NO. 227: "THE THIRD WATCH"

No. 227

In Luke 12:37-38 Jesus said, “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching.... And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.” These words were ad­dressed primarily to the Saints, but “What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.” (Mark 13:37) During the ministry of Jesus the Roman army maintained a strong guard in Jerusalem, a fresh troop probably being installed each evening at six o’clock, the same as is true with the American army. The individual guards were relieved every three hours, each relief being known as a “watch,” the first watch being at six p.m., the second at nine, the third at midnight, and the fourth at three a.m. When the watch was changed at midnight and at three a.m. a trumpet sounded, the same being re­ferred to as the first and second cock-crowing. Therefore, when Jesus said to Peter (Mark 14:30), “Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice,” He was telling Peter that before the sounding of the second “cock” at three a.m. that same Peter would have denied Jesus three times.

Jesus never used words idly or without special significance; therefore, He did not do so in this instance. “The morning cometh, and also the night” (Isa. 21:12), the reference here being to the Millennial morning and the night of trouble that would come abreast of it. For those awake to its significance, this morning has given light of great brilliance; but to those not understanding it, it has been a “day of trouble, of clouds and thick darkness.” For those on the alert it would seem proper to observe that they have been in a watching attitude, the first one of these watches being the period of forty years from 1874 to 1914. During that watch the hopes were high and certain that by its end the Household of Faith would all be gathered to their Lord and the King­dom established; and great was the disappointment of many when 1914 did not confirm all they had expected.

But those whose faith failed not, girded themselves for the second watch – the forty years from 1914 to 1954; and early in this watch the “signs of the times” seemed to point with certainty to the fulfillment of many Kingdom prophecies before that watch would be completed. Surely, the fall in 1917 of Czarist Russia was of great portent; it was one of the greatest and most absolute governments in all his­tory. And other events brought into clear focus Isa. 24:20, “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage.” So convincing were some of the happenings at that time that good sober brethren, well “established in the present truth,” were heard to remark that we were no longer walking by faith alone; we were walking by sight. During the years 1914-1918 “the furnace (of persecution against Bible Students) was heated one seven time more than it was wont to be” (Dan. 3:19) But the virility of the Old Order is not to be denied, nor is “The Strong Man” easily bound. Thus, the second watch has come and gone; and the third watch is already twenty years with us.

When Jesus said, “If He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch,” it would seem a reasonably strong inference that He would come for His own be­fore the third watch is completed. It should be noted that the expression “shall come” does not always refer to His second advent to earth. Note, for instance, Matt. 24:50: “The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him.” The reference here is to That Evil Servant, who did not appear as such until over forty years after Jesus had returned in 1874; yet a superficial reading might cause us to conclude it was something that would occur at the same time as the Second Advent. But during the first watch, and again in the second watch, and now in the third watch, those who are faithfully watching will still embrace the words of the Psalmist (63:6) – “My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips... when I meditate on thee in the night watches.” In Vol. E-12, pp. 368-369 Brother Johnson says that in 1914 “Satan began the antitypi­cal 70 years’ depopulation of Christendom”; and it would seem almost certain that some of God’s elect will remain until toward the end of that work – just as Jeremiah was one of the last to leave Israel during the desolation of Israel.

THE FIGURE FORTY IMPLIES TRIAL

We have repeatedly stressed that the Bible does not use words unnecessarily; and we know the destruction of the first world is typical of the destruction of this Pres­ent Evil World. Therefore, when we are told in Gen. 7:12 that “the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights,” we are hardly warranted in giving that just a 40­-year antitype. The figure forty in Scripture is used to designate a trial time ­“tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years” (Heb. 3:9). In substantiation, we quote Brother Edgar’s observations, as published in Reprints 3574, col. 2, par. 2, June 15, 1905 Watch Tower:

“When we turn back to the early history of the typical kingdom, we find that Saul, David and Solomon each reigned 40 years. It is clear that the reign of Saul represents the Jewish Age, that of David the Gospel Age, and that of Solomon the Mil­lennial Age. The fact that the duration of each reign was 40 years indicates that it represented a complete period of testing and sifting. This would appear to be the thought underlying the number 40 in all instances in which it is used in the Scrip­tures. For instance, there were the 40 years’ temptation of the children of Israel in the wilderness, Christ’s 40-days’ temptation (Moses’ 40-days stay in the Mount, which allowed for severe temptation to Israel—JJH), etc. They all seem to fore­shadow the years of harvest at the end of the Jewish, of the Gospel, and (possibly) of the Millennial Ages.”

The life span of Moses also had three forty-year divisions: (1) the first 40 years which he spent in Pharaoh’s Egyptian palace; (2) the second 40 years in Midian, which was a region in the Arabian desert near the gulf of Akabah (recently given prom­inent news mention because of the war between the Arabs and the Jews); (3) the third and final 40 years in which he led Israel from Egypt to The River Jordan preparatory to their entrance into Canaan land. We believe all will agree that those three 40-year periods were extremely trialsome to Moses.

Therefore, if we construe the three “watches” as the three forty-year trial times beginning with 1874, we note some interesting conclusions: (1) The Parousia forty years had to do mainly – though not exclusively – with the trial time of the Little Flock. By the time it was over at September 16, 1914 every crown-retainer of the Harvest had his name written in that “book” from which none can ever be “blotted out.” At the con­clusion of that forty years many others murmured because of unrealized expectations ­“and they walked with Him no more.” (John 6:66) To such the Truth speedily lost its appeal; they had built their house upon Christ “as sand,” and this was quickly made manifest.

(2) The first forty years of the Time of Trouble beginning with 1914 – or the first half of the Epiphany, represented by the “forty days” of rain (The Epiphany and the Time of Trouble are identical) had to do mainly – though not exclusively – with the trial time of the Great Company. By the time that forty years was finished in September 1954, every crown-lost leader in Little Babylon – and the great bulk of les­ser lights among the crown-losers in the various Truth groups – had been manifested by the sixth Slaughter-weapon Man of Revolutionism, the last leader of whom was R. G. Jolly. His 1938 deflection was merely against arrangements; but his deflection after the de­mise of Brother Johnson was persistent and numerous revolutionisms against Parousia and Epiphany Truth; and this became clearly manifest to some of us by September 1954.

The conclusion of that trial time also gave severe trial to some because of un­realized expectations. One of the more prominent leaders in Truth circles was unyield­ing in his prediction that the Ancient Worthies would return by 1956; and he, and those who accepted his foolish conclusions, have since faded pretty much into the Limbo of spiritual inactivity – just as was true of many who had been so positive in their predic­tions respecting 1914. In 1914 and 1954 the Scripture was forcefully apparent that “judgment must begin at the House of God” (1 Pet. 4:17); the depth of the profession of their faith was manifested in those claiming to be in “present truth.” And this was more apparent with the Epiphany Truth Movement at 1954 than with any others.

(3) The second forty years of the Epiphany, and the third “watch,” represented by “forty nights” of rain, beginning in 1954, is having to do mainly – though not exclusively ­with the trial of Youthful Worthies; and this will run to its logical completion. The world in general is also being more severely “tried” in this second forty years – these “nights” of the antitypical “rain” (the third watch). This is evident on every hand in international affairs, where Governments are being toppled by the “sea” (the lawless, restless elements of Society) with increasing regularity. Also, in ways not known world­wide, conditions internally are becoming unbearable – even here in the United States, as an example: In many Detroit public schools it is now necessary to have policemen patrol­ling the corridors all day long to prevent lawless students from knifing the teachers and­ other students. Such a condition was unheard of – would have been considered unbeliev­able – in the “second watch” from 1914 to 1954, the forty “days” of rain of the Time of Trouble.

The third watch had scarcely begun before the Cuban Government was overthrown by a Communist regime, which added considerably to the problems of the United States. And during these twenty years we have experienced serious and devastating riots in many prin­cipal cities of the U.S.; along with crucial disorders on college campuses; aggravated increase in vicious drug traffic, and multiplied major crimes. In 1973 there were 750 murders in the City Detroit, and its main street is practically a ghost town immediately after dark.

Despite the serious implications of the foregoing, the politicians are once again mouthing “peace and safety” – just as they were doing before the holocaust of 1914. And those of us who remember the situation can testify that “sudden destruction” came upon them (1 Thes. 5:3); and the predictions of “peace and safety” now will meet similar fate.

Immediately after the completion of the Parousia trial time there appeared a Le­vite (JFR), who usurped to himself all the prerogatives of That Servant – he professed to “sit in Moses’ seat.” Those who disagreed and resisted him were speedily and un­justly labeled “sifters,” and the decree went forth to “avoid them.” And, as should be expected from such a reprobate power-grasper, he quickly brought forth much error and was the chief offender in Revolutionism (the sixth Slaughter-weapon man). One of his principal and primary errors was the denial of Tentative Justification, which so perverted the teachings of Tabernacle Shadows that he was eventually forced to reject that book in toto. This “overthrew the faith of many” among the Great Company.

At 1954, after the completion of the second trial time (at the end of the “second watch”) appeared another Levite (RGJ) who also professes to “sit in Moses’ seat.” He also labels as “sifters” –and decrees that his adherents “avoid them” – any who resists his Revolutionisms. And, in true style with the perverter after the first 40-year trial time (JFR), we find also with him that one of his main perversions is on Tentative Jus­tification. He now has that teaching outside the linen curtain (the righteousness that cometh from Christ alone in this faith dispensation) and in the Camp. This also is “overthrowing the faith of many” among the Youthful Worthies, as this perversion forces him to other perversions, prominent among such being his denial of further opportunity to enter the Youthful Worthy Class - in direct contradiction to the teaching of both Messengers that Tentative Justification inside the linen curtain for Youthful Worthy opportunity would be available even after Armageddon – and “until Restitution sets in” (E-4:342). Yet in this spiritual bedlam he continues to “Herald the Epiphany” (see front cover of the Present Truth magazine), although claiming we are now in the Basileia. The Epiphany Bible Students (our own group) is now the only group adhering to the Truth on Youthful Worthies as given by Brothers Russell and Johnson, as we continue also to “herald the Epiphany” – the same being identical with the Time of Trouble (See E-4:54)

Be it noted that Tentative Justification was a dominant factor in the teaching of revolutionistic Levites at the end of both trial periods, the main difference is this: After 1914 That Evil Servant eliminated Tentative Justification entirely for any Age; whereas, RGJ now has it in EVERY AGE – right on through the Millennium! But note also: It was after tampering with Tentative Justification that each Levite brought forth his “strange fire” (false doctrine), JFR immediately with his “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” and his specially invented class of Jonadabs – and RGJ with his Campers Con­secrated, who may also live right into the Kingdom – or, so he says. Of course, time itself has completely eliminated the “Millions” doctrine – it is no longer even mentioned in those words; and time will also demonstrate the “folly” of R. G. Jolly and his kin­dred Campers Consecrated.

THE HOURS OF REVELATION 18

As a companion thought with the foregoing, it would seem in order to consider Rev. 18:8 10, 17 and 19. In E-5:422 (28) Brother Johnson states that the “one day” of v. 8 is the Millennial Day, and an hour of which would be 41 years 8 months. At the time he wrote that he could not see clearly the conditions existing today – anymore than we can now see clearly the conditions five, ten or twenty years hence. It is now only too apparent that much of what Brother Russell expected in 1914 and what Brother John­son expected respecting 1954-56 have not materialized; and this should sober us all in our attempts to pry into the future in too much detail – “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

However, if we consider the “hour of judgment” of v. 10, the “hour” of v. 17, and the “hour of desolation” of v. 19 as three different hours – instead of all of them be­ing the same hour – we may reach some informative conclusions. But just as Brother Johnson eventually saw much detail respecting 1914-1916 that was not at all apparent at the time, so we too may eventually see much detail respecting 1954-1956 that is not now readily apparent. A pointed example in this respect is Brother Russell’s observations on Psa. 149:7-9, “to execute upon them the judgment written” – which event he discussed as a future matter, although it was going on right at the time he was talking about it.

It is stated that in one hour Babylon’s judgment came. If that hour began in 1874, it would end 41 years 8 months later at Passover, 1916; and it was at that date that the last Saint was brought into Present Truth. While the judgment had been pronounced early in the hour, it was not until its full end that it could be truly said, “The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee” (in Babylon the Great). At that date the judgment had come to the full.

Then at Passover 1916 began the second hour (v. 17) – “so great riches is come to naught” (“in one hour such great wealth is laid waste”—Dia.); and the hour ended about January 1958. Have we seen any evidence of the wasting in this second hour? Yea, ver­ily – much more than appears on the surface! The rule of ‘hard money’ has almost com­pletely disappeared; Governments have issued so much worthless paper that no one with any financial intelligence believes it will ever be redeemed with gold, which is still the only international money of any value. Few governments today want the paper of other governments; and there is not nearly enough gold even to transact international trade in its present-day volume. There are only three ways to do business – namely: (1) By cash – Gold; (2) by credit – paper promises to pay; (3) by barter. At best the barter system is cumbersome; and then it is only workable when governments have mutu­ally desirable commodities. It cannot work at all between, say, two agricultural countries, since they cannot trade wheat to each other for agricultural machinery; nor can it work between two industrial countries, as they cannot trade each other machinery for foodstuff. It should here be noted that it was the failure of the Austrian Reichs­bank in late 1931 that caused such international turmoil as to force England off the Gold Standard, which in turn forced the United States to do the same some months later.

The amount of paper issued in various countries is staggering beyond comprehension. In France today the Franc is about 400 for one American dollar; and this is the same Franc that was the unit of value in France before the second hour of wasting began ­just as our dollar is the unit of value here. With the Franc deteriorated to 1/4 cent, one may buy little more than a toothpick or a match with one of them; and even the Frenchmen do not want them except for day-to-day convenience. It is well known that the peasants of France have their little gold hoards, which the government has repeat­edly tried to tempt into exchange for paper Francs; but the peasants will have no part of a rotting and wasting currency, which gives every evidence of being worth even less in the days ahead. About fifteen years ago in Czechoslovakia the people awoke one morning to be greeted with the news that the currency unit had been shrunk to one for fifty; thus, a man having $5,000 in the bank was given $100, and told to start all over accumulating more. It caused widespread riots, resulting in many deaths and injuries.

In the United States the overall debt today is about 1½ TRILLION DOLLARS, and this staggering figure is increasing about 70 billion more each year. This includes national, state, municipal and private obligations. If we figure just four per cent interest on that, the yearly interest is forty billion – over $200 for each man, woman and child in the United States. Thus, a man and wife with three children faces an an­nual interest burden of over $1,000 – as an average. To express a solid cold opinion on this might involve “things not lawful for a man to utter”; but it should not require a very vivid imagination to arrive at certain conclusions, and it would indeed be an iron­ic fate should we eventually see the capitalistic system “wasted” by the Frankenstein of its own creation – caused to collapse by a top-heavy interest system of its own making. Of this there will be more to say in “due time.”

Coming to the hour of v. 19, the hour of desolation, which began about January, 1958: We have often been asked when the violent features of Armageddon will begin. It did not begin in 1958, and it has not started yet; but it is our opinion that it will certainly be accomplished to the full in the third hour. But its start will not be advertised ahead of time. We shall wake up some morning to find it with us. This is in keeping with the “sudden destruction” of 1914. Twenty-four hours before it began all was serene – no indication whatever that the next day would bring the explosion that tottered the whole world, so much so that the New York Stock Exchange was tightly closed for three whole months – although the United States was not then embroiled.

It is pointedly significant that governments never fall so long as the army remains loyal. It seems almost certain that Armageddon would have overtaken some countries ere this had it not been for the American army which is there to preserve order; nor is there any likelihood of violent disturbance in any countries where a loyal American army continues to police it. And, since the “hour of desolation” is now only about half over, the spirit of a sound mind should forbid us from making conjectures about details yet fu­ture. We may relax in the assurance that “the vision is yet for an appointed time..... it will surely come, it will not tarry”; and it is for each of God’s people to order his affairs in keeping therewith. (Hab. 2:3)

Therefore, Dearly Beloved, let us not be weary in well doing, but strive earnestly to “maintain the true word in our teaching, so that we may be able both to exhort by the sound instruction, and to confute the opposers. For there are unruly persons, foolish talkers and deceivers... whom it is necessary to silence.” (Titus 1:9-11, Dia.) It is certain that if we “maintain the true Word in our teaching” that the promise of Luke 21:15 is ours: “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adver­saries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.” Nor will it ever become necessary for us to “flee” from our adversaries’ attacks. Thus, shall you “sanctify the anointed Lord in your hearts, and be always prepared with a defense for every one demanding an account of the hope that is in you; but with meekness and fear, having a good conscience that in what they speak against you, they may be ashamed, who slander your good conduct in Christ.” (1 Pet. 3:15, 16)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – Will Restitutionists have “peace with God” during the Mediatorial reign, after they accept Jesus as their Savior?

ANSWER: – No – they will not have “peace with God,” nor will they be of the House­hold of Faith when they accept Jesus. God does not deal with Restitutionists at all during the Kingdom reign. That Servant confirms this in Parousia Volume 5, p. 458: “Similarly, the world of mankind, the children of Christ, must all report to Him, as their Head, nor will they have any intercourse with God, nor be recognized by Him at all, until after the Millennial Age shall have restored and brought back to perfection those who will avail themselves of those privileges.”

However, at the end of the Millennium, God will justify the physically, mentally, morally and religiously perfect sheep, at which time they will have “peace with God.” Even though the sheep are willing and obedient, they cannot be justified until the end of the Millennium. It is God that justifies. They are taking the proper steps when they accept Jesus as their Head, and are willing and obedient to the Kingdom requirements. Justification is instantaneous, although there are progressive steps to be taken before we reach instantaneous justification. Even in this Faith Age, those in the Camp take progressive steps toward the gate of the Court. They must desire harmony with God, become repentant and believing, and accept Jesus as their personal Savior. But when they enter the Court they are instantaneously tentatively justified, and have “peace with God.” Tentative justification is an imputable thing.

As Brother Johnson has taught and repeatedly emphasized: “During that Age there will be neither a tentative nor a vitalized justification, since both of these kinds of justification operate on the basis of the imputed ransom merit, as distinct from the applied ransom merit.” (E-15:261) And That Servant has this to say in Question Book, p. 571: “There will be no imputation of Christ’s merit during the Millennial Age. Not a bit.”

During this Faith Age, justification can be obtained only in the Court. “There was only one gateway to enter the ‘Holy Place’ or ‘Court’; the type thus testifying that there is but one way of access to God - one ‘gate’ – Jesus. ‘I am the way...... No man cometh unto the Father but by me; ‘I am the door’—John 14:6; 10:9.” (Taber­nacle Shadows, p. 18)

The invitation of Rom. 12:1 is an invitation only to those in the Court: “I be­seech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” No one in the Camp is invited to sacrifice; none of the Restitutionists will be invited to make a sacrifice unto God. God’s justice prohibits that. He will reward all con­secrators, if faithful – “between the Ages,” when sin and evil are in the ascendancy ­with a ‘better resurrection,’ in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies.

Brother Johnson has made this very clear in his refutation of JFR, as he proved from the Scriptures that a class of unbegotten consecrators “between the Ages” would receive tentative justification – who, if faithful, will be rewarded with the Ancient Worthies, in harmony with what That Servant taught. JFR disposed of tentative justi­fication, as well as the unbegotten class taught by Brother Russell. RGJ does not dis­pose of tentative justification, nor Youthful Worthies, altogether: he extends tenta­tive justification to include the present Camp as he closes the opportunity for conse­crators to enter the Court. He does this in order to “justify” his invented class of Campers Consecrated.   Of course, JFR’s denial of tentative justification was to make room for his non-existent class – Jonadabs or “great crowd.” It is “strange fire (false doctrine) offered before the Lord” that produces such revolutionisms against the Truth and its Arrangements.

The Gospel-Age Court contains the Household of Faith – and the Tabernacle Court of the Millennial Age also contains only the Household of Faith. When the embargo is lifted from the Court, the merit of Christ will be applied for the world of mankind in “due time” – no longer imputed as in the Faith Age:

Brother Johnson did not change anything That Servant taught on tentative justifica­tion – nor did he dispose of the class of unbegotten consecrators “between the Ages”; but JFR and RGJ have revolutionized and changed his teaching on both doctrines. They have invented classes of their own. However, RGJ does not dispose of tentative justi­fication and That Servant’s unbegotten consecrators “between the Ages” altogether; he simply extends tentative justification to the present Camp to make room for another class of consecrators “between the Ages,” as he closes all opportunity to enter the class taught by both Messengers. Brother Johnson simply elaborated and brought forth further Scriptural proof of such a class; he did not dispose of, pervert or revolutionize against these doctrines – nor did he invent a class to replace this unbegotten class of consecra­tors, taught by That Servant.

Tentative justification during this Age is primarily the result of faith, but dem­onstrated by works; justification of the next Age will be primarily the result of works, accompanied by some faith.  There would be no need for a Mediator if Restitutionists were reckoned perfect. Those who receive tentative justification now have no need for a Mediator – because they have “peace with God” so long as they continue in the Court condition. A place in the Tabernacle is a condition in antitype.

“There will be no more faith justification working during the Millennium, no more Gospel-Age study, spread and practice of the Truth then.” (E-11:169) RGJ says all who accept Jesus during the Kingdom will be of the “Household of Faith.” How can they come into God’s Household of Faith when they cannot have “peace with God,” when God does not even recognize them until the end of the Millennium? “For when this Age ends Christ’s merit will cease to be an imputable thing.” (E-11:170)

The leaders in the 1908-1911 sifting tried to put the Church under the New Cove­nant, which would place them under a Mediator; whereas, they have an “Advocate with the Father.” Restitutionists will not have an Advocate in any sense of the word, be­cause they have a Mediator who stands between them and God’s justice, as a shield of protection until they become perfect at the end of the Millennium. They will have no need of an Advocate. At the end of the Millennium God will recognize them – they will then have “peace with God.” We repeat – It is God that justifies. “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God” (1 Cor. 15:24) – at which time the sheep will be fully restored; they will be kings as was Adam in the Garden of Eden.

It is our fond hope that the Truth reasserted herein, as taught by both Messengers, will strengthen and bless all who are “of the Truth.” And we are assured that the faith­ful will not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men” (Eph. 4:14) contrary to “the things which thou hast learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14); and in so doing let us “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” as opportunity presents itself.

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LETTERS OF GENERAL  INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle:

This is to inform you that my Dad, Adam Rykala, passed away last Friday. He had been living in Fort Wayne since July. We brought him here in an ambulance...... to a hospital here.. He was never strong after that... He was so tired – and was ready to go. But that doesn’t make it any easier for me. I miss him very much! He left a list of people to notify... My Dad’s funeral was in Chicago..... Please notify Brother Now, as I understand he lives near you. God bless you and Sister Hoefle and keep you in His care!

Sincerely ------- (INDIANA)

NOTE: – Brother Rykala’s name should be added to the list given in our No. 224 paper, page 8, as he, too, was a faithful supporter of Brother Johnson and the Epi­phany Truth. He was also our good friend and supporter of the work we are doing. He contributed in more ways than one. Several years back he drew our attention to our in­correct Memorial date, which we immediately corrected accordingly. He said he also brought this mistake to the attention of JWK and RGJ, but they would not ‘hear.’ He gave us a very valuable book to help us in attacking the errors now emanating from the LHMM – especially the “strange fire” of Campers Consecrated.

The following names were also inadvertently left out of our February paper: Sisters Henz (whom we have known and loved for many years – who gave us moral support in a debate with a “hellfire” preacher in Dayton, Ohio, some 50 years ago), McNeil (who withstood RGJ at Crofts Hill in 1957), Campbell, Holcomb and Carson; Brothers Wells, Dunnagan and Campbell. We believe the following text applies to some of these dear brethren: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Rev. 14:13) Some, we believe, were faithful Youthful Worthies, who also “rest from their labours,” awaiting the ‘better resurrection’ as “princes in all the earth,” in partnership with the Ancient Worthies. All of these dear brethren have left a void in our lives, but their memory is ever fragrant with us, as we pray, God bless their memory!

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Dear Brother in Christ: Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!

I have read one of your graphic Gospel New Paper, which I received from a friend in Guyana. It interests me a lot, and I would be grateful if you could send me a copy when you have a print.

I will be praying for the Bible Students Ass’n, and I trust that this letter will bring a close fellowship and friendship with each other. Thanks a lot. God bless you all!

All because of Christ, ------- (SOUTH AMERICA)

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Beloved Brother Hoefle: Greetings of love in our dear Redeemer’s Name!

Yes! England has had – and is still having – troubles. So far air mail hasn’t been affected. Thank you so much for the January paper. We have enjoyed reading it, and we are going to re-read the January 1973 paper. They are all so very wonderful ­and we thank the Lord for all your efforts on our behalf in keeping us in touch with the things that matter. It will be our privilege to send any spare papers to others – and we will let you know if we get the Jan.-Feb. papers by ordinary mail.......

Much love in the Lord to you all ------- (ENGLAND)

NO. 226: TWO CLASSES IN THE RESURRECTION

No. 226

We have been asked, in view of the fact that some will never reach the condi­tion of perfection, which the word resurrection means, how shall we understand the words of the Apostle Paul in Acts 24:15, that both the just and the unjust are to be resurrected? This Scripture seems very plain and simple if we give careful attention to what we read. Those Jews who stood by and heard the defense of the Apostle before Governor Felix, of which the words of Acts 24:15 are a part, believed that all of the just would have a resurrection, and that an opportunity of the resurrection would be given the unjust. That is what they had been taught from their forefathers. (Their forefathers had a much better understanding of this text than do a large majority of Christians today – including many Truth people—JJH) And now the Apostle Paul was reiterating this, their conviction. He says, ‘There shall be a resurrection of the just and the unjust’; that is to say, the resurrection for which God has provided, and which is yet to come, is not only for the good, but also for those who are now evil.

The thought is not that those who remain in an unjust condition (refuse to have the Adamic death process plagued out of their hearts—JJH) will be granted a full res­urrection. The text does not state that all the unjust will be resurrected, brought to perfection of life. There are some now justified who will have a share in the res­urrection, even as there are others who are not now justified who will also have a share in the resurrection. And all mankind will have a share in God’s provision for a resurrection. The just will have a special resurrection, which will be a reward for their special obedience.

“So we have the resurrection of the highest class of the just – the “little flock” on the Divine Plane; that of the Great Company, on a lower spirit plane; that of the Ancient and Youthful Worthies, on the earthly plane – four classes who pass their trial, their testing, in the present life. But it has been provided in the Divine Plan that the remainder of men may gradually be raised fully up, out of every frailty, back to the original perfection that Adam had in the beginning. They are unjust now: they have never come into relationship with God...

“They that have done good will come forth to a resurrection of life. Some of these will receive a resurrection of life on the human plane (the Worthies – to be “princes in all the earth”—JJH), others on the spirit plane, still others on the high­est order of the spirit plane – the plane of the Divine nature. Then Jesus tells us about the other general class – those who have done evil. This includes all whom God cannot approve and accept (all those outside the antitypical Tabernacle Court during the reign of sin and evil – during the Faith Ages—JJH). Those who are not accepted are those who have not done good, according to God’s standard (His standard for the elect during the Faith Ages—JJH); they have done evil; they are unjustified. Many of them have been respectable, moral people, but they are not worthy of the ‘better resurrection.’”

The foregoing is in full agreement with the faithful teachings of the Two Messen­gers; and was also the teaching of R. G. Jolly himself for sometime after the demise of the Epiphany Messenger. The above is a verbatim quotation from the March 15, 1951 Her­ald of the Epiphany published by RGJ, so we feel justified in concluding that he fully approved of it then. Our inserts in the article are clearly labeled. Self–evidently, RGJ had not at that time invented another class of “the just” – a justi­fied consecrated class in the Camp. Nor had he then discovered that the Epiphany Mes­senger had taught such a class.

That Servant set out all four classes of the just – the Little Flock, Great Com­pany, Ancient Worthies, and the unbegotten consecrators here in the end of the Age (from 1881 until Restitution begins) who would be rewarded in honor, service and a “better resurrection” with the Ancient Worthies , although he did not give a definite name to them, so far as we know. And we have copious Scriptural support for the four classes of the just. Thus, the Epiphany Messenger merely elaborated on these four classes; he did not invent them. Especially did he enlarge on the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies during the Epiphany period. In some sections of the Truth groups they do not recognize a Great Company class as being in their midst. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have perverted the Great Company into an earthly class; but the LHMM still offers much com­ment on this spiritual class – rating it as the highest class of the Just now living on earth.

Some of the groups ignore Brother Russell’s teaching of a class of consecrators “between the Ages” who, if faithful, will be rewarded in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies. (See Hebrews Chapter 11) They continue to teach the High Calling open to new consecrators – although they do teach correctly that Armageddon is imminent, etc. Apparently they have forgotten about this class of unbegotten consecrators here in the end of the Age. However, so far as we know, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Lay­men’s Home Missionary Movement are the only groups who have invented a new class never taught by That Wise and Faithful Servant. The Witnesses do not claim support from That Servant for their invention; but the LHMM declares that the Messengers do support their notion – although they have been unable to produce anything from their writings to support their claim. Should they attempt a Class study of Epiphany Vol. 4, and teach just what that book says, that would be error – according to RGJ’s present teaching. The same would also hold for Tabernacle Shadows, because it also is silent on a class of conse­craters in the Camp before the New Covenant is inaugurated.

The Law of Liberty given to the Household of Faith during this Age applies only to the Fully Faithful. However, the world in general has a certain amount of liberty to do either good or evil, some of the evils being restrained by the laws of our land. The world is also restrained from any evils which would hinder God’s plan, or unduly interfere with His people. But the very opposite will be the case in the Mediatorial Kingdom. Under the works Salvation they will be put under martial law; they will not be permitted to do evil to others, either willingly or unwillingly. That will be a very pronounced change from being under the present Grace Covenant, which is now the Law of Love and Liberty for the Household of Faith so long as they are faithful. If the Household of Faith were under the same law now that will prevail in the Mediator­ial Kingdom, the Great Company would not be permitted to perpetrate the evils they have committed all during this Age.

In Parousia Vol. 6, p. 378, there is this: “The world will not be left to the law of love during the Millennium, but will be ruled with justice and mercy under a law of obedience to the Kingdom... Those having become pupils in the school of Christ now... these, and these alone, can be safely put under the Law of Liberty (only the fully faithful of the Household of Faith are under the Law of Liberty now—JJH). If they lose the spirit of sonship, they cease to be sons, cease to be under this Law of Liberty.” (Such crown–losers die a constrained death – not a sacrificial death as do the Fully Faithful: they are forced to do what they should have done willingly—JJH)

Follows now a statement from E–3:108: “The Little Flock comes out from under this merit by the completion of its sacrificial death; the Great Company by the com­pletion of its constrained death.” (And, while the latter are in Azazel’s hands, they persistently pursue a “path of error”—James 5:20, Dia.; they can no longer dis­tinguish clearly between truth and error, which causes them to lead others astray with them—JJH)

These elementary truths should protect all in the Household of Faith who have “good and honest hearts” from such gross errors now emanating from these two groups ­the Witnesses and the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement – who are flagrantly mixing the Two Distinct Salvations, the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust, as described at the outset of this article. The LHMM also mixes the imputative Merit for the Faith class, and the applied Merit for the Restitution class. According to RGJ, the Camp now receives tentative justification – a faith justification that requires the impu­tation of Christ’s Merit to give it any validity; whereas, the Camp never receives the imputative Merit – either now or during the Kingdom. When the New Covenant is in­augurated there will be an actual application of the Merit. Thus, RGJ not only mixes the Two Distinct Salvations, but he also perverts the doctrine of the Merit as he gross­ly revolutionizes against the teaching of That Servant on the Merit of Christ – for the Faith class now, and for the world of mankind in the Kingdom. He is now teaching that all who accept Christ in the Kingdom will be of the Household of Faith, during a works dispensation!

MORE ON TENTATIVE JUSTIFICATION

In the Jan.-Feb. PT we have another verbose attempt by the Editor to give credence to his contention that – “According to the Two Messengers there will be no interval with­out tentative justification.” By this he means that tentative justification will con­tinue right on throughout the Mediatorial reign – although he does put the one in this Faith Age, and one by works in the next Age.    Before we offer any analysis of his position, we would stress that the statement itself is a transparent falsehood when he says, “the Two Messengers” agree with him. At no place in Brother Johnson’s writings is there the slightest hint of any kind of tentative justification during the Mediatorial reign. On the contrary, he is very emphatic in his statement that such teaching is error, as evi­dence the following in E–15:261,262:

“Let us see the conditions that will prevail during the Millennial Age. During that Age there will be neither a tentative nor a vitalized justification, since both of these kinds of justification operate on the basis of the imputed ransom merit... Unlike the Gospel-Age justification, which is instantaneous in both its kinds, the Millennial justification will require the entire Millennium to complete, because it will be an actual as distinct from the reckoned justification of the Gospel–Age. The conditions on which this will be bestowed will be faith and obedi­ence unto perfection...

“In a word, faith is the justifying instrumentality and thus the condition of justi­fication in this Age, while obedience will be the justifying instrumentality and thus the condition of justification in the next Age. These Ages’ purposes account for this.”

The foregoing is also quoted in our paper No. 221, but we repeat it here for em­phasis, and to convince our readers that the “Two Messengers” do not agree with RGJ at all in his contention that there will be “no interval without tentative justification.” However, on p. 12, col. 1, of the Jan.-Feb. PT, part of the above is also quoted by RGJ to “prove” his error, which simply demonstrates that there is no limit to his bra­zen efforts to foist his errors upon his readers. Therefore, we now quote once more from E–7:370: “Why do they so often quote passages... to prove points positively dis­proven by these very passages? Is it not because they are in Azazel’s hands, and are thus blinded by him, and at his direction palm off his errors on the dear unsuspecting sheep of God’s flock?” The same condition applies to his continued use of the writings in E–10:114, pp. 209 and 672. This is a familiar ruse of men with “bad conscience” (See E–10:585,591); just repeat, repeat, repeat in parrot-like fash­ion, knowing that “the unstable and the unlearned” will be swayed by their “much speak­ing.” Note E–10:585: “They claim to be full of teachings and their disposition forces them to speak.... They began, continued and completed their speech with multiplied apologies, and not a few misrepresentations (“false-accusing Epiphany crown–losers pour out their partly wise and partly foolish effusions”—p. 591, par. 1), which betray approbativeness and a bad conscience.”

That Servant, the other Messenger referred to by RGJ, has this to say about con­sciences: “Only those with tender consciences will keep their garments unspotted. The failure to do this seems to be the reason why many fail to make their ‘calling and election sure.’... Instead of being members of the temple class, they will be ser­vants in the Temple.”

Here it is pertinent to note that many of J. F. Rutherford’s errors early in the Epiphany involved tentative justification; and it was so annihilative to his perver­sions that he was forced to deny it altogether. But RGJ now goes to the other extreme he enlarges upon it to include the Millennial Age; and he has the effrontery to say that Brother Johnson agrees with him, whereas, the above quotation emphatically contra­dicts him. Then, on p. 13, under the caption “The Epiphany Camp In The Finished Picture,” there is this E-5:420, supposedly quoting Brother Johnson:

“The Lord is now erecting His Epiphany Tabernacle, whose Most Holy is the spirit­born part of the Little Flock, whose Holy is the crown–retainers, whose Court is the Great Company and Youthful Worthies and whose Camp will be those who will persist in believing in Jesus as Savior and King (surely therefore tentatively justified).” We call attention specifically to the last four words in brackets – “surely therefore tentatively justified.” Any casual reader would have to accept those words as from Brother Johnson, because they are included in the quotation; whereas, the Epiphany Messenger does not use them at all – they are RGJ’s injection. And here is just one more illustration of how low errorists will sink to support their errors when God “sends to them an energy of delusion.” (2 Thes. 2:11, Dia.) Thus, “All may be judged who believed not the Truth, but approved the iniquity.” (v. 12)

While it is true that Brother Russell did make the statement that “the world may be said to be tentatively justified in the next Age,” just a little reflection will prove that the world cannot have tentative justification. Tentative Justification is instantaneous, and actually gives its recipient something – it reckons him perfect and available for consecration. The Tentatively Justified are not on trial for life ­only the vitalizedly justified and the actually justified are on trial for life. The wholly willful sinners – the new creatures – are destroyed during this Age the same as the willful sinners of the Mediatorial reign: “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23) The same condition will exist in the Mediatorial reign in that respect that exists for the vitalizedly justified in the Faith Age: no one will go into the Second Death for any sins that he doesn’t have the ability to overcome. God’s justice demands the life of a willful sinner – when they are on trial for life. None of the Tentatively justified are on trial for life.

“We have been introduced into this favor (faith justification through our Lord Jesus) in which we stand.” Just how long an individual in this Age continues “in this favor in which we stand” is not revealed in the Scriptures, so far as we know. However, this “favor” is an instantaneous act; as soon as one steps from the Camp into the Court through the Gate (“I am the way” – the Gate) he is tentatively justified; and he may continue to stand in that condition for some time – for many years in the case of the children of the saints – before it is taken from him – “having received the grace of God in vain.”

But there will be no tentative justification (reckoned perfection) in the next Age – because they will have a Mediator to stand between their imperfections and God’s justice. However, the Mediator does not stand, even during the Mediatorial reign, between the willful sinner and God’s justice, because when they are given every gracious opportunity to overcome, and willfully refuse to have the Adamic death process plagued out of them, they will be in the same relative condition of the goats of the Little Season: they will be “destroyed from among the people.” And for RGJ to inject his “profusion of words” into this discussion cannot do otherwise than confuse and mis­lead “the unstable and the unlearned” among his readers.

Since the Gospel–Age justification is an instantaneous work, and comes from God in Heaven, any attempt to compare the justification of the two Ages finds no support whatever in Scripture or sound logic. In the next Age no sort of justification will be required in order to make a consecration. When the world is awakened they will have the same character they had when they died. “Where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Eccl. 11:3) When any one makes progress up the Highway of Holiness, he is advancing toward actual justification, which he will receive instantaneously from God at the end of the Millennium.

On p. 12, col. 1, there is reference to Reprint 5959, but a complete reading of that article will corroborate what we have just said above. Here is the last paragraph of that citation: “Justification to the world, as already explained, will be attained differently. It might be said that the world’s justification, under the Mediator, will be a gradual one – a gradual making right as each individual will come into harmony more and more with the Divine requirements and receive more and more of restitution perfec­tion. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that ‘It is God that justifies,’ and that the world will not be in God’s hands until the conclusion of the Millennial Age. Then all approved of the Father and accepted of Him to eternal life will be justified in the full sense. That will be an instantaneous act.”

On p. 396 of the Question Book, there is this: “Justification by faith is the only justification that God has arranged for during this present time... Consequently, this justification is not a matter for the world in general, but merely for those who desire to approach God for the purpose of making a sacrifice with the Lord.” And fur­ther on p. 571:

“There will be no imputation of Christ’s merit during the Millennial Age. Not a bit. Because it will all have been given at the beginning... And so Jesus with the inauguration of the Millennium will turn over the full merit of His sac­rifice. It will all be given to justice. Justice will have turned mankind over to Jesus.”

Here the question is pertinent: Just what justification is RGJ now offering to his Campers Consecrated – the present faith justification, or the future works justi­fication? He who discerns clearly teaches clearly. Both Messengers emphasized that there will be no imputation of Jesus’ merit in the next Age – and surely all know that tentative justification is an imputable thing. There is no hint by either Messenger that it may be found in the Camp.

On p. 13, col. 2, top, of this PT, there is this:

“They were remanded into the Epiphany Camp... Note carefully that Bro. Johnson did not teach that they lost all tentative justification.” Is RGJ now telling us, too, that those ejected from the Court into the Camp will retain a part of their justification? If so – and his statement indicates just that – then what percentage do they lose, and what percentage do they retain?

Then in the paragraph following the above: “Obviously, therefore, those in the Epiphany Camp in the finished picture are not the nominal people of God, less than tentatively justified.”

All during the Gospel Age – and until its finish at the end of the Epiphany ­the nominal people of God in the Camp never had any kind of justification – although it contained those ejected from the Court who at one time did have tentative justification, which they gained when they went through the Gate into the Court. Does RGJ teach that they retained a percentage of their justification in the Court? is he telling us they bring a part of their imputed justification with them from the Court into the Camp? With all his citations from Brother Johnson, he hasn’t produced one that even hints that the Epiphany Camp in the finished picture will contain the conse­crated formerly faith justified, or any other consecrated class. Just the reverse; he does say on p. 209, Vol. 10, that it will contain the unconsecrated in the finished picture.

MORE CONFUSION ON THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH

Further to reveal the confused condition of RGJ’s mind on this subject, some one asked the question at the Chicago Convention last October: “Who will be the Household of Faith in the Millennium?” His answer: “All that accept Jesus as their Savior.” If they are to be the Household of Faith, then theirs would be a faith justification; whereas, in this Jan.-Feb. PT it is said they will have a works justification. This item is very clearly explained in E–4:405,406:

“We use the expression, the Household of Faith, from a variety of standpoints: (1) In the Old Testament times all believers in the promises were of the Household of Faith. (2) All Gospel-Age believers in Jesus are of the Household of Faith, when we have the Gospel-Age Household of Faith in mind (Rom. 4:11, 12). This was typed by all the children – the afterborn as well as the firstborn – in each family in Israel par­taking of the Paschal Lamb in Egypt (Ex. 12:3–17, 21–28) – (3) All new creatures, as a finished work, in the end of the Gospel Age, especially during the Epiphany, are the Household of Faith. Aaron and his sons on the Atonement Day typed this Household of Faith. The Little Flock, the Ancient Worthies, the Great Company and the Youthful Wor­thies will be the Millennial House of Faith (2 Tim. 2:20) The Priests and Levites dwelling about the Tabernacle type this Household of Faith. The Youthful Worthies, of course, are not of the New Creature Household of Faith, because they are not New Crea­tures. But from the standpoint of having the ‘faith of Abraham’ (Gal. 3:7,8) they are, of course, like him, of the Household of Faith. They are among the believers referred to under (2). They are, however, somewhat different from the tentatively justified who do not now consecrate (those forced out of the Court into the Camp in the end of the Age—JJH). The latter during the Epiphany cease altogether to be of the Household of Faith, having used the grace of God in vain; while the former, consecrating and prov­ing faithful, retain their tentative justification, and are thus of the Gospel-Age Household of Faith who persist into and during the Epiphany. The reason why they are of the Household of Faith is that they are a faith class; for all that are of the faith of Abraham are of the Household of Faith.”

Emphasis should be placed on the foregoing statement: “The latter (those forced out of the Court into the Camp—JJH) cease altogether to be of the Household of Faith, having used the grace of God in vain.” These are the “former faith–justified” stressed in the paper under review as still retaining “a part of their justification.” If they cease altogether to be of the Household of Faith, could they possibly have any justification at all. Certainly not! And let us keep in mind, too, that neither of the Two Messengers ever hinted at a class of consecrators in the Epiphany Camp; that is impure invention by RGJ. And his desperate perversions of the writings of the Two Messengers are simply some more of his symbolic witchcraft – especially deceptive false teachings.

In E–11:473 we have this: “We understand that Jesus’ pertinent work as Executive for the antitypical Tabernacle and its appurtenances will continue with the Little Flock, the Great Company and Youthful Worthies until they respectively finish their courses, but will cease with the faith–justified when their faith–justification lapses.” This is because Jesus’ Executorship for all faith classes is to be found only in the Court where Christ’s merit is available, and where justification also prevails.

Let us keep in mind that both Messengers emphasized a class of consecrators be­tween the Ages who would share in honor, service and reward with the Ancient Worthies; but RGJ is now setting that aside to make way for another (newly invented) class of his own – just as did JFR, who disposed of a Youthful Worthy class altogether to make room for his own invented class. Both of these groups are now attempting to mix the Two Salvations. The Witnesses are separating the Sheep from the Goats; and the LHMM is now separating the Chief Sheep from the ordinary ones. Both organizations insist that their proselytes be dedicated, or consecrated. Consecration is always in order, they say; but there are two parts to any consecration – its offer by the consecrator, and its acceptance by God. The dealing with Cornelius (Acts 10:19–48) is a case to the point; and no consecration will ever be accepted – in this Age or the next Age ­without Jesus as Executor. “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.”

In the meticulous and copious analysis of tentative justification Brother John­son gave no hint of any change whatever from the teaching of That Servant; all his efforts were to prove that tentative justification was for the purpose of consecrators “between the Ages” – or until Restitution begins – who, if faithful, will be rewarded with the Ancient Worthies. JFR denied there was such a class. RGJ denies there is opportunity to enter that class now; he teaches that tentative justification is avail­able only in the Camp for his Campers Consecrated class. They will supersede the Jews, he says, and will be “first and chief” in the Restitution class. So we now find it necessary to reassert, uphold and defend the “faith once delivered unto the saints,” to refute the errors of RGJ, just as did Brother Johnson with JFR’s errors.

Again we quote from E–4:342: “If our dear readers will keep in mind that the Tower’s denial of tentative justification during this Age is the foundation of its re­jecting the Scriptural doctrine that those faithful consecrators from 1881 until Resti­tution sets in, for whom there are no crowns available, and hence no Spirit–begetting for Gospel-Age purposes possible, will be the Millennial associates of the Ancient Wor­thies in reward and service, they will be able by Scriptural, reasonable and factual thinking completely to overthrow every argument that the article under review presents to defend its thesis; for through Tentative Justification alone can God now deal with this class in preparing them for association with the Ancient Worthies.”

We say the same regarding the Jan.-Feb. Present Truth: If our dear readers will continue to accept the Parousia and Epiphany Messengers’ teaching, they will “be able by Scriptural, reasonable and factual thinking completely to overthrow every argument that this paper presents to defend its thesis.” And armed with this “sword of the spirit” (sharp penetrating Truth), the Lord’s faithful people will have no trouble in penetrating the effervescent flummery of Campers, and continue to assail this pseudo class – just as did Brother Johnson with JFR’s Jonadabs, which he styled a “Non–exist­ent class.”

On p. 14, col. 2, there is this question: “Was not the opportunity to become Youthful Worthies to remain open until the time that restitution begins?” And here is part of RGJ’s answer: “No. Nothing in the Scriptures teaches such a thought. At the time Bro. Johnson wrote E 10.. he stated plainly that ‘after 1954 no Youthful Worthies will be won.’”

Both Messengers taught that such a class of consecrators who would be rewarded in partnership with the Ancient Worthies, would have opportunity “between the Ages,” or until Restitution sets in – and the above quotation from the Epiphany Messenger tells us that we can prove this teaching by “Scriptural, reasonable and factual think­ing.” To date we have been able to do this, just as Brother Johnson was able to do so and ably refute JFR. Neither Messenger taught a consecrated class in the Camp “between the Ages.”

Then consider RGJ’s quotation as given above: “Bro. Johnson stated plainly that after 1954 no Youthful Worthies will be won.” Note now the complete statement by Brother Johnson: “After 1954 no Youthful Worthies will be won; and after 1954 no more persons will enter the tentatively justified state.” Here is the legal definition of fraud:

“A false misrepresentation of a matter of fact. It includes all omissions or concealment by which one person misleads another to his disadvantage.” RGJ’s omission of one important part of Brother Johnson’s statement is a good example of the above description. In Reprint 5493, col. 1, par. 6, That Servant used 2 Tim. 2:20 to prove there are but four classes – the elect – of the Household of Faith: “The consecration of the Lord’s servants is unto death, and those who fear death are fearful of perform­ing their covenant vow. They will not be worthy of the Lord’s approval as faithful servants. Nevertheless, there are many vessels in the house of the King – some to more honor and some to less honor—2 Tim. 2:20, 21.” (In 2 Tim. 2:20 we have four classes – “vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earth” – the Little Flock, Great Company, Ancient Worthies and Youthful Worthies—JJH)

Now from E–4:330: “2 Tim. 2:20 proves that as a part of the household of the faithful the Youthful Worthies will be honorably used, and will be next to the An­cient Worthies on earth in Christ’s family.” We now repeat the statement on p. 406 of E–4: “The Little Flock, the Ancient Worthies, The Great Company and the Youthful Worthies will be the Millennial Household of Faith (2 Tim. 2:20).”

These citations are proof that both Messengers saw only four classes in the Household of Faith in the “finished picture” – that is, the four elect classes. But RGJ says he can see Five classes in the “finished picture” of the Epiphany – and he can see that all who accept Jesus as their Savior in the Kingdom, will also be of the Household of Faith!

However, it is pertinent to our subject to emphasize that many – perhaps most ­of the quasi–elect were at one time in the Court, and were at that time of the House­hold of Faith when there in the Gospel-Age and Epiphany Tabernacles. The Camp con­tains the nominal people of God, and Brother Johnson said that the tentatively justi­fied in the Court, if they failed to consecrate, were no more than nominal Christians. His reason for this statement, of course, is the fact that their eventual standing would be in the Camp. There is an adjustment in the Court and in the Camp in the finished picture of the Epiphany. The Court will contain only the consecrated, and the Camp will contain only the “truly repentant and believing.” All in the Court will receive a special resurrection – and those in the Camp will receive the general resurrection. Those “truly repentant and believing,” but unconsecrated Jews and Gentiles will be in a better condition to receive the Kingdom blessings than the others. All the “truly repentant and believing” will be among the first to come into harmony with the Kingdom requirements. This is in harmony with the Two Salvations, and with the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust, as taught by That Servant and the Epiphany Messenger.

Those in the Camp in the “finished picture” will be in the same relative posi­tion as Cornelius was before consecration was available for the Gentiles. As Bro. Russell has said, “We note also the remark of Peter, when preaching Christ and His Gospel to Cornelius (Acts 10:37), to the effect that Cornelius already knew the word which Jesus had preached throughout all Judea... This would also explain why the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his house even while Peter yet spake, and be­fore it is even stated that Cornelius accepted Christ; for apparently he had already done so.” So many of those in the Camp have already accepted Christ, and perhaps in many cases know something about the Kingdom and God’s Plan of Salvation, even as was true of Cornelius before it was “due time” for Gentiles to consecrate.

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31,32)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

NO. 225: SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

No. 225

Comes again the commemoration of our Lord's death, the correct time this year 1974 being after 6 p.m. Friday April 5. The date is determined by this method: The moon nearest the Vernal Equinox comes new at 11 p.m. March 23 at the 30th Meri­dian East, Jerusalem time, thus establishing 6 p.m. March 23 as Nisan 1, Bible reck­oning. Counting to Nisan 14, we come to 6 p.m. April 5; and any time that even­ing after 6 p.m. would be proper for the celebration. Here at Mount Dora we shall commence the service at 7:30 p.m.; and we issue a cordial invitation to any one in this vicinity to join with us if they be of one mind on the matter.

THE MEMORIAL ESTABLISHED

To memorialize our Lord's death, means to observe the memory of it, as the word indicates.   The ritual for this memorial was established by Jesus Himself as recorded by the various Gospel writers; and we offer the record from Luke 22:19,20 in this instance: “And Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, saying, This is My Body which is given for you – this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.” According to the Matthew account, when Jesus gave them the cup He said, “Drink all of you out of it.” (Matt. 26:27, Dia.) Thus, the drinking out of the one cup emphasized the oneness of those that night, as well as all those through­out the Gospel Age who would partake of it “till He come.”

The institution of this service was given after the Passover supper, which the Jews observed each year on Nisan 14 – just as Jesus and the Apostles were doing that night. Even to our time the Jews still observe the Passover once each year, although they are often a day or two off in determining the time; but the orthodox Jews still keep the feast with a solemnity befitting the memory of that awesome night in Egypt, when the Angel of Death passed throughout the land and smote the firstborn in every Egyptian house – from the least to the greatest of them; but at the time “passing over” every Jewish house where the blood had been sprinkled an the doorposts and lin­tel, and none of them were slain that night so long as they remained “under the blood.” There is nothing in the record to indicate that any of them disobeyed that edict that night.

TYPE AND ANTITYPE

That the entire ritual that night was typical is clearly emphasized by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 5:7,8, Dia.: “Even our paschal lamb, Christ, was sacrificed. There­fore, let us keep the festival, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and wickedness, but with the unleavened principles of sincerity and truth.” Reference is not made here to the eating of the actual lamb, but to participation in the bread and wine as commanded by Jesus. Thus we now set out some of the salient features of type and antitype.

The house (Ex. 12:7) in which each Israelite family ate the lamb (as well as those within the house) types God's Gospel–Age family from the standpoint of the container being put forth for the thing contained, somewhat after the example of the temple and the priests ministering therein. It is also from this standpoint that the word “house” in this picture is used interchangeably for the family and for the dwelling where the family lived. The blood of the lamb types our Lord's life laid down – “He hath poured out His soul unto death” (Isa. 53:12) – hence His human merit which consists of a perfect humanity, with its right to life and its life rights ­His perfect righteousness. (1 Pet. 1:18,19) The sprinkling of the lamb's blood rep­resents the imputation of our Lord's merit (Rev. 1:5). Let us keep in mind that there is a twofold imputation of that merit – an imputation for us on the mercy seat by our Lord (typified by Aaron sprinkling the blood of the bullock on the mercy seat—­Lev. 16:14), and an imputation to us by God after our Lord imputed it for us, thus offering a robe of righteousness to all during this Age who became members of His Body.

The difference between the two imputations is this: The first satisfies God's justice for the Adamic sin and sentence and its resultant imperfections in all the members; and the second reckons a righteousness to such, the same being demanded by God's law of perfection in any offering brought to Him. But God's law is not fully satisfied with mere sinlessness; it demands a positive righteousness, which God gra­ciously provides because none of the fallen race can provide such righteousness of themselves. However, Jesus makes the first imputation; God makes the second. The first works forgiveness of sins; the second satisfies the Law in its demands for per­fect obedience. Further, the first frees from the Adamic sentence; the second reck­ons righteousness in deed and character, such as Adam had before the transgression.

The charge to eat the lamb's flesh the night of Nisan 14 (Ex. 12:8 –”that night”) types the charge throughout the Gospel Age to partake by faith of Christ's perfect human­ity. This symbolic eating is paralleled with believing, the figures differing only in the things eaten – the lamb that night in Egypt, and the bread and wine during this Gospel Age – our Lamb by representation. As the lamb in Egypt could be eaten only on Nisan 14, 1615 B.C., so the imputed merit of “our Passover” can be obtained only during this Gospel Age by faith alone. In the next Age it will be secured by faith and works. Eating the lamb fire–roasted carries the thought that the Gospel–Age Lamb must pass through fiery trials in the extreme, which the record clearly reveals that He did do. The Jews were specifically commanded not to eat the lamb raw or boiled; it must be roasted.

Two other things were eaten with the lamb that night – unleavened bread and bit­ter herbs, also typical. Leaven is typical of mental, moral and religious corrup­tion – sin, error, selfishness and worldliness (Matt. 13:33); and such corruption would be evidence of paucity of Truth, justice, love and heavenly–mindedness. Unleav­ened bread, therefore, would represent a condition not tainted with sin, error, etc. The implication here is that we should study the Truth to make it our own, spread the Truth and practice it, which is done by each one as he appropriates the merit of “Christ our Passover.”

The bitter herbs (literally, bitters or bitter things), which modern Jews under­stand to be horseradish (an exceedingly bitter thing) were also typical – something connected with the Christian life. Since eating the lamb types appropriation of faith justification, and eating unleavened bread types about everything else of the Christian life. In fact, apart from the things represented by the lamb and the unleavened bread, there is only one other thing connected with the Christian life, the same being its pas­sive features – trials, sufferings, persecutions, etc., incidental to the other two things. And it is these experiences that are typed by the bitters in the picture. Thus viewed, the lamb, the unleavened bread and the bitters type everything connected with the Christian life.

The charge to roast – not to eat, as some misunderstand the last part of verse 9 the lamb entire – his head, legs and pertinence thereof, types that our Lord had to be tested at every point and proven faithful and sinless therein (Heb. 2:10,17,18; 4:15). Thus He could completely nourish unto eternal life all who would accept Him. The charge in verse 10 to leave none of the eating of the lamb over until the morn­ing types the teaching that we should not leave our justification and sanctified feasting over into the Millennium; for there will be no more faith justification working during the Millennium – no more Gospel-Age study, spread and practice of the Truth then in the sense of suffering for righteousness in the next Age. Thus, our appropriation of our Lamb must be a thing fully completed during the Gospel Age. Those who begin, but do not finish it (the antitypical feasting) in this Age must go into the Second Death (Heb. 3:13; 10:25,26–29). Therefore, all who begin the feast­ing in this Age must also finish it if they would gain life – i.e., all who are spirit-­begotten.

The charge of verse 10 – “that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire” – might seem to contradict the foregoing, but it does not really do so. The real thing forbidden was the prolonging of the eating until morning – not that they should eat all of it. It could easily occur that some houses would have fewer feasters than others, in which case the command to eat all of the lamb could be well nigh impossible; and the Lord never orders any one to do the impossible. Thus, in every house the entire lamb would be consumed by the morning – either eaten or burned. Each one was to eat only to his full capacity – to strengthen sufficiently for the exodus from Egypt. But the eating of the lamb with bitters would sharpen the appetite for more of the lamb than would otherwise be the case.     This conclusion is well illustrated in Rev. 10:10, Dia.: “I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel, and did eat it; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I ate it my belly was embittered.” Here is the Berean Comment on this text: “The after effects are always more or less a blending of the bitterness of persecution with the sweetness.” It is well to remember here, too, that all of Christ's merit is not imputed to any one individual during this Age, because that would mean the recipient is totally depraved; and such persons are not called “to follow in His steps.”

And what is typed by burning those parts of the lamb that remained uneaten? The answer is making it cease to exist as an imputable thing; there will be no imputation of the merit in the next Age, because it will then be actually applied. And the ac­tual application of it then will consume entirely all of the merit, so that by the end of the Millennium none of the merit will remain – i.e., at the beginning of the Little Season. Then will be applied to the full, “I am the living bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) And all of this will be needed to “ransom from the power of the grave” (Hos. 13:14) the entire dead world in Adam. Therefore, the full bringing to a close at the end of this Gospel Age the imputation of Christ's merit is what is typed by burning the remain­ing parts in the morning.

THE MANNER OF EATING

Not only were instructions given in minute detail for the preparation, but simi­lar regulation was given for the manner in which it should be eaten. “With your loins girded, with your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover.” (Ex. 12:11) When the time arrived for them to depart from Egypt, they were to be fully prepared for the immediate journey. And this same condition applies in the Gospel Age to those who would make the journey from antitypical Egypt (type of the world in sin) to the heavenly Canaan. “The king's business requires haste” (1 Sam. 21:8); and those inclined to tarry awhile – to “bury the dead,” or whatnot – usually fail to join the Elect of this Age. “Seest thou a man prompt in his business? Before kings shall he stand, he shall not stand before men who are obscure.” (Prov. 22:29, Rotherham)

“With your loins girded” – indicating a willing and ready mind to serve in what­ever capacity our talents and worldly resources may allow. “With your staff in your hand” – typifying especially the “precious promises” being made our own. It would be impossible for any one to complete the journey from antitypical Egypt to the heavenly Canaan without the strength that comes from those promises. This is also set forth by the High Priest eating the shewbread contained on the golden table of the Taber­nacle Holy. “Your shoes on your feet” – typifying conduct in keeping with all the re­quirements of the journey, assimilating the Truth and the spirit of the Truth.

“It is the Lord's Passover” is given for emphasis – not a thing to be regarded shabbily. “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11) Thus were the Jews impressed with the dangers and difficulties of the jour­ney ahead of them – just as the meticulous instructions for the preparation were also vividly lodged in their minds. This same logic is to be seen in the fact that they were to select their lamb on Nisan 10, which would allow them four days of meditation and sober examination, all of which was very strictly followed in the Memorials in the years that followed, even to the time when Jesus arrived.

All of this has applied in antitype during the entire Gospel Age, the antitypi­cal night of that Passover in Egypt; but we may place special emphasis upon it here in the end of the Age. Although some of the Lord's people during the Age have had a fairly good understanding of the meaning of the bread and the wine, many more of them did not have it. But even of those who saw the “representation” in the emblems, none of them saw it with the clarity that it received during the Harvest time. As the Jews observed the typical Passover with girded loins, sandaled feet, staff in hand, and with energy (“in haste”), just so the Lord's people since 1874 “kept the feast” in antitype of all these stipulations.

“Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment.” (Ex. 12:12) The “gods of Egypt” typify the great ones of Satan's empire – visible and invisible, the fallen angels and the civil, ecclesiastical, capitalistic, educational and social great ones of the present Kosmos. All of these will be cast out of their positions of power and influence and will be otherwise punished through the instrumentality of the antitypical “tenth plague” – in antitype of Jehovah's judgments executed upon Egypt's rulers here in the end of the Age. The tenth plague is brought about by the violent features of the Time of Trouble; and we are told in the type, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you” (Ex. 12:13). So also in antitype, those who are “under the blood” need have no fear of the antitypical tenth plague. “When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble.” Abiding in God's Household ­“under the blood” – provides full safety to all who continue in that station; the destroyer can have no power over them.

After giving the charge to Israel to keep the Passover, He then gave command for an annual commemoration: “This day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.” (Ex. 12:14) “Forever” meaning 'age–lasting,’ the ceremony was to continue each year until the end of the Jewish Age – when the antitype would appear. Here we should emphasize that there was only one Passover – the one in Egypt; in subsequent years its observation was simply a memory – much the same as we observe birthdays, wedding anniversaries and the like. In the memorials the Jews did not sprinkle the lamb's blood on the doorposts because none of them were in danger of dying then. Also, the Jews drank wine in the Memorial, but there is nothing said whether or not wine was consumed in the Passover in Egypt.

So also, there was but one antitype – “Christ our Passover”; the bread and the wine once each year being merely a Memorial of Him who perished on the cross. And, as the annual Passover was to be celebrated once each year throughout the Jewish Age, so the annual Lord's Supper should be kept throughout the Gospel Age – even “till He come” (1 Cor. 11:26) in the sense of being the Deliverer of all His own, even of the last member of the “Church of the firstborn.” And upon such would rest the obliga­tion so long as they remain on earth, regardless of the overlapping of the Ages since 1874. Some contend that after our Lord's Second Advent had arrived, then the obli­gation to keep the Memorial would no longer apply. As in the annual Passover the feast was one to the Lord, so is the annual supper a feast to the Lord.

As to the keeping of the Memorial, there are many divergent views – perhaps as many as 200 different understandings of the meaning and the proper time for keeping it. If we follow the simple program of a Memorial, then it could be but once each year if we wish consistency in our act. With the institution of the Mass, and the idea of transubstantiation, which is performed by the Roman Catholic Church at any one of its seven sacraments, it would readily follow that even one Catholic priest might keep the memorial several times in any one day – in as many services involving the sacraments as might come before him.

Others conclude that once each week is proper, based upon the early Church meet­ing on Sundays to break bread together. Such a conclusion is clearly shallow and un­sound, because there is just nothing in the record that the Lord's death was involved in those meetings; nor is the wine ever mentioned – which certainly would have been done had those meetings been intended as a “Memorial.” Then there are others who con­sider once a month as appropriate, with still others establishing the time as every three or four months. For such conclusions there is just nothing in the Bible to support it.

There is also some argument that Jesus and the Disciples kept the Jewish memorial in general one day before the Jews kept it – based upon John 18:28, Dia.: “It was now morning; and they went not into the Praetorian so that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.” We believe this seeming difference may be reconciled when we consider that there was the Passover Memorial and also the feast of un­leavened bread, the latter being seven days long, but with special convocation on the first and the seventh days of that feast. Including the time for the Memorial, the entire Passover was eight days, not just one day, or seven days. Furthermore, on that particular year the crucifixion was on Friday, with the regular weekly sabbath begin­ning at 6 p.m. that night. Thus, from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday had a double significance that year – it was the regular Sabbath day, as well as the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, the latter being “an holy convocation.”

When Jesus introduced the bread and the wine as a Memorial of His Body broken and His life poured out, there was no mention that His followers should also include the seven-day feast that immediately followed. This is easily understood when we consider the significance of the seven-day feast. Seven being a Divine number, it would represent the complete feasting throughout this life of those who conscientiously and intelligently partake of the bread and the wine. Thus, their feasting an the Manna which came down from Heaven continues throughout their entire Christian life – so long as they faithfully adhere to its requirements. This involves the joy and “peace of God which passeth understanding” which come from the conscious freedom from the slavery of sin, error, etc., with which they had been burdened in the bondage of anti­typical Egypt. Thus do we exult in the deliverance from Satan's empire during our en­tire life.

Let us emphasize that the feasting on the lamb was the principal thing in the type on Nisan 14, and the eating of the unleavened bread and bitters were the inciden­tals; yet throughout the seven days' feasting after Nisan 14 it was unleavened bread that was given the chief emphasis. It was not commanded that they eat any lamb at all during those seven days. Ex. 12:15 emphasizes this: “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day (a special festival day, the one for which the Jews did not wish to defile themselves) shall ye put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.” Their week's feasting of unleavened bread types in the individual the putting away of the antitypical leaven at the very beginning of the Christian life; and for the Church as a whole means from the beginning of the Ephesus period.

THE JEWISH PREPARATION

For years before Jesus had come, the Jews have had a regular ceremony whereby the leaven is searched for, gathered and destroyed, and thus the houses made free of leaven. A piece of cloth, usually of linen, or a napkin, is in the late afternoon of the day before placed on the table and the leaven is collected and placed on it. The gathering is of this manner: The head of the family lights a candle, which through­out the search he holds in his left hand, using it to lighten every nook and corner of the house, especially so where leaven would likely to be found. In his other hand he carries a brush, usually a goose wing full of its feathers, with which he sweeps together all the leaven that the candle brings to sight. He carefully takes it to the cloth and places it thereon. After he has completed a very thorough and care­ful search of the entire house, even under beds, etc., and deposited the last crumb of leaven on the cloth, he then gathers its four corners, ties them securely so that none of the leaven may fall out. He then proceeds to throw the container into the fire, where it is entirely burned. Try as the householder would, however, he could not pos­sibly locate every vestige of leaven in his domain, as, for instance, such minute par­ticles as rats or mice might have carried into their holes; and this would typify that the Christian may try with all diligence to eliminate all sin from his make-up, but cannot succeed in doing a complete job of it under present conditions.

It is not certain when the foregoing ritual originated, whether it is of Divine origin or not, the Bible being silent on the matter, though commanding the thing itself that is accomplished by the performance. However, considering its fitness, it is quite probable that God originated the use of this ceremony, since its every detail pictures forth a set of things that antitypical Israelites are commanded to do – espec­ially so, as they prepare for and partake of the Lord's Supper. In the picture the Israelite's house types the human house of the Gospel-Age Israelite – in keeping with St. Paul's exhortation, “Let a man examine himself.” Thus, the symbolism of this ceremony is entirely Biblical.

As with most Scriptural doctrines and teachings, we find all sorts of notions in between the two extremes. Some religious sects place a sign before their meeting place inviting the man in the street to join in the service. At the other extreme, the Roman Catholic Church will not allow even its members in good standing to partake without extreme scrutiny beforehand. In days gone by, it was necessary for the mem­ber to appear before the priest for confession the day before the service. Then, on the morning of the service, he should neither drink water nor taste food – although this stringency has been lessened somewhat in recent years in various parts of the world. In other sects the participant must at least be a member in good standing of that par­ticular body with which he wishes to commune.

“Whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.” (Ex. 12:15) Thus were the Jews impressed with the sobriety of the occasion; and, while it meant just what it said to them, it was not nearly so serious for them, had they violated the command, as it would be for the Gos­pel-Age Israelite to indulge in willful sin, because such disobedience in this Age would have meant more than just the temporary extinction that would have come upon any Jew who violated the ordinance; it would mean permanent death, the Second Death, to new creatures who willfully sin during this Age (Heb. 6:4–8; 10:26–29). And to those mere­ly justified but not spirit-begotten it would mean the loss of their justification and consequent disadvantage in “the judgment to come” in the next Age.

“In the first day (the day after eating the Passover lamb, etc.) there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you” (Ex. 12:16). This ordinance seems to carry a double antitype: one referring to Gospel–Age Israel as a whole throughout the Age; and the other to each individuals Christian life. In the larger picture the seven days would correspond to the seven epochs of the Church, with the first day representing the Ephesian period, (the Jewish Harvest), and the seventh the Laodicean period (the Gospel Harvest), in both of which there have been holy gatherings and special solemnities, such as were never found in the interim five stages of the Church. In both Harvests “the plowman (a severe time of trouble) overtook the reaper” (Amos 9:13); the work also changed from sowing seed to reaping the results of previous sowings. The abstention from work is not specifically mentioned in the intervening five days; and the same fervent effort was not in evidence in the Gospel-Age during the interim that was in the Jewish and Gospel Harvests – the effort in both Harvests being not a sowing work, but a reap­ing of which had already been sown.

This same relative condition is to be found in the individual life of those in this Age who make “the covenant by sacrifice.” Usually, there is very zealous activ­ity at the outset on the part of those who embrace this covenant, which tends to ease off somewhat as time drags on; but the initial zeal is usually manifested anew in each one toward the close of his life. It may be said also that the trials of the narrow way are most severe in the beginning and at the ending of the course. This is clearly apparent in the case of Jesus Himself, Who was immediately tempted by the Devil as soon as He emerged from His forty days in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–10); and it was even more apparent as He ate the last Passover, the trial that night, and the cross the next day.

The sober contemplation of these various items should stimulate each one to “keep the festival, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and wickedness; but with the unleavened principles of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor. 5:8, Dia.) And with this thought we pray the Lord's special blessing upon all our readers in their prep­aration for and participation in “the festival.” What has been presented herein is not intended in any way to displace the reading of the Passover chapter in Parousia Volume 6; it is rather our hope that this may stimulate a more avid reading of that particular chapter.

And “the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ... And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of ex­hortation.” (Heb. 13:20–22)

Sincerely your brother

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Our dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings of love in our dear Redeemer's Name!

Just sent $––– to Brother for your funds.... I am enclosing Sr. Davies' let­ter. We are glad she still believes in the Second Presence of our Lord, and has never deviated from the teachings of Bro. Russell, and appreciates coming in contact with Bro. Johnson – and now your sound articles, refuting the errors of RGJ. We be­lieve that you are one of the special leaders of God's people in this ending of the Epiphany time..... We pray the Lord to give you His promised grace and strength to continue refuting the errors from whatever source they come.

Sr.------- came in contact with two of RGJ's adherents – and she couldn't answer about RGJ getting the cup, so she asked us. We gave her references to look up in E. Vol. 10 and said, Yes RGJ was the recipient of the cup, but what has he done with it! The contents he hasn't kept clean, therefore the Epiphany revealings are mani­fest and very serious for leaders who persist in wrong doing.

We trust you and all with you at the Bible House keep as well as possible. Brother joins me with love to you and all the dear ones with you.

Sincerely, ------- (ENGLAND)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in our dear Redeemer's name!

As soon as I received your letter I got a message to ------- and saw him today... He has promised to write you again.....

We here are reasonably well, and are still quite blest. Indeed the Lord has been wonderful to us! My sister's health is not of the best, but she manages to work every day. She has a lot to thank God for.

You all are always in our prayers for the wonderful work that you are doing in defending the Lord's cause. As we survey the world scene we can see the breaking up of Satan's kingdom, and the setting up of Christ's Kingdom. Even here in our little island we are experiencing turbulent times, but we are not afraid, nor do we wonder at it as the world does. I am trying to be as diligent as I can be, and with the pray­ers of the Household of Faith I know I shall grow from strength to strength.

Warm Christian greetings to all of you. Your sister ------- (TRINIDAD)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Christian greetings!

I trust you and all there are enjoying good health. We here are all fairly well. We would like you to send us some Parousia volumes as follows..... We will give Sister ------- cash in payment at our next general meeting.

We all join in sending Christian love to you and all the friends there.

By His Grace ------- (TRINIDAD)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings through our Beloved Lord!

Your good letter is to hand, and contents carefully noted. I have replied to Brother -------, but he no doubt did not receive it. I have since re–acknowledged his letter, and I hope he will receive the same. May the good Lord continue to bless us in the years ahead as we strive to be faithful to the end.

With best Christian wishes to you and the Bible House family...

Yours by His Grace, ------- (JAMAICA)

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Epiphany Bible Student Association

Please send me the following pamphlets: No. 3 – The Resurrection of the Dead; No. 4 – The Three Babylons; No. 5 – Two Distinct Salvations; No. 6 – God's Great Sabbath Day; No. 7 – The Great Reformer; No. 8 – The Permission of Evil; No. 9 – The Day of Judgment; No. 10 – God's Standard; and No. 121 – The Roman Church and Its Little “Twin.” Thank you!

Sincerely ------- (NORTH CAROLINA)

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Dear Mr. Hoefle:

I appreciate your letter, answering my many questions, very much. I also am deeply appreciative of your sending me “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” I am slowly but surely working my way through it.

I am enclosing a small check to help you in your most important work. Please accept it as a small token of my gratitude for the comfort God has seen fit to give me through your letters, pamphlets, and book.

May God always bless you and your Association! Sincerely ------- (N.  CAROLINA)

NO. 224: THE LABOR DAY CHICAGO CONVENTIONS

No. 224

At each of these Conventions RGJ continued to stress his “advancing truth” on his Consecrated Epiphany Campers, declaring the Hill Ophel in Jerusalem as a type of that Class. Often in previous papers have we stressed the fact that only Star Mem­bers were permitted by the Lord to bring forth a new doctrine; but this has not de­terred RGJ – he goes right on. Thus, we consider it timely now to set forth the Truth on the wilderness Manna and its typical significance for our day. The Manna typified the Truth for the entire Gospel Age; and there were two specific instruc­tions given to the Jews about it. “Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwith­standing they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morn­ing, and it bred worms and stank.” (Ex. 16:19,20) Gathering it six days typified the Truth as due in each epoch of the Church in the Gospel Age from the first through the sixth epoch. We offer here a quotation from E-11:319 on this subject:

“In all six periods the Lord’s people studied and appropriated the Word..... It prevailed as long as due... During the sixth, Philadelphia period, an unusually large amount of Truth was due, as can be seen, among other things, by the fact that ten of the twelve stewardship truths, as well as much refutative truth, became then due. Moreover, all the previously due Truth of the four preceding epochs was seen in the sixth epoch, as well as much of the first epoch’s truths.....

“Our Lord declared (Ex. 16:23-29)... The Millennial Sabbath, whose first period was the Laodicean time, was coming, and that it was to be a period of rest from a work that had previously been pleasing to the Lord, but that in the time following the Phil­adelphia time would be counted speculation for all except our Lord and His special mouthpieces.”

Clearly enough, RGJ has been revolutionizing against the foregoing, as he attempts to foist upon his readers his “advancing truth” concerning the Hill Ophel and the Neth­inims as ‘proof’ of his newly-invented Campers Consecrated doctrine. The explan­ation of the type as given in E-11:318 (bottom) is this: “It corrupted in their minds into error (bred worms) and in their hearts into sin (stank), which naturally displeased our Lord (Moses was wroth with them) unto His casting them off from His special favor.”

During Laodicea the ledlings were not to attempt to gather the antitypical Manna (due Truth); for no new Truth would be found then by the Lord’s people in general. The Lord’s design in this restriction is wise, just and loving, because He knew that by speculating the brethren would give room to the Devil to produce all sorts of errors; for the Laodicea period has been the special time of his inciting to frenzies of delu­sion (2 Thes. 2:9-12). Those that observed this charge were shielded from error and temptation to that pride that Satan incites in alleged “discoveries of new truth” (such as Campers Consecrated, etc.) by speculation.

Here is a little more on the subject from E-11:321: “Despite the Lord’s perti­nent warnings on direct study of the Bible after ‘the sixth day,’ some have been in­dulging in it, as experience proves in the Parousia and, especially, in the Epiphany, and perhaps some will attempt it among the restitution class in the next Age. Espec­ially have the six sifting classes been guilty of this evil (there went people on the seventh day to gather – Ex. 16:27). And despite their professions of discovering ‘won­derful light,’ these speculators got absolutely no new truth at all from such study, be­cause the Lord for the antitypical seventh day will not give any by that method. Such forbidden course led God to tell Jesus (Lord said unto Moses – v. 28) to expostulate with those who have so refused. This expostulation was made orally and in writing dur­ing the Parousia, especially through that Servant, and during the Epiphany, especially through the Epiphany Messenger.”

It is public record that RGJ confessed to some of these “besetting sins” in his letter of Nov. 15, 1910, in the Watch Tower – saying he was “enjoying the Bible as one would enjoy a picture book or Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” He then freely admitted to picture making: “My faculty for seeing pictures and types became so developed that my eye would skim over a chapter, jumping at a chance picture here and there, and missing nearly all the original meaning and proper application of the text.” It would seem that such pic­ture-making and typing (“gazing”) has reasserted itself since 1950 – after the restrain­ing hand of the Epiphany Messenger was removed from him. If we were remiss in expos­ing his “path of error,” we would receive the condemnation of Ez. 3:18: “And thou giv­est him not warning... to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” And we are persuaded, too, that others who make loud professions of love for him, will also share in his guilt – come under the condemnation of this text – if they fail to resist his “gazing” and wayward course. “My brethren, if any one among you wander from the truth, and some one turn him back; know you, that he who turns back a sinner (the Great Company) from his Path of Error will save his Soul from Death (the Second Death), and will cover a multitude of Sins.” (James 5:19-20, Dia.) Once more we repeat, we do this only because “necessity is laid upon me.” (1 Cor. 9:16)

We would much rather praise him than expose him; and we do commend him for some of the good “witness” work he is doing toward the world. Thus, we are pleased to state that in many instances he is doing a good work of “witnessing” to the world. This was quite evident by the testimonies of some of our zealous brethren at the Chi­cago Convention. They reported their good efforts at the Billy Graham crusade in Min­nesota, which resulted in the distribution of a number of Divine Plan of the Ages. Since this book contains the “faith once delivered unto the saints,” those testimonies warmed our hearts. As Brother Johnson has so aptly said, the Great Company do much better work toward the world than toward the brethren – which was amply manifest by the effort at this crusade. In their efforts to “witness” with the Divine Plan of the Ages, they are to be encouraged; and it is certainly not our wish to impede such good works in any way whatever; rather we would lend a helping hand as opportunity may arise – as is evidenced by some recent correspondence we have had with RGJ along this very line.

At the Labor Day Convention the question was asked about the beginning and the end of the Time of the End. RGJ tried to pinpoint 1954 in his answer, saying the “sifters” (meaning JJH) contend nothing happened in 1954; then he insisted that plenty of things happened in 1954, but he failed to name even one of them. Our own observation on this point is that Parousia Vol. 3 tells us that the Man of Sin will be completely annihi­lated during the Time of the End. However, at Chicago RGJ spoke on this same question, and gave there a much different answer than he did at the Labor Day Convention; so we believe he would be well advised to state in the Present Truth just what his thought is on the subject.

At the Chicago Question Meeting we ourselves put in the following question: “Let us see the conditions of justification that will prevail during the Millennial Age. During that Age there will be neither a tentative nor a vitalized justification.” (E-15:261) Please harmonize this with your statement in the July-August Present Truth that, “Thus according to the two Messengers there will be no interval without tentative justification.” Signed: John J. Hoefle (He did not “have time” to answer this question!)

In our November paper No. 221, top of page, we quoted much more from Volume 15 than is given above, and we shall repeat just a little from that quotation here:

“In a word, faith is the justifying instrumentality and thus the condition of jus­tification in this Age, while obedience (consecration faithfully carried out—JJH) will be the justifying instrumentality and thus the condition of justification in the next Age. These Ages’ purposes account for this.”

How do these Ages’ purposes account for this? Rom. 4:1-12 clearly tells us that justification must precede consecration during this Age. This is set forth markedly in the Atonement Day type, in which the animals had to be “without blemish.” Since they typified the “better sacrifices” of this Gospel Age, it follows that the sacri­fices of this Age must also be “without blemish.” But this is not possible with men in their present fallen state. Therefore, they are reckoned perfect – “without blem­ish” – in order to make them acceptable as parts of the “better sacrifices.” Thus, we emphasize that there cannot possibly be any acceptable consecration during this Age without the offerer being first justified. “Having been justified, therefore, by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ; through Whom, also we have been introduced into this favor in which we stand.” (Rom. 5:1,3—Dia.) Having come to this standing by faith, St. Paul then counsels such to consecrated (see Rom. 12:1).

But in the next Age the situation will be just the reverse. Then not even tenta­tive justification (prospective justification is Brother Russell’s thought, and in no sense a justification by faith as we have it in this Age) cannot be obtained in the slightest degree without consecration. Without consecration – works – the dead world in the next Age will have no better standing than they have now in this Age; they won’t even have prospective justification then without consecration. Once this situ­ation is clearly understood, our readers will have no difficulty at all in seeing through RGJ’s flummery on this subject – a ruse he has injected into the discussion to bolster his decayed “manna” – his “strange fire” of Campers Consecrated.

At the Labor Day Convention this question was raised: Who are the Household of Faith in the Millennium? His answer: Those who accept Jesus. As the Epiphany Mes­senger has so well stated – In this Age the predominant feature is faith, accompanied by works. In the next Age the predominant feature will be works, accompanied by some faith. In the Millennial Tabernacle picture the Court represents the condition of the Ancient Worthies (Kohathite Levites), of the Great Company (Merarite Levites), and of the Youthful Worthies (Gershonite Levites). The world undergoing restitution is represented in the Camp; and in no sense of the word are of the Household of Faith. This has been clearly explained by Brother Johnson in treating of 2 Tim. 2:20: “The Little Flock, the Great Company, the Ancient Worthies and the Youthful Worthies are the Millennial-Age House­hold of Faith. The Priests and the Levites dwelling about the Tabernacle type this House­hold of Faith. (Bro. Johnson does not say, as did RGJ, that all who accept Jesus are of the Household of Faith—JJH) From the standpoint of having the faith of Abraham the Youthful Worthies are, of course, like him, of the Household of Faith. They are, however, somewhat different from the tentatively justified who do not now consecrate. The latter during the Epiphany cease altogether to be of the Household of Faith, having used the grace of God in vain. All that are of the faith of Abraham are of the Household of Faith.”

Then there was a question asked at the Chicago Convention as to whether RGJ’s friends should burn the sifters’ literature, or return marked “Refused.” He said it was each one’s stewardship: if they wanted to read enough of it to know that it is error, that was for them to decide. We commend him for giving an answer based on true Christian principles – as we also commend him for his mollified demeanor during the entire Chicago Convention. This is quite a change for the better, and also quite a contrast to his advice and attitude a few years back when a similar question was asked him. At that time he yelled: “If the Devil wrote you a letter, would you read it?” and regarding shaking hands, “Would you shake hands with the Devil?”

We trust he will continue to advocate Christian principles – and this change means that he will seek to serve the Lord in “sincerity and in truth.” That is our hope and prayer for him.

Those of us familiar with the situation know that Brother Johnson never warned his supporters not to read what JFR presented, even though he knew those papers were filled with subtle errors; and all know that we have never warned our readers not to read what RGJ or the “Apokalypsis” writings present. Nor have we read RGJ out of the Household, as he has done with us, which we have accepted without great ado. We well realize that his actions as described in previous papers were prompted by “strong delusion” of 2 Thes. 2:10-12 – the punishment meted out to those “who received not the love of the Truth” ­especially during this Epiphany period. However, it gives us much pleasure to note the improvement in his decorum and speech from the platform in Chicago. His mild and soft-spoken delivery was quite a change for the better over his past performances.

God’s faithful people have always been more generous with the measurably faithful than the latter have been with them. That Servant was much more generous toward Big Babylon than Big Babylon was toward him. The Jehovah’s Witnesses also relegate JJH and all his supporters to the “evil servant class,” much the same as has RGJ done ­although he uses milder language: the “sifters” have lost their class standing, and may lose out altogether in the Kingdom, if they continue in their course, he says. Such accusations do not embitter us in the least – rather, we would “think it strange” if such calumny were not directed toward us. Despite this, we are persuaded there are quite a few among the Witnesses, as well as among the adherents of the LHMM who are mak­ing sincere effort to serve the Lord.

THE “END” OF 1 COR. 15:24

On p. 78 of the Sept.-Oct. 1973 Present Truth is the following question: “How do we know that ‘the end’ in 1 Cor. 15:24 is at the end of Christ’s Millennial Mediator­ial Reign, at the beginning of the Little Season, and not at the Little Season’s end? And how do we know ‘the last enemy’ (v. 26), the Adamic dying process, will be destroyed before the beginning of the Little Season?”‘

In his answer RGJ once more attempts to nullify the clear teachings of the Epiphany Messenger, and the impressive Red Sea type – in which the Egyptians were destroyed; so we now follow here with Brother Johnson’s treatise in the Nov. 15, 1949 Herald, p. 48, cols. 1 and 2:

“The results of the coming Universal Empire are illustrated in 1 Cor. 15:20-26, our last passage on this subject. We quote from the Improved Version: ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become a firstfruit (Jesus) of them that slept. For since by man (Adam) came death, by (a) man also (Jesus) shall come the resurrection of the dead. For as all in Adam die (Jesus did not die in Adam, for He was not in Adam, and therefore our correction of the translation), even so all in Christ shall be made alive (e.g., the Little Flock is in Christ; they shall be made alive first and pri­marily). But every man in his own order: Christ a firstfruit (the Church is here meant); afterward they that are Christ’s at (during) His presence (those who are shown to be our Lord’s faithful followers during His presence, these also shall be made alive). Then cometh the end (the end of the Little Season, when He shall have ruled over all the earth and given every man the opportunity to gain eternal life, which His ransom sacrifice, a corresponding price, enables Him to give), when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father (for God will be the final Judge over the earth and will execute His judgment through Christ, the Head, primarily, and secondarily, the Church, His Body, as His vicegerent); when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and (all) power (every vestige of the governorship and of the pretended au­thority and the pretended might of Satan (We know that Satan will ‘pretend to have authority and might during the Little Season’—JJH), all of this will be put down by the almighty hand of Christ, the Head, and the Church, the Body, using God’s power as the almighty power in their hand). For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Thus we see that not only persons are these enemies, but also things. Death (the Adamic death pro­cess—JJH) is an enemy – it was an enemy to Jesus while He was in the flesh, it sought to destroy Him; it sought through the Jews (the Adamic death process in those Jews—JJH) to destroy Him, but He was faithful unto death; and by that faithfulness He was pro­nounced the One who could put to death the last enemy, even the dying process and the death-state. Glory be to God forever and ever for this glorious hope that Jehovah, our Heavenly Father, has given us; and let every one say, Amen and Amen; Amen and Amen, forever and ever, Amen.”

It will be noted that the above is a direct contradiction of what RGJ is now con­tending; and we would impress upon our readers the fact that RGJ proof-read that Her­ald, and offered no objection to it in 1949. In his summation of the above question there is this statement: “We will continue to reaffirm and defend the correct under­standing of 1 Cor. 15:24 as given in harmony with the Greek text.” If he approved of the teaching as quoted above in 1949, is he now “continuing” in that teaching – or is he now revolutionizing against that teaching?

Again we quote from the Epiphany Messenger as given in E-17:124,125: “Then cometh the end (the end of the Little Season, when he shall have ruled over all the earth and given every man the opportunity to gain eternal life, which His Ransom-sacrifice, a corresponding price, enables Him to give), when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father (for God will be the final Judge over the earth and will exer­cise His judgment through Christ, the Head, primarily, and secondarily, the Church, His Body, as His Vicegerent); when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and the pretended might of Satan, all of this will be put down by the almighty power in their hand). For He must reign till he hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (thus we see that not only persons are these enemies, but also things. The Adamic death in the sense of the dying process is this last great enemy, and, because of His faithfulness, Jesus became the One who will after the close of the Millennium finally destroy it).”

The above is also a direct contradiction to RGJ’s present teaching; and he him­self published this teaching in Vol. 17 in 1956. He proof-read that, too; so the question properly arises: Is he “continuing” to reaffirm and defend the correct under­standing of 1 Cor. 15:24 as taught by the Epiphany Messenger and approved by him – or is he now revolutionizing against the “correct understanding of 1 Cor. 15:24”? Truly, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways”! (James 1:8) Surely the teachings re­garding 1 Cor. 15:24 quoted above are crystal clear that the Epiphany Messenger taught the “end” of this text is at the “end of the Little Season”! Nor can RGJ or any one else set aside this clear teaching by a “faulty disc,” or any other “sleight-of-hand.”

To give some semblance of credibility to his symbolic witchcraft (especially de­ceptive false teachings – such as JFR with his Jonadabs, also a non-existent class) he offers the “foolish” conclusion: “If the Goat class will not have ridded them­selves by use of the gracious opportunities of the Mediatorial reign, they will by the beginning of the Little Season be chargeable only to their own account, and not to Adam or any one else.” (Emphasis by RGJ) We wonder if he believes the Goats of the Mediatorial reign who refuse to have the Adamic death process plagued out of them, die the Second Death with their unholy hearts’ condition “chargeable” to Satan, Adam, or some one else, instead of to themselves! It is an elementary truth that all who are awakened from the tomb – the Death state – will never go into the Second Death with their unholy hearts’ condition “chargeable” to any one except themselves. But, when they go into the Second Death, the Adamic death process in them (their unholy hearts’ condition) will also be forever destroyed. Those “accursed ones” during the reign who die at 100 years because they refused to rid themselves of the Adamic Death pro­cess (Isa. 65:20), as well as those who survive into the Little Season, have no one to blame but themselves. The Adamic Death process is the “last enemy” – and it will not be destroyed until its possessors are destroyed. In essence RGJ admits this – then injects the flimsy statement of who is “chargeable” for it. This contention is simply a “red herring” injected seemingly to mislead the “unstable and the unlearned.” He is setting up a ‘straw man’ – “chargeable” – to avoid the self-evident truth, that such responsibility is “chargeable” to the Goat class of the Mediatorial reign, as well as “chargeable” to the Goat class of the Little Season. During the Mediatorial reign the Goats are sentenced to the Second Death because of their failure outwardly to obey; and the Goat class of the Little Season, who have outwardly obeyed during the Mediatorial reign, will also be sentenced to the Second Death during the Little Season because they do not outwardly obey. At that time their unholy hearts’ condition (the Adamic death process) will be manifested. We repeat, the Adamic death process cannot be destroyed until its possessors are destroyed – at the end of the Little Season ­regardless of any twist given by RGJ.

Note now the statement in the foregoing paragraph to the effect that whatever of the Adamic death process the Goats may have in the Little Season “will be chargeable to their own account”; and compare with his statement in the question itself that, “The Adamic dying process will be destroyed before the beginning of the Little Season.” These two statements are in direct contradiction of one another – so we would ask now: “Will he “continue to reaffirm and defend the correct understanding of 1 Cor. 15:24,” that the Adamic death process will be eliminated before the beginning of the Little Season; or will he “continue to reaffirm” the teaching that the Adamic death process will still continue in the Goats of the Little Season, but will be “chargeable to their own account,” as given in his first statement? This is a classic example of “the unprofitable servant” of Matt. 25:30, who was cast into outer darkness (error). In the Berean Comment there is this: “Sorrow, disappointment and chagrin in every sense.”

We repeat, concerning the Goats of the Mediatorial reign who go into the Second Death, the Adamic death process (their unholy hearts’ condition) was “chargeable to their own account,” just the same as will be true of the Goats in the Little Season who will have the Adamic death process “chargeable to their own account.” In other words, the Goats who outwardly obey during the Mediatorial reign, but still retain their unholy hearts’ condition (the Adamic death process) will be no different from the Goats who enter the Second Death during the Mediatorial reign: when they die, the Adamic death process in them perishes with them.

For emphasis, let us repeat some of the Nov. 15, 1949 Herald, as given aforegoing: destroy Him; it sought through the Jews to destroy Him.” Certainly, it was not the Adamic death state that sought to destroy Jesus; those Jews in their graves gave Him no concern whatever. But those living Jews – badly diseased with the Adamic death process (all the evils inherent in fallen man) – did their best to destroy Him; and did finally succeed in destroying His flesh-and-blood body. It was the Adamic death process in those sinful Jews that brought Him to the cross. Those persecuting Jews that died before Jesus was crucified could no longer harass Him, because the Adamic death process (the evils within them) ceased when they went into the Adamic death state; but those evil tendencies will yet be present in them when they are awakened from the tomb. “Where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Ecc. 11:3) If they do not avail themselves of the “gracious opportunities of the Mediatorial reign” within 100 years – to the extent of outward obedience – they will experience the Second Death even before the Mediatorial reign is concluded; and the Adamic death process in those individuals will perish with them. However, the Goat class who outwardly obeyed dur­ing the Mediatorial reign will still have the Adamic death process in them – the men­tal, moral and religious depravity in their hearts – which will not be destroyed until their possessors are destroyed at the end of the Little Season. Be it noted in both the quotations we have offered from Brother Johnson, he states the Adamic death pro­cess applies not only to persons, but also to things; and the things cannot be de­stroyed until their possessors are destroyed.

The truth of the foregoing quotation will be deeply impressed upon us if we keep in mind that the Adamic death process is inseparably linked with the “curse.” Thus, the curse (the Adamic death process) will be present in the Goats until the full end of the Little Season; although the part of the “curse” represented by the Adamic death state will have been eliminated in all of them many years before the Little Season even begins – and the “curse” insofar as physical infirmities are concerned will also have been eliminated from all by the beginning of the Little Season. All will enter the Little Season with perfect physical bodies – but the Goats will still have the men­tal, moral and religious depravity – the Adamic death process – in their characters. And, as Brother Johnson has stated, All who enter the Little Season with imperfect characters will not be able to stand the crucial tests of the Little Season. In sup­port of this, we quote from Parousia Volume 5, p. 439:

“This assurance that God’s love and justice operate in fullest harmony gives us confidence that the same principles will continue to rule the universe forever, satis­fies us that the ‘wrath,’ the ‘curse’ (the Adamic death process—JJH), will be lifted from all who come into harmony with God through Jesus the Savior, and that all who do not avail themselves of this grace will be swallowed up of the Second Death – for the wrath (the “curse”—JJH) of God abideth on them. (Acts 3:23; John 3:36; Rev. 22:3)”

From the foregoing by That Servant, it should be clear enough that the “curse,” or the Adamic death process, is never eliminated from the Goat class; but continues with them until their destruction at the full end of the Little Season, when the Goats go into the Second Death. The Harvest of the Millennial Age will probably bear close re­semblance to the Harvest of this Gospel Age, in which we are told to “judge nothing be­fore the time.” During the 40-year reaping period the more perceptive among the Truth people may have had reasonable suspicions that some had fallen from Grace sufficiently that they were no longer of the Very Elect; but they were cautioned not to express themselves on the subject. Doubtless That Servant was aware of that in certain indi­viduals, but he did not express his opinion to any one, so far as we know. Just so, during the Mediatorial reign – especially so as it draws near its close – it may be reasonably clear to some that many will not survive the Little Season, because some of the faults of the Goat class will probably become manifest. Nevertheless, it will re­main for the developments of the Little Season to make this certain; and the Sheep class will not be able to sing the song of deliverance until the Goat class has been eliminated from their midst. This is remarkably clear in the song of Moses and the children of Israel as given in the 15th Chapter of Exodus – which was not sung until they were safely on the opposite shore of the Red Sea – after the Egyptian hosts had been annihilated in the resurging waters. This is further confirmed in E-17:426 under the heading “THERE SHALL BE NO MORE CURSE”; and on p. 427 there is this:

“And there shall be no more curse (the Adamic death state and dying process will have been destroyed): but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there (after the Little Season’s night has ended there will be eternal day), and they need no candle, neither light of the sun (the Bible); for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever (when every member of the Sheep class shall have become a king in his own right—JJH).”

It is elementary that all who come under the benign influence of the Mediatorial reign will never again be subject to the Adamic death state. That part of the curse will be forever destroyed for them the instant they come from the tomb; they can never again die the Adamic death. “Every one shall die for his own iniquity.” (Jer. 31:30) This applies during the Mediatorial reign as well as during the Little Season. Thus, for all such the only part of the curse that will exist for them during the Little Season will be the Adamic death process – the imperfect mental, moral and re­ligious degradations that are now inherent in the human race. The opportunity will be generously available for all to rid themselves of these evils during the Mediatorial reign; but those of them who do not avail themselves of the saving processes will enter into the Little Season with imperfect characters (the Adamic death pro­cess still with them), and will be unable to stand the tests. They will be destroyed at the end of the Little Season – when “the last enemy” (the Adamic death process) will be destroyed. Both the Sheep and the Goats will enter the Little Season physi­cally perfect, the great difference being in their heart condition.

Brother Johnson lists 21 offices of Christ for the cure of 21 evils suffered under the curse. As we all know, His Mediatorial office will be completed at the begin­ning of the Little Season. However, there are some offices that will not be completed until the end of the Little Season – among which are Judge, Revealer and Deliverer. The Christ will reveal (manifest) the unfaithful, sentence them to the Second Death, and Deliver the Sheep. His office of Prince of Peace will continue throughout all eter­nity.

It has been well stated that in controversy the Truth comes out; and in this pres­ent controversy we trust that our readers will have no problem in determining for them­selves who is now presenting the Truth on it. However, we believe Brother Johnson saw and gave the Truth on 1 Cor. 15:24 in the 1949 Herald and other places, because he was persuaded by the Red Sea type, which is probably the grandest type of the entire Old Testament, and which indisputably supports the “end” of 1 Cor. 15:24 as being at the end of the Little Season.

In our efforts to uphold the Truth and refute the error of this and other sub­jects, we derive much satisfaction from the fact that many of the very best support­ers of Brother Johnson have also wholeheartedly supported us in our activities since 1955. Some of these are still with us, so we would not mention their names; but we take pleasure in naming some who have finished their course, and concerning whom we would say it has been impossible to replace them: Brothers Cotton, Price, Alger, Roach (who was Brother Johnson’s representative in Trinidad for nineteen years), and Brother and Sister Baxendale of England; also, Sisters Pickering, Fowler, Evans, Atkins, Jordan, Oldham and Condell (widow of Brother Condell who was Brother Johnson’s representative in Jamaica). Some of these dear brethren we had met during Brother Johnson’s life; others of them were known only by the praise he had given them to us in private conversations. And we would say of them, as we say of Brother Russell and Brother Johnson, God bless their memory!

“Preserve me, 0 God: for in thee do I put my trust... I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night season. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psa. 16:1, 7-8)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL INTEREST

Our Memorial date for this year is April 5, after 6:00 p.m., and we suggest for our Special Effort in Antitypical Gideon’s Second Battle Sunday, March 24 through Sunday April 14, for our volunteer and sharpshooting in the slaying of the two King Errors – Zebah (Eternal Torment), and Zalmunna (Consciousness of the Dead). Our tracts, Where are the Dead, What is the Soul, and The Resurrection of the Dead may be used, as well as the L-D-H and The Divine Plan of the Ages, if ordered in time. So place your orders early if you desire to participate in this good work. The Battle is not over, so “Let us not be weary in well doing.” Be assured of our spec­ial prayers that all may have blessed experiences as they participate with us in this Special Effort – an Arrangement made for the Epiphany by the Epiphany Messenger.

NO. 223: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

No. 223

As we enter another year we would once more extol the scientific achievements of the year 1973. International Direct Distance Dialing is now fully available to telephone users in the United States. Direct calls may be made to Australia, Bel­gium, British Isles (special rates applying to England to encourage greater use of this remarkable service), Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Venezuela. Direct calls may be made to most stations also in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.

A construction steel has just been developed, which oxidizes itself to an attrac­tive brown simply by exposure to the weather; and the material never requires paint­ing or cleaning. An airplane has been developed, which flies from Washington to Paris in 3½ hours. It took Columbus about three months to make the trip from Spain to the West Indies – a trip which can now be accomplished in about three hours. “In the time of the end many shall run to and fro.” (Dan. 12:4) Not only has the speed of travel increased enormously, but the number of people engaged in travel for busi­ness and pleasure has likewise increased greatly.

But by far the outstanding scientific feat of the year (written November 20) was the 59-day performance in outer space of the space laboratory. And in connection with that performance we are told that the men who were directing it from Texas were equipped with instruments so delicate that they measured the heart beat of the three men in that space laboratory. The airplanes now in general commercial use are de­scribed as whisper jets, because the passengers are barely aware of the tremendous force of the engines in silent operation. We were a boy in Dayton, Ohio in 1903, when the airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers; and in 1917 we were employed in an airplane factory there. Thus, we are acutely aware of the great progress that has been made in aerial equipment since that time. Compared with today’s jet planes, those early airplanes would bear the description of an orange crate, bound together with bailing wire.

IN FINANCE

The financial decay of the nations is in reverse order to the great scientific achievements; and it is finally making itself felt in the financial markets and in the gold valuation. In 1973 the price of gold reached as high as $127 per ounce, as against $20.67 an ounce in 1914; and people who claim to know their values are pre­dicting much higher prices for it in the immediate future. We ourselves have no firm opinion on this item, other than to state that the amount of paper money that has been generated is beyond the grasp of human reckoning. The national debt of the United States Government now borders on a half trillion, with no end in sight. The overall debt – federal, state, municipal and private – would probably go three times that amount just for the United States alone, to say nothing of other nations. A dollar bill today is simply a “promise to pay nothing”! We offered much detail on this situation in our January 1973 paper, so we shall not repeat it here. However, we suggest a re-reading of that paper as a supplement to this one.

IN POLITICS

Political scandal in the United States has pyramided during the past year; and it is tending to shake the very foundations of our Government. This was graphically predicted by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 4:5, Dia.: “Therefore, judge you not anything before the proper time, till the Lord come, who both will bring to light the secrets of dark­ness, and will make manifest the purposes of the hearts.” A companion text to this is found in Mal. 3:2: “Who shall stand when He appeareth?” A better translation would give the text this way: “Who shall stand when He maketh manifest?”

The signs of the times, secular and religious, prove that we are now in the time when the foregoing tests apply. The Bible shows that there would be certain secular and religious events enacting when these texts have their fulfillment; which becomes increas­ingly apparent each year since 1874, about which date the first commercial type­writer came upon the market. The first hand carpet sweeper was invented just five years before that in 1869. At the end of the Civil War there were no telephones, no automobiles, no airplanes, none of the excellent farming and labor-saving building equipment. We catalog some of the main secular signs of the time: Increase of travel and knowledge (both in speed and number of travelers); exposure of the evils of Satan’s empire in the form of vice, poverty, education, statecraft and politics, aristocracy, capital, business, finance, labor, society, power, home; great calamities, as prophe­sied in Luke 21:11 by Jesus (“In various places there will be great earthquakes, and famines, and pestilences; there will also be fearful sights and great signs from Heav­en.”); Israel’s return to favor (Rom. 11:25-27) and to Palestine; great war prepara­tions (Joel 3:9-11); World War in its two phases (I Kings 19:11; Rev. 7:1); conflict between capital and labor; bundling of the tares (Matt. 13:29, 30, 40, 41); general unrest (Luke 21:25,26); widespread conviction that an unmanageable crisis is upon us (Luke 21:26; Isa. 29:14).

The Bible also foretells of certain religious signs that would go hand in hand with the secular signs, some of which are: The Gospel preached among all nations (Matt. 24:14); extensive religious error (Matt. 24:24); great increase in wickedness (Matt. 24:12); scoffing at Christ’s Second Advent as having set in (2 Pet. 3:3); fall­ing away in the churches (2 Tim. 4:3,4); federation of churches (Isa. 8:9-11); Roman­ism and Protestant­ism approaching each other for mutual help (Rev. 6:14); false Christs and prophets, with claims of miraculous healing of disease, etc. (Matt. 24:24); lucid revelation of the “Man of Sin” and his impending destruction (2 Thes. 2:1-9); general expectation of the Kingdom by members of the Church (Matt. 25:1-12). The clear revelation of the secular and religious signs of the times is much more pronounced than any of us would have imagined even fifty years ago.

In Josh. 3:15 we are told that “Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of the harvest.” The River Jordan typifies the curse, the downward course of the human race. Thus, evils of all sort would multiply when the time (the “Harvest”) would set in. All of the four universal empires – Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome – became increa­singly corrupt and indolent at the top, which eventually brought about the over­throw of all of them; and this same condition is glaringly apparent now in the United States especially, but in lesser degree in almost all other governments; and such conditions always increase the dishonesty, immorality, etc., of the average citizen. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Prov. 29:18)

It is reported that threats on the life of our President are increasing – which has resulted in a great increase of the Secret Service protection afforded him. And, if we think the Watergate affair is exclusively United States antics, here is what one reporter writes about Italy:

“In Italy wiretapping of people in all walks of life and in every phase of busi­ness is a common occurrence. The so-called Watergate episode is child’s play compared to what goes on in Italy all the time.”

Also, some of our readers will certainly recall what happened in Russia about twenty years ago, when they presented our Embassy there with a beautiful wall decoration of a molded head of an American bald eagle, a close examination of which by our people re­vealed a “bug” in the beak of that cast, which would have enabled the Russians to over­hear every conversation that was carried on in our Embassy in Moscow.

“THE FOUR WINDS OF HEAVEN strove upon the great sea.” (Dan. 7:2) These “four winds” are the fallen angels (the demons that were given such frequent mention at the First Advent); and the “great sea” refers to the restless masses of humanity. As a result of this we are told that four great beasts came up from the sea: The first like a lion, and had eagle’s wings... a second like to a bear... after this another like a leopard... after this a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly.... it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” Here is portrayed much the same picture as is given in the metal-man image of the four univer­sal empires in Daniel 2:36-45.

The difference in these two pictures is found in the classification, or rating, given the governments of earth. The metal-man picture portrays earth’s universal em­pires as viewed in great glamor by fallen man; whereas, the four beasts of Daniel 7: 2-8 give them as they are viewed from the Divine standpoint. Thus, the golden head in the first picture is represented by a lion in the second picture; the arms and breast of silver in the first are shown as a bear in the second; the belly of brass in the first by the leopard in the second; and the feet of iron and clay by the “dreadful and terrible” beast of the second. It is to be noted, too, that the fourth division of the first picture shows ten toes; whereas, the fourth beast of the second had ten horns, the toes and horns in each representing the ten language nations of Europe that are the remnants of the old Roman Empire.

Both of these pictures give us a hint at the efforts of men in ‘This present evil world: (Gal. 1:4) to set up some satisfactory form of government; and their failure to do so is revealed in the spasmodic changes that have occurred in the various governments over the past 3,000 years. Rome had eight forms of government over the centuries, none of which influenced to any great extent the Constitution of the United States. The men who drew up that grand paper were mostly English; and they were influenced in very great degree by events in England in the few centuries preceding the establishment of the original thirteen colonies that were moulded into one government after the close of the Revolutionary War; and we trust it will be enlightening to our readers to give a brief summary of some of those early happenings in England:

There the religionists were very active in the affairs of State – so much so that they applied the most repressive and brutal measures against those who disagreed with them. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth – often designated Good Queen Bess because of the good features of her government by those who agreed with her. Her government had its terribly wicked features also. In 1575 two Baptists were burned at the stake, and another in 1579 – with the concurrence of both the civil and the religious leaders in the government. Then from 1579 to 1600 the Anglican Church through Elizabeth furthered the Royal Supremacy idea, which may be summed up briefly in the conclusion that “The King Can Do No Wrong.” This was accomplished over the protests of the Puritans, Bap­tists and Congregationalists, and made the Church of England the servile supporter of the tyrannous government. This action fostered the Divine right of kings, clergy and aristocracy; and made conditions so unbearable for those who dissented that it was di­rectly responsible for the Puritans embarking for New England and their historic land­ing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. This was some 155 years before the beginning of the Revolutionary War. During Elizabeth’s reign many ‘nonconformists’ were imprisoned and hanged. And at that time those that were hanged were probably much better off than those in prison, because the authorities made no attempt to feed or clothe the prisoner. Thus, they were reliant upon friends to relieve them, and many of them partially starved, and were otherwise physically neglected to the permanent injury of their health, etc. And during all of this there was determined effort to combine church and state.

The conflict raged intently – so much so that the Archbishop, head of the Anglican church, prevailed upon Queen Elizabeth to forbid Parliament to pass certain laws that were contemplated, and which the majority favored. She also persuaded the House of Lords to issue a severe rebuke to the House of Commons for even considering any curtailment of the Queen’s powers. Thereupon they passed new measures which forced the Puritan ministers to vow loyalty to the Episcopate, the Prayer Book and the 39 Articles, or they would find themselves out of a job. But those advocating separ­ation of church and state (The Separatists) renewed their attack with vigor, for which six of them were hanged, many imprisoned (of whom 26 died from prison severities), and hundreds exiled to Holland, whence many of them eventually came to New England.

Then from 1616 to 1646 others became involved in the fight over the Divine right of kings and clergy, which resulted in four of their leaders having their ears cut off and their noses slit because of their opposition to autocracy in state and church. James I succeeded Elizabeth and approved of her policies in tyrannous manner, but his rule was short-lived. In 1625 he was followed by his son Charles I. The son had mar­ried Henrietta, daughter of the French king, and a very bigoted and autocratic Roman­ist. She prodded him to be a ‘real king’ – like her father, which he tried to do, and which resulted in increased tyranny, gross hypocrisy and dishonesty with parliament and the people. He prevailed upon the Anglican hierarchy and clergy to preach the Divine right of kings and clergy. He also dissolved parliament for refusing to sanction his illegalities; he imprisoned four leading members of parliament in the Tower of London, and proceeded to rule eleven years without parliament.

The Anglican church leaders vigorously joined hands with the King in most auto­cratic fashion, and developed a counterfeit of the 70 ‘secondarily’ prophets in the archbishops and bishops. This, of course, was merely an attempted take-off of the Jewish Sanhedrin (theoretically composed of 70—Num. 11:24,25), and the Roman College of Cardinals (also theoretically composed of 70). In all of this the most corrupt political play was used in England especially, which left a lasting impression upon many of the English people. Also, at substantially the same time (1618-1648) Romanist Austria and Spain combined to pursue the Thirty Years’ War against various Protestant countries, in which the English King gave the Romanists moral support. He also allowed many privileges to Romanists in England, which had been taken from them under Elizabeth. In addition, the bigoted Queen Henrietta had her finger in the ointment of instigating the Irish massacres, in which Ulster alone 154,000 were massacred or exiled. She also absconded from England with the royal jewels, the proceeds of which she used to hire Romanist soldiers to invade England in an effort to help her husband against the parlia­ment’s army.

From 1646 to 1660 the Congregationalists gained much power in England under the able leadership of Oliver Cromwell, who was one of England’s greatest – as warrior, statesman and ruler – although he too at times violated features of England’s constitu­tion and laws. However, during his time the Presbyterians succeeded in establishing their teachings as the state religion, substituting the Westminster Confession for the Anglican Church’s 39 Articles. They authorized a law to put to death deniers of the Trinity, Christ’s Divinity, the resurrection of the body and free-will asserters; also to imprison deniers of Presbyterianism. Here again the church was playing politics to the extreme, arousing the opposition of Cromwell, who foiled much of their effort by the use of his army. The Congregationalists then tried Charles I for tyranny, and had him beheaded.

After Oliver Cromwell’s death his son Richard succeeded him as Protector of the English Commonwealth, as the English Government and nation were called under Oliver Cromwell; but the son bore no resemblance to his illustrious father as a statesman or executive. His weakness soon opened the way for friends of Charles II (son of Charles I) to return to England and receive the crown. However, his character was one of the most depraved of English kings. He had 16 known mistresses, many of whom he ennobled and loaded with costly favors at the expense of the state; had at least 13 bastard children, most of whom he ennobled, as he neglected and mistreated his legiti­mate wife. Most of his youth and early manhood (he was 30 upon his return to England) he spent in profligacy in France; and upon his accession to the throne headed the most unchaste, blasphemous and frivolous court ever to reign in England, which in turn de­filed many of the nobility and other higher classes in England.

To gain the throne of Scotland this renegade professed Presbyterianism; and to gain England’s throne he professed Anglicanism; whereas, secretly he favored Roman­ism, harboring special enmity toward all Puritans – Presbyterian, Congregational, Baptist and Quaker. Immediately he gained England’s throne he ordered the trial and execution of all those concerned with his father’s death, allowing them no defense, of whom he hanged fourteen, who were drawn (their vital organs torn out and burned in their sight), and quartered (their yet living bodies cut into four quarters), Charles II himself watch­ing the scene – much the same as Nero watched the Christians being fed to the lions. He also cut off all Puritans from public office.

Then in 1662 he caused the Act of Uniformity to be passed, whereby non-con­form­ing ministers to his type of religion were to the number of over 2,000 driven from their pulpits and parsonages, and were forbidden to be teachers, even of secular subjects, which reduced them to abject poverty. Following this he passed the Conventicle Act, whereby assemblies of five or more were forbidden, unless the Anglican Common Prayer were used. This not being enough, he added the Five Miles Act, which forbade Puritan ministers to come within five miles of a church in which they formerly preached. These two Acts brought prison sentences to some of England’s best men and some true saints, one of whom was John Bunyan, held in prison for a period of twelve years, during which time he wrote his memorable Pilgrim’s Progress. George Fox, founder of the Quaker Church received similar treatment, and he was specially singled out along with his sup­porters, so that 12,000 of them were placed in durance vile within a few years. All of these were released in 1672 through the Declaration of Indulgence.

Secretly he entered into The Treaty of Dover with the French Louis XIV, for which he received an annual pension from France of 3,000,000 francs, with the understanding that he would deliver England to Romanism as soon as conditions developed sufficiently to permit it. The various moves he made were designed to be primarily politically and religiously favorable to Romanism. His abominable perfidy extended over a period of about ten years. By 1673, however, enough Englishmen saw through his Romanist schemes to stir up counteractive measures; and within five years they were successful in passing a measure, which disqualified all Romanists, except the Duke of York (brother of Charles 11) from sitting in parliament – a law that debarred all Romanists from member­ship in either house for 150 years. During the years that drove many Englishmen to American shores it seems England repeatedly went from one extreme to the other; and the present instance was no exception. At the instigation of Lord Shaftesbury a bill was worked through parliament that disqualified all Romanists from sitting in either sec­tion of parliament, which then resulted in the trial and execution of many prominent innocent Romanists – just the reverse of what the Romanists and others had often done to Puritan Protestants.

Following this the new parliament passed the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679, one of the three great liberty Acts of England; but this aroused Charles II so much that he dis­solved parliament in 1679, again in 1681, and from 1682 he ruled as an absolute monarch. During this time he accomplished the execution of five innocent nobles on the false charge that they had plotted his death.

At his death in 1685 he was succeeded to the throne by his brother James II, who was a most arbitrary, stubborn and unreasonable ruler and a zealous Romanist; but his deter­mination to make Romanism the state religion worked in reverse. The liberty-loving Eng­lish brought about the “Glorious Revolution,” by which civil and religious liberty for Protestants, and the repression of Romanism, became dominant British policy. But be­fore that was accomplished he arranged a rigged court under the supervision of the in­famous Chief Justice Jeffries, who sentenced 300 of the King’s enemies to be hanged –many of them on the flimsiest of charges. He then commissioned Col. Kirke to execute without trial any one against whom suspicion was raised; and, in offering rewards for such information, he caused hundreds of innocent persons to be hanged. His rule became so unbearable that a party of Englishmen invited William of Orange, ruler of Holland, to bring an army to England to unseat the king, which he eventually accomp­lished, caus­ing James to flee to France, whereupon England installed William to operate the govern­ment.

Much more could be related similar to the foregoing, but we simply remark here that more or less unbearable conditions continued in England, and against the American Colo­nies, which led the latter to rebel and cut all ties with the mother country. We have gone into considerable detail to acquaint our readers with the underlying causes for framing our Constitution as it is, and for the establishment of a Republic here in Amer­ica. Theoretically, our Constitution was the finest paper ever conceived in the estab­lishment of any nation up to that time. The incidents set out aforegoing were then very fresh in the minds of those who signed the Declaration of Independence and who framed the Constitution, which determined them to have freedom of speech, freedom of re­ligion, and rigid separation of church and state. For that time, the paper was undoubt­edly the best that could be seen, and was perfected from the noblest and most honorable sentiments; but they could not foresee radio, television, jet transportation, etc., which things have called for some wide changes in our government, with 25 Amendments to the Constitution already being attached to it. And it is tragedy indeed to have the po­litical mess now prevalent in American politics. How fitting are the words of St. Paul for this our day: “They all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.” (Heb. 1:11-12)

IN RELIGION

Erosion from within and without in our various religious sects is keeping pace with the political decay. This is what one writer has to say about it:

“Priests and preachers may not become Communists, but it is estimated that some­thing like 30,000 Communists have become priests and preachers and are ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ inside the organized church.”

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE – A news item: “It has apparently been kept a well-guarded secret, but Christian Science, founded by the late faith healer Mary Baker Eddy, may be rapidly disappearing. In San Francisco, for example, this column has discovered that during only the past seven years, the Sixth, the Tenth and the Twelfth Churches of Christ Scientist have all become defunct and their buildings sold... In Malden, Mass., at the First Church of Christ Scientist there were only three people that looked younger than 60 or 70 – the virile and hirsute young soloist and two admiring young fe­males. The total attendance at this main Sunday morning service was 35 – in an attrac­tive Gothic church founded by Mrs. Eddy herself and built to seat at least ten times that number.”

ROMANISM – Another news item: “The Vatican has another Martin Luther on its hands, and doesn’t quite know how to handle him. His name is Hans Kung. Like Luther, who launched the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Kung is a stocky, stolid, stubborn Catholic priest who teaches theology at a German University... He is profoundly dissatisfied with the present state of the Roman Catholic Church... He does not wish to leave the Church, which he loves. He wishes only to reform it, to make it more like what he believes its founder intended it to be... He is no more willing than Luther was to compromise, or recant opinions which the Vatican regards as highly heretical.... To many observers, it seems the question of what the Vatican will do about Fr. Kung has ceased to be ‘what?’ and has become ‘when.’“

Maybe Communism is at the bottom of the following, although we do not state it as a fact: “We could say Florida has been lucky because we have been able to note the mode of operation of Cesar Chavez in California several years before he officially came to Florida in August of 1971. His mode of operation in Florida has been similar to that of California. He has been active in getting church and college ‘support groups’ going in Florida. These groups develop the youngsters who do the picketing at stores in relation to the boycott and also in the fields where Chavez is attempting to organize workers. The two principal church groups associated with Chavez in California were, and still are, the Roman Catholic Church and the California Christian Migrant Ministry. In Florida, it is the Florida Christian Migrant Ministry and the Roman Catholic Church.. The Roman Catholic Churches’ involvement in California directly and through the so-called ‘Bishops’ Committee is well known... The involvement of the church and other interested groups at organizing Florida’s agricultural workers is going to continue.”

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – Also in the news: “When Eugene Carson Blake left the helm of the United Presbyterian Church in 1966 to become head of the World Council of Churches, he and his church were in the middle of the principal move­ments of the decade. His proposal to unite Protestants into a big new church had attracted ten denominations with 25 million members, his prospering Presbyterians had just fashioned an up-to-date creed, and their ample, well-financed bureaucracy was in the forefront of the social crusades of the 60’s...

“Last week Blake’s successor as Stated Clerk (chief executive), Kansas Lawyer William P. Thompson, grimly told the denominations General Assembly in Omaha that mem­bership has fallen to 2,917,000 – about where it was 18 years ago. The most telling sign of the times is the budget. Presbyterians are giving more money than ever to their local churches, but they sent only $22.6 million to the national program last year, compared with $31.2 million in 1967. Some analysts figure that grassroots revul­sion over just one action by the national staff, a $10,000 church grant to Angela Davis’ defense fund, cost millions in revenue.

“The financial crunch is hitting hard at headquarters. The church is selling off its eleven-story Witherspoon building in Philadelphia and consolidating its offices in New York City as part of a top-to-bottom organization. The national staff, half as big as it was under Blake, is now being slashed in half again. It is the worst in years.”

GENERAL – There was government scandal in England during the past year; and mar­tial law has been necessary in Athens to quell general upheaval. Early last summer one publication carried this short item:

“The government in Chile is chaotic. Even the radical that was elected cannot satisfy the extreme radicals.” (Since that was written the Chilean government has been overthrown by a military coup.)

Then there is this concerning Australia: “Australia is as close to industrial anarchy as you can get... The problems with the maritime industry alone are like some­thing out of Gilbert and Sullivan... The frequent disputes and strikes make it almost impossible to do any long-range planning. I think the only reason the labor situation hasn’t scared away potential American investors here is because sitting back in the States they couldn’t possibly realize how ludicrous it is. At about the time the am­bulance drivers rejected their meat pies, Sydney’s 50 lifeguards pulled down their safety flags and walked off the beach; the fleet of ferries stopped running, leaving thousands of commuters stranded; high school students were planning a strike to pro­test ‘the barbaric system of corporal punishment’; garbage collectors were out; 760 jail wardens quit work without forewarning, leaving 2,850 inmates locked in their cells; the petroleum industry was crippled by a strike, etc.”

Surely “the great sea” of surging humanity is tossing to and fro in most irre­sponsible fashion in many places (“the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard” ­Isa. 24:20); and the recent suicide – or assassination – of Chile’s premier vividly brings to mind the report that not one of the leaders in the various movements of the French Revolution lived through that upheaval. Some advocates of change are too radi­cal, and some not radical enough – with none of the leaders able to please a major sec­tion of the populace. Thus, we would counsel our readers to consider in silence the uproar that is so apparent on every hand. Here we are reminded of the expression, “The Word of God, like no other instrument at our disposal, supplies man with the knowl­edge of his ignorance.” Also, “He who thinks right and acts accordingly is usually out of harmony with the world.”

For all of our readers we pray the Lord’s richest blessing throughout the year 1974; and we are persuaded such will be ours if we follow the counsel, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” (Isa. 30:15) We wish to thank our brethren for the confidence they have expressed, and for the loving zeal they have manifested in their efforts to “bear witness to the truth.” Also, we are grateful for the Holiday greetings that have come to us, and we heartily reciprocate their good wishes, love and prayers. “The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men... to the end that He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holi­ness before God.” (1 Thes. 3:13)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings to you and all in the name of our High Priest!

Due to my physical infirmities I have failed to write you. I am going up in numbers (years) – nevertheless God blesses me. To live to see and hold to this Epiphany Truth, is a wonder in itself! Some weeks past I saw Brother ------- and his wife. I hope the Bible House family keeps well, and that you don’t have too much worry in their being sick.

We think of you as one of God’s servants, because of the Truth you uphold and teach. When our Lord left the City Palace to visit the Jews, the Grace of God could be seen by all who were “of the Truth” – that He was God’s Messenger. I never saw Brother Russell, but did see Brother Johnson – and I believe I will see you. Could you oblige me and send some more tracts for me to serve?

May the Lord God bless and keep you to do His will, that you may build up the brethren who will accept your advice and teaching. We of the Epiphany Truth want you to serve us.

Your brother by His Grace ------- (KINGSTON, JAMAICA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

I was glad to receive your card of the 21st – and I will be happy to receive your report of the Conventions, as your reports are quite reliable – truthful and un­biased, which we sure need in these Epiphany times – the Great “revealment” time in the history of the Gospel Age.

I am enclosing $--- as a little contribution and encouragement in your good work. Hope this finds all well at the Bible House. With much Christian love, I am

Your brother in Him ------- (MICHIGAN)