The figure of a vine and its branches is perhaps the best illustration of the intimate union between Christ and his followers. Other figures of speech approach the ideal, but are seen to fall short in some particular. That of the shepherd and his sheep gives us the thought of intimacy, but it is an intimacy between a guardian of a distinctly superior order and creatures of an inferior grade whom he watches over and protects. That of a husband and wife gives the idea of intimacy and union between two beings of the same order, but they are two persons with independent lives, and one of them will live on even though the other dies. And finally, that figure of the head and members does illustrate one life common to the whole, but it too falls short by comparison to the vine and branches in not being able to express the constant putting forth of new growths.

This picture of the vine and its branches has something very worthwhile to say about scriptural fellowship. Christ’s words are simple yet profound:

“I am the true vine” (v 1). It is significant that our Lord does not say, “I am the stem, and you are only the branches” (cp v 5). The whole plant is Christ, and we as the branches are a part of the whole — not just attached to Christ, but a part of Christ! Such an expressive statement gives sledge-hammer force to the warning of Christ in Mat 25:40,45:

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Cutting off Christ

We should be extremely reluctant to cut off brethren, and no better reason can be given than this: that through lack of love and patience we may find ourselves

cutting off Christ!

This is analogous to the comical picture of the man in the tree who is so busy pruning that he inadvertently saws off the limb on which he is sitting! Comical indeed, naturally speaking; but the spiritual counterpart is a great tragedy. How many lives have been blighted by what in the beginning was an earnest (if misdirected) zeal for “purity”, but the outcome was the separation of the zealous remnant from any hope of nourishment which might have been received through the remainder of the vine. Children in the separated families have found this self-imposed isolation spiritually withering; the links to a healthy ecclesial life were never fused; adulthood finds them drifting away in greater percentages than their opposite numbers in the “loose” ecclesias!

Christ continues: “My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away” (vv 1,2). In this analogy the “branches” are pruned only by the Father. This is not to deny, of course, the scriptural duty of ecclesias in extreme situations to take the initiative and “purge out the old leaven”. However, as may be seen in other passages (notably 1Jo 2:19), sometimes it has been acceptable for the faithful ecclesia to wait until the Father, in His providence and infinite wisdom, severs the diseased or dead branches from their midst. (Compare also the lesson of the seven “stars” in Rev 1:16 — they are seen in Christ’s hand. To him is committed all authority from the Father; it is his prerogative alone to extinguish them if need be.)

“Abide in me”

The central exhortation of Christ’s parable in John 15 is found in v 4: “Abide in me”. Each branch must abide in the vine in order to bring forth fruit. If for any reason it is severed, the branch may continue in existence for a time, but in the day of reckoning the “husbandman” will gather it together with the other lifeless sticks and cast them into the fire of eternal destruction (v 6).

All of the emphasis here is upon our duty, our necessity, to attach ourselves solidly to the true vine, and never to relinquish our grasp. There is an old fable about a dog with a bone who was crossing a bridge one day, when he happened to glance down and spy his reflection in the water. Thinking this to be another dog and a rival claimant for his bone, he bared his teeth and gave out with a growl and a ferocious bark. Unfortunately, in the process he dropped his bone, which sank irretrievably to the bottom of the stream.

Like that dog, we sometimes forget who our real enemy is, and in giving our attention to fighting a supposed enemy we may lose our grip on the real prize. Christ has wisely advised us to hold firm to our hope, and not to worry overmuch about someone else’s right to that same hope. Unlike the dog’s one bone, there is food enough for all in Christ; the “branches” need not squabble among themselves,

What a sad and confusing picture we have today in the ecclesial world: a veritable host of “independent” branches, each one jealously grafting other branches back and forth, as if to say, “We alone are the people, and wisdom will die with us.” (In fact, some of these smaller communities are near extinction because of long-continued division and sub-division in pursuit of that elusive “purity”.) But all the while, whether they like it or not, they are all attached to the one vine — since the fundamental beliefs of each “branch” are sound (although some “branches” imply by their rhetoric that their rivals are really attached to brambles).

The wholesome picture

Let us get back to the wholesome picture of the true vine. In this ecclesial network it is our business, wherever we may be, to send out new shoots, to grow and consolidate — so that others through us may receive sustenance from Christ the one vine. Practically speaking, we must endeavor always to strengthen our bonds, with brethren in our local ecclesia, with brethren in isolation, with other ecclesias near and far. The “vine” of the Truth must be an intricately woven web of spiritual relationships, through all of which flows life from Christ. We must not be afraid thus to put out more “feelers” and bind ourselves closer and closer together with our brethren. The more we seek to be “one” with our brethren, both in joys and sorrows, the healthier will be our attitude toward fellowship. Where true love exists, misunderstandings and suspicions will be much less frequent. We may still periodically have to remove recalcitrant members from our midst, but if we are living up to this standard it will be a truly

painful

experience — as it should be!

It will not be something that gives us a secret pleasure at the thought of our own superiority. A full appreciation of our interdependent relationship with all our brethren will serve us well as a necessary check upon the traditional divisive tendencies of Christadelphia.

In ancient Israel, each city had a person positioned upon the wall in order to call out a warning about the approach of unexpected and possibly hostile people. This watchman had to “sound the trumpet” if an enemy was approaching, so that the townspeople could get ready for an attack. Prophets in Israel took on the function of spiritual “watchmen” (Eze 3:17; Jer 6:17), warning the people of impending punishment by God unless the nation changed its way.

But trumpets figure prominently in a variety of ways in Scripture — all of which have some bearing on our use of the symbol in this newsletter:

1. Trumpets summoned Israel to assemble before God:

“The LORD said to Moses: ‘Make two trumpets… for calling the community together… When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you’ ” (Num 10:1-3, NIV).

What was true for Israel in Old Testament times will be true for spiritual “Israel” in the day when Christ returns. Then God’s people in captivity who have been waiting for His deliverance will hear the trumpet of assembly once again:

“And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem” (Isa 27:13).

And all those who belong to Christ, even those who are in the graves, will also hear the trumpet calling them to assemble before him:

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Mat 24:30,31).

2. The feast of trumpets called Israel together on the first day of the seventh month, to prepare them for the Day of Atonement: the national offering for sin, the national day of repentance, and the time for a collective forgiveness of sins:

“Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts’ ” (Lev 23:24).

“On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets” (Num 29:1).

“Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land” (Lev 25:9).

“Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast” (Psa 81:3).

Does this have a spiritual counterpart? Yes. For the believer in Christ, any time (but especially the time of the partaking of the memorials of the body of Christ) is the time for self-examination and repentance (1Co 11:26-31). Think of the “trumpet” as a personal call to come into the presence of God, to look at yourself, to acknowledge your sins, and to seek the forgiveness and cleansing and renewal which only God can provide.

3. The trumpet of “jubilee” proclaimed freedom to slaves and the restoration of their inheritance:

“On the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you… In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property” (Lev 25:9-13).

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly” (Joel 2:15; cp Isa 58:1).

The trumpet of God’s message proclaims, to those who will hear and act in faith, that they can be “freed” from their past sins, and that they can become heirs of the Promised Land. When the final “jubilee” trumpet sounds, then all those who have believed, living and dead, will be freed from their shackles of mortality or death and will enter into the glorious inheritance provided by the Father to His beloved children.

4. Trumpets warned of approaching armies:

“When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself” (Eze 33:2-4).

“Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling” (Num 31:6).

We should not be so much interested in accurately predicting future events as in warning ourselves and others to be ready when Christ comes. And so we look at the world around us in light of Bible prophecy. All that we see — and all that we might understand, even after the fact — strengthens us in the resolve to DO the things we should. Christ is coming in the clouds of heaven and with his holy angels (Mat 24:30,31); they are coming as an army, to take terrible vengeance on God’s enemies (Rev 19:11-16). If we hear the warning “trumpet”, and thus are waiting, and watching, and DOING, then they will not come as an army to destroy us!

5. Trumpets signaled the approach or coronation of a king:

“There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live [the king]!’ ” (1Ki 1:34).

“Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’… and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets” (2Ki 11:12,14).

Likewise, our “trumpet” hopes to signal the approach of the great King, the Lord Jesus Christ, when he comes back to the earth to sit upon his throne:

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever’ ” (Rev 11:15).

6. The trumpet was sounded to assemble an army:

“When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets” (Num 10:9; cp Num 21:6).

“God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry… Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry” (2Ch 13:12-15).

7. And, finally, trumpets are directly connected with the resurrection of the dead:

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1Th 4:16).

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1Co 15:51,52).

The sound of the trumpet conveys, above all else, a sense of urgency, of excitement, of immediacy, of the “here and now”. A trumpet blast never lulls its hearer to sleep; it shocks him out of his slumber to sit bolt upright — eyes wide open, thoughts racing, and pulse pounding.

Listen! Get ready! The King is coming!

He’s coming for you!

John Thomas was born in 1805. The son of a rather restless minister of religion, the young Thomas did not take a very serious interest in religion early in life. He spent part of his childhood at boarding-school, and was apprenticed to a surgeon at fourteen. A frightful Atlantic crossing on the “Marquis of Wellesley” while emigrating to the United States caused him to vow to seek and follow Christian truth. The early contacts in the United States were with the so-called “Reformation”, or Campbellites — later known as the Disciples of Christ, and finally the Church of Christ. But Alexander Campbell, organizer of this “Reformation”, was chiefly interested in a broad non-denominational Christian union without creeds, membership of which was not dependent upon assent to doctrine. John Thomas was of a very different turn of mind; his spirit was that of a submission to a straightforward understanding of a divinely- inspired Bible unmodified by later creeds and ecclesiastical traditions.

He occasionally claimed, and others even more vigorously claimed for him, that his matured views on the Scriptures were solely the result of the study of them alone, and that he owed nothing to others. There is much truth in the claim made by John Thomas; his study was no doubt as impartial as it was possible to be in the circumstances. He had an independent and sincere turn of mind and was not likely to follow consciously interpretations that bore the stamp of any particular theological school.

Despite incessant lecturing and controversial correspondence he was a reader of amazing breadth. How this was possible since he was continuously on the move is something of a mystery. But the writings of his formative period — when he also traveled widely — show close and accurate familiarity with Plato and other Greek writers; 3rd and 4th century Christian writers; medieval history; the poetry of Burns; first-hand sources of the 16th century Reformation; Milton, Newton, Hobbes, Locke and other 17th century authors whom he quoted at great length verbatim; Gibbon’s History of the Roman Empire; an extensive knowledge of most of the principal writers on Biblical prophecy during the previous 70 years, including some who were extremely obscure; and digestion of the enormous contemporary output of books, tracts, and periodicals dealing with prophetic, millenarian and general religious topics.

The mid-19th century was a period of feverish apocalyptic study among Biblical Christians. John Thomas entered this field with fervor, his work culminating in his three-volume “Eureka”, which was produced in installments in the fifties and sixties.

John Thomas proceeded to encourage the formation of communities of people sympathetic to the views expressed in his periodical the “Herald of the Kingdom”, but these were at first very loose in organisation, and while some adopted the title “Baptized Believers in the Kingdom of God” and others “Bible Christians”, there was no unanimity and a variety of designations appeared. The American Civil War precipitated the need for some name. True to the principles for which they stood, John Thomas and his colleagues refused to take part in the hostilities. In Richmond, Virginia, he publicly called attention to the position: “If the Southern and Northern Methodists, Baptists, Campbellites, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Papists think fit to blow one another’s brains out, let them do it to their heart’s content, but let not Christians mingle in the unhallowed strife.”

In 1864 the name Brethren in Christ or Christadelphians was registered at the County Court House at Oregon, Illinois, and application made, asking that this name be accepted as the official title of a religious body. Six years after the Brethren in Christ or Christadelphians had thus officially come into being as a distinct body, John Thomas died in the vicinity of New York.

He was a controversial figure, with a stabbing, pungent style of writing. He seemed to attract some to adulation and drive others to distraction; but he bored no one. He made no apology for engaging in verbal polemics. Disciples, he stated, obtain peace in this age in proportion as they are indifferent to principle. Because of the controversies he inevitably stirred up wherever he taught, it is difficult at the present distance to make an accurate assessment of his personality. During his lifetime opinions varied. “He was fatherly, kind, domestic, disinterested and truly humble.” “He was quiet, gentle, courteous, well-mannered modest, absolutely devoid of affectation or trace of self-importance.” “He was the most uncompromising, stubborn, self-willed and dogmatic person ever known; having large self-esteem and firmness and deficient benevolence, though a good intellect, and all this hardened by a bilious temperament.” Clearly he was a many-sided man!

He was invariably warm to close friends, but bitter experiences with false friends made him somewhat cold and distant with both opponents and strangers. Those who knew him best invariably came into the closest fellowship with him. Memories of him (and a hat of his) still survive and are cherished in the tobacco country of Virginia where so much of his work was done. The author had in 1968 the great privilege of talking with one of the last surviving persons to attend his lectures. He was known far and wide among the Virginia and Maryland planters for his hard riding, firm convictions, and his enjoyment of conversation. A great friend of his in Virginia, and one who in fact stoutly defended the worthy doctor on more than one occasion from outraged hearers, was Albert Anderson, known throughout southern Virginia as “the walking Bible”; great-grandchildren of Anderson are Christadelphians in the same area today.

In intellectual stamina and breadth Dr. John Thomas excelled. On a typical lecturing tour it was not uncommon for him to deliver 130 two-hour addresses on a variety of topics in a matter of two or three months. And it was rare for any of these to contain inaccuracy in any of the Scriptural and historical references with which they were always liberally sprinkled. He ascended the speaker’s dais in an unostentatious manner, and rarely worried about conventional introductions. “It is written in the prophets…” he would begin and follow with an expansive and analytical treatment of his theme.

John Thomas traveled widely in the United States, Canada and Britain. His biography, by Robert Roberts, revised and enlarged by later writers, is happily still in print (Dr Thomas: His Life and Works). For details of the “missionary” work of John Thomas after his baptism at Richmond, Virginia in 1847 readers are referred to that book… In his travels during the Civil War in America, he passed alternately from one side to the other to encourage his brethren, sometimes making his way through devastated villages in Virginia before even the smoke of conflict had disappeared. In these difficult and discouraging days he showed a great courage and devotion. (Alan Eyre, from “The Protestors”, abridged)

The writings of John Thomas include:

“Elpis Israel”, or “the Hope of Israel” “Eureka”: An Exposition of the Apocalypse (in 3 volumes) “Anastasis”: A Treatise on the Resurrection An Exposition of Daniel Clerical Theology Unscriptural

WM Thomson, who traveled extensively in Bible lands over 100 years ago and wrote his impressions in “The Land and the Book”, had the following to say about Lebanon:

“The various religions and sects live together, and practice their conflicting superstitions in close proximity, but the people do not coalesce into one homogeneous community, nor do they regard each other with fraternal feelings. The Sunnites excommunicate the Shiites — and both hate the Druse. The Maronites have no particular love for anybody, and, in turn, are disliked by all. The Greeks cannot endure the Greek Catholics — all despise the Jews… There is no common bond of union. They can never form one united people, never combine for any important religious or political purposes; and will therefore remain weak, incapable of self-government, and exposed to the invasions and oppressions of foreigners. Thus it has been, is now, and must long continue to be… That omnipotent Spirit that brooded over primeval chaos can alone bring order out of such confusion, and reduce these conflicting elements to peace and concord.”

THOUGHTS OF A MOTHER ON HER NEW-BORN SON

Now he sleeps, and I am left in quietness to look on his tranquility. Some scorn the reality of miracles, but how could I? Man extols his inventions, but you he could not make, for you are a masterpiece of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. The days of waiting have been joyous, though I longed for them to pass. The task of preparing for you has been a delight. And now realization exceeds all anticipation. But then I am overshadowed with sadness, realizing the responsibility which you bring on me. Yet I am comforted that God knows my frailties, and has provided a stronger heart than mine, sharing with me the burden, and together our Father will give us strength.

How strange it seems that your first understanding of your Maker will be learned from my lips; your first conception of right and wrong will be gained from my teaching. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Could, then, any occasion be more opportune that I should “examine myself, whether I be in the faith”? Perhaps you will be one of the happy children who will play in the streets of Jerusalem, but if the heralding of that Day is delayed, what lies beyond? What are my ambitions for you? Shall I always remember that goodness and gentleness of character are to be desired above all else? Shall I bear in mind to teach you to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven? Shall I not forget to tell you the stories of Jesus, of his love and kindness and his justice, encouraging you to be like him?

Will I ever be ready to encourage you, to spur you on along the right way, until that happy day dawns when you, now my new-born son, will be born again? I will see you change from babyhood to boyhood, from boyhood to manhood, and as you change so my influence will recede, but the impression of those earlier years will be imprinted on you for all your days. According as your parents have taught you so will you be.

I see a mother of long ago and the thoughts she utters are my thoughts also: “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him.” I, too, desire that my son should be given to the Lord. So when the final trumpet shall sound, and when I stand before the Judge of all the earth, what will he say to me? I see him reproving me for my failures, but then he asks, “Where is the one talent that was given you? What use have you made of it?” Will I have hidden this talent in the earth, or will I with confidence be able to reply, “Lord, see my son”?

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THOUGHTS OF A MOTHER ON HER NEW-BORN DAUGHTER

Now she sleeps, and I am left in quietness to look on her tranquility. Some scorn the reality of miracles, but how could I? Man extols his inventions, but you he could not make, for you are a masterpiece of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. The days of waiting have been joyous, though I longed for them to pass. The task of preparing for you has been a delight. And now realization exceeds all anticipation. But then I am overshadowed with sadness, realizing the responsibility which you bring on me. Yet I am comforted that God knows my frailties, and has provided a stronger heart than mine, sharing with me the burden, and together our Father will give us strength.

How strange it seems that your first understanding of your Maker will be learned from my lips; your first conception of right and wrong will be gained from my teaching. “Train up a child in the way she should go: and when she is old, she will not depart from it.” Could, then, any occasion be more opportune that I should “examine myself, whether I be in the faith”? Perhaps you will be one of the happy children who will play in the streets of Jerusalem, but if the heralding of that Day is delayed, what lies beyond? What are my ambitions for you? Shall I always remember that goodness and gentleness of character are to be desired above all else? Shall I bear in mind to teach you to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, so that it may be said of you, “To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”? Shall I not forget to tell you the stories of Jesus, of his love and kindness and his justice, encouraging you to be like him?

Will I ever be ready to encourage you, to spur you on along the right way, until that happy day dawns when you, now my new-born daughter, will be born again? I will see you change from a baby to a girl, from a girl to a young lady, and as you change so my influence will recede, but the impression of those earlier years will be imprinted on you for all your days. According as your parents have taught you so will you be.

I see a mother of long ago and the thoughts she utters are my thoughts also: “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him.” I too, desire that my daughter should be given to the Lord. So when the final trumpet shall sound, and when I stand before the Judge of all the earth, what will he say to me? I see him reproving me for my failures, but then he asks, “Where is the one talent that was given you? What use have you made of it?” Will I have hidden this talent in the earth, or will I with confidence be able to reply, “Lord, see my daughter”?

(Adapted from Ruth McHaffie, Xdn 90:84)

Apostles Creed [May be traced 130-140 AD, and perhaps earlier.}	Nicene Creed [As approved in amplified form at the Council of Constantinople (381), it is the profession of the Christian Faith common to the Catholic Church, to all the Eastern Churches separated from Rome, and to most of the Protestant denominations.]	Athanasian Creed [Exact date uncertain; generally assumed to be 5th or 6th century.]
		1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith; 2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

I believe in God the Father, Almighty; Maker of Heaven and Earth;

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; 4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. 5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. 6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. 7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. 8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. 9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. 10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. 11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal. 12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible. 13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. 14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty. 15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; 16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. 17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; 18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord. 19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; 20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords. 21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. 22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten. 23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. 24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. 25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another. 26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal. 27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. 28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary;	And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man;	29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. 31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world. 32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. 33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood. 34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. 35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God. 36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. 37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead;	and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures;	38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;	and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and	39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.	He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.	40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;	And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.	41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies; 42. and shall give account of their own works. 43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
the holy church;	And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.	I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
		44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.

Note how the earliest statement (the Apostles Creed) has remained relatively static in most of its clauses, through the later revisions, while certain clauses (the ones dealing with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) have been amplified and expanded far beyond reasonableness, until at last they are altogether out of proportion with the rest. And it is in these clauses, of course, where the Church — over several centuries — has criminally departed from the Apostolic Faith, and excommunicated and condemned those discerning ones who will not accept such error and confusion.

The tabernacle built in the days of Moses was the center of divine worship in Israel. It was a figure for the time then present, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered at that time — while good and righteous and from God — were not yet the perfect sacrifice, which was yet to come (Heb 9:9).

Nevertheless, that tabernacle was glorious: its plans were divinely revealed, its workmen specially endowed, and all its materials were brought “out of Egypt”. It was built, as God told Moses, on the “patterns of things in the heavens” (Heb 9:23). As there was an earthly tabernacle, so there had been before — and still is — a heavenly tabernacle.

The heavenly sanctuary pictured in the Apocalypse, or Revelation, contains cherubim, a seven-branched lampstand, officiating priests (the angels), and the overshadowing glory of God (Rev 4:5,7,10). This is the model upon which the Almighty works.

The Apostle John (who received the visions of the Apocalypse) might have seen from Patmos, looking eastward, a tabernacle pattern written large on the earth:

• Directly in front of him, he would have seen Jerusalem, with its most holy place, where dwelt the glory of God;
• To his left, looking north, he would have seen the seven ecclesias of Asia Minor, corresponding to the seven-branched lampstand [in the Old Testament, north and south are left and right respectively — with orientation toward the rising sun being assumed];
• To his right, looking south, there was Egypt, the “breadbasket” of the ancient world, reminding him of the special shewbread in the tabernacle;
• Right beside Patmos, there was the Mediterranean Sea, symbolizing the laver, or “sea of glass”;
• All around were the prayers of the saints, arising like incense from the altar of burnt incense (cp Rev 5:8; 8:3,4; Psa 141:2); and
• Behind him was Greece and Rome and the rest of Europe: all the “court of the Gentiles”.

The whole tabernacle was erected on bare ground, that is the “dust of the earth”. In figurative terms, it was to be built upon the foundation of humanity, and God Himself was to dwell among men, and be glorified in their midst.

Thus the tabernacle foreshadowed God manifestation, in three distinct stages:

1. justification, or mental [lampstand = light; laver = baptism];
2. sanctification, or moral [shewbread, memorial table; incense = prayer]; and
3. glorification, or physical [the most holy place, with the glory of God].

Tarshish was a son of Javan (Gen 10:4), a name which came to ref the Phoenicians, with which Tyre was connected. The name may have come in later days to ref to any seafaring merchant power — either to the east or the west of Israel (cp Jon 1:3; Eze 27:12; 1Ki 9:26; 10:22; 2Ch 9:21). Attempts to identify Tarshish with a single marine power — such as Britain in earlier days, or America in later times — always seem to run afoul of at least some of the Bible evidence. (For a more technical discussion, see LGS, Xd 101:401-403.) That Tarshish represents a Last Days power or powers is evident from Eze 38:13 and Psa 72:10. “Tarshish” appears in Ezekiel as an ally of “Sheba and Dedan” (Arab powers: see TofE 58-60), to be broken by God’s power (here; Isa 2:11-17; 23:14). But later it will bring gifts to Christ (Psa 72:10), including “thy sons” (Isa 60:9).

All relevant passages:

1. 1Ki 10:22 / 2Ch 9:21: Ships to Tarshish, with Hiram, bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, peacocks.
2. 1Ki 22:48 / 2Ch 20:36,37: Ships from Tarshish to Ophir to Tarshish bring gold.
3. Psa 48:7: Ships broken by God’s east wind in Kingdom.
4. Psa 72:10: Ships bring presents in Kingdom.
5. Isa 2:16: Ships destroyed by God.
6. Isa 23:1,6,10,14: As above, in a Tyre passage.
7. Isa 60:9: Ships bring sons, silver to Israel in Kingdom.
8. Isa 66:19: Israel sent to Tarshish to declare glory in Kingdom.
9. Jer 10:9: Goods of Tarshish nothing to worship of God.
10. Eze 27:12,25: Goods of Tarshish, in a Tyre passage.
11. Eze 38:13: Talks to Gog about spoil.
12. Jonah 1:3; 4:2: Jonah goes to Tarshish.

The passages in 1Ki are inconsistent with the idea that Tarshish = Britain. Any ships sailing from Ezion-Geber cannot possibly arrive in Britain — as there was no Suez Canal at the time. The cargo involved is unlikely to have come from Britain, either. However, Jonah gives us some more geography; which is inconsistent with the geography given above, as it would require Tarshish to be Mediterranean — or even British.

Also, there are further problems when considering 1Ki 22 = 2Ch 20 (see above). In 1Ki 22 the ships go from Tarshish to Ophir, while in 2Ch 20 they go to Tarshish, and both passages almost certainly refer to the same ships (see context). Thus Tarshish appears to be in two places at once. There are two possible solutions to these difficulties: (1) More than one Tarshish, or something like a far-flung empire, ie the British Empire — in effect, that it is many countries throughout the whole world. (2) Tarshish does not ref a single specific place at all.

In fact, an alternative with Scriptural backing is available. Consider: (a) Tarshish is almost always mentioned in connection with ships, and very often in connection with trading. So perhaps Tarshish is to be taken as an adjective meaning ‘trading’; usually to mean trading ships, sometimes to mean a port connected with trading. This reconciles 1Ki 22 and 2Ch 20. (b) In Isa 23, Tarshish is repeatedly connected with Tyre. So perhaps Tarshish is the prophet’s way of referring to Tyre (for unknown reasons) — because Tyre is the country of trade, Tarshish means to trade, and so the two are practically identical. Thus, Tyre consistently trades with Tarshish (by definition of Tarshish) — hence the connection. In summary, then, I claim that Tarshish refers to anything connected with trading, and, for all prophetic purposes, is identical with Tyre.

So to what does Tarshish refer in Last Days prophecy? The easy answer is ‘Tyre, geographically; in practice, Lebanon’. However, the salient feature of Tarshish (and Tyre) is its role in trading, and (currently) Lebanon has absolutely no reputation as a trading country. Rather, Tarshish should instead be a country/organization which is primarily noted for trade — possibly Britain, USA or Japan — or the WTO, IMF, or ‘world opinion’ (which is largely determined by multinational corporations, it appears). Why? Isa 66:19; 60:9 suggest that Tarshish does — and therefore can — bring the Jews back to their land. Thus Tarshish must have some control over the USA at least; and probably other many nations too.

What will Tarshish/Tyre do in the latter days? Psa 72:10, Isa 60:9 and Isa 66:19 are all quite explicit that Tarshish has a role in the Kingdom, having accepted the rule of Christ. This role includes bringing the Jews back to their land. However, Psa 48:7 is also explicit that God will destroy Tarshish. All of the above are quite definitely latter-day prophecies. How to reconcile them? Considering Tyre (if Tarshish = Tyre) helps to solve this problem. At the time of Nebuchadnezzar, Tyre was condemned by God, for various reasons (Amo 1:9,10; Joel 3:4-8; Eze 26-29; Isa 23: Jer 25:22: Zec 9:2-4). Thus, Tyre was conquered by Babylon (see Eze 29:18; plus the above prophecies). However, this did not last for ever (Isa 23:17,18 — which is fulfilled in Ezr 3:7, and, perhaps, in Neh 13:16). So, Tyre is condemned, conquered, restored, and worships with Israel in the restoration. (Tyre worshipping with Israel had also occurred much earlier: 1Ki 7:13,14, where Tyre helps Solomon build the temple. There are many similar passages during David’s reign.)

How does this fit into the overall picture? Quite well. Perhaps Tarshish = Western opinion, which will turn against Israel.

As a final note, it has been observed (by HAW) that the judgments given against Babylon in Rev 18 are very reminiscent of those against Tyre in Eze 26-28. Is it possible that this is because Babylon = Tyre in latter-day prophecy; or that Babylon is also a major trading power, and thus shares features, and punishment with Tyre?