The comments concerning the conditions faced by the Mediterranean world at the beginning of the Christian Era, made by W. S. Ferguson, professor of ancient history at Harvard, in the first chapter of volume 7 of Cambridge Ancient History, and by the editors in the preface to that volume, may be generally epitomized as follows:
1. Turning away from the old imperialistic monarchies of the East, with their regimented serfdoms, the Graeco-Roman world brought in new ideas of democratic life.
2. Stoic and Epicurean philosophy attempted to make the world an oecumene—a single community —with the koine Greek the universal language.
3. Emerging from the various influences of the past, the Roman world added to this Greek philosophy concepts of law, order, administrative centralization, and regimentation.
4. Old lines separating nations, classes, families, races, and sexes, faded into a new social order.
5. Widespread political unity opened the way for an ebb and flow of various national cults, so centralization met its opponent in individualism.
6. The people turned from a listening public to a reading public.
7. Authors, sensing their freedom, chronicled new and strange moods, tastes, and personalities.
8. Religions featuring a knowledge of future events, the art of healing, and promising salvation and immortality, attracted the attention of the world.
9. Strong efforts at syncretism—the union of conflicting beliefs by concentrating on points of agreement—made a fusion of deities, new and old, Zeus- Ammon-Yahweh- Ahuramazda - Jupiter becoming the highest god, or in short, just Zeus. (See preface, pp. vi-viii, 1-8.)
Parallel Conditions Seen Today
Even a cursory study of these conditions will reveal many parallels to the various winds of thought today. Will the present world be formed into a democratic oecuntene with the United States in the lead? Will there be an attempt at syncretism of faiths, with the United States stretching forth its hand to unite Protestantism, Catholicism, Spiritism, and Judaism? Will the Four Freedoms, so much talked of today, usher in a new social order that will open the way for an ebb and flow of various national cults, Oriental and Occidental ? 'Will there come a miracle-working regimentation of world religious forces that will feature a pretended knowledge of future events, proclaim the art of miraculous healing, and promise salvation and immortality to those willing to be so regimented? In order to accomplish its desired ends, will some central power resort to persecution and boycott of minority groups?
Just as the Graeco-Roman world was something entirely different from the world as Babylon or Persia knew it, so we may expect the atomic age to introduce factors that are entirely new to our modern thought rut.
Jesus' Solution to the Problem of His Time
Jesus met the issues of His time by introducing the spirit of individualism. Neither bond nor free, Gentile nor Jew, Roman, Greek, nor Parthian, could, because of position, creed, or race, solve the problem; but as He stressed in John 17:3, "this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." Then He went on to expand the meaning of knowing God. Throughout the chapter He gave four essentials as follows:
1. To know God as the great Giver, the Source of all wisdom, might, and power. (Verse 7.)
2. To understand God's motive in permitting Jesus.to come to this world. To think His thoughts after Him. (Verse 8.)
3. To volunteer to be the same kind of life-giving channel that Jesus was. (Verse 23.)
4. To enter into eternal fellowship with the Creator—a "new and distinct order of being." (Verse 26. See Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Feb. II, 1902.)
Ezekiel stressed more than any other Old Testament prophet what it meant to "know that I am the Lord." He touches on this thought 60 times in the 48 chapters. The prophet lists more than a dozen ways in which the world is "to know God." One day, he says, all the world, both good and bad, shall know the Lord. (Eze. 37:26-28.) But, for the latter group, this knowledge will be useless I
Are these four essentials to knowing God the way out today? These four essentials planted in man's heart today will cause the earth to be "filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Hab, 2:14. They will provide a hedge against the snares of the last days as surely as they did in Christ's day. They will develop the only kind of individualism that will endure throughout eternity. Let us seek for them with the whole heart.
Prophetic Symbols Now Available
In response to the manifest needs of the field for the production of visual aids for doctrinal and prophetic subjects, Washington Missionary College now offers a practical source of supply. Many new ideas as well as the long-established charts, cut-out symbols, and various devices are now being made ready for the field.
A process printing eliminates tedious work, yet makes it possible to present well-designed art pieces at a lower cost than was previously thought possible.
The prophetic beasts are printed on one-quarterinch, waterproof plywood, with washable oil paint. Completely new designs give a crisp reproduction in eight to ten sharp colors. They are cut out and shaded to produce a realistic, dimensional effect.
At present these symbolic beasts are produced in two sizes. Small figures about ten inches high, with slotted bases as standards, are made for use in personal evangelism in the homes. They can be conveniently carried in a brief case or handbag, and when placed on a table, a piano, or a sideboard in the home, are very effective. These figures are small enough for use with a single family, yet large enough to be used with a group of fifty.
Large symbolic beasts, standing about four feet high, are available for use with an adjustable sea scene, ten, twenty, or thirty feet in length. This set may be used effectively before audiences of from one hundred to five thousand. The figures are made to permit them to be brought into view progressively, so that at no time is the audience looking ahead of the speaker.
The nondescript beast of Daniel 7 has a set of three horns, which are removable. This depicts graphically the uprooting of the little horn. The symbol itself is made either collapsible or in one piece.
The college is equipped to meet the individual needs of any field, and to produce, if necessary, special sizes and designs to meet the various tastes of the individual worker or to meet the needs of any special locality or country. Many of our strongest workers lack proper facilities for the development of such preaching and teaching aids. We have the equipment which offers an extensive source of illustrations for every major doctrine and many other Biblical topics.
For list of prophetic symbols with prices, address Richard Harris, Department of Visual Aids, Washington Missionary College, Washington 12, D.C.
