VOL. II, NUMBER 11

The National MagazIne ofAMBASSADOR COLLEGE

NOVEMBER, 1952

How Would Jesus Votefor PRESIDENT?

This may he the most fateful presidential election in American Histo­ry. Christ's Message was concerned with the government of nations.Christians are those who follo·U' Christ. Here's what He would do.

by Herbert W. Armstrong

THE PRESIDENTIAL campaign is onfull blast. The issue of survival ofthe nation will fall squarely on the

shoulders of the next president.World war is now a daily threat.

Frightful atomic war. War that meansannihilation of civilization. America thisminute is in grave danger.

"In His Steps"

In such a momentous presidentialyear, what would Jesus Christ do aboutthis election if He were here as a native­born American?

Would He vote for Eisenhower?Would He use His great influence tokeep the Democrats at the helm in thisworld-crisis?

Many of you undoubtedly have readthe famous book, "In His Steps," by Dr.Charles M. Sheldon. It has been one ofthe all-time best-sellers. It is the storyof an entire congregation which set outto do, in all circumstances daily, just asJesus would do-to "follow His steps,"as we are admonished by Peter. My onlycriticism of the book is that its charac­ters, like most people who think theyfollow Jesus, acted as they supposedJesus would act instead of studying the

Bible to find out how He did act.The Apostle Paul said: "I am cruci­

fied with Christ: nevertheless I live; yetnor I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal.2: 20.) He admonished, "Let this mindbe in you, which was also in ChristJesus." (Phil. 2:5.) A person is notreally a Christian unless he followsChrist-acts as Christ would act-un­less Christ is living his life for him.

Christ Was Interested inGOVERNMENT

Few realize it, because they do nothear it today, but the GOSPEL OF CHRIST-the Gospel Jesus brought from Godand preached, was a message about gov­ernment!

Yes, Jesus was interested in govern­ment. His Message was about a govern­ment to RULE THE WORLD, and bring usWORLD PEACE!

But to understand it, we must take aquick, condensed flash-back of the gov­ernments of this world from its founda­tion until now. This is necessary for atrue perspective. We are prone to viewpolitics, government, and world eventsfrom the standpoint of this presentworld.

In the beginning, God created theheavens and the earth (Gen. 1: 1 ). Inrulership over this earth God sent anarchangel who sealed up the sum-totalof perfection, wisdom, and beauty. Histhrone was in Eden. He was ruler overa peaceful world populated by beingssuperior to humans-spirit beings calledangels. (Ezek. 28: 12-15.)

But as this brilliant shining "Star ofthe Dawn"-Lucifer-contemplated hisglory, pride lifted him up, ambitionseized him, and suddenly he became dis­satisfied with a rulership limited to onesingle planet. He became jealous ofGod, set his heart to rival the EternalCreator Himself, and left this planet ina war of conquest, in which a third ofhis angels followed him, attempting to

conquer and rule the universe. (Isa.14: 12-15; Rev. 12: 4.)

But he was cast back down to earthin defeat, disqualified even as earth ruler,tbo not to be detbro ned until a successoris both qualified and inaugurated in of­fice.

Just as the sins of the antediluvianworld brought physical destruction tothe earth by a flood; just as the fornica­tion of Sodom and Gomorrah brought

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physical destruction and chaos to thosecities by fire; just as the sins of the pres­ent evil world have doomed it to physi­cal destruction once again by fire, sothe sins of the angels caused the face ofthe earth to suffer great violence, and itbecame chaotic, in confusion, waste andempty (Gen. 1: 2) .

First Chance at World Rule

Then in six days God Almightybrought order out of chaos, created thepresent vegetable and animal life, andcreated upon earth a new race, the raceof human mortals. Adam was given ruleover the lower species-animals. Luci­fer, an archangel, had been given ruleover angels. But, while man was made alittle lower in status than angels, he wasmade in the image of God with possi­bilities, thru conversion, of being bornof God, and changed into immortal spiritbeings, higher in order than angels.

In the Garden of Eden was the treeof Life-symbolic of the Holy Spirit ofGod Himself, by which Adam couldhave been raised to this higher immortaland divine level.

First, Adam was given opportunity toqualify as WORLD RULER. He could havebecome successor to the former Lucifer,now re-named Satan (meaning Adver­sary, Rival, Aggressor). Adam was putto the test to determine whether hewould obey God and prove able to RULEwith God's Laws.

In the fateful test with Satan, Adamdisobeyed God, accepted the rule ofSatan over him-yielded to human pride,lust and greed. Thus he placed himselfand his children under the rule of Satan.He failed to overthrow Satan. He failedto prove he could obey God and carryout GOD'S government over those Godshould have placed under him.

Had Adam obeyed God and provedable to defeat Satan in this test, he couldhave partaken of the "Tree of LIFE"­he would have been begotten of GOD,later BORN of God, changed from mortalhuman to immortal and divine God, ofthe very family-the KINGDOM--ofGOD! All earth's mortals, as his children,would have been under his rule. Hewould have become world ruler forever!

But Adam placed himself and hischildren UNDER THE RULE OF SATAN.

Adam was driven from the Garden ofEden lest he take of rhe tree of life, andgain immortality (Gen. 3: 22). Thus henever received immortality, which is thegift of God by and thru His Holy Spirit.

Satin thus retained his rulership, thruinvisible sway of influence, temptation,and deception, over the world.

How Our Present System Started

JUSt how Satan manipulated humanmortals in the ways of government on

The GOOD NEWS

earth during the first 1600 or 1700years, there is no historic record. Weknow merely that with very few excep­tions humans under Satan's invisiblesway followed the course of human pas­sions, the wickedness of man was greaton the earth, and God destroyed all buteight souls by the Flood.

Noah and his descendants should havelearned their lesson, but they didn't,Satan found in one of the great-grand­sons of Noah, Nimrod, the grandson ofHam, a very able and powerful man whocould be "used" politically. Thru Satan'sinfluence, instilling great ambition thrugreed and pride, this Nimrod organizedthe people into a system of human gov­ernment, by which man ruled over mancontrary to the principles established byGod. Such government never could begood or bring blessings to humanity, butthe Eternal purposed to permit man tolearn that lesson by hard experience. Weare learning it still, and haven't learnedit yet.

Now notice how the present world'ssociety became organized.

Nimrod organized the present world'sfirst government-the city of BABYLON.

Later he organized Nineveh and othercities. He instituted the system of regi­mentation, whereby one or a few at thetop, by directing their efforts, profit fromthe sweat and labor of others.

Thus the BABYLONISH system of gov­ernment was started. Soon there weremany cities, each ruled by a king. Thenan ambitious king, swayed by Satan'sphilosophy, seeking more worlds to con­quer, organized a portion of his man­power into a fighting force and by ag­gression ruled over adjoining cities.Thus nations were born, and then Em­pires.

This BABYLONISH principle of gov­ernment, intertwined with economic ma­nipulation, has ruled the world eversince. It has ruled under various forms-whether called oligarchy, monarchy,dictatorship, autocracy, democracy, com­munism or nazism-but it's the sameold BABYLONISH PRINCIPLE underslightly different modes of administra­tion.

And this is the origin of what we callCIVILIZATION. Its forms of adminis­tration have undergone change in theconstant struggle and turmoil-in therise and fall of empires, of cultures, ofrival modes of political, economic, re­ligious, or social administration. But itsbasic principle has remained the same­the principle of competition and strife,based upon greed and vanity.

Regardless of the form in which itappears here or there, it is a systembased upon exploitation of the people,aggression, regimentation, delusion anddeception. And the entire system is

November, 1952

founded on the idea of huddling peOPletogether in crowded cities.

Since it is the system of strife and .competition, each of the four phases ofthis Civilization-political, economic, reoligious, and social-has striven constam.ly to dominate and rule. In ancientRome the politicians ruled over theChurch, Business, and Society. Then aft.er 554 A.D., the Church ruled over theState, Business, and Society. In America,where we are supposed to rule ourselves,it has been a constant struggle for dom­inance between Big Business and thepoliticians. In Russia today a small groupof godless atheistic Marxists have set upa political Dictatorship manipulated bystirring up class hatreds, inducing thelaboring class to feel downtroddenenough to put in the saddle this Dic­tatorship pretending to rule for the ben­efit of this one class.

But regardless of the particular formof administration, this CIVILIZATION

which holds the entire world in its or­ganized grip today is the same oldBABYLONISH SYSTEM started at theoriginal BABYLON by Nimrod!

"Babylon" means CONFUSION. Com­petition and strife have produced con­fusion in the world. And God is not theauthor of confusion (1 Cor. 14: 33).

Should Christians Strive to MakeThis a BETTER WORLD?

Now we come to the reason for need­ing a true perspective.

Most churchmen today, viewingeverything from the perspective of THIS

WORLD TODAY, blindly assume this isGod's world. They see certain forces ofevil in it, and these they feel they mustoppose. They see the Christian duty tobe that of working to make this a betterworld.

That concept is a wrong viewpointaltogether.

This is not a world of God's making.This is SATAN'S world! Satan is the in­visible god of this world. He is theauthor of its organization, its basic phi­losophies, its systems of government,business, society-yes, AND RELIGIONS!

This thing we boast of as CIVILIZA­TION is, in actual fact, Satan's handi­work, not God's! Strange as it mayseem, that is true!

All nations-not just the heathenpowers, bur all nations, including ours,are DECEIVED, swayed, led, by Satan.(Rev. 12:9; 18:3; 20:2-3.) The Biblespeaks of this world as "this presentEVIL WORLD." (Gal. 1: 4.)

Did Jesus Come to Make Thisa BETTER WORLD?

Into such a world, in His own duetime, God sent forth His own Son, born

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HOW and WHEN ChurchFestivals were Changed

Here is the astonishing eye-opening history, thoroughlydocumented, now published for the first time.

by Herman L. Hoeh

FOR CENTURIES a continuous andviolent controversy has raged overthe observance of religious days.

This controversy still exists today.Multitudes of conflicting sects claim

that Sunday, with its eucharist, commun­ion or Lord's supper, is a divinely insti­tuted day for Christians.

Controversy exists over Easter, Christ­mas, saint's days, Pentecost or Whit­sunday, All Souls' -day, the feasts of theAnnunciation, the Assumption and oth­ers as sacred occasions. Are all, some, ornone of these, "Christian" institutions?

This problem is vitally important. Itinvolves the fundamental teachings andtraditions of opposing religious denominations which claim to follow JesusChrist. For centuries the Catholic Churchdeemed it essential to salvation thatmany days and feasts be held sacred.Protestants are in great confusion as toexactly which days are obligatory andhow these days came to be observed. Afew affirm the sanctity of the Sabbathbut reject the Holy Days given by Godto His people.

But the disagreement is not simplyamong the millions who believe it is es­sential to observe special days. Thereare thousands of individuals and groupswhich maintain that it is absolutelywrong to celebrate any day whatever.Certain other sects, which pass tracts onstreet corners, contend that it does notmatter which days are to be regardedas sacred.

The Scripture CANNOT SUPPORT eachof these contradictory ideas.

What is the truth?

WHY Churches Disagree

Certainly the contradicting tracts,pamphlets and books cannot all be cor­rect. False teaching must have creptinto Christianity at some time sinceJesus founded the original, true church.

Every sect c.l.mirs this.Each believes that at s'1rpe particular

time certain teachings contrary witsparticular renents crept into Christianity.When did these errors arise and by

whom? What denominations are teach­ing error today? What is the "faithwhich was once delivered unto thesaints"? (Jude 3) These are questionsthat must be answered!

How to Find the TRUTH

It is our purpose to examine and ex­plain the historical records of the Bible.Scripture gives the only inspired ac­count of the practices of the early churchbecause it was written by the inspiredleaders of that church. The letters ofPaul were recognized by Peter to be in­spired "scripture" (2 Peter 3: 16).

Then the councils and early writingsof the Catholic Church must be searchedto reveal the practice and heresies of socalled Christianity in the following cen­turies. This is one of the most misunder­stood portions of history ever to be re­corded. Most Catholics and Protestantsnever learn what occurred in those earlychurch councils.

Also the findings of secular history,which are often disputed by certainsects, will aid in determining exactlywhat teachings bear the stamp of Bibli­cal truth, and which are errors andsuperstitions veiled under the name ofChrist.

Too often it is the policy of certainchurch teachers to contuse people. Min­isters KNOW that if they can keep theirfollowers confused, that they will con­tinue in the religious customs learnedfrom childhood. These leaders know thathuman beings are not inclined to changereligious beliefs when their minds arein confusion. Churches perpetuate faultycreeds rather than allow their adherentsto examine with an open mind the fol­lowing facts of Scripture and history.

But no one needs to remain in doubtor ignorance. The facts can be known.To neglect these facts is tantamount torejecting the Bible revelation.

The time has come to present thetruth, from whatever source it may beobtained. Instead of seeking to provespecial preconceived arguments, the dec­laration of the apostle Paul must be fol-

lowed: "Prove all things; hold fast thatwhich is good" (I Thess. 5: 21 ) .

Common Teachings False

The vast numbers of pamphlets andbooks written on the observance of re­ligious' days are utterly lacking intruth. They deceive the people becausemost readers are unable to distinguishthe true facts from the "wished-to-be-be­lieved" facts or preconceived notions.False doctrines are often due to unwill­ingness on the part of many writers toexamine all sources of information. Thereason for this lack of all the fac~s is thefear that creeds and dogmas will notstand the full light of penetrating re­search.

Modern critics follow the trend of theag~. They do not accept or trust theScripture as the revelation of God toman. That is why they have not present­ed the correct answers with all theirscholarliness and abundance of facts.They grope in the darkness of conflict­ing historical evidence without any surefoundation.

Even those few books which containPART of the truth are highly inadequate.Half the truth can be as misleading astotal error, for the very reason that itseems to be so near the truth.

HOW to Learn the Whole Truth

Where did Christians acquire the cus­tom of observing Christmas, Easter, theAssumption, Halloween and other days?

The only way to understand the truthabout church days and fesrival.~ is to

find the origin of the present differencesof practice. The very beginning of hu­man civilization is involved. Strange asit may seem, the observance of days didNOT start with the church in the NewTestament.

Without examining ancient civiliza­tion, and the days held sacred by heathennations, it is impossible to arrive at thecorrect conclusions. Why? Here is theanswer!

"Many of the holy days in the religiouscalendar of Christendom were borrowed,

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as is well known, from the public festi­vals, of ancient nations" ( Webster, RestDays, page 306).

The question of tradition must beexamined. Catholics and even many Prot­estants acknowledge that Christian prac­tice cannot be understood without it.Many Protestants hold that the Bibleshould be the only standard. By others,tradition is accepted in determiningchurch festivals. If tradition, then whichtraditions are .correcr? There is muchdisagreement on this point betweenProtestants and Catholics. The formeraccept only a small portion of the mul­titudinous traditions of the CatholicChurch.

Did Jesus give the apostles the right,as Catholics believe, to introduce dif­ferent days from those He Himself ob­served? How far are Christians expectedto follow the example of the life ofJesus?

Was Paul commissioned by Jesus toalter the days that the Gentile churcheswere to hold sacred?

The Protestant attitude is that theCatholic church has not preserved thetruth of the Bible whole and inviolate.The reformers supposedly purified thefaith.

Then, why all this disagreementamong Protestants? Are they really con­tinuing false practices instead of the"faith once delivered"?

Also bear this in mind. The practiceof the Christian world has never beenthe same through all ages. The Bibleteaches that it does matter what one be­lieves. We must know once and for alltime, exactly what festivals the Bibledeclares to be right, and which tradi­tions, if any, are to be followed.

The Church in the Heathen WorIdThe early church developed under the

guidance of the apostles during the dec­ades when the Roman Empire was at itsfull power. She had to meet the greatRoman civilization with its civil, socialand religious customs that were oftendiametrically opposed to the teachingsof Jesus. To convert men and womensteeped in heathen rites necessitated thepower of God and an understanding ofthe ideas of the surrounding heathenworld.

What was that world, with its heathenholidays, really like? Did the churchmeet it with compromise?

No one can fully understand todayhow the early Christians dealt withpaganism until it is first grasped whatthose pagan customs were and how theydeveloped. What was basically wrongwith heathenism?

Origin of HeathenismModern evolutionists and skeptics

picture heathen ideologies as the pro-

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gressn/e cultural acts of man as he de­veloped beyond his bestial tendencies.Nearly every child has been indoctrinat­ed in the first years of grammar schoolwith fascinating stories supposedly ex­plaining his own "primitive" ancestors'superstitions when the magnitude ofcreation was first visualized.

If the truth would be known, civiliza­tion did not develop in this way. Rather,the overwhelming evidence of historyand archeology verifies a different-asurprising-account of the origin ofheathen civilization. It began forty-twocenturies ago with Nimrod and his asso­ciates in the Middle East. Not tens ofthousands of years previously, as evolu­tionary theories purport to explain.

The apostle Paul, in the first chapterof Romans, gives a precise, vital sum­mary of the real beginning of heathen­ism-those customs that surrounded theearly church in the days of the RomanEmpire. Here is what he writes about thewise and dignified ancients and paganphilosophers:

"Because that, when they knew God,they glorified him not as God, neitherwere thankful; but became vain in theirimaginations, and their foolish heartwas darkened. Professing themselves tobe wise they became fools, and changedthe glory of the uncorruptible God intoan image made like to corruptible man. . . Who changed the truth of God intoa lie, and worshipped and served thecreature more than the Creator. . . Andeven as they did not like to retain Godin their knowledge, God gave them overto a reprobate mind . . ." (Romans 1:21-32).

Here is the origin of Roman society!It was developed by men who "knew

God." Who "changed the truth of Godinto a lie." Who "did not like to retainGod in their knowledge." God wa-s NOT

unknown by the ancients.Notice that the apostle Paul pictures

the founders of civilization as doing thisin their human wisdom. They wanted toglorify God in their own way. It seemedright to them. Paganism is not a societyof deliberate evil, but of what appearsto be right to the natural man. Heathen­ism is what men want to do, not whatthey ought to do. It is a mixture ofgood and evil.

There was not a single phase of lifethat remained untouched by human con­tamination-the desire on the part ofhuman beings to develop a society inopposition to God's way. Heathen cus­toms ever since the building of the tow­er of Babel (Genesis 11) have affectedthe social, political, economic and re­ligious life of all people to this veryday. The great men who founded an­cient civilizations "liberated" men fromGod. They received in return honor and

November, 1952

even worship as mighty leaders "before"or "in place of" the Lord (Genesis 10;9). They were later deified as "gods,"says Alexander Hislop, in The TwoBabylons.

Because the ancient founders of civili- I

zation didn't want to retain God in theirknowledge, their understanding becameperverted. They garbled and pervertedstories of the creation, of the garden ofEden and life before the deluge. Thesetraditions were combined with the livesof those heroes and became the myths ofantiquity. Modern sceptics believe myth­ology "is man's first effort to know hisGod" (Bullfinch's Age of Fable, p. ix):In reality it is the degraded and corrupt­ed remains of the recorded episodes andexploits of men who, knowing God,turned the truth of God into a lie! Thesedeified heroes were soon clothed withthe splendor of the stars and planetsthat were symbolic of their attributes.Thus the heavens bear the names ofheathen deities or heroes to this day.

The Heathen Knew About theSabbath!

The Bible records the fact that an­cient nations at one time knew of Godbefore they descended into gross idol­atl'y with the rebellion at the tower ofBabel. They knew He was the Creator.

One of His acts in being Creator, ac­cording to the second chapter of Gene­sis, was the hallowing of the seventhday. "And God blessed the seventh day,and sanctified it; because that in it hehad rested from all his work which Godcreated and made" (Genesis 2: 3 ) .

Jesus declared to the Pharisees thatthe Sabbath was made for man. Notthe Jews alone, but for man and henceat man's creation. Man was not made toserve the Sabbath, but the Sabbath wasmade to be a blessing for man (Mark2: 27). In declaring His law, God toldthe Israelites to "remember the Sabbathday, to keep it holy.... For in six daysthe Lord made heaven and earth, thesea, and all that in them is, and restedthe seventh day: wherefore the Lardblessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed !

it" (Exodus 20:9-11). The Sabbath daythat God blessed according to Genesis2 was the seventh day. It was hallowedat creation for man, not just Israel only.

Now, the Bible declared that the Sab­bath was from the beginning, not justfrom the time of Moses. Since Paul saysthat the heathen originally knew God,but turned the truth into a lie afterward,then there ought to be some recordwherein the ancient heathen nationsrecognized that at creation, long beforeMoses was born, God set apart the sev­enth day as .1 rest or holy day. Is theresuch a record?

Yes!

November, 1952

In the library of Asshur-bani-pal ofAssyria, many clay tablets have beenfound relating the epic of creation ac­cording to the limited knowledge of theBabylonians. One of these tablets reads:

I "On the seventh day He appointed aholy day, and to cease from all businessHe commanded" (Henry H. Halley,Pocket Bible Hdndbook, p. 64).

Here is absolute proof from the an­cient records collected by this AssyrianKing that the Babylonians knew God setapart the seventh day as a holy day atCreation, not at the time of Moses.

But how long did they observe orpreserve the knowledge of it?

Heathen Lose Sabbath

It has long been the fancy of scepticsand critics that Moses derived the Sab­bath from ancient Babylonia. This ideahas been almost totally abandoned asmore truth comes to lighc. God gave theSabbath to the world at creation, but theworld after the deluge lost it. Within afew generations the seventh day, whichwas originally ordained for joy and restfrom physical labor, became a day ofsuperstition in the few heathen nationsin which it was remembered.

Here is what happened. The Sabbathwas disassociated-separated from thetrue week-according to most modernscholars. It became connected with themonth. The early Babylonians divided"the first 28 days of each month into fourweeks terminating respectively on the7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day, and bymaking the first week of the new monthalways begin with the new moon." Theseventh day of each Babylonian weekwas called a shabattum, the pagan cor­ruption of the Sabbath. Kings, doctorsand others were to refrain from certainlabors as displeasing to the deity on the7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and certain otherdays of each month. (EncyclopaediaBiblica, T. K. Cheyne and J. SutherlandBlack, editors, pp. 5290,4179.)

Thus the true Sabbath was changedinto periods of ill omens. And no won­der! The heathen originally knew thejust "judgment of God" against thosewho violated His laws (Romans 1: 32) .When once the true Sabbath wasChanged, God became the UnknownOne. Displacing Him from their minds,the nations began to fear their hero­gods on days they made for themselves.With passing centuries all semblance ofthe true Sabbath was lost to the heathen,although many near eastern nations didpreserve a corrupt form of a seven dayweek.

Of this preservation of a form of theweek among middle eastern nations,Smith's Bible Diet 'onary, page 745, says:"Its antiquity is so great, its observanceso widespread ... that it must probably

The GOOD NEWS

be thrown back as far as the creation ofman. The week and the Sabbath arethus as old as man himself."

The Roman civilization at the timeof the early church was just beginningto recover a knowledge of the week andof the Sabbath (through the dispersedJews). The Romans had previously de­parted so far from God that they lostthe week. Any period of time less thana month was measured by the lunarides, the kalends and the nones. (Web­ster, Rest Days, p. 170.)

True Origin of "Church" Festivals

The early Christians encounteredscores of festivals in the Roman Empire.These days had their idolatrous begin­ning two thousand years prior in Meso­potamia, where the original Babylon waslocated. Pagan feasts with their manycustoms were commemorative festivalsordained to the honor of the heroes whofounded human civilization contrary tothe ways of God, and who formed theirown religious beliefs by mrning thetruth of God into a lie.

These holidays depicted episodes inthe lives of the apostates Nimrod, Semir­amis, Tammuz and others. Under theinfluence of Satan, they organized acounterfeit plan of redemption to de­ceive the world in order to acquire pow­er for themselves. This Babylonish sys­tem of religion and government wassecretly explained by the ancient mys­teries against which Paul warned thetrue church (2 Thessalonians 2: 7 ). Thisancient pagan system had to be mysteri­ous. The patriarchs were still alive. Thetruth of God was known, as Paul states,(Romans 1: 25 ). The truth had to beturned into a lie with stealth.

The glory of the planets and stars wassoon connected with the "glorious" ex­ploits of these leaders whose namesare still affixed to them (Deur. 4: 19 ) .Hence the pagan commemorative festi­vals were associated with the movementsof the heavenly bodies very early in his­tory. Nimrod became Baal the sun-god,mentioned so frequently in the OldTestament. This sun-worship coveredall nations of heathendom.

The Family of Nimrod

The death of Nimrod and his tradi­tional rebirth through Tammuz, the sonof the Queen of heaven, according tothe lying mysteries, was commemoratedat the winter solstice when the "rebirth"or annual rising of the sun occurs in theheavens. This festival of Babylon evenreached Rome where it was called theSaturnalia (December 17-24) and pre­ceded the Brumalia (December 25).Associated with this festival were ever­green trees, the fir in Rome ana thepalm in Egypt, and the giving of gifts,

Page 5

says Hislop in The Two Babylons, p. 97.Why do these peculiarly pagan cus­

toms now prevail among Christians atthe same time of year?

Yes, why? Did the original purechurch which abhorred idolatry finallygraft idolatrous customs into the church?

Together with Nimrod was Semira­mis, his wife, the self-appointed Queenof heaven. In the Old Testament she istermed Asbteroth; in Assyria she wascalled lsbtar; by the pagan Germans,Ostara; by our Anglo-Saxon ancestors,Eastre (Hislop, pp. 103-113). At Rome,where her name was Cybele, spring fes­tivals were held in her honor, accom­panied by the customary use of bunsand dyed eggs (Hislop, p. 108).

Today these same customs prevail inChristendom at the same time of year.Why? Are these customs part of thefaith once delivered? Or were they add­ed afterward in an apostatizing churchage? The truth of history which willfollow makes the answer to this ques­tion so plain that there shall be no doubtin anyone's mind.

Tammuz, an illegitimate son of Semir­amis, became the great mediatorial sonof the sun-god, supposedly begotten ofthe spirit of Nimrod after his death.Semiramis and Tammuz were the origi­nal Mother and Child which have be­come so prominent in Catholic worship.After the death of Tammuz, "a Lent offorty days was held in the spring" inthe Roman Empire, as elsewhere, incommemoration of him (Hislop, P:105). The prophet Ezekiel saw this veryidolatrous practice occurring in Jerusa­lem (Ez, 8: 14) .

By whose authority is this same fortyday period of Lent celebrated in somany churches in honor of the death ofChrist instead of Tammuz? Did Paulteach this adaption of idolatrous cus­toms? Or did he forbid it? How did theoriginal true church in the days of theapostles regard these days that were thencelebrated by the pagans in the RomanEmpire?

Hundreds of Festivals

The major feasts just mentioned werebut a minute number of the hundreds ofidolatrous and licentious occasions ob­'served in the pagan world into whichthe early church spread. Most festivalshad their real origin in Babylon fromwhence they travelled eastward andwestward engulfing all civilization.

These holidays, now found in Chris­tendom, were Satan-inspired memorialsof pagan traditions-memorials whichanticipated by two thousand years thebeginning of the true plan of God. Theaverage Roman, of course, saw no harm

Please continue on page 16

Page 6 The GOOD NEWS November, 1952

Herbert W. ArmstrongPublisher and Editor

Heart to Heart TalkWith the Editor

Sent free on personal request, as theLord provides. Address cornrnunica­rions tu the Editor, Box Ill, Pasadena,California.

Copyright, October, 1952By Ambassador College

sunshine, also necessary? Here we haveman, air, water, food, sunshine-all nee.essary in harmonious association. Yet noone of these had anything co do withbringing about the presence of any orh­er. How did all these-and many othernecessary factors-all come co be pro­vided and joined together on this planetin exactly the manner required to supplyJ!our needs, that you may live, accom­plish, and find happiness? How, unlessan All-Wise, All-Powerful, Benevolentand REAL God planned it, created it, setit in motion, and now keeps it going?

There are things that YOU need!Among them are fresh air, sunshine,water, and food. And these things areall active-the very Power who createdthem keeps them in motion-NOW! TheCreator is active, TODAY! He is REAL!Is He not more real than that He pro­duces and acts upon? Of course!

But there are many other things youneed! How about the need of wisdomand guidance when important decisionswhich may alter your whole life are atstake? How about needing a Great Pow­er that can, and will if you are in con­tact ancl ask it ;: give you favor in theeyes of another when disfavor couldcause you great trouble? How about theneed of an all-powerful Friend to de­liver yuu from real or threatened calam­ity or loss? How about One co turn cowhen you are about to lose a loved one,or in time of grief? How about theneed of One who is both able and will­ing to prosper you, cause things co turnout right for you, guide you and protectyou through life? How about the needof One who has inherent immortalityand is able and willing co impart ETER­NAL LIFE to you as His gift?

Yes, there are other things you NEED!You stand in greater NEED than youprobably ever stopped to realize! Andthe One who sends the rain-and thesunshine-upon the just and unjust alike-who provides food, and air, and otherbasic necessities for all, is more REALthan what He provides-and just asable and willing to establish PERSONALCONTACT and continuously supply yourevery other need as well-including de­liverance from every trouble, wisdom,guidance, faith in place of worry, assur­ance in place of doubt, security in placeof uncertainty, favor in the sight of oth­ers, healing when sick-all these andcountless other needs He stands com­mitted to supply, because HE HAS PROM­lS12D--upon condii ion yuu become His,establish and maintain contact, trustHim and obey Him!

GOD is more real than you or l--orany of the things abort us.

Why, then, does He seem so far away,until it seems He has faded in the dis-

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Herbert W. Armstrong analyzes to­day's news, with the prophecies ofThe WORLD TOMORROW!

'The WORLD TOMORROW"

RADIO LOG

"WHY? Here's a living, moving, realphenomenon. What causes it? How didthe process get started? What keeps theprocess perpetually in motion? Is therenot a Great Mind, a Supreme Intelli­gence, an Omnipotent Power-more realthan this thing He produces and causesto grow in such marvelous manner­actually present, and acting upon thesevery real things, keeping them alive andin motion.

Everywhere we see life, motion, RE·ALITY! Here it is, close and real-andliving! And most wonderful of all isyour own self-the marvelous mecha­nism of your body, and still more won­derful, your mind-performing all itsfunctions. And about you is every needco keep you fed, breathing, living. Didthis all happen by accident?

Out of the ground grows vegetation-food. On or our of the ground comeswater. A layer of air is provided aroundthe solid earth. What--or Who-pro­vided this? Did the air produce the manwho needs to breathe it? Or did theman produce the food to satisfy hisneed? Or the food provide the water toaccompany it in susraining the life ofthe man? Did any of these provide the

NUMBER 11VOL. II

Herman L. Hoeh, Executive Editor

Rod Meredith, Norman Smith,Raymond Cole, Marion McNair,Raymond McNair, Wayne Cole

Associate Editors

Calvin Allen, Campus Editor

Kenneth Herrmann, Science Editor

Dick Armstrong, Picture Editor

The national magazine of

AMBASSADOR COLLEGE

ministering to The Church of Godscattered abroad, and

reporting on campus happenings

I WONDER how many of my readersare like one who said to me recent­ly: "Well, I'll tell you why I'm

not a Christian. It isn't that I don'tbelieve in God or in being converted­I believe it, all right-and I've oftenwanted to be a Christian-but somehowit just all seems so FAR OFF-So UN·REAL."

Tonight I cur a large slice of water­melon and ate it. It was delicious-andI was sure it was real. It didn't seem faroff, mysterious, unreal. The things wesee, and handle, come in constantdaily contact and association with allseem REAL.

Yes, this slice of watermelon wasreal. But I thought, as I worked to ex­tricate the seeds,

"What caused these seeds co grow in­side this melon? Out of the ground,from another seed, sprouted a vine, andon the vine a tiny watermelon beganto form, and as it grew these seeds de­veloped inside it. And if we keep onplanting and growing watermelons forten thousand years those seeds, whichwill sprout more watermelons, will con­tinue to develop inside every water­melon.

November, 1952

ranee? Why does He seem mysteriousand unreal? Why do the objects withwhich you come in daily contact, your

I friends, your pleasures, seem more real-when actually they are less so?

You may say, "Because I can see, feel,and hear these things or people."

But that is not really the reason at all.You don't see the air you breathe, but

it seems very real to you. You cannotI see, or hear, or feel the power of gravity,

yet it seems very real to you, and youknow that if you slip it will pull youdown in a fall that might hurt you­you know that if you let go of and dropa sack of eggs the power of gravity willpull them down and break them.

Perhaps you say, well, these thingsare real to me because they are close tome. But that is not the reason. GOD is as

I close as any of these-He, too, is REAL,and He is CLOSE! Yet He seems unrealand far away!

Now let me tell you the REAL REA­SON.

If you are away from a childhoodchum for 35 or 40 years, never hearfrom or about that person in all thattime-totally out of contact-he finallyseems like a faint, dim, far-off dreamor ngmenr of imagination. He doesn'tseem REAL any more.

But, if there is another childhoodchum you also have not seen in the same35 or 40 years, but with whom you havekept constantly in touch all these years-constantly corresponded, even talkedover long distance telephone frequently,heard about from mutual friends whohave been with this old chum-thenthat friend, even tho you have not seenhim, will seem still real, and close.

God seems unreal and far away onlyto those who have not established, andare not actively maintaining close per­sonal contact! It is not a matter of dis­tance or visibility-it is a matter ofCONTACT.

Even though you read the Bible, andpray-if you have not established per­sonal contact with God, you just won'tunderstand much of the Bible or bemuch interested in it, and your prayerswill not seem to go as high as the ceil­ing! You can't keep up a contact whichhas never yet been established!

Yet God is the SOURCE of everything!-of your EVERY NEED! In HIM youmust live, and move, and have your be­ing-and you have never yet BEGUN toreally live until you are living in Him!You are now making mistakes you wouldnot make if you had I lis guidance­mistakes which are costly, and fromwhich you suffer! You are sufferingpains, heartaches, fears, troubles, becauseyou have not established contact withthe only One who can help you! YouNEED HIM!

The GOOD NEWS

And you can find Him, if you'll seekHim-you'll find Him CLOSE, not faraway. But something has been standingBETWEEN you and Him-a far greaterbarrier than a literal iron curtain. Yoursins have formed an impregnable wall,so that you can't establish contact-can't'reach-can't enjoy communion with theOne you need most of all! And yoursins are your transgressions of His lov­ing LAW-His great immutable spiritualLaw given in love to bring to mankindsuccess, accomplishment, peace, happi­ness, and joy! In breaking the law youhave severed yourself from these goals,too!

Yet THAT GREAT WALL CAN BE BAT­TERED DOWN-instantly-NOW! Thereneed be no delay. God in His wisdomand mercy knew you would sin andseparate yourself from Him. He pro­vided a way for you. He GAVE His onlybegotten Son to pay the penalty youhave incurred in your stead!

It matters not how BLACK your pasthas been. No matter how terrible aresome of these secret sins you have neverconfided to anyone. They don't need tostand between you and your greatestNEED, which is God. Jesus Christ wasmade flesh, and He who never sinneddied to pay the penalty of all your guilt,Why then should you carry this guiltaround on your conscience any longer?Why let it separate you from God? It isevery bit of it PAID IN FULL, by theblood of Jesus Christ-His very life­blood. But God Almighty resurrectedHim to eternal LIFE, and today Helives as YOUR LIVING SAVIOUR fromyour guilty past, if yOll will accept Himas such!

If you want.to find God-be a Chris­tian-you can-and here's how: First,you'll have to REPENT-turn from theold life of sinning, and surrender yourSELF wholly to God-give your life toHim, to serve Him and to live by Hisperfect laws and right ways that willbring you only blessings. You'll have tobe IN EARNEST, for no one can deceiveGod. Then, ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST asyour personal Savior. Don't put it off.Don't say, "I don't know how," but DOIT NOW! Take the "bull by the horns"and DO IT-you know you ought to,so exercise your WILL and DO IT! Justgo to a room ALONE-close the door­and with no one else around, except justyou and God alone-GIVE YOURSELFTO HIM, ask Him to FORGIVE all yourpast sins-confess them to Him (not toany human' being) -and then just say-yes, SAY IT: "I here and now acceptJESUS CHRIST as my Personal Saviour."Everything may be HARD, until you SAYTHAT-but the minute you say thosewords, the unseen power that has causedyou to hesitate, and put it off, and, has

Page 7

made it seem so difficult (the power ofthe devil), will let loose, and YOU'LLBE FREE-you'll know you are nowcoo's-i-rhe contact will be ESTABLISHED!You call talk to Him, and HE WILL

HEAR! You can pour out your heart toHim, and He will LISTEN-and com­fort, and come close and give you whatyou NEED.

Jesus Christ came into this world anddied to reconcile YOU to God the Father-to join you to Him-to establish con­tact for you! Accept this, and know theGREAT PEACE that will come over yoursoul!

Then you must be baptised-not intoany religious denomination or organiza­tion, but into CHRIST JESUS. If thereis no one locally in your town who cando this for you the Bible way, write tome. I will help you if I can.

Then God PROMISES to put His spiritin you-to give you, and radiate fromyou a LOVE you never had, a new FAITH,PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING. Thru HisSpirit you will be given power for self­mastery. Power to understand the Bible.

You accept Christ, and receive God'sHoly Spirit by FAITH. Believe you arenow HiS-KNOW it-and then keeptip the contact now established! You dothis thru constant daily Bible study andprayer. God talks to you thru His Word.You talk to Him in prayer. It is a two­way conversation. Thru it you BECOMEACQUAINTED--get to KNOW God, andwhere once He seemed far away andunreal, He will now seem close, andreal! KEEP IT UP! You'll experiencean inner joy you didn't dream couldexist-you'll have a HELP that is real inevery time of need.

You won't be perfect all at once.You'll still have your SELF to wrestlewith, Trials, tests, afflictions, persecu­tions will come-but now you'll havean ever-present HELP and deliverance­a constant Source of inspiration, andcourage, and power-an inner peace andfaith-and you'll live the full and ABUN­DANT life for the first time, with assur­ance of LIFE ETERNAL. Don't becomediscouraged and give up, though, whenyou have made a slip. You'll be startingout as a spiritual BABE in Christ. Babiesstumble and fall down many times be­fore they learn to walk. Don't let thatdiscourage you-get up and try all theharder. And, as you continue the CHRIS­TIAN LIFE, the Bible and God's waywill become a new, and the supreme,INTEREST of your life!

The main thing is, don't let ANY­THING cause you to hesitate or delay.Just "take the bull by the horns." GOAND DO IT NOW!

WHY Must Men Suffer?ffMany are the affiictio1lS of the righteous," says Scripture. WHY? "I am the Eternal

. I create evil," says lsa. 45:5,7. HOW can this be? Who was responsiblefor Adam's sin? Did Satan thwart God's purpose? Was God unable to

prevent it? The real meaning of the story of JOB brings the true answer.

by Herbert W. Armstrong

W HY DOES God permit war? WHYdoes God allow human suffer­ing and misery? "If God is

GOOD-if God is LOVE-if He is MER­CIFUL, He would not wish for peopleto suffer," is the reasoning of many hu­mans. "And if He is ALMIGHTY," theyconclude, "He could, and would preventit."

What's wrong with this reasoning?

Is GOD Author of EVIL?

Years ago a post-office clerk came to

me with a question."I have asked every preacher in town

(Q explain this Scripture," he said, "andnot one of them can. Let's see if youcan."

Then he quoted from the 45th chap­ter of Isaiah.

"I am the ETERNAL, ... there is noGod beside me. . . . 1 form light andcreate darkness: I make peace a·nd createevil: I the ETERNAL do all these things."

"There!" he exclaimed. "God says hecreates evil. How do you explain that?"

I gave him the true explanation,which I now give you in this article. Itis also the explanation of what is called"the original fall."

The common idea is that God createdthe first man perfect, complete, immor­tal. But when God wasn't looking, Satanentered, succeeded in overthrowing theman, wrecking God's perfect creation,thwarting God's purpose, upsettingGod's plan. Consequently God wasforced to figure Out some new plan fortepairing the damage. Redemption, peo­ple believe, is that plan-Gad's effort torestore man back to a condition as goodas Adam before the fall.

What Men Don't Understand

Either this common idea is true, orthe only alternate possibility, -that Godknew in advance that Satan wouldtempt, and Adam would sin-that it wasall a part of God's original PURPOSE andPLAN-that God expressly permitted it,and that God therefore is RESPONSIBLEFOR IT!

And the preachers, the churches, andthe professing Christian people of this

world simply cannot believe this! Yet,to reject it makes Satan more cunning,more powerful than God. The commonidea represents Satan as outsmartingGod.

What men do not understand isGOD'S PURPOSE, and GOD'S PLAN for ac­complishing His great purpose.

Yes, God is responsible! And beingresponsible, God will see to it-He andHe alone is responsible for accomplish­ing His great original purpose. All thathas happened is a necessary part of thatgreat design. Satan can do nothing Goddoes not allow. "My purpose shall stand,"says God.

There is NO CONTEST being wagedbetween God and the devil. God reignsSUPREME, and every creature and everybeing stands subject to God's will!

Becoming the Sons of God

What the world does nor grasp is thatGod is reproducing Himself-creating,in mortal humans, His very own divineCHARACTER-permitting humans tolearn by experience, for character can­not be automatically or instantaneouslycreated, imparted or imputed-it mustbe developed, and this only thru EX­PERIENCE, and experience requirestime.

We humans must have our part in thedevelopment of righteous and holy char­acter. We must first come to realize thetrue values, and to thoroughly repent ofthe false way_ We must come to seek,with our whole hearts and minds, God'strue way of righteous character. We mustset our wills in rune with God's will.

Then we must come to realize ourutter helplessness, and learn to rely onGod, in living FAITH, for the power,the strength, the understanding, therighteousness we ourselves are incapa­ble of attaining.

We receive eternal life, and all right­eousness, from GOD. But we have ourpart to do! We must come to desire itabove all else-to seek it with all ourmight-to yield ourselves. utterly toGod's will, and to trust implicitly andunswervingly in HIM. In no other man­ner could we become the supreme char-

acters which it is God's PURPOSE tomake of us.

To th'is end, we must now be begottenas God's own children, inheriting Hisdivine nature. Thru His power, thrufeeding on His Spirit, we GROW ingrace and knowledge and spiritual char­acter, until, at the resurrection, we shallbe BORN of God as His very SONS­elevated to HIS plane and level!

That's God's supreme purpose. It canbe achieved only thru EXPERWNCE, andin process of TIME. And men LEARNby suffering.

Jesus suffered. "For it became Him,. .. in bringing many sons unto GLORY,to make the captain of our salvation(Christ) perfect through sufferings."(Heb. 2: 10). Again, "Though He werea Son, yet learned He OBEDIENCE bythe things which He suffered." (Heb,5:8).

Now see how Job's experience ex­plains all this.

LET'S UNDERSTAND IT!

Job's Experience Explains It!

Thousands of years ago, there was aman named Job. You've heard of theman. He lived, as you live today, for aPURPOSE. And the solution of this wholequestion is made clear by the life-experi­ences of Job. Many know the story, butfew understand its MEANING!

This Job was a wealthy man-s-thewealthiest in all the East. Solomon mayhave possessed greater wealth. But, asSolomon was the wisest man who everlived, so Job was the most righteous!

So let's glimpse, briefly, this thrillingstory and its revealing lesson.

"There was," begins the scripturalrecord, "a man once in the land of Uz,whose name was Job; and that man wasperfect and upright, and one that fearedGod and shunned evil. He had sevensons and three daughters; also in live­Slack he possessed seven thousand sheepand goats, three thousand camels, fivehundred pair of oxen, and five hundredshe-asses, besides a very large household;so that this man was the greatest manin all the Easr." (Job 1: 1-3, Moffatttranslation. )

November, 1952

"Now there was a day when the sonsof God came to present themselves be­fore the ETERNAL, and Satan came alsoamong them.

"And the ETERNAL said unto Satan,'Whence earnest thou?' Then Satan an­swered the ETERNAL and said, 'Fromgoing to and fro in the earth, and fromwalking up and down in it.'

"And the ETERNAL said unto Satan,'Hast thou considered my servant Job,that there is none like him in the earth,a perfect and an upright man, one thatfears God and shuns evil?'" (Verses6-8, A.v.)

"Satan answered, 'But is it for noth­ing that Job reverences God? Have younot hedged him safely in, his house andall he has? You have prospered him inhis business, and his flocks are teemingon the land. Only put out your hand,touch whatever he possesses, and see ifhe will not curse you to your face!'"(Verses 9-11.)

This World's Philosophy

Notice, please, Satan couldn't pointout one imperfection in the man'srighteousness. Even God said it was per­fect. Yes, undoubtedly Job was the mostrighteous man who ever lived.

But Satan tried to get around it. Heargued that it paid Job to be righteous.So, Satan argued, just takc away fromhim what he has, and the man will losehis temper and start cursing God!

Well, God deliberately PERMITTEDSatan to take away Job's possessions,and put Job to this test.

"Then said the ETERNAL to Satan,'There! I leave all he has within yourpower: but lay no hand upon the manhimself.''' (Verse 12.) .

Notice, will you, Satan did this withGod's permission! Satan was the activeagent. But he did it with God's expresspermission-he could go just as far, ininflicting evil, as God permitted, andno further! God set a limit on how farSatan could go! There is no contest herebetween God and Satan-no equality.GOD IS MASTER OF THE SITUATION!He gives the orders, grants permission,sets the limitations!

"So, away went Satan from the pres­ence of the ETERNAL."

What flappened to Job

Then one day a servant came runningto Job with the startling news thatArabs in a foray had carried off all hisoxen and asses. Even while he was stilltalking, in dashed another servant shout­ing that lightning had just struck andburned up all the sheep, goats, and shep­herds. While he was yet speaking an­other rushed in breathlessly announcingthree parties of Chaldeans in a raid uponthe camels had carried them off, slaying

The GOOD NEWS

all the servants except the one whoescaped to bring the news.

And even he was yet speaking whenin burst another.

"Your sons and daughters," he ex­claimed, "were eating and drinking winein the house of their eldest brother,when a whirlwind swept across thedesert and struck the four corners ofthe house, till it fell upon the youngfolk; they are DEAD! And I alone escapedto tell you!" (Verses 12-19.)

Well, now Job was stripped of allhis great wealth-wiped out! Worse,all his children were killed!

Did Job blame this ill-fortune uponGOD? Did he lose his temper and curseGod? Did he sin, as Satan expected?

"Then Job rose, tore his tunic, shavedhis head, and dropped upon the groundin humble worship, crying, "Naked Icame from my mother's womb, andnaked I must return: the Eternal gave,tbe Eternal has taken-blessed be theEternal!" In all this Job did not sin,nor did he give offense to God." (Verses20-22.)

Notice, Job attributed ALL to God.The wealth he had had, God gave. Thegood-the prosperity-all came fromGod. But also "The ETERNAL has taken!"The Eternal, too, 'was responsible forthe disaster! NOTHING happens contraryto God's purpose!

Satan Tries Again

"One day the sons of God again cameto present themselves before the Eternal,and among them came Satan.

"'Where have you been?' said theEternal to the Adversary; and the Ad­versary answered, 'Roaming here andthere, -roving about the earth.'

"Then the Eternal said to Satan, 'Haveyou noticed that there is no one like myservant Job on the earth, a blamelessand an upright man, who reverencesGod and shuns evil? He still holds to hisloyalty: it was idle of you to entice meto undo him.' But the Adversary an­swered,

" 'He has saved his own skin! A manwill let all he has go, to preserve hislife. Only put out your hand, touch hisflesh and bones, and see if he will notcurse you to your face!'" (Job 2: 1-6.)

Notice, there is no contest here be­tween two equals. God sits in authoritysupreme. Satan cannot do one thingwithout permission from God!

And here, in this heavenly court, Godpermits Satan to advance his arguments-even to put them to the test of experience on the most righteous humanon earth! It is a thrilling drama herebeing enacted-a drama with great pur­pose-tremendous meaning!

"So the Eternal said to Satan, 'He is inyour power; only spare his liffi!'"

Page 9

Notice again, ALL AUTIIORITY comesfrom God. It is GOD who put poor Jobin Satan's power. Satan was permitted todevise his most cunning and cruel affiic­non-s-with but one restriction: "Sparehis life," commanded God. Satan couldgo no further than God specificallyauthorized! And God did permit thisevil! WHY, we shall soon see!

So "Away went the Adversary fromthe Eternal's presence, and he smote Jobwith painful ulcers from the sale of hisfoot to the crown of his head, till Jobtook a potsherd to scrape himself.

"As he sat among the ashes, his wifesaid to him, 'Still holding to your loy­alty? Curse God, though you die for it!'"

Was. God Just and Fair?

But Job retorted to his wife," 'You are talking like an impious

fool. Are we to take good from God'shand, and not evil too?'"

Notice, all the GOOD had come fromGod. Also all the evil! Beside Him thereis no God-no power equal or superiorto His. God is responsible for EVERY­THING-both good and evil, becauseGod's power is SUPREME-absolute! Isthis a sin to charge the EVIL, as well asthe good, to God?

"In all this," answers God's Word,"Job sinned not with his lips." Chargingthis evil to God, then, was no sin-noerror. It was the TRUTH!

Job's Friends Have an Argument

"Now, when Job's three friends heardof all the trouble that had befallen him,they came, each from his own home,Eliphaz FrornTernan, Bildad from Shuah,and Zophar from Maan; they arrangedto go and condole with him, to comforthim. But when they caught sight of himat a distance and could not recognizehim, they wept aloud; evety man ofthem tore his tunic and flung dust onhis head. For seven days and sevennights they sat beside him on the ground;none said a word to him, for they sawhow terrible was his anguish." (Job2:9-13.)

Here is human suffering to comparewith the horrors of World War II. Hereis anguish almost beyond description!Satan inflicted it. But God permitted it,and therefore is RESPONSIBLE!

Now in the long conversation thatfollowed between Job and his threefriends-a conversation occupying thenext 34 chapters in the Bible-Jab'sfriends blamed it all on JOB. Their ideawas a good deal like many people be­lieve today. Since God is GOOD, it wasimpossible to attribute this evil to GOD.

But Job continually denied his friends'allegations. Continually HIS OWN RIGHT­EOUSNESS he upheld and maintained.He attributed it all, rightly, to God-

Page 10

yet, without imputing any b1a:ne Of

fault to God. JOB UNDERSTOOD GOD'SGREAT PURPOSE being worked out herebelow!

And it is important that u/e under-stand! For here Job, as one single indi­vidual, is used as an illustration for ourlearninR TODAY, typical of all the masssuffering we see about us in this worldtoday!

God Enters the Argument

Finally, after all these long conversa­tions run themselves our, God Himselftakes a hand in the conversation.

Now we begin to see WHY this afflic­tion had come to Job.

"Then the Eternal answered Job outof a storm, saying:

"'Who darkens MY DESIGN with acloud of thoughtless words? Confrontme like a man; come, answer these Myquestions.'" (Job 38:1-3.)

Let me interrupt here with an inter­esting side-light explanation whichthrows light on the conversation to fol­low. Some aurhoriries believe that Jobwas the architect and director of thebuilding of the Great Pyramid-stilltoday the largest building on earth, andprior to the construction of the Wool­worth building the tallest. That Job wasproud of his righteousness is plain. Thathe also might have been puffed up overconstructing the world's greatest build­ing clears up much that God says nowto him.

Job was too well aware of his right­eousness. God now proceeded to deflatehis ego. Can it, then, be possible Godnow compares His creation of the earth,and all that is, to the comparatively in­significant accomplishment of buildingthe Great Pyramid? It's interesting tokeep this possibility in mind.

"'When I founded the earth,' JJ Godopened up on Job, "'where were you,then? Answer me that, if you have witto know! Who measured out the earth?-do you know that? Who stretchedthe builder's line on it? What were itspedestals placed on? Who laid the cor­ner-stone, when the morning-stars weresinging, and all the angels chanred intheir joy?'" (Verses 4-7.)

It is significant that a pyramid is theonly kind of building on earth wherethe corner-stone is the top srone-thelast stone laid-at the COMPLETION ofthe building! And here God representsthe symbolic "corner-stone" of theEARTH as being bid at its completion­when the angels shouted for joy!

And so Gc')d continued to deflate poorJob. Job may have been the most right­eous man on e,uth-yet how insignifi­cant he was, campI/red to GOD!

Man was created to need GOD! Mancannot live his full life, fulfill his mis-

The GOOD NEWS

sian, or be happy, unless he keeps him­self in his right relationship with GOD!That is the very first lesson man needsto learn and keep euer in mind!

A first principle in character-in thePURPOSE of our existence-is to exaltand worship only GOD, to humble theself, to realize man's utter helplessness,and his total DEPENDENCE upon GOD!

" 'Who helped shut in the sea,'" Godasked, "'... when I swathed it in mistsand swaddled it in clouds of darkness,when I fixed its boundaries ... sayingThus far, and no farther! Here yourproud waves shall not pass!' .. .

"'Have you ever roused the morning,given directions to the dawn? ... Whatpath leads to the home of Light, andwhere does Darkness dwell? Can youconduct them to their fields? ... Haveyou grasped earth in all its breadth?How large is it? Tell me, if you knowthat!

"'Can you bind up the Pleiades(cluster of stars) in a cluster, or loosethe chains of Orion) Can you directthe signs of the Zodiac, or guide theconstellations of the Bear? Can y.ou con­trol the skies? Can you prescribe theirsway over the earth?'"

GOD does all these things. HowMIGHTY is God! And how little, howweak, how impotent and insignificant isman-yes, even the most righteous man,Job! How Job must have begun toshrivel up in his own estimation!Smaller and smaller Job shrank, as Godcontinued. Job didn't seem so important,now!

"'Who, then,''' God is not throughyet-" 'is able to stand before ME? Whohath prevented me, that I should repayhim? Whatsoever is under the wholeheaven IS MINE... .''' And so God con­tinued to bring down Job's self-righteousimportance-and to show the un­matched, awesome MAGNITUDE of God,thru four whole chapters, before Hefinished.

And by the time God finished, Job'sestimation of himself was exactly nil.All through his conversation with histhree friends, Job stoutly maintained hisown righteousness-his self-importance!Even though Satan had taken away hiswealth, his children-even tho reducedto a pitiful sight, covered with nauseat­ing boils-Jab's own righteousness hestoutly maintained!

Job was able to maintain his caseagainst Satan-against his friends. Butnow he could not answer GOD! Job'strouble was not what he had done, butwhat he was-SELF-RIGHTEOUS! Theself in Job had never died!

In just 5 'verses of Job's conversationhe used the personal pronoun 15 times;and in- the 29th chapter alone, he usedit 50 times!

November, 1952

Now, for the first time, he began torealize the TRUTH-he began to catcha vision of GOD!

The Lesson Learned!

Then Job answered the Eternal, andsaid,

"'I know that thou canst do ev­erything, and that no thought can bewithholden from thee, I thoughtlesslyconfused the issues; I spoke without in­telligence, of wonders far beyond myken. I had heard of thee by hearsay, butnow mine eyes have seen thee; where­fore I ABHOR MyseLF, and REPENT indust and ashes.'''

That was Job's SURRENDER to Al­mighty God-a surrender every humanmust make before he can be converted-before God's PURPOSE in him can befulfilled! A man may be naturally GOOD-bur even the self-righteousness of aJob, God says, is like a filthy rag to Him!The only righteousness that is reallygood is the Righteousness of GOD, im­parted to us BY FAITH!

Job at last had learned his lesson! Justhuman goodness is not enough. GOD isall in all. And the only goodness that isgood IS God's own goodness, imparted,thru God's Holy Spirit, within us! Alltrue righteousness comes from GOD.

ALL humans have this great lesson to

learn. It's the one supreme lesson oflife! To learn it, and conform to it, isthe PURPOSE of human existence!

Job's calamity and great sufferingproved a great blessing to him, in theend! Actually, great good, double pros­perity, and eternal happiness, came ofit! For, after he repented, and came to

really know God, he was given anotherseven sons and three daughters, andtwice the material possessions he hadhad before!

"So the Eternal blessed the latter endof Job more than his beginning," it iswritten (Job 42: 12). And verse 11speaks of "all the evil that the Eternalhad brought upon him."

Saran Never Altered GOD'SPURPOSE

So notice this! Satan has never upsetGod's program-never altered God'spurpose! In Job 42: 2, the alternate mar­ginal translation of the original inspiredHebrew words is: "no purpose of thinecan be restrained."

Almighty God is SUPREME in the uni­verse! Supreme not only in Love, andin Power-bur in WISDOM! There wasdivine WISDOM in God's permittingSatan to afflict Job. Out of all this ex­perience of suffering, Job was humbled,his ego deflated, his self-pride removed.It hurt, to have these things torn out ofhis character-s-job suffered--even as

Please continue on page 15

Inside COMMUNISTYugoslavia

What is it really like in a Communist State? Are the people happy·and prosperous under a "People's Government" as the propagandistssay? What about the freedom of religion in Yugoslavia?

by Herman L. Hoeh

O UR HUNDREDS of miles of travelin Yugoslavia has been anastounding revelation to us. Un­

less one has been here he can't imaginehow different life is-so regimented, sopoverty stricken, so sad.

Yugoslavia is the only communistcountry in the world which has brokenout of the Russian Iron Curtain. Tiro'sbrand of communism naturally would beslightly different from Stalin's. But it isstill communism! On the cap of everysoldier, 011 hundreds of public build­ings, is the infamous red star. Over fac­tories the red hammer and sickle pro­trudes high into the sky.

We could not enter Yugoslavia untilwe obtained the proper visas at Trieste.We spent an entire day, standing in aroom crowded with people who werealso waiting for visas. This was only alittle foretaste of the bureaucratic redtape that we saw everywhere in Com­munist Yugoslavia.

With the visas properly stamped. inour passports, Dick Armstrong and Iboarded a train for Belgrade, the capitalof Tiro's communist state. At Sezana, asmall customs station, we had our firstencounter with a Communist spy sys­tem.

An Amazing Spy System

In our train car as we were stationedat Sezana, we experienced first hand acommunist spying system. It all beganwith the collection of our passports.

Armed communist 0 fficials in themost unkempt uniforms appeared at ourseat. There wasn't just one man, butseveral! One fellow collected our pass­ports. Next to him stood another fellow,poker-faced, watching to see that thefirst official really did collect our visasand passporrs His only duty was to spyon the other official. And a third lookedon to see that the other two did theirjobs!

Later another official, armed and ina soldier's uniform, appeared. Whatdid he want? You guessed it, he wanted

to know if we still had our passports!The same lengthy procession of offi­

cials continued for over an hour. Afterthe passport routine was over, the samespying system appeared again, this timeto exchange our dollars into dinars, thecurrency of Yugoslavia. One governmentrepresentative gave us dinars, then afew minutes later another appeared,wondering how we acquired the dinars!

So it went with our train tickets andwith the customs checking. Every officialis an armed government representative,almost always in special uniform. It isthe excessive use of officialdom and themilitary that makes Yugoslavians fearfulof one another. And think of the tre­mendous tax burden to support all theseemployees, most of whom carry theirpistols and even bayonets to demonstratetheir authoriry.

From Sezana we proceeded through amost desolate and rocky area, hardly fitfor pasture and grazing land. Much ofthis resulted from a drought that plaguedthe country this year. God was indeedfrowning on Tiro's communism. Foranother eighteen hours we continued totravel, passing through the major citiesof Ljubljana and Zagreb.

We spent an entire night in thecrowded compartment of the train.There was only room for six persons inthe compartment, but there were nine ofus trying to catch a wink of sleep. Everycompartment was so overflowing withpeople that the entire length of the aislewas filled with people standing or seatedon their suitcases. Almost everyone wasin rags or dirty suits. In our compart­ment a poor barefoot lady, her feet hav­ing sores on them, tried to console asick child.

As if this were not all, at every trainstop, officials would go through the en­tire length of the train. We were awak­ened at least every hour by army officerscarrying kerosene lamps. They wantedto check our tickets to see if we be­longed on the train.

Travel is amazing in Yugoslavia. AI-

'most everyone has to go by rail to travelany distance. And sad to say, the poorlypaid natives have to pay twice as muchas foreigners for the same distance. Tirowants to attract tourists and the eco­nomic friendship of the Western na­tions.

Farmers Merely Serfs on Land TheyOnce Owned

As we passed the countryside duringthe eighteen hours of travel to Belgrade,we watched the toiling peasants of Cro­atia and Serbia (two districts of Yugo­slavia). Just imagine yourself once hav­ing owned a farm, but now having towork on it for the "People's Govern­ment" which took it away from yoa!That is the state of most people in ruralYugoslavia-slaves, merely modernserfs, on land once privately owned.

Just after the Second World War, Mr.Armstrong had a- lengthy conferencewith Mr. Constantin Fotirch, formerYugoslavian Ambassador to the UnitedStates. Mr. Fotirch, a strong anti-com­munist, told Mr. Armstrong that pre­war Yugoslavia had more farm-owningpeasants than any other country in theworld. Yugoslavians love their land. Titoknew, he said, that the only way to im­pose Communism on the country wasfinally to break the will of the peasants,to deprive them of their land and forcethem to become slaves on the state-con­trolled farms.

To enforce his ruthless regime, Tirohad thousands of peasants murdered be­cause they would not leave their farms.Hundreds of thousands of acres of for­merly privately owned land passed un­der communist state ownership. But thepeasants still resisted. The governmentfailed to receive the quantities of foodthat it expected. "I'iro's government wasfailing to fill all the demands and ordersof Russia.

To safeguard his Own position, Titoknew he had to bow to the determinedstubbornness of the peasants. A breakwith Moscow was inevitable. The Yugo-

Page 12

slav peasants had to be appeased, butMoscow would not tolerate it.

Today, Tire's Communist Party hashad to allow each family a few acres forits own use. Nevertheless, almost allfarm labor still occurs on state operatedfarms.

The means of cultivation is centuriesoutdated. Men and women can be seenas early as five o'clock in the morning ontheir knees with sickles, or standing withscythes, cutting weedy clover for thestock. Actually the clover is almostwholly weeds and most of them are littlemore than three or four inches high­very poor pasture, yet it serves as hay.

Oxen and poor mules and horsescultivate the countryside. A soldier onthe train saw me observing the country­side. Thinking that I was admiring it( !) he cautiously said that in threemonths it will look much worse! Hemeant that winter was approaching andit would be even harder for the peasants.

A few houses were being built in the'countryside through which we werepassing. The mountainous scenery andthe river below are beautiful, but such acontrast to the tired and furrowed peas­ants as they were building their homes.There was not even a wheelbarrow atone place. The man and his wife werehaving to carry a wooden box filled withcement from the place where it wasmixed to the site of the house. Whilethe younger people would be doing suchback-breaking labor, elderly womenwould be nearby, carrying grass on theirbacks for the cattle.

The City of the Unemployed

Our arrival in Belgrade was earlyWednesday morning. There were manyhorse drawn taxis waiting at the rail sta­tion, but only a few auto taxis. Thestreets had only a few people on themand almost no automobiles. Actually theonly autos in the country are taxis orprivate cars belonging to governmentofficials or to tourists. The "super-high­way" that leads from Belgrade to Triesteis a very poor country road, often onlypaved with gravel, here and there cut bydeep ruts, and in places dangerouslyundermined by the continuous flowingof the river.

The real shock to us came Wednes­day afternoon and evening-the city ofBelgrade turned into a varitable city ofwondering, dejected unemployed. Itseems that little work is done beyondtwo o'clock in the afternoon-there isJUSt nor enough work nor money to keepthe people occupied in this Communist"paradise."

Although there are millions of man­hours that could be readily utilized toimprove the living conditions of thecity and the rural areas, there is almost

The GOOD NEWS

a total lack of equipment to do the work.The cost of hand labor is too expensivefor the government because so much ofthe tax money is spent upon maintain­ing a gigantic administration and thearmy.

I don't believe any of you have everseen a more hopeless city than the capi­tal of Yugoslavia-a city of formerlyhappy people caught in the throes ofCommunism and drought. Imagine be­ing in a large city, with wide sidewalksand stately green trees. On each side arelarge buildings reflecting happier times.Amid this background thousands of rag­ged men, women, and children-and anoccasional well dressed person-standgazing into shop windows or walk aim­lessly along the streets. Nearly all theyoung men are in uniforms with a redStar on 'their caps.

At nearly every corner, stand armedpolicemen forbidding tourists to takepictures of military centers and also giv­ing silent warning of what could hap­pen if anyone should decide to get outof line as the "march to progress" pro­ceeds.

There is hardly a child in the entirecity who wears shoes. Dirty rags drapeabout their bodies. At one point threelittle girls stopped us. Here we at lastsaw what Communism does for chil­dren. Tangled black hair, bare legs andfeet scarred, dirty little dresses. What didthey want? Just a little money for theirmother who can't work.

A Visit to an Auto Repair Shop

Just before this event we had emergedfrom an auto repair shop, where wewere invited by a "commissar" and his"comrades." Inside this shop were threeautos being repaired, outside was a truck.There were only a few tools available,although at least seven men were givingthe appearance of work. When we camewith a camera all work ceased. It seemeda great relief to have an excuse to ceaseworking-and why not? They earn al­most nothing for their labor. The min­utes that followed in conversation withthese workers provided us with the onlyhappy faces we saw in all our time inYugoslavia. How they did enjoy havingDick Armstrong take their pictures!

Several spoke broken English, but oth­ers conversed in German, learned duringthe war. From them I was able to learnthat the propaganda which is being toldthe people stresses the fact that all thatails their society is lack of technology.Just grve us a few more years, I wastold, and it won't be like it is now.

How true!What these workers failed to realize

was that it is the system that is wrong.It's not merely a lack of technology.That may aggravate the condition, but it

November, 1952

is not what produced this condition. TheONLY hope for Yugoslavia is in an alter­ation of the Communist policy. Thatwill take a few years, but we saw theseeds that are bound to produce thatchange.

Communism is actually appealing toonly a fraction of the people. Manyyoung people and a few older folk no­tice the giant new apartment buildingsthat have been constructed in Belgrade.Many are not yet completed, but at leastthey provide fuel for the propagandathat it will take only another year andall will be different-housing for every­one.

Even very few of the men in uniformreally believe in the party line with theirwhole hearts. Perhaps they have hopesof its success. But in their faces is regis­tered the same apathy and despair whicheveryone has. The most profound causefor such an outlook on life is idleness,mental and physical idleness. There isnothing more burdensome than to havenothing to do when so much ought tobe done.

Food Is Poor

You in America are accustomed tosee wholesome and reasonably fine ap­pearing fruit on the markets. Usuallythe wormy fruit is discarded hy givingit to the animals or else it is left underthe trees to provide fertilizer. Not so inYugoslavia.

In stores that we passed were bins offruit, especially apples. They werewormy and rotting. For the pigs? No.For the people.

There were flies and wasps every­where in the shops. With people beingreduced to this privation, it is little won­der that a change is inevitable.

In the very best stores in the capital,most of the commodities were expen­sively priced for the people and verycheap in quality. Of course, for us theprices appeared reasonable. But it mustbe remembered that a person may haveto work an entire week for the cheapestshirt in town.

Is Religion Tolerated in CommunistYugoslavia?

.This is THE important question foreveryone in the country.

One evening, at five thirty, just asmany people were baing to their homes,I seemed to have been guided to a largedomed building, that, on closer observa­tion, was a church-of the Orthodoxfaith. To my amazement, dozens of poorpeople were streaming through the twoside doors and the large entrance. Inside,the services were already in progress.The only seats were those affixed to thewall; everyone, except the very old, was

Please continue on page 15

November, 1952

HowWouldJesus Vote

for PRESIDENT?Continued [rorn. page 2

of the human virgin Mary.WHY did Jesus come? To get into

politics, to strive against the forces ofevil in this world, to make this a betterworld?

WHAT was His Message? CertainlyNOT a Gospel merely about Himself­a Gospel of merely accepting Him, andthen, as part of this world, helping tomake it better!

When Jesus reached the approximateage of thirty He was baptized, andanointed with the Holy Spirit as theChrist. But before He preached a word-before He could even enter upon Hisministry, He, like the first Adam, hadto meet Satan in the greatest contest inall eternity!

It was a contest for the rulership ofall the earth. Jesus Christ met and con­quered Satan by the Word of God. Sa­tan, like his ministers today, quotedScripture, but he twisted and pervertedits meaning. Christ quoted Scripture,accepted it to mean what it says, over­came Satan by obeying it! Jesus with­stood Satan's temptations, rejected hisdeceptions, refused to obey him, con­quered him by obeying GOU! Then Hecommanded Satan, "Get thee hence!"­and the devil obeyed and slunk away!

Then and there Jesus Christ qualifiedto succeed Satan as RULER OVER ALLTHE EARTH! But the time had not yetcome for Him to be inaugurated in of­fice. First, He had to return to the throneof God and receive God's official au­thorization.

God had allotted ONE MILLENNIALWEEK-that is, a period of seven thou­sand-year "days"-for the accomplish­ment of His divine PURPOSE in humani­ty on this earth. That divine Purpose isthe creation of righteous spiritual Sonsof God. God allotted the first six of thesethousand-year periods for Satan's laborof deceiving the human race-six thou­sand years in which mankind is permit­ted, if he chooses, to suffer from the"labor" of sin. When the first Adamfailed to depose Satan, God extendedthe duration of Satan's dominion over theearth for six thousand years. This wasnecessary for the accomplishment ofGod's great Purpose.

Then, as "in six days God made theheaven and the earth, and the seventhday He rested and was refreshed," evenso in the seventh millennium humanityis to "rest" from sin, those convertedare to enter into God's spiritual rest;­and in this coming millennium Satanshall not do any work-that is, his workof deceiving the world!

The GOOD NEWS

Then Jesus will come to earth again,this time in all His Power and greatGlory as KING of kings, and LORD oflords.

But, in God's great Plan, He has pur­posed that Christ shall rule by and thrumany saints then made immortal. Theyshall form the world-ruling kingdom­the KINGDOM OF GOD--which King­dom shall rule over all the mortal na­tions on earth. Time had to be allowedfor their conversion.

Jesus Preached GOVERNMENT

So, after meeting and conquering Sa­tan, Jesus devoted three and a half yearsto teaching His Gospel to His Disci­ples.

His Gospel-the only true Gospelof Jesus Christ-is not what most peo­ple think today. Few have heard it, to­day!

It was, and is, a Gospel of GOOD GOV­ERNMENT! The word "gospel" means"Good News." And what Jesus preached-the Message He brought to mankindfrom God-was the GOOD NEWS of thecoming GOVERNMENT OF GOD--the com­ing world-ruling government whichshall overthrow, blast out ofaxistence,and rule in place of every present gov­ernment on earth!

Yes, Jesus Christ said to Pilate thatHe was born to be a King! He, Himself,is coming again as WORLD KING!

And His Gospel was merely, as onemight say, His political platform for HisKingdom. He revealed the way to enterit as one of its immortal citizens-theway of salvation. He revealed its laws.

What Jesus taught was that this pres­ent world, with its governments, its re­ligions, its economics, its society, is anevil world-it is Satan's world-it is aworld in competition against, and ATWAR AGAINST, HIS COMING KING­DOM-THE WORLD TOMORROW!

No, [esas did not enter into THISWORLD'S politics! He called His Disci­ples out of this present evil world-outof all its customs and philosophies andways-to a life of SEPARATION fromthe world.

Jesus said to His disciples, "FollowMe!" And one cannot follow Him andalso follow this present world! He didnot mean for Christians to go out of theworld, physically. He knew they mustlive in it, but He taught that theyshould not be of it. In his final prayerfor His disciples, Jesus said to His Fa­ther, "I pray not that thou shouldesttake them out of the world, bur thatthou shouldest keep them from the evil.They are not of the world, even as I amnot of the world." (John 17:15-16.)

To His called ministers Jesus com­manded: "Go ye into"-(not awayfrom)-"all the world, and preach the

Page 13

Gospel." lIe did uot ~ay go into theworld and become part of it, striving tomake it a better world. He said go intoit and "preach the Gospel." And HisGospel is the Good News of a differentworld altogether-of a coming worldto be ruled over entirely not by thesepresent various world governments thenreformed, but by HIS KINGDOM whichshall blast forever out of existence everygovernment that operates today!

"AMBASSADORS for Christ"

Thus Jesus' disciples live in this pres­ent evil world as though they were for­eigners, here merely as the guests of thenation where they reside, as AMBASSA­DORS for Christ and His coming King­dom, here as representatives of HIScoming Kingdom, not of any of thisworld's governments.

As the Word of God reveals in IICor. 5: 17-20, "If any man be in Christ,he is a new creature: old things arepassed away; . . . Now then we areambassadors for Christ."

The United States sends an ambassa­dor to the Kremlin. He resides for thetime in Moscow, Russia. The Christianin the United States is in the same rela­tive position as the American ambassa­dor in Russia. He is not a Communist.He does not regard the Soviet as hisgovernment, and he knows well it is agovernment mortally opposed to hisgovernment. He does not serve the So­viet government, nor enter into its poli­tics, nor devote his time in Moscow totrying to eradicate the evils he SEes intheir system, or to making their state abetter state, or to emering into theirpolitics, or voting or entering theirarmy or fighting for their cause.

Yet, he subjects himself to all theirrules and regulations that in any wayconcern him or his life while there. Ifthey drive automobiles on the left sideof the street, he conforms to their regu­lations. He does not oppose them, he isSUBJECT to them while there, endeav­oring to cause them to like him so as tobetter represent the interests of his gov­ernment, the United States.

Jesus taught His disciples to renderunto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.Specifically he was referring to paymentof taxes. If the government levies taxes,pay them. The Bible teaching for theChristian is to be SUBJECT to the powersthat be in this world, but, on the otherhand, Christians shall obey God ratherthan man.

The true Christian will so conducthimself as to be highly regarded by thepowers of government where he lives.He will 'be regardecl by them as a goodcitizen. He will appreciate the privi­leges, advantages, and opportunities ex­tended. He will regard himself as the

Page 14

paying guest of the country where heresides, and he will act with due cour­tesy, submission to its rules and regula­tions insofar as they do not conflict withthe commands of God, and submissionto their penalty where they do.

But the true Christian is one whofollows Christ, and Christ did not vote!Jesus did not try to reform Caesar. Hedid not try to make this a better world.Rather, He preached the doctrine of aradically different world to come-andHe called His followers out of all par­ticipation in this present evil world,and to allegiance to HIS KINGDOMwhich is to come.

Citizenship in Heaven

But His World is the World To­morrow.' His Kingdom, He told Pilate,is not of this world-that is, of this AGE,this present time. This is Satan's worldand Christ did not come to reform Satan,or improve Satan's handiwork, but to saveHis followers from Satan and his system.

Since God's Kingdom is not literallyset up as yet, the true Christian's citizen­ship, in his heart, is now reserved inheaven (I Peter 1:4, Eph. 2:19).

Christians are called to be separatefrom the world (II Cor. 6: 1/ ), and allits affiliations, whether social, political,economic or religious. They are not tolive by the ph;lo~.('Jphies, customs andways of this-world, but by EVERY WORDOF GOD (Luke 4:4). Jesus taught usnot to live by traditions of the presentsociety and civilization, bur by God'slaws (Mark 7: 7-9), and He taught herethat those who disobey this teachingWORSHIP HIM IN VAIN. Yes, thou­sands call themselves Christians, thinkthey are converted, believe in Christ,worship Him, bur worship Him in vain,following the course of this world andits customs and ways, instead of thecommandments of God! (Mark 7: 7-9. )Read it!

Jesus said for the Christian to seekfirst the KINGDOM OF GOD (Mat. 6: 33),and He also said we cannot give al­legiance to and serve two kingdoms(verse 24).

How and When ChristiansAre to Help Run Government

In the prophecy of Daniel 7, andespecially in verses 17-18, and 21-22,and 27, we find revealed how and whenChristians are to cake. part in the run­ning of the government.

In this prophecy Daniel is shown theempires of this world from his day untilthe Kingdom of God. First was theChaldean Empire, to be followed by thePersian, the Grecian, the Roman. Thereis now to be one more resurrection ofthe Roman Empire-a United States ofEurope now forming.

The GOOD NEWS

Bur finally, at Christ's second coming,"the saints of the Most High shall takethe Kingdom, and possess the kingdomfor ever, even for ever and ever."

These present goverml1ents are to runtheir course "UNTIL the . . . time camethat the saints possessed the kingdom."That time has not yet come. Until thenChristians are to obey God and be sub­ject to the powers that be.

Whe,n Jesus comes again, it is pro­claimed: "The kingdoms of this worldare become the kingdoms of our Lordand of His Christ, and HE shall reignfor ever and ever:' (Rev. 11: 15.) Thenit is, as Jesus has said, "He that over­cometh, and keepeth my works unto theend, to him will I give power over thenations.' and he shall rule them." (Rev.2: 26-27.) The smashing of the pres­ent governments of the world is picturedin Daniel 2:34-35, 44.

Then Satan shall be shorn of powerto rule the world. (Rev. 20:1-4.) Hisqualified successor, Christ, shall then beinaugurated in office. Then begins theSabbath Millennium of Christ's reign­when He shall set His hand again tosave Israel and the world.

WIlY the World's Greatest Church"Is Fallen"

In the prophecy of Revelation 17 ispictured the greatcst church in thisworld-s-a professing Christian church,ruling over many nations, but she iscalled in Bible language "the greatwhore"-a most ugly name!

But you will notice, verse 5, she isshown to be a MOTHER church. She hasmany daughters, who, even tho theyhave come out of her in "protest" nam­ing themselves from the word "protest,"nevertheless are labeled by God's proph­ecy as "harlots."

And what caused the fall from graceof these great, popular churches-whohave DECEIVED ALL OCCIDENTAL NA­TIONS? (Verse 2 and 18: 3 ). What waxher fornication?

Notice it-verse 2: "Wirh whom thekings of the earth have committed forni­cation." The "Beast" on which she sitsrepresents the GOVERNMENTS OF THISWORLD.

The true CHURCH is the affiancedBride of CHRIST. She is to be marriedto Christ in a spiritual Marriage ATHIS SECOND COMING! (Rev. 19:7.)Then the true "CHURCH of God" will be­come the "KINGDOM of God," to rulethe earth. But Jesus said, "My Kingdomis not of this world." He taught Hisdisciples to keep themselves unspottedfrom the world-to come apart and beseparate.

But this great counterfeit Church, in­stead of becoming "engaged" to thetrue Christ and keeping herself true to

November, 1952

Him as coming world ruler, formed anillicit union with the gocernmenis ofthis world-entered into this world'spolitics-sought to DOMINATE thisworld's governments, took an active partin its affairs! Thus she committed spir­itual "fornication"-illicit union priorto marriage.

The Roman church united Churchand State, actually ruled over the state,which is Satan's kingdom, for more thana thousand years! The popular churchesof Christendom nearly all take active,vigorous part in this world's affairs andits politics. Most churches will now beinstructing their members HOW TO VOTEin this presidential election. They arepart and parcel of THIS WORLD, andthey serve only THE GOD OF THISWORLD, Satan the devil. They are de­ceived! They do not even know theyare' doing wrong-they ARE DECEIVED!

This entire system-religion takingpart in politics-is labeled "BABYLON"(Rev. 17: 5).

"But," some who follow "Anglo-Is­rael" 'teaching will object, "we Ameri­cans are ISRAEL. Since we are nation­ally the race of ISRAEL, ought we notto take active part in our nation's af­fairs? "

We are ISRAEL, yes-but Israel todayis not living under God's divine form ofgovernment, which IS THEOCRACY, butunder a form of the BABYLONISH SYS­TEM. The governments which have con­stituted the various stages of the RomanEmpire which is "Babylon" have calledtheir particular form of this system"Fascism." We call ours the "republican"form, or, erroneously, "Democracy." Butit is a MAN-MADE form of administra­tion of the BABYLONISH SYSTEM.

ISRAEL-the United States, Britain,the "Democracies" of northwestern Eu­rope-modern Israel IS IN BABYLONTODAY, just as prophecy stares (Jer.50: 1,4-6, 8, Isa. 48: 1,12-20, etc.). It isbecause of '.rhis-because 0111 sins are in­creaxing-because we have made alli­ances with heathen'powers instead of re­lying upon our GUll-that the Eternalwarns us our nations are soon to be in­vaded and conquered, in order to bringour people back to God (lsa. 47: 1-6;Jer. 30:7-16,24; Micah 5:8-11; Ezek.3: 1,4-7,17,5: 12-14; 6: 11-14, etc., etc.).

Yes, ISRAEL IS IN A "BABYLONISH"SYSTEM today, and GOD CALLS US OUT!(Rev. 18:4, Jet. 50:8; 51:6-9; Isa. 48:l2-2Q. )

What, then, would Jesus do in thistime of presidential election? He wouldWARN our people Israel: "'COME OUT ofher (Babylon), my people, that ye benot partakers of her sins, and that ye re­ceive 110t of her plagues.''' The plaguesof God are soon to fall upon BABYLONand all who choose to remain a part

Novernbur, 1952

of "Baby lon." JESUS CALLS YOU OUT!What would Jesus do? HE WOULD BE

TOO BUSY PROCLAIMING THE GOODNEWS OF HIS OWN COMING WORLD­RULING KINGDOM, and the way of sal­vation, to take any part whatsoever inthe politics of this present evil world,or in any man-made form of govern­ment that is DOOMED very soon to be de­stroyed and replaced by the Theocraticgovernment of THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

Our mission is, as Ambassadors ofChrist-as advance emissaries of HISKINGDOM-to WARN Israel of her plightand presem danger, to proclaim to allnations the Good News of THE KING­DOM OF GOD!

Why Must Men Suffer?Continued from page 10

yOll and T suffer, mclay' Rut he wasbrought to repentance, surrender to GOD,dependence upon GOD, a filling of God'sSpirit, without which he never couldhave known real happiness, never couldhave gained eternal LIFE!

All Job originally had was materialwealth and possessions, and more humanrighteousness! Now Job had doublethe material possessions-bur infinitelygreater, he now had the supreme secur­ity of the faith of God, and that truesource of happiness, reliance upon theSupreme One, and the indwelling of allHis attributes! God's Spirit in us is theonly thing that will satisfy the heart­hunger-the only thing that can warm,fill, and energize with happiness andjoy the human soul!

The True ANSWER to OurQuestions!

Now we are ready to see, and to UN­DERSTAND, the true answer to our ques­tions!

The real answer was hroughr our byJob during his conversation, even as itis illustrated by the experience of hislife.

"If a man die, shall he live again?"asked Job (Job 14: 14).

And the answer is the answer to allour questions! Here it is:

"All the days of my appointed timewill I wait, till my change come. Thoushalt call, and I will answer thee: thouwilt bm.e a desire to the work of thinehands!"

The part of what Job said that is mostoften carelessly overlooked is the partthat answers the questions of this arti­cle! Notice it again.'

'Thou wilt have a desire to the workof thine hands!"

STUDY THAT! Job knew he was merelythe work of God's Hands! Merely a claymodel, which God, the Master Potter,

The GOOD NEWS

was to mould and fashion and re-shape.Let Isaiah explain it: "WE are all as anunclean thing, and all our righteous­nesses are as filthy rags; and we all dofade as a leaf; and our iniquities, likethe wind, have taken us away.... Butnow,o ETERNAL, thou art OUR FArnER;we are the clay, and thou our' potter;and we all are the work of thy hand."(Isa. 64: 6-8. )

Our own righteousness will not saveus. We must REPENT, surrender uncon­ditionally to GOD, come to Him thruJesus Christ as personal Saviour, andthen God PROMISES to beget us withHis Holy Spirit-actually put HIS SPIRITwithin us. His spirit is His very LIFE­His Love, His understanding and wis­dom, His power, His faith, His right­eousness. We drink in, thru His Spirit,HIS NATURE AND HIS CHARACTER.

Thru a life-long of Christian living­of overcoming self, of growing spiritual­ly, thru the very power of GOD impartedto us, we develop spiritually ready tobe finally BORN OF GOD--by a resur­rect iou, or instantaneous conversionfrom mortal to immortal-from humanto divine-from weakness to power­from dishonor to GLORY!

And what about all these human suf­ferings which work character within us?

The Apostle Paul settled that: "ForI reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be comparedwith the GLORY which shall be revealedin us. For the earnest expectation of thecreature waiteth for the manifestation ofthe SONS OF GOD." (Rom. 8:18-19.)

Inside COMMUNISTYugoslavia

Continued from page 12standing, a custom of the church.

Here in communist Yugoslavia was achurch service, and not a single soldierwas anywhere in sight. Old men andwomen, young 'girls AND YOUNG MENcame to this service. It was not a Sundayservice, but a mid week service whichmade it all the more amazing. Poor peo­ple, leaving their work and on their wayhome, stopped to attend. Here is realYugoslavia, religious Yugoslavia.

For two whole hours the services pro­ceeded in the native tongue and withthe terribly idolatrous ritual. But imag­ine, tired people in a Communist statestanding for two whole hours in achurch! It really means something irn­portam to them. The people find here acounterfeit for their spiritual needs, butit is so much better than the material­istic world in which they continuallysuffer.

Near the middle of the service ayoung man with his wife carne to the

Page 15

service; a baby was in his arms. Hisonly clothes were trousers, worn shoesand an undershirt. He followed the ex­ample of everyone else and kneeled tokiss a supposed picture of Christ. Thesepeople are totally ignorant of the com­mandment against idolatry. They sup­pose that if there are no statues that theadoration of pictures is perfectly right.

The major portion of the service wasoccupied with worship of revered pic­lures and the cross. The priests chantedtheir songs and words in the nativetongue. Twice they walked among theparishioners swinging their incenseburners in the direction of each indi­vidual. Like most religion, especially inEurope, the people watch the clergy dothe work of "salvation" while they standby in idolatrous ignorance.

Religion Versus Communism

The natives in Yugoslavia are deeplyreligious and very superstitious. Tito isnot able, nor is he trying to abolish re­ligion. At present he is tolerating it.This fact is of vital import, because itgives a clue to what is going to happenin Yugoslavia.

Step by step the hold of communismis slipping in this country.

First, the power of Joseph Stalinwas broken by Tiro. He decided to be­come independent. At first he was anti­Russian and anti-West.

But as time passed he saw the neces­sity of seeking American help. While inSwitzerland, I was told at the Yugoslavi­an Consulate in Zurich that there is "nocollectivism" in the country, This wasto attract tourists, of course, becausethere is collectivism in Yugoslavia.What the representative should havesaid is that there is "no Russian col­lectivism" in Yugoslavia.

Recently Tiro has been seeking eco­nomic and military aid from the Westalthough he continues to assert that hedoes not believe in the economic sys­tem of America. Also he has invited toseveral conferences Austrian, Greek andTurkish officials for a friendly unwrittenagreement on the defense of Balkan Eu­rope. All this brings Tito more andmore into unity with continental Eu­rope. While in Yugoslavia we were un­able to speak to Tito personally as he re­portedly was vacationing in the remotecity of Bled.

Prophecy shows that soon' there is to

arise a united fascist Europe under dom­ination of the Roman Catholic Church.There are to be ten nations in thisleague that will frighten Russia and at­tack the Democratic nations of the West.This is all explained in Revelation 17.The vital thing is that Yugoslavia willinevitably be in this union! Tito is aCroat, not a Serb. The Croats are Roman

Page 16

Catholic. The Croats collaborated withthe Nazis in the last war and forciblytried to convert thousands of Serbs toCatholicism. It's going to happen again!

The only steps that remain for Tito totake are the alteration of his economicsystem and an agreement with other Eu­ropean nations to submit to the unifyingpower of the Roman Catholic Church.

This may seem at first impossible, butactually it is inevitable.

Tiro dares not stand alone againstboth Russia and a United Europe. HeCAN'T EVER return into the Russiansphere because he would be liquidated.All he needs to do is alter his economicpolicy, liberate Roman Catholic prelates-which he is already doing-and seekreconciliation from the church that ex­communicated him for his Communistprogram.

Whether Josip Broz-Tito is the manwho will continue to guide the landand be one of the ten dictators in thecoming Europe, the Bible does not re­veal. It is very likely he will be one ofthe ten men. He hates the West and he isturning toward fascism.

It will not be hard for the people ofYugoslavia to join with the union. Theirreligion is not a heresy in the eyes ofthe Roman Church, but merely a schism-which means that their rituals may becontinued in much the same manner al­though they need to acknowledge thePope as the head of the universal church.

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This process is already occurring. Dur­ing the service mentioned before, I wasable to pick up a few words which wereprayers for the people of Yugoslavia, butthere were no prayers directly for Tito­he does not yet profess religion. Thechurch is actually LEADERLESS to thisextent. The Roman Pope can becomethat leader.

In Germany Protestants and Catholicsare using one another's churches inwhich to hold meetings, because Russiais doing everything to stifle religion. Itis a growing tendency to minimize doc­trinal and ritual deviations, and to seekcooperation. Although not every indi­vidual will accept the coming domina­tion of Rome, the overwhelming feelingamong Europeans is that political andreligious unity is absolutely essential topreserve Europe from perishing. Thisinfluence will bring Yugoslavia intothe coming union of dictators-the"beast" of Revelation 17.

From now on it is very important towatch Yugoslavia. There is bitter anti­American feeli'ng in her leaders, thoughnot necessarily in her people. But inEurope the people follow the leaders.

Knowing the growing anti-Americanfeeling in Germany, which we saw inevery city, and hearing about Franco'sfascist party in Spain, there can be nopossible doubt that the final union ofdictators here in Europe will be a THIRDforce in the world. And this force will,

November, 1952

with the secret preparations of the Naziunderground, and with the immense aidAmerica is giving, TURN AGAINST THEWEST AND DESTROY IT!

Jesus said that the ONLY way toescape this terrible calamity is to watchthe news and pray always that you maybe accounted worthy. Indeed these areterrible times!

How and When ChurchFestivals Were Changed

Continued from page 5in these superstitious, idolatrous celebra­tions. But the early true church recog­nized the abomination in which Godheld them (l Peter 4: 3).

In coming issues the history of thesefeasts will be presented. Read how pro­fessed Christians changed their attitudetoward the see occasions and acceptedthem into the church.

Also read why God chose to reveal toIsrael His Sabbath and annual HolyDays. There is a great deal of confusionconcerning the special purpose whichthese festivals serve in New Testamenttimes. It is little understood. Just asthe heathen, under the universal intlu­ence of Satan, counterfeited the plan ofGod, which they already understoodbasically, they also anticipated the trueFestivals of God for his church by in­venting many of their own!

To be continued in next issue

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