30,000 Miles Of Miracles 1 30,000 MILES OF MIRACLES 1950 By H. M. S. RICHARDS Published by THE VOICE OF PROPHECY Box 55 Los Angeles 53, California Printed in U. S. A. www.maranathamedia.com.au 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 2 CONTENTS 1. Ireland and England 2. I Slept in Rabbah of the Ammonites 3. Roll, Jordan, Roll! 4. Seven Times Around Jericho 5. I Saw a Star in Bethlehem 6. What I Saw in Jerusalem 7. We Visit Mount Moriah 8. The Stations of the Cross 9. On the Mount of Olives 10. I Looked Into the Tomb of Abraham 11. The Jesus Tower in Damascus 12. My Trip to Tyre and Sidon 13. My Visit to the Mountain of God 14. Barefooted at the Shwe Dagon 15. “Good News From a Far Country” FOREWORD Every mile of the thirty thousand was interesting, a journey that will never be forgotten. The name, “Thirty Thousand Miles of Miracles,” was suggested by two kinds of miracles brought to mind by the journey: First, miracles of fulfilled prophecy, especially in the Bible Lands; second, miracles of God’s grace in the world today. Miracles of prophetic fulfillment are the very strongest evidences upholding the authenticity and truth of the Holy Scriptures. Every passing year makes these prophecies stronger in their fulfillment. In many parts of the world today the gospel of Jesus Christ is being authenticated by miracles of God’s grace-lives changed, whole islands changed, thousands of human beings changed from open sin, from spiritual and physical defilement to purity and righteousness. How wonderful the Holy Scriptures are, how blessed is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! In every land my journey was made profitable, and even possible, by the co-operation of many servants of God, missionaries and earnest Christian people. I cannot name them all, but their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. What I saw of earnest, self-sacrificing foreign missionary work makes me more anxious than ever to support the world-wide proclamation of the gospel. I heard not one word of complaint, though some of these earnest workers lived far away from others of like precious faith, some in lonely jungle areas, in far-off mountain valleys, in hot and stifling tropical climates. But wherever they were, they were all looking forward to a better land and trying to make this world better by their lives and message. This book contains only a partial description of some of the things seen in some of the countries visited. Whole areas have been left out, such as Egypt, New Guinea, Australia, India, Siam, Japan, and the Philippines. A description of experiences in these places must wait for some other time. H. M. S. R. 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 3 1. Ireland and England WE CAME DOWN out of the sky at the great airport near Limerick, where the River Shannon flows. Ireland is so far north that the days, especially in wintertime, are very short; so when we landed about five o’clock in the morning it was pitch dark. It certainly was good to see the smiling face of Pastor Mustard, who is in charge of all the Voice of Prophecy work in old Ireland. He had with him his little British car, and we immediately took off to a hotel which used to be one of the great mansion houses of the nobility. These houses, built in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, surely were stately buildings, the flowering of a magnificent life among the people. I enjoyed walking through room after room and looking at the glories of the past reflected in the majestic architecture. About daylight we took off for the Lakes of Killarney, winding about the countryside on the narrow, twisting, hedge lined roads - in some places lined for miles with stone walls. There is enough stone in the hedgerows and walls along the highways and lanes of Ireland to build dozens of pyramids. For centuries this stone has been gathered from the fields by hard labor. Even in wintertime Ireland is green. I was clothed in the usual Southern California garb, including nice wooly Boulevards, and it seemed to me that the winds of Ireland were the roughest and the coldest, and the rain, which fell continually, the wettest of any I had ever experienced. But how beautiful was the land! Here and there were little cottages with the blue peat smoke lifting slowly from their chimneys. Many of the roofs were thatched, some were of slate, others of stone. Most of these cottages were built of white stone. And the Lakes of Killarney-just as beautiful as the poet Moore contended! We drove by them all too quickly. The mountains around these lakes are wild, severe, mysterious. No wonder the Irish believe in fairies! With its lakes, mountains, moors, wild timbered stretches, it is a land of romance and mystery. It is also a land of great spiritual need. The Voice of Prophecy has penetrated Ireland for only a short time. From the great 150,000-watt station, Radio Luxembourg, over in the center of Western Europe, we are casting the bread of life over the hills and dales of Ireland, and it is already taking root in many hearts. In Dublin Pastor Mustard has set up headquarters for the Bible Correspondence Course, which he calls the “Christian Culture Course.” When I was there, about eight hundred had already enrolled. Mrs. Stevens, as Bible instructor, assists in the work. But let’s go back to the rainy morning in Southern Ireland, just east of the Lakes of Killarney. We saw hundreds of donkey carts as we drove along. The farmers were bringing their milk in to the creameries or to the railway stations. The sale of milk and cream seems to be one of the main sources of income for the people all over this part of Ireland. The little donkey carts were jogging around in every direction through the rain. Suddenly, as we came around a bend in a narrow lane with high stone walls on both sides, Pastor Mustard said: “There he is! That’s the man! Let’s stop.” So we drew up by the side of a little donkey cart. The man was dressed in rough clothes, for the day was rainy, cold, and windy. How glad this man was when he saw who we were, for he was the first Voice of Prophecy convert in Ireland! He got down from the cart and, as we stood there by the stone wall, we had a wonderful spiritual fellowship together.. We talked of the cause of God, of The Voice of Prophecy, of the wonderful hope and promise of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This man is full of enthusiasm and fire for God and will make a real Irish missionary. He lives alone in his community and wants to spread the good news. There in the rain, with our arms on each others’ shoulders, we bowed our heads in a prayer circle, and all of us prayed. Then we said good-by. Someday we shall meet in a land where dreams come true, a land still more beautiful than lovely Ireland. On we went, many miles, until we came to the famous Rock of Cashel, where the ancient kings of Southern Ireland had their fortress. This mighty limestone crag erupts abruptly from the green plain. On it are fortifications and a great monastery in ruins, largely, and a gigantic cathedral and abbey with the roof open to the sky, results of the troubles and wars in days gone by. Around the base of this great rock is a mighty wall pierced with openings through which archers could shoot. We spent several hours climbing over those ancient defenses. It was interesting also to climb up the secret stairways inside the massive walls of the cathedral, and to visit the rooms high up in the air at the very top. There in those rooms, now of course without roofs and open to the Weather, we saw beautiful mantle pieces where great fireplaces used to bum in the grand old days. This certainly is a magnificent ruin, and I shall never forget the Rock of 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 4 Cashel. Then on we went farther north to Cork and stayed overnight there. By this time I was so cold that it was absolutely necessary to do something about it, so I went into a shop and purchased a real Irish woolen undershirt thick, and wooly, and warm. The Irish sheep certainly do produce wonderful wool, just the kind needed for such a damp climate. Remember, there was no heat in any of the houses where we stayed-no central heating, at least-and in the hotel rooms there was no heat of any kind. I went to bed with almost everything on except my hat and glasses, and even then I was chilly. But in the morning we were repaid for all our discomfort of the night before. We visited the famous church of Shandon, where the bells of Shandon ring. This beautiful old building belongs to the Church of Ireland. The attendance is very small now, of course; but at one time it was packed with worshipers and the large school near by was filled with children. How things have changed! Not long ago the famous bells rang out, “God Save the King,” and as a result stones began to fly through the beautiful colored windows. We climbed up to the top of the great tower where the bells of Shandon hang. No doubt you have read the poem about these bells, and really they are beautiful bells. The sexton rang them for us, but was careful to play a purely religious tune because the political complexion of Ireland has changed. Then we drove out a few miles west of town to the ancient castle of Blarney. What a lovely valley, with a clear crystal stream flowing through it! And here in the midst of this loveliness, on a rocky ridge, stands the mighty tower of the ancient castle. The rest of the castle is in ruins. After spending some time exploring its dark passageways, we climbed ‘up in the great square tower which today is apparently as solid as ever. It is just about 100 feet high and has a very strange defensive parapet that hangs out, away from the wall, and is held in place by a series of mighty stones which also extend out from the wall. This leaves a space of about a foot or eighteen inches between the wall and the parapet, through which stones, arrows, water, boiling oil, etc., could be poured upon the devoted heads of besiegers. It is on the lower edge of this parapet that the famous Blarney Stone is located. A legend says that anyone who kisses it will forever after be eloquent. Well, of course, it was our desire to kiss the Blarney Stone, so it was necessary to hang by the heels, head downward and backward, in order to reach this stone for the famous experience. Not trusting one man to hold us, we obtained two. I suppose the guide felt that he could take care of *our 200 pounds easily enough, but I felt safer when he held one foot and Pastor Mustard the other. It certainly is a strange feeling to look down on a hundred feet of empty space and some good Irish rocks below. But we kissed the Blarney Stone! Then we went on through the countryside, increasingly populated, to Dublin. Dublin is royal, though its glory is tarnished. It looks like a lovely woman who has come on hard times, but with its substantial buildings and the sweep of its streets, there is something about it that is kingly and royal. There at The Voice of Prophecy headquarters Pastor Mustard and his fellow workers are laboring earnestly to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the millions who need more light, and thousands are appreciating it, especially the work that is being done through the Bible Correspondence Course. There are some even among the clergy who enjoy the study of the Word of God by post. We preached to a little group of believers in Dublin and then the next day drove back about forty miles south to Glendalock. “Glendalock” means the Glen of the Lake, and here are several lakes locked in green and glorious mountains. This was an ancient religious center where Saint Kevan and others before him upheld the gospel light in pagan times. It is a great surprise to many people to know that Ireland at one time, when Europe was covered with the darkness of paganism, upheld the light of the gospel, of culture, and Christian education. Long before England, Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and other European countries were evangelized and Christianized, Ireland was full of churches and Christian schools and colleges where Latin and Greek, and even Hebrew, were taught. Missionaries went out all over the western world from Ireland. I wanted to see the headquarters of one of these great missionary movements and that is why I went to Glendalock. It was with deep emotions that I walked among the ancient ruins and saw there the foundation stones and some of the walls of its seven or eight churches, the beautiful Round Tower in a perfect state of preservation, the homes of the students, the places of study, all surrounded by towering mountains. There in this beautiful, silent, and safe retreat, those early Bible Christians prepared themselves for greater service. It is also an interesting fact that in these early, early days, the holy Sabbath of the Lord was honored by many, and the inspiration of the Bible fully held. It was from this mighty powerhouse of spiritual understanding and enthusiasm that missionaries went out and evangelized England, converted the savage Britons, Scots, and Picts, and built up the gospel of Christ in those early days. They went on into France and Switzerland, and even today many cities, 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 5 towns, and churches are named for these Irish saints. So it would be well for us to study more into the background of Irish Christianity. It is well known also that Saint Patrick was one of the leaders in this Bible Christian work, as were those who came after him, such men as Colomba, Columbanus, and others - especially Saint Colomba who carried the gospel to the Island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. At Iona we saw the ruins of Colomba’s Christian school of the prophets. And, by the way, it is being rebuilt by a group of people called the Iona Fellowship. Here for many centuries was a great center of evangelism and missionary work. The students earned their own living on the land, tending cattle, made their own clothes, and built their own houses. They studied the Word of God and then went out to other lands as self-sacrificing, self-supporting missionaries. On this little island, three and a half miles long and only a mile and a half wide, God preserved His truth in dangerous days of old. Finally the raids of the heathen Vikings from the northlands came down and completely disrupted and destroyed this work. Not long ago, while the buildings were being repaired, a minister from Norway was present; and, without any thought of his taking it seriously, one of the workers said: “Your ancestors, the Vikings, came down here and destroyed these buildings. As you see, there is no timber on this island. No trees of any size grow here, and Norway is noted for its timber. We feel that you should supply the big timbers to make the roofs of these churches and other buildings, and restore them. We think you owe it to us because your ancestors were the ones who destroyed them over a thousand years ago.” Well, this man said nothing, but about a year ago a great shipment of timber arrived from Norway. This minister had raised the money from other Christians there and had sent the timbers to Iona, where they are being put into these buildings as they are restored. So sons of the Vikings are rebuilding what their forefathers destroyed. All of this mighty work of God branched from Ireland in those days, and the sons of Ireland all over the world ought to be interested in that same gospel today. And, by the way, there are more people of- Irish blood outside Ireland than there are on the Emerald Isle. Ireland’s population today is only about five million, whereas it is said that at one time it was nine or ten million. There have been great changes in Ireland. So let all of us who have Irish blood pray that God will revive the gospel glories of Ireland and send her sons and daughters again through the world as flaming evangelists of Christ. We boarded the plane and flew on across to London, landing at Heathrow Airport, which is in the western suburbs of that great city. London is different. It does not look like any other city in the world. It is a series of cities and it just keeps spreading wider and wider and wider through the land. There is no great center with gigantic skyscrapers, as in many cities. It is not very tall anywhere, so far as buildings are concerned; but it spreads out endlessly, endlessly. And people live everywhere. London does not have one large business center with the dwellings on the fringes, but business and homes are mixed together all over the city. We spent two or three days in England, staying most of the time at the Stanborough Hydro in Watford, where such a good work is being done in the school, printing press, health-food factory, and sanitarium. We had a very kind and friendly reception there by Pastors King and MeMillan, who are pushing the Voice of Prophecy work in the British Isles. How thrilled we were to know that over 20,000 had already enrolled in the Bible Correspondence Course! And the message coming over the air-waves from Radio Luxembourg covers Great Britain to a large extent. Thousands are listening, hundreds are responding, and many are being baptized into Jesus Christ. We hope that we shall soon be able to broadcast the gospel right in England itself, and also in Scotland, over the BBC. This is something to pray for. My hosts were very kind in arranging for me to visit Oxford University. They secured the very efficient services of W. L. Emmerson, editor of the British Present Truth and other publications there at the Watford Press. He knows England inside and out and is a wonderful guide. Oxford University is composed of twenty-seven colleges, and we went through seventeen of them that day. Pastor Emmerson showed us many interesting historical places and gave us a wonderful narrative of the old days at Oxford. We saw the very rooms where John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Toplady, and other great men of God studied. We visited the library where the books were still chained as in ancient times. Students were still studying in these places. Some of the halls are five hundred years old or older - one of the buildings is nearly a thousand years old -and yet they are still filled with students. Oxford has a wonderful history and holds a high place in the work of God. Here the Reformation broke out and great men took their stand for truth, even giving their lives for it. We stood in the very spot where Latimer and Ridley were burned for their faith, and there renewed our vows to God. No one can visit Oxford today and hear - the stories of its ancient glory without being touched and thrilled and vowing a new allegiance to the Holy Scriptures, which changed the face of the world as they went forth from that 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 6 great place of learning and consecration. The time there was all too short Have faith in God Seek now the Savior’s smile; Have faith in God Fear not the after while; Have faith in God You of the Emerald Isle. Have faith, dear friend, in God. 2. I Slept in Rabbah of the Ammonites THE city is called Amman today. It is the capital of the JL kingdom ruled over by King Abdullah, formerly called Trans-Jordan but now the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan. We may not remember all these names, but the interesting thing about this ancient-modem city is that in Bible times it was called Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, one of the tribes that opposed the Israelites in their march to the Holy Land. Yes, its true, I spent a night in Rabbah of the Ammonites, a cold, rainy, windy, winter night - almost as cold and windy in the Arab hotel where I stayed as outside. As I shivered in bed and heard the torrents of rain falling out side, and even in some of the rooms, I thought, can this actually be the place mentioned in the Bible? Is it possible that I am right here in Rabbah, the capital city, where for many years the most interesting object was the iron bedstead of the giant King Og of Bashan, which had been captured by the Ammonites? The words of the Scripture came to my mind, as found in Deuteronomy 3:11: “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.” Think of the size of that bed -fit for a giant it was, and I hope softer than my bed this rainy night here in the same city, “Rabbath of the children of Ammon.” I had ridden many long hours from Damascus over historic Bible land, through Edrei, now called Deraa, the place where the great battle was fought between the Israelites and this over-sized King Og. As I looked out of the window of the taxi in which I was riding, I saw the camels drinking out of a great stone trough. A little closer inspection showed that this trough was nothing more nor less than a gigantic tomb, or sarcophagus, made of stone and inscribed with the name of some king long since forgotten. Anyway, his coffin is put to good use today, perhaps a thousand or two thousand years after his death; and the camels seem to enjoy the water! Well, here I am in Rabbah, trying to keep warm as the night hours drag by. Every time I awaken with a splash of rain or the roar of the wind, I think about Bible times and how wonderfully true the Bible seems to be when we visit these towns mentioned in its holy pages. Each of these cities is really an evidence of the inspiration of the Word of God. We find them located exactly as pictured in the Holy Scripture. This city of Rabbah is about twenty miles east of the Jordan Valley, on the main highway from the east to Jerusalem. We stopped here over night on our way to the Holy City. The town is built in the deep valley of the Jabbok River, which is mentioned in the Bible. At this particular place it flows eastward and takes a big circle around to the north and comes into the Jordan far to the north of Jericho. A great spring, the source of the Jabbok, breaks forth right here at Rabbath-Ammon. Down the bed of this valley, which we traveled yesterday for many miles, the land is fertile and every inch of it is farmed, in contrast to the desert hills about us. Now let us go back to the Bible story in 2 Samuel, chapters 10 to 12. Because of an insult to his royal ambassadors, King David ordered General Joab to capture the capital city of the Ammonites. After a siege of about two years, the lower part of the city, that which was built in the valley of the Jabbok, was captured by Joab; but the citadel on top of the hill to the north still held out. This citadel contained the royal palace and secured its water supply from great cisterns. Listen to the Bible story as found in 2 Samuel 12:26-28: “And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. Now 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 7 therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.” What an exact description Joab gives of the part of the city he captured! Notice, he says, I have taken the city of waters” -that is, the lower part of the city situated by the big spring and on the brook, the headwaters of the Jabbok. And it is still the city of waters. But the great fort on top of the mountain had not yet been captured. So David came with all the army of Israel, surrounded it and, after a great assault, captured it, secured the crown of the king for his own head, and took much spoil and glory. And now here I am sleeping in a hotel on the very side of this hill, which once re-echoed with the shouts of Joab and his officers. We might say that a dark shadow comes over our thoughts right here. It was here, in front of this great fortress on the hill above the hotel, that poor Uriah, the Hittite, was left alone before the gate to meet the Ammonite charge as Joab deceitfully retreated and left him standing alone. You know the sad story. It is right here in 2 Samuel, the eleventh chapter. It is four-thirty in the morning now. The rain has ceased. It is cold outside -and inside as well. Suddenly I hear a shrieking cry. Down the middle of the street, a Mohammedan fanatic tramps along crying at every step: “God is great, God is great. There is no god but God, and Mohammed is the apostle of God. Come to prayer, come to prayer.” About the same time we hear the cry of the muezzin from the high tower or minaret of the mosque making the same appeal to prayer. This reminds us that Amman is a Moslem city, and there are very few Christians here. However, there are some small churches. A good friend of The Voice of Prophecy is holding Bible studies and winning some of the inhabitants - descendants, no doubt, of the ancient Ammonites - to Christ. It is daylight now, so we look across from the hotel and see the great stone theater built in the side of the mountain. It is rather an amphitheater, a great open-air gathering place, where probably 20,000 people could sit and watch public entertainment in the days of the Romans. It was here at the time of Christ. This city was one of ten called the Decapolis. Jesus sometimes visited the territory of these ten cities, but this particular one is not mentioned in His ministry. But now we are anxious to climb the hill above the town and explore the ruins of the great fortress captured by Joab. Up, up we go; and here we are on the very edge of the cliff. Look at those gigantic pillars, those ancient walls! All about us are the broken fragments of carved stone. We are standing amid the ruins of ancient Rabbah, the city mentioned over and over again in the Word of God. These gigantic palaces and fortresses must have taken centuries to build, and millions of dollars. Now they lie in utter ruin. Here in a corner of the ruin is an Arab tent and several Arabs trying to keep warm. The walls break the force of the winter winds. Here is a donkey and there a camel. The smoke of the Arabs’ campfire sifts up by the ancient columns. How is the glory departed! How is the royal city captured by King David become a stable for donkeys and camels! Suddenly a text of Scripture comes to mind. It is a prophecy in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 25, verse 5 a prophecy written about six hundred years before Christ. Because the Ammonites had rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem and had laughed when the Israelites had gone into captivity, the word from God came to the effect that the men of the east -that is, the Arabs of the desert -would take over the dwellings, of Rabbah. Now notice the next words: “And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Well, here it is right here - the very palaces of the kings of the Ammonites used as stables for donkeys, camels, and oxen. And, pitched in the very dining halls and ballrooms of King Hahash of the Ammonites, are the black tents of the Arabs. This Word of God has a way of coming true. The glory and power of nations are nothing compared with it. As we climbed here and there over the acres of fallen stone, I came near falling into a black hole. I had just asked a friend how this great mountaintop fortress was supplied with water, and as I caught myself from this threatened fall, he said, “There is your answer.” This was the entrance to one of the great underground cisterns which held hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. Proper drainage was arranged on this solid-stone hilltop so that the rain-water rushed into these great cisterns, and supplies for several years would be stored up in a short time. History tells us that in the year 218 B.C. the city was captured by Antiochus III. He captured the cisterns to which, in time of siege, the people went for water by an underground passage. And in the year 30 BC. Herod the Great again captured the city in the same way. It would be interesting to explore all these underground passageways and cisterns. They must extend for hundreds of yards under these ruins. There are tunnels, hallways, passageways, stairways, which would intrigue any explorer. However, the scripture kept ringing in my cars: “Rabbah, the royal city, the city of waters” -and 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 8 yet it had to surrender because of the lack of water, its water supply being captured by the invaders. Another prophecy seemed to stare me in the face as I walked over these ruins. It is found in Jeremiah, the forty ninth chapter, beginning with the second verse. This prophecy was written 600 years before Christ and is fulfilled before our eyes today. “Therefore, behold, the days come, said the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire.” How terribly true this is -a desolate heap. just come and look at it, friends. That is the best description of it that anyone could possibly give. And then the question comes in verse 4: “Wherefore glories thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley?” What a beautiful picture that is of the valley that passes by this hill; this clear mountain stream of spring water, the flowing valley, with its gardens and little farms, reaching for 25 miles to the east -the flowing valley in the midst of the desert! The flowing valley is still there. Again the farmers irrigate their fields. But Rabbah-Ammon is a memory, a desolation, a stable for camels. So was the Word of God fulfilled, and so may we trust this mighty Book which pictures the story of nations in advance. Surely we can believe it from cover to cover, the holy Word of God. As we start back to the hotel, we hear what sounds like a thousand woodpeckers at work. We request an explanation and are told that it is the new building going on at the command of King Abdullah. He is erecting a new capital, and hundreds of stonecutters are pecking away day after day. Stone is the universal building material here in the Holy Land. Not only are walls and floors made of stone, but in the smaller buildings even the ceilings are made of stone arched over. That is why these edifices last for so many centuries. And so Rabbah-Ammon is being rebuilt as the more-or-less modem capital of this new Arab kingdom. But this city has been rebuilt and destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed, time and time again in its long dark history. What does the future hold for it? We do not know, except that all cities and all nations someday will be replaced by the kingdom of Christ when He shall sit, not upon a throne of silver and gold, but upon the throne of God’s promised kingdom. Friend, will you not accept this Book as God’s Word? Every place where it touches history it rings true. Every place where it touches human life it rings true. Every time it touches spiritual things it rings true. All its prophecies have been fulfilled, or are being fulfilled. Only a very few still remain to be fulfilled. Why not accept it today as God’s truth? Why not accept the Savior revealed in this Book, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Savior? Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37) is His message to you. Will you not come to Him today? Have faith in God See truth in Bible lands; Have faith in God Revealed by human hands; Have faith in God His Word in Rabbah stands. Have faith, dear friend, in God. 3. Roll, Jordan, Roll! I SAW the Jordan River first at midnight from the Allenby Bridge, under the glaring headlights of an automobile. Time after time, we crossed it later. It is a weird stream which twists and turns and doubles on itself. It goes ever swiftly downward, downward from the glittering snows of Mt. Hermon to the dark depths of the Dead Sea. In fact, we are told that the word “Jordan” means the descender, and it does descend from Mt. Hermon’s 9,000-foot altitude to the Dead Sea, which lies in the deepest rift in the surface of the earth, 1,200 feet below sea level. At the first mention of the Jordan River in the Holy Bible, its whole great valley was a fertile, cultivated land. That is in Genesis 13:10. What tremendous changes have taken place since those days! Now the entire valley is practically deserted, desolate, and forsaken. Not only did I visit the Jordan country, but I have also had the privilege of reading a very fine 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 9 book on archaeology entitled The River Jordan, by Nelson Clueck and published by the Westminster Press in 1941. It is full of interesting historical facts about the Jordan River. Many things in the Holy Land have changed since the days when the Bible was written, but the hills are the same, the rivers are the same, the sea is the same, the mountains are the same. They are in the very places described in the Holy Bible. When the Israelites came out of Egypt in the great exodus, they crossed the Jordan River from the east into Palestine. As we crossed the Jordan River, the first town we approached was Jericho. We turned aside from its fruit markets, drove about a mile and a half, and came to the ruins that mark the ancient city of Jericho which actually stood in this place when Joshua and the children of Israel marched around it seven times in one day. We saw the great walls that have indeed fallen flat, just as the Bible says they did. Read it for yourself in the sixth chapter of Joshua, the twentieth verse. The archaeologists have dug up the ruins of Jericho, which now make a great hillock or tell, as the Arabs call it. And right by the side of this ancient mound, which contains the ruins of Jericho, was the great spring of Elisha bubbling from the earth. When we saw this spring, which really is a small river, flowing right out of the ground by the ruins of Jericho and watering hundreds of acres of land -the very finest farming land, too-we thought of the story back of this spring. We read it here in 2 Kings 2:19-22: “And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus said the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke.” And, friends, they are healed-it is fine drinking water, and that spring is still flowing. The prophet said that the ground would not be barren any more and that the water would be healed from that day-and it is true. They raise the very best bananas in all the Near East in Jericho, and oranges that compete with the finest in California or Florida. And not far away, old Jordan still rolls along. Some other time I hope to tell you more about Jericho, so let’s stay very close to old Jordan’s banks today. The Israelites came right down to the banks of the river. Far in the north, the snows were melting; and the river was up over its banks, pouring through the thickets and jungles along its course. The word of the Lord came, “Go forward!” How could they cross when the river was in flood? But whenever the Lord commands us to do anything, He always makes it possible for us to do it. If we step out by faith and begin to obey Him, He opens a path before us through seeming impossibilities. The priests, who carried the holy ark in which were the Ten Commandments on tables of stone, were instructed to lead the way. The moment their feet stepped down into the flowing waters of the Jordan a miracle began. The waters below flowed on toward the Dead Sea, while the waters above piled up and up until the whole congregation of Israel had passed over. We read this wonderful story of God’s miracle power at Jordan in the third chapter of Joshua. Before the priests left their station in the bed of the Jordan, Joshua set up twelve great stones as a memorial to God in the very bed of the river. “And they are there unto this day,” says the Scripture (Joshua 4:9), hidden under the waters. “And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.” Joshua 4: 18. Roll, Jordan, roll! Yes. Jordan rolled along. And the years rolled by also, just as the waters of Jordan rolled. Many things happened there, interesting things. At this same river 42,000 men were killed because they could not pronounce the letter “h.” just read about it for yourself in judges 12:6. Yes, the Jordan has had some strange events take place upon its banks. Here David crossed over to the hills and mountains of Gilead, fleeing from his ungrateful son Absalom. The years keep rolling and we see thousands of men working here near the Jordan, using the clay ground not far from the riverbanks in which to cast the brazen pillars for the temple of Solomon. That is an interesting story, too, over here in the seventh chapter of 1 Kings. The temple of Solomon could not have been built in all its glory had it not been for old Jordan. And so Jordan kept rolling, and time kept rolling, and history kept rolling, and the plan of God for the earth kept rolling down the years. Now we see Elijah by the brook Cherith before Jordan. This mountain brook, slipping down its dark, silent canyon into the Jordan, is the home of God’s servant in a time of apostasy and danger. In 1 Kings 17:17 we read the story of the attempt to slay all the prophets of God. And here Elijah is fed by ravens until finally the brook itself dries up. How many times by some brook Cherith we go through some 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 10 experience that we cannot understand! We need to remember that at all such times God’s ravens are ready to help us. God knows where we are and through these hard experiences prepares us for something better, for some greater work. Years later, when Elijah’s greater work was done, he ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire, from the banks of this same Jordan. What a wonderful day that was, and how our hearts would have been stirred if we could have seen that great spectacle as Elisha did! But the years keep rolling, and Jordan keeps rolling along. Who is this man coming down the road toward the Jordan from the hilltops of Samaria? He is dressed in princely attire and accompanied by a retinue of servants and guards. His chariot gleams with gold and silver and precious stones. It is Naaman, the great general from Syria. He has decided at last to obey the command of God’s prophet to go wash in the Jordan seven times. When he first heard the message, he rejected it. He asked: “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean.” 2 Kings 5:12. But now he sees that it is a matter of obedience to God, and not a matter of clean water or dirty water. He is willing to bathe in the muddy waters of the Jordan if it is the command of God. He realizes now that it is not water that will cure him, but the mighty power of God exerted when he is obedient to the word of God. He dips in the Jordan once, but he comes up still a leper the second, third time, still a leper - fourth time, fifth time, sixth time, still a leper. He comes up the seventh time, and then -listen to the words of the Holy Scripture: “And his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” 2 Kings 5:14. Yes, that was a wonderful day on Jordan’s old banks. How I should like to have been there! But we must hasten on, for time is rolling as Jordan rolls. Now we see another scene. We have come to a new day in Jordan’s history. Silent centuries have passed away and suddenly, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. . . . Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” Matthew 3:1,2,5,6. What a day that was, the greatest day Jordan had ever seent Thousands of people were coming to its banks. Under the mighty preaching of John the Baptist, they were convicted. They confessed their sins and were baptized here in this muddy stream. As we stand looking into the old Jordan as it flows along, we seem to see John the Baptist in his simple garment of camel’s hair and its leather belt this man who lived on such a simple diet and stayed away from the great cities with their luxury and pride, whose heart was aflame for God, who had a message straight from heaven. Oh, how we need men with the faith of John the Baptist today! How we need preachers who can cry out to this age of ours, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” God does have such a message today. God does, have a people on earth today with such a message of hope and of warning. And, friend, if you are listening for it, you will hear it in your heart of hearts. And so this cousin of Jesus Christ’s prepared the way for His coming. Suddenly one day, in the great crowd assembled by the Jordan, John saw Him and recognized Him - but not at first, however. There is a general expectancy that Christ, the Messiah, is about to appear. Many knew that the prophecies had been fulfilled, that the time had come. The great prophecy of Daniel, the ninth chapter, was about due to meet its complete fulfillment. A delegation came to John and asked, “Are you the Christ?” But he answered, I am not.” “Who are you then – Elias? He said, “No.” Then they inquired, “Who are you? What do you say for yourself?” And he answered: “I am the voice of one crying in the Wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” John 1:23. He declared that the true Messiah was already among them, that He was standing in their midst. “The next day John see Jesus coming unto him, an said, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me comes a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me.” Verses 29,30. And it was here on Jordan’s banks that our Savior Himself requested baptism at the hands of John. ‘Then comes Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” Matthew 3:13. But John did not feel that he was worthy of such an honor and said so. Then our Savior told him that it must be so now. “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens, were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Verses 16,17. Yes, my friends, that was a great day on Jordan’s banks. As we stand here by its rolling flood, we think of that day. We rode here in an automobile, and we hear the pulsation of airplane motors in the sky above us, but our minds are back with John the Baptist here on the banks of the Jordan. We seem to see the 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 11 blessed form of the Savior as He rises from the watery grave, and then that flash from heaven as the Holy Spirit descends upon Him in bodily form as a dove, and a voice from heaven which declared, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Certainly Jordan has seen some wonderful events. It has witnessed some of the great turning points in history. This was a fulfillment of mighty prophecies made hundreds of years before. It was Cod’s public, announcement of His Son, the Savior of the world. The Jordan may be muddy at times, and crooked always. It is not a river suitable for navigation nor, in its usual form, fit for human consumption. But historically it is one of the greatest rivers, if not the greatest river, of the world as it rolls along, down through the pages of Holy Writ and the history of mankind. As we look at it here today, we can certainly say: Yes, Jordan, roll, Jordan, roll! We know that it has been, and is, a frontier - a border, a barrier. To ancient Israel, crossing Jordan was entering the Promised Land. Thus it has become a symbol, a sign, of spiritual victory to Christians everywhere in the world. In song, story, and poetry, Jordan is the border of Canaan. Jordan overflowing all its banks in flood-time represents a time of trouble to nations and to men, and well it may. Surely the signs of the times indicate that God’s modem Israel are approaching the Holy Land, that they are drawing up to the very banks of Jordan, that soon they will see the Land of Promise. And we remember, too, that there was a forerunner of the first advent of our Lord-John the Baptist. Here on the banks of Jordan he preached a message of warning and repentance. And so again today, just before the second coming of Christ, there is to be a message go forth to all the world in the “Spirit and power of Elijah,” as did John the Baptist’s message in days of old, calling men to repentance and back to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And so the great prophetic Jordan is still rolling, rolling along. Soon God’s people will pass through its troubled waters to the evergreen shore of the Promised Land. On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand, And cast a wishful eye To Canaan’s fair and happy land, Where my possessions lie. SAMUEL STEN. Have faith in God As nears the Canaan goal; Have faith in God His homeland of the soul; Have faith in God And hear old Jordan roll. Have faith, dear friend, in God. 4. Seven Times Around Jericho So this is Jericho! just about sunset we stood looking at a great mound of clay, sand, broken walls, and detached fragments of rock. Yes, this is Jericho. After all these years of reading the Bible, studying Sabbath school lessons, reading the story of the Israelites and the capture of Jericho, at last we are standing here looking at it. We rode right up to the side of the great mound in an automobile. We are trying to take a picture of it, but the sun is just about to set, and I don’t believe there is enough light for a Kodachrome picture. As we look out over the ruins of ancient Jericho, words of Scripture come to mind, the words we learned in childhood, the words recorded in Hebrews 11:30: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about .seven days.” Thousands of you who are listening to this broadcast remember the story as you read it in the Bible. It is found in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the book of Joshua. Jericho was the great fortress city near the Jordan River, which protected the land of the Canaanites from all invasion from the east. In order to conquer the Holy Land, the children of Israel must capture Jericho. They had just crossed the Jordan by a miracle. It was in the springtime when the melting snows from Mt. Hermon had filled the river to flood tide -it was over its banks. Here the mighty power of God was again revealed as it was on the 30,000 Miles Of Miracles 12 shores of the Red Sea. The floodwaters of the Jordan piled up in a great heap as Israel went over dry-shod. At last they were in the Holy Land. God had fulfilled His promise to bring them out of Egypt into the land which He had reserved for them. But the land was still occupied by warlike nations. The first step in the conquest of Canaan was the capture of Jericho. Joshua, now the leader of Israel, withdrew from the encampment to meditate and pray that God would go before His people. Suddenly he beheld an armed warrior with his sword drawn in his hand. To Joshua’s challenge, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” the answer was given, “As captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.” Joshua 5:13,14. And then the same command that was given to Moses at the burning bush, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou stands is holy” (Exodus 3:5), revealed the true character of this mysterious stranger. Joshua fell upon his face and worshiped. Then came the assurance: “I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.” Joshua 6:2. Then he received instruction for the capture of the city. The whole camp of Israel was to march around the city every day for seven days, and on the seventh day they were to march around it seven times. In all these marching they were to keep absolutely silent except for the trumpets blown by seven priests. On the seventh day, after the seventh circling of the walls, the trumpets were to be blown and all the people were to shout. God’s promise was that the walls would then collapse. Who ever heard of such a thing? Those massive walls that seemed to defy the siege of men! Can you imagine the feelings of the watchers on the walls as they looked down upon this strange act? They had heard about the mighty power of the God of Israel, they had heard about the...