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Now does that really make
sense?
Look at the world.
lt
is torn by
strife and confl ict. Crime, disease,
accidents, uncontrolled elements of
nature, to say nothing of more per–
sonal tragedies, make life difficult
and cause many to even doubt that
God exists. This, "God's world"?
How can it be?
As one prisoner of war who had
just witnessed t he execution of doz–
ens of women and c hil dren
screamed, shaking his fists toward
the heavens, " God, if you exist , you
are not worthy of my worship!"
Well , God does exist and he is
worthy of worship because he is not
to blame for al! the human misery.
Where does the blame
rest? Why do we humans
inflict such tragedies on
one another?
The Bible explains how
throughout his tory. It is they who
shall bring human governments
into the fi nal worldwide conft ict
(Rev. 16:14) in which all animal
and human life would perish if God
did not intervene and take the rul–
ership of our planet away from the
present "god of this world" (Rev.
20:2-3).
How can anyone read the Bible
and miss that truth? Many do.
Why Dld
Jesus Speak In Parables?
It
is widely assumed that whenever
Jesus spoke in parables he did so to
illustrate bis teachings, to make
them clearer, more unders tandab1e
to the multitudes who heard him.
Jesus gave no such reason. When
"
God created the first
human bei ngs and re–
vealed his way to them.
They rejected that way of
giving in favor of obe–
dience to a different spirit
being- a great fallen an–
gel named Satan who
encouraged the way of
getting, of selfishness.
Take the Bible for what it
Humanit y, in fact ,
chose Satan as its "god."
The real God s tepped into
the background. He with-
says. Tbe stone from David's
slingshot hit its mark
precisely. God doesn't need our
help in the form of human
rationalization and interpretation
to make the biblical
record easier for the natural
mind to accept.
drew h is hand f r om
involvement in the direct
affairs of mankind (except
for his special intervention
in certa in cases) until
humanity fi nally learns the
hard way. Then God will put an end
to Satan's misrule. Everyone will
finally recognize Godas the real God
and his way of giving and outgoing
concern for others as the only way
that really works.
Until then, the Bible teaches
Satan is " the god of this world" (11
Cor. 4:4) . Jesus called him the
" prince of this world" (John 12:3 1;
14:30) .
lt
is he that deceives " the
whole world" (Rev. 12:9).
Satan and his demons are "the
ru lers of the darkness of this
world" (Eph . 6: 12). They have
guided "the course of this world"
(Eph. 2:2) .
It
is they who are
responsible, together with human
beings, for the mountain of woes
Aprll 1984
"
his disciples had asked him about a
parable he had just used, " he said
unto them, Unto
you
[his disciples,
his own followers] it is given to
know the mystery of the kingdom
of God: but unto them that are
without [the unconverted masses],
all these things are done in par–
ables" (Mark 4:11 ) .
Why? To make what he said eas–
ier to comprehend? No, just the
opposite! Hear what Jesus said! He
often used parables "that seeing they
may see, and not perceive; and hear–
ing they may hear, and not under–
stand; lest at any t ime they should be
converted, and their sins should be
forg iven them" (verse 12).
The popularly held concept is
that Jesus tried to "save" everyone
in his day and that he told his
Church to do likewise. That is not
what the Bible says!
Often, when he employed par–
ables, Jesus intentionally left the
masses in their self-deception . He
himself said so! Certainly, he told
his Church to carry his message to
all nations, but as a
witness
(Matt.
24:14). Nowhere did he say to try
to convert the nations.
"For ye see your calling, breth–
ren," Paul wrote to the Greeks in
Corinth, " how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many
mighty , not many noble, are
called"
(l
Cor. l :26).
Simply put, everyone on earth is
not now able to come to God to be
converted. Jesus declared, "No man
can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him ..."
(John 6:44; see also verse 65).
The Father of whom J esus spoke
has not been drawing the majority
of people.
lt
ought to be obvious
from the condition the world is in!
Jesus pointed out that the majority
of humanity are walking in the way
of destruction and that now only a
few are finding the way to eterna!
life (Matt. 7:13-14) .
What? The majority of humanity
lost-not finding eternallife now? Is
that possible? Is that fair? Are the
masses going to lose out altogether
on salvation when most of them have
not had an opportunity toso much as
hear t he onl y name by which,
according to the Bible (Acts 4:2,
12), they may be saved ?
The answer is plainly revealed in
the Scriptures. God is not through
with them yet. By the time God's
plan is finished , everyone who has
ever lived wi ll have had an opportu–
nity to understand and to accept or
reject eterna! life. But now is not
the time when everyone can under–
stand. And God made it so for a
great purpose!
Why not write to our nearest
address for a free copy of the high–
ly informative article " ls This the
Only Day of Salvation?" You will
not only come to understand how
God is working out his plan of sal–
vat ion, you will also discover the
answer to our original question:
why is it that millions now read the
Bible, but so few understand or
believe it?
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