No. 403

My dear Brethren: Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!

In Part One of this subject we offered synoptic analysis of “The World That Was”; in Part Two we offered comment on “This Present Evil World,” with detailed information concerning the origin of the various heathen religions before the Patriarchal Age; then the description of that Age, the Jewish Age and the Gospel Age, which latter we have treated in some detail concerning the erroneous religious beliefs that have arisen since the beginning of the Christian era. Especially did we stress the elective salvation that has prevailed during the Gospel Age, with the extreme misunderstandings that have arisen concerning it.

Now we begin Part Three by stating that much of this misunderstanding is the result of a sad confusion concerning predestination and condemnation which has been applied to this Christian Age – this “good news” Age – with one extreme view by John Calvin, who taught that all not predestinated to salvation in this Age (and this would include the majority in Christian countries, and the entire population in many heathen lands) were predestinated to an eternity of torment in the fires of Hell. By no stretch of the imagination could this be a “good news” Age to those who would inherit eternal torment when this life is finished – nor would it be “good news” to those who are predestinated to know that many of their loved ones will have that fate. While the Bible definitely does teach predestination and condemnation, this does not mean that any individuals were predestinated to salvation or condemnation at birth. The confusion arises from the mistaken belief that the call of this Age is final and determinate – a misapplication of the elective and non–elective salvations.

The elective salvation of this Age is for the very purpose of blessing the non–elect in the next Age – in “the world to come” – which we shall discuss later. St. James makes this quite clear in his statement as recorded in Acts 15:14–17: “God at the first did visit the Gentiles [who had been ignored all during the Jewish Age], to take out of them a people for His name [Christians]... After this [in the Age to come] I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David... that the residue of men [all the non elect in Christendom and all the heathen] might seek after the Lord.” This will occur when the Lord’s prayer becomes fact: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth.” Then the present “blindness of Israel” will be healed; then the “ransom for all men” will be available for all men – if they choose to have it so. Then will apply the words of Rev. 22:17: “The Spirit and the bride say, Come... And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Some sects in Christendom have embraced the foregoing Scriptures, and have carried them to the opposite extreme of eternal torment. They contend every person who has ever lived will experience salvation – that even the Devil and his demon angel cohorts will be saved. Of course, they are forced to keep silent on such texts as Heb. 2:14: “Through death He [Jesus] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil.” The doctrines of election and free grace have greatly perplexed Christians for centuries – the result of their inability to “rightly divide the Word of Truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

All during this Christian (good news) Age the selection of the Church has been taking place – gathered from all nations, but especially from the nations of Christendom. “Thou has redeemed us by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation.” (Rev. 5:9) But we stress again that this has been a call – not a command; it has applied only to those who would “follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21) This call has now been substantially completed, and preparation is being made for the introduction of the next Age – “the world to come” – in the very near future. All of this has been progressing in orderly fashion “according to the Plan of the Ages, which God hath formed for the anointed Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:11, Diaglott translation)

The sowing of the glad tidings of this Gospel Age should logically conclude with a reaping, a harvest – just as was true at the end of the Jewish Age. In the 13th Chapter of Matthew Jesus offered the parable of the sower, the wheat and the tares; and in verse 36 the Disciples asked Him to explain the parable. In concluding His explanation Jesus said, “The harvest is the end of the world.” The word “world” in this text is from the Greek aion, and means the Age or Dispensation. In other words, the “harvest” is the end of the Christian or Gospel Age. Jesus also explained to them that the tares would be first gathered into bundles for the burning, and this burning has been proceeding in ever-increasing severity since the outbreak of the World War in 1914 and will proceed to a completion in the very near future.

This bundling for the burning began first with the nations, then proceeded to various organizations, and will find finality with individuals before this present generation passes away. (“This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.”––Matt. 24:34)

Illustrative of the foregoing, we mention the Triple Alliance, formed in 1882 between Germany, Austria–Hungary and Italy; and the Triple Entente, formalized in 1893 between Great Britain, France and Russia, and fully in existence in 1907. At the outbreak of the World War in 1914 these six nations were pitted against each other in the greatest conflict in history up to that time. After the completion of the war these bundles fell apart – were fully “burned” – so much so that they are seldom mentioned now. Many people who were not yet born in 1914 do not understand what we are talking about if we mention the triple Alliance or the Triple Entente. And this same situation will eventually prevail with many of our present organizations – after which individual “tares” will be destroyed to a completion.

One of the evidences that the foregoing statement is true is to be found in Dan. 12:1: “There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” The World War, which began in 1914, was up to that time the world’s greatest calamity; and Dan. 12:4 tells us that this would be one of the evidences of “the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” During this present century the automobile and the airplane have accelerated transportation in a manner not dreamed of one hundred years ago. The average cruising speed of the ordinary commercial plane is now about 600 miles per hour, or ten miles per minute [written in 1976]. A hundred years ago it took a real good horse drawing a carriage to make ten miles in one hour, and it was not possible for such a horse to continue that speed for several hours without intermittent rest.

And the increase in knowledge has kept pace with the increase in travel. Prior to the year 1800 there were just two inventions of any consequence – the printing press and gun powder. But after “the time of the end” began in 1799, the steamboat (in 1803) and the railroad train (in 1813) came into being; with a great flood of inventions appearing later, and especially so since 1874. The first hand carpet sweeper appeared in 1869, the first commercial typewriter in 1874, and the Bell telephone was patented in 1876. Shortly thereafter came the electric light, considered by some to be the most beneficial invention in all history for the human race. Pages could be written on this subject; but we believe enough has been said to prove that we are in “the time of the end” of this Gospel Age, the end of “this present evil world”; and that we are on the threshold of “the world to come” – that kingdom for which Jesus taught us to pray. We are now in 1976, just 6102 years [in 1989 it is 6115 years] from the beginning of “the world that was.”

However, hand in hand with the mechanical contrivances has come a tremendous increase in Biblical knowledge, history, and critical translations, most of which have come in the past hundred years. Brilliant Greek and Hebrew scholars have given us vastly improved works, compared with the common King James version of the Bible, which has been said to have about 20,000 mistakes in it. One of the most enlightening bits of knowledge came in the Fall of 1874, when it became clear that the “Lord is that spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17), invisible to the human eye; and, as such, He would establish His kingdom on earth in the near future.

Also along with the great increase in knowledge – secular and Biblical – there came “the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world” (Rev. 3:10), which began in 1878 and continued concurrently with the harvest work. This hour produced a great scourge of insidious errors – such as Christian Science, Spiritism, Materialism, Evolution and various faith-healing counterfeits, along with a surge in Higher Criticism, Rationalism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Deism and Pantheism. During this same time there developed much political radicalism, which had its first great national victory in Russia in the Fall of 1917 – when the Czarist regime was toppled by Kerenski, et al – with many similar movements operating since that time. Furthermore, “the heavens [the present religious systems] shall be rolled together as a scroll” (Isa. 34:4; Rev. 6:14), with great effort being made to combine the various systems into one great universal church, largely ignoring loyalty to principle and striving to win great numbers and gain great favor.

But in the face of all this, many sectarians claim that the people are now more ready for the truth than ever before. We would mention especially the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who make this contention, even as they in the same breath admit that Satan is still “The god of this world, who hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” (2 Cor. 4:4) Especially is this true, they say, since 1914, when they claim Satan was cast out of Heaven; yet they contend those “blinded” ones must join them before Armageddon if they are to experience any salvation. Along with this “strong delusion” they also advertise “A BIBLE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.”

In the foregoing they are directly contradicted by the Bible itself – in language any one can understand who knows how to read: “In the time of the end... none of the wicked shall understand.” (Dan. 12:4,10) The Apostle Paul corroborates this in 2 Tim. 4:3, 4: “The time will come [in the end of this Age] when they will not endure sound doctrine... And they shall turn away their ears from the truth.”

During this period there arose also great social reform movements, such as prohibition, crusades against vice, denunciation of the drug traffic, uplift from slum, poverty, disease, etc. Many of these cared not that they ignored sound doctrine, made little or no effort to follow the Bible teachings. One outstanding effort in this line was the abolition of capital punishment; however the jails in America are still so overcrowded that many of them are in very dire straits. These various evils have so undermined sound government that it is well–nigh impossible to succeed in any political campaign without resorting to rash promises which are impossible of fulfillment, which in turn has eroded the respect which the ordinary citizens once had for their rulers.

The treaties between nations are experiencing similar deterioration. Before the czarist regime fell in 1917, when the Czar would ride down a dusty road, the peasants would rush out into the road and kiss the dust over which his carriage had gone. This was not good, of course, but the same class of people have now gone pretty much to the other extreme, and do not extend even common courtesy to those in authority. Along with the harvest of the “wheat” (the Lord’s faithful followers) there has also been fulfillment of Jesus’ words: “In the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matt. 13:30) Further confirmation of this thought is to be found in Dan. 7:11: “I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame” – in the trouble that has been steadily increasing since 1914.

The “chaff” of the Jewish Harvest and the “tares” of the Christian Harvest bear a relationship – both are sentenced to be burned; but this should not be construed as a literal fire. Fire in the Bible often indicates a destructive influence, and that is its meaning here. John the Baptist had said, “Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16) The “fire” in this prophecy was the terrible destruction by the Roman army in A. D. 70 (“the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable”), and the burning of the tares has a similar meaning here in the end of “this present evil world.” Literal tares are imitation wheat; and the tares of the parable represent imitation Christians, as note the following by one writer:

“In passing through the country of the ancient Philistines, on the south of Palestine, I asked the guide one day, a native Syrian, if he knew of a plant which was apt to make its appearance among the wheat, and which resembled it so much that it could hardly be distinguished from it. He replied that it was very common, and that he would soon show me a specimen of it. Shortly he pointed out to me some of this grass growing near our path; and afterwards, having once seen it, I found it in almost every field where I searched for it. Except that the stalk was not so high, it appeared otherwise precisely as wheat – just as the ears begin to show themselves, and the kernels are swelling out into shape. I collected some specimens of this deceitful weed, and have found, on showing them to friends, that they have mistaken them quite invariably for some species of grain, such as wheat or barley.”

This bundling of the tares has been quite prominent since 1874. Various human combinations, such as national bundles like the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente, which were largely responsible for the 1914 war, capitalistic bundles like trusts, etc., proletarian bundles such as unions, ecclesiastical bundles like federations, etc. The “fire” of the 1914 war unmasked many of these; e.g., Who now rates the Kaiser or Hitler as Christians? This burning of the tares will continue to a completion in the years immediately ahead.

Another item of interest here in “the time of the end” is the prophecy that Israel’s “blindness” will be cured. “It shall come to pass in that day [the end of this Age], that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem... and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn because of it.” (Zech. 12:9, 10) Israel is established as a nation now, and is prominent in world affairs, and world troubles.

In 1878 two events occurred which cast “a shadow before” of the greater things we witness today. In that year Delitzch’s Hebrew translation of the New Testament began its work among the Jews, and in June, 1878, the Berlin Congress of Nations (presided over by Disraeli, the first Jew ever to be Prime Minister of England) passed some resolutions that made things much more tolerable for Jews in Palestine. In the years that have followed, the Jews have become measurably reconciled in their age-old prejudice toward Christ; and many consider Him one of the greatest of Jewish prophets. His sayings are often quoted in Jewish pulpits, seminaries and social circles; and many Jews now accept Him as their Messiah.

In ancient times Palestine was truly a land flowing with milk and honey, a goodly land; and it is becoming once more highly productive under the present ambitious Jewish leadership. The second largest industry is the citrus fruit production. Israel’s prosperity is already exciting the envy of the nations round about, and skillful military techniques have become a vicious irritant to their neighbors. These irritants are certain to increase in the immediate future; and the anarchistic elements of the Gentile nations will ultimately make a desperate attack upon them (Ezek. 38:10; 39:29), which will terminate in the second phase of Jacob’s Trouble. (Jer. 30:4-8) “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle” (Zech. 14:3) – “the day of battle” here having reference to those times of mayor triumph under Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, etc. Thereafter the land that was promised to “the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” will be forever theirs.

Thus as a nation in the promised lent – having accepted Christ as their Savior they will be the nucleus of the world of mankind waiting to receive the earthly phase of Christ’s Kingdom – to be set up first in their midst. This will be the final purpose of this Christian (Gospel) Age – the greatest of the three Ages of “this present evil world” – to be followed immediately by the Millennial Age of “the world to come,” wherein will be accomplished “the restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets.” (Acts 3:21)

It is well to emphasize here that there have been, broadly speaking, two kinds of Jews. At the time Jesus came, they were described as the “wheat and the chaff,” that being a small picture of the “wheat and the tares” in Christendom at the end of this Age. As said, at that time John the Baptist spoke of them thus: “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire... will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.” (Luke 3:16,17) This was markedly accomplished when the Roman army under Emperor Titus leveled Jerusalem in A. D. 70. They had said, “His blood be upon us, and on our children” (Matt. 27:25); and God took them at their word. When Titus had finished his work, there was a circle of crosses around Jerusalem, with a dead Jew on every one of them.

But of those that escaped they were scattered hither and yon throughout the earth, and they lost not only God’s favor, but they lost also much of the virility and truth which had been theirs under Moses and Aaron. “Your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38) This desolation was so thoroughly accomplished that the Jews do not now have a High Priest, because that priest must come from the Tribe of Levi; and that Tribe was so thoroughly dissipated during the dispersion that the Jews do not now know which of their number are of that Tribe.

And of the “chaff” of that time St. Paul wrote: “Not that which is external makes the Jew... but the Jew is hidden within, even circumcision of the heart – spiritual, not literal; whose praise comes not from men, but from God.” (Rom. 2:28,29, Dia.) That is, certain facial features sitting in a synagogue are not to be reckoned as the real Jew; but only that which is produced by a proper adherence to the Law and the Prophets is the only real Jew to whom the promises belong. And there are very few of these indeed! The great majority give only token recognition and observance of the true Jewish religion. Their motto over the centuries has been “Get the money,” and at times they have shown a savage ruthlessness in doing that.

Although the Jews played a very prominent role in the Old Testament and in religious lore up to the time of their rejection of the Messiah, and His pronouncement of desolation upon them as a nation, their decline began immediately with Jesus’ death, and judgment was violently meted out to them in A. D. 70. And, when their nation was thus desolated, so that their national unity was completely dissolved, the Gentile “dogs” (Matt. 15:26,27) took over earth’s authority. This has continued throughout the Age – until the Times of the Gentiles ended in 1914 – since which date the Gentile nations have been declining, and the Jews are once more in the picture of nations; and this condition will prevail unto a completion in the years immediately ahead.

And with this summary we conclude Part III of The Three Worlds, and this series of articles will be completed with Part IV in the near future. It is our hope that the three sections provided thus far have proven enlightening and profitable information to all our readers. “If ye continue in My word... ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31,32)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint No. 250, April 1976)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) What are Jesus’ commandments?

ANSWER: – Jesus did not mention the Ten Commandments, as it takes a perfect man to keep a perfect Law. The faithful Jews tried to keep the Ten Commandments, but being imperfect men they could not do it. However, when they tried they were favored of the Lord. Had they been able to keep these Laws they would have received eternal life. We should do our best to keep the Ten Commandments, and should always keep the spirit of these commandments.

Brother Hoefle listed the commandments of Jesus as follows:

THREE COMMANDMENTS FOR CHRISTIANS

Followers of Jesus from amongst the Gentiles – true Christians – never were under the Law of Moses. Such came into God’s family under a different covenant – the one which reads, “Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5) Jesus, after keeping fully all conditions and requirements of the Law Covenant, under which He was born, was permitted to respond to this Covenant of Sacrifice. He was the first, the Chief, the Head of the Household of Saints who entered into this covenant of sacrifice with God – agreeing to sacrifice His earthly life and all its rights in the doing of the Father’s will – even unto death. It was His faithfulness in carrying out His will that gained for Him the better resurrection to glory, honor and immortality.

THE FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDS

Speaking of the spirit of the Law, which is applicable to angels, to the world of mankind, and to Christians, Jesus declared it to be briefly comprehended in two commandments. The first of these is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, being and strength.” The second is, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Every Christian and every angel recognizes that Law and feels a responsibility to it to the extent of their ability; but neither the angels nor Christians are under the Law Covenant – that Covenant was made only with the nation of Israel.

Every follower of Jesus should realize that if he was enlisted under the banner of Divine righteousness and truth, he has pledged his very life in this service as a soldier of the cross. How then could he do less than his very best in loving and serving his heavenly Father with all his mind, being and strength? How could he decline the Divine requirement to love his neighbor as himself – to be kind, generous, and not selfish? True, he may find difficulty in devoting all his mind and strength to the Lord, and in dealing in perfect fairness with all his fellow–creatures. But this is the true Christian’s desire and intention, and to accomplish this he must strive daily and war a good warfare against his inherited and acquired weakness.

OUR THIRD COMMANDMENT

At first it might appear that the two commandments mentioned above include everything that could be required by justice, and so they do. Justice requires nothing more than what these two commands include. Why then a third one – a new one over and above anything required by justice? In answer we would reply that this third commandment is only to those who become disciples of Jesus. He voluntarily put this regulation upon Himself, and offered His life sacrificially – something that was not justly required of Him.

Jesus, therefore, did more than the Mosaic Law required of Him. Therefore, when explaining to His disciples what would be required of them – something which would grant them a share in His Kingdom, He declared a third commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) This was part of His last comments to them the night before He died on the cross. St. Paul points out that Christ loved us to the extent of dying for us – “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” – and “Ye are my friends.” Thus all the true followers of Jesus – Christians to the fullest degree – should likewise count it a joy and a privilege to lay down their lives in the service of their brethren. “Christ suffered for us, leaving an example, that ye should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21) “We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)

This commandment goes far beyond the requirements of the Mosaic Law – a law of strict Justice toward all men. But toward those of our brethren in the Household of Faith we must go beyond the strict requirements of justice: We are to love them, as He loved us, and gave His life for us. This may at first seem an easy matter; but, when we consider that “not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called [to be “footstep followers”]: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty”(1 Cor. 1:26,27); then it becomes much easier for us to understand this third commandment.

Jesus Himself was far superior to those humble fishermen He had attracted unto Himself; yet St. Paul tells us, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Heb. 2:11) “Hereby we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14) This sort of conduct is not even mentioned in the Law at all. The Ten Commandments are a very far step from the “new commandment,” which Jesus gave the night before He died; and a proper appraisal of this point will enable us readily to analyze properly the Law of Moses and place it in proper perspective with the “new commandment” given to us by Jesus.

We must remember that a faithful Christian not only keeps the moral laws of the Ten Commandments to the best of his ability, but in addition to that he should live above the Law of Justice, sacrificing his all in the service of the Lord, the Truth and the brethren. No one is commanded to do that except those [who are called] who have made a “covenant by sacrifice” with God. (Excerpts from No. 310, April 1, 1981)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Mrs. Hoefle,

Once again I want to thank you for taking the time to send an additional hard-bound book about PASTOR CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL for our Temple Library. Also, we are in receipt of the three soft-bound copies of the text, which you indicated, I will take the liberty of distributing to members of the congregation who I feel would be interested in the subject. We are deeply in your debt and want to thank you and your supporters for the kindness extended to us. Of course, Zionism is a subject close to our hearts, and we are especially appreciative of the support of our Christian friends and neighbors.

It was nice hearing about your relationship with the author of the text. It certainly sounds as though you are good friends.

With every good wish for God’s choicest blessings of health and fulfillment to you and yours. Appreciatively,

------------------, Rabbi – Winston–Salem (NORTH CAROLINA)

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Dear Sister Hoefle: Greetings through our Beloved Savior!

I received the tracts today, and so hasten to say thank you for them. I read GOD’S GREAT SABBATH DAY and right away I thought of a few of my friends to whom I can give that particular one.

It is amazing to me how so many nominal Christians complain about the teachings and attitude of the clergy, and still hold fast to the denomination. I particularly remember a dear friend after reading the first volume, found it so clear and yet declared allegiance to the church because she was born there. I dare say that in “due time” she and others would accept the Truth.

I am indeed grateful to you for pointing out some of the errors, for it has given me much to research about and improve my knowledge. There is something of which I would like some information. It is this: Is growing in knowledge of the Truth more important than character building?

You are in our prayers and all the brethren are praying for you and all the dear ones at the Bible House. God bless and keep you.

Warm Christian love, ------- (TRINIDAD)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

THREE COMMANDMENTS FOR CHRISTIANS

THE FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDS

OUR THIRD COMMANDMENT

MORE QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST