NO. 472B: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT - PART TWO

No. 472B

THE JEWS

Israel: “World Mourns Death Of Rabin” is the headline of The Jewish Press of November 10, 1995. “Our view on The Assassination. We share the shock and anguish of our people over the death of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Our Torah condemns the wanton taking of life and reverences the sanctity of life.

“Unfortunately, despite the fact that we are still in the throes of our grief over the death of the Prime Minister, accusations have filled the airwaves blaming certain Rightist elements for creating a hateful atmosphere that inspired the obviously deranged young man who took Mr. Rabin’s life. For the sake of the welfare of our people it is important to set the record straight. In truth, this charge is reminiscent of the oxymoron of a boy who kills his parents and then pleads for mercy because he is an orphan.

“Because of the effort to hasten the implementation of the Oslo Accords prior to the next election, and in order to weaken the opposition, Israel was turned into a virtual police state. Peaceful demonstrations were banned, freedom of speech was sharply curtailed, police brutality against men, women and children was rampant and dissidents were targeted for harassment and worse. In the name of Peace, many deaths of Israelis and hundreds of incidents of Arab brutality against the Jews were simply ignored.

“There seemed to be a calculated effort to create a feeling of hatred for the 150,000 settlers in Judea and Shomron, characterizing them as enemies of the true interests of Israel. Concurrently, a process was undertaken to give away our Holy Places such as Kiryat Arba, Kever Rochel (Rachel’s Tomb), Meoras Hamachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs), the Temple Mount, and nearly half of the land of Israel – all against the advice of the Israel Defense Forces and only the help of the 5 Arab votes in the Knesset. Although Israelis were promised that they would be able to vote on these matters in a referendum, that promise was never kept.

“Jews in America who protested against what was happening were told, in effect, send your money, but keep your opinions to yourselves.

“Perhaps worst of all, a terrorist and murderer of Jews was given virtually every-thing he sought – land, hundreds of millions of dollars, power, etc., although he did not fulfil the promises he made or offer anything real in return. In fact, he continues as the biggest ‘con-artist’ of the century as he openly preaches ‘Jihad.’

“But most of all, the Peace Process violates the commandments of our Holy Torah. G-d promised our ancestors that the entire land of Biblical Israel was to be an inheritance for the Children of Israel in perpetuity. When confronted by the Rabbis of today, the Peace Process proponents answered as did Pharaoh of ancient Egypt: ‘Who is your G-d that I should listen to him!’

“Why was G-d angry with the ‘Meraglim’ (spies)? He said, ‘I performed so many miracles for them in Egypt, at the crossing of the Yam Suf, at Mt. Sinai, and I gave them food from Heaven and water from an arid land in the desert, and the Heavenly clouds protected from the extreme heat and cold of the desert and many more miracles in their daily lives. And yet when they saw ‘giants’ in the land of Canaan they feared these humans more then they feared Me.’

“In our time, too, G-d heard our pleas. After the 1967 war, He instilled fear in all the Arabs who then ran away from Jerusalem. G-d then gave them the entire City of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount and in effect, so to speak, said: ‘Now plan to build the Holy Temple and I will help you.’

“Instead, Moshe Dayan, the commanding General, refused this offer and invited back all the Arabs, much to our chagrin today. In effect, he, so to speak, banished G-d from Jerusalem.

“One thing is certain. If we follow the principles of the Torah, G-d will surely help us as He did our ancestors.

“Again, we deplore this wanton act of murder, but those who seek to silence opposition by blaming the Peace process opponents serve no useful purpose. In any democratic society, legitimate debate on such fundamental issues should not be stifled. “

(By Rabbi Sholom Klass, The Jewish Press, November 10, 1995, pp. 1 and 3)

“As The World Mourns Yitzhak Rabin: Some years ago Yitzhak Rabin was a columnist for THE JEWISH PRESS. He was an outspoken young man and even though we may not have agreed with everything he wrote, we felt it was our duty to have a variety of opinion in THE JEWISH PRESS.

“Yitzhak Rabin felt the route he was taking with the PLO was proper and he may have been right, but we and others disagreed. We join the millions who are mourning Yitzhak Rabin, a man who felt that his dream for peace was in the best interests of Israel. Despite differing opinions, he forged ahead for what he felt was right. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Rabin and entire family. “

(The Jewish Press, November 10, 1995, p. 2)

ISRAEL: “The Tragic Truth About Yitzhak Rabin: Without condoning the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, critics of his so-called peace policy will now be subjected to further repression, to a more vicious denial of their civil rights. And this will only render the political climate of Israel more precarious, more inflammatory, more susceptible to civil war.

“With profound sorrow for the bereaved, truth and justice and concern for my own loved ones in Israel, compel me even now to clarify the political context of Yitzhak Rabin’s tragic death. Even in this period of grief and mourning, innocent and law-abiding Jews in Israel are in danger of repression by a desperate government, a government that parades in the name of democracy but is democracy’s enemy.

“It is not easy for me to say, but it must be said even now, that Yitzhak Rabin and his cohorts created the emotional and political climate that led to his assassination. Only by facing this tragic fact honestly and courageously and with magnanimity will the people of Israel be able to avoid such tragedies in the future.

“I know of no leader of any nation that publicly denigrated the heritage of his own people. Yet Mr. Rabin called religious critics of his so-called peace policy ‘degener­ates.’ He also called soldiers who fought and bled for Israel ‘cry babies’ because they opposed his policy of surrendering Jewish land to Arab despots... He also vilified Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party as ‘allies of Hamas’ – of brutal murderers... Finally, it should not be forgotten that Mr. Rabin released thousands of Arab terrorists and murderers, some of whom subsequently murdered more Jews. In fact, more Jews have been murdered by Arabs since September 13, 1993, when Mr. Rabin first shook the blood-stained hands of Yasir Arafat, than the number of Jews murdered by Arabs during the previous six years of the intifada. Mr. Rabin called these Jews ‘sacrifices for peace.’ Could anything be better calculated to arouse agony and resentment among the Jewish people of Israel, especially among the families and friends of the Jewish victims of Rabin’s policy?

“Let us nonetheless end on a positive note. The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin goes beyond personalities, Left and Right, secular and religious. Israel’s political system is basically flawed. Israel lacks a written Constitution. There are no institutional checks and balances... The electronic media are government controlled. There is no outlet for legitimate and effective dissent, and the opposition parties are fragmented and impotent. Israel needs a new system of Government. “

(Excerpts by Prof. Paul Eidelberg, The Jewish Press, November 10, 1995, p. 10)

Israel: “NEW YORK – Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres made an impassioned plea for Jewish unity Sunday at a New York memorial rally for Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by a religious Jew opposed to his peace policies.

“Rabin was the ‘consummate man of Israel,’ Vice President Al Gore told more than 15,000 people who attended the rally at Madison Square Garden. ‘He will always be remembered as a man of grace, courage and quiet dignity ... who always put substance before style, action before acclaim and ideals before ideologue.’ Gore said.

“Rabin’s widow, Leah, spoke of his gift to those he left behind: ‘From his death, he bequested to us peace, he bequested to us solidarity, he bequested to us Jewish unity.’

“Peres meets President Clinton today in Washington to discuss ways to restart negotiations with Syria over the future of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War.

“Although officials closed off 4,000 of the Garden’s 18,000 seats for security reasons, 16 metal detectors proved barely adequate to handle the crowd. Many people stood in the 16-degree cold for up to two hours before they were allowed in.” (Excerpts from The Orlando Sentinel, December 11, 1995)

Israel: “Besides, all Israel’s leaders have to do to my mute protest is: (1) Have the PLO cancel their covenant of death (a promise made at Oslo and not kept). (2) Allow Women in Green and other peaceful Israelis to protest within the law without police interference. (3) Invite some of the many learned and articulate opponents of the peace talks to air their views in the government-controlled electronic media. (4) Spell out these secret agreements being made with Arafat, Assad and others and invite the Israeli public to make up its own mind. (5) Since both Labor and Likud deceived the pioneers in Judea and Samaria in telling them to build their homes in what would be ‘forever a part of Israel,’ stop treating them with mockery and disrespect in calling them ‘crybabies’ and telling them they can ‘spin like propellers.’

“For years, I was rather popular in Israel and American Jewish circles. But I note that each time I merely share my apprehension at the Israeli rush to peace without firm reliance on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, my ‘likeability rating’ dips. Well and good. Not to speak up would have me opt for the praises of men more than the praises of God. This I will not do!

“For when ‘peace’ must be purchased through illegal and brutal force, it will turn out to be as elusive as Jeremiah’s lament: ‘Peace, peace, when there is no peace.’ (Jer. 6:14) And when covenants of ‘peace’ are cut with a murderer of Jews, who in turn, refuses to cancel his own PLO covenant of war, Israel must yet taste the bitter truth that theirs is ‘a covenant with death’ and that ‘with hell we are in agreement.’ (Isa. 28:15) “ (By Dr. Frank Eiklor, Shalom International, Volume 17, Number 9)

Israel: “Clinton Optimistic On Middle East Peace: Greeting Israel’s new prime minister, Shimon Peres, the president said chances of peace between Israel and Syria have improved.

“WASHINGTON – Little more than a month after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, President Clinton Monday warmly welcomed the new Israeli prime minister, Shimon Peres, and again pledged support for the perilous Middle East peace process.

“‘The United States stands ready to help bring the parties together and to work with them in the negotiations,’ Clinton said during a White House press conference with Peres. ‘Peace is our mission, and the prime minister and I are determined that nothing, nothing will deter us from this task in the weeks and the months ahead.’

“Clinton said he thinks the atmosphere is better for peace between Israel and Syria now than before. The Syrian-Israeli dispute, as well as the one between Israel and Lebanon, are the major remaining obstacles to securing peace in the bloody region.

“‘As sad as it is to say, I think the Syrian leader and the Syrian people now see the exceptional price that former Prime Minster Rabin and Prime Minister Peres have been willing to pay ... for peace,’ Clinton said. ‘I think that is the fundamental new reality here.’

“Clinton also spoke with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad Monday by telephone for 20 minutes and received assurances that he was committed to moving the Syrian-Israeli peace process forward.

“Secretary of State Warren Christopher will travel to the region next week to meet with Assad to try to jump-start peace talks.

“Clinton praised Peres, who was Rabin’s political rival but also his peace partner. ‘Mr. Prime Minister, as Israel continues to take risks for a lasting and comprehensive peace, the United States will stand with you to minimize those risks and to ensure your success,’ Clinton said. ‘And I pledge to you personally, Shimon, that I will be your partner in peace.’

“Clinton and Peres said the next steps in the peace process are proceeding: Palestinian elections will go forward, and control of some 450 villages in the West Bank and all major cities, including Gaza and Jericho, will be turned over to the Palestinians before Christmas. Peres also said he intends to fulfill the promise to release another thousand Palestinian prisoners before the elections.”

(The Orlando Sentinel, December 12, 1995)

Palestinians Celebrate As Israeli Army Withdraws: NABLUS, West Bank – Thousands of Palestinians streamed into the streets Monday night, shooting firecrackers and burning an Israeli flag as Israeli troops ended 28 years of occupation by withdrawing from Nablus a day ahead of schedule. ‘They are gone! They are gone!’ residents chanted outside Israel’s former military headquarters in the West Bank’s largest city. They let out a huge roar of approval and fired gunshots into the air as a flag ripped from the balcony was set aflame. The withdrawal, which had been expected to begin today or early Wednesday, caught the city by surprise. It apparently was moved up to prevent opponents of the peace process, Israeli or Palestinian, from organizing protest. “ (The Orlando Sentinel, December 12, 1995)

“Archaeologists: Burial Cave In Israel Confirms Ancient Clan: Maccabim, Israel – Archaeologists think they have uncovered a 2,000-year-old burial cave of the Maccabees, a clan of Jewish warriors who led a revolt against a Syrian king that is still celebrated today with the feast of Hanukkah.

“The find appears to confirm ancient Jewish accounts of the clan, also known as the Hasmoneans, a spokeswoman for the Antiquities Authority said Thursday. ‘This is the first proof that the Hasmoneans lived and were buried at this site,’ said Efrat Orbach.

“The burial cave, 19 miles north of Jerusalem, was uncovered Monday when a tractor leveled ground for a highway. The cave – made up of three small rooms and a courtyard entrance – held 24 ossuaries, or containers for bones of the dead, archaeologist Yossi Levy said.

“The ossuaries are inscribed in Hebrew with Jewish manes, Orbach said. One ossuary carried an inscription that is missing several letters, but most probably reads ‘Hasmonean,’ she said.

“‘This is the first time the word ‘Hasmonean’ has been found on archaeological evidence,’ said archaeologist Shimon Riklin.

“The house of the Maccabees, known as the Hasmoneans after their ancestor, Hashmon, lived in what is now central Israel. They rebelled in the second century BC against the Syrian King Antiochus IV, who had stripped the Temple in Jerusalem and began a religious persecution. Having occupied Jerusalem, they reconsecrated the Temple in 165 BC, a feat celebrated by the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.

“At least one ossuary carries the name Shimon, the head of the Maccabean state, which was said to have lasted about 100 years. Archaeologists do not know whether they had uncovered his remains.

“So far, evidence of their existence is confined to writings in the Talmud, a collection of Jewish legal commentary, and in accounts by the Jewish writer and historian Josephus who lived in the first century. “ (The Orlando Sentinel, November 17, 1995)

Wiesenthal, Speaking For Austria, Urges UN Organize A World Confab Against Hate

“Unbelievable, but true – the world’s most renowned Jewish Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal – who in his life-time had apprehended scores of German-Austrian Nazis – appeared here at the UN General Assembly on November 20 as the official spokesman of the Austrian Government proposing that the World Organization ‘organize a global conference aimed at reducing hate.’

“The occasion of his appearance – an unusual event arousing deep interest – was a special commemorative meeting ‘to mark the UN Year for Tolerance’ – a subject which struck a positive chord with Wiesenthal who, a little more than a decade ago, had confirmed the work of this writer in exposing two Nazis who had found haven in America – the Hungarian, Ference Koreh and the Rumanian, B. Trifa, the latter, long ago, deported and former, after being confronted by your correspondent’s attorney Paul O’Dwyer, was recently finally judged guilty of war crimes by a New Jersey judge.

“And here at the UN we have been confronted with the unusual sensational scene in witnessing this world-admired personality speaking on behalf of a nation, Austria, birthplace of Hitler and haven of Kurt Waldheim and once a full partner with Nazi Germany in perpetrating the worst crimes of the century.

“‘It is a great honor for me to be allowed to speak to this audience at the end of the Year of Tolerance as the Representative of Austria,’ Wiesenthal declared in his opening statement: ‘In four years,’ he added, ‘we will be standing at the end of this century which has been rightly termed a century of crimes.’ Thus there is the need to speak about tolerance and also to act on this principle.’

“And act he did. He made this direct proposal to the UN: ‘Let us try to organize a worldwide conference aimed at reducing hate. Technology without hate can be so very beneficial for mankind, but in conjunction with hatred it leads to disaster. The most important participants in such a conference – which should of course be held under the patronage of the United Nations – would be representatives of the monotheistic and other religions.

“‘Through religious networks, the greater part of mankind could be reached. The representatives of the various religions – in keeping with their moral duties – will work for mutual respect and support among men and against hatred. By spreading positive messages in churches, temples and synagogues, they can reach more people than all political parties put together. If religious representatives can agree to make the gradual elimination of hatred a major common concern, they will also find ways of informing and influencing their believers throughout the world.’

“Speaking of a ‘new Austria,’ Mr. Wiesenthal recommended Vienna as the site for the conference: ‘Being an Austrian, I could imagine that such an international conference take place in our small country located at the center of Europe. In the course of its history, Austria was frequently the scene of hate; today, however, it lives in perfect amity with all of its neighbors, unstrained by any claims on lands outside of its existing borders. Our country is an obvious international meeting place having often been the site of international events in the past. Moreover, all steps to strengthen tolerance and reduce hate would be actively supported by Austria’s government and its population. In this connection, I would like to point out that in the past 50 years the small republic of Austria, in contrast to other, significantly larger countries, has achieved great things where humanitarian aid for refugees – the most unfortunate victims of hate – is concerned.’

“Continuing to hold his UN audience deeply interested in his unique presentation, he began to explain his own personal struggle for justice: ‘As a survivor of the Nazi period – my wife and I lost 89 family members in the Holocaust – I have dedicated my life to the struggle for justice. The title of one of my last books is Justice, Not Vengeance, because my work was never motivated by hate or revenge. I would therefore feel very honored if many people of good will and with the firm intention to conquer the hate in this world were to come to Vienna to take part in a conference having this aim.

“‘In this century I have myself seen Communism become a form of government under Stalin and, thankfully, I have seen its downfall. I have seen the rise of National Socialism under Hitler – and I lived to see its downfall as well. Both of these regimes set measures that cost millions of lives. In the Soviet Union the victims were mainly Soviet citizens; the exact numbers are still unknown, as all figures named so far have been estimates. The Nazi regime was also responsible for the deaths of millions of foreign nations: altogether about 50 million people, including six million Jewish victims, were killed as a result of the war and there were innumerable crimes committed in the countries occupied by Nazi Germany. Together, these two dictatorships extinguished about 100 million human lives during this century. Underlying both Stalinism and National Socialism were two fundamentals: hatred and technology.’

“That the goodly, Jewish, Simon Wiesenthal should have come here at this time as representative of Austria to speak against hate and intolerance proves something. It proves that we are indeed in the Messianic Age – the Chevlei d’Meshichah. And we must connect this with the score of other nissim since the nes of the birth of Israel. “ (By David Horowitz, The Jewish Press, December 8, 1995)

“Israel’s Resistance Slams Talks, Golan Deal. JERUSALEM – Israel’s opposition assailed the resumption of peace talks with Syria, vowing Sunday to do all it could to stop Prime Minister Shimon Peres from ceding the Golan Heights.

“U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher flew home from the Middle East on Sunday, having accomplished his mission in two days, half the time he had planned, by reviving negotiations severed six months ago.

“‘We will certainly do all we can to prevent the government from carrying out its intention to hand over the Golan,’ Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the main hard-line Likud opposition party, told Israel Radio.

“Israeli and Syrian negotiators plan to meet for three days December 27 near Washington. A second three-day round is planned in January.

“Israel has yet to say it will meet Damascus’ demand to return all of the heights captured in the 1967 Middle East war, insisting on a promise of normal relations first from Syria.

“Riding a wave of popular support following the assassination last month of his predecessor Yitzhak Rabin, Peres said last week he was willing to pay the full price for full peace.

“Ten months ahead of scheduled elections, Netanyahu trails Peres badly in opinion polls but he has been trying to tap popular opposition to a Golan deal among war-hardened Israelis who view the heights as a strategic necessity and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad as insincere about wanting peace.

“A poll by Israel’s largest newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth last week showed 55 percent opposed to a full withdrawal and 42 percent for it. “ (The Orlando Sentinel, December 18, 1995)

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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 March 31, 1996 after six p.m.

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NO. 472A: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT - PART ONE

No. 472A

In the beginning of the New Year, we thank God for the blessings we have received the past year. “The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (Psa. 126:3) “Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein. “ (Psa. 69:34)

Many have had much grief with disasters in the past year, with earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and fires. We thank the Lord 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) Our deepest sympathy is with those who have lost their homes and lost some of their loved ones. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. “ (Rom. 8:22) And we groan with them.

1995 IN REVIEW: (1) Tens of thousands are killed as Russian forces try to subdue the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

(2) In January and again in March, flooding in California leaves death and destruction.

(3) Banking scandals: Rogue traders bring down England’s Baring banking dynasty and bring disgrace to Japan’s Daiwa Bank, shaking confidence in that country’s banking system.

(4) In Kobe, Japan, an earthquake kills more than 5,000 people and destroys 750 buildings.

(5) Old enemies shake hands as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat reach an agreement to extend Palestinian self-rule.

(6) Killer fumes – unleashed in a crowded subway by a doomsday cult – killing a dozen and injuring more than 5,000 in Tokyo.

(7) An outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Zaire costs more than 200 lives and causes worldwide alarm.

(8) The Washington Post and the New York Times publish a 35,000-word treatise by the Unabomber, in an effort to halt his attacks that have killed three and injured 23.

(9) A peace agreement hammered out in Dayton, Ohio, may end the war in Bosnia, the bloodiest European conflict in 50 years.

(10) The pope visits the United States, preaching to 130,000 in New York’s Central Park and strongly condemning abortion rights.

(11) Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan brings his Million-Man March to Washington, D.C.

(12) Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated by a right-wing Jewish extremist. [Rabin’s assassination was shocking world wide. There were 70 or more countries represented at his funeral.]

(13) The Southern Baptist Convention renounces its racist heritage, including its past support of slavery.

(14) France and China outrage the international community by resuming nuclear-testing programs.

(15) World marks the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the beginning of the United Nations.

(16) The Dow Jones industrial average closes above 5,000 for the first time.

(17) The United States re-establishes formal diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

(18) The sexual assault of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen raises an outcry in Japan.

(Excerpts from The Orlando Sentinel, November 26, 1995)

SCIENCE: “A scientist thinks every man on Earth is indebted to this male who lived before anatomically modern humans evolved.

“NEW YORK – Every one on earth today can trace his Y chromosome to one male who lived about 190,000 years ago, before anatomically modern humans had evolved, a study suggests. ‘There were many males around at the time, but only this one left a Y chromosome legacy that persists today,’ said researcher Michael Hammer.

“The Y chromosome is one of 24 kinds of microscopic threads that hold genes. Unlike the other chromosomes, it passed only from father to son. The new study also supports the idea that modern humans arose in one place, rather than evolving in more than one continent.

“The results suggest that all men alive today could trace their Y chromosomes back for about 188,000 years to the same person. ‘We would all have a Y chromosome that existed in the same guy.’ Hammer said the study suggests that the ancestor lived just before anatomically modern humans appeared around 100,000 years ago, a date that is in dispute among scientists... Other scientists published a study saying the Y chromosome in modern-day men can be traced back 270,000 years.

“Hammer said his findings also suggest a single place of origin for modern humans. ‘The findings don’t indicate where, but Africa is a good bet,’ he said. “

(Excerpts from The Orlando Sentinel, November 23, 1995, page A-16)

What do we care if they find that 100,000 or 188,000 or a million years back is when man started evolving. They are teaching that man as well as other living creatures evolved from something. What caused that “something “ to come into existence? Even that “something “ must have been created. We know when the first man was created by God and it was not a happenstance. God’s inspired Word is the only scientific authority we have. When scientists study to find something that is supported by His Word that is a valuable find. Some scientists have done so. They tell us one time it is thousands of years ago and after much study change their findings to more or less time, but they don’t tell us about this fiction man. Did he have brains? If so, why didn’t he leave us some history?

In chapters one and two of Genesis we are told of the creation of all things – the animals, fish, as well as the Heavens (the firmament) and the Earth, and then man. He created all things for man. Man was to have dominion over the fish, the fowl, the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing (Gen. 1:26). Of course there has been many misunderstandings of the Creation of God, but those who have the correct understand­ing will know we have a Creator of Justice, Love and Power. “Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them. “ (Psa. 119:165) So we search the Scriptures, because we know He is the Creator of all things. We did not evolve from an object. Did that object make itself? Some scientists change the tens of thousand years to more or less. They are like the chameleon who changes color frequently. Its tongue is hollow.

We have published these scientist’s opinions for the purpose of showing the foolishness of the wisdom of this world. “Avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” (1 Tim. 6:20)

IN FINANCE

Looking back over the past year and looking ahead in prospect we must admit that there is no agreement as to what will happen next. We have bulls and bears, optimists and pessimists, and both have statistics to support their opinions.

The S & P stock market index has risen steadily to new highs as of December 6, 1995. The bulls feel that this is the reason for correction. Some feel that it well be severe – even worse than the crash of 1929.

Japan is in the midst of a serious banking crisis. Much of the $540 billion in real estate loans, loaned by Japan’s 21 largest banks in the late 80s has gone bad. Since the 1989 real estate peak in the major Japanese cities, such as Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, commercial land prices have lost their values. The Japanese real estate market is in a state of collapse and Japanese banks are faced with over one trillion dollars – and growing.

The Congressional Budget Office projects a deficit this year of $161 billion, the smallest deficit as a percentage of the gross domestic product – 2.3 percent – since 1979. The most recent figures for the last 12 months show that the national debt has increased $313 billion. At this rate we’ll add another trillion dollars of debt to the 4.9 trillion now on the books in the next three years.

One of the foremost respected financial journals writing on the economy for 1996 states that “INFLATION IS ON A SLOW TRACK. “

INTEREST RATES WILL STAY LOW: Long-term rates could drop below 6 percent. There’s nothing on the horizon to compel the Fed. to raise short term rates. Occupants of the White House like to keep the good news flowing during an election year. Perhaps it’s no accident that the market has delivered positive returns every election year since 1940. NO RECESSION BEFORE 1997!

Those who are “Of the Truth “ (John 18:37) realize that we are in the “Time of Trouble “ since 1914, including war, revolution and Anarchy winding up with Jacob’s Trouble (Jer. 30:7). We can expect conditions to deteriorate and go down like wax, or removed like a cottage (Isa. 24:20), as God has promised (Heb. 10:23). The Lord’s people should heed the admonition of James 4:8: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. “ (Contributed)

For the past several years we have mentioned that the present order of things are deteriorating rapidly. In 1994 the stock market hit an all time high – and obviously as ever­yone knows, that in 1995 the Dow Jones for the first time hit over five thousand. The prime interest rate is still at a high of 8.75%. You can read about the Gross National Products being down with the unemployment rates going up. It’s hard to figure out what is really going on.

To quote from last year, the United States may be on the road to economical health, productivity, employment and total national income up. But the decline of spendable income is down because people are still going in debt. The present administration believes that job skills training and investing more money in education will lead to a greater rise in the median family income, but that has yet to be proven. That would take may years to achieve.

The world economy is still growing. More of the world’s stock market values is outside of the United States, although people still believe the United States is a safe place to buy stocks. Gold and silver have been stable but still lower than it has been in previous years. The wizards of Wall Street are treating bad news as good news.

Retail sales for Christmas have been lackluster. Bargain hunters packed the stores and after Thanksgiving have almost vanished. Factory output declined for the fourth straight month. Manufacturing employment continues to fall although new orders are up slightly. However, no economist is predicting that this slow down will turn into a recession.

One of the things driving the economy is the new technology such as new computers. Companies are investing in new technology which eliminates jobs and increases productivity with better profit. People are investing capital in all areas.

One of our biggest problems is the USA has the most expensive health care system in the world. That is a problem that all businesses are facing – how to handle this problem without government help.

If the USA 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 with Congress still arguing over tax rates and tax cuts the stock market can certainly change in a downward trend just as fast as it did on an upward trend.

World War One was to end all wars, but since that time we have had World War Two, the Middle East War, and “wars and rumours of war... but the end is not yet.” (Matt. 24:6) However, we can commend leaders who are seeking means and ways to bring peace to the world. Man cannot do that but God can and will in His “due time.” He has promised to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31), and He is faithful that promised (Heb. 10:23). Nothing will hurt and destroy in all that glorious mountain (Isa. 11:9). The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isa. 26:9). So we continue to pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is done in heaven. There will be a time when war will be no more.

IN RELIGION

CATHOLICS: “The 75-year-old Pontiff arrives this week for his fourth papal visit to the United States, and will stand firm in proclaiming what he believes are truths in an Age of moral relativism. ‘It has never been easy to accept Gospel teachings in its entirely,’ the leader of the world’s 960 million Roman Catholics told U.S. bishops in 1987. ‘And it will never be!’ Just what constitutes the Gospel in its entirety, of course, is a matter of dispute, especially among many American Catholics who disagree with the Vatican’s strict stand on sex and gender issues.

“No nation, in John Paul’s view, has a greater responsibility than the United States. The pope’s ‘big problem with America,’ says one official Vatican observer, ‘is that it is such a wealthy country and the wealth is confined to few people. He thinks the United States is too materialistic.’” (Excerpts from U.S. News and World Report, October 9, 1995)

The pope’s problem is with the Roman Catholics in the U. S., and shouldn’t be with the United States itself. Italy’s wealth is also confined to few people, and the Vatican is very wealthy. The question is what does the Vatican and the wealth few of Italy do with their wealth? The United States is known for its liberality, as are its wealthy few. Italy is the seat of Papacy, therefore, has more responsibility than other countries, including America. The pope should tell us whether he is referring to the creed of papacy or the Bible. The creeds of both the Catholics and Protestants teach that the whole world is on trial for life during this Age; and they are seeking to save the souls of the world. The Bible teaches that God is taking out a people for His Name during the Gospel Age (Acts 15:14) – a people to bless the world in the Kingdom. Jesus said, “I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. “ (John 17:9) Jesus paid the Ransom for all, which will be testified for the world in “due time. “ He has appointed a day to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31). In that day “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. “ (Isa. 11:9) In that Kingdom Satan will be bound (Rev. 20:3) and will not deceive the people during that thousand-year day. Today the world is full of error: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. “ (2 Cor. 4:4) “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. “ (Rom. 11:32) It will be “to the Jew first “ and then to all others. (Rom. 2:10)

Jehovah’s Witnesses: At one time they taught that all who didn’t join them before Armageddon would die in Armageddon and never be resurrected. However, they have softened their teachings and now teach that those of the world who are in the “City of Refuge “ will be resurrected. They also say that by dying they pay for their sinfulness (November 15, 1995, Watchtower, p. 19) They cite Rom. 6:7 and Heb. 9:27 as ‘proof.’ However, Rom. 6:7 applies to the Little Flock, and Heb. 9:27 represents Christ as the antitypical High Priest. This is easily understood by reading the preceding and following verses in each instance. They say “War broke out in heaven: Michael [Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the dragon [Satan the Devil], and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them in heaven. “ (Watchtower, July 15, 1995, p. 5, par. 2)

There was never a war in heaven, which is God’s abode. The Lord gave us the prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. “ We have no record of anyone disobeying and sinning in heaven. When Satan sinned in the Garden of Eden he was never permitted to go back to heaven. When the angels sinned it was on earth, and they were not permitted to go back to heaven. It is ridiculous to think that the heaven mentioned in Rev. 12:7-9 is the abode of God, Jesus and the good angels. It is symbolic (as is most of Revelation) and represents the conflict between Papacy and it supporters, and Pagan power. The dragon of v. 7 are Pagan rulers, and the great dragon of v. 9 is the Pagan Roman Empire. Also, we do not die to pay for our sins. We die because of Adam’s sin, and Jesus died to save us all. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22) “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. “ (1 Tim. 2:6) The Jehovah’s Witnesses change their teaching when it is to their advantage, just as the Chameleon changes its color. The tongue of the Chameleon is hollow. One dictionary meaning of the word hollow is empty, worthless, which is a good representa­tion of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teaching.

BAPTIST: “Woman from Orlando church elected to key Baptist post: Lois Wenger, an active lay leader of the First Baptist Church of Orlando, was elected to a top post at the Florida Baptist Convention... ‘We’re trying to give women their proper due,’ said J. C. Mitchell of the Winter Park-based Pembrook Foundation.

“In other convention action, First Baptist Church of Winter Park was recognized for its role in establishing new churches in Florida, donating approximately $3 million to that cause.” (Excerpts from The Orlando Sentinel, November 18, 1995)

EPISCOPAL: “Retired Episcopal bishop may face heresy trial over ordaining gay. WASHINGTON – Conservative bishops have obtained the votes they need to put the retired bishop of Iowa on trial for heresy, Episcopal Church headquarters announced Friday.

“The accused, Bishop Walter C. Righter, 71, is charged with violating church doctrine by ordaining a ‘practicing homosexual’ as a church deacon.

“Several other bishops, including Washington, D.C.; and Stewart Wood of the Michigan diocese, have also been criticized for ordaining openly homosexual people. “

(Excerpts from Santa Barbara News Press, August 19, 1995)

METHODISTS: “Problems Cited in ‘confusion’ of Methodists: They may not be suffering an identity crisis, but United Methodists are finding out that a flexible theology can lead to confusion.

“An unprecedented study led by Duke University scholars has found that many United Methodists don’t quite know were the church stands.

“The denomination’s traditional openness to other perspectives ­­– for instance, from women, blacks, Latin Americans or Asians – confuses some people and irritates others, said Dennis Campbell, the dean of the Duke Divinity School and one of the study’s directors. ‘There is an great deal of diversity,’ he said. ‘This has caught up with us in ways that are causing people to say, ‘Is there anything you really stand for?’

“The study’s 45 researchers are meeting at St. Simons Island, Georgia, this weekend to put their data on the table.

“In a speech Friday to open the meeting, Campbell said that preliminary conclusions have turned up four major problems: money, a bulky bureaucracy, a leadership gap and a theology that is seen as fuzzy and soft.

“‘The confusion in theology that now characterizes the church has resulted in a situation that leaves us without clarity,’ he said. ‘One of the most serious problems for United Methodism is the perception that there are no theological norms, no bounds beyond which it is impossible to go and still be a Methodist...’

“The faith’s tolerance of other ideas – thinking of God as a woman, for example – clashes with some members’ demands that United Methodism should return to the Bible as the authority.

“‘There is a point of view that is very hostile to the openness of the church,’ said the Rev. Steve Hickle of Fairmont United Methodist Church in Raleigh. ‘There is a hostility to the openness of all people, the openness to talking about ideas, the openness to theologies that come from the Third World perspective or the feminist perspective.’

“The Rev. Jerry Smith of Ashbury United Methodist Church said that one reason for the drop in membership is a growing distance between the leadership and churchgoer.

“‘There has been a disconnect between the hierarchy of the church and the person in the pew,’ he said. ‘As a result, I think that we have not told our story and claimed our roots as effectively as we should have.’

“Campbell said in his speech Friday that the Lilly study also has found something of a brain drain in the leadership. ‘Many Methodists worry that the church is not developing the lay or clergy leadership it needs to move beyond the bureaucratic response to critical issues,’ he said. (Associated Press, Winston-Salem Journal, August 29, 1995)

The Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement: The LHMM magazines have been much better than in the past. Very little is mentioned about their non-existent class – Consecrated Epiphany Campers. But they teach that there is no longer an opportunity for Youthful Worthies since 1954, although Brothers Russell and Johnson teach that Youthful Worthies are to be won “until Restitution begins.” See Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915, regarding an unbegotten class to be won after the door to the High Calling is closed. The LHMM also teach that the Epiphany is overlapping into the Basileia since 1954. Their overlapping is now longer than their Epiphany proper. Their Bible Standard of Christ’s Kingdom for July, 1995, p. 54 states: “As shown in E Vol. 4, pp. 53-58, the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble are identical (Luke 17:29). Hence the end of the lease of the power to the Gentiles, and the beginning of the Time of Trouble in 1914, indicate clearly the beginning of the Epiphany period at that time.” Since the Time of Trouble did not end in 1954 the Epiphany did not end then. Thus, we are still in the Epiphany and the opportunity for Youthful Worthies remains open.

Bible Students: Some Bible students believe the door is still open to the High Calling. Do they believe there will be opportunity to consecrate for the Bride of Christ “until Restitution begins?” These Bible Student groups have not invented a new class for which they are to be commended. However, they seldom mention other elect classes such as the Great Company and the Ancient Worthies, nor do they mention the unbegotten class That Servant taught in Reprint 5761. They believe Brother Russell was That Servant, and so do we, but we do not believe he was infallible. If the Bible Student groups do not believe in the unbegotten class and a second Harvest, they should inform us of this and let us know their reasons for not accepting this doctrine.

NO. 471: “THE EVERLASTING FATHER”

No. 471

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are a few people of good will toward mankind, and who even have good will for Jehovah’s Witnesses but do not accept their errors or join them. The JWs tell us that all men must accept their errors and join them or be annihilated in Armageddon. But Luke 2:10 tells us there will be “Good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” If we accept the translation of Luke 2:14 to mean “Peace among men of good will,” it greatly minimizes the scope of this glorious song. It implies that some few men will have “good will” among themselves, but this does not include “all people.” How utterly barren of hope for men would such an expression be! How little the song of the angels would mean if this were its message.

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

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

PROGRESSION OF GOD’S GREAT PLAN

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

Thru all the Ages since the fall of Adam God’s plan has been slowly, steadily progressing. While men have been learning in pain, tears and trouble which is the results of sin, God has been selecting His elect to bless the non-elect in the Kingdom (Acts 17:31). The first are the Ancient Worthies who will be “princes in all the earth” (Psa. 45:16). Next will be the chief of all the elect to reign as Kings and Priests of God on the highest plane of existence. The chief of the elect is His Beloved Son, the Savior of the world, whose birth the angels proclaimed to the shepherds watching in the plains of Judea (Isa. 42:1). There will be an unbegotten class won at the end of the Gospel Age as taught by That Servant in Reprint 5761 “until restitution begins.” We call this class “Youthful” Worthies, as they are to be rewarded with the “Ancient” Worthies given in Hebrews Chapter Eleven. When all the elect ones are chosen and prepared, then the blessing of the world at large will be inaugurated. “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God [the Church]. For the creature was made subject to frailty, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19‑21)

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

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

CHRIST’S DEATH A BLESSING TO ALL

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

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

THE GOOD SHEPHERD – THE CHRIST

“I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) The Evangelist first presented Christ to our attention as “the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14), “made flesh” (John 1:14), that He might be the Light of the world: afterward, under His presentation, we considered Him as the Feeder of the hungry; then as the Giver of the water of life to the thirsty; next as the Healer of human woes, and the Supplier of human needs, spiritual as well as temporal; next as the Opener of the eyes of our understanding. In the lesson now before us He presents Christ’s mission from another standpoint – as the Good Shepherd.

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

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

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

Some tell us how they have experimented and proved these peculiar statements of the parable; one asked the shepherd to call some particular sheep by name, to see whether or not it would come to him; the shepherd called one that was far off, and it immediately lifted its head, looked toward him, and when the call was repeated started, and wending its way in and out thru the flock, came to his feet, where he patted its head in reward for its obedience. Thinking this possibly a solitary instance, requests were made for repetitions of the test, with similar results. Another traveler imitated the shepherd’s voice, and called the sheep, but they paid no attention. Thinking that it was because he had not on the shepherd’s garments, to test the matter, he and the shepherd changed raiment, but still the sheep would not heed the voice of the stranger; but when the shepherd spoke to them, even though clothed in the garments of the stranger, they knew his voice and at once responded. Our Lord used these facts, well known to His hearers, to illustrate His relationship to the Lord’s people, as their Shepherd, the Son of the Great Shepherd; and He pointed out that all who were truly of His flock would hear His voice, would not be deceived by the Adversary, though he should disguise himself in garments of light, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. He declares, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) Those who are not following the Lord, in obedience to His voice, expressed in word and example, are not His flock; nor are they in the way marked out by the Divine goodness and mercy, to dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

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

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

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

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

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

The call of the present time is not a general one, but as this Scripture declares, “he calleth his own sheep by name” – it is therefore a special call. “The Lord knoweth them that are his.” (2 Tim. 2:19) They manifest relationship to Him as His flock by their obedience to His call – by following Him. The flock which is called, and which will make its calling and election sure, the Scriptures inform us will be only “a little flock,” and the fold provided for these is a special one; viz., the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

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

A part of the key to this parable, as it is also the key to many other features of the Divine plan, is found in the fact that the sheep of the “little flock,” being called and selected to joint‑heirship in the Kingdom, are to be sacrificed: as the Shepherd, the King’s Son, Himself was sacrificed as the Lamb of God, and not only opened the door to those who are shut up under the Law, but by the same sacrifice also redeemed the whole world of mankind, amongst which are the “other sheep” (John 10:16), Kingdom sheep that He is yet to seek, so the sheep of the “little flock,” now called, are all to suffer with Christ – with the Lamb of God – are all to be “living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God, as their reasonable ser­vice.” (Rom. 12:1) As the Apostle elsewhere declares, “Hereby we know love, because He laid down His life on our behalf: and we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren,” for the fellow‑sheep. (1 John 3:16, Dia.)

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

MORE ON THE KINGDOM

In this connection we may well quote John 3:16,17, which has appropriately been called the Gospel in a nut shell: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world thru Him might be saved [from Adamic condemnation].” Here God’s love, Christ’s death and the Spirit’s work, for salvation on behalf of the world are clearly set forth; but as yet the world has not gotten the benefit of them. In John l2:32,33, Jesus’ death is set forth as the meritorious cause whereby all men will be favorably influenced toward Him by the Spirit: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This He said, signifying what death He should die”; but all have not in this life been drawn to Him. St. Paul tells us clearly in Rom. 5:18,19 that Christ died in order to deliver the race from the condemnation into which it was involved by Adam, and that this deliverance will be realized: “As by the offence of one [Adam] judgment [the sentence] came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One [Christ] the free gift shall come [the future tense in the parallel expression of the next verse shows that the italicized word came should give place to the words shall come, seeing that the italicized words here as everywhere else in the Bible are lacking in the original Greek] upon all men [the purpose of] unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners [thru heredity], so by the obedience of One shall the many be made righteous [of the Adamic sin]”; but manifestly this has not yet happened to all. Very clearly does 1 Tim. 2:4‑6 prove God’s love, Christ’s death and the Spirit’s work for all men unto salvation: “God will [literally, willeth to] have all men to be saved [not eternally, but from the Adamic sin and condemnation] and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth [this shows God’s love to all], to be testified [the Spirit’s work] in due times [the Greek word is plural, times, or seasons, referring to the Gospel Age and the Millennial Age as the periods for giving the testimony].”

THE KINGDOM’S RESULTS

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

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

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

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

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint 294, December 1979)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to thank you for providing us with information concerning your organization in the past.

Our Contemporary Religious Movements Center is frequently used as a resource by students to gain first hand knowledge of various groups. In order to insure that your group is not misrepresented it is essential for us to keep the files up to date. Any data that you can provide to help us achieve this would be much appreciated. Please inform us of the cost/fees of providing the literature/information. We are particularly interested in being placed or retained on your mailing list.

For your information Winnipeg Bible College has recently changed its name and is presently called Providence College and Seminary.

Sincerely, ….., Director (CANADA)

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Dear Sister:

For the last few weeks I’ve been thinking that I should be dropping you a line, to inquire after your health and thank you again for the good newsletters. The arrival of Nos. 468 and 469 were a good reminder.

How are you doing? Last time we corresponded, you were not altogether well. I trust things are a little better.

The San Diego Bible Students are already getting ready for their annual convention in November. I’ll be there to show the computer program called “Harvest Truth Data Base.” Have you gotten a copy yet? It is available for PC-based computers, and has been a real help. They’ve just completed scanning the rest of the Towers published before Pastor Russell’s death. The remaining disks should be ready soon.

I was intrigued to read that there is a biography of Pastor Russell unknown to us. Your letter #469 made me very curious about the book. You say there is no author; is there a title or a publisher? And have you been successful in finding additional copies? God is good, and His blessings are with us. I wish you well, and look forward to further correspondence. God bless. Sincerely, ... (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Sister,

I sure do feel sorry for those people without some knowledge of the Truth in these days of the Time of Trouble. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.” (Matt. 24:21-22) [This latter refers to Anarchy which is future. We have been in the beginning of the Time of Trouble since World War One in 1914.]

The Oklahoma City bombing was a tragedy, as were the gas attacks on the Tokyo subways. I feel so sorry for the young mothers and fathers that lost their little children. “But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days, for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.” (Luke 21:23 – also Matt. 24:19 and Mark 13:17)

I would guess that we have only scratched the surface when it comes to “famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places.” (Matt. 24:7) I am not certain when Jacob’s last trouble will begin, but one can see the stage being set. I remember my mother telling me that when Israel is really in trouble with the entire world against her, the Ancient Worthies will be resurrected and will be helping Israel. I don’t suppose that the time is here yet??? What are your feelings in this regard? [We believe in Jacob’s last trouble they will go to God in prayer. He will answer them and will “go forth, and fight against those nations [peoples], as when he fought in the day of battle.” (Zech. 14:3 – See vs. 1,2) Then their blind eyes will be opened. Israel will not get peace from man.]

I have been able to read a little lately and have started by reading the First Volume. I found some notes left by Grandma Gracie that referred to Volume 4, Chapter 1, pages 13-14, on what Pastor Russell said concerning the Time of Trouble. Rereading that gives me great comfort, especially when I keep in mind what is to happen after the Time of Trouble. I must close for now.

I love you. Always, ….. (VIRGINIA)

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NO. 470: HISTORY OF THE GOSPEL-AGE APOSTATE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

No. 470

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

A request has come to us to give the history of the apostate Christian Church dur­ing the Gospel Age, which we shall now at­tempt:

Jesus, of course, established the Church in its pristine purity, which example the Apostles also followed. However, the Church greatly increased in numbers imme­diately after Jesus’ resurrection (“the number of men that believed was about five thousand” – Acts 4:4). This number was from just one effort of the Apostles; and others were won in various places, so that the Apostles could not have the control that Jesus had when He was with them. Thus Paul tells us in 2 Thes. 2:7 that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work,” although the Worldly Politicians Did Not Enter The Fray Until A Few Hundred Years Later.

Constantine The Great – It was not until the third period of the Church – the Per­gamos epoch – that the politicians became active. Pergamos means “earthly elevation”; and it was during this period that earthly elevation really made its appearance in the Christian church – when Roman Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity – about AD 313. The Roman emperors have always held the notion that affiliation with some relig­ion was essential to their success in ruling the Roman people. So, when the Church had increased in sufficient numbers, Constantine considered it good business to join with them.

And being a true Roman, he entered the Christian Church with the same ardor that he did with secular things, so he is designated as “the great.” Before his acceptance of Christianity there was raging in the Church a great controversy over the Trinity; and, when Constantine learned of this, he did what would ordinarily be considered a clever thing: He summoned the bishops of the Christian Church from all over the Empire to the Council of Nice in AD 325. About 350 of those “bright minds” responded – a third of all the bishops in the Empire. There they engaged in heated debate about this delicate subject. The chief opponent of this great error was the Star Mem­ber, Arius. So much had he aroused the populace that one of his opponents in that debate made this statement from the platform: This man has so agitated the people that if you go into a store and ask the price of bread, the answer you get is “the Father is greater than the Son, and the Son is inferior to the Father.” But of all that assembly only two stood with Arius; so Constantine stood with the majority – probably thinking it good politics to do so; and he banished Arius from the Roman Empire. But this old man, ­in his seventies, went to North Africa. During the eleven years he lived there he established a flourishing Church. And what was their name? Why Arians, of course! The Catholics called Arius a heretic, and still do so to this day.

St. Augustine, also of North Africa, was considered by many the most brilliant mind of the human race in all history. When asked to explain this error, he said it is simply a mystery, not capable of explanation. Recently we read the expression of one writer, who concluded that the popes of the Dark Ages were not all bad because none of them has ever denied the Trinity.

Justinian – AD 483-565. This man became Roman Emperor in AD 527. From the year 500 onward there had again arisen a heated debate over the Trinity, and the emperor was not to be left out of that. He was a scholarly man, a great intellect. He codified the Roman law; and his legal and architectural monu­ments have lasted thru the centuries. As a codifier of laws and as a legislator he published the Codex Justinianus in 534. He also had a very stringent ecclesiastical policy, which supported “orthodoxy” (meaning belief in the Trinity, etc.); and he forced many pagans and “heretics” to stop teaching.

The battle over the Trinity is recorded as the second great “heresy” in the East­ern Empire, the first having been “disputed by the teachings of the Alexandrian pres­byter Arius, who, in an effort to maintain the oneness and majesty of God the Father, had taught that he alone had existed from eternity, while God the Son had been created in time.” Thanks in part to imperial support, the Arian heresy had persisted throughout the 4th century and was definitely condemned only in 381 with promulgation of the doc­trine “that Father and Son were of one substance and thus coexistent.”

And some more from the same writer: “If the fathers of the 4th century quarreled over the relations between God the Father and God the Son, those of the 5th century faced the problem of defining the relationship of the two natures – the human and the Divine – within God the Son, Christ Jesus. The theologians of Alexandria generally held that the Divine and human natures were united indistinguishably, whereas those of Antioch taught the two natures coexisted separately in Christ, the latter being ‘the chosen vessel of the Godhead – the man born of Mary.’ In the course of the 5th cen­tury, these two contrasting theological positions became the subject of a struggle for supremacy among the rival sees of Constantinople, Alexandria and Rome. Nevertheless Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople in 428, adopted the Antiochene formula, which in his hands, came to stress the human nature of Christ to the neglect of the Divine. His opponents (first the Alexandrian patriarch, Cyril, and later Cyril’s followers, Dios­courus and Eutyches), in reaction emphasized the single Divine nature of Christ, the result of the incarnation. Their belief in One God, or the nature of Christ as God the Son, became extraordinarily popular throughout the provinces of Egypt and Syria. Rome, in the person of Pope Leo I, declared in contrast of dual gods, a creed teaching that ‘two natures, perfect and perfectly distinct, existed in the single person of Christ.’

“Justinian is but one example of the civilizing magic that Constantinople often worked upon the heirs of those who ventured within its walls. Justin, the uncle, was a rude and illiterate soldier; Justinian, the nephew, was a cultured gentleman, adept at theology, a mighty builder of churches, and a sponsor of the codification of Roman law. All these accomplishments are, in the deepest sense of the word civilian; and it’s easy to forget that Justinian’s empire was almost constantly at war during his reign. The history of east Rome during that period illustrates, in classical fashion, how the impact of war can transform ideas and institutions alike. The reign opened with external warfare and internal strife. From Lazica to the Arabian desert, the Persian frontier blazed into action in a series of campaigns, in which many of the gen­erals later destined for fame in the West, first demonstrated their capacities. The strength of the east Roman armies is revealed in the fact that, while containing Pers­ian might, Justinian could nonetheless dispatch troops to attack the Huns in the Crimea and to maintain the Danubian frontier against a host of enemies. In 532 he abandoned military operations for diplomacy, negotiating, at the cost of considerable tribute, an ‘Endless Peace’ with the Persian king Khosrow, which freed the Roman hands for operations in another quarter of the globe.”

His subjects at that time were divided mainly into two classes – the Blues and the Greens. The Blues were the landholding senatorial aristocracy – mostly orthodox in their sympathies; the Greens, in contrast, found their leaders among men whose wealth was based upon trade and industry and whose theological sympathies lay with the One-God idea. There were some very severe riots during Justinian’s reign. In one of them his troops slaughtered 30,000 rioters. Their leaders were executed, and their estates passed, at least temporarily, into the emperor’s hands. The western Romans preferred the rule of a Catholic Roman emperor to that of an Arian German kinglet. In those early years of the 530s, Justinian could indeed pose as the pattern of a Roman and Christian emperor. Latin was his language; and his knowledge of Roman history and antiquities was profound. In 529 his officials had completed a major collection of the laws and degrees of the emperors promulgated since the reign of Hadrean. Known as the Code of Justinian and partly founded upon the fifth century Code of Theodosius, this connection of imperial edicts pales before the Digest under Tribonian in 533. Meanwhile archi­tects and builders worked apace to complete the new Church of the Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, designed to replace older churches.

It took five years to complete the Church of the Holy Wisdom. It was finished in AD 539, which marked the beginning of the 1260 years supremacy of the apostate church, united with the kings and emperors of the various unchristian governments until 1799, of which more later.

It should be noted here that Justinian dealt with almost every aspect of the Chris­tian life: entrance into it by conversion and baptism, administration of the sacraments that marked its several stages, proper conduct of the laity to avoid the wrath God would surely visit upon a sinful people; finally, the standards to be followed by those who lived the particularly holy life of the secular or monastic clergy. Pagans were ordered to attend church and accept baptism, while a purge thinned their ranks in Constantinople, and masses of them were converted by missionaries in Asia Minor. Only the orthodox wife might enjoy the privileges of her dowry; Jews and Samaritans were denied, in addition to other civil liberties, the privilege of testamentary inheritance unless they converted. A woman who worked as an actress might better serve God were she to forswear any oath she had taken – even though before God – to remain in that immoral profession. Blasphemy and sacrilege were forbidden, or famine, earthquake, and pestilence would punish the Christian society. Surely God would take vengeance on Constantinople, as He had on Sodom and Gomorrah when the homosexual persisted in his “unnatural” ways.

The best possible men were needed, for, in most Roman cities in the sixth century, imperial and civil officials gradually surrendered many of their functions to the bishop, or patriarch. The latter collected taxes, dispensed justice, provided charity, organ­ized commerce, negotiated with barbarians, and even mustered the soldiers. By the early seventh century, the typical Byzantine city, viewed from without, actually or potentially resembled a fortress; viewed from within, it was essentially a religious community under ecclesiastical leadership. Nor did Justinian neglect the monastic clergy, or those who had removed themselves from the world. Drawing upon the regulations to be found in the writings of the 4th century Church, as well as the acts of the 4th and 5th century church councils, Father St. Basil of Caesarea ordered the cenobitic (or col­lective) form of monastic life in a fashion so minute that later codes, including the rule of St. Theodore the Studite in the ninth century, only further developed the Justinianic foundation.

Probably the least successful of Justanian’s ecclesiastical policies were those adopted in an attempt to reconcile the Trinitarians and non‑Trinitarians. After the success of negotiations that had done so much to conciliate the West during the reign of his uncle, Justinian attempted to win over the moderate anti‑trinitarians, separat­ing them from the extremists. Of the complicated series of events that ensued, only the results need be noted. In developing a creed acceptable to the moderate trinitar­ians of the East, Justinian alienated the believers of the West and thus sacrificed his earlier gains in that section.

However, that same century witnessed the growth of a Christian culture to rival it. Magnificent hymns were written by St. Romanos Melodos, and reveal the striking develop­ment of the liturgy during Justinian’s reign, a development that was not without its social implications. Whereas traditional pagan culture was literary and its pursuit or enjoyment thereby limited to the leisurely and wealthy, the Christian liturgical celebration and its musical component were available to all, regardless of place or position.

Next came the acceptance of images as a normal feature of Christian practice, which satisfied certain powerful needs as Christianity spread among the Gentiles and certain Hellenized Jews who had broken with the Mosaic commandment. The convert all the more readily accepted use of the image if he had brought into his Christianity, as many did, a heritage of heathenism. These people taught that thru contemplation of that which could be seen – i.e., the image of Christ – the mind might rise to that which could not be seen. From a belief that the seen suggests the unseen, it is but a short step to a belief that the seen contains the unseen and that the image deserves veneration be­cause Divine power somehow resides in it. And this then was but a short step to vener­ation of the emperor’s image – the Divine right of kings.

The foregoing detail has been given to offer very positive proof that Justinian was indeed the foundation of the 1260 years of real apostate Christianity, most of which finds no support from the Bible, the teachings of Jesus or the Apostles. Of course, the Communists in Russia saw this, probably not so clearly, when they took over in 1917, took the supposed bodies of the saints, which had never decayed, and picked them apart on the steps of the temple, to show they were nothing more than stuffed cotton dummies – ­much to the amazement of the Russian faithful Christians.

Charlemagne – AD 742-814. Latin Carolus Magnus, meaning Charles the Great. King of the Franks 768‑814, he united by conquest nearly all Christian lands of western Europe and ruled as emperor 800‑814. His reign was characterized by a brilliant court and by an imperial unity unrivaled for centuries before and after. He conquered the Lombards and the pagan Saxons, whom he Christianized. He continued expansion of the Frankish state. His close alliance with the Papacy and the papal desire for a western emperor to counter Byzantium resulted in the coronation of Charlemagne in 800. His court became an intellectual, political and administrative center after 794.

The Papacy – From the time of Justinian to the reign of Charlemagne the apostate church made great strides in subduing all “heretics” and expanding their own territory and increasing their numbers. During that time the Papacy gradually developed. The word is derived from the Latin papacia, meaning pope or father. It is of medieval origin. In its primary usage it denotes the office of the pope (of Rome); hence, the system of ecclesiastical and temporal government over which the pope directly presides.

Early in the Age there developed two great divisions of the Church – the Roman and the Greek. One of the outstanding differences between them is that the Roman system forbids its priests to marry, while the Greek does not. As the conflict between the two sharpened, Rome decided to build up its prestige by naming their leader the Pope, which means Father. Not to be outdone, the Greeks then named their leader the Patriarch, which means Great Papa; and thus it stands to this day, although the Greek Catholic Church is now without a titular head.

Of course, the Roman Church claimed to be the successor to St. Peter, the “chief of the Apostles,” although there is no record at all that St. Peter ever even visited the City of Rome, much less reside there. And there is strong logic to prove that he never was in Rome. “The multiplicity and variety of papal titles themselves indicates the complexity of the papal office. In the official Vatical directory he is described as Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, successor of the prince of the Apostles, supreme pontiff of the universal church, sovereign of the state of Vatican City, servant of the servants of God. In his more circumscribed capacities as Bishop of Rome, metropolitan of the Roman province, primate of Italy, and patriarch of the West, the pope is the bearer of responsibilities and the wielder of powers that have their counterparts in the other episcopal, metropolitan primatial, and patriarchal jurisdictions of the Catholic Church. [The Bible does not give God Himself as many titles as the Pope has.]”

What differentiates his particular jurisdiction from others and renders his office unique is the Roman Catholic teaching that the Bishop of Rome is at the same time successor to St. Peter, prince of the Apostles. As the bearer of the Petrine office, he is raised to a position of lonely eminence as chief bishop or primate of the univer­sal church. The precise lineaments of this belief have undergone considerable development over the centuries, but as defined by the first Vatican Council in 1870 (when the ruling power in Italy, the house of Savoy, severed all connection with the Roman Church) – and reaffirmed by the second in 1974. It involves these fundamental as­sertions: that Christ singled out St. Peter among the Apostles, conferring upon him not only a preeminence among them but also the leadership or primacy in that visible community or church which he established after His resurrection; that Christ intended this primacy to be one not merely of honour but of true jurisdiction, and one exercised not merely by Peter himself but also by his successors down thru the ages to the end of time; and that the bishops of Rome are to be recognized as these successors.

“Because of the development of this belief the popes have come over the course of time to wield supreme legislative, executive and judicial powers [jurisdictional func­tions] in the church – issuing authoritative statements on matters of doctrine [the magisterial or teaching function] creating and suppressing church laws, establishing dioceses, appointing bishops, controlling missions, acting as a court of first instance as well as of appeal, and performing either by deputy or in person, a host of other func­tions. Also, because of this belief, they had assumed already in the 5th century the title of supreme pontiff (summus pontifex) that had earlier been borne by the pagan Roman emperors as the heads of the college of priests. During the Middle Ages the popes also began to monopolize the title of ‘vicar (i.e., representative) of Christ,’ which, like the very name of pope for that matter, the early Latin church had customarily accorded to bishops in general. The title of sovereign of the state of Vatican City refers to the pope’s position as temporal ruler of the tiny sovereign state in Rome created in 1929 by Italy in accordance with the terms of the Lateran Treaty [with Mussolini]. The last title, ‘servant of the servants of God,’ an essentially pastoral designation, is the title that popes themselves have very often chosen when called upon to issue solemn pronounce­ments of great importance for the whole church.”

The Instruments Of Papal Government – “In the day‑to-day exercise of his primatial jurisdiction the pope relies on the assistance of the Roman Curia, a name first used of the body of papal assistants in the 11th century. The Curia had its origin in the local body of presbyters (priests), deacon (lower order of clergy), and notaries (lower clerics with secretarial duties), upon which, like other bishops in their own dioceses, the early bishops of Rome relied for help. By the 11th century, this body had, on the one hand, been narrowed down to include only the leading (or cardinal) presbyters and deacons of the Roman diocese, while, on the other hand, being broadened out to embrace the cardinal‑bishops (the heads of the seven neighboring or ‘suburban.’ dioceses). From this emerged the Sacred College of Cardinals, a corporate body possessed, from 1179 onward, of the exclusive right to elect the pope. This right it still possesses, as it does the right to govern the church in urgent matters during a vacancy in the papal office. Recent popes have extended the size of the Sacred College beyond the traditional limit of 70 [which had been patterned after the Jewish Sanhedrin of 70 members], and have attempted, with growing success, to broaden its national complexion and to make its membership more faithfully representative of the church’s international character.

“During the Middle Ages, the cardinals played an important role as a corporate body, not only during the papal vacancies, as today, but also during the pope’s lifetime. In the 12th century the Roman councils that the popes had hitherto convoked when urgent matters were at hand were replaced by the assembly of the cardinals, or consistory, which thus became the most important collegial (corporate) body advising the pope and partici­pating in his judicial activity. Eventually it began to make oligarchic claims to a share in the powers of the Petrine office, and attempted with sporadic success, to bind the pope to act on important matters only with its consent. During the 16th century, however, with the final establishment of the Roman congregations (administrative commit­tees), each charged with the task of assisting the pope in a specific area of government, the significance of the consistory began to decline, and with it the importance of the cardinals as a corporate body.”

Another Authority – Following is a quotation from Volume 2, Studies in the Scriptures, p. 310: “From Ferraris’ Ecclesiastical Dictionary, a standard Roman Catholic authority, we quote the following condensed outline of papal power as given under the word papa: ‘The pope is of such dignity and highness that he is not simply a man, but, as it were, God, and the vicar [representative] of God... Hence the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven, of earth and of hell. Nay, the pope’s excellence and power are not only about heavenly, terrestrial and infernal things, but he is also above angels, and is their superior; so that if it were possible that angels could err from the faith, or entertain sentiments contrary thereto, they could be judged and excommuni­cated by the pope... He is of such great dignity and power that he occupies one and the same tribunal with Christ; so that whatsoever the pope does seems to pro­ceed from the mouth of God... The pope is, as it were, God on earth, the only prince of the faithful of Christ, the greatest king of all kings, possessing the plenitude of power; to whom the government of the earthly and heavenly kingdom is entrusted.’ He further adds: ‘The pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, declare or interpret the Divine Law. The pope can sometimes counteract the Divine Law limiting, explaining, etc.’

“Thus, Antichrist not only endeavored to establish the Church in power before the Lord’s time, but it was audacious enough to attempt to ‘counteract’ and ‘modify’ Divine laws to suit its own schemes. It thus fulfilled the prophecy which over a thousand years before declared, ‘He shall think to change times and laws.’ (Dan. 7:25)

“In a bull, or edict, Sixtus V declares: ‘The authority given to St. Peter and his successors by the immense power of the eternal King, excels all the power of earthly kings and princes. It passeth uncontrollable sentence upon them all. And if it find any of them resisting God’s ordinance, it takes more severe vengeance on them, casting them down from their thrones, however powerful they may be, and tumbling them down to the lowest parts of the earth as ministers of aspiring Lucifer.

“A bull of Pope Pius V, entitled ‘The damnation and excommunication of Elizabeth, Queen of England, and her adherents – with an addition of other punishments,’ reads:

“‘He that reigneth on high, to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth, com­mitted one holy, catholic and apostolic church (out of which there is no salvation) to one alone upon earth, namely, to Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and to Peter’s suc­cessor, the Bishop of Rome, to be governed in fullness of power. Him alone he made prince over all people and all kingdoms, to pluck, destroy, scatter, consume, plant and build.’ Saint Bernard affirms that ‘none except God is like the pope, either in heaven or on earth.’

“‘The Emperor Constantine,’ says Pope Nicholas I, ‘conferred the appellation of God on the pope; who, therefore, being God, cannot be judged of man.’

“Said Pope Innocent III: ‘The pope holds the place of the true God; and the cannon law, in the gloss, denominates the pope – our Lord God.’

“Innocent and Jacobatius state that ‘the pope can do nearly all that God can do,’ while Decius rejects the word nearly as unnecessary. Jacobatius and Durand assert that ‘none dare to say to him any more than to God – Lord, what doest thou?’ And Antonius wrote: ‘To him [the pope] it belongs to ordain those things which pertain to the pub­lic good, and remove those things which prevent this end, as vices, abuses which alienate men from God... And this according to Jeremiah 1:10: ‘Behold, I have placed thee over the nations and kingdoms, to root up and destroy, to scatter and disperse,’ that is, as it regards vices. [Here again appropriating to Antichrist a prophecy which belongs to Christ’s Millennial reign.]

“‘The church can punish, indirectly, the Jews with spiritual punishment, by excom­municating Christian princes to whom the Jews are subject, if they neglect to punish them with temporal punishment when they do anything against Christians.’ Men may speed­ily be led into every form of cruelty and oppression, if first they can convince them­selves that in the exercise of such depravities they are the more like God – imitators of God.

“‘The power of the pope is exercised over schismatics and heretics, denoted also by oxen, because they resist the truth with the horn of pride.’ The following utterances of the popes, culled from Fox’s Acts and Monuments, by H. G. Guinness, an English writer of note, deserves a place of prominence... ‘If he that exalteth himself shall be abased, what degradation can be commensurate with such self‑exaltation as this?’

“‘Wherefore, seeing such power is given to Peter, and to me in Peter, being his successor, who is he then in all the world that ought not to be subject to my decrees, which have such power in heaven, in hell, in earth, with the quick and also the dead.’”

SUMMARY – Much more of the foregoing can be given, but we assume that what we have written is sufficient for present conditions. Therefore we now recapitulate various dates and the occurrences of each date:

AD 313 – In that year Constantine the Great was the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity.

AD 325 – Constantine summoned the Council of Nice to consider the Trinity. Being the politician that he was, the emperor went with the crowd and accepted the error, banishing Arius and his two confederates from the Roman Empire.

AD 539 – Roman emperor Justinian conferred great favors upon the Roman Catholic Church, favoring them with a temple which was five years in building; and 539 marked the beginning of the 1260 years of dominance of the Church, a period that ended in 1799, of which more later.

AD 799 – In that year Charlemagne greatly enhanced the prestige and power of the Church by merging his vast empire (practically all of Christendom) with the Church. That marked the beginning of “The Holy Roman Empire” – the beginning of the counterfeit Millennium. When we ponder the real Millennium – “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying” (Rev. 21:4) – compared with the atrocities of their 799‑1799 Millen­nium, we recognize the depth of insult that is attempted by assuming the name of “Holy Millennium” for that period. And we can say the same for the Jehovah’s Witnesses who are now separating the “sheep from the goats” while sin is still in the ascendancy – ­when “knowledge is not abroad in the earth.”

AD 1799 – In that year Napoleon (the man of destiny, and mentioned in the Bible – ­Dan. 11:36‑45) declared himself emperor of France. He ordered the pope to come to France for the occasion; but, instead of asking the pope to crown him – as had been the custom for centuries – he boldly placed the crown on his own head, cast the pope into a French prison, where he died in deep disgrace, ending the phony Millennium and freeing the world of much of the butchery the apostate Church had been committing. But of Napoleon also it is recorded: “He shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” (Dan. 11:45) He was exiled to the Island of St. Helena, where he died.

AD 1870 – The House of Savoy severed all relations with the Vatican, thus divorc­ing the pope from all temporal power.

AD 1929 – Mussolini renewed Italian alliance with the Vatican; thus, the church could once more say, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow” (Rev. 18:7); but the church has been seeing plenty of “sorrow” since that date; and will see yet much more of it in the immediate years ahead. This is well expressed in Isa. 4:1: “In that day [in which we are now living] seven women [all the apostate church systems] shall take hold of one man [Christ], saying, We will eat our own bread [follow our own ideas and teachings], and wear our own apparel [flaunt our own respectability and position]: only let us be called by thy name [be called Christians], to take away our reproach [do not expose our apostate doings].”

“They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.” (Psa. 125:1) “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint 346, April 1984)

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Emily,

With love from the bottom of my heart... Thank you for sending me the book Pastor Charles Taze Russell, An Early American Christian Zionist. I have read it with lots of appreciation...

I have been in contact with Emek ha Shalom... The work they are doing impresses me... What surprises me is the low interest from the rest of the brethren around the world. The letters I have received from them have convinced me they are living and working in a spirit that was more common during the time of Pastor Russell. If our dear Pastor Russell would be alive today he would no doubt have a deeper contact with Emek ha Shalom than his followers. Why this low interest? Let us inform them! In their minds they may be thinking that the brothers are not preaching the true thoughts of Pastor Russell.

My kindest regards, love and good wishes are with you. ------- (SWEDEN)

IMPRESSIONS OF VISITORS TO EMEK HA SHALOM

A guide of a youth group said to his pupils: “In Emek ha Shalom they are preparing for the Coming of the Messiah.”

A teacher said to his youth group: “When I listen to Hermann it is like listening to one of our great ancient Prophets talking to me.”

After Brother Hermann’s lecture the guide said to his adult group: “That is what we are lacking but need so greatly, the Prophetic Spirit in which he spoke just now.”

Another visitor: “Our visit to Emek ha Shalom was an excursion to another world.”

Concerned visitors: “If there were still people like those in Emek ha Shalom, there would yet be hope.”

Groups from abroad which come to visit Emek ha Shalom have reported that their stay in Emek ha Shalom was the high light of their Israel trip.

In the TV Program about Emek ha Shalom we were introduced as “a group of Bible Students whose roots originated from the Apostles of Jesus.” The interviewer closed the report with the words: “I am just afraid that this visit to Emek ha Shalom was only a dream from which I will awake.”

Jews from Galilee: “We come again and again to visit Emek ha Shalom for strengthen­ing in this time of great troubles. There are not many people with such pure faith. You have taught us to believe in Jesus.”

A family from Nazareth: “Never before have we heard what we perceived now in Emek ha Shalom. Never before have we felt what we feel now. We leave this place a changed people.” Visitors afar: “We came because people are talking so much about this place.”

A Parliament member with his driver said when they saw Brother Hermann in his 95th-year working in the field: “Until now we have not seen anybody, even young working men, work with such energy.”

Teachers from a well known agriculture-school, Mikve Israel said “Hermann’s speech was like the Prophet Isaiah or Amos talking to us. We leave Emek ha Shalom elevated and in high spirits.”

A leader to his big adult group said while showing them Emek ha Shalom: “Here is the Valley of Peace. They built everything with such good taste and in such esthetic beauty, even to small particulars... Look at the well-groomed gardens, the harmony of the colors on the houses and the veranda, the nice paths around... and everything in an unusual cleanness which you don’t find in other places.”

Ehud Olmert, the mayor of Jerusalem: “I esteem and appreciate your honorable contribution in your faithful work for Israel. I wish you further success in your way.”

The Mayor of a city in Judea told us that Brother Hermann’s witness that he heard ten years ago made such a deep impression on him that it changed his whole life. He felt the necessity to return to the faith and realize it. Therefore he went to Judea and founded there a settlement which became a city for example.

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NO. 469: IN MEMORIAM

No. 469

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

Recently a biography of Brother Russell has come into our possession; and we believe our readers will benefit from reading some of it. The author does not give his name, so we cannot identify him, although he apparently is some one who was very close to That Servant. The book was copyrighted in 1923. We have tried to secure more copies of the book, but so far have failed.

We now quote from that book, and begin with some statements in the FOREWORD: “Our motive has been to do GOOD, as God has given us to understand what that means; therefore, we have no further explanation to make or apology to offer; merely pleading that we have earnestly and consistently striven to absorb the Truth and the spirit of the Truth which was so beautifully exemplified in the life of the subject in this book – our beloved Brother Russell, who labored so hard and earnestly to teach us how to walk as Christians should. God bless his memory!

“The Bible is THE BOOK of books in every sense; first, there is no other book like it in the world – for it is God’s Book or Message to the human family; second, it is a Book of Books for the reason that it is made up of many books, or portions, by many writers – sixty‑six divisions.

“In a complete and connected sense, this Book, though containing the Great Author’s Wonderful Plan of the Ages, was sealed to human understanding until our Lord’s PAROUSIA in 1874, when it was given him to ‘loose the seals,’ using a human instrument, ‘a chosen vessel,’ for this purpose.

“Charles Taze Russell was the one ‘chosen of God and faithful’ to this end; so he, under the Lord’s guidance, gave us ‘The Keys’ to the Scriptures – and to all sincere Christians these ‘Keys’ or Studies, have fulfilled the design of the author; for they have proved to be Helping Hands in the systematic study of the Bible. This book – MEMOIRS – tells you something about how and under what difficulties ‘That Servant’ attained the desired end – something of the discouragement he met and the obstacles he overcame. It is important to ponder well the revealments herein given pertaining to the Life, Works and Character of one of the greatest men the world has ever known.”

Now to the book proper: “Charles Taze Russell was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 16, 1852, of consecrated parents who were of Scotch‑Irish descent... In private Pastor Rus­sell admitted his belief that he had been chosen for the great work he had accomplished, as ‘that Servant,’ from before his birth... Up to the age of fifteen he believed as gospel truth all and only such doctrines as had been taught him... The clergy usually discouraged individual Bible research, and the asking of questions was considered equiva­lent to doubting, and to ‘doubt was to be dammed.’

“By skillful questions, which were unanswerable by either minister or laymen from their sectarian standpoints and by the maneuvering of many seemingly paradoxical Scrip­tures, an infidel completely routed young Russell, who within a few months became an admitted skeptic.

  “At twenty‑one Mr. Russell was possessed of much knowledge and voluminous data on religion as believed and practiced in all parts of the world. Apparently these were to become of no value to himself or others, because of large business responsibil­ities that were placed upon him at the time. The question that here confronted him was, ‘Shall I try longer to find the truth on religion? Or, shall I smother the hope of finding it and strive for fame and fortune among the financial and commercial captains of the time?’ Fortunately, he decided first to search the Scriptures from a skeptic’s standpoint, for its own answer on hell‑fire and brimstone.

“Amazed at the harmonious testimony, proving an unexpected but satisfactory answer, he undertook systematic Bible research and was brought to a complete confidence in the Bible as being inspired by an all‑wise, powerful, just and loving Creator, worthy of adoration and worship. Thus a sure anchor for a fainting hope was found, and an honest, truth‑seeking heart was made glad.

“In 1877 Pastor Russell called a meeting of all the ministers of Allegheny and Pittsburgh, showed them the Scriptures which indicated our Lord’s presence and urged them to investigate and proclaim the message. All the ministers of the two cities were present and all of the ministers of the two cities refused to believe. In that same year he gave up his secular work to devote his entire time and fortune to the work indicated in the Scriptures as incident to the close of the Gospel Age and the change of Dispensations impending. As a means of determining whether his purposed course was in harmony with the Scriptures, and also as a means of demonstrating his own sincerity, he decided to test the Lord’s approval, as follows:

“(1) Devote his life to the cause; (2) invest his private fortune (about $300,000.) in the promulgation of the work; (3) prohibit collection at all meetings; (4) depend on unsolicited contributions (which must be wholly voluntary) to continue the work after his own fortune was exhausted. Furthermore, in 1881 there were distributed free 1,400,000 copies of Food for Thinking Christians to the Protestant Churches in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, on three consecutive Sundays, by A.D.T. messenger boys. This was said to have been at a cost of $40,000.00.

“Charles Taze Russell enjoyed the immeasurable advantages of good birth. His par­ents were Christian people of marked intelligence and refinement. His father was a suc­cessful retail merchant of Allegheny, Pa. His mother died when he was about eight years of age, leaving him to be thereafter the boon companion of his father. As such, he learned to keep the rooms in which the father and son lived, and developed the traits of neatness and precision so marked in after life.

“He began at a very early age to take great interest in his father’s store. At the age of fifteen, so great was his sagacity as a wholesale buyer of merchandise that his father often sent him alone on purchasing tours to Philadelphia. A young man of such commercial talents would not long be working for others. He soon started a store of his own; this rapidly increased to a chain of stores. He was one of the pioneers in the development of the marvelously successful idea of the chain‑stores, an idea which has since enriched many men. His wealth increased by leaps and bounds. This was in the early sev­enties of the nineteenth century. Rockefeller was then unknown, nationally. The known millionaires of that day could have been counted on one’s fingers.

“Still he yearned to know God; but the creeds of Christendom only confused him. The young man began to see what all the theologians of the ages had failed to see – the harmony of the Word of God and the beauty of His plan. At the age of twenty‑four this young Bible student became aware of the time features of the Scriptures. It was at this age that he began to see that the end of the Gospel Dispensation would be marked by a great world war. It was the unfolding of these features of the truth that swept his earthly goods onto the altar of burnt‑offering and took him out into the campaign of preaching which ended only with his death.

  “One truth led logically to another, and made it possible for him to become recog­nized as the only theologian of the Gospel Age who had been able to demonstrate the harmony of the Bible with itself. ‘Unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness’ (Rev. 3:14) – and the angel did as com­manded, and long since ‘reported the matter.’ ‘Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.’ (Matt. 24:45, 46, 47) [We believe our Lord found Brother Russell “so doing” – diligently searching the Scriptures and made him That Servant.]

“Concerning the phenomenal work he did, we offer just a few short statements from him: Many are the inquiries relative to the truths presented in my writings – whence they came and how were they developed to their present symmetrical and beautiful proportions... I claim nothing of superiority, nor of supernatural power, dignity or authority; nor do I desire to exalt myself in the estimation of my brethren of the Household of Faith, except in the sense the Master urged, saying, ‘Let him who would be great among you be your servant.’ And my position among men of the world and of the nominal church is certainly far from exalted, being ‘everywhere evil spoken against.’ I am fully contented, however, to wait for exaltation until the Lord’s due time... Presently overcoming many besetments, discouragement, etc., to press along the line toward the mark of our high calling, and claiming only, as a faithful student of the Word of God, to be an index finger, as I have previously expressed it, to help you trace for yourselves, on the sacred page, the Wonderful Plan of God – no less wonderful to me, than to you, dearly beloved sharers of my faith and joy.

“No, the truths I present, as God’s mouthpiece, were not revealed in visions or dreams, nor by God’s audible voice, nor all at once, but gradually, especially since 1870 and particularly since 1880. Neither is this clear unfolding of truth due to human in­genuity or acuteness of perception, but to the simple fact that God’s due time has come; and if I did not speak, and no other agent could be found, the very stones would cry out... Nor can I name all the little points of Divine Favor in which faith was tested, prayers were answered, etc., remembering that our Master and the early Church left no such example of boasting faith, but rather admonished otherwise saying, ‘Hast thou faith? have it to thyself!’ Some of the most precious experiences of faith and prayer are those which are too sacred for public display... The Reformation movement, or rather move­ments, from then until now, have all done their share in bringing light out of darkness. Let me here confine myself to the consideration of the Harvest Truths as set forth in the Scriptures and the Watch Tower...

“I soon began to see that we were living somewhere near the close of the Gospel Age and near the time when the Lord had declared that the wise, the watching ones of His children, should understand – come to a clear knowledge of His Plan. At this time, my­self and a few other truth‑seekers in Pittsburgh, Pa., formed a class for Bible study and from 1870 to 1879 was a time of constant growth in grace and love of God and His Word. We came to see something of the love of God, how He had made provision for all mankind; how all must be awakened from the tomb in order that God’s loving Plan might be testi­fied to them.

“But though seeing that the Church was called to joint heirship with the Lord in the Millennial Kingdom, up to that time we had failed to see clearly the great distinction between the reward of the Church, now on trial, and the reward of the faithful of the world, after its trial, at the close of the Millennial Age: that the reward of the for­mer is to be the glory of the Spirit Nature, the Divine; while that of the latter is to be perfection of the human nature, once enjoyed in Eden by their progenitor, Adam.

UNDERSTANDING THE RANSOM

“However, it was not until 1872, when I gained a clearer view of our Lord’s work, as our ransom price that I found the strength and foundation of all hope of restitution to be in that doctrine. Up to that time, when I read the testimony that all in their graves should come forth, etc., I yet doubted the full provision – whether it should be understood to include idiots or infants who had died without reaching any degree of understanding, beings to whom the present life and its experiences would seem to be of little or no advantage. But when in 1872 I came to examine the subject of restitution from the standpoint of the Ransom Price given by our Lord Jesus for Adam, and conse­quently for all lost in Adam, it settled the matter of restitution completely and gave me the fullest assurance that ALL must come forth from their graves and be brought to a clear knowledge of the truth and to a full opportunity to gain everlasting life in Christ.

“Thus passed the years 1869 to 1872. The years following, to 1876, were years of continued growth in grace and knowledge on the part of the handful of Bible Students with whom I met in Allegheny. We progressed from our first crude and indefinite ideas of restitution to a clearer understanding of the details; but God’s due time for re­vealing the clear light had not yet come.

“During this time, too, we came to recognize the difference between our Lord as ‘the man who gave himself,’ and as the Lord who would come again, a Spirit Being. We saw that Spirit‑Beings can be present, and yet invisible to men. We greatly grieved at the error of Second Adventists, who were expecting Christ in the flesh, and teaching that the world and all in it, except Second Adventists, would be burned up in 1873 or 1874; their time settings and disappointments and crude ideas generally as to the object and manner of His coming, brought more or less reproach upon us and upon all who longed for and proclaimed His coming Kingdom.”

Here we would inject some conclusions of our own. We are fully persuaded that the full and complete understanding of the Ransom enabled Brother Russell to understand and clarify many Scriptures whose meaning had not been understood at all by God’s people. We explain just one: “I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Isa. 6:5,6,7)

The “live coal” in the above is Present Truth, and particularly the Present Truth upon the Ransom. While in Babylon we were all contaminated with the errors that prevailed there – and especially was this so about the Ransom. But once we came to a clear understanding of the Ransom, a great part of that error was purged from our minds. None of us could say this was true until That Servant had given us a clear explanation of the Ransom and kindred teachings. Then the words of Jesus assumed real meaning for us: “Thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matt. 6:22)

In the text quoted above, the Prophet Isaiah pictures God’s people in Babylon be­fore the Harvest – “those that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” (Ezek. 9:4) But it can properly be applied to Brother Russell himself, who was certainly much disturbed as he dwelt “in the midst of a people of un­clean lips” – those obsessed with much confusing error.

Now more from the book: “It was about Jan. 1, 1876, that my attention was spec­ially drawn to the subject of prophetic time, as it relates to these doctrines and hopes. It came about in this way: I received a paper called The Herald of the Morning, sent by its editor, Mr. N. H. Barbour. When I opened it I at once identified it with Adventism from the picture on its first cover, and I examined it with curiosity to see what ‘time’ they would next ‘set’ for the burning up of the world. But judge not a book from its cover! To my surprise and gratification I learned from its contents that its editor was beginning to get his eyes open on the subject which for some years had so greatly rejoiced our hearts in Allegheny – that the object of our Lord’s return is not to destroy, but to bless all the families of the earth; and that His coming would be thief‑like, and not in the flesh, but as a Spirit Being, invisible to men; and that the gathering of His Church and the separation of the wheat from the tares would progress in the end of this Age without the world’s being aware of it.

“I rejoiced to find others coming to the same advanced position, but was astonished to find the statement very cautiously set forth that the editor believed the prophecies to indicate that the Lord was already present in the world (unseen and invisible) and that the Harvest Work of gathering the tares was already due; and that this view was warranted by the time prophecies, which but a few months before he supposed had failed.

“Here was a new thought; could it be that the ‘Time Prophecies,’ which I had so long despised because of their misuse by the Adventists, were really meant to indicate when the Lord would be invisibly present to set up His Kingdom – a thing which I saw could be known in no other way? It seemed, to say the least, a very reasonable thing that the Lord would inform His people on the subject – especially as He had promised that He would not leave them in darkness with the world, and that although the day of the Lord would come upon all others as a thief in the night, it should not be so to the watch­ing, earnest Saints.

“I recalled certain arguments used by my friend, Jonas Wendall and other Adventists to prove that 1873 would witness the burning of the world, etc. – the chronology of the world showing that 6,000 years from Adam ended with the beginning of 1873, and that other arguments drawn from the Scriptures and supposed to coincide. Could it be that these time arguments, which I had passed by as unworthy of attention, really contained an impor­tant truth which they had misapplied?

“Anxious to learn from any quarter whatever God had to teach, I at once wrote to Mr. Barbour, informing him of my harmony on other points and desiring to know particulars why and upon what Scriptural evidences he held that Christ’s presence and the Harvesting of the Gospel Age dated from the Autumn of 1874.

“The answer showed that my surmise had been correct, namely, that the time prophecies – arguments – chronology, etc., were the same as used by Second Adventists in 1873, and explained how Mr. Barbour and Mr. J. H. Paton, of Michigan, a co-worker with him, had been regular Second Adventists up to that time; and that when the date 1874 had passed without the world being burned up, and without their seeing Christ in the flesh, they were for a time dumfounded. They had examined the time prophecies, which seemingly passed unfulfilled, and had been unable to find any flaw, and had begun to wonder whether the time was right and their expectations wrong; whether the views of restitution and blessings to the world, which myself and others were teaching, might not be the things to look for.

“It seems that not long after their 1874 disappointment, a reader of The Herald of the Morning, who had a copy of the Diaglott, noticed something in it which he thought peculiar – that in Matthew 24:27, 37, 39, the word which in our Common Version is rendered coming is translated presence. This was the clue; and, following it, they had been led thru prophetic time toward proper views regarding the object and manner of our Lord’s return. I, on the contrary, was led first to proper views of the object and manner of our Lord’s return, and then to an examination of the time, indicated in God’s Word. Thus God leads His children from different starting points of truth; but when the heart is earnest and trustful the result must be to draw all such together.

“But there were no books or other publications at that time setting forth the time prophecies as then understood; so I paid Mr. Barbour’s expenses to come to see me at Philadelphia, to show me fully and Scripturally, if he could, that the prophecies indicated 1874 as the date at which the Lord’s presence and the harvest began. This was in the summer of 1876. He came, and the evidence satisfied me. Being a person of positive convictions and fully consecrated to the Lord, I at once saw that the special times in which we were living have an important bearing upon our work and duty as Christ’s disci­ples; that being in the time of the Harvest, the Harvest work should be done; and that the present truth was the sickle by which the Lord would have us to do a gathering and reaping work everywhere among His children.

BEGINNING OF THE HARVEST WORK

“I inquired of Mr. Barbour as to what was being done by him and the Herald. He replied that nothing was being done; that the readers of the Herald, being disappointed Adventists, had nearly all lost interest and stopped their subscriptions; and that thus, with money exhausted, the Herald might be said to be practically suspended. I said to him that instead of feeling discouraged and giving up the work since with his newly found light on restitution (for when we first met he had much to learn from me on the fullness of restitution, based upon the sufficiency of the Ransom given for all, as I had much to learn from him concerning time), he should rather feel that now he had some good tidings to preach, such as he never had before, and that his zeal should be correspondingly increased. At the same time, the knowledge of the fact that we were already in the time of the Harvest gave me an impetus to spread the truth such as I never had before. I, therefore, resolved upon a vigorous campaign for the truth.

“So I determined to curtail my business cares and give my time, as well as my means, to the great Harvest Work. Accordingly, I sent Mr. Barbour back to his home, with money and instructions to prepare in concise book‑form the good tidings, so far as then understood, including the time features, while I closed out my Philadelphia business, prep­aratory to engaging in the work, as I afterwards did, traveling and preaching.

“This little book of 196 pages thus prepared was entitled ‘The Three Worlds’; and as I was enabled to give some time and thought to its preparation, it was issued by us both jointly, both names appearing on its title page, though it was mainly written by Mr. Barbour. While this was not the first book to teach a measure of restitution, nor the first to treat upon the time prophecies, it was, I believe, the first to combine the idea of restitution with time prophecy. From the sale of this book and from my purse, our traveling expenses, etc., were met. After a time I conceived of adding another har­vest laborer to the force, so sent for Mr. Paton, who promptly responded and whose trav­eling expenses were met in the same manner.

“But noticing how quickly some people forget what they have heard, it soon became evident that while the meetings were useful in awaking interest, a monthly journal was needed to hold and develop that interest. It seemed, therefore, to be the Lord’s indication that one of our number should settle somewhere and begin again the regular issu­ing of the Herald of the Morning. I suggested that Mr. Barbour do this, as he had had experience as a typesetter and therefore could do it the most economically, while Mr. Paton and I would continue to travel and contribute to its columns, as we should find opportunity. To the objection that the type had been sold and that the few subscrip­tions which would come in would not, for a long time, make the journal self‑sustaining, I replied that I would supply the money for purchasing the type, etc., and leave a few hundred dollars in the bank, subject to Mr. Barbour’s check, and that he should manage it as economically as possible, while Mr. Paton and I continued to travel. This, which seemed to be the Lord’s will in the matter, was therefore done.

NEW ADHERENTS TO THE WORKING FORCE

“It was after this, while on a tour of the New England States, that I met Mr. A. F. Adams, a young Methodist minister, who became deeply interested, accepting the message heartily during the week that I preached to his congregation. Subsequently, I introduced him to little gatherings of interested ones in neighboring towns, and assisted otherwise, as I could, rejoicing in another one who, with study, would soon be a co‑laborer in the Harvest field. About this time, too, I was much encouraged by the accession of Mr. A. D. Jones, then a clerk in my employ in Pittsburgh, who was a young man of activity and promise, one who soon developed into an active and appreciative co‑laborer in the Harvest work. Mr. Jones ran well for a time, but ambition or something eventually made utter shipwreck of his faith, leaving us a painful illustration of the wisdom of the Apostle’s words, ‘My brethren, be not many of you teachers, knowing that we shall have the severer judgment.’

“Thus far all had gone smoothly and onward: we had been greatly blessed with the truth, but not specially tested in our love and fidelity to it. But the Spring of 1878, the parallel in time to our Lord’s crucifixion, and of His statement to Peter, ‘Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat’ (Luke 22:31), the sifting began which has Continued Ever Since; and which must, sooner or later, test every one who receives the light of present truth. For this fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is – ­whether he has built his faith flimsily of wood, hay and stubble, instead of valuable stones of God’s revealed truth; or whether he has built it upon the shifting sands of human theories, or upon the solid rock, the Ransom, the only foundation which God has provided.

“They who build upon that Rock shall be safe personally, even though they have built up an illogical faith, which the fire and shaking of this day of trial will overthrow and utterly consume, but they who build upon any other foundation, whether they use good or bad materials, are sure of complete wreckage.

“The object of this trial and sifting evidently is to select all whose heart‑de­sires are unselfish, who are fully and unreservedly consecrated to the Lord, who are anxious to have the Lord’s will done, and whose confidence in His wisdom, His way and His Word is so great that they refuse to be led away from the Lord’s Word, either by sophistries of others, or by plans and ideas of their own. These, in the sifting time, will be strengthened and shall increase their joy in the Lord and their knowledge of His plans, even while their faith is being tested by the falling into error of thousands on every hand.

FIRST HARVEST SIFTING

The sifting began thus: Regarding St. Paul’s statement, ‘We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,’ etc., we still held the idea which Adventists, and indeed all Christians hold, that at some time the living saints would be suddenly and miraculously caught away bodily, thenceforth to be forever with the Lord. And now our acquaintance with the time prophecies led us to expect this translation of the saints at the point of time in this Age parallel to the Lord’s resurrection; for many of the parallelisms between the Jewish and Christian Dispensations were already seen by us, and formed one of the features of the little book ­The Three Worlds.

“We did not then see, as we do now, that the date, 1878, marked the date for the beginning of the establishment of the Kingdom of God, by the glorification of all who already slept in Christ (that is, the dead in Him), and the ‘change’ which St. Paul mentions is to occur in the moment of death to all the class described, from that date onward thru the Harvest period, until all the living members of the ‘body of Christ’ shall have been changed to glorious Spirit‑beings. When at that date (1878) nothing occurred, which we could see, a re‑examination showed me that our mistake lay in expecting to see all the living saints changed at once, and without dying, an erroneous view shared in by the whole nominal Church, and one which we had not yet observed or discarded. Our present clear view was the result of the examination thus started.

“I soon saw that the Apostle’s words, ‘We shall not all sleep,’ that the word sleep was not synonymous with die, though generally so understood; but, on the contrary, the ex­pression sleep, here used, represents unconsciousness; and that the Apostles wished us to understand, that from a certain time in the Lord’s presence, His saints, though they would die like other men, would not remain for any time unconscious, but in the moment of dy­ing would be changed and would receive the Spirit bodies promised. Thruout this Gospel Age death of the Lord’s children has been followed by unconsciousness – ‘sleep.’ This continued true of all who ‘fell asleep in Jesus’ up to the time when He took the office of King, which we have shown was in 1878 (Volume 2, Studies in the Scriptures, pp. 218, 219).

“Not only did the King at that time ‘awaken in His likeness’ all the members of His body, the Church, who slept, but for the same reason (the time establishing His Kingdom having come) it is no longer necessary that the ‘feet,’ or last remaining members should go into ‘sleep’ or unconsciousness. On the contrary, each now, as finishes his course, faithful unto death, will at once receive the Crown of Life, and being changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, can not be said to sleep, or to be unconscious at all. Here, then, 1878 is applicable, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.’ So this re-examination showed further light upon the pathway and became a great cause for encouragement, as evidencing the Lord’s continued leading.

“But while I was thus helped to clearer views and brighter hopes, and while I diligently endeavored to help others, the Spring of 1878 proved far from a blessing to Mr. Barbour and to many under his influence. Rejecting the plain, simple solution presented above, Mr. Barbour seemed to feel that he must of necessity get up something new to di­vert attention from the failure of the living saints to be caught away en masse.

“But, alas! how dangerous it is for any man to feel too much responsibility and attempt to force new light. To our painful surprise, Mr. Barbour wrote an article for the Herald denying the doctrine of the Atonement; denying that the death of Christ was the ransom‑price of Adam and his race, saying that the death of Christ was no more a settlement of the penalty of man’s sins than would the sticking of a pin thru a fly and causing it suffering and death, be considered by an earthly parent as a just settlement for the misdemeanor of his child.”

As our beloved Pastor has so truly said, “How dangerous it is for any man to feel too much responsibility and attempt to force new light.” We have found this true in JFR after he became President of the Society. He disposed of Tentative Justification, and also replaced the “great multitude” as a spiritual class to an earthly class; and one error brought on other errors, such as “dividing the sheep and the goats” before the New Covenant is inaugurated. The Jehovah’s Witnesses now teach that there will be no resurrection for Adam, the Scribes and Pharisees or any of the wicked. Those who do not join them before Armageddon will not be resurrected, etc.

Another group has invented a new class because of the disappointment of 1954. They felt “too much responsibility” and attempted to force new light; and that new light (?) has forced them into many other errors – such as a narrow way in the Camp, perverting Tentative Justification, their newly‑invented class to be first in the Kingdom blessings instead of “to the Jew first” as taught by the Apostle Paul, etc. However, they still distribute the Studies in the Scriptures, which is a far‑cry from the Witnesses, for which we commend them.

It is our hope and prayer that what we have given may prove a rich blessing to our readers, and that the subject of That Servant has been magni­fied and strengthened in the hearts of all. God bless the memory of That Servant!

We also pay tribute to the Epiphany Messenger who faithfully upheld and defended the Truth given us by That Servant. We honor those whom God honors in keeping with 1 Samuel 2:20: “Them that honor Me I will honor.” In so doing we will grow in grace and knowledge of our Beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and continue in “the faith once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) God bless the memory of the Epiphany Messenger!

“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” (Psa. 35:27)

Sincerely your brother, John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

(Reprint 316, October 1981)

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