[continued from home page]
However, it has taken but a few years, comparatively speaking, to reverse these circumstances. The God-denying theme of the atheist has now become the premise upon which the modern theological approach is made to a study of the Written Word of God. The result is that today many pulpits in our land are occupied by men of little or no faith, who discount the story the Bible tells and refuse to accept its recorded miracles as factual. We have reached a stage in unbelief wherein we find prominent theologians denying the truth of every recorded incident in the Bible that does not conform with what they judge to be reasonable by modern intellectual standards.
An outstanding miraculous event is the record in the Scriptures of the “long day” given in the Book of Joshua. Many Bible encyclopedias completely ignore the account of this unusual day, while others are apologetic in their handling of the related facts. An attitude of skepticism, even scoffing, on this particular subject, has been manifested for a long time.
Due to the fact that the world is experiencing the greatest apostasy that has ever settled down upon Christendom, we have selected for special publication in this issue and in the next issue of DESTINY (Twelfth Issue 1967) the facts which demonstrate that Joshua's long day did occur, as astronomically proved by Professor C. A. L. Totten. Since the supply of the reprint of his original work has become exhausted, Professor Totten’s findings are being summarized in these two issues, after which they will again appear in book form.
Along with Professor Totten’s research, we are republishing the evidence which shows how the event could have taken place without affecting the spin of the earth on its own axis. By establishing in this way the facts concerning what the atheists have refused to accept as true and, unfortunately, what Christians who are limited by their picayune conception of the scope of the Divine plan have also discounted, we are making the position of atheists, agnostics and disbelievers completely untenable. Admittedly, our aim is to positively oppose the vaingloriousness of the doubting scholars, for “professing themselves to be wise, they become fools” (Romans 1:22).
As a counteraction to the spiritual degeneration which continues at an alarming rate, we are led to re-emphasize this factual demonstration at this particular time, showing that the sun, moon and earth did respond to the Divine will to produce the “long day” because “the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel” (Joshua 10:14). This substantiation will give tremendous impetus to belief in the accuracy of the whole Scriptures among those who have faith. It will confirm the certainty of the fulfillment of all the predictions which the prophets have addressed to the attention of this generation. Not least among these prophecies are the spectacular phenomena to occur when the Lord moves in heaven and upon earth to accomplish His purpose and make His Name known among all peoples.
We have, as but one example, the stirring statements which open the Fiftieth Psalm: “The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not [no longer] keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.” (Psalms 50:1-6.)
This is a remarkable prophetic forecast of the movements of the Lord,
involving both the heavens and the earth. Its fulfillment will not now be long
delayed.