Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

citizen."religion."Vineyard GleaningsIs Satan Getting Anxious?"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, havingthe key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, whichis the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nationsno more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: andafter that he must be loosed for a season."Many interpreters believe that this binding and loosingof Satan is a continuing process. Every soul saved is abinding of Satan, every country opened to the Gospel isclosing in on him. But there come many reverses by thepermissive decrees of God, and Satan is loosed for aseason. Since the chain is certainly not a literal chain,but some spiritual limitation placed on a spiritual being,and since the course of history is a series of spiritualadvances and reverses (at least to the human eye) it isgood that we consider this interpretation. But let uskeep in mind that the Word of God (the written, spoken,and Incarnate) WORD OF GOD IS NOT BOUND. Vastareas are being closed to the Word of God, Russia andits satellites, China, Manchuria, and much of South America.Limitations Placed on Our MissionsManchuria and South China have been definitely closed,or should we say indefinitely, for we hope that these fieldswill be opened again. In Syria we are forbidden to teachthe Bible in our mission schools except to children ofProtestant parents. The Greeks in Cyprus are kept stirredup to demand a plebiscite, so that the Island may be unitedto Greece, evidently by the Orthodox Christian Church.Rev. Herbert Hays has come home with an invitation notto return, emanating from the powers that be. When MissRose Huston applied for an extension of her permit tolive in Japan (it had already expired), she was severelyreprimanded, but grudgingly given an extension of herstay as an "undesirable This is due to the resurgence of Shintoism. But we turn to other examples.Bhuddist ChaplainsIn Japan there is "grave danger" that the governmentwill stop Christian pastors from visiting prisons. A newruling restores the pre-war system of full-time chaplains,"appointed by the warden, who would be mostlyBhuddhists."During the past two years about 300 pastors, including many evangelicals, have been actively engagedin prison evangelism at one time there were almost10,000 prisoners actively preparing for baptism. They arenow faced with the possibility of being denied admittanceto all jails.New Regulations On Missionaries to IndiaNEW DELHI(RNS) India's new policy restrictingforeign missionaries is set forth in the latest issue of thegovernment yearbook published here. It states that themost as large as the state of Texas. They believe it iscovered with lichens, a low form of plant life. There alsoare signs of clouds and atmospheric belts. None of thissounds as if we need to fear invasion by a race of Martian supermen.issuance of visas to foreignby two considerations:missionaries will be governed1. No new missionaries will be permitted to enter India,either as replacements or additional members of missions,unless Indian missionaries are not available to fill thepositions.2. While foreign missionaries already in India will be allowed to carryon their present activity, new missionarieswill not be welcome if they plan to devote themselves entirely to the propagation of the gospel. They should, in addition, have suitable qualifications as educators or social workers.Purified By PersecutionThe Archibishop of Canterbury, returning to London froma visit to East Africa, said that the trials of the Africanpurified the church. The Archbishop said he talked withone native Christian leader who was slashed and left fordead when he refused to take the Mau Mau oath. TheChristians under the Mau Mau terrorist campaigns haveArchbishop said to him, "You make us who live in quietparts of the world feel very, very humble."Brazil Becomes Fifth Country to Ban 'Martin Luther" ~*::. ;Brazil became the fifth foreign country to ban publicshowing of the film "Martin Luther" according to an announcement made last September 7 by Robert E. A. Lee,of Lutheran Church Productions. Theexecutive secretaryBrazilian ban was imposed by the government's Chief ofthe Censorship Service of Public Entertainments who citeda law which states that a license to exhibit will be denied:whenever the showing will be "offensive to community orPreviously, the governments of the Philippines,Peru, Egypt, and the Province of Quebec denied permitsfor public showings of the film. Although the ban in Quebecresulted in 11 Montreal churches showing the film simultaneously to more than 25,000 in capacity-filled churcheslast summer, Mr. Lee remarked that "if additional attemptsto secure permission for theatre showings fail, we will thenhave to turn to other means of getting this importantmotion picture to the people of Brazil."(Continued on page 216)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday fay the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kai>na>to promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer* :not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental EditorBRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copiea10 cents.The Rev. R. B. LyonE, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for th*British Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Eansatunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.October 5, 1955 211