NO. 209: "JEWISH HOPES AND PROSPECTS"

No. 209

The above is the title of a book “Compiled by Professor Raymond G. Jolly” some years ago; and the opening statement is, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortingly to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her appointed time (margin) is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. (Isa. 40:1,2)” This is the same text used by J. F. Rutherford in 1925 in his book “Comfort For The Jews,” although he uses it to close his book; whereas, RGJ uses it to begin his book. We find no fault with the use of this Scripture, or the use made of it by either of them; but the text now assumes new importance because the both of them have repudiated their inter­pretation of it – JFR has fully repudiated it, with RGJ making only partial reversal of himself.

In order that our readers may have a clear concept of our analysis, we now offer a very brief summary of “Jewish Hopes and Prospects” – just as we did of “Comfort For The Jews” in our paper No. 205:

“The long-promised time of Israel’s exaltation as the channel of Messianic blessing to mankind is near (p. 4). First in order of the King­dom work is the binding of Satan – the work of a heavenly, and not of an earthly kind.. the Son in His glorious majesty.... being entrusted with the pouring out of the Divine blessing upon Israel, and through Israel, extending that blessing to every nation.(p.5)

“Eventually all mankind, blessed under the Messianic reign, will become Israel­ites – of the seed of Abraham in the widest sense—Gal. 3:7 (p. 8). At that time the blessing that has been taken from Israel for many centuries will return to them. (p. 9) We see that the Great Messiah of Glory, Jesus, in His Second Advent as King of kings and Lord of lords, fills absolutely every demand of Jewish expectation and of prophetic outline. Some can see, but others cannot as yet, that He who was pierced (Psa. 22:16; Zech. 12:10) is the same One who, as the Son of God, in great glory is shortly to bless Israel – and the Gentiles through them. (p. 16) Then the blessing of Israel as Abraham’s seed, and of all nations through Israel, will take place... All the families of the earth will be privileged to become ‘Israelites indeed’ through faithfulness to the great Mediator of Israel and of all earth’s families. (p. 20) Messiah’s reign will not only bless and uplift Israel, but through Israel the blessing will extend to every nation... in full accord with the Divine promise and oath made to Abraham many centuries ago (Gen. 12:3; 22:18). (p. 23) Through Abraham’s seed all nations shall be blessed. (p. 30)

“Thus as a nation in their homeland, they will be the nucleus of the world of man­kind, fitted for, and waiting to receive the earthly phase of the Millennial kingdom which is to be set up first in their midst. (p. 48) Abraham’s seed is to bless all the families of the earth.” (p. 49)

The foregoing offers a terse representation of RGJ’s views – and we are in full accord with them, because he is indeed telling the Jews the truth! But from the Con­vention platform and in his Present Truth he is repudiating much of the truth he is presenting to the Jews. He is telling his, Consecrated Epiphany Campers that they will have the Kingdom preeminence – not only over the Jews but above all other quasi-elect. So here we have a vivid example of “a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas. 1:8) The Witnesses say their Great Multitude is to have preeminence, as they survive Armageddon, then go on living forever. The LHMM offer this probable “comfort” to their Campers Consecrated, that they may survive Armageddon (no positive promise, of course). However, if they do not survive, RGJ correctly teaches they will have no part in the “better resurrection” – the “resurrection of the just.” The conclusion logically follows, then, that the Jews living in Palestine will be the first and chief ones to receive the Kingdom blessing, with none of the deceased Campers Consecrated yet awakened. Just how Campers Consecrated will have the chief honor and preeminence trans­ferred to them from the Jews in Palestine, is something that should be explained by RGJ if he has an explanation. So far as we know, he has offered not the slightest hint to the Jews – either publicly or privately – that the Scriptures which formerly the two Messengers taught applied to fleshly Israel now apply to his Campers Consecrated. JFR was much bolder in his displacement of the Jews in Kingdom standing: he gave it to the Jews boldly and publicly, leaving no doubt in the minds of his followers, or in the minds of the Jews, that he had set aside That Servant’s teaching on the Jewish Hopes and Prospects.

SOME PAROUSIA AND EPIPHANY COMMENTS

In the 1909 Convention Report, p. 14, col. 1, we find this statement by Brother Russell: “We are glad the time is coming when God’s favor will return to the Jews, when He will bless all the world through the Jews, and you and I are glad that now, during this Gospel Age, God is taking us out of the world as representatives of that stone kingdom. (Luke 12:32).... And these 2520 years of the times of the Gentiles we believe will ex­pire with October, 1914; at that time we believe the Gentile lease of power will expire and that the God of Heaven will set up His kingdom in Israel.”

And on the same page there is this further comment: ‘We do not expect universal peace to ensue immediately, because Christ is styled the Prince of Peace. On the con­trary, to our understanding, the collapse of the nations will be through fierce strife, ‘a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,’ because God will set every man’s hand against his neighbor (during this Epiphany – the ‘time of trouble’—­JJH). Our belief is that the warfare between capital and labor, emperors and peoples, will be short, sharp, decisive, and bring untold calamity upon all concerned. If people could only discern it, they would avoid it, but their eyes are holden; they see not, neither do they understand.”

It will be noted from the foregoing that Brother Russell expected the great Time of Trouble would be of short duration. Had any one suggested to him in 1909 that things would be as they are now in 1972, he would probably have offered sharp rebuke to such persons. Commenting on Ex. 19:21-23, regarding the forbidden “gazing,” there is this on p. 342 of E-11: “These two (the Parousia and Epiphany Messengers) have done such study without its being speculation.... If, however, they should attempt to open an un­due Scripture, they, too, would make mistakes therein and produce error, as both of them in minor details have done.” It seems to us that some of their mistakes along this line are of major proportions, because of the severe trial of faith the Lord’s people have undergone when their expectations and predictions failed to mature. Brother Russell lived to correct some of his miscalculations for 1914 – some before and some afterward. And, had Brother Johnson lived two years beyond 1954, we may be sure he would have corrected some of his calculations. If Brother Russell and Brother Johnson were right in stating that the Epiphany and the Great Tribulation are identi­cal (and we believe they were), then it would be proper to use the terms interchange­ably. Therefore, if the Epiphany ended in a ‘restricted sense’ in 1954, we could with equal propriety say the Great Tribulation ended in 1954 in a ‘restricted sense.’ And any one attempting such ridiculous talk would right soon be accused of talking nonsense.

In the Souvenir Report, p. 232, col. 2, some one asked Brother Russell how long the time of trouble would last; and this is what he said: My dear friends, it will last with some people a good while. The time of trouble lasts according to the degree of the disposition of God in the heart of man. The Scriptures speak of the fire of that day, which shall burn up the wicked and leave them neither root nor branch. What does it mean? I presume that the fire of God’s indignation will burn against unrighteousness during the day of Christ until every root and branch of sin is thoroughly consumed. If any one holds on, he himself will be destroyed in the second death. But, as to the time of national trouble, such as has not been before, no one knows how long it will last. I may guess, and you may also. You may take in more things than I. My thought would be that the severest period could not last more than a year. How sud­denly it may come upon the world, or how gradually it may pass away, I do not know, and I think no one can.”

It will be noted that Brother Russell thought “the severest period” of the trouble could not last more than a year. Inasmuch as that has not yet occurred, it would hardly seem prudent that we should approve or dispute it – although it would seem at this time that it will be more than a year. However, this situation does affect Jewish Hopes and Prospects, inasmuch as we expect it will be toward the end of that severest period that the Jews will recognize their Messiah – Him whom they pierced, and shall mourn because of it. And those of them that survive that ordeal will be the first to receive Restitution blessings. This situation has been stressed by both Messengers; yet now comes a Levite to tell us this is all wrong. Well, we shall continue with some of their statements, then allow our readers to make up their own minds which in­struction they wish to accept. Here is a paragraph from Reprints 5101, col. 2:

“Nevertheless the Scriptures most clearly declare that the natural seed of Abraham (the faithful Jews holding to the promises of God – the quasi-elect into which the Gen­tile quasi-elect will merge—JJH), the Jews, are still heirs of certain promises of God, which in due time will come to them. To their nation will come the great privi­lege of being the foremost nation among men during Messiah’s glorious reign... Natural Israel will receive blessings from spiritual Israel. ‘They shall obtain mercy through your mercy.’—Rom. 11:25-34”

Follows now something from E-1:302, par. 1: “Having seen so many features of God’s plan successfully carried out by God’s zeal, he has the full assurance of faith that the unfulfilled parts as due will be zealously carried out by God. The prophetic Word assures him that the zeal of the Lord will shortly overthrow Satan’s Empire, in its governments, religions, aristocracies and bourgeoisies, in the time of wrath, which had its start in the World War (the ‘time of wrath’ – the Epiphany period—JJH). He confidently looks for the zeal of God to establish God’s Kingdom at the hands of His Elect under Christ, on the ruins of Satan’s Empire, to offer the Kingdom blessings, first to the living Jews, then to the living Gentiles, then to the non-elect dead from our times even to Adam’s time, by canceling the death sentence.”

Complementing the foregoing, we quote from E-15:733: “Soon after the awakening of their faithful prophets of old, and the faithful Youthful Worthies, the Jews then liv­ing, who still retain their faith in the New Covenant promises made to them (Jer. 31: 31-34; Heb. 8:7-12), and who have waited for their Messiah, will begin to see clearly, and will join themselves to these Worthies. Then the world will gradually come to see, and will also come under the terms of Israel’s New Law Covenant by becoming a part of Israel, a part of Abraham’s earthly seed (Rom. 4:17,18; Isa. 49:6-12).”

In harmony with the above is the following from Reprints 5721, July 1, 1915: “The orthodox Jews, those who still hold to the teachings of the law and the Prophets, and have faith in God, will be the first to receive the blessings of the new Age... So, then, this condition of affliction in which the Jews have been throughout the Gospel Age, in addition to the overthrow of their nation in the year 70 AD., has really been a favor from God. All the tabulation through which this people have passed during the entire ‘seven times’ of chastisement, will be finally found to have been to their ad­vantage, preparing them for the blessings of Messiah’s Kingdom. The Elect Church will be the first in the Kingdom, natural Israel with the Ancient Worthies at their head will be the second. Subsequently all nations will came into Divine favor and bless­ing, becoming members of Israel.”

This subject is treated in considerable detail in Parousia Vol. 3, pp. 243-300; and our readers would do well to read it all. We offer here just one small paragraph: “As concerning the Gospel (the ‘good news’ of the High Calling), they are enemies (cast off temporarily until the ‘fullness of the Gentiles be come in’), they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.’ God has promised to Abraham ‘the land for an everlasting possess­ion, to thee, and to thy seed after thee’; and we may be sure this promise will be ful­filled in minute detail.”

On P. 249 of this same volume, there is this: “In most other respects the Mosaic requirements are yet observed among the Orthodox Jews. Their worship consists in the reading of Scripture, prayer and praise... Then they blow the trumpet and pray that God would bring them to Jerusalem... That class, no doubt, will be re-gathered and blessed when Messiah comes a second time... The time is fast approaching when God will speak peace to Israel.... No special favor (emphasis by That Servant) will come to the infidel Jews at the time of returning favor... The Jews recognized by God as children of Abraham are those who hold to Abraham’s faith.”

And from p. 256 is the following: “We see, then, that God’s prediction, that Israel (except the faithful few) would be blinded by their Law (Rom. 11:9), was fulfilled in a natural way and to result from reasonable causes. So the Millennial favors will be to the Jew first, even as by reason of the covenants, etc., the Gospel favors were offered to them first... Their gathering again and their re-establishment in the land of promise mark another step in the great Divine Plan: They declare that the restitution of all things, ‘to the Jew first;’ but ultimately to ‘all the families of the earth,’ is about to begin.... of which fleshly Israel is the first fruit.”

 Just a little more from pp. 292,293: “What we do claim is that the Great Teacher was right when He declared that ‘Salvation is of the Jew,’ and that the Great Apostle was right when he stated that God’s order is, ‘Glory, honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile’... The restitution work of the future, fleshly Israel, recovered from blindness, shall be used as a medium through whom streams of salvation, issuing from glorified, spiritual Israel, shall flow to all the families of the earth; as it is written, ‘Out of Zion (the Gospel Church, spiritual Israel glorified) shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (the re-established fleshly Israel – Isa. 2:3).”

THE THREE GREAT COVENANTS - GRACE - LAW - WORKS

On pp. 4318-22 of the Jan. 15, 1909 Reprints is an article captioned as above, which is quite pertinent to our subject; so we shall use large parts of it, with some of our own comments interspersed:

St. Paul pointed out to us most distinctly that the original covenant made with an oath to Abraham was in every way the superior one and that it, being a one-sided cov­enant, an unconditional promise, has no mediator. The Apostle tells us further that the Law Covenant was “added” to the Abrahamic Covenant in God’s dealing with the nation of Israel. It is called a Law Covenant because the benefits of that Covenant were offered only to those who would keep the Law in all its requirements – inviolate. He calls it the Hagar Covenant, because it was a bondage and because its offspring, the Jewish nation, could not inherit the promised blessings and privileges. He tells us that it made nothing perfect, brought nothing to perfection. Although faith had a place and the grace of God had some manifestation towards Israel; yet neither faith nor grace affected their covenant, which was hard and fast and demanded obedience to the works of the Law – “He that doeth these things shall live by them.” Since none could do per­fectly, that Covenant of Works brought only condemnation of their imperfect works. It had a mediator, Moses, but he was unable to accomplish anything for the people, because of their imperfection through heredity. We properly call this the Law Covenant.

The Apostle states that as Hagar’s child was born before Isaac, who represented the Christ, head and body, the “new Creation,” so the nation of Israel, Moses and all the people baptized into him in the sea and in the cloud, “The house of servants,” would be developed before spiritual Israel, the new nation – Christ and all the members of the house of sons of spirit-begetting. As the Covenant of Grace (Sarah) existed before the Law Covenant was added to it, so it continued to exist after the Law Covenant was set aside as a Covenant, its prize of life eternal having been won by “the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all.” So, then, the Covenant of Grace (Sarah), which preceded the Law Covenant (Hagar) 430 years, continued alive during the whole period of the Law Covenant, but without children, and then brought forth the Head of the Seed, Jesus. The Law Covenant was then cast aside – “Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman” – The Christ, the heir of the original promise, now being developed. “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.” (Gen. 25:10)

“If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.” This is the mystery – the selec­tion of the Church during this Gospel Age to be sharers with the Redeemer in the suffer­ings of this present time, and also in the glory that shall follow. Not until that First Resurrection is finished will the Seed of the Sarah Covenant be fully born. So surely as Jesus, the Head of the Body, was brought forth in the resurrection, born from the dead, so surely will all the members of the Body share with Him His glorious change from mortality to immortality.

What about the Jews under the Law (Hagar) Covenant? Were they on that account cut off from the very privileges and blessings which they so desired – of being Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise? We answer, Yes. The Apostle shows that the children of the bond-woman could not be heirs with the children of the free woman. How, then, did the Apostles and others, who were of Israel according to the flesh, come into relationship with Christ and the Sarah Covenant (of grace)? The Apostle tells us that as a human marriage is dissolved by the death of one of the parties, so those of the Jews who could recognize by faith that Christ’s death had fulfilled the terms of the Law Cov­enant could realize that Covenant was dead, and hence, that they were freed from it and could become married to another – united to Christ. On the contrary, any Jew who does not recognize that Christ, by His death, has ‘bade an end of the Law, nailing it to His cross;” and who still continues to believe in that Covenant, is as firmly bound thereby as though the Covenant were still alive; just as a woman whose husband was really dead, but she thought him alive, could not conscientiously marry another.

Are not the Lord’s ways just and equal? Yes, we answer, and the full scope of the Divine purpose when seen is glorious in its harmony. The difficulty in the past is that we have seen as through an obscured glass, and not face to face. Now we perceive that God intends to recognize two seeds of Abraham, the one heavenly, like unto the stars of heaven; the other earthly like unto the sands of the seashore. The attempt of the Law Covenant to bring forth the natural seed first was abortive – a failure. First must come the spiritual Christ, Head and Body, partaker of the Divine nature, heir of all things. Then God’s favor will return to natural Israel. But since the Law Covenant com­pleted its purpose and was demonstrated to be unavailable for them, because of the weak­nesses of the flesh, God purposes to make with that nation, and with that nation alone (no mention whatever here of Consecrated Campers or the Great Multitude being the recip­ients), a New Covenant. Not a single statement of Scripture identifies the New Coven­ant with the Gentiles – and, so far as we know, not one Consecrated Camper or one Great Multitude is a Jew! It will be Israel’s New Covenant given to displace the Old, or Law Covenant. Let us note well that the great mass of the early Church were Hebrews and that the Apostle’s references to the New Covenant are almost exclusively in his epistle to the Hebrews. One exception is in Rom. 11:27, where the Apostle, although addressing Christians of Gentile birth, tells them that natural Israel was cast off for their sakes, but is still beloved for the fathers’ sake, and is again to have Divine favor, under a special covenant. The other (2 Cor. 3:6) refers to the royal priesthood as able (quali­fied) servants of the New Covenant – dying with Christ for its sealing.—Mal. 3:1

The more closely we investigate the New Covenant, the more we must be convinced of this fact – that it belongs to Israel alone, including the two nations into which they divided at the death of Solomon – Israel and Judah. Note the statement of the Prophet, “Behold the days will come, saith the lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant (the Law Cov­enant) which I made with them when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt.” The Apostle, endeavoring to prove to the Jews that they could gain nothing under the Law Covenant, points out this prophecy, and tells them that the fact that God speaks of this as a New Covenant implies that a preceding (Law) Covenant had become old, valueless, and was preparing to pass away – “In that He saith, a New Covenant, he hath made the first old; now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Heb. 8:13)

THE OATH-BOUND COVENANT SURE—HEB. 6:17-20

The New Covenant is to take the place of the old and unsatisfactory one. There were two old covenants, the Grace, or Sarah Covenant, and the Law, or Hagar Covenant. Which did the Apostle mean had grown old, valueless, and would pass away and give place to the New Covenant? Surely there can be no doubt for misunderstanding on this point. He meant the Law Covenant, for he says so. He did not mean the original Grace or Sarah Covenant, for he points out that our claim to relationship to God is under that original covenant, as members of the body of Christ. Our Lord Jesus, by His obedience, became heir of all, heir of the original covenant and heir also of the Law Covenant.

We come now to the other part of the question: What provision has God made for those Jews who bound themselves under the Law Covenant, from Moses’ day down to the First Ad­vent; and for those who since then have not discerned the death of the Law Covenant and who will not be made aware of it until after the spiritual seed shall have been com­pleted and glorified? If they have not lost all share and privileges in connection with God’s special mercies, where do they come in? We answer that Abraham, Isaac, Ja­cob and others before the Law Covenant were not bound by it, yet were not in the fullest sense justified to life until the Abrahamic Covenant had been established at Calvary. Their faith, then, entitled them to a share ‘in the merits of that sacrifice. Likewise, throughout the period of the Law Covenant, before it was annulled at the cross, there were Ancient Worthies who lived above the masses of their time, and who, although bound by the Law, had above it a living faith in the original Oath-Bound (Sarah) Covenant of Grace. These in the Divine records were entitled to their share of that grace, as soon as the merit of Calvary’s sacrifice had been presented on behalf of believers. Although they lived while the Law Covenant was alive, they foresaw its death and trusted not in it, but in the superior Covenant of Grace. Hence, these in due time will come forth to a life resurrection – a “better resurrection.” (Heb. 11:35)

Thus the Scriptures account for the faithful ones of the past under the Covenant of Grace. But what now shall we say respecting those earthly Israelites, who lived not on that higher plane of faith, but of whom the Apostle says, “Our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come” into this promise. (Acts 26:7) Were they de­ceived? Will they get those special blessings? Of a surety, they will receive them, because the gifts and calling of God are not to be repented of. (Rom. 11:29-32) He who knew the end from the beginning knew-exactly what Israel would be and do, and was not disappointed, and all of the plans and promises to that nation were made from the stand­point of this pre-knowledge.... Although the chief feature of the Sarah Covenant was se­cured by our Lord Jesus as a trophy of His victory over sin and death, nevertheless, the Divine arrangement is such that the blood of Christ must accrue to the benefit of the natural seed of Abraham, because it all goes to seal the New Covenant - which belongs exclusively to fleshly Israel. The opportunity granted to both Jews and Gentiles to become joint-heirs with the Redeemer was based upon their offering themselves to Him in sacrifice, and His acceptance of their offerings as His own – and God’s acceptance of them; and His death (including ours) seals the New Covenant in His blood.

Thus, while natural Israel had been counted enemies for our sakes, for the Gospel’s sake, our only opportunity for gaining the great prize is in connection with the sealing of a New Covenant between God and Israel. Their loss was our gain, and our gain through sacrifice becomes their gain. However, the New Covenant will not be sealed, rat­ified, until the sacrifices of the Christ shall have been finished. And the finishing of these sacrifices closes the work of this great Day of Sacrifice and Atonement. With the second presentation of the blood of Atonement in the Most Holy – at the end of this Age the New Covenant with Israel will be sealed, and the blessing of the Lord will begin to Israel. “For this is My covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Rom. 11:27)

Since God’s favors are thus marked out for the heavenly and the earthly Seeds of Abraham – the earthly through the heavenly – it follows that the blessing of the other na­tions will come about through their affiliation with these. The Divine Government estab­lished in Israel in the hands of the Ancient Worthies will be the center of Divine favor, and the people of other nationalities must come to this center for their supplies of truth and grace. Thus the Prophet represents the matter, saying, “Many shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain (kingdom) of the lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the Law shall go forth from Mount Zion (the spiritual kingdom) and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (the center of the earthly kingdom).” (Isa. 2:3)

There are a number of texts in the New Testament that mention the New Covenant, and we present a few of them. “For this cause He is made mediator of a better covenant (not better than the Grace or Sarah Covenant, but better than the Law Covenant), which was established upon better promises.” (Heb. 8:6) The contrast is between the Law Covenant and its mediator Moses, and the New Covenant, superior because of its better mediator, the Messiah. “In that he saith, A New Covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Heb. 8:13) Here the Apostle is not saying one word about the New Covenant being for the Church of Christ. His read­ers understood full well that they had came in under the Sarah Covenant. But certain Ju­daizing teachers insisted that they must be under the Hagar Covenant, as well as under the Sarah Covenant. And this he is disputing. He is declaring God would make a New Cov­enant with Israel to take the place of the Law Covenant.

In this same Hebrew Epistle St. Paul contrasts the continual sacrifices of the Law Covenant with the eternal once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus and the Church. And he de­clares that once an acceptable sacrifice has been offered to God for sin, the transac­tion is a closed one, the sacrifice needs no repetition. Thus, the sacrifices of the New Covenant are the “better sacrifices,” since they need no repetition; they provide the cancellation of all condemnation. “For this is My covenant with them when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the elect they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” (Rom. 11:27,28) There is no room to doubt that the Apostle here is referring to Israel’s covenant, the New Covenant, which God will make with them after this Gospel Day. He says the covenant will be made when, or at the time that the Lord will “take away their sins.” That time has not yet come.

Not one of these references to the New Covenant makes the slightest suggestion that it is applicable to the Church. A reference to the original prophecy which the Apostle quotes shows that it could not apply to the Church, for we there read that the Lord “will take away their stony hearts, and give them an heart of flesh.” This is exactly the restitution work which will begin with Israel and extend to all the families of the earth by the inauguration of the New Covenant, sealed, made operative by the merit of the blood of Christ.

We would refer our readers to the references we have given in this treatise on the Jews to verify what That Servant and the Epiphany Messenger taught. There is no reason for any of the Lord’s people to set aside these Truths, as they become clearer and brighter as we go further into the Epiphany. The only reason for any one to deviate from such truths is because of the fact that they cannot harmonize them with the “new light” (?) they have manufactured.

SUMMARY – At one time the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement fully accepted the teachings set forth herein; but now the lead­ers of both movements are grossly and persistently revolutionizing against these truths. However, we would make it clear that we are not carrying on a personal vendetta against the members of either of these organizations when we offer such resistance to their er­rors. We are well acquainted with many brethren in both groups; and we would be much happier if they were not now revolutionizing against those truths they once accepted and taught; but we are mindful of the words of the Apostle James to “turn such back from their path of error” (Jas. 5:20, Dia.). And we are motivated also by Eze. 33:8: “When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way (of error), that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

Thus, we reassert Parousia and Epiphany teachings on Jewish Hopes and Prospects ­not to be contentious, but for the benefit of all who have no wish to become involved in “the path of error” that is so rampant on all sides. While we are strongly moved to be peaceable, yet we are not primarily so. We are primarily pure: “The wisdom from above is indeed first pure, then peaceable.” (Jas. 3:17) “Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints” is not only a duty but a great privilege – if it be done sincerely and charitably; but, sad to note, many who once accepted that posi­tion with zeal and determination, now seem to follow rather those recorded in John 12: 42,43: “Among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Phari­sees they did not confess Him... for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

It is well established in the records that error is progressive – just as truth is progressive. This is acutely noticeable now that we are in “the evil day.” Of the beautiful system of Truth produced by That Servant almost every important feature of it has been perverted by one group or another, that once wholeheartedly accepted his teach­ings. And to defend a newly acquired error always requires the denial of formerly ac­cepted truths. Thus the error pyramids like a snowball rolling downhill, and enmeshes all who “admitted not the love of the Truth. And on this account God will send to them an energy of delusion... in order that all those may be judged who believed not the Truth, but approved the iniquity.” (2 Thes. 2:10-12, Dia.)

It is definitely not in our province, nor is it our desire, to judge the hearts of God’s people; but once the Lord has made manifest His judgment by permitting some one to lose the truth that he once received and believed, then, as Brother Russell has so often stressed, we know there is something wrong with the heart – otherwise the Lord would not have permitted them to grossly and persistently revolutionize against the Truth and its Arrangements. So when we see some losing the Truth which once made them clean (“Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”—John 15:3) we may know of a certainty that there is something wrong with the heart. “For the word of God is living, and energetic, and more cutting than any two-edged Sword, cutting through even to a Separation of Life and Breath, and of Joints and Marrow, and able to judge the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart.” (Heb. 4:12, Dia.) The heart first be­comes sullied, which then produces a deterioration of the head. Thus, let us “be in­fants no longer, tossed and whirled about with every wind of that teaching which is in the trickery of men, by cunning craftiness in systematic deception.” (Eph. 4:14, Dia.)

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” (Prov. 4:23,26,27)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

NO. 208: IN MEMORIAM OF THAT SERVANT

No. 208

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

In Eph. 4:10-13 the Apostle Paul gives a terse outline of the Gospel-Age Church in its organizational nature; and we offer some of this Scripture from the Diaglott: “He (Jesus) is the one having ascended far above all of the Heavens, so that He may fulfill all things. And He gave indeed the apostles, and the prophets, and the evan­gelists, and shepherds and teachers... for the work of service... to the building up of the body of the Anointed One.” The Apostles in this text refer exclusively to the Twelve, who wrote by inspiration, and were given plenipotentiary powers by Jesus. ‘Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” (Matt. 16:19)

Next in order, and in rank in the Church are the “prophets.” These cannot be the Old Testament prophets because they are not a part of the Church; therefore, they must be men of rank in the Gospel Age, and we understand them to be included in the “seven stars” of Rev. 1:16: “He (Jesus) had in his right hand seven stars.” On page 345 of the 1916 Watch Tower, there is this comment about them:

“This One whom we thus know, thus recognize, as the Instructor and Caretaker of the candlesticks, we are also to recognize as having in His right hand – in His favor as well as His power – seven stars, the angels, the messengers, of the seven churches. That they are in His right hand seems to teach us that these should be considered as in some special sense under the Master’s guidance, protection and care in the interest of the Churches which they represented.”

So far as we know, That Servant never named seven individuals as these “seven stars”; however, immediately after Brother Russell’s demise, J. F. Rutherford named St. Paul, St. John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe, Luther and Brother Russell as the “seven stars.” While we agree that the above seven are a part of the “seven stars,” we be­lieve there were others. This list leaves out Claudius of Turin, the first Protes­tant Reformer, John Wesley, Servetus, Hubmaier, and many other saintly Reformers of the Gospel Age. We believe the “seven stars” are a composite group of forty-nine ­7 X 7 = 49 – just as The Mystery of God, The Christ, is a composite group of 144,001 members. “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand.... The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches...” (Rev. 1:20) “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Rev. 10:7)

It is not our purpose here to elaborate upon the “evangelists” (lesser lights in the general church than the “prophets”) or the “shepherds and teachers” (local elders), other than to note that these four classes of leaders constitute the full and complete organization of the Church – and is not an organization made by man. This organiza­tion should not be added to nor taken from. “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” (Rev. 22:7,18) And, since St. Paul wrote by inspiration, we may accept his outline as being infal­lible. He further defines these two classes of Church leaders in Eph. 2:19,20, Dia.: “You are fellow-citizens with the saints... having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.” During the Age many have attempted to add to, or take from this organization, or arrangement, for the Church, which has brought to them the con­demnation of Rev. 22:18,19. They are the class described in Psa. 107:11 – “They re­belled against the words of God (the true Bible doctrines) and contemned the counsel of the Most High (the organization of the Church as given by St. Paul).”

The same Apostle gives the Church organization in slightly different words in 1 Cor. 12:27-29, Dia.: “Now you are a body of Christ, and members in part. And those whom God placed in the congregation, are first Apostles; second, Prophets; third, Teachers... All are not Apostles; all are not Prophets; all are not Teachers.” Here again St. Paul says the Prophets are second to the Apostles, and given their place in the congregation for the work of the ministry, for the perfecting of the saints. And, since God has so placed them, woe be to any who attempt to place themselves into such positions, or to ignore those that God has so placed. When the great apostasy developed, after the demise of the Apostles, the Church of Rome tossed aside completely the organi­zation of the Church – just as they did with all the important teachings of the Bible ­they “rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High.” And in like manner, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done much the same thing since Brother Russell’s demise. “And on this account God will send to them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood (such as Millions Now Living Will Never Die; and more recently, their establishment of the Kingdom in this “present evil world,” etc.); in order that all those may be judged who believed not the truth, but approved the in­iquity.” (2 Thes. 2:11,12, Dia.)

“Them that honour Me I will honour” (1 Sam. 2:30); and we do well also to honor those that the Lord honors – not as ‘angel’ worshipers, but in sound and proper ap­praisal of their position in the Household, their service in the Household, and as “ex­amples of the believers” in the Household.   Actuated by this text, we now offer some observations concerning Brother Russell in memory of his passing beyond the vail Oct. 31, 1916.

Some of the Gospel-Age prophets had a special doctrine that they emphasized above all others, and which acted somewhat as the foundation of all their teachings; and we believe this was true of Brother Russell, which we would briefly describe as – ­A correct understanding of the Atonement as portrayed in Leviticus 16, the central teach­ing of which is RESTITUTION.

THE PATH OF THE JUST

“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prov. 4:18) This truth has applied all during the Age to the course of the individual believers, and to the Church as a body; and it was pointedly true of Brother Russell in his own endeavors to arrive at the truth on various subjects, same of which we now describe. First, however, we would commend the courage of the man for casting aside the vast accumulation of error that existed in the early days of his min­istry. Many of those errors were firmly entrenched as the truth by the powerful lead­ers of Christendom; and it required not only courage, but unusual brilliance of mind to separate the wheat from the chaff. Even of those truths that were held by the var­ious systems, such as justification by faith, baptism, etc., much polishing was neces­sary to bring them to the clarity with which we now understand them, and which we ac­cept as fact, often not considering the great amount of work that was required to hand them to us as we now accept them in commonplace fashion. And one of these great truths was the doctrine of Restitution, which had been completely lost during the Dark Ages.

Some detail on the subject will clarify this. Brother Russell had been closely associated with Messrs. Barbour and Paton as co-editor of the Herald of the Morning; but in 1878 Mr. Barbour began to develop his errors in denial of the Ransom; and he cunningly stressed Leviticus 16 as proof of his contention. This distressed Brother Russell greatly. He knew the arguments were wrong, but he did not understand the truth clearly enough to refute them. Knowing they had come into the Harvest of the Gospel Age, he logically concluded that any error that appeared would be clearly re­futed by the Truth, because the time had come for “the hail (hard sharp Truth) to sweep away the refuge of lies.” Therefore, he sent word to the foreman of his Pittsburgh store that he would not come that day, and for him to conduct the business as usual in his absence. Knowing that Hebrews discusses more than any other Biblical book the tab­ernacle types, and that St. Paul possessed a very clear understanding of those types, he spent that whole day in study and prayer in a strenuous effort to learn the truth about them. By evening he was still completely in the dark, so he spent the next day in the same manner, and with the same results. He went to his task the third day, and about noon came to Heb. 13:10-16, wherein the Apostle contrasts the sacrifices of the Jewish ritual with those of the Gospel Age – first of all the sacrifice of Jesus as the antitype of the Atonement Day bullock, then the sacrifice of the one goat being handled in precisely the same manner as that of the bullock. Realizing that his prayers and efforts had finally been rewarded, he jubilantly exclaimed to his wife: “I have it! I have it!” To which she answered, “Do not be too sure.” However, going over the verses again with her, he reassured himself that he had the truth, and that Restitution was the logical answer to the types in Leviticus 16.

However, he then became measurably afraid of his own findings, so that, instead of rushing into print with this phenomenal truth, he called a conference of leading breth­ren, and discussed the subject with them for eight days, making notes there that he later published as Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices. Excepting Mr. Paton, those leaders were convinced of the truth, and began to preach it to the Allegheny ec­clesia; but they, too, were hesitant about accepting it. But once finally convinced, they heartily began to preach it to others; thus, the light on this great doctrine shone more and more unto the perfect day. The “perfect day” in our text would be better rendered “median day,” meaning the position of the sun at high noon, when it is bright­est and when it seems to stand still in the heavens.

The great truth contained in Tabernacle Shadows immediately swept away the refuge of lies on eternal torment, the consciousness of the dead, confusion on the establish­ment of the Kingdom, etc. However, almost always during the Harvest there was primar­ily a hesitance on the part of those hearing it for the first time to believe it; but persuasion and detailed explanation usually convinced them, after which they, too, ac­cepted it with enthusiasm and then began to preach it to others.

Perhaps a little digression should be injected here. In Ex. 34:29-35 we are told that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai his face shone, “And the children of Israel were afraid to come nigh to him... Moses gave the children of Israel all that the Lord had spoken with him... Till he had done speaking he put a vail on his face.” St. Paul also tells us in Hebrews that those things that occurred at Sinai were typical of the establishment of the Kingdom here in the end of the Age. And the brethren, innoculated as they all were with the colossal errors of the past, at first feared to receive the Truth. Of course, the first to respond fully to the Tabernacle truths was Brother Rus­sell himself, although even he was overwhelmed by its brilliance for a time; but the Lord then used him as the vail between Him and the brethren to buffer the dazzling effect at first experienced. From this standpoint, Brother Russell was the antitypical vail that the Lord used to convey new and radical truths to the Harvest workers.

As stated aforegoing, Leviticus 16 reveals the offerings for sin, which in turn effects atonement, which “in due time” will accomplish “the restitution of all things.” (Acts 3:19-23) After clearly understanding this great truth, Brother Russell repeat­edly preached it in his public lectures; and he urged all the pilgrims to do likewise. This in turn aroused the vicious antagonism of the Hell-fire preachers throughout Chris­tendom; but the more they opposed, the more the message prospered; and by the time Bro. Russell died in 1916 it was considered by many in Christendom as a reflection upon the intelligence of any one who still believed in eternal torment as the wages of sin.

BELOVED OF GOD

Those who knew him well loved Brother Russell as a father – probably loved him more than they did any other human being. And this affection shown toward him was never abused, nor did it mar his humility. He was also greatly beloved of God. We understand he was the antitype of Daniel in

certain of his activities; and three different times (Dan. 9:23; 10:11; 10:19) we are told he was greatly beloved. “O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened.” (10:19) He was also the antitype of Eldad in Num. 11:26,27; and Eldad means Beloved of God.

His demise in 1916 greatly saddened the entire Truth movement, although it was not long after 1916 before sundry and subtle errors beclouded the minds of many, as they endeavored to take from him what God had given him. But the following from E-9:319 is a glowing tribute still nourished by many who knew him well:

“He will ever occupy in our hearts the large place that his holy character, unsel­fish service and faithful sufferings have won for him. That his memory may still con­tinue fragrant and blest to us, let us together briefly review the activities, achieve­ments and attainments of this eminent saint of God. He certainly was a SCHOLAR in the true sense of that term. Those who require a university diploma as indispensable evi­dence of learning will deny him the merit of scholarship. However, there are not a few cases of scholars that were self-made, gaining their knowledge apart from the schools of the learned world. Among such our Pastor won a high place. Apart from English he was not a linguist, though he learned how to use well for his Biblical work the gains of the best scholarship in Greek and Hebrew. He was deeply versed in history, as his writings attest. So thoroughly did he understand business that able financiers eagerly sought his advice. His writings show that he was at home in the perplexing questions of industry, economics, sociology, capital and labor. The realms of philosophy were deeply explored by him, and he was an expert in theoretical and practical psychology and phrenology. Few have understood the workings of the human intellect and heart so well as he. Human anatomy and physiology were open books to him. His knowledge of these sciences, com­bined with that of medicine, made him a physician; and though he had no medical diploma, he attained better results in healing art than the average physician. However, his real eminence in learning was in the domain of theology, in which he was without a peer since the days of the Apostles. His knowledge of the Bible was phenomenal; and when other theologians will have been discarded, he will be recognized as a standing authority in this the greatest of all sciences.

“Naturally such a scholar would be a writer. Very few human beings have written more than he. His correspondence alone was sufficient for the life work of an indus­trious and talented man.  When it is remembered that some years over 300,000 letters and postals were written to him, and that he supervised the answers to this huge mail, we can realize something of the amount of his correspondence and the time and labor in­volved. As an author he produced six unrivaled books on the Bible whose combined cir­culation during his life aggregated 10,000,000 copies. As a bookleteer he published a number of booklets of great value, one of which, on Hell, has been circulated more widely than any other booklet ever written. He produced over 200 tracts, some of which attained a circulation of over 50,000,000 copies. His sermons, appearing regularly every week for thirteen years, were published part of that time simultaneously in over 2,000 newspapers, having a combined circulation of over 15,000,000 copies. He edited a semi-monthly religious magazine with a circulation of about 45,000 copies.”

The foregoing is the comment of an eminent scholar, a scholar who had the advantage of higher institutional learning; yet his superiority of schooling did not deter him in giving to Brother Russell the glowing tribute reproduced above. He freely admitted that Brother Russell was his intellectual superior, and gladly rendered honor to whom honor was due. And, as respects Brother Russell’s executive ability, we were told that a prominent industrialist once said of Brother Russell that he would be worth two mil­lion dollars a year to any corporation large enough to afford such help.

THE PAROUSIA MESSENGER

It is our opinion that the opening words of the Jeremiah prophecy are well adapted to describing Brother Russell: “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying... I sancti­fied thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee. Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Be­hold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” (Jer. 1:4-10) In his youth Brother Russell was acutely con­scious of his lack of higher learning; thus, he considered other prominent religious leaders more qualified than he to declare the truths that had been given him. But he soon recognized that the task was his – that the Lord had indeed put His words into his mouth.

With the great advances that had come since 1874 in invention, in learning, in the professions, Christendom was basking in the security that no evil could befall them. This was truly a strong deterrent to the preaching of a great world war breaking forth in 1914; and it required exceptional courage and faith to continue to announce it. In fact, we are told that the Gideons (the group that place the Bibles in the Hotels) had a convention in Toronto in 1913, and there made the proclamation that it was non­sense to expect a great war in a year, that Christendom was much too advanced for any such folly. With everything so calm on the surface, the casual observer was inclined to agree with them. It was causing Brother Russell some concern, too, so he made care­ful re-check of the chronology, but could find nothing wrong with it.

When the war did start right on time in 1914 it was like a bolt of lightning from a sunny sky. With the assassination of the Austrian Archduke and his wife, as they were taking a carriage drive through a part of Serbia, the world became a holocaust in twenty-four hours’ time; and it gave loud testimony to the world that Brother Russell had been “ordained a prophet unto the nations.” Inasmuch as he had made crystal clear the meaning of the Lord’s Parousia – over the thousand years, and in its various stages ­Brother Johnson began to refer to him as the Parousia Messenger. This title is not to be found in the Bible by direct statement, but it is easily conceived by considering a few texts. In Psa. 91:11 it is stated, “He will give his angels a charge concerning thee,”; and the Manna comment for November 17 explains that these angels would be hu­man messengers provided for the special oversight and welfare of the church. Thus, Pa­rousia Messenger could aptly be stated Parousia Angel, but Parousia Messenger makes the thought a little clearer to the average reader.

He was not only the Parousia Messenger, but he was That Servant (Matt. 24:45-47), he was the prophet unto the nations (Jer. 1:5), he was “that faithful and wise stew­ard” (Luke 12:42), he was one of the stars (Rev. 1:16), he was one of the prophets in the Gospel-Age Church, and those who knew him intimately would readily testify that he was one of the foundation stones in the Parousia Church (Eph. 2:20), he was a pilgrim, he was a warrior and, as such, he was the antitypical Parousia David. He was also the antitypical Eleazar of the Gospel-Age Harvest. As such he had full charge of the anti­typical Tabernacle, the Church: “He shall make him ruler over all His goods.” (Matt. 24:47) In this he was the parallel of the twelve Apostles in the Jewish Harvest. He was a genteel man, but most of his adult years were spent in fighting – set for the de­fense of the Truth. In Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, under biographical names, it list Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) “American Pastor.” And the same dictionary lists Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942) “Judge” – American leader of Jehovah’s Wit­nesses. It is our hearty recommendation that wherever two or more brethren may meet together that they hold a memorial service the last week in October, which meeting could include testimonies, and perhaps a reading of some sort pertinent to his life, work and character, as we all join in saying, God bless his memory!

THE EPIPHANY MESSENGER

As Pilgrim, Brother Paul S. L. Johnson was Brother Russell’s special helper dur­ing the final years of his life. The title Epiphany Messenger is likewise not found in the Bible; but, using Psa. 91:11, there is no difficulty in coining the expression. He did for the Epiphany what the Parousia Messenger did for the Parousia, although his ministry was not nearly so extensive or compelling. At the death of the Parousia Mes­senger we believe it could truthfully be said that all the living saints had come into his organization, leaving none to be found elsewhere; but this was definitely not the case with the Epiphany Messenger. He often said that there were more saints in the other Truth groups than he had with him – which means it was not necessary for them to come under his direction to retain their saintly standing, although those who did so received special blessings, particularly in service, that did not come to those in the other groups.

He was one of the stars, one of the prophets, but much less important than the Parousia Messenger had been. He was certainly the son of the Parousia David; and this is the record in I Chron. 22:5: “David said, Solomon my son, is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceedingly magnifical, of fame and glory throughout all countries: I will now therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.” Indeed, the Parousia David left a good­ly heritage not only to his son Solomon, but to the entire Household, in the clear and logical structure of the Parousia Truth; although many of the former pilgrims began to tamper with that Truth, and it then fell to the lot of the Epiphany Messenger to defend almost every important tenet of Parousia Truth. And now it has become so vitiated by some that it is no longer recognizable for what it once was.

Recognizing the colossal task which faced him, the Epiphany Messenger made special prayer for wisdom and strength sufficient for the job to be done, and this is what 1 Kgs. 4:29-31 has to say about it: “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceed­ing much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. And Solo­mon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men.” Very often did various religious organizations write to him for his analysis of extremely difficult Bible texts; and those of us who were close to him know the skill with which he answered them.

As a young man, before he joined the Harvest Movement, he had gained extensive recognition as a Lutheran minister in Columbus, Ohio, and elsewhere. By intensive study for about three months in 1903 he had been able clearly to see the Truth on the unity of God, human mortality, death as the wages of sin, Papacy as the Beast, identity of the Millennium and the Judgment Day, and 1914 as the end of the Age. Thereafter he made no progress toward understanding Present Truth until he came into the Harvest move­ment. He was a true scholar of Greek and Hebrew, spoke German fluently; and in his earlier years he was able to give an oration in Latin – a feat which very few College professors of Latin are able to do. He graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with the highest honors of any one who ever attended that institution. We knew a prominent Lutheran minister in Dayton, Ohio, who had been his classmate, and he said Paul Johnson was known throughout the campus as the mental giant. All this is simply a statement of fact, and in no sense intended to give him undue praise, in like manner as he wrote about the Parousia Messenger after his death. Thus, we conclude this pres­ent appraisal the same as we did that of the Parousia Messenger – God bless his memory!

We invite all of like mind to join with us in giving honor to whom honor is due, and in honoring those whom the Lord honors. Our Lord Himself said, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:26)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

-----------------------------------------------------------

QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – When you tell us you do not require a subscription price for your monthly papers, and that all your literature is free, aren’t you encouraging indolence in the Lord’s people to their responsibilities toward the Truth and its prosperity? What about 1 Cor. 16:2?

ANSWER: – Certainly, it is not our desire to encourage indifference and slothfulness in the Lord’s people, but rather the reverse. We would encourage all the Lord’s people to “seek ye first (chiefly) the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:23) – “spend and be spent” in doing the Lord’s good and acceptable will. But each one must decide for himself his course in so doing. Of course, this should be done in harmony with the rules and instructions of the Scriptures.

Our lord and the Apostles had no paid ministry, nor did they take up collections of any kind, but this is no reflection upon those who have subscription rates for their magazines – nor do we oppose this course. But we believe our method for the work we are doing is best for us. At the outset of our publications, it was our purpose to reach our brethren in the LHMM to defend the truth that was “once deliv­ered unto the saints,” and to oppose the errors and revolutionisms of the Truth that appeared in that Movement shortly after the demise of its founder. However, it is due to the good cooperation and encouragement of faithful brethren, that we now have a sizable mailing list (many times the size of our first mailing in 1955), which in­cludes many brethren of other groups. The Lord has prospered us in our efforts to bless and encourage His people.

As our Lord has indicated, we will receive criticism no matter what course we pursue: “Whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” (Matt. 11:16-18)

When Brother Russell was criticized for using luxurious Pullman trains, hotels, etc., he advised: “But even if you cannot see eye to eye with us, do not stumble yourself, but remember that to his own Master each servant stands or falls. Take all the blessings from our ministry that you can get, and leave the remainder of the matters which you cannot understand to God. In other words, let us more and more realize that God Himself is guiding His own work; and that whatever blessing we may obtain we should be thankful to Him for the same.” We are in full agreement with these sentiments, and would express the same for us and our work.

“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (I Cor. 16:2) Brother Russell answered a question on this text in the February 1914 Watch Tower, Reprint 5409:

‘We understand that the principle applies to all. This is not a law, however... He taught that all of the Lord’s people are put on their own responsibility as to the use of the things they have sacrificed to the Lord... We think a principle is here involved – a principle of sacrifice; and that if we follow the Apostle’s advice, we would lay by something every week or every month to give to some who are in real need, and thus exercise a spirit of benevolence, like our Heavenly Father, and that we may be able to have at least a small share in the support of the Lord’s work. We believe that to whatever extent we have this thought before our minds we are like­ly to have a special blessing. ‘He that watereth shall be watered also himself.’—Prov. 11:25”

In Reprint 2542 That Servant gives us the following: “A few, but not very many, may need caution lest they should carry the matter of consecration to an extreme. An occasional one out of a thousand might perhaps act too literally upon the instruc­tion that whosoever would be the Lord’s disciple must forsake all to follow Him ­might understand this to literally mean an abandonment of houses, lands, etc. .......... Family, home, beauties of nature, should all be appreciated, but in a secondary sense as compared to the Lord. What would please the Lord must be supreme.”

In the August 1923 Present Truth there is an article entitled “Riches,” from which we quote excerpts as follows:

“From this point of view earthly riches of every kind, opulence of money, of in­fluence, of talent, should not be despised by the Lord’s people, but, on the contrary, should be appreciated – not after the worldly manner of appreciation, for selfish interests and purposes, but because those who possess riches of any kind have that much more than they otherwise would have to offer upon the Lord’s altar as a sacri­fice in His service, to glorify His name, to advance His truth, to bless His people... If they hold and hoard their earthly riches they are burying their talent, their op­portunity, instead of using it; and such will demonstrate to themselves eventually the meaning of our Lord’s words, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye (a small gate in the walls of ancient cities, for the convenience of belated trav­elers after sundown, after the main city gates were closed. These needle-eyes were so low that camels could enter them only upon their knees and after being stripped of their burdens) than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom.’ (Luke 18:25) He can­not get into the Kingdom at all except as he strips himself of his riches – sacri­fices them, devotes them to the Lord. ... The Apostle speaks of the deceitfulness of riches; and on every hand we may witness this deceitfulness; we see how often earthly wealth deceives and misleads and corrupts the reasoning powers ... We see the same deception operating powerfully in those who possess a wealth of talent in any di­rection; they feel like keeping all of it for self, and if not all, the larger and choicier parts.

“When we see a noble example, like that of our Lord, who was rich in everything, and who gave all, we rejoice in it, and realize that as His sacrifice was so great His reward also is proportionately great. When we see the noble example of the Apostle Paul, who possessing some considerable wealth of ability, talent and influence, and possibly of financial means also, laid these all, a willing, a glad sacrifice, at the feet of the Lord, laying them all down with joy in God’s service, in the service of the Truth, in the service of the brethren, it causes our hearts to rejoice, and we feel sure that one so rich, and who spent his riches so faithfully, will be one who will shine very brightly in the Kingdom, when it is set up and manifested. ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.’“

Those who have known us intimately over the years know that we have coveted no man’s silver or gold. Freely we have received of the Lord, and freely we have given of time, strength, talent and this world’s goods. And as of now, we have no regrets for the course we have followed. The strong consolation of Heb. 6:10 is daily with us; and we are daily grateful for the providential circumstances that permit us to carry on as we have. (See Acts 20:33-35)

Some one told That Servant that he had set the standard much too high, to which he answered, The Lord set it there, Brother; I didn’t. But we are to remember that we are stewards over our goods, and not over the goods of others – that, “to his own Master each servant stands or falls.” The Apostle Paul queries: ‘And who is suffi­cient for these things?” And we are persuaded that God’s faithful people will be ‘sufficient’ as they realize – “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” (2 Cor. 3:5)

NO. 207: "THINK IT NOT STRANGE"

No. 207

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” is the counsel of the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 4:12; and in v. 16 he appeals further, “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” It is often most helpful to the proper understanding of any text to discern its background, the basis which prompted its expression; and such is definitely true in the present instance. It will be noted in v. 1, chapter 1, that the Apostle is addressing his letter to “the strangers” of the Black Sea Provinces. The Diaglott expresses it much clearer “Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners of the dispersion.” Who were these “sojourners of the dispersion”? Apparently, they were such Jews as had been exiled from or about Jerusalem, or those who had left because conditions there were more or less unbearable for them. It would seem these are the same ones mentioned in John 7:35, when the Jews who were hearing Jesus, “said among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles?”

Among such dispersed ones, those who had suffered afflictions for some cause or other, there would certainly be found some who were ready listeners to the message that Jesus was indeed the Christ, their Messiah; and it would seem St. Peter had been among them, had convinced some, and was striving to “establish them in the Present Truth.” Of a certainty, those Jews had never seen Jesus personally; therefore, their acceptance of Him had been prompted by the testimonies of St. Peter or others. (1 Pet. 1:8) The prophecy (Isa. 8:14) that “He shall be for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel” was not without purpose. Those Jews who received Him gladly did so from the heart; but those Jews who rejected Him likewise hated Him from the heart ‑ hated also their former brethren who then accepted Him. To some He was the savor of life unto life; to some the savor of death unto death; and the latter snarled the opprobrious name ‘“Christian” at their former fellows, as they spat upon the ground in the same breath, the worst of all insults they could express toward the new converts. Thus, St. Peter was telling such who had become His disciples that if they suffered under the offensive name “Christian” to be not ashamed, but to “Glorify God in this name.”

The expression “fiery trial” in our text is from the Greek purosis, meaning literally “a burning,” being the same word found also in Rev. 18:9 and 18:18 ( the word occurs but three times in the Bible), where the “burning” of that Great City which is called, spiritually, Sodom, is described. This may be regarded as a fitting sarcasm in contrast that the same word should be used to describe the “sweet‑smelling savor unto the Lord” which comes from the “burning” – the sharp and faith‑developing trials of the true Christians on the one hand, and the “burning” – the utter destruction of the “vine of the earth” on the other hand. And all of this is emphasized further by St. Peter in v. 17 of chapter 4: “Because the season is coming for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if it begin first from us, what the end of those who are disobedient to the glad tidings?”

Today the name Christian is often spoken with respect, even by many Jews in the more enlightened countries; the name itself is no longer “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” Now Christians in name only must find other insulting terms for “Christians indeed” (“Israelites indeed” – John 1:47). To some, who believed Brother Johnson and his ardent adherents were in the second death, the epithet “Johnson‑ite” would bear similar meaning to their fellows as did the name “Christian” in Apostolic times. Thus, we might substitute the words, “If any man suffer as a Johnson‑ite, let him not be ashamed” – that is, if he suffers such epithets as a faithful footstep follower of Jesus Christ. Let us keep in mind that if we “suffer as a Christian,” because of the Truth, we need never be ashamed – whether it be labeled Russellism, Hoefleism, or whatever opprobrium erstwhile brethren may use in contempt – the same as did the Jewish brethren of Jesus in contemptuous use of the name “Christian.” a He was in this world, so are we.”

“THAT OLD SERPENT THE DEVIL”

All of the “burning” – fiery trials – of God’s people under the reign of evil have been instigated by “the God of this world,” the evil one; and this has been markedly true of the difficulties of all new creatures during this Gospel Age. This is apparent at the very outset of the Age, when “The Apostle and High Priest of our Profession, Christ Jesus” was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil.” (Matt. 4 1) The word here translated “Devil” is from the Greek ‘diaboles,’ and is a specific name for the individual Satan – the Devil. It is the same word as found in Rev. 20:2: “He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan.”

We believe the words dragon, serpent, Devil and Satan portray the four unholy attributes of Azazel – the personification of evil in completeness – just as Power, Wisdom, Justice and Love describe the four character attributes of Jehovah – the personification of Goodness and true Holiness in perfection. As the “dragon,’“ the Evil One, has attempted to devour the Gospel‑Age saints by the unholy use of power, just as he through Pagan Rome actually did “devour the child”– Rev. 12:4. Honest opponents are devoured and crushed by the unholy use of power, just as that great apostate “woman Jezebel” used unholy power to become “drunken with the blood of the saints”– Rev. 17:6. But in all of this seeming victory, God’s holy use of power has preserved the fully faithful, has “laid up for them a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give them in that day... to all those who love His appearing.” As the “serpent,” the evil one has been the deceiver, the beguiling tempter, of the Age in a perverted use of wisdom – Azazel means perverter. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any living thing” – Gen. 3:1, Rotherham; and “The woman was deceived” – 1 Tim. 2:14. But the “pure wisdom which is from above” has kept the fully faithful during the Age from being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

As the “devil,” the Evil One has been the false accuser, the calumniator (so the Greek) of God’s people, especially so in the Parousia‑Epiphany in the persons of antitypical Jannes and Jambres, the slanderous false‑accusing sifters described by St. Paul in 2 Tim. 3:1‑9. And slander, lying, false statements, misrepresentations, bad conscience manifested toward the fully faithful, are they not all an abuse of justice, i.e., “in”‑justice? But here again, the “justice that is laid to the line’s has spoken – or will eventually speak – in vindication of all those “whose righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” Then, finally as “Satan,” the Evil One is the adversary, or opposer of God’s fully faithful people – often using the measurably faithful to oppose the fully faithful – the “buckwheat” class meddling in the affairs of the wheat class, attempting to usurp their office powers. They frequently use the Truth given by God through His faithful mouthpieces to their own advantage, often palming it off as their own – all motivated through a lack of love – those persons “who received not the Truth in the love of it,” and who have been given an “energy of delusion” in return. “Thou hast given them blood (error) to drink”! (Rev. 16:6) But the true love, coming from the One “altogether lovely” provokes to good works (Heb. 10:24) – just as the lack of it opposes such “good works,” and attempts to promote evil works. Thus, there is clearly depicted the “High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is Holy,” as contrasted with the Evil One who will be “bound a thousand years, cast into the bottomless pit, that he should deceive the nations no more” – and eventually annihilated.

THE PATTERN OF TEMPTATIONS WELL DEFINED

If we “consider Him,” it becomes clear enough that Jesus had His most severe trials at the very outset, and then at the end of His walk on the “narrow way.” After His anointing “with the spirit without measure” at Jordan, He was possessed of a consuming zeal, which so engrossed Him He did not even stop to eat for forty days. It would seem reasonable to believe that, knowing the great import of His mission on earth, and that “the King’s business required haste,” He memorized the entire Old Testament in those forty days, as well as to “rightly divide the word of Truth” on the various Tabernacle types, etc., of which He Himself would be the central figure in the antitype. According to His own words a little later, He had instructed those who have followed Him during the Age that every Tabernacle type had to continue until its antitype appeared “Till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17) Then, at the extreme end of His earthly ministry came the most severe trial of all – Gethsemane and the Cross; and this pattern is also clearly marked in the experiences of the Apostles – much persecution immediately after Pentecost, with greater climax toward the end of their lives. James was killed with the sword (Acts 12:2), Peter crucified head downward, John thrown into a vat of boiling oil, Paul having his head chopped off, etc. – with all of them having their most severe testings at the beginning and at the end of their narrow‑way experiences.

And Satan, master of psychology, makes his boldest and strongest attempts when his intended victims are weakest. This he did in the case of Jesus, when He was weakened from His fast and arduous concentration at the end of the forty days. And this he did by evidencing real concern for His physical welfare. “You are hungry and weak,” he had implied, “but You have received the Holy Spirit without measure; you have power to provide your every need; command that these stones be made bread.” This would not only try out the new power He had received, but would provide His temporal necessities at the same time. It might even decide Satan to repent and be converted, to join hands with him in the work He was about to undertake. Inasmuch as “He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin,” we may be certain His followers all during the Age would be similarly tried – tempted to use the power of the Truth to their own present advantage; yet accomplish just as readily the work given them to do. Numerous are the examples along this line: Balaam, who succumbed to the temptation (Num. 22); St. Peter “offered money” for the power he had; but emphatically responding that “the gift of God is not to be purchased with money” (Acts 8:18‑20); the Gospel‑Age builders of Great Babylon becoming “rich, and increased of goods, and in need of nothing,” as they foolishly determined to bring to earth the Kingdom of God before “due time” – “my Lord delayeth.” “Money is power,” says Solomon; but it does not bring the power that maketh wise unto salvation; yet it has deceived many into believing they could be the “rich man” in this world, and “Lazarus” in the next. Just a cursory look at our Lord’s course should convince them of their fallacious reasoning.

TEMPTATION TO USE UNLAWFUL METHODS

At Jesus’ prompt rejection of Satan’s first bit of sophistry, he took up a second mode of attack: “If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down” from the pinnacle of the temple. (Matt. 4:6) This task of redeeming, uplifting mankind from the mire of sin, from relieving the poverty and human frailty, so apparent on every hand, just could not be done without some sensational methods; and this has been the thinking of the minds of worldly men throughout the Age. One outstanding weakness of the “great multitude” all during the Age has been this very mistake; thus, they become “doubleminded” – a mind to serve the Lord while using Satan’s methods. They would do great works, win great numbers, gain great favor with their fellows, yet bask in the smile of Heaven at the same time – a combination always parried by the fully faithful, but readily grasped by those befuddled by Azazel, attempting to juggle the “pearl of great price” with one hand, as they juggle “the pleasures of sin for a season” with the other hand. “They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare” (1 Tim. 6:9) – “lifted up with pride they fall into condemnation of the Devil.” (1 Tim. 3:6) “The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not with outward show,” said Jesus, and He set us the example of being “meek and lowly of heart.” There can be no argument with the statement, “The entrance of thy word giveth light,” and the great “quickening” that comes upon entrance of the Truth into the human mind has caused the large majority to “think more highly of themselves than they ought to think.” But the jester spoke a great truth when he declared, “O, if you would only know how much you have to know to know that you don’t know nuthin.”

It is a common fallacy of professional men – doctors, lawyers, preachers, technicians – to consider others stupid because the general knowledge of their particular vocation is so limited in the general mind. This is a mistake, of course, because many uneducated people could have made excellent doctors, lawyers, etc., had they been given the opportunity. It is a sage observation that the big difference between the professors and the students is that the professors read the books first. Therefore, it is sound counsel to all, and especially to the leaders in the church, to consider St. Paul’s words: “Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7)

TEMPTATION TO COMPROMISE

With Jesus’ positive rejection of Satan’s suggestion, there came immediately the third temptation – the temptation of Combinationism, which has overcome vast multitudes throughout the Age, and especially so here in the end of the Age. Satan would have Jesus to join with Him to accomplish His mission. Could not the two of them do it better than one of them alone? Would not two heads be better than one? Satan made it clear, of course, that he himself would be chief of the two heads: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” This temptation of Combinationism to God’s people has been among the most alluring all during the Age – not stated in exactly the same words, of course, but with the same underlying principle. “Money is power,” says Solomon; and this influence is stronger today than at any time in history, because there is so much more of it in the hands of so many more people of differing ideals and desires. The person today who contributes, say, $10,000 per year to his particular church, will not be lightly considered when he states his wishes to the preacher. One great source of strength with the last two Principal Men was their decision, SEATS FREE ‑ NO COLLECTIONS. Since they asked no one for money, they could afford to tell them the truth; there was no need to compromise. This revives the story of an Admiral from the American Navy: Deciding to go to church one Sunday morning as he returned from the sea, he walked to a pew near the front, occupied by one lone old man. As he joined the party, he was given reproachful glances, which, however, he ignored. The old man, not to be thus disregarded, took one of his personal cards from his pocket, wrote on it, “I paid $1,000 for this seat.” The Admiral turned the card to the other side, handed it back to its owner with the answer, “You paid too much.” And certainly Jesus would have “paid too much” had He succumbed to the tricky deceit of Satan.

TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION

It is a sound observation that truth is stranger than fiction; and this is illustrated all about us today. Who wishes to hear the Truth? Even some among former brethren – those who once claimed to love the Truth more than life itself – there is very little of the “hearing ear” any more. And this situation is very evident in Churchianity everywhere; they are willing to listen to and receive almost any kind of hocus-pocus just so long as it isn’t the Truth. Thus, to the vast majority, the Truth is indeed a “stranger,” which emphasizes the truth of Jesus’ inquiry: “When the Son of Man cometh, will He find the faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:18) And the Berean Comment is most fitting: “The question implies that at that time the true faith (the Truth) would be almost extinct.” (Luke 18:8 – Berean Comment) But for those who do have the faith – the Present Truth – there is the comforting assurance of Psa. 89:15: “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound (that have an ear for the Truth); they walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.” Such have meat to eat that others know not of; to such the Aaronic blessing is sure: “The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” – the peace of God, which passeth understanding.

All of the three temptations of Jesus, which He met and rejected without wavering, have come in principle to all of His followers during the Age, added to which they have also been tempted to sin. It is well to bear in mind that temptation is an appealing suggestion. Without appeal, there can be no temptation. Thus, the statement, “God cannot be tempted of evil” ‑ evil is distasteful to every pore of His Being; just the reverse of Satan, whose characterization of The Evil One is indicative of the full corruption of evil that pervades every pore of his being. Nor is it any sin to be tempted; sin enters only when we are “overcome of evil.” Therefore, “be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” In all of their temptations, the fully faithful eventuate as “more than conquerors” – they gain the “crown of righteousness” which wins for them a throne. “He that overcometh shall sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne,” is the sure promise of the fully faithful new creatures.

But the Scriptures are very clear that the new creatures who are measurably faithful a “great multitude” – are not such overcomers; they will never gain a throne. At best, they will serve “before the throne” – the throne being the heritage of their fully faithful brethren. After they have “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” it will also be their privilege to become a kind of police force in the spiritual realm. And we believe it is sound and just observation that every one of the Great Multitude leaders today has failed in at least two, and probably in all three, of those temptations which came especially upon Jesus – selfishness, error, worldliness – with the additional charge against some of them that they also fall under the fourth temptation, Sin. As the Epiphany Messenger has taught, Sectarianism is a great sin. During the Gospel Age Great Company leaders have built the sects in Big Babylon, and have perverted the Star Members’ teachings they embraced for their sects. The Great Company is one of the elect classes, but as a class they are not counted as overcomers of sectarianism and clericalism, even though they all must overcome their sins of teaching and practice as individuals if they receive the “palms” of victory. (Rev. 7:9) Thus, we offer St. Paul’s counsel: “Exhort each other every day, while it is called Today, so that no one among you may be hardened by a delusion of sin.” (Heb. 3:13, Dia.)

Another class of faithful overcomers are those who consecrate between the Ages, after the “door is shut” to the High Calling and before the full opening of the Millennium – that is, before the New Covenant is inaugurated, and opportunity to consecrate for restitution purposes is available. That Servant taught there would be such class in the end of the Age when no more crowns would be available – a class that would be similar to the Ancient Worthies, and would receive a “better resurrection” (Heb. 11:35) and be rewarded in partnership with the Ancient Worthies. He also saw in later years that they would be rewarded with spirit nature at the end of the Kingdom reign. The following respecting “Those Consecrating Between The Ages” is from That Servant’s writings in the September 1, 1915 Watch Tower, Reprint 5761:

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

“Our thought is that whoever under such conditions as these (during the time when sin and evil are in the ascendancy ‑ such as in this our day – JJH), will make a full consecration to the Lord, to leave all to follow in His ways, and will live up faithfully, loyally, to that consecration, may be privileged to be counted as a similar class to those who preceded this Gospel Age. We know of no reason why the Lord would refuse to receive those who make a consecration after the close of the Gospel Age High Calling and before the full opening of the Millennial.”

The Epiphany Messenger accepted That Servant’s teaching and was privileged to bring out additional light and much convincing Scriptural support for such a class; and we also “continue in what we have learned and been assured Of” and heartily believe that such consecrators between the Ages – after the “door is shut” and before opportunity for consecration for the non‑elect – will, if faithful, be rewarded with the Ancient Worthies with a “better resurrection” and become “princes in all the earth.” Like the Ancient Worthies, the Youthful Worthies are on trial for faith and obedience, and not for life, but they will tested and proved worthy if they achieve their goal – the visible rulers of the Kingdom, under the invisible Kings and Priests of God. (Rev. 20: 6) “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:24‑26)

J. F. Rutherford taught in harmony with That Servant at the outset of his career, but later reversed himself. He produced a class of his own imagination, calling them Jonadabs, which later became the “great multitude.” RGJ also continued in the Truth on Youthful Worthies in the beginning of his career, but has now replaced such consecrators with a non‑existent class of his own imagination, which he calls consecrated Epiphany Campers. Both of these groups are now enmeshed in a “quagmire of error” because they have “rebelled against the words of God” (Psa. 107:11) ‑ revolutionized against the truth they once received and taught. We believe that all the Lord’s people would be greatly benefited if they would take heed to That Servant’s admonitions and warning in the Feb. 15, 1912 Watch Tower, Reprint 4970:

“The Lord’s followers are to note how these same temptations are the very ones by which the adversary assails them: (1) He would be their friend and helper and would thereby induce them to violate their covenant of sacrifice by requests for physical healing, physical blessings, which they have agreed to sacrifice. (2) He would suggest to them some wild, foolish way of capturing the world for God by some great exploits or prayer tests. (3) He would have them compromise with the world and its spirit and its methods of church federation and otherwise. We are to resist the adversary courageously that he may leave us permanently, seeing no hope of winning us.”

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” (Eph. 6:13,14,24)

THE MAY‑JUNE 1972 PRESENT TRUTH – “THE YOUTHFUL WORTHIES”

Several requests have come to us for our opinion on the above Present Truth; and we would observe at the outset that this is one of the better articles that has appeared in this magazine in recent years. And it is better because large parts of it are the teachings of the Epiphany Messenger. Pages 34,35,36 and 37 are almost an exact reprint of E‑4:317‑327.

But it seems just too much to expect RGJ to give the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth in anything he offers his readers; and this is true in the present instance. Half truths are often more misleading than whole errors; and in this article he not only injects some of his errors into his quotations, but he omits major points that should be included to make the whole Truth clear to all. And this prompts us to quote Jesus’ words: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matt. 23:15) As recorded of him in E‑10: 646, he is quite adept at Azazelian deception; and he gives us a good sample of it in this magazine, in which he sandwiches his errors in crafty fashion to trap the unwary and casual reader.

It seems he has especially designed this Present Truth to engage the attention of other Truth Groups; but, if everything he presents therein on the Youthful Worthies is entirely the Truth, it still is nothing more than informative ‑ because he now teaches that since 1954 there is no opportunity for any one to enter that Elect Class. And, since he also teaches that the High Calling is now no longer available, and no entrance to the Court, he is forced to invent a class of his own, walking a “narrow way” in the Camp, thus grossly revolutionizing against the Messengers’ teaching. (See Psa. 107:10,11)

His situation is identical with that of the Foolish, Unprofitable Shepherd of Zech. 11:15‑17. All familiar with the situation know that Brother Russell taught a class of consecrators would appear between the Ages that would stand in the Household in similar manner as the Ancient Worthies served God. After That Servant’s death the Society labeled such people as Modern Worthies; but, when they rejected Tentative Justification, they were forced to deny the existence of such a Class. Then they, too, had to invent a Class for present‑day purposes – because they likewise declared the High Calling closed – so they came forth with their Jonadabs – the same being presently their “great multitude” of Revelation Seven. Substantially the only difference between these latter and RGJ’s Consecrated Epiphany Campers is the name.

It will be noted that the Foolish Shepherd was guilty of four errors of omission: (1) He shall not visit those that be cut off; (2) Shall not seek the young one; (3) Shall not heal that that is broken; (4) Shall not feed that that standeth still. In due time we may offer comment on all of these points, but for now we consider only No. 2: “Shall not seek the young one’s ‑ literally, the growing person. All who come into the Household through “justification by faith...peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) could properly be described as “growing persons” ‑ that is, they have accepted Christ as their Saviour, and repented of sin. Thus, they advance from the Camp into the Court of the Tabernacle – they “grow” to that extent. And, when we do not attempt to help such people to advance further to the Door of the Tabernacle (the place of consecration), it would properly be stated that we fail to “seek the growing person.” Such is now RGJ’s position. He has his “consecrated” in the Camp outside the Court since 1954 – although he offers them some lame Millennial promises, weaker even than what the Witnesses now offer their Great Multitude.

Certainly, we are still in the ”ends of the Ages”; but with this comes the logical conclusion that there must come a time when the “growing persons” could not advance beyond their condition. As of now, we do not have a solid date for that event; but we have a Scripture which tells us the condition that will prevail when that time comes: “Neither peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction.” (Zech. 8:10)

The peace in this text might properly be classified as the “peace with God,” which will be impossible to obtain once Rev. 2:27 is fulfilling – “As the vessels of a potter shall the nations be broken to shivers.” Then will also be fulfilled the text in Rev. 22:10,11, “when no more persons will enter the tentatively justified state.” (See E‑10:114) And once more we cite what That Servant and the Epiphany Messenger taught about “growing persons” in the ends of the Ages – a basic quotation that should have been included in RGJ’s treatise, if he had been honestly motivated, and wanted properly to instruct his readers:

“Z ‘20, 21‑28 flatly denies our dear Pastor’s thought that those who consecrate and prove faithful in the interval between the close of the General Call in 1881 and the inauguration of the earthly phase of the Kingdom, will become associated in reward and service with the Ancient Worthies in the Kingdom.” (E‑4:337 – also see E‑4:342)

Since Brother Johnson is stressing the opportunity for Youthful Worthies as taught by That Servant, to refute J. F. Rutherford’s error of a non‑existent class to replace the true class, we need “think it not strange” that RGJ failed to include these quotations in his Youthful Worthy treatise. He couldn’t do that because he himself now has an identical twin for the Jonadabs, or Great Multitude, in his Campers Consecrated!

RGJ omits this basic teaching for Youthful Worthies, even as he inserts errors of his own to bolster his “strange fire” and displace the true Scriptural class the Messengers have taught us would be the consecrators “between the Ages.” On p. 38, colt 2, par. 1, he tells us of “Miriam the prophetess,’ coupled with Aaron in v. 20 as his sister, suggests that mouthpieces subordinate to the Ancient and Youthful Worthies are typed by Miriam....The first of them to consecrate as such (his Campers Consecrated, of course! – JJH) do so early in the Basileia, or Kingdom, period, as it begins lappingly in the ending of the Epiphany period; and, if faithful, they will become the chief leaders in the Miriam class.”

In the above statement, RGJ apparently willfully disregards the teaching of the Apostle Paul and the two Messengers, that the Jews will be first and chief in the Kingdom arrangement ‑ and will be the first to receive the New Covenant blessings. And how clear this revolutionism becomes to all who have a “love of the truth” when we consider the fact that all Restitutionists will have to become Jews if they get the blessings, and receive eternal life. All know, too, that all Restitutionists will not become Epiphany Campers Consecrated, or quasi‑elect consecrated. The Scriptures are very clear, too, that there is a class all during this Age, and especially so in its Epiphany ending, who “receive not the truth in the love of it” (2 Thes. 2:10,11), and because of that they have received “strong delusions,” such as non‑existent classes supplanting the true class taught by God’s faithful Mouthpieces. So we repeat, RGJ spoils the truths on Youthful Worthies he does present by his sins of omissions and commissions – omitting basic truths and inserting destructive errors. The warning in 2 Tim. 4:3,4 is pertinent to such jugglery: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine... and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

------------------------------------------------------------

ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL INTEREST

In harmony with the arrangements for the Epiphany, we suggest Sunday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Nov. 12 for our Special Effort in Antitypical Gideon’s Second Battle – the battle against Eternal Torment and Consciousness of the Dead (see Epiphany Vol. 5, pp. 236‑245). This is in memory of That Servant, for his faithful pursuit of these two King errors – and also in memory of the Epiphany Messenger who continued in that “good fight.” Our tracts, Where are the Dead, What is the Soul, and The Resurrection of the Dead, as well as the books, Life‑Death Hereafter and The Divine Plan of the Ages, are especially adapted for this service. We suggest to all who wish to participate with us, that they order the literature in time. Our literature is free, postage paid. We invite all of like mind to join with us in the prayer, “God bless their memory!” (1 Tim. 5:17)

NO. 206: THE 107TH PSALM

No. 206

This Psalm is in effect a prophecy, which has special application to this our time. We say this because it has never been even remotely understood until the Harvest; and, as has been so well stated by That Servant, prophecy cannot be clearly understood until it has been fulfilled, or is in course of fulfillment. A potent illustration of this truth is to be found in Rev. 12:6, where the 1260 days of Papal persecution of the saints is set forth. It is conceded by most people that Martin Luther is one of the 25 greatest intellects among the entire human race; yet, with all his brilliance, and his intense effort to understand Revelation, he could not possibly produce the right interpretation of Rev. 12:6 – because those days did not end until 1799, more than 200 years after he died. Therefore, it was left for the bright shining of Harvest truth to give the prophecy its proper interpretation. Although not so pointedly true as Rev. 12:6, the 107th Psalm may be given the same general comment; it, too, could not be understood until the “due time.”

“O give thanks unto the LORD.” The Psalm treats of four general classes of the human race, each of which we shall consider in due course; but we first offer some comment on the introduction. Rotherham’s translation, which we shall use in much of our explanation, says, “O give thanks to Yahweh.” This Yahweh – or Yahveh – is translated from the tetragrammaton, the same being from the Greek word used to denote four letters. The four Hebrew letters – or consonants – are Yod, He, Vav, He, and they are the counterparts of our English consonants J ‑ H ‑ V ‑ H, which some have used to form the word Jehovah – although such construction is based almost exclusively on imagination. The Tetragrammaton occurs about 7,000 times in the Old Testament; and it has become known as the ineffable name because there are no vowels in it, which makes it unpronounceable. At the first Advent, the Jews had come to regard that combination of letters with such awesome reverence that none of them would even attempt to state it. It is usually translated LORD in the King James version; and, whenever Lord appears in all capital letters – as it does in the opening of this Psalm, we may know it is from the tetragrammaton.

It is probably for the general good to offer some quotation here from Doctor Rotherham’s Introduction: “As it might appear premature, at the outset of this chapter, to spell out that Divine Name which some regard as not only incommunicable but unpronounceable, it will be considerate to begin the present investigation by the aid of abbreviation... The Tetragrammaton, or name of four letters, is a technical term frequently employed by scholars, and will here serve a useful purpose... We can reverently speak of The Name, or can set down the first letter only, Y, in the same way as Hebrew critics are wont to use the letter Yod as the initial of the Divine name intended...

“It is willingly admitted that the suppression has not been absolute... To those who can note the difference between LORD and Lord, and can remember that the former do while the latter do not stand for The Name... an intimation of the difference is conveyed. Yet the mere reader remains completely in the dark respecting it, because in nearly all the occurrences of The Name the special Name of God is withheld. ‘Nearly All,’ for there are about a half dozen instances in the A.V., in which this concealment does not take place... In these it appears as Jehovah...Is it too much to assume that The Name has about it something very grand or gracious, or at least something very mysterious? Whichever conclusion is accepted, is there not something essentially presumptuous in substituting for it one of the commonest of titles, seeing that there are on earth ‘lords many,’ and the master of the humblest slave is his ‘lord’? Therefore, it is the most natural presumption that the suppression of The Name has entailed on the reader irreparable loss.

“The motive was good – let that be assumed... The motive is respected; but the reference is regarded as misapplied, the reason given to be invalid. A plausible argument in favor of leaving The Name veiled, as it is now, may be based upon its concealment by the Septuagint, which conceals the Tetragrammaton under the common title ‘Kurios’ Lord. Jesus used that version as it stood. (Matt. 22:41‑45) Therefore what was good enough for Him should be good enough for us. However, Jesus had to plead His Messiahship with the Scriptures then current; and any criticism of the nation’s Sacred Documents might have placed a needless obstacle in the people’s path.

“Why not then translate The Name as Jehovah? Is that not euphonious? It is, without question. Is it not widely used? (Especially since 1931 by the Jehovah’s Witnesses – JJH) The reason it is not used here is that it is too heavily burdened with merited critical condemnation – as modern, as a compromise, as a ‘mongrel’ word. What are the facts? First, as to age ‘Jehovah’ was unknown before 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus; but was contested by others as against grammatical and historical propriety. Next as to formation: Erroneously written and pronounced Jehovah – which is merely a combination of the sacred Tetragrammaton and the vowels in the Hebrew word for Lord, substituted by the Jews for JHVH, because they shrank from pronouncing the name... But to give the name JHVH the vowels of the word for Lord, and pronounce it Jehovah, is about as hybrid a combination as it would be to spell the name Germany with the vowels in the name Portugal – namely, Gormuna. The monstrous combination Jehovah is not older than about 1520 AD, so the Jews are not responsible for it. Therefore, the form Yahweh is here adopted as practically the best.’

Later writers than Doctor Rotherham – adept in Hebrew and Greek – say Yahveh is better still, so we go along with that. We assume many of our readers do not have access to what we have quoted foregoing, which is one of the reasons we have gone into such detail about it. A second reason is to alert our readers to the fact that the name “Jehovah’s” Witnesses has no Scriptural foundation whatever; and the great flare they try to give the name is simply a “profusion of words to no purpose.”

Now, as to the Psalm itself, there are seven (Divine completeness) distinct divisions in it, the last of which is the summation in v. 43: “Who is wise? Let him observe these things! And diligently consider the lovingkindness of Yahveh.” In its overall purport the “lovingkindness of Yahveh” is His great Plan of Salvation for the human race; and who is wise to understand this Psalm here in the end of the Age will have a clear understanding of the entire Plan. But, “none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10) It is our understanding that (1) vs. 1‑9 treat of the Little Flock (the wise); (2) vs. 10‑16 of the Great Company; (3) vs. 17‑22 of fleshly Israel during the Gospel Age, with special emphasis here in the end of the Age; (4) vs. 23‑32 of the world in general during and at the end of the great tribulation; (5) vs. 33‑38 of the Millennial conditions and people; (6) vs. 39‑42 of the good and evil in the Little Season – “Satan must be loosed for a little season” (Rev. 20:3); then (7) v. 43 as already stated.

THE LITTLE FLOCK

Vs. 1‑9 – “Let the redeemed of Yahveh say, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the Adversary.” Rev. 5:9 tells us “Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” These “redeemed of the Lord” have indeed been a conglomerate lot – a cross‑section of the human race, as to color, residence, intellectual achievement and providential circumstances. “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (V. 10) This Little Flock is the “us‑we‑ye” of this and many other Scriptures. “These were redeemed from men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 14 4) These are they who ever “give thanks to Yahveh... whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary.” And they have come “from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” (107:3), the “quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins... walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:1‑2) According to v. 4, “they wandered about in the desert – in a waste – a city to dwell in found they none.” “We have here no continuing city.” (Heb. 13:14) “Their soul within them fainted.”

Amidst all of the foregoing “they made outcry to Yahveh in their peril, and out of their distresses He rescued them.” (v. 6) The sentiments stated in v. 6 are repeated in vs. 12, 19, and 28, the underlying thought in all these verses being that when the various classes call upon Yahveh in true penitence He is ever ready and willing to hear and give them the relief they seek. It should be noted that in the first nine verses of this Psalm, which have to do with the Little Flock, there is no adverse criticism; whereas, there is sharp denunciation of the next three classes that are discussed in vs. 10 through 32. However, the prayer of thanksgiving is identical from all four classes after He has heard their petitions and given them the needed relief: “Let them give thanks to Yahveh for His lovingkindness, and for His wonderful dealings with the sons of men.” The footnote for this last clause says it should read, “For His wonderful dealings with the sons of Adam.”

In response to their petitions, the Psalm proceeds to tell us that Yahveh “led them by a straight road.” He gave them the instruction and the ability to “make straight paths for their feet.” (Heb. 12:13) “That they might journey to a city to dwell in” – in New Jerusalem – Zion, “the perfection of beauty.”‘ (Psa. 50:2) Theirs is the promise, “The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.” (Psa. 128:5)

THE GREAT COMPANY

Vs. 10‑16 – “Such as sit in darkness” – error. The contrast here is between the Little Flock and the Great Company on the Truth. “Ye (the Little Flock) are all the children of light: we are not of the night (of sin), nor of darkness.” “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness.” (1 Thes. 5:4,5) Note the Berean Comment on these      texts: “Even to the last solitary one, no matter where he may be located….. The spirit will show you things to come.” Here, then, is the clear contrast between the Little Flock and the Great Company – especially now in the end of the Age, when the Truth has shone with special brightness, even making “manifest the counsels of hearts.”

And in their darkness (error), their groping about in confusion, they “sit in the shadow of death” – that is, the second death constantly casts a shadow in their direction, leading them into devious and sundry activities, to which their unholy ambition prods them. While the Great Company did not appear as a class all during the Age, there were many individuals of them – many times more than the Little Flock. “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Their confused views on “the straight road” prompted them to build Great Babylon; and here in the end of the Age they have repeated the performance in building Little Babylon. Especially while in Azazel’s clutches do they become ambitious in works of false propaganda, of building false religious sects, and indulging in slander against their more faithful brethren. Thus they are deceived into believing they will accomplish great works, win great numbers (such as filling the Epiphany Camp with consecrated ones outside the linen curtain of Christ, and deceiving them into believing they will have the preeminence in the Kingdom in superiority to the Jews), gain great favor. So often are we reminded of some at the first Advent: “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43) But in this day, “when He maketh manifest,” they will learn by sad experience that “the praise of men” is a very transitory and unprofitable possession.

Also, they are “bound with oppression (humiliation) and iron.” (v.10) “Because they had rebelled (revolutionized) against the sayings of God.” Among the oppressions (humiliations) that come to them their defeat in controversy is probably at the head of the list. Of those who have rebelled against the sayings of God. St. Paul says, “On this account God will send to them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood (various errors which bring them severe humiliation); in order that all those may be judged who believed not the Truth, but approved the iniquity.” (2 Thes. 2:11, Dia.)

“The counsel of the Most High they had spurned.” (v. 11) Yahveh has given definite instructions for the conduct of His people and their ministry of the Truth such as congregationalism (each ecclesia is mistress in her own locality), the settlement of differences between brethren, ranking officials in the Church, how to carry on the study and spread of the Truth, etc. To set aside any of these things would be to “spurn the counsel of the Most High” – consider His instructions of little worth by such as think they see a better way to do things. Some of the Lord’s people during this Epiphany have replaced the Berean method of study for text-bookism, which is also “spurning” the counsel of the Most High. During the Age this has led to the erection of autocratic systems in some sects, and in loose and irresponsible conduct in others. Most of these perversions have been traceable directly to the crown‑losers, who often have been held in higher esteem by the general public than their Little Flock brethren. John Calvin, for instance, is considered to be one of the sharpest intellects of the entire Age, and he readily attracted a following – so much so that he persuaded his supporters to burn Little Flock member Miletus Servetus at the stake because he could not meet the truth that Servetus presented.

Here in the end of the Age, when we have arrived at the time when “He maketh manifest,” we may definitely conclude that those are of the Great Company who “Rebel against the sayings of God, or spurn the counsel of the Most High.” This is the only way we have of knowing those who “received not the love (the motivating conduct) of the Truth”; but such a conclusion would not be proper for any slight departure, or even some gross departure, from the Truth or God’s arrangements, unless – after the offense is clearly directed to their attention, they then persist therein. This would mean their conduct is not a safe guide for reaching such a conclusion, because we cannot know what degree of Adamic depravity afflicts the individual. It is “God that looketh on the heart.” There are some who believe that Brother Russell was the last saint; thus, by the death of a man they relegate by one broad judgment all others out of the Little Flock. Such a decision is in itself a rebelling, revolutionizing, “against the sayings of God,” because there is no Scriptural support for such a thought

There was a time, up to about 1910 or 1912, that Brother Russell was firmly convinced that the entire Christ Company would leave the earth by the Fall of 1914. Some one, for reasons not known to us, once asked him if 1914 came and went, and he was still on earth, would he then conclude that he, too, was of the Great Company. To this he answered an emphatic, No! The Epiphany Messenger was also firmly convinced that he would remain with us until 1956, and that his death would mark the last of the Little Flock on earth. But, had some one asked him – as they did Brother Russell – if 1956 would come and go, and he would yet be living on earth, would he then conclude that he was of the Great Company, we may be certain he also would have given an emphatic, No!

But to those who have actually fallen from the Little Flock, and have been delivered to the ‘fit man’ for buffeting experiences in the wilderness of adversity, verse 12 tells us “He brought down their heart with labor” until “they made outcry to Yahveh in their peril”; after which “He brought them out of darkness (erroneous and sinful ways) and death‑shade, and their fetters He tare off.” This means identically the same thing – although stated in slightly different fashion – as Rev. 7:14: “These are those coming out of the great affliction, and they washed their robes, and whitened them in the blood of the Lamb.” “That Lamb which is in the midst of the throne will tend them (after bringing down their heart with labor), and will lead them to fountains of waters (clear unadulterated Truth) of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17, Dia.) “The bars of iron (enslaving erroneous practices) He hewed asunder.” (Psa. 107:16)

THE JEWS

Vs. 17‑22 – “The perverse by reason of their transgression, and on account of their iniquities are afflicted.” The “transgression” for which the Jews have been afflicted is their treatment of the Messiah, when “He came to His own, but His own received Him not.” The “iniquities” are their many violations of the Mosaic Law, which they repeatedly did against one another and against the prophets that Yahveh sent them. “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears... Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His spirit by the former prophets: Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts.” (Zech. 7:11, 12)

For 1845 years the Jews had enjoyed the special blessings from Yahveh. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” The land of Canaan, which the Lord had given them, was a goodly land, with an excellent climate – a place in which it was easy to live. Their abuses of their blessings reached a climax when they rejected the Lord of Glory; and He pronounced upon them the penalty: “Your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matt. 23:38,39) That day their religious house was left to them desolate; then began the fulfillment of the prophecy, “Even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.” (Zech. 9:12) The word ‘double’ is from the Hebrew ‘mishneh,’ which means repetition, that is, they would receive a repetition of disfavor for the same length of time they had received the favor – namely, 1845 years. And so completely was this carried out that, after the razing of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD, the entire Jewish religious ritual of the Aaronic priesthood was so completely demolished – desolated – that the Tribe of Levi was lost in the dispersion. This prevents them from now having a high priest; and any attempt to carry on as did Aaron and his successors is now simply an exercise in futility – an empty performance.

“All manner of food their soul abhorreth, and so they draw near unto the gates of death.” (V. 18) The scourgings they have received during their “double” in this Gospel Age have indeed been horrible – enough to take away their appetites, and bring them to the brink of the grave. During their stay in Palestine they had been very much an agricultural people; but that was no longer practical for them, because they were often forced to flee to another city or country, and they could not take their farms with them. Consequently, they were forced into becoming businessmen, and to keep their assets as liquid as possible – to be carried with them if they were forced to leave on short notice. On numerous occasions, during their dispersion, they employed all the ingenuity at their disposal to regain the land of their fathers. They attempted to buy it; they attempted to regain it by force; they used all the tricks of diplomacy; but to no avail. The sentence of ‘desolation’ against them by Jesus was not lightly spoken; they were to learn by the bitter dregs of experience that “the word that goeth forth out of My mouth shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.” (Ice. 55:11)

The sentence of desolation was pronounced upon them in the year 33 A. D.; and, if they were to have 1845 years of disfavor – a double of their time of favor – it would bring us to the year 1878, at which time the Berlin Congress of Nations decreed for them certain rights in Palestine, which were the opening wedge in their efforts to regain their homeland. Since that time they have been in what the Bible terms “Jacob’s trouble.” “That day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it... and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.” (Jer. 30:7,8)

The trouble is to have two phases, the first part a rather mild experience. “I will send for many fishers, and they shall fish them” – offer enticing bait to bring them back to Palestine; then “will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them… they are not hid from My face, neither is their iniquity (the violations of the Mosaic Law) hid from Mine eyes. First will I recompense their iniquity and their sin double.” (Jer. 16:16‑18) There was good evidence of rapacious hunters in Germany during the last great war; and those atrocities tended to sharpen the desire of Jews everywhere to once more have a land of their own – which was eventually realized in 1948.

Although they are now established as a nation, they are yet to experience the second phase of “Jacob’s Trouble,” the same being contained in the prophecy of Zech. 14:1‑3: “The day of Yahveh... I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall Yahveh go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” Then will be fulfilled the words of Psa. 107:19: “Then make they outcry to Yahveh in their peril, and out of their distresses He saved them. He sendeth His word (the truth about their Scriptural past, present and future), and healeth them, and delivereth them from their graves.” After that, “they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced” – they will then “give thanks to Yahveh for His lovingkindness” – they will “sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and recount His works with a shout.” (v. 22)

THE WORLD

The world of mankind during and at the end of the great tribulation – vs. 23‑32: “Men who go down to the sea in ships, doing business through mighty waters.” All know that the Capitalistic system has been the dominating economic force during this “present evil world” – doing business through mighty waters. But, “Yahveh speaketh, and there ariseth a tempestuous wind (the world war in 1914 “The wind” of Rev. 7:1), which lifteth on high its rolling waves; They mount the heavens; They descend the roaring deeps (vs. 25‑26), their soul by trouble dissolveth.” On the literal ocean it is wind that produces roaring waves, which roll high, thus making huge deep clefts in between them. This is indeed a vivid illustration of what the symbolic wind (the World War) did in 1914. Although the United States was not involved then, the New York stock market received such a jolt that it was closed for three months after August 1, 1914. That trouble did truly dissolve the souls of the market traders, who had no way to buy or sell on that Exchange.

The World War in 1914 was the greatest calamity in history up to that time; but the “rolling waves” have continued to make “roaring deeps” – each “deep” being lower and more severe than the previous ones. When the market smash came in 1929, it brought on the depression of 1930‑1932; and the “roaring deep” of those years probably caused more distress than did the years 1914‑1918, because it was wider in scope, and brought distress upon more people – although probably not as many deaths as did the war.

Came next the “rolling waves and the roaring deep” of 1939‑1945, which was a much deeper calamity than the 1914‑1918 or the 1930‑1932 distresses. The waves rolled higher, and the clefts were much deeper than any previous episode. One man from England, who had been there during 1914‑1918, and who still had relatives in that country, told us at the outbreak of the conflict in 1939 that he felt like lying down in the gutter and weeping. When the German army overran Belgium in 1940 they defeated an opposing army of two million men – described by writers at that time as the most destructive battle in all history – the roaring waves, caused by the tempestuous wind, rolled higher and deeper than ever before.

Just ahead is the next “rolling waves and the roaring deep” – Armageddon, which will prove even more severe than any of the previous happenings since 1914; and this will shortly be followed by Anarchy, which will be worst of all, ending in Jacob’s Trouble, and the destruction of all existing institutions. As previously written, we witnessed the riot in Detroit in 1967, with the immense destruction it produced; and we made comment then that once Armageddon topples over these present governments, it will not be very long until Anarchy will follow, because it will not be possible to assemble any sort of sound order from that wreckage. Detroit is not yet even substantially recovered from that debacle, although they have had the help of the Government and other communities, which they will not have in Armageddon.

At that time “make they outcry to Yahveh in their peril, and out of their distresses He bringeth them forth.” For, “He calmeth the storm to a whisper, and silent are their rolling waves” – after the great tribulation has accomplished to the full the dissolution of present elements. Then, “Let them extol Yahveh in the convocation of the people, and in the seated company of elders let them praise Him.” (v. 32) The word ‘elders’ in this text is from the Hebrew ‘zaqen,’ which is the same word that is translated ‘old men’ in Joel 2:28. Thus, the “company of elders” here means the Ancient Worthies who will be sending forth the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem – after the tribulation be passed. (See Isa. 2:3) The World will then have learned through excruciating experience what they could not learn by instruction.

MILLENNIAL CONDITIONS AND PEOPLE

Vs. 33‑38 – When the benign Kingdom reign is established “Yahveh turneth rivers into a desert, and springs of water into thirsty ground” – “the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose” (Isa. 35:1) This section of Psalm 107 is in exact keeping with the 35th Chapter of Isaiah, a beautiful companion text for this Psalm. “Thus hath Yahveh blessed the people, and they have multiplied greatly (as one generation after another returns from the tomb the total population will amount to something like thirty to fifty billion – “multiplied greatly” by present standards)” – and their labors will be greatly blessed – “Their cattle He maketh not a few.

THE LITTLE SEASON

Vs. 39‑42 – “Yahveh poureth contempt upon nobles, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste” – typed by Pharaoh and his armies engulfed in the pathless waste of the Red Sea – the “goats” of the parable in Matt. 25:31‑46. “But Yahveh hath set the needy on high from affliction, and made families like a flock.” (v. 41) Here the “sheep” of the parable are described; they will be “set on high from affliction” typed by the Jews passing through the Red Sea on dry land, and eventually to the opposite shore in full safety. “The upright (sheep) seeth and is glad” (v. 42) – typed so markedly in Ex. 15:20, 21: “Miriam, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to Yahveh, for He hath triumphed gloriously; and the horse and his rider (the ‘nobles’ of v. 40) hath He thrown into the sear” – into the Second Death at the full end of the Little Season. The world of mankind will be under the “resurrection by judgment” – krisis, or trial time – (John 5:28, 29) all during the Mediatorial reign; but the real and final test that will make clear separation between the sheep and the goats will not occur until the Little Season has come to a complete end. All Restitutionists will enter the Little Season with perfect minds and bodies, but all will not have perfect heart condition – perfect characters. Those goats who don’t have perfect hearts will not be able to stand the tests of the Little Season.

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” (1 Cor. 15 24) And this will be the “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21) Not until then the end of the Little Season – can this “restitution of all things” be accomplished.

It is only then that the Restitutionists will be made kings, as was Adam in the Garden of Eden. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psa. 107:31) That Servant expresses it beautifully in Reprint 5636, Feb. 15, 1915:

“God created Father Adam the king of earth. Had he remained loyal to his God, he would have retained not only his life and health and happiness, but also his kingly authority over the beasts, the fish and the fowl – ruling them with telepathic powers. The breaking of the covenant with God by Adam not only brought death and separation from God, but impaired his ruling powers as respects the lower creatures. The redemption accomplished by the death of Jesus is eventually to reach every member of Adam’s race, and not merely will be applicable to their restoration to human perfection of mind and body, but will include a restoration of kingly powers.

“Surely the Divine program for humanity is beautiful, simple, and sublimely grand! As the Bible declares, it will be ‘the desire of all nations.’ Those whose eyes and ears of understanding are open to appreciate this message of the Bible have much advantage in every way over the average man at the present time. ‘Who is wise? then let him observe these things’ (Psa. 107:43). This knowledge is very assistful to them as they come to realize that the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon them is with a view to preparing them to be the royal priesthood of the future and, with Jesus, to bring to mankind the blessings of Jehovah, lost by sin, redeemed at Calvary.”

“The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of Yahveh.”

----------------------------------------------------------

LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Epiphany Bible Students Ass ‘n

Mount Dora, Florida 32757

I have just finished reading your two articles – No. 1, Where Are The Dead, and No. 2, What Is The Soul? I found both to be some of the most interesting material I have ever read – and I should like to study more of your work.

Would you please send me your articles – The Resurrection of The Dead; No. 5, Two Distinct Salvations; No. 8, The Permission of Evil, and No. 10 God’s Standard. May I also inquire of your religion? Or, are your students a mixture of different denominations?

Thank you for sending me your first two pamphlets. It has shed some light on some subjects I have often wondered about. Sincerely yours ------- (TENNESSEE)

……………………………………

Epiphany Bible Students Ass’n

Please send the following: Where Are The Dead? “Two Distinct Salvations” – “God’s Great Sabbath Day.”

Thank you, and may God bless your work! Thanks again!

Sincerely yours ------- (NORTH CAROLINA)

………….................................................

Dear Brother Hoefle: Christian greetings!

Enclosed is a small contribution for the papers and for a continuation of my subscription.

Yours in the love of the Truth, ------- (VIRGINIA)

NO. 205: IN THY NAME PERFORMED MANY WONDERS

No. 205

“Not every one who says to me, Master, Master, will enter into the kingdom of the Heavens; but he who performs the will of that Father of mine. Many will say to Me in that day, have we not taught in thy name?: and in Thy name expelled demons? and in Thy name performed many wonders? And then I will plainly, declare to them, I never approved of you.” (Matt. 7:21‑23,Dia.) Inasmuch as the Lord says “many” would be guilty of these defects, it would seem we should have little difficulty in locating them; but it has been well stated that all systems of error have some truth, some good in them; otherwise, they would fool no one. Some of the worst systems of error require their adherents to live exemplary lives in some respects – no tobacco, no alcohol, some even forbidding condiments, such as salt, pepper, and the like. Outwardly, many such would be considered as “examples of the believers” by the multitude not skilled in discerning spiritual things; and St. Paul stresses this point in Rom. 2:28, 29, Dia.: “Not that which is external (outwardly) makes the Jew, nor that which is external in the flesh circumcision (the mere physical performance of circumcision counts for nothing); but the Jew is hidden within, even circumcision of the heart – spiritual, not literal; whose praise comes not from men, but from God.” Clearly enough, “Man looketh on the outward appearance,” but this avails nothing. “The Lord Looketh on the heart”; thus, to his own Lord each man will stand or fall.

Inasmuch as “many” will be clamoring for recognition in “that day when I make up My Jewels,” we may logically conclude that there would be varying degrees of guilt in those who receive the answer, “I never approved of you.” Therefore, we shall consider here only those who have been more prominent in misleading “the unstable and the unlearned”; and these are clearly set forth in the type of Balaam, whose record is to be found in Numbers 22, 23, and 24. He is mentioned three times in the New Testament 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, and Rev. 2:14; and the Berean Comments on these verses say he is a type of those who teach error for profit. The Apostle Peter says such are guilty of “alluring unstable souls...having forsaken the right path, they wandered; having followed the way of Balaam... they loved the reward of unrighteousness.” In Revelation they are mentioned for the first time in connection with the Pergamos Church – the third epoch of the Gospel‑Age Church – where it says of them, “Thou hast there those holding the teaching of Balaam... and in like manner those holding the teachings of the Nicolaitines” (power “graspers in the Church).

It is well to emphasize here that the Pergamos period of the Church was the one in which the Roman Catholic and the Greek Catholic Churches began to rise to influence and to grasp for power, influence and wealth in the earth. It had its beginning about 313 AD, when Constantine gave his approval to the Bishop of Rome as the outstanding authority in the Christian Church. When he assembled the Council of Nice in 325 AD to establish the doctrine of the Trinity, almost the entire assembly of Bishops from all parts of the realm gave sanction to the teaching – the only exceptions being Arius (then about 75 years old) and two other bishops. These three were banished from the Roman Empire. The comment on the Pergamos Church is “where Satan’s seat is... where Satan Dwelleth.” This is indeed fitting description of the Roman Hierarchy, which during that era began “to hold the teaching of Balaam.”

However, it is not our wish to offer profuse detail on Dark‑Age happenings, or of early American history. Rather, we shall concentrate upon present‑day conditions, since the members of antitypical Balaam are so much in evidence on radio and television and in the printing press. Occasionally we give ear to some of them, because their very errors and tactics give much food for thought. Solomon was well alerted to such in his day; and he offers sound description of them in Prov. 6:12, 13 (Rotherham): “An Abandoned man, a man of iniquity is he who Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers.” Here is a terse description of an actor; and, when we see any one resorting to the antics of an actor in the Church, we may be certain he is a phoney – a member of antitypical Balaam. The true teachers in the Church all during the Age have never found it expedient to resort to the actor’s technique. St. Paul offers sound counsel: “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.” (Col. 4:6) In view of the numerous warnings of Jesus to “be not as the actors,” we may be certain He resorted to none of it in His sermons. On the contrary, “All bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” (Luke 4:22)

When That Servant died in 1916 there shortly arose numerous divisions among those who had been his enthusiastic followers; and the evidence is clear enough that many of them followed “the teaching of Balaam,” so we now offer some interesting facts about some of them.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

In less than a year after That Servant’s demise J. F. Rutherford had firmly established himself in power as President of the organization. Then the adherents were known as the International Bible Students Ass’n; the name Jehovah’s Witnesses was not adopted until about 1931. But the Judge began immediately to modernize operations; he would put some ‘zip’ into the organization. This had its first real pronounced impetus at the Cedar Point Convention at Sandusky, Ohio, in September 1919 – a few months after JFR and his seven associates had been released from Atlanta penitentiary, which had been their home for about a year due to their unwarranted criticism of the United States’ efforts in the Great War. At that Convention he stressed the importance of service – let each Class appoint a Service Director, and prepare for the big drive. He then persuaded certain salesmen in the group to go from city to city to instruct the brethren in high‑class sales methods; service was emphasized above all else. Even the development of good character was relegated to limbo. “You do not develop a character; you are a character,” said he. Thus, the exalted standards of the High Calling, which had prevailed under That Servant, were soon sullied and passe. Tobacco, alcohol and other vices quickly became acceptable – although it should be stated, in fairness, that after his death in 1942, reforms were instituted by the Present Management.

Although That Servant had advocated service as a necessary way of the Christian life, his was a gracious persuasion, and not high‑pressured commercial technique. At his death there was estimated to be about 40,000 readers of the semi‑monthly Watch Tower, making for publication of about 75,000 of the magazines each month. The present average monthly publication of the paper is 15,600,000 – a lusty 2,000 per cent increase as a result of the ‘improved’ methods instituted by The Judge. By present‑day commercial standards that would be rated an outstanding success. At five cents each, that means a monthly return of $780,000 – or $9,360,000 per year. Thus, it is easily discerned that the operation may be reckoned as ‘big business.’ Now, the principal cost of the magazine is the paper and ink – no advertising, no sales expense, no taxes of any kind – so a little calculation will readily reveal a handsome profit, what with the labor production cost being a very minimum – no unions, no strikes for ‘higher wages,’ no competition. Perhaps we should exercise charity and not unequivocally quote the text, “Thou hast there those holding the teaching of Balaam” (type of those that teach error for profit); but, whether or not we correctly evaluate the ‘profit’ motive, we do unequivocally attest to the error they have produced, and the autocratic methods which have prevailed in their undertaking since 1916. While it was true that That Servant had absolute control over every feature of the work while he was there – the whole thing belonged to him – yet he used, but never abused that power. But to guard against another individual gaining the same supremacy, he stated in his will that seven brethren should form the editorial committee of the Watch Tower; but that mandate was short‑lived – the Judge quickly saw to that. He would tolerate no restraint from any one; he would be master of all he surveyed. But in America such high‑handed dictatorship is not lightly taken; and just recently there has come to us an article published in February 1972, about one result of such management:

“THE LEGAL CASE AGAINST THE WATCH TOWER EXPOSED BY A FORMER ‘INSIDER”‘

“Briefly stated, ……. was Legal Counsel for the Watchtower organization at the Brooklyn headquarters from 1935 to 1939. On July 21, 1939 he submitted a letter of resignation in protest against a number of internal organizational matters, chiefly discrimination and ill treatment of headquarters personnel. But the resignation was actually transformed into a summary discharge on a 12‑hour notice.

“Because of the material published in the Watchtower magazines of October 15 and November 15, 1939, ……. brought suit to recover $100,000 damages. A jury, on May 27, 1943, awarded $30,000, which was reduced to $15,000 and costs, on appeal. The Watchtower paid up. (This last statement is made because there have been subsequent distortions by some members of that organization.)

“The events surrounding the trial and the testimony brought out during it provide a wealth of information as to what the so‑called ‘Theocracy’ of the Watchtower is, in fact. For one thing it is guilty of the same sins it so zealously accuses other religious organizations of committing and omitting. Although it appropriates to itself the terms ‘Theocracy’ and ‘God’s organization,’ it is an organization of mere men with capacities for evil and good. ‘Judge’ Rutherford was every bit a Hitler or a Catholic Pope, two of his pet symbols of evil. He could have said ‘The Theocracy’ as easily as Louis XIV.

“The testimony at the trial revealed that the headquarters staff had to be ever mindful of the possible consequences of chance remarks or off‑the‑cuff opinions. Who was friend and who was foe was an important factor in personal relationships at ‘Bethel,’ the name given the dormitory at 124 Columbia Heights, and the factory at 117 Adams Street, both in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was also abundantly clear in the testimony in ...... vs. Franz that a very real ‘thought control’ extended to the membership as a whole, and that means world‑wide. .…… had encountered the facts of that control when he attempted to re‑establish his life and business in his home state of Wisconsin after leaving Bethel, July of 1939. It confirmed his resolve to bring suit, and the jury, hearing and seeing the indoctrinated witnesses at the trial, also concluded there was a certain concerted plan to blacken the name of .......

“The trial lasted about three weeks and the printed record of it runs to almost 2,000 pages in three volumes.

“Many readers are aware of the changes in the Watchtower after its founder, ‘Pastor’ Charles T. Russell died and ‘Judge’ Joseph F. Rutherford became the boss. The trial testimony admits enough facts to indicate that all was not exactly ‘Godlike’ or ‘Theocratic,’ or even democratic, in the methods Rutherford used to secure his position. We learn that Rutherford first became affiliated and active with the Watchtower movement about 1909. By 1915 Rutherford, having been a member of the Board of Directors, withdrew from active service and the Society loaned him $1,000 to go out and set up a business in Los Angeles. (Although not clear in the trial testimony, several individuals have told me that Russell paid the money to get Rutherford away from headquarters because he was a dangerous man.) As soon as Russell died in October of 1916 Rutherford took a lively interest in Watchtower affairs, became a candidate for the presidency and was elected in 1917.

“Although Pastor Russell in his will had ordered that the Board of Directors should control the organization, and not one man, Rutherford immediately violated this by preparing and having a bylaw enacted which gave him complete authority in organization affairs. It was the first bylaw change ever made and it created considerable turmoil. There was a demand for an investigation and an attempt to rescind it. Rutherford was successful in ejecting all dissenting directors from Bethel and solidifying his position in the organization. The new bylaws and Charter of the Society ensured lifetime tenure for Rutherford and the “faithful” directors and became in effect a self‑perpetuating body.

“The plaintiff was aware of some dissension at Bethel in 1917, but cast his lot with the dominant group. His religious inclinations made him quite susceptible to the subtle thought control coming from Bethel in Brooklyn, until in 1935 he joyously accepted the call to serve ‘God’s Organization’ in his chosen profession as a lawyer. Disillusionment started soon after his residence at Bethel, but he was not one to act in haste. The opening salvo of battle was fired in October of 1940 with the service of a summons upon Rutherford and the Society. Rutherford died in January 8, 1942; and I believe ….... was disappointed at the loss of an opportunity for a confrontation with the pseudo‑messiah.

“Rutherford was a pseudo judge also. The testimony of the trial explains that although never elected or appointed to office as a Judge, he was advertised as such, because some time before 1917, while in a court at Booneville, Mo., the lawyers present elected him as a temporary judge for a period of but four days.

“Subsequent to the successful end of ….... personal Armageddon, additional evidence continued to come in about the evil and vindictive use of the power Rutherford enjoyed as the head of a body of devoted, but deluded martyrs (witnesses) of the ‘Theocracy.’ Not all were deluded, however. The top echelons of the organization were (and probably are today) aware of the absence of divinity and the presence of base humanity in the Watchtower theocracy.”

The general gist of much of the foregoing was quite familiar to us before the paper came to us. We learned from personal experience with Rutherford in the early twenties just what manner of person he was; and that persuaded us then to sever all relations with him and the Watchtower organization – for which we breathe a prayer of thanks at every remembrance of our good fortune. However, as stated aforegoing, we are content to treat lightly the financial complex of the Watchtower’s activities, and apply ourselves to some of their errors of teaching. The complexion of many of their teachings has changed with the rapidity of a chameleon changing color. It has been stressed by some of their top officials that “we do not believe this year what we believed last year; and we probably won’t believe next year what we are believing this year.” Thus, it seems unbelievable that educated men in America could be hoodwinked by such ‘sleight of hand’; and we are strongly reminded of the Scripture, “Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.” (Gen. 49:4) Eventually, the axiom must prevail, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Without attempting exhaustive analysis of their devious system of error, we shall confine this presentation to a perusal of their attitude past and present, toward

THE JEWS: – Going back to 1910, Pastor Russell was then in absolute control of the Watch Tower as owner, editor and publisher. Having a very clear understanding of Jewish hopes and prospects as they are revealed in the Old Testament, he arranged for a special meeting in the Hippodrome Theatre in New York City to explain his understanding of those prophecies; and the theatre was filled with Jews, many of them of high rank in American Society. So well were they persuaded that for many years after 1910 many Jews fondly referred to him as their Pastor.

However, after four years of devastating war from 1914 to 1918, the Gentile nations were so weakened that disaster was apparent on all hands. Whether the somber outlook was the motivating force, we cannot now know, but Great Britain asked for the Mandatory over Palestine, which was granted by the League of Nations on July 24, 1922, the same being known as The Balfour Declaration. But a slight detail should be mentioned here that is not in many of the records. Lord Curzon was then the British representative to the League, and he was very much against the Jews rebuilding Palestine. Thus, the outlook was dark indeed that the resolution before the League would receive favorable action. However, just before the matter was to appear for discussion Lord Curzon became ill, and England then appointed Lord Balfour to take his place. He was fully in favor of confirmation; and his appointment caused many Jews enthusiastically to declare, “It is a miracle from God.”

But the real miracle there was the Mandate itself, which came as a free gift to the Jews with little or no help from the Jews themselves. To those familiar with the history of Zionism this was indeed a miracle. After the dispersion in 70 AD by the Romans, the Jews tried every device known to man to regain their beloved homeland. They tried to buy it from the Turks; they tried to take it by force of arms; they tried to secure it through diplomatic channels – all of which met a blank wall at every effort. The “due time” had not yet come for them to rebuild the country; but, when the “due time” did arrive, God then gave it to them as a gift, which left no cause whatever for them to boast about what they had done, because they had not done anything. The United States, Great Britain, and other Gentile Governments combined to do for them what inspired prophecy had said would be done when the “due time’ arrived.

There is another incident worthy of record here: In 1917 British General Allenby had charge of the army that was besieging Jerusalem; and he was well informed that his strength was amply sufficient to capture the city. But, knowing the reverent regard for the City by Christian and Jew alike, he did not want his cannons to devastate the many places there that held such appealing historical background. Therefore, he assembled his entire air strength, and ordered them to fly over the City in the hope the Turks would be intimidated to surrender. Which is exactly what they did – without a battle – and the City was saved. It is our opinion that the prophecy in Isa. 31:4, 5 was that day fulfilled, which we now quote from the Rotherham translation: “Yaveh of hosts will come down to make war over Mount Zion, and over the hill thereof. As little mother birds hovering so will Yaveh of hosts throw a covering over Jerusalem, – Covering so will He rescue, Passing over so will He deliver.” Certainly, it requires no stretch of our imagination to conclude that this prophecy, “as birds flying,” was fulfilled that day in 1917.

“COMFORT FOR THE JEWS” – When J. F. Rutherford seized control of the Watchtower in 1917, the tree was still green; and many of the superior interpretations of Scripture that had emanated from the mind of Pastor Russell were still zealously accepted by “The Judge” and those that supported him. This was true of the Jewish question, too; and this prompted him in 1925 to publish “Comfort For The Jews,” a book of 127 pages designed especially to accomplish the “comfort” that the caption indicates. In the Foreword there are these lines: “This volume will be of profound interest to Jews and Gentiles alike. It is the first unbiased presentation of the subject from the Scriptural viewpoint published.”

The following brief, but disconnected quotations from that book will leave no doubt in the minds of our readers that the “Judge” then cherished warm friendship for the Jewish people and their place in prophecy. Here is the opening statement:

“Are the Jews the rightful owners and justly entitled to the full and uninterrupted possession of the land of Palestine? Will the Jews be restored to the possession of the land of Palestine, build there their permanent home and establish a government which shall beneficially affect other peoples of the earth? (p.5)... The question then arises, Who is a Jew? (p. 6) A Jew is one who is the natural descendant of Jacob (Israel) and who has faith in the words uttered by Jacob concerning Judah. Such a one will have faith in all the promises which God has made to the Israelites through His prophets, who were holy men of old. (p. 8)

“That class of natural descendants of Jacob who have such faith in God and in His word, really are Jews; and they will receive comfort by now giving a careful consideration to the prophecies of God’s word (p.9)... It will be found that the Scriptures definitely teach that salvation is of the Jews because it is from the tribe of Judah that Shiloh the Messiah comes, He who shall be the Savior and Deliverer of mankind – the Jews first and thereafter the Gentiles. (p. 11) The rebuilding of Palestine is now beginning (in 1925) and is well under way. This is being done clearly in fulfillment of prophecy uttered as promises from Jehovah. (p. 12) Of all the peoples of the world the Jews have the greatest reason for faith in Jehovah God and His Word. No other people were ever favored as were the Jews. (pp. 12, 13)

“When Abraham was 175 years old he died. God had promised him the land and had bound the promise with His oath; but Abraham never possessed a foot of it as his own. Does that mean that God’s promises are not true? It does not. God’s promises are sure; therefore, we must understand that it is the purpose of the Lord at some future time to raise Abraham out of death and give to him, and to his offspring who have the faith of Abraham, all the land that He promised him. That time is at hand. Hence every Jew should take comfort therefrom. (p. 18) Let every Jew take courage now and know that the promises that the Lord God made to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob and to the Israelites through the prophets are absolutely certain of fulfillment. (p. 19)

“God established with Israel the true religion; namely, that they should worship Jehovah as the only true God. (p. 37) Why did the nation of Israel fall? The answer is, because of their unfaithfulness to Jehovah God. (p. 44) But Is Israel cast off forever? The answer is, No indeed. Mark the statement made by the Lord to Ezekiel at the time of pronouncing the final decree against them. It is – ‘I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.” (Ezek. 21:27) The mere fact that the Lord said He would overturn it until a set time, is conclusive proof that it is God’s purpose to restore Israel to His favor. (p. 45)

“That God has made the promise to Abraham that He would give to him, and to his seed after him, the land of Palestine for an everlasting inheritance, is of itself sufficient proof that at some time Israel would be regathered there and have possession of the land forever. (p. 53)... The men who are really doing the work of rebuilding Palestine are called ‘chaluzim,’ which means pioneers. Many of these are men of splendid education and training, but they are devoted to the arduous labor of rebuilding their homeland. (p. 62)... This is the time therefore (in 1925) when a message of comfort must come to the Jew. Every one who loves Jehovah should take pleasure in passing the good tidings on to those who are Jews and who desire to know and to do God’s holy will. (p. 69)... The blessing carries with it all the favors of health, peace, prosperity and happiness. Every feature of the divine law therefore becomes important to the Jew first, and afterwards to all those who shall receive the blessings through the divinely provided seed. (p. 80)

“During the past few years the strenuous efforts put forth by the Jews have resulted in enlisting many men and gathering considerable money and accomplishing some results in the rebuilding of their homeland. But they realize there is something lacking. Mr. Leon Simon, writing concerning the significance of Palestine for the Jews, says: “Palestine has not been restored to the Jews. The Jews are not a corporate body of the kind to which a country could be given. (p. 93) (But this is now an accomplished fact in 1972 – JJH)

“Has God spent all these years in an effort merely to establish Israel in Palestine to give her a home? No; that is not the sole purpose. God’s purpose is to regather Israel into that land that she may become a mighty nation, even greater than in the past, and that through her the peoples may be brought back into harmony with God and all the families of the earth receive a blessing through Abraham’s seed as promised. And to this end God has promised to make a new covenant with the Jews (p. 96,97)... God has gathered many of the people of Israel into the land of Palestine. As they begin to grow in wisdom by learning the Lord’s Word, God will draw near unto them and make with them a new covenant as He has promised (p. 98)... What could be God’s purpose in making a new covenant with Israel? In order that Israel might know what is required of her before she can receive the promised blessings, and that by keeping this covenant she may be blessed (p. 99)...

“God promised the land to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob. They are all dead. They have not had any part in the land. How can these promises be made good to them? If they remain forever dead the promises cannot be made good to them. God has promised, however, to open the graves and bring them up out of the graves, even as it is written, ‘Thus saith the Lord God, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.’ – Ezek. 37:13 (p. 101)... Now in the latter days, at the close of the Gentile Times, God’s favor is returning to Israel and the light begins to shine as the great antitypical Jubilee opens. (p. 106)... It is quite apparent that the first and chief purpose of the Law was to foreshadow better things to come and that by this schoolmaster God would teach the Jews concerning this blessing, that they might be used by Him in due time to give blessings to others. (p. 108)

“In view of the fact that we are approaching the time when the new covenant is to be made, it behooves every Jew to look well to the teaching of God’s Word that he may see what provision God has made. (p. 110)... Now the positive promise through the Prophet Hosea is that God will redeem man from death, the grave, and destroy death (p. 111)... The race must be blessed with an opportunity for life, because God by His word and by His oath promised Abraham that such should be (p. 112)... The time has come for Israel’s blindness to be removed and for her to see what wonderful provisions God has made for the salvation of the Jews and for the establishment of them again in their homeland… (p. 123)

“It must be apparent to every Jew who has followed the argument herein set forth, which has been based exclusively upon the Holy Scriptures, that God intends Israel, the Jews, to have the land of Palestine; that He promised that land to Abraham and to his seed after him, and that He purposes to keep that promise; that for many centuries God has by various experiences been teaching the Jews, and through them other peoples, that He is Jehovah God... that all who prove their love for God and loyalty and faithfulness to Him shall receive His blessings. (p. 125)

“The Jews now, in fulfillment of prophecy, are being regathered to Palestine (p. 125)… The day has come when Israel shall know as never before that Jehovah is her God. ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.’ (Psa. 33:12) The day of Jubilee is come; the good news must be given to the people of Israel and then to all the peoples of the earth. The long dark period of Israel’s warfare is ended. The favor of God is being extended to her… (pp. 126‑27) Some one who loves the Lord must speak the message of comfort to the Jews. The time has come for the prophecy to have its fulfillment... Let the good tidings be told, to wit:

‘Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain: O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.” – Isa. 40:1, 9” (Page 127)

SUMMATION – The foregoing gives a clear resume of the teachings concerning the Jews that prevailed with the Watchtower group in 1925 – which was 47 years ago. Many of their present‑day zealots were not yet born then, so they are in complete ignorance of the reversal that has taken place. Of their extensive membership today less than 10,000 were affiliated with them in 1925. Therefore, the large majority who now preach annihilation for the Jews in Armageddon may be quite honest in their belief, which does not make it right, of course. In the foregoing pages we have offered a very brief synopsis of the 1925 book, almost all of which is a paraphrase of Pastor Russell’s conclusions concerning the past, present and future status of that race as it appears in the Great Eternal Purpose of God. We were in full accord with all of it in 1925 – and we still are in full accord with it; and all the Watchtower adherents were then also in full accord with it. At least, we ourselves do not know of one dissenting voice among them at that time. Now the Witnesses have completely reversed themselves, and are not only not “speaking comfortably to Jerusalem,” but they are speaking very “dis” comforting tidings, as they resign them to extinction in Armageddon. Of course, they are doing this with every one now who does not accept them; but they emphasize it as regards the Jews. Just what has caused them to reverse themselves, we may not know; but they are now following the pattern pursued by their large Gospel‑Age counterpart, the Roman Catholic Church, which over the centuries past also carried out a pronounced antagonism toward the Jews – instigated perhaps by their failure to convert the Jews to their system of error. This may be at the bottom of the Witnesses’ present attitude also; but we offer this only as a possibility.

“Comfort For The Jews” ends with Isa. 40:1, 9, as given above, and the frontispiece has a picture of Jerusalem underneath which is this Scripture from Psa. 122:6: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem – they shall prosper that love thee.” In between these two Scriptures is to be found the general contents of the book; and on p. 69 is to be found what we quoted aforegoing, which we now repeat for the benefit of our readers: “Every one who loves Jehovah should take pleasure in passing the good tidings on to those who are Jews and who desire to know and to do God’s holy will.” Therefore, comparing their 1925 teaching with what they now offer in 1972, it should be very clear that their “love of Jehovah” has experienced a direct reversal; and people who can be wrong on such a major tenet of Christian teaching may be equally wrong on many other lesser points. Thus, any teaching they present should be viewed with a critical eye. In fact, we are strongly reminded of Isa. 14:16 (in application only): “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?” “IN THY NAME PERFORMED MANY WONDERS.”

The LAYMEN’S HOME MISSIONARY MOVEMENT is another group that is following in the path of the Watchtower as respects the Jews – although they do not eliminate the Jews altogether, as do the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have made special effort to “comfort the Jews,” but out of the other side of their mouths they teach that their Campers Consecrated are to be special recipients of the “comfort” instead of the Jews – setting aside the teaching of That Servant and of the Apostle Paul, that the Jews will have the preeminence in the Mediatorial reign. They tell their Campers Consecrated that they are the chief class of Restitutionists now, and will also be the chief class at the inception of the Kingdom – as helpers to the visible ruling powers (the Worthies). The Witnesses contend the same for their Great Multitude. We hope, D.v. to give more details on this subject in a future writing; but for now, these two groups – the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement – are the only groups emanating from the organization left at the death of Pastor Russell – so far as we know – who have sullied his teaching on the “Jewish Hopes and Prospects” with vagarious teachings of their own invention. Thus, neither of these groups is now offering the Scriptural “comfort to the Jews.” Many sects in Christendom are now proffering some of this Scriptural “comfort” – much to the shame of these two groups, who have grossly revolutionized against the light they once had and taught – and have gone into “outer darkness” (error) thereon. (Matt. 25:30 – See Berean Comment)

Once more we would stress the counsel of St. Paul in 2 Tim. 3:13, 14, Diaglott: – “Evil men and impostors will make progress for the worse, deceiving and being deceived. But do thou continue in the things which thou didst learn (from tried and proven teachers such as That Servant), and wast convinced of, knowing by whom thou hast been instructed.

“For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein. (Psa. 69:35‑36)