NO. 301: ZIONISM - PART TWO

No. 301

In our previous paper on this subject we stated that the Bible Students (meaning especially Pastor Russell) were actively interested in the Zionism question. It is probable that that interest reached its pinnacle in the New York Hippodrome meeting on October 9, 1910; and we quote the following from Reprints 4700-4701 of the October 15, 1910 Watch Tower:

“Pastor Russell, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle... is considered one of the most elo­quent Protestant preachers, and has gained a wide audience among the Hebrews by his sym­pathetic treatment of Jewish questions. His sermon will be on ‘Zionism in prophecy.’ His appearance before a representative mass meeting of Jews will be the first time that a well-known Protestant minister has been asked to deliver an address to such an assembly.

“Prominent Jewish citizens are arranging to make the meeting one of the largest gath­erings ever held in this city. The Yiddish newspapers and Jewish societies are repre­sented on the committees in charge of arrangements. Counselor Leo Wolfson, president of the Federated Romanian Jews of America and Vice Grand Master of the I.W.S.O., when seen at his office, said: ‘As one who is interested in the Jewish question and an old worker for the Zionistic movement, my attention was called to Pastor Russell’s interest in the Jews.

“I feel that an address by him on Zionism and Jewish prophets will present the ques­tion from a new point of view, and a point of view that I will be very willing to learn. I am sure that Pastor Russell’s treatment of the question will be sympathetic, and will doubtless create wide-spread discussion of Zionism, its aims and ideals.

“The committee in charge of next Sunday’s meeting in the Hippodrome includes: A. B. Landau, editor of The Warheit; Louis Lipsky, editor of the Maccabean; J. P. Pfeffer, edi­tor of the Jewish Weekly; Abraham Goldberg, editor of the Yiddish Volk, and Leo Wolfson, editor of the Yiddish Spirit.

“A more interesting audience the Hippodrome never held, perhaps. From all parts of the city came serious-minded Hebrews to hear what it was an alien, a Gentile, might have to say to them at a service, held during their week of feasting, Rosh Hoshana. They were quiet, well-dressed, thinking men and women.

“Among them were many prominent figures of the Hebrew literary world. Some of these escorted Pastor Russell to the Hippodrome in a motor car and then took places in the auditorium. The literary men recognized the pastor as a writer and investigator of international fame an the subject of Judaism and Zionism. Some of those present were Dr. Jacobs, editor of the American Hebrew; W. J. Solomon, of the Hebrew Standard; J. Brosky, associate editor of the same; Louis Lipsky, editor of the Maccabean; A. B. Landau, editor of the Warheit; Leo Wolfson, president of the Federation of Romanian Societies; J. Pfeffer, of the Jewish Weekly; S. Daimont, editor of the Jewish Spirit; S. Goldberg, editor of the American Hebrew; J. Barrondess, of the Jewish Big Stick, and Goldman, editor of H’Yom, the only Jewish daily.”

NO RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS THERE

“No symbol of any religion at all greeted them when they gazed at the Hippodrome stage. It was entirely empty save for a small lectern and the peace flags hanging from silken cords above. One was the familiar silk banner with the Stars and Stripes in its center, together with the words ‘Peace Among Nations’ in letters of gold. An­other bore a rainbow and the word ‘Pax.’ The third was a silken strip bearing minia­ture representations of all the nations’ flags.

“There were no preliminaries. Pastor Russell, tall, erect and white-bearded, walked across the stage without introduction, raised his hand, and his double quartet from the Brooklyn Tabernacle sang the hymn, ‘Zion’s Glad Day.’ The members of this organization are Mrs. E. M. Brenneisen, Mrs. E. N. Detweiler, Miss Blanche Raymond and Mrs. Raymond, Emil Hirscher, C. Myers, J. P. McPherson and W. J. Mockridge. Their voices blended perfectly, and the hymn, without any instrumental accompaniment, was impressive.

“But still there seemed an air of aloofness about the audience. They did not ap­plaud, but sat silently watching the stalwart figure of the pastor. When he began to talk, however, they gave him respectful attention.

“With a powerful, yet charming voice, that filled the great playhouse, the uncon­ventional clergyman made his every word audible to the hearer. His tone pleased their ears, his graceful gestures soon captivated their eyes, and in a few moments his appar­ently thorough knowledge of his subject appealed to their minds. Though still silent, the 4,000 were ‘warming’ up to him.”

RESERVE AND DOUBT VANISH

“It was not long before all reserve, and all possible doubt of Pastor Russell’s entire sincerity and friendliness were worn away. Then the mention of the name of a great Jew leader – who, the speaker declared, had been raised by God for the cause ­brought a burst of applause.

“From that moment on the audience was his. The Jews became as enthusiastic over him as though he had been a great rabbi or famous orator of their own religion. He hailed them as one of the bravest races of the earth – having kept their faith through the per­secutions and cruelties of all other people for thousands of years. And he predicted that before very long they would be the greatest on earth – not merely a people, any longer, but a nation. By a system of deductions based upon the prophecies of old, the pastor declared that the return of the kingdom of the Jews might occur at so near a period as the year 1914. Persecutions would be over and peace and universal happiness would triumph. (After the Old Order has passed away—JJH)

“As he brought his address to a conclusion the pastor raised his hand again to his choir. This time they raised the quaint, foreign sounding strains of the Zion hymn, ‘Our Hope,’ one of the masterpieces of the eccentric East Side poet, Imber.

“The unprecedented incident of Christian voices singing the Jewish anthem came as a tremendous surprise. For a moment the Hebrew auditors could scarcely believe their ears. Then, making sure it was their own hymn, they first cheered and clapped with such ardor that the music was drowned out, and then, with the second verse, joined in by hundreds. The discourse has already been reported in the newspapers which publish the sermons weekly.”

The foregoing is from That Servant’s pen published in the October 15, 1916 Watch Tower, and is not only for the benefit of those who are not familiar with these details, but also for those who are, just as we do with many doctrines: We quote from the two Messengers to “stir up your pure minds.” “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth.” (2 Pet. 1:12)

It should be apparent, however, that our Pastor had a high regard for Zionism; and what he read about it in the prophecies has already seen much fulfillment; and will yet see more. To quote the texts of Scripture bearing an the different phases of the sub­ject would require much space; but whoever will take a copy of Young’s Concordance, turn to page 528, noting the various cases in which the word Israel is used in the New Testament, will have what seems to be overwhelming evidence that the house of Israel was no longer regarded by Jesus and the Apostles as the ‘ten tribes’ merely, but, as it is expressed, ‘all Israel.’ Note especially the following texts: Matt. 8:10; 10;6; 15:24, 31; 27:9, 42; Mark 12:29; 15:32; Luke 1:54,68, and especially v. 80; also 2:25, 32, 34; 24:21; also note carefully John 1:31,49; 3:10; 12:13; also Acts 2:22,36; 3:12; 4:10,27; 5:21, 30, 31, 35; 13:16, 24; 21:28; Rom. 9:6, 31; 10:19; 11:25, 26; 1 Cor. 10:18; Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2:12, Phil. 3:5; Heb. 8:8.”

ZIONISM IN PROPHECY

“Many of our readers are aware that on the Editor’s return from Palestine last June he delivered a discourse entitled ‘Jerusalem.’ Many Jews were attracted by the theme and considerable interest amongst them was aroused. That sermon and several others were published in Jewish papers. Then came interviews with editors, etc., and, finally, an invitation to address a Jewish mass meeting at the New York Hippodrome, with signa­tures an three sheets of paper.

“Accordingly on Sunday October 9, the Editor was met by a committee of five prom­inent Hebrews; Brother Rutherford also accompanied us. The party went in automobiles. The meeting was an enthusiastic one. The number present was estimated at 4,000, and we were told that no finer representative class of Hebrews had ever before come together in one assemblage in New York.

“The address was well received, but apparently it was unfortunate that some of the pamphlets, entitled ‘Jewish Hopes And Prospects,’ were given away at the conclusion of the meeting. Some of the Jews, without recognizing that the pamphlet was gotten out for our Christian readers, considered that by it we were endeavoring to entrap the Jews into Christianity. And Christianity to the Jews, especially Catholicism, means many persecu­tions which have come against their people for many centuries. Some understood the mat­ter aright. Others felt offended, and during the Editor’s absence in Europe last Fall he was attacked as a ‘missionary’ – which, in the Jewish mind, means everything mean, under­handed.

“On our return from Europe in November we corrected the misunderstanding, so far as possible, through the Jewish newspapers. We informed them that we were not trying to ‘mission’ the Jews, nor make them members of either Catholic or Protestant Christian bod­ies. We were not even preaching Jesus to them. Our message was to the Jews as Jews, from Isa. 40:1,2: – ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people; speak ye comfortably to Jerusa­lem; cry unto her that her appointed time is accomplished; that her iniquity is par­doned, for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double.’ We declared that it was not our expectation that the Jews would return to Palestine as Christians. On the contrary, God’s call and promises as respects Jerusalem are earthly promises to natural Israel.

“To a few who asked quite deeply we explained that our understanding is that the Mes­siah of prophecy is a great spirit company composed of many members, including English, French, German, Jews, etc.; that God is gathering this Messianic company to heavenly glory from every nation, people, kindred and tongue, and that only the saintly will be in and of it. We explained: We do not understand that Christians in general, will have part in that Messianic body and that it would be the furthest from our thought to have the Jews get as mixed up on different matters as are the majority of Christian people.

“Since then several Jewish papers continue to publish our writings and we have had two more Jewish mass meetings. One of these was in Chicago. It was somewhat of a disap­pointment as to numbers, until we noticed that the Saturday on which it was held was a particularly unfavorable time. Many Jews expressed their disappointment in not being able to attend, because it would deprive them of their principal business day. Neverthe­less the audience was estimated at fifteen hundred and we had excellent attention.

“Our last meeting with the Jews was held in Philadelphia. It was not at all adver­tised in the secular press. In other words, it was a Jewish meeting. Garrick Theater was full to the limit, with about three hundred standing, when the police, following the fire ordinance, forbade others to enter, and several hundred were turned away disappointed. That meeting was the most enthusiastic held thus far with the Jewish people. Their confi­dence in the Editor seems to be growing. Zionism from a prophetic standpoint seems to stir the Jewish heart as the subject never did politically.

It should now be clear enough to our readers that Brother Russell spent much time in research of the Jewish question – past and future – because the time had come for this work; and we adopt much the same attitude, although we do not attempt to classify ourselves with him in our writings on the matter. But we would emphasize here that those who at­tempt to make a distinction between the prophecies concerning the ten tribes and the two tribes make a mistake when they do this. Jer. 31:31 stresses “both the houses of Israel,” meaning the ten tribes and the two tribes, who had become separated from each other in the revolt after the death of Solomon. Time itself had made quite ludicrous the claims of the Anglo-Israel organization that claimed the English people are the ten ‘lost’ tribes.

There is just no foundation in fact or Scripture for such a conclusion. Julius Caesar discovered – or invaded – England in 55 B.C., but there is no evidence at all that any of the twelve Apostles ever went there; and, since 1914, before which the British were the money lords of the world, the British money has been taking quite a beating; and this would have been much more pronounced had not the United States been so generous in helping them. This has probably been a compensation from the Lord for the help they have given Zionism and the Jews in their present occupation of Palestine. And it should be ap­parent that we do not wish to create any quarrel when we say what we have said herein.

Some years back we attended an International Monetary Seminar in New York for three days, at which the speakers were prominent bankers, financial men and economists from England, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Japan, Mexico, etc.; and one of the econo­mists ventured the statement that the United States is now in the same relative position as was England in 1914 – that we should now become the financial center of the globe. So we presented the question to him: Today a steel worker in the United States earns as much money in one day as does the steel worker in Germany in one week for the same work. That condition did not prevail in 1914. How do you reconcile the two conditions? He said he had not thought of that.

While some of the statements herein are our own, much of it is from the Watch Tower; and this will be our position in the remainder of this article. Thus, we now go back to the Feb. 1, 1898, Reprint 2256: “Some years ago, being curious to know how learned Hebrews view the Old Testament to Christ – as ‘a lamb for the slaughter,’ etc., we visited a friendly rabbi, and asked him the question. He replied that Hebrews apply these prophe­cies to the Hebrew people and their centuries of bitter experiences under more or less persecution. We are forcibly reminded of this false method of interpretation by the statement of Dr. Herzl at the Basel Congress, held August 29 last – to the effect that that Congress was the ‘birth’ of their Messiah – that the Messiah class which they hope will fulfill all the good promises of Scripture concerning Abraham’s seed was there organ­ized. It appears, too, that the date (Aug. 29) was selected in harmony with a tradition prevalent among the Bulgarian Jews to the effect that Messiah would be born on that date.

“This is quoted with some assurance of endorsement by Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf in a recent discourse from which we quote the following comment on the Zionist movement and congress. He said: ‘The boldness of that dream startled the world. As for me, when the full report reached me and I read the fearful story of the Judennoth, that was submitted to the congress, I could not wonder at the statement made by Dr. Herzl, the president of the congress, during the first day’s session: The Bulgarian Jews have long believed that the Messiah should be born on a 29th of August. They were right, THE MESSIAH HAS BEEN BORN TODAY IN THE ZIONIST CONGRESS.’

“It was a magnificent assemblage of Israelites that had gathered there in Congress. Two hundred delegates, representing many hundreds of thousands of people had come with a most sacred purpose, that of putting an end to the persecutions and miseries of mil­lions of Jews by re-acquiring for them of their own native Palestine and reestablishing them there in peaceful and honorable industries.

“It was beyond doubt the most remarkable gathering in the whole history of Israel. The venerable Dr. Lippe opened the congress and Dr. Herzl gave the keynote of the move­ment, comparing the inflictions of the modern anti-Semite with the Jew baiter of former centuries. A similar tale of woe was told by Max Nordau. It was the same refrain by all, and the congress concluded that the settlement of Palestine was the only solution of the Jewish question........

“Upon research, I found that Palestine, with the adjacent countries stretching between the Euphrates and the Tigris, that are now almost deserted, could amply support millions of agricul­turists. The soil is luxuriously fertile, the climate salubrious, the water pure and abundant, the irrigation canals of the ancients still available. The winters are short and mild, the summers long enough to ripen two harvests. The products of all the land can be laid down in the capitals of Europe within five days after their shipment and in price and excellence they can drive from the market those of other com­peting countries. Because of these conclusions I have been proclaimed a Zionist and have been asked to attend the second congress at Jerusalem next summer.”

Some of our readers probably know that for many years some of the Jews, some of them leaders, have contended that the United States is the promised land. Here they can own real estate, engage in lawful business. Many of them have become prominent doctors and lawyers; many have become prosperous business men, and have amassed great fortunes. Some forty years ago we often went to New York; and we were told at that time that Kuhn, Loeb & Co., Wall Street members, had an estimated wealth of fifteen billion dollars. We visited their offices a few times; and have no reason to doubt what we were told.

This same outfit, with some others, had at that time formed a charitable organization to establish incoming Jews in business by lending them the necessary funds. If they failed, the same thing was repeated. However, if they failed two times in a row, no more help was given them; they would then be on their own – although it seems this seldom hap­pened. We knew a Gentile lady who worked in that office; and she said she was very happy in her job, that those Jews never discharged any one except for disloyalty.

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL

Chapter VIII of Parousia Vol. 3, pages 243-300, treat of this subject in some detail; and we now present some excerpts from those pages, having in mind that this is quite fa­miliar to some of our readers, but not nearly to all of them. This offers Scriptural proof of their phenomenal rise under the reign of David and Solomon; their fall under Zedekiah in the Fall of 607 B.C.; their dispersion in the year 70 A.D.; and predictions of their rise again. As we read, let us keep in mind that this book was begun in 1889 and put an the press in 1891 – a few years before the first Zionist congress was held in Basel. And when we consider the progress the Jews have made since that time, we can but offer grateful respect to the writer of Volume III.

“Among the relics of antiquity that have come down to our day, there is no other object of so great interest as the Jewish people. The searchers after ancient lore have untiringly questioned every inanimate object that could give a mite of historic or scien­tific information. Monuments, altars, tombs, relics of public and private edifices, paintings, sculptures, hieroglyphics and dead languages have all been appealed to; and some have even tried patiently to discover the line of actual truth that probably inspired the many fanciful traditions, legends, songs, etc., that have come floating down the cen­turies, in order to learn all that is possible to know of human origin, history and des­tiny. But a most interesting relic, and the one whose history can be most easily deciph­ered and understood, is the Jewish people. In them we have a monument of antiquity of inestimable value, upon which are recorded, in clearly legible characters, the origin, progress and final destiny of the whole human race – a living and intelligent witness of the gradual outworking of a wonderful purpose in human affairs, in exact conformity with the predictions of their divinely inspired prophets and seers. (pp. 243-244)

“As a people they still have faith in God, though in their blindness and pride of heart they have stumbled over the humility of God’s appointed messenger for the world’s salvation; so that, instead of receiving Him, they crucified the Savior, the Lord of glory. And yet the Apostles and prophets show us that even in this flagrant crime, to which their pride and self-will drove them, was not one which could never be forgiven them. Because of it, they have been punished, and that severely. When they condemned the just One and said, ‘His blood be upon us and our children,’ they little expected the fearful recompense which followed....

“Since then Israel has been a nation scattered and peeled. Driven as exiles from country to country, and from province to province, they have been deprived of almost every right and privilege which other men enjoyed. Rejecting Christianity, as well in its corrupted as in its pure form, they became the objects of the contempt and relentless persecution of the Church of Rome. (p. 246)

“Since the destruction of their temple and their dispersion, the sacrifices have been discontinued; but in most other respects the Mosaic requirements are yet observed among the orthodox Jews. Their worship, as of old, consists in the reading of Scripture, prayer and praise. The second day of their feast of trumpets they read the account of Abraham’s offering of his son Isaac and God’s blessing on him and his seed. Then they blow the trumpet and pray that God would bring them to Jerusalem. (p. 249)

“Nor will the coming favor to Israel be exclusive. All believers in the covenant promises may share those returning favors with the natural seed, as during this age any Jew who accepted Christ was eligible to the spiritual blessings and advantages offered during the age. As only a small remnant believed in and accepted the gospel favors at the beginning, so, aside from the Jews, only a small number of mankind will be ready for the new laws and conditions of the Millennial age, under the just administration of the glorified Lord and His glorified Church; hence, at first, few but Jews will be blessed under it.

“The Jew, long used to striving to do, and of trusting of works of obedience to the Law to secure for him God’s blessing, stumbled over the first feature of the Gospel age, the remission of sins, without works, to every one that believeth in Jesus’ perfect work and all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. But the Jew’s respect for the Law will turn to his advantage in the dawn of the Millennial age, and none will be more ready for the strict requirements and laws of that Age than he, after his blindness as to Christ and the value of His sacrifice for sins shall have passed away; for works are required after faith in Christ, though not accepted before. And the Jew, in accepting the love and favor of God and Christ, will not be so inclined to lose sight of God’s justice as many others of today. Others, on the contrary, will be blinded for a time and unready to recognize the rules of the Kingdom, in which justice will be laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet. (pp. 253-54)

TO THE JEW FIRST

“We see, then, that God’s prediction, that Israel (except the faithful few) would be blinded by their Law (Rom. 11:9), was fulfilled in a natural way; and also that his fur­ther prediction, that the favors and conditions of the Millennial Age will bless many of them more quickly than others, is also to come about in a perfectly natural way and to re­sult from reasonable causes.

“So the Millennial favors will be to the Jew first, even as by reason of the coven­ants, etc., the Gospel favors were offered to them first. And so it shall be finally as Simeon prophesied: ‘This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.’ And the time for raising up that nation, so long fallen from favor, is at hand. (p. 256)

“But let us guard against a too common mistake, made by many who see something of these promises, of supposing that the statements should be taken literally, which say: ‘After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle (house) of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.’ ‘And the Lord shall give him the throne of his father David.’ ‘And David my servant, shall be king over them.’ (Acts 15:16; Luke 1:32; Ezek. 37:24) While the literalness of the promised return of Israel to their own land, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem upon her own heaps, cannot be questioned, we may be equally confident that by the house and throne of David, not the literal stones, timbers, etc., are meant. The re-establishment of the house of David refers to the re-establishment of royalty and dominion in the hand of Da­vid’s posterity. Christ Jesus is the promised scion of David’s house, the heir of his throne; and when His authority begins to be established, that will be the beginning of raising up (permanent establishment) of the formerly temporary house or tabernacle of David, that was overthrown, and that for many centuries has lain in the dust. So, like­wise, the ‘throne of David,’ upon which Messiah will sit, refers not to the wood, gold and ivory bench upon which David sat, but to the dignity, power and authority of office which he exercised. That authority, office or throne, which David occupied for some years, is to be filled on a much grander scale by Jehovah’s Anointed, our Lord Jesus.” (pp. 256-57)

SOME EVIL REVOLUTIONISMS

From the above quotations, it should be clear to any child that our beloved Pastor thoroughly believed, and was in full accord with the teaching of St. Paul in Rom. 1:16 ­“salvation is to the Jew first” – not only in the Great Salvation but also in the Common Salvation (Heb. 2:3 and Jude 3); and also with the Apostle John in John 4:22: “Salva­tion is of the Jews.” Thus, it becomes doubly noxious and pernicious to note that two organizations that were taught of him, and at one time believed what he taught, should now be substituting their own concocted errors for the Truth they learned of him.

In Isa. 2:3 we are told that “Out of Zion (the Christ Company in Heaven – “Do ye know not the saints shall judge the world.”— 1 Cor. 6:2) shall go forth the law; and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (the resurrected Worthies who will be the visible government here on earth – “princes in all the earth”—Psa. 45:16) – who will be assisted by the faithful orthodox Jews as missionaries, the “first” to receive the blessings of the New Covenant. (Jer. 31:31)

The two organizations mentioned above are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement. The Witnesses now teach that the “great multitude” of Rev. 7:9 refers to their large crowd that is now working for them; that the Jews who do not accept them now will be destroyed forever in the approaching Armageddon. The context of Rev. 7 clearly shows that the great multitude will be a spiritual class – as Pastor Rus­sell taught it. At one time the Witnesses believed this, too, so they are now revolu­tionizing against a truth they once taught. They now teach that their present devotees will not only be the earthly rulers, but will also be used to generate a new earthly population free from sin.

The LHMM does not go to the extreme of the Witnesses. They merely contend that their new converts will supersede the Jews; that instead of being “to the Jew first” it will be to their “Consecrated Epiphany Campers first,” which are now being added to their following. This is also in direct contradiction to the teaching of our Pastor, as well as to the teachings of Brother Paul S. L. Johnson, who was the founder and head of the LHMM. The LHMM, as well as the Witnesses, can find Scripture to “prove” their errors; but all teachers of error, past and present, have been able to pervert Scrip­tures to “prove” their false teachings.

Much more could be written an this subject, but we hope we have given sufficient to convince our readers of the truth an the matter. Thus we close with Amos 9:11,14,15:

“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.”

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

I was very glad to receive the advance copies of your papers yesterday. Also, I was very glad that you are getting stronger. I have not been feeling the best lately.

I have been going through the back PT’s lately, and I find that Brother K’s last book in the first chapter of it, he took from Brother Johnson’s writings; and so far as I can see, he did not try to corrupt them. From page one to bottom of p. 29 was originally in February 1944 PT, p. 20 on. Then from the bottom of p. 29, Vol. 3, The Flood Year Type and Antitype, was from PT, pp. 21, 107-110 – also reprinted in PT ‘42, pp. 26-29. Also found in E Vol. 5, pp. 62-76.

I see that Brother G in his last PT covered some of the same ground, and he did not seem to set aside anything. I surely cannot agree with Brother K on the second chapter of his Vol. 3 in his treatment of Chapter 12-36 of Genesis, where he tries to make himself an antitype of Jacob. Abraham types Brother Russell and Isaac types Bro. Johnson. I glanced over Bro. J’s version that was published years ago on the same chapters – and, as a rule, I find them more reasonable. He at least did not try to bring out any new Truth particularly. What he did bring out agreed with what had al­ready been given before in Brother Johnson’s writings – and the events were in the past. At least J did not try to be a special messenger.

Also in going over the old PT’s in the early 1950’s, I was quite interested in your letter to Brother J on further light on Zechariah in July ‘52, pp. 58-59 PT – and the Economic Situation in Nov. ‘52, p. 92 PT. How similar today, but lots worse! I, more or less, favor Ronald Reagan, but I realize that it is too late now for any one to do anything.

I also found in the PT ‘39, p. 99, col. one that Brother Johnson expected the Great Company to be here after April 1958, which also ought to be a good answer to Bro. K, who believed they were gone since 1954; and the joke of it is it took him 18 years later to discover that. The same thought is found in the question on p. 82, May 1941 PT. You will note that Brother Johnson brings out the thought that the Ancient Worthies cannot come back until after the application of the blood of the antitypical Goat – that which works atonement before God for the restitution of the world, a part of which the AW and Youthful Worthies will be. Bro. K in many instances tried to bring out that the Youthful Worthies share with the Great Company in the sin offer­ings for the willful sins of the world.

Yes, as to the Great Company being all gone, if I were to believe either of them I think Bro. G is nearer right than K – as things have gotten worse since J died. The way things are developing, 1984 may not be too far wrong. Of course I cannot believe that the Great Company are all gone yet, as a few whom we think are GC members are still with us. I see where Brother P. L. Read died at the age of 93. (If the Great Company are still with us, it is also probable that some of the Little Flock are still with us, as they would have to be in the same age group—JJH) He was the main stay of the PBI, so I don’t know what will happen to them now. I see where a good many of the older brethren are dying lately.

In looking over the old PT’s I came across the article on The Seventy Years Deso­lation of the Land in the Jan. 1962 PT, pp. 11-12, which Bro. J answered concerning 1914-1984. What do you think of the article?

Well, dear Ones, I think I had better close for now, hoping that this finds all of you much improved in health, as we all depend on you in your able defense of the Truth, both the past and Present Truth. I, for one, surely do appreciate your efforts.

With much Christian love to you all, I remain your brother by His Grace -------

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Dear Brother Hoefle:

Thank you for serving me with the Truth over these many years. Enclosed is a check long overdue to help you in the Lord’s work.

May the Lord be with you and Sister Hoefle as you continue in the work.

Sincerely ------- (CONNECTICUT)

NO. 300: GOD'S GREAT COVENANTS

No. 300

A number of covenants are set forth in the Bible, which may be broadly grouped into two classes – word covenants and blood covenants. While there are a number of word covenants, there are but two blood covenants. After brief comment on the former, we shall offer some detail on the latter. Although the blood covenants find their base along with certain details in some of the word covenants, it is the blood covenants – ­commonly named in the Scriptures the Law Covenant and the New Covenant – that particu­larly concern the great majority of the human race.

The first word covenant, conveniently styled the Adamic Covenant, is found in the very beginning of the Bible – in the first days of human history: “The Lord God com­manded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (“dying thou shalt die”—Gen. 2:16,17 – see Margin). The man had no choice in the terms of this covenant – he must accept it, and abide by its terms, or receive the inevitable result, experience the “dying process” until the grave eventually claimed him – in Adam’s case 930 years of “dying.” The world is “dead in trespasses and sins” – all under the death sentence. (Eph. 2:1) A thousand years is one day with the Lord. (See 2 Pet. 3:8 and Psa. 90:4)

While the Genesis account does not specifically describe this mandate as a coven­ant, the prophet Hosea (6:7) does say so: “But they (the Jewish nation) like men (“like Adam,” see margin) have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.” Just as Adam had attempted deceit and shallow argument after his viola­tion of his covenant, so had the Jews done likewise in their attitude toward the Law Cov­enant. It is well to note here, however, that there was no written covenant with Adam, as there was with the Jews at Sinai. Nevertheless, the “treachery” was the same in both cases: both covenants were violated by the human parties thereto falling into sin. A difference, too, may be noted: Adam was perfect, and had no inclination at all toward sin; thus, his was a deliberate act – whereas, the Jews had been “born in sin shapen in iniquity,” of which more later.

A second covenant is the one with Noah, the RAINBOW COVENANT: “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between He and the earth (the human social order). .. The waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. A token of the covenant between Me and all flesh.” (Gen; 9:13,15,17) And further: “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee... For have I sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart (the autocratic earthly King­doms in the Time of Trouble), and the hills (lesser and more democratic governments) be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed.” (Isa. 54:8-10)

The Abrahamic Covenant is another word covenant: “The Lord said to Abraham, Get thee out of thy country ... unto a land that I will show thee... and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:1-4) In this word covenant is the first intimation of the great Plan of the Ages which would restore to mankind what had been lost by Father Adam. The word Abram means “high father”; and God presented him with some severe exactions before he could claim the covenant as his: “Get thee out of thy country (Ur of the Chaldees), and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.” (Canaan, present-day Palestine, especially that part in the vicinity of Jerusalem.) The confirmation of this covenant – after Abraham had complied with his requirements – was 430 years before the Law (blood) Covenant was given at Sinai. (Gal. 3:17)

The foregoing covenant was re-affirmed and elaborated in Gen. 22:16-18, which rec­itation is styled the Oath-Bound Covenant because of its wording: “By myself have I sworn (sealed with an oath), saith the Lord ... that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore ... and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” St. Paul refers to this covenant in Heb. 6:13,14: “When God made promise to Abraham, because He could sware by no greater, He swore by Himself, Saying, surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” All of this was the result of Abraham attempting, at God’s command, to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, from which the Angel of the Lord restrained him at the crucial moment. And, while this may also be defined as a word covenant, the near sacrifice of Isaac, and the actual sacrifice of the ram in the thicket (vs. 13) gave a mild hint of things to come later in the blood covenant of Sinai and the still later one of “Mount Zion.” (Heb. 12:18-24)

In the Oath-bound Covenant also came the first intimation that Abraham’s seed would be both heavenly and earthly. “Now, we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.” (Gal. 4:28) And there appears here a very unusual circumstance: Abra­ham is titled “the father of them that believe” (Rom. 4:11), and with him was the Oath­bound Covenant originally made; yet he himself is not to be of the heavenly seed. In Hebrews 11 St. Paul directly includes Abraham by name; then offers the summation: “These all .. received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us (the spiritual Isaac, “the children of the promise”), that they without us should not be made perfect.” Jesus verifies this conclusion in Luke 7:28: “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the Kingdom of God (the Class in which Paul includes himself – the “us” class) is greater than he.” Thus, Abraham will eventually be one of the children of antityp­ical Isaac.

There is yet another word covenant, the Covenant Of Sacrifice: “Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5) It could properly be stated here that this is a semi-blood covenant, because it involves the death of each individual who becomes a part of it. The individuals compose the Christ Company, those who “were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God.” (Rev. 20:4) Not all of them have come to a violent end (as did Jesus, the Apos­tles, and many others during this Gospel Age), but each one did truly “pour out his soul unto death.” Thus, each one furnishes the blood, his own blood, to seal his part in this Covenant, even as Jesus also “left us an example, that we should follow in His steps.” (1 Pet. 2:21) Thus, we believe the expression ‘semi-blood covenant’ is proper­ly placed here. None of those involved in this Covenant of Sacrifice had his part there­in sealed by the blood of other men or animals – as do the two real blood covenants ­but each one has heeded the appeal of St. Paul: “Present your bodies a living sacri­fice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Rom. 12:1)

THE LAW COVENANT

Comes now a consideration of the Law Covenant, the one at Sinai mediated by Moses, as proposed by God and accepted by all Israel. It is indeed properly described as “the blood of sprinkling,” with the terse summation of it contained in the Ten Commandments (literally, ten words) as given in Exodus 20; and more briefly stated by Jesus Himself: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.” But in its broad sense it began with the Pass­over in Egypt, when “the blood of sprinkling” of the typical lamb was observed by each Jewish house that awesome night. And, continuing, it embraces practically everything in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronony.

Jesus said that all of that law was typical – that “one iota or one tip of a let­ter shall by no means pass from the Law, till all be accomplished.” (Matt. 5:18, Dia.) And St. Paul elaborates upon this in Heb. 10:1-9, Dia., part of which reads: “The Law, having a shadow of the future good things, not the very image of the things, is by no means able with the same animal sacrifices which they offer continually, to perfect those who draw near ... Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offering thou didst not desire, nor didst delight in (which are offered according to the Law); Then He (Jesus) said, Behold, I come to perform Thy will. He takes away the first (the continual sac­rifices of the Law) that He may establish the second” (the “better sacrifices,” of Him­self and all who have joined with Him by “following in His steps.”—See Heb. 9:23). In 1 Cor. 10:11, Dia., this “shadow” is further confirmed: “These things occurred to them (the Jews) typically.”

The Law, being an institutional type, must continue until its antitype appears ­to “fulfill” it, to fill it full in every minute detail. But, once the antitype does appear, the type is no longer effective or obligatory upon those involved. Therefore, when Jesus “takes away the first... that He may establish the second,” He in one mas­ter stroke eliminated all the animal sacrifices of the Law, which in turn left no more room for the Jewish priesthood or the rituals they performed. However, the “ten words” of the Law still bind those who have not accepted Christ; and that feature of the Law Covenant must continue operative until its antitype, the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34), is inaugurated.

The various features of the Law are distributed over four whole books of the Pen­tateuch; but the acceptance by the people is contained in just one simple sentence: “Moses took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people; and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” (Ex. 24:7,8)

It needs reminding, however, that the great majority of the people quickly forget the covenant. Most of them had not even the will to abide by it; but of those few who wished to do so, it soon became apparent that they were unable to do so. They were far removed from the condition of Adam when the Lord’s command was given to him in Eden. He could have done what was asked of him; but even those faithful Jews who earnestly strove to keep their covenant found that what they thought was unto life was really unto death, which prompted St. Paul to write: “I was alive without the Law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” (Rom. 7:9) He, speaking repre­sentatively for all Israel, had come to realize that the Abrahamic covenant, which as­sured the blessing of all men, including Paul and all his brethren, had put all of them in the position of eventually attaining life; but, when they placed themselves under an ideal beyond their ability to reach, the Law itself then commanded death for disobedience – whether that disobedience were willful or in spite of their best efforts to avoid disobedience. However, they were blessed when they endeavored to obey the Law. (Josh. 23:3)

The Law Covenant (the first of the blood covenants) also had attached to it cer­tain offices and intermediary persons not found in any of the word covenants. There was Moses the Mediator; also, a priesthood, prophets and kings who performed certain services that were not parts of the obligations of the people in their promises concern­ing the covenant itself.

The Law Covenant, with its righteous arrangements for human relations, its supe­rior dietary requirements, and its worship of the one true Cod in holiness of purpose and avoidance of all superstition and traditional chicanery, was a far step from the religions of Canaan and the east country. Thus, it is little wonder that Satan at­tempted to counterfeit such parts of the Plan of the Ages as he understood. It had been dimly hinted in the transgression in Eden that a deliverer would eventually come to succor men from the disaster he had invited by his willful disobedience. And as more was added to the Divine Revelation, Satan busied himself by not only counterfeit­ing what was revealed, but using also his imagination to concoct features as he consid­ered they might eventually be.

As stated previously, the Law Covenant was typical in all its details; but parts of it were to be fulfilled during the Gospel Age, and the remainder during the Millen­nial Age. Thus, Jesus was the Gospel-Age antitype of the Atonement-Day bullock, and the Church, His Body, has been the Gospel-Age antitype of the Atonement-Day goat as typed in Leviticus 16. Inklings of the Ransom and the Sin Offering were gradually re­vealed as the inspired testimony increased through the writings of the various “elders,” the 24 writers of the Old Testament. (Rev. 4:4; 5:5) As it gradually began to be re­vealed that Jesus would die and then be raised from the dead about the Passover time in the Spring, Satan busied himself with a counterfeit of this in the heathen religions, specially in that of Babylon.

It will be recalled that Babylon was founded by Nimrod (upstart)—Gen. 10:10, whose sinful performances became so obnoxious that he was eventually executed at the instigation of Melchiz­adek, his body was divided into fourteen pieces, one of which was sent to each section of the then established world, as a warning to others not to continue in his evil ways. But Satan immediately moved Nimrod’s cult survivors to circulate the rumor that he had not really died, that he was too strong to be contained in the tomb, that he was now risen and placed in the sun: This quickly led to sun­worship under the name of Baal, Tammuz, etc. And by the time Israel was to lose its national individuality in the Fall of 607 B. C., the belief had been well established in Babylon that Tammuz died every Spring, but he was brought back to life again, and his place in the sun, by three days of violent weeping by the women of that city.

This idea had become so strong by that time that it had captivated certain rene­gades in Jewry, which aroused the Prophet to write: “He brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.” (Ezek. 8:14) Here was the counterfeit of the experience of Jesus: “Women bewailed and lamented Him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jeru­salem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” (Luke 23:27, 28) By the time Babylon had reached its pinnacle, its Satan-invented religion had with certain variations infected the whole heathen world, which inspired the expression from Jeremiah (51:7) – “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore, the nations are mad.”

And this same situation found even greater repetition in the Gospel Age through the manipu­lations of the Roman Church, of which the Apostle John had written in advance of the occurrence: “I saw a woman ... having a golden cup in her hand ... upon her fore­head a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” (Rev. 17:4,5) Note the close similarity between the two recordings. We have offered this slight digression here to show how true types of the Law Covenant have been greatly overshadowed by the earlier inventions of the great “serpent” (de­ceiver) – to the extent that most Christians know little or nothing about them.

THE NEW COVENANT

Some of the prophets were more or less aware of what had transpired, as evidence the words of Jeremiah (31:31-34): “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not accord­ing to the covenant (the Law Covenant) that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake (some of which we have described aforegoing), although I was an husband unto them; But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts ... and they shall no more teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” The Prophet Ezekiel (36:26,27) writes more of the same: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

The Apostle Paul discusses these Scriptures in the eighth chapter of Hebrews, quot­ing large portions of them, then summing up in this wise: “In that He saith, A new cov­enant, He hath made the first (the Law Covenant) old. Now that which decayeth and wax­eth old is ready to vanish away” – as its various features were fulfilled. The contrast is very incisive in the first verses of this chapter: “We have such an high priest ... A minister of the true tabernacle (not the tabernacle made with hands at the time of the Law Covenant), which the Lord pitched, and not man ... But now hath Jesus obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant (the New Covenant) which was established upon better promises.”

This, the second blood covenant, has been already assured, although its administra­tion is yet future – waiting for the full number of servants to be gathered who shall officiate and mediate it between God and the whole human family. “Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched ... and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words ... but ye are come unto Mount Sion ... the heavenly Jerusalem ... to God the judge of all ... to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel ... See that ye refuse not Him that speak­eth better things than that of Abel ... See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh Wherefore, we receive a Kingdom which cannot be moved.” (Heb. 12:18-28)

The Mediator of this New Covenant will be primarily Jesus, but joined with Him will be the entire Christ Company. They in turn will be assisted by the Great Multitude (Rev. 7:9), and the Worthies – four elect classes (the “Just”) who will administer the bless­ings to those of the “unjust” who will bow with the knee and confess with the tongue that Christ is Lord. (Phil. 2:9-11) Those who “will not hear that prophet shall be de­stroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23)

It should be noted here that the New Covenant is eminently superior to the Law Covenant, because it will actually accomplish all it is designed to do. We say the New Covenant is superior to the Law Covenant, because the Law Covenant was “weak through the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3) The Law Covenant itself could have no superior if it had been kept by the Jews. “All God’s works are perfect.” The imperfection of the Law Covenant was in the human weaknesses of those who agreed to keep it, but could not do so – their own imperfections making them insufficient to cope with the perfection required in the Law. But the New Covenant – through the better Mediator – will give life to all who will receive it under the easier terms of that covenant. Under the Law Covenant and its Mediator there was no such provision, and it brought the reverse – death.

Thus, the question properly arises, Why was there a Law Covenant at all if the human acceptors could not possibly adhere to it? St. Paul offers his usual superb logic on the question in Gal. 3:21-29: “If there had been a law (covenant) given which could have given life, verily righteousness (justification) should have been by the law ... But before faith came, we were kept under the law ... wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ (by persuading all the persuadable ones of their inability to save themselves by their works under the law), that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

The Apostle offers further enlightenment on this in Rom. 10:1-4: “My heart’s de­sire and prayers to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them rec­ord that they have a zeal of God (as some of them earnestly endeavored to keep the law), but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God (by accepting Christ). For Christ is the end (the fulfillment) of the law for righteousness to every one that be­lieveth.” But of those who have not accepted Christ, “God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all” (Rom. 11:32) – in the Kingdom; they are to have the broad classification of the “unjust” – unjustified of this Age. See Acts 24:15 and John 5:28,29.

All of the “just” will have a better resurrection than any of the “unjust.” See Rev. 20:5 and Hebrews 11:35. The blessing of the nations through Abraham’s seed will come from the “stars of Heaven” (two elect classes raised as spirit beings before the New Covenant can begin to operate) – and from the “sand of the seashore” (the two elect classes who will officiate as perfect human beings on earth). “The Law shall go forth from Mount Zion (the Heavenly Jerusalem), and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (in Palestine).” Thus, all four of these elect classes will receive a better resurrection than their former human associates, with those serving from Jerusalem being elevated to the spirit realm after the New Covenant has met all its requirements to make every human being (who will hear the prophet) a king in his own right. But even at that time it will properly be said that all the Covenant’s administrators (the four elect classes) will have received a superior resurrection to that of the residue of men. And this leaves no space at all for the non-existent classes taught by the errorists of our day – such as Campers Consecrated, quasi-elect consecrated, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Jonadabs, or “large crowd” – among the “Just,” either at the beginning of the New Cov­enant, or at the end of the New Covenant.

And what shall we say of the non-elect – all those who will have part in the res­urrection of the unjust? All of us know there are many noble people among them, as well as many who are not so noble. However, among the elect – among those who have covenanted to walk a ‘narrow way’ during the ascendancy of sin and evil – there are not many “wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26) And what shall we say of these noble ones of the non-elect? Will their nobil­ity be overlooked? No! They will be greatly blessed, even at the beginning, as they walk up the Highway of Holiness (Isa. 35:8), because it will be easy and agreeable for them to conform themselves to the Kingdom’s righteous laws. When they recognize God’s love, His goodness and mercy toward them, they will be glad. They will be among those for whom the promise applies: “Whosoever is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) And what shall we say of the very wicked? Among them, too, there will be some who will come to love and appreciate God’s love and goodness toward them; and as they seek to extricate their sinful tendencies they will join with those who walk up the Highway of Holiness.

When God’s Plan is fully understood it clarifies God’s past and present dealings, with the children of men. The Bible becomes in its light a book harmonious with it­self, with God’s character, Christ’s Ransom, the Holy Spirit’s work, man’s needs and with the facts. It indeed is thereby demonstrated to be the depository of God’s marvel­ous Plan of the Ages, as well as the glorious expression of His adorable character. He thus becomes loved by us with “Love Divine all love excelling,” and with “Joy of heaven to earth come down.” Let us worship, praise and adore Him, all whose works praise (re­flect credit upon) Him. “Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear (reverence) thee, 0 Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy; For all nations shall come and worship before thee; For Thy righteous acts have been made manifest.” (A.R.V. - Rev. 15:3,4)

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb... 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. 22:1,3) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)

Some comments on Psa. 103:2-4 are pertinent as an aid to demonstrate the working of the New Covenant, and to reveal its superiority over the Law Covenant: “Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgiveth all thine iniquities (by providing the perfect Sin Offering of Christ); Who healeth all thy diseases (as each one returns from the tomb, he must self-evidently be rid of the cause that sent him to the grave, otherwise he would immediately succumb once more); Who redeemeth thy life from destruction (“the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His beams” to “redeem them from death, and ransom them from the power of the grave”); Who crown­eth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies (physical, mental, moral and religious perfection). As Job has written, “His flesh will become fresher than a child’s; he shall return to the days of his youth.” (33:25)

These are indeed “Glad tidings of great joy” which shall be for all people – and we send this forth with the prayer that it will bless, uplift and comfort all who re­ceive it – especially those of the Household of Faith. “I will praise thee, 0 Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great un­to the Heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heav­ens: let thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psa. 57:9-11)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint of No. 169)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION:  – Why do the Societyites believe that Christ died not for the wicked of Adam’s race?

ANSWER: – It is not because of their having any Scriptural proof for it, which they do not have, but because J.F.R. shortly before his death accepted this thought; and Mr. Knorr, his successor (as well as the present-day successor—JJH), endorses and advocates it in a book that the Society has recently published, i.e., they accept it because it comes through “the channel.” They have become amenable to it as an outflow of a number of errors, e.g., that many who are not new creatures, e.g., all the clergy and the principals of the flock, and all who die in Armageddon go into the second death, their Jonadabs (now their “Great Crowd”—JJH) generating the restitu­tion class in the Millennium, which in their estimation makes it unnecessary for all Adam’s non-elect descendants to return from the tomb. This “new light” is in most striking opposition to the ransom and grossly contradicts the three fundamental doctrines of salvation:

(1) God’s love and provision for everybody for salvation; (2) Je­sus’ death for everybody for salvation; and (3) the Spirit’s work for everybody for salvation.

Numerous Scriptures prove these three propositions. Let us briefly look at the main ones on each of these three points: (1) God’s love and provision for everybody for salvation. Thus God so loved the world as to give His Son to save it. (John 3:16, 17) He recommends His love for the race by giving Christ to die for the ungodly. (Rom. 5:6-8) His love for the world makes Him determine to save all men from the Adamic sentence, and bring them to an exact knowledge of the Truth. (1 Tim. 2:4) He thus from His love is the Savior of all men from that sentence. (1 Tim. 4:10) His love is the grace of God that “hath appeared, bringing salvation for all men.” (Titus 2:11); the literal translation is that within the quotation marks. His love for all for salvation expressed itself in giving Christ to die for mankind, as we read in Tit. 3:4: “The kind­ness and love of God our Savior, toward man appeared.” Certainly these and numerous other passages teach that God loves all man for salvation and provides for it.

(2) Now some passages that prove that Christ died for all men for salvation: Our Lord’s death for the whole sinner race is most graphically and prophetically described in Isa. 53:4-12. He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (Adam’s sin, participated in by the entire race—John 1:29). Jesus said that if He were nailed to the cross for man’s sin He would favorably influence all men to Himself. (John 12:32, 33) As Adam’s sin and disobedience brought sin and death to all men, to enable all to gain the right to life. (Rom. 5:18,19) Jesus’ ransom was laid down for all men, which makes Him the Mediator for all humans. (1 Tim. 2:5,6) He by God’s love, grace tasted death for every man, and for this purpose had to be made Adam’s corresponding price. (Heb. 2:8,9) He is the satisfaction to God’s justice not only for the Church’s, but the world’s sins. (I John 2:2)

(3) As a result of God’s love that gave Christ to be a ransom for all men, and of Christ’s death for all men, the Spirit’s work for salvation will in the Millennium ex­tend to all the non-elect of Adam’s race without exception. Very many, indeed, are the Scriptures teaching this thought, of which we will cite a comparatively small number: The Christ, as the Seed of Abraham, in doing the Millennial Spirit’s work, will bless for salvation purposes all the families, kindreds and nations of the earth. (Gen. 12:3; 18:18 22:18) At Christ’s Millennial asking, God will give Him the nations and the ends of the earth (all mankind) as His inheritance and possession. (Psa. 2:8) All the ends of the earth, all the kindreds of the nations and all that go down to the dust (all the Adamically dead) shall turn to, worship and bow down before the Lord. (Psa. 22:27-29) God made all nations, and these will Millennially worship and glorify Him. (Psa. 86:9)

God will reveal His plan to all; and the whole world will see it. (Isa. 98:2,3) All nations will become parts of God’s Kingdom (Isa. 2:2); for the knowledge of God shall be sea-deep and worldwide; and all nations will seek Christ. (Isa. 11:9,10) The Kingdom will destroy every effect of the curse and make all glad, some only for a while. (Isa. 25:6-9) All the non-elect as errant from the Divine Truth will see it clearly. (Isa. 29:18,24) All blind eyes and deaf ears of understanding shall see and appreciate the Truth (Isa. 35:5); the morally lame shall make rapid progress up the Highway of Holi­ness, and the Lord’s ransomed (gave Himself a ransom for all men) will return from the tomb for the joys of the Kingdom, and the sorrows of the curse will be wiped out. (Isa. 35:5,6,10) All flesh shall see (experience) the salvation from the death sentence that God will work. (Isa. 40:5) So deeply impressed will all the non-elect become that according to the oath-bound promise for a while all will be consecrated, though some will a little later fall away. (Isa. 45:22,23) As a result of God’s revealing the Christ to all the world, all will clearly perceive God’s work of salvation. (Isa. 52:10) Yea, all, from the least to the greatest, will know the Lord (Jer. 31:34); for God has prepared salvation as a joy to all the non-elect, even raising up fallen Israel again (Luke 2:10, 31-34), since Jesus as the true Light will teach the Truth to every human that came in­to the world (John 1:9), in the day when the crucified Jesus will favorably influence all men toward Himself. (John 12:31,32) In Phil. 2:10,11, in harmony with Isa. 45:22, 23: Rom. 14:11, we are told that every knee, including those who were in the death state (“Under the earth”—Phil. 2:10), will bow to Jesus, and every tongue, including the tongues of those who were in the death state, will confess Jesus as Lord.

God gives some in this life, the rest in the next life, the testimony of His love for all, Christ’s death for all and the Spirit’s work for all. (1 Tim. 2:5,6) While now the Spirit’s work extends to the Elect only (Joel 2:29), in the Millennial Age it will extend to all the non-elect (Joel 2:28); Rev. 22:17); for then Christ will become the Lord, Ruler, of the dead (Rom. 14:9), including the people of Sodom, Gomorrah, the cities of the plains and the people of the two-tribed kingdom of the South and the ten-tribed kingdom of the North. (Ezek. 16:53-63) Hence these three considerations: (1) God’s love, (2) Christ’s death and (3) the Spirit’s work completely refute this new So­ciety (Jehovah’s Witnesses) error.

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NOTE: The above Question and Answer by the Epiphany Messenger in the November 1943 Present Truth, p. 175, is just as timely today as it was then. We reproduce it because the Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to teach this gross error, which God’s Word as given above, completely refutes their error.

NO. 299: ZIONISM - PART ONE

No. 299

Zionism as an active organized movement has been in existence only about a hun­dred years, altho, since the dispersion in the year 70 A.D. the Jews made many efforts to regain their homeland. Although it is now an accomplished fact, their position there is very volatile. Without the favor of the United States it is very doubtful that they could remain. However, the promise of God is sure that they will never be removed again. Here is a statement in Gen. 48:4: “I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.” Also, Jer. 24:6,7: “I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up ... And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”

A HISTORICAL RECORD

The following is quoted from one commentator on this subject: “ZIONISM, a Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews (Hebrew Eretz Yisra’el). Though Zionism originated in Eastern and Central Europe in the latter part of the 19th century, it is in many ways a continuation of the ancient and deep-felt nationalist attachment of the Jews and of the Jewish religion to Palestine, the promised land where one of the hills of ancient Jerusalem was called Zion.

“In the 16th and 17th centuries a number of ‘messiahs’ came forward to lead the Jews back to Palestine. The Haskala (Enlightenment) movement of the late 18th century, however, urged Jews to assimilate into Western secular culture. In the early 19th cen­tury interest in a return of the Jews to Palestine was kept alive mostly by Christian milleniarists. (We know the Bible Students under Pastor Russell were quite active in this respect—JJH). Despite the Haskala, Eastern European Jews did not assimilate and in reaction to tsarist pogroms formed the Hoveve Zion (‘Lovers of Zion’) to promote the settlement of Jewish farmers and artisans in Palestine.

“A political turn was given to Zionism by Theodore Herzl, an Austrian Journal­ist who regarded assimilation as most desirable, but in view of anti-Semitism, impos­sible to realize. Thus, he argued, if Jews were forced by external pressure to form a nation, they could lead a normal existence only through concentration in one terri­tory. In 1897 Herzl convened the first Zionist Congress at Basel, Switzerland, which drew up the Basel program of the movement, stating that ‘Zionism strives to create for the Jewish people a home in Palestine secured by public law.’ The center of the move­ment was established in Vienna, where Herzl published the official weekly Die Velt (‘The World’). Zionist congresses met yearly until 1901 and then every two years. When the Ottoman government refused Herzl’s request for Palestine autonomy, he found support in Great Britain. In 1903 the British Government offered 6,000 square miles of uninhabited Uganda for settlement, but the Zionists held out for Palestine.

“With the death of Herzl in 1904, the leadership moved from Vienna to Cologne, then to Berlin. Prior to World War One Zionism represented only a minority of Jews, mostly from Russia, but by Austrian and German Jews. It was, however, the only world­wide democratically organized part of Jewry; it developed an active propaganda through orators and pamphlets, created its own newspapers in many languages, and gave an impetus to what was called a ‘Jewish renaissance’ in letters and arts. The development of the modern Hebrew language largely took place during this period.

“The failure of the Russian revolution of 1905 and the wave of pogroms and repres­sions that followed caused growing numbers of Russian Jewish youth to emigrate to Pal­estine as pioneer settlers. By 1914 there were about 90,000 Jews in Palestine; 13,000 settlers lived in 43 Jewish agricultural settlements, many of them supported by the French Jewish philanthropist Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

“With the outbreak of World War One political Zionism re-asserted itself, with its leadership passing to Russian Jews living in England. Two such Zionists, Chaim Wiseman and Nahum Sokolow, were instrumental in obtaining the Balfour Declaration from Great Britain (Nov. 2, 1917), which promised British support for the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine. When the declaration was included in Britain’s league of Nations mandate over Palestine (1922), Zionist hopes soared.

“In the following years the Zionists built up the Jewish urban and rural settle­ments in Palestine, perfecting autonomous organizations and solidifying Jewish cultural life and Hebrew education. In March 1925 the Jewish population in Palestine was offi­cially estimated at 108,000 and had risen to about 238,000 (20 percent of the population) in 1933. Jewish immigration remained relatively small, however, until the rise of Hit­lerism in Europe. (“I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them.”—Jer. 16:16—JJH) Nevertheless, the Arab population feared Palestine would eventually become a Jew­ish state and bitterly resisted Zionism and the British policy supporting it. Several Arab revolts, especially in 1929 and 1936-39, caused the British to devise schemes to reconcile the Arab and Zionists demands.

“Hitlerism and the large-scale extermination of European Jews caused them to seek refuge in Palestine, and many others, especially in the United States, to embrace Zion­ism. As Arab-Zionist tensions grew, Britain submitted the Palestine problem first to Anglo-U.S. discussion for solution and later to the United Nations, which proposed on Nov. 29, 1947, partition of the country into separate Arab and Jewish states and the in­ternationalization of Jerusalem. The creation of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, brought about the Arab-Israel war of 1948-49, with the result that Israel obtained more land than had been provided by the UN resolution. Thus 50 years after the first Zion­ist congress and 30 years after the Balfour Declaration, Zionism achieved its aim of es­tablishing a Jewish state in Palestine.

“During the next two decades Zionist organizations in many countries continued to raise financial support for Israel and to encourage Jews to immigrate there.”

It is quite a coincidence that just fifty years after the first Zionist Congress the Jewish State was established. Our readers will recall the Jubilee cycle of the Law, which came every fifty years. That Jubilee proclaimed freedom for all slaves who wished to be free; and the establishment of a Jewish State did much the same for per­secuted Jews in all parts of the world.

MOUNT ZION

The same publication makes this comment about Mount Zion: “Zion, in the Old Testament, is the easternmost of the two hills of ancient Jerusalem, the site of the Jebusite city captured by David, King of Israel and Judah, in the 10th century B.C. (2 Sam. 5:6-9) and established as his royal capital. Some scholars believe that the name also belonged to the ‘stronghold of Zion’ taken by David (2 Sam. 5:7), which may have been the fortress of the city. The Jewish historian Josephus, in the first century A.D., identified Zion with the western hill of Jerusalem, where most of the city lay in his day. This incorrect identification of the site was retained until the late 19th or early 20th century when the site of Zion was identified as the eastern hill (modern Ophel). It was not included in the walls of the 16th-century fortifications and is still covered with fields and vineyards.”

Here we insert a few thoughts from 2 Sam. 5:6-9: At that time there was no heavy military artillery in Israel, which deceived the Jebusites into believing that their fortress was impregnable: they sneered at David, much the same as the moguls of Chris­tendom attempted to belittle “that haberdasher.” But David and his men took the cita­del, from which time Jerusalem was known as “The City of David.” The Jebusites in that picture were a type of the errorists here in the end of the Age, and David typed Pastor Russell. When he arrived on the scene shortly after 1870, the errorists were so firmly entrenched that their position seemed impregnable – eternal torment, the immortality of the soul, no opportunity for salvation after this life, evolution, etc. – all these, and many others, presented a most disheartening front to antitypical David; but he entered the fray in the strength of the Lord, as David had done; and he administered crushing defeats to the errorists, as David had done with Goliath, the Jebusites, et al.

As we contemplate these typical details, it is little wonder that the Jews have such a pronounced affinity to Mount Sinai, etc., because it was there that they received the foundation for their religion from God through Moses – the Law, the Tabernacle services, etc. When we contemplate all this, we can then appreciate the sentimental value of the entire Palestinian domain.

Continuing now with the quotation: “Zion appears in the Old Testament 152 times as a title of Jerusalem; over half of these occurrences appear in two books, the book of Isaiah (46 times) and that of Psalms (38 times). It appears seven times in the New Tes­tament, five times in quotations from the Old Testament. The name is overwhelmingly a poetic and prophetic designation and is infrequently used in ordinary prose. It usually has emotional and religious overtones, but it is not clear why the name Zion rather than the name Jerusalem should carry these overtones. It is our understanding that the reason the Bible stresses Zion is because Zion is a type of the Glorified Christ that will “bless all the families of the earth during the Kingdom reign – beginning with natural Israel first.”

“The city of Jerusalem is personified as a woman and addressed or spoken of as the ‘daughter of Zion,’ always in a context charged with feeling aroused by either of two ideas that stand in opposition to each other: the destruction of Jerusalem or its deliv­erance. After Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in the Fall of 607 B.C., the Israelites could not forget Zion (Psa. 137), and, in the prophecy after the Babylonian Exile of the Jews, Zion is the scene of Yahweh’s messianic salvation. It is to Zion that exiles will be restored (Jer. 3:14), and there they will find Yahweh (Jer. 29:13). Bearing all these connotations, Zion came to mean the Jewish homeland, symbolic of Ju­daism or Jewish national aspirations (when the name Zionism for the 19th-20th-century to establish a Jewish national centre or state in Palestine).

“While the name of Zion is rare in the New Testament, it has been very frequently used in Christian literature and hymns as a designation for the heavenly city or for the earthly city of Christian faith and fraternity.”

THE JERUSALEM TOPOGRAPHY

As we have stated aforegoing, Zion types the Christ Company; and this is corrobo­rated by Psa. 72:3: “The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills by righteousness.” We understand the “mountains” in this text to refer to Mount Moriah and Mount Zion; and the “little hills” to be Acra and Bezetha, all of which type the four elect classes, which will eventually “bring peace to the people.”

As stated, it is our understanding that Zion types the Christ Company, Moriah the Ancient Worthies, Acra the Great Company, and Bezetha the Youthful Worthies. The fol­lowing is from the Bible Atlas on these four promontories in the City of Jerusalem; “Mo­riah, on the eastern side of the city, the place once occupied by the temple – 2,432 feet high.” It was here that Abraham prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice at God’s command. But the angel of the Lord stayed Abraham’s hand; and this is the record of it in Gen. 22: 15-17: “The angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven (those of the human race who receive the spirit nature as a reward for their services during this “present evil world”), and as the sand which is upon the sea shore (those who inherit special earthly natures for their service during the reign of evil).

Here is recorded the oathbound covenant emphasized by Paul in Heb. 6:13: “When God made Promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.”

“Mount Zion – the largest and highest – lies in the southwestern section. Its crown is 2,540 feet high.” It will be noted that Moriah is mentioned first, although it is not so lofty as Zion. This is in conformity with the type, because the Ancient Wor­thies – a lower class than the Christ Company – appeared on the scene first.

“Acra – a little northeast of Mount Zion, Irregularly-shaped eminence. Now 2,490 feet high but anciently higher, as its crest was cut down by the Maccabean princes in order to bring it nearer the level of the Temple Hill. On this may have stood the cas­tle, or Millo (2 Sam. 5:9).”

“Bezetha – a little west of north from Mount Moriah – separated from it by a slight depression. Only in the later age of New Testament history was it within the walls of the city. Its height is a little over 2,500 feet. These four mountains are all that are named as within the ancient walls.”

The above four elevations type the four elect classes that will dominate the King­dom government and arrangements.

THE DOUBLE

As stated aforegoing, the Jews have been established in Palestine; but that could be accomplished only after Jer. 16:18 had been fulfilled. “First I will recompense their iniquity and their sins double.” (Jer. 16:18) The Hebrew word rendered here “double” is mishneh, and signifies a second portion, a repetition. When we fold a sheet of paper exactly in the middle, then we have created a ‘mishneh,’ the top part being an exact duplicate of the bottom half. Thus understood, the prophet’s declara­tion is, that from the time of their being cast off from all favor until the time of their return to favor would be a repetition, or duplication in time, of their previous history, during which time they had enjoyed Divine favor.

Their favor extended from the death of Jacob in 1812 B.C., when Jacob’s twelve sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. And this favor extended to the year 33 A.D. – a period of 1845 years. Five days before His crucifixion Jesus had said to them, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38) Thus, they were destined to have 1845 years of disfavor. When Masada fell to the Roman army in the year 73 A.D., the Jews were then dispersed among the nations of the Gentiles –perse­cuted and harassed, driven from city to city, with no home they could call their own. Thus, whereas they had been an agricultural nation during their time of favor, they were forced to become a company of businessmen. They could carry their money and val­uables with them, which they could not do with land; and it has been a rarity over the years to see a Jewish farmer in the United States.

And, while the Jews could not understand this reversal of affairs, most Gentiles did not understand it either. The Catholics persecuted them even as much as they did the faithful saints; and even Martin Luther who protested the evils of the Catholic system, brilliant as he was, also held the Jews in contempt when his efforts toward them did not convert them to Christ: he said it was useless to waste more effort on them, since they had shown no change of heart or mind over the 1500 years past.

However, when their “double” was completed in 1878 we find some things that clear­ly mark return of favor to them. In that year the Berlin Congress of nations was pre­sided over by Disraeli – the first Jew ever to be Prime minister of England; and he se­cured certain privileges for the Jews in Palestine that they had not enjoyed since they had been scattered among the nations. The land of Palestine had been dominated by the “terrible Turk”; but at that Congress in 1878 the condition of the Jews was amelio­rated; and it partially opened the door for others to locate there, with the privilege of holding real estate. Previously the Jew was just a dog, to be kicked, cuffed and abused by his Mohammedan ruler, was denied the most ordinary privileges of existence ­in a land sacred to him with memories of the past, and with promises touching the future.

About the same time the door was reopened to them in Palestine, a fierce persecu­tion arose in Romania and Galicia, and especially in Russia. While conditions there have eased somewhat over the years, they still are not a free people in those countries; and large numbers of them have returned to their beloved homeland. But even this must be regarded a return of favor to them because it is forcing many of them to return to Palestine. And with customary Jewish ambition, they are developing the country in a very remarkable manner. The fruit and vegetables they produce are among the finest in the world; and the country is developing a look of prosperity.

The question properly arises, If favor was due to return to them in 1878, why do we not see some evidence of it? We must bear in mind that there are other Scriptures that must be fulfilled also, one of which is Luke 21:24: “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” The times of the Gentiles did not expire until 1914, at which time their eviction began; but the evic­tion process is still going on, requiring much more time than had been calculated before 1914 arrived. And even at that time no Truth person expected the time to be so ex­tended.

As the Jewish nation passed completely into oblivion in the years 70-73 A.D., and the Gentile nations became more prominent, the situation has been just the reverse since 1914. Now, the Gentiles are getting into deeper trouble all the time, whereas the Jews have been steadily improving, so that in 1948 they were recognized and accepted as a na­tion. Not by all nations, but by some of the most prominent ones, such as the United States, Great Britain, etc. It should be recognized that it took 36½ years from 33 A.D. to dislodge them from Jerusalem, and it was exactly 36½ years from 1878 to 1914 when the Gentile eviction began. It was in the Fall of 1917 that the Turks were dislodged from Jerusalem, and the Jews have been making progress ever since; but we should consider that their present difficulties – whatever they may be – are nothing more than what is common to all nations at this time: although their “double” is finished, they will suffer in the “great tribulation” the same as others. Isa. 63:4 describes this situation: “The day of vengeance is in mine heart.” So the Jews have their individual sins the same as the rest of the nations. The day of vengeance has not yet accomplished its pur­pose, nor will it do so for some years yet, but the “sure word of prophecy” is our strong assurance that it will be finished “in due time.”

When Jesus was stating His prophecy concerning these matters, none of the “wicked” under­stood; even the Apostles, who had been with Jesus, only vaguely understood. Even after Pentecost, when they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, they did not understand as clearly as we now do. And our knowledge on this subject will increase as the months pass by.

Here we do well to consider the overall situation: Ishmael was half brother to Isaac, both having Abraham as their father; but Ishmael was fourteen years older than Isaac. In Gen. 21:9-14 is recorded the strife that arose between Ishmael and Isaac, as a result of which Abraham expelled Ishmael and his mother Hagar, from his house. That was about 4,000 years ago; and there has been intense hatred between the Arabs and the Jews ever since. Therefore, we need not expect any quick solution to this feud. It is more likely to increase in the immediate future. Just recently – in the Spring of 1979 – eighteen Arab nations have openly and harshly condemned Egypt for attempting reconciliation with Israel; and we may safely assume that this step was taken by Egypt only because of economic necessity; they will receive about five billion American dol­lars, which they could not easily refuse. There is no air conditioning in Egypt; no screens on the windows; and their economy is in wretched condition. Dire necessity prodded Egypt to enter negotiations with Israel – prompted, of course, by United States money.

THE BARREN FIG TREE

In Mark 11:12-25 is recorded Jesus cursing the barren fig tree; and we accept this as a picture of Israel in its time of favor; then its double of disfavor. Jesus referred to this matter in Mark 13:28,29: “When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, we know that summer is near.” Thus, when we see the barren fig tree (the Jewish nation) begin to revive, then we may conclude that the promised Kingdom is at our very door. Certainly, the “barren fig tree” has made considerable progress since 1878; and especially so since 1948.

On the previous day Jesus had said to the Jewish nation, “Ye shall see me no more until that day.” And thus He spake of the fig tree which should be blighted until the end of the Age; but, when that tree would begin to put forth its leaves, we may know the Kingdom is at the door – a new dispensation is sprouting, indicating life, hope, promise amongst the Jews, as well as among enlightened Christians.

This is emphasized by the progress of Zionism, giving hope and faith to the Jews respecting their beloved homeland and the Divine promises relating thereto. Note here Isa. 60:1,2: “Arise and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee... the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” And further, the 40th Chapter of Isaiah points significantly to recent years. And verse 2 has direct bearing upon our subject: “She hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”

In the 37th Chapter of Ezekiel is described the “valley of dry bones,” which is a description of Israel during her double of disfavor – just as does the dead fig tree. “These bones are the whole house of Israel.” Then verse 21: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen ... and will bring them into their own land.” However, during their double of disfavor the Jews are well represented by Ishmael, who was cast off, during which time the Jewish hopes of God’s favor had almost died; but Zionism has revived the prophetic promises. The Jews will shortly receive great bless­ings in their established homeland; and the promise is sure that they will never again be cast out of there – although they are having their present difficulties; and will have yet more, culminating in Jacob’s last Trouble, at the end of which they “will look upon Him whom they pierced, and mourn because of it.” (Zech. 12:10)

AFTER THE DISPERSION

It is probably impossible for us to fully evaluate the terrible distress of the Jews after they were evicted from Jerusalem. The worst of agonies seized them; and being the type of people that they were, they would not accept their situation in a calm manner. Thus, they tried every trick in the book to regain Palestine. They tried to buy it – after their fortunes began to rise; but first of all they tried to retake it by force. But before any of that they resorted to rebellion again. Of course, the Romans were strong enough to handle that; and to be sure it would not hap­pen again, they scattered the Jews throughout the empire. The name Judea was eliminated from all maps – after which the land was known as Syria Palestina – so selected because the Philistines were the most detested enemies of the Jews at the time they came into Palestine from Egypt. And Palestine became more and more a dead and barren wilderness.

It was invaded in 636 A.D. by the Arabs; by the crusaders in 1099; by the Tar­tars in 1244; and by the Turks in 1517. But it still remained with them a homeland tied to prophecy, vision and hope. It remained so for the homeless Jews. Three times a day in the many countries of their exile they prayed, “Sound the great horn for our freedom; lift up the banner, to gather our exiles from the four corners of the earth to our homeland.” But it was to be a long wait – almost 2,000 years – before the an­cient dream would become reality.

SHIMON BAR KOKBA

With such intense avidity for the beloved homeland, they would become an easy prey for swindlers, and for some leaders as aroused as they were. Perhaps the out­standing leader of this latter class was Bar Kokba. The Talmud represents him as a man of great strength, autocratic and irascible; and this seems to be borne out by some of his own letters that were found at Wadi Murabast in 1952, and in the Bar Kokba Cave near the Dead Sea in 1960-61, which confirm this description by their harsh tones.

In the year 132 A.D. he organized a half million Jews in his attempt to regain Pal­estine from the Romans. But the Romans were not easily intimidated in those days. They came with a superior force in numbers and military skill; and many Jewish soldiers and civilians were killed; and the Jews were finally defeated in a last stand at Betar, a fortified hill not far from Jerusalem. This tine the Romans made sure that rebellion would not break out again. Almost all surviving Jews were scattered throughout the empire.

Bar Kokba had been christened Simeon Bar Kosibe; then dubbed Bar Kokba, i.e., “the sun of a Star.” He was then proclaimed Messiah by the leading Pharisee of the period Rabbi Akiva. Most of the people in Judea (though not in Galilee) followed Bar Kokba. The war lasted about four years (132-35 A.D.); and ended with the destruction of the re­bellion forces, and the expulsion of the Jewish population from most of Judea. It was also followed by a religious persecution, which did not, however, last very long. Bar Kakba was killed in the last great battle in 135 A.D.

About 140 A.D. the surviving members of the Sanhedrin met at Usha in Galilee and voted a supreme national authority. They elected Simeon Bem Gamalaliel II as patri­arch, and he succeeded in dominating the Sanhedrin. During the 132-35 rebellion Bar Kokba had attracted to himself Eleazar the priest; and for more than three years he di­vided Rome; but the Romans led by Julius Severus forced him to withdraw to the strong­hold of Betar, at which place he was killed.

During his leadership Bar Kokba took the title of Prince of Israel; and struck coins in his name and in the name of Priest Eleazar. After the fall of Betar, the re­mainder of his followers took refuge in the desert by the Dead Sea. In 1960 the Is­raeli archeologist Y. Yadim discovered dispatches by Bar Kokba in a bundle of papyri in a cave in the desert. From these he appears to have been a dominating commander, prompt to enforce obedience.

The Jews terrible “double” of disfavor is now a matter of history; and what a double it has been! When they had yelled, “Crucify him, crucify him; his blood be upon us, and upon our children,” God had taken them at their word; and we may rejoice with them now that those agonizing years are in the past, and with better things ahead as we look forward to the blessings they will receive in the Kingdom when they “look upon Him whom they pierced, and shall mourn because of it.”

In Part Two of a future paper, D.v., we will elaborate more on Zionism and how it has affected the Jewish people since her “Double” is completed. But for now we will close with an encouraging message from God’s Word: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins ... The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isa. 40:1-5)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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CORRECTION: – Please note the following mistake made in our No. 298, April 1980 paper, page 7, par. 8: We regret that we inadvertently gave the name SPURGEON AND INGERSOLL in the heading of this paragraph. It should read BEECHER AND INGERSOLL. And the first line in par. 8 should read Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) instead of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). Please change your paper accordingly.

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

The March-April issues came yesterday, and I have read them with great interest. They are so well written and informative. The article on Evolution is a masterpiece. And how any one if he is in his right mind could be an evolutionist, after reading this article, is beyond me.

But I was thinking it was in the library of Henry Ward Beecher instead of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, I remember this in Epiphany Vol. 1. (Henry Ward Beecher is correct, as noted above—JJH)

Yesterday, or rather Monday, I started to make an index of the articles of yours published in 1979 – making notes on various articles which issue one could find it in.

I have been quite impressed with your statement in No. 291, September 1979 issue, about the type of 70 years desolation of the land, which would end in 1984. The way things have been breaking up lately in foreign affair, and the rate of inflation here, I think 1984 is quite a date to look forward to – even more important than 1994. (Yes, we can look forward to 1984 to see whether this is a correct parallel. If it isn’t, then we should “wait on the Lord” for further manifestation of the “desolation” of this “present evil world.”—JJH)

Sure hope all of you are better in health. Take good care of yourselves. Please don’t take ------- off your list, as he appreciates your papers.

With much Christian love to you all, I remain

Your brother in Him, ------- (MICHIGAN)

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Dear Dr. Hoefle:

I wanted to let you know I appreciate the newsletter, etc., that you are send­ing me. I usually read them from cover to cover. Especially useful are the news items and general discussion items. I find these help me achieve a better balance as to world events.

In addition, I am enclosing a copy of a booklet I recently wrote which you may find of use. I think the discussions on evolution are very helpful, especially in that many scientists are questioning various aspects of the evolutionary theory, and especially within the last few years. Keep in touch.

Sincerely ------- Dept. of Educational Foundation & Inquiry. (OHIO)

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Dear Sir:

Could you send me a list of material that you produce, as well as a price list and some samples? Thank you! Sincerely ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

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Dear Sirs:

How much are your Studies in the Scriptures by Pastor Russell? Also, do you have a list of other materials you have for sale. Thank you very much.

     Sincerely ------- (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

I’m sending a few dollars to help in the Lord’s work, and hope it finds you all in good health. We are well here, thanks to the Lord. And may His will be done in every instance.

With Christian love ------- (FLORIDA)

NO. 298: THE EVOLUTION THEORY - PART TWO

No. 298

The Population – The human population offers another staggering blow to evolution. There is great argument among them about the age of man, some claiming 100,000 years, and others claiming as much as 2,000,000 years. But mathematics prove that even the lowest of these estimates is an absurdity; for it is altogether too short a time for such a method as evolution to bring from apes a being like man into existence and into his present condition. The 1922 Berlin statistics, the latest then available, gives the population as 1,804,187,000 (it is now in 1980 more than twice that figure). To reach this number the human race must have doubled itself 30.75 times; for, if we raise the number 2 to that figure, the result is 1,073,741,824. Thus the race had to double itself between 30 and 31 times. The Bible chronology tells us that the flood began in the Fall of 2473 B.C.; and to the Spring of 1922 this would give us 4,493.5 years. Now, Shem (the eldest son of Noah) was begotten a few months less than 100 years before the flood (see Gen. 11:10; 5:32; 6:6). Therefore, in that year one hu­man couple and their descendants came through the flood to populate the earth anew. Hence, in the 4,493.5 years before the Spring of 1922 the race doubled itself 30.75 times. This gives us an average of 146.13 years for each doubling of the population. Thus the time from Jacob’s marriage to 1922 was 3,798 years. Raising 2 to its 23.8758th power we get 15,393,815 – the Jewish population in 1922. Dividing 3,798 by 23.8758 we get 159.07, which would be the average number of years for Jacob’s descendants to double themselves – to become a population of 15,398,815 from Jacob’s marriage until 1922.

Also, Abraham’s descendants through Ishmael (the Arabs not only in Arabia, but in the rest of Asia and in Africa) number approximately 25,000,000. According to the Bible chronology, Abraham entered Canaan at 75 (Gen. 12:4) in the Spring of 2045 B.C.; hence, 3966 years before the Spring of 1922 A.D. Ishmael was born when Abraham was 86 years old (Gen. 16:16); hence 3955 years before the Spring of 1922. Hence the Spring before Abraham and Hagar were a childless couple, which was 3,956 years before the Spring of 1922. But 25,000,000 is the 24.4901th power of 2. Hence Abraham and Hagar doubled themselves in their descendants every 161.53 years – 3,956 divided by 24.4901. These investigations show that the whole race doubled itself since Noah and his wife were childless every 146.13 years, the Jews doubling themselves every 159.07 years, and the Arabs doubling themselves every 161.53 years. Doubtless why the entire race kept doubling itself on an average of about 15 years sooner than the Jews and the Arabs is due to the fact that it is written of both typical and antitypical Ishmaelites that their hand would be against every man and every man’s hand would be against them (Gen. 16:12), with the result that more of them on the average met with untimely deaths and propagating hindrances than the average of the rest of the race, like the starving conditions of Asiatic and African deserts and constant wars and feuds for the Arabs, mad among others, the Assyrian, Babylonian-and Roman conquests and Gospel-Age persecution for the Jews. But, with these limitations, that the figures for all three should be practically alike proves that the principle on which they have been obtained is on the average reliable.

Let us now consider some of the wild statements of the evolutionists, who claim man has been on this earth perhaps two million years. The mildest guess of any of them is a hundred thousand years; and we shall give them all the advantage by using that figure. Let us assume that the population doubled one-tenth as fast as did the Arabs; that is, once every 1,161 years. In one hundred thousand years the population would have doubled itself 86 times (we are omitting fractions); and 2 raised to the 86th power is 4,660, 210, 253,138, 204,300 – or more than two and one-half billion times as many people as are now on earth. This destroys even the mildest form of evolution on man’s age on the earth. If there had been no flood in Noah’s day, the increase in the population would be such a staggering figure that human minds could not grasp it; in other words, about 2,500 times its present population. Thus it should be clear enough that the Bible rec­ord of man’s history is readily acceptable; whereas, that of evolutionists appears as self-evident nonsense.

All the foregoing is based upon the fact that all human beings came from one pair; but this is also farfetched if we consider that it would be just as reasonable for men to evolve from apes in Asia, Africa, Europe or America as from any one pair. And such a conclusion simply complicates the situation still more for the evolutionists. The fig­ures prove conclusively that man could not have evolved from the ape, because in two mil­lion years the race would have doubled once in every 65,040 years. On that basis, there would be less than four Arabs and four Jews on earth now. All of this certainly disputes evolution, and shows that man was a direct creation at the hand of God, as the Genesis account tells us it did.

As mentioned aforegoing, a strong second argument against evolution is the unity of the human race. That “God hath made of one blood all nations” is clearly proven by the fact that all races interbreed, and their offspring is fertile; but this would not be true if we are as the animals, because even the most closely related animals can pro­duce another, but that one cannot reproduce itself, thus avoiding discontinuance of any evolutionary theory.

Thus, the ability of human beings to interbreed, whereas none of the animals can do this, certainly is a compelling argument against evolution. As stated above, all lan­guages are derived from five others; and all basically have one language. So words like ‘father’ and ‘mother’ are very similar in many languages of the five groups, which proves the early origin of home and civilization. If certain forms of evolution were true, our present languages could not be reduced to five linguistic groups, and these five in turn reduced to one; but they would have to be traced to thousands of non-re­lated languages, such as the thousands of evolved species that mankind would have in­vented, had there been such a situation.

The unity of the race in religious beliefs also militates against evolution. Had evolution been true, there would certainly be at least one section of the race – one na­tion – that would have reared a population of atheists; and probably more, but there is not a single one that does so. Thus all races hold the following religious ideas: A su­preme God surrounded by subordinate gods, such as the angels recognized by the Christian part of the world. In the Greek and Roman mythology much is related about such, show­ing their bickerings, their weaknesses, etc., but the Bible clearly states in Gen. 1:31 that “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” The record of all the heathen gods clearly disputes that all their gods (angels, etc.) are “very good.” The cheapest kind of quarrels and intrigues are recorded of many of them; and those records are certainly not “by inspiration,” as our Christian Bible is by inspira­tion. (2 Tim. 2:16,17)

Furthermore, if evolution were true, why not have all the lower species passed out, of existence through evolving into higher species – until by now there would be only one left – man – and he on the way to evolving to some higher species? Also, why have some species become so large, like the ancient saurians, and our modern elephants alleged later species than these, e.g., monkeys become so small, if evolution is true? And why did Romanes, while yet an evolutionist, find that the collective intelligence of all spe­cies equals the intelligence of the average child of 15 months, if evolution is true? Why should all males but one, and all females but one die as members of the 3,000,000, and the two not die as such, but as members of the next higher species? Would not this be as unlikely as if untold decillians of dollars being tossed into the air, should all fall heads down except two?

If as Huxley, a leading evolutionist, said “There is an enormous gulf, a diver­gence practically infinite, between the lowest man and the highest beast.” Then why are there not between man and ape many other species in existence, if evolution is true? Surely Huxley’s gulf between them is evident when we consider man’s immense superiority to the ape in physical and mental respects, letting out of consideration entirely the moral and religious aspects, of the latter of which the ape is entirely destitute. Why are the senses of seeing, hearing and smelling on the wane in man, why are people now more nervous than formerly, why do more people become bald than formerly, and why are distresses – physical, mental and moral – increasing if evolution is the law of ex­istence? Certainly such and other like considerations refute evolution as a law of ex­istence. Degeneration is the trend, not evolution. Even in the better civilized of the nations we find insanity and nervous disorders increasing to such an extent it is taxing the authorities over the limit to know how to cope with these things.

Freely do we admit our limitations when it comes to gauging the age of this planet in its early formative stage – as a molten mass. Nor do we consider it necessary that we understand this. Our main argument here has to do with man, and very little else. – It seems that a sort of specialized evolution was carried on for some years after the first life came into the pristine mud and species that followed thereafter; but we are not in position definitely to prove any of it, nor does it greatly concern us.

We have already shown that history contains not one hint of the transmutation of species into another. We now add that, like history, geology confounds the evolution­ist by not furnishing even one fossil showing anything in process of change from one in­to another species. We have many fossils of plants and animals, but they entirely lack an example showing a transition from one to another species. If evolution were true, we should have millions of these on earth’s strata.

The distribution of certain plant life and certain animal life disproves evolution. If all plants came evolvedly from an original germ, how come them to be distributed in continents separated by oceans, and that before man appeared on earth, as many fossils of them prove? So, too, we find certain animals whose power of locomotion is but very slight. The oyster is found in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North and South America. How could they have crossed oceans? Again, if all plant life originated in a single germ, how did it happen that some plants are scattered among all continents, and others when found by civilized man were limited to but one, like Indian corn, tobacco, potatoes, etc.? If these once existed in the eastern hemisphere, as evolution requires, why were they found only in America? Certainly we must accept the conclusion of Agassiz, one of the greatest scientists of all times, to the effect that evolution “is a scienti­fic mistake, untrue in its facts, unscientific in its methods and mischievous in its tendencies.”

Evolution denies design in creation, which is the corollary of a wise purposeful Creator, and must fall back on chance as the line along which the universe and its life manifestations came into being and move. The universe and plant and animal life lit­erally overflow with the expressions of design – which imply a designer. Almost infin­ite in number are these design expressions. We shall offer but a few: The human body is packed to overflowing with evidence at design and adaptation. The most intricate machine, like the Hoe printing press, shows design decidedly much less markedly than the human body. How manifold is design manifest in the nervous system, with its relations to thought, affection, will, the five senses, our blood and its channels and vital or­gans! How wonder­fully designful are our blood and its channels, our muscles, glands, skin, brain, vital organs, hands, fingers, joints, arms, feet, toes, legs, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, teeth, excretory organs, reproductive organs, etc. Their locations, their protectors, etc., as well as their nature and functions, also evidence design. And we think it is well repeating here that man is the only animal who has a chin, which none of the lower animals have this physical characteristic.

It would be a millionfold more foolish to say that man cane by chance than to say that a Hoe printing press came by chance! Marvelously formed is our body. The principles underlying its activities are followed by inventors of dynamos, steam engines, etc., and yet how greatly inferior are such inventions to the human body! Nevertheless, evo­lutionists would attribute its origin to blind chance, while denying the possibility of a steam engine coming by chance! William Jennings Bryan pointedly expressed himself on the folly of this chance theory as follows: “According to evolutionists, there was a time when animals had no legs and so legs came by accident. How? Well, the guess is that a little animal was wiggling along on its belly one day, when it discovered a wart – it just happened so – and it was in the right place to be used to aid it in locomo­tion; so it came to depend on the wart, and use finally developed it into a leg. And then another wart, and another leg at the proper time – by accident – and accidentally in the proper place. Is it not astonishing that any person, intelligent enough to teach school, would talk such tommyrot to students and look serious while doing so?”

Nature is a proof that design marked man’s coming. Earth’s coal, gas, petroleum and electrical power, that no being but man uses, and that are so necessary for him, were stored up in the earth for him long before he came. The metals, so useful to man and useless to all other animals, were on deposit in the bank of the earth for man to check on as needed. Fruits, vegetables, grains and flesh having the chemical elements needed to replace waste tissue in man were prepared for him. The resources of nature needful for man’s protection from inclement nature were made abundant for him. Every­thing in the earth shows design, and that for the most part in anticipation of man’s ar­rival on earth; and this only a less loud voice in him, with harmonious chorus of the universe and its living creatures, cries out design, as against chance, which the evo­lutionist, discordantly with the universe, the earth and plant and animal life, and their associated supplies, shouts is the course of nature. Chance, the course of nature in the face of the laws of nature!

Foregoing we showed the almost infinite improbability of the transmutation of species from the lowest of them in plant life through all successive species of plant life into the lowest form of animal life and then through all the successive species of animal life up to man, i.e., through evolution’s 3,000,000 species. We now present an ar­gument against evolution based upon the genera of life as forming eight impassable gulfs, all of which evolution would have to prove to have been passed, if it were to be proven true, and not even one of which has been proven to have been passed by evolution.

These eight impassable gulfs separating the genera of being are the following: (1) from the non-living to the living; (2) from vegetable to the animal kingdom in the low­est form of inverte­brates; (3) from the invertebrates to the vertebrates; (4) from the marine beings to amphibians; (5) from amphibians to reptiles (the Reptilian Age – ani­mals who live partly in the water and partly on the land – snakes, crocodiles, etc.); (6) from reptiles to birds; (7) from birds or reptiles to mammals; (8) and from mam­mals to humans. “And God said, Let us make man ... and the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Gen. 1:26-31) In the above we have ignored the multitudes of species in each genus simply giving the classification according to genera in harmony with the Biblical week of 49,000 years. But how does evolution meet this progress? The athe­istic materialist and the spontaneous-generation evolutionist are forced to make the first gulf be passed by the lowest form of plant life after the manner of the Topsy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, who, when asked when she was born, answered that she was not born at all, but just grew up!

Spontaneous generation is a senseless guess that experiments under the most favor­able experimental conditions have failed to achieve, these having broken down in com­plete non-success. Neither of these kinds of evolutionists knows how to get life from the non-life; for if anything is scientifically true, the proposition is true that what is in effect must have been in the cause; hence, non-life could not have produced life. Therefore, these two kinds of evolutionists have found an impassable gulf between the non-living and the living, on the assumption which they make: A living being did not cause the first form of life.

The hopelessness of the task of getting life from the non-living without the agency of a living being; i.e., without a creative act of God, forced Mr. Darwin and all Darwinian evolutionists to assume that God created at least one, at most a few, forms of the lowest plant life. Therefore, they had to have a God to pass this gulf; and thereafter, as it were, they mummified Him for all future times. But little good did that do them; they are equally helpless to bridge the next gulf, i.e., that which lies between the highest form of plant life and the lowest form of animal life, endowed with consciousness and locomotion. How could they overcome this great gulf? for which question they have no real answer.

Then comes the next puzzler: that which lies between the highest form of inverte­brates to vertebrates. Here again, so far as a real answer is concerned, they are “dumb dogs that cannot bark”; “watchmen that are blind, ignorant, sleeping down, lying down.” (Isa. 56:10) However, their guttural growls are usually more or less audible.

Now we compare the highest form of marine invertebrates with amphibians. And here they are as helpless as on the previous points; for they cannot tell how fish, which do their breathing with water, could have changed to do it with air as well as water. Then comes the next question: How and why do amphibians develop into reptiles? Then comes the same question between reptiles and birds, and between reptiles or birds (they do not know which) and mammals. But the most unyielding of all obstacles for the evolutionists is that between the highest mammal and man – where Huxley admitted there was a gulf to pass whose passage he could not explain, calling it almost infinite.

The only rational explanation for any of the foregoing is an intelligent and pur­poseful Creator; and their failure to explain satisfactorily any one of the questions raised is a complete refutation in itself of evolution.

It would seem in order here also to consider the magnificent pageantry of the hea­vens. In Psa. 8:3-9 David says this: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him ... Thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep, and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea ... 0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.” It should be emphasized here that in all the centuries since records have been kept we find not one instance whether any of the great heavenly constellations have ever collided; it would seem there is some intelligent and powerful force guiding their movements.

Here we mention just a small incident which occurred some forty years ago. We went deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida, and hooked a 90-inch sailfish. There was a 25-foot piano wire lead at the hook end of the line – to prevent a catch from snapping the fabric line. During the fight the fish jumped out of the water, attempting to dis­lodge the hook. In about five minutes the fish came to the surface, dead as a stone. The captain of the ship said he had drowned himself (which was indeed a surprising piece of news to us). How could a fish, who lived in the water all the time, drown him­self? Well, he had lodged that piano-wire lead through his gill, which cut off his breath­ing; and he drowned – just as you and I would have done under similar circumstances. This also is a telling blow to evolution.

Each of the foregoing presents so many unexplainable differences, that it should discourage the boldest evolutionist; e.g., some of them claim that mammals are de­scended from some (unknown) reptiles, and birds from other (unknown) reptiles. But how did the first mammal get breasts, a four-chambered heart instead of the three-­chambered heart of the reptile, hair, or fur or wool and a womb for developing young, all of which reptiles lack? How was the reptiles blood temperature raised from 40 de­grees and in the extremist cases from 60 degrees to nearly 100 degrees in mammals? And from reptiles to birds, how was that same temperature raised to 107 degrees? How were wings and feathers developed? Evolutionists offer for this gulf two fossils of what they call the archaeopteryx, which was nothing but birds with abnormal tails and bills. Of real logical evidence they have not even one link, whereas millions would be required to fill up each of the above-mentioned eight gulfs. These eight genera, to say nothing of their three million species, say at each of their separating gulfs: “Thus far and no farther.”

Much more could be said about this subject, but we now close by offering a solemn indictment of it. It has had its vogue among “the intelligentsia,” though now among the leaders of science it is dead with many of them undergoing preparation for burial; but among the superficially educated and the shallow thinking it has worked, and will con­tinue to work the direst of evils. It has made atheists, agnostics and infidels of many. It is demoralizing many of our youth, who by it are made to believe in their superiority to their elders and kinship to brutes; hence, their growing disrespect for law and order in the home, state, society and church, and their increased indulgence in the lower ele­ments of their nature. From the thought of no God, no responsibility to law, no higher authority, no hereafter and a brute descent, it becomes but a natural step to youthful disrespect to religion and government, disobedience toward parents, immorality as to sex, drunkenness as to intoxicants, and a materialistic outlook on and practice in life. A generation of evolutionist professors and teachers has produced the moral, social and religious havoc that we behold in so many of our youth. The pessimism and brute in­stincts inculcated by evolution have in large part produced the collapse everywhere manifest in church and state and contributed largely to producing the World War, as it also does a large share in the work of leading the nations to Armageddon and World Anarchy. And when these shall have wrought their unexampled havoc on mankind, it will in great re­sentment arise and repudiate forever every feature of unbelieving evolution.

VARIOUS PROOFS: In the past hundred years or so evolutionists have made frenzied effort to prove their contention – to offset the devastating attacks that have been made upon it. In their activities they came upon three specimens which they claim upholds their teaching, these three particularly being the Piltdown, the Heidelberg and the Nean­derthal Man. When we were in the colporteur work a college-graduate business man whom we accosted one day just sneered when we told him we had no confidence in the “proof” de­rived from these three distorted skulls.

Comes now in the April 1979 issue of a prominent newspaper some very damaging state­ments concerning the Piltdown Man, which we now quote:

‘PILTDOWN MAN’ – WHOSE APRIL FOOL’S JOKE OF 1912?

“New evidence concerning a most far-reaching April’s hoaxes in the history of science – the bogus ‘Piltdown Man’ – has stirred up a dispute in which some scientists are questioning the integrity of their own profession. The bones purporting to be the fossils of Piltdown Man began to be ‘discovered’ in 1912 in a gravel pit in the English County of Sussex. They were soon accepted by most scientists as the ‘missing link’ be­tween apes and man, a link that had been postulated by the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin (It is now reported that toward his death Darwin himself repudiated much of his evolution tommyrot—JJH), the lawyer and amateur geologists who found them. The new species was named Eoanthropus Dawson, or Dawson’s Man.

“The fragments of two skulls found at the site suggested that the creature’s jaw­bone was similar to that of an ape, while its brain case was closer to that of modern man. Dawson turned up stone tools at the site as well as an object strikingly resem­bling a modern cricket bat, lending to Piltdown Man a peculiarly British character. Dar­win’s monumental theory appeared to have been confirmed at one dramatic stroke, and the world recognized in Piltdown Man a discovery of the first magnitude. Dawson and his col­laborator, the anthropologist Arthur Smith Woodward, achieved immediate fame.

“But in the 1920s real fossils of early man began to be discovered in Africa, and they were entirely different from the Piltdown bones. Their jaws were human and their brows simian – the reverse of the English fossils. Increasing numbers of the real fos­sils were found, and because none of them resembled Piltdown Man, doubts began to stir about the authenticity of Eoanthropus Dawson.

“In 1953, modern analysis, including dating techniques using the decay of radio­active carbon, were applied to the Piltdown fossils. Piltdown Man was finally and devastatingly proved to be a forgery in which human and simian bones had been skillful­ly blended and artificially aged. One of the three investigators who exposed the fraud, J. S. Weiner, described the achievement in a book, ‘The Piltdown Hoax.’ The circumstan­tial evidence indicated that the hoax had been perpetrated by Dawson himself, who died in 1916.

“All that was scandal enough and many scientists were angry and embarrassed that the scientific establishment could have been fooled so completely, and for so long. But just before his death last Fall, Dr. James A. Douglas, professor of geology at Oxford Univer­sity from 1937 until 1950, made a tape recording in which he disclosed new and even more disturbing evidence. Douglas said he believed the Piltdown hoax had been perpetrated by his world-famous predecessor at Oxford, Professor W. J. Sollas, as a way of making an academic rival look ridiculous. The rival was Dawson’s collaborator, Smith Woodward.

“Douglas said that Sollas had assisted in an earlier hoax in which some schoolboys. presented to Smith Woodward a purportedly prehistoric drawing of a horse on a piece of bond. That hoax also fooled Smith Woodward, according to Douglas, and may have given Professor Sollas the idea for the much more elaborate Piltdown hoax, including the bogus prehistoric cricket bat.

“The report has prompted a lively and sometimes heated exchange in leading scienti­fic journals. In a recent issue of the Journal “Nature” for example, L. B. Halstead, a University of Reading geologist, commented that the Piltdown hoax went far beyond a prac­tical joke and deeply affected scientific, philosophical and even theological thinking. The scientific establishment found it easier to accept the idea that Dawson, a non-scien­tist, had acted alone, he said, preferring not to believe that one of its own respected members could do such a thing.

“Inferring the guilt of the amateur Dawson, is far the most acceptable to Scien­tists, Halstead said, ‘as it absolves the academic world from any involvement.’ ‘The other view is that Dawson was the scapegoat and the hoax was part of a conspiracy on the part of the scientists to delude the public in accepting the anti-religious idea of human evolution,’ he added. But while Halstead believes the scientific establishment has been proved by the Piltdown hoax to be vulnerable to criticism, his views are not shared by all scientists.

“Nature also published a letter from Weiner himself, discounting the evidence pre­sented in Douglas’ tape recording, including Douglas’ recollection of 68 years ago of a packet of potassium bichromate, allegedly used by Sollas to stain the bone fragments and make them look old. One thing that the late Professor Douglas succeeded in doing, Weiner said, was adding a mystery of his own devising to the Piltdown saga – why should Douglas on such incredibly weak evidence take the trouble to besmirch Solla’s reputation.

“The debate continues, but those who had direct knowledge of the Piltdown hoax are now dead. The ultimate truth may never be known, but most interested scientists agree. But there is a nagging suspicion among some of them that the spirit of April’s Fool Day dies hard, and science may not have suffered its last stupendous hoax.”

BEECHER AND INGERSOLL

The renowned minister and preacher Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) – an ardent fundamen­talist – is said to have been a close friend to Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-­1899), prominent agnostic, lawyer and lecturer. It needs no argument to visualize the elaborate controversies that often arose between the two; and we are told that on one occasion some one gave a very attractive global atlas to the preacher; and Ingersoll was warm in his praise as soon as he saw it. Who made it? he asked. Answered the preach­er: No one; it just made itself. Of course, Ingersoll was crestfallen; but this is just another evidence that evolution cannot be proved.

Some of our readers will undoubtedly realize that much of what has been given here­in has been borrowed from the writings of the Parousia and Epiphany Messengers; and it is our fond hope that this treatise on evolution will convince all of our readers of the shabby fallacy of evolution and to accept the truth on creation as it is contained in the inspired Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not ac­cording to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa. 8:20) As our Lord tells us: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-31 – free from “sci­ence falsely so called”—l Tim. 6:20).

“Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thes. 3:16)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle:

I have recently seen a copy of one of your publications and obtained your name and address from it. Your paper was interesting to me and I would like to subscribe to it. If possible, would it be convenient for you to send me back is­sues that deal with the Watchtower Society and with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I prom­ise to reimburse you for the monthly subscription price and the back issues.

I should tell you I was formerly associated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses – for about six years and served as both a pioneer and an elder in several local congre­gations. I gradually became very much disillusioned with the hypocrisy and double standard that exists among too many of the J.W. leaders. When I finally reached the lowest point in my life spiritually, I discovered that I was no longer serving Jehovah out of love but rather out of fear. I still love God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and want to serve them but not in a dictatorial man-made organization that actually subverts true worship.

I have voluntarily resigned my association with the Society and want nothing more to do with it. However, I find that the brainwashing I experienced by my in­doctrination in and my association with the J. W.’s leaves me with many perplexing questions and doubts. Any help that you can give me will be gratefully accepted. Are you associated with one of the groups following Pastor Charles Taze Russell? Would it be possible to obtain from you some of the original Watchtower publications? I’m becoming aware of the changes made by Judge Rutherford in Pastor Russell’s teachings.

Sincerely yours ------- (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Brethren:

Wishing you and those with you the Lord’s richest blessing in the New Year! As we enter this New Year the “clouds of trouble” are becoming more ominous – and if it was not for the light of Truth, the days ahead would indeed be most fearsome. However, we are not cast down, rather we rejoice “as we see these things coming to pass.” For God is our refuge and strength.

Dear Brother Hoefle, may God give you the strength as you continue to defend, uphold and advance the Epiphany Truth. We who read honestly and compare your pre­sentations with those of others we appreciate your efforts – knowing that in due time vindicate your work in the sight of all His people. So again, best wishes for the New Year!

With love ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

NO. 297: SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

No. 297

Comes again the Memorial of Him who perished on the cross, the time this year 1980 being any time after six p.m. the evening of Saturday, March 29. The time is determined as follows: The moon becomes new this year nearest the Spring Equinox (using Jerusalem as the proper location) at 8:56 p.m., March 16, making Nisan 1 at 6 p.m. March 16; and counting from that time, we arrive at six p.m. March 29. We have offered much more detail on this calculation in some of our previous Memorial papers.

“THIS do in remembrance of me.” These are among the last words of Jesus to His Disciples on the evening before He died on the cross; and we believe a clear understand­ing of these words will do much to dissipate much of the cobweb of error that now appears in so many sections regarding the Lord’s Supper. When Jesus made this statement they had just finished eating the Memorial of the great Passover that occurred in Egypt just 3,595 years before this Nisan 14 (March 29), of this year 1980. When Jesus said “this do,” He was telling them that from then on they were to partake of the bread and wine instead of the Jewish Passover Memorial. And how often did the Jews keep that Memorial? Why, once each year, of course! And, if that Memorial was then to be replaced with the bread and the wine should be used just once each year.

It is our understanding that there are now about 200 different views in Christendom concern­ing this ceremony; but, if we accept the clear and concise words of Jesus, there can be but one date on which we should do it – namely, on the same date that the Jews keep the memory of the Passover in Egypt. And the Bible is very clear about this date: “Ye shall keep it (the lamb) until the fourteenth day of the same month (Nisan): and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” (Ex. 12:6) Jesus and the Disciples followed this command by the Lord to the Jews that night in Egypt; and He then told them very clearly that the bread and wine should henceforth be substituted for the Passover lamb. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” (1 Cor. 5:7)

THE BEGINNING OF MONTHS

“The Lord spake unto Moses ... This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” (Ex. 12:2) In Ex. 13:4 we are told that the name of that month was Abib, meaning ‘an ear of corn.’ The harvest began in it; and the Jewish people began in that month to be a nation separate and distinct – set apart – from all the nations of the earth. It was not until after the return from the captivity in Babylon – after the Jews had come under Gentile rule, and the Gentile Times had begun, that Abib became known as Nisan (Neh. 2:1); and its meaning is also very sug­gestive – opening, or beginning. It approximates our month of March; and is identified by some as the beginning of the Jewish religious year – as opposed to the beginning of the business year, which begins about our October 10. To this day the Jews still take some recognition of the month of Tishri, which was the beginning of their year until the time they left Egypt, and the Lord then told them to observe Nisan as the beginning of months.

The feast of unleavened bread – or the feast of the Passover – began in it; but the Passover itself and the feast of the Passover should not be confused. The entire service lasted eight days; but the real Passover was only the first of those eight days. At the Passover Memorial the roasted lamb was the thing emphasized; whereas, in the fol­lowing seven days – the feast of unleavened bread – the unleavened bread was emphasized. During those seven days the Jews were permitted to eat any kind of meat not forbidden by the Law; but it was a grave offense to eat any leavened bread during those seven days. At one time it was believed that Jesus and the Apostles ate the Passover a day ahead of the Jews in general – based upon John 18:28; but the passover mentioned in that text refers to the feast of the passover, and not the actual eating of the Passover lamb.

It is probably well here to mention also that each Jewish month began with the com­ing of the new moon. Thus, the Jewish year is properly styled a lunar year; whereas, our year is known as the solar year, which makes a difference of five days or so be­tween the two years. This has been reconciled by the adoption of the Metonic cycle, which the Pagan philosopher Meton devised about 360 A. D. In his calculation he has seven intercalated months in every nineteen years. This twelfth month of the Jewish year is Adar; and the added month in those seven years of the Metonic cycle is Ve-Adar. This has reconciled the two methods so closely that the difference between when Jesus was on earth until now makes a difference of only a few weeks – not enough to cause any heated argument.

It might fit in here, too, to state that the Day of Atonement occurs on the tenth day of the seventh month, the month Tishri; although we should bear in mind that the Jews had no Day of Atonement at all until they left Egypt, and the ceremony was given to them by God through Moses at Mount Sinai. With this so clearly marked in Bible and secu­lar history, we have a very delicate sympathy with the Jews for refusing to give up Si­nai in the present altercations between them and the Arabs. The whole foundation for their religion was given to them at Sinai. The same applies to Christians, too, ex­cept that we have built upon the Law and the prophets to form the superstructure of the Christian religion. Without the inspired writings of the Old Testament, Jesus’ disci­ples could not have recognized Him as the Messiah. Jesus Himself said of the Old Testa­ment Scriptures: “They are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)

As stated aforegoing, each Jewish month began when the moon became new; and it was from that new moon that they began the reckoning of the various days. But when the clear command is given that the Passover was to be on the 14th day of Nisan, the moon is not even mentioned there. The Jews and some Christians think the moon must be full before the Passover is kept, but the moon does not become full on occasion until two or three days after Nisan 14; but this should not influence us because the record is very clear that the 14th of Nisan is the proper date for the Memorial. And this we ourselves try to follow; and the only way we will go wrong on it is if we fail properly to calculate when Nisan arrives. And, since all of this reckoning was given the Jews right there in Palestine, it makes no allowance at all for any one to use some other locality for the exact beginning of Nisan 1 and Nisan 14.

REMEMBER THIS DAY (Ex. 13:3)

It is not necessary that we strain our imaginations to ponder the great grip that the Passover had upon the Jewish mind. The miracle of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage was indeed a living thing to almost all of them – after their entry into Canaan and up until their dispersion from that land in the year 70 A. D. And to this day it is a very solemn occasion with the orthodox Jews, although probably to most of them it is an exercise in futility because they do not now have a high priest to bless the service. When Jesus said to them, “Your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38), none of them then realized how far-reaching and absolute this sentence would eventually become. But their High Priest had to come from the Tribe of Levi; and that tribe was so com­pletely lost in the dispersion that they no longer know which of them are of that tribe. Their house is now indeed “desolate.”

Nevertheless, those Jews who still try to keep the Law make strenuous effort to observe the Passover in every intricate detail. “This day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.” (Ex. 12:14) “And when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? Then shall ye say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover.” (Ex. 12:26,27) And to be sure that this injunction was scrupulously observed, the oldest son of each family – if he were thirteen years of age or older – was required to fast on the day leading up to the Passover table.

And when all were seated at that table, with the food scrupulously arranged, with the cups or glasses set for wine for each one present, there would be one extra cup “for Elias.” Had not the last lines of inspired Jewish Scripture warned them, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord?” (Hal. 4:5,6) And not realizing that this was one of those “dark sayings,” every seri­ous-minded Jew was alerted to the possibility of Elijah’s visitation “in an hour when ye think not” – possibly into his own house. Thus, he would not be overtaken unawares.

Then to be sure the question would be asked, “What mean ye by this service?” – the eldest son would ask the father the question, at which the father would explain in con­siderable detail those awesome happenings that night in Egypt. And by repeating this ceremony every year, the lesson would be indelibly impressed upon all present that a great miracle from on high had been performed for them that night. And we may be sure of the promise that those faithful orthodox Jews will eventually accept Jesus as their Messiah and be the “first” to receive the blessings of the New Covenant.

But one outstanding difference should here be emphasized between the actual perform­ance in Egypt and the subsequent memorials. There is nothing said in the Bible about anything to drink that night as they feasted upon the lamb, although they would almost cer­tainly need some liquid – not only for that night during the eating, but for the day following when they would be traveling afoot in the desert sun. If they drank any wine that night, it is not recorded. But the subsequent memorials were not to be ob­served with doleful face; it was to be a time of rejoicing in memory of their great de­livery from bondage.

And the Jewish fathers reasoned, What could cheer them better than wine? Thus, four cups of wine entered into that memorial – one before any food was taken, and the fourth after the entire meal had been completed. If any Jews were too poor to bear such ex­pense, the wine was supplied to them out of the public funds. Thus there would be mea­surably identical ritual in every house; each would rest in the assurance that his brethren throughout Jewry were in physical and heart accord with him that momentous night.

Nor was this arrangement without purpose. After the first cup – and before any food – the Small Hallel was chanted or sung, after which the meal itself was consumed, with two more cups of wine during the eating. When the eating was done, the fourth cup was had, with the chanting of the Great Hallel. Here it may be well to define the Hal­lel: It was composed of the 113-118 Psalms. The first two – Psa. 113 and 114 – are the small Hallel; and the 115 through 118 the Great Hallel. The word itself is of great sig­nificance: ‘Hal’ means praise, and ‘El’ means God – the whole meaning being ‘praise to God.’ It is the root of our English word ‘hallelujah,’ which, according to Webster, means ‘Praise ye the Lord.’

It is also probable that the Jews at the Passover in Egypt ate it standing up ­“your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste.” (Ex. 12:11) But when Jesus ate it with them the night before He was crucified, they were reclining on couches, or the like, about the table – as becometh free men. Note the record in John 13:23: “There was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples.” This could not have occurred if they were standing up, or sitting in chairs.

In medieval times King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table often set forth in quest of the Holy Grail, the same being that mythical golden cup which Jesus supposedly used as He said to the Disciples: “This cup is the New Testament in my blood.” (Luke 22:20) That Holy Grail was never found, of course; and there exists no real proof that there ever was one. Certainly Jesus used a cup that night, but no place does it say that it was a golden cup. Could that cup be produced with sufficient proof, it would be the most priceless treasure in Christendom. But God did provide that we should be heir to the exact words in Psalms 113-118; and we do well to include some parts of that Scrip­ture in our Memorial service.

“GO TO HIM WITHOUT THE CAMP”

In Ex. 33:7 we read, “And Moses proceeded to take a tent and pitch it by itself outside the camp afar off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting – and so it came to pass that whosoever was seeking Yahweh went out unto the tent of meeting, which was on the outside of the camp.” (Rotherham) Moses in this instance types our Lord as He arranged to remove the Star Members and His fully faithful people from the midst of the measurably faithful and the tare class, beginning in the Pergamos epoch of the Gospel-Age church, which began in the fourth century A. D. It was early in that century that Roman Emperor Constantine the Great embraced Christianity because he thought it would help him politically; and it was he who called the Council of Nice in 325 A. D. – at which time the Apostles Creed was formulated – and Arius (who held the Truth that there is but one God as opposed to the then growing belief in the Trinity error) was banished from the Roman Empire – “afar off from the Camp.”

The stinging charge is recorded against that Pergamos Church (Pergamos means ‘earth­ly elevation’ – and the church then was certainly elevated when the Roman Emperor him­self openly embraced the Christian religion) is this: “Where Satan’s seat is ... thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam.” (Rev. 2:13,14) In Num. 22:5-41 we are told of the mercenary Balaam; and in that episode he was a type of those who teach error for profit in this Gospel Age. This odious practice came very much into evidence during the Pergamos period of the church; and developed very noticeably during the fol­lowing years – until 799 A.D., when Charlemagne relinquished his regal power to the Pope of Rome – the beginning of the real Holy Roman Empire.

It was during the fourth epoch of the church, beginning in 799 that the charge is recorded against them: “Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel (the Roman Church) ... to teach and to seduce my servants ... to eat things sacrificed unto idols” (Rev. 2:20) ­on the outside of the Camp (apostate Christendom). Following is a quotation from Epi­phany Volume 11, p. 430: “God had our Lord do another thing indicative of His displeas­ure with His nominal people, i.e., remove the faithful servants of the Truth and its spirit from places of prominence and influence in the nominal Church – caused the sym­bolic woman, the Covenant promises and the servants who apply them to the brethren to go into the wilderness condition (Rev. 12:6) – to the Tent of Meeting (not the Taber­nacle, but Moses’ official residence) – and that but not slightly away from erroneous doctrines, organization and disciplines of the nominal church, but very far from these, and made the Truth and the servants who applied it to the brethren, as well as these last, the place where God resided, met with His people and blessed them. Henceforth every one who in heart’s loyalty sought fellowship with the Lord in spirit, truth, righteousness and holiness went forth from the nominal church to such truth, its apply­ing servants and the others of His real people, apart from the nominal church (without the camp)... When our Lord busied Himself with Truth matters, its applying servants, etc., the Truth and its spirit as due became manifest (the cloudy pillar descended ­Ex. 33:9), and remained at the entrance, consecration, where God revealed truths to Jesus in the star members.”

The foregoing dovetails so very beautifully with St. Paul’s admonition in Hebrews 13:13, “Let us, then, now go forth to him outside of the Camp, bearing reproach for him.” (Dia.) And it is such a very clear-cut and definite course of procedure for all elect “to follow in his steps.” (1 Pet. 2:21) Such indeed is one very appropriate thought for the Memorial. In principle, this arrangement is as true today as it ever was.

“WHAT MEAN YE BY THIS SERVICE?”

As previously stated, all the details of the original Passover in Egypt were pre­arranged with meticulous care and execution, even to its future remembrance “throughout your generations,” and the instruction of the Jewish children during future observances. It was properly anticipated that inquiring and curious children would ask, “What mean ye by this service?” (Ex. 12:26), thus providing the opportunity to instruct them in the niceties and the solemn responsibility of every Jew participating in it. And this exac­tion so thoroughly gripped the Jewish conscience and imagination that the Passover obser­vance today is almost identical to what it was in the day of Christ, excepting only the temple sacrifices which can no longer be performed. However, they yet make very elab­orate preparations for the festival. After minute search for all leaven in each house was completed into the napkin or cloth, the whole was then cast into the fire, and the master of the house declared in Aramaic that any further leaven that may have been in his house, and of which he was unaware, was to him no more than dust.

As stated, the eldest son of each family (thirteen years old, or more) was required to fast on the day leading to the evening service. Then on the evening of the 14th ­before partaking of the Passover meal and ceremony – all the male members of the house betook themselves to the synagogue, attired in their best apparel. On their return they would find the house lit up, and the “Seder” or paschal table in readiness for all to partake. The master of the house took his place at the head of the table, to par­take of the Seder, or Haggadah, as some Jews designate it.

As stated, to be sure the question would properly arise, the oldest son was previous­ly coached to ask, after they were seated at the table, why on this night above all other nights do they eat bitter herbs, unleavened bread, etc., at which the head of the house would relate the story of the original Passover and the deliverance of the Jewish first­born on that fateful night in Egypt. Then proceeded the feast, which had been elabor­ately and meticulously prepared – the bitter herbs such as parsley and horseradish, and a kind of sop with charoseth consisting of various fruits compounded into a sort of mu­cilage and mixed with vinegar and salt water – each arranged in its own vessel. At the outset the master took some of the bitter herbs, dipped them into the charoseth, and gave to each one present to be eaten along with the first cup of wine. Thus the feast continued throughout the evening until the fourth cup of wine and the recitation of the Great Hallel – after which, in the case of Jesus and the Disciples, “they went out into the Mount of Olives.” (Matt. 26:30)

Many of the requirements of the original Passover were subsequently ignored, and properly so. The Lord had told them in Egypt, “Thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand – so shall ye eat it in haste, it is Yahweh’s passing over.” Every minute detail in these instructions is fraught with grave significance to those who would commem­orate the memorial of “Christ our Passover who is sacrificed for us.” The girdle in the Bible symbols represents the serving features of those who would be servants in God’s Household. “He that is chief among you, let him be your servant.” (Matt. 20:27) Jesus Himself illustrated this on His last night by “girding” Himself, taking a towel and washing the Apostles’ feet. “I am among you as one that serveth,” He had told them. Then, the sandals on their feet were a representation of the Gospel-Age fact that “we have here no abiding city”; always should God’s people be alert to “move on” as occasion dictated, ever willing to follow the fiery-cloudy pillar the Truth as due; and to remember always that “The king’s business requires haste” no time to linger and ‘change clothes’ when the occa­sion should arise to journey on. And all this should be done with “your staff in your hand,” the staff typifying God’s precious promises, without leaning on which no one could ever make the journey from antitypical Egypt (the world of sin) to the Heavenly Canaan.

It is in order here to mention that some things in the original Passover were not followed by the Jews in their memorial, nor do we follow them in ours. In the Jewish celebration the lamb was chosen an the tenth day, nor do we now set aside the bread and the wine on the tenth day in readiness for the evening of the fourteenth. It would seem in the original that the Jews were told to do this to bring them into the proper mental attitude for that great miracle that would be performed for them on that awesome night. But we believe it is in order for us to “think on these things” for some days before our Nisan 14 – not only thinking, but also reading pertinent script on the sub­ject in the days preceding the participation.

Also, in the Jewish memorial the lamb’s blood was not sprinkled on the lintels and door posts, even as in the Lord’s Supper we do nothing to correspond to this. Nor did the Jews “eat it in haste” – as we have shown aforegoing; they reclined leisurely, but with full mental concentration of the thing they were remembering – as we also do as we partake of the bread and the wine. Thus, “this thing” has special reference to the delivery of the firstborn through the slain lamb, the eating of his flesh, and the sprinkled blood. Hence, the death of the lamb, the feasting on its flesh and the de­liverance of the firstborn, were the things to celebrate in the annual antitypical feast, and the Gospel-Age antitypes of these by the bread and the wine. It also bespeaks our participation with Him in His sufferings – with some a part of the sin offering, and with others a representation of this solemn event. Of course, this is not at all por­trayed in the annual Jewish celebration; it has exclusively a Christian meaning; and thus we consider it. However, it is implied in minor degree by the eating of the bit­ters along with the Jewish meal. And here is solid proof that the lamb typed Jesus only, and not the participants during the Jewish or this Gospel Age. Jesus only is the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

And, not only was Israel to observe the annual Passover during their wilderness journey (Num. 9:1-15), but they were to observe it after entering Canaan, which they scrupulously did – in like manner as did Jesus and the Apostles on the night before He died. And this we also do in our annual Memorial of “Christ our Passover.” And in our annual celebration we portray our journey from the wilderness of sin to our anti­typical heavenly Canaan. This is very much emphasized in Parousia Volume 6 on these various items, which writing we commend to all our readers. The annual Passover supper of the Jews thus types our annual participation in the bread and the wine.

THE TRUE AND THE FALSE

As most of us know, so many features of the true religion have been counterfeited by Satan, which prompted the Apostle to write, “the whole world lieth in wickedness.” (1 John 5:19) This was even true of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Eze. 8:14 it is stated, “There sat women weeping for Tammuz.” Tammuz was the sun god of the Baby­lonians, consort of Ishtar. He was identical with Adonis, the same as Baal of the Canaanites. Tammuz supposedly died each year, descended into the lower world, and was brought back to life by the weeping and lamentation of Ishtar, who was joined in her weep­ing by the women of Babylon. Thus, as Jesus was being led to the cross and He saw women weeping along His journey, He mildly admonished them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” (Luke 23:28) It is also related in Ezekiel 8:17 that the Jews “put the branch to their nose,” in keeping with the custom of the Persian sunworshipers holding before them a branch of date, pomegranate or tamarisk that their breath might not contaminate the risen deity. All of these sacrilegious practices by the Jews brought forth the scathing denunciation of God by the mouth of His prophets; and is a warning to all God’s people to “have no other Gods before thee.”

Moses charging Israel to remember Nisan 15 (the first day of the Passover Festival) as the day that they went forth from Egypt from the house of servants, types our Lord’s charging the Gospel-Age Church in general – and the Church here in the end of the Age in particular – to remember antitypical Nisan 15 as their deliverance time from the house of the servants to sin, and our instruction into the Present Truth. Israel in general remembered their typical deliverance at all times, but especially so in their keeping of the Passover Memorial. So we, as antitypical Israel, remember our deliver­ance from the bondage of sin at all tines, but especially so we keep the Memorial of Christ our Passover.

Much more could be included here, but we believe the foregoing will suffice to bring forcefully to mind once more our obligations to “do this in remembrance of Me”; and it is our hope and prayer that all our readers may be richly blessed in their prep­aration for and participation in this year’s Memorial as they “consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself.” This year we shall observe the Memor­ial at 1901 Morningside Drive, Sylvan Shores, Mount Dora, Fla., at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 29; and we invite all who may be in our vicinity of “like mind” to join with us in this service.

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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ANNOUNCEMENTS OF GENERAL INTEREST

It is the time of year for a Special Effort in Antitypical Gideon’s Second Battle against the two King Errors – Eternal Torment (Zebah), and the Consciousness of the Dead (Zalmunna). We suggest Sunday, March 23 through Sunday, April 6 for this Good Fight. Any of the brethren who wish to participate in this Battle, please order the pertinent literature in time. Our Nos. 1, 2 and 3 tracts are appropriate and will be sent free, postage paid, as well as other literature pertinent to this Battle.

Several names are being removed from our mailing list – those whom we believe are not interested in receiving the papers. However, if any one doesn’t get future papers, and wish to be reinstated, it will be our pleasure to do so. Our papers are free to all who are benefited therefrom, but we do not wish to send to those who are not interested.

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace through Jesus our Savior!

Thank you for your good letter and for the January 1980 paper, I am hoping you are now in good health. I saw from Letters of General Interest that you have suffered some illness. Every day I am thinking and praying for you – for the Lord to give you strength and support. (1 Cor. 12:26)

A brother in France has been writing me, and I have answered his numerous questions. Also, I bought 32 PhotoDrama in color, etc., for conference. There are some interested. Brother ------- told me that he had written you to tell you of his gratitude for your defense of the Truth.

Oh yes, we are in the “Time of Trouble” and the Kingdom is near! Some are searching for the Truth. One young man came from Paris for our papers in French. He is with the LHMM and would not give me his address because he dreaded reprimands from the LHMM brethren. Unfortunately, an evangelist for the LHMM was present, and he told me, “If you are not pleased with our teachings, go out! Desert the Lord! And I said to the young man, “When you were with the Jehovah’s Witnesses you were the Lord’s, because you were sincere. And now the Lord is with you. If you desert the LHMM, because of faithfulness to the Lord and His Truth, the Lord will still be with you. After much discussion the young man went away with all our papers in French. I requested the evangelist of the LHMM, who was present, to be lenient with this “seeker after the Truth.” But I fear the request was useless.

The Lord bless you in 1980 as He has in the past. And for now, my very dear Brother and Sister, by this I am sending my Christian love for you and all with you. Your brother by His Grace with love for you throughout eternity as you remain faithful. ------- (BELGIUM)

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Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace!

Many thanks for your last letter, which I am amazed to find was as far back as May 28. The days and months simply fly by – however, that is no excuse... So my apologies – and trust that the good work continues with you healthwise, and you are re­gaining your normal health and strength sufficient for the Lord’s purpose. It seems such a long interval between the arrivals of your circulars.

Glad to say that, after a prolonged period of more or less inactivity, Betty is feeling much better, and we were able to have a fortnight’s break late summer and vis­ited other members of our family in London area and Oxford. Also, another visit to Brother and Sister ------- at West Wickham, which was enjoyable and we trust profit­able. We are able to keep in touch with Brother ------- at Darlington, and very often have him stay with us for two or three days at a time, which gives him a break. He keeps quite well and has just passed the 84 mark. Recently we visited Brother ------- at Richmond and found him fair for his age. He feels somewhat isolated where he is, and I think we were able to cheer him a little.

What an impasse we are reaching these days in the affairs of the world. Whichever way man turns, he continually meets obstacles which prevent or hinders progress toward bringing in a more settled and stable society – and we know why! The marvel is that there is a constant stream of people who imagine they know the solution, and ever ready to attempt what we know as impossible.

How thankful we are, and how privileged to be “in the know,” and enjoy that peace of mind and heart, that man can neither give nor take away.

We pray the Lord’s blessing to continue on you and your coworkers as you seek to serve Him in spirit and in Truth. With Christian love, ------- (ENGLAND)

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Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle and Class: Loving Christian greetings in our Savior!

Another memorial of His birth is fast approaching and I’m here trying to get in touch by sending appropriate greetings to loved and dear ones especially there in the house of Faith and the real Truth.

Brother ....... came over and said I see you wrote Bro. Hoefle, and that he published your letter; and I said What makes you think so. He said, It sure sounded like you. Well, it did, because I wrote it.

I don’t know whether you know Sister H------ of Cambridge Springs, but since we were married, and have moved to Edinboro, she and I have our morning devotions together by way of the telephone... We have a nice chat and reading. She feels Bro. Jolly is the last member of Youthful Worthies. She feels sorry because she thought Bro. Esch­rich was one, too, and he is still with us even though he doesn’t get around anymore. I told her, How can we be sure that Bro. Jolly is the last one – there are many good faithful brethren here on earth yet. Yes, she said – But they may be the Great Com­pany class or the Epiphany Campers. She said, We are of the Epiphany Campers’ class. I said, I’ll let God be the judge of what class we are in, as I don’t agree with the Epiphany Campers Consecrated....

Brother ------- gets your papers, because he writes at times and makes a comment on your writings. Enclosed please use donation to help pay for subscription to -------

May God continue His blessings and watch over all. God bless you dear ones!...

Loving Christian greetings ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

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Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle: Greetings and Shalom in Messiah’s name!

May I wish you every spiritual and secular blessing in this New Year of our Lord! Thank you very much for your letter of December 10. I look forward to receiving the reading matter. Thank you very much for your very kind gift, which we acknowledge for the work. The books you are sending me are arriving in good shape. They do take a bit of time, however.

When I receive the literature described in your letter I’ll comment further. With kindest regards to you and Emily in Christian love.

Yours sincerely, ------- (AFRICA)