NO. 463: SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

No. 463

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

As previously announced, the proper time for observing the Memorial in 1995 is after 6 p.m., the evening of April 12.This conclusion is reached by knowing that the Vernal Equinox arrives at the 30th Meridian East (the one nearest Jerusalem) at 4:35 a.m., March 21;and the new moon nearest that time occurs at 4:30 a.m. March 31.Thus, the first of Nisan is established at six p.m. of March 30. Counting then to the 14th, we arrive at six p.m. April 12;and any time that night after 6 p.m. is correct for observ­ing the Memorial of our Lord’s death. We here at Mount Dora plan to observe the festival at 7:30 p.m., April 12;and we extend a cordial invitation to any of like mind as our­selves to join us on that occasion if they be in our neighborhood.

It will be noted above that we call Nisan the Passover month; but this word oc­curs only twice in the Bible, the first time being Neh. 2:1, which was about a thous­and years after the Passover was held in Egypt. Nisan was known as Abib; found six times in the Bible, the first time being in Ex. 13:4.Nisan is the name for the Baby­lonian God of Spring, and was probably changed from Abib to Nisan to honor Cyrus the Great, who had allowed the Jews to return to Palestine after their seventy years of cap­tivity in that country. Abib means sprouting or budding, which is much the same mean­ing as Nisan. Thus, the change in the names changes very little the meaning of the word.

Once again we stress the fact that our observance of the Memorial under existing conditions draws nearer to a finality. This realization should ever determine us to continue in the course we have embraced and to reside in that isolated and privileged place provided for us as we

GO TO HIM WITHOUT THE CAMP

In Ex. 33:7 we read:” And Moses proceeded to take a tent and pitch it by itself out-side the camp afar off from the camp, and he called it the Tent of Meeting, and so it came to pass that whosoever was seeking Yahweh went out unto the tent of meeting, which was on the outside of the camp.” (Rotherham) Moses in this instance types our Lord as He arranged to remove the Star Members and His fully faithful people from the midst of the measurably faithful and the tare class, beginning in the Pergamos epoch of the Gospel‑Age Church in AD 313 under Constantine the Great, and continuing until 1799.We quote parts of comments on this from E‑11-430 (70):

“God had our Lord do another thing indicative of His displeasure with His nominal people, i.e., remove the faithful servants of the Truth and its Spirit from places of prominence and influence in the nominal church – caused the symbolic woman, the Cove­nant promises and the servants who apply them to the brethren, to go into the wilder­ness condition (Rev. 12:6) – to the Tent of Meeting, not the Tabernacle, but Moses’ of­ficial residence – and that not but slightly away from the erroneous doctrines, practices, organization and disciplines of the nominal church, but very far from these [as evidenced by allowing Star Member Arius to be banished from the Roman Empire in AD 325, whence he went to northern Africa] and made the Truth and the servants who applied it to the brethren, as well as these, the place where God resided, met with His people and blessed them. Henceforth every one who in heart’s loyalty sought fellowship with the Lord in spirit, truth, righteousness and holiness went forth from the nominal church to such Truth, its applying servants and the others of His real people, apart from the nominal church (without the Camp)... When our Lord busied Himself with Truth matters, its applying servants, etc., the Truth and its Spirit as due became manifest (the cloudy pillar descended) and remained at the entrance, consecration, where God revealed truths to Jesus in the star‑members.”

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

“CONSIDER HIM”

As we make preparation for this coming Memorial, it is well that we meditate again upon St. Paul’s words in Hebrews 12:1‑3 (Dia.):” Consider him attentively who has en­dured such opposition from sinners, so that you may not be wearied, being discouraged in your souls.” The specific primary grace accentuated by this text is our Lord’s perfection in Patience – His cheerful continuance in well doing amid excruciating trials — ­His “narrow way” finished in His death at Calvary.

In these first three verses of Hebrews 12 St. Paul is offering in summation his discussion in Hebrews 11 of the faith of many of the Ancient Worthies – “For by this (faith) the ancients were attested.” (Heb. 11:2, Dia.) By this faith Abel “was attested to be righteous” (v. 4); Enoch “had been attested to have been well-pleasing to God” (v. 5); Noah’s “pious fear” was attested (v. 7); Abraham’s “obedience” was attested (v. 8); Moses’ sense of values was attested (vs. 23‑29), and he “appointed the Passover” (the type of “Christ our Passover,” whose memory we cherish and revere), departed from Egypt (type of this present evil world), “passed thru the Red Sea as though a dry place”; Rahab was attested “having received the spies in peace” (v. 31);others were attested by “a trial of mockings and scourges, and also of bonds and imprisonment, were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, died by slaughter of the sword, went about in sheepskins and in goat­skins, being destitute, afflicted, ill‑treated... all “attested by means of faith” (vs. 36‑39).

Clearly enough, by means of just one of the virtues or graces many of the Ancients “were attested”; and in none of them could it be said that they reflected in perfection those sterling qualities St. Paul attributes to them. But, as we “consider Him,” we are reminded that not just one, but all, of the virtues and graces combined perfectly in Him – nothing lacking, whether we “consider” one or all of the “beauties of holiness” as our Lord reflected them in perfection of character.

Thus “considered,” we are most forcefully impressed as to why the record tells us He was the one “altogether lovely” – lovely in perfection of “faith, fortitude, self­-control, patience, piety, brotherly‑kindness, love” (2 Pet. 1:5‑7, Dia.); and why He was “anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows” – “made a little lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:9).Hence, we need not “consider Him” only viewed “on the cross”; let us also “consider Him” in His “glory and virtue” that we may “know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death... thus minded... our conversation in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ... fashioned like unto His glorious body... to subdue all things unto Himself.” (Phil. 3:10‑21)

EVER THE TRUE AND THE FALSE

As most of us know, so many features of the true religion have been counterfeited by Satan. This was even true of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Ezek. 8:14 it is related “there sat women weeping for Tammuz” (“at the gate of the Lord’s house”).Tam­muz was the sun god of the Babylonians, consort of Ishtar. He was identical with Adonis, the same as Baal of the Canaanites. Tammuz supposedly died each Spring, descended into the lower world, and was brought back to life by the weeping and lamentation of Ishtar, who was joined in her weeping by the women of Babylon. Thus, as Jesus was being led to the cross and He saw women weeping along His journey, He mildly admonished them, “Daugh­ters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” (Luke 23:28)

It is also related in Ezek. 8:17 that the Jews “put the branch to their nose,” in keeping with the custom of the Persian sun-worshipers holding before them a branch of date, pomegranate or tamarisk that their breath might not contaminate the risen deity. All of these sacrilegious practices brought forth the scathing denunciation of God by the mouth of His prophets; and are a warning to all God’s people to “have no other gods before thee.”

Following is a quotation from E‑11-210 (66):” Moses’ charging Israel to remember Nisan 15 as the day that they went forth from Egypt from the house of servants, types our Lord charging the Gospel Church in general, and the Parousia and Epiphany Church in par­ticular, to remember antitypical Nisan 15 as their deliverance time from the house of servants to sin, error, selfishness and worldliness. This implies a remembering of our justification, sanctification and deliverance, as well as of our Truth instruction (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 8:29,30). As Israel in general remembered the typical deliverance at all times and in particular at the Passover, so are we as antitypical Israel to remember our deliverance at any and every time, but especially in connection with our Memorial service. We do the antitypical remembering, not only in thought, but also by living out the principles implied in our instruction, justification, sanctification and deliverance. As God’s mighty delivering power exercised on Israel’s behalf deserved their remembering their deliverance day, so the power of God exercised in our deliverance from our task­masters of sin, error, selfishness and worldliness in our coming out of Satan’s empire, is worthy of our remembrance in thought, word and deed. One way in which Israel was to remember the typical deliverance was to abstain from leaven. Accordingly, we are to commemorate our deliverance, among other ways, by abstaining from antitypical leaven – sin, error, selfishness and worldliness.”

THE DATE

As all our readers probably know, the time for keeping this service is violently in dispute. The Roman Catholic Church attempts observance of it every day in early morning Mass; and the service is often repeated that same day at weddings and other special occasions. They also pronouncedly stress it at the deathbed, requiring a priest to perform it except in very extreme instances. Others among the Protestant sects keep the service once a week; others once a month; others three or four times a year.

But it remained as a feature of Harvest Truth to eliminate all of the confusion in the emblem significance, and largely so as respects the time of observance. When Jesus said, “This is my body; this is my blood,” it should be elemental that those items could not possibly have been His actual body and blood, because He was still alive with His disciples, ministering to them, and teaching them. Therefore, He could have meant none other than that the bread and the wine represented His flesh and blood. The Har­vest Truth also clearly proved the service to be an annual one ‑ just as is true of Christmas, or a birthday, or a wedding remembrance, or a death day. Therefore, to cel­ebrate one’s birthday as whim or occasion arose would be just as proper – or improper – ­as remembering the day of our Lord’s death. The Scriptures clearly state that, “As oft as ye do this ye do show forth the Lord’s death till He come.” (1 Cor. 11:26) Let us keep in mind that the Bible nowhere tells us to celebrate the Lord’s birth, so generally and ceremonially done at Christmas once a year. The occasion for emphasizing His death was the evening before He died, as they were eating the Passover supper; and the thought back of the bread and the wine is that those items would henceforth replace the Passover meal.

But even among those who thought they had imbibed clear understanding of time and significance during the Harvest there arose extended controversy about the time element after 1916;and it remained for the Epiphany Messenger to clarify still further the calendar accounting. It would indeed be a blessing to all if the exact time of service might also be established. We are clearly told in Exodus 12 that the observance of the typical Passover must be on Nisan 14;and it is clearly established also that “Christ our Passover” was offered up as the antitypical “Lamb of God” on Nisan 14.Thus, “He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified thru the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:9,10)

If, then, there be no dispute on the day of the month, the same being the 14th of Nisan, there leaves but one other consideration: How do we determine when Nisan begins? Unfortunately, the Bible is silent on this matter, from which we may conclude it is not vital to our present spiritual state or our eternal salvation. Therefore, we can but do the best we can with what we have outside the Bible; and from Josephus and other Jewish records it would seem reasonably certain that the original Passover in Egypt was kept after the sun had crossed the Equator on its way north, thus definitely establishing the Passover as a Spring festival – just as the Atonement Day is established as a Fall festival. And so the Jews have maintained it over the centuries as given in Ex. 13:10:”Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.” The Lord commanded us to keep His last Supper which is to supplant the ordinance given to Israel in memory of their deliverance from Egypt. Our Memorial is to celebrate our deliverance from antitypical Egypt, the world of sin and evil. We are to celebrate His Memorial from “year to year,” as did Israel – that is, annually.

When the 1933 Memorial article emphasized that we should “never observe the Memorial before the Vernal Equinox,” it is possible that thought was secured from the Jew­ish Encyclopedia, where it is clearly and tersely expressed. It is a Spring festival. This statement is also found in the 1907 Watch Tower Memorial article. We ourselves are in full harmony with these statements; consequently, we are firm in ex­pressing them.

In the article The Memorial Supper of April Tenth in 1914 there is this:” In partaking of the Memorial we may look forward with the eye of faith to the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, in contrast with the conditions which prevailed at the time when the first Memorial was observed. Then, the Moon (the Law Covenant) was at its full; and immediately after the rejection of Jesus and His crucifixion the Jewish polity began to wane. It is worthy of note that the very day on which Jesus was crucified the moon was at its full, and the waning began at once. So this year, on April 11, the moon will be its very full, and will then begin its wane.”(Reprint 5420 col. 1, par. 6)

This time at the end of the Gentile Times in 1914, the Gentile governments, too, began to wane. We believe these governments will be completely annihilated by the end of the Time of Trouble.” The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again.” (Isa. 24:20)

It is well to stress here, however, that the date for the Memorial should not be regarded as a test of fellowship. Some of the very best Christians all during the Age have repeatedly used the wrong date; and this was even true several times since 1874 – until the right method for determining the day became clear. Therefore, we would have no quarrel with any one who may use some other date. However, we would say that the only way the moon enters into the reckoning is to determine Nisan 1;the condition of the moon on Nisan 14 has no bearing on Nisan 14 – although the moon is substantially full on that date; and it probably was exactly full on “Good Friday,” the day our Lord was crucified. On that day the moon was representative of the Jewish nation, and their national polity also began to wane from that day on – until Jerusalem was taken and the temple destroyed by Roman Emperor Titus in the year AD 70.

Jesus was fully aware of the conditions – that the Jewish nation as such was doomed to destruction; and it is in keeping with the waning moon to quote from Matt. 24:1,2:” And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE

Our readers will probably appreciate some comments from Josephus about the Temple at that time – known as Herod’s Temple because he had built it. The first temple for the Jews was the one Solomon built; it was destroyed by Nebucadnezzer in 607 BC Next came Zerubbabel’s Temple built after the Jews returned from the Babylonian captiv­ity. Then the next was Herod’s Temple, of which Josephus says the following (just a brief part of the Josephus comment):

“Now the temple was built of stones that were white and strong, and each of their length was twenty‑five cubits, their height was eight, and their breadth about twelve; and the whole structure, as also the structure of the royal cloister was on each side much lower, but the middle was much higher, till they were visible to those that dwelt in the country for a great many furlongs, but chiefly to such as lived over against them, and those that approached to them. The temple had doors also at the entrance, and lintels over them, of the same height with the temple itself. They were adorned with embroidered veils, with their flowers of purple, and pillars interwoven; and over these, but under the crown‑work, was spread out a golden vine, with the branches hanging down from a great height, the largeness and fine work­manship was a surprising sight to the spectators, to see what vast materials there were, and with what great skill the workmanship was done. He [Herod] also encompassed the en­tire temple with very large cloisters, contriving them to be in a due proportion there­to; and he laid out large sums of money upon them than had been done before him, till it seemed that no one else had so greatly adorned the temple as he had done. There was a large wall to both the cloisters; which wall was itself the most prodigious work that was ever heard of by man.”

From the foregoing, it should readily be apparent what contempt the high priest and others had for Jesus – when there “came two false witnesses, And said, This fel­low said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” (Matt. 26:60, 61)Also, it is easily understood why Titus did not want to destroy such a magnificent structure, and why he sent Josephus to try to talk them into surrendering, but which they steadfastly refused to do. Thus, the description is well said of them:” The Lord said unto Moses, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people.” (Ex. 32:9)

Jesus was intimately familiar with the Jewish character (John 2:23‑25); and saw clearly from the prophecies and the chronology what their end would be, and when it would come. The awesome accuracy of His words in Matt. 24:1,2 is vividly recorded by Josephus:

“Now, as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury... Caesar [Titus] gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency... but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by these that dug it up to the founda­tion, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.”

When the Jews had said, “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matt. 27:25), little did they realize the terrible sentence they were pronouncing upon themselves. Just before His death Jesus had said to them:” Behold, your house [your religious system] is left unto you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38)The meaning of these words were not clearly understood by any one until after Titus had destroyed the temple in AD 70.At that time the Jews were so thoroughly dispersed that the Tribe of Levi (the religious teachers in Israel, from which tribe must come the High Priest) was completely lost. Thus, the Jews can no longer have a High Priest to perform their Passover and Day of Atonement services; and their efforts to observe those Days today have no efficacy whatever before God. However, it is to their credit that they make some effort to do something.

WHO MAY PARTAKE?

This question has been subject to much heated contention throughout the Gospel Age. In the Roman Church only members in good standing may do so. And, until just recently even those in good standing could not accept the Eucharist unless they first came to confession the day before. Here also, until just recently they were not to eat or drink anything that morning before the service. The Roman Church has used this as a cruel weapon of punishment over the years when they had great power; and excommuni­cated various and sundry dissenters, with the dissenters often right, and the Church body wrong. This extreme of severity in the Roman Church is offset on the other hand by an extreme of laxity in some Protestant churches, some allowing the man on the street to walk in and partake – without even asking what his professions may be.

Among Truth people we attempt to arrive at a healthy medium between these two extremes, although both Star Members here in the end of the Age said that the service is only for those who have covenanted to “follow in His steps.” Of course, even this has been set aside by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, as they have also perverted so many clear Harvest Truths. While there is a certain rigidity in our own organization for the service, there is also a healthy liberality, leaving it in large measure to the individual conscience. Therefore, St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 11:28:”Let a man ex­amine himself” – nothing hinted here about a priest or any other person examining us – “he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself.”

From this it is clear enough that the righteousness of some will not avail for the evils of others; nor will the evils of others contaminate the righteous. Both Messengers accepted that premise, while making straight paths for their own feet ­– even as we also should do. Thus, they at no time sought out the companionship of those they knew were uncleansed Levites; however, when such came into their service, they did not command them to leave. Their attitude was in true keeping with that of our Lord:” Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, My Beloved... A Bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.” (Matt. 12:18‑20) Thus did both Messengers in our day minister to the weak and fallen, as well as to the strong and upright, lest the weak “should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.” (2 Cor. 2:7)

However, we make definite note of the teaching that it is far better to observe the Memorial alone than it would be for us to congregate with those who have appointed a “leprous” Levite leader to conduct the service. And, if we clearly recognized the condition of such a leader, yet sat at his feet to “show forth the Lord’s death,” it would be repellent to all good principle.” Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith [possessing “the peace of God which passeth understanding”], than an house full of sacrifices with strife.” (Prov. 17:1) At the Memorial Season the Adversary is usually most active to discourage, belittle, betray, abuse and falsely accuse the fully faithful.

And, while extending leniency to those who must have leniency, each one should strive for himself to consider St. Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 11:31:”If we judge our­selves, we should not be judged.” Let each use that rigidity of self‑estimation which is in keeping with “the spirit of a sound mind.” We quote here a paragraph from Volume Six of Scripture Studies:” Having noted who are excluded, and who proper­ly have access to the Lord’s table, we see that every true member of the Ecclesia has the right to participate, unless that right has been debarred by a public action of the whole Church, according to the rule therefor laid down by the Lord. (Matt. 18:15‑17) All such may celebrate; all such will surely desire to celebrate — will surely desire to conform to the Master’s dying admonition, ‘Eat ye all of it; drink ye all of it.’ They will realize that unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, we have no life in us; and that if they have in heart and mind partaken of the merit of Jesus’ sacrifice really, and of his life, that it is both a privilege and a pleas­ure to memorialize this, and to confess it before each other and before the Lord.”

It is our suggestion that our readers read the Chapter on the Passover in Volume Six of Scripture Studies. With this comes the prayer for the Lord’s rich blessing upon all in their preparation for, and observance of this year’s Memorial.” Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” (Isa. 8:13)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint No. 273, March 1978)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – Are twelve months of the Jewish calendar mentioned in the Bible?

ANSWER – Yes, twelve months are mentioned in the following Scriptures, although most of the names of the months are omitted: Ex. 12, the first month; Gen. 7:11, the second month; Ex. 19:1, the third month; 2 Kings 25:3, the fourth month; Num. 33:38, the fifth month; 1 Chron. 27:9, the sixth month; Gen. 8:4, the seventh month; Zech. 1:1, the eighth month; Ezra 10:9, the ninth month; Gen. 8:5, the tenth month; Duet. 1:3, the eleventh month; and Esther 3:7, the twelfth month.

Abib is given in the Bible six times, the first being Ex. 12:2. It was later changed to Nisan, mentioned for the first time in Neh. 2:1 after the Jews returned from their seventy-year captivity in Babylon, as explained on page 1, par. 2 of this paper. Tishri and Nisan are the two most important months – Tishri the beginning of the secular year, and Nisan the beginning of the religious year. Westminster gives the following names for the months:

1. – ABIB or NISAN (April) – Ex. 23:15; Neh. 2:1; Jos. Antiq. 1.3,3; iii. 10,5 (30 days);

2. – ZIV or IYAR (May) – 1 Kings 6:1,37; Jos. Antiq. viii. 3,1 (29 days);

3. – SIVAN (June) – Esther 8:9 (30 days);

4. – TAMMUZ (July) – 29 days;

5. – AB. (August) – Jos. Antiq. iv. 4,7 (30 days)

6. – ELUI (September) – Neh. 6:15 (29 days);

7. – ETHANIM or TISHRI (October) – 1 Kings 8:2; Jos. Antiq. viii. 4,1 (30 days);

8. – BUL or MARHESHVAN – MARCHESHVAN (November) – 1 Kings 6:38; Jos. Antiq. 1.3,3. (29 days in regular and defective year; 30 days in perfect year);

9. – CHISLEV or KISLEV (December) – Zech. 7:1; cf. Jos. Antiq. xii. 5,4; 7,6 (29 days in defective year; 30 days in perfect year);

10. – TEBETH (January) – Esther 2:16; Jos. Antiq. xi. 5,4 (29 days);

11. – SHEBAT (February) — Zech. 1:7; I Macc. 16:14 (30 days);

12. – ADAR (March) – Esther 3:7; Jos. Antiq. iv. 8,49 (29 days;30 days in leap year);

13. VEADAR – intercalary month in leap years; in every month the new moon falls on the first day of the month.

Some of the names mentioned in the Bible may have been changed, if we accept what is given in the Encyclopedia Britannica:” The months of the Jewish religious year, their approximate equivalent in the Western Gregorian calendar, and their notable days, are as follows:

1.TISHRI (September-October) – 1,2 Rosh Hashana (New Year) – 3 Tzom Gedaliahu (Fast of Gedaliah) – 10 Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement – 15-21 Sukkot (Tabernacles) – 22 Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of the Solemn Assembly) – 23 Simhat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law);

2.HESHVAN or MARHESHVAN (October-November)

3.KISLEV (November-December) – 25 Hanukka (Feast of Dedication) begins;

4.TEVET (December-January) – [called Chisleu in Neh. 1:1] – 2-3 Hanukka ends – 10 Asara be-Tevet (Fast of Tevet 10)

5.SHEVAT (January-February) – 15 Tu bi-Shevat (15th of Shevat: New year for Trees);

6.ADAR (February-March) – 13 Ta’anit Esther (Fast of Esther) – 14,15 Purim (Feast of Lots);

7.NISAN (March-April) – 15-22 Pesah (Passover);

8.IYYAR (April-May) – 18 Lag ba-Omer (33rd Day of Omer Counting);

9.SIVAN (May-June) – 6,7 Shavuot (Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost);

10.TAMMUZ (June-July) – 17 Shiva’ Asar be-Tammuz (Fast of Tammuz 17);

11.AV (July-August) – 9 Tisha be-Av (Fast of Av 9);

12.ELUL (August-September) – During leap years, the Adar holidays are postponed to Second Adar. Since 1948 many Jewish calendars list IYYAR 5 – Israel Independence Day – among the Jewish holidays.

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brethren,

Blessed the coming new year 1995! Blessings to you in the joy of our Lord! A new year is coming to mark for us the measured beat of time, an opportunity is thus extended thee and thine. What will we do, what will we be in the new year ahead? What growth and progress shall we see as upward we do tread? God grant that as the sands of time run low within our glass, our faith and hope and love sublime shall bring His will to pass...

Dear Brethren, please continue our contact and send often to us all your periodical literature and news from your spiritual activities at God’s field this coming new year 1995.You have a big open door in Greece. When you want call and come. Our Lord is yours and our home is yours!

May you daily be mercied by God. My Love – and His, ------- (GREECE)

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My dear Sister:

I so appreciate your good letter, even though I have been long in answering. My 80 years are slowing me down...

The January paper came and was a source of blessing to me. Yes, I too, am heartsick when the brethren throw out Brother Russell’s chronology. I fell some times we are like the JWs – we claim he is our founder and the seventh messenger, but don’t believe his teachings or study the volumes. I get hungry for a good volume study again.

There are two sisters here who try to come once a week, and we have studies together about the chronology, the Time of Trouble and Restitution. This is an encouragement to me.

Do you ever feel that the truth is being watered down? We hear mostly character talks and very little doctrine. Sometimes, on the radio, one can hear very good character talks by nominal preachers. We need the meat of the word [Heb. 5:14], and not just the milk.

Well I have been on my soap box long enough, but I know you will understand. Take good care of your dear self, we need each other. My prayers continue for you, and yours for me mean much. I need them.

The Lord’s arm uphold you, give you strength and comfort.

Your sister who loves you, ------- (ARIZONA)

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NO. 462B: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT - PART TWO

No. 462B

THE JEWS

“The Vision That Does Not Fail: Any student of world trends can detect the coming conflict that the streams of human endeavor and existence are heading for. This collision of thought, expectation and ethics will not be a small one! It will be colossal involving religion, politics and social systems.

“Already a desperate world is seeking to find ways and means to head off this danger. The recent global conference in Cairo on the world’s population crisis is an example of this. The need for such a conference was undoubtedly an urgent one but the conference found real solutions illusive.

“The issues were entangled in religion, politics and social systems. Power blocks, such as the Moslem world, saw the conference as a sinister scheme to weaken it. Others, like the Vatican, shuddered at the prospect of having to revise age-old traditions. Such a revision would lead to a crisis of credibility. On the other hand poorer nations of the third world saw their population problems being solved by financial upliftment programmes that would impart better medical care, education and social structures. All this has to be paid for by the so-called developed or first world. A world that is already beginning to show the early signs of financial ‘melt down.’ That is, too few trying to pay for the needs of too many.

“In the final analysis, and not surprising, the conference closed with not too much having been achieved. In the meantime our world continues to plunge toward global over-population and with it chaos, misery and starvation.

“This is only one area of global concern. Add to this the nuclear leakage problem, the financial problems, the problems of famine, conflict, global warming, religion, destruction of the environment and the need for social upliftment and the picture becomes more depressing. Man’s dream of a utopia or new world order continues to fade with each passing day.

“As our television screens are filled with horrific scenes of genocide – as in Rwanda – violence, murder and conflict, our dreams of a peaceful world become more remote. Our globe is tottering under the weight of global mismanagement. The truth is, man cannot solve his problems. He is a prisoner of his fallen nature. His actions everywhere confirm this. So, what hope does he have? Only one – the grace of God.

“That is, he needs a solution outside of himself. Some mistakenly think that it will come from the UFO phenomenon while others are trying to awaken the so-called spirit of mother earth! Still others are looking for answers in the psychic confusion of the new age movement. All these options will fail. They are counterfeit!

“The only hope for the globe is the grace of God revealed in the Bible. What makes this offer of grace the only reliable one? Two things:

“1. It has been proved in the crucible of history. The Bible is the only religious revelation that dares to describe God’s acts in history. Archaeology has always verified the biblical account... and...

“2. The preservation and restoration of Israel. This modern day phenomenon has no human explanation. It does however enjoy a biblical one. Moreover the Bible declares that Israel’s second and last return from exile will culminate in the coming of Messiah and a golden age for all men everywhere. (Isaiah 11 and Zechariah 14)

“Should this be true – and it certainly is – then:

“1. The offer of God’s grace and love so freely made in the Bible is worthy of acceptance and...

“2. The tiny nation of Israel is a miracle that will lead the nations shortly into true peace. (Isaiah 2:1-4) [The vision will not fail — Hab. 2:3]” (Christian Action for Israel — 3rd Quarter 1994)

“On Israeli Withdrawal From the Golan Heights: No settlement should be evacuated except for peace. But if we need to evacuate settlements for the sake of peace, I was in favor of that in the past and I am in favor of it now. For me, peace is a more important value for Israel’s future security than one group of settlements or another. (Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, speech before the United Kibbutz Movement, April 21, 1994.)

“On the Killing of Israelis by Arafat’s Fatah Faction: In the past six months, Arafat’s Fatah faction has committed 37 attacks on Israelis, resulting in six deaths and 24 wounded. (Likud party leader, Benyamin Netanyahu, April 18, 1994.)

“We shall distribute weapons to the Palestinian residents and return to the armed struggle. (Jibril Rajoub, aide to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, March 4, 1994)

“There is no decision in Fatah to cease the armed struggle against the occupation. (Abbas Zaki, member of the PLO executive committee, nominee to head the PLO police, Jerusalem Post, March 15, 1994.)” (Dispatch From Jerusalem, May-June 1994)

“Arafat Appoints Convicted Terrorist To Head Police Unit: Unbelievable, Yasser Arafat has appointed Fatmeh Birnawi as commander of the Palestinian women’s police. In 1967, Birnawi planted a bomb in a west Jerusalem movie theater. The movie was a ‘western’ and the theater was packed with children. She was later apprehended and sentenced to two life terms, only to be released sometime afterward in a prisoner exchange. In 1993, she became a media celebrity, lionized as a brave ‘guerrilla fighter.’ She recently told the Associated Press that she looks back ‘with pride and few regrets’ at the operation she said was planned by Dr. Abu Mohammed – the code name for Yasser Arafat.” (Dispatch From Jerusalem, September-October 1994)

“If Arafat Can’t Halt Terror, Why Negotiate With Him?: In the aftermath of three bloody episodes – reminiscent of the days when Yasser Arafat was an active terrorist rather than a Nobel Peace Prize laureate – it’s clear Israel has an Arafat problem.

“Yes, the bus bombing yesterday in downtown Tel Aviv in which at least 20 died and scores more were wounded was the work of Hamas. So, too, was the assault in central Jerusalem which saw two pedestrians killed by machine-gun fire – as well as the kidnap-murder of Captain Nachshon Waxman. But many Israelis – with good reason – believe that Arafat and his Fatah ‘moderates’ have entered into a tacit alliance with Hamas.

“Certainly, the PLO chairman is more afraid of Hamas than he is of the Israel Defense Forces. As a consequence, PLO-controlled Gaza, for all practical purposes, has become a Hamas base.

“This analysis of what has happened in Gaza since the IDF withdrew is held across the Israeli political spectrum – not just in the precincts of the right. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, whose determination to see the negotiations with the PLO through to a satisfactory conclusion is beyond dispute, acknowledged the unhappy reality of Gaza as a point of refuge for Hamas in the course of a press conference held directly after Waxman was killed by his captors.

“‘We know that the activities of the murderers were directed from Gaza,’ said the prime minister. Rabin went on to emphasize that peace itself depends on the ‘Palestinian Authority’ preventing Gaza from becoming a ‘haven for terrorists.’

“Sad to say, the prime minister knows that it’s a bit late for prevention. What’s needed now is a change in the existing circumstances.

“As things stand, Hamas leaders publicly acknowledge the benefits that attended the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. Said one (after Waxman’s murder): ‘Before, the Israeli army would chase our fighters, besiege their hideouts and catch them. Now, those fighting the jihad can attack and then go back to their homes.’

“This certainly makes life easier for the terrorists; it’s nice to kill a few civilians and head back home for supper and a good night’s sleep. But it bespeaks an intolerable circumstance for Israel.

“Jerusalem has two viable alternatives: Force Arafat to keep his pledge to curb Palestinian terrorism. Or reoccupy Gaza.

“True, Arafat launched a search by Gaza-based Palestinian police for Waxman – at Rabin’s insistence – after the soldier was abducted. But the corporal’s captors were holding him in the West Bank town of Bir Nabala, a fact the Palestinian police didn’t share with Israeli intelligence – if, in fact, they learned it.

“Moreover, the degree to which the search represented a genuine effort to strike out at Hamas remains unclear. A member of Arafat’s cabinet has acknowledged that the PLO leader continues to avoid ‘the real job of cleaning up the extremists in Gaza.’

“Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres – who is sharing the Peace Prize with Rabin and Arafat – argues that the latter doesn’t have to show ‘100 percent success’ in fighting Hamas terror.

“What’s required, according to Peres, is ‘100 percent effort.’ The argument is reasonable. But it points up an unmistakable reality: Arafat hasn’t demonstrated very much effort at all in this realm.

“Arafat apologists warn that Israeli pressure on the PLO chairman may provoke civil strife among the Palestinians. Indeed, some suggest darkly that there’s no guarantee Arafat would prevail in any such conflict with Hamas.

“This, however, doesn’t militate against his obligation to try. If Arafat can’t halt or even curb Hamas terror – and if his base is too narrow for him to wage an all-out campaign against Hamas — why is he an appropriate negotiating partner for Israel?

“Israelis are told that returning the rest of the West Bank to Arafat’s benevolent hegemony, and permitting the autonomous areas to hold free elections, will strengthen the PLO’s hand. But there’s no evidence that supports this claim. An end to terrorism was supposed to attend the onset of the peace process, not its conclusion.” (By Eric Breindel — The Jewish Press, October 28, 1994)

EMANUEL RACKMAN AND MARTIN PERETZ SPEAK UP VERSUS RABIN-PLO PACT

One of America’s most respected magazine editors, Martin Peretz, and an outstanding and revered Rabbi-author, Emanuel Rackman, have shocked many observers and delegates here at the UN as well as Jewish communities around the world, by publicly scoring the Rabin-PLO “Peace” pact.

Known for his political insight and wisdom in thought both in Israel and here in America, Rabbi Rackman, in reviewing recent developments in the “peace” process, especially the agreement between Israel and Jordan, expresses the belief that “some good may yet come from all that happened heretofore.” But he adds that “historians may one day question whether that good is, in fact, the result of what was done to date by Israel’s proponents and exponents of the peace process, or [whether it] could and would have happened without the pain and anguish caused [to] millions of Jews world-wide, by the way the PLO was given the victory after almost 50 years of waging war, bloodshed and terror against Israel.”

Emanuel Rackman’s theme fits well into this High Holy Day Season when efforts are being made world-wide to combat terrorism and punish terrorists both past and present more particularly, in the light of Biblical prophecy as linked to Israel’s eternal history from the days of Abraham through the Exodus.

“True, the Jordanian option has been discussed a long time,” Rackman declared in his syndicated column, “but there are still many Jews who hold that G-d may have had more to do with it than the key leaders on Israel’s side” – voicing the view expressed by this writer on several occasions in this column. “That could be,” he adds. “After all, He is known to have dealt with the hearts of kings in the past” – Cyrus, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, etc. – “it certainly will come as a shock to some of Israel’s leaders that there still are Jews who are so naive, that they have not removed G-d from the fate and destiny of the Jewish people, but that is a fact. And there are perhaps 50 million Christians who feel the same way.”

The noted spiritual leader and writer opens his heart: “I am pained, as an Israeli citizen and Jew, that my pride in Israel has been shaken. I can no longer boast about its democratic character. I have seen basic freedoms of Jews violated. I have been witness to the grossest undermining of Zionist ideals. All in all, no matter what prizes have already been given or will yet be given to Israeli leaders, the presenters must chuckle to themselves that the Jewish State is no more fulfillment of the vision of the Prophets than any other European, Asiatic or American State. We have reburied Herzl and Ahad Ja-Am at the same time...”

Editor-in Chief of The New Republic Martin Peretz, speaking from the point of view of a secular individual but as a historian specializing in the Middle East, and highly respected by his colleagues in the media, speaks out as strongly as Rabbi Rackman on the present trend of affairs in Israel.

In a special message received by World Union Press here at the UN, he opens thus: “The handshake in Washington has changed the character of the Arab-Israel conflict but it has not truly brought it to an end. No single episode can conclude 100 years of enmity. Therefore, the struggle to ensure the security of Israel and the safety of its citizens continues.

“Let it be clear: the accord between the Rabin Government and the PLO was founded on a brave and risky initiative by Israel itself. No one and nothing – and certainly not the United States – pushed the Rabin Government into this agreement, save its own commitment to take risks, great risks, for peace.

“Thus far, however, the Palestinians have not reciprocated the tangible concessions Israel has made to them, their demands remain maximalist. Indeed, terror continues. Not the isolated and mortifying atrocity in Hebron. But the ongoing terror against Jews in the territories and out, which has become a routine of Palestinian politics. About this Arafat says hardly a word, and does nothing. In the meantime 9,000 Palestinian police, equipped with armored carriers, helicopters, and machine guns will now exercise authority in Jericho and Gaza....

“Maybe some of the Arab States are ready for some sort of peace with Israel, though surely not the kind of peace that exists between Germany and France. It’s clear that the Arabs are not yet ready for peace with each other. Is Syria at peace with Iraq? Lebanon with Syria? Iraq with Iran? Egypt with the Sudan? Libya with Morocco? Saudi Arabia with Yemen? Algeria with its own population?”

Martin Peretz questions the Arabs’ and Palestinians’ sincerity. Let them revoke the Charter calling for Israel’s destruction, and then we may know. He concludes: “...in this world, the only guarantors of Jewish lives can be the Jewish State. Put in a nutshell, that is the position of The New Republic on the peace talks.”

May the voices of both Rackman and Peretz be heard in Israel and in all Jewish communities around the globe and even here in this UN House of Contention.

As this writer sees it, the one hope may well be Hussein of Jordan, whose grandfather, the Emir Abdullah, many years ago corresponded with your correspondent on the topic of a lasting peace among all the Abrahamic brethren. Such a peace would be based on the Bible and the Koran, both of which had their mainspring at Mt. Sinai under Nebi Musa, Moshe – hence the motto for all must be “Mosaic Law for One World.” (By David Horowitz, The Jewish Press, September 16, 1994)

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.” (Isa. 30:1-3)

“Nine Lights Of Faith And Hope: Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish victory nearly 22 centuries ago over the Greek kings who ruled the land of Israel from their base in what is now Syria.

“Mattathias Maccabee and his five sons formed a fighting force to take back the temple in a small village near Jerusalem that had been overrun by Greek idols.

“Once the temple was rebuilt, the Maccabees were ready to begin the sacred rededication by lighting the sealed oil that had been blessed by a rabbi. Miraculously, that little bit of oil was enough to light the nine-candle menorah for eight days.

“Today, Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah, which began this past Sunday, for eight days. On the first night of Hanukkah, two candles are lit on the family menorah. The first candle is used each night after that to light another candle until all candles are lit on the menorah by the eighth night.

“The candle-lighting celebrates Jews’ faith in God and the Maccabees’ victory over religious persecution.

“With Israelis and Palestinians working toward peace in the Middle East, there is, indeed, much to celebrate. Already, Jordan and Israel have agreed to end decades of animosity.

“Nevertheless, the road to peace will be a long and hard one. On Hanukkah’s eve, a rabbi was shot to death and an Israeli policeman was wounded by bullets fired into their car as they drove toward a Jewish settlement on the West Bank. Islamic militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

“As hard as Israel’s road to peace will be, it is one that surely will be lighted by Jews’ never-dying faith in overcoming the obstacles ahead.” (The Orlando Sentinel, November 30, 1994)

“For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.” (Isa. 14:1-3)

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Many thanks and much appreciation for the beautiful Christmas cards received, with special thanks for the love and prayers expressed – which we heartily reciprocate. We wish all our readers a prosperous and Blessed New Year.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The date of our Memorial is April 12, 1995, after six p.m.

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NO. 462A: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT - PART ONE

No. 462A

At the beginning of the New Year we again express our appreciation and gratitude for His overruling Providence and blessings of the past year. “O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord.” (Psa. 117:1,2)

Crime is escalating in big cities as well as small towns, despite the fact that our good officers risk their lives to protect us and bring the criminals to justice. Diseases are also a problem, especially for the needy, although medical science has been a great help. However, medical science has been unable to cure terminal disease such as ALZHEIMERS, AIDS, etc. They are still diligently searching for cures.

“Northern Italy Ransacked By Rains: ROME – The government promised more than $1.9 billion in emergency relief Tuesday for areas devastated by flooding and mudslides that have claimed at least 58 lives in northern Italy.

“Rescuers reached all but 11 villages isolated by the devastation caused by torrential rains, defense authorities said.

“Ten thousand people were left homeless and several dozen remained missing. Treasury police joined the army of civil defense workers guarding against looters and price gouging. Cheap rubber boots were going for the equivalent of $65 in the Piedmontese town of Asti, RAI state television said.

“Two days after the worst of the rains, much of the north presented a devastated landscape. Upside-down cars floated down mud-churned rivers. A television set was lodged in a tree, and a dead pig hung halfway out of a farm-building window.

“The Cabinet met in emergency session Tuesday and decided on a $1.9 billion relief package. The expenditure comes as the government is proposing unpopular budget cuts to cope with a $100 billion deficit.

“Damage in Piedmont alone amounted to $3.5 billion, officials said. The regional council called it the ‘worst natural calamity that has befallen Piedmont in the memory of man.’

“Most devastated in the three-day deluge was the Piedmont’s rich agricultural area, famed for its red and sparkling white wines, truffles and Fiat cars. Fields, wineries, cattle farms, small businesses and factories across the region were destroyed.

“Fiat, based in Piedmont’s main city of Turin, stopped an assembly line because parts couldn’t reach the plant. It was thought to be the first weather-related stoppage since World War II.

“The Ferrero confectionery company, one of Europe’s largest, shut down – coated with mud. The company put the damage at $65 million.

“Rain tapered off Tuesday but clouds filled the skies and showers were scattered.” (The Orlando Sentinel, November 9, 1994)

The disasters with floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and fires, have brought much grief to many people. Some have lost their lives, and many have lost their homes. The courage manifested by people who have suffered much from these disasters is commendable to behold. We are grateful for the good people who have gone to their aid. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (Prov. 15:3) “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.” (Psa. 145:9) We have deep sympathy for those who have suffered and are still suffering from these disasters. “We weep with them that weep.” (Rom. 12:15)

God will bring peace and happiness to mankind in due time. Man is unable to solve these problems. “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:6,7) The “desire of all nations” will come to the Jew, Catholic, Free Mason, Protestant and Moslem – to the whole world. It will be the answer to our prayers, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10)

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Hab. 2:3) “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

“On Abortion, Science And Scripture Agree: ‘God is pro-life’ was tattooed on his hand. He was slightly disheveled and held a Bible as he crawled on his hands and knees in my direction. I was locked arm in arm with fellow pro-choice activists, defending an abortion clinic against a ‘rescue.’ Looking down on this man who had wrapped himself around my legs, I couldn’t help but wonder about the religious fervor that provoked such extreme behavior.

“Their signs scream: ‘Abortion is Murder.’ Those crawling masses believe it, so deeply in fact that they are willing to get arrested for it. And so we learned last week with the second murder of an abortion doctor at a Pensacola clinic, some of these zealots are even willing to kill for it.

“Abortion as murder is taught as doctrine of the Catholic Church and fundamentalist Protestant faiths. The Catholic Church defines abortion as any intentional termination of a pregnancy after the moment of conception.

“Throughout history, science has confounded religious doctrine. From the biblical account of creation, to the belief that the Earth is the center of the universe, the scientific method has been used over time to repudiate much of what organized religion deemed the absolute truth or God’s law.

“Today’s scientific community is overwhelmingly pro-choice. In the 1988 Webster case before the U.S. Supreme Court, 167 distinguished scientists and physicians, including 11 Nobel Laureates, submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the idea that a fetus devoid of brain development cannot be medically deemed a person. According to the scientists, the emergence of brain cells in the neocortex, in which the process of thought, emotion, and consciousness occur, do not begin formation until approximately the 28th week of pregnancy.

“Embryologist Charles Gardner wrote in a 1989 article in the Nation magazine: “The fertilized egg is clearly not a prepackaged human being... The information required to make an eye or a finger does not exist in the fertilized egg. It exists in the positions and interactions of cells and molecules that will be formed only at a later time.

“If the fertilization of an egg by a sperm is a person at that moment, then it is God, not man who is the most monstrous ‘murder of innocent children’ as up to 50 percent of fertilized eggs do not implant in the uterus. Of those which do implant, between 10 percent and 50 percent miscarry. These ‘persons’ are DOA; most are flushed as effluent, often without the mother’s knowledge.

“But it is not just science that takes persuasive pot shots at the conception-equals-personhood theory. Biblical text disputes the claim as well.

“In his Saint Louis University Public Law Review article ‘Abortion and Public Policy,’ John Swomley, professor emeritus of Christian Social Ethics from the Saint Paul School of Theology, writes that the Bible declares human life begins with breathing. ‘In Genesis 2:7, God ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being’ (in some translations, ‘a living soul’). The Hebrew word for a human being or living soul is Nephesh, the word for breathing. Nephesh occurs hundreds of times in the Bible as the identifying factor in human life.’

“Breathing obviously cannot occur before the maturation of lungs and, according to those 167 scientists, this doesn’t happen in a developing fetus until approximately the 24th week of gestation. In the United States a majority of abortions are performed before the eighth week of pregnancy. More than 91 percent occur before the end of the first 12 weeks; and more than 99 percent by 20 weeks.

“Moreover, Swomley points out, in Christian scriptures, the Incarnation, or the ‘Word made Flesh’ (John 1:14), was celebrated at Jesus’ birth, not his conception. In modern times, by counting age from the date of birth, we are following the biblical tradition.

“Science is a strong debate partner. When science is paired with religion it is irrefutable. Some may choose to tattoo anti-abortion shibboleths on various body parts, crawl around outside medical facilities and call it ‘saving babies.’ But the weight of modern biological science and ancient biblical exegesis says they’re wrong.” (By Robyn E. Blumner, executive director of the ACLU of Florida)

IN FINANCE

A year ago, we talked about how the present order of things is deteriorating rapidly. 1994 has been a very unusual year. Companies are laying off people each week, and big companies like IBM and General Motors are cutting back. Conditions look gloomy. And then the stock market hit an all time high in 1994.

Through November non-farm payrolls rose by 350,000. Unemployment rate dropped 5.6%, personal income was up 1.4% through October, 1994, the 3rd quarter GDP (Gross Domestic

Products) growth was up 3.9% and consumer confidence was at the highest level in 4 years. Help wanted advertisements rose to its highest level in 4 years. There was 51,000 new jobs in manufacturing and 71,000 new jobs in construction. Over 3.1 million new jobs have been created this year. That is the strongest gain in a decade, and it is predicted that it will remain strong through 1995.

The United States may be on the road to economic health, productivity, employment and total national income is up, but recently released Census Bureau data indicated that the median family income has declined each year since 1991. According to many economists, this phenomenon is contrary to the established pattern that economic expansion leads to rising incomes for middle-class and poorer citizens. All regions of the country were affected by this decline in income. The northeast had the largest drop, over 11% from 1989-1993.

And the present administration believes that emphasis on job skills training and investing more money in education will lead to a greater rise in median family income, but that will be extremely costly and will take many years to achieve.

The world economy is growing. Twenty-four years ago, the U.S. stock market represented over 60% of the total value of the world’s stocks. Now the situation is reversed, with 62% of the world’s stock market value outside of the U.S.

Gold has declined in value. The recent increase in interest rates is certainly going to put pressure on expansion of businesses. Other nations were investing money in the United States because they felt like it was safe. People are investing money capital in all areas around the world – especially in Asia. The United States is not the safe and secure place for investments that it was considered in recent decades.

The manufacturing leaders in the U.S. oppose the Federal Reserve Boards last increase in interest rates. They predict it will cause the economy to slow down.

The U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Industrial nations continue to struggle with crime, poverty and social problems. Poverty among the elderly, virtually unknown in other industrial countries, stands at 11% in the U.S.

 There were over 6,000 businesses that failed during the month of September, 1994, in the U.S. But this is called good times because in September, 1993, it was 21% higher than it was the year before.

The U.S. doesn’t face up to the enormous debt that it has accumulated each year and to the fact that the National Debt for the American people is still growing. Not since the early 20’s has the peace time tax rates on the individual been so high. And now the new congress is talking about tax cuts. This is the condition now, but things can change rapidly in the world economy.

IN RELIGION

“Goddess Worship Angers Evangelicals: Methodists and Presbyterians are upset that women in their Churches are embracing paganism.

“During a theological conference for women held in Minneapolis last November, more than 2,000 participants recited a liturgy to ‘our maker Sophia,’ a female deity. Then, in a ritual that resembles holy communion, the women partook of milk and honey to honour the goddess. ‘Sophia Creator God, let your milk and honey flow,’ the women chanted.

“The conference might have gone unnoticed if it had been sponsored by some obscure New Age group. It wasn’t. Most of the participants represented mainline Protestant denominations including the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, while the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gave $66,000 to defray meeting costs.

“Conservative Church members reacted to news of the conference with disgust. Already some Churches have begun withholding funds to their denominations in protest. A conservative Methodist group has called for disciplinary action against attendees, and evangelical Presbyterians want officials to fire a Church staffer who helped organize the meeting. Charisma – May 1994” (Christian Action for Israel – 2nd Quarter 1994)

Jehovah’s Witnesses: The Watchtower of November 1, 1994, under Be Tenderly Compassionate, says, “Satan who knows his time is short, ‘is misleading the entire inhabited earth.’ (Rev. 12:9,12) Hence, particularly those outside the true Christian congregation are in danger of losing their lives, and the Bible rules out any hope of a resurrection for those executed during God’s coming day of judgment. – Matt. 25:31-33,41,46; 2 Thes. 1:6-9.” (Excerpts from first paragraph of Watchtower, November 1, 1994, page 16)

If the Witnesses are referring to Armageddon as the “judgment day” for individuals of this present evil world, they are teaching gross error. The “judgment day” for individuals of the world is future, when Satan is bound and will not “blind the minds of them that believe not.” (2 Cor. 4:4) As the Witnesses have suggested, “Satan knows his time is short” but even so he is still “blinding the minds” of the people. God does not judge mankind until they come to a knowledge of the truth: “Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4) “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteous­ness.” (Isa. 26:9) And in Isa. 11:9 we are assured that “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” As we all know, crime and evil of all sorts are rampant the world over. But in the Kingdom there will be peace and safety, as well as freedom from error.

“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31) God is indeed more merciful – “Tenderly Compassionate” – than man: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Rom. 11:32) He will have mercy to the individuals of the world during the Kingdom, which is future.

In the Watchtower, December 1, 1994, last page, under Voices for Belief Brother Russell is mentioned as “One prominent voice.” The Witnesses also say “Millions read his 1886 volume The Divine Plan of the Ages.” This is indeed a powerful book – a veritable key to the understanding of the Scriptures. It is just as true today as it was in 1886. Truth does not change, nor does the Bible – the inspired Word of God.

If they would use this book in their witness work, they would indeed bring Good Tidings of Great Joy to all who have an ear to hear. The “good news” of the future Kingdom (Acts 17:31) would be a true witness of God’s Word. Their followers would be enlightened if they would read this book. Quite a few of ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses have learned the Truth by reading The Divine Plan of the Ages.

MORMONS: “Mormons’ beliefs are basic yet widely divergent: Mormons spend their Sundays in church, abide by the Bible and view Jesus as the cor­nerstone of their faith.

“But beyond such basics, the practices and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints widely diverge from others who call themselves Christians.

  “The bishop who leads services, for example, is not paid by his church. Bread and water, not wine, are considered a sacrament. Women can speak at services, but they cannot be priests.

  “There are significant departures in Mormon theology, too. Mormons believe that Jesus’ au­thority on Earth was lost for a time but restored through the work of Joseph Smith. They be­lieve Smith, the son of a New England farmer, received divine revelations in the early 1800s and was given golden tablets that he translated into the Book of Mormon, now read by Mor­mons along with the Bible. Among Smith’s rev­elations was a strict code of behavior that shuns alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco and drugs.

“Church members don’t believe in the three-in-one concept of the Trinity. They believe in God the Father, Jesus his son and the Holy Ghost, but consider them to be three distinct beings. They believe God is a living, eternal being with a glorified body of flesh and bone, not a spirit.

“They also consider Howard W. Hunter, president of the church headquartered in Salt Lake City, to be a living prophet.

“Mormons use their temples for special ser­vices, distinct from those held at chapels each Sunday. One temple ritual is an endowment, where they promise to abide by the principles of the gospel. Temple marriage ceremonies, called sealings, are believed to bind a couple together for eternity.

“During temple baptisms, known as ‘redeeming the dead,’ Mormons get baptized as representatives of ancestors who have already died. They believe this baptizing by proxy gives their ancestors an opportunity to accept the Gospel after death. Mormons are known for their genealogical research, which helps them learn of ancestors for whom they can perform such rites.

“When the open house for a new temple just outside Orlando ends September 30, the building will be open only to active Mormons.

“‘That’s in some ways the heart and soul of the sort of cosmic work of the church,’ said Dennis Owen, assistant professor of religion at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

“So it’s not surprising that access to it would be limited once a temple is consecrated.” (By Adelle M. Banks – The Orlando Sentinel, September 6, 1994)

CATHOLICS: “Priest An Apostle Of Death In Battle Over Abortions: An Alabama clergyman says the Bible justifies killing abortion doctors to save lives of the unborn: MOBILE, AL – After saying grace over his pancake breakfast in a crowded fast‑food restaurant, the Rev. David Trosch explained his chain of logic for the theory that an ordinary citizen could be morally justified in killing abor­tion clinic doctors and staff mem­bers.

“‘There is full human life, by Christian common belief, in the womb following conception,’ said Trosch, a Roman Catholic priest. ‘They are persons worthy of defense, like any born person, and they must be defended by any means necessary to protect them, including the death of the assailants, which in this case would be the abortionists and their direct accomplices.’

“The views of Trosch (pronounced trohsh) have embarrassed the archdiocese of Mobile, which has stripped him of a church job and salary, and has barred him from saying Mass with anyone present.

“Trosch said he had no plans to act violently himself, and he de­nied that he is advising others to kill. ‘I believe I have a calling to educate,’ he said.

“In the wake of two killings of abortion clinic doctors in the past 18 months in nearby Pensacola, Trosch has emerged from relative obscurity to become the most pub­lic theoretician for the most radi­cal fringe of the anti‑abortion movement. He mixes talk of ‘jus­tifiable homicide’ with quotations from Scripture and bulwarks of moral theology such as the writ­ings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.

“The archbishop of Mobile, Oscar Lipscomb, said in using church teachings to justify his views, Trosch was ‘as wrong as he can be.’

“‘In the name of the church, I have contradicted him, repudiated him, disciplined him,’ Lipscomb said.

“Helen Alvare, planning and in­formation director for the U.S. Catholic Conference’s Pro‑Life Ac­tivities office in Washington, said of Trosch, ‘He is absolutely unre­lated – in fact, in opposition – to the work and the spirit of the pro-­life movement.’

“In contrast to his rhetoric, Trosch is a man of unremarkable appearance: stocky and balding, with wire‑rim glasses, and given to speaking in even tones. He de­scribes himself as a lifelong Catholic, who spent two years in college in Texas, and then 14 years running a bookbinding busi­ness in Los Angeles, before entering the seminary at 42.

“Earlier this month, the FBI be­gan an inquiry into whether sever­al people, including Trosch, might be involved in a conspiracy to use force against abortion providers.

“Trosch, who denied involve­ment in any conspiracy, began his rise to national notoriety a year ago. He tried to buy advertising space in a local newspaper to dis­play a drawing that showed a gunman pointing a pistol at a doctor who held a knife over a pregnant woman. The drawing contained the phrase, ‘Justifiable Homi­cide?’

“The newspaper declined to print the advertisement, but it wrote about Trosch. Afterward, Lips­comb told the priest either to be silent or quit his position as a par­ish administrator.

“A week later, after The Mobile Register published an interview with Trosch, Lipscomb removed him from his post and sent him to a monastery for a period of reflec­tion. But within a month, Trosch left the monastery without the archbishop’s permission.

“Trosch said he had become ‘good friends’ with Paul J. Hill, the former minister who was charged last month with two counts of first‑degree murder in the killing of Dr. John Britten and his escort.

“Trosch’s name and that of an organization he founded, Life Enterprises Unlimited, appeared as signers of a petition circulated by Hill, stating that ‘all godly action’ to defend innocent life was justi­fied, ‘including the use of force.’

“After Trosch left the monastery, Lipscomb wrote a letter of pasto­ral instruction to Catholics in his diocese citing the biblical com­mandment against murder.

“In the letter, the archbishop stated that although abortion is a ‘moral evil,’ in a democracy its opponents must use political means to combat it.

“The archbishop said that Catho­lic teaching declared that no good could come from an evil intent and that anarchy would result if citizens usurped the role of the civil authorities and took the law into their own hands.

 “In an interview, Trosch dis­missed the archbishop’s argu­ments, saying that God’s law su­persedes civil law.

“He also drew a historical anal­ogy to the French Resistance dur­ing World War II. ‘When they killed the enemy soldiers, did any­body ever admonish them?’ he asked. ‘In fact, they were considered heroes.’

“In recent weeks, Trosch has elaborated his views in letters to religious and secular authorities. Writing last month to members of Congress, he warned of a possible civil war marked by ‘massive kill­ing’ of abortion doctors and their staffs.

“A month earlier, in a letter to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he sounded an even more apocalyptic note, warning of unspecified ‘coming catastrophes’ that would wipe out at least a fifth of the Earth’s population.

“In the interview, he said that these catastrophes could begin as early as Nov. 29. On what basis did he offer this prediction? ‘Just an impression that’s been coming to me over the period of about a year or so,’ he said.”

(From the New York Times, The Orlando Sentinel, Sunday August 28, 1994)

“Pope’s honoring of Waldheim provokes outrage: ROME ‑ Pope John Paul II has drawn Jewish and Israeli outrage by conferring a papal knighthood on former Austrian president Kurt Waldheim, whom the United States has accused of serving with a German army unit that committed atrocities in World War II.

“The bestowal of the Order of Pius IX in the Vatican’s embassy in Vienna on July 6 seemed a remarkable contrast to efforts at reconciliation between the Vatican and Israel, which established diplomatic relations in June after centuries of animosity between Catholics and Jews.

“The Vatican has given no formal ex­planation of the move, despite a pro­test on Thursday by Shmuel Hadas, Isra­el’s ambassador to the Holy See, who ex­pressed ‘concern and surprise’ the pope had conferred the order on Waldheim.

“The Order of Pius IX is one of five orders that the pope may bestow. The Vatican Embassy in Vienna said Waldheim received the knighthood in recognition of his efforts for peace during his tenure as United Na­tions secretary general from 1972 to 1980.

 “Many Jewish organizations, however, took issue with what seemed further evidence of an enduring and somewhat mysterious relationship between the pope and a man who stands accused in the United States and elsewhere of helping Nazi occupying forces.

“Earlier this year, a Justice Department report accused Waldheim of having served with units that massacred civilians, executed prisoners and identified Jews for deportation. Although Wald­heim has denied responsibility for war crimes, he has been barred from entering the United States since 1987.” (The Orlando Sentinel, August 6, 1994)

“Vatican Establishes Relations With PLO: ROME – Seeking broader influence in the Holy Land, the Vatican on Tuesday established a form of diplomatic relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization to balance its ties with Israel.

“But in setting up what is called ‘permanent and official’ relations with the PLO, the Vatican withheld gestures that might be deemed by Israel to constitute recognition of a Palestine state.

“Vatican officials said the distinction avoided the issue of a Palestine state. At the same time, the statement reaffirmed the Vatican commitment to Palestinian ‘freedom and independence’ as ‘inalienable rights.’

“Beyond all the diplomatic niceties, the Vatican’s central interest is to secure access to as many Middle Eastern players as possible as peace efforts increase.

“The Vatican formally recognized Israel in January, and established diplomatic relations with Jordan in March.” (Excerpts from The Orlando Sentinel, October 26, 1994)

“Vatican City, Rome (November 14, 1994): Pope John Paul II, in a letter on plans for the year 2000, said Monday the church should admit past sins and suggested in a reference to Nazism that many Catholics had acquiesced in the excesses of totalitarianism.

“The 74-year-old pope, who has been plagued by health problems, also made clear that he is determined to live to see the start of the third millennium and preside over what he called ‘The Great Jubilee.’

“He announced a string of church gatherings in Rome, the Holy Land and around the world to prepare for the jubilee, which will mark 2,000 years of Christianity.

“The pope said he still intended to make trips to Sarajevo, Lebanon, and to Old Testament sites in the Holy Land and beyond.

“‘Everyone is asked to do as much as possible to ensure that the great challenge of the year 2000 is not overlooked,’ he said in the optimistic 70-page letter, called ‘The Coming Third Millennium.’

“A significant part of the letter was dedicated to the need for the church to ‘become more fully conscious of the sinfulness of her children, recalling all those times in history when they departed from the spirit of Christ...”

“Calling on Catholics to examine their consciences, he said: ‘Acknowledging the weaknesses of the past is an act of honesty and courage which helps us to strengthen our faith.’

“Speaking of the church in the 20th century, the pope said: ‘How can we not lament the lack of discernment, which at times became even acquiescence, shown by many Christians concerning the violation of fundamental human rights by totalitarian regimes?’

“This appeared to be a reference to human rights abuses under Communism, which sought to wipe out religion, and under Nazism, which attempted to exterminate the Jews in the Holocaust.

“Jews have often accused the Vatican of not having done enough to stop the Holocaust. The church says it acted, often behind the scenes, to save Jews.

“The Polish pope said that in preparing for 2000, Catholics should repent for the ‘intolerance and even the use of violence in the service of truth’ in certain centuries.” (By Philip Pullella, Reuters News Service)

“All But Elderly Shun Church Services: Churchgoing declines among all age groups except the elderly.

“Roper Starch Worldwide finds that 28% of those attending religious services during the week preceding a recent survey were 60 or older, up from 23% in 1976. The 1994 figure is five percentage points greater than the elderly’s share of the population...

“The overall figure for the total population for 1994 was 39%, compared with 42% earlier.

“Roper’s analysts believe that the hectic pace of modern life means people want more leisure time, instead of going to church. Moreover, they suggest, many Americans, increasingly skeptical of all institutions, are turning from church to books, videos and other self-help materials for help with problems.

“Women are still far more likely to be churchgoers than men, the survey shows, and white-collar workers, professionals and managers much more than blue-collar workers. The South is still by far the most church-going region.” (By Alan L. Otten, The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 1994)

NO. 461: OUR SAVIOR AND DELIVERER

No. 461

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

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) Few babes in all Judea or in all the world were born in a more humble place than Jesus. Joseph and Mary had gone to their native city, Bethlehem, for tax registration, under the imperial edict. The little city was crowded with others on similar errand. And so it came that Jesus was born in a cattle stall, where Joseph and Mary had been com­pelled to lodge for the night. Ah! we cannot wonder that it is difficult for many to understand why our Heavenly Father sent forth His Son for our redemption under such ignominious condi­tions! The Message of the angels was surely an inspired one, fully in harmony with God’s promise to Abraham – only an enlarged statement of the same, the same sense, the same to “all people” to be blessed – and it was still good tidings and it still meant great joy; but now, two thousand years later, the Message pointed out the very individual through whom the good tidings would have fulfillment – the Babe of Bethlehem. “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice,” the angel of the Lord told Abraham. (Gen. 22:18) “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29)

FEAR NOT! – GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY

The angelic announcement, “Fear not,” is interesting. All human beings realize that they are sinners and naturally have forebodings. They find it difficult to believe that God is really gracious and loving. The gods of the heathen nations are ferocious, unloving and unlovable. But the God of all grace, the Father of mercies, is a God of love, who delights to use His Divine power for the blessing and uplifting of His erring children. There He was peculiar in sending the Message of “good tidings of great joy unto all people,” as well as in sending His Only Begotten Son at great cost to be man’s Redeemer – that He might be just and still be the justifier of those who believe. (Rom. 3:26)

There is a special force or meaning in this word Savior – it signifies life-giver. The Aramaic version is the language which was spoken by Jesus and others of Palestine at that time. And is there not a special fitness of appropriateness in this name life-giver? What had man lost, and what would he wish to have back? The Scriptures answer that Adam lost life and came under the penalty, “Dying, thou shalt die.” He did not lose heaven for he never possessed it. He lost earthly life, an Eden home, human per­fection. And Jesus declared that He “came to seek and to recover that which was lost.” (Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10)

Hence, as we have seen, He was provided with a perfect human life, that “he by the grace of God might taste death for every man,” and that by thus suffering, the just for the unjust, the penalty of the sinner, He might become the purchaser or the Redeemer of Adam and all his race, with a full right to restore to perfect life and all that was lost as many as would receive it at His hand – thankfully. Throughout His entire Messianic reign of a thousand years He will be the world’s Life-Giver, raising the willing and obedient up out of sin and death conditions to perfection and everlasting life and earthly, human blessings.

THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS

In Luke 2:14 we have a kind of Hallelujah chorus or angelic response to the Message of the angel already given. A heavenly host sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” How grand! How inspiring! But we see not yet this glorious condition achieved. The proper glory to God is not yet rendered on earth as it is in heaven. Nor does peace yet wave her banner – not even in so-called Christian nations. The glorious reign has not yet begun as is witnessed by all. It won’t be until the “fire” of this “Time of Trouble” has consumed this present “evil world.” “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens [the present ecclesiastical powers] being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [the social order of which we are composed] shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Pet. 3:11‑13)

LIFE A GREAT BOON EVEN NOW

The question has been asked: How is the love of God to be seen from the standpoint of a deliberate arrangement beforehand which, in its outworking, has involved so vast an amount of sin, suffering and death? In thinking of this question, one should first rid himself wholly of the erroneous thought that sin, suffering and dying are only preludes to an eternity of woe. Then we are to remember that God is not in any way our debtor. We are His debtors, even for our existence; He owes the race nothing.

Suppose that we could disabuse all minds of the idea of eternal torture or of a purgatory of suffering after death, and should then say to them, Consider, now: Would you prefer to live on for a few years more, or would you rather die at once? Or, suppose we put it this way: Are you glad that you have an existence, or would you rather that you had never been born? We believe that the great majority would reply that they desire to live, that they prefer to live as long as possible. They do not wish to die, either today or tomorrow or next year; indeed they would never die if they could help it!

Those who feel that they would be glad to die, or who wish that they had never been born, are those who have had more than ordinarily evil and unhappy experiences; or else they are unbalanced in mind. Many have not so much money as they would like, not so pleasant surroundings and conditions as some have and as they would wish to have. Still life is sweet; and they hold on to it with as firm a grip as possible. Love of life is inherent in man, and has survived even the sorrowful experiences consequent to the fall.

WHY GOD PERMITS THE PRESENT REIGN OF SIN

But why does God permit things to be as they are? This has ever been one of the perplexing problems to the minds of those who have still sufficient faith to believe in the existence of a Supreme Creator. We do not know that we can make it clearer than in our tract, “The Permission of Evil” (free upon request), but we enumerate a few points here. Putting ourselves in God’s place, we are able to see that He must create man either without moral faculties, like the lower animals, or else with mental and moral faculties capable of appreciating the standards of right and wrong, of appreciating his Creator, with power to reason and to choose between good and evil – between obedience and disobedience to that Creator.

Having previously brought into existence the brute creation, God wished to create a nobler order of beings, creatures in His own image and likeness (Gen.1:26), on the earthly plane of life. He purposed to have a race of beings who were perfect like the angels, able to appreciate the same moral standards, the same principles of righteousness. The question might be asked: How could God so create these beings that they would not be in danger of sometime falling into sin? Evidently, it was not God’s purpose so to create them. He desired that they should posses the quality of free moral agency, the power to exercise their own wills for either righteousness or unrighteousness.

At the time of the creation of man, Lucifer, Son of the Morning, began to cherish ambitious designs, disloyal to his Maker. He realized that a race on a lower plane of existence than himself might be induced to choose a course at variance with the expressed will of God – their Creator. Before man’s creation God had foreseen that Lucifer would deflect from the path of obedience, would become a rebel against His righteous government, and that as the result evil would break forth later in His empire. He foresaw that through the influence of the rebellious Lucifer (thenceforth Satan – adversary, accuser, hater) man would become disobedient and fall from the condition of perfection.

Knowing this, and doing man no injustice, but creating him with full ability to resist temptation, God so arranged and timed the creation of man that he would be an object of attack by Satan, who would take advantage of the inexperience of father Adam and mother Eve and seek to capture the entire race of man. In other words, God purposed to permit this test to come to man, and knowing that Adam would fail in the testing and thus incur the penalty of death, He designed to make the experience of the race an object lesson to all His created intelligences, and at the same time to so overrule the matter that the human family would themselves eventually be delivered from the evil results of the fall and be greatly blessed, if they would profit by the lessons learned in their bitter experiences with sin, and would come back into harmony with righteousness.

TIME AN IMPORTANT FEATURE

God’s infinite wisdom could not approve any as worthy of everlasting life who would not prove themselves to be in full accord with His Divine law. The nature of sin is to propagate itself and to produce misery and degradation. With this knowledge God arranged in advance to let man have his own way. He foreknew that intelligent beings with liberty of choice and of will would eventually, if untaught and unrestricted, fall into sin, even though a penalty was attached to disobedience. He chose not to restrain Lucifer.

The plan of God is so comprehensive that it cannot be viewed and judged from the standpoint of a few years – not even of a thousand years or six thousand years. It must be viewed from the standpoint of eternity. It was arranged, not for the well-being of creatures who would live for a few years or a few centuries, but for those who would live throughout eternal ages. His plan must, therefore, be laid so broadly as to include all time and all beings created in His likeness, for His glory and their own eternal good.

Our Creator is a God of infinite love and sympathy; but from the beginning He knew that man would fall, and that He Himself could overrule the entire matter for the ultimate blessing and instruction of men and angels – all His created intelligences; and He purposed so to do. We ourselves know that sin and death with all their direful effects have prevailed in the world for six thousand years. We also know that our God is at the helm, and that all things will be made to work out for good in the end (Rom. 8:28). We think of the flood as a terrible overthrow, because so many lives were lost. Yet the calamity would have been far greater if one half had been left to mourn for the others. It is claimed that men do not suffer very much when drowning – that death by this means is comparatively easy.

Six thousand years of sin, sorrow and death seem a long while for humanity to suffer. Yet the majority of the race have not lived beyond the age of twenty years. Perhaps one-half have not lived to the age of five. Very few have reached the age of one hundred years. We all have seasons of comparative comfort, blessing and enjoyment; even under present conditions, God has been very merciful. And from the viewpoint of the glorious future, with its marvelous opportunities of blessing, its hope of eternal life for man, and its great lessons learned for all eternity by all of God’s intelligent creatures, the reign of sin and death presents an altogether different aspect from what could otherwise be had.

In permitting the long reign of sin and its train of evils, God has been showing forth the principles of His government, that all may clearly discern in time what are the inevitable results of disobedience to their great Creator. We are sure that Adam and Eve were glad that God did not instantly carry out the sentence of death pronounced against them – although they were not permitted to live beyond the “day,” as God told them: “For in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Pet. 3:8) We are sure that they were glad to be permitted to continue their existence for many years, even after they had been driven out of the Garden of Eden; and we believe that they had many experiences of more or less happiness, in spite of the tears, the pain and sorrows that fell to their lot. Gen. 3:15 is an intimation of the ultimate recovery of mankind from the power of Satan: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

So when we view the entire history of the race of Adam, and perceive that all the experiences with sin, suffering and death are to be caused to outwork God’s glorious purposes for the world, and are designed to prove a lasting lesson to all His intelligent creatures who now exist or ever will exist, we can see why He has permitted the reign of evil which to man has seemed so long. When we see, too, that God is now choosing a very select class, of very humble and obedient ones, to be used as agencies under His only begotten Son to recover and uplift to perfection and life everlasting all the human race who will accept the gracious provisions, we can understand why He has been pleased to call this class through the “foolishness of preaching,” by very imperfect instruments. Thus He has manifested the humble ones, who will receive His message by any means which He is pleased to use, and who are glad to forsake sin and serve Him.

A SAVIOR AND A GREAT ONE

God might have said, “I will lift my curse from mankind and let them have another trial for life – an individual trial.” But even if this had been in harmony with God’s Justice, it would not have sufficed alone. Mankind has long been floundering in the mire of sin. They were powerless to profit from any new trial granted them that would not include a Redeemer, a Savior, who was strong, not only to bring about the abrogation of the death sentence by a payment of their penalty, but also to deliver them from all the bonds of sin and death in their members. He must be a savior having power to bind the great adversary who has so long held the race of man in slavery and blindness. He must heal their wounds, open their blinded eyes and their deafened ears, and lift them up, up, into the light and liberty of the sons of God. Truly, man needs a mighty savior; and such, praise God, has been provided in His beloved Son! (See Isaiah, Chapter 35 and Rev. 20:1‑3)

As we trace the various steps of the marvelous Plan of the Ages, we perceive that to all who shall gain eternal life, on whatever plane of being, the path of humility is the path to glory. “He that exalteth himself shall be abased; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:11; 18:14) None will be granted the inestimable blessing of life everlasting who are not thoroughly proven and found worthy under testing, who do not cheerfully humble themselves under the Mighty Hand (Jesus) of God. This principle applies to both human and spirit beings. Only those who gladly obey God, out of love for Him and for His righteous laws, will be permitted to live beyond the harvest time of the Millennial Age. All others shall utterly perish. Our Lord tells us that the first of all the commandments is, “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like it, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none commandments greater than these.” (Mark 12:29‑31)

“THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH LIGHTETH EVERY MAN”

Christmas-tide always brings some lesson associated with our Savior and the great salvation, the gift of God, provided through Him. “Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) Isaiah 9:2-7 is prophetic of this great event. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light shined.” (v. 2) Appropriately, the first verse of the chapter is omitted: in Leeser’s Translation it constitutes the last verse of chapter 8.

Our lesson had no local and immediate application at the time of its delivery: it is strictly prophetical, as are indeed the preceding fifteen verses. We cannot even apply the lesson to the people and time of the First Advent; its scope is far beyond the Jewish nation, and can only be applied to the worldwide blessings which follow the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His glorious Kingdom in power and great glory. Nevertheless, there is just a bare connection with the past in the expression, “Unto us a child is born” – thus indicating the humble beginning and earliest manifestation of the great light, the Sun of Righteousness, which has not yet arisen, but whose day-star is now shining in the hearts of the faithful. (2 Pet. 1:19)

The two divisions of the first verse of the lesson in poetic form merely repeat the same thought with variations. The people that walk in darkness, who are to see the great light are practically all mankind, for “gross darkness covers the people” (Isa. 60:2) – the exception, the very small minority, the Church, as our Lord declared, is “not of the world.” (John 17:16) This broad thought is emphasized by the next statement, for the whole world surely is “the land of the shadow of death”: “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together” (Rom. 8:22) under the curse, the sentence of death which, with its accompaniments of pain and sorrow, casts a deep shadow in every heart and in every household.

Surely, the whole world needs this great light – the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord – the very light which the Apostle declares the world cannot now discern, because the eyes of their under­standing are darkened by the misrepresentations and deceptions perpetrated by the god of this world, the prince of darkness. (2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:3)

The fact that this is expressed in the past tense does not signify that this light has already shined, even as the statement, “Unto us a child is born,” did not signify the birth of Christ at a time prior to Isaiah’s prophecy. It is merely a usual form of prophetic statement: the standpoint is taken away off in the future, and from that future standpoint the thing to be accomplished is stated as though already done. “God calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:17)

Here, then, we have a prophetic assurance of the great light of the knowledge of God coming to all mankind: and this, be it noted, is in fullest agreement with the testimony of John 1:9, that Christ “is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” The fact that every man born into the world has not yet been enlightened by this great light, so far from disparaging the statement, gives us assurance that the time is coming when to Him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess (Phil. 2:8-11), and all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest, and knowing Him have full responsibility or trial for everlasting life or everlasting death. (Rom. 14:11; Jer. 31:31‑34)

Isa. 9:3-5 intimates the process by which the great change shall come, and the world be prepared for the shining of the great light – the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His beams. Scholars are divided in their opinions respecting a proper translation of the first sentence of the third verse. The majority seem to favor the translation given by the Revised Version, “Thou hast increased the nation, thou hast increased her joy.” Leeser’s Translation renders it, “Thou hast multiplied the nation, made great her joy.” In harmony with the context we must interpret this nation to be the world of mankind under the new administration of the Millennial Kingdom; for the kingdoms of this world will then become the kingdoms of our Lord, God’s Anointed, and many nations shall go and say “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” (Rev. 11:15; Isa. 2:3)

Thus, instead of the Lord’s empire being a typical one over a little nation of Israelites, as in the day of Isaiah’s prophecy, it will be the antitypical one in which Immanuel shall be King over all the earth, and His name great to the ends of the earth.

It is the joy of this great people that is described: it will not merely be a quiet joy of satisfaction, but an hilarious joy, as of men who are in the midst of plenty, in a harvest season; and as men rejoicing when dividing the fruits of victory. But what will be the cause of the rejoicing? The answer is given, Because from off their shoulder the great burden has been removed: the burden of sin and its curse will have been removed, and the rod of the oppressor, Satan, will be broken, and he himself then will be a captive, no longer permitted to oppress and deceive and blind mankind (Rev. 20:2).

An illustration of the process of the deliverance is given: “As in the days of Midian.” (Isa. 9:4) The suggestion obviously is that as Israel was delivered in the day of Midian by Gideon and his little band, armed with trumpets and pitchers with lights in them – by the blowing of the trumpets, the breaking of the pitchers, and the shining out of the lights – discomfiting the Midianites, so that they slew one another with great slaughter, so likewise will be the deliverance by which the Lord will bring in the new dispensation (Judges 7:19-25). Our Lord is the antitypical Gideon, and His “Little Flock” the Church of this Gospel Age, the “elect,” are the antitype of Gideon’s little army. And it will be through the intervening of these (on the other side of the veil) that the hosts of sin and the present energy of evil will be utterly discomfited and work its self-destruction through anarchy, etc., in the great Time of Trouble.

The great Time of Trouble is briefly yet graphically described in Isa. 9:5 as being more severe, more intense, than all preceding troubles, for it is declared that all such victories are expected to be with tumult and bloody garments, but this shall be with a more furious destruction, best likened to a consuming of fuel in the fire. And it will be noticed that the fury of the final conflict of this Age, which shall transfer the rule to our Prince Immanuel, is everywhere likened to a fire – throughout the prophecies and in our Lord’s parables – evidently because of the intensity of the trouble and its destructiveness.

Then comes (vs. 6 and 7) the explanation from the Lord’s side of how all these things are of His provision and supervision – beginning with the birth of our Lord as the babe born in Bethlehem; next presenting Him as God’s Son, given on our behalf, His sacrifice beginning at Jordan and culminating at Calvary. “Wherefore,” as the Apostle says, because of His obedience unto death, “him hath God highly exalted and given him a name above every [other] name” (Phil. 2:9-11) – honor, dominion and power above all others, next to His own.

The change of dispensation will be ushered in because the Father’s “times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:19-21) will have come – the time for Christ to receive honor, glory and dominion promised Him, with which He shall fulfill all the gracious things predicted by God through the prophets: hence the declaration is that then “the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isa. 9:6) – the mantle of authority shall rest upon Him. And when He shall thus assume the control of earth’s affairs, His character of love and justice, His wisdom, and the all-power in heaven and in earth given unto Him, insure all the faithful that His reign will be a time of blessing, of peace and of joy to all who love righteousness and truth; and equally a time of burning destruction against all who shall sin willfully after having been brought to an accurate knowledge of truth. (Heb. 12:26; 1 Tim. 2:4, Dia.)

His names, His titles, representing the gracious things of which He is the representative, are brought to our attention; to all the world of mankind He will then be (and the Church, His Body, with Him) “Wonderful” – Great – beyond the power of human comprehension, as He is indeed the express image of the Father’s person. He will be the “Counselor,” whose instructions in righteousness will be satisfactory and respected by all the world of mankind seeking a return to Divine favor and full restitution. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hear that Teacher, that Counselor, shall be cut off from among the people (Acts 3:23). He shall be called “Mighty God,” or Mighty Mighty One, for indeed in Him shall rest all the power and authority of the All-mighty One, Jehovah. He shall be called the “Father Everlasting,” because in truth He shall be a Father unto the race, a Life-Giver to all who will accept life under the terms of the New Covenant, sealed with His own precious blood. Adam, the original father of humanity, through his sin and under its sentence, failed to give lasting life to his race, and death destroyed all his offspring; but the restitution life which our Lord will give, to as many as will receive it upon His terms, will be an everlasting life, and hence He, as the giver of this life to all, will be an Everlasting Father. He shall be called the “Prince of Peace,” for although His empire will be established by a smiting of the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:27), and breaking them to pieces as a potter’s vessel, in the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known, nevertheless, every blow will be struck in the interest of peace, and His entire reign will further the ends of righteousness and peace, even though to the very end thereof there shall from time to time be destruction of the incorrigible – the wicked. (Isa. 65:20; Rev. 20:9,14,15)

Leeser’s Translation reads thus: “The Prince of Peace for promoting the increase of the government and for peace without end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to support it thru justice and righteousness from henceforth and unto eternity: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” In Isa. 9:7 the Millennial Kingdom is associated with the typical kingdom of David. We are to remember, however, the statement that David sat upon the throne of the Kingdom of the Lord – he and his kingdom were typical. The name David signifies beloved, and our Lord Jesus Himself was proclaimed as the real David – “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God hath appointed Him heir of all things, and he is David’s Lord, as David himself testified. (Heb. 1:2; Matt. 22:41-45)

We fear that there are many Christians who have lost faith, not only in the prophetic promises, but in our Lord’s and the Apostles’ exposition of them, and that such frequently pray merely with a lip service, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” But so much the more as we discern such blindness on every hand, such lack of faith, let us, the eyes of whose understandings have been opened by the Lord’s mercy, be the more faithful, the more circumspect, and the more confident, remembering that an abundant fulfilment is assured, for “The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform all this.” (Isa. 9:7)

OUR SAVIOR’S BIRTH

Not until some time after Pentecost was the “middle wall of partition” (Eph. 2:14) between Jews and Gentiles broken down, as St. Paul explains. For more than eighteen centuries previously all of God’s favor and promises were made to the Jews exclusively and only thru their prophets did He speak, and only to them. Only their kings and priests were in any sense recognized by the Lord. This was not because there were not noble minds amongst other peoples, but because, in the working out of the great Divine program the seed of Abraham was specially selected – although declared by the Lord to be a crooked and perverse people. Because they had no special revelation from God, the nobler minds amongst the other nations gave special study to the starry heavens along the lines of astronomy or astrology. The stars were charted and certain lessons were said to be learned therefrom bearing upon humanity’s welfare.

At the time of the birth of the Savior, God made some astrological sign of the momentous event, which the wise men of the East, described in our study, understood. Reverentially they followed the guiding star from their home in the East, possibly Persia. How the star led we are not informed, but apparently its leading discontinued when they reached Judea, and naturally they went to the palace of King Herod inquiring for “him that is born King of the Jews.” The mistake was quite reasonable. It required some time for us to learn that Divine favors and blessings are not always to the rich and the great, but oftenest for “the poor of this world, rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom.” (James 2:5) The filled, the rich, the satisfied, are frequently less interested in the Savior than are the poor, because they do not realize so great need for Him and for the Millennial Kingdom of righteousness and blessing which He is to establish. For that matter, however, only the comparatively few were interested at our Lord’s First Advent, as the Scriptures intimate that comparatively few will be longing for His Second Advent and the establishment of His Kingdom.

Herod affected an interest with the wise men in their search, but merely that he might thwart the Divine purpose by destroying the Child, and thus the kingdom of Israel might be preserved to his own family, as it was through his six successors who bore his name, Herod. As the announcement of Jesus the Babe troubled the great at that day, similarly, we may be sure, any announce­ment of Jesus as the King of Glory to take over the dominion of the world, if corroborated, would cause consternation amongst the rulers of earth today – financial, political, etc. All have unfinished plans more or less selfish, and all instinctively realize that the inauguration of a reign of absolute righteousness would interfere with their business, schemes and trusts and concerns, grafting and trickery, which are getting such a hold upon the highest civilization of our day.

The prophecies were searched and it was learned that the humble city of Bethlehem would be the honored place of our Savior’s birth. The crafty Herod feigned reverence and desire to worship the Heaven-appointed King, but only that he might sub­sequently destroy Him – as a little later he attempted to do in causing the slaughter of the innocents from two years old and under. (Matt. 2:16-18) But how foolish was his endeavor to thwart the Almighty!

The wise men who sought the Babe of Bethlehem with worship and gifts, symbolized, perhaps, the great fact that those are truly wise who ever since have sought the Divinely appointed King and who bring Him the incense of their devotion, and as gifts all their talents and powers. Such lay their very lives at the Savior’s feet, as St. Paul explains: “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.” (Rom. 12:1)

The name Jesus is the Greek form for Joshua, signifying Savior; and in the Aramaic, Savior signifies life-giver. Therefore, the Babe that was born to be King of the Jews was to be the Savior, the Life-Giver of the world. He has not become the Life-Giver yet, nor the King. His great work is still future. It will be at His Second Coming that He will appear in His glory and become the King of Israel – on the spirit plane. Then, too, as the out-working of that glorious Empire which He will establish, He will be the world’s Life-Giver, its great physician, and all mankind will be blessed with the glorious opportunity of becoming “Israelites indeed.” The Empire of Sin will be overthrown and the darkness, ignorance and superstition connected therewith will be dissolved in the glorious light of truth and grace which then will overspread the world.

GOD’S GLORIOUS CHARACTER REVEALED

Then the holy in every sphere of life, in every part of the mighty universe of God, shall ascribe glory, honor and praise to His glorious Son throughout the Ages of Eternity. All will then see and acknowledge how marvelous was Jehovah’s plan of redemption, how far beyond the power of fallen man to fathom. The majesty and glory of the Divine character will stand revealed – His unswerving justice combined with infinite compassion, His glor­ious wisdom, His marvelous love, His mighty power. Then all will bow before him and will adore!

“When all thy mercies, O my God,

My rising soul surveys,

“Transported with the view, I’m lost

In wonder, love and praise!”

May all our readers have a blessed Holiday Season. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (2 Cor. 9:15)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint No. 270, December 1977)

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NO. 460: MORE ON THE JEWS FROM THAT SERVANT - Part Two

No. 460

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

"Visits The Holy Land: The fulfilled promises to the Jews, spoken of hundreds of times by the prophets of old, and reaffirmed in the writings of the New Testament, attracted Pastor Russell’s early attention, and consequently the time of the restora­tion of the Jews in Palestine, as a Nation, became a question of almost paramount im­portance to his mind. In order to verify or disprove certain claims or supposed facts, Pastor Russell visited the Holy Land in 1892, verifying much valuable information con­tained in his third volume of ‘Scripture Studies’ [written in 1890], wherein he inter­estingly treats the complex Jewish racial problem, past, present and future. This trip was the real beginning of a campaign to attract the attention of the world to the fu­ture inheritance of the natural ‘seed of Abraham.’ During the past twenty years, Pas­tor Russell has written much on Jewish topics and has addressed many Jewish audiences on Biblical Zionism, pointing out the significance of the many unfulfilled promises to them by Jehovah.” (Reprint 4953 – 1912)

Pastor Russell made several more trips to the Holy Land in the years after 1892. We now quote some more of his writings on the subject of the Jews from the aforemen­tioned third volume: “‘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.’ (Amos 9:11,14,15)

“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 it 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.

“As a people, they are marked as distinct and peculiar by every circumstance of their history and by their common religious faith, as well as by every element of their national character... As a people, they truly had much advantage every way, in having committed unto them the Oracles of God, developing among them poets, lawyers, statesmen and philosophers, and leading them up step by step from being a nation of slaves to be – as in the time of Solomon, the zenith of their glory – a people distinguished and honored among the nations, attracting the wonder and admiration of the world. (Rom. 3:1,2; 1 Kings 4:30‑34; 10:1‑29)

“That the re‑establishment of Israel in the land of Palestine is one of the events to be expected in this Day of the Lord, we are fully assured by the above expression of the Prophet. Notice, particularly, that the prophecy cannot be interpreted in any symbolic sense. It is not a Canaan in heaven to which they are assigned, but a Canaan on earth. They are to be planted upon ‘their land,’ the land that God says He had given them, the land that He promised to Abraham, saying, ‘Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. [An intimation of a then far distant period, giving ample time for such a multiplication of his seed.] Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.’ (Gen. 13:14‑17; 17:8)

“It is a land into which they were once favored to enter, and in which they dwelt for centuries. But during that time they were many times plucked up and carried into captivity in other lands, while strangers wasted their cities, drank the wine of their vineyards, and ate the fruit of their gardens. And finally they were completely rooted out, their cities laid waste and desolate, and they were driven as wanderers and exiles from country to country the world over. But when replanted in their land according to this promise, ‘they shall no more be pulled up out of their land,’ which God gave them; and ‘they shall build the waste cities [cities in which they had formerly lived], and inhabit them.’ A scattered, homeless, desolate and persecuted people, they are still a distinct and homogeneous people. United by the strong ties of blood relationship, by common hopes inspired by a common faith in God’s wonderful promises, though they have but dimly comprehended those promises, and still further bound together by the bond of sympathy growing out of their common sufferings and privations as exiles, they, to this day, long for the hope of Israel.” (Volume 3, pp. 243‑246, top)

“Pray For Messiah’s Kingdom: The hope of humanity is the Messianic Kingdom described in this lesson. The ‘mountain of the Lord’s house’ signifies the kingdom of God’s house, His Church. It will be established in the top of, or above the kingdoms of the world. It will be exalted amongst the nations and all peoples will flow to it. There will be an attraction in it for all peoples. It will lead them to climb upward. The attraction which will thus draw mankind will be the blessings of health and restitution, which the Kingdom will be prepared to grant to all peoples as they come into harmony with its requirements. (Acts 3:19‑23)

“The Kingdom will be closely identified with the Zionist movement and the Holy Land. The Kingdom itself will be spiritual, invisible to men, but its earthly agents will be visible and they will be Jewish – ‘Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom,’ etc. (Matt. 8:11) The Jews already impulsed toward the Land of Promise, will go thither in increasing numbers, and all of the faithful of them will go in sympathy and representatively, through financial assistance. The Israelitish hopes and promises will attract that number strongly first. And gradually all the nations, learning of the grace of God, and blessings of restitution to be bestowed, will say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us [as well as the Jews] of his ways and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.’ (Isa. 2:3; Mic. 4:2)” (Reprint 4796 – 1911)

“In this prophecy of Amos (7:10‑13) the Lord points out that the wrath He was about to permit to come upon Israel as chastisements, would, nevertheless, work out for them a blessing, and that in His due time He would bring them back again into harmony with Himself, and that under more favorable conditions than in the past. We are not only to believe the calamitous portion of this prophecy, which we already see has been executed upon Israel in fullest measure, but we are also to believe the features of it which are favorable to Israel – the future blessings. For instance, we see how literally has been fulfilled the prediction: ‘Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth [as a nation, a kingdom]; save that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord [the people of the nation were to be preserved as a separate people from others]; for lo, I will give the command, and I will shake about amongst all nations the house of Israel, as one shaketh things in a sieve, while not the least piece falleth down upon the earth.’ (Amos 9:8,9)

“The Lord thus shows His continued supervision of Israel, according to the covenant made with them. And how accurately this has been fulfilled: the Israelites as a people have been scattered throughout the whole earth, yet they have not lost their identity; as a nation they were utterly destroyed, yet unlike every other nation, they have preserved their national identity, and have not been mixed and blended with the world in general.

“And if this feature of the prophecy has been accurately fulfilled today before our eyes, we certainly have every reason to believe that the remainder of the prophecy will be just as accurately fulfilled – that portion which applies to the restitution times, after the true spiritual Israel has been selected, when natural Israel shall be brought back into covenant relationship with God, and become the earthly agent of the spiritual Kingdom for blessing, instructing and restoring the families of the earth, under the terms of the New Covenant. This is clearly set forth in the closing words of the prophecy: ‘In that day will I raise up the standard of David which 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, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this... 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 in their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land, which I have given them, saith the Lord God.” (Reprints 2357 – 1898)

“The Fig Tree Is Withered Away: ‘And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.’ (Mark 11:21)

“Now in the instance under consideration, we read that Jesus came unto a certain place and there was a fig tree and he declared something about gathering of figs: ‘for the time of figs was not yet,’ our common version reads; more properly it would read, ‘for the time of figs was not over,’ was not past. It would be strange for Jesus to come before the proper time to look for figs.

“And He cursed the fig tree and said, ‘Let no more figs grow on thee to the age.’ Then later St. Peter called attention to the fact that the fig tree was beginning to wither, and Jesus said, ‘Have faith in God.’ What is the reason?

“When Ye See The Fig Tree Putteth Forth Leaves Ye know That Summer is Nigh: It is our understanding that the fig tree was a type or picture of the Jewish nation, to whom Jesus came when it was proper to expect fruitage. But coming to the Jews, He did not find the nation bearing fruit. The great ones of the nation were cast off; and only the publicans and sinners were ready to accept His message.

“It is remembered that the nation had a blight upon it. At the end of His ministry, Jesus, riding to the brow of the hill overlooking Jerusalem, said, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.’(Luke 13:34,35) A very short time afterwards it began to lose its power; and the Jewish nation lost its identity completely as a nation in the year 70 – 37 years after.

“While the Jewish nation has thus been in hades, in the tomb, so to speak, it is as a nation that they are referred to thus. Of course, they go into the tomb as individuals, as every one else; but as a nation also they have gone into the tomb. But according to the Scriptures there will be a resurrection of the Jewish nation, and a picture of that raising up is given where it says, ‘the bones came together, bone to his bone,’ etc.­(Ezek. 37:7) Those bones represent the whole house of Israel, which is referred to as saying, ‘Our hope is dead’ (v. 11); our ambitions are all gone or are asleep!

“So God is telling them that all the kingdom hopes of that nation are to be re­vived. As Jesus said to his disciples in one of His discourses — ‘When ye see the fig tree beginning to put forth its tender leaves, we know that summer is nigh.’ We see the fig tree putting forth its leaves today (see Matt. 24:32; Mark 13:28); we see the Jews looking back to Jerusalem, and we thus see the fig tree putting forth its leaves, or giving signs of life, looking forward to the re‑establishment of the Jewish nation. God says there will be such a Jewish nation again!” (Reprint 4788 – 1911)

“Israel An Illustration: Apparently the world will be given time to see in Israel the operation of Divine government, and its practical benefits, in contrast with the then prevalent anarchy, so that the majority of all nations will desire the Kingdom rule. This is forcefully pictured in the prophetic words, addressed to Israel at that time: ‘Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings [earth’s principal ones] to the brightness of thy rising. [This will apply to the Spiritual Israel, the Sun of Righteousness, but also to its earthly representatives – fleshly Israel restored to favor.]

“‘Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters to be nursed at thy side. [Compare Ezek. 16:61] Then shalt thou see and be filled with light, and thy heart will be awed and enlarged; because the abundance of the sea [anarchistic masses – see Rev. 21:1] shall be converted unto thee, as well as the best of the Gentiles shall come unto thee... And they shall show forth the praises of the Lord.’ (Isa. 60:1‑6,11‑20)

“Truly, that will be a glorious day of opening blinded eyes and turning many to righteousness! It will be a day of conversions and revivals along the lines of the Truth and not along lines of fear and misrepresentation [as the Jehovah’s Witnesses do]. It will be the time men­tioned by the Prophet when ‘a nation shall be born in a day.’ (Isa. 66:8) Israel will be that nation: (1) Spiritual Israel, the ‘holy nation’; (2) Fleshly Israel its earthly representative. From Israel the light shall shine out which will bring the chastened world to its knees, and usher in the promised pouring out of the Lord’s spirit of holiness, ‘upon all flesh after those days,’ as it has been poured out upon His true ser­vants and handmaids during these days. (Joel 2:28)” (Parousia Vol. 4, pp. 638,639 – 1897)

“Mediator Complete Will Inaugurate New Covenant: By that time, the great Mediator complete, our Lord and His members, will be ready to inaugurate the New Covenant which God has promised, through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jer. 31:31) This New Covenant is intended to bless all the families of the earth, as God said to Abraham. (Gen. 12:3) The promise is that this New Covenant will be made with Israel. In order to avail themselves of this Covenant, therefore, all other nations and peoples will be obliged to become a part of Israel. Thus eventually Abraham will become the father of many nations. All who will come into harmony with God will be the children of Abraham, in the sense that they will attain to that faith which Abraham had. Both the faith and the obedience will be necessary. As soon as the New Covenant shall have been sealed it will become operative. The Christ will then stand forth to be the Mediator of the New Covenant.

“This Covenant will be like unto the old Law Covenant; but it will be better, superior, the one of which the Law Covenant was a shadow. God will not then deal with Israel directly, but through the Mediator. Primarily, the Ancient Worthies will be fully received and will gladly accept the Mediator and all the terms and conditions of the New Covenant. Since they will be perfect they will be entirely able to comply with its conditions. They will have no weakness of the flesh, as they will be raised from the dead perfect human beings. [See Heb. 11:40] During the Mediatorial reign the Mediator will and ready to help and assist all who will come back into harmony with God. None will be brought immediately into communication with God, however, but they will be dealt with through the Mediator until the close of the Millennium, when they will be turned over to the Father. During the Messianic Age all will be subject to the Mediator’s arrangements and the Father’s arrangements through Him. Gradually the effect will be to take away the stony heart out of all flesh and to restore all mankind to that which was lost – perfection, mental, moral and physical. Those who refuse to participate in this blessing, we are told, will be destroyed from amongst the people. (Acts 3:22,23) Those who continue to progress will reach the condition of perfection of heart, of mind and of body which God requires.” (Reprint 4902,4903 – 1911)

“The Lord Loved Thee: Love is the keynote of the Bible, notwithstanding the fact that it contains threatenings as well as promises, and declarations and manifestations of justice as well as of mercy. If God’s character were devoid of justice – if His love should override His justice – it would be a terrible calamity for all those dependent upon Him. It would testify weakness of character instead of strength. It is the fact that God’s Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power operate in full harmony – in coordination – that gives us admiration for Him, confidence in Him, love for Him; and all these appreciations are intensified as we realize His unchangeableness.

“From the beginning God foreknew His plan as we see it gradually ripening. He foreknew that man, allowed to take his course, would fall deeply into sin and be overwhelmed in its penalty, death. He foreknew His own purpose to provide in due time the Lamb of God as a ransom‑sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He foreknew the ultimate blessing of all the families of the earth, purposing that the glorified Redeemer should be the deliverer of mankind. He foreknew and arranged a thousand years of restitution work, when under Messiah’s glorious Kingdom all mankind should be brought to a full knowledge of God and a full opportunity for returning to all that was lost in Eden, all that was redeemed at Calvary; and when the ultimately rebellious should be destroyed. He foresaw from the beginning the glorious result when every knee would be bowing and every tongue confessing the glorious work of Messiah’s Kingdom. This entire program was to be of the Father and through the Son. (1 Cor. 8:6)

“It was incidental to this great plan that God foresaw the wisdom of having a saintly company associated with Jesus in the great work of His Millennial Kingdom, which is to govern and bless thousands of millions. God determined to have two saint­ly companies. One class was to be of the earth, earthy, samples of what mankind might all eventually attain to through the assistance of the Kingdom. The other class of saints, still more highly exalted, were to be the Bride of Messiah and His joint‑heir in the Kingdom on the spirit plane. God could have filled these honorable positions with angels, who would have been glad of the opportunity of thus serving. However, in­stead, He chose to gather these companies from amongst men – from amongst the sinners themselves.

“Calling Abraham’s Posterity: Many ways were open before the Lord for the gathering of the elect for the future service. The one which He chose and has been carrying out was undoubtedly the wisest, the best. First of all, God called Abraham – a sinner like others, but one whose heart was full of trust in God and who delighted in the right ways of the Lord to the extent of his ability. God’s promise to Abraham was that his seed should constitute the elect, and that through that seed all nations would receive a Divine blessing.

“The period of nearly four thousand years since God’s covenant with Abraham has been devoted to the development of Abraham’s seed – a natural seed and a spiritual seed. The two were mentioned to Abraham indirectly when the Lord said, ‘Thy seed shall be as the stars of the heaven and as the sand of the seashore.’ (Gen. 22:17) The stars of heaven thus are used to represent the spiritual seed of Abraham; the sand of the seashore, the natural seed.

“For more than eighteen centuries God dealt with the natural seed of Abraham. His promises to them and the Law Covenant made with them were great blessings, inspi­rations, assistances. For although the Israelites, like others, were unable to keep the Law Covenant, being imperfect, sinners, nevertheless the endeavor to obey was help­ful. The various chastisements of Israel, including their Babylonian captivity, were lessons intended for their good, and eventually made that nation, at the time when Jesus came to be the Redeemer, the most holy people in all the world – the only people recognized of God.

“He Came Unto His Own: Nevertheless, much of the holiness of Israel in Jesus’ day was merely a form of godliness, which did not stand the test. Only Israelites indeed – pure in heart, in motive – were enabled to appreciate the Gift of God and to become Jesus’ disciples – probably 25,000 in all. Then the door of opportunity to become fellow‑heirs with the Jewish Saints was thrown open to the Gentiles; and God’s Message was given them, inviting them also to joint‑heirship with Christ. The gathering of this class has proceeded for eighteen centuries, while the nation of Israel has been rejected from God’s favor. Now we are entering the great time of trouble which is to inaugurate Messiah’s Kingdom. During this trouble the Church is to be glorified in the First Resurrection. Then the thousand years of Messiah’s reign with the elect, spiritual bride, drawn from both Jews and Gentiles, will begin.

“Still God’s favor will pursue the natural seed of Abraham. Their lessons and chastisements will fit and prepare them more quickly than others of the world to re­ceive the Messianic blessings. The earthly phase of Messiah’s Kingdom will be Israelitish, in that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets and saintly ones down to John the Baptist are to be made ‘princes in all the earth’ (Psa. 45:16) – the earthly representa­tives in human perfection of the spiritual Kingdom of Messiah.

“Naturally enough, Israel will then in a natural way come first into harmony with the Divine arrangement and be the first to get the blessing. However, during the thousand years of the Kingdom, as the Scriptures declare, all nations shall bless themselves in becoming Abraham’s seed – in coming into relationship with the Kingdom, which will have an Israelitish basis. (Jer. 4:2; Isa. 65:16; Gen. 12:3) Eventually, all will be destroyed who do not thus become true Israelites. Thus Abraham’s seed will eventually include all the families of the earth – all for whom God has provided life eternal. As for Gentiles – strangers from God – none will remain.” (Reprints 5809,5810 – 1915)

“‘Die Stimme’ To The Jews: God’s Message to the Jews is being heard the world around. Not only were several of our sermons to the Jews published to the extent of 107,600 copies in Jewish papers in the English language, but in 655,000 copies of the Yiddish papers besides 325,000 copies of ‘Die Stimme.’ (The Voice) These have been republished, we learn, in Russia and elsewhere. True, there was some opposition, but this, we be­lieve, led the Jews to take more careful notice of the message.

“It is not our expectation that the Jews will become Christians now. It will be after they shall have returned to Palestine and the spirit of prayer and supplication shall have been poured on them, that they will ‘look upon him whom they pierced.’ Our Message is to comfort them and to turn their eyes toward Palestine and to their glorious promises centering there.” (Reprint 4728 – 1910)

“Jewish Hopes And Prospects: For those Jews who read Yiddish we have secured a large edition of the newspaper, Die Stimme, which contains Jerusalem news and reports of several of Brother Russell’s sermons to the Jews.

“This paper is very acceptable amongst the Jews. It does not point them to Jesus of Nazareth, but does point to the Messiah of Glory. It gives assurances that the time of the establishment of His Kingdom is near, and that then the Jews will be blessed. It points them to the land of Palestine as the place where the national blessings will begin. It does not say so, but all Watch Tower readers well know that according to prophecy it will be then and there that Israel’s blindness will be turned away and they will recognize Him whom they pierced.

“It is not our expectation that the Jews will be converted to Christianity. Theirs is the chief of earthly blessings. If some few of them have the ‘hearing ear’ for the spiritual message, they will hear it, but they will be the exceptional few.” (Reprint 4743 – 1911)

“The earthly phase of the Kingdom is seen to be Israelitish; and around this fact cluster those many prophecies which relate to the prominence of that nation in God’s plan for the future blessing of the world, when their tabernacle, fallen in the dust, shall be restored, and Jerusalem shall be a praise in the whole earth. We find statements by both prophets and apostles which clearly indicate that in the times of restitution Israel as a nation will be the first among the nations to come into harmony with the new order of things; that the earthly Jerusalem will be rebuilt upon her old heaps; and that their polity will be restored as in the beginning under princes or judges. (Isa. 1:26; Psa. 45:16; Jer. 30:18) And what could be more reasonably ex­pected than that Israel should first of all rejoice to recognize the prophets and patri­archs? and that their acquaintance with and long discipline under the law should have prepared them for tractability and obedience under the authority of the Kingdom? And while Israel will be the first of the nations to be recognized and blessed, it is writ­ten also of Israel that ‘The Lord shall save the tents of Judah first.” (Parousia Vol. 1, p. 294 – 1886)

“The operations of the Kingdom, under the light of full knowledge and along the line of works, will, for various reasons, evidently appeal most strongly at first to Israel after the flesh, who, when their blindness shall be turned away, will become exceedingly zealous for the Lord’s Anointed, saying, as represented in the prophecy, ‘This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.’ (Isa. 25:9) But while Israel will naturally be the first to fall in line under the new order of things, the blessings and opportuni­ties of the Kingdom shall, thank God! be rapidly extended throughout the world – to the intent that all nations may become children of Abraham in the sense that they will participate in the blessings promised to him, as it is written, ‘I have made thee a father of many nations; in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’“ (Parousia Vol. 6, p. 119 – written early in the 20th century)

“How true the statement that those who have cursed, or injured, Israel have brought injury upon themselves! As we scan the whole field of the world, we find that every nation which has dealt harshly with Israel has received severe chastisement or blight. On the contrary, Great Britain and the United States, nations which have blessed the Jews, have in turn received great blessings.

“The One who is to have the dominion of earth is of Jacob’s posterity, according to the flesh. As the bright and morning Star, He is leading on to a glorious sunrise – the dawning of the Messianic day, which is to scatter earth’s night and bring blessings instead of the curse.” (Reprint 5323, col. 2, bottom – 1913)

Pastor Russell wrote copiously on the Jews and their promises when most Christian ministers were silent on the subject – at a time when the Jews were not so prominently mentioned as they are today. We trust that what we have written will revive interest in the Lord’s people, not only to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” but will also seek to bless, comfort and help them in their efforts to establish peace in Jerusalem. We know the Kingdom will be Israelitish. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isa. 2:3)

“Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her; that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abun­dance of her glory. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.” (Isa. 66:10-12)

“For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psa. 100:5)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint No. 356, April 1985)

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Our very esteemed and beloved Sister Emily Hoefle, loving greetings from Israel!

Already 3 lovely letters were received from you and we thank you heartily. Your love and the care of us strengthens us and encourages us.

On the day we received your letter from July 6 in which you point out Jer. 10:11, has been read exactly this chapter on the Israeli radio in the daily Bible lecture. We think the same with you and are showing many times how the prophet Jeremiah applies to Israel’s present condition now. The Prophet reproaches sharply the Nation, but he puts the main guilt on the Leaders, “You have seduced my people saying ‘peace’ and there is no peace”. You have profaned me among my people by lying. You heal the wound of my people superficially. Therefore shall you fall and will be brought down”. (Jer. 8)

The Prophet shows the coming great destruction but also the following building and planting of the New One (1:10).

Please excuse our late answer but we have been very busy. The group leaders asked us to manage for the seminar participants which are coming from far away and cannot return for night to their home, to make them a possibility for an overnight stay. So we get an old big caravan at almost no cost. It made much work to restore him, but now he became a sweet home and can serve very well for this purpose. We had also important visitors in last time. One of them was Eli Landau, the Mayor of the town Herzlia. He came with a big group of Jews from USA. After Bro. Hermann’s lecture they did not want to depart and asked many questions about the future and the Messiah. As a sign of esteem they gave to us a Bible in Golden Cover.

Besides the Prophet Eliah crossroad between Jokneam and Kfar Joshua (Jesus last week took place a great manifestation of identification with the parts of the Land Israel (Parts of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Golan, Gaza), which the present Government will give up. Many Parliament Members have been announced for speeches (Benjamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon, Rafael Eitan, Rechaveam Zeevi Gandhi and prominent notables). Crowds of people came from far away to hear them. Our Jewish friends invited us and we came to be one of the listeners. But when the parliament Members became aware of us, they asked us to give a speech and demanded from the organizers even the first place for us. Although not prepared, we could give a complete witness. We said it in the name of the thousands of Bible students and believers all over the world. We could show the accurate fulfillment of the prophecies in the present situation and the very close coming of the Messiah to these events. But also the requirements, which are demanded from us to reach the wonderful Messianic Age. After the speech many of the prominent got up to shake our hands and they expressed how our words moved them deeply. At the end of the meeting came many from the public and followed with their esteem. THE LORD gave much grace, and one more of the countless opportunities which we received in Israel to praise HIM! To HIM be Thanksgiving and HIS Kingdom it may hasten!

Bro. Anders sent us a donation more than once which we appreciate very much.

We received an offer of a second hand tractor. The half price of a new one, but a used generator in good condition is not on the market and we’ll have no other choice, but to buy a new one.

A small explanation to your questions:

The tractor and the generator are different machines and are used separately every one for his special purpose. Both of them are vital machines without which the settlement can not exist.

The generator is a stationed power plant, a diesel engine driving the generator, which produces the electricity. The main task of the generator is to supply the electricity for the water pump (which supplies the water) and also drives the other vital machines.

The tractor is a motor driven vehicle for pulling farm machinery, plowing fields and doing other agriculture works.

We stay in great thankfulness for all your daily love, prayer, blessings and the material help from the Lord’s people, and reciprocate your loving greetings.

Devotedly your Brethren from Israel, Hermann and Joseph (ISRAEL)

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