Fact or Fiction? Fact or Fiction? –– page 3page 3The Bible Saves a Language The Bible Saves a Language –– page 5page 5How Precious to You is your Bible? How Precious to You is your Bible? –– page 8page 8

GladTidingsGladTidingsOF THE KINGDOM OF GOD 1479

Bible Talks, Study Classes, Sunday Schools and Youth Clubsare held regularly by Christadelphians worldwide. The address

of your nearest group can be obtained from either the Distribution Secretaries or from the local agents or

information addresses given above.

Bible VersionsThe version most used in this issue isthe New King James Version (NKJV)and other versions are sometimes

used.

✤ The New King James Version iscopyrighted by Thomas Nelson.

✤ The English Standard Version is published by Harper CollinsPublishers © 2001 by CrosswayBibles, a division of Good NewsPublishers. Used by permission.

✤ The New International Version is copyrighted 1978 by New York Bible Society

GladTidingsO F T H E K I N G D O M O F G O D

123rd Year 1479A monthly magazine published by the

Christadelphians (brothers and sisters in Christ) and avail-able throughout the world.Its objectives are – to encourage

study of the Bible as God's inspired message to men; to call attention to the Divine offer of forgiveness of sins

through Jesus Christ; and to warn men and women that soon Christ will return to Earth as judge and

ruler of God’s world-wide Kingdom.

Acknowledgements

Photographs:

Cover and Page 3 Llandovery Market Hall

Ken Anderton

Illustrations:Clipart.com pgs 11-19; Todd Bolenpg 10

ContentsH07

Magazine orders to the address nearest you.For Free Offers see the back coverUnited Kingdom – Cilla Palmer (Mrs), “Highlands”, 78 Mildenhall Road, Fordham, Ely, Cambs, EnglandCB7 5NR Tel: (01638) 723959 (24hrs&Fax) cilla@gladtidings.fsnet.co.uk

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Other Countries – Geoff Maycock, 8 Hale End, Bracknell, Berks., England, RG12 9YH gmaycock@fish.co.uk

Local information is also available from:

Fiji – Bible Mission, Box 1012, G.P.O., Suva

Indonesia – Bible Mission, Gereja Saudara Dalam Kristus,Kerten Rt 01/RW10, JalanMundu 3/40, Solo 57143, Indonesia

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Bangladesh – Christadelphian Bible Students, PO Box 9052,Banani, Dhaka 1213

Editor: Owen Tecwyn Morgan26 The Crescent, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull, B92 OBP, England, UK glad.tidings@virgin.net

Publisher: The Glad Tidings Publishing Association (a registered charity) number 248352

Contents

Fact or Fiction? ...........3

The Bible Saves aLanguage ..................5

How Precious is YourBible to You? .............8

We Can’t but God Will.................................11

Open My Eyes ............14

What’s the WorldComing To? .............15

What is Sin?...............19

123rd Year 3

costume, could play their part in a dra-matic re-enactment.

Looking at the eventual production,the film-goer is meant to identify withthe action of the piece and to becomeabsorbed in the drama. The minute heor she starts to question the authentic-ity or credibility of the work, perhapsbecause some things are inappropri-ate, or details like electric wiring ortelevision aerials are spotted, the pro-duction has failed.

Make-BelievePeople go to great lengths nowadaysto create illusions which are believ-able. The arrival of digital imagerymeans that actors who performagainst a neutral background, withnothing at all happening around them,

will eventually bedepicted flyingthrough the air, fight-ing with monsters, ordoing the mostextraordinary things.Ordinary people canthus be portrayed assuper-heroes, or beinvolved in death-defying stunts,although they never

strayed from the safety of the film set.And the people who watch the finalproduction are likely to be convincedthat they did all those things and thatthey were really there – in mortalcombat, or whatever.

When taken, the photograph mighthave been dull; but it can be bright-ened without difficulty. There may havebeen elements in the picture whichspoil the composition; but they can beremoved. It’s even possible to addpeople in who weren’t there at all.

It’s not the camera that lies, ofcourse, but the person who is manipu-lating the image. The end result,however, is the same – what you seemay not be what was really there, onthe day!

The Imaginary WorldIf you had been driving through SouthWest Wales last year and happenedacross the small town of Llandovery,you might have been surprised by theartefacts outside the Market Hall,shown on thismonth’s front cover.They could have per-suaded you that youhad been transportedback to an earliercentury.

But a closer lookwould have made youthink again. Noticethat the peoplestanding there arenot wearing 18th or 19th centuryclothes; they are quite normallydressed. It was not a case of timetravel: a film set was being prepared togive the impression that it was a muchearlier time so that actors, in period

Fact or Fiction?Fact or Fiction?Whoever said “The camera doesn’t lie” knew very little about photography. It has

always been the case that some manipulation was possible, either when thephotograph was being taken or during the printing of the image. Now that possi-

bility has become available to everyone, thanks to digital photography andsoftware manipulation.

4 Glad Tidings

The result of all this is that theborder line has become blurredbetween reality and make-believe.People can believe in magic, but not inmiracles. They can be persuaded thata young magician can fly about on abroomstick, but not that the LordJesus ascended to heaven with nomechanical assistance. They may behorrified by the thought that themonster Frankenstein came back tolife again, but cannot believe thatJesus rose bodily from the dead,having conquered death.

Only Yards AwayThe Bible is a factual and historicalaccount of special things that hap-pened many years ago. There were nofilm sets then; no image manipulation;no digital photography. People wrotedown what had happened and talkedabout it, over and over again: that wasthe nature of society in those days,before newspapers and magazines.

Visitors to Jerusalem who were toldthat Jesus had risen from the deadwere being told about it just weeksafter the events had taken place. Andit wasn’t being written down bysomeone who wanted to compose agood story. It was being related bypeople who had everything to lose,including their lives.

The apostles who told the crowdswhat had happened were only yardsaway from where it had happened.They were eye-witnesses who could bequestioned and there was ampleopportunity to check out the facts. Theresurrection of Jesus Christ is present-ed as something that really happenedand that was a vital reality. This is whatone apostle wrote:

“If Christ is not risen, then our preach-ing is vain and your faith is also vain.

Yes, and we are found false witnessesof God, because we have testified ofGod that he raised up Christ, whom hedid not raise up – if in fact the dead donot rise. For if the dead do not rise,then Christ is not risen. And if Christ isnot risen, your faith is futile; you arestill in your sins!” (1 Corinthians15:14-17).

Unbelief to FaithThousands of those who heard the tes-timony became baptised believers,even though this put them in difficul-ties with the Jewish establishment.They would not have done that if theythought that it was all make-believe.

The very witnesses themselves hadtaken a while to believe what had hap-pened. At first they thought Jesus wasdead and gone. They could not believethat he was risen from the dead. Evenwhen people began to say that it hadhappened, and that they had seenhim, they could not believe. They hadto be persuaded by the unshakeablefacts. But once they had decided therewas no going back: then they wereready to suffer and die rather thandeny what had happened. Theirs wasan unshakeable conviction that Jesusis alive and well, now living in heaven,and that he will return to earth toestablish God’s Kingdom.

That conviction is the heart of theChristian message. Jesus died to savepeople from their sins so that they canlive with him on earth in God’sKingdom. That message is grounded infact. It is not a myth, nor is it make-believe. The Bible gives firm and logicalreasons why we should believe in thesupernatural and it urges us to beready for the great changes that areabout to take place.

Editor

123rd Year 5

Abolition ThreatKing Henry VII was a Tudor monarch,who also happened to be a Welshman.In the in terests of unifying England andWales into one kingdom, he decidedupon the eventual abolition of theWelsh language. This policy was con-tinued by his son, Henry VIII, whopassed the Act of Union in 1536. Hisbreak with Rome in the same year,which led to the establishment of theAnglican Church, did not change hisbasic attitude to the ap -propriate language forworship. Like England,Wales continued to bedominated by a Latin-speaking church.

But by now the Refor-mation was un stoppable:this was the movementthat in Europe wasleading to the translationof the Bible into everydaylanguages. It was anespecially active force inthe universities of Oxfordand Cambridge. RichardDavies (1501-1581),who in 1530 graduated from New InnHall, Oxford, was a reformer and trans-lator who was made Bishop of St.David’s. He may well have beeninstrumen tal in persuading Queen Eliz-abeth to pass an Act in 1563 whichwas to check the decline of Welsh. For

it called for a Welsh translation of thePrayer Book and Bible, and requiredthat they be placed in every church inWales by 1st March 1566.

Regular readers of Glad Tidings willnote that this accorded with KingHenry VIII’s command that an Englishtranslation be placed in each Parish inEngland. His decree was issued in1538 and the resultant Great Bibleappeared the following year.

New TestamentTo fulfil the Act’s require-ments, Richard Daviesenlisted the services ofWilliam Salesbury (1520-1584), a brilliant Oxfordscholar and linguist, whohad already published aWelsh lectionary containingthe gospels and epistles.Together they publish ed thefirst complete printed NewTestament in Welsh, in1567.

Unfortunately, Salesbury’sNew Testament was marredby his idiosyncratic alter-

ation of Welsh words, to make themresemble their Latin equivalents. As aresult the book was more suitable forscholars than for the common people.

Interestingly enough, there was asimilar development in England when,in 1542, an attempt was made to

The Bible Saves aThe Bible Saves aLanguageLanguage

Four hundred years ago, in 1588, the Welsh Bible did more than simply makethe Word of God available to the people of Wales. It also effectively preserved the

Welsh language, which might otherwise have fallen into disuse. In this article,Alan Fowler explains how the Welsh Bible came to be translated, and arguesthat the Word of God can do more than save a language: it can save you too!

William Morgan 1545-1604

6 Glad Tidings

bring the Great Bible more into linewith the Latin Vulgate. Fortunately thework came to nothing, otherwise wemight have had such sentences as“This is my dilect son in whom com-pacui”, instead of the preferablewording “This is my beloved son, inwhom I am well pleased” (Matthew3:17).

Richard Davies and William Sales-bury had planned to proceed with aWelsh translation of the Old Testamentbut the partnership was dissolved, sothe tradition has it, because of a differ-ence of opinion over one Hebrew word.As a result, it is said that Wales had towait another 21 years for a completeBible in Welsh.

William MorganThis task was undertaken by WilliamMorgan. He was born in 1541 andentered St. John’s College, Cambridgein 1563. William Tyndale (who firstprinted an English New Testament in1525) and MilesCoverdale (who pro-duced the firstEnglish Bible), werealso educated atCambridge, whichthus con tinued itsgood tradition ofclose associationwith Bible transla-tion.

William Morganstudied Hebrew andGreek, as well asLatin and the yearafter he started in Cambridge, QueenElizabeth visited the college and madespeeches in Greek and Latin. It is there-fore quite likely that this visit could haveinspired the young student to be thescholar who, 24 years later, would pre -sent this same Queen with the first

complete Bible in Welsh.William Morgan graduated in 1568

and became a minister at a smalltown, near the coastal port of Aberyst-wyth. Ten years later he moved toLlanrhaedr ym Mochnant, nearOswestry, six miles from the Englishborder. He was to stay there until hewas appointed to another post, in1595, at the request of Queen Eliza-beth, and it was during the first tenyears in this country village that all hisenergies were to be devoted to thework of translation. In these busytimes, it is as well to reflect upon thebenefits that have come from quietcontemplation upon the Word of God.We have to find such time ourselves, ifwe are to appreciate, and then apply,the teaching of God’s holy and inspiredWord.

From the OriginalThe work of this earnest man took himback to the original languages in which

the Bible was firstwritten − Hebrewand Greek − aswell as to theEnglish transla-tions of Tyndaleand Coverdale,and the WelshNew Testament ofSalesbury andDavies. It was ahuge task for oneman to under-take. Yet, on itssuccess depend-

ed not only the survival of WelshProtestantism and non-conformity, butalso in all probability the survival of theWelsh as a distinct and identifiablenation. If William Morgan had not pro-duced his translation, the Welshlanguage would almost certainly have

The house in Llanrhaedr ym Mochnant where mostof the Welsh translation was made

123rd Year 7

In 1587 WilliamMorgan set out onhorse back carryinghis precious manu-script. London was200 miles away, butit was the only placewhere the Bible couldbe printed, eventhough the printer,Christopher Barker,was English. Thismeant that he had tore main in London inorder to supervisethe printing, and thusavoid errors.

All went well and inthe following year,1588, WilliamMorgan presented acopy of his Bible toQueen Elizabeth.

When he died, in 1604, he was still apoor man, but he be queathed incalcu-lable riches to the Welsh nation. So,dear reader, when you examine BishopMorgan’s Bible, or any other earlytranslation, remember that these werewrit ten so that men and women couldread and understand the Word of theliving God. The Bible is a living bookwith a message for to day; we neglect itat our peril.

The 400th anniversary of BishopMorgan’s Bible was celebrated in1988 and that of the Great Bible in1989. But think what William Morganwould have said if he had been askedwhat celebration he thought appropri-ate. It would probably have beensomething like this:

“For the sake of your eternal salvationdon’t just look at the Bible − read it!”

Alan Fowler

died as did Cornishand other Celtictongues. Thanks tohim Welsh remainsthe oldest livinglanguage in Europe.

A parallel to thiscan be seen in thecase of the Jewishnation who, dis-persed from theiroriginal land, keptHebrew alive throughtheir use of BiblicalHebrew. It requiredEliezer Ben-Yehuda,the father of modernHebrew, to updatethe language whenthe Jews returned toIsrael, and again itwas the growingfamiliarity of theWelsh with the Scriptures that soembedded their language and theirculture in the national mind.

A Book to ReadFor William Morgan, however, thetrans lation was solely intended for thepurpose of giving his people a knowl-edge of the inspired Word of God. Inhis Dedication to the Queen he wrote,“Unless religion is taught in thecommon tongue it will remain hiddenand unknown”.

His work made it possible for thepeople of Wales to follow the exampleof the people of Berea who “searchedthe Scriptures daily whether thesethings were so” (Acts 17:11). Similarwork, done by other translators, nowmakes it possible for us all to sharethis benefit. We too can read God’sWord in our native language. But dowe really appreciate what a blessingthat is?

8 Glad Tidings

A person bursts through adoor shouting, very loudlyand excitedly, that he’s justdiscovered the Word of God!Just imagine it. Would you beexcited?

But why would you be? Today, Biblesare not rare at all – six billion copieshave been sold worldwide: more than100 million last year alone! It eventops the best-seller list every year! Notonly are there teeming mil-lions of Bibles circulatingaround the world, but justthink of how many youmight have in your ownhouse.

So, going back to theoriginal question, surelyit would be hard for anyof us to feel too excited.It’s not really a discov-ery, is it? We know thatmost people, in mostcountries, could get a Bible veryquickly, today. Surely there’s nothingspecial about this. Yet, if you firstthought this, you might be surprised tohear that this story is not fictional atall, but actually based upon a trueevent. In fact, it’s something that hap-pened during biblical times, a longtime ago.

King JosiahDuring the time of the prophet Jeremi-ah – a very famous prophet of God –Hilkiah the high priest found the Bookof the Law, and gave it to Shaphan thescribe who, in turn, brought it beforethe King of Judah. At the time his

name was King Josiah (see 2 KingsChapter 22). Imagine what it musthave been like for the young king tohear the Word of God being read tohim for the very first time.

On hearing this Law – probably whatwe now call the “Book of Deuterono-my” – the king was moved with suchemotion that he told everyone in Judahabout God’s holy ways. Soon the Bookwas being publicly read and the kingassembled all the elders of Israel to

renew the covenant with the LordGod of Israel. Indeed, King Josiah

was just like his grandfather, KingHezekiah, who was famed forbeing faithful to God. Josiah wasalso a truly righteous king.

Written CopiesBut why had this Book of the Lawgone missing? We know that

during Old Testament times,the law had to be written

down again, afresh, whenever a newking ascended the throne of Israel. Weread from that Law that:

“It shall be, when he [the King] sits onthe throne of his kingdom, that heshall write for himself a copy of this lawin a book, from the one before thepriests, the Levites. And it shall be withhim, and he shall read it all the days ofhis life, that he may learn to fear theLORD his God and be careful toobserve all the words of this law andthese statutes” (Deuteronomy17:18,19).

So clearly there should have been acopy of the Law available in the king’s

How Precious is yourHow Precious is yourBible to You?Bible to You?

123rd Year 9

palace but, for whatever reason, therewasn’t one. Nonetheless, the all-important point here is that Hilkiah –the high priest – discovered a copy ofGod’s law and was overjoyed with hisnew find.

So what about us? Are we excitedabout opening the word of God – theBible – and reading it? Have we everbeen so interested with a part of Scrip-ture that we’ve spent hours studying it,even into the long hours of the night?Do we read the Bible daily, to learnmore of God’s plan andpurpose with the earth? Inactual fact, our answershere are good indicators ofhow much we truly loveand value the Bible.

The Story of MaryJonesSome people have beenprepared to go to extraor-dinary lengths to possess aBible. One particularlylovely story is that of MaryJones (1784-1872). Shewas a Welsh girl whowanted a Bible more thananything. At the time it was a vainhope as money was scarce. But herdesire grew and she became moredetermined. She started saving moneyso she could buy her very own copy.It took her six years of saving, buteventually she had enough to finallyrealise her dream.

She was sixteen years of age andneeded to walk to Bala, over 25 milesaway, through the Welsh mountains.Excited, Mary set off and finallyreached the home of Thomas Charles,only to be told he had no more Biblesfor sale! Heartbroken, she began toweep. But all was not lost. Her despairtouched Mr. Charles and he found her

a spare Bible that she could takehome.

More importantly, Mr. Charles was soimpressed with Mary’s love of theBible, and her determination to savefor and purchase one (at whatevercost!), that just four years later (in1804), he helped to establish theBritish and Foreign Bible Society inLondon. This was a remarkablemoment, for the main aim of theorganization was to circulate the Bibleto people just like Mary Jones – those

who were desperate toread it for themselves.And the Society hassince produced texts in700 languages anddialects! It has alsomanaged to distributeover 550 million copiesof the Bible around theworld!

So, the wonderfulcharacter and disposi-tion of this young girlhas had a lasting effectupon the whole world.But would we havebeen just like her?

Would we have been driven to suchefforts? Would we have placed such ahigh value on possessing a Bible andreading it for ourselves? How muchwould we be prepared to pay?

What’s it Worth?Another way – albeit a very crude one– of looking at what the Bible means tous is to calculate how much a copy indays gone by would be worth today. It’sbeen said that a skilled writer wouldtake about 10 months to copy theBible by hand. So, as a basic calcula-tion, if we assume that a scribe waspaid the minimum wage of today(£5.35 an hour in the UK), and that he

10 Glad Tidings

worked for 8 hoursa day, 5 days aweek, and for 10months, then thiswould come out atroughly £9,000 fora Bible! And inmaking this calcu-lation we haven’teven included thecost of the materi-als used (paper,ink, glue, gilding, etc), just the cost ofthe labour!

It’s also probably unreasonable toassume that a highly skilled scribewould be on a minimum wage, sincetheir skills would have been rare andgreatly in demand. So, for argument’ssake, let’s say that the scribe was paid£30 an hour (comparable to a highlyskilled worker today). Using the sameassumptions as before (except for thenew higher wage), a written Bible getscloser to costing us £50,000 – or, forcomparison, the cost of two luxurycars!

Obviously such a huge sum of moneywould, sadly, put Bible ownership outof reach for the vast majority of normalpeople. Very few people would be ableto afford such a steep price tag! Whata sorry picture this would be.

Privileged peopleIt’s impossible to estimate the realfinancial value of the Bible because it’sabsolutely priceless! You simply can’tput a value to it! For in it we have arevelation of the Creator’s plan andpurpose with the earth and mankind,besides the only means of salvation.Without our Bibles we wouldn’t knowanything about the Lord Jesus Christ,and what he achieved on our behalf.

However, this numerical illustrationdoes highlight what an amazing bless-

ing we all have. Evenas recently as ahundred years ago,books such as theBible were still veryexpensive. Posses-sions weren’t soreadily available backthen, and familiesweren’t as well-off.Yet today, Bibles areowned by most

people. This is one of the great advan-tages of printing and publishing, asBibles no longer have to be handwrit-ten. They can be mass produced veryquickly and cheaply, and distributedacross the world. What an amazingblessing this is!

But the value of the Bible is not in itsprinting and binding, but in where thewords have come from. They’ve origi-nated from God Himself – the author ofthis extraordinary book! We need toread it daily, and treat it with theutmost care. And what an awesomeprivilege we have: to be able to listento God – the Creator of the heavensand the earth – every day, in thereading of the Bible. But though manypeople own a copy, few actually read itproperly – as predicted by Jesushimself when he declared, “When theSon of man cometh, shall he find faithon the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

So let’s try to learn more of God’sWord now, while we have the time andthe opportunity.

Stephen Whitehouse

Bible LineTelephone messagefor UK readersRing 08457-660668

123rd Year 11

Who’s to Blame?The common factor in all the problemswe now face is that they are the faultof the human race, and they arecaused by human nature. We are toblame! The problem is that we tendso often to look after ourselvesat the expense of others; tobe aggressive and unforgiv-ing; to live for today withnot enough thought tothe implications of ouractions on future genera-tions.

God placed mankind onHis planet to look after it forHim, and we haven’t.Instead, we have exploited theearth for our own ends and neglect-ed to learn from the God who madeus. So what lies ahead? Variousreports have tried to predict the futureand to foresee the results of mankind’sabuse of the planet. But we have thebest possible source of information –the Bible.

God’s Promise God has promised that life on earth willcontinue. Here is just one of thosepromises:

“For thus says the Lord, who createdthe heavens (he is God!), who formedthe earth and made it (he establishedit; he did not create it empty, heformed it to be inhabited!): “I am the

Lord, and there is no other” (Isaiah45:18).

Isaiah 45 is a chapter all aboutGod’s sovereignty. The nations sur-rounding the land of Israel all

worshipped a myriad of gods:they made idols out of wood

and stone and believedin all sorts of vainsuperstitions. By con-trast, the Jewsbelieved in the Godof the Bible, and Heused them inIsaiah’s day – as he

does in ours – as aproof that He is the one

true God.In verse 18 the Almighty

makes an important statement abouthis intentions for the earth. He did notmake it to be empty and deserted,devoid of life, but to be inhabited. Andsince Genesis chapter 1 describesGod’s creation of all the creatures thatfill the seas, the earth and the sky, wecan be sure that is how He intends itto be. Whatever mankind may do tothe earth, God will ensure that it isinhabited by the creatures He made tolive here.

The Earth – Man’s Inheri-tanceThis does not, by the way, give us leaveto think that we can therefore carry on

Can We Save the Planet? – 2

We Can’t, but God WillWe Can’t, but God WillIn the last issue Andrew Walker reviewed some of the threats that earth faces

– climate change, over-exploitation of the earth’s resources, the decline in otherspecies because of the way we behave, and the challenges of nuclear weapons,terrorism and pollution. Now he examines what God is going to do to rescue the

situation.

12 Glad Tidings

exploiting the earth with no regard. Theresponsibility God gave mankind in thebeginning is an ongoing one, andbelievers in the Bible should be thefirst to turn down the heat in theirhomes; to buy less and recycle more;and to use less fossil fuel. In passing,of course, these verses confirm whatwe already know from other Scriptures,that God’s purpose with mankind lieshere on earth, with people and crea-tures living on it, rather than in heaven.

The seasons will continue as they donow. Not only has God told us that lifewill be sustained, He has promisedthat the seasons will continue; that theearth will always provide food:

“While the earth remains, seedtimeand harvest, cold and heat, summerand winter, day and night, shall notcease.” (Genesis 8:22).

These words, spoken to Noah imme-diately after the flood, must have beena tremendous encouragement. Godwanted Noah and his family to “befruitful and multiply, teem on the earthand multiply in it” (Genesis 9:7), and itmay be that Noah was nervous thatthe flood, that had just brought suchdevastation on the earth, would return.To us, too, they provide encourage-ment. Not only is the future of life onEarth secure, but we can be sure thatthe seasons that mark our years willcontinue.

Is the Future Rosy?There are many chapters in the Biblethat describe the world as it will bewhen the kingdom of God is estab-lished here following the Return fromheaven of the Lord Jesus Christ. Butone of them, in Isaiah chapter 35 isperhaps particularly revealing, and as itis quite short we have included it infull:

1 The wilderness and the dry landshall be glad; the desert shall rejoiceand blossom like the crocus;2 it shall blossom abundantly andrejoice with joy and singing. Theglory of Lebanon shall be given to it,the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.They shall see the glory of the Lord,the majesty of our God.3 Strengthen the weak hands, andmake firm the feeble knees.4 Say to those who have an anxiousheart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold,your God will come with vengeance,with the recompense of God. He willcome and save you.”5 Then the eyes of the blind shall beopened, and the ears of the deafunstopped;6 then shall the lame man leap like adeer, and the tongue of the mute singfor joy. For waters break forth in thewilderness, and streams in thedesert;7 the burning sand shall become apool, and the thirsty ground springsof water; in the haunt of jackals,where they lie down, the grass shallbecome reeds and rushes.8 And a highway shall be there, andit shall be called the Way of Holi-ness; the unclean shall not pass overit. It shall belong to those who walkon the way; even if they are fools,they shall not go astray.9 No lion shall be there, nor shallany ravenous beast come up on it;they shall not be found there, but theredeemed shall walk there.10 And the ransomed of the Lordshall return and come to Zion withsinging; everlasting joy shall beupon their heads; they shall obtaingladness and joy, and sorrow andsighing shall flee away.

The beauty of the poetry is beguiling.Even the earth is happy and joyful, asthough its inhabitants are so overcomewith gladness that their feelings havespread into the sand of the desert;everywhere is clothed with beauty andpeace.

The Earth RestoredWe should not be carried away,however. On closer reading we see thatthis is a chapter describing the future;that in speaking of “everlasting joy”(v10) it is describing a future timewhen God’s Kingdom is established onthe earth. But what is to happenbefore then? It makes grim reading.Isaiah foretells “wilderness”, “dry land”and “desert”. Human beings aredescribed as “blind”, “deaf”, “lame”and “mute”; and the creatures of theearth are “lions” and “jackals”.

This is a chapter of great beauty, butit is describing the recovery of a deso-late earth, of God’s gracious andnecessary actions in repairing adamaged creation. He comes to save(v4), and the inhabitants of the futureearth are those who have beenredeemed and ransomed (vv 9-10). Sowe are led to understand that theScriptures do not tell us that nothing

will ever go wrong. The message is thatone day God will put right a damagedcreation.

When Jesus returnsWe find the same picture when we lookin the New Testament, and we learnthat these things are achieved by thereturn of the Lord Jesus. It is clear frommany passages that Jesus will comeback to the earth. The angels said tohis disciples when he ascended intoheaven:

“Men of Galilee, why do you standlooking into heaven? This Jesus, whowas taken up from you into heaven,will come in the same way as you sawhim go into heaven” (Acts 1:11)

Other passages provide more detail,and confirm what Isaiah chapter 35said: that, by the work of the LordJesus, God will put right the harm thathas been done to His planet. AndJesus is not just coming to save theearth: he is coming to save all thosemen and women who are eagerlyawaiting his Coming to establish God’sNew Society, here on earth:

“So Christ, having been offered onceto bear the sins of many, will appear asecond time, not to deal with sin but to

123rd Year 13

14 Glad Tidings

save those who are eagerly waiting forhim” (Hebrews 9:28).

Jesus’ second coming will not be likehis ministry 2000 years ago. He willreturn to save those who are eagerlyawaiting him. The implication is thatthey need saving. If they are eagerlywaiting for Jesus it is because they arein need of deliverance. For there willbe trouble on the earth, and not justfor believers. Jesus predicted a timewhen the whole earth would be introuble. Asked about “the time of theend”, this is what he said:

“There will be signs in sun and moonand stars, and on the earth distress ofnations in perplexity because of theroaring of the sea and the waves,people fainting with fear and with fore-boding of what is coming on the world.For the powers of the heavens will beshaken. And then they will see the Sonof Man coming in a cloud with powerand great glory” (Luke 21:25-27”

So the things that are now happen-ing in the world – the things we hear

on the news every day - are confirmingwhat God has told us to expect.

✱ An earth that is spoiled anddamaged;

✱ A human population that isunable to put things to rights;but

✱ A loving Creator who has notgiven up on us.

When the time is right, God will inter-vene in the earth, by sending His Son,the Lord Jesus, who will return to theearth with power. He will use thatpower to put right the harm that we,collectively and individually, have done.

In the concluding article of thisseries we will see, God willing, that allthis is personal. It affects more thanjust the planet. It is something for eachof us to think about

Andrew J WalkerAll quotations are from the English

Standard Version of the Bible

Open My EyesOpen my eyes to the beauty around me,Open my eyes to the works of Thy hand;Summer and winter, the times and the seasons,Working together, the way Thou hast planned.

Open my eyes to the Truth in Thy Scriptures:Help me to see wondrous things in Thy law, For Thy Word is a light penetrating the darknessAnd giving me hope, so my spirit can soar.

Open my eyes to the signs all around meThat indicate clearly Christ’s coming is near; And help me to speak of Thy wonderful gospel“The Way of Salvation,” for all who will hear.

Colleen Simons

123rd Year 15

Coming KingdomThere will come a day and a year thatwill herald the coming of the LordJesus Christ to bring in the judgementsof God and to begin his reign of peaceover all the Earth. Will it be this year?

Nobody knows the exact year. Whenhe was on earth, not even the LordJesus knew the time of his Return(Matthew 24:36-39), for God had notrevealed it to him at the time. But weare sure that the time is drawing near,for there are clear signs to that effect.

In June 1967, just forty years ago,the Israelis were fighting what came tobe known as the “Six Day War”. Itresulted in a resounding victory overtheir Arab enemies and neighboursand the city of Jerusalem came backinto Jewish hands for thefirst time in 1900 years.Many felt that, when thathappened, a prophecymade by the Lord Jesushad come to pass at last.For, speaking of whathappened in AD 70 tothe Jewish people of hisday Jesus had said:

“There will be great dis-tress in the land and

wrath upon this people [the Jews inJerusalem]. And they will fall by theedge of the sword, and be led awaycaptive into all nations. And Jerusalemwill be trampled by Gentiles until thetimes of the Gentiles are fulfilled”(Luke 21:23,24).

The taking of Jerusalem seemed tosuggest that the times of the Gentileshad run their course. So it would seemthat at the very least a vital point hadbeen reached in the fulfilment of thesewords. However, what we should do isplace them back into their originalcontext and think about the fulfilmentof all that Jesus said, rather than justthis one sentence.

Magnificent Temple When Jesus spoke thesewords, in about 30 AD, hewas sitting on the Mount ofOlives overlooking the cityof Jerusalem and, in partic-ular, its beautiful temple.What did he say to his dis-ciples?

“As for these things whichyou see, the days will comein which not one stoneshall be left upon another

His Master’s Voice − 7

What’s the World ComingWhat’s the World Coming

To?To?Looking back over the past 12 months does not give us much cause for opti-

mism about what the future might hold. There are much the samedisappointments and tragedies we have shared in the past. Promises are made,

but not kept, even by the leaders of nations. Nobody seems able to halt thethreat of global terrorism; the outbreaks of violence on the battlefields of theworld and elsewhere; disease keeps taking its steady toll of hundreds of thou-

sands of lives each year, and the climate keeps changing! But, as DavidNightingale now explains, something better is coming.

There was once a Jewish Templeon this site

16 Glad Tidings

that shall not be thrown down” (Luke21:6).

So, the disciples quite naturallyasked when this was to happen andwhat sign there would be of it beingabout to happen. The parallel accountin Matthew adds: “Tell us, when willthese things be? And what will be thesign of your coming, and of the end ofthe age?” (Matthew 24:3)

Beware!It is important to notice what Jesussaid in reply. He was never guilty ofavoiding answering difficult questions.The answers may not always be whatwe expect but every time Jesus spokehis integrity was on the line – so it hadto be right! There was always someoneto challenge what he said. He startedwith a warning:

“Take heed that you be notdeceived. For many, will come in myname, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘Thetime has drawn near.’ Therefore do notgo after them” (Luke 21:8).

Things don’t change that much. Thedisciples lived in a worldwhere false Messiahsturned up regularly,making great claims,and it is the same forus. A great manypeople, often quitewell-meaning, wantus to follow theirideas, some evenclaiming to be “theChrist”. Put them tothe test, says Jesus.This is why we should have a goodunderstanding of who Jesus was andwhy we should listen to his authenticvoice as it comes to us through theNew Testament.

Notice that Jesus was answeringseveral questions and, as history

shows, the events to which he referredoccurred at quite different times.Because he was being asked aboutthe Jewish nation and about the build-ings of Jerusalem, they were the focusof his predications. So what did theLord have to say about these issues?

❶ When would the stones of thetemple be thrown down?

❷ What is to be the sign of hisComing and of the end of the age?

Get Out!The answer to the first question isimportant for two reasons. It gives us alink with the past and it confirms for usthat Jesus knows what he is talkingabout. For instance he said this,

“But when you see Jerusalem sur-rounded by armies, then know that itsdesolation is near. Then let those inJudea flee to the mountains, let thosewho are in the midst of her depart, andlet not those who are in the countryenter her” (Luke 21:20,21).

On the face of it this wasstrange advice. Should-

n’t we escape from acity before thearmies surroundit? In AD 70, whenthe Roman armiescame, the siegewas laid to thecity. Just on thepoint of victory, the

Romans withdrewand subsequently

suffered a resounding defeat at thehands of Jewish freedom fighters.

This was the opportunity to escape,since not long afterwards the Romansreturned with renewed ferocity and diddestroy the city and the temple andleft only small parts standing as a

there that speak of my coming”. So weshould.

Watch Israel!Recently the confidence of Israel hasbeen shaken on two fronts. First, thegrinding attrition of the Palestinianintifada, which began in 1987, has ledon to the violence from within Gaza,and the daily rocket attacks now thatHamas have won control. Second, theinability of the Israeli army to obliteratethe guerilla attacks from Lebanon hasshown them to be susceptible to thatsort of hit-and-run military engage-

ment. As if that were not bad

enough, the Iranian presi-dent – MahmoudAhmadinejad – hasexplicitly stated that heintends that Israel bewiped from the map. Addto that the fact it is Iran’sintention to have nuclear

weapons as soon as possi-ble, and there would appear

to be the real possibility ofrenewed conflict in the Middle East

very soon! In any case what is happen-ing in and around Israel is the sign ofthe coming of the Lord Jesus.

No wonder then that Jesus adds, “onearth distress of nations with perplexi-ty.” There is no solution to theJerusalem problem; the word ‘perplex-ity’ means ‘no way out’. No statesmanand no country have solutions to offerwhich will satisfy both Arab and Israeliaspirations for the land or the city. Butthen we could add that all the otherproblems facing the world – globalwarming, nuclear weapons, ethniccleansing, fear of pandemics, andsuchlike – are all equally insoluble, asthings stand.

123rd Year 17

memorial to their great victory. Interesting too, the added detail

Jesus gives, “let not those who are inthe country enter her”. The generalanti-Jewish feeling at the time, rifethroughout Palestine (and, of course,the marauding Roman soldiery), wasdriving many Jews to seek for shelter inJerusalem – not a wise move given thecircumstances we have described.Jesus, in his prophecy, had the detailsand warnings exactly right. When hespeaks about our times then surely weshould take notice!

Long-Term ForecastWhat about the other

questions Jesus wasanswering? What aboutthe 21st Century? Lookagain at what Jesussaid after he talkedabout the down-tread-ing of Jerusalem:

“There will be signs inthe sun, in the moon, andin the stars; and on theearth distress of nations, withperplexity, the sea and the wavesroaring; men’s hearts failing them fromfear and the expectation of thosethings which are coming on the earth,for the powers of heaven will beshaken” (Luke 21:25,26).

Many have suggested that thesesigns in sun, moon and stars should beunderstood literally and with so muchscientific exploration and study of theheavens, together with the exploitationof satellite technology in our time thatcould just be true. But in the Biblethese same heavenly bodies havebeen used to represent the family ofIsrael (see Genesis chapter 37, forexample.) Surely Jesus is saying:“Watch, Israel! There will be events

18 Glad Tidings

Jesus was saying that we could bethere to share in that ‘golden age ofpeace’. But the bad times have to beendured first. And we have to listen towhat Jesus says!

Jerusalem was in Gentile hands until1967 – just forty years ago. Now thesituation is such that Jesus couldreturn at any time. It is really importantthat we take note of what is happeningand prepare ourselves for all that liesahead. As Jesus said:

“Assuredly, I say to you, this generationwill by no means pass away till allthings are fulfilled. Heaven and earthwill pass away, but my words will by nomeans pass away. But take heed toyourselves, lest your hearts be weigheddown with carousing, drunkenness,and cares of this life, and that Daycome on you unexpectedly. For it willcome as a snare on all those whodwell on the face of the whole earth.Watch therefore, and pray always thatyou may be counted worthy to escapeall these things that will come to pass,and to stand before the Son of Man”(Luke 21:32-36).

In Scripture, a generation is general-ly reckoned to be 40years.It was truein relation to Jesus’ words for his gen-eration. In the years following AD 70the Jews were literally cleared from themap of Palestine.

Could what Jesus said be true for ourgeneration? We should not put toomuch stress on actual dates, but it isdifficult to see how our world can go ontottering from one crisis to another.The situation is that Jesus could comeat any time – the sooner the better!

David Nightingale

Rough SeasWhat about the expression Jesus used:“the sea and the waves roaring”?There are two references (Psalm65;6,7 and Isaiah 17:12) whichsuggest that Jesus was talking aboutthe way in which masses of ordinaryfolk are mobilised across the planet tobring about change. Some would call itthe working of democracy, illustratedby mass demonstrations. We have cer-tainly seen such of late and they havehad tremendous effect – bringingabout the downfall of dictators and‘regime change.’ What politician woulddare to ignore the voice of the people?

No wonder people are full of fear andexpectation about the things which arecoming. Most of us find the future tooawful to contemplate. Should worldevents trigger another financial crashin the stock market, for example, theconsequences could be grim for every-one. But Jesus added that: “thepowers of heaven will be shaken”,which suggests that he was warningabout the possibility of nuclearweapons actually being used.

Better Times AheadHappily, Jesus’ prophecy did not endthere, for he added:

“Then they will see the Son of Mancoming in a cloud with power andgreat glory. Now when these thingsbegin to happen, look up and lift upyour heads, because your redemptiondraws near” (Luke 21:27,28).

Remembering that the prophecy isfocussed upon Jerusalem, Israel andits people, the Old Testament tells usthat Jesus will return at a time of terri-ble crisis for them to deliver thembefore restoring peace and God’s ruleto this troubled earth. That is a won-derful prospect to look forward to. For

123rd Year 19

Here are two questions to make you think about right and wrong:

➊ When were you last selfish, failed to be kind or told a lie? Sometimetoday or yesterday?

➋ Who decides what is right and what is wrong? Most of us want a natural justice, to be fair to oneself and

others. The Ten Commandments direct us to this idea and theserules set by God some thousands of years ago were summarised bythe Lord Jesus as follows:

“'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the secondis like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandmentshang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

What went Wrong?When in our lives we fail to maintain that love to Godand for each other, we are committing sin. Put simply,that’s how our world got to be as it is. Adam and Evefailed to love God sufficiently to want to please Him.Selfishly, they ignored His instructions about the tree ofthe Knowledge of good and evil. Equally they did notlove each other enough to prevent the disaster that fol-lowed through eating the fruit of the tree. Adam did not

protect Eve from eating the fruit and she pulled Adam into her foolishness by givinghim the fruit. The result was that evil entered the world (Romans 5:12) and theresult was fatal – for death also came, as a direct result.

From that day to this, the selfishness in which they indulged and this lack of lovehas had to be challenged and fought. Fortunately God’s love is greater than ours.He has directed that the voluntary sacrifice in love of the Lord Jesus’ own life, intotal unselfishness, will be the method by which we can gain salvation.

So here is another question for you to think about:

➌ Is your appreciation of God’s love, selflessness and care, strong enough toaccept the challenge?

God offers salvation from sin and death for all those who want it enough to repentof their sin and to be baptized into the saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Youcan be saved from Sin, if you really want to be.

Cynthia Miles

One minute Gospel

What is Sin?What is Sin?

Local Information

The Great Commandment

A man can be compelled by legisla-tion not to harm hisfellows, even to act benev-olently, but he cannot becompelled to love them.Christ, on the otherhand, expects those whofollow him to love bothhim and one another, not becausehe compels or induces them orbecause they are afraid of the conse-quences of disobedience; butbecause he has demonstrated thedepth of his own love for them.

Paul Wasson

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