The Signs of the Times, vol. 23

December 23, 1897

“Only as Shadow” The Signs of the Times, 23, 50.

E. J. Waggoner

Every shadow of darkness, every cloud of gloom, every fear of whatever kind, is simply the shadow of death, and of the devil. He has cast his hellish shadow over the world. Now, as Zacharias prophesied by the Holy Ghost at the birth of his son, the Lord has visited us and delivered us out of the hand of our enemies that we “might serve him without fear.” SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.1

He has delivered us from every tremor of fear, and hath sent the Dayspring from on high “to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.” If you have his life you have his light. What is there to be afraid of? To the one in Christ death itself is only a shadow. The sting is gone. Satan can cast the shadow over him, but there is nothing in a shadow to be afraid of. He is delivered from the power of darkness. He is going through an enemy’s land, whose weapons are all broken. He is going into a nest of scorpions, whose stings have been removed. He is going into a prison-house, the key of which is held by One who loves him. E. J. W. SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.2

“He Hath Blinded Their Eyes” The Signs of the Times, 23, 50.

E. J. Waggoner

“Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” John 11:39, 40. SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.3

Many people are more inclined to find doubt and despair in the Bible, than to find hope and comfort, although the Bible contains none of the former, and is full of the latter; so when they read the words of the prophet Isaiah, they at once begin to complain against God, and to say that he is unjust and partial, and they will feel sure that they can not believe, because God has made it impossible. SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.4

Now the Bible claims to be the Word of God. It exists for the sole purpose of revealing God to men, that they may see in him the One altogether worthy of worship and affection. Everybody knows that this is the object of the Bible, whether they believe what it says or not. That being the case, how can it be supposed that anything can be found in the Bible that would tend to depreciate God in the estimation of men? Considered from a human standpoint, and as a merely human production, no one would be so foolish as to write things derogatory to his hero, in a book published for the sole purpose of honoring him. We may therefore be sure that none of the men who had to do with the production of the Bible saw in such statements as the one first quoted anything except such goodness and mercy as is consistent with the character of an all-merciful God, a God who not only loves, but who is love. SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.5

That there is comfort in even such texts as that quoted from Isaiah, and that they were written for the sole purpose of producing hope and comfort, is proved by Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” And that the words of the prophet Isaiah do not teach that there are some who can not be saved even tho they wish to, is shown by the inspired words of Peter, concerning Christ: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43. SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.6

When we read that God has hardened the heart of any person, then we should read the story of Pharaoh. God hardened his heart; but every one who reads the account carefully, will see that it was only by the manifestation of kindness and mercy that he did it. When God sent judgments upon Pharaoh and his land, he humbled himself, and confessed his sin, promising repentance; but as soon as God showed him favor and prosperity came again, then his heart was hardened. It was because Pharaoh hated truth and righteousness that as soon as special mercy was manifested toward him he took advantage of it to sin yet more, “Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.” Isaiah 26:10. SITI December 23, 1897, page 786.7

Read the verses in connection with John 12:39, 40, together with the eleventh chapter, and you will see that the way the Lord blinded the eyes of the people was by sending great light to them, which was not according to their previous experience. Jesus declared himself to be the Light, and his mighty works had showed how great was the light. But the greater the work that he did, the more the people hated him and his teaching. Everybody knows the effect that great light has upon the eyes of those who are not accustomed to it; it blinds them, or causes them to close their eyes. The more they have accustomed themselves to live in the darkness, the more does the light blind them. SITI December 23, 1897, page 787.1

The Jews, like all the rest of the world, sat in darkness; but their blindness was even greater than that of the rest of mankind, because they had had great light; and everybody knows that the darkness is much more intense to one who goes out of the light into it, than to one who as always been in the dark. But while others came to the light that shone in the darkness when Jesus came, the Pharisees and the principal part of the Jews rejected him. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11. “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:20, 21. The Jews had loved darkness, and persisted in walking in darkness so long that the light was much more blinding to them than the darkness itself. SITI December 23, 1897, page 787.2

The very same statement by the prophet Isaiah we find thus quoted in Matthew 13:13-15: “Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” The same spirit of truth prompted Matthew to make this quotation from Isaiah, that moved Isaiah to write the words in the first place; therefore we know that what we read in Matthew is the exact meaning of what we read in Isaiah. God blinded the eyes of men, only by sending them wonderful light. SITI December 23, 1897, page 787.3

Is it therefore God’s fault that they can not see?—Not by any means. How can it be? If men complain because God shows mercy, what would they say if he manifested wrath? If they reject the love and mercy of God, what can he do for them? Shall we complain of God for sending light that caused men to close their eyes? Shall we say that if he had not sent light, they would not have closed their eyes? Well, what then? Is it better to have one’s eyes open in the pitchy darkness, where there is not a ray of light, than to have them shut in the sunshine? The last condition of the man is just the same as the first, and his possibilities are infinitely greater; for nobody can possibly see in the darkness, but all can see in the light if they will accustom their eyes to it. Let us open our eyes, and praise the Lord for bringing us “out of darkness into his marvelous light.” E. J. W. SITI December 23, 1897, page 787.4