NO. 563 REFRAIN THY VOICE FROM WEEPING AND THINE EYES FROM TEARS

The Lord through the Prophet Jeremiah sends a message of consolation for the heart of every bereaved parent trusting in Him.  We read: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they were not.  Thus saith the Lord: Refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears, for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.” (Jer. 31:15-17)

Five items in our text fasten our attention:

First: Sorrow for the dead, which is universal; as the Apostle declares, “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together.” (Rom. 8:22)

Second: The nature of the comfort described - the hope of a resurrection, the hope of the recovery of the dead - “They shall come again,” they shall be restored to life.

Third: That in death our dear ones are in “the land of the enemy”; in harmony with the Apostle’s declaration, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:26)

Fourth: That the labors of the parent in endeavoring properly to rear their children are not lost, “Thy work shall be rewarded.”

Fifth: Last but not least in importance in this text is the declaration that this is the Word of the Lord, which cannot be broken - the Word, which is sure of fulfillment, however different it may be from the word of man on this subject.

TEARS NOT WEAKNESS - “JESUS WEPT.”

Sorrow for the dead is not a sign of weakness, but rather the reverse - a sign of love and sympathy, of something more than selfishness.  If any demonstration of this thought were necessary it is furnished us in the statement of the shortest verse in the Bible - “Jesus wept.”  Our Lord’s tears were shed on a funeral occasion, too; Lazarus, His friend, the brother of Martha and Mary, was dead.  Our Lord entered fully into the spirit of the occasion, with a deeper appreciation of the awful meaning of the word death than could possibly be entertained by those about Him.  He appreciated more than any of the fallen, dying race the great blessing and privilege of living, and what a terrible affliction was death - destruction, annihilation.

On the other hand, however, He understood more clearly than any of His hearers the gracious plan of God for the rescue of the race from annihilation.  He realized that for this purpose He had come into the world, that He might give His life as the ransom price for Father Adam, and thus incidentally for every member of the Adamic race involved in death through the first transgression in Eden.  The Master realized from the standpoint of faith in the Father’s plan, and His confident intention to carry out His own part in that plan and to lay down His life as our redemption price, that thus resurrection blessings would come to every member of the race.

“NOT DEAD, BUT SLEEPING”

Let us note carefully the nature of the consolation which our Lord tendered to the sorrowing ones about Him on this occasion.  Let us be assured that “He who spake as never man spake” gave the soundest and best comfort.  The consolation which He gave was that “Lazarus is not dead, but sleepeth.”  He neither spake of him nor thought of him as being dead in the sense of annihilation, because He had full confidence in the Divine Plan of Redemption and in the resurrection blessings resulting.  Hence the interim of death He spoke of as sleep - quiet, restful, waiting sleep.

What a wonderful figure is this, so frequently used throughout the Scriptures by all those who trusted in the Divine Plan of a resurrection morning.  In the Old Testament Scriptures we read frequently of sleep.  Abraham slept with his fathers, so did Isaac, so did Jacob, so did all the Prophets, so did all Israel.

In the New Testament it is the same.  Not only did our Lord speak of Lazarus sleeping, but the Apostles frequently used this same figure of sleep to represent their hope in a resurrection - that the dear ones who went down into death were not annihilated, but, as our text declares, “Will come again from the land of the enemy” - will awaken in the resurrection morning.

Thus, too, of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, it is written that though stoned to death, he “fell asleep,” sweetly, restfully, trusting in Jesus and the great power which He ultimately would exercise to call forth from the power of death all redeemed by the precious blood.  This, too, we remember, was the comfort the Apostle set before the early Church, saying, “Comfort one another with these words” - “They that sleep in Jesus shall God bring from the dead by him.” (1 Thes. 4:14-18)  Referring to the matter on one occasion, the Apostle remarked, “We shall not all sleep, but we must all be changed.”  He referred to those who would be living at the second coming of Christ, whose resurrection “change” will not be preceded by a period of unconsciousness in death.

Let us go back to Jesus and the sorrowing sisters at Bethany, and hearken to the words of comfort extended to the bereaved on that occasion.  We cannot improve upon the great Teacher and the lessons which He presented.  Let us hearken to His conversation with Martha.  He says: “Thy brother shall live again.”  He does not say thy brother is living now.  He did not say, as some erroneously teach today, thy brother is more alive in death than he was before he died.  No!  No!  The Lord would not thus mock the common sense and reason of His hearers, nor could He thus violate the truth and declare the dead not dead.

Hearken!  The Lord admits that a calamity has befallen the household.  He says not a word about His friend Lazarus having gone to Heaven - not an intimation of the sort.  On the contrary, he has tears of sympathy, and holds out as the strongest and only truthful solution of the sorrow, the hope of a resurrection - “Thy brother shall live again!”  The hope of all the dead centers in Me.  My death will effect the cancellation of the original Adamic condemnation, and I shall have the right then in harmony with the Father’s plan to call forth all the dead from the great prison-house of death, from the tomb.  “Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth.” (John 5:23)

THE RESURRECTION MORNING

At the close of His conversation with Martha, explaining that her hope must center in a resurrection of the dead and that He was the center of that resurrection hope, our Lord asked for the tomb, intent upon giving an illustration of the power which by and by in the resurrection morning will be exercised toward the whole world of mankind.  Standing at the door of the tomb, our Lord cried in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” and the dead came forth - he had been dead, he was quickened by our Lord’s power and authority.

This, like our miracles performed by our dear Redeemer at His First Advent, we are particularly told, was a fore-manifestation of His coming glory and power, an advance exhibit of what He will do at His Second Advent, only that the work at the Second Advent will be universal, higher, deeper, broader every way, “All the blind eyes shall be opened and all the deaf ears shall be unstopped”; all that are in their graves shall come forth, not merely to relapse again into blindness and death, but a permanent recovery - not only recovery from the loss of natural sight and hearing, but the eyes and ears of their understanding will be opened also; not merely aroused from a sleep of death to a few years more under present conditions, but aroused to the intent that by obedience of the Divine arrangement of the Millennial Age all the awakened ones may attain to all the glorious perfections, mental, moral and physical, lost by Adam’s disobedience.

“TIMES OF REFRESHING SHALL COME”

Glorious hope of a glorious time.  What wonder that the Apostle speaks of it as “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord when He shall send Jesus Christ.”  What wonder that he speaks of those years of the Millennial Age as “times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21)

Lazarus died again, Jairus’ daughter died again, the son of the widow of Nain died again.  Their awakening from the tomb was merely a temporary matter, merely an illustration of the Lord’s power; as it is written, “These things did Jesus and manifested forth his glory.”  These were merely fore-gleams of the coming power and glory and blessed work of the gracious Prophet, Priest and King whom God had appointed not only to redeem the world, but in due time to grant to all the opportunities secured by that redemption sacrifice.

DEATH, “THE LAND OF THE ENEMY”

We cannot here go into details, but we doubt not that a majority of you have our full thought on this subject as presented in the “Studies in the Scriptures,” in which we endeavor to show amongst other things that the great blessing which will ultimately be for the world of mankind, as well as for the Church, centers in the coming of our Lord and Master, our Redeemer and King, and that the great blessings centering in Him are not merely temporary, but designed of God to be everlasting and eternal to those who accept Divine favors in the right spirit, reverently, thankfully, obediently.

Why should death be called “The land of the enemy?”  Why should it be written, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death?”  All because, disguise the facts as we may, death is an enemy.  The suggestion that it is a friend comes not from the Word of God, but from heathen philosophies.  The suggestion that it is unreal comes not from the Scriptures, but from heathen-dom.  The suggestion that the dead are more alive than they were before they died is totally out of harmony with the Scriptural declaration, “The dead know not anything; their sons come to honor and they know it not, and to dishonor and they perceive it not of them,” because “there is neither wisdom nor knowledge nor device in the grave whither thou goest.” (Job 14:21; Eccl. 9:10)  The suggestion that we deceive ourselves and imagine without reason that the moment of death is the moment of greater life, is of the Adversary, who contradicted the Lord’s statement in Eden to our first parents, and when the Lord had declared, “Ye shall surely die” for your sin, declared in contradiction, “Ye shall not surely die.” (Gen. 3:2-4)

The Adversary has kept up this false teaching for 6,000 years, and at last not only heathendom is deceived by his misrepresentation of facts, but very, very many of Christendom likewise trust to the word of Satan, “Ye shall not surely die,” and believe that the dead are not dead, and reject the testimony of God’s Word that “the wages of sin is death,” that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die,” that “death has passed upon all men because all are sinners,” and that the hope of the Church as well as the hope for the world lies in the fact that Christ died for our sins and redeemed us from the death sentence, and in the Father’s due time is to effect a resurrection of the dead.

THE KEY OF DEATH’S PRISON

Let us comfort our hearts with the true comfort, the substantial comfort of the Word of God - there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust.  All that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth.  The thousands of millions who have gone down into the great prison-house of death shall be released, because the Great Redeemer has the key, the power, the authority, to bid the prisoners to come forth, even as the Scriptures declare.

What a glorious resurrection morning that will be!  What a glorious reunion!  We understand the Scriptural teaching to be that the awakening processes will continue throughout a considerable portion of the Millennial Age, the thousand-year day of resurrection and restitution.  First will come the resurrection of the Church, the “Bride,” the “Lamb’s Wife,” the “Body of Christ.”  These, as the Scriptures declare, will constitute the First Resurrection - not only first in order of time, but first in the sense of chief.  In that company will be none except the saints; as it is written, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the First Resurrection; on such the Second Death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6)  Nevertheless, that will be but a little flock, as the Scriptures declare, including “not many wise, not many great, not many learned, but chiefly the poor of this world, rich in faith, heirs of the Kingdom.” (1 Cor. 1:26,27; James 2:5)

Not long after the First Resurrection (the glorification of the Church), will come the resurrection of the Ancient Worthies - the overcomers of olden times prior to the Gospel Age.  The assurance is that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the holy prophets - yes, all who were approved to God by their faith and their efforts to obedience - will come forth from the tomb to human conditions, glorious, grand, earthly illustrations of the heavenly Creator, to constitute the earthly representatives of the Kingdom, the instructors of mankind.

The instruction of the world will forthwith proceed.  We are assured that “the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep” - to such an extent that “They shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord.”  We cannot stop to describe that glorious time and the grand opportunities it will give to every creature to know the Lord, to obey Him, to attain to resurrection in its full significance - a raising up to mental, moral and physical perfection.

After the Kingdom of God shall have been fully established in the earth, and Satan shall have been bound, after the darkness shall have rolled away and the true light shall have lightened every creature, the time will come for the awakening of all the families of the earth - not all at once, but gradually, “they shall come again from the land of the enemy.”  The Scriptures do not go into details on this subject, they leave much to faith: but give us a firm foundation for that faith, nevertheless, in the positive promise of the Lord’s Word.

THE LAST FIRST, THE FIRST LAST

To our understanding those who have fallen asleep last, will be among the first to be called back from the land of the enemy, to be awakened, and thus the work of awakening the sleeping ones will progress backward, as we might express it; the living ones will prepare for their brothers and sisters and parents, and they in turn for their brothers and sisters and parents, and so on all the way back, until finally Father Adam and Mother Eve shall come forth to see the world filled with their progeny, in accord with the Lord’s original commission that they multiply and fill the earth.

They will behold with astonishment the showers of blessing that have come upon the race from the Heavenly Father and through the Heavenly Savior; they will see what havoc was wrought by their disobedience, but that God in His wisdom and power was both able and willing to overrule the matter and to bring order out of confusion and resurrection out of death.  They and all will realize something of the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of the Love of God.  The grand plan of salvation shall loom up before them; they will see how Abel, their son, who suffered for righteousness, was a type and picture of the great Son of God who suffered for righteousness and for our deliverance, and they will see how his blood shed, speaks forgiveness and renewed harmony with God.

THE TRAGEDY OF SIN AND DEATH

They will learn, too, of the terrible degradation which came upon their race subsequently to their death; they will read with appalled hearts and bated breath of the terrible famines and pestilences which came upon the race as a part of the original sentence or death curse; they will learn about the mental aberrations which afflicted the world, so that men thought they were doing God service in persecuting one another because of religious differences of opinion, and how others, more or less consumed with selfishness, land hunger, etc, warred and fought and devised engines of destruction against each other, and killed one another by the thousands in battle.  They will wonder at the patience of God in so long permitting the evil.

“THY WORK SHALL BE REWARDED”

Then truly they will see what God has wrought: First, His Justice, which provided the great redemption price and would not otherwise clear the guilty.  Second, His Love, manifested in the same connection in the giving of His Son.  Third, they will come to understand how that during this Gospel Age God has been selecting His Church to be the Bride of Christ and joint-heir with Him in the Kingdom.  Fourth, they will perceive that when this election was complete and the members of the glorified company had all been tried and polished and tested and glorified, then the blessing of the world through the glorified Christ, Head and Body, came upon all mankind in the restitution of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:20).

Finally, consider the Lord’s Word to us all as a race, and particularly His word to parents, “Thy work shall be rewarded.”  What a blessing and comfort!  What a consolation and encouragement are in these words to those parents who, seeking to train up their children in the way they should go, are sadly wounded and discouraged when the arrow of death smites down the dear ones they had so loved and cherished.  They are disposed at first to say, Ah, my love, my counsel, my motherly care, my fatherly provision, were wasted.  But not so, saith the Lord; thy works shall be rewarded.

You shall see the fruit of your labor in the future; we shall know as we are known by and by.  Our dear ones will be with us, and to whatever extent time and effort will have been expended upon them to mold and fashion them along the lines of righteousness and truth, uprightness and godliness, these surely have not been spent in vain.  The child shall come forth that much more advanced in its mental and moral development; to that much more easy attainment of the grand heights which the Lord will then open up before it.

HOW REWARDED?

On the other hand, the parent who has been careless of his children, neglectful of his privileges and obligations as a parent, will undoubtedly have his negligence rewarded in the future as he shall see what he might have done for his children but did not.

And more than this.  By a Divine law of reaction, every parent who is faithful in the discharge of his parental duties shall have his work rewarded in himself, and likewise every parent neglectful of his duties shall have his work rewarded in himself.  For who does not realize that there is no greater privilege or opportunity for self-development than comes to the parent in his endeavor to train up his children in the way they should go, in the reverence and admonition of the Lord.

CHARACTER BUILDING IS INCLUDED

Undoubtedly it is true, too, that every effort to do good unto others, especially to your own children, has its compensating blessings upon your own hearts.  May this blessing deepen as the years go by.

In conclusion, I say to you, not only for today, but for the future days, “Comfort one another with these words” of our Lord to the effect that your little ones shall come again from “the land of the enemy,” and that their return shall be even much more blessed, under much more favorable conditions than at present.  Then, the great King reigning, all evil will be in subjection, all evildoers will be under restraint, all the influences of righteousness will be let loose, and the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the great deep.  Blessed prospects are those before us, and to Him who loved us and bought us, and to the Heavenly Father, who designed the great plan, we give everlasting thanks and praises, and show this by our daily lives!

(What Pastor Russell Wrote for the Overland Monthly, Pages 212-217)

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“BLESSED ARE THE MEEK”

“The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

Even a perfect man would need divine guidance in respect to his judgment of matters, in respect to his decisions, in respect to his course, in respect to his ways.  And if a perfect man would need Divine guidance and oversight, in order to make no mistake from his limited degree of knowledge, because of not knowing fully the Father’s will respecting him, much more would an imperfect man need this!  The good and the bad, the wise and the foolish - all classes of mankind - need such instruction.  But there is only one class now in the proper attitude of mind to receive it, and that class is Scripturally called the meek.

We cannot say that the meek are those who feel themselves inferior and that there are superiors to be looked up to, necessarily.  Adam in that event could not have been meek; Jesus could not have been meek; the heavenly Father could not be meek.  While it is not Scripturally stated that the heavenly Father is meek, yet Jesus was meek, and He was the express image of the Father’s person in the flesh.  Hence we would assume that the heavenly Father possesses meekness, in distinction from haughtiness.

GOD RESISTS THE PROUD

Our Lord said, “I am meek and lowly of heart.” Our Lord was meek in that He was teachable.  He realized that even in His perfection there were things to be learned; and He learned obedience through the things which He suffered.  It was because He had this quality of meekness or teachableness that the offer was made to Him to be our Savior.  Without this He never would have been our Redeemer, we may assume.  Without this quality He would have been self-assertive and proud, not ready to do the Father’s will.  And as with the Master, so with the Church.

Even small talents that are rightly directed are more valuable than larger talents that are misdirected.  The pathway of life shows much large talent misdirected for lack of proper knowledge and guidance.  And this lack of guidance, we may assume, has resulted from the lack of the spirit of teachableness - the lack of desire to know the best way, the Father’s way.  We can see that even a heathen man, if he were meek, would have much more opportunity to learn about the Lord’s will than would one who thinks that he is above instruction.  Whoever knows it all to begin with, is not apt to be in a condition to receive any instruction.

The Lord declares that He resists the proud.  Even if they become His children they would be kept at a distance.  If the proud were permitted to come nearer to the Lord, it would make them more proud; whereas, if they are kept at a distance, they may become meek and teachable and humble.  We see then that all need instruction.  But the only ones who are in a position to receive it are those who recognize their need and who are in the attitude to avail themselves of the Lord’s offer of guidance of their judgment, of their way, of their course in life.  Such as avail themselves of the privilege get a proper estimate of everything - of the things of the life present, and also of the things of the life to come.

These are the ones whom the Lord is pleased to instruct and guide in the knowledge of His Son, and into all His blessings.  If they continue to be meek, He is able to make of them heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord.  We read in the Scriptures that the meek shall inherit the earth.  They will inherit it under the terms of the primary and original covenant.  These will be the seed of Abraham.  From these the blessing will go to all mankind who will be obedient during the Millennial reign.  After the final test at the end of the Millennial Age, the whole world will be teachable.  They will have learned the great lesson that God is the Fountain of all Wisdom; and they will have profited by this instruction.

(Reprint 5370, December 15, 1913)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: Will the heathen and others be saved by their ignorance?

ANSWER:    We believe not; for there is no power or anything else good in ignorance to save anyone.  Instead of ignorance being Scripturally a ground for salvation it is Scripturally set forth as a reason for alienation from God. (Eph. 4:18; Hosea 4:6; Rom. 2:12)  Furthermore, the Scriptures show that knowledge is essential to faith and salvation. (Rom. 10:14-17; Acts 4:12)  This is likewise implied in the fact that obtaining salvation presupposes personal acts by the intellect, sensibilities and will, i.e., a matter pertaining to the domain of character, requiring, as it does, on our part the steps of repentance, faith and consecration.  It is for this reason that the Church was commanded to teach, i.e., make others know, that those taught might by their knowledge gain salvation. (Matt. 28:18-20 - also see 2 Peter 1:2,3; 2:2-21)

Indeed the theory that the heathen and others are saved by their ignorance is a patent absurdity - although some good people want to believe they will be thus saved - believing as they do that they will have no opportunity of salvation otherwise.  But, why send missionaries to teach them salvation, if they are saved by ignorance?  According to this theory to teach them would cause most of them - those who will not believe - to be lost who otherwise would have been saved by their ignorance.  So all through the generations of the Gospel Age to preach to them would have been the cause of perdition to almost all who heard the message.  Are we to believe that God who desires that the people may gain life (Ezek. 18:32) is so lacking in common sense and practicability as to institute the office of teaching the Word of God as the means of saving people - when only a comparatively few are saved by that method - when leaving them in ignorance would have resulted in the salvation of all of them.  Manifestly the thought that the heathen are saved by ignorance is unbiblical, unreasonable and unfactual.

Actually the purpose of the Gospel Age is to take out a people for His name.  (See Acts 15:14)  There are comparatively few who become “footstep followers of Jesus,” - as He has said: “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14)  The only “way” open for salvation in this Age is a “narrow way” - becoming footstep followers of Jesus, and bearing “witness to the Truth” as did Jesus. (See John 18:37)  Our Lord said, “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” (Matt. 5:11)  Not many are able to “drink of His cup”: they don’t have sufficient faith; “For all men have not faith.” (2 Thes. 3:2)

After He has selected a people for His Name, He will return, “and will build again the tabernacle of David… That the residue of men might seek after the Lord.” (Acts 15:14-17)  This “people” will bless the residue of mankind, which includes the heathen: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8)  And the seed is expressly mentioned in Gal. 3:29: “And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29)  Instead of a “narrow way” unto life as it is in this Age, there will be a Highway of Holiness. (Isa. 35:8)  “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” (Isa. 35:5)  It will be the reverse of what it is today when “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” (2 Cor. 4:4)  “Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness [error] the people.” (Isa. 60:2)

In the Kingdom there will be no error there: “For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”  His way of saving the residue of mankind in the Millennial Age will be by the power of teaching - and by such teaching enabling them to use for their uplift the restitution processes (Acts 3:21) whereby all may be saved - but only the willing and obedient - and not others - will be saved.  There will be no “night” (error) there. (Rev. 22:5)  (Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 387, April 1988)

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QUESTION: Someone has said that St.Peter must have a higher position than the Lord Jesus because St. Peter has the keys to heaven, whereas the Lord Jesus has the keys to hell.  Where do we find this in the Bible and please explain?

ANSWER:   A “key,” in the symbolism of the Scriptures, is representative of the opening power vested in the one who has been duly authorized to act, just as its sometimes expressed in the vernacular - “He holds the key to the situation.”  St. Peter was given two “keys” (Matt. 16:19), one of which he used on the day of Pentecost when he opened the way for the Jews to enter into the Kingdom by preaching the Gospel of Christ and the Kingdom (Acts 2:22-36).  Three thousand Jews entered in through this opened door (verse 41) on that very day.  The second “key” was used three and one-half years later, when St. Peter opened up the way for the Gentiles to enter into the Kingdom by preaching the Gospel to Cornelius, who, accepting the message, and believing, became the first Gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10:44,45).  In Revelation 1:18 the glorified Savior is represented as speaking, saying “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death.”  The Lord Jesus, by virtue of His death and resurrection, accomplished the redemption of the race of mankind from death and hell - hades, the grave.  Because He thus bought the race, He has the “keys,” the opening power, to release all mankind from the great prison house of death and the tomb, as we read concerning the Lord Jesus - “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me… to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1)  (Question Book, page 783, last question)

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QUESTION: How and to what extent were the Apostles inspired?

ANSWER:    There are some at the present day who believe that modern authors, teachers and poets are as fully inspired as were the Apostles.  Even some clergymen apparently have the thought that they themselves are as authentic and reliable authorities, and should be regarded as such.  If this view is the right one, then inspiration is a cheap article, and wholly unreliable when we reflect upon the many conflicting theories and doctrines that have been promulgated by modern theological authorities.  The Apostle Peter, in referring to the inspiration of the Sacred Writers, declares that “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)  That is to say, God’s holy power or influence operating upon the minds of the Prophets caused them to speak and to write of future things in relationship to the Divine purposes, which even they themselves did not understand (Dan. 12:8,9).  The Apostles likewise were caused to write of matters that would be necessary to the spiritual interests and welfare of the Lord’s people in after times (2 Tim. 3:16,17).  Plenary inspiration has not existed since the days of our Lord and the Apostles, and is not needed, as the Scriptures are complete and sufficient of themselves.  (Question Book, page 787, last question)

NO. 562 THE LAW OF MOSES - PART TWO

The Scriptural analysis of The Law of Moses is much more extensive than we had anticipated, believing at the outset that one paper would be sufficient; but later events have determined us to now offer the second paper on the subject.  So we proceed with an analysis of the 2nd Chapter of Galatians:

“I went up [to Jerusalem] by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preached among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation [the other Apostles], lest by any means I should run or had run, in vain. (v.2)  But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised [not being under the Law of Moses]: (v. 3)

“And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus [freedom from the Law of Moses], that they might bring us into bondage. (v. 4)  To whom not even for an hour did we yield by submission; in order that the truth of the glad tidings might remain with you, not entangled again with the yoke of bondage [yoke of the Law of Moses - v. 5, Diaglott translation: also see Gal. 5:1,13]

“Those who seemed to be… somewhat in conference added nothing to me: (v. 6) but contrariwise, when they saw the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me [freedom from the Law of Moses], as the gospel of circumcision was unto Peter; (v. 7)  (For he [the Lord] that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision [the Jews], the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles): (v. 8)

“And when James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship [knowing that these two were preaching freedom from the Law of Moses]; that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision. (v. 9)

“When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face in that he was to be blamed [v. 11 - for trying to make distinction between the Jews, under the Law, and the Gentiles, who were not under the Law].  Before certain persons came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself [forgetting the truths he learned at the time of the conversion of Cornelius - Acts 10:44-48], fearing them which were of the circumcision. (v. 12)

“And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. (v. 13)  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel [that the Gentiles were not then, and never had been under the Law], I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? [v. 14 - Paul had a very fine logical mind, and he was emphatically demonstrating it here.]

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. [v. 16 - There could be no plainer words to express this truth.]  I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. [v. 19 - “We walk by faith.”]  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me [“I can do all thing through Christ which strengtheneth me.”]: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (v. 20)  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (v. 21 - No need for a savior if we are already justified by the works of the Law.)

There are numerous other Scriptures that could be given here, but we believe the foregoing are quite sufficient to any one reading without prejudice.  Jesus and the Apostles are very clear in enumerating what our conduct should be - covering the moral concepts of the Ten Commandments - but they never at any time said that we should keep the Ten Commandments, which would have all the sins we should not commit.  Nor is our purpose to tell any one they should not keep the moral laws of the Ten Commandments (ten words) as best they can, just as did the faithful Jews, because it is a perfect law.  However, keeping Saturday, or the Sabbath, is not a moral law - although it would be well for us to keep a day out of every seven to rest and have more time for the worship and study of God’s word.  There is no emphasis by Jesus or the Apostles to “keep the sabbath day holy,” although Jesus was born under the Law and He kept the Sabbath, as well as all the Ten Commandments, as only a perfect man could do.  But the Pharisees criticized Him, saying that He broke the Sabbath.

CONCERNING THE SABBATH

In the fourth Word of the Decalogue we are told, “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.” (Ex. 20:8-11)  Thus, it needs no argument that the Sabbath is an indispensable part of the Ten Words.  And, if the other nine Words are binding upon us (Gentiles and Christianized Jews), then this fourth Word is also binding upon us.  But here again, we find no place in the New Testament where we are commanded to keep the Sabbath.  Nor is there any record that the Apostles kept it after the departure of Jesus.  In fact, no Commandment was given by Jesus or the Apostles to the Church to keep the Sabbath.

But the record is very clear that the Apostles and others did observe Sunday in much the same manner as the Jews attempted to keep the Sabbath, although, even here, none of them advocated the exacting restrictions for Sunday that the Jews had been doing for Saturday.  However, it is very clearly of record that this fourth Word was creating some uproar among the early Christians, which prompted the Apostle Paul to write:  “Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day… or of the sabbath days.” (Col. 2:16)  In 1 Cor. 16:2 there is something that clearly militates against the Saturday Sabbath: “The first day of the week [Sunday] let every one of you lay by him in store,” etc.  Also, Acts 20:7: “The first day of the week [Sunday] the disciples came together to break bread.”

Furthermore, Rom. 14:5: “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike.  Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”  Some Christians have what is almost a fanatical obsession about observing Saturday as the Sabbath; but it should be clear enough from these Scriptures that the Apostle Paul was not one of them.  However, we would not advise vituperative wrangling with those who hold to Saturday; rather, we would lay hold upon Paul’s words “esteem every day alike.”  We believe this is sound solid ground for all who name the name of Christ in sincerity and in Truth, although we are very much in favor of having at least one day each week - Saturday if you like; Sunday if you like - for rest from physical labor or business, a recognized arrangement throughout every sect of Christendom.

So strongly had this Sunday observance become fixed in the minds of the Christian world, that it had become impossible to dislodge it.  After the French Revolution, which followed rapidly upon the heels of the American Revolution, the atheistic revolutionaries determined to obliterate every vestige of Christianity, so they decreed a ten-day week; but they soon learned that their ten-day week was fully unworkable; and the French are now back on the seven-day week and the general observance of Sunday as the day of rest.

Not only do we have seven days in a week, but we also have seven churches and seven spirits (Rev. 1:4; 3:1); seven seals (Rev. 5:1); seven horns and seven eyes (Rev. 5:6); seven trumpets (Rev. 8:2); seven thunders (Rev. 10:3); seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1); and seven vials (Rev. 21:9).  From all these citations it should be apparent that the figure seven is a Divine number, and should not quickly be set aside in any of our calculations.

And, in a final effort to stop all argument about this matter, we now quote Rev. 1:10: “I [John the Apostle] was in the spirit on the Lord’s day” - not Saturday, but Sunday.  And this is that “disciple whom Jesus loved,” who was reclining in His bosom on that last night when He gave those sweeping instructions to His “friends.”  Indeed, to the Christian every day is Sabbath, every day should be used as holy to the Lord, and nothing should at any time be done contrary to the Divine will or the principles of righteousness and the Divine government.  Jesus’ declaration that He was Lord of the Sabbath reminds us afresh of St. Paul’s declaration that God the Father rested from His work on the seventh day; He left the work entirely for Jesus to do.  The seventh day of Jehovah’s rest was one of the great days of the creative weeks, each being seven thousand years long.  “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” (Heb. 4:10)  And those who have thus entered will have “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding” - and He shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)

SOME TELLING COMPARISONS

It needs little argument that the Law of Moses is among the most prominent of Old Testament teachings, the Ten Commandments being the central point of this Law.  And with this great truth staring us in the face, is it not most strange that the Ten Commandments - as such - are not even mentioned in the New Testament?  It is true that Jesus referred to them when He speaks of the Law; and they are indirectly recognized in a few other instances, but without specific declaration of the Ten Commandments.  Is it indeed not strange that Jesus would have definitely stressed them, had it been the Divine purpose that we are now judged by the Ten Commandments as was true with the Jews in the Old Testament?  Yet we have this in John 14:21: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth me.”  And the question properly injects itself here: What are His Commandments?

Before discussing His Commandments, we would stress once more that the Law given to Israel at Mount Sinai, and summarized in the Ten “Words,” was not given to any other nation or people.  However, we would emphasize that it is upon the Jew still (excepting those that have accepted Jesus and become Christians), and is a bondage upon them only because it was made a part of God’s Covenant with that nation.  That Covenant was to give them certain special and exclusive blessings if they would keep it; and certain punishments if they would not keep it.  As to the Gentiles, they have been more or less a Law unto themselves, regulated somewhat by the exacting laws of nature, and the sins of the fathers have been visited upon the third and fourth generation (Ex. 20:5).  Most of us have witnessed some of the terrible results of such visitation, but we shall not discuss them here.

However, we make note here once more that none of the Jews received the blessings promised by that Law because none of them could keep it, try as some of them honestly did.  St. Paul says of himself that he was “a Pharisee of the Pharisees”; and of the three prominent sects in Israel - the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essenes - the Pharisees were most zealous in their attempt to keep the Law.  But, as the great Apostle says of himself - What he thought was life unto life for him, proved death unto death unto him.  Thus, we find in his writings, as above described, why he was so outspoken in his discussions regarding the inability of the Jews to keep that Law.  And Jesus Himself had said unto them, “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?” (John 7:19)  But we would add here also that those Ancient Worthies who strove faithfully and loyally to keep the Law will in due time receive their reward therefor. (Heb 11:38-40)

THREE COMMANDMENTS FOR CHRISTIANS

Followers of Jesus from amongst the Gentiles, true Christians, never were under the Law of Moses.  Such come into God’s family under a different covenant - the one which reads, “Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5)  Jesus, after keeping fully all the conditions and requirements of the Law Covenant - under which He was born - was permitted to respond to this Covenant of Sacrifice.  He was the first, the Chief, the Head of the Household of Saints who entered into this covenant of sacrifice with God agreeing to sacrifice His earthly life and all its rights in the doing of the Father’s will even unto death.  It was His faithfulness in this that gained for Him the better resurrection to glory, honor and immortality.

THE FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDS

Speaking of the spirit of the Law, applicable to angels, to the world of mankind, and to Christians, Jesus declared it to be briefly comprehended in two commandments.  The first of these is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, being and strength.”  The second is, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Every Christian and every angel recognizes that law and feels a responsibility to it to the extent of his ability; but neither angels nor Christians are under the Law Covenant - that Covenant was made only with the nation of Israel.

Every follower of Jesus should realize that if he has enlisted under the banner of Divine righteousness and truth, he has pledged his very life in this service as a soldier of the cross.  How then could he do less than his very best in loving and serving his heavenly Father with his mind, being and strength?  How could he decline the Divine requirement to love his neighbor as himself - to be kind, generous, and not selfish?  True, he may find difficulty in devoting all of his mind and strength to the Lord, and in dealing in perfect fairness with all his fellow-creatures.  But this is the true Christian’s desire and intention; and to accomplish this he must strive daily, and war a good warfare against his inherited and acquired weakness.

OUR THIRD COMMANDMENT

At first it might appear that the two commandments mentioned above include everything that could be required by justice; and so they do.  Justice requires nothing more than what these two commands include.  Why then a third one, a new one over and above anything required by justice?  In answer we would reply that this third commandment is only to those who become the disciples of Jesus.  He voluntarily put this regulation upon Himself, and offered His life sacrificially, something that was not justly required of Him.

Jesus, therefore, did more than the Mosaic Law required of Him.  Therefore, when explaining to His disciples what would be required of them - something which would grant them a share in His Kingdom - He declared a third commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34)  This was a part of His last comments to them the night before He died on the cross.  St. Paul points out that Christ loved us to the extent of dying for us - “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends.” (John 15:13,14)  Thus all of the true followers of Jesus, Christians to the fullest degree, should likewise count it a joy and a privilege to lay down their lives in the service of their brethren.  “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)  “We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16, Dia.)

This commandment goes far beyond the requirements of the Mosaic Law, a law of strict justice toward all men.  But toward those of our brethren in the Household of Faith we must go beyond the strict requirements of justice.  We are to love them, as He loved us, and gave Himself for us.  This may at first seem an easy matter; but, when we consider that “not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called [to be “footstep followers”]… but God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:26,27); then it becomes much easier for us to understand this third commandment.  Jesus Himself was far superior to those humble fishermen He had attracted unto Himself; yet St. Paul tells us, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Heb. 2:11)  “Hereby we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14)  This sort of conduct is not even mentioned in the Law at all.  The Ten Commandments are a very far step below the “new commandment,” which Jesus gave the night before He died; and a proper appraisal of this point will enable us readily to analyze properly the Law of Moses and place it in proper perspective with the “new commandment” given us by Jesus.  We must remember that a faithful Christian not only keeps the moral laws of the Ten Commandments to the best of his ability, but in addition to that he should live above the Law of justice, sacrificing his all in the service of the Lord, the Truth and the brethren.  No one is commanded to do that except those who have made a “covenant by sacrifice” with God.

GOD’S GREAT COVENANTS

The Old Testament offers three great covenants between God and man.  The first of these was the oath-bound covenant made with Abraham: “By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, because… thou hast not withheld thy son… In blessing I will bless thee… thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the seashore… And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:16-18)  Of the three covenants, this one is the only unilateral covenant.  Herein God promises to do certain things without demanding any agreement of price or cooperation.  Also, we should keep in mind that at the time this covenant was declared there was no written Bible.  That did not come until Sinai, the Law Covenant made with Moses as Mediator.  And the third is the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34).  Thus, Abraham had no written precedent for what he did, but did so simply because the Angel of God told him to do it.

St. Paul writes of Abraham that he was “the father of the faithful” (Rom. 4:16), and that faith would be the justifier of all who followed in his steps.  Also in Rom. 4:15 the same Apostle says, “the Law [of Moses] worketh wrath” to all who seek justification under it.  Paul eulogizes this unilateral covenant with Abraham (which should eventually bless us all through faith): “When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee.” (Heb. 6:13,14)

But there was some purpose in the Law Covenant, and let us not overlook that.  It not only manifested the pathetic weakness of the Jews, but it also provided certain typical transactions and prophecies, which benefited the Jews; but benefited even moreso those who would accept Jesus - become Christians - during this Gospel Age.

The Abrahamic Covenant needed no mediator; it was uni-lateral and self-sufficient.  But such was not the case with the Law Covenant.  Moses mediated that covenant, because it offered certain advantages to the Jews, as it also required from them certain compliances - which they promised to do, but were unable to comply because of their inherited weaknesses.  Moses, great intellect and grand character that he was, recognized this vaguely; and St. Peter comments on this in Acts 3:22,23: “Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me [Jesus primarily, and those who would truthfully and faithfully join His Christian army]; him shall ye hear.”  That “prophet” has been developing during this Gospel Age, but will not become operative in its grandest fullest sense until the New Covenant is established, with the Christ as Mediator - a better, a perfect antitype of Moses at Sinai.

The New Covenant will have a Mediator until all Adam’s race will have been perfected physically.  At the beginning of the Little Season the Mediator will step out and the perfected race will stand trial for life or death as did Adam.  All found worthy of eternal life will be a king - “inherit the kingdom.” (Matt. 25:34)  That Kingdom which begins at the start of the Millennial reign under the New Covenant, will continue throughout all eternity.  There will be no need of an additional New Covenant after the earth is restored to its Edenic condition - just as there would have been no need of any other Covenants if Adam had not violated his obligation in Eden; God had emphatically told him, “In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.”  But when the New Covenant has accomplished its purpose, “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, or crying… for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)

 However, during the progress of that reign, until it has fully accomplished its purposes, the world will be under a Mediator, exactly as was the case with Israel, except that the Mediator of the New Covenant will accomplish what Moses could not do.  Then, “The spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)  During the Mediatorial reign the Mediator that is better than Moses will have absolute control of the whole human family.  It will be an absolute monarchy; but a benevolent monarchy.  “There shall be no night  [error] there… The Lord giveth them light.” (Rev. 22:5)

SUMMARY OF THE THREE GREAT COVENANTS

As stated, the Abrahamic Covenant is first in order of time and importance. (Gen. 12:1-3)  This covenant has two parts. The first applies to the spiritual seed of Abraham, the Christ, Head and Body, the antitype of Isaac.  “We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise” (Gal. 4:28); or, as shown in another figure of Isaac and Rebecca.  These are the spiritual seed of promise of Abraham, not the fleshly seed.

The second part of that covenant applies to the world of mankind - “all the families of the earth.”  These are to be blessed by the spiritual seed with an opportunity of becoming Abraham’s natural seed and heirs with him of the earth and the fullness thereof.  The conditions upon which they may obtain God’s favor, and a restitution to all that was lost, are that they shall exercise faith, and render obedience to the Divine provision which shall be represented in Messiah’s Kingdom when it shall be inaugurated.

The seed of Abraham - Jesus and the Church, His Body - is the legitimate heir of this Abrahamic Covenant, wholly regardless of the Law Covenant, which was made with Israel at Sinai, or of the New Law Covenant that is to be made with Israel at the close of the Gospel Age after Jacob’s Trouble has run its full course, and the new Kingdom is officially declared at Jerusalem.  As stated, the Law Covenant and the New Covenant are essentially different from the Abrahamic Covenant in that the Abrahamic Covenant, the first covenant, is unilateral, whereas the last two are bilateral, a fact that is well to keep in mind at all times.  Also, the Abrahamic Covenant had no mediator; but the Law Covenant had Moses as its mediator, and the New Law Covenant will have Messiah, the spiritual heir of the Abrahamic Covenant, as its Mediator.

The Abrahamic Covenant needed no mediator; for there are no terms and conditions upon which to base a mediation.  In it God merely declared His purpose to develop a seed of Abraham by certain selective processes of His own, and to bless and honor this seed in connection with the remainder of mankind.  This selective seed of Abraham, as the Apostle points out, is Christ and the Church - God’s elect. (Gal. 3:8,16,29; Rom. 8:29,30)  This selective process proceeded during this entire Gospel Age; and, we believe, has now reached its completion.

SECOND AND THIRD COVENANTS - TYPE AND ANTITYPE

The second covenant in order of time was the Law Covenant. (Ex. 19:3-8)  It was an addition to the Abrahamic Covenant, which addition, however, did not interfere with the original covenant.  It was typical - typical mediator (Moses), typical sacrifices of bulls and goats, a typical Atonement Day, a typical Holy and Most Holy in the tabernacle made with hands.

The third and last is the New Law Covenant - to be instituted in the future. (Heb. 8:6-13)  This will not set aside, or make null or void, the original Abrahamic Covenant of grace, any more than could the Law Covenant of Sinai.  However, the New Law Covenant cannot be introduced, sealed, made operative, until the Abrahamic Covenant shall have produced the seed of Abraham and invested Him with glory, honor and Divine majesty.  Then this antitypical Moses - the Christ complete, Head and Body - will mediate between God and the world of mankind for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4)  The basis of this New Covenant’s blessings will be the merit of Jesus (the Messiah) - as against the blood of bulls and goats in the Law Covenant.  But this merit will not become operative and institute restitution (Acts 3:19-21) until first the completion of the entire seed of Abraham, Head and Body, shall be complete; and it cannot be completed until all the sacrificing has been done - in exact duplication of the sacrifices of the Law Covenant.  In this New Covenant the Head was completed two thousand years ago - typified by the bullock of the Atonement Day sacrifices of Israel.  The sacrifice of the antitypical goat (Lev. 16:8 - “one goat for the Lord” - the Little Flock, His Body) has been going on all during this Age since the year A.D. 33, which we believe is now completed.

In time, after this sacrificing has been completed there will be ushered in the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom.  “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” These blessings will be secured to mankind by the great Mediator’s application of His sacrifice on their behalf.  Then the Lord’s Prayer will have its answer!  “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it.” (Isa. 9:7)  Then indeed it will be, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

MORE ON THE SEVENTH DAY:  Reasonable people, regardless of their religious convictions, are ready to admit the wisdom, the expediency, yea, the necessity, for a Sabbath day, a day of rest once a week.  But those of us who are not Jews by nature and not under the Law Covenant are not bound by its limitation that the Sabbath should be on the seventh day of the week.  Indeed, neither Jesus nor the Apostles ever placed the Gospel Church under the Law Covenant at all.  They tell us that those under it were the “house of servants” in bondage, and that we are the “house of sons,” if we “stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.”

This does not mean liberty or freedom to do wrong.  But since Christians are not limited to the land of Israel, it leaves us free to follow the spirit of the Law rather then its letter.  This is true of the entire Ten Commandments, as well as of the fourth.  The Heavenly Father does not address His children of the Gospel Age with commandments not to kill, not to steal, etc., because such commandments of them would be unnecessary.  They love God and reverence Him alone, and would not think of homaging images, nor of profaning the Holy Name, nor of doing injury to a neighbor or a brother.  Faithful Christians’ love for God would lead them to honor His Name, to serve His Cause.  And their love for their neighbor as for themselves would prompt them to render him service - “doing good unto all men as we have opportunity, especially to the Household of Faith.” (Gal. 6:10)  All the faithful in other groups also are of the Household of Faith, and therefore are our brethren, regardless of our differences of opinion regarding the Word of God.  This love, the Apostle assures us, is the fulfillment of the Law, so far as we are concerned - the fulfilling of the spirit of the Law - for “ye are not under the Law [Covenant], but under [the] Grace [Covenant].” (Rom. 6:14; Gal. 3:29)

There is this in the Studies in the Scriptures, Volume One, p. 45: “The Decalogue is a brief synopsis of the whole law.  Those Ten Commandments enjoin a code of worship and morals that must strike every student as remarkable; and if never before known, and now found among the ruins and relics of Greece, or Rome, or Babylon (nations which have risen and fallen again, long since those laws were given), they would be regarded as marvelous if not supernatural.  But familiarity with them and their claims has begotten measurable indifference, so that their real greatness is unnoticed except by the few.  True, those commandments do not teach of Christ; but they were given, not to Christians, but to the Hebrews; not to teach faith in a ransom, but to convince men of their sinful state, and need of a ransom.  And the substance of those commandments was grandly epitomized by the illustrious founder of Christianity, in the words: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength’; and ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ (Mark 12:30,31)”

In this connection, we consider a little more from Col. 2:14, Dia.:  “ordinances which was against us.”  We stress here that the us in this text refers exclusively to the Jews, and to no others.  But to those who accepted Christ that “handwriting” was lifted from them, although it did not do so to those Jews who refused to accept Him.  Thus those Ten Commandments were not abolished, nor will they ever be abolished.  When the New Covenant is inaugurated, those same ten Words will be the basis for that Covenant.  During that Kingdom, “He shall send Jesus Christ… Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (See Acts 3:19-21)  Mankind will then be fully able to keep that Law, because they will have perfect bodies and minds before they are required to do so - exactly as was Adam before his transgression, and exactly as was Jesus when He was here.  So when He said, I come to “fulfill the Law,” He was telling us that He could do it; but at no time did He ever tell His Disciples that they too should keep the Law, because He knew they were unable to do so.

It is our fond hope that our two      articles on the Law of Moses have been informative and a blessing to all our readers.  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING,” (Prov. 3:5)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 435, August 1992)

NO. 561 THE LAW OF MOSES - PART ONE

In Luke 24:44 Jesus expresses the three component parts of the Old Testament: the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.  By the Law Jesus meant the writings of Moses - the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament.  By the Prophets He meant the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. (the Prophets being subdivided into the Major and the Minor prophets).  And by the Psalms He meant the Psalms, the Book of Job, Proverbs, etc., the same being the more or less sentimental writings; and we believe that all of us will agree that there is much of sentiment in those writings.

To digress here just a little, we would offer the four component parts of the New Testament: the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John); the Acts of the Apostles; the Epistles (beginning with Romans and ending with the letter by Jude); and the Apocalypse (Revelation).  Thus we have pointed out to us the seven parts of the Bible, the seven revealing the Divine origin of the inspired writings, which we designate as the Bible.

MORE SPECIFIC DETAIL

Many good Christian people regard THE LAW as a reference to the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God, as set out in the 20th Chapter of Exodus, vs. 2 through 17.  This is definitely true, of course; but in Psalms 119:97 there is this: “O how I love thy law!  It is my meditation all the day.”  The Law here, however, embraces much more than the Ten Commandments.  It refers to the entire Bible, which is indeed the meditation of all true believers.  Next, it would refer to that part of the Bible as expressed by Jesus - the first five books of the Bible; then in the very narrow sense, the Ten Commandments.  The revelatory and strictly religious features of the Law have their beginning in Exodus 12, where the Passover was instituted, and which definitely ends that period from the Covenant with Abraham to the Exodus - a period of four hundred and thirty years. (Gal. 3:17)  The minute exactness of this period is stressed in Ex. 12:51: “It came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.”  And here we have the beginning of the Law - begun by the Passover and elaborated in great detail in the remainder of the Pentateuch.  It is well we keep this in mind in all our studies of this subject.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Many sincere people consider the Ten Commandments as the Law of Moses; but they are just the nucleus of that Law.  The Ten Commandments are the mandatory feature of the Law of Moses - divided into parts, “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not.”  The secondary part of the Law of Moses is the Ceremonial features which was much more extensive, much more complicated, and much less understood - although we would stress here that the mandatory features of that Law are also greatly misunderstood by many sincere people.

In Lev. 18:5 the Lord said unto Moses: “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them.”  This was certainly welcome news to the Jews; they would continue to live if they kept that law, and that they promised to do.  They did not realize that this was a perfect Law, which as imperfect beings, they were totally unable to keep.  When Jesus began His ministry at the age of thirty, the Jews shortly began to accuse Him of ignoring, or setting aside, this Law which was so sacred to them.  And in response, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matt 5:17)  And this He did fulfil (fill full that Law); but the Jews did not recognize that He was perfect, and could keep that perfect law, which they were unable to do.  Thus, the best of them, those who very earnestly endeavored to keep that Law, continued to die; and this is a vivid proof to the unbiased mind that they were unable to keep that Law.

The Law is set forth in the 20th Chapter of Exodus, vs. 2 through 17.  In referring to this section of Scripture the word commandment is not strictly correct.  In Hebrew it is properly given as word; thus, the first word, the second word, etc.  As a brief summary, we would express the first word thus: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  And the second word: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.”  The third word: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”  The fourth: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

The second table of the Law begins with the fifth word: “Honor thy father and thy mother”; the sixth word: “Thou shalt not kill”; the seventh, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”; the eighth, “Thou shalt not steal”; the ninth, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”; and the tenth, “Thou shalt not covet.”  Much elaboration could be offered on the foregoing, but that is not primarily the purpose of this writing.

As most of our readers know, we often become involved in extensive controversy regarding our understanding of the interpretation of the Scriptures; and these ten words are no exception.  Just recently we became involved with a Brother about these words, and especially so on the one concerning “The sabbath day.”  And our main reason now for writing this article is to help our readers to a better understanding of this subject.  Thus we reproduce some of the questions involved, with our answers, in the hope that our readers will profit thereby.  But before proceeding, we would offer the opinion that the Ten Commandments (words) are a grand law of justice, since they embrace every duty of God’s creatures to Him and to one another - perfection from every standpoint - and this does indeed prove them to be the inspired word of God.  And believing this, it should immediately become apparent that in nowise do we wish to abrogate - or even mitigate - any part of those ten words.

Now, for some of the questions: “Doesn’t your belief in the Creation Week help the evolutionists in their false teachings, since it does away with the Sabbath?”

Answer: Regarding the Ten Commandments, it seems we have a little different understanding on that - although you believe in them, even as I do.  But no man has been able to keep the Ten Commandments - neither the Jew nor the Christian.  Only the perfect man Jesus was able to keep a perfect law.  Paul says, “having blotted out what was written by hand [the two tables of the Law, the Ten Commandments] in ordinances which was against us, and has removed it from our midst, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col. 2:14, Dia.)  We know the Jews were able to keep the ceremonial features, because the High Priest was told to do it all exactly as Moses gave it that he die not.  And there is no record that any of the High Priests died because of failure to perform the ceremonial features - regardless of their moral delinquencies.  However, the Ten Commandments were the written Law, but not the ceremonial features.  The latter were all given orally to Moses.

Moses told the Jews that they would live if they kept the Law (Lev. 18:5); but they soon learned that they could not keep the Ten Commandments, because they all continued to die.  Jesus, being perfect, was able to keep the Law, and proved it by what He did; He knew that we could not keep it - thus He nailed it to His cross.  St Paul writes, “I was alive without the Law once [in the Abrahamic Covenant]: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” (Rom 7:9)  St. Paul says, “Do we then make void the law through faith.” (Rom. 3:31)  In answer to this we quote from Rom. 10:4: “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”  Also, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom. 13:10)  If our life is motivated by love for God and love for man, we are fulfilling the law, which is the same for all who “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1)

We are in full agreement that we should keep the Law to the best of our ability, because it is a perfect law.  All these moral laws are incorporated in the New Testament, however, but there is nothing said about keeping the Ten Commandments.  Should we fall short on any of them through weakness of the flesh, we should immediately go to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need. (Heb. 4:16)  At the same time we are fully convinced that none of us have the ability to keep a perfect law - although we can keep it in spirit.  As Gentiles, we were never under the Mosaic Law; therefore, when Jesus “nailed it to His cross” it was only for the Jews that He did that; and He did that only for those Jews that became Christians - footstep followers of Him.  All other believing Jews are still under that law, but none of them can keep it; that is why they all continue to die.  “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments; which if a man do he shall live in them: I am the Lord.” (Lev. 18:5)  And those Jews who kept the Law as best they could were blessed.

Some of those Jewish heroes are mentioned in Chapter 11 of Hebrews, but there is nothing said about their having kept the Law.  In fact, some of them lived many years before the law even appeared.  It is clearly stressed that they were victors “by faith.”  Also, some of them mentioned grossly violated the law, but later repented.  Consider, for instance, the case of David.  The Law was then here and David knew it, yet he grievously violated it.  But the Apostle Paul includes his name with the heroes of the Old Testament.  David’s heart was always right before God, but not toward man. (1 Kings 11:4; 15:5; 1 Sam. 13:14)  But there is no doubt that he had that “godly sorrow that worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” (2 Cor. 7:10)  The same with Rahab, the harlot, whose life was a gross violation of the law, yet her faith in the God of the Hebrews places her in the select company of the Old Testament heroes. (Heb. 11:31)  So they lived “above the Law” in many respects, and “by faith” and repentance because of their fleshly weakness in violating the perfect law, were reinstated in the “Household of Faith.”

In the third and fourth chapters of Galatians St. Paul treats of this subject in some detail; and in Gal. 3:22-24 he tells us that we are saved by faith, not by keeping the Law.  “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.  Then (v. 25): “But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”  Here is a very clear and plain statement by a one time Jew, that “we [the Jews who accept Christ by faith] are no longer under a schoolmaster.”  However, those faithful Jews who are mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11 lived above the law: they lived by faith, although punished when they violated the Law, as in the case of David.

Here we cite Martin Luther’s fundamental doctrine (by which he mutilated the Roman Church): “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” (Rom. 5:1)  He had the same difference with the Roman Catholic Church that we have with those who believe they can be saved by works.  That Church contended that we are saved by works; whereas, Luther correctly contended we are saved “by faith” and no longer under a schoolmaster (the Law).

  Note also this very pertinent Scripture on this subject: “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:13-18)  And 1 Kings 8:6-9: “The priests brought in the ark of the Covenant of the Lord unto his place… There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel.”  And so it will be when the New Covenant is inaugurated in Christ’s Kingdom. (Jer. 31:31-33)  This Scripture (1 Kings 8:6-9) relates to the dedication of Solomon’s Temple; and makes very clear what St. Paul meant when he stated what he did in Col. 2:14 - “the handwriting of ordinances.”  He is referring clearly and specifically to the two tables of the Law that ONLY were in the Ark when the Temple was dedicated.

Today many sincere people believe they are saved by works for a good cause.  And many unsavory characters are highly praised for their “works of charity.”  The Jehovah’s Witnesses tell their dedicated devotees (many of whom have our good opinion) that if they are faithful in serving so many hours a day or week, they will be chiefs in the Kingdom.  At one time they told them they will live right on through to the Kingdom, but have softened that somewhat, as many of their faithful followers have since died.

By the foregoing statements we would not have our readers believe that those who have faith are to sit idly down and do nothing but have faith in our Lord and in God.  “I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)  And that is our position, as all who have true animated faith will do with their might what their hands find to do.  They will demonstrate their faith by their works.  But faith cometh first!  Every man should be able to “give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear [reverence].” (1 Peter 3:15)

During this Gospel Age it is a “narrow way” that leadeth unto life; and, as Jesus said, “Few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14)  But, when the New Covenant is inaugurated (Jer. 31:31) - made with the Jews just as the Law Covenant was made - all will be given a chance to walk up the Highway of Holiness (an easy way compared with the “narrow way” now operating).  And all nations will be blessed by this Covenant as soon as they come under it and comply with its terms.  The “narrow way” during the Gospel Age is a call: “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24 - also see verses 25-30)  In the Kingdom it will not be a call but a command, if they get life.

Question: “When St. Paul told the Jews ‘we are free’ in Christ, is there anything here that says the Jews were not obligated to keep the Law - the Ten Commandments?  Or was he referring to the Ceremonial Law?”

Answer:   By this question we would not infer that the Brother is not sincere in his query, but sincerity alone is not sufficient.  When the nations went at each others’ throats - as they did in 1914 - there is no doubt at all in our mind that many were sincere on both sides.  However, at least one side had to be wrong; and some prominent individuals have contended that both sides were wrong.  But the latter point we do not argue.  We now confine ourselves specifically to one expression by St. Paul in Col. 2:14: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

Now follows this same text from a more exact translation: “Having blotted out what was written by hand in ordinances which was against us, and has removed it from our midst, having nailed it to the cross.”  Let us stress here that the ONLY part of the Law that was written by God’s hand was the Ten Commandments - contained on two tables of stone - and nothing else.  The ceremonial law was all given orally to Moses; none of it was written by God’s hand. (Ex. 31:18; 24:12; Deut. 9:10)

As said above, when the Ark was placed in Solomon’s Temple, the only thing it contained was the two tables of the Law - written by God’s hand. (1 Kings 8:6-9)  Aaron’s rod that budded, and the golden pot of manna were no longer in the Ark.  This is to tell us that God’s eternal law - the Ten Commandments - will be perfectly implanted into human hearts and minds “in due time.” (Jer. 31:33)  Solomon’s Temple in this picture is a replica of what shall be when the “living temple” of God is established in the earth.  But for the present - and because of our frailty - it is “removed from our midst.”  Certainly this statement by St. Paul is plain enough and positive enough for a child to understand it.

When the lawyer wanted to know what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” (Luke 10:25,27)  So it is love for God and man that will eventually give us eternal life.  This applies now in this Age, and will apply toward all men in the next Age.

  Question:  “When the Commandment says, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,’ is not this a perpetual obligation?”

Answer:       Yes, to those who have put themselves under it; but Gentiles have never done that - have never been asked to do it - so there is no obligation on their part to try to keep it.  However, that same Commandment says, “In it thou shalt not do any work, thou… nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant.” (Ex. 20:10)  Can any seventh Sabbath Day adherent honestly say he is keeping this commandment?  Does their manservant leave them a newspaper on Saturday?  Does their manservant leave them milk on Saturday?  Does their manservant operate a bus that carries them to church on Saturday?  Many years ago we lived next door to a very religious Jew, who scrupulously tried to keep the Sabbath; so, every Friday evening at six o’clock - when his Sabbath began - he gave us a penny to come into his kitchen, strike a match and light his stove fire.  Seemingly, he did not realize that in hiring us for that penny he was having his ‘manservant’ - or boyservant - do some work for him.

This general thought of the Ten Commandments - handwriting of ordinances - is further emphasized in Ex. 31:18: “God gave to Moses… two tables of testimony, tables of stone [the Ten Commandments are the only “tables of stone”], written with the finger of God.”  And to emphasize the superiority of the Ten Commandments (written by the finger of God), note now the record in Deut. 31:24-26: “When Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law [the ceremonial features, written by Moses - in contrast to the Ten Commandments written by God] upon a scroll [not on tables of stone]… Moses commanded the Levites… Take this scroll of the law, and put it at the side of the ark [not in the ark - as was done with the two tables of stone, written by the finger of God] of the covenant of Yahweh your God.” (Rotherham translation)

When Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another” (John 13:34), that terse statement embraced everything in the great addition problem set forth by St. Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-7: “Add to your faith virtue [fortitude]; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance [self-control]; and to temperance patience [stick-to-itiveness]; and to patience godliness [piety]; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [love].”  And this addition circumvents all the ethical, ceremonial and mandatory elements of the Christian religion.  If any of us could keep the mandatory Law of Moses, we could not improve on what St. Peter has instructed us.  However, be it emphasized here that no one of the fallen human race has ever been able to do perfectly what St. Peter has prescribed.  In not one of these seven character qualities have any of us been able to reach perfection - just as none of the Jews could reach perfection in keeping the Law of Moses; but it is the ideal set before us - “that we should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)

In no place does Jesus insist that His followers should keep the Law of Moses; on the contrary He tells us, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:29,30)  Here He was making a clear distinction between the yoke of the Law - which no Jew had been able to keep - and His yoke (“follow in His steps”), which we keep imperfectly, but, if faithfully, is satisfactory to God, because Jesus is with us in that yoke, bearing the heavier part of it - a help the Jews did not have in their attempt to keep the Law of Moses.

Solomon’s Temple should be considered here in connection with this discussion.  It was an elegant structure - one of the finest then in existence.  And in this it was typical of the grander Temple, the spiritual temple that will appear when the Kingdom is established.  At the dedication of Solomon’s Temple we are told, “The priest brought in the ark of the covenant [the golden ark from the Most Holy of the Tabernacle] of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place [which now supplanted the Most Holy of the Tabernacle], even under the wings of the cherubims.” (1 Kings 8:6)  Then verse 9, “There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb [where the Jewish ritual was first established after they left Egypt], when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel.”

All during the Jews’ journey through the Wilderness of Sin, on their journey to Canaan, the golden Ark in the Most Holy of the Tabernacle had contained the two tables of stone, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the golden pot of Manna that never decayed; but two of these items were no longer there when the golden Ark was transferred to Solomon’s Temple - showing us very clearly that when the antitypical Temple appears in the Kingdom, there will no longer be need for the Rod or the Pot of Manna.  Only the eternal law of God will be there - the “words” engraved on the two tables of stone by the finger of God, which Jesus temporarily suspended, “Nailing it to His cross,” because no one had been able to keep it; but its presence in the Temple tells us very clearly that in the Kingdom all the willing and obedient will then be able to keep that Law - just as Jesus Himself kept it when He was with us at His First Advent - being a perfect man He could keep a perfect Law.

Question: “In Matt. 5:17 not one word is said about Jesus nailing the Law to His cross; why, then, do you quote it now?”

Answer:   He does not say anything in Matt. 5:17 about nailing the Ceremonial Law to the cross either.  He had disposed of that in Matt. 22:38 - as we pointed out aforegoing.  And, as for the mandatory feature of the Law (the Ten Commandments) certainly He did not nail that to His cross for Himself.  He had no need to do that, because He Himself kept that Law perfectly - something we cannot do.  Therefore, at His crucifixion He nailed it to His cross to remove that ‘schoolmaster’ that had afflicted the Jews for centuries.  “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:3,4)  That statement about ‘nailing it to His cross’ applied only to those Jews who had agreed to keep that Law; but it does not apply to any Gentiles, because they never were under that Law - had made no covenant with God to keep it.  This is no “private interpretation” on our part: it is just simple logic applied to a very much circulated illogical interpretation that quite a few good people mistakenly try to place upon it.

However, we would emphasize that both the Law Covenant and New Covenant are regulated by the same eternal Law of God, the Ten Commandments; and these must eventually be kept perfectly by all who will gain eternal life under the New Covenant - when “Satan is bound, that he should deceive the nations no more.” (Rev. 20:2,3)

Question: “If we are caught stealing, and plead exemption from prosecution because the Law was nailed to the cross, would the judge accept that excuse?”

Answer:   No, of course he would not!  There are some features of the Law Covenant that we can keep - such as stealing, thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, etc., but that is a far cry from including the entire Law.  The Gentiles who were not under the Law had enough light not to do those things, if they were motivated by right and wrong.  “But glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.” (Rom. 2:10)

Question: “Why do you make so complicated the plain and simple statement of Jesus in Matt. 5:17,18?”

Answer:   We do not make it complicated; the question complicates it when it tries to put Gentiles in the same category with Jesus Himself.  In that text Jesus says, “I come not to destroy the law.”  Neither do we come to destroy it.  But He also said, “I am come to fulfil it” - which we do not do because we lack the ability and the heredity to do that.”

THE CURSE: “As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” (Gal. 3:10)  “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law… for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13)  The whole human family is now under the curse of sin and death; when the Jews covenanted to keep the law, but were not able to do so, it put them under a double curse.  Thus, Jesus had to “hang upon a tree,” the cross, to redeem the Jews from the double curse which rested upon them - the curse inherited from Adam, and the curse of the works of the Law.

Question: “What about Matt. 5:19 - ‘Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments… shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven?” 

Answer:   Jesus had said that if any one break the least of the commandments, he is guilty of all.  Yes, here He says that even the “least” will be in the Kingdom of heaven.  Coupled with this, we have His statement about John the Baptist, a Jew who was scrupulously trying to keep the Law: “There hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matt. 11:11)  Here is a clear statement that John the Baptist will not be in the Kingdom of Heaven (the heavenly phase of the Kingdom), although he painstakingly tried to keep the Law to the best of his ability, which he could not do.  By our Lord’s statement, we know that he will be included among the faithful, honored Ancients, mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the 11th Chapter of Hebrews - his reward being the earthly phase of the Kingdom and not the Spiritual phase, which is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Also, according to the questioner’s reasoning, the Apostles Paul, Peter, James and others will also be least in the Kingdom of Heaven, because they taught that the followers of Jesus - Jews or Gentiles - were not under the Law, as noted by the following Scriptures: “By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39)  “By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.” (Gal 2:16)

More now from Acts 15:5-20: “There rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. [v. 5]  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. [v. 6]  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. [v.7]

“And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit [Gentile believers], even as he did unto us [v. 8]; and put not difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. [v. 9]

“Now, therefore, why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers or we were able to bear? [v. 10]  [The fathers were able to bear the ceremonial: many of the fathers had very little to do with the ceremonial features, although they were faced daily with the mandatory yoke - the Ten Commandments.]  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. [v. 12]

“And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. [v.13]  Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a  people for his name. [v. 14]

“And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written. [v. 15]  After this [after selecting a people for His Name among the Gentiles] I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David [the earthly phase of the Kingdom], which is fallen down [since A.D. 70, when the Jews and their temple were devastated]; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up [v. 16]: that the residue of men [the world during the Kingdom] might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. [v. 17]  [After selecting a “people for His name” among the Gentiles, these saints will bless the residue of mankind in the Kingdom: “Know ye not that the saints will judge the world?” - 1 Cor. 6:2]

“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. [v. 18]  Wherefore, my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God [v. 19]; but that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” (v. 20)

Also Acts 15:24-26: “Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the Law: to whom we gave no such commandment. [v. 24]  It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul [v. 25], men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [v. 26]

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, ye shall do well.  Fare ye well.” Acts 15:28,29)

  Note there is not one word here about those converts keeping the Law of Moses.  Nor do they criticize them for coming together on Sunday instead of Saturday.  The Apostles were readily agreeable with the Sunday meetings, inasmuch as the Lord had risen from the dead on that day, which would cause those assembled to manifest a sober and a happy attitude in their worship.

It should also be noted that from all the foregoing Scriptures there is not one word of criticism against the Apostles for accepting and preaching Jesus; their whole contention is against the teaching that the Apostles were then relieving Jew and Gentile of the burden of the Law yoke - “which our fathers were not able to bear,” the Law of Moses.

Note now 1 John 5:3: “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” - not unbearable, as was the Law of Moses.  “For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one [Jew and Gentile] that believeth.” (Rom. 10:4)  “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Phil. 3:9)

More will be given on The Law of Moses in Part Two.  For now it would be well for us to follow the Apostle’s advice in 2 Tim. 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  “The fear [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” (Psa. 111:10)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 434, July 1992)

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  “MASS PRAYER RALLY PLANNED:  Leading Israeli rabbis are hoping thousands will join them at the Temple Mount later this month to pray for the future of the Land of Israel.  The rabbis, including two former chief rabbis, say they oppose Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of Judea and Samaria - all post-1967 territories.  The rabbis maintain Israel must keep control of the areas, which were an essential part of biblical Israel.”  (The Media Line, February 15, 2004) 

“PRAYER FORCUS:  Pray that Christians and Jews will all turn their faces toward God in prayer and supplication, asking for His holiness, righteousness, and salvation.  ‘You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You.  Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  In the day of my trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me.’ (Psalm 86:5-7)”  (Bridges for Peace)

NO. 560 "THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS"

Recently we have been urged to offer an analysis of this parable and related subjects as given by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46.  At the outset we would stress that in a parable the thing said is never the thing meant.  Probably every one would accept that statement as respects this particular parable; nobody believes that Jesus was discussing literal sheep and goats, although many take just the reverse position with His other parables and try to read them literally, thus reading themselves into a morass of confusing error.

First of all, the time and place: Most nominal Christians believe the time will be at the judgment day - a 24-hour period when the Lord and His faithful Church “will come down from Heaven with a shout, with an archangel’s voice, and with God’s trumpet.” (1 Thes. 4:16, Dia.)  Of course, to fit that together with any semblance of logic they cannot do; nor can they locate the place, except to state it will be on this earth at the time it is burned up at the last day.

Our own thought, as we shall presently show, is that the parable covers the entire Kingdom reign of a thousand years, in harmony with the prayer of Jesus; “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  And that will be a time of purifying the sheep and making manifest the sheep and making manifest the goats - making manifest some of  the goats during that thousand years, and some after it is completed - graphically stated in Ezekiel 46:23,24: “It was made with boiling places under the rows round about… These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.”  This is somewhat akin to the Roman Catholic purgatory, the fires of which supposedly burn out (“purge”) the evils of the salvable.

ANALYSIS OF MATTHEW 25:31-46

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory [in the Kingdom], and all the holy angels [messengers - the Saints] with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” (v. 31)  “And before him shall be gathered all nations [first the living who survive the “Time of Trouble,” and then those who come forth from the tombs]; and he shall separate them one from another [during His Mediatorial reign - the final and complete separation being in the “Little Season” - Rev. 20:7-9], as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” (v. 32)  “And he shall set the sheep [the meek, the teachable] on his right hand, but the goats on the left [opposite of favor - as subjects of condemnation].” (v. 33)  “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand [those during the Mediatorial reign who will have obtained the position of favor by harmony and obedience], Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world [when Christ delivers up the dominion of earth to the Father - 1 Cor. 15:24 - He will do so by delivering it up to mankind, who were designed by the Father to have this honor],” (v. 34)  “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in [All who are awakened in the Kingdom will be without possessions of any kind].” (v. 35)  “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me [was sick - neither actually well, perfect - nor actually dead].” (v. 36)  “Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink?” (v. 37)  “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?” (v. 38)  “Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?” (v. 39)  “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren [Restitutionists - the least of His brethren], ye have done it unto me.” (v. 40)

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed [condemned - unfit for eternal life] into everlasting fire [annihilation - everlasting destruction], prepared for the devil and his angels [the Devil, fallen angels and the “goats” into the Second Death from which there is no recovery - See Rev. 20:14 and Berean Comments].” (v. 41)  “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink.” (v. 42)  “I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.” (v. 43)  “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?” (v. 44)  “Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” (v. 45)

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (v. 46)  The goats to be cut off from life, eternally punished; just the opposite of the sheep who receive eternal life - eternally blessed, as promised the obedient in the Kingdom.  The goats “shall be as though they had not been.” (Obadiah 16)

THE ADAMIC DEATH

During past centuries every member of the fallen race that has entered the tomb has gone there by experiencing the Adamic death; but all of them that return from the tomb will never again experience the Adamic death, although the dying process will be present with every one of them.  It is this dying process that will be “boiled” out of them if they are to receive the real “resurrection from the dead” - a raising up to life again in exact duplication of what Adam had in the Garden of Eden.

Although the parable of the Sheep and Goats is exclusively applicable to the Kingdom reign, there are related expressions that may be applied to the Jewish and Gospel Ages.  The goats of the Jewish Age are described as the “chaff” in contrast to the wheat; but it should be emphasized here that the “chaff” did not go into everlasting destruction, as will be true of the goats of the Mediatorial reign.  However, when Jesus said, “Other sheep have I that are not of this fold” (John 10:16), He was referring exclusively to the sheep of the parable we are now discussing.

There was only two classes in the Jewish nation at the First Advent; but there are three classes here in the Gospel Age, as there will also be three classes in the Millennial Age.  In 1 Peter 4:18 there is this: “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”  The “righteous” in this text are the Lord’s true sheep; the “ungodly” are the Second-Deathers; and the “sinner” is the Great Company (see James 5:20 Berean Comments).  In the Kingdom reign there will also be three classes: sheep, goats and princes. (Psa. 45:16)

THE ADAMIC-DEATH PROCESS

The Adamic-death state and the Adamic-death process are closely related, yet there are pronounced differences in the two expressions.  As every person is raised from the grave, he at that instant permanently separates himself from the Adamic-death state (hades - oblivion); it no longer has any hold on him.  But not so of the Adamic-death process.  At the awakening of the Restitutionists most of the Adamic-death process (the evils of the “curse”) will still be noticeable present with all.  Note the Berean Comments on Rev. 20:14: “Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire - including aches, pains, mental and moral imperfections of every sort… gradually, from the beginning of the Millennial Age to its close.”

Adam had been told, “In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” - “Dying thou shalt die” (see margin of Gen. 2:17).  It is the dying process that must be eliminated after the awakening if man is to return to perfection.  This is tersely told in Psa. 103:2-4: “The Lord forgiveth all thine iniquities; healeth all thy diseases; redeemeth thy life from destruction; crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.”  The first two of these promises are already arranged, and guaranteed to every one that returns from the grave in the Mediatorial Kingdom.  “He is the propitiation for our [the Christ Company] sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)  “Make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Heb. 2:17)

The second two sections of this text will require the cooperation of the people themselves if they are to be fully consummated.  The sheep will give full cooperation, but the goats will not.  Some of these latter will die during the Mediatorial reign (Isa. 65:20); the large majority of them, those who outwardly conform to the benevolent requirements of the Kingdom, but who inwardly retain some of the evils of the past, will not be destroyed until the end of the Little Season.

It should now be clear enough to all our readers that the dying process is not a person, but a thing - a condition - indelibly stamped into the character of the goats.  And this being true, it should also require little argument that this contagion, in whatever form it may appear, could not possibly be destroyed, be put out of existence, until the last goat infected with it would be destroyed.  It is indeed “the last enemy” of 1 Cor. 15:26; and “He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet… the last enemy is death.”  That this “last enemy - death” cannot possibly mean the Adamic-death state is self-evident because that will have passed out of existence at least one hundred years before the end of the Mediatorial reign.  Therefore, the Adamic-death process is the last enemy; and it will not be destroyed until the full end of the Little Season.

The question has occasionally come to us, Did Brother Russell teach the Adamic-death process in this manner; and the answer is definitely, Yes, he did!  In Parousia Volume 5, page 380, par. 3, middle, there is this: “In the future no one will die for Adam’s sin: it will be out of view as a factor in the trial of the future.  The only death thereafter will be the Second Death, which will affect only the sinner who commits the sin, not the parents, not the children.  In that day he that dies shall die for his own sin.  ‘The soul that sinneth it shall die.’ (Ezek. 18:4)  Though such will have weakness of the Adamic nature [the Adamic-death process] from which they will never recover, for refusing to use the means and opportunities placed within their reach during the Millennium by the Mediator of the New Covenant, yet under that New Covenant inherited weaknesses will not be reckoned against them, being fully offset by their Redeemer’s sacrifice.  Hence from and after the time when this opportunity of the Millennial Age is offered to each one, the Adamic weakness and imperfections [the Adamic-death process] will still be upon them, their death will not be counted as being a part of the Adamic death [hades], but as being part of the Second Death; because their failure to make progress will be the result of their own willfulness [by keeping the Adamic-death process in their being], and not the result of Adam’s transgression, nor of their own heredity to its weaknesses.”

It has been said that if the goats of the Little Season still had the Adamic-death process in them, they would be dying the Adamic death.  Once the Kingdom is fully established, those who die will die the Second Death - even though they have the Adamic-death process in them, and willfully refuse to have it striped out; and this same condition will prevail with the goats in the Little Season.  Those who die during the Mediatorial reign, because they would not even outwardly submit to the Kingdom opportunities of purging themselves of the evils within themselves, will die the Second Death, not the Adamic death.  The difference between the two classes of goats is that the goats who continue into the Little Season will have been smart enough to obey outwardly, thus living throughout the Mediatorial reign and to the end of the Little Season.  And at the full end of the Little Season “the last enemy’ will be destroyed.  Our present assurance that God’s love and justice operate in fullest harmony gives us confidence that the same principles will continue to rule the universe forever.  The “wrath” - the “curse” - will be lifted from all who come into harmony with God through Jesus the Savior; but all who do not avail themselves of this saving grace will be swallowed of the Second Death - the “wrath [the Adamic-death process] of God abideth on them.” (Acts 3:23; John 3:36; Rev. 22:3; Parousia Volume 5, page 439, par. 2)  Thus, all who will survive the Little Season must enter it with perfect characters; no more opportunity for developing character during the Little Season.

The following from p. 111 Tabernacle Shadows, par. 1, states very clearly that Brother Russell understood the Adamic-death process, and taught it just as we have given it in the earlier pages of this article: “The cleansing of defilement through contact with the dead would seem to teach that this cleansing, effected by and through the experiences of the Ancient Worthies, will especially apply to the world of mankind during the Millennial Age, while they are seeking to get rid of all the defilements of Adamic death - seeking to attain human perfection [ridding themselves of all the evils that harbor the Adamic-death process].  All the blemishes of the fallen condition are so much of contact with death; all constitutional weaknesses and blemishes through heredity are contacts with death; and from all of these the ashes of the Red Heifer are to be used for the cleansing of all who will become the people of God.  Like the ashes of the Red Heifer, laid up in a clean place, so the results of the painful experiences of the Ancient Worthies will be a store of blessings, instruction and help, by which they, when made subordinate ‘princes’ in the Kingdom, will assist in the restitution work.  Each pardoned sinner, desiring to be cleansed perfectly, must not only wash himself perfectly, must not only wash himself with water (truth), but must also have applied to him the instructions of these ‘princes’ - said instructions being typified by the sprinkled ashes of the heifer, representing the valuable lessons of faith and obedience learned through experience by this class - Ex. 12:22; Lev. 14:4, 49; Psa. 51:7; Heb. 9:19.”

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

During this age, whether in the Household of Faith or out of it, all are afflicted with the Adamic-dying process.  Although forgiven from their sins, all the faithful followers of Jesus still possess these evils - inherited or acquired.  And, though they make resolute effort to rid themselves of these imperfections, they yet retain some of them - although they all make some progress toward perfection if they are to be “more than conquerors.”  They also inherited the Adamic death, but they “have passed from death unto life.” (1 John 3:14)  If they continue faithful, they die the sacrificial death; if they are only measurably faithful, they die the constrained death; if they become totally unfaithful, they die the Second Death; they no longer die the Adamic death.

The following quotation is from Parousia Volume 5, p. 330, 331: “But while, as the Adamic death has been turned, by reason of God’s plan and ransom, from being a destruction to a suspension of existence, called sleep, yet we find that the Bible very distinctly asserts that after the revival or awakening from the death-sleep, it will depend upon each individual whether he shall go on unto perfection and life, under the guidance, government and tutelage of the glorious Christ, or whether he will willfully, deliberately and stubbornly choose the way of sin.  If he chooses the latter, he will get the punishment designated for father Adam: death, but no longer Adamic death, the penalty of Adam’s sin: this is styled the Second Death.  This Second Death is nowhere spoken of as a sleep, nor is there the slightest intimation anywhere that there will be any awakening from it.  On the contrary, it is designated ‘everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.’ (2 Thes. 1:9)

“Of this redeemed and awakened class, that shall have its trial during the Millennial Age, the Bible declares, ‘The soul that sinneth it shall die.’ (Ezek. 18:20)  That this verse is not generally applicable now is evident from three considerations:

(1) It would be meaningless, at the present time, when all die - saints and sinners.

(2) It is expressed in the form of a second sentence, and based upon the individual action, and this could not be applicable now, because now we all die because of ‘one man’s disobedience,’ and the sentence of death which came upon him and indirectly affects all his race. (Rom. 5:12)(2

(3)The context shows that this verse refers particularly to those who have gotten free from Adamic sin that prevails in general today.  Its special applicability, therefore, must belong to the next Age, the Millennial Age.  Note the connections, not forgetting that the Law Covenant of the Jewish Age was analogous to the covenant of the Millennial Age, except that the latter will have a better Mediator, able and willing to succor and to help all seeking to walk righteously, not imputing unintentional short-comings.”

And further from Parousia Volume 5, p. 361: “‘The wicked shall be [re]turned into hell [sheol, oblivion] and all nations that forget God.’ (Psa. 9:17)  The Hebrew word shub in this text is properly translated ‘returned.’  This gives the thought of one recovered from sheol, oblivion, and that some thus recovered will be returned to oblivion on account of wickedness and forgetfulness of God.  The deliverance of mankind in general from sheol will occur during the Millennial Age, as a result of the ransom price finished at Calvary.  However, those once awakened and brought to a knowledge of the Truth, who then are willfully perverse, will be returned again to oblivion, ‘the Second Death,’ from which there is to be no ransom and no restitution.  That this passage is not applicable to the masses of mankind (the heathen) who have never known God, is very evident; from its own statement it refers to those who forget God after they have been brought to a clear knowledge of Him, and to corresponding responsibility.”

It should be emphasized here that the cause for the Second Death in the next age will be the Adamic-death process that the possessors refuse to eliminate in themselves.  The evils of this curse are everywhere evident now, nor will they be eliminated while their possessors are in the tomb.  “In the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Eccl. 11:3)

However, today the world of mankind is dying the Adamic death.  God’s wrath is not only revealed against the grossest of sinners, but against all unrighteousness, even the slightest.  Hence there is no escape for “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10); and hence the infants as well as the gray-haired are subject to this ‘wrath,’ this ‘curse.’  This time of wrath that has now lasted six thousand years is to be brought to a close by the great Day of Vengeance, in which Justice prescribes that there shall be additional trouble upon mankind, because of the rejection of greater opportunities and privileges, and failure to obey the laws of righteousness, to the extent that these laws have been discerned by Christendom.  Hence this Day of Vengeance and of special wrath, additional to what has prevailed previously, it is declared, will be “a Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a nation.” (Dan 12:1: Matt. 24:21)

Further from Reprints 3433, column 1, pars. 5,6: “Revelation 20:12 reads, ‘And I saw the dead, the great and the small, stand before the throne, and the books were opened; and another book of life was opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.’

“This is a brief description of the work of the Millennial Age.  The whole world will be on trial before the throne - the Millennial throne - the throne of Christ.  Our common version says, stood before God, but this is not in agreement with the reading of the oldest manuscripts, from which we have quoted above.  The world will be standing on judgment before the throne of Christ throughout the Millennial Age in the same sense that the Church has been standing on judgment during this Gospel Age.  A picture of the world’s judgment is given in Matt. 25, where two classes that will be found amongst men are to be separated into sheep and goats, and the division between them is to be the work of the Millennial Age - to separate the true sheep, who will be accounted worthy of Divine favor everlastingly, from those of the goat nature, who, refusing to come into subjection to the Lord’s will, shall be estimated unworthy of any favors beyond the Millennial Age, and will be destroyed with Satan, as described in Rev. 20.9,10.”

During this Age all are afflicted with the Adamic-dying process, although the footstep followers of Jesus, faithful to the end, are not dying the Adamic death; they die the sacrificial death, even as did Jesus.  However, Jesus was perfect in His humanity, whereas none of His footstep followers are perfect - they continue to have some of the Adamic-death process inherent within them.  Nevertheless, they are reckoned perfect; Christ’s merit covers their imperfections. (Rom. 4:3,5,8,11)

In the Kingdom, even as it is now, fully willful sin will not be forgiven; in other words, those who have sufficient light and ability to obey what that knowledge requires, will not be excused without some chastisement.  But it requires perfect wisdom to know when a person has such knowledge and ability and refuses to obey.  In this Age, as well as in the Kingdom, we are to wait until the Lord’s judgments are made manifest.  The Lord is the heart-searcher and the manifester.  (See Hebrews 4:12 and Berean Comment.)

GOD THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN

1 Timothy 4:10 shows that God will save all men from the Adamic condemnation, but not eternally: “We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men [from the Adamic death sentence - but not eternally; after this sentence is removed from each one, he is given an individual trial for life; and only those who prove worthy in their trial gain everlasting life], specially of those that believe [He is the Savior to the uttermost only of the faithful elect now and the faithful non-elect in the Kingdom].”

Titus 2:11-13 (A.R.V.): “For the grace [favor, love] of God hath appeared [in His gift of Jesus for man’s salvation, and in the Gospel message], bringing salvation to all men [this ransom grace is salutary for all men, saving all now or in the Millennium from the Adamic sentence, and also, as the bread of life - John 6:33-58 - offering eternal life to all who will partake of it on the Divinely-arranged conditions, and withholding it from all who will not], instructing us [especially God’s people], to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope [of seeing and being with and like our Lord] and appearing [epiphaneia, bright shining] of the glory of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

It is not the bright shining of a literal light that is meant here, but rather the brightness of God’s and Christ’s characters, shining resplendent in perfect wisdom, justice, love and power, in connection with the entire 1000 years’ stay of our Lord in His Second Advent.  This bright shining continues until the entire earth is filled with God’s glory. (Num. 14:21; Psa. 72:19; Isa. 6:3)  Antichrist is to be destroyed by this bright shining (epiphaneia) of our Lord’s Parousia or Second Presence (2 Thes. 2:8), which will bring more and more brightly to light the corrupt persons, principles and things of the papacy.  This will result shortly in the masses arising against it and annihilating it in the revolution stage of the Great Tribulation.  This Great Tribulation was begun by the World War (phase I) in 1914.  God’s faithful people love the appearing  (epiphaneia, bright shining) of our Lord (2 Tim. 4:8), for it will effect not only the overthrow of Satan’s empire in the Great Tribulation, but also will fill the earth with the glory of God during the Millennium, in the eternal overthrow of all evil persons, principles and things and the eternal triumph of all good persons, principles and things.

A NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH

Another Millennial testimony, which incidentally identifies the Judgment Day with the Millennium, is found in 2 Peter 3:6-13: “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished [not the literal world - the earth - nor the human family perished, but the symbolic world, the order of affairs which then existed, was destroyed by the flood]: but the heavens and the earth, which are now [‘this present evil world’ - Gal. 1:4, the order of affairs now existing: its heavens being its religious systems and teachers - and its earth being its organized society], by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire [a symbol of destruction - Mal. 3:2,3; 4:1,3; Matt. 3:11,12; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; Rev. 17:16; all the symbolic earth will be devoured by the fire of God’s jealousy - Zeph. 3:8] against the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men.  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing [do not forget], that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day [this identifies the Day of Judgment of v. 7 as a thousand year day].  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness [God’s time seems slow to the natural man]; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord [the thousand-year Judgment Day] will come as a thief in the night [Compare 1 Thes. 5:1-5]; in the which the heavens [not the literal heavens, but Satan’s false religious systems - compare Heb. 12:26,27] shall pass away with a great noise [uproar and confusion], and the elements shall melt with fervent heat [the various component elements of the present symbolic heavens and earth will disintegrate], the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up [Satan’s selfish, unjust and corrupt social arrangements shall be destroyed; but the literal earth is to remain, just as it remained after the flood - ‘the earth abideth for ever’ - Eccl. 1:4].

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God [the thousand-year Judgment Day], wherein the heavens being on fire [a symbol of destruction] shall be dissolved, and the elements [the political, financial, religious, etc.] shall melt with fervent heat [of human passion and wrath].  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens [Jesus and His faithful followers, the Millennial religious ruling powers] and a new earth [human society organized on the basis of truth, righteousness and love, as against the erroneous, unjust and selfish arrangements of the ‘present evil earth’], wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

1 John 2:2 shows that Christ is the Satisfier of Divine Justice for Adamic sins, on behalf of the elect during the Gospel Age, and the non-elect during the Millennial Age: “He is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins [the Church’s sins of Adamic source]: and not for ours only [who now accept Christ as our Substitute or Redeemer], but also for the sins of the whole world [the non-elect’s sins of Adamic source, for which satisfaction is effected during the Millennium].”

THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS

Revelation 5:12,13: “Worthy is the Lamb, that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”  Christ at the time of His ascension is set forth here, as he then became the Inheritor of all things (Heb. 1:2).  God is the Owner of all the universes with all they contain, which makes Him very rich - wealthy to the utmost.  All of the universes’ solar systems, each one carrying along as their parts many planets, belong to God.  Also, all the spirit beings present and future, and all other things that now are or yet will be, belong to God.  These universes in the Ages of Glory in their planets and in their suns will be perfected and their planets will be inhabited by perfect beings, which the wisdom of God will plan, and which Christ, as God’s Chief Agent, will bring into being unto perfection.  God has made Christ His Heir; for the Lamb has been found worthy of inheriting all things, including these riches of God, as well as His power, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing.

By the end of the Millennium the Adamic-death state (the imperfections of the humanity - the physical infirmities) will have been eliminated; and by the end of the Little Season the Adamic-death process (the evil character of the goat class) will be eliminated from the earth when the last of the “goat” class is annihilated.  The goats (the wicked human beings) are those who refused to have the Adamic-death process plagued out of them during the Mediatorial reign.  As said, the Adamic-death process is the evils retained from the “curse.”  These evils are all striped out from the sheep by the beginning of the Little Season, because they cooperated with the opportunities, the instruction and good influences of the Kingdom.  They will be able to stand the crucial test of the Little Season and gain eternal life; while the goat class will not be able to stand the tests of the Little Season, and will be annihilated - eternally cut off.  The Adamic-death process cannot be eliminated from the earth until the “goats” (all evil persons) are eliminated.  When Satan (Ezek. 28:19; Heb. 2:14), the unrepentant fallen angels (Matt. 25:41), and the “goat” class - all the wicked (Psa. 145:20) - will be utterly, completely and eternally annihilated in the Second Death, symbolized by the lake of fire - “they shall be as though they had not been.” (Obad. 16)

Then “the righteous shall see it and rejoice; and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.” (Psa. 107:42)  Sin shall never rise again.  God will be glorified forever and ever by perfect creatures, both in heaven and on earth.  “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” (Rev. 5:13)  “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)  “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.” (Rev. 22:3)

Much of the foregoing is drawn from the writings of That Servant and the Epiphany Messenger - some of which is verbatim.  We are grateful for their faithful ministry, but we give praise to God, the Author of the Plan of Salvation, who has revealed His Plan in His Word: “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” (Psa. 25:14)

“Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.  Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Psa. 97:11,12)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 380, June 1987)

NO. 559 SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE MEMORIAL

We again approach the Memorial of our Lord’s death, and with it the realization of the truly sanctified faith-justified that its observance under existing conditions draws nearer and nearer to a finality.  This realization should ever determine us to continue in the course we have embraced and to reside in that isolated and privileged place provided for us as we

“GO TO HIM WITHOUT THE CAMP.”

In Exodus 33:7 we read, “And Moses proceeded to take a tent and pitch it by itself outside the camp afar off from the camp, and he called it the Tent of Meeting, and so it came to pass that whosoever was seeking Yahweh went out unto the tent of meeting, which was on the outside of the camp.” (Rotherham)  Moses in this instance types our Lord as He arranged to remove the Star Members and His fully faithful people from the midst of the measurably faithful and the tare class, beginning in the Pergamos epoch of the Gospel-Age Church and continuing until 1799.  We quote parts of Brother Johnson’s comments on this from E-11, p. 430 (70):

“God had our Lord do another thing indicative of His displeasure with His nominal people, i.e., remove the faithful servants of the Truth and its Spirit from places of prominence and influence in the nominal church - caused the symbolic woman, the Covenant promises and the servants who apply them to the brethren into the wilderness condition (Rev. 12:6) - to the Tent of Meeting, not the Tabernacle, but Moses official residence - and that not but slightly away from the erroneous doctrines, practices, organization and disciplines of the nominal church, but very far from these, and made the Truth and the servants who applied it to the brethren, as well as these last, the place where God resided, met with His people and blessed them.  Henceforth every one who in heart’s loyalty sought fellowship with the Lord in spirit, truth, righteousness and holiness went forth from the nominal church to such Truth, its applying servants and the others of His real people, apart from the nominal church (without the camp)… When our Lord busied Himself with Truth matters, its applying servants, etc., the Truth and its Spirit as due became manifest (the cloudy pillar descended), and remained at the entrance, consecration, where God revealed truths to Jesus in the star-members.”

The foregoing dovetails so very beautifully with St. Paul’s admonition in Heb. 13:13, Dia., “Let us, then, now go forth to Him outside of the camp, bearing reproach for Him.”  And it is such a very clear-cut and definite course of procedure for all who elect to “follow in His steps.”  Such indeed is one very appropriate Thought for the Memorial.  In principle, this arrangement is as true today as it ever was, of which we shall offer some elaboration further on.

“WHAT MEAN YE BY THIS SERVICE?”

All the details of the original Passover in Egypt were pre-arranged with meticulous care and exaction, even to its future remembrance “throughout your generation,” and the instruction of the Jewish children during future observances.  It was properly anticipated that inquiring and curious children would ask, “What mean ye by this service?” (Ex. 12:26), thus providing the opportunity to instruct them in the niceties and the solemn responsibility of every Jew participating in it.  And this exaction so thoroughly gripped the Jewish conscience and imagination that the Passover observance today is almost identical to what it was in the day of Christ, excepting only the temple sacrifices which are no longer performed.  However they yet make very elaborate preparations for the festival.

The original ordinance had commanded that “ye shall put away leaven out of you houses” (Ex. 12:15); and this injunction had taken a vise-like hold on the Jewish conscience.  On Nisan 13 the head of each house placed a chunk of leavened bread on a window sill, or other prominent place, and proceeded thence with a pan, a lighted candle and fine brush to gather even fine dust from every corner of the house until the circuit was completed back to the piece designedly placed.  Thus, they would be sure of removing any particles of leaven that mice or other animals may have scattered about.  Here is another instance of their “straining at gnats,” after which they proceeded to “crucify the Lord of Glory” - although it must be noted that those who did this from “an honest and good heart” eventually did recognize the Messiah and came into the Christ Company.

But not only was the tangible and visible leaven removed, every taint of leaven was also eliminated by having all the culinary and other vessels to be used during the festival cleaned and legally purified from all contact with leaven or leavened bread.  They were then said to be “kosher.”  As we ponder this minute examination of each house, we are then more acutely impressed with St. Paul’s admonition, “Let a man examine himself… therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  As leaven was a type of sin, so each participant of our great Memorial of “Christ our Passover who is sacrificed for us” should just as scrupulously as did the Jewish fathers eliminate sin and the “lusts that war in our members” as we come to the antitypical observance.  We realize, of course, that it was physically impossible for the Jewish fathers to recover all the leaven from every rat-hole and other inaccessible places; nor was it the Divine purpose to impose an impossible burden upon them.  Just so, it is not now God’s edict that we do the impossible and eliminate the sin “which has passed upon all men” through the transgressions of our forbears that reach back to Father Adam.  Therefore, we can only attempt to emulate the typical Jewish householders and free ourselves of such as we can control from a “pure heart.”

In all the minute Jewish preparation, the oldest son of each family, if he were thirteen years of age or older, was required to fast on the day leading up to the Passover table.  The table also was scrupulously set, the special foods provided, and cups or glasses set for wine for each one present - and one extra cup “for Elias.”  Had not the last lines of inspired Jewish Scripture warned them, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord”? (Malachi 4:5,6)  And not realizing that this was one of those “dark sayings,” every serious-minded Jew was alerted to the possibility of Elijah’s visitation “in an hour when ye think not” - possibly into his own house.  Thus, he would not be overtaken unawares.

But this meticulous arrangement was yet further augmented by the decree that at least four vials of wine were to enter into the feast.  If any Jews were too poor to bear such expense, the wine was supplied for them out of public funds.  Thus, every house would have measurably identical ritual with every other house; each would rest in the assurance that his brethren throughout Jewry were in physical and heart accord with him that momentous night.  Nor was this arrangement without purpose.  One cup was drained at the very beginning, at which the Small Hallel was recited, or sung.  Then followed the feast with diverse and profuse ceremony - all ending with the fourth cup and recitation of the Great Hallel.  On that awesome and fateful night in Egypt the Jews were to eat the Passover “with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste” (Ex. 12:11) - probably standing up, as an indication that they were still in bondage, not yet free from the yoke of Egypt.  But in Jesus’ day they observed the ritual reclining on couches, or the like, about the table - as becometh free men.  It will be noted in Luke 22:17 that Jesus “took the cup, and gave thanks”; but this could not have been the Memorial Cup, the latter being described in verse 20 as “the cup after supper” - after “he took bread, and gave thanks.”  The cup mentioned in verse 17 was probably the third of the four cups, the Memorial Cup being the fourth one of the feast.

AND THEY SANG THE HALLEL

Above we spoke of the Small Hallel and the Great Hallel.  The Hallel in its entirety is the 113th through 118th Psalms, No. 113 and 114 being the Small Hallel; and the remaining four the Great Hallel.  In Matthew 26:30 (see Margin) it is related “they had sung a hymn, went out into the Mount of Olives.”  What they sang was the Great Hallel.  “Hallel” means “praise” - and being the root of our English word “hallelujah,” which means “praise to God” - praise by bondsmen now made free, formerly blind but now able to see.  It is little wonder that those today who are inclined to give voice and outward emphasis to their religion should so easily shout, “Hallelujah!”

In medieval times King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table often set forth in quest of the Holy Grail, the same being that mythical golden cup which Jesus supposedly used as He said to the Disciples, “This cup is the new testament in my blood.”   That Holy Grail was never found, of course, undoubtedly through God’s overruling providence.  That Cup today would be the most priceless treasure on earth - an idol of Christendom.  But God did provide that we should be heir to the exact words of Jesus, when we are informed “they sang the Hallel”; and for this heritage we may now offer our own Hallel - our “praise to God” for the words in Psalms 113 through 118; and we do well to include some parts of that Scripture in our Memorial observance.

The eldest son of each family, if he were thirteen years or older, was required to fast on the day leading up to the service.  Then on the evening of the 14th all the male members of the house betook themselves to the synagogue, attired in their best apparel.  On their return they would find the house lit up, and the “Seder” or paschal table prepared.  The head of the family took his place at the head of the table, after which all the family, including the servants, were seated around the table, to partake of the Seder, or Haggadah, as some Jews designate it.  To be certain the question would properly arise, the oldest son was previously coached to ask, when they came to the table, why on this night above all other nights do they eat bitter herbs, unleavened bread, etc., at which the head of the house would relate the story of the original Passover and deliverance of the Jewish firstborn on that fateful night in Egypt.  Then proceeded the feast, which had been elaborately and meticulously prepared - the bitter herbs such as parsley and horseradish, and a kind of sop with charoseth consisting of various fruits compounded into a sort of mucilage and mixed with vinegar and salt water - each arranged in its own vessel.  At the outset the master took some of the bitter herbs, dipped them into the charoseth and gave to each one present to be eaten along with the first cup of wine.  Thus the feast continued throughout the evening until the fourth cup and the recitation of the Great Hallel, after which, in the case of Jesus and the Disciples, “They went out into the Mount of Olives.” (Matt. 26:30)

“When the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)  The determination of Jesus as expressed in this text offers an example in perfection of the grace of patience in its true biblical meaning - cheerful continuance in well doing amid contrary circumstances.  His course herein was against all human concept as viewed by the natural man; hence, Peter said to Him, “Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee.”  And Jesus gave him appropriate correction: “Get thee behind me, Adversary; thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt. 16:22,23)  Jesus knew full well that the “fullness of time” had come - that it was not the time to wait for His enemies to come to Him (which had he done, would have displayed only the passive grace of longsuffering) - that the active aggressive grace of patience should now be perfectly revealed in and by Him.  And “hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)

Be it noted that those who condemned Jesus to the cross were not the “beggarly elements” of that time, not the irreligious; it was the “good” people who were guilty of that - those who would not cross the Gentile door “lest they should be defiled for the feast.”  And, “As he was, so are we in this world.”  The Heathen Pilate strove to avoid the tragic miscarriage of justice; and it was the High Priest of Israel who “had the greater sin” in the matter.  It was those people schooled in the Law, who “sat down and watched him there” - watched the tragedy of the cross as the idly curious might watch a street-corner side show - watched the final hours of agony of “the Lord of Glory” with a calloused indifference that would be unbelievable were it not written in the sacred record.

And Jesus, knowing in the final hours of that awful night, that He had “finished the work God gave him to do,” resigned Himself to what was to be.  The time for controversy had passed - “now is your hour, and the power of darkness”; so He “held his peace.”  “No man taketh my life from me; I lay it down of myself.”  There is in this a lesson for us, too: The day previous and the day following our observance of the Memorial should be a time of calm meditation insofar as lieth in us.  If any wish to be contentious at that time, let them go their way for the time being; there will come more suitable occasions to answer such.

Nor should we allow the “maddening maze of things, as tossed by storm and flood” to make us bitter or morose or hateful.  It is a time at which we should lift our minds to the highest spiritual levels possible - to repose in the sublime reflections of the past, to “consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.”  “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.”  And again, “The kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteousness and joy and peace in the holy spirit.”  Nor should we allow those of contrary disposition to deter us in these resolves.  As it was in Jesus’ day, so it has been all through the Age: “Thou has them there that say they are Jews, but are not; but are of the synagogue of Satan.”  As we have now come into the “evil day” when “the end of all things is at hand,” let us embrace with full determination the Apostle’s words: “Above all things, have fervent love among yourselves.”  Jesus stated of this time in which we live: “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold; but “he that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  Those words are a warning to all; and blessed are they who give ear to them.  “The leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” abounds in all quarters; but God’s faithful people will accept and do - particularly at this season - what St. Paul admonishes: “Purge out the old leaven.”

In the type the lamb was taken up five days before it was killed; and that was typical of Jesus, the Greater Lamb, presenting himself to the Jews five days before He was “lifted up.”  But there was another compelling reason for the five-day interval:  That most memorable of nights, when the Angel of Death would “pass over” the Jewish first-born, was not to be approached flippantly or carelessly.  As each family took up its own lamb, and removed all leaven from the home, the course of these five days would put them into a proper mental attitude and contrition of heart for that awesome night.  And this is well in keeping with St. Paul’s words to all who commemorate the antitype: “Let a man examine himself” not five minutes before the service, perhaps in public confessional; not just and hour before the service; but let each do so in “sincerity and in truth” during the days preceding it.  As most of us know, Brother Johnson always counseled all to read Brother Russell’s treatise on the Passover in Volume 6; and we now counsel the same.  It is also very helpful to read Exodus 12 five days before the Memorial, with the Berean Comments; then the same with the pertinent writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - one each day with the Berean Comments.  This should prove most refreshing and helpful for a man “to examine himself”; and we venture the opinion that any who follow this, or a similar course, will most likely “eat and drink worthily” in full discernment of the Lord’s body and blood.

We here at Mount Dora, Florida will observe this Memorial at 2501 Morningside Drive at 7:30 P.M. on April 2, 2004, and all who are like-minded are welcome to meet with us.

With this writing comes the Christian love to all God’s people wherever they may assemble.  We especially offer a prayer for the Lord’s nearness and rich blessing in the preparation for, and participation in this coming service.  “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”

(Excerpts from several of Brother John J. Hoefle’s writings.)

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THE WORK OF THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM

“The creature [creation, Diaglott] itself shall be delivered from bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:21)

Death, not eternal torment, was the penalty which God placed upon Father Adam when he disobeyed (Gen. 2:17; 3:17-19).  Over four thousand years after the fall of man, our Lord Jesus came into the world to lay down His life to be a payment of that penalty; and thereby with His own life he made arrangements for the ultimate purchase of all mankind.  He has laid down the price, and eventually will take over the purchase.  He has not yet completed His work.  Thus far He has merely used the merit of His sacrificial death to make and imputation on behalf of the Church class.  As soon as the Church shall have been completed, they will be glorified as the Body of Christ, His associates in the Heavenly nature, glory, honor and immortality.  Then will come the time for Christ - Jesus the Head and the Church His Body - to inaugurate the great Messianic Kingdom, which God has long promised, and for which we pray “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in Heaven.

Attentively considering the transaction by which Jehovah is to turn over the world to become responsible to His Son Jesus Christ, we perceive that it is pictured in the Jewish Day of Atonement.  When the high priest had completed his work of making satisfaction for the sins of the Israelites, he forthwith had the Divine authority to begin to bless the people (Lev. 9:22-24).  So when Christ, the great antitypical High Priest, shall have finished the work of offering the “better sacrifices,” and when the last member of the Body of Christ shall have been glorified, then the merit of those “better sacrifices” will be made applicable to the whole world (Heb. 9:23).  As in the one man Adam all mankind were constituted sinners, so in the one man Christ both Adam and all of his children will be justified from the original condemnation, that which came upon the human race because of Adam’s disobedience (Rom. 5:12-19).

The squaring off of accounts will be accomplished by the transfer of Adam’s account to the account of Christ.  The death of Christ will be found to be the full equivalent for the sin of the whole world; and as far as the Divine judgment is upon the world, mankind will be set free.  They will be freed from the sentence which came upon Father Adam  in Eden.  Forthwith Christ will take possession of the whole world.  His Millennial Kingdom is for the very purpose of lifting the Adamic race out of sin, degradation and death, and restoring them to human perfection.  But He does not purpose, nor is it in the Father’s Plan, that anyone be forced to receive the Divine Blessing.  “Whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)

Under the beneficent rule of the Messianic Kingdom the light of the glory of the goodness of God will be manifest to all mankind.  They will be made to know that restitution to all that was lost in Eden is God’s provision for the world.  When they shall have come to the knowledge of the Divine goodness, it will be their part to conform their lives to purity and righteousness.  They will retain their own individual will, however, and if anyone should will to do otherwise than what is right, he will have the opportunity to do so.  But he will not be permitted to do that which is injurious to others; for the power of Messiah will be exercised at such a time, and will not permit anyone to work injury.  Under the full light and opportunity of that blessed time, a sinner who makes no progress toward perfection will be cut off from life at the end of a hundred years of trial.  Having had every possible incentive to do right under that glorious Messianic Reign, he will have no excuse for wrongdoing.  If he does not yield to the regulations of that righteous Rule, he will thereby demonstrate that he loves iniquity (Isa. 11:9; 65:20).

God purposes to give life everlasting only to those who manifest a disposition to become loyal and obedient to Him, and who by patient perseverance will develop a character worthy of being raised up to perfection of life.  Those who manifest the right disposition will be lifted up out of their fallen condition to the full standard of human perfection as it was originally in Father Adam.  This work of human uplift will be the work of Christ and the Church through the various agencies of that time.  The world will then be free from the condemnation which came upon Adam because of his disobedience in Eden.  God is willing to give them everlasting life upon condition of obedience to His righteous Law.  But they will be expected to cooperate in this matter; and in their endeavor to rise out of sin and degradation they will have His assistance, through Christ.  Ultimately the willing and obedient will have everlasting life; but the unwilling and disobedient will be cut off from life - in the Second Death.

Manifestly, then, there will be an interim between the time when mankind is legally forgiven and the time when they will either reach perfection or die the Second Death.  During this interim they will still be of the Adamic race.  So when the hosts of sleeping dead are awakened, they will not come forth from the tomb as children of Christ, but as children of Adam.  Under the arrangements of the Messianic Kingdom they will be given the opportunity of renouncing their relationship to Adam and accepting the Life everlasting that Christ will give to those who demonstrate their loyalty to God and to the principles of righteousness.  So far as the world is concerned, this work of the Christ will continue until the end of the thousand years of the Messianic Reign.  Then mankind will be perfect, ready to be turned over to the Father, as the Apostle Paul points out (1 Cor. 15:21-28).  During those thousand years the Father will ignore humanity altogether.  He will have turned the whole Adamic race over to the Christ, who will have full charge of mankind.  While the Messianic Kingdom is in power, neither the Father Himself nor anyone else except the Christ will have anything to do with humanity.  At the end of the Millennium, Christ will present the perfected race to the Father.

Speaking of the human family, the Apostle Paul says, “The creation was made subject to vanity [frailty], not willingly.” (Rom. 8:20)  That is to say, the Adamic race did not become imperfect through any will of their own.  Father Adam got out of touch with his Creator.  Sin invaded his domain and he was led astray.  Condemnation to death came upon him; and because of being in his loins, through the law of heredity; all of his posterity were involved in his condemnation.  But “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Our Lord Jesus is ready to redeem those who have come unwillingly into sin, if they will accept His terms and conditions.  The first-fruits of His work form the Church of the Gospel Age (James 1:18).  The expression first-fruits suggests after fruits.  In other words, members of the Church are not the only ones who are to be saved, but are a first gathering only.  It is theirs to share with their Lord in His Kingdom glory, honor and immortality.  Then all mankind will have their opportunity - the creation itself which was made subject to frailty, and which is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:19-22; 1 John 2:2).  Eventually the whole world will have the opportunity of getting out from the bondage of death.  First there is the legal phase of the condemnation upon earth.  This legal condemnation will be set aside at the beginning of the Millennium.  Then there is the actual condemnation - death and all its concomitants.  Mankind has become so infected with the virus of death that their minds and bodies have both become diseased.  “There is none righteous, no, not one.”  Everybody is wrong, imperfect, out of the way, religiously, mentally, morally and physically; and the race will still be in this condition of imperfection after the legal phase of the condemnation is set aside.

When at the beginning of the Millennium Christ presents the merit of His sacrificial death on behalf of the world, forthwith the race will be turned over to Him.  But, on being raised from the dead, the world would soon come into condemnation again, were it not in the hands of the “Mediator between God and men.” (1 Tim. 2:4-6)  If anyone had his sins forgiven and then stood forth in his own strength before God, for even one day, by nightfall he would again be under condemnation, unless he could live sinless for that one day.  Because of their inability to stand before God, He will pass the world over to the ministry of Messiah, and will ignore mankind altogether until the end of the Millennium.  The work of Christ will be to effect the deliverance of humanity from the bondage of corruption, from which they are unable to deliver themselves.  Christ will set the groaning creation free from the power of Sin and Death, and will bring the willing and obedient back into full liberty of sons of God.  Whoever will may then become a son of God, on the human plane, perfect as Adam was before he fell from Divine favor.

When Adam was a son of God, he was not “sold under sin”; but on the contrary, he was perfect, the image and likeness of His Creator - “very good.”  And so it is with the holy angels.  They are the sons of God on the spirit plane.  Thus does God design that it shall be with His human sons.  They shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the full liberty of the sons of God (Rom 8:19-21).  Father Adam was originally called a son of God (Luke 3:38).  So when humanity shall have been restored to perfection, the Son will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when He shall have put down all insubordination (1 Cor. 15:24-28).  Then all those whom God will receive, will be perfect, in the image and likeness of their Heavenly Father, as was Adam.

(Brother Johnson, The Herald of The Epiphany, January 15, 1921)

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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Sister Emily:  Christian greetings through our Beloved Savior.

Hoping that this finds you in good health.  Another year has slipped away and I praise our heavenly Father for the comfort we have in His blessed word of Truth, giving hope and strength in these troubled times.

On September 14th part of our small Ecclesia traveled to Yosemite Lakes Community Church to hear a discourse by Clarence Wagner from Bridges for Peace.  What a joy it was to hear Clarence deliver an eloquent talk to a nominal Christian Church, on the rich scriptural promises given to the Nation of Israel.  The congregation seemed to embrace this message and be willing to support Israel with prayer and monies, as their obligation as Christians to help in restoring that Nation.

We had a short visit with Clarence after the meeting and assured him of our prayers and support also. 

It seems that many denominations are dropping the replacement theory and recognizing Israel’s return and rebirth as prophecy being fulfilled.

In November Lev and Hava Bausch visited our Ecclesia.  I know you have corresponded with them, and are aware that they have lived in Israel for thirty years.

Both Lev and Hava told us many stories of current conditions in Israel.  The most exciting news for me was the number of Messianic Jews in Israel, and their number is growing daily.  These Jews do not claim to be affiliated with any nominal church system because of their witnessing or Missionary efforts.  My understanding is that these are mainly orthodox Jews that have read the New Testament and have decided their Messiah has come, and they believe much as we do.  We continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Our small Ecclesia continues in Bible Study, and I am still conducting the second hour of study on Sundays.  As you know there has been disagreement on some basic doctrinal points that Brother Russell made so clear to us.  The second hour of study gives me an opportunity to plant seed refuting those errors.  There has been some progress in this regard, and I suppose that is what keeps me going.  My prayers are with these brethren, and I will go on planting seed, relying on the Lord for growth and fruitage.

Your articles are a blessing to me and are used many times to assist in study planning.  I ask for your prayers on my behalf as I continue to pray for you and your work in the Lord.  May the Lord bless and keep you.                         Your Brother in His Name, …       (CALIFORNIA)

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Dear Emily, Marjorie and all there,

May you see God’s hand in all around in the coming year.  It is indeed a time to keep our eyes on the Lord and trust that He has all in His plans and purposes day by day.

Again Israel has had the eyes of her watchmen on the situation here as over 18 suicide bombers have been discovered in the last two weeks.  What a big loss of life those bombers could have taken if they were successful.  Of course Israelis have rejoiced over the capture of Saddam, and are adding up their own claim for all the damage he did with his missiles here in the Gulf War!

Now we are celebrating the Festival of Lights or Channukah, and that is a nice time of year to remember God’s miracles for His people Israel.  Again God is blessing the Land with good rains in the last weeks.

Hope this finds you well there, Emily, and all the others as well.  Lev has been battling a foot infection for the last month right on the bottom of his foot.  This is always extra dangerous when one has diabetes as Lev does.  We appreciate your prayers!

The economic situation has not gotten better in Israel in the last months, and we have had a lot of strikes, especially of various government offices causing many hardships for people.  It is certainly a time of growing stress for the people here.  May God be their help and show His mercy on His people.

Well, as we again start a New Year may you have the daily strength and health you need to carry on and may God bless your work for 2004.  In His love, Lev and Hava Bausch    (ISRAEL)