NO. 231: KING SAUL - TYPE AND ANTITYPE

No. 231

My dear Brethren: Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!

In Vol. E–14, middle of p. 5, we are told that “Saul types the crown–lost lead­ers from early in the third century to Armageddon.” And in E–13:181 it is stated that “Samuel types the Little Flock as a whole, especially in its more prominent mem­bers, and more especially in the star–members and their special helpers during the interim.” In 1 Sam. 10:1 it is recorded that “Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head... because the Lord hath anointed thee (Saul) to be captain over His inheritance.” Sober reflection impresses us with the strange procedure – the greater (Samuel) anointing the lesser (Saul) to be leader over God’s faithful Israel, even while the Judge and Prophet Samuel dwelt among them. This situation can only be reconciled by the knowledge that God was here making a type of the Gospel Age, a most impressive type which unmistakably reveals the course events would follow after the Apostles would be no more. In the comments which follow we are offering much from Brother Johnson as set forth in E–13 and E–14.

Typical Saul was a “choice young man, and goodly... not among the children of Is­rael a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” (1 Sam. 9:2) In all this he portrayed the admirable qualities of the Gospel-Age crown-lost leaders, many of whom were greater intellects than the star mem­bers who had “laid hands upon them.” And at the outset many of them waged valiant war­fare victoriously against the antitypical Philistines (sectarians). Also, just as the typical Saul presented a compelling magnetism for Israel, so the antitypes did like­wise. Among them were to be found the greatest intellects (“higher than any of the people”), the greatest moralists, zealous for human uplift and social reform, although blinded to the real purpose of the “call” to “take out from among the Gentiles a people for His name,” who would during the Kingdom reign have the power and authority to ac­complish to the full what has been impossible of accomplishment during the reign of evil. Also, most of them showed a commendable humility at the outset – just as did the typical Saul (“When thou wast little in thine own eyes I made thee king over Israel”); but they also followed his wayward course of power-grasping and disobedience; setting aside the instructions of the Lord as given through antitypical Samuel (the star-members), they ig­nored the clear exhortation, “to obey is better than sacrifice.”

And the wayward course of these “children of disobedience” (Col. 3:6) always brought them into open conflict with the Star Members that were living at the time ­“there was strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cat­tle.” (Gen. 13:7) Thus they obtained the present advantage (“the plain of Jordan..... well watered everywhere”), and became the mouthpieces to nominal spiritual Israel in most instances until the Harvest – although be it noted that in not a single instance did any of those crown-lost leaders become the Pastor and Teacher to the Fully Faithful, this being an office which the Lord alone could bestow. And in the picture presented in Numbers 7 by the offerings of the princes, in not a single instance did any of them offer a “cup” (symbolic of doctrines), the Lord there making clear to those who “have an ear to hear” that those crown-lost leaders (on up to Armageddon) would never occupy the seat of chief favor in His Household of Faith. In fact, every one of the Gospel-­Age princes (crown-lost leaders) perverted the truths given them by the fully faithful antitypical Samuel (“asses – Teachings – were lost”).

The foregoing far-reaching truths did not become clear until the Epiphany Messen­ger made them clear; and this was undoubtedly for a purpose also. Had these truths been understood throughout the Age, the “blinded Samson” would then not have been blind; he would not have “ground wheat in the mill” for the antitypical Philistines. Even in the case of That Servant who was “made ruler over all His goods” the same course of cen­turies past was trodden once more – he “anointed” crown-losers to carry on the Harvest work in the person of J. F. Rutherford and Company. But those crown-losers walked ex­actly in the footsteps of their kinsmen – they skillfully refuted the errors of the PBI on the chronology (defeated the Philistines), etc., while perverting the stewardship doctrine of Restitution that had been committed to their trust by the Parousia Messen­ger. And the Epiphany Messenger did likewise in anointing antitypical Saul, although we must make allowance for him, because he believed only crown-losers would remain after his demise, so he chose the logical person by asking the 1948 Detroit Convention to ap­prove his choice of R. G. Jolly. Some may now be inclined to fault that action; but we should bear in mind that some of his adherents were very insistent that proper provision he made in case of his death (once more the children of Israel crying unto the Lord, “Give us a king”); and R. G. Jolly at that time was certainly “higher than any of the people” who might he selected to carry on after antitypical Samuel’s death. So we our­selves offer no criticism of the Epiphany Messenger in the action taken at Detroit.

But the “anointing” of this member of antitypical Saul resulted precisely in keep­ing with all the ‘anointings” of the past. He did valiantly in refuting the issue of the High Calling still open; and his booklet exposing Jehovah’s Witnesses is a capable work – he defeated the Philistines. Yet in those very victories he, too, was going astray with the stewardship doctrine entrusted to him – The Epiphany in its relation to the Epiphany Elect – by declaring no more saints among the Epiphany Elect, and by other drastic and inexcusable perversions. For, just as Samuel continued in Israel after Saul’s anointing, so antitypical Samuel has continued in Israel after he anointed the last member of antitypical Saul – although the surviving members of the Samuel Class do not contain among them a star member. As Brother Johnson has expressed it in E–13:190 (8), “full qualifications for the pertinent leadership were given by antitypical Sam­uel to antitypical Saul,” so he also did in the case of R. G. Jolly – by letters and personal instruction before his death. In these endeavors he surely had the best in­terests of all Israel at heart to the day of his death, nor can he be blamed for the deflections that have appeared since 1950, even though it is now crystal clear to us that he gave us an exact blueprint of the actions of the centuries past that occurred in every sect in Christendom by the crown-lost leaders.

In this matter the supposedly enlightened adherents of the LHMM are the more to be blamed, and the words of Samuel to Israel apply with irresistible force to them: “I brought up Israel out of Egypt (from Satan’s evil order of affairs), and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you (the evils of sin, error, selfishness and worldliness); And ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations.” (1 Sam. 10:18, 19) An excellent companion text is to be found in Psa. 77:20 – “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses (the Lord) and Aaron (the Church).” We have the inspired warning in 1 Pet. 4:17: “The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” – the righteous (the fully faithful), the un­godly (the second-deathers), the sinner (the Great Company), each according to that which he has sown. And when we see those we once respected and loved now being “car­ried about by every wind of doctrine” we need no further testimony that they have left tragic flaws, erosions and rents in their past endeavors to “put on the whole armor of God.” This has affected different ones in various and sundry manner. Some have with­drawn to themselves in spiritual anarchy, making their own decisions, establishing their own arrangements for the study, practice, and spread of the “good word of God,” and flaunting the direct inspired command, “Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Heb. 10:25) – a counterpart of Judges 17:6 – “In those days there was no king (star member) of Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

The Executive Trustee of the LHMM has also perverted another feature of the stew­ardship doctrine pertaining to the Epiphany Elect when he renounced the Epiphany Mes­senger’s teaching in E–10:672, that new Youthful Worthies would be won even after Arma­geddon. He now claims that work is all in the past – forsaking the truth that both Star Members taught regarding this Class (“flatly denying our dear Pastor’s thought that those who consecrating and proving faithful in the interval between the close of the General Call in 1881 and the inauguration of the earthly phase of the Kingdom and finding no crowns available for themselves, will become associated in reward and ser­vice with the Ancient Worthies in the Kingdom”––E–4:337); he has substituted his spir­itual hybrids (Campers Consecrated), which in turn has forced him to forsake the truth on Tentative Justification.

Bear in mind that it was only after he began his perversions that he began to suffer his defeats – just as was true of King Saul. The typical “child of disobedi­ence” went from one mistake to another worse one after he began his decline, culminat­ing finally in his own death – and the ignominious defeat of the entire nation of Is­rael. His experiences should be a solemn warning to all God’s people to “make straight paths for their feet.” Here was a man come from the smallest family in the smallest tribe of Israel (Benjamin), who rose to the highest office in Israel; then because of disobedience (“to obey is better than sacrifice”––l Sam. 15:22) he plummeted to an ab­ject humiliation far below what he had been when he was a simple herdsman caring for his father’s cattle and sheep. It seems he learned just nothing from his mistakes, because “the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.” (1 Sam. 16:14)

It has been well stated that experience is a dear teacher, but a fool will learn by no other. But, when a man will not learn even by adverse experiences, he is then impoverished beyond description.   Be it remembered that it was the Gospel-Age Saul that built up Great Babylon, which in turn “made all the earth drunken” (Jer. 51:7); so that at this day “the earth is reeling to and fro like a drunkard” (Isa. 24:20) as a direct result of the bunglings of the “children of disobedience.” And, when the “drunkard” finally plunges over the precipice of destruction in Armageddon, then will antitypical Saul perish also (as such, though not necessarily as human beings, or even as New Creatures). This fate will be the direct result of their own sowing.

And, true to his kinsmen of the past, the Executive Trustee of the LHMM now fol­lows meticulously in their steps, he also having learned just nothing from the past failures and mistakes of antitypical Saul. It was when he began to pervert the Truth on Tentative Justification that his defeats also began – the abject failure of his $5 correspondence course – the humiliation of those conglomerate Conventions about which he was so loud and profuse for a time, but which are not even mentioned anymore – his defeats one after another in his various controversies on the Truth – his Flying Sau­cer tract – his bungling mistakes in the Present Truth, etc. “Bungling is the usual and natural activity of the Great Company,” says Brother Johnson; and his defeats will continue becoming more severe, until he drinks the cup of extreme humiliation and defeat of that part of Israel under his leadership – that is, if he is one to come out of the “great tribulation” and wash his robes in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). Of this there shall be more comment “in due time.”

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD DEPARTED FROM SAUL

In 1 Sam. 16:14 it is recorded that “The Spirit of the Lord Departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.” From this we should not conclude that the Holy spirit departed from the members of antitypical Saul. Had this occurred, they would all have gone into the Second Death.   Rather, they all lost the spirit of under­standing (See Matt. 25:3-9 and 25:30 Berean Comments), so that they not only could not see the advancing Truth, but actually lost important parts of the Truth they once pos­sessed. This is especially evident in this Epiphany period, where the leaders of all the groups in Little Babylon have cast aside large segments of the Truth that once sanc­tified them. Note particularly the confusion in the leader of the LHMM on Tentative justification, Campers Consecrated, the Saints all gone before the real ‘tribulation, of the Time of Trouble (Armageddon) has started, his Campers’ names prospectively (?) written in the Book of Life, before their Book is even opened, the Jews to become Campers Consecrated if they expect to get their promises of “first and chief” in the Kingdom, etc., etc.

The foregoing conclusion is clearly verified in 1 Sam. 28:14: “When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” The antitypical “dreams” we would understand to mean special revelations of advancing Truth from the Lord; the “Urim” meaning the doctrinal teachings of the Bible, which be­come unclear to those who lose the spirit of understanding (no longer understanding Ten­tative Justification, Consecration between the Ages while sin still prevails, etc.); the antitypical “prophets” are especially enlightened teachers, such as Brother Russell, Brother Johnson and others, whose teachings no longer motivate them. Especially here do we emphasize the teachings of both these Little Flock teachers on Abandonment to Aza­zel of all Great Company members, and their clear presentations on those consecrators be­tween the Ages who can no longer enter the High Calling.

AN EVIL SPIRIT TROUBLED HIM

The “evil spirit” that came over Saul is said to have been “from the Lord.” An evil spirit being is not here meant; rather, it means an evil disposition – resulting in God withdrawing His special help from him. Thus, God did not directly induce such a spirit; but it came about by allowing the Saul members to follow their own foolish de­vices – just as we are to understand the meaning of 2 Thes. 2:9-11, “God will send them strong delusion.” God is not the author of confusion, nor is He the disseminator of error. Note Brother Russell’s comments on some features of this text: “Because they received not the love of the Truth – But trifled with it to their injury”; “Strong delusion – That which, from certain standpoints, has the appearance of Truth” (such as Justification outside the righteousness of Christ, etc.). A self-confessed “trifling with the Truth” is to be found in RGJ’s letter published in the Nov. 15, 1910 Watch Tower, a little of which we now quote:

“I sought to make pictures and draw types from nearly every chap­ter in the Bible (just as he has attempted to do with the half Tribe of Manasseh on the west side of Jordan, the Hill Ophel, etc., etc.––JJH) .... Instead of using it to supply my much-needed armor, I was enjoying it more as one would a picture book or ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ .... Finally I came to the point where it became quite difficult for me to distinguish between truth and error. Signed: R. G. Jolly” (And the above still seems to be his sad condition!––JJH)

THE MARK OF CAIN

“Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then I shall be upright, and I shall he in­nocent from the great transgression.” (Psa. 19:12, 13) It is the usual procedure for one sin to beget other sins – for the offender to go from transgression to transgres­sion – just as it is also true that one error begets other errors, and one falsehood other falsehoods. This process is prompted by the necessity to alibi the wrongs or errors already committed; and David’s own experience is an outstanding Scriptural ex­ample of this. His moral offense with Bathsheba was a direct violation of the Seventh Commandment, which quickly led to violation of the Sixth Commandment in his murder of Uriah. Thus, David could well speak from experience when he composed the 19th Psalm.

And so it has also been where the evil of envy is allowed to spawn and grow. “Joseph’s brethren envied him” (Gen. 37:11; Acts 7:9), which in turn prodded them to “conspire against him to slay him.” (v. 18) It was envy that caused Cain to murder his brother Abel; it was envy that prompted the ‘good’ religious people to crucify the Lord of Glory. “Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered Him.” (Matt. 27:18) And after King Saul’s offenses had led Samuel to inform him that the Kingdom of Israel would be taken from him, it was then that the spirit of envy urged him also to attempt the murder of David. And, while he was prevented from actual commission of the crime, he was yet fully guilty; so that in due course he paid for his evil intentions with his own life, just as though he had really murdered the Lord’s anointed.

Envy was undoubtedly the motivation of those princes and presidents in Babylon who conspired to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. King Darius had promoted this foreigner, this Jew, over all of them; and it was more than they could bear. However, he who digs a pit for another falls oftener therein himself; and so it was with those conspirators against Daniel. When morning came, and King Darius perceived that some sort of miracle had been performed to spare Daniel from the hungry lions, he then commanded that his conspirators, and all their families, be thrown to the lions; of and all them were consumed. “Wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.” (Job 5:2) This picture had its fulfillment with those of our day who conspired to destroy Brother Russell; and it was re–enacted in a smaller way with those who tried to destroy Brother Johnson. On one occasion we asked him why the Society breth­ren treated him so shamefully. His answer: IT WAS ENVY, Brother!    Here was another despicable act of envy on the part of antitypical Saul right at our own doorstep!

A WORD FROM THAT SERVANT

Brother Russell has offered profuse comment on the typical Saul – his weaknesses, his failures, his abandonment by the Lord, and his final abject failure. Two of these articles are to be found in Reprints 4206 and 4210, from which we offer very brief sum­mations, although we believe all would do well to read carefully and consider the entire articles:

“Saul’s difficulty and tests may represent some of ours. (1) A selfish spirit... (2) A man-fearing spirit... (3) Saul’s third difficulty was that he had too slack an appreciation of the Lord’s word; and this is the difficulty which specially besets nearly every one of the Lord’s followers who stray away into error of doctrine or of conduct... The Scriptures clearly indicate a great trial and testing for the Church in the next few years. (Little did Brother Russell realize just how great that testing would be in 1917––JJH) It will determine with very many what Saul’s testing determined for him, whether or not God’s favor will continue, with its kingdom privileges and opportunities ... They will be answered as was Saul, ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice’; thou art rejected.”

It requires no great powers of discernment to perceive “too slack an apprecia­tion of the Lord’s word” among the multitudes of Christendom. “Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11) But this same situation is becoming increasingly so with many so-called Truth people. “Too slack an appreciation of the Lord’s word” starts at the top; and it is a sage observation that the disciple rarely rises above his Lord. Thus, the leaders in the various groups of Little Babylon who should be zealously stirring up a proper appreciation of the Lord’s word are unable to do so because of their own errors – errors which have become so appalling that it prevents them from giving a good defense of those truths which they still retain. That same situation prevailed in Big Babylon at the begin­ning of the century; and it provided many a spark for the controversialists of that time – until they realized that the Parousia David (That Servant) had a “sharp two-­edged sword” which they could neither gainsay nor resist. This led eventually to withdrawal from the battle on the part of the errorists – until today it matters very little what one believes so long as he creates no uproar about it.

And that same “lack of appreciation of the Lord’s word” is rapidly infiltrating the sects of Little Babylon. Let us dwell in peace, they say; the arguments are inconsequential anyway. Their appreciation of the Lord’s word is indeed becoming quite slack! Nor do they do very much about feeding the sheep. As Brother Johnson has ob­served, these crown-lost leaders do much better in their efforts toward the worldlings. Brother Russell and Brother Johnson left us plenty of material to enlighten and fortify us in this Epiphany period when these crown-lost leaders are so prominently manifested. “Therefore, by their fruits you will discover them.” (Matt. 7:20, Dia.) The crown-­lost leaders largely ignore these truths as they seek gain for their own quarters.

As stated above, Saul’s blunders and transgressions became worse with each deflec­tion, although the prophet of God was there to reprove and correct him each time. His was a vivid example of the admonition, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Prov. 29:1) His first gross deflection is recorded in 1 Sam. 13, where Saul himself offered sacrifice in direct violation of what he knew full well was the Lord’s established arrangement. “Because they (the Great Company) contemned the counsel (arrangements) of the Most High” (Psa. 107:11). Immediately the Fully Faithful servant of the Lord was there to reprove him: “And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly” – 1 Sam. 13:13. And because of this he was told, “Thy kingdom shall not continue... because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”

And other acts of disobedience soon manifested other flaws in his character, and revealed three outstanding sins common among men. He had been told to destroy utter­ly the Amalekites and their herds, but his cupidity was stronger than the clear com­mand of the Lord. He did indeed completely destroy the Amalekites (excepting only Agag the King), but the sight of their fat cattle easily overcame Saul, so “Saul and the people spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and of lambs, and all that was good... but everything that was vile and refuse, that they de­stroyed utterly.” (1 Sam. 15:9)

And once again the Fully Faithful Samuel was there to confront him; and once again Saul made display of the flaws in his character, the sins of hypocrisy and lying: “Blessed be thou of the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” Reproved by Samuel’s stern countenance and sharp questions, Saul then attempted to take refuge in another sin as old as the human race: “The people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God,” repeating this falsehood in verse 21, but finally forced to admit, “I have sinned.” And, just as “Samuel came no more to see Saul” (v. 35), so the Lord God came no more to see Father Adam, after his impudent accusation following the transgression in Eden: “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me” (Gen. 3:12). As Adam was bold and impudent enough to accuse the Lord Himself for his deflection, so Saul was ready enough to blame “the people” for his sins. All of which is warning enough for him that “hath an ear to hear.”

Century after century during the Gospel Age, as antitypical Saul was “anointed” by antitypical Samuel, the great majority of the Saul class was goaded by unholy ambi­tion to violate the teachings and arrangements of the Lord as presented through the Sam­uel class. Thus, they overshadowed the Fully Faithful and produced the “golden cup” which “made all the earth drunken: Therefore, the nations are (now in 1974) mad”! And, in exact imitation of their kinsmen of the past, the Epiphany Saul submerged the Fully Faithful, and presented a “cup” of rank intoxication. All of us who were in “the good fight” some fifty years ago remember only too vividly the treatment accorded the Epiphany Messenger by J. F. Rutherford and Company – how they submerged the Samuel class by “bowing the knee to Baal” in unprincipled power–grasping, as they presented to the general public their “Millions Now Living” mirage, their 1925 fiasco, etc., which failing fully in every detail they then seized upon the old Papal anathema of the Dark Ages: No salvation outside of our organization – the same being their shibboleth even at this day.

And in similar fashion the crown-lost leader of the LHMM mimicked his Epiphany kinsmen: he and his are now the “Fully Faithful,” the “light,” the “good and faithful servant” class, etc. – and those claiming to be the Fully Faithful are second–deathers, the same being the identical verdict circulated by the Society some fifty years ago against brother Johnson and his adherents. So once again we ob­serve antitypical Saul “anointed” by Samuel in crystal clear exhibition of the true picture given “for our admonition and learning” (1 Cor. 10:11) some three thousand years ago. The truth of this type will certainly impress all who are “of the truth,” and have even a smattering of Epiphany Truth.

“Fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what a great thing He hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your kind.” (1 Sam. 12:24) This prophetic warning saw exact fulfillment at the death of Saul and his three sons, as Israel also was “consumed” in defeat by the Philistines.

Thus, we close with Brother Johnson’s conclusion in E–13:251: “Let us learn the lessons chiefly inculcated by Samuel and Saul, i.e., that by God’s grace we stand, as we abide faithful, taught us by antitypical Samuel’s life, and that, despite God’s grace, we fall, as we prove unfaithful, taught us by antitypical Saul’s life.” And we would add – “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall he as a tree planted by the waters...” (Jer. 17:7,8)

Sincerely your brother

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – Much has been said about the “repentant and believing” in the “finished picture” of the Epiphany Camp. Exactly what is meant by “repentant and believing” Jews and Gentiles?

ANSWER: – To repent means “to amend or resolve to amend one’s life as a result of contrition for one’s sins.” (Webster) And “believing” means to accept Jesus as Savior. Such people in the finished Epiphany Camp picture occupy the same character standing as did the tentatively justified in the Court during the entire Gospel Age. When the “finished picture” of the Epiphany Camp arrives, such people are in position to receive the Holy Spirit that is poured out “for all flesh” (Joel 2: 28) when the New Covenant is inaugurated – before the unbelieving and unrepentant Jews and Gentiles can receive the Holy Spirit – although it is poured out for all who eventu­ally become “repentant and believing”

The question may be asked, Can such “repentant and believing” Jews and Gentiles consecrate in the Epiphany Camp? Yes, of course, consecration is always in order. As That Servant has truly said, that is always the proper attitude for all mankind. But consecration has two parts – one part by the consecrator, and the other part, God’s acceptance. However, God does not deal with Restitutionists, either during this Age or during the Mediatorial reign. He has put all Restitutionists in the hands of the Medi­ator – Christ and the Church. When the New Covenant is inaugurated such “repentant and believing” Jews and Gentiles will be among the first to receive the Kingdom blessings, as they gladly accept its requirements.

Cornelius was in much the same position at the beginning of the Age – before the door was opened for the Gentiles – as the “repentant and believing” Jews and Gentiles of the Epiphany Camp here in the end of the Age. The difference with Cornelius, God did accept his consecration when the “due time” arrived for the Gentiles to become prospective members of Christ’s Body. But when the “due time” arrives for Restitu­tionists to receive the Holy Spirit, The Christ will accept their consecration.

The similarity of Cornelius and the “repentant and believing” Jews and Gentiles of the Epiphany Camp is this: That Servant has said, No doubt Cornelius and his house had already accepted Christ, because the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them “even while Peter yet spake.” However, God did not accept Cornelius’ consecration until the “due time” arrived – until the door was opened for the Gentiles. Nor will The Christ accept Restitutionists’ consecration until the “times of refreshing” have come (Acts 3:19-21), and the New Covenant is inaugurated.

Of course, when we speak of the “repentant and believing” we do not include the mere professors. There are many who claim to be “repentant and believing” but mere lip service and attendance at public worship is sometimes worse than nothing more than “tares ready for the burning,” as tares – not necessarily as people. Such are well described in Rev. 2:9: “I know the blasphemy of those which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” “He is not a Jew which is one outwardly.” (Rom. 2:28)

Although there was no Great Company as a Class during That Servant’s lifetime, yet he well realized that many of those who associated with him were not saints. During the last ten years of his life he wrote copiously about the Great Company – prompted, no doubt, by his observation of those closely associated with him. He said if he hadn’t found such a Class in the Scriptures, that he would he looking for such a Class in the Scriptures. And his opinion of those around him was fully corroborated very soon after his death – when the real character of those people came to the surface. Clearly enough, they had built their house “upon the sand,” and the frailty of their foundation soon became apparent to close observers. Such, however, are not “tares,” although they have much the same experience in the end of the Age: they will come out of “great tribulation.” (Rev. 7:14)

Such crown–losers must not only repent of their sins against their covenant, but they must also be converted. Conversion from the Bible standpoint is the entire pro­cess of turning from depravity into the image of God. But when they become repentant of their partially willful sins, and converted, God will receive them. “Know you, That he who turns back a sinner from his Path of Error will save his Soul from Death (the Second Death), and will cover a Multitude of Sins.” (Jas. 5:20, Dia.) However, there is much more to true repentance than mere remorse for evil deeds. In strict Scriptural definition, it includes intellectual conviction of sin (John 8:9); heart’s sorrow for sin (Matt. 11:21, 2 Cor. 7:9-11); hatred of sin (Deut. 7:26); abandonment of sin (Prov. 28:13, Matt. 3:8); confession of sin (Ezra 10:1, Prov. 28:13, Acts 19:18); restitution for sin (Lev. 6:4,5, Ezek. 33:15, Luke 9:8); and opposition to sin (Rom. 7:15, 19, 23).

All of the foregoing should be considered as vital requirement to classify any one as a “repentant and believing” member of the Epiphany Camp “in the finished picture.”

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ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL INTEREST

On October 31 it will be 58 years since the Parousia Messenger finished his course; and on October 22 it will be 24 years since the Epiphany Messenger joined him. We would suggest that the various Classes hold a joint Memorial service for them some time during the last week of October. Also we suggest our Special Effort in antitypical Gideon’s Second Battle this year to start with Sunday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Nov. 3. Please order the pertinent tracts and literature if you wish to join with us in this good work. We invite all those of like mind to join with us in this good work and in the prayer, God bless their memory! (I Sam. 2:30)

NO. 230: "THERE SHALL BE NO MORE CURSE"

No. 230

My dear Brethren: Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!

The various writings that have been presented during this Laodicean period have carried copious references and explanations concerning the curse. No doubt this is due to the fact that “the time is at hand” (Rev. 22:10) to make the subject crystal clear. In Gen. 3:17 we find the sentence against Adam: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake”; and in Rev. 22:3 is the statement, “There shall be no more curse.” The Dia­glott states it thus, “There will be no more any accursed thing.” The “accursed thing” in this text refers to “death and hell” which would be cast into the lake of fire. Here are the Berean Comments: “Death including aches, pains, mental and moral imperfections of every sort; And Hell – Hades, oblivion, the great prison house of the tomb in which mankind awaits a resurrection.” Thus, Hell is the actual death state of man, with death referring to all the infirmities which have afflicted the human race for the past six thousand years. Therefore, the eradication of the curse includes not only the elimination of the death state, but also those things that have been incidental to producing death – including persons and things.

Pertinent to the foregoing is this quotation from Parousia Vol. 5, p. 193: “Thus shall the great Jehovah and His Spirit of holiness and all who ally themselves thereto finally triumph, and sin and Satan and the spirit of evil shall be forever extinguished and there shall be no more curse. (Isa. 28:17; 1 Cor. 4:5; 6:2; Acts 3:23; 2 Thes. 1:9; Rev. 22:3)”

All the present evils are the gradual result of the disobedience in Eden, Adam bearing the direct responsibility. And in direct contrast, the second Adam (the Lord from Heaven) will be directly responsible for the complete elimination of these evils. This is very clearly related in Heb. 2:14: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Jesus) likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Clearly enough, if the devil has the power over death, death itself cannot possibly be for­ever eliminated until the one responsible for death – that is, the devil – is also eliminated.

It is stated that he (an angel from Heaven) “laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should de­ceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” (Rev. 20:1-3) Self-evidently, if he who “has the power over death” is not destroyed at the beginning of the “little season,” then death also will not be destroyed at the beginning of the “little season.” This leaves but one logical conclusion – namely, death (the dying process) Will not be completely eliminated until “that old serpent” is likewise eliminated – and this will not take place until the full end of the “little season.” “Then cometh the end” (the end of the “little season”) when He (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (including Hades – the death state, and the dying proc­ess—1 Cor. 15:24-26). It should be emphasized here that “Hell” (the Adamic death state) will have been cast into “the lake of fire” many years before the Little Season even begins; therefore, “Hell” cannot possibly be the “last enemy.”

All during the thousand years that Satan is bound the foregoing evils will be gradually destroyed. As each one comes forth from the tomb, Hades (the actual death state) will be instantaneously destroyed for that particular individual; and, inasmuch as each person will be allowed at least one hundred years to make some progress up the “highway of holiness” (Isa. 35:8), it follows that the actual death state that has been inherited by all from Father Adam must be completely eliminated at least one hundred years before the “little season” begins. According to the chronological reckoning, this should be not later than 2774 AD, or approximately 800 years from now.

But with the dying process (all the evils – aches, pains, mental, moral and reli­gious imperfections) it will be considerably different. The release from the tomb for each one is brought about without any assistance or foreknowledge from such persons; it is a gift from God through Jesus. This is well described in Psa. 103:2,3: “Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; though healeth all thy diseases.” Jesus made His soul an offering for sin, which guaran­tees to every man release from that iniquity that was inherited through Father Adam. “He will destroy in this mountain (the Kingdom of God, the New Jerusalem) the face of the covering cast over all people (Hades, the death state), and the veil (of superstition and ignorance) that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people (sin and error) shall He take away from off all the earth.” (Isa. 25:7,8) The forgive­ness of iniquities and the healing of diseases will be a free gift from God to every one as he emerges from the tomb; but the elimination of the various defects now inherent in man will only be eliminated by the cooperation of each individual himself – and those who do not wish to cooperate will, after one hundred years, die the second death – will be cast into the figurative “lake of fire, which is the second death.” (Rev. 20:14)

As the “little season” arrives, all who reach that time will have been freed from all physical imperfection – their physical diseases will all have been healed. But with some their mental and moral diseases will yet be present – (the Adamic Death Process will yet be present with them in their unholy hearts’ condition); and thus will come the division of the sheep and the goats of Matt. 25:31-46. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand (the sheep), Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt. 25:34) “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire (the second death), prepared for the devil and his angels.” (v. 41) This clear separation, rewarding and sentencing to the “lake of fire” can occur only at the full end of the “little season”; the sheep could not receive a free, clear and unencumbered title to the Kingdom until all evil persons and things have been fully obliterated. Then will be fulfilled the promise, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain (the microbes of disease and pestilence will be fully restrained): for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9) “There shall be no night (error) there... for the Lord God giveth them light” (the pure truth)—Rev. 22:5. “They shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remem­ber their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:34).

Following is a statement from E–12:270: “In the Millennium He will actually heal all the physical, mental, artistic, moral and religious faculties and their con­tents of the unbelief class as from the heart they accept His medicines and other heal­ing helps. The following Scriptures prove this: Jer. 3:22; 30:17; 33:6; Hos. 6:1; 14:4; Ps. 107:20; 67:2; Ezek. 47:1,8,9,12; Rev. 22:1-3; Mal. 4:2. Thus our Lord as the Good Physician heals the faith class now, and will heal the unbelief class in the Millennium from the physical, mental, artistic, moral and religious diseases that sin and the curse (the Adamic death process—JJH) have brought upon them.”

And continuing from E–12:310: “The ransom price guarantees that there will be gradually given to the whole world what it lost in Adam, if and as it obeys in the next Age (Luke 19:10; 1 Cor. 15:21-26; 1 John 3:8; Heb. 1:8; 10:12,13; Rev. 20:4-9; Heb. 9:23). And through the ransom-price Jesus and the Church as the tree of life will actually give to the obedient world all that Adam lost for it – perfect humanity and life, the right to life and its life–rights (Rev. 21:3-5; 22:1–3; Acts 3:19-21).”

Follows now Hos. 13:14: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: 0 death, I will be thy plagues; 0 grave, I will be thy de­struction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” In the sense of rescuing from the power of the grave, the Elect Church will also have part in the ransom process; and, just as various plagues, injuries, violence in various forms now send men to that great abode “where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary be at rest,” so just the reverse is promised under the Kingdom. Then, instead of the people being plagued with diseases, it is the diseases that will be “plagued” out of the people.

Complementing the above is this from E–17:428: “We have now studied Millennial testimonies all the way from Genesis up to and including the last chapter of Revelation: from the time, after the curse of sin and death came upon the human family through Adam’s sin, that God promised Abraham that through him and his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed, until the time that the great Seed of Abraham, the Christ, Head and Body, developed during the Gospel Age, will have reigned over the earth as kings and priests for a thousand years and blessed all the families of the earth, living and dead, with the opportunity of obtaining everlasting life on a perfect earth; until the Adamic death state and the Adamic dying process (1 Cor. 15:26) will have been destroyed, and there will be no more curse; until Satan (Ezek. 28:19; Heb. 2:14), the unrepentant fallen angels (Matt. 25:41) and the ‘goat’ class – all the wicked (Psa. 145:20) – will have been utterly, completely and eternally annihilated in the second death, symbolized by the lake of fire (and by the Red Sea destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts—JJH) ­,they shall be as though they had not been’ (Obad. 16). Then ‘the righteous shall see it and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth’ (Ps. 107:42). Sin shall never rise again. God will be glorified forever and ever by perfect creatures, both in heaven and on earth. ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.’”

GRADUAL WORKINGS OF THE CURSE

The question would seem in order here: Did Adam immediately realize the workings of the curse in him after the disobedience? We would say he felt no physical discom­fort. Gen. 3:22,23 would seem to confirm this: “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden.” Here is a clear statement that the man could have continued liv­ing forever – even after the transgression – had he been allowed to remain in his ideal home.

However, there is no doubt that he had great mental disturbance because of what he had done. “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid.” (Gen. 3:10) Here then appears the first human weakness to afflict man, which became greatly magnified in the human race as the years ticked on; and it is probably true that today it is pres­ent in varying degrees in every member of the human family. Shakespeare disputes this conclusion: “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant only taste of death but once. Of all the things I yet have heard it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.”– Of course this statement is the contention of the fatalist; and it finds no support what­ever in the Bible. Nevertheless, some are much less oppressed by fear than others. We find some people afraid of the dark; others imagine that some one is always chas­ing them. Of the Jews it is written that if they would “despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,” then “ye shall flee when none pursueth you.” (Lev. 26:15-17) About like the boy who ran from his own shadow.

A second defect – now universally common among men – immediately showed itself in Adam – that of blaming some one else for his mistakes. “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” (Gen. 3:12) The impudence of this remark is readily apparent: It was God’s fault that Adam disobeyed; had He not given Adam the woman, none of this would have happened. This second failing also has been greatly expanded during the years that have followed.

Even so, these two things would not have been sufficient to inflict the death pen­alty upon the disobedient man; he could have continued to live forever had he been al­lowed to remain in Eden.   Therefore, “He drove the man out, and placed... a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Gen. 3:24) And it was only after he was faced with the trialsome task of keeping alive under very unfavor­able circumstances (“cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee... till thou return unto the ground”—Gen. 3:17-19), that the aches, pains, mental and moral im­perfections of every sort made their appearance, and have pyramided over the years. Such things are now accepted as a way of our life even by the finest minds, because none are able to escape the ravages of decay to be seen on every hand. And, while some eat their bread with a minimum of “sweat of the brow,” yet all do eat it with plenty of sor­row. All are now resigned to the fact that “The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (Jer. 31:29) As Adam had to learn by experience what he could not learn by instruction, so all his descendants are being similarly edu­cated.

Cursed is the ground for thy sake” (Gen. 3:17), Outside of Eden the earth was not prepared to perpetuate life in keeping with the ideal conditions that had prevailed in the Garden. This condition of the earth outside of Eden was not the result of the transgression; it had been that way all along; it was simply then used as a convenience to exact the sentence “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) This would be better expressed “dying thou shalt die”; the execution of the sentence was a gradual one – an eroding process, which was fully completed when Adam entered the tomb. “Adam lived 930 years: and he died” (Gen. 5:5). After the great deluge the dying process was greatly accelerated, the evidence of which is clearly ap­parent to this day.

However, for almost one hundred years now we have been “In the day of His prepar­ation” (Nahum 2:3) – the preparation for the new order which will “wipe the tears from off all faces.” This has been easing many of the back-breaking burdens of the past; but the span of life has not been greatly increased thereby. While it is true that the “average” age of life has been raised considerably, this is mostly due to fewer dying in infancy; there is yet no comparison to Moses, for instance: “Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” (Deu. 34:7) Also, much of the earth itself has been much improved, although none of it is yet perfect, and much of it is yet very much untamed, very imperfect.

THE WRATH – THE CURSE

These two expressions are often used interchangeably, as can be seen from the following in Par. Vol. 5, p. 439: “The ‘wrath,’ the ‘curse’ will be lifted from all who come into harmony with God through Jesus the Savior, and all who do not avail themselves or this grace will be swallowed up of the Second Death – for ‘the wrath of God abideth on them,—Acts 3:23; John 3:36; Rev. 22:3.”

However, though the “curse” has but one application, applying to both man and the earth, yet the “wrath” has a broad and a specific definition. When Job exclaimed, “O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave till thy wrath be past” (Job 14:13), he was us­ing its general meaning. But other Scriptures speak of a specific time – a “day of wrath.” (Psa. 110:5) – “The Lord shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath.” And Zeph. 1:14,15: “The great day of the Lord is near... That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress,” of which we see plenty all about us now. Also Rev. 6: 17: “The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” This “day of wrath” began in its broad sense in 1874; but in its narrow sense it began in 1914, when the violent features of the Time of Trouble broke forth. Since that date we have been living in that period of time known as the Epiphany, and which will continue for some years yet – until the end of Jacob’s Trouble – after Anarchy has leveled all ex­isting institutions.

This “day of wrath” in its limited sense has been designed for the world in gen­eral, and for a specific class in particular – “the great multitude, which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14) But this day is decidedly not for God’s faithful people: “We are not of the night, nor of darkness... For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to ob­tain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes. 5:5-9). However, some sections of the earth, and some people in particular, may experience much less of the “overflowing scourge” – the day of wrath – (Isa. 28:18) than will others. Thus, Zeph. 2:3 offers the counsel, “Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

Complementing the foregoing is the following from Parousia Vol. 5, p. 410: “Hence, this Day of Vengeance and of special wrath, additional to what has prevailed previously, it is declared, will be ‘A time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.’ God’s saints are assured that they shall be accounted worthy to escape all those things coming upon the world, and to stand before the Son of Man. They shall es­cape this special wrath, but they do not escape the general wrath which is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness. They share this with the world, in many respects, and yet there is this finely drawn distinction, which the Scriptures clearly point out:

“Those who accept Christ during this Age are reckoned as having passed from death unto life; as having escaped the wrath, the curse, ‘escaped the corruption that is on the world.” (2 Pet. 1:4; 2:18,20) True, they are still in the world, still subject to death, and may still share with the world the sickness, pain, sorrow and trouble inciden­tal to the curse, and from the worldly standpoint there is no difference; but from God’s standpoint, which is to be the believer’s standpoint, there is a wide difference. Such are not reckoned any longer as dying because of Divine ‘curse’ or ‘wrath,’ but in view of their justification and subsequent presentation as living sacrifices their death is reckoned as part of Christ’s sacrifice... ‘If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.’ (Rom. 6:8)”

A GLARING ERROR

In recent years the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been loud in their claim that they are now separating the sheep and the goats of the great parable spoken by our Lord in Matt. 25:31-46. Concerning that time, when the true separation will be proceeding, there is this prophetic statement: “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and right­eousness to the plummet.” (Isa. 28:17) Properly interpreted, this text can mean only that earth’s affairs in that day will be squared and plumbed with righteousness and brought into strict conformity thereto. Manifestly, this could be accomplished only through perfection of administration. We doubt that even the Witnesses would claim per­fection for themselves; thus, their present attempt to do something perfectly through im­perfect agents can be described only as glaring error – a spiritual mirage. Since they have taken over there has been no relief whatever from the curse; rather, just the re­verse has occurred – “the evil day” is becoming daily more apparent and distressing.

In previous papers we have detailed the striking similarity of the Witnesses to the Roman Catholic Church; and on this particular aberration concerning the sheep and the goats they offer almost identical deception. When the Roman Church was in its hey­day, they also were separating the sheep and the goats, except that they consigned their goats (the heretics) to eternal torment, as they promised their sheep eternal bliss in Heaven. Today the Witnesses predict eternal extinction in Armageddon to the goats (all outside their organization), as they promise their sheep eternal life here on earth. Very few people want to die; thus, the promise of eternal life with unbroken bliss ­either in Heaven or on earth – is a very appealing enticement. They are telling them something they want to hear.

But the facts of the case belie their claims. During the thousand-year counter­feit of the Roman Church from 799 to 1799 the curse probably exceeded all previous ex­hibitions – a time known as The Dark Ages. And now, since the counterfeit reign of the Witnesses – from 1914 up to the present – the curse once more is exceeding all pre­vious experiences – “iniquity shall abound” (Matt. 24:12) – “a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time” (Dan. 12:1) – a clear state­ment that the curse would be worse than at any previous time. Instead of “no more curse,” there is curse more abundant; instead of “no more death,” death is everywhere rampant, and it is taking its toll with the Witnesses along with others of the human race. “God will send to them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood”—­2 Thes. 2:11, Dia. Instead of “every man knowing the Lord,” 99% of those living today know little or nothing of the real God.

Even among the Witnesses themselves, a great many of their adherents have a very vague understanding of what their headquarters is teaching. And there is good reason for this: Since 1914 they have changed their teachings so much that today they bear almost no resemblance whatever to what they taught in 1914. Aside from the debacle of 1925 and Millions Now Living Will Never Die, they have changed their chronology so that they now cannot speak with certainty on any part of it. They first came out with the date 1918 as the time for the end of the High Calling; then they changed the date two or three times since then, with about 1935 as their last attempt – although they are even now not certain if it is closed or not. Instead of “the earth being full of the knowl­edge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9), ignorance and superstition prevail in all quarters. Instead of the “law going forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3), the Witnesses contend the Word of the Lord is going forth from them; but, in view of the frequent changes they are forced to make, it is not going forth with convincing clarity – rather, it is proceeding with the unsteady gate of an inebriate.

THE DOUBLE CURSE

While the curse has been passed on from generation to generation, including all nations, there has been a double curse upon a small segment of the human family; namely, upon the Jews. A hint of this is given by St. Paul in Rom. 7:9: “I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Here the Apostle is speaking not only for himself, but for the whole Jewish race. Just what is he trying to tell us? Simply this – all men, including the Jews, were promised re­lief from the curse through the promise given to Abraham: “in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed”—Gen. 22:18; but, when they agreed to keep the Law given to them through Moses at Sinai, they promised more than they could perform, which placed a double liability upon them – one inherited from Father Adam, and one from their broken agreement to keep the Law. That perfect law was far beyond the reach of the imperfect Jews. St. Paul confirms this conclusion in Rom. 7:10,11: “And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the com­mandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.”

Then the words of Jesus in John 3:14: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Referring to this same situation, St. Paul says in Gal. 3:13: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (which relieved the Jews of the double curse resting on them through their inability to keep the law): for it is written (Deu. 21:22,23), Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

However, although the Jews have been under a double curse, they will also be the recipients of a double blessing when that double curse is lifted from them. This is well stated in Reprints 5964, col. 1, Oct. 1, 1916:

“At the inauguration of the new Age of blessing; natural Israel will be granted a special place and privilege; “for the gifts and calling of God are not things to be repented of.” We see how in another way, also, this special privilege will come to them; namely, in that the law has been more or less of restraint upon them in their daily lives as a people. They have had more or less of loyalty to God, which has kept them separate from other nations. This special privilege of pre–eminence in the Messi­anic Kingdom, however, will not be granted to all who are Jews by blood; but only to those who prove loyal to the law and the prophets – those who are Jews at heart, and not merely outwardly. All others are merely Gentiles.—Rom. 2:28,29.

“The earthly phase of the Kingdom will be composed of the Ancient Worthies of the Ages preceding the First Advent of our Lord. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, and the Hebrew prophets and other faithful ones will be in power as ‘princes in all the earth.’ (Psa. 45:16)  The orthodox Jews will be more ready to receive the blessing of the new dispensation promptly than will any other people. Therefore, they will have the first blessing (a double blessing for their double curse—JJH) – not by reason of partiality on God’s part in showing favor to these people, but by virtue of the fact that He made a covenant with them as the posterity of faithful Abraham.”

Commenting further on this same thing, there is this on pp. 204,205 of the Book of Covenants: “Since the Mediatorial work of the Millennial Kingdom is to be accomplished through Natural Israel, and since all the families of the earth are to be blessed through them, it follows that nothing can be done until Israel shall have been recovered from their present outcast condition. Then the blessing of the Lord will go forth... will be accomplished through Natural Israel...

“Then, as the people of the various nations shall gather themselves to the Lord and seek to come into harmony with Him, the way of approach will be by coming into accord with the Holy Nation – God’s representative Kingdom in the world... The New Covenant is not to be made with any others than the Jews, for no others were in Cov­enant relationship with God. The words ‘New Covenant’ seem, therefore, to indicate the repetition of God’s favor to Israel under the better Mediator, who will bring the glorious blessings that they had expected under Moses, but failed to obtain because of the inability of Moses to make satisfaction for their sins; for the blood of bulls and goats could never actually take away their sins. The antitypes of these – the sacri­fice of the Lord and the members of His Body – must first be accomplished before this New Covenant with Israel could supersede the old or Law Covenant, which it then will do.”

While the New Covenant will have its initial working at the beginning of the Mediatorial reign, the full effect of the promise “THERE SHALL BE NO MORE CURSE” will not be realized until the full end of the Little Season – when the curse (all the evils which now afflict the human race), and all those afflicted with it in any manner, will be forever obliterated. Then will come “the end” of 1 Cor. 15:24 – “when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power” – when He shall have destroyed him that has the power over death, that is to say the Devil.

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” (Prov. 3:13,14)

Sincerely your brother

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus!

Please forward a supply of your tracts, 1 through 10 – also No. 121, The Ro­man Church and Its Little Twin. I would appreciate a complete set of all your pub­lications similar to those requested, if available. If you wish to have your litera­ture distributed in Alaska, I shall be pleased to assist....

Please give me your views on The Dawn, East Rutherford, NJ, The Pastoral Bible Institute and The Crawfords, Sun City.

Yours in Christ and in memory of That Servant ------- (ALASKA)

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Dear Friends at Mount Dora:

Many thanks for your kind letter and your mention of us in your prayers. To me, and to all of us, this is the most important (saddest and most joyful) time of the year – and the meaning of it all fills us with wonder and amazement. How grateful we are to have been taught these precious truths!     Christian love, ------- (OHIO)

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Dear Friends:

Words cannot express how grateful I am for your kind and generous gift – The Herald of the Epiphany. I realize now how the Lord must have known how my mind and heart have been torn apart by thoughts of life after death and the resurrection. I have prayed for guidance and strength and now I have found both.

You mentioned additional literature available upon request. I would appreciate the following issues – Nos. 3 through 10. I already have Nos. 1 and 2. You have a beautiful way of explaining things which my mind was not capable of comprehending from the Bible. Once again, God bless you for your thoughts and help!

Sincerely ------- (FLORIDA)

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Dear Brother J. J. Hoefle, Beloved:

Hope this finds you and all the Bible House family well. You should have been answered before now, but due to pushing to put out the tracts, answer has been delayed.

Immediately when the tracts came I started folding in fours and twos, so that as I hand them out the people do not have much trouble in turning the papers. In doing them this way, it doesn’t seem to intimidate them – and in most cases they are well received.

However, two Adventists abused me about the paper, God’s Great Sabbath Day, saying, “The man doesn’t know what he is talking about!” But when she called back, I started to explain to her – and she and the crowd just stood there listening. The other quarreler was a Wesleyan – and at her church gate nearly every one else re­ceived the papers; but she started to quarrel. I said, Fancy, the Harlot Rahab was more holy than you, for she hid two men from the king, and you won’t even take a tract to read to change your thought-food. Yes, two Adventists in one bunch and one in the Wesleyan. But the Millennium is not known by hearing a sermon or by reading Rev. 20, Brother! The work is nice to serve the Lord, to tell His people of the good times coming.

I have given out about all I have. I certainly do like the size of the print in your publications, Brother. And may the Great Lord bless you in health and in strength to teach us how to carry on the good fight in the different localities, even as the Great Day requires it thus. May love, good hope and peace embrace your heart all the time through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your brother in the Lord ------- (JAMAICA)

NO. 229: THE GREAT COMMISSION

No. 229

My dear Brethren: Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!

After His resurrection Jesus had gone into Galilee to meet the Disciples, as He had promised them He would do (Matt. 26:32); and there He spoke to them what is commonly declared to be “The Great Commission” (Matt. 28:19,20): “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Motivated by this order, many Christians have zealously proceeded to the re­mote parts of the earth, declaring the name of Jesus to savage hordes, even as others of their fellows engaged in great drives to raise millions of dollars to finance those who would “save” the poor heathen. Up to now, at least, it must be admitted that their efforts have been far from successful. Even in those countries claiming to be Chris­tian the practice of The Golden Rule is much conspicuous by the failure of the large majority to make even a token attempt to observe it. After more than nineteen hundred years of this effort, this dismal failure does indeed call for some reflection.

First of all, let us consider a critical translation of Jesus' words: “Go, dis­ciple all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things which I have enjoined upon you; and, behold, I am with you all the days, till the consummation of the Age.” Clearly enough, from this more exact translation, The Great Commission was not an or­der to convert the whole world – it was merely intended to win disciples from the var­ious nations. And to what purpose? Our text says, “Immersing them into the name” ­that is, into the heart and mind, the disposition of the Father and of the Son.

This conclusion is clearly corroborated by Acts 19:1-7, where the twelve men there assembled had told the Apostle Paul that their baptism had brought them substantially nothing. They had been given the baptism of John – and, self–evidently, had not been instructed regarding the real baptism, which the immersion in water symbolized. Whereupon, “having heard this, they were immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus.” Their previous immersion had failed to “disciple” them; it was only after they had been immersed “into” the name (disposition) of the Lord Jesus, as symbolized by the water im­mersion, that Paul laid his hands upon them, and the gifts of the spirit came to them. All during the Age there has been much immersing done, and is still being done, without bringing the recipients “into” the name – into the disposition of the Lord Jesus. Un­less the real baptism is understood and undergone by the participants, the ritual is merely an exercise in futility – an immersion of water and words only, with the parti­cipants in no better condition than they were before the ceremony.

“THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM”

It is frequently stated that “Jesus went about... preaching the gospel (the good news, glad tidings) of the Kingdom.” (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:14, etc.) This King­dom was an important feature of His ministry, so much so that the Disciples themselves were much imbued with the thought. Even after His resurrection He spoke to them “of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3,4), which prompted the question from them: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel?” This they did before the Holy Spirit had been given them; and Jesus' answer is companion to The Great Commission in Matthew: “Ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

During the evening of the last Supper, Jesus had told them, “I go to prepare a place for you... I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.” (Jn. 14:2,3) Not yet having received the Holy Spirit, the Apostles received these statements much as natural men, considering them from material standpoints.    And they were much per­suaded that His “coming again” would be in a very short time, this opinion aided in large measure by the experience at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-23). In the course of that conversation Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him – probably a discreet prodding for the three times that Peter had denied Him the night of the betrayal. Then Jesus informed him that his death would be a violent one, imposed upon him by other hands, at which Peter pointed to “that disciple whom Jesus loved” (the Apostle John) with the query, “And what shall this man do?” (v. 21) This would be better translated, “Lord, and what of this man?” In other words, if Peter was to die in gruesome fashion, what about this particular favorite of Yours – How will he die? “Jesus says to him, If I wish him to abide till I come, what is that to thee?” (v. 23) “The report, therefore, went out among the brethren, that that Disciple would not die,” although Jesus said no such thing. However, the tale persisted, so much so that certain ones in Corinth thought the Kingdom had already been established, and that they were then reigning.(l Cor. 4:8)

It seems reasonably certain that the Apostle John lived to the age of about one hundred years.   Thus, he was one of the last – if not the very last – to see Jesus while He was on earth. The Roman army under Titus captured Jerusalem in the year 70 AD; and few, if any, of the Jews who were in the city at that time escaped execution. The Apostle John lived for thirty years, more or less, after that event. Just where he was at that particular time we do not know, but we can be certain he was not in Jerusa­lem then. However, until the day he died, there could be some surface substance to the tale that he would survive until the Saviour came the second time, as He had prom­ised He would. But the death of the Apostle did definitely eliminate any further cre­dence in the story, which, as John himself stated in the last verses of his Gospel writing, had no real substance to it in what Jesus had said to Peter.

But of those who had reposed strong belief in the legend, we can well appreciate the disappointment that must have been theirs when the last glimmering hope was fully subdued in the death of John. And as those remaining ones expired – with still no evi­dence of a second coming – we can readily understand how a situation arose that was identical with the one confronting the Jews when Moses remained so long in Mount Sinai: “When Moses delayed to come down out of the mount (as Jesus was seemingly also doing after His ascension to the Heavenly Mount), the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is be­come of him... and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.” (Ex. 32:1-6) This situation with Israel saw an exact reproduction in the Gospel Age after Jesus had been away from this earth for several hundred years, and still no evi­dence of His return. He had promised the Kingdom upon His return, and it became very easy for those disappointed Christians to talk themselves into believing that perhaps He had meant that they should take on this task themselves, since there was just noth­ing to indicate that the Lord would be doing it Himself.

The Kingdom reign was to be a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-4); and the members of the Christian Church gradually determined that they should engage upon the thousand­-year task of making earth ready as a proper preparation for His return. This had its first potential impetus when Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nice in 325 AD mainly to determine whether the Trinity should be determined as the accepted faith of the general church. Arius was the champion of the truth against this error; and his­tory says of him that he was a man of clear intellect. Yet only two of that vast assembly of church prelates agreed with him. The vast majority – about 250 – decided otherwise, and the Emperor agreed with them; and from that conclave emerged what is now commonly known as “The Apostles' Creed.” Arius was banished from the Roman Em­pire, and forced to take refuge in northern Africa, where he died eleven years later ­not, however, without leaving his “footprints on the sands of time,” for he left behind him a flourishing colony of Christians zealously contending that there is but “one God” (Eph. 4:6) And what name did they attach to themselves? Why, Arians, of course!

THE COUNTERFEIT REIGN

In due time came the Pope of Rome, claiming for himself universal sovereignty over “the Church which is His Body.” By 799 this had made such an imprint upon people and rulers alike that Charlemagne of France virtually ceded his authority unto the Pope; and thus began “the Holy Roman Empire”—the beginning of that thousand–year reign which would cause “every knee to bow, and every tongue to confess that Christ is Lord.” (Phil. 2:9–11) During the next thousand years the determination that the Church should convert and rule the world was supported by the armies of the various countries, and by all the ingenious tortures that the human intellect could devise. It was indeed a full coun­terfeit of that glorious reign which the Lord Himself had promised would “wipe away all tears from their eyes... no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither any more pain.” (Rev. 21:1-4) instead of “wiping away all tears,” that regime multiplied the tears, the sorrow, the death, so that it is now known as “The Dark Ages,” with much of its history so garbled that it is totally unreliable. The Church today would much rather not be re­minded of the facts of that time.

The colossal fraud of the whole arrangement was finally toppled by Napoleon in 1799 (just a full thousand years after Charlemagne, also of France, had set it up), when he took the Pope captive to Paris, where he eventually died. Thus was furnished to the whole world clear evidence that the papal claim of supremacy in church and civil court was nothing more than a vicious myth. In all of this the Lord was saying in ef­fect once more: “I have seen this people...let Me alone... that I may consume them.” (Ex. 32:9,10) It is little wonder that so many “protesters” arose with Martin Luther and other noble reformers over the past five hundred years, although great effort is be­ing made today to forget the past crimes, and let us all join in a grand brotherhood of man, with the Fatherhood of God. But, as one wit has expressed it: There are too few brothers, and too many hoods. The real reign of Christ is self–evidently an occurrence yet future.

THE CHURCH'S REAL MISSION

Based upon a misunderstanding of The Great Commission, a misunderstanding based somewhat upon the poor and inaccurate translation found in the King James version of the Bible, The Church has vigorously engaged upon an attempted conversion of the world when our Lord delayed His return. But it should by now be apparent to the ordinary believer that it has not been God's purpose to have it so; otherwise, He would have accomplished it. Either that, or we are forced to the miserable admission that He has been too weak to do it. This latter is certainly contradicted by the record of Gen. 1:3,14,16: “God said, Let there be light: and there was light... lights in the fir­mament of the Heaven to divide the day from the night... and it was so... God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.” Here is a clear record of power unlimited – a power so awesome that man would be forced to bow the knee before it whenever the command goes forth. It is clear that God has not been “trying” to do something for the past nine­teen hundred years that was a little too much for Him! It should also be equally clear that man has been trying to do something that is much beyond his capacity. “Without Me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

During “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4) there have been three dispensations, or Ages – The Patriarchal, the Jewish and the Gospel Ages; all of them “faith” Ages, with the Gospel Age being by far the most important. At the very outset of this Age Jesus “abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light (made it clear for the first time) through the gospel (the 'good news' of the Kingdom)”—2 Tim. 1:10. And for the promulgation of this 'good news' St. Paul says of himself, “whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” And in sym­pathy with this St. James says, “How God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name” (a privilege first offered to the Jews, which, when rejected by them, brought forth the expression from Paul: 'Lo, we turn to the Gentiles'—­Acts 13:46). “After this (when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in) I will return and build again the Tabernacle of David... that the residue of men might seek after the Lord (when His Kingdom is finally established in power and great glory, forcing every knee to bow).” (See Acts 15:14–18; Phil. 2:9–11)

During these three Ages certain called-out ones have preached righteousness, which has restrained somewhat the tendency toward depravity so prevalent all about us. This has been more apparent in the Gospel Age, as Jesus said it would be. “The Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin (will point out the evils of this present dispen­sation through those who have the Holy Spirit), and concerning righteousness (will teach the world the correct conduct as against the evils now prevalent), and concerning judg­ment (will explain the judgment as it will truly be when the Kingdom is established).” (John 16:8) But up to now all of this has simply been a “witness” of things to come ­a mere token of the glorious actuality.

THE JUDGMENT DAY

In Acts 17:31 St. Paul declares, “God hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained.” It is clear that that “day” was in the future when Paul said what he did; and St. Peter states that “the heavens (the present ecclesiastical systems) and the earth (the present social order), which are now... are reserved unto the day of judgment.” (2 Pet. 3:7) But the Apostle Peter then clarifies his statement with these words: “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years,” which is further confirmed in Psa. 90:4: “A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.” St. Paul further states in 1 Cor. 6:2: “Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world?”

The Scriptures thus draw a sharp line of demarcation between the “saints” and the “world” – or between the elect and the non–elect. This is further emphasized in Rev. 20:4: “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God (the saints, as described in Rev. 6:9)... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” And Rev. 5:10 tells us where this reign shall be: “Thou has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

A SECOND COUNTERFEIT REIGN

As stated aforegoing, the Roman Church seized upon such texts to establish them­selves as earth's rulers for a thousand years – from 799 to 1799; but of the true reign it is written, “There will be no night (error) there.” (Rev. 21:25) Just the re­verse of that was true, however, under the terrible papal reign. That reign is now re­corded in history as The Dark Ages, because the “night” of sin and death and error was so intense that not even a good clear record of it is to be found in the history books.

It is a sound observation that history often repeats itself; and this is often true in religious history, just as it is true in secular records. Comes now here in the end of the Age the Jehovah's Witnesses, attempting on a smaller, but hardly less sanguine scale, to establish themselves as the rulers for a thousand years. They would now have us believe the Kingdom has been established under them; and, while they do not themselves perpetrate the same violence in the same manner as did the Roman Church, nev­ertheless, they are telling us that their select group will take gleeful note of the blood bath that they now predict for the Armageddon that lies just ahead. Their predic­tion is that their faithful “dedicated” devotees are to survive that carnage, and on into the Kingdom of peace that will follow – never any more to experience death. Let us note, however, that this prediction has been broadcast for quite a few years now; and time itself is shaking the confidence of many of them, as they note the death of many of the faithful – touching them in like manner as it does the world in general. Up to now, at least, the Angel of death has shown very little respect of persons, as the processions to the cemetery proceed much the same as in times past. It should be noted, too, that since 1914 (the Witnesses' date for commencement of their kingdom) evils of all sorts have been greatly on the increase – a far cry indeed from that true kingdom “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Pet. 3:13)

Thus, here again, time itself has forced them to “reform” somewhat from their one-­time positive promises. Just recently we discussed this point with one of their “dedi­cated” adherents – a lady well along in years. Forced to admit the truth of our conten­tions, she also admitted she “may not” live through Armageddon – or even until then. Here again the Witnesses show their kinship to the Roman system, which has ever been ready to change any of their teachings where 'policy' seemed expedient. However, “the leop­ard can't change his spots.”

Above we quoted St. Paul's statement that “the saints shall judge the world”; and our Lord had said of these saints, “Fear not, Little Flock, it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” – the reign over the earth. At present the Witnes­ses have much over a million of their “dedicated” partisans – hardly a “little flock” by any standard. Nor do we see any abatement of the evils of this world; in fact, they are very much on the increase since they began their “reign” – which is hardly the de­scription given us in the Bible when our Lord's Kingdom is established for the purpose of blessing “all the families of the earth.” And note the close similarity of the old Roman claim to the Witnesses' present one: No salvation outside of our organization; but damnation (annihilation in Armageddon) to all who refuse us. Just a slight varia­tion to the old Roman claim of eternal torment for all the heretics, even as they sold salvation in the form of indulgences to any and all who had the price and would bow the knee to them. Certainly, we have no wish to be facetious in the comparison we now of­fer; it is public property to all who would recognize it. The Roman Church gave the edict – Heaven for the faithful; Hell for the heretics. The Witnesses now give the edict – The Kingdom for the faithful; eternal annihilation in Armageddon for the her­etics. Clearly enough, a second counterfeit reign! Also, the old Roman shibboleth was, “Reading is doubt; doubt is heresy; and heresy is Hell.” And those now rigidly imbued with the Witnesses, kingdom doctrine want no part of any literature that might enlighten them. If reports that come to us are true, they are forbidden to ask any oppositional questions in their study meetings of the Watch Tower.

GOD'S WORD EXPOSES COUNTERFEITS

Before the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 by the Roman Army it is clearly apparent that many Christians were so imbued with the thought of an imminent return of the Lord that it was necessary for the Apostle Paul and others to protest vigorously their false expectations. One such expression is found in 2 Thes. 2:1-10, parts of which we quote from the Diaglott translation: “We entreat you, Brethren, concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (to establish the Kingdom for which He had taught them to pray), and our assembling to Him (in power and great glory), that you be not quickly agitated in mind, nor alarmed, neither by a spirit, nor by a discourse, nor by a letter as from us, as though the day of the Lord was present. Let no one delude you by any means, because the apostasy must come first, and there must be revealed that Man of Sin, that son of destruction, the opponent who lifts himself above everything called Divinity or Majesty; so as to seat himself in the temple of God.” St. Paul had writ­ten to the Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God.” (1 Cor. 3:16) Thus, “seating himself in the temple of God” is simply another way of saying that the apostates would be so much in the majority that they would submerge the true Chris­tians; and, until they had seen that accomplished, they could be sure the Lord had not returned, or the Kingdom set up.

Then, to emphasize, the Apostle continues, “Do you not remember that while I was with you, I said these things to you?... Then will be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus will annihilate by the appearing (bright shining) of His presence.” While it may he contended that that annihilation is now in process, as “knowledge shall be in creased” in the time of the end (Dan. 12:4), it is certainly not yet an accomplished fact. Therefore, there definitely cannot be any visible Kingdom yet, because the Apostle is emphatic that the “annihilation” of the apostasy must be accomplished before the King­dom's inauguration.

Another point may be considered here: The Bible clearly teaches, and our own per­sonal experience confirms that truth, that all men do not have the quality of faith (2 Thes. 3:2). Therefore, they cannot display or put to use something they do not have. This leads to the fact that men are presently divided into a faith class and a non-faith, or unbelief class. And, of the non–faith class, as well as of the faith class, there are many variations. The Apostles, who were born with faith in their very blood stream, “said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5 And it is also written, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6) Yet, the Roman Church for hundreds of years, and the Witnesses now in our day, would tell us there is no Kingdom hope for this unbelief class – i.e., for those now living. Nor even yet for the faith class that cannot agree with and become “dedicated” to their interpretation of the Scripture.

Another striking similarity between the Roman Church and the Witnesses is this: The Roman Church stoutly claims to adhere to the teachings of the first “pope,” Saint Peter; the Witnesses make the same claim respecting their founder, That Servant. With­out detailing all the vagaries and contradictions to both of these positions, we confine ourselves to this item of a faith class in this present Age, and now quote from the first “pope”: “The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that per­isheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (at His second Advent to establish His Kingdom)..... receiving the end (the purpose) of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet. 1:7–9)

And the Witnesses in like manner declare their adherence to the teachings of That Servant, who was very emphatic in his belief that the non-faith class could not possibly receive a fair trial now because of their inherent limitation, coupled with the failure of many of the heathen even to hear that Name – and there “is no salvation in any other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) For “God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (See Rom. 11:31–32) Also, Jesus Himself said, “When the Son of Man cometh (at His second Advent), shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The clear inference is that true faith would be a very scarce article when our Lord returns, which is a direct refutation of the large memberships to be found in the Roman Church and with the Witnesses. But they both boast of their numbers as their strength, even though we know from Scriptural authority, therein lies their weakness.

It requires little argument that love of life is the strongest desire in most of us. Thus we can find little fault with the Jews at Sinai, when Moses gave them the Law and the promise along with it that “the man that doeth these things shall live in them” – at which “all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” (Ex. 24:3) And the magicians, the astrologers, the sor­cerers were crafty enough to tell King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon many centuries later what he wanted to hear: “O king, live forever.” (Dan. 2:4; 3:9)

Therefore, when the Roman Church promised immortality (immunity against death) to their faithful adherents, they were telling them something they wanted to hear, which made it easy to believe. And when the Witnesses now tell their “dedicated” devotees they will live right on through Armageddon, and never die, they are telling them something they want to hear – which makes it easy for them to believe, and understandable that their numbers are increasing rapidly, even as they boast. The founder of their Movement, That Servant, never advocated such a teaching – nor did he boast of his numbers. The nearest support he ever gave to it was to quote Zech. 2:3, “Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.” That this is merely a hope for those who do that, and not a definite assurance and promise to all the meek, is better revealed in Rotherham's translation of the text: “Seek Yahweh, all ye lowly of the land, who have wrought what He appointed, Seek righteousness, seek hu­mility, Peradventure ye shall be concealed in the day of the anger of Yahweh.” There is nothing at all in this surmise to justify the express promise of survival now made by the Witnesses to lure proselytes to their banner. Certainly, it is to the advantage of all worldlings to “seek meekness,” because it will be only the meek who will inherit the earth. (Matt. 5:5)

OTHER RELATED ERRORS

St. Paul clearly taught that the World's judgment was future (Acts 17:31); St. Peter clearly taught that it was future (2 Pet. 3:7,8), and that it would continue for a thousand years – not just for a few years here in the end of the Age, as the Witnes­ses now proclaim for those now living. And in this they are joined – in less positive manner – by some of our very prominent evangelists: Make your decision for Christ now, even if you don't clearly understand what you are doing; you don't have to understand the Bible (the good Word of God) to know God. But the Prophet tells us in direct and simple speech just the reverse of all this: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord (the great judgment day of which Peter and Paul wrote)... that I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts... and they shall no more teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother (as the Witnesses and others are now fever­ishly attempting), saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity (their violations of the Law of Moses), and I will remember their sin (for crucifying the Lord of Glory) no more.” (Jer. 31:31-34)

In a lesser sense, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement also now offers a lim­ited perversion of the foregoing. They tell their proselytes that salvation for the elect is no longer available to them (although they admit we are still in the Age of faith, which is only for the elect), but they may consecrate themselves now as a future refuge when the Kingdom is eventually established – although their founder, Pastor Johnson, never taught any such thing; in fact, he directly disputed it. But this doesn't bother them either – any more than the gross perversions of the teachings of their founder disturb the Witnesses.

And in all of this, our Lord Himself offers direct contradiction to the efforts of all such teachings in John 17:6–9: “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world... I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast giv­en Me.” Yet, the record is clear also that God does love the world: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16,17) Here is given us an irrefutable dis­tinction between the faith class (those who have responded to the call of salvation in this Age) and the non–faith class (all others not included in the elective salvation) who will receive their salvation under easier conditions, when their thousand–year judg­ment day is fully established. This is further confirmed by St. Paul in Gal. 3:8, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel (the good news of the Kingdom) unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” And in Gal. 4:28, the Apostle clarifies this further: “We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise” (the elect of God who will eventually bless all the families of the earth – all the non–elect in the great Judgment Day).

All of which finds substance in the words of Jesus: “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31,32)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint of No. 168 June 1969)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

Some of the enclosed names you may already have, as the names sound familiar. Thanks for sending me the March and April papers. I surely enjoyed them! We espec­ially enjoyed the Memorial article, which was very informative and uplifting – one of the best I have read. We have not as yet received the regular mailing.

Hope all there are well and will have a wonderful Memorial Season. With much Christian love to you and all, I remain, Your brother in Him ------- (MICHIGAN)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Loving greetings!

Wishing to have at least a small part in the Lord's work which you are doing, we are enclosing a check from the class here for that purpose.

We received your letter and appreciate your prayers and thoughts for us as we come to the Memorial again. We also wish that it could be possible for us to be to­gether on that occasion. But since it isn't possible, be assured that you will be in our thoughts also, and we pray the Lord's rich blessings upon all there.

With much Christian love ------- (NORTH CAROLINA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace be multiplied!

Your good letter received, and as always very glad to hear from you. Truly, the thoughts expressed in your letter are true! How blessed we are – blessed in that we have the truth and can celebrate and keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth, to realize that our dear Heavenly Father has revealed His secrets to us – the great Plan of the Ages. And, as you say, dear Brother Hoefle, for which we daily give thanks. Believe me, I am amazed at times when I think of the Truth as we understand it – and stand all amazed in wonder, which reminds me of that beautiful hymn. Be assured, my dear brethren, I shall be with you in spirit on April 5 from 7:30 p.m. on, as we all join together in this great Memorial service....

I will repeat myself, your letters to me and your articles are such a great help to me; they strengthen my faith and stimulate me to holiness. I trust these few lines find you reasonably well, and I know you are rejoicing in the Truth. God bless you both! I am constantly reminded and mindful of your love and deep concern on my behalf, and I wish to be remembered to all the dear friends at the Bible House. I pray that God's blessings will enrich you and keep you steadfast, immovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord. I am glad to say that I am getting stronger in fighting my condition, which has seemingly taken hold of me since my dear wife passed away. I realize I have to do better, and I am trying very hard....

I shall close and say, Good Night and God bless you all, my dears, at Mount Dora.

Your brother in Christ by His grace ------- (NEW JERSEY)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

Many thanks for your good letter and your good wishes on our behalf, in par­ticular concerning our Memorial celebration, which we shall, D.v., be observing an April 5 with Brother and Sister -------   We do echo your sentiments re “keeping the feast” together, but it is not to be – however we do indeed have the blessing of the Truth which does bind our hearts together in Christian love.

Thank you, too, for your efforts in producing your regular circulars which are very much appreciated, and keep us in touch with the developments going on in Truth circles. How sad to see so many of our brethren these days floundering and not show­ing that true spirit of the Truth. However, we look forward to the complete binding of Satan and the release of all under his spell...

May the Lord continue to bless you and keep you and your co–laborers.

With much Christian love ------- (ENGLAND)

NO. 228: THE RIVER JORDAN - TYPES AND ANTITYPES

No. 228

The land, the terrain and the peoples of Palestine are all markedly typical – ­this being especially true from the Exodus from Egypt to the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus in the year 70 AD. Outstanding among these types is the River Jordan, some of which we shall treat in detail as to type and antitype.

Today this river pretty well marks the eastern boundary of Israel. When the Jews came to possess Canaan they camped east of Jordan not far from the City of Jeri­cho. That city was located about five miles from the north end of the Dead Sea and about seventeen miles from Jerusalem – at the foot of the ascent to the mountainous table-land of Judah. By previous agreement, the Tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half Tribe of Manasseh accepted their inheritance to the east of Jordan, with the remain­ing 9½ tribes locating to the west of the River and to the Mediterranean Sea. Since the Jews crossed the river on that momentous occasion it has been prominent in history to the present day. This prominence is now especially marked, as the Jews and Arabs continue to glare at each other from their respective sides – actually engaging in ex­tensive armed conflict once again in the Autumn of 1973.

Its rise is in the upper hill country from clear water springs. This is aug­mented considerably in time of harvest (March or April) by the melting of the snow on Mount Herman. This explains why “Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest” (Josh. 3:15). Some of its characteristics are among the most peculiar of any stream on earth. So far as is known, it stands absolutely alone among the rivers of the world in the fact that throughout the greater part of its course it runs below the level of the ocean. At its headstream, when it issues from the cave at Banias, it is 1,000 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. By the time it enters Lake Hulah, twelve miles away, it has fallen to within seven feet of sea level. From Hulah to Gal­ilee is 10½ miles; and as it enters the Sea of Galilee it is 682 feet below sea level; and when entering the Dead Sea it is 1,292 feet below the ocean’s top.

There is no outlet to the Dead Sea, and its low level and the warm climate have tended to make this sea the saltiest water on earth – about 27% salt. In such heavy brine an egg will float, and it is not possible for a human being to sink; in fact, when a man lies on his back he stretches straight out like a plank of lumber, and some effort is required once again to reach an upright standing position. Its main supply of water comes from the Jordan River, which empties into it an average of 6,000,000 gallons of water every 24 hours. The sea is about 47 miles long. It reaches about 1,300 feet depth, so that its own surface level is almost exactly half way between its bottom and the level of the ocean. Like the Jordan River, this sea is also one of the most remarkable bodies of water on earth. No other is known to occupy so deep a hollow on the surface of the globe.

The Biblical associations with the Jordan attach mainly to the stretch from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The river was fringed in ancient times, as it still is, with a thicket of trees and shrubs, principally tamarisks, oleanders and willows, among which lions lurked (Jer. 49:19; Zech. 11:3). It was never bridged until Roman times, but was forded. The fords are frequent and easy in the upper stream and so far down as the mouth of the Jabbok, where Jacob crossed (Gen. 32:10; 33:18). Below that point the river is rarely fordable, and then only at certain seasons of the year. The current is so rapid near Jericho that the numerous pilgrims who go thither to bathe are always in danger, and not infrequently are swept away.

When Joshua led the Jews across Jordan some miracle or extraordinary hap­pening occurred which checked the waters long enough for the Jews to pass over with great ease. The river has been occasionally blocked by landslides, which sometimes damned up the waters for many hours; and this could have occurred in Joshua’s case, but we cannot be certain about that. Including the two lakes, and taking no note of the windings, the river from Banias to the Dead Sea is 104 miles long. Immediately north of the Dead Sea there is virtually tropical country, and produces crops of tropical lux­uriance when properly irrigated. Gen. 13:10 tells us it is “even as the garden of the Lord”; and it had such appeal to Lot that he chose to settle there, disregarding the reprehensible character of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah – “wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Gen. 13:13). Also, it was at Jericho that Elijah smote the Jordan, and he and Elisha “went over on dry ground.” (2 Kgs. 2:8) Shortly after reaching the east bank of the river “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (v.11)

A GRAND TYPE

Having such a steep fall from its source to the Dead Sea, Jordan’s name is well adapted to its action, the same meaning “The Descender,” or “Judged down.” It is a tortuous attempt to travel by river from Galilee to the Dead Sea; and one United States Navy officer who made the effort in 1848 wrote as follows: “In a space of sixty miles of latitude and four miles of longitude the Jordan traverses at least 200 miles.. We have plunged down 27 threatening rapids, besides a great many of lesser magnitude.”

With such facts as the foregoing to guide, it certainly requires no great stretch of imagination to state that the Jordan (Descender) types the course of the human race in its sinful activities. Of the first man Adam it is recorded, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.” (Gen. 1:27) Nor does it require any argument that man is presently far from “the image of God.” “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” ­inventions of evil things (Ecc. 7:29). This is graphically set forth in Dan. 4:16: “Let his heart be changed, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.” The whole history of man is largely occupied with a story of blood and tears. Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn. And this has been intensified especially during the passing of the “seven times” – the Times of the Gentiles (“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”—Luke 21:24). Since the “times of the Gentiles” began in 607 BC., and have continued to their end in 1914 (a period of 2520 years) the violent and the brutal have dominated the affairs of men – “The Most High hath dominion over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Dan. 4:17)

This is well portrayed in the Metal–Man dream as recorded in the second chapter of Daniel. In that dream the King saw the image with the “head of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” In giving the interpretation of the dream, Daniel said to Nebuchad­nezzar, “Thou art this head of gold.” Babylon was the first univer­sal empire. “The God of Heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell... He hath made thee ruler over them all.” it is said that the streets of Babylon were literally paved with gold; thus, the brilliance of the empire was well portrayed by the head of Gold.

Babylon in turn was succeeded by the Medo–Persian empire – represented in the breast and arms of silver. But silver is much less valuable than gold, indicating the increase of evil in the second universal empire. “After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee.” Following the Medo–Persian came the universal empire of Greece under Alexander the Great. “Another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Came then the fourth universal empire – Rome – with two legs of iron, showing the two divisions of the Roman Empire – one in Rome, and one in Constantinople. “The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron... As iron breaketh all these, so shall it break in pieces and bruise.” The dominion of Rome was well described as “the iron rule.”

Then follows the description of Rome’s decline. “The feet and toes, part of pot­ter’s clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it the strength of iron... As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” Here we have an excellent de­scription of the nations of Europe – some very strong, as instance Russia under the Czars, and the British Empire under Victoria; with some of the other governments of lit­tle consequence.

At the time of the 1914 war there were about 22 governments in Europe, with many more than that today; but there are only ten language groups, as shown by the ten toes of the metal–man feet. These groups are the Scandanavian, the Anglo–Saxon, the Teuton­ia, the Gaulic, the Hispanian, the Latin, the Greek, the Turkish, the Slavic, and the Magyars. These are the divisions of the old Roman Empire in Europe – the ten toes of the image, “iron mixed with miry clay.” “But they shall not cleave one to another (no longer one dominion, as was true of the previous Babylonian, Medo–Persian, Greecian and Roman rules) even as iron is not mixed with clay.” “And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom (“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in Heaven”), which shall never be destroyed... It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms (their disintegration has been steadily proceeding since 1914), and it shall stand forever.”

It is well to emphasize here that the iron toes were “mixed with miry clay.” Very dry and hard clay may be easily mistaken for stone, and this point is not without pur­pose in the picture, because the various governments of Europe have combined with the different religions of Christendom – in counterfeit of the real Kingdom of God and the real religion (“Then will I turn to the people a pure language – not the imitations that we see today – that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” (Zeph. 3:9) And this is to be accomplished by the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” – by the Christ Company that has been gathered “without outward show” (Luke 17:20) all during this Age. The stone “cut out without hands” is slowly but surely breaking in pieces and consuming all these counterfeit combinations.

THE TIME OF THE HARVEST

“Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of Harvest.” (Josh. 3:15) In Matt. 24:3 the Disciples asked Jesus, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world!” in addition to the answer given there by Jesus, there is this in Matt. 13:39, “The harvest is the end of the world.” With Jordan typing the race under the curse, and overflowing its banks “all the time of harvest,” we should expect to see a marked increase of sin, error and death during harvest. This was markedly true dur­ing the Jewish harvest, when the Jews were under the Roman yoke, and were eventually expelled from their homeland, with great numbers of Jews being slaughtered in the dis­persion; and we are witness to its great increase since 1874 in Christendom, when the harvest began. It requires no great intelligence to note the facts as they abound all about us. Greatly increased is vice in the form of white slavery, unnatural sins (as evidence the immorality and rowdy debauchery in many of the ‘hippy’ gatherings), drunken­ness, gluttony, gang lawlessness, vicious narcotics and dope addiction on the part of many – even among teen–age school children.

Many of our elite educational institutions are markedly on the downgrade, details of which come to us from time to time from friends who are acquainted with the condi­tions. In statecraft the same condition prevails. One wit has stated it quite well when he commented, “Politics is running the public’s business for private interests.”

With so much money being handled in all places, it is only logical to expect that the temptation to dip into the public treasury would be just too much for the politicians to withstand. One prominent man had had his portrait made by a noted artist; and he asked Will Rogers what he thought of it. Rogers answered, It’s the first time I’ve ever seen you with your hand in your own pocket.

Militarism has likewise become much more active. The war that began in 1914 was up to that time the world’s greatest calamity. Then came the 1929–1932 depression, which may not have caused so many deaths as the war, but it caused more suffering in general over the world, which would classify it as a greater calamity than was the war. This was followed by the 1939–1945 war, which was worse in every way than the two calam­ities we have just described. And, following logically on, we may expect the next hol­ocaust to be even worse than anything that has yet transpired “in the time of harvest.” We hear much talk about treaties between nations that will bring “peace and safety,” but we know from experience that many nations today are interested only in a treaty that will be kept by the other party, but not by them.

In the financial and industrial world we see similar conditions, such as huge and fraudulent stock manipulations and outright swindles. One has recently appeared in California where it is said about a quarter of a billion dollars is involved. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17: 26) In Noah’s time “there were giants in the earth” (Gen. 6:4). ‘Giants’ is from the Hebrew ‘Nephilim,’ which means a bully or a tyrant. When the ten spies brought back their evil report about Canaan they said, “There we saw the giants (Nephilim), the sons of Anak... and we were in our sight as grasshoppers.” (Num. 13:33) And when the Jews heard this “the people wept all night.” (Num. 14:1) Clearly enough, legend had thoroughly inoculated the Jews with the tales of the giants (Nephilim), so that they were terrorized at mere mention of the name.

Today – “in the time of harvest” – we have the antitype of the giants in the giant corporations that have developed, mainly since 1874. Some of these giants may have been in existence before that date, but they were then as grasshoppers compared to their present size and crushing power. Laws have been passed to curb their power, to prevent the destruction of competition; yet they continue to increase in size and pres­tige. Today they pretty well control the news agencies by the advertising they place with them, the agencies knowing they will lose this source of income if they antagonize the giants. We know of one instance personally where a newspaper writer had exposed a certain stock fraud; and he stated, I am practically a prisoner in this place now; I don’t dare to open my mouth. Such situations have tended to increase greatly class hatreds, of which we shall treat a little later. Concerning these matters, Mr. F. Sim­onds, the Historian, writes:

“Seventeen years (since 1914) of almost continuous conflict, inter­rupted only by incomplete truce, have reduced the whole European Continent to a state of economic and social disorder unparalleled since the Thirty Years’ War. Nations are bankrupt, trade is reduced to barter, money has lost its value, even the pound sterling has faltered. (This is even more true now than it was in 1931—JJH) The unemployed millions are meagerly fed by public treasuries, themselves filled by taxation which is extortianate. The miseries of the so–called peace of today, miseries reaching to every human being within national limits, defy exaggeration. It is clear that what has been going on since 1914 cannot continue.”

Along this line family life should also receive attention. Selfishness has in­creased greatly; divorces have increased greatly; children are disobedient to par­ents in greatly increased numbers. Often children do not receive proper support and care from parents. The Law of Moses offers quite a contrast to conditions today: “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father... they shall say unto the elders of the city... Our son is stubborn and rebellious... he is a glutton and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die – so shalt thou put away evil from among you.” (Deut. 21:18–21) Such a suggestion today would produce screams to high heaven; and we would stress that we are not offering such counsel to our readers now. Today capi­tal punishment of the most vicious and depraved criminals is ruled to be inhuman.

The foregoing vices and dereliction of morale are graphically portrayed in the downward course of the River Jordan, which broadens to a width of 200 feet as it enters the Dead Sea. And the Dead Sea is most appropriately named, because it is indeed “dead.” The increasing corruption of the human race will eventually produce a “dead” condition on earth. “These days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; ­neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I have set all men every one against his neighbor.” (Zech. 8:10) When such a con­dition arrives, commerce will be “dead”; and peace will be a scarce article – all of which is vividly portrayed by the Jordan ending in the Dead Sea.

ANOTHER DISTINCTIVE TYPE

The Prophet Elijah was much occupied in his criticism and attempts to reform the wicked rulers of Israel – especially so with King Ahab and his heathen Queen Jezebel. In this he typed the true church of the Gospel Age in its attempt to reform this “present evil world.” And just as Elijah failed completely, so also the Christian Church has failed completely. As related in the foregoing pages, practically all the evils known to man have been accentuated here in the end of the Age.

Since Elijah was such a prominent type of the Gospel–Age church, anything he had to do with the River Jordan would also be typical. The most outstanding example of this is found in 2 Kings 2:1–12, wherein Elijah was taken by “a chariot of fire, and horses of fire... by a whirlwind into heaven.” Just before this occurred, however, Elijah, accom­panied by Elisha, had taken his mantle and had smitten Jordan, which parted the waters “so that the two went over on dry ground.” In this picture the Jordan types the peoples of Christendom undergoing a condemnatory sentence in their organized capac­ities. Water in Bible symbols represents people: “The waters which thou sawest are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Rev. 17:15); and this same thought is inferred in Rev. 16:12, where it is stated that “the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates, and the water (popular support of the people) thereof was dried up.”

The waters of Jordan, then, would represent the nations – especially the nations of Christendom – viewed from the standpoint of their political, ecclesiastical, finan­cial and industrial organizational aspects; hence, the rulers, the clergy, the aristo­crats, the labor leaders and their supporters. Therefore, the nations as organized in these four relations are represented as being severely censured and given a condem­natory sentence by antitypical Elijah (the true church – as it existed in all parts of Christendom), which is what is meant by Elijah taking his mantle and smiting Jordan. Elijah’s mantle was emblematic of his power as God’s Prophet to Israel; and it typi­fied the power of antitypical Elijah in the Truth messages that were given right after the outbreak of the war in 1914, because that war was the direct result of the many evils enumerated aforegoing. The word mantle in this text is from the Hebrew ‘ada­reth,’ and carries with it the idea of an insignia of honor, power, splendor.

Just as the mantle was symbolic, so also was its wrapping, which would represent the combination and concentration of all the truths pertinent to the case, coupled with the financial and intellectual ability to accomplish the purpose. Thus, the “Divine right” of kings and clergy to occupy their offices was given devastating ex­posure by those members of the church who clearly understood the situation. This was carried on by lectures and the printed page, with such subjects as “The World On Fire,” “Distress Of Nations Preceding Armageddon,” “Why Financiers Tremble,” etc. Anent this last, the New York Stock Exchange was closed for three months after August 1, 1914, so that no one could buy or sell their stocks.

The smiting of Jordan that followed outbreak of the war involved several things: First, a truthful and irrefutable presentation of the evils, violative of the Golden Rule by those claiming to rule by Divine right; Second, a passing of the sentence of destruction upon all those institutions claiming Divine right; Third, the announce­ment of dismissal from office, and pronouncement of future punishment of all who made claim to Divine right. This work is accurately, literally and figuratively set out in Psa. 149:5–9: “Let the men of lovingkindness (the true church) exult as they glory.... a two–edged sword in their hand (the sword of the spirit – the Word of God): to exe­cute an avenging among the nations; rebukes among the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their honored ones with iron bands; to execute upon them the sentence written.” (Rotherham transla­tion) This work was done so thoroughly and clearly that very few indeed in America continue to believe in the Divine right of rulers or clergy. The Kaiser himself was much obsessed with that idea; but very few in Germany continue to harbor such belief today.

As stated, the “waters” of Jordan represent peoples; and the dividing of those waters would represent the division of the peoples involved into two classes – The Conserv­atives, and the Radicals. It certainly places no strain upon the imagination to recognize that this condition is sharply present with us now; and has become increasingly so since 1914. It is now pretty well admitted by responsible men that the 1914 war was nothing more than a com­­mercial war; but no one dared make mention of such a thing while the war was on. At that time both sides in the conflict had their sub­jects aroused into a frenzy of patriotism perhaps never before equaled in the history of man. Certainly not with so many involved on each side. But, as 1918 passed, the cooling–off began to appear, at which time large numbers arrived at the humiliating re­alization that they had been merely dupes and pawns in the conflict.

In the purely secular conflict that developed between the Conservatives and the Radicals the church stood aloof, not joining with either side, realizing, as they did, that both sides held sadly distorted views of the cause they championed. This is typi­fied in the picture by Elijah and Elisha walking “over on dry ground.” However, that dividing of the waters of Christendom produced great changes. The Czar of Russia and his family just disappeared in late 1917. Up to that time Russia had been one of the most autocratic and powerful governments in all history. Also, the German Kaiser was forced to abdicate; and in both instances new governments were formed that were far removed from those they replaced. And this continues to proceed in the various coun­tries of earth; and it is well portrayed in the division of Jordan into two bodies of water as shown by the smiting by Elijah with his mantle.

In all of this it should be noted that the true church (“the elect”) has stood aloof from the conflict between the two elements of society, knowing as we do that even­tually both factions will come to utter ruin. This “time of trouble” is especially for the purpose of chastising and humiliating the evil elements in the world (the present social order) and in the church – that part of the church “coming out of the great af­fliction” (Rev. 7:14). But so long as we “continue in the things we have learned and been assured of” (those true teachings of the faithful Messengers here in the end of the Age), we may repose “in quietness and confidence” in the blessed promise of Psalms 91:7–11:

“A thousand shall fall at thy side; and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, and the most High, thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee.... For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – The February 15, 1974 Watchtowers says that “all Israel will be saved,” in Romans 11:26 does not refer to natural Israel. Do you agree with that?

ANSWER: – We do not agree with that! Even a cursory look at Rom. 11:25,26 should convince any novice that the Witnesses are in total blindness regarding the status of Israel: First of all, the Roman Epistle is written to “the invited ones” (1:6, Dia.) – that is, to spiritual Israel. Therefore, when he says to them in Rom. 11:25 that “hardness in some measure has happened to Israel,” he is self–evidently not referring to those to whom he is writing – that is, spiritual Israel – but to Israel after the flesh. Thus, his statement in 11:26, “all Israel will be saved,” is also a reference to natural Israel. We refer our readers to Brother Russell’s Berean Comments on these texts: “Happened to Israel... natural Israel, the whole twelve tribes........ shall be saved... restored to favor, recovered from their blindness.. from Jacob... The natural seed of Abraham first... Spiritual Israel is never called Jacob.”

Of course, the Witnesses change their teachings from year to year as a chameleon changes its color from minute to minute. Shortly after That Servant’s demise – and while they still retained some of the clear convincing Truth he presented – they pub­lished their book in 1925, “Comfort For The Jews’“ which is in full accord with the aforegoing. If their claim is now correct that they are “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” just what should be said of them in 1925 – when they taught the exact opposite of what they now declare to be the Truth! They claim God’s Kingdom has been operating through them since 1914; thus, consid­ering their teachings in 1925 with their teachings in 1974, the Kingdom is truly a counterfeit of Babylon the Great – confusion in the extreme!

There are quite a few groups today who claim to be “all Israel,” although the Jeho­vah’s Witnesses and the LHMM are the main two emanating from the Harvest Truth who have revolutionized against That Servant’s teaching regarding natural Israel. The Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer believe that the Jews returning to their homeland is a proof that they are no longer under condemnation – that their “double” is finished. To all who have “continued” in the Harvest Truth, the return of the Jews to their homeland confirms our faith in what “we have learned and been assured of.” The LHMM has revolutionized against That Servant’s teaching, although not nearly so much as have the Jehovah’s Witnes­ses. They continue to teach that the Jews returning to Palestine is God’s favor return­ing to natural Israel, but they teach that the Jews will have to become Campers Conse­crated if they are to receive their Scriptural promises – “first and chief” place in the Kingdom. In other words, instead of the Campers becoming Jews, as That Servant teaches will be required of all Restitutionists, the Jews must become Campers Conse­crated. This is a gross revolutionism against the Harvest Truth, because That Servant taught, with Scriptural proof, that the Kingdom will be Israelitish, and that all would have to become Jews if they go up the Highway of Holiness – because the New Covenant is made with them: it is not made with Campers Consecrated. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them... After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer. 31:31–33)

In this same Watchtower, they tell us that the “apostle Paul made it clear that the natural descendants of Abraham through his grandson Jacob were in line for being ‘adopted’ as sons of God.” This is an unfortunate expression – because when the Jews were spirit–begotten, they were not adopted, they were God’s begotten children – and the same is true regarding the Gentiles when the door was opened for them. During the Kingdom, under the New Covenant, all who come into harmony with that Covenant – become Jews – will be the children of Christ. He will be their Head.

The Law Covenant given to natural Israel was a perfect law, and required a per­fect man’s ability to comply with its rules and regulations – but so long as they made a sincere effort to comply with the Law, God’s favor was with them. The Law Covenant did not require sacrifice of their natural rights, although there were some – ­the Ancient Worthies – who did sacrifice their natural rights to do God’s will above that which was required by the Law Covenant. They were “Israelites indeed.” The New Covenant will not require sacrifice either – but when He puts the Law in “their inward parts, and writes it in their hearts” they will be given the ability to obey that Law as they go up the Highway of Holiness. So God’s favor was to natural Israel first during the Faith Age, and His favor will be to natural Israel first during the works Age.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not exclude the individual Jews from coming with them, although it is not likely that many, if any, Jews take advantage of their invitation ­nor will the Jews who have been instructed in the Harvest Truth be likely to take ad­vantage of the favor that the LHMM offers them, to become Campers Consecrated to in­sure the blessing promised them. However, the LHMM does not condemn all Jews to an­nihilation if they do not join with them – they just demote them to a secondary place in the Kingdom arrangement, if they don’t become Campers Consecrated.

There are groups in Christendom who now teach they are “God’s chosen people,” and like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they do not offer the Jews much chance of survival if they do not join with them. Nor will the Jews be likely to join with them either, because they are prominent in their Hate–Jew publications – publicizing all the un­complimentary news they can of the Jews whom they believe to be the main cause of the “time of trouble” now upon the earth. However, there are some groups in Christendom who put the two groups emanating from the Harvest Truth to shame, in their sympathy and help to the Jews, believing they are God’s chosen people. They do this, not hav­ing the knowledge of God’s plan as was given to these groups at the outset. As Bro. Russell has said, all who aid and comfort the Jews will not fail of a reward – and we believe that is true of these groups, even though they don’t understand the Plan of Salvation as do those who have continued in “Present Truth.”

However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the LHMM, as well as the other groups in Christendom described above, are not offering the “comfort of the Scriptures” to the Jews – rather they are perverting the Scriptures by applying these promises to them­selves, or to a section of their respective groups: to the “great crowd” in the Je­hovah’s Witnesses, and to Campers Consecrated in the LHMM. Of course, this ‘comfort, is to the faithful covenant–keeping Jews, and not for the renegade Jews who are clas­sified as Gentiles in God’s sight.

There are quite a few of the Lord’s people who received the Harvest Truth on the “Hopes and Prospects” of the Jews, who continue to uphold and defend the “faith once delivered unto the saints” but there are many of our brethren bewildered by their leaders into accepting the “pestilence that walketh in darkness” (Psa. 91:6) ­of this Epiphany night. It is for the purpose of helping these brethren that we continue to reassert and reaffirm the Harvest Truth on the Jewish promises, as well as on other doctrines we have received from that “Wise and Faithful Servant.”

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle:

Thank you so much for the continued blessings received through your circulars. I have read No. 224, and would like six copies of ... also of L–D–H.

I hope to start a Bible study with dear friends who are showing a real interest in the Truth. If copies of the Divine Plan of the Ages are available, they would help in starting this study. Any suggestions you may have, will be appreciated. Enclosed is a check to help defray costs of shipping and for help in the Lord’s work.

With Christian love, ------- (CALIFORNIA)

NO. 227: "THE THIRD WATCH"

No. 227

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

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

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

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

THE FIGURE FORTY IMPLIES TRIAL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE HOURS OF REVELATION 18

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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LETTERS OF GENERAL  INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle:

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

Sincerely ------- (INDIANA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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