GNASHING OF TEETH

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 February 1913, Page 6

GNASHING OF TEETH

SORROW AND TEARS. COMMON SI'INSE INTERPRETATIONS ARE NEEDED IN BIBLE STUDY, SAYS PASTOR RUSSELL. (Inserted liy Arrangement.) Pastor Russell delivered a remarkable address on a much misunderstood subject last Sunday, which was very helpful and evidently appreciated. Wo report as follows from the text, "The Children ot' the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness : there shall no weeping and gnashing ot teeth" (Matthew viii. 11, 12). The .speaker declared that in common with tho majority of ministers he had misinterpreted this and similar Scriptures to refer to all the unsaintly of •mankind, and to imply that they were writhing-in torture 'in a hell whose location is unknown and which lie now sees to be a human tradition without authority in tho Word of God. He holds that a,, misunderstanding of the Divine character and the stated penalty of sin have led Christian people to wrest the Scriptures in an endeavour to .make them support tho teachings of the Dark Ages. This in turn i.s making Infidels—driving intelligent minds away from the Word of God by mi sin terprctat ion s. Tho Pastor analysed his text, and showed th.it it was addressed to the Jews, that they for sixteen centuries had been God's favoured in harmony with His promise to Abraham. They had mudh advantage every way over all the other nations —not only in the fact that the promises were given to them with the- helpful influences of the Law, but additionally that to them were sent the Prophets with their encouraging messages.

Notwithstanding all these favours. Comparatively few-of that nation wore accepted of God, to bo Messiah's jointheirs in his Kingdom. As the natural seed of Abraham, they were the children of 'heirs of the Kingdom, and to them Jesus presented himself. All of his miracles and teachings went to them, yet only a. few were in such condition of heart that they could receive this Message. In the context Jesus referred to the fact that the Gentile centurion who had none of Israel's privileges had more faith than any Jew. Commenting upon this the Great Teacher declared that God would take from the Jews the special privileges, except only such of them as would lie "Israelites indeed,'' and that Ho would complete the number of His elect Church by selection of saintly characters from amongst tho Gentiles. THE ELECTION HATH OBTAINED IT.

St Paul declares, "Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election obtained it, and the rest of the nation were blinded" {Romans xi. 7). The elect of Israel were gathered into the New Dispensation at Pentecost and subsequently the Jewish people as a whole became more rind more blinded anl darkened in understanding imtil their nation expired in a time, of anarchy, A.B. 70. Since then .the Jews have, been in trouble, in sorrow. It was to this very condition of things that Jesus referred. He used the highly-figurative language common in the East. What St Paul styled "blindness upon Israel" Jesus described as going into outer darkness —losing the light of tho prophecies and the hopes of the Abrahamic promise, and thus getting into the same blind and dark eonditon as Gentiles in general. The experiences of the Jews during the past eighteen centuries Jesus described as "weeping and gnashing of teetlf." His words simply signify sorrow, disappointment and chagrin.

Truly tho Jews have had all of these experiences. Wo are glad that wo see in ; God's Word a glorious prospect for His ancient and Covenant people. St Paul calls this promise to our attention in Romans xi. 25-33. He tells •us that God's Covenant with Israel cannot be broken, cut will ye established, and that natural Israel shall yet receive mercy, Divine favour, at the hands and through the agency of the Church—spiritual Israel, part of whom have been selected from the Jews and some from every nation under heaven—all vsaintly "SIT DOWN WITH ABRAHAM." The Great Teacher declares that while the natural heirs of the Messianic promises would be cast out from Divine favour, as they have been for

tho past eighteen centuries —in the meantime Gentiles from the East and West, North ana South would be found of similar diameter to the Centurian whose servant was healed, with God along the lines of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom. For eighteen hundred years these elect ones out of all the nations have been coming into relationsrip with God along tho lnes of the Abraliamic promise. They are sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the sense that they enter into rest. As St Paul declared, "We which have believed do enter into rest." This is the same rest or sitting at ease that Abraham. Isaac; and -Jacob enjoyed. They had' God's promise that eventually He would raise lip a spiritj ual Seed of Abraham through whom I all the families of the earth would bo blessed. Abraham rested upon that promise; so did .[.lsaac and Jacob. And so we rest in this Divne assurance that a blessing will come to the children of Adam in God's due tme; more than this, we are resting in the Divine promise. We have received a special call to forsake all and becomo the folknvers of .Jesus. To us has come the wonderful assurance that, if we sacrifice our all of the present life, we shall become joint-heirs with Messiah in his Kingdom and members of the Bride class. We have the assurance that although faithfulness to him under present conditions will mean suffering and loss of an earthly kind, nevertheless our rest will bo a compensation, and the glory will follow —"For if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him"; "if we be dead with him we shall share in hs glory 5 honour and immortality."

LET US NOT BE DISCOURAGED. Let us not too seriously blame ourselves in respect to N the foolish interpretation given to these Scriptures in the past. To see them more clearly now moans two things: (1) A test of our humility in being willing to confess our faults. (2) A test of our loyalty in being willing to tell the Message of God's Justice and Love, even though it shall mean a confession of our own past ignorance respecting these things. Many are surprised that God has allowed His character to be ,so dreadfully slandered and His plan so woefully misinterpreted. We may be sure, however, ( that oven in the darkest times of the past God',s saintly people were provided with a sufficiency of grace and light for their day. We may be assured that the greater light granted to us to-day means that we have greater need and greater responsibility. Let us, therefore, use the light shining from God's Word, that our faith may be more firmly established than ever, and that we may be able to stand ourselves and to assist others in this day of trial of faith. Who shall say that God has been unwise in permitting us to so entangle ourselves in human tradition as to he unable to appreciate the glorious promises of His Word in their true light? Who shall .say that eventually the contrast between some of our demoniacal theories and the Truth may not make the latter shine more brilliantly and the more thoroughly glorify the true Divine plan which will then'shine forth? Let us be humble and faithful and leave all else to God. "Though blinded faith can never save, For God accepts those who believes; Yet reverence, whosoe'er it strays, Shall find at least the shining ways. E'en through harsh noises of our day. A lo,w sweet prelude finds its way; Through cloucfe of doubts and creeds of fear. The light is Breaking, calm and clear."