On Isaiah 4:5

QUESTION: Explain Isaiah 4:5 "And Jehovah will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be spread a covering." (Am. R. V.)

ANSWER: This is a manifest allusion to the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, symbolizing the Divine glory which shall rest upon the Christian assemblies in "the day or era of the Branch" (verse 2) the coming Messiah, "beautiful and glorious, the Fruit of the land" of Palestine.

— Steele's Answers pp. 215, 216.

A Higher School of Faith

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." — John 16:7 KJV.

The withdrawal of the visible Christ and the substitution of His visible presence in the Paraclete whom He sent was the introduction of His disciples into a higher school of faith. Hitherto they had walked chiefly by sight. The Miracles of their Master had appealed to their reason through the senses. They were not entirely destitute of faith, else they would not have forsaken their fish-nets and followed the Man of Nazareth. But their faith was weak; it needed to be exercised and developed by struggles in a far different arena. They must be taught the spiritual nature of Messiah's kingdom. The visible presence of Christ as a veritable man had been a help to the primary lesson they had already learned; it would be a hindrance to the advanced lesson now to be learned. They must learn that deliverance from sin and restoration to true holiness consist not in outward ceremonials and prescribed rituals, nor in abstract truths grasped by the intellect, but in a vital union with a personal Saviour effected by the Spirit.

The False Christs

QUESTION: What are the principal false Christs?

ANSWER: A Jew called Simeon assumed the title BarCochba, Son of the Star, from the prophecy of Balaam, cut a great swath in Judea, in A. D. 131-135 took Jerusalem, defeated the Romans in battle, was finally conquered and beheaded by Severus. Another was Serenus of Syria, about 720 A. D., followed by David Alrui (Alroy) about 1150; then came Abraham Abulafia of Spain, born in 1240; followed by Sabbathai Zebi, born in Smyrna in 1626, styling himself king of kings of whom "miracles" were related. From Poland, Hamburg and Amsterdam treasures were poured into his court; young men and women prophesied before him, some refused to till the fields, saying, "We will pay no more tribute, our Messiah is come." He was conquered by the Turks and compelled to choose between death and Islam. Although he chose the latter, many still believed in him, and, after his death as a professed Mohammedan, they insisted that he would rise from the dead and liberate Palestine. The next pretender was Jacob Frank, who lived in royal state in Austria. After burning the Talmud in public he ended his career as a Roman Catholic. The gullibility of the Jew is accounted for when we consider the dreadful oppressions they have suffered and the daily prayer for the coming of the Messiah, which every Israelite is required to offer. The false Christ which Christians in our times are setting up is Liberalism, so called, which pays divine honors to a false concept of Jesus Christ as the Revealer of the love of God, ignoring his holiness, justice and truth and disobeying his law. They are described and their doom is foretold in Matt. 7:22-24. "Many will say unto me in that day," etc.

— Steele's Answers pp. 180, 181.

Questions From John 11:1-12

QUESTION: Answer the following questions suggested by a study of John 11:1-12: (1) Did John the Baptist in prison doubt the Messiah-ship of Jesus? (2) Did Jesus imply that John was not in the kingdom of heaven? (3) What is meant by taking it by force?

ANSWER: (1) He did not doubt that Jesus was a prophet and a miracle-worker, but because he did not put on the crown, mount the throne and sway his kingly scepter for the deliverance of his forerunner from Herod's underground prison, he began to doubt that Jeans was the long-expected Messiah, the anointed King. He was shut up in darkness, which always tends to produce mental depression or the blues, such as his prototype Elijah had under the juniper tree after his long race to escape the threat of an angry queen (I Kings 19:4). John's faith in King Jesus suffered a partial eclipse, at whom he was in danger of being offended or stumbling. Hence the question, "Art then he that should come, or do we look for another?" (2) He was an Old Testament saint and accepted of God. though not technically in Christ's kingdom, which was not opened till Pentecost. He doubted the kingship of Christ and had in his mind the erroneous conception of a worldly kingdom. He failed to realize the spiritual nature of the Messiah's kingdom, known and enjoyed by the smallest real Christian. (3) The common interpretation that "the violent" are zealous Christians who conquer and win heaven by force of arms, I cannot adjust to the context, which is a description of John. Jesus rather apologizes for him, intimating that his mistake is an error of many, during the whole time of John's ministry, who had been clamoring impatiently for Christ to assume the scepter. The people together with John wished to hurry up the earthly reign of Christ, violently. They would take it by storm. This is the only exegesis that is in harmony with the context.

— Steele's Answers pp. 143-145.

Mary's Davidic Descent

QUESTION: Where in Scripture do we find proof that the mother of Jesus was of the seed of David?

ANSWER: In Luke's genealogy of Mary, the name of Joseph is substituted for hers, because it was not customary to write a woman's name in the list. Read Luke 3:23 thus, "Joseph the son-in-law of Heli."

—From Steele's Answers p. 31.