NO. 228: THE RIVER JORDAN - TYPES AND ANTITYPES

No. 228

The land, the terrain and the peoples of Palestine are all markedly typical – ­this being especially true from the Exodus from Egypt to the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus in the year 70 AD. Outstanding among these types is the River Jordan, some of which we shall treat in detail as to type and antitype.

Today this river pretty well marks the eastern boundary of Israel. When the Jews came to possess Canaan they camped east of Jordan not far from the City of Jeri­cho. That city was located about five miles from the north end of the Dead Sea and about seventeen miles from Jerusalem – at the foot of the ascent to the mountainous table-land of Judah. By previous agreement, the Tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half Tribe of Manasseh accepted their inheritance to the east of Jordan, with the remain­ing 9½ tribes locating to the west of the River and to the Mediterranean Sea. Since the Jews crossed the river on that momentous occasion it has been prominent in history to the present day. This prominence is now especially marked, as the Jews and Arabs continue to glare at each other from their respective sides – actually engaging in ex­tensive armed conflict once again in the Autumn of 1973.

Its rise is in the upper hill country from clear water springs. This is aug­mented considerably in time of harvest (March or April) by the melting of the snow on Mount Herman. This explains why “Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest” (Josh. 3:15). Some of its characteristics are among the most peculiar of any stream on earth. So far as is known, it stands absolutely alone among the rivers of the world in the fact that throughout the greater part of its course it runs below the level of the ocean. At its headstream, when it issues from the cave at Banias, it is 1,000 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. By the time it enters Lake Hulah, twelve miles away, it has fallen to within seven feet of sea level. From Hulah to Gal­ilee is 10½ miles; and as it enters the Sea of Galilee it is 682 feet below sea level; and when entering the Dead Sea it is 1,292 feet below the ocean’s top.

There is no outlet to the Dead Sea, and its low level and the warm climate have tended to make this sea the saltiest water on earth – about 27% salt. In such heavy brine an egg will float, and it is not possible for a human being to sink; in fact, when a man lies on his back he stretches straight out like a plank of lumber, and some effort is required once again to reach an upright standing position. Its main supply of water comes from the Jordan River, which empties into it an average of 6,000,000 gallons of water every 24 hours. The sea is about 47 miles long. It reaches about 1,300 feet depth, so that its own surface level is almost exactly half way between its bottom and the level of the ocean. Like the Jordan River, this sea is also one of the most remarkable bodies of water on earth. No other is known to occupy so deep a hollow on the surface of the globe.

The Biblical associations with the Jordan attach mainly to the stretch from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The river was fringed in ancient times, as it still is, with a thicket of trees and shrubs, principally tamarisks, oleanders and willows, among which lions lurked (Jer. 49:19; Zech. 11:3). It was never bridged until Roman times, but was forded. The fords are frequent and easy in the upper stream and so far down as the mouth of the Jabbok, where Jacob crossed (Gen. 32:10; 33:18). Below that point the river is rarely fordable, and then only at certain seasons of the year. The current is so rapid near Jericho that the numerous pilgrims who go thither to bathe are always in danger, and not infrequently are swept away.

When Joshua led the Jews across Jordan some miracle or extraordinary hap­pening occurred which checked the waters long enough for the Jews to pass over with great ease. The river has been occasionally blocked by landslides, which sometimes damned up the waters for many hours; and this could have occurred in Joshua’s case, but we cannot be certain about that. Including the two lakes, and taking no note of the windings, the river from Banias to the Dead Sea is 104 miles long. Immediately north of the Dead Sea there is virtually tropical country, and produces crops of tropical lux­uriance when properly irrigated. Gen. 13:10 tells us it is “even as the garden of the Lord”; and it had such appeal to Lot that he chose to settle there, disregarding the reprehensible character of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah – “wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Gen. 13:13). Also, it was at Jericho that Elijah smote the Jordan, and he and Elisha “went over on dry ground.” (2 Kgs. 2:8) Shortly after reaching the east bank of the river “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (v.11)

A GRAND TYPE

Having such a steep fall from its source to the Dead Sea, Jordan’s name is well adapted to its action, the same meaning “The Descender,” or “Judged down.” It is a tortuous attempt to travel by river from Galilee to the Dead Sea; and one United States Navy officer who made the effort in 1848 wrote as follows: “In a space of sixty miles of latitude and four miles of longitude the Jordan traverses at least 200 miles.. We have plunged down 27 threatening rapids, besides a great many of lesser magnitude.”

With such facts as the foregoing to guide, it certainly requires no great stretch of imagination to state that the Jordan (Descender) types the course of the human race in its sinful activities. Of the first man Adam it is recorded, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.” (Gen. 1:27) Nor does it require any argument that man is presently far from “the image of God.” “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” ­inventions of evil things (Ecc. 7:29). This is graphically set forth in Dan. 4:16: “Let his heart be changed, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.” The whole history of man is largely occupied with a story of blood and tears. Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn. And this has been intensified especially during the passing of the “seven times” – the Times of the Gentiles (“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”—Luke 21:24). Since the “times of the Gentiles” began in 607 BC., and have continued to their end in 1914 (a period of 2520 years) the violent and the brutal have dominated the affairs of men – “The Most High hath dominion over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Dan. 4:17)

This is well portrayed in the Metal–Man dream as recorded in the second chapter of Daniel. In that dream the King saw the image with the “head of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” In giving the interpretation of the dream, Daniel said to Nebuchad­nezzar, “Thou art this head of gold.” Babylon was the first univer­sal empire. “The God of Heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell... He hath made thee ruler over them all.” it is said that the streets of Babylon were literally paved with gold; thus, the brilliance of the empire was well portrayed by the head of Gold.

Babylon in turn was succeeded by the Medo–Persian empire – represented in the breast and arms of silver. But silver is much less valuable than gold, indicating the increase of evil in the second universal empire. “After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee.” Following the Medo–Persian came the universal empire of Greece under Alexander the Great. “Another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Came then the fourth universal empire – Rome – with two legs of iron, showing the two divisions of the Roman Empire – one in Rome, and one in Constantinople. “The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron... As iron breaketh all these, so shall it break in pieces and bruise.” The dominion of Rome was well described as “the iron rule.”

Then follows the description of Rome’s decline. “The feet and toes, part of pot­ter’s clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it the strength of iron... As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” Here we have an excellent de­scription of the nations of Europe – some very strong, as instance Russia under the Czars, and the British Empire under Victoria; with some of the other governments of lit­tle consequence.

At the time of the 1914 war there were about 22 governments in Europe, with many more than that today; but there are only ten language groups, as shown by the ten toes of the metal–man feet. These groups are the Scandanavian, the Anglo–Saxon, the Teuton­ia, the Gaulic, the Hispanian, the Latin, the Greek, the Turkish, the Slavic, and the Magyars. These are the divisions of the old Roman Empire in Europe – the ten toes of the image, “iron mixed with miry clay.” “But they shall not cleave one to another (no longer one dominion, as was true of the previous Babylonian, Medo–Persian, Greecian and Roman rules) even as iron is not mixed with clay.” “And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom (“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in Heaven”), which shall never be destroyed... It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms (their disintegration has been steadily proceeding since 1914), and it shall stand forever.”

It is well to emphasize here that the iron toes were “mixed with miry clay.” Very dry and hard clay may be easily mistaken for stone, and this point is not without pur­pose in the picture, because the various governments of Europe have combined with the different religions of Christendom – in counterfeit of the real Kingdom of God and the real religion (“Then will I turn to the people a pure language – not the imitations that we see today – that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” (Zeph. 3:9) And this is to be accomplished by the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” – by the Christ Company that has been gathered “without outward show” (Luke 17:20) all during this Age. The stone “cut out without hands” is slowly but surely breaking in pieces and consuming all these counterfeit combinations.

THE TIME OF THE HARVEST

“Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of Harvest.” (Josh. 3:15) In Matt. 24:3 the Disciples asked Jesus, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world!” in addition to the answer given there by Jesus, there is this in Matt. 13:39, “The harvest is the end of the world.” With Jordan typing the race under the curse, and overflowing its banks “all the time of harvest,” we should expect to see a marked increase of sin, error and death during harvest. This was markedly true dur­ing the Jewish harvest, when the Jews were under the Roman yoke, and were eventually expelled from their homeland, with great numbers of Jews being slaughtered in the dis­persion; and we are witness to its great increase since 1874 in Christendom, when the harvest began. It requires no great intelligence to note the facts as they abound all about us. Greatly increased is vice in the form of white slavery, unnatural sins (as evidence the immorality and rowdy debauchery in many of the ‘hippy’ gatherings), drunken­ness, gluttony, gang lawlessness, vicious narcotics and dope addiction on the part of many – even among teen–age school children.

Many of our elite educational institutions are markedly on the downgrade, details of which come to us from time to time from friends who are acquainted with the condi­tions. In statecraft the same condition prevails. One wit has stated it quite well when he commented, “Politics is running the public’s business for private interests.”

With so much money being handled in all places, it is only logical to expect that the temptation to dip into the public treasury would be just too much for the politicians to withstand. One prominent man had had his portrait made by a noted artist; and he asked Will Rogers what he thought of it. Rogers answered, It’s the first time I’ve ever seen you with your hand in your own pocket.

Militarism has likewise become much more active. The war that began in 1914 was up to that time the world’s greatest calamity. Then came the 1929–1932 depression, which may not have caused so many deaths as the war, but it caused more suffering in general over the world, which would classify it as a greater calamity than was the war. This was followed by the 1939–1945 war, which was worse in every way than the two calam­ities we have just described. And, following logically on, we may expect the next hol­ocaust to be even worse than anything that has yet transpired “in the time of harvest.” We hear much talk about treaties between nations that will bring “peace and safety,” but we know from experience that many nations today are interested only in a treaty that will be kept by the other party, but not by them.

In the financial and industrial world we see similar conditions, such as huge and fraudulent stock manipulations and outright swindles. One has recently appeared in California where it is said about a quarter of a billion dollars is involved. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17: 26) In Noah’s time “there were giants in the earth” (Gen. 6:4). ‘Giants’ is from the Hebrew ‘Nephilim,’ which means a bully or a tyrant. When the ten spies brought back their evil report about Canaan they said, “There we saw the giants (Nephilim), the sons of Anak... and we were in our sight as grasshoppers.” (Num. 13:33) And when the Jews heard this “the people wept all night.” (Num. 14:1) Clearly enough, legend had thoroughly inoculated the Jews with the tales of the giants (Nephilim), so that they were terrorized at mere mention of the name.

Today – “in the time of harvest” – we have the antitype of the giants in the giant corporations that have developed, mainly since 1874. Some of these giants may have been in existence before that date, but they were then as grasshoppers compared to their present size and crushing power. Laws have been passed to curb their power, to prevent the destruction of competition; yet they continue to increase in size and pres­tige. Today they pretty well control the news agencies by the advertising they place with them, the agencies knowing they will lose this source of income if they antagonize the giants. We know of one instance personally where a newspaper writer had exposed a certain stock fraud; and he stated, I am practically a prisoner in this place now; I don’t dare to open my mouth. Such situations have tended to increase greatly class hatreds, of which we shall treat a little later. Concerning these matters, Mr. F. Sim­onds, the Historian, writes:

“Seventeen years (since 1914) of almost continuous conflict, inter­rupted only by incomplete truce, have reduced the whole European Continent to a state of economic and social disorder unparalleled since the Thirty Years’ War. Nations are bankrupt, trade is reduced to barter, money has lost its value, even the pound sterling has faltered. (This is even more true now than it was in 1931—JJH) The unemployed millions are meagerly fed by public treasuries, themselves filled by taxation which is extortianate. The miseries of the so–called peace of today, miseries reaching to every human being within national limits, defy exaggeration. It is clear that what has been going on since 1914 cannot continue.”

Along this line family life should also receive attention. Selfishness has in­creased greatly; divorces have increased greatly; children are disobedient to par­ents in greatly increased numbers. Often children do not receive proper support and care from parents. The Law of Moses offers quite a contrast to conditions today: “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father... they shall say unto the elders of the city... Our son is stubborn and rebellious... he is a glutton and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die – so shalt thou put away evil from among you.” (Deut. 21:18–21) Such a suggestion today would produce screams to high heaven; and we would stress that we are not offering such counsel to our readers now. Today capi­tal punishment of the most vicious and depraved criminals is ruled to be inhuman.

The foregoing vices and dereliction of morale are graphically portrayed in the downward course of the River Jordan, which broadens to a width of 200 feet as it enters the Dead Sea. And the Dead Sea is most appropriately named, because it is indeed “dead.” The increasing corruption of the human race will eventually produce a “dead” condition on earth. “These days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; ­neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I have set all men every one against his neighbor.” (Zech. 8:10) When such a con­dition arrives, commerce will be “dead”; and peace will be a scarce article – all of which is vividly portrayed by the Jordan ending in the Dead Sea.

ANOTHER DISTINCTIVE TYPE

The Prophet Elijah was much occupied in his criticism and attempts to reform the wicked rulers of Israel – especially so with King Ahab and his heathen Queen Jezebel. In this he typed the true church of the Gospel Age in its attempt to reform this “present evil world.” And just as Elijah failed completely, so also the Christian Church has failed completely. As related in the foregoing pages, practically all the evils known to man have been accentuated here in the end of the Age.

Since Elijah was such a prominent type of the Gospel–Age church, anything he had to do with the River Jordan would also be typical. The most outstanding example of this is found in 2 Kings 2:1–12, wherein Elijah was taken by “a chariot of fire, and horses of fire... by a whirlwind into heaven.” Just before this occurred, however, Elijah, accom­panied by Elisha, had taken his mantle and had smitten Jordan, which parted the waters “so that the two went over on dry ground.” In this picture the Jordan types the peoples of Christendom undergoing a condemnatory sentence in their organized capac­ities. Water in Bible symbols represents people: “The waters which thou sawest are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Rev. 17:15); and this same thought is inferred in Rev. 16:12, where it is stated that “the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates, and the water (popular support of the people) thereof was dried up.”

The waters of Jordan, then, would represent the nations – especially the nations of Christendom – viewed from the standpoint of their political, ecclesiastical, finan­cial and industrial organizational aspects; hence, the rulers, the clergy, the aristo­crats, the labor leaders and their supporters. Therefore, the nations as organized in these four relations are represented as being severely censured and given a condem­natory sentence by antitypical Elijah (the true church – as it existed in all parts of Christendom), which is what is meant by Elijah taking his mantle and smiting Jordan. Elijah’s mantle was emblematic of his power as God’s Prophet to Israel; and it typi­fied the power of antitypical Elijah in the Truth messages that were given right after the outbreak of the war in 1914, because that war was the direct result of the many evils enumerated aforegoing. The word mantle in this text is from the Hebrew ‘ada­reth,’ and carries with it the idea of an insignia of honor, power, splendor.

Just as the mantle was symbolic, so also was its wrapping, which would represent the combination and concentration of all the truths pertinent to the case, coupled with the financial and intellectual ability to accomplish the purpose. Thus, the “Divine right” of kings and clergy to occupy their offices was given devastating ex­posure by those members of the church who clearly understood the situation. This was carried on by lectures and the printed page, with such subjects as “The World On Fire,” “Distress Of Nations Preceding Armageddon,” “Why Financiers Tremble,” etc. Anent this last, the New York Stock Exchange was closed for three months after August 1, 1914, so that no one could buy or sell their stocks.

The smiting of Jordan that followed outbreak of the war involved several things: First, a truthful and irrefutable presentation of the evils, violative of the Golden Rule by those claiming to rule by Divine right; Second, a passing of the sentence of destruction upon all those institutions claiming Divine right; Third, the announce­ment of dismissal from office, and pronouncement of future punishment of all who made claim to Divine right. This work is accurately, literally and figuratively set out in Psa. 149:5–9: “Let the men of lovingkindness (the true church) exult as they glory.... a two–edged sword in their hand (the sword of the spirit – the Word of God): to exe­cute an avenging among the nations; rebukes among the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their honored ones with iron bands; to execute upon them the sentence written.” (Rotherham transla­tion) This work was done so thoroughly and clearly that very few indeed in America continue to believe in the Divine right of rulers or clergy. The Kaiser himself was much obsessed with that idea; but very few in Germany continue to harbor such belief today.

As stated, the “waters” of Jordan represent peoples; and the dividing of those waters would represent the division of the peoples involved into two classes – The Conserv­atives, and the Radicals. It certainly places no strain upon the imagination to recognize that this condition is sharply present with us now; and has become increasingly so since 1914. It is now pretty well admitted by responsible men that the 1914 war was nothing more than a com­­mercial war; but no one dared make mention of such a thing while the war was on. At that time both sides in the conflict had their sub­jects aroused into a frenzy of patriotism perhaps never before equaled in the history of man. Certainly not with so many involved on each side. But, as 1918 passed, the cooling–off began to appear, at which time large numbers arrived at the humiliating re­alization that they had been merely dupes and pawns in the conflict.

In the purely secular conflict that developed between the Conservatives and the Radicals the church stood aloof, not joining with either side, realizing, as they did, that both sides held sadly distorted views of the cause they championed. This is typi­fied in the picture by Elijah and Elisha walking “over on dry ground.” However, that dividing of the waters of Christendom produced great changes. The Czar of Russia and his family just disappeared in late 1917. Up to that time Russia had been one of the most autocratic and powerful governments in all history. Also, the German Kaiser was forced to abdicate; and in both instances new governments were formed that were far removed from those they replaced. And this continues to proceed in the various coun­tries of earth; and it is well portrayed in the division of Jordan into two bodies of water as shown by the smiting by Elijah with his mantle.

In all of this it should be noted that the true church (“the elect”) has stood aloof from the conflict between the two elements of society, knowing as we do that even­tually both factions will come to utter ruin. This “time of trouble” is especially for the purpose of chastising and humiliating the evil elements in the world (the present social order) and in the church – that part of the church “coming out of the great af­fliction” (Rev. 7:14). But so long as we “continue in the things we have learned and been assured of” (those true teachings of the faithful Messengers here in the end of the Age), we may repose “in quietness and confidence” in the blessed promise of Psalms 91:7–11:

“A thousand shall fall at thy side; and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, and the most High, thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee.... For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – The February 15, 1974 Watchtowers says that “all Israel will be saved,” in Romans 11:26 does not refer to natural Israel. Do you agree with that?

ANSWER: – We do not agree with that! Even a cursory look at Rom. 11:25,26 should convince any novice that the Witnesses are in total blindness regarding the status of Israel: First of all, the Roman Epistle is written to “the invited ones” (1:6, Dia.) – that is, to spiritual Israel. Therefore, when he says to them in Rom. 11:25 that “hardness in some measure has happened to Israel,” he is self–evidently not referring to those to whom he is writing – that is, spiritual Israel – but to Israel after the flesh. Thus, his statement in 11:26, “all Israel will be saved,” is also a reference to natural Israel. We refer our readers to Brother Russell’s Berean Comments on these texts: “Happened to Israel... natural Israel, the whole twelve tribes........ shall be saved... restored to favor, recovered from their blindness.. from Jacob... The natural seed of Abraham first... Spiritual Israel is never called Jacob.”

Of course, the Witnesses change their teachings from year to year as a chameleon changes its color from minute to minute. Shortly after That Servant’s demise – and while they still retained some of the clear convincing Truth he presented – they pub­lished their book in 1925, “Comfort For The Jews’“ which is in full accord with the aforegoing. If their claim is now correct that they are “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” just what should be said of them in 1925 – when they taught the exact opposite of what they now declare to be the Truth! They claim God’s Kingdom has been operating through them since 1914; thus, consid­ering their teachings in 1925 with their teachings in 1974, the Kingdom is truly a counterfeit of Babylon the Great – confusion in the extreme!

There are quite a few groups today who claim to be “all Israel,” although the Jeho­vah’s Witnesses and the LHMM are the main two emanating from the Harvest Truth who have revolutionized against That Servant’s teaching regarding natural Israel. The Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer believe that the Jews returning to their homeland is a proof that they are no longer under condemnation – that their “double” is finished. To all who have “continued” in the Harvest Truth, the return of the Jews to their homeland confirms our faith in what “we have learned and been assured of.” The LHMM has revolutionized against That Servant’s teaching, although not nearly so much as have the Jehovah’s Witnes­ses. They continue to teach that the Jews returning to Palestine is God’s favor return­ing to natural Israel, but they teach that the Jews will have to become Campers Conse­crated if they are to receive their Scriptural promises – “first and chief” place in the Kingdom. In other words, instead of the Campers becoming Jews, as That Servant teaches will be required of all Restitutionists, the Jews must become Campers Conse­crated. This is a gross revolutionism against the Harvest Truth, because That Servant taught, with Scriptural proof, that the Kingdom will be Israelitish, and that all would have to become Jews if they go up the Highway of Holiness – because the New Covenant is made with them: it is not made with Campers Consecrated. “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: Not according to the covenant that 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... After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer. 31:31–33)

In this same Watchtower, they tell us that the “apostle Paul made it clear that the natural descendants of Abraham through his grandson Jacob were in line for being ‘adopted’ as sons of God.” This is an unfortunate expression – because when the Jews were spirit–begotten, they were not adopted, they were God’s begotten children – and the same is true regarding the Gentiles when the door was opened for them. During the Kingdom, under the New Covenant, all who come into harmony with that Covenant – become Jews – will be the children of Christ. He will be their Head.

The Law Covenant given to natural Israel was a perfect law, and required a per­fect man’s ability to comply with its rules and regulations – but so long as they made a sincere effort to comply with the Law, God’s favor was with them. The Law Covenant did not require sacrifice of their natural rights, although there were some – ­the Ancient Worthies – who did sacrifice their natural rights to do God’s will above that which was required by the Law Covenant. They were “Israelites indeed.” The New Covenant will not require sacrifice either – but when He puts the Law in “their inward parts, and writes it in their hearts” they will be given the ability to obey that Law as they go up the Highway of Holiness. So God’s favor was to natural Israel first during the Faith Age, and His favor will be to natural Israel first during the works Age.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not exclude the individual Jews from coming with them, although it is not likely that many, if any, Jews take advantage of their invitation ­nor will the Jews who have been instructed in the Harvest Truth be likely to take ad­vantage of the favor that the LHMM offers them, to become Campers Consecrated to in­sure the blessing promised them. However, the LHMM does not condemn all Jews to an­nihilation if they do not join with them – they just demote them to a secondary place in the Kingdom arrangement, if they don’t become Campers Consecrated.

There are groups in Christendom who now teach they are “God’s chosen people,” and like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they do not offer the Jews much chance of survival if they do not join with them. Nor will the Jews be likely to join with them either, because they are prominent in their Hate–Jew publications – publicizing all the un­complimentary news they can of the Jews whom they believe to be the main cause of the “time of trouble” now upon the earth. However, there are some groups in Christendom who put the two groups emanating from the Harvest Truth to shame, in their sympathy and help to the Jews, believing they are God’s chosen people. They do this, not hav­ing the knowledge of God’s plan as was given to these groups at the outset. As Bro. Russell has said, all who aid and comfort the Jews will not fail of a reward – and we believe that is true of these groups, even though they don’t understand the Plan of Salvation as do those who have continued in “Present Truth.”

However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the LHMM, as well as the other groups in Christendom described above, are not offering the “comfort of the Scriptures” to the Jews – rather they are perverting the Scriptures by applying these promises to them­selves, or to a section of their respective groups: to the “great crowd” in the Je­hovah’s Witnesses, and to Campers Consecrated in the LHMM. Of course, this ‘comfort, is to the faithful covenant–keeping Jews, and not for the renegade Jews who are clas­sified as Gentiles in God’s sight.

There are quite a few of the Lord’s people who received the Harvest Truth on the “Hopes and Prospects” of the Jews, who continue to uphold and defend the “faith once delivered unto the saints” but there are many of our brethren bewildered by their leaders into accepting the “pestilence that walketh in darkness” (Psa. 91:6) ­of this Epiphany night. It is for the purpose of helping these brethren that we continue to reassert and reaffirm the Harvest Truth on the Jewish promises, as well as on other doctrines we have received from that “Wise and Faithful Servant.”

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle:

Thank you so much for the continued blessings received through your circulars. I have read No. 224, and would like six copies of ... also of L–D–H.

I hope to start a Bible study with dear friends who are showing a real interest in the Truth. If copies of the Divine Plan of the Ages are available, they would help in starting this study. Any suggestions you may have, will be appreciated. Enclosed is a check to help defray costs of shipping and for help in the Lord’s work.

With Christian love, ------- (CALIFORNIA)