“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:19-20)
After His resurrection, Jesus went into Galilee to meet the disciples, as He had promised them He would. (Matt. 26:32) There He gave them this command, commonly referred to as the “Great Commission.” Motivated by this order, many Christians have zealously proceeded to the remote parts of the earth, declaring the name of Jesus, while others have engaged in great efforts to raise millions of dollars to finance those who would “save” the poor heathen hordes. It must be admitted that so far their efforts have been far from successful. Even in countries that claim to be Christian, the practice of the “Golden Rule” is conspicuous only by the failure of the large majority to make even a token attempt to observe it. After more than nineteen hundred years of this effort, this dismal failure does indeed call for some reflection.
Let us first consider the Emphatic Diaglott interlinear translation of Jesus’ words: “Going forth disciple you all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit; teaching them to observe all, whatever I have charged you. And lo, I with you am all the days, till the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20, Diaglott) From this more exact translation, it is clear that the Great Commission was not an order to convert the whole world – it was merely intended to win disciples from the various nations for the purpose of “immersing them into the name” – that is, into the heart and mind, the disposition of the Father and of the Son.
This conclusion is clearly corroborated by the account of the twelve men who told the Apostle Paul that their baptism had brought them substantially nothing. (Acts 19:1-7) They had been given the baptism of John, and evidently had not been instructed regarding the real baptism which the immersion in water symbolized. “When they heard this, they were baptized in [into] the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:5) Their previous immersion had failed to “disciple” them; it was only after they had been immersed “into” the name (disposition) of the Lord Jesus, as symbolized by the water immersion, that Paul laid his hands upon them and the gifts of the spirit came to them. All during the Gospel Age, much immersing has been done, and is still being done, without bringing the recipients “into” the name – into the disposition of the Lord Jesus. Unless the real baptism is understood and undergone by the participants, the ritual is merely an exercise in futility – an immersion of water and words only, with the participants in no better condition than they were before the ceremony.
“THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM”
The Kingdom was an important feature of the Lord’s ministry as many scriptures show: “And Jesus went about . . . preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” (Matt. 4:23; Matt. 9:35; Mark 1:14, etc.) Even after His resurrection, He spoke to the disciples “of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3-4) This prompted them to ask, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) Jesus gave them a reply in harmony with the Great Commission: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
On the evening of the Last Supper, Jesus had told them, “I go to prepare a place for you. . . . I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” (John 14:2-3) Not yet having received the Holy Spirit, the Apostles received these statements as natural men would, and they were persuaded that His “coming again” would be in a very short time. This opinion was later aided by their experience at the Sea of Tiberias, when the Lord manifested Himself to them after His resurrection. (John 21:1-23) On that occasion, Jesus had asked Peter three times if he loved Him – probably a discreet prodding for the three times that Peter had denied Him on the night of the betrayal. Then Jesus intimated that Peter’s death would be a violent one, imposed upon him by other hands.
Peter then pointed to the Apostle John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”) and asked, “Lord and what shall this man do?” (John 21:21) This would be better translated, “Lord, and what of this man?” If Peter was to die in gruesome fashion, what was to happen to the Lord’s particular favorite? Jesus replied, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die.” (John 21:22-23) Although Jesus did not say that John would not die, the tale persisted so much that certain followers in Corinth thought the Kingdom had already been established, and that they were already reigning. (1 Cor. 4:8)
Upon the death of John, we can well appreciate the disappointment of those who strongly believed this legend. The remaining disciples died with still no evidence of a second coming. The situation was identical with the one confronting the Jews when Moses delayed coming down from Mount Sinai: “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” (Exod. 32:1)
This situation with Israel was duplicated after Jesus had been away from this earth for several hundred years, and there was still no evidence of His return. He had promised to establish the Kingdom upon His return, and it became very easy for those disappointed Christians to convince themselves that perhaps He had meant that they should establish the Kingdom themselves, since there was nothing to indicate that the Lord would be doing it Himself. The Kingdom reign was to be a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-4), and the members of the Christian Church gradually concluded that they should engage upon the thousand-year task of making the earth ready for His return. This had its first impetus when Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nice in 325 A.D., resulting in the establishment of the Trinity as accepted doctrine.
THE COUNTERFEIT REIGN
In due time the Pope of Rome claimed for himself universal sovereignty over the Church. By 799, Charlemagne of France had virtually ceded his authority to the Pope, thus beginning the “Holy Roman Empire,” the counterfeit of the Millennial thousand-year reign. During the next thousand years, the determination of the Church to convert and rule the world was supported by the armies of the various countries, and by all the ingenious tortures that the human intellect could devise. It was indeed a full counterfeit of that glorious reign which the Lord Himself had promised would “wipe away all tears.” (Rev. 21:1-4)
Of the true reign it is written, “For there shall be no night [error] there.” (Rev. 21:25) The reverse of that was true, however, under the terrible papal reign. Instead of wiping away all tears, that regime multiplied the tears, the sorrow, and the death, and that reign is now recorded in history as the Dark Ages, because the “night” of sin, death, and error was so intense that not even a good clear record of it is to be found in the history books. The Church today would much rather not be reminded of the facts of that time. The colossal fraud of the whole arrangement was finally toppled by Napoleon when he took the Pope captive to France, where he died in 1799, a full thousand years after the fraudulent reign was set up.
Thus the whole world was furnished clear evidence that the papal claim of supremacy in church and civil court was nothing more than a vicious myth. It is little wonder that Martin Luther and other noble reformers arose as “protesters.” Great effort is being made today to forget the past crimes, with the Church saying in effect, “Let us all get along and join in a grand brotherhood of man, with the Fatherhood of God.” The real reign of Christ is evidently yet future.
THE REAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH TO WITNESS
Because it misunderstood the Great Commission, the nominal church vigorously attempted to convert the world when our Lord delayed His return. By now it should be apparent to the ordinary believer that it has not been God’s purpose to convert the world in the current age. Either that, or we are forced to the miserable admission that He has been too weak to do it, a thought certainly contradicted by the record in Genesis: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . . . And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.” (Gen. 1:3, 16) Here is a clear record of unlimited power so awesome that man will be forced to bow the knee before it when the command goes forth.
It is clear that God has not been “trying” to do something for nearly two thousand years that was just too much for Him! He assures us that all His purposes will be accomplished: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11) It should also be equally clear that man has been trying to do something that is much beyond his capacity. As our Lord said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches . . . without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
During “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4) there have been three dispensations, or ages – the Patriarchal Age, the Jewish Age and the Gospel Age. All of these ages have been “faith” ages, with the Gospel Age being by far the most important. At the very outset of this age, Jesus “abolished death” and “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Tim. 1:10) That is, the opportunity for eternal life was made clear for the first time by the “good news” of the Kingdom. For the promulgation of this “good news,” St. Paul said of himself: “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” (2 Tim. 1:11)
In sympathy with this St. James said, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” (Acts. 15:14) The privilege of being a people to bear the name of Christ was first offered to the Jews; their rejection of the offer brought forth the statement from Paul: “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46)
St. James then quoted from the Prophet Amos: “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” (Acts 15:16-17; Amos 9:11-12) When the “fullness of the Gentiles be come in,” the Lord’s Kingdom will be established in power and great glory, forcing every knee to bow. (Rom. 11:25; Phil. 2:9-11)
During these three ages certain called-out ones have preached righteousness, which has restrained somewhat the tendency toward depravity so prevalent all about us. This has been more apparent in the Gospel Age, as Jesus said it would be. “And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John 16:8) Through those having the Holy Spirit, the evils of this present dispensation have been pointed out; the correct conduct against these evils has been taught; and the future time of judgment when the Kingdom is established has been explained. But up to now, all of this has simply been a “witness” of things to come – a mere token of the glorious actuality.
A SECOND COUNTERFEIT REIGN
It is a sound observation that history often repeats itself; and this is as true in religious history as it is in secular history. Here in the end of the age, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have attempted, on a smaller but hardly less determined scale, to establish themselves as rulers for a thousand years. They would have us believe the Kingdom has been established under them; and while they have not perpetrated the same violence as did the Roman Church, nevertheless, they are telling us that their select group will take gleeful note of the blood bath that they now predict for the Armageddon that lies just ahead. Their prediction is that their faithful “dedicated” devotees are to survive that carnage, and live on into the Kingdom of peace that will follow – never any more to experience death.
Note that this prediction has been broadcast for quite a few years now, and time itself is shaking the confidence of many of them, as they note the death of many of the faithful – touching them in like manner as it does the world in general. Up to now, at least, the angel of death has shown very little respect of persons, as the processions to the cemetery proceed as in times past. Time itself has forced them to “reform” from their one-time positive promises, showing their kinship to the Roman system, which has always been ready to change any of its teachings where policy deemed it expedient. It should be noted too that since 1914 (the date claimed by the Witnesses for commencement of their kingdom), evils of all sorts have been greatly on the increase – a far cry indeed from that true Kingdom “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Pet. 3:13)
Our Lord said of the saints, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) That is, it is His pleasure to give them the reign over the earth. At present, the Witnesses have millions of “dedicated” partisans – hardly a “little flock” by any standard. Note also how similar the Witnesses’ present claim is to the old Roman claim: They claim there is no salvation outside of their organization, but rather damnation (annihilation in Armageddon) to all who refuse them. This is just a slight variation to the old Roman claim of eternal torment for all heretics, even as they sold salvation in the form of indulgences to any and all who had the price and would bow the knee to them. We do not wish to be facetious in this comparison, but it is plain to any who would recognize it. The Roman Church gave the edict – Heaven for the faithful; Hell for the heretics. The Witnesses now give the edict – the Kingdom for the faithful; eternal annihilation in Armageddon for the heretics.
The old Roman ordinance was, “Reading is doubt; doubt is heresy; and heresy is Hell.” Likewise, those now rigidly imbued with the Witnesses’ kingdom doctrine want no part of any literature that might enlighten them. If reports that come to us are true, they are forbidden to ask any oppositional questions in their study meetings of the Watch Tower. Clearly enough, this is a second counterfeit reign!
GOD’S WORD EXPOSES BOTH COUNTERFEITS
Before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman Army in 70 A.D., many Christians were imbued with the thought of the Lord’s imminent return to establish the Kingdom for which He had taught them to pray, making it necessary for the Apostle Paul to protest vigorously their false expectations. He entreated them to not be agitated or deceived, telling them what must happen first: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away [apostasy] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thess. 2:3-4)
St. Paul had written to the Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16) Thus, “sitteth in the temple of God” is simply another way of saying that the apostates would be so much in the majority that they would submerge the true Christians; and, until they had seen that accomplished, they could be sure the Lord had not returned, or the Kingdom set up.
Then, to emphasize, the Apostle continued, “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [presence].” (2 Thess. 2:5-8) While it may be contended that the destruction predicted is now in process, it is certainly not yet an accomplished fact. Therefore, there definitely cannot be any visible Kingdom yet, because the Apostle is emphatic that the apostasy must be destroyed before the Kingdom is inaugurated.
Another point may be considered here: The Bible clearly teaches that all men do not have the quality of faith, and they cannot display or exercise something they do not have. (2 Thess. 3:2) As a result, mankind is presently divided into a faith class and a non-faith (or unbelief) class, and among both of these classes there are many variations. The Apostles, who were born with faith in their very blood stream, asked the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5) And it is also written, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6) Yet, the Roman Church for hundreds of years, and the Witnesses now in our times, would tell us there is no Kingdom hope for this unbelief class – i.e., for those now living. They do not even believe there is hope for those of the faith class that cannot agree with and become “dedicated” to their interpretation of the Scripture.
In another striking similarity, the Roman Church stoutly claims to adhere to the teachings of Saint Peter, claiming him to be their founder and the first “pope.” The Witnesses claim Pastor Russell, That Servant, to be their founder and claim to adhere to his teachings. Without detailing all the vagaries and contradictions to both of these positions, let us consider only the issue of a faith class in this present age. We quote from Saint Peter (claimed to be the first “pope”): “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ [at His Second Advent] . . . Receiving the end [purpose] of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet. 1:7–9)
That Servant was very emphatic in his belief that the non-faith class could not possibly receive a fair trial now because of their inherent limitations, coupled with the failure of many to even to hear the name of Christ: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) As the Apostle Paul said, “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Rom. 11:32) Also, Jesus Himself said, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh [at His Second Advent], shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The clear inference is that true faith would be a very scarce article when our Lord returns, which is a direct refutation of the large memberships to be found in the Roman Church and with the Witnesses. They both boast of their numbers as their strength, even though we know from Scriptural authority, therein actually lies their weakness.
EMPTY PROMISES
It requires little argument that love of life is the strongest desire in most of us. Thus we can find little fault with the Jews at Sinai when Moses gave them the Law, along with the Lord’s promise: “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.” (Lev. 18:5) At this the people answered with one voice, “All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” (Exod. 24:3) Many centuries later, the crafty magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers of Babylon played into this love of life when they told King Nebuchadnezzar what he wanted to hear: “O king, live for ever.” (Dan. 2:4; Dan. 3:9)
When the Roman Church promised immortality (immunity against death) to their faithful adherents, they were telling them something they wanted to hear, which made it easy to believe. When the Witnesses now tell their “dedicated” devotees they will live right on through Armageddon and never die, they are telling them something they want to hear – which makes it easy for them to believe, and understandable that their numbers have increased rapidly, just as they boast. That Servant never advocated such a teaching – nor did he boast of his numbers. The nearest support he ever gave to such a thought was this quote: “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” (Zeph. 2:3)
This is merely a hope for the better elements of the world and not a definite assurance and promise to all the meek. The meaning is better revealed in Rotherham’s translation, which says: “Seek Yahweh – all ye lowly of the land, who have wrought, what he appointed, – seek righteousness, seek humility, peradventure, ye shall be concealed, in the day of the anger of Yahweh?” (Zeph. 2:3, Rotherham) There is nothing at all in this text that would justify surmising the express promise of survival – a promise made by the Witnesses to lure proselytes to their group. Certainly, it is to the advantage of the worldly to “seek meekness,” because only the meek will inherit the earth. (Matt. 5:5)
THE JUDGMENT DAY IS FUTURE
St. Paul declared, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.” (Acts 17:31) It is clear that the “day” was in the future when Paul said this. St. Peter stated: “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Pet. 3:7) He then clarified his statement: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Pet. 3:8) This is further confirmed in Psalms: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.” (Psa. 90:4)
St. Paul further stated: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Cor. 6:2) The Scriptures thus draw a sharp line of demarcation between the “saints” and the “world” – or between the elect and the non-elect. This is further emphasized in Revelation: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God . . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4) The beheaded are the saints, and we are told where their reign is to be: “And [Thou – the Lamb of God] hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10)
St. Paul and St. Peter clearly taught that the world’s judgment was future, and St. Peter clearly taught that it would continue for a thousand years – not just for a few years here in the end of the age, as the Witnesses now proclaim for those now living. Some very prominent evangelists also join in this line of thought, although in a less positive manner, when they say in effect: “Make your decision for Christ now, even if you don’t clearly understand what you are doing; you don’t have to understand the Bible to know God.” Despite the feverish assertions of the Witnesses and others, the Prophet tells us in direct and simple speech that the reverse of all this will be true in the great judgment day: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord that . . . I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts . . . And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:31-34)
Our Lord Himself offered direct contradiction to all such teachings of salvation for the world in the current age: “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world . . . I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me.” (John 17:6-9) Yet, the record is clear that God does love the world and has provided for its salvation: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
Here we are given an irrefutable distinction between the faith class (those who have responded to the call of salvation in this age) and the non-faith class (all others not included in the elective salvation) who will receive their salvation under easier conditions, when their thousand-year judgment day is fully established. This is further confirmed by St. Paul: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel [the good news of the Kingdom] unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8) The Apostle clarified this further: “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” (Gal. 4:28) These “children of promise” are the elect of God who will eventually bless all the families of the earth (all the non-elect) in the great Judgment Day.
All of which finds substance in the words of Jesus: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
(This writing of John J. Hoefle was originally published in June, 1969. It has been condensed and edited.)
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