THE VOICE OF THE SECOND SIGN.

(4) The second sign to be given to the Israelites was that of the leprous hand. Hidden in the bosom, when revealed it was leprous; but when hidden again, and revealed a second time, it was whole. Again, we say that the natural Israelite discerned nothing but the natural sign, but it was intended of God that the spiritual Israelite should discern a much grander lesson, and that a testimony through this grander lesson would be still more convincing to him than was the typical sign to the typical Israelite. A hand is a symbol of power. In this case the hand represented divine power. Leprosy is a symbol of sin.

The teaching, therefore, would seem to be that divine power was first manifested without sin or imperfection or blemish; secondly, that the same divine power, hidden for a time, was afterward manifest in sin and imperfection; and thirdly, that the same divine power, hidden again for a time, will subsequently be manifest without sin.

What teaching or testimony is this?

We answer that it is in harmony with the previous teaching respecting the permission of evil, but does not apply to evil in general, but rather to sin in particular; does not apply to the world in general, but specially applies to the people of God, – to those whom God uses as his agents or representatives, his hand, his power in the world. God’s power originally was manifested unblemished (without sin). But during this Gospel age he has been represented by his consecrated people, the members of the body of Christ, who are his ambassadors and representatives; but they are leprous (sinful), actually imperfect, though reckoned perfect in Christ.

As the world sees them, they are blemished, but from the divine standpoint their blemishes are all hidden, covered with the merit of Christ’s righteousness. Nevertheless, these have been the hand or power of God in the world for more than eighteen centuries; but by and by they are to be received into his bosom again, and “changed“ in the first resurrection, so that when manifest again in the future they will be without sin, “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,” and will again be used of the Lord as his agent in stretching forth his rod and bringing the plagues upon Egypt, and delivering the residue of God’s people from the bondage of sin and death.

And is this also a sign or a testimony peculiar to this time in which we live, and was this subject never clearly seen before?

We answer, it is peculiar to our day, and was never clearly seen before. In the past many have seen something of justification, something of sanctification, something of a coming deliverer; but never before have these subjects been seen in the clear light in which they are now seen as related to each other. Never before was the relationship distinctly seen between justification and sanctification and deliverance; that justification is of divine grace, accepted through faith; that sanctification implies works and sacrifice, based upon justification; and that to these justified and consecrated (sanctified) ones, who faithfully overcome, by the grace of God in Christ, shall be granted a share in the “glory, honor and immortality” of the divine nature in the first resurrection.

But has the voice or sign of this testimony gone forth in any particular channel, as did the preceding voice or testimony?

We answer, yes: in the Millennial Dawn (or Studies in the Scriptures) series of volumes, the first of which was published in 1886.

The united testimony of these relates to the Church, showing original sin, the first step out of it into justification, through faith in Christ, the second step of sanctification, and sacrifice, and the ultimate change, in the first resurrection to the divine nature, and glory and joint-heirship. These volumes deal specially with this subject from its various standpoints, the ransom-sacrifice of our Lord, on account of which the cleansing will come to us in due time, being everywhere prominently set forth; and also, the fact that no absolute purity (perfection) is to be expected until the Lord shall take us to himself in our “change.”

Supplemental to the teaching of the Dawns on this subject, and to assist in emphasizing their “voice” and making clear their testimony, the Pilgrim service was instituted under which various brethren travel from place to place explaining and demonstrating the lesson taught by the leprous hand and its healing, and all of our readers, having heard the testimony are daily giving it forth to others. (R2917)

We take a look at the third sign in our next post.