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Chosen no: R-4940 a, from: 1911 Year. |
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The Very Greatest Prophet
--LUKE 1:57-80--JANUARY 14.--
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He
hath visited and redeemed His people."-- LUKE 1: 68.
OF JOHN THE BAPTIST Jesus declared, "Verily
I say unto you, of those born of women there hath not risen a greater Prophet
than John the Baptist; and yet I say unto you that the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28.) These words are valuable as showing
us that John was the last of the Prophets announcing the coming of Messiah and
the beginning of the great work of selecting from amongst sinners a loyal
class, to be associates with the Redeemer in His Messianic Kingdom and glory.
John could not be of the Kingdom class. His grand work terminated before the
Redeemer's sacrifice was finished-- before Pentecostal blessings came accepting
some as joint-heirs with Christ in His Kingdom. John himself seemed to
understand this, for he declared, "He that hath the Bride is the
Bridegroom," but I am the Bridegroom's friend and rejoice to hear His
voice.--John 3:29.
JOHN--"THE
FAVOR OF GOD"
In harmony with the message of the Angel
Gabriel, John the Baptist was born. On his eighth day he was circumcised and
named. The family relatives urged the name of his father, but the father and
mother named him John, and immediately Zacharias' dumbness departed. His faith
had been helped. He had triumphed over all doubts and manifested this by giving
the name mentioned by Gabriel. The name John has a beautiful
signification--"The favor of God."
As a man John was peculiar in that he had no
other aim or object in life than to be God's messenger--to proclaim His
Anointed One and to prepare the people for the trying experiences and
character-test which Malachi had declared would come with the revealment of
Messiah, who would "sit as a Refiner, to purify the sons of Levi, that
they might offer to God an acceptable sacrifice." So it was that John in
his ministry declared, "The Kingdom of God is at hand." Believe the
good news. Repent, reform. Get ready for a share in that Kingdom.
The trials came in a way not expected. Messiah
was not born an heir to earthly wealth or name or fame, and His experiences as
well as His teachings were different from any that the Doctors of the Law had
anticipated. The opposition of sinners and Jesus' opposition to the errors and
hypocrisies of His time produced a burning which had a refining effect
upon some and made of them antitypical Levites, consecrated people, many of
whom became antitypical priests, presenting their bodies living sacrifices,
walking in the footsteps of the Redeemer.
THE PROPHECY
OF ZACHARIAS
St. Peter distinctly tells us respecting the Old
Testament Prophets, that "Holy men of old spake and wrote as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit." He intimates that frequently they uttered
deeper and broader truths than they themselves comprehended--truths which only
the future would fully reveal. This is true of the prophecy of Zacharias, in
this lesson. Verses 68-70constitute the first division of this
prophecy; praise to God, the Fountain of every good and perfect gift, comes
first. To Him all honor and praise are to be given for the fulfilment of His
gracious promises of old, "for He hath visited and brought redemption to
His people; He hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His
servant David," in harmony with the promises. Here, after the usual manner
of prophecies, the thing about to be accomplished is spoken of as though it had
been done.
As John the Baptist was born but six months
before Jesus, it follows that the begetting of Jesus had already taken place at
the time of this prophecy. The Holy Spirit spoke of the things begun, but not
yet accomplished, as though finished: "He hath visited and brought
redemption for His people." This word redemption applies not only
to the redeeming work accomplished by Jesus in the consecration of His life at
baptism and down to the completion of His sacrifice at Calvary, but it is
comprehensive enough to take in the entire work of reclaiming humanity.
A small section of our race, the
"elect," is being reclaimed during this Gospel Age; but the
Scriptures assure us that the Messianic reign of a thousand years will all be
for the purpose of redeeming or bringing back from the power of sin and death
Adam and so many of his children as shall be willing to accept the Divine
favor, when [R4940 : page 459] brought to
their knowledge. The import, therefore, of this first strophe or section of the
poetic prophecy is, The Lord be praised that the time has come beginning the
great blessing which He long ago promised.
DELIVERANCE
FROM ENEMIES
The second section or strophe of this prophetic
poem runs from verse 71 to 75. It relates to the deliverance of
God's people from the power of their enemies. One important thought here is
that none but God's people will ever be delivered from the enemies here
referred to. However, there have been many in the past, as there are at
present, enemies through wicked works--not because of intentional wickedness,
but because blinded by the god of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the
weaknesses of their fallen flesh, etc.
During Messiah's reign of a thousand years, when
all the blind eyes will be opened and all the deaf ears will be unstopped, and
when the knowledge of the glory of God's character will be clearly revealed and
the horribleness of sin be fully manifested--then many, now led captive by
Satan at his will, will bow the knee to Emmanuel and confess to the glory of
God. In other words, as Jesus said, His consecrated followers are His
"little flock" of the present time. But during His glorious reign He
will gather another flock. As He said, "Other sheep I have which are not
of this fold--them also I must bring, that there may be one fold and one
Shepherd."--John 10:16.
"One fold and one Shepherd" does not
signify that all of the sheep will be of the same nature. On the contrary, the
Apostle tells us that God's Plan is ultimately to "gather together under
one Head (Shepherd) all things, both in heaven and in earth." (Ephesians 1:10.) Of these "all things"
the Church, the Bride, will be chief, on the plane of divine nature. The Great
Company, cherubim and angels will follow in order, and redeemed and restored
mankind in human perfection will be the lowest order in the Divine fold.
St.
Paul tells us about the enemies from
whom ultimately all of God's people shall be delivered. Satan is an enemy. He
shall be bound for a thousand years and ultimately shall be destroyed. Sin is
an enemy, which will be stamped out in its various phases during Messiah's
Kingdom. And we read, "The last enemy that shall be [R4941
: page 459] destroyed is death"--and with it will go the tomb. Adamic
death will be no more. None will be under its power. The resurrection power
will release all. Only those who sin wilfully, deliberately, will die the
Second Death, which is not an enemy.
THE
PREPARATORY WORK
The third section or strophe of this prophetic
poem tells us of a work to be accomplished before the grand consummation of the
destruction of all enemies and the lifting up of all accounted worthy to be
sons of God. This is recorded in verses 76-79. It tells how John
the Baptist would be the forerunner of the Lord's special Servant, Jesus, to
pave the way for His great work. That great work would be to give the knowledge
of salvation to thousands who were already God's people, to show them the "high
calling" of this present Age. Thus in God's tender mercy the Church sees
and is enlightened by the "Morning Star" or "Day Star"
before the Sun of Righteousness arises to scatter the darkness of mankind
during Messiah's reign. This lesser light of the present time shines into the
hearts of believers with sanctifying power and sets them afire with zeal for
the Truth. They in turn shine forth upon those who are sitting in the shadow of
death. This "Day Star" guides the feet of the saints in the way of
peace, even while still in the time of trouble and before the New Dispensation
is ushered in.
W.T. R-4940a : page 458 - 1911r