Charles Gets miles Everywhere!

What kind of magic lies in the life's joys and sorrows, it is patient simple facial expression we call a and serene, mellow with the wis- smile that, even though it goes a dom of years. It contains a mixture long, long way, is often the shortest of all the other kinds of smiles. It distance between two people? is close to the ever-beating heart of It must be connected with the Life itself and possesses a radiance heart, for it comes only from a heart all its own. emotion and is fashioned from some There is a smile that is given in form of happiness. No one can just pure friendship from one man to put on a smile when he wishes to, another. It comes from something as he would a hat, for it will always deep within the chambers of the show false. The eyes have been human heart and holds an aware- called the windows of the soul; the ness of the eternal unity of all men. smile must be a song from the heart. It is immediately recognized by Some people always wear a slight men in every land on earth, regard- smile. They are always cheerful and less of race, creed, or social posi- optimistic; they seem to see some tion. It will open the door of a invisible beauty in life around them house in Norway, Peru, or Russia, and take a constant delight in even for it proclaims a heart that is free ordinary things. It is truly said of from animosity. them that a merry heart goes all the But of all the smiles of mankind, way while a sad one grows tired the most beautiful and unforget- within a mile. table is the smile that is born of a There seems to be a strange force calm, unswerving faith that God within the heart that draws us to still leads and man is His image these people who smile and makes and likeness. This is a smile filled us turn away from those whose with spiritual splendor and divine faces are set in the tight lines of love and carries the power of the pride, avarice, or hate. Eternal. It must have been on the The man with a smile is the self- gentle face of the Man of Galilee confident strong man. He walks in when He spoke of faith in God and tune with his world and in harmony told a group of people gathered with invisible forces that give him around Him, "Let not your heart abilities beyond those of other men. be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Are all smiles, then, of one na- John 14:27. ture? No, there are several kinds Since we have been given this familiar to everyone; let us mention beautiful thing we call a smile— the most important. that is so effortless to form—let us There is the smile of a child. not horde our smiles for our loved Pure, contented, filled with inno- ones and friends; let us pass them cent love, it is given freely to one around to all we meet. We have and all, companion or stranger. been given sufficient for everyone, Smile at a strange child as you and as we give them away, we will walk down a street and see how be given enough in return so that quickly and naturally he returns a our supply will never run low. ❑ smile to you. The smile of the mature person is one of the most lovely of all. Charles Getts is a free-lance writer Filled with an understanding of living in Baja California, Mexico. God Answers Prayer

In this issue of SIGNS we answer the question, Are there any grounds for hope in these trying times? We believe there are. In this article James Joiner shows that God still answers prayer, and often does so much better than we ask or think.

Does God always answer our This picture of a pursuing God minds to eventual deliverance and prayers? If He does answer, does is the same as that portrayed in restoration. In fact, He had already He give us exactly what we ask Francis Thompson's memorable begun to deliver them. Ellen White for? What was the first example of poem, "The Hound of Heaven." pictures this tremendous truth in answered prayer? In fact, what was Adam and Eve were the first of these words: "As soon as there was the first prayer? God's children to flee from Him. To sin, there was a Saviour. . . . As In the perfect Eden world Adam some degree all of us have followed soon as Adam sinned, the Son of and Eve had the privilege of talk- in fleeing from Him, as the poem God presented Himself as surety ing with God face-to-face. Before describes: for the human race, with just as their sin marred their perfect life "I fled Him, down the nights and much power to avert the doom and home, they could communicate down the days; pronounced upon the guilty as freely and directly with their Maker I fled Him, down the arches of when He died upon the cross of and Master. In this sense they the years." Calvary." didn't need to pray. God knew Adam's heart better And now He had come to tell After the tragedy of sin ruined than he knew it himself. Even them about it. A few verses after the this beautiful situation, Adam and though his outward prayer was, in calling in Genesis 3:9 we read the Eve fled from their best Friend. effect, "Stay away from me; leave first promise of the Redeemer ( in Genesis 3:8 tells about it: "They me alone," surely his deepest de- verse 15 ). Adam and Eve began heard the voice of the Lord God sire was different. Surely the great- to understand the infinite love and walking in the garden in the cool of est longing of his heart was for mercy of God in finding a way out the day: and Adam and his wife something better, for Someone to for them. hid themselves from the presence make things right again and to re- So, did God really answer their of the Lord God amongst the trees store the lost Paradise. And as the prayer? He did not give them ex- of the garden." poem emphasizes, God pursued His actly what they asked for, but did Essentially this was a prayer to straying children in the hope they He give them the deeper desires God; in a sense it is the first prayer would turn and accept His mercy. of their hearts? recorded in the Bible. Adam and In Jeremiah 29:11 God assures us The Lord seems to say it all in Eve were asking God to leave them that His thoughts toward us are Isaiah 65:24: "It shall come to pass, alone. They knew they had sinned, "thoughts of peace, and not of evil." that before they call, I will answer." and they were afraid. They were Instead of answering the prayer of saying to God, "Stay away." Adam and Eve exactly as they The Discouraged Prophet Did God answer this prayer? No. asked, God followed them and A second striking example of how He came looking for them and call- brought them good news, the great- God answers prayer—or doesn't an- ing to them. Verse 9: "The Lord est news ever told, the greatest idea swer—is found in the story of the God called unto Adam, and said ever conceived. prophet Elijah in 1 Kings, chapters unto him, Where art thou?" For the Lord came to lift their 18 and 19. First, though, let us re-

SIGNS OF THE TIMES is published monthly by Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94042. Second-class postage paid at Mountain View, California. Subscription price $7.50 a year. June 1975. James Joiner CAMERA CUE member how Elijah met outstand- and the wood, and the stones, and into the wilderness, thinking an ing success on Mount Carmel in the dust, and licked up the water enemy had found him. But it was the dramatic encounter with the that was in the trench." Verse 38. no enemy; it was a compassionate, 850 idolatrous prophets. He put the Not only was God greatly ex- tender friend, sent by the best issue squarely before the people: alted; Elijah also, as His true Friend of all. "How long halt ye between two prophet, was honored before all After Elijah had eaten, he fell opinions? if the Lord be God, fol- the people. asleep again; he was so tired. Later low him: but if Baal, then follow But Elijah proved to be all too the angel touched him a second him." 1 Kings 18:21. human. He failed to hold his faith time, encouraging him to eat more, All morning long the false proph- in God. As 1 Kings 19 states, when "because the journey is too great ets called for their god to hear and wicked Queen Jezebel retaliated for thee." to accept their sacrifice, but there with a threat to kill him, Elijah fled On Mount Carmel God had an- was no answer. At noon Elijah in terror. He kept going on and on swered every request Elijah had taunted them a bit: "Cry aloud: for and on until he couldn't go a step made. But when did He answer he is a god; either he is talking, or farther. He was "a day's journey the prophet's prayer to die? he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, into the wilderness." In utter ex- Never did He answer it, for Eli- or peradventure he sleepeth, and haustion and despondency he "sat jah was taken to heaven without must be awaked." Verse 27. down under a juniper tree: and he dying. See 2 Kings 2. The book The It was the same story all after- requested for himself that he might Desire of Ages comments on the noon. For how could an idol hear? die; and said, It is enough; now, 0 greatness of the ways of God: "The Finally, at "the time of the offering Lord, take away my life." 1 Kings Lord in His mercy did not take . . . of the evening sacrifice," Elijah 19:4. [Elijah] at his word. There was yet called for the people to come near How far Elijah had sunk in de- a great work for Elijah to do; and him. He repaired the altar of the spair! From the heights of Mount when his work was done, he was Lord that had been broken down Carmel he had gone downward un- not to perish in discouragement and during the period of idol worship. til he prayed to die! solitude in the wilderness. Not for He prepared the sacrifice to God How and when did God answer him the descent into the dust of and then had water poured over the his prayer? death, but the ascent into glory, whole thing—four barrels, eight, First He sent an angel (verses with the convoy of celestial char- twelve barrels. "The water ran 5-7) with food for the weary and iots, to the throne on high."—Page round about the altar; and he filled hungry man. But before awaking 301. the trench also with water." him, the angel cooked his meal and Yes, here are two prayers God Verse 35. got some water ready for him to didn't answer. In answer to Elijah's simple drink. Then he touched Elijah. No Or did He—much, much better prayer, "the fire of the Lord fell, doubt the poor fugitive jumped in than the suppliants ever hoped or and consumed the burnt sacrifice, terror and started to flee farther dreamed? ❑

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 5 Grounds for Hope

robably few Americans know that their government maintains a conscience fund at the Treasury Department in Washington. And probably fewer still would give it a second thought if they did. p Established in 1811 when James Madison was president, the fund has existed ever since as an account for monies received from donors who have defrauded the government and want to make restitution. To

T. R. Torkelson the end of fiscal year 1974 a cumu- a part of us, a faculty of self-aware- Person of the Godhead, "made him- lative total of $3,196,727.83 had ness capable of receiving and inter- self of no reputation, and took upon been credited to it. But of late, offi- preting messages from God to the him the form of a servant, and was cials state, receipts are dropping off, soul. Thus the apostle Paul could made in the likeness of men: and although in 1974 a sizable amount say, "My conscience bears me wit- being found in fashion as a man, was still received—$5,527.93. ness in the Holy Spirit." Romans he humbled himself, and became One recent donor signed his 9:1, RSV. obedient unto death, even the death name "Conscience Stricken." He Could the awareness awakened of the cross." Philippians 2:7, 8. confessed to having defrauded the by this divine communication to "Behold," wrote the apostle John, customs officials on some jewelry the soul be related to the influence "what manner of love the Father he had brought into the country. upon the human mind of "the true hath bestowed upon us." 1 John His letter said, "Enclosed please Light, which lighteth every man 3:1. It defies description; it has to find $10, which will more than that cometh into the world"? John be experienced. cover what the duty would be, I 1:9. Could we be talking here about The drawing power of God's love am sure. My conscience will give the same thing Elijah heard—the exerts an influence upon men's con- me no peace. I am sorry this hap- "still small voice"? 1 Kings 19:12. sciences as real as the gravitational pened. It won't ever happen It would seem so. And it all comes pull of the moon upon the earth again." into focus and operation in what which causes tides. It is a divine Pangs of a guilty conscience Jesus described to be the ministry influence upon the soul, awaken- provide indisputable evidence of a of the Holy Spirit ( John 16:7-15), ing awareness of a lack. It was this mysterious power that operates on "the Counselor" ( RSV ). that Augustine wrote of when he the human intellect. This force, said, "Thou hast made us for thy- strong enough to move formerly Proof of God's Love self, and our heart is restless till it antagonistic or callous people to A hope-inspiring and heart-com- finds rest in thee." It was this too decisions in conformity to right forting aspect of the gospel is God's that a later theologian, John Tul- standards, defies explanation except unrelenting love for us, which fol- loch, wrote of when he said, "Con- as it is recognized to be divine. lows us with appeals, warnings, and science, like a magnetic needle, in- A young mother seeking to ex- assurances of companionship as dicates the existence of an unknown plain it to her little boy said, "Some long as He sees any hope that we Power which from afar controls its men call it conscience, but I prefer will listen. "How can I give you vibrations and at whose presence to call it the voice of God in the up?" He says. Hosea 11:8, RSV. it trembles." soul of man. If you listen to it and "I have loved thee with an everlast- And surely, above all, it was this obey it, it will speak clearer and ing love: therefore with lovingkind- that Jesus made reference to when clearer and will always guide you ness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah He said, "I, if I be lifted up from right; but if you turn a deaf ear 31:3. the earth, will draw all men unto and disobey, it will fade out little We think of lovelorn minstrels of me." John 12:32. by little and leave you in the dark the Middle Ages seeking to awaken In that statement Christ embod- without a guide." a response in the heart of some ied the same concepts and terminol- Even the theologian Augustus maiden inside a castle by singing ogy as found in the Old Testament Hopkins Strong, DD, LLD, im- and playing lyrics outside her win- story of Moses and the brazen ser- proved little upon this mother's dow. Also consider the extrava- pent. See Numbers 21:4-9. There simple definition when he wrote: ganza employed occasionally nowa- in microcosm can be seen sinful "Conscience, therefore, with its con- days for the same purpose, such as man's peril and hopelessness and tinual and supreme demand that displaying a love message by bill- God's solution to his problem the right should be done, furnishes board along the highway where the through Christ. So simple and so the best witness to man of the ex- sought-after maiden will be driv- definitive, and, above all, so ade- istence of a personal God, and of ing, or saying it with 10,000 roses. quate. the supremacy of holiness in him One young man we heard of hired Commenting on the parallel be- in whose image we are made." an airplane and had his proposal tween the snake-bitten Israelite The Bible says a great deal about written in the sky. refugees crossing the Sinai desert conscience; and much of what is Exceeding all such demonstra- and the human race in its lost con- said indicates a relationship be- tions, God in His love for us pur- dition, Jesus said, "As Moses lifted tween it and the ministry of the sues us with total abandon, "not up the serpent in the wilderness, Holy Spirit. It seems that God willing that any should perish, but even so must the Son of man be built into the human mechanism that all should come to repentance." lifted up: that whosoever believeth this "alter ego," as someone has 2 Peter 3:9. No price is too great in him should not perish, but have called it, which is in us but yet not for Him to pay. Christ, the second eternal life." John 3:14, 15.

Ted Torkelson is well-known to SIGNS readers for his homey, helpful articles. A Change in Us from Christ, that leads to repent- which adds up to new life and ma- In making the application Jesus ance. Thus the Bible speaks of re- turity in Christ—the gift God longs focused on what happens in our pentance as a gift from God. See to bestow. lives in the beginning stages of the Acts 5:31. It was this divine influ- When we thus boil the theology redemptive process. ence at work that the apostle Paul of conversion and forgiveness down First, the Holy Spirit exerts the referred to in his admonition: to its operational basics, we find drawing power of God's love "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, God doing it all, except the re- through His awakening influence whereby ye are sealed unto the day sponding and cooperating. That, of on the human conscience. This goes of redemption." Ephesians 4:30. course, we have to do. God doesn't on all the time, everywhere. He Second in the process, our re- force anyone to respond. But, oh, does it for everyone, through agen- sponse to this drawing influence how longingly He looks for some cies seen and unseen, persisting constitutes the very first step toward little promising sign that we're lis- even when ignored or repulsed, salvation. Here again, how simple! tening at least. And as long as He pressing the attentions of the divine Just look, He says, even as He said detects even a glimmer of hope Lover upon every son and daughter to those dying Israelites in the des- that we'll reciprocate His love, He of Adam with an intensity of desire ert. "Look unto me, and be ye keeps plying us with His ardent beyond anything familiar to us. saved, all the ends of the earth: for attentions. Eventually, however, in cases of I am God, and there is none else." obdurate and repeated rejection Isaiah 45:22. Compare Numbers there comes a time when with pain- 21:8, 9. Something Wonderful ful reluctance God acknowledges If we respond in faith, accepting Happens! defeat and gives up. See Romans His offer of healing and life, if we And one by one people keep re- 1:24, 26, 28. As with spurners of yield our hearts to His grace, He sponding. What a wonderful thing His overtures before the Flood, He will work a miracle of renewal in happens when they do! The miracle then ceases to "strive with man." us, inspiring contrition and leading change takes place—they are born Genesis 6:3. But He never gives up to repentance. Then, invigorated again. A new strain of life in their easily. with new Heaven-imparted capa- moral fiber transforms attitudes and It is this wooing, this drawing bilities, we go on step by step to a behavior. Inclinations toward the by the cords of infinite love, this full knowledge and acceptance of right replace propensities to evil. virtue that constantly goes forth God's will as found in the Bible, Kindness and love characterize re-

8 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 Through your conscience God seeks to guide your life. Listen— and follow!

lationships with others, making the To her astonishment she heard ( or This compelling force acting converted into desirable neighbors thought she heard) the goddess upon the conscience and moving and upright citizens. Friends and speak to her in the Bengali lan- people of every nation and lan- relatives who knew them before guage, telling her to go to the mis- guage to seek after God constitutes marvel at the change, hardly be- sion hospital at Gopalganj, a day real, though intangible, evidence of lieving them to be the same people. and a night away, and inquire for the existence and love of a personal It's happening to men and women the lady doctor in charge. God. Like the ocean tides, it wit- everywhere, confirming the univer- Her husband thought his wife nesses to the presence of another sal operation of this divine influ- was imagining things and kept on power apart from and beyond us ence. In the experience of the Biswas harvesting. But next day it hap- that acts upon our faculties with family, rice farmers in Bangladesh, pened again. The voice said ex- telling force. we see a typical example of how actly the same thing, and no mis- And like the tide, it is a drawing the Holy Spirit works—how He ap- take: "Go to the mission hospital force—the tug of God on the human peals to the conscience, awakening at Gopalganj and call the doctor soul, drawing us to Himself. an interest and drawing people to in charge `Mother."' Christ. So they went—this Hindu couple. When you hear the voice of con- Like Abraham of old, they "went science, then, even if it troubles "Go to Gopalganj!" out, not knowing whither" or why, you, thank God. It means more than The Biswases lived in that area except that a voice had told them pangs of conviction; it means that of Bangladesh where it rains a lot to go. Somebody big and powerful and and people travel between towns But when they related their story compassionate loves you and is by riverboat. Better off than most to the Christian doctor the follow- drawing you. It means that God is of their countrymen, the Biswases ing day, and especially when they not only up there or out there had a comfortable home with a found that the doctor in charge was somewhere but very near. separate pavilion for their 13 gods indeed a memsahib ( lady ), they It means that in the lostness of and goddesses. and she both knew that the God our times, you are not alone. God One day during harvest, when of heaven had spoken to them, is guiding you. And that assurance, her husband was busy in the field, awakening in their conscience in amidst deepening pessimism and Mrs. Biswas went alone to the pavil- this unusual way an interest in His bewilderment, provides a secure ion to perform pup ( devotions ). love and salvation. basis for a world of hope. ❑

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 9 God ."7 Accepts Sinners

Lawrence E. C. Joers, MD

• 4

Grounds for Hope Illustration by H. Larkin

-41E "Please, help me!" I am a doctor but I like to cated in a large city a few miles He was a large handsome young preach. I had just spoken at the from this smaller town, and I had blond, and he seized my arm as Sabbath morning service ¶ a small been coming out each evening to I was hurrying from the church. He church, and because of an emer- speak for an evangelistic series. appeared distressed, and his eyes gency call was hurrying to my car. This was the first Sabbath of the were full of tears. My office and practice were lo- series, and I had intended to take

Warren Haase wandered away from God and then tried to come back. God accepted him-and gave him two miracles to prove it! part in the Communion services to When he sat down, there were had made a big mistake, and in my follow, but the call came and pre- many moist eyes and numerous prayers that lasted all night, I told vented it. Although I was in a amens from members who had seen my Saviour so and asked His help. hurry, the urgent appeal of the him grow up and away. "The next morning the skipper young stranger stopped me. Later at the conclusion of the called down that the fog was so "Are you ill?" I questioned. evangelistic series I was on the plat- thick we could not fish. At noon we "No," he said, "I'm not ill." form when the pastor invited those heard the sound of a boat approach- "Well, what's troubling you who wanted to be baptized to come ing. It came alongside and greet- then?" I asked. forward. I watched to see if my ings were exchanged. The other "I'm lost!" came the choked re- young friend would respond. Sure captain said he saw us on his radar ply. "Please, help me." enough, he did! And not only he, and came to see if we needed help. I studied him for a moment; then but also his wife. And along with Our captain said that he could not I said, "I can't help you, but I know them came another young couple, a fish in that kind of weather. We Someone who can. Come with me. younger brother and his wife. were then informed that a few miles Together we went to an empty seaward it was bright and clear and room in the church basement. After The Sequel that we were in a fog bank. a few words of encouragement, I And now it is 35 eventful years "Our skipper began to warm up invited him to kneel with me. We later. Time and space have sepa- the motor, and in about 10 minutes both prayed earnestly for the power rated us widely, but the Holy Spirit we began to follow the other boat. of God to bring this man comfort has been in contact with each of After a long time we were still in and hope. When we arose, his tears us. That's why a recent letter the fog. Finally curiosity got the told how sincere he was. I took his brought a thrill and a very pleasant better of me, and I climbed the lad- hand and said, "You really meant surprise to me. A few excerpts will der to the crow's nest. From there that, didn't you?" show the hope and peace that I could see over the fog. As fast as He nodded and wiped his cheeks. comes to one who finds Jesus and we traveled, the fog went before us, "Now what is the next thing you stays with Him. and finally we hove to. As I looked need to do?" I asked. "Dear Doctor: As I read a recent out over the fog bank and saw He patted his shirt pocket and article you wrote, my thoughts many boats fishing in the beautiful explained, "I smoked my last ciga- turned back to that eventful day sunshine, I had to acknowledge rette on the way to church." so many years ago at the old Puyal- that there is no God like unto our "Is there anything else?" lup church that changed the course God. True to His promise He came He thought for a moment. "Yes, of my life and the destiny of my to my rescue, as He will to everyone there's half a bottle of whiskey in soul. As I listened to your sermon who calls upon His wonderful name my car. I've got to get rid of that." that morning, my heart was in faith. Several weeks passed. The young touched. I stopped you at the door "Doctor, in 1948, in a logging man attended the evangelistic meet- and asked you to pray for me. In accident, my back was seriously ings regularly. Again I spoke for the the furnace room of the church we broken. The doctor said I would eleven o'clock Sabbath service, and had a season of prayer with our never walk or work again. After just when I concluded the sermon, God. I thought you would like to special prayer on a Wednesday my new friend stood up and asked know just what that prayer has ac- night God saw fit to heal me. Two to say a few words. Receiving per- complished for me. weeks later I was back at my old mission, he commenced. "Doctor, as a logger and a deep- job as high climber and tree topper. "I was reared a member of the sea fisherman I can give straight And at 65 I am still at it. Praise church, but have gotten far away testimony to the power and the God! Satan has tried in his artful from it. There were little things at saving grace of our Lord Jesus way to get possession of my soul, first. I was careless about Sabbath Christ. On one occasion I hired on but in each case Jesus has had and tithes and wrong associations. a tuna clipper, assured by the cap- something better, and in the end a Before long I was hooked on ciga- tain that he did not fish on week- home with Him in heaven. I have rettes, and then came liquor. I mar- ends. I neglected to tell him that I my own little company, and my ried a fine girl; but she wasn't was a Seventh-day Adventist and partner is Jesus Christ. Everything interested in my church, so she could not fish on Saturday. This I have He has given me, so I have didn't help me live close to Christ. was a mistake. I should have told it all on the altar. I got far away from the Lord, but him. On the third week circum- "Someday soon I plan to shake now I'm coming back. I've put stances found us on Friday on the your hand on the streets of gold away all those bad habits. At times tuna banks 110 miles from shore. I in the earth made new. It was your it's been very hard, but I'm going prayers and your faith in a living to go through with it. I have found God that helped me shape my life. that 'I can do all things through "Your friend in Christ, Christ which strengtheneth me." "[Signed] Warren R. Haase." 0

Warren Haase working as a logger. GOD

Grounds for Hope Louis F. Cunningham

Five thousand converts in one day! Three thousand in another! By any standard the church's growth was phenomenal. And that was nearly 20 centuries ago. Conditions then were so different from those of our day. The best in travel then was no faster than a galloping horse. And communication? It was no better. But despite all that the church lacked then of present-day advantages, Christianity was in a thriving state of health. The success of that beginning in- spired the hopes of later Christians for the church to become great and prosperous. Those hopes have been more than realized. Today even small-town congregations are large. They boast of modern buildings, elaborate local organizations, and well-planned financial programs. In every material sense the Christian church prospers in the modern world. But this picture does not tell the whole story. All too many observing churchmen are conscious of a seri- ous problem. Some in prominent places see the trouble as a structural fault. They are alarmed most of all at the divi- sion of Christianity into hundreds of denominational camps. Toward a remedy, these men minimize the place of doctrine and lay great stress upon organizational unity. Unity, they say, is more than all else. It was for this, they remind us, that Jesus prayed so earnestly. But equally eminent men do not agree. To them, doctrine is impor- tant. It is not to be dispensed with for the sake of more unity. They are not at all sure that the resulting monopoly of a church union would CAMERA CLIX 12 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 MAKES YOU USEFUL

If you feel you aren't worth much, God stands ready to make you useful beyond your fondest dreams.

restore that blessed wholeness pe- those men whole-souled consecra- blind eyes. He did not talk about culiar to the apostles' day. tion was no less than a way of life. lepers, or dumb people, or cripples. They walked in the steps of the He held to one topic, the cure of The need for genuine unity was One of whom John wrote, "In him blindness. None could gainsay his recognized in the beginning of the was life; and the life was the light testimony, "One thing I know, that, church. With that, the apostles of men." John 1:4. whereas I was blind, now I see." stressed the importance of sound John 9:25. doctrine. But they emphasized Now, as then, living Christianity something else as well—something is the only guarantee of spiritual So it was. Men and women met our limited application of the Scrip- unity and sound doctrine. Unity for the Master. They lived the life and tures often overlooks. Think how its own sake is not unity. Of what told their story. It was as if each much may be included in the sim- value would religious organization had been directly commissioned, ple principle Jesus gave: "The life be to one whose life is estranged "Go home to thy friends, and tell is more than meat." Luke 12:23. from his Maker? As for the place them how great things the Lord May not His comparison be broad- and purity of church doctrine, Jesus bath done for thee, and hath had ened to take in all that is external said, "If any man will do his will, compassion on thee." Mark 5:19. or material? Is not the life of the he shall know of the doctrine." John Out of such an experience the gos- Christian more than all besides? 7:17. The way to the kingdom is pel increased in power and scope How easy it is to become absorbed made clearer and still clearer to the until the apostle spoke of it as be- in ways and means to the negelct faithful follower of God. "The path ing "preached to every creature of the one thing that transcends all of the just is as the shining light, which is under heaven." Colossians else—the life! that shineth more and more unto 1 : 23. In her pointed style Ellen G. Though the church in its infancy the perfect day." Proverbs 4:18. White wrote of such a ministry of had few, if any, of the outward re- Even with the simplest methods the believers, "The humblest and finements of modern Christianity, it the most humble believers may poorest of the disciples of Jesus can excelled in its reputation. Paul through living faith become "the be a blessing to others. They may could approvingly say, "Your faith light of the world." Matthew 5:14. is spoken of throughout the whole not realize that they are doing any Such a one was the woman who special good, but by their uncon- world." Romans 1:8. Who can esti- talked with Jesus at Jacob's well. scious influence they may start mate the value of such a good re- She was not a theologian. But she port toward the advancement of the waves of blessing that will widen proved to be a successful witness and deepen, and the blessed results gospel? for the Master by recounting to they may never know until the day The leaders of that time knew others what she herself knew—out of final reward."—Steps to Christ, that the future of the church did not of the warmth of a renewed heart. p. 83. depend on the astuteness of their The result? "Many of the Samari- What more "blessed results" planning nor in the psychology of tans of that city believed on him could come to the church than this? their promotion. These would do for the saying of the woman, which For the ranks of the believers to for the religious busy-ness of hu- testified, He told me all that ever live and witness for Christ with all man success, but that was not their I did." John 4:39. their hearts is the greatest need of aim. Instead, they insisted, "We We cannot determine the suc- Christianity today. Such a spirit of will give ourselves continually to cess of the man who was born surrender would bring with it a prayer, and to the ministry of the blind, whom Jesus healed. As he revival and a reformation that word." Acts 6:4. faced the irate Pharisees, he was would move the world. For in this Modern Christianity needs the no match for them in learning, but God-given grace may be found the same emphasis. It needs that primi- he was an unanswerable witness for cure for the ills of the church and tive virtue of personal piety which Christ. He was an authority on the the means for the finishing of the the apostles so earnestly sought. To subject of what Jesus could do for gospel in all the earth. ❑

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 13 Grounds for Hope

CANCER! What does the word smoking before I quit." do to you? It does more than most So he waited a few more weeks. words do. It makes you feel uncom- And when I saw him next, some- SICK fortable. It startles you. It makes thing had happened. He had been you want to ask, Who has it now? to the specialist. No longer did he Why do you react differently to excuse his hoarseness. No longer this word than to ordinary words? did he brush aside the advice that Is it because of some pitiful mental he needed to care for himself. No BUT pictures the word brings to your longer did he talk courageously mind: pictures of uncertainty, suf- about the future. His spirit was fering, deformity, and sometimes broken. death—pictures with real people in What had changed Bill? It was them, people you know or have the word the specialist had used— UNAFRAID known? "cancer." Then he added, "Ad- This article is not a treatise on vanced stage." cancer as a disease. We will not Harold Shryock, MD Why had Bill delayed? It was be giving primary attention to the because he had allowed his feelings types of cancer, to the possible to overrule his better judgment. causes of cancer, to the present And that is so easy for a person methods of treatment, or to the sta- to do! tistical prospects of five-year survi- val. We are concerned, rather, with Bill had read about the seven warning signals of cancer. He could the human reactions of the person just about recite them from mem- who has cancer and has to wrestle ory—even that seventh one: with the uncertainties of outcome, with thwartings of personal hopes, 1. Change in bowel or bladder and with persisting handicaps if he habits. survives. 2. A sore throat that does not The discussion will revolve heal. around three patients with cancer. 3. Unusual bleeding or dis- The cases are actual and involve charge. persons known to me. Their iden- 4. Thickening or lump in breast tity has been disguised by using as- or elsewhere. sumed names. They were not my 5. Indigestion or difficulty in patients but were friends with swallowing. whom I have been closely asso- 6. Obvious change in a wart or ciated. mole. The Hazard of Delay 7. Nagging cough or hoarseness. CASE 1. Then why did he delay? He even Bill Townsend had a husky voice. knew that smoking commonly I advised him to go to a specialist causes cancer of the larynx ( that's to find out why he was hoarse. But what the specialist found when he he contended that his voice had examined Bill ). sounded that way for a long time. Delay in seeking professional "I quit smoking about a year ago," help is one of the biggest problems There is cause for courage even for he explained. "The hoarse voice is in the fight against cancer. All victims of cancer. the result of those many years of forms of treatment for any kind of CLYDE PROVONSHA, ARTIST, © PPPA cancer are more successful when against this, first in the Old Testa- thee." Acts 24:25. Thus Felix de- applied early in the course of the ment and then with examples in layed, with the result that he for- disease. People know this, and still the New Testament. "Seek ye the feited the opportunity to save his they procrastinate. Lord while he may be found," ad- soul. It is fear that accounts for the monishes the prophet Isaiah, "call In the same book of the Bible we delay—fear of learning something ye upon him while he is near." find the account of Paul's presenta- unpleasant, fear of having to face Isaiah 55:6. tion before King Agrippa. Similarly, an unpleasant reality. But fear is The author of the book of Acts in this case, Agrippa was convinced an emotion and can and should be tells how the apostle Paul came be- of the correctness of Paul's theol- overruled by one's awareness of fore the governor Felix to give a ogy, for he finally admitted, "Al- what is best. People have a subcon- defense of Christianity. Paul must most thou persuadest me to be a scious urge to delay what may be have given a convincing account, Christian." Acts 26:28. But he also bad news. Thousands of cancer for the Scripture says: "As he delayed and thus ignored the dic- deaths could be prevented if peo- reasoned of righteousness, temper- tates of his conscience. ple would only rise above this urge ance, and judgment to come, Felix The Lesson of Trust to delay. trembled, and answered, Go thy Delay can cause tragedy in other way for this time; when I have a CASE 2. phases of life too. The Bible warns convenient season, I will call for Sarah Brown had a breast re-

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 15 moved on account of cancer. She ence was not easy, but now that I what thou must do." Acts 9:6. had gone to the doctor as soon as have lived through it, I can see that A few hours later, after Saul had she noticed the lump in her breast, it was good for me. It removed a lot arrived in Damascus, the Lord ap- and the operation had been per- of conceit. It made me realize how peared in a vision to a disciple by formed promptly. Some of the uncertain life really is. It prompted the name of Ananias who lived in lymph nodes were already involved, me to work out a new set of values. Damascus. The Lord instructed so the surgeon performed a "radi- Money and things don't mean as Ananias to find Saul and lay his cal" operation, removing part of the much as they used to. Qualities of hands on him that he might re- pectoral muscles and a great deal of character and the importance of in- ceive his sight. And in the vision tissue from the armpit. fluence have taken on new dimen- the Lord explained that Saul "is a The arm swelled after the opera- sions. My religious experience is chosen vessel unto me, to bear my tion. It was weak and unsightly. much more real." name before the Gentiles, and There was a large scar which was The kind of philosophy that kings, and the children of Israel." uncomfortable as it contracted. Sarah developed requires a person Acts 9:15. Thus it was made clear Also, there was the haunting to really accept the teaching of the that the Lord had a definite plan thought of being "one sided." Many Bible that God plans and directs for Saul of Tarsus as he now be- times Sarah looked in the mirror to each person's life. Just as He se- came Paul the apostle. see if she were really leaning to lected Joseph to become the prime But the pertinent part of the one side as it seemed to her she minister in Egypt and spare its peo- story does not end here. Paul had was. ple as well as Jacob's family from some sort of physical disability. But she had courage and deter- starvation during a famine, just as Many Bible scholars think that it mination. She kept telling herself He spared the life of the baby was persisting poor eyesight. At that her husband needed her and Moses and later directed him in any rate, it was a handicap to Paul the grandchildren needed their demonstrating to the atheistic phar- as he became active in promoting grandmother. She did all the things aoh that the God in heaven rules the development of the Christian the doctor told her to do to keep the universe, just as He chose Dan- church and he prayed that the Lord the scar from becoming too tight. iel as His spokesman to the proud would heal him of this affliction She wore a padded bra and chose Nebuchadnezzar, and just as He which he called "a thorn in the commissioned John the Baptist to clothes that were attractive and flesh." that revealed nothing of her "de- announce the coming of the Mes- formity." siah, so God has a plan for each Let Paul tell the story in his own Each time she went for a person who acknowledges God as words: "I will say this: because checkup, she had a struggle with his heavenly Father. Of course each these experiences I had were so her emotions. "What if the cancer person has a choice, and this .choice tremendous, God was afraid I has returned?" The thought haunted consists of his answer to the ques- might be puffed up by them; so her time after time. But her per- tion, Will I follow God's providen- I was given a physical condition sonal assets outweighed her liabil- tial leading in my life? which has been a thorn in my flesh, ities. Her husband was understand- "A man's goings are of the Lord; a messenger from Satan to hurt and ing of her anxiety and gave her how can a man then understand his bother me, and prick my pride. much encouragement. Her doctor own way?" Proverbs 20:24. "0 Three different times I begged God had done the best he knew how. Lord, I know that the way of man to make me well again. She had cooperated well. And she is not in himself: it is not in man "Each time he said, 'No. But I had a most valuable religious faith. that walketh to direct his steps." am with you; that is all you need. "If there is reason for me to live, Jeremiah 10:23. "Trust in the Lord My power shows up best in weak then God will see to it," was her with all thine heart; and lean not people.' Now I am glad to boast attitude in the matter. unto thine own understanding. In about how weak I am; I am glad And now six years have passed, all thy ways acknowledge him, and to be a living demonstration of and there has been no recurrence he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs Christ's power, instead of showing of the cancer. Sarah doesn't call it 3:5, 6. off my own power and abilities. good luck. She says humbly, "The The conversion of Saul of Tarsus Since I know it is all for Christ's Lord spared me for a purpose. The when he was on his way to Damas- good, I am quite happy about 'the way for me to thank Him is to use cus was a dramatic revelation to thorn,' and about insults and hard- my continuing health and strength him that God had a plan for his life. ships, persecutions and difficulties; in service to other people." She In response to his question, "Lord, for when I am weak, then I am even has an answer to the question, what wilt thou have me to do?" the strong—the less I have, the more Why did this happen to me in the Lord responded, "Arise, and go into I depend on Him." 2 Corinthians first place? She says, "The experi- the city, and it shall be told thee 12:7-10. LB.°

16 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 Read about Mary Lukens' triumph The Prospect of Death illness; convinced but not recon- ing born in human form; for only CASE 3. ciled. It was not easy to give up her as a human being could he die and The expression on the surgeon's cherished hopes for the future. It in dying break the power of the face changed suddenly as he ex- was hard to realize that her ambi- devil who had the power of death. amined Mary Lukens three years tions would remain incomplete. She Only in that way could he deliver after she had had an operation for felt sorry for herself and for those those who through fear of death cancer. Mary knew at that moment who would be deprived of her love have been living all their lives as that something was wrong. The and companionship. slaves to constant dread." Hebrews doctor didn't tell her anything yet, And then as her strength and 2:14, 15, LB. but ordered tests and said he would vitality continued to wane and as By any chance have you been see her again in two weeks. day by day she was confronted with living as a slave to constant dread? During the two weeks Mary tried the mounting evidence that she was Don't do it. Notice one of the con- to convince herself that things fighting a hopeless battle, she en- clusions drawn by the apostle Paul would be all right. She kept reason- tered the fifth phase, the phase of later in his life: "For I know whom ing, "It can't happen to me." reluctant acceptance. "As long as I have believed, and am persuaded But the surgeon's face was seri- I can do nothing to change things, that he is able to keep that which ous when she returned for the re- I might as well make the best of I have committed unto him against port. "There are evidences that the it," now became her theme. And that day." 2 Timothy 1:12. cancer has recurred and that it has with this came a peace and an Death is not the worst thing that spread to some of the vital organs," equanimity that everyone admired. can happen to a person. The Master he reported. "There are some me- One of her close friends remarked, commented on this: "Don't be tastases in your liver," he continued, "It does me more good to visit Mary afraid of those who can kill only "and of course we can't remove than it does her to have me visit." your bodies—but can't touch your your liver." Mary Lukens experienced in a souls!" Matthew 10:28, LB. "Does it mean I will die?" Mary few months the five sequences of The person who accepts God's asked in anguish. attitude that some people take a providential plan for his life can be The surgeon talked kindly, but lifetime to experience. Every per- reconciled to death or life, which- he dealt truthfully, and Mary be- son needs to become reconciled, ever God wills. For the child of gan to realize that she must face eventually, to the inevitable. Not God death is only a temporary the inevitable. That is, she realized everyone passes through all five condition. Again we quote from the it as much as possible at this phase phases. Some persons skip one or apostle Paul: "I am telling you this of the experience. She still kept two phases. For some, life ends strange and wonderful secret: we telling herself, "There is some mis- abruptly, before there has been shall not all die, but we shall all take. What he told me just can't time to reach the fifth phase. be given new bodies! It will hap- be true." In this world as we know it, death pen in a moment, in the twinkling Next came the second of the five comes to every person. The Scrip- of an eye, when the last trumpet stages people normally pass through tures say, "It is appointed unto men is blown. For there will be a trum- when they face some "impossible" once to die." Hebrews 9:27. "There pet blast from the sky and all the situation. Now she became resent- is no man that hath power over the Christians who have died will sud- ful: resentful of her doctor, even spirit to retain the spirit; neither denly become alive with new bod- resentful of God's allowing this to hath he power in the day of death: ies that will never, never die; and happen to her. and there is no discharge in that then we who are still alive shall The third stage is an attempt to war." Ecclesiastes 8:8. suddenly have new bodies too. For bargain: "If I can only be cured, But death, as such, need not be our earthly bodies, the ones we I will live the rest of my life un- the ultimate tragedy that, at first, have now that can die, must be selfishly." Mary pledged that she it appears to be. There is a divine transformed into heavenly bodies would use her spare time in solicit- provision for release from death as that cannot perish but will live for- ing funds for cancer research and life's conclusion. This hope of the ever. doing other worthy things. Christian is the foundation on "When this happens, then at last But as time passed Mary's symp- which you or any other believing this Scripture will come true— toms became more definitive. She person may enter quickly into the `Death is swallowed up in victory.' " was losing ground. Her progress fifth phase of personal attitude— 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, LB. ❑ was consistently in the wrong di- the phase of acceptance. Again, rection. And so came the fourth note the words of Scripture: "Since *Quotations from Scripture credited to LB are from The Living Bible, Paraphrased, stage, the stage of depression. She we, God's children, are human be- by Kenneth Taylor, copyright © 1971 by had become convinced that there ings—made of flesh and blood—he Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. was no release from the incurable became flesh and blood too by be- Used by permission.

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 17 lig1i 111 111111111; intrrrry.I.-7"f ft Ias iitiliztP,7, , 1 %Mild hal fat mom

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• . ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ AT HOME I Do you feel at home or involvement with neighbors. where you are? Probably Of course, the grass-is-greener- ■ your family has made a on-the-other-side-of-the-fence com- ■ major move sometime in plex plays more than a small part ■ 2' • the past five years. In in keeping people moving. And ....i is•••••••••- some large cities people there's a little bit of the pioneer, or are moving as often as once every the competitor in most of us that three years. makes us want to try something What's the moving all about? better or different. Jobs, climate, family attraction and A great sense of unease contin- family conflict, increasing or de- ually bubbles up through the creasing income—all these play their magma of twentieth-century so- part. ciety, keeping us questing for new Many a school-age child finds horizons. himself in a different school every It's so much easier now, too, for year or two. Roots don't develop, people to get up and go. Smaller because the child or his parents are families, rental vans, superhigh- Walter R. L. Scragg afraid of personal interdependence ways play their part. Worry about Grounds for Hope

W. R. L. Scragg is a tall Australian who has traveled extensively in the islands of the Pacific and lives—for the moment—outside Washington, DC.

arrival will ascend: "Ah! Home at A Dream That Failed last!" Heaven is a place to feel in- A huge millstone for grinding stantly, completely, and perfectly wheat stands in the main street of at home. It's a place for the saved Rabaul in tropical New Guinea. to take off their shoes, shuck their coats, and push back the reclining Its plaque reads: "This millstone chair. was landed at Port Breton, New God has something to say to this Ireland, by settlers brought out by uptight, dissatisfied, searching gen- the Marquis de Rays expedition of eration. He wants us to see the 1880." world as He sees it—a poor, dis- What must these colonists have torted, even hateful substitute for thought as they disembarked into what it should be. the steamy jungle of New Ireland? Those who possess spiritual un- Did they wait hopefully for cooler, derstanding have always recog- drier weather for their crops? Did nized that earth as we now know they curse the mildew that instantly it can never approach the real and fastened on their seed grain? Within true. months they had abandoned their The Bible invites us to join those hopes, but not before some had of spiritual perception who in the given their lives in a foolish quest. past "freely admitted that they Tragically, their dreams were lived on this earth as exiles and for- nothing but a hoax fed on a mixture eigners." Hebrews 11:13, Phillips.* of greed, nationalism, and skillful Why did they feel this way? promotion. "Men who say that mean, of course, Can we really expect heaven to that their eyes are fixed upon their happen? Will there actually be a true homeland." Verse 14. new earth? And when it happens, OREVER Perhaps the past lived on as a ra- will it be real and satisfying? cial memory. Perhaps there stirred Just as surely as God sent His Son within them the memory of a per- the security of aged parents or to reveal Himself and His love, fect paradise, the ancestral home of other relatives has sunk to a mini- heaven awaits God's people. mum in our social-service states. the human race. For the Bible says, But a people on the move may "The Lord God planted a garden Jesus staked His word on it. " 'Set also be a very unhappy people. Our in Eden away to the east, and there your troubled hearts at rest. Trust chase after the lure of a better life he put the man whom he had in God always; trust also in me. may reflect a more basic dissatisfac- formed. The Lord God made trees There are many dwelling-places in tion. Could it be that we are simply spring from the ground, all trees my Father's house; if it were not not at home in this world? Will we pleasant to look at and good for so I should have told you; for I am feel completely and finally at home food. . . . There was a river flowing going there on purpose to prepare only when God takes us home with from Eden to water the garden." a place for you. And if I go and Him? Genesis 2:8-10, NEB.f prepare a place for you, I shall God's Home for Us Does Eden ghost in your mem- come again and receive you to my- Let me tell you this about God's ory? You can recognize in it a long- self.— John 14:1-3, NEB. home for His people. When we ar- ing for peace, for contentment, for The logic of a future perfect rive there, we will feel that it is a better character, a better life. All home rests securely on a personal where we should have been all the utopias of our racial dreams are and loving heavenly Father. If that along. A great sigh of content and stirrings of ancient Eden. is what God is, then He will bring

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 19 His people together to be with Him. Man's future home has its own Divine love longs to be united with perfected technology. Its citizens His children forever. plant vines and grow fruit on them, they create walks by the riverside. A Real Place They construct houses. They travel A favorite brand of washing pow- each Sabbath to the heart of the der proclaims itself, "NEW! IM- city. PROVED! LEMON-FRESH- In the flawless ecology of the ENED!" Yet basically it is nothing new earth, carnivorous animals will more than the same old detergent return to the original herbivorous with a few drops of artificial lemon diet of Eden. Plants will provide essence and a slightly different for- sustenance and balanced nutrition mula. for all who live there. God promises far more than a All too often we equate material "new improved lemon-freshened" prosperity with happiness. Heaven approach to the human disaster. It will define forever what happiness won't be the same old formula of is. sin and sorrow—scented, glossed over, repackaged. Happiness Forever Man's true home will be a com- In July 1971, New Guinea's plete departure from present cul- Cargo Cult underwent a sudden re- tures and societies. God will start vival. Four thousand natives joined from scratch again, making a new their leader, Yeliwan Matthias, in home for His people that will op- a muddy trek down the humid erate at a totally different level slopes of Mount Turu. They lugged with concepts entirely different with them handfuls of mud and from anything we have ever known. their most valued prize, World War Popular theology pictures heaven II survey markers taken from the as a place of wispy spirits, sirupy summit. harps, and spun-sugar clouds. Noth- Yeliwan, a former Christian ing could be farther from the truth. teacher, told his followers that at Are God's new home is real, down- the conclusion of their pilgrimage to-earth—never "plastic," never a a cornucopia of miracles would you "put-on." flood them with bountiful crops, tired of We glimpse the reality of God's numerous animals to hunt, birds of paradise in Old Testament predic- paradise in the jungle. As a fitting forever tions of the perfected world of- climax to their hard work 500 jet fered to Israel. Earth still soils the transports would roar in from moving, hands, vines bear grapes, lions walk America and unload crates of axes, sick of the the forests, God still calls His peo- mirrors, rifles, knives, and assorted ple to worship Him. goodies. uncertainties "Men shall build houses and live Of course it didn't happen. Yeli- of life? God to inhabit them, plant vineyards wan's promises failed as did the and eat their fruit." "The wolf and dreams of the New Ireland settlers. promises a the lamb shall feed together and Even if it had happened, all of us the lion shall eat straw like cattle." know that a mountain of mirrors, home you Isaiah 65:21, 25, NEB. a warehouse of computers, or a will never The New Testament adds to the square mile of autos cannot manu- reality of it. You can take a mea- facture happiness. Possessions don't have to suring tape and compute the size bridge the gaps between people, of the capital of the new earth; or change hate to love, or eliminate leave. human measurements apply. The war, or wipe out disease. Riches city has foundations, gates, walls, don't span the gaps between us and streets. God.

20 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 The Bible would be a fake if it together. We wait with God and for proposed blatant materialism as an God. The Christian's faith is in the answer to the human dilemma. God One who longs as deeply as we do drives clear through to the very for the new home that is the true basics. He promises to change hu- destiny of His people. man nature. "For the trumpet will Memories of Eden tell us of God sound, and the dead will rise immor- walking with the man and woman tal, and we shall be changed." 1 Co- He loved, talking with them, find- rinthians 15:52, NEB. This change ing communion with them. And in leaves us with real personalities, the new earth we shall find this recognizable and distinct, and with companionship once more. The real bodies. But it removes sin and prayers, the praise, the songs that all the horrors that scrabble in its we offer our Father will then be train. tendered face-to-face. "See! The home of God is with When John wrote the Revelation, men, and he will live among them. he was an old man; yet he had They shall be his people, and God never forgotten his wonderful Lord himself shall be with them, and will who had loved him and died for wipe away every tear from their him. When God let him see the fu- eyes. Death shall be no more, and ture home his Lord had spoken of never again shall there be sorrow so many times, he saw Jesus every- or crying or pain. For all those where. former things are past and gone." Jesus pervades the visions of Revelation 21:3, 4, Phillips. heaven. His light fills its city. His There you have it! A complete justice rules the nations. His pres- change. A new home. A place to be ence gives peace. But for John the at home forever. most wonderful thing of all was that we shall see His face. See Reve- Home at Last! lation 22:4. On the plains of ancient Mesopo- tamia a small city housed some of What can we say more than God's people. But Ur was not a John? He saw the new heaven. He place for them to be at home. So saw the new earth. And there he God led them out to far-away Ca- found Jesus, the Lamb of God. He naan. Yet, even though they called knew that no sin stood between him it the Land of Promise, they were and that eternal home. All he had Heaven still not completely at home. to do now was to wait faithfully for "We find them longing for a bet- the reunion he had tasted in vision. will be ter country—I mean, the heavenly Listen. The Jesus of your new one. That is why God is not home is speaking: "Trust in God real. Its ashamed to be called their God; for always; trust also in me. . . . I shall earth will he has a city ready for them." He- come again and receive you to my- brews 11:16, NEB. self, so that where I am you may soil your You see, the new earth is also a be also." John 14:1-3, NEB. ❑ place where God is perfectly at hands. The home. There He will make His *Quotations from Scripture credited to juice of home with His people. We are not Phillips are from The New Testament in the only pilgrims and strangers in Modern English, copyright © 1958 by J. B. its fruits the world. Jesus, the Son of God, Phillips. Used by permission of Geoffrey will run came here and found it alien and Bles, Ltd. dangerous. The world with its sin tQuotations from Scripture credited to down your and hatred put Him on the cross. NEB are from The New English Bible, If man is not at home here, and copyright © by the Delegates of the Ox- cheeks. ford University Press and the Syndics of God is not at home here, then no the Cambridge University Press 1961 and wonder the whole creation groans 1970. Reprinted by permission.

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 21 GENESIS IS UNIQUE

Gerhard F. Hasel, PhD The Bible does not teach a three-tiered universe.

The opening chapters of the Bi- ble. We can say without hesitation depicts how the origin and contin- ble contain the history of begin- that the world and man were in uing existence of the world and life nings ( Genesis 1 to 11), focusing the beginning and remain now in is expressed in categories of time on natural and historical begin- the hands of the Creator. Scripture and space. nings and the ensuing history of is able to speak about an end of the Against the widespread notion the world and mankind. world and man only because God that it is unnecessary to engage in The first two chapters present is the Creator of that world and a dialogue between the Biblical the Biblical cosmology in a most man. presentation of Creation and crea- comprehensive manner. Nowhere ture and the scientific quest for else in Scripture do we again find I understanding world and man, it such a comprehensive and detailed Before we attempt to speak of is our contention that dialogue and narration of the origin of earth and some significant aspects of the Gen- interaction are not only desirable man. While this is important in it- esis cosmology, let us refer to an- but essentially necessary. The sci- self, it receives greater significance other unique feature of the Genesis ences can deal only with partial when one recognizes that the Gen- Creation story. spheres of knowledge but not of esis cosmology and the Genesis In this sublime and elevated pre- totalities. The Genesis cosmology Creation account come to us with- sentation of Creation we have the and the Biblical account of Crea- out a rival. They are a unique pro- first conception of the world and tion on the other hand deal with duction from the ancient world. mankind as totalities from their be- totalities. Nowhere in the ancient Near East ginning. No man experiences and has anything similar been recorded. "knows" mankind as a whole, in its II The so-called Babylonian story totality. These realities are not em- The aim of presenting and de- of Creation, Enuma elfish, is in real- pirically knowable in their totali- scribing the world in its totality is ity a hymn in praise of Marduk by ties. But in the Biblical Creation already revealed in the first verse which the priest extolled his god story these realities have come to of the Bible: and has only incidental references expression in their totalities as orig- "In the beginning God created to creation through battle. The inating from the Creator. This pre- the heaven and the earth." Genesis unique words about Creator, Crea- sentation of the totalities of God's 1:1. This compact sentence makes tion, and creature—or God, world, created world and what is in it four basic affirmations that are com- and man in Genesis 1 and 2—set the pletely new in man's quest for an entire tone for the wonderful and Dr. Hasel is professor of Old Testa- understanding of the world's origin unique saving message of the Bi- ment at Andrews University. and himself.

22 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 JOE MANISCALCO, ARTIST, © PPPA

Dr. Hasel proves with brilliant scholarship that contrary to many false charges, Moses did not borrow the Creation story from other religions.

The first affirmation claims that "creation" in the spheres of human III God made the heaven and the earth endeavor is totally removed from Let us turn now to some of the "in the beginning." There was, then, God's activity of creation. In the more critical issues of modern times a time when this globe and its sur- Bible, creation is an activity of God relating to the Genesis cosmology rounding atmospheric heavens did and of no one else. specifically and to the Biblical cos- not exist. Contrary to ancient Near Inasmuch as this verb is never mology generally. This will involve Eastern mythologies, in which the employed with an accusative of a brief review of the understanding earth had no beginning,1 and in matter, ie "stuff" from which God of cosmology and cosmogony in the contrast to Greek philosophical creates, this term4 contains alon Bible based on modern expositions. thought in which the existence of with the emphasis of the phrase "in It is widely believed that the the world from eternity is a basic the beginning" the idea of creation Biblical cosmology, and thus that presupposition,2 the Genesis cos- out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo).5 of Genesis, is mythological° and mology fixes by the use of the Since the earth is described in the maintains the ancient picture of a words "in the beginning" (bere- next verse ( verse 2) in its rude three-storied universe with a heaven shith), an absolute beginning for state of desolation and waste, the above, a flat earth, and the nether creation .3 The pregnant expression, word "create" in the first verse of world underneath.° If this under- "in the beginning," separates the Genesis must signify the calling standing is coupled with the as- conception of the world once and into existence of original matter in sumption that the Bible supports a for all from the cyclical rhythm the formulation of the world.° geocentric universe,10 then the Bib- of pagan mythology and the spec- lical cosmology seems hopelessly ulation of ancient metaphysics. The fourth affirmation deals with dated. On the basis of these views This world, its life and history, is the object of creation, the stuff that many modern men have become not dependent upon nature's cycli- is brought forth by divine creation, convinced that the Biblical cosmol- cal rhythm but is brought into ex- namely "the heaven and the earth." ogy is historically conditioned, re- istence as the act of creation of a These two words are in the He- flecting a primitive and outdated transcendent God. brew language a surrogate for our cosmology of the ancient world.11 The second affirmation is that term cosmos. A thorough investi- Therefore, they say, the Biblical God is the Creator. As God and as gation of the 41 usages of the com- cosmology should be abandoned Creator He is completely separate pound terms "heaven and the earth" and replaced by a modern and from and independent of nature. reveals that these words do not more appropriate scientific one. God and nature are two totally sep- mean that God created the entire The highly influential scholar arate entities. Indeed, God con- universe with its thousands of gal- Rudolf Bultmann wrote some years tinues to act upon nature, but God axies at the time he created the ago that in the New Testament and nature are separate and can world.? The focus remains on the "the world is like a three-storied never be equated in some form of planet Earth, our globe, and its building. In the middle is the earth; emanationism or pantheism. more or less immediate surround- above it is heaven, below it is the The third affirmation is that God ings. underworld"12 made up of hell, the has acted in fiat creation. The spe- The sublime ideas expressed in place of torment. Visual representa- cial verb "create" (bara) has in the this first verse of the Bible set the tions of the cosmology of the Old Bible only the living God as its tone for the entire Genesis cosmol- Testament, in the view of other subject. It emphasizes that God ogy. They are without analogues writers, literally depict such a pic- alone is Creator and that nobody or parallels in the ancient world, ture of a three-storied universe with else has a share in this special ac- a fact that needs to be stressed over physical storehouses of water, snow tivity. Any analogy to the idea of and over. chambers of winds, windows of

24 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 A thorough understanding of the Genesis cosmology proves it to be head and shoulders above other ancient concepts.

heaven, in a vaulted canopy of the the Old Testament God is the cen- the Bible properly and honestly in- heavens above a flat earth at the ter of everything,18 but not at the terpreted on its own terms is ac- center of which is a navel with physical center. The Bible does not ceptable by the modern mind and waters under the earth and rivers provide information of a physical does not present the kind of cos- of the netherworld.13 Such a myth- center. According to it, the solar mology so widely attributed to it. ological cosmology is now out of system could be geocentric, helio- date, wrote Bultmann14 and inaugu- centric, or something else. IV rated the famous program of "de- Where has the interpretation Let us turn to specifics in order mythologization."15 Modern man arisen that the Bible presents a to investigate whether the Biblical cannot believe in such a mytholog- geocentric picture? This arose in cosmology is mythological and sup- ical cosmology while simultaneously post-New Testament times when ports the widespread notion of a using electric lights and radios.1° leading theologians adopted the three-storied universe. What we have outlined so far Ptolemaic cosmology of the second The magnificent Creation nar- highlights the common understand- century AD and interpreted the rative of Genesis 1 speaks in verses ing of a widespread segment of mod- Bible on the basis of this non-Bib- 26-28 of man as "the pinnacle of ern men. It leaves open only two lical cosmology. The ignoble affairs creation."'-0 Man appears as the alternatives: either (1) accept the associated with the famous trial of creature uniquely "blessed" by God assumed mythological picture of Galileo in the seventeenth century ( Genesis 1:28 ); he is "the ruler of the world, at the price of intellec- could have been avoided had the the world,"21 including the animal tual sacrifice (sacrificium intellec- theological consulters of the church and vegetable kingdoms. All seed- tus), or ( 2 ) abandon the cosmol- recognized that their interpretation bearing plants and fruit trees are ogy of the Bible and adopt one of certain Bible texts was condi- for man's food. Genesis 1:29. This built on whatever happens to be tioned by tradition based on the lofty picture of the divine con- the latest scientific theory. cosmology of the pagan mathemati- cern and care for man's physical We believe that these alterna- cian-geographer Ptolemy. needs stands in such sharp contrast tives, which cut to the roots of Although we are freed today to the purpose of man's creation in man's understanding of God, are from the Ptolemaic cosmology, a Sumero-Akkadian mythology that false. We say so because the Bibli- vast number of Biblical scholars one is led to conclude that the cal cosmology is not mythological. still read the cosmology of the Bi- Bible writer described the purpose Do we find on close scrutiny any ble through the glasses of the pagan of man's creation deliberately to evidence anywhere in the Bible for cosmologies of the ancient Near combat pagan mythological notions a three-storied universe? The so- East. What is so widely claimed to while, at the same time, emphasiz- called netherworld, the center of be the meaning of texts relating to ing the man-centered orientation which is hell, exists only in medie- the Biblical cosmology is in actual of Creation. val theology. It has no basis at all reality nothing but a dubious inter- The Sumero-Akkadian myths in Scripture! Scripture knows of no pretation based on a highly prob- unanimously depict the need of realm where the dead exist in a lematical hermeneutic. Moreover, man's creation as an afterthought conscious or semiconscious state. the claim that the cosmology of the resulting from an attempt to relieve Does the Bible support the no- Bible is mythological is of fairly the gods of hard labor in procur- tion of a geocentric universe? If recent origin.1° It is high time for ing food and drink.22 This mythical anything, the Bible is man-centered. Biblical teaching to be liberated notion is contradicted by the Bib- The center of interest is man or, from the domination of non-Bibli- lical idea that man is to rule the more accurately, the interrelation- cal influences and categories of world for himself as God's viceger- ship between God and man.17 In thought. It is our contention that ent. Obviously this antimythical

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 25 emphasis cannot be the result of the omission of the accusative of matter (or Miegge, Gospel and Myth in the Thought of adopting pagan mythical notions; material) along with emphasis on the unique- Rudolf Bultmann (Richmond, Va., 1960); J. ness of the creation of the world reality can- Macquarrie, The Scope of Demythologization rather it is rooted in Biblical an- not be brought into smooth harmony with the (London, 1960); E. Kinder, ed., Zur Entmy- thropology and the Biblical under- fact of a reshaping of pre-existent matter. So thologisierung (Munich, 1952). standing of reality. correctly Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testa- 16. So explicitly Bultmann, Kerygma and The widespread notion that the ment, vol. 2, pp. 101-104; Childs, Myth and Myth, p. 5. Biblical cosmology reflects a pagan Reality, p. 41. 17. R. Laird Harris, "The Bible and Cos- 6. G. Henton Davies, "Genesis," Broadman mology," Evangelical Theological Society Bul- picture of a three-storied universe Bible Commentary (Nashville, 1969), vol. 1, letin 5 (1962), 13. has cast its shadow broadly. But p. 125, suggests that "the intention of these 18. On this issue, see G. F. Hasel, "The we must ask whether ancient mythi- opening sentences [Gen. 1:1-3] is almost cer- Problem of the Center in the OT Theology cal cosmologies had a clearly de- tainly to show that creation ex nihilo is im- Debate," Zeitschrift fiir altestamentliche Wis- plied." senschaft 86 (1974), 65-82. fined three-storied universe. The 7. B. Hartman, "Himmel und Erde im Alten 19. The systematic use of the term "myth" ancient Egyptian view in the Mem- Testament," Schweitzer Theologische Umschau in Biblical studies was introduced in 1779 by phite theology was that the place 30 (1960), 221-224. S. H. Horn, "Heaven," J. G. Eichhorn. This year marks the beginning of the dead was in the west and not Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary (Wash- of a "mythological school" of Biblical inter- 23 In Canaanite ington, DC, 1960), p. 448. pretation which has cast its shadow widely in an underworld. 8. Various views on mythology in the OT over the study of Scripture. See C. Hartlich mythology the supreme deity El are presented by G. H. Davies, "An Approach and W. Sachs, Der Ursprung des Mythos- had his throne near the "sources of to the Problem of OT Mythology." Palestine begreffes in der modernen Bibelwissenschaft the Two Rivers, in the midst of the Exploration Quarterly 88 (1956), 83-91; J. L. (Munich, 1952), pp. 20-90. Cf J. W. Rogerson, pools of the Double-Deep,"24 which McKenzie, "Myth and the Old Testament," Myth in Old Testament Interpretation (Berlin, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 21 (1959), 265-282; 1974). means that the gods did not always J. Barr, "The Meaning of 'Mythology' in Rela- 20. Sarno, Understanding Genesis, p. 14. dwell in the heavens or the upper tion to the Old Testament," Vestus Testamen- 21. 0. Loretz, Sch6pfung und Mythos (Stutt- story of a supposed three-storied turn 9 (1959), 1 ff.; B. W. Anderson, Creation gart, 1968), pp. 92-98. universe.25 The Canaanite god Baal, versus Chaos (New York, 1967); B. S. Childs, 22. S. N. Kramer, Sumerian Mythology, sec- Myth and Reality in the Old Testament, sec- ond ed. (New York, 1961), pp. 69, 70; W. G. who unfortunately was also wor- ond ed. (London, 1962); W. H. Schmidt, "My- Lambert and A. R. Millard, Atra-hasis. The shiped at times by idolatrous Is- thos im Alten Testament," Evangelische The- Babylonian Story of the Flood (Oxford, 1969), raelites,26 had as his place of abode ologie 27 (1967), 237-254; G. F. Hasel, "The p. 57; On Enuma elish, see J. B. Pritchard, the mountain of Zaphon 27 in north- Polemic Nature of the Genesis Cosmology," ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to ern Syria at the mouth of the Oron- Evangelical Quarterly 46 (1974), 81-102. the Old Testament (Princeton, N.J., 1955), pp. 9. See J. P. Peters, "Hebrew Cosmogony 66-70. For details, see G. F. Hasel, "The Sig- tes River. 28 These random exam- and Cosmology," Encyclopaedia of Religion nificance of the Cosmology in Genesis 1 in ples make it clear that there was and Ethics, ed. J. Hastings (New York, 1914), Relation to Ancient Near Eastern Parallels," no uniform ancient mythical pic- vol. 4, p. 194. Andrews University Seminary Studies 10 ture of a three-storied universe. The 10. This was the medieval view challenged (1972), 15-17, and Evangelical Quarterly 46 by the Copernican revolution which gained its (1974), 89, 90. dead could dwell in the west; the victory in the seventeenth century. See J. J. 23. H. Frankfort, Ancient Egyptian Religion gods in various parts on earth rather Landford, Galileo, Science, and the Church (Harper Torchbook; New York, 1961), p. 108. than in a heavenly world. (New York, 1966); C. F. von Weizsacker, S. Morenz, Agyptische Religion (Stuggart, This is the first of two parts. Part two "Kopernikus, Kepler, Galilei," Einsichten, Ger- 1960), pp. 167ff., shows how such older will appear next month. hard Kriiger zum 60. Geburtstag (Frankfurt, notions were held alongside younger ones 1962), pp. 376-394; R. Hooykaas, Religion and until late periods. References the Rise of Modern Science (Grand Rapids, 24. Translation of A. Goetze in Ancient 1. B. S. Childs, Myth and Reality in the Mich., 1972), and the paper read at the Near Eastern Texts, third ed. (1969), p. 519. Old Testament, second ed. (London, 1962), p. Michigan Academy of Science and Arts, and 25. It is commonly understood that El's 42; W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testa- Letters (April, 1973), by G. F. Hasel, "Found- dwelling was in the underworld as 0. Kaiser, ment (Philadelphia, 1967), vol. 2, p. 104. ers of the Modern Understanding of the Rela- Die mythische Bedeutung des Meeres in Ae- 2. This is true of both Plato and Aristotle. tion Between Science and Religion" (18 pp.). gypten, Ugarit und Israel, second ed. (Berlin, 3. F. C. Rust, Nature and Man in Biblical 11. So among many Th. C. Gaster, "Cos- 1962), pp. 47-56, and M. Pope, El in the Thought (London, 1953), pp. 32-35; and espe- mogony," Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible Ugaritic Texts, SVT, 2 (Leiden, 1955), pp. 92- cially W. Eichrodt, "In the Beginning," Israel's (Nashville, 1962), vol. 1, pp. 702, 703, who 104, have suggested. Recently R. J. Clifford, Prophetic Heritage, eds. B. Andersen and W. claims that the Biblical accounts of creation The Cosmic Mountain in Canaan and the Old Harrelson (London, 1962), pp. 1-10. "are based upon traditional ancient Near Testament, HSM, 4 (Cambridge, Mass., 1972), 4. G. von Rad, Genesis. A Commentary Eastern lore." pp. 35-57, argues forcefully that El's dwelling (Philadelphia, 1962), p. 47, states succinctly, 12. In the 1941 essay of R. Bultmann, "New was localized in Syria by the Ugaritans and "It is correct to say that the verb bare, 'cre- Testament and Mythology," Kerygma and had a mythical but nongeographic character. ate,' contains the idea both of effortlessness Myth, ed. H. W. Bartsch, vol. 1 (London, 1953), 26. See Judges 2:11, 13; 3:7; 8:33; 1 Samuel and creatio ex nihilo, since it is never con- p. 2. 7:4; 12:10; 1 Kings 18:19-22; Hosea 2:8, 13, nected with any statement of the material." 13. For example the representation in Na- 17; 11:2; 13:1; Jeremiah 2:8, 23; 7:9; 9:4; etc. 5. W. H. Schmidt, Die SchOpfungsgeschichte hum M. Sarno, Understanding Genesis. The 27. A. Herdner, Corpus des tablettes en cu- der Priesterschrift, second ed. (Neukirchen- Heritage of Biblical Israel (Schocken paper- neiform alphabetiques (Paris, 1963), no. 3.3.43- Vluyn, 1967), p. 88: "Bare designates God's back; New York, 1970), p. 5, which is an 4.47; C. Virolleaud, Le Palais royal d'Ugarit creating activity as effortless, free, and with- exact duplicate of Fig. COS 50 in the Inter- vol. 2 (Paris, 1957), no. 3.8-10; C. F. A. Schaf- out analogy, as something which is not de- preter's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 1, p. 4. fer, Ugaritica V (Paris, 1968), no. 3. pendent upon pre-existing matter." It is true 14. See Bultmann, Kerygma and Myth, pp. 28. For a discussion of spn in Ugaritic texts that creation out of nothing is never explicitly 3, 4. and the OT, see Clifford, The Cosmic Moun- expressed in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, 15. Among the many reactions, see G. tain, pp. 57-59, 131-160.

26 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 A Story for Children MOLDY MELO\ That Kenneth examined the melons on years since that time, only enough display in the market and snorted, penicillin had been produced to "None of these are bad enough." treat a handful of patients. A single Then his eyes lighted up. He had dose might cost as much as twenty- Worked a caught sight of a pile of overripe five dollars. Yet there were hun- melons the grocer was obviously dreds of thousands of people who planning to throw away. Eagerly could be helped by the medicine he pawed through them and soon —if only it could be produced Million found one that was truly rotten. cheaply. Since penicillin had first "This should be moldy enough." been found in moldy bread, it was He grinned as he picked it up. quite reasonable to look for it in He carried it to the counter and some other moldy food. Miracles got out his purse. Two women shop- So when Kenneth's moldy melon pers saw him, and one whispered was received at the laboratory, the to the other, "That's what you can mold was quickly scraped off and expect when a man shops. I placed in a test tube. wouldn't serve stuff like that to my A few days later the scientists dog." were able to make their tests, and Kenneth wasn't the least bit dis- that moldy melon proved to be just turbed by her remark. He had the thing they were looking for. plans for that melon the woman Working with it—and there was a had never dreamed of. lot of work involved—they were The storekeeper almost refused soon producing enough penicillin to let him buy it. "The thing's rot- for everyone. In a few years the ten," he said, "and your wife will price came down from twenty-five blame me for letting you take it dollars a dose to just a few cents. home." Millions of sick people have been Kenneth only smiled again. What helped. was the use of explaining? No one A moldy melon! The grocer saw would understand. in it only junk. Kenneth saw in it a Leaving the store with the pre- million miracles. What about your- cious cantaloupe, he hurried to the self? Do you feel you aren't worth Department of Agriculture build- as much as other people, that you ing where he knew his purchase have to be content with some medi- would be appreciated. ocre goal in life? Remember the You see, Kenneth was helping melon. If a moldy melon with a with some very important experi- man's help could work a million ments. Several years before this, miracles, think what you can do in 1939, Sir Alexander Fleming with God's help! had discovered that moldy bread Jesus said, I will make a person produces a chemical called penicil- "more precious than fine gold." lin, which is very helpful in treat- Isaiah 13:12. That means you! ing disease. But in all the thirteen Your friend, Your Bible Questions Answered

We do not, however, observe the believers were divided on the mat- Ivan Crawford part of the law that says that the ter. The circumcision party was person who touches the dead car- headed by Peter, while Paul was cass "shall be unclean until the the apostle to the "uncircumcision." LEGAL PIGS OR PRINCIPLE even." See Leviticus 11:25, 27, 28, Galatians 2:7, 8. In the May 1974 issue of "Signs," 31, 39, 40. If we regarded these It is true that Paul circumcised under the heading, "Why Not Eat laws as legal, we would be bound Timothy, there being no stigma as- Pork?" you state that the Mosaic to observe all. But we regard them sociated with the act. The question health laws "are not legally binding as binding in principle. "Whether at issue became, Must Gentiles be on Christians today." How does this therefore ye eat, or drink, or what- circumcised to be accepted as chil- statement relate to what Mr. Fran- soever ye do, do all to the glory of dren of God? The answer is that cis D. Nichol said on page 151 of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31. circumcision of the flesh is a negli- his book, "Questions People Have That the eating of swine's flesh gible matter. What really matters is Asked Me"? I understand Nichol is an offense to God is shown in the circumcision "of the heart," and was an Adventist minister. He says, Isaiah 66:17 and in other texts. If "faith which worketh by love." Ga- "The prohibition of unclean meats we love God, we should wish to "do latians 5:6; 6:15; Romans 2:28, 29. as formally set forth in Leviticus 11 all to the glory of God." We will In John 7:22, 23 Jesus gave cir- is not a ceremonial one, uniquely "keep his commandments, and do cumcision its larger interpretation and exclusively belonging to the those things that are pleasing in his —involving the whole person and Jewish dispensation, and therefore sight." 1 John 3:22. not merely one part of him. This . . . it is still in force in our day." I am fully in harmony with what accords fully with Hebrews 8:8-12, M. M. Pastor Nichol wrote. The health where under the new covenant laws are "in force," not legally or God's law is written in the heart. In my answer printed in the May in the letter, but rather in principle. 1974 Signs I did not say that the HAS THE WEEK BEEN CHANGED? health laws of Moses are not bind- IS CIRCUMCISION REQUIRED? ing. I said that they are "not legally Although I am not an Adventist, binding." Legality has to do with In Genesis 17:10-14 is told the I am a born-again Christian, ac- a document, but principles go far story of the age-old covenant of cepting the Bible as the inerrant beyond legality. They relate to the which circumcision is the sign. Acts word of God. I do resist the con- author, and not to his writings. 16:3 says that Paul circumcised cept that I must accept the doc- When the animals entered the Timothy. And Jesus, in John 7:22, trines of your church in order to ark at the time of the Flood, the 23, does not rebuke the Jews for be a good Christian. And I believe clean ones entered by sevens, but the practice of circumcision. that if facts can be found to refute the unclean entered by twos. See Must a man be circumcised in your claims, the truth must be ac- Genesis 7:2. Thus several hundred order to be right with Cod? cepted. Here are some of my years before Abraham, the father of S. I. theses: 1. The weekly cycle is not the Jews, was born, the matter of God gave to the Hebrews the based upon recurring astronomical clean and unclean beasts was sign of circumcision by which they phenomena. 2. The Bible in its orig- known and observed. These prin- were to be known as God's people. inal languages does not give any ciples later became codified into The rite is still observed by Jews names for the days of the week. health laws, laws not written by and Muslims, and many Gentiles 3. The time of our Lord's crucifixion God's finger on tables of stone and circumcise for sanitary reasons. placed in the ark, but laws and or- Even in Old Testament times cir- dinances written by Moses under cumcision was used figuratively. BIBLE ANSWERS If you have a Bible question you'd God's direction and placed in the Jeremiah speaks of Israel as being like help with, send your question to side of the ark. See Exodus 24: 12; "uncircumcised in the heart." Jere- Ivan Crawford 34:1, 4; 25:21; Deuteronomy 31:26. miah 9:26. And he told Israel that Signs of the Times 1350 Villa Street The health laws are in force to- the "ear is uncircumcised." 6:10. Mountain View, California 94042 day in principle, just as they were While in New Testament times Please be sure to include your name and address as not all questions can before being codified into a docu- the Jews were known as "the cir- be answered in the limited space of ment, for health laws are not the cumcision" ( Galatians 2:8; Colos- these columns. exclusive right of any one people. sians 4:11), the early Christian

28 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 has not been definitely fixed. 4. The and chronologies that do not affect Wednesday the twentieth or the weekly cycle was changed at the the week at all. thirtieth or whatever, but if time of the shift from the Julian to In matters regarding the seventh- Wednesday follows Tuesday, etc., the Gregorian calendar. 5. The day Sabbath the question is, Did the cycle is not broken. Likewise, Qumran community had a 364-day the Jews keep the weekly cycle in- when the Jews put additional year which when placed against violate? Romans 3:2 says that to the months into their 360-day year the 365-day year changed the order Jews were committed "the oracles they took care not to disturb the of the weekly days. They used an of God." The Jews have their own weekly cycle. Israel and Judah dif- intercalary month in order to ad- calendar to this day, and Christen- fered in some points of chronology, just their year. 6. In "Answers to dom has no quarrel with them in but in the identity of the Sabbath Objections," page 560, is a letter regard to the identity of the days there was harmony. You spoke of from Mr. James Robertson of the of the week. If you were to visit the Qumran calendar. I quote from US Naval Observatory in which he the Near East today, you would The Damascus Document, Article supports an unbroken weekly cycle, find them giving their favorite salu- 13, paragraph 1: "Concerning the even from pre-Christian times. tation, "Shabat shalom," Sabbath Sabbath, to observe it according to However, this letter is dated 1932 peace. In Israel this term is used its ordinance: Let not a man do and must therefore be now classi- not only on the Sabbath, but on work on the sixth day from the fied as out of date. L. C. other days of the week as well. You time when the sun's disc is its full mentioned that in the original lan- width away from the gate, for that It is a pleasure for me to cor- guages no names are given for the respond with one who is a Chris- is what it says: 'Observe the Sab- days of the week. They are given. bath day to keep it holy.— And then tian. At least we can begin on com- What we call Sunday they call "the this document found at Qumran mon ground in that we accept the first from the Sabbath." In Greek it goes on to list numerous regulations sacrifice of Christ and the validity is he mia ton sabbaton. And so it of His Word, the Bible. I don't concerning the Sabbath. Millar Bur- goes through the week until the The Dead Sea Scrolls, pp. know who it was who told you you rows, in 359-361, gives a translation. This must accept the tenets of our church in order to be a good Chris- community calendar gives nothing else than a seven-day week and is tian. Somebody got things mixed INTERNATIONAL SERVICE in accordance with the Sabbath that up. First you are to find a good To meet the needs of the millions Christ and the apostles kept. relationship with Christ, and then in the United States and Canada who because you love the Lord you will speak languages other than English Working on the principle that want to do according to His will. and prefer to read magazines in their the Bible should explain itself, we It would be a travesty on religion own mother tongue, the publishers of note that at the time of the death the "Signs of the Times" issue similar of Jesus the Sabbath that was then to put it the other way around. journals in the following languages: Another point in which I agree kept was "the sabbath . . . accord- with you is that we must follow French: "Les Signes des Temps" ing to the commandment." wherever truth leads. The church German: "Der Christliche Hausfreuncr You refer to Mr. Nichol's letter Spanish: "El Centinela" from the US Naval Observatory as does not make truth. It discovers Ukrainian: "Oznake" it and cherishes it. Whatever is ac- being out of date seeing it is now cording to God's will is truth. His Should you wish a free copy of 40 years old. But 40 years is noth- "word is truth." John 17:17. one of these journals, either for your- ing compared with the defined pe- self or for a friend, address your re- You start out by stating that the quest to Frank L. Baer, Manager, riod of 2,000 years. To date we weekly order is not dependent upon Foreign Language Division, "Signs of have no evidence that Mr. Robert- "recurring astronomical phenom- the Times," Mountain View, Cali- son's statement should be refuted. ena." Why then do you go on to fornia 94042. Some people refer to Joshua's get involved with such things as "long day," others to certain intercalary months, the chronology changes from one calendar to an- of the crucifixion, the changes from Sabbath comes. And then the cycle other, others to the insertion of in- the Julian to the Gregorian calen- begins again. tercalary adjustments. But these dar, the 364-day year, the 365-day Changes from the Julian to the have not affected the weekly cycle, year, etc., etc. None of these had Gregorian calendar—changes that as the records show. The Bible sim- any effect whatever on the days of were made at different times by dif- ply says, "Remember the sabbath the week in their orderly succes- ferent nations and which have not day." God would not give His peo- sion. Thus in your question you yet been made by the Russian Or- ple an impossible assignment. It have raised two distinct issues: the thodox Church—these changes, or would seem, then, that we should week, which has nothing to do with lack of changes, have in no way simply accept the facts as they are the movements of the heavenly affected the weekly cycle. You until evidence of another kind is bodies, and secondly, months, years, may call Tuesday the tenth, and forthcoming.

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 29 I Have a Problem Dick Winn LOCATING THE SIN same time maintain an exciting, tion about common goals and val- Is it a sin to go to a movie or a personal contact with God in the ues and your relationship with drive-in? If so, why? What part of study of His Word and in private Jesus Christ. Next come the mental- it is bad? Is it just wrong to be prayer. The two fight against each emotional matters—the thoughts there in the midst of all those sin- other. The Christian will soon come and feelings about everyday items. ners? Then what about watching to the place of rejecting one or the Physical expression comes third television? other. and must always be under the con- "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. trol of the first two. If it isn't under Sin doesn't reside in electrical Look full in His wonderful face. control, it will quickly take first currents, in light waves, in cellu- And the things of earth will grow place and destroy the beauty of the loid, or even in dark buildings. It strangely dim, in the light of His two higher communications. resides in people's hearts. glory and grace." Now to answer your question: I believe there may be a place for One useful description of sin is thinking or doing anything that will DO I JUST SIT AND STARE? reserved kissing and hugging within very mature relationship that is hurt us or other people, or hurt our a I read that people shouldn't do headed for marriage. But it must relationship with God. Keeping this things like kissing and hugging un- be carefully guarded lest it become in mind, let's agree that the real is- til they are married. I understand an end in itself. sue in movies or television is not that the sex act shouldn't be prac- True enough, marriage should be the location, or even necessarily the ticed until marriage; but what's a number of years into the future company. The real problem is with wrong with two lovers kissing each the content of the ideas that come for you. What better time to learn other? Marriage for me is a long how to communicate on those across the screen. Almost without way from now; but if I ever get higher, more important levels! exception, the content uplifts ideas, engaged, am I supposed to just sit values, and goals which are entirely and stare? (Age 14) contrary to the purity, love, and un- MUST CHURCH BE A selfishness of the Christian life. In We've got to go behind the acts RELIGIOUS COMMERCIAL? almost every movie that is pro- of kissing and hugging, and think Whatever happened to the days duced today, the values of sexual about motives. when church was a place that you looseness, violence, frivolity, and Genuine love is an unselfish giv- came to for a closer communion just plain selfish fun, are either a ing for the sake of another person. with God? More and more time is featured part or strongly portrayed It isn't mixed up with heavy doses being taken up with dinging the in a supporting role. In most cases of selfish thrill-seeking. If a person congregation for money, for pro- the same can be said for television isn't motivated by mature, self-dis- moting a work bee, and for doing programming. ciplined love, kissing and hugging all the other business of the church. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians become cheap ways of getting kicks By the time it is all done, the min- 3:18 that by beholding Christ we and thrills out of a relationship. ister has less than 30 minutes to become changed into His likeness. One person uses another person's "slip in a few words from God." This principle applies to other kinds body to get pleasant thrills. Call it Now I'm all for supporting needy of beholding as well. If we behold exploitation or romance or infatua- causes. But I really feel bad when that which is trashy, our own value tion; don't call it love. I bring non-Christian friends and system will become trashy. Our You are right in saying that two all they hear is appeals for money. privilege as Christians is to be people in love should express that Do you think the mainline churches transformed into Christlike people, love. But there are many ways to so that we can reveal Him to oth- express it other than the physical. ers. But in order to do that, we must In fact the physical is the most Do you have a problem? Let Dick turn away from all that is contrary risky way, because it becomes so Winn help you. Write: to Christ and His values and choose easily confused in its motives and Dick Winn to fix our eyes upon that which is so quickly dominates all the other Signs of the Times Christlike. ways of sharing love. 1350 Villa Street Mountain View, Calif. 94042 I seriously doubt that anyone In building a relationship that is Please include your name, age, can freely watch television or reg- going to last, spiritual sharing must and address. ularly go to the movies, and at the take first place—that is communica-

30 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 have wandered from the right track If He won't accept you because to the point where we will need to you smoke, then surely He won't leave them? accept Bill because he's proud, or Fred because he's lustful, or Mary Your concern touches a respon- because she loses her temper, or sive chord in many hearts. Large Sam because he's prejudiced, or numbers will join you in longing Cheryl because she fights with her for a church service that uplifts husband, or—. In fact, I doubt that Christ in an attractive way. I cannot He could accept any of us. Just defend the increasingly secular em- look at us! Corrupt sinners every phasis in so many church services, one. for this signifies a loss of faith in "But God shows his love for us spiritual priorities. When a worship in that while we were yet sinners service leads a congregation to the Christ died for us." Romans 5:8, foot of the cross, all the concerns RSV. We don't clean up our lives in of money, support of the building order to come to Him. We come to project, and changed life-style come Him so that He can clean up our properly into place. And for the lives. right reasons! The gospel tells us, "Believe in But the question remains: What the Lord Jesus, and you will be can be done about it? I read of one saved." Acts 16:31, RSV. After we congregation that anonymously come to Christ and are totally loved pinned a note to the pulpit that and accepted by Him, then He You like the "Signs." Your friends and neighbors simply read, "Sir, we would see gives us the power to overcome our will like it too. Send them a gift subscription Jesus." After some initial annoyance, problems. And that includes all the today. It's just $7.50 for a full year. the pastor realized that the mes- power you need to conquer the sage was valid and changed the smoking habit. whole tenor of his ministry. I do Now, isn't that good news? Yes Please send "Signs" to my friends. I enclose not know what the exact nature of $7.50 for each subscription. the problem may be in your church, A SHADE HERE AND THERE but it is certainly within your place Do you think there is anything Friend's name as a member of the congregation wrong with wearing makeup? If prayerfully—and with evident love so, why? I don't mean overdoing it. Address and tact—to speak to the persons I mean just enough to make a dif- involved. ferent shade here and there. Zip There is little to be gained by The problem with makeup is lo- leaving the church. God still Your name chooses to work through the fel- cated on the inside of a person, not lowship of the saints; and there are so much on the outside. And that Address many people around you that could problem is usually a confusion draw warmth from your enthu- about what makes a person truly Zip siasm. Spiritual renewal is begin- beautiful. According to 1 Peter 3:3, ning to flow through many congre- 4, beauty is something that comes The "Signs" is also available in other languages. gations; and this is a great time to glowing from the inside. It comes Check the language you wish sent to your work within the ranks to fan those in the form of a gentle and quiet friends, if other than English. sparks into a roaring flame. Find a spirit and a heart that is filled with "prayer partner" in your church the love of Jesus. The person who J French "Les Signes des Temps" ($3.55) who has your same concerns; then doubts that she has much of that regularly consult with Christ on inner beauty is usually the one who ❑ German "Der Christliche Hausfreund" ($5.00) how you may bring new life into begins stacking on the exterior dec- p Japanese ($5.55) your home church. orations. Perhaps she is trying to camouflage the loss of inner beauty. O Ukrainian "Oznake" ($2.50) I'm never as concerned about O Spanish "El Centinela" ($5.00) MUST I QUIT BEFORE I COME? what people put on their face as I want to come to Christ, but I I am about why they put it on. am a heavy smoker, and I don't Since you're the only one who can Clip the coupon and mail with your check or know if I can quit. What should I answer the question about why you money order to "Signs of the Times," 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94042. do? Surely Christ would not accept might put it on, you can also an- me if I smoke. Or will He? swer the question of what to put on. L

Signs of the Times / June 1975 / 31 Your Health Questions Answered

not necessary for him to include kind of pressure on part or all of Harold Shryock, M.D. larger amounts of sugar in order to the sciatic nerve. It may be caused provide the additional energy food. by an injured disk between the ver- One of the greatest faults of the tebrae where the fibers of the sci- ENERGY FROM SUGAR popular diet is that it contains too atic nerve leave the vertebral col- much sugar in the form of sweet- umn. Another common cause is a Does a person who is physically ening for pastries, desserts, bever- form of arthritis affecting the bones active need to eat more sugar than ages, and even prepared cereals. one who is sedentary? of the vertebral column in this same region and causing them to press SCIATICA The body requires a simple form on the sciatic nerve. of sugar, circulating in the blood, I am 57 years old, and for about Conservative treatment of sciat- as its source of energy. But con- ten days now I have been unable ica for a few days usually brings centrated sugar in one's diet is the to carry on my usual work as a land- relief from the pain. But the pain least desirable of the various scape gardener because of severe may return, for no apparent reason, sources of energy food. During the pain in my left leg. The pain in- at almost any time in the future. process of digestion, the body con- volves the region of the hip, the In some cases surgical treatment verts starch into simple sugar and back of the thigh, and the leg as brings relief which is quite lasting. thus into its energy food. Digestion far down as the ankle. Ordinarily The conservative treatment consists can also convert fat and even pro- the pain is dull, but when I try to of strict bed rest with the patient tein into energy food. get out of bed or when I try to lying on a mattress that has been Obviously, the person who is stand after sitting, it becomes very reenforced by placing a sheet of physically active requires more severe. When I sneeze, the pain in plywood between the springs and energy food than the one who is the hip and thigh becomes intense. the mattress. Local heat from a relatively inactive. But it does not I can be quite comfortable when heating pad, heat lamp, or hot wa- follow that the person who is phys- lying on my back in bed. What can ter bottle, applied over the painful ically active needs to eat more con- I do to get relief? area, often makes the patient more centrated sugar. He will need to This type of pain, often called comfortable. eat more food, of course, but it is "sciatica," is usually due to some STRETCH MARKS OF PREGNANCY I am a young mother, and my one child is just three months old. During pregnancy some small, scar- like lines developed in the skin of MY RESPONSE my abdomen and breasts. I thought Would you like to respond to Christ 3. Believe He comes in. Remem- they would disappear after the by inviting Him into your life, but ber He said, "I will come in." Be- are you wondering how? Just follow lieve it. "As many as received baby came, but I still have them. these simple steps: him, to them gave he power to What can I do to make them dis- become the sons of God, even to appear? 1. Tell Him you are sorry for your them that believe." John 1:12. sins. "If we confess our sins, he These lines are called striae is faithful and just to forgive us The next thing to do is to read the gravidarum (stripes our sins, and to cleanse us from Bible regularly. Start by reading a of pregnancy ). all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. chapter in the gospel of John every During pregnancy the abdomen 2. Invite Him in. Jesus said, "I day. and breasts enlarge quite rapidly, stand at the door and knock; if We would love to know about your as you know. This stretches the any one hears my voice and decision. If you'd like, please fill in opens the door, I will come in to the blank and send it to us so we skin until some of the tiny elastic him." Revelation 3:20, RSV. can pray for you by name. fibers in its deeper layer break, allowing this deeper layer to pull apart. The same thing occurs fre- Dear "Signs" friends: I gave my heart to Christ today. quently in certain parts of the skin Please pray for me. My name is: of persons who become obese. There is very little, if anything, that can be done to remove these Address: stretch marks. As time passes, they 6 will gradually become less con- spicuous.

32 / Signs of the Times / June 1975 Signs IN THE NEWS Vol. 102, No. 6 June 1975 Jan Bristol

LAWRENCE MAXWELL EXPLODING PRICES DANGER IGNORED EDITOR U.S. News & World Report has In spite of the danger of cancer, T. R. Torkelson Associate Editor projected the cost of goods and ser- Americans smoked a record number of Howard C. Larkin vices for the year 2000—based on the cigarettes last year, the Federal Trade Art Director overall inflation rate of 9 percent for Commission reported-602.2 billion! Paul B. Ricchiuti the last two years. For example: a It recommended in a report to Design and Layout $40,000 house now will cost $622,000 Congress that a stronger health warn- A. R. Mazat Circulation Manager then; a year in a private college, now ing be put on the packs and that the costing $3,750, will be $45,500; a government step up its public service EDITORIAL man's suit, $85, will be $213; a semi- campaign to point out the dangers of Thank God for Jesus / 34 private hospital room, $78, will be smoking. ARTICLES $290. Family income, however, will Smiles Everywhere! / 2 leap from $14,200 to $112,000. JOGGING HELPS Charles Getts MENTAL PATIENTS God Answers Prayer / 4 CATHOLIC CHURCH DECLINES James Joiner Jogging mixed with group therapy God Guides Your Life / 6 IN FRANCE has produced astonishing results T. R. Torkelson The Catholic Church in France among psychiatric patients. Dr. God Accepts Sinners / 10 Thaddeus Kostrubala, director of Lawrence E. C. Joers, MD faces some bleak realities. While 90 God Makes You Useful / 12 percent of the French are baptized psychiatric education at Mercy Hos- Louis F. Cunningham Catholics, polls show only about 20 pital in San Diego, states, "I've never Sick But Unafraid / 14 percent attend mass weekly (50 per- experienced this kind of success in Harold Shryock, MD cent do in the U.S). The number of psychotherapy before." At Home Forever / 18 Walter R. L. Scragg priests has declined from 41,000 in For best results the jogging must Genesis Is Unique / 22 1965 to 37,000 this year, and is occur immediately before therapy. Gerhard F. Hasel, PhD expected to slump below 32,000 next Moldy Melon That Worked year. GIANT WINGED FOSSIL FOUND a Million Miracles / 27 Uncle Spencer Fossil hunters in west Texas have LOW U.S. POPULATION GROWTH unearthed the remains of a previously REGULAR FEATURES U.S. population growth rate has unknown flying creature that pos- Your Bible Questions Answered / 28 Ivan Crawford dipped below 1 percent and seems sessed the largest wingspan of anything I Have a Problem / 30 headed toward zero, according to UN known to fly above the earth—six Dick Winn statistics. Children per couple approxi- times that of the condor, the largest Your Health Questions Answered / 32 mate the 2.2 replacement level. modern-day bird. Harold Shryock, MD In the News / 33 Jan Bristol

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A publication of the Seventh-day Ad- ventists, the SIGNS OF THE TIMES is printed and published monthly (twelve issues a year) by the Pacific Press Publishing Association at 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94042, U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Mountain View, California. Form 3579 requested. Allow thirty days in request- ing change of address; give both old and PEACE IN SPACE, WAR ON EARTH. new addresses; and zip numbers. Member Models are used to practice docking maneu- of Associated Church Press and Religious vers for the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts News Service. Copyright, 1975, by the which will join in orbit during the Soviet- Pacific Press Publishing Association. American space mission beginning July 15. In Cambodia a young man flees with his Cover, H. Armstrong Roberts Page 2, Eric Kreye aging father from a rocket attack. Thank God for Jesus

I never saw Jim's face until I had heard his story. wants to help you." I glanced around. Jim's And when at last I saw it briefly, he was being led mother was standing nearby. "Your aunt wants to off to jail. help you. And all that is good. But they can't His path to prison began last Christmas Eve. Jim really help you at all. You've got to help yourself." Ball, 20 years old, penniless and addicted to He sentenced Jim to ten years in jail, then urged heroin, was desperate. His body cried for another him, "While you are there, pass the high school fix, and he wished he could buy his mother a equivalency test, learn a trade, and make use of the Christmas present. provisions that are available to break your heroin A solution for both problems seemed within habit. Come out a constructive member of society. reach when an older friend suggested bank rob- But remember, you've got to help yourself No one bery. Jim was to swear later he did not know Knox else can help you." had a sawed-off shotgun. The two addicts picked No one to help you. All of us face the final up teen-ager, JW, selected a bank, and held it up. judgment, when God, the Ancient of Days, will sit How much money they got I never learned. But at the bar of eternal justice, and all who have ever as, moments after the hold-up, the trio jumped into lived will be summoned to appear before Him. their getaway car, two police cars closed in on Daniel 7:10, 11; 2 Corinthians 5:10. them. Knox waved his shotgun out a window, an Will we be found guilty in that dreadful day? Or officer fired, and Knox crumpled. JW fled. Jim was shall we face the righteous Judge with our sins arrested. Knox died. cleansed and our records clear? Haled before Federal Judge Charles B. Renfrew We have all broken God's law. The Bible is very of the Northern District of California, Jim pleaded clear about that. To break God's law is to sin. 1 that he had not known Knox was armed and had John 3:4. All have sinned. Romans 3:23. The wanted only to buy his mom a Christmas present punishment is not ten years in jail but death. and help her pay the utility bill. The court found Romans 6:23. Since all of us are guilty, we all face him guilty of armed robbery. Now he was ar- the sentence of eternal death. raigned for final sentencing. If you tend to take Judgment Day lightly, do as Judge Renfrew talked to him. It was clear that I did a few weeks ago. Visit a courtroom—most are he considered armed robbery an extremely serious open to the public—and watch. crime. Jim said, "But I didn't think anyone would Punishment for crime is no trifle to be carelessly be killed." Renfrew answered, "When there is a ignored. Punishment for sin is even more serious— gun, sooner or later someone will certainly be the end of everything for you forever. killed." Fortunately there is hope. If you apologize for Jim had a lawyer who pleaded, "He only wanted your sins and ask for help, Jesus Himself will help to buy his mother a present." Renfrew was not you. He has promised, " 'I will help you.' " Isaiah impressed. He said, "Ball was getting $90 a month 41:10, RSV. Paul found Christ's offer more than unemployment from the government. He could sufficient. He rejoiced, "I can do all things in him have used some of that to help his mother. No, any who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13, RSV. You money he robbed would have gone for his habit." don't need to go on in your old sinful way. You He leafed through the young man's record, then can be a new person in Christ, conqueror of every gazed solemnly into Jim's face. "Twice you vio- evil tendency, beautiful with a character like the lated parole before committing this crime. What I character of the lovely Jesus. find most serious is that there is no evidence that And then you can face the judgment unafraid. you have faced up to your problem. Your mother Thank God for Jesus Christ! L. M.

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