NO. 464: THE RIVER JORDAN – TYPES AND ANTITYPES

No. 464

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

The land, the terrain and the peoples of Palestine are all markedly typical – this being especially true from the Exodus from Egypt to the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus in the year AD 70. Outstanding among these types is the River Jordan, some of which we shall treat in detail as to type and antitype.

Today this river pretty well marks the eastern boundary of Israel. When the Jews came to possess Canaan they camped east of the Jordan not far from the City of Jericho. That city was located about five miles from the north end of the Dead Sea and about seventeen miles from Jerusalem – at the foot of the ascent to the mountain­ous tableland of Judah. By previous agreement, the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half Tribe of Manasseh, accepted their inheritance to the east of Jordan, with the re­maining nine and a half tribes locating to the west of the River and to the Mediterranean Sea. Since the Jews crossed the river on that momentous occasion it has been prominent in history to the present day. This prominence is now especially marked, as the Jews and Arabs continue to glare at each other from their respective sides – actually en­gaging in extensive armed conflict.

Its rise is in the upper hill country from clear water springs. This is aug­mented considerably in time of harvest (March or April) by the melting of the snow on Mount Hermon. This explains why “Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest.” (Josh. 3:15) Some of its characteristics are among the most peculiar of any stream on earth. So far as is known, it stands absolutely alone among the rivers of the world in the fact that throughout the greater part of its course it runs below the level of the ocean. At its headstream, when it issues from the cave at Banias, it is 1,000 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. By the time it enters Lake Hulah, twelve miles away, it has fallen to within seven feet of sea level. From Hulah to Galilee is ten and a half miles; and as it enters the Sea of Galilee it is 682 feet below sea level; and when entering the Dead Sea it is 1,292 feet below the ocean’s top.

There is no outlet to the Dead Sea, and its low level and the warm climate have tended to make this sea the saltiest water on earth – about 27% salt. In such heavy brine an egg will float, and it is not possible for a human being to sink; in fact, when a man lies on his back he stretches straight out like a plank of lumber, and some effort is required to reach an upright standing position again. Its main supply of water comes from the Jordan River, which empties into it an average of 6,000,000 gal­lons of water every 24 hours. The sea is about 47 miles long. It reaches about 1,300 feet depth, so that its own surface level is almost exactly half way between its bottom and the level of the ocean. Like the Jordan River, this sea is also one of the most remarkable bodies of water on earth. No other is known to occupy so deep a hollow on the surface of the globe.

The Biblical associations with the Jordan attach mainly to the stretch from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The river was fringed in ancient times, as it still is, with a thicket of trees and shrubs, principally tamarisks, oleanders and willows, among which lions lurked. (Jer. 49:19; Zech. 11:3) It was never bridged until Roman times, but was forded. The fords are frequent and easy in the upper stream and so far down as the mouth of the Jabbok, where Jacob crossed. (Gen. 32:10; 33:18) Below that point the river is rarely fordable, and then only at certain seasons of the year. The current is so rapid as it nears Jericho that the numerous pilgrims who go thither to bathe are always in danger, and not infrequently are swept away.

When Joshua led the Jews across Jordan some miracle or extraordinary happening occurred which checked the waters long enough for the Jews to pass over with great ease. The river has been occasionally blocked by landslides, which sometime damned up the waters for many hours; and this could have occurred in Joshua’s case, but we cannot be certain about that. Including the two lakes, and taking no note of the windings, the river from Banias to the Dead Sea is 104 miles long. Immediately north of the Dead Sea there is virtually tropical country, and produces crops of tropical luxuriance when properly irrigated. Gen. 13:10 tells us it is “even as the garden of the Lord”; and it had such appeal to Lot that he chose to settle there, disregarding the reprehensible character of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah — “wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” (Gen. 13:13) Also, it was at Jericho that Elijah smote the Jordan, and he and Elisha “went over on dry ground.” (2 Kings 2:8) Shortly after reaching the east bank of the river “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (v. 11)

A GRAND TYPE

Having such a steep fall from its source to the Dead Sea, Jordan’s name is well adapted to its action, the same meaning “The Descender,” or “Judged down.” It is a tortuous attempt to travel by river from Galilee to the Dead Sea; and one United States Navy officer who made the effort in 1848 wrote as follows: “In a space of sixty miles of latitude and four miles of longitude the Jordan traverses at least 200 miles... We have plunged down 27 threatening rapids, besides a great many of lesser magnitude.”

With such facts as the foregoing to guide, it certainly requires no great stretch of imagination to state that the Jordan (Descender) types the course of the human race in its sinful activities. Of the first man Adam it is recorded, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.” (Gen. 1:27) Nor does it require any argument that man is presently far from “the image of God.” “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” – inventions of evil things. (Eccl. 7:29) This is graphically set forth in Dan. 4:16: “Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.” The whole history of man is largely occupied with a story of blood and tears. Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn. And this has been intensified especially during the passing of the “seven times” – the Times of the Gentiles (“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” – Luke 21:24; or as That Servant has said regarding Rom. 11:25, “until the full number from among the Gentiles, who are to be members of the body or bride of Christ, would be fully selected.” – Vol. 2. p. 77)

Since the “times of the Gentiles” began in 607 BC, and have continued to their end in 1914 (a period of 2520 years) the violent and the brutal have dominated the affairs of men – “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Dan. 4:17)

This is well portrayed in the Metal‑Man dream as recorded in the 2nd chapter of Daniel. In that dream the King saw the image with the “head of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” In giving the interpretation of the dream, Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou art this head of Gold.” Babylon was the first universal em­pire. “The God of Heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell... He hath made thee ruler over them all.” It is said that the streets of Babylon were literally paved with gold; thus, the brilliance of the empire was well portrayed by the head of Gold. Babylon in turn was succeeded by the Medo‑Persian empire – represented in the breast and arms of silver. But silver is much less valuable than gold, indicating the increase of evil in the second universal empire. “After thee shall arise another Kingdom inferior to thee.” Following the Medo-­Persian came the universal empire of Greece under Alexander the Great. “Another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Came then the fourth universal empire, Rome – with two legs of iron, showing the two divisions of the Roman Em­pire – one in Rome, and one in Constantinople. “The fourth Kingdom shall be strong as iron... As iron breaketh all these, so shall it break in pieces and bruise.” The domin­ion of Rome was well described as “the iron rule.”

Then follows the description of Rome’s decline. “The feet and toes, part of pot­ter’s clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it the strength of iron... As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” Here we have an excellent descrip­tion of the nations of Europe – some very strong, as instance Russia under the Czars, and the British Empire under Victoria; with some of the other governments of little consequence.

At the time of the 1914 war there were about 22 governments in Europe, with many more than that today; but there are only ten language groups, as shown by the ten toes of the metal‑man feet. These groups are the Scandinavian, the Anglo‑Saxon, the Teutonic, the Gaelic, the Hispanic, the Latin, the Greek, the Turkish, the Slavic, and the Magyars. These are the divisions of the old Roman Empire in Europe – the ten toes of the image, “iron mixed with miry clay.” “But they shall not cleave one to another [no longer one dominion, as was true of the previous Babylonian, Medo‑Persian, Grecian and Roman rules] even as iron is not mixed with clay.” “And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom [“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in Heaven”], which shall never be destroyed... It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms [their disintegration has been steadily proceeding since 1914], and shall stand forever.”

It is well to emphasize here that the iron toes were “mixed with miry clay.” Very dry and hard clay may be easily mistaken for stone, and this point is not without purpose in the picture, because the various governments of Europe have combined with the different religions of Christendom – in counterfeit of the real Kingdom of God and the real religion (“Then will I turn to the people a pure language [not the imitations that we see today], that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” (Zeph. 3:9) And this is to be accomplished by the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” – by the Christ Company that has been gathered “without outward show” (Luke 17:20) all during this Age. The stone “cut out without hands” is slowly but sure­ly breaking in pieces and consuming all these counterfeit combinations.

THE TIME OF THE HARVEST

“Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of Harvest.” (Josh. 3:15) In Matt. 24:3 the Disciples asked Jesus, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” In addition to the answer given there by Jesus, there is this in Matt. 13:39, “The harvest is the end of the world.” With Jordan typing the race under the curse, and overflowing its banks “all the time of harvest,” we should expect to see a marked increase of sin, error and death during harvest. This was markedly true during the Jewish harvest, when the Jews were under the Roman yoke, and were eventually expelled from their homeland, with great numbers of Jews being slaughtered in the dispersion; and we are witness to its great increase since 1874 in Christendom, when the harvest began. It requires no great in­telligence to note the facts as they abound all about us. Greatly increased is vice in the form of white slavery, unnatural sins (as evidence the immorality and rowdy debauchery in many of the ‘hippie’ gatherings), drunkenness, gluttony, gang lawlessness, vicious nar­cotics and dope addiction on the part of many ‑ even among teen‑age school children.

Many of our elite educational institutions are markedly on the downgrade, details of which come to us from time to time from friends who are acquainted with the conditions. In statecraft the same condition prevails. One wit has stated it quite well when he com­mented, “Politics is running the public’s business for private interests.” With so much money being handled in all places, it is only logical to expect that the temptation to dip into the public treasury would be just too much for the politicians to withstand. One prominent man had had his portrait made by a noted artist; and he asked Will Rogers what he thought of it. Rogers answered, “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen you with your hand in your own pocket.”

Militarism has likewise become much more active. The war that began in 1914 was up to that time the world’s greatest calamity. Then came the 1929‑1932 depression, which may not have caused so many deaths as the war, but it caused more suffering in general over the world, which would classify it as a greater calamity than was the war. This was followed by the 1939‑1945 war, which was worse in every way than the two calamities we have just described. And, following logically on, we may expect the next holocaust to be even worse than anything that has yet transpired “in the time of harvest.” We hear much talk about treaties between nations that will bring “peace and safety,” but we know from experience that many nations today are interested only in a treaty that will be kept by the other party, but not by themselves.

In the financial and industrial world we see similar conditions, such as huge and fraudulent stock manipulations and outright swindles. One has recently appeared in California where it is said about a quarter of a billion dollars is involved. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17:26) In Noah’s time “there were giants in the earth” (Gen. 6:4). Giants is from the Hebrew Nephilim, which means a bully or a tyrant. When the ten spies brought back their evil report about Canaan they said, “There we saw the giants [Nephilim], the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers.” (Num. 13:33) And when the Jews heard this “the people wept that night.” (Num. 14:1) Clearly enough, legend had thoroly inoculated the Jews with the tales of the giants (Nephilim), so that they were terrorized at mere mention of the name.

Today – “in the time of harvest” – we have the antitype of the giants in the giant corporations that have developed, mainly since 1874. Some of these giants may have been in existence before that date, but they were then as grasshoppers compared to their present size and crushing power. Laws have been passed to curb their power, to prevent the destruction of competition; yet they continue to increase in size and prestige. Today they pretty well control the news agencies by the advertising they place with them, the agencies knowing they will lose this source of income if they antagonize the giants. We know of one instance personally where a newspaper writer had exposed a certain stock fraud; and he stated, I am practically a prisoner in this place now; I don’t dare to open my mouth. Such situations have tended to increase greatly class hatreds, of which we shall treat a little later. Concerning these matters, Mr. F. Simonds, the Historian, writes:

“Seventeen years (since 1914) of almost continuous conflict, interrupted only by incomplete truce, have reduced the whole European Continent to a state of economic and social disorder unparalleled since the Thirty Years’ War. Nations are bankrupt, trade is reduced to barter, money has lost its value, even the pound sterling has faltered. [This is even more true now than it was in 1931] The unemployed millions are meagerly fed by public treasures, themselves filled by taxation which is extortionate. The miseries of the so‑called peace of today, miseries reaching to every human being within national limits, defy exaggeration. It is clear that what has been going on since 1914 cannot continue.”

Along this line family life should also receive attention. Selfishness has increased greatly; divorces have increased greatly; children are disobedient to parents in greatly increased numbers. Often children do not receive proper support and care from parents. The Law of Moses offers quite a contrast to conditions today: “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father... they shall say unto the elders of the city... Our son is stubborn and rebellious... he is a glutton and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put away evil from among you.” (Deut. 21:18‑21) Such a sug­gestion today would produce screams to high heaven; and we would stress that we are not offering such counsel to our readers now. Today capital punishment of the most vicious criminals is ruled to be inhuman.

The foregoing vices and dereliction of morals are graphically portrayed in the downward course of the River Jordan, which broadens to a width of 200 feet as it enters the Dead Sea. And the Dead Sea is most appropriately named, because it is indeed “dead.” The increasing corruption of the human race will eventually produce a “dead” condition on earth. “These days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; ­neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I have set all men every one against his neighbor.” (Zech. 8:10) When such a condition arrives, commerce will be “dead”; and peace will be a scarce article – all of which is vividly portrayed by the Jordan ending in the Dead Sea.

ANOTHER DISTINCTIVE TYPE

The Prophet Elijah was much occupied in his criticism and attempts to reform the wicked rulers of Israel – especially so with King Ahab and his heathen Queen Jezebel. In this he typed the true church of the Gospel Age in its attempt to reform this “present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) And just as Elijah failed completely, so also the Christian Church has failed completely. As related in the foregoing pages, practically all the evils known to man have been accentuated here in the end of the Age.

Since Elijah was such a prominent type of the Gospel‑Age Church, anything he had to do with the River Jordan would also be typical. The most outstanding example of this is found in 2 Kings 2:1‑12, wherein, after the appearance of “a chariot of fire, and horses of fire” Elijah was taken by a “whirlwind into heaven.” Just before this occurred, however, Elijah, accompanied by Elisha, had taken his mantle and had smitten Jordan, which parted the waters “so that the two went over on dry ground.” In this picture the Jordan types the peoples of Christendom undergoing a condemnatory sentence in their organized capacities. Water in the Bible symbols represents people: “The waters which thou sawest are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Rev. 17:15); and this same thought is inferred in Rev. 16:12, where it is stated that the “sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates; and the water [popular support of the people] thereof was dried up.”

The waters of Jordan, then, would represent the nations – especially the nations of Christendom – viewed from the standpoint of their political, ecclesiastical, financial and industrial organizational aspects; hence, the rulers, the clergy, the aristocrats, the labor leaders and their supporters. Therefore, the nations as organized in these four relations are represented as being severely censured and given a condemnatory sentence by antitypical Elijah (the true church — as it existed in all parts of Christendom), which is what is meant by Elijah taking his mantle and smiting Jordan. Elijah’s mantle was emblematic of his power as God’s Prophet to Israel; and it typified the power of antitypical Elijah in the Truth messages that were given right after the outbreak of the war in 1914, because that war was the direct result of the many evils enumerated afore­going. The word mantle in this text is from the Hebrew adareth, and carries with it the idea of an insignia of honor, power, splendor.

Just as the mantle was symbolic, so also was its wrapping, which would represent the combination and concentration of all the truths pertinent to the case, coupled with the financial and intellectual ability to accomplish the purpose. Thus, the “Divine right” of kings and clergy to occupy their offices was given devastating exposure by those members of the Church who clearly understood the situation. This was carried on by lectures and the printed page, with such subjects as The World on Fire, Distress Of Nations Preceding Armageddon, Why Financiers Tremble, etc. Anent this last, the New York Stock Exchange was closed for three months after August 1, 1914, so that no one could buy or sell their stocks.

The smiting of Jordan that followed outbreak of the war involved several things: First, a truthful and irrefutable presentation of the evils, violative of the Golden Rule by those claiming to rule by Divine right; Second, a passing of the sentence of destruction upon all those institutions claiming Divine right; Third, the announcement of dismissal from office, and pronouncement of future punishment of all who made claim to Divine Right. This work is accurately, literally and figuratively set out in Psa. 149:5‑9: “Let the men of lovingkindness [the true church] exult as they glory... a two‑edged sword in their hand [the sword of the spirit – the Word of God]: to execute an avenging among the nations; rebukes among the peoples: to bind their kings with fetters, and their honored ones with iron bands; to execute upon them the sentence writ­ten.” (Rotherham translation) This work was done so thoroughly and clearly that very few indeed in America continue to believe in the Divine right of rulers or clergy. The Kai­ser himself was much obsessed with that idea; but very few in Germany continue to har­bor such belief today.

 As stated, the “waters” of Jordan represent peoples; and the dividing of those waters would represent the division of the peoples involved into two classes – the Conservatives and the Radicals. It certainly places no strain upon the imagination to recognize that this condition is sharply present with us now; and has become increasingly so since 1914. It is now pretty well admitted by responsible men that the 1914 war was nothing more than a commercial war; but no one dared make mention of such a thing while the war was on. At that time both sides in the conflict had their subjects aroused into a frenzy of patriotism perhaps never before equaled in the history of man. Certainly not with so many involved on each side. But, as 1918 passed, the cooling‑off began to appear, at which time large numbers arrived at the humiliating realization that they had been merely dupes and pawns in the conflict.

In the purely secular conflict that developed between the Conservatives and the Radicals the church stood aloof, not joining with either side, realizing, as they did, that both sides held sadly distorted views of the cause they championed. This is typi­fied in the picture of Elijah and Elisha walking “over on dry ground.” However, that dividing of the waters of Christendom produced great changes. The Czar of Russia and his family just disappeared in late 1917. Up to that time Russia had been one of the most autocratic and powerful governments in all history. Also, the German Kaiser was forced to abdicate; and in both instances new governments were formed that were far removed from those they replaced. And this continues to proceed in the various coun­tries of earth; and it is well portrayed in the division of Jordan into two bodies of water as shown by the smiting by Elijah with his mantle.

GENTILES NOT GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE

We stress here that the Gentiles are not now – and never have been – God’s Chosen people. However, the Gentile governments have been in power since the Fall of 607 BC – at which time the Jewish polity was taken from them; and they no longer had a government of their own. But, during the years before Jesus came, the faithful Jews were expecting a strong man to arise among them who would restore the glory of Solomon. Thus, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

Prior to Jesus’ arrival the Jewish nation alone was God’s chosen people: “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” (Deut. 14:2) But it is recorded that He came to His own, and His own received Him not – although the very few did accept Him; and they formed the nucleus of the Christian Church. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore, I will punish you for all your iniq­uities.” (Amos 3:2) However, all the writers of both Testaments of the Bible were Jews; and the only way a Gentile could come into the chosen nation was to become circumcised, and accept the Law Covenant; and it is recorded that a few Gentiles did this, for instance, “Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.” (Acts 6:5)

The first Christians were all Jews, although it is recorded that only about 500 of them had responded to the teachings of Jesus during His life – but thousands came in during the three and a half years later (Acts 2:41 and 4:4). Then, three and a half years after the death of Jesus, the unresponsive Jews were considerably ignored — and it is stated, “Lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46) The first of these Gentiles was Cornelius with his entire house (Acts, Chapter 10). Be­fore Jerusalem was taken by the Romans in AD 70, the general Jewish population so de­spised Jesus that even the mention of his name would cause the prejudiced Jew to turn around and spit on the ground; and since AD 70 scarcely a Jew was won into the Chris­tian Church. But the Jews were offered the first opportunity to become Christians – just as they were first and exclusively the only ones of whom God called His chosen nation.

Since the conversion of Cornelius the call to Christianity has been mainly to the Gentiles – although this did not bar any Jew from becoming a Christian if he chose to do so; but, as stated, very, very few of them have done so. This chief favor has extended to the Gentiles to the full end of the Gentile Times, as Jesus has said it would be: “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)

This select group is designated by several different names: Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, the Little Flock, Saints, etc. It is our understanding that all of this Class had been completed in time for them to participate in the first smiting of Jordan, which occurred from 1914 through 1916: “This honor have all His saints.” (Psa. 149:9) Since that time they have had the privilege of “executing the judgment written” – in the ejection of “the powers that be.” Note the Berean Comment on this honor: “Of a share in the establishment of the Kingdom, and the overthrow of Gentile power.”

The “overthrow of Gentile Power” has been proceeding since it began in 1914, and will increase in severity until they are all ground to dust. But during this same time a call has proceeded to others than the Saints – a class that will be rewarded in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies (See Hebrews, Chapter 11); and they will be among the earthly visible rulers of the Kingdom.

Pastor Russell said: “It is our thought that with the closing of the ‘door’ of this Gospel Age there will be no more begetting of the Holy Spirit to the spirit nature. Any afterward coming to God through consecration, before the inauguration of the restitution work, will be accepted by Him, not to the spirit plane of being, but to the earthly plane. Such would come in under the same conditions as the Ancient Worthies [Hebrews 11] who were accepted of God. The Ancient Worthies came in, no call being opened to them – the High Calling not being yet open, and the restitution opportunities not open. But they freely gave themselves up to God without knowing what blessings their consecration would bring, except that they had the intimation that they would, in the future life, have a ‘better resurrection’ than would the remainder of the world.

“Our thought is that whoever under such conditions as these will make a full consecration to the Lord, to leave all to follow in His ways, and will live up faithfully, loyally, to that consecration, may be privileged to be counted as a similar class to those who preceded this Gospel Age. We know of no reason why the Lord would refuse to receive those who make a consecration after the close of the Gospel Age High Calling and before the full opening of the Millennium.” (Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915)

In summation, we would state there have actually been but two classes of God’s chosen people: the “House of Servants” (Heb. 3:5) under Moses, their testimony continuing to the present time; and the “House of Sons” (Heb. 3:6), beginning with Jesus and His disciples, later extending to Cornel­ius and other Gentiles and continuing to the present time. The Jews were the first during the Gospel Age to become spiri­tual Israelites; and they will be the first under the Kingdom reign to receive the earthly blessings.

But so long as we “continue in the things we have learned and been assured of, knowing of whom we have learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14 – God’s special Messengers – particularly the last two Messengers), we may repose “in quietness and confidence” in the blessed promise of Psalms 91:7‑11.

“My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure... yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isa. 46:10,11)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint 344, February 1984)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – Has the stone been cut out of the mountain?

ANSWER – Daniel states: “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and interpretation thereof sure.” (Dan. 2:45)

“The stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which smites and scatters the Gentile powers, represents the true Church, the Kingdom of God. During the Gospel Age this ‘stone’ Kingdom is being formed, ‘cut out,’ carved; and shaped for its future position and greatness – not by human hands, but by the power or spirit of the truth, the invisible power of Jehovah. When complete, when entirely cut out, it will smite and destroy the kingdoms of this world. Not the people, but the governments, are symbolized by the image, and these are to be destroyed that the people may be delivered. Our Lord Jesus came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. (John 3:17)” (Divine Plan of the Ages, page 255, par. 2)

The Smiting of the Nations have been accomplished by the saints. See top of Reprint 5632, col. 1, where That Servant tells us the Smiting of the Nations had begun and was under Kingdom control. He also refers to Psalms 149:5-9 regarding the saints on earth participating in this Smiting. See last paragraph, col. 2 of Reprint 5632. Pastor Russell said that this could not refer to the Saints in heaven, as they had no need of a two-edged sword. And to “sing aloud upon their bed” would imply that the Saints on earth will have a special work to do.

We believe that all will agree that we are in the Time of Trouble and the Lord is at the helm permitting that which does not interfere with God’s great Plan of Salvation, as well He has an appointed time for all the violent phases of the Time of Trouble. We do not know when these times will be, but we do know what will happen in this Time of Trouble: Wars and rumors of wars have been with us since 1914. After these wars there will be worldwide revolution – Armageddon; then Anarchy and Jacob’s last trouble before the Kingdom is inaugurated. “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thes. 5:4) See Expanded Comments.

At present the Lord is dealing with the nations – not individuals. The nations have been judged.

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Emily:

I have been thinking of writing to you for a long time and thank you for your letter of October 19th and the papers (Nos. 460 and 461) you have sent me, but other things have come between. I have got much material from B. W. Hedman, USA, and J. Z. Nielsen, Denmark. They are both leaders of LHMM, a movement founded – as you know – of Paul S. Johnson. My father met Johnson in Brooklyn in 1913 and followed what he wrote for many years.

I have got copies of two different papers in English from USA and several old copies of paper in Danish. I have got long letters in Danish from Nielsen, which I have answered in Swedish...

In my letters to Nielsen I have told him about the work that is going on in Emek ha Shalom, Israel, and pointed out that we now all together must help with this work.

I enclose a copy of a letter to Haviland W. Davis, New York, for your knowledge. Will you please remember me to Marjorie Williams.

Best wishes and kindest regards, ------- (SWEDEN)

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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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