NO. 427: THE GLORY OF GOD

No. 427

Most of our readers are familiar with the attributes of God – Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power. In 2 Tim. 1:7 we are told that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”; but this is not God’s power in the full sense of that word. For us, it is not physical strength, as we recognize that many of the Lord’s people are very weak physically; but we are given will power. St. Paul is an outstanding example of this truth. The name his parents had given him was Saul, probably after Israel’s first king, who was a handsome physical specimen. “There was not one among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” (1 Sam. 9:2) When he was anointed with the Holy Spirit Saul adopted the name of Paul which was more in keeping with his physique – ‘Paul’ meaning ‘little one.’ But in will power he was one of the strongest of whom we have any record, so he could well say the Lord has given us “the spirit of power.”

In 1 Tim. 1:5 Paul says, “The end of the commandment [the entire Bible] is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” This text thus treats of the four great attributes of God – not in all ways, but to inform us of his intention in making the statement. And he is telling us that the great purpose of God in all His dealings with His people through His spirit, Word and Providence is to develop in them Agape love – flowing out of, based upon and acting in harmony with power, justice and wisdom. These exact words are not used in the text; but he refers to them by calling attention to each one’s main ingredient or ingredients. By the expression “unfeigned faith” he is giving us in sufficiency two of the ingredients of wisdom – trust and truth. By “good conscience” the duty feature of justice is meant. By the expression “pure heart” the Apostle means a will fixed in good principles and executing them. Thus will be seen the relation of all three of these characteristics to agape love and its sources, bases and modifiers.

Therefore, agape love permeates and expresses itself in the various graces, as is succinctly shown in 1 Cor. 13:4-8: “Charity [agape “love) suffereth long [is very tolerant], and is kind [shows kindness wherever possible]; charity envieth not [is generously disposed – no covetousness]; charity vaunteth not itself [refrains from self-­praise – the Germans have a proverb, ‘Self–praise has a bad odor’], is not puffed up [displays a proper humility], behaveth not itself unseemly [always polite], seeketh not her own [selflessness – always striving to give to others a little more than we receive from them], is not easily provoked [literally, is not enraged or infuriated, forbearance – “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” ­Prov. 17:22], thinketh no evil [without guile]; rejoiceth not in iniquity [abhors sin, never glad to see others indulging in evil], but rejoiceth in the truth [appreciates and delights in the Truth and its Spirit – always happy to see others prosper]; beareth [literally covereth] all things [ever ready to forgive], believeth all things [trustful­ness, always ready to give others the benefit of the doubt], hopeth all things [hopefulness, optimistic], endureth all things [patience, perseverance – stick–to-­itiveness]. Charity never faileth [permanency – something no one can take from us].”

Thus charity sourced, based and modified in wisdom, power and justice, enfolds in its ample embrace all of these graces, as well as every lower primary, secondary and tertiary grace.

It is probably in order here to consider how these four dominating graces ­especially love – carry on their domination over all our other affections, virtues and graces. They do this first by detaching our affections from lower and earthly things and attaching them to higher and heavenly things; secondly, by using our other affections, virtues and graces as servants of truth, righteousness and holiness. Thus, these – ­especially love – make our lower affections: love of self–esteem, of approbativeness, of rest, ofsecretiveness, of safety, of possessions, of self–defense, of aggressiveness, of nourishment, of health, of life, of friends, of home and country, of the opposite sex, of wife, of husband, of children, of parents, of brethren, serve truth, righteousness and holiness. Accordingly, if justice and love are the rulers, they develop respectively the lower primary virtues and graces of self-esteem, approbativeness, restfulness, secretiveness, cautiousness, providence, combativeness, aggressiveness, alimentiveness, vitativeness, sexliness, husbandliness, wifeliness, parentliness, filiality, brethren­liness, friendship, domesticity and patriotism.

Thirdly, they use our lower sentiments, especially humor as safety valves – vents. Fourthly, they, especially love, carry on this domination by suppressing the efforts that our lower affections and lower primary graces make to control us, and by such suppression develop the secondary virtues and graces.

It is written in Psa. 89:14 that “justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” And, while the Divine attribute of Justice is prominently discussed in the Bible, it was not the first attribute that operated in the creation of the universe and the creation of man. St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:24: “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” First of all God had to plan (wisdom) the universe: then His power was applied to carry out that plan. For man justice was the next attribute to appear when He expelled him from the Garden of Eden for disobedience; then came “the kindness and love of God.” (Titus 3:4)

In Reprints 4917 (Nov. 15, 1911) appears an excellent article on A Practical Self-examination Of Love, from which we quote a few paragraphs:

“Nothing in this signifies that one should neglect the caring for and providing in every way for those dependent upon him by the ties of nature, in order that he may do good to others. In every sense, ‘love begins at home.’ The proper thought, as we gather it, is that men and women, possessed of the spirit of perfect love, would not think exclusively of their own interest in any of the affairs of life. Put into exercise, this element of Love would have a great influence upon all the affairs of life, inside as well as outside the home and family.

“Have I the love which is good tempered, ‘not easily provoked’ to anger – love that enables me to see both sides of a question, that gives me the spirit of a sound mind, which enables me to perceive that exasperation and violent anger are not only unbecoming but, worse than that, injurious to those toward whom they may be directed, and also injurious in their effect upon my own heart and body?

“There may be times when love will need to be firm, almost to sternness and inflexibility, where principles are involved, where valuable lessons are to be inculcated; and this might come under the head of anger, using that word in a proper sense, in regard to a righteous indignation, exercised for a loving purpose, for doing good; but it should be exercised then only for a time. If justly angry we should see to it that we sin not either with our lips, or in our hearts, in which, at no time may we entertain any but loving and generous sentiments toward those who are our enemies, or toward those of our friends whom we would assist or instruct or correct.”

THE GREATEST OF THESE

In 1 Cor. 13:13, Dia., St. Paul tells us “these three remain – faith, hope, love – but the greatest of these is love.” Love in this text is from the Greek agape, which means good will motivated from unselfishness. It means doing good for the love of doing good; and such love is a refreshing and uplifting thing for all who come into contact with it.

In Rom. 5:3-5, Dia., we have this: “We triumph also in afflictions, knowing that afflictions works out endurance; and endurance approval; and approval hope; and this hope is not put to shame, because the love [agape] of God has been diffused in our hearts, through that Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” That spirit in the new spiritual will lays hold on our organs of veneration, benevolence and appreciation and exercises them toward God, Christ, the brethren, the world of mankind and enemies, and thereby cultivates all the graces mentioned in 1 Cor. 13:4–8.

This is the thought of Gal. 5:22, where the Apostle tells us that “the fruit of the spirit, the product of the new will, exercising our new spiritual capacities and affections is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith [fullness]. Thus, the full complete result of the Holy Spirit is a Godlike and Christlike character, disposition, mind, heart and will. Isa. 11:2-4 also tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us God’s disposition: “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”

It would seem that the following from Reprints 5668 (April 15, 1915) is quite appropriate here.

THE SUM OF ALL GRACES

“‘And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’ (1 Cor. 13: 13) The Apostle Paul has just been referring to the various miraculous gifts of the Spirit then granted to all begotten of the Spirit to the new nature. Anyone lacking some such special gift at that time would thus manifest to all believers that he had not become a member of the Church of Christ. These supernatural gifts also served to assist the primitive Church in spiritual growth. They did not have the Bible in those days [the New Testament], and if they had possessed it, very few could have read it; hence, they needed special assistance which the Church afterward did not need and was later taken away.

“In this letter to the Church at Corinth, the Apostle, after discussing these various gifts, says, ‘And yet I show unto you a more excellent way.’ Then he proceeds to point out the super-excellence of the fruit of love. Whoever has the Holy Spirit must have a measure at least of this fruitage, whether it be the little flower that contains the fruit-bud or whether it be the partly developed fruit, the fully developed fruit or the ripened fruit. God our Father, who looks upon the heart, knows how His Holy Spirit in the heart is seeking to control the flesh, to guide the mind and all the words and actions. We are not able to judge one another’s hearts. The Apostle said that he did not feel able properly to judge even himself, but left judgment to the Lord. He knew that his heart was loyal and that he was endeavoring to be all that the Lord would have him be. Though he was conscious of his inability always to ‘do the things that he would,’ he knew that the Master would accept his loyalty of heart; so he would do his best and leave the remainder with God.

“Our faith and our hope in the Lord lead us to earnest endeavor to develop the fruitage of love in all its varied and beautiful phases. Gentleness is a part of love; meekness is a part of love; so also are humility and brotherly-kindness. The question at issue with each child of God is not, How tall and well-built am I? or, How fine-­looking or well-educated or well-connected am I according to the flesh? or, How many or how fine sermons have I preached? or even, How many have I brought to a knowledge of the Truth? But the vital question is, How much of the quality of love have I developed? How great is the likeness of my character to that of Christ?

LOVE IS THE PRINCIPAL THING

“Why is this quality of love made so prominent in the Word of God? We answer, Because it is the first thing, the most important thing, the principal thing. It is the fulfilling of God’s Law; and, indeed, the sacrificial love enjoined upon God’s Saints of this Age goes even beyond the requirements of the perfect law. But why is love put first? It is not because God arbitrarily so placed it, not because He exercised His power of fiat and declared that it should be first. No, it is because no other quality of character is so lovely, so beautiful, so productive of happiness and joy, so great a blessing to all upon whom it operates. It is the very essence of God’s character, ‘GOD IS LOVE.’ This quality particularly represents His personality. While God is all-just and all-powerful, we do not say that God is justice or that God is power, but that God is Love. He uses His great power only as love dictates and approves. He uses His justice only in fullest harmony with His glorious attribute of Love. Love is the mainspring of all His doings.

“Whoever, therefore, would be God-like must be loving, must have love as the dominating quality of his character and his life. Love and righteousness are inseparable. Love is to continue to all eternity; and only those who become the active embodiment of this gracious quality of character will live eternally. Hence we see the paramount importance of its development in every life.”

THE SPIRIT OF A SOUND MIND

“EVIDENCES OF A SOUND MIND: The fall of Adam has worked ruin to mankind, so that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there are none sound. (Isa. 1:5,6) None are sound of mind or body. All are out of the way. ‘There is none righteous; no, not one.’ (Rom. 3:10) But in proportion as we receive the spirit of the Lord, and in proportion as that spirit of the Lord works in us and develops us and influences all the conduct of life, in that same proportion we receive the spirit of a sound mind.

“This soundness of mind will teach us how better to use our bodies. A person of unsound mind may either eat too much or eat what does not agree with him. In proportion as we have a sound mind, it influences what we eat, what we drink, and everything we do; it helps to regulate and control everything in life for us. It gives us broad views of all the affairs of life. It gives us more generous views of mankind. We recognize that mankind are under the curse, and we have a feeling of compassion for them. We have much advantage every way, because God has opened the eyes of our understanding.

“This spirit of a sound mind makes us more helpful. ‘We know better how to deal with each other as brethren. We know better how to deal with our children, with our neighbors, with the butcher and with every one else. The truth does not come to many of those who are naturally soundest of mind, and it takes time for the truth to bring in a measure of soundness. But we notice that when one receives the truth in the love of it, it has a healing effect on his mind. He will begin to think more correctly and to act more wisely.” (Reprints 5977, bottom and 5978, top)

The Wise Man tells us in Prov. 4:7 that “Wisdom [the wisdom that is from above ­James 3:17] is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” But how do we come by this wisdom? In 1 Cor. 1:30 we are told that Christ Jesus is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness [justification by faith], and sanctification [He sets us apart for His own good purposes], and deliverance.”

In 2 Tim. 1:7, Dia., we are given a very meaningful synonym of wisdom – a sound mind – which means a proper mental and religious disposition that is based upon the Truth and views matters according to reality in the light of the applicable Truth, and thinks, feels, speaks and acts accordingly tactful. A sound mind, therefore, is a proper mental and religious attitude. This Scripture also tells us that love and a sound mind are closely linked together. “God did not give us a cowardly spirit, but one of power, and of [agape] love, and of a sound mind.”

The proper application of the Holy Spirit in a “Sound Mind” will little by little and more and more give its possessor an ever increasing sound mind, which will by and by “make such a person of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11: 2,3) – that is, in the application of duty and disinterested (agape) love in accordance with the Divine will. Thus, in cultivating wisdom (love and the spirit of a sound mind), we constantly improve ourselves in every good word and work. In this there is a part that God, by Christ, does and a part that we do. Thus we become “co-workers with God,” as we constantly improve our intellectual and providential circumstances.

The spirit of a sound mind is one of the dominating graces of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes operates negatively in keeping us from doing unwise things, but operates positively in helping us to do the wise things. This is true in both our secular and religious relations. We need the spirit of a sound mind in our dealings with the Father and with Jesus, the latter being the Agent as our Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Teacher, Justifier, Sanctifier and Deliverer.

Inasmuch as our own righteousness is as “filthy rags,” we cannot approach Him through works and merits of our own. Therefore, the spirit of a sound mind forbids us to present ourselves – who are children of wrath – to God in any alleged merit or righteousness of our own. On the contrary, the Divine wisdom prompts us to seek for ourselves an Advocate before God, which we recognize to be Jesus. He has told us Himself that “whatsoever ye ask in my name it shall be given unto you.” (John 15:16) Thus, by the Divine wisdom wrought in us by Jesus’ ministry, we are prompted to ask forgiveness for our sins and a righteous standing before God through Him. Thus, sufficient of the spirit of a sound mind, which we receive from Him as natural men, enables us to see the proper approach to God, and tends to keep us in a righteous condition, and prompts us to present ourselves to God in harmony with Rom. 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Upon so doing in harmony with God’s will, He then gives us that sanctification that is necessary to do His “good and acceptable and perfect will.” This prevents us from engaging in works not motivated by God and Christ. On all sides today we see thousands zealously devoted to various reform and uplift works, which have no real standing in Heaven. “Many will say to me in that day, Master, Master, have we not taught in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name performed many wonders? And then I will plainly declare to them, I never approved of you. Depart from Me, you who practice iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22,23, Dia.) Such will be the reward of all rabid sectarians.

 The spirit of a sound mind teaches us what to do, and what to avoid doing in spirit, manner and method as to our works toward the world in religious aspects, and also in secular relations. But a sound mind will give us increasingly the spirit of wisdom in our religious and secular actions. While we are “not of the world,” yet we are in the world, and have secular relations toward the world.

Our secular relations toward the world may at times give us some consternation, especially with those of lower tendencies. Yet these are vastly in the majority and if we are inclined to avoid such, we may find it difficult to make a livelihood. St. Paul treats of this in 1 Cor. 5:9,10: “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators; yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye need go out of the world.” That is, if we would refuse to have any dealings with persons of disreputable leanings, we might find ourselves out of business. This does not mean, of course, that we become partners with them. St. Paul’s advice applies here, too – and positively so: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14) Our own experience in the business world over the past fifty years is that many put on quite a respectable appearance, but are ready enough to cut corners as opportunity may present itself. A well-meaning businessman once said to Brother Russell, “Pastor Russell, you have set the standard entirely too high.” His answer was, “I did not put it there; the Lord did.” Of course, having a “high calling,” it necessarily follows there would also be a “high” standard.   And the more of a sound mind we have, the more apparent this becomes to us. Also, the more of Divine wisdom we have the more of a sound mind will be apparent in us.

LOVE – HOW ACQUIRED

In any undertaking the “know-how” is fundamental to success. And this is certainly true in the acquisition of Agape love. We have pointed out that love and a sound mind are closely linked together. All who have developed any degree of Agape love will readily testify that it has put soundness into their thinking. Among the last words of Jesus to His Disciples are those to be found in Luke 21:12-15, Dia.: “They will drag you before kings and governors... And it will turn out to you for a testimony. Settle it in your hearts, therefore, not to premeditate on your defense; for I will give you eloquence and wisdom, which all your opponents will not be able to gainsay, or resist.” “Our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit... the spirit giveth life.” (2 Cor. 3:5,6)

FAITH COMETH BEFORE LOVE

Although, as 1 Cor. 13:13 tells us Love is the greatest of all the graces, for the Faith Age, faith must come first: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) Nor can we develop perfect (agape) love unless we continue to believe He is a God of Love, Wisdom Justice and Power, and also, to have faith in His Word that we have received. Those who are faithful to the truth they have will be ready to “learn more of Him,” and as they do they will develop more and more of the “end of the commandment [the purpose of the commandment] is charity.” (1 Tim. 1:5) All New Creatures will have to develop perfect love in their hearts during this Faith Age – their trial time for eternal life. No others are on trial for life, although, it behooves all classes of the Household of Faith to constantly seek to develop perfect love, as they must eventually do if they remain in the Elect classes. However, some of the unbegotten consecrators are not able to develop perfect love. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews we are told that it was by faith that the Ancient Worthies were able to do what they did. Abraham had faith and it was counted to him for righteousness. He didn’t have Agape love, but he will have it in the Kingdom, or he won’t remain one of the Elect.

In the Millennium when the New Covenant is inaugurated, there will be no crucial experiences – no suffering for righteousness sake – that will develop perfect love. But Restitutionists will have to develop perfect Duty Love toward God and man – love the Lord with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves. This will be a much easier requirement for them, for instead of suffering for righteousness, they will be rewarded for righteousness, and if their righteousness comes from the heart, they will be rewarded with eternal life. There was no sacrifice required of Adam – just obedience and faith in God. So Restitutionists will have to have a faith in God, but not a faith where He cannot be traced. Each step of obedience will bring the reward for tracing Him.

From Reprint 5095, top: “The spirit of a sound mind is a most wonderful manifesta­tion of the Holy Spirit in the Lord’s people. It gives them much advantage every way over the remainder of mankind. It sees in the present life opportunities for the attainment of character. It broadens and deepens the mind along all good lines. It makes one less touchy in respect to his own rights, privileges and preferences, and more considerate of the rights and feelings of others.

“The spirit of a sound mind makes one’s judgment clearer, truer, more trustworthy than before, for it impels him to accept the instructions of the Word of God in respect to what he should and should not do, and to reject his own faulty judgment. The meek will He guide in judgment. Whatever may be the imperfection of mind and body resulting from the fall, those who receive the spirit of a sound mind are thereby made purer, kinder, gentler, less selfish and more thoughtful in regard to others. Those who are thus rightly exercised will develop the spirit of love increasingly until that which is perfect shall have come and that which is in part shall have been done away. (1 Cor. 13:10)”

GOD’S GLORY

In Ex. 33: 18 Moses asked God to show him His glory; and in Psa. 104:31 we are told, “The glory of the Lord shall endure forever.” In Isa. 42:8 it is written: “I am the Lord: that is my name:  and my glory will I not give to another.” From these and other Scriptures we conclude that God’s glory is synonymous with His character attributes of Justice, Wisdom, Power and Love. All of God’s faithful people of the past have had some of these character qualities; but none of them, not even Jesus, have had them in the same magnificent and grandiose quantity and quality as they are in our Almighty God. The word translated ‘glory’ in Isa. 42:8 is from the Hebrew ‘kabod’ and one of its meanings is ‘splendor’; and the more we see and learn of His character and works, the more His splendor becomes apparent. Thus, we enthusiastically join with David in his exclamation, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Psa. 95:6,7)

(Written by Brother Hoefle July and August 1978)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Sister,

Thanks for the books! I haven’t stopped reading until way late in the night! They are wonderful. I am learning as I have never learned before. Pastor Russell sure was blessed and filled with the Holy Spirit. His work will live forever.

I have read all the Bulletins that you have sent – three times. I am now on the third reading of The Divine Plan of the Ages. I am getting the feel of the writer and trying to hear him speak in the language on the printed pages. The truth is there and stands out above all else, as it should.

Sister Florence tells me every time I express my happiness in finding Pastor Russell’s writings, “I knew you would take to his works like a duck to water!” She knows me well. I am always searching for more truth. I have found it.

Florence is in Oregon visiting her son, Melvin. She will be gone for about three weeks. She tried to call you several times, but was unable to reach you.

I would like to have No. 1 Where are the dead? and No. 2, What Is the Soul? Eventually I would like to have all of your literature that is available, but right now, with what I am studying, I think this will be enough.

I will order Pastor Russell’s second book in a little while. Thanks again for your continued prayers put forth to all those who are seeking and searching for the truth.

Your sister in Christ, ------- (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Sister Hoefle:

My kindest regards and God’s blessings to you and all with you with Psalm 23! With great joy I have received your two air mail letters. I am sending you three names for your mailing list. God bless you. Your brother in Christ, ------- (AUSTRIA)

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Dear Brethren: Greetings of love through our Beloved Lord and Savior! It is a privilege and pleasure to tell you of the special meeting we had on Sunday, July 7. We had a baptismal service in which there were six who symbolized their consecration by immersion. The candidates were four brothers and two sisters all of the same family. There were fourteen in attendance.

Five of the candidates are fourth and fifth generation descendants of a faithful sister who came into the truth during Brother Russell’s ministry. Her works do follow her (Rev. 14:13) was manifested by this occasion. She has left a wonderful legacy for which we can say with appreciation and thankfulness, “God bless her memory.”

The service was brief but meaningful and all present were spiritually enriched by the solemnity of the occasion. All the candidates seemed to have a full understanding of the import of their consecration and its symbol by water immersion. We ask your prayers for all that they will be faithful.

We praise God from whom all blessings flow for the privilege of knowing His truth, and witnessing this momentous event as an evidence of His loving care and overruling providence. With Christian love to all from all here. By His Grace, Brother and Sister ------- (NORTH CAROLINA)

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Epiphany Bible Students:

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Thanks for sending me the papers on Zionism, Part One and Part Two. I was blessed by reading both. It always enhances my concept of the Grandeur of our God to be informed as to how He uses His creation to show forth His message to those who are drawn to Him.

On page 3 of Part One, last paragraph, second line quote: “and Bezetha the Youthful Worthies.” Would you explain the term Youthful Worthies and give Scriptural support for the term?

May our loving Heavenly Father bless your efforts to serve Him. By His Grace, ------- (TEXAS)

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Dear Brethren: Christian greetings in our dear Lord and Master Jesus’ Name!

Thank you for sending me your newsletter. Some time ago my wife bought a book from Mr. Horowitz about our dear Pastor Russell. In the meantime, our address has changed. We enclose the old address and ask that you send your newsletter to the address above.

Please give us some information about the difference between the LHMM and your Ass’n. Do you have any further literature?

Thanks again. With Christian greetings. Sincerely yours, ------- (GERMANY)

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Dear Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace through our Lord Jesus!

Much thanks and appreciation for your reply. Trusting by His Grace you are enjoying good health. We are keeping fairly well, all thanks to Him. Unfortunately Sister Nora lost her husband a few months ago. We all share her bereavement. Brother Luther McKenzie is still ailing but taking his infirmities in good spirit trusting in the Lord.

Brother Wycliffe Mahoney is fine both in spirit and in body. The time he stood up for Brother Hoefle to speak [at Crofts Hill when Brother Jolly spoke for four hours], I had not made my consecration and wasn’t present. However, I was told of the incident.

We continue getting our periodicals. They are so informative. Thanks much for same. I am making a request on behalf of the ecclesia. We would like to get a few tracts of Permission of Evil, Two Salvations, What is the Soul?, etc. The Lord grant you strength as you continue in His service. Our warmest Christian love and God’s blessings. Your brother by His Grace, ------- (JAMAICA)

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Dear Madam:

I shall be grateful if you would send me a copy of your book on Pastor Russell. Also, I wish to read about the errors of Judge Rutherford and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

If it is not given free, kindly let me know how much it costs. Yours sincerely, ------- (AFRICA)

NO. 426: IN MEMORIAM

No. 426

Once more we find it a privilege and pleasure to present a treatise on That Wise and Faithful Servant, whom the Lord made “ruler over all His goods.” (Matt. 24:45-47) The Scriptures give more on Brother Russell than of any other individual, except our Lord, in type and direct Scripture. It behooves all who have benefited from his faith­ful ministry to honor him, and more particularly to abide in the beautiful system of truth that he left us – and to study, spread and practice the Truth all the more as the “evil day” progresses. All who abide in “present truth” do not accept the many errors of our day – errors that set aside the fundamental truth in which we have been estab­lished.

THESE SEVENTY–FIVE YEARS

That Servant entered into his reward October 31, 1916, and since that time the Ad­versary has done all in his power to distort the Truth in every way possible – by set­ting it aside for “new light” (?), by perverting the Truth, by revolutionizing against the Truth. All those who have “continued in the Truth” once delivered unto the faithful are much saddened to witness such distortions, etc. Some have gone from one group to another, hoping to find the pure faith – and some have come to the conclusion that they would separate themselves from all groups. We believe that is a mistake, because there are yet others of like mind who seek to “abide in His Word,” and who are keeping up the “good fight,” in upholding and defending the faith. Such a course is the only way we can “be faithful to the Lord, the Truth and the brethren.” We are to “lay down our lives for the brethren,” and we cannot do that if we isolate ourselves and refuse to hold up the standard because we do not want to “stand the heat of the day.”

The Truth received into “good and honest hearts” makes us “good soldiers” – it does not make cowards of us. If we have a cowardly spirit, the Lord did not give it to us. “For God did not give to us a Cowardly Spirit, but one of Power, and of Love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7, Dia.) And the Apostle Paul tells us: “Retain an outline of Wholesome Words, which thou didst hear from me, in That Faith and Love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard the Good Entrusted charge, through that holy Spirit which dwells in US. Thou knowest this, That all those in Asia turned away from me: of whom are Phygel­lus and Hermogenes.” (2 Tim. 1:13–15, Dia.)

ANTITYPICAL JEREMIAH

While we consider ourselves duty–bound to make the statements aforegoing, yet we are also most happy to note that none of the groups that have arisen from the Parousia Truth Movement have resorted to any slander of That Servant – nor have they attacked his character. However, in his day Babylon was grossly guilty of slander when they could not meet his clear Scriptural teachings that exposed so many of their errors.

And this Babylonish evil is still glaringly present with us. In just the past few months a book has come into our hands – written by a man of some considerable education and influential standing – who attempts to expound such subjects as “hermeneutical prin­ciples,” although he at the same time reveals a pathetic ignorance of some of the subjects he attempts to explain. He is a vehement expounder of the Trinity, eternal torment as the wages of sin, and his reliance on Satan’s great lie, “Thou shalt not surely die” ­even quotes that very text in support of his own perversions. In like manner he con­tends for the flesh and blood return of Jesus at His Second Advent.

In Jeremiah 1:5 it is noted, “I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”; and this offers us a key to the typical relationship of that prophet Jeremiah to That Ser­vant here in the end of the Age, because the evidence is very strong that That Servant was also “ordained a prophet unto the nations.” In the 38th Chapter of the same prophet we are told how his enemies lowered him into a dungeon of mire, typical of the slander that was heaped upon antitypical Jeremiah, Brother Russell, by his enemies in Babylon. The book we mentioned carries on “the good work” (?) in the following manner: “Thus it was, that at the words of one colossally egotistical and unschooled haberdasher, the Times of the Gentiles ended.”

The same writer classes him with “the heretic Arius” in teaching that there is but “one God,” which is an honor to Brother Russell; and emphasizes that he justly lost two slander suits against The Brooklyn Eagle and an Ontario minister. It is our firm con­viction that he should have won both cases, but we shall not here recount the elements that entered into the reason for his loss of those suits. The Eagle had published that “Russell’s religious cult is nothing more than a money–making scheme, and the court’s decision vindicated the Eagle’s statement and proved its reliability.” Although we know that Brother Russell put more money into the organization than he ever received from that organization.

The same writer then sums up: “This then is the product of Charles T. Russell, who, because he would not seek instruction in the Word of God, dedicated his unschooled talents to a lone vain search without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” There is much more of the same we could quote, but we would sum it up in words applied to Babylon, which now have equal force with the writer of the book in question: “The chief leaders of Babylon put him [Brother Russell] into the foulest condition of slander that certain executives of the clergy could invent, and by their strongest arguments they lowered him into the pit of slander, resulting in his sinking deeper and deeper into the filth of misrepresentation.”

Our beloved Pastor has been dead now for seventy–five years; but the foregoing is the sort of calumny that is still being printed and circulated about him because they realize that his teachings are still with us, and enduring. But, “As He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)

ANTITYPICAL DANIEL

Our Pastor knew that he was the antitype of Daniel, as he indicated by two paint­ings prepared for, but not used as Photo–Drama slides. One of these slides interpreted the antitypical handwriting on the wall and one on Pastor Russell in the critics’ den, which was reproduced in plate cut on the back of a Bible Students’ Monthly and in the 1913 Convention Report. Daniel does not type our Pastor in all the latter’s relations, but only in his relations to the world as a teacher on subjects pertinent to the world and on some of the relations of the Church to the world. In this treatise we do not write in a spirit of “angel worship,” but in appreciation of his faithful ministry and .”labor of love” toward all God’s people.

In Chapter One the account of Daniel’s education for the position of statesman in Babylon is get forth. Here Nebuchadnezzar types the nominal people of God. Ashpenaz (Dan. 1:3) types the chief leaders in the nominal church, such as supervised the subor­dinate teachers of the nominal church, and such as particularly supervised the educa­tional arrangements of Christendom’s prospective teachers. It was the desire of the nominal people of God (vs. 3,4) that the most gifted and promising young men be selected for training as teachers of their views in symbolic Babylon. As Daniel (vs. 4,6) was one of those chosen for such educational opportunities in literal Babylon, so was Brother Russell chosen by those nominal Christians with whom he associated as a religiously and intellectually promising young man to teach in the nominal church.

And as the King (v. 5) provided that such students be fed from the royal table, so the nominal people of God arranged that the future teachers and leaders in symbolic Babylon be nourished on the religious diet that they themselves ate. As Daniel determined not to defile himself with the Levitically unclean meats (v. 8) of the King’s ta­ble, so Brother Russell determined that he would not defile himself with symbolic Baby­lon’s unclean doctrines. Since the story of how this happened is not generally known and should be preserved, we give it here in fair detail.

Brother Russell was born with a most exceptionally fine religious endowment. Be­fore he was born his mother consecrated him to the Lord, and afterward gave him the most careful religious training within her ability. As he often said, he could not remember a time from childhood’s first memories onward when he was not consecrated. Early he, showed his zeal in seeking to save people from Eternal Torment, among other ways, by his writing at the age of 14 Scripture passages on the sidewalks and walls of houses, urging people to repent and believe. In such evangelistic zeal, when 16 years old, he sought to convert an infidel acquaintance. The latter asked him if he believed God to be perfect in wisdom, justice, love and power. On his replying, “yes,” his acquaintance asked him how such  a God could have absolutely predestined the vast majority of the race to eternal torment. The boy answered that he could not understand it.

Up to this time he had not thought deeply on this feature of his (the Congregational) church’s creed. Troubled by the question, he raised it in the circles of his church. Unable to get any satisfying answer, he expressed his doubts on the matter. The report spread in the church that he was on the way to becoming an infidel. The pas­tor and elders of the church appointed a special meeting to solve his questions. But instead, they only increased his doubts. They told him that the Bible taught that doc­trine. He then said to them, “I believe God is perfect in wisdom, power, justice, and love, and I will not believe anything contrary to His character to be a revelation from Him. Therefore I do not believe He gave the Bible as His revelation; for, if He had given it as such, it would agree with His wisdom, power, justice and love.” It was at this stage wherein he decided he would never believe as a revelation of God anything contradictory to His character, that he, as antitypical Daniel (v. 8), determined not to defile himself with Levitically unclean meats; for he concluded that any doctrine con­trary to God’s character is false. It will be noted that the stand that Brother Russell took on the matter of God’s character as a test of revealed religion, when he was 16 years old, he retained until death ended his course.

His pastor and elders, as representatives of the highest church authorities (v. 9), thought highly of him; and his determination to accept only what harmonized with God’s character (pulse, v. 12) put them into considerable difficulty with the pertinent nomi­nal people of God who would cut them off from their positions (“endanger my head to the king,” v. 10), if they did not require of him to accept the Congregational creed in whole. But rather than lose so promising a young man, they conceded to him temporarily (ten days, v. 12) the privilege of subjecting all teachings to the rule of harmony with God’s character. Accordingly, we find Brother Russell as a youth of 16 a disbeliever, not actually, though ostensibly, in the Bible, but actually in the Calvinistic creed, which he was mistaught to be the right interpretation of the Bible.

He was of too religious and logical a mind to be content without a revealed reli­gion. He therefore set out to learn what the true religion was, and to this end decided to investigate all religions until he would find the true one. So he began with that of the Chinese, whose idea of the creation is this: In the beginning all was water, where it grew into our present earth. That was enough of the Chinese religion for him! Worse absurdities than this made him reject Hindooism and Buddhism. Because Mohammedanism was partly based on the Old and New Testaments, he rejected it. Thus his rejection of the non–Christian religions left him for a while stranded high and dry on the shores of un­belief, though all the while he devoutly held to God as perfect in wisdom, justice, love and power, and trusted Him as such.

But his religious disposition could not be content with no religion; and what to do troubled him. Finally he said to himself, I can at least believe so much of the Bi­ble as is contained in the Golden Rule Godward and manward: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy mind, with all thy soul and with all thy strength ... and thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matt. 22:37,39) Furthermore, he concluded that Je­sus’ explanation of the law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, as meaning: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them (Matt. 7:12) was correct. Thus he said, “I believe that much of the New Testament.” This prompted him to look up the context of Matt. 7:12, which he found to be a part of the Sermon on the Mount. He studied this in the light of God’s character and recognized it to be in harmony therewith. Therefore he accepted it. This moved him to desire to study more of Jesus’ teachings, which, accordingly, led him to study these as they are found elsewhere in the four Gospels.

Always he found them in harmony with God’s character. This moved him not only to accept all of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels as he understood them, but also greatly to appreciate Jesus as a teacher Divinely inspired. Such appreciation of Jesus’ teachings prompted him to want to know more of His life, which moved him to a study of the Gospels historically, resulting in his recognizing Jesus as a perfect human being and the Son of God. But up to then he rejected the New Testament, except the Gospels.

One day he noted the passage (John 16:12-14) wherein Jesus said that the Spirit would reveal to the Apostles such truths as Jesus would yet give them, and which they were as yet unable to bear. He desired to know what those teachings were. Hence he began to study the Acts, the Epistles and Revelation; and as he understood them he rec­ognized their harmony with God’s character. Thus gradually, and upon a right founda­tion he came to believe that the New Testament was the revelation of the God of wisdom, power, justice and love, in whom he had always believed.

But the Old Testament he continued to reject. The following things gradually led him to believe in the Old Testament: He noticed that not only did Jesus and the Apostles quote from the Old Testament, but used such quotations to prove their doctrines. Hence he concluded that whatever they quoted from the Old Testament was true. On later thought he decided to study the connections from which these quotations were made; and these he found to be in harmony with the quotations themselves and God’s character. Hence he ac­cepted the teachings of these contexts. This led him to study the connections of these contexts, and thus more and more of the Old Testament became clear to him until his faith was confirmed in the prophetic writings and in the historical writings which were closely interwoven with the prophetic writings. Still he suspected the books of Moses, except those parts quoted by Jesus and the Apostles; because he mistakenly was led to think that Moses made himself a dictator to Israel and established a priesthood that tyrannized over the people. But deeper study convinced him of his mistakes on these points; and he came to see that the Mosaic legislation was the most benevolent, and freedom, equality and fraternity-inspiring legislation ever inaugurated. Accordingly, he accepted also the Pentateuch as Divinely inspired; and thus his faith accepted the whole Bible.

He continued to study the Scriptures privately and in an independent Bible class at Alleghany, Pa.; and by 1872, four years after he started out in quest of the Divine revelation, he not only accepted the entire Bible as that revelation, but also the fol­lowing points as its main teachings: the unity of God; the Divine Sonship of Jesus; the Spirit as God’s power and disposition; man’s fall from perfection into sin; death as sin’s penalty (Rom. 6:23); the unconsciousness of the dead (Eccl. 9:5); the Ransom as guaranteeing an opportunity for the elect in this life and for the non-elect in the Millennium; the eternity of the physical universe (Ecc. 1:4); the destruction of the symbolic world at Christ’s Second Advent (2 Peter 3:10-12); the Second Advent for the restitution of all things (Acts 3:19-21); eternal life in heaven for the elect, and on earth for the saved non-elect; and eternal annihilation for the incorrigible.

It was in 1875 that the antitype of Nebuchadnezzar’s examining Daniel (vs. 18-20) began. From 1872 to 1875 Brother Russell continued to increase in grace, knowledge and fruitfulness in service. It was in October 1874, that he came to see that Jesus in His resurrection became a Spirit being, and that therefore He would not in His Second Advent come in the flesh, but as a glorious Divine Spirit, and necessarily then would be invis­ible to human natural sight. He embodied these thoughts as well as those on the object of our Lord’s return in a tract entitled, The Object and Manner of Our Lord’s Return. The misteachings of the Adventists on the object and manner of our Lord’s return had raised more or less doubts and questions in many minds, and this aroused Brother Russell to write and spread that tract, which was circulated to the extent of 50,000 copies.

THE METAL–MAN DREAM

The second chapter of Daniel treats of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the metallic image of a man with a golden head, silver shoulders and arms, brazen belly, iron thighs and legs, and feet and toes of a mixture of iron and clay, and of the stone which destroyed the image and then grew into a mountain, filling the entire earth. It is not our pur­pose in our study of Daniel – type and antitype – to point out the prophetic features of Daniel, since that is sufficiently done in Studies, Volumes One, Two and Three. Here we limit our attention to the typical features of this book. Nor will we rehearse the typ­ical features. Rather, we will merely indicate them by the citing of the verses in which they occur, asking our readers to have the book of Daniel open at the pertinent part for the sake of reference. In interpreting Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, our Pastor gave its prophetic teachings. At the same time, the entire story of Dan. 2 types something very interesting. Typically, this chapter sets forth the meaning of history under the rule of the nations during the Times of the Gentiles and the prophe­sied role of God’s Kingdom as the destroyer and successor of these.

In this chapter, as in the preceding one, Nebuchadnezzar types the Gospel-Age nom­inal people of God, who, as such, have been in existence since the Jewish Harvest. His having the dream represents the nominal people of God having a proper view of the mean­ing of history as exemplified in the four universal Gentile powers and in their ten suc­cessor powers, and of the role of the prophesied Kingdom of God as their destroyer and successor; for the Apostles properly taught the early Christians that, as represented by the deterioration of the metals from gold to silver, from silver to brass, from brass to iron and from iron to a mixture of iron and clay, under the Gentile rule the race and its governments would become more and more fallen and depraved – and that when depravity would reach its height the kingdoms of this world would be destroyed by God’s Kingdom, which would stand forever. This, in brief, is the philosophy of human history under Gentile rule and the prophetic role of the Kingdom of God. And this view, taught by the Apostles, remained with the real and nominal people of God for several centuries.

The papacy’s teaching another theory of God’s Kingdom in its time and other rela­tions to the kingdoms of this world darkened the subject; for it taught that it was God’s Kingdom commissioned to convert the world and rule over it for 1,000 years before Christ’s return, whereas it was the clay mingled with iron in the feet and toes. (The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach similarly about their organization in our day.) This view gradually caused the one given to the nominal people of God by the Apostles to be for­gotten by them (the thing is gone from them, v. 5). For many centuries the true view was forgotten; and it was only beginning with the illumination – in 1748 – that nominal Christians began to demand an explanation of the meaning of history from the clergy (Chaldeans), the professors (magi), the historians (astrologers) and the prophets (sor­cerers) of Christendom (v. 2). Their inability to tell what was the early view of Christians thereon, as well as its meaning, was typed by the inability of Nebuchadnez­zar’s wise men to tell the dream and its interpretation (vs. 4–11).

The decree to slay the wise men of Babylon types the determination of the thinking members of the nominal church to set aside as their teachers (a symbolic killing) the wise men of Christendom. Arioch (vs. 14,15) represents those who led the people in set­ting aside such teachers, i.e., the free thinkers, higher critics, etc., who beginning about 1785, worked to undermine popular confidence in Christendom’s wise men as teachers. Undoubtedly, the prestige of such wise men was greatly decreased with ever–increasing numbers of nominal people of God from that time onward. Arioch’s seeking Daniel (v. 13) represents that such free thinkers, higher critics, etc., sought to undermine Brother Russell as a teacher in Christendom. Daniel’s tact in dealing with Arioch (vs. 14,15) types Brother Russell’s tact in dealing with free thinkers, etc. Arioch’s telling Dan­iel the situation (v. 15) types the free thinkers, etc., telling the situation of the antitypical wise men to Brother Russell.

Daniel’s going to the king and obtaining time to consider and answer the matter (v. 16) represents Brother Russell’s standing before the nominal people of God as a teacher of religion and promising, if allowed due time, to solve the matter at hand. Daniel’s laying the matter before his three friends and asking their united prayers over the matter (vs. 17, 18) represents Brother Russell’s habit of asking suggestions from the brethren when in difficulty and asking their prayers for Divine enlightenment, e.g., when he was perplexed over the meaning of the voice of the three signs (Reprint 4057, last par.). Members of the Bethel family will recall such things as occurring. This course he followed in the present instance. God’s revealing this matter to Daniel (v. 19) types God’s making known to Brother Russell the view of the early Christians on the meaning of history as exemplified in the Gentile rule and the prophesied role of God’s Kingdom. Daniel’s thanksgiving (vs. 19-23) types Brother Russell’s thanksgiving at this mercy of God. Daniel’s desiring Arioch not to destroy Babylon’s wise men (v. 24) repre­sents Brother Russell’s refutation of the course of the free thinkers, etc., which was a hindrance to their object. Arioch’s bringing Daniel to the king as one who would tell and interpret the dream (v. 25) types the free thinkers, etc., more or less praising Brother Russell, whose kindly manner and logical teachings favorably impressed them.

Nebuchadnezzar’s asking Daniel if he could give and interpret the dream (v. 26) types the nominal people of God inquiring, i.e., searching Brother Russell’s teachings for an answer to the matter on hand. Daniel’s reminding Nebuchadnezzar that Babylon’s wise men could not answer his questions (v. 27) types Brother Russell’s statements that Christendom’s clergy, professors, learned ones, prophets and philosophers have been un­able to answer the matter. Daniel’s attributing the implied wisdom, not to himself, but to God (v. 28), types Brother Russell’s denying that he had his wisdom of himself, but that it was of God, who revealed the knowledge to him as due. Daniel’s telling and in­terpreting the dream (vs. 28-45) types Brother Russell’s showing the view of the early Christians on the increasing depravity accompanying the rule of the Gentiles and on the role of God’s Kingdom as the destroyer and successor of these. This view our Pastor gave in his writings, sermons and lectures. The king’s honoring and promoting Daniel (vs. 46-48) type how increasingly the people of Christendom honored Brother Russell, re­garding him as above all other religious teachers of Christendom. Daniel’s desiring promotion for his three friends (v. 49) types Brother Russell’s using his position to advance the Lord’s people as teachers in Christendom. Daniel’s sitting in the king’s gate (v. 49, place of chief prominence), types the great and favorable publicity that Brother Russell got especially from 1913 onward.

In the events of Daniel 3, Daniel took no part. It has often occasioned wonder as to where Daniel was while Shadrach, Meshach and Abed–nego were undergoing the trial of the golden image and the fiery furnace. While the record is silent on this point, one thing is certain about it, i.e., that Daniel was absent from the plain of Dura; for he certainly would have stood beside his three friends, had he been present. When we look at the antitype it becomes manifest that Daniel, who throughout his book types our Pas­tor, could not have been there; for had he been present it would have spoiled the anti­type; for Brother Russell died before either of the two fulfilments set in where he lived. Thus in the light of the antitype Daniel’s absence during the events described in Chapter 3 is entirely clear. Nevertheless, Daniel wrote this, as well as the rest of the book that bears his name. And what does his writing this chapter type? Brother Russell’s giving the two antitypes of this chapter, e.g., one in Reprints 2495, 2496, and the other in Reprints 4873, 4874. Thus in giving these two antitypes of this chap­ter our Pastor antityped Daniel in writing it.

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

The fifth chapter of Daniel treats of Belshazzar’s feast, the handwriting on the wall, its reading and interpretation. In one of the pictures used in the German Photo ­Drama the antitype of the interpretation is given. Therein Brother Russell is repre­sented as giving the right interpretation, while the clergy, etc., are pictured forth as in confusion thereover. In this picture Belshazzar types the nominal people of God in state, church and capital especially their leaders as a class. His 1,000 lords (v. 1) represent these leaders distributively as being many, i.e., in their totality. His wives represent the main organizations of the nominal people of God, and his concubines their lesser organizations.  The feast types the Parousia privileges and advantages that the nominal people of God appropriated to themselves – particularly so in the church unions during the Harvest period. The golden and silver vessels (vs. 2, 3) type the Di­vine truths that had been taken captive in the Dark Ages with God’s real people into symbolic Babylon. The sending of these vessels types the requirements that the teachings of God’s Word be made subservient to Babylon’s unclean uses. Putting Babylon’s wine in­to these vessels types the corruption of the Divine truth with Babylon’s errors. The banqueters’ drinking therefrom types the antitypical Babylonians’ partaking of a mixture of truth and error in their Parousia feast. The fingers of a man’s hand (v. 5) that wrote on the wall represent the exhibition of Divine power (hand) on symbolic Babylon’s walls (her political, financial, ecclesiastical, social and labor powers). The king’s seeing the part of the hand that wrote (v. 5) types the nominal people of God recogniz­ing in part that it was a manifestation of Divine power that they witnessed. And such power was manifest in the signs of the times occurring in Babylon’s political, finan­cial, ecclesiastical, labor and social powers.

The great perturbation of the king at the sight (v. 6) types Christendom’s fears at the events which proved to be the signs of the times – “men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth.” (Luke 21:26) The king’s demand that the wise men of Babylon be brought before him (v. 7) types the demand of the nominal people of God that the wise men of Christendom be summoned to the fore on the subject at hand. His offer to give the purple robe, the golden chain and the third position in the kingdom to the one who would read and interpret the handwrit­ing, represents Christendom’s reward of making the true reader and interpreter the roy­ally accepted (purple robe), Divinely authorized (golden chain on the neck) chief teacher in the religious (the third) department of symbolic Babylon.

The failure of the king’s wise men to interpret the handwriting types the failure of Christendom’s learned men, clergy and prophets, to read and interpret the signs of the times. Belshazzar’s increased fears and that of his lords (v. 9) types the increased perplexity of the nominal people of God, particularly of its leaders, at the events which proved to be the signs of the times, etc. Daniel’s being brought in before the king (v. 13) types Brother Russell being brought in before the nominal people of God by his writings, sermons and lectures. Daniel’s first statement (v. 17), that the king keep his gifts or bestow his rewards upon another types Brother Russell’s disinterested­ness; for he gladly gave his service in the cause of Truth freely, declining to accept financial recompense therefor. “Seats free – No collections” was his shibboleth during his entire ministry.

First of all Daniel read the writing (v. 25), which the Babylonian wise men could not even read. Then, as Daniel explained the meaning of the words (vs. 26-28), so Broth­er Russell explained the meaning of the signs: MENE (v. 26) – “God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it.” This Brother Russell explained as the 2520 years of the Gen­tile Times, which would end in 1914. Very significant in this connection is the fact that the numeric value of those words on the wall is exactly 2520 – Mene, 1000; Mene, 1000; Tekel, 20; Peres 500, the gerah being the unit here meant. Thus Brother Russell boldly declared, many years before 1914, that the allotted years of Gentile rule were 2520, and that they would end in 1914 by a great world-wide war. The beginning of the war precipitated Christendom into two antagonistic camps – the Radicals and the Conservatives, with the breach between the two becoming ever wider with each passing year. This will presently eventuate in the complete destruction of the Conservative camp, with the resultant obliteration of the present forms of state, church and capital.

In addition, he related that these signs of pending doom also indicated the immi­nence of God’s Kingdom as the kingdom that would succeed the kingdoms of this world. Thus did he point out the three great things indicated by the signs of the times: (1) the end of the Gentile Times; (2) Babylon’s judgment going against her; and (3) the overthrow of Satan’s empire, to be succeeded by God’s two-phased Kingdom. Brother Rus­sell explained these things in crystal clarity, which none of Babylon’s wise men could do. They could not even recognize their significance. Events since 1914 amply corrob­orate the truth of his readings. Daniel’s being accepted as the third (the religious) ruler in Babylon types that Brother Russell was increasingly regarded as the greatest religious teacher in Christendom; and his renown was world-wide.

HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE

Much of the foregoing is taken from Brother Johnson’s writings; and from it we may properly draw the conclusion that he was fully persuaded that Brother Russell was “that servant” (Matt. 24:45-47). And such persuasion convinced Brother Johnson that the sys­tem of Truth Brother Russell presented, with all important doctrines of the Bible clearly and correctly explained, should be retained as he gave it. Thus, Brother Johnson was bold in defending all attempts to pervert the Truth as it is contained in Tabernacle Shadows and the Six Volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. This he did from the heart, and not by mere lip service.

Both of these Messengers died late in October, and we fondly pay homage to both of them at this season of the year. It is in order here to state that during Brother Rus­sell’s lifetime the Truth group he led was almost 100% solidly persuaded that he was That Servant, but quite a few denied the fact shortly after he was gone. And many others who laud Brother Russell reject large parts of the Truth he gave us – chief among these are the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is strikingly similar to the Roman Catholics, who claim they originated with the Apostle Peter but also reject about every important teach­ing he gave. Thus, consistency in their words and in their acts is sadly absent.

Of both of these “men of God” (2 Tim. 3: 17) we offer the appropriate tribute: “Wealth and riches [rich in faith and in knowledge of the Lord, as well as rich in char­acter] shall be in his house: his righteousness endureth forever... A good man will guide his affairs with discretion... The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” (Psa. 112:3-6)

(Brother Hoefle, Reprint 304, October 1980)

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Sister: Greetings in the Name of Jesus, our Beloved Savior!

Received your “CTR” book with the hardcover. Yes, I should have more than one on hand.

You, in your note that came with the hard-covered book said, “But the more people persecuted the Russellites and Brother Russell when he was here, the more people became interested to find out what he taught.”

You continued to say, “They even burned his books in the front of many churches, and that even helped – made people curious to know what it was about.” You must re­member they burned the Bibles at one time, but the Bible was preserved the same as Brother Russell’s books were preserved.

And you said, “The word was loud and clear, ‘Come out of her, my people.’ They came out! And the ones that came out were greatly blessed.”

With love ------- (CONNECTICUT)

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NO. 425: THE REWARDS OF SACRIFICE

No. 425

“I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1)

Nowhere in the Scriptures are we commanded by the Lord to sacrifice our earthly rights and privileges. The Divine commands end at the line of justice. In other words, justice and righteousness are one and the same thing. Sacrifice, self–denial, taking up the cross to follow Jesus, are all propositions away beyond the Divine Law. The Law Covenant proffered a perpetuation of human life to all who would fulfill its require­ments. None of the Jews, with whom the covenant was made, were able to fulfill those re­quirements, except the One who came from above and for whom was provided a perfect human body, which enabled Him to keep the requirements of the Law Covenant entitling Him, therefore, to everlasting earthly life.

The New Law Covenant, under the antitypical Mediator, will offer the same reward of everlasting human perfection to all who will fulfill its requirements. Its superiority over the first Law Covenant will consist in its having a better Mediator, capable of helping mankind fully out of condemnation, death and weakness and authorized so to do because of the merit of His “better sacrifices.”

But while Jesus, born under the law, was obligated to the conditions of that cove­nant and fulfilled them and through them had a right to everlasting earthly life, He did more. He sacrificed that earthly life – laid it down – permitted sinful men to take it from Him without resistance, although He had the power to call for legions of angels for protection. This was His sacrifice. He did not sacrifice sinful weaknesses, for He had none. He sacrificed perfect life and all His legal rights and privileges. His reward for so doing was exaltation from human nature to the Divine nature – far above that of angels, principalities and powers. (Eph. 1:21) Thus exalted, He has human rights (which He never forfeited) to give Adam and his race – their ransom–price. These He will give them in the end of this Age, applying them to the sealing of the New Law Covenant, under which Israel and all mankind may be restored to all that was lost through the first man’s disobedience. Meantime, the glorified Redeemer uses that sacrificial merit (which He intends to give eventually to the world) to cover (imputatively) the blemishes of those of the Household of Faith who may hear the Divine call (and accept the same) to follow in the footsteps of Jesus – to sacrifice and suffer with Him in the flesh, that they may be glorified and reign with Him on the spirit plane beyond the veil. [“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” (2 Tim. 2:12) – also see Col. 3:24]

SIN–OFFERING SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE DURING THE GOSPEL AGE ONLY

Throughout this Gospel Age the Law Covenant has continued upon the Jews only, the remainder of the world being without any Covenant with God and waiting for the “Times of Restitution” under the New Law Covenant of the future. (Acts 3:19-21; Jer. 31:31-34)

It is during this time (the Gospel Age) that God draws and calls a certain loyal class and gives them an opportunity of sharing with their Redeemer in sacrificial death. The faithful will be counted His members or His bride or joint-heirs in His Kingdom of glory and honor and immortality. All men, in proportion as they know the Divine will (what is just, from the Divine standpoint), are correspondingly by duty bound to fulfill that righteous requirement or Law of God to the extent of ability. But those desirous of following in the footsteps of Jesus are shown what they can do more than justice; but they are not commanded to do more. All sacrificing is a privilege, not a duty, not a command. In harmony with this, St. Paul writes, not commandingly, but entreatingly, “I beseech you, brethren... present your bodies living sacrifices.” He did not command this. To have made it a command would at once prevent the opportunity of sacrifice. What we sacrifice is something not commanded. Whatever is commanded of God is obliga­tion and not sacrifice.

The Ancient Worthies presented their bodies, laid down their lives, renouncing earthly rights, but they did not sacrifice [as did the Saints, filling up that which was left behind of Christ’s suffering for His Body – Col. 1:24]. Why? Because it is one thing to kill and another to have the slain creature accepted of God as a sacrifice. God did not call for human sacrifices prior to Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself. God was un­willing to accept imperfect blemished creatures at His altar. [His merit made the Gos­pel-Age consecrators perfect.] They might lay down their lives, but He would not count them sacrifices. Jesus was accepted as a sacrifice because He was perfect and His fol­lowers, since Pentecost, have been acceptable as sacrifices, because they are perfect ­made so by the Redeemer’s imputation to them of a sufficiency of His merit to compensate their blemishes.

Thus this Gospel Age is called the “acceptable day [or time] of the Lord,” because, during this Gospel Age God is willing to accept a predestined number as joint-sacri­ficers with Jesus. But as soon as that predestined number shall have been completed the acceptable time will immediately end. No more presentations will be accepted as sacrifices.

But suppose that some should present themselves after the close of the acceptable time; what would be their status and God’s dealing with them?

Since God is unchangeable we must assume that He would always be pleased to have His creatures devote their lives wholly and unreservedly to the doing of His will, as He was pleased with the faithfulness of the Ancient Worthies to lay down their lives before a covenant of sacrifice was in force. We may reason that as God has promised human per­fection to these Ancient Worthies who laid down their lives He would be willing simi­larly to reward any who might follow the same course after the completion of the Church – after the ending of the acceptable time of sacrifice.

Quite likely, therefore, there will be some in the end of this Age who, although faithful unto death, will not have been begotten of the Holy Spirit and not attain the spirit plane of being in the resurrection, but will come forth members of the same class as the Ancient Worthies, who were developed before this Age began.

THE PRESENTATION OF ONESELF ALWAYS A REASONABLE SERVICE

In view of these facts our advice to all who love the Lord and who desire to be in complete fellowship with Him is the same message that has gone forth throughout this Age – “We beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies living sac­rifices.” We cannot now assure them that, after presenting themselves as sacrifices, God will accept them as such and grant them spirit begetting to a new nature; but we can assure them that  it will be their reasonable service and that God always gives large rewards to those who manifest their faith and loyalty towards Him and His cause. We can tell them, too, that, to our understanding, the Scriptures teach that the Ancient Worthy class (of which they may be a part if they fail to be accepted to the new nature) will be highly honored of God, perfect on the human plane and made “princes in all the earth.” We can assure them that, according to our understanding, these princes will have a glorious precedence over the rest of mankind as the special representatives of the in­visible Messiah class for a thousand years. We can assure them that, to our understand­ing, after participating in that glorious work, these princes will be uplifted at the close of the Millennium to the spirit plane of being – as part of the antitypical Levites.

Since none can know when the elect number will be fully completed, all should be alike anxious to lay down their lives in the service of God and of His truth. To say that we would refuse to serve because any uncertainty would prevail in our minds re­specting the character of our reward would show our unworthiness of any favor of God, for, to be acceptable to Him, our service must not be rendered to obtain the reward, but to serve righteousness and to please God! “I delight to do thy will, 0 God’’ – every­thing written in the Book. Hence at Memorial season all of the consecrated should man­ifest their love, loyalty, obedience, faithfulness, by symbolizing the Redeemer’s death and symbolizing also their own desire to share in the sufferings of Christ as parts of the “broken loaf” and as participators in the cup of His suffering.

As to how much we should expect for our children is another matter. It is not for us to say at how early an age the children might demonstrate loyalty to God and to the truth in a manner pleasing and acceptable to God. Those who are parents should, in all reasonable ways, by example and precept, illustrate and exemplify their appreciation of the privilege of the Lord’s service – even unto death. Furthermore, their children should be instructed weekly and, if possible, daily, in respect to the different fea­tures of the truth, that they may receive as much as possible.

God knows whether a child of tender years and short mental and heart development might not present himself in an acceptable manner. Parents, therefore, should do their best by their children and leave the results with the Lord, with full satisfaction with whatever may be His wise, just and loving decision for them, either on the earthly or on the heavenly plane. We are to remember, however, that none can enter either of these planes of instantaneous perfection in the resurrection unless his trial be finished suc­cessfully in the present life and by passing into death. The remainder of mankind, how­ever, as already shown, will then have glorious opportunities and possibilities before them. (Pastor Russell, Reprints 4835-4836, June 15, 1911)

There are three ways in which the closing of this door might be indicated: first, by a definite Bible statement of the exact date; second, by such a reversal of public sentiment with reference to the truth, that fidelity and zeal in its service would no longer meet with opposition, and when suffering with Christ for the truth’s sake (Rom. 8:17) would be no longer possible; or third, by such a condition of affairs obtaining in the world that all opportunity for such service would be effectually obstructed, thus leaving no opportunities for candidates to enter into the work and to develop and prove their love and faithfulness by their activity and endurance. (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 3, bottom of p. 207 and top of p. 208)

The persecution Brother Russell and his followers endured during his lifetime are no longer with us today. All Christendom joined together in assault against Brother Russell. He was often the subject of the clergy in their sermons. His books were burned in front of many churches.

We don’t hear of anything like that today about Bible Students. Even the Jehovah’s Witnesses are ignored. Some of them invite persecution by their attitude toward indi­viduals in their “witness” work. But even they are treated courteously by most nominal Christians. Even if they don’t like them, they tolerate them.

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DANIEL ZION, FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF BULGARIA

As far as I know, my late husband Casimir and I were the first American Bible Stu­dents privileged to visit the new State of Israel after its miraculous rebirth in 1948. We went there in 1950 and 1951 on a journalistic and filming mission.

This “pilgrimage” was fraught with miracles for us as well. Just one of these truly exciting aspects of that trip was brought about by our being invited to stay in the same complex in Jerusalem where Rabbi Daniel Zion resided, and it is the story centering on this unique man of God that I will write today.

Shortly after our arrival in Israel in 1950 we saw headlines in the newspapers there about the fact that Daniel Zion, formerly the Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria, had not only led a mass immigration of his fellow Bulgarian Jews to Israel but soon afterwards read the New Testament and openly declared that Jesus was and is truly Israel’s long-­awaited Messiah!

Well, this in itself was shocking enough to the citizens of the new-born State, but the most dramatic background account makes it greatly more meaningful.

You see, as Chief Rabbi in Bulgaria during the Nazi regime, Daniel Zion boldly confronted the Bulgaria’s King, Boris III, and warned him to have nothing to do with Hitler or the wrath of God would come upon him.

Instead of appreciating their Chief Rabbi’s brave move, the Bulgarian Jewish community panicked, fearing retribution upon them, and even went to the point of de­posing Daniel Zion as their Chief Rabbi.

Without going into the historical details about King Boris’ failure to heed Daniel Zion’s warning (Bulgaria’s alliance with the Nazis but conquered by the Sov­iets in 1944 – after King Boris’ mysterious death in 1943), the Bulgarian Jewish community was astounded to find, at the end of World War II, that “somehow” the Bulgarian Jews had been relatively spared as compared with the “Final Solution” tragically imposed upon 6,000,000 European Jews. They came to the conclusion that God must have honored Daniel Zion’s actions and promptly reinstated him as Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria.

Not long afterward the State of Israel was reborn. Faithful to his vision of God’s purpose, Chief Rabbi Daniel Zion urged the Bulgarian Jews to immigrate en masse to Israel, which most of them did, under his leadership.

You can imagine that the Bulgarian Jews were extremely reluctant to criticize their spiritual leader a second time, saying they did not “want to be burned again” by opposing him; in fact, quite a few of these Bulgarian Jews, as well as other Israelis, did look into the New Testament as a result of Daniel Zion’s stance and likewise became convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed their Messiah. And even the Bulgarian Jews who did not go along with Daniel Zion’s “new faith,” continued their respect and admiration for him.

Here we were, living in the same building with this venerable Jewish rabbi! Already in his 80’s, Daniel Zion’s white-haired appearance and humble demeanor epit­omized a truly reverent saint of God. How sad we were that we could not speak his language.

Casimir’s limited knowledge of Russian enabled him to communicate on a limited basis with Daniel Zion, but we were blessed to have the help of another famous Jew­ish believer, Abram Poljak, a name familiar to many Bible Students. (Abram Poljak’s story also deserves telling at another time. As a leading journalist who escaped the clutches of the Nazis, he fled to England where he met three other prominent German Jews – one a member of the house of Rothschild – and together they found that they had all four accepted “Yeshua HaMaschiach” – Jesus the Messiah. But this is another story.)

Suffice to say that Abram Poljak, a close friend and brother in the faith to Dan­iel Zion, filled us in on the particulars of Daniel Zion’s life – and also answering our questions about the many visitors whom we saw entering Daniel Zion’s premises and arguing loudly with him, while we could see Daniel Zion calmly trying to quiet them down in a dignified way.

It seems that they were local missionaries who were greatly impressed by Daniel Zion’s open avowal of his allegiance to Jesus. Some of them wanted to “claim him for their own,” additionally, especially, to convince him of the doctrine of the Trinity. Daniel Zion, steeped in Judaism and its most oft-repeated Biblical phrase, “The Lord Our God Is One,” staunchly resisted the efforts of these missionaries.

This development made it all the more frustrating for us not to be able to speak his language. To make a long story short, as soon as we returned to the States we ac­quired a copy of The Atonement Between God And Man, the Fifth Volume of Pastor Charles Taze Russell’s Studies in the Scriptures, translated into French, a language that Dan­iel Zion knew well, and mailed it to him with the highest of recommendations, as con­taining a most cogent Scriptural refutation of the God-dishonoring doctrine of the Trinity.

One of the most moving and gratifying moments of our entire lives came when we received the reply from this beloved servant of God. He wrote that the book we had sent him was the most important one he had ever received! To learn that we had been able to help bless such a Bible scholar of long standing touched our hearts.

Of course, we kept in touch with Daniel Zion and were able to visit him from time to time when we returned to Israel. One of the last times we saw him before he died, he told us that he was busy translating the Daily Heavenly Manna from Eng­lish into Hebrew and that he was already up to the month of April in this task. (It had been our privilege to purchase and send him a typewriter with Hebrew char­acters.)

One of our most prized possessions has been the slide picture we took of Dan­iel Zion standing before the DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES CHART, on his wall, again trans­lated into Hebrew. It was our joy to screen this picture and tell the story before many of our audiences across America and abroad. Now, in my later years, it is a pre­cious memory that warms and gladdens my heart. (Elva Lanowick)

The following are excerpts from the letter which accompanied the above account of experiences of Elva Lanowick and her husband Casimir:

“A loving Shalom wings its way to you in His precious Name! I have not forgotten my promise to write out the account about the late Rabbi Daniel Zion... I hope it meets with your approval, and that it will be of much blessing to your readers.

“On another subject, did you ever read the book, This Is The Millennium, by Shelah Ben Hanan? It was written from a Bible Student point of view. I would like your opinion of the book.

“Finally, yesterday I learned of a truly thrilling article that appeared in the B’nai B’rith Messenger explaining in detail how the people of Israel have had supreme faith in God’s protection during these weeks when they have been subjected to missile assaults from their enemy (God’s enemy), Saddam Hussein. Will see if I can get it copied in time to enclose in this envelope.

Yours by His tender mercies, Elva

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EDITORIAL

Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world. Actions permitted other nations are forbidden to the Jews! Other nations victorious on the battle field dictate the peace terms, but when Israel is victorious she must sue for peace. Other defeated nations survive and recover; but should the Arabs triumph, Israel would be wiped off the map and no one would lift a finger to save the Jews!

Other nations drive out thousands, even a million, and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it; Turkey drove out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchmen; Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese – and no one says a word about refugees!

But in the case of Israel, the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab. Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis, yet no men­tion is made of the equal number of Jews who fled Arab lands.

No commitment to the Jews by any government, ours included, is worth the paper it is written on. There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in Vietnam or when two Negroes are executed in Rhodesia. But when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one remonstrated with him.

The Swedes, who where ready to break off diplomatic relations with America over Vietnam, did not let out a peep when Hitler slaughtered the Jews. They sent Hitler choice iron ore and ball bearings and serviced his troop trains to Norway!

The Jews are alone in the world. If Israel survives it will be solely because of Jewish efforts and Jewish resources. [Israel will survive, but not solely because of Jewish efforts and resources: It will be because God will deliver her in due time.]

Yet at this moment Israel is our only reliable and uncondi­tional ally. We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us. And one has only to imagine what would happen should the Arabs and their Russian backers win the Middle East to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.

I have a premonition that will not leave me: as it goes with Israel so it will go with all of us. Should Israel perish the Holocaust will be upon us. ISRAEL MUST LIVE! (By Eric Hoffer)

Elva Lanowick, Christian-Israel Friendship League, Paradise, California, sent us the above Editorial by Eric Hoffer with the comment: “This 1975 article by the late Eric Hoffer, famous long­shoreman intellectual and author (of San Francisco) seems to be worthy of reprinting at this time of another crisis foist upon Israel.”

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Hello, my sister: Grace and peace to you in His Name!

I pray all is well with you. I thought I’d reply to your letters of May 24 and June 8... Glen Grossman is a strange fellow. He is divorced with two children... He also has about five foster kids he sponsors around the world... Glen is quite philan­thropic... He is a Jew who knows nothing about Jewry... He doesn’t even know the name of Jehovah or Yahweh. It was all Greek to him. He is a fervent Zionist, but I’m not sure he knows the extent of it. I told him about Brother Russell and the Bible Student Movements and, of course, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their deviation from Brother Rus­sell’s teaching. He seemed impressed with Brother Russell.

I gave him the Divine Plan and the Restoration of Israel, plus other Bible Student literature on Israel and prophecy. He thanked me and said he wouldn’t mind me giving you his address... He doesn’t care too much for the Temple worship. He was turned off by all the hypocrisy and emphasis on money. His parents are very prominent in the Temple. He’s a black sheep of the family... He might be just a very nice person who will never learn the truth until the Kingdom. Jews can be very stubborn with which I think you will agree.

As to your questions, yes I do have a Diaglott. As a matter of fact, I have five or six. I keep them because I know they are in demand by Bible Students. Occasionally I send them to brethren on request. So, if you know of any, let me know. I have a Diaglott from the days of Brother Russell. I paid $100.00 for it. I’m a collector of the works of Brother Russell, having in my library original Watch Towers from 1900 and up. I also have the Millennial Dawn and various editions of the Scripture Studies, plus Hymns, Poems, Tabernacle and the Manna book. Anything I find I buy. Some are very ex­pensive. But I don’t buy them for the dollar value but rather for the spiritual and sentimental value. I’m looking for both the Holman Linear Bible and the Bible Student Bible.

Oh, by the way, thanks for keeping me in your prayers. I believe the Lord heard you. I have found a job. I work for a Law Firm just ten minutes walk from my home. I handle all their financial business and office management. As a matter of fact, to my surprise they even handle cases concerning the Watchtower Society. Most of the cases concern building permits. JW’s buy property for a hall, and once the people find out they get all upset and protest. So they manage to get the area rezoned so that a reli­gious organization cannot build a church on the property.

Many of the Bible Students have their own interpretation of what Brother Russell wrote and taught... I guess if nothing happens in the present time, all will know the truth later. The Lord will correct all things in due time – in His “due time “

Well, Emily, time is running out. It’s getting late, so I’ll speak to you later. Enclosed is a photo of me taken some months ago when I was in Connecticut visiting a friend.

Take good care of yourself and know that I love you and that you’re in my prayers

always.

Yours in His Name, ------- (NEW YORK)

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Dear Friend,

This letter was written several days ago but just now reached the typewriter. ... Your letter arrived a few days ago and since the overall idea of ZION is close to my heart, I put everything aside and read those papers, Zionism – Parts 1 and 2. Part One especially fascinated me. Both are magnificent documents delineating the (his) story of Zionism and the checkered history of the Jewish People, although briefly. Both are profoundly and scholarly written.

You thought I might disagree with some aspects of the writings. Who am I to dis­agree? – not knowing anywhere nearly as much about the subject as John Hoefle or Pastor Russell who obviously studied and researched the subject far more than this humble soul. Pastor Russell was truly a great soul to stick his neck out and invade hostile terri­tory. He actually made that history. This takes unbounded courage, especially since whatever he did was not for material gain. That idea is an excellent measure of a man. And John Hoefle was a great soul to put all these things on paper, educationally and scholarly executed.

Speaking of false teachers, in my early experience in my search for TRUTH in the forties and fifties – as I traveled from one teacher to another, from one teaching to another – I met no less than a dozen men, most of them deeply sincere, who considered themselves the twentieth century reincarnation of the “Christ.” How many others might there be elsewhere? There is probably no time in history that was devoid of such claim­ants.

Concerning Jerusalem as the “Daughter of Zion,” it has been my thought that ZION is the greater, more abstract, more inclusive representation or concept of the Jews and their homeland, especially their aspirations, and is therefore the subjective reality of this great dream, while JERUSALEM as a city, is the materialistic, physical out-picturing of this dream on planet Earth, and therefore its “objective expression.” Even so, the idea of “The New Jerusalem” has often been interpreted as the abstract vision of the whole “New Age” concept of ZION through Jerusalem. My visit to Jerusalem in April of 1990 revealed that in this mountainous city there is not a straight street and not a level street. Nevertheless, there are many modern hotels, stores and shops, etc. Is not then Jerusalem the “Daughter of Zion”?

The chaos of communication in Palestine retarded progress in many ways. To solve this problem, YHVH took a bold step as usual and “raised up a champion to devote his life toward achieving a solution.” (Most people as you know are not aware of the work­ing of cosmic law.)

In his splendid book, “The History of the Jews,” published by Knopf, 1964, the au­thor, Abram Leon Sachar, Ph.D., Prof. at Brandeis University, on p. 409 narrates briefly the story of a young student of Hebrew named Eleizer Ben Yehuda, born in Russia in 1858, who was inspired to migrate to Israel, rather Palestine, in 1881 with his new young wife. On board ship under the stars, they resolved never to utter a word in any lan­guage other than Hebrew during their lifetime. This young man had heard about the ‘Tow­er of Babel’ in Palestine caused by an enormous variety of “tongues” spoken by immigrants from many different countries, and was inspired to create a Hebrew dictionary. He was sickly, afflicted with TB, but his determination kept him going. The devotion of his wife contributed enormously to his success. After 50 years of devotion and hard work, powerful opposition, criticism, lack of funds, lack of cooperation, he finally completed the monumental task of creating a Hebrew Dictionary. He was successful in getting the Hebrew language introduced in the schools, thus assuring his success. Soon the children carried the language into their homes and people began communicating in Hebrew. Today Hebrew is a well recognized language. Students from all over the world coming to Israel to study in Israeli schools and colleges must first learn the language. Notwithstanding this problem, Israel ranks first in ratio of students to total population. Is this de­velopment not the outstretched arm of YHVH directing the destiny of Israel?

The monuments to Pastor Charles Taze Russell are imaginative and appropriate, the Pyramid reminding me of my visit to the Pyramids of Egypt – another most fascinating experience. This was with a Masonic group. Other than the pyramids and the ancient symbolic Nile River, Egypt has very little to offer tourists.

Love and best wishes, ----------- (NEW  YORK)

Note: Mr. ------ is a world traveler, having recently returned from a five-month tour during which he visited more than twenty of the major countries. Mr. ------ does not represent any particular organization or movement. But he presents TRUTH as a free and independent SOUL, as he sees it. He has raised his voice and spoken candidly about the aches and pains in our organized society.

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Dear Mr. Horowitz:

Thank you very much for sending me a copy of your book on Charles Taze Russell and also for your kind words about my story on B’nai No’ach.

Even a cursory browse through your book told me things I didn’t know. I look for­ward to reading it. Thanks again.

Sincerely, -------------- (ATLANTA,  GEORGIA)

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NO. 424: ZIONISM - Part Two

No. 424

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 on 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]

“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 on 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 on 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, tho 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 on this subject, but we hope we have given sufficient to convince our readers of the truth on 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.” (Brother Hoefle, Reprint 301, July 1980)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear David:  Shalom!

It was good to talk with you, as always. I enclose an advance copy of my review of your book which will appear in the forthcoming issue of AOJT. I hope it will be helpful to you and your readers. I wish you much success with your book.

Take care, all the best to Nan, Greg and others. I will send you a formal greeting to read at your annual meeting. May you have the richest Pesach this year.

Shalom, James  D.  Tabor

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DAVID HOROWITZ, PASTOR CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL, An Early American Christian Zionist.

Revised Edition. New York, Shengold Publishers, 1990. 160pp. ISBN # 0-88400-144-X.

David Horowitz has filled an important lacuna in the history of Zionism with the revised edition of his study of Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916). Although the Jehovah's Witness organization hails Russell as their founder, Horowitz casts serious doubts upon the accuracy of such a claim. The organization known as Jehovah's Witnesses actually represents a stark departure from Pastor Russell's pioneering positions in a number of vital areas, not the least of which was Zionism. Horowitz conclusively shows, through an extensive use of letters and primary documentation, that Russell was an ardent and unqualified Zionist who through his voluminous writings and untiring travels and lec­tures significantly contributed to a fulfillment of the Zionist dream. [Pastor Russell predicted that many Jews would be back in Israel and become a State after 1914, which was true in 1948.]

Perhaps the most striking and important contribution of this study is the evidence Horowitz presents regarding Russell's public campaign urging Jews to return to the Land of Israel as early as 1889. In subsequent years Russell addressed large audiences, both Jewish and Gentile, in this country and abroad on this important theme. Following his 1910 tour of Palestine Russell returned to the United States and addressed a mass Jewish audience of over 4000 at New York's Hippodrome. Horowitz presents fascinating evidence on this historic meeting including eyewitness accounts and a rare photograph.

Jewish and Christian readers alike will be surprised to learn that Russell, though believing in the New Testament Scriptures as well as the Tanakh, disagreed at almost every point with traditional Christian theology. For example, he did not advocate mis­sionary activities toward Jews, and he believed Israel's restoration to the Land was a fulfillment of God's ongoing eternal covenant with the Jewish people. His direct study of the Scriptures led him to such an unusual set of positions.

An added feature of the book is Horowitz's analysis of Russell's pioneering ap­proach to Scriptures. He argues that Russell was able to go to the original languages and jettison 1800 years of theological interpretation, in ways parallel to the work of the late Moshe Guibbory, the Jewish Bible scholar who flourished in Palestine in the 1930's. In an appendix Horowitz offers samples of such reading of Biblical texts.

This book is a must for all research libraries and institutions and makes fasci­nating reading for any, Jew or Gentile, interested in the early history of Zionism. (James D. Tabor, Associate Professor, Dept. of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte)

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ANNOUNCEMENT: The second edition of the Pastor Russell book may be ordered from Shengold Publishers, 18 West 45th Street, Suite 404, New York, NY 10036: softback, $9.95; hardback, $15.95. We have a few of these books in stock which may be ordered from us as long as we have a supply. This book will be sent free of charge to those unable to pay.

NO. 423: ZIONISM – Part One

No. 423

Zionism as an active organ­ized move­ment has been in existence for a more than a hun­dred years, although, since the dispersion in the year 70 A.D. the Jews made many efforts to regain their home­land. It is now an ac­complished fact, but their position still remains volatile. However, the promise of God that they will never be removed again is sure. 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 mil­lenialists. (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 Hovevei  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 led by Austrian and German Jews. It was, however, the only world­-wide 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 foregoing, 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 foregoing, 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 (tho 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) (Brother Hoefle, Reprint 299, May 1980)

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brethren: Grace and peace!

Recently it was our privilege and pleasure to go to Pittsburgh and visit Pastor Rus­sell’s grave site. We went to the Carnegie Library to get directions to the cemetery. The Carnegie Library is a part of the Carnegie Institute. It is an impressive complex!

The Librarian in the Pennsylvania History room showed us a book with a brief biog­raphy of Pastor Russell and also gave us the direction to where he was buried. She said there was a Pyramid monument in his honor at the cemetery.

The biography stated that Pastor Russell was the pastor and founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is a mistake, as Brother Russell died in 1916, and the name Jehovah’s Witnesses was not given to the IBSA until 1931 when “Judge” Rutherford gave them this name. It is a sectarian name. Pastor Russell’s followers were known as Bible Students, and to this day his followers are known as Bible Students.

After crossing the Allegany River we went through a small community of Millvale up a steep slope, and as we rounded a curve the United Cemetery was on our left. The first thing we saw was the Pyramid Monument sitting close to the road. The stone Pyramid is very impressive.  At the top point on all four sides is an emblem of the Cross and Crown. Below that are different inscriptions inscribed on each of the four sides – Risen With Christ, IBSA, Dead With Christ, and Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Below that is inscribed Holy Bible at the top of the page of an open book. The Pyramid is approxi­mately ten feet tall.

The headstone is about fifty feet from the Pyramid. On the headstone is inscribed Pastor Russell’s birth and death dates, and at the bottom The Laodicean Messenger is inscribed. At the top of each side is an enclosed picture of Pastor Russell which looked as if it had just been put there. All the time we were there there was a blowing rain with a temperature of 42 degrees.  Despite the inclement weather, we had a pleasant and exciting time.

Although we do not hold to the veneration of shrines or the people to which they are erected, this elaborate memorial is a commentary of love, appreciation and devotion the brethren felt for Pastor Russell at the time of his death. The pictures below are of the Pyramid and headstone.

Warm Christian love  to  all,  Leonard  and  Marjorie  Williams

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