NO. 236: THE OCTOBER 25-27 CONVENTION

No. 236

Due to serious illness and a death in the family, it was not our privilege to attend the Labor-Day Convention in Pottstown; but we did attend the one at Niles, IL., and we now offer some comments on things, actions, and expressions as we saw them there.

It is never our intention to attend any convention for the sole purpose of criti­cism; and we are always more than happy to hear a discourse that is uplifting, and in harmony with what we have “learned and been assured of” from the faithful Star Members. It gives us pleasure to express praise where praise is due – in harmony with St. Paul's words, “Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the Truth.” (1 Cor. 13:6) Therefore, we are pleased to give excellent rating to R. G. Jolly's Saturday evening discourse, “The Heathen For An inheritance,” having its setting in the second Psalm, and in full harmony with the teachings of the two Messengers.

Also, at the Question Meeting on Sunday morning there was a refreshing absence of RGJ's usual vitriolic rancor; and we hope for him that this is evidence of permanent improvement in cleansing himself from some Great Company defilements. And quite a few of the questions were well answered with the Truth, although his usual “partly wise effu­sions” (E-10:591) were in evidence, so that he did not “have time” to answer quite a number of questions that had been presented. We believe they could have been answered had he used the proper brevity on some of those he did answer. He said also that he was pleased that the questions had all been presented by Saturday evening, which gave him time to secure some of the answers from the various writings. We emphasize this point because we do have some criticism for a few of his answers which were either par­tially or totally in error; and the excuse for these errors cannot be established on the contention that his remarks were snap judgment.

It would seem, however, that he did make some unintentional erroneous statements. For example, his statement that General Allenby captured Jerusalem from the Turks just two weeks before the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, the same being a fulfillment of Jesus' words that Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Here is what one encyclopedia says about the mat­ter:

“In June 1917 (seventeen months before the Armistice was signed—JJH) General Allenby took command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He... won a decisive vic­tory over the Turks at Gaza November 1917 (a full year before the Armistice—JJH) leading to the capture of Jerusalem December 9, 1917, and a victory at Megiddo (Sept. 19, 1918), which, with the capture of Damascus and Aleppo, ended Ottoman power in Syria.” This inaccuracy by RGJ was undoubtedly not intentional.

Then the question was asked whether it would be proper for a Truth person to par­ticipate in a Catholic wedding. His answer was that it would depend upon the circum­stances. However, we believe his answer is not in harmony with the Truth – probably due to his not being informed on the matter. If a wedding is performed in the church, then it is one of the seven sacraments recognized by the Roman Catholic Church; and at all such sacraments the mass is always performed and served to the active partici­pants. We are certain that RGJ would not advise his adherents to partake of the mass under any conditions.

Some one presented the question that the Berean Comment says Jesus and the Dis­ciples ate the Passover one day ahead of the Jews, and is this correct? He was em­phatic that this is right because no Jew would have left his house during the night after eating the Passover because he would have died had he done so. Jesus and all the Disciples left the house after they ate it. Did any of them die that night? This is a complicated and intricate question; and RGJ apparently is not clear on it. We suggest he read the Reprints and the Present Truths for the correct thought.

However, we would say there are some pronounced differences between the actual Passover that night in Egypt and the subsequent memorials – just as there are sharp differences in the antitypical Passover (Christ our Passover) and the memorial which we keep (the Lord's Supper). In the type itself the lamb was taken up on the tenth day of Nisan; but this was not done in the Memorials. Also, there was no blood sprinkled on the doorposts in the memorials; therefore, since none were under the blood, none could go out from under the blood. They had nothing to fear if they went out that night after they had participated in the memorial. Also, there is no mention of wine in the type – whether they drank it or not; but in the memorials there were four dif­ferent cups from beginning to end of the supper; and it was the last of these cups that Jesus used to institute the memorial of His own death. The Passover memorials were occasion for rejoicing, as the Jews recalled their delivery from Egyptian bondage and the various incidents connected with it.

We may be certain there was no deviation whatever by Jesus in observing the memor­ial. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law... Verily I say unto you, Till heav­en and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matt. 5:17,18) What method the Jews used for determining Nisan 1, we can­not be certain; but the date was proclaimed by the High Priest, and all Jewry accepted his finding.

Some of the confusion in this matter may come from not clearly understanding the difference between the Passover itself and the Passover Festival, the latter extending over seven days, making eight days in all. At the memorial the lamb was the thing stressed (although unleavened bread was eaten that night); but in the Festival the un­leavened bread was emphasized. They could eat any clean meat during the seven days, but only lamb was to be eaten the night of the memorial.

“In the first day (of the Festival, following the day of the Memorial) there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread..... in your generations by an ordinance forever.” (Ex. 12:16,17) It so happened at the cru­cifixion that the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday, which began at 6 p.m. Friday) was also the first day of the Passover Festival, which required doubly strict observance by the Jews at that time.

It is noted that St. John (18:28) is the only one of the Apostles to mention the hesitancy of the Jews from entering the residence of Pilate that early morning; but this is no cause for doubting the accuracy of what he said. However, had the matter been of real importance, it would seem the other Gospel writers would have made some comment about it. However, the rigid restriction against leaven during the Passover Festival of seven days would almost certainly restrain the Jewish leaders from enter­ing any house where leaven would be available; and this would be good reason for them to refuse to enter Pilate's residence.

The question was asked, “Where is vitalized justification represented in Taber­nacle types?” RGJ made no clear answer to the question, but went into quite a bit of detail about tentative justification represented in the Court, consecration at the first veil; and when consecration was accepted, they passed into the Holy. His com­ments were nebulous and misleading, so that the questioner probably knows less now than he did before the foregoing answer.

Seemingly RGJ does not understand the subject, or he would have given the proper answer. The answer is, Vitalized Justification is represented in the Court. Justi­fication means to make right – reckonedly, of course. But what is reckoned right? It is the humanity of the consecrator; and the humanity of none of the Gospel-Age con­secrators ever entered the Holy at all; the new creature is represented there. Wheth­er one be tentatively justified or vitalizedly justified, it has to do with the human­ity – and represented in the Court. This is clearly manifested by the animals on the brazen altar, which represented the humanity of the vitalizedly justified. Although those animals were led to the door of the Holy before they were killed, none of them were ever taken into the Holy. While RGJ's remarks were correct concerning consecra­tion, the question concerned vitalized justification. He read the question and then talked about the general setting of the Tabernacle. We repeat: Tentative Justifica­tion and Vitalized Justification are pictured in the Court during the Gospel Age – and they are represented in the Court during the Epiphany.

Only the sanctified were permitted in the Holy – the new creature. During the Epiphany, sanctification, as well as justification, is also represented in the Court for the Youthful Worthies and manifested crown-losers; and will continue to be repre­sented there until the last one has finished his earthly journey – although it would still be represented in the Holy for crown-retainers.

As both Messengers have stated, if one remains clear on Tabernacle types, he is not likely to go far astray in the general Truth – nor will he offer “strange fire” (false doctrine) before the Lord. Among the very first of JFR's deflections was his confusion on the Tabernacle, causing him to deny tentative justification. In a short time he was forced to reject the Tabernacle entirely to make way for his Jonadabs. And now RGJ is revolutionizing against Tabernacle types to make way for his Campers. He does not reject the Tabernacle completely, as did JFR, yet his revolutionisms of tentative justification – the Camp and the Court – are leading him into consider­able confusion. “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” (2 Pet. 1:12,13)

It grieves us much to report once more that the spirit of rabid sectarianism still motivates the great majority of RGJ's supporters; and we offer a few quotations in the hope it may help some of them to recognize this defiling influence: “Jewish sectar­ianism, like all sectarianism, is of Satanic origin, and as such is the antitype of Pharaoh's daughter.” (E-11:19) “The leprous houses of Canaan are used to represent the Great Company sects;.... their sectarianism, their partisan support of power-grasping and lording leaders.” (E-4:290, top) “Sectarianism is a great sin; for it does not act from devotion to the Truth, the Truth arrangements and the Spirit of the Truth, but from devotion to partisanship.... Their actual, though not verbal motto is: 'My party – ­I stand for it, right or wrong.' Therefore they support their sect and leaders regard­less of how wrong they are.” (E-4:292,293) “Sometime these friends will recognize these evils as committed by them, but the faithful recognize them already. And this uncleanness will more or less remain in them until the end of the Epiphany (until even) a gradual matter, coming by the end of the Epiphany.” (E-4:299,300)

From the foregoing, as well as from the writings of That Servant, against the evils of sectarianism, it is self-evident that the faithful teachers in the Church did all in their power to discourage sectarianism in their supporters; whereas, the pseudo Truth teachers are inclined to encourage this evil, especially when they are in danger of los­ing some of their adherents if they read literature other than their own. It will be noted that this evil will be eliminated by “the end of the Epiphany” in those who are contaminated with it; and any who die in this condition, will lose their class stand­ing if they be Youthful Worthies, or life completely if they be new creaturely leaders.

THE MILLENNIUM'S FIRST CENTURY

On pp. 69-78 of the Sept.-Oct. 1974 P.T. the Editor offers quite some detail on events of the past hundred years, in which he also attempts exposure of certain Dawn errors, accusing them of using “Satan's methods of deception.” (p. 71, col. 2, par. 2) However, he does just that himself in the article under review – in a most cunning and deceptive manner. For instance, on p. 71, col. 1, par. 1, he offers this quotation from That Servant concerning those who would consecrate between the Ages, but for whom there would be no opportunity to enter the Body of Christ after that Body was complete:

“But note his (Brother Russell) words in Z 5761, col. 2, pars. 1,2: 'It is our thought that with the closing of the 'door' of this Gospel Age there would be no more begetting of the Holy Spirit to the spirit nature. Any afterward coming to God through consecration, before the inauguration of the restitution work, will be accepted by Him, not to the spirit plane of being, but to the earthly plane. Such would come in under the same conditions as the Ancient Worthies who were accepted of God. The Ancient Wor­thies came in, no call being opened to them – the high calling being not yet open, and the restitution opportunities not open. But they freely gave themselves up to God with­out knowing what blessings their consecration would bring, except that they had the inti­mation that they would, in the future life, have a 'better resurrection' than would the remainder of the world.

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

Any one reading the above would certainly conclude that RGJ is in complete harmony with it; whereas, as of this date, he is as much out of harmony with it as the Dawns ­perhaps even more so than they, because he himself has invented a new class to take the place of those mentioned in the quotation after 1954, and before “restitution opportun­ities” are open – a class he terms Consecrated Epiphany Campers. It will be noted in the above quotation that Brother Russell teaches that opportunity to enter this class would be available until “THE FULL OPENING OF THE MILLENNIUM”; but RGJ is saying it ap­plied only until 1954. The Jehovah's Witnesses and the LHMM are the only two groups emanating from the Harvest Truth that have invented a new class here in the end of the Age, so far as we know. Thus, whatever of fault may be hurled at the Dawns, they have not been guilty of offering “strange fire” (false doctrine) before the Lord to replace any mistakes they have been making; whereas, RGJ is clearly revolutionizing against the Truth he quotes from Brother Russell.

And this is not the first time he has followed this technique: he has done the same thing with his handling of the Jewish question. To the Jews he is in full har­mony with Brother Russell – they are to be the people under the New Covenant; but he tells his Campers Consecrated that they will have the preeminence at that time. Of course, this is just some of his symbolic witchcraft (especially deceptive false teach­ings). Truly, “A doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.” (Jas. 1:8 – See Be­rean Comments)

As stated previously, RGJ' attitude toward the Jews in relation to his Campers Con­secrated is the same as the Jehovah's Witnesses' attitude toward the Jews in relation to their “Great Crowd.” RGJ says any Jew who becomes a Campers Consecrated will be among the “chief and first” in the Kingdom arrangements – although he is more generous than the Witnesses in his teaching that the faithful covenant-keeping Jews who do not become Campers Consecrated will have a secondary place in the New Covenant arrangements. The Witnesses also teach that any Jew who will become a member of their “Great Crowd” will have a part in the preeminence of the Kingdom arrangements – but they have no place whatever for the faithful covenant-keeping Jews: all those that don't join with them will be annihilated in Armageddon. The Truth on the subject is: If any of the Restitutionists, including members of the “Great Crowd” and Campers Consecrated, desire to come into harmony with the New Covenant arrangements, they will have to become Jews. The New Covenant is Israelitish. The Gentiles were never under the Old Law Covenant ­nor could they be blessed by it unless they became proselyte Jews; and the same condi­tion applies to the New Covenant.

SOME TRUTHS IN THIS PRESENT TRUTH

However, we would not have our readers believe that we condemn all that RGJ says, because we are in full agreement with some of his statements. One of these points is the Bible Chronology, as it is given in Parousia Vol. 2, pp. 33-62. This we accept exactly as it is given there; and we believe the “signs of the times” clearly desig­nate 1914 as the end of the Gentile Times.

And just as there was a Big Babylon up to 1914, so there is now a Little Babylon among the various Truth groups that have arisen since 1917 – two of which are the Jeho­vah's Witnesses, and the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement since 1950. These two groups are probably the most sectarian of any that have arisen since 1917. As most of our readers know, Babylon means confusion; and it is self-evident that confusion pre­vails among the various Truth divisions – even if some among them should retain Parousia Truth in its purity. To carry the analogy a little further, most of God's true people were to be found in the sects of Big Babylon at 1874; and it is our opinion that this is also true of the sects now in Little Babylon. There is a reasonable chance, we be­lieve, that there are many of these people with the Witnesses.

It was told to us that Brother Russell once made the statement near the end of his life that he expected to find most of his followers back in Babylon again before “this present evil world” passes away. Note we say this statement is merely hearsay, so we do not state it as a fact; but we now recognize the statement to be a fact in actual operation – whether or not he said it. Some did go back to Big Babylon, but the major­ity built up a Babylon (confusion) of their own.

In this connection, we point out that the sects in Big Babylon were emphatically sectarian up to 1914 – all of them actively determined against the Truth; but they have now degraded to Combinationism, which makes them worse in some respects than they were up to 1914. The various Truth groups have since 1917 become the sectarians ­some more, some less – the Witnesses and the LHMM being two that are 'moreso.' In some of the other groups we find a much better spirit prevailing; and it is probable that quite a few of their members are not sectarian at all – which we state to their praise. In fact, we have had pleasant personal contact with some of these brethren, so we say this because of our own personal experience.

Another item with which we are in full accord with RGJ is that the High Calling was closed in September 1914; and we would stress herein just two of the many proofs to substantiate our contention. First, in Rev. 7:3 there is this statement: “Hurt not the earth (the present social order), neither the sea (the lawless elements of society), nor the trees (the prominent persons in Christendom), till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” Certainly no one will dispute that all these classes were seriously “hurt” by the outbreak of the war in 1914; therefore, the servants of God had to be sealed in their foreheads by the time the war broke out in each nation.

A second item: Fire in the Bible usually types destructive forces in the antitype. In the Tabernacle type, when the burnt offering was presented “a fire came out from be­fore the Lord” (Lev. 9:24), which manifested God's acceptance of the sacrifice. This same thing occurred in the Day of Atonement sacrifices, which demon­strated the success­ful completion of the Sin Offering that day. In 1914 the great destructive features of the war also demonstrated that the Gospel-Age Sin Offering was then fixedly complete, although not actually so – will not actually be complete until the last member of the Lord's Goat has been fully sacrificed.

While we agree that the Gospel Age had a technical ending in 1874, we believe the Gospel Age is still with us, even though it has overlapped into the Millennium for a hun­dred years. The word gospel means good news – good news of the High Calling to such as had a hearing ear; and, so long as any of those who have responded to that call are still with us, we must conclude that the Gospel Age is also still with us. This would include crown-losers as well as crown-retainers – they are all a part of “the church of the firstborn.” (Heb. 12:23)

THE SAINT'S REIGN

Much has been argued back and forth about this subject; and we would offer the Berean Comment on Rev. 11:17,18: “Hast reigned – In a sense from 1878; actually from 1914. And the nations were angry – as a consequence of the reign begun.” In Matt. 28:18, Dia., there is this statement by the risen Jesus: “All authority has been imparted to Me, in Heaven and on earth.” From this it is clear enough that Jesus then possessed the “authority”; but there is no evidence that He was then exercising that authority; and this has been true throughout the Age until 1874. But at 1874 the Scriptures reveal that the great antitypical Jubilee began, at which time Jesus also began to exercise His authority. In Rev. 14:14, Dia., there is this: “Son of Man? having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle” (the Harvest reap­ing message). The golden crown would be evidence of kingly authority; and at that date He began to exercise that authority in a very positive manner, the first feature being the beginning of the binding of Satan.

If there are those who wish to contend that the reign also began at that time, we would answer that certainly not one of the saints were reigning “with Him” at that time. And even when they were resurrected in 1878, not a one of them had anything what­ever to do with raising themselves, or any others of the Christ Company. And that sit­uation continued throughout the Harvest. As each one died he did not raise himself, nor did the risen saints have anything to do with it. As each one was “caught away in clouds, for a meeting of the Lord in the air” (1 Thes. 4:17, Dia.) the marriage of the Lamb with that particular one was consummated, at which time they also joined in exer­cising His authority with Him.

And at successive dates that authority was broadened in scope: After 1878 the next date to appear in the parallel dispensations was the complete casting off of Big Babylon in 1881; then still much more of it in 1914, when “the stone cut out of the mountain without hands” (the completed Christ company) – Dan. 2:45 – began its smiting work; “to execute the judgment written.” (Psa. 149:9) Inasmuch as “this honor have “all the saints,” it should be clear enough that all of them were fixedly in the Body, although quite a few of them were still on earth, but they are actually in the Body when the last one joins that Company as a Divine being. These statements are fully corrob­orated in various places by Brother Russell, some of which we now quote:

“Apparently this matter of when the thousand-year period should be reckoned as fully beginning and fully ending will be an open question until the close of the Millennial Age. It is our expectation, from Rev. 20:8,9, that the obscurity of this question will have something to do with the final test of loyalty and obedience to God, which will come upon the whole world of mankind who will have enjoyed the blessings of restitution throughout the Millennial Age, and have attained perfection at its close.

“The Scripture declaration respecting the saints, the 'overcomers,' is “They lived and reigned a thousand years.' The reign of the saints cannot be properly said to be­gin before all the 'jewels' have been gathered, nor before the Times of the Gentiles end, in 1914. Nor is it; said that their reign will be no longer than a thousand years. After the thousand years' reign Satan shall be loosed and the above trial shall ensue; but the reign of Christ and the Church will evidently continue long after the thousand years to destroy all found unworthy in that final test, and thus complete the work for which this reign is instituted; – for, as expressed by the Apostle, 'He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet.. And when all things shall he subdued unto Him (some by conversion and some by destruction), then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him (the Father).'“ (Reprints 2739-40) It is perhaps well to remind our readers here that no prophecy can be clearly understood until it has been fulfilled, or is in course of fulfillment.

And in Reprints 5631, col. 2, par. 4 (Feb. 15, 1915) there is this: “What time then is signified by the expression 'in the days of these kings,' when the Kingdom of God was to be set up in power? To our understanding the first step in the setting up of this Kingdom was the raising of the sleeping saints of the Gospel Age, which we believe was in the Spring of 1878. Then began the glorification of the Church. The work of setting up the Kingdom has, we understand, been progressing from that date, and is now merely lacking the last members of the Church class. When these shall have taken their places as members of the Church in Glory, the Kingdom will be fully set up.

“This does not signify that there may not be a part of the Kingdom work begun while some of the members of Christ are still in the flesh.... We read 'Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds.' ... The Scripture goes on to say that they have a two-edged sword in their hands – this is the word of God. They use it as the sword of the Spirit. This would not be true of them on the other side of the veil.

“The final phrase, 'to execute the judgments written,' would seem to imply that there would be something for the saints to do this side of the veil in connection with the execution of the judgments upon the nations.” Then in the same article under the heading THE KINGDOM OF GOD SET UP, there is this:

“Now is the time for God's Kingdom to displace them (the Gentile kingdoms—JJH); but they will not willingly resign their crowns and scepters; they are in defiance. Therefore, force is required to destroy them. Their 2520 years of rule are in the past, and they must now submit to a complete overthrow...

“The Lord has at this particular time especially to do with the affairs of the nations. And this war was allowed to occur at about the end of the Times of the Gen­tiles, at the appropriate time when they are to be dashed to pieces with the iron rod of the iron rule. (Psa. 2:6-12) It is our judgment that we shall see more of this iron rule and its breaking influence, not only upon the nations, but upon society at large. Now in this great day of the Lord everything that can be shaken is to be shaken to pieces and shaken out, to the intent that nothing unrighteous or unworthy shall remain. God Himself is doing the shaking.

“We believe that the Times of the Gentiles ended just on time, as shown in Vol. 2 of Studies in the Scriptures. The hand of justice is now doing the breaking – the na­tions shall be broken as 'a potter's vessel.' .... We believe that the time for the set­ting up of the Kingdom was on September 21, 1914. At that time, when it was due for our Lord to take up His great power and reign, the nations were already angry. They were at war over a month in advance of the time, because so angry. The due time for the wrath was September 21. We are expecting to see this wrath still more manifest.”

“We see that there is no throne yet established and that there is no bride now.” (Reprints 4990, col. 1, par. 6 – March 15, 1912)

On p. 427 of the Question Book there is this (year 1915); “We do not believe that the Kingdom was fully set up in 1878. These saints are glorified in that they have now their glorious spirit bodies; but their spirit bodies do not constitute the King­dom. The Kingdom is the reigning power. The Bible intimates that Jesus is to take to Himself His great power and reign before the great destruction of the present Order comes about... We have pointed out in the Watch Tower the possibility of the last mem­bers of the Body of Christ remaining yet for a little while. You remember the words of the Psalmist: 'Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand.' .... This seems to imply that there might be some of the saints during this time of smiting the nations who would be exercising power while still in the flesh.” This quota­tion is one of the very latest statements by That Servant on this subject.

While the expression “Christ” often refers to the Head and the Body, when Rev. 20:4 says the saints reigned with Christ it is presenting two different entities ­Christ and the saints; and, when RGJ says the part here (the individual Christ) is to be taken for the whole, he is simply revolutionizing against some more Parousia and Epiphany Truth.

In Rev. 2:26, 27, Dia., the record states: “He who conquers... I will give to him authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with an iron sceptre (as the earthen vessels it is breaking them together).” Certainly this “breaking them to­gether” – the “iron sceptre” – did not begin until 1914; and it is still continu­ing as respects the nations; and will continue unto a completion – after which the “iron sceptre” will apply to the individual restitutionists – during the entire Medi­atorial reign.

“He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.” (Rev. 2:7) “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” (Hos. 10:12)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brothers in Jesus our Savior: May Grace and Peace be multiplied to you!

First, forgive me for not writing to you in English.... I am looking for Brother J. J. Hoefle. He is an American Brother who differs with The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement, managed by R. G. Jolly. RGJ teaches that since 1954, justification as being in the Camp. But I know, through articles of Brother J. J. Hoefle, he refutes the error, and he teaches as does Brother Russell. This is why I would like very much to find him.

Who can give me his address? Who would give me his address? Maybe you are the one, so dear Brother, if you know Brother J. J. Hoefle, for the love of the Truth taught by Brother Russell, I ask you to give me his address so that I can write to him. Waiting to hear from you, for which I thank you with all my heart. (Numbers 6:24-26)

My very best brotherly love, ------- (BELGIUM)
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ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL INTEREST

Our Memorial date for this year is March 25, after 6:00 p.m., and we suggest for our Special Effort in Antitypical Gideon's Second Battle, Sunday, March 16 through Sun­day April 6, for our volunteer and sharpshooting in the slaying of the two King Errors Zebah (Eternal Torment), and Zalmunna (Consciousness of the Dead). The Special Effort is an Arrangement made for the Epiphany by the Epiphany Messenger. The “Battle” is not over – nor is the Epiphany over.

Our tracts – Where are the Dead, What is the Soul, and The Resurrection of the Dead, as well as the First Volume, The Divine Plan of the Ages, are pertinent literature for this work. The tracts and books for this Special Effort will be sent free, postage paid, to all who request them. We invite all of like mind to join with us in this Special Effort. Please place your orders early if you desire to join with us in this “good fight.” Be assured of our special prayers that all may have blessed experiences in so doing.

NO. 235: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

No. 235

Another year gone – and we continue to marvel at the scientific achievements of Society. Perhaps the outstanding feat of the year was the flight of an air­plane from New York to London on September 1 in just one hour and fifty-six minutes. At times the plane reached a speed of more than 2,000 miles an hour – more than thirty miles a minute – which is almost twice as fast as the speed of sound. It car­ried two men as operators.

A new steel has now been developed which is half as light in weight as the old steel, but is twice as strong. Also, it is generally conceded that the American farmer is the best in the world. In the year 1890 one farmer produced enough to support himself and 4.8 other people; in 1972 one farmer produced enough for 50.4 persons. Also, during the past year, a dwarf apple tree has been developed, which will not grow more than eight feet tall; and 500 such trees can be planted on one acre of ground, as against 50, 60, or 70 of the 25 to 30 ft. trees. And the smaller trees produce a more luscious fruit than the taller ones. It will be noted, too, that the smaller trees are much easier to pick; an ordinary man with a small stool can pick the fruit without a ladder, which contributes greatly to the safety and the speed of the harvest. They are now working on an eight-ft. plum tree, which they are hopeful of perfecting shortly.

A new product has now been developed which is 180 times sweeter than natural su­gar, weight for weight. This phenomenon is probably more industrial than agricultural ingenuity.

IN FINANCE

The financial situation in almost all countries has become tragically moth-eaten and threadbare. The price of gold has now advanced to $167 per ounce (writ­ten Nov. 2); and there are all sorts of predictions about its future value – some extremists declaring it will be worthless in a very short time, with others predict­ing a price of several thousand dollars per ounce. But, as one wag has stated it, we are living in the age of the Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold makes the rules. The overall debt in the United States at present – national, state, city and pri­vate – is said to exceed one and one-half trillion dollars. This figure is beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

In 1914 the national debt of the United States was about one billion dollars; and there was much serious talk then that it must not go any higher. But, by 1918, when the war had ended, the national debt had grown to about thirty billion; how­ever, the conservative presidents tackled this monstrosity with an admirable deter­mination, so that the debt had been reduced by about twelve billion, to eighteen bil­lion, by the time of the stock market crash in October 1929. This attempt at econ­omy was probably one of the major contributors to the 1929-1932 depression.

Came then the New Deal in 1932, with the inane philosophy that we could spend our way into prosperity; and the national debt increased so much that by about 1940 it was about forty billion, and one of the sound financial analysts made this obser­vation about it: No one in Washington with any intelligence thinks this debt will ever be paid off. It is now more than ten times what it was in 1940, so we need not elaborate about the chances of the present debt ever being paid.

The present administration in Washington is making some feeble effort to avoid further increase, but we can find no cause for enthusiasm for their mode of operation. The second largest item in the national budget is the interest on the enormous debt; yet just this last year 1974 a large offering of Government certificates was made at an interest rate of 9%. Thus, while they attempt economy in some avenues, their in­creased expense in other sectors may more than offset their efforts. Some good sound economists say that six per cent interest is more than the world can bear with so much printing-press money now in circulation; yet the interest charged to borrowers with a triple A rating was advanced to twelve per cent. This simply means that any one buy­ing stock at $100 per share must see that stock go up at least twelve points in one year for him to keep even. Following is a quotation from the financial page of one of the outstanding newspapers in the United States:

“YOU’VE GOT DEBTS?” NATION’S IN HOCK $2.525 TRILLION

“There exists, and probably always will, that ancient argument over just when and at what figure debt becomes excessive.

“At the extremes, proponents of one point of view insist that credit is quest of a better life, while advocates of the other view maintain it is a sin that leads to fi­nancial hell and damnation.

“The extremes would agree on one thing, however: that public and private debt in the United States amounts to an almost incomprehensible figure. At the end of 1973 it totaled $2,525 trillion (a trillion more than we mentioned aforegoing—JJH). In numbers that’s $2,525,000,000,000.

“Translating that figure into something more understandable, such as putting it on a per capita basis, still results in something of a jolt to the consciousness – roughly $12,000 per man, woman and child.

“The net public debt, made up of the obligations of the federal government and its agencies, plus those of state and local governments, rose 6.4% last year to a total of $593 billion, but was far exceeded by private debt. In that latter category, corpora­tions alone accounted for $1.1 trillion of the 1.93 trillion total, with the remainder divided among individuals and corporate enterprises. Corporate debt rose 13.6%, indi­vidual debt by 11.6%.

“Consumer debt, mainly of the kind that is paid back in installments, now exceeds $180 billion, compared to $157 billion in 1972 – and $138 billion in 1971. But don’t forget that inflation alone makes figures look larger. The biggest load of any indi­vidual debt category is accounted for by home mortgages, which amount to $374 billion at the close of 1973, up $35 billion in a year. But don’t forget that the population keeps rising too. Is all this too much?

“Those who most enthusiastically defend the present debt position maintain it is still within bounds, that much of it is backed by collateral and earning power, and that borrowers are more sophisticated in using credit. The ratio of corporate debt to assets is higher now than it was twenty years ago, but whether this is an indication of weakness or wiser use of money is debatable. Household assets have grown faster than debt.

“On the other side of the argument, a good many critics, many of them informed fi­nancial people, are growing more fearful that both families and corporations are borrow­ing too far into the future. Debt is just that – borrowing on future income. Some­times the money itself is the source of future earning power, and in that sense repays itself. This is true especially of corporate debt. Household debt more likely is re-paid simply by cutting into future earnings which, if you believe in the American dream, will continue to grow larger right up to retirement – and who knows, even beyond. So why not borrow?

“True enough, say the critics, but with many companies carrying a heavy debt load and with individual debt repayment lagging, maybe now is the time to slow things down. That, in fact, is what the Federal Reserve is doing.”

Not only is the financial situation precarious in the United States, but it seems to be even worse in Italy. Following is some comment about conditions there:

“Doctors find it impossible to operate; hospital administrators are refusing to accept patients; contractors have stopped supplying hospitals because hospitals do not pay them. Distrust of government, which was carried over after the war, has grown rather than abated. Politicians were sucked into the vortex of political power. They enjoyed the prestige and position, but were unable to root out and heal the basic problems of the nation.

“Italy has already had 36 governments since the war, each averaging less than ten months. Yet each government is formed basically of the same men, but in different cabinet positions. Instead of being the source of bold initiative or solid action to solve some of the agonizing woes facing the nation, the government has become less and less credible to the people... too many charges of graft and corruption, of Swiss bank accounts, and huge payoffs from oil companies to government leaders.

“Meanwhile government services worsen. A letter laboriously written by a man to his cousin in the north never got there. Along with thousands of tons of mail of all classes, including registered mail, it was ‘lost,’ burned, or simply ground into pulp for recycling. Thousands of elderly people often never receive their social security checks and similar forms of payment coming by mail. Overburdened postal workers di­verted the letters elsewhere, never to be recovered.

“People may soon get fed up if it continues to cut into their bread basket too long. This would be terrible because it would be the end of the country. Up to now Italy’s near bankruptcy has been eased by grants, aids and loans from its more stable Western allies – notably Germany... But these helpful neighbors have problems of their own. For the first time, the entire industrialized West is facing a perpetual deficit in bal­ance of payments. At the same time, inflation has soared virtually out of control.

“As one observer mentioned: “We’re either headed toward (coalition) government with the Communists – which is the last straw in trying to use the parliamentary system to make it work – or we’re headed into the unknown. Wherever that unknown’ leads, the rest of Europe could be dragged along in its wake.”

A long-standing friend of ours, a financial analyst, has written this in one of his recent papers:

“Official sources have confirmed there is a possibility of Italy selling some of its monetary gold in European community markets over the next two years. Such sales could be made in connection with a $2 billion credit line granted by the Deutsche Bundesbank to the Banca d’ Italia. The credit line is guaranteed by the equivalent amount of Italian monetary gold valued at $120 per ounce. If Italy should not be able to repay its debt, it has the option of surrendering the gold or selling it in the com­modity markets, and using the proceeds to repay its debt.

“I believe the leaders of the world have a definite desire to keep bullion prices up in these troubled economic times. A possible decline to $120 as projected by some analysts would be unlikely in my opinion. At this level panic could develop, and Italy would likely be forced into a complete bankruptcy. Britain would likely be forced even earlier than Italy. I believe that the economic leaders of the world, al­though naive, would be alert enough to see what a reduction in gold collateral value on Italy’s accounts could do to their credibility in the world money markets. (I have wrongly credited economic leaders with intelligence before. I hope this is not another error in my judgment.)”

This same writer then offers some more: “Though pension liability promises to be a hot topic in investment circles, investors so far have little hard information to go on. For many companies, it has become larger than balance sheet debt. one company has no balance sheet debt at all, but has a pension liability of $38 million, with at least ten other companies in the same category. In some cases, pension liability is greater than the market value of the company. One company has a liability of $186 million, while the market value of its stock is $72.1 million.

“According to the Wall Street Journal, the present unfunded liability of the US Social Security System is $2.1 trillion. The first thing that the public has to be told by the politicians is that it is not possible to maintain the current rate schedule and benefit level. Cumulative inflation seems to have produced a feeling that there is no way out – that the collapse of the political order is something to be ex­pected.”

Another writer says: “The Western democracies, the United States included, are facing a stark political problem in the decline of living standards caused by infla­tion and shortages. Only an optimist will view the problem as a temporary one. The strike and disorder among the national truckers when the fuel shortage hit last winter was one of the first ugly manifestations in this country of what happens when the in­come of a particular group is threatened by the spreading worldwide economic disloca­tion....

“The situation in Great Britain is far more serious, and may even be threatening British democracy. Striking miners have overwhelmed police and closed power stations. Construction workers and dockers have got their way by use of force. The Economist ob­served that ‘private armies, were relying on force to achieve their ends...... British thinkers in London believe an ugly conflict has developed between what they call the myth of expectation of affluence and the fact of increasing scarcity. The revolution of rising expectations that has swept the advanced nations since the end of World War Two may be going on the rocks... What the British and the rest of us may now have to adjust to is a revolution of falling expectations.”

A quote from another authority: “Inflation is very much of an explosive force in society. In fact, it is social dynamite. Inflation violently intensifies class con­flict, and this is not a pleasant thing to contemplate in a country already bitterly di­vided along class, ethnic, racial lines. When the economy is growing, there is a way to ease tensions by giving each group relatively more. In the last generation, this has been going on at a rapid rate, except at the lowest level. When the economy declines, these tensions increase...

“In the great depression the unemployed were loyal to the country. They were not a revolutionary force. So many people were in the same boat then that they didn’t feel ashamed... The danger of social upheaval now may well be universal... in the United States we may fear the anarchic tendencies of Americans... Americans are hostile to cen­tral authority, to discipline. I feel building up in this country enormous resent­ment, mostly political, waiting to be captured.”

Follows now a news item from Bonn, Germany: “West Germany’s finance minister says the United States and Japan should join in a concerted effort to guarantee that Italy does not ‘fall to pieces, under the impact of quadrupled oil prices and its other eco­nomic woes. The United States and Japan and the Western world should see that there is an Italian problem and that they have to guarantee via the International Monetary Fund that Italy remains intact and will not fall to pieces.

“West Germany recently loaned Italy $2 billion to stave off bankruptcy, but it is doubted that this kind of bilateral aid would be repeated... We certainly cannot cre­ate an instrument via these community loans to fully finance the oil deficits of Italy, France and Denmark... The industrialized countries must form a solid bloc and reduce oil consumption to stabilize oil prices. The United States should take the lead.”

More on the Italian finances: “If some headway isn’t made soon in dealing with these immense economic dislocations, a major political upheaval could lie ahead. Italy’s Giolitti last week painted a grim picture of what a bankrupt nation might be like: massive unemployment, food shortages and economic paralysis. If his scenario should come true, food riots and political anarchy might well ensue – and the Italian chaos could even spread to other European countries. The Governor of the Bank of Italy, Guido Carli, painted an almost equally bleak picture of the outlook unless the Western industrial nations manage to unite to deal with their economic problem. In the absence of coordinated action, the richest countries are moving toward a recession. And the poorest countries will be making an adjustment to... starvation.”

Of course, all of this financial tangle has come about through the enormous amount of printing-press money that has been foisted upon the world – much of it hardly worth the paper on which it is written. A hundred years ago the radicals (the antitypical Assyrians – “The rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is Mine indignation”—Isa. lO:5) attacked capitalism head on; but defeat after defeat eventually taught them they would never prevail with the methods they were then using. Consequently, they came to the conclusion that they should allow the “giant” to destroy himself – by print­ing so much money that the interest load would produce collapse. We are faced with just that kind of a situation now; the damage has been done; and a dozen Solomons could not decipher a solution. We offer another quotation regarding the situation:

“The conflict between monetarists and Keynesians (the advocates of printing-press inflation—JJH) starts with the very reasons for which there is a great inflation...... This conflict became a public debate in last week’s (Sept. 10, 1974) televised ‘summit, meeting. It leads to widely different prescriptions for anti-inflationary action. The net result is confusion both for the literate public and for congressional policy makers, whom the arguing economists advise. One Congressman was driven by such con­flicting advice to quote Casey Stengel (one of the very prominent men in baseball—JJH): ‘Doesn’t any one here know how this game is played?’ If the doctors disagree, what can the patient believe? Public confusion has opened the way for an army of quacks –scamps peddling schemes – and reduced the credibility of economists... The task for economists today, as for Keynes in 1940, is to diagnose economic events correctly as a guide to policy choices. Political preferences should be separated clearly to avoid mixing ideology and science. The profession’s reputation and the common weal both re­quire it.”

Much of the foregoing prompts us to quote one multi-millionaire’s definition: “An economist is a fellow who thinks he knows more about money than us that’s got it.”

IN POLITICS

The political upheavals in the United States during the past year are common knowl­edge, so we do not elaborate. However, we find a sad analogy between the fate of President Nixon and that of King Saul in Israel. The President came from an isolated and unknown Quaker family; and from this background he rose to leadership of the great­est nation in history – only to be toppled from his exalted position to one where he is now less esteemed by the majority than he was before he was elected to his high office.

And for Saul of Israel we quote his own words: “Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” (1 Sam. 9:21) But the people put him upon the throne with the shout (after “he had hid himself among the stuff”—l Sam. 10:22), “God save the king!” (1 Sam. 10:24) But he eventually came to ignominious defeat and death at the hands of the Philistines, so that he left the throne of Israel with a lower rating than he gave himself when he was installed as king.

Such occurrences as these are among the outstanding tragedies of all history, and they always tend to pit one faction of a nation against the other. This has been true in America this past year, and will probably be carried on heatedly – to the detriment of all sections of the populace.

Mexico divided by social unrest: “A huge limousine with darkened rear windows swept through downtown Monterey, Mexico. Behind it sped two other large cars, each sprouting radio antennae and carrying numerous bulky men who impatiently waved cars and pedestrians out of the way. Every morning the scene is repeated – not once, but several times – as Monterey’s wealthy industrialists and bankers travel from their heav­ily guarded homes in the plush suburbs to their offices in the city.

“For the wealthy, blatant and often-cumbersome security measures have become a daily feature of life in Mexico. The traditional tranquillity has been shattered by a series of urban Guerrilla actions, and a siege mentality now pervades the million­aire families that dominate Mexican society. They have fortified their homes, strengthened their cars against bullets, hired dozens of body-guards and equipped them with the latest automatic weapons smuggled in from the United States. Wealthy families have also dropped from the social circuit and withdrawn behind the high walls of their compounds. Newspapers have even been encouraged to keep their names and photographs off the social pages.”

In Spain a terrorist bomb wrecked a restaurant in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square at the lunch hour, killing nine, injuring forty.

Argentina faces chaos. Some 6,000 heavily armed followers of the late Juan Peron went underground. Like other terrorists, they want to wreck the army-backed government headed by Peron’s widow. In one day there were forty bomb blasts. Gunmen shot down political leaders. Strikes gripped the nation.

Ethiopia: “They are crowded into three long barracks, sleeping on simple army cots, their heads shaven like those of condemned men, their food brought to them three times daily by wives already dressed in black. These were once the high and mighty of Ethi­opia – princes, imperial courtiers, provincial nobility, aristocratic landlords, blue-blooded ministers and much decorated generals. They could boast of ruling entire prov­inces, of owning enormous estates and commanding private armies and of belonging to roy­al families tracing their ancestry back 2,000 years to the founding of the Ethiopian mon­archy....

“The constitutional crisis in Ethiopia has now entered a new and terrifying stage. A peasant revolt has erupted in the southern provinces of the country, with farms being burned down all along a 250-mile stretch of the country’s most fertile area of the Rift Valley. In the town of Arba Minch, only established in the last fifteen years as a farming and tourist center, fifteen people were shot on Friday, at least three by the police. Local administration is in complete chaos. The governor of the region fled to Addis Ababa ten days ago – with his house burning down behind him.”

It is worthy of note that Ethiopia is the last of the absolute monarchies to capit­ulate – the first one of any prominence being Russia in 1917. This situation had been prophetically stated about 3,000 years ago by King David of Israel: “We will not fear, though the earth (the present social order) be removed, and though the mountains (strong autocratic governments) be carried into the midst of the sea (the lawless elements of society).” (Psa. 46:2) And to demonstrate the irresponsible lack of executive ability, be it noted that the plunderers destroy food supplies and other fixed assets, not real­izing that those things that have been seized by them now belong to them.

This same situation prevailed in the Fall of 1917, when the Bolsheviks overthrew the Czarist regime in Russia: They also burned many large granaries filled with prec­ious grain, not realizing that they were pillaging assets that then belonged to them. In the 1967 riot in Detroit, Mich., much the same attitude prevailed there, as enormous quantities of foodstuff, wearing apparel, and the like were burned in a few days’ time; and the City has not yet recovered from that debacle. Such actions are concrete evi­dence that we have come into “the time of the end.” “Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness... The time come.... let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof... The land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.” (Eze. 7:11,12,23) A former US Agriculture Department official has this to say about the situation: “We are seeing food riots in a number of countries now: Bolivia, Ethiopia, India. We may well see 10 or 15 governments top­pled around the world in the text year as a result of smaller food crops.”

Follows now a comment from another publication regarding the political cauldron: “Three reliable observers point to a general increase in the scope of organized terror­ism and domestic guerrilla warfare. Candidates from 19 nations, including the U.S., Britain, West Germany, France, Israel (Muslim Arabs), Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, have been reported as in training. Estimates now total more than 500 trainees........ Major efforts to damage or destroy key public service installations, such as power plants, refineries, pipelines, transit and transportation and military installations are also on the program.”

France – “totters between outright Communism and self-respecting government all the time. It could go either way because it does not have a strong man to head its government and to stand in the breach with courage the way General De Gaulle did.”

Beautiful Ireland - “is chaotic. Case-hardened revolutionists who pose as Prot­estants and who pose as Catholics are pitted against each other in a feud surpassing the mountain feuds of Kentucky. Nothing can satisfy either side except the deaths of their contemporaries. The chaos can scarcely be estimated... They would rather see their neighbors and themselves shot to death by their domestic enemies than to have the protection of a military state.”

IN RELIGION

The religious outlook is well akin to the foregoing political deflections. A prom­inent Evangelist, who preaches Eternal Torment for the unsaved, says that the Devil is to be destroyed; while another section of Christians say that the Devil will never be destroyed – that he is immortal the same as all human beings, and, therefore indestruc­tible.

Presbyterian – A new denomination is being organized in America because of the highly modernistic and pro-Marxist conduct of leaders in the so-called United Presby­terian church. Recently 23 churches met in Petersburg, Va., for the purpose of re­organizing a denomination committed to the traditions of the church, the authenticity of the Bible and the complete deity of Jesus Christ.

Lutheran – The great Missouri Synod is split right down the middle because the officers of the church have removed the President of Concordia Theological Seminary because of his refusal to accept the doctrine of complete belief in the Holy Bible. Professors are striking; students are striking; but the highest officers of the de­nomination seem to be standing strong for the believing traditions of the church.

Methodist – “If the Methodist Church wants to enter politics,” says one commenta­tor, “why doesn’t it disorganize as a church and become a political party. But to take up collections on Sunday and use the money to impeach our President is a violation of decency and a violation of the law. Don’t think I’m anti-Methodist... but I’m afraid if John Wesley were to return, he would have a hard time getting invited to address a General Conference because he believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he be­lieved in the blood of Christ. But now a recent poll reveals that 51% of the Metho­dist clergy do not believe in the resurrection, and the rules of the church now decree that no hymn with the word ‘blood’ can be added to the new hymnal.”

Roman Catholic – It is estimated that 10% of the Roman Catholic priests in America are alcoholics. With this situation in mind, the congregation authorizes the ordinar­ies of the United States of America to grant to those priests who have made this re­quest the permission either to co-celebrate with one or more priests a normal mass, but without receiving communion under the species of wine, or, when this isn’t possible, to celebrate mass using unfermented grape juice.

In an election in Italy this past year the Catholic Church made an all-out effort to defeat the Communists; but instead, the Communists made such substantial gains that one publication had this to say about it: “Pope is defeated in the election in the worst setback for the Roman Catholic Church in Italian political affairs since Italian troops chased Pope Pius the IX to the Vatican, ending the Church’s temporal power in 1870.”

Here is something from E-13:57 along the same line: “Rome and what it is pleased to call the Reds – i.e., practically everything anti-Romanist – are waging a worldwide wordy and physical violence battle... with Rome getting by far the worst of it.” This observation was published in 1949; and things have become much worse since then. In another secular publication we are told that “Front personalities who appear as promi­nent citizens, such as clergymen, educators, journalists, businessmen and public offi­cials, who would not attend a conference or an open convention of revolutionary killers, are always happy to give these people praise, defense and favorable publicity.” And we add here that some of them made substantial financial contributions to Angela Davis, which has caused a deep resentment among many of the members.

General – For lack of space, we shall not elaborate on the following brief ex­cerpts from various publications: Crime has become so rampant in De­troit that valuable homes are being deserted because people are afraid to live in certain communities. Never before in the history of man have we seen the types of violence, the animalistic acts that we are going to see soon in our society.

American industry is being burdened with a new expense that is running into the millions annually, and threatens to go even higher: the money the firms and their top executives are having to spend to protect themselves from kidnappers, extortion­ists, bombers and terrorists. Never have revolutionary techniques invaded the areas of so-called respectability, including clerical power, educational power, journalis­tic prostitution and news media conspiracies surpassing what is going on right now. All families of wealth and abundance, or even who seem to have abundance, are in dan­ger. Kidnapping is now an epidemic, and people are being held for ransom and their entire estates are demanded in payment. And frequently, even when payment is made, the victim is killed. We must develop a secret police in this country as large as an army in time of war; otherwise, our nation will be sucked down into the valley of complete savagery.

Robert Gold, a captain in the Cleveland Fire Department, says arson is the fastest growing business in America – burning down property to get insurance. There are special arson gangs that can be hired like bootleggers to do a job for a price. They know how to do it without detection.

Suicide prevention centers across the nation report an alarming rise in the num­ber of people threatening to end their lives – many of them worried by inflation and crime.

Meningitis epidemic in Brazil – a dozen a day die. (Aug. 3, 1974) In India 25,000 were reported to have died from smallpox. Also, there are two billion four hundred million rats in India – five for every man, woman and child. It is stated that these rats either eat or ruin eight million tons of feed grain every year. As most of our readers know, the State religion of India forbids destruction of this scourge, because, believing as they do in the transmigration of souls, their ances­tors are now some lower form of animal; and certainly none of them would want to kill their mother or father, which might occur if they destroy some lower animal.

In Detroit a hitchhiker shot the man who had befriended him because the owner of the car did not let him off at the right street.

The prophetic words of Jesus most fittingly apply to some of the foregoing: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and in various places there will be great earthquakes, and famines, and pestilences; there will also be fearful sights.” (Luke 21:10,11, Dia.) However, our Lord offers some very pointed palliative for those who have the faith to receive it: “Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) Another antidote for the troubled condition of the world is found in the words of Isa. 61:11: “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”

Due to extra heavy work at the Bible House, and troubled by some illness, we have not been able to send the usual personal Holiday greetings to all our friends ­but we acknowledge with thanks and much appreciation the many gracious Holiday greet­ings we have received. To all our readers we send our cordial good wishes for phys­ical and spiritual health throughout 1975; and may the blessing that maketh rich from Him who “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” be your portion.(Jas. 1:5)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

NO. 234: THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR

No. 234

Of the four records, only John’s attempts to trace our Lord’s genealogy to the heavenly source, and to show us that before He was made flesh He was a spirit being with the Father and a sharer of His glory – a god with the God. But all of the Evan­gelists are clear in their statement that He “was made flesh” – not that he remained a spirit being, and assumed flesh as clothing in which to appear to men, but, however ex­plainable, that the life power of the spirit being, the Logos, became the life power of the human being, born of a woman and under the Law, subject to all the conditions and circumstances of the Jews. Matthew traces Joseph’s genealogy; for although the state­ment is clear that Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nevertheless, being adopted by him as his son, He might, without impropriety, inherit through him. Luke shows the gene­alogy of Mary, by which our Lord was actually related, according to the flesh, to our race and to the royal family of David through the line of Nathan.

The time of our Lord’s birth was an auspicious one in several respects, and very evidently Divine wisdom had exercised itself in respect to the world’s affairs by way of preparation for the important event: (1) the spirit of world-conquering that began with Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was favorable to it, in the sense that it brought the various families or nations of mankind into closer contact with each other, broaden­ing their ideas. (2) This policy had resulted in the transplanting of peoples from one land to another, and thus had made them more cosmopolitan in their sentiments. (3) Israel and Judah, thus transplanted in their captivity to Babylon, became so at­tached to the new conditions that comparatively few of them availed themselves of the offer of Cyrus to return to their own land, only about fifty thousand of all the tribes, out of several millions. The Jews among the Gentiles were by no means lost and had by no means abandoned all of their hopes in the Abrahamic Covenant nor all of their faith­fulness to the Mosaic Law – although they were lax in these matters and too full of love of gain and ease to cultivate the spirit of Israelites indeed. Nevertheless, they had their influence amongst all the nations with whom they dwelt, and were witnesses to the hopes of Israel in the one God and in a coming Messiah, the Son of God, to be the world’s Deliverer. (4) The triumph for a time of the Greek Empire had brought to the civilized world a highly developed literature – the Greek language had reached its zenith, and was the literary language of the civilized world. (5) The Roman Empire had conquered the world and was in the height of its power, and as a result there was a time of universal peace, and hence a more favorable time than any before for the an­nouncement of the Gospel and for the safety of its represent­atives in passing from na­tion to nation. (6) Israel itself had reached probably its highest development, in­tellectually, morally and religiously, and additionally we are told in the Scriptures that “All men were in expectation” of the Messiah’s coming. (Luke 3:15)

The noting of these little incidentals by which Divine providence prepared for our Savior’s birth and for the sending forth of the Gospel message, is strengthening to the faith of the Lord’s people. Realizing God’s care in the past over even the little things, gives a foundation for confidence in His wisdom and provision for the features of His plan which are yet future – the fulfillment of all the exceeding great and precious promises which centered in Him who was born in Bethlehem. And so also a realization of the Divine providence in the larger affairs of the Divine plan stimulates faith also in the Lord’s providences as respects the personal and more private affairs of His people. Let us more and more realize that, as even the smallest inci­dents connected with the birth of our Savior were ordered of the Lord, so also He is both able and willing to order all of the affairs of His spiritual children. Let us reason with the Apostle that, if God loved us while we were yet sinners, so as to make such careful provision for our redemption, much more now that we are no longer rebels, aliens, strangers, foreigners, but have become His sons, fellow-heirs with Christ and all the saints, we may have confidence in His love and in His providential care, that according to His promise all things shall work together for good to them that love Him to the called ones according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

The same decree that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem brought many others of the numerous family of David, and as the inns or hotels of that time were comparatively limited in numbers and in capacity, it is not surprising that the inn proper was full of guests when Joseph and Mary arrived. Indeed, it was rather the custom for many travelers to carry with them their own lodging outfit, and to provide for their own conveniences in the courtyard connected with the inns. And hence the experiences of Joseph and Mary were by no means exceptional. When therefore the Babe Jesus was born, a manger became His most convenient cradle.

The city of Bethlehem still exists, and probably is not so dissimilar to what it was in that day, for in that land customs seem to have changed but little in centuries. A certain grotto is claimed to be the one which nineteen hundred years ago was the stable of the inn, and a certain stone manger is shown which, it is claimed, was the one in which the Babe Jesus was laid. Over this has been erected a Catholic Church, and various ceremonies are continually performed in and about and connected with “the sacred manger.” With such ceremonies we can feel little sympathy, believing them to be rather of the nature of idolatries. To us the center of interest is not the holy ground on which our Savior trod, nor the holy manger in which He lay as a babe, nor His holy mother; yea, though we reverence His flesh, and are deeply interested in all that pertains thereto, especially in all its experiences, from the time of its conse­cration to death at baptism; nevertheless, our greater interest is in our risen Lord, the new creature perfected, the spiritual One, far above manhood, far above angels, principalities and powers and every name that is named – next to the Father, and ex­alted to His right hand of power. The Apostle voices this sentiment well, saying, “Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him (so) no more” – our knowledge of Him as the risen and glorified Lord and Savior thoroughly out­shines all of our interest in His earthly life. (2 Cor. 5:16) And yet His earthly life is interesting and profitable to us, as we have seen and shall see.

Had the people assembled at Bethlehem realized who this was that had come to their city – that He was from the heavenly courts, that He was the Logos made flesh, that He had come to “save His people from their sins” – how gladly they would have wel­comed Him into the inn and have given to His use and comfort its choicest apartment! But they knew Him not, and hence lost this great privilege of ministering to Him. Sim­ilarly, in every city and town where the Lord’s people are (His true saints), there are many who would make them welcome and give them the best at their disposal, did they but recognize them as the messengers of Jesus and of the Heavenly Father; but as the Apostle says, “The world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” (1 John 3:1) The disciple must not expect to be above his Lord, and hence, even when going upon missions of mercy and benevolence and as ambassadors for God, we should expect that the Lord’s providence would furnish for us, not the most palatial conditions, but probably very humble conditions. And when we find it thus we should rejoice that to some extent at least we have experiences which harmonize with those of our Lord.  The Lord’s people will obtain a blessing in proportion as they are prepared to receive all opportunities for God’s service as Divine favors and to appreciate them, no matter how humble the conditions; and it is noteworthy that neither Joseph, nor Mary, nor Jesus, nor the disciples, nor the Evangelist who recorded the incident, offer the slightest complaint or suggestion of dissatisfaction with the arrangements provided by Divine providence. In proportion as they would have felt dissatisfied with the arrangements provided, in that proportion the Divine plans would not have worked for their good.

SHEPHERDS WATCHING BY NIGHT

The vicinity of Bethlehem is a pastoral country, and today is covered with flocks. It was the custom of that time for the shepherds to remain with their flocks by night as a guard against thieves as well as against wild beasts. It was in this vicinity that David (afterward king), when a shepherd-boy protecting his flocks, slew on one oc­casion a lion and at another time a hear. The shepherds as a class were not particu­larly well educated people as respects schools, and yet many of them were thoughtful and thus secured, in their leisure time while watching their flocks, by reflection and by conversation, considerable knowledge, so that they might he termed an intellectual and thinking class of people – their minds being turned more to reflection on large subjects than are the minds of some who are constantly immersed in trade and mechanics. The shepherd whom God honored in making him king of His typical kingdom, was a great poet, and evidently much of his time while shepherding was given to the muse, and one of his most beautiful poems (Psalm 23) represents Jehovah himself as the Shepherd of His people – His flock, for which He cares. It was to men of this thoughtful class, and no doubt men familiar with David’s Psalms, and with the Messianic hopes therein set forth, that the Lord sent the first message respecting His Son made flesh.

The description of the appearance of an angel, and of the fear which the bright­ness of his countenance engendered, is both simple and natural. All mankind more or less feels instinctively a fear of the supernatural, a trepidation at the very thought of being in the presence of the holy angels. And this is proper as well as natural, for all realize their own imperfections through the fall, fearing more or less that the results to themselves would be unfavorable if Divine justice were laid to the line and to the plummet in respect to their affairs. All seem instinctively to realize their need of mercy at the hands of Him with whom we have to do. And so it was with these shepherds; they were affrighted as they beheld the heavenly visitor in their midst; but his message was not one of justice, nor in any sense of condemnation, but of Divine mercy. He soothed them with the words, “Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people.” Can we wonder that joy took the place of fear in their hearts as they heard the gracious words? Surely not. And so it is with all who from that day to the present time have heard this true Gospel mes­sage, not merely with the outward ears, but truly, with the ears of their understanding comprehending and appreciating it.

How false and how sad has been the understanding of this message by many of God’s people as it has echoed to them down the Ages! How few have heard it gladly, appre­ciatively! How remarkable that nearly all of the different churches and their thous­ands of ministers and hundreds of thousands of Sunday School teachers should unite in a complete contradiction of this message of the angels – a contradiction which not only wounds their own sentiments and grieves their own hearts, but which robs our dear Sav­ior’s mission of nine-tenths of its majesty, and thoroughly dishonors and maligns the name of our gracious Heavenly Father by its misrepresentation of the salvation which He has provided in Christ Jesus. Even in our day there are some who have received the true “good tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people,” deny this great Truth: they say, “not all the people – only those people who join with us.”

GOOD VERSUS BAD TIDINGS

Some perhaps may be surprised, and even shocked, at such an arraignment of the message which they and other well-meaning but blinded Christians are delivering in the name of the Gospel – for the word “gospel” signifies by  derivation  glad  or  good  tidings. We are quite ready to believe that the vast majority of those who promulgate the bad tidings of eternal misery, as being the Divine message and sentence to the vast majority of mankind, are wholly unaware of how seriously they misrepresent the Divine character and govern­ment in the message which they carry to men; they misstate the Gospel, not of intention, but of blindness, the very blindness mentioned by the Apos­tle as originating with the great Adversary (2 Cor. 4:4) – the blindness by which he blinds the minds of the vast majority, to hinder them from realizing the glorious light of God’s goodness revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.

O, if we could only get all true Christians to study Luke 2:10, and see the depths of its significance, it would quickly revolutionize the teachings of Christendom! But as our Lord declared, some of the deep things of the Divine plan are hidden from many of the wise and prudent according to the course of this world, and are revealed only to the humble – the babes. Nevertheless, the testimony of God standeth sure, and all whose understandings have been opened and who have been enabled to comprehend some of the lengths and the breadths, and the heights and the depths of God’s love, may rejoice that the ignorance of the world in general on this subject and the opposition of the great Adversary who is blinding them, cannot continue forever, but must soon give place, when the Lord’s due time shall come: when He who died on Calvary for the world’s redemp­tion shall begin His glorious reign by binding that old serpent, the devil, Satan, that he should deceive the nations no more for the thousand years of the Millennial reign. Then all shall see out of obscurity; then all shall discern what at present is the privilege of only the favored few to see, respecting the Divine character and plan ­that the message of the angel was true, every word of it – that the grand results to flow from the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem justified the message sent by the great Jehovah, -- a good message of great joy which eventually shall be to all people – whose enlightenment and blessing shall have no hindrance, no restriction, and as a result all shall come to “an accurate knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:4, Dia.) and to an oppor­tunity of availing themselves of the grace, mercy and peace provided for all in the great salvation secured by Jesus’ ransom-sacrifice. In that glorious reign, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9), in contrast to the present “evil world” when “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” (2 Cor. 4:4)

The angel further explained his great Gospel message, showing its basis, and de­claring that all the good things mentioned should come to pass because the Savior, Messiah, had been born – the one so long looked for in Israel, the promised seed of Abraham in whom not only Israel should be blessed and exalted to honor, dignity and cooperation, but in whom also “all the families of the earth should be blessed.” And let us here remark that the order of presentation used by the heavenly messenger, and evidently Divinely ordered, is the proper presentation of this subject which should be adopted by all who seek to be used of the Lord as His ambassadors. First, there is the grand pronouncement of Divine favor and blessing, that it is a cause for joy, and that ultimately it shall extend to every creature; secondly, there is the specific explanation of how all this is to be accomplished – through a Savior, a Deliverer, who as stated in our text, in order to deliver His people from the wages of sin, death, into eternal life and blessing, must first of all save them from their sins. And we see from other Scriptures that this salvation from our sins signifies not only the payment on our behalf of the penalty for Adamic Sin, but also, subsequently, man’s in­struction in righteousness and lifting out of sin; in which uplift each one is re­quired to cooperate to the extent of his will and ability.

So all teaching of the grace that is to come to mankind should be coupled with the philosophy of the salvation – the Savior made flesh and the flesh devoted or sacrificed for our sins, and the Savior glorified, that in due time after the selection of His Church, He might, with her, according to the Divine plan, establish His Kingdom of righteousness for the uplifting of the world of mankind out of ignorance, superstition and general degradation into which the great Adversary has gotten them into through the fall and through his subsequent blinding and misleading. In this connection it is well to remember that our Lord’s name, Jesus, signifies Jehovah is salvation, and that all who would be of the elect Church must have the spirit of the bridegroom (as well as by faith he covered with the garment of His imputed righteousness); and that His spirit is one of opposition to sin to the extent of self-sacrifice. We also are to “resist unto blood (death) striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:4)

Then the angel gave the shepherds an intimation of the humble conditions under which this great King of earth was born into the world, as a babe, wrapped in swaddling bands and lying in a manger. This was necessary, not only to their identification of Jesus, but necessary also to bring down their thoughts from the great and grand results to its humble beginnings, lest they should be misled in their expectations. And as it is with every part of the Divine plan, so also it should be in respect to all of our proclamations of the same. We are not only to tell of the future glory and greatness and grandeur, but we are to tell also of the present humiliation – not only of our Sav­ior who humbled Himself to take a low estate amongst men, and to die for our sins, but also to point out that the “elect” are called to walk in His footsteps, under similarly humiliating circumstances – to suffer with Him, if they would reign with Him; to die with Him, if they would live with Him.  And thus also the prophets spoke not only of the glory that should follow, but also of the sufferings of Christ (Head and Body) which must precede the glory. (1 Pet. 1:11) The lesson to every one who has ears to hear it is, “No cross, no crown.” Let us, then, humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and rejoice in every step of the humiliation that He may exalt us in due time to share the glories of His Son, our Lord, and to share with Him the grand work of blessing all the families of the earth.

It was a fitting climax that, after the one angel had told the surprised shepherds of the good tidings of great joy for all people and was ready to depart, he should he joined by an angelic host, singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” This was but a reiteration of the Gospel message already de­livered. It declared that the work which should be accomplished by the babe just born, should redound to the highest glory and honor of Jehovah God, His Father. It declared also that through this work to be accomplished by Jesus should come to earth Divine good will and consequently peace, – and all that these would imply in the way of bless­ings of restitution and privilege of attaining everlasting life.

But how much in conflict with all this are the erroneous theories which have gained credence in Christendom, which teach that, notwithstanding the ransom which our Lord Jesus gave, and notwithstanding the turning aside of the original sentence upon our race as the result of the propitiation for our sins accepted by the Father, the vast majority of the human family will nevertheless, to all eternity, be in rebellion against God, and in torture will continually blaspheme His name; – and that without ever having had a full, reasonable opportunity to know the Savior or to accept His salvation. How strange that any should think that such a plan would be glory to God in the highest!

How strange that any should refuse to see the very plain statement of the Scrip­ture that God has provided through Christ that every member of the human family shall have a full opportunity of coming to a knowledge of the truth, and then of relinquish­ing sin and of accepting new life of righteousness under the New Covenant – and that then whoever still refuses and will not submit himself to this righteous arrangement (refuse to rid themselves of the Adamic Death Process – the defilements they had re­maining in their characters from the reign of sin) shall be utterly destroyed from amongst the people (Acts 3:23) – in the Second Death, –that none will be suffered to live in sin and opposition to God to blemish any part of God’s dominions, but that all the incorrigible shall be as though they had not been. In no other way can we pos­sibly imagine that the time will ever come when there will be full peace among men.

The only solution which God offers respecting the establishment of peace is in connection with the establishment of His Kingdom, for which our dear Redeemer taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” That will mean peace in its fullest and most absolute sense. The Scriptural propo­sition does not include the violation of any man’s will, but merely the offering through Christ of any opportunity for the everlasting blessing and peace, or his cutting off in the Second Death if he fails to appreciate the Divine offer. (Acts 3:23) The 35th Chapter of Isaiah is a brief and beautiful description of that glorious Kingdom.

The shepherds having heard of God’s grace manifested their interest by visiting and paying their homage to the Savior; and so each one who has heard of the grace of God with an appreciative heart can do nothing less than seek the Lord and do Him rev­erence and serve His cause by proclaiming the gracious message with which he has been favored. Let us each do so, and thus more and more increase in our hearts our joys and our appreciation of the Gospel – the Good News.

THE GREAT SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP

“The Lord is my Shepherd.” (Psa. 23:1) The thought presented in this text – as in other Scriptures – is that the great Over-Shepherd appointed His Son to be the Under Shepherd of the Sheep, even as the Son has appointed under-shepherds in the Church sub­ject to Him. The great Under-Shepherd does not shepherd goats or wolves. The only ones who are shepherded are the sheep; and special care is taken of the faithful Flock of God. The great Over-Shepherd looks out for the interests of His sheep, provides for them, leads them into green pastures, as the Psalmist tells us. He also protects them from wolves and other ravenous beasts. The Scriptures give us good evidence that orig­inally the Jewish nation constituted this flock, and that King David recognized himself as one of the sheep. Israel was not chosen by the Lord because they were better than the rest of mankind; but God made an exception of the people on account of Father Abra­ham, for whose sake He became the “Shepherd of Israel.” Because of Abraham’s great faith in God and his implicit obedience under the most crucial tests, the Lord promised to make of his seed a peculiar people above all the peoples of the earth.  He promised to bless them, to assume a particular care over their affairs, and eventually to use them in blessing all other nations. So God made the Hebrews His chosen people. And in proportion as they were obedient to His commands, He blessed them; and whenever they went astray, He chastised them and brought them back again under His care. And this is true of spiritual Israel, during the Gospel Age, He chastises the “children of disobedience” (the Measurably Faithful new creatures) and abandons them for a time un­til they are penitent and repent of their willfulness – at which time He brings them back again under His care.

So while the Lord had a care over the affairs of Natural Israel, and still has a care, He has a still more particular care over the affairs of Spiritual Israel. How­ever, as we know, the first privilege of becoming a member of Spiritual Israel was offered to Natural Israel – just as the first privilege of becoming a member of Christ’s children when the New Covenant is inaugurated, will be to Natural Israel – to Israel after the flesh. But all now who are privileged to use these words are the fully faithful of the Faith Age: “Jehovah is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” In this 23rd Psalm there is a distinction between sheep and wolves in the Faith Age, just as there is a difference of sheep and goats during the works Age – during Christ’s Kingdom. God has chosen for the members of this nation those – few in number – who are sheep like in disposition and who desire to come into His Fold. For these He has provided a par­ticular way in which to enter this Fold. He does not have bears in His Fold, nor ti­gers nor wolves nor birds of prey. God does not recognize such; they are not to be fed and cared for as He cares for His sheep.

If, therefore, we would claim the promise of this beautiful Psalm, we must make sure that we are of sheep like disposition and desirous of being led of the True Shep­herd. We are to be careful to note that there is only one Shepherd who is able to care for our interest and who can be safely entrusted with them. A strange shepherd would lead the sheep astray, would lead them into difficulties, dangers and disaster. For this reason we do not trust everybody who wears the garb of a shepherd. There is but one Shepherd that we can trust. He has appointed as the Under-Shepherd the One who died for us, that He might fully deliver all the sheep from the Evil One – the roaring lion who walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Our gracious Savior left the Courts of Glory and came down to earth, and for thirty-three years He traversed with weary feet this vale of tears. He mingled with the poor and lowly; He wept with the sorrowing and the sinful; He had no place to lay His head. He bore the griefs and sickness of those about Him. He did all this to recover us from the bond­age of sin – to deliver us from the death sentence imposed upon Adam and all in his loins. How grateful we should be for such a Shepherd! How can we sufficiently show forth His praise! Truly we can never know this on this side of the veil, “how dark was the night that the Lord passed through,” that He might redeem us to God – and not only His sheep of the Faith Age, but also the sheep of the Millennial Age.

But the sheep of the present Age, who are to be exalted, and are to do a shep­herding work for the sheep of the incoming Age, are given a distinct and peculiar training, to fit them for their future great work. From the time they are accepted to this higher plane, they are dealt with accordingly. This means that they must have certain trials and afflictions, according to the flesh. They represent only a small portion of mankind – those who have special qualities of earnestness, humility and love of righteousness. It is a “narrow way.” But, having come into this Fold of God, we have every reason for confidence in the great Shepherd, and should recognize His constant care over us, His supreme interest in our spiritual welfare. Let us be good sheep! Let us not stray from the Fold, to the right hand or to the left, nor be attracted away from the green pastures and pure waters to go browsing on the thistles and poisonous weeds of some by-path, or to drink of the muddy, polluted waters of hu­man speculation and delusive theories of men. In other words, let us keep the Truth and the Spirit of the Truth even though we travel a very lonely way. The way has in­deed been lonely in this day of “special wrath,” with some of the Lord’s dear people becoming weary of well doing – attracted away from the green pastures, frequently into the ‘fold’ of the measurably faithful under-shepherds.

The basic concepts of the foregoing are from the writings of the fully faithful under-shepherds of the Laodicean period – much of which is verbatim. Since the demise of That Servant, however, the measurably faithful under-shepherds have perverted and distorted the “faith once delivered unto the saints” – especially so in regard to the Messianic blessings “to the Jew first,” those covenant-keeping Jews after the flesh. It will be through natural Israel that “all the families of the earth” will be blessed, even as we have been taught. And for these “good tidings of great joy which shall he unto all people,” we echo the singing of the angelic host – “Glory to God in the high­est, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Our cordial good wishes to all our readers for a Blessed Holiday Season – and may “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

Sincerely your brother,

John  J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in Jesus, name!

Your very interesting publications No. 229 – The Great Commission – and No. 230 ­There Shall Be No More Curse – are received. Thank you very much! I read all your articles, and I’m very much satisfied. Your tracts help me very much, because you have the Scriptures to explain.  With much Christian love,

Your brother ------- (POLAND)

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Dear Brother Hoefle:  Grace and peace in Jesus’ dear Name!

I hope, D.v., this finds you both – also Sisters Dunnagan and Moynelo – quite well. Thank you for the tracts. I enjoy the Epiphany papers and read many of them over again. A few days ago two Jehovah’s Witnesses came by. One was more like the leader. I gave her a Divine Plan of the Ages and she took it. I think she was a little curious. I hope she will read some of it, but most seem so set in their ideas....

The economy has the leaders worried, yet how can prices come down when both labor and capital want all they can get.... But all will work out right in the end.

I am enclosing some things – a letter from Rabbi ------- and also Mr. .------- might read something.  Wishing you all God’s blessing and care through our Lord Jesus –  and with Christian love to all.

Your sister in the Truth ------- (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle:  Grace and peace!

By this time Sister Moynelo should be feeling much better. I sincerely hope so. My Christian love to her.......

You will have attended the LHMM Labor Day Convention by the time you get this. Hope your reception was good – by some anyway...

I had a surprise experience this past week. I was in a hobby shop and overheard part of a telephone conversation. The man was saying, “We are studying Tabernacle Shadows.” When he hung up the phone I told him what I heard him say, and wondered if it was the same book I had read by Pastor Russell. Of course it was and we talked a bit (his wife, too). He lives a few block from my cousin, and he has the T.S. study at his home – 8 attend. They belong to no group, receive no magazines, study Brother Russell only so afraid of error. He had heard very little about Brother Johnson – never heard of Brother Jolly. I shall go up some evening when it’s cool and get better acquainted.

Love and prayers (daily), ------- (FLORIDA)

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Dear Sir:

Will you please not send anymore of your papers to me, as I do not desire them... I don’t like your attitude towards our Dear Brother Jolly in always criticizing him and seeking to discredit him in the eyes of others. You are not showing brotherly love in continuing to do this, so I no longer wish to read your papers. I have no doubt you will find a way to justify yourself in doing this, but it is very unkind and unchristian.

Yours truly ------- (ENGLAND)

NOTE: Yes, any of the Lord’s faithful people who honestly and earnestly “contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints,” and seek to serve “the Lord, the TRUTH and the brethren,” are always able to justify their statements and actions to­ward errorists. Apparently this Sister gives full approval to “dear Brother Jolly’s” slanderous attacks upon us, and his multiplied errors and false statements as exposed in our November 1974 paper No. 233. Does she also ‘approve’ of RGJ’s sins as exposed in Epiphany Vol. 10, and condemn the Epiphany Messenger for being unkind and unChris­tian? The Epiphany Messenger was the recipient of many such letters from sectarian Society brethren for the exposures he presented against J. F. Rutherford’s slanders and scurrilous attacks upon him. This has been true of all the Lord’s people all down the Ages, who have been faithful to the Truth. “Blessed are ye, when men... shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” (Matt. 5:11)

NO. 233: REVIEW OF JULY-AUGUST 1974 PRESENT TRUTH

No. 233

On pp. 59-62 of the above Present Truth we find a number of Questions and Answers in a feeble attempt to rebut our previous refutations of RGJ’s errors on Tentative Justification, and the like. And on p. 61, col. 1, there is this Ques­tion: “Was Cornelius already a ‘truly repentant and believing’ one in Christ as his Savior when the Apostle Peter and six accompanying brethren (Acts 11:12) came to his home at the end of the 70 weeks?” And RGJ’s answer: “The Scriptures show that he was not.”

He then offers numerous citations from Brother Russell to prove his point, although he offers one on p. 61, col. 2, par. 4, to the effect that Cornelius was “a man pre­pared to be a follower of Jesus – a Christian.” We now ask, At what time did Cornel­ius become “prepared to be a Christian”? It will be noted that Peter says not one word about consecration when he came into the home of Cornelius. If Cornelius were not already consecrated, would it not be logical first of all to inform him of that fact, and the obligations that go with it? That Servant teaches that Cornelius, as well as other Gentiles, were consecrated – although the Lord did not accept, or use their consecration, until the 70th week had expired, as we shall subsequently quote in this article.

Let us consider carefully what Peter said to Cornelius. In Acts 10:34-43 he used just 223 words. Of these 128 are words such as “a – an – and – the,” etc. Thus, it would not require rapid speaking to say the whole thing in one minute. Also, in Luke 14:28 Jesus counsels that we “count the cost” before taking such a step. So RGJ is now telling us that Cornelius became “repentant and believing,” and that he “counted the cost,” ALL in about one minute! He says the “Scriptures clearly show” this to him. But the “Scriptures did not “clearly show” this to That Wise and Faithful Servant ­although RGJ’s statements “clearly show” to us that this is just some more of his nonsense.

In Luke 23:47 the centurion (possibly Cornelius) said, “Truly, this man (Jesus) was righteous.” And Acts 10:2, Dia. states that Cornelius was “a pious man, and one fearing God with all his house, doing many charities for the people, and praying to God always.” Further in Acts 10:4: “Thy prayers and thine alms went up as a memorial before God.” Note the Berean Comment on this: “If prayers cannot be answered immediately, they are not forgotten, but are kept as memorials until the right time comes for their answer.” And Cornelius’ right time came when our Lord gave him instructions to send for Peter.

Therefore, with the probable exception of the 81 brethren (whose “names were writ­ten in Heaven”—Luke 10:20; Heb. 12:23), Cornelius was in much the same position as those in the upper room at Pentecost, as That Servant teaches. Those in that room could not receive the Holy Spirit until the “due time” – just as Cornelius could not re­ceive the Holy Spirit until the “due time.” And, in saying this we do not ignore the fact that the Jews as a nation were consecrated to God – “Baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:2-4)

However, knowledge is not the controlling factor here (although they did require some know­ledge), for they all, even the Apostles and the Seventy, were very meager on what a Christian should be. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name; shall teach you of all things which I said to you.” (John 14:26,Dia.). The Berean Comment on this text says: “It was impossible for the Apostles to understand the plan of God until after Pentecost; .. To your remembrance – Enable you to recall and reproduce.” We mention here also Peter’s use of the sword in the Garden that night. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal...” (2 Cor. 10:4) Thus, those in the upper room needed the Holy Spirit to clarify things for them – just as Cornelius needed the Holy Spirit to clarify things for him; and even the Apostle Paul studied for three years to be sure he would know what he was doing.

In a ludicrous attempt to ‘prove’ his contentions, RGJ quotes (p. 61, col. 2, of this PT) from Parousia Vol. 5, p. 214: “Again, when the due time came for the Gospel to be preached to Gentiles, the Lord, in accordance with his choice, sent Peter to do this work, telling Cornelius to send for Peter, and telling Peter to go to Cornelius, and to speak the words of the Gospel to him and his household (accordingly, they had not been spoken to him before).”

The words “accordingly, they had not been spoken to him before” are included in this quotation, as though they are from Brother Russell, whereas, they are inserted by RGJ, and simply his own opinion – an opinion which is categorically contradicted in the next few lines of this same page: “On this occasion Peter used the second key, opening the Gospel door for the Gentiles, God witnessing to the fact by the miraculous manifestations of His Spirit upon Cornelius and the other consecrated believers from among the Gentiles with him.” If Cornelius and the others were consecrated, as Bro. Russell says, they were certainly “truly repentant and believing.” Here again he re­sorts to the same tactics of JFR, who used the same technique of the unprincipled trick­ster; and the Lord rewarded him accordingly.

Also, the truth on the Tabernacle clearly disputes the foregoing contention. Con­secration there is typed by the first vail, and spirit begettal by the condition of the Holy; but no one could get into the Holy without going under the first vail, the first vail typing consecration. As we have often pointed out, RGJ has lost the Truth on some important features of the Tabernacle, but this should not surprise us. He self-admitted­ly is one of those people of whom St. Paul says, “God will send to them an energy of de­lusion.” (2 Thes. 2:11, Dia.) He also admits his sins during Brother Johnson’s lifetime, as recorded against him by the Epiphany Messenger in Epiphany Volume 10. His inclina­tion to “make pictures and draw types from every chapter in the Bible” he also admits and records himself in the Nov. 15, 1910 Watch Tower. This should have served as a warning to him, but, self-evidently, this continues to be one of his “besetting sins,” as he “makes pictures and draws types” to substantiate his “strange fire” (false doctrine) of Campers Consecrated – his perversions of the Tabernacle types, and other related sub­jects. Apparently, his past experiences haven’t profited him very much. It seems he was too busy “making pictures and drawing types” in 1910 to find the time to read the Towers of that time – some of which we shall quote later in this paper.

On p. 62, col. 1, par. 6, he says: “Accordingly, in view of the above consider­ations from the Scriptures and oft-repeated and consistent teaching of Bro. Russell from the time he wrote the Z 1922 statement until 1916 (a statement quoted by us to which RGJ strenuously objects—JJH), it is clear that Cornelius was not already ‘.truly repentant and believing’ in Jesus as Savior when he was visited by Peter and six others at the end of the 70th week. And therefore it is clear also that this errorist’s statement is thoroughly erroneous, ‘Those in the (Epiphany) Camp in the ‘finished picture’ will be in the same relative position as was Cornelius before consecration was acceptable for the Gentiles.’” We shall now prove that RGJ’s ‘foolish,’ as well as false asser­tions, that Brother Russell did not teach in harmony with his Z 1922 statement since that time – until in 1916 – are just some more of his false accusations. Surely, if he were not so befuddled by Azazel he would not present such ridiculous false statements – state­ments that can be so easily proved to be false by numerous statements of That Servant after his writings in Z 1922. On p. 61, col. 2, par. 4, RGJ quotes a small excerpt from Reprint 4344, March 1909, to ‘prove’ his contention that Cornelius was not “repentant and believing” before St. Peter’s visit, but he ‘conveniently’ omitted the following from this same article, which is even more convincing than That Servant’s teaching in Z 1922 – ­that indeed Cornelius was “repentant and believing” before St. Peter’s visit:

“Cornelius had his vision first. He saw in a vision ‘openly,’ not in a dream, an angel of God coming in unto him. He talked with the angel and received the assurance that his prayers and alms of years had now been received of the Lord, because the ‘due time, had come – the end of Israel’s covenanted favor. We may be sure that at the same time the aims and prayers of all other Gentiles ascended up as incense to the Lord. We may be sure that blessings were arranged also for all such, and the Gospel sent to them, though not in so marked a manner as to Cornelius, because the Lord would make of his case a special lesson for the benefit of the Apostles and of all of us who have lived since. In recounting this matter elsewhere Cornelius says that the angel told him to send for St. Peter and gave him the address and added, ‘When he is come, he shall tell thee words, which will be the saving of thyself and house.’” (Reprint 4344, col. 2, par. 4)

Although from the above, it is self-evident that God was dealing with Cornelius before Peter came to him, because his “alms and prayers” which had been kept as a memorial, were now received, nevertheless, we now quote further from this same article:

“Let us note carefully what these words of life were. They were the simple story of the Cross... The essence of the message was that ‘Christ died for our sins, accord­ing to the Scriptures, and rose again for our justification.’ The message continued, and showed how the justified ones were invited to become joint-sacrificers with and thus joint-sharers in Christ’s coming glory. The centurion’s heart had been troubled, there was something in the message that satisfied his longings as nothing else had ever done. He believed in the Redeemer and was thus justified. His consecration to the Lord, of years’ standing, now became intelligent and specific. As his heart went out to the Lord in full acceptance of the Divine terms, in full consecration of his little all to the Divine service, the Lord accepted it, and manifested the acceptance; just as he had done with the consecrated Jewish believers at Pentecost. God having thus recognized Cornelius as a disciple and follower of Christ, a new creature begotten of the Holy Spirit, Peter tells us that he could not believe otherwise than that it was right for him to explain baptism to the centurion, and to give him water immersion, symbolic of the immersion into Christ’s death, which he had already experienced.” (Reprint 4345, col. 1, par. 2 – the same article from which RGJ quoted an excerpt to ‘prove’ Cornelius was not “repentant and believing” before Peter came to him.)

Why did RGJ omit the above in his quotation from this article? Is it possible that he can only see what he wants to see and believe – statements that he believes uphold his contentions? Or can it be that he is so blinded and befuddled by Azazel that he can­not understand clear and convincing statements by That Servant, when they dispute his present-day contentions for his errors? Or does he make such ridiculous statements, and omissions, because he believes his sectarian devotees will swallow anything he pre­sents without question – just as is true of a large majority of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who accept, without question, anything Headquarters presents? If we ourselves had made the statement that we quoted from That Servant in Z 1922, RGJ would have shrieked to High Heaven that we were revolutionizing against Parousia Truth, and ‘lawyer-like,’ twisting the Scriptures – an ‘unfit Truth teacher,’ and a ‘sifting errorist.’

In his desperation to make a case for himself and his “strange fire” (false doc­trine) of Consecrated Campers, he goes from one error to a worse error, and from one ‘foolish’ statement to a more ‘foolish’ statement, and from one false accusation to a worse false accusation against the sifting errorist,’ the ‘unfit Truth teacher,’ etc.”, all because we reproduce the teachings of the Epiphany and Parousia Messengers, and re­sist his revolutionisms of these Truths, as we attack his errors with indisputable Truth from the two Messengers and from Scripture. So we rest in the assurance that as we “continue in what we have learned and been assured of,” the promise is ours: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.” (Luke 21:15) So we are resolved to “watch in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and make full proof of our ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:5)

Just a little reflection here will reveal RGJ’s shallow and irresponsible think­ing on this matter. Cornelius lived in Caesaria, a city on the Mediterranean Sea about 50 miles from Jerusalem and about 25 miles from Joppa, where Peter was staying before he was told to visit Cornelius. Caesaria was then the seat of the Roman governors of Palestine, and also the home of Philip the Evangelist (Acts 8:39); 21:8,9). However, at that time Rome was a pagan country, with its emperors emphatically opposed to Chris­tianity. How then did Cornelius become persuaded to forsake the Pagan Gods of Rome, and accept the true God of Israel? Certainly not by reading Roman literature, or by listening to the Pagan priests of Rome! There was only one way he could have learned about it. Probably he had heard Jesus during His ministry. Also, almost certainly, he would have learned about Jehovah from Philip, his four daughters, and his neighbors, because we may rely upon it that Philip and his daughters would preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” in the city where they lived.

Of course, he had not heard the exact words that Peter spoke in his home; but he certainly had heard enough persuasive speech by others – such as Philip, et al – to convince him that Jehovah was the true God, and that Jesus was His Son – “a righteous man.” Thus, when RGJ says our reasoning on this subject “is another prime evidence that this errorist (meaning JJH) is now unfit to be a Truth teacher,” we would reply that his own irresponsible prattle on this matter should logically go into some comic strip. It is little wonder that Jesus described his kind as a “foolish man who built his house upon the sand.” (Matt. 7:26,27)

RESTITUTIONISTS – “PEACE WITH GOD”

Then on p. 59 RGJ attempts to argue that Restitutionists will have “peace with God” during the Mediatorial reign; and at the top of p. 61 he assails our statement that the “truly repentant and believing” in the finished picture of the Epiphany Camp will be “without any kind of justification.” Well, our statement is simply in har­mony with Brother Johnson’s teaching that, “The tentatively justified, who will not consecrate, lose their tentative justification, i.e., cease to be tentative Levites and are put out of the Court” (into RGJ’s Camp with his Consecrated Campers—JJH). had when this occurs, they cease entirely to be of the Household of Faith.” RGJ may now resort to some more of JFR’s technique and say “Brother Johnson changed his mind about this,” or contend the same as he has about Cornelius regarding what That Servant gave in Z 1922 – that Brother Johnson “consistently taught otherwise in all his subsequent writings up to 1950.”

RGJ contends his Campers are of the Household of Faith in the Camp – but, be it noted, he discovered this Truth (?) for the first time AFTER the demise of the Epiphany Messenger. At least no one heard him teach Campers Consecrated prior to 1950 – nor did we hear him teach that the Household of Faith would be in the Camp after 1950. We, how­ever, continue to uphold and defend the teaching of the two Messengers on the Tabernacle types for the Gospel Age up to 1914, for the Epiphany, for the “finished picture” of the Epiphany, and for the Mediatorial reign. The Epiphany Messenger never changed his teaching on The Fourfold Tabernacle Picture as given in the January 1940 Present Truth. On p. 13 of that Present Truth he states that “the camp in the finished picture repre­sents the formerly faith-justified ones who hold to the Ransom and practice righteous­ness, and converted Israel.” Of course, he at times referred to the Tentatively Justi­fied in the Camp, just as we often refer to a former Judge as Judge “so-and-so” – and as our Lord is called “the Son of Man” (Acts 7:56) at a time when He was immortal and the “glorified Son of God” – after His office as “the Son of man” was finished at the cross.

Since the “finished picture” of the Epiphany, according to RGJ, is now 20 years gone, it would seem that the “finished picture” will be longer than the Epiphany proper. All opportunity for consecrations under the High Calling ceased in 1914 – and, if we accept the Epiphany Messenger’s teaching, all consecrations acceptable to God, while sin and evil are in the ascendancy, will cease at the beginning of the “finished picture” of the Epiphany. However, just as Cornelius’ prayers and alms were held in memorial until the “due time” for God’s acceptance, the Campers alms and prayers will also he held in memor­ial for them until their “due time.” But the difference in the memorials held for the Gentiles and the Campers now is this: Cornelius made his consecration to God, while the Campers will make their consecrations to the Christ, when the New Covenant is inaugurated.

A little reflection will demonstrate the Truth on Tentative Justification: In 2 Cor. 6:1 St. Paul says, “We beseech you that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain.” Thus, we ask, Just what is this “Grace of God”? Is it not tentative justification? And, if they lose this “Grace of God” (their justification), just what is then left of them so far as their standing before God is concerned during the Faith Age, when sin and evil are in the ascendancy? Surely no one will dispute the fact that “sin and evil are in the ascendancy.” If RGJ wants to contend that his Campers are consecrated, thus have not received the Grace of God in vain, we ask him for some support from the Scrip­tures and from the writings of the two Messengers, other than his own imagination, to prove consecration is available in the Camp in the “finished picture” of the Epiphany ­and acceptable to God.

In Rom. 5:1, Dia., there is this: “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom, also we have been introduced into this favor in which we stand.” Note that “this favor” is the result of faith. And note the following from E-11:169, bottom: “When this Age ends Christ’s merit will cease to be an imputable thing.” Brother Johnson tells us in E-6:195, bottom, that the “finished pic­ture” contains those who are less than tentatively justified. And That Servant says in Question Book, p. 312: “At the close of this Age there will he no Tentative Justifica­tion.” And in E-15:261, par. 1, there is this: “Let us see the condition of justifica­tion that will prevail during the Millennial Age. During that Age there will be neither a tentative nor a vitalized justification, since both of these kinds of justification operate on the basis of the imputed ransom merit, as distinct from the applied ransom merit; and the Millennium will have no imputed, but applied ransom merit operating.”

But RGJ would have us believe that Brother Johnson changed his mind about Tentative .Justification, just as JFR contended That Servant changed his mind on Tentative Justifi­cation. Of course, the formerly faith-justified who retain the character qualities they developed when their faith-justification was operative, can be referred to as faith-­justified, as is often done of a Judge, Senator, etc., whose offices as such had expired. When one refers to him as Judge, after the tenure of his office had expired, that does not make his office as Judge operative, anymore than it makes the faith of the formerly faith-justified operative in the Camp after their ejection from the Court. Whether we refer to them as the tentatively justified or the faith-justified when in the Camp, that doesn’t make faith-justification, with all its privileges of consecrating, accept­able to God, as it was when they were in the Court.

RGJ proof-read the above statement in E-15, and this book was published in 1950. It now seems he was as careless with his proof-reading as he is with his statement that Brother Russell made one mistake in his earlier writing (namely, Jan. 1896, Reprint 1922), but consistently taught that Cornelius WAS NOT “repentant and believing” before Peter came to him, in all his general teaching from Jan. 1896 until 1916.

Also, from that same E-15, published in 1950, proof-read by RGJ, there is this:

“The Millennial justification will require the entire Millennium to complete, because it will be an actual as distinct from the reckoned justification of the Gospel Age. (But RGJ claims that the Restitutionists will have a tentative works justification, as distinct from the actual justification—JJH) And the conditions on which it will be bestowed will be faith and obedience unto perfection.” (p. 261) Does RGJ contend that “tentative” justification is NOT an imputable thing in the Mediatorial reign for his tentative works justification? And further: “They will have to obey the Millennial teachings and arrangements completely to gain justification in completeness... The result will be that they will be completely justified by works at the end of that Age. In a word, faith is the justifying instrumentality and thus the condition of justifica­tion of this Age, while obedience will be the justifying instrumentality and thus the condition of justification in the next Age.” (E-15:262, bottom and p. 263, top)

But RGJ sets aside the above Epiphany Truth, as he revolutionizes against both Parousia and Epiphany Truth on Tentative Justification, and heedlessly and wantonly con­tends for his perversions of the Camp and the Court. His loss of the “spirit of under­standing” on these Truths is as apparent as his confusion on what Brother Russell taught regarding Cornelius being “repentant and believing” prior to Peter’s visit. As Brother Johnson has aptly said, such crown-losers, while in the clutches of Azazel, not only cannot receive advancing Truth, but they lose the understanding of many vital Truths they once received and believed. And this seems to be RGJ’s trouble, as he makes one ‘foolish’ assertion after another – assertions that can be easily refuted by any one who takes the time to familiarize himself with the Scriptures, and with the writings of the Messengers.

We now quote from E-8:532: “Both tentative justification and vitalized justifica­tion are acts performed in heaven (Heb. 9:24). While the passage just cited strictly speaking, refers to vitalized and not to tentative justification, it teaches that in heaven is the place where justification is performed; and it therefore implies that there is where tentative justification is performed.” And on p. 548 of this same book: “The Youthful Worthies, accordingly, are of the tentative firstborn now, as they and the Ancient Worthies will also be such during the next Age.” The Worthies are Levites during the Epiphany, and are distinctly separated from the world of mankind; and so they will be in the next Age – they will be Levites and not counted in with the world of mankind, the Restitutionists, even though they are recipients of the New Covenant blessings.

Brother Johnson said in E-10:392 that JFR prevented many, by his perversions of various Truth teachings and arrangements, from entering into the justified state; and we believe the same is true of RGJ as he perverts “various Truth teachings and arrange­ments,” particularly as he upholds and defends his non-existent class of Campers conse­crated. The LHMM and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are unique in manufacturing such false doctrine – unique in the fact that no other groups emanating from the Harvest Truth have invented such classes. These two classes – Campers Consecrated and the Jonadabs, or “great crowd” – are indeed twins.

As we have previously stated, in this Age there can be no acceptable consecration without first having tentative justification – while the Restitutionists’ justifica­tion is actual, and gradual, which they cannot receive, even anticipatorally, until they are consecrated. There is a marked difference in consecration “unto death” dur­ing the Faith Age, when sin and evil are in the ascendancy, and consecration “unto life” under the Kingdom reign. In the Kingdom all who have pure hearts will receive actual and complete justification at the end of the Millennium – and all of this “profusion of words” by RGJ is just a desperate attempt to gloss over his contention that tentative justification will continue all during the Mediatorial reign. In view of our pulveriz­ing refutations of that error, he is now forced to modify it by saying it will be a ‘tentative’ works justification. And when RGJ says the Jews will then be tentatively justified, he is simply indulging in some more of his nonsense! There will be no tenta­tive justification in the Millennium, just as the Epiphany Messenger teaches – no tentative faith justification: The only kind of justification operating during the King­dom will he actual justification, which will he gradual, and will not be completed until the end of the Millennium when they are perfected in mind, body and in heart.

Once more we raise the question: Just what is Tentative Justification in this Faith Age? It is nothing more nor less than reckoned Restitution, reckoned perfection. Thus, there cannot possibly he Tentative Justification in the next Age; otherwise there would he no need for a Mediator. If RGJ’s contention that Restitutionists will have “peace with God” under a ‘tentative’ works justification is true, they would of neces­sity have a ‘reckoned’ actual justification (reckoned perfection). Such a condition would eliminate the need for a Mediatorial reign, because “peace with God” would mean that God would he dealing with them. However, they would need an Advocate before they reach actual perfection, just as those of the Faith Age need an Advocate. So in­stead of speaking of a Mediatorial reign, we should speak of the Millennial reign of the Advocate. If we keep this thought clearly in mind, we shall have no problem at all in giving RGJ’s errors their proper rating.

Such symbolic witchcraft (especially deceptive false doctrine) is abhorrent to God, and “God’s people by pertinent refutations are not to allow false-teaching churches, which practice symbolic witchcraft by erroneous teaching as Satan’s mouthpieces (2 Kings 9:22; Rev. 2:20-23), to go unrefuted, but are zealously to refute their symbolic witch­crafts (not suffer a witch to live, v. 18).” (E-11:388)

“REPENTANT AND BELIEVING”

Let us consider now “repentant and believing.” Repentance has two parts: one as to sin (which the repentant one forsakes and abhors), and one as to righteousness (which the repentant one embraces and champions). Thus, repentance is the first great step toward justification, the next step being faith – the combination of these two produc­ing justification by faith. During this Faith Age this produces “peace with God.” We emphasize, however, that faith is the dominating factor during this Age; but, while some faith will he necessary during the next Age, the real justifying instrument then will be works. Justification by faith will not be possible during the next Age. There­fore, none can obtain “Peace with God” by faith in the next Age, as is done in this Faith Age. And, since God does not accept imperfect works, the Restitutionists cannot have “peace with God” until their works are perfect. That is why a Mediator will then he nec­essary – the same being a go-between for parties who are at enmity with each other. The justification by faith in this Age is an instantaneous thing directly from God; justi­fication by works in the next Age will be a gradual thing obtained through the benevolent offices of the Mediator.

And, when RGJ tries to inject the peace offerings into this discussion, he demon­strates once more his ever-increasing loss of the “spirit of understanding” (Matthew 25:1-10 – See Berean Comments), as he continues in his revolutions and perversions of the Truth he once received, believed and taught – which is self-evident to all those who retain the “spirit of understanding” they received when they came into Present Truth. The peace offering then will he offered to the World’s High Priest, and not directly to God: “And for that reason during the Millennium God will put the race into the hands of the Mediator and will not deal with them at all.” (E-15:332) And further on p. 332: “These peace offerings include the vows that the world will make in connection with their consecration.... Jesus will direct all of the work of the Under priesthood as the World’s High Priest ministers the people’s peace offerings, their meat and drink offerings and their trespass offerings.”

The peace offerings of the Restitutionists will be in fulfillment of a vow, or a thank-offering, as That Servant tells us in Tabernacle Shadows, p. 98: “This offering was to be of the herd or flock; and it could be made either in fulfillment of a vow (covenant), or a willing ‘thank-offering.’” “But notice the difference between the treatment of such sin-offerings and the sin-offerings of the ‘Day of Atonement’ (the Gospel Age—JJH). The latter were offered to God (Justice) in the ‘Most Holy,’ as ‘the better sacrifices’; the former were offered to the priests, who, during the Atonement Day (Gospel Age—JJH) had purchased the people. The acknowledgment of the people will be made to their Redeemer. The Priest, indeed, took and offered to the Lord a portion of the offering, as a ‘memorial,’ as a recognition that the whole plan of redemption as executed on the Atonement Day (Gospel Age) was the heavenly Father’s, but appropriated to himself the remainder as his portion – by eating it.... The offerings of the Atone­ment Day (Gospel Age—JJH), as we have seen were always burned (Lev. 6:30; Heb. 13:11), but the later trespass-offerings, offered after the Day of Atonement (Gospel Age—JJH), were not burned, but eaten (appropriated) by the priests.” (Tabernacle Shadows, pp. 99, 100)

More from That Servant: “It can readily be seen that the world thus under the Mediator during the Millennium will need no Advocate, because they will have no deal­ings with the Father, but merely with Christ, the Mediator.” (Reprint 4584, col. 2 March 15, 1910) Also, “The Heavenly Father has assumed no responsibilities for the race; He is not dealing with the race; He does not even propose to do the judging of them, to see whether or not they shall attain to worthiness of eternal life; on the contrary, we are assured that He has committed the whole matter to the Son.” (Parousia Vol. 5, p. 470, bottom, p. 471, top)

And, if God will not deal with them at all, just how can they be said to have “peace with God”? Only those confused and befuddled with “strong delusions” could come up with such nonsense. (See 2 Thes. 2:11-12 and Berean Comments) We can pro­duce many more statements from That Servant stating that “God will have no dealings whatever with Restitutionists until the end of the Millennium,” statements with which RGJ was at one time in harmony – but we believe what we have given herein will be suf­­ficient for now. Whether he is so confused now on Tentative Justification and “peace with God” during the Mediatorial reign, that he cannot understand these clear statements from That Servant, just as ­he is over Cornelius not being “repentant and believing” when St. Peter came to him, ­remains to be seen. But it is our fond hope that these clear statements from That Servant will give him “repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” (2 Tim. 2:26)

That Servant says that, “Any one may offer homage to God, bow the knee or express thanks and appreciation.” (Reprint 5379, Jan. 1, 1914) Even the thanks and apprecia­tion offered to God by good worldlings today will inure to their blessing in the King­dom – but that does not gain them “peace with God.” If Restitutionists desire to thank God during the Mediatorial reign, they may do so – but that will not give them “peace with God,” even though such an attitude will eventually lead to “peace with God” at the end of the Millennium. Even though the Christ will receive and appropriate the “peace-offerings” of the people, their thanks to God will be held in memorial for them until their due time for “peace with God” – just as was true of Cornelius before the 70th week had expired.

As we have said, we could multiply quotations from That Servant and the Epiphany Messenger that clearly dispute RGJ’s contentions and refute his errors on tentative justification, the Camp and the Court, etc., without further comment from us – but we believe what we have presented herein is all-sufficient to pulverize all his errors as given in his “Questions and Answers” in the Present Truth under review.

“By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting.” (Psa. 41:11-13) And may the Lord add His blessing!

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

NO. 232: IN MEMORIAM

No. 232

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

Comes again the time of year that we are vividly reminded of the demise of the Parousia and Epiphany Messengers; and it is our fond hope that our readers will ob­tain some good information and uplift from what we now present.

Up to his death on October 31, 1916, almost every one in “present truth” was fully persuaded that Brother Russell was “that servant” of Matt. 24:46; and quite a few still hold that opinion – among whom we include ourselves. During the Dark Ages the doctrine of “restitution” (Acts 3:19-21) had become completely lost; and this lapse injected utter confusion into the Christian fraternity. Without under­standing restitution, it was impossible to produce any harmonious understanding of the general Bible structure; the “plan of the Ages” (Eph. 3:11, Dia.) was a meaning­less expression. The woman having ten pieces of silver of Luke 15:8 corroborates the fact that the doctrine of restitution was lost. (See Berean Comments on Luke 15:8,9)

This problem gave extreme difficulty to That Servant, so much so that he on a certain occasion betook himself to three days of intense prayer and study, at the end of which he was rewarded with a clear understanding of the Atonement Day sacrifices as they are outlined in the 16th Chapter of Leviticus. This enlightenment caused him to realize that God was during this Gospel Age merely laying the foundation for the full atonement of the entire human race with Himself “in due time” – the delay being caused by God now taking from among the Gentiles “a people for His name” (Acts 15:14), the same to be associated with His Son Jesus as His Heavenly Bride to give the human family a rebirth under a “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13) – in direct contrast to the degradation now prevailing in “this present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4)

However, the radical revelation of this understanding actually frightened him; it was actually difficult for him to believe this Scripture which seemed so logical, and with which he could find no fault. He needed to be doubly persuaded that it was actually the truth, so instead of broadcasting his findings immediately, or telling the general household of Faith about it, he summoned leading brethren to discuss this revelation – which he and they did during a period of eight days. When none of them could find any flaws in the picture, he eventually wrote a small book called Taber­nacle Shadows, which some of his ardent admirers have characterized as the biggest “little book” that has ever been written. No one with a clear understanding of that book will ever be confused on the “plan of the ages.”

THE PAROUSIA ELEAZAR

Eleazar was Aaron’s eldest son, and in line to become high priest in Israel at his father’s death.    But while serving as underpriest with his father, he was given very prominent service, as can be seen from Num. 4:16: “And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.” From certain standpoints the Tabernacle typifies the Gospel-Age Church. Therefore, those people who officiated in connection with it would also typify certain people in the Gospel Age. Considering the sweeping powers that Eleazar possessed – “the oversight of all the tabernacle” – it puts no strain upon the imagination to recognize that he typified the twelve Apostles at the First Advent. “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” (Matt. 16:19)

Similar language is used concerning Brother Russell: “Shall make him ruler over all His goods.” (Matt. 24:47) And in Luke 12:42: “That faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over His household, to give them their portion of meat in due season.” From this we do not wish to convey the thought that Brother Russell was infallible, or spoke by inspiration, as did the Apostles; but it is a self–evident fact that his power over the Harvest work and the Harvest Church was well nigh absolute. in course of time he recognized this; he appointed and dismissed Pilgrims as his judg­ment dictated; he was final authority on all Bible House matters, and made all appoint­ments of brethren to important executive positions. And being fully aware of this, he attempted to arrange things in such a manner that after his death would prevent any other individual from “stepping into his shoes,” as it were, by appointing an editorial commit­tee of seven brethren to supervise the Watch Tower publication. Those familiar with the situation know that his wishes were speedily ignored; in little more than a year, J. F. Rutherford had already enthroned himself “in Moses’ seat.”

However, it is not our wish to offer detail on the above statement; rather, we shall treat of the Gospel Harvest Eleazar from the standpoint of the type. In Numbers 4:16 seven executive and teaching functions are set forth, of which the first “pertain­eth to the oil for the light” – the lampstand. Among other things, oil represents the spirit of understanding (Matt. 25:3 – “the spirit of the Truth”––Berean Comment).  For Eleazar, therefore, to have charge of the oil for the lampstand would typify the privi­lege Brother Russell had of understanding the Truth as Pastor and Teacher – not only for himself, but also for the brethren as enlighteners of one another, as he conveyed his Biblical interpretations to them, giving them helps to learn and to teach the Truth. He did this orally and in writing. He gave clear and specific instructions for organ­izing classes, and for organizing distribution of the Truth literature to the general public.

Eleazar’s second duty had to do with “the sweet incense.” The unburnt sweet in­cense represented the actually perfect choice human powers of Jesus and the reckonedly perfect choice human powers of the Church – “much incense with the prayers of all saints” (Rev. 8:3,4). Brother Russell offered deep and truthful detail on such activ­ities of Jesus from Jordan to Calvary; and on the Church in general in their earthly pilgrimage all during the Gospel Age. As to the Church of his day, he acted directly both as the teacher and executive with respect to the sweet incense. He clearly ex­plained justification by faith through Jesus’ merit, which justification once fully ob­tained enabled such brethren to make their own offering of “the sweet incense” accord­ing to the providential circumstances of each one. We have been told that on one oc­casion, when Brother Russell was visiting a city, that a brother asked him to give his talk that morning on justification – which he proceeded to do, giving lucid analysis of the subject for an entire hour.

Thirdly, Eleazar had charge of “the daily meat offering,” – or, more properly, the meal offering.    When the drink offering is not mentioned (and it is omitted in Num. 4:16) it is understood as being included in the meal offering. This offering represents that part of the sacrifice with which the offerer occupies himself – such as setting forth the Truth – lecturing and preaching on the Truth by Pilgrims, Auxil­iary Pilgrims, elders, colporteurs and unofficial persons of lesser ability. It also included oral conversation in testimony of the Truth, serving in the Photo–drama work, serving as laborers of the Bible House and Bethel, doing office and home work in con­nection with spread of the Truth, and encouraging and supporting others in these vari­ous workers orally, with the printed page, by lectures, sermons, question meetings, conversation and letter writing. As executive he discharged this phase of  his  office by arranging for the various forms of service mentioned herein for spreading the Truth, as well as appointing specific persons to their pertinent positions – pilgrims, col­porteurs, department supervisors, etc., at Bethel and the Bible House. The fulfilled facts attest that he exercised his authority in all of these features.

Fourthly, Eleazar had the care of the anointing oil. This oil types the Holy Spirit from the standpoint of its qualifying the elect Church to serve each other. The ingredients of this oil are succinctly stated in Isa. 11:2, the contents of which may be stated thusly: the qualities of wisdom, justice, love and power each developed individually, developed in balance with others, with all of them controlling all our other qualities (2 Pet. 1:5-8), thus qualifying the various members of the Church for the “work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12) – to the extent of their ability and providen­tial circumstances.

As antitypical Eleazar of the Gospel Harvest his charge as teacher was to instruct the Church as to the nature of the anointing, of the anointed class, of their duties, privileges in knowledge, service, development, endurance as “good soldiers,” etc. This he did in great detail in the Volumes, the Towers, and by his oral ministry. Es­pecially did he stress the development of the graces, the quickening, development, and balancing of the Holy Spirit. It logically followed that he would appoint qualified persons to the respective forms of service – pilgrims, colporteurs, photo–drama workers, Bible House and Bethel personnel, managers of the foreign branches and newspaper work­ers. Inasmuch as the great majority of classes had elected him as their pastor, he had supervisory capacity in their affairs – sometimes acting directly and sometimes indirectly in electing or unseating the officers of those classes – endorsing those qualified, and rejecting those he considered unqualified. All of this he did in efficient and im­pressive manner.

Fifth, Eleazar had charge of the Tabernacle itself – the whole structure, while it was standing, was under his supervision. The tabernacle proper in its Holy types the Church in its earthly ministry, and in the Most Holy in its heavenly inheritance. The humanity of such is typed in the Court, specifically with respect to the brazen altar. This typed the Harvest’s Eleazar’s capacity as Pastor and Teacher, with executive super­vision of the Church during the reaping and gleaning time – up to the time of his death. He also had similar authority over the antitypical Court, which contained the tentative­ly justified. Thus, he was the eye, hand and mouth of Jesus during his entire office as That Servant. While it is true that he did not produce all the advancing Truth dur­ing his ministry, he did produce much more of it than any other person. And, in that which others saw, they were obligated to secure his approval of it before he presented it to the general Church through the Towers. His authority in this respect was also well-­nigh absolute.

Sixth, he had full charge of the holy furniture in the Holy and the Most Holy – “the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is.” ­This would include the two altars, the laver, the lampstand, the table and the ark, all of which was in charge of antitypical Eleazar. The antitypical brazen altar in the Court represented the Church’s humanity in sacrifice; and Brother Russell gave great detail concerning this – the privileges of the brethren in using their human all whenever and wherever op­portunity afforded. This he did orally and in writing, and by his “example of the believers.” (1 Tim. 4:12) Thus he encouraged and directed the general Church as a “good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Tim. 2:3)

His teaching charge to the Church concerning the golden altar in the Holy had to do with encouraging, comforting, strengthening, correcting, warning, and restraining the sacrificing and suffering Church – which he did by explaining, proving, and illus­trating the privileges of the Church toward one another. His executive charge toward the Church was accomplished by his encouraging and directing the Church in such work.

As our readers know, the laver in the Court types the Bible – the base the Old Testament, and the upper part containing the water the New Testament, the upper part built upon and growing out of the lower part. The water in the upper part types the cleansing features of Bible truths. The Harvest Eleazar’s executive charge of the antitypical laver means that the Bible was placed in his care – to preserve it, to com­mend it, and make it influential in its use for its Divinely intended purpose of fur­nishing the proper doctrinal, refutative, correctional and ethical teachings, and to direct the use of pertinent Scriptures to his purpose. (2 Tim. 3:15-17) His teaching charge of the antitypical Laver implied that he was to declare the doctrine of the Scripture, as well as its teachings in doctrinal, refutational, correctional and ethi­cal respects. Certainly those of us who are familiar with his work know that he har­monized the Bible in a manner equaled by none other since the days of the Apostles.

Here we may properly apply this statement to an error that has circulated among some of the Lord’s people to the effect that there are other books – Pseudepigraphs, like the book of Enoch, the Old Testament Apocrypha, etc. – that are inspired writ­ings; thus, a part of the Bible. If they were, Brother Russell would have accepted them as a part of the Bible; and he would wisely and faithfully have shown his teach­ing and executive functions toward them. But he resolutely rejected them; and it is not difficult for any one who reads them carefully to note their inferiority when com­pared with the 66 genuine books of the Bible.

The lampstand represents the Church as enlighteners of each other; it teaches them the Truth.  Brother Russell acted out his office as teacher with respect to the antitypical lampstand in that he explained the nature, the character, privileges, du­ties, etc., of the Church as enlighteners of each other, and how to go about this good work. He also encouraged them to enlighten each other by providing the means whereby they could do this, and the best method to use in doing it. The table of shewbread types the Church in its capacity of strengthening its members with the bread of life unto every good word and work; especially so, with respect to the Sarah features of the Abrahamic Covenant, this being the promises that mother the Church in its earthly pilgrimage toward the Heavenly Canaan, their entrance into the Most Holy when their work on earth is finished. Having charge of this table and bread means he taught the brethren the best means of strengthening each other to “fight the good fight,” and to gain eternal life. He also arranged for conventions and organized meetings in the var­ious classes for this purpose.

Much more could he said about the foregoing, but we would not wish our readers to conclude that we be overmuch given to ‘angel worship.’ However, we consider it perti­nent to stress here that certain members of the Gospel-Age Church occupied positions which could apply to them alone. For instance, there were twelve Apostles, and only twelve; thus, they had no successors, as some of the sects contend. Prominent among such is the Roman Catholic Church. And with Brother Russell it may be stated with equal emphasis that his office as That Servant and as the Steward was unique to him alone; and the words which Jesus spoke concerning Himself may well be repeated for him: “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” (Jn. 17:4) Therefore, he had no successor; he supervised with full authority and finished the reaping feature of the Gospel-Age Har­vest, which provided everlasting tribute to him as antitypical Eleazar here in the end of the Age. We would qualify this, however, by noting that God did provide other faithful “stars” after the Apostles died; and continued to do this all during the Age, as He also did after the demise of antitypical Eleazar.

SOME SECULAR TESTIMONY

It has just recently come to our attention that one authority offers the follow­ing comment: “RUSSELL, CHARLES TAZE, popularly called Pastor Russell (b. Feb. 16, 1852, Pittsburgh, Pa. – d. Oct. 31, 1916, Pampa, Texas), founder of the International Bible Students Association, forerunner of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of Presbyterian and Congregational background, Russell renounced the creeds of orthodox Christian denominations and in 1872 organized an independent Bible study class in Pittsburgh. From 1877 he preached that Christ’s second advent would be invisible, that the end of the Gentile times would come in 1914, followed by war between capital­ism and communist or socialism, after which God’s Kingdom by Christ would rule the whole earth. Russell (who was never ordained) dedicated his life and his consider­able fortune to preaching Christ’s Millennial reign. In 1879 he started a Bible jour­nal later called the Watchtower, and in 1884 founded the Watchtower Bible & Tract So­ciety, which became a flourishing publishing business. His own books and booklets (notably six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures) reached a circulation of 16,000,000 copies in 35 languages, and 2,000 newspapers published his weekly sermons.”

By way of comparison and marked contrast, this same publication says this regard­ing JFR: “RUTHERFORD, JOSEPH FRANKLIN, nicknamed Judge (1869–1942), religious leader and author, president of Jehovah’s Witnesses (also called the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society), 1916-42.”

The above statement concerning Brother Russell is so strikingly accurate that it sounds as though he himself had written it. From a purely secular standpoint, we would say it is an excellent testimonial; and, as more of his prophetic interpretations are fulfilled, we are fully persuaded that even better tributes will be forthcoming from similar writers. As Brother Johnson has so aptly written of him, Brother Russell will yet appear in the records of men as one of the greatest of reformers and Biblical logi­cians.

The same publication states further of “Joseph Franklin Rutherford that he was a lawyer who had been closely associated with Russell since about 1910. But he possessed little of the personal magic that Russell had wielded with such success, and, in addi­tion, challenged some of Russell’s views......... A number of small schisms resulted, but Rutherford eventually was successful in organizing the work of the Society so that the transition to his successor in 1942 was made without difficulty. Almost nothing is known about the life of J. F. Rutherford. He shunned publicity and toward the end of his life met with members of the Society only at their annual conventions. Russell had written a good deal, and his seven–volume (? ––JJH) Studies in the Scriptures was widely sold; but it was under Rutherford that the Society work took on its present character of a publishing house rather than a church. Rutherford claimed to have writ­ten 99 books and pamphlets, which appeared in more than 300,000,000 copies.”

When the above publication states that Rutherford “challenged some of Russell’s views,” it is making a major understatement; and the same may be said about the “num­ber of small schisms that resulted.” Those of us familiar with the truth on the sub­ject know that Rutherford challenged the majority of important doctrines in the truth structure taught by Brother Russell, so that at this time there is little resemblance between the teachings of the two men.

The publication states further that Jehovah’s Witnesses, along with Christian Science and Mormonism, constitute the three largest and most significant variants of the 19th-century American Protestantism. The Witnesses now have in excess of 1,000,000 in their world membership. However, when we consider that Rutherford is catalogued in the same group with Brigham Young and Mary Baker Eddy it presents some considerable light on why he “possessed little of the personal magic that Russell had wielded with such success.” We have been told that Rutherford on one occasion went to a woman photographer, one who had made photographs of Brother Russell, to have a photograph made of himself. When he was shown the finished product he remarked that his picture was not as impressive as that of Brother Russell; the woman answered, “That’s because the man isn’t there.”

Just one more quotation from the article: “The Witnesses believe that the King­dom of God began in 1914. Apparently they expected (as did the Millerite Adventists in 1844) some historical and worldly event to take place at that time, but have since taken the position that in 1914 Jehovah inaugurated the Kingdom in a manner apprehensible only to a believer.” Yes, this last clause is emphatically true; and it is just the extreme opposite of the teaching of Brother Russell, who based his belief upon the true gospel of Jesus, St. Paul and others: “God desires all men to be saved, and to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth... Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all” (not just for those who become members of the Witnesses’ sect)––l Tim. 2:4-6, Dia.

In keeping with this, Brother Russell also stressed the words of Isa. 35:5-10: “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped (those that are now unable to “hear” and understand the Truth)... wayfaring men, though fools , shall not err therein... and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Instead of “sorrow and sighing” diminishing and disappearing, it has been pyramided out  of all proportion to what was the case prior to 1914. And being in full accord with his clear and sober interpretation of this Scripture, we can enthusiastically exclaim, God bless his memory!

ANOTHER SECULAR EXPRESSION

Last Spring an item was brought to our attention that appeared in the Sunday feature section of a prominent Florida newspaper – the same written by a professor of one of the nation’s outstanding universities. Some of his contentions were so distorted that we were moved to write him the following letter:

My dear Professor: Christian greetings!

The general content of your “Poster Evangelism” treatise in the March 10 paper is read with considerable appreciation – very well written, I would say.

However, some of your statements regarding Russellism are very much askew; and I am persuaded that a man of your erudition and candor would not intentionally put false statements into your writings. For instance, you say “Russellism employed the sure–fire device of prophesying the imminent arrival of Christ (MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE).” At no time did Pastor Russell ever preach “the imminent arrival of Christ,” or use words that would convey such an impression. He did, however, offer elaborate and consummate analysis of such texts as Matt. 24:3: “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” He contended that this was a very poor and misleading translation (the King James translation is replete with such mistakes).  Present-day Greek scholars give it this way: “What shall be the sign of Thy presence, and of the consummation of the Age?” The word world in the text is from the Greek “aion,” and it means Age or Dispensation.

Furthermore, the “Millions Now Living” idea was never even mentioned during Pastor Russell’s life. He died October 31, 1916; was succeeded in the Presidency of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society by J. F. Rutherford, who invented the “Millions” idea; and time has clearly proven that it was simply an odious vagary – hallucination with no foundation in fact or prophecy.

You also say Pastor Russell wrote seven volumes; whereas, he wrote only six vol­umes of Studies In The Scriptures. The seventh one – The Finished Mystery – is also a figment of Rutherford’s mind. He audaciously declared that it was the “posthumous work” of Charles T. Russell – and the book does contain many quotations from his writ­ings; but the errors injected into it by Judge Rutherford and his assistants offer in­sult to the clear and sober statements of Pastor Russell.

In Luke 21:24 Jesus said, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Some thirty years before 1914 Pastor Rus­sell did forecast that the times of the Gentiles would end in 1914, the evidence of which would be a great world war. Even as late as 1913 he was scornfully ridiculed by his critics; but time has clearly proven that he was right, and they were wrong; the war came as predicted – almost to the day.

As a general statement, the Russellites were “moderately educated,” as you say; but they also did have among them a few brilliant Greek and Hebrew scholars – enough to reveal the erroneous translations of the Bible; and this made the Movement gener­ally basically sound in exegetical deductions. The most brilliant of these was Professor Paul S. L. Johnson, who was a master of Greek and Hebrew. He soon voiced em­phatic protest against the perversions that the Judge and his companions in error were attempting to inject into the harmonious truth structure that Pastor Russell had left. It was my privilege to be a very close friend of Professor Johnson, and I gave him very substantial support after he left the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society in 1917 – and which I continued to do until his death in 1950.

A pertinent analogy to the Russell Movement may be found among the Apostles, of whom it is written “they were unlearned and ignorant men” (Acts 4:14). But they also had a man named Paul among them, who was brilliant and highly educated. As respects Professor Johnson, I might add that he graduated from Capitol University of Columbus, Ohio, with the highest honors ever attained by any student up to his time.

It is my hope that you will find the copies of my papers, No. 194–223 and Special Edition No. 7, interesting and informative; and I send with this letter my cordial good wishes for your health and prosperity.  The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.

Sincerely,  John J. Hoefle

In due course we received a courteous reply to the above letter, thanking us for the information we gave him. He also said, “What I wrote was based on intimate con­tact with Russellism when I was in High School in the 20’s... My uncle could talk of nothing else. He was a fervent follower, first of Russell, then of Judge Rutherford. Of course, my uncle never knew of Paul Johnson’s protests, and I was too young to have been aware of the division of thought at the Brooklyn headquarters.”

From the foregoing we may readily discern how easy it has been to ‘make’ history; and that much of what is in the books today may be far from the truth. But when the record is written in full truth, then we shall have full appreciation of Jesus’ words, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matt. 13:43) And this will be especially true of those faithful Pastors and Teachers, such as That Servant, the Epiphany Messenger, and others of the Gospel Age, including all the fully faithful.

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Mr. Hoefle:

Some one has sent me a copy of your paper, No. 221. Brother Russell was totally and hopelessly in error in regard to many things he taught in his “Tabernacle Shadows” booklet. Brother Johnson took hold of these errors and expanded them into much greater and more “advanced” error. Both you and Mr. Jolly maintain that you are faithful dis­ciples of Russell and Johnson: but what you are doing is to tilt each other in this arena of “advanced” error, because each of you sees this error differently. One inter­prets it one way, and the other another way; and the whole thing is a complete waste of time and effort. Jesus and the apostles knew nothing of such stuff.

Even if you, or Mr. Jolly, were right, neither of you would qualify to be in the “Youthful Worthy” Class, because you both fail to give a witness against the two beset­ting sins of the Church and the world – usury, and contraception.  “Watch and be sober.” With Christian love – Yours in the Master’s service, ------- (ENGLAND)

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Dear Brother Hoefle:

I do enjoy your papers – especially the last one, “The River Jordan – Types and Antitypes,” and how it empties into the Dead Sea, and the landslides in Joshua’s time, etc. This is a very new thought to me of the happenings so Biblically mentioned. But you do have a way of bringing it out in plain language for better viewing.

As ever with Christian love ------- (NEW   YORK)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in our Savior’s precious Name!

I received both letters, and I am still in Trinidad. On the 5th of this month I expect to be here. I shall appreciate it if you will send tracts of various titles for me to distribute in Saint Vincent. The interested ones are looking forward to receiv­ing this literature. I found out recently that an interested individuals father was a student of Brother Russell. We are praying that the Truth may find an abiding place in her heart.

God bless you both! Yours in His service ------- (SAINT VINCENT)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in our Redeemer’s Name!

I acknowledge the receipt of a letter from Brother -------  with .... pounds enclosed for you. I have acknowledged same to him.

We are still on the threshold of a New Year, and it needs so much more to walk it than the years gone by. Let him that putteth on his armor boast not himself.... There­fore we see no room for boasting.  Our strength is not in self, but in the Lord. When we think of self we tremble, but in the Lord we are strong! Yes, the powers of the earth are being shaken, and will soon be at their end.

We enjoy your monthly articles immensely, and with much appreciation. We have lost one of our dear brethren. She finished her course faithfully, I believe. I spent quite a while with her in her last hours. She left us with the feeling “the Lord will provide.”

With all the efforts of the LHMM brethren, their character structure is falling ­they manifest the true spirit of Babylon. As Brother Johnson has said, We fear for them!

May the God of all Grace bless and keep you and all your co–laborers.

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

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Dear Brother Hoefle: – Grace and peace!

Thank you very much for sending me the May-June papers first class, in advance, as I surely appreciated them. I am enclosing $... as a small contribution, as I real­ize that it really costs to send the papers to me first class. Also, I enjoyed the last two papers – the one on “The Third Watch,” and the one on the River Jordan. They are masterpieces! And I agree 100% that they should be read by every Bible Student.

Well, must close for now. Hope this finds you and all there well.

With much Christian love, ------- (MICHIGAN)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace be multiplied!

Yesterday we sent ... lbs. to Brother ------- for you. Sisters ------- joined with us in this contribution. Sister ------- has asked us to send her some Resurrection tracts, which we were pleased to send. Then Sister ------- asked if we could send her a supply of “The Permission of Evil,” which we have sent to her. Sister and I have given out quite a few “What is the Soul.”

The Lord is marching on – and prophecies being continually fulfilled. The Dawn of the Millennium is revealing the corruption in high places – the whole of Society throughout the world keeps tottering like a drunken man. Israel as a nation now is having much trouble.

Sister joins me in much love to you and all the dear ones with you.

By His Grace, Brother ------- (ENGLAND)

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Dear Brother Hoefle:

I am the Grandmother of ------- of Fresno. Occasionally we have opportunity for a Bible study, but not nearly often enough. I have read and studied your literature for many years, and receive the papers regularly. I enjoy them very, very much! I met you personally when you were with Bro.  Johnson at the Los Angeles Convention. Please use the enclosed check for your work as you see fit.

Your sister in His Name ------- (CALIFORNIA)