NO. 704: "HE THAT LIVETH AND WAS DEAD"

No. 704

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” (Rev. 1:18)

There is no more important lesson in the Gospel than that of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. The death of Jesus shows us His love, and the love of the Father on our behalf. But in the Divine Plan, in order for the proper benefit to come to man from the death of Jesus, He must rise from the dead; He must become the Captain of our salvation, as well as our Ransomer. A dead Christ could not be our Savior; as it is declared, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” (John 14:19)

We must have the Truth on this subject: our Lord really died. There was no sham about it; He was not, as some erroneously suppose, more alive than ever while apparently dead. In our Lord’s own words, “I am he that liveth, and was dead.” He was dead in the same sense exactly that Adam was dead, for He died as Adam’s substitute, to take his place under the Divine sentence or curse of original sin, thus to make possible the release of Adam and all of his posterity from that sentence. As Jesus did not in death go to a place of eternal torment, neither did Adam go to a place of torment, nor was anything of the kind implied in the sentence upon him, contrary to the teachings of most denominations of Christendom.

The Scriptures are plain enough in their declaration that the Lord was dead, not alive. To prevent any misunderstanding they make very plain that not merely was our Lord’s body dead, but Hissoul was dead; as we read, “He hath poured out his soul unto death;” He made “his soul an offering for sin;” and again, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” (Isa. 53:10-12) And the Prophet David states prophetically, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell” (in sheol, in hades, the tomb, the state of death). (Psa. 16:10) The Apostle Peter tells us these words refer not to David, but to our Lord; that His soul, being, was not left in the tomb; that He was raised from the dead on the third day. (Acts 2:24-27)

To suppose anything else than that our Lord was actually dead would be to suppose that Calvary was all a mockery, a farce, and that our Lord as a spirit being stepped out of the mortal body and deceived Hisexecutioners, allowing them to suppose that they killed Him, while He was more alive than ever. Scriptural declarations are quite to the contrary of this, and we must stand fast by the Word of God to avoid confusion. During the Dark Ages the theory was foisted upon the Church that a man appearing to die did not really die, but became more alive than ever. Upon this false premise various delusive errors have been built – spiritism, mysticism, eternal torment, purgatory, prayers for the dead, etc.

It is our contention that all Bible scholars are aware of the truth of what we set forth here, but few of them are willing to undertake to combat the error which has become so firmly lodged in the human mind, fearing the loss of influence, honor among men, and salary.

CEMETERIES ARE SLEEPING PLACES

The word cemetery signifies a sleeping place, a thought fully consistent with the teachings of the Scriptures. Because of our faith in God’s promise of a resurrection of the dead we, like the writers of the Bible, speak of death as a sleep. Thus, in the Old Testament it is said of all the prophets and kings that they “slept with” their fathers. Likewise, in the New Testament, Luke says of Stephen, “He fell asleep” to await the awakening time in the resurrection morning. Similarly, the Apostle Paul speaks of the dead in Christ being awakened in that glorious morning, and he even calls our attention to the fact that the whole world may be properly said to “sleep in Jesus,” because our Lord by His death redeemed the whole world of mankind and broke their death sentence and will in due time awaken them all in the resurrection morning. Thus the Apostle, in writing to the Church respecting their dead and dying friends, both in and out of Christ, says, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died [as the Ransom price for original sin, on behalf of the whole human race] and rose again [to be the deliverer of the race from the bonds of sin and death], even so them also [let us believe also] which sleep in Jesus [whose death through His merit has been changed to a sleep] will God bring with [by] him [from the dead].” (1 Thess. 4:13,14) This is in harmony with the Father’s arrangement for a resurrection “both of the just and unjust” to be accomplished by the Lord Jesus, His honored representative. (Acts 24:15)

In this connection let us remember our Lord’s words, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth.” (John 5:28,29) We call attention to the word “graves” in this text. The word here rendered “graves” is not the Greek hades, which is the equivalent of sheol in the Hebrew; both these words signify the death state. The word translated graves in this text is a different one, namely, the Greek word mnemeion, which signifies remembrance. The proper thought then is that our friends and neighbors of the world of mankind are not blotted out of existence, but are still in Divine “remembrance.” They are subjects of Divine power and will eventually be released from the great prison-house of death by Him who bought us all with His own precious blood.

RESURRECTION HOPES AND JOYS

Joy fills our hearts when we consider the resurrection of our Lord Jesus and think of the resurrection morning of the Millennial Day, with its promise that the Lord God shall wipe away all tears from off all faces, and there shall be no more sighing, no more crying, no more dying, because all the former things shall have passed away! (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4) But despite this promise, the resurrection does not hold its proper place in the minds of the majority of Christian people for the same reason that the second coming of Christ has lost its proper relationship to their faith.

The fault lies in the fact that the Scriptural promises have been replaced by another unscriptural hope – a hope that men do not die but pass immediately into glory or immediately into eternal anguish. To those who thus misread their Bibles, the word resurrection has little real significance. To them it is not only a needless and useless proposition but a very inconvenient one. They ask, “Why have a resurrection for those who have gone to eternal joy in heaven? Why have a resurrection for those who have passed into eternal torment? What is to be gained?”

Very true, we answer! Under such conditions a resurrection would be of no value and would have no place, but those are not the conditions. The dead are dead; they have neither joy nor suffering while they sleep. They know nothing of the lapse of time; the awakening moment to each will be the next in consciousness to the one when they died. From this standpoint the resurrection is all important; without it there could be no future life or bliss.

Our dear Redeemer indicated that the blessing of the world depended upon their hearing His voice and coming forth from the prison-house of death, the tomb, to hear the good tidings, to be judged or tested as to their willingness to obey. All who will obey the commands of the great King shall by His judgments then abroad in the earth be brought to perfection and life eternal, while the disobedient at heart shall ultimately be destroyed in the Second Death. (John 5:25; Acts 3:23)

The Apostle Paul wrote a wonderful chapter (1 Cor. 15) fully setting forth this doctrine. Without a resurrection, he says, all our hopes and preaching are vain, and all those who have already died are perished. (1 Cor. 15:14-18) The Apostle was writing to those who believed in the resurrection of Jesus, but who disbelieved in the necessity for their own resurrection. His argument is very plain: If the dead do not rise, then Christ did not rise. If Christ did not rise, the basis of all our hope and faith is gone; and if Christ did rise from the dead we must logically believe that the resurrection of His followers will be like His.

Indeed, as the Apostle again says, the resurrection of the Church is spoken of as being Christ’s resurrection, having a share in Christ’s resurrection; in coming forth the Church will share the same kind of resurrection as our Lord, be like Him – put to death in the flesh they will be quickened in spirit, sown in corruption they will be raised in incorruption, sown in weakness they will be raised in power, sown natural (animal) bodies they will be raised spiritual bodies. (1 Cor. 15:42-44) All who are transferred from Adam to Christ and accepted of God as members of the Body of Christ, members of the Bride of Christ, have His new nature, are begotten of the Spirit and will in the resurrection be spirit beings like their Lord and Head.

If our Lord became the first-fruits of them that slept, did He not sleep? And do not the others sleep? And if He was awakened, raised from the dead by the Father’s power, must not all be awakened and lifted up? A first-fruits implies after-fruits. The Scriptures point out that the Church is included with the Lord as a part of the first-fruits, “a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (Jas. 1:18) Thus the resurrection of the Christ began with the resurrection of our Lord and will be consummated with the change of the last member of the Church, which is His Body. The first-fruits will then be complete.

But this will not consummate the Divine Plan: “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming [presence].” (1 Cor. 15:23) It is God’s intention to have a great harvest of after-fruits, which will be gathered during the Millennial Age. The resurrection of the remainder of mankind will be to earthly conditions, a gradual uplifting to the full perfection of human nature, all that Adam originally had but lost, plus experience. Our Lord’s presence (parousia) will continue for a thousand years for the purpose of judging the world under favorable conditions of knowledge and opportunity, assisting those who will be glad to go up on the Highway of Holiness to perfection, to full recovery out of sin and death. (Isa. 35:8-10) That noble company will be the after-fruits of the Divine Plan.

Earth as well as heaven will be filled with the glory of God when all evil doers have been cut off; and every voice in heaven and earth shall be heard praising Him who sits upon the throne and the Lamb for the grand consummation of the Divine Plan! (Rev. 5:13)

When we properly grasp the importance of the resurrection of Jesus, we understand why the very detailed description of it is given us in the Gospels. Without faith in the resurrection of Jesus we cannot have faith in the merit of His death, in the sufficiency of His sin-offering on our behalf. Consequently we cannot be certain of our own resurrection, the salvation which shall be brought unto us at the revelation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 1:13)

Since the Apostles and the five hundred converts to our Lord’s teaching at the time were natural men, they needed such proofs as would appeal to the natural mind. Likewise, the message of our Lord’s death and resurrection has gone to natural men all through the Gospel Age. The message must be plain and distinct so as to be understood by all. After the Apostles received the Holy Spirit they understood matters connected with our Lord’s death and resurrection which they did not understand before. It is similar with us; when we receive the Holy Spirit through the Word, we come to a deeper appreciation of the features of Divine Truth.

PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH, QUICKENED IN SPIRIT

Our Lord took the human nature not with the object of keeping it to all eternity; He took it that He might be able to present the ransom-sacrifice on our behalf; that He might die as the man Christ Jesus for the man Adam and his posterity who inherited his death penalty. The death of Jesus finished the work which He came to do, as His dying words show: “It is finished.” (John 19:30) There was no reason for Him to be raised a human being, but every reason for Him not to be. As a human being He would have been limited in His power, talents, dignities, and honors and would thus have been forever humiliated as the result of the great work which He accomplished in obedience to the Father’s program.

This would be quite the opposite of what the Apostle points out when he declares that God raised Jesus from the dead and highly exalted Him far above angels, principalities and powers and every name that is named. (Phil. 2:9; Eph. 1:21) It is evident then that He does not now have a human nature but, as the Scriptures declare, a Divine nature, for the human nature, instead of being far above that of angels, is “a little lower than the angels.” (Psa. 8:5)

Our Lord was “put to death in the flesh” but not quickened or made alive or resurrected in the flesh. As the Apostle declared, He was quickened (made alive) in spirit, a spirit being of the highest order, changed from mortal to immortal, because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Pet. 3:18; 1 Cor. 15:45,50)

THE LESSONS TAUGHT

Our Lord’s followers learned two great lessons: (1) Their Master was no longer dead but alive, risen from the dead; (2) He was no longer the man Christ Jesus, but Jesus changed, glorified. “Now the Lord is that Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:17)

How could His followers learn these lessons, given they were, as our Lord says, “slow of heart to believe,” because they were natural men with natural minds, naturally disposed to think of things only upon the earthly, fleshly plane? (Luke 24:25) Our Lord made very clear to their natural senses the fact of His resurrection by removing His body from the tomb, by the vision of angels speaking of our Lord as risen, by the clothes and napkins lying in their places as though they had been laid aside by one awakening from sleep.

To emphasize this lesson our Lord, although a spirit being, appeared to the disciples in bodies of flesh which He permitted to be touched on one or two occasions. But to guard against the idea that He was still man, lest they should lose sight of the fact that He was a spirit being appearing as a man (as the angels had frequently done in the past), our Lord appeared in various forms, once as a gardener, once as a stranger traveling to Emmaus, once as a stranger on the shore of Galilee calling to the fishermen and directing them where to cast their nets, and twice in the upper room. There He demonstrated that He was not a man by coming and going while the doors were shut. In these various ways the Lord demonstrated the double lesson, and remained with His disciples forty days that these lessons might be well learned – first, that He was risen; secondly, that He was changed and was no longer the man Christ Jesus.

It is no wonder that the early Church gradually changed the day specially set apart for Divine worship from the seventh day to the first day of the week. This was done in appreciation of the value of our Lord’s resurrection on that day and the fact that they were no longer Jews under the Jewish Law. It was not done with any law or command, but simply of good will and of choice, since to the Christian every day is a Sabbath, a holy day in which he is not to do anything which would be wrong or displeasing to the Lord. The custom is a beautiful one and all who love the Lord and appreciate the value of His resurrection must esteem the first day of the week on that account. It was made sacred by our Lord’s resurrection; it became, therefore, to His followers the day of hope.

The Gospels give various accounts of the resurrection morning. Mary Magdalene was one of the first at the sepulcher while it was yet dark. With her were Mary (mother of James), Salome, and Joanna. (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10) On their way they had been wondering who would roll away the stone from the mouth of the sepulcher that they might enter with their spices to complete the embalming work which was stopped two evenings before due to the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath.

They were surprised to find the stone already rolled away. When they saw that the Lord’s body was not there, Mary Magdalene hastened to the home of John, with whom Peter was lodging, and told them. The other women left to communicate the news to the other disciples. The two Apostles ran to the sepulcher. John, the younger, outrunning Peter, arrived there first. Awestricken, John stooped down and looked in. When Peter arrived, he entered followed by John. They found things as Mary had described them: the body gone and the linen cloths lying there. Troubled and perplexed they went their way. Although they then believed that Mary’s story was true, that His body had been removed, they did not yet believe that the Lord had risen, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” (John 20:9)

Mary returned to the tomb filled with sorrow; she was weeping and saying in her heart: They might at least have left us the body of our Lord. She looked again into the sepulcher and saw two angels who said, “Why weepest thou?” intimating that there was no cause for weeping and thus helping to prepare Mary for the next step in our Lord’s revealing. Something called her attention backward and she saw a man. Supposing Him to be the gardener, she appealed to Him, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” Then Jesus, who had hidden His identity by appearing as a gardener, revealed Himself through the tone of His voice which she so well knew, uttering her name only. In a moment the truth flashed upon her mind and she cried, “Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” (John 20:11-16)

Sometimes it is with us as it was with Mary. Sorrow fills our hearts and we cannot see the streams of joy and everlasting blessing which the Lord has for us; not until we hear His voice, His word, do we appreciate the Truth. But all who know the Master truly know His voice, know His message, know His spirit, His disposition. As He Himself expressed it, His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him; they do not recognize the voice of strangers. (John 10:3-5)

In her joy, Mary was apparently about to grasp the Lord by the feet, but He told her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” Our Lord charged Mary to take the message to the Apostles: “Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17) Delivering this message was a service she could render to the Lord and to the Apostles.

The lesson for us is obvious. We, too, have heard of the death and resurrection of Jesus and additionally have learned of God’s grace through Him, and it is our privilege to carry the message to all of the brethren wherever they may be, to all who have the hearing ear.

Our Lord’s declaration that He had not yet ascended to the Father emphasizes the fact that He did not go to heaven when He died, but into the tomb, into the state of death. It emphasizes also the fact that He is our Elder Brother, the forerunner into the Father’s presence and into the glories which God hath in reservation for all those that love Him.

IT IS SOWN, IT IS RAISED

We call attention to the words of the Apostle describing the resurrection change of the Church. He says, “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural [animal] body; it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Cor. 15:42-44)

Since the Church’s resurrection is really a share or part of Christ’s resurrection, the First Resurrection, these words must also describe our Lord’s resurrection. We ask: What was sown and what was raised? We answer: It was our Lord’s soul or being. When He was thirty years of age He was simply the perfect one, a man separate from sinners. But when He consecrated Himself at baptism and was begotten of the Holy Spirit, He was then a New Creature in embryo. It was our Lord the New Creature who was the heir of all things, the High Priest whose privilege it was to sacrifice. He sacrificed His flesh, His earthly nature, which He covenanted to the Lord at His baptism. He finished the work of sacrificing at Calvary; for parts of three days He was dead, but when the resurrection moment came and the Father raised Him up by His own power, He did not raise up the sacrificed flesh but the New Creature, the “it” to which the Apostle refers, the “it” which was sown, buried in the flesh, in dishonor, with the wicked and the rich. “It” was raised the third day to glory, honor and immortality, the Divine nature. In other words the New Creature was perfected by being given a new body.

All members of the Church while in the flesh have been, like their Lord was, dual beings. They have been reckoned as New Creatures while their mortal bodies have been reckoned dead. With the death of the mortal flesh, the New Creature will be perfected by being granted a new body, a resurrection body. Let us remember the Apostle’s words: “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things…That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” (Phil. 3:8-10)

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The above is based on Reprint 4174. The language has been updated and it has been condensed to fit the space. While the primary application of these thoughts would be to the Church, it has a secondary application to the Youthful Worthies, who have the “faith of Abraham.” Having this faith quality, they heed the Lord’s invitation to consecrate and give Him their hearts.

NO. 703: SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

No. 703

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”

(1 Cor. 11:26)

Once again the time comes to celebrate the Memorial of our Lord’s crucifixion, the correct time for 2016 being after 6 p.m. on March 21. The date is determined by this method: The moon nearest the Vernal Equinox becomes new in Jerusalem on March 9 at 3:54 a.m., thus establishing 6 p.m. March 8 as the beginning of Nisan 1, Bible reckoning. Counting forward to Nisan 14, we arrive at 6 p.m. March 21. Any time that evening after 6 p.m. would be proper for the celebration.

THE PASSOVER SEASON

The interest of Christians in the Passover season centers especially in the slaying of the lamb, which preceded the Passover Feast, and which typified the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus. Our celebration of this Passover season, therefore, relates to the great Antitype. At this time we as Christians commemorate the greatest event of all history, the sacrificial death of the Savior of the world.

While millions of professed Christians and Jews celebrate this most important event in formal ceremonies, few of either religion discern the real significance of the celebration. Could their minds be thoroughly awakened to its true significance, there would be a religious revival such as the world has never yet known. But, as St. Paul declares, “The god of this world hath blinded the minds” of many. (2 Cor. 4:4) Even some whose eyes of under­standing are partially opened are described by St. Peter as being blind and unable to “see afar.” (2 Pet. 1:9) They are unable to see the deep things of God in respect to these ceremonies, which have been celebrated for more than three thousand years.

The Israelites were commanded to celebrate the Passover as the first feature of the Law and as one of their greatest memorials as a nation, and in some degree the Passover is still celebrated by Jews in all parts of the world, even by those who claim to be agnostics. They still have a measure of respect for the Passover as an ancient custom, but few, if any, have ever thought it worthwhile to inquire as to the meaning of this celebration.

Why was the Passover lamb slain and eaten? Why was the blood sprinkled upon the door-posts and lintels? Of course, God so commanded; but what was the reason, the motive, behind the Divine command – what lesson, what object? Truly our reasonable God gives reasonable commands; and in due time He will cause His faithful people to understand the significance of every requirement. Many realize that the Jewish Sabbath day is a type of a coming epoch of rest and blessing, of release from toil, sorrow and death, yet they cannot see that similarly all the features of the Mosaic institution were designed of the Lord to be foreshadows of various blessings, to be bestowed “in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:6)

FIRST-FRUITS AND AFTER-FRUITS

Blessed are those whose eyes can see that Jesus was indeed “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” that the cancellation of the world’s sin is to be effected by the payment of man’s penalty, by the application of Jesus’ sacrificial merit in due time for the sins of all mankind. (John 1:29) Greatly favored are those who can see that the whole world lost Divine favor and came under the Divine sentence of death, with its accompanying sorrow and pain, and so it was necessary that a satisfaction of Justice should be made before this sentence, or curse, could be removed. Therefore, as the Apostles declare, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3) – “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Pet. 3:18) Thus He opened up a new way – a way to life everlasting.

The Scriptures call the Church of Christ the “church of the firstborn;” “a kind of firstfruits of his creatures;” “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Heb. 12:23; Jas. 1:18; Rev. 14:4) These expressions imply that ultimately there will be others of God’s family later born; they imply after-fruits. Christian people in general seem to have overlooked the implication of these Scriptures, generally believing that only those designated in the Bible as the first-fruits will ever be saved – that there will be no after-fruits. But the Passover type indicates that it was God’s purpose to save all Israelites; and that as a nation they represented all of mankind who will ultimately come into harmony with God and be granted everlasting life in the Land of Promise.

It is important to note that there were two Passovers – the one in which only the first-borns were passed over, and another greater one at the Red Sea. There, by Divine Power, the whole nation of Israel was miraculously delivered and led across the channel especially prepared for them by the accentuation of winds and tides. These passed over on dry land and were saved, while the hosts of Pharaoh, representing all who eventually will go into the Second Death, were overwhelmed in the sea and were destroyed. The passover at the Red Sea pictures the ultimate deliverance from the power of sin and death of every member of Adam’s race who desires to come into accord with God and to render Him worship, all who will ultimately become a part of Israel, for not one Israelite was left behind in Egyptian bondage.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FIRST-BORNS

But the passover at the Red Sea is not the one which we celebrate in the Memorial service. We celebrate the antitype of the passing over of the first-borns of Israel by the angel, in the land of Egypt. Only the first-born ones of Israel were endangered on that night in Egypt, though the deliverance of the entire nation depended upon the salvation, the passing over, of those first-borns. So only the First-borns of the sons of God from the human plane, the Church of Christ, have been passed over during this night of the Gospel Age; only these have been in danger of the destroying angel. The remainder of mankind who may desire to follow the great antitypical Moses, when He shall lead the people forth from the bondage of sin and death in the Age to follow this, have not been in danger of eternal destruction – only the First-borns. This is the lesson of the Passover type.

When the night of sin and death has passed away and the glorious Morn of deliverance has come, then The Christ, Head and Body, the antitypical Moses, will lead forth, will deliver, all the people of God – all who, when they shall come to know, will be glad to reverence, honor and obey the will of God. That Day of Deliverance will be the entire Millennial Age, at the close of which all evil and evil-doers, symbolized by the hosts of Egypt, will be utterly cut off in the Second Death – destruction. (Acts 3:22,23)

JESUS OUR PASSOVER LAMB

Note that the Divine favor toward the first-born of Israel was not without blood. Indeed, as St. Paul points out, the whole lesson of the Old Testament Scriptures is that “without shedding of blood is no remission” of sins. (Heb. 9:22) By Divine command, the Israelites indicated their faith in the Lord by taking a lamb of the first year without spot or defect, killing it and sprinkling the blood upon the door posts and lintels of their houses and eating the flesh within.

As the Passover was typical, so also were the lamb and the sprinkled blood. The lamb represented Jesus, the Lamb of God – spotless, pure, holy, harmless, undefiled. His death was not for His own sins, but for the sins of humanity. It is equally important to notice that Christ died not merely for the Church, but, as the Scriptures declare, for the whole world: “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) The Church constituted only a small portion of the world; namely, the First-born portion. The Church is passed over in the night, especially saved in advance of others; but none are spared except through the merit of the Blood. That the Blood covers more than the First-borns is shown by the fact that in the type it was sprinkled not merely upon the first-borns, but upon the house, indicating the Household of Faith.

The Apostle Paul clearly and positively identifies the Passover Lamb with our Lord Jesus, saying, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast.” (1 Cor. 5:7,8) He informs us that we all need the blood of sprinkling, not upon our houses, but upon our hearts. We are to partake of the Lamb; we must appropriate to ourselves the merit of Christ, the value of His sacrifice; we must also eat of the unleavened bread of Truth, if we would be strong and prepared for the deliverance in the Morning of the New Dispensation. Thus we put on Christ, not merely by faith; but more and more we put on His character and are transformed into His glorious image in our hearts and lives.

We are to feed on Christ as the Jews fed on the literal lamb. They ate the lamb with bitter herbs, which aided and whetted their appetites. We have bitter experiences and trials which the Lord prepares for us, and which help to wean our affections from earthly things and to give us increased appetite to feed upon the Lamb and the unleavened Bread of Truth.

Our Lord Jesus also fully identified Himself with the Passover Lamb. On the same night of His betrayal, just preceding His crucifixion, He gathered His Apostles in the upper room, saying, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:15) It was necessary that as Jews they should celebrate the Passover Supper on that night – the night of the anniversary of the slaying of the Passover lamb in Egypt, of the saving of the typical first-borns from Pharaoh, who typified the “prince of this world,” – the same date on which the real Passover Lamb was to be slain. But as soon as the requirements of the type had been fulfilled, our Lord Jesus instituted a new Memorial upon the old foundation, saying, “This do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

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 is that the bread symbolized or represented His 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 anti-typically, the sacrifice not yet being 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 pre-human 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 are willing: 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 Church of the Gospel Age has received by faith in their Redeemer – namely, justification by faith – not justification to a spirit nature, which none had and therefore 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 primarily signifies 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, was for the very purpose of permitting this class 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 he [it], the Spirit of truth, is come, he [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) 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) The Body, the Church as a whole, must be broken, each member of it a copy of the Lord Jesus and walking in the footsteps of His sacrifice. They have laid 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 have laid 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, although 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 is true of 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)

THE CELEBRATION IN THE KINGDOM

At the institution of the Memorial Supper, our dear Lord as usual spoke of the Kingdom, the theme of all His discourses. He reminded His faithful followers of His declaration that He would go away to receive a Kingdom and would come again and receive them to Himself to share in it. He added that the Memorial He was then instituting would find its fulfilment in the Kingdom: “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matt. 26:29)

It is difficult to know positively just what our Lord meant by this statement; however, it seems reasonable that He meant there will be jubilation in the Kingdom as a result of the trials and sufferings symbolized in His Cup. “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” (Isa. 53:11) He will look back at the trials and difficulties endured in faithful obedience to the Father’s will, and will rejoice in these as He sees the grand outcome – the blessings which will come to all mankind. This jubilation will be shared by all His disciples who have drunk of this Cup, first in justification, then in consecration and sacrifice with Him.

Our dear Master’s faith stood the test during those trying hours when He knew His apprehension and death were near. He rendered thanks to the Father for the bread and the cup in joyful acquiescence of the sufferings implied in the breaking of the bread and the crushing of the grapes. He was satisfied with the Father’s arrangement. They sang a hymn as they parted that night, no doubt a hymn of praise, giving thanks to the Father that His course on earth was nearly finished, thanks that He had found thus far grace sufficient for His need.

In considering the events of those solemn hours which followed the Last Supper, let us follow the Redeemer to Gethsemane, and behold Him “with strong crying and tears” praying “unto him that was able to save him from death” (Heb. 5:7) – expressive of our Master’s fear of death lest in some particular He might have failed to follow out the Father’s Plan, and therefore be thought unworthy of a resurrection. We note that our Lord was in some way comforted with the assurance that He had faithfully kept His consecration vow, and that He would surely have a resurrection as promised.

Afterwards, we behold how calm He was when before the high priest, Pilate, and Herod. “As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” in self-defense. (Isa. 53:7) We see Him faithful, courageous to the very last; and we have His assurance that He could have asked of the Father and could have had more than twelve legions of angels for His protection. (Matt. 26:53) But instead of petitioning for aid to escape His sacrifice, He petitioned for help to endure it faithfully. What a lesson is here for all His footstep followers!

On the other hand, we recall that even among His loyal disciples the most courageous forsook the Master and fled; one even denied his Lord! What an occasion is this for examining our own hearts, our own faith, our own courage and our willingness to suffer with Him who redeemed us! What an opportunity is thus afforded for us to resolve that we will not deny our Master under any circumstances or conditions – that we will confess Him not only with our lips, but also by our conduct.

“LET A MAN EXAMINE HIMSELF”

The Jews scrupulously prepared for the Passover service. On the day before the Passover, the head of each Jewish household took a feather brush and a napkin and very carefully swept every evidence of leaven from the corners and remote places of the residence (leaven is corruption and types decay and death resulting from sin). When finished, he then burned the napkin and its contents - to be sure there would be no leaven remaining anywhere.

We also should prepare for the service, not by scrutinizing our homes, but rather by scrutinizing ourselves. As St. Paul counseled: “Let a man examine himself.” (1 Cor. 11:28) In doing so, let us once again ask ourselves these questions:

(1) Do I believe the Scripture teaching that I, as a member of the human family, was under that condemnation to death which passed upon all because of original sin?

(2) Do I believe that my only hope of escape from that condemnation of sin and death was through the ransom-sacrifice of the man Christ Jesus, my Lord?

(3) Do I believe He gave Himself – His flesh and blood, His humanity – as my ransom-price, pouring out His soul unto death, making His soul a sin-offering (Isa. 53:10,12) on this behalf?

(4) Do I see that the consecration to death, made at Jordan when He was baptized, was fulfilled by His sacrifice of Himself for mankind, which beginning there, was finished on the cross when He died?

(5) Do I see that the rights under the Law, which He secured by obedience to it (the right of lasting life and the dominion of earth), were what He through that same sacrifice bequeathed to the fallen, dying race – to as many as shall accept the blessings under the conditions of the New Covenant?

(6) Do I see that His flesh and blood, thus sacrificed, stood for, represented, those blessings and favors which He purchased for us?

(7) Do I see that the partaking of the bread and wine, symbols of His flesh and blood, signifies my acceptance of those favors and blessings which the flesh and blood of my Lord bought for me and for all?

(8) And if I do thus heartily accept of the ransom thus memorialized, do I consecrate to the Lord my entire being, my flesh and blood, justified through that ransom?

If we can answer these questions affirmatively we clearly or fully discern the Lord’s body, give credit to His meritorious sacrifice and may eat, should eat.

Those, however, that deny that a ransom for sin and sinners was required and given, who feel that they need not to partake of Christ’s merit, who deny that the merit of one can be imputed to another, – such we advise to stay away from memorializing that in which they do not believe; for they would merely be adding hypocrisy to unbelief. For such to partake, is to add condemnation to themselves and their no-ransom theories.

But, better still, let us advise all who have merely been entrapped into this error, by the sophistries promulgated through various channels by the great Adversary, to reject all vain human philosophies and to receive again the simple Word of God, the truths therein set forth: that all are fallen, and that the only way open for our reconciliation and restitution consistent with the Divine law and sentence was the giving of the full and exact corresponding price or ransom for our sins; that in no other way could He be just and yet justify sinners. Let them recognize the fact that our Lord Jesus, as the Lamb of God, bore the full penalty for our sins in His own body on the tree, that He gave a full ransom for all.

The philosophy is very plain, but if any cannot grasp it, at least let them grasp the fact that God declares it to be so, and let them return unto the Lord and He will abundantly pardon. Let them ask for the guidance of the Spirit and the anointing of the eyes, that they may be able to comprehend this, the foundation of all the grace of our God in Christ. Thus in true acceptance of the broken body and the shed blood, realizing that the sacrifice was for their sins and that the blood shed (life given) seals the New Covenant for all, let them commemorate the greatest event of history, the shedding of the precious blood, the sacrifice of the precious life of God’s dear Son for our sins.

(This paper was derived from several writings of Pastor Russell, including Reprints 5869, 5272, and 5193)

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Please direct all correspondence to:

P.O. Box 2246, Kernersville, NC 27285-2246

epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com.

NO. 702: WHY DOES GOD PERMIT EVIL?

No. 702

 “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.” (Psa. 25:14)

Why did the Almighty originally permit evil – sin? And why has He permitted Satan to continue his reign of sin and death? When we consider the suffering of humanity during the present life (ignoring the unscriptural ideas of centuries of purgatory and an eternity of torment), how can we account for its permission by an All-Powerful Creator, who knew the end from the beginning?

Why does He permit pain, injustice, unrighteousness, and all manner of heartaches? Why does He not deal with humanity graciously, kindly, lovingly, as a Father? Is it just or loving on the part of our Creator to bring forth billions of His creatures under such unfavorable conditions, beset by weakness and sin from birth and surrounded by others similarly afflicted? Is it just that we should be subjected to weaknesses, and dying and imperfect conditions through no sin of our own but through the sin of our first parents? Is it just that we should at the same time be in danger of an eternity of torture, as most denominations of Christendom teach, when ignorance and sin have stacked the odds over­whelmingly against us?

Our question is surely too deep for any human philosophy, and those who reject the Bible as of Divine inspiration may as well abandon all hope of an answer. Only God Himself can tell us of His secrets, why He did as He did. Truly, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear [reverence] him; and he will show them his covenant.” (Psa. 25:14)

The light now shining upon the Word of God shows us that the Divine purpose in connection with mankind is a progressive one, embracing Ages and Dispensations. It is the privilege of Bible students today to see the light in God’s Word, to see matters from the Divine standpoint, to understand the mystery of God, hidden for ages but now made known: namely, that in the ages to come all the trials and difficulties, all the sorrows and tears of the past, will be more than compensated for, and proven to be part of the great Divine Plan which will work to the glory of God and the enlightenment and blessing of men as well as angels. (Eph. 3:9-11)

GOD’S GREAT LESSON

God not only created man perfect in mind and body, but He gave to him a free will, the power of choice, the liberty to choose one course or another. God foresaw that giving man this liberty of will would lead to the disobedience of Father Adam. Although Adam and the angels were perfect, they did not have perfect knowledge of their Creator, of His Love, His Wisdom, His Justice, His Power.

God, therefore, without interfering with Adam’s liberty, permitted the great calamity of death to come upon him and his posterity. God premeditated the entire Plan of Salvation and has since been working it out; and He will ultimately completely accomplish it through Messiah’s Kingdom. The great lesson which will eventually come both to angels and men will show forth Divine Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power, fully coordinated. In no other way that we can imagine could this great Revelation of the Divine character be so well made. However, in order to comprehend this great Program, it is necessary that we follow strictly the Scriptural teachings, and avoid wholly the nonsense of creeds manufactured during the Dark Ages. We must see that “the wages of sin” is not eternal torment, nor purgatory, but death.

God allowed this reign of sin and death from Adam until Moses without so much as making an offer of terms for reconciliation and peace. Then an offer was made to the nation of Israel, and to no other nation. The offer of Israel’s Law Covenant was that he who kept it would live. (Lev. 18:5) God, of course, knew that Israel could not keep perfectly the conditions of that great and wonderful Law. The offer served as a lesson to that nation on the impossibility of any man keeping the perfect Law; and the same lesson comes to us of this Gospel Dispensation. We see that what the Jew could not do we cannot do; where he failed we would fail.

God will ultimately teach the same lesson to the world and to angels (“which things the angels desire to look into” – 1 Pet. 1:12), proving that by the deeds of the Law no fallen flesh could be recovered and restored to Divine favor. Four thousand years passed from man’s creation, and death reigned from Moses to Christ as thoroughly as it had previously reigned from Adam to Moses. The Law Covenant did not stop the reign of sin and death. Something more than a Law is necessary. The Divine Program demands recovery from sin and death and provides a plan for this recovery.

Twenty centuries after the first advent of our Lord, the reign of sin and death continues more than ever. The increase of knowledge has brought increase of sin and increase of population has brought increase of death. Today the world is in a terrible condition of mental, moral and physical dilapidation, and it is estimated that more than 150,000 people die each day.

But a remedy is in sight. It was foretold through the Prophets, but it began to operate in Jesus. His miraculous birth, His faithfulness and consecration unto death, His reward of resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of the Majesty on High, are all essential to man’s recovery, essential to the overthrow of this reign of sin and death.

We see still further developments and preparations. The Scriptures inform us that it is the Divine purpose to have a many member Messiah, with the glorious Jesus the Head and the Church the Body. We see that during the Gospel Age God has been calling and drawing a special class of mankind to constitute His Elect, the Bride Class, to be joint-heirs with His Son in the Kingdom of Glory which will finally vanquish sin and Satan, delivering the willing and obedient of mankind into the full liberty of the children of God, free from sin and death, enjoying life everlasting and Divine favor. (Rom. 8:17-21)

THE DARK AND NARROW PATH

This special class has been required to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, to walk by faith and not by sight in the “narrow way” (Matt. 7:14) of self-denial and opposition to the world, the flesh and the Adversary. They have demonstrated their full loyalty and obedience to the will of God, even unto death, by walking this narrow way amid the world’s deplorable conditions of ignorance, selfishness, sin, and death. No such narrow way could have existed had God not permitted evil, sin; therefore, this Elect class could not be developed and tested except by the Divine permission of sin. The very essence of their character development is associated with the Divine promise that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)

It seemed wise to our Heavenly Father that our Lord Jesus should learn obedience through sufferings and be tested in respect to His willingness to endure suffering for righteousness’ sake. How appropriate it is that the same Father should make similar arrangements for all of the Church, received from among mankind to be members of the Royal Priesthood under Jesus, the High Priest of our order! (Heb. 3:1)

We see wisdom on God’s part in thus preparing a priesthood of the future. A priest, as recognized among the Jews, was not merely one who offered sacrifices, although every priest was of necessity a sacrificer. The special mission of the priestly tribe among the other tribes was that of instructing, helping, healing, and teaching. And so God has been preparing a Royal Priesthood for the Messianic Age to bless, to heal, to teach, to uplift all the willing and obedient. The Priesthood will then no longer be a sacrificing class, for all sacrificing will be at an end. It will be a glorious royal class, of the divine nature; with our Lord Jesus they will be representatives of the Divine power. (Rom. 8:18; 2 Pet. 1:4; Rev. 5:10)

SIN’S LESSON TO HUMANITY AND ANGELS

Humanity is learning a great lesson through the permission of sin. Present experiences teach the lesson that “The way of transgressors is hard,” “The wages of sin is death,” “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Prov. 13:15; Rom. 6:23; Ezek. 18:20) The exceeding sinfulness of sin is thus being demonstrated to humanity. Few profit by the lesson in the present life; the great majority of mankind learn to know sin, evil, only. Even God’s provision for the future of mankind is obscured from the masses. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Cor. 4:4)

But with the dawning of Messiah’s Kingdom the knowledge of the glory of God’s character will shine everywhere. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” (Isa. 35:5) Messiah’s gracious reign, the manifestation of Divine mercy, will be for the very purpose of uplifting the poor, fallen masses of the human race. During the thousand years of Messiah’s Kingdom, the whole world will have full opportunity for learning the great desirability of righteousness, as now, for a few years, they have the opportunity of learning the undesirability of sin.

By the close of the Mediatorial reign mankind will have learned wonderful lessons respecting good and evil! Then will come their final testing. After full knowledge of both good and evil, which will they choose? God urges all to choose the right and its reward of life eternal. Nevertheless, He will not coerce; He will allow each individual to make his choice, to mark out his own course. Those who ultimately choose to love righteousness and hate iniquity shall be accounted worthy of a place in the glorious Kingdom of Messiah.

God’s dealings with humanity also constitute a great object lesson to the angels, who perceive the inflexibility of Divine Justice – the decree of God. “Dying thou shalt die” (Gen. 2:17, KJV margin) has been unflinchingly executed against Adam and his posterity for six thousand years. They perceive the love of God, which passes all understanding. They perceive the Divine provision that the Son of God should die, the Just for the unjust, to bring mankind back to full harmony with the Creator. They see the breadth of the Divine character exemplified in the great reward given to our Lord Jesus Christ for His obedience to the Father’s will even unto death, an exaltation to the divine nature, honor and immortality.

They perceive, too, a still greater manifestation of Divine goodness in God’s invitation to the Church to walk in the Master’s footsteps, becoming joint-heirs with Christ in His glory, honor and immortality. Who could have dreamed of such Divine love which stooped down, not only to redeem the human race, but also to invite some of its members to these exceeding great and precious promises? (2 Pet. 1:4) “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)

Finally they will see Divine mercy extended to the world through Jesus. By the Father’s arrangement every member of the human race, no matter how degraded, no matter how fallen, no matter how mean, will have opportunity for everlasting life. The redeeming blood has been shed, “the just for the unjust,” for the sins of the whole world. (1 Pet. 3:18; 1 John 2:2)

GOD’S POWER AND WISDOM MANIFESTED

While Divine Power is manifested in all the realm of nature and creation, a still greater Divine Power was manifested in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead, after He had been deceased three days. But even the power manifested in our Lord’s resurrection seems small in comparison to the further works of resurrection which the Scriptures assure us our dear Lord’s death ensures. It will be a still more miraculous work to resurrect the Church to glory, honor and immortality, after many of them have been in the power of death for centuries.

The resurrection work God plans for the world of mankind is still more stupendous. Billions will be awakened to essentially the same conditions they were in before death.[1] Then through the work of the Messiah they will be gradually released and uplifted from this condition of imperfection. This resurrection work for the world, gradually carried forward during that thousand years, will all be accomplished by the Father’s power, through the Messiah, the Mediator of the New Covenant. It will be a continuous miracle of awakening and uplifting of the human race.

The Wisdom of God will not be manifested in its full, clear light until the close of the reign of Messiah, when all willing to return to Divine favor will be completely uplifted from sin and death. Some may now partially see some of God’s Wisdom, but the majority still inquire: Why was evil permitted? Ultimately the Divine Wisdom of the permission of evil will be clearly seen by the saints, by the angels and by the world of mankind. Well does the Revelator exclaim: “Who shall not fear [reverence] thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? ... for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments [righteous acts] are made manifest!” (Rev. 15:4)

We now see God’s Power exhibited in creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psa. 19:1-3) As the voice of nature acclaims God so, eventually, “Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth…heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5:13) All this will be the result of God’s permission of the reign of evil, sin, death. The key is found in the Plan of the Ages showing the work which each Age is to accomplish, and the eventual grand overthrow of evil.

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(Based on a writing by Pastor Russell originally published under the series title People’s Pulpit. Reproduced in Harvest Gleanings, Volume 3)

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GOD’S JUSTICE AND LOVE PERFECTLY POISED

“Mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” (Jas. 2:13)

This text shows that Love gains a victory over Justice, mercy being an outward expression of Love. Considering the way Divine Love gains the victory over Divine Justice, we learn something about our proper attitude; for we should copy God’s character, studying His methods and ways that we may become more like Him. Since His perfect Love and perfect Justice are inherent, invisible qualities of the Divine Nature, we could not study them unless they were manifested, although thus far they have been manifested only to a faithful few.

We see that God’s Love operated in the very beginning, when He created His Son to be His Logos. His Love was afterwards seen in His creation of angels and men, in His own image. Then we see that the fall of our race brought into operation Divine Justice; for it was Justice which decreed that man, because of his disobedience, should not live.

When Justice decreed that death must result from transgression, Divine Love agreed the sentence was altogether proper, not only because it is right for God to be just and in harmony with His own Law, but also because it would not be good for men to live everlastingly in a fallen condition. If God had permitted men to live on in imperfection, we can scarcely imagine the tremendous power some would have by this time. As it is, we see that some of the human race within a limited lifespan are able to cultivate such qualities of mind and character as to give them dominance over their fellow men; and were they allowed to live on indefinitely in sin, they would undoubtedly bring all others into subjection to themselves. Unless man exercises the attributes of his character in harmony with the Divine character, he should not be permitted to live, because of the great injury which he would do to others. Thus, in the Divine arrangement, we see Love agreeing with Justice that sinful man should die.

When our race came under the death sentence, God might have cut us off more quickly than He did had He not had His great plan – the Divine Plan of the Ages. (Eph. 3:11, Diaglott) Man was to learn certain lessons during the present life in order that he might profit by them in the future life. We see that God has arranged a very reasonable and loving way of dealing with the sinner race. In His wonderful Purpose He planned to redeem man from this death condition, and to restore the race in due time.

All the experiences of the present life will have a bearing upon all of the fallen race during the period of their restoration, in the incoming Age. God planned that mankind should have experiences of pain and death, thus to learn the needful lessons. For six thousand years the world has been getting its education as to what a terrible thing sin is: how hard it is to control, how ruinous are its effects, and how death will inevitably result from its continued practice. Thus billions of our race have had a great schooling during the past six thousand years.

LOVE PLANS MAN’S REDEMPTION

As we study the matter, we can see great wisdom in God’s course. Love was not indifferent, though for a time God could not show man His interest. Love had beforehand arranged a Plan whereby redemption would come, whereby Love would triumph over Justice. In God’s due time a purchase price for man would be given. Then after Justice should reign for six thousand years, during which the world would learn its needed lesson with respect to the heinousness of sin in all its manifold forms, Redeeming Love should become Restoring Love calling mankind forth from the tomb, during the thousand years’ Reign of the One who purchased them.

So ultimately, when death and hell (the grave) shall have delivered all that are in them, and when the curse of death shall be no more, Love will have triumphed over Justice. Thus we read, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:55,57)

This is one of the most wonderful things that we see in the Bible – the more wonderful as we understand it the more. God always maintains His Justice and He always maintains His Love; and we are blessed by both. Justice, having triumphed over the world for six thousand years, has brought our race down to Sheol, Hades – the tomb. Love, in the meantime, began to operate in harmony with Justice, and it has given the great sacrifice of Jesus, and has arranged that at the time of the Second Advent of Christ, and through His Reign of a thousand years, He shall awaken all humanity from the sleep of death.

HOW ONE PAID FOR ALL

We can thus see in the Bible what a great balance God has arranged. Since billions of souls have sinned, any other way than God’s way would have required billions of redeemers. But when we see how God is operating, we marvel at His arrangement. He provided that only one man should be condemned to death, and that through this one man condemnation should come upon all men while still in his loins. Thus one man could pay the penalty for all. “For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Cor. 15:21) One man was a sinner; one Man was the Redeemer.

Beautiful! We have never heard of anything like this except in God’s Plan. Think of a great Plan, covering six thousand years, in which the salvation of billions of human creatures is involved, and yet all so easily and perfectly poised! Justice will never be cheated out of its dues; yet Love gains the victory and provides the way, and does this at the expense of the One through whom the whole Plan is consummated – our blessed Lord Jesus.

The penalty resting upon mankind was met by the sacrifice of Jesus’ life. But was not that unjust? No! The Bible assures us that God stated the proposition beforehand to the Son, and that the Son was in full agreement with it – not the Man Jesus, but the Logos, the Word, the Messenger – Michael, the Godlike One. The proposition was made to Him that by the purchase of the whole race of man through His sacrifice He might obtain the honor and glory of Messiah – the opportunity of delivering and blessing the billions of humanity who had been condemned to death in Adam. And then, what more? Oh, much more! That He should be supremely exalted, even to the Divine Nature, for all eternity – far above angels, principalities, powers and every name that is named. (Phil. 2:5-11) All this is the great triumph of Love over Justice. While Justice remains forever inviolate, yet Love is the victor.

GOD’S WONDERFUL PLAN OF THE AGES

When we see the Bible teaching concerning the Divine Plan, it gives us a confidence in the Bible that we can get from no other source. It is the study of the Bible from the outside by those who try to tear it into shreds, using their brains against the Bible, that prove the professors of our day the worst of all times. Only when we perceive from the inside can we see the strength of the Bible. No human mind ever originated such a Plan. It is surely Divine, surely Biblical. We did not discover it, but it has been shown to the faithful “in due time.”

We know that this great Plan is of God; and the Book that contains such a wonderful Message is surely the Word of God. It must be that “the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pet. 1:21) The Spirit of God dictated this wonderful Message. The many men who in various times and places uttered the words did not know what they meant. The understanding was not then due. But their words constitute a harmonious whole, and “they are written for our admonition [instruction], upon whom the ends of the world [ages] are come.” (1 Cor. 10:11; 1 Pet. 1:10-12; Rom. 15:4)

Nor could the Church understand their words until they received the begetting of the Holy Spirit with its consequent enlightenment. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church, “ye were illuminated.” (Heb. 10:32) Thus these things were brought to light in God’s due time. This illumination of the Church had its beginning at Pentecost. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given. (John 7:39)

The Church is a special class, called out in advance of the world. The early Church had to wait until Jesus had finished His sacrifice for sin, had ascended up on High as the great High Priest, to appear in the presence of God for the Church (not yet for the world), to sprinkle the blood of His sacrifice upon the Mercy-Seat on behalf of the Church, and had become the Advocate of those who would follow in His steps. (Heb. 9:24) Having made satisfaction for the sins of the consecrated, He imputed His own merit to them, thereby making them acceptable to the Father. Not until then could they receive the begetting of the Holy Spirit. Ever since that time the Holy Spirit has been with the Church, begetting each one who entered this class.

With this begetting comes the illumination. This illumination enables the consecrated one to understand things previously hidden. Thereafter all the Word of God becomes food to us, that thereby we may grow in grace, in knowledge, in justice, in love, in all qualities of the Divine character, that thus we may become more like our Father who is in Heaven.

DELIVERANCE OF THE WORLD NOW DUE

Having seen how Divine Justice has operated until now for the future blessing of mankind, we look further, and see that Divine Mercy (Love) is now about to gain a great victory for the whole world. As soon as the Church is glorified, the merit of the Redeemer is to be applied for all the human race. But it will require the entire thousand years of Messiah’s Reign before Mercy shall have fully triumphed over Justice. We now perceive what Love will be doing for the world throughout those thousand years. It will be awakening mankind from death and lifting them up from degradation to holiness and life.

This will all come through the Lord Jesus Christ, who will be God’s Agent, the Agent of Justice and of Love. The faithful Church, born of the Spirit in the First Resurrection, will be associated with Him in all His Kingdom glory and honor. At the conclusion of the Millennial Reign this glorious work of Divine Love will have been accomplished. Through all the out-workings of this wonderful Plan, the principles of absolute Justice and absolute Love will be observed, operating in full harmony.

In what manner will God’s Justice operate during the next Age toward mankind? Some have difficulty seeing how the world in the future will have their sins forgiven. Will the murderer have the same opportunity as those who have been nobler in their lives? How will Justice then be represented?

We believe that God’s dealings will be in full harmony with Justice. While Love will be especially operative or manifest during the Millennial Age, Justice will nonetheless never be violated. Will mankind in the future Age be punished for their sins committed in the present life? Yes, and no. They will not be punished in the sense of being held legally accountable for sins of the past – for this would nullify the work which Christ accomplished in His death in providing satisfaction for Adamic sin. Christ having made satisfaction for the sins of believers in this Age, they are no longer legally responsible for them. The same principle will operate with the world in the future Age.

HOW JUSTICE OPERATES

Consider the experiences of the Church of Christ. Suppose one had lived in such a way as to have gotten himself into a bad condition of body, mind or morals. These thing will be more or less a penalty upon him after he has become a Christian. Although God has forgiven his sin and cleans him from all unrighteousness, nevertheless he will have in his body or in his mind certain natural penalties resulting from his previous sinful course. If he had lived a sinful life for many years, the evil would be so much the more deeply entrenched; and he will have all the greater fight to overcome these deeply imbedded tendencies to sin. One who has lived a conscientious, moral life has just that much less to overcome.

If through evil thoughts or evil deeds the mind of that person has become poisoned, he may have to battle all his life against the seeds of sin, not in the way of direct punishment for his wrong doing, but through natural law. It is like a piece of land which has long been given over to weeds, in which case the roots would have become deeply entrenched in the soil. This land may afterward be changed into a wheat-field; but we know from experience that the weeds will be there also, and that the wheat will not flourish so readily, because of this fact.

It is even so with the heart and body of the consecrated one. After having given them to the Lord the fleshly tendencies are still there. God has accepted him and His grace covers his sins, which are no longer chargeable to him. But whoever has had a larger planting of sin in his former life may have to his dying day a great battle against these poisonous weeds; and that will be a proper and natural punishment for his past course. So it will be in the future. The world will get retribution for their sins, and it will take many years to get entirely free from the effects of sin.

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(Based on an article by Pastor Russell originally published in the Overland Monthly)

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THE WORD OF GOD

Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!

True wisdom its pages unfold;

And though we may read them a thousand times o’er,

They never, no never, grow old!

Each line hath a pleasure, each promise a pearl,

That all if they will may secure;

And we know that when time and the world pass away,

God’s Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!

The lamp that our Father above

So kindly hath lighted to teach us the way

That leads to the arms of His love!

Its warnings, its counsels, are faithful and just;

Its judgments are perfect and pure;

And we know that when time and the world pass away,

God’s Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!

Our only salvation is there;

It carries conviction down deep in the heart,

And shows us ourselves as we are.

It tells of a Savior, and points to the cross,

Where pardon we now may secure;

And we know that when time and the world pass away

God’s Word shall forever endure.

[1] See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 6, page 714.

NO. 701: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

No. 701

 “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.” (Psa. 75:1)

At the beginning of the New Year, we again express our gratitude and thanks to God for all His benefits to us. In the words of David, “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” (Psa. 65:11) “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Prov. 30:5)

We are not unmindful of the many tragedies and atrocities of the past year which have caused much suffering and sorrow. We grieve and sorrow with all who have suffered. “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” (Rom. 12:15) “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” – the morning of the Kingdom. (Psa. 30:5) “Because he hath 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 are assured that “he is faithful that promised.” (Heb. 10:23)

MAJOR EVENTS IN 2015

Terrorism: Occurrences of terrorism in 2015 are too numerous to list individually. It is estimated there were nearly 300 incidences through November, killing and injuring many thousands of people. In Europe, France seemed to be hit particularly hard, perhaps because it has the largest Muslim population in Europe and has been criticized for failing to integrate this population into its society. France also has a long history of colonization in North Africa, which has caused resentment in the Islamic world. France has become a breeding ground for ISIS fighters.

In Paris, twelve people were killed in January in a terrorist attack at the Charlie Hebdo magazine, which is known for publishing satirical cartoons of Muhammad. The attackers appeared to have ties to Al-Qaeda. A few days later, an attacker took hostages at a kosher supermarket in Paris. Four hostages were killed and the attacker was killed by police. In November, a series of coordinated attacks at six different locations in Paris killed 130 and wounded over 300. ISIS claimed responsibility. Terrorism experts were surprised that ISIS was able to carry out an attack of this scale.

France had recently joined other Western powers in bombing ISIS in Syria, targeting the group’s oil infrastructure. French President Francois Hollande vowed a “merciless response” to the attacks. On November 15, French war planes delivered 20 bombs to Raqqa, in northern Syria, considered by ISIS to be its capital.

In Denmark, two people were killed in terrorist attacks in February, one targeting a cartoonist who caricatured Muhammad and another outside a synagogue.

In Nigeria, Boko Haram continued its terror, taking over the town of Baga in January, burning it to the ground, massacring hundreds, possibly thousands. This terrorist group has declared a caliphate that covers one-fifth of Nigeria. Violence has displaced more than one million Nigerians, creating a wave of refugees fleeing to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger. In February, Boko Haram reportedly killed at least 91 and injured over 500 by shooting and burning in Cameroon. Boko Haram has increasingly used women and children as human bombs, with a number of attacks involving girls as young as 10. The girls, strapped with explosives, blew themselves up in public places. In March, Boko Haram formally pledged allegiance to ISIS, further extending the reach of that group.

In Libya, 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded in February by a militant group aligned with ISIS. In the northern Africa nation of Tunisia, at least 20 people were killed in March when gunmen opened fire at a museum. Also in Tunisia, a gunman opened fire at a beach resort, killing 38 tourists. ISIS claimed responsibility for both attacks.

In Yemen, about 140 were killed in March at two Shiite mosques in attacks attributed to affiliates of ISIS (who are of the Sunni sect). Yemen has been in a state of rebellion and revolution since 2004, with rival groups battling for control. Yemen is considered a terrorist training ground. In Kenya, Somalian militants targeted non-Muslims in a daylong siege in April at a University. The non-Muslims were taken hostage and more than 140 were killed. The Al-Qaeda aligned militants termed the attack an “operation against the infidels.”

In Turkey, a bomb attack in July in the town of Surac killed at least 30 and wounded hundreds. Officials think the attack was the work of ISIS. In October, multiple bombings killed nearly 100 during a peace rally in Turkey’s capital of Ankara. Hundreds more were wounded. The Turkish government had recently agreed to let U.S. fighter aircraft use a Turkish air base to launch bombing raids on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

On October 31, a Russian passenger jet crashed 20 minutes after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, killing all 224 people aboard. The crash was determined to be the result of a terrorist bomb. ISIS claimed responsibility, citing retaliation for Russia’s bombing of ISIS in Syria. In a video, ISIS threatened further attacks against Russia.

In Beirut, a pair of suicide bombings in November killed 43 and injured at least 128. ISIS claimed responsibility. The blasts occurred in an area where Hezbollah and Iran-backed Shite militia have a presence (both are enemies of ISIS). Also in November, terrorists stormed a hotel in Bamako, Mali killing 27. An Al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility.

“‘I wish I could also have died’: Boko Haram haunts kids: Memories of Boko Haram’s murderous spree in his Nigerian hometown haunt Tom Gowon, 9, as he sits on a patch of grass at a refugee camp, sipping steaming porridge from a plastic mug. ‘I was lucky because I was not killed,’ said Gowon, recalling the assault on Baga, Nigeria, in early January. ‘But they shot and killed my father. My mother was kidnapped by the militants…’ The child is shellshocked, his life changed forever. ‘I don’t know where my future lies,’ he said. ‘I wish I could also have died...’ (USA Today, March 11, 2015)

Comment: Truly, the groaning creation is travailing in pain, waiting to be “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:21,22)

Syrian Civil War: Terrorism is deeply intertwined with the ongoing civil war in Syria. More than 250,000 Syrians have died since March 2011 when pro-democracy protests turned violent, ultimately escalating into civil war. War crimes have been committed by both sides with the government carrying out chemical attacks against rebels. Over half the country’s population has been displaced, with more than four million people fleeing Syria and more than seven million others internally displaced. A huge humanitarian crisis has resulted.

Regional and world powers have been drawn into the conflict, with Russia and Iran supporting the Assad government and western countries backing the rebels who are labeled as “terrorists” by the Syrian government. The Assad government is believed to be heavily subsidized by Iran and is also supported by Hezbollah. Diplomatic attempts to stop the conflict have failed.

In addition to the rebels, ISIS militants are also fighting against al-Assad, capitalizing on the chaos by taking control of huge swathes of territory. ISIS has waged a campaign of terror and is also accused of using homemade chemical weapons. A U.S.-led coalition has been conducting air strikes against ISIS since 2014, while attempting to avoid any attack that would benefit Assad. In September 2015, Russia began an air campaign against Assad’s opponents, ostensibly only targeting terrorists (primarily ISIS) but many of the strikes hit western backed rebels and civilians. Tensions in the region escalated in late November when Turkey shot down a Russian war plane it claimed had violated its airspace.

As the opposition to Assad has become increasingly extremist, the Western backing for the rebels has cooled. Ironically, this may be leading to even more extremism. One civil society activist was quoted as saying: “The disappointment caused by the West’s inaction created a fertile recruiting ground for extremists, who told those who had lost their loved ones that they were their only hope.” (BBC.com, “Syria: The story of the conflict,” October 9, 2015)

Refugee Crisis: The vast majority of Syrian refugees have fled to the neighboring countries of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Turkey is sheltering more Syrian refugees than all of Europe and the U.S. combined. However, a large number have made their way to Europe. It is not only Syria that is contributing to the crisis. Violence, abuse and poverty in other countries such as Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and Albania has also led large numbers to flee. This influx of migrants has set off tensions among the countries of the European Union as they struggle to cope with the surge of people arriving. More than 700,000 migrants have sought asylum in EU countries so far (through October) in 2015. The EU is pressing Turkey to keep migrants there. However, Turkey will not allow migrants to apply for asylum, leaving those migrants with an uncertain future. They face harsh conditions and are unable to legally work. Their access to healthcare is limited and most refugee children are not enrolled in school. As of late October an estimated 3,100 refugees have drowned in 2015 trying to cross the Mediterranean to the Greek Islands.

In the U.S., the acceptance of Syrian refugees has become a political issue, with most Republican lawmakers opposed to allowing these refugees to enter the country, particularly after it was disclosed that one of the perpetrators in the November Paris attacks entered Europe among Syrians fleeing the civil war.

The continued rise of ISIS: This extremist group continued to dominate headlines in 2015, terrorizing large areas of Syria and Iraq, executing captives, forcing women and girls into sexual slavery, and brutalizing minority populations as well as other Muslims who do not ascribe to their extreme religious views. In late 2014 the CIA estimated the group to be up to 30,000 fighters and growing. A large number of foreign fighters have reportedly left their homes to travel to join the terror group. With the continued bombing of ISIS targets by the U.S. and other Western countries, the group has called on its followers in Western nations to conduct attacks in their home countries. Their aim seems to be to attack ordinary people doing ordinary things, making it appear that no one is safe. If people think their governments cannot protect them, it will lead to a breakdown in order. Another aim seems to be to make Westerners less sympathetic to refugees fleeing ISIS from the Middle East.

“Islamic State’s sophisticated recruiting campaign poses persistent threat in U.S.: The arrests of six Minnesota men accused earlier this month [April] of attempting to join the Islamic State group, highlights an unprecedented marketing effort being waged by the militant group in Iraq and Syria, U.S. law enforcement officials and terror analysts said. ‘This is not so much a recruitment effort as it is a global marketing campaign, beyond anything that al-Qaeda has ever done,’ said a senior law enforcement official…While officials believe that the U.S. will never produce the volume of recruits being drawn from Western Europe, where a disaffected Muslim population and a lack of integration has helped contribute thousands of foreign fighters to the Islamic State, … the U.S. nevertheless remains an important focus.” (USA Today, April 27, 2015)

“4 ways ISIS grounds its actions in religion, and why it should matter (COMMENTARY): The terrorist group affirmed, in a statement issued in Arabic, French and English, that it chose the targets ‘accurately,’ identifying Paris as the ‘capital of prostitution’ and France, because of its participation in the war against ISIS, as the Crusader… There are four critical observations on the ISIS-issued statement, and one general conclusion.

“1. ISIS based its actions on a literal reading of the Quran… It views itself as truly Islamic and claims its actions are supported by the Quran. Contrary to common wisdom, ISIS maintains that the Paris attacks reflect the compassion and mercy of Allah through the destruction of French infidels…2. For ISIS followers, France is at war with Islam. The statement portrays France (and its allies) as Crusaders, literally ‘the holders of the Cross,’ portraying the war in purely religious terms… France is one of the leaders of ‘the Crusader campaign,’ which cursed Muhammad, and struck ‘Muslims in the land of the Caliphate.’ 3. The attacks were meant to imitate seventh-century raids led by the Prophet Muhammad. The statement identified the Paris attacks using the Arabic term ‘ghazwa.’ This term is primarily used in the biography of Muhammad to refer to his raids and expeditions against the non-Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century. By using this unique Arabic term, ISIS signifies its claimed noble religious cause, imitating the military campaigns in the earliest Islamic period…4. The terrorists viewed themselves as martyrs for Islam. The Islamic State’s statement refers to the attackers as martyrs for the sake of Islam, identifying them as young men who ‘divorced the worldly life’ to die in the path of Allah and for his cause… One cannot erase the effects of such horrible attacks executed under the banner of religion. To claim that all Muslims are terrorists is far from correct, but to deny or underestimate the significant power and influence of some Islamic texts and specific interpretations of them is not prudent, either.” (Religion News Service on-line, November 16, 2015)

Israel: In March, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke before the U.S. Congress at the invitation of House Speaker Boehner. This was an attempt to sway the Obama administration against a nuclear deal with Iran, but was seen by many as an attempt to undermine Obama’s foreign policy. In his speech, Netanyahu insisted that the deal could threaten the existence of Israel, all but guaranteeing nuclear arms in Iran. When the deal was in fact reached later in July, Netanyahu called it an “historic mistake.”

“Iran deal debate devolves into clash over Jewish stereotypes and survival: Supporters of the agreement find themselves compared to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who went down in history as the man who tried to appease Hitler. Their critics ask how they can endorse a deal – which would lift Iranian economic sanctions and allow it to pursue a limited nuclear program – when its leaders threaten to destroy the world’s only Jewish state. The Holocaust looms over the nuclear deal debate. Obama doesn’t seem to understand that fear, said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president of the pro-Israel International Fellowship of Christians and Jews...‘When there’s rhetoric saying “we’re going to destroy you” and they have the power to do so, we’ve learned “never again,”’ said Eckstein. ‘Take them at their word and don’t let it happen.’

“‘What makes this a little tough for Jews is that it’s very hard to forget that there was another country out there and another leader who used this kind of language in the 1930s, and a lot of people refused to take it seriously,’ said Jonathan Sarna, professor of Jewish history at Brandeis University. ‘We all know how that turned out.’” (Religion News Service on-line, August 13, 2015)

“UN nuclear agency report: Iran’s uranium stockpile has grown: Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium has increased in the past three months even though Tehran is supposed to reduce it significantly under a deal with major powers, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday [November 18] in a confidential report seen by Reuters.

“Iran had also moved centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium, at its Natanz and Fordow sites, the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Under the deal with major powers reached in July, Iran is supposed to reduce the number of centrifuges it has in operation.” (Jerusalem Post on-line, November 18, 2015)

In October, the worst violence in years broke out between Israelis and Palestinians, with 32 Palestinians and 7 Israelis killed. The unrest began because of what Palestinians perceived as encroachment by Israelis on the al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. However, the violence quickly spread beyond Jerusalem. Palestinian groups called for a “Day of Rage.”

“With secret prayers, Jews challenge ‘status quo’ at Jerusalem holy site: In a region full of complexity, the Al-Aqsa/Temple Mount status quo occupies a special place. It upholds a rule that has effectively existed since 1187, when Muslim warrior Saladin defeated the Christian crusaders and held on to Jerusalem: non-Muslims may enter the sacred compound, but only Muslims can pray.

“Before Muslims built the Dome of the Rock and the Aqsa mosque in the late 7th and early 8th centuries, two Jewish temples, the second destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, stood at the site, which is both the holiest place in Islam outside Saudi Arabia and the most sacred place in Judaism.

“After Israel seized the Old City and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, it agreed to continue the status quo, recognizing the risks of igniting a religious war if anything were changed. It gave Jordan special responsibility for overseeing the Muslim holy sites via the Waqf, an Islamic trust….the Waqf says Israel has been slowly chipping away at the rules, with increasing numbers of religious Jews visiting the area and many of them surreptitiously praying.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected those suggestions, saying repeatedly that the government has not changed the rules and has no intention of doing so….The Israeli government points out that only about 12,000 Jews visit the site each year, as against four million Muslims.

“Figures from the Israeli police show a steady increase in Israeli Jewish visitors. Combined with that, groups that advocate more Jewish access to the site, and the rebuilding of a Jewish temple there, have become more organized in their efforts, casting it as an issue of religious freedom….While no one prays openly – they are warned and ejected by police if they do – the groups usually drift off into a grove of olive trees at the eastern edge of the compound where more secretive prayer is possible. Some have written on blogs about worshipping there, proud to have violated the rules.

“‘If they say prayers in their heads, how can we know?’ said Nader Shaheen, a Waqf guard, who says he frequently sees Jews praying and is frustrated when the police do nothing.” (Reuters, October 26, 2015)

“Candidly Speaking: The global jihadist onslaught and European Jews: In the midst of this turbulent, massive migration and ongoing fears of new terror attacks, the future for European Jews appears bleaker than ever.

“Jews in most of Europe were considered pariahs for many years. Today, the level of anti-Israelism has reached record levels. The majority of Europeans believe Israel represents a greater threat to global security than Iran and North Korea. Most are convinced that Israelis have genocidal intentions in relation to the Arabs, make no distinction between Palestinian terrorists and Jewish victims of terrorism and frequently condemn Israelis for defending themselves against knife-wielding religious fanatics…

“While millions of Syrians have been displaced and butchered, European leaders seem more concerned about labeling products produced by Israelis over the Green Line [the 1949 armistice lines established between Israel and its Arab neighbors] than identifying terrorists. Ironically, the EU does not consider the political wing of Hezbollah to be a terrorist body. There remains a refusal to recognize that the frenzied killers of Israeli Jews and IS terrorists murdering civilians in Paris, are all components of the same global Islamic terrorist enterprise.

“Despite the greater concern about Islamic terrorism in the wake of the shocking attacks in Paris, even now it is highly unlikely that the negative French attitudes toward Israel, designed to appease the Arabs, will be diminished.

“Although many Western parliamen­tarians and heads of state pay lip service to the contrary, popular anti-Semitism appears to be washing over the continent like a tsunami with increasing incitement and violence in most European cities.” (Isi Leibler, Jerusalem Post on-line, November 18, 2015)

Race relations in U.S.: In the year following the 2014 shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, racial unrest seems to have increased and relations between police and minority communities are at a low point.

A mass shooting in June at a historically black church in Charleston, S.C. once again brought racial tensions to the surface. After photos surfaced of the shooter displaying a Confederate flag, protesters called for the flag’s removal from the South Carolina State House grounds as well as from other displays in the South.

At the University of Missouri, a series of protests claiming bigotry on campus resulted in the resignation of the president of the university system and the chancellor of the campus. These protests spread to a number of other campuses.

“Poll Finds Most in U.S. Hold Dim View of Race Relations: Seven years ago, in the gauzy afterglow of a stirring election night in Chicago, commentators dared ask whether the United States had finally begun to heal its divisions over race and atone for the original sin of slavery by electing its first black president. It has not. Not even close.

“A New York Times/CBS News poll… reveals that nearly six in 10 Americans, including heavy majorities of both whites and blacks, think race relations are generally bad, and that nearly four in 10 think the situation is getting worse. By comparison, two-thirds of Americans surveyed shortly after President Obama took office said they believed that race relations were generally good.” (New York Times on-line, July 23, 2015)

Comment: Pastor Russell wrote, “Mankind is one family: God ‘hath made of one blood all nations of men.’ (Acts 17:26) Each member of the human family is a human brother to every other human being. All are children of the one father, Adam, a son of God (Luke 3:38)…” (Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 4, page 310)

Gun violence: According to CDC statistics, more than 32,000 people are killed by guns each year in the U.S. Nothing seems to be done about it, mainly because politicians fear the consequences of taking on the powerful gun lobby. Reports of mass shootings are so common that we scarcely pay attention to them, yet there are many more shootings we do not hear about. According to the website Mass Shooting Tracker, there were 338 mass shootings in 2015 through November 20, an average of more than one a day. A mass shooting is defined as four or more people shot in one incident.

In addition to the Charleston, S.C. shooting, we mention a few of the shootings during 2015: nine killed at a biker shootout in Waco, Texas (May); nine killed at a community college in Oregon (October); a total of seven killed in two incidents in Colorado Springs (three at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in November and four downtown in October). The deadliest shooting of the year thus far was on December 2, when 14 were killed in a bloodbath at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California. In addition to those killed, many more were injured, including 17 at San Bernardino.

“American deaths in terrorism vs. gun violence…: Using numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we found that from 2001 to 2013, 406,496 people died by firearms on U.S. soil. (2013 is the most recent year CDC data for deaths by firearms is available.) This data covered all manners of death, including homicide, accident and suicide…According to the U.S. State Department, the number of U.S. citizens killed overseas as a result of incidents of terrorism from 2001 to 2013 was 350. In addition, we compiled all terrorism incidents inside the U.S. and found that between 2001 and 2013, there were 3,030 people killed in domestic acts of terrorism [nearly 3,000 were as a result of the 9/11 attacks]. This brings the total to 3,380.” (CNN.com, October 2, 2015)

“More Young Americans Now Die From Guns Than Cars: The United States is one of the greatest nations in the world. But compared to our peers, we’re one of the worst when it comes to gun violence. In America, you can be shot at an elementary school. You can be murdered at a church or movie theatre. You can even be executed on live TV – and yet there’s no real expectation of gun reform...Gun related deaths in America wildly outpace our peer nations…” (Forbes.com, August 26, 2015)

Comment: We continue to look forward to the Kingdom when “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9)

RELIGION IN 2015

“Study: Americans becoming less Chris­tian, more secular: The number of Americans who don’t affiliate with a particular religion has grown to 56 million in recent years, making the faith group researchers call ‘nones’ the second-largest in total numbers behind evangelicals, according to a Pew Research Center study released Tuesday [May 11]... Between 2007 and 2014, when Pew conducted two major surveys of U.S. religious life, Americans who described themselves as atheist, agnostic or of no particular faith grew from 16 percent to nearly 23 percent. At the same time, Christians dropped from about 78 percent to just under 71 percent of the population.” (Associated Press, May 12, 2015)

Comment: Even among those who identify themselves as Christians, few have faith in Jesus as the ransom. Jesus prophesized of this condition saying, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Writing about this prophecy, Pastor Russell said, “Thus the sunlight of the Gospel is daily becoming more and more obscure… The Scriptures variously forewarn us of this great falling away, as well as of this darkening of the faith of the Church at this time; so that the Son of Man when he cometh will find the faith very scarce on the earth.” (Volume 4, page 592)

Pope’s visit to the U.S.: The Pope’s visit to the U.S. in September drew much attention. This Pope is intent on improving the Catholic Church’s image, choosing to ride in a Ford Focus rather than a chauffeured limousine. He is popular among Catholics and Protestants alike and his speeches sound like those of a politician running for office. He champions such causes as income inequality and climate change and promotes unity among Christian denominations.

“U.S. Church, in Pope Francis’ Afterglow, Sees Chance to Win Back Faithful: Over six days, throngs of Roman Catholics and non-Catholics in three cities swooned over Francis, the ‘People’s Pope,’ who asked the downtrodden and the mighty alike to pray for him. The crowds have gone home. But a papal afterglow remains, injecting the American church with new energy in small but unmistakable ways… While it could easily be short-lived, Catholic officials at every level, from parish priests to archdiocesan officials, are now praying – and strategizing – over how to sustain a Francis bounce.” (New York Times on-line, October 2, 2015)

“From Antichrist to Brother in Christ: How Protestant Pastors View the Pope: More than half of evangelical pastors say Pope Francis is their brother in Christ. More than one-third say they value the pope’s view on theology, and 3 in 10 say he has improved their view of the Catholic Church. Those are among the findings of a new study of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors, released this week from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.

“Overall, the survey found that many Protestant pastors have taken a liking to Pope Francis… ‘Our sample itself – Protestant pastors – is named after the Protestant Reformation, so they are particularly interesting to survey,’ said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research.” (Christianity Today on-line, September 25, 2015)

“Atheists rap Congress for letting pope preach: Members of Congress from both parties may be welcoming Pope Francis to the Capitol on Thursday (Sept. 24), but the Freedom From Religion Foundation? Not so much. The Wisconsin-based advocacy group took out full-page ads in The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today and The Philadelphia Inquirer. ‘Why is the pope preaching to Congress?’ asks the ad in The Washington Post that includes quotes and the visage of President John F. Kennedy. The nation’s only Catholic president spoke of the importance of ‘absolute’ church-state separation and said he believed in a country ‘where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope.’ ‘Unfortunately, Congressional leaders John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi, both Roman Catholics, appear not to share JFK’s vision of a secular America,’ the ad reads.” (Religion News Service on-line, September 25, 2015)

“Irish priests to hear confessions in shopping malls over Christmas period: Irish priests are hoping to take advantage of Irish shopping mania in the lead up to Christmas--by hearing confessions in shopping centers… The priests will be available to shoppers inspired by Pope Francis’s words to seek out those in need wherever they are. Shannon’s Parish Priest Fr Tom Ryan told The Irish Catholic [newspaper] the initiative ‘was in response to Pope Francis’ call to priests to go out to the market place and proclaim the Gospel.’” (Irish Central on-line, November 27, 2015)

“Pope Francis ‘prepared to battle’ on Vatican reform: Despite intense opposition from some conservatives and new revelations of financial scandals in the Vatican, Pope Francis is at peace with the reformist course he has set for the Catholic Church, according to a cardinal who is a leading adviser to the pontiff….Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga also said that the latest reports of excessive spending and political maneuvering by officials of the Roman Curia only confirm the need to press ahead with an overhaul of the papal bureaucracy…. ‘It’s a revolution going on (in the Vatican). But a revolution of love, and hope,’ said Rodriguez…” (Religion News Service on-line, November 4, 2015)

“European Catholic bishops call for regional action ahead of Paris climate talks: On Monday [October 26], Catholic leaders from five continents issued a 10-point appeal for climate negotiators to come to a just and ‘truly transformational’ climate agreement in Paris …European church officials have also organized a series of activities leading up to the climate conference, including fasts, marches, conferences and seminars that will also include Jewish, Buddhist and Protestant leaders, among others… [Cardinal Reinhard Marx] acknowledged the church had been slow in forging a climate action plan. ‘The church can learn from the world,’ he said, in ‘understanding the signs of the times.’” (Religion News Service on-line, October 30, 2015)

One reader of the above article posted this comment on line: “The Pope has spoken to the world on the morality of the issue but the Church has no responsibility to lead the world in this secular pursuit.”

Comment: The Bible foretells of the coming together of Protestantism and Catholicism. Pastor Russell wrote of this saying, “…the ‘sure word of prophecy’ indicates very clearly that the various Protestant sects will form a cooperative union or federacy, and that Catholicism and Protestantism will affiliate, neither losing its identity. These are the two ends of the ecclesiastical heavens which, as their confusion increases, shall roll together as a scroll (Isa. 34:4; Rev. 6:14) for self-protection – as distinct and separate rolls, yet in close proximity to each other.” (Volume 4, page 258)

Not everyone is enthralled with the Pope’s efforts to change the image of the Catholic Church. Columnist George Will had these caustic words:

“Pope Francis’s fact-free flamboyance: Pope Francis embodies sanctity but comes trailing clouds of sanctimony. With a convert’s indiscriminate zeal, he embraces ideas impeccably fashionable, demonstrably false and deeply reactionary. They would devastate the poor on whose behalf he purports to speak…This man who says ‘the Church does not presume to settle scientific questions’ proceeds as though everything about which he declaims is settled, from imperiled plankton to air conditioning being among humanity’s ‘harmful habits.’ The church that thought it was settled science that Galileo was heretical should be attentive to all evidence.

“Francis deplores ‘compulsive consum­erism,’ a sin to which the 1.3 billion persons with­out even electricity can only aspire. He leaves the Vatican to jet around praising subsistence farming, a romance best enjoyed from 30,000 feet above the realities that such farmers yearn to escape.

“As the world spurns his church’s teachings about abortion, contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage and other matters, Francis jauntily makes his church congruent with the secular religion of ‘sustainability’… Francis’s fact-free flamboyance reduces him to a shepherd whose selectively reverent flock, genuflecting only at green altars, is tiny relative to the publicity it receives from media otherwise disdainful of his church.” (The Washington Post on-line, September 18, 2015)

“How religion is roiling the GOP race: After the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the mass killings that shocked France, Republican White House hopefuls pounced, leveling harsh rhetoric about Islam and calling for a much more aggressive strategy to fight the radical group known as ISIS. Ted Cruz said the United States should deny entry to Muslim refugees from Syria, but leave the door open to fleeing Christians… Jeb Bush echoed that view, saying U.S. efforts to assist refugees should focus on Christians. ‘I do think there is a special important need to make sure that Christians from Syria are being protected because they are being slaughtered in the country…’ Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s months-long front-runner, declared that he would strongly consider closing down mosques …These comments come as a crowded field of GOP presidential candidates are fighting to win the support of Christian conservatives in early voting states like Iowa and across the South, in part by vowing to fiercely protect religious liberties.” (CNN.com, November 17, 2015)

Comment: It is hard to see how these sentiments promote protection of religious liberties.

“After Paris: Remembering Christians who have killed in God’s name: To visit the grand old Christian cathedrals of Europe is to be reminded of the close alliance between church and state for centuries in waging all kinds of wars in the name of Christ and Christendom. Just look up at the stained glass windows integrating cross, sword, and crown. These wars claimed the lives of Muslims, Jews, and fellow Christians.” (David Gushee, Religion News Service on-line, November 17, 2015)

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ANNOUNCEMENT

The date of our Lord’s Memorial is March 21, 2016 after six p.m.

NO. 700: THE LOGOS MADE FLESH

No. 700

 “And the Logos became Flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14, Diaglott)

The basis of our Christmas study, contained in John 1:1-18, is one of the most beautiful in the whole Bible. Genesis goes back to the beginning of earthly things; but this lesson goes back to the beginning of all beginnings, when God was alone. The very beginning of Divine operation was the Logos – “the beginning of the creation of God” – “the firstborn of every creature.” (Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15)

Logos, translated “Word” in most English translations of the Bible, signifies mouthpiece, or special messenger. Logos was the name of Jesus before He became flesh and should properly be left untranslated, just as the names “Jesus” and “Christ” are left untranslated. Not only was the Logos the beginning of the Divine creation, or the Alpha – but He was also the last, the Omega, as He Himself informs us. (Rev. 1:11; 21:6) The first and only begotten Son of God was given an exclusive place, so that “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3) Thus the Father highly honored Him as His Agent in all the creative work.

The Greek text of John 1:1,2 is not fully represented in any of our common translations. Accurately translated it reads, “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with the God (τὸν θεόν) and the Logos was a god (θεὸς); the same was in the beginning with the God (τὸν θεόν).” Here the majesty of our Redeemer in His pre-human condition is fully set forth, and yet He is distinctly shown to be the Son and not the Father – to be a god and not the God.

The word god signifies “mighty one;” but there is only one God whose name is the Almighty. St. Paul affirms this great truth, saying, “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1 Cor. 8:6) Again, the Apostle writes, “The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:3) This is the claim that Jesus made for Himself – not that He was the Father, the Almighty God, but that He was the Son of God, who came to do the will of His Father in Heaven.

The so-called doctrine of the Trinity, put into the Nicene Creed by a council of bishops con­vened by the Emperor Constantine in A.D. 325, has been the cause of much of our confusion when studying the Bible. The Bible contains neither the word trinity nor any suggestion of it, except in the one passage acknowledged by all scholars to be spurious, namely 1 John 5:7. This passage is not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century.

The Redeemer was not deceitful when He prayed to the Father with loud cries and tears, “My God! My God!” (Matt. 27:46) Neither was He deceitful when He declared to Mary after His resurrection, “I am not yet ascended to my Father…and your Father, and to my God and your God.” (John 20:17) He declared His oneness with the Father, and desired that a similar oneness should prevail among His followers – oneness of spirit, of purpose. Therefore He prayed for His Church, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us…that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:21-23)

“THE LOGOS BECAME FLESH”

St. Paul tells us of how He who was rich on the spirit plane for our sakes became poor, leaving the Heavenly comforts for the scenes of this world, darkened by sin and death. (2 Cor. 8:9) This our lesson tells us also: “And the Logos became Flesh, and dwelt among us, – and we beheld His glory, a glory as of an Only-begotten from a Father, – full of favor and truth.” (John 1:14, Diaglott) St. Paul also corroborates this, declaring that our Lord stooped from His high position, took the bondman’s form and was found in fashion as a man, of the seed of Abraham. (Phil. 2:7,8; Heb. 2:16) But lest we should get the wrong thought, that He had become a sinful man, we are guarded by the assurance that He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) We are also assured that His body was especially prepared, separate and different from others of our race, all of whom were of Adamic stock and all tainted with sin and the seeds of death. (Heb. 10:5-9)

But, on the other hand, we are to guard ourselves against the thought that the Logos remained a spirit being and merely materialized, or appeared in human form. This unscriptural thought is the one held by many, and styled incarnation. The angels incarnated, or got into flesh, when they materialized from time to time, as described in the Old Testament Scriptures. Our Lord Himself incarnated, or appeared in the flesh, to Abraham in company with others; and He talked with Abraham, who knew not that he was entertaining Heavenly beings, mistaking them for human travelers.

Similarly, after His resurrection Jesus ap­peared in various forms of flesh. That is to say, He materialized, or incarnated, for the purpose of teaching certain lessons to His disciples, because after His resurrection He was a spirit being, as He was before He was made flesh. As a spirit being, He appeared and disappeared, the doors being shut. Thus He taught His disciples a double lesson:

(1) That He was no longer dead, but risen;

(2) That He was no longer a human, but a spirit being – “being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by [made alive in] the Spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:18)

A RANSOM, OR CORRESPONDING-PRICE

As Bible students we are learning that more than ever we must strive earnestly to keep close to the Word of God. It was the perfect man Adam who sinned and was sentenced to death, and under the Divine Law he could be redeemed only by the sacrifice of a perfect man. The Law declares, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a man’s life for a man’s life.” Hence the blood of bulls and goats could never make atonement for Adam’s sin; for they did not correspond: it was not a bullock nor a goat that had sinned and was to be redeemed, but a perfect man. (Heb. 10:4)

All of the human family are children of Adam and sharers in his death sentence; therefore, “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.” (Psalm 49:7) God so shut up the matter that Adam and his race could not have been redeemed except by the finding of a perfect man who would be willing voluntarily to die on their behalf. It was because there was no such man that God arranged with the Logos, His only begotten, that He should become a man and be the Redeemer of the human race – Adam and all his posterity.

But even this could not be demanded of the Logos. The Heavenly Father, therefore, as St. Paul points out, set before His Son, the Logos, a great proposition; namely, that if He would demonstrate His faith and loyalty to the extent of becoming man’s Redeemer, the Father would still more highly exalt Him and make Him partaker of the Divine nature, far above angels and every name that is named. (Heb. 12:2; Phil. 2:5-11) The Logos, full of faith and obedience, heartily entered into the proposition, was made flesh, consecrated His life, kept nothing back, finished the work at Calvary, and was raised from the dead by the Father to the Divine nature and glory and honor.

“THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”

The Logos was made Jesus. The work of Jesus in the flesh, however, is not the completion of the Divine Plan, but merely the beginning of it. His death constitutes the basis of all future blessings to the Church and to the world. According to the Father’s Plan, an elect class was to be gathered out of Israel and out of every nation to be the Church of Christ, His Bride, associates with Him in His Throne, glory and work. (1 Pet. 2:9,10)

With the completion of the Elect, the Kingdom for which we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” is to be established. Satan is to be bound; all evil is to be brought to an end; every good influence and enlightenment is to be shed; and He who died for the world is thus to become the Light of the world. He has not yet been the Light of the world, but merely a light to His people. As St. John declared, His light shined in darkness, and was not appreciated. (John 1:5) Similarly the light of Truth upheld by His consecrated Church will not be appreciated, so strong are the powers of the Prince of Darkness influencing the minds of the world, which, as yet, lies under the evil one. (1 John 5:19, Diaglott)

But the Prince of Life and His Kingdom will cause the light of the knowledge of the glory of God to fill the whole earth, as the waters cover the great deep (Hab. 2:14), so that none shall need to say to his brother, know the Lord, for all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest. (Jer. 31:34) Thus according to His promise, in the coming Kingdom Jesus will be “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:9) The great mass of humanity, the civilized as well as the uncivilized, have as yet never seen nor even heard of this true Light.

The resurrection of the just will be necessary to bring the Church to glory and joint-heirship with her Lord. But the resurrection of the unjustified, which includes practically all humanity, will be for the very purpose of permitting them to see the true Light, which God has provided in His Son and which will be shed abroad during His Millennial Kingdom. Only those who refuse the light, preferring the darkness, will die the Second Death. (Rev. 21:8)

“POWER TO BECOME SONS”

John the Baptist was a messenger sent to call attention to the Light, but he was not the Light. He was not even one of the Church class, of whom Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14), for John the Baptist died before the time of the begetting of the Spirit, after our Lord’s sacrifice.

The world did not recognize the great One, the Logos, by whom it was made. His own nation did not recognize Him, but instead crucified Him. Yet some then and some since have received Him, and to such He has given the power, the right, the liberty, the privilege, to become children of God. No such privilege was given to the Jews, nor to any of the fallen race, until Pentecost, after Jesus had appeared in the presence of God to make atonement for our sins.

These sons are all begotten of the Holy Spirit. Theirs is not a fleshly sonship. Their birth of the Spirit will be the resurrection change, when they shall be made like their Master, see Him as He is and share His glory.

(Adapted from Reprint 5351, with some updating of language, etc.)

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CHRISTMAS HOPES AND JOYS

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:10,11)

Christmas (or Christ’s festival) is generally celebrated on December 25th; and since its commemoration is merely voluntary and not commanded in the Scriptures, we may well celebrate it on this date, although we believe evidence shows that our Lord was born about October 1st, and that December 25th, nine months previous, was probably around the date of the annunciation.[1] (Luke 1:30,31)

Our confidence that Jesus was sent of God to be the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Deliverer of His people, rests not merely upon the testimony of the Apostles in the New Testament records. Wonderful and convincing as these testimonies are, they gain most of their weight and importance from the fact that they prove the fulfilment of Old Testament promises, types and prophecies given more or less explicitly throughout the preceding 4,000 years. He who does not discern something, at least, of the divine plan of the ages in connection with our Savior, His birth, His three and one-half years’ ministry, His sacrificial death, His resurrection, His ascension, etc., fails to get the real strength of the divine revelation, designed by God to be the firm foundation for His people’s confidence in Him and in all the glorious things which He has promised He would yet accomplish through this great Savior.

OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES

Recall the original veiled promise of a Savior, given in the Garden of Eden and directed at the Serpent (Satan), shortly after the sin of our first parents brought us under divine sentence: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed [Satan’s seed of evil] and her seed [the Messiah]; it shall bruise thy head, [a fatal blow, crushing out all evil in due time] and thou shalt bruise his heel [He will not be injured vitally].” (Gen. 3:15) The promise was that God had not forsaken man, but will ultimately recover him through a Redeemer born of a woman.

Recall also the promise made to Abraham (2,083 years after the promise in the Garden of Eden) that the Messiah would be of his posterity: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 22:18) It was repeated to Jacob: “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the fami­lies of the earth be blessed.”(Gen. 28:14)

Now coming forward to Moses, 430 years after the Abra­hamic Covenant, note the types and figures of the Mosaic arrangement. Moses himself was declared to be like unto the greater one to come after him. (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22, 7:37)

Much later, after King David began his reign 536 years after the giving of the Law to Moses, God said to him, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall pro­ceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom…And thine house and thy kingdom shall be es­tab­lished for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Sam. 7:12-16)

The Messiah’s coming and His greatness were foretold through the Prophet Isaiah. (Isa. 9:6,7; 11:1-9) The Prophet Daniel also refers to the importance of His work of making an end of sin and bringing in everlasting righteousness, and thus sealing the visions and prophecies which the Lord had just given respecting the Messiah and the favor to come through Him. (Dan. 9:24)

We recall also how He was typified in Isaac, who was not only the heir of the promises made to Abraham, but who was also figuratively put to death and received again from the dead.

Had the hopes of Israel been merely concoctions to deceive the people, we may be sure that the deceiver would have carefully set out some remarkable line of parentage for the coming Messiah – free from blights, scandals, etc.; but this was not done. Instead, the weaknesses of the flesh among our Lord’s ancestors are fearlessly documented.

Judah, the son of Jacob, and head of the tribe from which our Lord sprang, was not above reproach and his general character was truthfully portrayed. His son, Phares (or Pharez), through whom our Lord’s lineage runs, was born of an unlawful union. Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, a foreigner who became an “Israelite indeed,” was among our Lord’s progenitors; so was Ruth, the Moabitess, another foreigner adopted as an Israelite. Even through David the line is compromised by coming through Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah, the Hittite.

NEW TESTAMENT IN AGREEMENT

The New Testament writers are similarly candid and make no hesitation in recording the genealogy. All of this is in full accord with the scriptural presentation of the matter; namely, that our Lord’s virtue, His sinlessness, His separate­ness from sinners, was not through the flesh, not through His mother, but through His Father, God.[2]

There are those who say that the writers of the New Testament knew the promises, types and prophe­cies of the Old Testament and told their stories of Christ to fit these. If this be the case, there had to be a motive, an ad­van­tage to them. We can find no such motive or worldly ad­van­tage gained, but rather, just the reverse is true. They were vilified, ostracized, persecuted, and some even put to death, as had been their Master.

As the Apostle Paul explains, Jesus Christ “took on him the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16), but as we have already seen, through various circumstances He was indirectly related also to the outside world. All of this is interesting to us, but nothing to be compared to our still greater interest in the fact that our Lord Jesus, although born a Jew under the Law, and redeeming those who were under the Law, did more than this, in that His death, as planned by the Father and accepted by Himself, was a propitiation “for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

He died as the ransom price for Adam and his sin, and thus purchased from condemnation not only Adam, but his entire posterity; hence, as the Apostle points out, “He is able also to save [deliver] them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” (Heb. 7:25)

Not only is this true, but our Lord’s circumstances of birth and early experiences in comparative poverty as a working man impress us with the thought that He is indeed able to sympathize with mankind in every station of life; having passed from the glory of the Father to the lowest condition of humanity and back again, He is surely able to appreciate and to sympathize with all conditions and classes.

THE GLORIOUS MESSAGE

When the angel came to the shepherds with the announce­ment of the Savior’s birth, the light of the Glory of the Lord shone about them and they were frightened. The message of our heavenly Father through the angel was this: “Fear not.” (Luke 2:9,10) The angel understood well that through sin and degradation a fearful apprehension comes over man when he finds himself in contact with spirit beings; he is apprehensive of certain further condemnation or punishment. His experiences with men of influence, authority and power lead him to dread the still greater authority and power of the Almighty, for fear it should be injurious to him.

Only the true Christian, having the eyes of his understanding opened to appreciate the length and breadth and height and depth of the love of God, can have that perfect love toward the heavenly Father which is built upon an intimate knowledge of His Word, and which casts out all fear. (Eph. 3:18-19; 1 John 4:18) We are reminded of the Prophet’s words, which are applicable to many professing Christians of today: “Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” (Isa. 29:13) The Lord would have His people free from this fear, though not free from a proper reverence toward Him.

The message of the angel continued, “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” How slow the Lord’s people have been to believe this message and to accept the Savior at His full worth! How prone they seem to be to suppose first of all that He was to be a Savior merely for the Jews; or secondly, a Savior merely for a special elect class; or thirdly, a Savior only for those who under present darkness, ignorance, prejudice, superstition and devilish influences, manifest a special love for righteousness! But how broad is the statement – great joy – for all people!

Our faith that these good tidings will be to all people, that all families of the earth will be blessed, is based on the positive declaration of the Scriptures, which promise that our God has graciously arranged that every member of the human race will yet be blessed with a clear understanding of the great redemption price paid by the Savior. (Heb. 8:11) Every member of the human race will share in the glorious opportunities thus secured to return, if he will, back to full harmony with God and to full blessings and everlasting life. (Rev. 22:17)

Note however, that the angel did not declare that our Lord came to bring universal and everlasting salvation to all people; instead the angel declared that the good message of joy, of privilege, love, hope, shall extend to all people. The explanation of this is that a Savior had been born – a deliverer of the weak, the helpless, the dying, able to succor to the utmost all who would come to the Father through Him; able to open the blind eyes and to unstop the deaf ears that all may come to an appreciation of the goodness of God shining toward them in the face of the Lord Jesus.

In the Syriac language, which was likely spoken by Jesus and others living in the region at the time, the word Savior signifies literally “Life-giver.” What a wonderful thought is conveyed by that word! What is it that our poor, dying race needs? It needs deliverance from death and the sentence of death, and restoration to complete, abundant, and everlasting life.

Our Lord has already become our Deliverer in the sense that He has bought us with His precious blood, that He has settled our account with Justice. As a result of this work already done (since the Church which is the body of Christ has followed in the footsteps of our Lord and has about “fill[ed] up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ” (Col. 1:24), very shortly now, under the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, the mystery of God will be finished – completed – and atonement for the sins of the world shall be proclaimed with a full emancipation procla­mation to all people. It will surely be good tidings of great joy! It will be full of gracious opportunities for enlightenment, restitution and obedience, and for a full return to all that was lost by father Adam, including life in perfect degree – lasting life!

A HALLELUJAH CHORUS

No wonder that after this message had been delivered, the Lord permitted an angel host to serenade the proclamation, prophesying the grand results yet to flow from the great work of redemption, only then beginning in the birth of the Redeemer: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13,14)

The anthem properly begins with praise to He who sits upon the throne, to He who devised the great and wonderful plan of redemption and who sent His Son, our willing Redeemer. Glory to Him in the highest – in the highest strain of heart and voice, with fullest appreciation of Him as a Savior! Next come the consequences on earth – namely, peace. This is not the kind of peace men might patch up between themselves and between nations and parties, and that under present conditions would be sure very soon to be scattered to the winds. Rather, it is peace with God, a peace which comes from the restoration of the divine good will to the human race.

Because divine justice could not spare the guilty, the sentence of death has borne down upon our race. Under that divine sentence the dying race has become impoverished, not only physically but mentally and morally, and selfishness has become the rule. In its wake have come all our selfish ambitions, pride, strife and love of money, causing so much of the trouble that mankind has experienced.

But now, glory to God in the highest, because peace has been established upon a firm foundation – the lifting of the curse of death through the payment of our penalty by the Lord’s own arrangement! As soon as the body of Christ has suffered with the Head, the great antitypical Day of Atonement will be complete. Peace between God and man will be established, will be renewed, and as a consequence the Redeemer shall take to Himself His great power and reign for the purpose of blessing and uplifting those whom He purchased with His own precious blood.

The great peace must be introduced by the breaking in pieces of present institutions with the iron rod of the new Kingdom. They will be crushed as the vessel of a potter because henceforth they will be useless. In their stead will come the grand and perfect institutions of the Lord’s Kingdom. He will wound to heal, to bless, to bring in peace on the basis of everlasting righteousness.

He will ultimately destroy all those who, after being brought to a knowledge of the truth, will still love unrighteousness and lean toward corruption. (Psa. 37:9-11; Acts 3:23; 2 Thes. 1:9) He will destroy them, not in anger but in justice, in love, that an everlasting peace in full accord with that which is in heaven may prevail upon earth.

Wherever the story of God’s redeeming love has gone, even though confused by various falsities, it has carried a measure of blessing with it. It has brought blessing even to hearers who are neglectful of the Word of God. It has brought still more blessing to others who hear partly and obey partly. Its greatest blessing, however, has been to the Little Flock, the Royal Priesthood who, entering into the spirit of the divine arrangement, have realized themselves justified through faith in the precious blood. In harmony with the invitation of the Lord, these have gone forward, presenting themselves living sacrifices that they might have fellowship with Christ in the sufferings of the Gospel Age, and the glories that shall follow in the Kingdom.

It is chiefly this class who have rejoiced in a still fuller opening up of the divine Word so long beclouded by the false doctrines coming down from the Dark Ages. It is this class that has chiefly rejoiced in the discernment of the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of the divine love and of the divine plan which has purchased the whole world and will eventually recover from present degradation all who under the favorable conditions of the Millennial Kingdom will develop the character which God demands of all who shall have eternal life – a love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity.

(Adapted from Reprint 3114, with some updating of language, etc.)

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“IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW”

Marjorie Horn Williams

With much sadness it is our duty to report the death of our beloved Sister in the Truth, Marjorie Williams. She was born May 27, 1931 and entered into the “sleep in Jesus” on September 15, 2015. Her love of the Lord guided the steps of her life and she was instrumental in the work of the Bible House for many years, devoting countless hours to sharing the wonderful promises of God with others. We will miss her very much and pray God bless her memory.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (1 Thes. 4:13,14)

TO OUR BELOVED ONE

To our dear one we bid farewell.

We’ll miss you more than words can tell.

Weariness of mind and body at last

Behind you has been forever cast.

Though entered in that dreamless sleep,

The Lord will surely your remembrance keep.

He will wake you in that wonderful day,

Pain and tears all wiped away.

We pray that morn not tarry long

When you return with joyous song.

Though we say goodbye with so much sorrow,

We rejoice to know we’ll meet tomorrow.

By Delta Clinard

[1] See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 2, page 54.

[2] See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 5, Chapter 4.