NO. 568 THE KING'S HIGHWAY

  Under the reign of sin and death there is now a “broad road” in which, under the tendency of the world, the flesh and the devil, almost all mankind are walking in a greater or less degree of selfishness and gratification of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.  Its grade is downward and away from God.  Its end is death, in just harmony with the original sentence of sin in Eden.  On it none can retrace his steps so as to return to God.  He may stop for a time, or even attempt to return, but the grade is too steep, and the influence and pressure of the crowd irresistible; and soon he is on the downward course again - moving slowly or swiftly.

But there is a way of life, into which the pilgrim may turn.  Of it our Lord said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)  There is consequently only one way of return - through acceptance of Christ and obedience testifying thereto.  Its gate is Faith, and at present it is a very difficult road to travel, even after it has been found.  This gate and way have been open for nearly nineteen centuries.  Comparatively few of the race have ever seen or known of this path; for we are authoritatively informed that “few there be that find it.”  And the reason for this is given - “the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.” (2 Cor. 4:4)

Here is a marvelous thing!  Why does the God of love make the gate to the way of life so obscure that only a small portion of the race have any opportunity of even knowing of it - and so narrow and rugged that when found many are so discouraged with the prospect that they make but little effort to walk therein, and gradually drift back again into the general current of the broad road?

From the ordinary standpoint - the world’s standpoint of ignorance and human speculation - there is no reasonable answer to this question.  But from the standpoint of the Divine Plan of the Ages, as revealed in the Scriptures, there is a very satisfactory answer.

The answer is, that God’s purpose of mercy respecting the world (which entered the “broad road” through Adam’s transgression and sentence) is to deal with it as a whole; to let all have an experience with the wages of sin (death), and then through Christ to end the reign of sin and death under Satan, and inaugurate a reign of righteousness and life under Christ, the Kingdom of God.  Thus seen, the “narrow way” now open (which only a few see, and in which but a “little flock” walk in faithfully when they do find it), is not meant to be the way of life for the race in general.  It is provided only for a special class, called variously in Scripture “the Church of Christ,” “the Bride,” “the Temple of the Living God,” “the Elect” or Select, “the Body of Christ,” the “little flock” to which it is “the Father’s good pleasure to give the kingdom.”  The gate of Faith is made obscure to insure that those who enter shall be faith-full.  The way is rugged and difficult to insure that all who continue in that way faithful to the end shall be “overcomers,” shall be of strong character.  The special service for which these are being selected demands that they shall be tried as gold is purified, in the furnace of discipline, that they may be found vessels unto honor and meet for the Master’s use, when His time shall come for them, with their Lord and Redeemer, as “the seed of Abraham” to extend the blessing of God to all the families of the earth (the dead as well as the living) (Gal. 3:16,29) and when they with Him shall be the kings and priests unto God who shall reign on the earth during the Millennial Age, to bind Satan’s power (Rev. 5:10; 20:1) and to open the eyes of those whom he has so long blinded and deceived.  By these God will prepare a favorable way for all (Isa. 62:10).

WHEN CHRIST IS KING - WHAT THEN?

When our Redeemer shall have taken to Himself His great power and established His Kingdom, after the last member of “the church which is his body” shall have been perfected and glorified with the Head upon the throne (Rev. 11:17; 3:21), after the great “time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation” shall have swept away present institutions and humbled the pride of man in the dust and brought the world into a teachable attitude, then the broad road to death will be abolished and instead the way to death (Second Death) thereafter will be hedged about and made narrow and difficult, by reason of the speedy and just retribution which then will promptly follow every attempted violation of Immanuel’s laws.  The narrow way to immortal life will also have terminated, having served its purpose by selecting the “little flock,” the “royal priesthood,” through persecution for godliness and fierce oppositions from the world, the flesh and the devil.  Then Satan will be “bound” (restrained from deceiving mankind) and “the world” will be forced to respect at least outwardly the laws and Kingdom of God.  The “flesh,” the weaknesses men labor under as the result of the fall, will alone stand between men and perfect happiness, and full arrangements are provided by the Mediator-King for assisting the fallen flesh back to perfection.  The way of life will then be a highway, cleared of every impediment - the Highway of Holiness.

The various arrangements of the Millennial Kingdom will at first make the road to death difficult (to insure that only the willful shall go by it into the Second Death); and the same Kingdom arrangements will make the way to life easy of access.  Its gate of faithful obedience will be clearly seen and easily accessible to all; and its name correspondingly will no longer be the narrow way, but the King’s Highway of Holiness, leading to life everlasting, and open to all who desire righteousness (John 10:16).

As the prince of darkness (Satan) rules now over the broad road and its blinded millions whom he leads downward to death, so there the Prince of Light (Christ, Head and Body) will rule over mankind, for whom He will open up the Highway of Holiness, upon which millions will go upward to life eternal.  It is as a means to this end that He is selecting His Church, is causing the great trouble to come upon the world, and will shortly bind Satan for the thousand years of His reign.  And, more than this, He will open the blinded eyes that all may see the light of the knowledge of the goodness of God as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6).

When Satan no longer has power to deceive men and to put good for evil and evil for good; when the eyes of their understanding have been opened to see and appreciate “the true Light” - until “every man that cometh into the world” has been thus enlightened (John 1:9; 1 Tim. 2:6); when the knowledge of the Lord fills the whole earth as the waters cover the depths of the sea (all covered, but some more deeply than others); when there shall no longer be necessity to teach, every man his neighbor, saying, “Know the Lord,” because all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest (Jer. 31:34); when the Lord’s Kingdom shall have come and His will is done on earth as it is done in heaven - instead of the message of the Gospel being limited to a few, all will know the Plan of God; and the evidences of its truth will be so clear and convincing that none will have excuse for disbelief; for the conditions will be such that doubt would be more difficult than is belief at present.  Nevertheless a personal acceptance of “the way [Christ]” and of the conditions of the New Covenant will be required of each individual thus enlightened.

Not only will men learn unquestionably that Christ died for our sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God; but more, they will see and feel the restitution work begun, in themselves and in their fellows (Acts 3:19-21; Ezek. 16:48-50, 53-55, 60-63).  They will see righteousness ruling the world unto or toward life, instead of as now sin reigning and all of its influences tending unto death.  They will see great changes in the climate of the earth because “he that hath the power of death, that is the devil” (Heb. 2:14), will no longer be “the prince [ruler] of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and “the wilderness and the solitary place shall rejoice” and “the earth shall yield her increase” (Isa. 35; Ezek. 34:27); for the microbes of destruction and disease shall be restrained and “nothing shall hurt nor destroy” in all God’s Holy Kingdom (Isa. 11:9).

Sickness and pain and all diseases will yield to the power of the Great Physician upon the throne; and He will not permit death to befall any except those who shall intelligently and willfully refuse His offers of full restitution, by rejecting the terms of obedience required under the New Covenant then open to all.  And even these shall be liberally dealt with; for our Lord willeth not the death of him that dieth, but would rather that all should turn unto Him and live.  Accordingly, while all will be forced to “bow,” in at least outward recognition of that Kingdom, and to “confess” it a blessed improvement upon the reign of sin unto death (Rom. 5:21; 1 Cor. 15:26), yet their will must remain their own and their progress in restitution beyond the common advantages will depend upon their willingness or unwillingness to come into accord with that Kingdom and its righteous arrangements.  Concerning these we are expressly told by the Prophet, that if still sinners when a hundred years old they will be cut off (in the Second Death - destruction - from which there is to be no ransom and no resurrection); but that to die at that age then, would be like a death in infancy now; because the smoking flax he will not quench, nor break the bruised reed; and all who shall then show any evidence of love and consecration to the Lord may continue to enjoy the Kingdom blessings at least until the close of that Millennial Age (Isa. 65:20).

As the Lord now sends seedtime and harvest, sun and rain, upon the just and unjust, so then, to a certain extent (i.e., for one hundred years each), the restitution blessings, that is, the equitable laws and other public arrangements for the education and uplifting of the masses, and the climatic conditions more favorable to health, will be common to all men.  But, although plenteous in mercy, the Lord “will not [continue] always [to] chide [correct]; he will not keep [hold back] his anger [his righteous indignation against willful sin and sinners] forever.”  “Every soul which will not hear [obey] that Prophet [Teacher] shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23)

But although the condition of things in the Millennial Age will differ greatly from present conditions so as to be almost the reverse, yet the laws of God, like Himself, change not: it is merely the conditions that will have changed.  God’s law, when exercised by our Lord Jesus and His Church (“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” 1 Cor. 6:2), and tempered with mercy (because of man’s fallen condition for which as Redeemer our Lord paid the price in His own death) will be the same law in every particular that it always has been.  It cannot change, for the same reason that God Himself cannot change; because it is perfect, and to change it in any degree would be to make it imperfect.

That law is love.  Full obedience to it means perfect love - controlling every thought, word and deed; partial obedience means a measure of love.  At the beginning of that new era the world in general will be loveless as at present - controlled instead by selfishness; for the heart of the natural (fallen) man is enmity against this law of God which represents God’s character.  When present-day selfishness shall have blossomed and gone to seed in the great Time of Trouble now impending, it will become apparent to all that, however selfish their hearts may be, their deeds must thereafter conform more closely to the principle of love - doing to others as they would have others do to them.  It will thus be with a practical lesson that the new King will introduce the law of His Kingdom.  Then loving deeds and words will be made compulsory upon all, though their hearts (wills) may still be tainted with selfishness; for God does not now, and never will, force the wills of His creatures.  But those who at the end of the hundred years’ of trial remain obstinate in heart, and only obedient outwardly, under compulsion, shall be judged hopeless “sinners,” and will be cut off from all further trial for life; for the principle will still hold that, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: the wrath of God abideth on him.” (1 John 3:36)

“In that day” an intellectual unbelief in Christ and the offer of salvation will be an impossibility (Isa. 11:9); for “even the devils believe and tremble” (James 2:19); but belief, in the sense of acceptance of Christ as the Lord who bought us, and hearty obedience to the letter and spirit of His requirements, will be the condition upon which any may obtain everlasting life - provided and intended only for those who love God; which implies a love of His character and His laws (Isa. 47:14-21).

But perfect love and obedience in letter and spirit will not be realized by the world then on trial, until the close of the Millennial Age; for perfection of being is necessary to a perfection of obedience; and that entire Age will be necessary to the full restitution or bringing back of such as accept the Son to the perfection and Divine fellowship lost six thousand years ago.  And as from the first moment of the death-sentence Adam and the race were no longer fully alive, but dying, so, although the reign or Kingdom of life will continue during the entire Age to lift the obedient out of death toward life, yet perfection of life will not be attained until the end of the process of uplifting or restitution; and none will get that grand gift of God except such as are perfected in love - not only in word and deed, but also in the very deepest thoughts and intents of their hearts.  Such as thus believe the Son, accept of His grace and are conformed to His image, and such only, shall see life, in the full and absolute sense, and be presented unto the Father perfect and unreprovable in love, when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom, having thus accomplished the work begun by Him nearly three thousand years before, when He bought the world with His own life, that He might give life unto all them that obey Him.

But while the giving of everlasting life to the worthy ones of the world will be at the close of the Millennial Age, and in the nature of a reward of obedience in the school of Christ, in fashioning themselves after the pattern of the Redeemer’s character, yet that everlasting life will be reckoned to each one who accepts of Christ and comes to any degree of heart-harmony with His requirements, from the moment that he thus accepts the terms of the New Covenant.

The various temperaments and various degrees of degradation of fallen men guarantee that their hearty acceptance of Christ and His regulations for their blessing will differ, as is now the case with those who come to the knowledge of the truth.  Some will respond quickly, some slowly, some not at all.  But the Lord’s provision, that all shall have at least a hundred years of opportunity under the clear light of “the Sun of Righteousness” (Mal. 4:2; Luke 1:78,79), guarantees against the loss of any for whom there could be any hope that they would develop characters fit for an eternity of fellowship with God.  Nor will it be merely those who promptly and fully accept the Lord that will be continued beyond the first hundred years of trial, for we are assured that “the bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench.” (Isa. 42:3)  That is, if there is any tendency to hold on, to appreciate and to make use of the Divine favors, if there is even a smoldering spark of love toward God and righteousness, the Lord will not break off such a one, but will fan the spark if perchance it might become a blaze of love which would purify the heart and eventually bring every thought into captivity to the will of God.  He will pursue this course until “he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” (Isa. 42:3)

Those who most quickly and most fully accept the new conditions will more quickly and more fully taste the joys of salvation and the Lord’s favor, and have the peace of God rule in their hearts.  Thus the measure of “light” sinned against in the present life determines not only the amount of heart-hardening, but also the time and amount of difficulty the person will experience in getting his heart softened again.

Those who will be “cut off” during the Millennium will be such as when given full opportunity to enter upon the King’s Highway of Holiness will refuse to “go up thereon.”  Satan’s broad road of the present time is a downward one, but the King’s highway in the Millennium will have an upward grade.  Now, men can go downward to death almost without effort; but to reach the prize of life at the end of the highway will require effort.  That “highway,” however, will require less effort and overcoming than does the “narrow way” of the present age.  It will be less steep, for several centuries may be had for gradually developing character in likeness to the Lord’s, whereas now the development must be effected in much less time to constitute the pilgrim an “over-comer” and a worthy associate with the Lord in the throne.  Now, there are “stumbling-stones” to faith in the “narrow way,” to test the faithful in trust and endurance, and there are “lions” of opposition to threaten, and to turn back discouraged, all except the “peculiar” people whom the Lord is now selecting for the peculiar work of the future, as His Bride; but of the King’s highway it is declared, “No lions shall be there, nor any ravenous beast” (Isa. 35:9); and the stumbling-stones shall all be gathered out, and mountains of difficulty shall be leveled, and valleys of despair and discouragement shall be filled up, the King’s highway may be most favorable; that all the redeemed of the Lord (who will accept the gift of life upon the conditions of its offer) may go up thereon to perfection (Isa.  35:8-10; 62:10; 40:4,5; 51:11; 25:6-8).

It must not, however, be supposed that progress along that easy “highway,” with everything to aid in the development of character, and with nothing like opposition or temptation to test its strength, would be sufficient evidence of heart-loyalty to God and His laws to prove that all who will reach the end of that Age, are worthy of everlasting life; even though in the use of its elixirs of life, its pure air, nutritious foods, inspired skill and conformity to its Divine Laws and regulations - they shall have attained human perfection - physical, mental and moral.

The testings of the present “narrow way” are step by step; but the testings of the King’s Highway will be specially two - at the beginning and at the end: first, as to who will start to go upward on it and keep on going upward; and finally a test of all who shall have gone up that highway to its farther end - to the end of the Millennium.  Such will then be tested or proved as to their fitness for everlasting life.  (1) Those who, when all the conditions of knowledge and obedience are so favorable (as God has promised they shall be - so that the conditions in general shall make the road to life a highway), will make no effort upward will be cut off after one hundred years of opportunity and testings and reproof, as unworthy of further testing or further Millennial privileges (Isa. 65:20).  (2) The object of the test of those who shall have gone up the highway to its farther end will not be to prove which are sinners, either open or covert; for none of them will be transgressors of God’s Law, the evil doers having been cut off long before, at the end of a hundred years trial; and no doubt it will surprise many of them when they learn that God has purposed their trial at all.  What!  Test those who for hundreds of years have been living in harmony with God’s Law, and constantly blessed by it?  Are not those centuries of obedience a sufficient proof of loyalty to God?  Will there be further tests?  If so, why?

We answer that their obedience for centuries had its corresponding reward of blessings and enjoyments experienced during those centuries.  They are still God’s debtors.  God does not owe them everlasting life.  Everlasting life is a gift of God through Christ; it is one of the things, however, prepared for those who love God, and the test at the end of the Millennial Age will be a test of love; to prove the degree of love and consecration that has been developed as a character in those who have seen and enjoyed so many of God’s favors.  Not outward perfection merely, but inward perfection will be the test; and that some who will have reached outward perfection will not have developed the inward perfection of heart or will, even with every favorable opportunity, is evident from the results of the test (Rev. 20:9).  So, too, Adam was perfect before his trial in Eden, but he had not developed a consecrated will or character fully submitted to the Lord.  Satan was perfect as an angel of God, but he developed a character or will antagonistic to God’s.  And God’s purpose is that the trial or judgment both of angels and men shall be so thorough, so complete, that not a single creature who is not in absolute heart harmony with God and His laws shall receive everlasting life and pass into the ages of eternity beyond the Millennium.  All not possessed of characters (wills) in full, absolute harmony with God’s will, must die the Second Death. And yet they will have enjoyed much, and will have much for which to be thankful.

In no other way could the Lord continue His creatures in His own likeness as free moral agents, and yet guarantee that when the Millennial reign of Christ shall have caused the former things of sin to pass away, “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” (Rev. 21:4)

Praise God for the lengths and breadths of His great and gracious Plan of Salvation through Christ; for the narrow way of the present with its severe trials and temptation and its great prize of life in joint-heirship with our Lord the Redeemer; and praise Him too for the great Highway of Holiness which by and by shall be prepared and opened by the Christ to all the redeemed, that whosoever will may not perish, but have the gift of God, eternal life.

The test at the close of the Millennium is symbolically represented in Revelation 20:7-10.  Satan will be permitted to attempt to deceive all, whose number will then be as the sand, but what proportion he will succeed in leading astray is not stated.

The Lord’s Word does not indicate the nature of the movement, but we do not suppose that Satan and his followers will go up and surround the beloved city (the capital of the earthly phase of the Kingdom) with any thought of war, or with intent to use physical force.  They could not be so foolish, after so long an experience with the power of God’s Kingdom.  We surmise that they will err in their calculation of when the thousand years of Christ’s autocratic Kingdom will end, and when the dominion of earth will be restored to mankind in general to be exercised as a republic - in full harmony with the Divine Law.  Miscalculating the time, they may feel that the rulers of that time (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets) are prolonging their rule unwarrantedly.  And the surrounding of the beloved city may signify a “demonstration,” or appeal for their rights; such has often been made by present-day workmen - surrounding Parliament or council chambers with remonstrances against infringements of their claimed rights.  Such peaceful remonstrances in the present time against wrongs or oppressions are not sins, but such a demonstration on the part of perfect men after centuries of benefits, and blessings at God’s hands would indicate that their hearts were not fully submitted to the Lord; for the right hearted would say to such an invitation - No: we may have been mistaken in our understanding of the Lord’s word, or in our calculations of the time; but if God sees best to continue us as “servants” rather than to grant us the full liberties and privileges of “sons” (Rom. 8:21), we will trust the wisdom, love and power which have so abundantly provided for us thus far - even while we were yet sinners - and will not even harbor in our hearts a wish to change any of the Lord’s arrangements, much less would we join in any demonstration or protest against the Lord’s arrangements.

Only those who under such a test would manifest heart-harmony with God are of the class for whom everlasting life has been prepared as a gift of God.  Such will be received and blessed after the test; but the others will be cut off in the Second Death.  If it be objected that these committed no great crime, we answer, neither was the transgression of the perfect Adam a gross crime; but the eating of the forbidden fruit was a disobedience; and disobedience and transgression on the part of perfect beings is a just cause for a refusal to grant such a great boon of life everlasting.

(Pastor Russell, Reprints 1771-1773, February 15, 1895)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION - Would it not appear that the Jews only would be blessed by the New Covenant, since they were alone under the Law Covenant?

ANSWER    - I answer: The Apostle says that it is to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  In other words, he gives us that as a picture that God’s blessings of every kind begin with the Jew.  He gave the Jew the first opportunity under the Abrahamic Covenant, when Christ came to His own and His own received Him not.  And when it comes to the blessings of the New Covenant, the opportunity will come to the Jew first, and he must take his stand, but it is ultimately to reach to all the families of the earth.  The Jews may come in and share with the Church, and with the Ancient Worthies in the matter of carrying this glorious message to other nations, and peoples, and kindreds, and tongues, and to whatever extent they have the right attitude of heart, they will embrace that opportunity; it will be to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.  And the Apostle says, you remember, “If the casting away of Israel meant the bringing in of a blessing, what will the gathering of Israel again mean but life from the dead?” - in general to the whole world of mankind.

QUESTION - Will the world be blessed under the New Covenant or the Abrahamic Covenant?

ANSWER  - I answer, dear friends, that all of God’s blessings come under the Abrahamic Covenant, either directly or indirectly.  The Abrahamic Covenant reads: “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”  That has two parts, the seed and the blessing of the world.  Only the first part of this blessing is realized by us who are coming into membership with Christ, as the Seed of Abraham - “If we be Christ’s then are we Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”  What is that promise?  That promise is that, as the seed of Abraham, you shall bless all the families of the earth.  Secondly, you see this Abrahamic promise covers the whole blessing of the Millennial Age, as well as the special blessing that comes to us in the Gospel Age. But under this Abrahamic Covenant God arranges this New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah: namely, that He will have mercy on their iniquities, etc.  Now this Covenant does not conflict with the old one at all.  The old one said merely, there would be a blessing, and that was a sufficient guarantee to our faith that it would be a good blessing, not merely a nominal blessing, but a blessing in reality.  Now, secondly, the New Covenant comes in and explains to us how this blessing of the Abrahamic Covenant will reach mankind; it will reach them through the forgiveness of their sins, through Christ as the great Prophet, Priest and King, who will establish His Kingdom, causing the knowledge of the Lord to fill the whole earth, and forgiveness to go to every individual, and his assistance out of degradation.  They are not at all in conflict.

(What Pastor Russell Said, page 165, 1908)

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JEHOVAH

Jehovah, our God is the great Emperor of the whole universe, and His Wisdom, power, goodness and benevolence are abundantly equal to all the responsibilities of so exalted an office.  The human mind staggers in its efforts to comprehend the mental resources of a being who is able to assume and to bear such responsibility.  Think for a moment of the memory that never fails; of the judgment that never errs; of the wisdom that plans for eternity without the possibility of failure, and that times that plan with unerring precision for the ages to come; of the power and skill which can harness even every opposing element, animate or inanimate, and make them all work together for the accomplishment of His grand designs; of the tireless vigilance that never ceases, nor seeks relief from the pressing cares of universal dominion - whose eye never sleeps, whose ear is ever open, who is ever cognizant of all the necessities, and active in all the interests of His broad domains.                        (Our Most Holy Faith, page 561)    

NO. 567 GOD'S GREAT COVENANTS

A number of covenants are set forth in the Bible, which may be broadly grouped into two classes - word covenants and blood covenants.  While there are a number of word covenants, there are but two blood covenants.  After brief comment on the former, we shall offer some detail on the latter.  Although the blood covenants find their base along with certain details in some of the word covenants, it is the blood covenants - commonly named in the Scriptures the Law Covenant and the New Covenant - that particularly concern the great majority of the human race.

The first word covenant, conveniently styled the ADAMIC COVENANT, is found in the very beginning of the Bible in the first days of human history: “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die [“dying thou shalt die” - Gen. 2:16,17 - see Margin].”  The man had no choice in the terms of this covenant.  He must accept it, and abide by its terms, or receive the inevitable result, experience the “dying process” until the grave eventually claimed him - in Adam’s case 930 years of “dying.”  The world is “dead in trespasses and sins” - all are under the death sentence. (Eph. 2:1)  A thousand years is one day with the Lord. (See 2 Peter 3:8 and Psa. 90:4.)

While the Genesis account does not specifically describe this mandate as a covenant, the prophet Hosea (6:7) does say so: “But they [the Jewish nation] like men [“like Adam,” see margin] have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.”  Just as Adam had attempted deceit and shallow argument after his violation of his covenant, so had the Jews done likewise in their attitude toward the Law Covenant.  It is well to note here, however, that there was no written covenant with Adam, as there was with the Jews at Sinai.  Nevertheless, the “treachery” was the same in both cases: both covenants were violated by the human parties thereto falling into sin.  A difference, too, may be noted: Adam was perfect, and had no inclination at all toward sin; thus, his was a deliberate act - whereas, the Jews had been “born in sin shapen in iniquity,” of which more later.

A second covenant is the one with Noah, the RAINBOW COVENANT: “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth [the human social order]… The waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh… A token of the covenant between Me and all flesh.” (Gen. 9:13,15,17)  And further: “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee… For have I sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.  For the mountains shall depart [the autocratic earthly Kingdoms in the Time of Trouble], and the hills [lesser and more democratic governments] be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed.” (Isa. 54:8-10)

The ABRAHAMIC COVENANT is another word covenant: “The Lord said to Abram, Get thee out of thy country… unto a land that I will show thee… and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:1-4)  Within this word covenant is the first intimation of the great Plan of the Ages which would restore to mankind what had been lost by Father Adam.  The word Abram means high father; and God presented him with some severe exactions before he could claim the covenant as his: “Get thee out of thy country [Ur of the Chaldees], and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee [Canaan, present-day Israel, especially that part in the vicinity of Jerusalem.].”  The confirmation of this covenant, after Abraham had complied with his requirements, was 430 years before the Law (blood) Covenant was given at Sinai (Gal 3:17).

The foregoing covenant was re-affirmed and elaborated in Gen. 22:16-18, which recitation is styled the OATH-BOUND COVENANT because of its wording: “By myself have I sworn [sealed with an oath], saith the Lord… that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore… and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”  St. Paul refers to this covenant in Heb. 6:13,14: “When God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.”  All of this was the result of Abraham attempting, at God’s command, to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, from which the Angel of the Lord restrained him at the crucial moment.  And, while this may also be defined as a word covenant, the near sacrifice of Isaac, and the actual sacrifice of the ram in the thicket (vs. 13) gave a mild hint of things to come later in the blood covenant of Sinai and the still later one of “Mount Zion.” (Heb. 12:18-24)

In the Oath-bound Covenant also came the first intimation that Abraham’s seed would be both heavenly and earthly.  “Now, we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.” (Gal. 4:28)  And there appears here a very unusual circumstance: Abraham is titled “the father of them that believe” (Rom. 4:11), and with him was the Oath-bound Covenant originally made; yet he himself is not to be of the heavenly seed.  In Hebrews eleven St. Paul directly includes Abraham by name; then offers the summation: “These all… received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us [the spiritual Isaac, “the children of the promise”] that they without us should not be made perfect.”  Jesus verifies this conclusion in Luke 7:28: “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the Kingdom of God [the Class in which Paul includes himself - the “us” class] is greater than he.”  Thus, Abraham will eventually be one of the children of antitypical Isaac.

There is yet another word covenant, the COVENANT OF SACRIFICE: “Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”  (Psa. 50:5)  It could properly be stated here that this is a semi-blood covenant, because it involves the death of each individual who becomes a part of it.  The individuals compose the Christ Company, those who “were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God.” (Rev. 20:4)  Not all of them have come to a violent end (as did Jesus, the Apostles, and many others during this Gospel Age), but each one did truly “pour out his soul unto death.”  Thus, each one furnishes the blood, his own blood, to seal his part in this Covenant, even as Jesus also “left us an example, that we should follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)  Thus, we believe the expression semi-blood covenant is properly placed here.  None of those involved in this Covenant of Sacrifice had his part therein sealed by the blood of other men or animals, as do the two real blood covenants, but each one has heeded the appeal of St. Paul: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Rom. 12:1)

THE LAW COVENANT

Comes now a consideration of the Law Covenant, the one at Sinai mediated by Moses, as proposed by God and accepted by all Israel.  It is indeed properly described as “the blood of sprinkling,” with the terse summation of it contained in the Ten Commandments (literally, ten words) as given in Exodus 20; and more briefly stated by Jesus Himself: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matt. 22:37-39)  But in its broad sense it began with the Passover in Egypt, when “the blood of sprinkling” of the typical lamb was observed by each Jewish house that awesome night.  And, continuing, it embraces practically everything in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Jesus said that all of that law was typical - “one iota or one tip of a letter shall by no means pass from the Law, till all be accomplished.” (Matt. 5:18, Dia.)  And St. Paul elaborates upon this in Heb. 10:1-9, Dia., part of which reads: “The Law, having a shadow of the future good things, not the very image of the things, is by no means able with the same annual sacrifices which they offer continually, to perfect those who draw near… Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offering thou didst not desire, nor didst delight in [which are offered according to the Law]; Then He [Jesus] said, Behold, I come to perform Thy will.  He takes away the first [the continual sacrifices of the Law] that He may establish the second [the better sacrifices,” of Himself and all who have joined with Him by “following in His steps” - See Heb. 9:23).”  In 1 Cor. 10:11, Dia., this “shadow” is further confirmed: “These things occurred to them [the Jews] typically.”

The Law, being an institutional type, must continue until its antitype appears to ‘fulfill” it, to fill it full in every minute detail.  But, once the antitype does appear, the type is no longer effective or obligatory upon those involved.  Therefore, when Jesus “takes away the first… that he may establish the second,” He in one master stroke eliminated all the animal sacrifices of the Law, which in turn left no more room for the Jewish priesthood or the rituals they performed.  However, the “ten words” of the Law still bind those who have not accepted Christ; and that feature of the Law Covenant must still bind those who have not accepted Christ; and that feature of the Law Covenant must continue operative until its antitype, the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34), is inaugurated.

The various features of the Law are distributed over four whole books of the Pentateuch; but the acceptance by the people is contained in just one simple sentence: “Moses took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people; and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.  And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” (Ex. 24:7,8)

We need reminding, however, that the great majority of the people quickly forgot the covenant.  Most of them had not even the will to abide by it; but of those few who wished to do so, it soon became apparent that they were unable to do so.  They were far removed from the condition of Adam when the Lord’s command was given to him in Eden.  He could have done what was asked of him; but even those faithful Jews who earnestly strove to keep their covenant found that what they thought was unto life was really unto death, which prompted St. Paul to write: “I was alive without the Law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” (Rom. 7:9)  He, speaking representatively for all Israel, had come to realize that the Abrahamic Covenant, which assured the blessing of all men, including Paul and all his brethren, had put all of them in the position of eventually attaining life; but, when they place themselves under an ideal beyond their ability to reach, the Law itself then commanded death for disobedience - whether that disobedience were willful or in spite of their best efforts to avoid disobedience.  However, they were blessed when they endeavored to obey the Law. (Josh. 23:3)

The Law Covenant (the first of the blood covenants) also had attached to it certain offices and intermediary persons not found in any of the word covenants.  There was Moses the Mediator; also, a priesthood, prophets and kings who performed certain services that were not parts of the obligations of the people in their promises concerning the covenant itself.

The Law Covenant, with its righteous arrangements for human relations, its superior dietary requirements, and its worship of the one true God in holiness of purpose and avoidance of all superstition and traditional chicanery, was a far step from the religions of Canaan and the east country.  Thus, it is little wonder that Satan attempted to counterfeit such parts of the Plan of the Ages as he understood.  It had been dimly hinted in the transgression in Eden that a deliverer would eventually come to succor men from the disaster he had invited by his willful disobedience.  And as more was added to the Divine Revelation, Satan busied himself by not only counterfeiting what was revealed, but using also his imagination to concoct features as he considered they might eventually be.

As stated previously, the Law Covenant was typical in all its details; but parts of it were to be fulfilled during the Gospel Age, and the remainder during the Millennial Age.  Thus, Jesus was the Gospel-Age antitype of the Atonement-Day bullock, and the Church, His Body, has been the Gospel-Age antitype of the Atonement-Day goat as typed in Leviticus 16.  Inklings of the Ransom and the Sin Offering were gradually revealed as the inspired testimony increased through the writings of the various “elders,” the 24 writers of the Old Testament (Rev. 4:4; 5:5).  As it gradually began to be revealed that Jesus would die and then be raised from the dead about the Passover time in the Spring, Satan busied himself with a counterfeit of this in the heathen religions, specially in that of Babylon.

It will be recalled that Babylon was founded by Nimrod (upstart) - Gen. 10:9,10, whose sinful performances became so obnoxious that he was eventually executed at the instigation of Melchizedek, his body was divided into fourteen pieces, one of which was sent to each section of the then established world, as a warning to others not to continue in his evil ways.  But Satan immediately moved Nimrod’s cult survivors to circulate the rumor that he had not really died, that he was too strong to be contained in the tomb, that he was now risen and placed in the sun.  This quickly led to sun worship under the name of Baal, Tammuz, etc.  And by the time Israel was to lose its national individuality in the Fall of 606 B.C., the belief had been well established in Babylon that Tammuz died every Spring, but he was brought back to life again, and his place in the sun, by three days of violent weeping by the women of that city.

This idea had become so strong by that time that it had captivated certain renegades in Jewry, which aroused the Prophet to write: “He brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.” (Ezek. 8:14)  Here was the counterfeit of the experience of Jesus: “Women bewailed and lamented Him.  But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” (Luke 23:27,28)  By the time Babylon had reached its pinnacle, its Satan-invented religion had with certain variations infected the whole heathen world, which inspired the expression from Jeremiah (51:7) - “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore, the nations are mad.”

And this same situation found even greater repetition in the Gospel Age through the manipulations of the Roman Church, of which the Apostle John had written in advance of the occurrence: “I saw a woman… having a golden cup in her hand… upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” (Rev. 17:4,5)  Note the close similarity between the two recordings.  We have offered this slight digression here to show how true types of the Law Covenant have been greatly overshadowed by the earlier inventions of the great “serpent” (deceiver) to the extent that most Christians know little or nothing about them.

THE NEW COVENANT

Some of the prophets were more or less aware of what had transpired, as evidence the words of Jeremiah (31:31-34): “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant [the Law Covenant] that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake [some of which we have described aforegoing], although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts… and 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: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”   The Prophet Ezekiel (36:26,27) writes more of the same: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

The Apostle Paul discusses these Scriptures in the eighth chapter of Hebrews, quoting large portions of them, then summing up in this wise: “In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first [the Law Covenant] old.  Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” - as its various features were fulfilled.  The contrast is very incisive in the first verses of this chapter: “We have such an high priest… A minister of the true tabernacle [not the tabernacle made with hands at the time of the Law Covenant], which the Lord pitched, and not man… But now hath Jesus obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant [the New Covenant] which was established upon better promises.”

This, the second blood covenant, has been already assured, although its administration is yet future - waiting for the full number of servants to be gathered who shall officiate and mediate it between God and the whole human family.  “Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched… and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words…but ye are come unto Mount Sion… the heavenly Jerusalem… to God the Judge of all… to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.  See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh… Wherefore, we receive a Kingdom which cannot be moved.” (Heb. 12:18-28)

The Mediator of this New Covenant will be primarily Jesus, but joined with Him will be the entire Christ Company.  They in turn will be assisted by the Great Multitude (Rev. 7:9), and the Worthies - four elect classes (the “just”) who will administer the blessings to those of the “unjust” who will bow with the knee and confess with the tongue that Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).  Those who “will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23)

It should be noted here that the New Covenant is eminently superior to the Law Covenant, because it will actually accomplish all it is designed to do.  We say the New Covenant is superior to the Law Covenant, because the Law Covenant was “weak through the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3)  The Law Covenant itself could have no superior if it had been kept by the Jews.  “All God’s works are perfect.”  The imperfection of the Law Covenant was in the human weaknesses of those who agreed to keep it, but could not do so - their own imperfections making them insufficient to cope with the perfection required in the Law.  But the New Covenant, through the better Mediator, will give life to all who will receive it under the easier terms of that covenant.  Under the Law Covenant and its Mediator there was no such provision, and it brought the reverse - death.

Thus, the question properly arises, Why was there a Law Covenant at all if the human acceptors could not possibly adhere to it?  St. Paul offers his usual superb logic on the question in Gal. 3:21-29: “If there had been a law [covenant] given which could have given life, verily righteousness  [justification] should have been by the law… But before faith came, we were kept under the law… wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ [by persuading all the persuadable ones of their inability to save themselves by their works under the law], that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

The Apostle offers further enlightenment on this in Rom. 10:1-4: “My heart’s desire and prayers to God for Israel is that they might be saved.  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God [as some of them earnestly endeavored to keep the law], but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God [by accepting Christ].  For Christ is the end [the fulfillment] of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”  But of those who have not accepted Christ, “God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all [in the Kingdom]” (Rom. 11:32); they are to have the broad classification of the “unjust” - unjustified of this Age.  See Acts 24:15 and John 5:28,29.

All of the “just” will have a better resurrection than any of the “unjust.” (Heb. 11:35)  The blessing of the nations through Abraham’s seed will come from the “stars of Heaven” (two elect classes raised as spirit beings before the New Covenant can begin to operate) and from the “sand of the seashore” (the two elect classes who will officiate as perfect human beings on earth).  “The Law shall go forth from Mount Zion [the Heavenly Jerusalem], and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [in Israel].” (Micah 4:2)  Thus, all four of these elect classes will receive a better resurrection than their former human associates, with those serving from Jerusalem being elevated to the spirit realm after the New Covenant has met all its requirements to make every human being (who will hear the prophet) a king in his own right.  But even at that time it will properly be said that all the Covenant’s administrators (the four elect classes) will have received a superior resurrection to that of the residue of men.  And this leaves no space at all among the “just,” either at the beginning of the New Covenant or at its end, for the non-existent classes taught by the errorists of our day, such as Campers consecrated, quasi-elect consecrated, and Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “large crowd.”

And what shall we say of the non-elect - all those who will have part in the resurrection of the unjust?  All of us know there are many noble people among them, as well as many who are not so noble.  However, among the elect, those who have covenanted to walk a “narrow way” during the ascendancy of sin and evil, there are not many “wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26)  And what shall we say of these noble ones of the non-elect?  Will their nobility be overlooked?  No!  They will be greatly blessed, even at the beginning, as they walk up the Highway of Holiness (Isa. 35:8), because it will be easy and agreeable for them to conform themselves to the Kingdom’s righteous laws.  When they recognize God’s love, His goodness and mercy toward them, they will be glad.  They will be among those for whom the promise applies: “Whosoever is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)  And what shall we say of the very wicked?  Among them, too, there will be some who will come to love and appreciate God’s love and goodness toward them; and as they seek to extricate their sinful tendencies they will join with those who walk up the Highway of Holiness.

When God’s Plan is fully understood it clarifies God’s past and present dealings with the children of men.  The Bible becomes in its light a book harmonious with itself, with God’s character, Christ’s Ransom, the Holy Spirit’s work, man’s needs and with the facts.  It indeed is thereby demonstrated to be the depository of God’s marvelous Plan of the Ages, as well as the glorious expression of His adorable character.  He thus becomes loved by us with “Love Divine all love excelling,” and with “Joy of heaven to earth come down.”  Let us worship, praise and adore Him, all whose works praise (reflect credit upon) Him.  “Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.  Who shall not fear [reverence] thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name?  For Thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for Thy righteous acts have been made manifest.” (Rev. 15:3,4, A.R.V.)

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb… 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. 22:1,3)  “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)

Some comments on Psa. 103:2-4 are pertinent as an aid to demonstrate the working of the New Covenant, and to reveal its superiority over the Law Covenant: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities [by providing the perfect Sin Offering of Christ]; Who healeth all thy diseases [as each one returns from the tomb, he must self-evidently be rid of the cause that sent him to the grave, otherwise he would immediately succumb once more]; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction [“the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His beams” to “redeem them from death, and ransom them from the power of the grave”]; Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies [physical, mental, moral and religious perfection].”  As Job has written, “His flesh will become fresher than a child’s; he shall return to the days of his youth.”(33:25)

These are indeed “Glad tidings of great joy” which shall be for all people - and we send this forth with the prayer that it will bless, uplift and comfort all who receive it - especially those of the Household of Faith.  “I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.  For thy mercy is great unto the Heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psa. 57:9-11)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 444, June 1993)

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THE MOUNT OF OLIVES THE KINGDOM OF BLESSING

“And His [Jehovah’s] feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:4)

This text refers to the closing of the day of trouble and the manifestation of God’s power in connection with that trouble.  The literal Mount of Olives may have, and probably will have, somewhat to do with the matter.  It is referred to here as experiencing a great earthquake.  No doubt the Israelites will be gathered at Jerusalem at this time, and no doubt the Lord’s favor will be manifested to them there.  This will be at the close of “Jacob’s trouble,” from which the Lord will be present to deliver them.  Our thought is that this will be after the Church shall have passed into glory.  The execution of what is here described seems to be a part of the work of the glorified Church.

We understand that the Ancient Worthies will then appear, and that God’s favor will have returned to the Jews, and that Israel’s temporal blessings will there begin.  This would imply that the Jews will then be under the New Covenant arrangement, and hence that the Church must have been completed.

Symbolically, a mountain represents a kingdom.  The Scriptures elsewhere declare that Jehovah will make the place of His feet glorious.  The word olive always associates itself in the minds of the people of the Orient with the thought of light and nourishment.  The olive oil they use regularly instead of butter.  As the olive furnishes both light and food, the Mount of Olives would represent the Kingdom of God.  Olive oil was poured upon the head of the Jewish kings and priests, and symbolized thus the Holy Spirit.  God’s Kingdom will be for the blessing of mankind.  It will be of two phases - the heavenly and the earthly - and all people may eventually come under its blessed condition.         

(Pastor Russell, Reprint 5437, April 1, 1914)

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“WE ARE VERY LUCKY ARABS”

“I am a lucky Arab.  My grandfather, Mohammed, traveled on foot from his home in Iraq in the early part of the last century looking for work.

“Jews had come to British-controlled Palestine in the thousands, joining the Jews who had always been here, raised a large family, worked hard, and lived quietly   I live in Haifa in Israel.  In 1948 when Israel declared its independence, Arab armies from surrounding Arab states attacked with the intention of destroying the new state.  I was about 15 years old and remember well the radio broadcasts from Arab states telling us to leave our homes and move eastward ‘temporarily’ while the advancing Arab armies wiped out the Jews.  They told us we would then return in triumph to our homes and would have the joy of taking over all the Jewish assets - their homes, farms, shops, cars and bank accounts.

“My father, Ibrahim, was a very wise man, a learned man, and a man of peace.  We had good relationships with our neighbors, Christian, Jews and Muslims.  He gathered the entire family and explained why he did not believe it wise to flee, that he did not believe the Jews would mistreat us.  We stayed put.  We are still here.

“Today I still live in my father’s old stone house with my wife and the youngest of our eight children.  My older children and my many grandchildren all live nearby.  We have never been mistreated, and we are much better off than those Arabs who fled and who ended up in miserable refugee camps being supported by the United Nations and charities.

“I want you to know what my life is like as an Arab citizen of Israel.  I was educated in Israeli schools and universities.  I became a pharmacist and worked in a large pharmacy in Haifa.  I was paid the same salary and received the same benefits as Jewish colleagues.  Now I’m retired.  I receive two pensions; one based on the investment plan to which my company belonged and I contributed.  The other comes from the Israeli government’s National insurance plan.

“I have eight children.  Every month I received a child allowance paid by the government until each became 18.  I know of no other country where this happens, certainly not any Arab nation.

“Our entire family is covered by the National Health Plan, which provides good medical care.  All my children were born in a hospital; my wife received excellent prenatal care and postnatal care.  All medical and surgical [expenses are] covered from the first shekel from birth to death, and when we die, even the cost of burial is covered!

“My children went to school with Jewish children, they were members of the same sports clubs and the community center, and they all received university educations.  Some with state scholarships.

“I pray in a mosque, which was built on land donated by the Jewish National Fund.  I am a citizen, I have a passport, and can travel anywhere, anytime.  I vote in local and national elections, and we have a number of Arab members in the Knesset [Parliament].

“I have a very good life, and so has my family.  I feel for those forced to live under [Yasser] Arafat, for they are being used and abused badly.  I long for the day that Arafat is no more, that a real peace treaty can be negotiated with Israel, so that the Palestinian Arabs can have a better life also.

“I long for the day I can travel to visit cousins in Ramallah without fear of being called a collaborator and executed.  I thank Allah my grandfather came here.  I thank Allah my father didn’t leave in 1948.  I thank Allah my children were raised here, in the only free country in the Middle East.

“We are very lucky Arabs.”

(Author’s name withheld for security reasons, distributed by Naomi Ragan, August 15, 2004)    

NO. 566 IN MEMORIAM

On October 31 it will be 62 years [2004 - 88 years] since our beloved Brother Russell left us, and October 22 it will be just 28 years [2004 - 54 years] since our dear Brother Johnson joined him.  All our readers who knew these brethren even passingly well know they both had superior intellects.  Brother Johnson graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with the highest honors of any one who had attended that University up to that time.  He was a Greek and Hebrew scholar, was well conversant with seven languages, and in his younger days he could give an oration in Latin, which very few college professors of Latin can do.  He was so well educated in Hebrew and Greek that he would quote copious sections of the King James Bible, then quote the same passages from the Hebrew or Greek, as the case might be.  We were intimately acquainted with him for 27 years, although we never had the pleasure of meeting Brother Russell.

However, we did know brethren who had known him well, one of these having been his private secretary for quite some time; and a number of these told us about him within a year after he died, which somehow gives us a feeling of having known him personally.  He had none of the institutional learning of Brother Johnson, but we believe that none of our readers will dispute the fact that he was an educated man.  In fact, one professor of English remarked that he considered The Divine Plan of the Ages as nearly perfect in English and grammar as any book he had ever read.  But his enemies often hurled the slur at him, as they did with Jesus Himself: “When He was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” (Matt. 13:54)  Also, “The Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? (John 7:15)  His memory deserves to be kept fragrant among us; and we honor his memory more by abiding in the beautiful system of truth that he left us, and by not accepting the many errors of our day - errors that set aside the fundamental truth that he established.  And with this brief introduction we now proceed to a discussion of

THE LAODICEAN STAR

“One like unto the Son of Man… had in his right hand seven stars.” (Rev. 1:13-16)  The Finished Mystery offered the following explanation for this text, which that book quoted from page 345 of the 1916 Watch Tower:

“This One whom we thus know, thus recognize, as the Instructor and Caretaker of the candlesticks, we are also to recognize as having in His right hand - in His favor as well as His power - seven stars, the angels, the messengers, of the seven churches.  That they are in His right hand seems to teach us that these should be considered as in some special sense under the Master’s guidance, protection and care in the interest of the Churches which they represented.”  We have offered this quotation from Brother Russell because it fits exactly our own understanding of the text.

However, the book then goes on to name the “seven stars” as St. Paul, St. John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe, Luther and Russell.  This part of the book is not from Brother Russell, but is the private interpretation of the writers of the book which we believe is contrary to sound Bible analysis.  We disagree also with most of their time predictions, because time itself has demonstrated them to have been nothing more than the imagination of the writers of the book - a sure proof that they were not qualified to write the book at all.  Anything they have presented which is not directly from Brother Russell should be given very careful scrutiny.  As instance, they say: “The chronology as it appears in the Studies in the Scriptures is accurate.”  With this statement we fully agree, but the Witnesses themselves (those claiming to be the “channel” for Divine Truth at the time they wrote the book) are now in complete disagreement with their own teaching in 1917.  We simply offer these few conclusions as an introduction to the correct analysis of the “seven stars,” etc.

In Revelation 12:1 it is stated that “the woman,” the true Church, “had upon her head a crown of twelve Stars.”  That these “twelve stars” are the twelve Apostles needs no elaboration; but we direct attention to the fact that there is just nothing in the statement to indicate that “star differeth from star in glory” - the twelve in the picture appear as equals.  And the statement by Jesus to all twelve of them confirms this:  “He that heareth you, heareth Me.” (Luke 10:16)  They all received the miraculous gifts of the Spirit and they all were empowered to “bind and loose” on earth as occasion might require.  Therefore, if the “star” to the Church at Ephesus contained more than one individual, we should be warranted in believing the six succeeding “stars” to the other six churches of the Age would consist of more than one individual.

It is our understanding that the “seven stars” are the same as the seven “angels”  (messengers) of Revelation Two and Three.  They are the same as the “seven shepherds” of Micah 5:5, and they are the same as the “seven pipes” and the “seven eyes” of Zechariah 4:2 and 4:10.  Revelation 1:20 directly states “The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches.”  The Bible seldom uses different words just to be different; there is usually a specific meaning in the different words used, and this seems to be true here.  “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write.” (Rev. 2:1)  This might be better stated, “Unto the angel of the church for Ephesus write.”  The message to be given was not for the individual benefit of the star who delivered it; it was rather for that Messenger at that particular time to deliver to the church.  As the “seven shepherds” of Micah 5:5, these same persons would guard and protect the sheep - “take heed unto all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers.” (Acts 20:28)  As the “seven pipes” of Zechariah 4:2 they were the channel through which the Holy Spirit was administered to the Church; and as the “seven eyes” they were God’s watchmen - “I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel” (Ezek. 3:17), “The watchmen shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” (Isa. 52:8)

As the “seven stars” those shepherds not only gave enlightenment to the Church during the night of sin and death, but they also gave a measure of light to the Christian world in general - “you appear as luminaries in the world.” (Phil. 2:15, Dia.).  Some of these “luminaries” such as the Apostles, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and a few others, stand out prominently in the pages of history; but many of them have received only passing notice in the records.

We instance particularly Arius, of whom many in the Christian world have never heard at all; yet he is probably one of the very brightest of them all, aside from the Apostles.  We give just one example: When he was at the Council of Nice in 325 defending the Truth that there is but “one God,” he was overwhelmingly out-numbered by the bishops assembled from the then Christian world.  Yet one of those opposing him shouted forth during the heated debate: “This man has the populace so stirred up that if you go into a store and ask the price of bread, the answer you get back from the clerk is, ‘The Father is superior to the Son; the Son is inferior to the Father.’”  While there is little mention made of him today, it is clear enough that Arius was “a burning and shining light,” a true “luminary” in 325.  This, and similar incidents concerning the other “stars” give us a more vivid conception of Jesus’ words concerning all the fully faithful - “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.” (Matt. 13:43)  Eventually, when the lives and works of such “stars” are skillfully written by capable writers during the Kingdom reign, we can see how the words of Jesus will then be fully understood and appreciated.  But considering now the Laodicean Star, it is our understanding it contained two members, the first of whom we discuss as:

THE PAROUSIA MESSENGER

This is the title we offer for Brother Russell because he officiated during the small Parousia from 1874 to 1914, and because he made crystal clear the meaning of the Greek Parousia - as PRESENCE, and not COMING, as it is generally given in the King James translation.  Once that became clear to him, it began to sweep away many of the accumulated errors of the past, leading directly to his understanding of the 16th Chapter of Leviticus, the same being a concise picture of the entire Atonement, which culminates in “the restitution of all things.” (Acts 3:19-21)

It is pertinent to our subject to consider here Micah 5:5, as it pertains to Brother Russell: “When the Assyrian shall come into our land [The Assyrians were a very warlike and destructive people, well portraying the errorists of this Gospel Age.]: and when he shall tread in our palaces [by devastating the Truth and the Spirit of the Truth among God’s true people], then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.”  The fact that there are “eight principal men” among the “seven shepherds” is additional proof that the seven shepherds were composite groups, and not seven individuals.

If we view the Bible as the origin of all spiritual Truth, then we must admit that it came first of all; but, if we consider those who vitiated its teachings (the antitypical Assyrians - the errorists), then it is clear that the error came first, with the Lord sending deliverance through His stars, angels (messengers), eyes, shepherds and eight principal men - who have “wasted the land of Assyria with the sword,” (Micah 5:6) the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Truth.  If we consider Brother Russell as the seventh one of those eight principal men to appear on the Gospel-Age stream of time, all of us who are familiar with his teachings must admit that he did wield the “sword of the spirit” most mightily against the accumulated errors of the past.

It has been prophetically stated of him - “I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jer. 1:5); and his true calculation of the chronology, with 1914 as the end of the Gentile Times, put the finger of identification upon him as a prophet who had spoken in the name of the Lord.  He had predicted the outbreak of a world war by the fall of 1914; and this had received much ridicule from his enemies, who had contended that civilization had advanced much too far to allow of such a conflict.  We have been told that when the Gideon’s had their convention in Toronto in 1913 they there openly stated that such an expectation was simply beyond belief, what with the advances in science, medicine, art and culture that had been experienced in this generation.  But when the war came exactly on time many of his critics openly confessed that he had indeed spoken the truth, and should receive due recognition for it.

But we here consider mainly two of his teachings that still vitally concern us - Tabernacle Shadows and his refutation of Combinationism as it appeared in the Chicago Parliament of World Religions in 1893.  When the Parousia Messenger began his ministry, the erroneous doctrine of eternal torment as the wages of sin was so deeply entrenched that it was generally considered sacrilege to gainsay it.  Many were the prominent and forceful orators who appeared as evangelists in their crusades to save the poor sinner from such an awful fate, so that Brother Russell was faced with what seemed an impossible assignment.  This is so graphically revealed in Judges 6:5 and 7:12:  “The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seaside for multitude.”

And against this portentous force Gideon was arrayed with his band of 300 - outnumbered by probably more than a thousand to one.  This was precisely the situation when Brother Russell began his attacks on human immortality, the consciousness of the dead, and eternal torment as the wages of sin.  His most popular public discourse was, “Where Are The Dead?” which always included a good exposition on Restitution.  When he sent out brethren from Bethel for Sunday discourses he always urged them to include a good portion of their public discourse on restitution, and he himself occasionally remarked to Brethren “That’s the subject!” when he was to speak on “Where Are The Dead?”

He kept steadfastly at the subject and its pertinent errors, so that he was able to see certain victory ahead by the time he had finished his ministry.  By 1916 it was considered by many intellectuals as a distinct mark of ignorance on the part of those who still regarded eternal torment as the wages of sin.  This is probably best stated by repeating what Pilgrim Brother Sidney Morton once told us:  He was spending some time at Bethel, as all the pilgrims occasionally did.  Brother Russell wanted all the brethren to keep abreast of current events, so he appointed two or three to peruse the leading newspapers each day, and give a resume at the dining room table.  This saved the remaining brethren from spending valuable time with the newspapers.  On one occasion one of the reviewers began to read:

There is a man in our town

Who thinks he’s wondrous wise;

He fell into a bramble bush

That put out both his eyes.

There were several more similar stanzas, and Brother Russell was beginning to show his annoyance at what seemed to be pretty much on the vaudeville side of things, when the lines were read:

There is a man in our town

Whose name I need not tell;

I’m sure you all must know him,

For he put the fires out of Hell.

Certainly Brother Russell was the “principal man” of God’s Household in his day; he was the “angel” (messenger) to the Church in Laodicea.  He had a message to deliver, and he delivered it with telling force, until the very day his Great Captain finally said to him, “It is enough!”  But his ministry brought upon him the most vicious attacks from the brightest lights of Satan, and they were legion.  When they could not gainsay or resist the Truth he preached, they devised the most vicious sort of slander against him - he was grossly immoral, a thing he could deny, but he could not disprove.  The human mind being as it is today; the advantage was with the slanderers.  Many were ready enough to believe the evil side of things.  Others referred to him as “That braying Balaam’s Ass!”  Here was indeed the antitype of Jeremiah’s being “let down in the dungeon… where there was no water [truth], but mire [filthy words].” (Jer. 38:6)  All this he took in stride, being mindful of Jesus’ words: “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His Household?” (Matt. 10:25)  The Lord Himself had called him “blessed”; and this more than compensated for the slanders hurled at him by “the workers of iniquity.” (Psa. 37:1)

COMBINATIONISM: He was adamant against the Combinationist sifters, which sifting had become prominent at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893.  Combinationism takes the position that it matters not what one believes so long as he is sincere in his belief.  In that Convention in Chicago such an attitude tended to place all the assembled heathen dignitaries on equality with Christian ideals.  And it might be observed that the quality of Christianity that was displayed at that Convention by some in attendance tended to confirm such a conclusion.  In fact, some of the heathen were heard to remark that they thought they should be coming to America to convert us to their ways and beliefs, instead of us sending missionaries to them to change their ideals.

Combinationism is Scriptural fornication, a combining of forbidden things.  It finds its type in Numbers 25:1-18, where some of the Jews were engaging in illicit union with the heathen round about in direct violation of the sixth Commandment.  St. Paul pinpoints this situation in 1 Corinthians 10:8: “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.”  And in v. 11 he states that those things happened to them “as types” and “are written for our [special] admonition and learning, upon whom the ends of the Ages are come.”  We are in the closing “end” of the Gospel Age and the opening “end” of the Millennial Age (the “ends” of the Ages).  But it was in the closing of the Jewish Age and the beginning of the Gospel Age when Paul wrote about it.

Brother Russell was rigidly opposed to Combinationism, and he made his stand known in no uncertain terms.  In this he is individually typed by Phinehas (Num. 25:7,8), who was the chief underpriest at that time.  Certainly, those of us who are familiar with the history of the Harvest will offer no argument against the conclusion that Brother Russell was decidedly the chief underpriest in God’s Household during his ministry.  Phinehas means brazen mouth, and those of us who know the record know there was never any compromise of principles by Brother Russell.  It was his unyielding stand against the Combinationist sifters that revealed him as “That Servant” of Matthew 24:46 for the first time to the brethren generally.  For his uncompromising adherence to the “rules” many today still pray, “God bless his memory.”  But this becomes only an empty and meaningless expression if we fail to follow the grand ideals he left.  He was indeed that wonderful “man of God” - of and to the believers.  And with Combinationism everywhere rampant today, we do well to take heed to ourselves lest we also fall under its deceptive lures.

To start from nothing against tremendous odds - as evidence the case of Gideon with his 300 - and to achieve the success he did, required remarkable ability.  It could be said of him that he was versatile, efficient and immensely capable in whatever manner he applied himself.  One outstanding businessman once remarked that his service would be worth $2,000,000 per year to any corporation large enough to afford that kind of help.  Another man once remarked to him, “Pastor Russell, you have put the standard of Christian living entirely too high.”  His answer - “I didn’t put it there, Brother; the Lord did!”

While his great ability was essential to his ministry, another item contributed much to his success.  When he appeared upon the scene there were many in the various systems who were longing for reform - “men in the midst of the City who sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done there.” (Ezek. 9:4)  Thus, there were some who were not only ready to hear him, but they also joined enthusiastically with him in the work.  Over a period of time he attracted to himself quite a number of the best minds in Christendom, and it is elemental to the success of any enterprise that its organizer surround himself with capable assistants.  This That Servant did; and, following St. Paul’s counsel to “prefer one another in honor” (Rom. 12:10), he freely delegated authority to any who showed the capacity to act accordingly.  In this also he was a noble “example of the believers.”  But he continued only to promote them so long as they were uncompromising to principle and fundamental doctrines of the Bible.  All during his ministry his shibboleth was, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4)  He was a determined and unyielding foe to Combinationism to the end of his ministry.

When That Servant appeared on the scene all of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible, except Restitution, were being taught in some section of Christendom; but all of them were either directly, or indirectly, cumbered with some error, or were not clearly understood by those attempting to teach them.  Before he had finished, every one of those doctrines, including Restitution, had been relieved of all rubbish, and had been made crystal clear.  This was foretold in Malachi 3:1-3: “The Messenger of the Covenant [the Lord himself]… shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”  The word “purifier” in this text would be better rendered “polisher”; and who of us will not admit that That Servant did “polish” the Truth (silver) in admirable brilliance!  And in doing this he never resorted to the tricks of oratory.  There were better orators than he, but certainly no better preachers.  And in him was a living proof of our Lord’s sure words, “I will give you a mouth [eloquence] and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.” (Luke 21:15)  Every one that “was of the Truth” heard his voice gladly.

He was engaged in “the good fight” until the very day he died, and it could be said of him as one historian wrote about Martin Luther: He fell peacefully asleep in Jesus.  “Them that honor Me, I will honor, saith the Lord” (1 Sam. 2:30); and the Lord did honor him greatly.  And if we wish to honor him, we can do so in no better way than to adhere to and uphold that Truth that was so dear to him.  As Jesus said of Himself; “He who has My commandments [the Truth], and observes them, that is he who loves Me.” (John 14:21, Dia.)  It is our hope and prayer that this brief review may prove a rich blessing to all our readers as we approach now the 62nd [88th in 2004] anniversary of That Servant’s death.

THE EPIPHANY MESSENGER

The second member of the Laodicean Star was Brother Paul S. L. Johnson, whom we style the Epiphany Messenger because he clarified the Epiphany as an act and as a period of time in a manner never before done by any one else, so far as we know.  He clearly demonstrated from the Scriptures that the Epiphany would follow the small Parousia, and would be the last period of the Gospel Age.  This special period would manifest persons, principles and things with a brilliance before unknown.  Of course, That Servant had predicted there would be an Epiphany following the small Parousia, which would begin when the Time of Trouble would begin (See Reprint 2979 and Pastor Russell’s Sermons, page 420) - but he gave no elaborate details about it, although what he did say formed the foundation for what the Epiphany Messenger wrote about it.

While the Greek Epiphaneia occurs six times in the New Testament, we here select only two texts as pointedly pertinent to our present discussion.  In 2 Timothy 4:1 it is stated that “the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.”  The general concept through Christendom is that the “quick” in this text means those human beings still alive, and the “dead” are those in the tomb; but That Servant properly defined these classes as those quickened by the Holy Spirit and the fallen angels, with the dead including all other human beings - whether in the tomb or out of it; that is, those “dead in trespasses and sins.”  “God hath appointed a day in which He will judge the [dead] world,” (Acts 17:31) that “day being the 1000-year day of His reign.  That time was future when Paul wrote, and is still future for the great mass of persons, although the foundation for its operation began to be laid in 1874.  But “the quick” were to be judged in His Epiphaneia.  Thus, the text would be more clearly expressed in this manner: He shall judge the quick at His Epiphaneia, and the dead at His Basileia (Kingdom).

The various features of these great accomplishments by the Lord were given in lucid detail by the Epiphany Messenger.  And the second text to have or attention is 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (Diaglott): “Then will be revealed the lawless one (whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of His mouth, and annihilate by the appearing of His presence).”  “The appearing of His presence” is literally, “the Epiphaneia of His Parousia.”  The Epiphaneia (bright shining as an act and as a period of time) has been gradually eroding the very foundation stones of the Man of Sin’s [Papacy’s] structure, until today it is visibly falling over.  But it has not yet fully done so, so we have here a sure proof that we must yet be in the Epiphany, and that this period will continue until the “annihilation” is fully accomplished.  This feat is much nearer than many suppose, and time will reveal it.

Another feature of this period would, according to That Servant, be to reveal those who have built their “house upon the Rock” and those who have built their “house upon the sand.” (Luke 6:48,49)  So long as this revealing has not yet been fully accomplished, we have here another proof that we must now still be in the Epiphany.  But the Epiphany is definitely a time of separating and a time of combining.  Of His Parousia our Lord had foretold: “In the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares [combine them], and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matt. 13:30)  Clearly enough, from this text Combinationism would be rampant before the harvest had been completed; and it offers explanation as to why both members of the Laodicean Star were so emphatic in their denunciation of it, and their warning for the faithful to have none of it.

The Epiphany Messenger had emphasized that the Gospel Age would be repeated here in the Epiphany on a small scale insofar as the Truth is concerned.  The chief culprit of the Gospel Age in overthrowing the Truth has been the Man of Sin [Papacy] - that system having perverted or counterfeited every important feature of the Great Plan of the Ages.  And in this Epiphany the Little Man of Sin (the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the self-styled “Channel”) has done the same thing with many important features of the Harvest Truth.  Most of our readers know too, how determined was the Epiphany Messenger in exposing the error of JFR and his cohorts in the Society.

Tabernacle Shadows was basic for a proper understanding of the Harvest Truth, and Brother Russell himself said that the Six Volumes of Studies in the Scriptures all had their origin in that book.  The Epiphany Messenger elaborated considerably on that contention, and emphasized that every important feature of God’s Plan was revealed in the typical Tabernacle that Moses constructed.  But hardly had That Servant been buried before the Society editors began to demolish the Tabernacle teachings, which brought forth determined exposures by the Epiphany Messenger - so much so that they eventually abandoned the Tabernacle completely.  The heat of exposure became more than they could bear.  The Epiphany Messenger contended, very logically, that if Tabernacle Shadows was basic for the Parousia Truth, it must also be basic for the Epiphany Truth.  It was the foundation stones, and any superstructure must therefore be built upon that solid foundation.

Thus, it became his privilege, and duty, to defend almost every feature of the Harvest Truth - just as the Gospel-Age reformers were compelled to defend every feature of God’s Plan against the encroaching error of the Man of Sin.  This embroiled all of them in constant warfare - even as their Captain had also been involved in much controversy during His 3½-year stay on earth.  This caused resentment on the part of many who had once been his bosom brethren, and “they walked with him no more.” (John 6:66)  And many of those who resented him became ready candidates for the evil of Combinationism.

Combinationism is an illicit union or cooperation of God’s people with persons, principles, things and practices not fully approved by God.  Examples of it are evident in the union of church and state (probably the worst form of it), of denominations with denominations, of Christian people with religio-secret-societies, of Christendom generally with heathenism.  Of all the movements that originated from the Parousia Messenger’s organization, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been among the most rigid against actually combining with other movements, but they have also been probably the most remiss of all of them in adopting the methods of those people they studiously avoid in actual contact.

After the death of Pastor Russell, J. F. Rutherford decided to “modernize” the organization Pastor Russell had formed, and he introduced a sales campaign to distribute their literature after the same pattern used by business organizations to sell their products.  Lest we be misunderstood, we find no fault with secular businesses using their advertising and sales ingenuity to dispose of their wares so long as they adhere to the truth.  But the use of such methods to disseminate Christian principles, literature, etc., is violently contrary to the high ideals given by Jesus in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew.  Nor would the Parousia Messenger adopt their technique.  But JFR had some seasoned business salesmen in his group, and these he persuaded to go from city to city to teach their sales technique toward the sale of his literature.  The ideals of his adherents immediately began to decline - until now the high ideals of the Parousia Messenger, based upon sound Bible principles, are almost gone from this group.

In a very short time the Epiphany Messenger, who had a strong love for the Parousia Messenger and the ideals he had established, saw the trend of things, and objected so strenuously that a complete and irreparable separation resulted within a matter of months.  Others joined themselves to him through the same motives - although the great majority, many of them not too well grounded in the Parousia Truth, remained with the Society.  And in a very few years those who remained were so engulfed with the spirit of Combinationism in practice that the Parousia ideals were a lost asset.  We ourselves say, God bless the memory of both Messengers, as we seek to “continue in the things we have learned” (2 Tim. 3:14) from both of them; and we abide in the conclusion of Solomon: “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.” (Prov. 17:1)

A fitting conclusion to the foregoing is to be found in Parousia Volume 6, page 658:  “The Sword of the Spirit - the Word of God - is the only offensive armor of the Lord’s little band.  The Captain prevailed in His ‘good fight’ against the Adversary, saying, ‘It is written’; and this is the battle-cry of His followers.  Others than the true soldiers have fought for the Lord with carnal weapons, and with human philosophies and worldly wisdom and organization [the methods used by the Society], and decrees of councils and synods and presbyteries, but we must depend in the struggle of this ‘evil day’ upon the Word of God - ‘It is written!’  We must use no darts like Satan’s - anger, malice, hatred, strife.  And ‘the sword of the Spirit’ can only be possessed by careful study and leading of the Spirit after consecration, after enlistment in this army.”  And to the foregoing we would add another paragraph from Parousia Volume 2, page 361:  “We desire again to impress our readers with the fact that Papacy is the Antichrist, not because of its moral obliquity, but because it is the counterfeit of the true Christ and the true Kingdom.  It is because of failure to realize this fact that many Protestants will be deceived into cooperation with Papacy in opposition to the true King of Glory.”

The above was written over one hundred years ago, but it has the ring of yesterday; and persuades us all the more in our conviction that the Parousia Messenger was indeed “the prophet unto the nations,” and that he was That Wise and Faithful Servant of Matthew 24:45.  It should also now be given its true evaluation by all who “have an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Church” (Rev. 2:17) at this very time, and to avoid Combinationism for the evil that it is - lest we “receive of her plagues.”

“We are a sweet odor of Christ to God… not like the many, which adulterate and negotiate the Word of God for their own lucre and advantage; but really from sincerity, and as from God, in the presence of God, we speak concerning Christ.” (2 Cor. 2:15-17, Diaglott footnote)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 415, October 1990)                     

NO. 565 THE GLORY OF GOD

Most of our readers are familiar with the attributes of God: Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power.  In 2 Timothy 1:7 we are told that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”; but this is not God’s power in the full sense of that word.  For us, it is not physical strength, as we recognize that many of the Lord’s people are very weak physically; but we are given will power.  St. Paul is an outstanding example of this truth.  The name his parents had given him was Saul, probably after Israel’s first king, who was a handsome physical specimen.  “There was not one among the children of Israel of goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” (1 Sam. 9:2)  When he was anointed with the Holy Spirit Saul adopted the name of Paul which was more in keeping with his physique - “Paul” meaning “little one.”  But in will power he was one of the strongest of whom we have any record, so he could well say the Lord has given us “the spirit of power.”

In 1 Timothy 1:5 Paul says, “The end of the commandment [the entire Bible] is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.”  This text thus treats of the four great attributes of God - not in all ways, but to inform us of his intention in making the statement.  And he is telling us that the great purpose of God in all His dealings with His people through His Spirit, Word and Providences is to develop in them Agape love, flowing out of, based upon and acting in harmony with power, justice and wisdom.  These exact words are not used in the text; but he refers to them by calling attention to each one’s main ingredient or ingredients.  By the expression “unfeigned faith” he is giving us in sufficiency two of the ingredients of wisdom - trust and truth.  By “good conscience” the duty feature of justice is meant.  By the expression “pure heart” the Apostle means a will fixed in good principles and executing them.  Thus will be seen the relation of all three of these characteristics to agape love and its sources, bases and modifiers.

Therefore, agape love permeates and expresses itself in the various graces, as is succinctly shown in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Charity [agape love] suffereth long [is very tolerant], and is kind [shows kindness wherever possible]; charity envieth not [is generously disposed - no covetousness]; charity vaunteth not itself [refrains from self-praise - the Germans have a proverb, “Self-praise has a bad odor”], is not puffed up [displays a proper humility], behaveth not itself unseemly [always polite], seeketh not her own [selflessness - always striving to give to others a little more than we receive from them], is not easily provoked [literally, is not enraged or infuriated, forbearance - “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” - Prov. 17:22], thinketh no evil [without guile]; rejoiceth not in iniquity [abhors sin, never glad to see others indulging in evil], but rejoiceth in the truth [appreciates and delights in the Truth and its Spirit - always happy to see  others prosper]; beareth [literally covereth] all things [ever ready to forgive], believeth all things [trustfulness, always ready to give others the benefit of the doubt], hopeth all things [hopefulness, optimistic], endureth all things [patience, perseverance - stick-to-itiveness].  Charity never faileth [permanency is something no one can take from us].”

Thus charity sourced, based and modified in wisdom, power and justice, enfolds in its ample embrace all of these graces, as well as every lower primary, secondary and tertiary grace.

It is probably in order here to consider how these four dominating graces, especially love, carry on their domination over all our other affections, virtues and graces.  They do this first by detaching our affections from lower and earthly things and attaching them to higher and heavenly things; secondly, by using our other affections, virtues and graces as servants of truth, righteousness and holiness.  Thus, these, especially love, make our lower affections: love of self-esteem, of approbativeness, of rest, of secretiveness, of safety, of possessions, of self-defense, of aggressiveness, of nourishment, of health, of life, of friends, of home and country, of the opposite sex, of wife, of husband, of children, of parents, of brethren, serve truth, righteousness and holiness.  Accordingly, if justice and love are the rulers, they develop respectively the lower primary virtues and graces of self-esteem, approbativeness, restfulness, secretiveness, cautiousness, providence, combativeness, aggressiveness, alimentiveness, vitativeness, sexliness, husbandliness, wifeliness, parentliness, filiality, brethrenliness, friendship, domesticity and patriotism.

Thirdly, they use our lower sentiments, especially humor as safety valves, vents.  Fourthly, they, especially love, carry on this domination by suppressing the efforts that our lower affections and lower primary graces make to control us, and by such suppression develop the secondary virtues and graces.

It is written in Psalms 89:14 that “justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”  And, while the Divine attribute of Justice is prominently discussed in the Bible, it was not the first attribute that operated in the creation of the universe and the creation of man.  St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:24: “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”  First of all God had to plan (wisdom) the universe: then His power was applied to carry out that plan.  For man justice was the next attribute to appear when He expelled him from the Garden of Eden for disobedience; then came “the kindness and love of God.” (Titus 3:4)

In Reprints 4917 (November 15, 1911) appears an excellent article on A PRACTICAL SELF-EXAMINATION OF LOVE, from which we quote a few paragraphs:

“Nothing in this signifies that one should neglect the caring for and providing     in every way for those dependent upon him by the ties of nature, in order that he may do good to others.  In every sense, ‘love begins at home.’ The proper thought, as we gather it, is that men and women, possessed of the spirit of perfect love, would not think exclusively of their own interest in any of the affairs of life.  Put into exercise, this element of Love would have a great influence upon all the affairs of life, inside as well as outside the home and family.

“Have I the love which is good tempered, ‘not easily provoked’ to anger - love that enables me to see both sides of a question, that gives me the spirit of a sound mind, which enables me to perceive that exasperation and violent anger are not only unbecoming but, worse than that, injurious to those toward whom they may be directed, and also injurious in their effect upon my own heart and body?

“There may be times when love will need to be firm, almost to sternness and inflexibility, where principles are involved, where valuable lessons are to be inculcated; and this might come under the head of anger, using that word in a proper sense, in regard to a righteous indignation, exercised for a loving purpose, for doing good; but it should be exercised then only for a time.  If justly angry we should see to it that we sin not either with our lips, or in our hearts, in which, at no time may we entertain any but loving and generous sentiments toward those who are our enemies, or toward those of our friends whom we would assist or instruct or correct.”

THE GREATEST OF THESE

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Dia., St. Paul tells us “these three remain - faith, hope, love - but the greatest of these is love.”  Love in this text is from the Greek agape, which means good will motivated from unselfishness.  It means doing good for the love of doing good; and such love is a refreshing and uplifting thing for all who come into contact with it.

In Romans 5:3-5, Dia., we have this: “We triumph also in afflictions, knowing that affliction works out endurance; and endurance approval; and approval hope; and this hope is not put to shame, because the love [agape] of God has been diffused in our hearts, through that Holy Spirit which has been given to us.”  That spirit in the new spiritual will lays hold on our organs of veneration, benevolence and appreciation and exercises them toward God, Christ, the brethren, the world of mankind and enemies, and thereby cultivates all the graces mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

This is the thought of Galatians 5:22, where the Apostle tells us that “the fruit of the spirit, the product of the new will, exercising our new spiritual capacities and affections is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith [fullness].  Thus, the full complete result of the Holy Spirit is a Godlike and Christlike character, disposition, mind, heart and will.  Isaiah 11:2-4 also tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us God’s disposition: “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”

It would seem that the following from Reprint 5668 (April 15, 1915) is quite appropriate here.

THE SUM OF ALL GRACES

“‘And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’ (1 Cor. 13:13)  The Apostle Paul has just been referring to the various miraculous gifts of the Spirit then granted to all begotten of the Spirit to the new nature.  Anyone lacking some such special gift at that time would thus manifest to all believers that he had not become a member of the Church of Christ.  These supernatural gifts also served to assist the primitive Church in spiritual growth.  They did not have the Bible in those days [the New Testament], and if they had possessed it, very few could have read it; hence, they needed special assistance which the Church afterward did not need and was later taken away.

“In this letter to the Church at Corinth, the Apostle, after discussing these various gifts, says, ‘And yet I show unto you a more excellent way.’  Then he proceeds to point out the superexcellence of the fruit of love.  Whoever has the Holy Spirit must have a measure at least of this fruitage, whether it be the little flower that contains the fruit-bud or whether it be the partly developed fruit, the fully developed fruit or the ripened fruit.  God our Father, who looks upon the heart, knows how His Holy Spirit in the heart is seeking to control the flesh, to guide the mind and all the words and actions.  We are not able to judge one another’s hearts.  The Apostle said that he did not feel able properly to judge even himself, but left judgment to the Lord.  He knew that his heart was loyal and that he was endeavoring to be all that the Lord would have him be.  Though he was conscious of his inability always to ‘do the things that he would,’ he knew that the Master would accept his loyalty of heart; so he would do his best and leave the remainder with God.

“Our faith and our hope in the Lord lead us to earnest endeavor to develop the fruitage of love in all its varied and beautiful phases.  Gentleness is a part of love; meekness is a part of love; so also are humility and brotherly-kindness.  The question at issue with each child of God is not, How tall and well-built am I? or, How fine-looking or well-educated or well-connected am I according to the flesh? or, How many or how fine sermons have I preached? or even, How many have I brought to a knowledge of the Truth?  But the vital question is, How much of the quality of love have I developed?  How great is the likeness of my character to that of Christ?

LOVE IS THE PRINCIPAL THING

“Why is this quality of love made so prominent in the Word of God?  We answer, Because it is the first thing, the most important thing, the principal thing.  It is the fulfilling of God’s Law; and, indeed, the sacrificial love enjoined upon God’s Saints of this Age goes even beyond the requirements of the perfect law.  But why is love put first?  It is not because God arbitrarily so placed it, not because He exercised His power of fiat and declared that it should be first.  No, it is because no other quality of character is so lovely, so beautiful, so productive of happiness and joy, so great a blessing to all upon whom it operates.  It is the very essence of God’s character, ‘GOD IS LOVE.’  This quality particularly represents His personality.  While God is all-just and all-powerful, we do not say that God is justice or that God is power, but that God is Love.  He uses His great power only as love dictates and approves.  He uses His justice only in fullest harmony with His glorious attribute of Love.  Love is the mainspring of all His doings.

“Whoever, therefore, would be God-like must be loving, must have love as the dominating quality of his character and his life.  Love and righteousness are inseparable.  Love is to continue to all eternity; and only those who become the active embodiment of this gracious quality of character will live eternally.  Hence we see the paramount importance of its development in every life.”

THE SPIRIT OF A SOUND MIND

“EVIDENCES OF A SOUND MIND:  The fall of Adam has worked ruin to mankind, so that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there are none sound (Isa. 1:5,6).  None are sound of mind or body.  All are out of the way.  ‘There is none righteous; no, not one.’ (Rom. 3:10)  But in proportion as we receive the spirit of the Lord, and in proportion as that spirit of the Lord works in us and develops us and influences all the conduct of life, in that same proportion we receive the spirit of a sound mind.

“This soundness of mind will teach us how better to use our bodies.  A person of unsound mind may either eat too much or eat what does not agree with him.  In proportion as we have a sound mind, it influences what we eat, what we drink, and everything we do; it helps to regulate and control everything in life for us.  It gives us broad views of all the affairs of life.  It gives us more generous views of mankind.  We recognize that mankind is under the curse, and we have a feeling of compassion for them.  We have much advantage every way, because God has opened the eyes of our understanding.

“This spirit of a sound mind makes us more helpful.  We know better how to deal with each other as brethren.  We know better how to deal with our children, with our neighbors, with the butcher and with every one else.  The truth does not come to many of those who are naturally soundest of mind, and it takes time for the truth to bring in a measure of soundness.  But we notice that when one receives the truth in the love of it, it has a healing effect on his mind.  He will begin to think more correctly and to act more wisely.”

(Reprints 5977, bottom and 5978, top)

The Wise Man tells us in Proverbs 4:7 that “Wisdom [the wisdom that is from above - James 3:17] is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”  But how do we come by this wisdom?  In 1 Corinthians 1:30 we are told that Christ Jesus is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness [justification by faith], and sanctification [He sets us apart for His own good purposes], and deliverance.”

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Dia., we are given a very meaningful synonym of wisdom - a sound mind - which means a proper mental and religious disposition that is based upon the Truth and views matters according to reality in the light of the applicable Truth, and thinks, feels, speaks and acts accordingly tactful.  A sound mind, therefore, is a proper mental and religious attitude.  This Scripture also tells us that love and a sound mind are closely linked together.  “God did not give us a cowardly spirit, but one of power, and of [agape] love, and of a sound mind.”

The proper application of the Holy Spirit in a “Sound Mind” will little by little and more and more give its possessor an ever increasing sound mind, which will by and by “make such a person of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2,3) - that is, in the application of duty and disinterested (agape) love in accordance with the Divine will.  Thus, in cultivating wisdom (love and the spirit of a sound mind), we constantly improve ourselves in every good word and work.  In this there is a part that God, by Christ, does and a part that we do.  Thus we become “co-workers with God,” as we constantly improve our intellectual and providential circumstances.

The spirit of a sound mind is one of the dominating graces of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes operates negatively in keeping us from doing unwise things, but operates positively in helping us to do the wise things.  This is true in both our secular and religious relations.  We need the spirit of a sound mind in our dealings with the Father and with Jesus, the latter being the Agent as our Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Teacher, Justifier, Sanctifier and Deliverer.

Inasmuch as our own righteousness is as “filthy rags,” we cannot approach Him through works or merits of our own.  Therefore, the spirit of a sound mind forbids us to present ourselves, who are children of wrath, to God in any alleged merit or righteousness of our own.  On the contrary, the Divine wisdom prompts us to seek for ourselves an Advocate before God, which we recognize to be Jesus.  He has told us Himself “whatsoever ye ask in my name it shall be given unto you.” (John 15:16)  Thus, by the Divine wisdom wrought in us by Jesus’ ministry, we are prompted to ask forgiveness for our sins and a righteous standing before God through Him.  Thus, sufficient of the spirit of a sound mind, which we receive from Him as natural men, enables us to see the proper approach to God, and tends to keep us in a righteous condition, and prompts us to present ourselves to God in harmony with Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  Upon so doing in harmony with God’s will, He then gives us that sanctification that is necessary to do His “good and acceptable and perfect will.”  This prevents us from engaging in works not motivated by God and Christ.  On all sides today we see thousands zealously devoted to various reform and uplift works, which have no real standing in Heaven.  “Many will say to me in that day, Master, Master, have we not taught in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name performed many wonders?  And then I will plainly declare to them, I never approved of you.  Depart from Me, you who practice iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22,23, Dia.)  Such will be the reward of all rabid sectarians.

The spirit of a sound mind teaches us what to do, and what to avoid doing in spirit, manner and method as to our works toward the world in religious aspects, and also in secular relations.  But a sound mind will give us increasingly the spirit of wisdom in our religious and secular actions.  While we are “not of the world,” yet we are in the world, and have secular relations toward the world.

Our secular relations toward the world may at times give us some consternation, especially with those of lower tendencies.  Yet these are vastly in the majority and if we are inclined to avoid such, we may find it difficult to make a livelihood.  St. Paul treats of this in 1 Corinthians 5:9,10: “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators; yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”  That is, if we would refuse to have any dealings with persons of disreputable leanings, we might find ourselves out of business.  This does not mean, of course, that we become partners with them.  St. Paul’s advice applies here, too - and positively so: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14)  Our own experience in the business world over the past fifty years is that many put on quite a respectable appearance, but are ready enough to cut corners as opportunity may present itself.  A well-meaning businessman once said to Brother Russell, “Pastor Russell, you have set the standard entirely too high.”  His answer was, “I did not put it there; the Lord did.”  Of course, having a “high calling,” it necessarily follows there would also be a “high” standard.  And the more of a sound mind we have, the more apparent this becomes to us.  Also, the more of Divine wisdom we have the more of a sound mind will be apparent in us.

LOVE - HOW ACQUIRED

In any undertaking the “know-how” is fundamental to success.  And this is certainly true in the acquisition of Agape love.  We have pointed out that love and a sound mind are closely linked together.  All who have developed any degree of Agape love will readily testify that it has put soundness into their thinking.  Among the last words of Jesus to His Disciples are those to be found in Luke 21:12-15, Dia.: “They will drag you before kings and governors… And it will turn out to you for a testimony.  Settle it in your hearts, therefore, not to premeditate on your defense; for I will give you eloquence and wisdom, which all your opponents will not be able to gainsay, or resist.”  “Our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit… the spirit giveth life.” (2 Cor. 3:5,6)

FAITH COMETH BEFORE LOVE

Although, as 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us Love is the greatest of all the graces, for the Faith Age, faith must come first: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6)  Nor can we develop perfect (agape) love unless we continue to believe He is a God of Love, Wisdom, Justice and Power, and also, to have faith in His Word that we have received.  Those who are faithful to the truth they have will be ready to “learn more of Him,” and as they do they will develop more and more of the “end of the commandment [the purpose of the commandment] is charity.” (1 Tim. 1:5)  All New Creatures will have to develop perfect love in their hearts during this Faith Age, their trial time for eternal life.  No others are on trial for life; although, it behooves all classes of the Household of Faith to constantly seek to develop perfect love, as they must eventually do if they remain in the Elect classes.  However, some of the unbegotten consecrators are not able to develop perfect love.  In the 11th chapter of Hebrews we are told that it was by faith that the Ancient Worthies were able to do what they did.  Abraham had faith and it was counted to him for righteousness.  He didn’t have Agape love, but he will have it in the Kingdom, or he won’t remain one of the Elect.

In the Millennium when the New Covenant is inaugurated, there will be no crucial experience - no suffering for righteousness sake - that will develop perfect love.  But Restitutionists will have to develop perfect Duty Love toward God and man - love the Lord with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves.  This will be a much easier requirement for them, for instead of suffering for righteousness, they will be rewarded for righteousness, and if their righteousness comes from the heart, they will be rewarded with eternal life.  There was no sacrifice required of Adam - just obedience and faith in God.  So Restitutionists will have a faith in God, but not a faith where He cannot be traced.  Each step of obedience will bring the reward for tracing Him.

From Reprint 5095, top: “The spirit of a sound mind is a most wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the Lord’s people.  It gives them much advantage every way over the remainder of mankind.  It sees in the present life opportunities for the attainment of character.  It broadens and deepens the mind along all good lines.  It makes one less touchy in respect to his own rights, privileges and preferences, and more considerate of the rights and feelings of others.

“The spirit of a sound mind makes one’s judgment clearer, truer, more trustworthy than before, for it impels him to accept the instructions of the Word of God in respect to what he should and should not do, and to reject his own faulty judgment.  The meek will He guide in judgment.  Whatever may be the imperfection of mind and body resulting from the fall, those who receive the spirit of a sound mind are thereby made purer, kinder, gentler, less selfish and more thoughtful in regard to others.  Those who are thus rightly exercised will develop the spirit of love increasingly until that which is perfect shall have come and that which is in part shall have been done away. (1 Cor. 13:10)”

GOD’S GLORY

In Exodus 33:18 Moses asked God to show him His glory; and in Psalms 104:31 we are told, “The glory of the Lord shall endure forever.”  In Isaiah 42:8 it is written: “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another.”  From these and other Scriptures we conclude that God’s glory is synonymous with His character attributes of Justice, Wisdom, Power and Love.  All of God’s faithful people of the past have had some of these character qualities; but none of them, not even Jesus, have had them in the same magnificent and grandiose quantity and quality as they are in our Almighty God.  The word translated glory in Isaiah 42:8 is from the Hebrew kabod and one of its meanings is splendor; and the more we see and learn of His character and works, the more His splendor becomes apparent.  Thus, we enthusiastically join with David in his exclamation, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Psa. 95:6,7)

(Brother John J. Hoefle, Reprint 427, November 1991)

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION - How can I get faith when I don’t have it naturally?

ANSWER   - Faith may be cultivated as any other mental quality, and is increased in proportion to knowledge and reliance upon that knowledge.  To have faith in God, we must learn His character, plans, and purposes.  This we acquire by a study of His Word and relying upon the promises and truths therein stated.  False doctrines have made God’s character appear hideous.  “Fear (dread) of him is taught by the precepts of men.”  A true knowledge of His character and plan greatly increase our faith in and love for Him.  Faith is Scripturally defined as “the understanding of things hoped for, the proof of things unseen.”  Man hopes for eternal life in happiness.  A basis for that hope is found in the Word of God.  A doubter may become a most earnest and tenacious believer upon receiving proper evidence.  “Life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 6:23)  His Word is the only evidence pointing out clearly the way of obtaining that gift.  To increase our faith we must, therefore, study God’s Word in a humble and prayerful manner, with the desire to know and do His will, and to rely upon His Word.  One who knows the letter of His Word and fails to rely upon it has little faith.  Another both knows the Word and relies upon it and strong faith results.  This is illustrated by the following incident; A man doubting the strength of the ice to bear his weight crawled across the river on his hands and knees, and just as he reached the opposite shore he was overtaken by a man, who had confidence in the strength of the ice, gaily driving a team of horses hitched to a sled loaded with pig iron.

(What Pastor Russell Said, pages 774, 775)

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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Emily and Marjorie,

We send you warm greetings from the Sea of Galilee.  It is getting warmer here as summer is upon us, but the wonder is that the Sea of Galilee is so full at this point.  Not only did the heavy winter rains fill it, but also the Mt. Hermon snowmelt filled it to the tip-top.  Really it looks like the boats could sail down the streets of Tiberias now.  In our 16 years living here on the shores of the Sea of Galilee we have never seen it so full.

However we missed news of how you both are, and how things are going there in Florida.  We do hope you had an illness-free winter, Emily, and are feeling God’s strength each day to carry you through.

We keep going one day at a time.  Lev was down to the Dead Sea in May for 4 weeks to have his sun treatments for his skin problem of psoriasis.  It had gotten quite bad over the winter.  What a miracle this “dead spot” on the earth produces in the healing of so many illnesses.  This time Lev had a wonderful healing of most of his skin.  We are so thankful to the Lord!

We don’t have so many guests this month, but this is the only month like this since December.  There has been a steady stream of visitors from some ten nations, so it is wonderful to see some brave tourists again in Israel.  It is a start to come back to the “normal” amount of travelers in this direction!  The overall economy is improving here as well, but there are still too many out of work.

There was a lot of tension over the Passover holidays after Israel eliminated the two top Hamas leaders.  Thankfully the eyes of the watchmen were open and the attempted bombings were stopped!  So it has been a rather quiet period, but only because Israel is on the alert day and night to stop the terrorists even when they try to use women and children to carry bombs.  A sick thinking!  So now we are being forced into Gaza withdrawal that will affect the lives of some 7500 people directly as their whole way of life for years will be destroyed.  The question is “and for what?”  There is no “peace agreement” or willingness for the Palestinians to stop fighting.  In fact they see it all as a “victory”!  It is hard to understand how Sharon and his government could change sides so much.  So good to know God has the real answers.

Have a good summer!                               Love to all, Lev and Hava Bausch       (ISRAEL)

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THIS TOO WILL PASS!

Poor heart, break not, though cruel be thy wound

This too will pass!

The weariest day will end in sunset light,

And dawn must follow e’en the darkest night!

Nor drink too deeply of Joy’s honeyed cup -

This too will pass!

Caressing hands will lose their loving touch,

 And words mean nothing, that once meant so much.

Ah, then, whate’er thy state, seek thou content - t

This will not pass!

True rest is found in God, He knows and cares,

His heart of love thy every sorrow shares!

NO. 564 WAITING FOR MESSIAH

(Malachi 3:1; 4:3)

“Behold he shall come, saith the Lord, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in.  But who may abide the day of his coming? for he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.” (Malachi 3:1,2)

Malachi’s prophecy, the most striking features of which constitute the lesson, concludes the Old Testament canon.  It contains not only a Divine rebuke for sin, but also a Divine promise of rescue.  It fits well to the time generally assigned to it - Nehemiah’s period.  It remained for Israel to show thorough repentance and to institute thorough reforms.  The needed reformation fits equally well to our day.  In their professed devotions they were robbing God and impoverishing themselves.  It rested upon them to note what great blessings would be theirs if they rendered a whole-heart service to the King of kings.

The Jews, comparing themselves with other nations, perceived that as a result of being God’s people they had been held to a more strict account than other nations, so that although their nationality was superior, it was through repeated and severe chastisements.  They were even questioning the profitableness of being “God’s chosen people.”  The arrogant, proud nations around them flourished in temporalities more than they.  They could not stand this; they forgot that they were a people for a purpose and that to fit them for Divine service in the future trying experiences were permitted, and were really evidences of Divine favor.  “What son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  If ye be without chastisement, then are ye not sons.” (Heb. 12:7,8)

This lesson of a future reward is brought forward by the words, “They that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord harkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name.  They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” (Mal. 3:16,17)

ISRAEL - TYPICAL AND ANTITYPICAL

The foregoing has revealed very much of all prophecies respecting Israel’s favors to be fulfilled - a portion in Spiritual Israel’s experiences and another portion in Natural Israel’s.  The faithful of the Jewish Age, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets, will surely have a great reward.  When Messiah’s Kingdom shall be inaugurated on the spirit plane, invisible to men, those Ancient Worthies, who were once called the fathers, will have a very high rank of service in connection with the Kingdom, in that they will be its earthly representatives and exponents.  “Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children [of Messiah], whom thou [Messiah] mayest make princes [rulers] in all the earth.” (Psa. 45:16)

Spiritual Israel, as history shows us, is the great Messiah for whom the Jews have so long waited.  This Messiah has many members - Jesus is its Head, the Church are His members.  This Messiah, Jesus and His members or Bride, constitute the spiritual seed of Abraham - “as the stars of heaven.” (Gen. 22:17)  These must first be completed, and will be glorified in Kingdom power before the Ancient Worthies can receive their blessing on the earthly plane, and before natural Israel can be gathered to them as the nucleus of the Kingdom of God on earth, to which ultimately all nations, peoples, kindred and tongues shall flow for a share in Israel’s New Covenant blessings.  Of these St. Paul says, “If ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed [typified by Isaac], and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29)  These are to be God’s jewels on the spirit plane, as the faithful Jews of the past are to be the jewels on the earthly plane, marked or enrolled for distinguished honor in connection with Messiah’s Kingdom.

“MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT”

The Israelites, discouraged with their failure to keep the Law and to get the blessings promised therefrom, were encouraged by the Lord with the promise that some day a great Messiah would appear - greater than Moses, with whom God would make a New Covenant on their behalf.  The New Covenant would be superior to the old one in that it would have a better Mediator, for Israel already had God’s perfect Law.  The New Mediator would not relax the law, either.  The advantage to accrue through Him would be that somehow His covenant and sin-offering would be more efficacious than that which Moses instituted, because it would put away sin forever and give willing Israelites a new heart, a heart of flesh, after which they would be given everlasting life on condition of their maintaining their relationship with the Almighty.

Jeremiah particularized this saying: “It shall come to pass after those days, saith the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers when I led them out of Egypt… but their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Jer. 31:31)

Israel’s hope thenceforth was in the Messiah, whose coming would bring to them the New Covenant blessings.  They have waited for Him since.  Who can help admiring the persistency of the Jewish faith - their loyalty to God!  Who can help noticing how sharply it is in contrast with their previous unbelief and idolatry!  Who can doubt that God still loves His people whom He foreknew and whom He has promised shall be regathered - back to their own land and back to His favor under the New Covenant! (Rom. 11:25)

But the Prophet Malachi clearly intimates that there might be disappointment in connection with the much longed for Messenger or Mediator of the New Covenant, in whom the Jews so delighted and hoped.  The declaration is that His day will be a strenuous one: “Who shall stand when he appeareth?”  “Who will abide the day of his coming?” (Mal. 3:2)  The intimation is that not many will abide, not many will stand - the majority will fall.

The reason is given.  He will require such purity, such holiness, that few will come up to His requirements.  The tests He will impose will be like fullers’ soap, which is the foe of every spot upon a garment white.  His requirements will be like those of a refiner of silver - all the dross must be eliminated, in a furnace hot enough to insure its separation.  The test will last a considerable time, for He will sit as a refiner sits, giving close inspection, that the heat be neither too great nor too little, the time neither too long nor too short.

This great Messiah, the Messenger of the New Covenant, began His refining and purifying work more than eighteen centuries ago.  He followed the Divine rule, “To the Jew first.”  He began to refine and purify a priestly class for association with Himself in the glorious Messianic work.  To the Jew first came the privilege of being the antitypical Levites.  Thousands of them responded at Pentecost, and subsequently, but not enough to complete the foreordained number of spiritual Israelites, members of the Body of Messiah.

Since then the selecting work has been in progress for eighteen centuries.  God has been calling and drawing from all nations, and as many as respond the great Refiner has been purifying; and if these suffer afflictions for righteousness they are sharing in the sufferings of Messiah that they may be accounted worthy also of a share in His glories to follow.  Soon the “elect” number will be completed: the blood of the New Covenant will be made efficacious for Israel and for all the families of the earth, and on that basis the Messianic Kingdom or reign of righteousness will begin.

(Pastor Russell, Reprints 4930-4931, December 1, 1911)

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JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS

(Matthew 25:31-46)

“Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me.” (v. 45)

Having given His disciples many parables illustrating the experiences of the Church, the Kingdom class, in their development and preparation for Kingdom honor, it was eminently proper that Jesus should give the parable of this lesson to illustrate the work of this Kingdom after its establishment - to show its purpose and its effect upon the world of mankind.

Many of us have in the past read the Bible too carelessly.  Our minds were sluggish respecting spiritual things.  For instance, this lesson was at one time applied to the Church.  We failed altogether to notice that it says not a word respecting the Church, but is entirely applied to the world, to the nations, the heathen.  For centuries the Jews had been accustomed to think of themselves as God’s nation, God’s people.  All others they styled heathen, Gentiles, the people, the nations; and in the prophecies God treated the matter from this standpoint.  So when spiritual Israel was received into Divine favor as the Royal Priesthood, the Holy Nation, the peculiar people, all the remainder of mankind were properly enough to be thought of and described as “the nations” - “the Gentiles.”

In line with this, our Lord in this parable tells what is to befall after His Kingdom shall have been set up - after the selection of the true Church class to be the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife, the joint-heir in His Kingdom, in His throne.  This, we notice, is very clearly stated by the Master, saying “When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.”  Who, after proper consideration, will say that this is a matter of the past?  Who will dispute that this is a description of Messiah’s Kingdom following His Parousia and His Epiphania [the epiphania and the Time of Trouble are one and the same] at His Second Advent?

APPLICATION OF THIS PARABLE

Then follows a description of the work of the Millennial Age.  “Before him shall be gathered all nations.”  This means all the people of the world outside of the Lord’s holy nation, His peculiar people, the Church.  Everybody except the Church will be before His great white throne of justice, mercy and love; that will be their judgment time.

Six thousand years ago, Adam and his entire race were judged in Eden, and the sentence was death.  None of the race are worthy of everlasting life.  They are all sinners.  In due time God sent His Son to die for Adam’s sin, in order that, “as by a man came death [of the entire race], by a man [Jesus] also will come the resurrection of the dead [the entire race].  For as all in Adam die, even so all in Christ shall be made alive.  Every man in his own order.” (1 Cor. 15:21-23)

The first order to be made alive in Christ is the Church, called out of the world, separated, “begotten again” of the Holy Spirit.  These pass their judgment, their trial, for life everlasting or death everlasting in the present time.  Hence the worthy ones, with characters formed pleasing and acceptable to God, will be quite ready to be Messiah’s Bride class, joint-heirs with Him in His Kingdom and in His work of judging the world.  He has promised that all the faithful shall sit with Him in His throne - the very throne pictured in the words of our text - the throne before which all the nations, all the people outside of the Church, will be gathered.

The gathering of the world will be the result of knowledge.  The Time of Trouble will lead on to great enlightenment, in which all the blind eyes will be opened, all the deaf ears will be unstopped (Isa. 35:5), and the knowledge of the glory of God will fill the whole earth.  Some there will be those who, resisting this knowledge, will decline to accept Christ and will not come into this judgment; but after a hundred years of resistance these will be destroyed (Isa. 65.20).

Those in the parable are such as have accepted Christ’s terms and desire to be on judgment, or on trial, for everlasting life.  This will include all in their graves, who, the Master tells us, will come forth, not all at once, but gradually.  Messiah’s Kingdom will exercise its power and disseminate the knowledge of God and of righteousness, with a view to encouraging, helping and uplifting all the willing and obedient.  All such may rise more and more out of sin and death conditions - out of imperfection of mind and body and out of immoral conduct to the full image of God, as possessed by father Adam in the beginning.

It will be the work of the entire Millennial Age to bring this about.  Righteousness will reign then, as sin reigns now.  That is to say, it will be in control, in the ascendancy; and whosoever sins then will suffer promptly.  Hence all the nations will be avoiding sin.  Then the world in general will be a grand place, where “nothing shall hurt or destroy”(Isa. 11:9); where “the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick” (Isa. 33:24); where the curse shall be gradually rolled away, and there shall be no more crying, no more sighing, no more dying; and where the blessing of God, bringing perfection, will prevail.  “O happy day!” we exclaim.  And surely it will be such; for all who live through those thousand years will have a great blessing.

THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION OPERATIVE

But, some inquire, what about the sins of the world?  Will there be no chastisements, no punishments, for these?  We answer that it will be equally as just for God to forgive the sins of the world for Christ’s sake as it has been just for Him to forgive the sins of the Church for Christ’s sake.  If the one is just, so will be the other; for God is no respecter of persons, and is equally as willing to forgive the sins of the world as the sins of the Church, when the world, repenting of sin, will turn from it, accepting Christ as their Redeemer.

This does not mean, however, that justice is to be ignored.  In the case of the Church, note how the sins of youth may leave their scar and sting to the end of life.  And so we may reasonably assume that certain stripes, or punishments, will be permitted to follow the world in just the same manner.  It will be from these weaknesses and frailties that they will be gradually raised up to perfection during those blessed thousand years of Christ’s Kingdom, when Satan will be bound and not be permitted to deceive any during that period.

But what about heart condition?  If conformity to the Divine Law in an outward way will bring blessings to all, will there not still be a difference between the people - some coming heartily into accord with the Father, and others merely outwardly into harmony, because this outward harmony will be the way to restitution, perfection?

Undoubtedly this is correct reasoning.  It is along this line that the parable before us teaches; namely, that outwardly the “sheep” and the “goats” will have much the same appearance and demeanor, except to the Judge, the King, who will read the heart and ultimately will manifest to all that there has been a real heart-difference between the two classes, all of whom will have been on trial of a thousand years, receiving blessings of the Kingdom.

THE BASIS OF JUDGMENT

All the while each individual will be making character.  This character will be fully appreciated by the great Judge, and the individual will be rated either as a “sheep” or as a “goat.”  All the sheep class will thus be received at the right hand of the great Jehovah; and all the goat class will be rated as out of favor with Him, even though all the while they will be receiving the blessing of the Millennial Kingdom and outwardly rendering obedience to its laws.

Not until the conclusion of the Millennium will the decision of the Judge be manifested.  Then both parties will show great surprise at His decision.  To the “sheep” at His right hand He will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father [the kind that my Father is pleased to bless and to grant everlasting life!  Come,] inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  When God laid the foundation of the earth and planned its human habitation, it was His design to give it to you.  Now the time has come for you to enter into this kingdom and to possess it.

This is not the same kingdom as the Messianic Kingdom.  On the contrary, it is the kingdom which God gave to Adam, which Adam lost through his disobedience and which Christ redeemed by the sacrifice of Himself.  It will be given only to those who will have developed the God-like character - those who will have become the Lord’s “sheep” during the Millennium.

Then the other class, the goats of the parable, will be sentenced: “Depart, ye accursed ones [doomed ones], into everlasting punishment.”  Granted all the privileges, blessings and experiences of a thousand years of contact with righteousness, truth and the Spirit of God, you indeed render an outward obedience, but at heart you have not come into harmony with God.  I cannot recognize you as My sheep.  I cannot present you to the Father blameless and irreprovable.  You must be destroyed; the punishment is the Second Death, “everlasting destruction.”  The penalty upon you is an everlasting one because there will be no further provision made for your redemption or for your resurrection from the Second Death.  You will be as though you had never been.  You have failed utterly to appreciate the goodness of God and to copy His Character-likeness.  Eternal life is only for those who have God’s likeness and God’s Spirit.  “The Father seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23)

Both classes, the “sheep” and the “goats,” were surprised at what the King, the Judge, declared to be the basis of His judgment.  To the sheep He said, “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; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”  To the goat class He said, “I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink; was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

Both “sheep” and “goats” claimed that they had no knowledge of any such experiences.  When did we minister unto Thee?  When did we fail to minister unto Thee?  The answer was, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of My brethren, or did it not unto him, ye did it, or did it not, unto Me.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHEEP CLASS

Now, who are these respecting whom there will be a test upon the sheep class and upon the goat class?  Will there be people sick, hungry and in prison during the Millennium?  Does the Lord wish us to understand that there will be such?  We have, on the contrary, always assumed that sickness, poverty, hunger and prisons will then be gone forever.  What does it all mean?

The meaning is plain.  With the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom all who come into harmony with it will have the great privilege of doing something to help others.  The world is blind and starved now, for lack of spiritual food and the anointing eye-salve of the truth.  While the Millennial blessing will be showered upon those who accept the Lord’s terms, there will be others who will need assistance.  Those who have the Spirit of God, the spirit of love, will be glad to carry the heavenly message of reconciliation to all humanity, glad to apply the eye-salve to the blind, glad to unstop the ears of the deaf, glad to help the sin-sick back into harmony with God - to the blessings of Messiah’s Kingdom, to the way in which these may be obtained - helping them to cover their nakedness with the merit of Christ.

All who will take pleasure in this work will thus be manifesting that they have God’s Spirit and are co-laborers with Him.  All these will be the sheep.  On the other hand, those who will be careless in respect to their vow, and merely enjoy the Millennial blessings themselves, will be of the goat class and will thus be marking themselves as “goat,” and correspondingly will be out of favor with the great King of kings, their Judge, the Lord of Glory.

THE WORLD’S RESURRECTION

 The prison referred to in the parable is undoubtedly the great prison-house of death, into which approximately twenty thousand millions already have gone.  All these are to come forth.  But the Scriptures declare that they will not all come forth at once, but “every man in his own order.” (1 Cor. 15:23)  Only the Church will be in the First Resurrection.

During the Millennium the awakening from the sleep of death, the prison-house, will come about by Divine Power, of course, but we believe in answer to prayer.  Each family circle, as it can prepare for another and another member, will be glad to do so, and will make request for his return.  Thus the race will come out of the “prison-house” in reverse order to that in which they entered, and will be acquainted with, identified by, and prepared for by their friends, their relatives.

While the blessing of the Lord will provide an abundance for all, nevertheless we may safely assume that the provision will be in the hands of their fellows.  It will be the “sheep” that will be especially interested in praying for and preparing for those who are in the great prison-house of death.  Any by so engaging their time and energy these “sheep” will be manifesting a purpose, a will, in harmony with that of the Creator.  God has willed that all who are in their graves shall come forth at the command of Jesus (John 5:28,29), and those in sympathy with God and Christ will be co-laborers with God in accomplishing the work for which Christ died.  Any not interested in that work will be lacking in God’s Spirit; and this is exactly what is charged against the goat class.

He who sits upon the throne, having redeemed the world of mankind and having provided for the resurrection of all these redeemed ones, counts them as in a certain sense representing Himself - as He says in the parable: “I was an hungered, and ye fed me; I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me,” ministered unto Me and helped Me.

Likewise the reproof to the goat class: to these He said, You were not interested in the things of God.  Your interest was merely personal, a selfish one.  You have enjoyed the blessings of these glorious thousand years, and that is all that God has provided for you.  You are not of the kind of whom He is pleased to grant everlasting life.  You will therefore die.  You have more or less of the selfish spirit, which is the spirit of Satan, and as God’s provision for all who will not be in fellowship with Him in spirit is destruction, this is to be your portion - the Second Death (Rev. 21:8).

The eternal fire is the fire of God’s jealousy or anger, which burns against and destroys everything antagonistic to His righteousness (Zeph. 1:18; 3:8).  It is, of course, merely a figurative expression representing complete destruction.

(Pastor Russell, Reprints 5530-5532, September 1, 1914)

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THE WONDER OF ISRAEL

This coming Monday, the fifth day of Iyar, 5764, marks the 56th anniversary of Israel’s rebirth.  Absorbed as we are by our current struggles - existential, security, economic, social, political, religious - we often lose sight of the wonder that there is any type of Jewish state anywhere, let alone in its ancient ancestral home.  The usual rule in history, for mighty empires as well as weak nations, is that there are no comebacks; gone is gone.  All of the major empires that existed at the start of the 20th century - Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Turkey, Japan - failed to survive that bloody and turbulent century.  Out of this ash heap of nations and empires, somehow a Jewish state arose, unwanted and unappreciated by most of the world and even by major sections of the Jewish world.  Since the majority were not adults in 1948, they will never be able to truly appreciate what Israel’s rebirth meant to the Jewish world.

I remember walking with my father to synagogue in Chicago that Friday afternoon.  A Jew from Lithuania with 1,000 years of longing for Zion and Jerusalem baked into his soul, and who usually showed little emotion, he wept all the way.  I was shocked by his weeping, but as I became older and began to appreciate the moment in its historical context, I shared his tears.  Even the anti-Zionist parties here at the time blessed the occasion and appreciated the watershed event.  After the tragedy of the Holocaust, when Jewry the world over was exhausted emotionally, spiritually and physically, with hundreds of thousands of refugees in internment and displaced persons’ camps throughout Europe and Cyprus, the state arose as a beacon of hope and refuge, a place to settle and rebuild lives, personal and national.  I remember how the survivors of Europe limped into Chicago after the war - how despairing all of us were for the future, how few the students in the fledgling Jewish day schools struggling to establish themselves.

The creation of the state stiffened Jewish resolve and pointed us in a different direction, with a more positive mood and a renewed belief in ourselves.  The attempt to crush the state at its birth failed, as all the attempts since then have failed.  The current terrorist campaign against us will also fail, and at the end will have damaged our enemies far more than it hurt us.  In spite of tremendous difficulties, the state has grown, prospered and become strong and viable.  It is envy of us that fuels much of the anti-Israel hatred around the world.

If appreciation of the truly wondrous nature of this state’s creation and the timeliness of its birth is fading, then it should be replaced by vision.  The State of Israel is defined as being both democratic and Jewish, and somehow these two ideas must learn to live with each other as peacefully and harmoniously as possible.

A vision of what a Jewish state should look like - how it must be unique and not merely a pale copy of the worst aspects of Western culture - has to be formulated and articulated.

I feel that the greatest contribution of religious Jewry in this country could be to represent and publicize such a vision.  Sadly, until now it has not even attempted to address this task, let alone devise a program as to how to implement it.  No society can prosper without a positive sense of direction and purpose.  Merely wishing to survive - as important and necessary as that is - is not nation-building.

Addressing our future, infusing belief and faith, strengthening our sense of tradition, cleaning up our act and casting away the bad habits of exile and corruption, are necessary components of a visionary future. 

Realizing the wonder of the past 56 years will help us build such a future for ourselves and our descendants.

(By Berel Wein, The International Jerusalem Post, April 23, 2004)