NO. 682: THE MILLENNIUM IS NEAR

No. 682

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

All Bible students recognize typical lessons in the Jewish institutions, but few, we believe, realize the full depths of this subject. The Jewish nation, from Abraham’s day to the first advent of our Lord Jesus, was used of God as a typical people to illustrate great spiritual truths and lessons. Not only did their sacrifices and sin offerings foreshadow or typify the better sacrifices which can and do actually take away sin, but all the features of their history were typical of matters pertaining to Spiritual Israel.

THE LAW WAS A “SHADOW OF GOOD THINGS TO COME”

(HEB. 10:1)

The great realities of God’s plan of salvation began at the first advent and have since been in progress. The things of previous times were at best shadows of these realities. Many of the glorious realities are still in the future and may be seen by faith through their shadows in the Jewish Law arrangement. For instance, in the jubilee type, we find the reality to be just at hand, whereas the type was instituted nearly 4,000 years ago. The Apostle, referring to these matters of the Law, declares that they “serve unto the example [copy] and shadow of heavenly things”– spiritual things. (Heb. 8:5) However strange it may appear to draw such a sharp line of distinction between the Jewish and Gospel Ages – between Israel after the flesh and Israel after the spirit – the clear discernment of this is absolutely necessary to a proper understanding of the divine word.

DEVOTION AND CONSECRATION IN THE JEWISH AGE

God’s holy people of the period before the first advent were devoted, consecrated and acceptable in His sight but, living before the appointed time, could have no part in the special call of the Gospel Age. The Apostle speaks of our Lord Jesus as the captain or forerunner of His faithful followers in the narrow way which leads to the Kingdom of glory, honor and immortality – “by a new and living way” which He opened up for His followers by his sacrificial death. (Heb. 10:20)

It would be inconsistent with this thought to suppose that any preceded Him whom God set forth to be the captain and forerunner and exemplar. The Apostle, himself a Jew and writing about the faithfulness of the Ancient Worthies, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others, concludes his favorable comment on their faithfulness to God in these words, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us [Spiritual Israel, the Body of Christ], that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Heb. 11:39,40) This is very explicit testimony by one who, so far from having prejudices against the Jews, tells us of his devotion to their interests and that he would gladly sacrifice personal interests in favor of the nation as a whole.

The same Apostle, writing again, refers to Fleshly Israel as the House of Servants, in contrast with Spiritual Israel as the House of Sons – Sons of God (Rom. 8:14). He did not thus demean the faithful of the natural house, but honored them, for surely it is a great honor to be servants of the Most High God; but he did lay emphasis upon the fact that the Church of the Gospel Age is very highly favored, in that its faithful few are recognized of God as the House (or company) of Sons under the headship of the Lord Jesus.

The Apostle’s words are: “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ [was faithful] as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Heb. 3:5,6)

JESUS’ WORDS ON THE SUBJECT

Our Lord Jesus declared, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached…” (Luke 16:16) Our Lord speaks of John the Baptist, His forerunner, and points out that he belongs to the dispensation that was passing and not to the new dispensation, and that the humblest of His followers in the new dispensation would be greater than John the Baptist, because he belonged to the old one.

Our Lord’s words were: “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28) The thought is that the Gospel Age is for the development of the Church class, and that the faithful of the Lord’s consecrated in the Gospel Age are the Kingdom of God in embryo – the members and representatives of the Kingdom which shall be shortly introduced in power and great glory to bless the world.

Prophetic testimony marks the beginning and ending of Jewish favor. The history of Israel began with the death of Jacob, who was the last of the patriarchs, and who for his faith in God was surnamed Israel, which signifies a “prince of God.” The nation of Israel was otherwise called the Children of Israel. It was when Jacob was on his death bed that he called his family and blessed them, and there it is recorded for the first time, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel” (Gen. 49:28) – there their tribal and national existence began. They had tribulations in Egypt, in the wilderness and in the promised land; but in all of these God’s blessing was with them, their adversities were overruled for good, and they were still His peculiar people. Even when they finally went into captivity in Babylon, His favor was with them, and so they continued in His favor and under corrective chastisements until the close of their Age.

We know exactly when their Age terminated and the Gospel Age began. It was at the close of our Lord Jesus’ three and one-half years of ministry, when He offered Himself to them and was refused, except by a few, a remnant – as we read, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…” (John 1:11,12)

REJECTION OF THE SAVIOR

The exact turning point where divine favor passed from Fleshly Israel is noted in the Scriptures as taking place just five days before our Lord Jesus’ crucifixion. At that time He rode to the city of Jerusalem as their King on an ass, in fulfillment of the Prophet’s words, “…behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass…” (Zech. 9:9) It was foreknown of the Lord that He would be rejected, and is so stated by the Prophet; nevertheless, the full offer or opportunity was granted to the nation. When they received Him not, weeping over them, Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate… [Prophesying, our Lord added:] Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Luke 13:34,35)  After that time the Jews were as a nation cut off from divine favor as never previously. Their house was desolate of divine favor in every sense of the word, as they freely acknowledge.

The scriptures show most conclusively that: God’s favor will return again to the Hebrew people (Zech. 9:12, Isa. 40:1,2); He will save them from their present blindness (Rom. 11:26); He will bring them back to their own land (Isa 14:1, Jer. 23:8, Ezek. 34:13, Ezek. 36:24, Ezek. 37:14); and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the holy Prophets of Fleshly Israel, resurrected from death as perfect men, will become the earthly representatives of the spiritual unseen Kingdom – Christ and the Church “…ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God…” (Luke 13:28). “Instead of [being any longer considered] thy fathers [they] shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.” (Psa. 45:16). At that time, and under those influences, the true-hearted Hebrews will return to divine favor and to corresponding prominence in the world, and become channels of divine blessing for all people, as is so clearly intimated in their part of the Abrahamic promise.

GOD’S FAVOR TO RETURN

The scriptures demonstrate clearly that Israel’s period of rejection and blindness, without divine favor, is to be of the same duration as was their previous experiences under divine favor. We refer you to the chart representing the Plan of the Ages (Studies in the Scriptures, Volume I, frontispiece). Notice that from the death of Jacob until the death of Christ, the Bible chronology there set forth shows a period of 1,845 years. If we can find scriptures to prove that Israel was to be without divine favor for a like period of time to that of their previous favor, we can very easily see when the promised return of favor would be due; for 1,845 years from the death of Jacob to the death of Christ, ended A.D. 33, and 1,845 years since A.D. 33 ended A. D. 1878. We should not, however, expect that in 1878 God’s favor would instantly be manifested, because, when we look back to the time when their “house” was left desolate (Matt. 23:38), we find that there was a period of 37 years in which they, as a nation, were falling – from A.D. 33 to A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by Titus and his army. After that the Jewish people were scattered, troubled and without divine favor.

What we should expect to see then, would be a correspondingly gradual dawning of favor beginning in 1878. As adversity began to come upon them in A.D. 33, blessings should begin to come upon them in A.D. 1878, and in that very year the Berlin Congress of Nations was held, led by Lord Beaconsfield, the representative of the British government, and by birth a Jew. There was fulfilled the words of the Prophet: “…ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech.8:23)

GROWTH OF ZIONIST MOVEMENT

The ambassadors of the great powers went along with Lord Beaconsfield and adopted the policy which he favored. Under the arrangements of that conference, Egypt and Palestine were put under the protection of Great Britain, as other Turkish states were put under the protection of other powers. From that day onward, Israel’s star of hope began to rise little by little. The Jews were granted liberties and advantages in Palestine such as they had not enjoyed previously for 18 centuries. Although these liberties were very limited and great persecutions arose against them in various countries, all these experiences were favorable to them as a people, since they led to an awakening of a fresh zeal for God, for His promises, and for the Holy Land. The divine favors and blessings promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the holy Prophets will soon have complete fulfillment under the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

Based on the prophecies, Pastor Russell began presenting these views in print in the 1870’s, before the Berlin conference, and 20 years before the birth of the Zionist movement, formally established in 1897 by Theodore Herzl when he published his book Der Judenstaat –“The State of The Jews.” He proclaimed the movement precisely as we know it today. Up until his death in 1916, he continued to note the accumulating evidences of the fulfillment of these prophecies, even though they were happening so gradually that the world in general did not realize what was taking place. Exactly as he predicted, the doors of Palestine were eventually thrown open for the general reception of the Jews, and people and money were not lacking to cause what was then a wilderness to blossom as the rose.

We now examine the prophecies which tell us the length of Israel’s disfavor and point us to the exact time it began and ended.

PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH

Jeremiah was one of the most prominent of Israel’s Prophets. He foretold Israel’s captivity in Babylon and the 70 years desolation of the land, after which the people would be brought back by divine favor. But the prophecy we now cite refers to a still more serious captivity. It reads: “Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods [rulers] day and night; where I will not shew you favour.” (Jer.16:13) These days of disfavor commenced with their rejection of Messiah, and the predictions have been most thoroughly fulfilled during the succeeding 18 centuries, as the whole world has witnessed.

The prophecy could not have referred to the Babylonian captivity, the only other one they have had since Jeremiah’s day. We are sure of this because of the words of the Prophet – “into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers.” Abraham and his family came from Babylonia, hence that land could not have been referred to. Besides, God did show Israel favor in Babylon. But, as we have just seen, for more than 18 centuries Israel was scattered among all the nations of the earth, without any marks of divine favor.

Jehovah, through the Prophet, next proceeds to explain how he will re-gather Israel in due time (verses 14-15): “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north [Russia, where more than one-half of the Jews resided], and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them into their own land that I gave unto their fathers.” We then notice a succeeding verse in the same prophecy: “And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double…” (Jer. 15:18)

The Hebrew word rendered “double” is “mishneh,” which signifies a second portion, a repetition. Thus understood, the Prophet’s declaration is, that from the time of their being cast off from favor, until their time of return to favor, would be a repetition or duplication in time of their previous history during which they enjoyed divine favor. This matter is illustrated by the chart. There we see the period of favor from the death of Jacob to the death of Jesus, 1,845 years long, and there we see, in the other column, the period of disfavor of equal length beginning at the death of Jesus and terminating in 1878. We remember, however, that the disfavor came on gradually for 37 years, and we perceive that the favor returned gradually during a similar period of 37 years, which ended in the year 1914, when the Times of the Gentiles ended. (Luke 21:24) (See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume II, Study IV.)

How clear and explicit is the testimony, that He will render unto Israel mishneh, a repetition, in “a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers,” where He will show them no favor. We are glad for them that the better day is dawning – that gradually their blessings are taking the place of the curses which they drew upon themselves, saying: “His blood be on us, and on our children.” (Matt. 27:25)

PROPHECY OF ZECHARIAH

Zechariah (9:12) refers to this same matter from a different standpoint using precisely the same word, “mishneh.” Jeremiah took a standpoint previous to this scattering of Israel, and foretold it as a future matter. Zechariah took his standpoint in the future, and in prophetic vision saw Jesus riding upon the ass to Jerusalem; and standing, as it were, by his side, the Prophet cries, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion: shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass…” (Zech. 9:9)

Note the precise fulfillment of these words. Every item was fulfilled, even to the shouting; and when the people shouted Hosanna, the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke them, but He refused, saying, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Matt. 21:4-9; John 12:12-15; Luke 19:35-40) Why? Because it had been prophesied that there would be a shout, and every item of prophecy must be fulfilled. This particularity of detail in prophetic fulfillment gives us confidence in this and other statements of the prophecies.

The Prophet proceeds to note the evil consequences to follow the rejection of Messiah. Speaking for Jehovah, he addressed Israel thus: “Turn you to the stronghold [Christ], ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double (mishneh) unto thee.” (Zech. 9:12) How distinct is this statement respecting Israel’s double, pointing us to the very day at which the turning point came in their history – “even today,” the turning point of their national career.

The same thing was taught in the symbol of the Passover; it must be eaten at the full of the moon, the moon being symbolic of the law dispensation as the sun is the symbol of the gospel dispensation. The full of the moon signified the time when their highest attainment had been reached and where the waning began.

PROPHECY OF ISAIAH

It is written that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. We have already heard two. Let us hear the third, Isaiah –another of the holy Prophets whose prophecies have been time and again distinctly fulfilled. He, too, was given a message respecting Israel’s double, but his standpoint is at the fulfillment of the double. He says, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably [comfortingly] to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.” (Isa. 40:1,2)

Isaiah’s word, translated double, is “kephel,” which signifies double in the sense of a thing having been folded in the middle. It is in full agreement and confirmation of what we have already seen. How wonderful that God has thus particularly stated, and yet, as the Scriptures declare, has “hidden” these things in His word, so that many of the wise and prudent have overlooked them. They only began to be seen in Pastor Russell’s time because it was the time of their fulfillment, and hence the due time for them to be understood.

What more could we ask on the subject? How conclusively all this demonstrates that Israel’s period of disfavor would be of equal length with the preceding period of favor, and how simple is the demonstration that this double has already been completed.

APOSTLE PAUL’S ARGUMENT

Our hearts rejoice in these testimonies from the Lord’s word respecting Fleshly Israel’s favor, but as Christians we have another and more personal interest in these figures. We are interested in the Jew, but we are also interested in the Church of Christ, Spiritual Israel, selected during the Gospel Age. These measurements thus fixed by the Lord through the Prophets upon the affairs of Fleshly Israel serve also to measure certain great and important matters in the affairs of Spiritual Israel.

In the Apostle Paul’s dissertation on the affairs of Fleshly and Spiritual Israel in Romans chapters 9,10,11, he points out the rejection of Christ by the Jewish people, and their own consequent rejection by God, and the blindness and stumbling consequent to that rejection. He quotes from the prophecies to show that the entire matter was foreknown to God, and foretold. He then asks, “Hath God cast away his people?” He answers, “God forbid...God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” (Rom. 11:1,2) He then proceeds to prove that the Old Testament scriptures everywhere agree that future favor is to come to Israel, and that the future blessing of Israel is to be the precursor to a future blessing of all the families of the earth: “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles...” “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Rom. 11:11,15)

Paul’s argument becomes especially interesting and forceful in the 25th verse: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” This is a plain statement by the Apostle respecting Israel’s future and how it is to be brought about through the glorified Church: “Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.” (Rom. 11:31)

We have already seen that their blindness began when they rejected the Lord Jesus and crucified Him. We see that it continued for more than eighteen centuries, and we have seen through the testimony of three of the Prophets that this blindness would begin to be turned away, and a general blessing and restoration to divine favor would begin as soon as their double was fulfilled.

Keeping these thoughts before us, let us investigate the Apostle’s words, “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” This phrase signifies that Israel’s disfavor or blindness was to last until the full number of the Spiritual Israelites should be completed, whom God has gathered out of every nation, people and kindred. It signifies that by 1914, the time at which Fleshly Israel’s return to favor was complete, all the special spiritual favors held forth to Spiritual Israel during the Gospel Age were completely at an end. They ended as completely as did the earthly favors which Fleshly Israel enjoyed, which ended at the time when the spiritual favors to the Church began.

This is a momentous question for the Lord’s people. To some it may bring a measure of fear to think that the time of special favor and opportunity has ended; but to others, who are living close to the Lord, it will bring a measure of rejoicing, even as the Master instructed, saying, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28) A part of our object in calling attention to these matters is that some of the Lord’s faithful people in all denominations, who have not heretofore been aroused to an interest in His word, and to an investigation of these important and grand subjects, may become enthused, quickened, refreshed, revived in their spiritual health and energy and service.

TWO SEEDS OF ABRAHAM

God used the natural Israelite, his Law and Covenant and Age, as types of the spiritual, higher, more glorious things which He has bestowed on the Church as the House of Sons, in contrast with the noble ones of the past who were honored in being of the House of Servants, the Ancient Worthies. The Law was a shadow of good things to come – every feature of it was typical of higher things. The earthly people, Fleshly Israel, had earthly promises, but the anti-typical people, Spiritual Israel, have heavenly promises.

Throughout the entire Old Testament there is not a suggestion of spiritual or heavenly conditions as being the hope set forth. Good Father Abraham was encouraged not with heavenly promises but earthly ones when the Lord said to him, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.” (Gen. 13:14,15)

No such earthly promises were made to the spiritual house, but instead “…exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature...” (2 Pet. 1:4) These two seeds of Abraham were distinctly differentiated in one of the promises made to him, although he probably did not comprehend the matter fully. The Lord God said to him: “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.” (Gen. 22:17) The stars of heaven fitly symbolize the spiritual House of Sons, the real seed of Abraham in the highest sense of the word – the Christ. Jesus is this special seed of Abraham, and the faithful of the Gospel Age Church are to be his associates in the spiritual part of the promises, as the Apostle says, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29)

But if the Church inherits the heavenly part of the promises, it still leaves the earthly part to be fulfilled. The Ancient Worthies are to have the most prominent place in the world as the representative of the spiritual Kingdom when the Millennial dispensation begins. To them will naturally gather all the true ones of Israel according to the flesh; and to these in turn will gradually gather all the true-hearted of the whole world, all of whom by faith and obedience may be privileged to become the children of Abraham, “a father of many nations.” (Gen. 17:4; Rom. 4:17)

Note the harmony as well as the differences between these two dispensations – the law and the gospel, Fleshly Israel’s period of favor, and Spiritual Israel’s period of favor, the fleshly house and the spiritual house, the House of Servants and the House of Sons.

The House of Servants was established in Jacob, who was surnamed Israel, a prince with God: the House of Sons was established by our Lord Jesus, and in the scriptures is designated the true “Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16) The House of Servants was founded in the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel): the House of Sons was founded in the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The House of Servants had a mediator of a Law Covenant and a Tabernacle made with hands: the House of Sons has a better mediator of a New Covenant and a Tabernacle not made with hands. The House of Servants had a priesthood, with chief priest, under priests, and a Levitical order whose chief business was to “offer both gifts and sacrifices” (Heb. 9:9) under the Law. The House of Sons also has a priesthood – “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood…” (1 Pet. 2:9) In this Royal Priesthood is first our Lord Jesus, the high priest, and, associated with him the Church, his body, the Household of Faith, whose chief business of life is to offer up both gifts and sacrifices.

The House of Servants had the blood of bulls and goats for sin offerings and atonement, which as types were very expressive, but which could never take away sin. (Heb. 10:4) The House of Sons, as a Royal Priesthood, has more effective sacrifices, or, as the Apostle declares, “better sacrifices” than those – which do, forever, purge us from the consciousness of sin, and fully and completely effect our reconciliation to the Father. (Heb. 9:23) The House of Servants had its capitol in earthly Jerusalem: the House of Sons has its capitol in the New Jerusalem. The House of Servants had a captivity in Babylon from which only a very few returned, because of lack of faith in God. The House of Sons had a period of captivity in mystic Babylon from which only a comparatively few returned to earnestly seek the old paths. The House of Servants had divine favor of an earthly kind for 1,845 years, ending with a great trial and testing in connection with the first advent of our Lord Jesus. The House of Sons passed a similar period of 1,845 years, into a period of trial and testing in connection with the second advent of our Lord and the establishment of His Kingdom. How could these parallels be more striking than they are?

HARVEST THE END OF THE AGE

The close of the favor to the House of Servants was called a “harvest” time, and in it the “wheat” was gathered out and the “chaff” renounced. The period of favor to the House of Sons also closes with a “harvest” time, of which the Lord prophetically told us would mean a separation of the “wheat” from the “tares” and the gathering of the “wheat” into the “garner” of the new nature, and the rejection of the tares. (Isa. 5:24; Matt. 13:30)

Do not these things impress us as being very remarkable? Could they be accidental? Do we not as Christians believe most thoroughly that our heavenly Father’s guidance directs the affairs of his people in this Gospel Age as fully as during the preceding typical age? The lesson coming to us then is that the harvest time of this Age has come, and this may well account to us for the wonderful light and knowledge and truth shining upon the pathway of the Lord’s faithful ones, the object of which is not to satisfy curiosity merely, but to ripen our characters, and to thus fit and prepare us for the glorious Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

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(This article is based on a sermon given by Pastor Russell in 1904 and printed in Harvest Gleanings, Volume 3. It has been edited to fit the space and to update certain language.)

PASTOR RUSSELL’S THOUGHTS ON THOSE CONSECRATING BETWEEN THE AGES

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

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

(Pastor Russell Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915)

NO. 681: THE ABIDING PRESENCE

No. 681

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col. 3:16,17)

Things familiar to us on the natural plane often symbolically illustrate many of the deep things of God – the spiritual things. Thus, for instance, the resurrection, both natural and spiritual, finds an illustration in the processes of vegetation (1 Cor. 15:35-38); and the processes of the beginning, development and final perfecting of the spiritual sons of God find a remarkable illustration in the begetting, quickening and birth of the natural man. (James 1:18; Eph. 2:1; John 3:3)

When we read these symbols or illustrations of spiritual things, we cannot abandon and dishonor our God-given reason by accepting palpable absurdities as their interpretation. By doing so, we would deceive ourselves. Our Lord taught his disciples in parables and dark symbolic sayings, expecting them to use their common sense in either interpreting them themselves, or in judging of the correctness of any interpretation offered by others. And when, on one occasion, the disciples asked for the interpretation of a parable instead of using their own reasoning powers to draw from it the implied lesson, Jesus reprovingly replied, “How then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13)

He would have us think, consider and put our God-given mental faculties to their legitimate use.

“CHRIST IN YOU”

Consider the Apostle’s meaning when he speaks of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) He uses the same figure again in his letter to the Galatians (Gal. 4:19), saying, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” Here the Apostle likens his care and labor for those who had been begotten by the Truth to the new nature, to the physical endurance of a mother in nourishing and sustaining the germ of human life until the new human creature is formed and able to appropriate for itself the life-sustaining elements of nature. So the Apostle sought to nourish and sustain those germs of spiritual being with his own spiritual life until, apart from his personal work and influence, they would be able to appropriate for themselves the God-given elements of spiritual life contained in the Word of Truth; until the Christ-character should be definitely formed in them.

In no other reasonable sense could the Apostle “birth” those Galatian Christians; and in no other reasonable sense could Christ be formed in them, or in us. The thought is that every true child of God must have a definite individual Christian character which is not dependent for its existence upon the spiritual life of any other Christian. He must from the Word of Truth, proclaimed and exemplified by other Christians, draw those principles of life, etc., which give him an established character, a spiritual individuality of his own. So positive and definite should be the spiritual individuality of every one, that, should even the beloved brother or sister whose spiritual life first nourished ours and brought us forward to completeness of character fall away (which the Apostle shows is not impossible – Heb. 6:4-6; Gal. 1:8), we would still live, being able to appropriate for ourselves the spirit of Truth.

PAUL’S FEAR

Paul feared, with good reason, that the Galatian Christians had not yet come to this condition of established character – that the Christ-life was not yet definitely formed in them. He said, “I am afraid of you [I fear for you], lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Gal. 4:11); for already they were giving heed to seducing teachers and departing from the faith, showing that they were not established in the Truth, and consequently not established in the spirit of the Truth, which is the spirit of Christ, and, hence, that Christ was not yet formed in them.

Alas, how often we see among those who bear the name of Christ, that they have not yet reached that degree of development which manifests a distinct spiritual individuality! They depend largely upon the spiritual life of others, and if the others’ spiritual life declines these dependent ones suffer a similar decline; if the others go into error, these follow, as did many of those Galatian Christians to whom Paul wrote.

How is it with us? Let us apply the question to ourselves. Is the Christian character formed in us so fully that none of these things can move us or affect our spiritual life, even though they may grieve us at heart?

THE CLOAK OF MYSTERY AND SUPERSTITION

The great Adversary of the Truth and the Church has thrown a cloak of mystery and superstition around the Apostle’s words by implying that, in some secret way known only to the initiated, Christ personally comes to the consecrated and uses them simply as machines, which become almost infallible because Christ is using them. Those so possessed are considered to be merely passive agents who speak, think, act, and interpret the Scriptures for Christ. 

With this idea they generally go further, and claim that Christ personally talks with them and teaches them independently of his Word; and some go so far as to claim that they have visions and special revelations from the Lord. Some speak of this presence as Christ; some as the Holy Spirit; and some speak of them interchangeably.

While there is a semblance of truth in all this, and while we remember that Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them...shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him...and we will come unto him and make our abode with him” (John 14:21,23), it is true that a more serious error could scarcely be entertained than this idea of personal infallibility because of the supposed mysterious presence of another being within.

Notice that this promise of the abiding presence of the Father and the Son is to those who have and keep the commandments of the Lord Jesus. Those who ignore the Word of the Lord and have not his commandments but who follow their own imaginations and all the changing states of their own feelings (mistaking them for the voice of the Lord) are quite mistaken in claiming this promise. Under their delusion they are following another spirit than the spirit of Truth; and unless recovered from the snare they must inevitably plunge deeper and deeper into superstition and error.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

If it is true that God talks with them and answers their questions not through his written Word, the Bible, but through mental inspiration, or by dreams, or by audible sound, then the Bible is to them a useless book, and time spent in its study is time wasted. Who would “search the scriptures” as searching for hidden treasures, as the Lord directed and as all the Apostles searched, if they could merely shut their eyes, or kneel, and have God make a special revelation to them? Certainly any sensible person would prefer a special revelation on a subject, rather than to spend days and months and years examining and comparing the words of our Lord and the Apostles with those of the Prophets and the Book of Revelation (“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ…did signify” – 1 Pet. 1:11), if they could ask and have an inspired and infallible answer in a moment.

None of God’s consecrated ones should be thus misled of the Adversary. It is the stepping-stone to pride and every evil work: to pride, because those who are thus deceived soon feel themselves honored of God above the Apostles, who judged of the mind of the Lord as read in his Word and in his providential leadings in harmony with his Word (Acts 15:12-15); to every evil work, in that those thus puffed up fancy themselves infallible, and, separated from the anchor of Truth, the Bible. Satan can soon lead them rapidly into the outer darkness of the world, or into yet darker delusions.

But the testimony of the Scriptures is quite contrary to this vaunting spirit. Paul says, “Know ye not...that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” and then he exhorts that we examine ourselves whether we be in the faith, or whether we have rejected the faith and thus become reprobates – no longer acceptable to God. (2 Cor. 13:5)

Every true child of God has respect to the commandments of God: he searches the Scriptures that he may know them, and is not left in ignorance of them; and, learning them, he endeavors to keep them, and the abiding presence of the Father and the Son is with all such so long as they continue to hold and to keep (obey) his commandments – to hold the Truth in righteousness.

THE PRICE OF TRUTH

To have the Truth and to keep it is not merely to accept it on the recommendation of some friend, because it gives some comfort and costs nothing, and to hold it until some other presumed friend dazzles the unsettled mind with some fanciful theory. The promise of the abiding presence of the Father and the Son is not to such. Christ is not in them; Christ is in the humble and sincere ones. He and the Father love and abide with them.

But how? To illustrate: a friend accompanies another to a railway station saying, as he is about to board the train, “Remember, I will be with you all the way.” He means that his thoughts will be with his friend and that he will be concerned for his welfare, etc. In a similar, and yet in a fuller and broader sense, the Lord is ever present with his people. He is always thinking of us, looking out for our interests, guarding us in danger, providing for us in temporal and spiritual things, reading our hearts, marking every impulse of loving devotion to him, shaping the influences around us for our discipline and refining, and hearkening to our faintest call for aid or sympathy or fellowship with him. He is never for a moment off guard, whether we call to him in the busy noon hours or in the silent watches of the night. And not only is the Lord Jesus thus present, but the Father also.

How blessed the realization of such abiding faithfulness! And no real child of God is devoid of this evidence of his adoption. Sometimes it is more manifest than at others; as, for instance, when some special trial of faith or patience or endurance necessitates the special call for special help, and forthwith comes the grace sufficient with a precious realization of its loving source.

Every true child of God has these precious evidences of sonship, and the roughest places in his pathway are so illuminated with divine grace that they become the brightest, and memory continues to refer to them with thankfulness; and faith and hope and love grow strong and inspiring.

Our Lord always links the progress and development of our spiritual life with our receiving and obeying the Truth. Every child of God should beware of any teaching which claims to be in advance of the Word, or claims Christ or the Holy Spirit speaks to such advanced Christians independently of the Word. The snare is a most dangerous one. It cultivates spiritual pride and boastfulness, and renders powerless the warnings and expostulations of the sacred Scriptures because those so deluded think they have a higher teacher dwelling in them. Satan, taking advantage of the delusion, can lead them captive at his will.

These symbolic expressions of the Scriptures must be interpreted as symbols, and to force any unreasonable interpretation upon them manifests a culpable willfulness in disregarding the divinely appointed laws of our mind, and the result is self-deception. When we read, “He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John. 4:16), the only reasonable interpretation is that we dwell in the love and favor, and in the spirit or disposition of God; and that his spirit or disposition dwells in us. Thus God, by his indwelling spirit, works in us to will and to do his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)

Let us endeavor to have more and more of the mind, the Spirit of God, to have his Word abide in us richly (John 15:7; Col. 3:16) – to have and to keep his commandments, that the abiding presence of the Father and the Son may be with us. How careful then should we be in seeking both to know and to do the will of God, having no theories or works of our own whereof to boast.

(The above was adapted from Pastor Russell Reprint 3250.)

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SEVEN AXIOMS FOR BIBLE STUDY

Many Christians take symbols, parables and types literally, but they are not literal statements. There are many texts in the Bible that are literal, however. Our Bibles are only the translation of God’s inspired Word – the real Bible. We believe that most of our translators were sincere in their efforts. But all of them were prejudiced because of their belief as to how it should be translated.

The Emphasized translation by Dr. Rotherham is one of the best. The King James Version is one of the most beautiful, although it contains many mistakes. Most all of the translations contain some of God’s inspired Word – enough that we will find God has a Plan of Salvation for all mankind, as pointed out in Eph. 3:11. The Diaglott translation of this verse renders the text “Plan of the Ages,” while the King James translation renders it “eternal purpose.”

When a text does not harmonize with God’s character of Wisdom, Love, Justice and Power, it is either misinterpreted, or spurious. The mistakes are not inspired. Only God’s Word is inspired.

There are seven axioms we should follow in Bible study: (1) A doctrine must harmonize with itself; (2) With all Truth; (3) With all Scriptural doctrine; (4) With God’s character; (5) With the Ransom; (6) With facts; (7) With the purposes of God.

There is much confusion on the interpretation of the Bible. God is not the Author of confusion – man is. He is a God of Truth and harmony. We are thankful for these texts: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:3-6) These texts are literal. God is faithful that promised. (Heb. 10:23)

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LOVE NOT THE WORLD

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

The term “world” in this text refers neither to the human race or the planet on which we live. The thought of the text seems to refer more particularly to the present order of things, for the Greek word here translated world is kosmos, signifying arrangement. We are to appreciate the beauties of nature. We are to love the human family, whom God also loves, though not in the sense in which He loves the Church of Christ. We read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

St. John cannot therefore be understood to refer to the world of mankind, when he says, “Love not the world.” We should have sympathy for mankind similar to that which the Heavenly Father has for the fallen race. The Scriptures inform us that the present order, or arrangement, of things on earth is entirely out of harmony with God’s will, or purpose; for the world is ruled by selfishness. The Divine arrangement is that love shall be the rule among God’s creatures. “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God...” (1 John 4:16)

The world operates along lines different from those of love. Each one strives selfishly to heap together treasure for himself, even if meantime his neighbor goes destitute. Many live in luxury, while realizing that there are others who lack the necessities of life. Many seek for power to control men, not with the thought of their uplift, but with a view to using them for selfish ends and motives. This spirit of selfishness belongs to the present order of things. We see it in operation everywhere.

The spirit of the world lays hold of all the forces of nature and seeks to control these, to adapt them to its own selfish interests. It is true that much good has resulted indirectly from this spirit of selfishness. For instance, a man with a great amount of vainglorious spirit may benefit others for his own selfish purposes. A general might have so much pride in his service that in order to win praise for himself he would care for his soldiers and have them well dressed. Some of our great captains of industry have done the world good service, and incidentally have blessed many, while carrying out their own designs.

SELFISHNESS THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD

If all of the great worldly enterprises were undertaken with a view to the betterment of mankind, the spirit of these would not be selfish. We know, indeed, that much is done to help those who are needy, and that where there is a motive of this kind, it is often misinterpreted and misjudged to be selfish, “but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7) Those who have selfish hearts, selfish intentions, will continue to love the things of the world, and if shown there is a new order of affairs coming, will not be in sympathy with the change of dispensation.

Anyone who conducts a large enterprise for the benefit of those who would have opportunity to share such blessings would rejoice that there is a better time coming. Anyone who would truly rejoice to have a better arrangement of affairs would not have the spirit that dominates in the present order of things. He would have the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Love, the spirit that will dominate the new order of things, the spirit that will control during the thousand years of Christ’s reign.

Many are in the attitude of mind which would say, “My employer is rich. Whenever I get the opportunity to help myself to some of his money, I will do so and get as much as possible.” Such people, whether rich or poor, love the present order of things. A great many poor love the things of this world, and hope someday to get their share.

There are people who say, “Oh, I do not love the world and its selfish spirit – I am completely opposed to it! I tell my husband, ‘This is a very selfish world, John.’ Then he replies, ‘Yes, Mary, it is. Everywhere people are only looking out for their own self-interests and selfish desires. But while you condemn the ways of the world, you still delight in the good things of life provided by  industry – the luxury automobile, the comfortable home, etc.’ And I must acknowledge that he is right. I’m afraid I could not be happy without them.” Such a person certainly loves the things of the world, even while objecting to its selfish ways.

It seems to be a serious charge to say that anyone who is in the attitude of mind which loves the world and the things belonging to it has not the love of the Father in him. We do not understand, however, that such a one has no love for the Father or that the Father has no love for him. The Apostle seems to be addressing this message to the Church. Those who have been adopted into God’s family must continue to love Him or they would not be counted as members of that class.

What, then, is the full import of this expression – “The Love of the Father is not in him”? To us it would mean that the Love of the Father had not gotten full control of his heart, and this would mean that ultimately, unless he should gain a victory over his selfish disposition, he would not be accepted as a son.

Everywhere about us is this spirit of selfishness. Every child of God should be on guard against it and against willingness to participate in the things of this world. We should strive to be in that condition which is pleasing to the Father. We are to try to rid ourselves of the spirit of the world and to be filled with the Spirit of the Father. This would not mean that we are not to appreciate beautiful things, or that we are not to appreciate others striving to benefit the world; but that we should not be satisfied with any of these things so far as we ourselves are concerned.

TWO KINDS OF MOTIVES

Whatever talents we possess we should use for the good of humanity in any kind of work that would be for the glory of God. Even a good work could be engaged in from the spirit of the world rather than from the Spirit of God; that is, it might be done for what we could get from others in the way of money, honor or influence; or, on the other hand, it might be for the good we desire to do for others.

The highest of all services is that of the ministry of the Word of God. Even this noble service might be pursued from either of two motives – the love of the Father or the love of self. Apparently there are some engaged in the ministry purely for the sake of the loaves and fishes, for the honorable position it gives them in the world, or because they do not know of anything that would serve them better.

Again, there are those, no doubt, who have entered the ministry, not for selfish reasons, but because they desire to serve God, to serve the Truth, to serve His people. The Lord alone knows what has induced any one to enter the ministry. But since we are living in the day that will “try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Cor. 3:13), God will show what motive is behind the deed.

Those who are serving merely from the worldly spirit will be annoyed with anything that promotes the Truth; and to whatever degree their earthly interests suffer because of it, they will be angry. Those who are of the right spirit, however, will rejoice in everything that will be helpful to humanity, in everything that is to the glory of God, in everything that will make the Bible more easily understood.

In fact, we may suppose that the real testing is the making manifest whether we love the world – the things of the present time – or whether we love God supremely. As time goes on, it will be even more impossible to harmonize the spirit of love and the spirit of selfishness. Those who love God will be fully out of harmony with the spirit of the present evil world.

“Love not the world!
He in whose heart the love
Of vanity has found a place, shuts out
The enduring world above.

“Love not the world!
However fair it seem;
Who loveth this vain world – the love of God
Abideth not in him.”

(The above was adapted from Pastor Russell Reprint 5138.)

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AN IDEAL PLAN OF SALVATION

The Bible reveals the only ideal plan of salvation for all mankind. This great Plan of Salvation revealed therein commends itself most strongly as of Divine origin, and not the design of man. It is the embodiment of God’s four great attributes: Wisdom, Love, Justice and Power. No one else could come up with anything so sublime. “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and “He is faithful that promised.” (Heb. 10:23) “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3-4)

This does not mean that all men will be saved eternally, as some believe. Some believe that not only all men will be saved, but that even the Devil also will be saved; but those of us who have the “spirit of truth” also know the “spirit of error” (1 John 4:6): we know that the Devil, as well as all evil doers who do not turn from their path of error will be destroyed. “That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.” (Heb. 2:14) All those who will not obey when they “come unto the knowledge of the truth” will be “destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23)

So when God tells us He will have “all men to be saved,” we need to rightly divide the word of Truth (2 Tim. 2:15) in order to understand that from which “all men” will be saved. All men will be saved from the curse that came upon all through the disobedience of Father Adam; and He will save all men from ignorance of the Divine Plan. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Cor. 4:4) during the Faith Age – but during the next Age, the world to come – when “thy judgments [correct instructions – the knowledge of the Truth] are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isa. 26:9)

There are many who do not know there are Two Distinct Salvations – one for the elect during the Faith Age, and one for the non-elect (all others – the Restitutionists) during the next Age, the World to come.[1] God’s Plan is in evidence in the various Dispensations and Ages. In the first world (Kosmos), from the fall to the flood, the intention evidently was not to save all men. Had God attempted to save all men, He would have done so, because God never fails of any of His purposes. (Isa. 55:10,11)

There are two worlds thus far, but there are three Ages in this second world: (1) the Patriarchal Age, (2) the Jewish Age, and (3) the Gospel Age. God’s purposes in all of these Ages have been elective, but in each Age along different lines from those of the others. Instead of dealing on a covenant basis with all men during these Ages, He selected out of the world certain ones with whom He has so dealt. This selection or election was not done arbitrarily, as Calvinism teaches, for God never acts arbitrarily, but always in harmony with His character – the blending of Wisdom, Love, Justice and Power.

Broadly speaking, the human family consists of two classes: those who trust Him (by faith), even when they cannot trace Him, and those who will not trust Him out of sight – that is, a faith class and an unbelief class. This faith class can stand the trial-some training necessary to qualify them for their work of uplifting the non-elect in the third world – “that which is to come.” (Eph. 1:21) The non-elect, who lack sufficient faith to be put on trial under present unfavorable conditions, will then have their trial in the third world under most advantageous conditions.

There are some of the non-elect who have faith in God, but not sufficient faith to do the Lord’s will during the time when sin and evil are in the ascendancy. We all know such noble worldlings, and we know that God is not unmindful of their good qualities. “The Lord looketh from heaven; he be­holdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” (Psa. 33:13,14,18) So He has “appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31) We believe we are drawing nearer to that Day – so we continue to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10)

The third world will be the order of affairs that God will establish after the destruction of the present order of affairs in this second world. Thus there will be in the world to come “new heavens” (new ecclesiastical ruling powers) and a “new earth” (new social order) in which righteousness will be established. (2 Pet. 3:7,13) Thus the completed Plan of Salvation for all men – the elect and the non-elect – will result to God’s glory, and the blessing of eternal life for all mankind who love righteousness. They will have full opportunity – an accurate “knowledge of the truth,” and the ability to walk in the paths of righteousness, if they so desire.

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8) This “Plan” is so ideal and sublime that it is beyond the realm of human imagination. Some say it is too good to be true; we say it is too good NOT to be true! Thus it is conceived as a Divine inspiration.

(John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 240 excerpt)

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CONSECRATED EPIPHANY CAMPERS REVISITED

The Spring 2014 issue of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement publication, The Present Truth and Herald of Christ’s Epiphany, refers numerous times to a “fifth” elect class called “Consecrated Epiphany Campers,” but cites no scriptural evidence to support the existence of such a class. On page 12, the claim is made that such a class was “taught by Pastor Johnson,” quoting E 11, page 336:

“God also charged Jesus to make a distinction between the people as to their relations to the Kingdom. He severed the classes from one another by the peculiar teachings, activities, gatherings and siftings, belonging to each one: the Little Flock distinct from the Great Company, the Great Company from the Youthful Worthies, the Youthful Worthies from the Justified, the Justified from the Campers, and the Campers from those beyond the Camp.

“The charge was to each class to keep within the bounds set for it and not grasp for powers as to the Kingdom not belonging to it nor contaminate anything pertaining to the Kingdom either by false doctrine or wrong practice. Whoever would contaminate Kingdom matters would die from his standing in his class: Little Flock members so doing would drop out of it into the Great Company; any of these doing it would drop out of it into second-deathers; Youthful Worthies doing it would drop out of their class into the Justified, the justified doing it would drop out of their class into Campers; and Campers doing it would drop out of their class into heathen.”

There is nothing in the above comments by Brother Johnson that even remotely suggests that he “taught” a class called “Consecrated Epiphany Campers.” In E 10, page 209, Brother Johnson says this about the Camp:

“The Gospel-Age Camp is the condition of the unjustified people of God, while the Epiphany Camp in the finished picture is the condition of truly repentant and believing, but not consecrated Jews and Gentiles” (emphasis added).

As we have pointed out numerous times, Brother Johnson taught there can be no justification outside the linen curtain. As he stated in E VI page 199:

“…the Court curtain represents things connected with faith – the outside of it a ‘wall of unbelief’ in Christ’s righteousness to those outside, the inside of it a ‘wall of faith’ in Christ’s righteousness to those inside.”

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Marjorie,

Greetings from Israel in our Lord who is faithful and true!

Thank you for your letter I got at the end of August. Due to all the Jewish holidays I delayed a reply since this is a period of mail slow-down in Israel…

What can I say about Israel now, but “wait and see day by day!” It was amazing that the Obama interference with Syria didn’t affect the many tourists that came to Israel last month. But I think it has really opened the door for Russia to again be a big “player” in this part of the world. It puts the Gog/Magog prophecy on the screen again, especially with Israel’s new resources of natural gas off the coastline. Time to watch, pray and trust God’s Plan!

                                                                                                Shalom and love, ……. (Israel)

…………………….

Dear Sister Marjorie,

Greetings in the name of our Redeemer!

My health is improving, and as I cannot sit up for long periods the friends come and we have prayer meetings when it is possible. The daily texts, the vows, the “Poems of Dawn” keep me steadfast. There are favorites which I use daily, such as “Lead me”, “Communion with our Father.”

Please excuse my writing. I have been overdoing it.

Please accept our love and prayers to you and all others.

                                                                                                Your sister by his Grace, ……. (Trinidad)

……………………..

Warm Christian greetings!

Thank you for the two attachments that you have sent to me. I am blessed through the messages. I would like to ask you that if you have any spiritual literatures, may you feel free to send them to me.

I’ve been doing some studies in the web of Bible Students. I have been leading 4 Bible classes.

So I would highly thank you for having welcomed us as brothers in the brotherhood of readers.

I’m glad to thank you about the Memorial. We will be gathering on the 12th April evening for the Passover. We are all getting ready for the Memorial.

Otherwise may the almighty God bless.

The publication that I already have is “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” It is a wonderful publication which has made me to learn a lot about the mystery that lies ahead of us during the reign of Christ on earth. It has made me learn a lot about the plan of God…

                                                                                                By His Grace, Br. ….... (Kenya,)

                                                                                                (Several emails)

[1] See Two Distinct Salvations on our website at http://epiphanybiblestudents.com/other.

NO. 680: DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD?

No. 680

“…he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.” “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.” (Acts 17:18,32) “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”(1 Cor. 15:13-18)

It may seem strange that we should ask any Christian the question: Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? The word “resurrection” is used more than forty times in the New Testament, besides various other words of similar import. All the prominent creeds of Christendom declare faith in a resurrection as an integral and essential part of Scriptural doctrine and of the hope of eternal life.

Nevertheless, we have serious reason to doubt that a belief in the resurrection of the dead prevails among Christians; and it is because we believe the resurrection to be a very important doctrine in its connection with other doctrines of Scripture (throwing light upon other doctrines), that we desire to call general attention to this subject and to invite an examination of our question in the light of facts and of Scripture; our hope being that after a careful examination of the subject many more of God’s people will come to believe – consistently, logically, Scripturally – in a resurrection.

RESURRECTION RARELY CHOSEN AS A SUBJECT FOR SERMONS

The views of the clergy on any subject may safely be considered an index to the views of their congregations. It is not difficult to ascertain the views of the clergy of all denominations on the subject of the resurrection of the dead; for, although that topic is rarely chosen for discourse, except upon Easter Sunday, it is, nevertheless, attached to every funeral service; and these numerous occasions, we believe, validate our statement that both the clergy of all denominations and their followers have little or no faith in a resurrection of the dead.

True, it is customary at a funeral to read the words of the Apostle Paul, in which he sets forth the resurrection as the Christian’s hope (1 Cor. 15), but this seems to be a mere concession on the part of the officiating minister. He feels it to be his duty to read something on the subject, but his remarks following the reading prove most conclusively that, so far from believing that the person whose corpse is about to be buried is dead, he believes, and instructs his hearers that they should believe, that their friend and neighbor is “more alive than he ever was.”

Frequently, indeed, he plays directly into the hands of the “Spiritualists” and “Christian Scientists,” by telling the audience that the spirit of their dead friend is with them in the room, hovering over them; and that if permitted to speak he would say to them, “Dry your tears; weep not for me; I am far better off in glory.”

TO MANY DEATH HAS BECOME A DELUSION AND NOT A REALITY

It has come to be the general belief among Christian people that death is a delusion, and not a reality; that people merely seem to die, and do not die; that they merely experience a change to a higher form of being; that so-called “Christian Scientists” are quite correct in saying, “There is no death.”

Whoever holds such views does not, cannot consistently believe in “the resurrection of the dead”; because if no one is dead, how can there be a resurrection of the dead? Wherein would be the sense in speaking of a resurrection of the dead to life, if they already have life more abundantly than they possessed it before they seemingly died?

But thousands of ministers would answer us, saying, “When speaking of the resurrection, we merely mean a resurrection of the body – the bodies which we bury are all to come forth again from the grave, and the spirits which parted from them in death are to be rehabilitated in those bodies in the resurrection. This is what we mean by resurrection.” [Another contemporary interpretation holds that the spirits will receive a “new incorruptible body”, evidently meaning these spirits are roaming the universe body-less until the resurrection occurs.]

“CONSISTENCY, THOU ART A JEWEL”

Who would have supposed such inconsistency on the part of so many of the learned and well-meaning! Before taking up the Scriptural side of the question, to show that such expectations are at variance with the Scripture teaching, let us examine the proposition of these ministers in the light of its own inconsistency.

(1) They tell us that the deceased is “far better off,” in that he has gotten free from the “fetters of the flesh,” and that now “his free spirit wings its flight to God, no longer hampered and hindered by the mortal dust.” They go into ecstasies in describing the grandeur and liberty and blessedness of the one who has died, and who, by reason of getting rid of the body, has attained to life more abundant, knowledge a hundredfold, and blessings indescrib-able.

(2) In the same breath they quote the Scriptures referring to the resurrection and (wholly misconstruing those Scriptures) tell us that by and by, at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the same bodies of flesh that were buried will be reorganized [or a new incorruptible body formed]; they tell us that then the spirit beings which, they say, left those bodies at death, will then return to them, as their everlasting habitations. Then, inasmuch as the resurrection is Scripturally set forth to be the grand and glorious result and consum-mation of our salvation, they feel compelled to go into ecstasies over their erroneous presentation of the resurrection, and to tell how glorious and grand will be the result.

They seem to overlook entirely the inconsistency of these two propositions; and they expect that their hearers will be similarly inconsistent and illogical (apparently with full justification); in fact, many of them seem to think that the more inconsistent and unreasonable their belief may be, the more reason they have to congratulate themselves that they have a very strong faith. However, the real fact is that they have a very strong willingness to believe without adequate evidence. But they will have no reward for believing unreasonable things which God’s Word has not taught, but has contradicted.

Who cannot see that the man who dies in old age, if in dying he obtains life more abundant and knowledge a hundredfold, and a freedom to “wing his flight,” etc., would be sadly disappointed by a resurrection – if it should mean to him re-imprisonment in a tenement of clay, with physical restrictions and human limitations? And then, if he had thus for centuries been a “free spirit,” roaming at liberty throughout the Universe, unhindered by a body and bodily limitations, where would be the consistency on God’s part of re-imprisoning such an one in a human body, whose powers and uses would be entirely forgotten during those centuries of liberty? And if to be without a body is “perfect bliss,” as the funeral orators tell, how could there be anything added to perfect bliss by a resurrection of the body, and a re-incarceration therein?

SCRIPTURES SHOW THE ONLY BLESSED, CONSISTENT HOPE

From the foregoing considerations, we feel justified in our assumption that the vast majority of Christian people do not believe in a resurrection – either the Scriptural kind (a “resurrection of the dead”), or in the kind they themselves teach, namely, a resurrection of the body. With this preface, we go to the Scriptures to learn from them what is meant by “the resurrection of the dead,” and in what manner and why the Scriptures speak of the resurrection as the hope, the only hope, the blessed hope, not only of the Lord’s people, who are to have part in the “first resurrection,” but of the world in general, who are to have an opportunity to share in the resurrection of judgment, improperly translated in the KJV, “the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:29)

Whoever would believe the Scriptural doctrine of the resurrection, must also believe the Scriptural doctrine respecting death – that death is death, the cessation of life. Then, and not until then, will he be able to understand the Apostle’s words in our text, “If there be no resurrection of the dead,...then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” Nor is this statement by the Apostle an exception to or different from the teaching of the Scriptures elsewhere. Their unanimous testimony is that the dead are dead; that “in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psa. 146:4) Of the dead the Scriptures further declare, “His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.”; “for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Job 14:21; Eccl. 9:10)

[The above is in direct contradiction to the thoughts of most Christians today. To quote one popular theologian: “Though our body dies, the spirit or soul never dies. The body ceases to function, but not the inner person, or spirit. Hence physical death does not end life, it is only one step in the ongoing and eternal process of conscious life.”]

WHICH SHALL WE BELIEVE – GOD OR SATAN?

Here is a direct conflict between modern teachers and the inspired Word, the Scriptures claiming that the dead know not anything, the modern theologians claiming that they know everything. The Bible claims that the dead are really dead, and have really suffered according to the Divine penalty for sin pronounced against our race – “Thou shalt surely die.”(Gen. 2:17) Those who oppose take up with Satan’s delusive statement to Mother Eve, “Ye shall not surely die,” (Gen. 3:4) and attempt to prove that the dead are not dead; that God’s penalty against sin did not go into effect, and that death, so far from being the sentence or curse upon our race, is a blessing, a step in a general process of evolution. The two theories are as far apart as the poles, and the two teachers of these two theories, as we have shown, are God, on the one hand, and Satan, who has “no truth in him,” on the other hand. Which shall we believe?

The entire Plan of Salvation is connected with this question. If death was not the penalty of sin, incurred through Adam, then life more abundant is not the reward and blessing of God secured through Christ by a resurrection. Satan’s proposition, which has been so widely accepted by the Lord’s people, and which exercises so blinding an influence upon their minds, is the reversal, in every sense of the word, of the Divine proposition – that death is the curse or penalty of sin; that Christ died to release man from this sentence or curse, and that the release comes by the resurrection of the dead, who otherwise would never have future life, as says the Apostle in our text.

Satan’s theory declares death a blessing which brings the fullness of life and liberty and joy, and would make of the resurrection a curse, bringing imprisonment and difficulty and restriction and pain and trouble.

THE APOSTLE PREACHED JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION

No wonder that the majority of theologians and their many followers are leaving the doctrine of the Atonement, which declares “For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [the man Christ Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:21,22)

If the reality of death is denied, it is no more difficult to deny the reality of sin. If it is claimed that Father Adam was not created in the image and likeness of God, but was created a very close image and likeness of the ape, it follows that in that low condition of intelligence he was unfit for trial for eternal life; and it is only a further step to deny that he ever had a trial, and that he ever failed and fell from grace. And if the fall is denied, and, instead, the claim is put forward that man has really been advancing even to the present time – losing his likeness to the ape and gaining in likeness to God, then it will be consistent also to take the next step, and declare that since man did not fall he did not need to be redeemed from the fall.

And hence, with such reasoning, contrary to  all Scriptural basis, it appears logical to deny the repeated declaration of God’s Word, that our Lord Jesus is our Redeemer, and that:

“…he is the propitiation for our sins [the Church’s sins]: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2), giving for us as our Ransom or corresponding price, His own life, that He might buy back the forfeited life of Adam.

We thus see that the leading lights of Christendom today repudiate both of the cardinal features of the Gospel, which the Apostle preached of old: “Jesus and the resurrection” – Jesus as the Redeemer of mankind from sin and its curse – death – and the resurrection as the grand result of that redemptive work, by which the blessing secured by the Ransom-sacrifice will be made applicable to and available for whosoever will accept eternal life upon the terms of the Millennial Age. This reminds us of our Lord’s own words respecting unbelief at the present time: He says:

 “…when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

THE FIVE SENSES IN FULL ACCORD WITH THE SCRIPTURES

The Scripture declarations respecting death are in full accord with the testimony of the five senses given us as men by our Creator; and this is what we should expect, though we should be ready to admit the possibility of our senses being in error if the Divine revelation contradicted our senses. But when our senses are contradicted by a human theory, contrary to Scriptural statements, the theory should be rejected and the testimony of the senses held to be true; and when the Scriptures and our senses together unite in one testimony, it is certainly wrong to hold to a theory which is contradicted by Divine revelation and by our own senses as well. And whoever thus repudiates his God-given (though sin-impaired) senses and the Divine testimony, need expect nothing else than to be led into darkness and stumbling. Today, as nineteen centuries ago, the blind are leading the blind into the ditch of unbelief and error.

“AS THE ONE DIETH, SO DIETH THE OTHER; THEY HAVE ALL ONE BREATH”

The testimony of our senses, like the testimony of God’s Word, is that death means the loss of life, and not an increase of life. Watch the dying one, and note his weakening powers, mental and physical, until the spark of life becomes extinct. You have seen nothing go from him, you have heard nothing but the death-rattle; you have felt the gradual cessation of the pulse, and noted the gasping for breath; and all of your senses which you can exercise upon the subject tell you that your friend, your loved one, is dead – alive no longer. You look about you and study the subject and inquire of others, “What next?” The answer to your senses is, “The next thing is corruption; when the spark of life has gone, the corpse must be buried; ‘dust to dust, ashes to ashes.’” You note the similarity between the death of your friend and loved one and the death of the brute beast, and your senses can discern no difference between them; and the Scriptures declare, “…as the one dieth, so dieth the other; they have all one  breath [spirit of life].” (Eccl. 3:19)

But with a longing for a future life, implanted in your nature by our Creator, you inquire: Is there no hope; hath a man no preeminence above a beast? The Scriptures answer your question, assuring us that, physically speaking man “hath no preeminence above a beast.” But the Scriptures assure us that although mankind is not possessed of any power of life beyond that of the beast, the Creator has, nevertheless, made a provision for man that He did not make for the beast; and that provision is the very thing for which we long, namely, everlasting life. The Scriptures point out to us that this provision for man’s everlasting life was made by the LORD in the beginning – not by implanting a deathless quality in the man’s constitution, but by providing in the life-sustaining trees of the Garden of Eden, the means of continuing his life everlastingly; nevertheless this provision was conditional, dependent upon man’s obedience to his Creator.

The Scriptures point out that man’s disobedience brought upon him the sentence of death, and that the execution of that sentence was effected by driving him out of the Garden and away from the life-sustaining fruit of its trees. Thus driven out, the sentence, “Thou shalt surely die,” took effect upon Father Adam gradually, and he lived out nearly to the end of the first thousand-year day. His posterity, becoming weaker and weaker as generations rolled by, are today (notwithstanding the many advancements in science, and medicine and sanitary arrangements) reduced to an average of about seventy-five years – “and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow” and they are soon “cut off” from the “land of the living,” to go into “the land of the enemy” – into the great prison-house of death, in which thousands of millions are already – “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.” (Psa. 90:10; Jer. 31:16; Job 3:17)

JESUS DIED, “THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST”

The Scriptures answer our inquiries respecting the dead. While assuring us of the justice of the Divine sentence of death, they nevertheless declare that our Creator is a God of mercy and of pity, and that when there was no eye to pity and no arm to deliver us, His Arm brought salvation to us. The Scriptures, moreover, point out to us the Lord Jesus Christ as the Arm of Jehovah, stretched down for our relief from sin and sickness and pain and trouble and for our deliverance from the prison-house of death, and for our restoration to the liberties and privileges of sons of God.

In due time, God sent His only begotten Son into the world for our redemption – to give for us the Ransom-price, and ultimately to recover all who will accept of Divine mercy, from all the consequences of the fall by a resurrection from the dead. But Divine Love could not make void Divine Justice; it was necessary that God should be just, if He would be the justifier of them that believe in Jesus; hence the demands of Justice – the penalty for sin – must be paid by our Redeemer, before the work of release and restitution could begin. And here we have the best of evidence respecting what is the penalty of sin, and what is not; because, since our Lord Jesus pays for us the just penalty of sin, what He laid down for us will prove what was the penalty against us. What did He do for us? The Scriptures answer: He laid down His life for us; He “died for our sins”; “the just for the unjust”; He “poured out his soul unto death;” He made “his soul an offering for [our] sin,” and “with his stripes we are healed.” (1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 3:18; Isa. 53:4-6, 10,12)

Nothing is more evident than that our Lord Jesus did not suffer an eternity of torment as the price of our redemption; and hence, if the matter needed proof we have here the proof that eternal torment was not the penalty for our sins. On the contrary, the fact that our Lord Jesus died for our sins, and that the Heavenly Father accepted of that sacrifice of His life on our behalf, proves that it was our lives that were forfeited by sin; that the full penalty of the Divine Law against us as a race was the deprivation of life. The whole race, under sentence of death, has gone down to the great prison-house of death – the grave, sheol, hades. And so our dear Redeemer, when He gave up His life for us, went also to sheol, hades, the grave. He took our place, and suffered for us the penalty for our sins.

But as Jesus’ death ransoms man from the sentence of death, so His resurrection from death became the assurance of the justification of all who accept and obey him.

The Heavenly Father gave evidence that the Ransom-price was entirely satisfactory; and our Lord, who was thus obedient to the Father, was raised from the dead, and, as the Father’s Agent and Representative, will soon begin the work of blessing the entire world redeemed by His precious blood.

PRISON-HOUSE TO BE OPENED AND CAPTIVES SET FREE

The blessing of the world means the breaking open of the prison-house and the setting at liberty of the captives, who for centuries have been going into the prison-house of death. For this reason our Lord is called the Life-giver, because His great work will be to give back life to the world of mankind, who lost life in Adam. And since the restoration of life to mankind will mean the removal of pains and sicknesses and troubles (a part of the dying process), our Redeemer is styled the Great Physician.

The prophecy which mentions the breaking open of the prison-house of death, and the setting at liberty of its captives (Isa. 42:7), was applied, and unquestionably correctly, by our Lord to Himself; but He did not break open the prison-house of death, and set all the captives free by resurrection immediately upon His own resurrection. He tells us when this work will be done, saying (John 5:25-29), “…the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth…”; “…and they that hear [obey His voice then], shall live.” (See also Acts 3:22,23)

Our Lord thus passed over the interim of the Gospel Age, and pointed to the grand consummation of His work in the incoming Age, because such was the Father’s prearranged Plan. The Father sent the Son, and the Son willingly undertook the work of redemption, at a time sufficiently in advance of the “Times of Restitution,” (Acts 3:21) or resurrection, and the general blessing of the world during the Reign of Messiah, to leave the interim of this Gospel Age for another work, namely, for selecting from the world a “little flock,” a “royal priesthood,” a “peculiar people,” a “holy nation,” to be joint-heirs with Christ Jesus their Lord in the honors of the Mediatorial Kingdom. These shall be associated with the Redeemer in the grand and glorious work of destroying the Prince of Darkness and breaking open the prison-house of death, and setting at liberty the captives of sin and ignorance and superstition; and in fulfilling generally all the provisions of the gracious promises of God made to Father Abraham, that in His Seed (Christ, and His elect Body, the Church), “shall all families of the earth be blessed.”(Gen: 12:3; Gal. 3:8,16,29)

BLESSED AND HOLY ARE THEY WHO HAVE PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION

This brings us to the Scriptural proposition, that there is a first, a chief or special resurrection, and a general one later. The first or superior resurrection includes the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the entire elect “Church, which is his Body” – no more, no less. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6) – the Messianic Kingdom class. Those who will share in this First Resurrection will experience a “change” from the human nature to the divine nature – the highest of the spirit natures; not human, not flesh and blood, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”(1) (1 Cor. 15:50) Their trial and perfecting of heart takes place beforehand, and only the overcomers will receive this blessing. Some of the characteristics of their change are indicated by the Apostle as a change from weakness to power, from dishonor to glory, from corruption to incorruption, from a natural [human] body to a spirit body.

The time for this best, or chief resurrection, is everywhere in Scripture indicated to be at the close of the Gospel Age, at a time when the entire Gospel Church will be completed. This includes the living members, whose “change” to spirit nature will be instantaneous, so that the moment of their dying as human beings will be the moment of their “change” to perfect spirit beings. Meantime, the Scriptures declare that the Lord’s people who have died, like the rest of mankind, are really dead, as human beings, and know not anything; but inasmuch as God has provided for their resurrection, and inasmuch as they have been informed respecting it, and have hopes therein, therefore they are spoken of as being merely asleep – resting from their labors. As the apostle declares, they are waiting for “…a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

And, likewise the world of mankind, even though they know not of the Lord as yet, are spoken of as being “asleep in Jesus.” Although the whole world was under condemnation of death through Adam, without knowledge or volition on their part at the time of the sentence, Jesus laid down His life “a Ransom for all.” All who have faith in the Divine provision for the awakening may properly speak of the interim figuratively as a sleep. Thus the Apostle exhorts us to trust and hope in the resurrection as respects all our dear friends who go down into the prison-house of death, and not merely as respects those who were sanctified in Christ Jesus, which would include, as a rule, only a small proportion of those for whom we would be inclined to sorrow. He says, “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [all our sleeping friends], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died [a Ransom for all] and rose again [that He might be Lord and Life-giver to all], even so [let us believe as truly that] them also which sleep in Jesus [all whom He purchased with His precious blood] will God bring with him [from the prison-house of death].” (1 Thes. 4:13,14)

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(1)Some are confused by this expression, “flesh and blood”; they fail to see that it signifies human nature; we therefore invite such to examine the use of the same phrase elsewhere, by the same New Testament writers. In so doing they will be convinced that our definition, human nature, is the correct one, the Scriptural one. See the following uses of the phrase: Matt. 16:17; John 3:5,6; 1 Cor. 15:50.

THE GENERAL RESURRECTION TO BE A RAISING UP BY JUDGMENT

But as the First Resurrection is the resurrection of the blessed and holy, of the sanctified in Christ Jesus, His Body, so the general resurrection, which is for the world, is designated as “the resurrection of judgment.” It is styled a “resurrection of judgment” because, while all the preparation has been made, so far as God is concerned, for granting to the world of mankind a full resurrection or restitution back to all that was first given to Adam, and lost by his disobedience, to be recovered by our Savior’s precious blood, yet there are certain conditions attached to this blessing, namely, the conditions of the New Covenant.

God does not propose to give eternal life through Christ to any except those who earnestly desire it, and who are in heart sympathy with the principles of righteousness which must always be the Law of the Divine Government. Hence, when the world is awakened from the sleep of death, it will not signify resurrection, but much less; for resurrection, in its full, complete, Scriptural sense, signifies a complete raising up, out of sin and out of death, to perfection of being, perfection of life.

The surrounding conditions of society will then be greatly improved; knowledge will have taken the place of ignorance, and the reign of righteousness and the law of love will at that time have superseded the rule of sin under the law of selfishness; and Satan will be bound, that he shall deceive the nations no more for the thousand years. The resurrection, so far as the world is concerned, will be a gradual work; its first step an awakening from the sleep of unconsciousness and nonentity; its succeeding steps will be along the lines of judgment, the conduct of those who are on trial being either approved or disapproved. For those who are incorrigible and unworthy of the gift of God, eternal life, it will culminate in the sentence to the Second Death.

Those judged worthy will receive and enjoy the great boon of Life Eternal under the blessed conditions which are then promised to prevail – when there shall be no more sighing, no more dying, no more crying, because there will be no more sin and none of the penalties for sin, for all the former things shall have passed away. (Rev. 21:4).

THE CONDITION OF THE DEAD SPOKEN OF AS A SLEEP

Of each of the Patriarchs of the past it is written, “he slept with his fathers”; “he fell asleep.” And so also in the New Testament we have a similar record that Stephen “fell asleep.” The Apostle Paul speaks of those who saw the Lord after His resurrection and says, “He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” Again he speaks of some which are “fallen asleep in Christ,” here distinguishing between the Church, who are in Christ,(2) as members of His Body, and the world of mankind in general, who “sleep in Jesus.” (1 Kings 2:10; 11:43; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:6,18;1 Thess. 4:14)

The Apostle shows that this sleep-condition will prevail, even as respects the Church, until the time of the second coming of Christ, assuring that the living members of the Church at the time of the Lord’s Second Advent will not be blessed prior to those that have fallen asleep, but contrariwise, the living “shall not prevent [hinder] them which are asleep,” for the dead in Christ shall rise first; then those who are alive and remain will be blessed, and ultimately experience their “change.” (1 Thes. 4:15-17)

The moment of re-awakening will seem to the awakened ones to be the next moment after their death – for there is no wisdom or knowledge in the grave. (Eccl. 9:10) The bodies in which the world will be awakened will be practically the same as those which died, though not the same atoms of matter; for in the hands of our Creator one atom of dust is as good as another in this great work. Thus the Apostle says, "thou sowest not that body that shall be." (1 Cor. 15:37) The bodies of the world will really be new bodies, in the sense that they will be different atoms of matter; but they will be old bodies, in the sense that they will be duplicates of those which died and went to dust.

We cannot wonder that the worldly mind, which knows not God and knows not of his power, cavils at the thought of resurrection. It will be a most stupendous work, more wonderful by far than man's original creation; it will thus be to the world of mankind, and to the angels of heaven also, the grandest exhibition ever given of Divine Omnipotence.

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(2)Christ (from the Greek “Christos,” meaning “anointed”) is the title of our Lord as the New Creature, and of His office; while Jesus is the name for the Redeemer, through whose sacrifice comes to all men an opportunity to share in a resurrection of the dead.

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This paper was adapted from Pastor Russell Reprint 4791. It has been edited to fit the space.

NO. 679: SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

No. 679

“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” (Ex. 12:14)

“…Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor. 5:7,8)

The date for celebrating the Memorial to our Lord in 2014 is Saturday April 12, 2014 after 6:00 p.m. The calculation is based on the New Moon (in Jerusalem) nearest the Spring Equinox (March 20, 6:57 p.m.) which is March 30, 2014, thus March 30 is Nisan 1. Counting forward from Nisan 1, Nisan 14 is April 12.

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The instructions for the Passover in Egypt were very rigid, even as respects the time it should be kept. Up to that time the Jewish year began with the first day of the seventh month – Tishri; but the institution of the Passover changed that. The month Abib was then to become the first month: “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” (Ex 12:1-2.). Since that time the Jews observe two years – the religious year beginning with Abib, or Nisan, and the business year beginning with Tishri. However, all recordings in the Bible after the Passover in Egypt are reckoned as from the month Abib, or Nisan.

This change was not without purpose. Prior to the Passover, the Jews had no organized religious ritual. The religious order which they had when they entered Canaan some forty years later was the one arranged for them through Moses at Sinai in the wilderness, when the Aaronic priesthood and the Tabernacle ceremonies were first instituted. This would seem to suggest to us that the secular year revealed the character of the dispensation previous to the present one – commonly known as the Jewish Age. It would be followed by the ecclesiastical year, and would suggest the spiritual character of the present dispensation. Here then is contrasted the dealings of God during the Jewish Age, along the rigid lines of the Law, to His Grace dealings during the present Age. Prior to the Gospel Age, God’s dealings with His covenant people were along earthly and secular lines; whereas, during this Gospel Age the dealings have been along spiritual and ecclesiastical lines.

In that God made the change in the beginning of the year in connection with His institution of the Paschal Lamb, its feast and the entire Passover festival, suggests that the change of the year is typical of the Lord’s dispensational dealings changing at the beginning of the Gospel Age; for the change in the type was made because of the Passover Lamb, its feast and its following festival, which properly type Christ our Lamb, with the privileges and blessings of the Christian life that attach to it.

And concerning the date on which the Passover and its subsequent memorials were to be kept, the instruction was very specific – it was to be on the 14th day of the first month. (Ex. 12:6)

DELIVERANCE FROM THE BONDAGE OF EGYPT

The Feast of the Passover, celebrated every year for seven days, began with the fifteenth day of the first month. It celebrated in a general way the deliverance of the people of Israel from the bondage of Egypt – but particularly the passing over, or sparing alive, of the first-born of that nation during the plague of death which came upon the Egyptians, and which, as the last of the plagues, finally compelled them to release the Israelites from servitude. The passing over of the first-born of Israel became the precursor of the liberation of the whole nation of Israel, and their passing in safety over the Red Sea into freedom from the bondage of Egypt. We can readily see that so portentous an event would properly be commemorated by the Israelites as intimately identified with the birth of their nation; and thus it is celebrated by Jews to this day. The members of the New Creation are interested in those events, as they are interested in all the doings and arrangements of their Heavenly Father, both in respect to His typical people, Israel after the flesh, and in respect to the whole world of mankind. But the New Creation has a still deeper interest in those matters which occurred in Egypt, in view of the fact that the Lord has revealed to them the “mystery” that those things which happened unto natural Israel were intended to typify and foreshadow still grander things in the divine plan respecting antitypical Spiritual Israel – the New Creation.

In reference to these spiritual things, the Apostle declares that “…the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” “But God hath revealed them unto us [the New Creation] by his Spirit…” (1 Cor. 2:14, 10) God used the Apostles as His mouthpieces to give us certain clues whereby, under the guidance of His Spirit, we may understand the deep things of God. One of these clues is found in 1 Cor. 5:7, 8, quoted above. Following the Apostle’s indication, we see clearly that Israel according to the flesh typified the whole people of God – all who shall ultimately become His people, down to the close of the Millennial age; that the Egyptians represented the opponents of the people of God, Pharaoh, their ruler, representing Satan, the prince of evil and darkness; and Pharaoh’s servants and horsemen representing fallen angels and men who have associated or who will associate themselves with Satan as opponents to the Lord and His people – the New Creation, and in general the household of faith. As the people of Israel longed for deliverance, and groaned under their taskmasters, yet were weak and unable to deliver themselves, and could never have freed themselves from the yoke of Egypt had it not been for the Lord’s intervention on their behalf, and His appointment and sending of Moses to be their deliverer, so we see the world of mankind at the present time and throughout the past groaning and travailing in pain together under the exactions of “the prince of this world” (John 12:31) and his minions, Sin and Death. These hundreds of millions of humanity have a craving for liberty from bondage to their own sins and weaknesses, as well as for release from the penalties of these – pain and death. But without divine aid, mankind is powerless. A few make a vigorous struggle, and accomplish something; but none get free. The entire race of Adam is in bondage to sin and death, and their only hope is in God and in the antitypical Moses, who He has promised shall deliver His people in His appointed time – bringing them across the Red Sea – representing the Second Death, in which Satan and all who affiliate or sympathize with him and his evil course shall be everlastingly destroyed, as was typified in the overwhelming of Pharaoh and his hosts in the literal Red Sea. But the Lord’s people “shall not be hurt of the Second Death.” (Rev. 2:11)

DELIVERANCE OF THE FIRST-BORNS

The foregoing is the general picture; but inside of it, and yet a part of it, was another, a particular picture, which related, not to mankind in general and their deliverance from the bondage of sin and death, but only to a special class among them – the first-born. Corresponding to these as their antitype, we have brought to our attention by the inspired word the “Church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven” (Heb. 12:23) – the New Creation. In the type, the first-born occupied a special place – they were the heirs; a special place also in that they were subjected to a special testing or trial in advance of their brethren. They became liable to death before the general exodus, and when the exodus did occur these first-born ones had a special place in it – a special work to do in connection with the general deliverance, for they became a separated class, represented in the tribe of Levi. They were separated from their brethren, giving up entirely their inheritance in the land, that according to the divine arrangement they might be the teachers of their brethren.

This tribe or house of Levi clearly represents the household of faith, which is represented in turn by the preparatory Royal Priesthood, which gives up inheritance in earthly things on behalf of the brethren, and shall by and by constitute actually the Royal Priesthood, whose Chief Priest is the Lord, and which shall bless, rule and instruct the world during the Millennial age. As the first-born of Israel in Egypt were subject to death, but were passed over, escaped it, and losing the earthly inheritance became a priesthood, so the antitypical Church of first-borns in the present time is subject now to Second Death, having their testing or trial for everlasting life or everlasting death in advance of the remainder of mankind, and passes from death unto life, through the merit of the Redeemer’s blood – death.

Becoming participants in their Lord’s grace, they renounce or sacrifice with Him, the earthly inheritance, the earthly portion, the earthly life, that they may attain heaven and its life more abundant. Thus, while the Church of the first-born, the New Creation, all “die like men,” (Psa. 82:7) and in respect to earthly things seem to lose and renounce more than do others, nevertheless, though the natural man understands it not, these are passed over, or rescued from death, and, as the Royal Priesthood, will, with their Chief Priest, Jesus, be made partakers of glory, honor and immortality.

These, whose passing over occurs during the nighttime of this Gospel Age – before the Millennial morning dawns, and its Sun of Righteousness arises – are to be the leaders of the Lord’s host, to bring it forth from the bondage of sin and Satan. Mark how this agrees with the language of the Apostle (Rom. 8:22,19), “…the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together” – waiting “for the manifestation of the sons of God” – waiting for the complete passing over of the Church of the first-born in the First Resurrection, to glory, honor and immortality.

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER LAMB

But, now, another feature of the type is important. In order to effect the passing over of the first-born, and the consequent deliverance of all the Lord’s people in the type, it was necessary that the Passover lamb should be slain, that its blood should be sprinkled upon the doorposts and lintels of the house, that its flesh should be eaten that night with bitter herbs, and with unleavened bread. Thus each house of Israel represented the household of faith, and each lamb represented the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, and the first-born in each family represented the Christ, Head and Body, the New Creation. The bitter herbs represented the trials and afflictions of this present time, which all the more serve to whet the appetite of the household of faith for the Lamb and the unleavened bread. Moreover, as each household was to eat with staff in hand and girded for a journey, it represented that the antitypical first-born and household of faith who would thus partake of the Lamb during the night time of this Gospel Age would be pilgrims and strangers in the world, who would realize the bondage of sin and death, and be desirous of being led by the Lord into freedom from sin and corruption – into liberty of the sons of God.

It was in harmony with this type of the killing of the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the first month – the day preceding the seven days’ Feast of the Passover, celebrated by the Jews – that our Lord died, as the antitypical Passover Lamb, “…the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) At no other time was it possible for our Lord to have finished in death the sacrifice which He began when He was thirty years of age, in His baptism unto death. Hence it was that, although the Jews many times sought to take Him, no man laid hands on Him, because “his hour was not yet come.” (John 7:8,30)

As the Jews were commanded to select the lamb of sacrifice on the tenth day of the first month, and to receive it into their houses on that date, the Lord appropriately offered Himself to them on that date, when, five days before the Passover, He rode into the city on the ass, the multitude crying, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord…” “He came unto his own, and his own [as a nation] received him not.” “But as many as received him [individually], to them gave he power to become the sons of God...” (Matt: 21:9; John 1:11,12) The nation, through its representatives, the rulers, instead of receiving Him, rejected Him, and thus identified itself for the time with the Adversary. Nevertheless, by God’s grace the blood of the New Covenant is efficacious for the house of Jacob also, and upon all who desire harmony with God, and they were partakers of the merits of the Lamb – yet they refused to eat of the antitypical Lamb – they lost the opportunity of becoming as a nation the first-born ones, the Royal Priesthood, the holy nation, the peculiar people of Messiah – they lost the opportunity of passing over and becoming members of the New Creation, with life more abundant in glory, honor and immortality; but we are glad to be informed elsewhere in the Scripture that they will, nevertheless, have a glorious opportunity of accepting the Lamb of God, of eating, appropriating, His flesh, His sacrifice, and of thus escaping the bondage of sin and death, under the leadership of the Lord and of His faithful brethren, spiritual Israel, the antitypical Church of the First-born. (Rom. 11:11–26)

OUR LORD’S MEMORIAL SUPPER

“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:24–26)

It was at the close of our Lord’s ministry, on the 14th day of the first month, in “the same night in which he was betrayed,” and in the same day, therefore, in which He died, as the antitypical Lamb, that He celebrated with His disciples the typical Passover of the Jews – eating, with His twelve Apostles, the typical lamb which represented Himself, His own sacrifice for the sins of the world and the “meat indeed,” (John 6:55) in the strength of which the life, the liberties and the blessings of the sons of God are alone obtained. The eating of this supper on the night preceding our Lord’s death, and yet the same day, was made possible by the Jewish custom, which began each day, not at midnight, but in the evening. The Lord evidently arranged all the affairs of Israel in conformity with the types which they were to express.

As Jews born “under the Law,” it was obligatory upon our Lord and His Apostles to celebrate this type, and at its proper time; and it was after they had thus observed the Jewish Supper, eating the lamb with unleavened bread and herbs, and probably also, as was customary, with “fruit of the vine,” that the Lord – taking part of the unleavened bread and of the fruit of the vine remaining over from the Jewish Supper, the type – instituted among His disciples and for His entire Church, whom they represented (John 17:20), a new thing, that with them, as the spiritual Israel, the Church of the First-born, the New Creation, should take the place of, and supplant, the Jewish Passover Supper. Our Lord was not instituting another and a higher type of the Passover. On the contrary, the type was about to begin its fulfilment, and, hence, would be no longer appropriate to those who accepted the fulfilment. Our Lord, as the antitypical Lamb, was about to be slain, as the Apostle expresses it, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed.”

None accepting Christ as the Passover Lamb, and thus accepting the antitype as taking the place of the type, could any longer with propriety prepare a typical lamb and eat it in commemoration of the typical deliverance. The appropriate thing thence-forth for all believers in Jesus as the true Passover Lamb would be the sprinkling of the doorposts of the heart with His blood: having their “…hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience”… [from present condemnation – realizing their sins propitiated through His blood, and that through His blood they now have forgiveness of sins]. (Heb. 10:22) These henceforth must eat, or appropriate to themselves, the merits of their Redeemer – the merits of the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. By faith they must partake of those merits, and realize that as their sins were laid upon the Lord, and He died for them, so His merits and righteousness are imputed to them. These things they eat, or appropriate by faith.

If, then, our Lord’s Supper took the place of the Passover Supper, yet not as a higher type – the antitype having commenced – what was it? We answer that it was a Memorial of the antitype – a remembrance for His followers of the beginning of the fulfilment of the antitypical Passover.

When our Lord instituted His Memorial Supper, called the Last Supper, it was, as above stated, a new symbol, built upon and related to the old Passover type, though not a part of it, being a commemoration, or memorial of the antitype. As we read, He “…took bread, And when he had given thanks he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you [this represents me, the antitypical Lamb; it represents my flesh]: this do in remembrance of me.” Our Lord’s evident intention was to fix in the minds of His followers the fact that He is the antitypical Lamb to the antitypical first-borns and household of faith. The expression, “this do in remembrance of me,” implies that this new institution should take the place with His followers of the former one, which must now become obsolete by reason of fulfilment. “After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament [covenant] in my blood” – the blood of the covenant – the blood which seals the New Covenant – “this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” We would not understand this to imply the doing of it without respect to time and place, etc., but as signifying that when this cup and unleavened bread thenceforth were used as a celebration of the Passover, it should on every occasion be considered a celebration, not of the type but of the antitype. As it would not have been lawful, proper or typical to celebrate the Passover at any other time than that appointed of the Lord, likewise it is still not appropriate to celebrate the antitype at any other time than its anniversary. (1 Cor. 11:23–25)

The Apostle adds, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:26) This shows us that the disciples clearly understood that thenceforth to all of the Lord’s followers the annual Passover celebration must have a new meaning: the broken loaf representing the Lord’s flesh, the cup representing His blood. Although this new institution was not laid upon His followers as a law, and although no penalties were attached for failure of its proper observance, nevertheless the Lord knew well that all trusting in Him and appreciating Him as the antitypical Passover Lamb would be glad to take up the Memorial which He thus suggested to them. And so it is still. Faith in the ransom continues to find its illustration in this simple memorial, “till he come” – not only until our Lord’s parousia, or presence, in the harvest or end of this age, but until during His parousia one by one His faithful ones have been gathered to Him, beyond the “Veil,” there to participate to a still fuller degree, and, as our Lord declared, partake of it “anew in the Kingdom.”

PRIMARY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BREAD AND THE CUP

We recall the circumstances of the first Memorial – the blessing of the bread and of the cup, the fruit of the vine: and our Lord’s declaration that these represented His broken body and shed blood, and that all His followers should participate, not only feeding upon Him but being broken with Him; not only partaking of the merit of His blood, His sacrifice, but also laying down their lives in His service, in cooperating with Him in every and any manner, that they might later share His honor and glory in the Kingdom. How precious are these thoughts to those who are rightly in tune with our Lord!

In presenting to the disciples the unleavened bread as a memorial, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matt. 26:26) The evident meaning of His words is: This symbolizes or represents my body: for in no sense had His body yet been broken. In no sense would it then have been possible for them to have partaken of Him actually or antitypically, the sacrifice not being as yet finished. But the picture is complete when we recognize that the unleavened (pure, unfermented) bread represented our Lord’s sinless flesh – leaven being a symbol of sin under the Law, and especially commanded to be put away at the Passover season. On another occasion Jesus gave a lesson, which interprets to us this symbol. He said, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” “…I am the bread of life...” “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:33,35,51)

In order to appreciate how we are to eat, or appropriate, this living bread, it is necessary for us to understand just what the bread signifies. According to our Lord’s explanation of the matter, it was His flesh, which He sacrificed for us. It was not His prehuman existence as a spirit being that was laid down and its glory laid aside, in order that He might take our human nature. It was the fact that our Lord Jesus was “…holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…” (Heb. 7:26) – without any contamination from Father Adam, and hence free from sin – that enabled Him to become the Redeemer of Adam and his race, that permitted Him to give His life “…a ransom for all to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:3–6)

When we see that it was the pure, spotless human nature of our Lord Jesus that was laid down on behalf of sinners, we see what it is that we are privileged to appropriate. The very thing He laid down for us we are to “eat,” appropriate to ourselves: that is to say, His perfect human life was given to redeem all the human race from condemnation to death, to enable them to return to human perfection and everlasting life, if they would: and we are to realize this and accept Him as our Savior from death. The Scriptures show us, however, that if God would consider all past sins canceled, and should recognize us as having a right to human perfection, this still would not make us perfect, nor give us the right to eternal life.

In order that any of the race of Adam might profit by the sacrifice of Jesus, it was necessary that He should rise from the tomb on the Divine plane of life, that He should ascend to the Father and deposit the sacrificial merit of His death in the hands of justice, and receive from the Father “…all power… in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18) As relates to the world it was necessary also that in the Father’s due time Jesus should come again to earth, invisibly, a glorious Divine Being, then to be to the whole world a Mediator, Prophet, Priest and King, to assist back to perfection and to harmony with God all who will avail them­selves of the wonderful privilege then to be offered.

It is this same blessing that the Gospel Church of this Age receives by faith in their Redeemer – namely, justification by faith – not justification to a spirit nature, which we never had and never lost, and which Christ did not redeem; but justification to human nature, which Father Adam possessed and lost, and which Christ redeemed by giving His own sinless flesh, His perfect human life, as our ransom sacrifice. The partaking of the un­leavened bread at the Memorial season then means to us primarily the appropriation to ourselves, by faith, of justification to human life-right – a right to human life – with all its privileges, which our Lord at His own cost prepared for us. Likewise the fruit of the vine symbolizes primarily our Savior’s life given for us, His human life, His human being, His soul, poured out unto death on our behalf (Isa. 53:12); and the appropriation of this by us also signifies, primarily our acceptance of resti­tution rights and privileges secured by our Lord’s sacrifice of these.

DEEPER SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LOAF AND THE CUP

Now let us note that God’s object in justifying the Church by faith during the Gospel Age, in advance of the justification of the world by works of obedience in the Millennial Age, is for the very purpose of permitting this class who now see and hear, who now appropriate the great sacrifice which love had made on man’s behalf, to present their bodies a living sacrifice, (Rom. 12:1) and thus to have a part with the Lord Jesus in His sacrifice – as members of His body. This deeper meaning of the Memorial He did not refer to directly. It was doubtless one of the things to which He referred when He said “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when it, the Spirit of Truth, shall come it will guide you into all truth,… and will show you things to come.” (John 16:12,13)

This Spirit of Truth (the power and influence of The Father), bestowed through Christ and speaking through the Apostle Paul, clearly explains the very high import of the Memorial; for St. Paul says, writing to the true Church, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion [participation] of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion [participation] of the body of Christ? For we being many, are one bread, and one body...” (1 Cor. 10: 16,17)

Both views of this impressive ordinance are very important. First of all, it is essential that we should see that our justification is through our Lord’s sacrifice. It is proper then that we should realize that the entire Christ, the entire anointed company, is from the Divine standpoint, a composite body of many members, of which Jesus is the Head (1 Cor. 12:12,13), and that this Body, this Church, as a whole must be broken – that each member of it must become a copy of the Lord Jesus and must walk in the footsteps of His sacrifice. They do this by laying down their lives for the brethren, as Jesus laid down His life directly for His Jewish brethren, but really for the whole world, according to the Father’s purpose.

It is not their spiritual life that they lay down, even as it was not Jesus’ spiritual life that He laid down. As He sacrificed His actual, perfect being, His humanity, so they are to sacrifice their justified selves, reckoned perfect through Jesus’ merit, but not actually so. Likewise the loaf and the cup represent suffering. Each grain must be crushed and ground before it can become bread for man; they cannot retain their life and individuality as grains. The same with the grapes; they must be crushed to extract their juice, thus losing their identity as grapes.

Our Lord distinctly declares that the cup, the fruit of the vine, represents blood; that is, life – not life retained, but life shed, given, yielded up. He tells us that this life poured out was for the remission of sins; and that all who would be His must drink it, must accept His sacrifice and appropriate it by faith. They must receive life from this source. It will not do to declare that life is the result of obedience to the Law. It will not do that faith in some great teacher and obedience to his instruction will amount to the same thing and bring eternal life. There is no way to attain eternal life other than through the blood once shed as the ransom price for the whole world!

“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

“TILL HE COME”

The Jews were commanded to keep the Passover each year on the 14th day of Nisan as “a memorial…throughout your generations” (Ex. 12:14), and Christians have also been commanded to “do this in remembrance” of Christ our Passover each year “till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:25-26) From this statement by St. Paul some have raised the question: Should we continue to keep the Memorial if our Lord has returned? However, when we consider that both the Little Flock and the Great Company are a part of the Church of the Firstborn, and that partaking of the bread and the wine symbolizes their participation in the merit of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, then it should require no argument about them continuing to “shew the Lord’s death till he come” – until the last one has come to journey’s end. But we believe the command would apply also to those faithful ones here in the end of the Age who are not a part of the spirit-begotten Church of the Firstborn, because the merit of our Lamb has been tentatively imputed to all such – to the extent that the New Covenant cannot begin to operate toward the world until that embargo against Christ’s merit has been removed.

And, as we partake of our Lamb “in newness of life,” so we also partake of His sufferings, each according to the Class in which he finds himself. If we are rightly exercised by such experiences, we then receive “the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment” (their good character qualities – Ex. 12:35) – which they in turn lose by reason of their unjust acts against God’s faithful people. “We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) The word “tribulation” is derived from the Latin “tribulum,” the threshing instrument by means of which the Roman husbandman separated the corn from the husks. Says one commentator: “Though tribulation may crush and bruise us, it separates our chaff from the wheat, so that we are prepared for the granary of Heaven. Sorrow is hard to bear, and doubt is slow to clear, but the New Testament is the most joyful book in the world because its writers have been delivered from the doubt that paralyzes the soul, and they live in the sunshine of the love of Christ. They know their affliction (tribulation) is working out for them the glory that is to be.”

Dear Brethren, if we will consider our trying experiences with Satan’s deluded servants as opportunities of obtaining Divine Truth and grace, receiving them in the Lord’s spirit, we will  thus receive the symbolic articles of gold, silver and raiment. Let us view these experiences from this standpoint and act accordingly amid them; and we will emerge from them greatly enriched spiritually. This consideration will keep us from murmuring and complaining amid such experiences and will enable us to take them joyfully. (1 Pet. 4: 12‑14)

As the Israelites fled from the Egyptians after being told to be gone the morning after the tenth plague, the morning after the Passover had been eaten, the cloudy fiery pillar set a barrier between them and the pursuing Egyptians, casting a light ahead of it to lighten the path of Israel, but working a thick darkness to the Egyptians. So during this Harvest period and especially so during this Epiphany night, the Truth (the fiery pillar) has been the means of separating the faithful from the measurably faithful and from the unfaithful. That which effects deliverance for the faithful, keeping them standing and growing in “grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” (2 Pet. 3:18) is the very thing that entraps the unfaithful and brings them to a fall. This is much the same picture as given in Ex. 4:9, where Moses was told to “take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.” The refreshing Harvest Truth would appear to be bloody repulsive error to those for whom it was not intended. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him…” (1 Cor. 2:14)

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This paper includes excerpts from the following: Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 6, pages 457–465, and several of Brother John J. Hoefle’s writings.

With this writing comes Christian love to all God’s people wherever they may assemble. We especially offer a prayer for the Lord’s nearness and rich blessing in the preparation for, and participation in this coming service. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – May members of the Youthful Worthies participate in the Memorial Supper, as was their custom before realizing that they belonged to this class?

ANSWER – The primary participants in the Lord’s Supper are the Little Flock.  By their participation therein they are privileged to symbolize three things: (1) the death of our Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 11:26); (2) their faith, appropriating justification through His death (Matt. 26:28); and (3) their sharing with Him in the privilege of the sacrificial death for the world (1 Cor. 10:16,17). The Little Flock will be privileged to do these three things as long as it is in the flesh. The Great Company, as such, will cease in the Memorial Supper to symbolize death with Christ, when they recognize that they are no longer dying with Him; but they will not for that reason cease partaking of the Memorial Supper for the other two purposes above mentioned. So it seems to us the case stands with the Youthful Worthies. They are not privileged in the Lord’s Supper to symbolize death with Christ; for they are not dying as a part of The Christ. But they may partake of the Lord’s Supper to symbolize His death as the Lamb of God, and to symbolize their faith, tentatively appropriating justification through His death. We have two reasons for believing that it is appropriate for the Youthful Worthies to partake of the Lord’s Supper for the first two purposes above set forth. (1) Not only the firstborns, but all Israelites by Divine command and approval (Ex. 12:25-27; Josh. 5:10; 2 Chro. 35:1-19) partook of the annual Passover, the type of the Lord’s Supper. This types that all ultimate believers ─ the Youthful Worthies, as well as all new creatures ─ may celebrate the Lord’s Supper. (2) The Apostles partook of the first Lord’s Supper while consecrated but in a tentatively justified condition. At that time their condition was very much the same as that of the Youthful Worthies, though they had a prospect of membership in the Body of Christ denied the Youthful Worthies. (By Brother Paul Johnson, E-4-page 408, bottom, 409)

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“IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW”

Brother John Barham, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, finished his course late December 2013. He came into the Truth when a young man, and has been a “good soldier” in the Lord’s Army since that time, remaining faithful to the end. When such good brethren leave us we feel a deep sadness. He is now asleep in Jesus awaiting the resurrection of the Just (Acts 24:15). We mourn his passing with his family and friends

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NO. 678: PROSPECT

“…things which must shortly come to pass.” (Rev. 1:1)

 These words, true when our Lord uttered them, are no less true now, some 1,900 years later. We are sure that the wonderful events with which this Age is to close and the Millennial Age is to open are now near, even at the door. There are some, however, who argue that the Lord and the Apostles must have been mistaken when they used such language; for they say, 1,900 years are not “shortly.”

We reply that all depends upon the standpoint. From the human standpoint 1,900 years is a dreadfully long period, but not so from the Divine. The prophet intimates this saying, “…a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday…” (Psa. 90:4) Yes, responded the Apostle Peter, “…be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years...” (2 Pet. 3:8)

From the Divine standpoint, therefore, the 6,000 years since Adam’s creation are but six days of a great week of which the Millennial Age is the great Sabbath. Suppose now that the mechanic or the homemaker had in mind a work week beginning with Monday morning and closing with Saturday night, and suppose that Friday morning had arrived — would anyone say that the truth was being stretched if it were said the week is “far spent,” the work-time now is short; the rest that is promised will “shortly come to pass?” Surely these would be usual and proper statements. Thus it is with the words of our Lord and His apostles. They were living in the beginning of the fifth thousand year day, and properly the Holy Spirit in them recognized the promised blessings as near.

BECLOUDING ERRORS AVOIDED

Both the object and manner of the second coming have confused many, holding as they do that Christ’s second coming will be in a body of flesh and visible to mankind, and holding also as they mostly do that the object of His coming will be to gather His Saints to Himself and to utterly destroy the remainder of mankind and the world itself with fire. They have been led to pull and twist the various prophetic time prophecies so as to have them all end at the same moment of the one day in which they expect Christ to appear, the judgment of the world to take place, and the burning to begin.

Delivered from both of these errors, our eyes have been opened to a realization of the fact that the judgment of the world means its trial for life everlasting, and not its condemnation to the Second Death. We see that the world was condemned as a race because of original sin, and that the whole world has been under this curse or sentence of death for now 6,000 years. We see that in much mercy God redeemed us from that curse or sentence of eternal death by the death of His Son, our Lord. We see that the only ones who are even accounted as escaped from that death sentence are the few who have been blessed with hearing ears and understanding hearts. As the apostle declares, these have “…escaped the corruption that is in the world...” (2 Pet. 1:4) The great mass of mankind outside the Household of Faith are still under the original sentence — eternal death.

We see that God’s object in giving some a knowledge during the Gospel Age whereby they  might escape this sentence, and reach life everlasting in Christ, was  to  gather out a “little flock” to be joint-heirs with His Son in the glorious Millennial Kingdom.

THE SEED OF ABRAHAM

We see that Christ and His overcoming Church, His Bride, constitute the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29) which is to bless all the families of the earth during the Millennial Age. We see that the blessing that will come to the world will be the trial or judgment of that blessed Millennial Day, and that the knowledge of the Lord and full opportunity are promised as incidental to the world’s trial for life everlasting. This saves us from the thought that the Church, the Little Flock, of Christ, alone has a part in the blessings secured from the atonement. It saves us too from the error of supposing that the second coming of Christ is the end of all hope, mercy and probation. It shows us, on the contrary, that so far as the generality of our race is concerned, that event is but the beginning of Divine mercy and opportunity and trial for life eternal for the world.

A careful examination of the Father’s word has assured us fully that our Lord Jesus left the glory, dignity and honor of His spiritual condition when He became a man, not that He might remain a man to all eternity, but that as a man He might give the ransom price for Adam and all his race. We see that He did this, and we have the clear scriptural testimony that the Father was pleased to honor Him, not merely with the same honor that He had before, but He was pleased to exalt Him far above angels, principalities and powers, and every name that is named. We perceive the clear scriptural testimony that He was “…put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:18) We perceive that after His resurrection, though still in the world for 40 days, He was with His disciples but for a few moments on the seven occasions, and then in different forms, as proving to them and to us that, although He was the same Jesus, He was now “changed” and no longer human and subject to human conditions. To demonstrate this He appeared in the room with His disciples while “the doors were shut,” (John 20:19) and, departing, “vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:31) He appeared in flesh and garments as suited the convenience of the occasions, and thus manifested the same powers that He and associated holy angels had manifested in previous times; as, for instance, when the Lord and three angels appeared to Abraham and took dinner with him and talked with him and afterward went down and delivered Lot out of Sodom.

NO LONGER A MAN

We thus realize that our Lord Jesus is no longer a man, but, as the apostle declares, “…the Lord is that Spirit…” (2 Cor. 3:17) and “…though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we him no more.” (2 Cor. 5:16) We, therefore, are no longer expecting as do others that He will come a second time in the flesh. On the contrary, the expectation of the Church was to be changed and made as He is, in order to see Him as He is — not as He was at the First Advent. (1 John 3:2)

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matt. 24:36) This text is frequently misapplied. It does not say that of that day and hour no man shall ever know. At the time of its utterance neither men nor angels nor the Lord Jesus Himself knew the time of His second coming; but when the second coming takes place the Lord undoubtedly will be aware of it before the time, and so also the holy angels who will be His escort; and there would be nothing inconsistent with the statement if some of the Lord’s consecrated people might have intimations respecting the event. Other Scriptures speak of “the day of the Lord,” signifying a period in which He will be manifested. For instance, the apostle tells us that “…the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they [the world] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thes. 5:2-4) Note how explicit is this declaration, and how clearly it divides between the Church and the world — between the class who will know in advance respecting the day of the Lord and the class that will not know until the great trouble of the “day of wrath” is upon them.

PAROUSIA VERSUS EPIPHANIA

The Scriptures (Greek) use both of these words in referring to the second coming of Christ; but neither of them signify the same as our English word coming, viz., approach. We would like to make very clear the Scriptures’ teaching — that in the end of this Gospel Age our Lord, at His Second Advent, will for a time be present but invisible, and that subsequently His presence will be revealed (epiphania) or made known. None will know of His presence until after He is here, only the thoroughly consecrated, Israelites indeed, will know of the matter at all until the outward manifestation will be in the day of trouble — judgments coming upon present institutions. The early part of the Lord’s presence will be devoted to His Church, as His words specifically inform us.

In giving the great prophecy of Matt. 25, the Lord tells us that in the time of His second presence He will gird Himself (that is, take the position of a servant,) and come forth and serve His people with “things new and old,” “meat in due season for the Household of Faith.” This service will be rendered at a time when the world will not know of His presence, but will be saying that all things continue as they were from the foundation of the world. Another of our Lord’s parables represents that at His Second Advent He will call His own servants and reckon with them and reward them; he that has received the two talents and used them wisely will be rewarded; he who received the five talents and used them wisely and profitably will be rewarded. Their rewards are stated: Some shall be made rulers over five cities, others over ten cities — in the Kingdom, shortly after it has been established. Evidently this testing of the Church and determining its rewards will be before there is any manifestation to the world to the presence of the Son of man at His Second Advent. Afterward, when ready to begin dealing with the world, judging the institutions of the present time, the presence of the Son of man will be revealed “in flaming fire”— judgments. (2 Thes. 1:8)

DAY OF THE PRESENCE

OF CHRIST

In Matthew 24:37, our Lord distinctly makes a statement concerning His Second Advent. It reads thus: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” This is evidently intended to be an illustration, but there is an incongruity in comparing the days of Noah and the coming of the Son of man. The difficulty is made clear when we find that the word here rendered coming is parousia, and does not mean coming, but means presence, as every Greek scholar knows. Now let us read the verse and see how plain it becomes, “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the presence of the Son of man be.” It is plain now. The days of the presence of the Son of man will in some respects resemble the days of Noah, preceding the flood. Now we turn to Luke’s account of the same discourse and read (Luke 17:26), “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” Now the two statements are in harmony, and we know to look for some correspondence as between Noah’s days and the days of the presence of Christ in the end of this Age.

Is there anything to indicate what the correspondencies will be? Yes; it is specifically stated thus: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming [parousia, presence] of the Son of man be.” (Matt: 24:38,39) Let us not lose the point of the illustration: the Lord was not suggesting that eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage were wicked things in the days of Noah, which would be duplicated in the days of the presence of the Son of man. The thought is that as the people of Noah’s day knew not of the coming flood, but were going about their ordinary business, so also in the end of this Age, in the time of the presence of the Son of man, the world will be going about its ordinary business, its eating and drinking, planting and building and marrying, totally unaware, unconscious of the time in which they are living — that it is the closing time of the Gospel Dispensation and the opening time of the great Millennial Age, to be ushered in with a great Time of Trouble such as never was before.

This, it will be perceived, is in strict harmony with what the apostle said, namely, that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief and a snare upon the whole world, and that they would not escape. But, in harmony with the apostle’s suggestion that “ye, brethren,” would not be left in “darkness,” should not we, dear brethren, be on the lookout to see by what means the Lord will inform us respecting the Harvest Time of this Gospel Age, respecting the presence of the Son of man, and respecting the work that will be done in the time of His presence, and before His revealing to the world, before His epiphania (revealing) in the Time of Trouble?

“BEHOLD, I COME AS A THIEF”

The Scripture prophecies clearly teach that we are now living in “the days of the Son of man” (Luke 17:26) — in the parousia, in the time of the Lord’s presence. We are not pointing you to a future date, but pointing back to the fall of 1874, when no one had the slightest knowledge of the facts of the case when it occurred. Our Lord said, “Behold, I come as a thief” (Rev. 16:15) — quietly, secretly, unknown, and so it has been; He came without our knowing it. It is since His presence that the light has shone particularly upon His word. He has indeed girded Himself and come forth to serve His people. We have been the recipient of His favors, of His grace, of His truth, as respects things new and old. It is our understanding of the teachings of the Word that, during the Harvest Time and before the great time of anarchy and trouble upon the world and the smiting of present institutions, that all the Lord’s true people, all who are Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile, will have been brought to a knowledge of the Lord and of the truth, a knowledge of the Divine Plan of the Ages and of the presence of the Chief Reaper in the harvest of this Age.

It need not surprise us that all of the Lord’s people do not receive the meat in due season at the same moment. It must be passed from one to another, for so illustrations in the Scripture intimate, until all “the wise shall understand.” But the Scriptures are equally explicit in the statement that “none of the wicked shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10) Those who are of a rebellious attitude of mind and heart, who, even if God’s true children, are cultivating in their hearts envy, malice, hatred, strife and other works of the flesh and of the devil, are not in a condition to hear the voice of the Son of man. His is the still small voice intended only for those who have an ear to hear, and this hearing is granted only to those who have hearts in accord with the Lord’s spirit.

THE CHART ILLUSTRATIONS

We refer you to the chart representing the Plan of the Ages (Studies in the Scriptures, Volume I, frontispiece) to see how the various time prophecies, although making no mention of the second coming of Christ, clearly indicate and imply that His parousia, His presence, would begin in October, 1874. First, we call to mind the Jubilee type. It explicitly indicates that the “times of restitution of all things” — earth’s great Jubilee — were due to begin in October 1874 (see Studies in the Scriptures, Volume II, Study VI). The two lines of testimony on the subject — the law and the prophets — both point to the same time. We look about us and see evidences of restitution work, finding that since 1874 the work of blowing the trumpets, the demanding of human rights and privileges, has been the order of the day.

Now let us notice the words of the Apostle Peter, uttered nineteen centuries ago. He said: “…times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; Whom the heaven must receive [retain] until the times of restitution of all things...” (Acts 3:19-21) Note these words particularly — the heavens were to receive our Redeemer, to retain Him, until the restitution times. The lesson clearly would be that if restitution times chronologically began in October, 1874, the heavens no longer retain our Lord. This is an indirect way that the Scriptures teach that the Lord became present in 1874, yet all were unaware of the matter at the time.

PARTIAL FULFILLMENT IN 1799

We call to your attention what the Prophet Daniel calls the “days of waiting” (refer to Volume III, Study III for a detailed discussion of this subject). In prophecy he foretold of the rise of Papacy, and, foretold the length of its dominion to be 1,260 prophetic days, literally years — exactly the same that is stated three times in the book of Revelation as measuring the prosperity of the great system which “…shall wear out the saints of the Most High…” (Dan. 7:25) for 1,260 days or 1,260 literal years. The 1,260 years of papal dominion lasted from the year 539 to the year 1799 A.D. — from the time papacy was set up in power, until the time when its power was broken by Napoleon Bonaparte, who carried the pope a prisoner to France, and in so doing showed the whole world that the claims of the man who sat upon the papal throne that he was “another God on earth” and had power in heaven, earth and purgatory, were bombastic claims, unsupported by any real evidence of power.

The next period of 1,290 days (years) ended in 1829 with the beginning of the Second Advent movement of that period, which had a great influence upon its time. The 1,335 prophetic days (years) of the same prophecy reached to October, 1874 — ending exactly at the same place, at the time indicated by the Jubilee. We call your attention to the words of the Prophet Daniel in connection with these 1,335 days. He said, “Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” (Dan. 12:12)

Those who have lived and patiently waited for the fulfillment of the Lord’s gracious promises have received a special blessing — a blessing which began with and dated from the fall of 1874. Every step of our progress in the knowledge of the Divine Plan is a fresh cause for rejoicing. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth…” (Psa. 40:3)

GENTILE TIMES END A. D. 1914

Now notice the other prophecy respecting Israel’s seven times of chastisement under the nations — 2,520 years from the time the crown was removed from the head of their last king, Zedekiah, and down to the year 1914. A period of 40 years is thus appropriated, first to the gathering of the harvest of the Gospel Age — the resurrection of the sleeping Saints and the testing and proving and gathering to the Lord of the living members of the Body. Look at the (nominal) church and see how infidelity under the name of higher criticism is invading the nominal sanctuary — how few are clean and free from the contamination. It is bound to make a division but, alas, so few will be found faithful to the Lord and to His word that the great majority, losing their faith, will have so much company in the matter that they will not realize for some time their fall from Divine favor and grace. It will not take many years to accomplish this separation. Look at the world, and see how the love of money has bewitched all, so that little else than money or pleasure is ever thought of in civilized lands. See how this spirit of selfishness is working amongst the masses and the classes of the world in general, how these are being bound in bundles — into organizations, combinations and unions, and how the capitalistic class is being bound also into other unions, confederations, combinations, and trusts, and note that the same spirit is infecting churchianity and for the same reasons — for self-protection, for self-aggrandizement, for power. Think how far along these organizations are at the present times, and what the struggle will be when they are all thoroughly organized and the tug of war shall come. The Scriptures tell us distinctly how the battle will result, that Babylon the Great will fall, and that with her in the battle will go down the kings and princes and mighty ones of earth, and that a terrible time of anarchy will prevail, and the only bright spot in the future lies beyond in the gracious promises of the God of Heaven, that on the ruins of present institutions He will establish His Kingdom.

JEWISH AND GOSPEL

AGES PARALLEL

Now, look at the parallels of the Jewish and Gospel dispensations. Note how all of these prophecies are harmonized and unified in this teaching of the parallels between the two Israels, the house of servants and the house of sons — the one under Moses, the Mediator of the Law Covenant; the other under Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant — the one founded to Jacob with his twelve sons, natural Israel; the other founded by Christ, the true Israel of God, with His twelve apostles. The house of servants, we have seen, began with the death of Jacob and lasted 1,811 years, until the First Advent movement at the time of our Lord’s birth, when all men were in expectation of Him, and when wise men from the East sought for Him. And likewise from the death of Christ, where this Gospel Age began, 1,811 years reached to the Second Advent movement, which occurred in 1844.

We are not Second Adventists, nor would Second Adventists in any sense or degree recognize us or our teachings, but we do believe that the movement which culminated in 1844 was in some measure instigated by the Almighty, and that it had a powerful influence favorable to the truth. There the virgins, as foretold in Matthew 25, went forth to meet the Bridegroom and he tarried, and they all afterward slumbered and slept until the morning, until the announcement, “…Behold, the bridegroom…” (Matt. 25:6) Thirty years after the Advent Movement at Bethlehem there was another Advent Movement at Jordan, when John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, and when our Lord really entered upon His work. And similarly in the end of this Age, 30 years from 1844 brings us to 1874, where the Jubilee testimony proclaims to us the Lord’s presence. Forty years from the time Jesus was baptized by John at Jordan, the Jewish nation was utterly overthrown in the greatest time of trouble ever known to that troubled people — their city was utterly destroyed. So likewise 40 years from 1874 reached to 1914, where the antitype of Israel, namely, Christendom, had the beginning of its overthrow in a Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a nation.

NOT ACCIDENTAL BUT

PROVIDENTIAL

Are these things accidental? We think not; they are all based upon the Scriptures, they are all simple and easy of demonstration, and yet they were all hidden by the method of their statement or by facts related to their interpretation, so that they could not be understood until God’s due time, when He lifts the veil. Thus the Lord said to Daniel the Prophet, in respect to his inquiry of those times and seasons, “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed and sealed till the time of the end.” (Dan. 12:9) We understand that the Time of the End began in 1799, more than two centuries ago, and that we have been in the Time of the End ever since, and that the Time of the End is another name for what another prophet calls “the day of his preparation.” (Nahm. 2:3) Since 1799 we have been in the time of the Lord’s preparation for the Millennial Kingdom. He has lifted the curtain, and light has shone in upon the world from every quarter, on mechanics, on chemistry, on every science and on every art.

SIGNS ALL ABOUT US

All of these things have served to make the day in which we live the grandest that the world has ever known; and yet these grand privileges and blessings are about to work out for our present civilization the great catastrophe of anarchy to which we have just alluded. The law of selfishness rules in the hearts of all classes, and causes envy, hatred, malice, strife, and, eventually, through socialism, will lead up to anarchy and wreck the entire social fabric.

All this is noted by the prophet, for he gives us in the same connection, after being told that the prophecy was “sealed till the time of the end,” a description of this Time of the End — a description which fits so marvelously that it will surprise everyone who will examine it. Mark the words: “…many shall run to and fro…knowledge shall be increased…the wise shall understand…there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation...” (Dan. 12:1, 4, 10)

Note the four items. First, the running to and fro. What a marvelous fulfillment we see before our eyes — steamboats, railroads, every contrivance for locomotion, and with ever-increasing speed and ever-increasing numbers (add to that today, automobiles, high speed rail, air travel, and space flight). The whole world is running to and fro, just as the Lord indicated through the prophets would be the case in this Time of the End. Could we hope to ever have a more particular fulfillment of any prophecy than this is? Surely not. Note the second point: Knowledge shall be increased. Not only is scientific knowledge increased, but the thought appears to be rather knowledge shall be generally disseminated (today we have television and the internet which put all kinds of knowledge, both good and evil, at our fingertips). And it is all over Christendom, which is the world in prophecy. Education is progressing in a wonderful manner; children of 10 years are studying subjects which their great-grandfathers never thought of studying (today even toddlers have tablet computers in their hands). In every land knowledge has been increased, and here is another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy. Could it be plainer? Mark the third point: The wise shall understand — understand the vision which Daniel could not understand, which Daniel was not permitted to understand, which Daniel was not intended to understand.

We are not posing as worldly wise. On the contrary, we are seeking the wisdom which cometh from above, the light which shines forth from the lamp which God has given us, His Word, and all who follow its leadings from the Divine standpoint are the truly wise. This class may now understand; but as the context declares, “The wicked shall do wickedly; but none of the wicked shall understand.” They will take their own course, and the Plan of God and the Word of God will daily come to appear to them more and more foolish as their scientific minds grapple with their evolution theories and their higher critical difficulties. Is this part of the prophecy being fulfilled? Is the Word and Plan of God opening before His consecrated people as never before? It most assuredly is so! Note the fourth point: “There shall be a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.” The outlook from any standpoint, but particularly from the standpoint of those who are looking from God’s standpoint, is that the Time of Trouble is nearing.

INCREASING KNOWLEDGE

BREEDS DISCONTENT

We see that the prosperity of this Time of the End is not conducive to happiness and peace; we see the whole world growing more and more discontented, although enjoying more of the blessings and favors of the Lord in temporal matters than ever before. We see that the secret of this discontent is knowledge. Knowledge is power — power for good or for evil, according to the sentiments of the heart. We must expect that only those hearts which are consecrated to the Lord and dominated by His spirit will receive this power of knowledge in such a manner as to profit themselves and their fellows; and since these are the small minority of the civilized world, we are not to be surprised that the knowledge and the power are about to wreck the present order of things. God will thus cause the wrath of man to praise Him, for, looking back, man will discover from the Millennial standpoint what were the wickedness and errors of the present time as they cannot see them now, because they are so close to them and so vitally interested. They will see that selfishness lay at the foundation of present institutions in every sense of the word; even the benevolences of the present time are to some extent handicapped by selfishness. God wishes the whole world to have a terrible lesson on the result of selfishness in the cataclysm of trouble and disintegration which it will effect; He wishes all to learn that His way is not only the right way, but the only way in which knowledge and liberty and power may be used to blessing and to profit.

Do these things appeal to you as both scriptural and rational — as being in accord with the word of God and the exercising of our senses? If so, your hearts are leaping with joy at the thought that the dark night of earth’s sin and suffering will soon be at an end and the glorious morning of the Kingdom soon be ushered in. Then you will be attentive respecting the things which must shortly come to pass — the things which are coming to pass day by day in the midst of which we are living, if this prophetic testimony and outward corroborations are trustworthy in any degree. “What must we expect in the church?” some may ask. Much depends upon what church we refer to. There are many churches of men, but only one Church of the living God whose names are written in heaven. The Scriptures everywhere show that the churches of men are more or less built upon error and are fencing in their various folds not only the Lord’s sheep, but the worldly goats — not only the Lord’s wheat, but the world’s tares. We do not understand the Scriptures to teach that the goats and tares are all coarse, rude and villainous and disreputable, any more than the sheep and wheat are all wealthy and polished gentlemen and ladies. The tests are along different lines, and we read, “The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Tim. 2:19) —regardless of outward garb, education, appearance or wealth. We further read that “…the LORD looketh on the heart,” (1Sam. 16:7) and, again, that not many great, not many learned, hath God chosen, but chiefly the poor of this world, rich in faith, to be heirs of the Kingdom.

These then, the Lord’s poor, we are to expect to find in all the various wheat fields, behind all the various creed fences, intermingling with all the various bands of tares. The harvest work, so far as the wheat is concerned, was the gathering out of these. The Lord speaks of Christendom or churchianity as a whole under the name of Babylon — the name which originally applied to the mother of harlots, but which has become appropriate to all her daughter systems as well. These are addressed by the Lord in His last message, saying: “…Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen... Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:2,4)

THE HARVEST SICKLE —

PRESENT TRUTH

The Lord is sending forth present truth as a sickle to gather the true wheat from every part of the wheat fields, not by gathering them into another denomination or sect or party or name, but simply to gather them to the Lord — to fellowship with Him and to fellowship with others of like precious faith. We are sick of churchianity, but thoroughly in love with the great Christianity which Jesus and the apostles founded, under the terms and conditions of which all of the Lord’s people are brought into heart-to-heart fellowship, and need not the bands of sects and confessions to fasten them together. Having one spirit, the spirit of truth, they are one body, as the apostle has expressed it. (1 Cor. 12:12,13, 27)

The fields are white for the harvest, and every day is making a division between the nominal Christianity and the true Christianity, and the more apparent it becomes that the nominal systems are growing more and more worldly. The colleges and seminaries of every denominational shade have for years been turning out polished infidels, who no more believe in the inspiration of God’s Word than they believe in the inspiration of Shakespeare or Dickens, and they are not slow to say this amongst themselves, though craftily, many of them disguise their infidelity before such members of their flocks as they fear would be shocked if they knew the truth; but as their numbers increase, their courage increases to boldness, and in their own circles they do not hesitate to speak of those who accept the Bible as foolish, and old fogies. Let us be glad to be counted fools for Christ’s sake. Let us note, too, that the line of division is turning here on the same issue as at the First Advent. At the First Advent the question turned on the necessity for Christ’s death as the sin offering, and so today it is turning on the same problem. Is Christ our Redeemer or merely a great teacher? All these “higher critics” claim the latter, that Jesus was a Great Teacher, but not a redeemer, and that no redemption was necessary. They hold the evolution theory that man, instead of falling from the image of God into savagery and depravity, has been falling upward, as they express it — coming from brute conditions up to the present status. This is the line of battle; let no one be deceived on the subject.

ABLE TO STAND IN THE

EVIL DAY

We are living today in the time referred to by the apostle when he said, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph. 6:13) We are in the evil day — the day of trial, the day of testing, the day referred to by the prophet when he declared: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand…” (Psa. 91:7) These thousands are already falling under the shafts of skepticism, higher criticism, evolution, etc., but the battle has already begun. There is still time for those who are the Lord’s true people to hear the jubilee trumpet, to recognize the situation, and to put on the whole armor of God, that they may be able to stand in the evil day, and that they may help others to stand.

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This paper is based on a sermon given by Pastor Russell in 1903 and printed in Harvest Gleanings, Volume 2. It has been edited to fit the space and to update certain references and language.

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