The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-03-13


way Hence there could have been no
message sent to them, for if the mes
senger had come and had said RE
pent, and live contrary to your fallen
tastes and appetites," the people might
properly enough have said, why, for
what reason should we practice self
denial, self.restraint? Would it bring
MS any blessing of everlasting life or
harmony with God?' The truthful an
swer would have been, mo, because
you are already under a death sen
tence and alienated from God as sin
ners"
Hence. God merely overlooked or
'winked' at the ignorance and super
stition of the period from Adam to the
close Of the 4161 years But as soon
as Jesus had died. "the Just for the un,
just" to make reconciliation for in
iquity-immediately the message went
forth-God offered forgiveness and
reconcilia ton to those who would be
heve in Jesus and would accept the
Divine terms. Such have their sins
forgiven. Such may come back to fel-
lowship with God And in the next
Age, such may eventually attain fun
human perfection by restitution proc
esses, up, up to all that was lost in
Adam and redeemed at Calvary.
Gods Appointed Day.
Let us note carefully what the Apos-
tie says respecting Gods appointed
Day for the judging of the world He
says that the command to repent now
goes forth to all men everywhere. "be
cause God hath appointed 4 future
Day, in which He will judge the world ;"
The Apostle does not refer to that Day
as already begun, but as merely ap-
pointed or arranged for in advance He
means that in arranging that Jesus,
by the grace OF God, should taste death
for every man." God was arranging
that every man might have a, Judgment
or a trial, to determine whether or not
he will be worthy of this blessing
which Jesus death provides him an
opportunity to secure. The Day was
future in Saint Pauls time, and 1t is
still future, because God has other
work which He proposes shall be ac-
comphshed first, before the worlds Day
of Judgment or trial shall begin
The worlds trial Day or period of
Judgment, or testing as to worthiness
or unworthiness for everlasting life,
will be one of the thousand year days
mentioned by Saint Peter, who said,
"A day with the Lord is as a thou
sand years" The same period Is call
ed elsewhere the DAY of Christ" the
Day or period of Messlah's glorious
reign. BY the righteous ruling of His
Kingdom, by the suppression of Satan
and sin and the scattering of dark
ness, ignorance and superstition, by
the shining forth of the Sun of Right
eousness with healing in its beams,
that glorious Day will bring blessing
to the world In general-opportun
for each individual to come into judg-
ment or trial. the result of which will
be either the reward of life everlast-
ing or the punishment of death ever
lasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord and from the
glory of His power"
That great thousand-year Day is
still future; and, meantime, the Apos-
ties words respecting mankind are
still true: "The whole creation groan-
eth and travaileth in pain together
waiting for the manifestation Of the
sons of God" (Romans viii, %, 19D
If the nineteen centuries delay in the
Introduction of this great Day seems
long, let lis not forget that it is less
than half as long as the period which
preceded-the period prior to the com
ing Of Jesus and His dying, "the Just
for the unjust" Nor Is the entire pc
Rod long from the Divine standpoint
For as the Prophet declares: "A thou
sand years in Gods sight are but as
yesterday" or even shorter, ''as
watch in the night" The six great
Days Of a thousand years each, in
which sin and death have reigned, are
to be followed by great Sabbath of
rest from evil-a thousand years of
refreshment, relnvigoraton, upbuild-
1ISf Ill, 1870.
1.-THE Mystery of God"
The purpose of the nineteen centu-
ries between the time when Jesus died
as mans Redeemer and the time when
He will take His Throne as the Ke-
storer Of Adam and his race is spoken
of as Mystery, because the great
work OF grace herein accomplished Is
measurably hidden from the world.
The Jews do not understand it; they
expected that Messiah's Kingdom and
their own national exaltation would
have come long ago. They cannot tell
noD why they have been for eighteen
centuries outcast from the Divine IA
vor. 1t is u mystery to them.
The Scriptures tell us who may
know or understand this Mystery and
when it will be finished They say,
1.-The secret of the Lord is with them
that fear Him. and He win show them
His Covenant" They tell us that in
the days of the voice Of the Seventh
Angel, when he shall begin to sound,
the mystery of God shall be finished"
which He hath kept secret from the
foundation of the world. Saint Paul
refers to this mystery, saying that it
was hidden from past Ages and Dis
pensations," and that it lis now re
vealed to the saints" He explains