NO. 591 THANKSGIVING

“O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.”

(Psalm 107:1)

THANKSGIVING Day appeals to all of us, and we are glad that the Pilgrim Fathers long years ago started the custom. They placed it at the end of the harvest in recognition of the same. The keeping of such a day appeals to all civilized mankind to a con­siderable degree, because our Great Creator so organ­ized us that the quality of reverence, worship, lies prominently on the top of our heads. The man or woman, rich or poor, educated or ignorant, bond or free, who has not this organ of veneration developed in considerable measure cannot be appreciative and deferential toward his Creator, and hence would not enjoy Thanksgiving Day. We are glad that these are com­paratively few. We are glad to suppose that the ma­jority of this great nation of civilization looks up to God with grateful hearts and renders Him thanks for blessings manifested. Nevertheless, yearly the num­bers increase of those who are losing their reverence for the God of the Bible. These vaguely turn toward a God of Nature, of whom they profess to know com­paratively little. These irreverent and unthankful fel­low creatures are not generally the most ignorant of our race, nor the least favored in temporal mercies and blessings. Among them are many learned, wealthy, in­fluential people. Their condition is well represented by that of a young woman who recently said, "I have lost my God. I am unhappy. I am hoping to be able to find Him again." Thank God, she did find Him again, and is now able to thank Him sincerely.

The Great Teacher prayed for His followers, "Sanc­tify them through Thy Truth; Thy Word is Truth." (John 17:17) To be forearmed with the Truth is to be safeguarded against the error. To be ignorant of the Truth is to fall a prey to the error ─ especially in this "evil day," when "a thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand." (Ps. 91:7) The difficulty with us has been that many have supposed that the conversion of the world and its sanctification can be better accomplished by misrepresentation of Di­vine Character and Justice. Unconsciously we have learned to twist and interpret our Bibles to fit the er­roneous creeds which were handed to us by our well-­meaning forefathers. The Day of Judgment upon these false creeds is upon us. Unless we learn that they do not properly interpret the Bible we will reject the Bible when we reject the creeds ─ and that must be very soon for all thinking people. "To the Law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Is. 8:20.) "Come, let us reason together, saith the Lord!" If our creeds tell us truly that we were all born damned to eternal torment, should we give thanks on this account? If our creeds tell truly that an elect handful of saints will escape the torture, how do we know whether or not we belong to that elect handful? Have we sufficient information on this subject to give thanks therefor? If our creeds tell truly that nearly all the members of our families, nearly all of our neighbors and friends, being unsaintly, not "sanctified in Christ Jesus," not followers in the footsteps of Jesus, not of those "who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit" ─ these all, except a mere handful, are doomed to more horrible torture than the worst earthly suffer­ings we could possibly imagine for them, and are doomed to these for centuries in Purgatory, according to the Catholic; or for all eternity, according to our Protestant theories. Can we honestly thank God for any of these conditions, if we believe them to be true? Can we "worship in spirit and in truth" a Creator who would make such an atrocious plan? And could we respect His honesty, if He labeled it "good tidings of great joy to all people"?

 If the foregoing things, which have come down to us from the "Dark Ages," be true, of what conse­quence, in comparison, would be the material harvests of earth, which would merely encourage and stimulate the bringing into being of larger numbers of our race to experience those tortures? If these things be true, rather should we give thanks for famine and pestilence, which would obliterate our race entirely and thus save future thousands of millions from the horrors of eter­nal torture. These thoughts will come to all intelligent beings sooner or later. We bring them forward now, in order that we may offset them with the Truth ─ that we may show the fallacy of these "doctrines of devils," as St.   Paul designates them (1 Tim. 4:1). We bring them to your attention so that we may not only demol­ish them, but give you instead the true, satisfactory portion, the Truth, the Bread that came down from heaven to give life eternal, not merely to the saintly few of the Church, but to mankind in general. Those who get the proper view of our Creator and of His glorious Plan for human salvation will be forever pro­tected from such fears and doubts respecting Divine goodness. Getting the proper view of the Heavenly Father's character, through the discernment of His Plan of the Ages for spiritual Israel, natural Israel and the world in general, they will hereafter be able to celebrate every Thanksgiving Day much more abun­dantly, much more intelligently, much more happily than any in the past. More than this, to these every day will be a happy day if, rightly exercised by the goodness of God, they shall give Him their hearts.

 In the Psalm from which our text is taken the Prophet David repeats five times this sentiment of Thanksgiving to God because of the ever-continuance of His mercy. Our English translation does not give us the exact thought, however. Properly translated it would read, "O give thanks... for His mercy endureth ever." The word "evermore" nearly represents the thought of the Hebrew, which signifies not for­ever, but to a completion. As long as there is any use for mercy, God's mercy will continue. When the Great Divine Program shall have been accomplished, when every creature in heaven and in earth, and under the earth, shall be heard saying, Praise and glory and honor, dominion and might be unto Him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb forever (Rev. 5:13), then there will no longer be need for mercy; mercy will have accomplished its work. Mercy signi­fies the setting aside of justice in some manner, for some reason. Justice is the foundation of God's throne ─ the foundation of the Divine Government. Justice had control of Father Adam and offered him eternal life in an Eden home, as a reward for obedience, or death, extinction, as the penalty for disobedience. As Divine Wisdom had foreknown, man disobeyed and the penalty of Justice, "Dying thou shalt die," was ex­ecuted. Through heredity all of Adam's race became involved ─ all inherited sin and death.

For more than two thousand years death reigned un­der the edict of Justice, and our race as a whole was subject to it. A little later the Law Covenant was made with Israel ─ one nation out of many. It seemed to offer mercy, but did not. They were placed under the Law and were merely offered eternal life, if they could keep the Law ─ which they could not keep, be­cause of inherited blemishes, moral and physical. It was over four thousand years from the time Justice struck the fatal blow until Divine mercy stepped for­ward with the healing balm. God's mercy is His love in active operation for the relief of the condemned. Although God is Love, and hence must always have been loving and kind and merciful of disposition, yet this quality of His character was held in restraint as respects condemned men for more than forty centuries. So the Apostle explains, saying, "Herein was mani­fested the love of God, in that He sent His only be­gotten Son into the world" "that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (1 John 4:9; John 3:16) But meantime the darkness of sin and the misrepresentations of the Divine char­acter by the Adversary had so operated upon the fallen race that ─ eyes had they, but they saw not; ears had they, but they understood not; hearts had they, but they comprehended not, the message of Divine mercy. They fulfilled the Scriptures in slaying the One sent for their relief. And they have misunderstood, slandered, maligned, "killed" His followers ─ the few blessed with the hearing ears and the understanding hearts and the eyes of faith. These few constitute what the Scriptures designate the true Church of God, including the Apostles and all the faithful throughout this Age ─ the household of faith, "the Church of the First-Borns, which are written in heaven." (Heb. 12:23)

Man's necessity became God's opportunity for the display of His glorious character ─ perfect in Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power. While love could not clear the guilty, it could provide a Redeemer to suffer, "the Just for the unjust." But Divine Justice could not al­low this, unless with the consent of the sufferer. Hence we read that God set before His only begotten Son a glorious Plan and invited His co-operation therein. The Son assented, left the heavenly glory, was made flesh and "offered Himself" an acceptable sacrifice, "the Just for the unjust" ─ for the redemption of Adam and his race. The Father honored Him by raising Him from the dead to a still higher glory and honor than He had before, to immortality ─ the Divine na­ture. Now, from this glorious station, He is empowered to be the Mediator between God and men ─ between Divine Justice and fallen humanity. He is empowered to give the earthly rights which He sacri­ficially laid down for Adam and his race – to as many of them as will accept the perfection of human nature and its rights and privileges upon terms in harmony with the Divine Law ─ the remainder He will destroy, annihilate "as brute beasts." (2 Pet. 2:12; Acts 3:23) As though all this were not sufficiently wonder­ful; as though with all this the Heavenly Father's Wis­dom, Justice, Love and Power would not be sufficiently illustrated, exemplified, God added another feature. Before beginning to deal with the world as a whole, to give back to the willing and obedient of the race human perfection and an earthly Eden, Paradise, and eternal life; before commencing this work of restitu­tion (Acts 3:19), the Father made known to the Son another feature of His Plan. He would give to the Son a Bride, a class selected from amongst the fallen race ─ called, chosen, faithful overcomers. These, as the Joint-Heirs of the Second Adam, will share with Him in the uplifting of those of Adam's race who will become the children of Christ through obedience.

REJOICING IN TRIBULATION

The trials and testings of all those who will become the Bride of Christ must be similar to those of the Re­deemer. They must suffer with Him if they would reign with Him. As He sacrificed His earthly life and rights and interests, so must they. He exhorted them, "Present your bodies living sacrifices, holy and ac­ceptable to God, a reasonable service." (Rom. 12:1) True, there is a difference between these followers of Jesus and the Captain of their Salvation. He was brought into the world holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners; hence His sacrifice is a perfect one. Those accepted as His members, as His Bride, belong to the race of sinners. They were “children of wrath even as others.” (Eph. 2:3) Their acceptance as sacrifices, therefore, was not possible except as the great Captain of their Salvation imputed to those sac­rifices a sufficiency of the merit of His sacrifice to compensate for their defects and to make their sacri­fices acceptable to the Father with His and as a part of His ─ they being counted in with Him as "members of His Body." Those of us who have the eye of faith and the bearing of faith to appreciate this, the Message of God's Word, may surely be thankful to the last de­gree. What more could our Heavenly Father do for us than He has done ─ redeeming us, inviting us to a new nature, giving us the aids by the way, and making us sharers in the Kingdom glory of His Son? More than this, He has been blessing our friends, our chil­dren, our parents, our neighbors, the heathen ─ all of mankind, of one family.

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever!" During this Gospel Age His mercy has been manifest to all those who take up their cross and follow Jesus. By and by these will be glorified in the "First Resurrection." Then His mercy will return to natural Israel under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31), of which Christ and the Church are "Able Ministers," Servants, Priests and Kings. Could all the world discern, through the trials and tears and sorrows and imperfections and dying of their present experience, the glorious outcome which God is provid­ing the whole world, they would be filled with praise to Him who loved us and bought us back from the pen­alty of death and who ultimately will complete His glorious work through Messiah's Kingdom. Have we not, as followers of the Lord, as Christians, misrepre­sented the facts of the case and endeavored to have people give thanks to God for unkind-ness, injustice, lovelessness ─ to a God whose mercy never reached us and would never reach any but a small proportion of our race through the knowledge of Christ; to a God whose mercy, even to the one-tenth of those who had ever heard of Him, He said, would endure only for the present life, and even among these bring a blessing only to a mere handful of the elect? Let us go back to the Word of God and free our minds of the preju­dices of superstition and misinterpretation handed down from the Dark Ages. Let us see the glory of our God, as revealed in the Bible.  Let Christians give thanks that, by the grace of God, their eyes and ears of understanding are opening to a better knowledge of Him.  Let them give thanks, not only for redemption from the death sentence, but also for their call to saint-ship and its consequent suffering in this present time and its promise of reward of glory on the spirit plane by and by.  Let the world give thanks in proportion as it is able to discern God’s goodness and mercy for Adam’s race ─ that eventually through the channel of the glorified Church the Divine blessing will be extended to every member of Adam’s race, giving opportunity to all to attain life everlasting with full human perfection and an everlasting Eden upon this now sin-cursed earth of ours.

(Brother Paul S.L Johnson, The Herald of the Epiphany, pages 41-43, November 15, 1926)

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“PRESBYSTERIANS TO DECIDE ON WORSHIP ALTERNATIVES FOR TRADITIONAL TRINITY: BIRMINGHAM, ALA. ─ Delegates of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are to tackle whether to adopt gender-inclusive language for worship of the divine Trinity along with the traditional ‘Father Son and Holy Spirit.’

“A study panel said the classical language for the Trinity shouldn't be diminished, but advocated ‘fresh ways to speak of the mystery of the triune God’ to ‘expand the church's vocabulary of praise and wonder.’

“One reason is that language limited to the Father and Son ‘has been used to support the idea that God is male and that men are superior to women,’ the panel said.

“Conservatives object that the church should stick close to the way God is named in the Bible.

“Among the feminist-inspired, gender-inclusive options:

“‘Mother, Child, Womb’

“‘Lover, Beloved, Love’

“‘Creator, Savior, Sanctifier’

“‘Rock, Redeemer, Friend’

“‘King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love.’

“Two professors at the Presbyterians' Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Andrew Purves and Charles Partee, said there is potential danger that ‘we not only lose the ground for our language for God, we in fact lose the Trinity. We lose God.’

“‘We do not need a diluted, metaphorical Trinity; rather, we need our confidence in the Christian doctrine of God to be restored,’ they said.

“Other critics noted that Jesus' most famous prayer begins by addressing ‘Our Father.’”

(By Richard N. Ostling, AP Religious writer, June 19, 2006)

Comment: The above is a good example of how the nominal churches have fallen. Of course, this is just one denomination, but there are signs in all of them. In the first place, the Trinity is a false doctrine. The first commandment shows that. It reads: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord God is one Lord." (Deut. 6:4) And Jesus repeats it in Mark 12:29 and the scribe that had questioned Jesus said: "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God: and there is none other but He." (Mark 12:32)

But now here comes the Presbyterians injecting gender into the matter. The column says that it is feminist-inspired. The idea that God is a male in the sense of humanity is unreasonable. The term "Father" means life-giver. This means that He, as Father, provided the life principle for mankind and Mother Earth does the nourishing. We equate that with the fact that in human beings, it is the father that produces the life principle, or sperm. The Mother nourishes before and after birth. This in no way downgrades either the male or the female. They share. This is, also, shown in Jesus and His Bride. Jesus will be the life-giver in the Kingdom and the Church, which is His bride, will do the nourishing.

But God, as the life-giver, created Adam and Eve through Jesus, not that He entered into any sexual activity to do so.  He had the power and possession of the life principle.  The Scriptures speak of Jesus as God’s “only begotten Son.”  This means that Jesus was the only direct creation of God.  All other things were created by Him through Jesus, who was the Word or Logos before He came into the world. (See John 1:1-3)

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TIME TO TURN TO GOD

“It might sound silly, or even naive, but the time has come to turn to G-d. Throughout our history, the Jewish people have always turned toward Heaven in the face of peril, brandishing the most potent of weapons contained in our armory: the power of prayer. It is time we do so once more. If our enemies are intent on waging a holy war against us, shouldn't we deploy our spiritual arsenal too?

“As an undergraduate at Princeton University, I took a number of courses in political thought. We were constantly being told that international relations is the sum product of the interplay among the various actors on the world stage, be they people, nations or leaders. But what the learned professors forgot to mention, of course, is that in addition to the actors, there is also the Director, and it is He who writes the script of what is yet to be.

“Prayer gives each of us a chance, a unique opportunity, to appeal to the Director, and to influence the outcome of this production called history. But we must act quickly, because the clock is ticking, and the danger of a nuclear Iran grows ever more near.

“Jews, Christians, and others should launch an international campaign of prayer for Israel. We must storm the Heavens, and beseech G-d to intervene at this, the Jewish people's hour of need. Synagogues, churches, and other houses of worship should lead the call, creating a ‘prayer shield’ around the Jewish state. Now, more than ever, we must utilize our faith.”

(Excerpt from Michael Freund, Columnist for The Jerusalem Post, Reported by Bridges For Peace, July/August 2006)

“UNUSUAL TRADE:  Israel exports surplus apples to Syria. For the second straight year, Israeli apple growers expanded their customer base to include an unlikely, but eager purchaser of their surplus produce ─ Syria.

“Using the United Nations as intermediary, Israel exported about 10,000 tons of apples from the Golan Heights to Syria this spring, double the amount exported last year. The growing trade in apples between the two countries, which are technically at war with each other, is an interesting anomaly in a region riddled with violence and conflict. The Syrians, apparently short of apples, unexpectedly agreed to the deal, brokered by the UN on behalf of the Israel Agriculture Ministry.

“Ironically, Israel’s apples are grown mainly in the Golan Heights, which Syria has considered occupied territory since the 1967 Six Day War. The produce will come from Druze apple growers. The deal is expected to help Jewish growers by stabilizing prices on the local market, said Glora Sela, Director of the Israel Farmers’ Federation.

“In another twist, Sela said Israel’s surplus of apples stems from the inability of growers to market the produce in Gaza due to the prolonged closure of the Karni border terminal, shut down for security reasons. Syrian consumers may not be able to taste the Israeli apples as the importers will probably resell the apples to states in the Persian Gulf, where produce prices are much higher.”

(Excerpted from an article by Scott Shiloh, InternetNetNews, Reported by Bridges For Peace, May-June 2006)

“3,000-year old-city found – An ancient Jewish town from the time of King Solomon has been uncovered beneath the Arab village of Kafr Kana, north of Nazareth in the Galilee.  Kana, or Cana, is where Jesus performed his first miracle turning water into wine (John 21).

“Archaeologists date the remains of a city wall and buildings to the periods of the United Kingdom of King Solomon and the Kingdom of Israel, following the split between Israel and Judah, from the 10th to the 9th centuries BC. Pottery vessels, large quantities of animal bones, a scarab depicting a man surrounded by two crocodiles, and ceramic seal bearing the image of a lion were discovered at the site.

“Yardena Alexandre, director of the excavation, reported that evidence was found indicating the place was ransacked during the 9th century BC. Following the destruction, the excavation area was abandoned until its ruins were re-inhabited by Jewish settlers during the Early Roman period (1st century AD). The identity of these residents as Galilean Jews was already known from previous excavations.  The discovery includes remnants of Jewish settlement during this Roman period. Among the findings are underground tunnels excavated by Jews who defended the city against Roman legions during the Great Revolt of the year AD 66.

“Some of the walls that were destroyed were reused in the new construction, and new floors were laid down.  The Jewish settlers built igloo-shaped pits on the ruins of the previous settlement, whereby the bedrock served as the floor of the pit and the walls were built.  A rock-hewn pit in one of the tunnels contained 11 storage jars char-acteristic of the second half of the 1st century AD.

“Alexandre noted that ‘the pits are connected to each other by short tunnels.  It seems that they were used as hiding refuges ─ a kind of concealed subterranean home – that were built prior to the Great Revolt against the Romans in AD 66.’”

(Bridges For Peace – May-June 2006)

“SOMETHNG EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW:  The Palestinian’s assertion that Gush Katif is legally their land is simply untrue. Gaza has never been ‘Palestinian land.’ From 1948 to 1967 it was Egyptian-occupied territory. Before that from 1922 to 1948, it was part of the League of Nations mandate to create a Jewish national home under the trusteeship of Great Britain. For four centuries before the Mandate it was a part of the Ottoman Empire. There was no sovereign entity called Palestine, and therefore no legally ‘Palestinian land,’ during this or previous history.”

(Excerpts from The Jerusalem Post, by Max Singer, March 2006)   

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION ─ If only the elect are now inscribing their names (characters) in the Book of Life, is there no remembrance of the noble characters of the world?

ANSWER   ─ "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Prov. 15:3) The residue of mankind will be awakened with the same character qualities they had in this Age, which will be a wonderful "remembrance" for the noble of this world. However, the "repentant and believing" of the finished Epiphany Camp hold a better position, although all restitutionists will receive the resurrection of the unjust whatever character qualities they may have. But we believe the "repentant and believing" who offer "prayers and alms" in this Age are in relatively the same position as was Cor­nelius before his consecration was acceptable. See Acts 10:1-4. The following is a quotation from Brother Johnson's teaching on this subject:

"Question: What is the book of life?

“Answer: The expression, ‘book of life’ is found seven times in the A.V. (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19, the Greek word xulon used here, should be translated tree or wood). In order to under­stand more clearly what is meant by the ‘book of life,’ we want to state, first of all, that there are, generally speaking, two books of life ─ one for the elect and another for the non-elect class (Rev. 20:12). According to this passage, during the Gospel Age the books (the 66 books of the Bible) are opened to our understanding as the Lamb's book of life; but in the Millennium another book of life (the New Covenant revelations) will be opened (made clear). Since the Bible is really an elaboration of the Covenants, the two books of life may, generally speaking, correspond to the all-embracing Abrahamic Covenant, especially in its Oath-bound features, and the New Covenant.

"Question: What is meant by names being written in the book of life? 

“Answer: Sometimes it may refer to one's office activities in God's arranged plan (Ex. 32:33,34), but the usual meaning is that of one's character being inscribed into a Covenant. By this we mean developing a character in harmony with a covenant, thus en­abling us to become a partaker of the covenant's promises. During the Gospel Age, every consecrated and Spirit-begotten one (except the 12 Apostles, who, before Pentecost, Luke 10:20, because of their pre-anointing, were treated in the same way as the Spirit­-begotten) at the time of his entrance into the High Calling began to inscribe his char­acter into the Covenant in its Sarah features, which develop the Christ class. Some failed to continue this work, through allowing sin, error, selfishness and worldliness to interfere to such an extent that they fell into the Great Company. Thus they were blotted out of their places as Little Flock members. If unfaithful as Great Company members, they will be blotted out of their places as such, and out of existence entirely, i.e., go into the Second Death; but if faithful as Great Company members, they will inscribe their characters into those features of the Covenant typed by Rachel. The Ancient Wor­thies began and Youthful Worthies also at consecration begin to inscribe their characters into the earthly features of its Oath-bound phase. If faithful, they will have their names written in heaven (Heb. 12:23) at the beginning of the Little Season, for they are among the antitypica1 Millennia1-Age firstborn (Levites) who had no inheritance in the land (Ex. 12:11-13, 21-23,27; 13:1,2, 11-15;  Num. 3:40-51). Thus all the elect classes will ul­timately have their characters inscribed into the all-embracing Abrahamic Covenant in one or another of its features.

"In the Millennium, the non-elect, the restitution class, will have to develop their characters in harmony with the new book of life, the New Covenant revelations, which will then be given. As they progress up the highway of holiness, they will be symbolically writing their names in this other book of life ─ inscribing their characters into the New Covenant. Of course, those who die the Second Death will have their names blotted out of that book. Surely as we consider this matter and its importance to all of us as God's people, we can indeed rejoice as Jesus said, ‘in that our names (either actually, or prospectively in the case of the Youthful Worthies) are written in heaven!’

"Question: Does Rev. 22:19 apply to the Gospel Age or to the Millennial Age? 

“Answer: This verse contains a warning which has applied all during the Gospel Age and it will also apply in the Millennium. We pointed out above that the Greek word for book in the expression, ‘book of life’ should be translated tree or wood. In Rev. 2:7 the tree of life refers to something in which the Christ class is to share. The world of mankind has another tree or grove of life (Rev. 22:2) in which it is to share. Therefore the warning in this text is applicable to any in either Age." (July 1950 Present Truth, pages 110, 111)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

                                                                                                     June 17, 2006

Dear Emily and Marjorie,

Warm greetings from the Galilee where Our Lord spent his time mostly on the earth! It is hard to realize I can live in such a special place!

The last two months have been an extremely busy time with the Bed and Breakfast rooms. There have been many tourists in Israel and I have had guests the last two months from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Australia, Hong Kong, U.S.A and Israel. So a very international house! It is good to be able to share with them about God’s plans and purposes.

It isn’t easy to manage all the work without Lev, but the Lord gives me new strength day by day. Also I am learning to pace myself.

In Israel we feel like a “pot just ready to boil,” but where or when is the question. There is near civil war within the Palestinian areas, and reminds one of Israel’s enemies in the past turning against each other. Then Hezbollah in the north is ready for a fight. Who knows what this crazy Iranian leader will do next. In the meantime Olmert runs around trying to sell his new borders, and no one is ready to buy. So we see the plans of man can be great, but God brings all things out in His way in the end.  What a wonderful God we serve!  Take care.

                                                                    Love, Hava Bausch       (TIBERIAS, ISRAEL)

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                                                                                                     July 24, 2006

Dear Emily and Marjorie: Many warm greetings from the Galilee!

Hope you are all having a good summer.  Our summer is not only hot in temperature but also with the war’s situation here now. It all came upon us so fast, and it is still hard to realize that over one million people are being kept in or near shelters in the north of Israel on a daily basis. We have had nearly 2,000 missiles land in the northern third of Israel now in some eleven days. Considering the number coming in each day, between 100 and 200, there have been many miracles that more people have not been killed! Many missiles land in open areas or empty homes or apartments. Sadly those that do hit are made more deadly by the 40Kg of ball bearings that are placed in the missile. That makes it like a machine gun as it explodes killing anyone around. So we have to go to our shelters whenever the missiles are coming and we are warned by the sirens that give us one minute. I have a shelter in one corner of my home, and have to go there two or three times a day. You never know when and for how long, so it is a very tense time for everyone. About half the people on our street block have fled to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. So Tiberius, as well as the other cities in the north, are like ghost towns. Most shops are closed, with few cars on the roads, and no children out playing even though it is school vacation now.

It is not easy to be without Lev through all this experience, but good to know the Lord is my shelter as in Psalm 91! Only He can we depend on in these turbulent times. I do appreciate your prayers now, and for Israel!

The Scripture on your July/August newsletter Isaiah 40:1,2 could not be more appropriate for this time as we need to “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people!” Thank you for the encouraging words regarding Israel and God’s plan for his people. May God continue to bless all of you there.  May He also give you strength daily.

                                                                         Love, Hava Bausch       (TIBERIAS, ISRAEL)

Comment: We can see from the two letters above how quickly things can change in the Middle East as well as elsewhere. However, we must remember that the trouble will come in spasms with periods of relative quiet in between, much as a woman in childbirth (1Thes. 5:3). So we must gird up the loins of our minds and have patient endurance waiting for the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

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Dear Brethren,

Thank you so much for the “Divine Plan of the Ages.” I just love it! It really makes me think and helps me apply what I learned to the Bible. Your thoughtfulness touches me.

Thank you for such a blessing.                                                  Love, ___       (FLORIDA)

NO. 590 IN MEMORIAM OF THAT SERVANT

 In Ephesians 4:10-13 the Apostle Paul gives a terse outline of the Gospel-Age Church in its organizational nature; and we offer some of this Scripture from the Diaglott: “He [Jesus] is the one having ascended far above all of the Heavens, so that He may fulfill all things. And He gave indeed the apostles, and the prophets, and the evangelists, and shepherds and teachers... for the work of service in order to the building up of the body of the Anointed One.” The Apostles in this text refer exclusively to the Twelve, who wrote by inspiration, and were given plenipotentiary powers by Jesus. “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” (Matt. 16:19)

Next in order and in rank in the Church are the “prophets.” These cannot be the Old Testament prophets because they are not a part of the Church; therefore, they must be men of rank in the Gospel Age, and we understand them to be included in the “seven stars” of Rev. 1:16: “He [Jesus] had in his right hand seven stars.” On page 345 of the 1916 Watch Tower, there is this comment about them:

“This One whom we thus know, thus recognize, as the instructor and Caretaker of the candlesticks, we are also to recognize as having in His right hand ─ in His favor as well as His power ─ seven stars, the angels, the messengers, of the seven churches. That they are in His right hand seems to teach us that these should be considered as in some special sense under the Master's guidance, protection and care in the interest of the Churches which they represented.”

So far as we know, That Servant never named seven individuals as these “seven stars”; however, immediately after Brother Russell's demise, J. F. Rutherford named St. Paul, St. John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe, Luther and Brother Russell as the “seven stars.” While we agree that the above seven are a part of the “seven stars,” we believe there were others. This list omits Claudius of Turin, the first Protestant Reformer, John Wesley, Servetus, Hubmaier, and many other saintly reformers of the Gospel Age. We believe the “seven stars” are a composite group of forty-nine ─ 7 X 7 = 49 ─ just as The Mystery of God, The Christ, is a composite group of 144,001 members. “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand... The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” (Rev. 1:20) “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Rev. 10:7)

It is not our purpose here to elaborate upon the “evangelists” (lesser lights in the general church than the “prophets”) or the “shepherds and teachers” (local elders), other than to note that these four classes of leaders constitute the full and complete organization of the Church ─ and is not an organization made by man. This organization should not be added to nor taken from. “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” (Rev. 22:7,18) And, since St. Paul wrote by inspiration, we may accept his outline as being infallible. He further defines these two classes of Church leaders in Eph. 2: 19,20, Dia.: “You are fellow-citizens with the saints... having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.” During the Age many have attempted to add to, or take from this organization, or arrangement, for the Church, which has brought them the condemnation of Rev. 22:18,19. They are the class described in Psa. 107:11: “They rebelled against the words of God [the true Bible doctrines], and contemned the counsel of the Most High [the organization of the Church as given by St. Paul].”

The same Apostle gives the Church organization in slightly different words in 1 Cor. 12:27-29, Dia.: “Now you are a Body of Christ, and members in part. And those whom God placed in the congregation, are first Apostles; second, Prophets; third, Teachers... All are not Apostles; all are not Prophets; all are not Teachers.” Here again St. Paul says the Prophets are second to the Apostles, and given their place in the congregation for the work of the ministry, for the perfecting of the Saints. And, since God has so placed them, woe be to any who attempt to place themselves into such positions, or to ignore those that God has so placed. When the great apostasy developed, after the demise of the Apostles, the Church of Rome tossed aside completely the organization of the Church ─ just as they did with all the important teachings of the Bible ─ they “rebelled [revolutionized] against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High.” And in like manner, the Jehovah's Witnesses have done much the same thing since Brother Russell's demise. “And on this account God will send to them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood [such as Millions Now Living Will Never Die; and more recently, their establishment of the Kingdom in this “present evil world,” etc.]; in order that all those may be judged who believed not the truth, but approved the iniquity.” (2 Thes. 2:11,12, Dia.)

“Them that honour Me I will honour” (1 Sam. 2:30); and we do well also to honor those that the Lord honors ─ not as “angel” worshipers, but in sound and proper appraisal of their position in the Household, their service in the Household, and as examples of the believers in the Household. Actuated by this text, we now offer some observations concerning Brother Russell in memory of his passing beyond the vail October 31, 1916.

Some of the Gospel-Age prophets had a special doctrine that they emphasized above all others, and which acted somewhat as the foundation of all their teachings; and we believe this was true of Brother Russell, which we would briefly describe as: A correct understanding of the Atonement as portrayed in Leviticus 16, the central teaching of which is RESTITUTION.

THE PATH OF THE JUST

“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prov. 4:18) This truth has applied all during the Age to the course of the individual believers, and to the Church as a body; and it was pointedly true of Brother Russell in his own endeavors to arrive at the truth on various subjects, some of which we now describe. First, however, we would commend the courage of the man for casting aside the vast accumulation of error that existed in the early days of his ministry. Many of those errors were firmly entrenched as the truth by the powerful leaders of Christendom; and it required not only courage, but unusual brilliance of mind to separate the truth from the error. Even those truths that were held by the various systems, such as justification by faith, baptism, etc., needed much polishing to bring them to the clarity with which we now understand them, and which we accept as fact, often not considering the great amount of work that was required to hand them to us as we now accept them in commonplace fashion. And one of these great truths was the doctrine of Restitution, which had been completely lost during the Dark Ages.

Some detail on the subject will clarify this. Brother Russell had been closely associated with Messrs. Barbour and Paton as co-editors of The Herald of the Morning; but in 1878 Mr. Barbour began to develop his errors in denial of the Ransom; and he cunningly stressed Leviticus 16 as proof of his contention. This distressed Brother Russell greatly. He knew the arguments were wrong, but he did not understand the truth clearly enough to refute them. Knowing they had come into the Harvest of the Gospel Age, he logically concluded that any error that appeared would be clearly refuted by the Truth, because the time had come for “the hail [hard sharp Truth] to sweep away the refuge of lies.” (Isa. 28:17) Therefore, he sent word to the foreman of his Pittsburgh store that he would not come that day, and for him to conduct the business as usual in his absence. Knowing that Hebrews discusses more than any other Biblical book the tabernacle types, and that St. Paul possessed a very clear understanding of those types, he spent that whole day in study and prayer in a strenuous effort to learn the truth about them. By evening he was still completely in the dark, so he spent the next day in the same manner, and with the same results. He went to his task the third day, and about noon came to Hebrews 13:10-16, wherein the Apostle contrasts the sacrifices of the Jewish ritual with those of the Gospel Age ─ first of all the sacrifice of Jesus as the antitype of the Atonement Day bullock. Realizing that his prayers and efforts had finally been rewarded, he jubilantly exclaimed to his wife: “I have it! I have it!” To which she answered, “Do not be too sure.” However, going over the verses again with her, he reassured himself that he had the truth, and that Restitution was the logical answer to the types in Leviticus 16.

However, he then became measurably afraid of his own findings, so that, instead of rushing into print with this phenomenal truth, he called a conference of leading brethren, and discussed the subject with them for eight days, making notes there that he later published as Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices. Excepting Mr. Paton, those leaders were convinced of the truth, and began to preach it to the Allegheny ecclesia; but they, too, were hesitant about accepting it. But once finally convinced, they heartily began to preach it to others; thus, the light on this great doctrine shone more and more unto the perfect day. The “perfect day” in our text would be better rendered "median day," meaning the position of the sun at high noon, when it is brightest and when it seems to stand still in the heavens.

The great truth contained in Tabernacle Shadows immediately swept away the refuge of lies on eternal torment, the consciousness of the dead, confusion on the establishment of the Kingdom, etc. However, almost always during the Harvest there was primarily a hesitance on the part of those hearing it for the first time to believe it; but persuasion and detailed explanation usually convinced them, after which they, too, accepted it with enthusiasm and then began to preach it to others.

Perhaps a little digression should be injected here. In Exodus 34:29-35 we are told that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai his face shone, “and the children of Israel were afraid to come nigh to him... Moses gave the children of Israel all that the Lord had spoken with him... Till he had done speaking he put a vail on his face.” St. Paul also tells us in Hebrews that those things that occurred at Sinai were typical of the establishment of the Kingdom here in the end of the Age. And the brethren, inoculated as they all were, with the colossal errors of the past, at first feared to receive the Truth. Of course, the first to respond fully to the Tabernacle truths was Brother Russell himself, although even he was overwhelmed by its brilliance for a time; but the Lord then used him as the vail between Him and the brethren to buffer the dazzling effect at first experienced. From this standpoint, Brother Russell was the antitypica1 vail that the Lord used to convey new and radical truths to the Harvest workers.

  As stated foregoing, Leviticus 16 reveals the offerings for sin, which in turn effects atonement, which “in due time” will accomplish “the restitution of all things.” (Acts 3:19-23) After clearly understanding this great truth, Brother Russell repeatedly preached it in his public lectures; and he urged all the pilgrims to do likewise. This in turn aroused the vicious antagonism of the Hell-fire preachers throughout Christendom; but the more they opposed, the more the message prospered; and by the time Brother Russell died in 1916 it was considered by many in Christendom as a reflection upon the intelligence of anyone who still believed in eternal torment as the wages of sin.

BELOVED OF GOD

  Those who knew him well loved Brother Russell as a father ─ probably loved him more than they did any other human being. And this affection shown toward him was never abused, nor did it mar his humility. He was also greatly beloved of God. We understand he was the antitype of Daniel in certain of his activities; and three different times (Dan. 9:23; 10:11,19) we are told he was greatly beloved. “O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened.” (10:19) He was also the antitype of Eldad in Num. 11:26,27; and Eldad means Beloved of God.

His demise in 1916 greatly saddened the entire Truth movement, although it was not long after 1916 before sundry and subtle errors beclouded the minds of many, as the errorists endeavored to take from Brother Russell what God had given him. The following from E-9-319 is a glowing tribute still cherished by many who knew him well:

“He will ever occupy in our hearts the large place that his holy character, unselfish service and faithful sufferings have won for him. That his memory may still continue fragrant and blest to us let us together briefly review the activities, achievements and attainments of this eminent saint of God. He certainly was a SCHOLAR in the true sense of that term. Those who require a university diploma as indispensable evidence of learning will deny him the merit of scholarship. However, there are not a few cases of scholars that were self-made, gaining their knowledge apart from the schools of the learned world. Among such our Pastor won a high place. Apart from English he was not a linguist, though he learned how to use well for his Biblical work the gains of the best scholarship in Greek and Hebrew. He was deeply versed in history, as his writings attest. So thoroughly did he understand business that able financiers eagerly sought his advice. His writings show that he was at home in the perplexing questions of industry, economics, sociology, capital and labor. The realms of philosophy were deeply explored by him, and he was an expert in theoretical and practical psychology and phrenology. Few have understood the workings of the human intellect and heart so well as he. Human anatomy and physiology were open books to him. However, his real eminence in learning was in the domain of theology, in which he was without a peer since the days of the Apostles. His knowledge of the Bible was phenomenal; and when other theologians will have been discarded, he will be recognized as a standing authority in this the greatest of all sciences.

“Naturally such a scholar would be a writer. Very few human beings have written more than he. His correspondence alone was sufficient for the life work of an industrious and talented man. When it is remembered that some years over 300,000 letters and postals were written to him, and that he supervised the answers to this huge mail, we can realize something of the amount of his correspondence and the time and labor involved. As an author he produced six unrivaled books on the Bible whose combined circulation during his life aggregated 10,000,000 copies. As a bookleteer he published a number of booklets of great value, one of which, on Hell, has been circulated more widely than any other booklet ever written. He produced over 200 tracts, some of which attained a circulation of over 50,000,000 copies. His sermons, appearing regularly every week for thirteen years, were published part of that time simultaneously in over 2,000 newspapers, having a combined circulation of over 15,000,000 copies. He edited a semi-monthly religious magazine with a circulation of about 45,000 copies.”

The foregoing is the comment of an eminent scholar, a scholar who had the advantage of higher institutional learning; yet his superiority of schooling did not deter him in giving to Brother Russell the glowing tribute reproduced above. He freely admitted that Brother Russell was his intellectual superior, and gladly rendered honor to whom honor was due. And, as respects Brother Russell's executive ability, we were told that a prominent industrialist once said of Brother Russell that he would be worth two million dollars a year to any corporation large enough to afford such help.

THE PAROUSIA MESSENGER

 It is our opinion that the opening words of the Jeremiah prophecy are well adapted to describing Brother Russell: “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying... I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee. Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.  See,     I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” (Jer. 1:4-10) In his youth Brother Russell was acutely conscious of his lack of higher learning; thus, he considered other prominent religious leaders more qualified than he to declare the truths that had been given him. But he soon recognized that the task was his ─ that the Lord had indeed put His words into his mouth.

With the great advances that had come since 1874 in inventions, in learning, and in the professions, Christendom was basking in the security that no evil could befall them. This was truly a strong deterrent to the preaching of a great world war breaking forth in 1914; and it required exceptional courage and faith to continue to announce it. In fact, we are told that the Gideons (the group that place the Bibles in the Hotels) had a convention in Toronto in 1913, and there made the proclamation that it was nonsense to expect a great war in a year, that Christendom was much too advanced for any such folly. With everything so calm on the surface, the casual observer was inclined to agree with them. It was causing Brother Russell some concern, too, so he made careful re-check of the chronology, but could find nothing wrong with it.

When the war did start right on time in 1914 it was like a bolt of lightning from a sunny sky. With the assassination of the Austrian Archduke and his wife, as they were taking a carriage drive through a part of Serbia, the world became a holocaust in a twenty-­four hour period; and it gave loud testimony to the world that Brother Russell had been “ordained a prophet unto the nations.” Inasmuch as he had made crystal clear the meaning of the Lord's Parousia ─ over the thousand years, and in its various stages ─ Brother Johnson began to refer to him as the Parousia Messenger. This title is not to be found in the Bible by direct statement, but it is easily conceived by considering a few texts. In Psa. 91:11 it is stated, “He will give his angels a charge concerning thee”; and the Manna comment for November 17 explains that these angels would be human messengers provided for the special oversight and welfare of the Church. Thus, Parousia Messenger could aptly be stated Parousia Angel, but Parousia Messenger makes the thought a little clearer to the average reader.

He was not only the Parousia Messenger, but he was That Servant (Matt. 24:45-47), he was the prophet unto the nations (Jer. 1:5), he was “that faithful and wise steward” (Luke 12:42), he was one of the stars (Rev. 1:16), he was one of the prophets in the Gospel-Age Church, and those who knew him intimately would readily testify that he was one of the foundation stones in the Parousia Church (Eph. 2:20), he was a pilgrim, he was a warrior and, as such, he was the antitypica1 Parousia David. He was also the antitypical Eleazar of the Gospel-Age Harvest. As such he had full charge of the anti­typical Tabernacle, the Church: “He shall make him ruler over all His goods.” (Matt. 24:47) In this he was the parallel of the twelve Apostles in the Jewish Harvest. He was a genteel man, but most of his adult years were spent in fighting ─ set for the defense of the Truth. In Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, under biographical names, it lists Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) “American Pastor.” And the same dictionary lists Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942) “Judge - American leader of Jehovah's Witnesses.” It is our hearty recommendation that wherever two or more brethren may meet together that they hold a memorial service the last week in October, which meeting could include testimonies, and perhaps a reading of some sort pertinent to his life, work and character, as we all join in saying, God bless his memory!

THE EPIPHANY MESSENGER

As Pilgrim, Brother Paul S. L. Johnson was Brother Russell's special helper during the final years of his life. The title Epiphany Messenger is likewise not found in the Bible; but, using Psa. 91:11, there is no difficulty in coining the expression. He did for the Epiphany what the Parousia Messenger did for the Parousia, although his ministry was not nearly so extensive or compelling. At the death of the Parousia Messenger we believe it could truthfully be said that all the living Saints had come into his organization, leaving none to be found elsewhere; but this was definitely not the case with the Epiphany Messenger. He often said that there were more Saints in the other Truth groups than he had with him ─ which means it was not necessary for them to come under his direction to retain their saintly standing, although those who did so received special blessings, particularly in service, that did not come to those in the other groups.

He was one of the stars ─ one of the prophets, but much less important than the Parousia Messenger had been. He was certainly the son of the Parousia David; and this is the record in 1 Chron. 22:5: “David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be bui1ded for the Lord must be exceedingly magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will now therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.” Indeed, the Parousia David left a goodly heritage not only to his son Solomon, but to the entire Household, in the clear and logical structure of the Parousia Truth; although many of the former pilgrims began to tamper with that Truth, and it then fell to the lot of the Epiphany Messenger to defend almost every important tenet of Parousia Truth. And now it has become so vitiated by some that it is no longer recognizable for what it once was.

Recognizing the colossal task which faced him, the Epiphany Messenger made special prayer for wisdom and strength sufficient for the job to be done, and this is what 1 Kings 4:29-31 has to say about it: “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men.” Very often did various religious organizations write to him for his analysis on extremely difficult Bible texts; and those of us who were close to him know the skill with which he answered them.

As a young man, before he joined the Harvest Movement, he had gained extensive recognition as a Lutheran minister in Columbus, Ohio, and elsewhere. By intensive study for about three months in 1903 he had been able clearly to see the Truth on the unity of God, human mortality, death as the wages of sin, Papacy as the Beast, identity of the Millennium and the Judgment Day, and 1914 as the end of the Age. Thereafter he made no progress toward understanding Present Truth until he came into the Harvest movement. He was a true scholar of Greek and Hebrew, spoke German fluently; and in his earlier years he was able to give an oration in Latin ─ a feat which very few College professors of Latin are able to do. He graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with the highest honors of anyone who ever attended that institution up to that time. We knew a prominent Lutheran minister in Dayton, Ohio, who had been his classmate, and he said Paul Johnson was known throughout the campus as the mental giant. All this is simply a statement of fact, and in no sense intended to give undue praise, in like manner as he wrote about the Parousia Messenger after his death. Thus, we conclude this present appraisal the same as we did that of the Parousia Messenger ─ God bless his memory!

We invite all of like mind to join with us in giving honor to whom honor is due, and in honoring those whom the Lord honors. Our Lord Himself said, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:26)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 478, October 1996)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION ─ What about the number of the beast, 666?

ANSWER    ─ There are various interpretations given to this. I am not specially prepared to say all about my view of the matter, except that I believe it would represent the title of papacy. There are three Latin words inscribed on the Pope’s crown, Vicarous Felii Dei, the Vicarious Son of God. This title attached to the Pope would seem to be an illegitimate one. He is not the vicarious Son of God; He is not the vicar of Christ; he is not reigning instead of Christ; and therefore every intimation to the effect that he is the substitute or representative of Christ in reigning power would seem to be that much of a blasphemy. Not that the Pope and the Catholics understand that they are blaspheming. I presume they feel fully confident that this is all very true of him. But to our understanding it is untrue, and he is in a false position, and is really anti-Christ, or the counterfeit Christ, as the Bible would express the matter. (1911, page 37)

QUESTION ─ Kindly explain Isaiah 26:14: “They are dead; they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore hast Thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.”

ANSWER    ─ There are some who think that this text refers to mankind and they then try to use this text to overthrow other texts. We should not go trying to overthrow one text by another. We should rather be for trying to bring all the texts of Scripture into full harmony with each other and with the whole. Here is a text which seems to conflict with the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. Look at the text for a moment. We find here a very special description of the class here specified. This description applies to the “Giants” of the present day in the world. This refers to the great giant trusts and corporations that have a wonderful power and they are all coming together. It does not matter how strong they seem to be at the present time, they shall come down. They shall die. They shall perish. They shall never rise again when once they have perished. These are the class to whom this text does refer. (1912, pages 210, 211)

QUESTION ─ Please explain the text that speaks of some persons as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed.

ANSWER    ─ The Apostle is speaking of some who are to suffer destruction at the hands of the Lord, and he says as wild beasts they are taken and destroyed. You do not think it any harm to destroy a lion. Why? Because he is ferocious and apt to do some harm. If it were a dove flying about and harmless, I would say, do not touch it, but let it go. Or if it were some bird of beautiful plumage flying about and doing no harm, but only uttering some beautiful trill of voice, I would say, do not touch the bird. Why should we destroy the life of any such innocent and beautiful creature? But if it were a lion or a tiger, and the whole village or city was in distress because of it, and it was going to do some harm, we would say that we had better destroy it. Every policeman, under such circumstances, is authorized to draw his revolver and to shoot immediately. It is only fit for destruction; and is not a proper thing to let go at liberty. So, the Lord has this view with respecting a certain class He is going to destroy in the Second Death. They are not fit for life; that is the reason they will be destroyed. They are no more fit for life than the brute beasts are fit to live. Just as it is proper to destroy a corrupt person who has injured others, and to cut off his opportunity of perpetuating evil, so it would be to destroy a brute beast. And God purposes that all the wicked will He destroy ─ those who have had full knowledge, and have been helped in every way that God, Christ and the Ancient Worthies will be able to help them ─ after they have had all of that, if they are still, at heart, antagonistic to righteousness, and if they still love iniquity, let them die as brute beasts. But it would not be right to torment them. It is not right to torment brute beasts. Who would say that God or man had a right to torment even brute beasts, or human creatures? But it is right to destroy beasts and it is right for God to destroy those who will ultimately be like brute beasts, in that they would be injurious to others. ( 1907, pages 224, 225)

 (The above questions are from What Pastor Russell Said)

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are pleased to announce that we now have available at no cost to you, tract No. 10, titled God’s Standard. We believe this will be good to give to those who think they are saints and are still “gathering saints.” Also, it would be good to give to those who believe themselves to be Consecrated Epiphany Campers. This would encourage and bless both of those groups, as they would learn that God has opened another door for those consecrators who are too late to be of the Saint class, just as the Ancient Worthies were too early for that elect class.  

NO. 589 THE WORLD'S JUDGMENT DAY

"God hath appointed a Day in the which He will judge the world." (Acts 17:31)

True, it is not today fashionable in civilized commu­nities to worship images; and yet in another sense it is still fashionable. To a great extent idolatry still prevails throughout the civilized world, but in a different form from that of old. No longer do we bow before wooden images, but before inward images ─ the images of our minds, our mental aspirations ─ with some, wealth and fame; with others, ease and pleasures; and with still others, the creed idols of our forefathers ─ miserable mis­representations of the true God.

St. Paul on Mars Hill preached Jesus and the resur­rection ─ Jesus as the Redeemer from the death sentence, making possible the resurrection of the dead by satisfy­ing the demands of Divine Law against the sinner ─ the resurrection as the means or agency through which the blessing of the Savior's death will reach Adam and all the families of the earth. As we follow St. Paul's thought we shall surely be blessed by his view of the Gospel.

Addressing the Gentiles, the Apostle explains that for a long time God had "winked" at polytheism and image worship, “but now,” he says, “God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Let us note the mean­ing of these words. How did God “wink” at sin and idolatry? And does He still “wink” at it? And why did He change and when did He begin to command all men to repent?

The answer is that for four thousand years idolatry prevailed and God “winked” at or took no notice of it. He did not “wink” at the idolaters dying in their igno­rance, and say to the devils, “Take these poor creatures who know no better! Roast them to all eternity!” Noth­ing of the kind. Our forefathers merely imagined that, and by false reasoning convinced themselves, and twisted some texts of Scripture which they did not properly un­derstand in support of this theory; and then they handed it down to us to our perplexity and to the testing of our faith in God.

God “winked” at idolatry and sin for four thousand years in the sense of not noticing it, making no comment on it, sending no reproofs, leaving the heathen in their ignorance. The only exception to this was God's deal­ings with the little nation of Israel. To the Jews He gave a Law Covenant which offered eternal life on the condition of their thorough obedience to the Divine Law, the measure of a perfect man's ability, which they were unable to comply with; and hence they died the same as did the heathen. All went to the Bible hell ─ to the tomb ─ to sheol, to hades, the state or condition of death ─ an unconscious state, a “sleep.”

JESUS THE REDEEMER

God was in no haste, however. Over four thousand years elapsed before Jesus was born, and thirty years more before He began His ministry. Had it been true, as some aver, that millions for all those centuries were blind­ly stumbling into eternal torture for lack of a Divine revelation, we may be sure that our gracious God would not have left them without it.  Who can think of a just and loving God as winking at the going of millions of His creatures to eternal torture? But since they merely "fell asleep" in death, He could very well “wink” at the mat­ter in view of His future plans, as we shall see.

The fact is that no release from death could pos­sibly be made until the Redemption-price had been pro­vided for the original sin under which they were con­demned to death. This is the Apostle's argument, viz., that “now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” The now implies that He did not command men previously to repent; and the reason why He did not do so is manifest; for all the repenting they could do and all the righteous living possible to them would not have saved them. They would have died anyway. Hence there could have been no message sent to them; for if the mes­senger had come and had said, “Repent, and live con­trary to your fallen tastes and appetites," the people might properly enough have said, "Why? For what rea­son should we practice self-denial, self-restraint?  Would it bring us any blessing of everlasting life or harmony with God?” The truthful answer would have been, “No, because you are already under a death sentence and alienated from God as sinners.”

Hence God merely overlooked or “winked” at the ignorance and superstition of the period from Adam to the death of our Redeemer. But as soon as Jesus had died, “the Just for the unjust,” to make reconciliation for iniquity ─ immediately the message went forth ─ God offered forgiveness and reconciliation to those who would believe in Jesus and would accept the Divine terms. Such have their sins forgiven. Such may come back to fel­lowship with God. And, in the next Age, such may even­tually attain full human perfection by restitution proc­esses, up, up to all that was lost in Adam and redeemed at Calvary (John 3:16,17).

GOD'S APPOINTED DAY

Let us note carefully what the Apostle says respect­ing God's appointed Day for the judging of the world. He says that the command to repent now goes forth to all men everywhere, “because God hath appointed a [future] Day, in which He will judge the world.” The Apostle does not refer to that Day as already begun, but as merely appointed or arranged for in advance. He means that in arranging that “Jesus, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man,” God was arrang­ing that every man might have a judgment or a trial, to determine whether or not he will be worthy of this blessing which Jesus’ death provides him an opportunity to secure. The Day was future in St. Paul's time, and it is still future, because God has other work which He purposes shall be accomplished first, before the world's Day of Judgment or trial shall begin.

The world’s Trial Day, or period of judgment, or test­ing as to worthiness or unworthiness for everlasting life, will be one of the thousand-year Days mentioned by St. Peter, who said, “A Day with the Lord is as a thousand years.” The same period is called elsewhere the “Day of Christ,” the Day or period of Messiah's glorious reign. By the righteous ruling of His King­dom, by the suppression of Satan and sin and the scat­tering of darkness, ignorance and superstition, by the shining forth of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in its beams, that glorious Day will bring blessing to the world in general – opportunity for each individual to come into judgment or trial, the result of which will be either the reward of life everlasting or the punish­ment of death everlasting – “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (2 Thes. 1:9)

That great thousand-year Day is still future; and, meantime, the Apostle’s words respecting mankind are still true: “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together” ─ “waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:22,19)  If the nineteen cen­turies’ delay in the introduction of this great Day seems long, let us not forget that it is less than half as long as the period which preceded ─ the period prior to the com­ing of Jesus and His dying, “the Just for the unjust.”

Nor is the entire period long from the Divine standpoint; for as the Prophet declares: “A thousand years in God’s sight are but as yesterday,” or even shorter, “as a watch in the night.” The six great Days of a thousand years each, in which Sin and Death have reigned, are to be followed by a great Sabbath of rest from evil ─ a thou­sand years of refreshment, reinvigoration, upbuilding, restitution (Acts 3:19-23).

"THE MYSTERY OF GOD"

The purpose of the nineteen centuries between the time when Jesus died as man’s Redeemer and the time when He will take His Throne as the Restorer of Adam and his race is spoken of as a Mystery, because the great work of grace herein accomplished is measurably hidden from the world. The Jews do not understand it; they expected that Messiah’s Kingdom and their own national exaltation would have come long ago. They cannot tell now why they have been for eighteen centuries outcast from the Divine favor.  It is a mystery to them.

The Scriptures tell us who may know or understand this Mystery and when it will be finished. They say, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His Covenant.” (Psa. 25:14) They tell us that “in the days of the voice of the Seventh Angel, when he shall begin to sound, the Mystery of God shall be fin­ished” (Rev. 10:7), which He hath kept secret from the foundation of the world. St. Paul refers to this Mystery, saying that it was “hidden from past Ages and Dispensations,” and that it “is now revealed to the saints.” He ex­plains what it is, namely, that we should be fellow-heirs and of the same nature with our Redeemer (Eph. 3:6).

This clearly means that the entire Church class, some­times called “the Body of Christ, which is the Church,” and sometimes styled “the Bride, the Lamb's Wife,” is to be sharer with the Redeemer in the sufferings of the present life and in the glories of the future. The nearly nineteen centuries of this Age, therefore, according to the Scriptures, have been for the purpose, not of giving the world its trial for everlasting life or death, but for the trying, testing, the electing or selecting of the Church, and her perfecting with her Lord as sharers in “His resurrection,” “the First Resurrection.”

We have in the past made two serious mistakes re­specting the Divine purposes. One was that we assumed without Scriptural authority that the whole world is now on trial for eternal life, failing to see that it is merely the elect Church, the consecrated class. The other mis­take is that we reasoned as though the Church were part of the world and, therefore, that the trial of the Church meant the trial of the world. But hearken to the Scrip­tures respecting the Church: “Ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”; “I have chosen you out of the world”; and again, “Let your light so shine be­fore men that they, seeing your good works, may glori­fy your Father which is in Heaven” “in the day of their visitation.” (John 15:19; Matt. 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12)

TWO DIFFERENT REWARDS

We should notice also the wide difference between the reward promised the Church and that proffered the world. In both cases the reward will be everlasting life. In both cases this will mean full harmony with God, be­cause “All the wicked will God destroy.” And again we read that “Whosoever hath the Son hath life, and who­soever hath not the Son shall not see life.” So, then, the attainment of everlasting life, either by the Church class or by the world, will mean coming into full har­mony with the Heavenly Father and with the Lord Jesus, by the merit of Christ’s sacrifice. It will mean a full turning away from sin and a full devotion to God and to righteousness (Psa. 145:20; John 3:36; 5:12).

The difference will be as to nature. The reward for the world will be earthly nature, human nature, with everlasting life in an earthly Paradise or Eden ─ world­wide. Mankind never lost a spiritual or Heavenly condi­tion through Adam’s disobedience, nor in any other man­ner. He never had such a condition or nature, or a right to it, that he could lose it. He was made man, “a little lower than the angels.” His crown of glory and honor was an earthly crown. His dominion was over the birds of the air, over cattle and over the fish of the sea. This which he lost Jesus gave the Redemption-price for at Calvary; and these things lost are the very things which Jesus and His elect Bride will restore to mankind during the thousand years of the Messianic Kingdom. Thus we read: “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Gen. 1:26; Psa. 8:4-8; Luke 19:10)

PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE

The reward of the Church, eternal life, perfection and harmony with God, will be on the spirit plane ─ wholly different from the human. Man in perfection will again be a little lower than the angels; but the Church, as the Body of Christ, will share with her Lord in His exalta­tion, “far above angels, principalities and powers and every name that is named” ─ the Divine nature. This reward comes to the Church under a special covenant of sacrifice, which the Bible specifies (Eph. 1:21; Psa. 50:5).

This Church class, like her Lord, must sacrifice the earthly nature, earthly interests, hopes and aims, and must be begotten of the Father to a Heavenly, spiritual nature, in order to be a sharer in the First Resurrection; and she must enter into her reward before the Messianic Kingdom can be established for the blessing of mankind in general – the saving of the race from sin and death.

Thus the Apostle wrote that the groaning creation “waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19) “Now are we the sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be [how glorious, how great], but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him.” (1 John 3:2) Our resurrection change will make us like the Savior; as it is written, “We shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling,” because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Come back again to St. Paul's words. He does not say that God commanded the Church to sacrifice; for if sacrifice were a command it would cease to be a sacrifice. Nowhere are God's people commanded to present their bodies living sacrifices, nor to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, nor to take up the cross and follow Him. To the saintly these sacrificing features are set forth as a privi­lege ─ as an opportunity. If they do these things the Divine arrangement is that through the imputation of Christ's merit their sacrifice will be holy and acceptable unto God, and they will be granted a share with the Re­deemer in His high exaltation ─ the reward of sacrifice, of self-denial, of loving, voluntary service to God, the Truth and the brethren.

“COMMANDETH ALL TO REPENT”

But to the world in general the Lord issues a com­mand, viz., Repent; turn from your sins; come back to Me; seek My face; seek to know and do My will. The basis of this command is the Divine declaration that God's grace has provided redemption in the blood of Jesus, a reconciliation through His blood, and that by and by the whole world will be on trial for life or death everlasting, in a great Day of trial, which God has or­dained and over which Christ and the Church will su­pervise, as Judges (1 Cor. 6:2,3).

Whoever comes to a knowledge of this great Divine arrangement through Christ has an incentive to live right­eously, soberly and godly in this present time. Whoever hears and heeds this command is laying up for himself a good treasure of character and preparation for his life or death trial in the great Judgment Day of the Messianic Kingdom. Whoever ignores this knowledge and “sows to the flesh” will find himself reaping to the flesh further weakness, further degradation and severer stripes or punishments in that great thousand-year Judgment Day.  (Pastor Russell, Pastor Russell’s Sermons, page 148, March 10, 1912)

When He who is our life

Appears, to take the Throne,

We, too, shall be revealed, and shine

In glory like His own.

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THE LORD’S PRESENCE

Satan is working very hard these days. He seems to know that his evil Kingdom is about to end and he is trying every trick he can to prevent that. The Devil has always changed his methods to suit the times. Here is some of what is transpiring today.

First, there are the so-called Judas Gospels, purporting to be written by Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.  It claims that Judas and Jesus had a conspiracy. They were to pretend that Jesus was crucified, but in reality He would be hidden away somewhere. In the first place the word Gospel means good news, and if the above were true it certainly would not be “good tidings of great joy,” because we would still be in our sins due to the fact that Jesus would not have died for us.

Here is what That Servant said about Judas: “We judge that if Pilate and Herod and the Roman soldiers had some responsibility for Christ’s death, the multitude who clamored “Crucify Him! His blood be upon us and on our children!” had much more responsibility; that the better educated, envious Pharisees and Priest who incited the illiterate, common people, had yet a greater responsibility (Matt. 23:15-33), and that Judas, His betrayer, was the chief, the real crucifier, because of his knowledge and willfulness.

“Upon him alone, of all who had to do with His death, our Lord placed the full responsibility, the full guilt, when He said: ‘The Son of Man goeth [to death] as it is written of Him [prophetically], but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It had been good for that man if he had not been born!’ (Matt. 26:24) Should Judas be granted eternal life, under any circumstances or after any experience, his birth could not be considered a disadvantage to himself. See also Psa. 109:6-8; John 6:70,71; 17:12.” (Reprint 4906, November 1, 1911)

Now comes an advertisement from a new church or a new denomination, we do not know which. The headline reads: Christ is Coming Very Soon! Then it goes on to give many reasons why. They are: (1) Israel’s rebirth (2) Plummeting morality (3) Famines, violence and wars (4) Increase in earthquakes (5) Explosion of travel and education (6) Explosion of cults and occult (7) The New World Order (8) Increase in both apostasy and faith.

All of these are true events, but they are to happen after the Lord is present, because He is present to take over the world, which He bought, and banish the Devil and his evil Empire. The problem is that most people expect the Lord to return in the flesh, but Jesus said, “A little while and the world sees me no more.” (John 14:19) His Kingdom is to be an invisible Kingdom just as the Devil’s, now still present with us, is invisible (2 Cor. 4:4). We do not see Satan personally, but we see his effects and troubles throughout the world. Thus will we see Jesus’ Kingdom. In fact we are already seeing some of the effects of His reigning, because there are good things happening, as well as the bad. It is just that the bad receives more attention. Some of the good things are the return of Israel, great strides made in medicine, which are saving many lives, and all the inventions that have come about in the last 100 years or so ─ for instance, the automobile, telephone, aircraft, computers, new and better farm machinery, and many more. These things could not be from the intelligence and ingenuity of the people, but because the Lord has opened up the way for them to come about.

We will comment on just one of the eight items listed above in the advertisement. That is number 6, the explosion of cults and occult. The publisher of the advertisement could be a part of the explosion of cults. Cults have been multiplying in great numbers in recent years, with many splinter groups from the traditional denominations forming new churches, and each one is just as bad as the originals. None of them, including this one, have come out with exposure of the errors of the traditional churches. In fact they just repeat those errors in a different way.

And the explosion of the occult is very noticeable in the many present television shows. Those shows are Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Supernatural, etc., and they all have story lines that have characters speaking with the dead. Of course, this has risen out of the error that the dead are not really dead, that they just seemed to die and are more alive than ever. But the Scriptures say that the “dead know not anything” (Eccl 9:5) and that “there is no work, nor device, neither knowledge nor wisdom in the grave” (Eccl. 9:10). The Scriptures also tell us not to try to talk to the dead, but to God. We should talk unto God on behalf of the living, not to the dead (Isa. 8:19).

Sadly, some people, we hope not many, will listen to these lies and machinations of Satan and believe them, as has always been true from the beginning, when he told lies in the Garden of Eden. He told Eve that she would not surely die, and that lie has been believed ever since. But Bible Students know the Truth and it has made us free of being deceived by all these lies. However, we look forward to the good time coming when “all shall know Him from the least to the greatest” (Jer. 31:34), and they will serve the Lord with one consent (Zeph. 3:9). Hallelujah! What a glorious time that will be.

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION ─ Is there a call given in the Bible for any elect class other than the one for the High Calling mentioned in Philippians 3:14?

ANSWER    ─ The High Calling is for the Bride of Christ ─ those that suffer with Him: “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5) The Little Flock, the Bride class are “more than conquerors.” (Rom. 8:37) Another elect heavenly class runs concurrently with the High Calling. They were originally called to be of the Little Flock, but lost their crowns because of measurable unfaithfulness (Rev. 7:14). They loved the Lord and when they washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14) they were “overcomers” but not “more than conquerors” as were the Little Flock. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” (Rev. 7:9) The palms in their hands mean they were victorious. “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Rev. 19:9) The Diaglott translation is better: “And he says to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who have been invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ He also said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”

That Servant taught four elect classes, two heavenly classes and two earthly classes ─ the Ancient Worthies of Hebrews, chapter 11, won before the High Calling was open, the Little Flock, the Great Company referred to in the Scriptures as the “great multitude” and the unbegotten class we call Youthful Worthies. That Servant taught in Reprint 5761, column 2, paragraphs 1 and 2 as follows:

“THOSE CONSECRATING BETWEEN THE AGES”

“It is our thought that with the closing of the ‘door’ of this Gospel Age there will be no more begetting of the Holy Spirit to the spirit nature. Any afterward coming to God through consecration, before the inauguration of the restitution work, will be accepted by Him, not to the spirit plane of being, but to the earthly plane. Such would come in under the same conditions as the Ancient Worthies who were accepted of God. The Ancient Worthies came in, no call being opened to them ─ the High Calling not being yet open and the restitution opportunities not open. But they freely gave themselves up to God without knowing what blessings their consecration would bring, except that they had the intimation that they would, in the future life, have a ‘better resurrection’ than would the remainder of the world.

“Our thought is that whoever under such conditions as these will make a full consecration to the Lord, to leave all to follow in His ways, and will live up faithfully, loyally, to that consecration, may be privileged to be counted as a similar class to those who preceded this Gospel Age. We know of no reason why the Lord would refuse to receive these who make a consecration after the close of the Gospel Age High Calling and before the full opening of the Millennium.”

The question is: Is there a calling given in the Scriptures for the two classes that will receive an earthly reward? We do not know of any Scripture that says there is a calling for these classes. However, there is an opportunity to serve the Lord in faith and obedience. That is the requirement for these classes. They are not on trial for life, but for faith and obedience. If unfaithful they will be demoted to the world and have restitution opportunity as described in Acts 3:19-23. It seems they would be in a worse condition than some who had never made a consecration to do God’s will while evil and sin are in the ascendancy. But we leave such things for The Christ to judge during the Kingdom (Acts 17:31). If faithful, however, they will be the visible earthly rulers ─ “Princes in all the earth.” (Psa. 45:16)

That Servant gave three ways that would indicate that the door to the High Calling is closed. (1) By a definite Bible statement of the exact date; (2) By such a reversal of public sentiment with reference to the truth, that fidelity and zeal for its service would no longer meet with opposition, and when suffering with Christ for the truth’s sake (Rom. 8:17) would no longer be possible; (3) Such a condition of affairs obtaining in the world that all opportunity for such service would be effectually obstructed, thus leaving no oppor-tunities for candidates to enter into the work and to develop and prove their love and faithfulness by their activity and endurance. (Thy Kingdom Come, Volume 3, p. 207, par. 2)

We believe the second way applies to our times, as we receive no persecution for believing the Truth. Most people do not care what we believe. Persecution today is mainly political. But we should witness the Truth when we have opportunity. Witnessing, together with our untoward experiences in illness, disappoint-ments and hardships will develop in us a character pleasing to the Lord. “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Tim. 2:3) If our trials are too much for us to endure and be faithful, He will make a way of escape, “that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

As for No. 3, there will come a time when “they will not endure sound doctrine.” (2 Tim. 4:3) This will be in Anarchy, but for now we still find some who will listen to “sound doctrine,” and we should be diligent in serving the Lord at every opportunity.

We do not find a definite Bible statement teaching us that the door to the High Calling is closed. However, we have no definite Bible statement for many of the dates that Brother Russell presented, such as 1874, 1878, 1881, and 1914, but all are given to us by Bible Chronology. That Servant predicted that 1914 would be the end of Gentile Times. World War One began right on schedule and confirmed our belief.     

When Brother Russell announced that the Kingdom was set up September 21, 1914 in Reprint 5632, column 2, par. 4, we believe the ejecting of the nations began then and is still going on. The peoples of the world are protesting that their governments are unfair. The marching of the people against all institutions is God’s great army. When the Kingdom was set up September 21, 1914 the Saints were sealed in the heart, but had to be sealed in the forehead (sealed intellectually ─ know the truth) to participate in the Smiting of the Nations going on as given in the 1915 Reprint. The Smiting was done by the distribution of tracts and other reading matter, as well as the Photo-Drama. Did Brother Russell make the announcement that the Kingdom was set up by his own imagination or by Bible Chronology?

Brother Russell wrote many times of the unbegotten class which we call Youthful Worthies. One instance is in Parousia Volume Six: “And we may be sure that any consecrating and performing a full sacrifice of themselves in the interest of the Lord’s cause after the heavenly class is complete, will find that the Lord has plenty of blessings of some other kind still to give; and that all of His blessings are for such consecrators, self-sacrificers. Possibly they may be counted in with the Ancient Worthies who had the sacrificing disposition that is pleasing to God prior to the beginning of the high calling.” (Volume Six of Studies In The Scriptures, p. 157, top)

The Ancient Worthies were “faithful and obedient” and will have a “better resurrection” than the world in the Kingdom ─ they will be resurrected perfect (Heb. 11:39,40) The Ancient and Youthful Worthies are on trial for faith and obedience and not for life as were the Saints. If the Worthies are unfaithful they will go back into the world for restitution purposes.

(Reprint 478, October 1996)

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“TO HELL WITH LIMBO SAY THEOLOGIANS:  The Roman Catholic Church may soon jettison a disputed but long-held belief in an ethereal bit of real estate on the outskirts of heaven known as limbo. According to Catholic tradition (though not official church doctrine), limbo is the dwelling place of worthy nonbelievers and babies who die before they can be baptized.  But a commission of theologians that met in Vatican City last month is expected to recommend to Pope Benedict XVI that limbo be officially dropped from church teachings.

“The idea of limbo originated in the Middle Ages, but it has been contested for years.  In 1984, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the current pontiff said the concept of limbo had “never been a definitive truth of the faith.” The word itself comes from the Latin limbus, meaning edge or hem.  This hemline of heaven was reserved for those who do not deserve heaven or the suffering of purgatory and hell.

“While an official doctrine on limbo is still, well, in limbo, a draft catechism reportedly says that unbaptized babies who die – and presumably, aborted fetuses will be seen as fit to enter heaven.  An official announcement is expected within a year or so.”

(US News & World Report – January 9, 2006)

Comment:  It doesn’t matter whether the tradition of limbo is done away with, the Catholic Church still has the catechism which says that unbaptized babies who die will go to heaven. It seems, if this is the case, that we all would be better off dying in infancy without baptism rather than having to live many years battling “this evil world” and Satan.

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HERE THEY COME AGAIN

In 1948 when Israel became a State, the Islamic nations attacked them and vowed to wipe them off the map.  But Israel prevailed against them with the help of the Lord. Then in the 1967 six days war, they again were attacked with the announcement that they would be chased out into the sea.  Again the Lord was with them and their enemies were beaten. Now here comes Hizbollah, backed and financed by Iran and Syria, two Islamic nations, and their aim is to kill every Jew they possibly can.  We sincerely believe that they, too, will be defeated, with the help of the Lord.  They have struck out twice and will do so this third time.

The Lord told Israel: “Fear thou not O Jacob my servant; for I will make a full end of all nations whither I have driven thee; but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure; yet I will not leave thee wholly unpunished.” (Jer. 46:28) And in Zech. 12:9: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” This does not mean that He will destroy the people of all the nations, although some will be destroyed, but it means that they will be destroyed as nations. This includes, not only non-Christian nations, but also the Christian nations who come against Jerusalem. In fact, the Christian nations will probably suffer more because they have had more light, truth and freedom, which they did not properly appreciate.

But the Lord also says that He will “destroy all the wicked.” (Psa. 145:20)  If these terrorist nations were to be left here when the Kingdom takes hold, they would be a hindrance to peace and good-will.

It is regrettable that many innocents have been injured or killed and we have great sympathy for these and their families. But God has often used warfare in His progressive Plan, as he did in ancient times and as he did in the above incidents in 1948 and 1974. So if this warfare brings the Kingdom closer at hand, we will accept and endure it.

When those who suffered in this war are returned from the grave with their injures healed, we believe they will be able to appreciate the Kingdom blessings even more than some who have had it relatively easy in their present lives.

So we earnestly pray for that Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth.

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 “DE-DESERTIFICATION:  Israelis scientists using know-how gained from decades of dealing with desert soil, are at the forefront of the global effort to solve the problem of increasing drylands caused by global warming, growing world population and exploitation of natural resources.

“Among experiments currently being conducted in Israel to prevent desertification of drylands are projects to recycle waste water, speed up plant growth and raise fish in desert ponds.”  (World Jewry, July/August 2006)

(“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” ─ Isaiah 35:1)  

NO. 588 GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE

FAITH THE FOUNDATION OF JEWISH CHARACTER

The resurrection of Jewish hopes as represented in Zionism is amazing, not only to well-informed Gentiles, but also to the more learned of the Jewish peoples. Seventeen years ago [1892] the writer visited the Holy Land to note the evidences of rejuvenation resulting from the increase of rainfall in that region, in harmony with certain prophecies of the holy Scriptures to which he then had been calling attention for more than fifteen years. On that occasion he endeavored to awaken Jewish interest in the prophecies relating to their reestablishment as a nation in their own land, and the Divine blessing then to be poured out upon the Promised Land and the chosen people. But no Jew at that time seemed to have a hearing ear. Amongst the poorer classes of them there was indeed a temporary animation of countenance, but the dejected look returned as they replied that the prophesied blessing could not come until after the year 6,000 a.m., and that their chronology showed this to be about 150 years off. We attempted to show them from their own Scriptures that 6,000 years had already elapsed, and that the “Times of the Gentiles” would soon expire ─ in 1915 ─ and that, according to the Scriptures, great blessings would then be poured upon them as a people. But they merely sighed, and by looks and actions said, “A Gentile cannot tell us about our own Scriptures; surely our rabbis are more wise and would give us such consolation, if it were true.”

On our return from the Holy Land our report of prevailing conditions was quite widely published in America and Great Britain, and we sent special copies of it to the managers of the Jewish Colonization Committee, representing Sir Moses Montefiore’s bounty: also to the managers of the Baron de Hirsch Jewish Colonization Fund. The latter Association was then expending millions of money in endeavoring to establish Jewish colonies in Argentine Republic, while the former was laboring in Palestine. We called the attention of the latter Association to the Scriptural declaration that Israel would be regathered to its own land, and that efforts expended elsewhere would be comparatively fruitless ─ as they have since proven.

We do not claim that our influence has contributed in the slightest degree to the marvelous awakening of the Jewish people in respect to the rehabilitation of their land and their nation. We are merely noting how marvelous the change that has come over that people since that time! Now Jews voluntarily inform us that they read regularly our weekly discourse, and are specially interested in the items which touch upon Jewish welfare and coming national glory. And, we have been invited by Hebrews to lecture before them on the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures, in which they are evincing a deep and a growing interest.

When Zionism first made its appearance it appealed only to the “poor Jews.” The rich and prosperous Jews very generally sneered at Zionism as impracticable, foolish, etc. Prominent Rabbis preached against it, declaring that America is the promised land of the Jew, from which no Palestine prospect could attract him. They declare themselves unorthodox ─ Jews by race and not by faith ─ iconoclasts, agnostics. Editors of Jewish papers expressed similar views, evidently feeling that the Zionist movement would bring discredit on their race in the eyes of the Gentiles. Meetings were held in which Zionism was decried and made sport of, and American citizenship held up as the ideal for the Jewish youth, etc.

Gradually Jewish sentiment has veered more and more toward Zionism, until today Jewish journals find it advantageous to have a Zionist Department. And rabbis and editors find it not wise to run counter to the steadily increasing current of Zionist sentiment. Now they admit that a rejuvenation of Palestine is in progress, that Zionism has a hold upon the hearts of the poorer Jews in every land, and particularly in Russia. Now they admit that the poor of their race have heart-longings for Palestine, which impulse them toward it rather than elsewhere. Now they admit that the rehabilitation of Israel in her own land would not only be advantageous for their poorer brethren, but possibly add to the influence of the less orthodox, who would not think of leaving this and other lands, where they are enjoying so great financial prosperity that they are not thinking particularly of the future nor of the past.

The Power of Jerusalem’s Hope

Do we consider it strange that an influence, a hope, should so quickly spread abroad over all the earth amongst the eight millions of the Hebrew race? Do we consider it “extraordinary patriotism” that, after eighteen centuries of absence from their fatherland, the thought of returning thither should so pulsate the hearts of their whole nation? Do we marvel still more, when we consider that they have been a longer period out of that land than ever they were in it? If these are the interrogations of our mind, they merely prove that we do not comprehend the sentiment which now for nearly thirty-eight centuries has influenced Abraham and his seed!

The fact is, that the Jew is not well known even amongst his most intimate Gentile acquaintances. And he cannot be broadly and intimately understood, except from the standpoint of his religion, which few Gentiles comprehend, and which with the majority of Jews, even, is a matter of prejudice and pride, rather than of clear understanding and religious conviction.

Originally isolated from other nationalities by Divine command, and in accordance with his religions convictions, the Jew became a stranger and an alien to the world at large; and it, resenting his claim of Divine favor and religious superiority, has disdained the Jew and ostracized him ─ yea, and persecuted him even, in a most un-Christian manner. Cut off thus from social intercourse with Gentiles ─ shut up by himself, the Jew has cultivated a spirit of social resentment. Crowded in upon himself, he has had the ambition to cope with the Gentiles in every field of progress in a competitive and not a fraternal spirit. For a long time forbidden to own and till the land, he abandoned agriculture and confined himself within certain limits of cities of the old world, and has distinctly marked his “Jewish Quarter.” Finding that the
Gentile came to him generally under stress, if at all, he has engaged in pawnbroker businesses, and applying to it his natural energy, he learned how to make that business profitable ─ but thereby frequently increased the animosity of his Gentile neighbors. Gradually his strong character has become chiefly enlisted in money-making ─ and in this he has a large following amongst the Gentiles, though the latter are comparatively less successful in the strife.

Not until our day, since the overthrow of Jerusalem, has the Jew really had full, fair treatment and equal opportunity with other nationalities in certain parts of Europe and in this land. Now his persevering energy places him in high positions of influence in banking, in merchandising, in newspaper work and in literature. Yet, however great his achievements, however wealthy he may be, there is a great gulf socially between him and his Gentile neighbor. Nor can we claim that this is purely an objection to his religion, for many Gentiles of high social rank hold to very similar religious tenets ─ Unitarians and others. This social chasm the Jew admits and resents, but does not understand. It would appear to be due largely to the fact that his commercial instincts have in these long years gained such ascendancy as to dominate him in whatever field he may exercise himself. The money sentiment, the cash value, How much is it worth? How much can I get? What will it profit? are sentiments which, to a lamentable degree, afflict all of humanity ─ some more, some less. But with the Gentiles there are sentiments, there are occasions, there are things and circumstances, into which he enters quite separate and apart from commercialism. This super-commercial sentiment our Hebrew friends generally find it difficult to appreciate and impossible to attain.

What can be the foundation from which proceeds the irrepressible hope and courage of the Jew, which have carried him through bloody seas of persecution, through social ostracism, against the current of prejudice and superstition, to his present lofty stand in the world? Why has he not been crushed, as have other people? Why has he not disappeared from the face of the earth as a race, as have other races? Why is it that today, after thirty-eight centuries, he is such a force, such a power in the world financially, that the wealthiest Governments are indebted to him and dare scarcely undertake a war without his cooperation in raising the funds? What is the secret of Jewish hope, courage and pride?

The Chosen Seed of Abraham

The key of the situation is given us in the Bible, and nowhere else. The relationship of Jewish people and the land of Palestine and the Bible, rightly understood, constitute a proof that there is a God: that he has a great and wonderful Plan or method by which he is dealing with mankind; that his Plan is connected with the Jewish nation, and that the Bible is the record of that Plan. But here we must remember the truthfulness of the poet’s expression:

“God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform.”

It is a mistake to suppose that the Bible was written for the world or intended to be understood by the world. Its own testimony is to the contrary of this ─ that the Divine purposes are intended to be concealed from mankind in general and to be understood only by those who come into heart harmony with the Divine intention, and who from this standpoint “search the Scriptures.” It should not surprise us, therefore, that our Jewish friends have not comprehended clearly the Scriptures, which they so reverently and pains-takingly preserved from Moses until Christ. And may we not truthfully say that the same lack of understanding very generally prevails, even amongst Christians? Is not the fact that comparatively few of the Lord’s people have been privileged to comprehend the length and breadth and height and depth of the Divine Plan, fully in agreement with the Scriptural declaration that such knowledge has been intended throughout the Age only for a very small minority? The hindrances which have blinded so many are the creeds, traditions and Talmud. “The secret of the Lord is with them that reverence him [and His Word] and he will show them his covenant.” (Psa. 25:14)

The Scriptures seem to indicate, however, that the time is at hand when “The mystery of God shall be finished,” and when the understanding of the Divine Plan may be comprehended by increasing numbers, and amongst these the reverential Jews. Indeed, the Jew should be specially attracted by the outlines of the Divine Plan set forth in the prophecies of his own Scriptures. They explain the experiences of Israel while still in God’s favor, and the experiences of the past eighteen centuries of their disfavor, and show how both of these will work together eventually for the blessing of Israel and through Israel for the blessing of the Gentiles.

The Divine Promise to Abraham’s Seed

As the very foundation of Israel’s every hope, the mainspring of that people’s courage, the motive power of their energy, their perseverance and their pride, has been the Divine promise made to Abraham, their illustrious ancestor, “the friend of God.” To Abraham, after certain tests of character ─ obedience, loyalty, faith ─ God made a Promise which constitutes the hope, both of Israel and the Gentiles. It reads, “In thy Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18) Abraham’s son Isaac was indicated by the Lord to be the channel through which this blessing should proceed. Later on, Isaac’s son Jacob was indicated as a further channel. At Jacob’s death the Divine blessing passed, by Divine direction, not to a single one of his posterity, but to them all as a whole nation.

Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, which signifies a prince influential with God ─ in Divine favor. This name Israel, indicative of so much of honor and Divine favor, was subsequently applied to the whole nation of Jacob’s descendants, who became known as Israelites, or Children of Israel. It was understood by that nation that they were the seed, the posterity mentioned in the promise made to Abraham ─ in whom “all the families of the earth should be blessed.” They correctly understood that this would signify a great exaltation for their little nation. They had full confidence in that great Promise, because the Lord had secured it to them in a most remarkable manner ─ he made oath to it. Since he could swear by none greater than himself, he said, “By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; therefore, I will greatly bless thee and I will exceedingly multiply thy Seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand upon the sea-shore… and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 23:16-18)

 This hope in God ─ that they were his chosen people whom he would use as the channel of Divine favor to all nations ─ has ever been the mainspring of Jewish courage and pride. Not all Jews have inordinate self-conceit as the basis for success. Some of them are fearful and some deficient in self-esteem; but they are nerved by the conviction that God was specially interested in them, and the hope that he will yet fulfill to them his Oath-Bound Covenant. A faith so persistent (for thirty-eight centuries) must surely be pleasing to God, and must challenge the administration even of their enemies. Christian Bible students well know that much of the Bible consists of Israel’s past history and prophecies of their coming glory. The past eighteen centuries have been merely a parenthesis in which spiritual Israel has been in process of selection from every nation. The speedy return of Israel to God’s favor marks another onward step in the Divine Plan of the Ages. According to the Scriptures, their coming uplift to Divine favor marks the Millennial epoch of blessings so long promised by God through the Hebrew prophets and attested also by our Lord and his apostles, mark the words of Peter ─ “Times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and He shall send Jesus Christ, whom the heavens must retain until the Times of Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21) Jewish Restitution is the first item of the many blessings then to be poured upon mankind by a gracious Creator.

 As in future articles we shall outline various Scriptural prophecies in which the Jew is vitally interested, it is our hope that not merely our Hebrew friends will be interested, but also Christian Bible students and non-professors. The coming blessings will be abundant to the blessing of all mankind, but the Jew first, for “God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew;” “For the gifts and calling of God he never repents of.” (Romans 11:2; 29:32)

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ISRAEL’S NEW COVENANT

 The chosen people look back to the great Covenant which God made with Abraham, their progenitor ─ the Covenant confirmed by Almighty God with an oath that his people might have full assurance in respect to its ultimate fulfillment. But Israel recognized that, incidental to the blessing of the world, the Divine Law must be established and mankind must be blessed legally. Hence they point back to Moses and the Covenant which God made with their nation through him. True, there were disappointments connected with that Law Covenant. As a people they had expected much more from it than they ever obtained. They had expected that by obedience to its requirements they themselves would become possessors of everlasting life. They expected additionally that Jehovah God would then use their nation for the blessing of other nations by bringing all the world of mankind under the dominion of the Law of God, that the whole world might receive blessing, restitution and everlasting life through the Law Covenant.

Notwithstanding their great disappointment in that they did not gain eternal life themselves ─ nor national exaltation ─ they still maintained a hold upon that Covenant and trusted for its blessings yet to come.

When in their perplexity they cried to the Lord for relief and for explanation why the blessings hoped for did not come, they received answer from him through the prophets that before those promised favors could be fulfilled, the great Messiah must come. He would be a great Teacher and Ruler like unto Moses, but much more powerful. He would embody in himself all the qualities of Judge, Priest, Mediator, Law-giver and King. Under his superintendence Israel would yet be blessed and become the channel of Divine blessing to every nation. Moses foretold this greater Prophet, saying, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:22,23; Deut. 18:15,19) Hence the hearts of Israel waited for the Messianic Priest and Kingly Mediator who would do for them abundantly more than Moses had been able to accomplish, though they had profited much through the ministry of their great Law-giver. This antitypical Moses, Messiah, is referred to by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, I will send my messenger [John the Immerser] and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly [not quickly, but unexpectedly] come to his temple [the Church is the Temple], even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in.” (Malachi 3:1)

A New Mediator

This sending of the New Mediator implied a New Covenant, or at least a renewal of the Law Covenant under the more efficient Mediator ─ Messiah. This renewal of the Sinaitic Covenant at the hands of Messiah, the superior Mediator and Helper of the chosen people, is specially referred to in Jeremiah 31. This Prophet was the one through whom the Lord prophetically speaks as though in our day, at the close of Israel’s long period of exile from Divine favor. The time is indicated by the words of verses 28-29, which read: “It shall come to pass that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them to build, and to plant, saith the Lord. In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape and the children’s teeth are set on edge, but every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.”

This preface was sufficiently explicit! It indicated, not any period in the past of Israel’s history, but the period that is immediately at hand, about to be inaugurated. The “sour grapes” refer to the evil influences of heredity ─ to the fact that the sins of the parents have influenced and affected the children of all humanity, so that all are sinners in fact, regardless of their intention; for we were all “shapen in iniquity; in sin did our mothers conceive us.” (Psalm 51:5) But the great time of dispensational change is at hand. This condition of heredity shall no longer prevail against the race. Instead of falling further, the rising up, the restitution, shall begin, and only those who willingly and willfully and knowingly transgress the Divine Law shall be held responsible, and receive the penalty of sin, “Dying, thou shalt die.”

These prefatory words sufficiently introduce the main feature of this message respecting the New Covenant. We read, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and 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 a 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. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:31-34)

The superiority of this New Covenant to the old one is clearly indicated. The old one was written merely on tables of stone. The new one the Lord will cause to be gradually written in the hearts of all who come under the beneficent influences of his Kingdom. The old Law needed to be impressed upon them continually, every Sabbath day and oftener; but the New Law would not need to be referred to; for all would know it, since it would be written in the heart and conscience of all, from the least to the greatest. The Old Law Covenant under Moses as Mediator needed to be revived by a repetition of its sacrifices of bulls and goats every year, in order to cleanse away the sins of the people and to bring them Divine forgiveness for another year. But the New Law Covenant would be exceedingly better in that, by better sacrifices, it would forever do away with the necessity of the yearly repetition of Atonement Day. The sins and iniquities of the people would then be so thoroughly eradicated as to need no further sacrificing.

Waiting for the Great Mediator

For more than three thousand years Israel has waited for its better Mediator ─ waited and hoped and prayed. Thank God! we can now proclaim that his advent is nigh at hand; that his power and glory and honor and dignity will be all that they have ever expected ─ and much more. But he will be a spiritual Mediator, invisible to men. His power and glory will be seen on earth only through their operation as he shall cast down the unfit and lift up the worthy, the down-trodden. This great Mediator will take to himself his great power and reign, as soon as the time appointed by Jehovah shall have arrived. And we have reason to believe that the time of his establishment of his Empire on earth will be at the close of Israel’s Seven Times of disfavor, during or shortly after A.D. 1915, in or just after the great time of world-wide trouble which will then be upon the earth.

This great Priest referred to in the Scriptures “the King of Glory,” will be as invisible to men as is the Prince of Darkness, Satan, whom the Scriptures recognize as being now the “Prince of this World.” In connection with the Time of Trouble, the Prince of Glory will bind the Prince of Darkness, restraining him from every power to further deceive mankind throughout the glorious Millennial period which will then be inaugurated. And of course this great spiritual King must have earthly representatives and agents amongst men, even as the Prince of Darkness has used sons of Belial as his servants ─ many of them unwittingly, ignorantly, serving him. But the Prince of Life will use only the pure, the holy, the reverent, the godly. And none of his servants will be under restraints of ignorance or bonds of superstition. On the contrary, the righteous will then flourish and the evil-doers shall be cut off (Prov. 11:28; Psa. 37:9).

God has already made selection of those wonderful personages who shall represent Messiah to Israel and to the world. They were selected long ago according to their trials of faith and obedience and patient endurance for righteousness’ sake. They are a noble band. They are all Hebrews ─ select members of the chosen people, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and all the prophets, besides others too numerous to mention, who through trying ordeals of faith and patience and loyalty demonstrated their love for righteousness, for Truth and for God. These are worthy. These are God’s “elect” for this great purpose. Nor will it serve the Divine purpose that these should be awakened from the tomb in the condition in which they went down into death. Nay, by their faithfulness under trying conditions they proved to the Divine satisfaction their loyalty to the core. And their reward shall be that they will come forth from the tomb under more favorable conditions than do their fellows. They will come forth perfect in mind and in body, glorious specimens of perfect manhood, such as God approves. They will be examples to Israel and to all the nations of what each member of Adam’s race may attain if he will be obedient to the terms of the Covenant.

The Advantages of the New Covenant

We have already indicated some of the advantages of the New Covenant. For a thousand years the great Mediator will stand between Divine Justice and Israel to give to all the willing and obedient the blessings of Divine favor ─ blessings of which they would not be worthy themselves, because imperfect through the fall ─ blessings intended in God’s Providence to afford them the opportunity of gradually rising up, up, up, to the full perfection of manhood in the likeness of the Ancient Worthies their instructors and guides, the representatives of Messiah amongst men. Ah, that will be a glorious day for the chosen people! All that they ever dreamed of, and far more, will be their glorious portion. Nor will these wonderful privileges be theirs alone, for, although the Covenant will be made with Israel, the privilege of coming into that Covenant relationship with God will be extended to all nations, permitting all to become Israelites, through faith, through obedience to that Law of the New Covenant.

The difficulty with the Mosaic Covenant was that Moses, in important respects, was incompetent as a Mediator. But Messiah will be far more competent to carry out the requirements of the office of Mediator, and will succeed in the great work which Moses undertook but in which he failed. Moses’ work at the very most, however, was typical of the perfect work of the Messiah-Mediator. The basis of God’s arrangement with Israel to be his Covenant people was the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement ─ the blood of bulls and goats. But these at most made satisfaction for only a year. Messiah as the more competent Mediator, in a greater Day of Atonement, has offered more acceptable sacrifices to the Father which can and do effect a cancellation of sin for all time and for all people who will come under his New Covenant arrangement.

Is it asked how the New Covenant will go into effect with those who are under the Sinaitic Covenant? We answer that the Law feature in both cases is the same; but that the difference between the old Law Covenant and New (Law) Covenant will be merely the substitution of the new Mediator and his more efficient work for Moses and his typical, insufficient work. The chosen people have had some sad experiences while waiting for the great Messiah-Mediator of their New Covenant. But the glorious results will more than compensate for all disappointments in respect to the delay. Instead of merely living as a nation under Divine favor for a few years and then lapsing into death, as under the Law Covenant, they will, under the arrangements of the New Covenant, obtain life eternal and full human perfection, in which it will be possible for them absolutely and continuously to have approval of the Divine Law.

More than this, their mission as the agents of God under the New Covenant, for the blessing of all the Gentiles, will mean the bringing of the Gentiles up to the same glorious standards of human perfection and eternal life under the blessed arrangement of the Messiah-Mediator. Surely, then, all who love the Divine promises to the chosen people and the New Covenant through which those promises will be fulfilled, may well pray, O Lord, thy Kingdom come! Messiah, come quickly! End the reign of sin and death! Exalt thy chosen people and bless all the families of the earth!

(Pastor Russell, What Pastor Russell Wrote for the Overland Monthly, pages 63-66 and pages 89-92)

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“Let such as have laid their all upon the altar of sacrifice continually bear in mind that, while the Word of God contains both earthly and heavenly promises, only the latter belong to us. Our treasure is in heaven; let our hearts continually be there. Our calling is not only to the spiritual nature, but to the highest order of the spiritual, the Divine Nature ─ “so much better than the angels.” (2 Peter 1:4; Heb. 1:4)) This heavenly calling to the Divine Nature is confined to the Gospel Age: it was never made before it, and it will cease with its close. An earthly calling was made, though imperfectly understood, before the heavenly calling, and we are told that it will be continued after the Gospel Age. Life [for those restored as human beings] and immortality [the prize for which the body of Christ is running] have both been brought to light during this age. (2 Tim. 1:10) Both the human and spiritual natures will be glorious in their perfection, yet distinct and separate. No insignificant feature of the glory of God’s finished work will be the beautiful variety, yet wonderful harmony, of all things, animate and inanimate ─ harmony with each other and harmony with God.” (By Pastor Russell, The Divine Plan of the Ages, pages 203, 204)

“We may be sure that any consecrating and performing a full sacrifice of themselves in the interest of the Lord’s cause after the heavenly class is complete, will find that the Lord has plenty of blessings of some other kind still to give; and that all of his blessings, are for such consecrators, self-sacrificers. Possibly they may be counted in with the Ancient Worthies who had the sacrificing disposition that is pleasing to God, prior to the beginning of the “high calling.” (By Pastor Russell, The New Creation, page 157)

NO. 587 JERUSALEM THE HOLY CITY

“Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her appointed time is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1,2)

Christendom, with united voice, admits that all of the Divine Revelation came to and through the Hebrew people. Listen to the argument of the Apostle Paul, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God” ─ the Divine Message respecting the Divine purposes, present and to come. The Apostle again informs us that the entire Gospel Message was briefly comprehended in the Creator’s promise to Abraham, “In thy Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8)

“TO THE JEW FIRST”

It was the most natural thing imaginable for the Jewish Nation to suppose that the giving to them of the Law at Mount Sinai, through the mediatorship of Moses, was the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham. Nevertheless, they were mistaken, as the pages of history show.

Israel’s mediator, the sacrificing priests, the sacrifices they offered, their Tabernacle with its Holy and Most Holy, the Temple, and all the features of the Law Covenant were types or foreshadows of the “better sacrifices,” higher Priesthood, better Mediator, and glorious blessings of eternal forgiveness and reconciliation yet to be accomplished. Nevertheless the period of Israel’s types was not wasted. Not only were the types there given, but at the same time a special class of agents were selected: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Prophets and worthy ones of that Age, holy, consecrated to God, and accepted as agents qualified for the Kingdom conditions. Of these the Scriptures declare, “They fell asleep.” They are still asleep in the dust of the earth, awaiting the glorious Resurrection Morning, and a grand share with Messiah in the work then to be accomplished. In their lifetime, they were styled “the fathers,” because Messiah was foretold to be of the posterity of Abraham, and also “David’s Son.”

“COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE”

But other Scriptures, without contradicting these statements, show us distinctly that “David’s Son” and “Abraham’s Seed” is to be Lord and Father of both David and Abraham. Thus we read, “Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children, whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.” (Psa. 45:16) David’s son, Messiah, will be David’s Father, or Life-giver, when He will raise David from the dead. Similarly He will be the Father of all those Ancient Worthies; and as David’s Lord, and “Lord of lords,” it will be His pleasure to appoint to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, to all the Ancient Worthies and the Prophets, and other faithful ones a glorious share with Himself in the great Messianic Kingdom, which He is about to set up for the ruling and blessing of Israel and all the nations of the earth. Will not this be a grand honor to Abraham and his Seed! Could we expect that the Almighty would use in such a high position any except the faithful? Surely not! When Messiah shall make these Ancient Worthies “Princes in all the earth,” as representatives of His invisible Kingdom, will not this mean honor to the Jew first?

Our text is one of three declarations in the Old Testament, which assure us that there is a “double” connected with Israel’s history. That is to say, Jewish history naturally divides itself into two exactly equal parts. The first of these parts was a time of favor, intermingled with disciplines, but favor, nevertheless. The second of these parts has been one of disfavor and exclusion from Divine fellowship. As foretold by the Prophet, Israel for many centuries has been without prophet or priest, without ephod and without communion with God; whereas, at one time they were God’s favored people. They now, according to their own admission, are so thoroughly rejected that they have no communication whatever, no light to shine upon their pathway. The Prophet’s words have been fulfilled, “Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not.” (Psa. 69:22,23) They have stumbled; they are blinded; but thank God! their blindness is not to be perpetual. The period of their blindness is the second part of the “double.” With the fulfillment of that “double” their blindness will begin to vanish, and “all the blind eyes shall be opened.” Of that time the Lord declares that He who scattered Israel will gather them (Deut. 30:3; Ezek. 37:20-28).

We are impressed, not by fancy, but by the Word of God, that Israel’s “double” is now fulfilled, that Israel’s blessing has already begun, that the opening of Israel’s eyes is now in progress. For this reason we have chosen for our text, “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Cry unto Jerusalem and say unto her that her appointed time is accomplished; for she hath received at the Lord’s hand double [the two parts of her chastisement] for all her sins.” Because the “double” is completed, we may speak the words of comfort.

Thirty-four years ago [1876] we called attention to these facts, but few had ears to hear. When eighteen years ago [1892] we visited Jerusalem, having in mind chiefly the fact that the time for the regathering of Israel was nigh at hand, and that the set time to favor Zion had come, we found no hearing ears amongst the Jewish people; and Zionism had not then been dreamed of. Our communications with the representatives of the Baron Hirsch Immigration Fund, and also with the executors of the Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Relief Fund met with scant recognition. Nevertheless, we felt sure that Israel’s “double” had been fulfilled, and that her morning of joy would soon break (Psa. 30:5).

Meantime how much has happened during those eighteen years! Zionism has risen and engendered the hope of the “chosen people” in every land, and turned their eyes toward the Land of Promise ─ not that all are thinking of returning thither, but that every Jew who retains faith in the God of his fathers, and in the Abrahamic promise, is now looking and hoping for the time of blessing, long foretold. They know not about their “double”; they have not been studying the Holy Scriptures, but the teachings of their ancients, as presented by the Talmud. They have been making a very similar mistake to that of Christian people, who have been studying the creeds of the Dark Ages instead of God’s Word.

THE THREE “DOUBLES”

Glance with me at three different statements by the Lord through three Prophets of Israel respecting Israel’s “double” of experience: the first, an experience of God’s favor; the second, an experience of equal length without Divine favor. Notice first Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jer. 16:18). After telling of Israel’s disfavor, and then of their regathering, the Lord declares, “And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double” ─ some of the recompense with favor, and some without favor. Jeremiah’s prophecy looks down to the “double” from his own day, which was more than six hundred years before the second part of their “double” began.

Turn now to Zechariah’s prophecy, and note that prophetically he takes his standpoint at the very time when the second part of the “double” began. His words are, “Even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.” (Zech. 9:12)

Come next to our text, and note that the Prophet Isaiah stands with us, and views the matter from the standpoint that the “double” of experience has been fulfilled: “Speak comfortably unto Jerusalem, cry unto her that her appointed time is accomplished, because she hath received at the Lord’s hand double [two equal parts] for her sins.” It is our understanding that this “double” reached fulfillment in the year 1878 A.D.; and since that date we have been declaring to the best of our ability, as the Lord granted opportunity, these comforting words to Israel, assuring God’s people that their period of disfavor has ended, and that they are gradually returning to prosperity; that Divine favor began with them in 1878. Yea, more than this, our sermons which to some extent reflect this feature of the Divine Program relating to Israel’s restoration to Divine favor are being read to a considerable extent by Hebrews as well as by Christians. Their eyes are gradually opening, as the Scriptures foretell they shall do.

But how may we know when the turning point of Israel’s “double” took place? How may we know that the “double” was completed in 1878? We reply that the answer to the question necessitates an acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah. Israel’s rejection of Him as their King marks the turning point of God’s favor, as the prophecy of Zechariah, just quoted, distinctly shows. Neither Christians nor Jews have appreciated the full import of the incident mentioned in the Gospel; that five days before His crucifixion, Jesus rode upon an ass, after the manner of Jewish kings, into the city of Jerusalem, a multitude surrounding Him, and going before Him, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of Jehovah!” The Prophet Zechariah called attention to this incident centuries before it occurred, and then gives the Lord’s words, “Even today do I declare I will render double unto thee.” (Matt. 21:1-5)

Israel’s history as a nation began with the death of Jacob, when he gave his blessing to the twelve tribes. The period from that time to the death of Jesus, according to the Scriptures, was 1845 years; and a like period of disfavor, measuring from the day of Jesus’ rejection marks the year 1878, as the end of Israel’s disfavor ─ the time when the message of comfort should go forth. However, Divine favor was only gradually taken from Israel, and altogether a period of thirty-six years intervene between the death of Jesus and the utter destruction of Jerusalem. Similarly we should expect that the return of favor would be gradual, a like period of 36 years; and this would bring us to the year 1914, as the time when God’s favor for His people will be gradually manifested, during the closing hours of Gentile supremacy in the close of the Gospel Age (Luke 21:24).

“THE SEED OF ABRAHAM”

The question now arises, What has God accomplished during the latter half of Israel’s “double”? Did He pass by His chosen people to bless the Gentiles directly, or how shall we understand Divine providence with respect to this matter?

We answer that Almighty God had one feature of His Plan which He did not make known directly and explicitly to Abraham or any other Prophet. He kept that feature of his purpose a secret. It is this: Messiah could not be a man and yet accomplish the great things which Jehovah purposed, as stated in His Word. The Law called for an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and a man’s life for a man’s life. In this God set forth His principle governing His course of dealing with men. As by man (Adam) came the death sentence, and through heredity upon all of his offspring, even so the Divine Law purposed that there must be a sacrifice of one human life to offset the one human life condemned to death. The one who would thus meet the demands of Justice on behalf of the race would have the right to give eternal life and human perfection to every member of Adam’s race willing to accept it on the terms of the Divine Law. It was for this reason that Christ should die, “the Just for the unjust.” (1 Peter 3:18)

As a reward for His obedience to the Father even unto death, Christ was raised from the dead to the Divine Nature. In this exalted condition He is capable of being a Mediator and of doing a work for Israel and for the world much higher and broader than Moses could effect. Moses, the typical mediator, made atonement for a year with the blood of beasts; but Messiah with His own blood makes perpetual atonement for the sins of all the people. This is the great Messiah (Jesus) who suffered the death of the cross ─ for the Jews and for the Gentiles ─ “for all the people.” This is the glorified Messiah, who as the Spiritual Seed of Abraham is about to bless Israel’s Ancient Worthies, and to “make them Princes in all the earth” ─ ministers of His Kingdom for the ruling, blessing and uplifting of whosoever will, out of the present sin and death condition, to life eternal, to full human perfection, with the earth as Paradise restored.

MEMBERS OF MESSIAH

But some one may say, Where do Christians come, in connection with this Divine arrangement? And if God’s dealings with the world are to be through Israel, and not through the Church, why has there been so long a delay? Why did not the glorified Messiah at once set up His Kingdom, and bring forth the Ancient Worthies from the tomb to be its earthly representatives? Oh, here is another part of the Mystery of God! Isaac, Abraham’s son, was typical of Messiah, the Spiritual Seed. But before Isaac began the work of dispensing the blessings to his brethren and to his children, he first took a bride; and this act also was allegorical or typical. In the antitype Messiah, the glorified Jesus, partook of the Divine Nature according to the Father’s invitation, and He is to take a Bride who is to be His joint-heir on the spirit plane ─ to share with Him the glory, honor and service of His Messianic Kingdom. The period of Israel’s disfavor, as a nation, has been the time in which a special class has been called of the Father and begotten of the Holy Spirit to joint-heirship with Christ as His Bride.

But did God pass by the natural seed of Israel to give these spiritual privileges to the Gentiles ─ to gather from the Gentiles a people, figuratively to constitute the Bride of Messiah? Nay. The Scriptures assure us that this spiritual privilege went first to the Jews. They show us that during the three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry, and during the thirty-six years following it, the Gospel Message was given almost exclusively to the Jews, and gathered from that people as many as were found to be “Israelites indeed” without guile, as many as were not only of the circumcision of the flesh, but who were also of the circumcision of the heart. God did not continue to deal with His chosen people; but after having gathered from them as many as were worthy of the spiritual blessing and exaltation ─ only then did He send the Message to the Gentiles, to gather from the Gentiles a number sufficient to complete the foreordained and predestined number who will constitute the Bride.

So, then, my brethren, in proving from the Scriptures that Israel’s “double” is  completed, that Israel’s blindness is about to be taken away, and that Israel’s exaltation as the earthly representatives of Messiah’s Kingdom is near at hand, we are proving to ourselves another thing; namely, that the full number called from amongst the Gentiles to participate with Christ on the spirit plane, as members of His Bride class, will soon be completed and exalted to Kingdom glory (Rom. 11:25-32).

(Pastor Russell, from Pastor Russell’s Sermons, June 5, 1910, pages 396-403)

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THE GREATEST THING IN THE UNIVERSE

The text of this discourse is from Ephesians 2:7: “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His loving kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” All Christendom has erred in respect to the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of the love of God, which passeth all understanding (Eph.3:18,19). This is evidenced by our conflicting creeds, not one of which is rational enough to be defended by one in a hundred of its own clergy, who profess that they believe it and are teaching it.

This is driving many noble souls away from the Bible, which has been misinterpreted by us all. Our difficulty has been that we have looked at the unfinished parts of the Divine Program, and have neglected to properly use the telescope of God’s word, which would have enabled us to see the future features of that plan, without which the whole world would be incomplete and unsatisfactory.

WONDERFUL DIVINE PLANS

None of us would judge of a new building merely by the first story of the structure, incomplete and surrounded by scaffolding. On the contrary, we would inquire for the architect’s drawings and consider them prophecies of the building to be.

God proposes the development of the Church first, as a “new creation” on the spirit plane, higher than the angels, and “partakers of the Divine nature;” “Ye are the church of the living God;” “a kind of first fruits unto God of His creatures.”

The fact is that the Bible declares the Church to be the “first borns,” the “first fruits” of God’s creatures. Thus does God positively declare a secondary part of His great plan of salvation ─ in which “free grace” and fullest opportunity for reconciliation to God will be granted to the non-elect.

But their salvation will be, not heavenly, but earthly. Their resurrection will not mean a “change” of nature, but a raising up to the perfection of human nature, to be enjoyed in a world-wide paradise by all the willing and obedient. Nor will the unwilling and disobedient be tortured to all eternity, but, as the Scriptures declare, “All the wicked will He destroy;” they shall “perish like brute beasts,” in the “second death.” (2 Peter 2:12; Psa. 9:17, R.V.)

FOUNDATION OF THE GREAT STRUCTURE

In order to judge of the Divine character we must see the truth, the Divine program, and not merely a primary section of it. The Jewish Age and its people, its law, its mediator, its priesthood and its jubilee were only rough outline sketches of the Divine plan, which had not then even begun. The Redeemer is the foundation for the great structure, as said St. Paul, “Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid ─ Jesus Christ.”

A God of justice, wisdom and power devoid of love would be as cold and unsympathetic as a marble statue. The greatest thing amongst men is love. Neither palace nor cottage could be a real home and a place of joy and peace and refreshment without love. We cannot even suppose a heart devoid of love without supposing it under the control of selfishness, and selfishness is merely another name for sin.

The greatest men and women who have ever lived, and who have done the most to bless our race, have been men and women of heart, of love. Surely, love is the principal thing in all this world, without which none can be truly happy under any condition, but with which happiness is possible under almost any condition. Whence came to man this quality of love unless from the Creator?

THE DISPLAY OF DIVINE LOVE

God’s love will be most wonderfully displayed in His gracious kindness in the resurrection of the Church to glory, honor and immortality. Then will come a further display of “love divine, all love excelling,” when mankind in general shall be blessed under the Messianic Kingdom.

We are not informed respecting the work of the Church beyond their thousand year reign; the text merely assures us that Divine love is illimitable, and that those who now shall prove themselves loyal, even unto death, shall have blessing upon blessing through future ages.

Astronomy assures us that, aside from the planets which belong to our own system, all the other stars are suns, with whirling worlds about them, invisible to us. Photography shows stars which cannot be seen with the eye. The number of these suns is now reckoned at more than 100,000,000. Although this sum is quite beyond the power of human comprehension, there is a general agreement among astronomers that if we stood upon the farthest world we should probably see just as many suns beyond us as behind us. What a suggestion we have here of Divine power ─ omnipotence! How little we feel ourselves to be, and proportionately how amazing seems the love of God toward us in Christ Jesus!

THE LESSONS TAUGHT BY SIN

Does our text speak of “ages to come for the showing forth of God’s love toward us?” Ah! what a limitless eternity is provided! Nor can we doubt that the lessons taught through the permission of sin among humanity on our earth are designed of the Creator to furnish a great lesson throughout ages to come. The Church, the New Creation, will undoubtedly be associated with the Redeemer as Jehovah’s agents in creating inhabitants in all of these billions of worlds. And who will say that even the witness of God’s justice and love, in the perfected world of mankind, might not be taken to tell in other worlds the story of Adam’s disobedience and fall; the story of the reign of sin and death for 6,000 years; the story of redemption accomplished through the sacrifice of Jesus; the story of the selection of a faithful “little flock” of his footstep followers to be His Bride; the story of human restitution to all that was lost in Adam and redeemed through Jesus’ death; the story of the Second Death visited upon the unwilling and  the disobedient, that eventually every creature should bow the knee and confess the joy, and acclaim the Father and the Son!

(Pastor Russell, What Pastor Russell Wrote for the Overland Monthly, pages 174,175)

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“CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE”

“No man can serve two masters… Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

The thought which our Lord apparently wished to impress upon his disciples was that there is a principle involved in service ─ that no one can possibly render full service to two opposing interests, two opposing masters; for the one would surely be neglected in  the interest of the other. There would be more or less of a preference shown. After making a general observation regarding the impossibility of serving two masters, the Lord applied this principle, saying, “ye cannot serve God and Mammon” ─ God and selfishness, righteousness and unrighteousness. Man was originally God’s servant. It was natural for him to appreciate the Divine character and arrangements and to render willing service. But mankind was deceived as they got under the control of the great adversary, being influenced by the powers of evil, the chief effects of which have been ignorance, superstition and selfishness.

One of the deplorable conditions of the present time is that from birth selfishness is almost forced upon one. Man learns to give his time, his influence, for selfish purposes and projects. He fails to see that God is the one who should be served at any cost. But men were born and shapen in iniquity. They are servants of sin, slaves of sin. But our Lord Jesus pointed out that through the knowledge of himself and compliance with his terms of discipleship, there came a release from this slavery, an opportunity to pass over to the side of righteousness.

However, an opportunity to take a stand for right came before our Lord’s Day. As a knowledge of God was granted to any people, they had an opportunity to assert themselves on the side of right. At the time when the Law Covenant was given, God set forth the principles of righteousness in that law. The whole nation of Israel accepted God as their Savior, and entered into a covenant with him that they would be his loyal people. Yet after they had done this, the influences of evil in their flesh became manifest. They sought to be the servants of God and at the same time of self, dividing their interest between God’s affairs and the affairs of self.

A WORTHY EXAMPLE SET

Jesus pointed out this particular fact, and told the people of His day that it was impossible to perform this half-hearted service ─ they could not serve two masters, for nobody would be pleased. If they were to serve Mammon, serve the present order of things, then they could not be pleasing God. If they wished to serve God, serve righteousness, to whatever extent they did this they would be displeasing to the world; they must be servants of either the one or the other; the two services combined would be impossible.

The example of our Lord Jesus when he came to earth, was in harmony with this position; for he fully renounced the world and made absolute consecration of his life to God and his service. Thus he set us an example. All who have the same spirit should walk in his steps. This was in accordance with the Jewish law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy being, with all thy strength.” Any one who kept this law would not be serving self; for his service would be all for God.

Those who are following in the Master’s footsteps are all for God, or, as we sometimes sing, “All for Jesus.” As we follow the example of Jesus, and walk as he walked, we are rendering whole-hearted service to God. The result of serving this Master will be a great reward. “Him hath God highly exalted, and given him a name above every name.” And the Church has been invited to follow him. So we should serve God in everything with all our heart, mind, soul, strength. This is our commission. This we are to do to the point of sacrificing all earthly interests and of laying down our lives for the brethren. This course, followed faithfully to the end, will bring us to the same reward that Jesus received ─ glory, honor, immortality.

RENDERING UNTO CAESAR HIS OWN

It may be asked how this text comports with the Apostle’s suggestion that one who was bound when he received the truth should not seek to be free (1 Cor. 7:20-22). These words of St. Paul express the thought that when the truth finds us it does not necessarily change our earthly relationships; that if a man were a slave, for instance, and the truth of God reached him, he should not rebel against his earthly master. He is not to think of this new relationship to God as changing the color of his skin or his earthly relationship. The Apostle is speaking of the body and not the heart when he says, “Seek not to be loosed.” Our bodies may be enslaved for one reason or another. It might be a bondage like that of olden times ─ captured service. Or it might be that we had become the servants of those who were willing to pay for our services. While we are not to do anything contrary to the Divine Law or to our consciences, yet we are to serve our earthly masters faithfully. They have purchased our time, or a large measure of it; and we must render to them conscientiously all that is theirs by contract. If one is a servant in a military way, or in any other way, he should be faithful.

This will not interfere with one’s service to God; for our Lord has instructed us to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” Whoever is faithful in this is doing the will of his Heavenly Master. There would be no conflict, but full harmony. The only conflict would be if the master on earth should wish us to do something contrary to the commands of our Master in heaven. We are to suffer anything rather than do what our Heavenly Lord would not approve, and thus defile our consciences.

Looking into the future, we see that the present master, ruler, of this old order is soon to be bound, that he may deceive the nations no more for a thousand years, and that the new ruler, the new master of the world, is to be The Christ ─ Jesus and His Church. We ask ourselves how this principle will apply then. The answer is that there will be only the one Master to obey. There will be no rendering unto Caesar then. All will be made fully aware that this Master is the only one who has the power, the right to command. The knowledge of God’s glory shall fill the whole earth ─ the knowledge of God’s righteousness, the knowledge of God’s power, the knowledge of God’s wisdom, the knowledge of God’s love. Whatever he commands is the right thing, as every one will then learn and fully understand.

THE SCRIPTURALLY “WICKED”

In the Scriptures Satan is represented as the deceiver of mankind. He puts light for darkness and darkness for light. God’s proposition through Christ is that during the thousand years of the Millennial reign, the whole world will be brought to the true knowledge of God, an accurate knowledge. Deception will be no longer permitted. The world will see what righteousness really is, what its rewards really are, and how desirable it is. As a consequence, the majority will then, we think, be glad to give heed to the one Master. The exceptions are represented as having the same disposition as Satan; and whoever will have that disposition will be destroyed. When a person comes to know the right and when the right is made reasonable, and possible for him, and he then prefers to do wrong rather than right, let him die the death. This will be the sentence. Such will be counted “the wicked,” the incorrigible.

The word “wicked” from the Scriptural standpoint means those who do wrong intentionally. So all the wicked, knowing the wrong to be wrong, and doing it willfully and purposely, shall die the Second Death. In due time none shall be left alive except those who serve the one true Master. The difficulty with mankind at present is ignorance, which God has not yet lifted from the world. He has permitted the ignorance and darkness of the present time that the world may learn its lesson of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and be the better prepared for the lessons that are to follow. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them.” But these blinded minds shall soon have the obstructions removed that they may see.

Those who have become children of the light, who have accepted the Lord Jesus and become his disciples, and who now see clearly the Divine will and plan, have much more responsibility than those who have never seen. We also have greater prospects of blessing ─ not only the present joy, comfort, peace and knowledge, but additionally the hopes of making our “calling and election sure,” of attaining to joint-heirship with the Master. God will leave the scattering of the darkness for Christ to do. God has let the world go on its way, meantime providing the Savior, the Deliverer ─ The Christ ─ who will soon take control of the whole world. He will cause the light, the truth, to shine out, to flood the earth with knowledge and blessing. Then with the true light shining everywhere, there will be no excuse for anybody who will not walk in it; each one must then choose finally whether or not he will serve the true Master.

(Pastor Russell, Reprint 5666,5667, April 1, 1914)      

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In the January-February 2006, issue of The Bible Standard there is an explanation given on The Lake of Fire. By and large it is correct, but we were disappointed that a more complete explanation was not given for Revelation 20:14. At the bottom of page 10 it is stated that “the statement, death and hades were cast into the lake of fire, is merely another way of explaining to us that Adamic death (the curse of death that comes to us as the result of original sin) and the grave connected therewith, will be no more.”

This is not altogether wrong, but it is not the full explanation. Geneses 2:17 (marginal reading) says “dying thou shalt die.” The process of dying began immediately, but Adam experienced 930 years of dying before he actually reached the death condition (hades). If the death sentence had been carried out immediately, Adam would have died there and then, and would have had no posterity to experience dying and death. So the word “death” in Rev. 20:14 refers to the dying condition, and “hades” to the death state, the grave. Some of his posterity experience very little of the dying condition, while others experience a lot and all reach the death state. The Lake of Fire is correctly stated as the Second Death.

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TAKE HEART

Let me take heart! the present scene shall soon be o’er;

The clustering clouds shall hide the sun at noon no more.

The tears now dropping from mine eyes shall be forgot;

And joys, undimmed by sin and misery, my lot.

The storm now sweeping through the troubled sky be past;

The longed-for morning without clouds arise at last.

The hindmost shadow soon shall utterly depart;

Then let me watch and wait, and hopefully take heart.