return, when the nations were angry, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, when there would be famine, plagues and earthquakes. The facts show that 1914 marked the beginning of the fulfillment of these prophecies. Thus also Joel’s prophecy shows that this darkening of the sun would precede the terrible day of Jehovah, as an indication of its nearness. It is not reasonable to conclude that this sign would come some 170 years or more before Jehovah’s terrible day.—Matt. 24:7-12.

It follows, therefore, that we should expect this darkening of the sun to take place now. And in just what manner is this prophecy being fulfilled? In the great spiritual darkness now covering the earth. As Isaiah foretold: “Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples.” This spiritual darkness is due to the fact that men are ignoring Jehovah, the Great Light, and Jesus Christ, “the light of the world,” as well as God’s Word, which to the Christian is as a lamp to his feet and a light to his roadway.—Isa. 60:2, AS; John 8:12; Ps. 119:105.

But has not such spiritual darkness prevailed in the many centuries past? someone may ask. True, but today the darkness is deeper and more widespread in many respects. Today we are living in the foretold “critical times hard to deal with,” when more than ever men are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; when there is a widespread form of godly devotion but very little manifestation of its power. Concerning this very time Jesus asked: “When the Son of man arrives, will he really find this faith on the earth?”—2 Tim. 3:1-5; Luke 18:8.

Indicative of this spiritual darkness is the way professedly Christian clergymen place the Bible on the level of writings by imperfect men and put Jesus Christ in the category of weak, fallible teachers such as Socrates, Buddha and Mohammed. Thus Jesus said: “No one comes to the Father except through me,” and Peter said of him: “There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.” But not so, says Niebuhr, one of the leading clergymen of the United States. According to him the Jew can “find God more easily in the terms of his own heritage” or religion than by a conversion to Christ.—John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

How deep this spiritual darkness is can be seen from such reports as the following that appeared in Time magazine, January 27, 1958: “Glenview Community Church . . . is a believe-as-you-like, worship-as-you-please fellowship of searchers.” It has “dozens of beaver-busy organizations in a daily boil of dances, pageants, picnics,” etc. There are hunting and fishing groups, a women’s association, a boys’”hot-rod” group and camps for all ages. “In a recent sermon one minister ruefully quoted a newcomer as saying to another: ‘I guess I’ll have to join that damned church to get acquainted!’” That this church is a social club rather than a religious institution is apparent from the further report that “Glenview’s communion is as free as its theology (i.e., God, Christ, the Bible, each understood as the individual sees fit). Communion tables are set in the chancel, and parishioners come forward and serve themselves.” Truly all such is in striking contrast to the way religion was practiced, say, some fifty years ago. Although the various religions did teach much error in the name of Christianity, still they had at least a measure of respect for the Bible as God’s Word and a certain amount of the fear of God.

Then, too, there is the matter of contrast. The light on God’s Word, true to his promise, is shining ever more brightly: “The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” But “the way of the wicked ones is like the darkness; they have not known at what they keep stumbling.” Thus also the prophet Isaiah, after telling of the darkness upon the world, goes on to say: “But Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light.” And Jesus foretold that at the very time of the sun’s being darkened “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations,” indicating a time of enlightenment for some in spite of the spiritual darkness. In fact, this was foreshadowed when the darkness enveloped the Egyptians for three days just before the Exodus. At that time, as we have already noted, there was light in all the dwellings of the Israelites.—Prov. 4:18, 19; Isa. 60:2, 3, AS; Matt. 24:14.

Proof of the spiritually darkened condition of the world and especially of Christendom is to be seen on every hand. It is clearly evident in its increasing immorality, delinquency and crime and in the greedy worship of materialism. As a result thereof we see the fulfillment of Jesus’ words: “On the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and its agitation, while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth.”—Luke 21:25, 26.

Since in practically every reference to the sun’s being darkened the moon also is mentioned, the question might well be asked: Is there any particular significance to be attached to the moon’s also being darkened or ‘turned to blood,’ as one prophecy describes it? In times past Bible students have endeavored to distinguish between the symbolic darkening of the sun and of the moon; however, it seems both more reasonable and in keeping with the facts to conclude that they both refer to the same thing. Without the sun the moon could not shine, for the moon merely reflects the light of the sun. And as the sun lights up the day, so the moon lights up the night.

Therefore the darkening of both the sun and the moon would emphasize the complete and continuous spiritual darkness prevailing at the present time. And even so we find it to be.

Beverages in Bible Times

Writing in Everyday Life in Old Testament Times, E. W. Heaton tells about beverages used by the Israelites: “Since water was scarce and not very palatable, a good deal of milk was drunk. It came from goats and sheep. Hebrew has a word for fresh milk, but in the climate of Palestine it cannot have been used as much as another term meaning sour milk or curds. As soon as the fresh milk was put into the goat-skin bottle, it thickened slightly and went sour. All the better, it was thought, for quenching the thirst. . . .

“The drinking of wine was universal. Taking it with water or luxuriously iced with snow from the mountains were later customs and even then the latter can hardly have been a part of everyday life. The ordinary Israelite in our period took his wine in its natural state or (like the Assyrians) mingled with spices and drugs to increase its ‘headiness.’ It is not surprising that the Old Testament contains so many warnings about drinking to excess. The men of Israel also drank pomegranate wine. . . . They do not appear, however, to have been great beer-drinkers. In this respect, they differed from their neighbours, the Philistines, whose beer mugs with strainer spouts have been found by the hundred.”