NO. 640 "THE PRINCE OF PEACE"

Even though Christmas day is not the real anniversary of our Lord’s birth, but more properly an annunciation day or date of His human begetting (Luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our Lord’s birth is not a matter of Divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to Him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date. We can join with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrates “Christmas Day.” The lesson for the occasion is a most happy choice, fitting well to the series of lessons it follows.

“THE PRINCE OF PEACE”

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” (Isa. 9:6,7)

The standpoint of the Prophet in Isaiah 9:2-7 is the dawn of the Millennial Age, and in v. 2, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.” The reference here is to the world of mankind, all of whom will at that time recognize the presence of the Lord and His Kingdom established; for it is written that “every eye shall see him.” (Rev. 1:7) The world that has walked in the darkness of ignorance and superstition for six thousand years will then begin to see the glorious light of truth and righteousness, and in the earthly phase of the Kingdom they will see the grand illustrations and rewards of righteousness.

Though they dwell in the land of the shadow of death (i.e., fleshly Israel under the condemnation of their Law Covenant), “a light shineth brightly over them.” Yes, the light will shine with special brilliancy upon fleshly Israel: then their blindness will be turned away and the favors of the new dispensation will again be “of the Jew first and also [afterward] of the Gentile” (Rom. 2:10); and through the secondary instrumentality of the fleshly seed of Abraham shall all the nations of the world be blessed. The Ancient Worthies of that nation will be the visible rulers of the world, and their new work will begin at Jerusalem, bringing order out of confusion, peace out of discord and making Jerusalem a praise in the whole world. It was with reference to this that the Prophet wrote again, saying: “Arise, give light, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is shining forth over thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people; but over thee the Lord will shine forth, and his glory will be seen over thee. And nations shall walk by thy light, and kings by the brightness of thy shining... And the sons of the stranger shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee.” (Isa. 60:1-3, 10)

“Thou hast multiplied the nation [Israel – a reference to their gathering together again as a nation after the long dispersion of nearly two thousand years as fugitives among all the nations: and also to their reinforcement by the resurrection of their Ancient Worthies and heroes], made great their joy: they rejoice before thee as with joy in harvest, as men are glad when they divide the spoil.” (Isa. 9:3) Such, indeed, will be the joy of Israel when the blessings of their restoration to Divine favor begin to be realized.

“For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor [the heavy burdens of oppression imposed upon them and the persecutions inflicted by their Gentile enemies during the long period of their blindness and exile], as in the day of Midian” (Isa. 9:4) ─ when a great victory was won for them by Gideon’s little band of 300 under the Lord’s direction, without bloodshed and without strife. (Judges 7:1-23) Even so shall it be when the Lord shall again fight for Israel; it will not be by their own power that the victory of the final battle will be secured. (See Ezek. 38:11, 15, 23 – also compare verse 4 with Ezek. 39:8-15)

Isaiah 9:6: Why is all this return of Divine favor to Israel? Is it because of worthiness in them? Surely not; for to this day they are a stiff-necked people, and their blindness and hardness of heart continue, although we are within only a few more years of the time all these things shall be fulfilled. The reason for it is that the Lord hath remembered His Covenant with their fathers (Lev. 26:42, 45; Jer. 31:34), and that in fulfilment of that Covenant a child has been born unto them who was destined to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel; and now (at the time indicated in the prophecy) “the government is placed upon his shoulders.” Dimly this light of the world shone upon Israel at the First Advent of Messiah; but when “the light shineth in darkness, the darkness comprehended it not.”(John 1:5) “He came unto his own, but his own received him not.” (John 1:11) It is only at the Second Advent that they recognize Him as the promised seed of Abraham and their long-looked for Messiah. “They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for Him.” (Zech. 12:10)

“And his name is called Wonderful [What a wonder indeed to Israel specially, that the despised Nazarene, the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, whom they hated and crucified and reviled, even to this day, was indeed their Messiah, and they knew Him not. What a wonder, too, to them specially, will be the forgiving love that so meekly bore their reproaches and sacrificed even unto death to redeem them from the curse of the Law, and that now returns to restore and bless them! What wonderful, wonderful love, wonderful condescend-sion and grace, and wonderful exaltation and glory and power!], Counsellor [not counsellor of the mighty God, as some translators rendered it; for Paul significantly inquires concerning Jehovah, “Who hath been his counsellor?” (Rom. 11:34) He needed no counsellor, but poor fallen humanity does need such a wise counsellor, and He will teach them and they shall walk in His ways. (Isa. 2:3)] The mighty God [“a Savior and a great one” (Isa. 19:20)], The Everlasting Father [the new life-giver to our dead race – the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)], The Prince of Peace [whose glorious reign shall be one of righteousness, bringing with it all the blessed fruits of righteousness – peace and joy and satisfaction and everlasting rest].” (Isa 9:6)

And in verse 7 of Isaiah, Chapter 9: His dominion shall increase until all things are subdued under Him. It shall extend, not only to the ends of the earth, but eventually all things in heaven and in earth are to be united under His headship as the representative of Jehovah, who would have all men honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. (Psa. 72:7; Eph. 1:10; John 5:23)

“The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isa. 37:32) Such is Jehovah’s purpose, and thus He declares that it shall be accomplished; and our hearts leap for joy as we realize, not only the glorious import of this prophecy, but also the fact that the time is at hand, and that a score or so of years future will see the kingdom established and its blessings beginning.

The common interpretation of this prophecy regards it as fulfilled upon Israel at the First Advent, and the Kingdom of God as established then in the Gospel Church; and the great increase in the numbers and powers of the nominal church of all denom­inations, Papal and Protestant, as the predicted increase of Christ’s government. (v.7)

Such a fulfillment would not be worthy of the record. Christ does not reign in Christendom; its general character is anti-Christian. The only sense in which Christ’s Kingdom was begun at the First Advent was in its embryo condition; and this, the only true Kingdom of Christ in the world, has, like the Lord, been unrecognized in the world, except, like Him, to be despised and forsaken and to suffer violence. Its numbers have always been small and its circumstances humble; for not many rich and great, etc., are called. (1 Cor. 1:26-29; James 2:5)

Nor did the nation of Israel at the First Advent see or comprehend the light of Christ, nor did He at that time break their yoke or deliver them from the rod of their oppressor; for in consequence of their failure to recognize the light when it began to shine upon them, they were blinded, the rod of the oppressor came upon them with increased force and they have never yet been relieved, nor will they be until their Messiah is recognized as having come again, a Second Time; this time without a sin-offering unto salvation. (Heb. 9:28)

Let us rejoice for them and for all mankind that the blessed day is nigh, even at the door. Rightly viewed, this prophecy is full of rapturous inspiration.

JACOB’S RESCUE NEAR

But evidently the Prophet’s vision, while it glanced upon the preaching of our Lord and the apostles in Galilee, and glanced down through the Gospel Age and noted how this light glinted here and there as a wonderful “lamp,” nevertheless rested not until it reached the very end of this Age. There in prophetic vision Isaiah seems to see the end of Jacob’s trouble – Israel’s deliverance from the blind­ness that has been upon her, her acceptance of the Lord as the Messiah the time mentioned by another prophet, when the Lord would pour upon them the spirit of prayer and supplication and they should look upon Him whom they had pierced and mourn for Him ─ at the time mentioned by the Apostle Paul, when the fullness of the Gentiles having come in (the full number of the Gentiles to complete the elect number of the Church), Divine mercy shall go forth from the Church to bless the world and shall first of all rest upon Israel according to the flesh, “They shall obtain mercy through your mercy.” (Rom. 11:31)

The third and fourth verses of Isaiah, Chapter 9, we believe, are near fulfillment. In the Revised Version it reads, “Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased her joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken in the day of Midian.” The nation of Israel is very much increased today, but their joy is not yet accomplished because this great deliverance here mentioned has not yet been accomplished. It is to be accomplished in the “Day of Trouble” which began in 1914, and is now recognized by many.

The fifth verse of Isaiah, Chapter 9, seems to be more intelligently rendered in the revised version: “For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall even be for burning, for fuel of fire.” The thought seems to be that at that time there will come the end of warfare, as the Scriptures have declared. The Time of Trouble with which the Millennium will be introduced is the means by which the Lord will overthrow all the powers of evil, as it is written, “He shall cause wars to cease unto the ends of the earth.” Under the righteous reign which will then follow, men will learn war no more, but will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. At the present time the reverse of all this is in operation, nor can we hope for a change such as the Lord’s Word here and elsewhere predicts by any other power than from above. Hence our prayer as our Lord instructed and in harmony with our hopes, “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.”

THE GOVERNMENT UPON HIS SHOULDERS

As the verses through five indicate the coming joys and blessings and cessation of war, verse six points out how this would be accomplished. This is shown by its introduction with the word “for.” This verse goes back of the promised blessings to point out how they will be introduced. (1) A child will be born ─ a son will be given ─ a gift from God. (2) Passing over his earthly ministry and faithfulness, whereby the Lord Jesus was tested and proven worthy of the favors here prophetically assured Him as the overcomer, we have the declaration that the government will be upon His shoulders. This is an old-style figurative way of declaring that the authority and honor will be laid upon the Lord Jesus. The same thought is still carried out in the armies of the world, whose generals have upon their shoulders epaulets in which the dignity of their rank is noted, is indicated. So upon our Lord Jesus the heavenly Father has placed the dignity and responsibility of being the great King who in due time, as the Father’s representative, as the great glorified Mediator, shall reign for a thousand years to restore order in the world, to put down all insubordination, to destroy every enemy of righteousness and truth and to exalt everyone who is the friend of these Divine principles.

It is worthy to note that this authority or government is conferred upon our Lord before He assumes the various offices subsequently made: remarkably few recognize the authority of this great Captain of our Salvation whom God has set forth. Only comparatively few recognize Him truly and render Him obedience and refuse not Him who speaketh from heaven. These few have the eyes of their understanding opened and see what the others do not see: and the ears of their understanding opened that they hear and comprehend what others do not comprehend. To them the Master is the Father’s representative and all in all even now ─ even before the time has come for Him to take His great power and reign, even before He has established truth and righteousness in the world. By the eye of faith they see Him, worship, adore, obey and follow Him.

KNOWLEDGE OF HIS GLORY WORLDWIDE

But it implies much more than such an acknowledgment of our Lord Jesus by the Church. It implies a world-wide knowledge, as it is written, “Unto him every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11) The govern­ment or authority is not laid upon His shoulders in vain, and the fact that He has not exercised this authority in now nearly two thousand years’ triumph and ascension up on high is merely in accord with the Scriptural declaration that the Father has a “due time” (1 Tim. 2:3-6) set at which the Son shall take unto Himself His great power and reign, and in association with Himself the Church, the Little Flock, gathered out from the world during this Gospel Age.

The time when the Lord shall manifest to the world His government, His authority, His rule, is represented in Daniel 12:1, 2, by the words, “stand up.” “At that time shall Michael [another name for our glorious Lord] will stand up, and there shall be a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone found written in the book.” Our Lord will not only have the authority He will use it, and one of the first works, we are assured, will be the suppression of evil ─ not only the suppression of Satan, the prince of this world, who now worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience, and who, we are assured, will be bound at the beginning of that Millennial reign, but additionally all the works of the devil, all institutions of evil, moral, social, financial, that are now injuring the world of mankind and cooperating in effecting the groaning and travailing of the whole creation. All these will be suppressed as soon as the proper time shall come, and He upon whose shoulders the power and authority have been placed shall take unto Himself His great power and shall begin to reign. No longer, we may be sure, will any evil be licensed; no longer will the making of spirituous liquors be permitted, authorized and licensed, nor the sale of these nor any other harmful thing be allowed to do injury in God’s Holy Kingdom. (Isa. 11:9)

It will be then, at that time, that the whole world shall begin to recognize the great King whom God will thus set in the throne of the world’s dominion to rule it, to order it, to subdue it, to lift it up out of sin and degradation and to bring it into harmony again with God as it was before sin entered.

“COUNSELLOR,” MIGHTY-ONE, FATHER

The great Mediator, the Christ, “Prophet, Priest and King,” Judge, the Seed of Abraham in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed, shall have various names; His character and work shall be recognized from various standpoints. He will be the Wonderful One that in Himself He will manifest more than others the Father's character and likeness and nature. He will be Counsellor, Teacher, Instructor, Helper, Guide, for the whole world of mankind. He will be the Mighty God ─ the One with all power and authority to deal with mankind throughout the Millennial Age.

There will be no appeal from His righteous laws, regulations and decisions, because the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son: the whole matter will be left in His hands. From another standpoint He will be the “Everlasting Father.” Having purchased the life of Adam and His race with the sacrifice of His own Human life, our Lord having been granted a new life in His resurrection, will have at His disposal the life which He bought in the sacrificing of His own in such measure as will be sufficient to apply to every member of Adam’s race. Each member of our race as he shall respond to the knowledge that shall then be filling the whole earth, may receive life more and more abundantly from the glorified Christ – everlasting life, the life that was lost in Adam’s disobedience and that was redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice of Himself.

The one from whom all life for the world must precede is fitly called the father of the world, since the word father signifies life-giver; and since this father gives life everlasting, it is eminently proper that He should be called the father of everlasting life or the everlasting father. Prince of Peace is another of His titles, but this one evidently will not be appropriate to Him until, toward the close of the Millennial Age, He shall have accomplished the putting down of everything obnoxious to Divine righteousness, the subjugation of all things to Himself ─ until He shall have finished the use of the iron rod in smiting the nations, in dashing them to pieces as a potter’s vessel. Then it will be seen that the motive beyond all this activity against unrighteousness was the bringing in of everlasting righteousness, the bringing in of everlasting peace, and it will be seen that the title well fits our great King, Prince of Peace.

THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION OPERATIVE

But, some inquire, what about the sins of the world? Will there be no chastisement, no punishment, for these? We answer that it will be equally as just for God to forgive the sins of the world for Christ’s sake as it has been just for Him to forgive the sins of the Church for Christ’s sake. If the one is just, so will be the other; for “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), and is equally willing to forgive the sins of the world as the sins of the Church (the Little Flock), when to forgive the sins of the world, repenting of sin will turn from it, accepting Christ as their Redeemer.

This does not mean, however, that justice is to be ignored. In the case of the Church, note how the sins of youth may leave their scar and sting to the end of life. And so we may reasonably assume that certain stripes, or punishments, will be permitted to follow the world in just the same manner. It will be from these weaknesses and frailties that they will be gradually raised up to perfection during those blessed thousand years of Christ’s Kingdom, when Satan will be bound and not be permitted to deceive any during that period. But what about the heart condition? If conformity to the Divine Law in an outward way will bring blessings to all, will there not still be a difference between the people – some coming heartily into accord with the Father, and others merely outwardly into harmony, because this outward harmony will be the way to restitution, perfection?

Undoubtedly this is correct reasoning. It is along this line that the parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matt. 25:31-46) teaches; namely, that outwardly the “sheep” and “goats” will have much the same appearance and demeanor, except to the Judge, the King, who will read the heart and ultimately will manifest to all that there has been a real heart-difference between the two classes, all of whom will have been on trial for a thousand years, receiving blessings from the kingdom.

BASIS OF THE JUDGMENT

All the while each individual will be making character. This character will be fully appreciated by the great Judge, and the individual will be rated either as a “sheep” or as a “goat.” Not until the conclusion of the Millennium will the decision of the Judge be manifested. To the “sheep” at His right hand He will say, “Come ye blessed of my Father [the kind that my Father is pleased to bless and to grant everlasting 1ifel], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt: 25:34)

Then the other class, the goats of the parable will be sentenced: “Depart, ye ac­cursed ones [doomed ones] into everlasting punishment.” (Matt. 25:41)

Some think that those who live unrighteous lives, and are very wicked, should not receive a resurrection. But our Lord tells us there will be a resurrection of the good and the evil ─ the evil to a resurrection of judgment (mistranslated damnation) – John 5:28,29; and He is faithful that promised! (Heb. 10:23) “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” (Isa. 1:18, 19) “When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die... For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (Ezek. 18:27, 32)

Just as the Millennial Age is for the world, the Gospel Age is for those who consecrate and are seeking to “walk in His steps” during the time when sin is in ascendancy. They are being judged daily, and if some apparently are breaking their vows in their daily walk, but have not denied the Ransom, we are not to judge them as unfit for the Kingdom, even though we know what is right and what is wrong. “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” (Rom. 14:10) So we should be content to await the unerring and righteous judgment of Christ. Let us “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 13:14) “For if we would judge [examine] ourselves, we shall not be judged [condemned – corrected and punished of the Lord]” (1 Cor. 11:31)

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHEEP CLASS

With the establishment of the Kingdom all who come into harmony with it will have the great privilege of doing something to help others. While the Mi1lennial blessings will be showered upon those who accept the Lord’s terms, there will be others who will need assistance. Those who have the spirit of God, the spirit of love, will be glad to carry the heavenly message of reconciliation to all humanity, glad to apply the eye-salve to the blind, glad to unstop the ears of the deaf, glad to help the sin-sick back into harmony with God.

All who will take pleasure in this work will thus be manifesting that they have God’s spirit and are co-laborers with Him. All these will be the sheep. On the other hand, those who will be careless in respect to their vow, and merely enjoy the Millennia1 blessings themselves, will be of the goat-class and will thus be marking themselves as “goat,” and correspondingly will be out of favor with the great King of kings, their Judge, the Lord of Glory.

NO END OF RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT

The seventh verse of our lesson gives another precious assurance, and that is that this Kingdom once being attained by our Lord will never be surrendered to another, never pass into other hands. Of His government and of His peace which He will establish there will be no end (Luke 1:33). Not only Israel, but all mankind will have been witnesses that the best of kings as well as the worst of kings have at times surrendered their dominion, and that the best of kings might be followed by the worst. How appropriate then the suggestion that when the kingdom of this great King of kings and Lord of lords shall have conquered the world and have subdued all things into harmony with the Divine will, it shall never again be overturned by evil.

The expression “upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with judgment and righteousness from henceforth even forever; the zeal of the Lord shall perform this,” signifies that this great Kingdom which our Lord Jesus at His Second Advent will establish – His Church as members of His body, members of His Kingdom class, His bride associated with Him – will be the outcome, the antitype of that which was typically presented to Israel in the kingdom, the government of David. As previously seen, the name David signifies “Beloved,” and the David who was the first king on Israel’s throne, and of whom it was said that he sat upon the throne of the Lord, was merely a type, a figure of the greater David, the Anointed, the Messiah. Jesus Christ, the first Lord of all, and the Church His body associated with him, constitutes the antitypical David, the antitypical Beloved of the Lord, who’s Kingdom shall be an everlasting Kingdom, “henceforth even forever­more.”

UNENDING KINGDOM TRANSFERRED

The Apostle points out (1 Cor. 15:28) that, at the close of His thousand-year reign, our Lord (His Church associated with Him) will abdicate the throne of earth. Having accomplished the work which the Father has set apart to be accomplished by the Anointed in this Millennial reign, at its close the entire authority, with the world in complete sub­jection to the Divine law and fully restored to the Divine likeness and all willful transgressors cut off, will be surrendered to the Father’s hands, and in accordance with His prearrangement will be redeliv­ered to mankind, that the perfect human family, in the image and likeness of God, may rule the world in harmony with the Divine regulations. But the government will never cease, because the govern­ment with Christ will be even more particularly associated with the Father in His throne in the general government of the universe, it will be in that particular sense under the supervision of the glorified Christ.

The zeal of the Lord shall perform this. It will not be the arm of man nor the zeal of man, however good or well meaning, which could bring to pass such wonderful changes as those which the Lord has pointed out. The Lord Himself will accomplish it, He will put all things into subjection to the Son ─ all things, the Apostle explains, except Himself, for He is excepted who thus puts all things under the Son (1 Cor. 15:27).

From this standpoint, looking back over the history of the world, we get a grand view of the Divine Power and Wisdom, Justice and Love. We see how God has been continually overruling in respect to the efforts of man, to the intent that ultimately without interfering with the free moral agency of any, every man of the whole race of Adam shall be fully and thoroughly tested and proven respecting his loyalty to the Lord, and thus respecting his worthiness of life eternal. How glorious is the Divine Plan! What wonder is there that with its accomplishment every voice in heaven and in earth shall be heard expressing praise and thankfulness, glory, honor, dominion and might to Him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb!

It is our hope and prayer that what is given herein will increase the love and appreciation of our great Redeemer and will give us pleasure in the contemplation of the prayer, Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Hallelujah, what a Savior! He is mighty to save! Our best wishes to all our readers for a peaceful and blessed Holiday Season.

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 450, December 1993)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Sister Marjorie: Loving greetings through our beloved Redeemer!

     I was indeed saddened to learn of Sister Delta’s passing, but we are very comforted with the knowledge that she is “asleep in Jesus’ awaiting God’s great Resurrection Day. As we understand more clearly the meaning of the Resurrection, it makes us even more joyful. This enables us not to mourn as others do who have no faith.

    Warm Christian love from your sister by His grace, Ruth Roach (TRINIDAD, WEST INDIES)

………………………………….

Dear Marjorie and all the Brethren there, and especially Sister Delta’s family,

     So sad to hear you lost dear Delta on July 11, 2010. She had a long fight. I know you will all miss her very much. It is so wonderful to know that in the coming Resurrection we will all be together again and without these frail bodies with their pain and sorrow. Please convey my thoughts and sympathy to her family as well.

    Thank you for the sympathy for my Sister. She was 86 so near Delta’s age as well. No matter the age we miss our dear ones.

                                            May the Lord comfort your hearts. Love, Hava Bausch   (ISRAEL)

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THY KINGDOM COME

Oh, Lord, how long ‘til the morning

           When Thy Sun of Righteousness shall arise

                                         To brighten the troublous cloudy skies?

                                         How long ‘til that wonderful day

                                         For which we so earnestly pray?

                                         How long ‘til there shall reappear

                                         The faces of those whom we hold dear?

                                         How long ‘till we joyfully meet

                                         Our loved ones at Thy feet?

                                         The Times and Seasons are in Thy hand

                                         As ordered in Thy Plan so grand,

                                         But Lord we do feverently yearn

                                         For our dear ones speedy return.

                                         We pray for Thy woe to be swiftly past,

                                         And that Glorious Age ushered in at last!

                                                                                   By Delta Clinard

NO. 639 "THINK IT NOT STRANGE"

“Beloved, think it not strange concern­ing the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” is the counsel of the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4:12; and in verse 16 he appeals further, “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” It is often most helpful to the proper under­standing of any text to discern its back­ground, the basis which prompted its expres­sion; and such is definitely true in the present instance. It will be noted in verse 1, chapter 1, that the Apostle is addressing his letter to “the strangers” of the Black Sea Provinces. The Diaglott expresses it much clearer: “Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners of the dispersion.” Who were these “sojourners of the dispersion”? Apparently, they were such Jews as had been exiled from or about Jerusalem, or those who had left because conditions there were more or less unbearable for them. It would seem these are the same ones mentioned in John 7:35, when the Jews who were hearing Jesus, “said among themselves, whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles?”

Among such dispersed ones, those who had suffered afflictions for some cause or other there would certainly be found some who were ready listeners to the message that Jesus was indeed the Christ, their Messiah; and it would seem St. Peter had been among them, had convinced some, and was striving to “es­tablish them in the Present Truth.” Of a certainty, those Jews had never seen Jesus personally; therefore, their acceptance of Him had been prompted by the testimonies of St. Peter or others (1 Peter 1:8). The prophecy (Isa. 8:14) that “He shall be for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel” was not without purpose. Those Jews who received Him gladly did so from the heart; but those Jews who rejected Him likewise hated Him from the heart – hated also their former brethren who then accepted Him. To some He was the savor of life unto life; to some the savor of death unto death; and the latter snarled the opprobrious name “Christian” at their former fellows, as they spat upon the ground in the same breath, the worst of all insults they could express toward the new converts. Thus, St. Peter was telling such who had become His disciples that if they suffered under the offensive name “Christian” to be not ashamed, but to “Glorify God in this name.”

The expression “fiery trial” in our text is from the Greek purosis, meaning literally “a burning,” being the same word found also in Rev. 18:9 and 18:18 (the word occurs but three times in the Bible), where the “burning” of that Great City which is called spiritually Sodom is described. This may be regarded as a fitting sarcasm in contrast that the same word should be used to describe the “sweet-smelling savor unto the Lord” which comes from the “burning,” the sharp and faith-developing trials, of the true Christians on the one hand, and the “burning,” the utter destruction, of the “vine of the earth” on the other hand. And all of this is emphasized further by St. Peter in verse 17 of chapter 4, Dia.: “Because the season is coming for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if it begin first from us, what the end of those who are disobedient to the glad tidings of God?”

Today the name Christian is often spoken with respect, even by many Jews in the more enlightened countries; the name itself is no longer “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” Now Christians in name only must find other insulting terms for “Christians indeed [“Israelites indeed" ─ John 1:47].” Too many who received “Present Truth” under That Servant, to be a “Russe11ite” was the most insulting term to apply to those “Christians indeed.” To some, who believed Brother Johnson and his ardent adherents were in the Second Death, the epithet “Johnson-ite” would bear similar meaning to their fellows as did the name “Christian” in apostolic times. Thus, we might substitute the words, “If any man suffer as a Johnson-ite, let him not be ashamed" ─ that is, if he suffers such epithets as a faithful footstep follower of Jesus Christ. Let us keep in mind that if we “suffer as a Christian,” because of the Truth, we need never be ashamed ─ whether it be labeled Russe11ism, Hoef1eism, or whatever oppro­brium erstwhile brethren may use in contempt the same as did the Jewish brethren of Jesus in contemptuous use of the name “Christian.” “As He was in this world, so are we.”

“THAT OLD SERPENT THE DEVIL”

All of the “burning” ─ fiery trials ─ of God’s people under the reign of evil have been instigated by “the God of this world,” the evil one; and this has been markedly true of the difficulties of all New Creatures during this Gospel Age. This is apparent at the very outset of the Age, when “the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession, Christ Jesus” (Heb. 3:1) was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil.” (Matt. 4:1) The word here translated “Devil” is from the Greek diabolos, and is a specific name for the individual Satan ─ the Devil. It is the same word as found in Rev. 20:2: “He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan.”

We believe the words dragon, serpent, Devil and Satan portray the four unholy attributes of Azaze1 – the personification of evil in completeness – just as Power, Wisdom, Justice and Love describe the four character traits of Jehovah – the personification of Goodness and true Holiness in perfection.

As the “dragon,” the Evil One has attempted to devour the Gospel-Age saints by the unholy use of power, just as he through Pagan Rome did actually “devour the child.” (Rev. 12:4) Honest opponents are devoured and crushed by the unholy use of power, just as that great apostate “woman – Jezebel” used unholy power to become “drunken with the blood of the saints.” (Rev. 17:6) But in all of this seeming victory, God's holy use of power has preserved the fully faithful, has “laid up for them a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give them in that day... to all those who love His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

As the “serpent,” the evil one has been the deceiver, the beguiling tempter, of the Age in a perverted use of wisdom – Azaze1 means perverter. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any living thing” (Gen. 3:1, Rotherham); and “the woman was deceived.” (1 Tim. 2:14) But the “pure wisdom which is from above” has kept the fully faithful during the Age from being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:13)

As the “devil,” the Evil One has been the false accuser, the calumniator (so the Greek) of God’s people, especially so in the Parousia-Epiphany in the persons of antitypical Jannes and Jambres, the slanderous false-accusing sifters described by St. Paul in 2 Tim. 3:1-9. And slander, lying, false statements, misrepresentations, bad conscience manifested toward the fully faithful, are they not all an abuse of justice, i.e. “in”-justice? But here again, the “justice that is laid to the line” has spoken, or will eventually speak, in vindication of all those “whose righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” Then, finally as “Satan,” the Evil One is the adversary, or opposer of God’s fully faithful people. He often uses the measurably faithful, the “buckwheat” class, to oppose the fully faith­ful, causing them to meddle in the affairs of the wheat class in attempts to usurp their office powers. They frequently use the Truth given by God through His faithful mouthpieces to their own advantage, often palming it off as their own. They are all motivated through a lack of love and are those persons “who received not the Truth in the love of it,” and who have been given “energy of delusion” in return. “Thou hast given them blood [error] to drink”! (Rev. 16:6) But the true love, coming from the One “altogether lovely” provokes to good works (Heb. 10:24) just as the lack of it opposes such good works, and attempts to promote evil works. Thus, there is clearly depicted the “High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is Holy” (Isa. 57:15), as contrasted with the Evil One who will be “bound a thousand years, cast into the bottomless pit, that he should deceive the nations no more" (Rev. 20:2,3), and eventually annihilated.

THE PATTERN OF TEMPTATIONS WELL DEFINED

If we “consider Him,” it becomes clear enough that Jesus had His most severe trials at the very outset, and then at the end of His walk on the “narrow way.” After His anointing “with the spirit without measure” at Jordan, He was possessed of a consuming zeal, which so engrossed Him He did not even stop to eat for forty days. It would seem reasonable to believe that, knowing the great import of His mission on earth, and that “the King’s business required haste,” He memorized the entire Old Testament in those forty days, as well as to “rightly divide the word of Truth” on the various Tabernacle types, etc., of which He Himself would be the central figure in the antitype. According to His own words a little later, He had instructed those who have followed Him during the Age that every Tabernacle type had to continue until its antitype appeared – “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17) Then, at the extreme end of His earthly ministry came the most severe trial of all – Gethsemane and the Cross; and this pattern is also clearly marked in the experiences of the Apostles – much persecution immediately after Pentecost, with greater climax toward the end of their lives. James was killed with the sword (Acts 12:2), Peter crucified head downward, John thrown into a vat of boiling oil, Paul having his head chopped off, etc. – with all of them having their most severe testings at the beginning and at the end of their narrow-way experiences.

And Satan, master of psychology, makes his boldest and strongest attempts when his intended victims are weakest. This he did in the case of Jesus, when He was weakened from His fast and arduous concentration at the end of the forty days. And this Satan did by evidencing real concern for His physical welfare. “You are hungry and weak,” he had implied, “but you have received the Holy Spirit without measure; you have power to provide your every need; command that these stones be made bread.” This would not only try out the new power He had received, but would provide His temporal necessities at the same time. It might even decide Satan to repent and be converted, to join hands with Him in the work He was about to undertake.

Inasmuch as “He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin,” we may be certain His followers all during the Age would be similarly tried ─ tempted to use the power of the Truth to their own present ad­vantage; yet accomplish just as readily the work given them to do. Numerous are the ex­amples along this line: Balaam, who suc­cumbed to the temptation (Num. 22); St. Peter was “offered money” for the power he had, but emphatically responded that “the gift of God is not to be purchased with money” (Acts 8:18-20); the Gospel-Age builders of Great Babylon becoming “rich, and increased of good, and in need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17) foolishly deter­mined to bring to earth the Kingdom of God before “due time” – “my Lord delayeth.” “Money is power,” says Solomon; but it does not bring the power that maketh wise unto salvation; yet it has deceived many into believing they could be the “rich man” in this world, and “Lazarus” in the next. Just a cursory look at our Lord’s course should convince them of their fallacious reasoning.

TEMPTATION TO USE UNLAWFUL METHODS

At Jesus’ prompt rejection of Satan’s first bit of sophistry, he took up a second mode of attack: “If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down” from the pinnacle of the temple. (Matt. 4:6) This task of redeeming, uplifting mankind from the mire of sin, from relieving the poverty and human frailty, so apparent on every hand, just could not be done without some sensational methods; and this has been the thinking of the minds of worldly men throughout the Age. One outstanding weakness of the “great multi­tude” all during the Age has been this very mistake; thus, they become “double minded” ─ a mind to serve the Lord while using Satan’s methods. They would do great works, win great numbers, gain great favor with their fellows, yet bask in the smile of Heaven at the same time – a combination never parried by the fully faithful, but readily grasped by those befuddled by Azazel, attempting to juggle the “pearl of great price” (Matt. 13:46) with one hand, as they juggle “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25) with the other hand. “They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare.” (1 Tim. 6:9) “The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not with outward show,” said Jesus, and He set us the example of being “meek and lowly of heart.” There can be no argument with the statement, “The entrance of thy word giveth light,” and the great “quickening” that comes upon entrance of the Truth into the human mind has caused the large majority to “think more highly of themselves than they ought to think.” But the jester spoke a great truth when he declared, “O, if you would only know how much you have to know that you don't know nuthin.”

It is a common fallacy of professional men – doctors, lawyers, preachers, tech­nicians – to consider others stupid because the general knowledge of their particular vocation is so limited in the general mind. This is a mistake, of course, because many uneducated people could have made excellent doctors, lawyers, etc., had they been given the opportunity. It is a sage observation that the big difference between the professors and the students is that the professors read the books first. Therefore, it is sound counsel to all, and especially to the leaders in the church, to consider St. Paul’s words: “Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor. 4: 7)

TEMPTATION TO COMPROMISE

With Jesus’ positive rejection of Satan’s suggestion, there came immediately the third temptation, the temptation of Combinationism, which has overcome vast multitudes through­out the Age, and especially so here in the end of the Age. Satan would have Jesus to join with Him to accomplish His mission. Could not the two of them do it better than one of them alone? Would not two heads be better than one? Satan made it clear, of course, that he himself would be chief of the two heads: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” This temptation of Combinationism to God’s people has been among the most alluring all during the Age ─ not stated in exactly the same words, of course, but with the same underlying principle. “Money is power,” says Solomon; and this influence is stronger today than at any time in history, because there is so much more of it in the hands of so many more people of differing ideals and desires. The person today, who contributes, say, $10,000 per year to his particular church, will not be lightly considered when he states his wishes to the preacher. One great source of strength with the last two Principal Men was their decision, SEATS FREE ─ NO COLLECTIONS. Since they asked no one for money, they could afford to tell them the truth; there was no need to compromise. This revives the story of an Admiral from the U.S. Navy: Deciding to go to church one Sunday morning as he returned from the sea, he walked to a pew near the front, occupied by one lone old man. As he joined the party, he was given reproachful glances, which, however, he ignored. The old man, not to be thus disregarded, took one of his personal cards from his pocket, wrote on it, “I paid $1,000 for this seat.” The Admiral turned the card to the other side, handed it back to its owner with the answer, “You paid too much.” And certainly Jesus would have “paid too much” had He succumbed to the tricky deceit of Satan.

TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION

It is a sound observation that truth is stranger than fiction; and this is illustrated all about us today. Who wishes to hear the Truth? Even some among former brethren ─ those who once claimed to love the Truth more than life itself ─ there is very little of the “hearing ear” any more. And this situation is very evident in Churchianity everywhere; they are willing to listen to and receive almost any kind of hocus-pocus just as long as it isn’t the Truth. Thus, to the vast majority, the Truth is indeed a “stranger,” which emphasizes the truth of Jesus’ inquiry: “When the Son of Man cometh, will He find the faith on the earth?” And the Berean Comment is most fitting: “The question implies that at that time the true faith (the Truth) would be almost extinct.” (Luke 18:8, Berean Comment) But for those who do have the faith, the Present Truth, there is the comforting assurance of Psa. 89:15: “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound [that have an ear for the Truth]; they walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.” Such have meat to eat that others know not of; to such the Aaronic blessing is sure: “The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”, the peace of God, which passeth under­standing.

All of the three temptations of Jesus, which He met and rejected without wavering, have come in principle to all of His followers during the Age, added to which they have also been tempted to sin. It is well to bear in mind that temptation is an appealing suggestion. Without appeal, there can be no temptation. Thus, the statement, “God cannot be tempted of evil” (James 1:13) ─ evil is distasteful to every pore of His Being; just the reverse of Satan, whose characterization as The Evil One is indicative of the full corruption of evil that pervades every pore of his being. Nor is it any sin to be tempted; sin enters only when we are “overcome of evil.” Therefore, “be not over­come of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21) In all of their temptations, the fully faithful eventuate as “more than con­querors” – they gain the “crown of righteousness” which wins for them a throne. “He that overcometh shall sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne” (Rev. 3:21), is the sure promise of the fully faithful New Creatures.

But the Scriptures are very clear that the New Creatures who were measurably faithful, a “great multitude,” are not such overcomers; they will never gain a throne. At best, they will serve “before the throne” ─ the throne be­ing the heritage of their fully faithful brethren. After they have “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14) it will also be their privilege to become a kind of police force in the spiritual realm. And we believe it is sound and just obser­vation that every one of the Great Multitude leaders failed in at least two, and probably in all three, of those temptations which came especially upon Jesus ─ selfishness, error, worldliness ─ with the additional charge against some of them that they also fall under the fourth temptation, Sin. As the Epiphany Mes­senger has taught, Sectarianism is a great sin. During the Gospel Age Great Company leaders built the sects in Big Babylon, and perverted the Star Members’ teachings they embraced for their sects. The Great Company is one of the elect classes, but as a class they are not counted as overcomers of sectarianism and clericalism, even though they all must overcome their sins of teaching and practice as individuals if they receive the “palms” of victory (Rev. 7:9). Thus, we offer St. Paul’s counsel: “Exhort each other every day, while it is called today, so that no one among you may be hardened by a delusion of sin.” (Heb. 3:13, Dia.)

Another class of faithful overcomers are those who consecrate between the Ages, after the “door is shut” to the High Calling and before the full opening of the Millennium, that is, before the New Covenant is inaugurated, and opportunity to consecrate for restitution purposes is available. That Servant taught there would be such a class in the end of the Age when no more crowns would be available ─ a class that would be similar to the Ancient Worthies, and would receive a “better Resurrection” (Heb. 11:35) and be rewarded in partnership with the Ancient Worthies. He also saw in later years that they would be rewarded with spirit nature at the end of the Kingdom reign. The following respecting “Those Con­secrating between the Ages” is from That Servant’s writings in the Sept. 1, 1915 Watch Tower, Reprint 5761:

“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. 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 [during the time when sin and evil are in the ascendancy, such as in this our day] 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 those who make a consecration after the close of the Gospel Age High Calling and before the full opening of the Millennium."

And it is reasonable to expect a God of Love, Justice, Wisdom and Power to reward such consecrators above restitutionists ─ those who are faithful and obedient and walk a narrow way when sin and evil are in the ascendancy. The Epiphany Messenger accepted That Servant’s teaching, and was privileged to bring out additional light and much convincing Scriptural support for such a class; and we also “continue in what we have learned and been assured of,” and heartily believe that such consecrators between the Ages, after the “door is shut” and before opportunity for consecration for the non-elect, will, if faithful, be rewarded with the Ancient Worthies with a “better resurrection” and become “princes in all the earth.” (Psa. 45:16)

Like the Ancient Worthies, the Youthful Worthies are on trial for faith and obedience, and not for life, but they will be tested and proved worthy if they achieve their goal, the visible rulers of the Kingdom, under the invisible Kings and Priests of God (Rev. 20:6). “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:24-26)

J. F. Rutherford taught in harmony with That Servant at the outset of his career, but later reversed himself. He later produced a class of his own imagination, calling them Jonadabs, which later became the “great Multitude.”

We believe that all the Lord’s people would be greatly benefited if they would take heed to That Servant’s admonitions and warning in the February 15, 1912 Watch Tower, Reprint 4970:

“The Lord’s followers are to note how these same temptations are the very ones by which the adversary assails them: (1) He would be their friend and helper and would thereby induce them to violate their covenant of sacrifice by requests for physical healing, physical blessings, which they have agreed to sacrifice. (2) He would suggest to them some wild, foolish way of capturing the world for God by some great exploits or prayer tests. (3) He would have them compromise with the world and its spirit and its methods of church federation and otherwise. We are to resist the adversary courageously that he may leave us permanently, seeing no hope of winning us.”

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” (Eph. 6:13, 14, 24)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 449, November 1993)

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TURNED INTO HELL

“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” —Psalms 9:17)

   This statement of the Lord recorded by the Psalmist, we find without any qualification whatever, and we must accept it as a positive fact.  If the claims of “Orthodoxy” were true this would be indeed a fearful thought.  Hell, to them, means a place of unmitigated woe, where untold millions of human beings writhe in anguish, tortured by literal fire or the gnawing of conscience, which, say some, is even worse.  Under this fearful sentence they see the vast majority of mankind hastening, as they believe, to their dreadful doom; yet feeble indeed are the efforts put forth to rescue them.  Babylon still has plenty of time for social enjoyment and festivity, which according to their belief should be spent in an almost frenzied endeavor to save the perishing.  And she still has plenty of money to spend in gratifying the pride of life and the lust of the eye which might be applied to the same purpose; but instead, witness her costly temples of fashion, her grand organs, her costly apparel, her contempt of the poor, her greed of gain and strife for worldly honors.

   But let us look at the true meaning of the word hell, into which God says, He will turn the wicked and forgetful nations.  We find that it is the translation of the Hebrew word Sheol, which simply means the state or condition of death.  There is not in it the remotest idea of either life or torment; and no scholar can by any manner of twisting or turning make it to mean anything else.  Suffering of any kind would be impos­sible where there is no consciousness, no life.  The Psalmist says, “In death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave [Sheol] who shall give thee thanks?” (6:5)  And again it is written: “Whatever thy hand  findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave [Sheol] whither thou goest.” (Eccl. 9:10)  The corr­esponding Greek word is Hades, which also means the state or condition of death, and no other can properly be attached to either. 

Every minister, unless he be very ignorant indeed, knows that this is true; and ignorance on this subject is in no wise excusable in these days when books are so plentiful and so cheap.  But still they go on preaching this false idea of hell, which is nothing short of a slander against the character of God, as though they were still enveloped in the ignorance of the dark ages.  This very text which we are now considering, is quoted and preached from over and over again by men who ought to know, and many of whom do know the true meaning of the Hebrew word sheol, and who nevertheless in their attempt to uphold the frightful doctrine of eternal torture, knowingly pervert this Scripture.

   Well, you inquire, how, then, did this idea first originate, and then obtain such universal acceptance?  We answer, that it originated with Papacy, and was a part of her scheme for raising money from her ignorant and deluded subjects.  Papacy taught that this place of torment was prepared for all who did not seek the protection of THE (Papal) Church.  All heretics were sure to go there; while those in THE Church not counted worthy of heaven, were permitted to tarry in purgatory, there to suffer reformatory punishment, which might be shortened and relieved by the liberality of their friends in securing the prayers of the priests.

   No other doctrine of the Romish Church ever did so much towards holding her captives in the bondage of fear, and increasing her revenues.  The Protestant Church in emerging from Romanism, rejected the doctrine of purgatory, but retained the worse doctrine of eternal torture in hell.  Though false, yet like Papacy, finding it to be such a powerful agent in binding her subjects, and exacting her revenues, she is loathe to part with it; and since reasoning and enlightened minds are beginning to question this dogma, her policy now is, to put the brakes on reason, and to hurl her anathemas against investigation.  If this bondage of fear were once broken, and God’s children relied entirely on His Word, these great systems of Babylon would soon dissolve.

   If we substitute the true meaning of the word Sheol, our text will read: “The wicked shall be turned into the condition of death, and all the nations that forget God.”  This we believe; but who are the wicked?  In one sense all men are wicked, in that all are violators of God’s law, but in its fullest sense the wicked are those who, with full knowledge of the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the remedy provided for their recovery, willfully persist in sin, and refuse the remedy.

   As yet few, only consecrated believers, have come to knowledge of God; the world knows Him not and the nations cannot forget God until they are first brought to knowledge of Him.  The consecrated have been enlightened, led of the Spirit through faith, to understand the deep and hidden things of God, which, though expressed in His Word, appear only as an idle tale and foolishness to the world, but which to the consecrated believer reveal the glory of God’s character.

   But, as we have hitherto seen, it will not be so in the age to come, for then “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9)  Much that we now receive by faith will then be demonstrated to the world by sight.  When He who has ran­somed man from the power of the grave (Hos. 13:14) begins to gather His purchased possession back from the prison-house of death (Isa. 61:1); when the sleepers are awakened under the genial rays of the Sun of Righteousness, they will not be slow to realize the truth of the hitherto seemingly idle tale, that “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man.”

   We have also seen by previous investigation, that the gradual ascent of the King’s Highway of Holiness in that age will be easy and possible to all, when all the stones - stumbling blocks shall have been gathered out and straight paths made for their feet.  It is in that Age that this text applies.  Those who ignore the favoring circumstances of that Age, and will not be obedient to the righteous Judge or Ruler - Christ - will truly be the wicked.  And every loyal subject of the Kingdom of God will approve the righteous judgment which turns such a one again into Sheol - the condition of death.  Such a one would be unworthy of life, and were he permitted to live; his life would be a curse to himself and to the rest of mankind, and a blemish on the work of God.

   This will be the SECOND DEATH, from which there shall be no resurrection. After having been ransomed from the first or the Adamic death (Sheol) by the sacrifice of Christ, and then they die again on account of their own sin, “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” (Heb. 10:26)  “Christ dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” (Rom. 6:9)  This second death should be dreaded and shunned by all, since it is to be the final end of existence to all those deemed unworthy of life.  But in it there can be no suffering.  Like the first death, it is the extinction of life: in fact it would not be called a second, if it were not like the first.  The work of Christ is to destroy the Adamic death.     

    It is because mankind had, through sin, become subject to death (Sheol, Hades) that Christ Jesus came to deliver us and save us from death.  For this purpose Christ was manifested, that he might destroy death. (1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14)  Death is a cessation of existence, the absence of LIFE. There is no difference between the condition in the first and second deaths, but there is hope of a release from the first, while from the second there will be no release, no return to life.  The first death sentence passed upon all on account of Adam’s sin, while the second death can be incurred only by willful individual sin, and can come only upon those who have first been released from the first death, either reckonedly or actually released.

   That this last proposition is true is evident, since a man cannot lose his life (die) twice, without having it restored once in the interim.  The world will in the next age have ex­is­­tence actually restored to them by resurrection, then, unless obedient to the favorable arrange­ments of that time, will merit and receive the second death, or death a second time.  (Compare Ezek. 18:2-4 and Jer. 31:29, 30)  During this Age only those can be liable to the second death, which first by faith in Christ have been justified and reckoned as free from the Adamic death.  These can become liable to the second death by sinning willfully, counting the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified a common thing.

   But the application of our text belongs to the coming Age, when all shall be set free from Sheol or Hades, for saints and sinners all go into Sheol now, and this scripture indicates that, in the time when it applies, only the wicked shall go there.  And the nations that forget God must be nations that have known him, else they could not forget him; and never yet have the nations been brought to that knowledge, nor will they until the coming time, when the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth, and none shall need to say unto his neighbor, “Know thou the Lord,” for all shall know him from the least to the greatest of them. (Isa. 11:9; Jer. 31:34) Again, we find that the Hebrew word shub, which in our text is translated turned, signifies turned back, as to a place or condition where they once were.  They once were in Sheol, and were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and will be brought out of Sheol; but if then they are wicked, they, and all who forget God, shall be turned back to Sheol.

(Pastor Russell, Reprint 552, 553, November 1883)

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Marjorie and all there in the Lord,

Warm greetings from the Sea of Galilee! And it is warm here with many of our days already hitting 100 degrees. So we had to say “Goodbye” to our lovely, long and green spring this year. Due to some good rains the Sea of Galilee did come up some, but not to a good level and now it has started to drop – sadly. So our summer is here! I pray you will all be protected in the hurricane season there.

Wow! This has been such a busy spring in Israel for tourists. I have been very busy until this last week. In May there were only two nights that I did not have guests for the Bed/Breakfast rooms. So I am now grateful for a couple of slow weeks before July guests come. I have had a lot of interesting and intense visitors from many countries. So it is nice to be able to share God’s plans for Israel with them in a world that becomes more anti-Israel all the time,

Well, there is a lot of talk of possible war here this summer, and many preparations as well. We seem to get more “unfriendly” neighbors (example Turkey now) all the time. So we have to trust the Lord Day by day! He has the best plans, and controls it all.

I am so thankful I was able to visit my sister in December last year as she died the last week of March. I am so thankful the Lord gave us one last good visit. We never know what is next.

Hope all is well with you and those there. Please give my greetings from Israel to all!

                                                                                            In His Love, Hava Bausch (ISRAEL)

NO. 638 THAT SERVANT - MATTHEW 24:45-47

Those of the Truth groups who came into the Truth during Brother Russell’s life were substantially of one mind before 1916 - and most emphatically so, that he alone was “That Servant” of Matt. 24:45-47; and this belief was so firmly entrenched among the various ecclesias that it is doubtful if any one of them would have elected an elder to his office who openly declared his disbelief on the matter. After his death a few ─ a very few (we know personally of only two) ─ said they never did believe he was That Servant; but they concealed their opinion so well that it closely approached hypocrisy. One outstanding example of such was Frederick H. Robison, one of the Tower Editors after the Fall of 1916. He then openly declared that he never did believe that Brother Russell or the Society could be “that Servant.” Yet, during the last years of Brother Russell’s life he was a regular resident at the Bible House and devoted his entire time to the Truth work. How long, think you, could he have remained there had he revealed himself then as he did after Brother Russell’s death? And how much reliance should any of us place in a character like that? Surely, we must regard him as a rank hypocrite, harsh though the word may seem.

But in the years that have followed all sorts of views have “sprouted” among Truth people ─ from one extreme to the other. Some hold he was That Servant in such an extreme degree that he gave all the Truth due here in the end of the Age, and that he was also the last saint to be on earth. Others, such as FHR mentioned above, deny he was That Servant in any sense of the word. And in between these two views we find many variations. However, our purpose here is mainly to consider those among us who do believe he was That Servant, but whose views on some important Bible subjects directly rule him out as such. In other words, if he was That Servant, then he self-evidently was “ruler over this household,” as he was also “ruler over all His goods.” These statements would mean that he dictated the policies without accepting supervision or curtailment from any other individual, or from any group of individuals; and that his teachings were in the overall sense the “due Truth” then. And, if those things were “due Truth” then, they would still be Truth now ─ making allowance, of course, for some minor discrepancies, some of which he himself corrected later in life.

Our established readers know of our firm belief that Brother Russell was “That Servant” in the exact words of the text; and believing such, it logically follows that we adhere closely to the general Truth structure which he gave the Household when he was with us. Of course, we realize there is some dispute about what he actually taught on a few items ─ such as tentative justification, the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble being identical, etc.; but those points we shall ignore in this presentation. Brother Russell himself taught that “the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18); and he applied this to the individual life of each sincere believer, as well as to the entire Household. Even assuming there are no more saints on earth, it would still be logical to expect more “light,” as Rotherham’s translation of the text clearly reveals: “The path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, going on and brightening, unto meridian day.” Notice now the footnote: “the stable part of the day, when the sun seems motionless in mid-heaven.” “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” (Mal. 4:2) From Rotherham’s translation and footnote, it is apparent that the rising of “The Sun of righteousness” is in exact proportion to the celestial sun in its rising and progress to high noon. Thus, early risers would see the sun’s rising first, while, others who might sleep to nine or ten in the morning would only see it when they arise, howbeit it would then be much brighter than at early dawn. All of us know that this has been the exact course of the Truth Movement, which forces us to accept one of two views: Either the Truth reached its full splendor in October 1916, when Brother Russell died, or it has continued to rise higher and higher, and will continue to do so until the “meridian day” ─ at high noon. And this will come only when “the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea.” Here is the Berean Comment on Isa. 11:9: “Earth shall be full ─ At the close of the Millennium. This is not true in the present time.” The “seventh trumpet” began to sound in 1874, and will continue to sound until the goats have all been destroyed at the full end of the Little Season.

From the foregoing, it should be clear enough not only that other enlightened teachers would follow after That Servant, but they will continue to appear unto the “meridian day” ─ at the close of the Millennium, as That Servant himself taught. However, we would say of him that he held the exclusive position of “the steward” here in the end of the Age ─ a position not occupied by any other individual since the days of the Apostles. But even in this last statement there must be some qualification, lest we be misunderstood. The “ruler over the household” (the twelve Apostles) at the beginning of the Gospel Age wrote by inspiration, and those writings were infallible; but this was definitely not the case with the “ruler over the household” here in the end of the Age.

All of us know that Brother Russell made some mistakes ─ permitted by the Lord, of course, for “the trial of your faith”; but those mistakes were few indeed when we consider the intricate and massive Truth structure he placed upon the table as the “meat in due season.” However, to offer some allowance for his mistakes, we would say that even the Apostles ─ at least one of them ─ also made serious mistakes, outstanding among them being St. Peter himself to whom the Lord had delivered “the keys of the Kingdom.” (Matt. 16:19) “When Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I [Paul] opposed him face to face, because he was blamable. For before certain persons came from James, he ate together with the Gentiles; but when they came he withdrew and separated himself, being afraid of those belonging to the circumcision... even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” (Gal. 2:11-13, Dia.) In this statement St. Paul openly accuses the one to whom had been committed “the keys of the kingdom” of temporary hypocrisy ─ a very serious charge indeed, and revealing a fault that was not chargeable to Brother Russell all during his ministry so far as we know.

Many of our readers are probably in full agreement with all of the foregoing, but there are also probably some of our readers who believe there was no special illumination during that portion of the Age that lies between the Apostles and That Servant. This likewise is an extreme position. It was Moses who led Israel from Egypt (type of the world in sin) to goodly Canaan land (type of the Heavenly garner); and in this he was certainly a type of those outstanding individuals during the Age who led spiritual Israel from antitypical Egypt to the Heavenly Canaan. Those brethren also held a high position in the Household; and St. Paul makes this quite clear in Eph. 4:11,12: “He gave some, apostles [the twelve]; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists [such as Timothy]; and some, pastors and teachers [local elders]... for the work of the ministry.” The “prophets” in this text are the same ones mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 12:28: “God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets.”

In Eph. 2:20 the Apostle declares that the Church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” And who are the “prophets” in this text? They are the same as mentioned in the two other texts ─ those who labored in word and doctrine in “the work of the ministry” to build the Church which is His Body. Being the very foundation stones, they must necessarily be a part of the building, which was not true of the Old Testament prophets. These latter have indeed taught the Gospel-Age Church through their writings; but none of them received the “better thing” which has been reserved exclusively for the Church of this Age. The Gospel-Age “prophets,” the foundations stones of the Temple, are the same as the “seven stars in His right hand” (Rev. 1:16), who were the special messengers (the Gospel-Age antitype of Moses) who were given the special messages to the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 ─ of which “stars” Brother Russell was but one ─ as he also was one of the “eight principal men” of the “seven shepherds” of Micah 5:5. The “seven shepherds” in this text are the same as the “seven stars” of Revelation, and are the same as the “prophets” mentioned by St. Paul in his writings quoted foregoing.

EZEKIEL NINE

During Brother Russell’s life those brethren that regarded him exclusively as That Servant also regarded him as the only one included in the “man with the writer’s inkhorn” in Ezek. 9:2,11. There is a certain logic in all Bible presentations that provides a symmetry and harmony which should never be ignored. In Ezek. 9:1,2, six other men are mentioned, “every man with his destroying weapon in his hand”; but of the seven mentioned only one is said to be “clothed with linen”; and “fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” (Rev. 19:8) The one “clothed with linen” was to “set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry in the city for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” (Ezek 9:4) Surely, none of us would contend that Brother Russell alone did all of this work, although he did considerably more than any other individual. Nor were the men with the “slaughter weapons” in their hands individuals. These six were the Harvest sifters; and no individual monopolized the sifting errors of anyone of the six siftings that occurred after 1874. Thus, consistency would force us to conclude that the man “clothed with linen” was more than one individual. It is true that Brother Russell did put the ink into the horn; he provided the “sharp sickle” of Rev. 14:14,15 (Present Truth ─ see Berean Comment) that enabled all the reapers to do the Harvest work.

History is not too profuse about many of the “stars” that came after the Apostles, but a sentence or two here and there is sufficient to give us a foundation for the belief in their spiritual insight. As instance, Arius: the record says of him that he “was a man of clear intellect.” And this he well must have been, when we consider the pompous assembly of bishops that congregated at Nice in 325, with only two of that illustrious multitude aligned with him. Yet his arguments that there is but one God were so prevailing and unanswerable that Emperor Constantine concluded that the best way to silence that man was to banish him from the Roman Empire. But even that did not silence him, because he went over into North Africa, where he died after eleven years, leaving a thriving group of "Arians" as his testimonial to the Truth he had loved so well.

And similar conclusion may be made of many others; for instance, Polycarp, Marsiglio, Wessel, Luther, Zwingli, Servetus, Cranmer, Wesley, Miller, et al. Well did the text apply to them: “Sons of God, without rebuke... ye shine as lights in the world.” (Phil. 2:15) The Diaglott states it even more forcefully: “Irreproachable children of God, in the midst of a crooked and misguided generation, among whom you appear as luminaries in the world.” The footnote on this text says that the Greek phosteeres is the name given to the sun and the moon in the Septuagint; and this was certainly a fitting description of those “stars” that led spiritual Israel all during the Gospel Age. Thus, while Brother Russell outshone many of them, he was by no means the only “luminary” that gave a “good and faithful” account of his stewardship.

OBVIOUS CONCLUSIONS

As stated above, among those brethren that contend Brother Russell was That Servant, there are some ─ quite a few, in fact ─ that belie their own statements in that they reject so many prominent and essential truths he gave. For instance, some contend that the Second Advent of Jesus has not yet occurred. If that be true, then the Harvest is yet future, because the Chief Reaper is the one who would provide the “sharp sickle” with which to do the reaping work. And note the logical sequence in the pertinent Scripture: “From this time blessed are those dead who die in the Lord... they may rest from their labors; for their works follow after them [as they experience their part in the First Resurrection, and are joined in the Marriage to the Lamb]... And behold! a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a Son of Man [this occurred after the First Resurrection had begun], having on His head a golden crown [authority to rule], and in His hand a sharp sickle... And another angel came forth out of the temple, crying with a loud voice ‘Send thy sickle and reap; because the hour to reap is come.” (Rev. 14:13-15, Dia.)

And Brother Russell applied this prophecy to his own activity from 1878 until he died in 1916. Thus, if he was That Servant, he instigated and supervised the reaping, put the ink into the inkhorn, and gave “the present Truth”; otherwise, we must catalog him as a rank fraud, with perhaps the most erroneous message ever presented in such a short time during the entire Age.

Also, he correctly predicted the outbreak of the World War in 1914, which began the desolation of Christendom ─ just as Jeremiah predicted the desolation of Israel during the Babylonian captivity. And in this he clearly antityped Jer. 1:5: “I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Those who remember conditions back in 1914 know the prediction of a world conflict seemed certain to fall in derision before all, because everything was serene and calm, exceptionally so ─ with just no indication whatever that in one short 24-hour day the roof would fall in on Christendom. The Archduke of Austria was driving peacefully along in a carriage in Sarajevo (now Bosnia-Herzegovina), when he and his wife were assassinated; and this precipitated the World War in a matter of hours thereafter. So violent was the disturbance that the New York Stock Exchange closed for many months, so that no one could buy or sell even here in America where we were not yet directly involved in the conflict. But that event brought admission from some of Brother Russell’s erstwhile critics that he was indeed “the prophet unto the nations.”

A PERTINENT STATEMENT

Lest we appear to stress this situation overly much, we now offer a quotation from Volume 2, p. 28, The Time is at Hand, the same having been first presented to the public in 1889 ─ 25 years before the world uproar began:

“It is a grave error into which many fall, to suppose a knowledge of God’s doings and plans is of little importance, the graces of Christian character are all God requires, and these are better conserved by ignorance. How differently the Scriptures present the matter! They counsel not only to cultivate the graces of the Christian character, but to preserve constantly the condition of heart that will enable us to discern the truth, especially the Truth of the Lord’s presence when due, and when dispensational changes take place. A knowledge of dispen­sational truth is as important in the end of this Age as in the end of the Jewish Age. Those who did not discern the truth then due did not receive the favors then due. So in the end of this Age: Those who cannot discern the truth now due, blinded by unbelief and worldliness, cannot receive special favors now due. They are not overcomers, and hence not fit to be the bride of Christ, and to enter into the glorious inheritance of the saints as joint-heirs with Him. Truth, in this Age, under adverse conditions for its reception, becomes a test of our faithfulness to God, and hence as a sickle separates the fit from the unfit, the wheat from the tares.

“Odium attaches to the study of prophetic time through past misapplications of it by the Second Adventists and others, and the con­sequent failures to realize the events expected to occur at set times. But we see that even this is a part of God’s plan to obscure the subject to all but the class for whom it was intended, by permitting contempt and ridicule to attach to it, hindering the worldly-wise and prudent from grasping it (Matt. 11:25). This, we doubt not, was as much a part of the Divine Plan as sending Jesus into Nazareth, a despised place “that He might be called a Nazarene” (Matt. 2:23), though He was born in the honorable town of Bethlehem. As the worldly-wise and prudent of that day said, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? so today, when prophetic time or anything relating to Jesus’ advent is mentioned, many cry Adventist, as if to say, Can any good thing come out of Adventism? though they admit that many prophecies containing time are not yet fulfilled, and that the second coming of the Lord is the most prominent topic of Scripture.”

Recently we heard a brother offer an excellent oration on this subject, in which he stressed the Scripture, “It is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I place in Zion a foundation-corner stone, chosen, honorable: and he who confides in it shall not be ashamed. The honor therefore is for the believers: but to the dis­believing, this stone which the builders rejected, was made into the head of a corner ─ even a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense... to both the houses of Israel.” (1 Pet. 2:6-8, Dia.: Isa 8:14) And what is the “stone of stumbling”? Is it not the recognition of the Messiah, and the time concerning His presence. Indeed, the accusation was flung at the Jews: “The days will come on thee, when thine enemies shall throw a rampart around thee... and lay thee level with the ground... because thou didst not know the season of thy visitation.” (Luke 19:43,44, Dia.) Thus it was the presence of the Lord Jesus, and the accompanying works, that was “the stone of stumbling” for the Jews at that time.

Consequently, the sharp criticism of Jesus: “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin ─ but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22-24) And further in Luke 7:19-23, Dia.: “And summoning two of his disciples, John sent to the Lord, saying, ‘Art thou the coming one? or are we to expect another?’ And having come to Him, the men said, ‘John, the Immerser, sent us to thee, saying, ‘Art thou the coming one? or are we to expect another?’... And Jesus answering, said to them, ‘Go, tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind are made to see, the lame to walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, glad tidings are announced to the poor; and happy is he who shall not stumble at Me.’” But most of the Jews were “slow of heart”; their hearts had waxed fat; their eyes and ears they had closed ─ they did “stumble”; and they reaped the consequent destruction at the hands of the Roman army under Titus.

Much the same condition exists today with many who claim to have the faith of their fathers, blinded also at least partially to the mission and works of That Servant. He it was who clearly defined the ten cardinal doctrines of the Bible, and coordinated them with each other. This he did as no other man before him had ever done. Further, he examined the various stew­ardship doctrines of the “stars” who had preceded him, cleansed them of their flaws, polished them as no other man had ever before done. For example, the stewardship doctrine of Martin Luther was “Justification by faith”; but That Servant defined Justification in all its various details much more effectively and clearly than Martin Luther himself had done. This he did likewise with the doctrines of the Second Advent, of Baptism, of the Lord’s Supper, of the elective and restitution sal­vations, the condition of the dead, the true meaning of the soul, etc. All of these he made crystal clear, and harmonized them with each other. Thus, it could truly be said of him that he had done among us “the works which none other man did.” And he, too, became “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” to Big Babylon during the small Parousia Day: and he is now the same “stone of stumbling” to many.

“In the time of the end knowledge shall be increased.” (Dan. 12:4) The great increase of knowledge was first of all spiritual, having its beginning about 1870. And the Scripture clearly states that That Servant would be dispensing the “meat in due season” when “his Lord cometh.” Therefore, when we would observe the offering of the “meat in due season,” it would give us absolute proof that the Lord had also come. It is as clear as the noonday sun. But, of those who cannot discern this evident truth, it is written of them, “Our lamps are gone out” ─ they have lost the spirit of understanding. Note the Berean Comment on Matt. 25:3.

Nor was it long after the appearance of the spiritual truth until secular truth began to come forth ─ in keeping with the prophecy, “Truth shall spring out of the earth [the present social order].” (Psa. 85:11) A little reflection will give ample substantiation: At the end of the Civil War in 1865 there wasn’t a telephone in the United States (or anywhere else in the world); no radio, no television, no automobiles, no typewriters. The United   States was then largely an agricultural country, and the people were forced to provide their own entertainment, such as it might be. A favorite mode of travel was horseback or carriage; with oil lamps to give light to all rural homes. The first practical typewriter came in 1874, with the electric light some years after that. It is stated by some that the electric light has been the most beneficial invention for mankind in all history, and we would certainly not quarrel with that. But it also came after the Lord had come ─ a sound secular evidence that the Lord had indeed come. After the Civil War the people were still harvesting their wheat, barley, etc., with sickles and scythes; it required a very good team of horses to plow and prepare two acres of land for planting in one day ─ a dawn-to-dusk day, not an eight-hour day. Today it is ordinary procedure for a large tractor to prepare and plant 75 acres in one day. “Knowledge shall be increased,” and only the spiritually blind cannot read the signs of the times in such things.

The desolation of Israel began in the fall of 607 B.C, and is paralleled by the beginning of the desolation of Christendom in 1914. Thus, we may logically look for parallel happenings in both “houses of Israel.” Today the youth are calling many of the turns in our social order; 18-year-olds are now given the vote. They are also intimidating their teachers in many parts of the country ─ so much so that the teachers are afraid to correct or discipline them for fear of the knife, the club, or the gas pipe after school. Note the charge against Jewry about 100 years before Jerusalem was leveled: “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.” (Isa. 3:12) All of us have recognized that there is always bedlam in any home where the children run riot without correction. All of these things and many more, are but the “signs” that point to the second presence of Jesus.

SITTING IN MOSES’ SEAT

Just before His death, Jesus said: “The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” (Matt. 23:2) The full significance of this is not discerned until we understand the custom in those days, which was just the reverse of what we have today. At that time the speaker, or teacher, sat, as the audience or pupils stood. This was so pronounced then that in the Talmud “to sit” is synonymous with “to teach.” This custom comes down to the present in the form of, “So and So occupies the History Chair at Harvard.”

An instance of this is Matt. 5:1: “When He was set, His disciples came unto Him. And He opened His mouth, and taught them.” Therefore, when Jesus said that those Jewish leaders sat in the seat of Moses, He meant that they occupied the teaching position in Israel. This is further confirmed in John 18:13,14: “They led Him away to Annas first, for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.” Note now the Berean Comment on verse 13: "Was the high priest... And, therefore, until the rejection of the Jewish House, was to a certain extent God’s mouth­piece.”

That same condition would also apply here in the end of the Age. “Babylon hath been a golden cup [the golden cup being the Divine Truth] in the Lord’s hand.” (Jer. 51:7) But she was rejected from such position in 1881, until today there is no semblance of God’s mouth­piece at all in Big Babylon. Thus, we must look elsewhere for the counterpart of those Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day; and it doesn't require much insight to find them in Little Babylon ─ the outstanding example being Jehovah’s Witnesses. Are they not telling the world that they are the only gate to salvation? And, in their attempt to construct a tower (gateway) to Heaven, have they not had their tongues sadly confused ─ a “Babel” of most repellent sort? Let us note once more that Moses was a type of the Star Members of this Age, of which That Servant was a most prominent one. But the Witnesses now claim succession to him as mouthpiece to Christendom ─ to take up where he left off; they claim the teaching position to Christendom. Therefore, they, by their own admission, do claim to sit in the seat of antitypical Moses.

During the Age the Roman Church soon learned that they could tell their adherents most any weird yarn, and they would believe it. In fact, if they did not believe it, they were not “good Catholics.” The Witnesses have followed in exact pattern: their adherents must also believe just what they teach. If anyone in their midst persists in asking questions that may appear to contradict what is published in their Watch Tower, it will not be long until he is disfellowshiped after which the “faithful” are instructed not even to speak to him if they see him on the street.

It thus becomes pertinent here to offer some more from Parousia Vol. 2, pp. 29-31:”We have great sympathy for the First Adventists, the Jews, and the Second Adventists, though only a few of either realized the truths they so nearly apprehended, yet failed to grasp, blinded by false expectations. Our Adventist friends have failed to recognize both the manner and the object of the Lord’s return as taught in the Scriptures; consequently, they have not been expecting to see Him as He is, but as He was. They consider the object of His coming one which will fill the hearts of all except the saints with dismay and terror; that His object is to gather the elect, destroy all others of mankind, and burn up the world. Having such ideas, they used time prophecy as a whip to scourge and drive the world to God [as the Witnesses are now also doing through the threat of destruction in Armageddon]... God provided time prophecies for no such purpose, nor will He attempt to convert the world in any such way; for He seeketh such to worship Him as worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), and not such as are frightened into His service. [Here is a direct contradiction to the technique of the Witnesses, as they claim to “sit in Moses’ seat” as successors to That Servant]. If He designs to terrorize men into obedience, He could have devised some more successful method than the proclamation of time, as our Adventist friends have proved.

“Prophetic time was given, not to alarm the world, nor for the world in any sense, but to strengthen, comfort, encourage and guide the Church in the troublous times in the end of the Age. Therefore, it is written, ‘None of the wicked [the world in general] shall understand, but the wise only [those who have accepted the Wisdom from above].’ (Dan. 12:10) To these this becomes meat in due season [the faithful and wise servant was to “give them meat in due season”], and it, with other meat, strengthens those who use it, so that they may be able to stand in the evil day [in which we now find ourselves], the day of trouble with which this Age closes. It will enable them to understand the events transpiring around them, so that they will not be consumed by fear and dread [by the threat of Hell Fire, or Armageddon blood bath], not swallowed up by the projects and false theories, science falsely so-called, with which this day abounds. And, withal, they may be in the devouring fire (trouble), witnesses for God and His plan, and teachers of the people ─ pointers to the outcome of Jehovah’s plan, lifting up a standard for the people (Isa. 62:10).”

In the above quotation from That Servant it is clearly discernible that he taught as long as sin and evil are in the ascendancy ─ and no one in sound mind will dispute that fact ─ the “call” is not for the world in general. Only the “elect” who make the promises their own are able to stand trial for life now, in faith and obedience. But the Witnesses set aside that logical teaching, and tell the world they MUST accept them and their present system of error, or die in Armageddon, with no hope of a resurrection. And why do they teach such? Because they have had their chance, they say. To those who cannot accept their teachings now in “this present evil world” they offer no hope for any kind of future life. Thus, they preach the Kingdom, but without the “glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” Not even their own “dedicated” devotees can have “fullness of joy” in this teaching, because many of their own dear friends and relatives are not joining with them, and will, they apparently believe, subsequently suffer annihilation.

Just a little reflection should reveal how ridiculous their present position is. They themselves admit their imperfections, their fallibility and monstrous mistakes of the past (such as Millions Now Living Will Never Die, the return of the Ancient Worthies by 1925, etc.). “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn right­eousness” (Isa. 26:9); and they will not learn it from fallible teachers who are not themselves certain of many of their teachings (such as the chronology, etc.), but they will learn it from perfect teachers, who will be “princes in all the earth.” “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isa. 2:3)

As That Servant has so well taught, the Truth is not for the world now, though there are many good and honorable people who have a measure of appreciation for the “good tidings” ─ the gospel, the good news ─ but do not accept it in the full sense. They are not of the “many that are called.” but are measurably blinded by “the god of this world.” (2 Cor. 4:4) And certainly a blind man cannot be faulted justly if he stubs his toe against a stone. “I desired mercy [not condemnation for those who cannot compre­hend], and not sacrifice [feverish efforts on street corners ─ a “zeal not according to knowledge”], and the knowledge of God [the true understanding of the great Plan of the Ages as it was explained by That Servant] more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6)

“There is none so blind as he who will not see” ─ but this does not apply to the fully faithful who “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” (2 Tim. 3:14) They do this from a “good and honest heart” and can readily discern between Truth and Error, thereby continue to “grow in Grace and in the Knowledge” of our Beloved Lord. “Light [truth] is sown for the righteous [the consecrated], and gladness [the joys of the truth] for the upright in heart [for the fully faithful].” (Psa. 97:11)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, No. 504, April 1999)

NO. 637 PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR - EPHESIANS 2:2

Many are surpris­ed when first told that Satan is not in some far-off place stoking fires and torturing humans. Some are even more surprised to hear he is present amongst men, an invisible angel of evil, ably supported as an Adversary of God by legions of other fallen angels (Mark 5:9; Luke 8:30).

He is the master and Prince of Demons, because of his superiority of nature. He belongs to a higher rank or grade than the ordinary angel. It is a surprise for many to learn that Satan is far from being horrifying in appearance, but is beautiful, according to the Scrip­tures. He is supervising his work of de­cep­tion directly and through the fallen angels, his servants, to mislead and to deceive hu­manity, putting light for darkness and dark­ness for light, error for truth, etc. Now he is operating with great desperation.

We are in the dawning of the third dispensation, “The fullness of times,” (Eph 1:10) with a harvest of the Gospel Age and moving rapidly into the Messianic Age in which Christ “will put all enemies under his feet” (Cor 5:25). Even if we never had seen the Scriptures, we would have been aware of the sudden avalanche since the 1870s of time and laborsaving devices such as the telephone with which we could talk through wires worldwide with others and recognize voices. Cellular and Satellite phones, com­pu­ters now all operate through space without connecting wires and with even greater ease. 

If man can accomplish these things, think what the Almighty can accomplish! Who can deny the possibility of the invisible presence of spirit beings and yet admit the existence of all these modern inventions of humanity men­tioned above? We are safe, dear friends, in guiding our judgments directly by the Word of God and reasoning inside and not outside of its boundaries.

THE BIBLE IN PERFECT ACCORD

The Bible and it alone, explains certain phenomena and many of the explanations though written centuries apart are in perfect accord. For instance, in Genesis the Bible tells us respecting Satan’s deflection, and the book of Revelation, written more than three thou­sand years later, tells us of his being bound for a thousand years (Rev. 20:2) and of Messiah’s reign and Satan’s ultimate destruction. Isaiah and Ezekiel tell us of his being at one time in full harmony with God, and the “covering cherub” (Ezek. 28:14,16), glorious, grand, beautiful, and his name was Lucifer.

All of the heavenly hosts, angels, Cher­ubs and Seraphim are termed stars, bright ones; but Lucifer, being of higher order, was styled the “son of the morning” (Isa. 14:12). It was while in Divine favor, that Satan per­mitted the disloyal thought of how, indirectly, being of higher rank he could work wonders and do some things better than the Almighty. Satan craved the opportunity to make a demon­stration of what he could do. However, the Scriptures declare that first he said this only in his heart and spoke it not. “He said in his heart, I will ascend into heaven: I will exalt my throne above the stars of God [still farther above his angelic associates]. I will be as the Most High [a ruler].” (Isa. 14:13, 14)

THE OPPORTUNE TIME CAME

There never had been sin in heaven (Spirit world). Satan was the first of all its inhabitants to cherish and to entertain a rebellious thought, and to bring it to a consummation. He held the thought in abey­ance until God Himself afforded the oppor­tunity. With full knowledge of the con­sequences, and with the desire that this test of the entire heavenly host, and of a human race as well, should be effected, because God seeketh not the worship of constraint, but seeketh such as “worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), voluntarily, joyfully.

It was when Satan beheld our first parents, in the image and likeness of God, yet not spirit but flesh – earthly, that he perceived the opportunity of gaining the coveted power for an empire, separate from that of the Creator. In the first pair, the Adversary beheld a new thing, a creature of Godlike qualities and possessed of the power to propagate his own species. Satan realized that the conquest of this pair and the bringing of them into subjection to himself would signify the capture of a world full of people eventually ─ that the enslavement of the parents would signify the enslavement of the race.

SATAN’S METHODS SUCCEEDED

We cannot deny that Satan’s plans were logical and that he has carried them out with great success so that the Scriptures declare him “the Prince of this world” (John 14:30), and again, “the god of this world.” (2 Cor. 4:4) Nevertheless, his victory was not as great as he certainly expected it to be. No doubt, he thought he was capturing an immortal race. He might even have believed the falsehood he told mother Eve, when he contradicted the Word of God ─ that sin, i.e. disobedience to God in eating the forbidden fruit, would bring upon them the penalty of death, “dying thou shalt die.”

Satan charged that God had misrepre­sented the facts in order to hold His creatures in mental slavery and that God did not wish them to be wise; therefore, He forbade the eating of this particular kind of fruit and declared the penalty of death for the transgression of His law. “I, Satan, assure you that you need not be afraid of the fruit; I assure you that it will do you good, and that you will not surely die from the eating of it.”

Alas! Mother Eve believed the Adversary and disbelieved her God, and then enticed her husband; still thinking no doubt, that she would not die and the serpent had told her the truth and God had been the deceiver. St. Paul tells us that father Adam knew better and ate the fruit, knowing that it would cause his death, willing thus to disobey in order to maintain the fellowship of his wife, whose life he realized was already forfeited (1 Tim. 2:14).

After eviction from para­dise, our first parents had to deal with the thorns and thistles of life on their own until they returned to dust. No doubt, Satan was disappointed. He would rather be the Prince of a noble, living family of angels or of a perfect human race than the Emperor of a weak and dying race. However, from that day to the present time he has been fighting along the same line; he has been contending with mankind that the Word of God is false when it declares, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and that "the soul that sinneth it shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4) From that day to this, he has been using this falsehood to the injury of our race, and he surely has succeeded wonderfully.

It is freely believed today, not only in heathen lands, but also amongst the most civilized, (and many Christians consider it Scriptural to believe the nonsensical) that the dead are more alive than before death. People of good, sound reasoning on ordinary subjects seem “bewitched” by this falsehood of Satan, “ye shall not surely die.” So true is this, that it seems consistent for them to say that a man hit over the head and knocked senseless knows nothing, but a man hit over the head harder and killed, knows everything.

THE FALLEN ANGELS

It was sometime after Satan’s deception and the fall of man, that the Lord permitted a great test of the angels of heaven. Which test a host of them failed. They sinned – disobeyed God. The Scriptures have called them  fallen angels, devils or more properly demons. These fallen, angels, demons, are under Satan as their great Prince and have been his active agents in deceiving humanity and opposing the Divine Plan for long centuries.

SATAN THE GREAT MURDERER

 “He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth; when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own: … for he is the father of lies.” (John 8:44) It is well that we keep this Divine testimony in our minds. It is well that we note just what the first great lie was, namely, Satan’s misrepresentation saying, “Ye shall not surely die.” (Gen. 3:4) It is important that we notice this, because so thoroughly has Satan accomplished his decep­tive work that practically everybody, the heathen as well as the civilized, accept Satan’s version of the matter and discredits that of the Almighty.

Let us notice that Satan is a murderer. He murdered Adam and Eve, our first parents and his lie is still murdering our race, under the just laws of heredity. The error of believing Satan instead of God has gotten many into the confused situation of disclaim­ing that God proposed that man should live forever in paradise on earth. As his family increased and continued in har­mony with His Creator, the boundaries of his Paradise would be enlarged. Home of a perfect humanity, in accord with God, privileged to maintain everlasting life. In addition, according to Satan’s lie we die and become more alive than ever. Some go to heaven but a greater number to some eternal, fiery hell, of which there is no real knowledge.

SATAN’S POWER INCREASING

However, in another sense Satan is prince of the air power ─ literally. When Job was given into his hand to be tried, he manifested his power of death. He caused fire to fall from heaven (probably a bolt of lightning), and destroyed several of Job’s servants and his sheep. He caused a great wind (a cyclone or tornado) to come upon Job’s house and thus killed Job’s sons and daughters.

Satan’s object evidently was to make Job suppose that God caused those calamities, and thus to cause Job to feel bitter and resentful against God, and to “curse God and die”; or to shake his faith in there being any God. Indeed, that such was Satan’s object is implied in the narrative; and Job’s friends, although God-fearing men, were deceived into this view, and tried for days to convince Job that his afflictions were the work of the Lord. However, of Job it is written, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly [with being the author of his calamities].” (Job 1:22)

Again, notice that when our Lord and His disciples were in the little boat on the Sea of Galilee and our Lord was asleep, a storm suddenly arose, which appalled the hearts of those old and expert fishermen accustomed to the storms, until they awakened the Master, saying, Lord, save us; we perish! We cannot presume that, if the heavenly Father had willed or caused that storm, our Lord Jesus would have commanded it to subside, or that it would have obeyed Him. On the contrary, rather we may suppose that the same Satan who used his power against Job’s household sought to destroy the Lord and the infant Church. But that Satan had no power over the life of Christ, until “his hour had come,” is evident from our Lord’s words upon this occasion, “O ye of little faith, why are ye fearful?”

We would not be understood to question God’s ability to cause storms, cyclones, etc.; but from our Lord’s teachings we know that such would not be His spirit; for when the disciples were incensed against the Samaritans who did not welcome the Redeemer and asked, “Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Our Lord’s answer was, “Ye know not what spirit ye are of [your spirit is not mine, nor the Father’s]." (Luke 9:55)

We can only understand, in the light of the account in Job, remembering the deluge and the destruction of Sodom, that God may at times used storms and fires as His servants to execute His decrees against the wicked; or that Satan is ever ready as an executioner, taking pleasure in evil, to destroy life whenever permitted to do so.

In thinking of how Satan has the power of death, let us not forget that in healing the diseases of the people, at His First Advent, our Lord expressly stated that they were “afflicted of [or by] the devil.” If God had directly caused the diseases, our Redeemer in healing the sick would have been opposing the Father, and not doing His will. Since disease is death at work, devouring the sick, to have the power of disease is to have the power of death.

Satan is permitted to have such a power of disease and death because of sin and because men are under the Divine and just sentence of death, as culprits. The Scriptures represent that mankind had sold itself under sin and death, and to him that has this power, Satan.

The foregoing being true, it seems more than possible, yes, probable, that Satan’s power for evil and death finds exercise in the development of new diseases which for a time successfully baffle the skill of all except Satan’s own physicians ─ Christian Scientists, etc. Many new diseases have arisen in recent years, as well as the resurgence of some old ones thought to be eradicated. Some of these are Aids, Ecoli, Hunta virus, Encephalitis, Tuberculosis, Chicken flu and Strep A, a very virulent invasive, sometimes fatal strain of Strep.

Knowing that God is resting from His creative work, since the creation of man, we are bound to attribute these new creations to other sources. Satan is knowledgeable, and no doubt merely takes advantage of natural laws in propagation of the evils mentioned; and no doubt if mankind possessed the powers with which his Creator endowed him, when he gave him dominion over every creature, he would have equal knowledge of the laws governing the start and propagation of bacteria and virus, and could use his knowledge and powers to prevent such formations or to destroy them. However, man is fallen, and has “lost” (Luke 19:10) much that he once possessed. Satan is now his master and prince; he “now worketh in the children of disobedience”; under his misrule, “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together.” (Eph. 2:2; Rom. 8:19-23; 1 John 5:19, Dia.)

We may safely say that Satan’s object in using his “power of death” over his subjects is not merely to gratify a fiendish delight in their sufferings. Quite probably, his special object is to oppose the true light, which is now more and more breaking over the world as the Sun of Righteousness rises into place and influence. He is still striving to prevent the light of the knowledge of the goodness of God from shining into men’s hearts and chasing away the dark shadows of doubt and fear which he has deeply engraved thereon for centuries by “doctrines of devils” ─ by which he has made God to appear as mercilessly cruel, unjust and unkind, and the author of evil, calamities, diseases, plagues, storms, etc.

Satan may think that he is not restrainable, but we know that “all power in heaven and in earth” was given unto Christ, when, having finished His course, He was raised from death by the Father’s power, and highly exalted.

By the ransom which He gave, by which God’s sentence against the sinner-race was legally met and paid, once for all, our Lord became the owner of the race which had by sin sold itself to Satan and came under his control, but without any Divine sanction of the transaction. Christ, the legal purchaser now holds the destinies of all men. His purpose, as he explains it, is the very reverse of Satan’s policy. He will set them free to act for themselves, by increasing their knowledge ─ opening the sin-blinded eyes of all ─ to see the goodness and love and justice of God. Those who then choose righteousness He will bless and help and heal, restoring them to perfection lost through Adam. Those who will not hear, obey, after the knowledge of the Lord fills the whole earth, will He cut off from among the people ─ in the Second Death. Then Satan, too, who for six thousand years has had the power of death and exercised it so relentlessly, shall be destroyed (Heb. 2:14).

The permission of Satan’s policy and power as “prince of this world,” since the ransom-price was paid, and since all power over man passed legally into the hands of Christ, is not from lack of power to destroy Satan, and release his blinded slaves, nor from lack of loving sympathy and interest in them, but because God’s due time for this world (age) to end, and for the world (age) to come to begin has not arrived; and all of God’s dealings are upon lines of strictest order. God’s plan provided a work for Christ to do before the setting up of His Kingdom, and taking to Himself His great power and beginning His reign (Rev. 15:14, 17). The Gospel Age was needful for the call, selection and discipline of this class.

At the close of the Gospel Age and the introduction of the Millennial Age our Lord in wisdom has purposed a great time of trouble, which shall not only be a just recompense upon the world for sins against light and opportunity, but also a time of breaking up present imperfect institutions preparatory to the better ones of Christ’s Kingdom; and the breaking of the hard hearts of the ungodly ─ plowing and harrowing them, and getting ready many (we trust) for the good seed of righteousness, which the glorified Church will sow unsparingly during the Millennium.

As a part of that coming trouble, “such as was not since there was a nation” (Dan. 12:1), in addition to its financial, social, political and religious features, we believe that Satan’s “power of death” will be permitted to a remarkable degree ─ increasingly and along the lines already indicated ─ storms, hail, droughts, pests, germs and diseases. Building upon the false doctrines he has already inculcated, he will be zealous in the exercise of his power of death, that thus to some he may represent God as being of devilish disposition. While to others, the effect may be to destroy all faith in a Divine power. For none, except those instructed in the Scriptures respecting the cause and object of the permission of evil, calamities, etc., could suppose any reason why God should either inflict such calamities or permit them to come upon men from other causes.

In addition, Satan’s power of death makes it quite possible his relief of sickness, etc. through agencies of his choice for enforcing their false teachings. This deception will, we believe, be employed by him more and more as the Time of Trouble advances. This is another sign of Satan’s desperation, and indicates the near approach of the dissolution of his kingdom and power of death. So says our Lord in Matthew 12:25, 26.

Satan no doubt has been permitted to gain increasing knowledge since 1799 just as have men; and no doubt like them he takes the credit to himself, and supposes that he is daily growing wiser, and through his wisdom, he has greater “power of death.” Christ, the new King, according to the Scriptures, will permit Satan to use his knowledge and powers increasingly, and thus cause the wrath of Satan to praise God, and to work out features of His plan, as He so often has done with the wrath of man (Psa. 76:10).

Sickness, disease, accidents and other mysterious dispensations of Providence (so-called) are but the instruments of Satan; and the messengers ─ not of light but of darkness ─ by which he gathers in his harvest.

Can anyone look calmly at the misery of the past six thousand years and not discern who has been the ruler of this world? Surely they would exclaim with Job, “The earth is given unto the hand of the wicked one; he covereth the faces of [deceives] the judges thereof; if not where and who is he [the rightful ruler]?” Let those who have the truth stand up for the character and glory of the Father and of His Son, who is about to take up His great power and reign.

When the Time of Trouble is over we shall see a different order of things; when earth’s sons may each sit fearlessly and peacefully under his own vine and fig-tree, rejoicing in the fruit of their own planting (Micah 4:4).

Now death is everywhere. Carelessness, recklessness, covetousness, drunkenness, or devilishness may each be the instrumentality, but Satan is the director of all. Let us give the devil his due in the fullest sense and bravely stand for the honor of the Name of the Lord, praying, “THY KINGDOM COME.”

THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE

(Rom. 6:23)

God, while permitting Satan, sin, deprav­ity, and death to take their course, has not been idle. He still has a great plan for human salvation ─ a plan for recovering man from sin and from death and from all of his fallen conditions, a plan of restitution to human perfection, a plan by which the Seed of the woman shall yet, literally, crush the Serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15), and undo Satan’s great original misdeed ─ recover man from his murdered condition and from his fallen estate to all that he had at first plus the knowledge and experiences of the present life and plus the experience incidental to his uplift, during the reign of Messiah, for which we pray, “THY KINGDOM COME.”

The Scriptures clearly show us that all of this recovery is to be accomplished through the merit of Jesus’ sacrifice ─ the just for the unjust. That the work has not yet begun is evident. We are still living under the reign of sin and death. The Messianic Kingdom must come in power and great glory and be established, the Scriptures tell us, in a great time of trouble. Then the earth will be made to blossom as the rose, and the wilderness and the solitary places will be made glad, and all mankind will receive Divine blessing and opportunity to return to Divine favor and eternal life as human beings. Moreover, the willfully disobedient and the negligent of those opportunities will die the Second Death, from which there will be no recovery, no resurrection, and no hope.

“The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” (Rom. 16:20) The Church is the Body of Christ, Messiah. Hence, the Apostle’s words in this text apply to the Church in glory.

(Reprint of No. 508, August 1999)

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WILL THE EARTH BE BURNED?

We are obliged to antagonize, not only the Second Adventist views, but the teachings of all the orthodox creeds of Christendom when we declare that according to the Bible our world is never to be burned up ─ except in a figurative, symbolic sense. The Bible teaches that at the close of this Age a great trouble will be precipitated, which will destroy, consume or figuratively burn up, present institutions ─ ecclesiastical, religious and social. The raging fire will be anarchy; and its horrible result will be, according to the Bible, the ashes of present institutions.

For six thousand years, the world has had its difficulties, individually and nationally. Christianity has influenced some, but churchianity has influenced more. The true Christianity has produced the true Saints, who have followed in the Master’s footsteps and, like Him, have been treated as the filth and off scouring of the earth ─ while they live ─ after death to be honored as saints and heroes. Churchianity has a form of godliness without its power. The form has in many respects helped along to influence and power in the world, leading often to the perpetration of horrible crimes in the name of Christ and His Church.

Now, as the Gospel Age is closing and the Messianic Age is dawning, the lifting of the curtain of the new dispensation is producing wonderful results amongst men. Darkness, ignorance, superstition, is fleeing before the light of the new day. The world is awakening because it is morning. Human thought is quickened; and the wonderful inventions of our day ─ steam power and electricity ─ are carrying the thoughts of men to each other the world over. The printing press and the mail are potent factors in the awakening. Knowledge is filling the earth, as the Lord through his prophets declared would be the case at this time (Isa.11:9; Hab. 2:14; Dan. 12:4).

However, this knowledge is coming to people who at heart are unprepared for it. The hands of the ignorant and unlearned are stretched forth to grasp the throttle of power ─ political, social, religious and financial. Wrongs are recognized; but those who seek to remedy them will only make a bad matter worse. All must yet learn that the world’s only hope is in God’s provision ─ Messiah’s Kingdom.

But before this lesson is learned, the spirit of discontent stirred up by knowledge will grasp the opportunities and ignorantly, uninten­tionally, will cause the great wreck of our present social, religious, political and financial institutions in “a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation” ─ “no, nor ever shall be again.” (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21).

This great cataclysm of trouble, which all intelligent people perceive with more or less distinctness, is described in the Bible under various symbolic terms. Sometimes it is described as a whirlwind; at other times the description is that of a storm; again, of a great tidal wave ─ the sea (representing the masses) will swallow up the mountains (representing the kingdoms). (Psalm 46:2, 3)

Again it is described as a fire, which will consume the whole earth (Zeph. 1:18; 3:8). Yet in each case there is connected with the symbol something to show that it is merely a symbol, and that the utter destruction of humanity is not meant. As, for instance, after describing the storm, the Lord through the Prophet declares that he will command the nations to be still and to recognize him as God, and that the result will be a great calm (Psalm 46:8-10). In the case of the fire, we read that after it has consumed the whole earth (the social fabric), then the Lord will turn to the people a pure language, a pure message that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent (Zeph 3:9).

Evidently, the fire, which will consume the earth, must be a symbolic fire of trouble, consuming the symbolic earth, or social conditions, because the people still remain and are to receive the Lord’s blessing. The pure message that will then be given to the world will be in strong contrast with the confused messages of the contradictory creeds which for centuries have been given to the world, and which many of the world’s thinking minds have been unable to appreciate or receive, and which have perplexed Christian minds.

Let us, therefore, take the Word of the Lord and reject the messages of all the creeds of Christendom. Let us not for a moment think that the literal earth is to be burned up at the second coming of Jesus; but, quite to the contrary, let us believe St. Peter’s statement that at that time will begin “the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21) Let us remember the declaration of Scripture that “the earth abideth forever” (Eccl. 1:4); that “God himself formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” (Isa. 45:18)

Let us remember that the world has never yet been inhabited. Vast territories have not yet been explored by man. Let us remember that God’s promise respecting the earth is that, as heaven is his throne, so “the earth is his footstool,” and he surely will make the place of his feet glorious. (Isa. 66:1; 60:13) Messiah’s Kingdom will not only uplift humanity, but will also bring blessings of perfection to the earth. Eden eventually will be worldwide. “The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”

(Pastor Russell, Reprints 5363, 5364, December 1, 1913)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION ─ Are we to offer Youthful Worthy hopes now as an incentive to consecrate?

ANSWER: ─ We are not to urge anyone to consecrate as an incentive for reward. We should invite the Tentatively Justified ─ those in the Court condition ─ to consecrate. The same motives for consecration during the High Call­ing era are the same for today: the unbegotten consecrators “between the Ages” make the same consecration made by the Saints ─ the difference being in the way the Lord uses it. St. Paul had said we should do this as “your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1) We are not to bargain with the Lord by agreeing to do His will in exchange for a reward. Those who have Tentative Justification should be encouraged to consecrate because of their faith in God ─ their conviction of His trustworthiness, their appreciation of His past favors, and a delight to do His good, and acceptable, and perfect will. If such make an acceptable consecration to do God’s will, and walk faithfully in a narrow way while sin is in the ascendency, God will not be unrighteous and forget their “work and labor of love.” Their reward will be a place above the general world’s restitutionists. There are some in the world who have never become tentatively justified ─ what we might describe as “noble worldlings.” They are motivated by duty love to God and man, interested in reform movements, etc., which will prepare them to accept and receive the blessings of the New Covenant much more quickly than many of their neighbors.

The same may be said of those who have been ejected from the Court ─ those who received “the grace of God in vain.” Failure to consecrate does not imply that such are pursuing sinful practices; they simply did not proceed to the Door of the Tabernacle But the terms of the New Covenant will have speedy appeal to them, and they will readily accept the Highway of Holiness once it is explained to them.

Some people make a consecration and do not understand its meaning, or requirements. Such people just think they are consecrated. This would not imply, however, that they do not have good intentions; but it does mean they have not been properly informed, or have been unable to comprehend the situation. However, some of these people do come to an understanding of their privileges and requirements in conse­cration, and become fully faithful. We would consider it wrong to en­courage anyone to walk a “narrow way” in the belief he or she will become superior Resti­tutionists ─ that is, to receive the chief favor in the Kingdom.

God did make an unconditional covenant with Israel ─ they have plenty of Scriptures upon which to rely if they are faithful covenant-keeping Jews: “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Rom. 11:29) Note the Berean Comments on this text: “never made a covenant which He would need or wish to break.” God has a works covenant with the Jews and a “covenant by sacrifice” with the faith class during this Gospel Age.

“This expression, New Covenant, is not used in connection with any others of mankind than the Jews, because it is not true that God will make a New Covenant with the remainder of mankind. As the Apostle suggests, the word ‘New’ here implies a previous covenant which was counted Old, and this Old Covenant was not made with other nations or peoples than the Jews, of whom God declared that He ‘took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, which my covenant they brake.’ (Jer. 31:32) Hence, we should understand that all references to the New Covenant are references to God’s arrangement with the Jewish people to supplant the old arrangement under Moses, under the conditions of which they are still condemned and bound. By this new, substitutionary covenant, God will shortly release the Jew from the condemnation of the Old Covenant.

 “It will be in an incidental way that other nations will be granted the privilege of coming under the same laws and arrangements with natural Israel in the blotting out of sin and in being restored to the Divine image, and thus to full harmony and fellowship and covenant relationship with God, which relationship all may maintain, if they will, throughout eternity.” (Pastor Russell, Reprint 4659, top, col. 1 and 2)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 237, March 1975)

QUESTION ─ Was our Lord baptized in water before he was baptized of the Holy Spirit?

ANSWER   ─ The Scriptural account of our Lord’s baptism at Jordan seems to imply that God made the manifestation of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus after his baptism in water. He was baptized into death before he went into the water, in the sense that he had given up his own will; in the sense that the apostle quotes from the Old Testament, “Lo, I come; in the volume of the Book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God.” (Psa. 40:7,8; Heb. 10:7) Our Lord came to do everything written in the Book concerning him.

Our Lord was already dead to his own will otherwise he could not have gone to John at Jordan. But God’s manifestation of his acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice of himself, apparently waited until after Jesus had performed the symbol. So we read that after he had come up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. God gave that outward sign, not for all, but for John, who “saw and bare record,” as the Scriptures declare (John 1:32-34). (Pastor Russell, Reprint 5264, June 15, 1913)

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“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”

Psalm 23:2

It is with great sadness that we report the death of our faithful helper and Sister in the Truth, Delta Dunnagan Clinard. She was born November 30, 1922 and entered into the “sleep in Jesus” on July 11, 2010.

She was a devoted wife and mother, kind, considerate, and gentle yet strong and courageous, an example of the believers. Her love of the Lord directed the steps of her life, and her desire to share the wonderful promises of God with others prompted her to spend many hours in God’s service.

We here at the Bible House will miss her very much and pray God Bless her memory.

NO. 636 "THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING"

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [kingdom.]”  (Isaiah 11:9)

Accustomed as all mankind has been to misrule and misgovern, it was necessary that assurance should be given to Israel that the Kingdom of Messiah which God would one day set up in the earth would not only have good motives and intentions, but would also possess superior power of knowledge and judgment. And this is what the Prophet Isaiah pointed out. The new King will not need to rely upon the common channels of information in the giving of His blessings and in the adminis­tering of His reproofs and chastisements, but will have a superhuman endowment of power by which He will know the very thought and intents of the heart. He will not need to judge after the hearing of the ear or by the sight of the eye, as must all earthly rulers, however well intentioned (Isaiah 11:3,4).

It was proper also that Israel and all others should know that the Kingdom of God to be established would be absolutely just and impartial; for their experiences have demon­strated that even the wisest and best of their rulers, lawmakers, judges, etc., have been largely governed by selfishness.

The world’s great ones have amassed wealth at the expense of their subjects, and have made their special friends wealthy and have granted them special privileges, often­times at the expense of the poor, the helpless, the despised. Hence the Lord through the Prophet assures us that the earth’s new King will administer equity toward all; that the meek, the backward, the modest and unas­suming, those who are indis­posed to press their claims and to assert their rights, will have His particular assistance; and that the poor, who have few to sympathize with them or to encourage or help them, will find in the new King a Friend.

MILLENNIUM NOT THROUGH EVOLUTION

Those who expect the Millennial King­dom to come as a result of present efforts, under the order of society now prevailing, and who believe that the world is gradually approaching the Millennium by an evolution­ary process, should carefully consider this Word of the Lord through the Prophet, as shown in our text and context. The Prophet declared that when Messiah shall take the reins of government, His first step would be to judge the poor, and reprove the rich in equity, in the interests of the meek of the earth. How could this be possible, if equity had already prevailed by a gradual process, so that there were no poor and no rich, and so that all had become meek?

Other Scriptures in harmony with this testimony of the Prophet Isaiah show that the very work, which our Lord is to do at the beginning of His reign, will be to correct the wrongs then prevailing. Our Lord Himself implies that the earth will be far from being in a blessed condition at His Second Advent, when He asks the question, “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find the faith [Truth] on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The Revelator also gives no uncertain testimony on this subject. He says: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever... And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear [reverence] thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them that corrupt the earth.” (Rev. 11:15-18)

BIBLE HARMONIOUS AND CONSISTENT

Many Scriptures are of like import. The position of the Bible is throughout harmonious and consistent. It describes the present time, while sin is prevailing, as “the present evil world” (Gal. 1:4), in which “the prince of this world” (John 14:30) rules, and in which the Lord’s true people, the Body of Christ, the Heirs of the Kingdom, “suffer violence,” and declares that this violence is working out for those who are rightly exercised by it a character which will be approved by the Lord.

 The Scriptures point out that to God’s faithful saints who suffer now will be granted this glorious new Kingdom in joint-heirship with Messiah. They shall be given the dominion “under the whole heavens,” as declared by the angel to Daniel the Prophet. (Daniel 7:27) This dominion Jehovah will wrest by force from the “prince of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), Satan, and will give it to His Son, whose bride will share her Bridegroom’s Kingdom. This transfer will be accomplished in a great time of trouble, which is to end this present world, the present social order.

In our context the Prophet goes on to say, “He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.” (Isa. 11:4) It is very evident, then, which at the time of the establishment of the Kingdom, there will be not only poor needing assistance and succor, but there will be the wicked also. The rod of Messiah’s mouth signifies the judgments that He has already expressed, and which have very largely gone unheeded by Christendom.

We remember His declaration: “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day [the day of judgment now present since 1874].” (John 12:48) Christendom in general has admitted the righteousness of the Lord’s Word, but those who attempt to live in har­mony with that Word are remarkably few. Consequently, when the time shall come that “judgment shall be laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet” (Isa. 8:17), and when this judgment shall begin at the nominal house of God, the nominal systems will fall ─ condemned by that Word.

Only the faithful few, the Lord’s Jewels, shall “be accounted worthy to escape those things coming upon the world” (Luke 21:36), when, as elsewhere described, “He [the Lord] shall speak to them [the world] in His wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” when He shall render vengeance to His enemies, and recompense to those who have known the Master’s will, yet have done it not. “Ven­geance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19) “Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language [message] that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." (Zephaniah 3:8,9) “Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” (Isaiah 11:5) The girdle repre­sents diligence, service, and the proclamation here is that Messiah will be a faithful, diligent Servant of God, accomplishing all the work entrusted to His care.

GREAT CHANGES IN ANIMAL CREATION

The reference in this 11th chapter of Isaiah to the change of disposition in the animal kingdom, so that the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, the calf and the lion, will dwell in harmony, is in full accord with the general Scriptural outlines of “the times of restitution of all things.” Not only is mankind to be restored, brought back to his primeval condition of human perfection and harmony with his Maker, but the lower animals will also share in the blessing and the restoration of order to be accomplished by the Reign of Christ, now, we believe, very near at hand.

In the Genesis account there is no intimation that the animals over which Adam had control were wild, vicious, at enmity with man. On the contrary, the implication is that they were in complete subjection to their perfect master. We may reasonably suppose that while the race, under the disintegrating influence of man’s death sentence, gradually lost more and more of the likeness of their Maker in which the first man was created, they at the same time lost the power of control over the lower animals.

The nature of the power possessed by the perfect Adam may still be imperfectly traced in the superior ability of certain of the fallen race to control the brute creation. Thus we see that some men can exercise mental force and control, not only over wild horses, but also over the ferocious beasts of the jungle. Adam was declared by the Lord to be the king of earth, and as such he was recognized by the lower orders of creation. After mankind had lost his original mental power to control the lower animals, warfare sprang up between them, in which man has been compelled to pit force against force, as he has lost his hold upon the animal creation.

The restoration of mankind to the exalted position that was lost by sin implies naturally, therefore, a restoration of the brute creation to primeval conditions, such as is suggested in the prophecy that we are considering. The same thought is conveyed in the statement that “a little child shall lead” (Isa. 11:6), or control, the wild beasts, when these are brought into their proper relationship with mankind. In Chapter 65:25 of Isaiah’s prophecy, it is stated of the Millennial conditions “the wolf and the lamb shall feed together.” The reference may be to men who were formerly of wolf like and of lamblike dispositions, or character; or it may refer to animals, or both. The expression in either case signifies a blessed reign of peace. The Prophet continues, “And the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and the dust shall be the serpent’s meat.” If this refers to literal lions, it would imply that they will lose their carnivorous dispositions, and that they will undergo some change that will make them herbivorous, as animals were originally created (Genesis 1:30). It would seem to imply that animals would not prey upon one another.

DAWN OF HOPE FOR THE WORLD

The expression “Dust shall be the serpent’s meat” (Gen. 2:7), is similar to the statement in Psalm 72:9, regarding Messiah’s coming dominion: “His enemies shall lick the dust,” signifying the destruction of the serpent, or rather of the great adversary, Satan, whom the serpent symbolizes. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [kingdom], saith the Lord.” (Isa. 11:9)

The birth of the true Zion, the Church of Christ, will be the cause of rejoicing among all who truly love righteousness; for, though it will at first dash in pieces all their long-cherished hopes, it will be the dawn of a real hope for all the world. It will humble their pride and despoil them of all their cherished possessions and of what they have come to consider their rights. It will break down their boasted institutions, civil, social and religious, and completely wreck the present social order. Yet it will be the necessary prelude to the establishment of the grand New Order, which will come to be “the desire of all nations” (Hag. 2:6,7), as soon as they shall see its vast superiority to the old order.

TWO CLASSES BORN OUT OF ZION

In describing the birth of the “Man-child, The Christ, whose head was born more than eighteen hundred years ago, and the Body of whom is now soon to be born, the Prophet Isaiah exclaims (chapter 66:7,8), “Before she travailed she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child! Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children.” The especially marvelous thing that the Prophet here records is that a “man-child” is to be born out of Zion before Zion travails. This is a striking reference to the fact, elsewhere clearly taught, that the ripe “wheat” of the Gospel Church are to be separated from the unripe wheat and the “tares” at the end of this Age that they are to be exalted and glorified before the burning, the consuming trouble shall come.

This “man-child”, then, is the Little Flock, the Body of Christ, the true Zion. Out of nominal Zion will come this first-fruits class, before the nominal system will be overthrown; for she will die in her travail pains, and in dying, will bring forth her later children the Great Company. In this great day of the Lord, nominal Zion will bring forth the man-child and these later children.

“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord. Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb? saith thy God.” (Isa. 66:9) Ah, no! As surely as the Head was brought forth, so surely shall the Body also be born. The birth shall certainly be completed. The great composite Christ shall come forth entire, not one member lacking ─ and before Zion’s travail has begun. But “who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such a thing?” And so, after the man-child is delivered, the mother system will give birth, when travail pains come on, to a great company of children! This great company is described in the Apocalypse as coming up out of “great tribulation,” and washing their robes, spotted and soiled, and making them white, “in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14)

Following the birth of these two classes of the Lord’s people, will come the birth of the Jewish nation. They shall be awakened from the sleep of hades, in which as a nation they have been for over eighteen centuries. All this will take place in the early dawn of the day of Christ. O what rejoicing there will be! Fleshly Zion and spiritual Zion will rejoice together! Then soon the poor, chastened world will begin to join in the songs of praise to the God of all grace. What wonderful times are just before us! Though clouds and darkness for a brief time obscure the bright beams of the blessed Millennial dawning, soon the glorious “Sun of righteousness” shall rise in splendor, and its beams will rapidly spread over all the earth, scattering the darkness of sin, dispelling the fogs of error and superstition, and bringing the world into the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

RESTITUTION NOT CHANGE OF NATURE

The entire testimony of Scripture in regard to the blessings to come to the world in the new Age shows that they are all to be earthly. The declaration that even the brute creation shall be changed in nature is a promise that in that blessed day there will no more be a condition of antagonism and enmity between mankind and the lower orders of God’s creatures, but all shall be peace and harmony. It would be wholly unnecessary to change the disposition of the animals, to bring them into subjection to man, if the entire race were to be changed into spirit beings, and become like the angels. Many prophecies speak of mankind in the times of restitution as human beings, adapted to the earth and enjoying the blessings of the earth. They are to “sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4) “They shall build houses and inhabit them... They shall not build and another inhabit... they shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” (Isa. 65:21-25)

These promises for the world in general have no reference to the class being chosen out of the world during this Gospel Age. The promises to these are all spiritual. They are to be made like Christ, and “see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) They are called to the obtaining of His glory. As they “have borne the image of the earthly,” so shall they “also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Cor. 15:49) They are promised a share in Christ’s resurrection ─ the First Resurrection. They are to reign as kings and priests in a kingdom which earthly beings cannot inherit. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Cor. 15:50) They have been called with a heavenly calling. They are not of the world, even as their Lord and Head is not of the world (John 17:16).

WHY MANY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD OF GOD

With many the difficulty in understanding these distinctions is a failure to rightly divide the Scriptures, as St. Paul counseled Timothy, saying, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) This process would enable them to discern that the Kingdom of God per se consists only of our Lord Jesus and His “little flock” of overcomers, to whom He says, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) These are to constitute the reigning class, as many Scrip­tures point out. At first the world of mankind will be subjects of this spiritual kingdom, and afterward become citizens, or members, if they come into harmony with its laws and regu­lations and into a condition of reconciliation with God, becoming the children of Christ, who will be the age-lasting Father of the world during the Mediatorial Age. He will be the One who shall bring the entire race of Adam ─ both those who have a measure of life and those who have gone down into the tomb ─ back from the condition of death into full perfection of life, if they then prove willing and obedient. Otherwise they shall be cut off in the Second Death ─ everlasting destruction.

The Prophet Daniel, in explaining Nebuchadnezzar’s dream regarding the Great Image, shows that the Kingdom of God when first set up at the introduction of the Mi11ennia1 Age will be but a small stone, which has been “cut out without hands,” but which will become a “great mountain and fill the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-45) The Lord quarries this stone kingdom out of the “earth”. It is at first insignificant in size, and it seems to the world as powerless. But as soon as set up in power, this kingdom will smite the “great image” of earthly ru1ership, and shall grind it to powder (in the coming trouble), and the wind shall carry it away. This stone kingdom is the holy mountain referred to in Isaiah 11:9. A mountain is the Scriptural symbol of a kingdom. Hills seem to be symbolic of the smaller governments of earth. (See Isaiah 2:2; 40:4; 51:5; 59:18; Psalms 46:2,3; 97:5)

Nothing shall be permitted to do violence or to work injury throughout all God’s Holy Kingdom, after it shall have been established. Love will be the law, and Divine Power will be the means, which will enforce that law. All who do not conform to it will be “cut off from among the people,” as the Lord declared through the Apostle Peter (Acts 3:23). How evident it is that this Kingdom has not yet come, when we see that amongst mankind selfishness is the rule, individually and nationally, and that there are many influences of evil that hurt and destroy throughout the world today. So we continue to pray: “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in Heaven.” And we believe that this petition so long offered by the Lord’s Saints is very soon to be answered.

After Messiah has crushed the power of evil, after He has overthrown all the great systems of error and vice, and has set the people free He will accomplish the blessing of humanity by the spread of the knowledge of Jehovah’s character. The Apostle Paul also assures us that it is the will of God that all men shall come to knowledge of the Truth in order to be saved. He assures us that there can be no salvation without knowledge. None will ever be saved by ignorance. As yet only a comparatively few of earth’s millions have come to such a knowledge of God as to be able to exercise faith in Him and in the great sacrifice which He has provided for the whole world.

COMPREHENSIVENESS OF PLAN OF SALVATION

But the fact that but few in the present life come to this saving knowledge shall in no wise thwart the great Divine Plan, nor make the death of Christ on behalf of the entire race of Adam of no avail. The Lord assures us in His Word that, in due time, the true light shall lighten “every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:9) This includes all the heathen and all those of imbecile mind, who could not in this life grasp the Truth, as well as all infants who have died before reaching the age where they could know of God and His Truth in Christ. It includes the dead, as well as the living. For “there is none other name given under heaven given among men whereby they must be saved” (Acts 4:12), but by the name of Jesus. God has thus made ample provision for all.

Nor are we to suppose that the knowledge which is to become worldwide during Messiah’s reign is merely a little sprinkling of know­ledge, such as has come to a very limited portion of the world here and there in spots, up to the present time. The Lord’s people have received the droppings of grace and truth, but the provision for the next Age will be abundant and universal. The knowledge of the Lord shall be ocean deep ─ like the fu1ness of the sea. Showers of blessings shall come down upon the world in copious measure. The effect will be “like rain upon the mown grass.” (Psalm 72:6) When the grass has been freshly cut and its roots are thus the more accessible, how quickly it responds to the refreshing showers! And how rapidly does it spring up in renewed vigor! So it will be with mankind, after they have been shorn of all that has encumbered them and prevented the showers of grace from reaching their hearts. How quickly they will respond to the refreshing rains and showers of blessing so copiously bestowed upon them, and will spring up into life and beauty as they drink in the rich supplies of grace!

(Pastor Russell, Reprints 5573-75, November 15, 1914)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION ─ Does That Servant teach that the Epiphany and the “Time of Trouble” are one and the same, as does the Epiphany Messenger?

ANSWER     ─ Yes, That Servant teaches the same as the Epiphany Messenger on the “Time of Trouble.” Both teach that the “Time of Trouble” began in its wide sense in 1874, but in its narrow sense the Time of Trouble began in 1914 when the World War started. In its “narrow sense” ─ beginning the destruction of Christendom and the Nominal Church ─ the Epiphany and the “Great Tribulation” are one and the same. As most Truth people know, Sodom types Christendom and the Nominal Church, and Egypt types the world of mankind ─ this “present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4 ─ See Rev. 11:8 and Berean Comments)

In “The Battle of Armageddon,” Parousia Volume 4, is this: “Her destruction will have a beginning by the end of the appointed ‘Time of the Gentiles’ ─ 1914.” And p. 158 of this book:

“These [the Little Flock] have no share in the judgment of great Babylon, but are previously enlightened and called out of her (Rev. 18:4).” And from the Reprints we quote the following:

“To the very best of our ability we have endeavored to make clear that the parousia of our Lord is wholly different from His epiphaneia. Both of these Greek words are translated ‘coming’ in our common Bible, but in the Greek they have very different significations. The word parousia signifies presence, but does not signify any outward manifestation of that presence. It is used in respect to the first stage of the second advent, in which our Lord is said to come ‘as a thief in the night’ to reckon with His own servants and to take the faithful of them with Him to the heavenly mansion or condition prepared for them.

“Our Lord’s parousia and the gathering of the elect, we understand, has been in progress since October, 1874. It will continue until all of the ‘elect’ shall have been gathered and glorified. In one sense our Lord will continue to be present as the world’s King to the conclusion of the Millennial Age; but His parousia, in the sense of secrecy of presence, will terminate when, as the Scriptures declare, ‘He shall be revealed in flaming fire [judgments], taking vengeance on all who will not obey the truth,’ but enlightening and revivifying all who will hear and, to the extent of their opportunity, obey His message. The parousia is to the church and for the church only. The epiphaneia or apokalupsis of the Lord in power and great glory is not to the church, nor for the church, but to the world and for the world.” (Reprint 4543, bottom)

“Emphasizing the suddenness with which the calamity will overtake the world, Jesus said that on the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained down fire and brimstone from heaven; and He declared that thus it will be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. The Greek text shows a difference between the parousia, or presence, of Christ before the time of trouble, and the later epiphaneia, or revealing." (Reprint 5456, top, col. 1, par. 2, May 1, 1914)

“The Scriptures indicate that the Gentile governments will receive from their own peoples their first notice that their lease of power has expired. The people will take note of the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens. The judgments of the Lord will begin to be manifest in the world, and will run counter to many of their interests. This manifestation of His presence is Scripturally called the epiphaneia, the shining forth, the revealment, of the King of Glory. ‘He shall be revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thes. 1:7-10) As a result, the nations of earth will be broken to pieces like a potter's vessel. (Psa. 2:8,9)” (Reprint 5527, col. 1, top, September 1, 1914)

There is more from That Servant that will prove that the Epiphany Messenger simply elaborated on his teachings regarding the Time of Trouble, or the Great Tribulation, as the Epiphany period, but what we have given will suffice for now. Quite a few of the brethren have lost sight of this Truth ─ even the LHMM, founded by the Epiphany Messenger, now teaches that we are in the beginning Basileia since 1954 ─ the overlapping of the Epiphany ─ when three major stages of the Great Tribulation are yet future. One section of the Epiphany brethren teaches that there are four periods ─ the Parousia, Epiphany, Apokalypse (separate periods) and the Basileia ─ something never taught by Brothers Russell and Johnson; nor do the Scriptures support this claim. “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing [the Epiphany] and his kingdom [the Basileia].” The way the Apokalypsis brethren teach, this text should read: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing [the Epiphany] and at his revealing, or Apokalypsis [a separate period from his “appearing”] and his kingdom [Basileia].”

To some extent the LHMM teaches four periods of the Lord’s Second Advent ─ the Parousia, the Epiphany, the “Overlapping,” which will witness three more severe stages of the Great Tribulation, as well as the annihilation of the Man of Sin (2 Thes. 2:8), and the Basileia. Their “overlapping” has no similarity to the overlapping of the Parousia of 26 months (1914 to Nov. 1916). As it is now more than 56 years overlapping, and we are not yet in Armageddon, the second stage of the Great Tribulation, with Anarchy and Jacob’s trouble still future after that.

We are living in the day when “they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim.4:3,4) Some of the Lord’s people who have received present truth are now setting much of it aside for opinions of their own. Some now say the end of the “Times of the Gentiles” is still future, and we are not in the “Time of Trouble” since 1914 ─ although some of the thinking worldlings realize the world is in a “Time of Trouble” such as has never been before. Some deny our Lord’s presence; the Jehovah’s Witnesses are teaching that Armageddon will destroy not only this present system of things, but also annihilate all who do not join with them before Armageddon. This is “bad news” to those whose eyes are blinded (?) and do not accept their teachings. They teach that the world is not so blinded today, as not to be able to recognize their truth (?), which they are now teaching ─ that when they have had a chance to “learn of them,” and don’t accept them, it will be their last chance. This is much the same as the Papacy has taught: You must accept us, or receive eternal torment! (Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 494, April 1998)

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The world would be a desolate place

But for one here and there,

Whose heart with self hath not been filled,

Whose love for God hath not been killed,

Whose thankful praise hath not been stilled─

There’s one such here and there.

But oh! The grandeur of the work,

For this one here and there,

To join in lifting up our race,

To wipe away of sin each trace,

To make of earth a perfect place,

Put glory everywhere!