No. 453
My dear Brethren: Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!
While it is our intention herein to treat mainly of the Old (Law) Covenant and the New (Millennial) Covenant, certain explanatory comments will be offered on various features of other covenants.
The Bible covenants are of two kinds -unilateral and bilateral. An example of a unilateral covenant is found in Gen. 9:11: "I will establish my covenant with you [Noah and his sons]; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth [the present social order]."
The outstanding example of the bilateral covenant is that made with the Jews through Moses. That the Law Covenant is bilateral is indisputably established by Jer. 31:32: "Which my covenant they brake." The Jews had solemnly promised to keep the Law Covenant -"All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient" (Ex. 24: 7) -but they did not realize their inability to keep this promise because of their fallen condition. Therefore, the man Christ Jesus is the only one who was able to keep that Law, although some Jews today make very determined effort to keep it. When we were a boy in Dayton, Ohio, our Jewish neighbor had us to light the fire in his stove every Friday night at six o'clock, for which he gave us a penny; but he did not realize that in this very effort to keep the Law, he was breaking it by hiring us to work for him.
That the Law Covenant is typical in many ways of the .New Covenant is also readily apparent. "Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet [mediator] shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you." (Acts 3:22) The New Covenant consists of the promises that God and man will make Millennially and post-Millennially to one another on certain conditions -as is evident from Ezek. 18:1-24: "The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel." (vs. 1-3) "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." (v. 20) These conditional promises will constitute the New Covenant in its narrow sense. God's two conditional covenants are contracts whose terms bind God and Israel to one another.
As an example of the word Covenant used in the second or wider sense of the word, we mention again the Law Covenant, as consisting not only of the things stated above, but also of the teachings, arrangements, institutions, etc., that were made the basis of the covenant in its narrow sense, and that as such were obligations of the parties to it. (See Ex. 24:3, 7; 34:27, 28; Deut. 4:13; Heb. 9:1-10; 10:1-4.) In this sense the covenant was forty years in its making (Heb. 8:9; 3:7-9), its first part being certain features of the Passover, given before they left Egypt; the Sabbath given before they came to Sinai; the features given at Sinai, where the contract -the covenant in its narrow sense was made: "Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on all the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you." (Ex. 24:8) It would include also those given after they left Sinai until they were ready to enter Canaan -in addition to numerous ones in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The teachings, arrangements, institutions, etc. (contained especially in the New Testament), whereby God is realizing the Oath-bound promises in its Sarah Covenant features to the Christ, are likewise seen to be, with those promises, the Oath-bound Covenant to the Christ in the second sense of the word. Also all of the arrangements, institutions, teachings, etc., of the Millennium, with the New Covenant promises, will be the New Covenant in the wider sense of the word.
As examples of the word Covenant, the widest and third sense of the term, we cite the Mosaic, the Sarah and the New Covenants, whenever they are presented as wives of God (Gal. 4:21-31; Isa. 54:5, 6 -compare with Gen. 25:1-5). This requires some explanation: In addition to the conditional promises of the Law Covenant and their pertinent teachings, institutions, arrangements, etc., the covenant in this sense of the word includes every Israelite in his capacity of ministering the covenant teachings, institutions, arrangements, etc., Le., the covenant provisions, to his fellow Israelites, who, in their capacity of being so ministered unto, are the child or children of the Law Covenant. Let us note well this distinction: It is not so much one of persons as of the pertinent persons. When the Israelites ministered the covenant provisions to one another, they acted as the mother, antitypical Hagar (Gal. 4:24, 25); and when nourished with the Covenant provisions by their brethren, they acted as the child, antitypical Ishmael (Gal. 4:25, 29, 30).
OLD COVENANT -NEW COVENANT
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." (Jer. 31:31) It should be stressed here that this New Covenant is to be made with both the houses of Israel. Prior to the death of Solomon there had been but one house of Israel; but the revolt led by Jeroboam after Solomon's death divided the nation into two parts -the ten tribes going with Jeroboam, and two (Judah and Benjamin) remaining with Rehoboam. (See 1 Kings 12.) They were first called Judahs (the tribe of Benjamin had been so decimated in the atrocity recorded in Judges 20 that they were more or less inconsequential in the new arrangement); then Judes; then Jews. The word Jew first occurs in 2 Kings 16:6.
However, the statement in Jer. 31:31 says the covenant will be made with both houses, so this pretty well eliminates any argument about the matter. As most of us know, there has been much argument about those "ten lost tribes"; the Anglo-Israels claim they are what is now the people on the British Isles. The arguments they produced had quite some surface logic before 1914 -when the center of the world's money market was London. They also contended that British was from two Hebrew words, brith and ish, which means chosen man; and the London English in 1914 were the "top dogs" in world's finance and about everything else. That has changed pronouncedly now, and we do not hear very much more about it; in fact, England is now in a deplorable financial condition, having lost most of their foreign possessions.
Whatever happened to the "ten lost tribes" is not of major concern to us now. Inasmuch as we are now almost face to face with the New Covenant, and its Jewish destiny, that should be of chief concern to us -and it is with us I When anyone wanted to receive any benefits under the old Law Covenant, they had first to become Jews; and that was typical of the New Covenant, where also all must become Jews if they are blessed by the Mediatorial reign.
The question properly arises, Why are the Jews God's chosen people? The answer is that the Jewish nation descended from Abraham. And why is Abraham so favored? It is because he stood firm in his faith in the one true God, even as his own father was an idolator, as were also most of his relatives. "Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac." (Josh. 24:2, 3)
It should be stressed here that God never blesses anyone that does not believe in Him; but the strength of Abraham's belief is strongly revealed when he intended to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, because God had told him to do that. There can be little doubt that Isaac was a most handsome, winsome and intelligent lad -born to Abraham when he was a hundred years old, and Sarah 75 years old. It is little wonder that Sarah laughed openly when the angel told her she was going to have a little boy; thus, when he came she named him Isaac, which means laughter.
And because Abraham hesitated not to offer Isaac at God's request he was then given what we understand to be the Oathbound Covenant: "The angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven [the Gospel-Age Christ Company], and as the sand which is upon the seashore [the Worthies, and through them the Jewish nation]; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Gen. 22:15-18)
While the Jews as a people went far astray from God during the Jewish Age, Paul tells us in Rom. 11:28, "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." In the very strict sense of the word, "the fathers" are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Gen. 35: 10 says this: "Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel." Israel means, "he will rule as God"; and "he is faithful that promised." (Heb. 10:23)
After the year A.D. 70, the Jews became a hunted and despised people -people without a country; and they were changed from an agricultural nation to a nation of money people, something they could take with them if things became rough -as they often did. And because of this, many Gentiles concluded that they had lost completely all favor from God. Yet during the most severe times they still maintained their racial and religious identity. So far as we know, it was not known by anyone before 1874 that the Jews were receiving their "double" -1845 years of disfavor for their 1845 years of great favor that ended when they crucified Jesus.
During this Age they used all the ingenuity they could muster in an effort to regain Israel as their homeland; but they always faced failure until the "due time." In 1878 some small measure of favor returned to them. More of this appeared in 1918 when the English wrested Jerusalem from the "terrible Turk." And yet more of it in 1948, when they became established as a nation -although the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church has not yet recognized them as a nation (written 1983). Since 1948 they have been having their troubles; but we have the strong assurance they will not any more lose their national unity.
THE 1967 WAR
In the year 1967 Egypt declared war on the Jews, which lasted just five days, with great victory for the Jews. Just recently a sister sent us a book, written by a Jewish lady who was there then, and we shall quote parts of that book, with some comments of our own, and perhaps some paraphrasing, the general tone of which is somewhat after the form of a diary.
"All through the month of May 1967, the storm clouds darkened on the horizon. Egypt was massing troops on the border and building up a formidable military force ready for attack; Israel was preparing to defend herself. Each day the situation became more serious. All our able-bodied men were being called up. The roads were filled with military vehicles carrying soldiers and equipment. Many more soldiers were being posted in Mount Zion and every corner was inspected as plans for its defence went ahead. It was dangerous to linger near the border at night. War was threatening our beloved land.
War was poking its ugly finger into every home and opening its grasping hand. Thursday, June 1: The month began with a great movement of people; citizens of other nations who had been advised to leave and Israelis abroad who were hurrying to return. A rabbi from the States came to say good-by ... 'The situation is very serious,' he said. 'It seems that war is inevitable.' He was very depressed. 'And when all the Arab countries around us come against us intending to destroy us completely, what chance have we got?' 'I also believe that war is on our doorstep,' I said, 'but I would ask what chance the Arabs have when they come to fight against Israel?
"'But look at their strength and their numbers, and we are surrounded by them.' 'Do you think,' I broke in, 'that we've been brought back to our land after nearly two thousand years of dispersion, only to be destroyed by our neighbors? I cannot believe that God gave us a State of Israel for that purpose.' 'I agree with him,' I said. 'You know what befalls the enemies of Israel who attempt to foil the plan of God.'
"As he was about to leave, a commander and some of his men came to tell us that we should prepare to be evacuated from Mount Zion at once. 'You can't possibly remain in this house exposed to the enemy on nearly all sides. Look down at those Arab soldiers right now.' 'We do not want to leave Mount Zion,' I said. 'But you've no protection here and the enemy is only a few yards away. Go to the city, where there are shelters.' Albert said quietly, 'We have the best protection and the best shelter.' 'Where?' asked the commander in surprise. Albert looked upwards. 'Above us,' he replied. 'The Almighty can protect us here just as well as in the city.'
"Sabbath eve, June 2: 'Again we have to face our enemies. When will they leave us in peace?' He answered cheerfully. 'Next Friday we'll all be at the Wailing Wall.'
"Monday, June 5: Suddenly the noise of machine-gun shells and rifle fire rent the air. Bullets were flying in all directions and as they hit the walls I knew that I must leave everything and make a dash for the gallery. Remembering a pot of potatoes cooking on the stove I ran upstairs to turn off the gas, trying to avoid the windows.
"The noise was deafening and continuous. It sounded as if every bullet hit the wall of the gallery and every explosion was outside our door. The play of sound was very misleading... Half an hour passed and the ring of the telephone could scarcely be heard above the din of the battle. With great relief I heard Albert's voice on the line. There was no lull in the fighting that whole day. Shots were being fired from above the gallery and from all the posts around us. Also the bullets and shells were coming from the other side of Mount Zion. It was a great battle. Jerusalem -City of Peace heralding by its name its ultimate destiny, was once again being lashed by the enemies of peace.
"We tried to sleep that night but it was impossible. The battle for Jerusalem raged all night with unabated fury. Added to the deafening noise of shells and bullets was the roar of war planes flying over Mount Zion in waves with such speed and power, scooping up every other sound in their path and then casting it all back to earth with such a thunderous roar that it seemed as if our ears would be shattered. We listened to all the firing on Mount Zion, not knowing which was from our side and which from the Arabs, and because every shot and explosion always sounded as if it was destined for our wall, I imagined that little would be left of our house. Perhaps it had already been reduced to greater ruin than when we first saw it.
"There was fierce fighting to the right of us, on the hill of Abu Tor, also on Mount Scopus and in the Mea Sherim quarter. Then we heard that four hundred Egyptian planes had been destroyed. We looked at one another. 'That is surely impossible,' someone remarked. 'They must have made a mistake in the announcement. Perhaps they meant forty.' But there had been no mistake in the announcement.
"During the night we had to brave the bullets and flying shrapnel and go upstairs. The toilet was situated on the open roof, next to the room where our soldiers were shooting from behind sand-bagged windows. On this open roof, the whizzing of shells and bullets and the noise of their hitting the stones seemed so unreal that we did not fully comprehend the danger in which we stood. A great blaze in front of the Dormition Church lit up the whole area. Then, suddenly, the dome of the Church went up in flames.
"Tuesday, June 6: A day we shall never forget. All day, without a stop, bullets and shells were flying and exploding. Always the noise seemed to be just outside the gallery. Israeli forces were occupying so many places, making such rapid progress, it was hard to believe. A broadcast came over in Arabic, which one of our men understood. When it was finished he said simply: King Hussein is giving orders to his soldiers: 'Kill every Jew you encounter, kill them with your guns, your hands, your feet, your teeth - only kill them.' We made some coffee for him and he told us our progress had been amazing. The Arab military post opposite us had been conquered and also other surrounding Jordanian posts; only one of our men had been slightly wounded and the others were perfectly all right.
"'I have had some strange experiences today,' he said quietly; 'every bullet we fired struck its target. Whatever we did succeeded. We were amazed to see how quickly I the Arabs evacuated their posts ... I cannot believe the things I did today. It was as though some one else was commanding.' Then he returned to his men upstairs ... They bent their helmeted heads low as they felt their way along the walls on their way back. That day had changed them from carefree boys to responsible men -defenders of Mount Zion.
"Wednesday, June 7: I rushed upstairs. Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust which had fallen from the ceiling with every explosion, but I could not see any damage, not even a broken window. I was astonished. Where had all the bullets and shells landed during those two days of constant battle? It was really a miracle. Mount Zion seems to have been specially protected. I remembered the Commander's words: 'It was as though someone else was commanding.'
"The shooting started again. There was hard fighting in the street and blood flowed in the narrow alleyways of the Old City. A high price was being paid in human lives and suffering in order to break down the walls of hatred and division. There are moments on the road of destiny which inspire fanciful thoughts, perhaps even prophetic thoughts. I looked into the future, the promised future, when the State of Israel would become the Kingdom of Israel, the Kingdom of peace, the Kingdom of God on earth with the Messiah ruling on the throne of David, and bringing peace to the entire world.
"Then the sound of a trumpet could be heard, the long blast of the ram's horn -the shofar -shattering the silence. The battle for Jerusalem was over. Rabbi Gorden, the army chaplain, was blowing the shofar at the Wailing Wall, the wall of the Temple, and we could hear him singing the prayers. At that moment all Israel was pouring out its heart in prayers. For the first time for nearly two thousand years independent Jews were again in the City of David, at the Temple Wall, freed of its enemies. I remembered the time when the Jews stood praying at the Wall and had been stabbed in the back as they prayed.
"Now, imagine the flag of Israel on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem after nearly two thousand years! However, the war had not yet ended, and we listened intently to the news coming over the radio. We heard that Jericho was in our hands, and later, Hebron and Bethlehem, Ramallah and all the surrounding towns and villages. We were quite dazed. It seemed so incredible.
"Thursday, June 8: It was an emotional day. So much joy, so much tragedy and such a consciousness of having experienced a miracle. Even those who had no religious beliefs at all had to acknowledge that something had happened which was beyond their power. Everyone was saying with the Commander of Mount Zion: 'It was as though someone else was commanding.' In fact, one religious soldier said: 'I hope that our people will not forget that God has given us this victory.' His words reminded me of the time of the siege of Jerusalem in 1948. Then, too, a wave of religious fervor swept through the people.
"'Yes,' I answered, 'we hope that this experience will strengthen the faith of our people and bring a deeper realization of the fact that when Israel fights her battles there are also the 'armies of God fighting with her.' 'That was always true,' replied the soldier, 'just as he fights for us now.'
"Friday, June 9: In the first pale light of dawn I looked out of my window and saw intense action among the soldiers -some coming, some going. Then I learned that Egypt had accepted the United Nations cease fire. The war in Sinai was over. A new sound drew me to my window. A huge bulldozer was noisily climbing the hill. I watched it turn clumsily to face the corrugated iron fence which marked the border, marred the beauty of the landscape and was a constant reminder of the divided Jerusalem. How intensely I had always wished it could be removed. As it passed, broken walls and mounds of scattered stones and debris were all that was left. But the great majestic trees which had shielded it from view also lay prostrate in the dust. The border had disappeared and a new road was being made. After little more than an hour of continuous work with the bulldozer a small part of the way was cleared and I saw a car coming through from the Old City – a safe and free road from Mount Zion to the wall – all barriers down. It was only five days since the war started.
At midday we were allowed to use the car to go into town. I had expected to see much damage in the city as a result of those two days of shelling, but I found no more than an occasional wall with some stones knocked out and a few broken windows. Even in the center of the city everything seemed to be going on normally. I had heard that the Knesset museum and university had been hit, but was told that very little damage had been done. It was all part of the miracle."
The foregoing report of the 1967 war needs no elaboration from us; but we would inform our readers that we have been told that the Jews were given a plan of the Egyptian defense, so they went around the end of that defense, came in from the rear upon the unsuspecting Egyptians, who were then sleeping; and this accounts for the destruction of 400 of their planes in one night. We are inclined to believe this because of the great success of the Jews which terminated the war in five days - A MIRACLE INDEED! But then when the Lord was with the Jews, they never lost a battle even though outnumbered by their enemies; and He will again be with them as "in the days of old" in all their battles for righteousness. How true it is, "It was as though someone else was commanding." And this was forcefully shown to even the non-religious.
Information has come to us that the lady who wrote the book, and her husband, have both died since this writing; that he had been offered a knighthood in England for certain meritorious service, which he declined -and that he left his entire estate to the Jewish State of Israel. An excellent example of faithful Jews -those who are promised the "first" blessings of the Kingdom under the New Covenant. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." (Jer. 31:31)
The great victory of the Jews in the 1967 war brings sharply to mind a remarkable coincidence of the Jews and the Egyptians when Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt. It was Egypt that experienced the annihilative defeat -a miracle also -with the Jews doing no fighting at all. And here, in the end of the Age, the Jewish nation was saved again -this time also with a crushing defeat of Egypt. We realize their troubles are not nearly over; but these upheavals and great successes at the hand of God are certainly preparing them to receive the "New Covenant" (Jer. 31:31) in due time, all of which ties in most pointedly with St. Paul's statement in Rom. 1: 16: "To the Jew first" -they are still "beloved for the fathers' sake"; and no amount of "strange fire [false teaching]" about Campers Consecrated, Quasi-Elect Consecrated, or the Large Crowd of the Jehovah's Witnesses is going to change that. "God is faithful that promised." (Heb. 10:23)
As stated, we expect more and worse trouble yet ahead for the Jews, but we have the "sure word of prophecy" that they will come off victorious there, too. "Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses." (Psa. 107:19) Note Zech. 14:1-3: "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh [it is already here], and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." Note the Berean Comments on this Scripture: "When he fought for Joshua against the six Amalakite kings at Gibeon; when he fought for David against the Philistines at Perazim; when he miraculously delivered Israel from the hosts of Midian by Gideon and his band."
SOME POWERFUL CORROBORATIONS
Following are some quotations from Parousia and Epiphany writings: "We may see that aside from natural Israel and spiritual Israel, and the influences which have gone out from these to the world, God has let the world alone -let it do the best it could in the way of self-development, etc." (Parousia 6, p. 204) And Reprint 4544, col. 2, top: "The first to 'look upon Him whom they pierced' will be the natural Israelites."
"This Mediator - the Head and Body - is such, as His death (the merit being that of Jesus alone) cancels the sins committed under the first [Law] Covenant, i.e., those of the Jews, that these Jews, having had the unchangeable call to the earthly favor (Rom. 11:29), might receive the promise given them -the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance." (E-6-686)
"Not that it gave them life thereby [the Mosaic Covenant], but that it gave them further revelations fruitful in the spread of truth and righteousness among them, gave them a knowledge of their sins and sinfulness, brought the faithful among them to see that by their own best endeavors they were unable to save themselves, worked in them an intense longing for the promised Savior, prepared them to receive Him, helped the faithful among them to qualify for Ancient Worthies and helped the others among them to be fit for the first place among the world of mankind in the Restitution Age." (E-1-115, bottom and 116 top)
"He confidently looks for the zeal of God to establish God's Kingdom at the hands of His Elect under Christ, on the ruins of Satan's Empire, to offer the Kingdom blessings, first to the living Jews, then to the living Gentiles, then to the non-elect dead from our times even to Adam's time." (E-l-302)
"How true the statement that those who have cursed, or injured, Israel have brought injury upon themselves I ... Great Britain and the United States, nations which have blessed the Jews, have in turn received great blessings." (Reprint 5323, col. 2, near bottom)
We not only have this from That Servant, but we also have a higher authority for this truth. God tells us to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee." (Psa. 122:6) Also, "They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever." (Psa. 125:1)
On page 31 of the January 15, 1978 Watch Tower there is a question on Rev. 11:8 "the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." The Witnesses say "the great city" is Jerusalem; but they blithely pass over verse 3, regarding the "two witnesses" (the Old and New Testaments) and their dead bodies lying in the streets for "three days and a half." Here is the Berean Comment on that: "Three and one-half years from A.D. 1793." The Comments also say "that great city" is Babylon, Christendom." (See verse 13) Also, Zech. 14:2 says "the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city"; but that doesn't bother the Witnesses any. They can see the destruction of Jerusalem, even though the Bible plainly contradicts them.
Once more we refer to Gen. 22:16-18 as embracing all the saved classes: The Little Flock, the Great Company, the Worthies and the saved Restitutionists (the "Sheep" -the Jews being the first blessed under the New Covenant). Thus, it fits excellently with the promise of a "New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the House of Judah"; and is a strong support for our faith as we see the progress being made for its institution.
"O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved." (Psa. 66:8, 9)
Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim
(Reprint No. 336, June 1983)
…………………….
LE'ITERS OF GENERAL INTEREST
Dear Sirs: I am enclosing the amount to cover the cost of the book, PASTOR CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL, An Early American Christian Zionist, by David Horowitz. Please include a sample of your periodicals. I have ordered from the LHMM of Chester Springs, PA, but they don't list the book about Pastor Russell. Sincerely, ….. (KANSAS)
…………………….
Dear Epiphany Bible Students Association: Could you please send me a list of books you offer? I would also like to have my name added to your mailing list. Thank you, (ILLINOIS)
…………………….
Dear Hermann Bezner:
From Epiphany Bible Students in Florida, I got your address. Emily Hoefle has written me about your work in Israel. The friends and I "of the truth" here in Sweden were very glad to hear that someone in Israel is working in accordance with the Plan of God.
The friends of the truth here have followed Charles T. Russell, John and Morton Edgar and my father, Hugo Karlen. Among other things, Russell's address to 4000 Hebrews in New York in 1910, has been studied with great interest. We have read the stenographic report of the entire discourse (See enclosure). We have discovered that the version in "Pastor Russell's Sermons" printed in 1917 isn't the same, the end of the discourse is changed.
Here in Sweden we have sent copies of Russell's discourse and other papers about the truth to Israel's Embassy, Department of Information, and to Rabbin Morton Narrowe, but no one seems to be interested in the truth.
We would like very much to hear from you about your work. Is there any interest for the truth in Israel? With many kind regards,
Sincerely yours, Anders Karlen (SWEDEN)
NOTE: According to Brothers Hermann and Josef's reports there is much interest from the Israelis as well as from a few Arabs.
…………………….
Dear Sister Emily', What a sweet, warm letter you wrote! And I am enjoying the paper you sent, also. Thank you! Thankfully, our weather has cooled off, but we still have some white flies.
I went to the San Diego Thanksgiving convention with Grace, Lawrence and their daughter Marilyn, who did the driving. It was an excellent convention. You probably received the paper, "To Concerned Bible Students," that so viciously attacked Brother Russell, as well as others in the truth. Surely the Scripture about the "wolves from among yourselves, hurting the flock" is surely coming true! The speakers addressed this item, as well as why Bible Students are going into the nominal churches, etc. And, of course, vindicated "That Servant."
These are surely perilous times for the Lord's people, as well as for the world in this Time of Trouble.
The Detzlers were with me three days, and he gave two talks. They were enthusiastic about Emek Ha Shalom. They spoke of your warm love for those dear brothers, Hermann and Joseph. Their (Hermann and Joseph) work is a positive note in a negative world. A sister's son has diabetes and a weight problem, but the Mayo Clinic was able to help. Sister ... would like to write you but as of now, has many responsibilities.
I'm grateful for your love and prayers, dear Emily. You must be a warm and loving child of God. And you continue in my remembrance daily, and my prayers, too. The Lord be your constant and loving companion, and your daily guide!
Lovingly,....(Arizona)