Part 2 (1/2)
The Course of This Age.
It is necessary to distinguish between rightly dividing the word of truth, and a critical att.i.tude toward that word; the former being an important duty in the believer's life, according to II Tim. 2:15, while the latter may easily become a wicked and misleading display of unbelief and the wisdom of this world (I Cor. 1:19).
Personal interest in the Word of G.o.d usually begins with the first understanding of its real divisions; and no one is prepared to understand the providence of G.o.d who does not first come to know something of the purpose of G.o.d as marked off by these great divisions.
Especially is this necessary, as has been stated, for any clear understanding of the present age.
Again, the power and force of the whole body of Scripture must depend, in a large measure, upon a belief in unfulfilled prophecy. Such a belief is not general, even among Christians. They believe that Christ camp in the flesh, suffered, died, and rose again, because that is all now a matter of history; but that belief is not greatly influenced by the fact that this was all exactly foretold by the prophets. Let those who are free to condemn the pious Jew for not recognizing the fulfillment of prophecy in the first advent of Christ, beware lest they fail to rightly interpret the signs of these times, or look with positive unbelief upon the stupendous events that, according to prophecy, are imminent to-day.
It seems a sore test of faith to believe that which is predicted for the present age, though those predictions are being fulfilled in every particular. This prevailing att.i.tude of unbelief usually arises from one of two errors; either Satan has been so estimated that it seems impossible for him to be the promoter of anything that is moral or good (of this error more will be said in the following chapters): or the exact meaning and purpose of this age has been disbelieved or misunderstood; and because of these conditions many enthusiastic Christians are found to be, not only working toward unscriptural and hopeless ends, but are actually contributing to the confusion and darkness that is prevalent to-day.
The purpose and course of this age are not matters of prediction alone.
Almost two thousand years of history may be considered in the light of these predictions; and while the age is not yet complete, and much that is reserved for the last days is still future, enough of prophecy has now been fulfilled to indicate the certain fulfillment of all.
Since there has been no universal conversion of men in even the most favored locality, it is evident that, thus far, there has been a separating and calling out of a few from the many; and the Divine purpose, as revealed in Scripture, which is to gather out a people from the Gentiles for His own name, has been verified. The blessing of G.o.d has been upon world-wide evangelism: rather than upon any fruitless attempts at world-wide conversion; for the individual or church that has become self-centered has, to that degree, sacrificed the power and blessing of the presence of Christ which was promised in Matt. 28:20: ”Go ye therefore, and disciple all nations”--”Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age.”
Again, the formation of the Kingdom has not been discernible in the present age. The Jews, to whom alone the promises of an earthly kingdom belong, have continued a separate people under the unseen hand of G.o.d, without a country, or a vestige of national life. Certainly none of the predicted and necessary events accompanying the establishment of their kingdom have been experienced, nor is there any trace of its promised blessings. The fact that some Jews are now organizing and looking toward their native land, argues nothing for this age, more than that its end is very near, and that the way for their coming Messiah and national glory is being prepared. Just so, the conspicuous fact that all the marvelous present development of the resources of the earth has been limited to about the last eightieth of the present history of the age is evidence that the earth's return to her former glory is already in preparation.
Belief in the revealed course of this age is, therefore, based upon history as well as the predictions of Scripture.
The present age is different from all others by reason of the admixture of opposing cla.s.ses of people; there being two distinct divisions (not including the Jew as a nation) living and acting together, who are, nevertheless, removed from each other by a degree that is immeasurable.
This fact necessitates many careful distinctions and special injunctions which are peculiar to the age.
The fact that these two widely differing cla.s.ses are present together, and are to continue so to the end of the age, is the teaching of the seven parables in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. Very much, therefore, depends upon the correct interpretation of these parables.
Their meaning has been somewhat hidden by the use of the word ”world”
where reference is made to this period of time; and the fact that the conditions described are true of this age only, has not been generally realized.
These seven parables are but a description of the unfolding and development of these mixed elements to be found in Christendom throughout this age. The same program is again proclaimed by Christ, from the Glory, in the messages to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2 and 3). Here are seven letters to organized existing churches; yet these messages also reveal an exact outline of the history of Christendom for this entire age; and there is perfect agreement in order and detail between the parables of Matthew 13 and the letters of Revelation 2 and 3. The first two parables are interpreted by Christ Himself, and the interpretation of these sheds light on all that remains.
Christ is the sower in both the first and second of these parables, and the sowing is continued by His messengers throughout this age. The field is the world of men, which reveals a marked change from the responsibility of the Jewish age that was then closing; and the results of the sowing are most definite: not all the good seed sown comes to fruitage; and the wheat and the tares grow _together_ until the end of the age. This interpretation is not fanciful, for it is given by Christ Himself; and the following parables must necessarily agree with these.
The third and fourth are of the mustard seed and the measure of meal.
Though commonly interpreted to mean the world-wide development of the Church and the permeating influence of the Gospel, in the light of the interpretation of the previous parables they can mean only the mixture of evil with that which began as small as a mustard seed and as pure as meal. The fifth parable is of a treasure hid in a field, which pictures the earthly people in the world; while their real relation to Christ is covered until the accomplishment of that which is revealed in the sixth.
Here the same man, the Lord Jesus Christ, sells all that He hath to purchase the Church, the pearl of great price, for He ”loved the Church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:25); the pearl, by its formation and its power to reflect the light, being a wonderful type of the Church in her present formation and future place in glory. Both the treasure and the pearl are found in the world, but do not include all of the world.
The last parable but restates the truth that the mixture of the good and the evil is to continue to the end of the age.
The highest ambition of the great missionary, Paul, was to be all things to all men that he might save _some_, not _all_. He found that his preaching was a savor of ”death unto death” as well as of ”life unto life” (II Cor. 2:15, 16), and he clearly states in II Tim. 3:13, ”And evil men shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
Christ also predicted that the end of this age should be marked by such sin as provoked the judgment of the flood: ”But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:37-39).
This truth is often rejected as being pessimistic and disloyal to the progress of the world: yet has not the history of the age verified the teaching? And is not the coming glory nearer and more certain when depending upon His promised return in resistless power and splendor, than when depending upon any human progress the world has ever known?
One is the majestic movement of the Divine program in fulfillment of every covenant: while the other is the vain dream of the world in its ignorance and disregard of the testimony of G.o.d.
Because of the presence of these two cla.s.ses in the world in this age, there are two very distinct lines of Scripture descriptive of them. One body of Scripture directly applies to and governs the ”wheat” or heavenly people, and one applies to the ”tares,” the ”children of the evil one.” The marvelous revelation of the believer's relation to Christ and the heavenlies, and his deliverance from any actual identification with this age, though in it, will be the subject of another chapter.
Only the relation of the unregenerate to this world and to Satan will be continued here.
As it has pleased Satan to hide himself and all his projects from the unbelieving world, that which G.o.d has revealed in all faithfulness will be received only by those who have unquestioning confidence in His Word.
According to Scripture, the relation of the unbelieving to Satan is far more vital than a mere pleasure-seeking allegiance. On two occasions Jesus spoke of the unsaved as the ”children of Satan” (Matt. 13:38; Jno.
8:44), and Paul so addressed Elymas, the sorcerer, according to Acts 13:10. The same cla.s.s is also twice called the ”children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2; Col. 3:6), and once it is called the ”children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3).