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Keystone 
The mushroom cloud of the French atomic bomb ex-
ploded over the Sahara Desert. 
God's Calendar of Time 
41 IN A recent broadcast, Arthur Koestler was 
talking about calendars and remarked that the 
fixing of a "year zero" in the annals of different 
peoples implied "convictions about the impor-
tance of events: the first Olympiad for the Greeks, 
the foundation of the city of Rome, the birth of 
a Child in Bethlehem, the flight of Mohammed 
from Mecca." 
"The positioning of a year zero," he said, "pro-
vides a time-scale, a measure of the age, of the 
distance covered, from the real or assumed starting 
point of a given civilization." 
In view of this, Mr. Koestler felt that a strong 
case could be made for a new or "second calendar 
in our minds" to point the momentous signifi-
cance of the most fateful event in our time. He 
would, in fact, like to call nineteen sixty "anno 
15 p.H., where 'p' stands for post—after—and 
'H' stands for Hiroshima." 
"I say that," he went on, "not because I like 
to remember that episode, nor as an act of penance 
Current Events in the Light of the Bible 
BY THE EDITOR 
—for after all we were not consulted," but for 
the "factual and unsentimental reason" that it 
"indicates the distance we have travelled from that 
decisive moment when a man-made flash of light 
outshone the sun" and "mankind acquired the 
power to destroy itself." 
"Hitherto," declared Mr. Koestler, "man had 
to live with the idea of his death as an individual ; 
from now on mankind will have to live with the 
idea of his death as a species. This is an entirely 
novel prospect. 
"We who were brought up in the Western way 
of thinking have always been taught to accept the 
transitoriness of existence as individuals," but we 
have taken "the survival of our species axioma-
tically for granted." This seemed "a perfectly 
reasonable belief, barring some unlikely cosmic 
catastrophe. But it has ceased to be a reasonable 
belief since the day, fifteen years ago, when the 
feasibility of just such a cosmic catastrophe was 
tested and proven. It pulverized the assumptions 
on which all philosophy, from Socrates onward, 
was based; that is to say, the potential immortality 
of our species." 
It brings us back, he suggested, to the long-
discarded conception which he called "medieval," 
but which he should have called "biblical," in 
which "a well ordered drama was taking its 
• 
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PRICE: FOURPENCF, 
• 
course, which began with Creation and would end 
when the trumpet sounded and the four horse-
men appeared in the sky." 
"In one sense," he added, "we have reverted 
to that vision; we are no longer sure that homo 
sapiens will go on for ever, and we again feel 
that the Last Judgment may take place in the 
foreseeable future." 
To those who have always believed in the divine 
programme of history, Mr. Koestler's observations 
on the crisis of our time are profoundly meaning-
ful, for they show how he and others who have 
preferred the evolutionary philosophy of history to 
the biblical, have been compelled by the pressure 
of events at least to ponder anew the remarkable 
relevance of the Bible view. 
If Mr. Koestler were to study the neglected 
Bible outline of history a little more closely he 
would probably be even more surprised to dis-
cover that as long as two and a half millenniums 
ago the prophetic Scriptures actually began to set 
forth a "second" or supplementary "calendar," 
from which we can obtain an illuminating 
"measure of the age" in which we live and its 
relation to the total purpose of God. 
He would find that back in the days of the 
ancient Babylonian Empire a faithful Hebrew 
prophet called Daniel was inspired to pen a 
series of panoramic surveys of the future, and that 
he most conclusively pinpointed by descriptive 
"signs" the age in which we live as "the time 
of the end." Dan. 12:4. 
Because he had not delved deeper into the 
biblical view of history, Mr. Koestler in his broad-
cast expressed the hope that if mankind will take 
due note of the fact that it has entered what could 
be called "the time of the possibility of the 
end" this catastrophe may be averted and that 
the history of the human species, instead of 
coming to a terminus might "keep going up-
ward." But from the Bible Mr. Koestler could 
have learned that the very designation of this 
age as "the time of the end" indicates that man 
has already passed the point of "no return," and 
that the race is headed not for destruction by 
its own hand but for judgment at the bar of its 
Creator. 
Our humble counsel, therefore, to those who 
have come so far in their thinking as to sense 
the real nature of the crisis of our time, would 
be to abandon once and for all the baseless hope 
that the "end" may yet be averted and face the 
irrevocable fact that the "time of the end" must 
soon culminate in "the end of time," with all 
that that implies for the last generation of 
mankind. 
APRIL 14, I960 
To bring men to a realization that they must 
soon "appear before the judgment seat of Christ" 
(2 Car. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-15), will certainly be 
more likely to "breed" the "new humility" for 
which Mr. Koestler hopes and lead man to take 
adequate steps to dispel his "cosmic anxiety" 
than the attempted boosting of his morale with 
the fiction that, as never before, he is the cap-
tain of his salvation and the arbiter of his fate. 
The Prodigal Son's Father 
(Continued from page 5.) 
killed and everyone rejoiced that the dead was 
alive again, that the lost was found. Likewise 
"there is joy in the presence of the angels over 
one sinner that repenteth." Your repentance may 
set the bells of heaven ringing. Everyone, did 
I say? No not everyone. The elder brother wanted 
to know why his father should make such a fuss 
over such a rascal. God never upbraids (James 
1:5), but forgives freely. Alas, there are plenty of 
elder brothers! God longs for the return of all 
who have left Him and a real welcome awaits 
you if you will come back. 
Just as I am, Thy love unknown 
Has broken every barrier down; 
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, 
0 Lamb of God, I come. 
heyblune 
Launching the unmanned "Skyhook" balloon which carried 
scientific instruments to a height of 116,000 feet over 
the South Pacific. 
THREE 
THE PRODIGAL 
SON'S FATHER 
By A. B. Cheesbrough 
As the returning prodigal neared 
his old home, his father ran out 
with joy to meet him. 
• 
Newton 
• 
O
F ALL the parables to which Jesus gave 
utterance is there any better known than 
the story of the prodigal son? It is a 
thrilling, moving, and illuminating picture of 
waywardness, self-righteousness, and compassion 
as exemplified by the three characters delineated. It 
is a true-to-life story and never out of date. 
Emphasis is generally placed upon the young 
fellow who left home, and he certainly constitutes 
a warning to all teenagers. But we should also 
consider where Dad comes into the picture. I 
have a feeling that he is the principal figure 
after all. 
Perhaps Jesus had met him. We know that the 
Saviour used simple everyday experiences to illus-
trate and pinpoint great Gospel truths. So it 
might easily be that at some time this father had 
unburdened his sorrow in the ears of Christ and 
found comfort from His words. 
The Departure 
This father was a prosperous farmer. He em-
ployed several hands to look after the stock and 
work the arable land. This we know from the 
prodigal himself for he recalled how many "hired 
FOUR 
servants" he had and he knew they were not 
impoverished, for they had "bread enough and 
to spare." Now an employer who considers his 
employers isn't likely to let his own children go 
short. We may therefore safely conclude that 
this youth had a good home. Just how long the 
desire to quit had been working within him we 
don't know, but no doubt feeling a certain amount 
of frustration from the necessary restrictions of 
home life and a growing distaste for being told 
what to do next (also a necessary item in his 
training and upbringing), he makes a decision 
fraught with fearful consequences. He doesn't 
consider whether it will interfere with his father's 
plans or not, he doesn't think of the love and 
care his father has had for him throughout his 
life, he doesn't think how his father will miss 
OUR TIMES 
him when he is gone, he only thinks of him-
self and his desire to see the world and have a 
good time. 
In our mind's eye we look into that home, and 
as the family prepares to retire for the night, he 
remains behind to have a quiet talk with his 
father. 
"Father," he says, "I have made up my mind to 
leave home. Will you let me have my share of 
what will come to me at your death, and will 
you let me have it now?" 
It is a shock to the old man, but he tries not 
to give way to his upsurge of emotion, and begins 
to talk quietly to his son while he ponders how 
to act for the best. All the advice born of an 
experience of the world his son has never had 
falls upon deaf ears, argument is of no avail. 
He could have said, "No." He could have said 
what some have said in similar circumstances, 
"If you go, then you shall never darken my door 
any more. Henceforth you are not my son." 
But he had a true father's love for the boy. He 
could but resign himself to the situation, hoping 
that someday his son would realize his folly. 
So the next day they go over the stock together 
and a fair decision is made. "And he divided 
unto them his living." 
Now he is independent of his father! Now 
he is his own master and can do what he likes. 
And "not many days after," this young man in-
a-hurry leaves the parental roof with only one 
desire, namely, to get as far away from it as 
possible. So he takes his journey into "a far 
country" and there squanders what it had taken 
his father a long time to accumulate. He wastes 
it in "riotous living." In the original the word 
so translated expresses utter abandonment. He 
becomes the life of the party. "Eat, drink, and 
be merry" is his motto. And as long as his money 
lasted he had plenty of companions to help him 
get through it. He was sowing his wild oats 
regardless of the harvest. 
In Joseph's day the seven years of plenty were 
followed by seven years of famine. So now "hard 
times" became prevalent in that far country and 
all is gone. He must find some employment or 
starve. "Cursed be he who feeds swine," was a 
Jewish saying, but there was nothing else for 
him but to become a swineherd, an occupation 
considered an abomination. He set out to see the 
world and he saw pigs. 
The pigs were fed upon pods from the carob 
tree. They were about six to ten inches long 
and one inch broad. They were not unpleasant 
to the taste. In the Grecian islands it is said you 
can see full-grown trees bending down under 
APRIL 14, 1960 
half a ton of green pods. So long as he was so 
employed he could at least satisfy his hunger, 
but we surmise that the famine was so great 
("there arose a mighty famine in that land") 
that his employer had to reduce his herd and 
realize some stock. Thus his services were no 
longer required. 
Now he faced starvation, for "no man gave unto 
him." Now "he fain would have filled his belly 
with the pods that the swine did eat." Now he 
has touched the bottom. At long last he begins 
to think. He remembers home, he remembers 
that he has not only left his earthly father, but 
he has turned his back upon God. "He came to 
himself." 
The Return 
All pride has gone. All self-conceit has 
vanished. "I will arise." That's a wise decision 
and resolution for everyone who is down. There 
is a way back. Thank God, you can retrace your 
steps and say, "I have sinned." "If we confess 
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us 
our sins." This is where the father comes into 
the story again. This is what Jesus wants to em-
phasize. Not so much the prodigal's return, but 
the father's welcome. There is no glory in sin, 
but there is glory in love, and as this father 
welcomed his son back home again, so God our 
Father welcomes all who return in humility to 
Him. 
When he was yet a great way off his father 
saw him. It's wonderful what a long way farmers 
can see, but it's more wonderful how far God 
can see. Yes, it was his son all right. He knew 
his walk and although he looked unkempt and 
poverty stricken he had compassion on him. There 
was no thought of saying, "I told you so," or, 
"You should have listened to me"—only the 
thought, "He's come back at last," and he ran 
and put his arms around him. That's the way 
God welcomes every returning prodigal. 
"I'm not worthy to be called thy son any 
more," says the boy. We sinners are not worthy 
of God's infinite love, but nevertheless He says 
as this father did, "Bring forth the best robe, 
and put it on him." That robe, the best garment 
ever made, is the robe of Christ's righteousness. 
It was woven in the loom of heaven. You and 
I may wear it and we may have new shoes to 
go with it. "And your feet shod with the pre-
paration of the Gospel of peace." Eph. 6:15. 
Then came the merry making. It was the best 
party the lad had ever seen. The fatted calf was 
(Turn back to page 3.) 
FIVE 
LDEATFid 
F
RANKLY, death is not a pleasant thought. 
The Scriptures aptly refer to it as an 
"enemy." But in these days of realism most 
people are prepared to face up to the inevitable. 
Some go even further and suggest that it may be 
possible to come to terms with the foe. 
To adequately study this subject it needs to be 
approached from three angles; namely, what is 
recorded in the Scriptures about the passing of 
certain of its personalities, what the Bible teaches 
of the present state and whereabouts of the dead, 
and whether it holds out for them and for us 
a positive hope of a future life. 
The wish doubtless being father to the thought, 
very few want to look upon death as final, as 
a "terminus"! The majority are inclined to accept 
what so many philosophers and theologians have 
asserted, that every person has "an immortal 
soul," which, at death, if good, goes straight to 
an abode of bliss, and if not so good, it travels 
there through certain penal or disciplinary pro-
cesses. In short death is a "tunnel" experience in 
which everyone comes out on the other side! 
Now is that true? Surely there must be, within 
the pages of the great Christian source-book, the 
Bible, some revelation about the dead that will 
settle the matter. If there be survival, do we have 
information as to how some of the biblical per-
sonalities have fared after their apparent decease? 
What Happened to Adam 
Adam was the first man. The Bible tells us 
that he was created "in the image of God." 
Clearly, therefore, the Creator intended Adam to 
go on living, even as He Himself is living. But 
there is such a thing as fitness to live, a worthiness 
to go on existing. For this reason God saw fit to 
impose on Adam a test of loyalty, making the 
continuance of his life conditional on his obed-
ience. (Gen. 2:17.) The Bible records that 
Adam failed, and that disobedience brought 
"death" not only to himself, but to everyone 
subsequently born into our world. (1 Cor. 15 :22.) 
Now does this mean that while to all appear-
ance Adam "died" some part of him in fact 
survived? Is there any word about his "soul" 
By G. Elliott 
TUNNEL 
or 
TERMINUS? 
going anywhere? No, there is not! Is there a 
hint of any intermediate region to which Adam 
"passed on," and from which he was restored 
to God's favour? No, there is nothing of the 
kind. There is simply the plain statement of the 
Lord, "Thou {shalt} return unto the ground . . . 
unto dust thou shalt return." Gen. 3:19. 
Job, four milleniums ago, "was the greatest 
of all the men of the East." Job 1:3. He was 
"perfect and upright, and one that feared God." 
If ever a man could be said to have found favour 
with God that man was Job. (Job 42:12.) Yet 
does the reference to his end tell of his instant 
reunion with his Maker? It does not. We simply 
read, "So Job died." Job 42:17. Previously, Job 
had testified to his own belief, "Thou . . . dis-
solvest my substance. . . . Thou wilt bring me 
to death and to the house appointed for all 
living." Job 30:22, 23. Positively Job did not 
anticipate the survival of any "soul," for he de-
clared of mortal man, "His soul draweth near 
unto the grave." Job 33:22. 
Although, as just noted, the Scripture makes 
Reece 
Win stone 
A curious 
assortment of 
road signs 
which bring 
into striking 
focus the 
problems of 
life and 
death. 
11. 
• 
• 
• 
S I X �
OUR TIMES 
For the "dead in Christ" the grave is an anteroom to eternal life. �
Keystone 
it clear that "the grave" is "the house appointed 
for all living" the Bible also mentions some ex-
ceptions which help to prove the rule! We believe 
the two remarkable scriptural exceptions to the 
rule of consignment to the tomb may prove quite 
a lot. Enoch and Elijah were also men of God. 
So much so that, in God's purpose, they did not 
die as all other men have died! "Enoch," we 
learn, "was translated that he should not see 
death, and he was not found, because God had 
translated him." Heb 11:5. Translated to where? 
To the same place as Elijah, who, bodily and 
alive, "went up by a whirlwind into heaven." 
2 Kings 2:11. 
This, of course, poses some very perplexing 
questions. If, at death, the "soul" survives, and 
in the case of the righteous goes straight to 
heaven as an unclothed spirit, why trouble to 
take Enoch and Elijah there in the flesh? And 
would it not have been strange for them as 
humans who did not die to be in heaven in the 
company of countless bodiless human spirits who 
had allegedly at death gone there before them? 
Has the experience of King David anything to 
teach us? He was a man of fluctuating loyalty, 
who sinned grievously, but repented so thoroughly 
that he could be termed by the Lord, "a man 
after Mine own heart." Acts 13 :22. Nevertheless 
we are told categorically "David is not [yet) 
ascended into the heavens !" Acts 2 :34. What 
then, one may ask, has happened to his supposedly 
"immortal soul" ? Is it in some purgatorial state 
or sphere? Not according to David's own pro-
phetic utterance. Said he, "My life draweth nigh 
APRIL 14, 1960 
unto the grave." He was not expecting survival 
in another form elsewhere! "I am counted with 
them that go down into the pit," he said further, 
"like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou 
rememberest no more" for "they are cut off from 
Thy hand." Psa. 88:3-6. 
The True State of the Dead 
Let's face it. There's been a mistake some-
where! And the mistake is still being made by 
all those who claim that man is inherently im-
mortal and cannot wholly die. Here is the truth 
of the matter: God "only bath immortality." 1 
Tim. 6:16. Man, by contrast, is described as 
"mortal," or subject to death. (Job 4:17.) That 
means real death. Entire death. Cessation of 
living in any form. By reason of sin man is 
under a death sentence, and when it overtakes 
him he forthwith ceases to be alive. Not any part 
of him, anywhere continues to exist. The wages 
of sin is not bodily decay and continued life as 
a spirit! "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6 :23. 
Before then, in the light of this fact, we re-
assess the cases already noted, let us look squarely 
at some of the plain, unequivocal Bible state-
ments on the condition of man in death. "For 
the living know that they shall die: but the 
dead know not anything." They no longer have 
any emotion or any activity says the Scripture. 
(Eccles. 9:5, 6.) The dead "do not praise the 
Lord." Psa. 115:17. They cannot, for at death 
(Continued on page 12.) 
SEVEN 
ti 
 
CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD— 7 
 
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION 
By J. A. McMillan 
I
N EVERY kind of human organization it is 
imperative that there should be leaders. An 
army needs officers, a business needs manage-
ment, and the church which Christ sent forth 
had its ministry. Paul reminds us that "His 'gifts 
unto men' were varied. Some He made special 
messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the 
Gospel; to some He gave the power to guide and 
teach His people. His gifts were made that 
Christians might be properly equipped for their 
service, that the whole Body might be built up 
until the time comes when, in the unity of common 
knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real 
maturity—that measure of development which is 
meant by 'the fullness of Christ.' " Eph. 4:11-13 
(Phillips). 
Such was the constitution of the Christian church 
in the first century. The apostles, personally or-
dained and commissioned by Christ, proclaimed 
the Gospel of salvation, and gave instruction to 
"set in order the things that were wanting, and 
appoint elders in every city." Titus 1 :5, R.V. 
The local congregation had its elders and 
deacons (1 Tim. 3:1-13), and the corporate body 
had its ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, 
pastors, and teachers. (Acts 13:1 ; Eph. 4:11.) 
Concerning the latter, however, Dr. Killen 
significantly observes : "When attempting to trace 
in the New Testament the constitution of the 
church, some have been perplexed by confounding 
its ordinary and its extraordinary ministers. The 
apostles, prophets, and primitive evangelists, held 
a position which other heralds of the Gospel cannot 
occupy; they were endowed with supernatural 
gifts; and as they were raised up for an emergency, 
they left behind them no successors."—The Old 
Catholic Church, page 46. 
R. & H. 
Such power did the popes of the Middle Ages arrogate 
to themselves through the alleged "keys" of Peter that 
kings waited in abject submission to be received into 
their presence. 
OUR TIMES 
4 
• 
• 
Beginnings of Saeerdotalism 
But, as we saw in a previous article, the church 
was warned by prophecy that it would witness 
a departure, both from the doctrines of the Lord 
and also from the "simplicity and the purity that 
is toward Christ." 2 Cor. 11 :3, R.V. And in the 
second century, conditions changed radically. The 
loose, un-co-ordinated relationship of the churches 
made them an easy target for heretics and false 
teachers to exploit. Gnosticism, already emerging 
in the latter part of the first century, began to 
spread and flourish in the second. Killen tells the 
sad consequence of this: "Some time before the 
middle of the second century, heresy began sadly 
to distract the Christian community; and to avoid 
the imminent danger of schism, it was deemed 
expedient, in a few great towns, to arm the chair-
man of the eldership with additional power. A 
modified form of prelacy was then introduced. 
This change, inaugurated at Rome, was speedily 
adopted in other cities of the Empire; and, during 
the succeeding half century, the episcopal system 
was extensively engrafted on the ecclesiastical con-
stitution."—The Old Catholic Church, page 51. 
(Italics supplied.) 
This picture is generally accepted by unbiased 
historians. It is supported by the testimony left 
by the early Christian writers. Thus Jerome 
records: "Before that, by the prompting of the 
devil, there were parties in religion . . . the 
churches were governed by the common council 
of the presbyters. But after that each one began 
to reckon those whom he baptized as belonging 
to himself and not to Christ, it was decreed 
throughout the whole world that one elected from 
the presbyters should be set over the rest, that 
he should have the care of the whole church, 
that the seeds of schisms might be destroyed." 
Cyprian also informs us that it was in Rome that 
"the sacerdotal unity took its rise." (Epist. 55, 
ed. Balaz.) 
Thus, not by virtue of a primacy conferred on 
Peter by Christ, but in order to combat heresy 
did the church appoint one of the elders to rule 
over the presbytery. About the year 138 Hyginus, 
who apparently was the leading elder of the 
Roman church, called a meeting of the elders and 
he "arranged the clergy and distributed the 
gradations." (Liber Pontificalis.) From these early 
beginnings there emerged in the next few cen-
turies the imposing edifice of the Papal system, 
with Pope, College of Cardinals, Archbishops, 
bishops, and priests. 
The next significant step was the nominal con-
version of the Emperor Constantine to the Chris- 
tian faith. Writes Dr. Finlay: "It must be ob-
served that a great change took place in the 
feelings and conduct of the Christians from the 
period that Constantine formed a political alliance 
with the church, and constituted the clergy into 
a corporate body. The great benefits which the 
inhabitants of the Roman Empire had previously 
derived from the connection of their bishops and 
presbyters with local national feelings, was then 
neutralized. The church became a political in-
stitution of the Roman Empire, dependent, like 
every other department of the public adminis-
tration, on the emperor's authority; and hence-
forward, whenever the ministers and teachers of 
the Christian religion became closely connected 
with national feelings, they were accused of 
heresy."—Greece Under the Romans, by George 
Finlay, LL.D., page 129. 
The removal by Constantine of the seat of 
government from Rome to Constantinople, also 
facilitated the stepping of the bishop of Rome into 
the vacant throne, to become the ruler of the 
western section of Christendom. This, too, had 
been foreshadowed by John in the cryptic sym-
bolism of the Apocalypse: "And the dragon gave 
him his power, and his seat, and great authority." 
Rev. 13:2. From that time Rome became known 
as "the holy See," from the Latin cedes, seat. 
The hierarchical system was therefore a growth 
of human expediency and political association, 
not a divine order given by Christ to His faith-
ful followers; and with this departure from the 
democratic government of the apostolic church to 
the dictatorial authoritarian attitude of the Roman 
Papacy, came also a gross departure from the 
purity of the early church. 
Rome Belies Her Claims 
Pope John XXIII may claim to be the head of 
the Roman Catholic Church, and he can certainly 
boast of an imposing organization with hundreds 
of millions of adherents, but the history of the 
church clearly disproves the theory of an apostolic 
succession. 
Lord Acton's famous statement is often quoted 
that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts 
absolutely." In no other sphere is this more true 
than in religion. Listen to Cardinal Baronius as 
he describes the Papacy in the tenth century, when 
it held undisputed sway over Europe: "One can 
scarcely believe, nay, absolutely cannot credit, 
without occular demonstration, what unworthy con-
duct, what base and enormous deeds, what ex-
ecrable and abominable transactions, disgraced the 
(Continued on page 17.) 
APRIL 14, 1960 �
NINE 
FATHERS OF THE REFORMATION — 7 
PILGRIMS for 
W
E HAVE seen in previous articles how 
the great Reformation churches were es-
tablished in Germany by Luther, in Swit-
zerland and France by Calvin, in Scotland by 
John Knox, in England by Cranmer and others. 
It is a sad fact, however, that each of these 
churches, while proclaiming many of the great 
truths obscured during the Dark Ages by Rome, 
tended to become arrested in their progress 
toward the full "faith once for all delivered to 
the saints." In consequence, in all these countries 
there arose groups of Christians who felt that 
they should go on "without tarrying for any." 
On the Continent these became known as Ana-
baptists, in England as Dissenters, and from these 
the Baptist, Congregational, and other Free 
Churches are descended, not only in this country 
but, as we shall see, across the Atlantic in the 
New World as well. 
It was at the close of the sixteenth century in the 
quiet village of Scrooby in Nottinghamshire that 
a very earnest and sincere group of Christian 
believers began to meet week by week, anxious 
to worship God after the pattern which their 
consciences directed. 
The established church of that day would not 
allow them to worship apart in this way; it 
compelled all by force or fines to attend the 
state church whether the individual wished it or 
not. In this the Anglican church of the day was 
following the tradition of the Roman church in 
denying the individual the right to choose his 
religion as directed by his conscience. 
The "Scrooby Group" are of special importance, 
for they together with others from various parts 
of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire were the 
founder members of the Pilgrim Fathers who 
were chiefly instrumental in planting the Protestant 
faith in the New World. 
It was in the early days of the seventeenth 
century that this group first endeavoured to 
escape from England to Holland, then the only 
TEN 
truly Protestant country in 
Europe. This seemed the only 
place where they might find 
peace and rest in their spiri-
tual existence. 
They travelled first to Bos-
ton, then a small port on the 
Wash, and were about to 
board ship when they were 
betrayed by the ship's captain 
who had them marched to 
the prison of the town. In 
Boston is still to be seen the 
very cells where the "Pil-
grims" were imprisoned. Not 
far away is the Lantern Tower 
of the Parish church which 
has received the name of the 
Boston Stump. Nearby also 
is the birthplace of John Foxe 
who wrote The Book of 
Martyrs which once held third 
place in popularity with the 
Bible and Pilgrim's Progress. 
In due time the prisoners were released and 
sent home after being enjoined not to try to 
escape again but to live according to the laws of 
the land. 
"Pilgrims" Reach Holland 
In the year 1609, however, plans were again 
on foot for a desperate bid to escape to the Con-
tinent. The plans this time were different, for one 
party was to travel overland, while the other 
travelled by boat along the Trent and Humber 
to a lonely meeting place at the mouth of the 
estuary. 
The group which had travelled by boat took 
shelter in a small creek because of a sudden 
storm and there the land party later joined them. 
On this spot a monument was erected in 1924 
OUR TIMES 
• 
M 
By G. E. Marshall 
ABOVE.-1he manor house at Scrooby where the "Pil-
grims" used to meet before their escape to Holland, 
and finally to America. �
S. P. Ltd. 
LEFT.—Pastor Robinson bidding the "Pilgrim Fathers" 
Godspeed as they leave Delft in Holland for the New 
World. �
Autotype 
ting the fact that from this very creek the Pilgrim 
Fathers set sail in 1609 in search of Religious 
Freedom. From here they sailed to Holland be-
ginning the great adventure which eleven years 
later, was to take them across the Atlantic and 
was ultimately to lead to the foundation of the 
U.S.A." 
Origin of Baptists 
In Holland the dissenters from various parts of 
the country continued their search for what John 
Smyth described as "a visible communion of 
saints . . . joined together by covenant with God 
and themselves." Through the study of the New 
Testament, and strengthened by his discussions 
with Dutch Mennonites, John Smyth in Amster-
darn came to understand that baptism upon re-
pentance and profession of faith is the God-
ordained sign of entrance into the church. After 
his death in 1610 Thomas Helwys, a close as-
sociate, became preacher to his church and in 
1612 he led them back to England, where he 
established the first English Baptist church at 
Pinner's Hall in Spitalfields. 
Incidentally Helwys was the first man ever to 
publish in the English language a plea for full 
religious liberty. It was called, A Short Declaration 
of the Mystery of Iniquity. "Man's religion," he 
wrote, "is betwixt God and themselves: the king 
shall not answer for it, neither may the king 
be judge between God and man. Let them be 
heretics, Turks, Jews, or whatsoever, it appertains 
not to the earthly power [church or state] to 
punish them in the least measure." 
Thomas Helwys was put in prison, as was John 
Bunyan a fellow Baptist half a century later, for 
by the "Anglo American Society" which states: 
• 
"From this creek the Pilgrim Fathers first left 
England in 1609 in search of Religious Liberty." 
The inscription further says: "The granite top 
stone was taken from Plymouth Rock, Mass., and 
was presented by the Sulgrave Institute of U.S.A." 
Today the site is almost unnoticed, as the great 
Immingham dock, built before the first world 
war, dominates the area. 
• �Arthur Mee, writing of this place in The King's 
England says: "More stirring, however, to the 
imagination than anything else here is a granite 
monument by the muddy shore of the Humber, 
recalling a little ship and a few men who faced 
the unknown more than three centuries ago. Near 
the water's edge, north of the dock, where a 
little creek runs inland by the ruins of a tiny 
pier, stands that thrilling monument commemora- 
• 
APRIL 14, 1960 �
ELEVEN 
preaching that men are saved through faith and 
that therefore they must have free opportunity 
to hear the Gospel and liberty to respond to it 
according to this conscience. Coercion of belief 
he declared to be contrary to the free grace of 
God. 
Meantime the Scrooby pilgrims remained for 
almost eleven years in Holland, but still not 
finding the rest of soul they needed and not being 
willing that their lives and culture should be lost 
among the Dutch, they planned, under their pastor 
John Robinson, to set sail for a still more distant 
country. They had heard that the Virginia Trading 
Company had already established itself upon the 
"empty continent" of America, and so from Ley-
den in Holland they returned to Plymouth in 
Devonshire and on September 6, 1620, they set 
out on their now famous voyage in the Mayflower. 
The hardship they encountered was great, but 
they thought it worth while. And we too can be 
thankful to God, that the hardship and persecution 
these earnest Christians endured both in our 
own land and across the seas laid the foundation 
of the freedom of worship which we today enjoy. 
And in no way can we better show our gratitude 
than by searching the Scriptures and finding 
therein for ourselves the Gospel of our salvation. 
Death_Tunnel or Terminus ? 
(Continued from page 7.) 
their "thoughts perish." Psa. 146:4. That means 
total unconsciousness. For this reason Jesus spoke 
of death as analogous to "sleep." John 11:11, 14. 
The "dead" do not go up into glory. They "go 
down into silence." Psa. 115:17. 
It is because of a mistaken view of man's make-
up that so many people find it difficult to accept 
the plain teaching of the Bible that death wholly 
terminates existence. The fact is that in the be-
ginning, the Creator did not construct a live body 
and then give it a "soul." Simply by imparting 
life to inert sculpture, God made man "a living 
soul." Gen. 2:7. At death, therefore, man is a 
dead soul, a lifeless being. (Ezek. 18:4.) All that 
formerly existed of a person is still there—minus 
life! The whereabouts of those who have died 
is precisely where they were laid! Of which they 
of necessity must be unaware, "for there is no 
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, 
in the grave, whither thou goest " Eccles. 9:10. 
So that "God is not the God of the dead" 
(Matt. 22:32), for the simple reason that they 
do not survive in any conscious, living form 
whatsoever. 
Death, then, is not a transitional process or 
"tunnel." Death is indeed a "terminus." But 
thanks be to God, it is by His grace only a tem-
porary one! While at death there is no immediate 
continuation of living, there is divine provision 
for an ultimate resurrection. Jesus Christ, by His 
wondrous atonement for the human race, has 
made possible a return to life at an appointed 
future time for all those who believe in Him. 
He "bath brought life and immortality to light 
through the Gospel." 2 Tim. 1:10. "For God so 
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. 
Not survival, says the Scripture, but "after 
death the judgment" (Heb. 9:27) in the which 
the case-record of all lives will reveal who is to 
be counted worthy of the promised immortality 
through Christ. 
The assurance is definite. Those "that sleep in 
the dust of the earth shall awake." Dan. 12:2. 
"The hour is coming, in the which all that are 
in the graves shall hear His [Jesus'] voice, and 
shall come forth." John 5:28, 29. And the oc-
casion will be the second advent of our Lord. 
(1 Thess. 4:16.) 
To extend our metaphor, while death is firstly 
a "terminus," the provision of the Redeemer has 
made the grave a "waiting-room," from which 
He will take His own on a new journey of life. 
(1 Thess. 4:17.) Then, and not before, will 
"this mortal . . . put on immortality" (1 Cor. 
15:53) and "mortality . . . be swallowed up of 
life." 2 Cor. 5:4. 
It now only remains briefly to re-assess the cases 
of those biblical characters already noted. Enoch 
and Elijah, who did not die at all, were the two 
and only exceptions to the common fate of the 
human race. So with those two it was not a 
question of survival after death. Translated dive, 
they serve as a type of those faithful ones who 
will be living on earth when Jesus returns, and 
who will also be translated without seeing death. 
(1 Cor. 15:51.) 
Since those who qualify by faith "shall all be 
made alive" at Christ's coming (1 Cor. 15:22, 
23), Adam, Job, and David we believe will be 
among that number. That is why David has not 
yet ascended. That is why Job declared he would 
"wait . . . in the grave . . . till my change 
come." Job 14:13-15. 
Death is a "terminus" until the glad resurrection 
day when God, "will swallow up death in 
victory." Isa. 25 :8. May we each one be privileged 
to go on into eternal life with Jesus. 
I 
TWELVE �
OUR TIMES 
BEATITUDES OF THE BIBLE — 6 
Studio Lisa 
UPRIGHTNESS 
By E. B. Phillips, B.D., M.TH. 
• 
E book of Psalms begins with a blessing 
on godliness. The first verse may be �
H
ren- 
dered,, "Oh, how happy is the person who 
does not associate with ungodly people." Mixing 
with worldly people, to begin with, may seem 
innocent enough. This, however, leads to joining 
in their pleasures and plans, and at last culminates 
in uniting with them in rejecting the true way, 
and even ridiculing holiness. The good man shuns 
the beginnings of such associations, and finds 
true joy in the contemplation of God's law and 
purpose. 
This joy in God's Word is both the source of 
true prosperity, and the result of obeying the 
Lord, for Isaiah tells us that if we turn away 
our foot from transgressing His commandments., 
* 
we shall find true happiness, and God, in turn, 
will give us His favour. (Isa. 58:13, 14.) 
When the first psalm was written, only a part 
of the Bible as we have it today was in existence. 
Consequently the reference to the law meant the 
law of Moses, as the first five books of the Old 
Testament were called. In the time of Christ, the 
Scriptures comprised the thirty-nine books from 
Genesis to Malachi which were divided into three 
parts: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. 
We now have the Gospels and Epistles which, 
together with the Old Testament books, make 
up the Holy Scriptures. 
To the worldly-minded man it may seem strange 
that anyone should find delight in the Bible, 
but, when one has come to know Jesus as his 
personal Saviour, one's greatest pleasure is in 
• 
meditating on the wonders of salvation. The Bible 
becomes a new book and as one advances in the 
Christian life, so spiritual vistas open up to his 
understanding, and he finds increasing pleasure in 
the things of God. 
The man who loves God does not feel it 
irksome to read a portion of the Bible every 
day; he approaches it as one who digs for hidden 
treasure. To him the Bible is like a box containing 
precious jewels, the chief of which is the pearl 
of great price. 
The Psalmist tells us that the diligent student 
of the Word will be like a tree planted by 
rivers of water. To the Easterner, this was sym-
bolical of the greatest prosperity. We are further 
told that as the days of a tree are the days of 
God's people. There are trees in existence today 
which are thousands of years old. Given proper 
conditions, a fertile soil, the warmth of the sun, 
and sufficient moisture, trees will outlast many 
generations of men. How appropriate then to 
liken the righteous to a flourishing tree whose leaf 
does not wither, and which brings forth its fruit 
continually in its season. Certainly the life of the 
godly will outlive the transient life of the wicked 
for it will be eternal. 
The description of the godly man in this psalm 
was exemplified particularly in the life our Saviour 
lived while on earth. It was His custom to attend 
the devotions of the synagogue each Sabbath day, 
and He must have read the Scriptures constantly, 
for He had an intimate knowledge of them. He 
was often in prayer, frequently spending the entire 
night in communion with His heavenly Father. 
He delighted to do God's will, because God's 
law was in His heart. 
It is instructive to trace the significance of this 
word "delight" in the Scriptures. The Hebrew 
original is "chaphez," which primarily means to 
• 
APRIL 14, 1960 • �
THIRTEEN 
bend. As a metaphor, it comes to signify to 
incline toward, to be favourable to, and finally to 
delight in, and to love. God is spoken of as 
taking delight in His people (Num. 14:8) and 
He also brings "delight" to them. Speaking to 
God's chosen people, the prophet Isaiah promises: 
"Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken; neither 
shall thy land be any more termed Desolate: but 
thou shalt be called Hephzibah [My delight is 
in her), and thy land Beulah; for the Lord de-
lighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married." 
Isa. 62:4. 
When we think of the way in which the home-
land of God's chosen people was desolated for 
long years by the cruel Babylonians, until it 
seemed as though the Lord had forsaken both it 
and its inhabitants, we can sense what cheer this 
prophecy would bring to the captives in the dis-
tant land of their exile. As they read and re-read 
the inspired words of Isaiah and Jeremiah, uttered 
so many years before, hope would arise in their 
hearts, and as the seventy years of captivity drew 
to an end, they would be counting the time which 
remained until the promised restoration would be 
effected. 
Like a father, God yearns over His wayward 
children, and delights in every indication that 
they are returning to Him. In the two parables, 
of the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver, re-
corded in the fifteenth chapter of Luke, the joy 
of the shepherd who brings back the wanderer to 
the fold, and the joy of the woman who calls 
her friends to rejoice with her over the recovery 
of the coin, is typical of the joy there is in 
heaven over the repentant sinner. Thus we see 
that the delight which the godly man finds in 
the things of God is paralleled by the delight of 
the heavenly host in the work of grace in this 
fallen world. When we, like our Saviour, find 
our chief delight in God's law, our joy is shared 
by the unfallen beings, who are sent forth to 
minister to us. 
The attitude of mind, which leads a person to 
meditate on God's law, and find delight in obeying 
its precepts, is evidence of the change which has 
taken place in the heart. The natural man is at 
enmity with God's will, and finds no pleasure 
in obedience to it. But, when the Lord puts His 
law in the inward parts, and writes it in the 
heart, then "Our thoughts are with Him, and 
our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All that we 
have and are is consecrated to Him. We bear 
His image, breathe His Spirit, do His will, and 
please Him in all things."—Steps to Christ, 
chapter 7. 
Finding delight in God's purpose is typical of 
all God's children, from the time of Abel to the 
present day. It increases in this life as the Chris-
tian grows in grace, and it will continue to de-
velop in the life to come when we shall for ever 
bask in the sunshine of the love of Him who 
loved us and gave Himself for us. 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Happy are those who in their earliest years discover the true joy of Christian living. 
74, 
( 
PEA ks 
THE COMING ONE �
By S. G. Hyde 
1 
PART THREE 
While in the Pentateuch, the Psalms, and the book 
of Isaiah, we have found a rich mine of Messianic 
truth, depicting so accurately the character and 
career of the Messiah, together with the peculiar 
circumstances of His birth, we discover that to 
the prophet Daniel was given the actual TIME of 
His anointing. This is crowning evidence of the 
foreknowledge of God, and compelling evidence 
that the Babe of Bethlehem was indeed the 
Christ, the Son of God, the promised Saviour of 
the world. 
"When the fullness of the time was come, 
God sent forth His Son, made of a woman." 
Gal. 4:4. 
"Jesus came . . . preaching and saying: the 
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is 
at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel." 
Mark 1:15. 
Time prophecies of the Bible are rare. Of the 
few there are, is one that not only covers the 
longest period of them all, but is unique in that 
it specifies the actual time of Messiah's anointing. 
"Unto two thousand and three hundred days; 
then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dad. 
8:14. 
It was in answer to Daniel's prayer for an eluci-
dation of this long time-prophecy, that the 
Messianic facts emerged. 
"Gabriel [an angel of God), . . . informed 
me. . . . 0 Daniel, I am now come forth to 
give thee skill and understanding." Dan. 9:21, 
22. 
Thereupon the angel divided the long period of 
2,300 days into two parts, the first part intro-
ducing events mainly connected with the Messiah's 
birth and ministry. 
"Seventy weeks are determined (allotted), . . . 
to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to 
anoint the most Holy." Dan. 9:24. 
NOTE.—These "days" and "weeks" are prophetic 
and must, therefore, be used and interpreted as 
prophecy demands. According to prophetic light, 
"days" used prophetically represent "years" of 
ordinary time. Therefore the 2,300 "days" re-
present 2,300 years. Similarly the seventy "weeks" 
represent 490 "days" or 490 ordinary years. This 
very prophecy of the "seventy weeks" provides 
full proof of the accuracy of this interpretation. 
The seventy weeks (or 490 years) have as their 
starting point the year 457 B.C., the year when 
the climactic decree of the successive Persian 
decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, was 
issued, which resulted in the restoration of Israel 
to their own land and the rebuilding of their 
Temple, and city, Jerusalem. 
"Artaxerxes, . . . unto Ezra, . . . I make a 
decree, that all they of the people of Israel, 
. . . which are minded of their own free will 
to go up to Jerusalem. . . . Whatsoever is 
commanded by the God of heaven, let it be 
diligently done for the house of the God of 
heaven." Ezra 7:12-23. 
NOTE.—Beginning then in 457 B.C. the 490 years 
terminated in A.D. 34. 
The seventy week period is subdivided into three 
parts. 
1. Seven weeks-49 years 
2. Sixty-two weeks-434 years 
3. One week-7 years 
and it is at the end of the first two periods (62nd 
week) that Messiah was to appear. 
"Know therefore, . . . that from the going 
forth of the commandment . . . unto Messiah 
the Prince shall be seven weeks, and three-
score and two weeks." Dan. 9:25. 
NOTE.—The 69 weeks (483 years) terminated in 
A.D. 27, That was the year our Lord was to begin 
His public ministry after being anointed by the 
Holy Spirit as "God's Anointed" (or Messiah) 
APRIL 14, 1 960 �
FIFTEEN 
at His baptism by John in the Jordan. Then it 
was that the Saviour Himself concurred with 
Daniel's prophecy when He uttered those memor-
able words: "The time is fulfilled." Mark 1:15 
Jesus, then, was to begin His ministry as the 
Messiah when there was just one week (or seven 
years) left of the seventy, the "week" that was 
to begin in A.D. 27 and end in A.D. 34. 
"He shall confirm the covenant with many for 
one week." Dan. 9:27. 
Half-way through that last "week" Jesus was to 
be crucified, viz. A.D. 31. 
"In the midst of the week He shall cause the 
sacrifice and oblation to cease, . . . Messiah 
[shall) be cut off." Dan. 9:27, 26. 
NOTE.—The rending of the veil of the temple at 
the time of Jesus' death, thus exposing the Holy 
of Holies to the public view for the first time, 
signified the end of the types and ceremonies of 
the Old Covenant or, to use the words of the 
prophet Daniel, "Sacrifices and oblations" would 
then cease. 
The predetermined purpose of the Messianic com-
ing, as made known by the angel Gabriel, pro-
vided enough detail to make identification fool-
proof, at the same time giving further indisput-
able evidence that prophecy "came not by the will 
of man" but from God. 
Let us briefly consider this detail (Dan. 9:24): 
1. The Jews would bring to an end their trans-
gression. This they did by rejecting the Messiah. 
("He came unto His own, and His own received 
Him not.") 
2. The Messiah would bring sin offerings to 
an end, the part of the typical service which fore-
shadowed His coming and ministry. 
3. The vision (of the whole prophecy of the 
2,300 years of which the 70 "weeks" was a part) 
would be "sealed" or authenticated by the fulfilled 
events of the 70 "weeks." 
It was the prophet Daniel's inspired timing of the 
Messiah's advent, which, as the time of His 
miraculous birth drew near, led the people of 
Judea to expect Him. 
"The people were in expectation, and all men 
mused in their hearts of John, whether he 
were the Christ, or not." Luke 3:15. 
SIXTEEN 
The experience of Jonah, decried by the critics, 
but accepted by Jesus, was in itself a type of 
Christ, and, therefore, part of the Messianic pro-
phecy. 
"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish.. . . 
And Jonah was in the ... fish three days and 
three nights." Jonah 1:17. 
"As Jonas was three days and three nights 
in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man 
be three days and three nights in the heart 
of the earth." Matt. 12:40. 
Although Joseph and Mary, and, therefore, Jesus. 
belonged to Nazareth, His birthplace was destined 
to be Bethlehem. 
"Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be 
little among the thousands of Judah, yet out 
of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to 
be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have 
been from of old, from the days of eternity." 
Micah 5:2 (margin). 
NOTE.—The period of taxation, demanding the 
personal presence of the tax-payers in Bethlehem, 
arrived and coincided with the birth-time of 
Jesus. There was significance in the choice of 
Bethlehem. For as Bethlehem (whose name meant 
"house of bread") was the granary of Judea, so 
the "true Bread which cometh from heaven" was 
to come to Bethlehem. 
Zechariah, also, provided some more of the de-
tails that went to make up the prophetic picture 
of the Messiah. 
1. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Zech. 
9:9; Matt. 21 :1-11. 
2. The declaration, "Behold the Man" (Zech. 
6:12), fulfilled in Pilate. John 19:5. 
3. The immense suffering of Calvary. 
"They shall look upon Me whom they have 
pierced." Zech. 12:10. 
"What are these wounds in Thine hands?" 
Zech. 13:6. (See ,also John 19:34; 20:25.) 
4. The price of betrayal. Zech. 11:12, 13; 
Matt. 26:14, 15. 
5. The fruit of Calvary—the Fount for sin and 
uncleanness. (Zech. 13:1.) 
"If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean." 
Matt. 8:2. 
OUR TIMES 
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HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED : 
Will God permit suffering 
to continue? 
Will the dead live again? 
What is the meaning of 
world unrest ? 
Can we expect our Lord's return ? 
Can we know whether we are saved 
THESE AND MANY 
OTHER QUESTIONS 
ARE ANSWERED 
IN THE BIBLE 
• 
• 
The Voice of Prophecy Bible School, 123 Regent Street, London, 
What Is Apostolic Succession? 
(Continued from page 9.) 
Holy Catholic See, which is the pivot on which 
the whole Catholic Church revolves; . . . What 
monsters, horrible to behold, were then raised to 
the Holy See, which angels revere! What evils 
did they perpetrate; what horrible tragedies en-
sued! With what pollutions was this See, though 
itself without spot or wrinkle, then stained; what 
corruptions infected it; what filthiness defiled it; 
and hence what marks of perpetual infamy are 
visible upon it !"—Annales Ecclesiastici, Ann. 900. 
The sober-minded Mosheim likewise confirms 
the admissions of Baronius: "That the history of 
the Roman pontiffs of this century," he says, "is a 
history of monsters, a history of the most atrocious 
villainies and crimes, is acknowledged by all 
▪ 
writers of distinction, and even by the advocates 
of popery."—Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, 
Vol. 2, page 278. 
Such is the sad history of the church when she 
made the arm of flesh her confidence and for-
sook the Lord of hosts. Such will always be the 
fate of the church when she fails to abide in 
Christ and her ministers are not endowed with 
righteousness. The early church, in spite of its 
imperfections, was gloriously triumphant because 
she adhered to her allegiance to the Master. Of 
that apostolic century, Dr. Fisher records: "It was 
the heroic age in the history of the church, when, 
with no aid from an arm of flesh, the whole 
might of the Roman Empire was victoriously en-
countered by the unarmed and unresisting ad-
herents of the Christian faith. Imperial Rome, 
the conqueror of the world, was herself over-
come by the hands of Christian disciples, whose 
meek but dauntless courage was more than a 
match for all her power."—The History of the 
Church, by George Park Fisher, pages 50, 57. 
The need and challenge of the hour is for a 
return to such vital and saving faith. 
• 
APRIL 14, 1960 �
SEVENTEEN 
Snakes Alive.-18. 
1 Foram Sveftefa opt a Pole 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CSI 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ASt7,72 „, N1" 
M 
EIGHTEEN 
Pilmoor 
that He take away the serpents 
from us." 
And so Moses prayed for the 
people. And the Lord answered 
Moses and said, "Make thee 
a fiery serpent and set it upon 
a pole; and it shall come to pass, 
that every one that is bitten, 
when he looketh upon it, shall 
live." 
And "Moses made a serpent 
of brass, and put it on a pole, 
See how nicely 
you can paint 
this picture and 
send it with 
your name, age, 
and address to 
Auntie Pam, 
The Stanborough 
Press Ltd., 
Watford, Herts., 
not later than 
April 28th. 
[Please do not 
paste your pic-
tures on stiff 
card as the best 
entries are 
mounted in our 
special collection 
of paintings 
which you can 
see if you visit 
us!) 
and it came to pass, that if a 
serpent had b it t en any man, 
when he beheld the serpent of 
brass, he lived." 
Such is the Bible record of 
Numbers 21 :7-9. The cure was 
very simple, wasn't it? 
The poor people did not have 
to crawl on their hands and 
knees across the hot scorching 
sands. They did not have to 
come to the bottom of that pole 
to touch it. All they had to do 
was to look. And they lived! 
The lesson was in obeying the 
word of God. They had to 
understand that nothing that 
they could do would save them. 
They had only to behold the 
brass snake which was lifted 
up. There was no magic or 
power in this brazen serpent. 
The healing power was in their 
obedience to the One who would 
come to die for them. This was 
to represent Jesus. He would be 
hung up between earth and 
heaven. He would take all the 
blame for sin upon Himself. 
All the sin that the "old serpent" 
—called the Devil or Satan—
had brought into this world of 
ours, would rest upon Jesus. 
We learn this sec r et from 
Jesus Himself. One night He 
said to Nicodemus, a ruler of 
the Jews who was a Pharisee: 
"As Moses lifted up the serpent 
in the wilderness, even so must 
the Son of man be lifted up ; 
that whosoever believeth in Him 
should not p e r i s h, but have 
eternal life." 
Evidently Nicodemus remem-
bered this lesson. He had kept 
it in his heart for three years. 
He must have told John the 
story, and John writes it in his 
gospel for us. (John 3:14-15.) 
Often men lose sight of Jesus. 
They see only the material things 
of this world. How sad! Do you 
know that God's people did 
this? They looked to the heathen 
around them. They forgot the 
lesson of "looking unto Jesus." 
They eventually even wor-
shipped this brass serpent that 
Moses had made. It became an 
idol to them, instead of a re-
minder of God's mercy. The 
OUR TIMES 
By Brian 
WE HAVE told the story about 
the fiery serpents. You will re-
member how the people were 
dying, and there seemed no cure. 
Yet the simple remedy was to 
obey God if only their eyes had 
not been blinded by sin. 
When the Israelites remem-
bered this, they said to Moses; 
"We have sinned, for we have 
spoken against the Lord, and 
against thee ; pray unto the Lord, 
w 
• 
O 
• 
• 
sacred record says of Hezekiah 
the king, that he "brake down 
the images, . . . and brake in 
pieces the brazen serpent that 
Moses had made; for unto those 
days the children of Israel did 
burn incense to it." 
Let us learn from the mis-
takes of others, and always look 
to Jesus. 
BIRDS OF THE BIBLE 
By Felicity Fayers 
ARE you ever a bird-watcher? 
It is interesting to study the birds 
of your district, getting to know 
the names of the different kinds, 
and noting their habits. In the 
Bible, birds are often mentioned. 
See if you can fill in the blank 
spaces in the verses given here, 
where altogether eighteen birds 
are specified. 
Don't just look up the answers, 
but find them in the Bible and 
read the whole passage. 
1. "Like a �
 or a �
 
so did I chatter." 
2. "Riches certainly make them-
selves wings ; they fly away as an 
3. "I am like a � of the 
wilderness : I am like an �
 
of the desert." 
4. "How often would I have gath-
ered thy children together even as 
a �
 gathereth her � 
5. "And to offer a sacrifice 
�
a pair of 
 or 
two young �
If 
 
6. "I have commanded the �
 
to feed thee." 
7. "Are not two � sold 
for a farthing?" 
8. "As for the �
 the fir 
trees are her house." 
9. "There shall the � 
also be gathered, everyone with 
her mate.' 
10. "Be ye therefore harmless as 
11. "Doth the �
 fly by thy 
wisdom, and stretch her wings 
toward the south?" 
12. "The daughter of my people is 
become cruel like the � 
in the wilderness." 
13. "Once in three years came the 
ships of Tharshish, bringing gold, 
and silver, ivory, and apes, and 
My dear Sunbeams, 
As I write my letter to you on 
this cold March day, with a sprink-
ling of snow in the keen wind, 
Spring seems to be very far away. 
But I know it isn't really so, as 
I have already seen some of the 
signs which tell that it is only just 
around the corner! 
When this copy of OUR TIMES 
reaches you, Sunbeams, it will be 
almost Ea ste r, and then the 
countryside really begins to come 
alive. Sunshine and showers will 
swell the little buds on the trees 
until they burst forth and cover 
them with canopies of living 
green. However, some trees such 
as the horse-chestnut, cherry, haw-
thorn, and almond, are not content 
to be dressed in green alone, but 
are beautifully decorated with 
dainty blossoms. 
How many signs of Spring can 
you see around you, Sunbeams? 
Why not write and tell me what 
you find? 
Yours affectionately, 
AUNTIE PAM. 
Results of Competition No. 26 
Prize-winners. -Graham John Lowe, 
"Wayside," Bryniau Place, Llandudno, 
Caerns. Age 12; Adrian Grant, 7 By-
wood Terrace, Bywood Avenue, Croy-
don, Surrey. Age 6. 
Honourable Mention. -Pauline June 
Mason (Watford); Sylvia Floate (Felix-
stowe); Doreen Floate (Felixstowe); 
Barbara Pitt (Hednesford); Susan At-
kinson (Sunderland); Robin Clee (St. 
Agnes); Susan Floate (Felixstowe); 
Martin Clee (St. Agnes); Margaret 
Hunter (York); Denise Walker (An-
field); John Pells (London, E.14); 
Stuart Martin (South Yardley). 
Results of Competition No. 2. 
Prize-winner. - Jonathan Dibble, 54 
Purbrock Avenue, Watford, Herts. Age 
14. 
 
Honourable Mention.-Susan Wilcox 
(Wakefield); John Quiney (Llandudno); 
Mary Smith (Handsworth); Susan 
Floate (Felixstowe); Janet Blyth (Lin-
coln); Raymond Blyth (Lincoln); Nigel 
Emm (Watford); Philip Emm (Wat-
ford); Diane Palmer (Lowestoft); Dawn 
Ann Hole (Looe); Anna-Marie Kacz-
marek (Sandhurst). 
Those who tried hard.-Barbara Mit-
chell (London, E.14); Harold Rees 
(Newark); Heather Stollery (Shotley); 
John Curnow (St. Albans); Sylvia 
Floate (Felixstowe); Doreen Floate 
(Felixstowe); Lorraine Butcher (Tot- 
tenham, N.17); Sylvia Butterworth 
(Borehamwood); James Flack (Ips-
wich); Patricia Jackson (Cubitt Town); 
Christine Dobecki (Bolton); Jean Winter 
(Enfield); Richard Scobie (Plymouth). 
Results of Competition No. 3. 
Prize • winners. - Avril Ward, 60 
Claverley Drive, Warstones Estate, 
l'enn, Wolverhampton, Staffs. Age 12; 
April Dunnett, 103a North Western 
Avenue, Watford, Herts. Age 10. 
Honourable Mention. - Susan Floate 
(Felixstowe); Jonathan Dibble (Wat-
ford); Martin Clee (Cornwall); Bruce 
Michael (Plymouth); Doreen Floate 
(Felixstowe); Stuart Martin (South 
Yardley); Susan Whent (Chelmsford); 
Teresa Butcher (Tottenham); Nigel 
Emm (Watford); Sheila Robinson (Prud-
hoe-on-Tyne); Frances Newman (Walth-
amstow); Sylvia Floate (Felixstowe); 
Noreen Wharton (Kilburn); Janice 
Palfrey (Newport); Brian Palfrey (New-
port); Janet Blyth (Lincoln). 
Those who tried hard.-Paul North 
(Maidstone); Robin Clee (Goonbell); 
Susan Beavers (Acomb); Diane Jones 
(Wolverhampton); Heather Watson 
(Wolverhampton); Stella Ruddick (En-
field); Pauline Anne Skingley (Chelms-
ford); Simon Green (Andover); Susan 
Atkinson (Sunderland); John Page 
(Radford); Sylvia Andrews (Watford); 
Wendy Boland (Gloucester); Barry 
Kitching (Canning Town); Irene Tin-
kler (Hatfield); A. Palfrey (Newport). 
BIRDS OF THE BIBLE 
ANSWERS.-1. Isaiah 38:14, crane or 
a swallow; 2. Proverbs 23 :5, eagle; 3. 
Psalm 102:6, pelican, owl; 4. Matthew 
23:27, hen, chickens; 5. Luke 2:24, 
turtle doves, pigeons; 6. 1 Kings 17:4, 
ravens; 7. Matthew 10:29, sparrows; 
8. Psalm 104:17, stork; 9. Isaiah 34:15, 
vultures; 10. Matthew 10:16, doves; 
11. Job 39:26, hawk; 12. Lamentations 
4:3, ostriches; 13. 1 Kings 10:22, 
peacocks; �
14. Zephaniah 2:14, cor- 
morant, bittern. 
The Bible and 
OUR TIMES 
(Formerly "Present Truth") 
Vol. 76. No. 8. �
Price 4d. 
Printed and published in Great Britain 
fortnightly on Thursday by 
The Stanborough Press Ltd., 
Watford, Herts. 
EDITOR: �W. L. EMMERSON 
Twelve months � 13/- post free 
Six months �
 6/6 post free 
NINETEEN 
14. "Both the �
 and 
the � shall lodge in 
the upper lintels of it." 
• 
APRIL I 4, 1960 
r►N �
,OVIV Mt* �ftitt 
VIM*, to, 
 
0#01,0 rrra 
I do gat want 
FREEDOM 
FROM FEAR 
By Robert H. Parr 
saw 
00 �
HEN Roosevelt and Churchill enun- 
ciated their Four Freedoms, freedom 
of speech, freedom of religion, free-
dom to work, and freedom from fear, the 
world hailed the Atlantic Charter, which con-
tained these sentiments, as one of the great 
documents of all time. It was right that people 
should recognize such basic principles as these 
four freedoms, for they are the foundation 
stones of the edifice of human rights. 
But it is that last one, freedom from fear, 
that causes me to brush the dust off my type-
writer, for I feel that this "freedom," precious 
though it be, needs qualification. 
Not for one moment would I suggest that 
this fourth freedom should be expunged from 
the Charter. It is a fine and noble thing to 
affirm that men everywhere have the right to 
be loosed from the bonds of fear of political 
enemies, of insecurity, of misery and want. 
There are, on the other hand, things we 
ought to fear. Some fear is healthy. An ele-
ment of fear in the make-up is most salutary. 
We teach our children to fear the fire; we 
encourage them to fear the roaring traffic that 
hurtles along our highways; we inculcate in 
them a fear of dangerous places. 
Most of us would admit to a certain fear 
of death, and is is right that we should, other-
wise, we would allow ourselves to drift into 
all manner of dangerous situations. 
Yes, unashamedly, I admit to you that there 
are some things I fear beyond description. I 
fear those things that may destroy my soul, 
whatever those things be. It could be godless 
associates; it may be a conformity to the world; 
it may be a weak and compromising attitude 
to matters of principle; it may be a careless-
ness in my attitude to God's requirements; it 
could be a lax attitude toward "the sin which 
doth so easily beset us �
it could be a thou- 
sand things. I fear them all, as I fear anything 
that might separate me from God's proffered 
gift of eternal life. 
The cynic who reads this may say, "Poor, fear-
ridden fellow! What miseries he must suffer!" 
I wonder whether it is worth trying to ex-
plain to the cynic that I not only cherish healthy 
fears, but I have also the answer to my fears? 
How can he understand the mysteries and the 
wonders of such texts as John 10:28, 29? 
"And I give unto them eternal life; . . . 
neither shall any man pluck them out of My 
hand. . . . And no man is able to pluck them 
out of My Father's hand." 
With such confident promises, why then do 
I fear? That modicum of fear may well be 
my salvation, for it is fear that this arm of 
flesh may fail, fear lest my own limited re-
sources sink under the battering weight of 
adversity, fear lest my own strength be weak 
and unavailing. It is such fear, I say, that 
comes to the Christian's aid, for it sends him 
fleeing to the arms of Omnipotence for pro-
tection, and from those arms, no man, nor 
devil either, is able to pluck him out. And 
it is only while here that I need know no 
fear, for "There is no fear in love; but per-
fect love casteth out fear." 1 John 4:18.