that we which ave alive and remain un-
to the coming ot the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep, Yor the
Lord Himselt shall descend from heav-
en with a shout, with the voice of the
Archangel, and with the wump of
God: and the dead 1m Christ shall rise
first: then we which are alive and re-
main shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.”
Dear Mr. Answerman: Please explain
Romans 8:28. Who are the called?
Ll us first get Romans 8:28 before
: “We know that all things work to-
oe ether for good to them that love God,
lo then who are the called according
to His pur pose.’
We ure bemg told here that God
conspires circumstances and over
rules lor our best good. This, no
doubt, would be dithcult for a non-
Christian to believe, but to the Chris:
tiant who has had experiences mn the
way God leads and the things He al-
lows to come to pass, it is clearly un-
derstandable.
This verse is comparable to 2 Tim-
othy 1:9: "Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not ac
cording to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus betore the
world began.”
God calls evervone to repentance.
The invitation is to “whosoever will”
Jesus said, “1f any man thirst, let him
come unto Me, and drink.” John 7:37.
And He said in another place, "Many
are called, but {few are chosen.’
Just befor the historic Johnstown,
Pua., flood @ man rode through one
street after another urging the people
to flee to high ground immediately, be-
cause the dam above the city was about
to break. He called, shouted, urged
and pleaded, but most people laughed
at him — few heeded the warning.
‘Thousands heard the call, but only a
handful answered it, and thousands
perished.
So it is In respect to escaping the de-
struction of this world of sin. "Many
[all] are called,” but few answer the
call to come up on higher ground and
escape the llood of sin and destruction
that is engulfing the world. Those who
do are the called” of God.
Dear Bible Answerman: If the saints
reign in heaven during the millenninm,
where, when and how will they have the
honour to fulfil Psalm 149:5.9% J, H.
We think that Psalm 145:5-9 1s a
song of praise ung by the finally re-
deemed to God, who has given them
the ultimate victory over all their en-
emies. In this case it would apply alter
the destruction of the wicked at the
end of the millennium,
JULY. 1949
WAR IN HEAVEN
AND UPON EARTH
(Continued from page 7)
throne above the stars of God: 1 will
sit also upon the mount ol the con.
gregation, in the sides of the north:
will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; T will be Like the Most High.”
[saich 14:18,14. When “I” became his
god, it became the all-predominating
factor in his life. Then with a covetous
heart, he aspired to unseat Jehovah,
overthrow His law, and set up his own
regime.
The violation of God's law was
carefully veiled under pretended loy-
aly. It was in his heart that he was
saving the things here mentioned. He
still continued to profess respect for
God, and to maintain the form of wor-
ship as covering cherub. Thus, while
inwardly plotting against God and His
law, he was breaking the third com-
mandment which says, “Thou shalt
not take the name ol the Lord thy God
in vain: for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh His name in
vain.” Exodus 20:7. ar from guiltless
was the heart of the rebellious Lucifer,
however radiant his exterior. His wor-
ship was vainly rendered, for in the
very act of worship, he was taking
God's name in vain, and in so doing,
iumplding the third commandment
under his feet.
While inwardly opposed to God, he
outwardly assumed an awtitude of loy-
alty and posed as having a vearning
desire to make heaven even more bliss-
ful. What subtlety accompanies iu sin-
ful condition that curries a smiling
countenance while hatred — which
Jesus interpreted as murder — is in
the heart! Thus it was that this high-
ranking angel used his position ol
prestige to woo his fellows to his so-
called reform movement. ‘There is the
utmost peril involved when any at-
tempt 1s made to reform the law of
God and establish a better regime.
From the very beginning of his mad
ambition to dethrone God and set a-
side His law, Lucifer has worked with
cunning and intrigue and with a sin-
ful persuasion that is hypnotic.
But itis a truism that “Sin will out.”
However long and devious, subtle and
subterranean, the course adopted by
that mighty angel, the ferment of sin
eventually burst the soft exterior by
which 1t was screened. Where God's
law is set aside, war will eventually
follow, and so we read:
“And there was war mn heaven:
Michael and His angels fought against
the dragon; and the dragon fought
and his angels, and prevailed not:
neither was their place found amy
more in heaven. And the great dragon
was cist out, that old serpent, called
the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world: he was cast out into
the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him.” Revelation 12:7-9. Having
reached a certain point in his muy
guing technique under cover, he then
left his position as covering cherul—
a position expressing deepest rever-
cence for the law of God — and drew
his sympathizers with him in open op-
position to God, becoming the frst
warmonger, and first transgressor of
the sixth commandment.
At this juncture the scene changes
from heaven to this httle member of
the solar system, earth; but the salient
facts remain, and the two mighty
leaders, Michael (Christ) and the devil
are still commanding the two strongly
contrasted sides. There | 1s one contrast
here, however, between these two
forces, the reverse of that which
marked the conflict in heaven. There
the majority retained their loyalty to
God. for the dragon drew but one
third of the stars angels) of heaven.
(Revelation 12:4.) Here the majority
serve Satan.
But while it is ue that the vast ma-
jority are lured by the mesmeric influ-
ence of the prince of darkness, the
Leader of the “little flock” is still
Michael, commander of the heavenly
hosts. Who is this mighty Being “like
unto God"r Let the Bible answer. A
few texts will make this very clear, In
Jude the ninth verse he is called the
Archangel. What part will the Arch-
angel take when the conflict reaches
the climax? It will be “the voice of the
Archangel” that will wake the dead
in Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:16.)
Now one more precious gem from
God's Inspired Word telling whose
voice will break the slumber of the
saints and burst the fetters of the
tomb: “And hath given him authority
to execute Judgment also, because He
is the Son of man. Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear His
voice, and shall come forth; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 5:27.29.
That hour is near. Then Christ will
translate the hving saints, resurrect
the righteous dead, and angels will
gather them to meet Him in the clouds,
to ascend with Him to the mansions
He has now prepared. What a change
from gloom to glory; from the ghastly
scene of the Armageddon strife, to un-
utterable, thrilling bliss of heaven:
from the tempestuous regime of the
rebellious angel, to the ineffable calm
of the great Creator's benevolent rule
of love.
15