The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 77

December 11, 1900

“The Faith of Jesus” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 50, p. 792.

“LET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery [“a thing to be seized upon and held fast”] to be equal with God: but emptied himself.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.1

The condescension of Christ, the position of Christ, and the nature of Christ, as He was in the flesh in the world, are given in the second chapter of Hebrews more fully than in any other one place in the Scriptures. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.2

But the first chapter of Hebrews comes before the second chapter, and is, therefore, an essential precedent of the second chapter. The first chapter must be followed, and must be understood, unto the second chapter, in order to be able to follow and understand the second chapter. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.3

Yet in the first chapter of Hebrews, the exaltation, the position, and the nature of Christ, as He was in heaven before He came to the world, are more fully given than in any other single portion of the Scriptures. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.4

Therefore it is perfectly plain that an understanding of the position and nature of Christ, as He was in heaven, is essential to a proper understanding of His position and nature as He was on earth. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.5

What, then, is this, as it is given in Hebrews 1? ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.6

First is introduced God,—God the Father,—as the speaker to men, who “in time past spake unto the fathers by the prophets,” but who “hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.7

Thus the Son of God is introduced. Then of Him and the Father together it is written: “Whom He [God] hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He [God] made the worlds.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.8

Then of Christ we read: “Who being the brightness of His [God’s] glory, and the express image of His [God’s] person [“the very impress of His substance”], and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.9

This tells us that, in heaven, the nature of Christ was the nature of God; that He, in His person, in His substance, is the very impress, the very character, of the substance of God. That is to say that, in heaven, as He was before He came to the world, the nature of Christ was in very substance the nature of God. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.10

Therefore it is further written of Him that He was “made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.11

This more excellent name is the name “God,” which, in the eighth verse, is given by the Father to the Son. “Unto the Son He [God] saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.12

Thus, He is so much better than the angels as God is better than the angels. And it is because of this that He has that more excellent name; the name expressing only what He is, in His very nature. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.13

And this name “He hath by inheritance.” It is not a name that was bestowed, but a name that is inherited. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.14

Now, it lies, in the nature of things, as an everlasting truth, that the only name any person can possibly inherit is his father’s name. This name, then, of Christ’s, which is more excellent than that of the angels, is the name of His Father; and His Father’s name is God. The Son’s name, therefore, which He has by inheritance, is God. And this name, which is more excellent than that of the angels, is His because He is “so much better than the angels.” That name being God, he is so much better than the angels as God is better than the angels. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.15

Next, His position and nature, as better than that of the angels, is dwelt upon: “For unto which of the angels saith He [the Father] at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son?” This holds the thought of the more excellent name spoken of in the previous verse. For He, being the Son of God,—God being His Father,—thus hath “by inheritance” the name of His Father, which is God; and which is so much more excellent than the name of the angels, as God is better than they. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.16

But this is dwelt upon yet further: “And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him.” Thus He is so much better than the angels that He is worshiped by the angels; and this according to the will of God, because He is, in His nature, God. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.17

This thought of the mighty contrast between Christ and the angels is dwelt upon yet further: “Of the angels He saith, Who maketh the angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever [“From eternity to eternity,” German translation].” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.18

And again: “A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.19

And yet again, the Father, in speaking to the Son, says: “Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.20

Note the contrasts here, and in them read the nature of Christ. The heavens shall perish, but He remains. The heavens shall wax old, but His years shall not fail. The heavens shall be changed, but He is the same. That shows that He is God: of the nature of God. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.21

Yet more of this contrast between Christ and the angels: “To which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.22

Thus, in the first chapter of Hebrews, Christ is revealed higher than the angels, as God; and as much higher than the angels as is God, because He is God. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.23

In the first chapter of Hebrews Christ is revealed as God, of the name of God, because He is of the nature of God. And so entirely is His nature of the nature of God, that it is the very impress of the substance of God. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.24

This is Christ the Saviour, Spirit of Spirit, substance of substance, with God. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.25

And this it is essential to know in the first chapter of Hebrews, in order to know what is His nature revealed in the second chapter of Hebrews as man. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.26

Study the first chapter of Hebrews over and over till this time next week, when we shall go further. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.27

“Editorial” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 50, p. 792.

THE Peking correspondent of the London Times says that Russia’s minister in China “refused to sign the demands” which the Powers supposed were agreed upon to be presented to China. Instead, he “caused to be conveyed to the Chinese envoys an intimation that Russia, ever actuated by sincere friendship for China, will insist upon an amendment to the terms in order to render them acceptable to China, the amendment being either a revision of the death clause by substituting a provision that the guilty shall be punished in a Chinese manner acceptable to the Powers, or that the terms shall not be irrevocable. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.1

“Present Truth” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 50, pp. 792, 793.

IN the REVIEW AND HERALD of July last, we said what was true then, what has been true ever since, what is true now, and what will always be true. What we then said is as follows:— ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.1

“Some have thought, in the things which we have had occasion to say concerning the apostasy of this republic, that we have been attacking the present administration; but this is a mistake. We have had nothing at all to do with the present administration as such, nor has any mention of it been made because it is the present administration. All that we have done is to call attention to the facts, and to that nature and the bearing of those facts, with respect to the making of the Image of the Beast. This we shall be obliged to continue to do, because events will continue to occur, bearing the same meaning, and to which it will be necessary to call attention, as elements which mark the fulfillment of the prophecy. And this will be so, whatever administration may be in power. If the present administration were to cease to-day, and another one were to take its place, we should be obliged to call attention to facts that would just as certainly be elements in the making of the Image of the Beast as any that so far have occurred. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.2

“This being the year of a presidential campaign, there are just now multitudes of people who hope, and are deliberately working, to bring about a change of administration. We do not pretend to any knowledge as to whether there will be, nor as to whether there should be, a change of administration. But we know that, even though a change of administration may be accomplished, there will be no check in the progress of the elements that go to the making of the Image of the Beast. If there should be a change in administration, much would be expected in the way of checking the present tide of imperialism. And, in such event, something might be done to check the present, particular phase of it. But where this particular phase might be checked, others would be established, and would progress just as swiftly toward that goal as the present course has been, or will be, progressing. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.3

“This thing consists not in administrations. It in no wise depends upon administrations, nor change of administrations. Neither change nor no change of administration can affect it; except, perhaps, to check some, while hastening other, features of the general apostasy of the republic. The evil is in the whole nation. The nation has lost the principle and the spirit of a republic: it has lost the faculty of self-government. And the force or effect of a change of administration, whether this year or later, can be fitly expressed in the words of Cicero, at the death of Cesar (which death, indeed, was accomplished to effect a change of administration, and so to have the Roman Republic from imperialism), when he exclaimed: “We have killed the king, but the kingdom is with us still. We have taken away the tyrant; the tyranny survives.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.4

Some of our readers, not having given to this statement proper attention, have misconstrued some things that the REVIEW has had to say, from time to time, of the course of the United States. They have thought that we were opposed to the present administration, and to the election of the present administration. But, from these plain words, published before the late campaign began, it is clear that any such thought is a misconstruction. We have printed is now again. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 792.5

Therefore, let us say, again, that we have not, and never shall have, anything at all to do or say for or against the present or any other administration in the government of the United States. We have not, and never shall have, anything to do or say about what the present or any other administration should or should not do. But when the present, or any other administration while we live, shall have done those things which are in fulfillment of prophecy concerning the nation, we have had, and shall ever expect to have, to call attention to it as an element in the fulfillment of prophecy. And when attention is thus called to those facts,—to those things which have been done,—it is only as facts that they are mentioned, and not at all with any thought of reflection or blame upon the persons in power, who, in their place and degree, and simply because they are in place, have to do with the facts—with that which has been done. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.1

Let us say again: The apostasy of this nation is not in administration: it is in the whole nation. The apostasy of this republic from the principles of its Constitution is not simply in the administration that happens to be at the capital of the nation: it is in the whole people that compose the republic. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.2

The nation is a republic, a government of the people. Therefore, the only way that there could be an apostasy of the nation, an apostasy of the republic, is by there being an apostasy of the people. The individual men who happen to be in administrative office at the capital of the nation are but the representatives of the people; and what they do they do in their representative capacity. And if they do what is unconstitutional; if they do what is unrepublican; if they take a course that is the reverse of the fundamental national principle,—they do it only as the representatives of the people, and the people are responsible. And when the individuals in administrative place do unconstitutional or unrepublican things, and the people let it go so, still it is true that those things are done by those individuals strictly as the representatives of the people: in the doing of it they do represent the people. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.3

Imperialism is not found alone, and should not be expected to be found alone, in a few men in representative place, at the capital of the nation. It is in the whole people of the nation. It is manifest in every hand. Nor is it a new thing which has sprung into existence within only the last two years. For years back of that it has been steadily growing, and steadily strengthening itself; and all that was needed was only occasion for it to show itself. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.4

The United States is a government only of the people. And the great reason why Rome is the standard of comparison for the course of things in this nation, is that Rome is the only nation of former times that was a republic—whose government was of the people. And, bear in mind, it is always true—so universally true that it is a principle—that, in representative governments, governments of the people, whosoever occupies administrative place is the representative of the people: whatever he is, he is the representative of the people. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.5

Does not everybody know that Julius Cesar was the pride and choice of the people? That Augustus Cesar, likewise, was lauded of the people, was officially chosen by representatives of the people, and was officially entitled “the father of the people”? That it was so with Tiberius also? Does not everybody know that Caligula was not only the pride and joy, but also the pet, of the people? that “prodigious crowds of people everywhere attending him, in transports of joy, calling him, besides other auspicious names, by those of ‘their star,’ ‘their chick,’ ‘their pretty puppet,’ and ‘bantling’”? And everybody knows, too, that Caligula, Tiberius, and Augustus, and others before and afterward, were fairly monsters of vice and deadly cruelty. Yet, for all this, they were the representatives of the people: and they did represent the people. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.6

And the main thing which causes it to be difficult for many of our readers to see the true bearing of what we have said and do say of the present course of things in this “government of the people,” is that they have not studied as they ought to study the actual course of things in that other great “government of the people.” Yet, nine years ago, the whole story was written out in full, and published, and so made easily accessible to all, in a book for the present time; that is, “The Two Republics, or Rome and the United States of America.” That book was the truth when it was published; and if all the REVIEW family, if all the Seventh-day Adventists, had truly studied that book through the seven years, up to 1898, they would have had no kind of difficulty whatever in seeing the true and full meaning of all these things which have come to pass, and which are steadily going on, and more of what are surely and swiftly to come to pass. But, having neglected all that, and so not knowing any of that story, nor of the principles involved, it is difficult now for these to see any meaning whatever in these occurrences—and, of all things, in the REVIEW AND HERALD’S having anything to say on the subject. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.7

The truth is that we are now saying, upon FACTS of daily occurrence, only that which, years ago, we said only upon PRINCIPLE and PROPHECY. We now say that the Beast is imperialism in religion; and that the Image of the Beast is imperialism in religion. We also say, now, that before there can be imperialism in religion, there must be imperialism in the State; and that therefore before there can be, and in order that there shall be, the Image of the Beast in its true working form in this nation, there must be imperialism in the State. And this is only what we said in but slightly different words, nine years, six months, and twenty-nine days ago. The exact words in which we so long ago said it are the following:— ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.8

This paper “exists for the sole purpose of exposing to the American people the movement for the establishment of a religious despotism here, after the model of the papacy. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.9

“But no religious despotism can ever be established over a free people. It were literally impossible to establish a religious despotism over the royal freemen who made the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.10

“This gradual but steady perversion and subversion of the genuine principles of this government as established by our forefathers, this steady inculcation of the principles of paternalism, is but sowing the seeds of a despotism,—whether of the many, of the few, or of ONE, it matters not,—which at the opportune moment will be joined by the political preachers; and out of the wicked alliance thus formed there will come the religious despotism in the perfect likeness of the one which was before.” ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.11

Thus it is as plain as anything can possibly be that what we are saying on these things in the REVIEW is simply and exactly what in all the past years we said everywhere. In those times these things were acknowledged to be of the Third Angel’s Message. And who that loves the Third Angel’s Message; who that hates the Beast and his Image; who that wishes to know the process and the progress of the making of the Image of the Beast; who that wants the world to be warned against the making and the worship of the Image of the Beast?—who of these would have it that these things should not now be said in the REVIEW AND HERALD? ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.12

Please study these things; for other events are to come, other facts are to occur. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 793.13

“Editorial Note” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 50, p. 794.

AT the preachers’ meeting in New York City a short time ago, a paper was presented on “The Ethics of Authorship.” In reporting it the regular New York reporter of the Christian Advocate calls for one on “The Ethics of the Publisher,” and says:— ARSH December 11, 1900, page 794.1

If an author holds himself down to clean, pure, honest writing, his manuscript is likely to be returned; whereas if he introduces something distinctly salacious, and gets it in, if possible, with the opening chapter, the probabilities are the book will be published at once, and will become immediately popular. And it is just at this point our own book concern has its most bitter competition. Never once has it descended from its high level. Its books are clean. They can be read without shame or reproach. And there are other publishing houses equally careful, but the number is few, and very few. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 794.2

Yes; there is needed instruction in “the ethics of publishers,” and even for professed Christian publishers. And this instruction, especially for the professed Christian publishers, must be nothing else than, to the very letter, the ethics of the sermon on the mount—the ethics of the law of God in all its broad intent. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 794.3

“Back Page” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 50, p. 800.

THE Presbyterians of the United States are discussing the proposal that their creed be revised. At its meeting in October, the presbytery of San Francisco, Cal., “agreed to the alteration of the phrasing of the sections relating to predestination, foreordination, and infant damnation. It was further recommended that the section referring to the pope as anti-christ be stricken out, and that the ban against the intermarriage between Presbyterians and papists be removed.” That is the great mischief of a human creed: it mixes up indiscriminately truth and error; and then, in this confusion of things, when revision must be made, the truth is equally to be swept away. Calvin’s predestination and infant damnation is a piece of as sheer satanic invention as ever was put into words by man. And that the Presbyterians should seek to close up the gulf that separates them from the papacy, is akin to it. ARSH December 11, 1900, page 800.1