Divine Amnesia

Gems from the pen

of

Clarence Settle

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DIVINE “AMNESIA”?

 

Dear friends. When you read such statements as the following, do questions come to your mind as to when Jesus regained all memory of His pre-incarnate existence? Let us read:

 

“For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw the white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the bleeding victim upon the altar of sacrifice. With the worshipers He bowed in prayer, while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed the impressive rites of the paschal service. Day by day He saw their meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with His own life. New impulses were awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, He seemed to be studying out a great problem. The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour.”  DA: 78.

 

Regarding His incarnation, we read these inspired words: “Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, and man and God became one.”  ST July 30, 1896. Again we read: “He did not cease to be God when He became man...The two expressions ‘human’ and ‘divine’ were, in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a DISTINCT INDIVIDUALITY.”  ST May 10, 1899.

 

Keeping those statements in mind, let us read again from DA: 65 this remarkable statement, keeping in mind that it was Christ Himself who led Israel through the desert (1 Cor. 10: 1-4), we read: “Satan was bent on shutting out the divine light from the world, and he used his utmost cunning to destroy the Saviour. But He who never slumbers nor sleeps was watching over His beloved Son. He who had rained manna from heaven for Israel and had fed Elijah in the time of famine provided in a heathen land (Egypt) a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus.”

 

Speaking for myself I have often pondered. “At what moment or occasion did all these memories come back to Jesus, when did He reclaim them? Was it at His resurrection, at His ascension, etc.? Let me now share this inspired gem that I came across, with you, and see if you don’t agree with me that here is the answer. We read: “All must wait for the appointed time, until the warning shall have gone to all parts of the world, until sufficient light and evidence has been given to every soul. Some will have less light than others, but each one will be judged according to the light received. Not until the fullness of the time shall come will the crucified and risen Saviour assume His equality with God. Patiently He has waited in the heavenly courts in behalf of His people who have suffered for their loyalty to Him. Patiently He waits for the gospel of the kingdom to be preached to all parts of the world until all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people have received the light of God’s word.”  Manuscript 77, 1899, pp.12-15.

 

Oh how shameful we all should be that we have delayed His coming and prolonged the time when He shall assume His equality with God. What a wonderful and merciful and longsuffering God we serve, and how this deepens the mystery of the Godhead, which is beyond our understanding and beyond discussion!

 

Clarence Settle