NO. 158: A REVIEW OF THE JEWISH SITUATION

No.158

Since the death of That Servant one group of Truth people after another have attempted to console the sons of Jacob (the Jews) – and proselyte them. Hardly had J. F. Rutherford become president of the Society, than he published a book on “Comfort For the Jews.” This book contained many vital Truths – Truths the Wit­nesses no longer accept and teach. They no longer offer any ‘comfort’ whatever for the Jews, because they claim for themselves the Scriptural promises that belong to the Ancient Worthies and the Jews. They now offer “Annihilation For the Jews.” Whether blinded by Azazel, or by political expedience (at which JFR was quite adept), he eventually completely revised his position toward Zionism and the Jews. So his successors have accepted the shibboleth of “Annihilation For the Jews.” Of course, this reversal of practice and teaching may have been prompted by their total fail­ure to proselyte any of them, as they now present the unbiblical theory that they themselves are “God’s Chosen People,” something the Jews could not swallow. The Witnesses now boast that Pastor Russell is the founder of their organization – at the same time setting aside all his basic and fundamental teachings, particularly on the Jews and Zionism. That Servant was a friend of the Jews – and a friend of Zionism. All who are acquainted with That Servant’s teaching know that he taught that the Ancient Worthies (See Hebrews 11) would be the earthly representatives of Christ’s Kingdom on earth, with the faithful Jews the first recipients of the bless­ings of their Kingdom administration.

The Dawns tried with the Jews and totally failed in their efforts – just as did JFR. The last effort toward the Jews has come from the Executive Trustee of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement, using the title for his booklet “Jewish Hopes and Prospects.” Of course, with his newly-invented Class of Consecrated Campers, who are to supersede the Jews and all others of the non-elect in rank and favor – something the Jews could not swallow – his efforts have dismally failed also. And why have all these groups failed? Because they have “run ahead of the Lord”! When the Lord authorizes a work for His people, that work cannot fail. It is not yet God’s “due time.” The Epiphany Messenger was emphatic that the Great Company could not have a divinely-pleasing and fruitful ministry until they are cleansed in Armageddon (and Armageddon is yet future) – after which cleansing their efforts toward the Jews and others would be an acceptable offering before the Lord.

A HOUSE LEFT DESOLATE

Just before His crucifixion Jesus lamented over the City, “O Jerusalem, Jeru­salem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chick­ens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold 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. 23:37-39) The “desolation” pronounced by Jesus was not their racial eradication; it was their religious and political destruction. When the Romans took Jerusalem in the year AD. 70, the Jews were scattered to the four winds, their temple was destroyed, their priesthood elimi­nated, with no longer any place left to them that they could call home. St. Paul tells us in Rom. 11:25 that “blindness is happened in part to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles come in” (to complete the Body of Christ). The years past bare immutable testimony to their “blindness in part”; but those same years also offer eloquent proof that their blindness was only in “part,” and not total. Over the centuries the efforts of the militant Gentiles to convert them, or to absorb them, have been complete failure – a mute witness to the critical words spoken con­cerning them that they are a “stubborn and stiffnecked” people. (See Ex. 32:9; Psa. 78:8; 2 Chron. 30:8; Acts 7:51) But, while this expression was hurled at them adversely, their very insubordination has been the means of preserving their racial identity until this day.

IS THE LAW STILL BINDING?

If their “house was left desolate” at the crucifixion, the logical question arises, Are they then still under the Law Covenant as mediated between God and them by Moses? The answer to this is – Partly, Yes; Partly, No. As we have stressed in previous papers, Jesus said not one jot or tittle of the Law was to pass until all had been fulfilled. Therefore, that part of the Law that has been fulfilled is no longer binding upon the Jews; but they are still bound by that part only that is not fulfilled. We should first of all understand what is embraced in the law Covenant. It began when God gave them the Passover In Egypt – when the Angel of Death “passed over” their houses that night, while slaying all the firstborn of the Egyptians. And it concluded with the ministry of Moses, when the Angel of the Lord buried him in “a vale in the land of Moab.” Thus, the Law Covenant includes almost everything written in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteron­omy. This is stressed by St. Paul In Heb. 8:9, which is a partial resume of Jer. 31:34:

“Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”

At the crucifixion God “regarded them not” – cast them off – “Your house is left unto you desolate.” There had been previous castings off as, e.g., when they went seventy years into captivity into Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, and other lesser ones; but the final crushing “casting off” was the one pronounced by Jesus.

God had promised them everlasting life if they would obey His Law – “the man that doeth these things shall live in them” (Lev. 18:5); and the Jews at Sinai had readily agreed to the proposal. “All the words which the lord hath said will we do” (Ex. 24:3). They did not want to die, any more than other human beings want to die; but they learned in due course that what they had thought was ‘unto life’ was really ‘unto death.’ It simply made glaringly apparent their undone condition. But  St. Paul states that that Law which they could not keep “was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith (rather than by the imperfect attempt of works under the law). But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” (Gal. 3:24,25) Thus, clearly enough, those Jews who accepted Christ were no longer under the Law.

But for those who refused Christ during this Age the law has been in gradual process of ending – although it has not yet fully come to an end for them. For in­stance, an institutional type, such as the Day of Atonement, comes to its end when the antitype appears. Therefore, when St. Paul states, “Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us” (those who accepted Christ), we may know that that type is no longer obligatory upon any one.

And we have the law of reason to substantiate this. God never expects any one to do the impossible; and it is now impossible for the Jews properly to perform those ceremonies that require the services of a High Priest, as was Aaron. Why is it now impossible? Because God so “desolated” their house in A. D. 70 that the Tribe of Levi lost its identity; and the High Priest must come from the Tribe of Levi. There is some assumption that the names Cohen, Levi, Levine, etc., are the Levites; but this cannot be substantiated by reasonable proof.

Therefore, the Jews have been without a High Priest since the dispersion began in A. D. 70. Thus, any attempt on their part to keep the Day of Atonement is simply a feeble gesture, although the more devout Jews make solemn effort to observe it yearly; the very religious among them fast in the synagogue that day. Nevertheless, it is an empty ceremony. Without a High Priest to offer up the Bullock and the Goat, the observation becomes devitalized, ineffective. Although the Jews today do not know it, they are no longer to keep that type, which has been fulfilled by the offering of a “better sacrifice” – Jesus; and their present attempts to keep it are totally with­out merit. “Without the shedding of blood is no remission of sins” (Heb. 9:22); thus, there can be no “atonement” on that day without a priest to “shed the blood” of the bullock and the goat – which must be done even in the typical atonement for one year. But St. Paul states that Jesus “taketh away the first (by Himself ful­filling that type through the shedding of His own blood) that He may establish the second” – by providing a “better sacrifice” for all who would receive Him. (Heb. 10:9) “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

However, by the same process we may conclude that those features of the Law that have not been fulfilled are still obligatory upon the Jews. For instance, the Ten Commandments (which are actually the heart of the whole Law Covenant) are still binding, since the New Covenant to come through the “better sacrifices” has not yet appeared. When that Covenant appears, saith the Lord, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.... And they shall no more teach every man his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.” (Jer. 31:33-34) However, this part of the Law (the Ten Commandments) being still obligatory upon them, God has been able justly to punish them all during this Age for their iniquities – violations of that Law. That certain features of the Law have gradually passed away as they were fulfilled, St. Paul states in 2 Cor. 3:7, Dia.: “Now, if this dispensation of death, engraved in letters on stones (the Ten Commandments) was attended with Glory, so that the sons of Israel were unable to look steadily into the face of Moses, because of the bright­ness of his countenance – which dispensa­tion is passing.”

IF ANY MAN SUFFER AS A CHRISTIAN

In 1 Pet. 4:16 the Apostle encourages certain believers: “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” We believe this text has a direct bearing on our subject as can be seen from St. Peter’s opening salutation in verse 1: “To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,” etc. The Emphatic Diaglott states it thusly: “To the sojourners of the dispersion.” These are the same people referred to in John 7:35, being certain Jews who had been expelled from Jerusalem for fomenting disregard of the Roman yoke, or who had left because they could not tolerate Rome as their governing body. Some of these had accepted Jesus as their Messiah, although they had only heard of Him through Peter or others, never having actually seen Him.(v. 8: “whom not having seen, ye love”).

Such Jews who had the courage to accept the name “Christian” were the special targets of those Jews who rejected Him. So intense was the animosity at that time that the mere mention of the name Christ would cause the unbelieving Jew to turn around and spit upon the ground. And such unbelievers were ever ready enough to heap verbal and physical abuse upon their supposedly renegade brethren who had accepted Him and His teachings. This fierce antagonism is markedly related respect­ing St. Paul in Acts 9:1,2: “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” It was not enough for Paul that he should aid and abet the murder of Christians in Jerusalem (See Acts 7:58), he would travel to distant Damascus to do what he could there to afflict this hated sect. This illustrates how appropriate were the encouraging words of St. Peter to such Jewish converts: “If any man suffer as a Christian.” His statement has lost much of its import today, because it is usually a mark of respect now in Christendom to declare any man is a good Christian! However, the faithful foot­step followers of Jesus do indeed “suffer as a Christian” in the abuse they receive from their erstwhile brethren – just as did the faithful Jewish Christian suffer in the abuse they received from their erstwhile brethren then.

DOUBLE FOR ALL HER SINS

From the death of Jacob until their “house was left unto them desolate” was a period of 1845 years, during which time the Jews were the special recipients of God’s favor. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities,” so states the Prophet (Amos 3:2). It needs no argument that the Law of Moses – as to diet, morality and justice to one’s neighbor was far ahead of its time; and it certainly brought a great advantage to the Jew. But they failed to take full advantage of their opportunities. Particularly did they become lax, and often vicious, respecting their religious obligations. Already in Jeremiah’s time (just before the capture of Jerusalem and the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon) the “wailing prophet” was upbraiding them for their lacks in this respect: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so.” (Jer. 5:31) And by the time Jesus came this condition was decidedly worse.

Nor did they wish to be reminded of their waywardness. Jeremiah pleaded with them: “Return, thou backsliding Israel” (Jer. 3:12) – but they not only ignored his plea, but eventually stoned him to death. They also stoned Zechariah in the very court of their house of prayer (2 Chron. 24:20, 21); and tradition has it that they sawed Isaiah in twain – all contrary to the law of Moses. Many of the other prophets were shamefully mistreated. Nor could any excuse of ignorance or frailty be offered in return. “What advantage hath the Jew? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Rom. 3:2) Truth and righteousness were ever with them, but they refused to adhere to them. Said Jesus, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22 - See margin)

Thus, in due process of time the day came that Israel “should receive of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isa. 40:2; 61:7; Jer. 16:16-18; Zech. 9:1) The word double in Isa. 40:2 is from the Hebrew word ‘kephal,’ meaning double fold; and the Hebrew word for double in the other texts cited is ‘mishneh,’ which means exact duplication – just as if we should fold a piece of paper at precise center, the top part would be a ‘mishneh’ (exact double) of the bottom part. And, since Israel’s period of favor lasted 1845 years, so should we expect the period of dis­favor to be 1845 years.

Before attempting proof of the chronology, it is well in order to consider some features of the disfavor – all items in history. Once the dispersion was accomplished in AD. 70, no Jew was allowed residence in Jerusalem. This challenge aroused the admirable ingenuity of Jewry to every conceivable tactic to re-enter their beloved and sacred homeland. They tried to take it by force; they tried to secure it through diplomatic maneuver; they even tried to buy it – probably tried about every resource known to men – with every effort total failure, until the “due time.” “I am the Lord, I change not”; and we find positive proof of this in the sentence of the 1845-year double upon Israel. And during all this time they suffered the terrible persecutions recorded in the books of history. During that time the Scrip­ture in Psa. 107:17,18 found copious fulfillment: “Fools because of their trans­gression (the great transgression of crucifying the Lord of Glory), and because of their iniquities (sins against the Law of Moses), are afflicted. Their soul abhor­reth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.”

But if their special favor ended in 33 AD. at the crucifixion of Jesus, their dis-favor should end 1845 years later – namely, in 1878. In that year was held the Berlin Congress of Nations, dominated by Disraeli (otherwise known as Lord Beacons­field), Prime Minister of England – the first Jew in history ever to hold that office. Through threat of force by the then superior naval and armament might of England, he forced the “terrible Turk” to grant citizens’ rights to aliens in Palestine; and this for the first time since A. D. 70 permitted the Jew to return to the land of “milk and honey.” Note now the first verses of Isa. 40: “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 (kephal) for all her sins” – sins committed during the 1845 years of favor.

But, just as the beginning of the time of favor was a gradual one, so we should expect the return of favor after 1878 to be a gradual one; here a little, there a little. Nor were the Jews themselves too ready to rush back to Palestine. There­fore, the prophecy of Jer. 16:16-21 came into prominence: “Behold, I will send for many fishers (with enticing bait) and they shall fish them; and after will I send them many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain (powerful kingdoms where they were dwelling), and from every hill (democratic governments), and out of the holes of the rocks.... I will recompense their iniquity (violations of the Law of Moses) and their sin (in crucifying the Lord of Glory) double (‘mishneh’).... There­fore, behold, I will cause them this once to know, I will cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is the Lord.”

THE SECOND TANGIBLE EVIDENCE

But from 1878 to 1914 the progress in Palestine seemed slow, and almost hope­less; yet during that time the fervent Zionists were strenuously endeavoring to make some progress. Came then the war in 1914, signaling the end of the “Gentile Times.” And with it came an astounding performance. The Triple Entente, with the assistance of the United States, were attacking the central Powers at every strategic location; and it was thus that England sent General Allenby in 1918 with air and land forces to eject the Turks from Palestine. Knowing the sacred memories of Jeru­salem for Christian and Jew alike, the General was loathe to do anything that might destroy this hallowed landmark. So he concluded to group his entire air force in one spot, and send them flying over the City in an effort to dislodge the Turks. The effect was indeed beyond his expectations: The Turks were so intimidated and disheartened by the great odds so clearly against them – and already much wearied with four years of disastrous war – that they deserted the City without a battle. And it would seem that that strategy by General Allenby gave the fulfillment to the prophecy of Isa. 31:5: “As birds flying, so will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusa­lem; defending also He will deliver it; and passing over He will preserve it.”

In A. D. 70, after the capture of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Jewish polity sank deeper and deeper into Limbo, as the Gentile glory rose to dominate the earth. With the advent of liberty and religious freedom in the United States, many Jews from many lands came here; and they have prospered enormously – beyond their fondest dreams – so that many of them have come to the false conclusion that this may be the land which the Lord has preserved for them. But, since 1918, when the Lord returned to them their beloved City – through almost no effort at all on their part, in sharp contrast to their failures of the centuries to secure it by their own ingenuity – the land of Palestine has been constantly on the rise, even as the Gentile Governments have become more and more involved in various complexities. We see now an exact reversal of the procedure after AD. 70, when the Jews as a nation went down, and the Gentiles up; now the Jews are going up and the Gentiles down.

And continuing in this fashion, they eventually established the Nation of Israel in Palestine in 1948. Despite the great progress that has been made in the past twenty years, those years have also produced their share of toil, privation, and quak­ing, as they find themselves surrounded by armies on three sides, and by the sea on the fourth side. Already two distinct wars, and many exhausting skirmishes have tended to mar their prosperity; but it should be noted that the Gentile nations everywhere have had their share of the same.

MONEY TROUBLES, TOO

The concern over war with the Arabs has affected Israel exactly as wars have affected the Gentiles: Their money has deteriorated because of it. In 1948 their pound was worth four American dollars; now it is worth 29 cts. The cost of defense and immigration – coupled with a reluctance on the part of wealthy Jews here in America to pour too much money into their shaky economy – has caused them to spend more than they have earned. Thus, they are feeling the financial pinch, just as many Gentile nations have seen their currencies melt away during the years. They are now spending twenty times as much for arms as they did in 1950.

Other considerations also enter into this. Some Arab countries have found rich oil fields; and, as Solomon has so wisely observed, “Money is a defense” (Ecc. 7:12) and “Money answereth all things” (Ecc. 10:19). Thus, some Gentiles, who once regarded them with contempt, now address them in respectful terms as they see the “black gold” spouting from their oil wells.

The Labor problem also affects Israel. The Histadrut Union, inclined toward Socialism, contains about a million members, who have not yet learned that Capital­ism is the best form of incentive and well-being of the human race in its present fallen state. Undoubtedly, a form of Socialism will prevail when the Lord estab­lishes His Kingdom – when the “Law goeth forth from Mount Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (although the actual Government in Jerusalem will be a benevolent autocracy) – but that time is yet some years future.

“JACOB’S TROUBLE”

In the extreme end of this Age the Scriptures describe what is termed “Jacob’s Trouble” (Jer. 30:7) – the last spasm of woe before the Messianic Kingdom is inaugur­ated under the leadership of the Ancient Worthies. This is graphically predicted in Zech. 14:1-3: “Behold, the day of the lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For 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 the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” The Invaders will probably be the marauding hordes from the nations round about – nations devastated by years of conflict, crop failures and pestilence, who will view with a jealous grasping eye the excellent results of Jewish effort. The “unwalled villages” (Eze. 38:11) will seem an easy prey for them, as they fail to reckon with the hand of the Lord in Pal­estine’s restoration. But, just as success seems within easy grasp for the invaders, the Prophet states the “Lord shall fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle” – as He fought for Moses, for Joshua, for Gideon, for David, etc.

This future prospect we can but view through a glass darkly; thus it would probably be folly to attempt to offer details now. However, to our readers the question may properly arise: What, then, should be our attitude toward Jewry at this time? Our answer would be that we should attempt to follow out the counsel of the Lord that He recorded for us some three thousand years ago: “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem ... that her iniquity is pardoned.” (Isa. 40:2) Even though it may not yet be the “due time” for them to “look upon Him whom they pierced, and to mourn because of it” (Zech. 12:10), yet we may minister to them “a cup of cold water,” to strengthen them in their present difficulties. As Brother Russell properly observed, all who take this attitude will not lose their reward.

We recognize there is still trouble ahead for them – “even Jacob’s trouble” ­but that will accomplish God’s purposes in all of them who are of “the faith of Abraham.” And it would seem that this class is the controlling body there now, as they have only one Jewish sect in Jerusalem at this time – the orthodox, those who in faith look for “the consolation of Israel.” The various modernist divisions of Jews among the nations are not controlling the religious policies there. But what­ever of “comfort” we may extend to them, we should yet bear in mind that this is not our chief work at this time; it is merely a helping hand – “doing good unto all men as ye have opportunity.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, now take the opposite view.

DOES GOD FAVOR ZIONISM?

In the June 1, 1968 Watch Tower, the Witnesses say “Zionism must fail because Jehovah is having nothing to do with it.... Zionism is a part of this old world or system of things and therefore is doomed along with it.” All who have been in­structed in Harvest Truth know that That Servant favored Zionism; and J. F. Ruther­ford, too, at the outset of his administration was high in his praise of Zionism. In the August 15, 1918 Watch Tower (Reprints 6315-6316) he offers strong commenda­tion for Zionism, with the statement, “Our readers will perhaps recall that the thought above expressed is the same that Pastor Russell set forth in his sermon on Zionism, delivered in the Hippodrome on Oct. 9, 1910.” And in the May 15, 1919 Watch Tower (Reprint 6433), he said that Zionism is a further evidence of the ‘set­ting up of the Kingdom.’ One thing we can say for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are indeed consistent in their inconsistencies! We believe the following from That Servant is most apropos here:

“If, therefore, we love and obey the Lord and desire to grow in His favor, his written Word is our daily meditation and study; and thus we grow in knowledge: not, however, by finding out each year that what we learned last year was false (the Witnesses repeatedly renounce their previous views, in direct contradiction to the instruction of their proclaimed founder – although it would be refreshing if they renounced their present system of error and replace with the Truth; but they re­nounce their previous errors to replace with their “new light” – newly-invented errors to fit their present needs—JJH), but by adding to what we learned last year, by putting on more and more of the armor of God until we realize its glorious com­pleteness in the full discernment of the Divine Plan of the Ages.”

According to their June paper, some of their “dedicated” devotees in Egypt were given vicious treatment because of their supposed encouragement of Zionism. This the Witnesses now describe as “slanderous untruths.” Well, it depends entirely upon which of their literature we read – that which they are distributing now, or what J. F. Rutherford was publishing in 1918-1925. We certainly whole­heartedly deplore the abuse they are receiving now in Egypt; but it would seem a logical question to inquire if they now hold J. F. Rutherford responsible for their present unhappy situation in Egypt. And are they now “suffering as a Christian” (See page 3 of this paper) – even as they repudiate their sound Biblical teachings of 1918 – or would they now be suffering as evildoers – a chastening from the Lord for repudiating the Truth they once cherished?

Does God favor Zionism? That Servant taught with Scriptural support that He does, and we continue to believe and teach this Truth. Zionism certainly supports the Jews returning to Palestine, and we heartily accept the thought that all who favor that which God has ordained will not fall to receive God’s approval.

“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.... Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord; and like a hammering that breaketh the rock in pieces?..... Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord that steal my words every one from his neighbor..... I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies.... Yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.” (See Jeremiah 23:28-32)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother: Your No. 156 at hand. Very interesting – very timely work of clarifying Present Truth so much needed at present.

Brother ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace!

I have received the May and June papers and they were wonderful! The J.W. Issue is a masterpiece. Will you print it in tract form like Where Are the Dead? They would be wonderful to hand out – especially to the Jehovah’s Witnesses who come to our door. I have an opportunity to witness once in awhile.

I was glad to see that you made Bro. Jolly back down on Tentative Justifica­tion operating all during the Millennium. No doubt his own followers made him do so – and he is trying to run for cover by blaming every one else except himself. Anyway, Bro. Jolly shows his folly in the Present Truth (magazine)......

Well, I must close for this time. Hoping this finds all well there. We are about as usual here. Let me hear from you soon, as I need your fellowship.

With much Christian love, Brother ------- (MICHIGAN)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in the name of our precious Savior and Lord!

I am writing to thank you for your noble defense of the Truth as given to us through His chosen servant – our dear Brother Russell. “Holding on to the things which we have learned, knowing of whom we have learned them.” (2 Tim. 3:14) I am so thankful the Lord pulled us away from the Jehovah’s Witness movement at its very beginning!

May God continue to bless you as you endeavor to strengthen and encourage all who are standing, defending and holding on to this precious Harvest Truth, which is unchangeable. (Mal. 3:6)..... O glorious Hope and Prospect! May God keep us and help us to be faithful and worthy, that we may press on in “full assurance of faith.” (Reprint 5424).

Yours by His marvelous Grace, Sr. ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

NO. 157: EPIPHANEIA - APOKALYPSIS

No. 157

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

Not infrequently the question still comes to us: Is there an Apokalypsis as a special period of time here in the end of the Age? Those of our readers who are in­formed in Epiphany Truth are fully convinced that the Bible does clearly define an Epiphaneia as a special period of time in the end of this Age, which we hope to clarify later in this paper. This Epiphaneia could also be designated the Apoka­lypsis, because both words as an act and as a period of time are synonymous; but the Scriptures that definitely reveal this period contain the word Epiphaneia in the original. Thus, we are more meticulously adhering to Bible designation when we use the word Epiphaneia, rather than Apokalypsis, when we discuss this period.

However, before proceeding to further analysis of our subject, we would stress that there are no clear Scriptures at all that outline an Apokalypsis as a special period of time following the Epiphaneia – just none at all! As stated, we could label this last special period of the Gospel Age as the Epiphaneia as the second­ary appellation. However, whichever designation we accept, the two are concurrent, inseparably linked together; they are decidedly not two different periods of time.

As an act, and as a period of time, Epiphaneia and Apokalypsis do have the same application – although they are not synonymous in the strict sense of the word. Many translators give Epiphaneia as ‘bright shining,’ ‘forthshining,’ ‘uncovering,’ etc.; whereas, they offer ‘revelation’ as the meaning of Apokalypsis. Viewed criti­cally, it is impossible to have one without the other, which explains why they are synonymous as an act and as a period of time. Thus, it requires the bright shining to produce the revelation. The Book of Revelation, for instance (the last book of the New Testament), has been with us since the Apostle John wrote it; but it cannot possibly be understood – revealed, uncovered – until the bright shining (Epiphaneia) makes it clear. While Martin Luther saw the explanation for some parts of Revela­tion, other parts of it he could not possibly understand because the ‘bright shining’ had not arrived to reveal it – in the “due time.” Just one instance: The 1260 days (1260 literal years) of the Beast (Rev. 13:5) could not possibly be clear to him be­cause those years did not end until 1799 (and prophecy cannot be understood in detail until it has been fulfilled, or is in process of fulfillment) – when the Pope’s power was broken by Napoleon – about 250 years after Luther’s death.

Thus, it will be seen that the ‘bright shining’ and the ‘revelation’ have con­tinued in limited measure throughout the Gospel Age; and there is also an Epiphaneia ­or Apokalypsis – designated as a special period of time here in the end of the Age; but it cannot truthfully be stated that there is a special Apokalypsis period apart from the Epiphaneia – or the Epiphany, as we call it. For instance, 2 Tim. 4:1 says, “The Lord Jesus shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing (Epiphaneia) and kingdom (Basileia).” There is no mention of His judging in the Apokalypsis, as a period apart from the Epiphaneia. And all Bible Students will surely admit that we are yet in the ‘judging’ period of the elect and of the world – the world in the sense of the “judgments of the nations” (not individuals). Regardless of how little time that judging would consume, it must be evident that it is  nevertheless a special period of time. And, again, “That wicked one whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness (Epiphaneia) of His com­ing (Parousia)”—2 Thes. 2:8. Here is a statement concerning the time and method of Antichrist’s destruction – also clearly setting forth a period of time for the Epi­phany here in the end of the Age – the time in which we are now living. There are no such Scriptures anywhere to designate an Apokalypsis apart from the Epiphaneia as a period of time; but, granted that there were, we must self-evidently still be in the Epiphaneia because Antichrist is still with us. Thus, the Epiphaneia must continue until that destruction occurs; and, since it is one of the special features of the Time of Trouble, it should also be apparent that the Epiphaneia and the Time of Trouble are identical; the one cannot end until the other ends. But nowhere in the Bible are these things declared regarding an Apokalypsis apart from the Epiphaneia as a period of time.

In corroboration of the foregoing, we offer the following from E-4:15 (bottom) and top of page 16: “The words epiphaneia and apokalypsis, in the sense of an action, and in the sense of a period, are synonymous.... There has been a gradual epiphanizing, revealing, ever since 1874 to the Church; but, so far as the world and the Great Com­pany are concerned, this has gradually been going on since the tribulation began in 1914; and will increase and finally come to a climax at the end of the Epiphany – the end of the Time of Trouble. This is the reason why the Time of Trouble is EMPHATICALLY the Epiphany, the Apokalypsis, for it clearly with more distinctness than the preceding period manifests pertinent persons, principles and things.”

And this “manifesting” is certainly true of those “pertinent persons” who once accepted the above teaching, but have now departed from it – whether in whole or in part – because that is the Truth today the same as it was the Truth when it was writ­ten thirty years ago. The Epiphany Messenger had sound foundation for his teaching of the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble as an identical period of time. It was given him and us by the Parousia Messenger – That Servant. But the would-be teachers of today have no sound foundation for their “New Views” from either Messenger – no hint of another period from either Messenger, and no hint of an ‘extended’ Basileia over­lapping to include three major features of the Epiphany, or the Time of Trouble.

EPIPHANEIA-APOKALYPSIS IDENTICAL

The word epiphaneia occurs six times in the New Testament – translated five times as appearing, and once as brightness, the latter occurring in 2 Thes. 2:8. The other five texts are 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 1:10; 4:1 4:8 and Titus 2:13. Aside from 2 Tim. 1:10 (which refers to the First Advent), all other five occurrences refer to the Second Advent and the Time of Trouble. In the sense of the second period of our Lord’s Second Advent it is limited to the time between the Parousia and the Basileia. It is used to designate the period of the great tribulation, the Time of Trouble. Remembering that the epiphaneia and the apokalypsis are one and the same time and that this period is for the benefit of the world and the Great Company, we can readily see that the Scriptures teach that the Epiphany, as a period, is the Time of Trouble. (See E-4, page 21, par. 14) All who are familiar at all with the true situation will readily recognize that both the “cousins” are now ONE in repudiating (and revolution­izing against) salient and indispensable parts of the foregoing, the one claiming we are now In the Apokalypsis, apart from the Epiphaneia,  as  a  special  period  of  time, with the other (the Executive Trustee of the LHMM) claiming we are now overlapping in the Basileia (with the three more violent features of the Epiphany (the Time of Trouble) still future. We ourselves, however, still accept and defend in full the teachings of That Servant, as cited, and approved in full and elaborated by the Epiphany Mes­senger. If it was the Scriptural Truth when they taught it, it is still the Scrip­tural Truth today.

Another Scripture relative to our subject is 2 Thes. 1:7,8: “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed (apokalypsed, uncovered by the epiphaneia, bright shining) from Heaven with His mighty angels (the agents whereby He will wreck the present order – the main agent being the “sea,” the lawless elements of society) in flaming fire (fire in the Bible generally designates destructive forces—See Dan. 7:11), taking vengeance on them that know not God (the Second Deathers in the Nominal Church), and (on them) that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Second Deathers in the Truth Movements).” That this is still future, but a part of the Epiphaneia period is further revealed by 2 Pet. 3:7, Dia.: “The present Heavens and the Earth (the present social order), by the same word, are treasured up, being kept for fire to a day of judgment and destruction of impious (second-death) men.” All such are to be eliminated in the approaching, but still future, holocaust of destruction ­the “flaming fire” of this Epiphania.

Further corroboration of the same is to be found in Zech. 12:9,10, wherein is described the Lord’s epiphanizing of Himself to Israel: “It shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (in the end of the second phase of Jacob’s Trouble—Zech. 12:1-8; Ezek. 38 and 39) and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced (Rev. 1:7); and they shall mourn for it” (for having pierced Him at Calvary). All Truth people recognize at once that this passage refers to the end of Jacob’s trouble, and that it proves our Lord’s revelation of Himself to Israel as their long rejected Messiah. Hence these two verses prove that the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany are identical. By the above passages we have proved that the Epiphany began with the War and will progress through Revolution, and will end with Anarchy and Jacob’s trouble. Its beginning, progressing and ending with the Time of Trouble demonstrates its identity with the Time of Trouble.

TIMELY QUOTATIONS FROM THAT SERVANT

Note now the following from That Servant on the Epiphaneia under the sub-heading of PAROUSIA FIRST – EPIPHANEIA AND APOKALUPSIS FOLLOW: “In its light we can now see that our Master will be present for a time, in the Harvest time of this Age – invisibly present doing a work in His Church, before any outward sign or revealing to the world takes place. His work in His Church will be the separating of the true from the merely nominal – the ‘wheat’ from the ‘tares.’ His revealing will be in the ‘flaming fire’ the great Time of Trouble with which this Age will close, and in which the ‘tares’ shall cease to be ‘tares’.... Another parable also shows that before revealing Himself in any manner to the world, He calls first His own servants and reckons with them. (Luke 19: 15:27) .... Nor can any but the few hear and appreciate the evidenced, or understand the Master’s words that as the world knew not in the days of Noah, even thus shall it be in the presence of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:37) – they shall know not, and the ordinary avocations of daily life shall continue, –until disturbed by the commotion and trouble of the EPIPHANEIA, the APOKALUPSIS of the King in the pouring out of the seven last plagues – when the judgments of the Lord shall be abroad in the earth and the inhabi­tants of the world shall learn righteousness....” (Feb. 15, 1902, Reprints 2956-2957)

Haven’t the ‘commotions of this Epiphany period disturbed the ordinary avocations of daily life’? Certainly it is self-evident that the world since 1914 – the begin­ning of the Epiphaneia, the Time of Trouble – now is most cognizant of a great change. Often do we hear the remark that we are in a “Time of Trouble” since 1914, even by those who have no concrete knowledge of present truth. But those who have departed from the Truth on the Epiphaneia and the Apokalupsis, the Time of Trouble as given us by That Servant, manifest that they are no longer faithful to the Truth that once sanc­tified them. That Servant clearly and distinctly differentiates between the reaping feature (the Parousia) and the Time of Trouble (the Epiphaneia). Thus, in casting aside these Scriptural teachings, they teach error mixed with Truth – such as teach­ing the High Calling still open (after the trouble has ‘disturbed the world in gen­eral) – or inventing non-existent classes – replacing the Truth with their Errors.

And here is something else from That Servant’s pen: “The fact also that so many have been thus accepted since 1878 seems to imply that there has been a considerable vacancy in the list of the elect, and that it is gradually filling up. It is not for us to say how much of a vacancy remains, or just when it will be filled. We fully be­lieve, however, that it will be filled before the close of the ‘Times of the Gentiles’ which we think will end with October, 1914.”

Yet, despite the signs of the time, and the evidence all about us that we are in the Great Tribulation, the Epiphaneia, the Time of Trouble, since 1914, we have breth­ren today teaching that the High Calling is still open. If we are to accept that teaching (the High Calling still available for newcomers), then just about all the former Very Elect lost their crowns to make room for the ‘large crowd’ that have since 1914 been immersed in the various groups, who still in 1968 teach such to their candi­dates.

WANDERING FROM THE TRUTH

In James 5:19, Dia., the Apostle speaks of some who “wander from the Truth”; and his language is probably motivated by the various wanderings from the Truth of fleshly Israel in their journey from Egypt to Canaan. The first wandering from the Truth ­the one most dominant in determining their destiny – was the Truth brought by the two spies, Joshua and Caleb, when they returned from ‘spying out the land of Canaan” (See Num. 13 and 14). Instead of accepting the Truth from these two, they chose rather to hearken to the false and discouraging report of the ten spies.  And that rejection of the Truth resulted in their wandering in the wilderness for forty years – a year for each day of the spying activity. (Num. 13:25; 14:34) And let us keep in mind that during that forty years of wilderness wandering every male of twenty years old and up­ward (Num. 14:29; 1:45; 26:64), who had left Egypt, died – all except two – Joshua and Caleb. Only those two passed over Jordan into Canaan – a very ‘little flock’ indeed when compared with the ‘great company’ who died in the wilderness.

In addition to the rejection of that first and all-important truth, the Jews made further secondary wanderings from the Truth, five of these being clearly defined by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 10:6-10. And the Apostle states in verse 11 that those wanderings from the truth “happened unto them for ensamples” – “types,” see margin. With this direct statement before us that those things were “types,” it is only logical and proper that we should make search for their antitypes.

It would seem the first of these occurred in the Jewish Harvest – when the Lord, the Apostles, the Seventy and others made diligent and truthful search of the Gospel Age Canaan land, the same being a type of the sphere of the Truth and the spirit of the Truth. But there in that first antitype again it was only a very ‘little flock’ who accepted the Truth. In doing “among them the works which none other man did” ­miracles never before seen in Israel – our Lord had influenced only about 500 (1 Cor. 15:6) to full belief – a very ‘little flock’ when compared to the thousands of unbe­lievers in Israel who rejected Him. There the ‘great company’ of Jews listened to the evil report of the Scribes and Pharisees – (just as it is today), with the result­ant “wandering Jew” (almost the entire race) during the 1845-year “double” of the Gos­pel Age.

Concurrently with the Jewish wandering, there was also a Christian wandering ­likewise prompted by “wandering from the Truth.” The Lord had told them He would come again to establish His Kingdom; His followers should await His return. Instead, they, too, became weary of waiting, believed the false report that they should estab­lish the Kingdom. The result was Great Babylon, the ‘great company’ falling in the Gospel Age wilderness “wandering,” with only the faithful “little flock” entering goodly Canaan land (the Truth and the spirit of the Truth).

PRESENT-DAY WANDERINGS

Came the Parousia in 1874, and with it a more intensive spying of the land (the sphere of the Truth and the spirit of the Truth) than probably ever before; at least more so than at any time since the Jewish Harvest. And by the end of those forty years we believe it requires little argument that once more it was the “little flock” that abode by the Truth, with the ‘great company’ listening to false spying reports. When That Servant died, spiritual bedlam followed immediately; and, regardless of how we view any particular group, it should be apparent to all that much confusion prevails. And, self-evidently, that confusion has brought with it intensified and multiplied sor­rows. Compared in retrospect with the Parousia, the symbolic carcasses of the ‘great company’ of Spiritual Israel are in evidence on all hands in this Epiphany “wandering.”

All with any knowledge of Parousia Truth will readily agree that the destruction of “the world that was” was typical of the destruction of this “present evil world.” And we are told that the destructive force of rain continued for forty days and forty nights. The Bible seldom uses words simply for euphony or window dressing, as is true of mundane writers. And, since the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany are identi­cal, we should expect the Epiphany to be still with us (as taught by both Messengers), because the Time of Trouble is also still with us. And we believe it is also evident to all that the 40-year Epiphany day (1914-1954) was not nearly so violent as is the present 40-year Epiphany night (1954-1994 – as described in our No. 108, The Third Watch).

In the past fourteen years there is increased tumult in the home, in the com­munity, and in the nation. The antitypical Assyrians (the violent radicals) have no restraints at all in their atrocities, as evidence the many riots in America, the hor­rible butcheries of helpless women, children and aged in Vietnam, and the impudent and unscrupulous attitude of the Cuban rulers – to say nothing of the stepped-up decay in the world’s finances. Almost the whole civilized world is operating today on worth­less paper; and each year finds this condition pyramided in indescribable bedlam. This is emphasized when we recall that the national debt of the United States was about one billion dollars in 1914 – and then considered dangerously high. This pres­ent fiscal year 1968 will witness a deficit of about 25 billion dollars for this one year alone.

But, while it is proper that we note the decay in the world’s affairs, our main concern is with those who ‘‘wander from the Truth.” Clearly enough, this could refer only to those once “in the Truth,” the same being the various individuals among Truth groups who have fallen prey to false leadership, thus believing the report of the ten false spies. Most prominent among these in recent years are those once claiming to be in the Epiphany Truth, but who have ‘‘wandered’’ from it by casting aside completely this Epiphany period – or “perverting” it by combining it now with the Basileia. And for all of these – except for those who become completely reprobate – we may anticipate the eventual antitype of Num. 14:1: “the people wept that night.” This weeping is mostly still future, of course, but we may rest in the faith of its eventual occurrence.

CHARACTER BLEMISHES NOT SUFFICIENT FOR JUDGMENT

We are cautioned not to condemn our brethren for their conduct insofar as their human frailties are concerned (unless grossly and persistently immoral – having be­come completely demoralized) – since it is only God who can read the heart, and can make the proper allowance and judgment for that. But when any ‘‘wander from the Truth’’ that once sanctified them, we can then know that the Lord knows there is something wrong with their hearts – their characters – otherwise He wouldn’t permit them to ‘‘wander’’ thusly. But with some of the Lord’s people, they do just the reverse of this: If a brother or sister is courteous and refined, and lovable in their human natural characteristics, they are very generous toward them – even when they “wander from the Truth”; while at the same time not having the proper love and regard they should for others who haven’t “wandered from the Truth” – who often have crude manners and many human frailties that are trialsome to others (even though they seek to “contin­ue in His Word” insofar as they are able). These things ought not to be! Certainly many of the misleaders (of the Truth and its Arrangements) have been men of fine deportment – and good secular education  –  otherwise  they  wouldn’t  have  been  able  to establish the errors they have, and lead others astray. But if we are to “abide in His Word,” we are to rate our brethren by their faithfulness, or unfaithfulness, according to the “faith once delivered unto the saints.” Quite a few brethren went along with JFR’s errors, being unable to ‘discern between  Truth and Error,’ until he became offensive in his morals. Then, they, too, forsook him!

That Servant tells us in the Sept. 1, 1916 Watch Tower, Reprint 5249, top, col. 1: “Let us remember, too, that God has promised to guide the minds of those whose hearts are loyal and true to Him. We should therefore conclude that if the Lord is thrust­ing any one out of the light as unworthy of it, into the outer darkness of the world, if He is permitting unfaithful ones to be seduced by the great enemy.... We are to remain with the Lord and those who are walking in the light .... When the Lord has put any out of the light (Matt. 22:13), we cannot hope to bring them back.” And more from his pen: “However, none are ever permitted to be overcome who have not in same way been unfaithful to the Truth and hence unworthy of it. Upon all such God has said He would send the strong delusion, so that they shall believe a lie.”

Let us bear in mind, however, that there are many Youthful Worthies who have never received the Truth about their class – and it could not properly be said that they have “wandered from the truth” – the truth they never possessed. But those Youthful Worthies who have had the beneficent teachings and leadership of the Epi­phany Messenger – who renounce and cast Epiphany truth aside – can truly be said to have “wandered from the Truth.” And the same can be said of the Great Company in Big Babylon: They never had Harvest Truth, although they are held accountable for not receiving it if they had the opportunity. But with those crown-losers who did re­ceive the Truth during the Harvest, they have certainly “wandered from the truth” when they deny that we are in the Epiphaneia – the Time of Trouble – a new dispensa­tion since 1914, as described by That Servant. And those leaders who have thus ‘‘wandered from the Truth” have contaminated the Youthful Worthies under their leader­ship. These Youthful Worthies will have to cleanse themselves of this contamination and errors in their “due time” – but certainly they are less culpable than those Epi­phany-enlightened Youthful Worthies who have “wandered from the Truth” on such a class to be won “from 1881 until Restitution sets in” (See E-4, pp. 337, 342) – and those Youthful Worthies who have cast aside completely the truth on Youthful Worthies.

For emphasis we reiterate the fact that all the males of twenty years and upward who had left Egypt died in the forty-years’ wandering in the wilderness – all except two, Caleb and Joshua. Thus, only those two of all those adult male Israelites who left Egypt, were the only ones who actually inherited goodly Canaan land; and of the Israelites who eventually did come into that good station all – except two – were an entirely new generation. This then now forces us to the conclusion that the great majority of Youthfuls who are now in the “wandering” process will also die from their Class standing in the antitypical wilderness, making a vacancy for a new generation to attain that Class standing and replace those “wandering” Israelites. We further emphasize, however, that those Youthful Worthies who have not received the truth on their class standing cannot be referred to as ‘‘wandering” from that truth which they have not received. When the Epiphany Messenger states there would be Youthful Wor­thies won for the Truth “AFTER ARMAGEDDON” (See E-10:672), he probably foresaw this condition. But even if he did not foresee the present condition, the Lord did.

Even without the type this should be readily apparent to the critical observer from the fact that so many of them now have so little of the Truth, and the spirit of the Truth, that once sanctified them – especially the Truth on Youthful Worthy opportunity. Many have forsaken the Truth that Youthful Worthies can be won “until Restitution sets in,” and are now substituting a ‘consecrated’ (?) class in the Camp to supplant them, in this Epiphany period when the Highway of Holiness is not available – and a ‘way’ (Christ’s merit applied for the world) to enter it; and some have forsaken the Truth altogether on Youthful Worthies, now believing they are of the Little Flock, and that the High Calling is still open – all the while claiming strict adherence to That Servant’s teaching, although openly admitting to repudiating the Epiphany Messenger and Epiphany Truth. That the Parousia Messenger taught such a class, and that the Epiphany Messenger merely elaborated on that class, is indis­putable and very clear to all who have received the Truth “in the love of the Truth.” However, we believe there are many Youthful Worthies in the various groups who haven’t been taught the Truth on their class standing. Some are being won now; and after Armageddon, when the “heavens” will be removed (the present religious ruling powers in both Big and Little Babylon), we believe many will gladly come to a “knowledge of the truth” and will be among those faithful consecrators who will be rewarded in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies.

While the Ancient Worthies are now unchangeably fixed as to class and numbers, we know of nothing in the Scriptures that declares their number fixed before the last one – John the Baptist – was established in their ranks. Eventually their number may be revealed. If so, the same would probably be true of the Youthful Worthies. These Worthies as a Class will fill their own particular niche in the Great Eternal Purpose. Although we have no Scriptural proof for it now, there is even the possibility that each Ancient Worthy may have a Youthful Worthy as a companion helper. If so, this would be in keeping with the Lord sending forth the Seventy by twos; as was with the Star Members during the Age, most of whom had a special helper in the work they did. If we have a large post-Armageddon winning of Youthful Worthies with some of them being won now – we may be sure that they will replace the unfaithful whose carcasses we see falling all around us in the antitypical wilderness, some so sectarian they are blinded to anything except what their leaders tell them to believe. As the Epiphany Messenger truly taught, faithful Youthful Worthies will overcome sec­tarianism and clericalism (See E-5, pp. 224,229). And it is very likely that the majority of the newcomers will prove to be faithful, earnest and zealous in the post-­Armageddon work for the Lord, the Truth and the brethren. When the present religious ruling powers are removed in Armageddon, the honest-hearted will gladly accept the Truth.

Furthermore, Brother Russell and Brother Johnson both were emphatic in their statements that the Epiphany period is the Time of Trouble (and surely there are very few who cannot see that we are in the “Time of Trouble”); and Brother Johnson stressed that its duration would be from 1914 to the end of Jacob’s Trouble – which is the period between the Parousia and the Basileia. If he was wrong on the dura­tion of the Epiphany, or the Time of Trouble (the Epiphany period and the Time of Trouble being identical), and what it will accomplish, it would be foolish to style him the Epiphany Messenger: There would be little remaining logic to apply correctly such a terminology to him. And for those who now cast aside these two very essen­tial points, we can but conclude that they are indeed ‘‘wandering” in the wilderness; and unless they recover, they will eventually become carcasses (dead insofar as their Class standing is concerned) before that wilderness “wandering” comes to an end.

“Now thanks be to that God, who always leads us forth to triumph with the Anointed One, and diffuses by us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. Because we are a sweet odor of Christ to God, among those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing (those who are ‘wandering’ from the Truth)... And for these things who is qualified? For we are not like the many, traffick­ing the Word of God; but really from sincerity, and as from God, in the presence of God, we speak concerning Christ.”—2 Cor. 14-17, Dia.

Sincerely your brother,

John H Hoefle, Pilgrim

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BROTHER GEORGE MARTIN

On Monday evening April 22 this beloved brother finished his course; and it was our privilege to conduct his funeral on April 26, with an attendance of somewhat over 200. It is our opinion that we may repeat for him the words that St. Paul wrote concerning himself: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” If this be true, then he did indeed accumulate for himself a rich inheritance – to be manifested “in due time.”

On the day following we gave the brethren such encouragement as we were able, reminding them of the good example of our departed brother. And we are persuaded by their expressions that all were strengthened, happy and determined to “continue in the faith, as they have been taught” (from the Star Members) – even though our gathering was overcast by the sorrow of the previous days. Indeed, ‘‘we sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.”

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Today I received the two books. Please let me know how much these are so I can pay you....... I have been reading in that Epiphany Vol. 4, and it is quite revealing what Brother Johnson has to say – that is as far as I have read.

Here is a copy of what the Dawn Students wrote me in answer to my inquiry. If the enclosed statements by these Dawn people are true, then our dear Pastor Russell was in error – especially in the Bible Chronology. Frankly, I personally cannot see this at all....... The comment Bible makes mention of the word ‘Restrained’ or sequel to the word ‘Restrict.’ I gather that from this that the Dawn’s fiasco lies in the misinterpretation and not staying with Pastor Russell’s teachings. This is where Satan’s cunning enters the picture.

I will be busy now reading. Hope the information enclosed will help you. May the Lord bless you in every way. Isa. 38:19

I am in His services Brother -------- (NEW YORK)

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Dear Brother Hoefle:  Loving greetings in the name of our dear Redeemer!

This is to report to you that Mother and I observed the Memorial of our Lord’s death the evening of April 10th. During the season we specially prepared our hearts and minds for this most important of all anniversaries by reading Memorial articles from past issues of Towers and Present Truths, as well as the pertinent chapter in the Sixth Volume.

Your good letter assuring us of your interest and prayers contributed to our joy of the season, and we rejoice with you that we of like precious faith were of one mind that evening. We felt fellowship in spirit with you at Mount Dora specially, and to a lesser degree with all the dear brethren celebrating throughout the world.

Of course, it is an added blessing for me to have my mother, whose influence as a saint of God, is beyond measure.

The dear Lord is surely gracious unto us, and I pray that through faith and obedi­ence that we may continue in His way. We are ever grateful for your constructive writings that encourage us in this Way.

Warm Christian love to you all at Mount Dora.

Sincerely your sister ------- (KANSAS)

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Dear Christian Friend: Just a few lines to ask you if you would be kind enough to send me the book mentioned in your letter of recent date. Also, if you have other religious material you may forward it also, as I am a Bible Student.

Would you please quote the price of your Bibles delivered in Canada. Trusting this will receive your attention, I am ------ (CANADA)

NO. 156: SOUND AN ALARM IN ZION

No. 156

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

In Chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Joel there is the prophetic picture of present-day events – events that are specially pertinent for God’s people. The Prophet issues the edict, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain”; thus, the purpose is clear enough: It is a warning and an alert for spiritual Zion here in the end of this Age. “The Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” (v. 1) This, then, pinpoints the exact time that this prophecy ap­plies, the time in which it is to be understood. It is a well-established principle of Biblical interpretation that the details of any prophecy cannot be clearly under­stood until it is fulfilled, or in course of fulfillment. And, since we have arrived at the time when Joel is in course of fulfillment, we may logically expect to have a clear understanding of it; and many of the details are the purpose of this paper.

Many of the Bible statements are based upon some previous Scripture – just as many others are prompted by the personal experiences of the individual writers. Thus, some of the Psalms of David are the direct outgrowth of his waywardness with Bathsheba, etc. And it is our thought that Joel’s command to “blow the trumpet in Zion” finds its foundation in Numbers 10, where Moses was commanded to make “two trumpets of silver.” That these trumpets were typical is clearly stated by Jesus in Matt. 5:17,18, wherein He declares that every minute feature of the Law was typical; and the trumpets had di­rectly to do with the Tabernacle, with the Tabernacle being inseparably linked with the Law and its services.

Moses was commanded to make two trumpets, only one of which was blown when it announced merely a routine assembly “at the door of the Tabernacle.” (Num. 10:3,4) But, in the blowing of an alarm, both trumpets sounded, the same being an immediate order for the Camp of Israel to be on the march against their enemies. Therefore, when the Prophet Joel wrote the prophetic command to “blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm,” it was a clear indication that spiritual Zion should give strict at­tention. It is our understanding that the trumpets of Numbers 10 typified the Gospel-­Age Truth as due, given by the Lord through the great Reformers of the Age – the “seven stars in His right hand.” (Rev. 1:16) And, since the “alarm” that Joel has ordered is to be for “the day of the Lord,” it should be readily apparent that it has to do with a proclamation of truth at this present time. And pointedly pertinent to the subject would be St. Paul’s query: “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound (if the message be weak or beclouded with error), who shall prepare himself for the battle?” (I Cor. 14:8)

THE CAUSE FOR THE ALARM

“For the day of the Lord.... is a day of gloominess, a day of clouds, and of thick darkness.... a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like.” (Joel 2:2,3) The Prophet here declares the cause for the alarm, the battle cry as it were, against a devastating horde. “The land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” Some may be inclined to consider this a description of the Vandals, who overran Gaul, Spain and North Africa, invaded Italy, entered Rome and wantonly destroyed many monuments of art and literature – for the mere love of destruction. But the fifth century AD., in which they operated, was not “the day of the Lord,” although it would seem they could fit the description perfectly were they living at the time of “the Lord’s day.”

Last summer we were in Detroit at the time of the riots there – a close-up eye witness without becoming directly involved. From 8:30 Sunday evening until daylight Monday morning we were in the fifth floor of a building in downtown Detroit, with lights out, so that we could see, but not be seen; and we observed the mobs pillag­ing, looting and burning – racing back and forth across City Square (Grand Circus Park), smashing windows, seizing the expensive and elegant merchandise as though it were common refuse, then wrecking completely the business shops, even tossing into the street the models that had contained costly suits and furs – making a shambles of everything they touched. Indeed, we thought what a literal fulfillment of v. 9 was then occurring: “They shall run to and fro in the streets.... the earth shall quake before them.” “The land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness” a holocaust of hilarity by the totally irresponsible. All that night, the next day, and the next night the fire alarms, the police sirens, voluminous gunfire and shriek­ing mobs gave the impression of being in the center of a modern battlefield.

A business acquaintance related to us how he had stood on a tall building Monday noon in Windsor, Canada (about a mile across the river from Detroit), and had counted eight huge fires over a space of several miles In Detroit – to say nothing of the hun­dreds of smaller ones not visible to him at that distance. All the fire equipment that Windsor could safely spare was sent in relief; the same was also true of all outlying suburbs and even from cities thirty miles away. Yet they could not control the holocaust. In the final analysis, the estimated damage was 500 million dollars; prominent business streets were almost completely devastated for miles on end. It was not enough that the mobs looted clothing stores, furniture stores and supermarkets; they must also burn them to the ground. Some of the finest buildings and shops of our day were simply a heap of rubbish when the final count was taken.

In our opinion, it is doubtful that the City can fully recover for many years from the loss incurred in those three nights and two days. What had taken years of time and enormous expenditure of labor and money to create had been irreparably ruined within perhaps sixty hours of time. Surely, Eze. 7:23, 24 was markedly fulfilled: “The land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.... the worst of the heathen shall possess their houses.” When the carnage was at its height, one fireman was shot to death just for the “fun” of murdering him, as he was attempting to extinguish a fire. Indeed, “the worst of the heathen” were in command of the sit­uation – “the land as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilder­ness.” Nor should it be concluded that only the rich and prosperous shopkeepers were ruined; many modest factory workers had their homes and all their furniture burned ­they were practically left helpless in the streets. But not alone was valuable prop­erty destroyed, but the morale of many of the citizens received a demoralizing blow. One man’s fine furniture store was sacked, then burned to the ground. When asked if he intended to rebuild, he answered it had taken him twenty years to build what had been wrecked in one day, and he never wanted to see the street again. We personally know one man in midtown Detroit who now attends to his business with a loaded pistol in his belt during business hours – a real revival of the days of the Old Wild West. After viewing the devastation in Watts, California, Evangelist Billy Graham remarked that if such an occurrence came at the same time in thirty large cities of the United States it would be sufficient to cause the collapse of the Government.

THE “PRIMARY” EDUCATION

In Joel 3:9, 10 the Prophet continues: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles (the nations), Prepare (hallow, sanctify) war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near.... Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears ­Let the weak say, I am strong.” Clearly enough, this has reference to the first world war in 1914 – when “the day of the Lord” had arrived. The war fever was so great at that time that both sides literally did consecrate themselves to war. The Triple Entente was determined to destroy their opponents, and the Triple Alliance would “Make the world safe for democracy.” And let any one as much as question their motives, he was fortunate if they did not immediately hang him. He could be certain, however, of much verbal abuse as well as physical abuse in many instances. Here in the United States the Lutherans were praying to God to bring death upon the Lutherans in Germany, where the Lutheran religion had been established. In very pro-Catholic Austria the Roman Catholics were invoking destruction upon their Catholic Italian brethren, and vice versa. And that was ridiculous, you say? Well, at that time if you even thought such anathema, you might have your home burned down, or find yourself in dur­ance vile.

After it was all over, and a measure of sanity returned, some of the bolder radi­cals, such as Norman Thomas, for instance, declared publicly that the whole engage­ment was nothing more than a commercial war; and quite a few agreed with him. Then came 1939 with the whole affair begun over again, this time A WAR to end wars! But the fanaticism was not nearly so intense; many had learned at least a little from the 1914-1918 experience. Many of the preachers who had been overly ardent in their sup­port of the military operations on both sides in the first affair remained discreetly silent for the second one. Said one prominent New York clergyman, who had been rabidly against the Central Powers the first time, that they could hang him publicly before he would be guilty of another such mistake. And large numbers of ordinary citizens also failed to imbibe the extremist view on the second war. In fact, in the 1914 conflict those of us whose memories go back that far remember very clearly how Dan. 3:19 was then fulfilled against antitypical Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego: “They should heat the furnace (of persecution against the conscientious objectors) one seven times more than it was want to be heated.”

But by the end of the second great war large numbers were awakened to the triv­ial trickery of such slogans, “Make the world safe for Democracy,” and “A war to end wars.” There is more apprehension of war here in 1968 than there was in 1913; and much of the stimulus for the 1967 riots in Detroit and other large cities was gained from the ‘primary’ (elementary) education that many of the rioters had gained by ob­serving the empty promises of their leaders. They would take things into their own hands to demonstrate clearly they were no longer being fooled by empty words of polit­ical tricksters.

And in the midst of all of it the Prophet comments, “Let the weak say, I am strong.” The development of present-day firearms has effected a great equality among men. A twelve-year-old boy, with a modern pistol, is more to be feared than a 200-pound man without one; and the smallest weak nation, with an atomic bomb, inspires more dread than a much larger nation without one. And this was forcefully impressed upon Mr. John Q Citizen through his ‘primary’ education in the armed forces of his respective country. The experience aroused him to a realization that if he could do that against the Germans, the Japanese, etc., he could just as easily do it against his real or imagined enemies in his own home land; and he would have less to lose than he did while serving in the armed forces of his native land. Indeed, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! And the Scripture comes sharply in focus, “They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” (Hos. 8:7)

THAT SERVANT’S COMMENTS

More than seventy years ago That Servant foresaw today’s events, although he did not then see them with that clarity that is now ours because of actual eye witness to present happenings. However, it is a great tribute to his analytical ability of prophecy that he did predict present events as correctly as he did, so we offer below some of what he wrote from “the sure word of prophecy” respecting conditions as we now see them developing on every hand:

‘‘We have noted the work of preparation for the conflict of this evil day – the organizing, equipping and drilling of immense armies, the building of great navies, the invention of new and wonderful engines of war, the making of new and powerful explosives (the atomic bomb had not then even been begun—JJH), and the draining of the national resources in every land for purposes of military equipment (none of the present colossal debt had then been dreamed of—JJH); and we have noted the mutterings of the angry nations as they all stand armed to the teeth, scowling upon one another.

“As we view these millions of armed and disciplined warriors, we inquire, Which of all these mighty hosts is that army to which the prophets point as the Lord’s great army? Can the prophetic references be to any of these? And if so, in what sense could they be considered the Lord’s army, since none of them are actuated by His spirit? Or, can this reference be to the people of God, the soldiers of the Cross, whose weapons are described by the Apostle Paul as not carnal, but mighty, through the pulling down of strongholds? (2 Cor. 10:3-5) Can it be that the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17), in the hands of the people of God, who are filled with His spirit, shall accomplish the great work of overthrowing all the King­doms of this world and giving them to Christ for an everlasting possession?

“Would that it might be so! but that such will not be the case we have already seen, both from the prophetic viewpoint and from the signs of the times. On the contrary, the protests and the warnings of the righteous are steadily ignored by the world, and the nations walk on in darkness, and in consequence all the foundations of the earth (the present social structure) are out of course (Psa. 82:5), so endanger­ing the whole social superstructure which is now being terribly shaken.

“Hear the prophetic description: ‘A great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like; neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots, on the tops of mountains (kingdoms) shall they leap; like the noise of a flame of fire that de­voureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.... Into the city they hasten forward; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb into the houses; through the windows they make their entrance like a thief. The earth (present social order) shall quake before them: the Heavens (ecclesiastical powers) shall tremble: the sun and the moon (the illuminating influences of the Gospel and of the Mosaic Law) shall be dark, and the stars (the apostolic lights—Rev. 12:1) shall be obscured – shall withdraw their shining (the dark night will have come wherein no man can labor—­John 9:4; Isa. 21:9, 11, 12). And the Lord shall utter His voice before His army; for His camp is very great; for He is strong that executeth His word, for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide it?’—Joel 2:2-11.

“Where is there such an army, under present instruction and training? – an army before which the earth (society) shall quake and the heavens (ecclesiasticism) shall tremble (Joel 2:10); which shall boldly array itself against the conservative forces of Christendom, both civil and ecclesiastical, and hope even to cope with its pres­ent strength? Where is the army that in the near future will deny Christendom’s time-honored doctrines, its statescraft and priestcraft? that will sullenly ignore all its anathemas, spurn its orders, and hurl back its thunderbolts of authority and organized power?

“That such an army is coming into existence and preparing for the desperate con­flict we are nonetheless forcibly assured by the signs of the times. And it is the recognition of this fact (without any reference to or knowledge of the word of prophecy) that is now filling the heart of Christendom with fearful foreboding, and impelling everywhere to take extraordinary measures for protection and defense.

“But in these very measures for self-defense devised by ‘the powers that be,’ there is probably a snare which they do not realize. The armies on which they de­pend for defense, be it remembered, are the armies of the common people: these millions of disciplined warriors have wives and sons and daughters and brothers and sisters and cousins and friends in the ranks of the common people, with whose inter­ests their own are linked by nature’s strong ties; and their service of thrones and kingdoms is only secured by imperative orders, and made endurable by a remuneration which they are fast coming to consider as no satisfactory compensation for the hard­ships and privations which they and their families must undergo, not to mention perils to life and limb and health and fortune. Year by year these armed hosts are less and less infatuated with the ‘glory’ of war, more keenly alive to its sufferings and privations, and less and less devoted to the sovereign powers that command their ser­vices, while the armies of toilers, of the common people at home, are becoming more and more irritated and dissatisfied with their lot, and more and more apprehensive of the future.

“Just what conditions and circumstances will be used of the Lord as His ‘voice’ of command to marshal this mighty army we may not now be able clearly to surmise; but we live in a day which makes history rapidly; and on general principles it would not be unreasonable to expect movements in this direction at any time. These are already overshadowing the world, and are as sure to come as that they are foretold. A very few years would seem to be abundant space for their full accomplishment. Already ‘men’s hearts are failing them for fear and for looking after (forward to) these things coming upon the world.’

“Mankind in general is unconscious of the Lord’s interest in this battle: and almost all the contestants gird on the armor for personal and selfish interests in which they rightly realize the Lord could not share; and hence, while on every side they are ready to invoke the Lord’s blessing, few count on it; all seem to rely upon themselves – their organization, numbers, etc. None will be more surprised than the ‘powers of the heavens,’ the great ones of present ecclesiastical control, who, going about to establish a plan of their own for the Lord, have neglected His plan as re­vealed in His word. To these the Lord’s work will indeed be a ‘strange work.’ Hear the Lord’s word on this subject:

‘The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.... For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption (an expiration, a consummation) even determined upon the whole earth.’—Isa. 28:21,22.

“The social system, the ‘earth,’ the ‘elements,’ the ‘course of nature,’ cannot be set on fire until the Lord permits the match to be struck: the great decisive battle cannot begin (Note this well!) until the great Michael, the Captain of our Salvation, stands forth and gives the word of command (Dan. 12:1), even though there will previously be frequent skirmishes all along the lines.

“Meanwhile let us remember the Apostle’s inspired description of this trouble ­that it will be as travail upon a woman with child, in spasms or throes of trouble, with shortening intervals between. It has been just so thus far (as was so clearly demonstrated in Detroit and other localities during the past few years—JJH); and each future spasm will be more severe, until the final ordeal in which the new order will be born in the death-agonies of present institutions.

“While the Lord forbids His people to fight with carnal weapons, and while He declares Himself to be a God of peace, a God of order and of love, He also declares Himself to be a God of justice, and shows that sin shall not forever triumph in the world, but that it shall be punished. ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:19; Deu. 32:35) And when He rises up to judgment against the nations, taking vengeance upon all the wicked, He declares Himself ‘a man of war’ and ‘mighty in battle,’ and having a ‘great army’ at His command. And who can give assurance that the multitudes who now compose the marshaled hosts of Christendom will not then constitute the great army that will throw its mighty force against the bulwarks of the present social order—Ex. 15:3; Psa. 24:8; 45;3; Rev. 19:11; Isa. 11:4; Joel 2:11.

“‘The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea roar: He shall prevail against His enemies.’ The cry and roar of His great army, and their success in accomplishing His purpose of revolution, He thus attributes to Himself; because they are accomplishing, though ignorantly, His work of destruction. He says: ‘I have long time holden my peace; I have been still and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman: I will destroy and devour at once.’”—Isa. 43:13,14.

“But in the Scriptures there are also intimations that there may be others be­yond the revolting hosts of Christendom who will also form a part of the Lord’s great army. And the Lord, through the Prophet Ezekiel, referring to this same time, and to the approaching calamities of Christendom, says: ‘And I will give it into the hands of strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil: and they shall pollute it.... Make a chain (bind, unite them together; let them make common cause), for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city (Christen­dom) is full of violence. Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the great to cease, and their honored places (their sacred places, their religious institutions, etc.) shall be defiled.’ (Eze. 7:13-24)

“This may be understood to signify that the uprising of the masses of Chris­tendom in anarchy will, during the prevalence of lawlessness, be so extremely bru­tal and savage as to out rival the barbarities of all heathen invasions – as was the case in the French Revolution. Or it may signify an uprising of the peoples of India, China and Africa against Christendom. Our opinion, however, is that ‘the worst of the heathen’ are those in Christendom who are ‘without God’ and without Christian sentiments or hopes (such as those who are denying the very existence of God and of Jesus as our Redeemer—JJH); who hitherto have been restrained and held in check by ignorance, superstition and fear (the light of the day having rid many of the people of the erroneous doctrine of eternal torment—JJH), but who in the dawn of the twentieth century are rapidly losing these restraining influences. (A few years back a man was arrested in Detroit for murdering a helpless old man; and it was developed during his investigation that he had amused himself during the last great war by cutting off the ears of the Japanese prisoners—JJH).

“According to the predictions of the prophets, the conditions of this battle will be without historic precedent. As already suggested, this final struggle is graphically portrayed in symbols in the 46th Psalm (Compare also Psa. 97:2-6; Isa. 24:19-21; 2 Pet. 3:10). The Hills (the less high, less autocratic govern­ments) are already melting like wax; they shall retain their form, but as the earth (society) gets hot they yield to its requirements, little by little coming down to the level of popular demand. Great Britain is a good illustration of this class. High mountains (representing autocratic governments) will be ‘shaken’ by revolutions, and ultimately ‘carried into the midst of the sea’ – lost in anarchy. Already ‘the sea and the waves roar’ against the bulwarks of the present social system: ere long the earth (the present social structure) will reel and totter as drunken man, vainly endeavoring to right itself, maintain a footing and re-establish itself: by and by it will be utterly ‘removed,’ to give place to the ‘new earth’ (the new social order) wherein righteousness, justice will prevail.”

All of the foregoing from our Pastor sounds as though it were written yesterday ­instead of more than seventy years ago. Surely, the prophecy of Isa. 24:20 now comes vividly before us, “The earth (the social order) shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage (in exact fashion as a modern builder removes a worn-out useless structure before constructing a useful new one)... it shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day (this day of the Lord now before us) that the lord shall punish.... the kings of the earth.” But for all who would accept this “sure word of prophecy” (2 Pet. 1:19), we offer the consoling words of Jesus, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you..... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in Jesus’ name!

Please send me 300 tracts...... also Where are the Dead.

We surely have good news for those who have lost their loved ones in death. Thanks for your monthly letters. Has Brother Jolly ever admitted and apologized for any of his mistakes, his mistakes in letters, Journal articles, etc.? He likes to correct others.

Much love to you both ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

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Dear Brethren: I am not at the ------- Nursing Home anymore... It is now over 50 years since I have heard of Brother P. S. L. Johnson. I have been among various Bible Students for many year, and have seen many changes over the years.

My new  address -------

Yours In Christ.... (NEW HAMPSHIRE)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace be multiplied!

Your good letter received, which we enjoyed reading. Thank you! Your letters are so encouraging and uplifting; they strengthen our faith and stimu­late us to Holiness. We want to again thank you for the Nos. 151, 152 and 153 articles. We read and re-read them. They are wonderful, dear Brother Hoefle. We received a rich blessing, and we are delighted to tell you just how we feel.

We have received a letter from Bro ------- and he is not in the best of health but not complaining...... He said, “We have been busy mailing out some of Brother Hoefle’s tracts.” We are sending you these messages to show how much the work is growing. We are continuing the same here, dear Brother, in our new home – serving the churches here.

We trust that you and Sister Hoefle are quite well, and that God will bless you both as you continue to serve the dear brethren.... Remember Sister and me to all the dear friends in Mount Dora – and God bless you all as you continue in the Lord’s good work. And may our dear Heavenly Father bless you, our dear Brother and Sister, as only He can bless, and keep you steadfast in the Faith.

Your brother and sister ------- (NEW JERSEY)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Loving Christian greetings! At last I am managing to pen you a few lines. You are so right – we are one in spirit! Isa. 58:8. I must say you and Sister Hoefle have been a real joy and comfort to us both – when so many whom we had grown to love have become drunken with the follies of R. G. Jolly. Daily do we thank the Lord for your faithfulness and pray you to be kept in the Faith. And this also for the dear ones with you.

Next week we hope to have dear Brother and Sister ------- with us. They have now gone to ------- seacoast to a relative’s wedding, and expect to come to us afterward. The four of us will find much to talk about in Truth matters. June 1969 will be our joint golden wedding. They were married just after we were. They would like for us to celebrate it together.....

It was when we returned from our honeymoon that we had an invitation to attend a lecture on The World Has Ended. It was quite a few years afterward that we found out that the meeting we have attended had been postponed from an earlier date – a date when we would not have been there. Another one was interested, but a New Cov­enant brother came along and she succumbed to his views. It was a real test, but Brother and I studied what Brother Russell had to say – and that established us in the Truth – and what a blessing we have received! Then we began to see the Watch Tower was bringing in contrary ideas to the Studies in the Scriptures, so we studied the various topics and found Brother Russell’s presentations sound and Scriptural.

J.F. Rutherford was saying that Babylon had never been a golden cup in the lord’s hand – when the Scriptures directly says, “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand.” (Rev, 17:4,5; Jer. 51:7) The Philadelphia and Laodicean periods we could not accept – nor the Second Advent articles. The book “Light” made Brother... em­phatically declare: I am not taking this for the public to buy! Brother was then elder and service director for a class of about 7 or 8. It meant we both had to re­sign and take a stand against the errors ....... replied and said I had been actuated by an ‘Agent of the Devil’ (Note: These same words RGJ uses against us now in 1968 – see Mar-Apr. PT, p. 31, col. 2, par. 1; the “cleansed” Levites also called Jesus Beelzebub—Mark 3:22. This seems to be the age-old refuge of all “workers of iniquity”—Matt. 7:23 – when they can’t withstand the Truth. We are labeled “Satan’s Agents” because we are persuaded by the Truths taught by both Messengers – Star Mem­bers – rather than those errors now offered by a crown-loser—JJH). Sister .......... got the volumes for us – she never accepted JFR’s errors. Brother King (now deceased) passed on Present Truth papers to Brother and me, and we recognized it to be sound – ­more so than anything else presented to us......

It was quite a shock to find we were in another sifting after Brother Johnson’s demise. However, it is true to the history of the Gospel Age – and it is for us to keep in the love of God, continuing in that which has blessed us all along our mar­ried life. The Lord has been gracious to us, and we both desire heartily to honour and try always to do His will. We feel very humble for the Truth to have come our way...

Just been impressed with “God’s Little While,” in Volume One Reprint. It re­minded me of the “due time” we used to hear the brethren quote when first the Truth came our way. It is still applicable! Brother ........ came into the Truth through reading E Vol. One. He said he would get the best answers to his questions from it. He was a very nice brother – but RGJ made him temporary representative after Brother Johnson died. Yes, Horn is a very good name when used rightly – and you have used your power and influence for good (your talents). God bless you continually! Brother ------- and Sister ------- send their love to you. My love also Sisters Dunnagan and Moynelo.

Sincerely your sister ------- (ENGLAND)

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Epiphany Bible Students Ass’n

Mount Dora, Florida

Dear Sir: One of your followers who did not have the courage to reveal himself sent some of your literature to my sister upon the death of our mother.

I would appreciate knowing your doctrinal beliefs and what group you are associated with, as you seemed to be evangelic but your definitions of death as such are not clear. Are you speaking of death of body or soul? There is quite a difference. Your follower was from this area.

Please identify yourself and your basic beliefs.

In His Service ------- (NEW  JERSEY)

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Gentlemen: Enclosed is my check for $ ... for you to use as you see fit to carry on your work. We enjoy the articles you send us from time to time.

Very truly yours ------- (NEW JERSEY)

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Epiphany Bible Students Ass’n

Mount Dora, Florida

Gentlemen: Please send me some of your Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 6. Thank you!

------- (CALIFORNIA)

NO. 155: ANOTHER LOOK AT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

No.  155

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

At least once each year we endeavor to offer some review of the Witnesses’ activities and especially of their teachings, all of which we have rather closely followed over the years. We have two reasons for doing this: First, to offer some protest against their perversions and vitiations of Holy Writ, and, Second, to help our readers inform themselves – to have their “faculties habitually exercised for the discrimination both of good and evil.” (Heb. 5:14, Dia.) Thus, we shall examine at this writing an article on page 93 of their February 1, 1968 Watch Tower, entitled:

THE CROSS IS OF PAGAN ORIGIN

They ask the question, “Did the church ever tell you that the cross is a Pagan symbol?” And we now ask the question, “Have the Witnesses ever told their followers that the cross was in common usage in Pagan Rome at the time the Pagan Law executed and crucified Jesus?”

Their statement of fact we do not dispute – any more than we would contradict the statement that temples of religion are also of pagan-origin. The Temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; its roof was made from the famous Cedars of Lebanon, which are said to have lasted 400 years with­out showing any evidence of rot or decay; and it was here that one of the outstand­ing episodes in the pilgrimages of St. Paul was enacted, as the Greeks shouted, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” (Acts 19:28) But the telling feature of such edi­fices is not that they sanctify the people who frequent them; it is the people them­selves that sanctify any building they occupy – whether it be an ordinary residence (“the church in thy house” – Phil. 2), a commonplace meeting hall, or a magnificent edifice. Thus, the frequenters revealed by their treatment of St. Paul that the palatial Temple of Diana had produced little of good in them; whereas, St. Paul offers warm praise of those who attended “church” in the ordinary domicile of the “dearly beloved” Philemon and Apphia.

And much the same conclusions may be drawn from the emblem of the cross. With­out dispute, it is of pagan origin; but the particular cross upon which Jesus was crucified was sanctified, immortalized by Him who hung thereon – even though it had been the Pagan Romans who did it. The Watch Tower article says, “the cross was ven­erated in Egypt and Syria.” Yet, isn’t it odd, so very odd, that it makes no men­tion at all of the Romans and their use of the cross – although the Romans and the par­ticular cross upon which our Lord was crucified are the special actors in the drama of Good Friday. And at this point it should be stressed that at the time of Jesus’ death crucifixion was used extensively by the Romans – although only slaves, provincials and the lowest type of criminals were crucified. And the Jews knew full well when they shouted, “Crucify Him, crucify Him” that they would thus drag Him to the very bottom of the cup of shame and humiliation. Tradition has it that the Romans also crucified St. Peter, but they beheaded St. Paul, because he was a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28); and it was only rarely that Romans were subjected to the humili­ation and anguish of the cross.

The Witnesses contend that Jesus was impaled on a torture stake; and we real­ize that such an article was in use by the ancients. In its earliest uses it con­sisted of a pointed stake used in fortifications, which gave considerable defense from attackers. As an instrument of torture or punishment the victim was either bound to this stake, from which he hung by his arms, or was impaled – with the stake thrust through his chest or driven longitudinally through the back or privy parts and com­ing out of the mouth. The invention of this atrocity is traditionally ascribed to Semiramus (Mother-wife of Nimrod – the mythical “Queen of Heaven” – the woman in the moon – and one of the most despicable characters in all history – See Jer. 44:17, 18, 19,25), although it was also originally a Phoenician practice; and used also in Persia in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. This latter method for putting Jesus to death would almost surely be flatly contradicted by the prophetic statement, “A bone of Him shall not be broken.” (John 19:36) It should require little argument that a sharp stake could not be driven through the chest or longitudinally through the body with­out breaking at least some small bone.

Also, the victim thus impaled could not possibly have had his hands nailed to the stake. Yet, the record is indisputable that Jesus was nailed to the instrument of His death. “Thomas said to them, Except I shall see in His bands the print of the nails, and throughst my hand into His side, I shall not believe.” (John 19:25) “After eight days.... came Jesus... saith to Thomas, Reach thither thy finger, and behold my hands.... and be not faithless, but believing.” (vs. 26,27) Thus, the Witnesses are hard-pressed to substitute their ‘torture stake’ for a cross.

Various writers also mention a single upright post “on which the victim was tied or impaled” (nothing said here about nails), in addition to three types of crosses: St. Anthony’s cross (crux commissa), shaped like a capital letter “T” (thought by some to be accepted from the symbol of the Babylonian God Tammuz). He it was who supposedly died every Spring, and was then resurrected in several days by the vio­lent weeping of the women of the Empire. This was undoubtedly a counterfeit – in advance – of Jesus’ death and resurrection, instigated by the great Deceiver; and its degrading influence seems to have been potent enough to contaminate some of the women in Israel (“The gate of the Lord’s house, which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz” – Eze. 8:14) This is vividly brought to our attention in Luke 23:28: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

Another type of cross was St. Andrew’s cross (crux decussata) – shaped like our letter “X” –; and a third one was the crux immissa, shaped as the one commonly seen on many churches in Christendom, with the cross beam down somewhat from the top. This latter would have lent itself very well to the crucifixion story, as it would have provided ample opportunity for nailing Jesus’ bands to it, and to make allow­ance over His head for the inscription ordered there by Pilate, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” And a little reflection will convince any one that it would place some considerable strain upon the imagination to conclude that all of this could have been done just as an upright torture stake – as the Witnesses would now have us believe.

Nor do they find any support in their position from the critical translation of the Bible; e.g., Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott translation of the New Testament and Doctor Rotherham’s work. Both of these consistently translate the Greek Stauros (occurring 28 times) as ‘cross’; and the Greek Stauroo (occurring 46 times) as ‘crucify.’ But perhaps the strongest of all contradictions to their position is to be found in the history of the Jews by Flavius Josephus:

“Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross (AD. 33 April 3, footnote), those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

Josephus was a contemporary of the Apostles, reputedly dying about 100 A. D.; and, being a Jew, he would certainly be well qualified to report the manner of Jesus’ death. And he reports that it was on a cross – no hint of a torture stake.

The above report is further strengthened by the history of the fall of Jerusa­lem at the hands of the Roman conqueror Titus in the year 70 AD, which record tells us that, after the city’s fall, there was a circle of crosses around Jerusalem, with a dead Jew hanging on each one of them. Thus, the Lord had literally taken them at their word, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” (Matt. 27:25) As they had done to Him on the cross, so it was likewise meted out to them by the Pagan Romans.

Thus, it would seem that the great weight of consistency supports the story and picture of the cross as we understand it today; and so Pastor Russell accepted it. Had there been any cogent reason to question it, we may be certain he would have done so; but he was not one to find fault with Christendom for the mere sake of finding fault, or just to be different from the majority. Anything of merit that he could find in other groups, he was ready enough to acknowledge; as, for instance, he did with the observance of Christmas. There is not a single fact to support December 25 as the birthday of our Lord; there is also not a single line of Scripture that tells us to observe His birthday (although we are definitely told to remember His death). And, although we have reasonable assurance that His birth was on the tenth day of the seventh month Tishri (about October 10 of our calendar), Pastor Russell was not inclined to uproot such a long-established custom. Rather, he modestly stated:

“Although we cannot agree that this is the proper day for celebrating the birth of our Redeemer.... yet upon this day, so generally celebrated, we may properly enough join with all whose hearts are in the attitude of love and appreciation to­ward God and toward the Savior.” (This the Witnesses now also belittle.)

And his attitude toward the cross was much the same as it is recognized today; and there is strong argument – as we have given aforegoing – that he was right, and the present-day Witnesses are wrong in attacking the sacred story so generally accepted today. In fact, while he was still alive, the emblem of his admirers was a cross-­and-crown pin – a red enameled cross superimposed upon a crown of gold: If we bear the cross, we shall wear the golden crown. There are still probably quite a few Wit­nesses still living who hold in loving esteem that designation of their belief.

THE TABERNACLE

Our Lord said that every minute detail of the Law, of which the Tabernacle was an inseparable part, was typical. “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets.... Verily I say unto you, Till Heaven and earth pass, one jot (the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet) or one tittle (one tip of a letter) shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (filled full, completely enacted in antitype)”—Matt. 5:17, 18. If Jesus spoke the truth here – and He certainly did – then we are forced to the conclusion that the typical features of the Law are an integral and important part of the Old Testament, forcing the further conclusion that those antitypes that occur in this Gospel Age are an essential part of Christian know­ledge and faith now. This is verified by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples.” The Diaglott translates this doubly em­phatic: “These things occurred to them typically (“these things are all types,” or “these things by way of type” – Dr. Rotherham), and were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the Ages have come.”

Because of the forceful language in the critical translations, coupled with the words of Jesus in Matthew, Pastor Russell placed great value upon those Taber­nacle types; thus, the outstanding production of his early writings was “Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices,” which appeared first in 1881. And in the Fore­word of that book he had this to say:

“The careful student will discern that, the application of the types herein presented being correct, the entire Plan of the Ages is thereby corroborated..... To what a glorious gospel, than, is this the key.”

Yet, the Witnesses – who now make loud cry that Pastor Russell is the founder of their Movement – have completely eliminated Tabernacle Shadows from their teachings just as the Roman Catholic Church has perverted or eliminated much of the teachings of our Lord and the Apostle Peter, even as they also claim to be following “in their steps.” Such claim, of course, is nothing more than gross fraud, and the names St. Peter and Pastor Russell become only magnetic expressions to perpetrate colossal hoax upon “the unstable and the unlearned.”

Possibly realizing somewhat the enormity of their offense, and in a bungling attempt to mitigate their acts, they give 1 Cor. 10:11 this translation in their own Bible: “Now these things went on befalling them as examples.” It will readily ap­pear to all that this ‘translation’ by the Witnesses bears little resemblance to those critical translations cited aforegoing, which brings us to repeat what we have previously declared; namely, their Bible is not a translation at all – it is merely a paraphrase distorted and twisted to fit what they now want to believe. Thus, it needs little argument that Pastor Russell would have no part of their ‘translation’ were he still living.

Nor should the Witnesses claim to be following Pastor Russell when they cast aside the very foundation of all his Harvest Truth teachings. As he himself emphat­ically declared, the Six Volumes of Studies in the Scriptures all are the direct outgrowth of Tabernacle Shadows; and Tabernacle Shadows corroborates “the entire Plan of the Ages.” Therefore, in rejecting Tabernacle Shadows, they are in sub­stance rejecting the Good Word of God – all of which causes us to quote Jer. 8:9: “They have rejected the Word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” This one premise alone should cause all to view with a very skeptical eye anything and every­thing that the Witnesses now offer as truth.  And, further along this line, when any organization begins to “strain at gnats,” as the Witnesses have done regarding “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2) – condemning acceptance of the cross because it is of pagan origin – we may very safely conclude that such people are bereft of the Truth and the spirit of the Truth; and we should follow St. Paul’s counsel, “from such turn away.” (2 Tim. 3:5)

And we might here properly inquire, Is their ‘torture stake’ not also of Pagan origin? Did Christians invent their ‘torture stake’? And would Christians be any less Pagan if they adopted the ‘torture stake’ instead of the cross? In fact, they emphasize the pagan origin of the cross; then substitute another pagan invention in its place – simply talking without having anything to say. Truly, “Wisdom is justified of all her children.” (Luke 7:35)

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

In previous papers we have stated that the Witnesses are the Roman Catholic Church’s “little twin”; and, in further proof of this contention, we analyze the conditions pertaining to the Jews after the end of that dispensation. Just before His death our Lord had said unto them, “Behold, your house is left unto you deso­late.” (Matt. 23:38) And in keeping with this declaration the desolation gradually gathered momentum until the full destruction in AD. 70 by the Romans, followed by, the dispersion that continued throughout the Gospel Age. And with that dispersion came continued and organized contumely and physical abuse  upon that race. Especi­ally was this persecution aided and abetted by Antichrist (The Roman Church); and the more apostate that system became, the more they also treated the true Christians (the heretics, the real Protestants) in like manner as they did the Jews.  Thus, the cast-off Jews and the true followers of Jesus found themselves in much the same caldron (without design on the part of either, of course).

Now, here in the end of the Age, some of this same condition finds repetition. Since the death of Pastor Russell the Witnesses have been very determined in their antagonism against those who would adhere to his teachings, branding them as “that evil servant” class (Matt. 24:48), forbidding their deluded dedicated devotees to read any of the writings of such people (in exact fashion as did the Roman Church with respect to the writings of the ‘heretics’ – the true Protestants), casting the protesters out of their midst in cruel and unfounded disfellowshipments (‘‘make fire come down from Heaven” – Rev. 13:13) – in exact duplication of the acts of the Roman Church during the heyday of their power. And along with such proceedings, they, too, are castigating the Jews, consigning them to eternal extinction because they do not accept the Witnesses – identically as did the Roman Church when they sentenced their ‘heretic’ to the Lake of Fire.

This, too, is a diametric contradiction of what Pastor Russell taught. At the overflow meeting at the Hippodrome Theater in New York City in 1910, the Pastor so warmed the hearts of the Jews there assembled that many of them for years afterward fondly referred to him as their Pastor. Thus, here again we find no relation at all to what the Witnesses now teach concerning Jewry to what Pastor Russell taught, and whom they claim to be the founder of their Movement. In this connection, we offer the following quotation from his Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 2 ­page 302:

“Some have endeavored to do as Papacy did, to organize their church under some one person as its head, while others supply the place of this head with a council or synod; but all are under the delusion imposed by the false and misleading interpreta­tions of Scripture doctrine started by Antichrist – that now, and not at a future time, is the reign of Christ’s Kingdom; and, denying the Com­ing Age, as the Antichrist does, they, like that system, are careless of the full development of holiness among believers (the Witnesses denying there is such a thing as character development—JJH) and are zealous rather for the accomplishment now of the work of the next Age, the conversion of the world – so much so that they are often willing to misrepresent God’s plan and Word, and to invent theories to frighten and drive the world into a profession of godliness.”

When the Papal System held sway, they consigned the dissenters to eternal tor­ment; now the Witnesses sentence them to eternal extinction in the approaching Armageddon. Then the Papacy (Antichrist) had established the counterfeit thousand­ year reign of Christ; now the Witnesses have established their counterfeit Kingdom.

Just a little reflection should cause any unbiased mind to realize their pres­ent ridiculous position. All about us we see moronic, semi-moronic, physical and mental derelicts who either have not the capacity or the will power to assimilate the Truth when it is presented to them. The Adversary is not yet bound, and is “blinding the. minds of them that believe not” – even among the majority of the in­telligent. They freely proclaim this in their March 1, 1968 Tower, p. 136, par. 1, telling us the Devil is still with us, ‘‘has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” Yet the Witnesses are telling us that if all such people do not accept them now before Armageddon. they shall experience eternal extinction with no further chance for Kingdom blessings – even though all the minds of the unbelievers are BLINDED by the Devil! Note now the prophecy that directly applies to the TRUE Kingdom reign – ­Christ’s Kingdom reign: “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isa. 26:9) And again Rev. 21:25, “There will be no night (error) there.” Further, the words of St. Paul in 1 Tim. 2:4, Dia.: “God desires all men to be saved,  and come to an accurate knowledge of the Truth.”

Let us now consider some of the Witnesses’ teachings that are in violent oppo­sition to the foregoing. on page 659 of the Nov. 1, 1967 Tower, they say:

“The ‘stubborn’ resisters (meaning actually, the resisters of the Witnesses’ kingdom—JJH) of God’s victorious kingdom are really accomplishing nothing against it. At Armageddon.... He will utterly destroy them by means of his exalted Royal Stone, Jesus Christ.”

And further on page 660: “Jehovah God will perform no ‘saving’ act for his enemies.... God will bring them back to punishment. If, even in atomic-powered submarines, they should try to hide themselves in the depths of the sea, the una­voidable Jehovah God will bring them back. To what? To face slaughter, that their life blood may be poured out. This will enable the true followers (meaning the Witnesses themselves—JJH) of the Son of David, in effect, to wash their foot in the blood of their enemies. No decent burial will be given such detestable enem­ies, but, if we have any Biblically despised dogs in our service, God will let them lick up the blood of the enemies against whom God has arisen.”

Here indeed is a most happifying anticipation – a glorious reward for the faithful followers of the lamb! Who but the most obnoxious moral renegades would not enjoy bathing his feet in a pool of blood of his former friends and relatives perhaps your own father and mother will be providing some of that blood for you if they don’t agree with you now, and don’t join up with the Witnesses! What a reward is here held out for those “true followers (the Witnesses) of the Son of David!”

And something more on page 661: “O how the favored survivors of the war of Armageddon will celebrate his eternal victory with song and music, blessing him who is the source of life of his people!”

Join them quickly – before Armageddon – and you, too, may be among the fortu­nate ones who will revel by bathing your feet in the blood of your mother, your father, your sweetheart, or your children who had not the favored intellect to realize that they also should have cast their lot with those who will obtain the supreme ecstasy of that bloody carnage. It is but a small step between this pic­ture and the one presented by the Roman Church. The latter promised their adher­ents a blissful eternity – playing upon golden harps, no more conflicts or toils, in heavenly glory, as they would experience the inexplicable ‘joy’ in Heaven of watching their former friends and relatives – father, mother, etc. – writhing forever in the lake of Fire, with no hope of escape. Of course, our enlightened day will no longer tolerate such distortion; thus, the Witnesses have toned down their punishment of the damned to a less hideous sentence in Armageddon (although ‘scary’ enough to induce many of the “unstable and unlearned” to join them): You will just wash your feet in the blood of the lost, instead of enjoying their tor­ment in the lake of Fire forever.

THE LAST ENEMY

On pages 524, 525 of the Sept. 1, 1967 Tower there is offered some considerable comment on the “last enemy” of 1 Cor. 15:26. They contend this “last enemy” will be “hurled into the lake of fire” – the same to “occur before Satan is loosed from the abyss at the end of the thousand years.” This “last enemy” they declare to be the “Adamic death” (although they also claim that Adam has died the Second Death, which will never be destroyed) – the death resting upon all through Father Adam’s transgression in Eden. Placing Adam in the Second Death is a direct denial of the Ransom (the anti-lutron, or exact equivalent), because Adam is the only per­son who could properly be ransomed by Jesus – a perfect life for a perfect life. Every one of Adam’s descendants came into this world imperfect; thus the giving of a perfect life for any one of them could not possibly be a true anti-lutron, an exact equivalent, or ransom in the Biblical sense of that word. This “new light” of the Witnesses is a diametric contradiction, and repudiation, of Pastor Russell’s basic teaching of the “Restitution of all things” (Acts 3:19-21), as he sets forth in the “Divine Plan of the Ages” (a book they have cast aside for their “New Light”).

Let us keep well before us that the raising of the last one from the grave will immediately blot out the Adamic-death state. Those who die after coming to “an accur­ate knowledge of the Truth” – if not obedient and in harmony with it – will then die the second death – not the Adamic death. Thus, it would seem very elemental that the last one to come forth from the tomb must do so some considerable time before Satan is loosed from the abyss, because it is hardly likely that that person can “come to an accurate knowledge of the truth” in a day, a week, a month, or even a year. This being true, there must be something decidedly faulty with their reasoning here ­– something wrong somewhere. To indulge in a slight digression, we remark that the leaders of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement also hold the same view as do the Witnesses on the destruction of this “last enemy”; they, too, teach it is to be de­stroyed before Satan is loosed from the abyss, thus becoming a companion with the Witnesses in this teaching.

“ONE PROSELYTE”

On pp. 540-543 of this same Tower is the record of one Johannes Weber, long time adherent of the Witnesses, who tells us on page 541 that sometime before 1914 a lady advised him to read The Divine Plan of the Ages. “This I did,” says he, “and read the book thoruoghly, noting that its teachings were quite different from those of the church.” He does not say to which “church” he refers; but we would now join with him in declaring that the teachings of that Divine Plan book are also “quite different” from the teachings of the “church” of the present-day Witnesses ­so much so that Pastor Russell (who wrote the book) would speedily disavow any con­nection whatever with those now attempting to gain prestige by linking his name with theirs. The Divine Plan of the Ages directly contradicts the entire structure of the Witnesses present-day teachings regarding Armageddon and the fate of the present unsaved world. This is quite in keeping with the claims of Antichrist and its re­lation to St. Peter; Antichrist’s claims are an insult to St. Peter – just as the Witnesses’ claim is an insult to Pastor Russell. “Only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” (Isa. 4:1)

Here is a little more from Brother Weber’s statement: “At the end of the war (1914-18) one day I spied a huge poster with a picture of Pastor Charles T. Russell, the Watch Tower Society’s first president, advertising a film show entitled ‘Photo­Drama of Creation.’ It turned out to be the most beautiful and imposing drama I had ever seen.... The next outstanding event was the widely publicized lecture by J. F. Rutherford, second president of the Watch Tower Society on the topic ‘Millions Now Living Will Never Die.’” in this latter he fails to state, however, that the time limit of this lecture was set for 1925; and, when 1925 came and went with not even a ripple in current happenings to give the slightest credibility to the lecture and the time predictions, the subject was hastily – and quietly – dropped. Do we hear any one preaching it today? If not, why not? If it was the Truth in 1920, it should be decidedly and more clearly apparent now than it was then. In 1925 the Ancient Worthies were to return from the grave – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the others; and this was so fixedly taught that J. F. Rutherford even built a palatial residence in California to be used by those Ancients when they would return to life.

But let us consider here that the Divine Plan and the Photo-Drama were the means of bringing Brother Weber into the Truth, although there was not one word in either of them about Millions Now Living Will Never Die – nor of any of the sordid blood-bath predictions now being circulated by the Witnesses – not one word about a bath of blood for you in the blood of your former relatives and friends. Indeed, Pastor Russell was ‘‘wise and faithful” – and taught that the fully faithful  would be able to bless and help their unbelieving friends and relatives, instead of rollicking in their blood; thus, we should not expect such distortion from him, because he did indeed teach “the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom” – “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Thus we are forced to the painful conclusion that at the first Brother Weber was brought into the Truth by Pastor Russell’s ingenious pen products; but has since been taken out of that Truth by the pen products – the present-day teachings – of the Witnesses. And, if the present-day Witnesses would read that Divine Plan of the Ages with an honest and open mind, they would speedily and gladly be forced to renounce their present beliefs.

We offer here just one brief quotation from that Divine Plan book, p. 294: “We find statements by both prophets and apostles which clearly indicate that in the times of restitution Israel as a nation will be the first among the nations to come into harmony with the new order of things; that the earthly Jerusalem will be rebuilt upon her old heaps (this prediction is dated 1886, when there was not the slightest intimation of Israel as a nation in Palestine, as we now view it—JJH); and that their polity will be restored as in the beginning under princes or judges (Isa. 1:26; Psa. 45:16; Jer. 30:18).... And while Israel will be the first of the nations to be recognized and blessed, it is written also of Israel that ‘The Lord shall save the tents of Judah first’.... As Jerusalem was the seat of the empire under the typical Kingdom of God, it will again occupy the same position, and be the city of the Great King’ (Psa. 48:2).”

Much more of the same is to be found in that section of the book; and all of this the present leaders of the Witnesses have renounced completely – claiming, as they do, that their present “Large Multitude” are to be recognized as the principals in the earthly phase of Christ’s Kingdom – much the same as the Laymen’s Home Mis­sionary Movement now also claims the preeminence for their “Consecrated Campers,” a class invented for the purpose in recent years, in exact fashion as the Witnesses have invented their non-existent earthly “Large Multitude.” Of this perhaps more in a future writing: but for now – so far as we know – not one Jew has committed himself as one of their Large Multitude, or as one of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement’s Consecrated Campers.  Thus, both of these Movements repudiate what Pastor Russell taught concerning the Jews – all the while both of them make loud claim to being his followers.

And here is something else from Pastor Russell’s faithful Scriptural teachings that completely dissipates the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ claim of “God’s Kingdom on Earth”:

“Thus we see our commission as respects all people of all nations who have an ear to hear our message. We are to make them disciples and to immerse them into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are to teach them to observe all things whatsoever Jesus commands. This is the extent of our authority. We are not to organize human systems and to call them kingdoms, churches, or other names (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Kingdom Halls, etc.—JJH). We are merely to prepare the followers of Jesus, cooperating with God, who will work in them to will and to do His good pleasure.” (Dec. 1, 1914, Reprints 5588, col. 2, top)

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glor­ieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth.”

Sincerely  your brother.

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

NO. 154: SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

No.  154

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

Comes once more the Memorial of our Lord’s death, which may be held this year any time after 6 p.m. April 10. Our method for reaching this date is as follows: The March moon news this year at 1 a.m., March 29 at the 30th Meridian East (the Meridian nearest the City of Jerusalem), thus starting that day at 6 p.m. March 28, the same being also Nisan 1. Counting to Nisan 14, as required in Exodus 12, brings us to 6 p.m. April 10, consequently, any time that evening would be appropriate for the observance – for partaking of the bread and the wine as established by Jesus “on the night in which He was betrayed.” This year, as in all years past, it is quite likely that many of the Lord’s Household will disagree with the date we have herein named; but this is not sufficient cause for disfellowshiping any one. Such dis­senters should still be regarded as brethren so long as they “keep the feast in sin­cerity and in Truth.” We would remark, however, that, as Truth people, we should endeavor to keep the sacrament at the right day and hour insofar as we are able to do so.

It is well to call to mind once more that Christendom in general is influenced not at all by the date of Nisan 14; it has been completely ignored for centuries. The Council of Nice (325AD) arbitrarily determined that the memorial of the cruci­fixion should always recur on a Friday – the first Friday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. While it is true that this year 1968 that method will fix “Good Friday” and Nisan 14 relatively near each other, yet there are some years in which the two dates are almost a full month apart. But considering now the var­ious groups that do have regard for Nisan 14, there is much divergence of opinion among them, some using the Meridian nearest Jerusalem (as we ourselves now do), some using the Meridian at Greenwich, England, some using the Meridian nearest Philadel­phia, Pa., USA, etc. And with those, some determine Nisan 1 as beginning at 6 p.m. the evening before the moon comes new (as we do), with others using the evening be­ginning at 6 p.m. after the moon comes new. It will become readily apparent that there must be at least one day’s difference in the date, even with many of those who attempt to use Nisan 14.

Our own reason for our calculation is this: At the time the Passover was insti­tuted – and at the time the Memorial of the antitype was given on Thursday evening by our Lord – the Greenwich Meridian, and others now used, had not even been heard of at all. Thus, the Jews had no other choice than the Jerusalem time. Also, most of the Bible was written in Palestine, so why look some other place for any of its time settings? The trek of civilization westward is no excuse at all for changing what was standard practice when the Bible was written – and when our Lord was on earth. Or, so we view it anyway – with malice toward none, but with charity for all who have a different method of reckoning.

“WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE”

The question properly arises, Who should partake and whom should we welcome in our midst for the solemn service? Our answer would be – All those who profess to keep it “in sincerity and in Truth” – unless their acts openly belie their profes­sions. There are only two reasons for denying any one welcome that night – they are gross immorality or gross doctrinal deflection. But of those properly admit­ted it should not require great elaboration to determine that there will be varying degrees of zeal and good character attainment – based largely upon the number of years and the amount of effort expended in obtaining “the knowledge of our Lord Jesus,” and the wise use made of that knowledge. Thus, St. Paul states, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor (carry the heavier load of the ministry) in word and doctrine (preaching and teach­ing).” (1 Tim. 5:17) And of the lesser brethren some will have improved their op­portunities more than others; but this does not imply that the younger or the weaker should not have generous reception at the gathering.

It is a sage observation that Virtue is its own reward; and those who do “all things heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men” have a certain compensation unto themselves alone, which is sufficient in itself – regardless of what others may con­sider. In fact, the entire Gospel Age is replete with examples of brethren with “good and honest hearts” who have been “cast out” by their less faithful brethren, but whose record convinces us that they were not without compensation from the Lord. This has been true of almost all the Star Members, as well as of many of those who were co-laborers with them and partakers with them in like manner of their afflic­tions. This is beautifully stated by Jesus in Mark 10:28-30 (Dia.): “Peter began to say to Him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee. Jesus said, In­deed I say to you, There is no one who has left house, or brothers or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, on My account, and on account of the glad tidings, who will not receive a hundredfold now, in this time.... with per­secutions; and in the Age to come aionian life.” Clearly enough, then, the better characters have a superior reward now in this life to those who have been less zeal­ous in improving their opportunities. A quotation from E-14:70 is thus appropriate:

“This does not mean that the same amount of reward would be given in this life; for the more one sacrifices in the Lord’s spirit, the larger are the blessings of the hundredfold in this life; and the less one sacrifices in the Lord’s spirit, the less is his hundredfold; for the true sacrificers receive the hundred­fold of the sacrifices, which in some are larger, in others are smaller.”

It is well stated that “We whip the horse that pulls the hardest”; and this was outstandingly true of the One whose memory we now discuss. “He hath poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12); for “Reproach hath broken my heart.” (Psa. 69:20) And, while “He set us an example that we should follow in His steps,” there was never any suggestion by Him of asceti­cism or purposeless suffering. Always He expended Himself in “the spirit of a sound mind.” But, as one writer has stated: “All creators are hard, but first of all to themselves.” Thus, Jesus never asked His followers to do anything He himself had not already done. “When He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (as Teacher and Leader and Example). Not with silver or gold have we been brought to know the love of God, nor have we been able to purchase with filthy lucre “the peace of God which passeth understanding.” Rather, these things come by keeping “the feast in sincerity and in Truth.” And, so long as we see others doing this, we should not write them down because of any minor differences, such as the correct date for keeping the feast. Let us do things as nearly right as we know how, but make liberal allowance for others who seem to be walking in the same path as we ­even though their knowledge on all things may not be as complete and secure as our own. St. Paul’s counsel is most timely here: “A servant of the Lord must not be conten­tious, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, patient under evil; in meekness correcting the opposers; perhaps God may give them a change of mind in order to a knowledge of the Truth” (2 Tim. 2:25, 26—Dia.), keeping in mind that some one, at some time, followed Paul’s advice toward us; and it has resulted in “that Grace wherein we now stand.”

TIMELY WARNINGS

Every antitype is greater than its type. This is markedly shown in the typical lamb which Israel slew that Passover night as they were preparing to leave Egypt. That lamb was so inferior to “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (“Christ our Passover, which is sacrificed for us”) that no argument whatever is needed to prove the point. However, lest the foregoing counsel to moderation be misunderstood, and carried to such an extreme that evil result, it is well we con­sider some of the events leading up to the typical Passover. In Exodus 5 Moses and Aaron were entreating Pharaoh to “Let us go.... and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.” (v. 3) Especially has this been applicable since 1874, when the full truth on the Passover – typical and antitypical – became so very clear. The attendant “sacrifice” was also much stressed since that time, with many not heeding the various warnings, thus succumb­ing to “the pestilence that walketh in darkness.” “They admitted not the love of the Truth in order that they might be saved. And on this account God will send to them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood.” (2 Thes. 2:10,11, Dia.)

Human frailty has ever been prone to point the accusing finger at the man across the road, quoting Scripture that applies directly to the accuser. This was tragically true of the Jews at the first Advent; and their course was typical of nominal spiri­tual Israel here in the end of the Age. And, since “Judgment must begin at the House of God,” the various Harvest siftings (pestilence) took their toll also from among many who claimed to be in “Present Truth.” Many of them have received “an energy of delusion,” in accordance with That Servant’s prediction along that line: “Great delu­sions are just before us, and some of them may come closest upon those possessing the most light of Present Truth” (See Berean Comment 2 Thes. 2:11). And, because of this, it was the sad duty of those not tainted by such “pestilence” to wield the “sword” (con­troversial Truth refuting the errors of the wayward) against some who had walked arm in arm with them in the Harvest reaping work. But to those who remained faithful to their “covenant by sacrifice” the promise was sure, “There shall no plague (no pesti­lential sifting error) come nigh thy dwelling!” Thus, the words of the poet are appropriate here:

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,

Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;

I rave no more ‘gainst time or fate,

For lo! my own shall come to me.

I stay my haste, I make delays

For what avails this eager pace?

I stand amid the eternal ways

And what is mine shall know my face.

What matter if I stand alone?

I wait with joy the coming years;

My heart shall reap where it has sown,

And garner up its fruit of tears.

The stars come nightly to the sky;

The tidal wave unto the sea;

Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,

Can keep my own away from me.

Perhaps some of the above was prompted by St. Paul’s own words in similar strain: “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38, 39)

Nor need our human limitations concern us. The Lord’s judgments are not, like human judgment, based solely, or mainly, on outward appearance, such as great know­ledge and talent, but mainly on heart characteristics. “Man looketh on the out­ward appearance (physical, financial, intellectual attainments), but the Lord looketh on the heart” (true character qualities). On the other hand, the Lord does not despise great knowledge and talent, as many among the “unstable and the unlearned” seem to think – but, if used in harmony with His “good will,” are sancti­fied to the advantage of His cause, and for the good of His people – but in all cases the main emphasis is upon the characteristics of the heart – “a good and honest heart.”

SUNDRY OBSERVATIONS

The instructions to Moses relative to keeping the original Passover in Egypt were very meticulous – as is true of all the ordinances of God. These are detailed in Exodus 12, and are very adequately treated in Parousia Volume 6. We strongly urge our readers to read the chapter on the subject in that book, this present article be­ing intended only as a supplement to that. The command to the Israelites was also very rigid that they “shall keep the Passover a feast to the Lord throughout your gener­ations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.” (Ex. 12:14) And our Lord’s injunction to the Gospel-Age Church is equally compelling respecting observance of the memory of the antitype: “This do in remembrance (as a Memorial) of Me.”

All of this was further emphasized in Numbers 9, one year after the original Passover in Egypt - “Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at his appointed season” – the Spring season, after the Vernal Equinox. This charge was given in “the wilderness of Sinai” – typical of the Church’s Gospel-Age experience in its wilder­ness condition. (See Rev. 12:6) Furthermore, the entire Gospel Age is the antitype of the night of the first Passover in Egypt; and all of us are witness that the per­iod between the first and second Advents was indeed a trialsome and long-drawn-out night time. Jesus had promised that He would come again, and the opinion was prev­alent that He would do this within the lives of those then living. Had the truth been disclosed that His absence would be for more than eighteen hundred years, there is little doubt that those who would then have become His followers would be very few indeed. This conclusion could also probably be given concerning Abraham and God’s promise to him that he was to have goodly Canaan land as his everlasting in­heritance. Little did he realize that more than three thousand years would pass be­fore the promise would finally be realized. This may even have been true of the Par­ousia Church under That Servant. The promise of 1914 was a mighty incentive to good works and the keeping of the “sacrifice.” Similarly also was the date 1954. Many would have become weary with the “burden and heat of the day” had they reckoned how long the realization of their hopes would be delayed.

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; and, when the delay is accompanied by trialsome privations and physical and mental abuses, the heaviness of heart becomes the more onerous. Thus, the precious promises are abundant to those who have under­taken the wilderness journey. “In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And the close relationship between Jesus and His faithful Church is clearly shown in a critical translation of Luke 22:20: “This cup (that which is being poured out for you) is by My blood the New Covenant “that is, as each one drank of it “the same night in which He was betrayed,” the indi­cation was clearly present that they were participants in that same cup with Him. And the same has been true ever since of all who have “kept the feast in sincerity and in Truth.” But none would have been able to do this without the “exceeding great and precious promises” – the antitypical shewbread in the Holy, the Sarah features of the Abrahamic Covenant.

But of those who have promised to “keep the feast,” and then failed to do so, the threat of death is the penalty for such. This is clearly revealed in Num. 9:13: “The man that is clean (that is, one who has been reckoned clean – justified by faith ­through the merit of the atoning blood).... and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people.” Although all should partake of the bread and the wine if at all possible, it is not failure to partake of the emblems that would destroy one, but rather failure to carry out faithfully the covenant implied in them – the failure to purge out the old leaven of sin, error, selfishness and worldli­ness from his character. Thus, it has been properly stated that new creatures that die impenitent go into the second death.

Despite the tremendous amount of error that crept into !he Church after the Apostles passed away, the Truth as due, and the spirit of the Truth, has always been with God’s faithful people. And while it is probably true that few attained the reward of the High Calling in the interim between the Harvests, we may be cure some did! This then forces the conclusion that they had sufficient for their needs, meager though it may now seem to us who have been blessed with so much “Present Truth” here in the end of the Age. All this is clearly portrayed by the cloudy fiery pillar rest­ing “on the tabernacle” during Israel’s march from Egypt to Canaan. The Tabernacle typed the true Church, and the pillar typed the Truth as due, the picture thus clearly revealing that the true Church always had Truth sufficient for its needs during the wilderness journey of the Gospel Age. And from this we may be equally positive that the due Truth and the spirit of the Truth will continue to prevail until the last of the Elect have finished their course with joy.

But, side by side with this, we may be also equally positive that the unfaith­ful, or the measurably faithful – those who stray from the enlightening influence of that Pillar – will experience measurable darkness, depending on the distance they stray from the light of that Pillar. This is also strikingly displayed in the type: The true priests, who ministered to the Tabernacle itself, would receive full light from the Pillar; the Levites – farther away – would have less light; the Israelites in the Camp nearest to the Tabernacle would have more of that light than those on the outskirts of the Camp. This is very evident to those about us today. The believing and repentant throughout Christendom have a measure of light from the Gospel. Thus, those countries which have enjoyed most religious freedom are the most enlightened. Most of the great inventions, and the major part of the fine art and literature, have come from those countries. Truly, “the entrance of thy word giveth light”!

At times in the type the Pillar seemed to tarry long – so long that the Israel­ites became restive, became involved in various improprieties to the extent that many of them were slain by the resultant plagues that the Lord allowed to come upon them. The same principle has been manifest in the Gospel Age. As the Lord seemed to delay His coming, the Church became impatient, concluded that He intended for them to take things into their own hands, and became condemned according to the words of Isa. 30: 1-3: “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel together, but not of Me.... that go down into Egypt.... to trust in the shadow of Egypt (the re­treats, resources and ways of this present evil world).... Therefore, the trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your confusion.” The boy asked his father, What is a finan­cier? The father’s answer: He’s a man who can get experience without paying for it! Having seen the many mistakes of God’s people over the years, it would seem we should profit by them without receiving the reproof of the ‘plagues” which have plagued many of them. Thus, if the Word seems slow in unfolding, if the “vision” seems to tarry, if the Lord seems to delay, let us not try to take matters into our own hands - as many have done. Those who run ahead of the Lord have always come to grief, as witness the many instances of it here in this Epiphany night. The outstanding example is, of course, “that evil servant, who said in his heart, My Lord delayeth.’’ (Matt. 24:48)

Thus, especially at this particular season it is expedient that each resolve to “wait on the Lord,” knowing that “in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Let us be content to advance when the Pillar advances, and equally content when it seems to tarry long.

To all who faithfully “wait on the Lord,” advancing only when they know what to do, how to do it, and with the providential circumstances to see the thing through to the finish, to such the Lord has promised certain victory. Spiritual Israel is yet fighting a “good fight” – for the Lord, the Truth and the brethren; and for all who do so from “a good and honest heart” there is the strong assurance of victory over sin, error, selfishness and worldliness, and a full inheritance in goodly Canaan land - both now and in the life to come. We herewith send to all our readers the prayer for the Lord’s special blessing in the preparation for, and participation in this year’s “remembrance”; and we would conclude with just a few lines from Reprints, page 4836:

‘‘At the Memorial season all of the consecrated should manifest their love, loyalty, obedience, faithfulness, by symbolizing the Redeemer’s death.... and to remember that none can enter instantaneous perfection in the resurrection until his trial be finished successfully in the present life, and by passing into death.”

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleas­ing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” (Heb. 13:20,21)

Sincerely your brother,

John J. Hoefle, Pilgrim

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – St. Paul admonishes us to “consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself.” (Heb. 12:3) Who are “the sinners” of this text?

ANSWER: – The Bible often furnishes hints or helps that enable us to deduct proper interpretations of difficult texts; and we believe we find in James 5:19, 20 (Dia.) what enables us to define properly the sinners mentioned in the ques­tion. “If any one among you wander from the Truth, and some one turn him back; know you that he who turns back a sinner from his path of error, will save his soul from death.” Here is a clear statement by the Apostle that those who “wander from the Truth” are sinners. This was certainly true of those Scribes and Pharisees, and others in respected position who opposed Jesus. St. Paul says that those were the people who had the “oracles of God committed unto them” (Rom. 3:2); and it is a mat­ter of record that those who were entrusted with the care and preservation of the in­spired writings of the Old Testament were so imbued with their responsibility that they would have defended them with their lives if necessary.

In a broad sense “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19), but the gen­eral sort of evil men everywhere apparent have not only not been given to abuse of true believers, but they often find in them certain admirable qualities which they give lim­ited respect. One such outstanding example is Pilate, who eventually sentenced Jesus to the cross. Yet, in the dialogue that is recorded for that night Pilate asked the question, “Am I a Jew?” (John 18:35) After more questions and answers, Pilate “went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all.” (v. 38) Clearly enough, Pilate was not one of the “sinners” who was contradicting Jesus. Rather, he viewed Him with a detached appraisal that saw in Him much to be admired, and which brought from Pilate the exclamation, “Behold the man!” (John 19:5) Compared with this man, Pilate rated His accusers (the “sinners”) and their “contradiction” as just so much refuse, and they aroused his contempt. But it could certainly not truth­fully be said of Pilate that he had “wandered from the Truth,” because he had never been “in the Truth.”

‘The Lord’s faithful followers today have much the same experiences as He did. “The Lord your God proveth you.” (Deu. 13:2) In proportion as we are able to take our Lord’s viewpoint in our experiences in life, we may be calm. If the Father per­mits trying experiences for our testing, or for the testing or proving of others – in ways we may not understand – it is for us to rejoice to have His will be done - endur­ing the same “contradiction of sinners” as did He. If we faithfully endure to the end, the reward will be ours. If we prove our loyalty and keep our faith that God is supervising our affairs (“I know that Thou hearest Me always,” said Jesus), and that no good thing will be withheld from those who are walking uprightly, we shall some day hear His “Well done.”

Our English word ‘contradiction’ properly translates the original, implying ver­bal contradiction of His words. As we consider our Lord’s case, we see that the people opposed Him, not physically (until that last night and day), but in His words, His teachings. And when such “sinners” ‘contradict’ the Lord’s faithful people, St. Paul counsels that we be not wearied or faint of mind. Such steadfast continuance can but increase our reputation in the Lord’s sight – if we endure faithfully, joy­fully, “in His steps.” Such “sinners” can do us no real or lasting harm – though they may instigate siftings of tares from the wheat, for which they usually blame others than themselves.

And, while the foregoing is primarily applicable to crown-losers, it has also a limited application to Youthful Worthies who “wander from the Truth.” Birds of a feather flock together; so we should properly expect the same class of characters doing the same class of ‘contradicting,’ and encouraging each other in their “contra­dictions.” It is well to emphasize here, however, that all crown-losers - as indivi­duals and as a class - are styled “sinners” in the Bible; but this is definitely not true of all Youthful Worthies. The latter as a class are reckoned as a faithful class, along with the Ancient Worthies and the Little Flock; it is only certain individuals among them who should be viewed in the same light as the “sinners” (in partnership with the crown-losers).

St. James exhorts the faithful Church, “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” Those to whom the Apostle wrote his letter already knew of the sufferings of Jesus; they already knew of the faithfulness of the Apostles; and of St. Stephen and of others who had “spoken in the name of the Lord.” Yet, he is now urging, Look back into the past and see what patient endurance has been displayed by all who had lived holy lives. Such examples should be lessons of encouragement to us, in addition to those we have in the living present. In fact, in Hebrews 12, St. Paul first mentions the “great cloud of witnesses” (the Ancient Worthies – a faithful class) before directing our attention to “Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself.” In like manner we would urge all faithful Youthful Worthy brethren today also to be an “example of suffering affliction, and of patience,” which gives the assurance of cer­tain victory in “the good fight,” and to be partners with the Ancient Worthies in re­ward and service. (See Epiphany Vol. 4, p. 337)

Back in the Parousia days it was logical to look for the antitypical Scribes and Pharisees – the contradicting “sinners” – in Big Babylon, in spiritual Israel – just as Jesus found their types in fleshly Israel, those to whom He came, but who received Him not. They were those who had “wandered from the Truth.” And now especially we find a class in Little Babylon who also have “wandered from the Truth” ­the “sinners” astray on their “path of error”; so we should “think it not strange” if they also are lusty and vociferous in their “contradiction” of the Truth, and of those who faithfully present that Truth. We believe this explanation will commend itself to all who have not “wandered from the Truth.”

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings in our dear Redeemer’s Name!

Your good letter received, and as always the contents are so helpful and encouraging, which means so much to us as we strive daily to serve our dear Master. We want you to know that we held a service commemorating the death of our dear Pastor Russell and dear Brother Johnson. We enjoyed our service and felt that our dear Lord’s presence was with us.

Thank you, Brother, for the reports sent to us. How sad to note such little thought given to our dear Brothers Russell and Johnson – two great servants.

Speaking of the times in which we are living, they do not look good - but soon we know Christ’s Kingdom will be established..... Enclosed is a check for $ for the Truth fund – and may our dear Heavenly Father continue to bless you as only He can bless – and strengthen you in your every effort to serve the dear brethren. Sister joins in sending you and dear Sister Hoefle our warmest Christian love and greetings – also to all the dear ones in Mount Dora.

Your brother and sister by His Grace ------- (NEW JERSEY)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings through our Lord’s Name! I will now answer your good  and interesting letter of the 9th – and am happy to hear about all the good meetings you had with the friends. I was sick for about five weeks – had a cold. A lot of people here are sick.

Will you please send me some more tracts. I gave all the tracts out. Some­one laid one down, so I left it for the minister. I am studying Volumes 9 and 14, and do I find some wonderful things in them! I had a lot of time to study when I was sick.

My prayer is that the good Lord’s rich blessings be with you and all with you.

Your sister in the Truth ------- (PENNSYLVANIA)

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Epiphany Bible Students Ass’n

Dear Sirs! I was very much interested in The Herald of the Epiphany that you sent me. Could I please have another copy for a friend – also one of Where are the Dead.

Sincerely yours, ------- (CONNECTICUT)

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Dear Brother Hoefle: Grace and peace from our Lord and Shepherd!

I sent 5 lbs. to Brother ------- air mail. Dear Brother, read page 13 in The Day of Vengeance .... The New Covenant, His Kingdom will be with the Jews. They will go up to the God of Jacob to learn of His ways. The Ancient Worthies as the princes – the earthly representatives, ........ Must go to work now. Your brother by His Grace ------ (ENGLAND) Psa. 23; Hymn 23, 114 and 109