\\ • , I ' WORLD EVENTS IN THE LI:pHT 'OF :PROPHECY VOL. 45, NO. 16 MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, APRIL 21, 1930 TWOPENCE Sport & General Photo A view of the first meeting of the new Spanish cabinet which recently succeeded the dictatorship of General Primo de Rivera. General Berenguer, the Premier, is seated at the head of the table. What Said the Christ of Himself? DDED to the testimony of (1331 HAROLD J. MEYERS ham, failing, however, to follow what friends and enemies Abraham's life. The prevailing have said concerning sin of unbelief had eaten its Christ must be considered His to gain prestige in this world. way into their hearts. Jesus own testimony concerning Him- Upon what then can His won- was seeking to lead . them to a self. What are His claims? drous claims be accepted? There recognition of His authority. What value have they ? Has He must be some platform of con- They would recognise Jehovah a right to make such claims? A fidence, for thousands, yea, mil- as their God, but were unwilling score of such queries might lions, even today, would die for to admit that Christ was of cross the threshold of the hu- Him who have never seen His heavenly descent. Had they man mind. face. only been willing to live by the Should we look for mere out- First let us look candidly at words of life which came from ward show as a sign of His div- some of His claims. His lips, how different would inity we must be disappointed. have been their destiny. Here Prophets had declared He should HIS PRE-EXISTENCE was One who could go far back come to this world void of all IN speaking to the Jews, who into eternity beyond Abraham's ostentation. Listen to one such were always questioning His day, One who could claim God voice, seven centuries before He authority, He declared, "Verily, as His Father and demonstrate came : "He hath no form nor verily, I say unto you, Before while He tabernacled in human comeliness ; and when we shall see Abraham was, I am." John 8: flesh the right to His claim. Him, there is no beauty that we 58. The setting of this state- Had He not given them on this should desire Him." Isa. 53: 2. ment makes it peculiarly inter- very occasion an opportunity It is strange that this man esting. The Jewish people to prove His claim untrue? among men should not avail prided themselves in their lin- "Which of you," said He, "con- Himself of outward advantages eage from distinguished Abra- vinceth Me of sin?" They knew [Registered at the G.P.O., Melbourne, for transmission by post as a newspaper.] 2 SIGNS OF THE TIMES April 21, 1930 too well that behind His claim seeking some ways and means of 'His life, spoke confidence to was a life without a flaw, a life of revoking the sentence of the every seeker of the way of life. with no trace of sin, yet blind Eternal—"The soul that sinneth, His great gift of sacrifice was prejudice led them to seek His it shall die." The wisest were the unquestioned proof that He life. devoting their intellect to solve alone could stand at the cross- THE WAY, THE TRUTH, the mystery of life and death. roads of human experience and THE LIFE With all the conditions of human declare that through Him "a woe, life still remained a treas- new and living way" was op- "JESUS saith unto him, I am ure sought after by all. Man- ened to God. The spotless na- the way, the truth, and, the life." kind would exchange its wealth ture of His life, the noble char- John 14: 6. For centuries men for the possibility of extending acter He possessed for ever had been groping in darkness, life. At the darkest hour when silenced doubt in many honest yet seeking the true way. For life itself had been cheapened hearts as to His being the four hundred years prior to under oppression and tyranny, TRUTH. When on trial, the Thomas's conversation with the tod-man was heard invit- judgment passed on Him was, Christ, not even the voice of ing men to partake of life in "I find in this man no fault at prophecy was heard pointing Him. all." He stands far above men as one free from even the hint of a lie. See Him pleading with Pilate for an ac- ceptance of truth. The governor had before him the embodiment of truth. His ques- tion, "What is truth?" needed no answer, for the TRUTH stood in his presence. The One who had demonstrated His power at the open tomb, who had commanded the lifeless to come forth, is surely the One who can say, "I am the resurrec- tion and the life." What Jesus said concerning Himself must ever be regarded as the most authoritative How foolish statements that can be made on the subject. And His life fully substantiated every would appear claim that He made. these claims were they not founded men to a knowledge of the right Did it ever suggest itself to on the demonstration of His life way. The sag had become very you, reader, that the people to and experience ! evident in things spiritual ; mor- whom Christ spoke nineteen cen- ally also, the world and the peo- turies ago could not gainsay THE CHRIST ple who could have known the His claims? What following do "THE woman saith unto Him, way, were in darkness. At such you think a man, however great I know that Messias cometh, a time as this we find One who he might be, would have at the which is called Christ: when He could startle men with the an- present moment, were he to is come, He will tell us all nouncement, "I AM THE WAY." step out into the arena of hu- things. Jesus saith unto her, I One scarcely needs a reminder man existence and call men's at- that speak unto thee am He." of the fact that while men had tention to the fact that he was John 4: 25-26. lost their way they had also lost THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. Here we have the claim that their sense and appreciation of "Ah, no," you say, "many such He is the Christ, the Messiah, truth. Under the iron sway of have appeared in this world, the One anointed of God to be pagan Rome, truth had well only proving to be impostors, be- the Saviour of mankind. Many, nigh flickered out. Corruption cause they have no authority to such as this woman, have lived had eaten at the very core of hu- back such claims." Yes, that is in a state of expectancy to link man life till the prince and just why Christ's claims remain their lives with the Saviour. priest, peasant and pauper, unchallenged. Time alters not His claim; were existing on the husks of In His intercourse with men, years may roll by, but we are human falsehoods. Amid such they followed Him because He assured that Jesus Christ is "the conditions as these a voice could point them to the true same yesterday, today, and for was heard saying, "I AM THE way. Through Him, He as- ever." Those who, like the TRUTH." serted, access to God was pos- Samaritan woman, accepted Ever since sin and the reign sible; for without Him there is Him personally, are of the yes- of death had become part of hu- no way open to the Father. His terday. You and I are of to- man experience, men had been ministry, His love, the fragrance (Concluded on page 12) April 21, 1930 SIGNS OF THE TIMES 3 ---- six chapters with a reserve in favour iii!ipris of the genuineness of the whole book if further discovery warrants. The documents of Genesis and Exodus, owing to the discovery of pure Ac- cadian and old Egyptian words lying alongside the old Hebrew, are today „...•01, immune from the higher critical con- . lib.1.4.7 41111ra......0,... 11. • . ail)) jectures (or rather fictions) of Well- I 1!,! 4 hausen, which the church accepts and which the facts no longer warrant. To . _ quote the verdict of one of the most ....... ,.. s.„....... eminent members of the Oriental il . ,.`!•*!.:.,ZI,Z...Z.,', ,.:, , Congress to me afterwards: Pr. ...,‘....i sk ' .. ,.. ‹.'..*::..,S.t,.st • , —,:---7-•••--....---...- A:•,W. •••::Z,..'. ...::..:S‘7?,'::::::i:.',, Gore's New Commentary is rubbish ...-• ,..,:,.. y ..__ •I • _ _ „0----— .Z.'—"f'---.A from the point of view of archo- logical findings.' The church of today, if it wants a hearing, must get back to the facts of history and drop 'ex- perience' for truth." FACTS OF HISTORY AND We would that Mr. Clarke's clarion call to "get back to the FANCIES OF MODERNISM facts of history and drop 'ex- perience' for truth" might go RMNG to the editor of preached the fact of the resurrection sounding clear around the world. the London Spectator a as having taken place as a fact of evidence and observation. They quoted And we would that every one W few months ago, the the Old Testament invariably as who names the name of Christ Rev. A. H. T. Clarke drew atten- prophesying the facts which they had might see the utter folly of tion to what he termed "a very lived to witness. Our Lord testifies abandoning the sure foundation important leading article" in the to His Messiahship not as a matter of the Word of God for the shift- Record, the leading organ of the for His own experience but as a ing sands of human guesswork.