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Parable in Date Stones

The city of Babylon was once the metropolis of the world—its merchandise was renowned among all nations. But the proud city was a city of sin, and Divine condemnation came upon it. The fiery words of the prophets regarding Babylon are familiar to all of us, and in fulfilment of those words, the site of Babylon has now, for thousands of years, lain deserted and derelict. The proud buildings were levelled with the ground, the wonderful gardens and parklands dry and sterile, and wild beasts the only signs of life.

In more recent years there was a change, date-palms springing up everywhere over the ground that is ruined Babylon. During the archaeological excavations in the early part of the twentieth century, dates formed the staple food of the native labourers, and the stones, thrown down haphazardly, took root and begun to clothe the desert with living green. The date palm was the most valuable product of ancient Babylonia, providing food, several kinds of drink made from the juice of the fruit, timber for building, and fibre for many other uses. This is the tree that is depicted as the "tree of life" in Babylonian and Assyrian legend and sculpture. How appropriate then that upon the very site of the city which above all cities stands for the reign of evil, there should spring up "trees of life", as a result of the work of men who have been busy there proving the Bible true.

During this Age the earnest consecrated followers of Jesus have been sowing seed—the seed of the Kingdom. Soon it will be springing into life in the very soil of the reign of evil, the hearts of fallen men, called at last to rise up from the ruins of this "present evil world", and see it transformed into a "world wherein dwelleth righteousness''. The seed sown today will become trees of life in the Millennial Age just as those date-stones dropped in the ground of ruined Babylon are clothing the waste place with living green. "The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose."

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