The Scriptures present various elements of "Time" as measuring units during the carrying out of the eonian purpose of God. Our Lord is spoken of as the eonian God, the King of the Eons. We find, therefore, that time expressions used in the Scriptures are for the purpose of presenting steps of development in the purpose of God, the ultimate being to bring the entire universe to a correct understanding of that purpose centering in the great sacrifice of Christ through the cross. With this thought in mind we shall be the better enabled to understand the "days" mentioned in the Word of God; and we shall be led to realize that God, as the Architect, presented the "blue prints" to our Lord, as the great Contractor; and that ultimately the entire plan and purpose shall be completed in exact accordance with the original blue prints, and that the universe shall be led to God. THE THREE DAYS Three radically distinct periods follow the fall of man. The first two are directed towards the repair of the damage it has done. First man himself is given a free hand to see what he can do. In baseball parlance, he has the "innings." This is "Man's Day." It is brought to a close when Jehovah, the God of Israel, takes matters into His Hands. That will be "Jehovah's Day." His effort is perfect in itself, but only serves to emphasize man's utter depravity. Then all is dissolved and created anew. That will be "The Day of God." MAN'S DAY The Corinthians walked in line with humanity (1 Cor.3:3 "as men"). And not only so, but they were applying man's standards to the apostle's work. But he thought it a very small matter to come under their investigation or under that which obtains during Man's Day (1 Cor.4:3, "man's judgment"). The present, then, is Man's Day. A little reflection will turn this truth into a searchlight by which we may discern the true features of the dark scene around us. It is not God's Day now, nor Jehovah's Day. It is Man's Day. In order that this be so, God must restrain His hand. He can not interfere without changing the character of the day. Man must have a show to see what he can do without God. He may form an alliance with Satan and the unseen powers of darkness, but he does not want God. Man wants happiness--but it must be apart from the Blessed One. "Man, know thyself" is the motto of the scholar. And they will not rest until they have, with Satan's help, crystallized that "divinity" which they claim indwells them. We know God, and bless Him and worship Him alone. But Man's Day will ripen into the worship of a man and the utter repudiation of God and His Christ. JEHOVAH'S DAY When man has reached the height of his iniquity, Jehovah comes upon the scene. He is the God of Israel. Man's false god and his prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire; his governments are overturned, his works destroyed. During Man's Day it was repugnant to God's glory for righteousness and happiness to crown man's efforts. But now Jehovah blesses His people Israel and all the other nations through them. Even such blessed environments do not change the human heart. So that the coming of the Day of God finds Satan once more at the head of a host of his human dupes, only to be summarily consumed. THE DAY OF GOD This ushers in the day in which God and not man will be supreme. It will be the reflection of His perfect will. Mankind will have learned that its own way is its own woe, and His way its only weal. In Jehovah's Day He interposed Israel, the Priest Nation, between them and Himself. But now, though they excel in rule and blessing, He is reconciled to all His creatures. No priest, no temple is needed to fend His holy character. During the Day of God no effort need be made to better the condition of mankind, for His presence insures perfect and unending bliss. During Jehovah's Day righteousness will reign and loyalty to the great King calls for the immediate punishment of sin. Then, too, a perfect condition of affairs will be to His glory. But not so now. God is not in any of Man's pet schemes for self help, self culture, self advancement and the elevation of the race to happiness and contentment. He would not have them either happy or content without Him. He is not profited by better sanitation or purer morals or more devout religion so long as each advance would but deny His sentence on mankind and flies in the face of His favor in furnishing a real release from all that drags man down. Re-creation--not reformation--is God's program now. Since man is having his day now, let it be the part of those who love God to refrain from aiding and abetting man in his rebellious schemes for this world's betterment. Man would make it a paradise without Jehovah if he could. The most dreadful calamity which could overtake him would be success. It would thrust God out of His own creation; it would enthrone Satan; it would defeat Messiah. True loyalty to Him demands that we wait for God's Son from heaven to be transfigured into His ineffable likeness; that we bear witness of His coming to the world; that we warn them of His heavy hand upon the very best of their endeavors. |
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