NO. 296: THE EVOLUTION THEORY

No. 296

Most of our readers are reasonably familiar with the theory of Evolution – its errors and vagaries; but we are hopeful that a review of some writings on it – along with some of our own additions – may prove interesting and helpful.

Evolution claims to do with the origin of man; and it is freely admitted that the questions of, Whence came I, and whither do I go, have absorbed the attention of the best minds among the human race since any records have been kept. And yet this subject, complex as it may seem, is relatively simple when its weakness is properly ex­posed. There are a number of different schools of thought on this subject – each one trying to bridge the gap of error which the others expose; but none of them have suc­ceeded, because it is impossible properly to substantiate error.

We start with the overall picture which almost all of them accept; namely, that the first life on this earth appeared in the water of this hemisphere, originating in the Pristine Mud, and gradually evolving into the fish, then the mammals, then the reptile that lives partly in the water and out of the water; then strictly land-ani­mals – and finally man. This all sounds very good on paper until the microscope of truth is directed upon it.

Those who claim that man originated 2,000,000, or even 10,000 years ago, fail to take into consideration certain indisputable facts. One of the strongest of these is history itself. It is well established among scholars that the first date in history on which scholars can agree is 536 BC – the year Cyrus the Great sent the Jews back to Jerusalem after their seventy years of Babylonian captivity. We do not mean to in­fer here that nothing happened before that date – we know plenty of things did happen ­but the pundits cannot agree on the dates on which they happened – not prior to 536 BC. Now, doesn’t it seem odd that some reliable records would have been kept prior to 536 if man has been on this earth for such a long time? And this does not mean that the intel­ligence was lacking back there to do it. Our readers are familiar with the life of Moses; and intellectuals agree that his was one of the finest minds ever to appear among fallen men.

Euclid is admittedly the most prominent mathematician of antiquity, best known for his treatise on geometry – a man of whom we hear very little today. However, there is a city on Lake Erie in Ohio named Euclid for him. His birthplace is not even known, although he lived about 300 BC Next to the Bible, his work is the most translated, pub­lished and studied, of all the books produced by the western world. There are other outstanding Greek and Roman philosophers who are much quoted yet today; yet none of them give us any reliable record prior to 536 BC We are told “knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12:4), but it is self-evident that intelligence hasn’t increased. As we consider the great minds of the past, all the “intelligence” of our day wouldn’t accomplish much without the accumulated wisdom of the ancients. But with the records of these men’s accomplishments, the accumulated knowledge of the past has enabled them to make consid­erable progress. But no king has ever attained the wisdom of Solomon, much less “evo­luted” – that is, surpassed his wisdom. “With all thy getting, get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7)

It is also well established that the smallest of human brains contains about 68 cubic inches; whereas, the best of the simian apes contains only about 34 cubic inches. Quite a difference! It is little wonder they have never found the “missing link.”

It is in order to insert here that David’s fight with the Philistine giant Goliath properly types the conflict that took place after 1874 AD At that time most of Chris­tendom was permeated with the idea that Evolution was the thing – just as they also then believed that eternal torment was the wages of sin. Thus, Brother Russell had as big a fight over Evolution as he did over eternal torment; but he shattered the belief so com­pletely that hardly any well educated people now believe the error. In fact, we have heard over the radio some months ago that a prominent university was conducting a spec­ial course in its curriculum against Evolution.

We might instance another personal experience: We were reasonably well acquainted with an eye specialist; and one day in his office he remarked – without any prodding from us – that the white of the eye does not ordinarily have any blood in it; but, if you should secure some sort of sore in the eye, a tiny blood vessel would creep out from the rim to treat the sore, dissolve it – then disappear. And he made the remark to us that no one could convince him that was merely a matter of chance: there had to be some intelligence back of it.

One publication that is favorable to the Evolution theory makes the statement: “Science cannot comment on the soul.” Of course, a true evolutionist does not believe the Bible, so he receives little or no help there; but the word ‘soul’ occurs hundreds of times in the Bible, and is well defined by the various lexicographers. And it pre­sents little difficulty to understand it once the truth about it is accepted. We have a tract on What is The Soul, which analyzes the subject quite thoroughly; and any of our readers are welcome to a free copy if they request it.

This same commentator makes this statement: “Modern man is so far removed from nature that if he were plunged back into the Paleolithic conditions he would quickly perish. On the other hand, Paleolithic men would not survive long in modern civilized conditions either.” And further: “Also man is the only species in the animal kingdom that will perform wholesale massacres of its own members; animals are protected from do­ing this by innate behavioral control of aggression. Then the excuse is offered, “Perhaps it is because man is a recent species, lately descended from austra-lopithecines who owed their survival in aggressive behavior in bands, with all that that implies in the way of mob psychology.” When we consider the peace and quiet that prevailed in the Garden of Eden until sin entered, it is just impossible to fit this thing together with any sem­blance of logic or intelligence. “The man and his wife were naked, and they were not ashamed.” (Gen. 2:25) But after they were beguiled into sin, “The Lord God called unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, be­cause I was naked; and I hid myself.” Adam showed much more intelligence about right and wrong, obedience and disobedience, than many people do today.

As stated above, man is the only animal that resorts to wholesale massacre of his own kind. Yet we are told that we have evolved from the lower animals; and, now that we have evolved, we are worse than they are. St. Paul properly describes this in his letter to Timothy: “Avoid profane and vain babblings, and the oppositions of science falsely so called.” (1 Tim. 6:20)

Another cult (not naming themselves Evolutionists, but actually teaching the same thing) produces the brilliant conclusion that God is not really a person, just an energy, and that all of us have evolved from that energy. It takes quite a fluid imagination to reach such a conclusion; and it brings the words of David vividly to mind: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God... there is none that doeth good.” (Psa. 14:1)

SOME CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY

Following are some excerpts from Parousia Vol. 6, with some comments of our own: “‘In a beginning God created the heaven and the earth,’ we are to remember that this beginning relates not to the universe, but merely to our planet. Then it was that ‘the morning stars sang together’ and all the angelic sons of God ‘shouted for joy’ – when the Lord laid the foundations of the earth and ‘made the cloud the garment hereof and thick darkness its swaddling band.’ (Job 38:4-11)”

The King James version of Gen. 1:2 reads that “the earth was without form and void.” This is self-evidently a very loose statement, because a piece of mud in the hand has some form to it; and, if there was any matter at all in the earth’s constitution at that time, it must necessarily have had some form. The correct translation says, “The earth was empty and waste.” There was no living organism on it at that time.

And there was reason for this: From geological deduction we conclude that “in a ­beginning” the earth was simply molten rock, white with heat – which would drive off everything that could be moved at all, leaving simply the bare rock. In Northern Canada this rock (now cool) appears on the surface (known to miners as the outcropping). There is no earth or vegetation on it.

Inasmuch as the sun was not visible until the fourth day of the creative week (Gen. 1:14-19), it follows that the first three creative days were not 24-hour days, ruled by the sun such as we have with us; but they must have been periods of time. And during those days huge trees and other things developed, which is certainly contrary to anything we know now about 24-hour days. A gigantic tree cannot be produced in one 24-hour day. Nor need we argue that anything is possible with God. We believe that is true; but His possibilities lie only within the scope of his own laws as we observe them today. We are told it is impossible for God to lie, the reason being that this is contrary to His own established law of truth.

Therefore, we conclude that those creative days were periods of time; and we find substantiation for this in the Bible. It tells us of the day of temptation in the wil­derness – forty years (Psa. 95:8-10; Heb. 3:9,17), sometimes called a day or “time.” Also, Peter’s statement “that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.” (2 Pet. 3:8) Also, Psa. 90:4: “A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” Certainly those creative days could not have been of 24-hours duration; but it would seem a logical conclusion that all of them were of the same length of time, regardless of their duration, being of one creative week.

Here is what Prof. Dana has to say about it: “In calculations of elapsed time from the thickness of formations there is always great uncertainty, arising from the depen­dence of this thickness on a progressing subsistence (irregular sinking of the land). In estimates made from alluvial deposits (soil deposited from water), when the data are based on the thickness of the accumulations in a given number of years – say the last 2,000 years – this source of doubt affects the whole calculation from its foundation and renders it almost, if not, quite worthless. When the estimate is based on the amount of detritus (fine scouring) discharged by a stream it is of more value; but even here there is a source of great doubt.”

Thus, it is unfortunate that at the beginning of this millennium (1874) some of the brightest minds have rejected the thought of an intelligent Creator to the recognition of a blind force operating under a law of evolution and survival of the fittest. That theory had not only found acceptance generally in the highest institutions of learning, but it was gradually being incorporated into the text books of our grammar schools.

We now quote from Parousia Vol. Two, first published in 1889: “It is not many years since the skeleton of a man was found in a former bed of the Mississippi river, and some geologists began to calculate how many thousands of years might be indicated by the many feet of silt, slime, etc., covering the skeleton, and fancied they had a very valuable sample of pre-historic man. But finding later, several feet below the skeleton, parts of a flat boat, such as was in use on the Mississippi less than fifty years ago, it com­pletely upset the calculations, and relieved mankind of another proof that the world is hundreds of thousands of years older than the Bible teaches.” (page 35, par. 1)

Those of our readers who can recall the year 1925 will remember the famous trial at Dayton, Tenn., where the teacher was teaching this evolution theory to his pupils; and it aroused the animosity of many of the Dayton citizens. Eventually, they brought teach­er Scopes to trial, with the idea of discharging him from his position. He engaged Clarence Darrow, the renowned Chicago criminal lawyer for his defense, while the opposition brought William Jennings Bryan on their side. At the turn of the century evolutionism was being badly battered by the truth that was hurled against it; and it is probable that Mr. Bryan read enough of that at that time to give him enough truth to win the Day­ton battle, although many publications at that time severely ridiculed him for his stand on the subject.

However, here is what one prominent publication has to say about it: “Highly pub­licized trial of a Dayton, Tenn., high school teacher, John T. Scopes, charged with vio­lating state law by teaching the theory of evolution: In March 1925 the Tennessee leg­islature had declared unlawful the teaching of any doctrine denying the divine creation of man as taught by the Bible. World attention focused on the trial proceedings, which promised confrontation between fundamentalist literal belief and liberal interpretation of the Scriptures. William Jennings Bryan led for the prosecution, and Clarence Darrow (a famous Chicago criminal lawyer—JJH) for the defense... The judge ruled out any test of the law’s constitutionality or argument on the validity of Darwin’s theory, limiting the trial to the single question of whether John T. Scopes had taught evolution, which he admittedly had. He was convicted and fined $100. On appeal, the State Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the 1925 law, but acquitted Scopes on the technicality that he had been fined excessively. The law was repealed in 1967.”

One of the clever remarks made by William Jennings Bryan at this trial was when Clarence Darrow handed him a rock and asked Bryan to tell him the age of it. Said Bryan, “I am not interested in the age of rocks; I am only interested in the Rock of Ages.”

REGARDING MULES

The average person considers a mule a cross between a donkey and a horse, which is true; but the definition is not comprehensive enough. A mule is any animal that can­not reproduce itself. And this rule is so rigid in nature that animals will not gener­ally cross their line, but they occasionally do so under the pressure of man. Thus, a dove and a pigeon – looking almost like twins – will mate under pressure, and produce an offspring; but that offspring cannot reproduce itself. This offers the evolution­ists more of a problem than they have been able to solve.

THE MENDEL SYSTEM

Mendel was a monk who did considerable research into this matter of evolution; he did not believe it. Thus, he eventually discovered that the reproduction of animals al­ways followed a well-defined pattern. For instance, if he mated a white rabbit with a black rabbit, the offspring would invariably be 25% black and 25% white, with the remain­der being mottled. He demonstrated this so many times that those who became familiar with it could not do otherwise than believe it. Also, some sixty years or more back some breeders of chickens decided to cross different varieties, with the idea of obtain­ing the best in each strain. But what happened? Instead of the best in each, they produced the worst in each, making the experiment a complete failure. Horsemen have dis­covered the same thing with valuable horses; so they now content themselves with improv­ing the strain they have – without any crossing. All of this is bold and transparent dis­putation of evolution.

THE COSMOGONIC THEORY

Many theories have been advanced on this subject, evolution being involved in some of them. However, we incline to the explanation of Prof. Vale, which we shall offer briefly as follows: First of all, we would say that things unrevealed belong to God, and we do well to wait for the “due time” of His revelation. However, by way of research man has found there are various strata or layers composing the earth’s structure. Nor is this altogether theory. If we go to the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado ­where it is a mile deep – there the various strata are so plainly visible that they al­most look as though they had been put there by the artist’s brush. They not only are varied in thickness, but each has a different color.

Scientists agree that these strata were at one time moist and soft – when the earth was a molten mass of white heat. This great heat drove anything movable away from the earth; but as the earth began to cool these various rings were precipitated producing what we see in the Grand Canyon. That the earth is still far from cool on the inside is shown by the geysers in Yellowstone Park, which erupt regularly with very warm water. This is also corroborated by the gold mines of South Africa, some of which are down about two miles; and the temperature is so warm there it is very difficult to recover the gold.

It is well to insert here that gold is about the heaviest material we know, being nineteen times heavier than water. Thus, being the heaviest, it logically follows it would be the first to be precipitated back to earth. That accounts for gold being so difficult to find, costly to recover, giving it the name of the precious metal. It is generally taught that it is indestructible, which is basically true; but this does not mean that it is always in the form in which we see it. Gold will melt at 2,000° Fahren­heit; and, if it is heated enough, it will dissolve into a gaseous form. Thus, the earth’s gold mines are deepest in the earth – sometimes visible on the surface, and sometimes not. In fact, the gold discovered at Sutter’s mill in California in 1848 was largely on the surface, and is known as placer mining. That found in the quartz stringers goes deeply into the earth, must be blasted loose by highly scientific methods – very expensive to recover; and most of it is thus located.

It is surmised that there were seven rings about the earth – and this is confirmed by the formations in the Grand Canyon. The last of these is believed to have been most­ly water; that it broke at the North and South Poles first, then rushed toward earth’s center, causing the great Flood of Gen. 7. There is some substantiation for this, be­cause in recent years men have found animals in the frozen north with undigested grass in their stomachs, clearly proving that a great change violently and suddenly took place.

It also changed our climate in a marked manner. Quite a few of the antediluvians then lived for more than nine hundred years. But, so far as we know, no one born after the Great Flood ever lived half that long. And there seems to be good cause for this: Before the Flood there had been no rain upon the earth (“There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground” – Gen. 2:6), which means there was no fermentation in the earth before the flood. Thus, the atmosphere was probably about 80% oxygen and 20% nitrogen, which would he conducive to long life. Now the situation is just reversed: Presently, the air is about 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen; and water cov­ers about 80% of the earth’s surface.

Geologists claim that the surface gold found in California in 1848 is simply the wash-off, the small residue that was absorbed by the glaciers, then deposited in Califor­nia when the ice melted. So far as we know, there are no gold mines at all at the equa­tor, but the real deposits are to be found nearer the North and South Poles. The Hollin­ger Mine at Timmins, Ont. (not too far from the Arctic Circle) was at one time the largest gold mine in the world; and those in far South Africa are also unusually large and prof­itable to mine.

Now follows a comment of Prof. G. F. Wright, Oberlin College, Ohio, regarding this matter: “Prof. Wright firmly believes that, at the remote time that North America was covered with ice, Siberia was also covered with ice. And the water and the ice were practically phases of the Biblical flood... All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, Noah only and those with him in the ark remained alive. After 40 days and forty nights of continuous rain – the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days (Gen. 7:17-24).”

Knowing the end from the beginning, Jehovah so times the introduction of man upon the earth that the last of the rings came down in a deluge just at the proper time – in 1656 years after creation – to destroy the corrupted race in Noah’s day, and thus introduce the pres­ent dispensation (“this present evil world” – Gal. 1:4). The removal of the watery en­circlement of the earth not only gave changing seasons of summer and winter, and opened the way for violent storms, earthquakes, etc., but it also made possible the rainbow, which was first seen after the flood, because previously the sun could not penetrate the watery canopy so as to give the rainbow effect. (Gen. 9:12-17) And that bow was set in the sky as a solemn assurance that “all flesh be not cut off any more by the waters of a flood.” (Gen. 9:11) And so it has been since the great Flood, there has been no flood since to “cut off” all flesh.

However, those living at that time did not believe what God had told them, so they attempted to build the Tower of Babel (gateway to God, or Heaven). “So the Lord said, let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Gen. 11:7) This had the effect of dividing the people into tribes or groups, and eventually into nations as we see them now. But, whereas the Lord wished to scat­ter them then, He is now doing just the reverse: “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation... for all the earth (society as presently organized) shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” (Zeph. 3:8) And after that, the kingdom – “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” “I will turn to the people a pure language (a language they can all understand – not cor­rupted with the traditions and foolish imaginations of evolutionists and other errorists – some of which we have mentioned aforegoing), that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” (Zeph. 3:9)

THE CREATIVE WEEK

It is our understanding that each of the “days” of the creative week was 7,000 years long, the first two of which (14,000 years.) were devoted to the ordering of the earth in preparation for animal life. The next two days (another 14,000 years) were de­voted to bringing forth vegetation and the lowest forms of life – shell-fish, etc. – in the water. The next two epoch days (14,000 years) brought forth living creatures that move in the sea and on the land. It was during the sixth of these 7,000-year days that the reptiles appeared – those animals that lived partly in the water and partly on the land. And at the extreme end of the sixth day “God said, let us make man in our image.” (Gen. 1:26)

And man in God’s “image” in his physical organism is so vastly superior to the highest member of the brute creation as proves him to be an animal standing immeasur­ably above all of earth’s other animals, which is a pure disproof of evolution. His up­right position – not walking on his hind legs – with all its implications, physical, men­tal, moral and religious, and its guarding him from degradation in these four respects, is one of his marked physical differences from the brute creation. It is well stated that man has four characteristics, or appetites – the alimentiveness (the desire for food and drink); the procreative (the affinity for the opposite sex); the acquisitive (the desire to get and to hold – house to house, field to field); and the spiritual (the desire to worship a higher being). All of the lower animals have the first two of these appetites, some have the third, but none of them have the fourth. And this fourth is so deeply imbedded in our blood that the worst of the heathen – even savages – all have it. If we go to darkest Africa, we find those limited intellects worshipping some­thing that they believe is higher than they are, and which they hold in reverential awe.

A well-made man surpasses in symmetry and beauty the form of any of the brute cre­ation – his expressive eye, his winsome smile, his charming voice and his intellectual and religious countenance. We once knew a man who had done some prospecting in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. Inasmuch as a good portion of rock is exposed in those mountains, this man would occasionally just sit on a board and slide down the moun­tain for a hundred or two hundred feet. One day he did this, but at the bottom he slid right into a sort of room enclosed on three sides by an unscalable wall, with a door in the middle of the front wall. But, when he looked around there was a mountain lion very near him, bristling his back hairs and swishing his tail in an angry manner. Of course, the man was quite unnerved; he was defenseless against this brute, and unable to get away from him. So he said he just began to curse the lion very loudly – at which time the lion pricked up his ears, looked timidly at the man, then turned and went out the door. Apparently he had never heard a human voice before, and it completely befuddled him.

Thus, there is nothing in the brute creation that bears reasonable comparison with man. The human skin in complexion, delicacy, softness and informativeness is far above that of any of the brutes. His five senses stand out perceptibly, although dogs and other animals may have a keener sense of smell because of their need for it, whereas, man does not need it. Above all external members, man’s hand is the finest tool that has ever been seen. It can wrap itself around any object. Just contrast this with the fin of the fish, the wing of a bird, the hoof of the horse, cow or sheep, the pedal of the elephant, the paw of the lion, tiger, dog or cat and the combination of the foot-hand of the simian groups, and the difference reaches to high heaven in favor of man’s hand.

Even apart from Adam being in God’s image and likeness, his body stands out as al­most infinitely superior to that of any member of the brute creation. Well could David exclaim: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works.” (Psa. 139:14)

Surely man’s body, apart from his intellectual, moral and religious endowments, in contrast with the bodies of earth’s lower creatures, is a strong disproof of evolution, a strong proof of his being a special creation, and a wonderful credit to his Creator’s wisdom, power, justice and love.

Another telling argument against evolution is the assertion of Acts: “God hath made of one blood all nations of men.” And this is borne out by the results we see. It matters not what races intermingle, their children are able to reproduce themselves. A white man and a Chinese; a Chinese and a Negro; an Indian and an Eskimo – all come within the scope of Gen. 1:24,25: “And God said, Let the beast of the earth bring forth after his kind.” In certain places the races have interbred, without any of them pro­ducing a sterile offspring – a statement which cannot be truthfully said about any of the lower animals. This certainly proves the unity of the human race and disproves evo­lution. Some philologists claim that all languages are derived from one basic language – proven by the similarity of their chief roots, words, and grammatical constructions.

This has reduced our languages to five linguistic groups, and these five in turn may be reduced to one original language. Inasmuch as there are thousands of different animals, it would mean thousands of different languages if the human family had origi­nated as did the brute creation.

Part Two of this treatise on Evolution will be concluded in a future paper. We trust what we have given will be a help and blessing to all God’s people who read it.

“Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, not such as turn aside to lies. Many, 0 Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Psa. 40:4,5)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Sirs:

Would you please send me information in your teachings, beliefs, and organizational beginnings? Also, would you please send me a list of your publications if such is available? Thank you for your kind cooperation. Yours truly ------- (NEW  YORK)

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Dear Mr. Hoefle:

I appreciate the literature that you have sent me thus far. I am in the process of reading and examining it now.

I am in this letter giving some of the information that you requested about myself. I am connected with the Baptist denomination (Independent Baptist – not Southern Bap­tist). I believe the Bible to be the Word of God. I have studied the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and to a lesser degree the teachings of the LHMM. I have some of the publications of the Dawn Bible Students

I am interested in obtaining information for my studies from the different Bible Students groups. I know, as you have stated in your first letter, that you disagree with the LHMM and the Jehovah’s Witnesses on some points – and that most of your papers deal with the errors of these two groups. I would like to examine this area of informa­tion in more detail.

I trust that this answers your question about my religious affiliations.

Sincerely yours, ------- (VIRGINIA)

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Dear Friends:

As head of the Reference Department in a large theological seminary library, I re­ceive many questions and inquiries which can often only be answered from information obtained from pamphlet–type material. Since we attempt to keep our information file as complete as possible in all areas, we are interested in having a complete file an all religious bodies in the United States, as well as bodies outside the United States where possible. We are thus interested in obtaining any materials you may have avail­able which would be of benefit in such a file. If you could send us any free materials you have available, as well as order lists of materials we could purchase, we would be most appreciative.

If possible, we would also appreciate being placed on any mailing list to receive further materials which may be available.

Your assistance is most appreciated. Very Sincerely, ------- Assistant Librarian (TEXAS)

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Dear Sir:

I would appreciate it if you would send me some information about the teachings, practices, and history of your Association, and also if you would advise me as to how I may receive your Newsletter.

Thank you very much. Sincerely ------- (MASSACHUSETTS)

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Dear Brother Hoefle:

Thank you for the good reading. The last few are just like Brother Russell used to write. I came into the Truth in 1913, and was a close friend of Sister ------- and her family from then on. Now they are gone – and I am real well and going.

It seems like everything that happens is fulfilling the Bible. Yes, great things are happening. It is a blessing to understand them. Thank you, Lord!

May God bless you! Hold to the Truth, as we out here need it. I am sorry there are so many groups, and against each other. Sad to me!

Christian love ------- (CALIFORNIA)

P.S. Enclosed is a small donation to help.

NO. 295: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

No. 295

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

The year just past has experienced many very unusual events; and science has been quite prominent in some of these things. As instance, a small boy in Michigan stood in the way of a mowing machine, and had both his feet cut off about the ankles. The doc­tors went to work, and in six hours had both those feet back an the boy’s legs. Even though they learned very shortly that the blood was not circulating to those feet, and they had to remove them again to prevent their decay, it was quite an achievement for the doctors to perform the operation they did.

A few years back we had lunch with a top rate doctor in New York City, at which time he told us he had known for a number of years that his heart was not working properly. So he eventually went to a prominent heart specialist, who operated upon him; found that the Great Aorta (the great trunk artery that carries blood from the heart to be distri­buted by branch arteries through the body) had become so distended that it was the size of a football right after it left the heart. It was as thin as tissue paper, and a miracle, he said, that it had not burst – which would have killed him. However, the specialist removed the distended part, put a plastic tube in its place; and he was then (when talk­ing to us) feeling better than he had in years. He then remarked that even ten years ago they would not have had the skill for such an operation, but they have it now – a glowing tribute to the medical science.

IN FINANCE AND POLITICS

The advance in medical science has been paced by an equal decline in politics and fi­nance.  Inasmuch as we intend to devote a large part of this paper to RELIGION, we shall not detail many interesting items concerning Finance and Politics. Many pages could be devoted to the rank corruption in Politics; the same being pretty much true in the Finan­cial sector. The year past saw many persons of wealth rushing to purchase gold, silver and precious stones as a hedge against the worthless paper that has been issued by the United States and other countries. Just a few months ago a financier paid about $900,000 for one diamond; said he would prefer that to the worthless paper of which he had so much. Likewise, the political sector has exposed rank corruption in many places, which we shall not now detail. Rather we shall confine ourselves to:

RELIGION

The year 1979 has revealed more corruption in religion than we have ever seen in our lifetime. It seems that some of the worst crooks have decided that religion is a safer and more profitable racket than robbing banks or burglarizing profitable businesses. So we shall begin this year’s paper with the subject:

Prophets And Profits – It has just recently been revealed (Sept. 1979) that the “Prophet” Jones who caused the wholesale decimation of over 900 persons in Guyana, has about seven million dollars in a couple of banks in Panama. He was going to be sure to look out for himself if anything bad should occur up here. Now some of the relative survivors are quarreling about that money – they want some of it.

The Roman Catholic Church – During the Pope’s visit to America last Fall one news­paper had the following in its news item: “PRIEST RESPONSIBLE FOR RISE, FALL OF ORDER – ­This is from the rise and fall of Priest Michael Zembrzuski: He was a poor Polish priest who in 1951 boarded the Queen Mary in Cherbourg, France: and two weeks later stepped off the gangplank in New York City with $36 in his pocket......... In fifteen years he had climbed from obscure poverty to rub elbows with governors, presidents and popes – from saying Mass in drafty barns to building a multi-million-dollar shrine; from exile at the hands of Nazis and Communists to respect as one of America’s most vehement anti-Reds. He had also become one of the country’s most financially aggressive clergymen.

“It wasn’t long after his arrival that Zembrzuski’s furiously nationalistic speeches so mesmerized church supper crowds... throughout the country that sparked an impressive fund-raising campaign. He soon had seed money for his first settlement of Pauline priests. Zembrzuski’s spellbinding rhetoric had netted him $40,000 in eighteen months.....

“He was optimistic. Contributions were rising at the heady clip of about 200 per­cent a year. The Paulines were attracting a cash flow of almost a million a year, and a net income of more than $200,000. But it wasn’t enough. A professional religious fund-raiser named James Healy, now at Fort Myers, Fla., steered Zembrzuski into the re­ligious bonding market. Healy put him in contact with the First National Bank of Minne­apolis and with the underwriting firm of Keenan and Clarey in that city, both of them ex­perts in religious securities. The two quickly put together a hefty bonding package which would guarantee Zembrzuski $4.3 million over a four-year period.

“LBJ was in Doylestown on Oct. 16, 1966, to dedicate the beautiful new, still-unfin­ished Roman Catholic shrine that Zembrzuski’s Pauline Fathers had rushed to build in honor of the Polish millennium – 1,000 years of Polish Catholicism. (The press carried a picture of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird and his daughter Linda Bird at this dedication—JJH)

“After all, with little more than a dream and 175 acres, he had already been able to secure $4.3 million. He learned that churches were considered such sound financial investments that just any bank would accept his unaudited statements without question, and would lend him huge sums of money based upon little more than a promise and his Roman collar. He also discovered that a priest with high public profile, one who rubbed shoulders with popes and presidents could attract massive funding if he had a concept to sell – like a national shrine.

“One ambitious plan involved the purchase of an entire island off Florida’s Gulf Coast as the seat for a Southern shrine that would not be afflicted with winter weather. Another involved purchase of a $2.5 million estate near Tarpon Springs, Fla.

“By 1969 Zembrzuski was in serious trouble – had secured the last of the $4.3 mil­lion bonding loans. His income had risen steadily to more than a million a year... He had illegally withdrawn $500,000 from the ‘perpetual care’ fund, borrowed another $120,000 from cemetery operating expenses... He borrowed $425,000 from North Miami General... Most of the money was loaned at 10 percent interest...

“Then the Vatican began an investigation... The vicar general, they determined, was not only dictatorial and tyrannical, but conducted his own life in such heady style that his subordinates were scandalized... Zembrzuski, the visitors wrote, enter­tained lavishly, spending huge sums on himself and his friends. He supported a woman generously with monastery funds. He ignored both church law and civil law.

“Investigators found lack of religious life in Zembrzuski. His snarled finances lead to $4.3 million default. When the First National of Minneapolis discovered his complicated investment entanglements in 1972, Zembrzuski was hopelessly ensnarled. The bank learned Zembrzuski had also borrowed $190,000 from the Bishop of Greensburgh. The bankers were apparently unaware the monk had received an additional $425,000 from finan­cial adviser Lawn and the North Miami General Hospital, where Lawn had a hand in fiscal policy. And even the Vatican investigators were apparently in the dark – and still are about $586,000 loan to Zembrzuski that the GNS probe turned up. It was from McCloskey & Co., the Philadelphia Construction Company that built the shrine.

“Zembrzuski had one last hope. He went to John Cardinal Krol, the first Polish Car­dinal – the titular head of the Roman Catholic Church in America. He only needed one final hope – $1.5 million to pay off the first bond principal – and he would be out of the woods. Zembrzuski told GNC, ‘I waited three days and then I got this letter from Monsignor Nace, Krol’s financial vicar. It said, ‘Sorry, we cannot lend you the money.’ “Everyone has turned their backs on me, says Zembrzuski today.”

MORE OF THE SAME – Following is a brief resume of the speculations of Catholic Layman Michele Sindona, Italian financier now hopelessly ‘missing.’ Sindona is a Catholic lay­man – not of the clergy; which, of course, mitigates somewhat the scandal now publicized about him. The entire press reports would be much too, lengthy, so we simply quote brief excerpts to give our readers a fair idea of the enormity of the scandal: “(New York, Saturday August 11, 1979) – Nothing was heard today regarding Michele Sindona, the miss­ing Italian financier, despite a threat that he was going to be killed at dawn... The 56-year–old man disappeared ten days ago – after leaving his $500,000 apartment in the Pierre Hotel. It was there he was last seen. At the time he was awaiting trial on 99 fraud charges in connection with the collapse of the Franklin National Bank – the nation’s largest bank failure.

“New York police and the FBI said there had been no new developments in the myste­rious case since the telephone threat. It remained uncertain whether the call was a hoax, whether Sindona was in danger or whether he had fled to avoid fraud charges in­volving the Franklin National Bank... He and his wife owned a condominium valued at $600,000 to $800,000... The FBI said it was not sure whether Sindona was kidnapped or whether he merely set sail on a $3 million personal recognizance bond to escape pros­ecution for misapplying $45 million of Franklin National funds, $30 million of it in losses resulting from foreign exchange speculation...

“Sindona has been called ‘mysterious Michele’ because of his secret financial deal­ings, his complex holdings that were once worth $500 million and his reported financial ties to important Italian politicians, the Vatican and even the Mafia. He is eagerly awaited in Italy, where he has been sentenced in absentia to 30 months in jail (written October 16, 1979—JJH) for a $225 million fraud in his Italian banking operations. In those capers he apparently took the Vatican to the cleaners.

“How much the Roman Catholic Church is worth is one of the world’s best kept secrets. (financial pundits estimate their worth at Five Billion. And it is in order here to mention that in his recent visit to the United States Pope John Paul II very strenuous­ly urged the United States to subsidize the poor nations of earth – meaning particularly the miserably poor such as Catholic Mexico, Central and South America – as the Catholic Church continues to sit upon its Five Billion. Of course, the United States is reported the world over as the world’s No. 1 soft touch – the greatest financial sucker in the history of the human race—JJH) However much the Vatican is worth, it’s a lot less than it was when it turned to Sindona in 1969. The Milan magazine Europea estimated that Sindona’s investment policies drained $750 million from church ledgers...

“Even the Vatican officials admit that Sindona’s stewardship – he took money from real estate holdings and speculated with the cash – didn’t do them any favors... The official line is that the church’s brief but disastrous flirtation with Sindona high finance cost it one-third of its bank roll... Sindona offered his services to help the Vatican unload some of its Italian holdings and diversify them into the international mar­ket. The pope bit...

“On July 12 Ambrosoli (the auditor of Sindona’s fiasco—JJH) was shot to death by three men. He had earlier told the magistrate that he had received telephone warnings to ‘take it easy’ in the Sindona inquiry.... One of his banks, Banco Privata Italiano in Milan, went bankrupt amid charges that Sindona had illegally removed more than $200 million of its funds....... Italy is still trying to extradite him for fraud in that one,

“In an unrelated case, former Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans testified that he had rejected a secret $1 million contribution from Sindona to Nixon’s 1972 re-election com­mittee. He said the offer was rejected because Sindona insisted on secrecy.’

In the two cases detailed aforegoing we would not wish to criticize the Church too much for being badly fooled by one of its ‘trusted’ members. Others could be similarly bamboozled. However, it would be most interesting to know if these two high­binders bilked some of the wealthy American Catholic individuals. If such be true, it is very probable that the news won’t become public because of the humiliation it would heap upon such individuals. However, in times past they have been ready marks for such manipulators.

Similar Odium In Another Sector – Following is a news item from a newspaper on October 6, 1979: “PRESIDENT’S PASTOR IS ASKED TO RESIGN... Washington – President Carter’s pastor, the reverend Charles A. Trentham, has been asked to resign by the dea­cons of the First Baptist Church of Washington because of allegations of questionable conduct while giving spiritual counsel. Mrs. Mary Sponseller, vice chairman of the deacons, confirmed Friday that the board voted 27–11 Wednesday night to ask Trentham to leave the pastorate he has served for five years. At least three sources cited the reason as alleged questionable conduct by Trentham while giving spiritual counsel to a woman parishioner. But Trentham is scheduled to be in the pulpit Sunday, and Carter is scheduled to attend the service.

“Mrs. Sponseller said the deacons acted after receiving a committee’s report an the allegations, and that the matter will be presented to the congregation either at a special meeting or at the next regular meeting in November. She said the vote to re­move Trentham dealt with a personal matter, rather than any theological or political issue; and another member of the deacons confirmed that.

“Trentham, 60, is twice divorced. His second wife divorced him in 1978 and re­turned to Tennessee. Carter and several members of his family joined Trentham’s church immediately after his inauguration in 1977. Carter’s daughter Amy was bap­tized there a few weeks later.”

A Better Expression From A Different Sector – Here is a partial report from Da­vid Horowitz, news correspondent at the United Nations: (August 10, 1979) “Henry Kis­singer testified before a Congressional Committee on the Salt II. Said he: ‘If present trends continue, we face the chilling prospect of a world sliding gradually out of con­trol, with our relative military power declining, with our economic lifeline vulnerable to blackmail, with hostile forces growing more rapidly than our ability to deal with them and with fewer and fewer nations friendly to us surviving.’”

More From The Same Writer (Sept. 21 1979): “BIBLICAL PROPHECY AND THE 34th UN SESSION: UNITED NATIONS (WUP) – ‘Thine enemies are in an uproar; and they that hate thee have lifted up their head. They hold crafty converse against thy people, and take counsel against thy treasured ones. They have said: Come let us cut them off from be­ing a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; against thee do they make a covenant – the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagarites; Gebal and Ammon, and Amalek. Ashur also is joined with them.’

“The above prophecy from Psalm 83 flashed through the mind of your correspondent as he contemplated the conspiratorial situation that will prevail here at the UN during this 34th session of the General Assembly which opened on Tuesday of this week on the eve of the Holy Day Season. For we will witness, in the aftermath of the anti-Israel Havana non-aligned conference, a ganging up of enemies set on ‘cutting off Israel from being a nation,’ as the Psalmist envisaged.

“The Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and the others recorded in the Tarach – each and every one of them embodying the eternal interchanging ‘flame’ of prophecy – have made it crystal-clear that dire fate awaits these enemies of Yah and Is­rael now scheming to eliminate the Jewish State. Whatever will happen in the Sinai in the course of the on-and-off Egyptian-Israeli negotiations will happen. The main issue is Jerusalem , the City of David. It is Zion that will bring about the showdown as blueprinted in Ezekiel 38-39 and Zechariah 14. It will be the concluding chapter in the age-long struggle between the children of Darkness and the children of Light. Yes, Jerusalem is destined to become the ‘crater’ that will once and for all and at last ‘convince’ a skeptical world of nations including all the children of Abraham that the Rock of Israel is a Reality and that Eloha’s mighty ‘Arm’ is executing His word to the letter respecting both His people Israel and the ‘tyranny of the majority’ now rising against them.

“Let us make no mistake about it: The Hebrew Bible does not lie! The Tanach has proved itself through the ages... It constitutes a blueprint of life! It is alive, and the Watchman of Israel, very much on the world scene, is seeing to it that His word as uttered by His Prophets will be fulfilled. So let the nations rage and spew their venom in these UN chambers. A bitter judgment awaits the modern Hamans, Antiochuses and Apions. Let them beware.”

Follows now something from Studies in the Scriptures Vol. 2, p. 77, which is very pertinent to our subject: “That from that time forward (1914) Jerusalem shall no long­er be trodden down of the Gentiles. (This volume was written in 1889 – 25 years before 1914 – and some allowance must be made for minor details—JJH) By that date (1914), or sooner, Israel’s blindness will begin to be turned away; because their ‘blindness in part’ was to continue only until ‘the fullness of the Gentiles be come in’ (Rom. 11:25), or, in other words, until the full number from among the Gentiles, who are to be mem­bers of the body or bride of Christ, would be probationally selected.”

Jesus told His disciples, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” Some may conclude that this isn’t true of the Jews, as they were yet trodden down of the Gentiles at 1914. However, we should make a clear distinction here between Jerusalem and the Jews themselves. The pressure on the Jews began to be lifted in 1878 at the Berlin Congress of Nations, when Disraeli (the first Jew ever to be Prime Minister of England) secured for them certain privileges in Palestine that they had not previously enjoyed. And after 1878 the “blindness” that had afflicted them during their “double” of 1845 years – from the year 33 A.D. (when they crucified the Lord of Glory) – began to pass from them. It is an established fact that many Jews – particularly in the United States, and the Rothchilds in Europe – began to amass great fortunes: the prophecy of Isa. 60:15-17 began to see fulfillment: “Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated (for 1845 years), so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a Joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles (by accumulating the wealth they once possessed), and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy savior and thy redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob..... I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.”

However, Jesus did not say Jerusalem would no longer be trodden down of the Gen­tiles after 1914, but until 1914; and such we can now clearly see to have been the case. But it was just a very short time after 1914 that Jerusalem itself began to see the Gentile heel lifted from its neck.

The World War broke out in 1914 exactly on time – when the times of the Gentiles ended. In that conflict the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente were arrayed against each other – the Triple Alliance being Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the Triple Entente England, France and Russia. As the great conflict progressed, oth­er smaller nations were drawn into it, one of which was Turkey, which sided with the Central Powers (the Triple Alliance). In 1917 England sent General Allenby, with a huge force, to take the Bosphorus away from the Turks. However, according to the rec­ord, their losses in men and material were so staggering that they abandoned the effort, although it is now a matter of record that the Turks had only one more day’s ammunition left; they would have surrendered the next day had the English pursued their objective.

But General Allenby – with characteristic English determination – was not one to go back to England with an empty sack. Thus, he turned his attention to Palestine ­then in the hands of the Terrible Turk; and he achieved a decisive victory in taking over the City of Jerusalem on December 9, 1917. Jerusalem was then no longer “trodden down of the Gentiles,” as had been the case since the year 70 AD – when the Ro­man Emperor Titus took over Jerusalem and destroyed the temple – an event we have de­tailed in previous papers. General Allenby achieved quite a triumph when he took Gaza from the Turks in November 1917. He took Megiddo in September 1918; then captured Damascus and Aleppo – which ended the Ottoman power in Syria.

However, this story would not be complete if we failed to give the details of Je­rusalem’s capture on December 9, 1917. The victory at Gaza had disheartened the Turks somewhat, so they were ‘softened up’ for what was to follow at Jerusalem. General Allen­by apparently had some Christianity deeply rooted in his system; the City of Jerusalem was dear to him, as it was also to the Jews and many Christians throughout Christendom. Thus, he did not wish to destroy it; and he assembled practically all the aircraft at his disposal, and sent it over Jerusalem in one massive demonstration.    The sight of that so overawed the Turks that they concluded they would all be dead men if they re­mained; so they forsook the City without a battle; THE CITY OF JERUSALEM REMAINED IN­TACT – a modern-day miracle, set forth in Isa. 31:4,5 as follows:

“Thus hath the Lord spoken, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of Hosts come down to fight for Mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. As birds flying, so will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.”

“Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thes. 5:4) “As birds flying,” the Lord certainly did defend Jerusalem and preserve it; and it should not require a savant to see and understand the force and clarity of this prophecy. Any one who can read the English language will readily see the clear and compelling truth of this Scripture and its fulfillment in 1917 – the airplanes flying over Jerusalem, “as birds flying.”

Israel Since 1948 – From Christian Committee Bulletin: “The Israeli government has supported research to provide the technology for new procedures in growing, handling and marketing both new and previously grown crops. It has also provided loans and or­ganizational assistance to cooperatives for agricultural production and marketing. Cit­rus (orange and grapefruit), avocados, bananas and strawberries are the chief fruits exported. Oranges represent the greatest monetary value of all agricultural exports. Citrus fruits are grown on the better lands near the coast with newer plantings in the Jordan valley. Production is limited by suitable land and water supply, but Israel’s farmers have done wonders in transforming their arid, long overgrazed and rocky or swampy lands into the top producing lands of today.

“New technology developed by Hebrew University under the leadership of Professor Avroham Halevy and Dr. Shimon Mayak has enabled farmers to grow flowers, strawberries and off-season vegetables commercially in greenhouses. This has developed into a boom­ing industry. Approximately 2500 acres of such houses are now in production, 500 of which produce roses for cut flowers.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses – Diametrically opposed to much of the foregoing is the pres­ent teaching of this sect – although some sixty years ago they were in wholehearted sym­pathy with the Jews and Jerusalem – as seen in the book “Comfort For The Jews” by J. F. Rutherford published over fifty years ago. J. F. Rutherford was often referred to as a “Friend of the Jews.” Now they are predicting annihilation for the Jews because they do not join them – although this same prediction by them applies also to all Gen­tiles who likewise refuse union with them. In their August 1, 1979 Watchtower they have this to say: “All over the world those who want to do God’s will are being brought together into one international society of people, which will be the foundation of God’s incoming ‘new earth.’” In other sections of their literature they tell us that all who do not come into their “international society” before Armageddon will experience eternal annihilation in that holocaust. Of course, their founder, Pastor Russell, taught just the reverse of this, but that does not bother them. He gave a comforting message to the world: he did not tell them if they didn’t join his organization they would be annihilated in the Time of Trouble – not the message that the Witnesses now give to the Armageddon- scared people who join them for fear. He adhered closely to the words and methods of his Great Captain in John 4:23: “The Father seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth.” Rather, he gave a message of com­fort to the distressed human race, encouraging them to live moral and righteous lives. Thus they would be blessed in this life, and better prepared to walk up the Highway of Holiness (Isa. 35:8) during the Kingdom reign. “Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” (Zeph. 2:3) But the Witnesses teach that no one but those who join them will “be hid”; although they now modify their teaching, saying that some of their faithful will not live through Armageddon, but all must join them to get life in the Kingdom.

However, we are assured by our Lord that “An hour comes in which ALL those in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth; those having done good things, to a Resurrection of Life; and those having done evil things, to a Resurrection of Judgment.” (John 5:28,29, Dia. – Judgment is mistranslated “damnation” in the King James version.) Also in Acts 24:15, “There will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” The Just are those who have had their trial and judgment during this evil world – and the Unjust are the residue of mankind who will receive their judgment in the Kingdom when all shall “know me from the least unto the greatest.” (Jer. 31:34) “When thy judgments (instructions) are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isa, 26:9)

The Witnesses not only set aside these clear Scriptures, but they also set aside God’s promises to fleshly Israel, claiming that these promises belong to their “great crowd” who will be the ruling power of the Kingdom. They relegate all Jews who do not join them to annihilation in Armageddon, along with the rest of mankind who do not join them. Here is what their founder says in Reprint 5323, col. 2, Oct. 1913: “How true the statement that those who have cursed, or injured, Israel have brought injury upon themselves! As we scan the whole field of the world, we find that every nation which has dealt harshly with Israel has received severe chastisement or blight. On the contrary, Great Britain and the United States, nations which have blessed the Jew, have in turn received great blessings.”

In the Oct. 1, 1979 Watchtower, p. 32, they advertise in large headlines – “MANY NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE” – quite a contrast to their announcement and prediction for 1925. They advertised then “MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE.” They gave no intima­tion that the “millions” would have to join them to “never die.” So many hoped this would be true, because all would like to “never die.” Their organization numbered less than 100,000 then, so the “millions” would necessarily include more outside their organization than in it. But they emphasize that the “many” are only those who are members of their “great crowd” – all others to be annihilated in Armageddon. All know that their 1925 prediction proved to be a hoax, just as their present prediction will prove to be a hoax when many more than their followers will be living after Armageddon.

Much more could be said on the above subjects, but for now we want to express our thanks and appreciation for the cards received over the Holiday Season: we are espe­cially grateful for the expressions of good wishes, love and prayers, which we heartily reciprocate; and we wish them the Lord’s rich blessings in the New Year – the “Bless­ing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Prov. 10:22) Also, we wish for all our readers a blessed New Year, with strength sufficient for all your needs.

“O bless your God, ye people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard, which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.” (Psa. 66:8,9)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL INTEREST

The correct time for the Memorial in this year 1980 is any time after 6 p.m. Saturday, March 29. More about this in our March paper.

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Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle:

Many many thanks for your splendid papers. We recognize your special qualities in bringing to light the darker hidden meanings of Truth, this being just one of the identification marks of God’s special Servant. We feel also you have been blessed with a wonderful wife, and no doubt your spiritual development is shared by Sister Hoefle as a faithful and loyal helper in Christ.

So keep right on to the end of the road with courage. I am sure your reward will come. I salute you for your sacrifice of service to the Lord. Please accept my con­tribution to God’s work to be used in any way you think pleasing to God – and please forgive this short letter.

Yours in Christ ------- (ENGLAND)

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Dear Friends:

As you may surmise when you see the date of my check, I started earlier to thank you for your publications and your letter, but ran into difficulty in putting my thoughts on paper. After laying your letter aside, some scheduled carpentry work was done in my apartment, and there was much “pulling out, cleaning up, and putting back” to be done.

In the meantime, two more papers have arrived, and after reading them I am even more appreciative of my meager knowledge of God’s plan. I am especially appreciative when I watch the news on TV and see the pathetic expressions and the silent suffering in the eyes of those poor people in Cambodia – or anywhere else in the world. How wonderful to know that God is preparing a world free of such ills!

You asked if I hear from Sister -------. No, I do not. I only met her twice... I am so glad to know that Brother Hoefle is improving and gaining strength... I hope this will continue.

Again, my most sincere thanks for your kind interest in me. I believe, from the letters you quote in your papers, that you have the same thoughtful interest in many throughout the world. Please know that you have my good wishes for health and strength to continue your good work.

Sincerely ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

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Dear Brother:

Thank you for your letter with enclosure. You will find $--- for the books. I shall appreciate your forwarding them to me in your good time.

Thank you for your attention to this request, and for the courtesy of your letter mentioned above. In the most holy faith ------- (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings of Love and every good wish!

I was very glad to get your letter, and to know that even though things might not be smooth as we would like it, yet not too bad. But we all are going down hill, and every illness seems to leave us that much moreso. But, thank God, He watches over and gives us His Grace and strength in every time of need – as our days demand.

The gift enclosed in your letter is highly appreciated. It was a great help and came in a good time. Thank you very much! We never cease to pray for you, for your health and strength to carry on the work the Lord gives you to do, as well as for all the Bible House. God bless and keep you!...

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

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Epiphany Bible Students Ass’n

Mount Dora, Florida – 32757

Could you please send me a list of all your books and publications, published by your association.

Thank you! ------- (CANADA)

NO. 294: "THE EVERLASTING FATHER"

No. 294

At this Season of the year we try to present something that will bless and en­courage all who honor our Lord and Savior by celebrating His birth December 25. As said in previous papers, we cannot agree that this is the proper day for celebrating the birth of our dear Redeemer, but must insist that it was about October first. Nevertheless, since He did not intimate His desire that we should celebrate His birth­day, it is quite immaterial upon what day that event, of so great importance to all, is celebrated. Upon this day, so generally celebrated, we may properly enough join with all those whose hearts are in the attitude of love and appreciation toward God and toward the Savior. The good tidings of great joy for all people announce blessings con­cerning a number of things, i.e., the forgiveness of sins, resulting in the awakening of all the dead; an accurate knowledge of the Truth; the race being placed amid conditions inconducive to sin and error, and conducive to Truth and Righteousness.

The above sentiments by That Servant have been abandoned by the Jehovah’s Witnes­ses, and by their rabid contentions about Christmas they have caused much distress in home and social life around them. Their message to all who do not join them before Armageddon is “Bad Tidings of great misery,” because they will be annihilated in that holocaust, with no chance of a resurrection according to them.

“‘His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Isa. 9:6) We have noted the propriety of the title ‘The Mighty God,’ as applied to Jesus; and few will dispute that He is indeed the Won­derful One of all the Father’s family; none will dispute that He is a great Counselor, Teacher; or that, though His Kingdom is to be introduced by a Time of Trouble and dis­turbance incident to the death of present institutions, our Lord is nevertheless the Prince of Peace, who will establish a sure and lasting peace upon the only proper basis, righteousness, conformity to the Divine character and plan. Now we come to the exam­ination of the title, ‘The Everlasting Father,’ and find it as appropriate and meaning­ful as the others.

“It does not, as some surmise, contradict the many Scriptures that declare Jeho­vah to be the Father everlasting, ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ as Peter puts it. (1 Pet. 1:3) On the contrary the Bible clearly shows a particular sense in which this title applies to Jesus at His Second Advent – that He will be the Father of the human race regenerated during the Millennium. This title is merely the equiv­alent of those we have just considered, the new Lord of David and of mankind, the new Root, the Second Adam, merely signified the Everlasting Father, the Father who gives ev­erlasting life.

“Since Jesus purchases the world at the cost of His life, and since it is by that purchase that He becomes its Lord, its Restorer, its Life-giver, and since the central thought of the word father is life-giver, Jesus could take no more appropriate title than ‘Everlasting Father’ to represent His relationship to the world about to be gener­ated – born again from the dead by restitution processes. The world’s life will come directly from Jesus, who by Divine arrangement buys it and pays Justice the full price for it. Nevertheless, the restored world will, after the restitution process is fin­ished, recognize Jehovah as the great original fountain of life and blessing, the au­thor of the Great Plan of Salvation executed by Jesus, the Grand Father and Over-Lord of all—I Cor. 15:24-28; 3:23; Matt. 19:28.” (Parousia Vol. 5, pp. 141, 142)

“Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) The song which the angels sang at the birth of the Savior has been seized upon and misapplied by some who do not see the Plan of God for the Salvation of the world. Becom­ing discouraged by seemingly poor prospect for the world’s conversion, these have put forth a version of this passage more in harmony with their own doubts and misconceptions. To these the prayer which our Master taught His disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven,” has lost its meaning; for they see no hope of its fulfillment except in a very limited sense. Hence they prefer to translate the latter part of the verse, “And on earth peace, among men of good will.” We think the proper rendering, our hopes for the ultimate good of all, as far as this passage is con­cerned, would surely suffer eclipse; for very few thus far in the history of the race have been “men of good will,” men who unselfishly endeavored to any appreciable degree to bring about the good of their fellows.

However, there are quite a few men of good will in the world, even though they haven’t accepted the Truth as we know it, nor have they accepted what the Jehovah’s Witnesses now teach. They tell us that all men will have to have good will toward them, and accept them, otherwise they will be annihilated in Armageddon. But we do not believe that this is the thought of the original, which is “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” Such a translation as “Peace among men of good will” eliminates the thought of God’s eventual good will toward all the world, and greatly minimizes the scope of this glorious song. It implies merely that men who have a feeling of good will are, or will be at peace among themselves. How utterly barren of hope for all men would such an expression be!  How little the song of the angels would mean if this were its burden!

On the contrary, this song was a prophecy of God’s purpose to bring about through the newly born Child the abrogation of the curse and the establishment of peace and sinless­ness among mankind, in which God and man would become at-one. It was an expression of God’s good will, His good purpose, to bring man back to the image and likeness of Himself, in which Adam was created. When this shall have been accomplished, then peace will dwell in all the earth; for the causes of inharmony will have been eliminated.

The world of mankind came under the curse, or sentence of death because of the sin in Eden – because our first parents disobeyed God’s righteous command. All humanity, therefore, are members of an accursed race – under penal servitude, which ends in the tomb. The race has been learning the lesson of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and its terrible effects. But God has promised to take away the curse and to bring a permanent blessing in its place. This will mean a return to His favor, to full harmony with Him­self. “And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and his servants shall serve him.” (Rev. 22:3)

PROGRESSION OF GOD’S GREAT PLAN

We speak of this song as a prophecy because the peace has not yet come, nor the good will, in the sense that God’s face is as yet not turned toward man. It is a declar­ation of what God purposes to do. He has not good will toward the present sinful, rebel­lious attitude of the race. He never has good will toward sin. We are not to understand that God was expressing His good will toward man when He pronounced the sentence of death upon him. God’s curse indicated His ill-will toward man – in other words, His displeas­ure because of man’s sin. He wished man to suffer ill as a just punishment for his willful disobedience. God cut him off from fellowship with Himself. He was not bound in jus­tice to do anything more for the race. But in His infinite mercy He provided a deliver­ance for mankind. He foreknew man’s fall, and planned his redemption from before the foundation of the world.

Through all the Ages since the fall of Adam God’s plan has been slowly, steadily pro­gressing.   While men have been learning in pain and tears and trouble the nature and re­sults of sin, God has been selecting His saintly ones, His elect – first, the elect who are to be the earthly princes in His Kingdom of blessing; lastly the Elect who are to reign over all as Kings and Priests of God on the highest plane of existence. The chief of all the elect is His well-beloved Son, the Savior of the world, whose birth the an­gels proclaimed to the shepherds watching on the plains of Judea, more than nineteen cen­turies ago. (Isa. 42:1) When all the elect ones are chosen and prepared, then the bless­ing of the world at large will be inaugurated. “For the earnest expectation of the crea­ture waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God (the Church). For the creature was made subject to frailty, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corrup­tion into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19-21)

The coming of the Son of God to earth was only preliminary to His offering of Him­self as a ransom for the forfeited life of Adam, the father of the race, in whom all his posterity fell. But even when our Lord had died as man’s ransom-price, God’s favor did not come to the world. Jesus was next raised from the dead a glorious, Divine being. Then He ascended up on high, and appeared in the presence of God for those who were to be of the spiritual elect. Thus the last became first in God’s plan. The merit of Jesus’ death was utilized first on behalf of these. It has not yet been applied for any others. The members of the Church of Christ now have this promised peace and good will. It is granted only to those who have come into vital relationship with God through Christ – the fully consecrated ones. The Scriptures show that after these are all selected, prepared and glorified, the next step will be the application to all men of the merit which has been imputed to these elect, and through whom it is to go to the Worthies and to the entire world of mankind. This spiritual class has been chosen to be members of the Body of Christ, joint-associates with Him in the Messianic Kingdom. “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Cor. 6:2)

The great work of the Millennial Age will then begin. It will be a work of gradual uplift during the entire thousand years of the reign of The Christ. The dead will be gradually awakened and brought to a clear knowledge of the Truth, and of the salvation of God in Christ. All will then have the opportunity of coming into the blessed condi­tion of peace and good will proclaimed by the angels. By degrees they will be brought, if they will, to where they will be ready to be received by the Father, to be introduced to Him. This will be the blessed experience of all who will be obedient to the rules and requirements of the Kingdom. If they prove unwilling and disobedient, after being brought to a clear understanding, they will be “cut off” (Acts 3:23), destroyed, as not worthy of further effort on God’s part for their reclamation.

CHRIST’S DEATH A BLESSING TO ALL

God seeketh such to worship Him as worship Him in spirit and in Truth. (John 4:23) Our thought is that all these worlds surrounding us are designed to be homes to many in­telligent beings yet to be created. We believe that it is God’s delight to give joy and blessing to many creatures, on various planes of existence. And God is making of this experience of mankind with sin a valuable lesson, a lesson that will be beneficial, not only to themselves, but to all the worlds that will ever be populated. These might be in­structed and informed in advance of their developing any sinful tendencies just what the nature and tendency of sin is – what it did for the people of earth. They will be told, probably, that sin degrades mind, body and morals; and its influence is only deteriorat­ing; that once deteriorated, one learns to prefer sin, notwithstanding all the misery and degradation it brings; and that God will never grant everlasting life to any except as they gladly cooperate to that end – that He will never influence any against their own will.

It would seem, then, that the great work accomplished at Calvary will have an influ­ence as wide as the universe. And this thought might be applied to the first part of the song of the angels, “Glory to God in the Highest!” God will be glorified by all the an­gels, by every rank of spirit beings. He will be glorified by His exalted Church, then of the Divine nature; by restored humanity, by all the intelligent creatures on every plane, in every Age! Yea, more and more glorious will be His honor as the years of eter­nity roll on, and as other peoples of other planets are brought into being and brought to know Him and to share His wonderful bounties and blessings, and to learn the blessedness of loving and serving Him.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD – THE CHRIST

“I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) The Evangelist first presented Christ to our attention as “the beginning of the creation of God,” “made flesh,” that He might be the Light of the world: after­ward, under his presentation, we considered Him as the Feeder of the hungry; then as the Giver of the water of life to the thirsty; next as the Healer of human woes, and the Supplier of human needs, spiritual as well as temporal; next as the Opener of the eyes of our understanding. In the lesson now before us He presents Christ’s mission from another standpoint – as the Good Shepherd.

This parable probably followed closely the closing incident of the reverend doctors of the law incensed at the man whose eyes had been opened, so that they cast him out of the synagogue, because he confessed Jesus as the channel of Divine favor. It was doubt­less as reproof to such false shepherding that our Lord spoke this parable. The very ones who should have been helping the poor scattered sheep of Israel to recognize the true Shepherd, and to come unto Him and become inheritors with them of the long-promised kingdom, were seeking to prevent the Lord’s sheep from recognizing the Shepherd – seek­ing to prevent the Lord’s sheep from entering the kingdom which they themselves also re­fused to enter. (Matt. 23:13)

The illustration of the Lord as a shepherd, and His people as sheep, is common to the Scriptures, and very fitly represents their close confidential relationship, but is a figure that is quite contrary to the spirit of the world. The “natural man” sees little in the figure to admire, and when he expresses his sentiments he would rather represent himself to others and have them regard him as a wolf, a lion, a tiger, or some other fe­rocious creature, which they would best not stir up, lest he devour them. We find this characteristic well borne out in the emblems of heraldry; the escutcheons of the great are emblazoned with figures representing beasts of prey, birds of prey, and nondescripts, blending various natures – but all of them ferocious, snarling, howling, screeching, or otherwise implying fierceness and intimidation of foes. But when God would represent the emblems of His royal family, His only begotten Son is called the Lamb of God, and all His people are styled His sheep – symbols of meekness, gentleness, harmlessness. “Jeho­vah is my shepherd” is properly represented as their sentiment. (Psa. 23)

Sheep-raising in Palestine, and more or less throughout that vicinity, was carried on quite extensively, and yet very differently from present methods of Europe and America. The owner of the flock or his son usually did the shepherding, or sometimes an employee who was given an interest in the increase of the flock – as, for instance, Jacob, with his father-in-law Laban. Under the circumstances it is not surprising that the rela­tionship between the sheep and their shepherds was very different from now – much more confidential. The shepherd was acquainted with his sheep and loved them, not merely as so much wealth and merchandise, but as friends, companions, with whom he conversed, and whose welfare he defended. Travelers tell us that the peculiarities of this parable are fully illustrated in eastern countries, even to this day; that a shepherd will know every individual sheep in his flock, and have a name for it, and that the sheep know their shepherd, and discern readily the sound of his voice, and cannot be deceived.

Some tell us how they have experimented and proved these peculiar statements of the parable; one asked the shepherd to call some particular sheep by name, to see whether or not it would come to him; the shepherd called one that was far off, and it immediately lifted its head, looked toward him, and when the call was repeated started, and wending its way in and out through the flock, came to his feet, where he patted its head in reward for its obedience. Thinking this possibly a solitary instance, requests were made for repetitions of the test, with similar results. Another traveler imitated the shepherd’s voice, and called the sheep, but they paid no attention. Thinking that it was because he had not on the shepherd’s garments, to test the matter, he and the shepherd changed raiment, but still the sheep would not heed the voice of the stranger; but when the shep­herd spoke to them, even though clothed in the garments of the stranger, they knew his voice and at once responded. Our Lord used these facts, well known to His hearers, to illustrate His relationship to the Lord’s people, as their Shepherd, the Son of the Great Shepherd; and He pointed out that all who were truly of His flock would hear His voice, would not be deceived by the Adversary, though he should disguise himself in garments of light, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. He declares, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Those who are not following the Lord, in obedience to His voice, expressed in word and example, are not His flock; nor are they in the way marked out by the Divine goodness and mercy, to dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Jehovah God established a typical kingdom or sheepfold, and accepted the nation of Israel as His sheep, but as a nation they were wayward sheep and knew Him not. Never­theless, with a Law Covenant He fenced them in. They desired a king, a ruler, a care­taker, a governor, and God let them have their wish; but none of these was the true Shepherd, neither did any bring the sheep into desirable conditions. And when they were finally done away, various others presented themselves as the Messiah, falsely claiming the right to lead Israel – false Messiahs. These, as our Lord declares, were thieves and robbers, who sought the control of the sheep, not from interest in the sheep, but from selfish motives, for self-aggrandizement and exaltation. These attempted to lead out the Lord’s people, not by the door, but by climbing up other ways: by climbing over the Law, or by digging under it, they would reach the sheep and become leaders; and alto­gether in various ways a large proportion of Israel has been led astray out of the fold, some to idolatry, and some simply to wander in the wilderness.

At our Lord’s first advent this was the condition of things: God’s covenant with Israel was standing as a wall around that nation, but its door was barred by justice, as represented in the Mosaic Law – Israel’s covenant. There could be no proper ingress or egress; all were prisoners of the Law – shut up unto that hope which should afterward be revealed, namely, Christ the door or “way” of life. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Mean­while, though the door was guarded zealously by the scribes and Pharisees, the fact was entirely neglected that thieves and robbers, Satan’s servants, were at work plundering the sheepfold. (John 10:1,2,7,9; Gal. 3:24; John 14:6; Zech. 9:9-12)

Nor could our Lord Jesus rightfully open the fold and take charge of the sheep, ex­cept at the cost of His own life. This was the purpose of the Father, the Great Shepherd, and with this in view He shut up the sheep under the Law, to the intent that they would need to be redeemed by His Son (the appointed Shepherd), from under the dominion of the Law, before they could be made free with the liberty wherewith Christ makes free His peo­ple. And this was the first work that the Good Shepherd did for the sheep; the laying down of His life began at the beginning of His ministry, when He made a full consecration of Himself even unto death, and symbolized this in baptism. It was in view of this sac­rifice which He had already devoted, and was even then offering, and which was finished subsequently at Calvary, that our Redeemer announced Himself as the Good Shepherd who giveth His life for the sheep.

The Apostle declares that our Lord’s death redeemed Israel from under the curse (sen­tence) of the Law – but it not only satisfied the Law, “the porter,” so that He opened the sheepfold, but it gave to the true Shepherd the ownership and control of the sheep, that He might lead them out to green pastures, and that they might go out and in with perfect freedom, as His sheep, following Him. Our Lord testified, however, that many true sheep had gotten out of the fold, and were lost in the wilderness of sin. His ministry was a call to these as well as to those who remained in the fold – to the publicans and sinners as well as to those who were endeavoring to live near to God.

Thus the true Shepherd showed His interest in all His true sheep, including the lame, the weak, the starved. He called sinners to repentance, and the true sheep, realizing their shortcomings under the Law, responded and came to Him as the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls. But inasmuch as many of the flock had wandered far from the position of true sheep, so that there were not enough who heard His voice, to complete the elect number of His flock, this Good Shepherd has, during this Gospel Age, lifted up His voice (speaking through the members of His Body), and has called sheep from amongst the Gentiles; and a sufficient number to complete the original predestination will respond.

The call of the present time is not a general one, but as this Scripture declares, “he calleth his own sheep by name” – it is therefore a special call. “The Lord knoweth. them that are his.” They manifest relationship to Him as His flock by their obedience to His call – by following Him. The flock which is called, and which eventually will make its calling and election sure, the Scriptures inform us will be only “a little flock,” and the fold provided for these is a special one; viz., the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

Throughout this Gospel Age the Lord has been caring for this class; He has speci­ally led and fed and blessed them, notwithstanding that to the appearance of others, they have passed through severe trials, disciplines, suffering. Yea, as our Shepherd Him­self declared, whosoever lives godly suffers persecution.

A part of the key to this parable, as it is also the key to many other features of the Divine plan, is found in the fact that the sheep of the “little flock,” being called and selected to joint-heirship in the Kingdom, are to be sacrificed: as the Shepherd, the King’s Son, Himself was sacrificed as the Lamb of God, and not only opened the door to those who are shut up under the Law, but by the same sacrifice also redeemed the whole world of mankind, amongst which are the “other sheep” that He is yet to seek, so the sheep of the “little flock,” called, are all to suffer with Christ – with the Lamb of God – are all to be “living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God, as their reasonable ser­vice.” (Rom. 12:1) As the Apostle elsewhere declares, “Hereby we know love, because He laid down His life on our behalf: and we ought also to lay down our lives for the breth­ren,” for the fellow-sheep. (1 John 3:16, Dia.)

From this standpoint it will be seen that, as our Lord was the Father’s Lamb, and the sin-offering for the world, so we who are of Jesus’ flock are to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, in the interest of His Body, which is the Church. (Eph. 1:22) And other Scriptures show us that all of the flock thus faithful, in fol­lowing the Shepherd even “unto death,” are counted as members of the Body of the Shep­herd. Thus the entire Gospel Age has been the period of suffering with Christ, of dying daily, of laying down our lives for the brethren; and not until this sacrifice is com­plete in the close of this Age will the New Covenant be thrown open in the largest sense of the word to the world of mankind in general, and the great Shepherd be complete ­Head and Body. Then the spirit and the bride will say, Come, and whosoever will may come – whereas now, “No man can come except the Father draw him,” and in all a “little flock.” However, during the Kingdom Christ will draw all men unto Him. (See John 12:31,32)

MORE ON THE KINGDOM

In this connection we may well quote John 3:16,17, which has appropriately been called the Gospel in a nut shell: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begot­ten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved (from Adamic condemnation).”   Here God’s love, Christ’s death and the Spirit’s work, for salvation on behalf of the world are clearly set forth; but as yet the world has not gotten the benefit of them. In John l2:32,33, Jesus’ death is set forth as the meritorious cause whereby all men will be favorably influenced toward Him by the Spirit: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This He said, signifying what death He should die”; but all have not in this life been drawn to Him. St. Paul tells us clearly in Rom. 5:18,19 that Christ died in order to de­liver the race from the condemnation into which it was involved by Adam, and that this deliverance will be realized: “As by the offense of one (Adam) judgment (the sentence) came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One (Christ) the free gift shall come (the future tense in the parallel expression of the next verse shows that the italicized word came should give place to the words shall come, seeing that the italicized words here as everywhere else in the Bible are lacking in the original Greek) upon all men (the purpose of) justification of life; for as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners (through heredity), so by the obedience of One shall the many be made righteous (of the Adamic sin); but manifestly this has not yet happened to all.

Very clearly does 1 Tim. 2:4-6 prove God’s love, Christ’s death and the Spirit’s work for all men unto salvation: “God “will (literally, willeth to) have all men to be saved (not eternally, but from the Adamic sin and condemnation) and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth (this shows God’s love to all), to be testified (the Spirit’s work) in due times (the Greek word is plural, times, or seasons, referring to the Gospel Age and the Millennial Age as the periods for giving the testimony).

THE KINGDOM’S RESULTS

Men will be mentally perfect at that time. Memories that are unfailing, perceptive powers that are all embracing, reasoning powers that are precise, logical and inerrant will be his to have and enjoy forever. However, as in the heavenly realm, “One star differeth from another in glory” (1 Cor. 15:41), it will no doubt be the same in the earthly realm. God will prepare variety in the perfection of earthly beings the same as He has provided variety in the heavenly beings. Perfection will not be dull or monoto­nous, as some seem to think: all God’s creation, both heavenly and earthly, will be joy evermore. Righteousness has its compensation even in this “present evil world,” even though many of the righteous today have had to suffer for righteousness’ sake. But in the Kingdom that will be changed. Only the unrighteous will have to suffer stripes for dis­obedience, but the righteous will be blessed and rewarded. If the stripes don’t correct the disobedient, they will be “cut off” (Acts 3:23).

From a moral standpoint man will be perfect. There will be nothing of hatred, anger, contentiousness, malice, evil surmising, covetousness, hypocrisy, gluttony, drunkenness, unchastity, unfaithfulness, indifference, pride, cowardice, ostentatiousness, or laziness among the children of men. In their place the opposite graces will shine forth in all their beauty, loveliness and attractiveness. Every human heart will radiate peace, joy, friendliness, kindness and charity. And what a glorious world to live in will that be, in which everybody loves everybody else, in which everyone trusts, respects, and honors everyone else. Surely in these respects – in man’s relationship to his fellows – a foun­tain of joy and peace will ever be bubbling up with its waters of refreshment, gladdening the hearts of all beholders and participants.

This will be the condition after the benevolent influence of the Kingdom proper, its teaching, instruction, have brought all the redeemable – the sheep class (Matt. 25: 31-46) – to perfection; and all the unredeemable – the goat class – have been destroyed at the end of the Little Season (Rev. 20:3). Then “There shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and his servants shall serve him.” (Rev. 22:3)

May all our readers be richly blessed in the Holiday Season while contemplating the goodness and mercy of our Great Shepherd, as well as the blessings of our Savior and Re­deemer, in that He gave His life so that we may have eternal life. “The grace (favor) of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (Rev. 22:21)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Friends:

Thank you so very much for your recent correspondence to Dr ------- Due to his very busy schedule during the past several months, he has requested that I assist him.

I am writing to let you know how much Dr ------- appreciated the booklet which you enclosed.   He wanted me to thank you for sharing it with us. It was very thoughtful of you to remember us in this manner.

We greatly appreciate all the kindness and consideration that fine folks such as you send our way. We ask you to remember us often in your prayers. May God’s hand of blessing be upon you as you continue to serve Him.

Sincerely, ------- The International Radio & Television Outreach... (VIRGINIA)

Dear Sir:

Thank you for your reply to my request for information. I found the back papers you enclosed interesting and would like to have my name placed on your mailing list. I would also like to receive a copy of each of your tracts and a list of the books that you offer for sale.

I am familiar to some degree with both the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and would be interested in obtaining papers with your refuta­tion of their errors. I would appreciate your telling me how far back I can go in get­ting back issues and also what the cost would be.

Enclosed is a check for a copy of the book The Divine Plan of the Ages. Thank you!

Sincerely ------- (VIRGINIA)

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My dear Brother and Sister Hoefle:

Many thanks for your papers and letter from Sister on your behalf. Christian Greetings!

So sorry to hear that you are not too well. How is your health now? Thank you, Sister, for confiding in me in your personal history. I feel honored that one of God’s special servants has honored me with confidentiality in their private affairs.

I have pondered much over your financial needs, and I have feared for your feel­ings had I probed and queried too deeply. I got the impression that Brother Hoefle was a little sensitive in this area. I know that discretion and discernment are necessary before revealing such personal information. It is enough for me that Brother ------- has vouched for you, having met you. May God bless and provide for you adequately in your long and faithful service to Him. Hoping that you both will always keep a good conscience toward Him – the whole-knowing God, as a priority.

It must be a most severe test as one’s health and strength fails – yet He knows our limitations. So be of good cheer, dear Brother and Sister. I have faith that your reward will come, and your labors of great value to many (so hard to measure) bringing people to a more accurate understanding of what He has originally purposed us to know.

Our Christian love in and through the saving power of our Lord Jesus’ blood, we remain as always, Your faithful Brother and Sister ------- (ENGLAND)

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Dear Brother and Sister:

My most sincere thanks and warm appreciation for your blessed material ministry to Christian Action for Israel, which – I can tell you – arrived at a most opportune time. I have just returned from a trip to find your donation and... letter. It would be most interesting to read the Studies in the Scriptures by Brother Russell, and I look forward to receiving this book. Please let me know if there is any charge.

With warmest blessings to you in your ministry to the body of Christ and the unbeliever. Yours sincerely for His sake ------- (AFRICA)

PS – Parcel of books just received. God bless you!

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CORRECTIONS

Inadvertently part of the quotation is omitted in No. 293, Nov. 1979, page 2, be­ginning with the top line after “the fallen angels.” Please add “with its wind, which is World War (1 Kings 19:11; Ps. 48:7; 107:25); (b) the winds, which are the fallen angels.” Also, page 7, line 1 of No. 293, please change E–5:45 to read E–3:45.

In No. 291, Sept. 1979 paper, on page 7, line 10, please change the text Rom. 8:36 to read Rom. 8:38. Also, inadvertently part of the quotation is omitted in No. 291, page 4, par. 1, line 5, after “presence, of Christ before.” Please add “Time of Trouble, and the later epiphaneia, or REVEALING.”

NO. 293: THE BEGINNING AND ENDING OF THE "TIME OF THE END" - PART THREE

No. 293

In our September 1979 paper, Part Two, we were discussing the High Calling, and we will now give

MORE ON THE HIGH CALLING

“And I saw (mentally and physically) another angel (God’s people in their capac­ity of ministering the Truth to their brethren not yet in the Truth—C 303; Rev. 7:3 ‘until we have sealed’—Ezek. 9:2-5, 11 – and not Jesus alone, as Vol. VII teaches) as­cending from the east (Jesus and the Church – The Christ – are the Sun, Light, of the world, John 9:5; Matt. 5:14) and having the seal (the Truth as due), of the living God (given in the Scriptures), and he cried with a loud voice to (as the Salt of the earth, the Light of the world, and the City set upon a hill—Matt. 5:13-16 – the faithful have with a great message, reproved the world for sin, righteousness and judg­ment to come—John 16:8-11 – this work having had a wholesome effect upon the world and having inculcated such principles as, measurably imbibed, have measurably re­strained the selfishness of mankind from giving way to the full will of the fallen an­gels and thus arrested these unholy beings, who if unchecked by) the four angels (the four groups of mankind, as above, would long ago have brought the ruin of the Time of Trouble upon the race) to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea (evidently from this clause it can be seen that these four angels do not, as Vol. VII teaches rep­resent the Little Flock, whose work in the flesh is not to injure organized society, nor themselves, nor the earth’s great ones, the symbolic trees of v. 3. The symbolic ‘great trees’ are the Lord’s faithful people.” (E–5:148,149)

“The Bible teaches that all of the saints, the entire 144,000, would be given the honor of executing (spiritual) vengeance upon the nations, and (spiritual) punishment upon the people, of binding the kings and princes, and executing upon them the judg­ment written (Psa. 149:5-9). This was done from the Fall of 1914 to that of 1916, as we have already shown in Vol. III, Chapter II, to which we refer our readers for a full­er discussion of this point.” (E–5:150,151)

“‘That Servant’ was made Steward of all the Lord’s goods for the whole reaping time following his appointment, and ruler over the whole household, according to Matt. 24:45­47 and Luke 12:42–44. Therefore, he must have set forth on the table all the meat for the reaping time, and controlled the entire work for the whole household during the reaping time following his appointment. Conse­quently, before his death every one of the Elect was working in harmony with his teachings and under his direction of the work. Hence, before his death, October 31, 1916, all of the Elect had been reaped, sealed in the forehead, and were engaged in serving others under that Servant’s general direction.” (E–5:153)

“According to the Bible (Rev. 7:1–3) the Elect of each country must all be sealed before the war would strike that country. Therefore there could be no unsealed Elect in any war–involved country after the war involved that country. This refutes the assumed, but unfactual, view that the Lord abruptly ended the war, and that in order to seal the war–involved countries’ supposedly unsealed Elect whose sealing could os­tensibly not be done during the war...... To escape this conclusion the article under review, contradicting our Pastor’s known definitions of the winds and the wind of v. 1 (see Berean Comments), confuses a number of things: (a) the winds of v. 1, which are the fallen angels, with its wind, which is the World War (1 Kings 19:11; Ps. 48:7; 107:25); (b) the winds, which are the fallen angels, but which are in the article falsely defined as destructive power, with the whirlwind, which is the revolution and anarchy of the Time of Trouble (Jer. 25:30–38); and (c) the four winds of Jer. 49:32-46; Ezek. 5:10–12; 17:21; Dan. 11:4, which stand for the four points of the compass with its falsely defined symbolic winds, wind and whirlwind. (3) The Bible also teaches that the reaping would end shortly be­fore the war would reach the reaper. See Studies, Vol. III, 387–404.” (E–6:305 to end of par. on p. 306.

MORE FROM THAT SERVANT

In Reprint 5631, col. 2, Feb. 15, 1915, there is a subheading KINGDOM WORK THIS SIDE THE VEIL: “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 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.”

Regarding the foregoing, it is our understanding that as each one of the Christ completed his earthly journey, that person then joined the Lord in glory – and which was the ‘marriage of the Lamb.’ Then was fulfilled the words of Rev. 19:7, Dia.: ‘the marriage of the Lamb came, and his wife prepared herself.’ Then was completed ‘a stone cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet.’ (Dan. 2:34) That stone could not begin its work until complete. While those still on earth could have fallen out, yet the foreknowledge of God recognized that they would not do so ­just as was true of the twelve Apostles after being spirit–begotten could have fallen from their position in the Body, yet none of them did.

“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. Indeed some Scriptures seem to imply that there will be a kingdom work done this side of the veil. We read, ‘Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds.’ This seems to imply, as we have mentioned before, that there is a special work to be done while these saints still have beds, while they are in a condition of repose – not ‘tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine,’ but fully at rest in God’s great plan. The Scripture goes on to say that they have a two–edged sword in their hands – this is the Word of God ... This would not be true of them on the other side of the veil.” (Reprint 5631, par. 5, Feb. 15, 1915)

“Our thought is that we should look for still further evidences day by day that the Gentiles Times have ended, and that God’s kingdom has begun its work .... The present step is the war of the nations. The next step will be Socialism – an attempted Social­ism – (after Revolution—JJH) among the people. Then the third step, anarchy, will grad­ually come on. When this symbolic fire shall prevail, then the world will realize what we are trying to tell them now; namely, that God’s Kingdom is taking control, and that these various demonstrations are evidences that our Lord is taking His great power. But the many will not begin to see until the flaming fire is revealed...

“Now the time has come for God’s kingdom to displace them; 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.” (Reprint 5632, col. 1 – Feb. 15, 1915)

“We believe that the Times of the Gentiles ended just on time, as shown in Vol. 2... The hand of justice is now doing the breaking – the nations shall be broken as ‘a potter’s vessel.’ The whole cataclysm of trouble may be upon the world during the next ten months or it may be longer deferred. 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 tine, because so angry.

“The due time for the ‘wrath’ (the “great tribulation”—JJH) was September 21. We are expecting to see this wrath still more manifest. The nations have been in just this same unloving spirit one toward another for a number of years, but apparently they have been under some forcible restraint. We believe that God’s time has not yet come.” (Reprint 5632, col. 2, pars. 4 and 5 – Feb. 15, 1915)

Yes, the ‘wrath’ is still more manifest today, but God’s time has not yet come for the second phase of the trouble – Armageddon. The Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted Armageddon for 1975, but self–evidently, that was not God’s time. But we may be sure that it will come in God’s due time. God’s faithful people need not be disturbed as they see these things coming to pass. However, we do indeed pity the ‘groaning crea­tion’ as we see these things coming on them, but we “lift up our heads and rejoice,” knowing our deliverance is near – not only ours but that of all mankind.

Brother Johnson saw no reason to depart from the Truth on the Time of Trouble, or the Epiphany, that Brother Russell taught us – nor do we. If we cast their teach­ing aside, we might as well say they were far from knowing the Plan of the Ages. The following is from E–4:55,56:

“We now will quote and expound passages that prove that the Epiphany will end with the Anarchy and Jacob’s trouble, i.e., will end with the end of the trouble. A passage that proves this with reference to Anarchy, though it also refers to the War, Revolu­tion, Famine and Pestilence, is 2 Thes.1:7,8: ‘The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels (the agents whereby He will pour out vengeance) in flam­ing fire (destructive troubles – War, Revolution, Famine, Pestilence and Anarchy), taking vengeance on them (the Second Deathers in the Nominal Church) that know not God and (on them, the Second Deathers in the Truth) that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Accordingly, this passage proves that the Epiphany will be completed by the Anarchy.

“A passage that proves this with reference to Jacob’s trouble, so far as the Lord’s revelation of Himself to Israel is concerned, is Zech. 12:9,10: ‘It shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (in the time of Jacob’s trouble, Zech. 12:1–8; Ezek. 38; 39); and I will pour upon the House of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of sup­plication, and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced (Rev. 1:7); and they shall mourn for it’ (the piercing, I.V.), etc. All Truth people recognize at once that this passage refers to the end of Jacob’s trouble, and that it proves our Lord’s revela­tion of Himself to Israel as their long rejected Messiah. Hence these two verses prove that the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany are identical.”

JUDGMENT FOR ALL THE ELECT

In 1 Pet. 4:17,18, Dia., there is this: “The season is coming for the judgment to begin from the house of God. (Berean Comment: “Krisma, final decision”)... And if the righteous person scarcely is safe, where will the impious and the sinner appear?” Three classes are mentioned in this text: “the righteous” – the Little Flock; “the im­pious” – the Second Deathers; “the sinner” – the Great Company. Note the Berean Com­ment on Jas. 5:20: “He that was once a member of the Royal Priesthood.” We are now in “the evil day,” the day in which we should expect to see the fulfillment of Mal. 3:3: “The sons of Levi” – typical of all believers (see Berean Comment); “gold” – the Little Flock; “silver” – the Great Company. All of this was much emphasized by That Servant as occurring in the Time of Trouble – this Epiphany day.

Mal. 3:2 raises the question, “Who may abide the day of his coming? (the Parousia day from 1874 to 1914) and who shall stand when he appeareth (when he maketh manifest – by the bright shining of the Epiphany day).” The Epiphany is called a period of time in the Bible: “This know also that in the last days (the Parousia and the Epiphany days) perilous times shall come.” (2 Tim. 3:1, 8,9) Psa. 91:6 speaks of “the pesti­lence (destructive error) that walketh in darkness,” The Epiphany is also described as a night; and the pestilence that is so rampant in so many quarters is visible evidence that we are in that dark time. Recently a paper came to us, which has a sub–heading “False Prophets” – then he describes Brother Russell as follows:

“He was particularly interested in the second coming of Christ, as were a few others at that time. He had aligned the prophecies pertaining to the Lord’s coming fairly accurately; but made the mistake of applying them prematurely. His error of assuming that Christ had arrived in 1874 was the basis for all his false claims rela­tive to the Lord’s coming.”

It will be recalled that, shortly after Brother Russell’s death, the claim came forth that he had made a 19–year mistake in the Chronology – that the Gentile Times would not end until 1933. Of course time itself made clearly manifest the error of that claim; nothing at all happened in 1933 to give any semblance of Truth to that figure.

As may be expected, that contention created a great furor; and J. F. Rutherford entered into the controversy. And it is our opinion that he offered a very good de­fense of the true chronology – just as Pastor Russell had given it to us. However, at that very time he presented some rank error on the Jubilee cycles and the time involved there, during which he came up with the prediction that Millions Now Living Will Never Die – after 1925. Of course, he was one hundred per cent wrong on that. He also produced the error that the door to the High Calling closed at Passover 1918, which he later changed two or three times; and as of this writing it would seem that the Je­hovah’s Witnesses are not certain about it yet. Also, in view of other statements they have made – such as Armageddon beginning in 1975 – they don’t know where they are with the chronology; they are simply floating around in space.

In its wide sense the Time of Trouble began in 1874. After that date the radi­cal elements of society became much more radical. And it was during the time after 1874 that the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente were formed – each glaring at the other, and was one of the principal causes for the outbreak of the great war in 1914. At this date the Time of Trouble began in its real violent stage; and the war in 1914 was up to that time the world’s greatest calamity. It put all involved nations into financial insolvency; and this has continued to grow worse each year since 1933. Just before this last great war began the national debt of the United States was about forty billion dollars; and one leading Washington publication made the statement then that no one with any real financial judg­ment believes this will ever be paid. At this writing it is now about twenty times that amount – with the situation growing alarm­ingly worse each year.

The 1914 war broke out in one day that year, with the assassination of the Aus­trian Archduke in Servia; and it brought sharply to mind the great prophecy of Jesus in Luke 17:26,27: “As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in mar­riage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” It will be noted that this text refers to “days” (plural), indicating more than one day. It is our understanding that there are two days in the end of the Age – the Parousia day that commenced in 1874 and ended in 1914, at which time the great tribulation began, corresponding to the flood that burst upon the world immediately after Noah entered into the ark. However, Luke 17:30 speaks of only one day: “Thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed (uncovered, from the Greek apok­alupto, having the same root as the apokalypse, or the book of Revelation).”

This “revelation” is still in process, and we do not now know how long it will continue; but its presence is apparent to those in the Lord’s Household who have been enlightened to perceive it. However, it is also apparent to some in the world ­in a rather foggy way, of course. One speaker at a conclave we attended a few years back made the statement that the world’s money situation has never been the same since the outbreak of the great war in 1914 – “men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things coming on the earth (the present social order).”

Says the Apostle Paul in 1 Thes. 5:1,2: “Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night (quietly, stealthily, and after it has come many will not know they are in it).” This statement is as true now as it was when Paul wrote it. The first of these seasons was the small Parousia, which began in 1874 and continued during the Harvest to 1914; the second, the Epiphaneia; and the third the Basileia (Kingdom). All of these are a part of, and run concurrently with the large Parousia day (1874–2874); but none of them run concurrently with each other; and there is good reason for this. In each of those periods there is a main, though not exclu­sive, objective. The small Parousia was for the purpose of reaping; and that day and that work ended at exactly the same time – September 1914. “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap, for the time is come for thee to reap.” (Rev. 14:15) Second is the Epiphaneia (the revealment “in flaming fire”); and the Basileia (the Kingdom).

When the small Parousia ended, the Epiphany immediately began, although there was a small overlapping of around two years. There was a threefold main objective: (1) “To execute upon them (the kings, nobles and people in general) the judgment written” (Psa. 149:9); (2) to judge “the quick” (2 Tim. 4:1); and (3) “devour all the earth (the pres­ent social order) with the fire of my jealousy” (Zeph. 3:8) – in the time of violence which began in 1914, and which will continue to the end of Jacob’s Trouble, just preced­ing the end of Anarchy. As soon as the Epiphany arrived all three of these objectives began to operate: Jordan was smitten in 1914–16 (“bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron”—Psa. 149:8); the “manifestation” (epiphanizing) of the “quick” in their various classes began to appear; and “the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come.” (Rev. 11:18)

The Basileia (the Kingdom) will have as its main objective Restitution (Acts 3:19-­23); and it will appear also as soon as “the word of the Lord goes forth from Jerusa­lem” (Isa. 2:3). There was a 25–month overlapping of the Parousia into the Epiphany (Sept. 1914 to Oct. 1916); but that did not deter in the least the beginning of the Epiphany work exactly on time. However, it is well to note here that of all the erst­while Truth groups only two contend that the Basileia is already with us; namely, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement. But instead of observing any of the benign influences of the Kingdom, worse things are coming upon the world –crime and misery worse than at any time in history, but the Word of the Lord tells us that the Kingdom is to “wipe away all tears.” It seems unbelievable that brethren who were once blessed with the logical and sober teachings of That Servant could swallow such errors; and it simply proves that “they received not the truth in the love of it, and on this account God will send them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood.” (2 Thes. 2:10,11, Dia.)

THE WIND, FOUR WINDS, WHIRLWIND

In Rev. 7:1–3 we are told that the four angels should “hold the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth ... till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” The four winds in this text are the fallen angels (see also Dan. 7:2); the wind is the great war that started in 1914; and the forehead seal­ing refers to the administration of the Truth to those who came into the Truth before that war began in each country. It should be noted here that all the saints were spirit–begotten by 1914, but all of them had not been sealed in their foreheads with present Truth. They were saints (wheat) that had not come out of Babylon, just as most of the saints were in Babylon during the Parousia. But all of them were “sealed in the forehead” in time to take part in the first Smiting of Jordan” during the time of 1914­-1916. (Psa. 149:8)

Some have the mistaken idea that the above is Epiphany Truth; but the Berean Com­ments show this view was held as far back as 1898: “The four winds” – which are to con­stitute the whirlwind of the time of trouble – (Anarchy—JJH); “That the wind” – the great wars between nations which are to be expected shortly; “Blow on the earth” ­Society; “Nor on the sea” – the restless, anarchistic masses of men; “Hurt not the earth” – the present favored time, with its liberties and advantages, divinely arranged; “Until we” – the Lord’s saints on this side of the veil; “Have sealed” – marked, sepa­rated, distinguished; “In their foreheads” – given them an intellectual appreciation of the Plan of God, with its time features, etc., as a comfort, shield, and mark, seal, or evidence of their sonship.

EPIPHANEIA – APOKALYPSIS

That Servant defined these terms as synonymous (as an act and as a period of time). However, they are not synonymous in the strict sense of the word. Many translators give Epiphaneia as “bright shining,” “forthshining,” “uncovering,” etc.; whereas they offer “revelation” as the meaning of Apokalypsis. The Diaglott labels the last book in the Bible THE APOKALYPSIS. Viewed critically, it is impossible to have one without the other, which explains why they are synonymous as an act and as a period of time. Thus, it requires the bright shining to produce the revelation. The Book of Revelation, for instance, has been with us since the Apostle John wrote it; but it cannot possibly be understood – revealed, uncovered – until the bright shining (Epiphaneia) makes it clear. While Martin Luther saw the explanation for some parts of Revelation, other parts of it he could not possibly understand because the “bright shining” had not arrived to reveal it – in the “due time.” Just one instance: The 1260 days (1260 literal years) in Rev. 13:5 could not possibly be clear to him because those years did not end until 1799, and prophecy cannot be clearly understood in detail until it has been fulfilled, or is in the process of fulfillment. And those years did not end until 1799 – about 250 years after Luther’s death.

Thus, it will be seen that the “bright shining” and the “revelation” have contin­ued in limited measure throughout the Gospel Age; but there is also an Epiphaneia – Apok­alypsis – designated as a special period of time here in the end of the Age; but it cannot be truthfully stated that there is a special Apokalypsis period apart from the Epiphaneia – or the Epiphany, as we call it.

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

In 2 Tim. 4:1 it is stated that the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing (Epiphaneia) and at his kingdom (Basileia). There is no men­tion of His judging in the Apokalypsis, as a period apart from the Epiphaneia. And we believe all Bible Students will surely admit that we are yet in the judging period of the Elect and of the world – the world in the sense of the “judgments of the nations” (not individuals).

Regardless of how little time that judging would consume, it must be evident that it is nevertheless a special period of time. When we paraphrase 2 Tim. 4:1, the text becomes much clearer: “He shall judge the quick at His Epiphaneia, and the dead at His Basileia.” The judging of the Basileia has not yet started at all; but we think the judging of the Epiphaneia began when the Time of Trouble began in 1914.

Not only did the judging begin then, but it brought special trials on all the true Household of Faith. It stirred up a rabid patriotism in each country involved; and a great rage was unloosed against those who were not in harmony with such an attitude. In the third Chapter of Daniel we have the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his golden image, which the three Hebrews (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) refused to recognize. This made the King furious, and he ordered that they be cast into a fiery furnace – “that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.” (v. 19) That furnace typified the extreme fury that was unleashed then through militar­ism and the church federations. Those of us who were involved at that time know only too well of the truth of this conclusion, and it is still vividly recalled by some of us. Some of the Objectors were actually killed, and many were brutally tortured.

Here are some of the details: We were closely and intimately acquainted with three brethren who were inducted into the army early in 1917 – right after the United States entered the great war. In January of 1918, with the temperature at zero, those three were taken into the shower room, alternately showered with hot and cold water, then scrubbed with a rough floor brush until they bled; and this was continued until they fell over in a faint. One brother died as a result of that treatment; and another lost his mind, was sent to a mental institution and recovered after two years of treat­ment. But, when he eventually came out, he could not remember ever having seen us, although we were closely associated with him in the army. He has been dead for some years now. Yes, the furnace was heated “seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated.” All of this is now ancient history, completely unknown to most of our readers; and not known at all to those too young to remember World War One. But we know personally what happened then, and we can give an accurate account of it. The Epiphany has indeed been a time for judging “the quick.”

ELIJAH AND ELISHA

In the second chapter of 2 Kings there is related the last association of Elijah and Elisha – how they left Gilgal, went from there to Bethel, then to Jericho, then to Jordan (at which place Elijah wrapped his mantle, smote the River, which divided it into two parts and the “two went over on dry ground”). “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire... and Eli­jah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” In Bible symbolisms chariots often typify organizations; and that is its meaning in verse 12.

Many of our readers know that Pastor Russell said the time would come when there would be a clear separation of Elijah and Elisha here in the end of the Age; and that separation became an established fact in the summer of 1917. One of the very big is­sues then was the contention over “the channel, The Society” (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society) – the antitypical “chariot” over which Elisha lamented, “my father, my father, the chariot of Israel (God’s Household at that time – the organization founded by That Servant), and the horsemen (the leaders, the guides of that chariot) thereof.” The Berean Comment on v. 11: “of fire” (probably signifying severe persecutions on the last members of the Elijah class).

The following is taken from E–3:45: “The fulfilled facts antitypical of 1 Kings 19:19-21 and 2 Kings 2:1-25, prove that antitypical Elijah, after functioning for many centuries, called antitypical Elisha in 1846, afterwards journeyed with him to antityp­ical Gilgal, 1874, to antitypical Bethel, 1878, to antitypical Jericho, 1881, to anti­typical Jordan, 1914, and separated from him in 1917, since which time antitypical Eli­sha functions without antitypical Elijah.”

Follows now something from Tower Reprint 5772, col. 2, bottom, and 5773, top: “It was while the two went on, with no knowledge of how far they would go, that Elijah said to Elisha, ‘What would you like as a reward for your faithfulness in journeying with me?’ Elisha responded that he would most prefer a large measure of the spirit of the Lord, which so notably was manifested in Elijah. The reply was that he could get this great blessing only under special conditions; namely, that he would continue faithful in co­operation until the last – until Elijah would be taken. This would be a hard matter; for, if Elisha’s attention was permitted to wander, he would not get so rich a blessing.

“As they went on, behold, a chariot of fire parted them asunder.” In symbolic lan­guage, this seems to signify that the Elijah class would be involved in very fiery trouble, persecutions, and will thus be separated from their fellows. The next symbol of a whirlwind taking Elijah to heaven also implies further trouble. Prophecies are generally understood after their fulfillment – and only vaguely before. It was thus at our Lord’s first advent in respect to the prophecies then being fulfilled.

“We may not hope to clearly understand in advance the full import of the fiery char­iot nor of the whirlwind. To some the thought of being taken away from the present life suddenly, violently in fiery troubles, etc., would be a terrible prospect; not so will it be with the members of the Elijah class. Waiting for their change, and living in daily readiness of heart, therefore, they go on without trepidation. On the contrary, in whatever way they shall be taken, it will be the culmination of their hopes for which they so long have waited and prayed – their deliverance.”

Then this from Reprint 5846, col. 1, pars. 1 and 2; col. 2, pars. 1 and 3: “But here is the way the Lord pictures the matter: First, there will be the chariot of fire. We do not know what this will be; but we understand that some fiery exper­ience will cause a separation between the two classes of the Lord’s people. Then will develop the whirlwind of anarchy. Perhaps this will be mobs that will destroy the lives of the faithful ones. We do not know .....

“This picture is not given for nothing. ‘What does it mean?’ you ask. Ah, we know that most prophecies are understood only after they are fulfilled.

“‘Do you think that this has not yet taken place?’ may be a question in your minds. We think it has not yet fully taken place. ‘Do you think that the PhotoDrama of Crea­tion has had a part in it?’ It may be.......

“So, then, you see what we are looking for. Whether this will take place in a few months or in a few years more we may not be sure. But we think that we shall see something that will bring a division in the sentiments of the people before we get into the fiery chariot.”

That 1917 separation has continued to pyramid over the years, with more and more of anti­typical Elijah leaving the Society, and associating themselves with various Truth movements. But whether these superior brethren left the Society, or whether they stayed, it is our conviction that all of them had their fiery chariot trials. We have known quite a few of them since 1917, so we speak from personal experience.

Many brethren attempted to interpret the account in the second chapter of 2 Kgs.; but, so far as we know, none of them were harmonious if they departed from That Servant’s general interpre­tation. While the brethren were in prison in 1918, vice–president Wise supervised the work of the Society. On one occasion he came to Dayton, Ohio, where we then lived; and during one of his discourses he said he had been bombarded with about 400 Bible articles in a few months’ time – most of them on Elijah and Elisha; but quiet reflection now convinces us that That Servant gave the correct generalities, and any correct interpretation would have to harmonize with his thoughts. During 1917-1920 many of the brethren – those that stayed, and those that left – were truly in the fur­nace of affliction.

It is our fond hope that these papers will convince all our readers that we are now in the “Time of the End,” and have been so since 1799. But one writer has expressed himself very well: “Carry a cross patiently, and with perfect submission; and in the end it shall carry you.”

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle:

My prayer is this will find you pleasing in His sight in helping spread the Truth, which is not easy to come by anymore.

All is well with us at the present time, for which I am thankful. I think your July 1979 issue is a masterpiece. There is more meat in it than you could find in the Chicago stock yards. You were a little conservative with the number of newspapers that carried Brother Russell’s sermons. The publisher says it was approximately 3,000, and the number to receive the message was approximately 10,000,000.

May the Lord bless you and yours real good.

Your brother ------- (FLORIDA)

NO. 292: IN MEMORIAM

No. 292

Comes once more the anniversary of the demise of the Parousia and Epiphany Mes­sengers – both in late October, one in 1916 and the other in 1950. That these brethren were giants in their understanding of Holy Writ and related subjects was con­ceded by all who knew them well. A very pertinent proof of this statement is one of­fered by one of the Parousia’s outstanding and able pilgrims, who said, after the split in 1917, “He (the Epiphany Messenger) made us all (the other pilgrims) look like thirty cents.” Despite this glowing praise, which we consider warranted, we would emphasize at the outset that neither of them was infallible; they both made mistakes, some of which resulted in a festering sore for quite a few of their supporters.

In fact, during the Parousia, from 1874 to 1914, there were five siftings, which St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 10:6-11 were typified by the experiences of the Jews dur­ing their forty years’ wandering in their journey to Canaan. Among the worst of these was the 1908-1911 sifting, which shook the entire Church – particularly here in Amer­ica – to its very foundations. Those of us familiar with the situation know the phys­ical and mental distress that gripped the Parousia Messenger during that time – because he thought the blame for it rested mainly at his doorstep.

A PROPHET UNTO THE NATIONS

Despite the foregoing, we think and believe he was definitely and clearly the anti­type of Jeremiah, of whom it is written in Jer. 1:5: “I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” It is clearly recorded in the Bible how the ancient prophet foretold the overthrow of Israel (typical of Christendom) for forty years – just as the Parousia Mes­senger foretold the overthrow of Christendom. No one else during that time opened his mouth about the Gentile Times ending in 1914; and the Parousia Messenger accepted meek­ly and humbly a tremendous amount of ridicule and persecution for his predictions con­cerning that date. But, when the great War burst like a bombshell out of a sunny sky, that event certainly shut the mouths of all his 1914 critics – although many of those same people then began to cudgel him about his doctrinal teachings; and we know the punish­ment he received from that source. However, those of us who were living then know what a terrible event that War was.

The Bible Students (his supporters) received vicious treatment in many countries of Christendom; some of them were actually killed, while others rotted in foul jails, with food of the worst sort. All this was typified by the experience of the three He­brews in Dan. 3:13-23 – when they “heated the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.” Here in the antitype they would be sure to rid themselves of those hated Bible Students. We speak now from personal experience in the affair; but we also speak from personal experience when we quote the result for the three Hebrews – which exactly described our own delivery at that time: “Those men upon whose bodies the fire had no power, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.”

MORE ON JEREMIAH

The foregoing all happened at the very end of the Parousia Messenger’s ministry ­1914-1916; and we now resume explanation of those Scriptures that applied more to the beginning of his ministry. In Jer. 4:1 the Prophet pleads with the Hebrews to repent and forsake their evil ways – just as did the Parousia Messenger in his message to Christendom: “Return, 0 Israel... put away thine abominations out of my sight.” If they would do this, the nations would bless themselves in Abraham’s seed in the Millen­nium, thus boasting in God, and not in themselves. (2) Then in v. 3 God addresses nom­inal spiritual Israel (Christendom during the Parousia) – they should consecrate them­selves to God, putting away sin, error, selfishness and worldliness from their hearts, lest the great tribulation come and destroy them as an incurable evil – because of their great sins. The Prophet then tells them in v. 6, “I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction,” – which indeed the great war turned out to be. Continuing as it did for about 4½ years, it made insolvent all the nations directly involved, devaluing their currencies so greatly that quite often some of them were used to light a cigar.

Unknown to them (but clearly recognized by the Parousia Messenger), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Jesus) had secretly returned, and by secular and religious truth was shaping things toward the great tribulation (the Epiphany—JJH). At the same time Sa­tan had also arisen to scheme the desolation of society, and especially so the various sects. (v. 7) Of course, the sects did not like to hear this; and here they come well within the criticism of Zech. 7:12-14: “They made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets... they cried, and I would not hear... but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not... the land was desolate after them ... they laid the pleasant land desolate.”

On account of the great tribulation, these sects will be in great mourning (both Big and Little Babylon), for the fierce anger of the Lord is toward them. (v. 8) As a result, it should come to pass in that day that combined courage of State and Church shall fail; the leaders will be dumfounded, and the general members will wonder. (v. 9) They have been greatly deceived in believing that peace would prevail, but they received just the reverse. “They have sown the wind (the great war), and they shall reap the whirlwind (Anarchy)... Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.” (Hos. 8:7,8) This shall touch the Jews also in Ja­cob’s Trouble. Then it shall be said of these sects and the State-Church combination that a most distressing war – a figurative dry and dusty wind – (a literal one in Pales­tine is called a sorroco), in which one cannot fan or cleanse himself for comfort – a malady that cannot be relieved by human effort (v. ll), during which time the true church would pronounce the judgment written. (Psa. 149:5-9) The tribulation will come as troubles (which it certainly did in 1914 and subsequently, and is still continuing) ­followed by revolutions and anarchies, becoming now more apparent with every passing day. On every hand the peoples are crying, “Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.” (v. 13)

The Church-State combination will be told to cleanse itself from evils – how long will unprofitable plans remain with it? From one end of Christendom to the other (from Dan to Ephraim) will the great tribulation be publicized. Let it be told to the nations that the radicals. (Communists, Anarchists, etc.) will besiege Christendom (which is now in the year 1979 apparent on every hand). The afflictions of the radicals besiege the unclean sects on all sides because they have sinned against the Lord. Their teachings and practices have brought these evils upon her. They are as gall and wormwood upon them, the evils reaching into their hearts. At all this antitypical Jeremiah’s sympa­thies were deeply touched; he could not be quiet because his very soul heard the strifeful agitations and the call. One destructive battle after another was announced; all society was disturbed; homes (especially of the rich – as seen in Italy particularly) were suddenly despoiled. Yet, despite all this, the warring flags and trumpet sounds of war are much in evidence. (v. 21)

Jeremiah in the type (and Jeremiah in the antitype) lamented the folly of the people in ignoring his teachings – they are stupidly drunk with error, no real intelligence, wise in evil doing, but quite stupid in their understanding of what is good. (22) And because of this society would be destroyed, and their spiritual powers in full error. (23) “The mountains (powerful autocracies) are trembling, and the hills (democratic governments) are easily moved.” (24) The result would be no civil leaders or ecclesiastic promot­ers. (25) The places of prosperity would be made desolate, with all the sects over­thrown through God’s hostile presence (by His Son) and fierce wrath. (26) The whole land will be desolate, although a “full end” will not come to the human race. Some will survive the trouble. (27) Therefore, society and the powers of spiritual control will be clothed in mourning; the Lord will not repent from His purpose in this. (28)

This condition will bring about the downfall of all Christendom; they shall bear the brunt of controversial theorists and those with sharp tongues. They shall try to hide themselves in secret places (“Let the mountains fall on us”); and flee to the strong fortresses of society; the sects shall be abandoned and no longer have leaders to comfort them. (29) And the question was put to the nominal church, What will you do when this happens? Their attempt to put on better clothes will avail them nothing, and attempts to make themselves appear attractive will avail them nothing; all her former supporters will forsake them (the sects). Antitypical Jeremiah heard the anguish pangs of Christendom – the voice of nominal Zion in utmost mourning, lamenting over her growing destruction, pleading for deliverance, but finding none – worn out by ruthless slaying of her supporters. “My soul is wearied because of murders.” (31)

Antitypical Jeremiah continues in Chapter 5, by writings and oral discourses, the fallen condition of Christendom. The people search earnestly for a true leader, God promising to forgive them if they should find one. (5:1) But those who claimed to be doing their Christian duty were simply lying. (2) The Parousia Messenger, in his dis­appointed search, cried to the Lord that he was intent on the Truth and its Spirit. He said that God had afflicted His nominal people to bring them to their senses, but they had not responded, that he had tried to reform them, but they had rejected this also. They hardened themselves like flint; they refused to return to their first love (3) They were then told that they were lacking in spiritual wealth, knowing not the conduct or teachings approved of God. (4) Therefore, he sought the company of their great men to see if they had the conduct and teaching that God approves; but he found they had forsaken these, although still claiming the powers once Divinely given them, attempting to ‘beauty-parlor’ their despicable qualities and acts to make them appear attractive; but failed completely. Therefore, God would bring upon them war, revolu­tion and anarchy, which would slay, devastate and tear them to pieces. (6) This be­cause they had given up God, and embraced various forms of sin, error, selfishness and worldliness – after He had satisfied their hunger and thirst with the bread and water of life. They had formed an unholy alliance with the world and its allurements. (7) They behaved as fully-fed horses who were ‘feeling their oats.’ (8)

To the true church God charges they should attack the nominal church’s powers and do a demolishing work there, but not to complete the destruction, since their evils were not God’s. (10) Then comes the scathing rebuke – Both the houses of Israel (fleshly and spiritual) have dealt very treacherously with God. (11) They have misre­presented Him to the extent that they by their works and teachings had denied Him, con­sidering themselves safe therein. But the leaders “shall become wind” (13); the word will devour them in their standing as professed Christians.

Therefore, God threatens to bring upon them the radical elements of Christendom ­whose language the so-called Christians do not understand, nor do they appreciate the meaning of their theories. These radicals are mighty men who will devour the nominal church’s theories. They will devour their middle and strong members. They will impov­erish all her sects, eat their bread which their children should eat, and destroy them as imitation Christians – “tares” (18) And when those tares should ask of the Truth people why God does these things to us, you may answer them that as they have forsaken the Truth and its spirit, so the Lord has forsaken them. (19)

God then declares that the following message should be delivered to the nominal church in Europe and America: Should not these foolish and undiscerning ones fear the Lord and tremble at the presence of Him who is so powerful – who holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands? (22) But these tares are revolting and rebellious people; neither do they admit that ours is a God of justice, wisdom, power and love – who gave them much Truth in the Jewish and Gospel-Age harvests. (24) Then God tells them that their iniquities and sins have hidden these truths from them. For among the tares there had arisen many evil leaders, who set traps to catch men – especially those with money and influence. (26) They are saturated with defiling errors and deceptions; they are experts in wielding the cheap psychology which they acquired in many of the higher insti­tutions of learning. This makes them appear magnified and attractive, yet they do not practice justice or render real help to the poor who are in need. They are waxen fat, and they shine as great ones. The preachers preach error – error so deceptive that it keeps the great ones in undeserved power and influence. Yet there must come a reckoning, and how will they meet it when it comes?

JEREMIAH CONTINUED

Chapter 6 – Here God addresses His real people, admonishing them to flee out of the midst of the nominal church, and declare that destruction is sure to come upon the nomi­nal church. (6:1) God likened Zion to a polished and beautiful woman, against whom the Truth leaders and their supporters would besiege and make prey. (3) These are exhorted to make war against nominal Zion – increasingly so as the Parousia Day was drawing to its close. After 1914 the first smiting of Jordan occurred, and judgment began to be exe­cuted against the nations—Psa. 149:9. (4) Her main teachings began to be overthrown.

The Truth people were told to prepare pertinent teachings for her besiegement. She is to be punished because she is a complete oppressor. (6) Like a spring pouring forth its waters, so she brings forth sin, error, selfishness and worldliness. She is infamous for her violations of the Truth and its Spirit, causing sorrow and wounds, which cry con­tinually to the Lord for stripes. (7) Yet God tells her to reform, lest she become des­olate and bereaved as to the Truth and its Spirit. God asks as to who it is to whom He should appeal, since her ears are stopped; and the Word is a reproach to them, in which they have no joy. Their denominations will be given to foreigners, along with their labors and state-allianced churches. He will stretch forth His power against the sphere of their teachings. For the least unto the greatest are devoted to avarice; preachers and main leaders alike deal erroneously (13), pretending to heal easily the ills of God’s nominal people with assurances of prosperity, prosperity, when there is none. They were not ashamed because of their abhorrent acts; therefore, God declares they would fall and be abased at the time of their visitation. (15) Therefore, God exhorts them to retain what little Truth they do have, and to seek for it in the Bible as made clear by God’s mouth – a way that will bring rest to the seeker; but they refused to do this. (16)

God also sent teachers among them – especially the Parousia Messenger and his pil­grims – but they refused to hear. (17) Therefore, God exhorted them to recognize the wrath that was in their midst. Addressing all classes, God warns that He would bring tribulation upon the whole assembly, since they had refused and rejected God’s words and law. To no avail do they sacrifice their choice human powers in missionary work to the Jews and the heathen. Some of us will recall that late in the Parousia the nominal church declared that if God would give them thirty million dollars, they would convert the world to Christianity. They received the money; then asked for a man big enough to do the job; and He gave them Billy Sunday! Their burnt offerings have been unac­ceptable, and the sacrifices unacceptable. (20) Therefore, the Lord would place stum­bling-blocks before them; neigh­bors and friends alike would perish, as we see it progres­sing at this day. (21)

God declared that spirits, good and bad, would sally forth against the nominal church, and servants of these would spring up in all directions. (22) Some of these would use sharp sayings against Zion – hard-hearted, merciless, revolutionists arrayed against nominal Zion. They have heard of these people, and anguish seizes them progres­sively unto a climax. (24) Zion exhorts its members not to go into the world, neither accept the Truth, for such are armed with weapons that arouse fear everywhere. (25) They are advised to put on sackcloth and sit in ashes – “for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.”

Jeremiah in type and antitype is set as a tower and a fortress among God’s nominal people. The latter are declared to be melted silver, powerful in evil and corrupting the Truth; but the wicked are not plucked away. They shall be called “reprobate silver” ­Truth cast off, because the Lord has rejected them.

Chapter 7 – Here again the typical and antitypical Jeremiahs are told to tell God’s people of their failings, saying that He would bless them if they would amend their ways. Especially here in the end of the Age was the message to be declared that Greek, Roman and Protestant Churches were not God’s temple. He told them if they would amend their ways, he would spare them, but they trust in lying words that cannot profit. (8) But they burn incense to Baal (type of power-graspers and false teachers). Is my house become a den of robbers, asks the Lord? Therefore, will God utterly cast them away, as He did the primitive church and the less favored people of God. (15)

Then both Jeremiahs were forbidden to pray for these reprobate churches, asking the question, Do you not see what is going on? The small and the great there all work to­gether and bow to “the queen of heaven” (antitypical Semiramis). Therefore, God’s full wrath will be poured out against the nominal church. He reminds them that he brought their fathers out of Egypt (type of this present evil world), and told them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God.” But they would not listen; thus they went backward and not forward. Then the charge is leveled against them: “Since your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt (type of this present evil world) I have sent unto you all my servants (the Star Members and lesser special teachers), but they hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.”

Despite their obstinate refusal to hear, antitypical Jeremiah was told to warn them still more; but they would not receive correction or accept the Truth. Thus, the nomi­nal church lost more and more of the Truth and its Spirit, and God rejected and forsook them. They had set up detestable things in God’s house, such as eternal torment, etc., and offered their strong and weak as victims of this abominable teaching, which God had never taught them because it was a direct contradiction to His great attributes of Jus­tice, Wisdom, Power and Love. But it was emphasized to them that they would reject this abomination as the day of wrath increased – and we see this going on at the present time. Very few intelligent people now believe in eternal torment as the wages of sin. Accord­ing to God’s inspired Word, the wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23) And saith the Lord, that this eternal torment thing shall be known as the valley of slaughter. Unburied, the dead of revolution and anarchy will lie from one end of the earth to the other, with none to mourn or bury them: They “shall be meat for the fowls of heaven.” (33) The voice of the Bridegroom and the voice of the Bride would be heard no more in her at all. This was true in 1916 when all the Very Elect came out of Babylon.

Chapter 8 – The condemnatory message then continues: In that great trouble the mem­ories of their past evils will come vividly to mind, and their false teachers will be ex­posed. The anarchists will discuss the evils of the past – before the Roman and Protes­tants, hierarchs and clergy; their past deeds will be considered as refuse everywhere in society. And death, rather than life, will be the choice of those who remain. The ques­tion arises, Why do my professed people backslide and hold fast deceit? And though these backsliders hear, they do not repent. This is apparent on every side at this day, although Anarchy is yet some years away. The birds and beasts observe their times and seasons, but not so with backsliding Israel. (7) They have set at naught the law of the Lord, and the writings of their scribes are a vain effort. “They have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” (9) Therefore, their supporters will be given to more deserving leaders. The charge is hurled at them that they are covetous. From the least unto the greatest every one deals in error, and have accomplished little, although they yell, Peace (prosperity), peace, when there is no peace (prosperity).

They were not ashamed of their abominations; therefore shall they fall in the time of their visitation. (12) These people reproach one another and agitate that peo­ple join the churches as defendable and safe places, but maintain silence at the Truth attacks leveled against them; they have been forced to drink water of gall. Their hopes for prosperity faded; and their hope of healing gave way to trouble. (15) The babble of theories was heard from one end of Christendom to the other. As has been well stated, Put two economists into a room to discuss the day’s problems, and they’ll come out with three different opinions. Thus the Lord sends subtle and poisonous theories with which they cannot cope, and which usually injure them. And this bad situation greatly troubled the Parousia Jeremiah. It also caused the church members to inquire in desperation, Is not the Lord in Zion? Is Christ not in the nominal church? But the answer comes back to them, They have displeased Him with their man-made creeds and use­less practices. (19) The Parousia Jeremiah was much grieved with this sad situation; and he asks the question, Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there not something in the Word that would give them soothing relief?

Chapter 9 – He was greatly pained at the fallen condition in nominal Zion, and wept over them. He was told to “put a mark upon the foreheads” (instruct them in the Truth); and offered great solace to those who would receive it. But he found the most of them steeped in combinationism and blinded to the real understanding of the Word of the Lord. They speak lies, and are not valiant for the Truth, going from one evil to another. (9:3) Therefore, he warns his true supporters to beware of such, as they are bent upon wrongdoing, and they are clothed in deceit. Therefore, the Lord would cast them into the crucible of trouble, because their utterances are sharply deceitful; and for this God must punish them – that His own name might be vindicated.

God will bewail the autocratic kingdoms. The first of these to fall was Russia in the Fall of 1917. At that time it was one of the most absolute nonarchies that had ever existed; and for the Parousia Jeremiah to predict the sudden-downfall of such a strong civil power received only sneers from the upper crust of society. However, the follow­ing Fall the German Empire collapsed, forcing the Kaiser to flee into Belgium for safety. Since then one after the other has gone down, the last of which was Ethiopia. The “moun­tains” (strong autocratic governments) have all now been carried “into the midst of the sea” (Psa. 46:2), as the Parousia Jeremiah had predicted they would be. “The hills” (the democratic forms of government) also are being slowly disintegrated; and they will re­ceive the same fate as have the mountains. All faces are “gathering blackness” (Joel 2:6)

The religious systems also are being overthrown – just as had been predicted – “no hire for man, nor any hire for beast, no peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: I have set all men every one against his neighbor.” (Zech. 8:10) All of this had been vividly foretold in Parousia Vol. 4 many years before any of it had made its appearance; and man’s inability go regulate himself becomes more glaring with each passing year. As he had so well stated, the worst form of government is better than none at all; and this is slowly dawning upon some of the better minds. When Batista was giv­ing Cuba such a wretched administration, some well-meaning Americans went there to help Castro throw him out; but it is clear enough now that what he provided was vastly super­ior to what they have now. And the same may be said for about all the others that have overthrown their governments. In Iran now (written April 1979) the situation is a step away from anarchy. “the waters (the peoples) thereof roar and be troubled” (Psa. 46:3); yet we may calmly say, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psa. 46:11)

Much of Jeremiah’s writings may be classified as historical rather than prophetic; yet he (antitypical Jeremiah) also foretells those events with phenomenal accuracy; and he is due “double honor” for his courage and insight into human affairs when we consider the vicious opposition he received during his life. Thus we once more say of him, God bless his memory! And we may say the same for the Epiphany Messenger when we consider the valiant help he gave That Servant – and markedly so during the 1908-1911 sifting. As he said of himself concerning that experience, he had worked so arduously that he was well nigh unto death from exhaustion. They both were examples of the believers; a tower of strength to the lesser lights of the Harvest period. On one occasion a critic sneered to one of his supporters, You are just a follower of old Man Russell; to which the brother replied, You are certainly right there; all these years I have been following him, but I have never been able to catch up with him!

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle ,Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – Does the parable of the Sower, where some bring forth an hundredfold, etc., (Matt. 13:8), refer to any other class besides the Little Flock?

ANSWER – No, this parable refers solely to the Little Flock. As That Servant says in the June 23 Manna, “The different measures of fruitage... mark different means of grace.” So none of the fruitage in this parable refers to the Measurably Faithful – or other classes. Crown-losers can’t properly use the sixtyfold or thirty­fold to apply to themselves, much less the hundredfold. As Brother Russell says in Re­print 1973: “But all such fruitful characters are appreciated and rewarded as ‘over­comers,’ and are of the ‘Little Flock’ to whom ‘it is the Father’s good pleasure to give the kingdom.’”

In this parable (Matt. 13:3-23) the Lord describes four classes of people: (1) “The wayside” – referring to those hardened hearts that are irreligious and impossible of conversion in this Faith Age. In those days there were very few fences in Palestine; and the roads often went right through the sower’s field, so it was easy enough for some of the seed to go beyond the ground for which he intended it.

(2) The stony places” – not much earth. This represents that class who attend re­vival meetings, become temporarily exhilarated with the oratory, go to the altar and make loud confessions of faith; but quickly resort to their old habits when any ridi­cule or opposition comes upon them.

(3) “Some among the thorns” – “upon thorny ground” (See Dia.). This would imply that the thorns were not there when the sower cast forth his seed (“all called in the one hope of your calling”—Eph. 4:4), but the “thorns sprung up (grew after the plant­ing) and choked them.” As That Servant has so well explained, the thorns in Palestine grew to great height; and they represent the crown-losers during this Age, some of whom have grown to great height. In many instances they have outshone the Fully Faithful – ­gained more recognition.

However, they are all doubleminded (Jas. 1:8 – “the Great Company who are incon­sistent” –Berean Comment). They work part of the time for the Lord, but their fleshly minds worked for Satan, as they built up Great Babylon – which they will continue to do until their fleshly minds are destroyed. They are “delivered unto Satan for the de­struction of the flesh (fleshly mind), that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor. 5:5—this Epiphany Day)

The above statement needs some clarification: There have been quite a few spirit-­begotten brethren who lost their crowns during the Gospel Age. And many of them have failed to recognize themselves as such; they were not aware that they had lost “the pearl of great price.” (Matt. 13:46) This is confirmed by our Lord’s statement in Matt. 7:22,23, Dia.: “Many (a Great Multitude) shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?... and in thy name done many wonderful works? Then I will plainly declare to them, I never approved of you.” Certainly, the Lord did not approve of the work of John Calvin in his torture and murder of Star Member Servetus, or of some of the work of St. (?) Augustine, Whiteside and similar characters.

However, that situation changed noticeably here in the end of the Age – especially so since 1910 when That Servant wrote numerous articles about crown-losers in the Watch Towers; and from that time on his articles were so clear and forceful that even a novice in the Truth could not but recognize some of these qualities in some of the brethren. And some of these people have since openly admitted they are crown-losers. Therefore, there is no excuse for them, or others in the Truth, to apply texts to crown-losers that apply exclusively to crown-retainers. See the Parable of the Sower, especially those on Thorny Grounds. (See Matt. 13:7 and Berean Comment) So any of them who recog­nize themselves as such and apply these Little Flock texts to themselves, simply reveal themselves as shallow thinkers, or else they are power-graspers and manifest the opera­tion of Baal (worshipers) in the worst form.

Rev. 14:13 tells us that the “works” of the Little Flock follow after them (see Dia.); and nowhere do the Scriptures tell us that any of their works shall be burned. However, 1 Cor. 3:15 tells us that the ‘‘work’’ (singular) of the Great Company shall be burned. What work is to be burned? The work of their “fleshly minds” – which is the work for Azazel. The outstanding work of such people is the construction of Babylon the Great, which made “all nations drunk.” (Rev. 18:3 – Berean Comments: “Of wine, mixed wine; false and true doctrines mixed”) Is it not the construction of Great Baby­lon that has made “all nations drunk”? One of the chief evils of Babylon the Great has been sectarianism; and there were quite a few in the Parousia Movement afflicted with this malady, even though the Parousia Messenger vigorously denounced sectarianism. He told his supporters not to put out any of his literature until they had read it first, and were convinced that it was the Truth. But, sad to say, there are many in the various Truth groups today that are grossly sectarian. Of course, the destruc­tion of Great Babylon in the “fire” of Armageddon when “all the earth shall be devoured by the fire of my jealousy” (Zeph. 3:8), will cleanse quite a few of the Lord’s people from the evil of sectarianism.

Class No. 4 – The wheat class that brought forth fruit – “an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” As has That Servant so ably explained, this does not re­fer to different classes, but refers exclusively to the “wheat” class – the Little Flock. Therefore, to speak of crown-losers as bringing forth an hundredfold, sixtyfold or thirtyfold, is a claim with no Scriptural foundation – and is presumptuous.

There are some Scriptures which apply to the Little Flock that in substance can apply to other classes; however, no other classes can apply Scriptures to themselves that are meant exclusively for the Fully Faithful Little Flock. One of these texts that belongs exclusively to the Little Flock is, “Well done, thou good and faithful Servant.” (Matt. 25:21,23) This is the Talent Parable, and the crown-losers are rep­resented in the “one-talent” man. (Matt. 25:24-28)

Certainly the Great Company “who through fear of death (fear of the sacrificial death) were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:15) could not apply Scrip­tures to themselves that apply only to the Fully Faithful Little Flock, who were all their lifetime “singleminded” instead of “doubleminded” – they were not “subject to bondage” but rather free indeed. (See Mark 7:11; John 8:32,36 – also see Berean Com­ments on Heb. 2:14,15) “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire.” (1 Cor. 3:15 – See Berean Comment)

Note Rev. 14:13, Dia.: “From this time blessed are those dead who die in the Lord; ... that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow after them.” (An exclusive Little Flock text – See Berean Comment)

Although many of the Scriptures quoted herein are descriptive of the Great Company in their uncleansed condition, we rejoice in the Lord’s goodness to them when they are fully cleansed. Rev. 7:14-17 assures us they will be victors, even though they are not “more than conquerors” as are the Fully Faithful; and Psa. 25:8 is also comforting: “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore, will he teach sinners (the Great Company) in the way.” And further in Psa. 45:14,15: “The virgins (the Great Company) her compan­ions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter in the king’s palace.”