The open pearly gates; a treatise on Bible teachings ...

Front matter

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ClassJ3Rl'2S.

Chapter One. On God

Theology is studied from two standpoints^ viz.: From the natural and from the revealed. The natural is what we see and learn of the ruling power of God by a study of the created universe. The revealed is the accepted word of God^ and this^ to appeal to man^s intelligence^ must of necessity harmonize with the natural, because it takes reason, and a memory, and a capacity to draw conclusions from the evidences before us, to place the evidence and the testimony together in such a way as to be convincing that there is a power and intelligence show^n forth in nature, which coincides with the power and intelligence, as revealed to us by the Word of God. But we believe this to be true in every particular, for the revealed word says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the earth sheweth forth His handiwork.^^ Also, "There is no speech, no language, where their voice cannot be heard.^^

Again: Paul said, "For the invisible things of

Him are clearly seen^ being perceivable by the things which do appear that they may be without excuse/^

Atheism is ^"^an absence of any definite idea of God." But we are commanded to "know God.^' So if we accept the revealed word we cannot be atheistic in knowledge.

Neither can we be idolaters and be in harmony with the teachings of the "Word." But to be idol worshippers does not mean simply to bow down to an image; any kind of vain worship, or any worship which will not profit us in its performance, is idolatry.

Then since we are commanded to know God, and since nature does not proclaim any particular form for God, we must turn to Revelation for our instruction.

In the 20th chapter of Exodus we learn that man "shall not bow down to, nor worship any form, neither in heaven nor on earth."

So we see nature and revelation agree in this, that no form has been revealed for man to worship; but in Ezekiel it is written: "For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, which separate himself from me, and takes his idol into his heart" * * "I, the Lord, will answer him by myself." "I will set my face against that man. " "And I will cut him off from among my people, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

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This shows that man can have an idol in his heart or mind, just as well as a graven image for a God. Consequently, to imagine God to be in the form of man, or any other form that man can think of, and worship as God, that form is idolatry.

We find as regards the form of God, that He is able to to appear in various forms, and is doubtless able to assume any form He might wish to. For, to Abraham He appeared in fonn of man, but He made Himself known by His power and intelligence.

To Moses He appeared as a flame of fire, but He made Himself known by not consuming the bush, and by speaking intelligently to Moses.

He appeared to the Israehtes as a pillar of tire by night, and a pilla'r of ck)ud by day, but He made himself ki^^w^n by intelligently directing all their course and movements. To Moses aind seventy elders His glory appeared as a devouring fire.

In the Hebrew letter is written, "Our God is a consuming fire/' The Savior said He came to send a fire on earth, and "What will I, if it already be kindled?''

We find a description in Revelations of one like the son of man (who is Christ), and Christ is the express image of the Father, and in this descript'on He had on a mantle vv'hich covered all His form, which is not here described, in this. His head and hair were white as wool, his eyes a flame of

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fire, feet like burnished brass, out of his mouth came a two-edged sword, and in his right hand seven stars.

This is sufficient to show that God can and does assume varied and different forms, and yet no form would represent Him correctly or completely. They are forms God projected for special purposes. Man also has this power to a limited extent, at least. For when man^s body is asleep, the mind wanders out and creates many and varied forms, sometimes to the projecting of forms not seen in nature; but man has not the power to fix these forms so that they may appear to the human eye. But God, who is more powerful than man. caia cause these forms or appearances to be seen by the natural eye, (as the appearance of Moses and Elias on the mount of transfiguration.) So the Scripture is true which says, "No man has seen God at any time.^^

But man has often seen the demonstration of His power and glory.

Moses saw it in the flame of fire that did not consume the bush. Paul saw it when the Lord stood by him at night and talked with him. The ])eople saw it on the day of Pentecost ,where the spirit appeared as cloven tongues of fire, and spake through the apostles. All men can see a demonstration of His power in the buildings of nature, but they can no more see the builder than you can Bee the builder of a well arranged dwelling of

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man^s erection. You see the house^ and admire ihe judgment of the builder in the nice arrangements of the parts of the building^ and in its complete and delicate finish and workmanship. You know the builder is intelligent and skillful, but you see nothing to indicate the builder^s form or size, or complexion. Just so it is with the natural buildings. The multiplicity of designs and forms, the harmonious blending of colors and sounds, the exquisite wisdom in arrangements for reproduction and preservation, the workmanship in the finishing of each atom, or part, and the vitalizing power given to all, represent a wisdom and intelligence, and power far above, and greater than anything man can plan or perform.

But, some man will say, did not God lead Israel out of bondage with a high hand? Yes; God brought them out by the hand of Moses, and whatever Moses did, was God^s doing it, for Moses was sent by God to do this work, and God gave him instructions how to do all that was done. z

Moses had his brother Aaron given him for a mouthpiece, and Moses was to be a God to Aaron; that is, Moses was the ruler, and directed Aaron in all that he did, thus governing by His spirit. ' Upon one occasion the Israelites clamored iot a king so as to be ruled like the nations around them, and when Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, took the matter up to inquire of God about what should be done, the Lord told Samuel to let them have a king, for in doing that they were not rejecting Samuel as their ruler, but that they were rejecting the Lord as their king, or ruler. Thus whatever the Lord does through His servants is the Lord^s doings, not man^s. For man knows nothing only as it has been taught liim. Whatever man plans, therefore, is in imitation of something God has made, or taught him. So even man^s thoughts must be in harmony with Grod^s laws, or they will be blotted out, to prevent a clash of minds in the spirit realm. If man thinks God is in form like man, his thoughts are not in harmony with the revealed word, for the Lord, through Isaiah, said, '^^To whom will you liken, God, or what likeness will you compare unto Him? "Have you not heard ?'^ "Have you not known ?^^ "Have you not understood from the foundations of the eaith?'^ "It is he that sitteth on the circles of the earth.^^ This means he sits everywhere on earth.

The Hebrew name for God was El, or Eloah, and means Deity, which is equivalent to shine, or make known, and it is in this sense used by Paul in 2 Cor.: "Tf our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are perishing, in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine upon them; for God said light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in the hearts of His foUowers.^^

This is the God whom Paul said, "had at various

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times^ and in different ways spoken unto the fathers by the prophets/^ and "in these last days spoken nnto lis by His son/^

Let US inquire into the characteristics of this God. Since we are commanded to know Him^ and since we cannot know Him by a form, there must be some peculiarities by which we may know Him. When Paul went to Athens he found the people worshipping all sorts of idols. They had one erected *^^to the unl^nown God/^ and this unknown God to them, Paul taught, was the only trae God. So he told them that they were superstitious. And why? Because they thought they might make an image to represent God, and worship that image, and that this would be well pleasiHig to God. But Paul told them that "God made the world, and gave life and breadth to all,^^ and that He was "not far from every one of 11 s, for in Him we live, and m/ove and have our being.^^ Then He is everywhere ! Omnipresent.

John says, God is Spirit. But we cannot sen spirit, for after the Savior was raised up. He appeared to His apostles when they were in a closed room, and they thought they had seen a spirit; but Christ corrected that impression by telling them to feel of Him; that spirit did not have flesh and bones like He had. But we can see the work ings, or fruits of a spirit, and we judge as to the kind of spirit by its fruits. There are two kinde of spirits in the world, the good and the bad, but

God is said is to be a good spirit, and both nature and revelation corroborate this fact.

Here are the attributes of God^ as taught in revelation, and as witnessed b}^ nature. First a spirit of wisdom, which enables him to plan and devise all things according to His own will, ^s.- ture shov/s this wisdom in everything, and everywhere. Then, in the plan for a new and eternal life, we find, as we study this subject, it broadens and gets fuller of thought, and grander in its development, until man's wisdomj can reach out no farther, and we are ready to exclaim, Wonderful art Thou, Lord, m^ost vrise! And this plan is all laid out and executed for man's benefit, which shows a second spirit quality, or attribute, ^^Love.^^ We cannot see love, but, like all other characteristics of God, we see the effects of its influence manifested in both the natural and the spiritual life. Tn nature God gives the sunshine, the air, the i-Toisture, and the food, to nurture and build up each and every species of life. The same can be said in the spirit realm. For Paul wrote,"The grace of God which brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching them to deny ungodliness and live righteously and Godly in this world/^ and to love one another by helping, cheering, and comforting each other. For He says, "^T^ove works no evil to his neighbor.^' Another attribute of Deity is order. Every blade of grass of like species is made after an adopted, or approved, pattern. Just so in all

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animal structures. When you find the make-up of one, of any type^ all others of this type will be similar. So, also, in the spirit realm. God is not a respecter of persons; all must mieasure by the same rule; what is required of one will be required of each and every one. Then He is a God of power. Life is a power given by God to all animated nature, to vitalize, build up, and sustain until the will of God shall have been accomplished by each plant, or being. And the same may be said of the spiritual creations, with this difference: That in nature God gives the life on condition of favorable environments, but to the spiritual children it is given on the conditions of a knowledge of God, and an acceptance of the conditions or instructions He gives. And, as the life in both the natural and the spiritual comes on certain conditions which have been imposed on each, under the two separate laws, we can illustrate this easily by taking a seed. To germinate this seed and bring forth a plant, there must be light, warmth and moisture, or the seed will perish. Then if its environments have been favorable, and a plant comes forth, it must have food, light, and air to develop it, or it will also perish before reaching perfection. Then God is zealous, persistent in carrying out His plans, never abandoning Plis purpose, nor varying in its fulfillment. He is also a God of Patience, giving ample time for the perfecting of all things by His will and His law. A God of Judgmeiit^ preserving the good, or that which has existed most in harmony with His law^ and destroying (this means a reducing back to original elements) the evil, or that which has not been in harmony with His will; and lastly He is a consuming spirit, to drive out and destroy the evil, or that which is harmful, both in the natural and in the spiritual; because if these were allowed to continue to exist they would eventually cause confusion and thwart all plans for perfecting the things to be desired most, whether in nature or in thought. These attributes are called the seven eyes of the Lord. See Zech. They are also called in Eev. the seven Spirits of God. These attributes pervade the universe, and rule all things. Taken altogether, they are called the Lord (the Euler. ) This Spirit, then, that combines all these seven attributes, or characteristics, has revealed to the intelligence of man, the way for him best to live here in this life to be happy, and also given a promise of a continuation of life to those who obey. The man, therefore, who accepts the teachings of the Word, and lives by its precepts, reflects the glory and image of God. Prov. 20, "^^Even a child is known by his doings.^^

The followers of God are called the heavens, because God dwells in the hearts of His people, and this is what David meant when he said, ^^The heavens declare the glory of God, and earth showeth forth Hs handiwork.^^ ^'^There is no speech nor

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language, where they cannot be heard/^ Just as nature shows forth the handiwork of God^ to all tongues and languages^ so His people declare the glory of God in all tongues and languages. Thus it is ordained that God's people are to declare^ or make known His spiritual glory in, thought, word, and deed, while nature shows His handiwork in everything we see, feel, taste, or smell.

God's power and presence is unlimited and universal, for He creates all things, and controls all things according to His will. But man cannot create an3^thing; true, he can take of God's material, and change the form or appearance of many things. Neither can man destroy anything. He simply causes a change to take place. Man will take a stone and carve it into an image, or form of som.ething God has already made, and his fellow-man will join him in worshipping this transformed s!:one as though it were a new creation. Again, a painter takes colors which he finds already existing and coinbines them in such a pleasing way that his name is exalted as a great genius. But he has only varied and re-arranged colors in a way which is intended to imitate something in nature. He created nothing. A writer, also, will take of the thoughts he has gathered here and there, and arrange them in combinations new to us, and we think he is a man of wonderful powers. The material in each and every instance was furnished by a superor power. M'an only changes the forms,

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or combinations^ in such a way tiiat we forget the real creator and originator of these things, and worship some image which is only a poor imitation of some other master's workmanship. This is one form! of idolatry.

How many people there are who spend vast fortunes for paintings, sculpture, relics, worthless notions, etc., all of no real or practical value, only to please the eye and give place to vanity, and gratify worldly lust and ambitions. Instead of racing for wealth to squander this way, how much better it would be to follow the instructions of the Spirit. Think you a man can live thus, in idolatrous revelings, and see his fellow-man in v/ant, and yet be hold blameless, while lie refuses to minister to that want, whether it be of food, clothing or comfort ?

If so, I have not read aright, for man ceases to be in union or harinony with God whenever he disregards the laws of God. For it is written, ^'Hear, 0, Judah, the Lord is vrith you while you are with Him, but if you forsake Him He will forsake you.''

Is this not a happy thought, that the greatest power in the universe is with us, working in our natural bodies, and directing our spiritual lives, if only we will heed His admonitions? But how sad, when we refuse to heed those teachings, to know that we have no promise from God that He will be our help in time of need.

So the abode or dwelling place of God is in the

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hearts of Kis faithful people^ or followers after His spirit law. The Prophet Ezokiel wrote : "He said, son of man, this is the place of my throne, I will dwell in the midst of Israel/^ Then Matt, said, "Heaven is God^s throne.^^ So we see heaven is God^s throne, and that is the hearts of His people; for there He rules. Again Paul said, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that God^s Spirit has His home in you?^^ "H any man destroy this temple, him will God destroy.^^ This is equivalent to saying every murderer will be destroyed, because the murderer destroys the body. God^s spiritual throne, then, is in faithful luan, where He must rule over the body by wisdom and judgment. But in the natural world God rules everywhere, and in everything. David expressed this thought when he said, "Whither shall I flee from Thy presence. If I ascend to heaven. Thou art there; if I descend into hell, Thou art there; if I take the wings of the morning, even there shall Thy hand guide me.^* While the power and presence of God is manifested in all things, yet the manifestation itself shows that the law of Gofl is sometimes interfered with.

A plant may be trampled under foot and bruised so that it cannot mature. Or an animal, by some abuse of the laws influencing their lives, may be a monstrosity, as is often the case. These do not show the perfected handiwork of God, but a perverted law, or an instance of interference with the ox GOD 19

natural law. iSTow^ if plant life and animal life are all subject to conditions and environment for their perfecting into the ideal which Grod planned^ then, I ask^ why is not the spiritual life also subject to conditions for a perfect development ? These conditions are illustrated by God^s dealings with the Jewish nation. You will find for every transgression there was a punishment inflicted, and as most of them were disobedient and unfaithful, the record says they "perished in the wilderness.'^ And since God is not a respecter of persons, but is the same unchangeable God to-day that He has always been, it follows that those who live in harmony with His spirit law have the promise of being perfected i'lii the spirit growth and life, and that othenvise, "the soul that sins, it shall die.^^

The Lord has said through His prophet : "0 Israel, if thou wouldst hearken unto me ;'^ "There shall be no strange God in thee'^ neither shall thou Avorship any strange God.^^ Let us see if a strange God is not being Avorshipped to-day: A God in form like man, whose size, Aveight, complexion, color of hair, eyes, are all unknoAA^n, who is seated soniiewhere, but place unknoAvn, on a throne that is indescribable, that has never been seen. Turn on the light of reason. If God AA^as in form like man, then the very fact of him having an outline Avould limit him, Avhich J? contrary to the teachings of the Word, and also to nature. To illustrate this point, look out to a point where sky and earth meet. This line is called the horizon. All above this line is sky, and below it is earth. So if a man v/as standing at this point of vision his feet would be on earth and his head in the sky. And this applies to any point on earth's surface, for the sky is all around the earth. But the earth is moving away from its present point in space, so that should you be near the imaginary throne of God now, in six months' time from this you would be one hundred and ninety millions of miles aw^ay, ♦because you would be on the opposite side of the sun from where you now are. Then astronomers tells us that the sun is traveling through space at a very rapid xate, so we could not compute the distance we would be from a throne fixed in space. But suppose this throne was traveling with the earth; then what about the balance of the universe? Would not some portions of it be a long way off from headquarters? But it is useless to say more about this absurd ])osition which was founded on ignorance and superstition, and is kept alive by tradition. Nature teaches that God is everywhere, and Isaiah wrote: ^'This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, saith the Lord; I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their hearts will I write it, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.*' Eevelation teaches of an invisible, unchangeable God Spirit, whose characteristics are wisdom, order, power, zeal, patience, judgm.enr and love. These are called both eyes and spirits^ (See Kev. 4:5 and 5:6) and are sent forth into all the earth. Christ said^ "By their fruits yoii shall know them.^^ If His children manifest a spirit characteristic of God;, would they not be like him? Well^ that is what Paul said. ''As God is, so are ive in this world/'

Paul wrote, "That a man joined to a harlot is one flesh.^^ This we can understand and accept. He also said, "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.'^ Can we not also accept this as true? God being a spirit, seeks only the worship of spirits. So to worship God acceptaMy we must have the right motive^ and do understandingly as the Spirit directs.

An effort to blend the carnal and the spiritual is the cause of many failures to properly understand the revealed word. But if we keep them entirely distinct in making the application of the word, then we can understand how, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature,^^ (or a new creation), and hov\^ "old things are passed away, and all things have become new.''^

The form of man is of the old ; so is death, pain, and all the list of hindrances which go with the m.ortal. If God was really in the form of man, and man to be entirely new had to put off this form, then he would be growing different from God instead of growing into His image, as we are commanded to do.

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Again, suppose we were to ask which type of num. represented God. Is it the infant or old age? Is it the male or female form; Saxon or Eskimo? This is sufficient to cause one to reflect and ask liimself the question : How could I know God by any form ?

Paul said, "I hnotv him in whom I have believed.'' How did he know Him? Christ, speaking of spirits, said, "By their fruits you shall know them.^^ Have you a better way, or a sim'pler test? God, being a spirit, we can understand how we live in Him, and by Him, and He is us. Paul, in the Eoman letter, said, '^Man changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of corjniptible nian.'^

But man's mind is made after the image and power of God. For this reason God gave him do- Tfuinion over all other created natural things, and that power has never been taken away from man. C^rod, who is unlimited in wisdom and power, has made ntan his counterpart. Only he is limited for a time to make a test as to how he will use this power. Man realizes this power of thought in himself, how that neither space, time nor substances can hinder its going forth, nor its power for good, and if the created have this power, how ftmch more- the Creator ?

One more thought, which, while not taken from a Scripture text, is both reasonf^ble, and in harmony with the tenor of the word as revealed to us.

^Tis this: God is the author of nature^ but not a part of nature. The form, of man is a part of nature^ just as much so as is the form of the oak. But neither the tree nor the man represents God. But both are manifestations of His wisdom and power.