River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-13

Palestine at the First Advent con-
sisted of four provinces. Judea was
the principal one, with Samaria to
the north and Perea to the east and
Galilee further north, beyond Sa.
maria. While Jesus preached in
Judea and did some mighty works
there in Perea, his principal minis
try was in Galilee; SO much so that
he and his disciples were known as
Galileans. Although born in Bethle-
hem, he was reared in Nazareth,
that he might be called Nazar-
ene"-that he might not have the
honor of the "City of David" but
the odium of "a mean city" Com
pare Luke %: 5, 6, 40, SIS. Thus the
vast majority of our Lords miracles
and teachings were to the Galileans.
And his principal MINISTRIES in
Judea were in connection with his
annual visits TO the Passover and
the Feast of Tabernacles. AS for
Samaria, its people were Gentiles
with an admixture of Jewish blood.
Jesus warned his disciples not to
preach in that provi ice, saying, GO
not into the way of the Gentiles, and
into any city of the oamaritans en-
ter we not; but go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel,
(Matt. 10: S, 60 The Galileans,
disesteemed by the Judeans as in
ferior members of their race, the ex-
preston, "Can any good thing
come out of NAZARETH" applied to
all Galilee.
That the light of the Gospel
should first shine in Galilee was in
timated through Isaiah's prophecy,
"The people which sat in darkness
saw a great light; and to them
which sat in the region Of the
shadows of death a light" sprang
up" The prophet mentions the
boundaries of Zebulon and Naph-
thali, two of the twelve tribes of
Israel, on the Sea of Galilee. The
word Galilee signifies circle; hence
the prophecy implied that this land
would be encircled by the Gentiles.
And so it was; the Samaritans to it's
south cutting it off from Judea. It's
people, thus separated from the
great religious center of their day,
were in greater darkness than their
brethren, in the very shadow of
the death darkness" that was upon
the Gentiles. Nevertheless on this
very account they were more amen
able to their teachings of Jesus than
were many of their more religious,
more enlightened and more priest
ridden brethren of Judea.
The great light which fared forth
in Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin
and Nazareth, the chief cities of
Galilee, exalted these places to
heaven, fguratively, in the sense of
bestowing so great honor and privi-
| lege upon them. But they were in
turn cast down to ha les, the grave,
because they received not the mes
sage. (Matt. IL: 20 24) The light
shined in darkness and blessed and
gathered some, 'the elect" and
passed onward to bless and gather
others, as it has continued to dc
throughout this Gospel Age. The
time for the still greater enlighten-
ment of the whole world is still
future. In the Millennial morning
| the redeemer and his elect Church
| malachi 4: 81 will shine forth as the
Sun of Righteousness with healing
in it's beams for the enlightenment
and blessing of Israel and the
whole world of mankind-includin
the millions who have gone down to
the darkness of hades, the grave.
The Galilean-Je Jews, in close con-
tact with the Gentiles, could readily
see the need of the Compromised
Kingdom of God, AID they were