NO. 43: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

No. 43

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

Since February, 1958, we have been in the third hour of the large Parousia Day, as detailed in our paper of January 1, 1957. As an indication of the rapidity with which events are transpiring, we offer some further comment on the financial condi­tion of the civilized world, because it becomes increasingly apparent that the de­cadence of capital itself will eventually cause the collapse of the capitalistic system as we observe the “wisdom of their wise men perish, and the understanding of their prudent men to be hid.” The American coins still carry the inscription “In God we trust”; yet, as we view the mad rush by all classes for the elusive and rapidly­ shrinking dollar, it were now better expressed, “In THIS God we trust.”

Two years ago we stated that the overall debt in the United States – Federal, state, municipal and private – was about 750 billions of dollars. In the two years since elapsed it has now increased to about 850 billions of dollars, with the end nowhere in sight. Be it noted that this colossal debt is almost twice as much as the entire country is worth if it should be sold to the highest bidder; so there exists at present a state of abject insolvency despite the tremendous prosperity that appears an the surface. And this situation continues to be aided and abetted by the ridicu­lous premise that ''We can spend our way into prosperity.” This is contrary, of course, to all established precedent, both secular and biblical; it is a sound and indisputable saying that “The borrower is servant to the lender”; and the lord's people do well if they take heed to this bit of Truth.

If all the monetary gold in the world's treasuries today were placed in one heap, it could be buried in a hole 41 feet wide, 41 feet deep and 41 feet high, the approxi­mate worth thereof being 40 billion dollars. And it should be kept in mind that gold is yet the only international money of universal acceptance. Of this amount the United States has a little more than half, or about 21 billions. Against this the federal debt is about 280 billions – and we are presumably the richest (?) country on earth today. Just consider for a moment the others in the light of this! The “hour of wasting” (Rev. 18:17-Dia.) began in 1916, and the ''wasting'' has proceeded at an ever-increasing acceleration as a snowball rolling downhill. It is truly a great tribute to the viril­ity of the United States that it has continued so far on this spending spree without complete stagnation and collapse overtaking us. Our situation is identical in every respect to a young wastrel who inherits a vast fortune from a frugal and sagacious forbear, which he is unable to dissipate before death overtakes him, regardless of how improvident he may be, so large is the inheritance that comes to him. It is a true observation, “A fool and his money are some party”! And the fate of all the other nations hangs in the balance with our own financial imbalance, as was shown by the worried statements of a number of them when our economy showed signs of depression during the past year. Here is a small excerpt from one international financial pub­lication:

“Reports from well-informed sources in Washington suggest that the United States Administration is beginning to become concerned over the develop­ment. The dollar is not as popular as it was and European experience sug­gests that a flight of capital can develop very quickly if any doubt arises over a currency's stability. Imagine what would happen if the U.S. were to decline to redeem its obligations to foreign holders in gold. The dollar would fall right out of bed. The rush to get out of pure-paper dollars would shred them into confetti.”

One prominent citizen here has said the principal American export at present is Money; our vast productive capacity has overtaken the demand for our products, and this is apparent in the intensity of the competition now appearing in so many indus­tries. Our wheat crop for 1958 was almost 50% larger than the one in 1957; yet the surplus was already so large it is bursting the seams of our granaries. It is little wonder many starving countries harbor hatred for us, although the blame is leas with the United States than with some others. Canada and other countries who export wheat stren­uously protest our suggestions that we give some of our surplus to needy peoples, as that would destroy their market and distress their wheat growers.  It is a proper ob­servation that we are in the best of times and the worst of times. The vicious circle will not permit use of the very cures that are available; and our officials are deserv­ing of our sincere sympathy as they find themselves unable to extricate themselves and others from the vortex of collapse. They have attempted to bolster the International Monetary Fund with another four or five billion dollars; but that is only a “drop in the bucket” against the staggering debts everywhere prevailing. From January 1956 and up to the time General DeGaulle took charge in France, that country had been going back­wards to the extent of about 100 million dollars per month, so that the treasury was so completely drained the government could no longer pursue international trade.

UNITED NATIONS.....HOLY ALLIANCE

The United Nations continues to function, but its main accomplishment is publicity talk of what will be done. Of course, this organization is nothing new. There was the League of Nations after the first world war, but it collapsed very shortly under its own weight.  But the only thing new about that attempt was just the name, as its twin was to be found in the Holy Alliance of 1815 – after the defeat of Napoleon at Water­loo. It seemed then that all Europe would collapse, and a certain Baroness Von Kruden­er (a Russian mystic) induced Alexander 1 of Russia to sponsor her idea of a sort of holy (?) confederation of European States in a grand union of brotherhood and good will toward each other, with the high-sounding name of “The Holly Alliance.” It lasted just a little longer than it is now taking to write about it.

“JEHU DRIVETH CRAZILY”

In 2 Kings 9:20 we are told, “Jehu (type of present-day conservative labor)... driveth furiously.” The Hebrew word translated “furiously” means ''with madness''; or, as Brother Johnson stated it, “Jehu driveth crazily.” But the madness that Brother Johnson observed is indeed very tame compared to the antics of Jehu now. The determi­nation of Labor Leaders to enforce their will is very much an imitation of Hitler's tactics. At know personally of one instance in Detroit (of which nothing was ever re­lated in the newspapers) where labor ruffians broke both arms and both legs of one em­ployer as an example to others to “cooperate”; and much more of the same could be re­lated.  But perhaps the outstanding and most recent instance of “driving crazily” is to be found in a Canadian company of international repute that employs about 15,000 persons.  The average hourly wage of these people is $2.69, or $21.52 per day.  In this company, as elsewhere, competition and production overtook the demand for its products; it was forced to retrench. In an effort to do this equitably and to the detriment of as few as possible, it determined to keep all employees on a four-day week of $86.08, rather than lay off some and continue the remaining employees on six days.  But the labor leaders objected to this method, demanding that the entire force be re­tained an a four-day week, but be paid for six full days the same as always. The Com­pany could not meet such demands, so a strike was called and is in its third month at this writing (Nov. 25). Same of this writer's business associates who have contact with officials of the company involved inform us the Company will never accede to these demands, that they could not do so and continue in business. Surely, “Jehu driveth crazily.”

Such thinking as the foregoing makes for strange ana violent changes in government; and we consider it a strong probability that a Roman Catholic President will be elected in the United States in 1960. We do not make this as a prediction, but it seems very probable, and would be in keeping with the general trend of the times.

IN RELIGION

Not to be outdone by antitypical Jehu, many religionists also “drive crazily” ­and this is true among Truth people as well as others. One prominent magazine recently carried an article, “A New God for The Space Age”, of which we offer a few extracts:

“The most amazing event of modern history is the petering out of Christianity. Not only are the Bible stories going by the board, but a deeper side of religion seems also to be exiting.  This is the mystic concept of the human soul and its survival after death. Parsons are still preaching away on this topic and congre­gations are still listening. But congregation and parson both seem to have moved from church to museum....Religion today is a touchy subject, not because people be­lieve deeply and are ready to defend such belief with emotion, but because they do not want to hear it discussed.... Painting, once a major ally of the divines, has done with holy subjects long ago. And the composing of religious music is a lost activity. Even religious criticism, long the hallmark of the advanced thinker, is mainly out of print...The two forces that robbed man of his long-treasured soul are Science and the loss of respect for Life. As a result of the findings of Science, 1958 man is back among the brutes with no more divine breath in him than a tree toad.... All this re­modeling of mankind in one generation has taken place almost without complaint.”

A small part of the above is applicable to Truth people also. The only religion Jehovah's Witnesses care to hear discussed is their own; they have no ear or time for the opinions of others – in like spirit to their “Big Brother.” Of course, with the Roman Church “reading is doubt, doubt is heresy, and heresy is Hell”; they are not to read the Bible, as they may become confused; and the Mass is always recited or sung in Latin – to be certain the average member will be “sure” to understand it.

It has been a common weakness over the centuries to criticize others for the very vagaries of which we ourselves are guilty. So often do we hear Scripture quoted at “that man” across the street, while the speaker himself is more guilty of its viola­tion than the one at whom he is pointing. As instance – at the 1958 Chicago Conven­tion of the LHMM this fall quite some merriment was aroused by one relating how a cer­tain sectarian was determined to remain ignorant because he refused to read the tract that had been left with him; yet that very one who gave the testimony about this bigot­ted attitude was actually testifying against their own sins of conduct toward these writings, as they refuse our efforts to enlighten them. The conversation went about like this – after the man had handed back the tract that had been left with him: “Have you read this tract? No! Then how can you pass judgment upon it if you have not even read it?” At this recitation many smiled who are passing identical Judement ­without reading – upon our writings; and R. G. Jolly is instructing his own adherents to simulate this very depraved sectarian spirit in our own group. From the platform at several Conventions he has called our writings “poison”, which is much the same as “reading is doubt”, etc., because he himself knows if his adherents were to read in an honest effort to “discern” for themselves, they would indeed begin to doubt his many perversions and “newly-conceived” doctrines. The Papacy does the same; That Evil Ser­vant did the same; it is an adroit way to maintain a superiority of “educated” ignor­ance, while appearing to know whereof one speaks. “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee”, sayeth the Lord.

Yes, in this R. G. Jolly persistently lends his encouragement and approval. “Don't read the writings of the Sifters”, he tells them – just as Big and Little Papacy instruct their devotees.  It is little wonder there is so little real Christian spirit and charac­ter manifested among so many of his supporters. Nor does it appear to bother him how much lacking they may be in sound principles so long as they are applauding him. once again we counsel our readers to compare the Present Truth with our presentations; then determine for themselves where lies the “spirit of understanding.”

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;

then health is loot, something is lost;

When character is lost, everything is lost!

At this same Chicago Convention R. G. Jolly offered the lame excuse that the lord's business meetings (meaning his own, of course) are to be viewed differently than worldly business meetings; these “require haste”, so they are not conducted with open discussion, formal motions, etc. This also is only R. G. Jolly's own interpretation of such gath­erings. When Brother Johnson conducted his Convention business meeting at Detroit in 1948, at which R. G. Jolly was elected Executive Trustee in prospect, there was a for­mal motion – drawn by skilled minds other than Brother Johnson – with open discussion about it. But R. G. Jolly will have none of this sort of thing, the real reason being that his business meetings are nothing more than “service” meetings, with testimonies by various ones about their successes to further his methods. As one of his more prominent representatives told us personally sometime back – R. G. Jolly is not con­ducting business meetings to dicuss our business; he is simply asking those present to approve what he is doing – much the same as is done at the JW Service Meetings.

At the Philadelphia Convention over labor Day he had fourteen speakers in his Symposium on Love, some of them just babes in the Truth. One of the speakers was once relieved from the Bible House by Brother Johnson because of his incompetence, Brother Johnson referring to him as the Great Pretender because he “pretended” to know so much about some things of which he knew almost nothing. Yet, with speakers of that calibre R. G. Jolly told the Convention their discoursing on Love was even better than Brother Russell's Pilgrims had presented on the same subject at a certain Convention Symposium back in the Farousia! The responsibility for order in the Church, and for the spiritu­al health of the members, rests squarely upon the leaders, as the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the last Star Members so clearly teach.

Such experiences bring us to a more acute understanding of Jesus' parable in Matt. 13:47-51, in which the great Truth fishing net is cast among the masses of hu­manity, bringing hosts of bad along with the good, with the undesirables cast back into the sea “at the end of the age.” This was evident after Brother Russell's death, when so many went their various ways, some in worse condition than when the Truth had found them. Thus, the Epiphany has made manifest the counsels of hearts; and it still continues to do so. It would be folly supreme to assume that this same situation should not now apply to the LHMM group. “Judgment must begin at the house of God”; and the time since Brother Johnson's death is very sadly manifesting the counsels of hearts – the Epi­phany is revealing persons, principles and things. Therefore, we should “think it not strange”! But it is well to consider that “He that hath much, of him much shall be re­quired”; and those that have basked in the rich Epiphany Truth for these many years must surely have a correspondingly greater responsibility before the Lord. “He that knew his Lord's will, and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes”! Of course, so many now in the LHMM have imbibed the fallacy that they will be saved by “works.” Works surely are necessary (“Faith without works is dead”); but it should be kept clearly in mind that works are the result – and not the cause – of salvation. At are informed that Brother Russell predicted that most of the Truth people would be back in Babylon before the Age fully ended; and we are witness to his wise foresight – most of them are there, and more will undoubtedly yet be there.  In fact, this will be true of all who have not “received the Truth in the love of it”; and it seems quite fitting here to present the Berean Cam­ments on 2 Thes. 2:10, 11:

“Love of the Truth” ...If we do not cultivate love for the truth until it out­weighs all other things, we will not be fit for the kingdom.

“Shall send them”...All, in the end of the Gospel Age, who, having been favored with the Word of God, have failed to appreciate and use it.

“Strong delusion”...Giving them over to error, which they prefer to the Truth.  Great delusions are just before us, and some of these may come closest upon those possessing the most light of Present Truth.

In due time we shall have more to say on the above; but suffice now to say we are witness to further “strong delusions” since Brother Johnson's death, perhaps the chief of which are Campers “Consecrated” and the “salt of the earth” now including all of the Household of Faith – even these Campers (a Restitution Class) – while de­nying that the real “Salt” is still with us. Nor should it surprise us that persecu­tion comes to any and all who do not embrace these “strong delusions.” As true now as ever are the Poet's words:

Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne, --

Yet that Scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,

Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His Own.

We see dimly in the present what is small and what is great;

Slow of faith, how weak an arm may turn the iron helm of fate,

But the soul is still oracular; amid the market's din,

List the ominous stern whisper from the Delphic cave within,

“They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin.”

Then to side with Truth is noble when we share her wretched crust,

Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just;

Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside,

Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is crucified,

And the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

Therefore, let us be “not as tin many, who corrupt the word of God”! For 1959 we extend to our readers the fond hope of God's Goodness and Mercy, and that individ­ually and collectively all may grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Beloved Lord Jesus.

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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Questions of General  Interest

QUESTION: – Are the Jews still typically in the antitypical Tabernacle Court?

ANSWER: – No, indeed! When the 70th week was expired, all individual favor was with­drawn from them, which means those who had rejected Christ up to that time had received “the grace of God in vain.” Of course, they could be reinstated into God's favor by accepting Christ (coming through the Gate into the Court). Their situ­ation was analagous to those in the end of the Epiphany who fail to use their tenta­tive justification, and are forced out into the Camp at the Epiphany's end. Some of such will be of the quasi-elect, as Brother Johnson has taught; but this will not be­come clearly manifest until the Millennial Highway is opened after all the Faith Classes (elect classes) have finished their course – at the time Joel 2:28 applies. However, those ejected from the Epiphany Court at its end could not again return to the Household of Faith, as has been true of Gospel Age Jews who may have come into Christ after the 70th week. The rejects at the Epiphany's end could then secure nothing more than Millennial restitution. The above is the Epiphany Messenger's faithful teachings, and is in harmony with all fundamental Parousia and Epiphany Truth – which cannot be true of R. G. Jolly's newly-conceived doctrine which he designates as Epiphany Campers “Consecrated:” We hope, D.v., to offer more on this in a future writing.

QUESTION: – Will you please give us a little more on the Epiphany-Apokalypse?

ANSWER: – These words are not synonymous, but they are so closely interlocked that it is impossible to separate them for this time in which we are living. They accomplish the same thing in some respects without meaning the same thing – much the same as if a man should be hanged or shot. Either would result in his death, thus ac­complishing the same thing; yet shooting and hanging certainly do not mean the same thing.

It is the Parousia, or presence, that accomplishes the Epiphany, or bright shin­ing; and it is the Epiphany that accomplishes the Apokalypse, or uncovering. Thus, it is impossible to have an Apokalypse without an Epiphany; and it is equally impossible to have an Epiphany without a Parousia. At the first Advent “the people that sat in darkness saw great light” (Matt. 4:16).  At that time Jesus “brought life and immor­tality to light”; that is, His presence then epiphanized immortality, as the Old Testa­ment reveals just nothing about immortality as respects any human being. In 2 Tim. 1:10 St. Paul says that the “appearing (Epiphaneia) of Jesus .... brought life and immortality to light.” After the Apostles there developed what we now term “The Dark Ages”; they were not only “dark” in secular aspects, they were also “gross darkness” viewed reli­giously, so that the Old and New Testaments “prophesied in sackcloth” (Rev. 11:3). During that time the various Stewardship Doctrines propounded by the Star Members were simply a revival of truths lost after the first presence; there was no advancing Truth during that time.

Of course, it has always been true that “the entrance of thy word giveth light” (Psa. 119:30); and, while the word “light” in this text does not stem from Epiphaneia, the thought is much the same. Wherever God's word enters, there an Epiphany also oc­curs – not as a period of time, but as an act. This is one of the principal reasons that the Protestant countries of the world are the most enlightened – the result of the great distribution of and freedom in study of the Bible. Substantially all the progress in invention, literature, art, etc., is to be found in these Protestant coun­tries; and it is a sound observation that the intelligence of any country may be gauged by its artistic and inventive genius.

There can be no question that Brother Johnson inseparably linked the Epiphany with the Apokalypse – they are The same in point of time. In E-7-263, top, he says, “as surely as we are in the Epiphany, so surely will they...fail ... the lord is now sub­jecting their works of wood, hay and stubble to the fires of this apokalyptic day (1 Cor. 3:11-15).” Surely, this quotation in this book that was published in 1938 can leave not the slightest doubt that he used the words interchangeably, viewed them as accomplishing the same things during the same period of time; and Brother Johnson had clear Scriptural proof for this teaching.

QUESTION: – Brother Krewson says “error must be defended, Truth can stand for itself.” Is this Scripturally sound?

ANSWER: – No! The statement has no Scriptural support. If it were right, then the Apostles Paul and Jude were wrong. Phil. 1:17 says, “I am set for the de­fense of the Gospel”; and Jude 3 tells us, “Ye should earnestly contend for the faith (the Truth).” Actually, it is not possible properly to defend error because it has no sustaining foundation, being symbolized by the “bottomless pit.” Thus it is only the Truth that can be defended, because it is built upon “the rock”, the same as good and true character. Furthermore, Micah 5:5 states ''When the Assyrian (the errorists) shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise up against him seven shepherds.” Cer­tainly, those “seven shepherds” (the various Star Members) were not raised up during the Gospel Age to defend error; they were specially raised up to defend the Truth against error - and which they did. Eventually, truth will prevail under the capable administration of righteousness – when the “knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the great deep and it may not then be necessary to defend it.' Early in the Epiphany Brother Johnson spent much of his effort toward defending the Parousia Truth. If it did not need defending, then he was simply “beating the air.” We, too, have been endeavoring to defend the Parousia and Epiphany Truth as every faithful servant must do if he would keep his Vow and Resolve. On page 5 of the very same paper which states “the truth can stand for itself” he speaks of Brother Johnson's ability to “defend the Parousia Truth.” J. W. Krewson's “consistency” is so inconsist­ent that he cannot even teach the same thing in the same way twice in the same paper.

Continued repetition of an error does not make it into a truth, nor does repeated denial of a truth make it into error; but the Jolly-Krewson twosome often resort to this technique.  Multiplied repetition of Campers Consecrated, the Iast Saint Gone, etc., does not form those errors into truths – even though such methods may influence “the un­stable and the unlearned”, even as Hitler awayed his partisans who allowed him to do their thinking for them. These “cousins” reverse their positions as frequently as does the weather. At one time J. W. Krewson told R. G. Jolly that he, as antitypical Zerub­babel, would be called upon to defend every feature of Parousia and Epiphany Truth against all attacks. The statement contained in his Do-You-Know is just the reverse of this; his new view says “Truth can stand for itself” – which is a neat alibi for ignoring the devastating exposures of his ''new truths” (actually gross errors). This is a new formula by both these “cousins”, who flee from, or ignore, the “gainsayers”, instead of refuting them in harmony with Scriptural obligation upon all teachers of Truth. Our previous Mouthpieces refuted the errorists with Scriptural proof – while these two “Mouthpieces” (?) repeat their errors and declare the Scriptural refutations presented against them are error, all the while ignoring the Scriptures used against them. All Truths must harmonize with fundamental Truths – thus they can be defended.

QUESTION: – Why do you object to a class in the Camp  at  the  end  of  this age fitting themselves for Mellennial Conditions – such as the Epiphany Campers “Consecrated”?

ANSWER: – We do not object to any one seeking to live in accordance with right principles so far as they are able. We do object to a pseudo class of Epiphany Campers “Consecrated” believing they are on “a narrow way”, because there is no “narrow way” opened for them in the Camp. The only way for Restitutionists is the Highway of Holiness, and that hasn't been opened for them yet. “And an high­way shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The Way of holiness; the un­clean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring man, though fools, shall not err therein.” The “way” here referred to is Christ – the only way for all mankind to get life. His merit is now on embargo for the Household of Faith, and this embargo will not be lifted until the last one of the Household has finished his course – which includes the Little Flock, the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies. So the “way” is not provided in the Camp at this time; it is only in the Court that the “way” is available for any one – and that by the way of a “narrow way” and not the Highway of Holiness at this time.

Christ's righteousness is shown only in the linen curtain about the Tabernacle Court; and without that righteousness it is impossible for any one to offer an ac­ceptable sacrifice to God.  There is absolutely nothing outside that curtain that even hints of a righteousness – no more so in the Camp than in the expanse outside the Camp. In the type a heathen could talk into the Camp at his discretion; but it was never permitted for him to enter the Court. Many Campers may even yet be seeking after righteousness – and may yet find it – but only if they enter the Gate into the Court, which is the only place where Christ's righteousness may be found now – the only place over which his Executorship extends (See E-11-473).