Question Book

[Q617]

SAINTS – Re Addressing Resurrected Saints.

QUESTION (1911) –1– Why not address the saints whom you believe to have been resurrected for some time?

ANSWER. – We would not address the saints because there is no necessity for addressing them. To address the saints would be to cast indignity upon our Lord. God has provided that we shall have an Advocate, and to go aside from that Advocate and address somebody else would be to do dishonor to the Advocate, and to the one who appointed him as Advocate. Therefore I would not think of addressing them. They do not in any sense stand between my soul and the Lord Jesus; I do not need them at all. I want to go directly, as God said I may, to him in the name of Jesus, by using Jesus as my Advocate – "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." We have no other advocate, and anyone who goes in any other way is taking a sidetrack, and will never reach the destination, but is led off in another direction. We think our Catholic friends make a great mistake in addressing any others than the Advocate whom God appointed.

SAINTS – More Along the Same Line.

QUESTION (1915) –2– Will all of the saints be taken beyond the vail before the Time of Trouble is over?

ANSWER. – I am not wise enough to answer. I think no one is. We had thought so. We had supposed that all the saints would be beyond the vail before the Times of the Gentiles ended. God did not say they would be, but we inferred so, and you know our inferences may prove wrong, and in this case did prove wrong. We were not taken. The Times of the Gentiles have ended and we are still here. So we do not know just when our time will come. To say that we will all be taken before the Time of Trouble is ended, would be to say what I believe. There is one thing I think we will all agree upon – that we believe we will all be taken before the "Armageddon" feature. You know the Bible gives us the symbols of the loosing of the "winds," which is this great war. Then comes the "earthquake," which is the great Revolution to follow. Then comes the "fire," the Anarchy- -Armageddon experiences. I think the Church, the Bride class, will be gone before that Armageddon experience, but cannot be sure. We will leave the subject there.

SALOON KEEPER – Re Business After Conversion.

QUESTION (1909) –3– A saloon keeper coming into the Truth in a state where liquor selling is a legal business, would you consider his license, lease and stock, property that he might sell, or should he simply abandon the business?

ANSWER. – I think he should follow his own conscience, but I think my conscience would not permit me to sell liquor for intoxicating purposes. As for the license, I do not suppose he could sell it for anything. I think I would destroy it. As for the place of business, I would not risk setting it on fire, but I think I would try to dispose of the house and throw away or destroy the liquor. I would not be a party in the liquor business or anything else that would injure my neighbor, but the party must use his own conscience and judgment.

SALT – Uses for.

QUESTION (1910) –4– Please explain [Q618] Mark 9:49,50, "For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltiness wherewith shall ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."

ANSWER. – We have offered some suggestions as to what these verses mean, what the salt signifies, that it signifies a purifying quality, it gives flavor to whatever it is attached to, and seems to signify a preservative quality that is a detriment to corruption, and the Lord expresses it, saying, the Church is the salt of the earth, implying that if the earth were to lose the Church it would lose that which gives it flavor and puts zest into life and helps to keep things in a right condition. So if we should lose our saltness, it would seem to mean that if we lost the quality of being separate from the world and have the spirit of pride, we would lose our Christianity, and cease to be the Lord's representatives. If the saltness were once lost by us there would not be any way it could be restored by us. There is no way to restore saltness to salt when once it has gone. So if we lose the holy Spirit there is no way by which we could be renewed again.

SALUTATIONS – Re Special Instructions.

QUESTION (1916) –l– "And salute no man by the way." (Luke 10:4.) Why was this instruction given to the seventy sent out?

ANSWER. – The saluting of people by the way is a very common custom in Palestine, even yet. People seldom pass one another without saluting and discussing the news of the day; a function now supplied by the telephones, telegraph and newspapers. Jesus was sending out his disciples with a special message, and he did not wish them to spend time on the way discussing ordinary matters. They were bearers of the divine message. We are not to suppose that they could not salute by a wave of the hand or a word of greeting; but they were not to stop to enter into the ordinary salutations and conversations. Their business was to go to the various cities and towns, and there tell the people that the kingdom of Heaven was at hand; that he of whom Moses wrote had come. The seventy went out with a special message and were to appreciate it. "This one thing I do" – preach the Gospel – wrote St. Paul in the same spirit. Oh, that we all as followers of Jesus could realize such a devotion to the interests of the kingdom! Less time would be spent in news reading and gossip.

SALUTATIONS – Greeting With Holy Kiss.

QUESTION (1916) –2– Please explain how to apply the words "Salute one another with a holy kiss" found in Romans 16:16, and also "Greet one another with a holy kiss" found in 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, and also "Greet the brethren with a kiss of charity," 1 Pet. 5:14?

ANSWER. – In European countries, especially in the east, it is frequently the custom for men to kiss one another. I have seen men over there frequently hug and kiss each other – Jews, Greeks, Syrians, Arabians, etc. – they would hug and kiss each other when they met, in a way that you would never see here or in most parts of Europe. I suppose this was the custom in the Apostles' day. There was no intimation that the brethren should kiss the sisters or the sisters kiss the brethren. The sex dividing line was very strict in [Q619] olden times so that there was no indiscriminate kissing among them, neither should there be among the friends now. There would be nothing wrong in a kiss of love. My father once kissed me that way, so did a brother in the truth, and so also did one of the Pilgrim brethren one time. So, you see, I have had experience.

SALVATION – Common and Great.

QUESTION (1905) –1– Is not our "common salvation" the salvation of all from the Adamic death? Am I right in understanding that while it relates to both the heavenly and earthly phases it will also continue the common and only salvation of the world, while the church is to share the "great salvation"?

ANSWER. – Well, I know that the apostle uses the words "our common salvation" and he also speaks of the "great salvation" when he says, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by our Lord?" We can realize in our minds that there is a salvation by justification through faith, which is the common salvation, which will apply to all the world in due time. Then again, there is this wonderful blessing the privilege of being joint-heirs with God's Son. These statements can be taken in either way.

SALVATION – Work Out Your

QUESTION (1909) –2– Please explain the words of the Apostle, "Work out your own salvation, for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do his good pleasure." What is the force of the argument "for" in the passage?

ANSWER. – I would understand it to be this: Work out your own salvation. That is to say, God has placed you in the school of Christ, and gives you certain knowledge and helps that are for the Church, and all these are for the edifying of the Saints and for building up in the most holy faith, until we all come to the full stature of Christ Jesus, the Head, and the Church the Body. Now, you have to do with this work of becoming a member of the Body of Christ. It depends upon how you receive of His spirit, and how you receive the truth into good and honest hearts, how you allow it to permeate and work in your character.

What has the "for" to do with it? "For it is God that worketh." If you thought of doing it from the standpoint of working it yourself, you would say, How helpless I am I have tried it and gone under at the same point over and over again. I get so discouraged and don't know what to do. Remember that it is God that is working with you. Is God working for you or against you? He is working for you, dear brother, with you, for you. What does He wish to do for you? He wishes to bring you off more than conqueror, a member of the Body of Christ, and therefore gives us His exceeding great and precious promises whereby we might become partakers of the Divine nature.

SALVATION – From What?

QUESTION (1911) –3– Did Christ die to save us from death, or from the power of death?

ANSWER. – Whichever way you choose to express it. He does not save you from dying. The power of death is on us all now, and that power is gradually crushing us as the days go by, until it will have us down altogether. And [Q620] then the Lord will not only rescue those who are under the power or dominion of death, and who are going down towards the pit, down towards the grave, but will also rescue those who have gone down completely into death. They will all come forth. "All that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and come forth."

SALVATION – Saved by Grace vs. Being Lost.

QUESTION (1911) –1– If a man is saved by grace, can he be lost by anything that he can do?

ANSWER. – We have funny kinds of brains, dear friends, and we have to have sympathy with each other, too. I am not laughing at our dear brother's question, and you are not, but it made me think how unsatisfactory our reasoning faculties are. The way in which God saves us by grace is not against our wills. He makes the provision for our salvation. He is making provision for the salvation of every member of our race. Is not that grace? Is not that favor? Favor means grace and grace means favor. Is it not a great favor then that God has provided a way by which you and I may escape, and everybody else may escape the death penalty, and may come back to eternal life and divine favor? Is not that a great blessing? Yes, indeed. Now then, whoever will be saved at any time will be saved by grace; but will God ever save any person against that person's will, and co-operation? Never. Not one will ever be saved except as he accepts God's favor and co-operates with the divine favor and blessing. So that God's grace or favor provides a whole salvation, everything connected with it is provided, and then it is for you and me and each other person as he hears and comes to an understanding and opportunity, to avail himself of this, and if he does not avail himself of it, then he receives the grace of God in vain and will not profit by it whatever.

SANCTIFIED – But Once Sinners.

QUESTION (1910) –2– Please explain 1 Cor. 6:11, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

ANSWER. – Well, we answer, that is very plain. You were sinners, but you have turned from your sins. If you have not, then Jesus would not have received you and acted as your Advocate. If the whole world would turn from sin and desire to walk in his steps, don't you suppose he would be willing to act as their Advocate also? Surely. But the whole world has not turned from their sin. They love sin. When you loved sin, if that ever was your experience, you were aliens from God and he had nothing to do with you. It was after you turned from sin that God could deal with you. You drew nigh to him and he drew nigh to you, and you were brought into the position of a son.

SATAN – Binding of.

QUESTION (1905) –3– Will Satan's binding be gradual and extend the full thousand years after 1914?

ANSWER. – That is more than I know. I take it for granted, dear friends, that the word Satan, here in Rev. 20, is the one referred to and that the chain is a symbolic one, a power, a restraining power. "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him (with a chain Rev 20:1) for a thousand years." [Q621] We might conjecture what influences are represented by the chain, etc. To my understanding these terms – devil, serpent, satan, etc., – not only include Satan himself, but all the evil institutions as well. It means restraining the evil in general, probably by the institution of laws of righteousness. I would think it would be after 1914. "When the judgments of the Lord are abroad in the earth the inhabitants thereof will learn righteousness." As an illustration of how it may be, suppose a man tried to pick somebody's pocket; his hand might become paralyzed. After a while he might recover the use of his hand and then try it again, but with the same result. He would soon realize that he had better get into a different business. Also if a man were to try to burglarize a store and just as he was about to use the key he would go blind. He would soon find that the business did not pay as well as it used to before 1914. In that time they shall not judge by the hearing of the ear, or seeing of the eye; it will be known by the mind.

SATAN – Does He Understand the Plan of God?

QUESTION (1908) –l– Does Satan understand the Plan of God? If spiritual things are not discerned except by the spiritual minded, it looks as if Satan is not privileged to understand as much as is the begotten Church.

ANSWER. – We answer, that is so. We have brought that to notice in the Dawns and Towers both, that Satan is not acquainted with the Divine Plan, except as he can find it out from the people of God. And I should not wonder if some of his messengers were present now to see what we have on this subject. He is very well acquainted with certain features of the Plan, but he knows that he does not know the secret of the Lord, for "The secret of the Lord is with them that reverence him, and he will show them his covenant." We think that Satan is shrewd enough to have some general idea as to who those are that are in the secret of the Lord, and quite likely draws information sometimes from them; but we may be sure that he will not be able to get any information that will interfere with our great heavenly Father's plan. If the good man of the house – or bad man – had known of the hour the thief should come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken into, is our Lord's statement; and he is here evidently representing Satan as the good man, or master of the present institutions, of the present evil world, the prince of this world, and had he understood the divine plan, he would have tried to make it very difficult for the thing to come about in the divine way. But the Lord has such a mastery of the whole situation that all the wisdom of the worldly wise is foolishness, and also the wisdom of the great adversary is foolishness as respects His divine plan or any attempt to overthrow the same.

SATAN – Binding of Re Death.

QUESTION (1909) –2– If Satan is bound by 1914, will death end there, and will those that live then commence changing physically for the better ?

ANSWER. – I answer, no. The binding of Satan is not the giving of health. Satan here merely means that adverse influence, putting darkness for light and vice versa. That influence will be completely bound as the light of truth displaces the darkness. [Q622]

But, as for giving health and stopping disease and death, my understanding is that it will all be done under God's arrangement under the New Covenant, and that that New Covenant will be made with the nation of Israel, and that only those of a right heart amongst Israel will get blessings from it. As Israel will more and more get the blessings, the other nations will see their blessings and prosperity and they will say: "Let us go up to the mountain of the house of the Lord and we will walk in His paths." He is going to make all of His blessings go through this New Covenant and through Israel, so that all the nations may come in. The prophet said of those nations that would not come up to Jerusalem, that upon them should come no rain. Whether you use "rain" as literal rain or as blessings, we know that He is going to let it rain until all the earth is filled ocean deep. These blessings are to be with only those who are in harmony with Him, and with the New Covenant. Whoever ignores God's arrangement suffers for it, and he will not have God's blessing. When they see the prosperity of Israel they will all want to join with them, and every individual who wants God's blessings will come into this New Covenant with Israel, as we read: "I have constituted thee a father of many nations." Here the many nations will be the children of Abraham. All will have to join the natural stock of Israel, just as foreigners who come to this country become naturalized when they take out their papers of citizenship they are then known as Americans, or citizens of the United States. So it will be then, for it will be under Israel's New Covenant that all the world will be blessed. I remind you of the 16th chapter of Ezekiel, (Eze.16:20) "When I bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of the captives in the midst of them...and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant." Not by the Old Covenant, "I will make a New Covenant," and they will come in under this arrangement. Our Lord is there pointing out the restitution blessings.

SATAN – Imitating Holiness.

QUESTION (1910) –l– Does Satan's degradation in sin in any degree hinder him from affecting or imitating holiness?

ANSWER. – I would understand that Satan has not deteriorated in any physical sense, but has the same power, and that all the fallen angels have the same power they always had; that there was no death sentence upon them; that they have not degenerated as men have. Whatever change has come to them has been merely in their own attitude – at least they have developed a devilish spirit among them, and we suppose to suit their purposes they could simulate righteousness. As, for instance, there was a woman came to me here at the theater this afternoon and told me that perhaps I did not know it, but Christ had come the second time in her person, and she had the evidences and proofs of it in her own person; that she was possessed by Christ and he was acting through her. I tried to tell her she was probably under the deception of the Adversary, that he was misrepresenting it to be the power of Christ moving in her, but she would not hear that at all, she knew what she had. So I would think it quite possible for Satan to transform himself into a minister of righteousness. The Apostle used these words, they are not original with me. I do not have anything original. Mine is all copied, and is what I find the Apostles and Jesus said, I hope I never shall be original. [Q623]

SATAN – Re Impersonating Former Self.

QUESTION (1910) –l– To what extent can Satan imitate the purity he once possessed as a holy angel?

ANSWER. – When it best suits his purposes.

SATAN – Re Binding.

QUESTION (1911) –2– Is Satan now bound?

ANSWER. – I do not know. There is a good deal of satanic power still exercised. If he is bound I am sure the others are loose. My thought is that there will be a still further letting loose of the powers of the air in the near future and that probably is what is signified in the Scriptures in the statement in Revelation that the four angels upon the four points of the compass will be commanded to let loose the winds just as soon as the number of elect have been sealed in their foreheads. And this will probably signify not merely a letting loose of many false doctrines, symbolically represented by winds, but also much of this satanic power, power of the demons represented by the power of the air of which Satan is the prince.

SATAN – Destruction of.

QUESTION (1911) –3– Will Satan be destroyed under that Adamic death as an enemy ?

ANSWER. – These that die the second death are not counted as enemies at all, Satan or anybody else; that is to say, their death. They are enemies but their death is not an enemy. Death reigning over them is not an enemy to righteousness, it is a friend to righteousness in that case. The first death is against us; it is an enemy.

SATAN – Binding of.

QUESTION (1911) –4– Should we understand that Satan was bound at the beginning of the seventh thousand-year period, namely, in 1874? or should we expect that he will be bound in 1915, the end of the Times of the Gentiles?

ANSWER. – Well, if Satan personally is bound, there are a good many that have his spirit who are still loose – in Winnipeg, Brooklyn and other places. I think I would not lay too much stress on Satan's having been bound in 1874. If I should find out afterwards that he was bound then, I would say, "Well, I did not notice it very much." I think I would not worry myself any on that subject. We have plenty of evidence of the reign of sin going on, whether Satan has suffered any personal defeat or not; I doubt if anybody else knows.

SATAN – Can He Read Our Thoughts?

QUESTION (1913) –5– Can you give us any Scripture confirming or denying that Satan can read the thoughts of the heart, or is that a power belonging only to God?

ANSWER. – I can think of no Scriptures either confirming or denying that proposition. In my own judgment the indications of everything in the Scriptures I can think of would lead me to conclude that Satan is able to read our thoughts, but if he be able to read our thoughts we think there is a limitation, and he is not able to inject his thoughts. [Q624] We thank God for that. But we do think he is very ready to take advantage of any little slip that we may make, or opportunity we might give to intrude upon our minds. We do know some who have been God's people, who are God's people now, who are being intruded upon by evil spirits. They, at one time, had something to do with spiritism, and every now and again they are approached with further suggestions. One sister told me that she used to be a writing medium; the power would grip her hand, and if she would just yield it would guide her hand and thus write off the messages. Any time it indicated it had a message to write she would say, "I wonder what the spirits have to say." After she found what the spirits really are, that they are not the dead wishing to speak to the human beings, but evil spirits, fallen angels, she would not have anything to do with them. She has come into the Truth, and this is not an exceptional case. Another sister had been at one time misled into having a planchette and used it with her family, thinking that the writing was caused by some electrical power; she never thought evil spirits' power had any connection with the matter, but merely some electrical energy. She thus got more or less acquainted with these things and of late has had a second attack of these spirits, coming to her house. They will come in – she can hear them come in – and hear footsteps in the hall. This happens at a certain hour every day.

The only effective relief I know is to command them in the name of the Lord Jesus to depart. I know of certain cases where that has been successful and the friends have been relieved. In every case, however, the attack of the spirits was directed upon those who had been indiscreet enough to have something to do with them before. It seems that once having yielded to their power gives them liberty to intrude on future occasions. Some people are subject to hearing things which others cannot hear. The things they hear are sometimes terrible and profane, and at other times the voices will talk to them about very nice things. One man told me about how God spoke to him; he said I know it is God; He tells me thus and so, and how I should pray more. I said, God is not speaking to us now in these last days, but has spoken to us through His Son and the Apostles, and we have the words of Jesus and the Apostles; this is God's Word. Therefore, we should not give heed to these voices which are the voices of evil spirits. By and by he said, These things do look that way; I seem to hear two or three voices all speaking at the same time as on a telephone. I told him he should be careful, or he would become insane.

It will not at all surprise me if these evil spirits have much more power in the near future, but we need have no fear, for "greater is he that is for us than all that be against us."

In the case of the sister who mentioned hearing spirits come every night, she said, "My little boy will say, 'has the ghost come in yet?'" Are they not afraid, we asked? "No," she said, "they see I am not afraid. The Lord is able to take care of us, and the children see I am not afraid of it."

The world is in ignorance on the matter, and the whole [Q625] world is therefore in a condition to be led captive by Satan at his will.

SATAN – Is Satan a Mind-Reader?

QUESTION (1915) –l– Is there any Scripture telling us that Satan can read our thoughts?

ANSWER. – We do not know of any Scripture which tells us this. We do not know that any such Scripture should be in the Bible. The Bible does not tell us everything of that kind, dear brethren. But we have good reason for thinking that Satan can read our thoughts. Your own experiences lead you to think that he has often read your thoughts (laughter), and we think it is just as well to imagine that he can, and then see that they are the kind of thoughts he wouldn't like (laughter).

SATAN – Re Binding.

QUESTION (1916) –2– Is Satan being bound now? If so, by what agencies? How is he to be loosed at the close of the Millennial Age ?

ANSWER. – I think that Satan is being bound. It would not look well to be too dogmatic on such a figurative expression; but as I look over the world, I see that those things mentioned in the Bible as emanating from Satan, the Adversary of God and Truth, are being bound every day. For instance, Satan's influence in the liquor traffic is being bound. I am glad to see this. Some take a different view, but I think that they are taking the wrong view. Some think that we are opposed to the temperance movement because we do not go into it; but we are in sympathy with everything that is good. The reason why I am not going into it is that I think the Lord has something more important for me to do. But this does not mean that I am opposed to that movement. We ought to have sympathy with everything in the way of reform in earth. Everything that will help others in any way we ought to be in sympathy with.

For myself, I feel like going right out and having a share in all these good works; but the Lord has given me plenty to do without them – so much so that I have no time for anything beyond the commission which He has given me for the Household of Faith, and not for the world. My commission keeps me busy. This present Age is the time which He has devoted to the Church. We ought to be in sympathy with every good work of men, and to forbid no good work, but to be glad that people are doing good. I may be sorry that they are not doing it in the right way; but still I am in sympathy with the motive, with the intention. We should not hinder any good work; but as the Scriptures say, "We ought to do good unto all men as we have opportunity, especially unto the Household of Faith."

Satan's influence, as I understand it, is being bound through this prohibition movement, through other similar movements and through everything which tends to enlighten the minds of men and give them a better understanding of conditions. I think that certain things will shortly be revealed in Europe concerning those governments which claim to be the Kingdoms of Christ, and, as the people's eyes become opened to the Truth on this and kindred subjects, the chains of ignorance and error will be broken. Satan's influence comes largely through error, and is maintained through various [Q626] instrumentalities. He is being bound in proportion as the Truth becomes known; for thus his liberties are restrained.

This binding process must go on to a considerable extent before the great Time of Trouble shall come. The Strong Man of the House must be bound before his goods can be spoiled. All the present institutions of the world are Satan's goods and arrangements. These will be spoiled in the great time of anarchy which will make ready for the establishment of the Kingdom of Messiah. Before anarchy comes Satan must be bound. How will it come then, if he be bound? The collapse of Babylon will indicate that Satan has been quite fully bound. He is working very hard with ecclesiastical systems and false doctrines. Their collapse will mean his binding.

When will this be? Not right away. It is identified with the smiting of the river Jordan; but before the river will be smitten the war will come to an end. After the war, the church systems will have a great deal of prosperity for a while. The depleted kingdoms of the earth will feel the need of these denominational supports, and they will get it. The preachers are now working to get men to go to the front. In Great Britain and Australia, ministers of the Gospel of Christ, go out and do recruiting. They are doing what they can to encourage and aid the war. Sometimes they even preach in their pulpits with their uniforms on. The governments like this.

The church and the state are getting pretty well welded together. They depend upon each other, and will get pretty closely united in the time of need. Then these nominal churches will become quite prominent, and churchianity will be given great power. At that time one who does not go in with them will be considered an anarchist. They will inquire, "Why do you not get into the ranks as others do?" and their conclusion will be, "Oh, you are an anarchist!" Then they will be disposed to look with disfavor upon every one who will not go in with the general run, and will be inclined to regard him as an enemy. As the education of the people along the lines of Truth increases, the people will see the Truth more and more. Consequently, and eventually, there will come a division of the people and the fall of great Babylon. The people will come to see that it represents mere morality, not real Christianity. One can see this going on now in the world, to some extent.

Real Christianity is not being rightly appreciated except by a few. But through the spread of the Truth and the consequent division of the waters, churchianity will collapse. A little later on we may expect a separation of the two classes in the church. This will mean persecution. Then the Great Company, not willing to share the persecution, will, because of it, fall away; but the Little Flock Class will not be ashamed of persecution. After the Church has thus been separated by persecution, then the Little Flock will, by and by, be taken away entirely by the whirlwind. They will thus be taken into Heaven. It might be through anarchy about the time when Great Babylon will collapse. The division of the people will come first, followed by the persecution of the Church. Then comes the fall of Babylon, after which the great anarchy and trouble will come on the world. Babylon will fall before the kingdoms will fall; for in the Book of [Q627] Revelation we read that the kings of the earth will stand afar off when they behold Babylon fall, and see the smoke of her burning. That means that they will not come in to help her. They will perceive that the masses of the people have turned against churchianity. At that time, no doubt, the people will be in such a humor they will be glad to get rid of us also. Shortly after Babylon goes down, the great conflagration will reach the whole world. – Rev. 18:1-20.

SATAN. – Binding Of.

QUESTION (1916) –1– How will Satan be bound a thousand years?

ANSWER. – Not with handcuffs. Just how, we do not know. The great and important thought is that he shall be bound. Whether this shall be accomplished by the Word or by some other power, let us not worry about that! The Word says that he will be bound for a thousand years. That is enough. If the Lord had cared to give us more information on this point He would have done so, and we are therefore content with what we have. I suppose as the light increases the prince of darkness will thus be restrained of his liberties. I do not give this out as an interpretation. The Bible does not tell us how this will be accomplished and therefore it is enough for us to know that it is written "Satan shall be bound for a thousand years."

SATAN'S EMPIRE AND VIALS OF WRATH – Re Now in Operation.

QUESTION (1916) –2– Are the vials of wrath of Rev. 16 now being poured out? And is Satan's Empire now in process of destruction ?

ANSWER. – There are two questions. We will take the last one first. I think Satan's Empire is in process of destruction. I think that every ray of light that shines out on any subject to that extent is Satan's empire every moment, being broken. I see in the great wave of prohibition a certain breaking of the power of Satan that I rejoice in. I see this also in the light of truth going forth from the Divine Plan that we are all engaged in, shining forth to all who have hearing ears. I believe that this is not only affecting God's people, but I think worldly people are beginning to see things, as well. Worldly people frequently meet me on the street and tell me that they understand a great deal. We do not expect them to understand the deep things because the natural mind receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But they can understand a great deal. They can see where they were in darkness and error before. In Duluth at the close of the public meeting one man came to me and said, "I have enjoyed this night very much," and that is a great deal for a Roman Catholic to say. He was beginning to see some light upon things which had been dark heretofore; and so also the Presbyterians or Methodists will sometimes say to me, "I am with you so far as the shackles of ignorance and superstition are concerned." So Satan's empire is being shaken, but it has not gone yet. Satan is not by any means dead or bound, though.

About the vials of wrath: I have not yet read the seventh volume of Studies in the Scriptures, and therefore have nothing to say about that.