A Journey Through the Ages (1930)

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A Journey

through the Ages

By Frederick Lardent

The Spirit of the Lord

is upon me; because the Lord bath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; be bath sent me to bind up the broken=bearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for asbes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness: that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

A Journey through the Ages.

A journey through the ages! Come, let us behold scenes which are strange and wonderful, as well as joyous and pathetic. Where shall we commence? Is it possible to view, as the angels did, the earth in

its formation? Are we able to share the feelings of that mighty heavenly host who saw the works of God springing forth into exquisite perfection? Great preparations were in process during those far-off days! The structure of the earth indeed tells of intense fires fires which met time and again, various chemical solutions which mysteriously encircled within and without this sphere.

This reveals itself to-day, in treasures of gold, platinum, silver, copper, iron, tin and various gems of great value in the eyes of men. This besides granite, hard and enduring, and marble of exquisite grain, and stratas of chalk and sand: and what is sand but a composition of minute rocks and stones, while chalk represents the remains of countless millions of sea-organisms. Then there are those ancient forest sites where coal is found. Truly, many and varied were the marvels laid in store by the Omnipotent for the service and ingenuity of man.

We read in the Psalms that "a fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." We have only to think of our own marvellous make-up to visualise the infinite mind behind that workmanship. Take our arms, our hands, our fingers—what strength and resourcefulness are attached to these extremities! Consider the ear: three thousand sensitive nerve filaments are suspended within the coils of that ingenious apparatus, like the strings of a harp. They are on the alert to send messages to the seat of intelligence concerning the different sounds abounding everywhere.

Think, too, of the eyes.

Two restless miniature cameras are for ever changing their focal lengths, in order to produce well-defined images for our brains to comprehend. Verily true are the words: "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?"

That Garden of Old.

Our journey proper, commences from the period when Adam and Eve were created. It is interesting to note that their home, with its stately fruit-bearing trees, sweet-smelling flowers, birds of delightful plumage and peaceful animal life, was mapped out by God Himself: "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed." And to think that the most wonderful—the most lovely—of objects were our first parents, whose glory need never fade throughout the ages of eternity. The gracious Lord of the universe had crowned them "with glory and honour." We might dwell upon this happy scene, but we are brought to a realisation of this fact: that Edenic bliss no longer exists. In our search for the reason, we are again led to that beautiful garden.

The Drama!

Therein a drama was enacted which has affected everyone in this land, everyone upon this earth—yea, all who have lived in past ages. "The serpent beguiled me and I did eat." These are the words which Eve addressed to the Lord. The destruction of the serpent was then speedily foretold: "The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head." There is, of course, no difficulty in picturing the serpent as signifying Lucifer: that bright and prominent angel who pursued his own line of action regardless of what God may, or may not, say in the matter. By so doing he partook of serpent-like traits which still exist as revealed by the prophecy: "And he laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years."

But whatever did God mean by the " seed of the woman "? For this to vanquish Satan, indicates a condition of great prominence and power!

Outside their garden home, our first parents commenced to droop like certain flowers unable to withstand the first blast of winter. Instead of life-sustaining fruits, they were forced to subsist on bread derived from grain and which did not precisely meet their physical requirements. The sentence passed upon them was death, or cessation of life! We affirm this truth, even though the demonic host have deluded many by accurately describing the forms of those who once lived upon this earth, and in sending their so-called messages through human mediums. We read: "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter: say, Should not a people seek unto their God?" The Scriptures assure us that there is no knowledge, wisdom or device whither men go at death.

"Am I My Brother's Keeper?"

Cain was the first to be born in the natural way, and Abel soon followed. As full-grown men, their dispositions differed greatly. In due course one deliberately murdered the other. The onslaught by Cain was the fruit of malicious broodings. Abel, on the other hand, had striven to know God, to whom he offered a more acceptable sacrifice. This resulted in his martyrdom! Thus, so early in history, was war waged against those seeking harmony with God.

Abel the martyr and Cain the murderer! One represents all turning their faces to the searchlight of Divine Truth, while the other is revealed by the disposition of uncharitable criticism, envy, pride and malice. The voice of callous Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Do you hear its sullen tones echoing through the corridors of time!

In due course Enoch was born of the seventh generation from Adam. Enoch was different from his fellows. It was with sorrow that he beheld the rapid descent of men away from original perfection. He yearned for some information concerning their ultimate destiny. This pleased the Lord greatly, and He became Enoch's friend—"Enoch walked with God"—and it was revealed to him that the Lord would come "with thousands of His saints to convince all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds."

" Giants in Those Days."

WE now approach an astounding series of events which concern the holy angels whom God used in His works of creation. They " shouted for joy " when Adam was formed.

Nevertheless, strange tests were awaiting them. Meanwhile, the Lord was coercing none: all possessing His own powers of reason were to be granted freedom of volition.

As time progressed, some of those angels assumed a course which found no authority in any expressed utterance of the Most High. They actually took on bodies of human flesh and married the daughters of men who were fair and beautiful. The offspring of this union were hybrid monsters Giants in those days."

We might here remark upon the vast superiority of angelic powers over those which are human. This is instanced in their creation of fleshly bodies similar to our own, which are " fearfully and wonderfully made."

Many things then enacted were abhorrent in the eyes of the Lord, "it grieved Him at His heart," even though He had foreknown all things. There was meanwhile a vaporous canopy surrounding the whole earth which only needed reducing to water.

Noah was pure in his generation; moreover, he was a man of faith. And God said to him: "The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold I will destroy them from the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood." Noah and his family, together with animal and bird life of every description, were in the ark for about a year. Meanwhile, all flesh, including the giants, perished beneath that raging torrent. The fallen angels who had assumed bodies of flesh were forced back to spirit conditions. Since then, though their powers have been restricted, they have been responsible for a great deal of evil in the earth. Satan, their potentate, is known as the "prince of devils." They await the "judgment of the great day."

The Bow in the Cloud.

A beautiful rainbow of fair colours was seen by Noah and his family after the flood. This phenomenon was new to them. No rain had previously fallen, for the ground had been watered by heavy dews. The Lord used this bow as an emblem that never again would the earth be overwhelmed by means of water. Furthermore, whatever their future troubles, God would not again destroy human life in so great a measure.

The rainbow is an appropriate symbol for the reason that light is thereby revealed in its own fair colours. Light, therefore, is composite. Divine love is likewise composite. It is the sum total of His gracious character, for "God is love." We are able to interpret the various attributes of the Most High through the process of Scriptural reasoning. It has been well said that as every lovely hue is light, so every grace is love." Another interesting feature is that the bow is an ancient weapon of warfare. The bow in the cloud, therefore, is a constant reminder of God's final weapon : His last weapon is LOVE!

After the flood, the period of human life was shortened. Instead of 700, it gradually fell to the proverbial "three score years and ten." The reason for this, is that physical organism apart from food, depends upon air. If, therefore, its gaseous elements of oxygen, nitrogen, etc., become disordered, then human life is affected proportionately. Great changes along this line took place at the flood, and a restoration must be made for mankind to really live again.

When men began again to multiply, one of their first schemes was the erection of a huge tower. They said: "Let us build a city and a tower whose top may be very high, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth." Then the Lord came down and confounded their speech. This brought about their world-wide dispersion. Howbeit, they are still bound by the common ties of original parentage: they have all "one blood," hence there are no valid reasons for national prejudices.

"In Thee and in Thy Seed."

THE Lord has ever been gracious toward those who have been earnest in their endeavours to seek Him. He knows the heart conditions of all, however secret these may be to others. With the majority, however, evil has predominated. Men even began to worship material things

rather than the Fountain Source. They made offerings to the sun, moon and stars, besides idols of their own making. In the midst of such scenes there was one who sought the true and living God. His name was Abraham. To this man the Lord gave a promise which is so comprehensive that it embraces every other promise. It runs thus: "In thee and in thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed." In effect, this proclaimed the raising of the dead and the re-establishment of the principles of righteousness. The word " bless " implies " supreme happiness," and this can come only when the sublime character of God is impressed upon each individual.

On one occasion Abraham, according to God's instruction, bound his beloved son, Isaac, upon an altar of sacrifice for a burnt-offering. Isaac was saved in time by another angelic command. After this the original promise was confirmed; this time with an oath. Now we know of a surety that the time will come when every dark cloud will roll away, revealing the Sun of Righteousness with all His powers of effectual healing. With the necessary faith, not a single defect will remain. But why the shadow picture: the bound human form upon an altar of sacrifice?

Other Shadow Pictures.

The person of Joseph, who was the great-grandson of Abraham, shines out resplendently upon the historic screen. The cruel envy of his brothers was such that he would surely have perished, were it not for God's opportune and providential care.

After enduring much suffering, including a long term of unjust imprisonment in Egypt, he found himself the

foremost man in the then greatest nation of earth.

This was with the exception of Pharaoh, whose dream he had interpreted. Through his God-given wisdom, Joseph saved the people from starvation. This included friend and foe alike. Even his brethren were preserved after submitting to his jurisdiction. He illustrated the promised seed, foreshadowing their trials, their understanding of things to come, and their ultimate triumph. The picture pointed forward to that time when the "Bread of Life" will be distributed to all mankind upon terms and conditions.

The next great man of faith was Moses, who grew up with the ambition to rescue the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Arrived at the age of forty, he was rejected by his people and forced to fly into the wilderness, during which another forty years passed by. Then came the visitation of God, who used Moses to break the mighty power of Egypt and deliver his people.

This foreshadowed that the promised seed would be rejected and afterwards accepted. That acceptance would be accompanied by the removal of oppression.

Travelling on, we come to David, whose enemy, King Saul, hunted like a beast of prey. Throughout his career he was troubled on every hand. His own shortcomings proved a scourge; nevertheless, he refused to be discouraged. His melodious songs rang throughout the Holy Land, and these are prophetic as well as inspiring.

David's life demonstrated that the promised seed would pass through much tribulation, so preparing them for wise administration. The triumphant glory of their future kingdom is, however, best illustrated by the reign of David's heir, King Solomon. This was so illustrious that monarchs of all nations were astonished at the stories told. There was one queen—the Queen of Sheba—who wanted to see for herself, so she came from afar and heard his wisdom and beheld his magnificence. She exclaimed that the half had never been told.

Thus Messiah's kingdom will eclipse the imaginations of men. Even the prophetic visions will appear falling short of reality.

Truly these pictures make us curious, and so we ask. Who is this Seed of Promise? "

Unlike Other Men.

NEARLY two thousand years ago a child was born through a virgin named Mary. The host of heaven were deeply moved at the event. They burst forth into song: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." One spirit

messenger came to some shepherds of Bethlehem, who were watching over their flocks by night. He said : " Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord."

Thirty years later that same child had become a man: but he was unlike other men. Every angel in God's universe was interested in that Personality as he went about doing good.

Let us draw near. Do you observe that group yonder? Those men, women and children who are suffering all manner of infirmities! Listen to their cries:—

" Jesus, Thou son of David, have mercy upon us! "

"O please heal my son, he has been paralysed from birth! "

"If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me whole!"

"Come!—come to my home, my daughter is sick unto death!"

There are other cries : " Restored ! " " Healed ! "

" Cured ! " " All pain has gone ! " " God be praised—

I see, I see! " " Surely this is indeed the promised

Messiah! "

Do you observe that sad procession afar off! A widow reels in the agony of despair. They are bearing the body of her only son to its last resting-place. Her cries are pitiable. Tears mingle with tears: other souls share her night of sorrow.

But stay! the Master is now wending His way towards the bier. He is followed eagerly by others. The mourners halt. They observe that calm Figure

with wonder and awe, and note the tears welling into His eyes.

Now He lifts His holy countenance towards heaven, and then bids the dead arise. The mother's sobs are now changed to inexpressible praise and thanksgiving. " Surely a great prophet has arisen in Israel! "

Now listen to His voice :—

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

" Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

" Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

"You have heard that it hath been said : Thou shalt love your neighbour and hate thine enemy, but I say unto you : Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you ; that ye may be children of your Father in heaven."

Come now and hear those who presume to represent the law of Moses:—

What shall we do? If we let Him alone, He will take away our place and our nation! Behold the multitude have gone after Him! Say not that God is His Father. He is casting out demons by Beelzebub: but we dare not ask Him any more questions!

Again listen to the Master :—

"Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."

Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, for ye devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers. Ye are like whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are full of dead men's bones.

You exact tithes, but have omitted the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy and faith.

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the judgment of gehenna?"

The time of His departure draws near: Do you see that figure stealthily moving in the darkness? He is Judas Iscariot, one of the companions of Jesus. The priests have promised to give him money if he would betray Him in the absence of the multitude! A few are now gathering around Him; behold, how quickly the number grows! He leads them to the garden of Gethsemane, and there they find Jesus, who had been pouring out His soul to His Father. And Jesus said to them: "Be ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves? But now is your hour and the power of darkness." They brought Him to Pilate, who said, "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Thou savest!"

Then they scourged Him, they crowned Him with thorns, they smote and spat upon Him. Then they nailed Him to a cross of wood and hoisted Him on high, and passing by, wagging their heads, they said, "He saved others, but Himself He cannot save!" But there was darkness over the earth until the ninth hour, and then Jesus cried with a loud voice: "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit. It is finished! "

Then the earth quaked, the rocks rent, and the vail of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The centurion and those with him feared greatly, saying. "Truly this was the Son of God! " And two disciples went that same day to a village called Emmaus, and Jesus approached them and they knew Him not.

He asked concerning the manner of their communication and why their sadness.

They replied, "Art thou a stranger in Jerusalem and hast not known the things which have come to pass? We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel."

Jesus replied, "O slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things and have entered into glory! " And beginning from Moses, He expounded the Scriptures concerning Himself.

And as they drew nigh to the village, they constrained Him to tarry with them. And He took bread, blessed and gave it to them. Then they recognised Him and He vanished out of sight. And they cried out in amazement, saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures! "

God's Chosen Heirs.

IN the spirit of our minds we have jour neyed from creation to the time of Jesus : a period of just over four thousand years. Since then well nigh another two thousand years have slipped by.

Now there are a few questions which we travellers do well to consider. For

instance, why the delay in setting up Christ's kingdom? Furthermore, seeing there is but one Supreme, why are there so many religious ideas? Even Christians cannot boast of anything like unity. This means, in effect, that the majority, so deeming themselves, are indulging in some form of error, for there can be but one purpose associating the God of truth.

All such questions can be met when we come to a knowledge that the Lord has been training a "little flock." These have been following in the Master's footsteps, suffering with Him, ever since He began His earthly ministry. They,with Jesus,form the promised seed who will eventually bless and uplift all families of

the earth.

This work will be so vast that we see a wisdom, great and far-reaching, in taking so long to engrave, polish and perfect those characters who will then govern. Hence, while their schooling is not easy, the issues are great. Sustained by the precious promises, they do not permit themselves to be discouraged when they are misunderstood, maligned, hated and persecuted. They expect these things, for that was the "cup" their Master drank. History reveals that their foes have been ofttimes of their own household—the household of faith—those who verily affirm that they likewise belong to Christ. They perceive, however, that these foes are not actuated by the Spirit of the Master; therefore God's chosen heirs touch depths of sorrow which none others can endure with the same grace. The stories of Cain and Abel, Saul and David, as well as Judas and Jesus, become luminous, this while their individual faith is fortified and they gather fruit meet for eternal life. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control." To attain these virtues they dare not swerve in their trust in God and in the saving merit of Jesus Christ.

When perfected, they combine the dispositions of a little child with the courage of a lion. No stronger no braver-characters have ever walked this earth,and strong characters are necessary to cope with the governmental work of the future.

Now where-one may ask-do these people meet? The fact is that they are as scattered to-day as ever in past history. The Lord, foreknowing such conditions, encourages each one by saying, "Where two or three are met in My name, there am I in their midst." So they do meet sometimes! Indeed, each one is constantly looking out for others who have similar hopes, and who have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Great joy, mutual edification and blessing accompanies such gatherings.

To-day there are indications that their long wilderness journey is drawing to a close. This is attended by strange testings : delusions deceiving the elect, " if it were possible."

Thank God, this is not possible because each one relies solely upon the Good Shepherd.

Hear now the gracious tones of their invitation from the heavenly courts : " Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear ; forget also thine own people and thy father's house ; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty : for He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him." The results are as follows : " The king's daughter is all glorious within : her clothing is of wrought gold. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth." The honoured " princes " will be those men and women of faith who lived prior to our Lord's earthly ministry. During the Messianic kingdom they will be the earthly representatives of the invisible Royal Family.

The Days in which We Live.

THE days in which we live are unlike any others preceding them. This is largely due to the development of knowledge and invention, which has arisen according to the foreknowledge

and overruling providences of the Most High. Prophetic fulfilments and general conditions denote the fast approaching birth of a new and better age.

The wonderful inventions springing from steam, electricity and chemistry are factors causing fear and unrest. Men need a new heart and the wisdom from above to utilise these for general good. This will be brought about through the Spirit of God's dear Son. " The government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace ; and of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end."

The concluding features of this present order is marked by a time of trouble such as was not since the beginning of the world. Then the Lord will put forth His mighty power as He did at the flood, for the nations are, in His sight, as "a drop in a bucket and as small dust of the balance." In harmony with the promise

made to Noah, a proportion of the human race will be preserved: " When the Lord arises to judgment.

He will save the meek of the earth."

Christ's Kingdom.

Now let us pursue our journey to the time when Christ's kingdom is established. What will it be like? For answer, we need to consider those wonderful pictures which abound in the Word of God.

We see marvellous changes ahead! Conditions where righteousness alone will be the ruling factor. When human life will be accounted precious; when selfishness, envy, malice, pride, deceit and distrust will recede in the background of the dread past; and when war shall for ever pass away.

We see the return from the sleep of death of all of Adam's family in answer to earnest prayer and preparation. This will commence with those who escape the time of trouble-thus "the last shall be the first" to receive the blessings of the glorified Priesthood.

We see a time when every invention will be wisely controlled and manipulated for universal good. None will be permitted to take any base advantage of his fellow-men. "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast." Instead, "A little child shall lead them." Character and disposition will then be recognised according to their true values. We see a time when men and women will grow in loveliness and beauty. This will spring from an appreciation of the Eternal, and be the outcome of noble thoughts and noble deeds.

These things will take place during Christ's reign of a thousand years. Beyond that time every heart will be filled with praise and thanksgiving to the One who has enveloped everything with His lovingkindness: "No more pain, no more sorrow, no more sin and no more death." "And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me. Write: for these words are true and faithful."

When Jesus is King!

PRAISE to our King who is coming to reign. Glory to Jesus the Lamb that was slain : Life and salvation, His empire shall bring. Joy to the nations—when Jesus is King.

Oh, that will bring, praise to our King. Praise to our King! Praise to our King! Sing the glad song who to Jesus belong Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

All men shall dwell in His marvellous light. Races long severed His love shall unite Justice and truth from His sceptre shall spring Wrong will be ended—when Jesus is King.

Men shall learn right in His kingdom of peace. Freedom shall flourish and wisdom increase. Foe shall be friend when His triumph we sing. Sword shall be sickle—when Jesus is King.

All shall come back who have lived long ago. Love like a banner shall over them flow; Sin shall be conquered as light shines within. O hail happy day--when Jesus is King.

Tune "The Glory Song."

the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord, shall be established in the top of the mountains. And many nations shall come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."