just one week from tomorrow night, we will show who is this beast power against whom God has uttered this most solemn warning.

The following Sunday night we will show you from Bible prophecy when the hour of God's judgment began; the very year that this three-fold message was to arise upon the earth. Other lectures will follow and show what it means to worship God as the Creator; what is the beast; what is the image of the beast; what is the mark of the beast; and how the mark is received in the forehead or in the hand; and what is Babylon.

Those who learn the meaning of these truths and obey them will be ready to meet Jesus when He appears on the cloud. The purpose of this message is to make ready a people for the second advent of our Lord, just as John the Baptist's message made ready a people for our Lord's first advent.

"I want to be ready when Jesus comes, I want to be ready when Jesus comes, Earth's pleasures grow dim, While I'm waiting for Him Lord keep me till Jesus comes."

You will be ready if you obey Christ's special message for these last days as set forth in Revelation 14:6-12. Mark this point well. In the days of Noah, every person in the world settled his own fate by what he did with God's message. When the flood came the only people who were saved were those who accepted God's message.

Christ said in Matthew 24:37: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." What does this mean to you and me? It means that it is more important for you and me to study our Bibles and learn the meaning of these truths than anything else. It means that we ought to make up our minds not to let anything keep us from attending these meetings where we may learn the meaning of God's message for our day. It is just as important for you and me to know the meaning of these truths and heed them as it was for the people of Noah's time to know about the coming of that flood; and for the people in the days of John the Baptist to know about the coming of Jesus Christ at His first advent.

If God has a special message for you, don't you want to know about it? How many would like to bear a solemn testimony to our dear Saviour tonight, saying by the uplifted hand, "Lord help me to learn and follow the great truths that Thou hast for me in these last days?" Will you please raise your hands? (Nearly every hand was raised.)

Let us pray. O blessed Lord, precious Saviour, we thank Thee for this great revelation of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee, Lord, especially for this 14th chapter which we have been studying tonight. O Lord, we have pictured Thy coming upon the cloud, and just before Thy coming this great three-fold message is preached to every people. Lord, how plain it is that this threefold message is Thy message to the people who live in these last days. Lord, we want to know the meaning of this message. We love Thee and we want to know Thy will. O God, we pray that as we open up these prophecies in these meetings that Thou wilt give us divine enlightenment to see the truth then give us divine grace to follow the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. May each one follow in the way of Thy message that when Jesus shall come upon the cloud, every soul here may be ready to meet Him. We ask this in His precious name. Amen.

8. The Bridge from Trouble to Eternal Happiness

Have you ever heard about the man who made a bridge out of his own body in order to save three people from death? In one of our large eastern cities a four-story frame apartment house in one of the poorer sections of the city was afire. Trapped in the top story was a father with his three little boys, ages 7, 5 and 3. It looked as if they were doomed to a most horrible death, to be burnt alive. The father noticed that the window in the adjoining apartment building was opened on the same level where they were. There was a space of about three feet between the two buildings. He saw that by making a supreme effort he could reach out and grasp the window sill of the adjoining building and make a bridge out of his own body on which his three little boys could crawl to safety.

He called them to his side and explained the plan. He reached out and grasped the window sill and the seven year old boy, crawling along on his father's body, went through the open window into the adjoining building to safety. Then came the five year old boy. Then the baby boy came crawling along. He crept along on his father until he was helped through the open window by his brothers to safety. But at last the father's strength failed. He fell to the ground and was picked up dead. He gave his life to save three. He made a bridge out of his own body on which three went from death to life.

Tonight I turn to the Bible and bring you the thrilling story of how the Son of God has made a bridge out of His own body on which we can go from death to life. Sin had doomed every person in this world to perish in everlasting fire, but "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life?" The blessed Son of God so loved you and me that He came from heaven to make a bridge of salvation on which we may go from death to eternal life.

(At this juncture the speaker directed attention to a large chart on which was depicted a bridge supported by seven piers. Strips of paper were pinned over each of these piers, so that the name of each successive pier could be disclosed to the audience as the seven great facts of the gospel were unfolded.)

This bridge of salvation is outlined before you upon this chart. This is the gospel bridge from death to life. Notice it spans the awful gulf of sin. It illustrates the way by which men lost in sin may be saved forever with eternal life in the kingdom of God.

You will notice that this bridge is sustained by seven piers. So we shall find from the Bible that the gospel of salvation rests upon seven mighty facts about the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of this study is to discover what those seven facts are.

We uncover the first one and you notice that upon it is inscribed, "I-N-C-A-R-N-A-T-I-O-N." By "Incarnation" we mean the entrance of the Son of God into human flesh to save mankind. In order to save us Christ, the Son of God, had to leave His place in heaven at the Father's side, come to our earth, take our flesh and be born as a baby. So the Scriptures declare that the virgin Mary conceived a son by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The best news that men have ever heard is the news of the first Christmas recorded in Luke 2:10, 11 where the angel said, "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

By being born into this world, Christ commenced the construction of a bridge that would save men, that would take men from death to life. So the first pier of the bridge of salvation is labelled "Incarnation." But after He was born He must live a sinless life. So we uncover the second pier and there you read, "Sinless Life."

If Jesus Christ had committed one little sin, every person in the world would be without hope tonight, Why? 1 John 3:4 says, "Sin is the transgression of the law." If Christ had broken the Ten Commandments, even one time, He would have become a sinner; and if He had been a sinner, He couldn't be your Saviour. If He had transgressed any of the Ten Commandments, it matters not which one, He would have come under the penalty of the law; then He wouldn't be able to save you from the penalty of your sins. But thank God, Jesus stood true under every test. Hebrews 4:15 says, Jesus "was in all Points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Aren't you glad He stood every test for you? How could you refuse to serve such a loving Saviour?

By living a sinless life Jesus extended this bridge of salvation a little further. But in order to save you and me Jesus not only must be born into the world, not only must He live a sinless life after He is born; but He must die for our sins. So we uncover the third pier and you read that great word, "Crucifixion." To save us He must die for our sins.

The Ten Commandments condemn every person in the world to death because everyone has sinned. The law of God says, "I condemn you as a sinner. I sentence you to death." But here comes the good news "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus says, "I love you. I don't want to see you perish. I died in your place. I went to the cross for your sins. By accepting Me as your Saviour, you are free from condemnation and death." So by His vicarious death on Calvary Jesus built another section of this bridge so that men may pass from death to life, or from being lost in sin to have eternal life in the kingdom of God.

However, after He died He must rise again. This brings us to the fourth pier. There you read that great word, "Resurrection." If Christ had not risen from the dead, man would have been eternally lost. 1 Corinthians 15:17 says, "If Christ be not risen, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins."

A dead Saviour couldn't save anybody. Even though He died upon the cross, if He hadn't come out of that tomb, we would still be lost. A dead saviour couldn't save anybody. Thank God He arose.

"Not in the tomb where once He lay, A risen Christ, a living Saviour;" "Up from the grave He arose! With a mighty triumph o'er His foes."

By His resurrection Jesus built another section of the bridge over the river of death and destruction. But He must not only rise from the dead, He must ascend to heaven to represent us at the Father's throne, and to mediate cases of those who accept Him. This brings us to the fifth pier. There you see the word, "Ascension." He must ascend to the Father. He went to the Father to undertake a work of intercession for you and me. This brings us to the sixth pier that is inscribed, "Mediation," His priestly mediation.

Notice how all these great facts of Christ fit together so beautifully. In order to save us He must first be born into the world ­ "Incarnation." After He was born He lived a "Sinless Life." Then He died for our sins ­ "Crucifixion." After He died he rose again-"Resurrection." Then He ascended to the Father-"Ascension." Then He became our great High Priest to intercede for us with the Father.

Paul tells us in Hebrews 7:25 that, "He is able also to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." Listen to me. If you will do the coming, He will do the saving. If you will step out and accept Jesus Christ, He will meet you with peace, pardon, and salvation. If you will give yourself to Him tonight for a closer walk with Him, He will meet you with more power so you can live a true Christian life. If you will confess your sins to this wonderful Jesus, He will raise those nail pierced hands as He stands before the Father and cry, "My blood! MY Blood! I shed My blood, Father, for that poor soul who is trusting Me, and for my sake, Father, forgive him and give him eternal life." O, I hope everyone will put his case fully in the hands of this wonderful Saviour.

By His intercession, by His mediation, Christ extends this bridge of salvation a little bit further. But notice that it takes one more section to complete this wonderful bridge across the gulf of sin. What is that completing link or section? Turn with me to John 14:1-3.

"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am there you may be also."

In addition to His priestly mediation Christ must come again from heaven to this earth to receive His people unto Himself and to take them to those wonderful mansions that He has prepared. This brings us to the seventh pier, "His Second Advent." The second coming of Christ is just as necessary in the complete gospel as His resurrection or His crucifixion. So we read in Hebrews 9:28. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Paul strikes the two great focal points of the plan of redemption. He shows us that it is just as necessary for Christ to come the second time as it was for Christ to die upon the cross.

These seven great facts about Jesus Christ constitute the bridge of salvation that will take man from being lost in sin to have eternal life in the kingdom of God. These seven great facts are as follows: His incarnation, His sinless life, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension, His priestly mediation, and His second Advent. These are the seven most important facts worth knowing.

Christ was born. He lived. He died. He arose. He ascended. He pleads for us. He is coming again. Listen to me. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not speculation. It is not merely a theory. It isn't a philosophy. It isn't merely theology. The gospel of Jesus Christ is based on actual facts about an actual person. Thank God, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand."

It takes all these seven facts to make the true gospel. If you remove any of those seven piers, this bridge breaks down and that leaves an uncrossable gap, so that men could not go from being lost in sin to be saved forever in the kingdom of God. If a man denies the incarnation, (and many do) if a man denies that Jesus Christ was virgin born, his bridge is broken down before he ever starts across the river. He has nothing on which to start because in order to save us the Son of God must become incarnate in human flesh.

If a man denies the crucifixion, the bridge breaks down in the middle. There are those who deny the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. They say that the blood of Christ has no more power to save people from sin than the blood that flows in your veins. Such teaching leaves an uncrossable gap in their bridge so that they cannot get across the river.

There are those who deny the second advent. Many churches have forgotten about the second advent. How many sermons have you ever heard in Des Moines on Christ's second advent? It is largely lost sight of, yet it is just as necessary in the gospel as the crucifixion or the resurrection.

Anyone who denies or sets aside any one of these seven great facts simply doesn't have the one complete true gospel. Mark this well. These seven essential facts apply to only one person who ever lived and that is Jesus Christ. It is exactly true what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:11. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." This is why Christianity is the only true religion in the world.

"Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
Who can compare with Thee? Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
Fairer than all art thou to me.

"Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
O, how my soul loves Thee; Fairer than all the fairest,
Jesus, art Thou to me."

Friends, what does Jesus mean to you? A person may believe a great deal about Jesus and still not be saved. Just ask yourself quietly, "What do I believe about Jesus? Many will say, "I believe Jesus died upon the cross." But merely believing this will not save you. You may say, "I believe Jesus died on Calvary for sinners." Believing that will not do you any good. You must say, "He loved me and gave Himself for me. I believe Jesus bled and died on account of my sins." We must make a personal application of these great facts of Jesus to our own soul.

An ungodly sea captain was stricken with a fatal disease in mid-ocean. He called the ship's doctor. The doctor said, "Captain, you cannot live more than twenty-four hours." He was terrified. He wasn't prepared to die. So he sent quickly for the first mate, a man named Williams.

He said, "Williams, the doctor declares I can't last more than twenty-four hours. I want you to get a Bible and read something to me. I must have help. I'm going to die. I want you to get a Bible and read to me and pray with me."

Mr. Williams said, "Captain, you've never given me an order in all these years but what I've carried it out to the letter, but you have given me an order now that I cannot carry out. I don't have a Bible and I don't know how to pray."

Then he said, "You may go. Send in the second mate." His name was Thomas. They brought him in. He said, "Thomas, my rope is about run out. I want you to get a Bible and read to me and pray with me. I'm dying."

Thomas said, "Captain, I've always carried out your orders, but this is an order I can't carry out. I don't have any Bible and I don't know how to pray. I've forgotten. My mother taught me when I was a little boy at her knee. She taught me how to pray, but I've forgotten. However, I've seen a Bible in the hands of a little boy on this ship, the cook's boy named Willie Platt."

The captain said, "Bring him in quickly." He went down to the kitchen. There he was working. He was the cook's boy, the cook's assistant. "Willie, get your Bible and go up to the captain's cabin." Willie took his Bible and went to the captain's cabin. The captain said, "I want you to read something about God having mercy on a sinner like me."

The poor boy didn't know what to read at first. Then he thought of that chapter that his mother had had him read so often. The 53rd chapter of Isaiah which so wonderfully pictures the love of Jesus Christ for sinners. So he turned to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. He came to the 5th verse where it says, speaking of Jesus: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."

The captain said, "That sounds like what I need. Won't you read that over again?" So the boy read the words over again. Encouraged by the captain's response he said, "Captain, wouldn't you like to have me read this verse like my mother taught me to read it?" The captain said, "By all means, you read the verse just as your mother taught you to read it."

Then he took the verse and in place of that word "o-u-r" he put his own name into the text. Slowly and reverently he read, "He was wounded for Willie Platt's transgressions, He was bruised for Willie Platt's iniquities: the chastisement of Willie Platt's peace was upon Him; and with His stripes Willie Platt is healed."

By this time the captain was half way over the edge of the bed. He says, "Son, read it again and put your captain's name in there." Then the boy again reverently read, "He was wounded for John Clout's transgressions. He was bruised for John Clout's iniquities: the chastisement of John Clout's peace was upon Him and with His stripes John Clout is healed."

The captain fell back upon his pillow and repeated over and over again this beautiful text, putting his own name into it every time. Finally light from heaven broke in upon his darkened soul. He received Him who saves to the uttermost. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things have passed away and all things are become new."

Friends, I want to put my name into this text, don't you? I want the Lord to save me from all my sins. Every soul in this auditorium tonight needs help from God to give this blessed Christ a larger place in his life.

Friends, we have had a number of good meetings here. The Lord has, met with us. His Spirit has spoken to our hearts. You have been raising your hands for prayer here in every meeting, and I appreciate it. It is right that you should. But tonight wouldn't you like to draw still closer to Jesus? Wouldn't you like to form a prayer circle here in front of the pulpit? I invite every soul in this auditorium who wants to give Christ a larger place in his life to form a prayer circle here in front of the pulpit. This call has nothing to do with joining any church. It is a call to prayer. It is a call to give Christ a larger place in your life.

I invite forward everyone who wants to live a better life. I invite forward those who have unconverted loved ones whom you want to see saved and for whom you want us to pray in this closing prayer. I invite forward every soul who wants to go across on this great gospel bridge and have eternal life in the kingdom of God. The choir is going to sing one stanza. We will stand as the choir sings, "I've Wandered far away from God, now I'm coming home."

While the choir continues the song I want to invite quietly everyone who would like to give Christ a larger place in his life; you who have unconverted loved ones for whom you want us to pray; everyone who wants to lead a better life, just come and fill in here at the front while the choir sings. (As the choir sang, hundreds came forward.)

The night I was converted in Billie Sunday's meetings I said to myself, "Every time I have a chance to take a step forward for Christ I'll do it." And I've been doing it all the time. Every time a call like this is given I love to press in because I get a blessing.

Thank God, so many are coming. This is really wonderful. I don't want to see anybody left out of this closing prayer. I am glad it is full down here at the front, yet there are many others who want the Lord's help. God can do everything for the person who wants His help. But God can't do anything for a person who doesn't desire His help. How many of you, who haven't been able to come forward because there wasn't room, want to say, "Preacher, just count me in as one down there who wants a part in this prayer for the help of God?" Yes, it seems that every hand in the back part of the audience is raised..

Many of us are conscious of a lack of reality in our Christian experience. We would like to have Jesus be more real in our every-day life. How many would like to have Christ he more real in your every-day life, would you just lift the hand? (It seemed that nearly every person at the front and those further back raised their hands.) Yes, I would like to put up both of my ands on this. I do want Jesus to be more real in my life.

Here is something that will help you. This prayer that I offer now closes the regular meeting. It is still early. It is only about eighteen minutes to nine. I have closed the sermon early so we could do this. Immediately after this closing prayer I will give a twelve minute Bible lesson, right here at the front on four ways that Christ can be more real in your life, just like you want Him to be. This lesson will tell you of four simple things that you can do that will make Christ more real in your life. I hope everyone will stay and get the blessing of this after-meeting study. Shall we bow our heads as we look to the Lord in this prayer? (Prayer.)

Our dear heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thy Holy Spirit has spoken to our hearts. We thank Thee for this great number who have come forward to have a closer walk with Jesus. They want to give Christ a larger place in their life.

We pray also, Lord, for those in the rear who couldn't come forward, but who so quickly raised their hands for help. Lord, we want to remember these unconverted loved ones. We know that many of these dear hearts are thinking of their own loved ones who are out of the fold of safety. O, Lord, we pray that Thy Holy Spirit will speak to them. Wherever they are, Lord, even if they are in a show somewhere, or at a dance, not even thinking of Jesus, may the Spirit speak to them. Lord, make them dissatisfied with the things of the world and may they see the lovely Jesus as He is.

Bless us Lord as we participate in this Bible Study. We know it will be a blessing to our hearts to find these four ways whereby Jesus will be real in our lives. So we pray to bless us each one and may we so appropriate these great facts of Jesus to our souls, that we shall have full salvation because we ask it in His precious name. Amen.

(At this juncture the many scores who were standing at the front took seats at the front. Almost every one remained for the after meeting study.)

THE AFTER MEETING LESSON

Four Ways Whereby Jesus Will Be More Real To You

I don't know what your special needs are but there is one thing I do know Jesus knows. He knows the individual needs of every soul. This isn't all. Jesus not only knows your individual needs, but He is able to supply your individual needs. This isn't all. He not only is able to supply your needs, but He will supply your needs if you will contact Him by faith.

We read in Philippians 4:19. "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." It just takes one thing on your part. This is very important. Just one little sentence here in Mark 6:56. You read this in Mark 6:56 when you go home because there is something here I want you to get. "As many as touched Him were made whole." Did you get that? As many as touched Jesus were made whole. How can you be made whole? Simply by touching Jesus Christ. Everything depends on making contact, actual contact with Jesus.

In the Gospels we have a wonderful story about a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors, but none could help her. She said, "O, if I could but see Jesus, the great Doctor, and ask Him to cure me, then I would be healed." One day she heard that Jesus was in her neighbourhood. But when she went out to find Jesus there was such a crowd around Him that she couldn't get anywhere near Him. She couldn't go up and talk to Him. All she could do was to edge her way in between other people. Finally she succeeded reaching in between other people and just touched the hem of His garment as He was walking along." Instantly power was released. There flowed into her being the healing and the help that she needed. "As many as touched Him were made whole."

Power flows from Jesus Christ just like electricity from a dynamo. All you need to do is to make contact with Him. I want you to notice this. There were a lot of people in that crowd who were closer to Jesus physically than this woman. She couldn't get near to even talk to Him. She had to reach between other people to touch a part of His clothing as He walked along. These other people were closer to Jesus, yet they received nothing. The big crowd got nothing but this one woman got something. What made the difference? The difference was the touch of faith. "As many as touched Him were made whole."

Faith makes the contact that releases power. You don't have to touch Jesus physically to get that power. You can make that contact by faith. In Mark 9:23 He says, "all things are possible to him that believeth."

There are four ways by which every person may have constant contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, and have his spiritual needs supplied. I can definitely promise you on the authority of this precious Word that if you will follow these four simple ways, Christ will be more real in your life in the future than He has ever been in the past. And your spiritual needs will be supplied.

First of all, let me tell you that there is a way to read the Bible that makes Jesus Christ real to you. You must take God's promises as the voice of God speaking to you personally. Just like my story tonight about Willie Platt. You must put your own name into the text, see?

Here is an example. Hebrews 13:5, a very precious text. It's a promise. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Listen, when you read that in the Bible, who is the "thee?" Why it is you. Yes, that's exactly it. You must take it to yourself. Put your own name into it. That will make Christ more real to you. Put your own name into the promise. Men He says "I'll never leave thee" that "thee" is you, and believe it. Then the blessing comes because you know Christ is with you and is never going to leave you. Just like the poet says:

"If our lives were but more simple,
We would take Him at His word,
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord."

So here is the first way to make Christ more real in your life, take God's promises in the Bible to yourself, individually and personally.

There is a way to pray that will make Christ more real to you. Real prayer is the opening of the heart to Christ as to a friend. So here is the second way to make Christ more real. When you pray talk to Jesus just as you talk to your dearest friend. Talk to Jesus simply and naturally. Don't think you have to use formal words or set phrases. Just talk to Jesus in your language. He understands. So the second way is to talk to Jesus in prayer as you would to your dearest friend.

There is a way to begin a day that makes Christ more real to us. Jesus has promised that He will dwell in our hearts every day by the Holy Spirit. Put down Revelation 3:20. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to Him and will sup with him, and he with me." He will come into our hearts and live in our being.

We need to give ourselves anew to Jesus every morning. The first thought in the morning should be of Jesus. Turn to Jesus the first thing in the morning. Even before you get out of bed say, "Lord, I give myself to Thee for another day. I thank Thee, Jesus, that Thou art in my heart." This is the third way to make Jesus more real in your heart. Just open up your heart and pray that Jesus will come in and abide with you every day.

There is a way to go through a day that makes Jesus more real to us. Talk to God intimately as you go about your work. Put down Isaiah 26:1 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." Wouldn't you like that perfect peace? O, yes! we have some peace, but it isn't perfect you know. So many things mar our peace. God wants us to have perfect peace. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace," (on one condition,) "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." So the fourth way to make Christ more real is to keep your mind stayed on Him as you go about your work.

There is a lovely book, it is called the Ministry of Healing. If you ever get a chance to buy that book, do so. In Ministry of Healing, page 182, we have this lovely sentence, "By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them with a hand that will never let them go."

Now as we look to Jesus in the closing prayer, I hope you will reach out with that living touch of faith and touch Him and then you'll get the help and the power that you need. After I pray, just keep your heads still bowed and we will sing a lovely prayer song which will be your prayer after my prayer.

"My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Saviour divine;
Now hear me while I pray
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day Be wholly Thine."

After we sing that, I want us all to repeat Isaiah 53:5. This is the text I used in my sermon which says, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."

I want you to put in the word "my." "He was wounded for my transgressions, He was bruised for my iniquities: the chastisement of my peace was upon Him; and with His stripes I am healed."

All right now we are going to have prayer, then the prayer song, and the verse of Scripture. (Prayer.)

Blessed Jesus, precious Saviour, we thank Thee for the blessing that Thou hast given to us tonight. Lord, we have had our hearts warmed. Thy Holy Spirit is here. We have drawn a little nearer to Him tonight than ever before and we've felt His presence. Lord, we thank Thee for these four simple ways by which Thou wilt be more real in our life! May it be just now, that every soul here may just reach out with that living touch of faith and touch Jesus.

O, blessed Christ, all powerful Saviour, just reach down Thy mighty arm into every life here and do for each one what he needs to have done. Our faith, Lord, does claim the promise, and we thank Thee that Thou wilt do this for each one because we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now then the song. Every head bowed. (All joined in singing My Faith Looks Up to Thee.)

Heads still bowed, let us quote the text. "He was wounded for my transgressions, He was bruised for my iniquities: the chastisement of my peace was upon Him; and with His stripes I am healed."

I feel sure you have been blessed in this after meeting. I think you feel like John Wesley, the man who founded the great Methodist church. He went to a little meeting one night in Aldersgate Street in London. He heard some one read from Luther's writing how Jesus Christ changes our heart when we have faith in Him and as he listened he said, "I felt my heart strangely warmed." How many of you really got a blessing out of this after meeting and felt your heart warmed tonight? Will you raise your hands? (Many hands were raised.)

(Then the topic for the next after meeting was announced and those present were urged to come forward promptly when the invitation to the after meeting would be extended on Sunday night.)

9. Last Day Signs

When the Son of God came to this earth at His first advent a sign was given of His arrival into our world. A beautiful star appeared that led the wise men step by step to the very spot where the wonderful Christ child was born at Bethlehem. So the Scriptures tell of certain signs which will appear when this same Son of God is about to make His second advent to our world.

Let us read the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:32, 33. "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh: so likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors."

At the close of the winter season when the bare trees begin to leaf out, of what is this a sign? Everybody knows what this means. It is a sign that summer is near. This Scripture declares that when the branch puts forth its new leaves you know that summer is nigh. Jesus Christ declares that just as the swelling of the buds is a sign that summer is near, so the fulfilment of certain signs He has given will show that His coming is near.

Mark this point well. Jesus actually commands us to know that His coming is near when these appointed signs are fulfilled. He says "When you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."

Some have tried to set a date for the end of the world. Jesus Christ declares that it is impossible for any man to figure out the exact date on which He will return. You will find this in Matthew 24:26 where He says, "But of that day and hour knows no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only!" While it is impossible for any man to know the exact day when Jesus will return, it is the duty of every believer to know that the coming of Christ is near, when the appointed signs are seen in the world.

Jesus reproved the Pharisees for their inability to read the signs of the times. We read about this in Matthew 16:1-3. "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, when it is evening, you say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today: For the sky is red and lowering. O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky; but can you not discern the signs of the times?"

If the Jewish people in the days of Christ had understood the prophecies which pertained to the first advent of the Messiah, they would have recognized Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah, and the Saviour of the world. But they rejected Him, because they did not understand the prophecies that pertained to His first advent. This is a warning to professed Christians today. Unless professed Christians heed the prophecies that pertain to Christ's second advent they will be in the dark and caught unprepared at His second coming, as the Jews were at His first advent.

Jesus has a question for every soul. "Can you not discern the signs of the times?" May God help me to take His Holy Word and make the signs of Christ's coming stand out so plainly, that you will be able to discern the signs of the times.

If you want to know what time it is, what do you do? You note the relative positions of the hour and minute hands on the dial of your watch. So if we want to know where we are going today, if we want to know what is coming, and where we are on the stream of time, we must look at the hands on God's prophetic clock. The last day predictions of the Bible, these prophecies which tell what is to be In the last days, constitute the hour hand on God's clock. The fulfilment of these last-day predictions in modern history and In current conditions is the minute hand on the face of God's clock. I invite you to take note where the hands are on God's clock. I shall take the Bible and read what God prophesied would be in the last days, and then I shall leave it with you to say if this is what you now see in our world.

Everybody knows that there has been a greater increase of knowledge in the last seventy-five years than in all the rest of the history of mankind put together. What does this mean? You will find this explained in Daniel 12:4. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

What did the prophecy say would happen in the last days? In the time of the end knowledge shall be increased. The last days of earth's history would be characterized by an increase of knowledge.

Is this true of our day? Look at the endless list of inventions and wonderful discoveries that are being brought out with every passing year. Life has been completely revolutionized during the last fifty or seventy-five years. The old tallow candle has become the electric light. The horse and buggy has become the automobile the aeroplane and the streamliner. The needle has become the electric sewing machine. The old fashioned broom has become the electric sweeper. The old oaken bucket has become the water faucet with running water.. The old goose quill has become the typewriter. The messenger on horseback who carried messages has become the telegraph, the telephone and the radio. The horse drawn plough has become the tractor. The scythe and the old-time binder have become the modern reaper. And so we might go on with many other items.

There seems to be no end to this increase of knowledge in our day. New wonders are discovered and developed with almost every passing day. The other day the Associated Press reported the development of a radio facsimile machine that prints a four column newspaper at the rate of five hundred words a minute. News, photographs, maps, charts and cartoons were reproduced during the demonstration by means, of signals from a frequency modulated type of broadcasting station. The machine itself is only a little larger than a portable typewriter. It can be used as an attachment in combination with a frequency modulation home receiver. The device turns out printed papers measuring 9.5 x 12 inches at the rate of twenty-eight square inches per minute. This is truly a great wonder. But before the ink is hardly dry which recites the story of this newest wonder there will likely be another wonder developed that will eclipse this latest one.

Little school children today have far greater knowledge along some lines than their grandparents had when they were seventy years old. It is safe to say that any person who is sixty years old has seen in his brief lifetime a greater increase of knowledge than all the people of all past generations put together. What does this mean? It means that we are in the time of the end. Daniel 12:4 says, "In the time of the end knowledge shall be increased!" Just as surely as you know that there has been this great increase of knowledge in recent decades, just so surely you may know that the end is near.

Up until about a century ago men were not able to travel faster than men before them had travelled for all past generations. Then all of a sudden a change came. Men began to find ways of travelling faster. And during the last ten years they have been travelling decidedly faster and ever faster. How did it come that there was no change in the speed at which men could travel until about the last one hundred twenty years?

Bible prophecy shows that there would be an increased speed of travel in the closing period of earth's history. Daniel 12:4 indicates that in the last days men would travel very swiftly. In the time of the end the prophecy says, many shall run, not walk, but run. Every aeroplane, automobile, train and steamer is a travelling sign of the end of time. Every plane that roars overhead every automobile dashing along the street or highway, every train rushing along the shiny rails, every steamer cutting across the ocean deep, is saying, "it is the day of God's preparation and you should be ready to meet the King."

Let us notice two striking signs in the business and industrial world of our day. In James 5:3 we read: "Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." The Revised Version says, "Ye have heaped treasure together in the last days." Bible prophecy indicated that in the last days men would pile up fortunes very quickly. Do we see this today? Since 1900 there has been a piling up of colossal fortunes on a scale and at a rate that exceeds all the past history of mankind.

Here is a typical case. In 1900 Henry Ford did not have enough money to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving day. Forty years later he was a billionaire. Think of it! There are hundreds of people in our day who have made, or are making, a million or more dollars in one year. Do you know how much a million dollars amounts to? If you saved five hundred dollars per year, and that would be a tidy sum for most of us to save, how long would it take you to get a million? You would have to save five hundred dollars a year for two thousand years to have a million dollars. If you had been here on the night that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and had lived on every year since, and had saved five hundred dollars every year, you wouldn't have a million dollars yet. Hundreds of men have made this much or more in one year in our day. What does this mean? It means exactly what Bible prophecy says in James 5:1 They have heaped up treasure in the last days.

In James 5:4 it is made plain that during this same period when men will be piling up these colossal fortunes, there will be a most bitter struggle of the working man against his employer. Do we see this? Since 1910 there have been the most extensive and intensive labour troubles of all past history. What does all this mean? We find the answer in James 5:8. "Be you also patient, establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws nigh."

This rapid accumulation of wealth and these great labour troubles in our day are a double sign of the nearness of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. During our day we have seen the greatest accumulation of wealth and the greatest labour troubles in the history of mankind. As surely as we have seen these things, we may know from Bible prophecy that the coming of the Lord draws nigh.

Jesus prophesied that fear and distress would dominate the thinking and conditions of the people of the world, just before He would appear on the cloud at His second advent. We find this recorded in Luke 21:25-27: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth."

Is this what you see now? There never has been a time when so many people have lived in distress and fear as since 1940. There has been distress among all classes among all nations. Mankind today is afraid.

In an article entitled "Must We Be Scared To Death?" appearing in The Christian Century (Jan. 9, 1946) Winthrop S. Hudson says that `now there is fear-real fear, stark naked fear, a fear that is not a figment of the imagination-and we do not know how to live with it, nor how to handle it."

This is true. Humanity is in the grip of terrifying fear, and doesn't know how to free itself from it. This is a time of distress, fear and insecurity that surpasses any other time of which we have ever heard, or seen or read.

What does this mean? Look at the very next verse in this prophecy of Jesus. In verse 27, after speaking in verse 26 how men's hearts would fail them for fear, how fear would dominate the thinking of people in the last days, Jesus declares, "And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

Bible prophecy indicated that in the last days there would be the worst disasters and calamities in the history of the world. We read about this in Luke 21:11: "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."

Look at the earthquakes, the floods, the tidal waves, the cyclones, the hurricanes, and the famines of our day. Authentic records show that from the 12th to the 17th centuries there was on the average only one destructive earthquake in the period of each one hundred years. During the eighteenth century there were six destructive earthquakes. In the nineteenth century there were twelve destructive earthquakes. Since 1900 there has been an average of one destructive earthquake every year. During the last fifty years there have been more destructive earthquakes than occurred during the preceding eight hundred years.

When an old man draws near the grave he staggers as he walks. This world today is staggering to its end. These calamities and disasters are forerunners of the approaching end of the world.

Bible prophecy declared that n the last days there would be the greatest preparation for war and the greatest plans for peace in the history of the world. You will find these predictions recorded in Joel 3:9, 10 and Isaiah 2:2-4. Do we see this in our day? Since 1900 we have witnessed the greatest war preparation and the greatest peace plans in the history of mankind. What does all this mean? It means that we have come to the. final movements of this world's history.

Bible prophecy indicated that in the last days men would develop unparalleled powers of destruction. We read about this in the prophecy of Jeremiah 4:19, 20. "My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: Suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment."

Do we see anything like this today? Look at the fearful destruction that was wrought by the bombing raids of World War II. Think of the atomic bomb and its fearful implications for destruction. Look at the projected transoceanic rockets, the germ sprays, cosmic rays, etc. These show us that the time is fast approaching when God will intervene, and as we read in Revelation 11:18, "He will destroy them that destroy the Earth."

Have you been impressed how fast things are moving in our world today? I am sure that you have. I don't see how anybody could live in these strenuous days without being conscious of the rapid march of events from day to day. More history is made in one year now than formerly in a century. Ever since 1910 there has been a most marked speeding up of history.

Scripture shows that in the last days there would come just such a speeding up in living. You know of course, that the faster you keep moving, the quicker you reach your destination. This very speeding up of affairs shows that we are swiftly approaching the end of time.

Jesus declared that the last days would be like the days of Noah before the flood, and the days of Lot just before Sodom was destroyed. How was it in the times of Noah and Lot? The Scriptures reveal that these were times of intemperance, immorality, lawlessness, easy divorce, a craze for pleasure and a marked indifference to the requirements of the law of God. Isn't this exactly what we see today? Everybody knows that our day is a day of marked intemperance, immorality, crime, lawlessness, easy divorce, a craze for pleasure and a disregard for the law of God.

In a little town in one of our mid-western states two girls went for a ride with some boys in a car. There was an accident. The girls were killed. They took them to the morgue. Nobody knew just who they were, so the city clerk announced over the radio that mothers whose girls had gone out and not returned that night should come to the morgue to assist in the identification of the girls. The next morning seventy mothers in that little town appeared at the morgue to identify the girls. If this is the way in a small town, how about conditions in a larger city?

Crime has become so bad that day after day, night after night, some person is murdered on the average of every forty minutes. One out of every four hundred is doomed to be sot, Stabbed, poisoned, choked or black-jacked. What will the outcome be? Jesus says in Matthew 24:37: "but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be!" In the time of Noah man became so corrupt, so sinful, that the only thing God could do was to take the few good people out of the world into the ark and blot out the rest with the flood. So, Jesus Christ is coming to take the righteous to heaven, and destroy the wicked.

The most-positive sign that He is coming soon is the fact that the message of His coming has already been preached to almost every nation on the globe. Christ's disciples asked Him, "What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?" In His answer Jesus indicated, that the most direct sign of the approach of His coming would be the proclamation of a special message to the people of every nation, to inform them of the nearness of His return. We find this in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come!"

This message of the soon coming of Christ is being preached now to almost every nation in the world. Hence the end must be very near. Jesus declares, that when this gospel of the kingdom, the good news of his soon coming kingdom, has been preached to the people of every nation, then-at that very time-the end shall come.

Some people ridicule the idea that Christ is coming soon. They say that there is nothing to indicate that the end is now near, any more than there ever has been. Do you know that people who talk this way are themselves a sign that the end is near?

A minister preached on the prophecies one night to show that the coming of Christ is near. A man stopped him on the street the next day and said, "I understand Sir, that you preached last night that Christ is coming soon. I tell you there is nothing to it. Things will go on forever just as they always have. Show me one sign that the end is really near."

The minister pulled out a little Bible which he always carried with him. He turned to II Peter 3:34 and read to the man. "Knowing this first that there shall come in the last day scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation!"

After reading the text and emphasizing the appropriate portions of it, the minister said quietly to the man, "Brother, according to this prophecy, you are the last sign I have seen."

Do you know that there are in particular eleven characteristics that mark our day as different from any other generation of mankind who have ever lived on this earth? According to Bible prophecy each of these is an infallible sign and incontrovertible evidence that the second coming of Christ is at the door. What are these eleven great signs of Christ's coming? Here they are.

The greatest increase of knowledge of all past ages.
The introduction and development of rapid transit.
The unprecedented speeding up of events.
The greatest and most rapid accumulation of wealth.
The most extensive and intensive labour troubles.
The two greatest and worst wars that the world has ever seen.
The most marked unrest, insecurity and distress.
The most extensive and destructive war preparations.
The greatest peace plans that have ever been proposed.
The most appalling moral degeneracy according to the light and knowledge that God has given to men.
The greatest missionary movement ever known to carry God's special last day message to every nation.

What do these eleven great signs mean? Here is the answer in Matthew 24:33, "So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors-." It means that the coming of Jesus Christ is at the door.

I have here a chart that gives a list of twenty-four different items from Bible prophecy regarding conditions in the last days.

This makes a list of 24 different items that Bible prophecy declared would be seen in the last days of this world's history. Every person knows that every one of these twenty-four items is now taking place before our very eyes. This day are these Scriptures fulfilled in your ears. What does all this mean? It means exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 24:33, "When you see all these things know that it is near, even at the door."

This is the last generation that will ever live on this earth in its present condition. We find that in Matthew 24:34, after Jesus told how the time would come when all these signs would be fulfilled. He declares that the generation of people, who see all these signs fulfilled, will not pass oil the stage of action until all is consummated.

This is the last hour. Time is shorter than you think. I wonder if I have made this subject plain to you. How many believe that according to the prophecies of the Bible, the return of Jesus Christ must be very near? Will you signify by the uplifted hand, please? Yes, I am glad to see that you believe the prophecies of God's word.

Friends, this brings you and me face to face with the most vital issue of all our lives. Are we ready to meet Jesus Christ? Prepare to meet thy God. Get ready to meet the coming King.

Your only hope for the future is to be ready when Jesus comes. Every soul who is not ready will be lost forever. Jesus says, "Be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of man cometh."

Years ago in Ohio a young man committed a terrible crime. He was sentenced to death. His parents begged the governor to go and see the young man and talk with him and try to help him. The governor agreed to go if no announcement was made beforehand about his coming. When the young man saw the governor approaching his cell he said to himself, "Here comes some preacher to bother me, I won't see him."

The governor stepped up to the bars and said, "Good morning, James." But he turned his back and refused to answer. The governor said, "Your friends have been talking to me about you. I have come to see you." "I don't care to talk today." The governor said, "If you knew the importance of my mission, I am sure you would give me an audience." "I don't care to talk, you will do me a favour to go away."

Sometime afterward the guard came by and said, "Well Jim, how did you and the governor come out?" "The governor! You don't mean to tell me that little man who looked like a preacher was the governor of this state?" "Yes, He came to see if he could help you."

A few days later when this young man was led to the gallows, and they put the black cap over his face, he cried out, "Oh what a fool I was. He wanted to help me and I wouldn't let him."

Friend of mine, Jesus wants to help you. He came and died on the cross that you might have eternal life. He is able to save to the uttermost, all who come unto God by Him. He wants to save you. Oh, I hope you will let Him help you tonight. How many are ready to say, "Preacher, I feel my need of being ready to meet Jesus, I want you to pray to Christ to help me to be ready." Will you lift your hands, please? Yes, it seems every hand is raised to God for help.

Let us pray. "Heavenly Father, we thank thee for thy great love in giving Jesus, Thine own dear Son to save us. Help us to accept the wonderful salvation that Thou hast provided. We thank Thee that thou hast shown us so plainly too that Jesus Christ is coming soon. Lord, we want to be ready. The saddest thing that could ever happen to any of us would be if we were found unprepared. We thank Thee, Lord, that thou wilt help us to be ready if we will only look to Thee and receive Jesus into our hearts. Lord, Thou hast seen all these hands that have been raised to Thee for help. O Lord, I do pray that Thou wilt reach down Thy mighty saying arm from heaven into every life here and by Thy saving power make each of us ready to meet Jesus. We ask it in His precious name and for His sake. Amen."

10. The Destiny of the Four Great Powers

Daniel spoke and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea. diverse one from another." This is the reading of Daniel 7:2, 3.

Daniel was standing by the sea shore. He saw the four winds lashing the sea in all their fury. Up from the surging waters came four great monsters one after another. The question naturally arises, What does all this mean? What does the great sea signify? What do those four winds represent? What are those four beasts?

If I should give you my opinion as to what this great sea signifies, what those four winds represent, and who those four beasts are, that would not settle the matter for a certainty. There is only one way to be sure what these items really mean and that is to compare scripture with scripture, and let the Bible declare what these things mean.

We inquire first, what are the four great beasts? I turn to Daniel 7:17: "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth!" Isn't that plain? A child of six or seven years old may understand that.

These four beasts are four kings or four kingdoms that are to arise one after another upon the earth. Notice Daniel 7:23, the words of the angel Gabriel speaking to Daniel: "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth." Think of this for a moment. The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom. You can see, anybody couldn't help but see, that since the fourth beast is the fourth kingdom, the third beast is the third kingdom, and the second beast must be the second kingdom, and the first beast must be the first kingdom. These four beasts represent the first, second, third and fourth world empires of prophecy.

I want you to mark this point well. This is not my opinion or my interpretation. This is God's own interpretation of God's own word. This is why I refuse to have people place a denominational tag on these Bible lectures. The interpretation that these four beasts are four world kingdoms is not a Methodist interpretation; it is not a Baptist interpretation; it is not the Presbyterian interpretation. It is God's own interpretation of His own word.

It is very interesting to note that men use this same principle that God used so long ago. God used certain animals to represent certain powers or nations. Men today are following this principle. They use certain animals to represent certain powers. For example, in the field ok international politics, what does the lion represent today? Tell me right quick. Yea, England. What does the bear represent? Russia. What does the eagle represent? The United States. In the field of national politics in the United States you know what the donkey represents, don't you? You know what the elephant stands for? Listen, if you don't know what the donkey and the elephant stand for, you had better stay away from the polls.

A glance at a cartoon which gives pictures of certain powers under symbols, may more effectively teach a given idea than the reading of many columns of newsprint. I hold in my hand the Des Moines Register of Monday morning of this week, September 23, 1946. I want you to notice a cartoon which appeared just a little over twenty-four hours ago. Everybody knows that Uncle Sam is having a lot of trouble just now in getting along with Russia. We don't know how to do business with Russia. Our statesmen and diplomats are puzzled. The cartoonist depicts this difficulty by Uncle Sam holding a bear by the tail. He doesn't know what to do with the bear. He doesn't dare let go of the tall, for fear it will bite him.

Looking at this cartoon gives you a better idea of the strained relations between the United States and Russia than by reading many columns of newsprint. It puts the idea over.. As the Chinese say, one picture is worth ten thousand words. God knew this long before men ever knew it. Here in Daniel 7 God has used cartoons to depict the history of nations. A glance at these cartoons may give us a better idea than to read volumes of history.

I have a clipping from the Washington Evening Star. An article appeared with the headline, "Lion and Bear Renew Their Ancient Feud." Do you think people understood what this meant? Everybody knew that the lion and bear meant that England and Russia were still in trouble about their rights in the Near East. I come now to the second figure. Remember these four great beasts came up from the great sea. What does this great sea signify? Put down Revelation 17:15 and see how plain this is: "The waters which thou saw ... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations." The Lord couldn't make it any plainer. He says in so many words that the waters represent the peoples of the earth. We still use the same figure. If we see a great audience of ten thousand or fifty thousand, we say, "A great sea of faces." This great sea from which these four beasts came up represents the peoples of the earth.

Now take the third figure. What about those four winds? What does scripture say? In Isaiah 21:1, 2, the wars that the Medes waged against Babylon are compared to winds from the south. In Zechariah 7:14 the wars by which the Jews were scattered all over the earth are compared to a whirlwind. So the four winds represent wars, uprisings, revolutions among the nations.

Thus we have God's own interpretation of these three similitudes. The "four beasts" are four world powers that will arise one after another. The great "sea" is the peoples of the earth. The "four winds" are wars and uprisings among the people.

Notice how strikingly the Master Artist pictures the truth. Daniel was standing by the sea shore. The four winds were lashing the sea in their fury. Up from those surging waters came four great beasts one after another. This is God's way of picturing, that, as a result of wars and upheavals among the people of the earth, four great powers will arise one after another and rule the world.

Let us look at the first cartoon set forth in this seventh chapter of Daniel. I read from Daniel 7:4: "The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings:" (As the speaker read these words from the Bible, a chart depicting this lion was lowered in view of the audience.) What world power does this represent? Put down Jeremiah 50:43, 44, reading: "The king of Babylon bath heard the report of them . . . Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong:" The king of Babylon is compared to a lion.

These four beasts cover the same four kingdoms, the same four world powers, as the four divisions of that composite, metal man of Daniel 2, on which I spoke at the first meeting of this Bible Institute at the Shrine auditorium on Sunday night, September 8. (At this juncture a chart depicting this metal man was lowered.) In Daniel 2 we found that the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron represented the four world powers of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The prophecy of Daniel 2 shows that the fourth kingdom would be followed in due time by the establishment of the everlasting kingdom of God. In Daniel 7:17, 18 the angel explained to Daniel that these four beasts are four kingdoms and that the fourth kingdom would be followed in due time by the establishment of God's everlasting kingdom. On the basis of the mathematical axiom that "things equal to each other are the same thing," it is proven that the four beasts of Daniel 7 represented the same four world empires as the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron of the composite, metal man of Daniel 2.

Hence this first beast represented the kingdom of Babylon. The lion, as the first beast, corresponds exactly to the first division of the composite metal man, the head of gold.

In the British museum there is a stone lion with two wings that was actually dug up from Nebuchadnezzar's palace in Babylon. Babylon thus acknowledged that their empire was the one that God pictured as a lion with two wings.

What is the meaning of those eagle wings on the back of the lion? You can see that this is a cartoon. There never was a real lion that had two wings on its back like an eagle. What do those eagle's wings signify? Here it is. Put down Deuteronomy 28:49. Every point is explained in the Bible. This text used the figure, "As swift as the eagle flies." In Bible symbolism eagle's wings denote swiftness or celerity of movement. This meant that Babylon would come to a position of world dominion in a very short time. This is exactly what happened. Babylon attained a position of world supremacy during the forty-three years of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. In B. C. 690 Babylon was subject to Assyria and was a part of the Assyrian empire. Ninety years later she was mistress of the world. She flew to the supremacy of power as if on eagle's wings. The prophecy of Habakkuk 1:6-8 in describing the conquest of the Babylonians or the Chaldeans says, "They shall fly as the eagle that hastens to eat."

Daniel saw a change come over this lion. I read from Daniel 7:4, "The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it." This pictures the decline of Babylon after the time of Nebuchadnezzar. The glory of ancient Babylon passed away with Nebuchadnezzar. His successors were not brave and aggressive like that great king. The empire made no more conquests. The eagle's wings had been plucked. No longer did he fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. You will recall that when the mysterious handwriting appeared on the wall on the night that Babylon fell, Belshazzar, instead of being lion-hearted, was so weak hearted that his knees smote one against the other. The courage and the boldness of the lion were gone and a man's heart, weak, timorous, and faint had been given to the Babylonian lion.

Notice how graphically, how impressively God pictured the rise and decline of ancient Babylon in a few bold strokes. The wings showed how quickly it would come to world dominion. Then the wings were plucked. There would he no more conquests. The empire would decline. This may give you a better idea of the history of ancient Babylon than if you went to the library and spent weeks pouring over volume after volume of old Babylonian history.

Now we come to the second beast. I read Daniel 7:5: "And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised itself on one side," (and notice) "it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." (As the speaker read this verse, a chart showing this scene was disclosed to the audience.)

This second beast represented the world power that followed Babylon which was Persia. Notice that the second beast, the bear, corresponds exactly to the second division of the composite metal man, the breast and arms of silver. Those three ribs in the mouth of that bear represent the three provinces of Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. They are said to be between the teeth of the bear because those countries were ground down and oppressed by Persia. They are called ribs because those provinces as they were added to the Persian empire greatly strengthened the empire.

Next we come to the third beast. I read from the 6th verse. "After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings," (just twice the number the lion had) "had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to, it." (As this verse was read a chart depicting this scene was lowered in view of the audience.)

This third beast, the leopard, represented the third world power that followed Persia, which was Greece. Notice again, the third beast, the leopard, corresponds exactly to the third division of the composite metal man the sides of brass.

What about those four wings? You can see through this. Since the two wings on the back of the lion meant that Babylon would come to supremacy speedily, the four wings on the back of this swift-footed animal meant that this third power would come to world supremacy in an exceedingly short space of time. This is exactly what happened. The conquest of the world by the Grecians under Alexander is without parallel in ancient history in the swiftness of its accomplishment. Alexander conquered the known world in a military campaign of twelve years,

This leopard had four heads. What does this mean? Within fifteen years after Alexander died his great world empire was divided into four parts, just as you see the four heads upon that Leopard. It was divided among his four leading generals who were known as Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy and Seleucus.

Alexander had dozens of generals. Why didn't his great world empire break up into ten parts, among ten of the generals? Why wasn't it divided into five parts among five generals? Or why not into three parts among three generals? Over two hundred years before this, Bible prophecy had indicated that the leopard with four heads meant that this third kingdom would be divided into four parts. And that is what happened. This shows how the Bible accurately forecasts the future centuries in advance. This is one of the unimpeachable evidences of the authenticity and divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. Thousands of infidels have been converted by the witness of Bible prophecy. As they see how the Bible foretold things centuries ahead, and everything has been fulfilled to the very letter, they are forced to conclude that the Bible comes from a higher source than human, and what could that source be except from the great God of heaven, Who alone knows the future.

Men know that nobody can read the future except God. The fact that the Bible foretells events proves that it is inspired by Him who alone can read the future. Thus it is that we read in 2 Peter 1:21: "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." What else can the honest sceptic do in the face of these prophetic witnesses but admit that the Bible is a true book, the inspired Word of God?

Now we come to the fourth beast. I read from Daniel 7:7. "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns." (As the speaker read this verse, a chart depicting this beast was lowered in view of the audience.)

Daniel was especially excited about this fourth beast. Notice verse 19: "Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet." In verse 23 the angel said that this fourth beast would be the fourth kingdom. This terrible beast represents the fourth world power that followed Greece, which was Rome. The fourth beast corresponds exactly to the fourth division of the composite metal man, the legs of iron.

This beast has ten horns. Mat do they mean? Here it is in verse 24: "The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:" You see God tells us in so many words that those ten horns represented ten kingdoms into which this fourth world power would be divided. History tells us that between A. D. 351 and 483 the Roman empire in the West was divided into ten parts. Those ten kingdoms are the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, the Visigoths, the Suevi, the Alemani, the Burgundians, the Lombards, the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the Vandals. Seven of these are on the map of Europe today under the names of England, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

Daniel noticed a strange movement among these ten horns. An eleventh horn thrust itself up among the ten. This eleventh horn plucked up three of the ten horns by the roots. I read in Daniel 7:8. "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots." (As this was read a little horn appeared among the ten on the chart of this fourth beast.)

Some people have asked why, even though this metal man had ten toes, we still have only seven of those kingdoms left on the map of Europe. It is because this eleventh horn came up and uprooted three of the ten. This is why only seven are on the map of Europe tonight.

Daniel inspects this little horn. He says: "Behold, in this horn were eyes," (not the uncultured eyes of a brute, but the keen, shrewd, intelligent eyes of a man, and more wonderful it had a mouth with which it put forth proud sayings, arrogant claims, and preposterous sayings.) Here is the most remarkable symbol of the entire chapter of Daniel 7. This little horn is the Anti-Christ, who is destined to be a world dictator in the very near future. This is the most important part of the prophecy for you to understand. What power is this? Who is this little horn with eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things? Come back Friday night and we will begin just where we have stopped, and the Bible will tell you.

(Closing Prayer)

Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this prophecy. We thank Thee that the Word of God is true. We know that no man could ever give a book like this that could tell the future beforehand. Help us to believe this Word. At last take us to be with Thee forever. We ask it in His precious name Amen.

11. The Key to Your Bible

(On the third Thursday night of the campaign the weekly Bible class was inaugurated. With this lecture is a copy of the lesson outline, which was mimeographed on punched note sheets and given to each person in attendance at this eleventh meeting. At the bottom of the outline are the Scripture references which the people were asked to fill in on the blank lines, as the lesson was presented. These are numbered according to the respective propositions on which they were used.)

(These Bible lesson outlines, as used for this weekly Bible class, from the third week to the fifteenth week inclusive, are reproduced in this volume on the above basis and in the respective order in which they were presented, in relation to the subjects presented in the sermons. The first two Bible studies are reproduced in full as they were given; the remainder are presented in outline form, with the Scripture references attached and numbered in relation to the propositions in the lessons.)

Since this is Bible class night we want everyone to bring his Bible. If you failed to bring your Bible tonight, be sure and bring it next Thursday night. We will have a count made on Bibles. We hope there will soon be a Bible for every person present. We have 58 Bibles tonight. Let us make it 100 next week, what do you say?

Our first lesson is quite significant, "The Key to Your Bible." This lesson is designed to help you see the great plan that lies back of the 66 books which we call the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God. Notice the first proposition on the lesson outline. "An understanding of the general plan which lies back of the entire Bible becomes a key to admit us into the great truths of the Bible."

If you were making an automobile trip to a certain city you might secure a map on which you would trace your route before you start. This helps you to find the way. In the same manner, by knowing the great central plan of the Bible it helps us to find our way into the truths of the Bible.

Look at the first item under the second proposition. "The first two chapters in the Bible present our world as a new perfect earth." On the blank line fill in Genesis 1:1, 31.

I will ask Mr. Jayne to read these two verses. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Verse 31: "And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

Tell me, in what condition was the earth when God made it? He said that it was "very good." After God had prepared his world as a habitation for man, He surveyed what He had done, and He pronounced it "very good." Not simply good, but very good. It was perfect. It could not be improved upon.

Look at the second item under the second proposition. "The first two chapters in the Bible present-"Man pure and holy, talking with God face to face." On the blank line fill in Genesis 1:26. I will ask Mr. Reynolds to read this text.

"God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

According to this verse God made man in His own image, after His own likeness. God made man pure and holy. Man was able to talk to God face to face.

Notice the third item under the second proposition. "The first two chapters in the Bible present-God's purpose to have a perfect world filled with a perfect number of perfect people with perfect bodies, for their enjoyment of perfect happiness forever!" On the blank line write in Genesis 1:27, 28. We will ask Mr. Felt to read this.

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth!"

There are three words in verse 28 that give us a key which unlocks God's plan for this world-"multiply, replenish, subdue!" Those are the three words which enable us to see what plan God had in mind for this world.

Adam and Eve were perfect and holy. To this holy and perfect pair God said, "multiply." This shows it was God's plan to have this earth inhabited by holy beings just like the first pair. Then God said, "replenish the earth!" The original Hebrew word signifies to fill to the full. It was God's plan to have the right number of people in this earth that would properly fill the world.

Please don't ask me what that number was that God had in mind. I do not know. It doubtless corresponds to the total number of people who will be saved from this world. God's plans are perfect. He never does too little. He never does too much. When He made this earth, He made it the right size according to the number of people He had in mind by whom it was to be inhabited.

Here is an illustration. I hold in my hand a half-pint tin cup. It holds exactly a half pint. If I say, fill this cup to the full with milk, that means to pour into this cup a half pint of milk. If you pour only a quarter of a pint, the cup will not be filled to the full. If you try to pour three-fourths of a pint of milk into this cup, it will run over.

So God's plan was to fill the earth to the full with righteous people. That meant that God had in His mind a certain definite number, a perfect number, just the right number of people to properly fill the earth.

Now notice the last of these three key words. God said, "Subdue." God placed the first pair in this beautiful garden of Eden as their home. Other pairs in due time were to make themselves homes like the one that God gave to Adam and Eve. In other words God's plan was for the entire world to be a perfect paradise in due time, filled up with the perfect number of perfect people. Each one was to have a perfect body and was to enjoy perfect happiness forever. A beautiful plan, wasn't it? A wonderful plan. If God's plan had been carried out. there never would have been any sickness, trouble, war, poverty, sorrow or death in this world. Why wasn't God's plan carried out from the beginning?

Look at the first item under the third proposition. "The third chapter in the Bible (Genesis 3) reveals how Satan led men to disobey God, hoping thereby to wreck God's beautiful plan for our world and man!" On the blank line fill in Genesis 3:17, 19, 23. Mr. White will you read please.

"Unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life." "In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground: for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return." "Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken."

You will notice in the 17th verse that because of man's sin the curse was pronounced. Then came the death sentence, "Dust thou art, and unto dust .shall thou return!" Then He drove Adam and Eve out of the garden. They lost their beautiful Eden home, because of sin.

Look at the second item under the third proposition. "The third chapter reveals-how through Christ, the Son of God, the divine plan for our world will be accomplished in spite of sin!" On the blank line record Genesis 3:15. The devil tried to wreck God's plan, but that plan will be accomplished through Jesus. Mr. Amundson please read the verse.

"I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel!" This promised Seed Who was to redeem man from the power of Satan was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father's only begotten Son.

Notice the first item under the fourth proposition. "The last two chapters in the Bible present-our world as a new perfect world!" On the blank line write Revelation 21:1; 22:3. Mr. Jayne we are back to you again.

"I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea!"

You will notice that the next to the last chapter in the Bible tells how God is going to reconstruct, remake, regenerate this world into a new earth. Let us see what will be the condition of that new earth. Now read Revelation 22:3 "There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him."

It says, "there shall be no more curse!" If God removes the curse of sin, when Me makes this earth new, then what kind of an earth will that new earth be? You tell me. It will be perfect. It will be just as it was in the beginning before sin entered. It will be restored to its Edenic beauty.

Notice the second item under the fourth proposition. "The last two chapters in the Bible present-man pure and holy, talking with God face to face!" On the blank line record Revelation 22:4. Mr. Reynolds, we will hear from you on this verse. "They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads!"

In talking about this New Jerusalem and this new earth where the righteous will live scripture says, "They shall see His face!" Yes, redeemed man will be pure and holy, just like Adam and Eve before they sinned. They will talk with God face to face as Adam and Eve talked with God before they sinned.

Look at the third item under the fourth proposition. "The last two chapters in the Bible present-a perfect world filled with a perfect number of perfect people with perfect bodies, who will enjoy perfect happiness forever and ever!" On the blank line fill in Revelation 21:3, 4. Mr. Felt, we will hear from you on this Scripture.

"I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

In this new earth the people will be perfect. There will be no crying, no sickness, no disease, no sorrow, no death. They will have perfect immortal bodies in which they will enjoy perfect happiness. Think of the first two chapters of the Bible, and then the last two chapters and note how God's plan is to be accomplished.

Look at the fifth proposition. "The Bible then is the unfolding of God's plan through Christ for the gathering out of this world an obedient people, to live forever in a perfect world." (John 3:16.)

Notice the sixth proposition. "The Bible has been given as man's Guidebook to this heavenly home." (Psalm 119:105.) This Scripture says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Look at the seventh statement. "The third chapter from the beginning of the Bible, or Genesis 3, marks the entrance of sin, sorrow, and death, the pronouncing of the curse, the first glimpse of Satan, and man driven from Eden.

Now notice the eighth statement. "The third chapter from the close of the Bible, or Revelation 20, marks the exit of sin, sorrow and death, the removal of the curse, and the last glimpse of Satan, and man led back into Eden."

(At this juncture three slides were thrown on the screen to show how wonderfully the Bible traces out the plan of God for our world.)

Genesis 1 and 2, the first two chapters in the Bible, open the story with a new earth, everything perfect, man pure and holy, talking with God face to face. Then Revelation 21 and 22, the last two chapters of God's Book, close the story with a new earth again, everything perfect, and those who accept Jesus Christ, pure, holy, talking to God face to face.

Genesis 3, the third chapter from the beginning, marks the entrance of sin, sorrow, death, the curse pronounced, the first glimpse of Satan, man driven from Eden. The third chapter from the end of the Bible, Revelation 20, marks the exit of sin, sorrow, death, the curse removed, the last glimpse of Satan, and man led back into Eden.

(A large chart was then lowered into view on which God's plan for our world was traced out in harmony with the description which follows.)

Genesis 1 and 2 tells how the kingdom of God was inaugurated in the garden of Eden. Then comes the fall of man. The entrance of sin is recorded in the third chapter of Genesis. Notice when man disobeyed God the kingdom was lost through sin. Then the Bible picks up the story, beginning with Genesis 3, and from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20, it tells how the kingdom is to be restored. Then in Revelation 21 and 22 we have the kingdom restored in the New Jerusalem and in the new earth.

This chart reveals that if man had never sinned, he would have always walked in the way of holiness. He would have always enjoyed the kingdom of God. But when man sinned, he took the downward path, the way of disobedience. This way of disobedience ends in hell. If people keep on the path of disobedience, they will end in the lake of fire or in hell, as traced out upon this chart.

Here is something that is very important. After the fall men began to walk the way of disobedience. But in due time Jesus came. Do you see the cross set up along the way? Jesus came to take men off the way of disobedience and put them on the way of holiness that leads into the New Jerusalem. You will notice how graphically this is illustrated here. The way of holiness leads from the cross into the New Jerusalem and the new earth where the kingdom will be restored.

Here is a very special point. Do you see this little door at the foot of the cross? Jesus said in John 10:9, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." It is only through Jesus that you can get off the way to hell and get on the path to heaven. He is the way. John 14:6 He says, "I am the way." There is no other. Acts 4:12 says, "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Friends, the big question is, Have you accepted Him? There are only two ways for travellers in the journey of life from the cradle to the grave. There is the way of disobedience that ends in hell, and the way of holiness that leads to the New Jerusalem. Friend of mine, which of these ways are you travelling? You are bound to be on one way or the other tonight. There is no third route. Words can never express how thankful I am that I made my decision to accept Jesus Christ and take the cross and follow the blessed Saviour all the way. I thank Jesus that He took me off the way of disobedience and put me in the way of holiness.

You may talk against Billy Sunday all you want to, but it was in one of Billy Sunday's meetings that Mr. Shuler stepped off the way of disobedience into the way of holiness.

How many with me want to bear a silent testimony of thanks to Jesus Christ for leading you to accept Him and putting you on the way of holiness? Would you raise your hands just now? Yes, I'm glad to see every hand raised! I want to thank Jesus for doing that for me. I wonder if there is one here tonight who has never received Jesus as his personal Saviour? Would you like to have us pray for you that you would receive Him? Do I see a hand? Is there one here who has never accepted Jesus and wants us to pray for you that you will receive Him? I am glad that we all have accepted Him.

Look at the ninth proposition. "In this new world the redeemed will have real bodies, life will be as real as it was with Adam at creation." On the blank line record Isaiah 65:17, 21-25. Mr. Mite it is your turn to read.

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyard., and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, said the Lord."

Notice how real life will be in heaven. In the kingdom of God we will have real bodies; we will live in real houses; and we will eat real food. I thank God it is real. It is not visionary; it is not fanciful; it's real.

Notice the tenth proposition.
(a) "This new earth will see the time when the will of God will be done in earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10.)
(b) When the meek will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5.)
(c) When the knowledge of God will cover all the earth. as the waters cover the sea. (Hebrews 2:14.)
(d) When Christ will reign forever on David's throne. (Luke 1:31-33, Isaiah 9:6, 7.)
(e) When the promised inheritance will be bestowed upon Abraham and his seed. (Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:39.) These are references you can look up when you go home. They will help you.

Notice the eleventh proposition. "God invites every soul to have eternal happiness in His eternal plan, by choosing to obey His Son Christ Jesus." (John 3:16; Revelation 22:17.)

"The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Look at the twelfth statement. "Each person decides his own fate for eternity by whether or not he decides to obey the Lord!" (Isaiah 1:19, 20.) This is why it is so important to make your decision to obey God. Your fate depends on whether or not you decide to obey God. Isaiah 1:19, 20 says, "If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

Here is God's proposition. He says, if you will be willing and obedient to Me, I will give you a home in this glorious new world where you will eat the good of the land forever. But if you refuse to obey My commandments and rebel against My word, then you will be devoured with the sword. It is up to us. Which way will we take? I don't see how anyone could help but choose the first one. Surely none of us wants the Lord, to destroy him. Why shouldn't we decide to be willing and obedient to God?

How many by the help of God do want to choose the first proposition, you want to be willing and obedient to God that you may live forever in His wonderful kingdom? May I see your hands? Yes, it seems that every hand is raised. (Prayer)

Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this beautiful lesson from Thy word. Tonight we have received a new glimpse of Thy great plan. We thank Thee for this great group of people who love the Bible and who are here to night to earnestly search in its pages. Dear Lord, we pray that the Word of God will indeed be that light that will lead us along step by step until we come to the great city of light and live with Thee forever. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

LESSON I - THE KEY TO YOUR BIBLE

1. An understanding of the general plan which lies back of the entire Bible becomes a sort of key to admit us into the great truths of the Bible.

2. The first two chapters in the Bible present-
(a) Our world as a new perfect earth.
(b) Man pure and holy and talking with God face to face.
(c) God's purpose to have a perfect world filled with a perfect number of perfect people with perfect bodies, for their enjoyment of perfect happiness forever.

3. The third chapter reveals-
(a) How Satan led man to disobey God, hoping thereby to wreck God's beautiful plan for our world and man
(b) How through Christ, the Son of God, the divine plan for our world will be accomplished in spite of sin

4. The last two chapters in the Bible present-
(a) Our world as a new perfect world.
(b) Man pure and holy, and talking with God face to face.
(c) A perfect world filled with a perfect number of perfect people with perfect bodies, who will enjoy perfect happiness forever and ever.

5. The Bible then is the unfolding of God's plan through Christ for the gathering out from this world an obedient people, to live forever in a perfect world (John 3:16.)

6. The Bible has been given as man's guidebook to this heavenly home (Psalm 119:105.)

7. The third chapter from the beginning of the Bible, or Genesis 3 marks the entrance of sorrow, and death, the pronouncing of the curse, the first glimpse of Satan, a d man driven from Eden.

8. The third chapter from the close of the Bible, or Revelation 20, marks the exit of sin, sorrow and death, the removal of the curse, and the last glimpse of Satan, and man led back into Eden.

9. In this new world the redeemed will have real bodies, life will be as real, as it was with Adam at creation.

10. This new earth will bring the time-
(a) When the will of God will be done in earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10.)
(b) When the meek will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)
(c) When the knowledge of God will cover all the earth, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14.)
(d) When Christ will reign forever on David's throne. (Luke 1:31-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7.)
(e) When the promised inheritance will be bestowed upon Abraham and his seed. (Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:29.)

11. God invites every soul to have eternal happiness in His eternal plan, by choosing to obey His Son Christ Jesus. (John 3:16; Revelation 22:17.)

12. Each of us decides our own fate for eternity by whether or not we decide to obey the Lord. (Isaiah 1:19, 20.)
(2a) Genesis 1:1, 31;
(2b) Genesis 1:26;
(2c) Genesis 1:27, 28;
(3a) Genesis 3:17, 19, 23;
(3b) Genesis 3:15;
(4a) Revelation 21:1; 22:3;
(4b) Revelation 22:4;
(4c) Revelation 21:3, 4.
(9) Isaiah 65:17, 21-25.

12. Who Is the Antichrist?

The day is fast approaching when every person will have to decide whether he will obey Jesus Christ or Antichrist. The Bible plainly shows that every soul will finally be brought to the place where he will either choose to obey Jesus Christ and be saved forever, or he will obey Antichrist and be lost forever. The purpose of this Bible lecture is to let the Bible speak and show who is the Antichrist and how we can take our stand for Jesus Christ.

Many people have a wrong understanding of this word Antichrist. This word Antichrist is composed of two Greek words, "Anti" and "christos." Some people think that the word "anti" in this case of the Antichrist means against Christ, just as Anti-Cigarette League means a league against the use of cigarettes. It is true that the word "anti" in some cases means against, but in the case of Antichrist the word "anti" means in the place of, or in the room of. This Greek preposition "anti" is used as a separate word twenty times in the New Testament and in every case except five it means in place of, or in the room of. For instance the Bible talks about an eye for an eye.

Antichrist will appear as a Christian power acting for Jesus Christ. Antichrist will have Christian names, Christian forms. In fact this power will claim to he the only true church of Jesus Christ. But it will be Satan's masterful counterfeit. Here it is set forth in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.

"Let no man deceive you by any means. for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Notice Antichrist will claim to be God on earth, and he will sit in the temple of God. He will sit in the church and set himself forth as God. Antichrist will claim to do the work of Christ. He will claim to hold the place of Christ on earth. He will claim to speak for Christ, but in reality he is Satan's counterfeit for Christ.

Tell me, how does a counterfeiter work? If some criminal wants to make counterfeit ten-dollar bills and pass them off on people, what does he do? Does he print those ten-dollar bills on pieces of brown paper? O, no! There isn't anybody in the United States that would be fooled by a piece of brown paper as being a ten-dollar bill. What does he do?

He makes those counterfeit ten-dollar bills just as nearly as he can like the genuine ones that are issued in the Bureau of Engraving in Washington, D. C. The more nearly he can make his counterfeits look like the genuine ten dollar bills, the more people he can fool. Never forget, the devil is the master counterfeiter. That is the way he works in religion.

Put down 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15. "No marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." The more the devil can make his doctrines look like God's doctrine the more people he can fool with his counterfeit system.

You can know now that Antichrist is the greatest counterfeit of Christianity that the world has ever known. In fact it is such a master counterfeit that all the people in the world will be deceived by that system excepting a few people who really follow God. Here it is in the Bible. This is really shocking.

But listen, it is time to tell the truth. It is time to get the facts. Put down Revelation 13:8. It is speaking here about that beast power against which the third-angel's message warns people. Speaking here of that beast power, it says, "And all," (not just a few) "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." This shows us that the entire world will be deceived by this Antichrist except a few people who really follow God. That is why it is so important that we understand this subject for ourselves.

Every person who doesn't know the real truth for himself will be deceived. Put down Matthew 24:24, 25. Jesus said, "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Notice that those deceptions will be so strong that they will almost deceive the elect. Why will not the elect be deceived? The 25th verse of this 24th chapter of Matthew tells. Jesus say, "Behold, I have told you before." To be forewarned is to be forearmed. In the Bible Christ has forewarned us of these coming deceptions. That is why it is so important to know for yourself what the Bible teaches. The Bible unmasks these great deceptions that will take the world captive. Plan not to miss a single lecture at this Bible Institute.

There is so much in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation about the Antichrist, that I can explain only a small part of it in this lecture. In Revelation 13 God tells us that the number of the Antichrist is three 6's, 666. Listen. Some night, I will have that man's name hanging up here on a chart in 5 inch letters. When you count it, it will be exactly what God said it would be 666. This Antichrist has a mark which the Scripture calls the Mark of the Beast. He will attempt to impose that mark on every person.

Some night in the very near future behind closed doors I will let the Bible tell you what the Mark of the Beast is. Tickets will be free. There will be no charge to get in, but you can't get in without a ticket. The tickets will be offered free a week beforehand. This coming Sunday night I will show from Bible prophecy when the time came for God's special message for the last days to go forth, which will restore all these truths that Antichrist has taken away.

I want to let the Word of God tear off the mask of the Antichrist and show who he is. The mask must be torn off from the Antichrist, or you will not know who he is because he is so cleverly masked in Christian forms,. But remember that I do this with the utmost love to all.

The Bible shows there are three aspects of the Antichrist. There is the Antichrist of the past, the Antichrist of the present, and the Antichrist of the future. Antichrist is set forth in Daniel 7 under the symbol of a little horn with the eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. You will recall that on Tuesday night at this Bible Institute I gave a lecture on Daniel's vision of the four great beasts from the raging sea. We found that the first beast, the Lion, symbolized the empire of ancient Babylon. The bear with three ribs in his mouth was a symbol of the dual monarchy of Medo-Persia. The leopard with four heads and four wings was a figure of the Grecian empire. The terrible nondescript beast with ten horns was a symbol of the empire of Rome.

We found in Daniel 7:24 that those ten horns represented the ten kingdoms that were to arise out of the empire of Rome. We further discovered that these ten kingdoms came into existence on the map of Western Europe between 351 A. D. and 483 A. D.

Now I turn to Daniel 7:8 and read about this little horn: "I considered the horns, and behold there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."

He tells us that this little horn came up among the ten and plucked up three of the original ten by the roots. Now the question to which you want the answer is, who is this power with eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things? All you need to do is to read closely Daniel 7. Note the specifications given regarding this power, and then find the power that fulfils the specifications.

Daniel 7 shows that this little horn or Antichrist will operate in the realm of religion. This 7th chapter of Daniel also shows that this power will arise out of the ruins of the ancient Roman empire. Notice again as I direct your attention back to this 8th verse which I just read. Daniel 7:8, "I considered the horns and behold there came up among them," (among the ten,) "another little horn." This little horn arose among the ten. Those ten horns represented the ten kingdoms of Western Europe. Since this little horn arose among the ten, this shows that it represents some power that will come up in Western Europe. Hence the territory of Western Europe is where we must look for the little horn power or Antichrist development.

Now look at Daniel 7:24. "The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise and another," (referring to this little horn) "and another shall rise after them;" This little horn came up after the ten were already in existence. These ten horns as covered by the ten kingdoms of Western Rome came into existence from 351 A. D. to 483 A. D. Since this little horn came up after the ten, this shows it is some power that will come to its supremacy after 483 A. D.

Put the specifications together and what do you have? You have this. This little horn, the Antichrist, is some religious system which arose in Western Europe after 483 A. D. and gained the supremacy over the nations. What power was this? There was only one power, not two, there's only one power that has ever been known in history that answers to these three specifications of Daniel 7, and that power is the Papal power.

This little horn plucked up three of those ten horns by the roots. So we find that in connection with the rise of the Papacy three of the original ten kingdoms of Western Rome were destroyed. Those three were: The Heruli in 493 A. D.; the Vandals in 534 A. D.; and the Ostrogoths in 538 A. D.

This prophecy of Daniel 7 foretold how long this little-horn power or Antichrist would continue in power after he began to rule. You will notice Daniel 7:25: "He shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

This little-horn power is to continue in power for a time, times, and the dividing of time. You say, "That sounds pretty mysterious, Mr. Shuler.11 Yes, it does if you have not compared the Scriptures on this point. If you will read Revelation 12:6, 14 you will find that the Bible actually tells us that this time, times, and dividing of time is a period of 1260 days.

The Bible also shows us that in prophecy a day represents a year. Just as a beast represents a power or nation, a day in prophecy represents a year. You will find this in Ezekiel 4:6. God revealed two prophetic periods to Ezekiel. After He revealed these periods to him, He told him that He was to count each day as a, year. This Papal power was to continue in power for 1260 days or 1260 years.

The time of this Papal supremacy began in 538. So if you will add 1260 to 538 when the Papal supremacy began, what do you have? You have 1798. Do you know what happened then? In 1798 on the 10th day of February a French army entered the city of Rome and took the Pope prisoner and carried him back to France where he died in captivity. He continued in power for a time, times, and a dividing of time just as the Bible had prophesied. The Bible foretells that this Papal power is to be restored to power again In the last days, and in the closing scenes of earth's history will dominate the world once more.

Notice three items which this Antichrist was to do. God gives the specifications here. I read from Daniel 7:25: "He shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws." This power is to speak great words against God. Has the Papal power done this? I want to read to you some of the Catholic teachings regarding the power of the Pope. I read from the Catholic National of July, 1895.

"The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under the veil of the flesh."

I want you to think of this. They claim that the Pope is Jesus Christ Himself in human flesh.

I haven't anything against the Pope as a man. I have no personal animosity against any Catholic. Every Catholic has as much right to his religion as I have to mine. There are just as good people in the Catholic Church as there are in any other church. Nothing that I say here tonight is aimed at any Catholic or even against the Pope as a man personally. I am merely preaching what the Bible says and showing wherein the Papal system has fulfilled the prophecy of the Holy Scriptures.

Scripture declares that this power would speak great words against God. I have read their own claim, where they say that the Pope is Jesus Christ Himself in human flesh. No matter how wise the Pope is; no matter how good he is, he can't take the place of Jesus Christ for me. As a Protestant, as a believer in the Bible, as a lover of the Lord Jesus Christ, I protest with all my heart against any teaching that puts a mere man in the place of Jesus Christ. (Large number of amens heard.)

I read from Ferrari's Ecclesiastical Dictionary, a standard Catholic work which deals at length with the power of the Pope.

"The pope is so great in dignity and so exalted that he is not mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God."

Think of this! They claim that the pope is not mere man, but he is God on earth. As a protestant, as one who loves God, I cannot help but protest against any teaching that would take a mere man and make him God on earth.

The pope claims to be the Vicar of Christ. Do you know that in claiming to be the vicar of Christ he actually admits that he is Antichrist? Antichrist is a Greek word. Vicar is an English word. Antichrist translated into English is vice-Christ or vicar of Christ. And vicar of Christ put into Greek is Antichristos or Antichrist. Just think of it! By claiming to be the vicar of Christ he actually pleads at the bar of the world that he is the Antichrist.

Notice this next clause in Daniel 7:25, "He shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High." Has the Papacy done this? During the Dark Ages millions of saints were put to death by popish persecutors. I read from Dr. William Edward Lecky from his book Rationalism in Europe, Vol. 2, Part 2, Chap. 4, pp. 40, 41, revised edition. "That the church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a complete knowledge of history." Yes, they have worn out the saints of the most High. This was the time of which Isaac Watts sang,

"Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease;
While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?"

Yes, millions sealed their testimony with their blood in the Dark Ages when this power ruled supreme.

Notice the third item in Daniel 7:25. It says, "He shall think to change times and law." Has the Papacy done this? I have two charts here that I think will make this so plain that nobody will miss seeing it. I have a chart giving the Ten Commandments as they were spoken by the Lord Himself in Exodus 20:3-17. Then here is another chart which lists the Ten Commandments as they are given in the Catholic catechism, as they are taught by the Catholic Church. Now please compare the two and see for yourself.

God said, he will think to change the law* of God. Let us read the 1st commandment of God: "Thou shall have no other gods before Me." The first commandment according to the Catholic catechism is, "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall have no strange God's before me." This is essentially the same as it was given by the Lord.

Notice the second commandment as God gave it: "Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:" Look now at the second commandment according to the Catholic catechism as taught by the Catholic Church: "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." Tell me, does this second commandment in the Catholic catechism correspond in any way with the second commandment as given by God? No, it does not.

The second commandment, as given in the Catholic catechism agrees with the third commandment as God gave the commandments. The third commandment according to the ten as given by God is: "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." This corresponds to the second commandment as given in the Catholic catechism. Tell me what have they done with the second commandment about not bowing down to graven images? They have wiped the second commandment out completely from the list of God's precepts. Yes he has thought to change times and the law.

We read now the fourth commandment as given by the Lord in the Bible: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shall not do any work." Then He tells us that the reason is because "in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Notice the third commandment according to papal authority. "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day." Don't you see how they have changed the Sabbath commandment? God's particular to tell us which day is the Sabbath. He tells us that the seventh day of the week on which He rested is the Sabbath for man. He says that He has hallowed or set apart the seventh day for man because on that day He rested after He had made the world in six days.

In the Ten Commandments as taught by the Catholic Church it simply says, "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day." They have left out all the part that refers to the seventh day. In fact there is no certain day specified. They changed that Sabbath commandment to make it apply to any day they wish to select. And believe it or not, millions have followed this Catholic power in this change without being aware of it. God's message for the last days will bring light on this question so men will know how to be true to God.

Next we read the fifth commandment of the Lord: "Honour thy father and thy mother:" The fourth in the papal list agrees with that exactly: "Honour thy father and thy mother."

God's sixth commandment is, "Thou shall not kill." The fifth in the papal list is in accord with this.

God's seventh precept says, "Thou shall not commit adultery." The sixth in the list as given in the Catholic catechism is identical with this.

The eighth commandment says, "Thou shall not steal." The seventh in the Catholic catechism agrees with this.

The ninth commandment ­ "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour" - is identical in both lists.

But watch! The tenth commandment of God says, "Thou shall not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shall not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor anything that is thy neighbour's." The ninth in the Catholic list reads, "Thou shall not covet thy neighbour's wife. Then the tenth in the Catholic list says, "Thou shall not covet thy neighbour's goods."

Do you see where they got into trouble? Having done away with the second one, they only had nine left. They couldn't call it Ten Commandments and only have nine, so they cut the tenth one in two, to make up for the one they left out. Yes, "He shall think to change the times and the law of God."

Now I have a plain question for you. I think I know your answer in advance. Do you think they had any right to change God's Ten Commandments? What do you say? (Many No's heard.) God has positively forbidden man to change one word of these Ten Commandments.

Here it is. Put down Deuteronomy 4:2 and Matthew 5:17, 18.

In Deuteronomy 4:2 He says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord." Then Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, 18: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

Here is another question that we need to think through. What shall we do about this? Shall we keep God's commandments as they have been changed by the Catholic power? or shall we keep the commandments as God has given them and as they are recorded in the holy Scriptures?

"Keep me true, Lord, true to You,
Keep me true, Lord, true to You;
May all I say or strive to do,
Prove dear Lord that I am true to You."

Friends, I want God to help me to be true to Him. There is only one way we can be true to the Lord and that is to receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ. There is only one person who has ever been born into this world who has never committed a single sin and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.

He offered Himself as a lamb without spot. By His sinless life and atoning death He has provided a perfect righteousness for all who will receive Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read: "He bath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Just think of it! Jesus actually offers to take all your sins on Himself and give you back His perfect righteousness in exchange for your sins. This is the best deal that you can ever make.

Suppose there was a man who had no other clothes but a soiled, threadbare, ragged suit. A kind friend offers him a new, nice-fitting suit of the best material in exchange for his worthless suit. Would it take him long to decide what to do? No! He would make that exchange in a second. Why don't we just as quickly decide to give up all our sins to Jesus Christ and receive from Him righteousness and have all our sins covered by His spotless life? How many want to be remembered in prayer tonight that all your sins may be covered with the righteousness of Jesus? Will you lift the hand just now? Yes, it seems that every hand is raised.

(Prayer)

Blessed Lord Jesus, we do thank Thee that Thou didst give Thyself without spot for us. We thank Thee that Thou didst stand every test. We thank Thee that we can have Thy righteousness by faith. Our righteousness is like filthy rags. Tonight, O Lord, we want to give up every sin to Jesus and just take from Him His own righteousness. Grant that every soul here may be complete in Christ by taking His righteousness, and know the power of that blessed righteousness for righteous living day by day until He comes, then we may be ready to meet Him and go to be with Him forever. We ask in His precious name. Amen.

13. In-fidelity Challenged, Refuted and Silenced

There isn't anybody in the world with a sound mind who doubts that 2 and 2 equal 4. In fact if a man did doubt it, he could very quickly prove it to himself. I hold two books in my right hand and I have two books in my left hand. If I put these two books together, you can see it makes four books; 2 and 2 do equal 4.

Listen to me. There is a prophecy in Daniel which shows that just as surely as 2 and 2 make 4, just so surely the Bible is the true inspired Word of God and Jesus Christ is the true and only Saviour. Put down Daniel 9:24: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."

These are the words of the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. He told him that seventy weeks were allotted to Daniel's people or the Jews as their special day of opportunity. "Seventy-weeks are determined upon thy people."

The question naturally arises, "When does this period of seventy weeks begin? The very next verse gives us the starting point of the seventy weeks. Put down Daniel 9:25. "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks."

Gabriel declares that seven weeks, three score and two weeks, from the going forth of a certain commandment or decree for the restoration of Jerusalem will reach to the time when the Messiah will appear among men at His first advent. Does the Bible tell us when this decree went forth for the restoration of Jerusalem? Yes, it does.

There are two certain books in the Old Testament, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, that are devoted to the story of the restoration of Jerusalem after it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in B. C. 606. Put down Ezra 6:14. It reads, "The elders of the Jews built," (that is they rebuilt Jerusalem,) "and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment," (listen now,) "the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia."

Three Persian kings acted a part in issuing the decree for the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem. In B. C. 538 Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a decree providing for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple at Jerusalem. Darius, king of Persia, reaffirmed this decree in B. C. 519. Then in B. C. 457 Artaxerxes Longimanus issued a decree providing for the restoration of the Jewish state at Jerusalem.

In Ezra 7:7-9 we learn that Artaxerxes issued this decree in the seventh year of his reign. History very clearly shows that the seventh year of Artaxerxes was B. C. 457. By a close study of the seventh chapter of E= we learn that this decree of Artaxerxes went forth in the autumn of B. C. 457. We are ready now to drive down the first stake. This banner says, "Autumn of B. C. 457, the beginning of the seventy-weeks."

(At this juncture a banner was lowered before the audience on which these words appeared in four inch letters. Seven other banners with inscriptions marking the various steps in the computation of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9:24 and the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 were lowered, as the speaker came to these respective points in his lecture.)

Gabriel declares that seven weeks, and three score and two weeks will reach from the going forth of this commandment to restore Jerusalem unto the time when the Messiah appears among men. Tell me quickly, How much is seven weeks, three score and two weeks? A score is 20. Three score is 60, 7 and 60 and 2 equals 69. How many days are there in 69 weeks? How many days in one week? Seven. If you want to know how many days there are in 69 weeks, you must multiply 69x7 and the result is 483.

We must remember that we are dealing with prophetic days and prophetic weeks. In the Bible God has plainly shown to us that in prophecy we must count a day as a year. You will find this in your Bible in Ezekiel 4:6. God revealed certain prophetic periods to Ezekiel and then He told him that when he computed those periods he was to reckon each day as a year. "I have appointed thee," He says, "each day for a year."

This means that 69 weeks or 483 days in prophecy must be reckoned as 483 literal years. Now we will look at our measuring line. Unto the Messiah shall be 7 weeks (or 49 years,) three score and two weeks (or 434 years,) or unto the Messiah shall be 69 weeks (or 483 years) from the time the decree went forth in the autumn of B. C. 457 for the restoration of Jerusalem. Four hundred eighty-three years from the autumn of B. C. 457, when that decree went forth for the restoration of Jerusalem, reached to the autumn of A. D. 27, the time when the Messiah was to appear according to Daniel 9:25.

Here's the way you can prove this.. Four hundred fifty-six full years from the autumn of B. C. 457 reaches to the autumn of A. D. 1. If you subtract 456 from 483, the answer is 27. This would be A. D. 27.

Did the Messiah appear in the autumn of A. D. 27? It was prophesied over 500 years beforehand that 483 years from the going forth of that decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B. C. would reach to the time when the Messiah would appear to men. Did this come true? I will give you some references. In John 1:41 we learn that the word Messiah signifies "the Anointed One." In Acts 10:38 we are told that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost. Jesus is God's anointed one. He is the Messiah, and God anointed Him with the Holy Ghost. You know without my even telling you that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost at His baptism. Put down Luke 3:21, 22. He was anointed with the Holy Ghost when He was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan.

Did the baptism of Jesus Christ take place in A. D. 27, sixty-nine weeks from the going forth of that decree to restore Jerusalem in the autumn of B. C. 457? Put down Luke 3:1, 21, 22. There you find that the Bible shows us that Christ was baptized in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, a Roman Emperor. Tiberius Caesar began to reign jointly with his step-father, Augustus Caesar in A. D. 12. Thus the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar was A. D. 27. Jesus Christ appeared as the Messiah exactly at the end of 69 weeks from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, as Daniel had prophesied over five hundred years beforehand. Now we drive down our second stake. "Autumn of A. D. 27, Messiah begins His work."

If you had been standing on the bank of the river Jordan in the autumn of A. D. 27, you would have seen a crowd on the bank of the river. There is a man in the river baptizing people. Now we see a man of outstanding, pure, and noble countenance press His way through the crowd. He walks into the river where John the Baptist is baptizing people. He says, "I should like you to baptize Me." John the Baptist recognizes that he is in the presence of a superior being, a superior person. John the Baptist replies, "No, I ought not to baptize You; You baptize me." Then the man says, "Suffer it to be so now for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness."

Isn't this a wonderful lesson to you and me? The perfect Son of God didn't leave anything off that God wants man to do. John took this Man and laid Him back in the water, and as He raised Him up from the water the heavens opened, and the Holy Ghost came down and rested upon Him as the Father's voice proclaimed, "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased." John turned to the people and said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world."

Have you ever noticed the significance of the first words used by Jesus in His preaching? You will find these in Mark 1:14, 15. He said, "The time is fulfilled. Repent you and believe the gospel." Jesus knew the prophecies. He had inspired the prophets to write them. The time was fulfilled. The 69th week had expired. It was the set time for the Messiah to appear. When God's great clock struck the end of the 69th week, the Messiah appeared.

Here's a question for the infidel. If the Bible is only the product of men's minds, as infidels claim, how could any man, of himself, foretell 565 years beforehand the exact year when Jesus Christ would be baptized and appear as the Messiah? Man cannot accurately foretell the future even one day ahead. The wisest of men observed this. He says in Proverbs 27:1, "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knows not what a day may bring forth."

Yet here is a book that actually foretold 565 years ahead in Daniel 9:25, the year when the Messiah would appear. Doesn't this show that this must be the inspired word of that great God Who alone knows the future? Yes! As Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Every Bible reader knows that the very moment Christ died on the cross, the moment He said, "It is finished," the veil in the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. This showed that the entire ceremonial system that God gave the Jews: was brought to an end by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Daniel 9:26 tells what was to happen in the middle of this seventieth week. I read: "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst," (note that word,) "in the midst," or the middle of the week. That is in the middle of this seventieth week, "He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." If you cut a week into two equal parts, tell me how much will you have in each half? You will have three and one-half days. There are seven days in the week and if you cut a week exactly in the middle, you will have three and one-half days in each of the equal parts.

Now we come to another one of our measuring rods. One-half of the seventieth week on the basis of the year-day principle would be 3.5 years. The sixty-ninth week ended, as you have seen, in A. D. 27. If you add 3.5 years to the autumn of A. D. 27, it brings you to the spring of A. D. 31. Now we drive down our third stake. "In the spring of A. D. 31 the Messiah puts an end to the sacrificial system by offering Himself as the Lamb of God. At this very time Jesus was crucified and caused the sacrificial system to end, by becoming the great sacrifice for sin.

There are four texts in the Bible which when put together actually show that it was foreshadowed 568 years, beforehand how the Messiah would die, the very year, the month, the day, and the exact hour, if you please, that He would be cut off.

In Psalm 22:16 it was foretold that He would die by crucifixion. "They pierced My hands and My feet."

In Daniel 9:26, 27 it was foretold that He would be cut off in the middle of the seventieth week. This figures out to be the spring of A. D. 31.

In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul declares that "Christ our Passover is slain for us." He is the true pascal lamb.

In Exodus 12:6 we find that the Passover lamb was slain on the 14th day of the 1st Jewish month at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Now just put them together. It means the Messiah was to be crucified and die in the spring of A. D. 31 on the 14th day of the first Jewish month at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. And that is exactly what happened. He was nailed to the cross on the 14th day of the first Jewish month, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon He gave up the ghost as He said, "It is finished." Think of it! Five hundred sixty-eight years beforehand the Bible foretold how He would die, the year, the month, the day, and the exact hour.

Now comes the challenge to the infidel. Where is the infidel that can tell 568 years beforehand the year, the month, and the exact hour that something is going to happen? This is a challenge that no infidel ever has answered or ever can answer. The fact that the Bible did foretell this shows it to be the inspired word of the God of heaven Who knows the future. Infidelity is challenged, refuted, and silenced by the prophecy of Daniel 9.

You can be just as sure that Jesus Christ is the true Saviour, as that 2 and 2 make 4. Listen to me. Just as you take 2 and 2 and add them together and find it equals 4, you can take your pencil and by the same law of mathematical computation, according to Daniel, find for an absolute certainty that Jesus Christ is the One Who appeared as the Messiah at the end of the sixty nine weeks from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. O, think what a sure basis we have for our faith in Jesus Christ!

"How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!"

What does all this mean to you and me? It means just what you read in Acts 4:12 and John 8:24. It means that there is no other name whereby you can be saved except the name of Jesus. It means, as Jesus said, "Except you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins and perish." It means, friends, that the only wise course, the only safe way, the only right thing for you and me is to make sure that we receive Him as our personal Saviour.

Did you notice how the love of God for your soul is revealed in the prophecy of Daniel 9? Put down Daniel 9:26. I read: "After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself." O, how the love of God is revealed in those three words, "not for Himself!" Jesus Christ never did anything for which He deserved to die. Pilate, the judge who tried Him and sentenced Him to death, said three times over, "Behold I have found no fault in this man." He died, but not for Himself. He was cut off, but not for Himself. He died for you; He died for me. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone aside to his own way, but the Lord laid on this wonderful Lamb of God the iniquity of us all.

As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." O, friends, think of this wonderful gospel! God actually takes your sins and charges them up against Jesus Christ's account. Then He takes the perfect life of Jesus Christ and credits you with that. O, such a wonderful gospel! The wonderful love of God.

Go back with me a little over nineteen hundred years ago to a little hill just outside of Jerusalem. There are three crosses raised on Golgotha's brow. Tell me if you will, Who is this One on the middle cross? You say, it is just a man named Jesus. No, the Man on that middle cross is the very Son of God Himself. The fact that it was the Son of God who died on the middle cross proves there is no other way to be saved except by the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God's one and only and all-sufficient remedy for sin.

The next question is most vital. What have you done about the death of this Son of God on the cross? I hope you will bow before that cross tonight, and say, "Lord, I'll take the cross and follow all the way."

Mr. Gladstone, the great English statesman, was once asked, "What is the greatest question before the people of England today?" His friends thought he would discuss the relative importance of various political issues. Mr. Gladstone quietly said, "The supreme question before every person in England today is the relation of his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ." I believe Mr. Gladstone was exactly right. The supreme question before every soul is, What shall I do with this Jesus who is called the Christ? If you accept Him, you gain everything. If you reject them, you lose everything.

Suppose you fell into a deep lake and couldn't swim. You are sinking for the last time. A man plunges in and rescues you. Wouldn't you have some feeling in your heart toward that man? Wouldn't you want to show your appreciation? Jesus Christ has done far more than save you from drowning in any lake. He died to save you from everlasting destruction in hell. Don't you love Jesus for what He has done for you? O, I am sure that you want God to help you to follow this wonderful Jesus.

"Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
Who can compare with thee; Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
Fairer than all art Thou to me.
Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
O how my soul loves thee; Fairer than all the fairest
Jesus art Thou to me."

We turn now to the remaining half of this seventieth week. Remember we have another half of this 70 weeks left. In this half there are 3.50 days in prophetic time or 3.50 years. When we go forward 3.50 years from the spring of A. D. 31, it brings us to the autumn of A. D. 34, as the end of the 70 weeks or 490 years allotted to the Jews. What happened in A. D. 34? I will tell you. The special day of opportunity given to the Jews came to an end and the apostles began to teach the gospel to the Gentiles.

Some Bible teachers apply this seventieth week to a future seven-year period that they say will come in between Rapture and the Revelation. Think how unreasonable to detach this seventieth week from the 69 weeks by an interval of over 1900 years and apply it to something yet in the future! Doesn't the seventieth week of a child's life begin directly following his sixty-ninth week? That is the way my mother counted my age.

The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 are bound to be the next seven years from the end of the sixty-ninth week. Just as the sixty-ninth week began when the sixty-eighth week ended, so the seventieth week began when the sixty-ninth week ended. It could not cover any other seven-year period except from 27 A. D. to 34 A. D. It is a great mistake for any Bible teacher to apply this seventieth week to some seven-year period connected with the second advent of Christ.

Gabriel said, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people." This word "determined" means "cut off." The seventy weeks wore "cut off" for the sake of the Jews Cut off from what? Here is the answer in Daniel 8:14. I read:

"He said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed!" The seventy weeks are cut off from the 2300 days. Seventy weeks are 490 days. Subtract 490 from 2300 and you have 1810 left, We have the 70 weeks or 490 days reaching from B. C. 457 to the autumn of A. D. 34. Then we have 1810 day-years left of this 2300 day-year period. Follow this closely, we are coming to something that is tremendously interesting.

If you take 34 and add 1810, what do you get? 1844! Now we drive down our last stake. It is inscribed, "Autumn of 1844, end of 2300 days!" What was to happen then? Daniel 8:14 says, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then," (then what?) "then shall the sanctuary be cleansed!" What is meant by the cleansing of the sanctuary set for 1844? Friends, do you know that more depends upon that 1844 date than upon any other date since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ? According to Bible prophecy 1844 was to mark the greatest event in God's program since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It was to mark the opening of a special work in heaven that affects the destiny of every soul. It marked the rise of a movement in our world that is giving the last message to the world. The only way we can understand the real truth for our day is to understand the real significance of this cleansing of the sanctuary that has been going on ever since 1844. What is meant by this deeply significant phrase, "the cleansing of the sanctuary," that was set for 1844? Come back Tuesday night and we will open up the Bible on that subject. Shall we bow our heads in prayer? (Prayer)

Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this wonderful prophecy. O, we thank Thee for the sure foundation we have in the Bible, the sure Rock, Christ Jesus. Tonight, Lord, our faith is stronger. We go out from here loving Jesus more. We have been drawn closer to Him. Help us to understand this great event in Thy program-the cleansing of the sanctuary. O, Lord, bring us all back Tuesday night to hear the rest of this vital prophecy. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

14. The Greatest Religious Discovery of the Twentieth Century

"He said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." This is the reading of Daniel. 8:14.

In the lecture on Sunday night we found that the two thousand three-hundred days began in B. C, 457 and ended in 1844. Here on this chart we have traced out how the 2300 days of Daniel 8 began in the autumn of B. C. 457, when that decree went forth for the restoration of Jerusalem, and reached down through the ages, past the cross of Christ, to that memorable date of 1844.

What does the prophecy say will happen in 1844? Here it is in Daniel 8:14: "Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Before we can understand what is, meant by the cleansing of the sanctuary, we must first find out what constitutes the sanctuary. What is the sanctuary? We find a direct answer to this question in Hebrews 9:1. "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary!'

This verse declares that the old covenant had a worldly sanctuary. During that 1500-year period of the old covenant from the time of Moses to the cross of Christ, there was a building on the earth, that the Bible called "the worldly sanctuary." What was this worldly sanctuary? Scripture tells us in the next four verses, or Hebrews 9:2-5. I want you to notice how this description refers to the Mosaic tabernacle as portrayed on this chart. (A chart of the sanctuary was lowered into view.)

We read in Hebrews 9:2-5: "There was a tabernacle made: the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly."

There is no mistaking what object this Scripture refers to. This is a description of the tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness at the Lord's direction. This tabernacle was later on merged into that wonderful Jewish temple at Jerusalem.

This worldly sanctuary, as you see pictured on the chart, had two apartments. The first apartment was called the holy place. The second apartment was called the most holy place, or the holy of holies. The priests entered this first apartment every day to perform certain ceremonial functions. Into the holy of holies, only one man could ever go, and he only one time in a year, and that was on the day of atonement when the worldly sanctuary was cleansed.

You will notice that in this first apartment there are three articles of furniture, the golden candlestick, the table of showbread, and the golden altar of incense. In the second apartment, or the holy of holies, there was just one article of furniture, the ark of the covenant. This ark of the covenant was a box made out of a certain kind of oriental wood overlaid with gold. The cover of that box was beaten out of one piece of gold, and so beaten as to form the cover and at the same time form the figures of two golden angels with their wings outstretched, meeting exactly in the middle. These golden angels were called, "covering cherubim."

In this ark or chest was the most sacred document that the Lord ever gave to man. Do you know what that was? It was the Ten Commandments. This Ten Commandments is the only document we have in this world today that came direct from God. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, but the Ten Commandments are above inspiration. They were spoken directly by the Lord and written by Him upon two tables of stone.

The cover of this ark was called the Mercy Seat, because there mercy was granted to the penitent sinner when the blood of the sacrificial victim was sprinkled either before the mercy seat, or upon it.

This earthly sanctuary fulfilled a place in God's plan only until the crucifixion of Christ. At the very moment Jesus died upon the cross, when He said, "It is finished," the veil in this temple was rent from the top to the bottom. This showed that the service of God in the earthly sanctuary had come to an end.

The book of Hebrews shows that the worldly sanctuary was superseded by the heavenly sanctuary after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The earthly sanctuary in which the Levitical priests performed their ministry was a type, or figure, or shadow of the true tabernacle in heaven, where Jesus our High Priest now ministers the merits of His shed blood for us. Put down Hebrews 8:1,2. These are very interesting verses in which the writer sums up the first seven chapters of Hebrews.

In these verses he says, "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of his Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

He tells us that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is ministering for us in the heavenly sanctuary. He is the minister of the sanctuary, the true tabernacle in heaven, which the Lord pitched and not man. You will notice the contrast between the two sanctuaries. The earthly tabernacle was where the Levitical priests performed their ministry. The heavenly temple is where the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest, performs His ministry. The earthly tabernacle was built by Moses, built by man. The heavenly temple is the one that the Lord pitched, and not man.

By the ministry of the priests and the offering of the sacrifices, the record of the people's sins was transferred to the worldly sanctuary. Then once each year on the day of atonement, the earthly sanctuary was cleansed. At that time a final disposition was made of the sins of the people. Do you know that one entire chapter in the Bible, Leviticus 16, is devoted to a description of the cleansing of the sanctuary on the day of atonement? This earthly sanctuary was cleansed on the day of atonement, which came upon the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month.

On this day two goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle. These goats were brought before the high priest. They had to be just alike in colour, size, age, and appearance. The high priest put his hands into a golden urn, and took out two lots. One of these lots was inscribed "La Jehovah." That is for the Lord. The other lot was inscribed "La Azazel," which means for the scapegoat. Then he placed these lots on the heads of these goats, and thus one goat was set aside for the Lord and the other was set aside for the scapegoat. Then he took a knife and thrust it into the heart of the Lord's goat. He caught the blood in a basin, and then, notice, for the only time in the year he passed right through the inner veil into the holy of holies and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat.

After he had done this, he came out of the door of the tabernacle and placed his hands on the head of the scapegoat and, In type, cast the responsibility and burden of all sin upon this goat. Then the scapegoat was taken into the wilderness to perish.

Now follow me closely. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament shows that all that was a type, a figure, a shadow of Christ's redemptive work in the heavenly sanctuary. Put down Hebrews 8:5. There we learn that these priests in the worldly sanctuary served unto a "shadow" or "example" of heavenly things.

On the cross Jesus Christ offered Himself as the Lamb of God for our sins. Then forty days after His resurrection He ascended to heaven and began His work as our High Priest in the first apartment of the true tabernacle in heaven, which the Lord built and not man.

What was to happen in 1844? Daniel 8:14 says, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed!" This means in 1844 Jesus Christ moved his seat of His priestly ministration from the first apartment to the second apartment. In 1844 He entered upon the closing phase of His mediatorial work. What does this mean? It means that in 1844 the final period of this world's history began, and whatever we intend to do to be ready to meet Jesus, we must do quickly.

This day of atonement when the sanctuary was cleansed was a day of judgment of the professed people of God. The record of all their sins of the past year was blotted out when the sanctuary was cleansed. This means that the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary between 1844 and the end of time will be a time of judgment of God's professed people, when their records will pass in review on the antitypical day of judgment.

A message in code is easily deciphered if you have a key to the code. You know every government has a code with which they can send messages. For instance our government can send messages to our ambassadors or our military men anywhere in the world, but they are in code. Nobody understands them, but the man who has the key to the code.

Daniel 8:14 is a message in code. "Unto two thousand and three hundred clays then shall the sanctuary be cleansed!" This contains two coded expressions, "Unto 2,300 days" and the "cleansing of the sanctuary!" The Bible furnishes the key to these two coded expressions. When we compare the Scriptures, as we did here Sunday night, we find that "unto two thousand three hundred days," figures out to be 1844. Tonight as we compare the Scriptures, we find that the cleansing of the sanctuary means a work of divine judgment. According to the Bible this text in Daniel 8:14, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," simply means this-Unto 1844, then shall the judgment begin.

In this judgment between 1844 and the end of time, decisions are being made, or will be made, as to who among the dead will rise with immortal bodies when the Lord Jesus descends from heaven at His second advent, and as to who among the living will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at His coming. Listen. Ever since 1844 the cases of men, beginning with the first man who died, Abel, have been passing in review before God. The judgment is making up the list of those who will live forever in God's glorious kingdom. Wouldn't you like to know how that list is made up for the heavenly kingdom? Then be sure and be here Thursday night. The Bible lesson Thursday night will show how that list is being made up for the heavenly kingdom. Don't miss hearing about it from the Bible.

You will notice how Daniel 8:14 is a key that opens up a most important religious discovery. It shows that the judgment began in heaven in 1844. The Bible shows that when the judgment begins in heaven, God's special last day message of Revelation 14:6-12 will begin to go forth among men. When the judgment sits in heaven, the great God will send a special message to tell the people that the judgment has begun and to show them how to prepare for the judgment. Here it is just as plain as can be. It is really wonderful what we are bringing out tonight. We are going into the very heart of the truth for our day. Put down Revelation 14:6, 7, 14.

"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him;" (get this next phrase,) "for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." Then reading the 14th verse, "I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud, One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle."

I wish you would notice how this message is worded. Did you get the wording of God's message about the judgment? It didn't say that the hour of God's judgment has come, as though it pertained to some time in the past. It didn't say that the hour of God's judgment will come as though it pertains to some future time. What does the message say? "Fear God, for the hour of His judgment is come:" The judgment has begun. The time has arrived for the judgment to begin its session. "The hour of His judgment is come."

This special message for the last days, as pictured by the three angels preaching in mid-air, was to arise in the earth when the time came for the judgment to begin in heaven in 1844. We have this pictured here upon a chart. (At this juncture a chart depicting the three angels of Revelation 14:6-12 was lowered into view.)

He saw three angels flying one behind the other. Each was preaching a certain part of a great three fold message. In verse 6 it says that the message of these three angels was to be preached to every nation, every kindred, every tongue, and every people.

Then in the fourteenth verse, it shows that when this three-fold message has been preached to every nation in the earth, Christ will come on the cloud. You will remember that I just finished reading this. "I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle."

Notice how plainly this enables you to find what is the one true way of Jesus Christ for these days in which we live. You who have been attending these meetings will recall that on the second Thursday night of this Bible Institute, I spoke on the prophecy of these three angels of Revelation 14. I am interested to know how many are here tonight who heard that lecture. How many heard that lecture? (Many hands went up.) Yes, this shows that the same folks keep coming to these meetings, and they will get the most from these Bible lectures.

We found that this three-fold message is the true way of Jesus Christ for our day. Follow me closely. The fact that the hour of God's judgment came in 1844, shows that this three-fold message about the arrival of the judgment hour belongs to the period between 1844 and the end of time. This special three-fold message couldn't be preached before 1844.

Martin Luther could not have preached it. John Wesley could not have preached it. No. This three-fold message could not be preached before 1844, because the hour of God's judgment didn't come until the end of the twenty three hundred day-years of Daniel 8:3, or in 1844. Men this three-fold message has been preached to every nation, Christ will come the second time. How plain it is, that this three-fold message belongs to that period between 1844 and the end of time.

Mark this point well. This means that in our day there is some God-ordained movement that arose in 1844 by which this three-fold message is being carried to all the world. When you find that movement, connect yourself with it, you can know for an absolute certainty that you have found the true way of Jesus Christ for our time. All this will be made extra plain in subsequent meetings.

Let me say again that the purpose of these meetings, in harmony with our repeated announcements, is to unfold this special three-fold message for the last days. The movement which gives this message to the world is not merely another denomination. I want to repeat this. The movement that gives this three-fold message to the world will not be merely another denomination. This is why I refuse to have a denominational tag placed on these Bible lectures dealing with this three-fold message. The movement that gives this threefold message to the world will not be merely another denomination added to a long list that is already in existence, but it will be God's movement for the consummation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We face the solemn facts that the final period of man's day began in 1844, and that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is soon to close His work for sinners. Soon the last case will be decided in the judgment. Then Jesus Christ will pronounce that solemn decree recorded in Revelation 22:11, 12 "He that is unjust let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Friend, are you ready for that hour? As that decree finds you, so you will have to be. You can't make any changes after that. He that is unjust, let him be. Get ready to meet Jesus Christ, you have to be. Whatever, you intend to do get ready do it before that decree is pronounced.

Under the Mosaic law in order for a sinner to receive pardon, he had to actually put his hand on the head of the lamb that he brought, and with his hands on the lamb's head confess the sins of which he was guilty. It was believed that by doing this, his sin was transferred from the man to the lamb, which represented Jesus. This is why the lamb was killed and its blood taken to satisfy the claims of the Ten Commandments which this man had broken.

Now get this lesson. Christ is the true Lamb of God. We must actually lay our sins on Jesus Christ by repentance, by confession, by faith in Him as our personal Saviour. Unless you choose to put your sins on Jesus Christ, then your sins are still with you. The man who fails to obey Jesus Christ will punished for his sin

A man employed in the Russian government under Czar Alexander I, found himself hopelessly bankrupt. He drew up a list of all his debts, and at the bottom of the list he wrote, "Who is going to pay all these debts?" He had lost much sleep over this. This day he fell asleep at his desk with the list on his desk. It so happened that Alexander I, the great Czar of all Russians of that day, was making a tour of this very department of the government. He saw the man asleep at his desk, and tiptoed close to him. Looking down over the sleeping head of the man, he saw the long list of debts, and there was that tremendous question, "Who is to pay all these debts?" Being seized with a good impulse, he pulled out his golden pen, and put two words after the question: "I, Alexander." When the man awoke, he was the happiest man in Russia. His great master, the Czar of all the Russians, had said that he would be responsible for these debts.

My friends, nobody here would like to see a list of all his sins on the screen. I guarantee if there were a list of your sins placed on this screen, you would go away, just as they went away that day when Jesus began to write in the sand.

Who is going to pay for all those sins? In the Bible sin is compared to a debt. In the Lord's Prayer it says, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Sin is compared to a debt. Who is going to pay all these debts? O, thank God, Jesus is ready. He says in Isaiah 43:25, "I, even I, am He that blots out thy transgressions for mine own sake."

The big question is, "Have you put your case fully in the hands of Jesus Christ as your heavenly Advocate?" He says He is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. If you will do the coming, He will do the saving. Thank God, many people have found this to be so true here in these Bible Institute meetings. They have come to Jesus; they have surrendered their all to Him, and the Lord has wrought a work in their hearts. Jesus never fails. If we come to Him, He will save us to the uttermost.

No one ever came to Jesus and found that He didn't do the saving as He promised. How many of you want to put your case tonight fully in the hands of Jesus Christ? Just lift your hands. Yes, I am sure everyone here wants to do this. (Prayer)

O, blessed Lord Jesus, we thank Thee that we know where Thou art tonight. Thou art at the right hand of the Father as our Great Mediator, our Intercessor, our High Priest, our Advocate. We are so thankful to know that if any man sins we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous One, and that He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him because He ever lives to make intercession. Tonight, dear Lord, we want to put our cases fully in Thy hands. We are so glad we can do this. We pray that every woman and man, and boy and girl in this audience may make sure that they put their case fully in the hands of such a wonderful Saviour. May it be that every one may so put his case in Thy hands, that when the judgment comes to our name, our name may be retained in the book of life for an everlasting happy home with Thee in Thy kingdom. We. ask it in Thy precious name. Amen.

15. The Key to Present Truth

Our Bible lesson tonight is entitled THE KEY TO PRESENT TRUTH. Notice the first proposition: "There is nothing more important for us than to know and obey the truth." Write on the blank line Isaiah 26:2. Mr. Hagen, we shall hear from you as to what the Bible says in Isaiah 26:2.

"Open you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in."

This text tells how many people in this auditorium, yes, how many people in the world, will actually go to heaven. How many people will go through the gates of heaven? To whom will the gates be opened? Listen now to what God says: "Open you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps," (what?) "which keeps the truth may enter in."

This word, "keeps," is used in the sense of obey or follow. You cannot obey the truth until you first know what is the truth. We first need to learn the truth. This is why we have this Bible class. How lovely to see so many come here with their Bibles to learn the truth! We first need to learn the truth; then obey the truth; then adhere to the truth to the end. The three most important items in the world so far as you and I are concerned are first, learn the truth; second, obey the truth; third, stick to the truth to the end.

In view of the fact that those who keep the truth will pass through the gates to have an eternal, happy home in the city of God, isn't it plain that there is nothing more important for us than to know and follow the truth? The Bible speaks of "the present truth." Take your pencil and write in after Isaiah 26:2 the text, 2 Peter 1:12. The apostle Peter exhorts us to "be established in the present truth."

Present truth is truth which is especially adapted to a certain time or certain period. For instance, the message of Noah about the coming flood was a present truth to the generation of people who lived just prior to the deluge. The message of John the Baptist about getting ready to receive the Messiah was present truth to the Jews who lived in the days of John the Baptist. Listen! Here is a most vital item. Just as God had a message of present truth for the people who lived before the flood, for the people who lived before Christ appeared as the Messiah, He has a message of present truth for us who are living just before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Notice the second proposition on the lesson sheet. "The real truth for our day and the true way of Christ for this generation is set forth in the threefold message of Revelation 14:6-14."

You will recall that on the second Thursday night of this Bible Institute I gave a sermon on the fourteenth chapter of Revelation verses 6-14. Here is a picture of what we find in Revelation 14:6-14. (At this juncture a chart was lowered depicting the three angels of Revelation 14:6-14.) He saw three angels flying along one behind the other. As he listened, he heard the first angel preach a certain message about the hour of God's judgment being come. He called upon men to "fear God; for the hour of His judgment is come: and to worship Him that made heaven and earth."

Then he listened again, and he heard the second angel add the solemn warning that Babylon the great is fallen, and that God's people are to come out of her. Next, he heard the third angel issue a solemn warning against worshiping the beast and his image, and against receiving the mark of the beast in the forehead or in the hand. Then what? The very next item after he heard this great three-fold message preached to the world was the coming of Jesus on the cloud to reap the harvest.

This makes it plain that this three-fold message is the present truth for the people who live in this clogging period of earth's history. Hence this second proposition is firmly established. "The real truth for our day and the true way of Christ for our generation is set forth in the threefold message of Revelation 14:6-14."

Look at the third proposition. "The purpose of this message is to call out a people in every nation to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." On the blank line write Revelation 14:12.

Mr. Howard, we shall hear from you as to what God says in Revelation 14:12. "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

This makes it clear that the purpose of this message is to call out a people in every land to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Look at the fourth proposition. "This message was to arise in the earth when the hour came for God's judgment to begin in heaven." On the blank line record Revelation 14:6, 7.

Mr. Esquilla, let us hear from you. "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

Did you notice how this is worded? He says, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." He doesn't say that the hour of God's judgment will come as though it pertained to some time in the future. But the burden of his message in that "the hour of His judgment is come." It has begun. The judgment is in session. This shows that this message will be preached in the earth when the time comes for the judgment to begin in heaven.

Look at the fifth proposition. "The prophecy of the 2,300 days furnishes a key as to when the hour of God's judgment would come." This is based on Daniel 8:14 which says: "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Look at the sixth proposition. "The 2,300 days began in B. C. 457 and ended in A. D. 1844."

On Sunday night of this week we figured this upon the blackboard. We had the banners here on the stage, which revealed the successive steps in the computation of this 2,300 day-year period.

We found that the 2,300 days began in B. C. 457 and reached to the autumn of A. D. 1844.

Notice the seventh proposition. "The cleansing of the sanctuary is identical with the hour of God's judgment in Revelation 14:6, 7. (Leviticus 23:29, 30.)"

The day of atonement, when the earthly sanctuary was cleansed, was a day of judgment on the Jewish people. There isn't any day in the year that the Jews celebrate so carefully as this day of atonement. Did you read the Evening Tribune for today? It tells how the Jews in Des Moines are celebrating Friday sunset to Saturday sunset of this week as the great day of atonement. They regard it as the annual day of judgment.

According to Leviticus 23:29, 30 whatsoever soul did not find pardon on this day was cut off. It was a day of judgment of the house of Israel. This shows that the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary will be the hour of God's judgment of the church, or of the people of God.

Notice the eighth proposition. "Daniel 8:14 means unto 1844, then shall the judgment begin." In Daniel 8:14 we have two expressions in code. "Unto two thousand three hundred days." That-is a code expression. The "cleansing of the sanctuary," is another expression in code. The only way to understand the Bible is to compare scripture with scripture. When we compare scripture with scripture we find that the two thousand three hundred days, when figured out, bring us to 1844. When we compare the scriptures we find that the "cleansing of the sanctuary" is a work of judgment.

Now we can understand Daniel 8:14. "Unto two thousand three hundred days," means 1844. "The cleansing of the sanctuary," is a work of judgment. Unto 1844 then shall the judgment begin.

Notice the ninth proposition. "Since God's special message for the last days was to arise when the hour of his judgment came (Revelation 14:6, 7,) it must have arisen in 1844." You will remember that the first angel's message is, "Fear God, for the hour of His judgment is come." This shows that this message will arise in the world when the hour of God's judgment is ushered in at the end of this 2,300 day-years in 1844. This means that there is some God ordained movement in this earth that arose in 1844, by which this three-fold message is to be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue and people before the end of time. Men you find that movement and connect yourself with it, as you will want to do, you can know for an absolute certainty that you have found the true way of Jesus Christ for our day.

It will not be difficult to find that movement. God describes this people in Revelation 14:12. "Here are they that keep" (what) "the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus." This is how God tells the way to find the right people. You must find the people who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Those who give this message for the last days will show the people that the judgment has begun. If the ministers in that God-ordained movement didn't know when the judgment began, how could they tell the people "the hour of His judgment is come?" They will know from the Bible when the judgment began. The people of this message will not be merely another denomination. It will be God's movement for the consummation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Look at the tenth proposition. "In order to be sure of finding the true way of Christ for our day, we must identify ourselves with the God-ordained movement, which arose in 1844, by which this threefold message is being given to every nation. "This is why it is so important for you to understand this three-fold message.

Look at the eleventh proposition. "The prophecy of Daniel appointed 1844 as the time when the truth which had been lost sight of would be restored again. On the blank line w-rite Daniel 8:12-14.

Mr. Caviness, please read Daniel 8:12-14: Pause at the end of the twelfth verse, because I want every person to notice a special point in this text. "An host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised and prospered." This is speaking of the little horn power that symbolized Rome. Notice it says, "it cast down," (what to the ground?) "It cast down the truth to the ground." This means that under the rule of that power the truth was buried and hidden from view.

Now read the 13th verse. Notice that the angels are tremendously interested in how long these truths will be hid from the people. "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?" The angel wanted to know how long these truths would be hidden from view. Now read the fourteenth verse and you will find the answer. "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed!"

The 2,300 days ended in 1844. This means that the prophecy appointed 1844 as the time when the truth that had been lost sight of in former generations would be restored in this great three-fold message for the last days.'

Look at the twelfth proposition. "Bible prophecy marked 1844 as the time for five of the greatest events since the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ: (1) The beginning of the judgment. (2) The inauguration of the final period of human history. (3) The rise of God's last gospel message. (Revelation 14:6-14.) (4) The inauguration of the final phase of Christ's mediatorial work. (5) The rise of the true gospel movement for these last days!'

Look at the thirteenth proposition. "The judgment will be in session in heaven prior to the second coming of Christ!" Many people think that the judgment is a great final day of twenty-four hours when all the human race will file before God one by one to receive their sentence. However the Bible shows that one phase of the judgment will begin in heaven some time before Christ comes at the last day. On the blank line write Daniel 7:9-11.

Mr. Funk, we shall hear from you as to what this says. "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened!'

Just pause here a moment. It says, "the judgment was set, and the books were opened." The judgment will be conducted according to certain books . In the next verse we find that after the prophet saw the judgment begin in heaven, he heard some remarkable words of blasphemy spoken by this little-horn power upon the earth. Read verse 11, please.

"I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame."

Underline that little word "then." He saw the judgment begin. The books were opened. Then shortly after the judgment began, his attention was attracted by this little-horn power upon the earth. He heard this little horn issuing certain great claims. This shows that the judgment will be in session in heaven during the closing period of earth's history.

The judgment will be conducted according to certain books. "The judgment was set and the books were opened." What books will be used in the judgment?

Look at the fourteenth proposition. "Three sets of books are used in the judgment." On the blank line record Revelation 20:12.

Mr. Hagen, will you please read this? "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

He says the books were opened. The least that "books" could mean would be two, wouldn't it? Then he says "another book" was opened. He names that third book. What was it? The book of life.

The Bible shows there will be three sets of books used in the judgment. The book of life contains the names of all who choose to serve God. The Bible talks about the book of remembrance, which contains the record of the good deeds, the good words, and the tears of penitence. There is a book of recorded sins that contains a record of every sin. In the judgment each one will be judged according to his record in the books. If the record shows that a person was faithful to God to the end, his name will be retained In the book of life, as one who will he given an eternal happy home in heaven. If he was not obedient to the end, then his name will be blotted out of the book of life.

We find in Revelation 3:5 that the one who overcomes will have his name retained in the book of life. The important thing is to be obedient to the end, and have our name retained in the book for a home in God's kingdom forever.

Look at the fifteenth proposition. "The Ten Commandments are the standard by which men will be judged." On the blank line write James 2:8-12.

Mr. Howard, will you please read this text? Please pause after the eighth verse, so I may ask a few questions. "If you fulfil the royal law according to the scriptures, thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself, you do well."

What kind of law is he talking about? He says, "If you fulfil the royal law." You know very well that royal is something that pertains to a king. He is talking about the law of the great King of heaven and earth. "If you fulfil the royal law." What law is the law of the great King? Just read on and we will see.

"But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whomsoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou are become a transgressor of the law."

Tell me what law says, "Do not commit adultery," and "Do not kill." What law is this? We call that law the Ten Commandments. We know that he is talking about the law of the Ten Commandments, because he quotes two of them. He is talking about the law that says, "Thou shall not kill, "and the law that says, "Thou shall not commit adultery." These are the sixth and seventh precepts of the Ten Commandments.

Notice what he calls the Ten Commandments, as they are in Christ. Please read the twelfth verse. "So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."

When you are redeemed from sin and have Jesus living in your heart, the Ten Commandments become the great law of liberty. It is that law of liberty which will judge us. This shows how important it is that we have Christ in our hearts, that we may be in harmony with all of His commandments. Since we shall be judged by these commandments we should make careful study of them, that by the grace of God we may live in harmony with them.

Some people tell us that the Ten Commandments are not for today. They say that they are out of date. They claim that they were abolished at the cross when the old covenant came to an end. If you want to know the real truth about this, make a careful study of this text, James 2:8, 12. Remember that the apostle James wrote this epistle in A. D. 60, twenty-nine years after the crucifixion, twenty-nine years after the old covenant had ended. He wrote this epistle to all Christians. The epistle of James is what we call a general epistle. It is addressed to all Christians everywhere. Jesus shows that everyone of the Ten Commandments is binding as a rule of life and conduct. Notice that he says, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

If any one of these Ten Commandments were not binding, if you offend in one point, you are guilty of sin. However, he declares, if you offend in one point, you are guilty of sin. This shows that every one of the ten is binding.

The ceremonial laws of Moses about the offering of lambs and circumcision and certain annual Sabbath days were abolished at the cross. But the Ten Commandments continued binding after the cross.

Some of you will have a question about verse 10. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and offend in one point, he is guilty of all!" Does that mean that a person who breaks one commandment is as bad as the man that breaks all? No, it does not mean this. The Bible recognizes degrees of sin and degrees of guilt.

I think I can illustrate the meaning of this. Suppose there is a lamp suspended by a chain of ten links. How many links must I cut for the lamp to fall? Five? Three? Two? What? Yes, one. If I cut one link the lamp will fall just as hard as if I cut all ten links. So, if a man transgresses any one of the Ten Commandments, knowingly and persistently, he will miss heaven just as much as if he transgressed all ten. The man who breaks all of the ten will be punished far more than the man who breaks only one. But, the man who breaks one, knowingly and persistently, will miss heaven just as much as the man who broke all ten.

Our only safety is to permit Jesus Christ to live in us a life of obedience to every one of God's commandments. If in these meetings the Holy Spirit shows you where you are not living accordingly to God's commandments, then the only safe thing, the only wise thing, the only right thing, is to pray God to give you grace and strength to come into harmony with His law. Our attitude should be, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea, Thy law is within my heart."

Now we have ten minutes for your questions.

(Then those present sent a number of written questions to the desk by the hands of the ushers, which the speaker answered from the Bible.)

(Copy of the Bible Lesson outline, which was distributed to the people preceding the fifteenth lecture.)

LESSON II - THE KEY TO PRESENT TRUTH
1. There is nothing more important for us than to know and obey the truth.
2. The real truth for our day and the true way of Christ for this generation is set forth in the threefold message of Revelation 14:6-14.
3. The purpose of this message is to call out a people in every nation to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
4. This message was to arise in the earth when the hour came for God's judgment to begin in heaven.
5. The prophecy of the 2,300 days furnishes a key as to when the hour of God's judgment would come. (Daniel 8:14.)
6. The 2,300 days began in B. C. 457 and ended in A. D. 1844.
7. The cleansing of the sanctuary is identical with the hour of God's judgment in Revelation 14:6, 7. (Leviticus 23:29, 30.)
8. Daniel 8:14 means unto 1844, then shall the judgment begin.
9. Since God's special message for the last days was to arise when the hour of His judgment came (Revelation 14:6, 7,) it must have arisen in 1844.
10. In order to be sure of finding the true way of Christ for our day, we must identify ourselves with the God-ordained movement, which arose in 1844, by which this three-fold message is being given to every nation.
11. The prophecy of Daniel appointed 1844 as the time when the truth which had been lost sight of would be restored.
12.  Bible prophecy marked 1844 as the time for five of the greatest events since the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ
(a) The beginning of the judgment.
(b) The inauguration of the final period of human history. (C) The rise of God's last gospel message. (Revelation 14:6-14.)
(d) The inauguration of the final phase of Christ's mediatorial work. (e) The rise of the true gospel movement for these last
days.
13. The judgment will be in session in heaven prior to the second coming of Christ .
14. Three sets of books are used in the judgment.
(a) The book of life. (Phil. 4:6; Revelation 13:8.)
(b) The book of remembrance. (Malachi 3:16.)
(c) The book of recorded sins. (Jeremiah 2:22.)
15. The Ten Commandments are the standard by which men will be judged.
References which were filled in as the study was presented:
(1) Isaiah 26:2;
(3) Revelation 14:12;
(4) Revelation 14:6, 7;
(11) Daniel 8:12-14;
(13) Daniel 7.9-11;
(14) Revelation 20:12;
(15) James 2:8-12.

16. Three Steps to the City of Eternal Happiness

If there were a highway to the moon, it would take twenty months of constant driving at the rate of 400 miles per day to reach the land of the moon. If there were a railroad to the sun, a streamliner making ninety miles per hour would have to run without stopping day after day, year after year, for 116 years to reach sunny land. An airplane travelling at 300 miles per hour would have to fly without a stop year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium, for seven million years to reach the nearest fixed star.

Far beyond the starry sky lie the pearly gates of God's heavenly home. Nobody knows how far it is to the heavenly Jerusalem, the place that Christ has prepared for His own. But this I know, no matter how far it is to the heavenly Jerusalem, every soul in this auditorium can get there in just three steps-if he wants to.

We have this illustration upon a chart. (At this juncture a chart was lowered depicting three steps from a cottage upon the earth to the city of God in heaven. The inscriptions on the three steps were covered with pieces of paper, which were removed as the speaker successively developed these three steps from the Scriptures.) This house in the lower left hand corner represents your house. This is where you reside. Above your house is God's great home, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God. You will notice as we unfold the Scriptures tonight that there are three steps which will take you from your house to God's house.

What are those three steps which a person must take in order to go from his house to the city of eternal happiness? Here are three Bible texts that will tell you. Put down Revelation 21:27, "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or works a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

This is speaking of those who will enter heaven. "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles." Sin is what defiles. Even one sin will defile a person. In order to go to heaven, we must get rid of every sin. "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles." Every sin must he forgiven and covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

When John saw the saved stand before the throne of God in heaven as described in Revelation 7:9-14, he said that they were clothed with white robes. One of the elders asked John, "Who are these arrayed in white robes?" The answer was given, "These are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Yes, if we want to go to heaven, we must be washed in the blood of the Lamb. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

So the first step is inscribed-Sins Forgiven. This is the first step from your house to God's house. All your sins must be forgiven.

The second step is presented in John 3. These are a part of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in that interview that He had with that great Jewish ruler, Nicodemus. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on what it takes on our part to go to heaven. Notice that Jesus doesn't say, "Except a man be born again he may not get to heaven." No! He doesn't-say, "Except a man be born again he might not get inside the pearly gates." No! But, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Jesus Christ stands across the pathway of every man, every woman, every young person, and with uplifted hands he says, "Except you are born again you cannot go to heaven" So this second step is inscribed BORN AGAIN. Along with accepting the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon for all our sins we must experience conversion and be born again.

The third step is presented in Hebrews 5:9. This text will tell you how many people are going to heaven. It will tell you how many people in this auditorium are going to heaven. Speaking of Jesus it says, "Being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." In order to go to heaven we must obey Jesus Christ just as far as we have knowledge of His will. So the third step is inscribed OBEY Christ. It is only three steps from your house to the city of eternal happiness. SINS FORGIVEN; BORN AGAIN; and OBEY Christ.

Don't you want to take those three steps from your house to God's heavenly house to enjoy eternal happiness? Certainly you do. There isn't anybody who wants to go to, hell. I have never met anyone in all my travels who wanted to be lost. Thank God, you don't have to be lost. God doesn't want you to be lost. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

In 2 Peter 3:9 we find that God doesn't want any man to perish but He wants all to come to repentance. In 1 Thessalonians 5:9 He says that, "We are not appointed `unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Friend of mine, why not make up your mind to take these three steps this very night, if you haven't already taken them.

How can a person take this first step? How can we have all our sins forgiven? God forgives all our sins on three conditions: repentance, confession, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour.

Repentance means being sorry for the wrong things which we have done, and turning from the wrong to do what is right. God has made a wonderful promise to us in 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If you will confess your sins, God forgives and cleanses you. If you will do the confessing, God will do the forgiving; and God does the forgiving the moment we do the confessing.

Confession includes restitution. Some people have forgotten about this. It is not popular to preach this kind of doctrine today. The popular doctrine is just to give assent in the brain to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and people say that this is all it takes. This is a part of it, but it isn't all.

Confession includes restitution. I want to tell you that I believe in the old-time religion, what do you say? (Amens from audience.) Confession includes making things right with our fellow men. If a man has taken something that doesn't belong to him, he must restore it. I can tell you, that if the people in Des Moines, who belong to even twelve churches in this city, would go tomorrow and give back what they have stolen, we would have a revival in Des Moines before tomorrow night. If they have lied about anyone then they ought to make that right.

Think of Zacchaeus who had to climb a tree in order to be sure of seeing Jesus in the crowd. He said to Jesus, "If I have taken anything from any man, I restore him fourfold." That is to say, if I have taken $1.00, I will give him $4.00 The first thing Jesus said to him was, "This day is salvation come to this house."

You see, getting right with God includes restitution. You can take this first step from your house to the city of eternal happiness by coming to Jesus just as you are in repentance and confession.

"Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come."

You don't have to wait for a certain kind of feeling. Go to Jesus in prayer and in confession. Thank Him that you are forgiven, and you will get whatever feeling God wants you to have.

Now we conic to the question, How can a man take this second step? How can a person be born again? You will find the answer in John 1.12, 13. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Receive Jesus Christ and you are born of God. Everyone who truly receives Jesus Christ into his heart is born of God. If you have received Him, you are born again.

People say to me, "I don't see much difference between Christianity and the religion of Confucius and Buddha or Mohammed." Let me tell you something. A man may call long and loud on Confucius, Buddha, and Mohammed, but nothing happens in response to his prayers. But when a man kneels before the old rugged cross and earnestly calls on Jesus Christ for salvation, something happens in that man. An unseen power lifts the burden of sin and creates in him a new heart. He is born again. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.

You will notice the scripture doesn't say, "As many as join the church are born again." It doesn't say, "As many as were baptized are born again." Now I believe in baptism. It is Biblical. I believe in joining the church. This is also Biblical. It doesn't say, "As many as profess Jesus Christ are born again." No! It says, "As many as received Him, are born of God."

"Received Him." What does Him stand for? I think I can show you here on the blackboard:
H is for He
I is for Is
M is for Mine
"Him" means He is mine. "As many as received Him," He is mine. This is receiving Jesus.

In 1939, when the King and Queen of England visited the White House in Washington, D. C., an Indian chief named White Feather sang for them the hymn, "I'd Rather Have Jesus Than Silver or Gold." After he sang this hymn he asked Queen Elizabeth, "Your majesty, I would like to ask you if you know Jesus as your personal Saviour?" The Queen looked at him and said, "Some people know about God and some know about Christ, but the Lord Jesus Christ is the possessor of my heart." The King, a deeply religious man, smiled and said. "I would rather have Jesus too."

When Jesus is the possessor of our hearts, we can sing just like the Indian,

"Nor gold nor silver bath obtained my redemption,
Nor riches of earth could have saved my soul;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation.
The death of my Saviour now makes me whole."

I would rather have Jesus too, wouldn't you? Oh, friends, how thankful you ought to be to the Lord for saving your soul. I wonder if we really appreciate what Jesus has done for us. I wonder if we thank Him as much as we should.

(Choir sang:)

"Thank you Lord for saying my soul.
Thank you Lord for making me whole;
Thank you Lord for giving to me,
Thy great salvation so rich and free."

Some will ask, "How can I know that I have been born again?" Here is the answer in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." What is the real evidence that a man is born again? If the old habits have passed and he is living in newness of life to God, he has been born again.

Friend of mine, all you need to do is ask yourself Has the love of the world gone out of my heart? Has the love of God come in? If that is so, you are born again. Can you say, "The things of the world, like drinking, gambling, theatre-going, card playing-I may have loved them once but I don't care for them now?" Can you say of the things of God like reading the Bible, prayer, and attending preaching like this-"I once didn't care for it but now I love it?" "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, and behold all things are become new."

Now we come to the question, How can we take this third step? It is a very important step. In fact, it is the step that puts a man inside God's house. It is the last step. How can we take the third step? How can we obey Christ? Put down Galatians 2:20. This is perhaps the clearest statement that has ever been written on what it means to be a Christian. Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." There is only one way that we can ever obey the Lord, and that is for Jesus Christ to live in our hearts a life of obedience day by day.

It means that we are to so yield to Christ and to so receive Christ that He lives in us a life of obedience to God's commandments. This is why the faith of Jesus and the keeping of the commandments of God must go together, and never be separated. Revelation 14:12, in describing the true people of God, under God's last message that was to arise in 1844, says "Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Some people unfortunately and unwisely, try to separate the keeping of the commandments from the faith of Jesus. There will be plenty said about this within two weeks. I am not a prophet. However, I can tell you that within two weeks people will likely tell you that since salvation is entirely by grace, you don't need to keep the Ten Commandments any longer. They will tell you that keeping the Ten Commandments is contrary to grace, and that Christians are under grace and don't have to keep the Ten Commandments. Is this true? What does God say? In Revelation 14:12 God Himself links grace and obedience together. "Here are they that keep the commandments of God." (that is obedience) "and the faith of Jesus," (that is grace.) God links grace and obedience together. `What God has joined together, let no man put asunder."

The Ten Commandments and grace are perfectly united in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is full of grace. At the same time He is the Ten Commandments in living form. The Ten Commandments are pure, holy, righteous, perfect, and good. Jesus Christ is pure, holy, righteous, perfect and good. What the law is, He is. He is the law in living form.

No man has ever been saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. No man ever can save himself by keeping the Ten Commandments. Jesus Christ and His grace and His blood alone can save men. However, when Jesus Christ saves a man from sin by grace, that man Will obey Jesus Christ as far as he knows the will of Jesus. If he doesn't, he hasn't been saved by grace. He just didn't go all the way.

If a man loves Jesus Christ, he will obey Jesus Christ. In John 14:15 it says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." If we love Jesus, we will want to do what He says. If we love Him, our love will be spelled out in obedience. He says in 1 John 5:3, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous."

The Bible tells us that "love is the fulfilling of the law." If a person loves God with all his heart, he will keep the first four of the Ten Commandments. If he loves his neighbour as himself, he will certainly keep the last six of the Ten Commandments. Listen! It is all of grace on the Lord's part in saving us; and it must be all of love on our part in serving Him. As salvation is all of grace from God, it must be all of love on our part in receiving salvation.

Instead of grace doing away with or superseding obedience to the Ten Commandments, the very purpose of grace is to bring the believer into harmony with the Ten Commandments. This is made plain in Romans 3:31. Paul raises a vital question, "Do we then make void the law through faith?" Some people would immediately answer in the affirmative. They would say, "Yes, when you have faith in Christ, the Ten Commandments are done away with." Paul taught no such doctrine. He asks, "Do we then make void the law through faith?" Then he summoned the strongest negative he knew, "God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

Did you get that? Instead of faith in Christ doing away with the Ten Commandments, it establishes obedience to the Ten Commandments in the Christian's heart. Instead of grace doing away with or superseding the Ten Commandments, the very purpose of grace is to make the believer obedient to God.

Some people say, "Those Ten Commandments belong to the Old Testament. We don't follow the Old Testament now. We take the New Testament. Those old laws were abolished at the cross. We Christians are living under a new law in Christ Jesus." What does the Bible really teach? The Bible plainly shows that those Jewish laws about the offering of lambs for sins, the rite of circumcision, and certain annual feast days, and yearly Sabbaths were abolished at the cross. But the Ten Commandments are separate and distinct from the ceremonial law, and continued in force after the cross.

The apostles of Jesus Christ recognized the Ten Commandments as a binding code under the new covenant. Here are four texts to prove this. In Ephesians 6:2 Paul wrote the following, and remember this was some twenty-nine years after the crucifixion of Christ: "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise." He didn't say, "Honour thy father and mother; which was or used to be the first commandment. But he recognized the fifth commandment as being binding twenty-nine years after the cross of Christ. He quotes from the Ten Commandments as a binding code on Christians twenty-nine years after the old covenant had passed away at the cross.

In Romans 7:7 Paul says, "I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shall not covet." There he quotes the tenth commandment as a binding commandment, and this was years after the old covenant had passed away at the cross.

In James 2:10 we read, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law," (speaking directly of the Ten Commandments) "and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Then the beloved apostle makes, I think, the strongest statement of all in 1 John 3:4: "Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." And the law of which sin is the transgression is the Ten Commandments.

These are great facts, and let us accept facts as they are. The apostles of Jesus Christ, long after the cross, quote from the Ten Commandments as a binding code on Christians. Hebrews 8:10 shows that the same Ten Commandments that the Jews had written upon stone under the old covenant are written by the Holy Spirit on the believer's heart under the new covenant.

Friends:, I want to take all three of these steps and go from my house to the city of eternal happiness, don't you? You can take the first two steps in an instant. It doesn't take a long time to take these first two steps. Just the moment you receive Jesus Christ and confess and repent of your sins, they are forgiven. The moment you receive Him, you are born again. You can take those two steps in just an instant, if you surrender to Jesus Christ.

The third step covers a life time. You can take it tonight, but you can't take it tonight for tomorrow. You take it each day, yielding yourself to be obedient to Him. After a man is born again he is to obey Jesus Christ for the rest of His life. If he keeps on obeying Christ, he will go through the gates into God's house. Here it is in Revelation 22:14: "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

O thank God, if a man gives his heart to Jesus Christ his sins are forgiven, he is born again, and if he obeys Jesus Christ every day, he will go through the gates into the city of God. That is where I want to go, don't you?

Everybody in this auditorium tonight needs help from God to take these three steps from his house to the city of eternal happiness. Some people here need help regarding this first step. Their sins have never been forgiven. They haven't repented of their sins and confessed them and personally received Jesus. Some people here have never been born again. They need help on this. Many people need help to obey Christ. This is one step that you need help on as long as you live,

Dear friends, shouldn't we look to God and get this help that we need? How many would like to raise their hands as a silent prayer and say, Lord Jesus, I want help to take these three steps and go from my house to that lovely house that Thou has prepared for me? How many want to put up their hands on this? Yes, every hand is raised.

(Prayer)

We thank Thee, Lord, that it is just three steps from our house to Thy house. Lord, many of us here have taken all three of these steps. We are on the way tonight, but, Jesus, we need help to obey Thee better. We pray that Thou wilt come into our hearts in a fuller way that we may have Christ live in us, His life of obedience. Some here have never taken the first step toward Thy house. We pray that they may come to Jesus just as they are in repentance and confession and have all their sins forgiven. Some here have never been born again. Oh, may this be the night when they will receive Him, and in receiving Him be born again. We pray that each of us may take these three steps just now, and then keep on walking in the way of obedience until we pass through the gates into Thy heavenly house. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

17. The Millennium

Would you like to know the twelve greatest coming developments destined to take place in our world? A close study of the one thousand year period mentioned in Revelation 20 will furnish you with this information. In this chapter, God draws aside the curtain and reveals the future for a thousand years ahead. I wonder how many of our friends have read the twentieth chapter of Revelation since last Sunday night. May we see your hands? I appreciate this. (Many hands went up.) You will get more from this lecture for having read the chapter. For the benefit of those who did not read this chapter 1 shall read Revelation 20:1-9 in part.

"I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them: ... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that bath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall he priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle. the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."

Will you join me in a word of prayer?

(Prayer.) Our heavenly Father we thank Thee for this great prophecy. We pray that by the Holy Spirit Thou wilt make plain to us what these things mean. Help every man, and woman, and young person in this audience to sustain the right relation to these great events which are shortly to come to pass. Help us, O Lord, to take our stand on the side of Jesus Christ that we may do our part in this great drama of things to come. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

(In this lecture the speaker used a large diagram on which some fifteen events were listed in relation to the one thousand years of Revelation 20. The wording of these events and developments was covered with various pieces of paper. These were successively removed, so as to disclose the wording to the audience as the speaker came to each respective point in his discourse.)

We reproduce below a copy of the diagram which was used.

This twentieth chapter of Revelation shows that there will be two general resurrections; the first of which will take place at the beginning of the one thousand years commonly called the millennium; while the other will take place at the end of the one-thousand-year period. One of the first items that we must discover is, What class of people will be raised from the dead in the first resurrection? Put down Revelation 20:6.

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." Isn't that plain? No one need misunderstand it. It declares in so many words that it is the holy people, the righteous people, the good people who will have part in the first resurrection.

Now the question naturally comes, "When will this first resurrection in which the righteous will be raised from the dead take place?" Put down Revelation 20:4, 5. There you will find that the righteous will be brought to life and will reign with Christ one thousand years. I have placed this text on a piece of muslin according to the rendering in the Modern Speech New Testament. I should like everyone who can see these words to read them with me. (The audience read with the speaker as follows:)

"They (the righteous) came to life and were kings with Christ, for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection." How plain that is! These righteous people are raised in the first resurrection, in order that they may reign with Christ during the one thousand years. It is as plain as 2 and 2 make 4 that the first resurrection in which the righteous are raised will take place at the beginning of the one thousand years.

We shall remove the first paper. You are looking at the words, "First resurrection." You will notice that the first resurrection marks the beginning of the millennium. The next question is, "When will the unjust people, the wicked people be resurrected?" Put down Revelation 20:15. Here we read, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Verse four tells how the righteous will be raised in the first resurrection at the beginning of the one thousand years, then. Revelation 20:5 declares that the rest of the dead, the unjust, lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

Now we shall remove the second paper. When the second paper is removed you will notice, the "Second Resurrection, marking the end of the one thousand years." Notice the diagram shows that the millennium reaches from the first resurrection to the second resurrection. What, then, is the millennium?

We take off the next paper and we see ­ "The Millennium is One Thousand Years between the Two Resurrections." The word millennium means one thousand years. It conies from two Latin words, "Mille" meaning one thousand, "annum" meaning years.

I wonder if I have really made this plain. How many see that the millennium, or this one thousand years of Revelation 20, is a period of time in between the two resurrections? Will you just lift your. hands? Thank you. I am glad you see this, because it is vital to the right understanding of the subject.

The scripture shows that the resurrection of the righteous which marks the beginning of the millennial period will take place at the second coming of Jesus Christ. You will find this in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Paul says, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first!" The righteous dead will rise when the Lord Jesus Christ descends from heaven at His second coming.

Five of the greatest events that have ever taken place in the history of the world will happen at the beginning of this one-thousand-year period. Follow me closely as we proceed with these events.

As we remove the next paper we find that the first of those five greatest events, which will happen at the beginning of the one-thousand-years is, "Christ will come, and the righteous dead will be raised!'

Now we remove the next paper. When this paper is removed we see that the second one of those five greatest events which will mark the beginning of the millennium is, that at the coming of Jesus the righteous living will be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality. You will find this in 1 Corinthians 15:52.

We shall remove the next paper. When we remove this paper, we notice that the third of these five greatest events which mark the beginning of the millennium is, that when Jesus comes all the righteous, the resurrected saints, the changed living saints, are caught up to meet the Lord in the air to be with Him forever. You will find this in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. The resurrected saints and the living saints are caught up from the earth to meet the Lord in the air at His coming.

Where will the Lord take all these righteous people? John 14:3 tells. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also." At the second coming of Christ all the righteous, the resurrected saints, and the changed living saints will be caught up to meet Jesus and go with Him to those glorious mansions in heaven that He has prepared for His own.

"Some golden daybreak, Jesus will come;
Some golden daybreak, battles all won,
We'll rise to glory, through heaven's blue;
Jesus is coming for me, for you!"

The next question is, What will happen to the millions of wicked people who will be living on the earth at that last day when Jesus comes the second time? Now we shall remove the next paper. When this paper is removed, you find that the fourth of these greatest events to happen at the beginning of the one thousand years is that, when Jesus comes the living wicked will be slain. Here are the references: 2 Thessalonians 2:8, and Jeremiah 25:33.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:8 it says, "The wicked will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming!" Jeremiah 25:33 says, "The slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground!"

This describes the death of the wicked in connection with the first phase of the battle of Armageddon. The wicked all over the earth will be struck dead by the glory of Christ as He descends from heaven. Wherever the wicked are, when Christ appears, they will be struck dead by His glory, as though a bolt of lightning or live wire fell upon them. They will lie here on top of the earth unburied. This verse in Jeremiah 25:33 says, "They shall not be lamented, neither gathered nor buried." Why will they not be buried? As Jesus appears, all the righteous people are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. There is no one left on the earth to bury the wicked.

Notice that when the one thousand years or millennium begins, there will not be a single living human being left upon the earth. It says here in Jeremiah 25:33 that these slain wicked shall not be lamented. This will be the first time in the history of the world that people will die and nobody will ever shed a tear for them. Why not? There is no one left on the earth to cry over them except the devil, and he doesn't care. He has them on his side.

There can be only one of two things happen to every soul on this earth when Jesus Christ appears. Either He will pray for the rocks to fall upon him and be struck dead, at the presence of Jesus, or he will look up as he sees the Lord coming to sing and shout for joy as he is caught up from the earth to meet the Lord in the air. "One shall be taken and another left!" Friend of mine, which one will you be? Why not surrender your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him each day so that you will be ready when He comes?

Some people think that many of those who have never accepted the gospel during their lifetime will be raised in little groups during this one thousand years and that the righteous people will preach to them and that many of them will accept the Lord during this one thousand years. This is not true. Here is the proof. Put down Revelation 20:5. I have also placed this on a piece of muslin that you would not miss seeing what the scripture says. This too is rendered according to the Modern Speech New Testament. It says, "No one else who was dead rose to life until the thousand years were at an end."

Notice that in the place of the wicked being alive and having some one preach to them during the one thousand years, they are all dead. None of them come to life until the one thousand years are at an end. It is just as impossible for any person to hear the gospel and be saved during the millennium as it is for a corpse to rise up in the coffin and be converted during the funeral service.

I hope no person in this audience will put off accepting Jesus Christ, thinking you will have another chance after death. You will not. The Bible shows that death seals a man's fate for eternity. Here it is in Isaiah 38:18. "They that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth." God says to you and me, "Now is the accepted time: now is the day of salvation." "Today, if you will hear My voice and harden not your heart. You are having your chance now, make the most of it." The best thing anybody can do is to accept Jesus Christ now. One of the worst things any one can do is to put off accepting Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of this one thousand years, as we have already noticed from the Scriptures, all the righteous are taken from the earth to the mansions Jesus has prepared for them. The wicked who are alive at His coming will be struck dead and lie unburied. This will make the earth temporarily empty. This is exactly what the Bible says. Put it down. Isaiah 24:1. "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof."

That is what will bind the devil for one thousand years as described in Revelation 20:1-3. There are two ways to bind a person. You can take a rope or a chain and bind a man literally so he can't do anything; or you can put a man in a position where he can't do what he would like to do. I have heard people say, "I would like to help you, but my hands are tied." Was there a rope around their hands? No! They were under a chain of circumstances where they couldn't help, even if they had a desire to help.

Notice the situation of the devil during this one thousand years. All during this one-thousand-year period the devil cannot tempt any of the righteous. Thank God, they will be in heaven beyond his reach. He cannot deceive the wicked and work through them, because they are all dead-He is out of a job. He takes an enforced vacation for one thousand years.

Notice as we remove the next paper. The fifth great event to happen at the beginning of this one thousand years is that Satan is bound. During the one thousand years the earth will be desolate. Removing the next paper we notice that during the one thousand years, Satan is bound and the earth is desolate.

This is what the Bible means by the bottomless pit. This may have perplexed you, but it will not perplex you if you will think a little bit. The Greek word for bottomless pit is "abussos." It means an abyss, or a desolate place. During the one thousand years the earth is desolate. It is a veritable bottomless pit or abyss in which Satan is forced to stay. He is bound.

You say, "Mr. Shuler, aren't the saints going to reign on earth with Christ during the millennium?" The Scriptures show that the saints will reign over the earth when it is made new. During the one thousand years the saints will reign with Christ in the New Jerusalem.

We remove the next paper and find that during this one thousand years the saints reign with Christ in-heaven. The millennial reign of Christ with the saints cannot be on this earth because there will not be a single righteous person left on this earth during the millennium. All the righteous are taken to heaven at the beginning of the one thousand years.

At the close of the one thousand years there will be five or more of the greatest developments that will ever take place in the history of this world. We remove the next paper and we find that the first one of these is that at the end of the one thousand years Jesus Christ will descend upon Mount Olivet. Put down Zechariah 14:4, 5. This says, "His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives . . . and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with Him."

Some people have thought there would be seven years between the coming of Jesus Christ for His saints, and the coming of Jesus Christ with His saints. The Scriptures show that Christ comes for His saints at the beginning of the one thousand years, and He comes with His saints at the end of the one thousand years. In connection with the descent of Christ to Mount Olivet with the saints, the New Jerusalem will come down to this earth.

We remove the next paper and find that the second one of these five great events that will happen at the end of the one thousand years is that the New Jerusalem descends from heaven to this earth. Put down Revelation 21:2. "I John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down." He saw it coming down to the earth.

We remove the next paper and we see that the third one of these five greatest events at the end of the one thousand years is that the wicked dead are resurrected. In Revelation 20:5 we found that the wicked dead would not live again until the thousand years were ended. This shows that at the end of the one thousand years the wicked will be resurrected.

In Revelation 20:3 we read that after the one thousand years is finished, Satan will be loosed for a little season. Follow me closely. It is the resurrection of the wicked at the end of the one thousand years that looses the devil for a little season. It furnishes him with subjects with whom he can resume his work of deception. Put down Revelation 20:7, 8. "When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive" (see, he is loosed, because he has power to deceive the resurrected wicked people.) Notice what he does with the millions of wicked people. I read verses 8 and 9, "And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:" (notice that the New Jerusalem will then be on the earth.)

Satan will organize these millions of people into the greatest army that ever trod this earth. The millions who marched in World War II will be as nothing compared to this mighty host which Satan will marshal against the city of God. We have some idea of its vastness. It says, "The number of whom is as the sand of the sea!" It tells you very plainly where the vast majority of the people will be found at the last day.

Satan gathers these people together. He leads the millions of wicked people in a great drive to capture the New Jerusalem, which will then be resting upon the earth. This is the final phase of the battle of Armageddon on which I preached on the second Sunday night of this Bible Institute. This will be a fight to the finish . This will be the war that will end wars.

This army will completely surround the New Jerusalem. It tells you in the first part of the 9th verse, "They went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city!" It looks as if the city will be captured. But what happens? "Fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them!" Those coals of fire will burn the flesh off of their bones as they stand on their feet. You will find this in Zechariah 14:12.

This fire from God will purify the earth and in due time God will recreate, remake, reconstruct, and regenerate this earth into a new earth that will be just as perfect as it was before sin entered. John says in Revelation 21:1, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away!'

We now remove the last two papers. The two great events which will come at the close of the one thousand years will be that Satan will be loosed a little season and the wicked destroyed, and the earth will be made new. This new earth, with the New Jerusalem as its capital, will be the eternal happy home of the saved. In this new earth Jesus Christ will rule on the throne of David forever. In the new earth-that will be when the saints will reign on earth.

Friend of mine, where will you stand in the great day of judgment? Listen to me. All the people who have ever lived on this earth will stand before God at the same time at the end of this one thousand years. This is the judgment of the great white throne described in Revelation 20. Everyone who has ever given his heart to Jesus Christ will be inside the glorious New Jerusalem, saved forever. Everyone who refused to give himself to Jesus Christ will be outside the New Jerusalem in the army of the devil lost forever. The most vital question that you ever have faced, or ever can face, is on which side will you stand? There will be no third side on which you can stand. Every man, every woman, every young person is bound to be, at that day, either inside the New Jerusalem, saved forever, or outside, lost forever. Which will it be? Every person in this auditorium is deciding for himself whether he will be saved forever, or lost forever, in the way he responds to the call of Jesus Christ each day that he lives.

To the people who are outside the New Jerusalem, Jesus will say: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared, for the devil and his angels." O, what weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth there will be when they realize that they are lost forever!

Those who are inside the New Jerusalem will hear the sweetest words ever spoken, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." O, what never-ending, ever-deepening joys will be theirs!

Dear friends, think it through. Which will it be with you? Which will it be with me? We can't help being there on one side or the other. If you don't believe a word that I have said tonight, you will be there just the same. If you don't believe in God, if you don't believe in the Bible, you will be there just the same. "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad."

You and I cannot help being there. The fact that you are alive proves that you will be there. There is one thing you can do. There is one thing you can care for. You can decide upon which side you want to stand. You can give yourself to Jesus Christ and be on His side. God has given you the power of choice. O, I hope you will use that wonderful power of choice to put yourself on the side of Jesus Christ and be on the inside of the city of God at that great day! I appeal to you tonight to choose for heaven, and not for hell.

It takes only two steps, and everyone here may take those two steps before he leaves this meeting if he wants to. The first is, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. The second is, permit Jesus Christ to live in you by the Holy Spirit a life of obedience to all His commandments. He says in Revelation 22:14, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Are you ready to take these two steps tonight? Jesus cannot save you unless you come to Him.

About 115 years ago a man in Pennsylvania was convicted of murder. He was sentenced to be hung. Andrew Jackson, who was then President of the United States, granted this man, George Wilson, a pardon. Mr. Wilson refused to accept it. Strange as it may seem, he refused to accept the presidential pardon. He argued that it wasn't a pardon unless he accepted it. They appealed to the State's Attorney. The State's Attorney said that the law was silent upon this point. They took the case to the Supreme Court. John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States, ruled that a pardon is only a piece of paper unless it is accepted by the person who is implicated. If he refuses a pardon, then it is not a pardon. George Wilson must hang. And he was hanged.

Even the United States Government couldn't force a prisoner to take a pardon, if he did not want it. God Himself does not force men to take a pardon or salvation. Jesus is ready to forgive you, but you must be ready to accept it. Some of you will say, "Well, Mr. Wilson was about the most foolish man I ever heard of, to reject a pardon and thus lose his life." Pray tell me, what about the people who refuse the pardon of Jesus Christ and lose eternal life?

Sinners are saved through simple faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the cross. We need to pray. Yes, we should ask God to forgive all our sins. But you don't need to pray to make God willing to save you. He is at this very moment beseeching you to take salvation. Salvation is a gift from the pierced hand of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." "Whosoever will," let him come "and take the water of life freely." The gift of God is for you, will you take it?

How many are ready to say, "Preacher, pray for me, that I may truly follow the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved"? Will you lift your hand just now? Yes, it seems to me that every hand is lifted. (Prayer)

Our blessed Lord, we thank Thee for this great prophecy. Lord, help us each tonight to realize that these are real events which will soon transpire in this world. Help us to act our part well. We thank Thee that salvation is a free gift through Jesus Christ. Help us to accept this gift. Help us, that we may perm it Jesus to live in us every day a life of obedience to His precious word. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

18. Which Day Shall Christians Keep?

The sermon tonight will be an introduction to the Sabbath question. The limitations of time will not permit me to cover all the aspects of the Sabbath question in one sermon. So please remember that if some of the items I present are not clear to you, they will be cleared up as I cover the other aspects of the Sabbath question in succeeding sermons.

If some man says things, which are just the opposite from the way you or I have been brought up, that doesn't necessarily mean that he is wrong. The only safe thing for any person to do, is to prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good. I don't ask you to take my word on any point, but I do ask you to take your Bible and cheek up on my statements and find the real truth for yourself.

I was brought up to believe that Sunday and Sabbath meant the same thing. When I became a Christian, I kept Sunday strictly because I sincerely believed that it was the day that Jesus Christ had appointed for Christians to observe in honour of His resurrection on the first day of the week. In fact I felt so sure that Sunday was the right day for Christians to keep, that when a certain man attempted to show me that Christians should keep the seventh day, or Saturday, I told my friends that the man was crazy. I said they ought not even to allow him to walk the streets. They ought to put him in an asylum. But that man stirred me to search my Bible to find the facts. Tonight I want to tell you what I found. I want to take you on a delightful tour of investigation of God's Word for a discovery of the real truth about the Sabbath.

Jesus tells us in John 8:31, 32 that if we continue in His word, we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. Please bear in mind that this matter of which day we should observe is not a question of denominationalism. It cannot be settled by what I say or what any other minister says. It cannot be settled by what any certain church teaches; or by what any denomination does; or by what the law of the land says; or by what the encyclopaedia or the dictionary may say. If you want the real truth, you must let the Bible speak and tell you which day Jesus Christ wants you to keep.

"What says the Bible, the blessed Bible?
This should my only question be.
Teachings of men so often mislead us,
What says the Book of God to me?"

The first fact that I discovered was that Sunday is not the day God commands men to keep. Write Exodus 20:10 in your notebooks. I have placed this text on a piece of muslin that you might see for yourself just what God says in Exodus 20:10. (At this juncture a banner containing the words of Exodus 20:10 was lowered in view of the audience.)

Exodus 20:10, a part of the fourth commandment, is one of the ten. The fourth commandment constitutes Exodus 20:8-11 in your Bible.

I would like to have all of us read this: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord Thy God. In it thou shall not do any work." Exodus 20:10.

God says, keep the seventh day. Which day is the seventh day? If you look at your calendar, you see at once that the seventh day is the day we call Saturday. Then Saturday is the Sabbath according to the Ten Commandments.

I discovered further that Sunday cannot be the right day to keep, because Sunday is the first day of the week, while God commands us to keep the seventh day or the last day of the week. So I learned that Sunday and Sabbath do not mean the same thing. Many of you have used those terms synonymously. I once thought that Sunday and Sabbath meant the same thing, but that is not according to the Bible. Sunday and Sabbath do not refer to the same day any more than Thursday and Friday refer to the same day.

Sunday is a name that men gave to the first day of the week, because on that day from time immemorial the heathen people worshipped the Sun. Hence they called it the sun's day, or Sunday. The Sabbath is a name that God gave to the seventh day of the week.

Like many other people I formerly thought that the keeping of the seventh day was intended only for the Jews. I would like to have you notice what Jesus says in Mark 2:27. "The Sabbath was made for?" Whom? The Jews? No, Jesus says, "the Sabbath was made for man." Does that spell Jew? No! "The Sabbath was made for man," and that means the race of mankind. I discovered that the keeping of the seventh day was no more intended for just the Jews than the commands, "Thou shall not kill," and "Thou shall not steal," and "Thou shall not commit adultery," were only for the Hebrew people. The Ten Commandments are ten great principles of righteousness applicable to all people.

Then I thought to myself, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Old Testament, but Sunday, the first day of the week, is the Sabbath of the New Testament. You know there are a lot of people who think that if you go by what they call the old Bible, the seventh day is the right day, but if you go by what they call the new Bible, then the first day or Sunday is the day we should observe.

I thought that too once. So I searched the New Testament. I came to the second book in * the New Testament, which is the book of Mark. I want you to notice Mark 16:1, 2 and see what I found there. "When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they night come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week," (notice that after the Sabbath was past,) "very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun."

The Sabbath was passed and gone when they came to the tomb at sunrise. I think you can see that the first day of the week could not be the Sabbath in the New Testament, because the Sabbath was past before the first day of the week dawned. The fact that the first day of the week was the next day after the Sabbath in the New Testament, showed me that the Sabbath, the day Jesus Christ wants me to keep, must be the day that comes just before the first day of the week, which everybody knows is Saturday.

As I read the New Testament I found that the word "Sabbath" in the New Testament refers to the same seventh day of the week that is called the "Sabbath" in the Old Testament. When it comes to the weekly day of observance, the word "Sabbath" in the entire Bible, the New Testament and the Old Testament, is applied to no other day except the seventh day as appointed by the Lord in the Ten Commandments. The Bible no more speaks of two different weekly Sabbaths, than it talks about two different true Gods or two different true Christs. One true God; one true Christ; one true Sabbath. And there need be no doubt as to which day is the one true Sabbath, because it is the seventh day that God specifies in the Ten Commandments.

Like many of you, I formerly thought that the resurrection of our Lord on the first day of the week made Sunday the right day for Christians to keep. But when I read the New Testament, I found that there is no scripture, not a single text, that says that Christians should keep the first day of the week in honour of our Lord's resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday did not make Sunday the Sabbath or the Lord's day any more than our Lord's crucifixion on Friday made Friday the Lord's day or the Sabbath.

Here is something I did find. Put this down. In the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 2:3 I found this. "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." You will notice it says, "God sanctified the seventh day." The word "sanctified" means set apart for a holy use. This is the only day for weekly observance that the Lord ever sanctified for man according to the record given in the Bible. This shows that the seventh day is the only day of the week that the Lord ever set apart for man. It is the only weekly day He ever made holy for man or commanded man to keep.

After I learned this the question came to me, just as it is coming to some of you right now, "Does it really make any difference which day a person keeps just so he keeps one day?" Many people think that if only a person keeps one day in seven that that is all that the Lord requires. They think any day that people want to select is satisfactory to the Lord.

We need to look at God's answer to this question. Put down Exodus 20:10, 11. Again we shall read a part of the fourth commandment. We have placed it here on muslin so that you might see what God says. (At this juncture the words of this text on a piece of muslin were disclosed to the view of the audience.)

God says, "The seventh day is," (not used to be, but is right now) "the Sabbath." Notice He doesn't say that a seventh day is the Sabbath. He doesn't say your seventh day. He doesn't say any seventh day is the Sabbath, but He says, "the seventh day is the Sabbath." Then He tells us why. He says, "For," (which means because) "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth ... and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Here is something we need to follow very closely. God actually designates the seventh day, which He asks us to keep, to be the same day of the week upon which He rested. In fact God says, You keep the seventh day, because on that day I rested. God defines the seventh day that He wants us to keep as being the last day of the week, the day on which He rested.

God specifies two reasons why man should keep the seventh day of the week. First, because the Lord rested on the seventh day after He made the world in six days. Second, because the Lord set the seventh day apart as a holy day.

Do you know friends that if you put any other day in that fourth commandment except the seventh day, you make the Bible contradict itself ? We shall put in the first day of the week and read it to see how it comes out. "The first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested the first day." Hold on there! Right there you have a contradiction. You have God resting and working on the same day. You say, He made the world in six days. Well, the first day of the week was one of those six days. Then you say that He rested on the first day. You see it makes the commandment contradict itself. It destroys the commandment.

That isn't all! God has fixed the Sabbath so that man cannot tamper with it. You can take any other day of the week aside from the seventh-the first day, second day, third day, fourth day, or sixth day and place it in the fourth commandment as the Sabbath and it makes the commandment contradict itself. There isn't any day that will flit in this commandment except the one that God placed in it-the seventh day. This is a very significant point. There is only one way to obey this commandment and that is to keep the last day of the week, the day on which the Lord rested. The Sabbath cannot be any other day except the particular day of the week on which He rested and the day which He set apart or sanctified for man. Since the seventh day is the only day on which the Lord rested after He made the world, the only day He ever sanctified, then it must be the only right day to keep.

After I learned this, the thought came to me, as some of you are thinking now, "Yes, the seventh day is the right day to keep, but hasn't th6 calendar been changed, so that we cannot be sure that the seventh that God specifies in the Ten Commandments is the identical day that we call Saturday?" If you will study this, you will find that the change in the calendar did not alter the order of the days in the week. The order of the days of the week that we have in our calendar today is the same order of the days of the week that they had when Jesus Christ was here.

We have three charts here which will show that the seventh day which God specifies in the fourth commandment is identical with the day we now call Saturday. (Three charts were displayed depicting the sixth day as the day of the Lord's crucifixion, the following day as the Sabbath according to the commandment, and the next day-the first day of the week, as the day of the Lord's resurrection.)

On this first chart we see the three crosses and Christ on the middle cross. Jesus Christ was crucified on the sixth day of the week. The Bible plainly teaches this. The Bible shows that He was crucified on the day before the Sabbath. Here it is in Mark 15:42. Speaking of the day of the crucifixion it says, "It was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath." Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath.

Notice the next day in this cycle of three days as illustrated on the next chart. The next day after He was crucified was the seventh day. He was crucified the day before the Sabbath, so the next day was the Sabbath day. Notice in Luke 23:56 what Christ's own followers did on the day after the crucifixion. After they had seen Christ taken down from the cross and put in Joseph's new tomb, they returned to their homes. Then what did they do?. It says, "They rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." He was crucified the day before the Sabbath and the next day His followers kept the Sabbath according to the commandment of God.

Then what happened on the next day? The next day was the first day of the week. On this third chart you see the women at the tomb and the angel telling them that the Lord is risen. We find in Luke 24:1, that after they had kept the Sabbath, "Upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared."

You have three great days standing side by side. The sixth day of the week, when He was crucified; the next day, which His followers kept as the Sabbath; and the first day of the week upon which He arose. How plain! The day that God asks you and me to keep is the day that came in between the crucifixion on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. It is a historical fact and no one can rightfully deny that Jesus was crucified on the day we call Friday; and rose on the day we call Sunday. If you know what day comes in between Friday and Sunday, then you know what you ought to do. If there is anybody in this auditorium who doesn't know what day comes between Friday and Sunday, will you please see me privately?

Mark well this point. The calendar that was in use in the time of Christ was the Julian Calendar named after Julius Caesar. This calendar was arranged by him forty-six years before Christ was born. That calendar without any modification so far as the weeks are concerned is the calendar that hangs on your wall tonight. This is positive evidence that the day we call Saturday is the seventh day of the fourth commandment.

I hold in my hand photo stats of certain pages from Dio Cassius' History of Rome, which you all recognize as a standard work on the history of Rome. In these citations we find that the seventh day of the week, which we now call Saturday in English, was the day which the heathen anciently dedicated to Saturn. Roman history shows that this day of Saturn or Saturday was the same day of the week which is called the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments, and was so observed by the Israelites. These two photo stats of citations from Dio Cassius' History of Rome identify the day of Saturn, now called Saturday, as being the same day of the week which the Israelites kept as the Sabbath according to the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments.

In his history he tells how Pompey captured Jerusalem by attacking it on the day of Saturn which was the same day as the Sabbath observed by the Jews. On that day the Jews would not fight so the city was taken.

In Dio Cassius' History of Rome Book 37, Chapter 16, Loeb Classical Library, vol. 33, pp. 125, 127 we read: "Most of the city, to be sure, he took without any trouble, as he was received by the party of Hyreanus; but the temple itself which the other party had occupied, he captured only with difficulty. For it was on high ground and was fortified by a wall of its own, and if they had continued defending it on all days alike, he could not have gotten possession of it. As it was, they made an exception of what are called the days of Saturn, and by doing no work at all on those days afforded the Romans an opportunity in this interval to batter down the wall." This was sixty-three years before Christ.

Then we have the identity of Saturday with the Sabbath made certain from that time to the present, because the orthodox Jews still consider the seventh day to be holy, and it still coincides with the day called Saturday in the calendar.

Some people told me that the New Testament calls the first day of the week the Lord's day in honour of Christ's resurrection. What are the facts? I found this. The Lord's day is mentioned only one time, not two times, but only one time in the New Testament. This is in the last book in the New Testament in Revelation 1:10. John says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet."

You will notice that he does not specify which day of the week is the Lord's day. We have no right to read into the Bible something that isn't there. He simply says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Of course, the Lord's day means Christ's day. There is no question about that, but he doesn't specify which day of the week it was. There is only one way we can find out for a certainty which day of the week is the Lord's day, and that is to compare scripture with scripture and let the Bible decide.

The Lord's day must be the day of which Jesus Christ is the Lord. What day is Jesus Christ Lord of? In Matthew 12:8 we read, "The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." Since the Lord's day is the day of which Jesus Christ is Lord, and He is Lord of the Sabbath day, then the Sabbath day is the Lord's day. Since the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, then the seventh day or Saturday is the true Lord's day.

If Jesus Christ is in the Sabbath, and He is, then you want Jesus Christ and the Sabbath. It seems to me, friends, that we should all be willing to follow the example of Jesus. In 1 Peter 2:21 the apostle says that Jesus left us an example, that we should walk in His steps.

When we take the New Testament and trace out Who is the Lord mentioned in this fourth commandment it becomes very clear that the seventh day is Christ's day, because He is the Lord that made the day holy for man to keep. The New Testament shows in seven different places that Christ, the Son of God, is the creator of this world. I shall give you those texts. John 1:1-3; John 1:10; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:13-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1.1-3, and Hebrews 1:8-10.

Who is this Lord that made the seventh day to be the Sabbath by resting upon the seventh day, after He made the world in six days, and by sanctifying or setting apart that day? The New Testament tells us it was the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't it plain that since Christ is the Lord Who made the seventh day the Sabbath by resting on that day after He made the world in six days, and by sanctifying that day that the seventh day is bound to be Christ's day, the Lord's day, the Sabbath of Christ for all Christians to keep? The keeping of the Sabbath day is a part of following Jesus as our Saviour. It is Christ's day. I love that day, because I know it is Christ's day. The seventh day is the only weekly day that the Lord Jesus Christ ever set apart or ever made holy for man to keep. When He lived here, He kept the seventh day holy. He says to you and me, as Christians, "Follow me."

Some people told me that the keeping of the seventh day was binding only until Jesus died upon the cross. When I searched my Bible, I found that this was not true. I found that the keeping of the seventh day was binding after the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. The apostles kept the right day. You can depend on that. They followed the real truth which they had received direct from Christ. If you want to be sure which is the right day to keep, all you need to do is to find what day the apostles called Sabbath and keep it. Put down Acts 13:14, 15.

This thirteenth chapter of Acts gives an account of a striking sermon Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue in Antioch about A. D. 45, or about fourteen years after the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. Notice what it says: "When they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down."

They went into the Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath day, when the Jews were assembled for their weekly worship. Tell me upon what day of the week did the Jews in the time of Paul meet for their weekly worship? There can be only one answer to that question. The Jews in the time of Paul met for their weekly worship on the seventh day or Saturday. Notice that the Holy Spirit speaking through Luke calls this seventh day or Saturday when the Jews met for their weekly worship, "the Sabbath day."

This reveals two very important facts. The seventh-day Sabbath was not abolished at the cross for here we have the Acts of the Apostles calling it "the Sabbath day," some fourteen years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The apostles recognized Saturday as the Sabbath in their religion by calling this day upon which the Jews met for their weekly worship, "the Sabbath day." You will find this fact set forth eight times in the book of Acts. As a matter of fact the seventh day or Saturday on which the Jews met for their weekly worship is called the Sabbath eight times in the book of Acts.

It is true that the ceremonial laws of Moses were nailed to the cross and have been abolished. However, the Ten Commandments, as the eternal law of righteousness, were binding after the cross just as before. Hebrews 8:10 shows that the same Ten Commandments which God wrote on stone under the old covenant are written upon the Christian's heart by the Holy Spirit under the new covenant.

In Numbers 28:9 we learn that the Israelites were required by the Mosaic Law to offer two lambs as a burnt offering every Sabbath day or every Saturday. Christians today don't need to offer lambs as sacrifices. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, offered Himself on Calvary's cross nineteen hundred years ago once for all. In fact if we should offer lambs for our sins, we would be denying Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. That Mosaic law about offering two lambs every Sabbath was nailed to the cross. This is why Christians should not keep the Sabbath according to the Mosaic Law, but should keep the Lord's day according to the example of Jesus Christ.

If I should ask how many believe that these Ten Commandments such as Thou shall not kill; Thou shall not steal; Honour thy father and thy mother; and Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, are binding today, everyone here would raise his hand. Mark this. The keeping of the seventh day, or Saturday, is a part of those Ten Commandments. It is the fourth one of the ten. This means just as surely as the Ten Commandments are binding, the keeping of the seventh day is binding. The Ten Commandments constitute the only document in this world which ever came to man direct from God. God spoke the ten with His own voice and wrote them on everlasting stone. The great God of all, has forever settled this Sabbath question by saying, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shall not do any work."

Some of you will say, "Mr. Shuler, I thought you weren't going to preach denominationalism in this Bible Institute!" Listen, the keeping of the seventh day is not denominationalism. It is one of God's Ten Commandments for everybody in the world. Jesus Christ and the Ten Commandments are not confined to any one denomination. They are for all Christians. The keeping of the seventh day is for all Christians. The keeping of the seventh day is not denominationalism any more than the keeping of the commandment, "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain!" You can't make one of those Ten Commandments belong to one denomination and give the remaining nine to the rest. You don't want to do that, do you? They belong to all, and that is why I am preaching this. I am not referring to any denomination at all. I am simply telling you what the Bible says.

Did you know that this fourth commandment for the keeping of the seventh day is a commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ? Here are two references. Put them down. 1 Corinthians 10:4 and Nehemiah 9:12-15. 1 Corinthians 10:4 shows that the Lord God, Who led Israel through the wilderness by that pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night, was Christ. Paul says, "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ!"

Nehemiah 9:12-15 shows that the same Lord God Who led them through the wilderness was the One Who spoke the Ten Commandments at Sinai. That shows that Christ is the Lord God who spoke the Ten Commandments. Consequently the fourth commandment for the keeping of the seventh day is a command of Jesus Christ.

The words of the Ten Commandments about the seventh day being the Sabbath of the Lord are equivalent, according to the New Testament, to saying, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord Jesus Christ because He spoke the Ten Commandments. If you read this New Testament through one hundred times, you will not find where Jesus Christ ever told anybody to keep the first day of the week for any reason whatsoever. Christ did speak the Ten Commandments and told men what day they should keep. The seventh day is the only day that the Lord Jesus has ever asked anybody to keep. My friends, if we obey the Lord Jesus Christ, what else can we do but keep the seventh day as He tells us?

What does all this mean to you? What does it mean to me? It means that if we are not already keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, we had better make up our minds to begin keeping it as one of God's commandments just the same as the commandments Thou shall not steal; and Thou shall not bear false witness, etc.

There are two facts which forever settle this whole question. The seventh day is the only day of weekly observance that Jesus Christ ever told man to keep. The seventh day is the only day of weekly observance that Christ ever blessed or sanctified or hallowed or set apart for man.

Now I am going to put the capstone on all this evidence by reading a text that shows that this seventh-day Sabbath will be kept throughout eternity by the redeemed in the earth made new. You may put down Isaiah 66:22, 23. The prophet is talking about the new earth. He says, "As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, said the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, said the Lord."

This shows that the seventh-day Sabbath will be kept throughout eternity. It was here before sin entered. It will be here when sin is gone. It is like a great rainbow arch reaching from Eden lost to Eden restored; from paradise forfeited through disobedience to paradise regained by obedience to Jesus.

The most important matter of all is for us to make sure of an eternal happy home in God's wonderful new earth. We need Jesus to help us to be there. It would be better for us never to have been born than to miss a home in His wonderful kingdom. "Mat will it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"

Friends, I want to be there and I want Christ to help me to be there. How many of you with me want to raise your hand as a silent prayer, "Lord help me to so follow Thy Word that I may live forever in Thy wonderful kingdom?" Yes, it seems that every hand is raised. (Prayer)

Blessed Lord Jesus, we thank Thee for Thy great sacrifice upon the cross We thank Thee that through that sacrifice we have the hope of eternal life. We thank Thee for this glorious new earth that Thou wilt prepare, this New Jerusalem that Thou hast already prepared for Thine own. Dear Lord, we want to be there. It is all we have to live for, and tonight we have raised our hands for Thee to help, us. Oh, Lord, do help us to follow Thee that we may have an eternal happy home in the place Thou hast prepared for us. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE IDENTITY OF THE SEVENTH DAY

Some people think that the calendar has been changed therefore we cannot be sure that the seventh day commanded in the Ten Commandments is the day now called Saturday. Since the days of Christ only one change has been made in the calendar, and that was the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. This did not in any way affect the days of the week. By 1582 A. D., due to Julius Caesar having inserted a leap year too often, the calendar had drifted away from the seasons. The spring equinox, instead of coming on March 21st came on March 11th. To correct the calendar ten days were dropped. Friday, October 5th was called Friday, October 15th. It was still Friday, and Saturday followed as usual. Neither Saturday nor Sunday was affected. Some countries who delayed adoption of the reform calendar till 1752 found it necessary to call September 3rd of that year September 14th, thus dropping eleven days. It was a Thursday, and Friday followed as usual. In other words, the changes in the calendar did not affect in any way the order of the days of the week. Hence the seventh day of the week continues as the true seventh day of the week, the day we call Saturday.

19. The Key of Knowledge

Look at the first item on the lesson outline: "A right understanding of God's law is a key which unlocks the truth of God." On the blank line record Luke 11:52.

Mr. Reynolds, will you please read this text for us? "Woe unto you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you, hindered."

You will notice that Jesus Christ addressed those words to the lawyers. The lawyers of Christ's day were men who interpreted the meaning of the laws of God. Jesus shows that by misinterpreting the law of God, they had taken away the key of knowledge. This indicates that a right understanding of God's law is the key of knowledge which unlocks the truth of God.

It is easy to open a lock if you have the right key. So you may readily gain an understanding of the real truth, if you have the key of knowledge, which is a true understanding of the Law of God.

Look at the second proposition: "A failure to recognize the difference in the nature, application and duration of the Ten Commandment law in contrast to the Ceremonial Law of Moses has caused millions to miss the real truth in regard to the true Lord's day for Christians."

One of the main arguments which people use against the keeping of the seventh day is that all the laws given in the Old Testament, including the Ten Commandments, passed away at the cross. Notice the third statement on the lesson outline: "The Bible presents two distinct systems of law." On the blank line record Deuteronomy 33:2-4.

Mr. Heglund, we shall hear from you on this reference. "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints: from His right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, He loved the people; all His saints are in Thy hand: and they sat down at Thy feet; every one shall receive of Thy words. Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob."

How many different laws are mentioned in this Scripture? Two different laws are mentioned. First, a fiery law which came direct from God's right hand; then second, another law, which was commanded by Moses. One law which came direct from God's own hand; another law that was commanded to the people by Moses at the Lord's direction.

God Himself made a clear distinction between the laws of the Old Testament. The Ten Commandments were spoken by God's own voice, and written by the Lord Himself on stone, and placed inside the ark of the covenant. The Ceremonial Laws of Moses were promulgated by the voice of Moses-were written by him with a pen in a book, and placed in a pocket outside the ark.

Look at the fourth proposition. "The New Testament shows that the principles of the Ten Commandments, with the seventh-day Sabbath in their very heart are binding upon Christians today as a rule of life and conduct." You will notice that we list three references on this: Ephesians 6:2; James 2:8-12; Acts 13:14.

In Ephesians 6:2 Paul quotes from the Ten Commandments as being a code, binding on Christians some twenty-nine years after the old covenant had passed away he said, "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise." In writing to them he quotes from the Ten Commandments as a binding code on Christians.

In James 2:8-12 it speaks directly of the Ten Commandments and says, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." This shows that every one of the Ten Commandments is binding on Christians.

Acts 13:14 shows that the same seventh-day which was the Sabbath before the crucifixion continued to be the Sabbath after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Notice the second item under the fourth proposition. "The New Testament also shows that the offering of animal sacrifices, meat offerings and drink offerings, and the observance of the feast days, new moons and yearly Sabbaths of the Mosaic law were abolished at the cross." On the blank line write in Colossians 2:14-17.

Here is something which is especially important for you to understand. Colossians 2:14-17 is the reference which many people use to prove that the seventh day Sabbath was done away with at the cross. I am not a prophet, but I know that in the next two or three weeks many of you will have this reference thrust at you. Preachers will use this text and say, "Just look at this! This proves that the Sabbath was done away with in Christ." Jesus said, "How reads thou?" It is very necessary that we have the true understanding of this text.

All right, Mr. Jayne we shall hear from you as to how this Scripture reads. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

Notice that the Sabbath days which Paul refers to were a part of the handwriting of ordinances, because in Colossians 2:14-17 he definitely is speaking of the handwriting of ordinances that was nailed to the cross. Just ask yourself the question, "Does the handwriting of ordinances that was nailed to the cross and abolished, mean the Ten Commandments, or does that refer to the ceremonial law?" The very word "ordinances" shows that it refers to the Ceremonial Law. What is an ordinance? The dictionary says, "An ordinance is a religious rite or ceremony." There are no ordinances in the Ten Commandments. The ordinances are found in the Ceremonial Law. An ordinance is a ceremony and Paul is talking about the Ceremonial Laws.

Look at the fifth item on the lesson outline: "The twenty-third chapter of Leviticus (remember, Leviticus is the ceremonial law) reveals that in addition to the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, which originated at creation, the Jews were given seven yearly Sabbaths when they came out of Egypt. These were the fifteenth and twenty-first day of the first month, the day of Penecost, the first, tenth, fifteenth and twenty-second days of the seventh month.

Look at the sixth proposition: ".Paul expressly shows that the Sabbath days which were done away with in Christ, were these yearly Sabbath days connected with the new moons and the feast days of the Jews, which pointed forward to Christ's death on the cross.

Paul is very careful to define which Sabbath days he is talking about. He says in the 16th and 17th verses, "The Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come." It was the ceremonial Sabbaths that pointed forward to the cross; those ceremonial Sabbaths, with which certain offerings were connected, which pointed forward to the Saviour's death.

We have a chart here which reveals the differences between the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, and the yearly Sabbaths of the ceremonial law. Notice that the seventh-day Sabbath of the Ten Commandments was made at creation, when God rested on the seventh day, and then sanctified or set apart for man to keep holy.

These yearly Sabbaths of the ceremonial law in Leviticus 23 were made twenty five hundred years after creation, when the Jews came out of Egypt. Jesus said it was made for man. The yearly Sabbaths were for the Jews only. The seventh-day Sabbath was for all ages and times. The yearly Sabbaths were only for the Mosaic dispensation, and passed away at the cross. The seventh-day Sabbath came once a week. The Sabbaths of the Ceremonial Law came once a year. The seventh-day Sabbath points tack to creation; the yearly Sabbaths pointed forward to the cross. (At this juncture a chart showing the shadow of the cross was lowered in view of the audience.)

This chart illustrates the shadow of the cross. Notice in this scene how the cross is the great centre around which God's plan revolves. The shadow of the cross reaches back to the garden of Eden, when they offered the first lamb. Every lamb they offered pointed to the great Lamb of God, Who was to die for the sins of the world. Notice that since the cross we have ordinances that point back to Calvary. The cross is the great centre. The people of Old Testament times looked forward to the cross. In our days we have ordinances that point us back to the cross. We have the Lard's Supper and Baptism, which point back to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Notice this line at the top which runs all the way across the chart. This shows that the Ten Commandments, as the great law of God, are eternally binding, Notice that the law of Moses came in when Israel left Egypt, and continued only to the cross. The law of Moses was nailed to the cross and abolished, but the Ten Commandments were separate from the laws of Moses, and continued binding after the cross.

Notice the seventh proposition: "The New Testament clearly teaches that the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath remains after the cross." The first reference is Acts 13:14, where the term Sabbath is identified with the Saturday-meeting day of the Jews in the days of the apostles. On the blank line fill in Hebrews 4:9, 4, 10.

Mr. L. R. Holley, will you please read Hebrews 4:9 for us? "There remains therefore a rest to the people of God."

In the margin it says, "the keeping of a Sabbath." The Greek word is "Sabbatismos," which means, "Sabbath keeping." In other words the writer of Hebrews says, Sabbath keeping remains. The sacrifices of the old covenant are abolished. The worldly sanctuary has ended. But Sabbath keeping remains. "There remains the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God."

What Sabbath is it that remains for the people of God? Listen to verse 4:

"For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works." Notice that in the context, he specifically mentions the seventh day as the day of God's rest. This shows us that the Sabbath keeping which remains is the keeping of that seventh day on which God rested.

Suppose I had a 2 x 4 piece of lumber 10 feet long. I cut off 2 feet, 8 feet remains. What will this 8 feet be like? Will it be 2 x 6? No! Will it be a 2 x 8? No! Will it be a 1 x 4? No! It will be 8 feet of 2 x 4. It is simply a continuation of the same size piece of wood from which I cut 2 feet. Therefore, the Sabbath that remains must be a continuation of the same weekly Sabbath they had before the cross, which was none other than the seventh-day Sabbath.

Now, Mr. Holley, please read verse 10: "He that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His."

The import of this text is that a Christian is to rest as God rested. Tell me, dear friends, if a Christian rests as God rested, on what day will he rest? Yes, the seventh day. This is very plain. If a Christian rests as God rested, he will rest on the seventh day.

God set the seventh day apart for man to keep because He rested upon that day. In Genesis 2:3 we read, "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which he had made." God actually set the seventh day apart for man, because on that day He had rested. Resting as God rested must include resting on the day that God rests, which is none other than the last day of the week, or the seventh day.

Look at proposition No. 8: "While the cross of Christ testified of the abolition of the ceremonial law, it witnesses to the immutability and perpetuity of the Ten Commandments." Two references are listed: 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 1 John 3:4.

I want to show you how law and grace meet at the cross. Take the word "law." The middle letter of law is what? "a." Now what is the middle letter of "grace?" The middle letter of "Grace" is "a" also. Law, "a" is the middle letter of law. Grace, "a" is the middle letter of "grace." When you place "law" and grace together, so the "a" in each coincides, it forms a cross. The cross of Christ didn't do away with the law. The cross of Christ only testifies to the immutability and perpetuity of the great law of God, the Ten Commandments.

Now look at proposition No. 9. "When the Jewish Christians who still kept these yearly holy days of the Mosaic Law condemned the Gentile Christians for not observing them, Paul urged that the matter be left to each person's choice."

This text has been greatly misunderstood. People quote this reference to justify themselves in the idea that it makes no difference what day we keep, just so we keep a day. Paul does not mean this at all.

I read Romans 14:5, 6: "One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks."

Paul is talking about days of esteem, days that men esteem. He is not thinking about the day that God commands man to keep. There were two classes of people in the early Christian church. There were the Jewish Christians, who went on keeping these yearly Sabbaths. They had been brought up that way. They kept the day of atonement; they kept the day of Pentecost; they kept the Passover. They went on keeping these yearly Sabbaths according to their custom even when they had been done away with at the cross.

The Gentile Christians who had never been under the ceremonial law paid no attention to those yearly Sabbaths. The result was that one class began condemning the other about it. Paul exhorted them not to condemn one another about this matter, but to let each do as he thought best. This had reference not to the keeping of the seventh day, but to the Jewish feast days, which had already passed away, and were not binding. He urged that this be left to each person's own choice. It is a misinterpretation of this scripture to use it to support the idea that it makes no difference which day we keep, just so we keep a day.

Now look at Proposition No. 10: "Not being under the law, but under grace, does not release Christians from the obligation to keep all the Ten Commandments." On the blank line record Romans 6:14, 15.

Mr. Reynolds will you read this reference? "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

Notice how this reads. He says, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace." A lot of people stop right there. They say this proves that a Christian is not under the Ten Commandments at all. He doesn't have to keep the Ten Commandments. He is under grace. If they would just read on, they wouldn't draw such a conclusion. Paul evidently knew that people would get the wrong idea. He says, "What then? shall we sin?" What is sin? I John 3:4 says, "Sin is the transgression of the law." All right, "Shall we transgress the law because we are not under the law, but under grace?" What is the answer? "God forbid!" Evidently Paul had no idea of conveying the impression that being under grace gave a Christian the right to live contrary to the Ten Commandments.

Does being under grace, and not under the law, give a man the right to break the eighth commandment, which says, "Thou shall not steal?" You say, "No." Even so, being under grace and not under the law doesn't give a Christian the right to break the fourth commandment. Why would a Christian want to be free from a law that forbids stealing, lying, murder, swearing, and such? A true Christian wouldn't want to be free from such a law as this.

Notice proposition No. 11. "Instead of the keeping of the Sabbath being contrary to grace, it is one of God's own appointed signs of the work of grace in the believer's life." Put down on the blank line Ezekiel 20:12.

Mr. Heglund will you please read Ezekiel 20:12? "Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them."

Notice that God says, "I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." The Sabbath is a sign of sanctification. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign that God is sanctifying you. It is a sign of the work of grace in your heart and life. The keeping of the Sabbath shows that we are looking to Jesus alone to save us and that we could no more save ourselves, than we could create a world. The same seventh-day that is a sign of creation is also a sign of redemption.

Look at proposition No. 12: "The doctrine of keeping the seventh day stands God's tests for being a part of His truth." The reference is Isaiah 8:20. It says, "To the law and to the testimony: If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

This is God's test for true doctrine. The true doctrine will be according to the law of God and the Word of God. You know that the keeping of the seventh day is according to the law of God and according to the word of God. Then there must be light in that doctrine for you. The doctrine of keeping the first day of the week doesn't stand the test of the law of God. He says, "To the Law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Look at proposition No. 13: "God is particular that we obey His law exactly as He worded it. In Deuteronomy 4:2 He tells us, that we are not to add unto the commandments nor take anything away from the Commandments, but keep them as He gave them: If we do not keep the seventh day, we are actually taking something away from the law. If we kept the first day in place of the seventh day, we would be adding something to His law. God says, we are not to do this, but to keep it as He gave it.

Look at proposition No. 14: "God requires implicit obedience even in what may seem to us like small matters." In Luke 17:32 you have the shortest sermon Jesus ever preached. It is these three words, "Remember Lot's wife." What about Lot's wife? The angel said to her, "Do not look behind you." This seemed like a little thing. In fact it is rather difficult to keep from looking around when something interesting is going on behind you. In this case the whole town was being burned up. The angel said, "Do not look back." She disobeyed and lost her life and lost her soul. Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife."

It shows us that when God gives a command, even though it seems like a little thing, God expects us to obey. In John 13:8 we have the statement that Jesus made to Peter. Jesus was washing His disciple's feet. Peter said, "Lord are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "What I do thou knows not now; but thou shall know hereafter."

Then Peter said, "Thou shall never wash my feet." Jesus said, "If I wash thee not, thou shall have no part with me." Peter said, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." His "never" lasted just about two minutes.

Even a little matter like having his feet washed meant everything, because it was a matter of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, the right understanding of the importance of God's law is in your hand a key of knowledge. Let obedience open the door to new vistas beyond.

Now we are ready for the ushers to bring your questions to the desk, to be answered.

(Copy of the Bible lesson outline, which was distributed to the people preceding the nineteenth lecture.)

LESSON III-THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE
1. A right understanding of God's law is a key, which unlocks the truth of God.
2. A failure to recognize the difference in the nature, application and duration of the ten commandment law in contrast to the ceremonial law of Moses has caused millions to miss the real truth in regard to the true Lord's day for Christians.
3. The Bible presents two distinct systems of law.
4A. The New Testament shows that the principles of the Ten Commandments, with the seventh-day Sabbath in their very heart are binding on Christians today as a rule of life and conduct. (Ephesians 6:2; James 2:8-12; Acts 13:14.)
4B. It also shows that the offering of animal sacrifices, meat offerings and drink offerings, and the observance of the feast days, new moons and yearly Sabbaths of the Mosaic law were abolished at the cross.
5. The twenty-third chapter of Leviticus reveals that in addition to the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, which originated at creation, the Jews were given seven yearly Sabbaths when they came out of Egypt. These were the fifteenth and twenty-first day of the first month, the day of Pentecost, the first, tenth, fifteenth and twenty-second days of the seventh month.
6. Paul expressly shows that the Sabbath days which were done away with in Christ, were these yearly Sabbath days connected with the new moons and the feast days of the Jews, and which pointed forward to Christ's death on the cross.
7. The New Testament clearly teaches that the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath remains after the cross. (Acts 13:14.)
8. While the cross of Christ testifies of the abolition of the ceremonial law, it witnesses to the immutability and perpetuity of the Ten Commandments. (I Corinthians 15:3) 1 John 3:4.)
9. When the Jewish Christians, who still kept these yearly holy days of the Mosaic law, condemned the Gentile Christians for not observing them, Paul urged that the matter be left to each person's own choice. (Romans 14:5, 6.)
10. Not being under the law, but under grace, does not release Christians from the obligation to keep all the Ten Commandments.
11. Instead of the keeping of the Sabbath being contrary to grace, it is one of God's own appointed signs of the work of grace in the believer's life.
12. The doctrine of keeping the seventh-day stands God's test for being a part of His truth. (Isaiah 8:20.)
13. God is particular that we obey His law exactly as He worded it. (Deuteronomy 4:2J
14. God requires implicit obedience even in what may seem to us like small matters. (Luke 17:32; Genesis 19:17; John 13:8.)
References which were filled in as the study was presented: (1) Luke 11: 52; (3) Deuteronomy 33:24; (4B) Colossians 2:14-17; (7) Hebrews 4:9, 4, 10; (10) Romans 6:14, 15; (11) Ezekiel 20:12.

20. $5,000 for One Text

(Preached on the Fifth Friday Night of the Campaign)

I hold in my hand a letter from A. N. Dugger, a leading minister in a denomination known as the Church of God. He is also editor of their official, CHURCH OF GOD ADVOCATE. Mr. Dugger writes me as follows:

Elder J. L Shuler
Dear Sir:

In regard to the matter of what day we ought to keep holy, I will say that I hereby offer you or anyone else $,5000.00 if they will produce one text from the New Testament which says that we ought to keep the first day o the week or Sunday as a ho1y day. The law setting apart the first day of the week or Sunday as a rest day or holy day was made by the Catholic Church long after the Bible was written; hence, said law cannot be found in-the Bible. Yours sincerely,
(Signed) A. N. DUGGER, Editor
CHURCH OF GOD ADVOCATE.

He offers to give me, or anyone, $5,000 if we will produce one text of scripture which says that Christians are to keep the first day of the week. I could use this 5,000 dollars. It would come in very handy. Hence if it is possible to produce such a text, I want to find it. I plan to examine every text in the New Testament that mentions the first day of the week and see if this $5,000 can be won.

The first day of the week, the day we now call Sunday, is mentioned eight times in the New Testament. I have placed these eight references on the blackboard, so that everyone here may see for himself the eight instances where the New Testament mentions the first day of the week. These are: Mark 16:9, 1, 2; Matthew. 28:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 20:7.

It is evident that if there be any proof for the keeping of the first day of the week, or Sunday, it will be found in connection with the eight places in the New Testament which mentions the first day of the week. This, $5,000 offer is open to everyone in this audience. You notice he said, "I hereby offer you or anyone else." If you know of any text which says we ought to keep the first day of the week, and I fail to read it, then I want you to place that text on a slip of paper and have an usher bring it to me, and you will receive the $5,000. At a certain time in my lecture I will pause for the ushers to pass up and down the aisles and collect any such texts.

I turn to Mark 16:9. "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week; he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils." This text merely states the fact that when Jesus arose, early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. I cannot claim the $5,000 with this text, because there is not a word in the text to the effect that Christians should keep the first day of the week in honour of the Lord's resurrection.

Next, I turn to Mark 16:1, 2: "When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun."

You will notice that this text declares that when the Sabbath was past, certain women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week.

Nobody could get the $5,000 on this text, because there isn't a word there to the effect that Christians should keep the first day of the week. In fact, it shows that Sunday, the first day of the week, cannot be the Sabbath. The text declares that the Sabbath was past when these women came to the tomb at daybreak on the first day of the week. The first day of the week cannot be the Sabbath, because the Sabbath was past when they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun.

The first day of the week cannot be the Sabbath any more than 1945 could be 1946, because 1945 was passed when 1946 began. Since the Sabbath was passed before the first day of the week dawned, that Sabbath must be the day that comes before the first day of the week, which you know is the seventh day, the day we call Saturday. Hence, Mark 16:1, 2 shows that the seventh day or Saturday is the Sabbath of the New Testament.

It is really impossible to keep the Sabbath on Sunday. Why? Because the Sabbath is passed before Sunday dawns. No matter how early you get up on Sunday morning, you couldn't keep the Sabbath, because the Sabbath is already passed before you rise from your bed on Sunday morning. Mark 16:1, 2 says that the Sabbath was passed when they came to that tomb at sunrise.

I turn now to Matthew 28:1. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." This simply states the fact that these women came to the tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week.

Next, I turn to Luke 24:1. "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." I cannot qualify for the. $5,000 award with this text, because there is not a word there to the effect that Christians are to keep the first day of the week in honour of the resurrection.

Now I turn to John 20:1. "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and sees the stone taken away from the sepulchre." This simply states that on the first day of the week when Christ arose, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was yet dark, and she found the stone had been rolled away from the door of the tomb.

I have now read five of the eight texts which mention the first day of the week in the New Testament. So far I have found nothing with which I could claim the $5,000. I still have three more chances.

I turn next to John 20:19. This is a text that some people believe contains proof that Sunday is the right day for Christians to keep. They tell us that this text shows that Christ's disciples held a special meeting on the very Sunday of Christ's resurrection, to inaugurate the keeping of Sunday as the Christian Sabbath, or the Lord's day. If the text says this, I will be $5,000 better off. I want you to listen carefully as I read the text and see what it says.

"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you."

Does this text say that the disciples had gathered together on the Sunday evening of the day on which Christ arose, to honour His resurrection? No! People have read something into his text that does not belong there. In fact the scriptures show that these disciples had not met to worship in honour of Christ's resurrection. How do I know this? I know it for two reasons from the Bible. Put down Mark 16:9-13.

In this reference you will find that when Jesus arose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She ran and told the disciples. She said, "The Lord is risen. I've seen Him." They refused to believe it. A little later in the day Jesus appeared unto two of the disciples as they walked out into the country. They ran back and told the others. They said, "The Lord is risen! Jesus is alive." They said, "Not so." They refused to believe it. So you can see that those men could not possibly have gathered in honour of Christ's resurrection when they didn't believe He was risen.

The second point to put down is Mark 16:14. Mark refers to this very same meeting that John describes in John 20:19. He says, "We appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat." In other words, they had gathered in their common abode to eat their evening meal. They had not met to worship in honour of Christ's resurrection. They had simply gathered in their common abode to eat their evening meal.

When Jesus appeared in their midst, they were terrified. He said, "Have you any food?" They had been eating their supper, so they handed Jesus a piece of broiled fish and a piece of honey comb and He ate them. The fact that they had gathered on this Sunday evening to eat their supper proves nothing in favour of Sunday observance.

I should like to have the $5,000, but I cannot ask for it on the basis of what I find in John 20:19. The text says nothing to the effect that Christians were keeping the first day of the week or ever were to keep the first day of the week. You will notice that this makes six texts that mention the first day of the week in direct connection with the very Sunday on which the Lord Jesus arose, and yet they do not say one word to the effect that Christians are to keep the first day of the week in honour of our Lord's resurrection on that day.

I still have two more chances. The next reference is I Corinthians 16:2. Let us read: "Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

Some people claim that here is proof that Sunday is the right day for people to keep. They say, "Doesn't Paul give an order for the church to take a collection upon the first day of the week? How could they take up a collection unless they had a meeting?" So the claim is made that Sunday was the regular day for Christians to keep in the days of the apostles.

What does the scripture say? If you read the text carefully, you will see that it has no reference to a collection being taken at church. Does it say, "Upon the first day of the week let everyone drop an offering in the collection basket?" No! "Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him."

The money was to be laid aside at home. In fact, the Portuguese version of the Scriptures, the Italian version, the Spanish version, and many other versions of the Scriptures render this text, "Lay by at home." It was a private laying by at home.

Paul was gathering relief funds for the poor saints at Jerusalem. He planned to stop at Corinth on his way to Jerusalem. So he wrote on ahead, and as it were, saying, "Now I am coming through on my way to Jerusalem. I want you to lay aside something on the first day of every week at home so you will have something to turn over to me, that I can take with me to the poor saints at Jerusalem."

I still have one more chance, and that is Acts 20:7. Here we read, "Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."

Some people say that here is proof that the first day of the week was the regular meeting day for the Christian people in the days of the apostles. If the text said that, I would have the $5,000. Notice that the text does not say anything about the Christians meeting every week upon the first day of the week.

Read the context and you will see that this was only an incidental meeting held upon what we call Saturday night. It tells you in the context that Paul was leaving the next morning. They never expected to see him again in this world, and that is why he talked all night long. Of course you know that no church ordinarily holds a meeting all night long. This was simply an extraordinary occasion, a farewell occasion, and that is why Paul preached all night long.

In the Bible, the day of twenty-four hours is measured from sunset to sunset. This all night meeting must have begun on Saturday evening and continued unto day break on Sunday morning. If you will read this twentieth chapter of Acts, you will find that Paul took a nineteen or twenty-mile journey on foot Sunday morning following this all night meeting. In other words, the context gives evidence that Paul didn't keep the first day of the week as a holy day of rest. He regarded Sunday as an ordinary working day, just like Monday, Thursday or Tuesday.

Now I must be frank and tell you that cannot find any text that says that Christians should keep the first day or Sunday. I cannot win this $5,000. If you know of any text which I did not read which says that Christians should keep the first day of the week, please write it quickly and hand it to an usher, so he can bring it to the front. Attention all ushers: Please arise and pass through the aisles and bring to the front any text that people hand to you on a slip of paper.

According to the Bible, it is no more necessary to keep Sunday to honour Christ's resurrection than to keep Friday every week to celebrate our Saviour's death that took place on Friday. Why do I say this? Here are two references. 1 Corinthians 11:26 and Colossians 2:12. Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper, the Communion of bread and wine, to celebrate His crucifixion. Paul says, "As oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord's death till He come."

Even so Jesus Christ instituted Christian baptism to celebrate His resurrection. Paul says in Colossians 2:12, "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who bath raised Him from the dead."

Follow me closely. There is a real kernel of truth here. There is no need to keep Friday to celebrate the Lord's crucifixion, because He has ordained the Lord's supper to commemorate His death upon the cross. So there is no need to keep Sunday to honour Christ's resurrection, because He has ordained Christian baptism as the means of celebrating His resurrection, and to show our faith in His resurrection. So there is no more authority for keeping Sunday than there is for keeping Friday.

Ushers, do you have any texts? Nobody seems to want this $5,000. If a millionaire offered a million dollars for one Bible text that says Christians should keep the first day of the week and gave people fifty years to find it, no one would be able to produce the text.

If you read the Bible through one hundred times, with reference to the Sabbath question, what will you find? You will find ten notable facts.

1. The word "Sunday" never occurs in the Bible.
2. Jesus Christ and His apostles never changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week, or Sunday.
3. Jesus Christ and the apostles never observed the first day of the week for the Sabbath.
4. There is no divine command in the New Testament for keeping the first day of the week, or Sunday.
5. There is nothing to indicate that the first day is to be kept for any reason.
6. There isn't anything to indicate that the keeping of the first day of the week, or Sunday, took the place of the seventh day of the week during Bible times.
7. The fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments which required the keeping of the seventh day, is still binding upon all men just like the command, "Thou shall not steal."
8. Neither God, Christ, Angels, nor inspired men have ever said one word in favour of Sunday as a holy day.
9. The seventh, or Saturday, is the only day of the week that Jesus Christ ever sanctified, or set apart for man to keep holy.
10. The seventh day is the only day of weekly observance that the Bible ever directs man to keep.

Have you ever noticed what Christ's followers did upon the day before Sunday? Put down Luke 24:1 and Luke 23:56. Luke 24:1, which I have read, tells how they came to Christ's tomb at sunrise on Sunday morning. The preceding verse or Luke 28:56, tells what they did upon the day before the first day of the week. Listen as I read Luke 23:56, "They returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment."

Isn't that plain? Christ's followers kept the day before Sunday as the Sabbath according to God's commandment. You know and I know, and everybody else knows, that the day before Sunday is Saturday, or the seventh day of the week. Christ's followers had to keep the day before Sunday in order to obey Christ's commandments.

Friends, think this through. If you and I obey God, what day will we keep? We will keep the seventh day according to the commandment. The fifth book in the New Testament which is the Acts of the Apostles, gives the history of Christ's church for about twenty-eight years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This Book of Acts mentions the Sabbath eight times. Here. are the references: Acts 13:14; Acts 13:27; Acts 13:42; Acts 13:44; Acts 15;21; Acts 16:13; Acts 17:1-3; Acts 18:4. You will find that every time, eight times over, the Acts of the Apostles speaks about the Sabbath, it identifies the Sabbath with the Saturday meeting day of the Jews in the days of the Apostles.

Let me ask you a plain question. Do you think anybody who lived after the apostles had the right to change the Sabbath from the seventh-day to the first? What do you say? No! No! Then it is evident that since Saturday was the Sabbath in the days of the apostles, it is bound to be the Sabbath for Christians today. All Christians today should follow the book of Acts and keep the seventh-day or Saturday, which the book of Acts calls the Sabbath in eight different places.

Now the question comes, what does all this mean to you and to me? What shall I do about it? What of it? It means that since there is no Bible authority for keeping Sunday, the only wise course is to turn and henceforth keep the seventh day, or Saturday, which Jesus Christ sanctified and set apart for man and commands us to keep in the Ten Commandments.

Did you ever find yourself on a wrong road in your travels? Yes, I have many times. I have found myself going in the wrong direction, when I honestly thought I was on the right road. What did I do? I turned around and took the right road. That is the only wise thing to do.

Some mischievous boys will turn a road sign around, so that it points in the opposite direction from the way it should. It misleads people. If a man is misled by such a sign all he can do is turn around and get on the right road. Somebody has turned the Sabbath signpost around, so it is leading Christian travellers in the wrong direction regarding the Sabbath. Millions are keeping Sunday, honestly believing it is God's holy day according to the Bible, when it is directly contrary to the Bible. At the same time they are unknowingly working on the very day God says we should keep holy.

Sunday night you will find out from the Bible who is the guilty party. This jury trial scheduled for Sunday night will discover who changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, how it was changed, and when it was changed.

Some time ago a man at Detroit bought a railroad ticket for Grand Rapids, Michigan. Unknowingly he boarded a limited eastbound flyer. The train had crossed the Detroit river and had proceeded a good way over into Canada before the conductor came through. He handed his ticket to the conductor. The conductor said, "Man, you are on the wrong train. Your ticket says `Grand Rapids' and here you are going in the wrong direction over into Canada." The man got excited. He wouldn't believe the conductor. He wanted to argue about it. He felt so sure he was right. Finally he said to the conductor, "Well, what shall I do?"

The conductor said, "Get off at the first stop, take the next train back to Detroit, and get on the right train for Grand Rapids." The man had ridden forty miles thinking he was on the right train, when he was going in the wrong direction all the time. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death." You will find this in Proverbs 16:25. The wisest man who ever lived said that.

If a man is on the wrong train, he will never reach the right destination, no matter how sincere he may be, unless he changes and gets on the right train. Don't forget that God's heaven-bound train runs on the Christ-track of the commandments. Put down Revelation 22:14. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Friends, we ought to keep the seventh day, just as we keep the eighth commandment by being honest, and just as we keep the ninth commandment by being truthful, or as we keep the third commandment by being reverent in the use of God's name. I want to be true to Jesus Christ and I am sure you do.

"Keep me true, Lord, keep me true;
Keep me true, Lord, true to you.
May all I say or strive to do,
Prove dear Lord I am true to you."

A troubled father once came to Jesus regarding his afflicted son. He said, "Jesus, if you can do anything for him, have mercy on him, and heal him." The poor man put the "if" in the wrong place. See what he said, "If you can do anything for him." There isn't any "if" in regard to the ability or power of Jesus Christ to help troubled souls. All power in heaven and in earth is given unto Him.

Jesus replied, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." The man put the "if" in the wrong place. He put the "if" on Christ's part. Christ showed him that the "if" was on his part. He fell at the feet of Jesus and cried, "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief." And the blessed, loving Jesus did for that father what he so much wanted done.

Friends, I think this describes our situation. We believe in Jesus Christ. We want to follow Him all the way. We need more help to follow Him on the Sabbath question. Shall we not fall at His feet and cry, "Lord, I do believe. Give me more faith and more grace to follow Thee all the way!" I believe everyone in this auditorium wants to be remembered in prayer that the Lord will help you to be true to Jesus. How many want to be remembered in this closing prayer, "Lord, help me to follow Jesus all the way?" May I see your hands? Yes, it seems that nearly every hand is raised. (Prayer)

Our blessed Jesus, we thank Thee for this incident that we have just talked about. Lord, like many of us, he put the "if" in the wrong place. He said, "If Thou canst do it." Lord, there is never any "if" as to what Thou canst do. The "if" is on our own part. Thou hast said, "If we can believe, all things are possible." O, God, give us more faith. Lord, we do believe, but we pray Thee to help our unbelief. Jesus, give us more grace, more love, that will help us to follow Thee closely step by step until we come to that great day, when Thou shall come and we will see Thee face to face and be with Thee forever. We ask it in Thy precious name. Amen.

21. Unlocking Truth's Mightiest Secret

A minister was talking one day to a little girl whose first name was Eve. He asked her, "Do you attend Sunday School regularly?"

"Oh, yes, sir," she said.

"And you know your Bible?"

"Oh, yes, sir."

"Could you tell me something that is in the Bible?"

"I could tell you everything that is in the Bible." "Indeed?" and the minister smiled. "Do tell me, then."

She said, "Sister's beau's photo is in it, and ma's recipe for vanishing cream is in it, and a lock of my hair that was cut off when I was a baby is in it, and the ticket for Pa's watch is in it.72

I am afraid that many people's knowledge of the Bible resembles the knowledge of little Eve. There is not anything more important for you and me to know than the real truth as set forth in the Bible. Why is this? Why is it more important to know the real truth of the Bible than everything else? The main reason is found in Isaiah 26:2. "Open you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in."

You will notice that it is those who keep the truth who will enter in through the gates to li--e forever in God's beautiful heavenly home. You cannot keep the truth, until you first know what is truth. On the basis of Isaiah 26:2 it is evident that our very salvation, our eternal happiness depend upon learning and following the truth of God's Word.

Unless we know the real truth of the Bible we are very liable to be deceived and led astray by false teachings. Put down Matthew. 22:29. It is just as Jesus told the Sadducees, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures." If we do not know the real truth of the Bible, then we are liable to be overtaken with error and false ideas. The right meaning of scripture brings truth and salvation. The wrong meaning of the Bible brings error and destruction. Oh, how important it is that we obtain the right meaning of the Bible!

Any man who attempts to explain the Bible according to his own ideas will not find the true meaning of the scriptures. Put down 2 Peter 1:20. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." Unfortunately, most people who try to explain the Bible, explain the Bible according to their ideas. Mark this point well. It doesn't matter how wise a person may be; it doesn't matter how many letters he may have after his name, if he attempts to explain the Bible according to his own ideas he will not find the true meaning of the Bible. "No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."

When people interpret the Bible according to their own ideas, two things usually happen. First, they will try to explain away some of the plainest truths in the Bible, if those truths happen to be contrary to their ideas. Second, they will try to use the Bible to prove a certain doctrine when in reality the Bible teaches just the opposite.

The Bible declares that some people wrest the scriptures to their own destruction. Put down 2 Peter 3:15, 16. It is a serious thing to misinterpret the Bible. When you misinterpret the Bible, your actions will be wrong, because your actions will be in harmony with your misinterpretation.

If we follow a religious teacher in a wrong interpretation of scripture, it may result in our own destruction. I want to give you a striking illustration. This is taken from the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness as recorded in Matthew. 4:5-7. You win recall how Satan attempted to defeat Jesus in the first temptation. Jesus had been fasting for forty days. He was very, very hungry. Satan appeared and said, "If you are the Son of God, make these stones into bread and you will have something to eat to satisfy your intense hunger." Jesus met the issue with the words of scripture. He said, "It is written, man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.

The devil evidently said to himself, "I'll show you a thing or two. You have quoted scripture to me, I am going to quote scripture to you." He took Christ up on the highest pinnacle of the temple. He said, "Just throw yourself off from here. It won't hurt you. It is written, `He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways lest thou dash thy foot against a stone'." He quoted Psalm 91:11, 12. The devil tried to prove his point by scripture. I don't want you to miss this. He tried to prove his point by scripture, but he misinterpreted scripture.

Tell me, what would have happened if Jesus Christ had followed Satan's misinterpretation of Psalm 91:11, 12? What would have happened if Christ had cast Himself off the temple? He would have been destroyed. This shows how a scripture may be wrested to one's own destruction.

There is a proper place to use Psalm 91:11, 12. It is a very beautiful passage. Some time I should like to talk to you on "Who are the Angels?" If I were talking on angels, I would use Psalm 91:11, 12.

The Bible teaches us that every Christian has a guardian angel. One certain angel has been assigned to every child of God as his angel, his guardian angel. On this point you can use Psalm 91. "We shall give His angels charge over thee." But God didn't mean that we could go to the top of a ten-story building, and jump off and say, "Now the angel will bear me up in his hand, so this won't hurt me." That would be presumption. That would be a sin, and God would not take care of us under that kind of misinterpretation.

The fact that the right meaning of the Bible brings truth and salvation, and the wrong meaning of the Bible brings error and destruction shows how important it is that we follow the right system of interpretation. It is interesting to notice how different people have read the Bible.

"It is one thing to read the Bible through,
Another thing to read-to learn and do.
Some read it with design to learn to read,
But to the subject pay but little heed.
Some read it as their duty once a week,
But no instruction from the Bible seek.
While others read it with but little care,
With no regard to how they read nor where.
Some read it as a history, to know
How people lived three thousand years ago.
Some read to bring themselves into repute,
By showing others how they can dispute;
While others read because their neighbours do,
To see how long `twill take to read it through.
Some read it for the wonders that are there,
How David killed a lion and a bear;
While others read it with uncommon care,
Hoping to find some contradictions there!
Some read as though it did not speak to them,
But to the people at Jerusalem.
One reads it as a book of mysteries,
And won't believe the very thing he sees.
One reads with father's specs upon his head,
And sees the thing just as his father said.
Some read to prove a pre-adopted creed,
Hence understand but little what they read;
For every passage in the book they bend,
To make it suit that all-important end!
Some people read, as I have often thought
To teach the book instead of being taught,
And some there are who read it out of spite!
Fear there are but few who read it right.
So many people in these latter days,
Have read the Bible in so many ways
That few can tell which system is the best,
For every party contradicts the rest!
But read it prayerfully, and you will see,
Although men contradict, God's words agree.
For what the early Bible prophets wrote,
We find that Christ and his apostles quote!
So trust no creed that trembles to recall
What has been penned by one and verified by all."

Now we come to the question, "How can I understand the Bible?" I want to give you three guiding principles and three rules of interpretation, not from my mind, not according to my way of thinking, but from the Bible itself, which, if followed, will enable you to understand your Bible.

It must be remembered that the Bible is different from any other book in the world. The Bible is a spiritual book. It takes spiritual conception and spiritual perception to understand the Bible.

You can take the books of men and master them by the sheer force of your mentality. But it takes more than brain power to master the Bible. We must have spiritual enlightenment from God in order to understand the Bible. Put down Luke 24:45. "Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures."

Notice that Jesus, opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. So we must have spiritual enlightenment from God to understand the Bible. This is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

We need to pray like David in Psalm 119:18, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." Never should the Bible be opened without prayer. Before we open the Bible we should pray that God will open our minds to understand it, and that He will open our hearts to obey what we find. This will put you where God will be your teacher.

In Proverbs 1:23 we read, "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." When God pours out His spirit on a person, He makes known the meaning of His words. In other words, having the meaning of God's Words made known to us is the result of receiving the Holy Spirit.

The Bible cannot be understood, the meaning of the Bible cannot be grasped without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because this Word was given by the Holy Spirit. Put down 2 Peter 1:21. "The Word of prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." This is-what makes this book different from any other book in the world. The Bible is the Holy Spirit expressing Himself in human language.

You must know the Chinese characters to understand the Chinese language. So you must have the Holy Spirit to understand the language of the Spirit in the Bible.

Jesus has made a very precious promise to us in John 16:13. He says, "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth."

We should not go to the Bible to prove our own theory or ideas. If a person goes to the Bible to find proof for his own theories, he will probably find what he is looking for. We should go to the Bible, not to prove our ideas, but to learn the will of God that we may do it.

Here are the three guiding principles for the understanding of the Bible: First pray God to open your understanding to understand His Word; second, look to God for the Holy Spirit to guide you into the truth; third, have your heart open to follow the truth. A person doesn't have to be a preacher or a Bible scholar in order to possess these three requisites. Every person may possess these three requisites if he so desires.

Suppose that here is a safe filled with money. The combination is, turn the dial left to 5, right to 7, and then left to 4. Whenever you do this, the door will come open. Could you open this safe? Certainly, if you know the combination.

There is a three-point combination for unlocking the Bible, and it comes from the Bible itself. It is not my idea at all. Put down 1 Corinthians 2:13.

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

We are to compare spiritual things with spiritual. The way to understand the Bible is to compare scripture with scripture, and let the Bible explain itself. Now we shall have a demonstration of the value of this principle. We shall have three texts read by three persons.

(Three men came to the front with their Bibles, and read respectively, Luke 21:5-7; Matthew. 24:3; Mark 13:3, 4.)

These three texts deal with a certain question, which was asked of Jesus regarding the sign of His coming and the end of the world.

Let us listen to the reading of Luke 21:5-7. "As some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, He said, As for these things which you behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked Him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?"

Notice that it says, "they asked Him." But it doesn't tell you who "they" were. It doesn't say whether it was the disciples, the Sadducees, or the Pharisees, or the Romans, or the Greeks. It merely says, "they" asked Him. Now, to understand the Bible you must compare scripture with scripture. We shall compare Luke 21:5-7 with Matthew. 24:3, to see who asked this question.

Listen to Matthew 24:3. "As He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

This says that the disciples asked this question. There were twelve especially chosen disciples. Did all twelve ask this question, or just who did ask it? Again we must compare scripture with scripture. We shall compare Matthew. 24:3 with Mark 13:3, 4.

Listen now to Mark 13:3, 4. "As He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?"

Tell me, who asked this question? (Voices) (Peter, James, John and Andrew.)

Yes, you can be absolutely sure of this. Whose explanation is it? Is it Shuler's explanation? No! It is the divine explanation of scripture. The way to understand the Bible is to compare scripture with scripture. You can see by this how beautifully scripture interprets itself.

I shall give you a few additional illustrations, and you may put these down if you wish. For instance, put down Psalm 50:3. Speaking of the second-coming of Christ, it says, "God shall come, and shall not keep silence." To understand this, you must compare it with 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Speaking of the second coming it says, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." Now you can see how our God shall come and shall not keep silence. See how beautifully the Bible explains itself? Our God will come and not keep silence, because He comes with a mighty shout. Then if we wanted to go further, we could take another scripture and learn what is the purpose of this shout. We could find out what this shout will do. It is very fascinating to compare scripture with scripture.

Here is another one. Put down Isaiah 66:15. Speaking of the second coming of Christ, it declares, "The Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind." What does it mean? We compare it with Psalm 68:17: "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels." The chariots of God are the angels. Now put down Matthew. 25:31. "The Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him." The chariots of God are His angels, and when Christ comes all the angels come with Him.

There is a chain of three links. Isaiah 66:13 tells us that the Lord will come with His chariots. Psalm 68:17 says that the chariots of God are the angels. Yet Matthew. 25:31 tells us that when He comes all the angels will come with Him. This is how to let the Bible explain itself.

When you do this, whose explanation is it? Is it a Methodist explanation? a Baptist explanation? an Adventist explanation? NO! It is God's explanation of God's word. So, the first point of the three-fold combination for unlocking the truth of the Bible is to COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.

You have had a demonstration of this method in this Bible Institute. You have not seen Mr. Shuler take a text, then close the Bible, and go on talking about other matters. Every time you have heard Mr. Shuler speak you have seen him open the Bible and link scripture with scripture, and let the Bible explain itself. You have seen this in every lecture, and you will see it in every lecture, as long as you keep on coming, for this is the right way to learn the truth.

Comparing scripture with scripture is not merely running the marginal references found in a reference Bible. These marginal references are not a part of the inspired Word of God. The original Scriptures did not have any marginal references. These references have been inserted by men, after the Bible was first penned. Comparing scripture with scripture is not simply running the marginal references in a reference Bible. You need to remember that those references were not in the original scripture that God gave by the Holy Spirit. In some cases these marginal references are helpful, but in some cases they refer you to references that are misleading, in respect to the true meaning of Scripture.

I will give you one example. In Revelation 1:10 he says, "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day." The marginal reference on Lord's day in my Bible is 1 Corinthians 16:2, which says, "upon the first of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store." Now this is misleading. There is not a word in 1 Corinthians 16:2 about the Lord's day.

The expression "Lord's day" is used only once in the entire Bible, and too find out what day is the Lord's day you will have to find out which day it is, of which Christ is Lord. Matthew. 12:8 says, He is Lord of the Sabbath. This case of Revelation 1:10 shows how the marginal references may be misleading.

The marginal references are the work of men. Being the work of men, you must evaluate them as the work of men, and follow only what is in harmony with the plain meaning of the Bible.

The second point of this three-fold combination for unlocking the truth is found in Isaiah 28:9, 10. "Whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."

To understand the truth, we must take everything the Bible says about a given subject and put it together. All the truth about any certain topic is not found in any one chapter. This is why Jesus said, "SEARCH the Scriptures." If all the truth about any given subject was in one chapter, it wouldn't take any searching. The truth about these great Biblical doctrines is scattered all through the Bible. To find the real truth, we must take everything the Bible says about a given subject, and put it together as line upon line, precept upon precept.

For example, take the subject of Baptism. Some night we will talk about it. There is some truth about baptism in the book of Matthew, but you can't stop there, because Matthew doesn't tell all the truth about baptism. There is some truth about baptism in Mark; there is some truth in the book of Acts, the book of Romans, etc. The only way to find the real truth about baptism is to take everything the Bible says about baptism, and put it together. You can't find the real truth about baptism by just taking one text like many preachers do or even by taking three or four texts. People who do this are liable to draw wrong conclusions, and adopt erroneous ideas.

If we follow God's method of arriving at truth, we must take everything the Bible says about baptism and put it together to find out what God wants us to do about baptism. Then whose doctrine is it? The Baptist doctrine? No! The Adventist doctrine? No! The Methodist doctrine? No! It is God's doctrine from God's own word. This is why I refuse to put a denominational tag on my Bible lectures.

The second point of this three-fold combination of the Bible-safe of truth on the matter of doctrine, is to take everything the Bible says on a given topic and put it together.

This is the way Jesus taught the Bible. Put down Luke 24:27. Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. The Messianic prophecies are scattered all through the books of the Old Testament. Jesus went from book to book. He told them what Moses said about the Messiah; He told them what the Psalmist wrote about the Messiah; He told them what Isaiah wrote about the Messiah. He went from book to book, taking here a little, and there a little, and putting it all together to show them God's doctrine about the Messiah. There is no better way of teaching truth. This is Christ's method.

This is the method we have followed in this Bible Institute. This last Sunday night when we spoke on the Millennium, we took here a little, and there a little, and brought it all together, linking scripture with scripture and letting the Bible explain itself.

This is the way Paul taught the Bible. Put down Romans 3:10-18. Here we read: "As it is written," (see, he is quoting from the Old Testament) "there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Paul is here making an argument to prove that everyone in the world, Gentiles and Jews, are all under sin. They are all sinners by nature. How does Paul prove it? He proves it by quoting the Scriptures. In these nine verses he quotes from eight different chapters, ten various verses, and from three different books of the Old Testament, taking here a little, and there a little, and bringing it together as line upon line.

He said, "There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Paul took this from Psalm 14:1-3, and Psalm 53:1-3.

He said, "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit." That is a direct quotation from Psalm 5:9. "The poison of asps is under their lips." He is quoting from Psalm 140:3. "Whose mouth is full of cursing." That is from Psalm 10:7. "Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways." That was taken from Isaiah 59:7, 8. "There is no fear of God before their eyes." That is a direct quotation from Psalm 36:1.

In nine verses he quotes from eight different chapters, ten different verses, and three different books, taking here a little and there a little. He put this together into an incontrovertible argument to `Show that all are under sin.

In John 7:17 Jesus says, "If any man will do his will (that is, the Father's,) He shall know of the doctrine." The third point of this three-fold combination to unlock truth of the Bible, is to be willing to obey the truth as fast as it is made plain to you from the Bible.

Remember that Jesus doesn't show you at one time all that He wants you to do. Put down John 16:12. He says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now." He reveals truth as fast as we are able to bear it, as fast as He sees it is best. David says in Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path.9'

If you are taking a journey on a dark night for one mile and you have a flashlight, do you expect the flashlight to show you the path for the whole mile when you take the first step? No! The flashlight shows you the path step by step. This is what God wants us to do with the Bible. The Bible is our flashlight, a lamp to our feet, and we are to walk step by step as the Bible shows the way.

If we are doing wrong ignorantly, God will give us light from the Bible to show us wherein we are doing wrong. To be a true Christian means to obey the truth and do right just as fast as we learn the truth from the Bible. "If any man will do His will he shall know the doctrine." Doing the will of God, the disposition to do the will of God, is what enables God to show you the truth. If a man isn't willing to obey truth, God will not show him the truth.

If a certain truth is brought to a man from the Bible, and he refuses to obey it, there can be no further progress in the discovery of truth for that man. Why should God show a man more truth if he will not walk in the truth He has already shown Him? If a man isn't willing to obey the truth, God will not show him the truth fully.

The ticket that admits one into the temple of God's truth has three coupons to it; namely, a humble spirit, willing to sit before the Bible and be taught; an open mind, willing to let life-long, deeply-rooted ideas go when the light coming in shows that they should go; and an obedient life, willing to change and shape the daily habits of life to whatever the Book may teach.

There is one question that we all do well to meditate upon. Am I willing to follow the truth, wherever it may lead? If you follow the truth all the way, you will go through the gates. Isaiah 26:2 says, "Open you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in."

How many are determined under God that by the help of God and by the grace of God you will follow the truth as fast as it is made plain to you from the Bible. Will you lift your hands? Thank you. It seems that every hand is raised. (Prayer.)

Our dear heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the Bible as a light to our feet in this dark world. How glad we are to follow the way of truth. Help us, we pray, to walk step by step in Thy truth. We thank Thee that we have in our heart a determination to follow the truth as fast as Thou dost make it plain from the Bible. Bless these dear people. Wt thank Thee, Lord, for their honest hearts. We thank thee for the love they have for the Word of God. Lord, they want to know the truth and they want to follow the truth. So, dear Lord, just take us all and give us that grace divine and strength from above that we may walk in the light of God's Word step by step until we come to the end of the way, where we will meet Thee face to face, and be with Thee forever. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

22. Who Changed the Sabbath?

JUSTICE R. X. RAWSON: As this meeting is to take the form of a Jury Trial, our first business is to select a jury.

Men who are attending these Bible lectures placed their names on cards last Tuesday night, indicating their willingness to serve on the jury tonight, if their names were drawn. Cards containing names of these men are in this box. A drawing will now be made for these names, and the first 12 names of men who are present will constitute the jury. I am sure that the audience sees that this is a fair way to select the jury.

The bailiff will conduct the drawing of the jury. As soon as any man hears his name called will he please rise from his seat promptly and come forward and go into the dressing room here on my right where you will select your foreman and get ready to try this case.

The bailiff will now impanel the jury. (The following jurymen were drawn, challenged, and impanelled:)
(1) W. Thomas Barnett.
(2) Lyle Hatfield
(3) Hugh Lyons
(4) C. B. Frey
(5) Robert W. Coftman
(6) W. P. Wright
(7) O. M. Strouson
(8) Carl, Von Brauchitsch
(9) John A. Kepler
(10) Ebert M. Munko
(11) Frank H. Miller
(12) George Derham

JUSTICE R. N. RAWSON: I will now examine the jury. Gentlemen of the jury: Has Mr Shuler talked to any of you about this case ? If so, please raise the hand.

No hands were raised. This is evidence that Mr. Shuler has not talked to any of these men about this case.

Has anyone else talked to you to try to influence you to vote a certain way? If so, raise your hand.

No hands were raised.

Gentlemen of the jury:

Do you now promise to render a true verdict in keeping with the evidence that will be presented from the Word of God and authentic history? If so, raise the right hand. (Each juror raised his right hand.)

We shall now tell the religious affiliations of these gentlemen chosen for the jury.

JUSTICE R. N. RAWSON: Three are members of no church; three belong to the Church of Christ; two are Methodist, and two belong to the Christian church.

JUSTICE RAWSON: Will the audience kindly indicate by a show of hands if this jury is acceptable to them. (The audience responded with their hands.)

Thank you. The jury is now seated.

Mr. Shuler, on behalf of the prosecution, may now make his opening statement.

EVANGELIST SHULER: Gentlemen of the special Jury, ladies and gentlemen of the general jury, the purpose of this trial is to discover who is responsible for attempting to change God's Sabbath from the seventh-day, commonly called Saturday, to the first day of the week, commonly known as Sunday. The Bible shows that in the very beginning, after Christ, the eternal Son of God, had made this world in six days, He rested on the seventh day. After He had rested on the seventh day, Genesis 2:3 says, "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made!"

This word "sanctified" means set apart for a holy use. Therefore it is clear that Christ, as Creator, set apart the seventh day for man in the very beginning. In the Ten Commandments Christ commands man to keep the seventh day, which He set apart for man when He made the world.

In Exodus 20:8-11 the Lord declares that, "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord . . . in it thou shall not do any work; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth.... and rested the seventh day . . . wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it!"

Today the majority of Christians are not keeping the seventh day, but are observing the first day of the week as the Lord's day, or as the Christian Sabbath. This brings up three big questions: Who changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first? How was it changed? When was it changed? I shall cite evidence in this trial to answer these three questions. Remember that a printed copy of this evidence will be sent to everyone who fills out a ballot card, so please be sure to fill in your b41lot card and place your name on it.

(Special ballot cards had been placed in the hands of the jury and the audience before the trial began. Copy of this ballot card appears at the close of this lecture.)

Will everyone please take your ballot card in hand? You will notice that there are six propositions listed on the card. There will be six parts to this trial, corresponding to these six propositions. I shall take up these six propositions one by one and present evidence to this jury to establish each of these proposition. I ask you, gentlemen of the special jury, and every man and woman on this general jury, to follow me with your pencils in hand and cheek each item if the evidence plainly establishes it.

Look at the first proposition: God never changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first.

Is there positive proof that God never changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week? Yes, there is. The best way is to let God speak for Himself. The first witness in this trial will be the great God of heaven and earth, Jehovah, the Monarch of the universe.

In your courts in Des Moines you find it necessary to cross question the witnesses when they testify, to make sure if possible that they are telling the truth. But gentlemen, you will not need to cross question my first witness. Hebrews 6:18 says, "It was impossible for God to lie." Since it is impossible for God to lie, there is no need to cross question His testimony.

In Psalm 89:34 we have the record of God's testimony concerning the immutability of His Ten Commandments. I have placed this on muslin so that everyone of these twelve men, good and true, might see for himself just what God says. In this text God is the speaker. Now, gentlemen, I should like to have you twelve men read this text with me, and let us read it so the man on the back seat will hear it. All right, now altogether.

THE JURY: "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips!"

EVANGELIST SHULER: Now look at that word "alter." You know what that means. "Alter" means "change" God says, "I will not change the thing that is gone out of my lips."

There is only one document in this world, not two, but only one document that ever came direct from the lips of God to man. That is this great law of Ten Commandments. The Lord God came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke the Ten Commandments with His own lips. Then He wrote them on two tables of stone.

You will notice in the very heart of this Ten Commandments, God says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord." Now, Gentlemen, follow me closely. This came direct from the lips of God. You can see that since God will not alter or change the thing that has gone out of His lips, and from His lips came the words, "The seventh day is the Sabbath," it is forever settled that God has not changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first.

So, gentlemen of the special jury, and every man and woman on the general jury, I ask you to take your pen or pencil and put a cheek mark in the square opposite the first item as being clearly proven, not by my word but by God's own word.

If any man says, "No, 1 believe God has changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first," he is actually accusing God of doing the very thing that God said He wouldn't do. "I will not alter," or change, "the thing that has gone out of my lips!" If we believe God, what else can we do but cheek the first proposition?

God has positively forbidden man to change the Ten Commandments. He is not to take anything away from them or to add to them. In Deuteronomy 4:2 I read, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." God has positively forbidden men to change the Ten Commandments. If anybody has not checked the first statement, please, if you believe God, and I know you believe God, take your pencil and check the first proposition. According to God's word the seventh day is still the Sabbath.

Look at the second proposition: Jesus Christ did not change the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first.

Many people think Christ changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day in honour of His resurrection. How do I know that Jesus Christ never changed the Sabbath? The best way, gentlemen, is to let Jesus Christ speak for Himself. My second witness will be the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true witness. He never told a lie. You cannot doubt His testimony.

In Matthew 5:18 we have the testimony of Jesus Christ concerning the unchangeable character of the Ten Commandments. I have placed this text on cloth, so that everyone in this auditorium might see for himself what Jesus says about the unchangeable character of the law. I should like to have every-, one read this with me.

GENERAL JURY: "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law."

What is a jot? It is the smallest character in the Hebrew alphabet. What is a tittle? A tittle is even smaller than the smallest character. It is the point of a letter. A tittle is like the dot on the "i" and the cross on the "t," which distinguishes one letter from another.

Jesus Christ declares that the Ten Commandments cannot be changed in the smallest item, not even so much as the smallest letter, or the point of a letter, so long as heaven and earth stand. Follow me closely, gentlemen. If Jesus Christ had changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first, He would have had to change these Commandments in far more than a jot or a tittle. But notice that He declared, "till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law." You can see that since Jesus Christ declares that the law cannot be changed in a jot or a tittle, so long as heaven and earth remain; it shows that Christ did not change the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first.

So gentlemen of the Special Jury, and every one in the General Jury, I ask you on the basis of Christ's own words, not upon my words, but according to His own words, to place a cheek mark in the square opposite the second item. If you believe Jesus Christ, and you do, what else can you do but agree with Christ? He says the law of God cannot be changed a jot or a tittle. So it must stand as it was given.

Some one may say, "Mr. Shuler, did Jesus Christ ever mention the Sabbath in a way that we can know that He didn't change it?" Yes, He did. Put down Matthew 24:20. In a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem which was to take place in A. D. 70, He said to His disciples, "Pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day." He shows that the same seventh day which was the Sabbath before His crucifixion would still be the Sabbath when Jerusalem would be destroyed in A. D. 70. This shows that Christ had no idea of changing the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day at the time of, or following His resurrection.

I ask you on the basis of Christ's own unimpeachable testimony to place a cheek mark opposite the second proposition. Notice that in so far as the word of Jesus Christ is concerned, the law still stands and the seventh day is still the Sabbath.

Look at the third item: The apostles did not change the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, but the change was made after the apostles passed away, or after 100 A. D.

How do I know, gentlemen, that the apostles did not change the Sabbath? Here is how we know this. The fifth book in the New Testament is the Acts of the Apostles. In this fifth book of the New Testament it is made plain that the apostles recognized the seventh day, or Saturday, on which the Jews met in their synagogues for their weekly worship, as being the Sabbath day in the days of the apostles after the resurrection of Christ.

Here is one instance in Acts 13:14. In this case the Jews had assembled in their synagogue at Antioch on their regular meeting day, which was the seventh day. Paul went in and preached to them. The record says, "When they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down."

The Holy Spirit, in speaking through Luke, calls this day on which the Jews had met for their weekly worship the Sabbath day. Tell me, gentlemen, on what day did the Jews meet for the weekly worship in the time of Paul? There is only one answer that any man could ever give to that question. Everyone must agree on the answer. The Jews met on the seventh day of every week, the day we now call Saturday. This is when they met for their weekly worship. The Holy Spirit calls this Saturday meeting day of the Jews the Sabbath day in the days of the apostles.

Some will say, "Why yes! Paul went in there on Saturday so he could preach Christ to the people. This is granted. But that doesn't change the fact that the Holy Spirit calls this day on which the Jews met "the Sabbath day." He doesn't say it was the "old Sabbath" or the "abolished Sabbath," but the Sabbath day."

If the apostles had changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week, as some people claim, the Acts of the Apostles could not call this seventh day on which the Jews met "the Sabbath day." This evidence is repeated eight times in the Acts of the Apostles.

I have these references to give to you. They are as follows: Acts 13:14; Acts 13:27; Acts 13:42; Acts 13:44; Acts 15,21; Acts 16:13; Acts 17:1-3; and Acts 18:4. There you have eight texts in the Acts of the Apostles. These texts deal with events which took place fifteen or more years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Each of these texts refers to the seventh day on which the Jews met for their weekly worship, as "the Sabbath day." There you actually have eight proofs, not one, but eight proofs from the book of Acts of the Apostles, that the apostles did not change the Sabbath. If the apostles had changed the Sabbath, then the Acts of the Apostles eight times over could not refer to the seventh day on which the Jews were meeting in the days of the apostles as being, THE Sabbath day at that time.

Gentlemen, I ask you on the basis of this evidence to please take your pencils and place a cheek mark opposite the third item on the ballot card. According to the Acts of the Apostles the seventh day is still the Sabbath day.

These gentlemen of the jury know that the apostles did not have any authority to change the Ten Commandments. The apostles followed Jesus Christ. He said, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law!" Everyone who has ever read the New Testament through knows there is not a line in these twenty-seven books of the New Testament about the Sabbath being changed from the seventh day to the first. Since the transfer from the seventh day to the first was not made in New Testament times, it must have been made by uninspired men after the New Testament was written. Then the change rests solely on the authority of man without the authority of scripture.

This brings me to the fourth proposition: The substitution of the first day, or Sunday, as a day of rest for Christians in the place of the seventh day, or Saturday, was a gradual change that took place during the third, fourth and fifth centuries.

If you ask, "Mr Shuler, when did this change take place from the seventh day, or Saturday, to the keeping of Sunday, the first day of the week?" I cannot give any exact date. No one can put his finger on a certain year and say, "This is the year when everybody stopped keeping Saturday and began keeping Sunday!" It was a gradual change that took pace over a period of several hundred years, during the third, fourth and fifth centuries. Many of the professed Christian people worshipped on both Saturday and Sunday for a long time.

In fact a large portion of the professed Christian world worshipped for centuries on both Saturday and Sunday. All through the centuries since the apostles some people have kept the seventh day down through the ages.

If you ask, "How was it changed?" Here are two of the greatest steps in the transfer of the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday. On the seventh of March, 321 A. D., Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, signed the first law ever made requiring people to rest on Sunday. Forty-six years after this, or in 364 A. D., a church council at Laodicea decreed that Christians should henceforth cease to rest on the seventh day, but should rest on the first day of the week.

The Apostle Paul predicted that after the apostles died there would come a falling away from the truth. You will find this in your Bible in Acts 20:29, 30. This is exactly what happened. Rites and ceremonies of which Peter and Paul never heard, crept silently into use, and then claimed the rank of divine institutions. The keeping of Sunday was one of them.

Gentlemen, I could go to the library of Drake University, or any large library in this city, and bring in books by the arms ful, to establish this fourth proposition. There is no question about it. I shall merely show you two testimonies on the screen to establish this item.

Neander is recognized as the greatest of all church historians. This first quotation is taken from page 186 of the translation by Henry John Rose, B. D, of Doctor Augustus Neander's book, "The History of the Christian Religion and Church."

"The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was only a HUMAN ORDINANCE, and it was far from the intention of the apostles ... and the early apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday."

Notice first that Dr. Neander says that the keeping of Sunday was "only a human ordinance." It was not something that came from God. It was not based on divine authority. It was something that men agreed they would do. It was a "human ordinance."

He also declares that it was far from the intention of the apostles, or of the apostolic church to transfer the Sabbath to Sunday. This shows that the Sabbath was not changed in the days of the apostles.

Here is a clear testimony from a bishop named Eusebius. He was an eminent father in the early Catholic Church, who was contemporary with Emperor Constantine, the man who made the first law requiring people to rest on the first day of the week.

Eusebius is often called the father of church history. Here is something from his Commentary on the Psalms, Column 1171 in Vol. 23 of Migne's Greek Fathers.

"All things whatsoever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, those WE have transferred to the Lord's day (Sunday.)" (Emphasis mine.)

Notice that he doesn't say that Jesus changed the Sabbath. He doesn't say that the apostles changed it. He declares that the change was made in his day. When he says, "all things whatsoever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, those we have transferred to Sunday," by "we" he refers to himself as a Catholic bishop, and to other Catholic bishops of that day. He shows that the change was made in his day, back there in the time of Constantine in the third century, nearly three hundred years after the resurrection of Christ.

Gentlemen, I have some things here that you might like to look at after the trial. I shall be pleased to have you examine them. Here is a photographic reproduction of the page of Dr. Neander's church history in the German language, containing his statement about Sunday being only a human ordinance. I also have a photo stat of Dr. Rose's translation of this statement.

Here is a photo st