NO. 398: TO THE JEW FIRST

No. 398

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

In Rom. 2:10 St. Paul makes this statement: “Glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.” Since we entered the tribulation period in 1914 the Jews have been the object of much and varied con­troversy; and we may logically expect more of it before lasting peace is established in the earth.

This uproar has not only been by way of armed conflict, but the lit­erary conflict has kept pace with it. And, as should be expected, much of the liter­ature has been badly tainted with error – an epidemic of it; so it seems timely to offer an analysis of some of these contentions.

Anglo-Israelism: The Theories of this organization have received rather wide ac­ceptance in some parts of society, the kernel of the teaching being briefly this: The real Jews are not those claiming to be such, but the real ones are actually the Brit­ish nation. They tell us that the name is from two Hebrew words – Brith and Ish ­the meaning of which is Chosen Man, which is a fitting description of the British peo­ple. And, as may be expected, they produce Scripture to ‘prove’ their point:

“Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee (this was especially true after the Reformation uprising shook off the papal yoke, and England became one of the chief targets of Roman opposition), I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou also shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings (Up to 1914 it could be properly stated that England’s sun never sets. Its far-flung empire was a special source of pride to the English people; they were a dominating force throughout the world.); and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver (the revenue from places such as India, South Africa, etc., was exceptionally great), and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors (revenue collectors) righteousness.” (Isa. 60: 15–17) Rotherham’s translation of verse 16 is even more emphatic: “Thou shalt derive sweet nourishment from the nations, Yea on the bounty of kings thou shalt be sustained.”

Additional ‘proof’ is produced from Isa. 61:6: “Ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God: Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.” It needs no argument that the general import of these Scriptures did seem pertinent to England up to 1914; London was the financial center of the world. Most of the financing of the nations was done through English banks; none dared offend them lest their credit be cut off.

Be it noted that the Anglo-Israelites do not claim that the English represent the whole twelve tribes of Israel, but merely the ten “lost” tribes – that part called Is­rael after the revolt separated the ten tribes from the two tribes of Judah and Benja­min when Solomon died. Jeroboam was the first king of the ten tribes, and he pro­ceeded immediately to corrupt their religion; and he and succeeding kings proceeded to deprave the ten tribes much more than was true in the two tribes. Therefore, the Lord finally sent Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, to wage war against them; and he com­pletely defeated them in 739 B. C., at which time most of the ten tribes were carried away into Assyrian captivity. (2 Kgs. 18:9–11) To replace the captives  the Assyrian King sent a horde of heathen Babylonians, who corrupted the Jews that remained and introduced their heathenish religion in the land. This conglomerate multitude became known as Samaritans; and were much detested by the two tribes.

By the time the two tribes were carried off captive to Babylon (133 years later) the ten tribes had become widely scattered – so much so that history does not give a clear account of what became of them. Thus, they became “lost”; and the contention is that they finally settled in what is now England, that the English people presently are the true descendants of those ten lost tribes; and are in fact the real Jews. The word Jews occurs for the first time in the Bible in 2 Kgs. 16:6. It is a distortion of the word Judah, which eventually was pronounced Joods, then Jews. Thus the two tribes are Jews, not Israelites; and, say some, Jesus made this clear distinction to the Apos­tles in Matt. 10:5: “Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samar­itans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” From this Scripture they contend Jesus was telling His disciples to find the ten “lost” tribes (lost sheep of Israel).

Just a superficial examination of this last text should convince any unbiased mind that Jesus did not mean anything like what this cult now tries to read into it, because not one of the Apostles ever went to England; and some of them certainly would have done so had Jesus told them to do it. In fact, about the first authentic date in his­tory for England is established at 55 BC, at which time Julius Caesar invaded the Is­land; and that was just 85 years before Jesus began His ministry. Furthermore, the undisputed records tell us that the first conversion to Christianity in England was in Kent in 597 AD by St. Augustine. That was about 500 years after the last of the Apostles died. Therefore, any one who would try to use Matt. 10:5 to prove Anglo-Is­raelism must be in desperate straits for something to say concerning the error.

Here is a quotation from one authority on the subject: “Jew – One belonging to the tribe or to the Kingdom of Judah. Then the meaning was extended, and the word was applied to any one of the Hebrew race who returned from the Captivity (in 536 BC – ­JJH); and finally it comprehended all persons of that race throughout the world (Matt. 2:2).” Matt. 2:2 says Jesus was “King of the Jews” – not King of the Israelites. And Rom. 2:10 says “to the Jew first” – not to the Israelite first. Thus, if we would make any discrimination at all between the ten tribes and the two tribes, we would be forced to conclude that it is the Israelites who are not Jews. But it is well estab­lished that parts of all twelve tribes returned from the Captivity in 536 BC, although the larger number were from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

OTHER VAGARIES

Another publication attacks the Jews from a different angle: “Any student of the Scripture knows that Jesus Christ was not a Jew. He is a Galilean and an Israelite. The apostates which crucified our Lord and perpetuate the hate for our Lord were identi­fied by Jesus when He said: “If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham, but ye are of your father the Devil, a liar from the foundation of the earth.” Taking figurative statements of the Bible and attempting to apply them liter­ally has wrought no end of confusion throughout Christendom during the entire Gospel Age. Certainly, those people who were bantering Jesus did not actually have the Devil as their father; they were human beings the same as the rest of us, except with different characters. Rev. 5:5 specifically says Jesus is “The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David”; and Heb. 7:14, Dia. is even more to the point: “It is very plain that our Lord has sprung from Judah.” Thus, when they say “any student of the Scripture knows that Jesus Christ was not a Jew,” it is clear enough that they study only such Scriptures as can be applied to their own ideas. Any Scripture that contradicts them is blithely ignored – as though it did not exist.

These same people also declare that Jesus Himself was an outstanding Jew hater; so we offer another pertinent Scripture that directly contradicts that thought: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven.... If you love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matt. 5:43–45) And further in 1 Cor. 2:8: “Had they (the Jews) known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.”

Yet more: This same group contends that the Jews are the Antichrist. Clearly enough, they do not understand the meaning of this word, which actually means “in place of Christ,” rather than “against Christ.” Once the real meaning of the word is understood, we then have no difficulty in connecting it with St. Paul’s words in 2 Thes. 2:3,4: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God... so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

Of course, St. Paul wrote the foregoing many years after Jesus had been crucified, so it could not possibly refer to the Jews. He does say that this great Apostasy (this mystery of iniquity) “doth already work,” yet its real force would not be felt un­til some future time. This same publication leans heavily upon Martin Luther in sup­port of their anti–Jewish contentions; yet here is what Martin Luther himself said con­cerning Antichrist: “The faith and the Church are at stake. I rejoice to suffer in so noble a cause. I am not worthy of so holy a trial. I feel much freer now that I am certain the pope is Antichrist... I hope none but the papists will stain their hands in my blood. Antichrist reigns... All the articles of John Huss were condemned by Anti­christ and his apostles in the synagogue of Satan... On the left Christ is washing the disciples’ feet. On the right Antichrist, the pope, is having his toes kissed by mon­archs.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses – This organization also adds its loud voice toward castiga­tion of the Jews, because the Jews generally will have no part of their teachings. They do not advocate violence against the Jews, or revile them politically, but they do pre­dict extreme violence for them in the approaching Armageddon – at which time they fore­cast the extermination of all people – including the Jews specifically – that have not joined their organization by the time the holocaust arrives.

In this the Witnesses mimic the Antichrist, who also contends the Roman Catholic Church is the one true church; and during their counterfeit reign from 799 to 1799 they were very vociferous that there could be no salvation outside their church. And we may ob­serve here that those who make such claims go more and more into error – “outer dark­ness.” This is well typified in the attempted construction of the Tower of Babel. Men said, “Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto Heaven” (Gen. 11:4). They would have insurance against another flood (in spite of the promise that “the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh” – Gen. 9:15); they would build Bab-EL (Gateway to God). As retribution for this affront, the Lord confused their tongues; they could no longer understand each other.

Thus, the effort became known as Babyl, meaning confusion – the same being typical of the efforts of the Roman Church, and presently in our day of the Witnesses, to build a “Gateway to God”; that is, WE are the one true church – no salvation outside of us – no other access to God. And just as the Roman Church lost all important Biblical truths as presented by St. Peter, so the Witnesses have also lost the great majority of that system of truths that was left with them by their so-called founder, Pastor Russell.

The time is now with us for the manifestation of persons, principles and things in a way never before done in the history of the human race. “The Lord will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of hearts.” (1 Cor. 4:5) And, while we have no thought of success in stopping present inequali­ties and erroneous teachings, we can warn those who have “an ear to hear” not to be partakers of such sins. The evils of “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4) will contin­ue apace with the sound exposures until the Lord’s Prayer is fulfilled: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven.”  “Expecting and hastening the presence of the Day of God, on account of which the Heavens (the present ecclesias­tical order) being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements (various political, labor and social organizations) burning intensely will melt. But we, according to His prom­ise, are looking for new Heavens (a universal truth-motivated religious order) and a new earth (new social order), in which dwells righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:12,13, Dia.)

THE TRUTH ON THE JEWISH SITUATION

Beginning with p. 243 in Parousia Vol. 3 of Studies In The Scriptures, there is a chapter on The Restoration of Israel, some of which we shall quote, or paraphrase, with some additions of our own:

Among the relics of antiquity that have come down to our day, there is no other object of so great interest as the Jewish people. The Adversary and his blinded dupes have sought to destroy and eliminate the Jews – just as many of them have also tried to do with the Bible (“My two witnesses – the Old and the New Testament – shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and threescore days – the papal supremacy from 539 to 1799 –­ in sackcloth”––Rev. 11:3) suppressed and depressed as those that mourn for the dead. But the very fact that the Jews are here today, as a people distinguished from other peoples (in keeping with the commandment of the Lord given to them more than 2,500 years ago: “Separate yourselves from the people of the land” (Ezra 10:11), should cause any God-fearing person to realize that even in their “cast-off” condition God has overruled their preservation – just as He has preserved His inspired Word

Let us emphasize once more that all the Bible writers were Jews; and St. Paul makes a capital point of this in Rom. 3:1,2: “What advantage then hath the Jew?..... Much every way; chiefly, because unto them were committed the oracles of God.” And this statement is complemented in Rom. 3:29: “Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles?” Further in  Gal. 2:15: “We who are Jews by nature.” Here St. Paul tells us that he himself is a  Jew; and he wrote a large part of the New Testa­ment.

Let us emphasize also that at the  time of the Exodus from Egypt the Jews were the only nation that worshipped but one God. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deut. 6:4) The various heathen nations had a multiplicity of Gods – a god of war , a god for love, a god for vegetation, etc. And with all of their gods combined they could not even remotely approach the idealism that came to the Jews through their “one Lord.”

The searchers after ancient lore have untiringly questioned every inanimate ob­ject that could give a mite of historic or scientific information. Monuments, altars, tombs, relics of public and private edifices, paintings, sculptures, hieroglyphs and dead languages have all been appealed to; and some have even tried patiently to dis­cover the line of actual truth that probably inspired the many fanciful traditions, legends, songs, etc., that have come floating down the centuries in order to learn all that is possible to know of human origin, history and destiny. But a most interesting relic, and one whose history can be most easily deciphered and understood, is the Jew­ish people. In them we have a monument of antiquity of inestimable value, upon which are recorded, in clearly legible characters, the origin, the progress and final destiny of the whole human race – a living and intelligent witness of the gradual outworking of a wonderful purpose in human affairs.

As a people, they are marked as distinct and peculiar by every circumstance of their history, and by their common religious faith, as well as by every element of their manners and customs. A forceful proof of this was to be observed in the war that began in the Fall of 1973 on their Atonement Day – a day in which ordinarily the orthodox Jews refrain from food and water. Under the heat and the strain of the battle that day many of the Jewish soldiers became dehydrated and well-nigh exhausted, yet they persisted in their abstinence – although their leaders had granted them freedom from the age-old cus­tom. Thus, some of them at least still try to adhere to the Law of Moses and the Cov­enant which Moses mediated for that nation almost four thousand years ago. The national characteristics of many centuries ago are still prominent, even to their fondness for the leeks and onions and garlic of Egypt, and their stiff–necked obstinacy. As a people, they truly had much advantage every way, in having committed unto them “the oracles of God,” developing among them poets, lawyers, statesmen and philosophers, and leading them up step by step from being a nation of slaves in Egypt to be – as in the time of Solomon (the zenith of their glory) – a people distinguished and honored among the nations, attracting the wonder and admiration of the world. (1 Kgs. 4:30-34; 10: 1-29)

Since they cast off and condemned the Just One and said, “His blood be upon us, and upon our children” (Matt. 27:25), they have again suffered, even more so in many in­stances, than they did in their Old Testament stripings. This had its horrible begin­ning in the year 70 AD, when the Roman Army under Titus captured Jerusalem, destroyed their temple, and scattered them throughout the Gentile world. In their treatment of Jesus, God took the Jews at their word: When Jerusalem finally fell into the hands of the Romans, there was a circle of crosses around the City, with a dead Jew hanging on every one of them. Prophetically it has been written of them, “Fools because of their transgression (when they crucified the Lord of Glory), and because of their iniquities (their violations of the Mosaic Law), are afflicted.” (Psa. 107:17) Present-day in­stances of this are to be seen in the terrible treatment they have received in Germany, Russia, etc.

Israel has been a nation scattered and peeled – driven as exiles from country to country, from province to province, and have been deprived of almost every right and privilege which other men enjoyed. Rejecting Christianity – in its corrupted as well as in its true form – they became the objects of the contempt and relentless persecu­tion of the Church of Rome. Thus estranged from God and from their fellow-men of every nation, sad and pitiable indeed has been their miserable condition. During the relentless Papal persecutions of the Dark Ages, they have suffered in common with the saints and martyrs of Jesus – the Christian for his rejection of Antichrist, the Jew for his rejection of both Christ and Antichrist.

The treatment accorded them forced a marked change in their way of life. Canaan was a goodly land – “a land flowing with milk and honey” – so  that a large segment of that people were engaged in farming and animal husbandry. But such things could not be carried with them as they were chased from nation to nation; and this forced them into businesses of various kinds, and into the money markets. In this manner their “quick assets” (stocks, bonds, cash, etc.) could be carried with  them, so that today it is an oddity of the first rank to see a Jewish farmer. Almost all of them are in the cities, pursuing their professions or marketing their various wares; they no longer take the chance of having to leave their farms behind  them as they moved on.

Nevertheless, whether they are still blinded to God’s promise to deliver them once more, as He did from Egypt, and from their various captivities, God is faithful that promised: “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 (this certainly includes all twelve tribes): Not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jer. 31:31–33)

God has not made this new covenant with Israel yet, but we can be sure that they never again will be entirely driven out from Jerusalem. He has planted them back in their own soil – in the land promised to Abraham, to him and to his seed after him for­ever – and even though we see them greatly oppressed, we can be sure that no one will drive them out of that land. The promise of God is to natural Israel – to be planted again in their homeland; but “all Israel” includes only those faithful covenant-keeping Jews: the others are counted as the heathen. And it will be through those faithful Jews that all the families of the earth will be blessed.

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel (the good news) unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8) And we may be sure that those faithful covenant-keeping Jews who have continued in their faith during the harrowing experiences meted out to them during their “cast-off” condition, will with alacrity and joy walk up the Highway of Holiness (Isa. 35:8) under their New Covenant meliorating conditions.

Up to the time of their casting off by Jesus, the Jews were the only nation that had covenant relationship with God. “O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt. You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (Amos 3:1,2) Any of the people of other nations who would come into relationship with God had first to become proselyte Jews. And the same conditions will apply when the New Covenant is instituted – any who will be the recipient of those blessings must first become Jews.

So it was with the ministry of Jesus and the Apostles – the gospel was first pre­sented to the Jewish nation; and the message of Christian salvation has come to us through them. Cornelius was the first Gentile convert (Acts Chapter 10); but he had to wait for 3½ years after Jesus’ death before God would give to him the Holy Spirit. Since that time the gospel has been open alike to Jew and Gentile, although very few of the Jews have become Christians. “Blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Rom. 11:25) Nevertheless, it should be empha­sized here that the blessings and privileges of the Mosaic Law were offered “to the Jew first”; likewise, the blessings and privileges of Christianity were also offered “to the Jew first.” Also, the blessings and privileges of the New Covenant will be “to the Jew first.”

A “New Covenant” necessarily carries the inference of an Old Covenant, the same being the Law Covenant given through Moses, of which the Gentiles were not in any way included. Therefore, a new covenant could not possibly be made with the Gentiles, because they have never had an old one. Any Gentiles wishing to partake of the old covenant had to become Jews; and some of them did just that, as instance ­“Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.” (Acts 6:5) The same limitation will apply with the New Covenant: Any who wish to receive its blessings will have to become Jews. Salvation is to the Jews.” (John 4:22)

JACOB’S TROUBLE

“These are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah (all twelve tribes are included in this). For thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace (which has been occurring since 1948, and will be yet greatly increased)... Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of  Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of  it.” (Jer. 30:4-7)   Jacob is a term often applied  to  the  entire  nation of Israel in the Old Testament; but Jacob is never  used to designate the Christian church.

That ‘great day’ of the foregoing text is described in more detail in Zech. 14: 1–3: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, 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 of 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.”

Outstanding instances of the Lord fighting for Israel in ancient times are given in Ex. 17:8-14, where Amalek and his army were decisively defeated by Joshua; and in Judges 7:15-22, where Gideon with a band of 300 men accomplished the destruction of a Midianitish army “as grasshoppers for multitude; both they and their camels were with­out number.” See also 1 Kgs. 20:1–21, where Ben–hadad and “thirty and two kings with him” lost “an hundred thousand footmen in one day.” (v. 29)

“Jacob’s Trouble” is yet some years in the future, so we are now privileged to see only the overall picture; but enough is revealed to give us a fairly good idea of the event – in keeping with the words of St. Peter: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn” (2 Pet. 1:19), the dawning day here being the inaugura­tion of the New Covenant with Israel.

Lest any of our readers should draw an overly pessimistic conclusion about Jacob’s Trouble, we would remind them of these facts: At the time they were cast off by Jesus just before His death (“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate”––Matt. 23:37) the Jews, as a nation, began their decline; and they lost their national existence com­pletely in the year 70 AD, when the Roman army scattered them throughout the earth. And from that date onward the Gentile supremacy waxed greater and greater. However, since their restoration to their homeland the Jews as a nation have been on a gradual upgrade; whereas, the Gentile nations have become steadily more shaken and distressed. And this disparity will become much more pronounced in the years immediately ahead. The writing of Isa. 60:1–3 is now markedly pertinent; “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”

SUMMATION: – Those who ignore or openly contradict the foregoing interpretations are rejecting large and important parts of the Bible, whether they realize it or not. As instance, the Jehovah’s Witnesses lay great stress upon their Bible ‘proofs’ for what they teach; yet we cannot recall one instance where they have given any comment at all on Jer. 31:31-34, or Isa. 60:1-3, or upon the various statements of St. Paul concern­ing the Jew.

Neither the Jehovah’s Witnesses nor any groups who have cast out the Jews can produce any Scriptures that support their contentions about the Jews, but we can produce many Scriptures to support our contentions: “And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scat­tered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.” (Ezek. 28:25-26)

“Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. And I shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.” (Ezek. 37: 12–14)

Psalms 107:17-22 also applies to natural Israel, and also supports our conten­tion regarding “to the Jew first”: “They cry unto the Lord in their trouble (Jacob’s Trouble – second phase), and he saveth them out of their distresses.” (v. 19) These covenant-keeping Jews in Jerusalem will be the “first” to receive the blessings of the New Covenant, and will naturally become the first able and zealous missionaries of the Kingdom. Many will join them, of course – particularly the “repentant and be­lieving” in the finished picture of the Epiphany. “For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.” (Jer. 31:7)

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isa. 2:3; Micah 4:2) We would emphasize, however, that these promises apply only to the faithful covenant-keeping Jews – all others are counted as heathen.

Since “God is faithful that promised” (Heb. 10:23; 11:11), it is our hope and prayer that all God’s faithful people are in harmony with God’s good and perfect will. “Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together... There are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee... Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.” (Psa. 122:3-9)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint of No. 238, April 1, 1975

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Person:

Could you please send me information about your organization. I’d be interested in your beliefs, practices and how you operate. This material would be appreciated as soon as possible.        

Thank you, ------- (CANADA)

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Dear Brethren: Grace and peace!

The January paper is quite interesting. After reading about the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I thought you might be interested in some of my experiences with them.

Since moving to my present home in the Missouri Ozarks, I have had several visits from a group of local Jehovah’s Witnesses. When the first group arrived at my house I invited them in to inspect my bound original Watch Towers, beginning with the first one published in the late 1800s and continuing through mid‑1917. I also have copies of Pastor Russell’s volumes published in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They seemed very interested at first, and I invited them to return at their leisure to read any of the material, but refused to allow the Watch Towers or other books to leave my premises.

Since the initial visit other groups have returned at various times who have been most willing to point out the ‘errors’ of MY thinking. I have noticed, during these visits, they are unwilling to receive any information contrary to the JW point of view. As a point to fact, I offered the last two women who visited me a copy of David Horowitz’ book on Pastor Russell and was promptly informed they would not read anything containing negative comments about the JWs. When asked why, both women told me they did not feel precious reading and study time should be wasted in such fashion.

What a shame! the ladies do not have enough confidence in the teachings of their religious organization to allow them to hear any dissenting comment from an outside source. As if this situation was not sad enough, further comments made before the ladies left, made it plain it would not be considered proper by the Church for them to read such material. What are they afraid of? I can only speculate.

The JW ‘witnessing’ would be severely curtailed if all the people they contact would take the same attitude of the Witnesses, and would tell them their Church would not permit them to read any literature on God’s Word written by another organization.

Many have left the Witnesses over the years for this, and other reasons, and many more will do the same. They are having their troubles from within.

Keep up to the good work of “contending for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) The Lord bless and guide you in all your efforts to serve Him.

Warm Christian love, ------- (MISSOURI)

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Dear Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace be multiplied!

Hoping this finds you and yours in good health. Thank you for your thoughtfulness in sending the lovely Christmas card. We think of you often and are always interested in the work you are doing and how you are getting along.

We enjoyed a beautiful Christmas holiday with most of the family. All here are in good health. The rapid changes in Israel make us watch and wonder how each change will develop in God’s Plan. How we long for the day when all the hidden things of darkness will be revealed. What a blessing it is to have the assurance (through the rich scriptural promises to Israel) that God’s plan will ultimately bless the entire world through Israel. We continue to pray for Jerusalem. Please use the enclosed check in any way you see fit.

May the Lord bless and keep you. Be assured of our thoughts and prayers for you and yours through the coming year. Your brother by His Grace, ------- (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Sir:

I would like to know what literature is available from you, as well as information regarding your organization’s doctrinal position and history. Thank you.

Sincerely, ------- (MARYLAND)

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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I am interested in learning more about your religious movement. I would appreciate it if you would send me any information possible regarding your organization that you would deem of concern or importance to me. Items such as statement of purpose, course of acceptance, and doctrine, would be valuable data. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely, ------- (CANADA)

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