NO. 477: VESSELS OF GOLD AND SILVER

No. 477

“In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:20,21)

This text shows that the Apostle was solicitous for the Church because of a sectarian spirit of contention which prevailed where the spirit of fellowship should have manifested itself. This does not signify that the Apostle ignored the importance of fidelity to the Truth, for concerning this it was already written that the Church should “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) He here objects to the disposition of many to contend about matters of no moment, which he terms “words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” (v. 14), and again “profane and vain babbling, for they will increase unto more ungodliness and... eat as doth a canker.” (vs. 16,17)

In a word, man-made differences should be ignored and only those doctrines which the Scriptures clearly and distinctly set forth are to be insisted upon and contended for by the Lord’s people. In all other things they are to have fervent charity and liberty among themselves. After exhorting Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (v. 15), he declares that notwithstanding these various babblings and twistings of the Scriptures, the “foundation of God standeth sure” (v. 19). God’s great plan will stand and will finally triumph, no matter who may babble against it and no matter how much the adversary may seek to draw attention away from the fundamental facts to the theories and fancies of the egotistical and hypocritical. The Apostle’s thought seems to be that some of the Lord’s people, by following the course he has outlined, and becoming thoroughly furnished in the word of Truth and able to rightly divide it to others, will be vessels of honor in the service of the Lord even in the present time. On the contrary, some – once God’s people, truly consecrated to Him, but neglecting these important principles and becoming fully willful – will be vessels of dishonor fitted to destruction (Rom.9:21‑23).

TO HONOR AND TO DISHONOR

How manifestly true this inspired declaration is only the more advanced of the Lord’s people may know. The world judges by outward appearance, and perceives the prosperity of many who have the form of godliness without the power thereof; it perceives the prosperity of many sects and parties, divided chiefly by mere quibbles, and it perceives the lesser prosperity of those who ignore sectarian lines and stand only for the word of Truth, and contend only “for the faith once delivered unto the saints.” Only the spiritually minded can see the situation from the Lord’s standpoint – only these can realize which, from the Lord’s standpoint, are the vessels unto honor and which are unto dishonor. Only this class can discern which vessels the Lord uses to honor – through whom He sends the great riches of His grace and truth. Of course, none can know the character of the heart, whether it be a new heart or merely that of the natural man or woman who has learned politeness, morality, etc. The only way in which we are permitted to judge is by the outward fruitage (Matt. 7: 18‑20).

The “great house” of the Apostle’s parable is the household of faith – the house of God – the Church of the living God. This Church of the Firstborn is now in an embryo condition, unfinished, imperfect; it bears a similar relationship to the resurrected Church that Israel’s tabernacle in the wilderness bore to the Temple at Jerusalem. We are not to understand that only the most proficient of the Lord’s people are recognized by Him and others entirely ignored, but, as the Apostle says, our sure foundation lies in the fact that “the Lord knoweth them that are his” (v. 19), and also in the fact that those who name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity. Every servant of God, every vessel in His house, must come under these conditions to be vessels at all: (1) The Lord must know them as His; they must be of the class mentioned by the prophet who have made a covenant with the Lord by sacrifice – self-sacrifice, consecration to death; (2) they must also be of the class that depart from iniquity – that recognize righteous­ness, truth, holiness, and strive toward perfect attainment.

But not all of those who make a full consecration and who strive for righteousness will occupy the same station in the Divine service, either now or hereafter. The degree of honor in the Lord’s service will depend upon their degree of honesty and zeal. While, therefore, we may well rejoice to be vessels in the Lord’s house, to be used of Him either in more honorable or less honorable capacity in His service, nevertheless He is pleased to have us aspire to such faithfulness in thought, in word, in deed, as would have His approval and win for us the higher stations in His esteem and service here and hereafter.

“IF A MAN THEREFORE PURGE HIMSELF”

The Apostle tells us how as Christians we may attain to the highest positions in Divine favor. He says, “If a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor.” He does not mean, however, if any man do so, for here and elsewhere he shows, in harmony with the other Scriptures, that the world has nothing whatever to do with this matter – that the first step of approach to God must be through the door, through Christ, and that only those who come unto the Father through Him have any standing whatever at the present time. Hence the Apostle’s thought is that if any man in the Church will purge himself, will purify himself, will seek to put away these elements of dross and unrighteousness, will seek to avoid profane and vain babblings, will cease to strive about words to no profit, and will seek more and more by the Lord’s assistance to “rightly divide the word of truth” – such a man in Christ, whether his talents and opportunities be great or small, will be blessed of the Lord and reckoned of Him as one of the more honorable vessels for His service here and hereafter.

Continuing further, the Apostle declares that the man who thus purges himself and seeks to bring himself closely into alignment with the will of God, will not only be reckoned a vessel unto honor, but will be sanctified and set apart by the Lord for His service. He will give him opportunities, special opportunities, to do and to be assisted, which He would not have provided for him otherwise. Christian people too often seem to overlook this matter – to forget how much God has to do with His Church, with those who have made consecration of themselves to Him.

More and more should we all remember, as is urged by the Apostle, that “God hath set the various members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” (1 Cor. 12:18) It is for us not to be ambitious for a high station, but to humbly desire to be and to do those things acceptable to the Lord, leaving it for Him to give us whatever experiences in life will be best for us – either larger opportunities for service or lesser opportunities, for the testing and proving of our loyalty. Selfish ambition in any of the Lord’s people would be the surest road to Divine disapproval. It might succeed in securing place and power in nominal systems of human origin, but such a course – so far from bringing these into greater prominence with the Lord or into greater opportunities of service in connection with His Truth – would work in an opposite direction, as it is written, “The Lord disdaineth the proud, but showeth favor to the humble.” The Apostle urges, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6) – in the present life, or in the future life, or both. It is for God to choose our places and our work for us and also our eternal reward; it is for us to seek to be instruments willing and ready, “for the Master’s use made meet.”

“VESSELS OF GOLD”

Looking beyond our present opportunities and privileges of usefulness in the Lord’s service, and the degree of opportunities secured by us now through faithfulness, we perceive that the great work for which we are called, chosen, being schooled, is that of the future, of which the Apostle says, “That in the ages to come he [God] might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7) Our Lord referred to that glorious future condition when He declared to His Apostles, “In my Father’s house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2) The many mansions, the many stations, the many planes of celestial being and blessing are here pictured, and the suggestion is further given that one special place in the Divine family would be made for the special followers of the Lord – those known throughout the Scriptures as “the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife,” and again as “the Royal Priesthood” under Christ, their Chief Priest. The chief mansion is for these who, called to the highest honor, are represented by the golden vessels.

And again they are called the “Lord’s jewels,” and He says of them, “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” (Mal. 3:17) As jewels are scarce, so these are de­scribed to be only a “little flock” to whom it is the Father’s good pleasure to give the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). To be of this company, styled in the Scriptures as “more than conquerors through him that loved them and bought them with his precious blood,” the Apostle Paul declared that he was glad to suffer any loss – to count all things but as loss and dross that he might win Christ and be found in Him – as a mem­ber of His Body, a member of the royal priesthood, a partaker of the Divine nature.

In the tabernacle and in the temple gold was used as a symbol of this Divine nature, the highest of all natures, superior to the angelic. Our Lord described this immortal condition as signifying the possession of life in Himself – life not derived from other sources. “As the Father hath life in himself [immortality]; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5: 26) And He has been given the privilege of giving this to whomsoever He will – to the worthy ones constituting His elect Bride, otherwise styled “members of the Body of Christ,” vitally connected with Him, their living Head. It is to this glorious quality of the Divine nature, symbolized by the gold and again in our text styled the “vessels of gold,” that Peter refers, saying, “[God hath] given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might become partakers of the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4)

“VESSELS OF SILVER”

All recognize silver as less precious than gold, but much more abundant. As one of the precious metals it is used in the Scriptures to represent a spiritual class, but a different, more numerous class than that represented in the vessels of gold. While all of the Lord’s people of this Gospel Age were called, as the Apostle says, “In one hope of their calling,” with at least the prospect or opportunity of becoming golden vessels, nevertheless the Lord foreknew that not all of His true followers would prove in the end to be “more than conquerors”; not all of those who love righteousness and hate iniquity would be so zealous for the service as to be esteemed worthy to be of that Little Flock, the Bride, because all would not run in the race with sufficient zeal, following in the Master’s footsteps; hence we find in the Scriptures another class, another division of the Church of the Firstborn, clearly pointed out. In the types of the Old Testament they were represented by the Levites, who had an important work to do in conjunction with the priests and as their assistants. In the New Testament this class is referred to in our text as “‘vessels of silver,” or less honorable vessels than the vessels of gold, and they are particularly brought to our attention in our Lord’s last message to His Church in which He pictures them as a “great multitude” in contrast with the “little flock.” (Rev. 7:9)

This Great Company He designates as in the end honored and honorable victors, with palm branches – the crowns being reserved for the Little Flock, the vessels of gold. In the same picture He shows us that while the Little Flock of more than conquerors are to sit upon the throne with Him, these others, worthy but less worthy, are to be before the throne. He points out that while the “little flock” will share His glory and honor as His Bride, this greater company, represented by the more numerous vessels of silver, will serve Him in His temple (Rev. 7:9-15). He points out further in the same message that while the Little Flock will be the Bride class, the Great Company will be honored with an invitation to be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb in glory (Rev. 19:9). And through the Prophet David He pic­tured the distinction between these classes, the Little Flock, the vessels of gold unto greater honor, and the greater multitude, the vessels of silver unto a lesser honor, picturing them as the Bride and her companions – bridesmaids. The picture shows the Bride all glorious in raiment of fine needle work, of embroidery and gold, brought in before the King, and then it shows the “virgins, her companions, who follow her.” (Psa. 45:14)

“VESSELS OF WOOD AND OF EARTH”

These represent two classes who will be servants of God on the earthly or human plane. First, represented by the “vessels of wood,” are the Ancient Worthies of the Jewish line, who will be resurrected to perfection and in an earthly glory will become visible representatives to men of the glorified spiritual Christ, Head and Body. Jesus emphasized this thought to the Jews, saying, “Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom.” (Luke 13:28) As soon as the Kingdom shall have been set up in power, the Ancient Worthies will be raised from the dead as perfect human beings. Psalms 45:16 evidently refers to these faithful servants of God, who are to be princes in all the earth. They will have a great work of instruction to do for the rest of humanity. While they will have this service to perform, nevertheless they will have great honor in doing it; for it is always an honor to serve the Lord. The service which the Ancient Worthies will be given will be more than God would ordinarily entrust to a perfect human being. It will be a part of this service to deal with the imperfect, fallen creatures and to help them up out of sin and imperfection.

As associates of the Ancient Worthies in reward and service will be those whom we term Youthful Worthies [“young men,” literally, “youthfuls” Joel 2:28), in contrast with the former, “the old men” (Joel 2:28) or “ancients” (Isa. 24:23)], who are termed “vessels of earth” in our text. They, like the Ancient Worthies, will have a “better resurrection” (Heb. 11:35), but will have a subordinate position in the earthly phase of the Kingdom. As mentioned above, the Levites represent the “great company” but when the Kingdom is established the Ancient and Youthful Worthies will also be included. The Levites as distinct from the Priests were of three groups – the Merarites, Kohathites and Gershonites (Num. 3:17). These three groups of Levites represent these last three classes of vessels of our text: the silver, the Great Company; the wood, the Ancient Worthies; and the earth, the Youthful Worthies.

Besides those four already particularized, the Apostle in the words “and some to honor, and some to dishonor” goes on and mentions other vessels. In a great house, in addition to the vessels of gold, silver, wood and earth, there would naturally be other vessels. So we understand the additional vessels to honor to represent the faithful restitution class (the sheep of Matt. 25:33) and the vessels to dishonor to represent those who, either at the age of 100 years (Isa. 65:20) or at the end of the Millennium, will go into annihilation, the Second Death (the goats of Matt. 25:33; see also Rev. 21:8; Psa. 145:20; Obad. 16).

To be in any part of God’s great house – to be in His service in any capacity, either now or hereafter, is a great honor. Whoever through the portals of the Divine Word catches a glimpse of the coming glory of the earth during the Millennial Age – a glimpse of the “times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets” – can rejoice with any who will be found worthy to be a vessel of honor in the Master’s cause in the future on the earthly plane. To our understanding the majority of Christian people have never appreciated the glorious grandeur that is to come to earth during and as a result of the reign of Messiah and His Bride. It is beautifully described in Isa. 35; 65:21-25; 33:24; Rev. 21:1-5, etc. Surely, as St. Peter declares (Acts 3:19-21), these will be “times of restitution” which God has declared through all His holy prophets.

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY

History of the Society in Brief

Between 1872-1876 Charles T. Russell, U.S.A. discovered that the Scriptures clearly teach that our Lord would not return in a body of flesh, but would return as a spirit being, invisible to human eyes. They say that his attention was drawn to the fact that Daniel’s 1335 years run out in 1874 by two brethren in Christ – with this the point of time for our Lords return was given. A booklet entitled “The Object and Manner of our Lord’s Return” was published. It got a phenomenal circulation.

As from 1876 to 1878 inclusive Pastor Russell wrote in a paper entitled “The Herald of the Morning” as a collaborator to its publisher N. H. Barbour. Different opinions about the ransom-price made Russell to publish a paper of his own “Zion Watch Tower,” later “The Watch Tower.” A first number came out in 1889. The information in this history is mainly taken from “ The Watch Tower” or “The Tower” which seems to be its title in brief.

In the U.S.A. there were many branches of the “Vine” (the Christian church) during the last half of the nineteenth century. In each of those there were some truths. It was a matter of getting a survey of these and then to proceed with studying the 39 plus 27 books in the Bible. To Russell, who already as a boy of sixteen was a member of a branch of the English Puritanism, who maintained each congregations independence of all ecclesiastical government, such a work suited well. The result became Harvest Truths, which at first were published in above-mentioned booklet and papers.

Russell was President of the Watch Tower and Tract Society from its organization in 1884 until his death in 1916. He was also President of the Peoples Pulpit Association organized in 1909, and the International Bible Students Association, incorporated in London in 1913, with both of the latter corporations being adjuncts to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Through these religious corporations, as well as by word of mouth, he promulgated the Gospel of Messiah’s Kingdom. He was the author of the following publications, issued between the years 1881 and 1914, with each having phenomenal circulation, as given below: (See the December 1916 Tower.)

Food for Thinking Christians --------------------------------------- 1,450,000

Tabernacle Shadows ------------------------------------------------ 1,000.000

Divine Plan of the Ages -------------------------------------------- 4,817,000

The Time is at Hand------------------------------------------------- 1,657,000

Thy Kingdom Come ------------------------------------------------ 1,587,000

Battle of Armageddon ----------------------------------------------- 464,000

The Atonement ------------------------------------------------------- 445,000

The New Creation----------------------------------------------------- 423,000

What Say the Scriptures About Hell ------------------------------ l3,000,000

He was also the author of What Say the Scriptures About Spiritism, Old Theology Tracts, etc. (SWEDEM)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – Is it your thought that those consecrating after the door to the High Calling is closed may have a resurrection to the spirit nature?

ANSWER – No, there will be no begetting of the Spirit that we know of after the High Calling is closed; and if there is no begetting of the Spirit then, there will be no birth of the spirit. The only thought we have in connection with that is what we expressed a moment ago, namely; that some might be accepted as of the Ancient Worthy class if they laid down their lives in loyalty to the Lord in that Time of Trouble, and then when the Ancient Worthy class may possibly have the spirit nature given to them at the end of the Millennium, such being of that class might have the opportunity to obtain the spirit nature.

(Question Book, page 152)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

A Witness from a Swedish Brother about Emek ha Shalom

Is anybody preaching Christianity in Israel? Yes, many groups are. Is there anyone of them who has continued the work of Pastor Russell in Israel? Yes, at Emek ha Shalom!

Herman Bezner and Joseph Elisha are serious followers of Pastor Russell. That is not unique. Even today, almost 80 years after Pastor Russell passed away, we are thousands of followers reading and studying his books and articles.

Brother Herman and Joseph are preaching to the Jews the teachings of Pastor Russell. And the Jews are coming. These two brothers of the Truth have already had hundreds of thousands of visitors, mostly Jewish people. That is unique!

Pastor Russell was one of the most brilliant interpreters of the Bible. God gave him a lot of light which he used with talent and purposefulness. One of his very important predictions was the return of the Jews and the development of a new Israel. Read in his third book the chapter about Israel. Recognize his inspiration when he writes about the awakening of Zionism in the 1870s. The question now is, would be possible that the presence of the state of Israel and the two disciples at Emek ha Shalom would have made our Pastor think of a coincident? I think not!

I am convinced that a Pastor Russell of today would have taken part of the work at Emek ha Shalom. He would not have left Herman and Joseph in silence – not the kind of silence they have found from many of their brothers and sisters in the U.S. Why then, are the followers of Pastor Russell not more enthusiastic? Why?

We can not expect the Jews to wake up one morning and suddenly, like a miracle, having the knowledge of the truth. They must listen and learn – step by step. Therefore the foundation of Emek ha Shalom was made. But without You, because You are sleeping!

I therefore think we should be more active and take part of the work at Emek ha Shalom. I think on them every day! They are the best solution I can vision for the developing of the New World. Therefore I engage a lot in their work.

Next year it is 80 years since Pastor C. T. Russell died. In 80 years we have seen a split of his long work into a big group called Jehovah Witnesses and a handful of other followers. All members are surely serious in their thoughts and searchings. I do not blame them, but there is not enough willingness to continue and develop the work. It is just “old wine in new bottles.”

Except for Herman and Joseph. They are giving their life to continue the work of Pastor Russell. Are You helping them? You should.

Another Swedish Brother Writes

Many thanks for your letters. I am very pleased to hear that the visitors are getting “deeper” in the knowledge. When I look back on the year 1995, from our first visit at Emek ha Shalom to the latest visit in November-December and remember what you Joseph, Lev and Hava Bausch and Elva Lanowick said and also what I saw with my own eyes, is that our Creator is taking away the blindness.

I become so glad when I realized that you have tried to reach me on the phone. Anders and I spoke about a trip to you about two weeks ago. But we have not decided the date yet. We will of course let you know the date as soon as possible.

We both look, of course, very much forward to seeing you in Emek ha Shalom. You are in my mind every day.

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Our dear and beloved Sister,

We are indebted to you for your good support. We are glad that the Detzler brethren arrived for a visit. They cannot help us with labor or finances, as they are exhausted from the great work they have done in the United States, Canada and elsewhere.

We also had the joy of a visit from our Swedish brethren, Anders Karlen and Lief Malmkvist. They could not help us financially because they had to pay their way here. Now we have reached the days of the last decisions, and it is a struggle about the survival of Israel. We are in the midst of a trial for Israel. Once more we appeal to all with the request to help Israel.

Much is put on our shoulders, and the responsibility is enormous! The trust our visitors put in Emek ha Shalom is great. People expect much from us. Up to now the Lord has given us full support, and we hope and pray for His further overruling providence to stay upright. Israel is threatened by total annihilation and is shamefully abused by some parts of Christianity. Help is given to dangerous enemies of Israel.

But, thank God there are positive forces in Israel which gives reason for hope. Some of the faithful leading Jews in Israel are close friends of ours – even two of the most prominent ones. One of them is Benjamin Netanyahu. But the campaign against them is worldwide, even in the midst of nominal Christendom. The forces of darkness who are misleading many, as they know well that the coming election if won by faithful Jews Israel will be rescued. The present danger should awaken us and strengthen us to the Holy faith that will enable us to gain the victory and see the defeat of the enemies of Israel and ours. [We have the victory when Netanyahu is Prime Minister. However, he has a hard load ahead of him. We should not only pray for ‘Bibi,’ but we should support him in his fight for peace without giving their God-given land to their enemies for peace.] Whoever our enemies are they will not make us afraid and will not conquer us.

Let us give Israel the proof of our faithfulness. After centuries of being abused Israel needs our heartfelt love and support. We greet all Bible Students heartily in the hope of a deeper cooperation in our common care for Zion and Jerusalem.

Your brethren from Emek ha Shalom, Brothers Hermann and Joseph (ISRAEL)

[This letter was written before the election for Prime Minister of Israel had occurred.]

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Dear Josef:

When Leif and I were visiting you some weeks ago you gave us some papers about the fallen angels who are known as devils. Pastor Russell has written about these angels in Studies in the Scriptures, Series VI and in “What say the Scriptures about Spiritism.”

Both Jude and Peter speak of “those angels which kept not their first estate,” and whom, in consequence, God restrained of their liberties reserving them in chains, under darkness, until a great judgement day still future when their cases will be heard (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

These fallen angels, demons, have in every country and in every time, found it possible to obtain possession of numerous mediums. They are choice as to who their mediums shall be seeking, so far as possible, those possessed of mental capacity (for instance Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1466-1536). Those who submit themselves – because they are very tired or mentally deranged – to these evil influences, to be the channels of communication to men, are merely mediums through which the evil spirits communicate, either by words or imaginary pictures, visions, or raps, or writings or otherwise.

The general methods and general teaching of these demons, through such mediums, in all times and in all countries, have been practically the same. They misrepresent themselves, and personate the dead. They support the original lie promulgated by Satan in Eden, “Thou shalt not surely die.”

The fallen angels various efforts to gain control of the people of Israel are distinctly noted in the Scriptures, and the people are strictly warned against them.

I have been searching among the books I have gotten from my late father for “What say the Scriptures about Spiritism,” but I don’t have it in English. I wanted to give you a copy in order to make your work easier. Perhaps we can get one in England or Florida.

All the best and many kind regards. Your friend, ---------------- (SWEDEN)

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Dear Mr. Howowitz,

I greatly enjoyed our telephone conversation on Wednesday, 17th July, with regard to Pastor Charles Taze Russell.

For a long time both my wife and I have been wanting information on the organization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) as after over twenty years of association with them we saw things that a thinking person would say “did not add up.” But as an organization they are very subtle with the use of Scriptures used at the right time to manipulate the thinking of others, ourselves included, for a very long while. As with everyone who joins the “Organization” they do tell one of Pastor Russell, but as we started asking questions again the answer was always given by subtly quoting Scriptures, i.e., Proverbs 4:18: “But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” So also with the organization; it is moving forward and there is “New Thinking.” The old information is no longer relevant.

But this was not good enough for the “Stead Family” as we wanted to know all of the “Ins and Outs” of Pastor Russell so that we could make our own minds up. On the one hand they quoted the Scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “Make Sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine,” and then sway with their own thinking and select Scriptures to suit.

The joy that my wife and I experienced when we read your book entitled, “Pastor Charles Taze Russell” and other information we obtained either from the JWs or the Public Library we found no other source but yours could print out proof so concisely and clearly. That is exactly what we require and as such we would appreciate copies of some of the articles you wrote in the book. We still get JWs who come to us to try to “get us back into the fold,” and I cannot show your book until we have some other proof to back it up. We would like the Photograph of Pastor Charles Taze Russell preaching to the Jews at the Hippodrome that unfortunately we do not have as we only have the paper back version of your book.

We have asked them, the JWs, also if they could reprint Pastor Russell’s “Millennium Dawn” to benefit others in addition to ourselves, but they pass it off as no longer relevant. Do you have access to these books or know where they can be obtained? We would both also be very grateful for any information on the “Godly Activities” of the JWs.

I mentioned in our conversation some articles from the United Israel Bulletin of which we would like a copy. The following is that list.

1. March 1971: “Founder of Anti-Zionist J-Witnesses hailed Zionism as being biblically prophetic.”

2. February 1972: The article relevant to the betrayal of Pastor Russell and Peter-Shimon Olin Moyle’s article.

3. December 1963: “More light on the Watchtower’s deviations.”

4. Spring 1978: The article dealing with Pastor Russell’s betrayal by JWs organization.

5. Summer 1979: “The late Pastor Russell preceded Herzl in urging Jews to return to Zion.”

6. November 1971: “What happened to Pastor Russell’s original will?”

7. July 1971: “Pastor Charles T. Russell article evokes National interest; noted Bible scholars react favorably; events vindicate founder.”

I do apologize for the lengthy list but hope you will appreciate our need at this time. Please let me know the expenses incurred and I will let you have a cheque by return.

Yours very sincerely, ------- (ENGLAND

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NO. 476B: ISRAEL HOLDS A PRIORITY ON DIVINE FAVOR - PART TWO

No. 476B

PLEASE PRAY FOR ISRAEL

Dear Brethren!

After years of a growing distance between secular and believing Jews which declined into open hostility and violence, there are now (quite hidden besides the worsening and hateful atmosphere after the assassination), first signs for an approach and readiness for a dialogue between the camps.

We believe that quarrel between the brothers will end with a reconciliation and all Jews who kept a spark of Judaism in their hearts will unite.

Like at that time, Joseph’s brothers ready to sell him thought him a messianic-arrogant-dreamer. This faithfulness to God brought him first into prison. But the conflict ended with a wonderful union. Also today many see the God-fearing Jews as extreme-messianic-fanatics, but now there is the first dawn of an approach. The forces of darkness are already attacking this positive development and try to push it into false compromises.

Therefore it is necessary to pray now fervently for Israel. Pray without ceasing that those who are still blinded will come to faith, and that the already ongoing revival in many Israeli hearts may continue until the promised great spiritual awakening. In this most decisive situation no true Christian can stand by and do nothing.

The Lord has put a special responsibility about every Christian to look out for brethren who need help. Paul reveals to us in Romans 9:1-5 that we owe the Jews a heavy debt under God. And the Prophets showed that a constant God-given concern rests upon us to pray for the restoration and peace of Jerusalem! Prayer and assistance are specially commended by the Lord, and great reward is promised for those who are successful in helping and restoring their brethren who erred and took a wrong course.

The prayer for Israel now has a central importance. The Lord will cause His face to shine upon all who are doing His will.

In Love, Your Brothers from Emek ha Shalom, Herman and Joseph

P.S. Brother Herman feels that the Lord will this very month cause a positive change for Israel. Therefore:

“You who call on the Lord,

give yourselves no rest,

and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem

and makes her the praise of the earth!”

Brother Joseph

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JEHOVAH’S FOOTSTOOL MADE GLORIOUS

“Thus saith Jehovah, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” “I will make the place [footstool] of my feet glorious.” “His [Jehovah’s] feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives.” (Isa. 60:13; 66:1; Zech 14:4; Matt. 5:35; Acts 7:49)

God’s footstool has been far from glorious for the past six thousand years: sin, pain, crying, mental and physical suffering and death have made it one vast charnel house in which now, conservatively estimated, at least twenty billions of humanity wait for the time to come when the curse of Divine Justice shall be lifted; and the light of Divine favor, shining in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord, shall rise as the sun of righteous­ness –

“Chase away sin’s dismal shadows,

Light the gloom with healing ray.”

 To this end God has made abundant provision. The ransom for Adam and all who suffered loss through him as his children, buys the whole world, and secures for each one of our race an opportunity of a trial for everlasting life under favorable conditions. It does more, it buys back Adam’s Paradise home (lost by his transgression), and his dominion as earth’s king, representative of God, his Creator and Father.

 Hence we read, “Thou, O Tower of the flock [Christ], the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion.” (Micah 4:8) Paul also speaks of the “redemption of the purchased possession.” (Eph. 1:14) Our Lord in one of His parables referred to this also, showing that He purchases not only mankind, the treasure, but also the field, the world, the earth from under the curse: and that all who join with Him, as members of the Kingdom Class, share in that purchase of the field and the treasure. (Matt. 13:44)

The entire work of the Millennium will consist in ordering and making glorious God’s footstool. Paradise, when lost through sin, was but a garden in a corner of the earth; but inasmuch as the race of Adam has multiplied to fill the earth, in accordance with the Divine intention (Gen. 1:28), and since they all have been redeemed, it will be necessary to provide a Paradise large enough to accommodate all. This will imply that the entire earth shall become as the Garden of Eden for fruitfulness and beauty and perfection. And all this is promised as the grand future consummation of the Divine Plan. (Acts 3:20,21; Rev. 2:7; 2 Cor. 12:4)

But the richest jewel of the Lord’s glorified footstool in the close of the Millennium will be mankind, in whose perfection, liberty, and likeness to God, in moral and intellectual graces, will be reflected the very image of Divinity. Most gloriously will the perfect man reflect honor upon his Maker and His wondrous plan for His creation, redemption and restitution. And with that wonderful plan will always be intimately identified first the Lord Jesus, Jehovah’s “Word,” and second the Bride, the Lamb’s wife and joint-heir in disbursing the blessings secured by the ransom.

This beautifying and glorifying of the Lord’s “footstool” will not be completed until our Lord Jesus, as the Father’s honored agent, “shall have put down all [conflicting] rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet, before he delivers up the Kingdom at the close of the Millennium.” (1 Cor. 15:24-28)

The period of the reign of Sin and Death is described as the time when God “remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger” (Lam. 2:1); but following the start of the Millennium, the people are prophetically called upon to “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool, for he is worthy.” (Psa. 99:5) And this thought, that the establishment of the New Jerusalem, the Church of God glorified, as the new government in the earth, will mean the beginning of the restoration of Divine favor to Jehovah’s footstool, is clearly set forth through the Prophet Zechariah (14:4,5).

JEHOVAH’S FEET ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

This prophecy is generally misunderstood, and applied to the feet of our Lord Jesus, at His Second Advent. Indeed, those who thus err generally go farther and assert that it will be the feet of flesh, pierced with the nails of Calvary – not realizing that our Lord gave His human nature, complete and forever, as our ransom; and that He was raised from the dead, by the Father’s Power, a glorious spirit-being, the express image of the Father’s person.

But a glance at the preceding verse (Zech 14:3) shows that the Prophet speaks of the return of Jehovah’s feet; for the verse (referring to the trouble by which the Kingdom will be established) is: “Then shall Jehovah go forth and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle [anciently for Israel]. And his feet will stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be divided in its center, from east to west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove northward and half southward.”

As soon as any see the fact that the feet mentioned are Jehovah’s feet, they will not dispute that this language is symbolic, and refers to the Lord’s reestablishment of His dominion in the earth, that has long been comparatively abandoned to the “god of this world” Satan, except as the Lord was represented first by the typical Tabernacle, secondly by the Temple at Jerusalem, and lastly by the present tabernacle condition of the Church of Christ, during this Gospel Age. Surely, no one will err and get the thought that Jehovah literally rests His feet upon this earth as a “footstool.”

And if the placing and resting of Jehovah’s feet is symbolic, and signifies the return of Divine favor and dominion to earth, so, we may be sure, other features connected in the same prophecy are symbolic: the Mount of Olives, its peculiar division, its valley, the flight of the people, the waters of life from Jerusalem (Compare v. 8 with Ezek. 47:1-9), etc., are all symbolic statements, pictures of grand spiritual truths.

The olive is a meaningful symbol: in olden times it was the source of artificial light, its oil being generally used for this purpose (Ex. 27:20). Indeed, in the Hebrew the olive tree was called shemen or oil tree. Olive oil was also used as the basis of many of the precious ointments of olden time – such as that used in anointing the priests and kings, typing the Holy Spirit upon the antitypical “royal priesthood.” (Ex. 30:25) And from time immemorial the olive branch has been used as a symbol of peace. (Gen. 8:11; Neh. 8:15)

If then the olive be the symbol of light, peace and Divine blessing through the Holy Spirit, and if mountain be considered as elsewhere the symbol for a Kingdom, the significance here of the term Mount of Olives is easily seen to be the Kingdom of Light, Peace and Divine Blessing. And the standing or establishment or fixing of Jehovah’s “feet” upon it, signifies that the Divine favor and law will be reestablished in the earth by and through the Holy Kingdom.

This application of the term Mount of Olives, is in full accord with Paul’s statement (Rom. 11:17,24) in which he compares Fleshly Israel with the original cultivated olive tree, and Gentile converts to wild olive branches grafted in where the natural branches had been broken off. (Compare Jer. 11:16,17.) He explains that the root of the tree is in the promise of God, the Abrahamic promise, that the seed of Abraham should finally bless all the families of the earth, etc. Finally the same root or promise will bear two kinds of branches, the ingrafted wild olive branches, and the re-ingrafted natural branches: when Israel shall have his blindness turned away, and shall look with the eye of faith on the Savior crucified and pierced eighteen centuries ago, a sacrifice for sin. We remember also that fleshly Israel was God’s typical Kingdom or mountain for a long time, and that spiritual Israel of this age is called to be the real Kingdom of God, as Jesus said, “Fear not, Little Flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

Further, from these two Kingdoms (even before Jehovah’s glory rests on them to make them His channels of blessings to all mankind) has proceeded all “the light of the world” during all the darkness of the past: for are not these the representatives of the Old and the New Testaments, the two parts of the Oath-bound Covenant? Are not these related to the Lord’s two witnesses and to the two olive trees of Zech. 4:3,11,12, distinctly mentioned also in Rev. 11:4? – in that these two parts of the mountain symbolize the outcome of that covenant, the results of the witnessing – the Kingdom in its heavenly and its earthly phases?

Here we see, then, that the two halves of the Mount of Olives mean the two parts of the Kingdom of God, distinctly separated according to a Divine order or arrangement. The separation indicates no opposition between the two parts of the Kingdom. It is, on the contrary, for the purpose of making the “Valley of Blessing” between – to which all who desire Divine aid may flee and find succor under the blessed protection of both the heavenly and the earthly phases of the Kingdom.

The Prophet David (Psa. 84) seems to have been given a foreview of this great “Valley of Blessings,” close to Jehovah’s “feet,” when He sings first of the Saints of the Gospel Age and then of those blessed in the next age, saying:

 “How lovely are thy dwelling places

 O Jehovah of Hosts!

 My soul desired, yea, it even fainted

 For the courts of Jehovah.

 My heart and my flesh shout with joy

 Unto the living God.

 Even as the sparrow hath found a house,

 And the swallow a nest for herself,

 Where she may lay her young: (so

 I have found) thine altars, O Lord of Host,

 My God, my King.

 Happy are they that dwell in thy house:

 They shall be continually praising Thee. Selah.

 Happy is the man whose strong confidence is in thee

 Whose heart reflecteth (wholly) on the paths of (righteousness).

 Passing through the valley of mourning,

 They change it into a place of (joy) springs – [Valley of Blessings].

 The Autumn rain brings them blessings [Joel 2:28]:

 They go from strength to strength

 That each of them may be presented (perfect)

 Before God in Zion.”

The Eighty-fifth Psalm also pictures the return of Divine clemency and blessing under the Millennial Kingdom, the Olive Mountain (Kingdom) of two parts.

The removal of one part of the mountain to the north and the other to the south is significant; the North is the direction of the Pleiades, the celestial center of the universe, the supposed seat of Divine empire. This would seem to indicate the “change” of the Gospel Church at this time, from human to spirit conditions as “partakers of the Divine nature”: and the removal of the other half of the mountain would seem to signify the complete restitution, to perfect human condition, of those Ancient Worthies accounted worthy to constitute the earthly representatives of God’s Kingdom.

The valley thus produced would be one full of light – free from shadows: for the sun would stream through it from east to west. This speaks pictorially of the Sun of Righteousness and its full light of Divine truth and blessing scattering the shadows of sin, ignorance, superstition and death, and healing and restoring the willingly obedient of men who will flee to this valley of blessings, the valley of mercy. The valley of mercy, between and under the care of the spiritual and human phases of the Kingdom of Light and Peace (the standing of Jehovah’s feet) will surely be a “Valley of Blessings” to all who enter it with broken and contrite hearts.

We must recall, further, that while it is said to Israel only, “Ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains,” yet as a name Israel meant “The people blessed of the Lord,” “The people of God,” “The Lord’s people.” (2 Chron. 7:14) While, as we have seen, the first or spiritual blessing of the Kingdom shall come to spiritual Israel, and the second or earthly blessing shall begin with Israel according to the flesh, yet it will not stop there; for whosoever will may become an Israelite: by exercising the faith and obedience of Abraham, all mankind may become Israelites indeed, “the people of God.” Hence the Prophet Isaiah declares that when Israel is called back to Divine favor, at the establishment of the Kingdom, it will include “Every one that is called by my [Jehovah’s] name: for I have created him for my glory; I have formed him, yea, I have made him. [The name Israel will then apply to all who are God’s people.]” (Isa. 43:7; Rom. 9:26,33; 10:13)

“And [thus] will Jehovah my God come in, and all the holy ones shall [thus] be [united] with him.” (Zech. 14:5) When God’s time shall have come, when the lease of power to the Gentiles shall have run out, when the sacrificing of the Day of Atonement (the Gospel Age) shall have ended, when the High Priest shall have finished atoning, not only for His “body,” the Church, but also for His “house,” and for “all people,” and He shall come forth to bless all the people, then Jehovah’s sentence of death shall be lifted from the earth, His footstool abode will again be recognized, and its beautifying in righteousness, truth and the Holy Spirit of love shall begin and progress, until, in the end of the Millennium, all the willingly righteous shall have reached perfection, reunited with Jehovah, and all the unwilling shall have been destroyed. (Acts 3:23; Rev. 20:9)

Carrying the picture further, the Prophet declares, respecting that day in which gradually the earth shall be made glorious as Jehovah’s footstool:

“It shall come to pass in that day that the light shall not be bright nor the darkness thick; but the day shall be the one foreknown to the Lord – neither full day nor night: but it shall come to pass that at its close [evening] it shall be [clear] light.” (Zech. 14:6,7)

Some confounded the “day” here described with the “day of Vengeance” which is “a day of clouds and thick darkness with no light in it” (Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:15) and the translators have, seemingly, generally tried to harmonize the translations. But not so; the day here referred to by Zechariah as only partially bright is the Millennial day, though in it the Sun of Righteousness will arise and shine, to scatter earth’s miasma of sin, superstition and death. It will yet be only partially bright, because it will throughout be dealing with generation after generation of the fallen race as brought from the tomb, and in various stages of restitution toward perfection. But how refreshing it is to be assured that in that day of the reestablishment of Jehovah’s feet upon His footstool, there shall be no more “thick darkness”; and that at the close of that Millennial Day, instead of growing darker, the world will only have reached the high noon of its “light of the knowledge of Jehovah”; and that its sun shall never set.

The reference to the rivers of living waters flowing from Jerusalem, during this Millennial Day of the reestablishment of Jehovah’s feet upon His footstool (Zech. 14:8,9), reminds us of the corresponding testimony of Ezekiel (47:1-12) and of John’s Revelation (22:1,2) which, under this same symbol of living waters preceding from the throne of the Millennial Kingdom, show us the restitution blessings under the symbols of “water of life,” to which whosoever will may come and drink freely, and fruitful trees of life everlasting whose leaves will heal the repentant peoples of earth of all imperfections.

Ah yes! “In that day the Lord shall be King over all the earth”; His Kingdom shall have come as His faithful have long prayed; and by the end of that day His will shall be done on earth even as it is done in heaven. God’s footstool shall then be glorious indeed; as it is written:

“As Truly as I Live, the Whole Earth Shall be Filled With the Glory of Jehovah.” (Num. 14:21; Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14)

(That Servant’s Vol. 4, Studies in the Scriptures)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – “What of chapter 35 of Isaiah’s prophecy, with emphasis on joy?”

ANSWER – This question was asked in the Watchtower of February 15, 1996: “That has also undergone a fulfillment in our time... It has been fulfilled in a restoration of spiritual Israel from a type of captivity. Let us examine the facts in what is recent theocratic history, falling within the lives of many still alive.” (p. 14, col. 1, par. 2) The reason they give for this captivity of their remnant is that their remnant had not kept entirely clean and was spotted with doctrinal errors and compromised when not taking a clear stand for Jehovah when put under pressure to support the warring nations in World War One. (See p. 14, par. 3)

The Witnesses say this “theocratic” teaching means it is God’s inspired teachings. What about their “theocratic” teachings of the past which they had to correct when time manifested it false? God makes no mistakes. They speak of the joy the Jehovah’s Wit-nesses have in walking up the Highway of Holiness of Isa. 35:8. They think to change times and seasons. There are only two ways during the reign of sin and evil: the narrow way for the Lord’s people and the Broadway of Destruction for the world. The Highway of Holiness is for the world during the Kingdom (Acts 17:31), which is future for Restitutionists. See the Divine Plan of the Ages, chapter 11. They advertise the Divine Plan of the Ages but haven’t read it, or don’t believe it. Satan will be bound during the Kingdom for the world (Rev. 20:3), and there will be no temptation to do evil. No error will be taught. The Highway of Holiness will be an easy way for the world. Today is a test of faith. The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not in that glorious gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan makes sure that all sorts of temptations will come to those on the narrow way. Even the Witnesses’ eyes are blinded regarding that glorious Kingdom, otherwise they wouldn’t be preaching doom to those who don’t join them.

“What will ‘the end’ mean for those who reject God’s standards [meaning, of course, the Witnesses’ teaching]? It will mean their adverse judgment and destruc­tion.” (May 15, 1996 Watch­tower, p. 7, top) “Following the destruction of those who reject Jehovah’s ways of peace, God’s Kingdom will usher in a glorious era of security for the benefit of the righteous ones on earth.” (p. 7, col. 1, par. 2)

God is love (1 John 4:16), and we are assured that all the unbelievers will receive a resurrection in the Kingdom: “For God concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Rom. 11:32) All means all unbelievers. God knows that the Devil has blinded the world’s minds. It is for the purpose of giving the world experience under an evil reign as well as to test the faith of His people. If they are faithful in the narrow way they will “rejoice in the Lord” and His Truth amidst all their afflictions and testings. They will be rewarded above Restitutionists. They are not looking for an easy way as the world will have in that glorious Kingdom.

The Witnesses have displayed That Servant’s picture in several Watchtowers and also advertised The Divine Plan of the Ages. In doing so it is Jezebel painting her face as their prototype, the Papal system, has done. They have cast aside Brother Russell’s chronology and have changed their chronology many times so that they are floating around in space and don’t know where they are in the span of time. Time has proven their predictions to be false such as “Millions Now Living will Never Die” in 1925 and their predictions for Armageddon. They are gaining more of those who are blinded to that glorious Kingdom but are losing some whose eyes are being opened to that glorious Kingdom and the Truth.

The Witnesses are the only ones emanating from Pastor Russell who have built churches, which they call Kingdom Halls. Brother Russell did not build churches, nor do Bible Student groups even though they have many brethren in all countries of the world. The Witnesses no longer call themselves Bible Students.

The Jehovah’s Witness claim Pastor Russell as their founder but have discarded many of his doctrines with their “new light,” which is actually “new error.” Instead of teaching, as Pastor Russell did, that the Papal system is the ANTICHRIST with Scriptural proof which he gave in The Time is at Hand of his Studies in the Scriptures, they now teach that the United Nations is the ANTICHRIST. The United Nations is a secular organization and does not claim God or Christ as its head. But the Papal system claims they are Christ’s Kingdom. In other words, they are ruling instead of Christ, therefore are the ANTICHRIST.

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Emily:

Back again from Emek ha Shalom a third time, and I am sending you some pictures of the life there.

Today there are much more visitors coming to Emek ha Shalom than earlier. This last week-end Herman and Josef were told to expect 7,000 visitors. According to Herman the Jews now have a new spirit, and they have been more interested in the truth. Herman and Josef have very much to do. They have to take care of the very beautiful garden and the farm, and they have to give many lectures. Josef is doing all the cooking.

Leif and I are worried; there is a risk of Herman and Josef being worn out. Where are the Bible Students? Are they waiting for signs of Christ’s government having been established before they will help with teaching the Jews the truth of the sacrifice and the New Covenant? I cannot imagine that they believe that they all must be dead and members of this government before they can help with this work.

About the work see Ezekiel 36:25: “Then [after gathering the Jews out of all coun-tries] will I sprinkle clean water [scanning] upon you.”

All the best and many kind regards. Your friend, Anders (SWEDEN)

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Our beloved Sister Emily: Loving greetings thru our Savior!

Please excuse our belated answer to your letter, but the enclosed report will explain it. We are glad that we are in such a unity and harmony of spirit and mind with you. It is very encouraging to have brethren like you who have the right understanding that Israel has now priority in God’s plan. We are to do what we can both spiritually and financially. Again and again we are touched anew by your sincere love. We see a great tribulation coming upon Christendom, if the present indifference will hold on. The love you have shown toward Israel we appreciate very much. It can be an encouragement to others and inspire the awakening which is also going on among the believers. Please labor for the unity that it may come to a united effort toward Israel.

Special prayer support is needed for continuing and increasing the process of the awakening among faithful Jews that the ministry we are doing toward them may be effective for His glory. These Jews are now being slandered as fanatics and opposers of peace. Please pray that they may be able to speak out, which the nation of Israel is not doing. Also, pray that they may in spite of all opposition become the example for Israel and speak out. If they do speak out their eyes may be opened to recognize the enormous deception they have had. Then the national awakening will come which is clearly prophesied: “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins.” (Isa. 59:20)

This time we approach you also for personal help. Please pray that the Lord will strengthen us. After years of concentrated service we are completely exhausted. It is the first time that we were no longer able to serve all the groups of visitors who are coming to the Peace Valley. Although most of them are coming with leaders who know us and are able to give complete witness by themselves. It will be a great pity if such opportunities are lost. Visitors who did not meet us, left written messages like: “This is the most beautiful place we have ever seen. Thank you for creating such a wonderful settlement.” “We wish you blessings for a successful continuation.” Another message says: “This place breathes pastorality in its highest completeness.” Etc., etc.

This is an evidence of how the Lord identifies Himself with the work of Emek ha Shalom, and reveals Himself to the visitors. It would be harmful if we are no longer able to serve all our visitors. Brother Hermann is now 95 years old, gets up before dawn and starts to work until evening. Brother Joseph after 25 years of exhausting ministry reached the weight of 44 kg. For many years he slept only 3 or 4 hours a night. We cannot continue without your help. Israel without help would be swallowed up. Please come and help!

In the hope that the Lord’s people will shortly leave Babylon and unite themselves to the great prophesied Army of the Lord.

Your brothers, Hermann and Joseph (ISRAEL)

PS – Last year Brother ------------- brought us a small personal computer which works on 12 volts. It is a great help for us to settle the correspondence. Shortly after he received a new big computer from the company he is employed by. The Pastor Russell books arrived safely. We may need more later. Thank you!

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Dear Herman and Joseph:

Many thanks for your letters. I am very pleased to hear that the visitors are getting “deeper” in the knowledge. When I look back on the year 1995, from our first visit at E.h.S. to the latest visit in November-December and remember what you, Joseph, ---------- and -------- said, and also what I saw with my own eyes, is that our Creator is taking away the blindness.

I become so glad when I realize, that you have tried to reach me on the phone. Anders and I spoke about a trip to you about two weeks ago. But we have not decided the date yet. We will of course let you know the date as soon as possible.

We both look, of course, very much forward to seeing you in Emek ha Shalom. You are in my mind every day.

All the best and many kind regards, ------------- (SWEDEN)

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NO. 476A: ISRAEL HOLDS A PRIORITY ON DIVINE FAVOR - PART ONE

No. 476A

Israel, the Chosen People of God, have always held a priority on His favor except for an interval between Jesus’ death and His Second Coming dur­ing which time God “hid his face from them” (Isa. 59:2) and they experienced a period of in­terrupted commu­nion, not severed union. Al­though Jesus’ First Advent on earth was for the purpose of giving Himself “a ransom for all,” He did not come to all; “he came to his own” (John 1:11). When Pilate asked, “Art thou a king?” Jesus answered, “For this cause came I into the world” (John 18:37). He did not say, For this cause came I to the world, for Jesus did not come to the world; “He came to his own” – “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He did not come into the world to be King of the world; He said, “My kingdom is not of this world” – this age, this dispensation (John 18:36). Yet, to be (future) King was the “cause” or reason He came into the world. It is time now for Him to be King, and He is beginning to “set up” His Kingdom – the Kingdom about which His disciples asked, “Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?”

At Jesus’ First Advent, His Atonement‑sacrifice paid the redemption price for the whole world, yet He demonstrated only a casual interest in the Gentile world, and on one occasion He referred to them as “dogs” and this in contrast to His ref­erence to Israel as “children” (Mark 7:27). And, although the object of His human birth was to “give his flesh for the life of the world,” He “prayed not for the world” nor did He grieve about the world, but He prayed for His “own” and He “wept” over Jerusalem (John 17:9; Luke 19:41). He did not pine to take the world under His wing, but sorrowfully He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her brood under her wing...” (Luke 13:34).

Thus Israel held a priority of favor with God. Never at any time have Gentiles held equal favor with Israel; Gentiles have never had any oracles of God; nor have any of their governments ever been a Divinely sponsored and directed rule as were the kings of Israel and Judah. God has merely permitted Gentile nations to rule the earth during the period of Israel’s “double” of disfavor, but at no time has His blessing been upon their conflicting interests, their inconsistent doctrines and opposing armies. It is only as a few Gentiles have become true Christians that they have come into covenant relationship with God and have become recipients of His favor. Chris­tians should bear in mind that it was not every one of Israel that refused to accept Jesus; a few “received him” (John 1:12), and those who re­ceived Him remained in His favor, others were broken off. Paul, speaking to Gentiles regarding Israel’s family tree, says (Rom. 11:17‑19), “And if some of the branches be broken off [unbeliev­ing Jews], and thou [believing Gentiles], being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them [among believing Jews], partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree! boast not against the [broken off] branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou will say then, Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.”

The first point is, only some of the branches were broken off, not all the branches. Another point is, believing Gentiles were grafted “among them,” not instead of them; that is, believing Gentiles were grafted among believing Jews. An­other point is, Gentile believers were simply to become a partaker with Jewish believers. But it appears that Gentiles have tried to be a monopolizer instead of a partaker. They think they have taken the place of the Jew in God’s Divine Plan. No Gentile Christian should “boast over the natural branches; it is not you that bearest the root, but the root thee.” It is through the Jewish “root” that a Gentile Christian receives any blessing at all. It might be well for such to cultivate a little gratitude for undeserved bless­ings flowing through the Jewish channel. Paul anticipated what Gentile “Christians” would say. He says, “Thou wilt say then, branches were bro­ken off that I might be grafted in.” Paul anticipated the error into which “Christian” Gentiles would fall. “Thou wilt say.” Paul does not say, God saith, or I say, or the Lord saith; but he says, “Thou wilt say” – Gentiles will say – “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Paul admits “some branches were broken off,” but the breaking off of the branches was not done for the purpose of grafting Gentiles in, but rather it was an occasion for grafting “a few” (Matt. 7:14) Gentiles in. In other words, the broken off bran­ches were made the occasion, not the cause, of grafting “a little flock” (Luke 12:32) of Christian Gentiles in. What, then, was the cause of some of the branches being broken off: “By unbelief they were broken off” (Rom. 11:20). The branches were not broken off simply to make room for Gentiles. It was the unbelief of the Jews which caused their breaking off from the favor of God, which breaking off occasioned a blessing to “a few” Gentiles.

True Christians, no doubt, understand their relationship to the Jewish national branches as partakers with, not instead of, believing Jews; but “Christians” (so called) appear to regard Jews as altogether cast off, and themselves as having taken the place of the Jew in God’s Divine arrangement. They call themselves “Spiritual Is­rael,” welcoming Gentiles everywhere and ignor­ing Jews. “For I would not, [Gentile] brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceit, that blindness in part hath happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). This shows that the partial blindness of Israel is a revealed mystery and that “ignorance” of this mystery is apt to produce conceit – “lest ye be wise in your own conceit.” Has there been no ignorance on the part of Gentiles of this mystery resulting in Gen­tile conceit and a sense of superiority in their relationship to God? Bear in mind that Israel’s blindness was only “in part” and was to continue only “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” Israel’s blindness was not arbitrarily inflicted by God; it had an adequate cause. The blindness is not a cause, but a consequence – a consequence of unbelief. Because of “unbelief” they were “broken off.” Their unbelief was not total, it was only partial – blind “in part” (Rom. 11:25).

Note Acts 15:14‑16 which says: “Simeon hath declared how God... did visit the Gentiles [for a specific purpose] to select out of them a people for his name [Christians]. After this, I will return and build again the Tabernacle of David [the Jewish polity] which is fallen down; I will build again the ruins thereof and set it up that the remainder of men might seek the Lord and all the Gentiles upon whom my name [Christian] is [commonly] called.” It is a common thing for Gentiles to freely and casually call themselves “Christians.”

When God “visited” the Gentiles, He did not visit them to bestow His blessing upon their conflicting interests and opposing armies, but to “take out” (select) a people (True Christians) to bear “his name.” Although Gentile governments have been permitted, temporarily, to exercise rulership over the earth, Gentiles, as nations, are no more in God’s favor than they were at Jesus’ First Advent when He referred to them as “dogs.” It will be “after” the Tabernacle of David has been “set up” that Gentiles “upon whom his name is [falsely] called” will have a universally favor­able opportunity to “seek the Lord.” When Israel shall have received her “double” of punishment; when she has paid for her insufficient faith, the Messiah’s first restoration act will be to “build again” the Jewish polity – the Tabernacle of David and “set it up.” And the security of David’s throne is guaranteed by the oath of God: “I have made a covenant with my Chosen, I have sworn unto David, my servant, thy seed I will establish forever and build up thy throne to all generations... my covenant I will not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie to David. His seed shall endure forever... as the moon – the faithful witness in the sky” (Psa. 89:3,4, 34‑37).

Israel is promised the same restoration com­mon to Gentiles but more in detail. Their polity will be restored; their land will be restored; they will be restored to their land; their “judges and counsellors will be restored as at the first” (Isa. 1:26). The Lord has not, for one moment, turned away from Israel’s family tree – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the patriarchs and prophets of old, and though, in Jesus’ day, it was found necessary to figuratively break off some of the natural bran­ches, even these He will regather and restore, for they are still “beloved for their fathers’ sakes” (Rom. 11:28).

At Jesus’ First Advent He came as the world’s Redeemer, but he came to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” – God’s Chosen People. He offered them a special favor – the first to accept Him as Messiah and King. If they, as a nation, had had sufficient faith to have accepted Him, it is a logi­cal conclusion that no branches would have been broken off from God’s favor, and thus there would have been no occasion for their house to have been “left desolate” or for a grafting process. The consequences to the Gentiles as regards Israel’s rejection of Jesus was, a fraction of them accepted Him as the Messiah and became true Christians and were grafted into the Jewish family tree and received a blessing. This is in contradistinction to the universal blessing which Israel’s national restoration and conversion will bring to the world – the blessing of “all the families of the earth.” If the national “desolation of Israel’s house” and the temporary “breaking off” and “casting away” brought blessings to a limited number of Gentiles, how much more will their conversion, regathering and the rebuilding of their polity mean to the world? If Israel’s national calamity occasioned a blessing, how much more blessing will their conversion and restora­tion bring? (Rom. 11:15)

Some Gentile “Christians” seem to think they have a point by raising an objection: “But Jews are going back to Israel in unbelief.” We answer, Jews are not going back to Israel in total unbe­lief, only partial unbelief – “blind in part.” But suppose they were going back in total unbelief, would that make a difference with God? Would He change His plans? If His favor has returned to them, would their lack of faith affect the faithfulness of God? Shall their want of faith make His favor of no effect? “What if some did not believe, shall their unbelief make God unfaithful? God forbid” (Rom. 3:3). The unbelief of Jews cannot change, alter nor thwart the purposes of God. His purposes and promises will not be af­fected by Israel’s conduct. “For the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). God has not repented, has not changed His mind or rescinded His oath respecting the gift of Palestine or the call of Abraham and his natural descendants to be a blessing to the world. He knew in advance what degree of faith Israel would have, therefore, in view of His foreknowl­edge, a change of plan cannot be necessary with God. Too much stress is placed on the conduct of the Jew as affecting God’s plan. Some people think and talk of God’s dealing as though He were dealing by a rule of chance, and governed entirely by circumstance. Knowing the end from the beginning, God’s plans and purposes are fixed and unalterable.

Again, some Gentile “Christians” tell us that the nation of Israel is composed of atheists. But every Jew knows and every Christian should know that Israel without God cannot be Israel. Israel without God is a contradiction in terms. The meaning of the name and the purpose of the existence of that nation is bound up with God, and Israel will always exist as God’s nation. “Though I make a full end of all nations... I will not make a full end of thee” (Jer. 30:11). Although Israel has been a stubborn and rebellious people, nevertheless, they are a Chosen People, “beloved for their fathers’ sake,” and they are to be the first people upon whom restoration blessings will be poured. “He will save the tents of Judah first” (Zech. 12:7).

Many inconsistent, contradictory and confus­ing doctrines have been taught in Christendom due to the fact that Israel has not been properly recognized in the Divine arrangement. For practically two thousand years, during the period of Israel’s Divine disfavor, Gentiles have had full sway and dominion of earth and have ruled with applause, parade and with no interference. Aside from a very few true Christians, Gentile Babylon has had a field‑day – the heyday of her national existence. For practically two thousand years Jews, because of their offenses against God, have experienced His wrath, and have had to wait until the “set time” for His favor to return. They have waited for the promised restoration of their Holy Land; they have waited for the promised re­building of their Jewish polity that fell down; they have waited for the “ruins” to be “set up” again. There will be a depth of meaning in their words which no other people on earth can feel when, recognizing their Messiah, and having been rehabilitated in their home land, they cry: “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him” (Isa. .25:9).

Jews are going back home; the Lord is building “again” the Tabernacle of David, for the natural descendants of Jacob constitute a Divinely separated and preserved people which have a designated mission of service in the interest of the human race and which no power on earth can annul. “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), which means that universal blessings are destined to come through Israel as the earthly instrumentality, and all the combined powers on earth cannot succeed in preventing nor frustrating. It is Israel’s Divine earthly heritage to hold up the glorious and everlasting torch of peace and truth on earth. It was Jesus who declared, “Salvation is of the Jews.” He did not say for the Jews nor to the Jews but “of the Jews.” Thus, the Divine provision is that “in the times of refreshing that shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19), Israel, recovered from blindness, shall be used as a medium through whom the streams of salvation, issuing from the Messiah, shall flow to “all the families of the earth”; as it is written, “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3).

The time has come, to which holy men of old have looked with longing since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden – the time for the “redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph. 1:14). The earth, originally given to Adam as his dominion, usurped by Satan, and so long held by man’s mighty foe, has been bought by the great Atonement‑sacrifice of Jesus. All that was lost by transgression has been redeemed by Him who “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” “Thus saith the Lord... that formed the earth and made it, he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited” (Isa. 45:18). God’s original purpose in the creation of the earth will be fulfilled when it is made the eternal abode of the restored race. “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever” (Psa. 37:29).

A fear of making the future inheritance of man seem too material has led many Christians to spiritualize away the very truths which should lead them to look upon the earth as their home. In speaking to Israel of their homeland, the Lord declares, “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shall call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.” “They shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat... Mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands” (Isa. 60:18; 65:21).

The rebuilt and restored Jerusalem will be the metropolis of the glorified earth, “a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (Isa. 62:3). “The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory into it” (Rev. 21:24). “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people” (Isa. 65:19).

Israel, God’s Chosen People, will soon begin to feel ashamed of the measure of faith they have had in the prophecies, and nothing will humble them more than to realize how limited their acquaintance has been with the Word of God.

While nations are now absorbed in their national problems, alternately moved by hopes and fears, the grand and stately march of Israel’s restoration will progress onward and irresistibly to completion in fulfillment of the Divine purpose. Nations here and there may raise their puny voices as if to stay Israel’s advancement, and arrest the fiat of the Eternal, but they might as well attempt to stay the law which governs the universe. Gentiles had a fixed course to run, as fixed as the stars that dazzle in the blue vault above, and Israel, the bright star in the firmament amongst them, has been, in all its wanderings, true to its course as well. Its mission was foreseen and foretold, and its final restoration to the Holy Land prophesied. This prophecy is being fulfilled now, today. The re‑founding of a nation in the Holy Land once more means the exaltation of Israel, and places them among the nations of earth, and gives them that sovereign right which will, through the Lord’s guiding providence, eventually mean peace and righteousness to all.

It may be said that, geographically speaking, Israel will be too small to exert much influence among the nations of earth. We answer, It will not be the extent or expanse of territory that will make Israel great, but rather it will be the strength of moral power and the power of righteousness that will make Israel renowned among the nations. Knowing this, no one should suffer himself to stand by with folded hands when this new exodus is taking place. Jews have held, for nearly two thousand years, that the consummation of the ages of suffering which they have passed through will be reached only when they again possess the land of their fathers. Is that trust and faith to die now just at the moment when it is being fulfilled? Or was it expected that the return would be brought about by means so miraculous as to be beyond the cooperation of human beings? God’s plans are not above human cooperation and He works His will through the wills of men; and thus it may be expected that the prophecies will be fulfilled largely through human wills and energies.

The inhabitants of Israel, though now under a war cloud, will eventually resume all their ancient territory. The prophecies are clear as day that Jews are destined to repossess Palestine and, indeed, to rule from Lebanon to Euphrates; and that this event is to be the first of a great series of changes leading not only to vast improvement, by God’s guiding providence, in the condition of suffering Jews, but eventually of creation in general. Surely it is the duty of pious and sober men and women to watch precursory signs, and lend their humble cooperation, should so great a privilege be accorded them.

We see the beginning of the return of Divine favor to Israel manifested in the opening up of the Land of Promise and their expulsion from other lands, and also in the returning fruitfulness of the land itself. These outward signs alone, aside from any prophetic dates and times, would be strong evidences that we are living in the close of the “Times of the Gentiles,” and we have the positive assurance of the Scriptures that Israel’s blindness and cast‑off condition would continue only “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25).

Thus the gradual closing of Gentile dominion and supremacy quickens the interest of those now waiting for the consolation of Israel. Such will be hungering for whatever information God may have supplied through the prophets, touching the end or closing period of this Gentile Age. In order to appreciate the logic and reasonableness of the prophetic teaching on these interesting subjects, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the object of Jesus’ Second Coming. The object of His Second Coming is to bring into harmony “whosoever will,” of the world, especially through the restored Ancient Worthies – the judges and counsellors of Israel, by a process of ruling, teaching and disciplining in the Kingdom. Thus Jesus’ Second Coming is of paramount importance.

(Chapter Seven of THIS IS THE MILLENNIUM, by Shelah Ben-Hanan)

NO. 475B: ZIONISM IN PROPHECY

No. 475B

(Continued from No. 475A, May 1996)

PASTOR RUSSELL: I will read in your hearing from the Holy Scriptures, Leeser’s translation, the Hebrew version:

Psalms 102:14‑16: “Thou shalt arise, 0 Lord; for thou wilt have mercy upon Zion; for it is time to favor her, for the appointed time has come. For thy servants hold dear her stones, and her very dust they cherish. Then shall nations fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of earth thy glory.”

Mal. 3:1,5,6,7: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall clear out the way before me; and suddenly will come to his temple the Lord, whom ye seek; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire; for, behold, he is coming, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will come near unto you to hold judgement; and I will be a swift witness... For I the Lord – I have not changed; and ye sons of Jacob – ye have not ceased to be. From the days of your fathers did ye depart from my statutes, and did not keep them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Ezekiel 16:60‑63: “Nevertheless will I indeed remember my covenant with thee in the day of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. And thou shalt then remember thy ways, and be confounded, when thou receivest thy sisters, both those that are older than thou and younger than thou; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, though not because thou wast faithful to the covenant. And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: in order that thou mayest remember, and feel ashamed and never open thy mouth any more because of thy confusion, when I forgive thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Eternal.”

Jeremiah 31:31‑37: “Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant.

“Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day that I took hold of them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they have broken, although I was become their husband, saith the Lord.

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, I will place my law in their inward parts, and upon their hearts will I write it; and I will be unto them for a God and they shall be unto me for a people.

“And they shall not teach any more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them even unto their greatest, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I not remember any more.

“Thus hath said the Lord who bestoweth the sun for a light by day, the ordinance of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirreth up the sea that its waves roar. The Lord of hosts is his name.

“If these ordinances ever depart from before me, saith the Lord, then also shall the seed of Israel cease from being a nation before me during all time.

“Thus hath said the Lord, If the heavens can be measured above, and the foundations of the earth be searched out beneath, then also will I reject all the seed of Israel, for all that they have done, saith the Lord.”

Isaiah 40:1,2: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. “Speak ye (comfort) to the heart of Jerusalem, and call out unto her, that her time of sorrow is accomplished, that her iniquity is atoned for; for she hath received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.”

My Jewish Friends And Others: I have pleasure in being before you today. I am here because of your invitation, for which I thank you. I am pleased to have an opportunity of speaking to my Jewish friends and neighbors in this city. All the more so because I believe that some, in the name of Christ, have dishonored his name in various persecutions against your race.

I cannot be surprised, my dear friends, that after centuries of persecution you should feel that it would be almost a miracle if you should hear a Christian speaking the words of our text to the Jews, in defense of the Jews. I am pleased, therefore, to have this opportunity of saying that I have no sympathy whatever with the conduct of the Russians, nor with the demoniacal conduct of the so‑called Christians of Roumania. We read, too, of the fact recently that in Roumania there was a terrible scene enacted when so‑called Christians dug up the dead of the Jews, brought their carcasses and laid them on the doorsteps. Dear friends, this is not properly attributive to the Christianity which I stand for. I am glad that I stand for no such misrepresentation of the One whom I recognize as my Creator, as my Master, and one who is of your race.

Nothing in his Word ever directed his followers to thus misrepresent the principles of righteousness, justice. I should like in one word to tell you the very reason why there is such conduct on the part of some who have named the name of Christ. It is this: That during the period we call the Dark Ages, when ignorance was prevalent throughout the civilized world, various false theories and doctrines, quite contrary to the Law of Moses, quite contrary to the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles, were brought in. So we find that today the name of Christ is attached to various theories which you and I and all Christian peoples recognize as sinful and wrong and dishonest. By all Christian peoples I mean the Christian people in general whom you meet in this land of liberty; a very different view, you will notice, from that held by Christians of Russia and Roumania and some other parts.

The whole world is swayed by the power of the mind. When a man’s mind is disarranged his conduct will be in harmony with the disarrangement. What wild and unreasonable things are often done by the insane because the mind has gone wrong. I am not charging the Christians in the Dark Ages with these things, but I am charging it, dear friends, to that which the Scriptures call “Doctrines of Devils,” promulgated in the name of Christianity, and some of those doctrines of devils are very devilish indeed. One of these doctrines is what I hold responsible for all the various injustices that have been done to your race – the doctrine that our Heavenly Father, when he created the race, also made a great place of eternal torment and purposed that the great proportion of these human creatures whom he made should be cast into this eternal torture. All of this we believe to be very dishonoring to God, and it is because of this wrong theory respecting God and his character and his purposes toward the children of men that the world has witnessed such terrible persecution of the Jews – and all done in the name of love.

It is not surprising at all that practically all Christian people believe that every Jew is going to eternal torment. So I say, with the thought before their minds that the great Creator has damned every Jew to eternal torment, is it any wonder that those who believe such a thing should act like demons? It is no wonder! A man is bound to be conscientious and we must admit that these people are acting according to their consciences, but if a man is conscientious he will act according to his light or according to his darkness, and this gross darkness which came upon the civilized world 1,000 years ago, from which we have scarcely emerged, is responsible for the misrepresentation of the Almighty’s character, and is responsible for the persecution of the Jews. Have we not been told that every man should seek to be in harmony with and should follow the example of his God! Whoever, therefore, has a devilish conception of God will have a devilish form of conduct. And theoretically that has come upon Christian people who are slowly emerging from the gross errors of the Dark Ages. Many errors still cling to them; for instance, the doctrine of eternal torment. These Christian people believe this to be the doctrine of the Bible, and I thought the same. I also thought that I was getting it from the Bible, but I found out differently, my dear friends. I found out that I had been taking the traditions and creeds of men, and I had been told that these creeds fairly represented the Word of God, and under the impulse of the refusal of my mind to follow such a leading I became a kind of an unbeliever, totally rejecting both the Old and the New Testaments; and I know, therefore, how to sympathize with those who are called Higher Critics. I know how to sympathize with those who feel that there is no real intelligence in the Bible.

But, dear friends, after having had this experience, by God’s grace I came back to the Bible itself and made an examination along its own lines, and today I am a believer in not merely the New Testament, but in the Old Testament also. I have the opinion that both Jews and Christians have to a large extent neglected the intelligent study of the Word of God and I would like not only to awaken all the Christians – men and women – to study the Bible, but I would also like to awaken all the Jewish people to a study of the Word of God, a study of your own Scriptures, which contain the most wonderful message. They explain all the affairs pertaining to your people.

After making a thorough study of the prophecies I found the whole picture of the world there, and I thank God so often for these prophecies! They are not yet fulfilled. Certain portions of them have been fulfilled; and then there are other things that God has for the Jews and for the Gentiles.

To my understanding, God has two salvations – a special salvation, which is only for a mere handful – merely a saintly few, and as soon as the saintly few have been selected as the body of the Great Messiah he will fulfill all the glorious things the Jews have been hoping for, which you and I have been hoping for, and which the whole world has been hoping for. Do we not all see the need of a great Deliverer for the Jew; do we not see the need of a great deliverer for the whole world; do we not see that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together, waiting, waiting for your Messiah, my Messiah, for the Messiah God has promised, the Messiah of the whole world?

When we come to see what our God is doing, then there is a great sympathetic bond I believe between every intelligent Jew and every intelligent Christian. We have one God, the Father of all, and we have one hope in his glorious plan, and the glorious hope of this plan is all centered in the Messiah that has been promised to the Jews for these 3,500 years since the day of Abraham. God, foreknowing what he would do for the blessing of the world, declared in advance to Abraham that through his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed.

He intimates that there would be two kinds of Abraham’s seed – he would have a heavenly and he would have an earthly seed. Remember how in the Scriptures he said, Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven and also as the sands of the seashore. These two seeds eventually shall bless the world. As soon as the heavenly seed shall be completed – and we believe that that time is near at hand now – then the blessing of God will begin to come to his earthly seed. And what do we see, my dear friends? Do you see the condition in which we are as a race? Do you see the sickness and weakness of the world of mankind today? Do you realize that sin is the very cause of all this, and do you know that God has declared, as I have read in your hearing, that the time is coming when he will blot out all those things which are the results of sin? You and I, and all mankind, are suffering from these things and they will all pass away. Does this not mean that in due time the wilderness shall blossom as the rose, the solitary place shall be glad for them, the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep and none will need say to his neighbor, Know the Lord? We have not had that time yet! It is still in the future. That is the glorious promise of God which Israel is looking forward to if they are looking in the right direction; Christians are also looking forward to this, and all nations look forward to it.

As I have read, not only is the blessing to come to Israel but also to the Gentiles. That is my understanding, dear friends, of what the Bible teaches. Let us look for the great antitypical Moses, this great antitypical David, this great antitypical Melchizedek; this great one that is mentioned by Daniel, the prophet, when he said: Then shall Michael (the archangel) stand up (assume control) and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time, and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. God is making a record of those who are true Jews; he has a book; he has an account, and you and I realize that. We know we are not living here in vain. You and I believe that the Great One who created us has something more in store for us than the brute beast. What is that glorious thing that he has provided?

Our Scripture tells us that under this new regime which shall be inaugurated when Michael shall take control, Israel will be the first to be blessed, as God said in the Scriptures which I have read in your hearing. It shall come to pass as the Lord God has said. After those days I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant I made with them when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, but a new covenant, like the former, but more glorious. As the first covenant had a mediator so this new covenant will have a mediator, a better mediator. As Moses led the people on the right way, so also will the antitype of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses, the greater one than Moses, do. There cometh a greater one than Moses. Now this one will be the one through whom all the promises of God will come to Israel, and through Israel to all men.

To my understanding, dear friends, the Scriptures are very clear in their statement that this New Covenant will be for Israel only and that all the nations of the world, if they desire to receive the blessings of that covenant, must come into Israel, so that during the reign of Messiah, which will be for 1,000 years, all nations will be pressing into it that they may become members of Israel, and so the nations will eventually come to be a part of Israel, as the Scriptures say – the seed of Abraham, like the sands of the seashore filling the whole earth – and every one who will not become an Israelite, who will not come into harmony with God, with that divine law, with the New Covenant, will be cut off in the Second Death. The Scriptures say that at the end of Messiah’s reign every one will be perfect; all will be of the seed of Abraham, and his seed shall then be as the stars of heaven and as the sands of the seashore. But during his reign every one who will not hear that prophet will be destroyed from among the people.

Then, you inquire, why is it that God has so long delayed? Well, my dear brother, whether I can make the matter clear to you or not, it is a fact we all recognize, that he has delayed. And during this delay of now more than 3,500 years from the time that promise was made to Abraham, from the time God took his oath, bound himself to the blessing of all the families of the earth, and bound himself that the blessing should come through Abraham’s seed – from that day to this, in all 3,500 years, your faith as a people has not failed. And in my estimation it is one of the most miraculous things in the world today to see the faith of Israel as a people. I esteem it, my dear friends, to be a miracle itself. No other country has ever done anything like this. No other nation is the seed of Abraham, as God has revealed this matter.

God gave an illustration of the delay, you remember. The covenant made to Abraham was made a long, long time before Isaac was born, and so God’s promises to Israel, natural Israel, the seed of Abraham, have been long deferred, and to our understanding in a certain way that we may not have time to fully discuss this afternoon. Our thought is that now God’s time has come, as we read in Psalms 102: “To favor Zion, for the appointed time is come.” Do you believe that he did found your nation, and that he had a purpose in respect to that founding? Do you believe the promises? Do you believe that the Lord’s promises will yet be fulfilled? Do you believe that he is able to do so? My dear friends, I am afraid that some of the Jews are getting weak in their faith respecting the promises of God. God’s purposes ripen slowly, but if the Scriptures are true, and we have a right understanding, Messiah will very shortly be manifested in power and great glory, not visible to men, but as a spirit being, invisible to men, as Daniel described, you remember: Who as God – one like unto God, with power. Yes, my dear friends, with power; with power through Israel to fulfill all the glorious promises God made to Abraham and confirmed to Isaac and to Jacob.

Let me give you an idea of one way in which I think of this matter. I refresh your minds respecting the history of Israel; how after God dealt with your people through judges, he gave them kings, and the name of the last king you remember was Zedekiah. Upon Zedekiah God pronounced a great sentence which has since gone into effect. Let me remind you of the words of the Prophet addressing Zedekiah, the last king of the Jews. I understand about Maccabeus, king of the Maccabees, but the Maccabees were not Jews. God has promised his blessing to Israel and Judah. Now I will quote you the words of the Prophet Ezekiel, 21:25:

“And thou profane and wicked prince, whose time has come that iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” Who is this one that is coming? Who is this one that is to take the throne of David? Who is this one that is to be the successor to Zedekiah? Did God not promise to David “the sure mercies of David,” that of the fruit of his loins he would raise up this one? This was not fulfilled at that time. It must belong to some future time because the sure mercies of David were pointed to after that time and they have not yet been fulfilled. That great Messiah is not a man, for no earthly being is able to accomplish for Israel, and through Israel for the world, the wonderful things which God has declared this Messiah shall accomplish. He is to bless all the families of the earth – not merely those living at that time, but also all those who have gone down into the sleep of death. That is the time of which Daniel speaks, that in this day many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall come forth; and some shall shine as stars in the firmament.

Now, my dear friends, a certain period of time from the time Zedekiah lost his crown is measured all the way down. What do we find for this measurement in the Word of God, in the Holy Scriptures? Through the Prophet, God has given a measure which reaches from Zedekiah, from the time his crown was taken away to the time that it would be restored. You remember how it was at the time Israel was discarded from divine favor as a nation – not the people but as a nation; the crown was taken away from them as a nation, was removed, to be no more until the Messiah, but still they would continue to be God’s people. This shows the difference between God’s people and God’s nation. But at the time the crown was removed from the brow of the king of Judah, a lease of power was given to the Gentiles.

I remind you that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was the one who took Zedekiah prisoner. I remind you that he had a wonderful dream and Daniel the Prophet was there and interpreted the dream. I remind you what the dream was; that he saw a great image – head of gold, breast of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron, and the feet of iron and clay mixed. I remind you that Daniel gave an inspired interpretation of that dream. Daniel said that Babylon was the first, or head of gold; that after Babylon would arise another kingdom, a universal kingdom; and then a third, and then a fourth. You remember who these are: First, Babylon; second, Medo‑Persia; third, Greece; fourth, Rome. Rome came in fourth and was represented by the legs of iron – the strongest empire the world has ever known. Since the Roman empire departed as an empire, what do we have? Papal Rome. This was shown in the image by the feet of iron and clay mixed, the feet being part of iron and part of clay; the iron representing the Roman or civil power and the clay the religious influences or addition to the Roman civil power. So these ten toes seem to indicate also the kings of Europe of the present time, for they have been the successors and their empires are more or less of religious and civil power combined; as for instance, the kingdom of England is not merely a civil but also a religious monarchy, and so with the other monarchies in Europe. They have the religious feature represented in the clay and the civil power represented in the iron. This is a picture of the whole world and all the empires of earth to whom God gave a lease of power more than 2,000 years ago.

We see how this has been fulfilled. What will follow this? Is this great image to stand forever? NO! Was Babylon to last forever? No, it was cast away and was succeeded by Medo‑Persia. Did it last forever? No, it was followed by Greece. Greece was followed by the Roman empire. Did it last forever? No, it merged into Papal Rome. What about all this? What was the end of this prophecy of Daniel? The king beheld in his vision and a stone was cut out from the mountain without hands and smote the image – Where? In Nebuchadnezzar days, the head? No. In the Medo‑Persia days? No. Where? In the feet; smote the image in the feet at the end of the Gentile times. If you and I see it that way then we must see that we are now somewhere at the time of the feet and we should expect that the time for the smiting of the image in the feet by the stone would be near.

You remember the result; that the stone which smote the image in the feet accomplished the complete destruction of the Gentile empire. The great image went to pieces and the wind carried it away; there was no place found for it. And the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. And Daniel’s interpretation of that stone is that it represented the Kingdom of God. He is pointing out how the dominion was taken away from Zedekiah and given to Nebuchadnezzar, and to all of his successors, and that the kingdom power would revert to Israel. Messiah, the head of Israel, will become the great stone that will eventually be the kingdom which will fill the whole earth, and bless the whole world. Is that a plain picture? I hold that it is. Is it a far‑fetched interpretation? I hold that it is not. I hold that there is no other interpretation possible; we must either believe that or give up the whole matter. If we see that the first part has been fulfilled in the past, does it not confirm Daniel’s prophecy to you and to me, and to as many as have ears to hear, that the latter part is just as sure of fulfillment as the first part?

Another part of this prophecy shows us that there were seven times determined upon this great people. What is a time? A time is a year. Seven times, seven years. Not literal years. More than literal years. There is a symbolical year used in prophecy which is reckoned on the basis of a lunar year; twelve months of thirty days each, or 360 days – each day representing a year. One symbolical year, therefore, would represent 360 years. How many would be represented in seven times? I answer seven times 360 years would be 2,520 years. And if we measure those 2,520 years from the time that God took away the diadem from Zedekiah and gave a lease of power to the Gentiles, what do we find? We find the 2,520 years will soon expire. And what would that mean? That would mean the time to restore Zion has come, and that, my dear friends, is part of my message to the Jews.

You have suffered persecution for centuries; God has surely promised you a blessing, and the time of fulfillment is near, and the blessing that will come upon you is so much greater than you have ever dreamed of that we are astonished to see the grace of our God and the wonderful lengths and breadths of his mighty plan.

The reason that you and I have been inclined to go after infidelity and to reject the Bible is that we never saw the plan of God as there outlined; never appreciated its wonderful promises, never appreciated the fact that God will bless every member of our race. “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed,” and that includes the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of his power, and the knowledge of his guidance, and the knowledge of the blessing that will come through the great Mediator of the New Covenant.

Well, how would we measure this period of time? You might say you would count it a few years sooner, etc., but I will tell you how I measure it. I find that the year of Zedekiah is the year 606 which we call in our common reckoning BC I forget how it is spoken of by the Jews, or the word that they use. 606 years BC and 1914 years AD will make what? 2,520 years. What do you see? You see forces at work today that the world has never before seen; every intelligent man sees something wonderful that he does not understand. We hold that the only proper conception of the things that are happening in your day and mine are seen only from the divine standpoint. From God’s Word we can know something of what the commotion of our day signifies. Can any deny that we have commotion in our day? That we have wonderful things in our day? That ours is a most wonderful day, for electricity, steam and all the wonderful inventions that come along these lines? How should we understand these things?

Some tell us these are all a result of our having large heads; that we are brainier than any people who have ever lived on the earth. Is this true? As far as you are concerned, and I know as far as I am concerned, you and I recognize great characters of the past that were greater than any of our day. Is it not true that Moses has not today his equal in the world as a law‑giver? Is it not true that David could touch more hearts than any other poet in the world? Surely! Shall we say, then, dear friends, that all this great blessing of our day is merely the result of ours being a “brain age” and that we are so brainy today? Let us take the Scriptures for it, let us take the words of the prophet for it, that this is the “day of preparation.” Preparation of whom? Messiah. That is what we have been praying for, for Messiah and for the great kingdom of God; for the blessing that God has declared shall come through the seed of Abraham to all the families of the earth. Do you not see that these are the beginning of the blessing? My understanding from the Bible is that the blessings which you and I are enjoying today, the most wonderful blessings the world has ever known, are only the beginnings of God’s blessings. I thank God that the great blessing is thus coming to all people and tongues. I thank God we have this hope of Messiah.

As an illustration, the one who has been instrumental in bringing forward many wonderful things from electricity, Mr. Edison, says himself that he has no great intelligence on the subject of electricity or any other subject; he himself tells that he merely stumbled into these things. The simple interpretation is that God’s time has come for the lifting of the veil of ignorance that has been in the world, and therefore the blessing of the Lord is coming out here and there.

I remind you of your Jubilee system, inaugurated by Moses; how it pointed forward to a great time of blessing. You remember under the jubilee arrangement that on the fiftieth year every one should again receive what had been lost; everything should go back in accordance with the original arrangement. What did that mean? I agree with you that it was a very good law; I agree with you that it was a very simple law put into operation on a very similar scale to our present bankruptcy law; it was typical of something in the future, typical of a great rest day.

Do you not as Jews hold to the promise of the great period of Messiah’s Kingdom when the great Sabbath of rest and peace will come to all the world? I understand that you do. I certainly do. Now this great Sabbath year, this great Jubilee, is another picture of the great day to come, Messiah’s reign, his Kingdom, the restitution spoken of, with every man restored to his former estate – that which was lost. Do you know that our Scriptures, your holy Scriptures, read that God created man not in an imperfect condition but in his own image, in his own likeness, perfect morally, perfect in mentality? Do you agree with me that the Scriptures, your Scriptures, show that so perfect, so absolutely perfect was Adam that even when the sentence of death came upon him he did not crumble into dust in a few years, but for 930 years he was going down into death? As we mark the history of the world coming down to us we find that the average of human life is only about 35 years. In our day we have come down to the very limit almost, and I have noticed within a week the state­ments of some, an English physician of prominence, and an American physician of prominence, and they both reached about the same conclusion, that at the present rate of the mental decline of the human family, 268 years more would make everybody insane. The world is becoming insane so rapidly that these gentlemen figured out that we would all be insane in 268 years. What does this mean? A great fall of our race, in the strength of mind, in the strength of body, which perhaps some of you have discovered already. Many of my friends have told me that they had a nervous breakdown. That means that none of us is equal to the strain.

Now, my dear friends, if you have the Bible standpoint that God created our first parents in his own image and likeness, and that sin came upon them, and that mentally, morally and physically we have fallen – if we have this before our minds, and then the great Jubilee, we see that man will be restored to his former estate – to all that he lost. That would be restitution according to the Bible. Now I hold, that, we either stand for God and the Bible or we stand against it. I stand for the Bible, and the Bible stands for Israel, and therefore I stand for Israel; and the Bible tells of restitution; of Divine favor, and therefore I proclaim it. I am glad, therefore, of having this opportunity of addressing so many of the Jewish people here and of pointing them to their own Scriptures as teaching these things, telling of the good things God has in reservation for you.

What, in view of this, is the lesson of the hour? It is this, my dear friends: That we should seek justice, and not merely seek the land of Palestine. I may say here that it is not at all my conception of the Bible teaching that the eight millions of Jews in the world are going to Palestine, even though it has been estimated that, under most favorable conditions, the land could support more than twice that many. It is my thought that some of your most earnest and saintly people will go to Palestine quickly, and that the rejuvenation there will be astonishing to the world. We have no thought whatever that it is God’s plan respecting the Jews that all Jews will return to Palestine, but the time has come when it is the duty of every Jew who is not going to Palestine personally, to give his sympathy, to do all in his power to help every Jew that does desire to go there, and should be specially desirous of assisting financially those of the Jews who are now suffering in Russia, helping them back to Palestine, and establishing there great enterprises. (Applause.)

In regard to your Zionistic ideas, I believe the due time, the set time, as our text says, to remember Zion has come; therefore God raised up for you a certain great leader, Dr. Herzl. Through his efforts the attention of the whole world has been attracted to Palestine, and to the Jews, and the original covenant. This I understand was a political move – not religious in any sense of the word – for the benefit of the Jews living in places where they suffered persecutions. It was also with a certain justifiable national pride that Israel might have a home like other people, and national distinction, and this would give them a share and a proper recognition by the world of the right of a government, and the right to share with others, as members, in the blessings belonging to the human family; that was the original proposition, and it has done a great deal. It is not necessary for me to tell you that the Zionist movement has reached practically its limit, that you have gone nearly as far along that line as you can go. What then? Should you feel discouraged? I say that this is NOT the time for discouragement. This is the very time for encouragement! (Applause.)

We have come to the very time, dear friends, when that realization is to come in, when the promises given in the Word of God to your race are about to take hold upon you as a people and fire your hearts as never before. They say, as some have said to me, Pastor Russell, those who are interested in the Zionist movement are only the poor. The rich of our people do not seem to be interested in it at all. I know nothing of that matter, dear friends, but I have this to say. If my understanding of the matter is right, the voice of Moses is going to the rich, the leaders of the Jewish people; the very foundation of your national character is laid in your religion. And whatever touches your religion, and your religious sentiments, and your faith in God, and your faith in the promises made to Abraham, that is going to stir you as a nation as nothing else has ever stirred you. I believe that we have come to the time, the set time, in which God will restore Zion, and that this fulfillment of Isaiah 40:1,2 is true: “Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, Cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord double for all her sins” – a second portion for all her sins, and a blessing must immediately follow. We are in that very time, dear friends, to my understanding. How largely this will move the hearts of all, and that quickly!

If I rightly understand your prophecies – God’s prophecies which you recognize – they indicate that Jacob’s trouble is not over yet, that this trouble will still be with you, and that you will have more persecution and not merely in Russia, not merely in Roumania; I do not know, my dear friends, whether it will extend to this country or not; but doubtless it will be done also in the name of Christ – and I am sorry for that fact. It is sad indeed to be obliged to admit that these tribulations will probably come to you from professed Christians. How ashamed I feel of those who thus dishonor the name and the teachings of my Master, I cannot find words to express!

They are deluded. They have misunderstood the Teacher whom they profess to follow. Their thought is that God will torment eternally all who do not profess the name of Christ. Controlled by delusion, they are serving the great Adversary and dishonoring Jesus. At the same time God has in these trying experiences of your people a purpose – to develop your people, and to test your faith, and to keep you together as a people and make you a homogenous people. But as the trials and difficulties of the patriarch Joseph were God’s providences to lead him on to influence and power and honor, so will all these experiences and persecutions work blessings for your race and tend to drive them out of their present satisfaction and make them long for home – for Palestine. These experiences, in connection with the voice of the prophets, which will henceforth more and more ring in your ears, will be the providences of God to accomplish for you more along the lines of Zionism than personal pride and national patriotism. There is no other race that shows such persistency as the Jewish people, and this is all centered upon the religious sentiment, faith in the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, faith in the promises of God that in the seed of Abraham all the families of the earth will be blessed; and as those persecutions come and as the great time of trouble shall come upon all the world – never mind whether it be in 1916 or not; any way that you can interpret that prophecy, no matter which way you do it, you cannot land very far from 1915 to 1916 – God’s promise will be fulfilled. In every direction in the world today, my dear friends, we see signs of great trouble, not only financial, but also capital and labor storms, and the people and the governments and the religious systems of the world will all be in conflict according to the Scriptures. I remind you of Daniel 12:1, which marks our day, declaring: “At that time shall Michael [the antitype of Michael, one like as God] stand up, the great Prince [Messiah].” Then what? “And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,” no, nor ever will be again. “At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

My dear friends, when that time of trouble comes over Christendom, over the civilized world, a great many of the wealthy Hebrews will want a place of safety and I think that place will be Palestine. The Bible clearly indicates to my mind that many wealthy Jews will go back to Palestine. The Scriptures clearly show that the end of Jacob’s trouble will take place right in Jerusalem; the persecution from the civilized world will drive them there and that finally the time of Jacob’s trouble will come; then, as the Lord declares, in the midst of that trouble he will reveal himself, not as a man, but manifest his Divine power, as the prophet declares: “The Lord will go forth and fight for you as he fought for you in the day of battle,” pointing back to the time when God fought for the Jewish people. In that day he will fight for Israel as in the day of battle. Then there will be a manifestation of his kingly power, and then the blessing will begin, and at that time also will appear, according to the Scriptures, your ancient Worthies, your saintly ones, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David – all the holy Prophets. These will not appear as imperfect men when they come because they have demonstrated their worthiness and faith in God, but will appear as perfect men, and of these it is written, you will remember, by one of the prophets: “Instead of thy fathers they shall be thy children,” and Messiah shall be made prince over all the earth; all the people of the world will be under this government; it will be a kingly government, my dear friends. You remember the great King of Israel will be the Messiah on the heavenly plane, invisible to man, the Prince of Light as supplanting Satan, the Prince of Darkness, and this great one will have the earthly government; your ancient Worthies, your saintly ones, will be princes in all the earth, perfect as men, and under the direction and guidance of the heavenly Messiah they shall be rulers amongst men, as the Scriptures declare: “I will restore thy judges and counselors as at the first.” You remember he gave them a counselor, a law‑giver in Moses and not a king, and so this represents a kind of a republic, if you please – not a real republic, but a theocracy. God will be the great one, Messiah will be his great representative to bring righteousness and peace and blessing to all the earth, and lift up mankind from the degradation and weakness and imperfection of sin, and Messiah will operate through these saintly ones of the past, to bless not only Israel, but through Israel to bless all mankind, all the families of the earth.

I thank God, my dear friends, for such a glorious hope, and I suggest to you all that you should come to the point where you will be seeking the Lord, for he says: “I will pour upon them the spirit of prayer and of supplication.” I would that all Jews were in the attitude of prayer and supplication toward God and looking for the fulfillment of all the prophecies which God has written for our admonition and encouragement. Your desires should be more and more for God and righteousness and you should be seeking to do those things pleasing to him, and to cultivate those elements of character without which no one could secure a place in the great institution that is to bless the world. Dear friends, God will not receive a man merely because he is a Jew. There must be something in you, something specially in harmony with the divine character, or he will not use you. I think one thing God will be specially pleased with in respect to Israel is faith, faith in God, faith in his promises, and I do tell you that I love and appreciate the faith that has been manifested by Israel for these 3,500 years, and I believe Almighty God is very much pleased with that faith. We see, according to the Scriptures, that this was the very quality in Abraham which made him specially pleasing to God, and he was called a friend of God, and so then the Jews who would be in harmony with God must be men of faith and not faith without action, but faith and action, and your action will be in accord with your faith in the glorious promises which God has made in the Bible.

It has been suggested, and I think it a very good plan, my dear friends, that we close this service by the singing of a hymn which I understand you are well acquainted with.

Our Hope

So long the ancient fires blaze

In ev’ry staunch Jewish soul,

And Eastward we longing gaze

Toward Zion, beloved goal‑

Not lost is our hope of old,

Graven in our hearts so deep,

To return to that land foretold,

Where our loved sires sleep.

While yet our eyes with quenchless tears

Yearn for our one‑time land,

And by graves of sleeping seers

Our hosts resolve to stand‑

Not lost is our hope of old, etc.

Thrills yet every brave Jewish heart

With love of flag and land,

Hope from us shall ne’er depart

Of our return – a triumphant band‑

Not lost is our hope of old, etc.

NO. 475A: THE JEWISH MASS MEETING

No. 475A

Pastor Russell, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, Addresses an Enthusi­astic

Audience at the Hippodrome, New York, N.Y.

October 9, 1910

Brother Russell received an invitation to address a Jewish Mass Meeting in the great Hippodrome Theater of New York City. The invitation and Brother Russell’s response to the same follow:

NEW YORK, September 20, 1910.

Pastor C. T. Russell, Brooklyn, N.Y.

DEAR SIR:

Your sympathetic interest in the Jewish people for years past has not escaped our notice. Your denunciations of the atrocities perpetrated against our race in the name of Christianity has added to our conviction that you are a sincere friend. Your discourse on “Jerusalem and Jewish Hopes” has struck a responsive chord in the hearts of many of our people. Still we doubted for a time if any Christian minister could really be interested in a Jew as a Jew and not merely from a hope of proselyting him. It is because of this feeling that some of us request you to make a public statement respecting the nature of your interest in our people and we desire you to know that the statement you did make was very satisfactory. In it you assured us that you are not urging Jews to become Christians and join any of the sects or parties of Protestants or Catholics. That statement, Pastor Russell, has been widely published in the Jewish journals. We feel, therefore, that we have nothing to fear from you as a race. On the contrary, in that statement you mentioned that the foundation of your interest in our people is built upon your faith in the testimonies of our Law and the messages of our Prophets. You may well understand how surprised we are to find a Christian minister acknowledging that there are prophecies of the Bible still unfulfilled, which belong to the Jew and not to the Christian, and that these prophecies, according to your studies, are nearing a fulfillment of momentous interest to our Jewish race and, through us as a people, to the nations of the world.

These things, Pastor Russell, have led to the formation of a Jewish Mass Meeting Committee, which, by this letter, requests you to give a public discourse, especially to our people. If you will kindly accept this invitation, will you permit us to suggest a topic for your address, which, we believe, will be very interesting to the public and especially to the Jews, namely, “Zionism in Prophecy.”

As for the meeting: We suggest Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock, October 9. We have secured an option on the Hippodrome, New York’s largest and finest auditorium, for that date, and we hope that this date and the place will be agreeable to your convenience. We assure you also of a large audience of deeply interested Hebrews, besides whoever may come of the general public.

Trusting to hear from you soon, we subscribe ourselves,

Yours respectfully,  JEWISH MASS MEETING COMMITTEE.

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BROOKLYN, N.Y., September 21, 1910.

Jewish Mass Meeting Committee, New York City.

GENTLEMEN:

Your kind invitation to address the Jewish Mass Meeting in the New York Hippodrome Sunday, October 9, at 3 p.m., came duly.

I thank you for the confidence which this invitation implies. The date you have selected is not only appropriate in its relationship to the Jewish New Year, but it is very suitable for my own arrangements, as I leave on October 12 for appointments in London and elsewhere in Great Britain.

Amongst the several prominent members of your race suggested for chairman of the Mass Meeting, I select Mr. John Barrondess, because I have had the pleasure personally of conference with him and because I know him to be very loyal to the interests of your people and because I believe him to be very highly esteemed as such in the counsels of your race.

Faithfully and respectfully yours,  C. T. Russell.

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During the week preceding the Mass Meeting many thousand copies of a special paper printed in Yiddish were sold at news stands and distributed with other Yiddish papers. This paper contained quotations from Brother Russell’s writings and sermons, and a report of his findings in Palestine during his recent visit to the Holy Land. In this paper were two very significant cartoons.

One represented an aged Jew seated in a graveyard, surrounded by tombstones. Each of these stones represented one of their dead hopes. The picture shows that the Jews have reached their limit – all hopes practically dead, and they do not know which way to turn.

The other picture represents the Jew as waking up – he hears a voice, and, looking up in a surprised manner, he sees Pastor Russell who holds in his hand a scroll of their prophecies, and is pointing to them, and to the New Jerusalem in the background, which will soon rise out of the ruins of the present city within the walls. Thinking these cartoons will be of interest to others, we reproduce them on the following pages.

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(New York American, Monday, October 10, 1910)

Pastor Russell Cheered by an Audience of Hebrews

Four Thousand in Hippodrome Applaud When Venerable Brooklyn Clergyman Advocates Establishment of a Jewish Nation. Hearers Who Came to Question Gentile’s Views on Their Religion Find He Agrees in Their Most Important Beliefs. Preacher, After Hailing Them as One of the Bravest Races on Earth, Says Kingdom May Return to Them by 1914.

The unusual spectacle of 4,000 Hebrews enthusiastically applauding a Gentile preacher, after having listened to a sermon he addressed to them concerning their own religion, was presented at the Hippodrome yesterday afternoon, where Pastor Russell, the famous head of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, conducted a most unusual service.

In his time the venerable pastor has done many unconventional things. His religion is bounded by no particular denomination, and encompasses, as he says, all mankind. His ways of teaching it are his own. But he never did a more unconventional thing than this – nor a more successful one.

He won over an audience that had come – some of it, at least – prepared to debate with him, to resent, perhaps, what might have appeared like a possible intrusion. “Pastor Russell is going to try to convert the Jews to Christianity,” was the word that many had received before the meeting “He wants to proselyte us.”

RECEIVED AT FIRST IN SILENCE.

In the crowd which filled the big show house were scores of rabbis and teachers, who had come to speak out in case the Christian attacked their religion or sought to win them from it. They had questions and criticisms ready for him. He was received at first in a dead silence.

But the Pastor did not seek to convert the Jews. To their unbounded delight, he pointed out the good things of their religion, agreed with them in their most important beliefs as to their salvation, and finally, after a warm advocacy of the plan of the Jews establishing a nation of their own, brought about a tumult of applause by leading a choir in the Zionist anthem: “Hatikva – Our Hope.”

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

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

NO RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS THERE.

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

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

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

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

RESERVE AND DOUBT VANISH.

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

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

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

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

At the height of the enthusiasm over the dramatic surprise he prepared, Pastor Russell walked off the stage and the meeting ended with the end of the hymn. He was congratulated by scores of men and women who had come in indifferent, if not hostile, frames of mind, and he made a friend, they all declared, of everyone who had heard him.

A stenographic report of the entire discourse is presented in No. 475B, June 1996.