Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-11

4
filled. for the mouth OF the Lord hath spoken
it: yea more hath declared that ultimately
every knee shall bow aid every tongue con-
fess'' Messiah, to the glory of God the Father.
Some time ago in our SUNDAY school hymnals
a very popular melody entitled Showers
of Blessings and prayed. Let some drop
pings fall upon me- This truly expresses
the Christians experience In the present time
Tho Lord permits His people to have sunshine.
cloud and showers for their refreshment, for
their DEVELOPMENT Nevertheless the showers
Of refreshing never seem to come with suffi-
Client frequency. and we continually rejoice In
the hone that still there's more TO Follow
What a contrast. therefore. is suggested by
the words Of our text-a downpour OF truto
and grace which will produce flood Of right
eousness and knowledge OF the Lord world
wide and ocean deeDl
When VIII this be and how will II come
TO pass arc the incredulous INQUIRIES. II seems
too good to be true that after a reign OF sin
and death lasting for six thousand years, SO
wonderful a change is to be brought about
II seems too great a miracle to be expected
that after the struggle Of truth with error
Of righteousness with sin for long centuries
the time should ever come when Righteousness
and the knowledge OF God should obtain go
complete a victory, so thorough mastery OF
the world! When we consider that the united
energies of Christendom during the last CEN
fury to spread the knowledge Of the LORD
amongst the heather and the resnlts during
the last century in spreading the knowledse
turaS statement seems incredible. When we
reflect that century ago there were slE
hundred millions Of heather and that now
there are twelve hundred millions, We ask
ourselves by what miracle It could ever come
to pass that the knowledge Of the Lord should
ever cover the whole earth as the waters cover
the mighty deeD. ~
| THY KINGDOM COME"
The Scriptures answer our query ana explaiE
the entire situation They tell us that at me ne
power Of man, but by nv spirit, satin the
Lord. The Bible tells us that during this
gospel age God has poured out His Holy
Spirit upon His servants and upon His hand
maids And these alone. but they tell us
/ also that with the end Of this age and the
dawninE Of the new dispensaton the L0ra Wi.
pour out His spirit upon all flesh. ArIei
those days. saith the Lord. VIII pour ou'
my spirit upon all flesh"
But what will be the cause Of this cnange In
the Divine program. which the Almighty has
foreknown from old and foretold through
the prophets?
Evidently it is not change OF the Divine
operation for KNOWN unto the Lord are all
his works. from the foundation Of the world
lesson we all need to learn is that as, IN
s nS-, 40 likewise these are elements in the
Divine ARRANGEMENT. In the construction
foundation is the first requisite and the root
or capstone and the finishing touches mark
the completion Of the edifice. 30 in the Divine
Arrangement various ages mark various de-
grees of development in the Divine purpose
and not until the finishing touches shall have
been given will the Rlor1es Of the architect
and builder OF creations wonderful temple De
manifested. We at present In the forma-
tive period. God has begun the great work
of which He prophesied Of old. Messiah has
come has died for the sins OF men, mas risen
from the dead and been highly eNaitedi Ine
church. spiritual Israel, gathered from nat
ural Israel and from all the families OF the
earth. a little flock has been In process ot
selection for nearly nineteen centuries. Soon
II will be completed-the Dredestinated num-
her possessing the foreordained quality OF
character. copies of Gods dear SON." win
will have been found and tested ana develop op
the glorious position to which they have been
called as Messiah's bride and toint-helr IN HIS
kingdom. Then the king and queen OF Sne
MiIiannIal Kingdom being In readiness for
their work a great change In the Divine pro-
gram OF earth will take place
SATAN SHALL BE BOUND.
The Scriptures most distinctly teach that wa
are under the reign OF the prince of this world,
Satan. and that our Lord at his second com
.tSSst n this strong one and overthrow his EN-
pire. which is not of divine authorization, but
but upon human wea asIitSeSy ,od tbsf SATAN
shall be bound for that thousand years tine
millennium that he may deceive the people
no more until , the thousand years Snai DC IN
The question naturally arises. Why did God
with ali mower at His command so long permit
satan 10 deceive humanity and through their
superstItions and ignorance rule them as their
prince Why was he fTeP the night gSt OF
The scriptures we may see that as Coo at times
has used the wrath Of man to praise praise Him. In h SO
not been permitted to Illustrate the divine plan
or intention but, unconsciously, has co-operated
Influence the Jewish rulers would not have cru
Gifted our Lord, st. Peter distinctly SHOWS,
~ TCt that 1 tGESggh isIDr9 s o'o
Likewise had 1t not been for the decisions OF
Satan the church would not have been perse-
tslitT and oint-heifship with Christ would not
nave been made the Marrow Way; the saints,
the Jewels whom the Lord is now selecting;
would not have been polished and fitted and
prepared for the glorious places TO which the
Lord has called them. Surely, then the LORD
accomplishing of the divine purpose. Satan
NAV have supposed that he was frustrating
Gods plans, but Just as surely he was mis-
s'Mv Word fiat gOeth forth out Of my mouth
shall not return unto me void. but It snail
prosper in that whereunto sent lisa; 55:11.
whoever can take this standpoint OF absolute
confidence in the divine wisdom, love and
power pow viii have strong consolation, in an Of
his experiences. as well as increased ability to
into the deep things OF S%a ca ana b 70 nave
not yet been fulfilled. will make perfectly clear
and plain every obscure feature OF the divine
THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS"
Attempting to give us glimpses OF the glory
ures Of speech. telling MS. for instance that
the present Is a dark night as compared TO the
which s3@ ne Ss4 a m%ps to OF Re n
but joy come'h in the morning 1.-THE millen-
mum morning..
Following tie same figure we read, THE Sun
OF Righteousness shall arise with healing In
his beans From this standpoint the entire
six thousand years of the reign Of sin from the
time Of Adams disObedience in the Garden o.
Eden 10 the tine Of the establishment OF tho
reign of Christ has been a nighttime in which
darkness has coverd the earth and gross dark
ness the people, lisa. 60:2.) The night will
give place 10 the glorious day Of his presence
the bright shining of the Sun OF Righteous
ness.
What graphic pictures the Lord gives us. yet
all beautiful in their explanatory power when
we come to rightly understand them! Hearken
TO the prophet telling US than Gods Word y
Christ the church. and lantern TO his foot
stems" 1t Is not a light for the world nor
lantern for the worlds guidance. but simply
nov for the church, because only the church Is
nighttime The heavenly Father will deal with
the world of mankind in the broad daylight Of
that dispensation of glory and blessing. Mark
how the APOSTLE Paul declares, In harmony
with this thought THE night is far spent, the
dav is at hand" Even in his day the major
mart Of the six thousand years of the reign Of
darkness had passed. The time for the Sun
Of Righteousness was drawing comparatively
near Rom 1312) Mark st. Peters COM
ments along the same line. He says, I'VE
have n more sure word of prophecy TO which We
do well to take heed, as'a light that sllineth
in dark place until the day dawn Pet. 10.
The shirt Of sleep and stupor came over the
church during the dark ages. The Lord per
n,itted il to be so. We lost sight of the
glorious things Of the restitution morning ana
the BLESSINGS then to come N the church ana
to the world in general These things were
little preached and little believed. although
most conspicuous in the Word Of God. In
stead we gave heed 10 the heather theories