Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1911 — OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

SURROUNDED BY HEAVENLY HOSTS II Kings 6:8-23—April 9 "Be shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee <n all thy ways.”—Psalm 91:11. I HEN war was declared by fl I Syria against Israel the invaders sought to gain au entrance into Israel’s army in the mountain passes, but God through the Prophet Elisha forewarned the Israelites. When this had happened several times the Syrian king concluded that there were traitors amongst his counsellors, but was answered. No! the Prophet Elisha surely warns Israel’s king of anything that you plan secretly. Learning that the Prophet was living at Dot ban. near the Syrian border, the king sent a detachment of soldiers to capture him. They came by night. Elisha’s servant, arising early, saw that the little city was surrounded. He ran

to his master In fear, but the latter. unperturbed, answered. Fear not:for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. T h e s e w ord s sounded strangely untrue to the servant, until the Prophet prayed for him an opening of

eyes, which revealed a vision of angels, chariots and horses, with the appearance of. fire.

The lesson to us is that whoever are God’s servants, and wherever they may be, Divine power, like a mighty army, surrounds them. Modern inventions and discoveries are more and more revealing to us secrets of nature and hinting at far more beyond. Whoever has knowledge of wireless telegraphy, X-rays, radium, etc., can readily believe that the Almighty God may have thousands of agencies and powers invisible to men whereby he can work all things according as he pleases. “The Angel of the Lord Encampeth Round About Them That Fear Him and Deliveroth Them.”

Angels are beings of a grade a little higher than man—beings with spirit bodies instead'of flesh bodies. “Thou madest man a little lower than the angels.” The Scriptures declare that the angels are sent forth to minister to or serve all those who are heirs of salvation. They encamp around about God’s servants in the sense that Divine agency and power are everywhere and ready at any instant to be exercised as much as need be for the accomplishment of God’s will. The same God who willed that Elijah should flee before Jezebel arranged that Elisha should be specially protected. But we are to remember that only those who are in covenant relationship with God are under this special watch-care and protection. We are to remember also that there are fallen angflfc, called “Wicked spirits," and that these are on the alert to entrap and ensnare humanity through spirit mediums, spirit rappings, tippings, clairvoyants, ouijaboards, etc. God’s people are against these, and they In turn should warn the world' of the great danger resulting from any association with these fallen angels, who mterepresent themselves, to be our dead friends. Many are being misled by these evil spirits. They have introduced various false doctrines and continually seek t<s entrap the human will and, if possible, to gain control over U—through obsession. Ourtoarty Is one of th* main baits to the book of spta’itism. Spiritists, including mediums, are being deceived. They think that they converse with the dead. They will inthat there are “wicked spirits," “lying spirits,” as the Bible says; but the/ do not acknowledge that they are elf wicked. The fact is that they have only partially realized the depth lof» Satan’s power and deceit. Comparatively Few Have Yet Learned of God’a Love Only God’s cons.vrated people have yet learned of his love, and they very Imperfectly. The tactics of Satan and his 'demon hosts for centuries has been to blind the whole world and, as much as ■possible, God’s people respecting his true character. 6y misrepresentations of the Scriptures and some interpolations and some mistranslations they have succeeded to a wonderful degree

in putting light for darkness and darkness for light. This is shown in the creeds of all denominations —some in a greater and some in a less degree. A century or more ago, when the creeds were believed mb re • fully than today, the effect was

terribly demoralizing. Good men and women under the delusions of those creeds tortured ope another, often to death, with thuinb-screws, racks, burn-Ing-irons, the' stake, etc. Their hearts were’not so much worse, perhaps, than ours;' but their heads were more deluded. Believing thoroughly in the doctrine of eternal torment, etc., they c >py this misconception of the Divine character and dealing.

The work of the fallen angels

The angels of the Lord, Ehsha's defenders.