Ques. Does the Sabbath day in Genesis 2:1-3 point on to the eternal state, or to the Millennial reign of Christ? (Isa. 66:23; Col. 2:16-17).
Ans. In Genesis 1:26-28, we see in figure Christ and the Church, reigning over the earth, that is the time spoken of in Isaiah 66, when the Sabbaths will again be observed, and in Colossians 2:16-17 still shadow things to come.
We, as the Church on earth now, have Christ, the body, or substance of all the shadows. He is our rest now (Matt. 11:28), yet in Hebrews 4, we look on expecting the time when God’s rest comes, that is, the eternal state, to have our part in it, when
“All taint of sin shall be removed,
All evil done away;
And we shall dwell with God’s Beloved
Through God’s eternal day.”
Ques. When does Acts 2:17 apply?
Ans. Joel 2:28-32 will be fulfilled in the Millennial reign of Christ. In Acts 2 it is quoted to show that these men were not drunk, as was supposed, but that the Holy Spirit was causing them to speak with tongues, that all the nations present might understand the gospel. It was of the same kind of power of the Spirit, but it was not the fulfillment of these Scriptures.
Ques. What does 1 Corinthians 7:14 mean?
Ans. God respects the children of believers, even where only one of the parents is converted and expects that parent to own His name, and to claim God’s promise for the children’s training and salvation (Acts 16:31).
The unbelieving parent is sanctified by the believing one. This is in contrast with the marriages in Ezra 10, and Nehemiah 13. In these, God did not own the marriages, or the children. In 1 Corinthians 7:14, God owns the marriage, and the desires that the children may be trained for Him. Sanctification means the act of setting apart. Here it does not mean salvation. God does not approve of believers and unbelievers yoking themselves. It is quite wrong for a believer to engage himself, or herself to an unbeliever (Amos 3:3, 2 Cor. 6:14-18).
Ques. Does the Word of God forbid us to possess musical instruments?
Ans. No. Christians are left free to be led by the grace of God which has saved them, and to be constrained by the love of Christ to live, not to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and rose again (Rom. 12:1-2). We may use our music for the Lord, though it is first seen in Cain’s world (Gen. 4:21), and Satan uses it to blind many (Job 21:6-14).
In Christian worship as found in Scripture, instrumental music has no place. “They that worship God must worship Him in spirit, and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:24; Phil. 3:3).
In Israel’s worship to Jehovah as an earthly people, we find choirs and instruments, wind and stringed instruments, with timbrels and cymbals (Psa. 150), also in idolatry (See Dan. 3).
We find all kinds of instruments employed, but not in Christian worship.
“Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13).